Can you tell I got a camera for Christmas?

I love days off. Today, J and I went to Tuzigoot National Monument to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine and patronize local cultural history.

Did you notice I discovered the "collage" feature on Picaso Picture? Yeah, it's like pretty awesummmm man....

On a side note, it's been a while since my last top 10 list. Here's the latest:

Top 10 Reasons Why Blogging May Be Hard To Come By In The Upcoming Months

10. I'm in my last semester of school...wohooo!

9. I'm still working (part-time of course)...that deserves another wohoo!

8. I may try to exercise more often.

7. I've found I enjoy reading other people's blogs more so than writing on mine.

6. I just got called to be the new Young Women's President for our ward.

5. Life is exciting right now, but not in a blog-worthy way.

4. I'm running out of blogging material.

3. My computer is drastically aging and can only operate at maximum speed for about 15 minutes...much too short for my blog posts.

2. I may be extra lazy to compensate for my extra hectic schedule.

1. I want to actually DO stuff this year instead of dreaming/writing/coveting about it.

As my first post for this year, I want to wish the best to my blogging buddies/relatives/persons vaguely interested in my life. Here's to 2010!

--A

Special Delivery: A Belated Merry Christmas!

Here's a message for all our family and friends in which I missed sending a physical newsletter this year...

The Ragan Family

Annual Stakeholders Report

December 2009

Dear Family & Friends,

We can’t believe another year has come and gone! We hope all of you are doing well in your health, jobs, and families. We miss all of you dearly, and we can’t wait until we can visit you sometime soon...

In retrospect, much of the past 12 months seems like a big blur, but hopefully, we can try to capture some of its highlights. Here’s what each of us have been up to:

Justin

The old man has been incredibly busy with his new job in Camp Verde. Much of his work has been patrolling the forest/desert roads and trails on his (beloved) KTM dirt bike. He has also spent a good deal of time fixing things, cleaning things, and keeping the peace between people in the woods. Outside of work, he has enjoyed his spare time fishing, bicycling, hiking, and hunting with Dad.

Adriane

The old lady has been busy working for the Forest Service’s public affairs shop, finishing her master’s degree, and various responsibilities at church. She has especially enjoyed working on her new quilting hobby, cooking tasty recipes, and teaching hula to the ladies at church. She dreams of the day when her domestic skills can further expand with the addition of kids and her own house.

Beetle

The little (big) man has been busy eating Science Diet cat food, scratching the kitchen table leg post, and chasing various kitty toys across the floor. This past year he reached his milestone year of adulthood.

Well, this pretty much sums things up. We wish all of you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

With love,

The Ragans

Crack me up....

It's no secret I have a little obsession for the show SYTYCD. My favorite dancer for season 6? Hah, that's no secret either. Howabout E to the double LL to the E to the N-O to the R to the E-O. Put it all togethers and what have you got?? Ellenore-Oh!!!


Ellenore is FANTASTICO!! The perfect combination of technique, personality, stage presence, and wit.

Do you know who Ellenore reminds me of? Take a guess. Who, in my range of acquaintances, is beautifully tan with the most perfect complexion; has long skinny, dancer legs; and is quirky to the bone? Guessed yet? Well, it should be a no brainer....Bucky!!!!

That's right we finally found the Bucksta's long lost twin. And she's a locker-ina...which is like old school pop-and-lock hip hop + classical ballet..

(Copyright of "A Dapple A Day" @ mcsmash.blogspot.com)

Yep. She's Bucky's twin all right.

Although I LOVE all of her routines, my favorite one is probably the contemporary piece she did in the top 14. You know the one with the yellow dress? Yeah, that one. Incredible! Oh, Ellenore, if only I could do your signature move** where your leg is unnaturally yet perfectly extended into the heavens....I would never ask for another thing in the world, never.

Being the pathetic SYTYCD junkie I am, I've watched this routine more times than I'd like to admit....14? 22? 1,325? I forget the exact number but it's up there. So many times, in fact, that I stumbled across this little YOUTUBE gem in the process. Watch it, it's two minutes of hillariousity....Ellenore miming lines from Harry Potter. Make sure you watch the last 2.5 seconds of Harry Potter infused with ghetto attitude...did you just see Bucky? Yeah, me too...totally. I hope the Bucksta checks it out too. I think she will crack up.

--A

**I am dying to remember the balletic name of this move. I knew it at one time. I just covetously mentioned it to Justin last week. If you happen to know, or can perform a Google search more effectively than yours truly, please enlighten me. I will be forever grateful.