The adventures continue!

On with my summer! The weekend after I got back from California, we had a HONK! cast party at Jeremy Madsen's house in beautiful Springdale, Utah. This reunion party has been a tradition for at least three years running now. I'm a big fan of tradition, and this one is no different. Jeremy's parents are so kind to let us come and invade their home with noise and disorder - but we always have a great time!

Their home is beautiful and I love spending time in their gorgeous yard. Plus, living amid the cliffs of Zion National Park, you get some pretty fantastic scenery - especially at dusk and dawn. So anyway, I'm obviously a big fan of this trip. Every year we do some hiking as well. The past two years we went up Angel's Landing - an amazing hike that everyone should do. It will definitely help to conquer (or intensify) any fear of heights a person may have. But this year we wanted to do something different. I'd never done the Narrows before, so the suggestion was made and decided upon. Here we are in the above photo starting out on the trail. We all brought our water-shoes and were ready to go. It was a great hike and we had a ball! My roommate Amber met us as we were turning back and we took a few roommate pics. It was a gorgeous day and so fun to 'swim' in the river - or fall in, depending on your point of view!

Here's most of our little group. After the hike we'd planned on tubing the river, but the weather turned against us. Oh well. While in Springdale, we also enjoyed a rousing game of wiffleball! Though I'm not terribly adept at most sports, wiffleball is, happily, one in which I excel. Well, maybe I wouldn't go that far...at least I don't completely embarrass myself like usual. One of the things I love most about this popular game is that it doesn't hurt when the ball hits your head, which is where I invariably get hit most often and in just about every sport I try. It all started in 4th grade during volleyball, and it's gone downhill ever since then. But I somehow managed to evade the ball with my noggin in our little Springdale championship and our team managed a victory. Tensions were high for a little while - mostly on the part of Jeremy's adorable mother (who was on the other team) - but we prevailed in the end. Go Team Voldemort!

It was a great trip with good friends. I'm glad we have this little tradition! Here are some more pics from the hike. There's no doubt about it - Zion's is really beautiful!!

We were going for 'Little Mermaid' here...see it?

Yay roomies! We're so adorable!

Cute kids on the shuttle - after the hike.

Big, Big Trees...

Alright, I'm only falling a bit behind... My next big adventure of July 2008 was a trip to Big Basin, California for the not-so-annual J.D. Clark Reunion. I flew to San Jose while the rest of my family drove from Wyoming. I'd rented a fancy Dodge Charger online - my Dad was going to drive it back to the airport with me and he thought that might be a fun car to drive. Yet somehow, when I got to my highly-anticipated cool-oozing rental car, there was not a sleek Dodge Charger sitting there waiting for me, but a light blue boat of a car - a Grand Marquis. My first reaction was to check the number again and make sure I had the right spot. My second reaction was to look around and make sure nobody saw me getting into this ugly thing. I swear you could fit 5 dead bodies into the trunk! It had to be a Mobster's dream car! Once I got going though, I had to admit that the seats were pretty comfy...

I got there a bit before the fam, so I passed the turnoff for Big Basin and headed on down to Santa Cruz to grab a bite to eat. I didn't want to stray too far, so I stopped at the first cafe I saw and sat, ate, and read a book for a couple of hours. It was nice to relax alone and not have anywhere to be. Ah, independence...

We all met up in Big Basin and went to Uncle Dale's campsite for some grub. I met some of my 2nd cousins that I hadn't seen in decades. I have to say, I'm related to some pretty good-lookin' folks! All of my grandma's siblings were there and it was awesome to be with so much family - and to realize that I did remember most of them from some function or other.

On Friday we spent the day at the Santa Cruz boardwalk going on rides, eating corn dogs and funnel cakes, playing mini-golf and arcades, and getting sunburned. There was a concert on the beach that night - Blue Oyster Cult. Yes, yes...they played the infamous "More Cowbell" song. We walked along the beach and ate some amazing seafood on the pier that night. It was a great day! Too bad the drive back up to camp made us more sick than the rides on the boardwalk!

The next day we went for a drive up Hwy 1. We saw a lighthouse, some tide pools, Pebble Beach, and some guys kite-surfing. It was tons of fun and nice to spend some quality family time. That night was the official "reunion" part of the reunion, so we all gathered and ate together. Grandma Brown had some interesting trivia questions about her parents and siblings. It was a lot of fun to see how much (or little) I knew about these relatives/ancestors. Tons of pictures were taken and it was an all-around good time.

