Clara's blessing

My newest niece, Clara Jean, was blessed by her father on October 10^th. Clara, whose pictures is above, is a charming girl who entered the world on July 21^st at 4:59am MT. (The picture was taken by her “Poppy” on another day.) Her brothers seem to like her, especially Isaac. Her blessing was lovely. I drove up north and found their church about 20 minutes before their Sacrament meeting started. Jen and her family drove up soon after I did and so Lauren and I walked around and talked. Alison handed me Clara while the prelude was being played by Jordan. (Aaron had a bloody nose and needed to be taken out.) Clara slept through the opening hymn and prayer and all of the announcements and woke up a little just in time for her father to come and fetch her. For those who are unaware, a baby blessing is a wonderful event that welcomes a new baby into the church with a name and a blessing (see here for more information.) Jordan did a wonderful job and Clara didn’t make a peep (at least not one that the congregation could hear.) My dad mentioned that Clara grabbed his thumb and held on during the blessing. Afterwards this sweet girl was deposited back into my arms as Alison had Aaron on her lap. I was able to hold this sweet baby during Sacrament meeting and even took her out to change a diaper, returning just in time to hear her father bear his testimony.

After wards the family adjourned to her parent’s home for an excellent lunch spread. I gave her parents the bowl that I had made for her (as one of my goals is to make a gift for each of my nieces and nephews.) It turned out well I think. I ate outside with the kids and then watched over them as they ran around and played on the patio. It was a lot of fun to see all the kids interact together. I managed to make it home before 7:30pm.

As a side note, the birth of Clara evens up the grandchildren with 5 girls and 5 boys. :)

The Lion King

Top 10 things I loved about seeing
The Lion King
at The Capitol Theatre in September

1. The opening number. It is easy to see why this musical won 6 Tony Awards the year it opened. I actually misted up at the music and costumes. Each animal/dancer moved exactly the way I expected it to move. The zebras pranced, the birds soared, the rhino lumbered, etc.
2. The “One by One” song in the beginning of the second act. Dancers came out into the audience with these interesting birds on poles and strings. The music sounded like an African Tribal chant and was beautiful.
   
3. The smooth way the lionesses moved and danced. It seemed like each dancer had studied a lion for days in order to get it just right. The cheetah was amazing as well.
4. The fact that I was able to attend with family and have a great meal beforehand. Despite the tire change by Mom and Dad, we all had a good time. Plus, a good friend, Angie, joined the group.
5. The occasional humor of Zazu, the bird. He provided needed humor and transitions between scenes. Oddly enough, they cut out his "Morning Report" song that can be heard on the Broadway cd.
6. The heart-wrenching “Endless Night” sung by Simba. Even grown-ups need their parents to guide them.
7. Getting so into the music that I actually had to physically stop myself from bursting out into song. The performers did a great job and I was impressed how they matched the young Simba and Nala to the adult versions. They had some similar mannerisms that were cute to see.
8. Even though I have seen the cartoon version several times and listened to the Broadway soundtrack more than 20 times, I was still holding my breath at the final battle scene. Would Simba win? Luckily, he did. (I hope I didn't ruin it for any of the readers of this blog.)
9. That there was dancing grass. The scene and costume designers were geniuses. Once again, the Tonys were well deserved.
10. That the minute it was over I wanted to run to the box office and buy another $120 ticket to see it again.

My new quilt

A few months ago my sister-in-law, Brooke, made a quilt that I greatly admired. I have tried quilting and quickly realized that I do not have a knack for it. Brooke does. I asked her to make me one (with me providing the money for all materials.) She sent me several fabric options that she thought I would like (and, of course, I did because she has excellent taste.) I chose the fabric for the design, binding, and back, and away she went. All in all, I think it ended up being about $180. She gave it to me this past weekend. Didn't it turn out cute? (I took this while standing on a chair at my house.)Here is a close up of part of the pattern:Here is the back (I love the fabric and the swirly designs):My one requirement was that she had to sign it somehow. She did:
Now I have a wonderful quilt for my bed and something that was made by a relative of mine. I couldn't be happier. You're awesome Brooke.

