Education Week 2013!

As usual, it takes more time to prepare and recover from a trip than to actually be on the trip.  But I'm home and rested, photos have been trimmed and edited, and now I'm ready to share them.  (If you're a Facebook friend a lot of them will look familiar.)

The last time I was in Utah was in 2009 for a roommate reunion.  I drove then, as I did this time.  But there were 2 differences this time.  This time I took my trusty canine companion, Bailey, the well-traveled dog who has now been on 6 long road trips in 4 different states.  The other difference was that my starting point was Washington State and my halfway point was Meridian, Idaho.  In the past my starting point has always been California with St. George or Cedar City, Utah being my resting places.  I'm not a straight-shot driver!

Besides the adventures of my destination, I couldn't help but make certain observations on the road.  For instance, based on my experience living in 3 different states over the years (CA, UT, WA,) I can strongly say that when it comes to courtesy and giving drivers space, Washington drivers rank the highest, with Oregon close behind (since we live so close to the Oregon border.)  Here are 5 states' worth of drivers from best to worst...

BEST       1.  Washington
                 2.  Oregon

Distant     3rd.  California

WORST  4. Utah
                5. Idaho

Idaho has its strengths though.  BEST drive-through carwash I've ever been to, and the hotel clerks at the La Quinta were really nice.  So were the rooms, and La Quinta hotels are dog-friendly, a great plus for me when I'm traveling alone with my pooch. Idaho was also the best at getting my windshield riddled with bugs.  Wait, what?  I guess it's all in how you look at it!

I left very early on all of my driving days (around 6am) and put in about 8-10 hours on the road.  Driving at night on a long trip is not for me, partly for safety as a woman traveling alone.

After arriving at our friend, Darla's, house in Orem 2 days before Education Week began, it was time to rest and plan our days.  My mom joined me, flying into Salt Lake City the day before.

We spent the next day in downtown Salt Lake, acting the part of the tourists.  We took a tour of the Conference Center, which I had never seen, and Temple Square, which is always a great place to visit.  We ate a yummy lunch at the Garden Restaurant on the 10th floor of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building (formerly the Hotel Utah)and visited the very large and impressive flagship store for Deseret Book.  The thing that impressed me the most at Deseret Book and at the BYU Bookstore was the beautiful artwork.  Such lovely paintings depicting Christ, the pioneers, temples, or scenes from the scriptures.  Really, really beautiful.

Here are some pictures from that fun day!  Click on them to see them full sized:

(These photos were all taken by me and belong to me.  

Please ask permission to use them. Thank you!)

Outside of the Conference Center

Inside the Conference Center--an AMAZING building!  It seats 21,000 people comfortably, the largest indoor place of worship in the entire world.  And it is so beautiful, both in the large hall and in the hallways surrounding it, which are filled with pieces of art.

View of Temple Square from the roof of the Conference Center

Another view from the roof, this time you can see the Utah State Capital Building in the back and the red McCune Mansion in the front.  I would've liked to have visited there, because I love historic houses, but there wasn't time for everything.

Yes, I took this picture!  This is the view of Temple Square from the 10th floor of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.  A little iPhoto magic was added to make it look aged. One of my favorite photos from the trip.

The fountain outside the Church Office Building.

Mom in front of the Church Office Building.

The gorgeous Salt Lake Temple. I saw an incredible painting of this exact view minus the tourists and the big shadow at Deseret Book in Portland, Oregon, a week later.  So tempting!

Mom and me standing on the newlywed pedestal.

The Joseph Smith Memorial Building is shaped like an "H," but I was grateful to get this view with lots of flowers in the foreground.

There are no words.

The Church Office Building.  Big.

Another view of the temple.  Do you see a few red twinkle lights on the tree on the right?  A worker was already decorating for Christmas!  He had been working on that one tree for 3 weeks.

The Assembly Hall at Temple Square. Great gothic architecture.

