Inspired to Action

I just finished reading the article in the July Ensign by Elder Ballard about sharing the gospel through technology and it inspired me to add some links to my blog. He writes about how the church has embraced the technological advances and are trying to do as much as they can to make sure we are represented well on the internet. He also talks the importance of using this type of media to help people understand more about what we believe. It is so important that this information comes directly from us and not from the other myriads of voices out there. I definitely want to be a part of that speaking up that he has discussed on other occasions.

So, with this in mind, I have added links to both mormon.org and jesuschrist.lds.org on the right under my favorite links. As I have looked through these websites, I've been highly impressed with the organization and the content presented in each. It's strengthened my testimony as to the truthfulness of the Restoration and the mission of Jesus Christ. I hope that anyone who visits my little blog will take the time to look at these and see what we're about for themselves.

Ahh, Alaska...

So, this blog thing is kind of fun. I find myself thinking about things I can write during the day. The only problem is, I usually can't remember what it is I wanted to write about. Thankfully, though, that's not the case with this one...

I've been spending time recently (and not so recently) organizing a trip to Yellowstone with some of my friends here in Vegas. Some of these guys and gals have never been before and I think that's a travesty. So I made reservations and an itinerary (which I personalized with stickers) and put the word out. We had a little planning meeting on Wednesday - I say little, but it actually took 3 hours - and made some major headway on our trip. It helped everyone to get really excited, including myself. But it also made me think about how lucky I am to have traveled so much in my short 28 years.

I love travel and everything about it, and a major portion of this blog will focus on my upcoming adventures. But, as we discussed our plans, I was reminded of last year's big trip - a family cruise to Alaska. It was one of my favorite vacations ever! For one thing, I got to be with my entire family for a whole week - just us, no interruptions, lots of bonding time, and spectacular scenery (which we always try to have on family vacations whenever possible). We also got to do things we've never done - kayak around icebergs, ride in a sea-plane, watch for whales, ride a train to the Yukon, see a glacier calving... It was an incredible experience! I decided I'm moving to Alaska... Okay, maybe not, but when I'm incredibly wealthy I would like to have a summer home there...

Anyway, here are some of my favorite photos from our adventure:

In Skagway - cute family!

Our train to the Yukon - everything was so green!!

One of my favorite photos ever! Camille and Brandon in front of icebergs on Mendenhall Lake. We parked our kayaks and went in an ice cave under the glacier - it was amazing to see all the blue ice... And hiking around in rubber boots was quite an adventure!

The South Sawyer Glacier in Tracy Arm Fjord. It's 300 feet high and 1/2 a mile wide. That little ship in front is still pretty far away - and it's not really a little ship...

This is a view of the Misty Fjords from the sea plane. We got to land and stand out on the floats of the plane to watch a grizzly bear that I spotted on the shore. Dad said I had my "spotting gene" with me that day! Thanks for passing along the farmin' skills, Dad!

I've Got the Bug...

One of the things I love best is performing. Whether it's in a choir, band, musical, or other ensemble...as long as there's a stage, I enjoy being on it. I say this at the risk of sounding rather ego-centric, but I promise you that it's not for the praise. I genuinely enjoy the process. Don't get me wrong, the praise is nice, but I don't thrive on it. I do thrive on the excitement, the rehearsals, the bonding with other people, the nerves, the thrill of a performance, and the feeling of accomplishment that comes after. I'm sure there are others out there who feel much the same way.

That being said, I don't enjoy the sudden let-down after it's all over. For example, I just finished a nine-show run of "HONK!" It's the story of the Ugly Duckling in musical format. I played the Mama Duck, Ida. It was such a cute show! Like I mentioned above, my favorite part of the show was getting to know everyone in the cast and crew in our rehearsals and getting to perform with them. We spent so much exciting time together that now I feel like I'm a boring old hermit going around doing normal things. That's a let-down if ever I've had one...

