I’ve slacked off again but in my defense, December has been as busy as it usually is for me. Between work, parties, and different social activities, I have not had much time to spend on my computer at home. I do; however, want to share something that is very special to me. Some know that this time of year is generally hard for me. Growing up I couldn’t wait for Christmas; the lights, the music, and the family fun and traditions. But as I have gotten older, I have developed feelings that Christmas is primarily for kids and as I have not been blessed with children of my own, each year gets harder. The beginning of this holiday season was particularly hard for me and as I knelt in prayer on a night when many tears had been shed, I fervently asked for strength and peace I knew I would need to make it through the coming weeks. As I prayed I was gently reminded of the reason we celebrate Christmas and that that should be my focus this season. I am so thankful for the lesson taught and for the ways that my testimony of the Savior has been strengthened. I am so deeply grateful for our Savior, Jesus Christ and for the ultimate gift that He gave to each of us; his life. Words cannot express the depth of my love and gratitude for Him. I have been truly blessed in my life with a wonderful family and amazing friends to help me traverse this life. I am thankful to know that I am loved (even if I don’t allow myself to feel it sometimes) and that “men are, that they might have joy”. I am thankful to my Heavenly Father for the countless tender mercies and for the gift of the gospel in my life.
Merry Christmas!
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Boston Trip 2009
I finally have my pictures organized and ready to post and I apologize that it's taken a few days longer than anticipated. Also, after talking to Trish last night, I have decided that this post is not going to be very long. I know you just want to see the pictures so I'll keep the details to a minimum. Here we go.
When I decided that I wanted to go on this trip with my sisters, I knew that I would not be able to afford to take the direct flight they were taking, so I did my best to find a flight that fit in my budget. It turns out that I was not so smart when choosing flights and going forward, I will only fly direct when at all possible. Getting to Boston was a nightmare and by the end I was totally emotional. I missed a connecting flight on a different airline and had to pay to get on another flight. And then I wasn't sure what the fate of my suitcase would be. Would it be waiting for me when I got to Boston or would it be lost somewhere between San Diego and Boston? Turns out that the Lord was watching over me because my suitcase was on the airplane with me the whole time. I cried when the lady in the baggage claim office told me that my bag was coming off the airplane at that moment. I cried again when I called Marianne to let her know that I had landed and that I had my bag. Needless to say, I was more than happy to have finally arrived in Boston and excited for the fun to begin.
Our first full day was spent in Lexington and Concord. The weather was a little chilly but not so bad that we didn't enjoy ourselves immensely. We started at the Minute Man visitor center and then hit the various different sites in the area, including the site where Paul Revere was captured. We had lunch in a cute little cafe in Concord then headed off to the North Bridge which is where the "shot heard around the world" was fired. It was so beautiful. Then Kate and Mar really wanted to visit the Sleepy Hollow cemetery (we found ourselves in cemetery or two every day of our trip as you will see). I was a little creeped out by the cemetery, especially since it was starting to get dark, so I stayed in the car with Addie. After Sleepy Hollow we drove over to Walden Pond but it was almost dark and pretty cold so we only spent a few minutes. We ended the day at a Dunkin' Donuts we found on our way home. It was the perfect end to a perfect day!
Our second day we spent playing in Boston. We started at the North End at Copp's Hill (another cemetery) and then followed the Boston Freedom Trail. He hit the Old North Church, Paul Revere's home, Bunker Hill, and Faneuil Hall. Toward mid afternoon we ended up on Beacon Hill because Kathryn wanted to see Acorn Street. Acorn street is the only remaining cobblestone street in Boston (I think). We also walked around Boston Common and the Public Garden. We even found the Cheers bar (it really wasn't that hard since it's across the street from the Public Garden) which I thought was cool. After dinner Mar decided that she wanted to drive out to Hull so we could see the Boston Lighthouse. That was an experience. We got as close as we could and ended up pulling in to a random driveway and Mar and Kate ran to the back gate to get as good of a look as they could being so far away (it was really dark by this time). Once again, I stayed in the car with Addie. Even from a distance, the Boston Lighthouse was pretty cool.
