Zion National Park

Time to do a little catching up.

My dear friend Gloria (who I get to see in about two weeks!) came to visit in October, and I was able to get some time off work to go down and see her! Tammy, Sara, Gloria and I did a little road trippin' down to southern Utah to take in the sights of Zion National Park. We met Gloria's friend Dane there, and had a blast exploring the beauty that is southern Utah.

Gloria was pretty excited to clean the windshield and to pump her own gas, because in Taiwan, the gas station attendants always do it for her. :)

I got my first speeding ticket on our way to Zion's. Gloria had never been pulled over by a police officer, and wanted to remember this first in her life. I had no idea she was documenting as I was talking to the officer. Too, too funny. At least I'll never forget my first speeding ticket. :)We got up close and personal with a California Condor. It's HUGE (the largest land bird on this continent). It's wingspan is over 10 feet! It was pretty impressive to watch this guy swoop in. At one time, there were only 22 of California Condors left in the world.

Angel's landing. Gorgeous!

Stunning sights, dear friends...what more could a girl want?

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving

Adorable, random people on the streets of NYC answer the question, “What are you thankful for?”



LOVE LOVE LOVE this.

I love that we have a holiday called Thanksgiving. I have lived in other countries where they don’t have Thanksgiving, and I’ve had friends tell me they wish they had this fantastically wonderful holiday. A whole day to reflect on the many gifts we have received. I am thankful for Thanksgiving.

Theoretically, we should take time to pause each day and ponder what we are grateful for. I remember hearing a man once say he was grateful for his eyebrows. He went on to explain~ his friend had lost her hair due to chemotherapy. She had also lost her eyebrows. There was nothing to stop her sweat, and it would run into her eyes. Ever since, he has given thanks for his eyebrows.

This year, I am grateful for many blessings that make my life richer. I am grateful for YOU and for the ways in which you have enriched my life. I am grateful for the opportunity to go back to TAIWAN in January (surprise!). I CANNOT wait. I cannot wait to create new memories with dear friends, make new friends, drink bingshas, learn more Chinese, ride scooters, go hiking in GORGEOUS places, teach cute kids, eat MANGOES (!!!), etc. etc. etc!

I am grateful that the world we live in is so beautifully diverse. I am grateful for different countries and places, accents, languages, foods (did I mention Taiwanese mangoes?), dishes, tastes, colors, skin colors, personalities, voices, melodies, instruments, talents, minds, ideas, perspectives, styles, smiles, laughs, stories, seasons, lessons, opportunities, experiences.

Life is bea-U-ti-ful. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Update

I know I haven't done a fabulous job of blogging since I got back to the States. I need to catch up. I have been busy updating other blogs, though. My little bros, Brian and Scott, arrived in Chile three and a half weeks ago. They're loving their missions. I'm posting excerpts from their e-mails each week on a blog...it's the easiest way for their loved ones to keep updated on their experiences. If you're interested, they're on my blog roll (Not Just Chillin in Chile and Mission: Santiago East).

I finished work about two weeks ago, and right now, I'm taking a breather. I'm taking advantage of this time to get my belongings organized for when I do move, practice the piano, study Spanish, work on family history with my mom, etc. We have a huge box we got from my Grandma full of stories, etc. that we're organizing~ it's fascinating stuff to learn about your ancestors. Life is good.

A couple of things that may be of interest to you:

1. Did you know you can download free podcasts off iTunes to help you learn a language? Just search the iTunes store, and you'll find different options to choose from. I love that it's free, and it's a good way to learn while you're driving, getting ready, etc.

2. The Mormon Channel podcasts are amazing, and if you haven't checked them out, you definitely should~ another great way to use your time while doing other mindless tasks. I download them on iTunes, but I know you can download them other ways as well. Some of my favorite podcasts are: Conversations (they have interviews with Elder Bednar, Elder Perry, and Elder Scott), Into All the World, Mormon Identity, Everything Creative (I love #4, the interview with the Egyptologist), and The Light of Men (this one is really original~ you have to listen to it). Fascinating stuff. And so uplifting.

Free Tunes ♫

My sis let me know that this week's free discovery download on iTunes belongs to one of her friends, Benton Paul (he opened for her at her CD release). Apparently it's a huge deal to be selected for this. The song is called "Run," and I love it. Who doesn't want free music? You should check it out (see the main page of the iTunes store~ it's free until Tuesday). I'd also highly recommend his song "Moon."

Happy listening!

Workin' in a Winter Wonderland

Winter decided to pop in a little early this year in Montana.
'Twas gorgeous! I took these pictures at the resort I've been
working at the last couple of months.

Trop marrant!

This hilarious video is the creation of some awesome kids from my church in France. They are some of the coolest kids I've ever met, really and truly...they are too much fun. If you speak French, this is going to knock your socks off. If not, too bad, so sad. :)

Sharin' the Love

As of a few years ago, I really didn't know much about the Christian Contemporary genre. My sister got into it a little bit, and she's introduced me to some awesome music. This year, I've been working with a couple of great guys who are really into Christian music, and they've introduced me to some new stuff. It's definitely worth checking out...they have a pretty wide range of music styles within this one genre. Here are a couple of songs I love:

"What Faith Can Do" by Kutless (I heard this song on the radio yesterday as I was driving to work.)



"Perfect People" by Natalie Grant (My sister introduced me to this one. I LOVE the lyrics.)