I have been mulling this post around in my mind for many months but just haven’t been able to find the time to actually put it up in words. It never ceases to amaze me how blessed I have been (and continue to be) with good friends in my life. As I move through the different phases of my life I always find myself surrounded with amazing friends. I have friends from my youth (Rob and I have been friends for over 20 years), friends from my institute years who probably still know me better than anyone and who I still cherish (I hope they know how they are), and friends from each of the singles wards I have attended over the years whose friendships are most precious to me, and roommates who have become my very best friends. And then there are those special friendships that I have developed with co-workers that bless my life; sometimes daily (Nicole, your friendship means the world to me!). And to all of my guy friends, your friendship, gentleman, helps to keep me sane. I don’t know what I would do without you. Pondering the influence my friends have had in my life leaves me so thankful to have been and continue to be associated with so many amazing people.
So, to all of my friends who read this, I love and appreciate you. Thanks for being in my life and for helping me to be a better person.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Friday, April 2, 2010
Hawaii
Some of you know that, thanks to a good friend in my ward, I was able to spend six glorious days in Hawaii last month. The trip was wonderful and rejuvenating and as a result, I had a really hard time coming home. I have a very busy few weeks ahead of me but I am planning to post pictures as soon as I get them organized. Stay tuned.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Really?
Um, has it really been so long since I have posted? Dang! Where has the time gone? Sorry readers (if I even still have any). I have been a busy social bee the last 2.5 months but for the life of me , I can't remember much of what I've done besides advancing a year (my birthday was January 31). Thanks to my wonderful friends and family, I had a wonderful birthday and turning 35 was not as traumatic (it was still traumatic but not as bad) as I was expecting. But still, I've been busy.
Tonight I'm going to the opera with my friends so I'll catch you next week. :)
Tonight I'm going to the opera with my friends so I'll catch you next week. :)
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Merry Christmas!
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!
Merry Christmas!
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!
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