Festivities & Roadtrip to Vegas

December is always my favorite month of the year! As Thanksgiving was closer to Christmas than normal, it felt like I had a short break in between the two holidays and before I knew it, school was out for the semester. I finished it well and as long as my needed classes are offered in the fall, then I will be graduating December 2014! :)

Before I left for Christmas break though, I did a lot of fun things. My work provided me with tickets to the Christmas Carol production at the Hale Center Theater. I invited my friend Kasie and we enjoyed the wonderful actors and the intimate stage setting. I had forgotten the exact storyline and enjoyed feeling the spirit of simplicity and thankfulness surrounding Christmastime. Thanks for coming with me Kasie!



I also got to be Sandi's date to her work Christmas party, which was at my favorite restaurant in Utah county, La Jolla Groves. I tried the beef medallions for the first time and fell in love!! It's always fun to have a date with your girlfriends. Thank for asking me to be yours Sandi!

One Saturday, Sandi and I went out for dinner and exchanged presents. When I say exchanged, what really happened was we found these adorable flannel pj's from Victorias Secret and both wanted them. We decided that they would be our gifts to each other so we bought them right then and had them wrapped up, to open when we got back to our apartment, haha. Then we enjoyed dinner together at one of our favorite local and chill restaurants, The Old Spaghetti Factory. Afterwards we watched Home Alone and laughed so hard as we quoted the movie and relived our favorite parts. We never realized how dramatic the little boy was in the movie until now and naturally loved it, haha.

My friends and I tried going to the lights at Temple Square, but each time we meant to go it didn't workout either due to bad weather or other circumstances. Here's a picture of my friend, Miranda and I, after we went to dinner since we couldn't make it to Salt Lake. She is such a beauty!



Another great Christmastime tradition is going to the Festival of Trees! Sandi introduced me to it, when I first moved to Utah years ago, and I love it so much! We dressed up and went to dinner first, at our favorite sushi restaurant, Tsunami! I definitely recommend it for those new to sushi and those who already enjoy it. After sushi we went to Sandy for the Festival of Trees and I have to say, it was my favorite time that I've ever been! Although it's always been fun to go with dates and/or a big group, it was much more relaxed and not hard to stay together while viewing all the trees and wreaths. We had a great time and seeing the pictures of the children who had lost their battles to cruel diseases was extremely touching. I am so thankful to be healthy and to have all of my family members alive as well. The Festival of Trees is such a good cause and a favorite Christmastime tradition. Here were some of my favorites from that night:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The best part of December, besides Christmas of course, was a road trip to Vegas! In early 2013, I made a list of things I wanted to do that year to enjoy being single and a fun road trip was on the list. So when my friends Mark and Miranda said they had a business trip and invited my friends and I to come down for the weekend, I was 100% on board. Luke and I ended up being the only ones who could go and decided to go a few hours before we needed to leave. It was spontaneous and last minute, making the decision that much more thrilling!

We left after work and drove to Vegas together, eating tasty foods, talking, listening to music, oh and getting pulled over two times within minutes of each other haha. Yes, that is a funny story. We had switched driving and were nearing Las Vegas, were the roads are filled with cops galore. I've noticed that my Missouri plates get suspicion from cops and when we slightly touched the white dotted line, it got us pulled over. We were thinking, what the heck? We weren't even speeding but luckily the cop came to my side of the car and after asking us numerous questions, I explained we were from Utah, where BYU is (aka we are Mormon, so we aren't drinking) and we were let go just like that, haha! When the same thing happened just minutes later we were both flabbergasted but got out of the ticket again when we explained that we were from Utah, haha.

We arrived around 11 pm, got settled in, and then ate a late night dinner with our friends. Meeting Mark and Miranda the month before has been so great. I love this engaged couple so much, individually and together! They are so fun to be with and make my life sweeter, by having them in my life!



Ok, so my mushy I love my friends moment aside we had a great time. It was by far my favorite Vegas trip ever! The company was the best and the entertainment amazing as well! Perhaps one of the best things about spending time with these three people is that our lifestyles are the same. We all workout daily, drink protein shakes, eat a relatively clean and healthy diet, and don't drink. The next day we slept in and then had our protein and preworkout drinks so we could workout. I've never worked out while in Vegas, but loved that I could by my true self and not have to feel bad for working out or guilty for not working out. The four of us took over the gym and although the gym didn't have everything we needed, we still had a great time.