Our third day was a Sunday so we decided to start with church in Cambridge. Church was an interesting experience for me and I realized that, while the church it true no matter where you are, I really take my ward for granted. After church we drove by Harvard University (just for the fun of it) and then headed to Plymouth. In Plymouth we saw the Mayflower replica that they call the Mayflower II but decided that we really didn't want to pay the money to go in and explore the ship. So, we took pictures from the distance instead. We also saw Plymouth Rock and read a little more of it's history. Very interesting. After Plymouth we drove to Cape Cod to see the Nauset Lighthouse located at Nauset Light Beach. The beach was so pretty that I wished that it was warm enough to swim in the ocean. After taking pictures of the Nauset Lighthouse, we headed down the train to see the Three Sisters. The Three Sisters are three lighthouses that were used back in the day but have since been replaced and moved. They now reside in a beautiful and quiet park. We had a great time taking pictures; especially pictures of Addie. After Cape Cod we drove to Provincetown. All I can say of Provincetown is that it’s creepy! I did get some pretty sunset pictures which was the best part of our visit. As we wandered the street looking for an acceptable place for dinner, we just had the weirdest vibes. It wasn’t until we got home that we found out why. Needless to say, I was more than happy to leave when we did.
Our last full day was spent in Salem, which is the reason that Kate and Mar wanted to go to Boston in the first place. Kate really wanted to visit Salem at Halloween time (Kate loves Halloween and all things haunted) and I don't think she was disappointed. We actually started in the Town of Marblehead, Massachusettes. I actually enjoyed Marblehead. It certainly wasn't the most exciting place we had visited but it really appealed to me for some reason. Maybe it's because I really love beach towns, with the exception being Provincetown. We had lunch at this seafood restaurant next to the water (after we visited yet another cemetery) and then wandered the beach a little. After Maeblehead, we went to Salem. We toured The House of the Seven Gables, which I thought was cool. After, we wandered Salem and found the Salem Witch Trial Memorial. It was so sad to see each of the stones with the names of the women and the two men who were killed during that dark time. We spent most of our time wandering Salem waiting for our Ghosts and Legends trolley tour. It was fun to tour Salem at night on a trolley with a guide that was totally hysterical. His humor kept us laughing the whole time. I didn't love Salem but I think that's mostly because it felt like a dark place to me. So, because I did not totally love Salem, I didn't take many pictures but Kate did so I'll post them as soon as I get them.
We didn’t do much the day we left. We drove around Boston some more and ended up at a Dunkin’ Donuts in Beacon Hill; Kate wanted to have one more Dunkin’ Donut before she left. My flight home was turbulent but uneventful. Both of my flights were pretty empty so I had some space and, thanks to the Burn Notice that I loaded on to my iPod before I left, plenty to keep me entertained. I was exhausted when I got home but happy. We certainly packed a lot in just a few days.
I am so glad that I decided at the last minute to go on this trip with Mar and Kate. I had a great time with my sisters and I am so thankful for the bonding time I had with Addie; she was amazingly good. I hope I get to go back someday.
When I decided that I wanted to go on this trip with my sisters, I knew that I would not be able to afford to take the direct flight they were taking, so I did my best to find a flight that fit in my budget. It turns out that I was not so smart when choosing flights and going forward, I will only fly direct when at all possible. Getting to Boston was a nightmare and by the end I was totally emotional. I missed a connecting flight on a different airline and had to pay to get on another flight. And then I wasn't sure what the fate of my suitcase would be. Would it be waiting for me when I got to Boston or would it be lost somewhere between San Diego and Boston? Turns out that the Lord was watching over me because my suitcase was on the airplane with me the whole time. I cried when the lady in the baggage claim office told me that my bag was coming off the airplane at that moment. I cried again when I called Marianne to let her know that I had landed and that I had my bag. Needless to say, I was more than happy to have finally arrived in Boston and excited for the fun to begin.
