June 2011 update

Slowly but surely I am publishing the life and times of the Singing Librarian. Here is the June 2011 update:

June sped by with lots of work. While one of my bosses went to Germany, another went to Spain. Keeping track of people in foreign countries (that are 7-9 hours ahead of us) can be difficult. Luckily, my bosses are pretty good about not calling me when it is morning for them and very late/early for me.) I was able to go to a children's book fair on June 4^th with Jen, John, Lauren, and Emily. Emily was a little shy around the book characters but both girls were able to get free books and play games. Lauren especially liked the blow up slide. We ended the afternoon at an ice cream parlor, which is always a good way to end a visit with Aunt Jess.

On June 11^th the family went to Lagoon. We went for Dad’s company summer party and were able to celebrate the birthdays of Lauren and Isaac. I made sure to take something to stop the nausea of riding on rides. Sid and Wyatt were unable to make it so I rode a lot with Isaac and Lauren. It was a lot of fun and it seems strange that Dad will be retiring soon (as we have been going to his annual work party for as long as I can remember.) Dad managed to get a picture of Emily and I on the Merry-go-round.

On June 25^th a friend (Rob) and I went up to Salt Lake to see Ira Glass, host of This American Life. He talked about radio and the impact it can have on us as well as how the radio program is produced. After wards, we (along with my parents, Jordan, Alison, Clara, and Aunt Renee ended up at The Bakery for dessert. The conversation and food were excellent.

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.

Excellent pasta and company

Have you ever wanted to be in two places at once? I did on Friday night. I wanted to have fun with Jordan, Alison, Isaac, and Aaron and I wanted to be taking pictures of it. While I did have fun, I did not take one single, solitary picture of any of us. I probably made the right choice.
Earlier in the week I received an e-mail from my youngest brother informing me that he had a few days off and he and his family wanted to come down to see me. It was decided that Friday was the best day. He and Alison decided to cook dinner and I offered to buy some ingredients for the occasion. Jordan told me what to buy, which I did that very night. At work on Friday I could scarcely think of my work as I was preparing to see my family. I originally wanted to leave work at 4:30pm but didn't get away until almost 5pm (darn that busy boss of mine; I couldn't abandon him in his time of need though.) I stopped by Gloria's to pick up dessert and then raced home. On my way there I spoke to Jordan and discovered that they were running late due to rush hour traffic. They arrived at my house just a minute or two ahead of me. The whole family got the grand tour and the dinner preparations began. All in all we ended up with amazing mushroom pasta, salad, garlic bread, broccoli, and cake for dessert.
After dinner, which was excellent, Alison went shopping while Jordan and I took the boys on a walk through the park to the library. We walked around looking at books, movies, and the various pieces of art. We also ran up and down a small hill and checked a statue's ears to see if they were dirty or. (They were. Isaac told a reference librarian who promised to clean them with a Q-Tip.) We didn't leave until almost 8:30pm, which is past the bedtime of at least one little boy. The boys were changed into pajamas once we returned to my house and began jumping on couch cushions. They were then whisked away by their parents, much to the dismay and sadness of their Aunt Jess.
It is times like these that I hold precious. My one regret living down here is that I don't get to see my nieces and nephews as much as I would like. The closest one is 40 miles away. While 40 miles is nothing to someone who lives several states away from their family, I think it a very long distance. Despite the time and effort, I think I am going to make more of an effort to visit all my nieces and nephews. What a great night.

Bowls for Isaac and Aaron

The more time I spend at Color Me Mine, the more time I want to spend there. I was able to finish the bowls for Isaac and Aaron. What do you think?

Seeing family (and a museum)

Today I got the chance to spend some time with Alison, Aaron, and Isaac at the Springville Museum of Art. To be honest, I found out that Alison and her Mom were coming down to Utah County by accident and managed to invite myself along. I'm not proud of it, but it remains a fact. After a quick trip to the library, I drove to Springville. Isaac and I spent quality time in the gift shop looking at fake ice cream magnets. It was pretty funny to see him making a joke about licking a plastic ice cream cone. He so enjoyed my laughter that he laughed himself, and then made the joke five or six more times. Isaac and I also entered a drawing to win a free quilt. (As a side note, I also entered a few of my family members into the drawing as well. If anyone gets a call saying they won a quilt from the Springville Museum of Art, it's my fault.) I wrote on the papers and folded them and Isaac put the papers in the container. Isaac was full of energy today. His zest for life is astounding and his ability to constantly move makes me jealous. As usual, Aaron was as cute as ever. He is quite the wiggle-bug.