 

 

 

As we were all finishing our workouts, Luke snuck outside and got on the roof. He brought me to see the view and I'm glad he did. It was so pretty outside. Here was a picture I took:

Once we were done at the gym, we got ready for the day and had a late lunch at a recommended taco shop down the strip. The meat was cooked on a large skewer and shaved off, as each person ordered their tacos. Needless to say, it was great and I am ALWAYS a fan of trying new places to eat, whether simple or gourmet.

 

 

Next we went around the mall and picked up a few things. It was really fun shopping with Miranda as she helped me get re addicted to Express :/ Love that store! The guys bought a few things as well and we all had a good laugh when Luke literally couldn't fit in almost any dress shirts because he couldn't get them past his biceps, haha. It must be rough to be that built, huh?! He found one that finally fit and looked great, if I say so myself. We also went to a few stores I hadn't been to before that I loved, which was exciting to me. After we shopped, we quickly got ready for a show. Mark had generously bought everyone tickets for Ka, a Cirque De Soliel show. It was just days before Luke's birthday and mine was nearing so he wanted to do something nice and it certainly was. Whenever I visited Vegas before, all that my friends wanted to do is gamble, but Vegas is so much more enjoyable in my eyes, when you go to a nice show and try out different restaurants. Of course all of the other things Vegas offers are fun, but they get old after awhile and it's nice to do more adult and sophisticated like things.

We ate a quick dinner at one of Wolfgang Puck's restaurants, called Spago. I ordered what was the best wood fire oven pizza I've had to date. It was so good! I know some may find it silly that I take pictures of meals I enjoy, but I'm a foodie so trying new places and new meals is a hobby of mine.

After our quick dinner we rushed over to see Ka, my first Cirque de Soliel show. It was amazing to say the least! The stage moved up and down, vertically, horizontally, usually with the actors on the stage while it moved! It was unbelievable and the acrobats/actors were incredible! Although the language they were speaking was the furthest thing from English, the storyline was so good and filled with action, drama, and talent. I couldn't believe how long the actors could hold themselves with just one arm, or at other times, themselves and another person! Their talent was amazing and so respectful. It was an art just watching them! Obviously you can tell I thoroughly enjoyed the performance. Thanks so much Mark! Below are some pictures I snagged from Miranda and online as you cannot use cameras during the show:

 

We went around and played a few games that night, made friends with some strangers haha, and ate some late night pizza and gelato in the Paris. I had bischoff gelato which was soooo good! I had never eaten at the café in the Paris, but I will definitely be returning! The desserts were so beautiful, it reminded me of pastries the Chefs from school would have made. They looked too good to eat, like little masterpieces! Anyway, something is just so fun about being up late with friends, full of caffeine, making memories, and laughing the night away while eating treats. Mmm!

 

 

 

 



 



Miranda and I went up to bed a little bit earlier than the guys, with the intention to sleep just like the night before, but as normal we stayed up having girl talk. It is so sweet to connect with other women, make memories, and laugh together. I am so grateful for the bond and friendship we created the past few months, but especially in Vegas. We had a blast and when the guys came to the room we were still up talking much to their surprise. Eventually we went to sleep and the next day slept in and then packed up our bags. Mark and Miranda decided to stay another night after we checked out so we had a late lunch together and then Luke and I drove back home.

It was a great trip and the drive back to Utah was so good! It's not very often I feel like I can connect with other people, especially on a deep level, about the bigger picture in life, and luckily Luke is one of those people. We had a great time talking and found this spooky cemetery, as part of a geocache, on our way back on the border of Arizona and Utah.

Of all the trips I've taken, this was one of my favorites. Thanks so much to these special people who made this trip amazing! It was my favorite road trip and visit to Vegas I've had yet. Cheers to more fun trips in 2014!

Love,

Calissa

Surprise Visit

I have so much to be thankful for! The beginning of November started off celebrating two family members' birthdays-my older brother Kyle and youngest nephew Cohen. I've always had a special relationship with my older brother, who only lived a short three months and I've never met. Last spring break though, I visited his grave outside Chicago, which I hadn't done in over 10 years. Although we've never met in this life, I can feel his love and presence with me when I think of him or when I'm going through difficult times. I love my older brother so much and am grateful that families can be together beyond this life!