A slacker (sort of)

It has come to my attention that I have been a bit of a slacker during the past two weeks. It has been pretty busy in my life and I haven't been sharing all the fun. :) The following things have happened since I made my last blog post:

• Went to my company party in Provo Canyon
• Sent my boss on a business trip to New York City
• Arranged an onsite meeting with some big-wigs (including rooms at Sundance, dinner at the Tree Room, etc)
• Went to Las Vegas with three friends for a weekend
• Saw Phantom of the Opera in Vegas
• Went to a Jack Johnson concert
• Had two roommates move out (one to Salt Lake and the other bought a house in American Fork)
• Helped my roommates move and clean
  
• Had two roommates move in (the accountant and the teacher - so far so good)
• Moved my bedroom from the small upstairs one to the master bedroom
• Bought a baby shower gift
• Visited my parents and siblings to celebrate August birthdays
• Bought a new bookcase (this officially makes 5 in my bedroom)
• Made a bowl for Sidney's birthday
• Sent a package to baby Clara
• Started planning a trip to Hawaii for 8 people (no, I don't get to go)
• Attended church and FHE
• Attended a goodbye party for Cami
• Attended a party for Meg
• Helped a friend trim rosebushes and gave advice on doing yardwork and watering
• Bought a bedside table
• Worked 40 hours each week
• Gave blood to the Red Cross
• Had a doctor's appointment
• Went out to dinner with my Wednesday dinner group a few times
• and ran many errands and slept a few hours
  

Turning 10

My oldest niece is turning 10 this coming week. I've always considered 10 a big birthday because you move from one number in your age to two. It's the same when you turn 100. Because of this, I decided to make Sid a special birthday gift. Sometime last year I decided to paint all my nieces and nephews a piece of pottery with their name on it since it's always cool to have something with your name on it. Some got cups and some got bowls (and if I accidentally overlooked any nieces or nephews, I expect their parents to tell me immediately.) As Sidney received a cup last year, I decided to make a bowl this time. Her favorite color is pink so I started with that. I then decided to do white "branches" on the outside with red and purple berries (in a minimalist way.) The inside of the bowl was an accident. I tried to make a cute heart but it turned out horrible. I ended up covering up my mistake but it ended up looking kind of cute (see below.) Here's how it turned out:This was so much fun that I may make another bowl for all the rest of the kids when they turn 10 (or much sooner.)

The Amazing Audra McDonald

Tonight I sat less than 30 feet away from one of the greatest voices I have ever heard in my life. This voice belongs to Audra McDonald and I was in the Hale Center Theater in Orem. She is performing in 110 in the Shade for a limited two week engagement as a fundraiser. After hearing her voice on the soundtrack to 110 in the Shade (as well as the three other cds of hers that I own) I was blown away. She sang her first song (Love, Don't Turn away) with true heart and passion and received thunderous applause for her effort. About half way through the first act, the audio track stopped working. They stopped the show for 10 minutes and then continued with nothing but piano accompaniment. They made one joke then continued on in a professional manner. The sound came back on about 25 minutes later. My favorite songs were Raunchy, Old Maid, and Simple Little Things. Despite these words of praise, words cannot truly express how I felt and how I was lifted up by hearing her singing. My heart was full of joy. During the intermission I hummed all the music while reading through the program. After 5 minutes, a woman leaned over to me and asked how many times I had seen the show. I told her that this was my first time but I had almost all the music memorized. She laughed, complimented me on my humming abilities, and then I proceeded to gush about Audra and her other cds. She received a standing ovation at the end of the show (oh, and the other people in the cast were amazing as well.) A friend of mine, Melissa Lindsey, was in the show and did a great job.
After the show I waited by the door for her to come out and was able to get my 110 in the Shade cd signed and get my picture taken with her. As a side note, she said that she loved my necklace (Monopoly necklace as seen in the picture below) and mentioned that her daughter would have loved it as well. She was lovely and gracious as she could be. I will now have to buy myself another ticket for next week. If any of you have the opportunity to get a ticket, do so immediately.As an interesting side note, I ran into a friend of Alison and Jordan's. I have met Amelia several times (their wedding, Caleb's birth and funeral, Isaac's birth, tree decorating, etc) and we compared our love for Audra McDonald. She drove down from Salt Lake to see the show.

