1st Anniversary!!!

So one year ago, on September 25, 2009, I married my true love and best friend Jordan.  It was one of, if not THE, happiest days of my life and I am grateful every day that I was blessed with such an amazing husband.  Seriously, he is the perfect man for me and I can't BELIEVE how lucky I am to be married to him and that he chose me!! If I'm ever feeling down about myself, I just have to remember that Jordan chose me and I feel instantly better.  :)

So, Jordan had been planning a surprise trip for our first anniversary since mid-June.  He really likes surprising me and he's really good at it.  I also like being surprised with this sort of thing, so it works out.  The one hard part is packing.  He gave me guidelines, but inevitably, I packed way more than I needed to so that I would have options once I got to wherever I was going.  We were leaving on Friday, and the Thursday before, we were over at Nathan and Nikki's house for a viewing of the 5th Harry Potter movie before our trip.  Nikki also had a surprise trip that Nathan was planning for her on the same weekend (fishy...but Jordan had given me all the details on her surprise trip to Sedona so I believed it was just a coincidence...silly me).  Anyway, before we watched the movie, the boys went upstairs for awhile and when they came back they gave us both bags full of clues to where we were going.  In mine were disney princess bouncy balls and other disney paraphernalia.  DISNEYLAND!!! I screamed and jumped into Jord's arms and a kissfest ensued for a minute or so.  i LOVE disneyland and I've joked with Jordan that he wouldn't really know me until we had done disneyland together cause I get so giddy and excited there.  After my reveal, Nikki opened her bag.  It was full of the same stuff!! The boys had successfully duped us into believing that we were going on separate surprise trips when we were really both going to Disneyland!! After a lot of screaming and jumping up and down and laughing, we calmed down enough to enjoy some Potter action.

The next morning, Jord and I drove to California and hit Dland ourselves.  (nathan and nikki were so cool and nice to let us have some alone time on our anniversary trip as well as some slammin' fab four time).  We hit up a ton of rides and then did dinner with Nathan and Nikki at California Pizza Kitchen.

Jordan on our first entrance to D-Land, just in time for the parade!

The next day (our actual anniversary) was amazing.  We both got free Happy Anniversary pins, ensuring that the workers and characters would say Happy Anniversary to us all weekend (if you don't feel like a VIP after that, then you have no imagination).  Together with Nathan and Nikki, we blew through almost every ride at least twice--it was a record breaking heat weekend in Anaheim, so very few people were there (you know, for disneyland).  It was SO MUCH FUN!!  Group faves were Hollywood Tower of Terror (HTOT), Thunder Mountain RR (BTMRR), and Pirates.  But all were enjoyed.  It was Halloween Time in the park, so there were pumpkins everywhere, which just made it better.  Here are some fave pics from Saturday:

Jordan, Nathan, and Nicole

Yeah...we got wet on Splash Mountain

The Fab Four

This was taken at the time we were married on our anniversary!

On California Screamin' for the 2nd time in a row out of 3

That night we also watched the fireworks show (yep, I cried when Julie Andrews said, "And remember....dreams come true!"..it was my anniversary for cripes sake!!), and Fantasmic (yeah, I cried again--that pirate ship is so much fun I can't not cry).  Our bodies felt "punished" (jord's word) and so we slept in on Sunday.  

Sunday was "our" day.  We took it to ourselves.  We hit up a sacrament meeting close by and then napped.  We did all the low key attratctions--like the train and Small world and then had a nice dinner in Downtown Disney at Naples.  It was delicious, romantic, and perfect.  I love him so much.

Monday, we hit the park hard again.  By the end of the day, we couldn't think of anything to go on that we hadn't been on at least 2 or 3 times.  Or more.  Lets just say that the 113 degree heat gave us an advantage (depending on who you ask....the frozen lemonade saved our lives that day).  More pics, you ask?  No problem.

Obligatory jumping disneyland picture

NO HANDS on HTOT--try it before you knock it

yeah...we were scared

somebody get this man a corndog!!

Nathan, Nikki, and Jordan before World of Color

So after we did some souvenir shopping, we headed over to California adventure for dinner and to get our spot for the new show, World of Color.  IT was incredible.  Nikki has the good pictures from the show, so be ready for more pics when we share or she posts about it and I direct you there.  Both of us were crying (nikki and i--not Jord and I haha) because it was so amazing.  Sigh.  Disney magic again.  Seriously, its one of the only places in the world that I have found that completely relaxes my mind.  I am not worried about anything else--not bills, housing, dental appointments, or working out.  I am just happy and living in the moment.  While this happens to me everytime i get to go there, this time it was even better, because I was sharing it with Jordan, one year after we promised to belong to one another forever.  Now, if that isn't a dream come true, I don't know what is.  