Our first full day was spent in Lexington and Concord. The weather was a little chilly but not so bad that we didn't enjoy ourselves immensely. We started at the Minute Man visitor center and then hit the various different sites in the area, including the site where Paul Revere was captured. We had lunch in a cute little cafe in Concord then headed off to the North Bridge which is where the "shot heard around the world" was fired. It was so beautiful. Then Kate and Mar really wanted to visit the Sleepy Hollow cemetery (we found ourselves in cemetery or two every day of our trip as you will see). I was a little creeped out by the cemetery, especially since it was starting to get dark, so I stayed in the car with Addie. After Sleepy Hollow we drove over to Walden Pond but it was almost dark and pretty cold so we only spent a few minutes. We ended the day at a Dunkin' Donuts we found on our way home. It was the perfect end to a perfect day!
Our second day we spent playing in Boston. We started at the North End at Copp's Hill (another cemetery) and then followed the Boston Freedom Trail. He hit the Old North Church, Paul Revere's home, Bunker Hill, and Faneuil Hall. Toward mid afternoon we ended up on Beacon Hill because Kathryn wanted to see Acorn Street. Acorn street is the only remaining cobblestone street in Boston (I think). We also walked around Boston Common and the Public Garden. We even found the Cheers bar (it really wasn't that hard since it's across the street from the Public Garden) which I thought was cool. After dinner Mar decided that she wanted to drive out to Hull so we could see the Boston Lighthouse. That was an experience. We got as close as we could and ended up pulling in to a random driveway and Mar and Kate ran to the back gate to get as good of a look as they could being so far away (it was really dark by this time). Once again, I stayed in the car with Addie. Even from a distance, the Boston Lighthouse was pretty cool.
Our third day was a Sunday so we decided to start with church in Cambridge. Church was an interesting experience for me and I realized that, while the church it true no matter where you are, I really take my ward for granted. After church we drove by Harvard University (just for the fun of it) and then headed to Plymouth. In Plymouth we saw the Mayflower replica that they call the Mayflower II but decided that we really didn't want to pay the money to go in and explore the ship. So, we took pictures from the distance instead. We also saw Plymouth Rock and read a little more of it's history. Very interesting. After Plymouth we drove to Cape Cod to see the Nauset Lighthouse located at Nauset Light Beach. The beach was so pretty that I wished that it was warm enough to swim in the ocean. After taking pictures of the Nauset Lighthouse, we headed down the train to see the Three Sisters. The Three Sisters are three lighthouses that were used back in the day but have since been replaced and moved. They now reside in a beautiful and quiet park. We had a great time taking pictures; especially pictures of Addie. After Cape Cod we drove to Provincetown. All I can say of Provincetown is that it’s creepy! I did get some pretty sunset pictures which was the best part of our visit. As we wandered the street looking for an acceptable place for dinner, we just had the weirdest vibes. It wasn’t until we got home that we found out why. Needless to say, I was more than happy to leave when we did.
Our last full day was spent in Salem, which is the reason that Kate and Mar wanted to go to Boston in the first place. Kate really wanted to visit Salem at Halloween time (Kate loves Halloween and all things haunted) and I don't think she was disappointed. We actually started in the Town of Marblehead, Massachusettes. I actually enjoyed Marblehead. It certainly wasn't the most exciting place we had visited but it really appealed to me for some reason. Maybe it's because I really love beach towns, with the exception being Provincetown. We had lunch at this seafood restaurant next to the water (after we visited yet another cemetery) and then wandered the beach a little. After Maeblehead, we went to Salem. We toured The House of the Seven Gables, which I thought was cool. After, we wandered Salem and found the Salem Witch Trial Memorial. It was so sad to see each of the stones with the names of the women and the two men who were killed during that dark time. We spent most of our time wandering Salem waiting for our Ghosts and Legends trolley tour. It was fun to tour Salem at night on a trolley with a guide that was totally hysterical. His humor kept us laughing the whole time. I didn't love Salem but I think that's mostly because it felt like a dark place to me. So, because I did not totally love Salem, I didn't take many pictures but Kate did so I'll post them as soon as I get them.
