Gotta Love 'Em!

How can you NOT love these three? We're having at blast hanging out at Grandma's house! (I think this is a perfect album cover pic)

Families

So, my sister and her 3 daughters came in town yesterday from Virginia! They are so cute! I love having the opportunity to spend time with my siblings and their kids. Even though two of my siblings and their families live in other states, I've miraculously been able to see all of them in the same month! (The other family is in Texas, where I just was a couple weeks ago!)

Families are such a blessing. When all else fails (friends get married, college friends move back home, not having a spouse, etc) families are the best friends to turn to. I know I can always count on my family to be there for me.

The last 4 or so years I've watched several of my best friends get married, and was forced by circumstances to make new friends who were also single. Then, watched them get married, and forced by circumstances to again make new friends who are also single. This cycle will continue until I get married and then I'll probably be playing the same game with married friends with/without children until I have my own. But in the meantime, its comforting to know that no matter where my siblings and their families are in life in comparison to my life, they will always care about me and want to know what's happening in my life and to tell me about adventures of their own lives. They truly are my best friends! Thank goodness families are forever!

I Spy... Footprints

My life feels like an "I Spy" book that is categorized into various time frames, each with many details and treasures to find among all the garbage and useless junk. Tonight, I see footprints and am reminded of a poem.

Footprints on the Heart

Some people come into our lives and quickly go.
Some people move our souls to dance.
They awaken us to new understanding
with the passing whisper of their wisdom.

Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon.
They stay in our lives for a while,
Leave footprints on our hearts.
And we are never, ever the same.

As I encounter new friends, and reacquaint with old friends, I always look for things I can learn from them and from their passions, attitudes, and knowledge. Today is no different. I find myself staring at one particular page of my "I Spy" book seeing many footprints--some larger than others, but many still the same. And I think about how blessed I am to have met all these wonderful people and learn new things about myself as I learn about them.

I thank my friends and family for all the support they've ever given me and continue to give. And more importantly, I thank my Father in Heaven and my Savior for placing people in my life when I need them most and keeping me humble as I move forward. My knowledge of His plan, an eternal plan, gives me the courage to stand tall and press forward with faith and enjoyment even through my tough times. That particular relationship with my Father and with the Savior is still deepening to become the most defined footprint, consistently spied on every page in my "I Spy" book of Life.

Technologically Handicap

Tonight, I had the task of teaching my mom how to use her iPod. Mind you, several years ago when iPods first came out, my dad thought my mom would really enjoy one for her walking so he bought it for her for Christmas. Over a year later, I noticed it was still in the box so asked to use it during a vacation and never really gave it back to her. She never missed it. This last my mom asked for a new one in hopes that she's actually learn it this time. Today, she finally registered it!

It amazes me every time I have to lend technological support just how much seems to be innate for me and others of my generation. We don't think twice about downloading music, using mP3 players, DVRs, fancy cell phones with a million capabilities, Google Earth, etc. But, every time I hear my name called from my dad's office, I am quickly reminded of the generation gap that exists between my parents and me and that it seams to only be growing.

But tonight I pay tribute to my sweet mother who honestly wants to learn. Today she uploaded new picture software and actually learned how to use it without calling me once! And, she figured out how to downloaded music with very little assistance! It wasn't until she wanted to understand how to use her iPod that I finally sat down for a tutorial. Amazingly, I sense some technological barriers being passed. The light bulb has finally been twisted tight enough! My mom finally gets it!

To anyone with technologically handicap parents... be patient. If they really want to learn, years later, they will! And once they get it, they won't need our help very often, but we'll still have to be patient because they just don't move through things as fast we do. But at least they finally get it!

Scrabulous

Tonight was a peaceful Sunday night. Since I'm the only child still not married and I've moved home after college, I get lots of time to hang out with my parents. So tonight we played a tough game of Scrabble (it helps their minds stay active as they age! ;) ) Haha, just kidding, my parents are incredibly intelligent. Anyway, I thought I did pretty well staying close in score to my dad who is a wealth of knowledge and walking dictionary. He still won the game with 197 points, but I came in second with 153, and my mom came in last, bless her heart, with 105. It was good for her to play! :)

Y'all have a good time now, ya hear?