My youngest nephew, Cohen, also celebrated a birthday in November. He turned 1 and I couldn't be happier to have him in my life! Cohen is the sweetest little boy and is always so happy! We celebrated at my sister and brother-in-law's house with ice-cream cake and presents. What a little cutie! I'm so thankful for my family I have here in Utah-the Brown's! My sister Autumn also celebrated her birthday (omg, how did is she 18 already?!!!) and my Dad as well.

 

 

 

 

Perhaps the most exciting part of November was surprising my family for Thanksgiving break! My Mom and I arranged the entire surprise trip a few months in advance and the anticipation grew as Thanksgiving drew closer and closer. This would be my first Thanksgiving home since I was 17 years old! By the week of my trip my Dad and sister Kassidy knew, but the rest of my family was clueless. Since we hadn't seen each other since March, my level of homesickness was through the roof!

My flight took off at 5:00 am so I left my house around 3:00-I am crazy, I know. I really couldn't sleep anyway and a special someone left some candy and a caffeinated beverage on my doorstep to help with the drive. Between the treats and my abnormal amounts of adrenaline I was thrilled to be traveling. It always feels so nice to travel by myself. Although I like traveling with others, flying solo makes me feel like a confident and independent woman :)

 



I flew into the Kansas City airport and my sister Kassidy, who attends KU, picked me up. We made the 3.5 hour drive together jamming out to old tunes, laughing, and reminiscing about fun times. Because of the large size of our family, one on one time with us older sisters doesn't always happen as much as we'd always like, so I cherished this bonding time with my Kassidy. She is so amazing! I love that she listens to music from when I was a preteen and can jam out and flip her hair back and forth, lol. I'm pretty sure other drivers thought we were crazy but I love that we can both relate to the excitement of an amazing song or getting the best parking spot ;) you know what I'm talking about Kassidy, lol. So what should have been a boring 3.5 hour drive turned into the most entertaining 2.5 hour drive I've ever had!

As we pulled into my parents subdivision, my heart started to beat so fast! It's possible I shrieked, maybe screamed, and even got a little teary eyed. My parents live in a very wooded and hilly neighborhood, so imagine you are surrounded by trees so tall that you can barely see anything but the black, paved road in front of you. Then as you go down the hill your eyes are met by their tall home, that stands out like a skyscraper. It's majestic and beautiful, but most beautiful is what it represents to me-love, belonging, and warmth.

The only people home were our youngest siblings, Alexis and Jacob, as well as our Mom. Alexis had just fallen asleep for a nap when we walked in, but we were so excited to see our Mom that we walked in the bedroom and tiptoed quietly to hug her. This next part was one of the best surprises of my trip...my loud boots hit the edge of Alexis' bed and woke her from her nap. Alexis being the most sassy and expressive of my sisters looked up from her pillow and let out the most annoyed gasp of her life. Just as she was yelling "I'm trying to take a nap!!!!" She saw me and flung her body up, off her bed so fast and jumped on me, wrapping her cute little arms and legs as she yelled out, "Calissa!"  :D She was instantly happy and excited, making me feel like the best big sister in the world! As my sisters came home from school at various times, Kassidy and I hid around the house, surprising each of them and having fun seeing the excitement in their faces.

Once the excitement wore off, Autumn and I worked out together at the Recplex in town. I was a little apprehensive about working out daily when I visited and completely binging on food because my Mom cooks SO good! I was happy that Autumn was willing and able to workout and showed me around her gym, where she has lost over 20+ pounds the healthy way! I am SO proud of her motivation, strength, and hard work! At the recplex we lifted some weights and then ventured over towards the indoor track. Most of my younger sisters aren't runners so Autumn was a little reluctant to run but we did anyway. It was so fun to bond with her on that fitness level and to see her break through the mental barriers of running. Once we ran a mile we were both high on endorphins and I was SO proud of her! I'm so thankful that we could share that memory together...oh and that we could check out all those hotties on the basketball court below us ;)

The next day, my Mom and all my siblings and I went to a Christmas show together on the strip. As we were getting ready for the show, I asked my Mom if she'd braid my hair because I couldn't do a side braid by myself. As a child, whenever we went to church or somewhere special, our Mom would always do our hair. It may sound silly but it brought back so many memories of my Mom taking care of me. I'd have to kneel on my knees as I got older while she did my hair, because I was too tall to stand anymore. As I stood on my knees while she braided my hair, a waive of memories and love flooded over me. I'm so thankful for my mother who always gives so much time to me and my siblings to make us feel loved and beautiful!

