Random Observations

Princess Dresses

2010-10-15T20:27:00.005-04:00

Playin' piano in Times Square

2010-06-29T22:21:00.003-04:00

Go play a piano in Times Square, or any of 60 other locations in NYC!

Bestest friends

2010-06-27T23:17:00.005-04:00

While I was home I was able to attend my ten-year class reunion. I hadn't been all that excited to go, but it turned out to be a lot of fun and I genuinely enjoyed getting to see so many of my best friends from the past. It was extra-great because Ron, Timber and Trujillo's family's have all moved from Vale and so they and their families stayed at my parents home, which enabled lots of extra visiting time (I don't think we slept more than five hours the entire weekend). I loved getting together with them and all my other friends. I was very happy to see Karli, Lacy, Ali, Kirk, Ryan, Gary, Amber, Mandy, Sarah, Holly and many other of my dear friends that I grew up with. My favorite part was seeing what great parents so many of them have become.

I'm really bummed that I didn't get a photo of my other best friend from HS, Karli, but here are a couple with Timber. Those two girls got me through all the highs and lows of school and are still some of the best friends a gal can have.

With my cousin, Ron. It's impossible to explain all the reasons that I loved growing up next door to Ron and attending school together. We sure had some fun times over the years.

Even though Corrine didn't go to HS with us, I made her take a photo with me. She was one of my amazing roommates in college and it was a happy day when she fell in love with Ron! I'm so happy she is a part of my family so that I still get to see her once in a while.

I wish that I would have taken pictures at the reunion, but suffice it to say that some people have changed a lot and others have stayed exactly the same. Hopefully I'll remember the camera at the twenty year!

Pictures from Home

2010-06-27T21:03:00.037-04:00

I'm finally getting these posted! I enjoyed going back through the photos from my recent visit home --- but it made me homesick again. I sure love my family!

Babies!

2010-06-22T22:51:00.009-04:00

Introducing the newest babies in my family - - -

Reed (Greg & Amanda), Brianna (Kevin & Crystal) and Ryker (Eric & Monica)

Kristi's flowers

2010-06-15T22:45:00.004-04:00

Nearly Night

2010-06-14T23:01:00.007-04:00

I just returned from a visit to home to the farm. I'll post more pictures once I've sorted through the 400+ on my camera!

New

2010-05-14T22:08:00.004-04:00

Thanks for all the compliments on the new style!

Haven't been into blogging lately because nothing of interest has occurred. Well, I still haven't anything to report, so if you feel inclined to read this and you find it very boring . . . don't complain.

Slowly, over the years since I moved to NYC, I've been working on fully outfitting my apartment. And in many cases, I've just "made do" with temporary solutions to household items. Over the past year and a half, my silverware drawer has been sparsely populated with dollar-store finds ($5 for the four place setting of very rough-cut metal) and plastic spoons.

Until today.

Today my brand-new Oneida silverware set arrived!!

While I was researching various options online, I found a really good deal on a set of service for 12. So I got it. I am so excited to have silverware that is real!

Come visit and you can try it out too!

Is it May already??

2010-05-09T23:56:00.005-04:00

I'm alive :)

Mom and Amanda, here's some pictures of my new haircut.

Christmas Photo's

2010-01-10T21:23:00.011-05:00

Finally found the time to post photos from Christmas. Sadly there's a limited amount/variety this year . . . between laziness and blurry shots there wasn't much to choose from.

I had a wonderful time at home and wish I could have stayed longer :)

All dressed up and somewhere to go (I feel prettier when I'm surrounded by my gorgeous sisters!) Traditional Christmas photos . . . only SIX of us kids home this year . . . the house felt empty . . . until everyone visited later :)

My nephew John

Adelaide

Dinner around the little yellow table - - - many many kids have taken their turn sitting at the kids table

Savvy and Addy were smiling this time

Greg and Mark reading

Grandpa helping Addy and Mark open presents

Alena, Matt and Jay - - - I sure love them.

Dad opening his favorite gift - - - homemade fudge stuffed with hand-chopped walnuts

I think someone else may have used my camera for this photo . . . and convinced all the little cuties to make faces!

Alena did all the girls hair

Rishelle and Brooke playing the piano and singing primary songs, so cute Helping prepare the pizza toppings

I just loved Shirly's face here :)

One more traditional Christmas photo

I love my family!

Snowflakes

2009-12-08T16:56:00.006-05:00

I love cutting up paper. This years attempts .... I think I need to get better at taking the photos. Will work on that.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-30T20:18:00.007-05:00

Deanne and Richard brought Karadyn, Savannah, Nathan and Jacob to visit me for Thanksgiving! It was so great to have them visit and very hard to let them leave on Sunday. While they were here we enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner, went to the Statue of Liberty, went to the Manhattan LDS Temple, walked around Central Park, and pushed our way through the crowds at Times Square for cheesecake at Junior's. I think we probably did some other fun things but mostly we just relaxed at home. I didn't get many photos but here's a few.

Apple Pie
Making rolls with Savannah and KaradynRichard carving the turkey D with the cuties

Savannah playing hair-dresser

With Jacob at the Statue of Liberty

Richard, Nathan, Deanne, Karadyn and Savannah at the Statue of Liberty with the Manhattan skyline in the background

The flag on Liberty Island

Skyline

Freezing in front of the Statue of Liberty

Lady Liberty

I'm so glad that they came - I had the best time!

Changes

2009-11-22T23:58:00.002-05:00

I've been sitting here trying to think of a title for this post, but words can't convey my feelings on this one. I'm trying not to be sad . . .

My best friend is moving to DC.

Ash, I miss you already! See you again soon.

Jazz 95, Knicks 93

2009-11-10T22:34:00.004-05:00

My first NBA game!!!

Happy

2009-11-09T23:10:00.002-05:00

Love the stars and stripes! Happiness anytime I see them proudly displayed in NYC.

Little late, sorry

2009-11-09T23:03:00.002-05:00

A few Halloween pics . . .
Whit & I With Kim

Had tons of fun sewing this year! Love Halloween!

Pumpkins!

2009-10-18T22:17:00.007-04:00

We went to the Great Jack-O-Lantern Blaze . . . over 4,000 carved pumpkins. It was pretty amazing. These photos don't do it justice but hopefully you get the idea.

More Purple Flowers

2009-10-18T01:20:00.004-04:00

Atlantic Ocean & Coney Island

2009-09-19T20:38:00.011-04:00

I walked in the Atlantic Ocean today for the first time ever! It was so beautiful!!!

Jill & Vance's Wedding

2009-09-18T20:11:00.000-04:00

My little sis Jill got married!

Vance & Jill Dill

9.9.09 They were married in the Twin Falls, Idaho LDS temple and it was wonderful to be able to be there with them on their day.

Roommate Reunion

2009-09-13T21:26:00.003-04:00

Sunday Picnic in Battery Park

2009-08-24T23:34:00.002-04:00

Staten Island Ferry & Chocolate Shakes

2009-08-22T23:56:00.001-04:00

Sunrise . . . Sunset

2009-07-16T23:34:00.001-04:00

Pretty Purple

2009-07-08T21:09:00.001-04:00

Here Again

2009-06-21T22:49:00.006-04:00

I hope you haven't all given up on me! Life has been a bit hectic of late as I changed jobs and took a trip home. I am still living in NYC and life is good! I'll try to catch up on some posts in the near future!

Here are a few photos from home!

Happy May Day!

