The sugar cookie adventure

I was in charge of the sugar cookies this year. I also made some rice krispy squares which were way bomb. Regardless of my incredible talent for stirring marshmallows, the following will chronicle the adventure from beginning to end.

Picture 1:

Okay, so there is a reason why I am wearing a bandana. I had a cold, and I wanted to make those cookies pretty badly. The bandana was my solution. Then Mama Llama just so happened to have a camera. Haha, I asked her to take a pictuure of it. I forgot I was wearing it after a while.

Picture 2:

This is the dough rolled out, ready for cookie cutters.

Picture 3

Oh, look at the cookie cutters (: Yay Christmas spirit

Picture 4:

This is me with the cookie cutter. He's my favorite, fyi.

Picture 5:

This is me scooping the cookies off the counter before they go into the oven.

Picture 6:

These were the final product. And you can see my red fingernail polish (sort of) in this picture, too.

Well I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas, and that they will enjoy HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Headdress of WAR!

For Halloween, I was an Indian warrior! I made my headdress of war. I made ALL of it. It took me hours and hours to finish. I worked way too hard on it.

I tried to get all of it in the same picture. The sides trail down almost all the way to the ground.

This is the front of it. Man. I probably kept the hot glue sticks company in business for the next five years. It took forever to braid all of that.

This is my war paint on my leg, and my tomahawk. Tied to my leg in case I needed it. You never know when you might need your tomahawk.

Caitlin was a robber! Yes, that is a crowbar. This is the full costume. As usual, I am making a weird face...but yeah.

Some more war paint. I understand why they loved war paint so much. It gets me pumped. I should start putting on war paint when I need to do something serious. Hahaha.

All in all, a great Halloween.

All kinds of things.

Um...okay, okay. I have been slack. I admit it!

Honestly, I am fabulous. I took some random pictures to share. They're probably better at explaining what I've been up to anyway.

These are my new glasses. They are pretty fly. (;

These are my Halloween socks. I didn't realize they had cats on them 'til I put them on today. All I saw was the candy corn. It's all right though, because the cat looks dumb all stretched out like that.

I started classes again this fall semester. I was actually really nervous about it. My grades are really good. Kind of hard to believe it's real sometimes. My fast forward class is finished. I made a 94 in the class. I took a picture of me with my midterm from my Case Management class. Haha, as you can tell from my facial expression, I'm really excited about it. I don't know if you can see it in this picture, but I got a 100 (on a curve)!

These last few months have been I've been working really hard on putting myself back together. It's taken me a long time, but I feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be. I am going to the temple next month with the single's ward. I am so excited it isn't even funny. I circled the date on my calendar. I never really thought I'd be proud of who I was again. I won't go into details because it's personal, but it's not my place to not share, especially if it might help someone else. Through the gift and very real power of the Atonement, I have been able to forgive myself and let things from my past go. It's crazy how putting your whole heart into living the gospel can heal you in a way nothing else can. I've been working on reading my scriptures. It's funny because when I read books, I sort of start thinking the way characters in the story talk. I catch myself thinking about how Nephi would word something, or maybe how he would react to a situation. Then I start laughing; people are probably thinking, "What the heck is she doing?" Hahaha. Anyway, my point is that if there is anything you feel like you need to change to get yourself back on track, do it. Don't wait. Do it now...and please don't let anything stop you. I promise it's not worth the weight you carry around. I am not a perfect person, but I am proof you can change. Heavenly Father loves you, and wants you to be happy. (:

All right. It's almost 2:30 in the morning. I should probably go to bed. Here's a Halloween picture for everyone to enjoy!

crawling deer.

i went in to give blood today. i'd made an appointment beforehand, so in my head i was like, "ALL RIGHT!" when i got to skip the people in front of me. i got dirty looks, but hey. i made an appointment, and they didn't.

anyway, i went into the first booth and waited for about fifteen minutes. you know, the one where they ask you all those questions, check your blood pressure, and test your iron...or whatever it is they're testing. the older lady in one of those white coats comes around the corner. she sits down. she seems normal, a little old-lady like, but you know, whatev. i love old people. she starts talking to me, and i can't understand anything she's saying. her words are sort of slurring, and she keeps winking at me. there's this 70's music blaring from beneath my chair, where a boombox from 1992 just so happens to be placed. granted i knew what i was getting myself into. i do live in south carolina, afterall. people are nuts, and that's okay. we're all a little nuts.

but then i thought i heard her say something about deer. at first i thought she was telling me she hunted deer, so i just kept smiling and nodding whenever i guessed she wanted a response. i scooted forward a little so i could understand what she was saying. turns out, she saw a deer crawling in her front yard.

now i can go with the flow on just about anything. but i stopped her and asked, "excuse me, did you say a deer was crawling in your front yard?" she said she thought so, but on closer inspection it turned out to be one of her huge black twin dogs she hadn't seen in a couple of months. she told me it had killed the deer and was carrying its head around to mark his territory. antlers and all. at this point, i was still stuck on how she thought she knew her dogs were twins. brothers, certainly, but why did she think they were twins? and then the last half of her story clicked into place.

