Ee Wen's Tales

Story #306: Music

2010-08-29T12:06:00.006-10:00

Kate Vogele is someone I'll be listening to for a long time. Her music rocks! I love love love her style, lyrics, and of course, music. I discovered her unintentionally after listening to S.H.E's 爱就爱了(S.H.E is a popular girl group in Taiwan by the way). I realized S.H.E were doing the cover for Kate's song, "Angel" so I had a listen to it and it blew my mind. I love both versions but Kate's voice stayed in my mind for weeks.

This week I rented the series that I used to watch when I was at BYU-Hawaii. It was called "One Tree Hill." I watched 3 seasons of it and stopped watching it for years until recently when I had an itch to watch some American TV series again. I of course started from "Gossip Girl" and then went back to "One Tree Hill." I found out that they are still filming the series and it's in it's 8th season now! So I rented season 5 from Netflix and started my road down One Tree Hill again. In this season, Kate Vogele was in a few of the beginning episodes and she of course played as a young and talented song-writer, singer girl. She sang more great songs that I love and I decided to tell about her to everyone I know. Great things are supposed to be shared, right?

Story #305: Road trip (Wyoming, Montana, Alberta, British Columbia)

2010-08-22T10:40:00.006-10:00

This road trip took us to several of the most beautiful national parks in North America.

We went first to Grand Teton, then Yellowstone, then Glacier National Park, then up to Calgary for a night, then off to Banff National Park in Alberta and Yoho National Park in British Columbia, Canada.

All I have to say about this trip is it was eye-opening... and lots of driving!

I enjoyed every bit of the trip. From the driving to the sight-seeing and to the camping.

Everything is fun with Mr.L around. for real.

We camped out only at Grand Teton and Yellowstone. The rest of the nights were spent in hotels, and in the car for one particular night when we drove the whole 18 hour home. Mr. L and I took turn driving. I've never driven for so far and so long. It was kinda fun to drive long distance on wide empty roads, but kinda stressful to drive on windy narrow roads. One thing that made the driving durable was the conversations we had. I think the best thing about road trip isn't the destination, but the journey there.

We packed a ton of instant foods for the trip.

We got lots of mashed potato pearls, the kind that they sell at the bishop's warehouse, that you can just add hot water to it and it tastes soooo good. It is my favorite kind of mashed potato. It's light and delicious.

I also insisted on bringing healthy foods, such as salad and fruits for the road. I pre-cut the iceberg lettuce and put it in the zip-lock bag, then I cooked some hard-boiled eggs in the morning of our trip and put them in a container in our big cooler, and I also made sure we brought bacon bits. Bacon bits are like the essential addition to most of our meals -- salad and mashed potatoes. Of course, we brought crackers and bread for our chicken soup. So basically we have healthy and good meal every single day while we were on the road! I didn't even have problems with constipation like I did on so many other trips. pardon my brutal honesty and the mention of something gross.

My favorite part of the trip was Yellowstone and a botanical garden in Banff, Canada. I really loved the two lakes that we saw in Canada too. So gorgeous and serene. I also la-la-la-love the waterfalls in Glacier National Park.

Albeit tiring, this trip has helped me fall in love with nature all over again.

I also discovered that camping isn't all that inconvenient and annoying anymore because we were actually able to get electricity for our hot pot, bathroom to use at anytime, and air mattress was just as good as real bed.

I forgot to take pictures of our tent I was too busy cooking when Mr.L set up the tent.

But out tent was so great! It was spacious it can fit up to 5 people! and we brought our pillows and covers as well as sleeping bags.

Seriously, our car was packed! from food to accommodation to toiletries to clothing.

I guess for me camping isn't just about bring the bare necessity, it's about trying to be as comfortable as I can so I don't hate it. I did it. I enjoy camping now, as long as I get to not sleep on the ground and have access to bathrooms whenever I want.

After so much talking about the trip, here's some pictures for you to see. I will be posting all of the pictures on Facebook just cause it is a pain to post pictures here. So come to my facebook to see more of the pictures!

The Grand Teton, Wyoming

One of the many glaciers at the Glacier National Park,Montana

Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone, Wyoming

Lake Louise in Banff National Park, Alberta

Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park, British Columbia.

Story #304:I am back!

2010-08-19T16:51:00.005-10:00

Hi peeps! How's your week?

Mine was so much fun, so much driving, so much instant food,

so much nature, and so much sight-seeing.

I've taken about 1000 pics in about a week.

I would've taken more if I weren't in the car so much.

Oh ya, our road trip took us to Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Glacier National Park, Calgary, Banff, and Yoho National Park in Canada.

We drove an average of 6 hours a day.

By the time we saw everything we wanted to see, we couldn't wait to come home.

I just got done sorting through all the pictures but I haven't uploaded them yet.

So you'll have to wait til next blog post to hear all about our road trip.

At the mean time, I am obsessed with this treasure I found.

I think I found it in a wedding site called Project Wedding or something like that.

It is soooooooo cute and I really really want one.

My problem is I am not a fan of sugar cookie at all. not one bit.

I guess that shouldn't stop me since I can make other kinds of cookies and use them.

All right, I am getting it.

check it out here!

Story #303: Southern Utah weekend

2010-08-11T10:28:00.006-10:00

Last weekend, I skipped class (the class talks about nothing important anyways),

and drove the 3 hour back to our beloved Toquerville and St.George.

St.George was okay, Toquerville was fantabulous!

I got to see my buddies, Max and Nikki.

Max still smells as bad and Nikki seemed to be so quiet.

I'm sure Max still remembers me even after the 2 month absence.

I fed him the dog treats I bought when I still lived there (I wonder if anyone ever feeds them the treats, there were still a whole bag there), and he showed me some tricks I taught him (sitting and jumping).

Oh...it was so good to see them.

Of course, there's my sweet mother-in-law, my two bro-in-laws, and our old bedroom.

Having our own space is great, but I sure miss the company of my mother-in-law

and the opportunity to make fun of Kendall.

It was so nice to see our neighbors at church too,

and my sunbeams!!!

They still remember me!

They were one of the reasons I am so sad to leave Toquerville.

I don't have small buddies like that here anymore.

It feels like I am deprived of human presence in my life here.

well, except Mr.L who, to me, is like a zombie, anyways.

We had to go to St.George, just cause Mr.L's only friend lived there.

Actually, he has more friends than just Paul,

but it seems like he only hangs out with Paul.

We also did two fun photo shoots when we were there.

