Now that I have a real job, I did something I have always wanted to do. I bought a season ticket package to the symphony. Last week, the King Singers starred with the symphony and tonight the title piece was Beethoven's 7th Symphony. I love beautiful music and am grateful that we have a professional orchestra. Tonight was absolutely moving! The conductor brought a passion and emotion out of the instruments that I haven't heard in a long time. I'm not a fan of the obligatory standing ovation. But, both my friend and I immediately stood after the conclusion of Beethoven's 7th. It was that amazing! The musicality. The development of theme. The technical aspects. It was all there. And I loved it!

I am grateful for good friends. They come in many forms. Friends from childhood, from college, from family, and from life. I've had the chance to tap into all of these recently. While visiting a friend in Virginia, I was able to meet up with a former roommate. It was so great to catch up with Cheryl. The only thing missing was Mel. Last week, when my friend had to cancel last minute on me for the King Singers, my aunt was so kind to go with me. And this week, I've been able to play with many different "new" friends. We've only known each other a couple of years but I love them dearly. I feel very blessed in the friend department.

I am grateful for my new found love of shopping. Yes. The girl who hated shopping all these years is making up for it. I'm having so much fun. I'm still being responsible with making sure things are on sale and staying within a budget, but I really am grateful that I can now afford to buy new clothes and shoes. It has made being frugal all these years worth it.

Many people have horrific stories about their bosses. I have a few stories of my own. However, my current boss does not fit into this category at all and I am extremely grateful for this. My boss is amazing! He pushes me and challenges me to be better but also is realistic. This morning I got to work a few minutes late and his comment to me was "Wow! You just keep going." I left Sunday night for a tradeshow and got back late Wednesday. He told me after working those hours that the common practice is to take it easy the next day. We agreed that I should go home at lunch and take the rest of the day off. Great work environment. Great job. Great boss.

Another topic that can drive people crazy are in-laws. My brother-in-laws are fantastic! I feel like I have a pretty good relationship with all four of them. A couple of weeks ago something crazy happened around 11pm. One of my brother-in-laws was online and I was able to vent to him and calm myself down enough to go to sleep. Tonight I went to drop off some candy to my nephew whose bag ripped open on Halloween and he lost half his candy. That nephew's dad, another brother-in-law, and I started chatting. We have some similar interests and he is always willing to hear about what I'm doing in life. The other two are just as great. They tease me like a sister and will always strike up a conversation with me. In the brother-in-law department, I feel very blessed.

Somehow in the past day or two I found my hope. I lost it for a while. Longer than I expected. But tonight, I rediscovered it. I am so grateful as I have felt lost without it. I found myself believing in miracles and not just for other people. For myself. I believe the Lord truly is in charge of my life and all things will work together for my good and His name's glory. I believe all that he has promised even though I can't see any way for that to happen. I know He can. Oh hope! How I have missed you and am so grateful to have you back. Please, don't ever leave.

Today I am grateful that I can access the internet while flying. Who would have thought that ten years ago? I was able to redesign my blog, catch up on the news of the day, and answer a few emails, which made my 4 1/2 hour flight home much more bearable. I'm also grateful for my MacBook that has a battery life to support said flight. The image below is from my blog tracker on my flight a few days ago. It says we were over Texas at the time I visited my blog (I'm pretty sure we were over the Gulf of Mexico at the time). Right now it reads Atlanta, GA. I am definitely not over Atlanta right now. Looks more like Wyoming or Eastern Colorado. Love my technology!


I am grateful that I don't have to travel for work for a while. I enjoy traveling but for pleasure only. I have a few more vacations planned the next few months, but nothing that requires me to work. Actually I'm pretty sure all forms of technology would be confiscated if I tried.

I am grateful that everything went well for work this week. It takes time and effort to get everything ready for a trade show. Then the actual show can be emotionally exhausting. All-in-all everything went well. Glad to have another one completed.

Month of Gratitude

It's that time of year again and it is perfect timing. November is my month of gratitude. No whining. No complaining. Just focusing on all that I have been blessed with.

I am grateful I made it through October. This month has challenged me in ways I never could have imagined. Just when I thought I had been pushed to my limit, another unexpected surprise came around the corner. The Lord strengthened me and helped me through each day, and at times, He gave me angels that carried me.

I am grateful I made it through the past year. Never did I expect the challenges that hit me. I've had struggles that helped me recognize how much I value my relationship with my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. This morning I was reading in Hebrews 10 which sparked a reflection on the past year and this deepening affection. "But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions...Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise." I have felt that "great fight of affliction" but also understand why Paul said we "glory in tribulation." I have felt "opposition in all things" and have a better understanding that "men are that they might have joy." It is called the Plan of Happiness for a reason. I know the Lord is guiding my life, and though I have no idea what path we are traveling down, I know I'm not alone. For that I am eternally grateful.