2009-05-01T10:23:00.002-04:00

Hopeful

2009-03-19T08:56:00.001-04:00

I think spring is almost here!

Fridge Art

2009-03-03T12:31:00.005-05:00

I won! I won!! My sis Nats sent me the following:
Fridge Art by my adorable nephews, Brock and Gage.

I love it! Thanks Nats.

And announcing the winners for the "made by me" prize:

Tiffany

Erika

Annie
Natalie

Carla

I won't be able to get to it until busy season ends, but you will receive something uniquely amazing!

Early Birthday Surprise!!!

2009-02-25T13:00:00.003-05:00

There is only one person who would be sending me a package from Canada - - - Carla!! And by the shape, there was only one thing that it could possibly contain . . .
A beautiful book!!! Hand-made by Carla! I know my birthday is still a week and a half away, but I couldn't resist opening it.

Isn't the pattern absolutely gorgeous?! So elegant and pretty.

The colors and decals created a perfect combination.

I LOVE the font that she used - - - it is consistent throughout the whole book.

Did I mention that Carla surprised me with a POP-UP BOOK?!!! The photos don't do it justice. When I turned to the first pop-up page and saw the image literally come off the page I laughed with joy - it was so perfect.

Notice the star - - - stars are my favorite shape - - - and when the book is opened the top point of the star unfolds and rises off the page.

The construction to create the pop effect was very intricate and very well executed.

I love all of the little tiny details.

All those other pages are my journal (copies of my weekly letter).
I love it!
This is the FOURTH book that Carla has made for me. Isn't she so talented and amazing?? It is always such a lovely surprise to receive something from her.

Thank you Carla!

Survivor Type

2009-02-23T17:01:00.001-05:00

Realist

Made by Me

2009-02-16T15:33:00.000-05:00

I saw this fun idea for a tag on my sis's blog and thought I'd offer it here.

Lucky you! The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:
1 - I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2 - What I create will be just for you.
3 - It'll be done this year (might take a little while).
4 - You have no clue what it's going to be. It may be a story. It may be poetry or an article. I may draw or paint something. I may bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!
5 - I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same.

The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me!

Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!

Good luck!

Oh, and you may need to find a way to provide me with your mailing address if you live far from me :)

Odd Encounter

2009-01-26T20:04:00.004-05:00

On Saturday I was standing on a crowded 4/5 subway platform waiting for a train. As usual, I was minding my own business and ignoring everything going on around me. Suddenly, I heard a voice say "PwC?" directly in front of me, I looked up right into the eyes of a passing man (most likely with a very confused look on my face), who was completely decked out in winter wear from fluffy coat to boots to a cap on his head and a scarf hiding the lower part of his face - - - and didn't recognize him. As the man continued walking away, he kept looking at me and then clearly said the name of my client, in a slightly questioning way. Not sure how to respond, I just nodded to which he smiled and walked out of my sight.

It was an extremely odd moment.

I still have no idea who that man was or how on earth he knew who I am! To be honest, I'm a little creeped-out by it.

Christmastime at Home

2009-01-05T21:30:00.011-05:00

I wasn't very excited to arrive at the airport at 4am that December morning and see that my flight had been cancelled . . . but happily they got me on another plane and I made it home!

The fun began immediately, here are a few snapshots with my family. . .

Matt refused to cooperate for the photo with his favorite sister
I love how much my brothers can eat (this is only the first helping!)

Mom used to make these when I was a kid, so I taught Alena how to make the traditional Christmas bears and trees

Another tradition is that we always take a photo lined up on the stairs before opening gifts

Brock preferred Grandpa's hammer to any of his own gifts

Some of the grand kids

Matt, Alena, and Jay

Mom and Dad

I love wrapping presents!

Blane, Kristi, Denise, Jill, and Sheryl

Conner and Caleb admiring Gage's new toy

The newlyweds

Dad giving us a family history lesson

Rishelle brought 4 dolls over and plopped down in my lap, guess she needed some help holding them all

Mark and Brooke also refused to cooperate for a photo

Adelaide, the youngest grand kid (for now)

Gage and Brock at the piano

Brooke decided that she needed to help me sew . . .

There was quite a bit of snow while I was home, more than I have seen since I was a child. It was beautiful.

As always, I loved being home! I sure love my family.

Scenery from Home

2009-01-04T22:19:00.002-05:00

On My Way!

2008-12-18T13:31:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited to be on my way home for Christmas and I can't wait to get there!!! Regardless of how long it takes (already been traveling for 11.5 hours and not out of Chicago yet) it is so wonderful to be home that it is definitely worth the trip.

Roll Recipe

2008-12-02T12:45:00.003-05:00

Emily, this post if for you! :)

Brenda's Favorite Dough Recipe
*Use for scones, rolls, bread, cinnamon rolls or twists, doughnuts, etc.

1 1/2 c. Warm Water
1/4 c. Milk
4 tsp. Yeast
1/2 c. Sugar
1/2 c. Potato flakes
2 Eggs
3 Tbsp. Butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
4-5 c. Flour

Using a large mixing bowl, combine warm water, milk, yeast, sugar, and potato flakes. Let sit for about five minutes or until you can see that the yeast is completely dissolved and expanding. Add approximately one cup of flour, mixing well. Add salt, eggs, and oil. Continue to add flour (approximately two to three more cups) until ready to knead (will be difficult to stir with a spoon when it is ready to knead). Knead using an alternating pull - punch motion, adding flour in 1/4 cup increments whenever the dough is sticky, for around ten minutes or until dough is soft and elastic. Let sit for 45 minutes then shape into rolls, bread, cinnamon rolls (instructions below), etc. Let rise an additional 40-50 minutes or until fingerprint stays before baking. If preparing scones the second raising cycle is not necessary.

For cinnamon rolls: Roll dough about 1/2 inch thick in a large rectangle shape. Melt about half of a square of butter and spread evenly over dough. Top with a layer of brown sugar and sprinkle with ground cinnamon. Can also add chopped walnuts or raisins (I have never been a fan of either but Dad loves them so sometimes I compromise.) Starting on one side, roll the dough from one side to the other, stretching slightly as you go. Use dental floss to cut (usually between an inch and a quarter to an inch and a half wide) and place on greased baking sheet.

Cook using following instructions.
Rolls: Bake @ 350 for 20-25 minutes
Cinnamon Rolls/Twists: Bake @ 350 for 20-30 minutes
Bread: Bake @ 350 for 30-45 minutes
Scones: Fry in hot oil for 2-3 minutes
Doughnuts: Fry in deep hot oil for 2-3 minutes

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-12-01T12:04:00.015-05:00

There are so many things for which I am thankful, but especially the gospel and my family, which are truly the most important things in my life. I'm so grateful to have them.

I'm also happy that there is a day specifically for remembering to be thankful! I hope that everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving!!! I enjoyed another Thanksgiving in NYC this year. The weather was a bit colder this time around, but that didn't prevent it from being a fabulous day.

I started my day at 6am by stuffing a turkey and getting it in the oven in time to meet up with friends to go to the parade (more photos can be found on Facebook). We went to 72nd and Central Park West and had a fairly good view, at least of the floats! It was a fun experience.

The following photos are in no particular order, just a few floats that caught my eye - - -

Dedicated to Swearika.

Richard, totally thought of you! I love Snoopy, aka the WWI Flying Ace

Carla, do you still have your old wallet??

D - - -

We waited (maybe not quite patiently) for Santa, and here he is!!!
For Thanksgiving dinner this year, a group of us who stayed in town got together and put together a traditional dinner. I was very happy that we were able to get a few extras to come so that I had an excuse to make a turkey with stuffing!!

