General Conference!

Mike and I went to General Conference today, the Saturday Morning Session. It was the first one I have ever been to, and it was AMAZING!!! Wow, conference is the bomb. The church is true and the book is blue! :) I truly "Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet to guide us in these latter days."

blah blah blah blah blahhhhhhhhh........

Well, my blog has shown me that I am officially long-winded. The end.

Amsterdam!

Whoa, I have been REALLY bad about the whole "reporting on Europe" thing....mondo bad. Let's see here, where did we go after London? Oh that's right, after a few days with the Brits, it was off to Amsterdam on an overnight ferry! The ferry in itself was quite a fun time. Some friends and I stayed up well past midnight to watch as we left the dock and sailed off towards the land of the windmills (and we were exhausted the next night, to be sure!)
I found Amsterdam to be quite a liberal, slightly intimidating place (as much of Europe is, quite honestly). A good motto for the city would be "anything goes", and perhaps it is! In addition to the Red Light District, which is a legal prostitute street where women just stand in windows like manequins, I believe drugs and the like are completely legal and popular. Yikes.
However, there were many interesting things about the city. Did you know that Amsterdam is famous for a few things in particular, namely bikes, cheese, wooden shoes, windmills, and flowers?? Well, they are! They ride their bikes everywhere. There are very few cars. Instead, hundreds of people in bikes ride by on the roads, no matter the occasion. There were many in business-suits, talking on phones. There were many holding hands while riding separate bikes down the road. There were many texting, many in skirts, and my favorite, men riding down the street with flowers from Amsterdam's famous flower market (which we went to!) :) Amsterdammers (Amsterdamians?...haha, nah, it's Amsterdammers) ride those old-fashioned bikes. You know, those ones with the basket and little horns. But don't let that fool you, they are ruthless killers on those bikes! If you hear a horn behind you, you better jump, and fast, or you will be road-kill!
In addition to experiencing the killer bikers, we were able to see a real, old-fashioned windmill, taste some gouda (yeah, I totally don't remember how to spell that, meh) and try on some wooden shoes! Apparently, Amsterdam is also well known for it's diamonds. Ooooh la la!! We went on a tour of a diamond-making factory and got to try on some suh-weet rings. There were a lot of interesting, fun things in Amsterdam.
Of course, the most interesting and captivating thing about Amsterdam for me was the Anne Frank home. What a sad life this little girl had! It was interesting to walk through her home and see where the whole story took place. The homes in Amsterdam all just line the streets, and they are more like apartments that are all linked together. It is very easy to see how the house just blended right in and no-one expected anyone to be hiding there. The houses are all very narrow and are stacked high instead of spread out. There were still some pictures from magazines that Anne had put up on her wall, and her very diary was in a glass case to look at. It was very dark and dingy in that house, as they had to put blankets up on the windows so they were not seen. All in all, it was a very touching experience and one I will not forget. It's one thing to read about people who lived a very different life than your own, but it is a completely different thing to see exactly where those things took place in their lives and to actually feel the atmosphere they lived in. It was incredible.
While in Amsterdam, I was also able to go to the Rijksmuseum, where the famous "Night Watch" painting is hung, painted by Rembrandt, and also to the Van Gogh Museum, which has hundreds of Van Gogh's originals. Sad to say, "Starry Night" had just been moved to NYC, I believe, because it was out on loan. How sad is that! These museums were fantastic, but I must admit that Van Gogh really was not up to par with the other artists and painters of his time. There were many errors, which were pointed out at his very own museum. I do believe his fame had a lot to do with his unfortunate life as much as anything. Still, to say I've seen many of his originals was awesome! (These museums were not near as good as the Louvre in Paris or the Prado in Madrid, but that will come later!)

So, as a little summary of Amsterdam, I would have to say that the most amazing thing was the history of the place and not the people, persay. However, I'd have to say that rings true for most of Europe.