I am grateful that tonight my colleague, who is not a member of the LDS church, and I were able to share our beliefs about the creation of life and the sacredness of little children. How grateful I am that we are able to have that conversation and that others believe just as strongly as we do in the sacredness of life and of little children. It was a sweet experience to have with someone I work with.

Cruising Altitude

Yesterday while flying to Orlando for work, I had a unique experience. I knew my day was going to busy up to getting to the airport so I decided that I would do my scripture reading on the plane. It was going to be a 4 hour flight and I had plenty of time. I have been studying the attributes of Christ found in Preach My Gospel. This course of study has actually been a year+ project. After doing in-depth research in the topical guides of each quality, I decided I need to read each set of scriptures to see if I missed anything. Hence, I am now deeply engrossed in Paul's teachings in the New Testament. As a side note, I absolutely love the New Testament! I have learned so much about becoming like Christ and the church in the early days. A powerful resource that I hadn't previously recognized. All of this helped me on yesterday's flight.

After finishing my studying of the day, which happened to be Hebrews, the gentlemen next to me asked if I was teaching a Bible study course. I replied no and that it was my own personal study. That I was focusing on the attributes of Christ in the New Testament. He asked what religion I was and I told him LDS. He had a bit of shocked look on his face and then proceeded to ask me questions about our faith. President Monson once said, "When the time for decision arrives, the time for preparation is past." I felt like this. The time for preparation had passed but I was very greatly for the timely messages at conference and for my recent study of the Bible.

The gentleman asked what I thought was the main difference between Mormonism and other Christian churches. What immediately came to mind is what Elder Holland talked about with the Trinity. I explained and was able to use example from the Bible about believing Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are three separate beings. He brought up eternal marriage and polygamy. I was to explain our beliefs on both subjects. I felt we had a great discussion and I was able to use the Bible to support my beliefs.

He then asked about the Book of Mormon and explained his difficulty with it being a historical document versus a spiritual work and companion to the Bible. I asserted that it isn't a historical document. That it is a testimony of Jesus Christ and IS a companion to the Bible. He then asked if the Book of Mormon is another work don't you think other books would be found? I told him I completely agreed and believed that many books have been lost. Once again I was able to reference Paul's writing to the Corinthians and how Paul refers to a letter not included in Bible. He wasn't familiar with that and I was grateful for that knowledge.

Then he referenced Revelations and how nothing should be added to it. I countered that the Bible wasn't even a complete work until later times and talked about Tyndale and other early writers (thank you General Conference and BYUtv's recent documentary!). We then continued about developing a personal relationship with Christ and discussed charity and baptism and other personal elements. It was really a great conversation. He thanked me and I was pleased that I had the background to answer his questions.

I travel periodically for work and have decided that I need to do some scripture studying on every flight. It is a great way to begin conversations and testify of Christ. I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to clear up any misunderstandings about our religion and engage in a friendly discussion about developing a personal relationship with Christ.

Au Revoir

This morning Robin had an epiphany. First the back story. The Eiffel Tower is surrounded by Africans trying to sell you mini Eiffel Towers. They were annoying and rude. Well, Robin had been thinking all week long what to do for her young women at girls camp next week. This morning she decided she needed mini Eiffel Towers. So she and I quickly went to the Trocadéro to see if any of them were around. It was cold and rainy and we didn't have much hope. We were in luck! After some haggling, Robin had her Eiffel Towers.


Breakfast in Paris
We grabbed some breakfast and headed out the door. We made to the airport, we thought, in plenty of time. Then we saw the line. Wow! It could give Disneyland lines a run for their money. A flight attendant started picking through the line and pulling out those whose flight was going to leave soon. We were one of those. We made it through, ran through the airport, and arrived at our gate only to realize they still weren't going to board for another hour. Apparently you have to be checked in an hour before your flight at Charles de Gaulle. Note to those traveling. So we were able to grab some water and relax before the flight home.

The flight was long but I was able to sleep through some of it. Kathrine left us in Dallas, and Robin and I continued on to Utah. It was so nice to be home. I had an amazing time in Paris! I loved it and hope to go back soon. So much to see, especially the little day trips. Paris you were just what I needed. Thank you for a wonderful time!



Harry Potter in the Paris underground

I Love a Good Adventure

When I asked multiple people their favorite parts of Paris, all responded Vaux-le-Vicomte. What is Vaux-le-Vicomte you ask? The most amazing place you will ever visit. It is situated in the Parisian countryside out of the line of tourists. Louis XIV's finance minister Nicolas Fouquet built it in the 17th century and it became the inspiration for Versailles. Louis XIV commissioned the architect, the landscape architect, and the interior designer to build Versailles. I'll let you read the history and the intrigue behind Fouquet's arrest and life imprisonment.

