My boring life. . . Oh, I got my wisdom teeth out.

First, a moment of shameless self-promotion!

I have a cute little shop on Etsy. Right now, I am having a sale! If you use coupon code SpringFeverFrenzy you get 50% off of any item in my shop! Whoa! This offer ends Friday, March 25. To stay updated on great offers like these, you can follow my Creations blog, like Heather Rae's Creations on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter. Really friends, I would appreciate it and any sharing you can do.

Now for an update on my life! Here's how it goes. I get up around 11, check my Etsy and social networking shctuff, then do something or other productive like practice, make flashcards, clean, or something super exciting like that. Then I teach violin for three hours. Then I come home and eat dinner. Then I usually watch a movie and make jewelry or flashcards or edit photos while I watch. Then I try to go to sleep, and I fail. So I read or watch some Stargate (which is awesome). Then I try again. Sometimes it takes a couple tries, and I rarely fall asleep before 2. Thursday nights I go to rehearsal for OSU. Fridays I rehearse with my quintet. This is my life. Wahoo!

Last Friday, I had the super exciting experience of getting my wisdom teeth out. I had dreaded it for about 8 months, so by the time I had an actual appointment, I was really happy that the dreading would soon be over. I also figured that it wouldn't be too bad since I was going under and because my teeth hadn't given me much trouble, at all. They hadn't even broken through (I know I am late on this whole wisdom tooth thing. I didn't lose my last baby tooth until I was 12 though so it isn't a huge surprise.). Since my sister needed hers done my mom lovingly made us both apppointments so we could endure torture at the same time.

So anyway, we went in and my dad left to get Michelle's x-rays. We were really goofy because neither of us had slept much, and the people in the office kept staring at us. They likely thought we were twins. Michelle expressed her horror at the thought of the doctor giving her her teeth after they were out. Ew! I went in to get my x-ray done and found out that the nurse DID think we were twins and was really surprised to hear we weren't. After that, she asked who wanted to go first, but before we could think of a way to decide, they decided for us. My paperwork went through first, so I was up.

I went back to the torture area and they nice ladies asked me if I had ever had an IV before. No, I hadn't, so I got a cute certificate and am an official member of the 1st IV club! I thought it was funny. Then they put the IV in and put it water. It felt really weird. Then the doctor came in and said I only had 3 wisdom teeth. Yippee! But the nurse had to burst my bubble and tell me it was a bottom tooth I should have had missing. But I was still happy. Then the doctor (Mizukawa) told me my teeth were average, so basically I would have the average amount of torture. Lucky me.

Then he started putting stuff in the IV. He said "This one will make you feel fuzzy, and the next one will put you to sleep." And he asked about what I do. I said "I teach violin lessons." "Oh, that's nice, my son used to play violin." He was so nice. I liked him. I was cold, but they would take care of me.

Next thing I knew, I was in a recliner with a blanket on. Sweet! I felt so warm and fuzzy, despite the goofy ice packet headband I wore. Not too long after Michelle came in and sat down. After some instructions, I went to the car with little trouble. Michelle got to the car with a little more trouble, but I had more sitting down time.

We went to Bulloch Drug and got shakes and drugs. The ice cream ladies were very sympathetic, and mercifully didn't solicit much response. It's hard to talk with a numb face and gauze in the mouth. I had to wipe up Michelle's drool a few times, but neither of us really cared. I helped her get back to the van and we went home.

That day I watched lots of movies and ate lots of ice cream. My face was numb until about 4 AM, and even then it wasn't entirely normal. I haven't had much pain at all (didn't even have to take the lortab) and can now eat anything. That's how uneventful my experience was. I was glad for a few days off though.

My family filled in some of the details I didn't remember. Such as the nurse waking me up, walking to the recovery room, and trying to find the recliner lever. Sorry, I've got nothing funny. Well, the chipmunk cheeks were a little funny, but even those were mild. Such a relief!

On Monday I go back to my normal, exciting life. Though actually, I really like it :)

Don't worry - Just Create!

I put this post on my Creations blog, but I thought my Musings readers might enjoy it as well. Here's the link

Have a lovely day!

My Life's Philosophies

This is a list of things that make me who I am. In them you will discover things I have learned, things I would like to do better, and even things that bother me. This list is not intended to imply that everybody should agree with or adopt my life's philosophies. It is not intended to point fingers. I mostly thought it would be interesting as a self-reflection sort of thing. So enjoy, and feel free to ask for explanations, details, experiences, or to let me know how it is you see things, be they the same or different.

