Cold Play at the Vivint Arena

I think that I spent almost all of 2001 listening to Coldplay's album Parachutes after my friend introduced me to it on a trip to Ireland.  I loved the song "Yellow."  I tend to get really obsessed with things and I would usually fixate on one song from each new Coldplay album, playing it over and over:  "In My Place" from A Rush of Blood to the Head, "Fix You" from X&Y, "Viva La Vida" from the album of the same name, "Paradise" from Mylo Xyloto, "A Sky Full of Stars" from Ghost Stories, and "Adventure of a Lifetime" from A Head Full of Dreams.  I guess you could say that the music of Coldplay has had a significant place in the soundtrack of my life.  Every one of these songs can take me back to a particular point in my life with just a few notes.  I have always wanted to see them play live but I've never had the opportunity until last night.  The show was simply amazing!  Every audience member was given an LED wristband which would light up in various colors in syncopation with the music.  My favorite moments during the concert were when all of the wristbands would flash different colors.  The arena looked so cool whenever that happened.  In addition to the colorful wristbands, the arena was dumped with multi-colored confetti several times (not just during the encore) and I loved it when Chris Martin would jump on the secondary stage and cause the confetti to rise all around him.  Then there were the multi-colored lasers and images on the giant screens and, at one point, the audience was inundated with colorful balloons bouncing all over the place.  The arena was literally a kaleidoscope of color which, when combined with the music, was almost overwhelming to the senses!  It was one of the best concerts I've ever seen despite the terrible sound in the Vivint Arena.  The band played all of my favorites (except "In My Place") and I loved each rendition, especially "Paradise" and "Fix You" (with Chris Martin rolling around in the confetti).  I also really enjoyed the acoustic version of "Trouble" played by the band on a small platform in the crowd and the passionate rendition of "The Scientist" which had everyone in the audience singing.  The show ended, appropriately, with a spirited version of "Up & Up," a lovely message for these troubling times we are living through (always believe in love).  I'm still on a bit of a high from this show, even though it was really difficult to wake up this morning.

Note:  The opening acts were Bishop Briggs and Alessia Cara.  I wasn't familiar with Bishop Briggs but I really enjoyed her set.  She sang her heart out to an almost empty arena which was really unfortunate because her voice gave me goosebumps, it was so incredibly sultry and soulful.  I wasn't very familiar with Alessia Cara, either (I don't get out much), but she is from Ontario, Canada so I automatically loved her.  I really appreciated the positive messages in her music.

Meet the Team

Tashena is on the volleyball team at Bountiful High School!  First, I can't believe that she is in high school!  How did this happen?  Second, I am so proud of this girl!  She is a three sport athlete and she is incredibly talented!  Last night my family went to a benefit dinner (our attendance was compulsory because Tashena was required to sell a certain number of tickets) at the school to meet the team and watch some scrimmage games.  It was really nice with tables covered in red and white tablecloths set up outside in the courtyard.  Several families worked together to make all of the food and other families (including my sister) served it and it was delicious!  After the dinner the whole team was introduced then the freshmen played the sophomore team and the JV played the varsity team.  Tashena is on the sophomore team and they won!  During the games there was a raffle for all kinds of Bountiful Braves swag and Marilyn won a water bottle!  It was really nice and I was quite impressed with BHS.  I have a feeling my family will be spending a lot of time in that gym!

Pete's Dragon

When I was in elementary school there was a summer movie program.  At the end of the school year the PTA ladies sold passes to see a movie every Saturday during the summer and my Mom always bought them for us.  Every Saturday she would send us to the local movie theater with $1.00 (to buy a small popcorn, a small drink, and a licorice rope) to see movies like Pippi Longstocking, Swiss Family Robinson, Freaky Friday, and Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo, just to name a few.  One of the movies I distinctly remember watching on a Saturday morning is Pete's Dragon so, when I heard that Disney was filming a remake, I really wanted to see it.  I saw it Saturday night and I thought it was absolutely charming. After surviving a car crash which killed his parents, Pete (Oakes Fegley) is left alone in a remote forested area.  He is rescued by a dragon, whom he names Elliot, and lives in the forest under Elliot's protection for six years.  He and Elliot are discovered when a logging crew begins cutting down their part of the forest and he meets Natalie (Oona Laurence), the daughter of the foreman.  He is immediately taken in by Natalie's father Jack (Wes Bentley) and his girlfriend Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard), a park ranger whose father (Robert Redford) has always told stories of seeing a dragon in the forest.  Elliot is worried about Pete and visits the town looking for him but returns to the forest when he sees that Pete is happy.  Unfortunately, Jack's brother Gavin (Karl Urban) has seen Elliot and wants to capture him leading to a big showdown in the forest.  I loved so many things about this movie.  I really loved how Elliot is portrayed.  He is so protective of Pete and his facial expressions and vocalizations are so endearing.  He looks more like a big, furry dog with wings and a long tail that a scary reptilian monster with scales.  There were moments when I was almost in tears when the loggers were trying to capture him.  I loved that the children are portrayed as ordinary kids rather than fashion models.  Fegley and Laurence give really affecting performances and I thought they were adorable, crooked teeth and all.  I loved Robert Redford's performance as an old man who still believes in magic.  Even as a grizzled octogenarian he is still so handsome!  I loved the beautiful forest scenery (It was filmed in New Zealand!).  I also really loved the soundtrack, especially the song "Something on Your Mind" by St. Vincent.  This is a sweet and old-fashioned movie that hearkens back to the ones I spent Saturday mornings watching with my sisters.

Note:  Do they still have the summer movie program?  Sometimes I think that today's kids are missing out!

Go Braves!

Yesterday was Sean's first official game of Little League football.  His team, the Bountiful Braves, played the Woods Cross Wildcats.  The Wildcats are a really tough team and, despite some great plays by the Braves (including a great interception), they ended up losing.  We had fun watching the game any way because Sean is so adorable.  He always helps the player he tackles get back up again!  I think his coaches are intense and I didn't like it when they would yell at him!  Sean is hard on himself and I could see him getting more and more dejected as the game went on even though I thought he did really well.  I definitely need to toughen up before next week's game!  Here are some candid shots from the game.

Note:  I am now going to have to get up early on Saturday mornings to watch his games!  Clearly, I love this kid!

Sunrise Ballooning in the Outback

After our adventure at the Kangaroo Sanctuary the night before, we got up at the crack of dawn the next morning to take a balloon ride over the outback.  Riding in a hot air balloon has been on my bucket list since I've had a bucket list!  I had the opportunity to do it while I was in Africa but I chickened out at the last minute and I have regretted it ever since.  When I learned that it was an option on this trip, I booked it almost immediately and vowed to myself that I would do it this time!  It was the coolest thing ever!

The balloon was so gentle!  By the time I realized that we were moving, we were already way up in the air.  It was amazing to watch the sun come up!

I loved looking out over the vast expanse of the outback.

After we landed we helped to deflate the balloon.

We also had the traditional champagne toast.  This tradition developed because the earliest balloonists were aristocrats in France and they would often land in the fields of peasants who would get angry with them for disturbing their animals.  They brought champagne to smooth things over (I may or may not have had too much champagne because the pilot kept refilling my glass).   This was such a magical experience and I'm so glad that I finally had the chance to do it!