On Trying Something New

I'm here to testify, my friends. 
Try something new. 
You & your life will be better for it. 

My lovely friend Rachel's birthday celebration was this past weekend & when she told me she wanted to go snowshoeing  to celebrate, my first thought was, "Voluntarily climb a mountain? In the cold? Really?"

But I would honestly do anything for that girl, so I strapped on my smile and a pair of snowshoes.

And, you guys, I really haven't taken the time to appreciate nature nearly enough. I give it a go in the spring/summer/fall but once winter comes "nature loving" is dead to me.

But, after this trip, I see it. There is something to be said for the stark landscape. As if your living in a black and white photograph. The echoless silence. It's all at once lonely and not.

So, back to it: I did something new. Something hard. And it was fun. I felt exhilarated and maybe a little exercise endorphin high (No, really, it's been way too long since I've exercised). And while I won't be going out to buy my own snowshoes, I am planning a few treks into the cold as a reminder of the beauty that is out there. Even in a frozen February.


Winter and I still aren't best friends. But both looking past our differences and trying for acquaintances.

And tell me, friends, what's something new you want to try?

REVIEW: Black Sheep Cafe

I went to Black Sheep Cafe this past weekend with my lovely Summer Solstice Sorority (Meagan, Rachel, & Brook). It's a small cafe right in old town Provo serving Southwest Native American cuisine. The space is lovely with large windows & simple Southwest decor- even a silversmith making jewelry right in the same space. And, most importantly, the menu is out of this world. Mostly because of how deliciously the food is described.

I mean, just check out the difference in descriptions:
I'd say: "a hamburger"
AND
They say: "Hand-Pressed Ground Beef stuffed with Goat Cheese and Roasted Garlic, topped with Portabello Mushroom Slices, Fire-Roasted Red Bell Pepper, Lettuce and wrapped in a Homemade Nanniskadi"

Not only did the food sound delicious but it tasted fantastic too- seriously, a revelation, people. I was STUFFED at the end of my meal. I was prepared to refuse the waiter when he tried to offer us dessert until, again, he described them: "A cactus pear Cheesecake, Orange habanero Creme Brulee, Carrot Cake with homemade caramel & homemade ice cream."

Yeah... we got one of each.

BYU Museum of Art

Today we went to the BYU Museum of Art. I am SO in love with that place- it's free, it's lovely, it's family friendly, & I used to be an Events Planner there.

There was an awesome exhibit of Islamic Art there. I love Islamic Art but style-wise I was worried that the kids would be bored- it's mostly intricate designs & rugs. But they did an excellent job making it visually lovely & interesting for the kiddos. Syd said it was even better than Trafalga. That's high praise for a six-year-old!

They have a separate "hands on" section for the kiddos all about Islamic Art & language. It was lovely and they had this large "wishing tree" where you write down your wishes & hang them on the tree.

Syd wished for a scooter. Rob wished for enough money to buy this Scooby-Doo DVD he wants. I wished that I could write a story I'd feel confident enough to share with people. Linc didn't make a wish, but if he had I'm pretty sure it would be to get rid of the terrible gas he's been having. It's bad, people. And there you go, the wishes of the hearts of the Carter family.

In the basement, they had a lovely exhibit of Western Art- a comparison of painting of Native Americans & Settlers. It was fabulous & with quite a few of the western paintings by one of my favs, Minerva Teichert.

Afterward we popped over to the BYU Creamery- famous for their HUGE ice cream selection. When I asked Syd & Rob what they wanted for their ice cream they both said, "MINT!" I looked up at the flavors board surprised by... seriously? 4 different types of mint ice cream? Don't even get me started on their chocolate ice cream selections!

So, if you are in the Utah area, get thee forth to the BYU MOA & Creamery. You'll love it!

REVIEW: Johnny's Barber Shop

Rob isn't a fan of getting his hair cut. Like his dad, he dislikes small talk with the "hair girls" & like me, he can't sit still for long. We've cut his hair at home & I've taken him to the fancy "Cookie Cutters" but we haven't yet found a great place for him to get his hair done.

