501 Pictures of Big Ben

So I recently took a wonderful trip to England with my mother. I’ve been waiting for this trip for a long time. There are so many things I want to see in this world. I actually have a list of them.

One item on that list was to see England’s Parliament and Big Ben. I am now proud to say that I have accomplished that task and can check off a couple items on my list of things to do before I die and I have 1001 pictures to prove it.

I also found out something interesting about the Clock Tower. Its name isn’t Big Ben. Big Ben is the name of the bell inside the clock tower, which has a beautiful deep ring if I do say so myself.

My first view of the tower was not what I had expected. I thought I would see it from afar and be awestruck as I wound through the streets till I found the expansive gothic structures that seemed to fallow behind the clock tower.

What really happened was my mother and I wandered out of the tube station kind of lost and confused. There were many different ways to exit and I all I could do was stare up at the signs telling the direction for points of interest. We started up the steps and I first remember looking at the base of a very beautiful building. The first thing that came to mind was wow they have tons of pretty buildings here, but then it clicked in my head to look up and at that moment I saw it, The Gigantic Clock Tower that I knew as Big Ben.

I couldn’t believe it at first. I thought that there must have been another big tower, but after a little looking and staring I figured how could there be another big clock tower on a building and me not know about it. Anyway It was amazing to me.

The Tower was so beautiful. I loved the gold around the face and the detail. It was staggering to me. Much better than the Eifel tower. First time I saw it I thought it was just a big piece of rusted metal, but this was a masterpiece. Ok I might be weird but I loved it.

The Sugar Bowl Party!!!

One of my friends had a big Sugar Bowl Party. It was great big screen TV, comfy couch, friends and lots of pizza and Diet Coke. This year the Utes were taking on the Alabama Crimson Tide in what I thought was going to be a very sad game for the Utes. I was praying that the U would at least make a field goal against the best defience in the country. I was shocked and amazed as the Utes started making touch downs. We started screaming and cheering so much that I was horse the next day. I have a very good friend from Alabama, who I kept texting through out the game. I gave my Condulances to him after his poor little team lost.

The Utes won 31 to the Crimson Tides 17.....wow am I glad that I didn't make bets with anyone!!!

The Holidays

The Holidays were a little crazy for me this year. It was a lot of flying but also some time with spent with my family.

Right before Christmas my mom had a Christmas Concert for her singing group reflections. It was so much fun!! They did such a great job singing this year, my father even got to sing in this concert with a group of men. They were called the mirror image.

I was so proud of both of them and went picture crazy. I think I drove everyone nuts.

The next night I got to go to two friends Christmas Parties. I went to my friend Torri's and had wasel and joined most people on the couch and watch byu lose their bowl game. It was pretty fun though.
Watching the Pioneer Bowl
Jen, Torri and I
Need I say more?
Next I went to my friend Dave's house. When I walked in the had started a Christmas program. Everyone was sitting down facing the door. When I walked in a felt on stage. There were so many people there. It was the most amazing christmas program, just for fun, I'd ever seen. I felt like I was at a church function stuck in a house. Well some things weren't church appropriate.

It made me really want to start doing that. There was singing, guitars,
a fake wedding proposal and refusel, funny skits and even a visit from a scary santa and his elf.
for Christmas this year I had to go on a 5 day trip. My father had to take me to the airport because there was a crazy snow storm that made driving terrible, in my case it made it hard to get to work in less than two hours.

I was on a tiny 30 seat prop plane for Christmas, we went to exotic far off places like freezing cold Gillette WY, Sun Valley and Rock Springs. My first night I was on a bigger plane and overnighted in Calgary Canada.


I was very lucky this year. On Christmas eve, I was supposed to be in Twin Falls Idaho. The cross winds were terrible and the runway snow packed. The conditions were terrible. We were descending when the captain told us we had to turn around and go home. I was so grateful that my luck turned good and I was able to spend Christmas eve and Christmas morning with my family.
Christmas night I went back to Gillette. We tried to go out and eat dinner. We called 41 different restaurants and fast food joints and non were open. Finally we found a diner in the Flying J and ate there. It wasn’t that great, but it was nice to have a good steak, for Christmas dinner.

My sister and her cute little boys came down after Christmas. I had two days off in the middle of flying so I came down and played. We had Christmas all over again with them. Here is Chase and Trey opening their present from me. Cubs Base ball hats! Aunt Laura Has one to match. Here is Keegan and Mommy. Keegan loved the soft little bear I got him.
Here is Trey and a airplane he got from the grandparents. It was so cute when he opened it. He said "It's just what I always wanted!!" It was so cute to here his little voice say that.

It had snowed a ton, so me and the boys played out in the snow and made a snow man and snow angels and even had a little snow ball fight. Grandma had to make snow pants for them out of garbage bags. It was really creative.


For our late Christmas dinner I made a turkey. I got a brine recipe from my uncle that I wanted to try. I usually don’t like turkey, but when this one was done it was amazing! It was the best turkey I’ve had in my life. I also got to fix the entire dinner. It was fun to be put in charge of it.

Me and the Turkey

My True feelings about having to touch it!!
I also bought a little something special for our party. I went and bought three different kinds of German Christmas cookies. It cost a lot but was totally worth it.