Getting to Vaux-le-Vicomte took a bit of planning. We had to take the train from Paris to the small town of Melun. Then get a taxi to drive us to the estate. Since we all couldn't fit into one taxi, we decided that a French speaker should be with each car. Kathrine and my parents went in front of us and Robin and I waited for the second one. We waited. And waited. A Frenchman took our first car because he HAD to get to a doctor's appointment. We didn't argue with him. A German was also going to the chateau so we invited him to ride with us so we could split the fare. Our taxi finally arrived and we were off! Literally! The taxi was a Mercedes and he cruised along as fast as he could. It was quite thrilling actually. Speeding along the French countryside.

As you can see from the pictures, Vaux-le-Vicomte is beautiful! Absolutely breathtaking! And the gardens were even more so. I loved it. Plus, did you see all the tourists in the pictures? Me either! I loved having the whole place to ourselves. The house is in the process of being restored so many of the rooms were unfurnished. We were able to walk through the entire house, including the cupola and the kitchen. They interweaved the story of the Man in the Iron Mask through some of the house which was kind of fun.

After our adventure, we headed back to town. We called two taxis to come pick us up. One immediately came and took my parents, Kathrine, and our German counterpart. When ours arrived, some pushy Americans claimed it as their own. We finally had to go back to the visitors booth and have them call us another taxi. Frustrating but I was in France so it didn't matter.

Once back in town, we loaded up on pastries and headed back to Paris. Tonight we tried to eat at the place my friend recommended. This time we showed up an hour early. Giving up, we found a Greek place that was quick and easy. After dinner, we took one more stroll along the Seine and enjoyed watching the boats and other tourists. We decided we still had time for a stroll down the Champs-Elysees. I'm so glad we did! We found a shop selling caramel macarons. Oh. My. Goodness. They were amazing! I would go back to Paris just to have another caramel macaron.

It had been a long day and long week so we headed back to the hotel. After packing up and resting, the girls decided to hit the Trocadéro and enjoy the ambiance of the Eiffel Tower. I am so glad we stayed close to the Eiffel Tower. It really was a great place for a great price. If you are heading to Paris anytime soon, let me know and I'll give you the name of the place. We said one more good-bye and headed back to the hotel for the night.

America is My Country and Paris is My Hometown

Since we had done A LOT of walking the past four days and I knew I had a lot on the agenda, I decided we needed a metro pass for the day. In my desire to be efficient with time and money, I figured out if we rode the metro 8X then it would be worth the day pass. We more than exceded that number.

The day started off in the Montmartre area. The Sacre-Coeur was the first stop. This beautiful cathedral is made of a stone that whitens with age. The inside wasn't as interesting to me as Notre Dame but Sacre-Coeur was finished in the early 1900s. My romantic tendencies thrives on the stories from ages past. We walked around Montmartre hill, visiting sites of painters, writers, and musicians. We stopped by the Moulin Rouge, took a picture, and found the metro again. If you can't tell by my matter-of-fact attitude, it wasn't my most favorite part of the trip. One good thing happened this morning. I discovered macarons. Oh man! A little bite of heaven. Yummy!

Next we headed to the Paris Opera House. We were not going to miss the inside tour today. The theatre was beautiful! My imagination went wild with the story of the Phantom of the Opera. The Chagall ceiling was spectacular. My sense of adventure kicked in while here. I searched for an open door and hoping to get to the ground floor. Found one! We were all taking pictures and enjoying the theatre when we were scolded for entering the orchestra section and informed that we were only allowed to enter two of the box seats. Oh well! The rest of the place was amazing and totally worth coming back to see.

After that we jumped on the metro and headed to the Conciergerie which was part of the former royal palace in medieval times and a prison during the French Revolution. It was quite a sombering thought as we walked through the prison walls, saw the names of the thousands who died, and the former cell of Marie-Antoinette. Rough time in French history.

We walked back near Notre Dame, bought some souvenirs, and then went to the archeological crypt. The crypt was pretty cool. You could see the old Roman foundations and walls. I'm amazed at how much the city had been built up over the years. At this point, I was exhausted. I sank into a chair and fell asleep while the others finished the museum. After that, we walked through the Latin Quarter to Sanite-Sulpice. Now this was an awesome cathedral. Apparently you can go on Sundays to their organ concert and then get a tour of the actual organ. We couldn't do this on Sunday but I plan on doing it the next time I'm in Paris. For those who have seen the movie The Da Vinci Code, part of the movie was filmed here. Luxembourg Gardens were next on the list. I enjoyed seeing locals enjoying a nice afternoon and my feet enjoyed the break as well.