These are in no order of importance. Just the order of my thoughts. Which aren't very orderly :)

Treat others as you would like to be treated.

Try a little harder to be a little better - Gordon B. Hinckley I believe in becoming a better person all the time. This doesn't mean that one should set impossible goals or hold unrealistic images of oneself, but that there are always little ways in which one could be a better, happier person.

Turn thoughts into actions. This is the "There is no try; only do or do not" philosophy. Sort of. Sometimes it is appropriate to try. However, I believe that after finding out what is best for oneself or coming up with a good idea, you should do it! Don't try to do it, just do it! If you really want something you won't get it until you. . . do it!

Don't worry about how others see you or if you will fail. Why? Because then you won't do anything. This is not to say that people's views don't matter. They absolutely do. But hey, if you know something is absolutely right for you, it shouldn't matter what they think of it, or of you for doing it. Also, "never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game". (Babe Ruth)

Be happy now. It's certainly good to have goals and aspirations and to want things from time to time, but that should not make you discontent with life now. Life is good now. There is beauty everywhere now. Find it and be happy. Now.

Take care of yourself. This entails things physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and whatever-else-al. You have needs. It's ok to see that they are met. In fact, a man I respected a lot said that you can't help someone else until you have yourself taken care of. This also entails making decisions that will help you, whether it's getting to bed early, eating healthily, avoiding situations that will hurt you in some way, etc.

Let it go. Life is full of "its", good and bad. For right now, I am talking about that bad "its". Common "its" involve relationships (friends, family, dating, spiritual) and perceived failure. (I believe you only fail if you give up, but that's a different story.) It can be as small as forgetting to take the trash out or as big as an abusive childhood. Sometimes it should take minutes to let go of. Sometimes it takes years. But whatever it is, it needs to be dealt with. Think about it, figure it out and then talk about it, cry about it, hit something, paint, create, or do something that helps you express what you're feeling. Sometimes you can't deal with it on your own, so get help. Friends, family, counselors, and religious leaders are good people to ask for help. But once you've dealt with it, put it away and leave it there. Don't go back to it. Don't even look back at it. Walk away, look ahead, and move forward.

Help others. I know this may be confusing after I mentioned that one of my philosophies is to take care of oneself. But once you are taken care of, and even while you are taking care of yourself (or "it") you most certainly can help others. In fact, finding a balance between taking care of yourself and helping others is essential to happiness. In other words, do everything you are able to improve someone's life. I find it is especially important to be aware of those closest to you and help them. Constantly.

Share your talents freely. Everybody has a talent. Everybody needs someone's talent from time to time. So share your gift, whatever it is, whenever you can. Don't do it grudgingly. Be grateful that you have a gift and that you can bring light to someone through exercising it.

Go to the source. There is a lot of information out there. Some of it is good. Some of it is not. Take the time to find the source of information (the actual policy, not someone's opinion of it, for instance) and make your own judgment. This rule applies when dealing with people too. Don't just listen to gossip and make judgments, and don't assume your own judgments are correct. If you feel like you lack understanding, find out the real story. Try to be understanding and look at someone's situations from multiple perspectives.

People are not objects. All people have feelings. They like to feel valued and unique. I have felt like a tool for men at times, and sometimes like someone's property as a musician. But I know people who make me feel like a unique, worthwhile, valuable individual and who treat me like a daughter of my Heavenly Father.

Show interest. Learning about another person can be really fun. Once you know someone, it's important to keep showing your interest in their life. Ask how they are and really listen. Let them know you really care. Don't be too hasty to express your feelings, and please please don't ask them a question just hoping to answer it yourself. It's your turn soon, but now it's theirs, so listen.

Be courteous. I am a critical thinker and sometimes have strong opinions. A lot of people are the same way. I expect that when someone asks my opinion they want an honest, courteous answer, so I give it. If I am expressing my ideas without invitation, I try to be guarded. I don't lie, but I don't bite.

I don't expect everyone to like everything that I like or to agree with everything I think, but I expect them to be courteous in their expressions.

Stick to your values. Values can come front religious beliefs or moral ideals. Stick to them. No matter what, when, who, why, how. Vote for them, eat them, dress like them, hang out with people who respect them, etc. Again, don't worry about what other people think. Stick to them. And while you're in the process, it wouldn't hurt to respect others for respecting their values. Inevitably they will be different from yours, but they still need your respect.