The museum was having an exhibit on quilts. They were pretty impressive. I did notice that two quilts were made by a neighbor of my parents. I always knew that Mary Tibbitts was a quilter, but I had no idea the true talent she possessed. I spent two glorious hours in the presence of beloved family members. It ended with Issac showing us the statue of St. Francis of Assisi outside. In fact, he even sat in the statue's lap and put something in his hand for him to read. It was pretty cute.

It seems like forever since I've spent time with any of my siblings or nieces and nephews. It's only been a month since I've seen everyone but I miss them. I'm so glad that Alison and her mom let me tag along for the afternoon.

Meals with others

I will admit that sometimes I get so busy that I forget to eat. This week however, I have had the chance to eat two meals with people I love. The first one was Monday night. My friend, Jen, had a birthday. One of her roommates contacted a bunch of us and arranged for all of us to meet at Wingers to surprise her. When she rounded the corner, her face was priceless. Sadly, I didn't get a picture of it. I did, however, get a picture of her eating popcorn. We had good food and great conversation. It was fun. After dinner, we went to a great Gelato place on center street in Provo. I highly recommend it.
On Tuesday afternoon I was able to go to lunch with Jordan, Alison, Isaac, and Aaron. I had such a wonderful time. I wish all my lunches were so great. Usually I eat at my desk while I'm eating. On Tuesday I walked over to Macaroni Grill to meet everyone. Isaac drew on the table, talked up a storm, and was generally darling. I wrote his name on the table. After eat letter, he would look at me and say "more?" He also enjoyed sharing the whipped cream off my drink. Aaron slept, ate, cried, had a dirty diaper, and looked around. In an act of charity, they offered to walk me back to work. I held Aaron while Jordan held my purse, jacket, and food. (I think Jordan and Alison realized how much I love spending time with their sons.) Isaac got some of his wiggles out while walking on grass, crossing a bridge, and looking at a river. They came into my office. While Alison used the restroom, I introduced the boys to my co-workers. I gave Isaac an apple juice for the road. For the rest of the day, I had a smile on my face. Even my co-workers noticed the difference. I wish all my meals were so much fun. Speaking of fun, tomorrow night I will go to my first play at the Hale Center Theater in Orem. Thanks again Mom and Dad for the great Christmas present (the tickets.)

Saturday with Isaac and Aaron (and other people who aren't as little and cute)

On Saturday, I was able to drive up to my parent's house to see Isaac and little Aaron. I managed to arrive by 10:15, after passing through many a fog bank in Utah county. Isaac was awake after spending the night with his grandparents and we played for a couple of hours. One of the funniest moments was when he discovered my boots and decided that he needed to wear them and walk around in them. He could barely lift this feet and couldn't really keep his balance without holding on to a wall or person's finger. Later that day, Mom, Dad, and I took him shopping. We took a little shopping cart from home and he pushed it all around Sam's Club, much to the amusement of all the rest of the shoppers. He and I also danced in the music aisle. He went down for a nap quickly after all the fun.

I got to see Aaron for a little while in the morning before we left to go shopping. When we took Isaac home to his parents, I was able to hold Aaron for an uninterrupted 40 minutes. I was in heaven. I can't believe how light he is. I am used to holding Tanner, who is almost a year old. There is quite a difference in length, activity level, and weight. Holding an 18 lb baby is much different from holding a 7 lb baby. Aaron slept the whole time and I had to do my best to wake him up so Alison could feed him. I then drove back to Utah County, my arms aching. I do love my current life, but there are times that I can't help but yearn for a family of my own. It will come in time, but it can be hard to be patient in the meantime.

The fear of quilting

On Saturday morning I went up to Mom and Dad's for quilting.

It was decided a few weeks ago that Alison was going to teach us how to make a quilt square. Having never pieced a quilt in my life, this was a daunting idea indeed. I chose my fabric on Friday and forgot to throw it in the washer. I got to Kaysville by 10:15 am. I played with Isaac and Lauren while we were getting set up. After cutting out my fabric, I took a quick break and went to the hair salon. After returning, I held Tanner. He got his first cast on to fix his club foot. Saturday was the first time I had really gotten the chance to hold this sweet boy. He slept the whole time but it was completely wonderful. Isaac and Lauren were darling as usual, although Lauren refused to take a nap. It was great to see everyone. Thankfully, Sarah has a sewing machine that I can use since I didn't get much sewing done. Everyone managed to finish. Because of my trip to the hair salon and a baby shower, I am horribly behind. Such is life. (By the way, I still am scared of quilting.)