Purely aesthetic.  I love pathways and lampposts.  

The next day Education Week began!  And so did the morning rush.  Each day we were up at 6:30am, out of the house by 8am, and pulling into the parking lot at the Marriott Center at BYU at 8:30.  The  Marriott Center in the huge indoor stadium on campus, used for graduations, special guest speakers, and basketball games.  The accompanying parking lot is one of the bigger ones on campus, but still a hike!  Despite that, we felt grateful that we were able to park in pretty much the same area each day.  It made finding the car a lot easier when we were so tired in the evening.

The week cost around $60, and with that fee you get to attend class series on a myriad of topics.  If you begin a series and decide to leave it and attend something else, that's OK too.

I attended a series on Abraham Lincoln that was very fascinating.  It covered Abraham Lincoln's spirituality and his relationship with God, which was very profound.  I'm tempted to do an entire blog post just on my notes from that class.  I also attended several on church history, one of my favorite topics at Education Week, a couple on marriage, one on temples, and one on the Sistine Chapel.

Another series I was faithful to was on music, given by Janice Kapp Perry and Marvin Goldstein.  Janice Kapp Perry is one of the most prolific (if not, THE most) composers in the LDS church.  Marvin Goldstein in a pianist who has a wonderful style that I could listen to all day. 

Walking through campus was a joy, and it brought back so many memories of my years there.  But I was still astounded at how much it has changed and how many new buildings have been built.  It reminded me of Disneyland a bit, because there are always changes being made, yet the spirit of the place remains the same.

Here are some campus photos I took:

It wouldn't be BYU without the Brigham Young statue right in front of the administration building.  Someone commented on how ironic it is that a clean shaven version is the one used on campus.  Way to keep with the dress code, Brother Brigham!

The extension of the library never fails to astonish me.  This project began right when I was graduating in 1994, with the quad area being completely torn up.  Now the quad is multi-level, allowing the students in the subterranean floors to have natural light while working on their studies.  Amazing!

Looking across the quad at the library with its fancy new entrance.  (OK, new to me!)

Along the middle of the quad are those little glass squares, which are skylights for the library floor below it.

Another view of campus.  Library skylight in the foreground, the HFAC (Harris Fine Arts Building,) and "Y" Mountain in the background. 

Trying out the panoramic feature.

On the 3rd day I decided to walk the trail to my old stomping grounds, the Cannon Center, my freshman cafeteria.  You can buy a food card for the week and stay in the dorms too.  I ate there twice.  $10 for all you can eat, and the food was dang good!  Like most everything else on campus, the Cannon Center has also had a major make-over since I was a lowly freshman.

The Gordon B. Hinckley Alumni Building, built in 2006.  I took a class here one day. 

Inside the Hinkley Center, including the shovel he used for the groundbreaking ceremony.  This building is such a fitting tribute for such a great man.

Our days on campus ranged from 10-14 hours during that Tuesday through Friday.  There was time for little else, but it was great.  By Friday, I was running out of steam and I woke of with a sore throat that developed into a nasty cold by the end of the day.  I only attended 2 classes instead of my usual 4.  It was a crummy way to end the week!  By the time we got back to Darla's house that evening I was a runny mess and just beat.  I went to bed at 5pm, only getting up for dinner.

The next day I assessed how I was feeling.  I had made a commitment to visit my friend, Chris, and his family in Spanish Fork while my mom and Darla went to visit a lovely lady from our California ward so many years ago.

My mom and Nora, who was turning 105!!! Doesn't she look great?

On the way back from my visit, I drove through downtown Provo to check on the progress of the Provo City Center Temple construction.  The building was once the Provo Tabernacle, which was destroyed by a fire.  I can't wait to see what it looks like when its completed.  We have to drive 60 miles to the nearest temple, imagine having 2 of them right there in your city!

Construction on the Provo City Center Temple--cool!