PS-
I can't believe I forgot about the stroop waffles! They have these amazing mini-waffle/cookie things in Amsterdam that are TO DIE FOR! We probably kept them in business single-handedly while there. I have been told since then, that those little delights are also in the movie "The Best 2 Years". So go see what they are. :)

Pride and Prejudice

So I've finally admitted something to myself. What is it, you might ask? I have finally accepted the fact that there is no limit to my love for Pride and Prejudice. I could quite possibly watch this movie each and every day and not get sick of it....and possibly have....shhhhh, don't tell! There are a lot of versions of this movie, and in fact, the first one I ever saw was actually that "Mormon" version one. How on earth I liked the story after that, one can only guess. The six-hour version? Yeah, it's pretty good, and anything with Collin Firth is FINE by me, but really...SIX HOURS?! Eeks. My favorite version, and the one I can quote like I wrote the script is the most recent one with Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen. Seriously, I can quote every line. I LOVE old English, isn't that nerdy? Yes, yes it is. I wish I were half as eloquent as the characters in this story.
What is it that makes Pride and Prejudice such a fantastic story, and one that most girls adore? It's still hard for me to figure out what the charm is about this movie. As with most of Jane Austen's stories, the story is very anti-climatic. In all actuality, her stories are about every day life and not much more. At least with Pride and Prejudice, she does not lead up to any grand event at the end of the story.
Simply put, this story is about Elizabeth Bennett, the headstrong woman in her early twenties who comes from a less-than-tactful, poor family in olden-day England. She finds many things her family does to be embarrassing and tactless. She is independent and clever. In those days, women were viewed very differently than they are today. They were not able to inherit estates as their male relatives passed on, and as a result, a woman's prime motive and chance for success was to marry well (and by that, I mean a rich man) and become the housekeeper, basically. Elizabeth thinks this is crazy, being determined to only marry for love "which is why I will end up an old maid" she says. Another interesting thing to note about life for a woman in that time is that if a man did want to marry her, her father would make him an offer in order to accept her. By this, I mean a monetary offer. Therefore, poor women had a harder chance of getting married and marrying well, at that.
Mr. Darcy soon moves into the small country town where the Bennett's reside, and he is by no means poor. He is a powerful businessman, one whom Elizabeth immediately finds to be arrogant and self-conceited, although she is definitely interested in him at the same time. After bashing heads several times, he makes it known that he is completely in love with her....but she's pretty headstrong and prideful herself....she loves him too, but she has a hard time forgiving and letting someone into her life.
One thing I love about it is that Elizabeth did not really get to know him like she should have at first. She simply saw a few things he did and assumed she knew exactly what he was about, only to find that instead of arrogant and conceited, Mr. Darcy was quite shy in many ways. Never assume you just know what someone is like. Get to know 'em!
Perhaps one of the most charming things about this story is that it shows that one should never settle for something he or she does not really want. Elizabeth was never going to just "go along with the flow" and marry for money so she did not end up destitute at the age of fifty. She had a brain of her own and was going to use it. And the result???? She became one of the richest women in England, but more importantly, she was actually happy with the man she married and loved him like crazy....oh, and I love him like crazy too....

London....the first of many Europe posts...