Thank you and happy anniversary, sweetheart. 

the ariZoni awards

Okay, so about a week after my birthday, the ariZoni's were taking place in AZ.  The Zoni's are the az theatre scene's version of Broadway's Tony Awards.  (For my take on this last years Tony's...see here).

It's pretty much an excuse to dress up really fancy, and see all of your theatre friends in one place.  The way it works is there is a board who split up and go see all the shows that are registered.  The shows are scored for everything imaginable...from best overall production to best hair and make-up design and everything in between.  There are tons of categories and its an honor to be nominated for one.

This year I got nominated for my first Zoni award for Best Actress in a Contracted Musical--The Light in the Piazza.  That was a pretty big deal for me because I loved that show, that role, and worked REALLY hard on it.   In addition to my nomination, the show was nominated for EVERY OTHER CATEGORY, except costumes (we rented them from the broadway tour) and choreography (there was no dancing).  So pretty much, we (the cast and crew) were really proud and excited about it.

"The Beauty Is"- Me and Nick Cartell

So on September 20, Jordan and I dressed up and went to the awards show.  I didn't win for best actress, but my amazing friend and costar in Piazza Jeannie Shubitz did (for another role she did this year).  She was incredible in Piazza and deserved to be recognized.  I was a little sad I didn't win, but really, really happy that Piazza did so well and that I got to dress up and be there to see it succeed.    Here is what the show won:

"Say it Somehow"-- Nick Cartell and I 

Best Supporting Actress: Janine Smith

Best Musical Direction: Alan Ruch

Best Scenic Design: Robert Kovach

Best Lighting Design: Michael Eddy

Best Sound Design: David Temby

Best Actor: Nick Cartell

Best Director: Karla Koskinen

Jeannie Shubitz and I

AND it won for BEST OVERALL MUSICAL PRODUCTION!!!!! Yay!!!!!!

Congrats to everyone who won a zoni and to everyone who was nominated!! So exciting!

24

Hello everyone!! I have tons to catch up on--but I need to go in order or else I won't go back.

So my 24th birthday was on September 14th.  It fell on a Tuesday, but I saw my family a few days before on the closing of Music Man.  A little known (okay, a really well known) fact about me is that I LOVE pie.  Pretty much any kind, but one of my very favorites is deep dish pumpkin--which my mom happens to make really well.  So every year, I get a  birthday pie instead of cake from her.  How awesome is that? After some fun autumn/halloween inspired gifts from my family we enjoyed the pie and homemade ice cream.  Rad.

Tuesday, Jord and I were back in Las Vegas, and I woke up to my adorable husband jumping on the bed yelling HAPPY BIRTHDAY and smiling at me like a two year old.  :)  He bought me a gorgeous crystal necklace, a kohl's gift card, and a beautiful card that made me tear up--like all his cards do.  Later that night, he took me to Buca de Beppo for dinner.  Our friend Nathan joined us for delicious food (his awesome wife Nikki was out of town--but i enjoyed my itunes gift card from them the next day) and I got free brownie deliciousness cause it was my bday.  Then we went back home and Jord served me my chocolate birthday cake that he had made himself and served it with my favorite- butter pecan ice cream!!  It was an awesome day!!!

I still feel young enough to enjoy my birthdays so hooray for turning 24!!  BTW it only occurred to me at the end of the day that I should have had a Jack Bauer themed party.  Dang.   Thanks to everyone for making my bday awesome!!

Who do you think you are, Gordon Ramsey???

Okay--I am inspired to write this as I sit here, on my couch, watching the series premiere of Hell's Kitchen with my husband.  Neither of us have ever seen this show and I have to say, I am APPALLED at the way Gordon Ramsey is behaving as I sit here.  We did watch Master Chef recently, and he didn't seem that mean.  I understand that this is a tv show, and for "entertainment value" is has been decided that Ramsey will act as Satan of the kitchen and it is his job to induce mayhem, stress, anxiety, and, in my case, hatred.  I am beginning to hate this man.  Or at least his "character" on this show.  The thing is, he is playing himself.  Does he really not care how he treats people?????  I understand that these chefs are held to a higher standard because they are professionals, and that he is responsible for judging harshly and keeping it dramatic.  But there is no reason, NEVER a reason to repeatedly tell someone to  "------ off, you -----er" (use your imagination).  In the first hour of this 2 hour premiere, I have heard the f-word bleeped out at least 25 times (and that is an estimate from Jordan).

Now, I am a theatre girl.  I hear language.  I even, regrettably, occasionally use language (though never the f-word...i HATE it).  But NO ONE is so above everyone else, so much better than everyone that they have the right to speak to another human being the way that he does.  There are people that use the f-word casually, and then there is Gordon Ramsey.  He uses it as a weapon.  Ugh. I am so disgusted by his behavior towards other people.  It makes me uncomfortable.  I would not put up with that at all.  No one talks to me like that and I wouldn't want to be on that show cause I would feel like speaking up for my teammates when he yelled in their faces.  

