Sherrie's Adventures - Domestic and Foreign

Hammonds in Park City!

2010-07-28T00:27:00.011-06:00

My friends Michelle & Greg Hammond left the heat of Phoenix, Arizona, to come to Park City for three weeks and enjoy the nice, cool 70s and 80s weather. We hadn't met their newest addition, Charlotte, whom they adopted from China in January of this year, so it was fun to see her little personality and how well she fits in with her sister Sienna and brother Brant. We got to visit them in Park City a few times and spend some time on Main Street, eating out, riding the Alpine Slide, and enjoying the Utah Symphony at Deer Valley. Very fun! Such cuties!

Draper Resident for a Day

2010-07-28T00:13:00.007-06:00

My friend Melanie and I decided to go see the Utah Symphony perform at the grand opening of the new Draper Amphitheater. We got Cafe Rio salads to go and ate it in the beating-down-on-us sun with our fingers, since they didn't give us forks! (Crazy!) But other than that, it was a great evening! We had great seats, a great view of the sun going down, and a fun night pretending to be Draper residents, enjoying the new amphitheater.

Brown Family Reunion

2010-07-27T00:10:00.007-06:00

It all started with various family members posting old photos from early Brown reunions from the 70s-80s on Facebook. This got people talking about having another reunion, since we haven't had one in several years. I nominated Shaunna to organize it (since she was unemployed and therefore had "more time" than most of us) and she got on it. We planned it for the 4th of July weekend and reserved our campsites at Payson Lakes Campground, the famed site of many a past Brown reunion.

We had great response on it and lots of family showed up for a chilly, but fun-filled weekend. Love those Browns!

For more photos, see my web gallery.

Linda Eder comes to Utah!!

2010-07-26T23:26:00.008-06:00

My favorite singer of all time - Linda Eder - has been to Utah before, and sang at Abravanel Hall. This time, she came to the outdoor Scera Shell in Orem, of all places! Total shocker! I don't know how they got her here, but I'm grateful they did! We got a big group of seats together on the third and fourth rows so we had a great view of her! She sang an awesome set list, singing so many great song selections. A special moment came when she sang and dedicated "Bridge Over Troubled Water" to my dear friend Deb Thornton and her mother who died a year earlier. It made us all very emotional.

Summer Weddings

2010-07-26T23:14:00.014-06:00

Summer always brings plenty of weddings to attend.
Jeremy's longtime friend (and roommate for the past 7 years), Colby, got married for his first time. He and Marci invited us to their wedding and dinner at The White House in Bountiful. It was a beautiful ceremony and fun to see Jeremy and all his buddies join together to celebrate Colby & Marcie's union.
My longtime friend, Angie, got married for the third time. I'm proud to say that I have attended all three weddings. She leads a charmed life because all three have been outdoor weddings, and the weather has ALWAYS cooperated. I'm so happy that she found Paul and is sooo happy and in love. Yeah for Angie & Paul!

My friend Lyndee started dating her now-husband Nathan in January and married him in late June. I love that he's like 8 years younger than her! Gotta love younger men! Woot Woot! Congrats to Nathan & Lyndee Gubler!

Another "third" was my dear cousin Glen. He too feels like he has finally found the love of his life, Carol. He is so certain and thrilled to be with her. Though he got married on a 100-degree day, his wedding was lovely and the dinner was a total blast! My sister Shaunna & Keith & I sat with Carol's cousins, who were hilarious! They had us laughing so hard we were cryin! Seriously so fun!! Congrats to Glen & Carol!

Next is Jeremy's youngest sister Lindsey's wedding to Casey in August. Stay tuned for that post!

Memorial Day Weekend Drive

2010-06-17T19:40:00.011-06:00

For Memorial Day Weekend, we celebrated by taking a gorgeous drive into some new (to me) territory. After giving me a driving tour of the Weber State University campus, where Jeremy goes to school, we drove up Ogden Canyon, which was beautiful. I had no idea.We went to The Oaks, an old, well-known restaurant, and had really yummy burgers! Then we drove up to Pineview Reservoir through Eden/Huntsville. I had never been there during the day, and it was SO gorgeous!

Oh Canada!!

2010-06-17T19:40:00.007-06:00

My friend Melanie got to talking several months ago and travel, and we both expressed our desire to visit Eastern Canada. She had served her mission in Montreal, and my dad had served in Toronto back in 1960, so I'd always wanted to visit. So we planned a trip! We covered lots of territory in 9 days, but got to see everything we went for: Toronto, Niagara Falls, Ottawa, Quebec, and Montreal. We had a good mix of sightseeing, evening entertainment, shopping, and (best of all) the food! We kept taking pictures of our food because it was all so delicious! Our hotels were all super nice, too, thanks to Melanie's Marriott "hook-up." I'd have to say that - scenery-wise, Niagara Falls and Quebec were my favorite. Ottawa was pretty gorgeous too... Toronto & Montreal were basically big cities on the water, so pretty nice themselves. It was a great vacation! Check out our photos, eh?

Canada - May 2010

New York City!!

2010-05-03T01:44:00.018-06:00

Shaunna & Keith & I took a trip to NYC near the end of April to see a few Broadway shows - mainly Promises, Promises. Kristin Chenoweth, Sean Hayes, and Tony Goldwyn made up the cast, which was enough for us to book our flights. They were all great. (The story wasn't the greatest, since it was mainly about adultery, but still the music (by Burt Bacharach) was good - many familiar songs from the late 60s & early 70s.) We got to meet all three of them afterwards, after waiting for a bit at stage door. They were all very nice. Kristin especially - soooo sweet and appreciative of us coming to the show. And if you happened to catch Glee on Tuesday, April 27, you saw that she guest starred and sang - what else? - a Burt Bacharach song: "A House is Not a Home / One Less Bell to Answer." Very moving!! Loved it! She is absolutely fabulous.
Shaunna & Keith had tickets to The Addams Family (the Musical) and Lend me a Tenor, but I wasn't interested in those, so I found my own shows at the last minute. I got to see Sondheim on Sondheim, a review featuring Sondheim's music from his various musicals. Interviews of him were projected onto a screen, and then the small cast of eight would sing his songs as he mentioned them. Highlights for me were hearing Barbara Cook sing "Send in the Clowns" (A Little Night Music), Norm Lewis singing "Being Alive" (Company), and Vanessa Williams singing "Children Will Listen" (Into the Woods). Barbara is 82 years old - it's incredible how she still sings amazingly. What a special treat to see her. Vanessa is very sexy! Yowza! Fantastic talent. Here's more info on the show.

I also saw In the Heights, but it wasn't really my thing. The theatre was packed with screaming teenagers, all there for Corbin Bleu. I guess he's famous for High School Musical. Who knew - not me!

Besides shows, we visited the new High Line park in the Chelsea neighborhood, which was cool. We also did the Circle Line Tour around the island of Manhattan. Our second time, but we just love all the views, the information (history, geography, economy) of New York. Fascinating. Then we walked through Central Park, which was lovely. Enjoy the photos from my NYC trip!
This is my favorite bridge in Central Park: Bow Bridge.

If you're interested in seeing some similar performances, check these videos out! So fun!

If (You Hadn't, But You Did)- Kristin Chenoweth
Taylor, the Latte Boy - Kristin Chenoweth
Hopelessly Devoted to You - Kristin Chenoweth (from TV's Pushing Daisies)
Losing My Mind - Barbara Cook
This is the Moment - Norm Lewis

Concerts & Shows

2010-05-03T01:41:00.013-06:00

I got to see some fabulous shows within just a couple of weeks: Fiddler on the Roof at WVC Hale Theatre and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at the Orem Hale Theatre. Great stuff, both of them.
I also got to see some fabulous concerts at the E-Center. Naturally 7 opened for Michael Buble, and they were pretty entertaining & very talented!
Michael, of course, was his fabulous self. This was my third time seeing him and he is just so freakin' entertaining. Such a natural-born entertainer. Melanie & I enjoyed him very mucho!
The next week, Jeremy & I saw Muse in concert. They ROCKED! I seriously love their music. Many people know of them because of their songs on the Twilight series soundtracks. Since I haven't read those books or seen the movies, I didn't know about them. Thanks to my friend Nicole for introducing to the yummy ear candy that is MUSE!

