I keep licking my lips. They are cracked and bleeding.

Ouch.

Erik went home to Stanwood for the weekend for Thanksgiving. This means I don't get to talk to him.

Shucks.

Way to Go Lauren

We had another fire alarm tonight. I was in bed, again. Lauren was on the phone to her friend, but she came into the room and asked if I was going outside this time. I said, "Nope, I am going to sleep."
Lauren decided to sit on her bed and peer out the window while deciding whether or not she would go out. Our window is unfortunately located right by the main doors so all the RA's observed her peering out (apparently it's easy to see inside when a lights on and it's pitch black outside). They all began motioning for Lauren to come outside. She proceeded to quickly and violently shut the curtain and we could hear the people outside laughing.
Great. Our cover was blown. We had to don our jackets and make our way outside.
Lauren did not want to make it obvious that we were the ones who stayed in our rooms so she made us walk all the way to the far side of the building (a rather long walk) and go down the far far stairs. We ended up sitting on the stairs of the upper parking lot watching the RA's below.
We saw them pointing at our window and laughing. It was hilarious. Our RA came from somewhere else and we heard the other RA's laugh and tell her that she had two people who decided to not come out. There was more pointing and laughing and talk of "rebels". Then we saw another RA walk all the way up the stairs and in the direction of our room. We were waiting to see if he would open our curtain and peer out... he came back a couple minutes later.
We were eventually let back into the building and Lauren and I were laughing about maybe finding a note on our door... as we turned the corner we nearly ran into two RA's standing beside our door with a clipboard. We just nonchalantly walked past them and into our room and burst out into fits of giggles.

Fire Alarm???

Last night I was once again rudely awaken by yet another fire alarm. Actually, I can't really complain. It took me five minutes to actually figure out what it was because it isn't that loud when you're in my room, let alone when you're half asleep.

I made some feeble attempts to wake up Lauren then I got up and tapped her shoulder. She got out of bed and I laid back down. I really did not feel like getting layered up to go stand outside in the cold for an hour while the firemen came and checked the building out. There was a party going on outside and the people there didn't seem to be panicking or super excited about anything. Lauren was up putting her sweater on and I said I was going to sleep again. It's probably illegal or something to stay inside when there's a fire alarm, but I didn't care.

I fell asleep to the melodious ringing of the alarm. I was asleep before the firetrucks even made it to campus. I figure that if it was real, it would have made for a great story to say that a dreamy fireman came and saved my life... or caught me while I jumped from the window of a burning building. Those stories are always more fun anyways... like that time two cops busted into my room at King's with their hands on their guns while my roommate and I slept because we didn't answer the pounding door.

Time to Pray

Erik and I saw this clock at King's School in Edmonds. Erik thought it was great so he asked me to take a picture of it. It's great.

Little Ben is Growing Up

My little brother is turning 16 on Tuesday. I can't believe that he is already 16. That is incredible. I absolutely love him. He is probably the most gentle person I know. He rocks.

Today was full of family. I have missed everyone and it was great to see them all again. A couple of my aunts and uncles and cousins were over and we had a wonderful time talking and laughing and eating and eating and eating. My mother cooked up a storm!!!

Here's Ben and me

Pops and Anth

Anthonie does not look impressed with Erik... uh oh

Erik when we were at King's School in Edmonds bringing flowers to my friend Rachael for her birthday. It was so good to see her.

Erik and his Dad when we visited the fire hall.

He Wasn't Satisfied

Erik will dictate this post for me.

I am sitting in Stanwood, Washington on a chair in Erik's parents living room right by the fireplace.
We have had an eventful day. Erik made me breakfast this morning (eggs... mmmmmm) and then we went to Haggen to buy Swedish Fish (better than Swedish Berries) and gross beer for Erik's roommate. Erik's sister Jayna was with us and we tasted a bunch of cheeses.... so good!
Then we went to this little convent. It's in a little house out in Stanwood, the Cedarhome area (for those of you who Erik assumes know Stanwood... which he thinks is everyone... or should be). I have never been to a convent and didn't imagine it to be like that. I was expecting something like Westminster Abbey in Mission, but it was actually a little house and the little nuns were so sweet. They have a little store called "Quiet Light Candles" with all these really neat and intricate decorations, candle holders, lip balm, honey, cards and... lots of little trinkets. The nuns make all the candle's and most of the other merchandise was made locally. It was really sweet little store. I enjoyed it.
Then Erik and I went for a walk at Kayak Point. It was beautiful. I enjoyed that too... because I like him...
Tonight we are going on a date :) We are going to this little theater called the Pickford Cinema in Bellingham on the way home. We have been there once. It's an independent cinema that we absolutely love. Last time we went we saw "the waitress" with a bunch of elderly people. I'm supposed to say something about the movie here.
then I'm heading home to my parents house tonight. I haven't seen them in almost three months now.

Last comments from Erik:
- You should all come see Stanwood.
- Stanwood is nice.
- About "the Waitress", It was a cute little movie about a girl who expressed her emotions of angst and despair through inventing pie recipes, this reminded her of her mother. The movie was good, except for the ending where the conclusion was pretty one-sided. Keri Russel's character ended up being an idiot.
- Ashley really does like me.

Erik is telling me I should update. He is also telling me that I should tell you all how much I like him.

I like Erik.

That's about all I have to say. He looks happy now so I guess it was worth it.

Hip Hop Abs

Hip Hop Abs are the greatest. Michelle and I didn't feel like walking all the way down to the gym to run/we had already walked there and it was mayhem. There were so many people there that we just watched volleyball for a while then left. So... Marie gave Michelle this little ab workout video and I don't think it did anything for my abdominals, but man it was a blast! It's this dvd that has some guy who reminds me of Will Smith teaching you how to dance hip hop and it has a little workout with it too. It was so funny. Michelle and I can't dance. It was awesome! I'm glad Lauren didn't walk in, I think she would have been appalled. Just imagine two tall, white, uncoordinated, rhythmless girls in a little room trying to do hip hop. DISASTER!

In other news, Erik is home from St. Louis. He was gone for a week and I get to talk to him tonight! It has been a while. AND I'm going home this weekend. Michelle and I are skipping Friday and Wednesday (Monday = holiday, Tuesday = midterm study break)... so I'll be home for five and a half days!! It will be wonderful. I'm going to Stanwood for a night or two with Erik and then I have to visit my family (if I can round them up), Auntie Ange, Uncle Ed and the kids, and CBC. It will be so much fun, but I'll need a break when I get back to Kelowna because it will be so busy!

It thankfully hasn't snowed yet.