keeping busy.

Been keeping pretty busy lately, and not just with school. (Though school is kicking my trash and I can't wait for this semester to be over in just a few weeks.) Here are a few pics from the latest adventures of kerielle:

Went to a BYU football game in the freezing cold. We had to scrape at least nine inches off our bench before sitting down. Needless to say, we only lasted until halftime. 

Went to my good friend's wedding - still can't believe she's married! Congratulations Katy and Josh!

Watched a winter sunset over the lake - perhaps even more beautiful for the clouds. Yeah, the picture is dark, but it's all about the sunset anyway.

Sometimes Utah Valley can be pretty.

Went ice skating with my best friend.

Showing off my toe-pick skills - Dave was jealous he didn't have any.

That's all for now. I anticipate many more adventures in the coming future. This week alone is the annual LOTR marathon, double Thanksgivings, and Black Friday. Get excited. Or not. It wouldn't do for you to get too excited an then be disappointed. But...yeah.

snow day.

I can't remember the last time we had a good snow.

I have to admit. Sometimes I'm a hater. I don't like and being cold and wet when I can't do anything about it. But there is something incredibly beautiful about watching the snow fall in fat white flakes and dress the world in something so pure.

There is also something incredible about building a leaning snowman with your best friend. And pinning him for a good whitewash. Here are some pics to enjoy.

on christmas music in november.

Every year I hear the same argument: It's too early for Christmas music. Friends, I will whole-heartedly agree that October/November is too early for the commercialization of Christmas - the trees and bows in the stores, the television commercials...but while I do think Christmas music in October is out of line, I support it one hundred percent the day after Halloween. Here is my reasoning.

The day after Halloween is November. November is Thanksgiving. To me, Christmas and Thanksgiving go hand in hand. They are both holidays of love, gratitude, and family. To me, the spirit of each holiday is the exact same. They carry the same feelings. And those feelings, for me, are best brought about by Christmas music.

I can not describe my love for Christmas music. Nothing captures the Christmas spirit better. Perhaps it's my memories of singing songs around the piano with my family. Perhaps it's the feeling of driving in the car watching the snow and admiring the lights while playing music on the radio. Perhaps it's the experience I had singing in a stake Christmas program and being overcome with gratitude for the celebration of the birth of my Savior, for without that, there would be no Atonement, and there would be no hope in this life.

Whatever it is, I love Christmas music. And I don't get to hear it nearly long enough. But I will take my November 1st and run with it, despite all the haters out there. Please don't judge me. I get two happy months of the year to relish it, and I will do just that.

Speaking of Christmas music, it is NEVER Christmas until I hear this lovely piece. Nothing cozier than a little Vince Guaraldi.

Thanks for listening. Feel free to tell me your opinions of Christmas music in November below.

Sorry to be a little absent lately. I've been busy for two reasons: writing a thesis (absolutely ridiculous - I don't recommend it) AND I've been spending a lot of time with my best friend:

Last Saturday we spent the afternoon at Cornbelly's wandering through half a corn maze and some haunted haystacks and watching pig races with Ashlee and Daniel. We also made it out to the gardens for a little jaunt in the lovely fall leaves where this picture was taken. 

We have many more adventures planned, and hopefully I will remember to keep a camera handy. Then I will post the pics here. For now, enjoy. And wish me luck on that dreaded thesis.

just a post.

hey friends. been busy lately. just writing a thesis.

and catching up with old friends.

in case you somehow haven't seen this yet, you should know how cool my little sister is:

you should also have a gander at this fun photo i took in slc in september that i only just barely took off my camera. i like the juxtaposition of the bright white temple so incredibly visible against the office building, telephone wires, and parked cars - a beacon in the drudgery of average. thoughts?

anyway. lame post. i know. but i needed a break from writing. back to it.

 i'll have some more exciting pics soon. i hope.

peace.

countdown.

four days.

two work days.

one school day.

zero theory classes.

no more tanks of gas.

and absolutely no focus.

but i'm not counting.

outdoor movie.

Pics from the party. Just food. But I was proud of the display. Sorry for the poor lighting.

brief catchup.

I've clearly been a little AWOL. Here are the last few weeks in a few select pictures:

 Mumford & Sons concert at the Great Saltair, aka the BEST concert ever.

 Had to buy a t-shirt. Paid way too much, but it's my favorite shirt.

Sun setting over the lake - beautiful. Could have done without the smell.

 Em, Me, Syd, Steph

 Moon + Fair Lights = Magical

 My boys. Love them. Only Mumford could have a guy wearing cut off denim, a wife beater, and a leather vest playing a banjo and still look really, really cool.

 

First day of school. Not like it counted because I had one class and it was until 4...

 

Happy birthday message from my best friend on the other side of the world.

 Celebrating my birthday with the fam. Notice what shirt I'm wearing.

 21 candles, avery special wish...

