Happy Now -- August 10

I have so many Happy Now moments to catch up on from the past few weeks!  Here are the top 10:

1.  Millrace Roommate Reunion:  I was blessed to get to live with three amazing women in the Millrace Apartments in Provo from 2009-2010: Katie, Melissa, and Tessa.  That year in our lives saw us starting our careers as three teachers and a social worker.  It was with these three during that time that I also checked a major trip off of my bucket list and traveled to Prince Edward Island.  I hold those memories and the friendships I have with these ladies dear.  We were able to reunite in Utah in July, and it was a blast!  Katie did a fantastic job of covering all of the details from the reunion on her blog (mshouston.blogspot.com), so I'm just going to hit some of my favorite highlights.  One of the first highlights was throwing a surprise baby shower for Tessa, who is due with her second little girl in December.  Thanks to Katie's parents for letting us use their beautiful condo (and to Katie who took all of these pictures)!

Katie and Melissa added another surprise by supplying materials to make adorable baby mobiles!

2.  Olympic Park--After spending the first night in Provo, we headed up to Park City for the rest of our reunion.  One of our first stops was Olympic Park.  I had never been there and was surprised by how many neat things were on display! It was amazing!

Gold metals and props from the Opening Ceremonies

The Millrace 3 Bobsled Team

Ski boots from the 30s and virtual ski flying!

Ski suits from the 80s, in case you couldn't guess. ;)

3.  Flying Aces--We returned to Olympic Park the next day to catch the Flying Aces show.  The Flying Aces are a team of ski jumpers who use these ramps and pool for their summer training.  It was incredible.  At one point, they showed the progression of how one becomes a ski jumper starting with a trampoline and young kids on short ramps.  If Darren and I are anywhere near Park City when we have kids, I might have to sign them up!

Lined up and ready to fly into the pool!

First dive of the show!  Thanks for the video, Many!

They had quite a crowd!  Before the Aces landed in the pool, bubbles were created to help them spot the water and break up the surface tension.

4.  Cow's Ice Cream--We had great meals and stopped in several jewelry shops along Main St. in Park City, but finding Cow's Ice Cream at the top of the street was just plain serendipitous.  As roommates on our PEI trip, we visited the original Cow's Ice Cream and took a picture on the cow (top right picture below).  Now, five years later, we attempted to recreate the picture (bottom right picture).  As someone pointed out during this attempt, however, it seemed a larger feat and we lacked some of the original grace now that we're in our 30s and one of us is pregnant. ;)

Flying Aces wrist bands

I love these ladies so much.  I was so lucky not only to be able to live with them five years ago, but to still be able to see them occasionally, though not often enough!  Can't wait for the next reunion!

5.  Room with a View--At the end of July/beginning of August, Darren and I were able to join my parents on a trip to Kauai.  I loved every minute.  My only regret was that Chris and Christiane couldn't join us as they were busy taking and studying for the bar and medical boards.  We sure missed them!  As with the roommate reunion above, I'll limit my description of the trip to just a few highlights, though all of it was wonderful.  After more than 11 hours of traveling (not a big fan of layovers), Darren and I arrived at the Lihue Airport.  I was anxious to get settled in to where we were staying, stretch my legs, and start the vacation.  How lucky were we with this room assignment?  I think it took me all of .01 seconds to enter vacation-mode. ;)

(On a total side-note, spotting Phillip Phillips of American Idol fame on the last leg of our journey to Kauai was definitely exciting!  My mom and I both love his music!  I tried to subtly snap a picture to text my mom as we prepared to board. ;) 

6.  Hyatt Hike--Though we weren't staying there, we visited the Hyatt hotel on Kauai a few times for hikes and a dinner.  At one point, we decided to hike to a cave about two miles along the coastline from the Hyatt that we had read about in some brochures.  Well, not being appropriately dressed for a hike and without water on a warm, humid day can make 2 miles feel like 20.  I don't know what I was thinking.  We eventually reached the cave only to discover the hours had not been listed on the brochure and the cave was already closed to visitors.  In an attempt to find a shortcut back along a dirt road, we promptly got lost.  At one point as we were walking along this road a jeep drove past.  We flagged the jeep down and asked the family inside if they knew if the road we were on led back to the Hyatt.  The father said he thought it did.  They drove away and we trudged on.  About 15 minutes later, we saw the jeep speeding back toward us from the other direction.  That kind man, who will forever be one of my favorite people, had dropped off his family and had come back to give us a lift the last mile and a half or so to the hotel.  I haven't felt that grateful for a random act of kindness in a long time!

