Memorial Day

Monday, the sisters (and Dave) got together and made the annual pilgrimage to Syracuse and Provo.

We went first to Syracuse and placed some flowers on my grandparents' grave. It already looked beautiful, surrounded by all kinds of flowers and a peacock feather. We put two forget-me-not plants by the gravestone, perfect flowers for the occasion. The city, although it is becoming more and more developed, is still so much like I remember it as a kid. The cemetery still has that field to one side of it like I always remembered. And the new houses that are being built haven't completely taken over the scenery or eliminated the small-town feel.

We did the traditional lunch at Subway and traveled to Provo, where we left more flowers for my other grandparents and uncle.

It doesn't matter how much time goes by...it still stings.

I don't normally think of Memorial Day as a sad day. I don't think it's supposed to be. But there are definitely some strong feelings there when you realize that memories are all you have left of a person.

* * *

Today, Dave, our friend Tyler, and I went on a hike in Lindon. I guess it was my first official hike of the year. I think I did pretty well, and my body feels great after all the climbing, walking, and near-death experiences. Well, not too many of those...but I did wonder once or twice if I'd fall off the edge of a cliff as I tripped or slid on rocks.

I want to go on hikes as often as possible. Dave and I both love nature walks and Dave especially enjoys hiking and pushing his body climbing and such. I'm still not in shape yet, but I'm working on that! I want to go hiking or swimming at least every week.

Things I Like

I don't really know what to write about anymore. Our lives here aren't overly exciting (despite what the blog title claims), and I'm not about to let loose my uninhibited random thoughts and feelings (heaven forbid!) as interesting as those might be. So to keep things interesting (for me at least) here's a new idea: Things I Like.

I am 99% certain that I have stolen this idea from someone else, but in the Blogging World there isn't much left that's original anyway. Every week or so, I'm going to list things I'm into lately and maybe talk about them. This could mean books, movies, products, food, music...you name it!
Here we go:

Retro Swimsuits. I really love these 50s-looking swimsuits! The halter straps and the neckline look so classy, and these swimsuits are sexy but at the same time cover your butt. I have been altering my swimsuit to looking like one of these suits...can't wait to wear it!

Sunflower Market Bread. This bread is fantastic. Not only does it taste amazing, but each slice only contains 50 calories! Most bread has close to 100 per slice. I don't feel guilty eating a while sandwhich when I use this delicious bread! Mmmmm!

Dove Energy Glow Lotion. This lotion works pretty well. If you use it, over time your skin will darken just a little to make it seem sun-kissed and more tan. I don't use a lot of it, but it has been easing the transition into summer by making my legs not so shockingly white. It's inexpensive, and I like the smell, too.

Bob Hairstyle. I have been scared to cut my hair really short for a while, but a few weeks ago I went ahead and did it. Ever since I have been wishing that I did it sooner! A bob haircut (like the example above) is cute, trendy, and pretty, but what I didn't realize is how EASY this style is to care for! I spend no more than 10-15 minutes a day on my hair now. Plus, my hair requires less shampoo and styling products. Yes, I admit that I sometimes wish for long, flowing locks, but I am really enjoying short hair right now!

Keane Concert 5.12.09

Tuesday was a magnificent day. I got to see my favorite band live, singing to me only a few feet from where I stood. It was a beautiful thing.

The band was Keane (which surprisingly few people I know have actually heard of), and the night was amazing. My sisters and Dave came along (all of us like the band) and basked in the sweetness of their music as we partied into the night at Kingsbury Hall. Our seats were pretty near the back, but after the band came onstage we all rushed down to the front to get as close as possible. From where we were, we could see the lead singer (Tom Chaplin) really well, and he actually tended to hang out on our side of the stage the most (lucky us!).


My sisters. We're on our way to the show! Jana is enjoying a Dum Dum.

Heading for Kingsbury Hall. I'm getting my cell phone ready for the concert (I took some pictures with my phone, but most of them are crap).



Okay. So this is a video of part of the concert. I didn't take this--I found it on youtube. But it gives you an idea of what it was like to be there :)

After the concert, we were all full of energy but starving, so we stopped at IHOP. It was terrific. Dave thought it would be funny to pose for this picture. Ew!

