What's Up? Nothing much, you?

 

My Nothing Much

 

(I hate it when people pull out their photo albums and subject you to all of their stories.  The beauty here is that you don't have to read on.)

 

Cardinals Game. I've been to two so far this year.  Perfect weather, but mostly, it's always about the company for me.  Great fun.  Didn't get pictures of my company. 

We took a road trip to Lamberts.  Fun trip.  Again, didn't take pictures of my company.  Here you can see my friend Cara and the back of Rose's head. 

Bryan and Carlos needed new couches so we went couch shopping. (I just noticed Carlos is in this picture.)  I really hate shopping, but they wanted help and I enjoy their company.  Not sure I was much help though. 

Bryan is terrified of chiggers.  He went all out on the bug spray.  I should have borrowed it for Girls Camp.

Carlos, Bryan and I set out on a camping trip to try to catch what was supposed to be the best meteor shower of our lives; a meteor STORM, they said.  What actually happened is we stayed up until 2 am staring at the dark sky until we got to the point that we were so tired we were just laughing so hard at everything.  We had so, so much fun.  Oh, and we did see a few AmaZinG shooting stars. 

This is Tom wearing a 'What makes me so comfortable?' sash from Bryan's new couch while he assembles Bryan's grill.  This was Memorial Day weekend.  This guy is so, so funny. 

This must have been the next weekend.  I was really surprised these guys were willing to go to the renaissance fair.  But they did.  This is them eating their meat, in really manly ways.   

I'm not sure who won this fight, Tom or Carlos. I think Tom is taking it much more seriously than Carlos.

Emily Gertch came to visit.  I was supposed to visit her, but instead she visited me. 

I can never stop gushing over her amazingness. She is SO amazing.

I went hiking with the young women.  I had no idea this little hiking spot was so close.  It is so pretty.

Bryan eating ice cream at one of my favorite ice cream joints, Fountain on Locust.  Love the style, love the ice cream.  I think I first was introduced to this on a double date a few years back.

I had a case in Kansas City.  I stayed with my friend, Paige.  This is her view.  Cute, huh?  She made me a delicious dinner and we chatted the evening away. Again, I should have taken a picture with her.

I made this fire all by myself.  One of the girls at girls camp was like - 'Isn't it great to learn how to make a fire from another girl?'  Um, I think this may have been the first fire I made by myself because the guys always do it. 

Service Project at camp. 

The girls in their air conditioned cabins.

Me in the air conditioned cabin.

 

 

I went straight from girls camp to a road trip from Missouri to South Carolina.  Oh my goodness, such a fun little trip. 

I love trees.  I love tree covered mountains.  I traveled with my tried and true travel buddy, Carlos.  How he tolerates me I don't know.  But he just laughs at me when I get ridiculous.

 

We went to Nashville and stayed at my old coworker, Sandy's place.  I wish I had taken a picture of her.  I LOVE catching up with her so very much.

 

 

Then we visited the Confederate War Museum in South Carolina.  It was so very fascinating, and I'm totally a Yankee.

 

 

Yankee by the confederate flag.

 

   I look ridiculous with this gun.

 

Liz, on the other hand, looks awesome. 

 

(I went to S.C. to visit Liz and check of S.C.  She is a friend from Salt Lake.  A like-minded soul.  Sooo much fun.  So insightful.  Just love her.) 

 

 

This was our tour guide.  Yes, he is wearing a kilt.  Spoke with an awesome southern accent.  Speaks of the South as "we" and the United States as "you." He was the south personified.

 

As me about this some time with the key word - Ferragut.

Oh, my new boyfriend.  He's super smart.  He doesn't listen to a word I say, but you'll never hear an unkind word come out of his mouth.

Me trying to take a picture of my college friend, Jake, at the stand.  He is in the bishopric now!  Crazy.

Here is a picture of Jake and his family.  Aren't they so cute?  He is such an adoring dad.

Me with the Sauers in Nashville.

Outdoor concerts.  Again, neglected to take pictures of my company.

Me and my niece, Lily! She is even more adorable in person that in the picture.  She has long eye lashes and chubby little cheeks.  I just adore babies.  Wish her brother was still this little, too.

The little family at the zoo.

Love this.  I had just been out to lunch with an older friend of mine who was saying that romance doesn't matter.  Maybe one day it doesn't, but it's nice to see that after four years of marriage, it still matters to them.

 

 Besides, if it helps them make more of these adorable little things, keep right on going.

