Glamping Birthday!

     My friends threw me a glamping themed birthday party this year.  Glamping is glamorous camping.  My mom was visiting for the week and helped a ton to pull it together.  The party was so much fun and I am so lucky to have such amazing friends!

                 I would really love one of these someday! 

The power of Vulnerability

    “In our culture, we associate vulnerability with emotions we want to avoid such as fear, shame, and uncertainty. Yet we too often lose sight of the fact that vulnerability is also the birthplace of joy, belonging, creativity, authenticity, and love.”  I recently was recommended this TED Talk and thought it was very interesting.  It's called The Power of Vulnerability and I've heard that there are two parts but I haven't watched it yet.  

     Here’s some of my favorite quotes.

 Those who are well connected in life "fully embraced vulnerability.  They believed that what made them vulnerable made them beautiful.  They didn't talk about vulnerability being comfortable, nor did they really talk about it being excruciating. They just talked about it being necessary.  They talked about the willingness to say, "I love you" first, the willingness to do something where there are no guarantees, the willingness to breathe through waiting for the doctor to call after your mammogram.  They're willing to invest in a relationship that may or may not work out."

 "To let ourselves be seen, deeply seen, vulnerably seen; to love with our whole hearts, even though there's no guarantee -- and that's really hard, and I can tell you as a parent, that's excruciatingly difficult -- to practice gratitude and joy in those moments of terror, when we're wondering, "Can I love you this much?  Can I believe in this this passionately?  Can I be this fierce about this?" just to be able to stop and, instead of catastrophizing what might happen, to say, "I'm just so grateful, because to feel this vulnerable means I'm alive."   

I'd be interested in hearing some of your thoughts. 

Update on 5/21/14
   Check out this blogpost for a Letter-Day Saint's perspective on this concept of vulnerability.
http://meridithwrites.blogspot.com/2013/02/gods-godness.html?m=1

Now I have a nephew!

   Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart. I really love being a Aunt. Taranto was born March 19th and is my first nephew.   Welcome to the world baby boy!

NYC!

I went to NYC for one week with my roommate Gracie.  We had so much fun!  My favorite was Broadway.  We saw Mamma Mia and Newsies.  We also went to the MET and MOMA, Central Park, Times Square, and the Statue of Liberty.  There was great shopping and yummy food too! 

                                                        In front of the Newsie's theatre

                                                             Statue of Liberty Cruise Tour

                                                                      Times Square

                                                                         Central Park

                                                                            MOMA

                                                                        NBC Tour

Tired on the subway

BYU half time show

I was asked to perform at the BYU halfime show.  It's the fake ID line dance from the new Footloose movie. 

California Trip

I visited California for a week in early July.  It was my second time seeing my niece Alythia.  She has changed so much!  She loves to smile and has recently found her voice.

 

It was also Kala's birthday so we did some birthday activities while I was there.  Kalai is so funny!  She loves to sing and I caught her on camera several times singing while I was there. I can't get my videos sent to my computer correctly right now..so it's a really short clip but I still think it's pretty cute.

Festival of Colors

I have lived in Utah for a while now and have never been to the Festival of Colors.  This year I decided it was time for me to go.  I went with some friends and had a blast!  I will be going every year from now on.  The festival of colors is described as "a traditional Indian holiday celebrated in our own innovative fashion.  By far our biggest festival of the year, during Holi 2011 50,000 revelers flooded the temple and grounds for 2 days day of brightly colored powder, mantra, music and a bit of "holi" mayhem."  


This is what it really is...

 

Watch this video to see how amazing it really is...

                                                             And some pictures of me