One in Toquerville at our friend's house (with pond, hammock, dock, and swings!),

and one at a park in St.George.

I seriously love styled photo shoot.

I love the effort and all the props that make a photo shoot stand out and fun.

It's funny how I LOVE doing all these even though I am not paid to do them.

What is wrong with me?!

I hope to do more styled photo shoot like these ones in the future

(when I have more $$ to buy props, and when I have more time to handmade some props).

On the day we came home, it was Mr.L's grandma's birthday celebration.

We celebrated it at my mother-in-law's house.

So all the little cousins and aunts and uncles came too.

It was so good to see everybody again. and the food was GREAT!

I miss not having to cook on Sundays. my sweet mother-in-law was the one who cooked for the whole family on Sundays.

Question.

So now that almost everyone on my FB has a photo album, entitled "Summer 2010" or something like that.

Should I follow the trend and post my pictures on FB too?

The reason I feel tempted to do that is I want to share some pictures with my friends who don't come to my blog.

But at the same time I felt that if I do share, I lost some kind of privacy,

especially now that I am getting more friend requests

and add people whom I have never seen in my life.

It's to get my business name out there.

So...what's a girl to do??? Advice, anyone?

Sand Hallow reservoir. There's nowhere in the world that has such dense blue sky. Only in Southern Utah. The blue looks so pretty against the red rocks.

It rained pretty dang hard when we were there.

The lightning struck pretty close to our home, in our neighbor's yard.

A ditch was formed.

The tree that was struck by the tree that morning. Our whole house shook.

The pipe that goes a long the hill in Toquerville. It's one of my favorite spot.

It's right by the main road and it is ALWAYS cold no matter how hot the day was

and no matter how long it was exposed to the scorching sun.

The photoshoot in Toquerville.

I cannot stress enough how pretty Toquerville is.

So many nice spots for pictures.

St.George Photo shoot @

Vernon Worthlin (sp?) Park.

An ice-cream truck drove by so we decided to take some pics using it as our backdrop.

Story #302:Ahh...the field of purple that makes my heart sing

2010-08-05T18:28:00.007-10:00

On the same day that we went tubing in Provo Canyon, Mr.L and I went

to the Lavender farm in Mona.

Because I have so many friends in Europe (most of them are my high school friends who went there for college) and I go to some Chinese forums where hundreds of Chinese students in Europe post their pictures every single day, I came to know and fall in love with lavender farms.

every summer, everyone and their dog posts pictures about their trip to Lavender Farm in UK/France. Imagine all the purples and all the fragrant in the air!

Fortunately since there's a Young Living lavender farm here in Northern Utah,

we don't have to fly to France to see the lavender farms there.

Few weeks ago when we called to make a reservation for a tour, we were told that we need to make a reservation at least a couple of days before we go to the farm.

So this time, we tried to call to make an appointment earlier.

Mr. L called and we were told that the lavender had been harvested. can you imagine my disappointment?

There were still some more lavender left, only they were not going to be purple purple.

I decided to take the chance to just drive down to the farm without making any reservation and hope that I'll be able to see some lavenders.

And I did.

So I am quite happy.

Now I am ready to die. kidding!!

a little girl who happened to be at the farm visitor center for a wedding reception

I love dragonfly!! I don't see them very often here.

Story #301: Ingrid and Katie. And Grooveshark

2010-08-04T10:31:00.005-10:00

Do you guys know who Ingrid Michaelson is?

I came upon her music by chance and have fell in love with every single song she sung.

Actually, I've only heard 3 albums of hers but they are all so good.

Her voice is calming for me and most of her music is soothing and light and make me happy.

It is so hard to find songs like that anymore.

I mean, Taylor Swift and Colbie Caillat made good music too, but their songs are too popular and are played on every channel almost everyday.

I think Ingrid's songs are fresh and are just what I need at the moment when I have more than 10 tabs open on my browser trying to get inspiration on my up coming styled photoshoots.

What about Katie Melua? Do you like her music?

I came upon her music by chance as well.

I love reading other people's blogs because I get new info all the time and sometimes I stumble upon the things I love so much that I would not have otherwise known if I hadn't read their blog.

It is good to not know what you're missing because you're content with just what you know most of the time.

But finding things that you love is so much more liberating than being satisfied with just what you know. That's why I love exploring.

sorry I side-tracked a little.

Anyways, Katie Melua has a really good voice.

The kind that I like.

The kind that I don't mind to listen to all day long.

Her song "Just Like Heaven," is my favorite.

Go have a listen on Grooveshark.

Speaking of Grooveshark, it's now my favorite internet radio.

I used to like Pandora. I still do, on my iphone.

The Pandora radio on the internet is pretty annoying sometimes.

I hate it when ads are involved.

Even though it is a good feature that it finds similar artist and genre of songs for you, sometimes I just want to listen to one artist's songs!

So I am so glad I found Grooveshark...through my usual blog reading :)

Do you have any music or artist that you might want to recommend me listen to??

Please suggest.

Story #300: Photoshoot

2010-08-03T14:41:00.006-10:00

Remember the Mommy Model competition I was in last year?
Thanks to all of your votes I was one of the runner-ups and so I got a free photo shoot this year.

So in the end of June I got the photoshoot done.

I always thought that I love modeling, I mean I love to take self-portrait when I first got my point-and-shoot camera, and loved it when people asked me to model for them.
But modeling is actually pretty hard and sometimes tedious.

My smiles looked forced after 3 seconds.

Even though I often direct people on their posing while I am shooting, I actually am not very good at posing.

My body can only do like 2 different poses and that's it.

Modeling is definitely not as glamorous as it looks. I mean, who truly enjoys wearing heels that they can barely walk in and climb in a train or jump in the air?

Maybe Lady Gaga does, but for normal people like me, it isn't a treat.

Because I am so fickle and indecisive and contradict myself most of the time,

I'll have to say that I do like it when I get to do something like that once in a while.

C'mon! I get to have free pictures that are professionally done and an excuse to dress up!

I just don't like it as much as some people who do it professionally.

At this particular shoot, I was injured. Well, bleeding counts as injury, no?

Anywho...I scratch my hand on a super old + rusty train coach.

My skin split open and out came the blood. Quite a lot of blood. It even stained my jeans a little.

Since I am such a professional model(you know I'm jk, right?) I made no sign of pain. I didn't even wince!

I even joke that I have super high pain treshold that I prefer needles to medicine. While Mr.L went and buy a first-aid kit (he's sweet like that), we did half of this shoot.

I am automatically entered into the competition because I'm a runner-up and all.

