Wow! December is going fast!

All in Kahuku Red cheering for the team! J was getting really into it as you can see.....

Well, J and I have been very busy with school, work, and PLAY and trying to enjoy every bit of Christmas time! Our fun started Thursday when we got a package in the mail from mom..she sent us a lil penguin that counts down to Christmas! SO cute! The only place we have to put it is on the towel rack behind out door...but it's a decoration and I love it!!

Here it is! So cute!

Friday we went to the football game with Ash and Iasi. It was state championship and it was Kamehameha vs KAHUKU. Sadly, Kahuku didn't quite pull through, but it was still alot of fun! The guys about lost their voices and the crowd was INTENSE.Iasi and Ash were bummed that they weren't doing as well as 2002 team.....
Red Raiders, Red Raiders!!
Cheering is SO intense!!

Saturday I had to work at 6 in the morning, so I had to get up at 4, so when I came home I really was going to just sleep, but instead I made some cookies with Ash and went to some yard sales where I finally found some little ornaments for our little tree! It was so fun! While J was at work, I made him some Thai Peanut Chicken, put in Muppets Christmas Carol (Since J didn't even KNOW what A Christmas Carol WAS!!!), and set the cookies out where he'd find em! We spent the evening eating yummy food and (for me reminiscing) seeing a new movie about Christmas for J. It was so fun to just relax in our lil home and enjoy the Season.
Today we went to the broadcast of the First Presidency Christmas Devotional. It was SO good. I LOVE the holidays, AND President Monson. We heard some wonderful stories that made me so thankful for the Christmas I do get to have and the family I have. Afterwards, we played some games with Ash and Iasi, which was HiLARIOUS, and J and I came home to decorate our little tree!

The beginnings of decorating out tree!
Isn't it cute???

Our tree.
-Is shorter than the stool it sits on.
-Is pinned to the stool cushion so it will sit still.
-It too little to handle one package of mini bulb ornaments.
-We pinned our stockings to the stool so they hang under the tree..and they are larger than our tree!
-Presents won't actually fit on the cushion (tree) now....so they actually go under the STOOL.
-I almost cried with desperation from trying to get out tree to hold still and hang our stockings...but we will look back and enjoy our tiny Christmas...maybe in a few days I'll have a better appreciation!

Our lil stool of Christmas....stockings, tree, and all!!

I do love it tho. I love that I CAN have a Christmas, AND that J already has a present for me under the tree!! hehehe.
Merry Christmas! Enjoy the holidays!

It's Christmas Time

So Christmas seems to be RIGHT around the corner! And we are getting all ready for it at the Scanlan Box (My friend pointed out I live in more of a box than a house). We have bought a small tree that is place on the only stool we have, and the only ground place for it. I have placed a Christmas pillowcase under it that I brought with me a few years ago for a tree skirt, and used a red bow to tie around the stool. We don't have any lights for the tree, or ornaments. We just have a single snowflake I cut out taped to the cupboard. But I am determined to at LEAST make some more snowflakes! :) It seems so hard to take time out to enjoy the season, not just because you have to remind yourself it's December when it's warm outside, but because school is keeping us SO busy up until we are leaving. We have gotten ourselves some stockings (J's very first) and they are currently hung on a hanger on the towel rack on the back of our door. It seems this Christmas is sneaking up on us! I'm still trying to enjoy it though. I ONLY listen to Christmas music and I am constantly thinking of all the things I would like to do for all these people I ADORE! I am just hoping we have time for it all..
We leave for New Zealand on the 18th, and I realized that I'm going to have to get used to a whole other way of doing Christmas. I haven't ever had to do that before. In fact, I've never been away for Christmas. I am trying to not get homesick, but the thought of snow, hot chocolate, warm blankets, and mom's cooking is making it difficult. I told J today how I will have never gone this long without family! I have ALWAYS come home every few months! And we are hoping that if we are LUCKY we will make it back to the mainland next summer...GUH! This sure makes me thankful for phones, emails, packages, and skype! It is SO true that Christmas is all about family. I don't want anything for Christmas but family. But I am excited to come to love the new family that I have and spend this holiday time with them. J and I are saving and making all the arrangements to go, and I AM glad that he is SO excited. I cannot IMAGINE not being home for 3 years. Tough guy! We hope to do alot while we are there and enjoy being "home". I had to quit my job the other day because nobody is allowed to take the holidays off, but it is completely worth it. When it comes to family, it is amazing what we are willing to give. I am so grateful for all of my family and I cannot wait til I can see all of them again! I sure am thinking of them alot during this Holiday time.....projects and papers can't take that from my mind! Merry Christmas, Love you.