It wasn’t to long before I had to run out the door and be off again on another 4 day trip. I was in Phoenix two nights and then the last night I was supposed to be in Jackson Hole, but my trip was changed and I was sent to Oakland.

I think my father in heaven wanted to help me be with family for the Holidays. I was so lucky that my Uncle Larry lives close by. He came and picked me up and I was able to spend New Years with his family. I had such a great time. We had a wonderful dinner of Ribs and a toast at 10 to bring in the New Year. The kids and I had to go to bed. I had to get up at 4 am to get ready for work.
It was a wonderful Holiday season and even though I had to work like crazy during it, I was still blessed to spend the most important parts of it with family.

Temple Square

Every Year my mother has a concert at temple square. It is a tradition in our family to go here her sing and then walk around and look at the beautiful Christmas lights around the temple. This year I was on a plane home from Chicago and just missed my mother singing. I couldn't find any parking. I did get to walk around and go out to eat with them afterwards. Here are some pictures from the night.

Christkindlmart and the Freezing cold!!!

The weather in Chicago this weekend was pure evil!!! On Saturday I thought it wasn't going to be to bad. I had a friend bring me downtown, so that I could check out the wonderful Decorations and the Christmas atmosphere.

I check my luggage into Nordstrom and then walked around Michigan Ave. I loved looking at the wreaths, the lights, and ornaments all around. I thought It interesting that signs were posted all over the sidewalks that said watch out for falling Ice. That was scary and always had me looking up.


I then walked over to the German Christmas market at Daley Plaza. There was a light snow, but the weather was pleasant. When I got to the Plaza it was completely packed with people. There were huge lines to get into the few shops that were indoors. I quickly walked over to look through the rows of outdoor shops and found that I couldn't use my credit card. I had to use cash to buy food.


I quickly assessed my funds and found it not to be enough to buy hardly anything. If I wanted to make purchases at other little shops I had to spend over 20 dollars. That wouldn't have been bad, except most of the things I wanted were in different shops. I had a problem. My debit card was having issues and I couldn’t get out more cash. I finally bought some kindergluwein, a spiced cider, stood at a table out of the way and called my bank. The weather quickly started to turn worse. By the time I got off the phone, the air was wet and started to become bitter cold. The bank told me, the only thing to do was to find a bank that would let me use my credit card and get money directly from them. My bank isn't in Chicago. I wandered the streets for awhile. I locating a few banks which were closed. I then realized it was Saturday and I was probably out of luck!

By that time my feet and hands were frozen and my nose was beyond that. I went back to the market, watch a cute little band play and wandered in a few of the shops, before I decided to go back to the mall and warm up.

I was supposed to go to a couple of different friends houses that night, but because of my debit card problems, no way to get money and the thought of having to walk around in the cold weather. I decided it wasn't worth it. I grabbed my bags, took my couple of dollars left to my name and bought a CTA pass back to the airport and caught the next plane home. I'll go back when it’s just a bit warmer and I actually have money to get from point A to point B.

I had a good time though. There is nothing better than a good old German Christmas Market to Celebrate the Holidays!!! Next I’ll remember to bring more cash so I can get some potato pancakes and applesauce, lebkuchen, Brats and sauerkraut….mmmm

A Christmas Carol and A Birthday Party

I just can't seem to stay away from Chicago. My old roommate, the theater and the Christmas season excited to return. I bought tickets online to attend a production of A Christmas Carol at the Goodman Theater. My old roommate Chelsea came with me. The weather was less than pleasant as was the traffic situation. We quickly parked the car and took the train into the city.

We were an hour early and didn't know it, so we settled our hunger with 3 dollar Sugar bomb cookies and hot cocoa thick as mud. I thought I was going to go into shock.
The Play was wonderful. It kind of scared me in a few places, when Jacob Marley came in and also the Ghost of Christmas Future. It was really kind of creepy. I decided things are creepier in person than on TV. Anyway this is one of my favorite Christmas stories. I love seeing the transformation of Scrooge and seeing how having the spirit of giving can change people’s lives.

The next day was my friend Lauren's Birthday. We had a party for her at night and a bunch of friends got together to go watch a band play. We had lots of fun. The only bad thing was the weather. I was so glad that I had warn a sweater with a hood. When we came out of the place, it was a blizzard. I threw on my hood, linked arms with a friend and ran slip sliding out to our car, which we couldn't find, because it was covered in snow. We finally made it home unscathed, Thank goodness.

Lauren,Chelsea and I

Dave and Melissa's Wedding

It's wonderful when two great people find that perfect person for them. In this case it was my friends Dave and Melissa. They are so cute and made for each other. They were married at the end of November and I loved the reception. I was a little late to it because they were married the Day after the reception and I got confused, but I made it.

They had it downtown Salt Lake City at the Gallivan Center Plaza. It was Beautiful all decked out in Black, red and White and Christmas Decorations through the plaza. There were glass plates filled with delicious cookies and little ceramic cups for the hot cocoa.

After my Friend Jen and I went in to give our Congrats, Dave gave us tickets to go Ice Skating. We all went outside and gathered around little fire pits and waited for the Ice to be cleared. Then an announcement was made For Mr. and Mrs. Dave Toronto and they were given the first turn on the Ice. It was so cute and clever to have their first skate instead of a first dance. I loved it. Everyone clapped for them as they went around the outdoor rink. It was perfect.