So please come and vote for me like you did last year. I am not sure when exactly is the voting date (she changes it everytime), but I will definitely keep you posted.

I hope i win this year because look at my shoes.

It's a WINNER!

Oh, the contest is based on the shoes, not looks of the model.

So I think I should be able to win because my shoes are so hot!

If I don't, it's okay. But it would be nice if I do (you know what I'm sayin'???)

That's my photographer friend, Emily. She's very talented and gave me a ton of tips. She inspires me. I love her!!

It's not easy to climb up to the coach. I had to stand on Mr.L's thigh and had him pushed me up. A lot of sweat went into that. haha..

Story #299: Tubing at Provo Canyon, near-death experience

2010-08-02T18:00:00.005-10:00

I've always wanted to go tubing so I tried it last Saturday. It was my first time and I had no idea what was going on and what tubing was really about. I went in my jeans short (no.1 sign that I have no idea what was going on) and instead of putting on my contacts, I decided I would wear my glasses (sign no.2 that I am an amateur). Everyone who has ever done it told me it's awesome and so much fun. It's true. It was fun for the most part. But it wasn't fun when the current swept me and my tube towards the bank into some branches poking out, tipped my tube and flipped me into the freezing water (below 40degree) and washed my glasses away.

It happened too quickly. It was only about 10 minutes into the 2 hour journey when we hit a rapid and I got separated from Mr.L and swept into the branch. The current was pretty strong and the river was flowing fast. I did a somersault in the water. Actually, the current pushed me around. It didn't feel good losing control and not being able to stand your ground. As my tube floated away from me (and so was Mr.L), all I could do was try to reach out my hands so he could grab me or I could grab my tube. The air was knocked out of me and I could not move my arms and legs in the cold water. It was the closest I have ever felt to death. If that's death, I don't think I like it! I definitely don't want to die drowning. It's a painful and ugly death. But I couldn't help feeling that way as I was pushed under water several times.

Mr.L was being carried away too fast. I felt like I was chasing him in the water but I couldn't reach him no matter how fast and how hard I kicked the water. As I was watching him and my tube drifted away, I had a panic attack, I thought there was no way anyone could save me because of the rapid and the current. I opened my mouth to breath in more air but instead of taking in air, I let out screams, desperate screams. In less than 2 minutes I felt so close to hell. The freezing water was hell! It felt like forever before Mr.L jumped in the water to push me towards the bank and we climbed out of the water. I was shivering like crazy and the shock didn't leave me till after I have rested and calmed down.

We still had about an hour and a half of a journey until we get to the area where we were supposed to get off the tube. So I had to get back on the tube and in the river. This time I grabbed Mr.L's feet like holding on to a lifesaver. We should have done that earlier but we learn as we went. We managed to figure out how to avoid being pushed towards the bank and how to stay on the safe side of the rapids. Despite the numbing cold on my butt (actually I peed a couple of times in the tube. Yep I was sitting in my pee the whole time. Don't judge. You don't know how cold that was and I had to go like really bad. I know, sad for the people who have to use my tube after. But what do you expect, right? River water isn't ever clean anyways), I was able to enjoy the trip down the river.

The fear disappeared rather quickly and I enjoyed looking at the beautiful sceneries (Provo Canyon is really really beautiful). I love the pine trees on the mountain side and the sky was covered with clouds (which made it a rather cool day). There were many people who fished in the river. The river wasn't that deep, for the most part it was only about knee-height.

I think I will go back there and go tubing again. What don't kill you only make you stronger, right? I am rather optimistic about the next time we go because we definitely learnt from our mistakes this time and know what to do next time.

Here are some pictures I took after we got out of the river. I didn't have my iphone with me, which was a good thing, or it might be dead by now.

On our way to Vivian Park in Provo Canyon

A hot dog stand that we ate at. I love all the bottle caps at the counter.

Story #298: Lagoon

2010-07-29T12:34:00.007-10:00

Our friends came to visit last weekend and we went to Lagoon and had a blast. It was so nice to see you guys (Chris, June, Paul, Nikki) again!!

Lagoon was fun, but not Disneyland-fun. I think that comparison is inevitable once you've been to both. It was built back in the 50s I think so there was a ride that was super old and made of wood, but still working. There were also some old/pioneer-period looking buildings in the park, which I thought was pretty cool.

Lagoon was, to me, a little too expensive and it's lame that some of the fun things cost extra. There were many roller coasters though. That was pretty much what we did, one roller-coaster ride after another. I think I am roller-coastered out.

Oh, I even cried after a super scary ride. I hate the Wicked ride. I think people who like it are either suicidal or have problem feeling. I screamed from the beginning of the ride to the end of it. It got on my nerve and I was either not ready for it to start or to end that my tears burst out after the ride came to a sudden halt. I think watching Final Destination also helped fueled the fright.

Anywho, I did have some fun despite the puke-y sick feeling I had after riding a kid's swing ride. Geez...spinning in cirlces over and over and over. Seriously, what is the fun in that? And how can little children feel normal after riding it? My favorite ride were the roller coaster called "Bat" and the Rattle Snake Rapids. Anything involving water is great in a hot summer day. I did not mind getting wet. In fact, I wished we went to Seven Peaks instead of Lagoon.

I am loving summer now. We have got so many activities planned. I wish summer can last a little longer than last year because summer is actually more fun this year.

There was a bird show on the day we went. It was pretty cool. The guy said they were one of the best shows in Vegas and one of their parrots, a singing parrot, is the only bird that has ever performed in front the Queen of England.

Story #297: This Is The Place

2010-07-25T16:10:00.008-10:00

On Pioneer Day (July 24th), Mr.L and I went to This Is The Place Heritage Park to enjoy some "pioneer fun".I think that the pioneers are like the symbol of the state of Utah, just like the hippies are (sort of) the symbol of San Francisco. I had a great time at the park despite the 100 degree summer heat. The park was bigger than I had anticipated. My favorite part of the day was the Native American show. I've always wanted to see them dance and do their awesome ritual and what not. I love their costumes too. I may or may not be an American Indian for Halloween :)

p.s these pictures are not in chronological order.

p.p.s I found the cutest pillows ever! They have a lot of different ones in the gift shop. They are all like almost $30 so I think I may just get a sewing machine and make my own! It will be a fun project.

The small plan of the heritage park

Ancient stove at Brigham Young's farmhouse.

Silk cocoons from the worms that were brought back from France by the missionaries.