Thanks basically what I came up with. If I think of more I will be sure to post them. Thanks for reading!

The Greatest Story Ever Told

Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God; speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem; and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness. Prepare ye the way of the Lord: make straight in the desert a highway for our God. (Isaiah 40:1-3)

Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill made low, the crooked straight and the rough places plain. (Isaiah 40:4)

And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. (Isaiah 40:5)

Thus saith the Lord of Hosts:-Yet once a little while and I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land; and I will shake all nations; and the desire of all nations shall come. The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, He shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts. (Haggai 2:6-7, Malachi 3:1)

But who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He
appeareth? For He is like a refiner's fire. (Malachi 3:2)

Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call his name Emmanuel, God with us. (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23)

O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up into the high mountain: O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold you God! Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. (Isaiah 40:9, 60:1)

For Behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall rise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee, and the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. (Isaiah 60:2-3)

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; and they
that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. (Isaiah 9:2)

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

There were shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And lo! the angel of the Lord cam upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto the, Fear not; for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people; for unto you is born this day in the City of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:1-11)
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying:-
Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, goodwill towards men. (Luke 2:13-14)

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! behold, thy King cometh unto thee! He is the righteous Saviour, and He shall speak peace unto the heathen. (Zechariah 9:9-10)

Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing. (Isaiah 35:5-6)

He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: and He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. (Isaiah 40:11)

Come unto Him, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and He will give you rest. Take His yoke upon you, and learn of Him, for He is meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. His yoke is easy and His burden is light.(Matthew 11:28-30)

Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1:29)

He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. He gave His back to the smiters, and His cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: He hid not His face from shame and spitting. (Isaiah 53:3)

Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows! He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him. And with His stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:4)

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way. And the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)

All they that see Him laugh Him to scorn; they shoot out their lips, and shake their heads, saying: (Psalms 22 : 7)

Thy rebuke hath broken His heart; He is full of heaviness. He looked for some to have pity on Him, but there was no man, neither found He any to comfort Him. (Psalms 69 : 20)

Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto His sorrow. (Lamentations 1 : 12)

He was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgression of Thy people was He stricken. (Isaiah 53 : 8)

Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is the King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is the King of Glory? The Lord of Hosts, He is the King of Glory. (Psalms 24 :7-10)

How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things. (Romans 10:15)

Their sound is gone out into all lands, and their words unto the ends of the world. (Romans 10:18/Psalms 19:4)

Why do the nations so furiously rage together, and who do the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth rise up, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and against His Anointed. (Psalms 2:1-2)

Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away their yokes from us. (Psalms 2:3)

He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh them to scorn; the Lord shall have them in derision. (Psalms 2:4)

Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. (Psalms 2:9)

Hallelujah: for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth. The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever. King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. Hallelujah! (Revelation 19:6, Revelation 11:15, Revelation 19:16)

I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though worms destroy this body yet, in my flesh shall I see God. For now is Christ risen from the dead, the first-fruits of them that sleep. (Job 19:25-26, I Corinthians 15:20)

Since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. (I Corinthians 15:21-22)

Behold, I tell you a mystery; We shall not all sleep; but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. (I Corinthians 15:51-52)

The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (I Corinthians 15:52-53)

Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written; Death is swallowed up in victory! (I Corinthians 15:54)

O death, where is thy sting? O grave! where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. (I Corinthians 15:55-56)

But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (I Corinthians 15:57)

If God be for us, who can be against us? who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth, who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather that is risen again, who is at the right hand of God, who makes intercession for us. (Romans 8:31, Romans 8:33-34)

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God by His blood, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory and blessing. Blessing and honour, glory and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever.
__ Amen. (Revelation 5:12-13)

This is the text to Handel's Oratorio The Messiah. I believe it is an inspired work, because every year when I rehearse and perform it, I feel closer to my Father in Heaven and feel a greater appreciation for my Savior and his Atonement, and a greater love for him. If there is a performance of this work near you, go see it!

Superpower!

I don't know how many of you know this, but I have a superpower! Sometimes I can be completely invisible! I know, it's amazing, right? Of course, the danger to this superpower is that people who know me really well are almost always immune to my superpower, and other people also can see me when I am invisible. Maybe they have a superpower too so mine doesn't work on them.