Dinner was quite the adventure tonight. A friend from work recommended a place and I decided to follow his recommendation. Unfortunately, by the time we got there, it was at least an hour wait. None of us were in the mood to wait that long. I was famished! So we walked back to the Latin Quarter to an area we had seen our first day. We found a place that looked good and sat down. The food here was so good! Absolutely my favorite place we ate at in Paris. Loved the food.

One thing I like in cities is the ambiance of night and I wanted a few night shots. Robin and my dad decided to head back to the hotel and sleep while my mom, Kathrine, and I combed the city for some great photo ops. It took forever for night to hit and I rushed us too much at Notre Dame. The pictures didn't turn out that great. However, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower shots turned out great. I was exhausted by the end of the day. I had nothing left in me. I easily fell asleep tonight.

Let Them Eat Cake

Today was a nice contrast to yesterday. Instead of jumping from place-to-place, we took our time and moseyed along the grounds of the Palace of Versailles. All I can say is...Wow! I completely understand why the people of Paris stormed the Bastille and imprisoned the monarchy and aristocracy. Lavish and extravagant. Definitely over-the-top. I wonder if King Ludwig of Bavaria took his eccentricities from King Louis XIV?

Getting there was very easy. One train transfer and we were on our way. The Palace was only 1/2 mile from the train station. Plus all you had to do was follow the crowd of tourists. A massive restoration project is taking place at the palace right now and someone had a crazy idea to put some modern artwork in front of the palace and along the grounds. It clashed with the Baroque architecture and I avoided it all costs in my pictures.

The palace was packed with tourists. It was hard to get good shots or really linger too long in one place. The "chateau shuffle" kept us moving. The Hall of Mirrors was incredible. But my favorite part, as always, was the grounds. I love gardens! Robin and I decided that we needed to save our poor feet and we rented a golf cart for an hour. My parents, Kathrine, Robin, and I toured most of the grounds in the cart. It was so nice! Easy to see more things. We dropped my parents off at the Grand and Petite Trianon, returned the cart, then walked the mile back to the homes.

The Grand and Petite Trianon were setup for Louis XIV, Louis XVI, and Marie-Antoinette to escape palace life. Considering the gluttony, lewdness, and debauchery going on at the palace, I'm not surprised. Of course, what happened at the Trianon estates wasn't that much better. I loved Marie-Antoinette's peasant hamlet. She set up this peasant farm for the poor and would go out among the locals and "assist" them in their efforts. Basically she put on a common outfit and hat, and handed out instructions. At least she tried. Even with the Revolution, the locals maintained the area and farm. Everything is still intact and the locals continue maintaining the farm.

We decided that all our walking and learning deserved a treat. What better way to relax than with a Nutella smothered waffle while sitting by the Grand Canal. Food. Scenery. Beautiful sky. Europe. Life was good. Only one thing could have made it better. The tour guide book told us to plan about eight hours for the entire trip. We spent ten. It was nice to have a relaxed pace and enjoy the area.

We got back in time to visit Saint-Chapelle, a 13th century chapel and the only surviving building of the Capetian royal palace. The stained glass was beautiful! The pictures don't even begin to capture the simple beauty in the chapel. It was a nice mental cleansing after the opulence of Versailles.

Next we headed to the Arc de Triomphe to re-attempt last night's endeavor. This time we ate at an eatery type restaurant which gave us plenty of time to make it to the top the Arc. We really had great timing, making it up before the sun set. We enjoyed the panoramic view, then sat around telling stories until darkness fell. Have I ever told you I love the ambiance of night? I find something magical about the night lights illuminating the city. Once again we were able to capture beautiful shots of the Eiffel Tower and the city of Paris.

A 3-Hour Tour

I loved and hated today. Loved it because I saw so many fascinating things and did everything I could do to take it all in. Hated it because by the end of the day I was exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally. In trying to see and do everything, I overwhelmed all my sensory functions. ADD me was on overload. And yet...I WAS still in Paris!

Today started with taking the bus into Paris instead of the metro. You miss so much traveling underground and we decided a bus would give us the more scenic route. The parents stepped off at Napoleon's Tomb and the French War Museum while Kathrine, Robin, and I headed to the Musée d'Orsay. My parents had already been to the Orsay and I knew my dad would enjoy a few more hours at the war museum.

The Orsay was incredible! All my favorite Impressionist painters have works housed in the Orsay. My parents have a few Monet and Renoir posters of paintings in their house. I finally got to see the originals! We spent a couple of hours in the museum and I really enjoyed it. I also saw two other paintings that touched me. The first is familiar to some of you. It is the apostles Peter and John running to the empty tomb. The other was titled "The Dream" and captured not just what I felt war was like for soldiers but had a sense of the physical and spiritual wars we fight today. This painting filled one wall and I just stared at it, captivated. I don't have any pictures from the museum because photography wasn't allowed. But of all the museums in Paris, this one had the most comprehensive collection of my favorite pieces.

