California!

Here are the photos from the trip to California to see Phish at Festival 8...a three day, camp there, Festival where Phish played 8 shows. One of which was their famous "costume" set on Halloween night where they covered The Rolling Stones entire "Exile on Main St." album. The Sunday Morning set was entirely acoustic(a first for Phish) and it was incredible! There were 30,000 people there,we met some very nice people. The venue in Indio CA was huge, it was a 3/4's of a mile walk from our campsite to the stage area. Overall it was GR8 FUN and an amazing experience, Phish really went all out to make it awesome in tons and tons of ways. Click below to some of the photos I took...

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=117863&id=534954161&l=0a22900130

After Phish we drove out to Anaheim and stayed there for 3 days visiting Disneyland, Crystal Cove State Park and L.A. Here's the Disneyland Photos...

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=118272&id=534954161&l=7e9f343e31

Here's Crystal Cove....

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=118413&id=534954161&l=e312042a48

In L.A. we went to The Getty, a HUGE art museum built on a hill like a castle. It was a beautiful place with fountains, gardens and tons of great art. I could have spent days there. We also went down to Hollywood Blvd that night, saw some sights and went to Ripley's Museum. We also happened upon a movie opening that night at the Chinese Theatre. Mm-oh boy. That night we drove out to Calico near Yermo and stayed in a ghost town there. Then headed home the next day. All in all an awesome trip!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=119050&id=534954161&l=2a639e9f03

This just makes me happy

...it's beautiful.










http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWiJWLiSKro

Some Decent Shots from Capitol Reef

Bonus Birthday Shots

So as I was looking through the photos from my birthday that Airie and Leslie took while I was opening my birthday presents...I started noticing that Baron was making some pretty awesome faces. I decided to share.... (forgive the crudity of these shots, as Baron was originally in the background I cropped myself out of them so he could be the focus ;)

Birthday Highlights...

I had a Birthday! ...and it was a great one! Here are a few shots from some of the celebrations. I also went to Park City with Leslie and enjoyed the beautiful changing leaves and rode on the Alpine Slide...but when I got the camera out to take the first photo the battery was dead(sad face). But here are some photos from my birthday trip to the Dinosaur Museum with my family, and a dinner out with some friends. Thank you to everyone for your birthday wishes and love!

A New Calling...A New Adventure

So I was released as the 2nd Counselor in the Relief Society Presidency last month. While I loved having the opportunity to serve in that calling and learned and grew tons...I was ready to pass that job onto someone else. (and I was only a tiny bit bitter about the monthly stake meetings being changed from 7:00am on Sundays to 8:30am just a few weeks after I was released ;) I think more than anything else I enjoyed serving and getting to know the sisters in my ward. It was amazing how as soon as a was sustained I immediately felt a genuine concern and love for those I served.

They didn't let me rest long...the same Sunday I was released I was asked to speak in Sacrament Meeting(again, 2nd time in 8 months) and given a new calling...Gospel Doctrine Teacher. Let me tell you I was nervous about teaching Gospel Doctrine. I had several opportunities to teach Relief Society while in the Presidency which means I'm not completely rusty at teaching but think the hard part of teaching RS was the extremely high expectations that I felt and the fact that I had to prepare a lesson from scratch. Let me tell you, teaching Gospel Doctrine is so much better. I'm pretty sure I have the best calling in the church! -At least that's what Elder Eyring called it and since he's an apostle I'm pretty sure he's right.

There are several great things about Teaching Gospel Doctrine:
1# I get to run the show: prayers, hymns sung, what I do with the 45 minutes I teach, everything! and because of that...
2# It is much less formal and serious...I feel very at ease and can be more creative and even humorous.
3# I get to study the WHOLE lesson and I am learning tons of amazing stuff. There is so much to learn! I have loved reading Our Heritage and looking for extra stuff online etc. I get so much out of each lesson I teach and I love it! Being a teacher is such a huge blessing for the teacher in that way.


I'm excited for this new adventure, I hope I will do well.

Rainbow Valley...All you need is Jesus!

Leslie and I are gearing up for grant writing season and plans for our "Transitional Living" girls group home are in full swing. We are trying to knuckle down and write our business plan etc. The most pressing issue at this time which we want to throw out for any suggestions is...we need a name and motto! Unfortunately our favorite has already been taken by a program in northern California, as referenced in the title of this blog. (Please catch the heavy sarcasm here)

But seriously we've been tossing names around and would like your ideas. Here's the gist, we are looking to open a home for teenage girls to support them and provide resources as they transition into independent living. We planing on having some land and farming some produce/veggies etc. and have some animals for the girls to be responsible for.

We have decided that we like the names of programs like Red Cliff Ascent and Lightening Peak, rather than Women's Empowerment Center or Center for Change. Most of the names we think of last all of about a day before we start making fun of it and decide that it won't work. One that has stuck for a few days is Summerwood or Summerwoods...but we're not attached yet. I think our motto will be something simple like "a place to grow" referring to the farm and the girls in many different capacities. Anyway let us know what you think and if you have any ideas. Thanks!






Picture that popped up when I Googled Summerwood

For anyone that hasn't heard yet...

Phish is doing their first festival since reuniting! It will be in Indio CA, it will be over Halloween(a famous phish show each year where the band covers an entire album from another band, past selections include: Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side of the Moon" and the Beatles "White Album"), it will include 8 sets over three days including their first ever completely acoustic set and...

I WILL BE THERE!!!

Leslie has graciously agreed to go with me and I'm so excited I can hardly stand it! Another one of my life goals can be checked off! HOORAY!

Mesa Verde etc. over Labor Day...

Here's the whole album:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=103083&id=534954161&l=1946c118df

Energizer Brie...She Keeps Going and Going and Going...

We had Brie down for an overnighter a few weekends ago! It was a very exciting adventure and we were amazed at Brie's never ending energy...

It's started at Pirate Island Pizza. Here we are sitting by the waterfall outside the cave entrance into the pirates lair where we will eat!

Brie made a pretty great pirate!

Aboard the ship!

Playing in the arcade!

After eating at "Pirate's" we went home and watched The Incredibles.

The next Morning we worked on crafites that Brie picked out at the store...

Brie and Kaya became good friends.

We stopped by to visit Airie, Abram and the Ratties!

We then had to make a pit stop at the UVU library for Leslie's English assignment. Brie wanted to walk to the top of these five flights of stairs... we walked to the top...I wanted to take the elevator down, but Brie said that was wimpy so we walked all the way back down. Then Brie wanted to do it again...so she did, but by her self this time ;). I just watched from the bottom. Up and down 5 flights two times!

We stopped at Discovery Park in Pleasant Grove on the way to Grandma Taggart's.

Brie showing off her art creations in front of Grandma's house in Lehi. See the two cats at the top of her shirt? I bet you can't guess which one is Kaya and which one is Maki ;)

It was a fun adventure...Thanks for coming over Brie!!