Crazy how fast time flies, and why oh why is it always Summer that flies by the fastest? What an amazingly fun, relaxing, family and friend filled, adventure filled, happy summer it's been!
My friend Tonnette and I went on an amazing trip to the Baltics and let me just say, I think I have some new favorite travel spots. Everywhere we went was such a great mix of natural beauty and amazing architecture. Speaking of beauty, that's it, hands down Denmark wins for having the most beautiful people, I swear there was not one ugly guy or girl to be found, and Amsterdam was a very close runner up. Of all our stops, I definitely loved Amsterdam, Stockholm and Tallinn, Estonia the best.
A few of the highlights of the trip were:
Going to the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam: so neat to match the image in my mind w/reality
Going on a canal tour of the city in Amsterdam
Watching the changing of the Royal Guard in Stockholm
The Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg: my favorite art museum yet
Sitting inside the Rock Church in Helsinki and listening to the live piano concert
Exploring beautiful Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen
****After our trip, I headed home to Salt Lake to spend time w/my fam for a couple of weeks. It was a great couple of weeks seeing family and friends and we were able to pack in so many fun different things.
Of course, a trip home would never be complete w/out Girl's nights w/my Mom and sisters. Can I just say how much I love and appreciate them. Seriously, always looking out for me. I can always count on my Mom and sisters to be on the lookout for any potential "dateable" guys, notice the key word.
So my sister Lisa and I went out to lunch one day and turns out there's this guy w/his brother and dad behind us in line. I was thinking to myself "he's really cute", then I turned the corner and Li nodded in his direction to say how cute he was too. So, we go and sit down, Li had left to go get some straws and runs back and says "he's single, no ring!", then she was like, "that's it, I have to get his number for you or else I'll regret it". So, I'm thinking no way, so embarrassing! but then I was thinking, if I left the restaurant and then she did it, what do I have to lose? We proceed to leave the restaurant and Li goes back to talk to the guy. I'm waiting and waiting outside, when all of a sudden she comes out and says "he's married". annoying! why don't some guys wear their rings? but then she starts telling me how she went up to him saying that I thought he looked familiar and asked where he went to high school, Wyoming! (way off). then she asked if he was married? and he said "yes", so she came back w/Oh too bad b/c my sister thought you were handsome and I was going to give you her number. But the best part is Li said, you know what it's a good thing, b/c as I was walking closer to him, I noticed that he wasn't as cute close up and he had bad teeth. Gotta love sisters!! On a positive note, my sister Jen is now 2 for 2 for good blind dates, no more he's LDS, you're LDS. :)
so, i have to admit, i did approach this birthday with a little hesitation. hmmm....maybe part of it was i got a little email from my friend saying hey, it's almost your ama birthday, so i'm thinking almost middle aged? and she laughed and was like no, it's an ob gyn term: advanced maternal age! o.k., i think that was even worse. but then i started thinking, you know what, so some things in my life have not turned out within the timeline i would've expected, it has still been a great life and i feel so lucky to have the amazing friends and family and great opportunities i've had. my sister and i have this long running joke....this is your year!! but i really feel like it is, no matter what comes my way.
it was actually more like a birthday week instead of day full of lots of surprises. i had lunches and dinners w/friends, some cute little surprises from the kids i work with, lots of fun calls/cards/texts from my family, a surprise cake from my young women and the other leaders and the best surprise was my mom and dad flying out for the day to be here w/me on my birthday. i know i lucked out in the parent dept. and feel so lucky they're mine. who else would be willing to fly in at 1:00, be here a few hours and then fly right back out at 7?