Although it was before Thanksgiving and we were seeing a Christmas show, it was perfect! We Mahoney's love Christmas and it gave us a chance to relax and get excited for the upcoming season. The show was great and Alexis made us laugh more than once. She had recently seen Catching Fire and as the performers were ending and the audience clapping, she incorporated a classic Hunger Games move-she put three fingers to her mouth and then held them up in the air, just like Katniss Everdeen. It was rather funny to see a kindergartner bust that move out, unprovoked by anyone haha.

 



We also went to Gardner Village which has cute little shops and the store, Kris Kringle, where Autumn worked. The store is filled with Christmas décor and  amazing ornaments. On that particular day a woodcarver from Bethlehem was signing pieces/ornaments he had carved from the same wood in that is in Gethsemane! I came across a tiny ornament, a silhouette of the nativity of Jesus, and had it signed by the artist himself after I bought it. It is SO beautiful and SO special to me!

 

 

 



Later that night Makayla and I attempted to work out while Autumn picked up groceries at the store for our Mom. When we pulled into the  recplex parking lot we saw it was closed and were SO bummed! I had to workout and we had all this cooped up energy so I thought, "why don't we run around town and meet Autumn at Target?" haha. So guess what???? We ran in the 28 degree weather in just our running capris and jackets. Call us crazy for running in the freezing cold uphill on the treacherous Ozark hills, but it was a complete blast! We kept saying, "yeah we are nuts, it's so cold" or "this is so intense, I love it!" After running almost a mile in a half uphill we made it into Target on endorphin highs. I love that Makayla and I could share this special memory together. She truly is the other half to my jokester/silly heart and is always up for anything I suggest :)



The next day was Thanksgiving and oh what a feast we had! I slept in and got ready and a few hours later my Mom had put together the MOST delicious feast you could ever dream of! I'm not kidding people, my mom makes everything from scratch. My parents always get smoked turkey and smoked ham from the most amazing farmer in Arkansas and it makes me salivate, just thinking about the smoke and juiciness of it. Mmmm hmmm! Here are some pictures from our Thanksgiving feast:

 

 

I must say, although I splurged a little on my clean eating, I didn't overeat, which was a big accomplishment, lol. After dinner I took Lauren and Samuel to find their first geocache which they enjoyed so much. They followed the clues and little compass on my app to find the hidden cache. When they found the first one they were thrilled and wanted to find more and more!



 



I found that Geocaches in Branson are spread out far and usually require hiking in or up somewhere. This was an great opportunity to spend time together and enjoy nature. That night was our parents wedding anniversary so they went away for the night and the next day Lauren, Samuel, Alexis and I set out to find 10 geocaches. They were pretty determined and I didn't want to let them down so we found a seven around town and then took a few hikes to find three more. The hike led us to paths that overlooked the Branson hills and valleys which were so beautiful! Samuel had a natural eye and competitive nature to find the geocaches first, which was pretty cute. On the way back from one of our finds, we were just besides Inspiration Tower, so we climbed to the top (which had me feeling a little dizzy :/) and looked out over the hills. It was SO beautiful! I thought little Alexis would be fearful but she was surprisingly calm and mature. I love how she always surprises me-one minute she is the biggest sass and the next she is growing up so fast! The day we spent hiking and exploring together was probably one of my favorite parts of the trip. It was so fun to spend some quality time with Lauren, Samuel, and Alexis. I love them sooo much!! Here are some photos of our hikes that day:

 

After a fun day of hiking and enjoy nature, that night Autumn, Olivia, Makayla, and Lauren and I went out. We got dinner at our favorite Chinese place in town and then went to the movies to watch Catching Fire together. It was great to spend time with my sisters and I enjoy our tradition of dinner and a movie with the older ones in the family. I am so lucky to have so many sisters!

I love all of my siblings so much and am so grateful I got to visit them for Thanksgiving break. It truly made my month amazing and brought so much pure joy into my life. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving as well! I'm sorry these posts are so delayed, but hopefully I can get caught up soon. Thanks for reading and have a great month!

Love,
Calissa