Christmas Break

A week or so after my road trip to Vegas, it was Christmas and I went back to Missouri for a week. I'm so thankful for a great and generous employer and co-workers who made it possible for me to visit my family for so long.

I flew into the Kansas City airport at night and drove back to Branson with my Mom and Dad. Getting time with just my Mom and Dad is such a special event and gave us time to catch up and share exciting news with each other. I'm so thankful for parents who love me unconditionally and will listen to me talk even if all I talk about is working out and clean eating, haha.

When I arrived it was so late it was early and Alexis was waking up for the day but I was just going to bed. After sleeping off my jet lag for most of the day I woke up and hung out with the family. I always love seeing my family's Christmas decorations up from when I was a kid. In fact, I found an ornament on the Christmas tree that I made as a 9 year old. It's quite possibly the most hideous gingerbread ornament you've ever seen but it just melted my heart that my Mom keeps all the little crafts I made over the years, even if it is not the most aesthetically pleasing to the eye.



While I was home again, Autumn and I worked out together at the Recplex and on the days it was closed for the holidays I did home workouts. It was adorable to see my youngest siblings want to join in on the fun and workout with me. I am so thankful that we could do that together. Samuel is especially keen on proving how strong he is and lifting a lot of weight. I'm sure when he is in High School he is going to be so big and I will look tiny compared to him. Until then, I like showing him exercises and encouraging him.

A day or so before Christmas, Olivia, Makayla, and I went with my mom into town and helped her go shopping for some of her last minute gifts. Of course anytime with my teenage sisters and mom is always fun! We went to HuHots Mongolian Grill after shopping which is always a good decision. Mmm mmm! After that we made one last stop at Target and since there was a Starbucks attached, my typical white girl, teenage sisters insisted I had to try their favorite Frappuccino drinks. Vanilla bean with drizzled caramel on top. I have been craving it ever since and have to resist the urge every time I'm shopping in Target not to cheat during the week, haha.

Perhaps one of the best things about family are the traditions that are established in each home. Some families have similar traditions while others have different ones, but they are all special! Every Christmas Eve the family tradition our mom established is eating hors d'oeuvres followed by reading Luke 2 and talking about the true meaning of Christmas. My mom cooks up so many good things to eat and always has all of our favorites! All of us sisters got dressed up to take pictures together  which was fun. Samuel thought we were so lame for taking pictures when he just wanted to eat, haha. We were able to snag a picture of the boys too though thankfully. Here are some pictures of us on Christmas Eve:

My favorite picture of the night :) Just missing our big sister Tasha

After we ate and read the story of Christ's birth in Luke 2 we talked about what makes us happy and what we were thankful for that year. I am truly happy to have a wonderful family and friends who love me. That was the greatest gift I could ask for in 2013! After the youngest kids went to bed Makayla and I made sure to bake Santa some cookies and of course eat a few too, haha



However, Christmas was the next morning and I couldn't deny that I was excited. Most of my enthusiasm for Christmas generates from seeing the joy and excitement that my younger siblings experience. They literally couldn't sleep and probably woke up at 5 am or earlier. My older sister and I had them wake us up shortly thereafter so we could join in on their childhood excitement. Although I have many younger siblings only two of them still believe in Santa Claus, but our Christmas tradition is that "Santa" leaves out unwrapped presents next to our stockings. I'm pretty sure even at 24 years old I still love and appreciate this tradition. My siblings were playing with their new toys and riding their bikes around the living, just having a great time! Their excitement made my whole Christmas morning!

I was also extremely happy to see my gifts, one of which consisted of new Nike + shoes that are black, pink, and leopard! I about died of excitement and my other gift was generous and made me cry. I'm so thankful for my parents and their generosity and kindness. I would've been happy without any gifts, I can honestly say. My family is the greatest source of happiness aside from my relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, but I was extremely happy with my gifts too.

