Saturday, June 26, 2010

Birthday Wishes!

This posted is dedicated to my good friend Julianne Lindgren aka Jules who celebrates her 20 something birthday today (if you want to know how old she is, ask her:))

I've known Jules for over 13 years (crazy but true).  We met out Junior year of high school.  It was destined that we were to be friends!

She rocks!  And here are some of the things I love about her!

She's crazy :)

A great writer with a vivid imagination - nothing I like better then when she writes me stories.  When she finally gets around to writing her book and is a world famous author, I can say I knew her when and I have some of her early original works.

She makes me laugh, smile and cry all within a conversation.

She loves BYU football, like me :)

To get all sentimental...she was my friend when very few were.



I LOVE JULES!!!

Happy Birthday BUDDY!

(I used to have some really awesome pictures of Jules, but since my computer was stolen in January I don't have any anymore...sadness I know...But look at this link too learn about the awesomeness that is Jules)

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Summer Feast

I love to BBQ :)  That's one of my favorite parts of the summer.

For one of our Girl's nights with my friend Jess we made kabobs.

A work of art!






Yummy!

Monday, June 21, 2010

Europe Memory Lane - La Marcha

We small town Americans are in general quite boring and reserved in our night life unless you live in a big city, such as New York, but not so the Spainards.  Jess and I spent 4 weeks in Granada Spain completing a course to become certified English teacher and got to expereince the Spanish night life first hand. 

Did you know that most of the restruarnts don't open until 8 pm for dinner?  And that's considered an early dinner.  We had one dinner party scheduled to start at 10 (but we got lost and it ended up becing closer to 11)

They have what is called La Marcha every night.  Bacsically everyone dresses to the nines, even young children, and they head out to see and be seen.  It consists of a lot of window shopping (since the shops usually close about 6 or 7) and socializing in the streets.  After the kids are sent home the night turns into a city wide pub crawl.

Since we were 'students' at the time and keeping American time (8-5 and no 2 hours siesta) we didn't participate very often, however we could hear them outside our apartments all hours of the early morning.

Towards the end of the course we went out a few more times. Even though we don't drink (and it wasn't just us, two of the other girls drank very little) we would go out with all the students and our teachers.
Our Crazy teacher....



Once we tried to go to dinner...we planned on going at 7 pm.  That was before we realized that most places didn't open until 8 pm.  Silly Americans and Brits!



Quiz night at one of the pubs
Lauren's birthday dinner

Good Times!

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Europe Memory Lane - Temple Hide and Seek

We decided that we wanted to try to visit as many temples in Europe as we could.  We made plans to see 5 of them, but actually only made it to 2 of them.  London, as mentioned in a previous post didn't happen.

We made it to Madrid.  I love that temple!  Beautiful! And right next to their MTC.  It was fun to watch the new missionaries






Frankford, however, well that's an interesting story.  We had the address and asked the lady at the Tourist Visitor Center how to get there...the funny thing is she sent us to the right address, but in the wrong town.

Where the temple should have been...


Doesn't Jess look happy?







The next one on our list the Bern Switzerland Temple.  We  called the temple to get directions and they sent us into a residential area.  The gentleman who had given us the directions had told us to 'go under the building.'  we were completely puzzled by that phrase, but it was the best we could get with the language barrier.  We didn't understand until we can to a large aparentment buidling that had a tunal type passage that went 'under the building.'  Coming out of the tunnel there suddently appared....da da da!  An Angel Moroni!  I can't even begin to explain the surge of emtion I felt at seeing Moroni.  I'll confess I might have teared up, just a little.  It was like coming home.  I suddently didn't feel so unsure and we easiliy found the temple just by following Moroni.







The last temple was supposed to be the Copenhagen Denmark Temple, however we miss read the website and ended up being in Denmark the same the temple was closed.  Sigh...happens I guess :)  2/5 isn't too bad right?  Madrid and Switzerland were well worth it.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Europe Memory Lane - Separated Before we Start

Sometimes things just happen.  Jess and I were coordinating via phone, IM and email and somehow...someway...we ended up flying out two different days!  We planned on leaving on different flights since Jess was going with an one-way ticket and mine was a round trip and we both went with the most cost efficient for each, but we HAD planned on at least flying in the same day, but I guess I didn't change the date back when we were debating what day to fly out and ended up flying out the day after Jess.  No worries right?  We'll just meet up in London (big place London :P)  We made plans to meet at the London Temple, little did we know how far it actually was from London...

I landed and took the train from Heathrow to Paddington Station.  I'm a smart girl, I knew I wasn't going to be able to figure which train to take by myself so I asked the gentleman at the information desk how to get to the temple address.  What I didn't take into consideration was the language barrier...  I know... England, English right?  I know we were both speaking English, but we were not communicating! Finally I just handed him the address and he wrote down what train I needed to take and what time it left and from what platform.  Wonderfully nice guy!

By the time I was on my way it was at least an hour after I was supposed to meet Jess.  With every mile the train went outside of London, my worry increased.  Would I be able to find Jess? 

Someone loves us!  After waiting for a long while at the Temple (which isn't terribly close to the train station) Jess had decided to head back to the station and wait there.  I spotted her as the train pulled into the station.  Oh happiness!

I never made it to the London Temple, but Jess did.

We went back to London to the flat we were staying the night, dropped off our stuff and wandered the town.


I've always like Big Ben :)



we found all the things you see in the 'typical' British movies amusing and therefore picture worthy.


I'm sure someone, somewhere was thinking or perhaps even saying, "Stupid Americans"  You've got to love us!

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Memory Lane - Across the Pond

It's been a long time since we visited Memory Lane...

Two friends from my ward, Sundee and Dan, recently went on trips to Europe and it made me nostalgic and sent me to my pictures from my Europe trip with Jess.

Jess and I spent 3 months together in Europe - January 2006-April 2006.  Now, this may seem a little trite to say, but it was a very life changing and character building experience. When we were making plans it never crossed my mind how this trip would become an EVENT in my life.  You know what I mean right?  Those defining EVENTS that shape you and influence you for the rest of your life.  I would do it again a hundred times over! It was well worth the cost.

I will share some of my favorite parts of the trip.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Annual Sailing Trip

I love the Masons!  They are so awesome!  This is the 4th year they have invited all the sisters from the Langley ward out to their house near Solomon's Island for a day of water fun - sailing, kayaking, swimming, etc.

This is the first year I was able to go down for the Friday night devotional and games.  Melanie, a new girl in our ward and I left about 4 or so and arrived in good time.  We were the first ones there by over an hour, but that's okay!  We enjoyed the taking pictures and wandering around.


Eventually others showed up 






Becca and Katie decided to enjoy a little kayaking while we waited for more girls to arrive.







The sunset was AMAZING








The next morning we had some breakfast and then about 15 of us got onto the two sail boats and headed out.






Brother Mason let several the girls pilot the boat

Laura

Elisa

Stephanie

Kristin
Brother Mason Sr. and his boat caught up with us.  Hello girls!




One of Mason's neighbors steamed some crabs for us and Mike (another neighbor of the Mason's who magically shows up at an all girl activity - Invited...but I guess they (Sister Mason to be exact) forgot to tell him it was a Relief Society activity...1 boy to 40 girls) gave us a quick tutorial on eating crabs.

















Good times!