The exterior of Brigham Young's farmhouse. He used it as a guest house or for the missionaries to stay when they came to visit. He himself never slept there.

At the Museum of the Quilt.

One of the cute pillows I mentioned. This one might be really challenging to make. I've never sewn anything round like that.

This is going to be my project. I love it so super much!

The hospital back in the day. Why is Mr.L carrying a purse?? Cause he loves me and offered to carry it when I told him the semi-metal strap burns my shoulder.

Those lamps are so cool!

This is one of my favorite drawings.

Pulling a cart in the middle of a summer afternoon is not easy. Respect the pioneers!

Native American village

These chair/mat were very sturdy. Not comfortable, but sturdy.

They cooked inside of the tent too.

This was the Mormon Battalion station. We were educated on the clothes that those men wore when they were in the Mormon Battalion.

Carousel. Real horse carousel.

Tilling the ground is not fun to do.

This reminded me of the movie "Joseph Smith."

I found a small green apple. Oh, Brigham Young was famous for the apples he planted. Some of them could weigh up to a pound!

"Mail must go through, rider optional" LOL

Farm animals are cute, but they smell so bad! I gagged a few times walking past the farm.

The chief. He was originally from North Dakota and was as he called himself, a "Lamanite of BYU." He teaches Native American history in Arizona.

The butterfly dance, originated from Lousiana.

I love his wings!

When I asked if I could take a picture with him he said, "You're very pretty."

Totally made my day.

Brigham Young Academy

These were the actresses singing and gossiping about some girl who wore her dress a little too short and exposed her ankle. It was pretty funny.

Interesting looking candies. I never had one. I didn't try one either.

My hair color is kinda like this tail of the racoon.

They had their own currency??? SO bizarre!

The map of Texas, Oregon, and California back then

The Bank

This train takes you around the park and you can get off at any designated stops. It even has real smoke coming out.

How was your Pioneer day?

I'll be back with pictures from Lagoon! See you soon :)

Story #296: Julie and Julia

2010-07-22T07:50:00.004-10:00

It is strange how people get so emotionally attached to a certain movie or book or drama series that it feels like there's a hole or something is missing once that movie/book/drama series ends. I am like that ALL the time. I get attached to things way too easily and I get very emotional as well.

Just recently, I watched "Julie and Julia" for the second time. I felt a deep connection with the two real life characters and this movie became personal to me.The first time I watched it it was like a introduction to me. Like me being introduced to Julia Child and Julie Powell for the first time. And I was told of their stories. The second time was different. Their stories connected with me in a different way. I felt like I know them. I felt like we can be best friends because of our love for cooking. The first time, I didn't see that kind of a connection. I saw them like an outsider. This time, I feel everything they feel. I cried when Julia got her cookbook published. I cried with her when she cried after receiving a letter from her sister, I cried when Paul was interrogated by the government people. I cried when Julie's stuffed chicken fell on the kitchen floor. I felt their feelings. Isn't it strange? It is strange, and I think I am going crazy!! I even have a picture of me and Mr.L in the bathtub full of bubbles just like Julia and Paul did. And I am going to make my first Boeuf Bouguignon, Julia Child style. And I am going to buy her cookbook, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking."

In many ways I feel that Julia and I are very much alike. In the movie, when Julia first went to Paris, she wasn't sure what she should do. She went into hat-making, thinking that was what she liked. Then, she learned to play bridge and got bored at it. In the end, she found her passion: cooking. I was like that. I thought I want to be a writer and work for a magazine. But I really don't enjoy writing about anything in particular. I wrote stories but am not exactly sure I love writing anymore. When I first got married and moved to St.George, I didn't know what I should do. I have no passion for work...any sort of work. I went into computer programming and graphic design, thinking that's what I want to do. I don't mind doing it for fun and I am glad I have the skill, but I don't LOVE it. Then, I took piano lesson, thinking I would do so well, but I am not passionate for it. I love that I know and can play music now, but I don't love it enough to practice everyday. After much exploring and trying things out, I think I found my passion. I love photography. I love cooking. But I am PASSIONATE about traveling. I can do that for a living. I can do that everyday! That's my goal now. I will travel as much as I can, photograph anything I want, and cook all the good food I love.

Julie and I are very similar too. In the movie she said that she always start things but never finish them. I am like that. Look at my stories. I never finish any of them, except one. I went into card making and got all the supplies and tools and I made like 5 cards. Now my supplies are sitting in the corner of the room, filled with dust. I started my photography business and I already feel like quitting or just let it rot. She blamed her inability to finish something on ADD. I did too! I totally did. I even got an online ADD test thing that says I am 93% suffering from ADD. I often blame my inability to do housework on my ADD. Julie did that too. When she was in a bad mood and everything started to go wrong in the kitchen, she snapped at her husband, got in fights with him, and drove her husband out of the house. I was like that too, only my husband hasn't left the house yet. At one point she blamed that her kitchen was too small to cook in. I do that almost everyday. "Stupid counter. Stupid BYU Housing. Stupid kitchen stove!! I hate my life! How the F do I cook in this stupid space?!" That's what I always say. I broke down crying like a baby while cooking too. And I also have a blog about food!

I don't think I am obsessed with Julia Child or Julie Powell. They are not like my fantasy friends. They are not my muse. And I am sure a lot of people feel the same way I do about these two women, that we are somehow similar and connected through the movie. I do think that sometimes some movies/books help you to come to term with yourself or see yourself more clearly. It is like by knowing some stranger's life story gives you an insight of your own. And if a person was lost in life but found some kind of purpose in his/her life through watching a movie or read a book, then I think it's something worth celebrating.

In conclusion, I love how by watching "Julie and Julia" I feel like life is truly great and filled with opportunities. Nothing is impossible. Everything is possible.

Story #295: Exploring Salt Lake (2)

2010-07-19T16:19:00.007-10:00

This past Saturday I was planning to go up to Salt Lake to a bridal fair at La Caille, a really nice French restaurant. But I woke up feeling like I hadn't rested all night and decided I didn't want to go to Salt Lake. Then I had a brilliant idea. I wanted to see the Lavender farm at the Young Living Farm south of Provo. Mr.L looked up the information about the park and chatted with one of their agent online and found out that we needed to make a reservation before we could tour their farm. Boo!!! So I got frustrated and fell asleep watching Mr.L played Rock Band.