Views from our hike--it was long and hot but definitely beautiful!

A later visit to the Hyatt for dinner

7.  Ride 'N Glide--As an early birthday present from my parents, Darren and I were treated to an activity of my choice on the island.  I had just read about the Princeville Adventure's Ride 'N Glide that involved riding horses out to three zip lines, riding the zip lines, and then riding the horses home.  I had never done a zip line, and frankly the thought terrified me, but the idea of riding horses in that beautiful setting won me over.  I rode "Blueberry" and Darren rode "Mikey" along a huge family-owned ranch to the zip lines.  The approaches Darren and I took to each of the zip lines cracked me up and seemed so indicative of our personalities.  The men always had to go first incase some of the lighter visitors didn't have enough momentum to make it all the way to the other end of the zip line and the tour guide needed help pulling us in (gulp!).  Darren always went either first or second and took a flying leap off of the ramp each time, whooping it up all the way to the other side.  We were told we needed to keep at least one hand on our harness at all times to keep us upright.  To Darren, that meant he could use the other hand to take pictures or simply wind surf.  When it was my turn to go, I tip-toed down the ramp until there was nowhere else for me to go and I had to start to gliding.  I kept both hands securely wrapped around the top of my harness.  After the first zip line, though, I really started to enjoy myself!  We were quite high, and as soon as I realized I was secure and safe I really began to enjoy the views.  It was beautiful!

Blueberry and Mikey--I obviously should have followed Darren's example and worn sunglasses! :)

My final ride!

8.  Lappert's Ice Cream--Ice cream is apparently a common highlight on trips I take.  We visited Lappert's ice cream almost every day we were in Kauai.  I think it's simply the best!

Coconut, Caramel, Macadamia Nut Ice Cream--Need I say more?

9.  Waimea Canyon Bike Ride--On one of our last days in Kauai, Darren, Mom, and I took a bike ride down Waimea Canyon.  Again, the views were amazing.  We went early in the morning so it was relatively calm and quiet, and the air was filled with so many sweet smells.  There was one point on the ride when I passed under some eucalyptus trees on a shaded part of the road (we had a guide that named trees and plants on our ride and told us stories from the local history).  The temperature on the part of the road was cool, it was quiet and smelled delicious, I could see Mom and Darren riding in front of me, and I remember thinking that nothing could improve that moment.  I was completely content.  I felt so fortunate for the opportunity to be there with my family at that time.  I soaked in that moment and just felt so grateful.  Thank you, Mom, Dad, and Darren for an amazing trip!

10.  Mini-Reunion with Katie and Shelley--After returning back to Utah and before driving back to Wyoming, I was able to have a one-night reunion with Katie and Shelley.  Katie and Shelley were roommates on my freshman dorm floor at BYU, and Shelley and I lived together our sophomore and junior years.  Shelley was visiting Utah from Texas, and I am so happy our paths overlapped long enough for us to get together.  I loved getting to know Shelley's kids better and staying up late talking to these two women who know me so well.  Shelley and I realized after Katie left that we hadn't snapped a single photo of the three of us together.  That just means that we will have to do it again soon!