Renovations & Improvements

2010-05-03T01:40:00.024-06:00

So I've done some improvements in my house this year. I got granite countertops for my two upstairs bathrooms. I picked out some beautiful granite that reminded me of Moose Tracks ice cream. Yummy! I also painted both cabinets underneath (black in the master; walnut brown in the guest bathroom), installed new faucets & light fixtures, and towel bars. Here is the master bathroom BEFORE: And here is the master AFTER:

Guest bathroom BEFORE:
Jeremy loves to paint!!

Guest bathroom AFTER:

I've been meaning to replace the dining fixture I installed when I moved in to something more modern. I finally found a great white drum shade. My home teacher, Jay, came over and helped me hang it. It only required three trips to the hardware store, but he DID IT!

AFTER

Conference Weekend in Idaho

2010-05-03T01:40:00.012-06:00

For General Conference weekend, Shaunna & Keith & I drove to Caldwell, Idaho, to spend the weekend with my brother Bruce & Mandee and their adorable boys, Cooper and Carter. We enjoyed the messages of Conference and spending time together. Here are the highlights!

Willeys

2010-05-03T01:35:00.017-06:00

In March, Jeremy's Aunt Sherry died after battling cancer for two years. It was hard on us all, as she was only 60 and such a wonderful, giving person. We got to spend some good times with the Willeys around that time, celebrating his dad's birthday at Tepanyaki and going to his brother-in-law's hockey game.

Changes at work

2010-05-03T01:35:00.008-06:00

We've had some not-so-fun changes at work the past few months. I don't deal well with change... My good friends and co-workers Jen & Kristin recently left our team. It just won't be the same without them! But, I know we'll be friends for years to come and them leaving HBS won't change that. Here are all the farewell lunches we held as a result of the escape from HBS.

Ponzi Schemer

2010-05-03T01:34:00.006-06:00

My family has an old friend named Shawn Merriman. Our dad was his scoutmaster in high school, and he joined the church when he & my brother Brian were about 16. We've visited him & his wife Andrea in Colorado where they've lived a very posh lifestyle. About a year ago, he revealed to Andrea and their four kids that he'd been running a multi-million-dollar Ponzi scheme for the past 17 years (here's a news article). As you can imagine, this has been devastating to their family - not to mention all his victims. But Andrea has handled it beautifully. Miracles began to happen for her as she moved herself and her four kids (and little else - they were left with nothing since everything was seized by the gov't) to Orem, Utah, where she was handed a house and a Public Relations job.

Brian and his son Jordan were in town in March, and we got to go to dinner with Andrea and hear all about her last year, plus more details of Shawn's actions. We had a lot of fun, though the news she shared was SO shocking!

She has started a blog recently to document her story. I just know it will lead to a book deal and she'll soon be on Oprah and famous!! HAHA. She's an great writer and can really tell a story. It's fascinating and gaining popularity like crazy. On her fourth day posting, she had 800+ hits on her blog!!! Lots of curious readers!

It was great having Brian & Jordan here for a few days and getting to spend lots of time with them. Jordan was participating in a Ballroom Dance competition at BYU, so we got to go watch his team perform. Very talented kids!!

Dinners with Friends

2010-05-03T01:32:00.008-06:00

One week in February, in particular, was filled with dinners with friends. Ollie's birthday dinner was first, followed by karaoke at Mark's afterwards. So fun to see Ollie & Renee and their lil Baby Jet.
I have a friend (Rebecca) serving in the Peace Corps in China who was visiting Utah, and we got to have a great evening together. I feel pretty cool knowing someone like her.

My old friend from UVSC, Deb Thornton, and I got together after having little-to-no communication for a couple years. She'd lost her mom a year earlier, and it meant so much to her to get together and catch up. Again...lucky to know someone like Deb.

We got to go on a triple date with the McElwees (+ Sydney) and the Vladimiroffs for sushi. Great fun to catch up w/ Shauna & Rob, who live in Sun Valley, Idaho.

Ear Candles

2010-05-03T01:30:00.008-06:00

**** Disclaimer ****
Some may find this post disgusting, inaccurate, or offensive.

Years ago, I discovered ear candles, a slick way of getting wax out of my ears and thus improving my hearing. I think it's pretty fascinating and just plain good hygiene. Here's how it works: you need an assistant - especially since you're dealing with fire. Cut a hole in a paper plate, then put the ear candle through it. (This way, the plate catches any burnt candle, as opposed to fire falling onto your hair -- NOT good.) Position the pointy end of the ear candle into your ear, tightly. Light the ear candle at the far end and lay perfectly still on your side, as shown below.

As the candle burns, it creates a suction effect that pulls the wax from your ear canal. Once an inch or two has burned, have your assistant clip the candle and let it fall into a bowl of water. Once it burns down to a safe distance from the plate, extinguish the candle. Then comes the FUN part! Unravel the candle at the pointy tip to reveal the wax that has turned into a powdery, claylike substance. It's really fascinating!

Ear candles can be purchased for just a few dollars at your local health food store. Love 'em!

Note: After reading about Ear Candles on Wikipedia, scientists argue their effectiveness. Any thoughts? Experiences?

Valentine's Weekend O' Fun

2010-05-03T01:28:00.007-06:00

Valentine's Weekend was pretty fun. On Friday, we went to a concert at the Desert Star in Murray with Shaunna & Keith. Shaun Barrowes performed, who we'd seen a few other times, and the concert included a pretty decent dinner buffet.

Saturday, Jeremy & I went to one of our favorite restaurants, Indochine, where they were celebrating the Chinese New Year with a dragon dance. Then we went and saw the Valentine's Day movie, which I really enjoyed. Great cast, lots of little vignettes.

Here are the beautiful roses that Jeremy gave me. Ahhhhh, what a sweetie!

On Sunday, our friend Mark invited us and a few others over for dinner - Mexican Fiesta style. This is Mark, wearing one of the best shirts I've seen.

Weekend in St. George

2010-02-06T13:10:00.010-07:00

The month of January ended with a fun weekend in St. George. Kristin & Michael bought a house in St George, so Jeremy and I wanted to go down and help them with some renovation/cleaning/painting or whatever they'd let us do. We ended up doing a little moving and cleaning and not much else that was helpful. They had already done a lot and weren't quite ready to start new projects. So, we got to take a couple of naps, go out to a few nice meals, spend time w/ their adorable children, and enjoy a very inspiring church experience at their ward:
A man with Down Syndrome sang a duet w/ a woman, "I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus." It was one of the most amazing things I've ever witnessed. I can't describe how I felt. The innocent, eager, sincere look on his face as he sang those words was just so inspiring to me. I don't know how his singing partner kept it together. I just bawled through the entire song. Two young men, both with severe physical disabilities, also reported on their recently completed 1-year long service missions. Both had such positive attitudes about their limitations and it seemed their testimonies were shaped by their circumstances. The second speaker said he was born without femur bones, or essentially, without legs. I wish I could've met him or seen what his lower half looked like to exactly. One thing he related to us was the conversation that may have taken place in the pre-existence as he begged to come to earth. "Let me go! Give me no legs - heck, throw in some acne, I don't care! Just let me go!" Everyone laughed at this, since it was apparent that he had some acne scars. What a great attitude. Wow. He also said "I love myself. I love who I am." I think those of us with complete bodies have an extremely hard time loving ourselves and our bodies, so I was quite impressed w/ his perspective.

We enjoyed the kids and took lots of pictures - especially of Ellie, since she is less mobile than Carter! No two pictures were the same - she has so many different faces - it prompted me to create "The Many Faces of Ellie." Such a cutie!!

For more pictures, see my Gallery.

January's over already??

