Winter Ball 2018

Last night Tashena went to the Bountiful High School Winter Ball with Carson who was in Ragtime with her.  He is absolutely adorable and the two of them can dance (I wish I could have seen them together at the dance).

Pinning on the boutonniere.

The corsage.

I always love the dresses that Tashena picks!  I think this one is beautiful!

I hope they had a good time!

Sean is Fourteen

Yesterday we celebrated Sean's fourteenth birthday (his actual birthday is tomorrow).  He wanted to stay at home have hamburgers and fries for lunch, which tasted delicious.  After lunch we had the traditional Baskin Robbins ice cream cake and he picked a polar bear design.  It was absolutely adorable (the ears were made of Oreos).

For his birthday he only wanted one (really expensive) thing so we all pitched in together and got it for him!

We got him a PlayStation4 and he was so excited!

After he opened it he took it to his room and started playing with it!  I love this kid so much and I hope he had a great birthday!

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in Concert

Last night I got to see the movie Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban screened at Abravanel Hall with the Utah Symphony playing the wonderful score by John Williams.  I love the Films in Concert series but seeing this particular movie, which chronicles Harry's third year at Hogwarts, was especially fun.  Many people in the crowd were in costume representing the four houses of Hogwarts and they cheered enthusiastically when every character was introduced or when anything dramatic happened.  Having the score played live adds so much to the experience!  Of course the instantly recognizable main theme is amazing but I also really enjoyed the music played when Harry takes the Knight bus to the Leaky Cauldron, when he rides Buckbeak the hippograff, when he plays Quidditch (the timpani and the chimes!), when he and Hermione are attacked by the Whomping Willow, when he summons a Patronus to save Sirius Black from the Dementers, and when he and Hermione rescue Sirius from the tower with Buckbeak.  There is a lot of percussion in this score and it is much darker in tone than the music in the first two films.  I loved watching the members of the orchestra playing their instruments while I watched the movie.  It was also cool to have the Utah Opera Chorus perform "Double Trouble" which is sung by a student choir in the Great Hall at Hogwarts at the beginning of the term.  I loved every minute of this movie and, if you are a fan of Harry Potter, I recommend getting a ticket to see it when it is screened again tonight (go here).

Festival of Trees 2018

Last night I volunteered at the Festival of Trees for the tenth year in a row!  This is such a worthwhile cause because every penny earned goes to Primary Children's Hospital.  Christmas trees are decorated by groups and individuals, donated, put up for auction, and then displayed for the public.  I volunteer as a hostess to provide information about the trees and to keep them safe.  After my shift I always like to wander around and look at the various trees.  Here are some of my favorites.

The Hogwarts tree was my favorite.

The Festival of Trees continues at the Mountain America Expo Center through December 1.  Go here for more information.

My Boyfriend's Back

For several years I had a Utah Jazz weekend package with my friend Dana.  I didn't really care all that much about basketball.  The games were just a fun night out and an excuse to go out to dinner.  At the end of December 2007 Dana mentioned that a player who was really good at shooting three-pointers had just been traded to the Jazz and she was really excited about it.  I barely paid attention.  On New Year's Eve I was at a sports bar with some friends and I just happened to look up at the Jazz game on the big screen when Kyle Korver was shooting a free throw.  I was immediately smitten and asked who he was.  My friends mentioned that he had just been traded to the Jazz and I suddenly remembered what Dana had said.  For the rest of the season I went to every game that I could possibly go to.  I started watching the away games on TV.  I got a number 26 jersey before they even had them available because I had one customized.  I was obsessed!  The next year I got season tickets with my aunt and cousin and even started going to Jazz events.  I donated a coat to a drive sponsored by Korver just so I could meet him and I hyperventilated!  I was so obsessed with him that I spent most of every game looking at him with my binoculars.  I had so much fun going to games while he played for the Jazz but after two seasons he signed with the Chicago Bulls.  I gave up my season tickets and became a casual Jazz fan again because it just wasn't the same any more.

Yesterday I woke up really early and couldn't go back to sleep so I checked social media.  I found out that Korver had been traded back to the Jazz!  This news was so exciting to me and it brought back all of the fun memories.  I immediately bought a ticket to the next Jazz home game, which is next week, and I am literally giddy with the thought of seeing him play again!  I am now searching for my Korver jersey!