Happy Now--July 8

Here are my Happy Now 10 for the past couple of weeks:

1.  Blue Apron Meals--I recently discovered Blue Apron Meals and have had such a fun time using them in the kitchen!  Every week I get a refrigerated box with the recipes and ingredients for three yummy meals. The ingredients come pre-measured and labeled (practically fool-proof), and the meals are healthy and flavorful.  It takes me about an hour to prepare the meals, but I have loved the experience and the opportunity to use kitchen tools we received for our wedding that, until now, have just sat in drawers.  It has exposed us to meals I KNOW we never would have had otherwise.  Blue Apron has given me four free weeks to share with friends if anyone is interested (one week--3 meals for two people--per person).  If anyone is interest, let me know!  Here are some recent meals I've made:

First 3 Meals:  Lemon Thyme Turkey Cutlets, Meatball Subs, Ratatouille-filled Zucchini

Recent Meal: Beef and Bulgur-Stuffed Squash

Recent Meal: Lemon and Pea Tendril Risotto

2.  Bike Riding--Darren and I recently spent a day in Jackson Hole and rode our bikes through Grand Teton National Park.  It was gorgeous!  I'm grateful to live in a place where we're surrounded by so many of Heavenly Father's beautiful creations.

Darren riding with no helmet and no hands, that daredevil.  You can see below that I took a slightly different approach ...

3.  Babysitting Animals--Two weeks ago, Darren and I were asked to babysit the animals of the sweet family that lives next door.  I thought I had died and gone to heaven.  Remember this post when I said my perfect combination of pets would be a dog, a cat, and a horse?  Well ... I got to live the dream for a week.  The fact that their cats had just recently had kittens was the cherry on top.  It was about all I could do to keep from spending all of my time over there!  The first picture is a group shot, but I also had to include some close-ups of the kittens.  Their little faces kill me!

This was the only little boy ... and Darren's favorite. :)

This little girl was the adventurer in the group, and frankly made me a little nervous.  She was the most difficult to keep in her cage (we had to keep the cage door open so that Mama Kitty could get in and out) and loved getting under and behind things where we couldn't reach her.  You know what they say about curiosity and cats ... I'm just glad our neighbors still had all three kittens when they returned home!

This little sweetheart might have been my favorite.  She was pretty calm and even tempered, but still had a playful side.   I may or may not have picked out a name for her.

4.  Horse Meds--One of our responsibilities while taking care of the animals next door was to give the  horse two types of oral medications for a leg injury she received right before our neighbors went out of town.  I haven't spent significant time with horses in years, so I was pretty nervous about this responsibility.  In the end, it was so gratifying to work closely with this sweet girl.  She was very cooperative, and Darren and I both had the chance to work with her.  I actually really miss it now, though I doubt she does. ;)

5.  Cartoon--Maybe it's because I lost two hamsters to our cat, Ariel, when I was younger, but I about died when I saw this cartoon last week.

6.  FHE Date Night--In an effort to have more regular FHEs in the Myler household (something we definitely need to work on) Darren and I decided to create a schedule and assign a theme to each Monday of the month.  We made the fourth Monday of each month a "Bonding FHE" where we just find a fun activity to do together.  We have kept it pretty simple so far, usually just carving out time to take a walk together or some such thing.  Two Mondays ago we decided to make reservations for dinner at the Half Moon Lake Lodge that recently reopened for the season.  I'm so glad we did.  It was beautiful and peaceful and the food was delicious.  Maybe in the future we'll decide to do some more adventurous activities, but for now I'm thinking this might be an activity we need to repeat again soon!

7.  4th of July Fudge--My friend, Kristal, and I got together to make some 4th of July fudge.  It was my first time making fudge, so I was glad to have an expert on hand!

8.  4th of July--The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays.  Darren had to work last Friday, so we kept our celebrations pretty low key.  I made chicken sliders and coleslaw (thanks, Blue Apron!), and we had a great view of the fireworks show from our front porch.  I'm so grateful to be an American and for the freedoms we enjoy!

9.  Harp Practice--I have been really bad about practicing the harp since Christmas.  When I was reminded a few weeks ago that I had agreed to play for the Pioneer Day-themed Sacrament Meeting on July 20th,  I went into full panic mode replacing broken strings and finding appropriate music.  The music I found is a little above my ability level, so I'm really hoping I can pull it together, but I'm so grateful for this reason to be back behind the harp.  Wish me luck!

