Celebrate! A Valentine Birthday with Patty and Hal in Las Vegas

Birthdays, those pesky reminders of our mortality, 

could be downright depressing!

Every year, Roger has a great solution for that . . . 

. . . celebrate it in Las Vegas!

And it is kind of a two-fer, because my birthday is on Valentine's Day.

This year, Patty and Hal joined us for an overnight adventure! 

Hal booked us at the Marriott Renaissance.

We drove from St. George, headed to buy tickets to see, Cirque du Soleil's, Zarkana, then had lunch at Stripburger, where we shared awesome gourmet burgers.

Patty and I shopped in the mall while the boys checked out the Apple store.

When we walked through Anthropologie,

we were fascinated with this display of real paint, appearing to be pouring from the ceiling.

Patty and I took numerous pics of it, each taking turns posing with it.

Here are a couple of them:

I have no idea why we took several pics, except it gets harder and harder each year to approve of candid shots. 

We just kept looking at the shot, laughing, and taking another!

I guess in true Sister Shopping fashion, we always make our own fun! 

I remember shopping on a trip to Myrtle Beach with all five of us sisters, 
spending an afternoon playing the shopping game of, "If I were ___ (fill in each sister's name, in turn), 
what would I pick out?"

Then that sister, not knowing what we chose, would show us what she would choose.

We didn't buy anything, but we had a blast trying to guess each others' taste. 

We found that we actually know each other pretty well!

Our big splurge/treat was having dinner at, L'Atelier de Joel Robochon.

Fresh red roses arrangements decorated the tables.

The French breads were divine!

The meal began with the Chef's complimentary foie gras parfait with port wine and parmesan foam - so delicious!

We each had a pris fixe dinner with the choice of three appetizers/entree and dessert.

All of us ordered this crab and avocado salad, and it was like no one we had ever had before!

Absolutely heavenly! Do you see a pattern here with this food of the gods?

I have to say, I was a bit envious when I tasted one of Roger's picks,

a wonderful creation of poached oysters.

Beef cheeks - better than it sounds!

This is salmon with leeks, caviar, etc..

Chef's complimentary mashed potatoes

Patty, Hal and I had lobster with homemade pasta - addictive!

I had le Chocolate Sensation for dessert.

Amazing!

Roger and Hal had carrot cake with fresh coconut sorbet.

Wow, what a presentation!

And Patty . . .oh, my!

She had the most delicious assortment of little tarts!

I know they were delicious, because I tasted each one!

We all had lots of fun sharing our food.

That's one of the wonderful things about traveling/eating/being with family.

We totally give this place a thumbs up!

After our two and a half hour dinner, we went to see Zarkana. 

Zarkana is a journey through an abandoned circus and is a marvelous display of acrobatic fantasy.

Next morning, we had a buffet breakfast on the Concierge floor of our hotel,

then drove to the Tanger outlet mall.

They were having great President's Day sales, 

and Patty and I found some clothes bargains and SAS and Ecco shoes.

We both have foot issues, so we were thrilled!

At about 2, it was time to eat again!

We drove back to the Strip to The Paris's Mon Ami Gabi,

one of Roger's and my LV favorites.

Patty had a Cobb salad and I had steamed mussels and a little salad . . .

. . . and Roger had a prime rib sandwich and pomme frites and Hal had a seafood crepe.

True to our tradition at this place,

 the waiter was told that it was my birthday and I received this delicious profiterole, with four spoons. 

This pic probably looks real familiar to this blog!
I promise, I shared!

We shopped at the Premium outlets after lunch,

and also ran out to Trader Joe's, my favorite place for groceries,

then headed back to St. George with a loaded-down car! 

We topped this glorious day off with a yogurt treat at Menchie's.

Next morning, Roger and I fixed a pancake, fresh blueberry sauce and candy bacon breakfast, 
then Patty and I talked about my review of Preston's book manuscript, 
which I had read and offered suggestions, 

and Roger and Hal went for a ride.

The golf courses were so full over the holiday weekend,

they decided not to golf.