About an hour later, I woke up from my nap, rested. Mr. L said, "Let's go." And I was like ??? He said he wanted to take me to some places up in Salt Lake. He refused to tell me what those places were. Surprises, he said. So I very happily changed and got ready to go. It was a SUPER hot day. But I had SO MUCH fun. I had been complaining about Provo ever since we moved up. Boring, as I always say. But Salt Lake is different. It's fun. Like Las Vegas was fun when I complain about St.George.

So we drove up to Salt Lake, Sugar House to be exact. The first place he took me to was the Sugar House Park, which had a big lake in the middle, built with concrete. This park used to be a penitentiary. There were so many seagulls here, which was weird. Aren't seagulls supposed to be on the beach? There were a lot of geese and ducks too. There were bird poop and feathers everywhere on the sidewalk. The park was pretty big, with lots of trees and some really nice spots for pictures. I was thinking of taking some clients there for portraits next time.

The second place we went to was the Liberty Park close to the Sugar House Park. There was a British classic car show there. It wasn't the greatest but it's nice to see some old cars.

At the Liberty Park, there were the Green House and Tracy Aviary. I didn;t go in the green house but we went to the aviary. I wasn't expecting the aviary to be great but I was pleasantly surprised. I loved it. I had a blast in there. I love to see birds and their colorful feathers. They are some fascinating creatures. However, I don't like to get close to them. I have heard stories about birds picking the eyes out of people before. I loved the bird show. I even raised my hands when they asked for volunteers to let the bird fly onto our arms. The bird took a long time to finally fly towards my arm but landed for like not even a second before taking off for Mr. L's head and the tree behind him. The presenter also asked if I wanted to have a close up picture of the owl with my "fancy" camera. Naturally I said yes and he made a gesture and the owl flew towards me. More accurately, the owl flew towards him who was crouching behind me. I was ecstatic!

This Is The Place heritage park was the last surprise for the day. I kept asking Mr. L "what is this place?" and he kept saying "This Is The Place." And I was getting annoyed when I saw the name of the park. So this park is called "This Is The Place." This was the place where Brigham Young said that the Mormon pioneers should settle down. I imagine it must be tough for those pioneers to look around this place that was once a desert wasteland. They had never planted crops in places like this. It was truly a miracle that they prospered. We didn't go inside the main "city" because we were tired and we planned to come back on Pioneer Day next week. According to the brochure, they have a real haunted house in there and they have some pretty neat stuff going on for Halloween. I can't wait for October now!

On our way home to Provo, before our car broke down in the middle of the pedestrian crossing and in front of the traffic lights, we swung by the Capitol. While waiting for our car to be towed (I love AAA by the way), I saw this poor horse. I seriously dislike it when people drive the horse around the city and in the summer when it is SO friggin hot. The horse looked so pitiful. No water, full sun, and surrounded by cars.

Salt Lake, I am so glad you are so close to Provo. I am so glad you are not 3 hours away. I am so glad I am going back next week to visit :)

Story #294: Indoor Rock Climbing

2010-07-07T20:31:00.005-10:00

Went to an indoor quarry for some rock climbing. It was so exhausting but a lot of fun. A fun date with hubby that ended up with dirty sweat and blisters in the hands. Still, it is fun. However, not 36 dollars fun. I think we'll only go back to climb once in a very long while.

Oh, I also discover that I have a fear of height. I was halfway up the wall and I looked down and my hands started to sweat really bad and my heart was pumping heart and I felt like I couldn't breath. I had to go down. Twice I did that. Until after watching Mr.L reached the top and seeing that it really wasn't that high, I decided to try climbing to the top again. I did it!... after much persuading on Mr.L's part. I did not have the YAY I AM ON TOP OF THE WORLD feeling when I reached the top. I only wanted to get down to the ground ASAP.

Story #293: July 4th of 2010

2010-07-05T16:25:00.002-10:00

How was your July 4th?

Mine was fantabulous! It all started with Friday when Mr.L's family came up to visit. Then we played rock band before going to Bluffdale to visit his uncle with 5 super adorable kids.

Then on Saturday I got to go to a super fun wedding as a second-shooter in Alpine. Later that night we watched the fireworks from the Stadium of Fire where Carrie Underwood performed.

On Sunday, after church we went to my mother-in-law's friends house for a barbeque dinner and hang with some cute kids who wanted to make friends and sit by me at dinner.

The best thing about July 4th on a Sunday is that there is no school on Monday! So it's going to be a short week for me. YAY!!

Story #292: I am a shop owner!!

2010-06-29T12:08:00.003-10:00

Oh oh oh oh ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... I have opened a shop on etsy.com. It is called Ee's Fine Art Gallery. It is where I sell my fine art portraits. Come view it. Share with your friends about it. And definitely come shop it!

Click HERE to go to my shop :)

Thanks a bunch!!

Story #291: Lame homework!

2010-06-27T11:43:00.003-10:00

So it's Sunday afternoon and I am doing a super boring homework for my linguistics class. Even though it seems pretty easy and straight-forward, this assignment took me about 2 hours to do! I wish it had only taken me 15 minutes but my new-found sickness (ADHD) prevented me from focusing while doing this homework I was very uninterested in. Actually, I don't think anybody would enjoy homework like this.

The first picture below is the introduction of the Book Of Mormon, written in Deseret Alphabet, an alphabet used in some old church records. My assignment is to transcribe this alphabet system into the International Phonetic Alphabet (such as the ones used in the English dictionary, instructing people how to pronounce words). From one unknown alphabet into another. It's like learning 2 sets of new alphabets. SO NOT FUN! I never really cared about the IPA anyways. As if people still use dictionaries to learn how to pronounce a word.

Click on the picture to see the full size image.

I am so not fluent in IPA.

I can already foresee a mundane future in the next couple of years of my MA TESOL program.

Story #290: Manti Mormon Miracle Pageant

2010-06-26T09:04:00.004-10:00

We went to Manti last night to watch the Mormon Miracle Pageant. I have heard about this event when I first joined the church. I have always wanted to see it but we weren't able to go last year. I was so excited to go because not only would I be able to watch the pageant, I knew I was going to see the temple again. I love Manti temple. It stood on a hill overlooking the town. Such a beautiful building at such a serene location. The last time I went it was snowing like crazy so I wasn't able to see the beautiful green hill on which the temple stood upon. It was nice to see it in summer when it was all green and beautiful.

The pageant itself was such a great show. I loved loved loved it. I will definitely go back next summer to see it again. We were so lucky to be able to found some seats for us. The event location was PACKED. Hundreds of people were there. Some had to sit outside of the temple ground on their blankets. It was kinda noisy when we got there but as soon as the temple president stood up to welcome everybody and the prayer was said, everybody went quiet. SO quiet. I was so impressed. Even children were quiet.