Isaac, Hillary Hahn, Ryan, and church

On Friday morning, Jordan and Alison dropped Isaac off at my apartment. It was my job to watch and play with him while Jordan and Alison went to the viewing and funeral of her grandfather. For over two hours, we talked, laughed, and played. He especially liked to talk to, and about, some plastic dinosaurs that we keep at the apartment for just such occasions. We also had fun getting the mail out of the mailbox. It made a lot of noise when Isaac repeatedly hit it. Jordan came and picked him up at about 12:30. I then took a shower, did some housework, and wrote part of a short story. At 4:30 pm I picked up Camille from work and we both got ready to go into Salt Lake City. Camille had found out about a concert at Symphony Hall. Hillary Hahn is a thirty-something violinist who has an amazing talent. Along with the orchestra led by Keith Lockhart, Ms. Hahn played music composed by Jean Sibelius. The music was dark, moving, and passionate. It was a great evening, and Camille's brother drove down from BYU-Idaho to join us. Even after stopping to shop on our way home, we still beat Sarah home.
On Saturday, I took Camille to the mall to get her ears pierced. Afterwards we went to the library, then home to watch a video based on a book by L.M. Montgomery titled Jane of Lantern Hill. I started a new blanket while we watched. At night, Ryan came down from Davis County and we went to dinner and hung out for a while. It was nice to see him since it had been a couple of weeks since we had seen each other. He didn't stay too long though; I had a headache and he was tired.
On Sunday morning, Camille and I got up and ate breakfast. As I was getting ready I happened to look at my cell phone. While my alarm clock read 10:15 am, my cell phone read 11:15 am. That's right, we both forgot about the time change for daylight savings. This means that I was late to church (which starts at 11 am.) Camille stayed home because she wasn't feeling well. Sarah left this morning for a business trip to Las Vegas. It will be strange to have her gone for a week. The part of church I was there for was excellent. I received a new calling: ward librarian. The Relief Society lesson was about repentance and forgiveness. After church, one of our home teachers came over to give Camille a blessing. The three of us ended up talking for almost two hours. Joe is a nice, well-spoken man who I can see becoming a good friend to both Camille and I.
Thus ends my weekend update. I hope all who read this update are doing well. Another week stretches out in front of me. Who knows what interesting things will happened this week.

Friday

I awoke on Friday with a stuffy nose and slightly sore throat. I got ready for my interview in Orem and drove down while listening to music. After what seemed like a rather short interview, I stopped at the apartment that I will be living in after February 4th. I measured my room and tried to decided what to take from my current room and what to leave. When I left Orem, I called Mom to discuss the interview and Alison answered her phone. It turns out that Mom and Sidney were still at the Dinosaur Museum at Thanksgiving Point. They had been joined by Alison, Isaac, Jen, and Lauren. I stopped by for some fun at the museum. I did my best not to touch the babies, although I did hold Lauren for a little while. I was careful not to kiss either of them or their hands. I spent most of the time running around with Sidney.

By late afternoon, I was exhausted and my throat hurt more than it had in the morning. I decided to not go out and play and stayed home, packing up books and some clothes. After watching an episode of Greys Anatomy and taking some cold medicine, I went to bed.

Ye long week...

