L

"L" is for LOVE.

Twenty-three years. Twenty-three years! We've been married for 23 years today.

As Matthew would say, "Oh. My. Cow!"

So, for our big celebration we decided to go to dinner somewhere where we NEVER go but always WANT to go. Come on, why not? We'll only celebrate our 23rd wedding anniversary once so we pulled out all the stops and went to dinner at La Caille!

Let me explain La Caille. Nestled in the foothills of Salt Lake City, La Caille, I SWEAR, used to be somewhere in France and somehow they carved it out of the french countryside (probably the Loire Valley), flew it across the ocean, and plunked it right down in the foothills of Utah. It's an adorable french chateau surrounded by vineyards and peacocks. (Click here.) The food is known for being delicious and expensive. Verrry expensive. (Case in point: one of the menu items said "Financing Available." Get the picture?) Thus, we never go. But this was a big night dedicated to romance!

Yes, "L" is for LOVE.

So, I looked forward to it for 2 weeks. The night finally arrived (last night) and I got all gussied up and carefully loaded my camera into my big ol' purse. The night was gorgeous; it was snowing the biggest most beautiful flakes of snow. When we drove into La Caille it was like a winter-wonderland. Beautiful beyond description! I couldn't wait to get my camera out and get some most magnificent photos of our one evening at beautiful, snowy La Caille.

We were promptly seated in a cozy little corner right next to a fireplace which was roaring with a crackling fire. We were surrounded by windows that looked out over the vineyard, full of grazing geese and glistening snow. I was thrilled. I was going to get some really great photographs of our special evening. The scenery and ambiance simply couldn't be any better.

We got settled into our seats and I reached into my bag and took out my camera. Boy, was I ever glad I had decided to pack my big Canon 5D Mark II instead of my point and shoot. This was truly an occasion for my ultimate camera.

Soon, a server brought us a warm just-out-of-the-oven baguette and a plate of the most adorable butter! Yes, apparently butter can be adorable! It was shaped like two roses and was adorned with a real rose leaf! Yes indeed, the time had come to start with the photos. John picked up the plate of "butter art," I aimed my camera at him holding the plate, and "click," I got my first shot. Of course I wanted to take an immediate look at my first picture of the night so I hit the back button to view it in the LCD screen.

But much to my horror instead of the photo, I saw this: "No CF Card"

"L" is for LOSER.

Loser in the biggest way.

I suddenly remembered that my CF card was sitting at home next to my computer exactly where I had left it so that I could transfer the pics from it to my Mac that I had taken at our Relief Society/YW birthday dinner/fashion show three nights earlier!!!!

So, there we were. Left with only the cameras on our cel phones. In some cases, for people who have NICE and NEW cel phones, this wouldn't be too big of a problem. But, you see, John and I both own cel phones from the Jurassic Period. I'm talking .0001 mega pixels. Our kids make fun of our phones. Srsly.

So here they are. Our cel phone pictures from our glorious and once-in-a-lifetime evening at La Caille.

The "Rose Butter" (partly eaten).

John eating a delicious cracker with a well-endowed waitress behind him. I do believe that the pre-requisite to working at La Caille is you have to wear at least a "quadruple D" bra and have a 10-inch cleavage. I would never stand a chance if I applied for a job there - they'd laugh me right out of the place.

The fire. Boy, what beautiful details this camera catches! Makes you feel like you are right there, next to it.

My $60+ plate of scallops with carrot stick, asparagus stick, and lemon. Oh, and some rice too.

And here is the photo that John took of ME standing out in front of the chateau showing off the beautiful scenery:

You don't see it? Well, that's because it doesn't exist. That is what happens when John forgets to hit the "save to phone" button after he takes a picture.

End of my story.

p.s.

Let me add to the post below that I did indeed call the phone number on the caller i.d.

It was some orthopedic clinic and they knew absolutely nothing of my plight.

So, I wondered and waited all day until this "very important person" finally called me back. It turned out it was the hospital calling to pre-register me for my mammogram. Which took place yesterday. Which was an experience that deserves a post all to itself.

Owie.

A really important phone call

Apparently, when I went outside this morning for a few minutes, someone called on the phone for me. When I came back inside, Adam ran up to me and said,"Mom! Someone called for you and they really need to talk to you and it's really important that you call them back right now! Here is their phone number. I wrote it down All. By. Myself." He then handed me this notepad with these numbers. Twelve numbers (last time I checked phone numbers have 10 numbers).

And the only thing about these numbers that even remotely resembles the number on the caller i.d. is the 801 area code. Nothing else is even close.

So, what IS the real phone number that I need to call?

Is is 801-314-444390?

Or perhaps it's 801-344-44396.

Actually, maybe it's 801-134-444390.

I asked him to look at the numbers and translate them for me. He studied them closely for a few seconds then said, "Um, I don't know. . . just figure it out."

Lesson to learn here - When you call someone and it's really important, don't trust a five-year-old who is just learning to write his numbers! (Notice two of his 4's are forward, two are backwards. One 3 is forward, one is backward. The 1 and the 3 are on top of each other. And is that a 0 or a 6 at the end?)

