I haven't blogged in a while. It must be finals week. My one and only final was yesterday, and it was a load of crap. The study guide was completely useless, and the questions were nearly impossible. Each of my classmates had a little fit as they exited the classroom into the hallway where we all gathered to commiserate. NO GOOD! I'm pretty sure that even if I failed the final, I can still pass the class. String literature is not a class I'd be excited about retaking.

U of U Lyric Opera rehearsals are in full force this week. Every night from 7 to 10:30, I'll be in the pit in front of the Kingsbury stage, playing my little continuo cello heart out. Do you like opera? Come see Monteverdi's The Coronation of Poppea at Kingsbury Hall this weekend.

String Juries are Monday morning. I think I actually feel good about my preparation this semester! (woot!) And then I have an 18 page paper on the symmetry of Bartok's tonality in his 5th string quartet due by next Wednesday. Oi. Time to hit the books, yeah?

AND THEN.... Nathan and I are embarking on an epic road trip! I am so excited for a vacation. We are driving to Texas! We'll hit up San Antonio and Austin to visit Nathan's favorite places from his mission. Then, we'll stop by the Grand Canyon (which neither of us has ever been to) on our way to Las Vegas to see his brother-in-law graduate from PhD school. Lots of driving? Yes, absolutely! But also lots of good time to spend together and lots of fun memories to be made, and cool places to see. Bring on the open road!!

But before all of that, HAPPY FINALS WEEK!

Best Four Months Ever

Thanks, blog friends, for sharing what makes you smile. It's nice to know who's reading me. :)

Know what is exciting? Next monday, April 18th, marks Nathan's and my 4 month anniversary! Can you hardly believe it? We've been married for 1/3 of a year. After some nagging to the wedding videographer, I got a weblink of the temple video to share the memory and celebration with you all. I can't get enough of watching this. I love these people. I love this song. I love this day! Hope you enjoy!

A Smile List

Every day on my way to school, at the bottom of the 1300 east ramp off of I-80, I see the same guy holding a sign, begging for work and food. I admit I am far from Good Samaritan status, because I usually hope that the light is green when I get there to avoid the awkward red light eye contact. I should probably stop being selfish and start giving him part of my carefully and deliciously packed lunch. Instead, I keep my window rolled up, my door locked, and my eyes down until the light changes.

Last week, the light at the end of the ramp was red again, and I felt awkward and uncomfortable, because the same guy was there with his sign. But I'm glad that I looked up and read it, because instead of petitioning for food, the word scrawled on the cardboard simply read "SMILE."

And I really appreciated that! It's got me thinking all week. The smile sign is exactly what I needed! Things like Bartok Quartet Recitals, Monteverdi Opera Rehearsals, and String Lit term papers had smiling far from my mind. And a positive attitude perspective change was definitely in order!

So, after some thinking, here is a list of things I want to smile about:

Hey look, it's almost spring! I know that there are still grey clouds in the sky, and patches of snow from Sunday's impromptu winter extravaganza, but little green things are starting to poke out of the ground, and sunny days are not few and far between!

General Conference was this last weekend. Wasn't it wonderful? Among my top favorite talks is the one about the incredibleness of Women by Quentin L. Cook. Did you miss it? Or want to hear it again? Here is a link. It also made me smile to spend some time with my family. Hey family, I really love you guys!

I got the call to serve as the first counselor in our ward's Young Women's presidency. I'm really excited and overwhelmed and humbled. I have a lot to learn!! But the presidency ladies are all great, and I'm sure the girls will be great, and I'm looking forward to it with a great big smile.

The daily commute usually doesn't make me smile. But good books do! I've been listening to Bee Season on tape for the past few weeks while I drive, and it has been surprisingly fun! I found myself looking forward to getting back in the car, because I wanted to hear more of the story. I recommend Bee Season by Myla Goldberg, and I also recommend books on tape in the car.

I'm also (slowly) reading Pride and Prejudice on the Kindle app on my phone. My favorite feature is that I can highlight and instantly look up words that I don't know. Which happens all the time! That's smile-worthy.

I went to dinner with my dear friend AnnaLaura last weekend to an amazing little cafe called One World, Everybody Eats. This place is super cool. First off, the food is all organic and local. They are big on not wasting anything, so they don't make a ton, or give huge servings. It is inexpensive, but DELICIOUS. And if you can't pay, you can still eat! While we were there, we met a new friend, Frank, who was cheerfully scrubbing the floor for his dinner. I love this place.