My last day in Houston began with a beautiful drive to Brenham, TX, home of original Blue Bell Ice Cream Factory! For $3 we were taken on a tour through the factory and got a cup of ice cream at the conclusion of the tour. It was fun to see how the ice cream is flavored, mixed, poured into the containers, frozen, and how they make ice cream drumsticks and sandwiches. Have you ever thought how they make ice cream sandwiches? Its pretty amazing! My niece and nephew didn't care much for the tour, but the ice cream at the end was the best part of their trip.



After we got back to Houston, we decided to just relax at the park for a few hours and just enjoy the beautiful 70 degree weather. I loved being able to rest in the sun in my shorts and t-shirt. Then alas, it was time to return to my brother's home to pack our bags and head to the airport. It was a sad thought knowing I was leaving such perfect weather only to return to the rain, snow, 40 degree weather where I have to wear boots, and coats.

Someday soon, it will be spring again in Salt Lake City. Until then, I imagine I will continue to tell myself I'm grateful for changing seasons!

Yee haw! Houston Rodeo

Tuesday brought us to the Houston Rodeo! It was amazing! The rodeo lasts about 2 weeks. Carnival festivities surround the entire Reliant Park and the actual rodeo is followed by a concert showcasing a different well-known artist every night. Tuesday night was Rascal Flats!

We arrived at Reliant Park later than planned so we didn't spend as much time experiencing the carnival as we had wished, but we still were able to go to the petting zoo outside where we saw zebras, kangaroos, ostriches, calves, baby goats, baby lambs, small ponies, and a pot-belly pig. I had fun petting some of the animals and watching my nephew as he took in the sight of these animals for the first time.

After the petting zoo, we grabbed some food. My sister-in-law, Shirlee, and I both got roasted corn which was new and delicious to us. My brother-in-law, Neil, got turkey on a stick wish is basically a turkey leg. I didn't try any of it, but he doesn't normally like turkey, but loved it! Since this was nearing the end of a week-long vacation for me, my body was craving fruits and vegetables, so I stuck with just the corn.

Then we went inside to the rodeo and had a blast! My nephew, Ty, was enthralled with all the action in the arena and I wasn't even able to get his attention for a good picture. The funniest parts of the rodeo to me were the youth/calf scramble where kids were chasing calves around the arena trying to harness them with a rope and lead them to the center of the arena. I'm pretty sure a couple of the girls had some serious bruises after being stepped on by a calf and even having it rip through their jeans! The other funny part was the wagon races. I thought for sure these wagons were going to tip every time they took a turn in the arena!

After the rodeo completed, a large stage was moved into the center of the arena for the Rascal Flats concert... which was AMAZING! They played all my favorite songs! My nephew only knows one of their songs, "Life Is A Highway" from Cars. Thats was their concluding song so he was loving it and sang it the whole way home that night. Even though it was really loud in the Astrodome, he was a total trooper for sitting through almost the entire concert.

The first picture to the right shows the stage being brought into the arena and set up. It was fun watching them pull up the power through all the dirt on the floor. Its amazing how so many event centers are versatile now. The second picture is of course the fancy guitar jams! I love listening to guys jam on their guitars, I think its totally Hot! The last picture is of the stage during the concert. The stage rotated so we got a great view a lot of the concert.

fried oreos. Yes, fried oreos. If you ever get the chance to try one, do it! TheyAs we were leaving the Reliant Park, we had to stop and buy some are so so good! I'm sure I gained at least 2 lbs with just the 3 oreos I ate, but it was totally worth it!

It was a total treat to be able to go to the rodeo while I was in Houston. It is a great opportunity for me to let my inner Cowgirl really shine!

Pictures of Texas

The pictures, thus far.

This is a picture of the stalagmites in the cavern. Some were nearly 50' tall and connected with a stalagtite!

