A Beautiful Hike...and some canning

Last week was busy, I went on a retreat with my coworkers to Provo. I drove up with Bruce and we left at 3:30 in the morning!!! That was early for me. It was a 4.5 hour drive, but it ended up being fun. Bruce is fun to talk to and we kept a pretty steady stream of conversation. We did get lost once we got to Provo canyon because he didn’t know exactly where we needed to be, luckily I could pull it up on my phone and get directions from the email they sent us. :) We had breakfast with all the counselors and support staff from the whole state and then Terri (the director) gave a presentation. After that we did some crafts and bonding time before heading over to lunch. We ate lunch at a restraunt there at Sundance and then headed up Provo canyon for a hike. It was really pretty, although I just had to be the one to find all the snakes. We also rode the lift up to the top of the hill, and I was a little nervous because I had never been on one before. Marc and Bruce and Terri and I all rode up together and they gave me a hard time about the lift, saying the creaking noise was the rope unweaving etc. But I made it. The hike was fun and I got to know some of the counselors better which was good. I drove home with Timandra that night and that was fun too. I learned lots of things about Timandra I never knew.Just as we passed Cedar City we ran out of gas, which was a little comical. Paul and her husband came and got us around 11pm. We were glad to get home and finally sleep. It was a fun but exhausting day! The next morning I didn’t get to sleep in because it was a 12 hour tech rehearsal for James and the Giant Peach which opens this week. I was there all day and then I came home and prepared my Young Women lesson for Sunday. After church I finally got to put my feet up and rest. Paul had been just as busy with school and work while I was gone so it was nice for us to finally relax. We also counted our canning jars that we have canned over the last few months, we have done over 450 jars of salsa, pears, pear sauce, pear syrup, apple sauce, peaches, peach jam, peach syrup, raspberries, strawberry pie filling, strawberry syrup, strawberry jam, blueberries, blueberry applesauce, blueberry syrup, beets, beans, apple juice, grape juice, strawberry lemonade concentrate, spaghetti sauce, rhubarb pie filling, carrots, and blue raspberry pear sauce. I am a little proud of myself! I also got some of my fall/halloween decorations up... more to come on that!

Dinner with old friends

Paul and I had dinner with friends from high school and it was so much fun! We had teriyaki steaks, fresh fruit, corn on the cob, salad, and homemade ice cream... I'll get to that later. We enjoyed the food and company. When we made the ice cream it had been the first time I have actually made it with out my mom. In the instructions it says to mix a box of jello with a cup of boiling water and then to let it cool before you mix it with the cream. ...well, if you let it cool too much it becomes a solid so I basically had jello jigglers. I thought it looked funny, so I smoothed up the jello and mixed it in with the cream so the finished product was ice cream with chunks of jello. It was still yummy, but not exactly how it was supposed to turn out. Now... To the picture below. We were supposed to have baked potatoes so I put them in the oven at 5 pm. We had dinner, cleaned up, had FHE, made ice cream, said goodbye to our guests, went to bed, AND THEN around 11pm I realized I never took the potatoes out of the oven!!! Paul and I ran downstairs and there wasn't a fire and there wasn't smoke, but there were black little blocks on the tray in the oven that used to be potatoes. 

If you don't know, Paul and I have a history of burning things. Last year I was getting ready to go to work I smelled smoke and Paul said, "oh no! The toast!"  We ran into the kitchen and it was smoke from top to bottom (this is when we learned that our smoke alarm didn't work) once we cleared the smoke we saw the toaster... On fire! We unplugged it, soaked the toast and I ran off to work. I was in the back and Dr. Doug said "what's burning?" ...And I said, "it's me!" I couldn't believe that I was still smelling like smoke! And don't worry, our house smelled like smoke for A WEEK! But we survived! :)

A good friend

A good friend of mine was diagnosed with Cancer a year ago. She fought hard but decided that she wasn't going to do chemo anymore after months and months of it. She passed away this last week and our hearts are heavy. It is a comfort to know that she is no longer in pain and probably up in heaven enjoying a big bowl of ice cream. I often think about the time I spent in New Jersey and her family was a big part of our lives. I remember watching her boys and staying  for hours after to talk to her. One year I spent the day before Christmas at her house and she helped me make a jean quilt for my parents. Neither of us really knew what we were doing and we actually ended up duct taping the inside of the bottom together, but we finished! She was always so happy and positive. I don't think I ever met anyone so full of life. She will be missed and loved and always in our hearts.

