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Just a Normal Wednesday

Here’s our video from last year. Finn sure has changed!

I’m 99% certain I’m a Gilmore Girl!

My friend threw such a cute Gilmore Girls viewing party! Even the invites were adorable. It was fun to watch the first episode together, even though I probably commented way too much… sorry, guys! Sometimes I just can’t control my commentary! Thanks for hosting, Kelsie! And just in case you missed my thoughts on the new episodes, you can find them here!
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Fantastic Beasts

My good friend Danica has a Harry Potter club and decided to rent out a theater for the club and her family + friends to see Fantastic Beasts. It was such a fun evening to watch that amazing movie with friends!

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My Trip to Stars Hollow (Spoiler Alert)

I grew up watching Gilmore Girls. Rory graduated from college the year I graduated from high school, which was pretty emotional for me at the time. She was getting ready to move into a new world just like I was. I loved the fast moving pace of the show, the quick dialogue and the whit of Lorelei. I loved the special bond of Rory and Lorelei, how they seemed to be best friends. I loved Emily and Richard. They obviously had their issues with Lorelei at times, but there was always something so special about them as grandparents, especially Richard.

There were things that, of course, I didn’t love about the original series. I feel like I need to share this with you as well so you know that I don’t hold the show on a crazy high pedestal. Although I didn’t mind the character Christopher, I didn’t love that they had them get married in the 7th season. I didn’t love that it took so many years for L&L to get together but then they threw it away over stupid stuff. I hated how Rory lost her virginity (and who she lost it to). I hated how the show sometimes made us love Logan and how sometimes they made us hate him. Sometimes the writing was poor, the show was a little crazy and loud. But overall, I love it. It’s up there with The Office for me. Whenever I need a show on in the background (and TJ’s not around-he can’t stand how much they talk in the show), I turn it on. I’ve literally watched it countless times and feel like I know the show inside and out.

So, all that being said. I clearly was ECSTATIC about the return of the series. I knew its couldn’t live up to the original series, but I couldn’t wait to get immersed back into that world again. I have SO many thoughts about it all, so for my fellow fans, please comment so we can discuss!