After we oohhed and awwwed over our "Santa gifts" we made breakfast, which is our tradition and tried to prolong Christmas morning as long as we could. We ate breakfast together and then started opening presents, from youngest to oldest, which is another one of our traditions. It was so fun to see my siblings open gifts from family members and myself. I truly love giving more than getting and seeing the excitement on their faces! I walked away with a plethora of amazing gifts and I felt absolutely spoiled for the first time in a long time.

Over the course of Christmas break, we had plenty of fun together, and because there are so many of us there is never a quite or dull moment. I love my BIG family and having soooo many siblings. It's so fun to watch them grow up, relish in their achievements, listen to them when they need someone, laugh together, cause mischief, and drive our parents crazy! I love you all soooo much!!! My life is always worth living and trying to improve myself because of these beautiful people I call my siblings and parents. Nothing brings me greater joy in life than to be with these amazing people. Here are some funny pictures Kassidy took of us, one night while we overtook Makayla's bedroom and forced her to take pictures with us, lol:

I also got to visit with my best friend from High School, Brandon, who I hadn't seen in several years. The last time we got together was in Las Vegas, when he was visiting for the first time and I was there for a business convention in 2012.  We met up in Springfield at this tasty restaurant, before he left for his flight to Florida. It was a brief reunion but so sweet! Although Brandon and I have lived far apart for years, we always have plenty to talk and laugh about. I have always loved and respected Brandon for how much he asks about me and my life before he even mentions his own. He is always looking outside himself in our conversations and makes me feel important. What a great quality to have. I want to be more like that everyday!

Our food was amazing and although I ordered simple food like macaroni and cheese and tomato basil soup, they were the best ones I've had in my life. Nothing beats simple food done gourmet, mmm mmm! So glad Brandon recommended this place and took the time to see me. I love you so much Brandon and cherish our memories and friendship! Thanks for always making me feel special and making me laugh!!

The day before I left was the day before my 25th birthday, so in true Mahoney fashion I asked for clothes as my gifts and went shopping for new workout clothes. I am literally in LOVE with shopping for any new fitness gear, clothes, shoes, etc. My sisters went with me as I tried on shirt after shirt and shorts after shorts and gave me their opinions. I walked out with some fabulous new workout gear and a new mixer cup, which made me that much more excited to go back to my regular gym and get use out of my gifts. Oddly enough we went to Andy's for our last taste of ice cream before the trip was over, after all my purchases of new workout clothes, haha.

The next morning I woke up feeling terrible. I caught some sort of sickness and woke up on my birthday barely able to swallow :(  and would be flying back to Utah that day. My spirits were quickly brightened though as my Mom made me breakfast in bed, which is a Birthday tradition in our home. My whole family came in singing Happy Birthday to me in bed which made me feel so special. Even sweeter than this, was the fact that my mom made my eggs with egg whites and all healthified and supportive of my attempt to live a healthy lifestyle. My youngest sister drew me the sweetest picture of her and I and it melted my heart.

After breakfast I got ready, packed my bags, and said goodbye to my family. It is always so hard to say goodbye to my family and tears are always drawn. Before I left, Kassidy and I made up a funny "family cheer" though which helped me leave laughing instead of thinking how long it would be before I saw my family again. The drive to the airport with my parents and youngest brother was great though. They walked me in, paid for my bag, waited with me in line, and then waived goodbye to me as I made my way to my gate. The Kansas City airport has a glass wall so you can see people waiting and coming off of flights which I love. It doesn't matter how old I am, every time I fly in and see my parents waiving through that glass my heart starts beating so fast. Sadly, no matter how old I am every time they waive goodbye I try my hardest not to tear up, but I do every time. I really try hard not to make a fool of myself in public, but I love my family and have no shame in crying as I wait for my flight. A big thanks to my parents and siblings for having me out and making this the best Christmas and birthday I have had in years!

I landed later that night and almost went straight to the gym even though it was nearly 10 pm. I figured it was too late to do much of anything and since it was "my day" I wanted to do something I loved. Anyway, I couldn't have asked for a better Christmas break. Hope you all had a great Christmas too.

Love,
Calissa

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