(I just noticed that this photo could be a bit incriminating to my character - The Marriott ball-point pen. Okay, FINE! I do take the pens out of Marriott hotel rooms! My kids say I steal them. I say I am helping Marriott with their advertising. FREE OF CHARGE TO THEM! They should be thanking me. Really.)

Photo of the Day - Somewhere in Utah

As we were driving home from California, I was just relaxing and gazing out the window (enjoying the fact that I wasn't seeing any rain!). As the sun started to set, the mountains grew the most amazing fire red! I grabbed my camera and, not even taking time to roll down the window, I took this shot (I'm glad the window was clean!). It only lasted for 30 seconds at most but what a sight!

And can I please just say. . . I really like love ADORE how my new camera captures the sky? Why didn't anyone tell me sooner how completely amazing a full-frame camera is?!

I'm. In. Love.

photo of the day - crystal cove

Our favorite Sunday afternoon activity when we go to Newport Beach - walking down to Crystal Cove State Park (beach) which is full of glorious tide-pools. We will stay there all afternoon until dark, collecting sea shells and searching out all the wondrous creatures that live in those tide pools. When we got there this time, the rain had not started yet. But 45 minutes later it was a different story. The rest of the (wet) trip is history!

photo of the day - on the rocks

A HUGE pile of rocks behind a 5-year-old's house = every little boy's dream!

rainy days at disneyland

Many people are asking me, "So what was it like being at Disneyland in all that rain? It must have been awful!"

Well, let me tell you, for three days we basically owned the place!!! You see no crowds in my pictures because THERE WERE NO CROWDS.

There were no lines. You read that right - NO LINES AT DISNEYLAND, PEOPLE!

We didn't have to get off of rides after the ride was over. We could just stay on and go again. And again. And again.

It. Was. Awesome.

We met a man on Wednesday who had ridden Space Mountain 55 times that day. Fifty-five times! In one day!

At one point, Haylie, Adam, and I were on The Haunted Mansion ride and we were the ONLY ONES on it! I must say though, it was a little creepy - that is one ride I would rather have a few others with me. Strength in numbers when you are in a haunted house! And that is a real haunted house. Those ghosts are real. Very, very real. And that bride with the axe - holy cow! Way scary.

Three rides were closed the entire time- Tea Cups, Alice in Wonderland, and Big Thunder Mountain. Apparently, they can't operate in such great amounts of wetness. Other rides closed on and off throughout the day. The River Cruise finally had to close because the river rose so much by all the rain that it pushed the boats off their tracks! (Those boats are on tracks?? I thought the drivers were really driving them. Who knew?!?)

Indiana Jones closed for about an hour because the "snake room" was flooding. Pirates of the Caribbean sprung a leak but was promptly repaired. The Matterhorn closed occasionally so that they could pump the water out of the cars. The roof of the Tiki Room finally gave out.

Wednesday morning I walked into The Tower of Terror by myself. John was off in Bug's Land with the boys, Haylie was, well, a little too nervous to attempt it after her first and only experience on that ride two years ago. At first I was the only one there and I thought, "Oh crap, I really don't want to be the only one in the elevator!" That would just be a little too weird. Can you just see the photograph of me, only me, screaming in that elevator as it plunges to the depths of the hotel?! Luckily, at the last minute, two other people showed up. Whew.

On our last night there, Adam and I rode Dumbo (which we never ride because the line is always waaay too long), but this time we were the only ones on it. The ride would end and we'd sit tight in our cute orange Dumbo, waiting for it to start again. We must have stayed on for at least 8 rides in a row. As we spun around I turned to Adam and said, "Enjoy it now, we will probably never get such a great experience at Disneyland again!"

Call us crazy, but we have decided that in the future when we visit So Cal, we will keep a close eye on the weather forecast. If there is a day with rain, you can bet your money on it, that is the day we will choose to be at Disneyland!

Haylie and I rode Space Mountain so many times that apparently we fell asleep. And so did the lady behind us.

Front and center seats in the elevator at The Tower of Terror are the BEST. And when you are the only ones there you can pick where you sit. Saa-weet.

Three Days at Disneyland: A Photo Journal of our Vacation

Day one . . .

Day two (which also included a tornado warning). . .

Day three . . .

(The most rain Southern California has had in, like, 180 years. And to think, we were there. For all of it.)

*Disclaimer - Above photos courtesy of my crappy little point-and-shoot.

I really mean it,

I think I'm really going to do it this time! Go private, that is. I know that several months ago I threatened the whole private blog thing, but then a friend from high school threw a wrench into my plans (thanks, Brett!). But now I'm back to thinking I need to do it. So . . . if you left me your email last time, you are safe. If you didn't and you still want to have access to my blog after I go private, then please leave your email address in the comments or just email me. You have until Wednesday, January 27th, for that is the day I shut out the world!



Baby, it's COLD outside!
{photo taken by Haylie}

Overheard in the kitchen tonight:

Adam to Matthew: "Did you know that all of mom's hair is falling out?"

Matthew: "What?!"

Adam: "Brooke told me that mom's hair is falling out."

Matthew: "Duh! Mom's hair isn't falling out. It's just all turning white."

The sad truth is . . . they are both right.