My sister-in -law Shirlee and me inside the cavern

The Riverwalk! It reminded my of pictures I've seen of Venice, Italy. I've never been to Venice, but I imagine it would be a lot like this. There were no railings on the edge of the sidewalk, so we were literally on the edge of the water. Restaurants lined the sidewalk so patrons could eat right near the river. There were even a few tour boats glided the water. According to my brother, some of the tour boats are equipped to serve dinner as well.

This is me on the Riverwalk, though the picture doesn't show it so well. I'm the dark blob on the right.

Oh, the glorious beach in Galveston. It was warm enough to wet the feet, but not warm enough to fully submerge. But you can never go wrong being at the beach!
Sweet little Maya. She would have run into the ocean as far as she could or until she got knocked over by a wave if her daddy had let her! It was so fun to watch her joyful laughter as the water washed over her feet.
Here is Maya again with her daddy (my brother).
My brother-in-law Neil and nephew Ty. Ty was terrified of the ocean which is strange because he loves the pool and bathtub. He was nearly in tears as we tried to get him in the water. He was much more content chasing the seagulls and playing in the sand. At least he likes the beach if not the ocean.
Kevin Keys playing with his twins, Jace in the green and Conner in the yellow. They were laughing so cute as Kevin let them pull on his badge clip. Such a cute family!

Kerry, me, and the twins at the Museum of Natural Science. We visited the CSI exhibit but they wouldn't let her take the stroller inside. So, with some convincing words by Kerry we all got in free! After we finished the exhibit, we walked around the general museum and saw all sorts of fun stuff. This museum will be much more fun for the boys when they start to grow up, but plenty of fun for us in the meantime!

Livin' it up, Texas Style

When I decided to vacation to Houston, I had no idea just how much I was in for! I thought I was going to visit Houston only, but since I've arrived I've been to Houston, Galveston, San Antonio, Driftwood (part of the "Hill Country"...they've obviously never seen the Rocky Mountains!), and drove through Austin and other smaller cities. Texas is beautiful in its own way. I do miss the majesty of the mountains and valleys, but the wide open spaces as far as the eye can see are are something just as amazing to behold. Tonight when the sun set, I could see orange and pink beauty across the entire western sky as well as the eastern sky where the clouds reflected the same colors.

And when it rains, it pours! Imagine a heavy Utah rain... thats similar to a drizzle in Texas! I've witnessed a few rain storms since my arrival and loved every minute of it! However, it was a bummer this morning when we were planning to go to Sea World-San Antonio. Not worth the $50 to enter the park when all that is open are the 3 indoor exhibits. So we took a detour to the Natural Bridge Caverns about 30 minutes outside San Antonio. The caverns were really neat, warm at 70 degrees, and humid! But all in all, it was extremely enjoyable!

Also since I've been in Texas I've visited the Museum of Natural Science with my best friend, Kerry and her twins, I've been to an authentic BBQ pit in Driftwood which was incredibly delicious, walked the Riverwalk in San Antonio, walked through something like "Little Mexico" in San Antonio where we stopped to eat authentic Mexican food and listen to Mariachi bands and other bands play in Spanish. I've also been to the beach in Galveston and I watched my sweet niece, Maya, and adorable nephew, Tyler, as they experienced the wonders of the ocean for the first time. Their reactions were dramatically different!

I'm happy visiting Texas, but am possibly grateful it isn't the hot and humid summer!

I made it to Houston!

Well, I made it to Houston yesterday. The flight was almost perfect. When I was waiting for my luggage at the carousel, my brother Dave called to let me know he had some extra tickets to that nights Houston Rockets basketball game... in the company suite! There were enough tickets that my friends Kerry and Kevin were able to join us as well. So, they found a babysitter for their twin boys and we headed off to the Toyota Center downtown. During the second quarter the Rocket Dancers came by so I had to get a picture with them! It was a fun game and the Rockets wasted the Pacers!

It's begun...

Looks like I'm following the trend and setting up a blog. I'm headed to Houston, TX in a couple days so I'll write all about it when I get back!