Conference, Corn Maze, California

I'm getting better at taking pictures of fun stuff that we do.  Cause really, even though we are poor and busy, we mange to do some pretty fun stuff together.  

One of my favorite parts about being a cello player is playing at weddings!  It's so fun to see so many different weddings and the personal touches that the couple adds in to make their day original.  This month, I played at a beautiful wedding up Millcreek canyon surrounded by the bright fall leaves.  The bride had decorated the outdoor space with cute pumpkins and cheerful sunflowers.  It was a chilly day, but a beautiful day!  

I really enjoyed watching LDS General Conference.  On Sunday morning, we carried on my mom's tradition of hosting "Pig Breakfast", which I love.  And because my dad is pals with a member of MoTab, Nathan and I scored tickets to the Sunday afternoon session at the Conference Center.  We sat on the lower level on about the seventh row- right where all of the general authorities come in.  It was really cool to see them that close.  Conference is always great, isn't it?  I'm excited to listen and study each talk more, but on first listening, the strongest message that stood out to me was that we are not alone in hard things.  We are all here to support each other and take care of each other.  I'm so grateful for the friends and family that I have that have been there for me, especially during this past year! And also for my Father in Heaven.  I know that he knows me and loves me.  And that's why conference is great.  

Nathan and I went to the Crazy Corn Maze with Ashley and Ray.  Nathan wishes we would go to a haunted house, but I need to gear myself up for it more before we go.  The corn maze was really fun and got us into the spirit of halloween.  That night, we also rented a scary movie, and plan to continue to watch at least one scary movie a week until Halloween.  

Then it was time for another California wedding.  So we packed up our little Corolla with us and the Dutsons, and headed to Los Angeles.  We drove all day and ended up at the L.A. temple that night around 11:00 pm. This is Braxton and Natalie- asleep WAAAAAY before 11:00 pm.  

The drive was pretty rainy most of the time.  But somewhere in the middle of nowhere Nevada, the rain stopped and the sky was lit up with the most vivid rainbow I have ever seen.  A Double Rainbow!!  This picture doesn't even do it justice.  

This is us taking our turn in the back seat.  Did you know that the L.A. Temple has it's own hotel for temple patrons?  We stayed in the temple hotel that night- Nathan, Braxton and Seth (the groom-to-be) all stayed in the same room while Natalie and I shared the pull out bed in the front room.  The hotel smelled just like every old mormon church I have ever been in, but it was comfy and FREE and even if the boys stayed up all night, I think Natalie and I got some awesome sleep.  

The next day was the beautiful wedding.  Look how gorgeous the L.A. Temple is! Like I have said before, I just love temple wedding ceremonies.  Seth and Ashley's sealing was wonderful.  What a fun couple! 

This is sadly the only picture that I took of the reception.  And it turned out kind of crappy anyway! This is a picture of the top of their cake- two little blue birds with mr and mrs on them.  This wedding was cutely customized with bluebirds, buttons and beads- which totally matches Ashley's personality.  

On the way home, we stopped for a day in Las Vegas- since Natalie had never really been there before.  This is us at the M&M factory watching the free 3D movie.  We also saw the Bellagio gardens and fountain show, drank coke floats at the coke factory, ate at the Cheesecake factory, and browsed some casinos.  Not quite the best Las Vegas trip, but it was nice to break up the driving.  

The last stop before home was to visit our favorite Jeffery Hertig who goes to school at SUU in Cedar City.  He was Nathan's last mission companion and good buddy.  We wish he lived closer, but it's always a happy reunion when we get to hang out.  He fed us a delicious dinner of spaghetti with butter and cheese and chocolate pudding (college food!) and then we played Settlers of Catan- like we do most times that we hang out.  Then we finished our long drive home.  

And then we went back to normal life.  Nursing school.  Music school.  Working.  Teaching.  Homework.