  1. I love how they handled Richard’s death. I knew this part would be so hard because unlike most shows when people pass away, the character who played Richard (edward Herrmann) actually died several years ago. I’ve always been a big fan of his since he was in the Longfellow Motab Christmas special. But I love that they were able to show parts of his funeral in a flashback and tribute him in some of the greatest ways, especially having Rory write her book in his office. I loved that they were able to bring some humor to the situation with the HUGE painting Emily had of him, and then loved when Lorelei saw the regular sized painting at the end.
  2. Flashbacks to the original series. When Rory walked through her grandparents’ home and you saw them having old conversations and saw her Grandpa sitting at his desk… I lost it. So tender. So sweet.
  3. The seasons. I thought this was pretty cool for the most part, especially since the original series always referenced the seasons and decorated for them quite heavily. I was a little confused at parts because it seemed like not much time really had passed in the story, yet we were in the next season.
  4. Too much filler. I was annoyed that we were halfway through and not much had happened. They really should have cut out so much crap (I literally fast forwarded through the whole stupid Stars Hollow play), and then spend more time on stuff that mattered. More wedding, more Jess, more Emily. I don’t know, some filler stuff, just shorter scenes of that, you know?
  5. All the old characters. I loved Paris. She was awesome. Seeing Lane was also fun and the rest of the gang. We didn’t need to see Mr. Kim though, that was a plot hole in the original series that didn’t need to be fixed. I loved seeing the old college gang of Logan’s. That scene dragged on a bit but I did enjoy it. Kirk was hilarious. OOOber was amazing. Ms. Patty, Babette, Taylor, I just loved them all so much. I do wish we could have seen Liz and TJ though. Oh, and I could have done without April. The answer is NEVER APRIL. She was terrible in the original series and just as bad in the new episodes.
  6. Team Dean/Jess/Logan. I’m glad they only had Rory run into Dean, that they didn’t have a relationship. Because let’s face it. He was always the literal worst. I wish Jess was in it way more, that they DID have a relationship, but ending it with us knowing he still loves her was not bad. I’ll just get my Jess fix over at This Is Us to make up for it. Now, as for Logan… I really did like him in the original series (except for when he was a D-bag occasionally). So I was okay with him being in this so much, but the way he was in it, not okay. Both Rory and him were in relationships. It was so wrong and slutty. I really hated it. And they weren’t even happy. It’s because wickedness was never happiness, guys. And yes, I did just quote the scriptures when talking about Gilmore Girls.
  7. Emily’s storyline. I loved it. I loved this part probably the most. To see her character grow so much after Richard’s death was amazing. I laughed so hard when she read that book about tidying up because my friend Danica just read that book and I got lots of stuff she was getting rid of. I thought it was interesting she gave counseling a try since she said once in the original series how their type of people don’t do that, but maybe she realized how much she really needed guidance and change in her life. I was nervous at times they were trying to make her have alzheimer’s so I’m really glad they didn’t take the story in that direction. Everything about how they wrapped up her story was just perfect. And ps-she looked AMAZING.
  8. Lorelei’s storyline. I thought her acting was pretty good. She looked great and was pretty much the exact same Lorelei I used to know and love. Oh man, when she said she didn’t want to keep walking with Rory because she had already gotten her steps in… such a funny line and relevant to our time. Totally been there before! I was disappointed at first that she and Luke hadn’t gotten married, but then realized that meant we could possibly see them get married in the show. I thought it was perfect that she decided to run off for a little bit when she was going through all that stuff with Luke and Rory because that totally was how she was in the original. Remember when she ran away when dealing with Max? I’m also glad she actually didn’t go hiking because that, however, wouldn’t have been like her. It was so much better for her to go look for coffee and have that moment when looking at the view. Then to call her mom right at that moment. Fantastic. I kind of was wishing her greatest memory with her dad had something to do with the dollhouse of hers, but that’s okay. This was good too. She was able to patch things up with her mom, Rory, marry Luke, expand the Dragonfly. Good job writers with this part.
  9. Rory’s storyline. I already mentioned this a bit back when talking about Logan. But yeah, I really hated her storyline. Fortunately, it was redeemed a bit in the 4th episode. She finally got a grip of her life a bit, but still not much. I hate how she pretends to be such a great girl but actually is really terrible, sleeping around, cheating on her boyfriend, treating her bf terribly. She’s just selfish and worldly. But I was happy that she saved the newspaper in Stars Hallow and wrote the book called Gilmore Girls. I started pretending that the original series was actually what Rory wrote, which was fun.
  10. Now let’s talk about those last couple words. Those dreaded words. First off, no, I don’t think there will be more episodes. I wish there would be more, but I think if they were going to do it, they would have already started working on it. Honestly, I was loving the 4th episode so much. It finally was redeeming these new episodes, because I wasn’t in love with 2 or 3, and so finally… it was all coming together like I hoped it would. Rory started getting her shiz together, she ended it with Logan, Lorelei figured out what she should do about the Dragonfly, getting to see Sookie, marrying Luke, Emily’s life concluding perfectly. But then, after we are all so happy for getting to see that dreamy wedding of L&L’s, Rory has to ruin it like usual with her sub-par acting and telling us she’s pregnant. Really, writers? REALLY? She didn’t learn from sleeping with Dean when he was married? You spent the whole original series all about how Lorelei, a single mom, wanted to give Rory this new, strong, perfect life just for her to THROW IT ALL AWAY BY SLEEPING AROUND (WHILE CHEATING) AND BECOMING A SINGLE MOM HERSELF? Look, I’m all about having babies. I love babies. But she’s not even in a stable relationship. I’m SO sick of hollywood trying to demolish family values, telling us traditional families don’t matter. They do. Ugh. That’s a little bit of a tangent, but I’m just annoyed how they had her come full circle, because that’s not Rory. And it’s also a little bit of a slap in the face from the writers. Like, look… no matter how hard you try… you can’t change your circumstance. You’re going to end up just like the rest of your family no matter what. Dumb. So dumb. They just wanted to have us end on a cliffhanger so people would talk about it. I rewatched the 4th episode, and when she was asking her dad all those questions about how her mom raised her on her own, if it was the right thing to do, etc, I originally thought she was asking because she was doing research for her book. But now I’ve realized she was asking because she was trying to figure out what she should do in her own life. Anyway, I’m annoyed. I think it’s Logan’s. I think Rory (if the show were to continue) would raise the child by herself (or get an abortion, because I could see the writers doing something terrible like that), just like her mom because that’s kind of how the writers (I’m pretty sure it’s just one writer actually, right?) like Rory being-just like her mom and very strong-willed even if it’s to curse herself.