Next we walked to the Hotel Invalides which housed Napoleon's Tomb and the French War Museum. We met up with my parents and gave ourselves two hours. Not even enough time! With so many things written in French it was hard to grasp everything that was being said. Only a few things were translated into English. However, I loved it! The French perspective of WWI and WWII was enlightening. Amazing how different countries have a different take. I've now been to war museums in the US, London, and Paris and have a better understanding of why each country was fighting.

After this, we walked to the Rodin Museum which, gratefully, was just across the street. We grabbed a bite to eat at the cafe before touring the grounds. To be honest, I was spent by this time. Sensory and learning overload. I enjoyed the house and the grounds but spent most of my time relaxing on the steps. As much as I enjoy art and culture, my brain was exhausted. It needed a break. You can see in the pictures that I'm not my chipper self.

We decided to end the day with the Paris Opera House. We made it there just a few minutes too late. They shut the doors right before we could get in. Oh well. Before heading back to the hotel, we girls decided we wanted to take a trip to a shopping center to buy some French treats. My parents went to the hotel and rested and the rest of us took a trip to the new business section of Paris. We bought a few things and I bought a hairdryer. I was so tired of going to Europe and trying to make the wattage and voltage conversion. It just wasn't working and the hairdryer in our hotel room was lame. It definitely was worth the purchase. I was able to straighten my hair so I didn't feel dorky and everyone else was able to borrow it too. Plus I plan on going back to Europe again which makes the purchase complete justified.

Our trip back was quite the adventure. For some reason our metro tickets weren't working and the credit card machine was down. It was rush hour. Lines were long. And we were tired. We finally were able to buy tickets and get back to the hotel. Kind of a pain and I was so tired by this time. We planned on eating at a place near the Arc de Triomphe and heading up to the top of the Arc after dinner, but once again things didn't go according to plan.

The place we ate at had amazing food. Absolutely delicious! But, the service was incredibly slow. More than French slow. Even the French patrons were annoyed. It was awful. And I got ornery. Very ornery. We finally got the check but by this time we had missed the last entry up the Arc. I was irritated and I just needed to blow off steam. Thankfully my parents recognized this. My mom went back to the hotel with Robin and Kathrine and my dad stayed with me. We walked around the Arc and took pictures while I ranted about my frustrations. It was actually very helpful. I really wasn't mad at anyone, but I was so worn out and I wasn't running (my stress relief) that everything finally exploded. My dad let me vent. Didn't try to fix anything. Just listened. After about 30 minutes or so I was ready to go back to the hotel. It really was a great day. I just needed some sleep.

Something to add here. The timing of my trip was very inconvenient with work. We were a week out from our company launch. I told my boss I would check my email every night to help alleviate any kinks in the programs I setup before leaving. The night before we had a bit of a catastrophe. I was able to help solve the problem, and then my boss told me to get off my email, stop worrying about work, and enjoy my trip. Another reason I enjoy my job.

Happy 4th of July

My one concern about Paris was missing 4th of July. This is my second favorite holiday. The first being Christmas. So when I planned today, I tried to make sure we did quintessential Parisian things so I wouldn't miss all that was going on in the States. In spite of missing one of my favorite holidays, today was a total blast!

I also realized I booked us really tight. You'll understand after you hear everything we did today. I also want to point out something you will see in all the pictures. Everyone else is usually dressed in long pants and jackets. I, one the other hand, am usually wearing shorts and no jacket. I definitely had a much higher tolerance for the nice 65-75 degree weather. Perfection in my book!

First stop today was the Eiffel Tower. We didn't spend too much time in line and made it to the top rather quickly. Robin decided to stay behind on the second platform while the rest of us traveled to the top. The elevator up freaked me out. A bit petrified. However, once at the top, I had no problem. The view was amazing! Paris stretched for miles in front of me and I loved every minute of it.

After the Eiffel Tower we took the metro and headed to the Palace de la Concorde. Interesting history tidbit: During the French Revolution, the guillotine stood here. Prisoners were taken from La Conciergerie and transported here. The plaza now houses an obelisk from the Luxor. We weren't able to get too close because barricades were set up in preparation for Bastille Day celebrations. We stopped for a bite to eat for lunch, eating in the Tuileries Garden, before heading to Musée de l'Orangerie or what I called The Orange Museum. :)

Musée de l'Orangerie is home to eight Monet water lily paintings. They lined the walls and were beautiful! I loved being able to see the different brush strokes and the layers of paint. Incredible! The museum also had Cézanne, Picasso, Rousseau, and my favorite, Renoir. I loved the simplicity of the museum. Plus I enjoyed artwork I had only seen in books.

