Hello from the last Saturday of 2012! Gah, it’s been a year?! Really?! Wow, this year of blogging has gone fast.

I’m looking out my window, and I’m so happy it’s still snowing! It’s been snowing all morning and afternoon so far :) Even though it’s not really sticking because the ground’s wet, the snowflakes falling is quite beautiful and tranquil. I’m celebrating by wearing pajamas and my new bathrobe all day! (I went shopping at Kohls two days ago and saved $250+ and spent my Christmas gift cards… so worth it.)

You know, this has been quite a good year for all of us. I mean, Anna Beth studied abroad at Harlaxton, Shelby went to Haiti, Rachael went to New Zealand AND changed her majors, Amy went to Taiwan, Sara became an awesome blogger (in what was likely the most popular blog overall) with Question Tuesdays, and Jill became the official queen of Youtube! (At least, Jill, to me you are… We should work on getting you the official crown.) Not to mention, I have had an awesome year myself… and got a boyfriend. Ok, that’s a main part, and I am so blessed to know him in this way, but I’ve also had such a wonderful time blogging with you guys! It’s been a wonderful way to keep up with you all as we’ve been literally to all corners of the globe! I can’t wait to see what the next year brings… and am quite happy to be a guest blogger next year. What with my last semester and who-knows-what (semi-real life!) after that, I will be too busy to blog regularly. Still, I’ll be happy to come back and throw my two cents in. :D

I just realized that I never actually did finish compiling my “interesting facts video”… I’ll see if I can finish that before the new year!

I love you guys! Thanks for sharing such a wonderful year with me… May the next be even more amazing with such wonderful friends! *raises glass* To us!

The Rembrandts- “I’ll Be There For You”

        Hello from the last Friday of 2012, aka the most failtastic blog to date. It's really quite a bummer considering all the things I had planned for today. But the two weeks following the beginning of break were filled with many Christmas gift planning and making and then there was Christmas and post Christmas where you just don't really want to do anything (and also a lot of Netflix watching throughout that just could not be stopped - trust me I tried). Plus I found out my dad was at the hospital today. Nobody bothered to tell me until they were going to pick him up. Don't worry, he's fine. Just a minor surgery. Oy, it still would have been nice to know. tsk tsk, trying to save me from worrying.
    So, was it really a year ago that we started this project? It always feels like we just commited a week ago. And it always feels like I just say "oh naw, I'll make a good blog next week", but it is a little different this time. As I've yet to hear a resounding "NOOOOO!!!!", I'll be taking over Sunday in the new year, so it really is good bye Friday. I tried looking up interesting and/or funny things about Friday, but I was completely unsuccessful.
    
-Hold up-
Possible personal winner for weirdest Google search this year. I tried image searching for things that represented 2012 because I was thinking of being all sentimental, but the first 4 images were captioned as Amy, Amy, Amy, and You!
Here, screen shot to prove it:

I just...don't understand Google sometimes. So, um, what? I still don't understand where that came from. Guys! It's AMY! (And I think that's a banner I used to have) (And isn't that one of Amy's t-shirts?) for a 2012 search! What?

Hello from the last Thursday of 2012! Honestly, I've disappointed myself. I had planned to have my 2012 Words About 2012 challenge response ready to post for my last Thursday blog of the year, but it isn't finished...well, it isn't started, really. Blame Downton Abbey. I'm obsessed and I've been spending a lot of my time watching it lately. Anyway, the 2012 Words will be finished and posted by the official deadline I set: New Year's Eve. But in the meantime, I figured I'd be clever and sum up the year kind of like this:

This was my year in two photos. Harlaxton and filmmaking. The end.

Hello from MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!! I’m thinking Tuesday is a pretty great day for blogging :) Anyways, my week has been pretty awesome! The world didn’t end on Friday, which always makes for a great day. Plus I spent it with Jill, AB, and Amber, basically loitering in one place for a few hours, then deciding we should stop bothering the owners, and then going somewhere else to loiter until closing :P Then on Sunday we had a Christmas party in the nursery- let me just say, giving powdered donuts and milk in teacups to 3-year-olds is an interesting affair. But no worries, nothing broke! Yesterday was Christmas Eve, so we went to my Mamaw and Papaw’s house to read the Christmas story and eat too much food and open presents. We also ended up watching the first two Santa Clause movies. Now that I’m older, I have to admit that they had really bad special effects… And today’s Christmas, so we also ate too much food and opened presents and read the Christmas story! And watched movies. They seem to have been integral to this Christmas season, though today it was How to Train Your Dragon (which is not at all related, but awesome and has Gerard Butler in it) and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. So, this week has been generally awesome, and now, *drumrollllllll* it’s time for the last ever Question Tuesday of 2012!