Big Ben at Night


The Beautiful Westminster Abbey


Oxford Street

Wow, Europe has come and gone and I have now been home for about a month! All I can say is what an amazing, education experience (not to mention, a tiring one). Not even sure where to begin. The trip was 23 days long...so here goes a very condensed version of the trip. I plan to write some posts on the individual places we visited, so this will just be a whirlwind summary. :)
After a long plane-ride (um, about 10 hours?), we landed in the land of Harry Pottuh, good ol' London. Although we were jet-lagged to the max, missing a night completely, we began the day (it was 9am there). What a beautiful city. I found the parliament buildings of London to be the most amazing buildings I have ever seen. Next to them is the famous clock-tower, Big Ben. Did you know the clock itself is not called Big Ben? It is actually the name of the gigantic bell inside the clock. London is also famous for its Tower Bridge, which can be seen in Peter Pan. The bridge actually lifts, splitting at the middle at certain times to let large boats pass through the river. London just got a new addition to the old city, a seeming monstrosity (in my opinion), the London Eye. This was the largest ferris wheel in the world, until a few years ago. I only say it is a monstrosity because it too modern for the city, I think, surrounded by all the culture and old, beautiful buildings. It was built for the World Fair, which I believe was five or so years ago. It takes 35 minutes to complete one turn around the ferris wheel. It does not even look like it's moving to the outside observer. And it never stops. It moves so slowly, you can get out of the cart or in without a problem. Oh, one other thing...some people get married on the Eye! Simply grab a pastor and a man, and go get married on the London Eye! How......romantic?? Another worthwhile place to visit is the London Tower. I am honestly not sure why it's called a tower, as it is actually an ancient fortress where royalty used to live. What a fascinating place. This is where many souls lost their lives, most being beheaded, after being accused of a crime by royalty. (Let me clarify. I believe royalty lived here for quite some time, but then moved, and it became a prison of sorts). A few members of royalty were even beheaded here, the most famous being Anne Boleyn. After the King, Henry VIII, took notice of her, she refused to be his mistress. She would only accept marriage. It was "Queen or nothing" for Anne. So, the King annulled his marriage to Catherine and took Anne to wife (she was pregnant). Anne was not generally liked by the people of England. In fact, she had many enemies. Those in court plotted against her as she was pregnant and accused her of many false charges, including adultery and plotting to murder the King. She was beheaded at Tower Green at the Tower of London! Seriously, it was amazing to see how barbaric the British were in the old days. (And not only the English, but all of Europe...in fact, they have some weirdo, evil entertainment even now...) People were tortured and killed left and right, just because the royalty felt like it. Weird. There is actually a tower called "Bloody Tower" inside as well. Well, enough of the depressing for a while, eh? ;) Now we were off to Buckingham Palace!! What a beautiful building. We saw the changing of the guards, which is done each and every day. It was quite the big "to-do". Those soldiers must get really sick of that every day. We didn't get close enough to any soldiers to try and make them laugh or talk or anything....dang! While in London, we also went to Abbey Road, which is famous for being on the front of the Beattle's album cover. They are simply walking across the cross-walk, single file in the photo. We took a picture doing the same thing. The funny thing about that is that it's still a working, busy street, full of traffic. So in order to get our picture, basically....we had to stop traffic. It was awesome. Bet those Brits loves "those stinkin' American tourists". We also visited the beautiful Westminster Abbey. We stayed in the Docklands, which is a part of London. This is where the 02 Arena is. What is the 02 Arena, you might ask? The very place where Mr. Michael Jackson was supposed to do all of his shows this summer! It is seriously one of the weirdest buildings I have ever seen in my life. Okay, I think that about covers my stay in London.....phew! After writing about just this one city, I figure I will just begin with the separate cities now..... ;)


Ya just have to get a pic like this when you go to London. (Me, Jessica, Alyson, and Mandy)


Tower Bridge, baby. (Me, Dad, Mandy)


Mandy and I trying to be "proper" at Buckingham Palace




Abbey Road!


02 Arena, where MJ was supposed to perform... :(


The Tower of London. This is me and my cousin, Alyson.


The Parliament Buildings and Big Ben. Ain't that cool?! ;)

Will You Accept This Rose??

It's any girl's dream come true. Beautiful clothes, rockin' dates, nightly cocktail parties, roses galore, and last but DEFINITELY not least......(drum roll please).......30 gorgeous guys waiting on you hand and foot to make sure they get your attention! Welcome to the life of this season's Bachelorette, Miss Jillian.





A quick note about Jillian, and that is how much I love the fact that she's The Bachelorette. I've never watched this show before, but can I just say how refreshing it is to see a girl on a tv show like this who has so much going for her? She's not one of these blonde bimbos who relies on her looks cuz she doesn't have a marble in that hollow head of hers. Jillian has a career, a bubbly personality, and a love for life. Ah, if only the media had more girls like that...

I'm laughing at the fact that I'm even admitting that I love this show, but I'm glued to the TV every Monday night! The bachelorette's adventure has just begun, but already, it's easy to see who the keepers are! Let's take a look at some of her fellas.

There are the weirdos...

Meet Wes. Wes enjoys long walks on the beach, getting caught in the rain, and playing the song he wrote for Jillian every time he gets within a 50 foot radius of her. I have the first line of his song memorized, but I haven't heard the rest of it, as far as I know. I must say, this fella's got a great voice. He plays the guitar and would be a rockin' country artist. But you gotta question his intentions. I think this guy's just lookin' for a way into show biz. And he's way too cocky. Cock-a-flippin'-doodle-doo. Oh, and I was kidding about the long walks and rain thing.....but most definitely was serious about stalking Jillian with his music...




Tanner P - Um, this dude's got a serious foot-fettish. It's disgusting. If Jillian were just a pair of feet, he'd be satisfied. I think every time they interview him, that's all he talks about. She's lucky she doesn't have webbed feet or something, or this guy would be outta there. Wait, maybe she should wish she had webbed-feet...also, he might possibly be like a "Hey girlfriend!" type of guy (wristflick involved), if ya catch my drift...




Juan - Ah Juan. Liked by Jillian, but not so much by the menfolk around the Bachelorette hangout. Someone could use a few thousand humble pies to that smug face of his. No dude, you are not as exotic as you think you are.




