The Great Outdoors

Because there are some places you can't drive to...

We were lucky enough to spend another weekend in NV. Memorial Day, Dad, Cori and I got up a little early (for a holiday anyway) and headed out for a bit o' nature. Cori wanted to find some wildflowers. We were a bit early, as evidenced by all the snow. But we got to see some of the first blooms. A blog or so ago, Jessika mentioned being homesick for her mountains. I completely get this. I've seen and loved more than a few mountain ranges. But the Sierra Nevada's will always be my mountains. Thousands of jeweled glacial lakes, palatial granite rock formations, evergreens galore, and groves of wildflowers in the spring. Have a look at what we saw.

Attention Austenians!

A few days ago, Natalie posted a link for this fun little quiz. Which Jane Austen heroine are you?

As for me:

"You are Elinor Dashwood of Sense & Sensibility! You are practical, circumspect, and discreet. Though you are tremendously sensible and allow your head to rule, you have a deep, emotional side that few people often see."

Take the Quiz here!

I don't think this describes me to a tee, however the descriptions I got to choose from that described my "mate" pretty much captured Cori.

An Afternoon at the Getty

• Today, I spent a lovely afternoon at the Getty Museum with my friend Kristy and her little girl, Megan. We chatted through traffic on the way up, toured a couple of exhibitions, enjoyed the gardens, listened to Tim Hawkinson's Uberorgan, and chatted some more on the way home. Gracie was in complete heaven being Megan's shadow. And I was lovin' being in such great company for the afternoon.
• The Getty is such a fun place to visit. They don't have many well known works of art in their permanent collection, but they get great traveling exhibitions. Even then, its worth the drive just to sit in the gardens surrounded by beautiful landscaping, architecture, and views of LA. Gracie and I have enjoyed many a pic-nick afternoon here.

This is a picture of Hawkinson's Uberorgan. It is a gigantic installation that is temporarily visiting the Center's main entrance. Its difficult to see in this picture, but in the far left corner, there is a 250 foot scroll that is wound floor to ceiling through a system of spinning tubes. The scroll has black dots painted on it. There is a light sensor that detects the dots, transforming them into electronic pulses that trigger the giant pipes of the organ. It sounds truly bazaar, but I like the concept behind the work: taking the ordinary to create the extraordinary.

Here are some pictures of Gracie and Megan playing. Miss Grace really loved having a play mate today.

Last Night At Dland...

...the world premier of Pirates III screened. Take a look at the crazy set they built around the Waters of America. I love that the movie premiered at Disneyland rather than New York, or any of the regular Hollywood venues. It was fun seeing all the pirate buzz at the park this weekend.

We tried to devise a way that we could stay and be part of the audience, but they had a pretty good lock down plan. We'll just have to wait for the 25th like the rest of the general public.

Happy Birthday Jessica

Meet my life long friend, Jessica G*. She and I have palled around since we were in playschool (actually and arguably since the premortal life). Jessica is family to me. She is Aunt Jessica to Gracie. She knows me better than most people. Jessica is thoughtful, and selfless to a fault. She takes care of everyone around her. She is hard working and fun loving. I love this girl. Our life paths have kept us in different places. We were roommates in college for only two brief semesters. Her family is now in Oregon, and mine in Nevada. She was a missionary in Germany, while I was in D.C.. She is working and living in UT right now, as I'm in Cali. But no matter the distance of time or location, our relationship has always been a constant. Spending this week with her has been a total luxury for me. This has been made even better by the fact that Jess celebrated her birthday on Friday, and I got to be a part of it. Here's a peek at what we've been up to this week.

A day trip to the San Diego Zoo

Jessica and the reclusive Panda

A chilly afternoon at the beach. We couldn't keep Gracie out the water this time.

Not one, but two days at Disneyland and California Adventure park. One day on Jessica's birthday, so she got to wear a special birthday button and all the people at Disneyland kept saying, "Happy Birthday Princess." I love it.

Remember this parade? They do at at Cali. Adv. now on the weekends.

I've got one more day with Jessica before she heads home. Happy birthday Jess, and thanks for spending it with us.

My Piece of Foreign Sky

Mother's Day was fantastic. This was due in large part to 1) my hubby 2) my darling girl Gracie and 3) my BFF Jessica G* who is in town visiting for the week. (My blogs may be a bit sparse)Cori got up extra early to make all the girls breakfast. Then, he gave a wonderful talk in Sacrament Mtg. that made us all feel like a million bucks. After church, Jess and I were asked to hang out in our room while Cori and Gracie laid out our Mother's Day dinner. The table was beautiful, and the food delish. We spoke with loved ones far and near. The evening was topped off with a victory for the Jazz over Golden State.

The day, though marvelous, had one little misshap. During a small debacle regarding Sunday shoes, Gracie stumbled and fell on her laundry basket. As you can see, her chin broke her fall. Tough little bug.

For you, Grace:

You are the trip I did not take;

You are the pearls I cannot buy;

You are my blue Italian lake;

You are my piece of foreign sky.

"To My Child," Anne Campbell

I am a lucky girl. I have everything because of the people I love.

Happy Mother's Day

What I've Learned From My Mother

- Remember the eternal perspective

- Everything is a little easier after you've found a way to laugh at it

- The power of open communication

- There's nothing that a big embrace can't fix

- Reverence for Dr. Pepper, good hamburgers, and cherry cordial kisses

- The Lord loves me

- How to stand up for myself

- Life is supposed to stink once in a while

- To expect fantastic things

- The sacrifice that motherhood requires

- To let go of little things

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What I've Learned From Motherhood

- That my mom has been right about everything

- Joy

- Children understand "I'm sorry" as well as they understand "I love you"

- Patience

- A deep love for all sanitizing and disinfecting products

- It is easier to have a little helper than to keep little hands busy doing something else

- I have a very important job- day, swing, and graveyard shifts together

- To treasure my friends

- The value of taking a day at a time

- Its okay to ask for help

- I need the Lord everyday

- I'm happier when I've spent the day putting others first

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Thank you Mom. Happy Mother's Day!

Thank you Gracie (and our little Lindstrom man), for making mine so special.