...and some of the cutest party attendees ever:

 

 These are not party attendees. These are my pebbles from the beach in Athens which I finally put in water in adorable bottles so they could be enjoyed. Pinterest perfect? Wait until you see the pics from my movie party. That will be the next post. 

Cheers!

Home again, home again.

A thousand apologies.

I am terribly sorry that the second half prevented my from posting at all about my journey. Such a shame, because the second half of Europe was very, very different from the first. I promise to give an update about the second half of my journey soon, but in the meantime, an update on life at home.

Approximately 20 hours in an airport waiting for a seat in standby, and I finally made it home about 1 am Sunday morning. It has been nonstop ever since. Part of me still feels jet-lagged just because it has been go, go, go. I went back to work Monday morning, and this is what I found:

I think I've been replaced at work. My apron. My scissors. Note how my name has been crossed out. Thanks Graden. I feel missed.

Still looking for the motivation to finish my final essays - the Olympics and my cozy bed have been terribly distracting.

Good to be back in America! The land of soft pillows and free water!

Northern Europe.

Current location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Visited in the last two weeks: Paris, Strasbourg, Colmar, Beune, Dijon, Luxembourg, Brussels, Antwerp, Brugge, Delft, and the Hague
Favorite place: Belgium
Foods tasted: Belgian waffles, stroobwaffel, kokoscruppel, Flemish stew, Belgian chocolate, lots of French pastries
State of mind: running out of steam and getting ready to go home It's been real you guys. Loving Europe. Ready to have a different pair of shoes to wear. Two weeks.

Just a little note...

Dear friends, As of late it has been exceptionally difficult to blog. In fact, I am not certain I will be able to upload pictures again before I come home due to a possible maxing out of space on my blogger account as well as my lack of a computer and lack of time to find an Internet cafe (previously I was usig one that belonged to a girl in the group, but we have since switched groups and the computer is gone.) So here's the deal: if possible, I would like to continue updating my blog, but it is not my first priority. So, I can give short updates like this every so often, but I may or may not be able to do any more pictures until I come home in just a few short weeks. My deepest apologies. I hope my words can be worth a thousand pictures. Things I've done since I last posted: - Went to Disneyland Paris - Rode my first roller coaster - Took the Chunnel to London - Saw Singing in the Rain, 39 Steps, and The Sunshine Boys on the London theater scene - Flew to Dublin - Ate in lots of pubs while watching the Euro Cup - Took a bus tour of Belfast, Carrick a Rede, the Giant's Causeway, and Dunluce Castle - Fell in love with Marks and Spencer - Attended lots of masses and evensongs - Saw lots of amazing art - Flew to Vienna - Watched a performance of Mozart's Requiem at Stephensdom - Saw Vermeer's Art of Painting and Klimt's The Kiss - Ate some incredible, incredible pastries - Found some German goldfish crackers - Started planning for my senior thesis Off the Paris again tomorrow. I'll try to keep in touch! Sincerely, Keri

Berlin and Paris

Hey friends! Here's some more pictures totally out of order! Fyi, I was in Thessaloniki Sunday through Tuesday, Berlin Wednesday through Friday, and have been in Paris since Saturday. I'll post the city name next to the pic so you know where it came from.

Our mantra. Minus the beer. Thessaloniki.

In front of Notre Dame. Paris.

Crazy modern church in Berlin - that's stained glass.

Jewish Synagogue in Berlin that got attacked in Kristallnacht. Wish we could have gone inside. The sign behind me told about the history of the synagogue and I was able to read it - hence the picture.

Pergamon Alter in Berlin. Keri and Jessica.

On the coast in Thessaloniki - Jessica, Emily, Erika, Merilee, Kimberly, Kirsten. Note the wave splashing up the sea wall behind them.

Jewish Holocaust Memorial in Berlin.

Nasty first meal in Germany with giant pork leg - this was the best face I could pull.

In front of the German Reichstag at night - sorry you can't see me.

Boat ride around the harbor in Thessaloniki.

Sun-bathing on the pier in Thessaloniki - the sun was in my eyes and the breeze was too strong to leave the map over my face without pinning it down somehow. I'm a classy lady.

Bad tan line at the pier.

Candles at Notre Dame - Paris.

Rose window at Notre Dame.

Lamassu at the Louvre - Jessica, Keri, Kirsten, Brianna, Morgan.

Nike of Samothrace at the Louvre - could hardly contain my excitement.

Outside the Louvre - me and Remi.

Two crepes for lunch in Paris - one with ham, one with Nutella and coconut.

Pretty chapel ceiling at the Cluny Museum - Paris.

At the gardens at the Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin.

Gardens - Lauren, Phillip, Kimberly, Jessica, Michael.

Palace from the gardens.

Me in front of the palace.

Palace and reflection pool - sorry it's a little dark.

Palace at night with some crazy clouds in the background.

Off to London in a few days, then to Dublin!