I also enjoyed making a few pies (pumpkin and apple). My Mother thought I stacked the apples a bit high on this one, but it totally turned out fine!

Many thanks to our friend Rich, who loaned us his apartment for dinner! Instead of passing the food, someone brilliant (I actually don't know who devised this plan because I was busy making gravy, but it was truly brilliant) decided that we could put all the food on the table and then walk around it and serve ourselves like a buffet; it worked very well.

Trust me, the food was absolutely delicious! Everyone who came contributed something and it all came together very well.

My favorite part, the rolls.

Thanks to everyone who came, you made it a wonderful day!

Later we watched movies and ate pie and stayed up late talking, a perfect day.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Cheerful Message

2008-11-24T20:06:00.006-05:00

Sometime between the last time I looked at our fridge (yesterday afternoon) and this morning, a very pleasant message appeared! It made me feel happy and I thought it should be shared with the world :)

We heart you back Collin!

Empire State Building

2008-11-23T23:10:00.001-05:00

When the perfect moment presents itself . . . you just have to play tourist!

*Photo courtesy of David Kiren (thanks Dave!)

A Bit Early

2008-11-22T16:44:00.002-05:00

They put up the Christmas tree on Wall Street and also strung the lights on the side of the NYSE - - - which is one of my favorite holiday decorations in all of NYC.

Disney Princesses

2008-11-18T12:54:00.006-05:00

I saw this quiz on Ash's blog . . .

Brenda is Snow White!

Pure and trusting. You are a gentle soul who can get along with just about anyone. Everyone you meet instantly falls in love with you. How can they resist? You have a pure, lovable nature that's irresistable. Just don't trust everyone who comes across your path.
Which Disney Princess Are You?

I don't think the test results are very accurate :)

Baking = Happiness (For Me!)

2008-11-17T13:03:00.007-05:00

One of my most favorite things to do happens to be cooking, any kind really, so I take advantage of every possible opportunity to prepare food. When I heard about the upcoming Luau (was on Saturday*), I begged Jenn to let me help. Since she knows I love to bake, she let me make the cakes. Friday evening was maybe one of the most relaxing evenings I've ever had and so much fun!!! I just hung out in my kitchen and made cakes all night. (It would have been a perfect night if I hadn't had to do my laundry on the side.) I made Pineapple Upside Down Cake and Pina Colada Cake, and based on the amount consumed, I believe they both turned out well.

Before After

The finished product

I love baking!!!

*Note: the Luau was fantastic, many thanks to everyone!

Veteran's Day

2008-11-11T14:49:00.007-05:00

Today there was a parade on 5th Avenue in honor of Veteran's Day! I had to run an errand for my work and so was able to walk down 5th for 10 blocks and watch the parade as I went. My favorite part was hearing the bagpipes as the men played ". . . God bless America, my home sweet home . . . "

Here are a few quick snapshots.
Bagpipers

For all the Veteran's who were unable to walk in the parade, buses were provided to convey them over the parade route.

Soldiers marching

Army trucks

I'm so grateful for all those who have and continue to sacrifice so much for our freedom. God bless America - - - I love this land and am so grateful to be an American!

Another Walk

2008-11-10T13:23:00.006-05:00

Sunday afternoon stroll . . . sometimes I get so caught up in the day-to-day that I forget I live so close to the Statue of Liberty. Its about a 15 minute walk from my apartment to where I was standing for this photo (click on the photo for a magnified view).

I'm so grateful for freedom.

A Walk in the Park

2008-11-06T10:18:00.003-05:00

I took a walk through the park on my way to work this morning and enjoyed the lovely weather. I'm not exactly certain when it happened, but the leaves have changed color and begun to fall.

Election 2008

2008-11-04T11:17:00.002-05:00

VOTE.

Halloween Fun: Gilligan's Island

2008-11-03T14:01:00.010-05:00

I have always LOVED the old TV show Gilligan's Island so of course I said YES when Ash asked if I wanted to be Ginger for Halloween!!! A Saturday shopping trip to the fashion district for fabric and a pattern (which was nearly impossible to find), and a needle and thread (sadly my sewing machine resides in Oregon so I was reduced to sewing it by hand!) and lots of help from Ash, and an evening gown was produced!

A few of our other friends joined in on the fun. Here is a group shot with the crew in Union Square - - -

Maryanne (Ash), Gilligan (JT), Ginger (me), and the Skipper (Kyle)

We went to the annual NYC Halloween Parade. Talk about a crowd! It's rumored that two million people attend and an additional million watch it on TV. It was pretty impressive. Unfortunately my camera didn't like the lighting so I didn't get any great pictures, but here is one high-lighting the theme for the year. It was the 35th Anniversary and the theme was Ghosts.

Ash, Lyndee and me at the parade.

Hair shots. I made my dress and did my hair up to try to mimic these pictures - - -

Some degree of success, I think.

It was a fun Halloween! I'm thinking that Ash will post about it in detail soon, so go here for more photos!

How many of you are there out there?

2008-10-15T12:23:00.007-04:00

Too many of me . . .

HowManyOfMe.com

There are
188
people with my name in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?

'Brenda' is the 67th most popular name in the U.S.

Serenaded

2008-10-07T11:00:00.008-04:00

Just saw my favorite Grand Central musician - - - the guy wears black spandex bell-bottoms paired with a black sleeveless T, his long dark locks flailing in time with the energetic melody. His instrument of choice is an electric violin and his music is always vibrant and compelling. I'm not so much a fan of regular violin, but electrified - - - guaranteed to catch my interest!

Tech Savvy (for me)

2008-10-06T12:59:00.014-04:00

Friday evening I set myself on a mission: Connect the laptop to the TV (to enable watching General Conference in style)

Since it was already right around midnight, I determined to arise early on Saturday to go to an electronics store for the "cable" I would need.

Saturday morning dawned and I realized that the clerks may not be able to help me without a bit of preliminary information regarding the electronics I was planning to connect. After a little internet research, I learned that my TV and computer both possessed VGA ports. Armed with this knowledge I quickly walked to the store.

Upon arriving I spoke with a series of clerks who each possessed a vague knowledge of the location of the VGA cables. After finally finding someone who actually knew where the merchandise was displayed, I made my way down the third flight of stairs (turned out they were all unnecessary, I was originally on the correct floor) and perused the options before me.

After intently studying each of the options in the display I settled on one, but decided that I possessed such a limited understanding that it would be best to obtain confirmation on my selection. I waited patiently while the clerk assisted another customer before stepping forward and outlining my request.

He pointed out another option (that was cheaper) and said that either selection would transfer the picture as desired, however, he informed me, a VGA cable doesn't transfer sound. I was shocked - - - seriously, what good is picture without sound?! He noticed the look of confusion/annoyance/disbelief on my face and quickly turned back to the display and grabbed another which included a separate cord that connects to the headphone port, pushed it into my hands and told me it was designed to transport sound and picture. Unfortunately though, he informed me that he had no way of knowing if my TV had the capability to accept the sound.

Luckily, I had foreseen this challenge and pulled out my digital camera. Turning it on and selecting the photo I had snapped earlier that morning, I handed him the camera and instructed him on using the zoom function to enable closer study of the photo of the ports on my TV. He was immediately able to confirm that indeed my TV was appropriately equipped. I thanked him effusively and made my purchase.

And yes, I was able to watch all 4 sessions of General Conference, seated on my couch. It was wonderful. And I absolutely loved conference. What a blessing technology is!

