Attention Utah...listen up!

Dear Friends and Family in Utah,

Good news...my good friend Kathy Crouse is coming to UT...she's an amazing photographer...and will be in Utah at the end of this month. So...if you have a darling baby...cute kid...or other person who you love and want photographed (come on...admit it...the school photos...inevitably after recess and lunch...don't do your little one justice, right?) feel free to check out her work and get in touch with her....she has room in her schedule for a couple more shoots.

http://kathryncrousephotography2.blogspot.com/

Slip sliding away...

So today as I was wrapping up a therapy session with an 11-yr old girl we were making small talk as we were leaving my office. Suddenly things didn't feel so very correct with my clothing in the lower region of my body. I felt something...sliding. I looked down at my ankles...and sure enough...all of my slip was gathered there...covering my feet. When cute 11-yr old realized, she covered her mouth with her hand and gasped. I laughed and said: "Well, excuse me. My slip has fallen off. Sometimes these things happen." And I then attempted to shimmy it back up to its proper location without exposing anything. I feel as though it went well, and my client and I had a good laugh. I'm sure (hoping) it will do wonders for our therapeutic alliance...now that she's seen me be (very) human.

That would be a good enough story alone. Sad news is...this is not the first time my slip has deceived me. Once, about 7 years ago (yes, the slip is that old...waste not, want not)....I was crossing a very busy street...happened to be in SLC...you know the cross walk between temple square and the conference building? Yes the very intersection that is 100% guaranteed to ALWAYS be FULL of cars? The middle of that crosswalk is a great place to have your slip fall to your ankles. That time however...there was no "shimmy time" at my disposal and I made the executive decision to avoid risking my life by such delay. Instead...I casually walked out of the slip...bent down, wadded it up and put it in my purse, held my head and I kept walking. As any distinguished lady would do.

Time to buy a new slip.

Gratitude List

I am grateful for:

• air conditioning
• air conditioning
• air conditioning
• Asics shoes...especially my new ones waiting for their first run
• Camelbak water bottle (stainless steel...keeps water cold longer)
• family...and an upcoming trip home to see them
• friends who love me and make me laugh
• fun times with Cole, Will and Carter last night...hugs & games & laughing & stories...best cure to a grumpy night
• pink boxing gloves
• flip flops
• the temple
• ceiling fans
• friends who come visit me in AZ
• the possiblity of buying a house within the next 6 months
• red potatoes
• my ipod
• Kohls and 15% off coupons
• soft t-shirts that fit perfectly
• friends/roommates who make me laugh every day
• planned trips to visit friends...the anticipation that builds each month
• our new Bosu ball
• sleep

Canada 2

More Canada pictures...

Cute baby Ryann who was an angel...so happy and fun. One of my very most favorite moments was the afternoon when she and I were letting her sweet mama sleep (after a bit of a long night for the two)...we sat out on the balcony looking at birds, listening to the cars...feeling the breeze and eventually...falling asleep. A balcony, a breeze and a sleeping baby on your lap...what could be more peaceful??

Not a great picture, but got the chance to see Chantal Kreviazuk in concert. I bet you've heard her music...my favorite songs: Wonderful, In This Life...and some more. Check her out...

Last one...Kathy and I near the top of the waterfall. Note that I'm wearing my favorite Galyan jacket. Ahhh. I jumped right at the opportunity to wear it the second it was just a tiny bit cold. :)

So...thanks for a great trip, Kath...loved it, love you.

Canada!

So...I was invited by my amazing friend Kathy to go to Canada with her and her cute baby girl, Ryann. We found killer $29-each-way tickets to Great Falls, Montana. From there we rented a car (thank you nice Thrifty for the Subaru upgrade with only 1,000 miles, we love you!)...we had fun driving and talking and made our way to Lethbridge, Alberta. (Which for future reference, is a city and a province...and if you make the mistake of saying Lethbridge, Canada...you will be mocked by your favorite Canadian, right Kath? ...Mesa, USA...punk! ;) We made it through the border after what felt like 49 years of wait time...and were happily on our way.

The next day we spent time with her family...I got to see Lethbridge...which is beautiful. Trees (of all varieties, not just palm, though I'm still a lover the palm...yes, Sara and Mogeets..."palm tree!") Loved the pine trees, clean smell and cool air. I felt very homesick. Loved meeting her family, they were darling and kind. Loved having a "slushee" every day. Now folks, these are NOT the typical 7-11 dealios. No. Ice cream (that is for sure the best I've ever had) mixed with some heavenly concoction that is like the slurpee, but BETTER!!! When Kathy told me about them i thought "Whatever, how good can they be?" Yeah, I was wrong. Amazing.

Went to a family BBQ where i got to meet and make friends with her darling niece Autumn, who was quiet and shy and I was bound and determined to get a smile outta her. Taught her brother, Oakley my 1 soccer move. 6 yr olds are pretty easy to please.

The next day Kath and I hiked "Bear's Hump" in Waterton. Short, but steep... The view from the top was amazing...(see picture at the top). This mountain is aptly named as there are very frequent bear sightings. We saw zero. I did not complain.

After Bear's Hump, we saw more of Waterton...it's a cute little town, kind of a cross between Park City and Ephraim. This animal...a ram?...was found grazing on the front lawn of one of the residents. Many deer were out and about and we watched some kids walk up to and touch one of them.

While we were there, Kathy (a professional photographer) took many great pictures. I followed behind and wished and hoped to be like her. I love this one of her.

And this one too...

She is considering making me her jr. apprentice. I am crossing my fingers. I love photography and am amazed by the work she does.

In Waterton is this waterfall.

Near this waterfall was this little ladybug. Love the drops of water from the spray off the fall. Cute little bug on a rail.

Another "jr. apprentice" moment. Me shooting Kath shooting the Magrath grain elevators that look like milk cartons. Had I been a REAL apprentice, I would have gotten OUT of the car so that you wouldn't see the BUGS on the windshield, thus marring an otherwise interesting photo. There was traffic, major road. I was being careful, not lazy. I think.

May

Dear Everyone:

My blog has been neglected (though not nearly as neglected as the blogs of Mom and Lindsay). I have to many things to say so I will have to start somewhere...here goes. May was good. Here's what happened:

i had a birthday. blew out all 31 of my candles with speed and stealth. my wish is bound to come true.

celebrated the graduation of my cute friend Taelor...(love you Taez!)

And what else? Worked, played, laughed. Oh! And fell in love with boxing and my new gloves...

AND! Went to Canada...see next post for that though....

Still

"Courage, it would seem, is nothing less than

the power to overcome danger, misfortune, fear, injustice,

while continuing to affirm inwardly

that life with all its sorrows

is good;

that everything is meaningful

even if

in a sense beyond our understanding;

and that there is always tomorrow."

-Dorothy Thompson