The other day I passed by this little barber shop in our "old downtown" area of our city. I thought why not check it out. Just look at how charming the outside is:

Let me just say Johnny is a delightful gentlemen. He's full of "there's no way you've had 3 babies" & "these are the smartest looking kids I've ever seen". He charmed us all right away.

Rob who is shy of everyone (just ask poor Ms. Rebecca who has been his preschool teacher for a year & he can still barely look her in the eye), but wasn't with Johnny. He hopped right up into the old fashioned barber chair & smiled.

His favorite part was probably getting brushed off, then vacuumed down. And the quarter Johnny gave Rob & Syd to get candy out of the machine.

Syd said she wants Johnny to cut her hair too- I'm not sure he's quite ready for the "force that is Sydney Marie", plus he doesn't seem like a "style little girls hair" kind of barber. But we'll definitely be coming back in the next 4-6 weeks to get Rob another trim.

P.S. Check out this article about our barber-friend Johnny.

University of Utah Natural History Museum

Friday was the opening day of the Natural History Museum on U of U campus. I signed up FOREVER ago for free tickets because I'm a total nerd like that & we went Friday.

The buildings architecture is lovely and it looks like it belongs perfectly in the landscape.

One of the coolest parts was that we were allowed, for the "opening day" only, into all the back areas of the museum- where they store the artifacts & where they do lab work. It was amazing!

The museum itself was a BLAST! They have a ton of hands on activities for kids & tons to see.

Our 2 favorite parts were the "see through" floors with Dino bones underneath & the area where you can actually smell different local plants. Very cool!

I definitely recommend if you are in the Utah area to check out this museum. It was a blast for kids & perfect for adults too.

P.S. Now just to show you guys how big of a "museum nerd" I am I'll let you all know the reason I was so excited to visit this museum was because my favorite museum designer Ralph Appelbaum (who designed the Holocaust Museum in D.C.) designed some of the exhibits (I know who has a favorite museum designer? ME!) & let me just say they were breathtaking. Hear an interview with him on NPR here.

Witches Night Out 2011

Yes, it's our 8th year of WitchesNightOut & counting and this year was a BLAST- the weather was perfect, the crowd was fabulous, and most importantly the music was bumpin'!

There aren't many opportunities to dance like crazy (it's not like I'm going to go hit up a club) but once a year I've got "Witch Night Out" to boogie down at. This year was mostly dancing- despite being pregnant, my clothes not fitting, and having a horrific cold- and I definitely relished it!

I say, anytime bonding with my favorite girls is a night worth enjoying!

P.S. Please enjoy our past years: 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, & 2006-2004

Birthing Classes

I'm seriously bummed that the lovely Becca's birthing class doesn't work with Scott & my schedule. But my loss is your gain- her class has a few spots left & starts THIS FRIDAY. Trust me you want access to her wealth of knowledge & it's perfect for any type of birth you're planning.

Here's a longer & more eloquent post (pre-knocked-up-ness when I could think) with more praise & information!

Ladies Night at the Theater

I just had a lovely evening with my writer group girls (Meagan, Rachel, & Debbie) at the Hale Center Theater. We saw a lovely little comedy/musical that I've never heard of called "The Drowsy Chaperon".

I've never been to the Hale Theater but I love it. It was quaint, personal, & tons of fun! If you ever have a chance to go check it out!

Tafalga Fun

Today the kids had the day off school so we met up with the Parsons at the Trafalga Fun Center. The kids & I had a blast!

There were rides (that 1st pic is before the ride, had it been after they would have looked significantly less happy):

Mini Golf (Syd was pretty darn good. Rob pretty much used his hands):

An arcade with all manner of fun arcade games:

And the happy winning of vampire teeth:

Man, I am constantly reminded how much I adore hanging out with these two babies of mine!