I can't write a smile list without mentioning my best friend and wonderful husband, Nathan Matthew Morris. Even when I'm grumpy and stressed out and tired, he is good at loving and serving me. Last night, he magically got to come home from work a few hours early (he usually works until midnight) and we got to spend some time together. We ended up watching 30 Rock- our new favorite show- with my head in his lap until I fell asleep. Call me crazy, but simple things like this make me smile a lot.

Hey, blog readers, I feel the need for a blog "roll call." I was judging cello federation a few weekends ago (tiny little adorable cello players doing a fantastic job definitely makes me smile), and I ran into a wonderful old friend. We chatted for a second, and she confessed to being a blog reader, and I had no idea! But I LOVED it! So whether you are a secret blog reader, an old friend, a new friend, or if I see you every day, please leave a comment and let me know you're here. Tell me what makes YOU smile. Don't be shy. It would mean a lot. Thanks. :)

Summer Plans

There's this beautiful city in North Eastern Germany called Eutin... pronounced oy-teen. And they host an opera series each summer in an open air theater. And this summer, I'm going to go be part of their opera orchestra! I'm going to GERMANY! And I'm going to play OPERA! For two whole months!

How am I feeling? I'm really very excited!! I've never been to Europe before. It's going to be an awesome opportunity. And it is relatively close to other cool European places to visit. We're going to play Mozart's Don Giovanni and Humperdink's Hansel and Grettle, so the music will be fun. I'm nervous to travel so far with my cello... remember what happened last time? I'm also apprehensive about spending a whole two months away from my new husband. That's a long time to be half a world away from the one you love. We considered splurging to let him come visit me while I'm there, but it's just not practical for us right now. We WILL visit Europe together sometime in the future. It's a goal. I could definitely make more money staying around and teaching all summer. I could take advanced string methods class during summer semester. But how often do you get the opportunity to get paid go to Germany? With awesome friends? To play music? Outside? Yeah, I'm excited

This is what google search tells me that Eutin looks like. I'll definitely post more pictures when I'm there. From the end of June to the end of August. Viel Gluck, ja?

Parable of the NeuroGasm

Nathan and I are reading a wonderful book right now called The 5 Languages of Love by Gary Chapman... thanks Katie for the recommendation! I'm sure lots of you have heard about it- Dr. Chapman's philosophy is that every person "speaks" love in one of 5 languages- words of affirmation, acts of service, gifts, quality time, or physical touch. As we were reading the chapter on gifts, I couldn't help but think about how horrible I am at speaking this language. Also, the more we read, the more I was pretty positive that gifts are Nathan's primary love language. And I knew I had to start doing better if I want Nathan to feel loved.

Which brings me to the parable of the NeuroGasm.

A man and his wife had been married for nearly 3 months. They were happy and in love. One night, on the way home from a long day of work and school, the wife had a fun idea. She would stop by the 7-11 and grab a NeuroGasm for her husband. She knew that NeroGasms were his new favorite treat- definitely a gift to be craved. As she approached the 7-11, many doubts crossed her mind. She thought about how she just wanted to get home quickly to spend time with her husband. She thought about how this gift would probably have to come out of the small food budget for the month. She selfishly thought about buying them BOTH a treat, and also about how that would negate the specialness of the gift. With all of these silly thoughts in her head, she passed the 7-11 and drove home without the NeuroGasm at all. She beat her husband home, and patiently waited for him, reading a book. When he came through the door, he excitedly said "I got you a gift!" He pulled from his backpack a nice cold NeuroGasm and presented it to his wife. With astonishment, and sheepish gratitude, she took it, and they shared it together. But how great would have been their joy if they each had their own NeroGasm, gifted from the other? And I ask you, who loves the other more?

I'm a lucky girl, huh? Next time I won't let my silly doubts get in the way of gifting my lover. Cause two NeruoGasms are better than one.

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things!

A few of my blog friends have posted recently about some of their favorite things... and now I'm being challenged to do the same! I'm not going to talk about raindrops on roses, but here is a small list of my favorite brands and products- some are old favorites, and some are new discoveries. Maybe there's something in here that you'll love too!

IN THE BATHROOM:

1. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel

I am a girl with dry and sensitive skin. Especially dry face skin. Almost every moisturizer I have tried has left my face feeling either greasy or rashy. This stuff really is dramatically different! I wish it were more affordable...