 

4th of July in Forest Park

 

This was one of those perfect days you want to freeze and go back to visit again later.

 

Check out my 4th of July pants!!

Mindball!!  I saw people playing this while I was rushing through the science museum back in April. I was so intrigued.  Finally got to try it. I blew my brother out of the water on this game. 

My redheads!!

Then Andrea (college friend, worked with her for 2.5 years after college in SLC) came to St. Louis!  I love this girl so much.

This is from yesterday.  Silly moments with friends I love so much.  Clinton, Candace laughing away.  I love her wit and playful nature. 

I love this awesome picture of my roommate, Audra.  She is one of the sweetest people I know.  I cannot get over sometimes how fortunate I am in the roommate department.  Silly picture of me.

A Letter to My Nephew

Dear Nathan:

I think the fact that I planned to write this letter when you were born, and the fact that you are now over two years old speaks to my level of procrastination on some things.

Nathan, when I found out that you were going to be a little boy, all I could think of was what amazing ancestors you have.  The men who came before you are some of the best I've ever met.  You are incredibly blessed.

 

 

Nathan, when your parents were married in the temple, I told your mother that she was very lucky, and that she had no idea just yet how lucky she is.  I had expressed this same sentiment to my grandparents weeks earlier - of just how helpful he is and how lucky your mother would be.  My grandparents said - yes, when we needed help cleaning, guess who was here, Vince! Certainly, your father is not perfect, but he is a sweet heart, and a helpful person.  Having known him quite literally his entire life, I like to think I have an inside scoop on the caliber of person he is.  At the point that I told your mother that she had no idea how lucky she is, she had only dated him, but she was not yet acquainted with the side of him that would get up in the middle of the night to help her with you and your future siblings.  She did not yet fully comprehend all of the ways that he would sacrifice for the family that they would likely have together. 

Nathan, you will be acquainted with that kindness, but like most people, you will probably not understand it until you are much older.  Your father always was a good person.  Spiritually he understood and lived the principles of the gospel.  When we were on our missions, he used to leave little notes in French around my classroom so I could find them reminding me that he loved me.  When we were in college, he always made time to see me.  When I was in law school, when he asked me how things were going, he really meant it.  If money was tight, there was, more often then not, a check in the mail.  After I was done with school, the help was generous, kind and came without ever being asked for.

You may one day wonder where he gets this from.  Well, Nathan, the apple didn't fall far from the tree; your father is much like your grandfather.  I don't know how well you will be acquainted with your grandfather in your life time.  He is a quiet man, who like your father, quietly calculates for the good of those around him.  I first came to notice this trait when I was training for a marathon.  I was on vacation with my family and your grandfather planned out my running route, bought bagels, water, and bananas, got his bike ready and rode behind me for MILES making sure I had all I needed.  I think I was most struck by his comment when my knee gave out on me.  He wished that he had thought to bring money with him to put me on a bus to get me home. 

Your grandmother always has such raving reviews of what a great husband and person your grandfather is.  Since he rarely ever talks, even with those he knows quite well, it took me years to really understand him.  I love the memories of falling asleep to the sound of your grandmother laughing as they talked each night before falling asleep.  She would always say that he never had to tell her that he loved her because she could feel it.  I truly never understood what she meant by this until he came without your grandmother to my law school graduation.  The entire weekend he talked of her and calculated for her wellbeing.  But the most remarkable thing about that weekend, is that I could feel his love for me.  It is a tangible feeling, Nathan, and I hope you have the opportunity to be personally acquainted with it.

 

Your father and grandfather have both been the biggest champions of my ambitions, and they will be the champion of yours as well. But more importantly than ambition, your grandfather is always one to remind me that my service to the Lord must come first in life.  He lives this principle.  He quietly reminds me that putting the Lord first will keep all of my ambitions in proper balance throughout my life.  Nathan, this spiritual nature along with the kindness and love is what I would wish most that you inherit from your father and grandfather.  You have a rich heritage.  You may not have been born to inherit great material wealth, but as far as quality of being - you could not have asked for much better than you have.

I hope throughout your life that you will feel of the great love that is had within our family.  You will find there is ample love for you as you grow and progress.  Most importantly we hope that you will be a good person, and the kind of brother, husband and father that your father and grandfather are.  If you do, you will find that there are many happy days to be had in both your future, and the future of those whom you will grow to love throughout your life time.

Sincerely,


Aunt Chantal