See, on Halloween, I went to a party that my friend invited me too. I was dressed up in a costume I had worked on for a while, so I thought I would not be invisible. For a few minutes I wasn't, but once we started playing games, my superpower activated. People totally forgot I was there! I ended up leaving early because, after all, how fun can a party be when you're invisible? I bet the people who stayed didn't even notice I was gone! Cool, huh? Then once I was walking towards the SUU music building and passed by some girls I knew from school. I waved and smiled and they just walked on past. I guess they don't have a superpower to counteract mine.

I listen to this radio show that my friend in Salt Lake is on almost every week. So I was listening last Wednesday and he said something very VERY distasteful, crude, offensive, make-me-want-to-curl-up-in-a-corner-ful, and just plain stupid. I thought he would think of me listening, but I guess my superpower worked in that instance too. So I texted him to let him know I was listening. He didn't apologize. His co-host did try to make it up to me by saying he bought a CD of an artist I had requested. I made me kind of happy, but not any happier about the comments they (thought mostly my "friend") had made. Curse you, superpower!

That Sunday I went to church. My bishop greeted me which was nice. I sat down. Nobody sat by me until a couple people showed up late. Oh well. After Sacrament meeting, I stayed put for Sunday school. I saw several people I knew, but I guess I had accidentally activated my superpower and they didn't see me. But someone did finally turn around and acknowledge me. I wonder what their superpower is.

Fortunately I know how to turn off Invisibility when I am teaching, so I had a pretty good week. But then orchestra rehearsal came. It was the first rehearsal of new music and there were a lot of new orchestra members. I went to sit in my usual seat. It was taken. So I sat in the back. I thought I was being invisible until a friend turned around and made a "what?" face to me (clear in the very back of the orchestra). I was glad she saw me. But she and the rest of the orchestra didn't until some other poor invisible person came and sat by me. We talked about how it stunk to be invisible and therefore shunned to the back where it's impossible to see the conductor or hear the group. So it was fun to have another invisible person to play with. I would probably have considered not playing invisible if it weren't for her. Anyway, at the break another person I know noticed my seating change and thought it was unfair. I was flattered.

But sometimes being invisible is really good. Here's the best example I can think of.

When I was very little I was visiting my grandma and grandpa. I got pretty early on one of these mornings and my grandpa was feeding the birds. He loved to do this. The birds loved it too. (I may have told this story about a year ago, so sorry if it's a repeat.) I was standing inside the house by the back sliding door. He kind of motioned me outside. I opened the door and all the birds flew away! But they soon came back. Every time I moved they would take off (and always come back) so I just settled on sitting on the porch and watching. They trusted him so completely that they would sit on his shoulders and fly right around him. It was amazing. So I just sat watching grandpa and the birds invisibly while they enjoyed each other's company.



*Please note: I am not bitter or depressed. I just wanted to tell you about my superpower just in case I accidentally used it around you!*

3 of the best days!

Well, I know I live with my family so you'd think I would be used to their entertainment value by now, but I am definitely not.

Anyway, these awesome days started with Tuesday. I woke up, got ready, and then had to trade cars with my mom so I could drive to Beaver since I don't trust mine to get me there safely. So I drove to her school to trade and left my car in the back for her. As I was walking to her classroom and ran in to (not literally) my mom's most awesome friend who also teaches there. She saw me, gave me a hug, and told me it made my day to see me. It made me smile. Oh, and that she wanted a necklace just like the one I was wearing. She is a pretty good supporter of my jewelry making hobby. Anyway, then I saw my mom, got her car keys and a coat (as I had forgotten mine) and went off to her car. Then I realized that I had locked my violin in my car. Boo. So I went back in through the wind to get my keys and get my violin out of my car. My mom graciously offered to go out with me this time so I wouldn't have to run back into the school again (phew). Then I went to get gas and had a rather uneventful drive to Beaver.

I taught three lessons out there. My first student struggled with vibrato. My second struggled with her pessimistic attitude. My third, however, was stinking hilarious. She is five and adorable. It's kind of hard to explain her humor when you don't know my teaching methods, but I will try to explain.

I was teaching her a technique called "tunnel fingers" which enables the player to make smooth string changes with no pauses and to play double stops later on. The idea is to put the right fingers on one string only, and in this case, while a note on a higher string is being played. It is quite tricky.