I thought this was funny....I tweaked the name and year to make it relate...haha

Watching the Grinch in pjs and eating Christmas cookies

Oh how I love holidays! This weekend has been so fun! For J and I, our holidays started Wednesday when our class was canceled so we stayed home, watch The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, and ate cookies and eggnog. J had never seen it, and he thought it was hilarious, which I thought was hilarious. It was so fun to get the holidays started.
Thanksgiving was another first for J. We spent our day out in Hauula with the Bishops and some of their friends. It was so fun the have a traditional Thanksgiving with tons of people and laughter, and of course FOOD. J really enjoyed his first "turkey dinner" and he spent most of the afternoon jamming with some new found friends. I was glad he could enjoy.
After a long day of eating and relaxing, we spent some time with out friends Ash and Iasi and played games, ate some more, and laughed alot. We are so glad to have some married friends!
Friday we went shopping with them (It was more like Ash and I dragging our husbands) but it was so fun. We went to dinner and completely drained ourselves from shopping. We got alot of Christmas shopping done and now I am so ready to do more of it!

I cannot believe how fast this weekend is going! I wish it would last longer! BUT, we are now on countdown until we get to leave for New Zealand. SO excited!!!This is at the very end of our Thanksgiving day. We tried to hide the tiredness, but eating all day is EXHAUSTING

Jaliz Scanlan

So, I know that almost every post is about something to do with J, but he IS the center of my ENTIRE world, so I hope you few readers don't mind. But I just had to say, he is wonderful. He washes the dishes whether I cook or not, he'll do laundry, he picks me up from work, cuddles me whenever I need it, he dries my hair for me with a towel because if it were me I would just let it drip for hours, he gives me foot rubs every night still, he is responsible, makes me laugh when I'm sad, and is my wise one when I have troubles. He is so great!
The last couple weeks, I was giving him a lil trouble because he sees me constantly blogging but never knows what I write and never looks at it. So what did Mr. Perfect do? Make a blog and start writing about how much he loves me! AND reads my blog constantly! How can I ever complain? He is just too good! So anyone that wants to see HIS blog, here it is http://ilovechultz.blogspot.com/ (don't you love the name???)
I love you J. You are so good to me. I'm so lucky to spend forever with you!

Simple Pleasures

I love that I can cook, even if it's on a tv stand.
I love watching Cars with J.
I love Sundays.
I love J.
I love Thanksgiving.
I love getting ready for Christmas!
I love being so in love!
That's all I needed to say.

I just love it!

Well...it's about 2:30AM and I just had to write this down because I just love it! Tonight I had to work out in Haleiwa, and as usual, J was there waiting for me to finish. J decided to surprise me and take me to a movie in Mililani afterwards and had picked out an outfit for me...shoes, shirt, pants, sweater, and even my perfume so I could change and freshen up. He had gotten us goodies to enjoy, and had picked out a movie. We went and saw Blind Side. It was so good! It was so fun to have a surprise date that was all planned out! I love you J! Thank you for making my night!

counting my blessings.

Just got in the mail some notifications that I will be receiving my scholarship again next semester! YAY!!! I have been so blessed to have school completely paid for every year. ALSO found out J received a scholarship for next semester. He is SO stoked about it! So brainy! Proud of him! :)
Thanksgiving is next week. SO thankful for wonderful family and friends. So thankful for what I have, even if we don't have much.