It's good to be busy

I know it's been a while since I've posted. It seems like there is never enough time in a day to accomplish all I'd like to. In the past two weeks the following events have occurred in my life:

• I regained electricity in my bedroom and bathroom
• Went to Lagoon with my parents, a few siblings, and their kids (boy were my feet tired afterwards)
• I lost my hat from work on Wicked at Lagoon
  
• Did my Visiting Teaching (for those who don't know what I'm talking about, please visit www.lds.org)
• Sat through a very long lesson on dating and courtship (while making snarky comments under my breath to the person next to me)
• Saw Wicked Tinkers in concert
• Attended the Scottish Festival at Thanksgiving Point (it rained)
• Went to Summerfest (it rained)
• Watched the fireworks from my back porch (it had finally stopped raining)
• Went to lunch with Sherri and Emily (it had been way too long)
• Delivered lunch to a coworker and his wife who were working on a Saturday to finish a project
• Attended a wedding reception (it started to rain)
• Went to dinner with Cameron, Cami, Scotty, and Sarah @ Gurus
• Attended a very long managers meeting at the Provo Library
• Bought the new Glee CD
• Had brunch with Sarah, Cami, Angie, and Scotty (I provided Milk and OJ)
• Visited a friend who had just gotten out of the hospital after having brain surgery to remove a cancerous brain tumor (radiation starts in a little while)
  
• Attended church, FHE, and Ward prayer (once again, see www.lds.org if you are confused)
• Had a sit down with my landlord about renewing my lease and had a roommate meeting with our landlord about cleaning, leases, and construction in the basement
• Listened to my roommate and gave her advice about work frustrations
• Worked 8.5 hours each workday
• Send my boss on yet another business trip and sent his wife a gift certificate from all the managers to apologize for all his trips.
• Ate 3 healthy salads
• Cleaned my bedroom and my bathroom as well as cleaning my car inside and out
• Began reading a book on interviewing relatives for family history projects

This weekend I plan to get together with family, clean, and perhaps go out with friends or on a date. I hope you are having as much fun as I am.

Electricity

I have not had electricity in my bedroom for over a week. On May 26th I arrived home from dinner with friends to discover that I had no electricity in my bedroom, bathroom, or the hallway outside both rooms. I called my landlord and left a message. I called again Thursday morning and Friday morning with no response. Luckily, I own an extension cord. This way I was able to have a bedside lamp that I could carry from my bedroom to the bathroom and back. It has been very frustrating. On Saturday I heard from my landlord, who reported that she had not received any of my messages but had been told my one of my roommates of my predicament. She and her husband came by to flip switches in the electrical box (as though I wouldn't have already tried that.) She said that she would call her handyman. That was a week ago. Apparently her handyman was out of town and he is the only person that she trusts. I received a voicemail from her today saying that the handyman was coming tomorrow night. This has been a frustrating experience but I have tried to be patient. Thank goodness for an extension cord, flashlight, and an battery powered alarm clock or my bedroom would be unlivable at night (as my landlord has forbidden candles of any kind.) I guess I'm just grateful that our air conditioning and power to the kitchen and family room have remained.

The last two and a half weeks

The last two and a half weeks have been busy ones. Here are just a few things that happened:

• I sent my CEO and President on a business trip and one of them forgot to take their cell phone.
• Drove to Bountiful to celebrate Caleb’s birthday and had dinner with my family
• Babysat Lauren and Emily while their parents went to the theater (Emily was in pretty good spirits considering she had an ear infection.)
• Drove to K-town for a wedding reception
• Spent 6 hours weeding and planting for a Mother’s Day present (I was sore but it was totally worth it)
• Manned the information booth during a two day conference put on by my company (7am is not a good time for me to be in charge of giving others information)
• Set up 30+ meetings for my two bosses
• Painted (and mailed) a bowl for my newest niece
• Organized personal correspondence from my great, great grandfather to my great grandfather (Binder #2 of family history is underway)
• Printed off some new wallet size pictures of my nieces and nephews for my purse (I love that my dad and siblings have blogs so I can find recent pictures of high quality)
• Began organizing two more business trips for my boss (Germany and Scotland anyone?)
• Had a cold along with allergies (a whole box of tissue was used)
• Deep cleaned my kitchen, bathroom, and living room
• Wrote a letter to a sibling
• Bought a set of Oneida silverware for myself (a woman my age should have real silverware)
• Listened to three books on tape while driving and organizing letters (Sarah Vowell and David Sedaris are awesome)
  