Despite my cold, I hit the road bright and early the next morning, rolling into the La Quinta once again at around 1pm.  I was so glad to be partway home and able to rest.  I just vegged for hours in my room and ordered a pizza.  It's called vacation!

The next day I left a little bit later, knowing that the time change would give me back an extra hour.  I arrived home around 3pm and found a Welcome Home sign on the door and flowers waiting for me in the dining room:

There is 2 of everything because Eric was babysitting his nephew and he wanted to be included in welcoming me back.  That night we went to Sizzler for some shrimp and some salad bar.  I was SO tired!

All in all, a really good trip.  It was so nice to be on campus and attend classes.  I'm a school nerd, I love things like that.  I loved popping into the BYU Bookstore each day and browsing through their overpriced souvenirs.  Bought a lot of 89 cent pens though! 

If you ever have the chance to attend Education Week I really encourage you to go.  We are never too old to learn something new, and the energy on campus, full of people from all over the country who are eager to be there, is really special. 

3 Years!

3 years ago today I became a wife to a wonderful man.  The time has flown by and I love him more each day.  Every day I am reminded of his sweetness, of his love, devotion, and goodness.  Happy Anniversary, my adorable husband! I love you.

Bragging, A Physical Interpretation

On a lighter note, I saw this and had to post it:

There are 4 people I know who come to mind when I think of bragging.  One is constantly bragging about herself, 2 brag about their kids, and the last one brags about her child and herself (a double braggy whammie.)  Sadly, all of them are women.  (It seems to be a gender thing--well done, guys.)  Honestly, I do not get what people hope to accomplish by bragging. We have all done things we're proud of. 

Right now I'm proud of myself for posting this picture.

A Great Book...

Looking for a great book to share with your kids? I came across Number the Stars last night and read the whole thing in one sitting (160 pages.)  I highly recommend it.

Click on the picture below to read my review on my other blog.  And then..get this book.

"Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve"

I am already getting really jazzed about attending BYU Education Week in just a few more weeks. The class catalog came a few days ago and I poured over it for a couple of hours trying to decide which lectures I wanted to attend.  There are so many choices!

Education Week is a very inexpensive event that takes place on the Brigham Young University campus August 19-23 of this year.  For about $60 (for the entire week!) you can go to classes on many different subject from 8:30am until 9:30pm.  You have complete freedom to attend an entire series or hop around from one class to another throughout the week. 

These are not college classes.  They are structured to be of interest to people in the middle of their lives.  There are lots of classes on religious topics and church history, because this is a private religious university, but there are many others as well.  There are classes on marriage, parenting, home management, communicating, estate planning, history, music, dance, law, finance, and many others.

As I scoured the catalog and thought about how to best use my time, I thought about how my priorities have changed since the last time I attended, which was about 15 years ago.  At that time I went to a lot of church history and music classes.  Now, as a married woman in my (gulp) 40's, some other ones caught my interest. (Marriage, food storage, finances...but I'm still planning on going to some of the fun ones!)

Although I haven't completely figured out my week, and may not until the last minute, I know it will be a week of learning and growth.  How wonderful that an event like this exists every year.  I can't wait!

This event is open to everyone of all faiths.  It is not too late to register and attend.  Click HERE for all the information.  It is an amazing experience!

I Swear...

 ...I do not like it when people swear.

It's no secret to most people who know me that I really, really don't like offensive language.  Today while waiting for a doctor's appointment, one of the male LVNs was being loud and using the s--- word over and over.  Really?  You can't say "thing" or "stuff?"

And, yes, I mentioned it to the nurse who took me back to the exam room.  Who knows if anything will come of it.  But, wow, it was unprofessional. 

The other day I watched a movie I hadn't seen a long time.  Bad decision. It was one of those I-didn't-really-like-it-at-first-but-I'll-give-it-another-try type movies.  Now I remember what I didn't like about it.  The offensive language peppered throughout. An otherwise decent story was totally ruined.