Before Patty and Hal left to go back home, they treated us to lunch at Player's Grill, 

where we had their famous wedge, chicken tortilla soup and 
shared an appetizer of coconut shrimp.

Talk about a Food Lovers Paradise Weekend!

Oh, my! That New Year's resolve to you know what looks even blurrier! 

We loved, loved, loved being with my sister and her husband and hope they come again soon!

On Sunday, which was Valentine's Day and my birthday,

I led the INSTA-CHOIR in, Love At Home, in Sacrament meeting.

A husband and wife, who recently moved into our branch 

and are both soloists and sing together,

sang the first verse in harmony and sounded marvelous.

Natalie accompanied on the violin and Beverly on the piano and we had over 50 in our choir. 

I was thrilled with the sound!

We always have lots of visitors in church on President's Day Weekend. 

After church, Roger wanted a pic of his Valentine.

I said, I wanted one with mine, too,

so he took a selfie!

A very fine Valentine/birthday celebration it was!

Friends, Fun, Food and Song

Thanks, Taylors, for starting February off with a fun evening!

Sittereruds were in town, away from the snow and inversion Up North,

and Anne and Jay invited Roger and I over to their home for dinner with them.

Pat and Clyde have a place here,

and Clyde prepared some tasty pork to make carnitas.

We enjoyed a great meal with our friends,

but even greater was the good company.

We love these guys!

We all laughed about where is the selfie stick when we need it?

(Pat is the friend who teased us to death about having one last summer on our river cruise.)

Every year on Super Bowl Sunday, we have Winger's wings. Roger LOVES them!

We buy them Saturday, the wings in a separate container from the sauce, 

then crisp them up in the oven after church and pour that sticky, delicious sauce over them.

We don't even watch the Super Bowl.

We just like this excuse to have those yummy Winger's wings!

Probably more pics of food are posted on the web on Super Bowl Sunday 

than about any other time.

I don't want to feel left out ;)!

We made (Roger helped) cheesy bacon pull-apart sourdough . . . 

. . . roasted veggie dill pasta salad . . . 

. . . and Rocky Mountain sheet cake (a The Chew recipe).

We spent a great Super Bowl Sunday after church minus the Super Bowl, reading, listening to beautiful music and doing the best part of the Super Bowl . . . eating!

But I have to say that I am glad that the Broncos won!

These Rocky Mountain Brownies must have helped.

Last Saturday morning, I got a phone call from our Stake Music Director 

extending an invitation from our Stake Presidency to our INSTA-CHOIR to provide the music, 

 (a prelude and two numbers within the body of the Sunday morning meeting),

for our next Stake Conference on April 24.

Since we have lived in St. George, we moved here twelve years ago,

our stake has never had a ward or branch choir provide the music; 

it is always done by a stake choir. 

Yikes!

Our name partially explains what we do:

We have a core choir who rehearse with us previous to our performances, 

then we invite visitors to come up before our performances, bring their hymnals, 

take a music "map" at the front,

and join the section (bass, tenor, alto, soprano) they sing.

But through the eight years I have been conducting this choir, our core group has grown. 

We rarely have fewer than 20 core members come to rehearsal, usually we have over 30, 

and there are just barely 200 members in our branch.

But, even then, it's amazing how the visitors add to our sound.

The Lord must really want this music in his Sacrament meetings,

 because he sends his Spirit 

in abundance every time.

But this INSTA-CHOIR concept won't work in a Stake Conference setting.

Our stake has eight wards and one branch and the Sunday morning meeting is held in two buildings -

the Stake Center and another ward building to contain the hundreds of people -

 and is televised into the second one. 

So, I was understandably apprehensive when I asked my wonderful core members, 

who were at rehearsal Sunday for our upcoming performance on February 14,

"By a show of hands, who already knows that you won't be in town  to sing in our Stake Conference on April 24?"

Then I immediately put my arm over my eyes, saying,

"I can't look!"

Only one man raised his hand.

He is the techie expert for the stake and he doesn't know to which building he will be assigned.