10.  The Giver--I just started listening to the audiobook of Lois Lowry's The Giver.  I'm a little embarrassed I've gone this long without reading it.  I've had it on my list of books to read for a while, and with the movie coming out soon I realized that now was the time.  I've heard mixed reviews on the book, so I'm really surprised by how much I'm loving it! I realize it's a classic and I'm probably the last 30 year old to read it, but I love finding little literary gems like this one.  I'm only half-way done, but I highly recommend it!

Happy Now--June 22

Pinedale has been in full bloom lately.  The winter was long, but it's this time of year that makes all of the snow seem worth while.  Everything is green and the rivers have started flowing again.  When Darren had a couple of days off this week, we decided to take advantage of living around so much natural beauty and hiked around two local lakes.  The skies weren't as blue as they had been earlier in the week, but our outings sure made me happy.  For my Happy Now this week, I'm sharing ten of my favorite pictures from this weekend.

Friday, Hike 1 (New Fork Lake):

Saturday, Hike 2 (Green Rivers Lake):

Eating lunch lakeside :)

My handsome hiking husband

Have a wonderful week!

Grateful in Any Circumstances

This blog has been an exercise for me in trying to record some of the small moments in my life with Darren that bring joy and help me experience gratitude more fully.  Since my last entry, Darren and I suffered a loss that brought a lot of heartache to our little family.  Darren and I have dealt with this loss through the love and support of our family, friends, and, most importantly, our Father in Heaven.  This support has improved our perspective and has gone a long way toward healing our hearts, but I still found it hard to focus on gratitude on a weekly, not to mention daily, basis.

Today in Sacrament Meeting, however, one of the speakers shared a message from President Uchtdorf's most recent General Conference address entitled "Grateful in Any Circumstances".  I don't know why President Uchtdorf's messages are the ones that prompt my getting on this blog to write (it was his "Forget Me Not" talk that started all of my Happy Now posts two and a half years ago), but they do.  After listening to the Sacrament talk, I went home and reviewed his message for the first time since Conference.  Here are a few of the thoughts that stood out to me:

"Often our grief is caused by what seems to them as an ending ... Everyone's situation is different, and the details of each life are unique.  Nevertheless, I have learned that there is something that would take away the bitterness that may come into our lives.  There is one thing we can do to make life sweeter, more joyful, even glorious.  We can be grateful!"

"Could I suggest that we see gratitude as a disposition, a way of life that stands independent of our current situation?  In other words, I'm suggesting that instead of being thankful for things, we focus on being thankful in our circumstances--whatever they may be."

"Being grateful in  our circumstances is an act of faith in God.  It requires that we trust God and hope for things we may not see but which are true."

"In light of what we know about our eternal destiny, is it any wonder that whenever we face the bitter endings in life, they seem unacceptable to us?  There seems to be something inside of us that resists endings.  Why is this?  Because we are made of the stuff of eternity...Endings are not our destiny."

Darren and I were reminded of the eternal nature of our destinies recently with the beautiful temple marriage of his brother, Steven, to his fiancée Brittany.  And just this evening I had the chance to FaceTime with my brother and his fiancée, Christiane, who are preparing for a temple marriage this August.  Regardless of our current circumstances, our Heavenly Father has an eternal plan in place for each of us.  Even if the eternal blessings we hope for do not come when we expect them, we can have faith and gratitude that they will all come. As President Uchtdorf reminds us, "True gratitude is an expression of hope and testimony."

For whatever reason, I feel that finding gratitude in any circumstance is a skill that will continue to be a focus in my life.  I am grateful for the faith and testimony of others that help bolster my own.  I am also grateful for the tender mercies of the Lord as He gently finds ways to remind me that our eternal destinies are so much more than our current circumstances.  I am grateful for His patience with me as I learn this lesson, falter, and strive to learn it again.  Onward!

Happy Now--April 27

 This past month has flown by!  It was busy, but also very happy.  I started a new post several weeks ago, so I will keep those original Happy Now moments and just add to them.  Since I am covering about a month, I am allowing myself a Happy Now 16.  Here they are (listed pretty much in chronological order).