From movies, to books, to music (I use these terms generously,) it just seems like using certain words is the "in" thing.

Here's my take, and I know I'm not alone.  Using those words does not make you "in" or smart or more adult or part of the group. If you think that, then maybe you need a new group or a redefinition of the word "smart."

Maybe it is the idea that the words are "taboo" that make people want to say them more.  Human nature is to always want what we can't have, right? But at a certain age no one is going to spank us or wash our mouth out with soap for saying these things.  At that point it's called personal responsibility. 

And of course, there are so many politically incorrect words that offend others, yet the old standbys are there for everyone to partake of.  What a great way to bring everyone together.  Not.

We wear the way we express ourselves like our wardrobe.  There are the people who you can always expect to speak eloquently, without resorting to that garbage. Then there are the ones who come with their own personal "bleep" button. 

Seriously, humans.  Let's work on this.

OK, off my soapbox.

A Summer Catch-Up Post

Someone has been a lazy blogger lately and I think it is me!  The truth is, with the weather being so wonderful, the last thing I have wanted to do is sit in front of the computer.  But here is what's been happening...

At the end of June I started preparing for my mom to come up and visit us.  I'm a little obsessive when it comes to preparing for company, no matter who it is, and Eric has just learned that when I get into "tornado mode," it is best to step aside.  I don't think I got that bad this time, but having overnight company did give me a push to do some of the things I constantly put off.  A big one was polishing furniture.  Most of my wooden furniture in the dining and living rooms are inherited pieces from my grandparents and from a senior, never-married lady who lived next door to the house I grew up in.  My dining room table set and secretary are from her.  A huge console in our dining room was once the first TV/radio/turntable combo that my grandparents put in their house back in the 1950's.  All of these are beloved pieces, even those that are not in the best condition.  Polishing them brought them back to life quite a bit.

When the day of my mom's arrival finally came, it was a day of delays.  They weren't her fault, but that of an overly cautious airline after the crash that happened in San Francisco a few weeks ago.  All told, my mom got in about 6 hours later than the original scheduled time. We were eating dinner near the airport at nearly 9pm and still had an hour's drive back to our house.

The following week was a good visit, probably the best one of my mom's visits up here. I attribute a lot of that to the fact that I am not that new in this state and house anymore.  That's a nice feeling, and even though we visited a couple of places I had never been to before, my comfort level permeated throughout her visit.

We went outlet shopping, we visited Pittock Mansion in Portland, I gave her a perm, we went on a lot of walks, I cooked a lot of dinners and we went out a few times.  She also had more of a chance to bond with my hubby, who she hadn't seen in nearly 2 years since he and I drove to CA for Christmas 2011.

We rounded out her visit by going to dinner at a local BBQ place, which, happily, she really enjoyed.  All around, I think all of us felt more relaxed this visit, which cut down on the post-visit recovery time.

Sadly, one of the things my mom did have to witness while she was here was the decline of our 2 older kitties, Darcy and Ashley (above.)  Ashley's health has been a topic of discussion for many months, since she began having seizures about once a month almost 2 years ago.  Her brother, Darcy, began having them a few months later, and had one last Sunday just as my mom and I were returning from church.  We have spent a lot trying to find the source of the seizures with little success.

Unfortunately, Ashley's health had taken other negative turns as well.  She was losing weight and yet she was constantly hungry.  Her day consisted of either sleeping, going potty (very unhealthy potty,) or asking for food.  It seemed like her body just wasn't absorbing food anymore and she was getting thinner and more and more bony.

A couple of weeks ago, a new reality hit.  She was starting to go potty outside of her box.  We don't think she was doing it on purpose, but that was kind of a non-issue.  It just meant that something else was wrong.

After all of the discussion of when to put her down, we realized the time had finally come.  I tearfully made the appointment on Thursday.  That night she ruined my favorite, hand stitched, tablecloth--a confirmation that we were doing the right thing.  Again, I don't think she did it on purpose, but it proved that she wasn't able to control her insides anymore.