AB:
What did you get for Christmas?
I got some pretty cool stuff for Christmas :) I got a Nook, which I haven’t quite figured out yet, plus some kitty earrings my Papaw made yesterday. Then today I got some cool clothes, the WOW 2013 CD, the first Sailor Moon manga, and a TARDIS pillow and ornament. Heather got an iPod, so she’s basically been glued to it all day. She got a MASH app, which is how it came to be that I am destined to marry Captain America and be a teacher in Edinburgh while raising our five kids. In a mansion, I think.
What’s your favorite gift you gave to someone else?
Well, I haven’t given all my gifts yet, but I did have fun going on a covert mission to pick up a book for my Mom yesterday. Heather and I went to Barnes and Noble while my parents were at the mall, but they beat us home, so we had to come up with a cover story and then sneak the book up to my room for wrapping before sneaking it out to the car to take to my grandparents’. Covert Christmas for the win! :P
Did your cat do anything particularly cute with the Christmas decorations/wrapping?
Well, of course! My cat isn’t capable of not being adorable! We have a picture of him sitting in all the discarded wrapping paper from this morning, because he just can’t resist a big pile of paper. That was proven when my mom was trying to wrap the presents in the first place- he
was very eager to help her out.
What wormlike larvae were ordered to appear before an Italian court in 1659 for trespassing and damaging property?
Umm… I really have no idea. Google has failed me. Caterpillars? 

So that wraps it up for 2012’s final Question Tuesday. How were your Christmases?  I can’t wait to see what next year has in store! Thanks to Anna Beth for being so diligent in providing me with Questions :) She wins the Ultimate Favorite Question Asker Award, which is not actually a real thing that will do
her any good. But it does win her my vote for first Question Day holder of 2013, unless we’ve already decided on some other way to start it off? To the best of my knowledge we haven’t made any decisions yet. We should really get on that… So anyway, I’d like to sign off for the year with some questions for the first Question Answerer of the New Year:

What was your absolute favorite thing about 2012?
What was your not so favorite thing about 2012?
What are you most looking forward to about 2013 (aside from VidCon and out road trip, if you’re going)?
If you could make your break from school last forever- the school year would just never start and you would never grow up and graduate and face real life, just hang out and chill and do whatever it is you do during break- would you? Why or why not?
Would you rather have said infinite time during Christmas break or summer break? Or some other obscure break from the semester?
Why won’t it snow?
What did you like and dislike about our blog project this past year? Is there anything else you’d like to change, aside fro  what we’ve already discussed (assuming we’ve discussed said changes by the time you’re answering this)?
Would you rather live in one city of your choosing outside of the United States, but be too poor to travel, even to visit your family and friends, or live here in Bowling Green and be able to travel anywhere within the country?

I may have some more questions once I know who’s actually answering them, but until then, I wish you all a Very Merry Christmas  and a Happy New Year!

 Love,
Sara

Hello from the end of the world… Or at least, some people think that we should have been dead by now. However, I’m here to say that we’re all ok, at least in my family. If someone was abducted/zombies invaded your house/you aren’t alive, let me know. That is, assuming you’re alive. I hope I’m writing to real people. I’m not quite sure how to write to a bunch of zombies, though I do insist that a doughnut shop is a great place to hide out in the event of a zombie apocalypse. Why, you ask? Well, for one, you have a never ending supply of sweets that make both good noms and good ammo. Plus, you have huge ovens to throw zombies into and a supply of large metal objects to hit zombies with. Not to mention, have you ever seen a doughnut shop in a zombie movie? I thus prove my point. There must be something to it. ;)

On a happier note, Mark’s coming today! He’s just spending the night, as he and his family are driving up through Bowling Green to Ohio from their vacation, but I’m still quite happy to see him! We’re not exchanging Christmas presents just yet- my present hadn’t quite come by the end of the school year, so we’ll have Christmas later, after we get back to Vandy.

Speaking of getting back to Vandy, this is a terrible thing to mention during the break, but my classes start again on the 7th! Really, Vandy?! Why must you not offer a winter term?!

I really enjoyed Ab’s Christmas songs that she posted a couple days ago, so I thought I’d stay in the same theme! Only 2 days until Christmas Eve! This is a Christmas song that I actually heard for the first time a few weeks ago, and my friends couldn’t believe that I hadn’t heard it, so I thought I’d spread the good cheer :) Mele kalikimaka, everyone!

