Father

Happy Birthday to my sweet daddy. We love you!

Final Harry Potter

Thursday marked an end of an era. Harry Potter era. I was really sad about this. After the last book I was really bummed but took comfort in more movies coming out. And this was the last movie. My brother so kindly hooked us up with screening passes so we got to see it at 9 p.m. on Thursday instead of midnight Thurs/Fri. We're too old for midnight shows. We got to bed at 1 a.m. after this one and it about killed us on Friday when we had to wake up and go to work. (Oh, and don't mind Dallin's silly face in the picture, he thought I was weird wanting to take one).

The thing I love about Harry Potter and the empire is how much people love it. How everyone in the Muggle and Magical world come together to celebrate the boy wizard and have a good time. As you can see in the pictures, the movie theater was packed and there were lots of people dressed up. This little boy dressed as Voldemort (with the white head - stupid phone wouldn't focus!) was pretty much the most adorable thing I've ever seen, even as Voldemort. We saw shirts that said "I'm a Keeper" with pictures of the Quiddich goal rings and "Twilight Sucks." There was a preview for the new Twilight movie, complete with Taylor Lautner stripping off his shirt (what else is he good for?) and Edward and Bella getting it on. I think you could hear our theater down the street the screams went to a fever-pitch; moms too. (Not I, although I AM excited). The one thing that bugged was people kept cheering and clapping during the movie. I usually don't mind but it kept pulling me out of my wizard-movie world and that wasn't much fun. I like it there. :)

Did anyone else cry in the movie. I shed a few tears. I mean, come on, when Harry sees his parents in the forest and is afraid to die?!?! The girl behind us was sobbing. I find it fascinating that a destitute woman created such an empire that media outlets talked about it non-stop, people stayed up all night to watch it, books, movies, theme parks, everyone knows Harry Potter, and he's not even real. But to Ms. JK Rowling, thanks for the stories and memories.

Flying

Mags loves car rides. She knows she's going to see people and that makes her so happy. Recently we've started unrolling the back windows for her to look out. Before she was too little and scared of noises that she hated it. She LOVED is now. I think it's hilarious because her ears fly back and she looks a bit like Yoda. She sniffs the whole time; no wonder her nose is so wrinkly. I do have a rule that the windows get rolled up once we get on main roads or the freeway. Nobody likes puppy pancakes on the road. She gets really mad about that and we've also learned to lock the windows and doors because a few times she's accidentally rolled down the window on her own! I love to see the world through her eyes because she thoroughly enjoys every minute of it.

Friends

One of my friends got married/sealed today. I've been looking forward to this day for her since she told me she was engaged. I know how stressful planning a wedding can be and feel lucky that she let me be involved in a small part of it.

One day, a few months ago, she emailed me and said that the invitations she liked weren't going to happen and was wondering if I could design something for her. She's never seen any of my designs and I was terrified and felt extreme pressure. What if she hated them? I saw the style that she liked and went to work creating it with my own flair. I thought for sure she would hate them and sent them to her a little embarrassed and preparing myself for a resounding "oh...that's....nice..." I got an email from her that she LOVED them. LOVED them, not loved them. I was in shock. It felt so good to help her out and that she actually liked them. We collaborated on the colors a bit more and I was nervous when they went to print but they turned out really great! It was so fun to get her invitation in the mail knowing that I MADE that! She was so sweet for inviting me be involved in her final dress fitting and just chatting. I feel like we got closer in the past couple months than we have in the years we've known each other. Here they are but I've wiped out all identifying information.

Enough of the tangent. The point is, at the sealing something really hit me. The sealer was talking about how the decision they were making today (to get married) is the single most important decision you'll ever make in your life. How in the scheme of the eternities, life is but a small blip but that decision affects everything about your future and it's a really big blip! I was thinking of my blip I made 2 1/2 years ago (can you believe?!?) and how I'm so grateful I made that decision and have not regretted it for one second. I feel so lucky to have that decision behind me and that it was a seemingly easy one to make when I had my best friend and partner by my side. I feel so blessed to live in the midst of the temple, to have the power of the priesthood here on the earth, and to be able to spend eternity with those we love. Life is amazing.

Fourth of July

Friday the first we hung out with our friends and watched the Centerville fireworks from their balcony. Their poor toddler was so scared he was shaking as he watched them until his dad held him and he fell asleep.

Saturday we went and saw Super 8 (alright movie) and then I met up with my best girlfriends from high school. One was in town from out of state and we went and caught up at the Old Spaghetti Factory. I ran home and Dallin and I went to meet up with my family at Eaglewood in Bountiful to watch their firework show. What is special about this year is that my dad's cousins are in town from England. My brothers, Andy, Suzanne and I stayed with them in London when we visited back in 2007. It was so fun to see them on this side of the pond since they haven't visited here for a decade.

They love anything and everything cowboy (and indian). They went to the Oakley rodeo and were pretty much in heaven. They caught free t-shirts there that they were proudly sporting. Fred bought some glow sticks and we had fun decorating Jonathan with them. It was kind of ironic there were there celebrating our country's freedom from their country, but they definitely got the full American experience.

I am so grateful for this country. Even though England will always have a special place in my heart and my family there is so dear to me, I am grateful for the freedoms we enjoy and the land that we live in, the land that I love.

Festivities

We celebrated Dallin turning the infamous 2-9 this week. He wanted his dad's steaks for dinner and Mike was kind enough to oblige. They were super delicious. They had also just bought a snow cone machine which we enjoyed, even Maggie thought her snowcone was amazing until she realized it was just ice and everyone else had syrup.

Dallin got lots of cool presents and got to celebrate his birthday with Marie Calendar's apple crisp. It was a perfect summer night to celebrate the special man in my life. Thomas was able to find the Argentina soccer game online so they could watch the Copa America which topped off a night of his favorite things. I'm so grateful for him and for the wonderful spirit he carries about him. Happy Birthday babe, love you x2.