1.  Geese--When Darren and I first moved to Pinedale last August, I loved the open spaces and nature that surrounded us.  The air smelled fresher, the grass looked greener, and I loved becoming acquainted with new sounds in nature.  For some reason, the sound a flock of geese made every morning as it flew over our home was a particular favorite.  It just seemed so .... country.  It wasn't long before the geese left and winter came.  But last Monday (which is now several Mondays ago), as I was eating breakfast, I heard them again.  They're back!  It is the Wyoming version of seagulls and ocean waves.  It made me so happy!

2.  Bread Making--For many years, the Sonnes had a tradition of making Grandma Elaine's bread every Christmas.  This was always a group effort and, with several extended family members, kneading the bread two or three times was usually the extent of my involvement in the bread making process.  I recently used a fairly simple recipe for wheat bread I had found to attempt the whole process on my own.  Success!

3.  Frozen Yogurt--Darren and I finally got around to trying the new frozen yogurt shop it Pinedale.  It was great, and I'm so glad it's here!

4.  Mom's Birthday--Mom's birthday was March 27.  I am so, so grateful for her.  She is an example to me in every way, and someone who I try to emulate in my interactions with others.  When my Papa John (my mom's dad) died last year, I was given a picture he had had in his apartment of me and my mom when I was a baby.  Paired next to a picture from my wedding, that picture represents what a source of support and strength my mom has been to me all these years, and how blessed I've been to have always had her by my side.  Love you, Mom!

5.  Chris is Engaged!--This was the happiest moment of the whole month for me!  Chris called me and Darren on the evening of March 30 to let us know that he and Christiane Cannon were engaged.  Christiane got on the phone with him at the end, and it was great to have a moment to celebrate with them both.  We have yet to meet Christiane, but I can tell how happy she makes my brother and I couldn't be more happy for them both.  I have heard so many wonderful things about her.  So glad to have you join the family, Christiane! 

6.  Snowshoeing--My last snowshoeing experience was several years ago ... and wasn't particularly fun.    Darren talked me into getting out and trying it again at the beginning of April, and I'm so glad he did!  It was a beautiful day, and the snow was just right.  Darren (who had bought snowshoes for himself and his future wife before we even met) was equipped.  It was fun to see him so much in his element.

7.  General Conference--I love this time of year.  There were so many wonderful messages shared at General Conference at the beginning of April, and I am grateful to be able to review them online and through the Ensign.  What a blessing!  And a special thank you to Katie Houston and her family for letting me watch the Saturday sessions with them!

8.  Dad's Early Arrival--Some "family business" required me to be in Salt Lake from April 3-22.  Due to work, Darren couldn't join me until April 13.  My parents also planned to come out and spend some time with us from the 11-20.  I was so THRILLED when my dad called and said he had rearranged his schedule to join me on the evening of the 5th.  Having constant company with me for that first week was a real-life saver.  I will always remember that week we spent together.  Thanks so much, Dad!

9.  Logan Trip--One of the things my dad and I did during our first week in Utah was to take a little road trip to Logan.  My great-grandpa, Alma Sonne, raised his family in Logan (which included his son, my grandpa, Conway Sonne).  Alma was President of the local bank (originally the First National Bank and now the Cache Valley Bank) and was Chairman of the Board of Directors at Utah State University (where my Grandpa Conway eventually met my Grandma Elaine).  It was fun to visit some of the old "Sonne sites" and learn a little more about my family history.  Dad, as always, was a great traveling companion.

Alma Sonne's house on Main St. in Logan.  It is now a dental lab.  The kind people inside let us look around (they have kept everything looking very "homey") and gave us a type-written history of the house they had found in a drawer when they moved in.  From that history we learned that the builder of the home was Fred Dahle, Alma's friend who served a mission for the Church with him in England  and whose illness prevented Fred, Alma, and a few other missionaries from returning home on the Titanic!

Although it is now called the Cache Valley Bank, the old First National Bank lettering from when my Great-Grandpa worked there is still on the steps.

The outside of what is now the Cache Valley Bank.  One of the Bank clerks also gave us a tour of the bank.  It brought back many memories for my dad from when he had visited the bank in the 70s to get his first bank loan from Grandpa Alma for college.