Bing Crosby- “Mele Kalikimaka”

Hello from the end of the world as we know it! Ok, not really, but why not have a little fun with it?
I think the best part I've heard has to do with predicting the end of the world based on the fact that the Gangnam Style video passed 1 billion views. It's something to do with Nostradomus prophecy of a man from the East riding a horse and there will be 9 zeros or somethings. Quick guys! Gangnam style zombies are after us! haha.
    I don't really have much to say about my week or any planned interesting blog because I've been surpisingly busy since break started. And unfortunately I can't talk about what I've been busy with because it may or may not involve certain projects and/or surprises for people that may or may not read this blog. I should have everything finished before next Friday so I can have time for a decent and non-short last blog of the year...that is if this isn't the last blog, what with the whole end of the world thing. haha.
    Though I will mention that while working on the afore mentioned things, I've also been watching a lot of Farscape. Man, I've missed that show. I saw most of it on TV years ago, but I never got to finish the series so I've been rewatching it on Netflix. Though I don't think it's as good as Doctor Who or Firefly, it is thoroughly enjoyable. The effects and creature make-up are a little hokier at times, but to be fair, it's older than Firefly and Doctor Who (or at least the revamp) and shows a lot more aliens. And they don't really do a bad job of it...most of the time. It's kinda hard to get over one of the bird-like alien species. It was part animetronic puppet and part costume. If you look at the head closely, it looks really well made....but it appears they just threw a ratty black sheet over the rest of the actor, so it's a bit of give and take. Also you really shouldn't judge the show on the first season (if any of you ever want to watch it), not that the first season is bad at all. But the second season is so much better. I'm just starting the third season now. Oh the feels.
    The only bad thing is that the show was cancelled before it's final fifth season, and Farscape has a habit of ending seasons with mega-cliffhangers. But they did film a miniseries called the PeaceKeeper Wars that wraps up the series. But it's not on Netflix streaming! :-O
And I don't think the library has it either. :( I'll have to try to find it elsewhere. Maybe I'll try Family Video...or something.
    Ok, Farscape rant over. Sorry about that. I get kinda caught up in shows and good stories. hehe.

Ok, I gotta go get outa my pjs so I can celebrate the end of the world you all. See ya soon.

Love,
Jill

Hello from 4 days until Santa comes!!! It's almost Christmas, you guys! And tonight it snowed a little! I'm very excited, as you can tell. Also, I saw The Hobbit today with my dad. He wasn't aware that it was the first in a series of 3 movies, so needless to say, he was a little confused at the end.  Also, the movie was really long, but that's okay because Martin Freeman was the most perfectest, adorablest little hobbit I've ever seen!!!! I just wanted to hug him the entire time.  Awwwwwwwwww! Also, it made me want to go to New Zealand. Gosh, Middle Earth is really pretty! And every time I saw Gandalf, I wanted to shout, "Rachael knows him!" Just so you know. ;) Yeah...that's all I'm going to say about The Hobbit, because most of you haven't seen it yet. And also, this.
Anyway, the end of the world is tomorrow, so that's fun. :) I actually overheard two Wal-Mart employees debating the issue of the apocalypse and biblical prophecy...sort of. So that was interesting. I also saw a guy at Wal-Mart who looked a little bit like Liam.
Okay, on to Christmastime blogging! :)
Today's topic: Christmas songs. I think I'll share just a few of my favorite classic Christmas songs, as well as some uncommon ones. I know it's been kind of nonstop Christmas song mania if you've been listening to the right radio stations, and sometimes it can get a little repetitive, but here are just a few of the ones that never get old (at least not to me):
In the Childhood Memories category, I have two favorites.
Christmastime is Here from A Charlie Brown Christmas. I love the Charlie Brown holiday specials. They're such an iconic part of my childhood. I still love to watch them when they come on. It's tradition.

Another favorite: Alvin and the Chipmunks' Christmas Song. I used to have a Chipmunks cassette tape and this song would play no telling how many times on long car trips, along with the Mother Goose tape. I have this foggy memory of my dad singing something about a goat...

Next category: Timeless Classics
Silent Night is one I've always loved. It's a beautiful song, plus I have some, er, interesting memories of my friend Chelsey and me singing it very loudly and very off-key on the way to see Christmas lights. Good times. Here's a really pretty version:

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is probably my all-time favorite, though. I love the...I don't know...the drama and nostalgia of it. And you guys should let me know what you think, because Jill and I were having this debate: Do you think the lyrics suggest running away from your problems?