Yesterday we did the deed.  It was so, so hard and she was still feisty up until the end, which made it harder.  We tried out a new vet, who turned out to be really great and sensitive throughout the appointment.  (We had come close to doing this 2 months ago and I had done a lot of research with clinics in town.)  Sadly, Ashley did have one last (short) seizure between the sedative and the final injection. We petted her and I cried during our last moments with her.

It never ceases to amaze me how these little critters work their way into our hearts.  They love us unconditionally and they trust us implicitly, which is why that final decision is such a tough one.

Today we are adjusting to a new normal.  Ashley was always circling around the kitchen asking for food, or skittering across the counters.  A lot of times she was just sit looking out the window.  She was the curious kitty who would greet and sniff anyone who came into the house. Our 100lb dog would not cross paths with her, finding her too intimidating.

She and her brother had been with me since the day I moved into my first apartment back in October 1996.  It was a Saturday afternoon and the humane society was closed, so my mom and I went to a Petco in South Pasadena.  As we entered, a lady was holding a kitten with enormous yellow eyes buried in her dark face.  I instantly knew that I would be adopting her. (The cat, not the lady!)

Ashley's been with me through 4 different homes, since I started my career, and through an 18 hour drive from California to Washington after Eric and I married in 2010.  She's always been a combination of solitary and social and she loved attention, although it had to be on her terms.

The house definitely feels different today, even though I have a doggy at my feet and 2 more kitties napping with Eric in the other room.  Outliving our pets is part of the cycle of having them.  It's the hard part.

I am really glad I have something to look forward to after yesterday's sad event.  BYU Education week is coming during the 3rd week of August and I'll be attending for the first time in nearly 15 years.  I'll be driving with my dog, Bailey, as my companion.  It will be the first time driving from Washington to Utah, instead of California to Utah.  My mom will go too and we're staying with a friend in Orem.  I'm really looking forward to it.

And so Life goes on, with its ups and downs, always trying to teach us something and always giving us opportunities to decide how we are going to handle things.  Despite having to say goodbye to a beloved kitty, it has been and will be a good summer.  As always, we have so much for which to be grateful.

Wildlife Adventures!

I know, second post today, but I just have to show some of the pictures from my walk today.  It has been a day with alternate sun and rain, which makes the sunny part of the day even prettier.

Bailey and I walked down to the lake only to find a lot of the ducks huddled together.  Today, a lot of the females were gathered around a big white goose.  They even swam together as if the goose was their mother with the adult females following it.

But the best part was seeing a young mother duck with her TWELVE little tiny ducklings.  The mother was so young she didn't even have the normal marking of a female adult.  The ducklings followed her in a tight little group until one of them strayed in the wrong direction.  I sat watching for several minutes as the stray duckling swam farther and farther in the wrong direction, making peeping noises.  It was clearly distressed.  At first the mommy duck didn't notice as she was taking her brood to swim among some lily pads.  Then she noticed.  The animal world is amazing.  She started peeping too until the little stray one finally went in the right direction and they reunited.  Hooray for a mother's instinct!

Click on the photos to see them full-sized...

One of those lucky shots!

Looking up the hill, lined with hanging flower baskets

This little group was hilarious playing Follow the Leader.

There's the young family!  Can you tell which one is headed in the wrong direction?

Minutes later, reunited!  I'm sure he got a speech about not wandering off again.

All accounted for, making their way to the water's edge.

One last look before we cross the street and head home.

Documentary Review: Hitler's Children

It feels horrible to have the name "Hitler" and to have a picture with a swastika on my blog, but I recently saw a documentary that was incredibly powerful, and I wanted to write about it and encourage others to see it.