• Planted flowers in my small patch of ground by my townhouse (the soil was like concrete so we’ll see how they do)
• Went out to dinner with friends
• Did all the things I regularly do each day (sleep, eat, work, drive, etc)
  

Lusting after a vase

I really, really want to buy this vase:

The problem is that I can't really justify spending $365 on a vase. Sure, it's interesting and unique and can fit 47 flowers in 47 little vases, but I just can't justify it. I love the artistic lines, the symmetry, and the classic all white shade. As it is made of Bisque Porcelain, I suppose it would be a bear to clean. "Sigh."

New stamps

My talented brother, Jordan, has created two new stamps for me. I've always wanted a stamp with my name and I commissioned two from him. They turned out great.
The simpler one was my idea and the checkerboard stamp was Jordans. The man's talented. I'd be willing to bet he'd carve one for you if you commissioned it (his prices are actually quite reasonable.)

Swingin with the boys

On April 9th I had the chance to babysit Issac and Aaron while their parents went to a dance concert. Isaac, Aaron, and I started out playing in the park. The slides and swings were the best part but running hither and yon was fun as well. After a long time in the park we went back home to eat peanut butter sandwiches, milk, and oranges. After eating we painted on poster board, then ate ice cream and watched a movie. I attempted to get them into their pajamas but it didn't happen before their parents came home. It was a lot of fun.

Emily's blessing

My darling youngest niece Emily was blessed last Sunday, April 11th. I drove to Salt Lake and heard John pronounce a wonderful blessing on his daughter and welcome her into the church. After the sacrament meeting we went to Emily's house where her mother had put together a great spread of food. The kids had fun playing downstairs and outside. Sid borrowed my camera and took some great pictures.

Emily and her paternal grandmother
Of Poppy
Of Aunt Jen

Of her brother

And of Lauren

My stamp

My siblings are very talented in both intellectual and artistic spheres. Each of my siblings has their own talents. My youngest, Jordan, has the ability to carve things. This started years ago. His latest creation was a commission for me. It all started over a month ago when he borrowed a book from me. He saw me write my name in a book and asked why I didn't have a book plate or stamp. I explained that years ago I had bookplate stickers to identify my books as belonging to me but I had run out. He then offered to carve me a book stamp if I gave him an idea of what I wanted. I eagerly sent him some ideas and this is what he made me:
It is carved out of rubber and mounted on a piece of wood. He did a great job (and I, of course, paid him for all the materials and his time.) Here is what the stamp looks like on paper: Thanks Jordan; you rock!

Real mail

I received two letters this week. While this might not seem important or noteworthy to others, it is unusual for me. Most mail I receive are bills, junk mail/magazines, or official correspondence (from banks, doctors offices, etc.) Most correspondence I write, whether personal or professional, is via e-mail. This week, however, I received two letters in the mail from people I love. One was a card, which had a two page typed letter inserted into it. The other was a three page handwritten letter. I was pleased and surprised. I am a big fan of "snail" mail from people I love. I also love to send handwritten letters and cards to people. I think I get this from my father, who still hand writes his journal and hand writes letters to missionaries and those he loves who happen to live far away. When I lived and worked at a resort in Montana he sent me several letters which I still have today.
I am, and have been for a while, of the opinion that hand writing letter and notes is a dying art form. When someone wants to communicate with someone else these days, they generally pick up a telephone. If they don't telephone, they e-mail, IM, skype, or text.
Letters and notes used to be so important to humans. In some of my favorite books, the main characters received news, encouragement, and love via letters. How does Elizabeth realize that Mr. Darcy did not wrong Mr. Wickham? By reading a letter that Mr. Darcy sent her. How does Jean Wainwright discover who her true parents are and who killed an innocent woman? By reading through hand written notes, wills, etc. How does Anne realize that Captain Wentworth is still in love with her? By reading his letter. The list goes on and on (and I digress.) When researching historical figures, you can often find collections of their letters. Examples include Emily Dickinson, John Adams, Charles Dickens, John Calvin, and Samuel Beckett.
I love handwritten letters (or even letters that are typed, printed out, and signed.) Handwritten letters are still something that people appreciate. People send handwritten cards at Christmas, sign important documents, and many journals are still handwritten.
All this being said, when was the last time you wrote someone a note or letter and slipped it into the mail? When was the last time you received a piece of handwritten mail?