I love how the church used such a unique way to tell the history of the church and of the Restoration. It helped me look at the Book of Mormon and the early pioneers in a more respective way. My testimony definitely has been strengthened. Seriously, I cannot say enough of how much I love it.

Enough said, let's look at some pictures.

Sheep~~ I love to see herds of sheep on a farm.

Twilight is such a good time for pictures. I love the blue in the sky.

This was only a fraction of the amount of people who were there.

This scene depicts the many different churches in New England.

A girl sang the US National Anthem before the show started

This is when Joseph Smith was in the forest where he prayed and received the First Vision.

Book of Mormon story about Captain Moroni and his famous Ensign of Liberty

Lamanites' idolatry and human sacrifice

A huge cast!

Zoramites and their temple

Jesus visited the people in the American Continent

Joseph Smith in the Carthage jail in Illinois, where he and his brother were killed.

The Spirit World

I LOVE Manti Temple!!!!

Excuse me for my ecstatic look. I don't know why I was so stoked to see the cast. They did an amazing job with costume and make up.

Story #289: 吴尊

2010-06-21T18:46:00.005-10:00

K. I just can't contend it anymore! I am so obsessively in love with Wu Zun. He is the MOST handsome Chinese I have ever seen! If I have a poster of him, I'll be drooling all over it. I know Mr.L would be so jealous after reading this. But hey...who doesn't have actor crush, right? It's totally normal! Not fidelity, mind you. I think this crush reminds me of myself when I was 12 and in love with Nick Carter. I seriously thought that I would not survive if he ever gets married to anyone else but me! I know that my crush for Wu Zun will fade, just like my "love" for Nick. But still...I have to at least show you how wonderfully handsome he is. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~~~~ That was my scream of love.

吴尊。。。你太帅了！！！我的妈呀！！好帅好帅好帅！！

Of course, my crush started with this Taiwanese idol drama series. So worth my 15 hours :) I forced Mr.L to watch all of them with me. I think he actually loves it. haha..

This music video is my FAVORITE!!!

Story #288: Family Home Evening lesson

2010-06-21T15:09:00.005-10:00

How many times have you felt alone, hopeless, and was so sure that nobody cares about your trivial problems? I have felt it countless times. Most of the time I selfishly think that my problems are so unique that even Jesus Christ won't be able to understand. I remember when I was having a hard time finding a job in St.George last year, I told Mr.L that "Jesus didn't have to go through the trouble of finding a job or being told that he was not being considered for the position he so desperately wanted or needed." How naive and stubborn was I! I stubbornly argued that Jesus' life was way less complicated than mine!

Yesterday at church I suddenly have an epiphany...probably more like a personal revelation. I suddenly understood a new aspect of atonement that I never really thought about. I came to the understanding that Jesus Christ's atonement for us includes taking upon himself ALL of our sins, sorrow, illnesses, and pain. I finally understood that even though Christ did not have to hunt for a job or run a photography business when he was on earth, he still is able to understand my desperation and impatience to be successful in my life because he went through those tough times in my life in the garden of Gethsamane. No matter how hard I try to isolate myself and wallow in self-pity, I can't push Him away and say, "You have no idea how I feel." Because He does. And because He cares. Truly cares.

I was supposed to give a Family Home Evening lesson tonight but Mr.L was not feeling well and had gone to bed. I found a really good lesson online that I want to share. It is called, "The Cheering Section." I am so glad that I found this talk by Elder Paul H. Dunn of the seventy. It reminds me of how much I am loved. It reminds me that there's no need to indulge in self-pity because I have the best cheer team in the world behind me cheering me on. As cheesy as it sounds I have to admit that being loved feels so dang great!

Enjoy the talk. I hope it helps you as much as it helped me.

"Some time ago I watched a soccer game in which the favored team, the Lions, was expected to beat the Pumas, a team that hadn’t done very well during the season. The two teams had played against each other earlier in the year, and the Pumas had been badly beaten. Everyone expected this particular game to be the same, although fan support was about evenly divided between the two teams. But then an incident on the field involving two players seemed to turn the crowd against the Lions. From that point on, more than 15,000 fans excitedly cheered the Pumas to a winning score.

A cheering section can make a difference in life. As you watch professional sports, you can almost be assured that the home team will do well. Brazil has a soccer team that almost never loses when it is playing at home. The reason? Maracana Stadium in Brazil holds more than 220,000 fans who noisily yell their support at every game.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have that kind of cheering section when you feel like you are not winning in life? How would it feel to know that it really matters to somebody whether you win or lose, whether you shine in victory or retreat in defeat?

I bear you my solemn witness that each one of us has a cheering section, both seen and unseen. There are those who want us to succeed. We may sometimes doubt it, but it is true nevertheless. There are those we see: parents, children, brothers, sisters, relatives, teachers, friends. But there are also those who are unseen who care and are cheering for us: heavenly parents, loved ones who have gone before us, those who are yet to come. They want us to succeed.

There are those who continue to care, whether here or on the other side of this earthly veil. Of that I am sure! Even when you feel all alone, there are those who are cheering for you.

I remember a friend of mine who went to high school and college, then married and had a small family. One day someone he didn’t know really well came up to him and said, “I just thought you might like to know that I am one of your greatest fans. I have always watched you and have tried to pattern my life after yours.”

There are people who care, you see, even when we don’t know it. I wonder how many parents pray silently for their children? How many sons and daughters must silently pray for their mother or father? In how many crises do friends silently cheer for each other? I am convinced that they are almost without number. Of course, there’s only one thing better than cheering silently: that’s cheering silently and vocally; to let those around us know we really care.

There are many of you who feel that you don’t get much support, silent or otherwise. To you in particular I want to give my assurance that there are those who cheer from on high. God created us and loves us. More than anything else, he desires our righteous success now and our safe return to him later. When we feel no other support, we can count on him. To David of old and to us he said, “Wait on the Lord: Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thy heart” (Ps. 27:14).

To all of us who are trying to do the right things he has again promised: “I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up” (D&C 84:88).

And finally, if we can just remember those great promises, we will eventually be able to say, with Moses: “The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God” (Ex. 15:2). When all else fails, he will not.

All of us have parents, friends, or other loved ones who have died. They too exercise faith in our behalf. Do parents stop caring because they die? Are friends no longer friends at death? Does caring stop at the grave? I want you to know that it does not. Life is eternal.

