FYI

Hey, in answer to Marie's question: The Nootka people quoted in my headline are a small group of Native Americans on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Traditional Nootka culture was fundamentally that of the Northwest Coast area they fished for salmon, lived in long wooden houses, and created elaborate totem poles. With the exception of the Makah and a few of their neighbors, they were the only Native Americans on the Pacific coast who hunted whales.

in town??

Here is a picture of me with my new haircut. I am still learning all the different looks I can have with this cut. It's fun, but it's not always convenient to have to be inventing in the early hours of the morning. Ben and I made a delicious pizza Saturday night. Well, I mostly made it and he flew his new Spiderman kite, a cheap plastic thing from the grocery store. He was thrilled, and so was I. Our pizza was probably just as expensive (if not more, in many cases) if we would have bought one, but it was worth every penny. No, I didn't make the dough, that takes too long! Especially when there is great dough to buy at Harmon's.
This weekend Ben and I decided to just stay at home because he has to fly out again tonight and we didn't want to be rushing back from a vacation to the airport. Ironically, this weekend was the best we've had in a long time because we didn't do anything. I think that is so funny. I can't remember a Memorial Day Weekend in my life when I was in town. What can I say, my life is changing, as long as it changes with Ben in it, I have no complaints.

sweet summer

Today was a great day. Ben was able to find a flight home from NY after 3 different airlines cancelled (!), we went on a walk around the lake in the most beautiful temperate weather, my software CS3 came so I can start to work from home (yay!), my new doctor is awesome even though he is a man (j/k), and to top it all off, our baby's heart is normal. The list makes the last bit sound trivial, but I don't mean it to be. Life is wonderful.

Last weekend we officially started off our summer in Daybreak with a little bonfire with Ben's brother Matt. Cath was here too but since she had just had her wisdom teeth taken out, she opted to watch Gilmore girls in her room instead of sit outside in the smoke and watch us eat delicious food that she couldn't have.
I love Daybreak. Walking around the lake was so nice, even though I was feeling the burn. People were out in canoes already, but the community ones won't be out for a week. I'm going to sail this summer, even though I'm prego. Dave is home, so he can help me. Yay! We also drove by what will be the new pool and the tennis courts. It's over by the new temple, and even though I wish it was bigger, it is beautiful and I can't wait. I'm just going to take my wide brimmed hat and sit in that pool for the last month of this pregnancy.
Interesting tidbit: I have eaten a whole cantaloupe by myself in the last 4 days. Yum.

bored um boredom dumb doorbumb

Does anyone remember ada in The Poisonwood Bible besides my sisters? (not that you don't count lovies) She was the best. I need to read that again. I am just waiting for Ben to take me home from his office because Cath has my car so she can get to my house later so I can take her to get her wisdom teeth out. You know, I've never had teachers tell me anything more than that I do run-on sentences.
Today was pretty funny. We went for our "Thursday lunch outing with Dad" to Sage's Cafe. It is a vegetarian, organic place. Week after week, thursday after thursday, I find myself thinking "ahh! I have to decide something to eat again!" Kudos to the fam for putting up with me not feeling like eating anywhere. One day I was driving by this place and it looked like a cool little find, so I thought we would try it. It wasn't just veg/organic, it was total vegan. The look on my dad's face as he looked over the menu was priceless. Here's what we ended up with: nut burger for dad (not bad, we're not sure what it was but it wasn't bad), I had a crazy mushroom salad, marie had tacos with tempeh, which is fermented soy or something, she loved it.
Which brings me to my next point:

DINE 'O' ROUND!!!

Can you believe, it's already that time of year again. People, if you can before the weekend is over, I highly recommend you try a new place on the Dine o' Round. It is sooo awesome. Restaurants give special pricing and menu's for people to try new places and things for less expensive. Here is the link: http://www.downtownslc.com/events/dine-o-round.htm

Don't forget to tell me if you try something awesome!

"river in the rain...."

BIG RIVER!!

The sisters went to this favorite musical of ours last week, thanks to Cath and her great ideas (and spur of the moment $pending). We totally loved it, even though it was a small town production. Jim's voice was FANTASTIC. I have to mention another time I saw this show. Cath was visiting me in D.C. and there was a traveling group that was incorporating deaf performers. It sounds crazy but it was playing at Ford's Theatre where Lincoln was shot--I just had to go. First of all, I was seeing a musical with some of the best tunes ever, playing in a theater that represented one of the greatest presidents who championed the equality of all men, which is exactly what this play is about, even though Twain says, "Anyone attempting to find a moral, will be shot." So we went and I cried through the whole thing. Jim was phenomenal in every way, he was younger and really captured Jim the runaway slave, a very complex character. I haven't heard the likes of his voice live before or since. All the black cast for that matter were unbeatable. Huck was deaf and signed all the songs while singing silently with his mouth, and Mark Twain did all his talking and singing. It sounds weird but it was so powerful. This young Huck was just so passionate. Anyway, it was quite an awesome experience.
On a different note, I tried to take a picture of my pregnant self for you all. I swear I look bigger than that Meg! It is hard to get one to look as pregnant as I think I am. This one is good enough for now. Cath let me borrow her new shirt before she shrunk it and it wouldn't fit me anymore. Isn't that so nice? Also, my long hair...I'm on my way to a haircut. Originally I was really wanting to do the Katie Holmes bob with bangs, but Ben is anti-short hair. We'll see, I need a change and if the stylist isn't very helpful, I might just have to resort to that option. It grows back honey! By the way, no updates on Baby Durham, we think we might need to wait until he is born to really know why everything happened, but he seems to be doing fine. Also, the ward finally split again! (on Mother's Day!) We've been hearing about it for months, but now it's here. Ben and I have been separated from a bunch of our favorite people which is a bummer, and released from our callings. So interesting to see how things will go...loves to all those on "the other side." We'll try to see you often!

Robe Blanket

So, I'm sitting at my computer updating myself on all you lovely people via your blogs, while Ben is searching for good songs on itunes on his laptop. I'm sitting in my pj bottoms and a shade shirt, and since it was a little chilly, I put on my robe. It's actually a robe someone gave to my mom when she was sick, it is pink and has the breast cancer ribbon sewed on it. Ben stops and says, "You know what really makes me smile? That you wear a robe." I realize that it is pretty funny. I only started to wear it in the last year, but I wear it all the time. I told Ben that it has taken the place of wearing my tattered baby blanket around the house. (Not that it has taken place of the blanket, that would never happen.) Cath and I would wrap our blankets around our waists like a boy wears a towel, and wear our blankets around the house that way. I love my blanket. It is the second baby blanket I've had in my life, the first one wore out before elementary. In seventh grade, I went to a sleepover with my dance friends and they all had their blankets and it was the coolest thing. Who knew??? And many of you would be surprised if I told you some of their names. So I chose a new blanket that weekend and I've used it ever since. It probably is weird to all of you, but you are just missing out because of some stupid social norm. Ha ha ha.

Clean Fun

   You know what I think would be a funny documentary?  Watching people use soap dispensers in public places, or at least try to.  Seriously every time, I am waving my hands, tapping the sensor, or tapping all over because I can't tell what is a sensor or a place to push for soap or what.  I get such a kick out of it and unless everyone else is super soap savvy, it would make a funny movie.  You do wash with soap don't you...because otherwise, we are not okay.  That is what one of my young women taught me to say, "If you do that, we are not okay."