Well, finals are over. Yeh!!! This past week has been insane. After a final on Tuesday, I went to work. I babysat Wyatt and Sidney on Wednesday because Mom went to Idaho to help with Grandma R. I don't know how mothers around the world do it. Attempting to entertain and feed to kids and get anything done is impossible. The only reason I managed to get dinner on the table is because I started it before Wyatt arrived at noon. I ended up making chicken crescent squares.
On Thursday I took my last final. I was one of the first ones done with my Victorian Lit test, which included a matching part, short answer, and essay. I hope being the first student done isn't a bad sign. I feel ok about it; not necessarily really good or bad. After my final, I went home, changed, and then drove to Provo for an interview at the Provo City Library. I had a hard time getting any feedback from the two women who interviewed me. After the 1/2 hour meeting, I drove the hour back to work and slaved away until 9pm. I was so tired after Thursday I went to bed early.
On Friday, Dad and I went to work at the cannery. We then went shopping and fielded phone calls from Grandma J, Mom, and Aunt Peggy. Dad took me to lunch at Tony Roma's after I got a phone call from the Provo Library asking me to come in for a second interview on Monday. I did some laundry and Jordan and Isaac came over for a little while. When it was time for Isaac to be fed, Jordan and I took him to see his Mom in Ogden. By the time Friday night was over, I was pretty tired.
On Saturday morning, Dad and I went to the temple and then to see Grandma J. at the hospital. She was still pretty upset that she hadn't been moved to the rehab center on Friday. According to a nurse, she had found Grandma on the floor of the bathroom the night before. Grandma doesn't remember anything about it. Apparently the nurse had given Grandma a sleeping pill and left her alone. Grandma then woke up and decided to go to the bathroom by herself. The nurse figures that Grandma fell asleep on the toilet and slid off. Nothing is broken or even bruised though. After a brief chat and blow-drying Grandma's hair, Dad got me home in time for me to get ready for work. I worked until 6, then went to Sherma's house for a party. All the old Kaysville City Library staff were there. It was nice to catch up with people I haven't seen in months. Erica is pregnant with her second child, Nikki is looking for a house, and Mike is getting ready to move away to college. Sadly, Karen, Jo, Eric, Hillary, and Kim couldn't make it. The food was wonderful. I got home at 10ish but ended up staying up much later on the computer. It was nice to know that Mom was finally home after a week of being in Idaho.
Sunday was a nice day of rest for all. Church went well with a Relief Society lesson on unity. The rest of church was equally as interesting, especially the three musical numbers from the choir. I had tithing settlement, then made dinner: pasta, marinated chicken, and salads. The pasta was way too spicy but the chicken turned out perfectly. It was strange on Sunday night to realize that this was the first weekend in months that I didn't have to study for a class on Monday. Dad helped me get the Christmas Tree up and put on the lights. I then decorated it. I decided to put some photos of the family on it and I think it turned out to have a simple and homemade look.
On Monday I had my second interview at the Provo City Library. It went well and the director along with two other librarian's seemed to like me. I went away with a positive feeling. I then picked up some food on the way to work, where we had perhaps the slowest Monday night ever. My co-workers demanded a recap of my interview and gave me their opinion's on the situation. After work I went out to IHOP with Ryan, who I hadn't seen in a while.
My Tuesday morning began with a phone call from the Provo City Library saying that I hadn't gotten the job. It ended up being a contest between me and two other people. Sadly, I didn't win out. I lay in bed thinking about what my next move would be when I heard someone enter the house. It turned out to be Jordan and Isaac. Jordan presented me with a belated birthday gift and then made me a wonderful lunch of pasta with red sauce made from scratch. I got to play with my darling nephew, talk with my wonderful brother, and forget my problems for a while. Without them being there, I suspect I would have sobbed. Anyway, after they left I took a shower and waited for my parents to come home. Dad came home late and almost immediately we left for Salt Lake to pick up Mom. I told Dad about not getting the job and started to cry. Thankfully he let me cry in silence and pretended not to notice. After picking up Mom, the three of us then met up with Jen, John, and Lauren for dinner. The food at Rinos was good although a little expensive. Mom, Dad, Jen, and John then went to see a play at Pioneer Theater while I babysat Lauren. Lauren and I read books, played with toys, and looked at the Christmas tree. Lauren touched the branches and needles but then wanted to eat it. We discussed it and decided that it wasn't a good idea. (Actually, I won out on the argument because I am the bigger of the two of us :) It was dinner time so I warmed her bottle and let Lauren eat her fill. Her night ended with pajamas, another book, and a song from her Aunt Jess. She was asleep by 8:20 pm and I watched a movie since I had left my book in the car. I had forgotten how much I like the movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Driving home with Mom and Dad, I couldn't get Monday's interview out of my mind. It is strange to have such a wonderful interview and not get the job. I guess the person they chose must have been amazing. Anyway, it has been a while since I have had a week that has been this crazy. I am hoping this week will be a little less insane. Thus ends the week report.