And what of those yet to come to earth? Do they have an interest in your success? Your unborn children watch you from above with great interest and concern. They want the best for themselves and for you. You can be sure of it. Probably millions of spirits yet to be born cheer loudly for the millions of us who prepare the way for them. I believe it could be no other way.

My message to you is, hopefully, clear. Every person in this life has a cheering section. It is made up of those around us, those who have passed from this mortal life, and those who are yet to come to earth.

Above all, I bear you my witness that there is a Father in heaven who put you here on earth and wants you to return to him. His support alone will do it. May we draw close to him so we can know it. May we then give it to those around us who need it, especially our own families. May the Spirit give you the same assurance that I have that our Father lives, that he loves us, and that he, together with many others can bring us safely home."

Story #287: Saltair & Modeling

2010-06-18T11:41:00.005-10:00

Yesterday I went modeling for a photographer friend at Saltair. It was a last minute call and I agreed to model for her because I have always wanted to see what Saltair is like and get the chance to meet some photographers in this area.

What I didn't know was that Ali Hohn, a super talented photographer from mid-west, was teaching at this workshop about Off-Camera Flash. I have always wanted to go to her workshop at Salt Lake but I never did have the money. But modeling for her and other photographers was a good chance for me to watch them work.

It was a fun experience for me even though it was super tiring. I love how the pictures turned out though. I had to stand on an old train coach which had close to no floorboard and support my whole body weight on slim planks and this male model's leg! I am not sure if I would model again because I rather be "shooting" people than to be "shot." Oh!! You get to see the world-premiere of my new 50-dollar haircut (I had no idea he charged so much!), which I hate!

A Moroccan-looking building. I think this is called Saltair Pavillion.

It was right by the Great Salt Lake

The train coach we shot in

Male model at work

Great Salt Lake. The air truly smells salty and my eyes got so watery

because of the salt in the air.

This is as close to the beach as we can get in Utah.

Me modeling. I am so skilled, eh? haha..

Story #286: Exploring Salt Lake City (1)

2010-06-13T09:21:00.006-10:00

Yesterday Mr.L and I went up to Salt Lake City because I had to second-shoot for a photographer at a wedding at the International Peace Gardens there.

I have never heard of this garden but I was glad the wedding was held there and I was able to take a stroll with Mr. L before the bridal party arrived. The park was pretty nice, with several gardens and monuments representing different countries. Most of the man-made ponds were dried though. So I looked up Wikipedia to find out what the Peace Gardens really were about. "Each participating Utah-based nation group is allotted a plot in which to create a garden with native plantings and garden architecture and statues of world peace leaders typical of the homeland and its culture. The Peace Gardens currently represents the cultural diversity of twenty-six nations and encourages pleasant wandering and meditation by visitors."

After shooting the wedding, Mr.L and I drove to Temple Square because we wanted to see the new exhibit they have at the Visitor Center. We have seen news about the Salt Lake Temple model that showcased some of the rooms in the temple for people all over the world to see. Normally, only church members in good standing and have temple recommends were allowed to go inside. However, this model was made so that people not of our faith will have a better idea what we do inside the temple. For my non-LDS friends, what we do (temple marriage, sealings of family, baptisms for the dead, endowment...) in the temples are sacred, not secret. If you live in Utah or come to visit Salt Lake City, be sure to visit the temple square and some of its cool exhibits. I always end up at awe with the exhibits and my testimonies strengthened after seeing the exhibits. I am not sure how long this exhibit is going to last (since they have different exhibits all the time), so come quick to see it. If you can't make it here, don't worry. I've got you cover. I've taken a ton of pictures of the exhibit. I tried to capture all the details.

This Howland guy was ancestor of Joseph Smith, Emma Smith, George Bush, Nixon and some other famous people. Amazing what family history can help you discover. I wonder if I am related to any emperors in China. hahaha...

Some of my favorite paintings at the visitor center.

We also went to see some of the cool buildings in Salt Lake, such as the castle looking building below. I forgot what it was called!! It's come kind of government building. Across from the street of this building was the City Library which is so super modern looking. I am totally loving it. I didn't go inside though but I'll be back to explore the inside. The outside of it was pretty cool and there was a little garden close to it that has pretty flowers and steps with water coming down.

I'll be back with more adventure. I am starting to like Northern Utah now. There's so much going on and so much to see. Hopefully the rain and wetness would be over soon so I can truly enjoy summer. See you later!

Story #285: Memorial Day at Logan

2010-06-10T06:49:00.005-10:00

The first weekday after we moved up to Provo was Memorial Day. For my Malaysian friends, Memorial Day is a day when people in the US pay respect to the veterans of the wars. I think it has also become a day when they go visit the grave of their loved ones. I love the cemetery on this day! It's amazing how beautiful and welcoming a cemetery can be. In Malaysia, I've always been really scared to drive pass a cemetery, let alone visit one. As a child, we were not allowed to mention cemetery, death, and things like that because of superstitious. My cousins lived in a neighborhood where they have to drive pass 2 large cemeteries. I remember everytime we visited them, we would turn to look to the opposite of the cemetery just to avoid seeing some "dirty" things. We would also become super quiet for fear that whatever we said might evoke angry vengeance from the dead ones. The fear stayed with me over the years until I had to actually go visit my great-grandmother's grave when she passed away a couple of years ago. I still would get goosebumps and chills every time I drive pass a chinese cemetery. It's not my fault that they are so scary, ok! They even have pictures of the dead ones staring at you as you drive pass them. Also, most cemeteries in East Malaysia are right on the side of a main road to a neighborhood.

Anyways, my mother-in-law was in town because she had helped us move. So we went to visit her father's grave (he was a veteran during the Korean war), and her grandmother (on her mom side). We drove up to Smithfield in Dave's car. Smithfield was about an hour north of Salt Lake City. We have to go through Sardine Canyon and Logan city before arriving at Smithfield. So we went to visit the Logan Temple and Utah University.

After visiting with Mr.L's great-grandmother, who is in her 90s now, we went to the cemetery where his grandpa was buried. It was nice to finally meet two of Mr.L's family that I have not yet met. Logan and Smithfield are beautiful places and they did not disappoint. I had a really great memorial day.

Mr.L's great-grandma's house

I really really love the tulips!!

Hidden gems behind the fireplace. Look at the pretty shades of pink of the tulips. The hyacinth are so pretty as well.

A fireplace outside of the house. Isn't that interesting? According to my mother-in-law, that was the kind of fireplace people had in the old days.