Sunday morning our immediate-extended (?) family went for a small hike through the Redwoods. What awesome trees! I hadn't seen them since I was somewhere around 10. They are quite impressive! I love spending time with my extended family! They're so entertaining and cool (if I do say so myself!). Dad and I left that day, but it was a nice, relaxing (mostly) weekend in the California Redwoods. Here are some pics:

New York, New York

At last. We come to the promised travel blogs. I'll start today with the first trip of the summer. This trip kind of took me by surprise - I wasn't planning on going for the longest time. But, through some gentle persuasion, and my never-failing desire to travel, I made the decision. And I'm so glad I did!

This year I spent July 16-20th in Manhattan for a Broadway Teacher's Workshop. I went with fellow teachers from the Hollywood Kids Academy where I run the vocal program. There were 8 of us that went and we had such a ball! I mentioned before that there's something about New York that I love. I'm still not sure what that is, but it's specific to New York. I've been to other big cities, but this one has a different...aura, I guess. It's full of excitement, attitude, character... I just love visiting there!

Of course, a major highlight of the trip were the five Broadway shows we went to see. First was Legally Blonde. This show wasn't included as part of the workshop, but we had a free night and thought, what better way to kick it all off? It was such a cute show! I loved the movie to begin with, but it was super entertaining to have all the added songs. The performers were awesome and it was a great feel-good experience!

Next we saw Young Frankenstein. What a trip! If you've ever seen the movie (or any Mel Brooks movie, for that matter), then you know exactly what to expect from this show. It was hilarious - mostly thanks to ingenious casting - but it also had it's slightly uncomfortable moments... I loved it in spite of those, though! It was entertaining for sure. I especially loved the 'Putting On The Ritz' number. That and 'The Brain' were my favorite songs. Although 'Transylvania Mania' was a riot too! So much fun!

The next night I was 10 minutes late for A Catered Affair. Jessica Elmer and I were shopping in the Virgin Records store in Times Square when we realized it was 8:02 and the show started at 8:00! Good thing it was fairly close! This show was not a comedy and had more depth. I thought the performances were what made it good. I didn't care much for the storyline, but the way it was executed was absolutely stunning! It starred Faith Prince, Harvey Fierstein, and Tom Wopat - all of whom were exceptionally brilliant!

Up next was possibly my favorite show experience ever - The 39 Steps. This show is not a musical, but was soooo entertaining - I would see it again and again! It's a spoof based on an old Hitchcock movie (which is based on a book) and has a cast of four. Two of the actors play around 10 characters each, with different accents, postures, voices, genders (no kidding), etc. It was remarkable how easy they made it all look! It was such a hilarious show and I highly recommend it - I hope to see it again someday!

Lastly, but definitely not least, we saw the revival of South Pacific at the Lincoln Center. Apparently it's virtually impossible to get tickets to this show, yet it was part of our package deal with the workshop. Honestly, I've never been a huge fan of South Pacific. The storyline never really appealed to me and I'd always thought the music was just okay. But this was the most incredible show! They did the whole thing (it was 3 hours long!) with full orchestra. The staging, singing, acting...everything was amazing. I guess this show was nominated for something like 11 Tony Awards this year and won several. I see why!

So, the shows were great, but I also really enjoyed the Workshop. It was super fun to go to classes like Stage Combat, Mirroring, Audition Tips, etc. We got to hear from Jason Robert Brown, whose music is definitely cool. We also had a session with a Music Director for several shows and I learned quite a lot about coaching for a show. It was also fun hearing from the performers and seeing the backstage tour. It made me very excited for what we're doing at Hollywood Kids.

Aside from the Broadway experience, we had a great time with the New York experience too. Eating in cafes, shopping on 5th Avenue, walking around Central Park, visiting the Upper West Side, riding in taxis, standing in Rockefeller Plaza outside the TODAY Show watching Matt Lauer and Al Roker, eating a hot dog from a street vendor, and browsing through Tiffany's - all these small experiences were wonderful. But probably the best experience was going to the Manhattan Temple. It was such a comfort to be in that haven with so much of the world around you, and to focus on eternal truths. What a beautiful temple! It was quite the unique experience!

Here are a few photos from our trip:

Jess and I in Times Square

Me in Rockefeller Plaza

The gang at Bubba Gump's in Times Square

Times Square at night

Central Park

Travel Bug...I Got It!

As previously mentioned, I love traveling. And that's what I've been doing for the past three weeks. And that's what I'll be doing for the next 10 days. I had planned on posting something about each of my travels, and I'm still going to do that, but somehow time has gotten away from me. So, before I'm jet-set again, I'll just write a quick teaser about a previous trip.

At the beginning of July I had the opportunity to go to New York City to take part in a Broadway Teacher's Workshop with the other teachers from Hollywood Kid's Academy here in Las Vegas. The training sessions were amazing and we saw 5 shows! It was fantastic. There's just something about that city that I love. I really enjoy the energy and independence there. Not to mention the power suits and their inhabitants!

I'll be posting more details and photos soon...

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