Best. Week. Ever.

This week started off well enough. Derek got home. Trevor and I picked him up from the airport Sunday night at midnight. I love that little bunsucker. It's been far too long. Then I went to my last day of work with Chris. I came away with some quality letters of recommendation, a decent paycheck, some Christmas nuts
for the fam, and knowledge and experience and friends and all that. I celebrated by going to the local pizza place, Valentino's with Shiboi Derek himself, where Kevin and the Carolers were performing a delightful concert. Kevin even paid for our pizza. And their teacher, who has taught at least three chorus classes with Derek and NONE with me, recognized me and not really him. Awkward. But I think he is an avid basketball fan, because he also knows Hannah, who took no classes with him.

Why you stuck up, half-witted,
scruffy-looking nerf herder!
Who's scruffy-looking?

Tuesday I got to go to T Sizzle's basketball game. The man is a freaking demon. He is so good at everything. I love watching the kid play. And playing with him. Not, however, against him. We're the same height, but I got nothin' on his bootycakes. After the game, I dropped him off with some friends and I went to hang out with friends. Weird that I still have those, right? We had a nice evening of gift giving, merrymaking, and revelry. It's so strange to be back. I feel like I'm in high school again with these people. The following day began our Star Wars marathon that is NOT 24 hours straight of movie-watching (last time, we did that with Harry Potter and I almost died). The rest of our Christmas Eve was spent opening a single present, as per tradition, and reading the Christmas story. And, of course, setting up traps for the kiddies. Kevin and I strung up the dining room while Derek and Trevor trip-wired the hallway so a bag of basketballs would drop on top of them. Unfortunately, Xander and the little girlies do not have the adventurous spirits that we once had as youth. The traps, designed to work in the wee hours of the morning, were not nearly so effective at 8am, when the sun is basically at its peak this time of the year. What kind of kids are these? The best part of Christmas was our family basketball game, which had me laughing so hard, I nearly peed my pants. I love these guys. The level of ridiculosity at which we interact is just too much. And basketball is just always fun.

Early Friday morning, we drove to Rhode Island to go rock climbing. Which just reminded me how long its been since I've climbed and how weak my upper body is. But hey! I am progressing rapidly towards doing a pull-up. Sometime in the next six months,  I reckon. It was super fun, challenging, and adrenaline boosting. I spent most of my time on the half-sized wall, honing my (lack of) skills. I like climbing better than bouldering anyway. But I had conquered all but one of the walls when we were contemplating leaving the gym and so, obviously, I had to get that one. (It was being hoarded nearly the whole time we were there, by a group of pretty decent climbers). Anyways, so the first time that I get up almost nearly to the top, I tried to jump off of the little foothold and it broke into pieces. I thought I just slipped until I got back to the ground. I did get to keep a piece as a souvenir. And I did conquer that wall, despite how bad I was shaking (from overexerted muscles,

not fear). Of course, energy was built back up rapidly enough for a good session of fight club. Trevor and I were really sweaty by the end and our calves burned from being slapped repeatedly. What great fun. And then, of course, we had a night frisbee session with the old crew that ended in a Taco Bell run and me staying up super late because Kevin and Derek and Trevor would not get out of my bed.
Saturday I was exhausted even more than usual as I went to the temple. But I got through it, oftentimes running around like the hooligan that I am, alongside Grampy. We're buds :) Not even the temple can control our shenanigans. I got to see Alejandro at a session, eat lunch with Grampy and his friend, hang out with the Providence Stake missionaries and recent converts at the baptistry, and meet my family for a session and a steak dinner. Derek read me the Wayside School books all the way home.
Sunday was wonderful too. We got to hear a sweet talk by Cody Hanson about seminary that he wrote during Sacrament meeting. I taught the Gospel Principles class on Jesus Christ in the preexistence. And I got to help out in Primary. I get those kids into more trouble than they can get into themselves. Oh yeah, and Donny Osmond came to church. I got an introduction, a picture, and a hug. Holla.