2010-02-06T12:54:00.004-07:00

I know I say it all the time... Time is flying by much too fast for my taste. January was busy and, looking at my calendar, filled with dinners w/ friends and family members, which are always fun. Here are my highlights!

- An enjoyable dinner at the Jordan River Temple cafeteria with my friend Kim
- Meeting our friend Ollie & Renee's new baby Juliet ("Baby Jet") - Jeremy's stepmom Brenda's birthday dinner at Matt & Britton's
- Dinner at Cheesecake Factory with my old friend Sheri (former mission companion, now mom of 3 in Heber) - Dinner at Jeremy's mom's (Workmans) - always healthy & scrumdili-icious!!
- A nice day off to honor MLK with a lounging day with my sister and a visit to Park City with Jeremy
- Dinner at PFChang's with my friend & co-worker Kristin McQuivey to celebrate her birthday - A gourmet, homemade dinner with the other RS Presidency and both EQ Presidencies, prepared by the men. Impressive!
- Dinner and a movie (Leap Year) with my friend Melanie
- A lovely steak Sunday dinner at cousin Scott & Shannon's - so fun to chat w/ them for hours
- A fun birthday get-together to celebrate my friend Amy's birthday
- Dinner as a RS Presidency at our new bishop's house to get to know him & his wife - such a yummy dinner, I snagged all her recipes in their recently published recipe book! Excited to try some delicious menu items! Thanks, Sally!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-11T15:35:00.007-07:00

It was so nice to have two 4-day weekends off of work in a row, though I ended up working a bit New Year's Day (while I watched a movie, so not too bad). I've been sort of burned out w/ work since we've been so busy with documenting a huge project. It'll be nice when that is done - if it's ever really considered done.
Anyway, for NYE, I got to spend the morning with Shaunna while Keith worked a half-day before they left for Logan. We watched Julie & Julia together and it was delightful! For the evening's festivities, Jeremy and I met his friends and their wives at Buca di Peppo for a yummy Italian meal. Then we went to his sister Angie's place and played games w/ his two sisters & cousin and their significant others.
NY Day was a nice, lazy day of movie watching, then Jeremy picked me up and we met his dad & his wife Brendy, her kids and their families at the Spaghetti Factory at Trolley Square. It was great fun, and we did an impromptu photo shoot afterwards on Santa's sleigh. Good times...

Christmas and stuff

2010-01-11T15:11:00.013-07:00

December flew by even faster than November. What's the deal with that? One highlight, before the holidays kicked into gear, was doubling w/ my cousin Angie & her hubby Anthony. We went to one of our favorite restaurants, Cafe Med and talked & laughed for hours. Love you guys! We need to do this stuff more often! Anthony is training to be a super-cool helicopter pilot, and Angie is a very successful and talented photographer. Check out her website to view her fabulous work!
It was fun to spend some time w/ Jeremy's family and my family as we celebrated the season. For pictures of the holidays, see my latest postings on my Picaso Web Gallery.
Since buying and decorating my house, I've had a few needs for a sewing machine. Shaunna has loaned me hers and helped me to sew curtains for my bedroom and also some pillows. So a year or two ago, I put a sewing machine on my Amazon Wish List and then forgot about it. Fast-forward to this Christmas, and Jeremy's dad & his wife Brenda were trying to figure out what to get me for Christmas. Jeremy had seen my wish list and suggested to them a sewing machine, which they got pretty excited about. They would never buy “just the basic, standard model” though! They got me a fancy sewing machine w/ 80 different stitches! SO generous! Then Betty – knowing I didn’t own a sewing machine and not knowing about the Willeys gift – gave me a sewing manual and a super nice sewing kit for Christmas!! Somebody up there wants me to SEW! I'm pretty sure my Mom orchestrated the whole thing from Heaven.
Brittany & her family came to town after Christmas and she got to spend a fun 24 hours with me at my place. Unfortunately I had to work during the day, but we still managed to have some fun. We did some shopping, ate at Wingers, and drove around (slowly) in the beautifully falling snow! We love the snow!!

Thanksgiving and Birthday Karaoke Jam

2009-12-08T14:33:00.003-07:00

It was lovely to have four days off to celebrate Thanksgiving and my birthday. For Thanksgiving, Jeremy & I spent the day at his mom's. The food at the Workman household is always dee-LISH and we played a marathon game of Phase 10. Woah, seriously? 4 hours? :)

After the game, we watched Christmas Vacation at Jeremy's dad's place. It's an annual tradition. The next day was my birthday. I made it a goal to be ultra-productive and get lots of my "to-do's" done - which I did. Jeremy (and Mara - thanks for the gift card!!) took me to dinner at The Cheesecake Factory, and then we went to our friend Mark's place where a bunch of my friends gathered for karaoke. It's always a good time at Mark's. Thanks to everyone who was able to come! I wish I would've thought to pull out my camera before the majority was gone, but oh well. Here's what I got.

November's here already?

2009-12-05T16:28:00.006-07:00

November just fleeeeeewwww by! It's crazy how fast time flies by with each passing year. Lots of birthdays to celebrate this month, including MINE. Stephanie's came first, and we celebrated at one of our favorite spots, Indochine Vietnamese Bistro. Here is the adorable McElwee family:

My birthday got stretched out at least a week, since my sister Shaunna & Keith left for Italy on the 21st. So we celebrated early by going to the Cheesecake Factory. Shaunna & Betty presented me with this awesome t-shirt quilt that I'd requested months ago. I was so surprised - I didn't expect it til Christmas! It's the coolest. I've numbered each square below so I can give the background on each nostalgic t-shirt.

1- These are some of my favorite flannel pants - little dogs and bones.

2- Just a fun t-shirt "Sunny California" to commemorate my mission.

3- One of my favorite most comfortable t-shirts - no idea if this school exists, but it's orange!

4- Oakley Networks - where I worked from '05-'06 and still have many friends.

5- My VH-1 I Love the 80s shirt.

6- Wells Fargo Health Benefit Services - where I've worked for three years today!

7- A t-shirt Shaunna made me after we attended our "dream show" of Chess in Concert with Josh Groban, Adam Pascal, Sutton Foster, Julie M..., and Carl Lewis. NYC '03. Seriously, one of the best shows I've ever been to!!

8- Claude Monet's gardens - Shaunna & I visited Monet's home in France while I was in London, studying abroad.

9- Parting gift from one of Mark Holt's fabulous birthday parties.

10- Jekyll & Hyde, my favorite musical ever!

11- Kawarau Bridge Bungy - where I jumped for my 32nd birthday in Queenstown, New Zealand.

12- A t-shirt from one of my visits to beautiful Edinburgh, Scotland.

13- New York City, baby!

14- My first visit to Chicago - it's my kinda town!

15- See #16

16- My t-shirt from the fifth grade. I was in a 89ers "club" with a bunch of awesome girls. We've recently reconnected on Facebook and old pictures of me wearing this shirt were shared. Awesome!

17- The Civil War, from the first production that my mom, Shaunna, and I attended in '98. Great memories from that weekend with mom.

18- The backside of #17.

19- A t-shirt my friend Shauna gave me: MY SUPERPOWER IS SHOPPING. She knows me well. Actually, you hardly have to know me to know that.

20- A pajama top from one of many given at Brown Christmas by the illustrious Betty!

21- One of my favorite t-shirts from my skinnier days. New York rules!

22- The back of #6, listing all the departments in my division at Wells Fargo HBS.

Here is the back of the quilt. Also used are old, worn flannel pants and old jeans I can no longer squeeze into. I hope you like it! Good luck finding someone to make you one! (I'm SO lucky!)

October - My favorite month!!

