Wonderfulness.

We just got back from our California trip yesterday. It was delightful. We feel so refreshed and ready to get back to work.


Our open house was beautiful. My sister did an incredible job with the decorations, food, and everything. She really is amazing! It felt like an old-fashioned garden party, and was more magical than I ever could have dreamed of. Thank you to all of you who helped out and came by to share your love and support! It was a wonderful day and we are still in awe of all the love that was showered upon us. Thank you! (You can see more gorgeous photos here.)

My uncle built this sweet archway

Sneaking away to a secluded table on one of the decks

Everybody loves Wibby!

All the children wanted to dance with us. It was so sweet!

In other good news, I got accepted for a very special internship! This summer, I will be writing blog posts for BYU Women's Services and Resources! My posts will appear each Friday. I am thrilled and honored to have this opportunity to use my talents to make a difference. 

And now, two of my new favorite videos to brighten your day. The first is the trailer for the new Winnie the Pooh movie. I am so excited! Pooh is a big part of my childhood. I'm glad he lives on. 

This video is a gorgeous song by Peter Breinholt and John Schmidt. My husband introduced it to me as we were making the long drive to San Diego. Listening to it while watching the sun set behind the beautiful Utah mountains was a very special experience. 

Enjoy your weekend and the beautiful spring weather!

Life is good. 

This weekend...

A group of my favorite people went down to Zion to do some camping and hiking. And it was spectacular.

And as if that wasn't wonderful enough, we got to hear from Julie B. Beck, Jeffrey R. Holland, Boyd K. Packer, and Richard G. Scott today. And I got to have dinner with my amazing sister. And meet with amazing women in my ward to plan how we are going to serve other ward members.


Yep, my weekend was pretty much perfect.

Monday Links

Hello all,


I hope these make your Monday a little less grey and a little more colorful!

*This made me laugh so hard! Especially the operatic rapping...

*I just read this book and loved it! There is so much wisdom in there. And you can get yourself a copy for 1 cent on Amazon. 

*This is my new favorite blog.

*I just bought this and love it.

*This poem is breathtaking.

*And so is this one. 

*I want this really badly.

*Wise words.

*We saw them in the park on July 3rd, and they were fabulous!

*Thanks to this, my voicemail message has taken a Swan Dive for the better. 

*If I didn't already love the BYU Men's Chorus, this would win me over in no time.

*This essay is beautifully thought-provoking.

*This is my favorite song at the moment.

*And this one too.

*And this as well.

*Check this out. I think it's pretty great :]

*I love the summer.

Have a wonderful, beautiful, fabulous week!

Exploring the Canyon

The sun was shining, the flowers were blooming and it was a half day at school, so we decided to go for a walk in the canyon. And oh my, it was lovely.

The hills were covered with these purple and yellow blossoms. And with a gentle breeze rustling through them, it was like heaven on earth.

James wore his explorer gear and, of course found a walking stick.

The boys acted just a tiny bit silly.

And then we found a magical little stream.

The boys poked sticks in the mud...

...collected massive amounts of algae...

...and had a really great time.

I can't wait to go exploring with them again.

Christmas 2009

Christmas this year has been wonderful. I still have a couple days of the 60 degree San Diego winter and adventures with the family, but I wanted to share my favorite moments so far.

Ushering for the Grinch


Walking in the Canyon


Visiting with the Mitchell Kids


Sitting in the sunshine reading a book and listening to 8 kids in the backyard being kings, queens, knights, prisoners, and "establishers of justice"

Muggle Jammies


Waiting for Santa


James being sick on Christmas eve night (not really one of my favorite things but this picture cracks me up)


Getting a Snuggie from Santa!


My sister's silliness


Seeing my cousins


Martha Stewart Crafts


Shopping with my Mom


Living the cozy life



Hope you all had a Merry Christmas!

Home for Christmas

I've been home in San Diego since Saturday and oh how lovely it has been! I am so grateful that my family lives in Southern California where the winters are 60 degrees. It has been so fun to see all the wonderful people here that I love, to sing in the ward Christmas program, to laugh with my family, to do last minute Christmas shopping, to stay up late talking to my mom, to enjoy all of the things I love most in life and not have to worry about schoolwork!

I think one of my favorite things so far in the trip has been the hike we went on this afternoon with the Mitchell kids in the canyon. It was a beautiful windy, cloudy day and I got some pretty pictures.

Fun weather! I felt like I was in a Maynard Dixon painting.

What could be better for two little boys?

SNOW!

Even though I am a California girl, I love the snow. It is stunningly beautiful. It is pretty cold and slippery, but for now I think the magic is worth it. :]

Temple Square at Christmastime

Is the best place in the world :]

Fall fun!

Hello everyone!

The weather is so fun here in Provo. There are gorgeous leaves everywhere, and a couple days ago it actually SNOWED! It had all melted by 11, but I had so much fun walking to class with snowflakes falling on me! I can't wait for it to snow again.

Here are some pics of the beautiful fall leaves and my Halloween! I was Gabriella and my best friend Brian was Troy...we had a ton of fun!

More pics here

High School Musical 3!!!

After a long wait of 100 days I finally saw HSM 3 tonight!!! While it was cheesily wonderful - but also much more skanky - I must honestly say that I liked #2 the best. This one seemed more like a string of music videos than a musical. I was actually very confused at times. But still, I would love to see it again soon.

"Can I Have This Dance" video (my favorite song from it!)

Peter Pan is missing out

Hey everyone,

Thanks for reading my first post! I hope this blog will help me keep in touch with people as I begin my journey into the "real" world. :]

Last weekend I saw NCI CYT's Peter Pan, which I have seen before but this time I had a new perspective. In the last scene Peter mourns because Wendy has grown up, and I used to agree with him. But now I realize that growing up is actually a very good thing. The whole purpose of life is to progress and grow. What good is a seed if it never sprouts into a tree? What good is a life if it is never lived to its full potential?

I think that I am not afraid of growing up because I have already done a lot of it. I am about to start my second year of college and already have all my classes and my career planned out. I have a job and manage my own finances. I know who I am and what is most important in life. It's humbling to see what I've come through and how Heavenly Father has shaped my life to make me who I am.

So yes, growing up can be sad and scary at times. but mostly it's a beautiful journey and an opportunity to be grateful for the masterpiece God is creating.

And I can't wait to experience more of it. :]