Florencia En El Amazonas

Florencia En El Amazonas, is a brand new opera, based loosely on Love in the Time of Cholera. It is set  in South America on a riverboat along the Amazon River, and is sung in Spanish.

Dressed up for a night on the town. 

One of the things that I love the most about my wonderful boyfriend, P, is that he is soooo willing to do just about anything with me, as long as he is by my side. I had free tickets to the new opera, Florencia En El Amazonas in Salt Lake City last week.

 He was such a good sport and dressed up with me and ---I think--- secretly enjoyed it, even though the waiter at the resturant we went to joked that a date to the opera surely was his "girlfriend's idea." I appreciate how flexible and easy going and enjoyable my man truly is. 

Las Vegas Getaway Weekend

Tim & Faith Concert @ The Venetian, Las Vegas

Fake Elvis

Fake Elvis, again.

Enjoying the view from the top of the Stratosphere.

Walking around Freemont Street.

I am generally NOT a Vegas person, if the whole city disappeared into thin air, I'd rejoice. But this being said, I did have a really, really fun weekend in Vegas with my friend Krista. We booked tickets to the Tim McGraw concert which was amazing, and other than that shopped (of course), hit a few fun restaurants  soaked up the sunshine and talked, and otherwise took a break from the real world - which let's face it...is needed, especially in January!

Ringing in the New Year

@ The Five Al's in Salt Lake City

We had a really nice evening ringing in 2013. P and I went to dinner with my friends Amanda and Derek at a fancy Old English-style restaurant in SLC, then caught the lights one last time downtown on Temple Square and then back down to Provo to watch fireworks and the ball drop at the Towne Center. P is so darling, we danced in the new year and didn't worry if anyone saw us kissing.

Derek, Amanda, Me, and P at Temple Square

Freezing cold - but happy for the new year, in Provo.

A few days earlier we had a really fun double date with Reece and his wife Caitlin. We went to the BYU vs. Virginia Tech game at the Energy Solutions Arena and had pizza at the California Pizza Kitchen.

Wearing BYU gear.

Reece, Caitlin, Me & P - so fun to see these guys before they went back to Texas.

What 2013 Has to Offer

At the beginning of the new year I wonder what is has to offer to me, to all of us. This morning as I read these words from President Henry B. Eyring's talk, "The Caregiver," (October 2012), I found one fraction of the answer.

With all your differences in personal circumstances and past experiences, I can tell you something of what lies ahead for you. As you keep the faith, you will find yourself invited by the Lord often to serve someone in need when it will not seem convenient. It may appear to be an unpleasant and perhaps even impossible task. When the call comes, it may seem you are not needed or that someone else could easily give the succor .... Remember that when the Lord lets us encounter someone in distress, we honor the good Samaritan for what he did not do as much as for what he did. He did not pass by on the other side even though the beaten traveler on the road was a stranger and perhaps and enemy. He did what he could for the beaten man and then put in place a specific plan for others to do more. 

 Opportunities to Serve.