I was explaining to her what a tunnel was as she had never been in one before, and must have been doing poorly, because she said "Oh, like an igloo!" and giggled. I said it was like an igloo with the ends cut off that you drive through. And the E string was the road and we were making a tunnel on the A string. So she tried it and said "It's a lot easier to make an igloo!" when he fingers collapsed onto her E string, and giggled. So cute. But she did keep trying and is off to a good start.

Then I drove home. It was rather uneventful, except for watching the sky change with the clouds coming in.

When I got home, my mom and I decided it would be a good idea to go to the grocery store before it snowed a lot and I wanted to go to JoAnn for some jewelry supplies, so we made the list and went on our way. We got to the top of the road and she realized she had an interview with the bishopric in a half hour. So we thought we would see how fast we could do the shopping. We battled the crowds, chose a turkey and other food and checked out in just under 20 minutes. We are that skilled.

We got to the church a little early and saw this cute old couple that we see at concerts a lot. They always wear matching clothes. They sat across from us in the little waiting room. We observed the husband help the wife out of her jacket. Then my mom had to leave me, and I got to observe the couple by myself.

First, they were asked by the ward clerk to take pictures of the ward members at tithing settlement. The wife said that would be good but then had a concern. She wondered if the "manual choke" would work after sitting in the cold for over three hours. I, being a child of the technology saturated age, had no clue what she was talking about. Turns out it was the choke on their vehicle. Ah, that I had heard about. Then her husband offered to put an electric choke on it for her. She said "How does that work?" He says "you just turn the key." She responded "Oh, I could do that" and laughed. It just cracked me up.

With that matter settled, the clerk left and it was just me and those two. They sat mostly in silence, occasionally looking at each other and giggling faintly. But then the following conversation between them happened:

"Would you like me to hold your hat dear?"
"Oh yes, that would be good. You can even keep your other knee warm with it (giggles)." (He had his matching red and black plaid hat on one knee).
So she hands it to her thoughtful husband and he puts it on his other knee. After a moment of silence, she giggles a little, and says,
"Look, they're knee hats!" They both chuckle.
"They look an awful lot like normal hats!" More chuckling.
I thought the exchange was both funny and cute.

Soon after, my mom reappeared and we left the couple for JoAnn. We found and purchased a couple ornaments. It is tradition that each child gets a new ornament every year until they get married. Then we went to the jewelry stuff, found lots of awesome things, except, of course, what I needed. We went home.

Yesterday we decided it was pajama day. So we cleaned the house in our pajamas. My mom and Michelle had trouble moving the furniture and eventually (after trying out about 3 other arrangements) just moved the piano and love seat over. It was amusing. Then those two decided to buy a new Christmas tree and get some other things from Wal-Mart. Since I didn't want to get out of my pajamas, I agreed to stay behind and fix lunch.

After lunch, we cleaned another room and watched Keith Urban music videos and admired his general sexiness. After dinner, we finished cleaning the room and decided to watch a movie. Michelle had never seen the Count of Monte Cristo so we decided to change that. But then I got a text from my friend who has a side job co-hosting a radio show saying that I needed to listen in. Of course I couldn't resist this invitation, so I tuned in. He had some of his friends in and they did a special live segment of the show. He and his friend (mine too) sang a funny song about beards. It said their friends liked their beards but they hadn't touched a girl in a long time. I thought it funny. Then my friend's friend's girlfriend sang a song that I really really liked. I will try to find a way to post it here later.

Then I went back to the movie. It was a good night.

This morning we had a muffin breakfast and set up our tree. It's always fun to put up the ornament we have collected over the years. I have big pink shiny heart ornament, a frog angel, a Little Pony, several violins, and a couple fairies.

Now we are just waiting for the turkey! Happy thanksgiving!

Carl's Wedding!

That's right, my older brother is married! It's been a couple months now, but I shall share with you the events that led up to and the adventures that accompanied my big brother's wedding.

Since my grandma is able to go to the temple now, but unable to get herself places, my mom and I went to pick her up. So we went to Ely, put her in the car, and took her to Las Vegas.

In Vegas, my mom and I and my aunt Peggy and Emilie went on a grand adventure! We had tickets to go see the Michael Buble show! I am not a great fan of jazz music (at all), but I was fun. Before the concert, we went to a few stores on the strip. My mom bought me a pearl necklace that I adore. (I do love pearls. They are classy and elegant without being too flashy.) We ate dinner, then made our way through the maze of the MGM (here is the lion outside of it)

to go to the concert!