Random Confessions

2008-09-25T15:50:00.002-04:00

Rules:1. Post the rules on your blog 2. Write 6 random things about yourself 3. Tag 6 people at the end of your post 4. If you're tagged, DO IT and pass on the tag. Here we go!

1. I tend to doodle the alphabet.
2. Cheetos are my favorite kind of chip.
3. I've had 54 roommates since leaving home 8 years ago.
4. I fold up trash. Like the wrapper on gum - - - totally fold it into a little square 99% of the time. I also make things out of trash, like words or shapes.
5. 5 letters in my first name are also used in the spelling of my last name, and the "S" shows up twice, leaving "B" and "U" as the only lonely letters in my whole name.
6. I used to refuse to order at restaurants - - - for years I made my friends place the order.
I tag Karli, Lyndee, Courtnie, Annie, Heidi, and Denisse.

Two Broadway Musicals, Fabric & Fishes

2008-09-22T13:47:00.006-04:00

Its been a while since I've been to a Broadway show but thanks to Lyndee and Heidi, I managed to fit two in this weekend!

Friday evening Lyndee and I saw A Tale of Two Cities which recently opened on Broadway - - - it was absolutely incredible, I'm thinking my favorite Broadway show. If you get the chance, go see it because it was amazing!Then Saturday, I joined Heidi and Kendall and we say Legally Blonde which was very entertaining. Afterwards we went to Junior's for appetizers and cheesecake.
Saturday was definitely one of those "I'm in love with New York!" days. They don't come around all that often so you must take full advantage when they do :)

The weather was perfect and so after brunch at The Nook, I took a solitary walk down 7th Avenue and stumbled across the Fashion District! I've been here quite a few times but I don't come nearly often enough! I think it wins as one of my favorite places in NYC. I spent a few hours browsing through little shops and found a few fun things. It totally made me miss my sewing machine! However not having my sewing machine didn't stop me from purchasing some fabric to make pillow covers for our couch - - - which ended up being another activity for my Saturday! And now that I have truly hand-stitched a pillow cover (the first project I have ever totally completed by hand) I feel I can truly appreciate our fore bearers who for centuries made every bit of clothing using hand-stitching methods.

Sunday was also a lovin' New York kind of day. I love taking walks on Sunday afternoons, and yesterday Lyndee, Heidi, Kendall, Thomas and I walked over to the pond (that's what Heidi calls it and I don't know if it has a real name) and watched the fish. I was mezmorized by the distortion of the reflected building and clouds and the ghostly appearance of the fish. Here's a few photos.

Of course there were other actives to keep me very busy, but who has time to catalog them all? It was a lovely weekend!

Are you serious?!!

2008-09-12T14:16:00.004-04:00

As if I don't have enough things causing stress for me at this moment.

Can't talk now. System's down.

Sorry for the holdup. Looks like a temporary glitch in our network has part of Yahoo! mail down, so you're briefly without service. Rest assured the alarms are blaring in the basement and our team is working frantically to get you up and running ASAP. Again, the snag is on our end — so there's no need for you to do a thing.
Back to it,
Yahoo! Mail Team

Never Forget

2008-09-11T08:55:00.004-04:00

Home

2008-09-10T18:02:00.011-04:00

During August I was in Oregon and Idaho for Eric's wedding. I have been meaning to post pictures since I got back and have been too busy! Here are some random photos - - - I took about 400 in that week, so I won't force you to look at them all :) If you would like to see more, check out Ash's blog - she came to visit the farm too!

Standing in the corn
Walking to the farm
Denise and the combine
Jay's first time to the top!
I love the sunsets at home!
You can't see him, but Gage is giving Uncle Kevin a wagon ride!

Rishelle with the blanket I made her when she was born - - - it is literally rags now and Crystal can't wait for it to completely disintegrate!
Jill and Emily
Thirsty?
Kristi performing "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" in Japanese (Colin taught her)

Deanne and Richard trying it in Spanish
Mountain climber Gage
Regardless of the occasion, when my family gets together there is always some vehicle repair to do! Thank goodness we have so many auto technicians, plus some bystanders to offer opinions :)
With my nephew, Nathan
Wife and Husband

Gotta love cousins! Kyle, Eric and Nathan
Monica with her sisters, Kellie and Jennae
Tradition
But I was shocked to see who was doing the decorating! :)
Matt's birthday - - - 16!!!

Mark couldn't find his way out of the sprinklers
Coby giving Savannah a ride
Helping Grandpa shuck the corn
See you later! (Conner didn't want to wait for me to take the photo with him and Brooke!)I loved being home!

Off with the Old and On with the New!

2008-09-04T12:13:00.003-04:00

Not sure if you read the other b l o g s that I read, but . . . I moved. It is like any change - - - sad moments but part of livin'! And the prospects for new experiences are end-less . . . I'll try to remember to share them as they come :)

Turning in the keys to the old place was quite a relief! Until I realized that I truly had my work cut out for me - - - We have been working on settling in for the past few days. Hopefully we'll get completely organized soon. It already feels like home which makes me happy!
It is seriously a fabulous apartment. My favorite part is the kitchen (shocker, I know) and it is all brand new! This photo is to remember the very first time I (or anyone for that matter) used the beautiful new stove!!!
And I had to get one of these . . .
. . . so that I could finally have this!!!! Don't know how I survived the last year without a remote for the TV.
Should have made this purchase a year ago :) I'm finally able to channel-surf again! Oh, and watch movies! Like Lyndee said, we may just become home-bodies for the duration of the year :) Feel free to stop by, its sure to be a party!

I love my new home!

Er's Best Decision Ever

2008-09-02T15:12:00.002-04:00

My little brother got married!

Here he is with his beautiful bride (my new sis-n-law) Monica. They make a perfect couple and it was awesome to see their joy and participate in their day.

Eric & Monica Saunders

August 26, 2008

They were married in the Twin Falls, Idaho LDS temple. It was such a blessing to be able to attend his wedding.

Fun fact: Eric and Monica were the first couple to be sealed in the Twin Falls temple! It was dedicated on Sunday and ordinance work began on Tuesday.
Eric is the true middle child in our family, being #7 of 13. He came two years after me and I am so blessed to have him as a younger brother. Thanks to my 4" heals he even almost looks like my little brother here :)
Weddings always make me happy, but when it is your little bro . . . well, its just about a million times more wonderful!

Making Bagels

2008-08-20T12:25:00.002-04:00

Thought I would try a new recipe, so Saturday evening I made my own style of NYC bagels. It was a fun process! I love cooking!

Start by making the dough and then let it raise for 60 minutes. Shape the bagels (maybe I felt like being semi-creative) . . . . . . Let the shaped dough sit for 20 minutes and then drop individually into a pot of boiling water for 1.5 minutes per side. Remove . . .
. . . and immediately place on a cookie sheet, greased and dusted with cornmeal. Bake @ 450 for 15 minutes . . .
. . . and deliciousness results!
The bagels worked great for Sunday's dinner.
I will definitely add this recipe to my book!

View from Shea

2008-08-09T16:50:00.006-04:00

The sky looked gorgeous last night! We were at the Mets game, you can see the new stadium in the foreground. It is the last season for Shea Stadium - the new stadium will be used next season.

Mets vs. Marlins, Mets won 3-0. It was a fun game to watch.
Thanks Heidi!

First New York City Haircut!