We didn’t do much the day we left. We drove around Boston some more and ended up at a Dunkin’ Donuts in Beacon Hill; Kate wanted to have one more Dunkin’ Donut before she left. My flight home was turbulent but uneventful. Both of my flights were pretty empty so I had some space and, thanks to the Burn Notice that I loaded on to my iPod before I left, plenty to keep me entertained. I was exhausted when I got home but happy. We certainly packed a lot in just a few days.
I am so glad that I decided at the last minute to go on this trip with Mar and Kate. I had a great time with my sisters and I am so thankful for the bonding time I had with Addie; she was amazingly good. I hope I get to go back someday.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Still waiting?
Ok, I've been home from Boston for about a week and a half now and I am still working on my posting about my trip. It was totally amazing so I want to do it justice and that means writing it up in my head before hand. Plus, I took almost 300 pictures (no where close to the 1300 that my sister Kate took) so I am working on sorting through and organizing them. I hope to have everything ready to post tomorrow (fingers crossed). Check back in a few days.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Fun Filled October Saturday
Last Saturday was crazy busy for me, more so than normal but I had a great day! Saturday was the last day of the Farmer's Market so my friend Tonya and I decided to get up early and enjoy a beautiful Saturday morning wandering the market. One of my co-workers is the Soap Lady and has a booth at the market so we spent some time visiting while Tonya shopped. Breakfast followed the market and then a hair cut. Later in the afternoon I met up with my family for lunch at Sam Hawk, a Korean restaurant in Provo, for my brother-in-law's birthday. Spending time with the fam is always fun and as always, tons of pictures were taken of Addie. After a leisurely lunch I headed home, where I had about an hour to rest before meeting up with some of my friends to see Harry Potter at the dollar movie. So fun! Needless to say, since my day started at 7 am and ended well past midnight, I slept very well. I love fun filled days!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Roommates
Trish and I decided last month that it would be fun to have roommate pictures taken (I've done this with roommates in the past) and here are the results (well, some of them at least). I didn't love most of the pictures but we had a great time and I got a new profile picture for Facebook. Enjoy!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
In a Nutshell
I've been mulling this post over in my mind for many months now and figured that now is as good a time as any to catch my lovely followers up to speed, or at least try. As I stated in my last post, the last half of year has been kind of crazy, so I'll do my best to remember to hit the highlights.
Christmas 2008 was Addie's first Christmas, and while she was too little to know what was going on, she was still so much fun. My roommate Trish also joined my family for Christmas. She was going to spend Christmas in Idaho with her bother and sister-in-law but the weather made travel dangerous so we had the pleasure of having her with us.
And then came January. This year Trish and I decided to hold an After Party, Party on New Years Eve. The intent of the party was to be able to get together as friends after everyone else had gone to their respective parties. We started at 1 am or so and the last of the partiers left at 5 am or so. Trish and I were not sure what to expect and were pleaseantly suprised by the number of people who came over. We had a blast!
Up next was my birthday (January 31) and as happens every year with my birthday, we had a huge party. I am always in awe of the wonderful friends I have; the evening was a blast!
The rest of the winter and early spring months consisted of meeting new people, playing with my friends, St. George with my siblings, parties, boy trauma, plumbing issues in the house I was living in, finding mold on a couple of my bedroom walls which totally freaked me out, a couple of health scares, lay offs at work, and finding out that I would need to move at the beginning of the summer. With the exception of some weird breathing pattern that I have developed (my mom and I have decided that it's stress induced), I'm fine. And I still have a job, thankfully.
Trish and I undertook the unpleasant task of finding a new place to live in April and I must say we were glad when we found a place to live. We wanted to stay in our ward boundaries, which narrowed our options significantly. After many weeks of looking and frustration we found a decent place that we could afford. We moved the first week in June, and thanks to the many wonderful friends in my ward, the move went quickly and smoothly. And while I miss the kitchen, garage and basic living space I had in the 4th Avenue house, I don't miss mowing the grass, dealing with a plumber, and I won't miss a freezing cold bedroom, a ridiculously high gas bill and removing snow from the driveway.