A long update

Circumstances being what they are, I haven't really had the time to update my blog in the past two weeks. I will try to summarize what has happened and hit the high points for my readers.
I got a flu shot on the 17th which caused my arm to hurt quite a bit. On Friday night, the 17th of November, Roberts and Lowe women alike met to help Alison with the Festival of the Trees project. We cut, sewed, and frayed stars. There was good food, good conversation, and two adorable babies to entertain us so the time quickly sped by. The next day I worked from 9:30 to 3 pm, then went to a late lunch with Ryan and John. I went home exhausted with flu-like symptoms. Sidney and Wyatt came over to have fun with their Grandma and Poppy. I spent most of the time upstairs trying to shake the flu-like symptoms caused by the flu shot I had received the day before. I did come downstairs in time to see Wyatt taking a bath in the sink. What a funny boy! On Sunday morning I felt even worse and did not go to church. I slept quite a bit but still managed to get a paper written for my History of Christianity class.
Work and school followed for the next two days. On Wednesday, the 22nd, I was awakened by my darling niece who showed me the hole in her smile since she had lost a tooth. I had breakfast with Mom, Dad, Sid, and Wyatt, then went to school for one class. (My other two had been canceled but Dr. Francis would not relent on his grilling class schedule.) After a rousing class in which donuts were served, I returned home to help with my niece and nephew and clean the upstairs bathroom. Jen and Lauren came out to help with the Thanksgiving preparations and a good time was had by all. I ended up watching two episodes of an interesting show called Numb3rs and cleaning up the basement in anticipation of Aunt Renee and cousin Mark's arrival.
On Thanksgiving the following people came over to eat: Grandma and Grandpa Roberts, Jen, John, Lauren, Josh, Brooke, Uncle Mike, Renee, Mark, Timothy, Roxanne, Doug, John D., Jen D., Jason, Jacob, Emily, Michael, Ethan, RJ, Nathan, Diane, Larry, Amy, Sarah, Nancy, Jordan, Alison, and Isaac. Jeremy, Britnie, Sidney, and Wyatt came over later. We had three turkeys and a ham along with some other great food. Three tables of people made for fun madness. We ate, talked, and then ate some more. After 3 pm, we had a baby shower for Brooke. Jen and I went together on a gift of books and baby blankets. By nightfall, the aunts were in the living room talking while Brooke, Josh, Alison, Sarah, Amy, and I played a game. It was fun. Amy and I were crushed by the other two teams. (It is nice to be humbled every once and a while :) Jordan and Dad went to see Grandma, who seemed to be better and appreciated the Thanksgiving feast they brought her.
On Friday morning, Dad and I went to the temple. Afterwards we went to see Grandma. When entering Grandma's room, a person is required to put on gloves and wear a face mask. Her cough is still horrible but the pneumonia seems to be getting better. After we went home, I headed off the Alison's house to babysit Isaac while she worked on the tree skirt for the Festival of Trees. Isaac had just gone down for a nap so I studied for a while. I finally decided to take a nap myself when Alison's parents arrived. Her dad played with Isaac while the two ladies sewed. I then took a nap only to be awakened by my mother and Aunt Renee stopping by. All in all, I am not sure how much sleep I got. When Alison and her dad left to buy wood for the signs, I took over playing with Isaac. What a darling baby. I helped introduce him to the blanket buddy that Grandma Roberts made for him. It is a bunny. He seemed to like it once he realized that it couldn't hurt him and that he could eat the ears. After putting him down for a nap, I helped Alison and Pat finish the tree skirt and then headed home to get ready for a night out. Ryan and I ended up at Mikey's house where we watched the end of the Jazz game and then hung out for the rest of the night. Once in a while it is nice to just hang out at someone's home and watch movie previews, listen to music, and talk.
On Saturday I was awakened by my mother telling me about a job that Aunt Diane had seen on the Provo Library website. I decided to apply for it because it pays more than my current job and it would be a nice change. I finished the book I was reading, 84, Charing Cross Road, and took a shower. Later that night I went to dinner with Jen Evans and her friend Erin, who seems really nice. We ate at Mimi's Cafe and had fun talking about life, men, traveling, school, and other interesting topics. We then went to the theater to see Stranger than Fiction, which I would highly recommend. Will Ferrell isn't his usual goofball self, Emma Thompson is brilliant as a tortured writer, Maggie Gyllenhaal is great as an angry baker, and Dustin Hoffman is the typical odd literature professor. It follows the life of Harold Crick, an IRS agent who begins to hear a narrator speak about his life. I won't ruin any more of the movie for those who plan to see it. I would give it 4 stars out of 5. Since there are only about 15 movies ever made that get a 5, that is pretty good. As a person who occasionally writes short stories, the idea that a character from my story could be walking around is amazing. Anyway, I got home about 12:30 pm but couldn't get to sleep until about 3 am. Cursed insomnia :(
Today I went to school and work. School was fairly uneventful. I got a paper back that my Victorian Lit teacher wants me to re-write. Grrr. In my History of Christianity class we discussed the beginning of the Baptists and Quakers in the 1600's. Good stuff. Mom took the day off to help Alison decorate for the Festival of the Trees which is this week. I included a picture that Mom took with some of the background blacked out. The stuff in the background was very distracting and I wanted to have the phocus be the tree. Alison, Emily (her sister), Aunt Diane, and Mom were the decorators. The theme of the tree is taken from a poem by Robert Frost. Tonight, work was completely crazy. Mondays after holidays are always insane. I guess I should try to go to bed now.

