The CVX Convention (aka Meeting the Studio C cast!)

On a random day back in February, I received a suggested ad in my Facebook news feed.

"Meet Studio C" it said.

"...at the Create View Experience-Live (CVX) convention" it continued.

Well, you don't have to tell me twice!

We didn't have a very long wait to get in (nothing like Comic Con), plus we got these really neat lanyards with our passes on them.

Photo Op with the CVX back drop.

We were so lucky that we got to snap a pic with all 10 members of the cast! I got to stand right next to Matt (who is my favorite!) and our arms actually touched!! Sam really wanted to shake Jeremy's hand (red sweater on the far left), but we only had a few seconds.

The Meet and Greet was scheduled for noon, so I joined the already forming line around 11:35. Unfortunately, the cast was late and finally came out closer to 12:25, so I a good chunk of time standing and trying to make conversation with some of the other fans, but it was worth it to get my picture with the entire cast.

We even made a video where we "sing" with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. 

You can see our video at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgTgc-WMK2E 

We had a blast, it was a lot less crazy than Comic Con (definitely more film-based rather than fandom-based), and we got to meet Studio C.

Return of the Monkeys!

The kids are here!!!!!

YAY!!

Hip-hip-hooray!

Boy oh boy, I'm just so happy!!

Gosh, one visit every three months just is NOT enough!

Dear Bubby...

Dear Bubby,

As I anxiously count down the weeks until my hooding ceremony, I can't ignore the ache in my heart because you aren't around to share this with me. Like with high school and college, you won't be sitting in the crowd cheering me on with the rest of the family, after all you were sick and couldn't make it to the ceremonies. Unlike high school and college, you aren't here at all, making it all the more sad for me. As the first of your grandchildren to graduate college, and the first to get a graduate degree, my heart hurts because I can't share this experience with you.

You left me too soon.

Part of me is angry because of everything you've missed, and even angrier about everything else to come that you'll miss to. I couldn't call you to tell you I got my first real job, when I bought my first car, or when I got into grad school. These things seem so minor in retrospect, but they foreshadowed the big things. I couldn't call you when I fell in love with Sam, or when we got engaged, or see you in our wedding photos.

You weren't there.

As angry as I get at times, I know you're in a better place. If my crime as your granddaughter is selfishly wanting to keep you around, then so be it. I so badly wish you were here so often, it makes me wonder if I've really grieved losing you.

Every time I hit another milestone in my life, my feelings of joy get hit with a wave of sadness. How can I be so happy knowing that I can't share these momentous occasions with you? Part of me believes that you're always with me, but the other part of me is skeptical.

Why these feelings today?

Perhaps it is because I chose to wear a black dress and the pearls you gave me.

Perhaps it is because I find myself trying to channel you when I have to take charge at work.

Perhaps it is because I so badly wish I could hear your voice again.

I don't know.

But I do know that I miss you.

Every day.

Every single day.

Love you lots.

-Linds

Spring Break Adventures

Sam decided to have an adventure or two with me during Spring Break this year, so we planned a little stay-cation and spent some time exploring the city.

First, we went on a tour of Salt Lake. We had been given two tour vouchers as a wedding gift, and finally got around to using them. The tour bus picked us up at the Red Lion Hotel, and we went to This Is The Place Monument, Research Park, Fort Douglas, Greek Row, The Utah State Capitol, and then down to Temple Square. Sam was so excited that we got to watch the MoTab rehearsal after dinner at the Lion House Pantry.

Waiting for the tour bus

State Capitol

A protester whom I thought was awesome!

I showed Sam the Yoda in the wall.

  

Next up was a trip to the aquarium. I had obtained some free tickets after a field trip there earlier this semester for my MBA class, and Sam had never been, so why not? We saw sharks, penguins, and otters! In a random twist of fate, we both happened to wear our BYU shirts, so we were that much more adorable being all matchy-match.

We found Dory...

..and Nemo!!

A fun side note: our management company re-cemented part of the sidewalk in front of our apartment, so we decided to leave our mark (or Sam decided and I photographed his decision). Now part of us really will be in Sugarhouse forever.

Volunteering

We've been volunteering a bit lately, and have had a blast doing it (except Sam doesn't really appreciate the whole getting-up-before-dawn-on-Saturday deal). Even though we had to be there at 6:30am, he did not let me down!

The last weekend in February, my work hosted the regional Science Olympiad, so I needed to be there to help work the event. Lucky for me, my sweet husband decided to join me and spent most of the morning handing out T-shirts to the Olympiad volunteers.

For me, the day consisted of walking up and down the stairs (a lot!), so I shouldn't have been surprised when my calve muscles were screaming at me the next day. But my daily PiYo workout helped me stretch everything out so I didn't feel quite like I was dying.

Anyway, a friend of mine from school runs an annual cancer research stair climb event, and asked me and Sam to help out when she had two volunteers drop out. Of course I said yes! We had to be at the Wells Fargo building downtown by 5:30am (boy, I must owe my husband big time for this one!). I made blueberry waffles the night before so we could still have hot breakfast on the go.

We had so much fun! We spent the entire 6hrs on the 12th floor of the Wells Fargo Building, cheering on the climbers until my voice finally ran out.

 

Even firefighters from all over Salt Lake came and did the climb in their full fighting gear, so props to them for sticking it out for such an important cause.

We were by far one of the most popular floors (seriously, the climbers said so!), mostly because we kept rewriting popular songs and singing them to the climbers. For example, a parody of Macklemore's 'Thrift Shop':

You're gonna climb some stairs, only got 12 more floors to go-o.

Come on now you got it, there's water if you want it.

You are super awesome!

We sure had fun volunteering, and now we're looking forward to a Saturday of doing absolutely nothing to recover from the last two weekends.