Mr.L's great-great grandparents' grave

Mr.L's grandpa's grave

This was her when she was young! Such a beauty!

Speaking of cemetery, I went to my dear friend's burial the day after Memorial Day. My friend, who I refer to as Elder Watts, passed away a few days before we moved up here. He was having some pulminary and lung problems which caused him to have breathing problem. The last time I saw him was in November 2009. We had come up to SLC to get my greencard and had stayed at his place. I would never have thought that that was the last time that we saw and hugged each other. Elder Watts and his wife became good friends with me and my family when they served their mission in Miri, Malaysia back in year 2000. They were dear, dear friends to us and his passing has caused such heartbreak for us. But it is comforting at the same time to know that he is no longer suffering and has gone on to a better place. I have never been so grateful for the gospel and the knowledge that life is eternal and continues beyond this mortal life. I know that I will see him again and I will be so happy to be embraced in his warm bear hug once more.

Me and sister Watts

Story # 284: Provo and us

2010-06-06T10:51:00.006-10:00

We've moved up to Provo for about a week now and it has been pretty interesting thus far. I used to love Provo so so much but I am not sure if I feel the same anymore. Even though we no longer live in the country and I no longer have to complain about the 30 minute drive to the mall, I feel like escaping Provo! I don't know what the reasons are but I suspect my fear of change, my being shy to make new friends, and my failure to be independent have a lot to do with my dislike of Provo.

I found that living by ourselves (no parents, no siblings) to be great, but unusual. We've, for the past 2 years lived with either my mom in Malaysia or with Mr.L's family in Toquerville. I am so used to not being the owner of the house and have everything I need in the house. When we moved into our apartment here in Provo, we had to shop for A LOT of things! Common things that we never had to buy, such as trash bags, paper towels, cooking utensils, and etc, had cost us more than 700 bucks! How can toilet paper, hand soap, and mop cost so much?? I was appalled! Being independent, meaning living by yourselves, was hard for me because everything has been provided for me ever since I was born! Even during my 4 years in Hawaii, I was provided for by the school. I didn't have to pay a single cent for things like toilet paper. This whole living without the adults--parents is surely a new learning experience for me. I am starting to dread the future when we have to shop for a house with little babies and children!!! AAAAAAAAA!!!! Baby steps, Sharon, baby steps.

On a lighter note, we don't own any furniture. All the furniture here are rented from the school housing. Oh, I forgot to mention that we're living in one of BYU's married couple housing on campus. I love how our apartment is new and clean. Also, it is so close to the campus, library, temple, and our chapel. We can save on gas here and reduce our carbon footprints. We are in the process of decorating and making our little home a home sweet home. It was pretty empty when we moved in but it is slowly becoming more and more cozy. I might get attached to this place and never want to move! After all, this is the first love nest that Mr.L and I get to have after being married for a year. I will post more pictures soon. Oh, our house is a one bed, one bath apartment. It is pretty small but for the rent we pay, this is pretty good.

Here's a picture of Mr.L on our dining table (rented from the school, and covered with a new table cloth we bought from Ross) and the first meal when we moved in. I am not so sure about the patterns on the table cloth. I don't think people use table cloth nowadays.

Story #283: It is always so fun in Vegas!

2010-06-02T10:43:00.009-10:00

I thought that I would have a lot of free time once school is out. I was wrong! Ever since I found out that we will be moving in the end of May, I have scheduled all kinds of things for us to do til the very last day. Mr.L has been busy working and playing "Magic" with his buddies, and I have been busy with my photography stuff. I have scheduled more photoshoots this month (11 to be exact) than I used to so I can have a stronger portfolio and will be ready to launch my website and officially start my photography business once we move up to Provo. I plan to do my photography on the side and get a part time job and going to school. I am looking forward to the busy busy months coming up. Hopefully I won't be overwhelmed. I may even travel to different places in the country this year, so let me know if you want a photoshoot done when I travel to your city :)

Anywho, apart from working, we did some fun stuff as well. We traveled to Las Vegas one Saturday with our friends. I was able to see some of the shows and exhibits that I missed the last 10 times I went to Vegas. We went and saw the Secret Garden and the Dolphin Habitat in The Mirage casino. I was so friggin' excited to see the white tigers. I have always dreamed of seeing one. I even wrote about a white Siberian tiger in one of my fictions without even knowing that they exist!! I was also very excited to see the dolphins even though this wasn't my first time. Something about dolphins just makes me so happy. I love the whistling sound that they make and I love the way they interact with their trainers. Such smart animals.

This was taken from the tram from Treasure Island to The mirage. This was the Treasure island pool.

The Siberian white tiger. It weighs approximately 500 pound!!!! It was GIGANTIC! You might not be able to tell from the picture but when it stood up, it was at least 8 feet tall.

I first thought these were Llamas but they were alpacas. I still don't know the difference between llamas and alpacas. Someone enlighten me please!

I was so excited to see these white tigers!! Even though the orange one looks like a normal tiger, it actually carries the recessive gene of a white tiger.

In The Mirage casino. Very tropical.

The dolphin Habitat in The Mirage. These dolphins are not trained to do shows like the ones at Sea life Park, Hawaii. This place was a unique place for studies of dolphins.

The trainer said this kind of behavior was spontaneous, not rehearsed. So cool!!

We went to the Conservatory in Bellagio to see the cool floral exhibits. I felt like Alice in wonderland! There were giant ants, bees, butterflies, snails, and flowers everywhere. There were also a lot of different real flowers blooming. I especially love the roses on the body of the snails (see the pictures below). I love how all the casino in Vegas have so much to see. I still have so much left to see!I love Vegas and I will surely be back :)

Sorry for this poorly-lit image. If you are ever in Vegas, go see the Bellagio casino. The lobby ceiling was full of glass flowers like these. It's very very impressive!

Giant mushrooms and some real blue hydrangae. I felt like lying on the flowers!

Beautiful real roses at the back of a snail

Floral snail!

My favorite section, the sunflowers!!!

This was the ceiling in Bellagio as well. Hot air balloons are so cool.

I need to go to Rome!! The replica in Vegas just doesn't do the trick even though it's very well-replicated.

I need to go now but I will be back soon :)

Story #282: We've moved!!

2010-06-01T07:29:00.002-10:00

We're in Provo now!!! So much has happened since I last blogged. Some of the major events took place in the last couple of weeks was Kendall's high school graduation, our day trip to Vegas, our move up here to Utah Valley, and a passing of an old friend. I'll be back to keep you posted and to keep this blog up to date. Keep checking back!