Bring on the Fall Semester!!

Paul and I are both happy, in St. George working and going to school! It has been one of the craziest summers, but a great one! Paul and I both work at Dixie Regional Hospital and are happy with our jobs. We are both attending Dixie State University and love our classes! Paul is finishing up pre requsites for the Nursing Program and I am taking Education classes so I will not only have a theatre degree but a theatre education degree so I can teach in the schools. I am assistant directing the main stage show at Dixie "James and the Giant Peach" which has become a fun project. I am also directing "Annie Jr" for a dance company here and a Christmas Melodrama for the city. (So much for taking a break from theatre!). Oh- and I am in Camelot! Busy is what I do best, so jumping in head first is what I am doing. Paul and I have been enjoying the heat here and the pool, they kind of go hand in hand here. We are excited for this new chapter in our lives and an adventure we are ready for! Bring on the Fall Semester!

The interview process...

The interview process... I first interviewed for a job in St. George a month ago. I have had 4 phone interviews and one face to face interview that took well over an hour. I have tried to be super patient, but waiting on something like this is not my forte. After a month of interviews and waiting... and waiting I am so excited to say... I have accepted a job as an ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT in St. George for IHC! This news has made the wait worth it! I am so excited to have a job waiting for me when I move down to St George in a few weeks!

...That being said, I am also sad because this has made everything real. I am SO sad to leave my current job! A job that I have loved for the last few years. I have had the chance to work with so many incredible people. Some of which have become very close friends. I am sad to leave that behind, but I can come visit! Right?

Murder Room Opens TOMORROW! This has been a fantastic distraction for me while figuring out all the moving logistics. I couldn't be more proud of my cast! They are an awesome group of people who I just LOVE! Look at this AMAZING CAST!!!

Well here is to the future! Paul and I are really excited to move to St. George, although right now it seems like a little vacation!

I am excited to make this last month the best month I have ever spent in Logan!

Time is Flying... too fast!

It's crazy, people keep talking about events and all I can think is, "I will be in St. George by then!" I'm not sure if it is happy or not. We are excited to go, but so sad to leave.

This weekend was an eventful blur of craziness! Valentines with Paul was wonderful! We celebrated on Friday since I actually ended up helping at Flower Patch again this year. I had a job interview on Friday for a job in St. George as well. It was my third interview, this time face to face instead of over the phone. It was a good interview, if you can call an hour and a half good. Now I am just waiting....impatiently.

The set for Murder Room is going up and that is super exciting! I can't wait to share this show with everyone! It is such a fun show that I think everyone should see!

I started house hunting in St. George, still looking... although the house hunting is making everything more real. I guess we are really going...

A Comedy? Yes!

 

We are a couple of weeks away from opening night for Murder Room! It is one of my favorite shows and the second time I have directed it! I have an awesome cast and couldn't be more excited for opening weekend! It is being performed at the Lyric Theatre in downtown Logan!!!

Here is the press release:

You won’t want to miss Top of Utah Entertainments upcoming Production of the British Comedy, Murder Room. It has been described as Agatha Christy meets Monty Python meets Abbot and Costello. This comedic play by Jack Sharkey features a hilarious cast of characters, an alleged "murder," an expired feline, and the one place that might put it all together - the murder room. Under the direction of Gwendolyn Dattage, the play will feature local talent from around the valley. The cast includes Brad Noble, Teresa Jones, Jared Rounds, Brooks Lindburg, Karalee Murray, and Chris Kidd. Murder Room is a family friendly show that will keep you laughing the entire night!

Show times are February 28^th, March 1, 2, 4, 5^thwith a matinee on the 2^nd. The show will be at 7:30 and 2pm for the matinee. For ticket reservation or for more information, please call 435 797 8022 or visit arts.usu.edu. Performances will be at the Caine Lyric Theatre in downtown Logan. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for students.

Can you solve the mystery of the Murder Room before you die laughing? Come find out.

The packing has begun, it is crazy to think we are leaving Logan. We have started to apply for jobs and it is becoming real! I spent the weekend down there and the sun was a positive thing, it is making this change easier...

Here is too the last month or so in Logan...