A Sunny Saturday

When you've spent your entire week cooped up indoors, you can't help but go outside on a perfectly perfect Saturday and get your x-country skiing on.  My friend Brook and I rode the trails on our stomping ground at Sundance.  Did I fall 42 times on flat ground?...maybe.  Did I look like a newborn giraffe?...sort of.  Did I sweat and breathe heavily...walking up the stairs to the rental shop?...um, no comment.  Regardless, it was a lot of fun and I'll probably be sore for only three more days.

Love it.

Just Another Day...

"Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are.  Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. Let me hold you while I may, for it may not always be so. One day I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in the pillow, or stretch myself taught, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, your return." - Mary Jean Iron

Kaylie and Cazookies

My sister and I like to eat. a lot. together.  We support each other in this endeavor. In fact, we like it so much, we've made it a weekly habit...our "Sister Date."  This week called for a trip to the Chocolate, the loveliest little spot of earth where delicious diet sins are made.  Sure, maybe in our deepest thought of thoughts, we'd rather that the other one of us was an attractive person of the opposite sex (almost as much as we'd wish that the 5 pound melted cookie dream we just inhaled didn't go right to our already ample, child-bearing hips).  But I'll tell you what, I wouldn't trade our sisterly bonding time for anything...not even a J.Crew model named Juan.  And I couldn't think of a better person I'd rather eat my feelings with...luv ya Kay.

  

Dream a Little Dream

Since I'm kind of a wuss, I'm not going to call these new year's resolutions.  I'm not even going to call these goals.  I'm just going to call them "things-that-would-be-really-great-if-I-made-them-happen-this-year-stuff."  That way there are no hard feelings if and when they don't happen.  Don't get me wrong, I'm committed.  I mean, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result. I can look at these little "whatevers" every day and see them sparkling and shining at me, kickin' me in the butt.

Here's my list:

Discover a new hobby

Make a fantastical journey

Bring in my 25th year in style

Run a 1/2 marathon

Put together a jazz combo

Dance

Write songs

Go skydiving

Take one big risk

Search, ponder and pray

Eat, pray, love

Never look at a good thing and say I can't

Develop the real woman inside...the real Mackenzie

Yes, we make music videos

free time/boredom + music + serious dancing skills = musical snack

Here's to 2012!

Here's to a year full of possibility.  Here's to a year full of surprises (I've always loved a good intrigue).  And most importantly, here's to a year filled with love.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Drop the 'Mas'

Every Christmas season, I am again reminded of my Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ.  As I have pondered on my Savior's life and mission, I am filled with awe and wonder.  I feel as I can only imagine the shepherds felt that silent night, with beating heart, a witness to the angel singing glad tidings of great joy.  Gordon B. Hinkley said, "He was and is the great central figure of human history, the zenith of the times and seasons of all men."

The spirit of Christmas can be much better described in dropping the last syllable...the spirit of Christ.  We can feel the spirit of Christ as we offer Him our gift of a broken heart and a contrite spirit and do as He would do.  His spirit has the power to change hearts and forever fill our hearts with love.  As it says in one of my favorite Christmas carols, Joy to the World, "Let every heart, prepare Him room."

Merry Christmas!