...WHAT?! what was she talking about? i looked around and nobody else heard anything she was saying. i kind of sat there stunned for a few seconds. then i asked her if she took any pictures. she said, "no, i didn't. i will next time. this sort of thing happens to me all the time."

seriously? that "sort of thing?" how could anything like that happen all the time?

...i love charleston.

school time.

summer is close to being over. crazy! classes start on the 24th of august, which is next week. i am mostly excited, but also a little nervous. i haven't been in classes for the past two semesters. i just want to do well. my schedule is as follows, in case anyone's curious:

HUS 209: case management
M 6-8:51

CPT 101: introduction to computers (boring)
TTH 4:30-5:51

HUS 217: addictions counseling 1
TTH 6-8:51

HUS 218: addictions counseling 2
TTH 6-8:51

side note: addictions counseling 1 and addictions counseling 2 are fast foward classes, so the first one starts next week and ends sometime in october. then the second one goes til december. so it's like jumbo-packed classes for 6 credit hours instead of 3. which makes a total of 12 credit hours for the semester.

i took a picture of my new backpack (: it reminds me of a pattern from animal crossing, which is pretty lame of me to admit, but there you have it. haha. i also put an elvis presley pin on it. makes it pretty much perfect.

i also took a picture of my books because...well, just because. it's always fun for me to see new notebooks and school supplies. i know that within a week i will be like, "WHY did i get myself into this?" but for now, i am excited.

speedy summer.

it's already july. oh man.

this past few weeks have been very full. it sounds strange to word it that way, but that's the best word i can pick. i am hardly going to be able to mention everything. we have been on the road for the past two days, so i am a pretty tired jilli. anything i miss, i will try to add to a future blog. this is the condensed version.

a couple weeks ago, mom, cheryl, caitlin, colton, and i went to disney world. we stayed at a hotel and spent the whole day at the theme park. it was so hot, but i really loved it. i'm glad there was enough time to heal a little after that surgery.

my uncle, john allen, passed away two weeks ago. mom, tori, and i went up to maine for the funeral. the service really was wonderful. i only remember seeing john last summer when we all travelled to gram's funeral. although i didn't know him very well, i am deeply at a loss. he gave everyone around him a sense of peace, and at the same time always had a joke handy. he loved his family, was a devoted friend, and was an all around good person. i know we will see him again someday.

it was a great opportunity to spend time with mom's side of the family. we stayed at cheryl's house and took little trips to sue's for cookies occassionally. barbara stayed for a few days with us, too. we had a cookout at jim and rhonda's house, and then another one at ryan and rachel's house. we shopped around with alice, which is always fun. i got to see all of the little kids and the new babies. i really wish maine wasn't so far away, but every moment is precious. i am grateful for the happy memories we made.

ten things that are happening right NOW:

1. daddy has the car that we're supposed to be taking to disney world.

2. audrey doesn't like aunt cheryl. she freaks out everytime she stands up.

3. brynn and colton are sleeping like babies.

4. mom is wearing her lovely safari pants.

5. tori is on her new blackberry pearl.

6. caitlin is on colton's "cell phone." he's going to be upset about that.

7. i have a horrible sunburn because i'm an idiot.

8. there is a bunch of chinese food is in the kitchen...but it's ten in the morning.

9. murdock is prowling and being overly creepy.

10. despite having a sunburn, i am very excited about my almost-there foot tan.

funny.

okay, so i found an old "diary" from 1999-2000. i was in 5th/6th grade. these entries are pretty entertaining; i'm going to type them verbatim:

March 15, 1999

"Dear Journal,

Hi, how are you? I'm fine. Today I went to Washington D.C. I couldn't wait to get to the swimming pool. We had spaghetti for dinner. Well, I'll keep you updated.

Love,
Jillian Rochelle Anderson."

okay. this one might be my favorite because i was like, "here i am in washington d.c. with tons of monuments and historical significance, but mostly i wanted to go swimming in the hotel's pool." good thing i'm so cool. also, i talked to the diary. what was that all about?

here's another one:

May 26 1999

"Dear Journal,

I still have to admit, I kinda, not really, like you know who. I'm not gonna write his name 'cause if people read it, then they would know who i'm talking about. I also like 2 other guys. Sort of. Especially _ _ _ _ and _ _ _ _ _ _. Maybe not _ _ _ _ _ _ as much as _ _ _ _. but he's O.K. for a friend.

Love,
Jillian Rochelle Anderson"

man. i'm so glad i wrote out little spaces. apparently i was very worried someone would figure out who i had a crush on. now i'll never know.

hahaha...this one's good, too:

September 12, 2000

"Dear Journal,

Hey! Today was pretty boring. This morning was such a pain. I like my name. It's kinda original, yet, it is familiar. I have been looking bad lately. I mean, I'm not really, really, really ugly, but I'm definitely not Ms. America. But lately I have just looked so drab compared to everyone else. Okay, seeya later!

