An Evening with Marvin Hamlisch, Linda Eder and Stephen Stanfield!

For my birthday, my good friend Stephen called and reserved me for June 27 (two weeks after my birthday) for a surprise. Since he called so far in advance I was available. Then because Stephen's great and can't keep a surprise from me he told me that he got tickets for us to the Columbus Symphony Orchestra Picnic with the Pops. I was just excited for that, but when he said Linda Eder was coming, I about DIED! I was so shocked and so excited. Several years ago, I got the soundtrack to The Scarlet Pimpernel with Linda Eder and have loved her ever since. We got a picnic dinner and just enjoyed a beautiful evening on the lawn, listening to fabulous music.

Stephen and me before the concert started on my awesome picnic quilt I make. Gotta love all those bright summer colors.
Our view from our blanket. It was great!
Me with my playbill. Marvin Hamlisch and Linda Eder.
The Great Marvin Hamlisch...did you know that he has 3 Oscars, 4 Grammys, 4 Emmys, 1 Tony and 3 Golden Globes?!
The beautiful and very talented Linda Eder.
One more shot. I need to work on taking night pictures. Thanks for the awesome evening and being such a great friend, Stephen!

Let's go Jackets!

So the Blue Jackets have made it in to the Stanley Cup 2009 Playoffs. Ever since Columbus got a national hockey league team (2000), I have been a fan. A lot of people are surprised about my love of the game, but it's probably my favorite sport to watch. My friend Gary and I made a deal this year to go to a game each month and we did it! Here are a couple reason why I love the CBJ!
My new "boyfriend", Antoine Vermette. We got him in the middle of the season and he's amazing! Not to mention hot.

The fights!


Or maybe it's our cute, little, puck stopping goalie, Steve Mason who is only 19.

The Hills Are Alive!

So back in January a couple friends from my ward called and asked me if I want to go with them to Germany for Spring Break. After I learned the price of the plane ticket ($503), I said, "Of course!" Since I have been to Germany before I really wanted to go south to Bavaria to see my castle "Neuschwanstein" (Neuenswander -- it's close, right?!) And since it's so close to the Austrian boarder head over to Salzburg to see where some of the Sound of Music was filmed. Unfortunately (or fortunately) the travel bug has hit me again and I'm ready to travel the world.

So here's my castle. We walked straight up the mountain to get there. It was absolutely breathtaking inside. King Ludwig II had an incredible imagination to imagine such a fairytale of a place. It's easy to understand why girls would want to be princesses if they got to live in such a grand palace.
This is on top of Mt. Zugspite - the highest peak in Germany. We took a tram up and had an amazing view of the Alps. Unfortunately it was cold and windy, but well worth the trip up. The ski slopes were calling out to me.
Candace and me with the Sound of Music cow before the tour started.The house that was used for the front of the von Trapp villa. You see Maria stop at the gate while singing "I Have Confidence" and Captain von Trapp pull down the Nazi flag after the honeymoon as well.
Here's the chapel that Maria and Captain von Trapp where married in the film. In the movie they make it seem like they get married in Nonnburg Abbey, where the real Maria and Captain von Trapp were married, but in reality it was in another church about 30 km outside of Salzburg.
Mirabell Gardens where a lot of Do-Re-Mi was filmed. Let's just say I did a little bit of singing while here...
This is the last picture we took on our trip. I had so much fun! Thanks for inviting me, Kate and Candace!