Let me highlight some of my favorite parts of the play...in no particular order...
- Getting to sing a lot - some of those songs felt like they were just made for my voice!
- Getting to dance - didn't get to do this in last year's play and I missed it...
- Being the music director - I knew what I wanted, and got it for the most part.
- Working with Pam - our amazing director. She made the whole process worthwhile!
- Working with adults - nothing against teenagers, but it was nice to have some more mature voices and personalities this year.
- Working with teenagers - we've had cool teenagers in the past, for sure, but ours this year were an absolute joy to work with! Not the stereotypical high-maintenance or dramatic ones, just humble, sweet, and cool kids that helped me feel young!
- Working with kids - kept me on my toes! And they're stinkin' hilarious!
- Working with Dylan - he just kept getting better and it was fun to see that progression in him. Also fun to have him throw things in as he got more and more into character. He's a just a great actor and easy to work with...for the most part. Not to mention all the Brian Regan jokes and Disney movie quotes he understands! Thanks Dylan, and take luck!
- Only having one costume - and one amazingly cute costume at that! Thanks Mom!
- Having an amazing pianist - never needed to worry about that one...whew! Thanks Shane!
- Group Night - the best audience ever is the North Star Ward!!

I could go on and on, I'm sure. But instead, I'll just post a few photos and let them do the quacking...er, talking.

"If I say 'Butterball' . . . does that bother you at all?" - Ida and Ugly

"What a big world it is!" - Ducklings

"Your place is with the swans." - Ida, Ugly, and Penny

"Every tear a mother cries..." - Ida

A 4th To Remember...

This 4th of July was a very memorable one. Stephanie Janes and I spent part of the day watching episodes of "The Muppet Show." It was a great blast from the past. I remembered several things I liked about this show from when I was a kid. I always loved the Muppets - Sesame Street made sure of that! Steph and I also observed the time-honored 4th of July Nelson tradition of going to a movie matinee. We saw "Kung Fu Panda" and absolutely loved it! That movie is definitely going on my 'to-buy' list.

But the highlight of the day, or evening rather, was hiking up Lone Mountain to watch the fireworks with a bird's-eye view of the valley. It was a pretty good little hike, but the view was entirely worth it! My friends Steph Janes, Tanya Robinson, and Jennifer West came too. It was amazing to see all the fireworks going on all over the valley. It was like little splashes of color popping up here and there. I tried to get some photos, but they didn't turn out too well. I'll post a few anyway...

Stephanie loves to laugh...

Fireworks at Red Rock Casino

Tanya, me and Jen at the top!

Nice view of the Vegas valley.

We took watermelon, popcorn, and some yummy bread to the top with us and had a nice evening 'picnic.' There were quite a few other people up there and someone had even brought a guitar, which was a nice addition to the ambiance.

Thursday night, the 3rd, our Stake had its annual 4th of July Fireside and the Stake Center Choir and Orchestra performed. My favorite part of this annual program is when we sing the Tribute to the Armed Forces - a medley of the various Armed Forces songs. Everyone who served in that specific branch of the military stands up during their song. It's amazing to see just how many men and women willingly give so much of themselves to protect our rights, privileges, and freedoms. I am so grateful for those who serve in the military and who are dedicated to the cause of freedom. What a wonderful 4th of July!

For Posterity

I am not usually one to follow trends. Sometimes this works to my benefit, sometimes it works against me. I believe this is an inherited trait. For example, my family did not own a CD player until I was almost finished with high school. I already had a few CD's by that time, but had nothing to play them on! We only got a DVD player because Fellowship of the Ring was being released and we wanted high quality. I resisted getting a cell phone for many years because I did NOT want to be at the beck and call of a little mobile device when anyone had the inkling to talk to me. So... even (or maybe especially) in the field of technological advances, keeping with the times is not a high priority. Of course, I have since come to realize the benefits of having a CD player, DVD player, and a cell phone.

This silly technological independence of mine has long kept me from creating a blog. I said, "Everyone's doing it, so I won't! If someone wants to know what's going on in my life, they can pick up the phone or send me an email and ask me, for Pete's sake!" But the other night I was talking with some friends (who naturally have blogs and told me I should start one), and they told me that you can create a book from all of your entries after one year. Well, I immediately thought that this was something I needed to do for posterity (family history, anyone?).

So...here is my blog. I do think my life is sometimes quite entertaining, so it may appeal to some, but even if it doesn't, that's just fine by me. This is posterity's blog!