President Hinckley

I, like so many others, have reflected this week on my thoughts and feelings about President Hinckley. So much has been said about this great leader in the past week, and I thought I'd put in my two cents here.

Perhaps the talk that I remember him best for was a CES fireside he gave on September 9, 2001. It was at the Conference Center, and I was able to get a ticket through my institute class to attend in person. He spoke on many topics, but the one that stands out best in my mind was that he spoke about 'accentuating the positive' - looking for the best and finding the positive in a situation, and go forward with faith. Just two days later, 9-11 occurred, and it definitely was a depressing time. Even though I had no personal connections with the situation or victims of the attacks, it was awful (and unavoidable), watching again and again the attacks on the news and listening to so many people's take on the events. It was a relief to come back to this talk when it was posted online the next week and read it and remember President Hinckley's words of wisdom. Looking back, I know that he knew we'd need to hear the message he gave. He knew something was coming, and we'd need his words of guidance to get us all through with faith and optimism.

I will miss President Hinckley, but am grateful for his leadership and example to us and the world. I look forward to the new leaders that will come forth, and am excited to see how they fill President Hinckley's shoes.

Hogwarts House

Which Hogwarts House Would You Be In?
	The Sorting Hat would put you in Gryffindor. You are bold, passionate, and brave. You have a highly-defined sense of right and wrong, and you are not afraid to speak your mind or fight for what you want.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

Like I'd publish this here if I were something else? What kind of a Harry Potter fan would I be if I were a Slytherin?

Who I'm looking for...

What Kind of Guy Will You Fall For?
	You would fall part for the geek. If you're looking for love, consider spending a little more time studying up in the library. To you, there's nothing more attractive than intelligence, shyness, and kindness; your future love may have four eyes and zero social skills, but he'll make up for it in brains and heart.
	You would fall part for the sensitive guy. You'll find your future man wherever turtlenecks are sold. He will have depth, introspection, and a disturbing knowledge of musical theatre. And he may be a little weird. But hey, while your girlfriends cry over broken hearts, you'll be having Shakespeare read to you every night.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

Well... at least I know what I'm looking for. What a relief!

College?

What Should You Have Done After High School?
	You should have gone to a state school. You're a realist. You're not expecting a lifetime in academia, you just want to compete for a decent job and your piece of the pie. Besides, you know that a state school will prepare you to survive in the real world. When you graduate, you won't need someone holding your hand as you cross the street into the working world.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

Looks like I made a good choice!

NYC!

What City Should You Live In?
	You should live in New York City. America's largest city will ensure that you will blend into the crowd. You are the brooding type--introspective, creative, and eccentric--and NYC's cutting-edge, individualistic culture and ambience will appeal to you.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

January Blahs...

It occurred to me the other day that I haven't blogged in a while - since the beginning of the month! Not much has happened... school, snow, inside days (though not as many as last winter!), cold, early morning storms, commute-time storms, more school, snow, and cold. Not much to write home about!

I'm tired of winter! Come on, spring - hurry up!

I'm an Aunt!

Bo Morris Bartholomew was born (finally, much to his mother's relief!) Sunday, December 30.
I went to see Bo and his parents yesterday. Everyone is well and happy.
(Okay, so I'm not an Aunt, technically, but it's the closest that I will be for a long, long time - got that, Holly?!?)
After I left the hospital yesterday, I got to thinking about how our New Year's Eve celebrations have changed over the past few years. In 2001 and 2002, Holly and I got First Night buttons and went downtown to celebrate. In 2003, Joee joined us, and we went to the Tabernacle for their free concert of all the LDS artists you could imagine. For 2004, Lee joined us at the Tabernacle. I met Lee for the first time that night, and what a test it was for him, to see if he could tolerate crazy girls singing along to every single song. He must have passed, because by 2005, he and Joee were married, and we went to the Conference Center. 2006 was spent at home (lots of snow and ice, and no show downtown). And 2007 was spent together, but in the hospital, celebrating a different kind of arrival!
Congrats, Bartholomew family!