The summer has been spent playing with family and friends and I am so sad that it's over. Winters are long and hard for me but I know that at the end of the cold is springtime and warmer weather.
I just have to say how thankful I am for my wonderful family and friends. Looking back on the last half of year, I have had some wonderful experiences and a couple that totally broke my heart. I am grateful to my parents and the wonderful support they were during those crazy months when, at times, I seriously thought that I was going to die. I would not have been able to handle all that alone. I am thankful for Trish and the wonderful roommate she is. She is always looking out for me and is almost always there when I am struggling. She's helped me get through some hard stuff. As for my closest friends, (you know who you are) you are my angels. I don't know what I would do with out you.
So, there you go, the last half of year in a nutshell. I am sure I left some stuff out, and if you know of things, feel free to remind me. In any case, I am going to work hard not to let so much time pass in between posts; I have some fun things coming up and a new camera on the way to help me document those fun things.
Thanks for reading. Peace out.
Christmas 2008 was Addie's first Christmas, and while she was too little to know what was going on, she was still so much fun. My roommate Trish also joined my family for Christmas. She was going to spend Christmas in Idaho with her bother and sister-in-law but the weather made travel dangerous so we had the pleasure of having her with us.
And then came January. This year Trish and I decided to hold an After Party, Party on New Years Eve. The intent of the party was to be able to get together as friends after everyone else had gone to their respective parties. We started at 1 am or so and the last of the partiers left at 5 am or so. Trish and I were not sure what to expect and were pleaseantly suprised by the number of people who came over. We had a blast!
Up next was my birthday (January 31) and as happens every year with my birthday, we had a huge party. I am always in awe of the wonderful friends I have; the evening was a blast!
The rest of the winter and early spring months consisted of meeting new people, playing with my friends, St. George with my siblings, parties, boy trauma, plumbing issues in the house I was living in, finding mold on a couple of my bedroom walls which totally freaked me out, a couple of health scares, lay offs at work, and finding out that I would need to move at the beginning of the summer. With the exception of some weird breathing pattern that I have developed (my mom and I have decided that it's stress induced), I'm fine. And I still have a job, thankfully.
Trish and I undertook the unpleasant task of finding a new place to live in April and I must say we were glad when we found a place to live. We wanted to stay in our ward boundaries, which narrowed our options significantly. After many weeks of looking and frustration we found a decent place that we could afford. We moved the first week in June, and thanks to the many wonderful friends in my ward, the move went quickly and smoothly. And while I miss the kitchen, garage and basic living space I had in the 4th Avenue house, I don't miss mowing the grass, dealing with a plumber, and I won't miss a freezing cold bedroom, a ridiculously high gas bill and removing snow from the driveway.
The summer has been spent playing with family and friends and I am so sad that it's over. Winters are long and hard for me but I know that at the end of the cold is springtime and warmer weather.
I just have to say how thankful I am for my wonderful family and friends. Looking back on the last half of year, I have had some wonderful experiences and a couple that totally broke my heart. I am grateful to my parents and the wonderful support they were during those crazy months when, at times, I seriously thought that I was going to die. I would not have been able to handle all that alone. I am thankful for Trish and the wonderful roommate she is. She is always looking out for me and is almost always there when I am struggling. She's helped me get through some hard stuff. As for my closest friends, (you know who you are) you are my angels. I don't know what I would do with out you.
So, there you go, the last half of year in a nutshell. I am sure I left some stuff out, and if you know of things, feel free to remind me. In any case, I am going to work hard not to let so much time pass in between posts; I have some fun things coming up and a new camera on the way to help me document those fun things.
Thanks for reading. Peace out.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Wow, is that really how long it's been?
I am sure that everyone has stopped checking my blog by now and I would not blame you if you have. I was going through some old pictures on my laptop today and realized that I kind of missed blogging and sharing pictures. Life has been kind of crazy the last half of year but I think I am ready to get back in to the groove. Work has taken over my life the last couple of weeks; however the result will yield some extra money that I can use to purchase a new camera. I need a new one so that I have some motivation to start taking pictures again. Anyway, if you are still with me, thank you. If not, I completely understand.
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