Family Reunion

I got home on Saturday from girls camp just in time for my family reunion. I was so sore from tubing and boating but I had tons of fun with my cousins and brothers!! The wind was blowing mad and the water was choppy. Zel and Rich brought their boats and whipped us. All I can tell you is that Rich is a speed demon like Zel and it was so much fun (I even lost my shorts while tubing on Zel's boat). My mom went along for the ride and soaked up the sun! OH, girls camp this year was AMAZING!!

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Girls Camp

Tiani finally left for girls camp this morning. She was so excited and maybe it has to do with the fact she wouldn't have chores for the rest of the week. This would be her own mini-vacation. I miss her already, but I'm glad she's there surrounded by good friends and amazing YW leaders and advisers.

Dad's Day 2010

Happy Father's Day to my Daddy, Grandpa W and all of my many Uncles! I love you all!

Run, Rick! Run!

We recorded the video clips below while visiting our close friends, Dawn, Rick (who are like an aunt and uncle to my kiddies), and their family, in Kentucky. As usual, we had a blast and everytime my family and I see these clips, we start missing them and even the Bluegrass state itself... what the?!? Actually, I REALLY miss the California beaches, but my family is ready to go back to Kentucky and visit them again.

Hinckley and Hannah...table dancing in Kentucky! As you can see, Hinckley was still in diapers! lol ;)

This Should Have Been...

a post for the month of May. As usual, I've been extremely busy and given my track record, blogging has never been a priority, but I thought I should share this...

After 16 years of marriage [and nearly 17 years of being together], my hubby caved in and took me on a date to an OPERA!! Isn't he wonderful?

For those of you who know me well, knows that I have a deep love for operas and classical music. Yes, I do love reggae and other music genres, but I am one of those rare Polynesians that becomes giddy with excitement when I can discuss the libretto of an opera with someone, or feel the emotions and be moved by an aria and recitative.

When Scott and I were engaged, we had a deep discussion about music one night and the subject of opera and classical music came up. I was excited to share with him my first live opera experience when I was an elementary school age girl, to which he seem not the least bit interested. He thought it was odd that I would love operas and further stated that he didn't care for them (even though he had never been to one) and couldn't stand the vibratos of soprano opera singers. He asked me why I would love such music if I didn't understand it. I told him that I did understand because I would familiarize myself with the libretto of that particular opera and I suggested to him that he would need to experience an opera LIVE for himself before he passed such judgement and this would help him understand why I love it. I then told him that he would have to accompany me to another opera some day. Well, that some day happened last month. We went away to a Bed and Breakfast for the weekend to celebrate our 16th wedding anniversary and he surprised me with a homemade card (which I prefer over store bought cards), with 2 tickets to see the heartrending story of Suor Angelica and the comical Gianni Schicchi, operas 2 and 3 of Giacomo Puccini's trio of one-act operas, at the beautiful and historic Capitol Theatre in Salt Lake City.

Before the opera, doesn't he look excited?

Suor Angelica was so well done that it was very moving. I found it hard to control my tears at the end of the act and Scott even got a little teary-eyed as well. The only other opera to ever bring me to tears was Madama Butterfly. The second opera that evening was Gianni Shicchi. It was hilarious and I really enjoyed 'O Mio Babbino Caro'. Overall, the Utah Opera cast and Symphony was phenomenal! Shouts of "bravo!" and applause echoed through the hall and standing ovations occurred after each acts . The performances were flawless and though the translation was provided by the supertitles above the stage, it did not take away from the acts at all. Scott has admitted that he really enjoyed himself and was very impressed with the entire production. He told me he was looking forward to taking me again, but he was quick to add that he would still prefer a game of baseball over opera. lol.

I'm excited and looking forward to seeing La Boheme, another opera by Giacomo Puccini, in the Fall. I've been trying to convince some of my friends and sister to do a girls night out at the opera. They will definitely love La Boheme, another tragic love story like Madama Butterfly. I'm simply anxious to hear some of my favorite songs like 'Quando m'en Vo' and 'O Suave Fanciulla' performed live!