It is called Hitler's Children, available for streaming on Netflix, and the winner of multiple awards.  As we know, Hitler himself did not have any biological children. This film consists of interviews of descendants of those within his inner circle.  It is a ground-breaking film in that we see that, similarly to the descendants of Jewish families who were affected by the horrors of the Holocaust, the families of the Nazi war criminals live their own brand of hell, living with the surname of those responsible.

Amon Goeth, Heinrich Himmler, Rudolf Hoess, Hans Frank, and Hermann Goering.  These are some of the most famous names associated with the atrocities of that period in history.  What would it be like to be related to these men?  How do you establish a separate identity apart from the bloody legacy they left behind?

Coming to terms with their infamous relatives has not been easy for any of the people who are interviewed.  The common denominator is guilt, because everyone wants to love and honor their parents.  In the case of Niklas Frank, the son of Hans Frank, Hitler's chief legal counsel, the answer is--you don't.  He has completely denounced both of his parents and his 4 older siblings--all now deceased--who denied their father's actions.

Others who participate in the documentary are the daughter of Amon Goeth (the sadistic officer portrayed by Ralph Fiennes in Schindler's List,) Heinrich Himmler's grand-niece Katrin Himmler, Rudolf Hoess's grandson Rainer, and Hermann Goering's niece Bettina.

The family lies that all of these people grew up hearing are chilling.  Many of them have done their own research to find out the truth. They have considered changing their names, and often try to disassociate themselves with their homeland.  They've written books, visited schools, and some have even opted for sterilization in order to end the family line.

Two parts of the film made the most impact on me:  when Monika Goeth described the way she felt seeing the portrayal of her father in Schindler's List; and when Rainer Hoess spoke to a group of teenagers at Auschwitz, many of whom had lost relatives at the hands of his grandfather.  (The incredible film The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is obviously loosely based on the Hoess family.)

Thankfully, none of the people in the film make any excuses for what their relatives did.  On the contrary.  They have tried their best to live good, decent lives and to prove that such evil is not hereditary.  As Katrin Himmler explains, to believe those traits can be passed down through the generations is to align yourself with Nazi ideology about race and genetics.

As time separates us more and more from what happened in Germany during World War II, it becomes easy to forget it as a crucial moment in history.  I personally believe that every school child should be taught about this time period as a way to ensure that it doesn't happen again.  (Although we know that it is happening today in some parts of the world, to some degree.) 

If you feel your child is old enough and mature enough to handle the subject, I recommend watching (together with your child) The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (PG-13) and then Hitler's Children (unrated, but probably a PG because of language.) Neither film shows graphic images although there is some violence in Pajamas.  Both are available for streaming on Netflix. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is fictional, based on the book of the same name, but powerful. The documentary is mostly in German with English subtitles.

Some helpful links:
Official Website for the documentary, Hitler's Children. 

Our Beautiful Lake

I just have to pay a quick tribute to the beautiful lake in the middle of our town.  With the weather finally warming up and blue skies nearly here to stay for a while (after July 4th we're in the clear,) I can't help taking pictures of it.  Luckily, I have a patient doggie who is used to me stopping every few steps.

We live 4 houses up from this well-manicured park.  I'm so glad that the city takes such pride in it and keeps it watered and mowed all year round.  Here are some photos from this week.  All were taken with the iPhone 5 and edited on iPhoto.  They look much better in their full sizes.  Click on them to see a full sized slide show.  Isn't Nature beautiful?

Adventures in May--Vegas! Osmonds! Copperfield!

Wow, it has been a while since I've written on any of my blogs!  Best to get back to it before I lose my blogging mojo.

In May we had our "big trip for the year."  Back in February, while watching an Osmond Family reunion DVD we bought in Vegas in 2011, my husband and I go the idea to look on the family site and see their tour dates.  As it turned out, the brothers were going to be performing for 3 nights in May.  We looked at each other with that glint in our eyes and spent the rest of the day planning a trip.