Dad and I had lunch at "The Bluebird" (apparently a hot-spot while my grandparents were in college and where both of my grandparents wrote in their journals about going on dates)!

"Kater" has been a nickname for as long as I can remember, so it was fun to see this as we were walking along Main St.

10.  Mom and Darren's Arrival--Dad and I had a really fun time together, but we were both excited about having mom, and then Darren, join us.  Mom arrived on the 11th.  We stayed in SLC a couple more days before meeting up with Darren in Park City.  It was wonderful to have the family all together (we just missed Chris and Christiane)!

11.  Temple Walk with Mom--Before we left for Park City, Mom and I took a walk around Temple Square (it is SO beautiful this time of year) and up to the Capitol Building.  On our walk we found a little butterfly in the middle of the sidewalk.  This butterfly took to my mom immediately and would change direction to follow where my mom moved.  It was really kind of amazing!  Eventually we decided we had to be on our way but wanted to move our new little friend onto the grass out the the way of foot traffic. :)

Moving our friend to a safer spot.

12. Dad's Birthday--We were lucky enough to be with my dad in Park City on his birthday.  I think my dad is one of the most selfless people I know.  He somehow managed to make all of us feel good and special on HIS birthday.  I'll excited for any opportunity I have to celebrate him.  I couldn't be more blessed than to have him as a father.  Love you, Dad!

Dad's Birthday Dinner

Dad's Birthday Dinner

Birthday Banana Cream Pie!

13.  Dinner with Chaffees--The Chaffees are basically family members, and it had been WAY too long since we had seen them.  We made plans to meet up in Salt Lake with Phil and Stephanie for dinner once my parents and Darren were in town.  It was SO great to see them!  I have so many wonderful memories with the Chaffee family, and seeing them brought all of those memories back.  I love and admire Phil and Steph's strength, humor, testimony, and the love they share with everyone.  I hope to see them and their girls again soon!

14.  Dinner with Roommates--My friends and former roommates Katie and Melissa made the effort to come visit us in Park City while we were there.  We had a chance to have dinner and visit for a bit, but the time went by much too quickly (even though I had also had dinner with them in Salt Lake earlier in the month, there just never seems to be enough time with these wonderful ladies).  I am so blessed to have such supportive friends!

15.  Peter Yarrow Concert--I found out the Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul, and Mary fame) was having a concert at the Egyptian Theater in Park City while we were there.  Knowing my Dad liked/likes some of Peter, Paul, and Mary's songs, Darren, Chris, and I went in on 4 tickets as a birthday present to my dad.  It was a fun (if at times slightly interesting) evening, and it brought back a lot of memories for me and my parents.  I remember sitting around the campfire at Stanford Sierra Camp or on the deck at Laguna during Sonne family reunions each summer growing up singing such classics as "Leaving on a Jet Plane", "Blowin' in the Wind", "If I Had a Hammer", etc.  It sure made me feel nostalgic.  My favorite part of the concert, though, was when Peter (and his son who was performing with him) invited all the children at the concert onstage to sing "Puff, the Magic Dragon."  He gave the microphone over to several of the kids during the song, and it was pretty adorable.  All in all, it was definitely a memorable evening.  :)

Mom and Dad at the concert.

Calling the kids onstage for "Puff, the Magic Dragon."  I took this shot a little early.  He had quite a crowd by the end!

16.  Easter--It never fails that my mom manages to make holidays special for her family no matter where we are.  On Easter morning when Darren and I came out of our hotel bedroom, we found some Easter gifts set up for us on the table, including a beautiful Jan Brett book on Easter.  I love this holiday and the reminder that it is of the blessing of the Atonement.  How grateful I am for the Atonement and a loving Father in Heaven and Savior who loved each of us enough to make it an essential part of their Plan of Happiness.

As I finish this post, I can think of about 16 more things that made me happy over the past few weeks.  I especially want to thank the Walker family for allowing me to stay in their beautiful condo in Draper for part of the time I was in Utah.  Overall, my heart is just full of gratitude for all the friends, family, and events that filled up last month.  I am truly blessed.