More IHOP post-concert FUN!

So after the first opening act finished, we started to talk to this couple sitting behind us. They had actually been able to go to a meet-and-greet with the band, and had ended up with 2 signed pictures. I talked to them about the band for a few minutes, and they VERY kindly gave me one of the pictures! I was ridiculously excited--what nice people! I am a very, very lucky girl.

I love concerts! :)

Graduation

Last Friday was a really big day: Dave is now officially a college grad! It was really exciting to attend both commencement ceremonies (one for the School of Education and another for the whole university). Here are some pictures from the day:

Me, Mom and Dad at the School of Education Commencement.

The big commencement. This is when the graduates were walking.

Dave and his parents.

Dave and his mom. She also graduated that day (from a different school), so they got to celebrate together!

Me, my sister Larissa, and Dave after the first ceremony.

Dave, looking slightly confused but still adorable.

Me chillin' after the commencements. Congrats, Dave!

Dave and me with mortarboards. I also graduated with an AS in English, but I didn't walk in the commencement--I am waiting for my BS. But Dave's mom let me borrow her hat for a few minutes :)

It was such a fantastic day and we want to thank everyone who came! We also want to thank everyone who helped Dave achieve the dream of getting his degree! We love you all.

CONGRATS, DAVE!

We are very excited about Dave's upcoming graduation, but there is more great news!

Dave was offered a job across the lake teaching 5th grade at a brand new school!

YAY! We are so excited! He accepted the job this morning, and we are both just freaking out with how awesome it is! Thanks to everyone for your kind thoughts and words of encouragement to Dave! We both appreciate you all.

Park and Lake at Sunset

This weekend, Dave and I went on an adventure to our favorite park and then on to the lake. The sun was just going down by the time we reached the water.

I know that a lot of people take sunset pictures and that they are really "overdone" as far as photography is concerned. But being there at the lake to experience this sunset was just amazing. It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. I hope you can at least get an idea of the beauty we were able to experience.

Duck pond at the park.


The sky and water were the same pink and blue colors. It felt like there were two skies.


Love of my life.

I hope that the spring weather sticks at last and Dave and I can get outside more often!

At the lake, Dave and I took a calm walk down by the water. Many people were out fishing, and one guy even offered us the fish he'd caught. Although I've been fishing before, I don't exactly know how to gut or fillet a fish, so we kindly refused. Nice of him to offer, though.

We walked out a little further and more and more people were fishing. As we reached a certain area, we heard music playing. After a few moments, we realized that one of the cars was playing really, really loud music, and the lyrics were really, really racist. I turned to Dave and was like, "Uh, wow. Are these people serious?" I was a little surprised that no one else around us seemed to care. Instead of getting closer to some anti-black rally or whatever, we headed off in the other direction.

Maybe I'm naive, but...I guess I thought that kind of racism was dead, that people were all generally accepting of others. It's the person that matters, right? Not the stereotype that is given to them by others. Race, class, gender, religion, education level, outward appearance...so many things will cause others to pass judgment that is not necessarily fair. People are meant to be unique. What if we were all exactly the same?

Enough of my emotional vomit. Well, at least the lake was really pretty :)

April 1st Ethics

When I was a young, bright-eyed school girl (oh, about 2nd grade) a very memorable April Fool's Day event happened to me.

During school that day, my teacher told the class that we would be allowed to leave early. You can imagine the excitement that swept over the group of children. An unplanned early-out day? It was a miracle!

I held the excitement in me all day, and around the scheduled early departure time I started packing up my backback.

Then the teacher got the attention of the class and made the devastating announcement: "April Fools! You don't get to go home early. Let's get back to work."

So my question is this: is it okay to lie to a bunch of little kids (or anyone) just because April Fool's day is designated for pranks and jokes?

I'd say an actual PRANK takes a lot more thought than just lying to someone and saying "April Fools!" to make it okay.

I could get into the ethics and questions of lying to kids/people for various festive reasons (Santa, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, etc.) but that's a whole other subject that I really haven't come to a conclusion about yet.

It just doesn't seem right to use a certain day of the year as an excuse to lie.

Or maybe I'm just bitter that I didn't get to go home early from school that fateful 2nd grade day.

Discuss.