We did have to wait. For a long long time. But we kept ourselves entertained quite well, I assure you. The warm-up band was Naturally 7 (please see side bar for videos) and they totally rocked! I really enjoyed their performance. Then, with a big dramatic entrance, Michael Buble appeared! He sang beautifully, and was funny, and the British people in front of us were quite hilarious. My mom and I, unfortunately, epic failed at working the camcorder, so we got no video, which is kind of tragic. Oh well, I'm over it. Getting out of the concert was a mess, but we made it. It was late. Here's the Excalibur hotel at night:


We had a week at home and then BAM! We were off the Arizona in a rented van to go to the wedding. It was a long drive, but due to my fantastic taste in music that I so unselfishly share with my family (that is partially true actually. I like to share stuff that excites me, and music does) and my dad's patient tolerance of said music, and coloring books and colored pencils, we had a pretty fun trip. We stayed in little dumpy town a half hour from Snowflake (called Holbrook) in a rather dumpy, but not quite disgusting, motel. After adventures in the pool and eating dinner and trying not to fuss over grandma who was sick, we went to sleep.

The next morning, we went in two packs to the temple. The first pack included those who were to attend the ceremony. The second was for those who would greet them outside. I was the chauffeur for this group. I was nervous since I have hardly driven outside of my home town, but it was a really easy (and quite dull) drive. Oh, Snowflake isn't named after weather, but after the Snow and Flake families who settled it. I bet you're SO glad I told you that. Here is a picture of the temple:

The ceremony attendees came out looking very happy. My mom told me how very beautiful it was, and has told me since how amazing temple marriage is. I never doubted it, but it's always good to be reminded. Then my mom dragged me and my sisters into the front doors (and I was thinking I was going to be struck down at any moment) to show us the stained glass. It was beautiful. The temple workers gave us a paper that told the story of where it came from. I bet you'll never guess. The Catholic Church gave it to the LDS church. It was quite amazing.

Then the bride and groom made their grand exit (actually, it wasn't really all that grand. They looked kind of awkward and overwhelmed). Picture:

Then we took lots and lots of pictures. Here is a picture of both families:

And just my family:

And the new marrieds:




(The tragically almost good picture.)

(John is a great purse holder for bride and groom stalkers.)

After that, we went to a pretty old church meeting place for a luncheon. It was fun and intimate. Here they are again:


Oh, and I was very entertained by my ice, as you will see.


Then my family went back to Holbrook, changed clothes, and ventured off the the Petrified Forest National Park. We had a lot of fun trying (and failing) to resist the temptation to take a little bitty piece of petrified wood, and my mom bought me a pretty purple pot. Here are some pictures from that day:


That's a fire pit inside a pueblo called Agate House.
More of the Agate House.




The next day we had nothing to do in particular in the morning, so we went back to the park, from the opposite end. That end showed more of the Painted Desert. Pictures: That's the park's inn.

Yes, he was moody that day. But the Puerco Pueblo and Petroglyphs cheered him up a bit:





We went back to the hotel to get ready for the reception that was a couple hours away when we ran into a problem. New Mexico time is an hour ahead of Arizona time, so we were running an hour behind! But with some teamwork (meaning Michelle blowed my hair dry while I applied makeup) we left on time. Here is a picture of a cool mesa we saw on the way there:

We got there early and had some difficulty finding the bride's parents' home, but got there eventually. We changed there and headed to the brides' sister's house where the reception was held outside. It was such a fun reception! I think almost everybody who attended were related to the bride, so it was a family reunion thing. Her family made my little family feel very included though, dancing us around the porch until we were dizzy and telling us stories. I loved the moment when one of her uncles sang some of her grandpa's songs. It was touching to have the grandpa included in that special way.

We made the long drive home and went to bed. The next morning we got up, fought for the waffle maker with some other hotel guests (I was there first, I swear), and got on the road. The only eventful thing about the drive home was stopping at Lake Powell for lunch. I got a few pictures, but I picked this one at random to share:


A couple weeks later we had an open house in Orem. Carl's army buddies and some of my family were there. I have to admit that I didn't have much fun. It was good to see my not-so-little anymore cousins and my aunt that I hadn't seen for a handful of years, but I did more serving than socializing while everyone else did more socializing than serving. Oh well, the punch bowl stayed full.

The end!