Summer is different when you're grown up

When I was a kid, I had a summer tradition. Every summer, after the 4th of July, I'd get a little frantic.

I'd feel like there wasn't much summer left before I had to go back to school. Instead of savoring the last bit of summer, I focused on how soon it would be over and stressed out for the last month. I got a little better about this as I got older... Unless there was a major life transition waiting for me in the fall (i.e. college, graduate school...)

Last year was the first summer where I didn't have to go back to school in the fall. But even then, there was a transition when September hit and I moved back to Provo (after an awesome summer in Colorado).

This summer is the first where there won't be any huge transition. I mean, I am moving to the apartment next door, which will be a bit of a pain because my contract in this apartment ends two weeks before I'm allowed to move over there. So instead of just carrying my stuff next store, I have to find a place to store it for two weeks, haul it over there, and then haul it back.

But... really, no big changes. I'm not going back to school in the fall. I'm not leaving my family to head back to Utah. I'm still just here. I'll get new roommates and new people will move into the ward, but most of my life situation will be the same.

So... that little part of me that is so sad the summer is ending? That part of me can chill out. Summer weather doesn't correspond exactly with when the school year starts. September is usually still very warm, and sometimes October is too! And otherwise... my life won't change too terribly much when the summer ends.

Happy Pioneer Day

Here in Utah, July 24 is a major holiday! It's Pioneer Day--the anniversary of the day Brigham Young and the first party of the Saints arrived in Salt Lake Valley. Back home in Colorado, there was usually a little celebration--a ward barbecue maybe, and on Sunday all the talks were on pioneers.

But here, everything shuts down! There are pioneer themed events all over the place and at night, there are fireworks everywhere--it's almost like the state's version of the 4th of July.

Melissa found out there was an epic pioneer party going down in Mapleton, so we went there. We had a blast, complete with:

Sky divers!

A live band!

And of course, fireworks! Enjoy. :)

(I have a better fireworks video on my Facebook... for some reason I couldn't get it to upload on blogger.)

A lot of my ancestors crossed the plains on the Mormon Trail. I can't imagine how hard it was to leave everything behind and head out into the unknown. I can't imagine walking for hundreds of miles across the country. And when the first pioneers got here, there was nothing here! They had to build shelters and plant food for the next year... They had to have faith that this little barren valley could become something beautiful. Now, it has. I'm grateful for my ancestors' sacrifices in coming out west. I hope I can weather my own trials as well as they did.

Disney Bounding

Have you ever heard of Disney Bounding?

If you haven't you should check out the official website here: http://disneybound.tumblr.com/ (Warning: It can be addicting!). Basically the idea is you create modern, everyday outfits that are reminiscent of Disney characters. Some outfits are subtle, others are more obvious. The key seems to be your intent.

I thought this was an adorable idea. Turns out I've been doing some Disney Bounding in real life without knowing it.

My purse, for example:

I admit I loved it because it made me think of Cinderella. It's subtle enough that people don't necessarily think Cinderella when they see it... but Hayley and Lori totally picked up on it.

So this summer one of my goals was to Disney Bound in public (subtly). Today I Disney Bounded as Charlotte La Bouff (to Church, of all places!)

Charlotte was an easy choice because everything she wears is pink, which happens to be the best color in the entire world. My dress is not a perfect match of course, but it's close enough for Disney Bounding! I'm going to call this a win (and possibly invest in a feather boa... Of course I won't bring that to church with me! :)

The Hills are Alive...

Tonight Melissa and I went to see a local theater production of the Sound of Music. It was very well done... I was impressed! The musical is quite a bit different from the movie... I feel like politics were emphasized a lot more (or maybe that's because as a child, WWII references went over my head). Rolf was nicer (even though he sided with the Nazis, he still cared about Liesel and wanted to protect her) and Liesel was a bit of a ditz (sadly). Elsa (the other woman that Captain Von Trapp almost marries) had a much bigger part. It was interesting to see.

At the end, we got to the scene where the Von Trapps sing at a festival while the Nazis wait to take them away. During that portion, cast members dressed as Nazis started patrolling the audience, walking around and scanning the crowd with cold cold eyes. Nazi banners were hung up everywhere. It freaked me out a little... Looking up at the swastika, and knowing that a few decades ago, within my grandparents' lifetimes, the Nazis were a very real threat. There were indeed public gatherings with this very symbol in places of high honor, and Nazi soldiers patrolling the crowds.

It brought to mind a movie I watched recently, Hotel Rwanda. Another terrible instance of genocide...

I am no expert on genocide. But it seems to me that it relies on two things: people who join in and people who passively let it happen. These stories brought some interesting questions to my mind: what would I do if I were faced with such a situation? What if I had lived in Nazi-occupied Europe? I don't think I would have jumped aboard the Nazi bandwagon... I hope I am right about that. But what I wonder is, would I have been brave enough to risk my life to do the right thing? To try to save my fellow men? Or, would I have ducked my head and not rocked the boat, sat passively by and let the Nazis do their thing in the hopes that if I did they would leave me alone? In the musical, Elsa and Max point out that Captain Von Trapp is endangering his entire family by standing up to the Nazis. Did that scare many into silence? The thought of their children paying for their bravery?

I don't know what I would be like in that sort of situation. I've never experienced it and I hope I never will. Of course I hope that I would be the hero, but I can't know for sure what would happen.

All I know is that I want to live my life in such a way that I'm always ready and willing to stand up for what's right. I probably won't be called upon to give my life in such a situation... but I want to live so I am prepared to stand up for what's right no matter what.

Mt. Timpanogos

Made it to the Mt. Timpanogos temple today! It is gorgeous!
I only need to make it to one more temple and I'll have fulfilled my summer bucket list goal!

Fun Times in SLC

I went back home for the week of the fourth of July, and then I caught a ride back with my family on July 6. My mom and sisters came out to spend a week with my mom's family in Alpine. I stayed at my Grandma's house with them mostly and did my work from there. Love the flexibility of telecommuting!

And.... I love my family. I have officially spent half of my summer with them and half on my own in Provo. At the start of the summer, my dad joked that I could do that if I wanted... Guess I couldn't resist! This way I've had the best of both worlds... It's been a great summer. :)

On Thursday night, we headed up to SLC. We shopped at the City Creek Center and then we hit up Temple Square! We even toured the Beehive House (Brigham Young's house) for the first time since I was a kid. We had a blast. I have got to get up to SLC more often.

We also took a minute to stop by the Salt Lake cemetery to visit our Granddaddy's grave. He passed away two years ago and we really miss him. We had a hard time finding the grave at first. We drove around with the vague idea that it was at towards the top of the cemetery (it's on a hill). We weren't sure exactly where it was, but we just happened to park within sight of it. I don't think that was a coincidence.

I wasn't sure what face to make for this picture... But Kristie (my sister) said we should smile because we love Granddaddy. I am grateful to know that families can be together forever. I look forward to seeing him again someday.