2008-08-01T23:59:00.002-04:00

Finally convinced myself that I am a adult and I can go to the hair stylist by myself :) Thanks so much to Heidi for the recommendation. I now have layers! Happy changes!

In dire need of a change

2008-08-01T17:04:00.002-04:00

Sometimes you know how you feel like you are in a rut?

I've felt like that for a while now. I'm about to get a hair cut . . . and I am starting to stress about it - - - BIG TIME!!! My appointment is for 6:30 today. I know it is what I want but I am a bit, okay a TON nervous! About seven years ago I cut 24 inches off my hair and didn't even flinch. Now I am only going to get a trim and layers cut in and I am stressing out.

I'm so ready for a change but I'm a bit worried I chose the wrong one . . .

Odd feeling

2008-07-30T09:47:00.005-04:00

I've never been the sole occupant of a subway car before - - - especially during rush hour - - - felt a bit like I was breaking a rule or something to be all alone in this city!

Pioneer Day

2008-07-24T10:41:00.002-04:00

I just looked at the calendar on my desk and realized that today is July 24th - - - and I was surprised to see "Pioneer Day" written in the little box! Benefit of having a LDS Temple's calendar I guess - it highlights the one Mormon holiday not celebrated by other Christians :)

My favorite part of this day is that we are able to remember and celebrate our ancestors (and predecessors in the gospel), both their sacrifices and accomplishments. I know for me, it is a perfect opportunity to reflect on their faith, the courage it gave them to press forward when it seemed that all the powers of evil were against them . . . knowing that the way would be hard, they still persevered. I take strength from their faith.

How grateful I am for all pioneers.

Survivor Staircase

2008-07-23T12:15:00.002-04:00

On our way home from seeing The Dark Knight on Friday evening, we witnessed workers at the WTC site moving the Survivor Staircase. I wasn't in NYC during that saddest of days, but I believe that this staircase represents hope and I am grateful that efforts are being made for its preservation and display.

NY Philharmonic in Central Park

2008-07-16T13:36:00.005-04:00

During the summer, the New York Philharmonic holds free concerts in parks around NYC. I joined Heidi, Joe and Brittany Tuesday night for the concert in Central Park. It was a fabulous "NYC experience", one of those things that you can't really do anywhere else.

Even though it was overwhelmingly crowded, we managed to get a fairly good view of the stage. Directly after the concert, fireworks erupted near the southern end of the park. It was beautiful! I love fireworks!

Thanks for the invite Heidi!

We Won!

2008-07-11T12:31:00.000-04:00

I participated in a group scavenger hunt for a work social and my team WON!!!

Our "Crazy Team Photo":

Family Pictures

2008-07-09T09:00:00.000-04:00

It has been about 17 years since our last formal family picture. After extensive planning these past few months everything was arranged . . . and it actually happened! Below are a few of the photo's. Everyone was there!

Dad and Mom surrounded by all their children
EVERYONE! Dad and Mom, all children w/spouses, and all grandchildren (yes, I can name each one!)

Dad and Mom
Dad with his daughters
Mom with her sons
Dad and Mom with all their granchildren Brothers
SistersAll the kids, in order - Jay, Alena, Matt, Sheryl, Jill, Denise, Eric, Brenda, Kevin, Natalie, Deanne, Greg and Kristi
Ready to work!

It was amazing to finally get real family pictures after all this time and I am happy with the way they have turned out. The photographer did an awesome job!

I love my family!

At Home in Oregon

2008-07-07T15:24:00.015-04:00

This past week I was in Oregon, celebrating the 4th of July with my family. It was wonderful because all of us (42 including everyone) were there. Here are a few photos of home.

I stepped into the street and took this photo facing east on Main Street in Vale. Sometimes I forget just how small of a town I grew up in.

I love the 4th of July! It is so important to remember that the freedom we have in this country was fought for and that it is necessary to continue to defend that freedom today.

It is my favorite holiday and also represents a time for the family to get together. We have a tradition that each July 4th the kids over 12 yrs of age (those who can drag themselves out of bed by 6:30am - actually Mom wakes us up or we would never make it!) climb the silo and raise the flag at the top. Quite a few of us made it this year, but you can tell we didn't get enough sleep :)

Clockwise from center front: Alena, Jill, Monica, Eric, Denise, Sheryl, Matt
Monica, Alena, Sheryl, Jill, Brenda, Denise A corn field Potatoes in Mom's garden
One of my favorite things was seeing the grand kid's have so much fun together - - - it is awesome to see the families of my siblings mix when we get together. And I am amazed that they remember one another even though they are unable to see each other very often. I love it when they talk about their "cousins".

Harold and Conner
John and Gage
Savannah and Coby
Karadyn and Caleb

Getting a tractor ride! When there are too many to fit with Grandpa (Dad) on the tractor seat, the loader certainly comes in handy.
At our house we love to play a game of baseball. All ages are welcome and strikes generally aren't counted - some of us are not known for our batting skills and others are barely old enough to give it a good swing. As children, we would play in the barnyard with my Grandpa Saunders, so I am happy to see the tradition carried forward. Plus, it is tons of fun and laughter to play with this group!

Conner up to bat getting some instruction from dad (Kevin)
Kali got a hit, hopefully she can outrun Uncle Kevin!
Waiting for a turn to bat
Anna at bat

Savannah getting a little help from dad (Richard)
Yes, I took my turn. And amazed Cory when I hit it past the tree!
Playing in the front yard
Our favorite place to congregate is the kitchen. Meals are one of the best parts of our get-together's and trust me, the food coming out of Mom's kitchen is pretty amazing!

After meals also happens to be the best time for conversation

Mom's kitchen is the best - - - 5 cooks and still room for more!

More talking
I love spending time with my nieces and nephews - holding Adelaide, talking to Caleb
I found it amusing that when one of the boys mentioned going and shooting clay pigeons, not a single girl moved but every male in the house was headed out the door before another word could be said!

The four-wheelers made great seats for those waiting for a turn

Matt, Greg and Kevin
The silo's at night

An annual tradition for the Vale Wards is to have a breakfast on July 4th with both wards. It is always a high-light of the holiday and this year's exceeded expectations - pancakes, sausage, scrambled eggs, and potatoes - a true breakfast!
My Mother's family had a reunion on the 5th and there were probably around 200 people in attendance. It was great to see my cousins and uncles and aunts!

In January, my Grandpa, John L. Wagstaff, passed away at the age of 96. As the weather was very bad, all family members that were not close to home were encouraged not to come for the funeral, and it was decided that there would be a memorial during the reunion. It was nice to remember Grandpa and the things that were most important to him: the gospel, family, and hard work.

During his lifetime, Grandpa served 4 missions, served in various church callings, married in the temple (Ruth), had 7 children with his first wife (Ruth passed away when he was in his forties), remarried in the temple (Ileen, who we all know as Grandma), farmed in Utah and Idaho, had 62 grandchildren, and the number of great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren has surpassed the number of grandchildren and continues to grow. He is missed by those here, but I am grateful to know that we will be together again when our work is done because we are part of an eternal family.

Me and Grandma Wagstaff

It is always wonderful to go home. Just looking out the windows or standing in the yard is so comforting.

Looking east, towards the farm
And sunsets in Vale are always gorgeous!
I love home. I love my family.

Hidden Messages

2008-07-01T09:31:00.000-04:00

I have been thinking about whether or not to see the new Disney movie, Wall-E, but am hesitant because of the underlying message --- that humans destroyed the planet and left a robot to clean up after them.