Ramsey doesn't just insult people's food and work in the kitchen.  He insults their appearance, there breathing, their clothing, and even their eyebrows.  Its childish, and frankly, ridiculous.

Sigh.  I'm not even on the show, but I feel stressed.  I feel insulted.  I feel like crying, and I feel like kicking Gordon Ramsey in the face.  Next time, I'll just watch the Barefoot Contessa.

Why the Animal Kingdom and I Don't Get Along

So this may end up being a little long, but it includes a couple of stories- and a recap of the summer.

When my incredibly awesome family came to visit Jordan and I in Logan, I was uber excited, because I was going to get to see my brother Ryan, who has been on the mission for two years.  Because there were 8 of us in a group all together, there was no way we were all going to get to do what everyone wanted, so we tried to give everyone the opportunity to do at least one thing they really wanted to do.  Well, hiking up to the wind caves in Logan canyon was on the list for my mom.  So, we went hiking.  I am not a big outside person, but I love the view from the top, so you gotta work to get there sometimes.

Well, on the hike I somehow ended up at the front of the pack--probably more due to my excitement to get to the top more than my athletic hiking ability.  About halfway up, I started to walk around a switchback, and heard the LOUDEST RATTLING EVER.  Now, being a good arizonan and girls camp attendee in my youth, I immediately recognized this sound as a freaking rattlesnake.  I quickly looked around to see if I could see it and it was about 4 inches from my left foot on a rock, coiled, and ready to make my life a living....well, you know.  I froze, took two steps back and then prepared to run all the way down the mountain.  I stopped when I found my brother and Jordan and told them all about it.  They were a little skeptical, but went to check things out for me.  As they were about to say, "Are you sure..." it started rattling away again.  They took a video and pics (as you can see) and then, after it had slithered away, guarded the way as we made our way to the top.  Ugh!!

Once we got past the snake, though, the view was amazing.  Plus I got major points for being so brave. :)

Story 2

So after we got back from UFOC, and back to our apartment in Vegas, everything in our apt was in pretty fabulous shape, thanks to our friends Nathan and Nikki for checking it out while we were gone.  We did however, have a small roach and ant problem.  At first, they were all dead and so I put my brave hat back on to vacuum all those suckers out of my kitchen cupboards before I cooked anything.  I was on high alert for the better part of an hour, but despite the inherent ickyness of cleaning up dead roaches, I was doing fine.  I got to the very last and highest cupboard--which had nothing in it for the whole time we lived there, but I figured that I'd check it in the name of being thorough.  Mistake.  I found the freaking nest.  As soon as I opened that thing, they went crazy and scurried INTO THE WALLS and effectively made me lose my grip on reality.  I started screaming and shaking and having a "major wiggins."  Who am I??? I am NOT one of those wussy girls.  See Story 1!  I didn't even cry when that rattlesnake showed up--and it is actually dangerous.  Apparently I only lose it when it comes to roaches.  Anyway, my adoring husband came to my rescue.  He wrapped his arms around my entire body and arms by my ribs (I was standing on a chair) and picked me up like I was a pencil and transported me to the couch--all the while I was a crying mess.  He held me for about 10 minutes while I let myself lose it completely, and then donned the appropriate roach battling armor and took care of business.  :)

Story 3

Fast forward to this last weekend.  After a 3 week rehearsal process, I had made it to opening night of The Music Man with the Phoenix Symphony at Symphony Hall.  I was super excited to be performing with this amazing orchestra and in an amazing venue.  My character, Marian the Librarian, doesn't actually come onstage for about 15 minutes into the show, so imagine my surprise when I came onstage and I saw something flying around our heads out of the corner of my eye.  I thought-- maybe its a moth catching the stage lights.  Maybe its a bird!  That would be wacky, but not unheard of.  No.  It was a FREAKING BAT.  As in dracula.  a BAT.

So yeah.  I don't know if it was the stage lights, my teased hair, or the obscene amount of hairspray in my hair, but it seemed especially interested in me, as it proceeded to swoop around me on and off for the entirety of the 1st act.  I was able to keep my composure (though if it had landed on me, I would have gone insane on that thing) somehow, but I was glad when my new friend decided not to show up for act 2.  I may have been imagining it, but I think I got an even bigger round of applause at the end because the audience could tell that in addition to my performance that night, I was also trying to prevent myself from becoming the next feature news story on youtube.  My family celebrated my birthday a few days after that and reproduced the scene for me:

Need I say more about why I never wanted to be a vet???