My Christmas Letter for 2008

Greetings to everyone! I hope and pray that this letter finds you all happy and doing well. This year has been quite a year, full of many ups and downs. As I have taken some time to step back and reflect on my year I am reminded of how good my Heavenly Father is to me. I decided to make a career move, so I accepted a job teaching Medical Anatomy at Woods Cross High School. I am not doing any coaching right now, but that is fine with me and I may eventually look to coach again, plus, I am keeping plenty busy with teaching Science. I will be going back to school in January to start the Master’s of Business Administration program at Weber State with an emphasis in International Business. I am not sure what I will be doing once I graduate, but that is a few years away, so I don’t have to worry about that right now! As far as my love life goes, I am back to loving life. I dated a great guy for three months this summer, but it didn’t work out. I learned a lot in those three months and I am grateful for the experience. This Summer I did another four weeks as a volunteer EFY counselor and I loved it. I also spent a week in the Richmond, Virginia area with a good friend and her family. Then I took a four-day trip to Northern Orange County, California to visit my first Mission President and his wife. All in all it has been a wonderful year full of amazing experiences. I am so grateful for the experiences I have had and the wonderful people I have met. This year has brought new friends into my life that I will be eternally grateful for, and reminded me of old friends that have always been a part of my life. I have a safe, warm place to live, an amazing family, the greatest of friends, a fantastic job, the Gospel, and opportunities to learn and grow, what more do I need.
I hope and pray this Holiday Season finds all of you happy, healthy, and enjoying the bounteous blessings God has afforded you. May the peace and joy of the Christmas Season fill your hearts and lives at this wonderful time and throughout the coming year.
I love you all pray that the Lord will continue to bless each and every one of you and your families.
Merry Christmas!
Love,

Rachel

What have I done?
Yellow I have. White I haven't.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band-nope, just orchestra
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo-as much as it pains me to admit it!
11. Bungee jumped-no thanks
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea-how about from the beach, does that count?
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty-just been out to Liberty Island, but not up
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping-only if a public bath in Japan counts!
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise-what good is a boat if you can't go fishing from it?
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied-won't that be the day!
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated , platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Book of Mormon or Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Sea
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

Wow, that leaves me with quite a few things I would like to do and also a few that I have no desire of ever doing!

Anne of Green Gables

So, I found myself this past Thanksgiving weekend sitting on the couch channel surfing when to my surprise I found "Anne of Green Gables" followed by "Anne of Avonlea" showing on PBS. Now, if you know me you know how much I love Anne of Green Gables (all 8 books.) You also know that I am a 100% hopeless romantic and I always love a good love story or a sappy chick flick. (Yes, I just wrote that for all of the world to know, and I am alright with that.) It had been a while since I had last watched either of the "Anne" movies (I refuse to even associate the 3rd one with anything remotely related to Anne and I will not be watching the new one when it comes out), and I had forgotten how much I enjoy the story of Anne and Gilbert. Yes, I understand that it is fiction and NO I don't remotely expect my life to be anything like the Blythe's, but I still love it no matter how many times I've seen it. Although, once or twice I have asked "Where's my Gil?" I have all 8 of the books and try to read them every summer. I can quote the movies (only the 2 I consider worth watching) practically word for word (yes, I have watched them that many times.) I have been to Prince Edward Island (P.E.I. to those of you who are true fans) thanks to Amanda! Plus, I own a set of "Anne of Green Gables" character dolls (yes, I just admitted that, too;-)) Yet, the thing I love the very most about "Anne of Green Gables" is that my Dad will sit down and watch them with me and not complain about watching a movie we have seen multiple times. When I was watching the movies over the Thanksgiving break I looked over at my Dad and couldn't help but give him a hard time about tearing up a little bit at the end. Yes, I am a Daddy's girl and I always will be.

So, here it is a list of a FEW of the reasons why I love "Anne of Green Gables":

I love when Gilbert calls Anne "Carrots" and she breaks the slate over his head.

I love how Gilbert says "Sorry" in his Canadian accent. How can you not love it?

I love how Matthew will do anything for Anne.

I wouldn't spell Anne any other way than "Ann-e spelled with an e."

I have actually read "The Lady of Shalott" because of the movies.

http://charon.sfsu.edu/tennyson/TENNLADY.HTML

You can't help but love Matthew when he comments that Rachel Lynde "deserves what she gets."

Anne dying her hair green rather than the "Raven Black" she had hoped for.

A dress with "Puffed Sleeves."

Anne playing the "Lily Maid" and Gilbert "rescuing" her as she is "Fishing for Lake Trout."

Anne forgetting to put the cheese cloth over the sauce for the plum pudding and then finds a mouse in it, and Miss Stacy laughs about it.

Every time I watch the part where Matthew passes away I am brought to tears (so is my Dad, but I didn't tell you that.)

Getting to sleep in the "Spare Room."

Gilbert giving up Avonlea School for Anne.

Anne and Diana chasing Dolly through Rachel Lynde's cabbage fields.

Fireworks in the fireplace at Kingsport Lady's College.

Anne running into Gilbert in Kingsport and he gives her the note that reads: "Congratulations on your success, Carrots. From your old chum, Gilbert"

When Anne is finally published and the inscription reads: "To Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert for their unfailing love and support, and for Gilbert, who inspired me with the idea in the first place."

Gilbert laying in bed sick and he tells Anne, "I called it off. It wouldn't have been fair to Christine. There will never be anyone for me, but you. "

Last but not least, the best part (in my opinion)...I will always love the last scene of "Anne of Avonlea," no matter how many times I watch this scene it will never grow old.

GILBERT: Well, I hope you keep on dreaming. It will be three years before I finish medical school, and even then, there won't be any diamond sunbursts or marble halls.

ANNE: I don't want sunbursts or marble halls. I just want you.

All pictures courtesy of http://greengables.tripod.com/