This morning I was on a 6:15 flight and it was full of children. I couldn't help but overhear two young boys (I'd estimate around 7 years old) discussing Wall-E. After hearing the following, I think that anyone who assumes that subtle messages aren't picked up by their kids should reconsider.

As I eaves-dropped, I heard the boy who had been to the movie say to the other boy, who was eagerly anticipating his own viewing, that "there is garbage everywhere and Wall-E just cleans it up" and that "there are only three living things on the whole earth: a tiny tree planted in an old shoe, a cricket, and . . . Wall-E! Everything else is trash from the humans."

Testing...testing...testing

2008-06-26T20:57:00.001-04:00

I am attempting to make this post using my Blackberry while sitting in the hammock. If it shows up, I was successful!
Unfortunately I was unable to attach this photo using my Blackberry. Does anyone know if it is possible?

Klutz

2008-06-24T15:57:00.010-04:00

Last week, I tripped and fell hard while walking home which resulted in a nasty scrape on my knee, ruined slacks, 3 broken fingernails, scraped palms and a bruised shoulder. And ten strangers asking me if I was okay, which was ever-so-slightly embarrassing.

Last night, my hand slipped while playing pool at FHE and I grazed my knuckles on the wooden table. There is now a small hole in my middle finger and my pointer finger is scraped.

This morning, while styling my hair, I managed to burn the tip of my nose (no visible injury with this one - thank goodness!)

I am not a fan of this sudden propensity for clumsiness. It is very unusual for me. And it hurts too much.

New Blog Header

2008-06-19T12:36:00.005-04:00

Ash felt that my blogs appearance was a bit on the boring side so, using a photograph I had taken, she prepared a new header for my blog. I find it to be a very pleasant change. Thanks Ash!

Perfect Man

2008-06-18T13:13:00.005-04:00

I was just visiting with one of my friends at work. She was telling me all about her son, husband, and baby on the way and it was such fun to hear her stories. The conversation took the course that it usually does - - - what's up in Brenda's life? And as usual, that inspired one of her speeches trying to motivate my social-ness which led to her relating a fabulous conversation she had with a friend . . .

Mary's friend: I've done studies and the perfect man just isn't going to magically appear on my couch.

Mary's response: Yeah, but when you do find the perfect man you won't be able to get him off your couch!

Walked Home

2008-06-18T10:00:00.005-04:00

Yesterday after work, I decided to finally do something I have considered doing since moving out here . . . I walked home from my office. And loved it! I Y walking.

The entire walk (including all pauses for traffic or points of interest) took just under 1.5 hours. According to Google Map Pedometer, the total distance covered was approximately 4.5 miles. So I averaged about 3 miles per hour. I get accused of walking too quickly all the time, but it turns out that the average speed for adults is 3 miles per hour - - - so maybe I'm not the one who needs to change my pace :)

Really a New Yorker

2008-06-13T17:17:00.007-04:00

After three frustrating visits to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, and waiting patiently for two hours during the last one, I have successfully earned my New York State driver's license. All it took was presenting my birth certificate (thanks to Mom for overnighting it to me), social security card, proof of employment, proof of address, driving record from Oregon and my expired Oregon driver's license. As I handed over my Oregon license, the woman at the counter said to me, "you know we're gonna keep that, right?" I gave a sad sigh and responded "yes." Maybe I am a bit of a sentimental extremist, but that tiny rectangle of plastic has been my constant companion for over 9 years! It has lived in various purses and been presented with pride on countless occasions (not so much to officers of the law, but to people requesting identification). It felt as if I were surrendering my own identity as I slid it across the counter. And now it is time to embrace a new one - - - I am no longer an Oregonian, but a New Yorker.

Even Here

2008-06-12T12:50:00.005-04:00

Growing up in a small town it was common to see notes such as this posted on the doors of local businesses, however I never expected to find one in the great city of New York!
The frozen yogurt and fresh fruit were delicious and definitely worth the wait!

My Cousin came to see me!

2008-06-11T16:32:00.008-04:00

During the last week, I had the pleasure of having my cousin Garrett come to NYC just to visit me!!! And, I suppose, to see some of the city. He arrived late on Tuesday night and I showed him around my neighborhood a bit. We found a deli where we purchased sandwiches and then wandered over to the East Side River, between the heliport and South Street Seaport. It was great to catch up and enjoy spending time with my cousin. Below are a few high-lights from his visit....
Wednesday Garrett was on his own while I was working. He explored Midtown and met up with me to attend the Broadway musical Wicked. We both loved it!

Later we met up with a few friends to go to Junior's for cheesecake followed by a quick visit to Times Square.
Friday we went to Chinatown and Garrett found some litchi at one of the corner markets. He ate this fruit while serving an LDS mission in New Caledonia (Fiji mission) and insisted that we try it. Litchi is actually quite good, just a lot of work to eat. After exploring Chinatown we went to Little Italy for dinner. We convinced Ash to join us as often as possible!
Saturday we walked the Brooklyn Bridge....
And introduced Garrett to real NYC pizza - Grimaldi's!
I took a vacation day on Monday and Garrett and I wandered around Central Park
And then we attended the Yankee's game! We had great seats behind third base and left field and the three home-run hits during the game all came within 20 feet of us! It was the afternoon game and we melted! NYC was experiencing a heat wave and the temperature reached 99 degrees! It was a bit warm, but so worth it because the game was amazing to watch!
Monday evening we took Garrett to Serendipity for dinner and some frozen hot chocolate to round out his visit.
I love spending time with family and am so grateful that Garrett came all the way to NYC to visit me! We had the best time!

Bowling!

2008-06-04T11:24:00.000-04:00

A group of us from work went bowling and it was so very nice to have a planned activity away from work for once. This past seven or eight months has been pretty intense with work, so it was fun to relax and enjoy a break. I was pretty impressed with the skills of my team, for the first time in my life, I witnessed a Turkey! Kevin bowled three strikes in a row and it was pretty amazing!

My camera was malfunctioning (need to figure out what is up with it) but I managed to get one good photo during the night ~ Kevin had a bit more form than the rest of us.I'm not one who generally makes a fool of myself. So I take it kind of hard when I slip up and do something beyond embarrassing. Needless to say, I don't have nearly the control of the bowling ball that I thought I did . . . or maybe it just had a mind of it's own and chose to go the opposite direction than I intended!
Regardless, the moment was overshadowed in everyone else's minds by the fact that I managed a few strikes of my own and didn't just hang with the gutter!

Tagged

2008-06-03T13:01:00.004-04:00

For me the word 'tagged' doesn't bring to mind the game of tag that children play in elementary school, no, it actually makes me think about tagging cows. I really don't know the technical terms but basically you pierce the ear (or ears) of the cow and insert an identification tag. This allows the farmer or rancher to identify their property and prevents complications if two herds mix as each farmer is able show a record of ownership for that animal and claim it based on the information displayed on the tag.

Considering the word 'tag' in the traditional form is much more logical when associating it with being encouraged to blog about one's self . . .

Rules:
1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog.
* What I was doing 10 years ago - - - A Wednesday in June in 1998? Farm work, probably digging corrugates or weeding, along with many other farm jobs.
* 5 things on my 'to do' list today - - - Work, Laundry, Cleaning apt, Mulcock Movie, and welcoming Garrett when he arrives from Boise!!!!!
* Things I would do if I were a billionaire - - - Continue to live life, probably being forced to deal with lots more issues and struggles, but still I'd just live.
* 3 of my bad habits - - - Guilt-tripping others, Underestimating time, and Selfishness
* 5 places I've lived - - - Vale, Rexburg, Provo, Manhattan (maybe I've only lived in 4 places)
* 5 jobs I've had - - - Farmer, Seamstress, Landscaper, Babysitter, Auditor

I feel guilty so I will continue this game of tag by requesting to know more about Erika, Karli, Mel, Denisse and Annie.

