Today I was able to go shopping with my 14-year-old niece. It was so much fun to go shopping with her and we had a great time. I am grateful for the extra football ticket my brother-in-law gave me. It had been a while since I had actually been to the game and I had a great time. I am grateful for a Heavenly Father who loves me.

I am grateful for all those who have served our country and dedicated their lives to protecting our freedom. Tonight I was able to attend a concert with Peter Breinholt that paid tribute to our veterans. Plus my niece was in the orchestra and it was fun to hear her play.

I am grateful that every time I hit a brick wall or fall down, the Lord helps me find a way to stand up and keep moving forward. Tonight I feel like He picked me up and carried me.

I am grateful for a wonderful mother. Not being my best self, I snapped at her for no good reason. When I called to apologize, she wanted to know what she could do to help me. She could tell something was wrong. Grateful that she knows me well enough to know when I need help.

I am grateful that even though I wanted to move to Australia today, I didn't. I'm grateful that I didn't say what I really wanted to say, because as much as I want to say something, in this case, I can't be the one that goes first. I am grateful for Krystal and Mel because they just get it. I don't need to explain anything.

Today I am grateful for the women I work with. With 130+ employees, only 15 of us are female and some of those work remotely. I love being able to talk shopping with them and get their opinions on things I buy. Girl talk with them is very much appreciated.

I am grateful that my two months of planning how to slow down are finally working. I've really enjoyed having a slower pace the past week. I've been able to relax and really enjoy being with people. And sleep. I've missed sleeping.

When I started my job, we had no social media presence and I was in charge of developing it. I read as much as I could. Analyzed what others were doing. Then started. Our online presence has dramatically increased even though we don't have much to talk about. Today I received some more positive feedback from our VP of PR and my boss. So nice to hear that I'm doing good things.

PS - I'm also grateful that six months ago when I talked with my financial advisor, he suggested I hold on to my ready cash, even though it was making almost nothing on a low interest, instead of investing it. The crash and burn of the stock market makes me glad I listened.

Today I am grateful that my room is almost clean after traveling for the past two weeks, that after two months of planning things are finally starting to slow down, and that I am going to bed at 10:00 tonight. Life is good.

Today I am grateful for the opportunity to vote, that I was able visit with good friends, and that I finally have lost enough "work" weight that I fit into a pair of pants that have been mocking me the past few months.

Have you seen this? Watching this tonight reminded me of how grateful I am for living apostles and prophets. The spiritual insights that came to my mind during general conference were reinforced with this short recap. Oh how merciful the Lord is to us in continually guiding and directing our lives. He doesn't leave us alone. He is always there.



Tonight President Packer spoke at the CES Fireside. What a moving message about the power of the atonement to satisfy the laws and demands of justice. I have felt the merciful hand of the Lord in my life. I am grateful for the laws of justice. It keeps life "fair". But how I treasure the mercy of the atonement that satisfy this law and allows me to be forgiven and sanctified. I testify as President Packer did that we can all return to the Lord's path. We can all repent. We can all partake of the gift of the atonement. It is never too late.

I am grateful for the gifts of the Spirit. I've come to realize that one of mine is an insatiable hope. Hope in today. Hope in the future. Hope in the Gospel. I've been ridiculed for this hope at times and questioned whether it really was a gift. Now I know full well that the Lord has blessed me with hope. I have been able to be a help to others and it has sustained me in times of darkness. Hope is something I greatly treasure. It is a sacred gift to me.

This may seem trite and insignificant but it matters to me. Today I found out my two favorite stores are opening at Fashion Place Mall. I'm always traveling downtown and now I will have my four favorite stores within 10 minutes of my new place. What's that you ask? New place? Yes! After months of trying to find a place that fit my criteria, I found something today. Last August when I was trying to make some decisions and to move forward with life, figuring out where to move was on this list. One of the insights I received from the Lord was moving is good. Just wait a minute. That was difficult for me because I wanted to move right then. As I posted, I found ways to step back from my own wishes and trust in the Lord. I stopped looking. Last Saturday, I sent an email to a friend asking if she knew of any place. She did! I talked with the girl who owns the apartment during the week and stopped by today. I think this is going to work. And I'm excited for the change. I am grateful for the opportunity to grow, to move forward, and to trust in the Lord and His timing. Finding a place has required a great deal of faith. I'm taking a leap and hoping to land where the Lord needs me to be.

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.