2009-11-28T16:53:00.004-07:00

I love October. The weather, the clothes, the colors, everything! The month started off with a great weekend of General Conference. Some great talks. While the guys were at their Priesthood meeting, my cute cousins, Jenny & Shannon, and I got together for a marathon dinner out at The Cheesecake Factory (yes, that means 3 times in one month's time). We had a great time catching up and just talking for hours (til nearly 2am!).
Jeremy and I were a little late, but we managed to fit in our annual fall drive up Big Cottonwood Canyon and over Guardsman Pass into Park City. Most of the leaves were gone, but it was still nice. At least we had seen it a few weeks earlier, in its prime, when we went up for Brighton Sunday.
My next adventure was a trip to New York City. I hadn't been in 3 years, so it was long overdue. My friend Chara met me there and we took in some shows and shopping for 4 days. She has a friend who has a corporate apartment near NYU, so we got to stay there for free. It was wonderful and kept the trip very inexpensive, thankfully. We saw Linda Eder in concert at the old Town Hall where she was promoting her new album Soundtrack. I'm not really thrilled with her new style, but it was still nice to see her live again. Broadway shows included West Side Story, Mary Poppins (my favorite of the weekend), and Rock of Ages. Great casts, lots of talent.

There were some changes made in my single ward this fall. Our bishopric was released and a new one was called from the Parley's Stake. We attended a Ward Luau in their honor where there was food, bishopric roasts, and a slideshow. The last few minutes of the slideshow included a song "For Good" from Wicked that was very fitting.

It well may be that we will never meet again In this lifetime

So let me say before we part

So much of me is made of what I learned from you

You'll be with me like a handprint on my heart

And now whatever way our stories end

I know you have re-written mine by being my friend...

Who can say if I've been changed for the better?

I do believe I have been changed for the better...

And because I knew you...

I have been changed for good...

It was very emotional for me. I'll miss Bishop Craig Proctor, Brother Craig Crockett, and Brother Jim Reynolds. They are good men - and so are the incoming bishopric members. I'm sure we'll grow to love them as well.

And lastly, Halloween. My favorite holiday, in my favorite month. Kristin & Michael came to visit again, and Jeremy and I got to spend the afternoon/evening with them and the wonderful Maxwell family. We even got to do some trick-or-treating with the kids, which I hadn't done in years. Way fun. Carter & Ellie were freakin' adorable as a bee and beekeeper.
Then Jeremy & I went to my house and got changed into our costumes to go to a party at Lyndee's place downtown. Jeremy looked awesome as Quasimodo again this year, and I was a wench.

September Highlights

2009-11-28T16:31:00.002-07:00

September is one of my favorite months of the year. The heat finally starts to subside and the cool, crisp fall weather start. Bliss.
September was filled with dinners out with friends. My favorite. I am blessed with lots of very good friends. A few times a year, I get together with a group of girls that I used to work with at Creating Keepsakes Magazine ('03-'04). I always have a great time catching up and seeing their babies come and grow. This is Stephanie and her son, Joshua, who was born with a fuzed skull. His brain was growing out the back last time we saw him in February, and here he is, months after surgery, doing perfectly. What a little trooper.
Jeremy worked overtime one Friday night, so I organized a little GNO with a few friends from my singles ward. We met up at The Cheesecake Factory and had a fun evening, talking for hours. Gotta love girlfriends.
My friend Candy came to town for a friend's wedding, so we got to see her and go out to dinner and a show at the Sandy Amphitheatre. On stage was Shawn Borrowes on the piano and singing. He opened for a comedian named Jason Howland, who was pretty funny. He did lots of impressions and we were pretty amused. Very fun evening. No pictures, unfortunately.
A big highlight of the month was a visit from Michael & Kristin. We spent the afternoon at Hogle Zoo and saw lots of animals. I hadn't been there since I was 12, and it was fun sharing it with little Carter & James.

August Fun

2009-11-28T14:48:00.006-07:00

Besides Brittany's trip to Utah for EFY and visiting me, other highlights from August included seeing my nephew, Jordan dance at a Dance Camp he attended at BYU.

I got to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity with my employer, Wells Fargo Health Benefit Services. I was bummed I didn't get to work on a house - rather we weeded a huge area so a playground could be put in. Wow, was that exhausting!

My old friends Jennifer & Bruce Wright were in town from San Francisco, and Jeremy & I got to spend an evening with them and their 5 kids on Temple Square and celebrate Jen's 40th birthday. Those kids are all getting so big & cute!
Jeremy & I met up with our friend "Fun Cory," Shaunna, & Keith to have dinner at Sundance and see a show at the outdoor Sundance Theatre, "The Fantastiks." It was truly the dumbest musical I've ever witnessed, but it was way fun to hang out together in that great venue.Depeche Mode came to town and Jeremy & I couldn't miss it! We love them live! They rocked the house and we had a great time.
I invited my good friend Sheri Hicken and her kids over to swim for the last days of summer. Time sure flies - it's been 18 months since we've seen each other. The kids had a great time swimming and Aryann got to do some school shopping alone w/ her mom while I hung out w/ the boys.
The last day of the month I got to see a local production of The Scarlet Pimpernel with Cory (Jeremy has a policy to see a musical only once). It was a pretty good production, and Cory was such a fun viewing partner! That's why we call him "Fun Cory"!!

Brittany's visit to Utah

2009-08-13T00:32:00.003-06:00

Brittany got to come up to Utah for Especially for Youth (EFY) last week, and I got to check her in and pick her up. Oh, how I wish I could've stayed and attended EFY too!!! What good times. She ended up having great spiritual experiences, had great roomies (5 other girls who also went alone), and made a bunch of new friends. Sooo glad she got to go and have this life-changing experience. Then she stayed with me for 4 days. We packed in a lot of fun on Saturday, including breakfast out, facials at the beauty college, a pedicure 4 me, shopping in SLC, a nap, shopping in Park City, an outdoor performance of the Utah Symphony at Deer Valley, and then cheese fries at Training Table. Way fun & full day. I was sad to see her go yesterday.

I LOVE YOU, BRITTANY!!!!

Pioneer Day Weekend

2009-08-13T00:15:00.003-06:00

Every year on the 23rd of July, Bountiful holds its Annual Pioneer Day Parade, which all of the Willeys faithfully attend. This year was no exception. We expected a shorter parade (with the current economy), but we actually got a longer parade with more vehicles, less floats. Then we had a potluck bbq at Jeremy's aunts' house and watched some good fireworks. Jeremy's sister Amy and her family were in town from Phoenix, so we got to hang out with them a bit too.

On Saturday, I got together with some girls that I grew up with in Kennewick. We'd planned this get-together a few months ago for the six of us, and two weren't able to make it. But the four of us still had a great time catching up, hearing about each others' families and lives. It was great.

Sherrie, Donna Hunt Mercer, Laurel Banner Orr, and Marci Peterson Burnside

Weekend with Sarah in the O.C.

2009-08-12T13:42:00.004-06:00

I met my friend Sarah in Orange County and we went to the Tears for Fears concert at the O.C. Fair. It was a great show - they sounded great. I love all their old and new stuff. We got a great deal on a room at the Hilton Garden Inn through Priceline and enjoyed some good meals and just catching up with each other.

Visiting the Smith family in Newbury Park

2009-08-12T13:13:00.004-06:00

I went on up to Newbury Park to visit with the Smith family. I got to attend the ward I served in as a missionary 17 years ago (yikes!). Then we went up to Carpinteria State Beach where their friends were camping for the week and had yummy tin foil dinners and walked along the beach at sunset. Gorgeous!

Visiting the Andersons in St. George

2009-08-12T12:53:00.006-06:00

Man, I can't believe it's been over a month since I posted. Why does time pass so quickly??? Since I last posted, I went on a fun road-trip to St George and to Southern California. It was so nice to be able to see some new scenery and visit dear friends, yet work from wherever I was (on weekdays) and not use any PTO. Here are a few pictures from my visit with Kristin and her cute family. This is the view from their new place!