Other honorable mentions in this category include We Wish You a Merry Christmas and O Christmas Tree. They both just scream "Christmas is upon us! Yay!"
Next category: Favorite Pop Christmas Song!
All I Want for Christmas is You. Hands down. No contest. Best ever.

And now it's hipster time: I'm going to recommend some Christmas songs you may not be too familiar with. At least, I've never heard them on the radio or anything. 
The Christmas Song--Owl City
It's Owl City. What more do I have to say?...Adorable...

Merry Christmas Everybody--He's My Brother She's My Sister
This is one of those songs I got for free on Noisetrade or something, and it's snazzy! Needless to say, this is not the official video. lol.

I feel like there was one--or maybe two--more, but I forget now. So here are two more on-the-radio classic Christmas cover type songs of awesomeness.
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day--Casting Crowns
Yes! One of the vocal team at my church did this song Sunday, and it was epic. Very timely, if you think about it.

And one more: Sleigh Ride--fun. Just because it's fun. I heard this on the radio tonight and was very, very happy. I like them a lot.

And that's the end of my Christmas playlist! Next time I see you all, we'll either be preparing for an idyllic Christmas holiday or battling zombies. Either way, it'll be an adventure!
Love, 
A.B.

Hello from Mackenzie's house.
Hi. I've been working all week and will continue to do so until Christmas Eve. But don't worry, I get off by 6:30-ish and have time to do what I need to do to relax. Like hang out with my friend Mackenzie for example. Plus I'm getting a buttload of money for my efforts.
Working. I mean, nothing else is happening--oh I did play Just Dance at my friend's Jake's house with Mackenzie and rocked out. That was fun. And stuff. I also really like sleeping.
I was also thinking this week is how real life is. It's kinda scary.
Got to go. I feel like I'm being rude.
Yay short post.
Rachael

Hello from Christmas Break! Aah, isn’t it so nice to have another semester behind us? Focusing, of course, on the fact that we get five weeks of no homework/studying/getting up early, as opposed to the slightly drearier reality that real life is looming just a little bit closer (put that in there just for your sake, Anna Beth :). My break hasn’t been too busy so far. I hung out in Bates a little on Friday, celebrating everyone’s final finals (I’m pretty sure there will never be a semester when I am not compelled to use that phrase :D). I missed church last week because I was sick, so I was especially happy to be back this past Sunday- the nursery kiddos seemed especially adorable, and I feel like my middle school girls had a lot of really good discussion points to bring up. Since then I’ve mostly been hanging around the house, taking advantage of my free time to work on my reading challenge. Also, today’s my Mamaw’s birthday, so happy birthday to her! And so, it’s time to move on, to this year’s penultimate edition of Question Tuesday:

Anna Beth:
If you had to change your first name to whatever you choose, or your middle name to your least favorite name, which would you change?
Ummmmm. I think I’d change my middle name. I don’t think it’d make that much of a difference, since I don’t really use the one I have. Plus, I really like my first name, and I got it from my Memaw, so I’m not especially inclined to give it up :)
And what is your least favorite name?
I’m not really sure. Maybe something like Mildred?
What would you want to be named if you were a boy?
Hmm. I really like the name James. Also Daniel. Maybe one of those?
What did you ask for/are hoping to get for Christmas?
Umm, mostly I was really boring and asked for clothes. I’ll be doing a lot of classroom observations next semester, so I need professional-looking attire so they don’t kick me out :P
What are you going to do about Santa Claus when you’re a parent?
I think I’ll tell my kids about Santa Claus just like I would any other story. My child/ren will be read lots of bedtime stories and fairy tales, and Santa Claus will certainly feature in some of them. He/she/they may believe in Santa just like those other stories when she/he/they is/are little, but eventually will come to learn the difference between real life and fantasy.
What’s the Abell family tradition for Christmas Eve/Christmas Day?
Well, we always spend Christmas Eve at my Mamaw and Papaw’s house. We have Christmas dinner, we listen to the Christmas story, and then we open presents and sit around the living room talking/playing with our new toys until it’s time to go home.
Christmas Day is typically less structured. Since we’ve gotten older, we tend to sleep in a lot later (I completely refuse to get up at the crack of dawn). There are usually pictures to be taken, presents to be opened, breakfast to be made and eaten, and other such activities to be had, but the order really depends on the year. Sometimes we eat breakfast first, others the presents are just calling too loudly to be ignored. 
 One constant, though, is that my mom always puts seemingly random labels on the presents- she might do reindeer, holiday characters, or some other theme- so that no one knows which presents are for whom until she starts handing them out. Occasionally she’ll misplace her key telling her which names correspond to which child, so it’ll be a little bit of a guessing game. But it does serve its purpose of discouraging meddling with the presents before time to open them :)
If you could be serenaded by any living person on Earth right now, who would you choose?
Hmm. I’m thinking Liam would be quite a nice serenader :)
What do you think of ninebrassmonkeys’s pink hair?
It looks red to me… but all the same, it looks nice.
Have you ever been to Disney World?
No :(
What is your all-time favorite novel?
WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?!?!?! I just… can’t…too… much… there’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer… and Pride and Prejudice… and Harry Potter… and Artemis Fowl… how am I supposed to pick just one?!?!
What’s the best movie you’ve seen this year?
I think I’d have to go with Avengers. It’s just so much awesome for one movie :D
What’s the most exotic animal you’ve seen in person?
Red panda?
What’s your cat limit (i.e. “I can’t get another cat because I already have _____ cats.”)?  (Assuming this is you personally, not considering your parents’ rules)
Lol. If we’re just talking indoor cats, I probably wouldn’t want more than two or three. Outdoor, though, I’d be okay with 20 or 30. Just as long as there aren’t so many that I trip over them when I try to leave the house, and they don’t try and kill each other. I’m not sure the neighbors would be as happy with this arrangement, though… I might have to keep the numbers in the single digits :/
What do you have against westerns?
I’m not really sure. They’ve just never sounded all that appealing to me. All the overdramatic plots and super serious heroes and general suspense just seems ridiculous and unappealing to
me.
Have you watched Firefly yet?...And why not???
I love how you just assume that I haven’t :P You are correct, though. I’ve been busy trying to finish my book list. I’d think you’d be ok with my putting the book challenge ahead of a one-season series. Only three more books, by the way!
Do you like or dislike Christmas shopping?
I don’t do all that much Christmas shopping at this point, but that which is necessary is not all that fun. I just want to know what to get and to have it, instead of being forced to trudge through holiday traffic and search for hours on end when I don’t even know what to look for.
Where do you hang your stockings if you don’t have a fireplace?
We just lay ours out under the tree with the presents. I suppose you could tape them to the wall or something, though.

And so ends another exciting edition of Question Tuesday! Special thanks to Anna Beth for not forgetting about it :P Hope everyone else is enjoying their time off, and I’ll see you next week for a special Christmas edition!!!

Love,
Sara

            Hello from a very long time! Ack, I am so sorry that I couldn’t post the last 2 weeks- things have been absolutely crazy! For one, two Saturdays ago I had my Victory winter concert! =D We had a lot of fun putting it on, and I couldn’t believe that we actually got it together in time! Everyone that came said that they really enjoyed it, and I was so glad to have them support us. Not to mention… Guess who officially has a CD with her voice on it?! Me + Victory! Yay! If any of you all want a free a cappella CD, let me know- we’ve got plenty! And we’re pretty good, if I do say so myself, which I do, so what’s the point of that phrase?!

            Then, ever since then, I’ve been bombarded with finals + group projects + presentations. Ugh. I don’t understand how teachers think that they can give us so much work and believe that we obviously don’t have any work in our other classes… lol. Regardless, thanks be to God- I just finished yesterday! Hooray! Next stop- grad apps… which will be done by January 1. Then, it’ll be DONE!

            So with all of that happening, plus a whole lot more, I’m taking today as a rest day. It’s Mark and I’s 10 month anniversary, so we’re going to be spending the majority of the day together, once he finishes his last essay of the semester. On the schedule today: ice skating, cooking dinner together, and a Relient K concert! It’ll be quite the day!

            I hope you all have been doing well- I unfortunately haven’t had too much time to read your blogs the past bit, but I’ll try to catch up now that I have some free time!

            So the songs of the week- since I missed the past few- are all by The Civil Wars. If you haven’t listened to their album Barton Hollow, I sincerely recommend it. Below are my top pics from their album… enjoy! =D (I especially like “To Whom It May Concern.”) PS- If you like their songs, look up one of their performances on YouTube- they’re so beautiful to watch. I’ll include one such link under “20 Years.”

The Civil Wars- “Barton Hollow”

The Civil Wars- "To Whom It May Concern"

The Civil Wars- "20 Years" (The second video is a live video of them performing the song.)