I told him that I would be sure to talk to the Stake Presidency 

about him being assigned to the Stake Center so he can sing with us!

I jokingly told all of them to just pretend that they are each assigned to give a talk in conference, 

so they will sure to be in town that weekend!

The Stake Presidency felt inspired to call us to this task, 

so I will just go forth in faith, 

believing that we will have a full, glorious choir!

More Memories in Mesa

JANUARY, 2016

Isn't life all about contrasts?

January puts on the brakes to life, at least in our experience.

There is a new normal that emerges, after the breakneck speed of the holidays.

And, isn't that good, to get a breather after so much celebrating?

Our January was spent catching up, cleaning up and hunkering down.

Roger and I were both busy with church activities.

Roger taught Priesthood for Branch Conference 

and I led the INSTA-CHOIR in, "The Lord Is My Shepherd."

We enjoyed each week of Brickey's D & C classes and have gotten together with friends for lunches and dinners. 

I enjoyed volunteering at the Chamber of Commerce this month, but am sad that my long-time volunteer partner, Bob, retired from the Chamber. 
With concerns about his eyesight, he isn't going to drive anymore.
In the day, he was an editor at the Salt Lake News Tribune, an avid hiker 
and he knows every nook and cranny in these parts. 
He is a Catholic with 13 children, a voracious reader and he has a quick wit 
that reminds me of my dad.
We had lots of lively and interesting discussions 
and I will miss him!

Mid-January we headed back to Mesa for our grandson, Ben's, ordination to the Priesthood.

When a boy turns twelve, it's good reason to celebrate!

We arrived in Mesa Friday night, cheered loud at Pete's high school basketball game,

then Roger and Ryan's family got up early to run.

All of their family had signed up for, "The Running with the Bulls,"

a fundraiser for their high school 

and is a 5k or a 10k run for all categorized ages.

Emily signed Roger up for the 10k in the 70's category.

He had gotten wind of it a couple of weeks before, but thought it was a 5k, which would be no big deal for him 

because he runs 3 miles almost every morning.

Hooray for the Mountain View Bulls!

Roger placed 2nd in the 10k in his age category!

Ryan placed 7th in the 10k in his age category . . . 

. . . Anna placed 2nd in the 10k in her category 

and Emily placed 2nd in the 10k in Women Over All!

The only woman that beat her runs on the high school track team!

Peter had to hurry off to basketball practice, 

but he placed 5th in the 10k in his age category. 

They all did awesome!

I just went on my usual walk that morning,

as my running days are long over,

but I am so proud of all of them!

As a huge treat for Ben's birthday,

Ryan and Emily took the two sets of grandparents, Ben and Peter to dinner at a wonderful restaurant.

Mastro's has a restaurant, Oceans, in Vegas, where Roger and I have celebrated a couple of times.

We all enjoyed a delicious gourmet meal including different steaks, Chilean sea bass, rack of lamb and amazing sides, which included lobster gnocchi.

They brought Ben this wonderful dessert.

The lucky diners from Ryan's family

The lucky grandparents

After we got back from dinner, Ben had a birthday party at their home with his friends.

One of the Bishop's counselors came over after the block meetings on Sunday 
and Ryan ordained Ben to the Priesthood. 

The Youngs and the Gilbert grandparents came for this special occasion.

Father and son

 Son and mom

Ben with best (and only) bro, Pete

What a wonderful family they are!

Proud grandparents - 

Ben with Grandma Pam and Grandpa Roger . . . 

. . . and Grandma Susan and Grandpa Paul

Emily and Ryan prepared a tasty grilled chicken dinner for us and the Youngs that evening.

Monday, as we were pulling out of their driveway,

I spied these little cuties playing in the sand with their Fairy House they "built."

What creative imaginations they have!

Oh, to be a little girl again!

Granddaughters Becca and Sarah Kate with their friend, Addie

Stacy treated us to lunch at hers and Tom's favorite sushi place

and it was amazing! 

We hopefully will be going back there 

on the next memory-making trip to Mesa!

After lunch, we hit the road for home.

Our car seems to have a magnet that pulls us to Mesa!