Lovin' the 80s Tunes

2009-07-09T13:43:00.009-06:00

Last night I went to the much-anticipated Regeneration Tour concert at The Depot in downtown Salt Lake City. Three bands (best known for their 80s hits) performed their hits, plus some of their newer material. Bands included Cutting Crew, Wang Chung, and ABC. I was most excited for Cutting Crew - I've been a big fan of their music since 1987 when I drove around in my red 1976 Ford Pinto listening to their Broadcast album. I have the 2-3 other albums they've released, and all are excellent. I just love their sound. Check them out! "I Just Died in Your Arms Tonight" is not their only great song, I promise!!
I was never a fan of Wang Chung - in fact, I always say "I love all 80s music --except for Wang Chung, Bruce Hornsby, and Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance With Somebody"--but everything else!!" But they were fairly entertaining and had a few songs I'd forgotten about.
ABC was just as entertaining as when I saw them last summer (same venue).
Jeremy is in San Diego this week with his family, so he missed out!

Cutting Crew below:

It was a long but fun night for all.

Attempt to Recreate

2009-06-15T19:37:00.003-06:00

I had a great time with the Smith family this weekend on our cruise to Catalina & Ensenada. Brittany and I tried to recreate the picture we took 16 yrs ago (see last post). How'd we do?

Catalina Cruise!

2009-06-09T13:12:00.005-06:00

I was invited to join one of my very favorite member families from my mission on a cruise this weekend to Catalina. In my greenie area of Newbury Park, California, I lived with Karrie Smith and her husband and 2 boys. She was 7 months pregnant with Brittany, who I talked to often in the womb. Since then, we've always shared a special bond and no matter how many years go by without seeing me, she always remembered who I was and adored me. So now, fast forward...she's 16 years old, her parents have divorced, and she's dealing with the pressures that teenagers face in Southern California. The past few years we talk much more often and are very close.
Anyway, so Karrie planned this cruise with Brittany & her son, Carson (12), and told Brittany she could bring a friend. Her best friend couldn't make it, so Karrie asked her who else she'd like to invite. "SHERRIE!!!" she said! Wow, what an honor! So Brittany called me on Thursday morning, told me the details, and begged me to join them. Within an hour, I had booked a flight to Long Beach for this Friday. I'm so looking forward to spending time with them all.
Here's a picture of me & Brittany in 1993. Cuteness!!

Weekend in D.C.

2009-04-22T15:06:00.005-06:00

Last weekend was my sister and her husband's birthdays (Saturday + Monday, respectively), so we went to D.C. to celebrate!! Plus, one of our favorite musicals (The Civil War) was being done at the famous Ford's Theatre, and we wanted to witness that. It was seriously excellent!! What amazing talent. Other activities/highlights include:

Mt Vernon (by myself)
Spy City Tour
sushi at SEI
to-die-for dinner at Bonefish Grill
relaxing pedicure
Antietam Battlefield
Jefferson Memorial at night
personal tour of the Hirshorn by cousin Lindsey

It was a fabulous weekend with great weather. For details, click on the slideshow to open Picasa and read my captions.

Mike & Angie's Vegas Wedding

2009-04-07T01:07:00.003-06:00

The last weekend in March we went to Las Vegas for Jeremy's sister Angie's wedding to Michael MacDonald. They'd been planning this wedding at the Wynn Hotel for about a year, so we were excited to see how it all turned out. It was beautiful. Friday night, we attended a wonderful dinner for about 80 of their closest friends and family, held at The Palms on the 51st floor at the Nove Restaurant. D-Lish!! Then we went and rode the roller coaster at the New York, New York Hotel. Lots of walking was involved...
Saturday night was the wedding and it was truly beautiful. These pictures don't really do it justice. Congrats to Ang & Mike!!

Visit to Kristin's in St. George

2009-04-07T00:50:00.009-06:00

Last weekend we went down to St George for a couple days before continuing on to Las Vegas for Jeremy's sister Angie's wedding. We got to stay w/ my bff Kristin & Michael and hang out w/ them and their cute son, Carter. Elle was holding out on us and was born on Friday of this week, so we'll have to meet her next time... We had a lovely time!

Garage Tragedy

2009-02-18T15:23:00.008-07:00

Monday night, I was going to run some errands and meet up with Jeremy. I clicked the garage door opener on the wall (which is out of the ordinary), then got in the car and (out of habit) clicked the opener. Then I proceeded to back out - with full force. CRASH!!!
I couldn't believe it. Here I was, in a hurry to leave, and I'd bent the lower-left panel of the garage door and popped off a wheel. I raised the door and inspected the damage. It didn't look too bad, so I tried to lower it so I could secure the garage and leave. I couldn't get it to lower. Finally, I walked across to the neighbor's and Terri knew just what to do: deactivate the motor and lower it manually. She and her daughter Madison walked back with me, pulled the cord, and the three of us tried to lower the door. CRASH!!! The upper-right panel came loose and the upper two wheels fell to the ground. Not good. So now it was just hanging there, looking really pathetic. No way to close this baby now.
I called Jeremy, he said he'd come out and we could go together. I'd just have to bring in the valuables, lock the entrance to my house, and hope nobody raided my Christmas decorations, paint, and memorabilia.
I got in my car to move it and suddenly heard the garage door moving again. NO! The remote was in my pocket and the button was pressed when I sat down. CRASH!!!!!! The door folded up onto itself, looking way more pathetic than before.
I called the HOA's garage repair contact and left a message. They called me back first thing Tuesday morning and had a guy out to my house by 11am to give me an estimate. $725 for a brand new door!!! Yikes!! Good thing I have insurance, right Kristin??? Farmer's Insurance had an adjuster out to my house by 3pm. He agreed to the estimate and cut me a check. So easy!! Such great customer service!!! (If anyone's looking for a great insurance agent, I know of one...)

Central Garage had a guy at my place first thing today (Wednesday) to replace the door, only 38 hours after the incident. Great, huh? Well, it was great...but the wrong color.

Poor guy. He wasted an hour, installing a white door. Oops! So he was back to the shop and back with the right-colored door in only 35 minutes! Another two hours later, he was done!! Yippee!!
Here it is - back to the way it was. Phew!!

A Political Post

2009-02-09T23:21:00.002-07:00

I don't really get into politics, but the recent ferver has been exciting, to say the least.
Tonight I read a friend's post on her blog that was really well-written. She wrote it the day after Pres. Obama's inaugeration and also includes a link to Pres. George Bush's personal testimony of Jesus Christ. Very interesting.
If you're interested, I recommend reading her post!

Holiday Cards

2009-02-09T22:20:00.003-07:00

One of my favorite things during the holidays is getting updates from friends and cute pictures of them and their families. I personally haven't done a Christmas card/letter in a few years....mostly because I don't have a big announcement (which I know is what people expect/want). Plus I try to be good at keeping in touch all year long between emails, Facebook, and blogging. Anyway, the cards this season did not disappoint. I have friends and family who are creative, photogenic, and unique. And to prove it, here are all the picture cards I received this year (not including pictureless letters/cards or emails):

Favorite Movies of 2008

2009-01-12T19:18:00.003-07:00

Here are my favorite movies from 2008:

Ghost Town - Hilarious! Surprisingly funny, really.
Forever Strong - Great morals, cute guys, very moving.

If you haven't seen 'em, check them out!

Christmas

2009-01-12T18:22:00.010-07:00

For Christmas Eve, we went to Jeremy's mom's place, where she hosts a wonderful party with great food. We exchanged presents with his siblings, plus enjoyed a spiritual Christmas presentation by family members. Here we are chilling at the Workman's - we're so relaxed we're practically horizontal!Jeremy and his cute mom, Debbie.

Then we spent the evening at his dad's sisters' place, where they have a huge party with fun games for the kids (not so fun for us cuz we're duds). Then we spent the night at his dad's place. Here are all my wonderful presents from Jeremy (he had help from Brenda for the beautiful presentation!) to open Christmas morning. He was so generous to me!!!

Jeremy got me a beautiful black wool coat, a really nice digital camera, a really cool flexible tripod, a Glenn Beck book, a few CDs, a Europe calendar, and a few movies - all from my Amazon wish list. I don't deserve all of this!