David - Meet the creeper of all creepers. This guy's gotta go.....like yesterday. From day one, I thought "this guy's totally fake" and I was right. His true side's comin' on out though. He talks smack like no other and has threated Juanirito. He's got a major temper issue and has told Jillian things like "uh, I don't know how to say this, but I'm usually the top dog, k?" Um EX-CU-USE ME?! Say what?! Dude's gotta go. He makes me mad just lookin' at this picture of his. Grossness.




Brian - And streaker. Kay dude, apparently yo mama never told you, but a) you ain't 15 anymore, b) you ain't as good-looking as you seem to think you are...get a refund on that mirror you bought and c)I don't know what kind of gals you've dated in the past, but ripping off all your clothes and jumping into the pool in your skivies, right in front of Jillian, ain't the way to impress the girl. Oh wait, but I guess you know that...as you got sent home that very night. Ain't life tough? Grow up. And what's with the girlie pose?




Ah, and then there are the guys who will no doubt end up in the "ah, he's like a brother to me!" category.



Tanner F. - don't remember one thing about this dude.




Simon - Uh, the only thing I could tell you about him is that he had an accent...




Mike - A Sweet Guy.




And then there are these gorgeous guys...



Kiptyn - this guy's got a certain spark about him. I don't think he's the best looking out of all of them, but he seems very down-to-earth and has a rockin' personality.


Jake - Um, all I gotta say is Cowboy, take me away! This guy can country dance, is totally gorgeous, has an amazing smile, and the list goes on and on and on. Not the best pic of him, but still, mighty fine. I'm in love with him. The end. Why can't I find myself a cowboy like that 'round these parts? ;)




The guys will stop at nothing to win Jillian's affections, including kicking water bottles off of each other's heads. Oooohhh! If I ever saw a guy do that, I'd be his for life!! Hardi har har.....


It's all about getting that coveted rose.


Well, I think those are really the only guys worth mentioning on my blog here, so there ya go. Judge for yourself who ya like and who should be headed home. (David! David! David!!)

Choir Tour, Baby!!

So we got ice cream at this cute little ice cream parlor...and look closly...the scoops are actually cube-shaped!


Singing in the Oregon Trail Museum


It was Adam's last year in the choir. :( Just a little note about Adam...he always does what he feels is "right". He's the sweetest guy in the entire world. We tease him, cuz he's given multiple girls in the choir a kiss on the cheek for whatever reason. That makes him sound like a player or something, but it's funny cuz he's so the opposite. Anyway, I had jokingly teased him all year that I never got my kiss and so, he came up to me as he left the choir and gave me one! Haha! They kinda caught it as it happened...


Hanging out with the seminary students in Evanston.

Last week was choir tour. It was fantastic, but probably one of the busiest weeks of my life! We left early Tuesday morning. After packing up the bus with all of our luggage, our set (yep, we took our whole stage, it felt like!), and ourselves into the bus, we were off to Evanston, WY. Yeehaw!! From there, we went to PARIS......Idaho. Yeah, who knew there was a Paris, ID? Pas moi! On to Blackfoot after that, Idaho Falls, and some really poe-dunk town I can't remember for the life of me. Uh, yeah. It was that cool. :) Anyway...basically what we did was go around to schools to do a "musical exchange" as our director called it (where all the choirs sang for each other), sang at seminaries, visited rest-homes, and had one big performance every night at the local high school, church, or in Paris, the tabernacle there. I grew closer to a lot of my friends in the choir. What an amazing group of people they are. We always strive to be "quality" and they are exactly that. And I have to say that my director, Brother Eggett, is the coolest person in the entire, entire world. Have you ever known a person who just makes you want to be better? Whenever you see them, they are doing something for someone else, are always happy, and doing what a good person should? That's Bro. E. to a tee. I love that guy. What a great example. Anyway, before that little shpill....I was going to say that we stayed with members of the church in the communities we performed in. What a fun experience! I stayed with an elderly couple the first night, a young family the second, a widow the third (at whose house I lost my phone. Bah!), and an elderly couple's again for the fourth. They spoiled us like crazy and gave us tons of good food. I probably gained five pounds!! :) Anyway, as can be seen, that's the super-quick version of choir tour. But just wanted to post something about it!


The beautiful Idaho Falls Temple!


We had a few hours to kill, so we played a game called telephone charades. It was Bro. E's turn. Hilarious.


Maria and me at the Paris Tabernacle.


Um, we were tired...


Inside the Paris Tabernacle!