The Shadow Proves the Sunshine

It has been a very long and very hard week for us with multiple set backs and problems that culminated with the news we had been hoping to be different, being confirmed today. Despite all that has happened and is held in store with this trial, I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who knows what is best for me even when that means something that is terribly painful and hard to experience.

Doctrine and Covenants 98:1-3

1 Verily I say unto you my friends, fear not, let your hearts be comforted; yea rejoice evermore, and in everything give thanks;

2 Waiting patiently on the Lord, for your prayers have entered into the ears of the Lord of Saboath, and are recorded with this seal and testament-the Lord hath sworn and decreed that they shall be granted.

3 Therefore, he giveth this promise unto you, with an immutable covenant that they shall be fulfilled; and all things wherewith you have been afflicted shall work together for your good, and to my name's glory, saith the Lord.

I know that the shadow does prove the sunshine, and that sunny days are just around the corner.

Fare Thee Well Sweet Summer

The above picture is the "Last Day of Summer 2006" Event. My sisters and I will usually do something to commemorate the end of summer. Em was gone this year so the unofficial end consisted of pizza and a movie with Christie and Erin. Not quite as fancy as the Mardi Gras masks, boas, and 80's cabby hats of '06, but still nice. It has been a nice summer. Trips to Bear Lake, staycation, Organic Chemistry ENDING, archery, no pulmonary embolism. All in all I would say it has been quite pleasant. Last year I didn't finish my clinicals until July and was sentenced to recliner rest for basically 2 months in a basement so summer didn't really happen; I just reemerged into fall. So in blissful memory I will quote Sir John Lubbock:

Rest is not idlenss, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time.

Stormy

That didn't take long. Oh well....hopefully sunshine again soon.

Background story on the picture: My best friend Erin and I were having fun in Yellowstone enjoying the sights when we saw a beautiful storm approaching us. So beautiful, we took a few pictures and then kept walking along; we turned around a few minutes later and realized this beautiful storm was moving very very fast and had lots and lots of rain in it. We had to run back to the car for safety wearing flip flops, along boardwalks, down hills, across a bridge, we were soaked by the time we made it to the car as in needing to use towels to dry off. We have matching hoodies that we had to buy that day as a result. Good memory. :)

Light and Airy

Have you ever had something happen in which stress that you didn't even know you had, and that was entirely consuming you is suddenly gone and you feel light and airy and happy and calm and peaceful? I have. It's nice. -I PASSED MY RADIATION THERAPY BOARDS!!!!

Salt Lake Day 2

Day 2 began with the Hogle Zoo. I will admit I have always hated this place; I thought the animals were sad. Feeling this way, I don't think I have been there since I was in junior high. It was SO much better! The animals weren't pacing, the compounds were nice, and the 'lands' were fantastic. It was a much better than expected stop.Red Butte gardens were beautiful! We had fun walking around the different themed gardens and enjoying the water features. We spent a lot more time there than what we planned on, and I wouldn't be surprised if we go back, even without a Connect Pass.

We ate lunch at Crown Burger and then went back up to the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. This activity was 'ok'. I actually do like going to art museums, this one just felt like it was trying too hard. There were a few pieces that stuck out and their current display was from an artist that had a lot of work in the Layton, Ogden, Huntsville areas circa the Great Depression, so that was kind of fun to see buildings I recognized in the art work. On a whole, I probably could have done without this attraction, but it was new and now we know.

Our day ended at the Gateway with a dome film in the Clark Planetarium and a quick walk through of the Discovery Gateway. Just a warning, if you don't have kids, they think you are a threat and you have to hand in your ID before entering. That was kind of strange.

Another fun day, but I am tired, we were going to try to add in a couple more things, but there was no way, maybe if the sun and heat were a little less intense. We did a lot of fun things and saw some fun stuff. The best part was being with JD and not having to worry about O Chem. Day 3 happens today so more to come of our vacation in Utah.

Salt Lake Day 1

Snowbird was beautiful! It was fun driving through Little Cottonwood Canyon, and the tram ride to Hidden Peak was fantastic!

The Connect Pass includes lunch at the Lion House. The food was delicious and as an added bonus I finally went upstairs, I had never toured the home before, just eaten in the basement.

JD loved Tracy Aviary. We had fun looking at all the birds and had a peacock friend that followed us the entire time we were there.

For day one, we went to an IMAX film at Clark Planetarium, Born to be Wild, it was really good. They are showing the last Harry Potter film on their IMAX screen so there were all kinds of Harry Potter stuff in the gift shop including the above Quidditch helmet.

Salt Lake City Vacation

JD and I had been hoping to go somewhere exotic for our vacation when we wrote off work back in April....somewhere like California or Colorado. Due to changes in events such as the new car and what not, we figured it may be a good idea to stick closer to home. We ended up doing some awesome things thanks to the Salt Lake Connect Pass. This gem is amazing. For a one day pass it is $24, for a two day pass it is $36. We got the 2 day pass and it more than paid for itself, we actually came out with a per person total of $75.50 so $39.50 in savings and times that by two. We have had many new adventures so far in our staycation with the bonus of sleeping in our own bed at night!