After spending the morning and afternoon with various relatives, we headed south to Orem to visit my family - the Browns. We spent the entire evening, hanging with some of my favorite cousins and eating more yummy food. Thanks for hosting, Betty!! (Unfortunately, I took NO pictures!!)
We braved the snowstorm as we returned to Centerville by 9pm. The roads were a bit hairy, so we decided to crash at his dad's place again. They have a several empty beds and it's so homey, it's hard to resist!!
All in all, a great Christmas! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas as well!!!

December

2009-01-12T18:08:00.003-07:00

Since I'm a bit behind, I'll just list some highlights from the month of December.
* Visiting the Hixons, one of my favorite couples from my mission
* Christmas!
* A wonderful dinner at Shaunna & Keith's for our Christmas gift exchange
* Shopping with Jeremy for a family in need at Christmas time
* Jenny & Hank's wedding on the 30th
* Seeing lots of good, new movies (Benjamin Button, Australia, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Bedtime Stories, Yes Man, Valkyrie) (that’s right, I haven't seen Twilight)
* New Year's Eve with my sweetie!
* Time off work during the holidays

Thanksgiving

2009-01-12T17:41:00.006-07:00

[I've needed to update my blog forever...so here goes.] Our Thanksgiving holiday was very nice. Jeremy and I spent six relaxing days in Gilbert, Arizona, with his sister's family. (Thank you, Jarvis family!! We enjoyed our time with you!) Jeremy's family was so nice to me for my birthday, which was on Thanksgiving this time around. We went to a very nice restaurant and Jeremy's dad treated everyone. So sweet!
While we were there, we got to spend a little time with my friends Kristi & Adam, who live in Tucson, where Adam is finishing his residency.
Their son, Colton, was instant buddies with Jeremy, while their 4-yr-old, Hannah, gave him a crusty look and said "I don't like you cuz you don't have hair!" Priceless!!

We also got to see Michelle & Greg, who just moved from Orange County to Gilbert, only two miles from Jeremy's sister. It was great to see my friends!

8 Things

2008-11-05T00:58:00.005-07:00

Okay, my BFF Kristin tagged me and I'm finally doing it. Yeah!

8 shows I love to watch:
1-Eli Stone
2-My Own Worst Enemy
3-American Idol
4-Designed to Sell
5-Jon & Kate Plus 8
6-Extreme Makeover
7-Will & Grace
8-Design on a Dime

8 Favorite Restaurants:
1-The Cheesecake Factory
2-Brookside Grill/Wasatch Broiler
3-Rumbi Island Grill
4-Red Robin
5-Bajio Grill (salad)
6-TGIFriday's
7-Jasmine Bistro
8-Winger's

8 things that happened yesterday:
1-I voted! (only took about 15 minutes!)
2-Played matchmaker with my cousin
3-Compiled a Josh Groban mix for Steph’s birthday (by request)
4-Worked from home
5-JT & I cleaned out each other's ears with ear candles – very cool!
6-Watched Obama’s acceptance speech in disbelief
7-It hailed as I left the voting location
8-Read a chapter in the BoM with Jeremy

8 things I look forward to:
1-Snow in the morning
2-Seeing my parents again
3-The benefits of marriage :)
4-Girls Night Out this Friday
5-Cuddling with my Jer-Bear every evening
6-Vacationing in Phoenix for Thanksgiving for 6 days!
7-Getting completely over this annoying cold
8-Not having to work!

8 things I love about fall:
1-My favorite colors appear, courtesy of Mother Nature
2-Annual drive up Big Cottonwood Canyon
3-Finally the end of HOT weather
4-The chill in the air
5-Layering
6-Anticipation of Halloween
7-New wardrobe!
8-Jer-Bear saying "I love autumn in the fall"

8 things on my wish list:
1-A permanent size 8 body
2-Peace in my heart
3-Heath, happiness, & security for all my friends and family
4-Plenty-o-money in my savings account
5-Granite countertops & under-mount sinks in all my bathrooms
6-That my car will last another 100k miles
7-A closer relationship with my nieces and nephews
8-World peace

People tagged:
Jodi, Heather, Amy, Lindsey, Shauna, & Mara

Birthdays!!

2008-10-14T01:29:00.005-06:00

Two of my good friends recently celebrated their birthdays, and the rule is: you're a princess the entire week of your birthday. Shauna & Rob came from Sun Valley to celebrate Shauna's birthday and Kristin & Michael from St. George came and stayed for the weekend. The next week, it was Heather's birthday, so Stephanie & I took her out to dinner. It was so fun to catch up w/ these good friends. Happy Birthday, girls!!
UPDATE: Stephanie's birthday was Nov. 5th, so we celebrated hers too! The food at Epic was so beautiful, we had to take pictures!

Brian & Jordan visit Utah

2008-10-13T12:33:00.008-06:00

Last week we had a rare and lovely opportunity to see our brother Brian and his son Jordan. Brian had to work at the SLC airport to resolve a "million-dollar problem," and Jordan attended a youth conference with Liahona Academy at Aspen Grove all week. Shaunna & Keith and I got to go out to dinner with Brian Wednesday night, then I had him over and we hung out with Jeremy. Brian even taught us how to install a new light fixture. Yeah - I feel so empowered now!!!
Friday afternoon we met up with Brian & Jordan and played a mean game of miniature golf at the new L iberty Land Fun Center in Lehi. Jordan beat us all. Personally, I blame the cold weather for my poor score...hehehe. It was so cold and windy this weekend! Winter is upon us! Anyway, then we went to dinner at Citris Grill in Draper, where Jeremy met us. We all had a great dinner, enjoying a great variety of appetizers and entrees. Then we hung out and talked until our movie started - City of Ember. It was a kids' adventure movie and pretty entertaining. We all enjoyed it. Jordan turned 15 on Thursday, so it was fun to be together for his birthday celebration.
Saturday morning, Jordan and Brian came to my house and we fixed scrambled eggs and pancakes and hung out awhile before they left for their next adventure before heading to the airport to return home to Seattle.
I'm so mad at myself for not taking more pictures while we were together - especially Friday. But at least we got a few Saturday morning.
It was so great to be with family and catch up. I couldn't believe how much Jordan had changed, but then again, I haven't seen him in probably 4-5 years and hadn't seen any pictures of him in a few years. Crazy how fast kids grow up. Jordan was our first nephew born 15 years ago, just before I got home from my mission. Such craziness... Anyway, great to see you guys!!!

Body Worlds 3 Exhibit at The Leonardo

2008-09-29T12:59:00.004-06:00

On Saturday, Jeremy & I went to the Body Worlds exhibit, now at The Leonardo, located at Library Square, downtown Salt Lake City. It was fascinating! You can learn all about your own body by viewing the insides of these humans who have donated their bodies to science. You can also see cross-sections of all sorts of body parts, and they'll usually have one for a non-smoker and one for a smoker. What a difference! It's disgusting!

A big point of the exhibit is to help people "understand more about how their bodies work and how they can break down, so they are empowered to take a more active role in their own health choices." I know even I felt like taking better care of my heart after seeing the exhibit - I'm sure it would make a smoker want to quit even more.

The exhibit really make me wonder how people can see such a complex system that the human body is and NOT believe in a God who created it. Our bodies are spectacular in how we heal ourselves, how we function in optimal circumstances, and how we break down when not treated properly.

I highly recommend going! Tickets are $22, and the exhibit runs through November 15. It's very popular, so get your tickets right away. Just a tip, too...Saturday was very crowded, so if you can possibly go on a weekday, I recommend that.

Guest room is finally done! (well, almost)

2008-09-26T11:44:00.004-06:00

After many weeks/months of preparation and shopping, my guest room is finally (sort of) complete! Jeremy hung the shelf last night and I hung the canvas art, so the "decor" is up. I made the headboard from MDF (micro density fiber = cheap, fake wood), brown paint, and lovely ultrasuede covered padding (similar to the headboard in my room). There's even a light rope on the back, for "effect" -- but I'm not sure how "effective" it really is... Jeremy & I framed out the window, which I really like the look of. What do you think?