Thursday and Friday

On my way to visit a friend in West Kaysville, I noticed a lot of smoke coming from the mountainside to the north. I pulled over and took a picture. It turned out that a woman had decided to burn some dead debris and it got out of control. 400 acres and an arrest later, the fire was put out by firefighters and a lot of help from buckets of rain. I went to work on Thursday night and did homework after coming home.On Friday, I went to school amongst rain. Literary Criticism was its usual excitement. The discussion of "Jane Eyre" was finished in my Victorian Literature class. I love my teacher, Dr. Rogers. He has good insights and a good sense of humor. In my History of Christianity class we discussed the popular rise of hermits and the first monastery. For those interested, St. Anthony was the first famous hermit. The first man to build the first monastery was Pachomius, who lived from 292 - 348 AD.
After school I came home and did some reading for school. Alison dropped by with her darling son. She and Jordan left Isaac with Mom and I while they went to see a movie. Isaac and I read the paper together before he fell asleep. Mom made chicken pot pie (yummy) and Josh, Brooke, Jordan, Alison, and Emily (Alison's sister) joined us for dinner. I only ate a little since I knew that I would be going out to dinner with friends. Still raining, Ryan and I ventured out to Paces DairyAnn for food, then to John's to eat. Then John, Lawyer Ryan, Best Friend Ryan, and I went down to Bryan and Bald Ryan's house in John's car. (I think I know too many people named Ryan :) We stayed until a little after midnight but took a long time getting home because of the weather. There's nothing like hyroplaning on the Interstate to really get your blood pumping. I was glad that I wasn't driving. Ryan really kept his cool and got us home safe. All in all; a good night.

Saturday recap

Saturday was quite a busy day. It began early with a trip to the Bountiful temple with Dad. When Dad and I got home, he made pancakes. Jen, Lauren, Alison, and Isaac joined us. We put Isaac and Lauren next to each other to take pictures. There's nothing like three or four adults taking pictures at one time. It must have seemed shocking to these two darling kids.
Mom, Jen, and Alison started the process of making Salsa while I tried to clean up the yard and part of the house for the bridal shower. After cleaning up and playing with the babies, I decided to take a short nap. The short half hour nap turned into an hour and a half. When I was finally awakened, I had 15 minutes to take a shower before the bridal shower began. After a quick shower, I ran down to try to help the Allreds set up. After Trisha's bridal shower I went to meet up with Ryan's family. One of his nieces, Danielle, was baptized on Saturday and the Reid family got together for dinner. Afterwards, Ryan and I went to Barnes and Noble, then to pick up John for some fun.
The three of us then went to someone's house for a farewell party for Curtis. He will be gone to Qatar until January. It was nice to hang out with John, Ryan, Curtis, and Kyle again. They are such funny guys. By the end of the night, my stomach hurt from laughing so much. We left a little early because some of us were tired. I ended the night watching an episode of "Monk," a hilarious show about an obsessive-compulsive detective.

