October Break in New York City

Start spreading the news...I want to be a part of it, New York, New York!

I know, pretty cliche. But what can I say... I finally made it east to visit my brother and his family in New York. What a trip! It was so fun to see David, Marne, and the kids. Marne was the perfect hostess and tour guide. Since David was working long hours, Marne was so kind and such a good sport. She took me all over the city with two kids in tow. I have so many pictures that it is ridiculous. So, I am attempting a slideshow of some of the highlights (sorry that they aren't all in order, I'm technologically uneducated). Hopefully it will work.

In the six days I was there I definitely played tourist. Here is a list of the places and things we were able to squeeze into our days:

Necklace making (working on favorite Aunt status)
Rockefeller Plaza
5th Ave.
Impromptu Steve Jobs Memorial at the Apple Store
The Hudson Riverwalk
Central Park (several different times)
The Temple/Church (amazing how much it looks just like every other church bldg from the inside)
Ground Zero/9/11 Preview Site
Wall Street (and it's occupiers)
Brooklyn Bridge (or at least a view of it)
Patsy's Pizzeria
Crumbs Cupcakes
The Met
Serendipity's
Ellis Island (and the Ferry ride passed the Statue of Liberty)

I'm sure I am missing something. It was an awesome trip! I was constantly amazed by Marne's ability to get a double stroller all over the city and to plan for the whole day out with two kids under four. In the evenings we also made brownies, ate cheesecake and managed the whole first season of Storage Wars. It was a blast!

Thank you David and Marne for putting up with me and letting me crash on your couch! Can't wait for the next trip to visit your family!

Blue Ridge Reservoir

Top 10 reasons it should be counted as a successful camping trip...

10. we got to wear a sweatshirt in September in Arizona

9. we spent part of the night stargazing at what seemed like millions of stars

8. I got my thumb smooshed in the camper while setting up (what is camping without at least one injury).

7. we were surrounded by trees that smelled good.

6. we played card games and speed scrabble at the picnic table.

5. we needed more than one blanket to stay warm at night.

4. we ate "Schaub-ka-bobs" cooked over hot coals on a cool morning.

3. we experienced the food of dutch oven cooking "professionals" three meals in a row.

2. Spent a whole weekend with great friends and laughed till it hurt (I'm still not sure what was so funny).

And the number one reason it was a successful camping trip...
...we were serenaded by a bull elk that I thought was going to attack me when I walked to the bathroom at 3 in the morning (FYI...the bugling that comes from an elk during mating season is the scariest sound I have ever heard coming from the forest!).

What an FUN, FABULOUS, FANTASTIC trip! Let's do it again soon!

It's a Miracle

I know, it is a miracle that I am finally posting. I should be doing all sorts of other things. I have a long to do list to do and absolutely no motivation to do any of it. So, that led me to the computer. At least this will get one thing off my list and since it has been on the list since February, it is about time.

So, I sat down and tried to decide what to blog about. I am just trying to get through the last few weeks of the school year. With 6th graders it is always busy and a test of wills. I love my students but somedays are harder than others. We are all ready for our summer break.

I could blog about:

• what my summer plans are...but they are all up in the air right now so I'm not sure.


• the amazing date I had last week. Oh wait, that was in my imagination. :)


• the new Burnt Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe I tried a while back...but they turned hard overnight and I didn't like them.


• Mother's Day. Mom and Dad came over for dinner. It was fun. I even played "I Often Go Walking" for mom on my new piano.

My new piano... of course. I can blog about that.

It's a beauty! It is a brand new KAWAI upright. I have had a heck of time photographing it because it is so shiny! As most of you know, I am not the best pianist in the world. However, it is amazing to me how a piano helps a house become a home. I love playing those same songs I ended my lessons with and of course the hymns. I can't wait for Christmas to come rolling along so I can play Christmas carols.

I told Grandma Stott about the piano the other day and got roped into bringing some music along to play for her the next time I come to Utah. Sometimes it doesn't work to my advantage that her memory is so good. By the way, the picture on the left-hand side is of Grandpa Stott's trumpet. I took it at Grandma's 90th birthday party and blew it up. It looks pretty good up there. The photo in the corner is of the prophet Thomas S. Monson. Our Stake Presidency challenged us to have a picture of the prophet up in our homes. So, the Relief Society in our ward gave each of us a copy of this candid shot. I love it. I needed a place to put it until I got a proper frame for it. So, it join the piano display.

Anyway, I love my new piano.
And now I have posted. Check!

With summer on the way, I should be better!

Opera

The opera. I know, sounds stuffy, dull, and might I even say boring. However, I had the chance to attend Puccini's Turandot put on by the Arizona Opera company last night and I LOVED it!

It was a great introduction to Opera. It is a fun story that takes place in Peking, about a princess who doesn't want to get married. So, she has it set up that any possible suitor must answer three riddles before they can marry. If they can't answer the riddles correctly...they must visit the executioner. Then one man comes and answers the questions and she still does not want to marry him. So, he gives her a way out. He says if she can find out his name by morning then she can have him killed. Essentially, by the time night is over she knows his name but has also fallen in love with him.

I did have to laugh at the audience. Before the performance started they announced the 2011-2012 season. From the number of gasps, ahhhs, and shouts of wonderful and bravo, we were worried that some of the older opera enthusiasts would soon go into cardiac arrest due to over excitement. It was kind of cute.

Surprisingly I had actually heard one of the songs that was performed. "Nessun Dorma" is a quite popular tenor aria and you would know it if heard it.



So, there you have it. Although I don't foresee a time where I will go out and buy an opera on CD or download any songs onto my regular playlist, attending an opera is another story. I would definitely be up for another performance.