Bridges, Cars and Train's

2008-05-27T12:26:00.011-04:00

The Brooklyn Bridge has been standing for 125 years. There are quite a few festivities going on to celebrate the suspension bridge that was the longest in the world at the time of its completion.Saturday afternoon, Heidi and I walked across the bridge to find the telectroscope on the other side. It is connected to London and we could stand in front of it and wave at people on the other side of the ocean. There were white boards available and Heidi wrote a message to share with the nice folks in London.
If you look closely at the center of this picture you can see a circle (in the blue space among the clouds) which is crowded with people's heads - - - they are in London! It was a fun experience.
Monday I accompanied my friend Mark on a drive to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and caught the train back to NYC that afternoon. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and I loved seeing open space, trees, farmhouses, and silo's instead of tall buildings! Such a wonderful break from the usual and it was my first trip to Pennsylvania. I loved it!

I completely forgot to take pictures during the drive but here is one of the train station . . . bit different than the train station I am used to and oh, so difficult to locate, but with a little help we found it and I returned safely to NYC.

Growing Tomatoes

2008-05-21T20:16:00.005-04:00

I Y gardening. I miss my garden, but can't bring myself to grow a plant in a pot after enjoying a 2+ acre plot in front of the house at home. So I continue to miss it for the second spring. Maybe next year I will fold.

Recently, I was reading and came across the following tips for growing tomatoes (hence the sudden sadness at not having a garden to grow):
*Plant in an area that gets at least 6 hours of light each day.
* Give seedlings plenty of room to grow.
* By placing black or red plastic over the area you plan to plant in, the soil will warm and will mean earlier tomatoes.
* Bury tomato plants until there are just a few top leaves showing.
* When plants reach three inches, remove leaves on the bottom one inch of the stem; this decreases risk of fungus.
* Water regularly. Once fruit develops, withhold water a little to get the plant to concentrate its flavorful sugars.

I need a garden plot again.
PS - this is a picture of Denise, holding tomatoes and standing in the last garden I grew.

Pilgrims and Mini-sailboats

2008-05-20T12:50:00.007-04:00

Happily I had a work-free Saturday and was able to attend the LDS social in Central Park. The activity was located between the Pilgrim statue and the mini-sailboat pond. Upon arriving, I realized that I had not previously visited this area of Central Park (maybe seeing more than the bottom hundred yards should be my goal for this summer). It was a beautiful day.

This pilgrim commemorates the landing of the pilgrims on Plymouth Rock in 1620. I am amazed at the courage of those men and women who braved the seas to attain religious freedom and so grateful for the sacrifices they made.

These little sailboats were so cute! However I feel that if we would have said as much to the burly men working the remote controls, we wouldn't have gotten a very positive response. They seemed to be taking it quite seriously.

This was my favorite!

Spider

2008-05-16T22:34:00.002-04:00

I think I am scared of spiders but this one looked interesting. I find it strange that some spiders choose to make their homes near water, I would think something more solid would be more appealing. More pretty flowers

Special Joy

2008-05-05T12:53:00.008-04:00

I can't articulate how blessed I feel to have been given the opportunity to help present awards at the Brooklyn Special Olympics on Saturday. It was incredible to be surrounded by people who are not caught up in the things of the world and to simply enjoy their spirits. It was an amazing experience and I'm glad that Ash and Libby invited me to join them.

Lining up for the first race . . . I believe there were over 70 races scheduled for the day. My friends and I were asked to help by presenting the medals to the participants. The spirit of competition was fierce but all were overjoyed to receive a medal documenting their success. It was a humbling experience to witness their happiness. I hesitate to share many photos as I do not wish to invade anyone's privacy, but it was such an amazing experience that I had to share one photo.

At the end of each race, the participants were asked to be seated while waiting for all the teams to gather and the results of the race to be provided by the officials. After completing his race a young man was very sad because he was asked to wait for everyone else and he did not understand why he wasn't immediately given his medal. Another member of his team (who had earned a medal for participating in an earlier race) was sitting beside him, and upon witnessing his teammates abject disappointment, removed the medal from around his own neck and placed it over his friends head. When the caretaker tried to intervene, the giver simply told her his teammate needed it.

Thanks to Libby for researching the event and inviting us to join her.

And Ash for getting us there!
It was an extraordinary day for me.

Happy May Day!

2008-05-01T09:47:00.002-04:00

Changes

2008-04-29T12:23:00.008-04:00

On Sunday evening I had the privilege of attending the going away party for a good friend of mine. I am sad (for myself) to see Chris leave the city but as he is pursuing his goal of law school I can't help but be super excited for him!

It was great to get together and realize how far we've come since we met. You see, Chris and I both came to NYC as interns for the same company in January of '06 from BYU-I. It was extremely comforting for me to have a friend who understood the struggles with the change. I think its great that he has accomplished what he came here to do and is now moving forward to achieve additional goals!

Green-Wood Cemetery

2008-04-28T21:37:00.006-04:00

I was invited to join some friends on an excursion to visit Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. I know it is a bit crazy but I love walking through cemeteries (during daylight hours) and reading headstones. So I gladly accepted and enjoyed a lovely afternoon wandering through approximately 600,000 graves. My favorite part is that you can simply wander and wonder about people's lives . . .

When we arrived at the entrance, Collin shared with us that a colony of monk parakeets who got loose at JFK while being transported from South America (during the 1960's) have made their home in the tallest spire. I thought for certain he must be teasing me, but sure enough, we were able to see the nest and many green birds! The landscape of the cemetery is beautiful, rolling hills dotted with tombstones and trees.
We were very near the site of the Battle of Long Island, fought during the Revolutionary War (visiting this site was the reason for the excursion I believe). Lovely view across the meadow.
Nature won.
I'm not so certain the guys were all that excited about posing for a photo, but after feeding them lots of brownies and cake, I think they may have felt obligated. I know how to get people to do what I want :)
Collin, Ryan, Jared, Brigham, Gabe

This was my favorite headstone. It looked like an unrolled scroll and there were no names or dates that I could discover.
I was surprised to see a CAUTION sign in the cemetery. At least they wouldn't have to move you far if you ignored the sign.
One of my more favorite path markers . . . I think it reminded me of home.
I kept getting distracted reading headstones . . . but they would slow down when they realized I was missing.
I Y cemeteries in the springtime!

Daffodils

2008-04-23T12:38:00.009-04:00

I am aware that many different varieties of daffodils exist, probably thousands, but who knew that four could be found in a single walk? And in NYC none-the-less. It cheers me to be reminded that even in this not-so-clean city that true beauty can be found. After a bit of Google research, I have tentatively identified the following dafs that I noticed during my Sunday-afternoon stroll.

Trumpet Daffodils - White corona (trumpet or cup) on White perianth segments (petals)
Split-Cupped Daffodils - Yellow on Yellow
Split-Cupped Daffodils: Yellow on White
Poeticus Daffodils: Red-tipped Yellow on White
I know this isn't a daffodil, I find it interesting to observe trees too . . .