By the time we were done, it consisted of a 5 day/4night stay, with tickets to see Donny & Marie one night, a matinee of David Copperfield the next day, and the Osmond Brothers (Merrill, Jay, Jimmy) on the final night.

Things started off bumpy!  I was wearing a skirt with several buttons and it set off all sorts of alarms at the Portland airport.  I've flown through that airport more times than I can count, but this time I was led to a private room and patted down.  Fun!

When we arrived at the Flamingo Hotel, our home for 3 nights, I discovered that my conditioner bottle had leaked in my suitcase.  Grr.  Fortunately, and miraculously, it didn't get on any clothes!

But the part that really got our trip off on a sore note was discovering that Donny & Marie had cancelled their performances up until the day after we were leaving.  We don't know why and we received no notification. We tried to roll with it and figure out what to do.  That evening we had an awesome sushi dinner at Bally's, then took a cab to this tiny casino called Ellis Island that we heard had great karaoke.  I was under an a/c vent the whole time, which just wiped out my voice (not to mention smokers everywhere.)  But Eric did great and had the whole place mesmerized with a BJ Thomas song and then an Elvis song.

We spent the next day walking around the Forum Shops, but as the day progressed we still didn't have plans for the evening.  I had the idea that we get tickets for the Osmond Brothers for that night.  So what if we saw them twice?  We knew their show would be good, clean, and 1/3 of the price of Donny & Marie.

Jay, Merrill, and Jimmy--3 nights of superb entertainment!

It turned out to be a SUPER idea!  The brothers' show was great!  They were playing at The Orleans, off the Strip, and we were so impressed.  No glitz, just the 3 brothers and 4 musicians.  Both Eric and I have a great respect for pure talent, and these guys have it.  Superb harmonies and a very personal show.  We were so glad we were going to see them again!




The next day we went to the Venetian and visited Madame Tussaud's wax museum (cool, but overpriced) and walked around the Canal Shops there.

The King at Madame Tussaud's

In the afternoon it was time to head over to the MGM Grand for our David Copperfield show.  I was pretty excited because I'd been watching his specials since I was a kid.  Eric had hardly heard of him, but I knew the show would be great.  We had a very enthusiastic cab driver who took us to the MGM, assuring us that "not in 2,000 years, since time of Jesus Christ, does a man do this kind of stuff!"

You must see his live show.  Incredible!

The show was AMAZING.  The cab driver was right!  Even sitting in one of the closest seats revealed nothing.  He made an audience member fly!  He turned an origami butterfly into a real one.  He walked through a giant fan.  He read minds.  He made a group of 10 people disappear, and many more incredible illusions.  If you ever get a chance to see Copperfield in person--do it.

But it was a matinee, so we were done around 5:30pm....what to do?  If you know my hubby you know he is a huge Osmond Fan, so yes, we went and saw the brothers again.  Amazingly, we had the best seats of all 3 nights when buying our tickets only an hour before the show. 4th row center.  And we think that night's show was the best of the three.

Enjoying the gardens at the Flamingo Hotel

Flamingos at the Flamingo!

The next day we moved from the Flamingo to the Orleans.  It was a very relaxing day.  I hung out at the pool and then got a massage at their spa. (I must've been really relaxed, because at one point I remember snoring myself awake!) Being off the Strip, there was less of a party atmosphere and more of a family atmosphere.  Both of us agreed we would definitely stay there again. The pool area was great--I spent hours there reading on my Kindle. And the breakfast buffet?  $5.95/person!

I will admit that by the 3rd Osmond concert, it felt like a little much.  But I'm still glad we did it.  Eric enjoyed every moment and seeing him so relaxed and happy brings me great joy.  He really earned that vacation.   And we had SO much fun!  I just love those kinds of experiences with my hubby.  I'm not really a Vegas person at all (he loves it,) but it is a lot of fun with him.

Our "Osmond Wall" got 2 new additions after this trip!

We came home on a high note, rested and thrilled with the way our trip all turned out!