Love,
Jillian Rochelle Anderson"

aaahaha. "it's kinda original, yet it is familiar?" oh geez. and i "looked so drab?" what had i been reading?

i don't know why i'm doing this...hahaha. but this is caitlin's favorite:

October 2, 2000

"Dear Journal,

You know what? Pre-teen or teenage years isn't what it's cracked up to be. I mean, it's harder than you think! I expected everything to be as smooth as a baby's butt. It's NOT."

Love,
Jillian Rochelle Anderson

P.S. I think Courtney hates me."

what was wrong with me? hahaha. smooth as a baby's butt? and then i said, "i think courtney hates me" but didn't give any reason as to why. no details or explanations. don't worry courtney, i don't think you hate me now (:

anyway, i hope anyone who read this was amused. i know i was.

little things.

some little things that annoy me:

- open doors.

-old/creepy men (old/creepy being between 35 or older thinking they actually have a shot at a 21-year old) sending you messages like, "heysexxiiii howe it iSSS?" and then getting offended when you don't reply.

-really boring books.

-how subway makes you smell weird.
-when peoples' shoes don't fit them.

some little things that make me smile:

-when audrey decides to sit by me.

-subway sandwiches.

-church in beaufort.

-having straight hair.

-getting snail mail.

-jewelry and perfume. oh, and makeup.

-baseball games.

-kool-aid.

-word searches.

-SHOWS.

facebook is annoying.

i am so irritated right now. apparently the college of charleston decided to give my email to a new student. i mean, it's fair because i don't attend that school anymore, but it was linked to my facebook account. i got an email from some random girl that was like, " oh, the school gave me your old email account. just wanted to let you know i changed the passwords and reset everything." she sent that to me yesterday and then proceeded to delete my entire facebook account. i had a lot of pictures on there that i didn't have saved anywhere else. also, it was recently my birthday and all my "happy birthday" wall posts are gone. i am very sad about this. but also annoyed.

this is my "annoyed with facebook face" ^

finally!

the 419 is here! happy birthday to caitlin and me (: i am finally 21.




this is my CAKE:

my birthday card (:

mom made me this sign and put it on the front door.

haha, i tried to take a picture with the sign, but i am a little bit too short.

this is brynn's present. her friend painted this:

the love of my life wishing me happy birthday:

it's a great day.

it's been a while.

so i've got some mad props to give out.


first: to the hallmark channel. i watched loving leah (pronounced like princess leia from star wars) on the hallmark channel a couple weeks ago. i kid you not...every single commercial on that channel was a hallmark commercial. there were no thumbelina barbie commercials, no awkward 80's guy trying to sell his new two-disc album for $9.99, no commercials for twilight (oh i can't wait for it to come out on dvd!). every single commercial was about some perfect relationship and how hallmark has the perfect card for each and everyone's individual needs. i feel that this is gutsy and deserves some credit. a little annoying, but it's something i remember. which is probably the point.
second: to the irukandji jellyfish. native to northern australia, this is a deadly sea creature. dad started watching something about it on the animal planet, and long after he fell asleep, my eyes were glued to the television. if i remember correctly, its venom is something like...more than 300x more powerful than the portuguese man of war. and it's smaller than a thumbnail! i am deathly afraid of swimming in australia now. congratulations to the irukandji jellyfish for being overly creepy and stealthy.


third: to elvis presley. we all know i have a long-standing love thing for him. it is nerdy, but i have an elvis encyclopedia. but anyway. anyone who can wear rhinestone-studded zip up jumpsuits and get away with it is cooL in my book. not to mention to mention the passion he had for performing. not many people find something that drives them in that way. maybe it wasn't such a good thing...but it's fascinating to watch him perform.






fourth: to nail technicians. now i know i've only had my nails done like twice...but seriously. i am absolutely horrible at painting my nails, or "shaping" them, or whatever you call it. that is a very hard job. i have no idea how they can paint those crazy, intriciate designs on people's FINGERNAILS! or toenails, i guess. so tiny. i mean, sometimes people get carried away and have crazy/ugly lookin' stuff...but even if it's ugly, it still takes a lot of time and talent. i would be horrible at this...so seriously. mad props.

mysteries of the universe revealed.

let's have a Q&A session.

Q: why can't mom set up an email account?

A: i have no idea.

Q: how many EOB's has jilli had to sort out over the past 24 hours?

A: one million.

Q: what did mom sound like when she answered the phone today?

A: a frog (she has a cold.)

Q: what is the secret desire of jilli's heart?
A: to have a strawberry cheesecake.

Q: what is the secret to get daddy to pay attention to what you're saying?

A: mention something mummy-related.

Q: what's the surest way of ruining your hair?

A: color it.

Q: who looks like a bat on crack?

A: audrey.


Q: who obviously needs more to do with her time?

A: jilli.

note: all answers are based on the experiences of jilli.