Happy Holidays from Portland

Happy Holidays! I am in Portland for the holidays enjoying time with my family, sleeping in, and consuming entirely too much food. I love being home, but am sad I’ll miss the big get together at Nan’s house on the 30th. I hope you all have fun. Hopefully JoLee’s wedding will give us an excuse to get together again, and I can see those I miss this time around. If anyone needs a place to stay let me know. Nicole already called half of my queen size bed, but if you get desperate I still have couch space. This last semester was pretty grueling, and I am glad to have a breather at home for a few weeks. It has been fun over the last few months to sneak a few minutes in every once in awhile to check out the blog and see how all of you are doing. Keep posting all of your news girls; your updates are welcome breaks in my long days in the law library. I am glad to have some time to post my own entry. My biggest news is that I am finally halfway through law school, only a year and a half to go. Yeah!!! Although I am enjoying law school immensely, I am hoping that the downhill side is a little easier than the first half. One of the few things that I try to make time for outside of law school is running, but often getting in even three miles seems like an ordeal. I have been extremely grateful this past semester for Katie’s company on early morning runs throughout most of her early pregnancy, and I don’t know what I am going to do without her over the next couple of months. I don’t have any exciting news about engagements or pregnancies. For now I am enjoying the freedom of single life and living vicariously through all of you. I especially enjoyed the pregnancy insights of Katie and Amy when the three of us went running over Thanksgiving. And of course I am excited about the upcoming weddings. I am glad that JoLee and Nicole are both head-over-heels for guys that are miraculously as amazing as JoLee and Nicole are given that they have both set the bar very high with their lengthy lists of accomplishments and talents. Thanks for being such great friends girls. You are all amazing. Enjoy your New Year’s Eve!

Jill

Merry Christmas Season

Hi Gals - I am doing well in Calfornia. I went for a run today feeling like I put out a serious effort and it seemed so long as I was trotting along. I came inside dissapointed to see that only thirty minutes had ticked by on the clock. This getting in shape thing is less than fantastic. I inherited all these small sized jeans from a friend and need to shed some pounds so I can fit myself into them. No, buying new pants would be too easy.

We have been getting ready for Christmas - Blake likes to talk about 'canta clause' and the 'tis-mas' tree. He plays with all the ornaments that my grandma gave me when I was little and it just drives me crazy knowing that they won't last long with him around. Rachel is baby Jesus in a production at the Oakland temple and it has been a great experience. I get to sit there kind of with Heavenly Father's perspective and watch while my baby is cradled in Mary's arms. It has been a great way to start this Christmas season.

We get to be in Utah the 19th of December through the 1st of January and would love to see whomever is around. Please post a comment or something or email me and let me know if you will be around and would like to get together - I was thinking perhaps the 30th of December, the night before New Year's Eve.

Love ya gals! Great to hear from everyone!

--Kristen