P.S. While this may seem a request for letters to be mailed to me, I assure you it is not. I just wanted to get some thoughts out of my head and onto a page, so to speak.

Cupcakes

In January, we had a cupcake decorating contest for a Family Home Evening activity. I didn't decorate one but was pretty impressed by some of the people. I provided the cupcakes, icing, food coloring, and candy. The winner, decided by my one committee member, was the cookie monster cupcake.

Nurse Jessica to the rescue

I've always prided myself on being fairly calm in emergency medical situations. I don't get queasy at the site of blood or vomit and I generally keep from crying or panicking if it doesn't involve a niece or nephew. My roommate, R, had surgery on her leg about a week and a half ago. She has been on crutches since. On Friday I took her to the doctor's office to have her stitches removed. The doctor said that she could walk if she was careful and could really shower. (I helped her take a shower once while sitting on a chair with her leg out of door. It was quite the process.) On Saturday I took her to the library and the grocery store. It tired her a little but her leg felt good. This morning we went to church. After Sacrament Meeting R was tired so I took her home. While walking into the kitchen, she felt something wet on her leg. Looking down, we saw blood dripping quickly down her leg. Her long incision had clearly opened. She was understandably alarmed and began to cry due to pain and fear. I ran to grab a towel, her purse, and quickly got her into my car. Off to the emergency room we went at a safe speed. All the while I told her that it would be ok and that there was nothing to fear. She was checked into a room (I asked if she could fill out the paperwork in a room so she wouldn't drip blood on the floor. They agreed.) The nurses cleaned her up and the doctor numbed her incision area, put seven stitches in, and gave her an Rx for an antibiotic. While they were working on her leg I did my best to clean the blood off her shoes while telling amusing stories about my own visits to the ER (fainting, getting a Q-Tip stuck in my ear, having a concussion, etc.) I called a friend and asked her to stop by our house and pick up R's crutches. We were then off to Wal-Mart to fill the Rx. By the time we got home three and half hours had passed. All in all it was an interesting Sunday afternoon.
As to my own life (since it's been a while since I've posted anything) I have had a cold that has lasted over a week. I am getting better but my weak immune system still hasn't recovered. Since I haven't been feeling well I haven't been very social during the past week. I missed church last week along with FHE, temple night, Sarah's dinner invitation, and my regular weekly dinner with a group of friends. This week will be a busy one at work but we will probably accomplish quite a bit. I am generally happy with my situation in life. I wish all of you a good night (or day depending on when you read this.)

Christmas

I was sick on Christmas Eve, the time I had appointed to drive to my parent's house. I had food poisoning and could be far from a bathroom. It was a pathetic time but luckily I woke up on Christmas Day feeling better. I drove up North and was able to visit Sidney & Wyatt and Lauren & Emily. The was too late to visit Tanner & Ava and Isaac & Aaron. I had dinner with my parents and then had a fairly slow evening. On Saturday, the day after Christmas, my siblings came over and we celebrated Christmas again. It was a lot of fun to get together. I received some wonderful gifts and was able to spend time with almost all of my family (John and Emily were missing.)I, oddly enough, didn't get any pictures of my parents or Sidney, Wyatt, Jeremy, or Britnie. There were there but I only took a few pictures.

Sunset

I was called from my desk at work to see this beautiful sunset. I only wish I had a better camera and wasn't shooting through glass. It was taken on Monday night.