Those are my crazy thoughts. I haven’t even read through this guys, I’ve got to get wrap this up and head out for a bit but I’m too eager, I just want to share and discuss, so please ignore all my grammar mistakes! Comment comment comment, please! But not on Facebook, I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone!

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A Saturday Night at the Derricks

We turned on photobooth tonight and had a little too much fun! I know this is an embarrassing video (plus terrible background noise and image quality), but I don’t really care. I’m just so grateful for a family with whom I can be completely goofy! PS-TJ said I could publish this, don’t worry! #relationshipgoals right here, guys. Not to sound like the girls on The Bachelor, but I love this man!

High Fitness Class

I’ve been really enjoying going to High Fitness classes recently. I’ve been going to them about three times a week, one week I went four times because there was an extra class to raise money for our friend’s daughter who is fighting cancer. It was so amazing to see how many people showed up to support this sweet girl. There was also a special class the Thursday before Halloween where we all dressed up in costume. It was my kind of Halloween party! Come with me next class!

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Holiday Craft Exchange

A couple months ago, I invited some ladies over in my church congregation to come over for a craft exchange. I had done this in the past around Christmas, but wanted an excuse to get together with people from church, so I bumped it up to Halloween time. Everyone brings a craft that they made, wrapped, and then we go around and pick one from the pile to take home and the person who made the craft tells how they made it. There are some serious crafty people in my neighborhood! That being said, I’m going to do another one in December, so if you’d like to be a part, let me know!

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The craft I made was the Christmas bulb wreath. It was so easy to make and cost about ten dollars! I strung 50 large ornaments and about 20 small ones onto a wire hanger, tied it to together, then put a little greenery on the top.

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Haircut Central

When we got back from Disneyland, Eva really needed a haircut and I threw out the idea of getting a bob to Eva, showing her some pictures. Some of her friends and cousins have cute bobs so she decided she wanted to do it! It turned out so cute! In fact, I loved it so much, I decided to chop my hair too! Here are our before and afters!

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Dear Freshman Katie

It’s that time of year. Kids are going back to school. A new set of kids are heading to BYU to start their journey as a cougar. It’s almost been a decade since you started. 9 freaking years. Insane. Now that I have the bigger picture, I’m going to give you some words of wisdom. Your bff Danica has done blog posts like this in the past and they’ve been awesome. Don’t worry, you’ll meet her in a year. Give her a chance, for goodness sake… take out your headphones and talk to her at work!

Numero uno. Don’t get a boyfriend. Yup. I said it. It’ll be a complete waste of your time and efforts. I’m not saying don’t go on dates. Oh yeah. Go on tons of dates. That’s what BYU is best for. Cheesy, corny, scavenger-hunt, typical dates. Go on those. Have fun, don’t take yourself too seriously or think you’re too cool. Go on double dates, group dates, dates to the creamery, dates to the bowling alley on campus. But don’t get a serious boyfriend. Just don’t. And while we’re at it. There’s a curfew for a reason. You signed the honor code, so learn that lesson early and follow it. You’re 18 and think you know so much but you’re dumb.