Red Butte Gardens

After I got out of class today, Mom called to invite me to go to Red Butte Gardens with the family. Since Dad had the day off, he and Mom had invited Alison and Isaac, and Jen and Lauren to go out to lunch and to Red Butte Gardens with them. I drove to Alison's house in South Weber where Mom and Dad picked the three of us up. We then drove into Salt Lake to pick up Jen and Lauren. Both babies were as cute as can be. Although it got a little hot, the five adults had fun strolling around with two cute babies. Isaac ended up sleeping almost the whole time we were there. Lauren only took a short nap but was in good spirits. I included some shots of Red Butte Gardens. If you have never been there, I would highly encourage it. It is a nice place to walk around and talk. By the end of the day, we were all pretty tired (as evidence of a yawn by Isaac that I managed to get a picture of.) For more pictures, see our Johnsen flickr sight.

Tomorrow, we are hosting a bridal shower for a friend of ours. Trisha is getting married in October to a nice man named Kim. Tomorrow night I hope to go to a farewell party for Curtis.Jen and Alison by the Pond

Some scenery pictures of Red Butte Gardens

A birthday celebration

On Sunday we celebrated the birthday of Jen, my sister. Everyone but Jordan managed to make it up to the house for dinner. We had all three babies in one spot so we decided to take a picture.
Wyatt and Lauren were in pretty good moods but Isaac had just woken up. He probably could not understand why so many flashbulbs were interupting his normally calm waking-up period. Mom made great Santa Fe Pasta along with tomatoe salad, fresh vegatables, fruit salad, and rolls. We ate homemade ice cream for dessert. A good time was had by all, especially me. I love being around my nieces and nephews. They truly are the lights of my life.

Cedar City

On Wednesday, Jordan, Alison, Isaac, and I left for Cedar City to go to the Utah Shakespearean Festival. After four hours in the car, we barely made it in time for Jordan and Alison to see their afternoon performance of "The Merry Wives of Windsor." Isaac and I lay on the grass. While he caught up on his beauty sleep, I crocheted a blanket and read from a book of short stories by Garrison Keillor. Isaac woke up with a messy diaper and a need to wander. (Ok, it was my need to wander.) We walked through the gift shop and then Isaac decided to have yet another dirty diaper that happened to leak on his shorts and my shirt. While changing him I made a colossal mistake of leaving his diaper open while I searched for a wipe. He proceeded to create a small fountain all his own, some of which made my pants wet. After these trying situations, I was rewarded with a wide smile which reminded me how cute he was and that I shouldn't drop him off with the closest group of traveling gypsies. He started to get hungry and tired just as his parents exited their play.
We checked into the motel and Alison and I placed our sandwich orders with Jordan. While Jordan did his familial duty and hunted for food, Alison washed out Caleb's soiled shorts and I entertained the now very tired little boy. After eating an ok meal, J & A went to see "Hamlet" and I tried to get a very tired little boy to sleep. He wanted to stay up and play. Being a wonderful aunt, I gave in. Eventually I gave him a bottle and he went to sleep. This was the first time that Isaac had ever had formula. Although he made protesting noises and funny faces, he drank and was relatively happy. I watched tv and read until Jordan and Alison returned after 10:30. They brought some excellent chocolate cake with them which I dove right into. By 12 we were all in bed.
The next morning, Jordan went for a swim in the motel's pool and returned tired and nauseous. Alison and I remained in bed and we barely made our 11 am checkout. A friend of Alison, Melissa, managed to get us free tickets for a Thursday afternoon showing of "Room Service," so we decided to stay instead of going home. After an interesting barbecue with Melissa's family, we went to see "Room Service" at the Randall L. Jones Theatre while Melissa babysat Isaac. The Randall Theatre has an awesome bench with a seated statue of William Shakespeare on it. I ended up taking a picture of Jordan, Alison, and Isaac on it. Before we took the picture, Isaac required a diaper change and then was changed into his "Got Shakespeare?" onesie that Melissa had purchased for him. I managed to take a picture of Jordan and Isaac before his diaper was changed (the diaper of Isaac, not Jordan.) The Randall L. Jones Theatre has some very interesting statues around it. "Room Service" was a comedy set in the 1920's. and I highly recommend it. I saw a former co-worker, Kim, there and we exchanged brief hugs and hellos. After the play, we left for the four-hour drive home. We stopped in Provo for dinner at The Pizza Company. Jordan still wasn't feeling well so we didn't linger. We arrived home after 11pm. Despite the drive, I had fun. It was nice to spend time with Jordan, Alison, and Isaac.