If One Wears a Hat...

... so does the other one. Even if it's pink and totally clashes with her outfit!

Vegas, Baby....

I thought I would elaborate on my previous comment of being on an anti-Vegas kick. For awhile after I first moved here, or maybe even before, Vegas was trying to create a family-friendly atmosphere and encourage people to bring their kids here. Well, for the past several years, that has been all thrown out for a full on "come to Vegas and do whatever you want" campaign.

Consequently, every billboard, every company somewhat related to the Strip or casinos has embraced that image, and I am just getting really tired of it. There are billboards along our regular freeway routes that say things like "Drop Your Trunks for $100" that is a place for you to go and shoot your own amateur porn video and make a measly $100. What a great story to tell your friends about what you did in Vegas!?

Even in places pretty far removed from the Strip, like up in the NW along the 95 freeway there are billboards for clubs or casinos that say "A New Place to Sin in the NW" - really? It is everywhere, and it seems to be getting worse. Or is that now I have a daughter who is starting to read, and notice signs and billboards? She still thinks the Excalibur is a castle, so that's good.

On the flip side, we have family here to help us, celebrate with us, and just even to hang out with. We have great friends, a great ward and community events that are way cooler than anything in most other cities. And that is what we will focus on as I work to get tunnel vision while on the freeways...

My Sis

Since we didn't take any pictures on my trip to Utah, here are some old pictures of us together. Pretty cute kids, Mark and Mary!

Green Valley Ranch Carousel

We went out to dinner with the kids and then over to Green Valley Ranch to visit the carousel - we had never gone before and it's really cute with all sorts of animals like tigers, giraffes, deer, and of course horses. Each ride is $2, so be prepared to buy a handful of tokens if you go. The movie on the lawn looked like fun too - maybe next week. Even though I am on a bit of an anti-Vegas kick lately, there really are family-friendly things to do here if you look.

Favorite New Product

When I was up in Utah for the BYU conference, I woke up the first morning and just didn't feel like doing my hair. To blow dry my hair is a serious chore - in fact, most days I just dry the top of my hair, pull it back and save the 25-30 minutes for getting the kids ready. So, up in Provo I decided to go to the Aveda school and have them do my hair as a special treat.

For only $12, I had them shampoo and style my hair and it was lovely. They used a new product on my hair that speeds up drying time and protects hair from heat styling. I promptly bought it and it really works! It's called Smooth Infusion Style Prep Smoother and I actually don't mind drying my hair now because it goes so much faster. So for anyone who avoids the blow dryer like I do, you might want to give this a try (you can only buy it directly from an Aveda store or school though).

Claire's Three Year Old Stats

Claire had her three year well check this week and the moral of the story is she has had a growth spurt. She was always in the 25-50 percentile in all categories until this year. All her pants are too short all of a sudden. I expected to have tall children, so her stats are starting to make more sense for kids with a 6' 4" dad.

Height - 39 inches - 75-90 percentile

Weight - 33 lbs - 75 percentile

Path to PR: Ricks College Reunion

Last week I went up to Provo, UT for a BYU Management Society leadership conference. I am the President of the Vegas chapter, and I ended up being the only one from our group who was able to come to the conference.

Enough time had passed after my graduation and immediate departure from Utah County to once again appreciate the BYU campus. The beauty of the mountains (I never did hike up to the Y), the fall colors (and the fact that there are four seasons), and the modesty on campus. I have been to UNLV a few times this semester to meet Matt for lunch and I feel like I stepped on the set of a music video, there is that much flesh being flaunted. If I was sheltered at BYU, then I say bring it on. There is enough time for experiencing the "real world", I was glad I didn't rush into it.

One of the highlights of the 2-day conference was meeting up with my former Ricks College professor, Robyn Bergstrom. I actually got a little teary-eyed when I realized who she was - it's been 14 years since I was a college Freshman!

She taught interpersonal communications, and everyone loved her class. It was described as the study of interaction between people - who we affect each other, how we use communication to deal with relationships, situations and confrontation in a positive manner. I think I remember more of that class than any other at Ricks. We had to do projects where we were to break a social norm. I remember going into an elevator and facing the person already in the elevator, staring directly at them for the duration of the elevator ride instead of facing the door like everyone usually does. You could tell they felt so awkward!

We also had to go without a body part or a sense for a period of time, an hour or a half day, I can't remember. I chose to lose my sight, since that is something that terrifies me. I had my roommates take me to the bank and I pretended to be blind while I asked the teller to get cash out of my account. I'm sure the bank was annoyed at college freshman being silly, but I did learn a lot, including an even greater appreciation for my sight. We had fun while we learned about body language and studied non-verbal cues in movie scenes. I wish all of my classes had been this interactive and hands-on. I know I am sounding nerdy, but I was a school geek, right Karry? :)

When I was getting ready to transfer to BYU, I immediately looked up the communications classes. They were a bit different from Ricks - less of the theory and interpersonal variety of communications and more in the business field. I loved the idea of communications though, and the more I studied the options the more I liked the public relations program. I don't think I would have even looked at those classes without the start with Professor Bergstrom. I wonder what I would have ended up studying? I might have been an English teacher like my mom always encouraged me. Who knows?

The other highlight was a visit with my sister - oh, and the fact that I went up to Provo all by myself, how could I forget that detail? It has been more than 6 years since I have gone on a road trip alone - I had complete control of the music, bathroom breaks, and the snacks. It was glorious! I think taking a trip alone every now and then will be a tradition of mine, I highly recommend it. So, back to my sister. We had a girls night out, complete with a trip to the cutest, best smelling bakery I have ever been in to get some gourmet cupcakes (plus it had a cute name, so I liked it before I even went inside).

Then we went to see a movie we knew our husbands would never go to (You Again), and then to visit Hatch Family Chocolates in Salt Lake (where they shoot the TLC show The Little Chocolatiers). The proprietors were of course not in the shop, since we went at 9:30 pm. You know it's a cool chocolate place if it stays open til 10 pm, which is equivalent to staying open til at least midnight in Vegas. I didn't get a photo with my sister to document the moment, but I had a great time and loved playing with her kids without having to take care of my own, though little Gabe was especially making me miss Miles.

I also got to have a short visit with my old roommate and friend Jacqui - we could talk forever if we could. Thanks for letting me crash your Saturday morning!

I was ready to come home just in time, but all in all it was a much needed break with some recharging for my brain and my spirit.