Aunt Traci is having a moment

 Well, it doesn't get any cuter than that. 

 Except for maybe this one, with Carly's little hand on Ethan's tummy. 

Is It March Already?

Umm... Dr. Seuss's Birthday may be my new favorite. Look how cute these three are with their hats and their little noses.

And look how cute these two (we two?) are at the Tabernacle Choir Concert. I had a great weekend with my Sara. We went to Zao's with my book club - who now all love Sara more than me, I'm just saying - sat on my couch and ate cookies, had scones with my family, and explored City Creek before the MoTab concert. It was so fun to have her here.

Sara also got to meet this little guy and I was kind enough to let her hold him. For a moment.

Annie's Birthday. We love and miss you, sweet Annie. I'm also excited because my flight has been booked for early May so I can go see these guys in person. It will be warm in Wisconsin by May, right?

On Saturday, Tricia and I went somewhere that was not necessarily warm but was a ton of fun - Park City. We did the alpine coaster (which is my favorite thing up at Park City Mountain Resort besides the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory) and also the zip line. The zip line is a little weak sauce - you sit in chairs instead of being tied into a harness - but it would be great for kids. And grown-ups who hadn't experienced real zip lining in the jungles of Honduras, like Biz and I have. Sigh. We really need to go on another cruise.

Raced back from Park City to go swimming with these cute girls. I'm convinced they get cuter every single day.

As does this little man. And his auntie. And that, my friends, should get us caught up for now.

Birthday Buddy

Tay and Heather got me the best birthday present ever this year - a new nephew and birthday buddy, Ethan Spencer Thomas. Even though I was not-so-secretly voting for the name Spencer Monson Thomas (cute and clever, I thought), Baby Ethan is a sweetheart and very much an Ethan. Well done, Tay and Heather.

 

Luckily, I was smart and had Jason take me to dinner for Valentines/my birthday the week BEFORE my birthday - way less crowded and fewer cute nephews being born. I very much enjoyed our dinner at Saffron Valley. It was Jason's first experience with Indian food - and I certainly hope it won't be his last.

Birthday Countdown is On

"The man whose greatest weakness is love is the strongest man in the world."

Saturday is a Special Day

Dishes washed. Bills paid. Floors swept. Been to the post office and the pharmacy. Bought gas. Last load of laundry in the dryer. Am sitting in my reading chair with my iPad and a book by Maya Angelou. Whatever happens the rest of today, my Saturday morning has been a success.

The Jury Is Out On This Week

At the risk of sounding negative, let me just say that January has had its share of small disasters. For Exhibit A, I present this picture from last Saturday: 

At first glance, you may see two young girls enjoying a quiet Saturday with their aunt. You would be wrong. What began innocently enough became a disaster zone when the smoke detectors in my apartment malfunctioned and all went off at the same time. For what seemed like hours. While the girls screamed, I tried to get them to let me put them down so I could take the batteries out of the detectors, then I gave up and took all of us outside in our bare feet until I could find a neighbor to help us. The beeping, the screaming, the hypothermia, the ringing ears for the next 24 hours - I was in classic meltdown mode.

For Exhibit B, I draw your attention to this gem of a photo:

I wish I could blame the fact that I wore two different shoes to church the next day on my ringing ears. But I think it was my eyes and my feet that had the problem. At least I didn't have stake visitors in my primary class while I unknowingly taught a lesson in mis-matched shoes. Oh wait - I did.

But never fear. January has had some better moments. Like Neil Diamond's birthday. I took the opportunity to decorate my cubie and bring peanut butter bars to work. A full day of watching people try to figure out why I have Neil Diamond albums displayed at my desk and just how crazy that must make me - is always a good time.

My other favorite moment of the week is courtesy of Comic Con. I love walking around downtown dressed as a "boring employee of the LDS Church" while everyone else is dressed as Superman in a kilt or an inappropriate gladiator. I feel blissfully out of place in the Comic Con crowd and I love that. So at least something is going right for me.

Let's Talk About 2014

2014 is certain to go down in history as the year I brought Neil Diamond's Birthday Celebration to the Church Office Building. And sat on the front row of a Celine Dion concert in Vegas. And had a boyfriend. Which is why I never make New Year's Resolutions. I never could have predicted any of these strange happenings. It's much better to use the new year as a time to look back on the past 365 days and reflect on the things I didn't see coming but am grateful to have experienced than it would be to set unrealistic goals for the future. Right? Right? Of course right.

2014 Resolution #1: Speak at LDS General Conference

Just kidding. But I did introduce several speakers at the Church's annual safety conference. And my boss took the opportunity to snap this candid photo, which became one of my all-time favorites, particularly after my brother Taylor enhanced it like this:

2014 was my first full year as an employee of LDS Risk Management. I learned that when a stake president calls and says, "I have kind of a unique situation and I don't know if I'm in the right place," that Risk Management is ALWAYS the right place. I cried when we lost Boy Scouts and laughed when a Young Womens President wanted to know if she could do Girls Camp on a cruise to Cancun. I got angry when children were hurt and found some solace in being able to offer help. I served homemade glittery, diamond-shaped sugar cookies and played Neil Diamond trivia with a bunch of old guys in white shirts and ties in the conference room. I volunteered with United Way when my work gave me the opportunity. And I tried to follow the counsel of President Gordon B. Hinckley to "simply do what you can do in the best way you know."

 

2014 Resolution #2: Sit on the Front Row of a Celine Dion Concert at Caesar's Palace





 I can't tell you how satisfying it is to check this one off the list.

Biz and I were beyond lucky to be called from our seats in the balcony (where we were so excited to be!) to two empty seats on The Front Row. It was us, the security guard, and then our friend Celine. Best night ever.

2014 Resolution #3: Continue to Serve as Favorite Aunt Traci
Check.

 Easter Tea

 Boise River

 Rice Krispy Pumpkins

 Yellowstone!

 Polka Dot Cuteness

Halloweeners

 

2014 Resolution #4: Become an Online Dating Success Story

I defy any dating website to come up with better pictures than these for their home page.

 

 

 

 

Bonus points for Temple Square. But you get the idea....

In 2014, I validated my theory that online dating is actually a decent way for normal, busy people over the age of 22 to meet other normal, busy people over the age of 22. (This has been my theory for quite some time but I didn't have any concrete proof until now.) You have to be smart and you have to be careful. But you can meet someone wonderful and build an 8-months-and-counting relationship with someone who just plain makes your life better. I'm grateful for late night texting and concerts and road trips and flowers and lots of fun times. My relationship with Jason and his cute kids is definitely my most notable accomplishment this year.

2014 Resolution #5: Live in the Joy of Annie

This year I experienced a beautiful little miracle named Annie. How grateful I was to spend ten inspirational days with my dear niece.

Her Mom and Dad got to bring her home and take family pictures all together. We got to hold her and cherish her and hold her some more.

I played the piano at her funeral service and, later in the year, at her brother Tyler's baptism. Which seems fitting.

  

 

As always, in 2014 I enjoyed spending time with my forever family. We were able to attend the temple together in November and what a great day that was.

 

 

 

Finally, in 2014 I tried to keep the attention of the 9 year olds in my Primary class long enough to remind them each week that their Heavenly Father loves them and they need to make good decisions so they can do all the good things He wants them to do. (I did not always succeed.) And I tried to make good decisions myself so I can do the good things He wants me to do. (Again, I did not always succeed.) But here's to 2015.