Next on the list was the Louvre. Because you can spend hours upon hours in the Louvre, I scheduled us for three to see the highlights. It really was enough time for one day. Once again, I saw sculptures, paintings, and artifacts that I had only read about in books. You probably can't guess my favorite part. It was all that wasn't on display. The Louvre was the palace to the royal family. In some rooms the ceilings were covered with a mesh but if you looked closely you could see the former grandeur of the palace. The Napoleon III apartments were still intact but the rooms from before the Revolution were stripped of the history they had witnessed. I included a picture that shows one of the ceilings that wasn't covered. Truly an incredible museum. One problem was the crowd of people. Oh well. Guess that is what happens when you go in July.

After the Louvre closed, we headed over to Rue Cler which is near the Eiffel Tower and enjoyed a relaxing dinner. The place we ate at wasn't my favorite from the week but the dessert there was divine! Definitely my favorite from the entire trip.

I was exhausted at this point. Yes we are only at dinner with hours of daylight still left. We took a casual stroll back to the Eiffel Tower and then headed to our river boat cruise. After walking all day long, it was so nice to sit. To enjoy Paris at dusk with all the lights coming on. Yes. I'm a sucker for ambiance. After the cruise was finished, we enjoyed the Eiffel Tower lights before heading home. Isn't Paris beautiful at night?

My European Adventure

"Paris is always a good idea." When my parents suggested I meet up with them in Paris for a week during the summer, I threw caution to the wind and bought my ticket. This all happened while I was at the job I disliked and before I was offered my current job. Planning our Paris trip was just the distraction I needed.

The night before we left was crazy. I was still training for a 1/2 marathon and needed to do laundry. I figured I could run routes around my place and change laundry during each water break. At about 12:30am I was ready to go and drove over to my friend Robin's place. We both slept about an hour or two before packing up and driving to the airport. Our early morning flight helped us both with jet lag. We slept from SLC to Dallas where we added my sister Kathrine to our adventure. I slept most of the way from Dallas to Boston and most of the way from Boston to Paris. This made the trip over more pleasant than I anticipated.

We arrived as the sun was coming up and shining over the Parisian countryside. Beautiful! I have a thing for Europe. Something about it touches my heart. Maybe it is the history nerd in me and I understand all that the people have suffered. Maybe it is the kinship I feel to my ancestors. Maybe it is just far enough away from my problems that I can escape for a while. I greatly needed this escape. I needed to figure some things out in my head and Paris is just what I needed to do that.

The airport actually provided the first adventure. A package was left unattended and we were stuck behind customs for almost an hour before everything was cleared. We made it through customs, changed into our church clothes, and grabbed the train into Paris. When we arrived we went straight to church. It was such a great experience to arrive at what appeared to be a former aristocratic home that had been turned into an LDS meetinghouse. They had 3 different sunday schools and sacrament meetings: French, English, and Mandarin. We missed Relief Society due to the bomb scare at the airport. My parents arrived during sacrament meeting and our group was now complete.

After church, we checked into our hotel which was nestled between the Arc de Triomphe and the Effiel Tower then headed out again. We walked up to the Arc de Triomphe to grab the metro, then headed to the Latin Quarter and the Ile de la Cité (city center). We headed to Notre Dame around 5:00 to hear the organ concert. After hearing the organ concert at Westminster Abbey in London, I made sure we heard the concert at Notre Dame. It was incredible! First, organs were meant to be played in cathedrals. Second, the organist was incredibly talented. After the concert, we walked around Notre Dame and ate dinner.

When it was time to head home, Robin and I looked at a map and came up with a crazy idea. We figured it was only a few miles to the Eiffel Tower and we should walk home along the Seine. Very crazy idea. We definitely underestimated the distance. On a bright spot, we had a great time seeing Paris this way and had an amazing view of the Eiffel Tower.

I'm going to highlight each day this way: short recap and slideshow. The recap is more for me and my journal. The pictures are for you to enjoy.

Having a Good Time

'nuff said.

Living Life Backwards

I am grateful for Elder Neil L. Andersen's recent General Conference talk. In contemplating my life from high school to now, I recognize that nothing has gone as planned. More specifically, I am not married with four kids and two more still yet to come. Instead, I have two graduate degrees with a promising career ahead of me. Elder Andersen helped me see that even though my original plan has not happened, it doesn't mean that it is out of reach. Patient persistent in waiting upon the Lord (thank-you Elder Hales) and promised blessings will be fulfilled. I'm just living life backwards. :)

In having this realization, I thought back to Elder Uchtdorf's message to the Relief Society sisters. Even though I don't have children now, I still have the opportunity to influence many people for good including my nieces and nephews. I have been working on memorizing the seminary scripture mastery scriptures with my nieces and nephews. I love watching my seven-year-old nephew use the iPad app to memorize the scriptures and then pass it off with me. Obviously, I'm learning them at a faster rate, but it thrills me that we are doing it together. And that I can be that encouragement and example for them.

