Wedding Photos

Do you like to look at wedding photos? I suppose its quite a girly thing, but if you're like me, then take a look at http://rebekahwestover.blogspot.com/ ,you'll love it. I've known about Rebekah Westover for some time now. She's a Utah photographer who in my opinion takes the most stunning bridal photos I think I've ever seen. I admit to checking out her blog at least every week. By the way, she does other stuff too, just as beautiful. Enjoy!

Thank You

A big thank you to my colleagues from work for all your kind wishes and the beautiful flowers you sent me. I love them and they look beautiful on my table.
(Those little pink ones in the middle whose name I can never remember were in my wedding bouquet!)

Fans

Michael's friend Hunter came over this afternoon to start installing some ceiling fans for us. It amazes me that a new house such as this one and in Arizona to boot, is allowed to be built without wiring for ceiling fans in all rooms. Anyway, we have 3 bedrooms and the loft that desperately need them, so the boys got started.
The attic space was really tiny and Hunter had a hard time, but we got the one up in the loft. He and Michael moved on to another room to start in there and left Brent to finish off putting the shades on the loft fan and put the bulbs in. I was stood at his side passing him the stuff and looking up at what he was doing when a really funny thing happened. He stood and looked at me and with teeth bared said "Pull them up, will you". I looked down and while Brent was stretching up, his shorts had fallen down around his ankles. It was hilarious! Thank goodness he wears something under his shorts!!! How I wish my camera was handy. I think I would have left him there stretching just to take the shot.
Anyway, there's more to do tomorrow and I'm wondering if we might be able to re-simulate the event so that it can be recorded for posterity?

It's a hard life

Despite the sadness we've felt over the last couple of days, it's been good to have little Danielle over at the house. Oblivious to all that's happened, she just wandered all over the place like toddlers do. I told her mommy that we ought to put a pedometer on her because it seems like she just walks miles and miles round and round the house. Anyway, eventually, she'd had enough, got tired and went to sleep on the cushions we put down on the floor. It's a hard life being nearly one!

My Sweet Mother in Law

I was deeply saddened today to learn that my sweet angel of a mother in law has died. After an illness of a few months, Heavenly Father took her back into His arms today. Words cannot express how much I love and care for her and how blessed I am to have been a part of her life. All of our family will miss her deeply. Here are a few photos to remind us of special times we have had with her in our presence.
God Be With You Til We Meet Again

Cute Windchime

I bought this cute windchime from Michael's yesterday. It was 80% off and even though I had no idea what the original price was, I decided that having 80% off meant it probably didn't cost too much. It worked out at $3.30!!! I love bargains like this and I love the sentiments written on the chime.

Life is full of quiet moments

Big dreams

Joyous laughter and

Heartfelt tears

Thank You God for it all.

Thankful for Modern Medicine

I found out yesterday that my 3 month old grandson needs surgery to correct a Grade V kidney reflux that he was born with. Apparently, it was detected on ultrasound before he was born along with the fact that his right kidney is smaller than it should be and not in exactly the correct place. After speaking to one of the pediatricians at work, I was relieved to know that it's not a complicated procedure and has a good outcome.
My son Michael had surgery when he was 3 weeks old for pyloric stenosis. I remember the surgeon telling me that 50 years prior, it was considered major surgery and that years before that there was No surgery and children who had that condition would simply die from starvation.
On History International yesterday, I watched a portion of a show about the bubonic plague that ran rampant across Europe in 1358 and estimates say that 50% of the population died from it. That is an astonishing figure.
How grateful I am for modern medicine that has allowed us to survive what we consider minor ailments but used to be major concerns for people just a couple of hundred years ago. As a Labor and Delivery nurse I see this firsthand every day I go to work. To think of the mothers who used to die in childbirth or shortly after for things that we can now deal with is an amazing concept to me and makes me very happy that I live in the times that I do.

First of the Month

I've decided that I'm going to change my blog appearance every month, and as I've just got back from Utah, I thought that the honey bee was most appropriate. Hope you like it.

Music and the Spoken Word

On Sunday, Brent and I lined up outside the Conference Center at 7am so that we (I) could get good seats to see The Osmonds perform in Music and the Spoken Word. After an hour chatting with friends, being "watched" through the doors by the staff and Brent, who hates waiting in lines, grumbling "this is ridiculous", we were finally let in and managed to get right to the front center in a perfect position to watch everything.
The MTC were already in their seats and not long after, out came the Osmonds and a full 30 minute rehearsal began. I was bummed that I didn't have my camera with me as they hadn't been allowed the previous two nights, but thankfully, a good friend of mine had hers with her, so I am anxiously awaiting her e-mail.
After the rehearsal, we had some "rules" from Lloyd Newell, the presenter, as the show was to be recorded. The hardest one to keep was not to clap at all. Clap? I wanted to SCREAM!!!! Just before the recording started, President Monson came out and sat in the front. Guess he must have enjoyed Friday's performance.
The Osmonds sang Are You Up There?, I Believe and He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother. Fantastic, wonderful and extremely emotional. The Spirit was very strong and their singing was perfect.
After the recording was over, President Monson got up on the stage and gave a speech to say how thankful he was to all of them for the years of dedication to their singing and that each of them was a missionary according to their own personality. He presented each one of the nine Osmonds and Jerry Williams, their music director, with a large frame which I later found out contained their favorite scripture. When President Monson got to Marie, he cupped her chin in his hand and said "You're lovely". Well that did it. Not to be outdone, Donny lifted his chin up to the prophet and got the same treatment. They gave each other a big bear hug after that.
The Osmonds were asked to turn to the choir who proceeded to sing God Be With You Til We Meet Again. Oh my word. We were all blubbering as we all know that the chances of all the Osmonds getting together again are remote to non-existent.
My friend Terri said she wanted a spiritual experience and boy, did we get one. I felt t he whole experience in my heart.

Pioneer Commerarative Concert

The whole reason for being in Utah was to attend these two concerts. I applied in the ticket lottery with about half a million other people (including my son and some dear friends who applied on my behalf) to get tickets for either show in the Conference Center which seats 21,000 people. Imagine my elation when I discovered that I had won four tickets for BOTH nights!
It was very touch and go whether I would be able to make it, but I am so glad that I did. I gave a ticket for both nights to my friend Donna and Brent sacrificed his ticket (hhmmm, not so sure it was a sacrifice!?!) so that I could give two to Mike and Lesley who we were staying with and also two to her parents.
On Friday night I thought the sound was a little off, but by Saturday, it was just perfect. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra were superb, but the show was, for me, purely about the Osmonds. It was so weird to see them singing hits like Down By The Lazy River, Yo-Yo, Puppy Love, etc in the Conference Center. HELLO, this was the Conference Center!!! The Prophet was in attendance on Friday night. I wonder what he thought about all that?
Both nights, but particularly Saturday, were very emotional. All of the fans knew that this was the culmination of their world tour celebrating their 50 years in show business and that the likelihood of seeing all seven of them (actually nine) again was going to be pretty much non existant. The Osmonds themselves seemed to reflect this emotion and all of them were seen with tears in their eyes at different points in the program. They recieved several standing ovations and I've never clapped so much in my entire life.