Summer Supreme

It's definitely been a supreme summer. My trip to Europe was amazing, exhausting, unforgettable, expensive, and I can't believe it's all over. I will definitely be going back. . . someday. There were so many things I enjoyed, but I really love, love, loved Paris and London. Pompeii was fascinating and Switzerland was beautiful.

When I got home, I got really sick but as soon as I was feeling better we had our statewide YSA conference. Over 11,000 young single adults all over California gathered at our 7 temples for workshops, a service project, food, mingling and a dance. On Sunday we had sacrament meeting, relief society/priesthood and a fireside broadcast with an address by Elder Perry and his wife. The theme of the conference was "No More Strangers," so leading up to the conference we had several goals including contacting less actives and inviting them back to church and to the conference, performing temple ordinances, and being good citizens by registering to vote. The goal for the state was 10,000 ordinances and we far exceeded that with over 75,000! The conference was a huge success and I had a good time. It was the first time the church has ever done anything like this and I felt really united with the other YSAs of California. It was cool to think that we were all gathered all over the state and doing the same things at the same time.

This last week Mom and I met up with the Brauns in Disneyland! We drove down on Monday and went that evening. Then Ashley, Todd and the boys showed up Tuesday afternoon just in time for the Pixar Play Parade. It had been cancelled when we were there last year and this was their only chance to see it this trip. Mom and I saved seats right in front. This was the first time Mason had ever seen a parade and he wasn't really sure what was going on. He was so stoked to see Lightning McQueen he didn't even know how to react. Mason was big enough to go on most of the roller coasters this year. He loved Space Mountain but hated Tower of Terror. He said he didn't like the "flashing people." I think his favorite of all was Peter Pan. He's way into pirates right now and all he wanted for a souvenir was a light up sword. When we rode Pirates of the Caribbean I told him I was going to sell Porter to the pirates for a chest of treasure. He did not like that idea at all. Before the Brauns arrived Mom and I took it slow. My Grandma Monica loved the Tiki Room so we went there and had a delicious Dole Whip. We also visited Pixie Hollow and met Tinkerbell and her friend Iridessa. And, of course, lots of shopping. I was really glad we went. This is probably the last time I will get to go with my annual pass. I think my favorite thing was finally meeting Donald Duck!

The Tiki Room!

Mom on the double-decker bus. She was flirting with our cute driver during our ride down Main Street.

Our fun faces

Mason plotting our next move.

Now it's on to Portland! Sometime this week I'll be packing up my little car and heading north. It will be a big change for me but I'm excited to live in Oregon. I will miss California and all my friends and family here, but the Great Northwest is calling and I'm finallly answering.

Little Brudder

Donny's out of the Army! He was here for a few weeks, but now he's gone to live in Tacoma, Washington. Here are some things about my brother that make me smile:

• he uses a shower poof.
• watching stupid videos online and cracking up together.
• "google it"
• he has a red beard. seriously! when he let's his facial hair grow in, it's ginger.
• he lets me call him stupid nicknames like Doo-Nald, and fool.

cheap thrills

current obsessions:

caffeine free diet pepsi--pretty much impossible to find anywhere but the fridge in krystal's garage

rick steves--just bought this book on amazon. can't wait 5-9 business days for it to arrive!

learning to use the rebel--tracy parks and rec photography class=very disappointing

currently dismissing:

neurotic cat refusing to go outside

vehicle maintenance not covered under warranty--pretty sure they made up an "upstream oxygen sensor" so they could charge me $200 to replace it.

this blog template--very ready for a change

highway to the danger zone

i've been having some crazy dreams lately. i usually remember my dreams better when i get enough sleep--which i never do. but the other night i dreamed about someone giving me these two pills that were supposed to make me time travel. i can't remember if i was trying to go forward or backward in time. anyway i had to go into a stall in the girls bathroom to take the pills, they were small and white like aspirin. my unidentified male friend went into the boys bathroom to take his (i think this part came straight out of from the mixed-up files of mrs. basil e. frankweiler when claudia and jamie had to go into separate bathrooms and hide so they wouldn't get caught by the museum staff). so i took one and everything got blurry and i felt like my whole body was vibrating, but i knew right away that it hadn't worked. i went outside to look for my friend, but i couldn't find him. he must have made it. then i realized that i was supposed to take both the pills. i had thought that one was to get to the future/past and one was to get back to the present. so maybe by taking just one i had gone like 30 seconds into the future or something.

Porter

precious.

8lbs 15oz, 20.25 in

I know he's going to be hard-core, because he's named after Porter Rockwell. Congratulations Brauns. Thanks for my adorable new nephew.