I have a couple things I still need to accomplish: sewing the curtain panel, finding a coordinating nightstand, and sewing some pillows out of the brown & tan geometric patterned fabric used for the curtain panel.

Go ahead - RATE MY SPACE!!!

Annual Drive up Big Cottonwood Canyon

2008-09-22T12:43:00.006-06:00

On Saturday, Jeremy and I took our annual drive up Big Cottonwood Canyon, up and over Guardsman Pass, which leads into Park City. It was a gorgeous fall day with a light rain (providing rainbows), big clouds, and a cool breeze. Utah is so gorgeous!!!

Trip Home to the Tri-Cities

2008-09-06T13:57:00.004-06:00

For the long Labor Day Weekend, we drove to our hometown of Tri-Cities, WA, to see Bruce and Mandee's new baby, Cooper. Shaunna Keith, Jeremy, & I had a wonderful time visiting with family and friends. Jeremy & I stayed with life-long friends, Mara & Nate Kraus and their fun kids - plus her dad took us on a great boat ride on the Columbia River. We also did a tour of Kennewick & Richland, visiting all our old houses, including Grandma's, and taking pictures to document how they have changed since we lived there or Grandma and Grandpa lived there. Everything seemed smaller this trip, for some reason - it took less time to get places (than I remember, anyway), and it's grown. The cities have really made some great improvements to the infrastructure, gotten better stores, and spread out. Nice to see some things do change.
It was a great weekend. Thanks for hosting, Mara!!

Jeremy's Home Teaching Experience

2008-08-16T10:25:00.005-06:00

These experiences just don't happen every day, so I wanted to share a good one that Jeremy had the other day. He & his home teaching companion had an appointment with a girl, and Jeremy was in charge of giving a spiritual message. He didn't have much time beforehand to prepare anything, but he was thinking about it as he was getting ready to go. He had the thought that he should share what we'd been reading in the Book of Mormon a day or two earlier, about Alma the Younger's conversion in Mosiah 27. So while they were there, they got caught up with her and then he shared his thoughts about how evil these guys were, going around, trying to destroy the church of God, doing some pretty bad stuff. And then an angel appeared to them and they went through this long conversion process, which required a lot of repenting. But even though they had been so bad, the Lord still loved them so much that he forgave their sins. Jeremy shared how amazing that was, that no matter what we do, the Lord loves us and is anxious forgive us - even if we keep making the same mistakes over and over. He bore his testimony to her and closed. The girl started crying and said "thank you so much - I really needed to hear that right now." Both Jeremy & his companion were teary eyed and they all felt the Spirit. She sincerely thanked them for coming and said she really enjoyed having the Priesthood in her home.
When he shared this experience with me, I thought it was pretty amazing and another testament that the Lord loves this girl because He saw to it that she got this message - which required a chain of events or circumstances: Jeremy had to read this chapter and focus on the message, then he had to be worthy to feel the Spirit touch him to share this message with this girl, and then the motivation to act on that prompting and visit this girl he was assigned to.
Heavenly Father truly does use other people as tools to relay messages to His children. I hope we can all help Him out with this important task of helping others, and by doing so, we can show our love for Him in return.

Announcing the arrival of Cooper Burt!!

2008-08-08T12:51:00.004-06:00

Meet Cooper Merek Burt. He is my brand-spankin-new nephew, born today on 08/08/08. Isn't that so cool??? He weighed 7 lbs 14 oz and is 19 1/2" long. Mommy & baby are both doing great!

Congratulations, Mandee & Bruce!!!! Can't wait to meet him when we come up for Labor Day Weekend!!

#1 song when I was born...

2008-08-06T17:05:00.004-06:00

So I stole this site from my friend Amy. You can find out what song was #1 on the day you were born... mine (November 27) is "I Think I Love You" by The Partridge Family - very cool, but wow, that makes me feel really old!!
http://www.joshhosler.biz/NumberOneInHistory/SelectMonth.htm
Please post a comment and tell me what yours is!

Broadway Rocks! with the Utah Symphony

2008-08-04T15:47:00.004-06:00

Saturday night we got to go up to Deer Valley again - this time for a night of Broadway music by 4 featured vocalists. It was great! Rob Evan, who was the second lead in Jekyll & Hyde on Broadway, in '97-'98, was one of them - we even got to talk to him afterwards and he pretended like he remembered us. :)

Thanks to Shaunna & Keith for volunteering at the ticket office at Deer Valley to get us all in for free! Pictured below are me, Jeremy, Shaunna, Keith, Jenny (my cousin's daughter), and her boyfriend, Hank ("The Vice"). It was another beautiful night up in the mountains.

Memory

2008-07-30T09:16:00.000-06:00

I got this from Jodi's (Wiberg McDonald) blog...

Here is a fun little game... leave a comment on my blog of a memory that you and I have had together. It doesn't matter if you've known me for a short time or a long time, anything that you remember! Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It is pretty funny to read the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you are playing and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. On your mark... get set... blog those memories!

Overnighter at Mike's Cabin

2008-07-26T12:43:00.000-06:00

Jeremy's sister Angie's fiance, Mike, had Jeremy's family up to his family's "cabin" for an overnighter Monday night. It is located about 20 miles outside of Oakley/Kamas in the Uinta Mtns and was absolutely gorgeous! We enjoyed steak & salmon for dinner, a dip in the hot tub under a star-filled sky, and each others' company. It was way too short. Then we went to Park City and rode the Alpine Coaster (FUN!). A fun day and a half, but Jeremy and I concluded that taking a Tuesday off work really sucks. We should've planned ahead and had a 4-day weekend!

Overnighter at Mike's Cabin

Utah Symphony at Deer Valley

2008-07-26T12:31:00.000-06:00

I love summer concerts...can you tell? We love to go up to Deer Valley Ski Resort during the summer and see a concert with the Utah Symphony. Our good friends, Stephanie & Aaron, invited us to go up on the 18th for the 1812 Overture. We were so excited! Plus, Shauna & Rob happened to be in town from Sun Valley and were able to come too! It was so fun to hang out with them. The symphony sounded great, but my favorite part is just hanging out on blanket, eating snacks (and yummy DV food!), and enjoying the summer night air (which is much cooler than in SLC) with my sweetie and our buddies.

American Idol - Live!!

2008-07-26T12:14:00.000-06:00

So I've been a huge American Idol fan the last few seasons, and this season did not disappoint!! Jeremy wasn't too keen on paying $60 to see them live (though he was great to watch it with me every week), so my friend FUN CORY came up from Provo and we went together. We had had such a fun time at the Kelly Clarkson/Clay Aiken concert a few years ago, I knew he was the perfect "concert buddy" for this show. He screamed like a little girl (just to entertain me, really)!

The concert was entertaining - each of the Top 10 winners sang 3 songs each, ending with David Cook, the winner of American Idol. The top 2 ("the Davids") sang a few extra songs, then all 10 did a song or two. This Salt Lake crowd was out of control!!! They screamed and cheered SO loud, several of the singers commented "wow, you guys are loud!!" David Archuleta, our hometown hero, sounded great and the fans just loved him. He even got a little emotional at all the love shown. LOL - Personally, I think it's rude to scream when a performer is singing. When s/he is done, hey, scream all you want - let 'em know you love their talent; but when they're singing, shut up and listen!! I assume this comes with maturity....who knows. Anyway, that's my two cents. It took our ears an hour or so to recover afterwards, but what a great concert. Good times!

Mara's Mommy Vacation at Sherrie's

2008-07-16T01:21:00.000-06:00

Mara came to Utah (from the Tri-Cities, WA) to visit Saturday morning and stayed until Monday evening. She got a break from being a busy mom of 4 active kids, and I got a great visit with a great friend.