Number two. Go to as many on campus activities, devotionals, and games as possible! The all-sports pass is your best friend. Do you need to do this sophomore year? No. But freshman year? Yes. It will help you fall in love with your school. Become a real cougar. It will help you meet people, develop true friendships, and make incredible memories. You will get to see a college student wear a pumpkin on his head for an entire football game. You will get to see Jimmer make so many 3-pointers (okay, not your freshman year but I promise it will happen). You will get to see the prophet speak on just a regular Tuesday morning. You will get to hear Mark Zuckerburg and Condaleeza Rice speak. You will get to dance your heart out at homecoming in 80s clothes. So get out and get out often! You did pretty well with this, so I’m not too concerned here.

Three. Don’t be weird with your roommates. And I say weird because I really don’t know what other word to use. Yes, it’s hard to live with five other girls. Yes, it’s also hard to be in classes with them and go to church with them. Realize you don’t have to best friends with them but you can still be their friends. Talk nicely to them, don’t talk behind their backs, if there’s some problem going on, find a cordial way to deal with it or you know what, just suck it up. It will pass. They’re all great girls and you’re not that easy to live with anyway, so just be nice. Oh and don’t write passive aggressive notes to roommates asking them to clean up or do their dishes. That’s SO obnoxious and I’m extremely embarrassed that you might even consider doing that.

Four. School… listen to what your brother says, first of all, and do not take American Heritage yet. It’s too hard for you. You don’t really know how to study yet, gosh… you haven’t even found your spot in the library yet! Plus, you’re going to be out having a great time enjoying being a cougar, remember? So, you don’t need to weighed down your first year by crazy hard classes. Take a light load in a variety of subjects. Going along with this, don’t take any classes before 9. If possible, don’t take any before 10. You will think you can do an 8 AM class because you went to 6 AM seminary all during high school. Yeah, that was because your mom dragged you out of bed every night and you went to bed at a reasonable hour. Things were different then, you didn’t even have a cell phone. You cannot get to a class at 8 AM and you NEVER WILL. I repeat, DO NOT EVER sign up for an 8 am class!

Five. Get an on-campus job. Don’t make it hard on yourself and find one off campus. You will have to take a bus and sit next to sketchy people or trade a ride for a date… yeah… don’t ask. So, just don’t do it. There are TONS of jobs on campus that are great opportunities for you and will start long lasting friendships. Not only will it be good to make a little extra cash, it’ll be good for you to learn how to balance school and work a bit!

I should wrap it up here so I’m just going to give you a couple more pointers for the rest of your time at BYU. Hang out with your brother. You will regret this for the rest of your life if you don’t. Go to conference at the conference center. Buy that red plaid coat. It will still be classy in nine years even though you bought it from Buckle. Hike the Y and hike it again at homecoming when they light it up. Go to as many football and basketball games as possible. There’s nothing so collegiate as singing the fight song on an October night. Don’t dye your hair. Nope. Bad bad idea. Go to the temple and go often. Eat chocolate covered cinnamon gummy bears in the library while studying. They will be your study food. Watch LOST with Hannah Judd, a cute little mexican girl who’s in your freshman ward. Work hard once you get into your major. Don’t keep dating that guy who talks Spanish to his buddy the whole time on your double date. He’s a complete d-bag. While we’re at it, don’t date that other guy who you were smitten with just because he was going to be a doctor. There’s a guy wearing an aeropostle shirt who you’ll meet at a dessert party who you should date though, and don’t worry… his clothing style changes. Go to all your church meetings, do your visiting teaching (those people will become some more of your good friends), and be active in your callings. You’re an adult so start acting like it. But you’re also a college kid so have fun. And last of all. You’re a cougar now and forever so be loyal, strong, and true!

xoxo,

The 2016 Version of You

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Going along with that last post…

Growing up we always listened to tapes in the car, and we had a couple family favorites. There was one in particular we still sing parts from. It’s called Standin’ Tall with Gratitude. I looked it up on Youtube and I found it! It’s pretty long but it was so fun sharing it with Eva today! Of course, the video won’t allow embeds, so just go to YouTube to watch it!

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