Saturday, October 24, 2009

My (Not-So-)Secret Love Affair

Those that really know me know that I am secretly in love with this sexy man. Of course he is no competition to Ben, but I heard this new song on the radio yesterday and was euphorically happy the rest of the day:

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Avid Reader

I came home from work today to find this:Obviously, this book was riveting.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Friendship

Last night Ben and I attended a 138th Ward Family Reunion. We are so glad we went. We were able to reconnect with old friends that we haven't seen in a long time. It was so fun to chat and laugh and see who is married and who has babies. I didn't realize until last night the strength of the friendships that we made in our BYU student singles ward.

I doubt that there are very many student singles wards that can get together every couple of years and have a "family reunion." Bishop Klein really fostered a feeling of family in our ward, and it has blessed all of us. Bishop said something last night that I have been pondering. He said that it is the Gospel of Jesus Christ that has brought us all together.I want to share my feelings and a small testimony on this thought. We all must travel different paths through this life, because we all have a different job to do. But how wonderful it is to know that if we keep the commandments and strive to follow the Savior, all of our paths will eventually lead back to Him. Last night I had a small glimpse of what I think it will be like when we are reunited after this life as brothers and sisters of our Heavenly Father.

To my friends:
Despite the fact that I may not see or talk to some of you very often, I still like to think that we are good friends. I hope you know that I love you. I have loved the fun times we have had together and I look forward to every opportunity that we have to be together in the future. But if those moments are far and few between, know that I am still thinking about you.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Witchapalooza!

Every year Gardner Village in Murray decks out in all witch-themed Halloween decorations. They put on a dinner-theatre show that is a lot of fun. They usually take well-known songs and change the words to match the storyline. My parents went last year and thought it was a lot of fun, so they took us with them this year.

Before the show starts, the witches come around to the tables and get to know the audience. One witch in particular took a liking to Ben and asked him to meet her outside at a certain point in the show. This is the fun that ensued after Ben met her out in the lobby:



Ben was totally in his element. We all had so much fun and the food was delicious. It was really fun to wander around the village and window shop (I LOVE the Christmas Shoppe) and get in the mood for Halloween. There were quite a few women there dressed up as witches. It is a pretty popular place to be in October. Thanks Mom and Dad for a fun night out with the family!

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Encore!

Ben was asked to sing with Vocal Point for a performance for Parents' Weekend. The new members of the group do not know the songs well enough yet to perform them, so they asked last year's group to sing. Unfortunately, Scott had other obligations so the picture of the group is not complete. But it was so fun to get some close up shots of Ben and get this great video of their small group number, "Cool For You", which really shows off Ben's amazing talent as a bass.



Ben's experience in Vocal Point has been one that we both have enjoyed. He will miss the camaraderie of a "band of brothers" that he can spend time with, and I will miss hearing him sing, watching him perform, and the close associations with the other members and their wives. The friendships that we have made through Vocal Point are priceless and we will cherish them forever.

Monday, September 7, 2009

Take 6 Concert

For a last summer fling on Memorial Day, we attended the Take 6 concert.

Take 6 is a professional (and one of the original) A' Cappella groups. They started over 20 years ago, and have been nominated for and received multiple awards. Ben was really excited for this and we were not disappointed.The show was at the Scera Outdoor theater, and once the sun went down it got a little chilly. Of course, after an entire summer in San Antonio where it was still 80 degrees and humid at night, neither of us thought about bringing jackets. It was a good excuse to cuddle though. :)The show opened with David Osmond and I really liked him. Great voice, and you could tell that he is a great guy.

Take 6 is absolutely AMAZING! They sang some well-known favorites from different eras, as well as some of their own originals. Having experience with a'cappella, Ben was able to appreciate some of the music that they sang more than I was, but we were both entertained. We were especially blown away by the bass. Ben asked me afterward if that is what he sounds like when he sings on stage. His face lit up when I told him he does. Here is a sampling of what we heard:

(If you didn't catch it, when the lead started going crazy with the Michael Jackson moves, the bass stopped him and pointed out that they were in Utah...)

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Rise and Shout...

"O Rise, all loyal Cougars and hurl your challenge to the foe.

A historic moment in BYU football history:

Our BYU Cougars take on #3 Oklahoma University in the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
You will fight, day or night, rain or snow.

Loyal, Strong, and True
Wear the White and Blue.
While we sing, get set to spring.
Come on Cougars, it's up to you!

We were excited to have friends over for the first time and to watch the big game on our new 32" flat panel TV.

O Rise and Shout, the Cougars are out
Along the trail to fame and glory.Rise and shout, our cheers will ring out,
As you unfold your vict'ry story.

And they pull off a spectacular 14-13 victory!!!


On you go to vanquish the foe
For Alma Mater's sons and daughters.As we join in song, in praise of you, our faith is strong.
We'll raise our colors high in the blue,
And cheer the Cougars of BYU."

The city of Provo came alive tonight as we celebrated our glorious win. Crazy college students drove around the streets honking and yelling and we had to get in on this action. We went outside on the corner and contributed to the cheering and yelling and Ben made sure that we captured this historic moment on video:
(This video is kind of long. Please don't feel obligated to watch the whole thing.)


Oh how we love these magical moments and our fabulous Cougars! :)