Another area I'm trying to be an influence for good is with music. They've already been indoctrinated to the Broadway/Musical genre but classical music is still a work in progress. Since I have always wanted to hear the 1812 Overture at the Deer Valley Music Festival (Yes. Always. At least since I was in junior high. Yes. I'm a music nerd.), I decided to take my oldest nieces to the final night of the festival. We stopped at the outlets first and I introduced Rachel to Banana Republic jeans. I don't know if her mom will ever forgive me for that one. Then we headed up to Deer Valley.
The nice thing about the outdoor venue at Deer Valley was the outdoor atmosphere helped the girls feel comfortable, we were able to bring a picnic in with us, and we were surrounded by the beautiful Utah mountains. The music selection was perfect! The girls recognized everything that was played. And the finale...Wow! Live cannons synched perfectly with the 1812 Overture. The girls grinned from ear to ear every time they cannons went off. And I absolutely loved it! Worth the wait! Afterwards, Josie said to me, "I thought it was going to be boring but I actually had fun." I turned to her, smiled, and told her never doubt me when I tell her we are going on an adventure. Good times had by all!

Here are a few pictures of us enjoying ourselves during the intermission.



So even though life hasn't gone exactly they way I planned, it's okay. The Lord has a plan for me and I know if I just continue pressing forward with faith, all will be revealed and promises will be fulfilled. How grateful I am for my testimony in the gospel of Jesus Christ and the sustaining power of personal revelation.

Having a Bit of Fun

Last June when I was babysitting my nieces and nephews, I decided we needed a break from the house. I packed them into the car and headed up the canyon not really having a plan. I found a backroad near Sundance and began driving just to see where we would end up. We found a perfect spot at the base of Stewart Falls. Even from the distance, we could see how powerful the waterfall was and this was in June! After we explored a bit there, we headed up towards Aspen Grove. We played around on the Timp Hike trail and Aspen Grove before heading down and calling it a night.

The next day, I was driving with my two nieces as we ran errands for their mom. The oldest found my camera and started having some fun taking pictures of herself, her sister, and me. I love to attribute their silliness and craziness to their parents, but I always seem to be around when things like this happen. Hopefully I've been a good influence on them. :)

 

In Memory of Steve Jobs

In August, I posted one of my favorite Steve Job's quotes. In honor of the passing of this innovative, driven, and hopeful leader, I share with you words from the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius.

Do not therefore consider this life as an object of any moment. Look back on the immense gulf of time already past; and forwards, to that infinite duration yet to come, and you will find how trifling the difference is between a life of three days and of three ages.

Let us then employ properly this moment of time allotted us by fate, and leave the world contentedly; like a ripe olive dropping from its stalk, speaking well of the soil that produced it, and of the tree that bore it.

-Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

Broadway's Best

A few months ago I mentioned that I was able to see Brian Stokes Mitchell and Linda Eder in concert. Well my childhood Broadway idols just kept coming. Two weeks later I saw Idina Menzel (of Wicked fame) at the Deer Vally Music Festival. Her chattiness and flighty demeanor actually made her that more endearing to the audience. Of course she sang songs from Wicked and it was even better live!

Then, Lea Salogna (Jasmine, Mulan, Miss Saigon, and Les Miserables) came to BYU. I felt like a little kid in a candy store. I just sat there with a giddy smile as her voice resonated in the DeJong Concert hall. She was personable and down to earth. And "On My Own' was phenomenal! I walked away from the Lea Salogna concert with a "once-in-a-lifetime" feeling. Absolutely wonderful!

When I was telling my mom about all the Broadway singers I had seen the past two months in Utah, she reminded me of a story that my seminary teacher once told her. When I was in high school, our seminary had a dating week in February. We filled out a survey that gauged our interests, personality, etc., etc. I went up to my teacher and told him that my favorite music type wasn't listed. All the typical genres were listed but mine was missing. He stared at me incredulously then asked, "What is your favorite music?" "Musicals." He looked at me. Looked at the paper. Then said, "You're right. It isn't listed." He was surprised by my answer but when he related the story to my mom, she wasn't. She knew that I would listen to different musicals while cleaning the house, working in the yard, and driving to piano lessons (a three hour round trip drive). She knew that my sister and I would sing-along to the symphonic version of Les Miserables and even try to sing every part in One Day More. She knew that one Christmas she searched the country (this was before the Internet was helpful) for a copy of The Sound of Music as a surprise for me. She knew.