2. Yes To Carrots C the Difference Mud Mask

This stuff is awesome! And all natural! Every once in a while, I still get annoying breakouts- you'd think that being 25 would make that stop already, but the zits persist. Then I smear on some mud mask- my zits dry up- and my face is left soft and glowy. Plus it smells really good ... now I feel like I'm doing a commercial for them or something. Ha. Try this out though. You'll love it.
3. Johnson's Vanilla Oatmeal Baby Lotion

Smells amazing. Sinks into my skin fast. Gets rid of my cracky dry elbows. Love it. Someday my soft little babies will smell like this. :)
4. Dove Ultimate Solid in Cucumber Green Tea

I'm all about smells, and this stuff smells great. And it really works. Plus I really love the Dove campaign about real beauty- I'll support that.
5. Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream

Since I have been a cello player for the last 12 years of my life, I'm not super concerned with the appearance of my nails. They are always about as short as I can get them. BUT, as a cello player with dry skin, I AM concerned about my fingertips! And in the winter, they get dry and cracky and horribly chewed up looking. This stuff is my only salvation. And it's great for cuticles too.
6. Batherapy

This stuff is strange, and I promise you I was apprehensive the first time I opened the jar and it looked like dried up mulch. But then I poured a scoop of it into a hot bath and got into the green and grimy water, and after soaking for 20 minutes or so, I was hooked. If you ever get sore, achy, tired muscles, give this a try. It really is unlike any other bubble bath- it really works.

IN THE KITCHEN:

1. Ivory Family Favorites Cookbook

I just got this as a wedding present from the wonderful Winegar Family, and I am loving it so far! Perfect collection of delicious tried-and-true family recipes. Favorites so far include homemade brownies, Italian Crockpot Chicken, and Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.
2. Classico Spicy Tomato Pesto Sauce

This stuff is YUMMY! It was on sale last month, so I picked up a few jars. It's great as pizza sauce, delicious in lasagna, and great on plain old spaghetti noodles.
3. Method Kitchen Soap in Lemongrass Citronelle

I love all Method Soaps and cleaners, but this is my new favorite. It's designed to specifically remove strong kitchen odors like onions and garlic from your hands. And it does a great job- leaving behind a pleasant scent of fresh lemongrass!
4. Almond Breeze milk in original almond flavor

Best milk alternative yet! Peace out, soy milk and rice milk! Almond milk is here to stay. Also tastes great in chocolate.
5. Talenti Gelato- Tahitian Vanilla Bean

YUM! This stuff is delicious. I wish I could say it was more healthy than ice cream, but then it probably wouldn't taste so good, right?
6. Blueberries

Michigan made me fall in love with this darling little fruit. And I've been craving them lately. Utah just doesn't grow them like the midwest!
7. Cracklin Oat Bran

I know it looks kind of like cat food, but it is so so so good! And so so so good in bran muffins. And despite the fat content, so so so good for you!
IN THE CLOSET

1. Banana Republic

If I look at all the stuff in my closet, most of my favorite things have come from Banana republic. And most of THOSE things, I have gotten off of the clearance rack. It's dangerous for me to go into this store unless I am really serious about buying something, because I am guaranteed to find something I want.
2. Toms Shoes

Nathan bought me these darling Toms as a surprise for my birthday this year, and I love them! I love how simple they are, and how much Tom gives back to people who really need it.
3. Real Simple Magazine

If you are into tips on how to cook and clean and decorate and dress and declutter and simplify and be a more awesome person, I recommend REAL SIMPLE magazine. I always feel like a more capable and empowered adult woman after reading through an issue of this.

And there you have it. Just a few of my favorite things. If you have anything to add, or any comments, please feel free to chime in. :)

Bang!

This is my new favorite game. It's called Bang!

It's all about killing the Sherif. Or the Outlaws. Or the Renegade. And you get to say things like "I'm going to bang Nathan!" I know card games are often lame, but this one truly is creative and intense and fun!

Also. Easter candy is already making it's 2011 appearance. YUM!

Thanks early Easter Bunny! Last weekend was great. Also Thanks Thomas fam. We always have a blast hanging out with your gang. It was fun to finally host the party! And thanks new pals Valerie and Marko- I don't think I've ever been beaten so miserably in bowling. And Thanks Nateorade, The 'Tig and Samewise for letting me "bang" with you on your boys night. And Thanks Lincoln and Washington for being such stellar presidents to honor. I really needed the day off!

Wanna play Bang! with the Morris's? Let us know! I'm serious.