We hung out at the pool, ate yummy salads at Rumbi Island Grill and Bajio Grill, talked, shopped at local home decor stores (Rod Works, Interior Elements, Taipan Trading, and IKEA), talked, made some great CD mixes, got pedicures, talked, saw the chick-flick Made of Honor, and talked some more! It was way fun, and I'm sure she'll be a better mommy and her kids + hubby will appreciate her more because of her 3-day break. Thanks for sending her, Nate!! We loved all the catch-up time together!!!

Journey / Heart / Cheap Trick Concert

2008-07-13T01:14:00.000-06:00

Friday night was one of those great summer nights at USANA Amphitheatre, where Journey headlined the concert tour with Heart and Cheap Trick. Journey's new lead singer is a Filipino named Arnel Pineda who was discovered on YouTube. What a great Cinderella story! This guy is totally livin' the dream!!! He has an amazing, beautiful voice!! We loved it. Heart was great too, tho' they didn't "rock" as much as they used to. The band was there, but they kept things more "acoustic" sounding.

Waiting for the show to begin

Arnel, doing his thang
Sherrie & Jeremy, rockin' out to Journey!!

Mara Kraus is Comin'.... to Town!!!

2008-07-11T01:18:00.000-06:00

I'm so excited - my good friend since I was 6, Mara Kraus, is leaving her 4 adorable children to come have a relaxing weekend at my house (the Burt Hotel). She got a killer deal from Delta and jumped on it. Yeah, Mara gets a Mommy vacation!! We're looking forward to hangin' by the pool, shopping, talking, and eating - all without interruption!! Have fun kids, and go easy on your dad!

Celebrating Father's Day with Jeremy's Dad

2008-06-30T15:42:00.000-06:00

Last week we finally coordinated schedules with Jeremy's Dad & Brenda to take him out for Father's Day. His restaurant of choice was Taggart's, up near Morgan. It was a beautiful night up in the mountains, and the restaurant's grounds were beautiful.

Thank you, Mark, for being such a wonderful Father to all of your children and for always being so upbeat and generous. You're a hard man to treat, but we love you!!!

Introducing the combined family of Angie & Dave Davidson!

2008-06-22T11:28:00.000-06:00

A long-time friend of mine (since middle school) got remarried this weekend to a guy she met online 6 months ago who lives here in Salt Lake City. So she's moving from the Tri-Cities (WA) to Sandy, Utah, with two out of three of her kids. Kyson is choosing to stay behind and live with his dad, and Jesalan & Rylan are staying with their mom.

The wedding was beautiful and everyone was very happy. Lotsa smiles. And though it was about 95 degrees out, it was great to be there and connect with old friends.

Yay for Karaoke!!!

2008-06-12T14:52:00.000-06:00

Last night my friend Candy & I went to sing some karaoke at our good buddy Mark's place. His beautiful dining room has been converted into a Karaoke Lounge, complete with big-screen TV, a huge karaoke selection (all contained on a laptop computer), huge speakers, and some comfy seating. It's great for any bachelor pad and creates fun for hours. Kimi D joined us and while she wouldn't hold a microphone, she sang along with us to all these great songs. Mark & I love to sing duets together (it all started with Endless Love on the singles cruise in 2001), so we are always looking for great duets.

Our selections last night included As Long as You're Mine (from Wicked), I Want to Spend My Lifetime Loving You (from Zorro), Dress You Up (by Madonna), The Boy from New York City, Tell Him (by Babs & Celine), I'll Be Seeing You (Linda Eder's version), The Crazy Bull (Candy & Mark knocked it out in Espanol!), Come What May (from Moulin Rouge), and many more.

Jeremy missed out - he was rocking out with his buddies at the Stone Temple Pilots concert.

It's always a good time at Mark's. Thanks for hosting!!

Girlfriends RULE!!!

2008-06-09T16:10:00.000-06:00

Friday night I spend a fun evening at The Cheesecake Factory with two of my favorite relatives, Jenny & Shannon Brown. Jenny is the daughter of my oldest Brown cousin (my mom's brother's son) and Shannon is her brother Scott's wife. I just love all those Browns!! They are my family!!! Thanks to those family members who watched their kids so they could have a night out with me!

Anyway, I think everyone needs girlfriends - especially married people. Let's face it - your husband doesn't want to talk about stuff that your girlfriends will! I'm grateful to all my girlfriends who are there for me when I need them or just there to have fun with me!

I got my phone back - I'm whole again!!

2008-06-04T17:36:00.000-06:00

So this is the wildest story!
On Thursday, May 8, nearly four weeks ago, I was at the Salt Lake City Airport, waiting for my flight to NYC. (The next day I'd be flying from NYC to the U.K. where I'd spend the next 12 days.) About 30 minutes before my flight left, I was sitting in Wolfgang Puck, having some food. I remember taking my phone out and checking the time and I must've set it on the counter I was sitting at. I headed to my gate and then realized I didn't have my phone on me, so I hustled back there, arriving not 6 minutes later than when I'd left. I asked the restaurant employees if anyone had turned in a phone. The manager let me use her cell phone to call my phone to see if anyone answered, but it went straight to voicemail. Whoever had it had turned it off or was using it.
Since I had to board my flight, there wasn't much I could do. The guy at the gate gave me Delta's Lost & Found number, assuring me they're really good about calling people back, then I found my seat on the plane. The lady next to me was pretty friendly so I explained what had just happened. She offered to let me use her phone and try calling it, but it just rang and rang now. I called and left a message for Jeremy, letting him know I'd lost my phone but that I'd check in once I arrived at Lyndee's.
The next day I kept calling my cell phone, as did Jeremy. No answer. It finally came time to go to the airport, so I called AT&T and deactivated my phone so I wouldn't be responsible for any phone calls. Of course that meant that anyone with the phone couldn't use it to find out who I was either...
Three days later, while staying at Cherina's in London, I got an email from my friend Stephanie, saying that someone had called her who had my phone! However, they had taken it to Toronto, Canada, of all places!!! She said they were going to ship it to her and then I could reimburse them once I returned from the U.K. I was very relieved!! Yet flabbergasted at how they found Stephanie's number in my phone since she's buried in my Address Book and wasn't in my recent calls. Oh well, at least he called someone who was helpful!!
When I got home from vacation, Stephanie still hadn't received the phone, so I asked her for the guy's phone number in Canada. She hadn't written it down, so she had to call T-Mobile to get the number from when he'd called her on May 11th. So, after missing the phone for two full weeks, I called and spoke to Mike. It turns out it was his father who had found my phone. Apparently, he thought he was doing me a favor by taking it home with him to Canada (as opposed to leaving it there for some thug to find and keep). Mike has not yet shipped it, but was willing to, once we could arrange for him to be paid. I asked him to ship it COD, and he said he would go the next Monday (because by then, the post office was closed).
On Tuesday, Mike called to tell me that COD was not an option for international shipping and asked how I'd like it shipped now. I asked him to ship it express mail ($22), and he said he'd go again the next day. On Wednesday I got a call from Mike at a UPS store. They were able to take my credit card over the phone and ship it. Plus I got a tracking number! Yeah! A week later it has finally arrived!!!! Oh Happy Day!
Bless his dad's heart for trying to do the "right thing," but I sure wish he would have turned it in to Lost & Found (even though they never returned my phone calls). Apparently it was because he's old and doesn't speak English.

Vacation to the United Kingdom

2008-05-24T17:01:00.000-06:00

I've got to learn how to do this blogging thing so I can be cool like all my "Mom" friends...

So I just returned from a fabulous trip to the United Kingdom with my friend, Lyndee. We visited London for 3 days, then toured around Scotland (based in Glasgow) for 3 days, then saw lots of the northern coast of Northern Ireland. We saw such beautiful places, lots of cool, old castles, and met some fun people - all with fabulous accents. If I can figure out how to post some pictures, I will. Otherwise, check out my complete gallery from the trip at: http://picasaweb.google.com/sherrieburt/UKHolidayMay2008

First Post

2007-10-23T00:26:00.000-06:00

Okay, here I go...diving into the world of blogging. Hopefully it'll be an easy way to share pictures and stories to keep me in touch w/ the people I love to stay in touch with.