Now do you understand how seeing Linda Eder, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Idina Menzel, and Lea Salogna made me feel like a kid again? One day I'll make it to Broadyway, but until then, I'm content with all the Broadway opportunities I've had in Utah.

Admit it. You had fun clicking on all those links. :)

Fasting

Not the kind you think of. I found myself being on social media too much. Too much time on Facebook. Too much time on LinkedIn. Too much time on Twitter. Too much time on YouTube. And all of that was for my job!

The past two weeks I've taken a step back and just stopped being on it for now. I know once some things pick up at work, I'll have to be back on all of these more throughout the day. But for now I just monitor everything in TweetDeck and stay away from other sites. It's kind of nice to get rid of that distraction.

12 People, 2 Vehicles, 180 Miles of Running

Last summer my friend Ben asked me to be part of his Red Rock Relay team. Being the crazy fool I was, I excitedly said, "Sure!" I had no idea what I was getting into especially since I traveled to San Francisco the week before and had little time to train in August. Also, after running two half-marathons, I was kind of tired. For those not familiar with the Ragnar or other relay races, here is a quick recap: A team of 12 runners tackles one set of 3 legs that equals to 180+ miles. Our team started at 7:00am at Brian Head Ski Resort in near Cedar City, UT and ended at the entrance of Zions National Park the next day at 1:20pm.

In spite of my lack of desire to run at the time of the relay, I packed up my parents' Honda Pilot and traveled to Southern Utah with a few friends. Since I was part of the second vehicle, we decided to spend the night in Provo and head down that morning. We met up with our teammates around 10am and quickly joined the party. I didn't realize how much fun we would have cheering one another on and supporting one another as a team. We survived blistering heat, rain and hail, frigid temperatures, and a few miscues between the two teams. My first run was right when the storm subsided. It was a bit chilly at 10,000+ feet but it made for an easier uphill run. I felt energized and excited for the next run.


Finishing my first run
We made it into Cedar City, passed off the baton to the other team, and grabbed a bite to eat. I tried to grab a bit of sleep but it was too light and a former student saw my Facebook check-in and wanted to see me. These two girls met me at the SUU campus and we caught up on life. It really was fun to see these girls grownup and doing well. An hour later we were off again. My next run was another uphill route but I had trained for hills so nothing I couldn't handle. It was weird running through the mountains with no one around me. We were close to the Mountain Meadows Massacre site and it was a bit spooky knowing the background of that story. After I was finished, I continued driving while everyone else slept except the runner who was out at the time. I did miss our runner once because I fell asleep but we we found him at the next check point.


Still smiling and happy after my second run.
Finally we were off to Washington to the last checkpoint, which happened to be at the local rec center. I found a lounge chair by the pool and grabbed an hour or two of sleep. Around 6:30am, we were off again ready to finish the last 38 miles. My last leg was extremely hard for me. I had a couple of large, rolling hills and the heat was setting in. I was getting discouraged but was able to push through by remembering an email from my boss: Just take it one step at a time. (I really do have a great boss!) After one last push, I handed the baton off to my teammate. I was finished!


Yes. I ran up that hill. And another just like it around the bend. Not fun but I kept going.
The last few hours of running just got hotter. I felt bad for my teammates. We stopped more frequently and offered water to all the runners who passed us not just our own. We finally met up with the first vehicle and ran the last 50 yards together. Such an accomplishment! It required a very different mental endurance than any of my half-marathons. I enjoyed my night run and the beautiful scenery during the day. Simply breathtaking!


One of the beautiful vistas we ran by. You can see Zions in the background.

On Monday when my boss asked me about the relay I replied, "It was fun, in a sadistic sort of way." I still believe that. It required a physical and mental toughness that I thrive on. Even though I hadn't had a good training schedule between my July half-marathon and the Red Rock, I felt such a sense of accomplishment. I'm up for another one if any of you ever need a teammate.

I brought my camera hoping to snap a shot or two. My teammates went camera crazy and took over 500 pictures! I've posted a few of them here but if you want to see a a lot more of them, then visit my Facebook page. For those who are looking for cheap therapy, I recommend running. It's been a lifesaver for me.


We made it!

Three marks for each "leg" we ran.

Just a Bit of Silliness

That line from Finding Neverland popped into my head as I sat to write this blog post. Often I have very distinct thoughts, feelings, impressions, or whatever you would like to call them. For me they are very real. I question whether or not they come from me or from a much higher power. I would like to brush them off as "just a bit of silliness" but in reality I know better. My very nature creates a sense of urgency to want to act on these and move forward and make things happen. But, as you know, that isn't what I should be doing right now. My challenge and test is not to worry. To place all things in the hands of the Lord. To trust Him completely. For the Spirit of the Lord will always guide me if I listen and obey.