Hinckley Challenge

2008-04-18T10:29:00.002-04:00

Finished this morning . . .
http://www.hinckleychallenge.com/

Riverside Park

2008-04-13T21:36:00.008-04:00

The weather was beautiful on Saturday so a group of us went on an excursion to Riverside Park on the Upper West Side alongside the Hudson River. We wandered through the park and ended at Grant's Tomb. A long promenade in Riverside Park
Watching baseball. Joe, Jenna, Heidi, Whitney, Brigham, Collin, Ashley, Lyndee
There were many many trees

Heidi overlooking a baskeball game. In the background of the picture there are ball fields full of Little League teams playing softball.
I didn't recognize this flower, it looked like a type of groundcover but may have been a weed
Our intent was to see the trees in bloom, but there were actually very few with flowers
These flowers were on a bush - I really liked it and want to figure out what the name is

More daffodils!

G - R - A - N - T. Our tour guide (Collin) shared with us that Grant's tomb is the largest mausoleum in the United States and that General Grant and his wife Julia are entombed there.

"Let us have peace"
Ulysses S Grand and Julia D Grant
Eagles flank the front steps
I love stars!
Brigham, me, Collin, Ashley, Lyndee, Jamar, Joe, Jenna

It was such a lovely day in Riverside Park!

Best Part of Spring

2008-04-11T13:36:00.003-04:00

Tulips and pansies and daffodils

I Y spring flowers!

Conference Tradition

2008-04-07T21:48:00.005-04:00

Brigham Young doughnuts are a General Conference tradition in my family. Even though the family is 2000 miles away, it is still possible to carry on traditions with great friends!

I Y General Conference!

The Lion King

2008-03-27T12:42:00.004-04:00

The Lion King wasn't a show that I ever planned to see, however (thanks to Lyndee) it worked out to join Mel last night for the 8pm performance at the Minskoff Theatre in Times Square. I am so glad because the show was amazing. Of course, the costumes were the best part :) Each one was truly a work of art - the designers did a great job capturing the look and personality of each animal and converting building materials into a costume that gave a human the ability to perform under the guise of a wild beast. My personal favorites were the giraffes, hyenas, and the cheetah.

Made Me Smile

2008-03-17T16:51:00.004-04:00

Brooke!

Much Better than Expected

2008-03-08T23:23:00.009-05:00

It's true. I am officially old. As in the number representing my years on earth has officially increased now that my birthday has come. I wasn't so much looking forward to this birthday as I wasn't quite ready for another year of my life to be over - I want to take a bit more time to stop and smell the roses! But alas, I am not able to hold back time so I will accept the inevitable aging.

Now I mentioned I wasn't so keen on this birthday, but it truly turned out better than I had expected . . .
I started out the day by attending an early 7:45am session at the Manhattan Temple. This may have been the earliest I have ever dragged myself out of bed on a Saturday, but it was absolutely worth it! Attending the temple at the start of a new year was the best idea I ever had! And I was joined by my dear friends which made it even better.
Here I am with my temple buddies, Lyndee and Melanie

And Sara too!

After the temple, we wandered down to 57th and 9th Avenue to Whym Restaurant where we were joined by five other friends. Lyndee had orchestrated the brunch, reservations and all, getting the recommendation from Cory. And can I just say, wow, absolutely fabulous choice! The service was perfect and the food tasted oh, so good! And I was able to enjoy it with my very close friends, who had all sacrificed there Saturday mornings to come all the way uptown. It is most likely the best brunch that I have had while in the city. Below are a few snapshots of the delectable food.

As I mentioned, I was joined by 8 amazing friends! I cannot express how amazing these ladies are and all that they do to help me be a better person - thanks gals for celebrating with me!

Ashley, Heidi, Cory, Me, Melanie, Sara, Lyndee, Kimberly, Courtnie

Afterwards I was forced to face reality and walk in the pouring rain to work, where I spend the next 12 hours, interrupted periodically with phone calls, emails, and texts. But even with working all that time, it was still a fabulous birthday! Thanks to everyone who celebrated with me or sent me happy birthday greetings!

My Father

2008-03-02T22:39:00.003-05:00

Today is Dad's birthday! I managed to place my phone call at the perfect time so as to get through to wish him a happy birthday! That is more difficult than you may imagine due to the fact that my father has eight other children who might possibly be trying to call for the same purpose at the same time. But I got through and I was able to talk to Dad, . . . though I did have to promise my 15 year old brother the equivalent of my first child to get him to pass the phone to Dad (sometimes little brothers delight a bit too much in tormenting their older sisters!) It is so wonderful to have a father who loves to talk to his children.

Since it is Dad's birthday I'll share a few facts about Dad . . .
He loves Mom
He has a very clear view of what is right and doesn't waver, he lives what he believes
He has 13 pretty incredible kids (if the reference to 8 children above threw you off . . . 8+me, all out on our own, and 4 still at home) and is a wonderful father
He gives the best motorcycle rides (and tractor rides, and combine rides, and 4-wheeler rides . . .)
His grandkids adore him and love it when he visits
He is a man of integrity
He works incredibly hard and has taught his children well
He loves home and family
He plays the organ well (and the piano too)
He tells the best bed-time stories
He loves family history
He appreciates classic muscle cars
He honors his priesthood
He isn't much of a cook but he makes delicious popcorn (perfectly buttered with just the right amount of salt) and fresh picked corn-on-the-cob
I could go on forever because he is pretty amazing!

I appreciate my father because he helped nurture my testimony and taught me correct principles from the time I was very young. He also taught me how to work (okay, he had some serious help from Mom on this one) and to never quit until the job is done right. A quick story to illustrate. Growing up on a family farm, we learned to work early and to be responsible for the work that we did. Inevitably there were times when we would be out late on a cold winter's night, walking fences or caring for a sick calf. Dad was right there beside us, helping to take care of the problem and eventually we would get the work done. As us kids would hustle to the pick-up, Dad would check everything one last time. We of course would holler to him to hurry so that we could get home, but Dad would check the fence or make sure the calf had plenty of straw in its pen. He always said it was so that "I can sleep when the wind blows." I think I understand those words much better now that I find myself fulfilling my responsibilities.

I love you Dad, happy birthday!

Out of the Ordinary (for me)

2008-02-26T20:30:00.007-05:00

I'm not much for video games but Karaoke Revolution has proven to be a great stress relief, so periodically I will participate. Pretty much my favorite part is actually creating the characters . . . its kind of like playing dress-up . . .

Anyway, since this is most likely a once-in-a-life-time event, figured I would let you all know that I joined Kim for a duet and we performed so well as to earn a perfect score! (Kim manages this quite frequently on her own, but for me, well its more than a little miracle.) Yes, that would be our facsimiles' celebrating a perfect execution of Material Girl. Amazing, huh?

It Tastes Better

2008-02-22T00:01:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the many dinners that I've had the privilege of eating at my desk during this busy season, I have determined that Heinz ketchup packets have a better flavor than Hunt's. For serious.

I would say I am someone who truly loves individual packets of ketchup (ever since the two quarter bet with Ron, I've been addicted to this stuff - but only what comes in the little packets!)
I didn't realize the subtle differences until now, but I have found Heinz to be truly superior. You don't have to take my word for it . . . go get some french fries and see for yourself!

Lunar Eclipse

2008-02-21T12:00:00.004-05:00

I was on my way home from work last evening (walking west on 51st toward Broadway) and I noticed that everyone was looking at the eastern sky. Glancing over my shoulder I realized that I had inadvertantly left work at the appropriate time (10pm) to see the lunar eclipse - the moon truly did look red.
I don't recall the weather ever cooperating before so I believe this is my first-ever sighting of an eclipse.