Sun Dance in the Rain

I've Got Sunshine On a Cloudy Day

 

I love fall break. After the crazy starting up of each school year, I think it's even more crucial for my mental health than Christmas or even spring break. After traveling all summer, I couldn't afford the expense or the time to go somewhere exotic this week. So this morning, I drove up to Sundance with two of my beautiful nieces, Jennie and Michelle.

We had planned to take the tram up and over the mountains, but unfortunately there was "100% chance of rain" (according to the scruffy bearded guy behind the counter) and so they decided not to run it at all today (naturally, since the anticipation of the tram was the only thing that got me out of bed this rainy morning.)

  

So instead of taking the tram, we wandered around the grounds. Jennie and I spent the morning taking pictures of leaves and berries, while Michelle patiently waited, holding the umbrella over Jennie's fancy camera and watching the people wander by.

 

Sometimes I forget how many beautiful things there are to see - as Jennie pointed out - only 15 minutes from my house!  The colors were still rampant all over the mountains, and the clouds and fog only added to the beauty.

We wrapped up the morning with an amazingly delicious lunch at the Foundry Grill. 

It was a great day. 

Favorite one-liners from the day:

Michelle: "Ooooh foamy!!"

Jennie: "Isn't it weird to think how many celebrities have peed in there?"

Michelle: "Jennie, you are so adorable."

Jennie: "I'm so terrible??!?!?! Why am I terrible?"

Amy: "I'd rather be a vampire, because I don't want to have to take my shirt off every 10 minutes."

 

 

 

Come. Listen.

So excited for General Conference this weekend.

As a little girl growing up in Illinois, we had to go to the chapel and listen to conference on the radio. Eventually we were able to watch (in the chapel) via satellite feed.  That was a very exciting thing for us out in the boondocks.
Now with all the amazing innovations in technology, I can watch conference from almost anywhere. I love having this Saturday and Sunday to putter around the house, curl up on the couch, and listen to the leaders of our church teach and testify of Jesus Christ.

Some of my favorite speakers: Elder Holland, President Eyring, President Uchtdorf. (They're kind of everyone's favorites though.)

In April of 2011, I was able to get tickets to the Sunday morning session of conference in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, which is right across the street from the Salt Lake Temple.

I was able to take two of my beautiful nieces with me (along with Jennie's darling friend Kamala).

Michelle

Jennie Rae

I remember sitting in the upper balcony (you can see the MoTab choir seats WAY down below us in the background). The choir sang "The Spirit of God" which has always been one of my most favorite hymns (ever since my "City of Joseph" days growing up in the Nauvoo stake). I felt a wave of love and peace and joy wash over me while they sang. It was as tangible as a warm wind in my face.

Elder Paul V. Johnson gave a talk that morning entitled "More Than Conquerors Through Him That Loves Us" that has stayed with me to this day. It touched my heart and gave me hope and strength. I listen to it often.



Come. Listen. It's awesome.

link:: Come Listen to Living Prophets

link:: LDS General Conference