a night at the symphony

On Saturday I performed with the Salt Lake Symphony at Libby Gardner Hall.  I played first harp on the Rumanian Rhapsody by Enesco and the Bartok Concerto for Orchestra.  I had played the Bartok before but   I had to combine both of the difficult harp parts and I was a freshman and the conductor was a jerk and made me cry it wasn't the greatest experience.

The performance on Saturday was fantastic.  I get such a rush from being on stage performing but I also feel confident in my playing and just so intensely focused in the moment.  While I do enjoy performing by myself, there's something surreal about being part of an ensemble/symphony etc.  Even the parts when I'm not playing, I love just sitting there and soaking it all in.  And it's the best feeling afterwards - when you know you played your best!  Here's a shout out to my parents and my handsome husband who are my biggest supporters!  After the concert we went and got frosties. :)

Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and cannot remain silent. - Victor Hugo

weekend in review

We had a great weekend!  It started off right on Thursday night in the temple.  Dustin's sister Korinne went through the temple for the first time, in preparation for her mission.  Always a sweet and tender experience being there with family when someone is going through the first time.  She leaves June 5th for Spokane, WA!  

I love love love this temple.  

Friday night for our date night we got Cafe Rio salads and then came home and watched a few episodes of the show "Revenge".  We just started watching season 1 on Netflix and are hooked!!

Saturday we prepared an Argentine feast at the Harper's home!

Getting our supplies at the Argentine market.  Yummm dulce de leche.

We made milanesa (breaded & fried steak/pork), empanadas (the little meat pies), and noquis (gnocci in italian, potato pasta).  Everything was muy sabroso!  Dustin had to wear his Argentina jersey of course!

Hannah and I made Alfajores - a traditional Argentine cookie with dulce de leche in the middle.

a farewell and a funeral

Last week was a pretty crazy one for us.  My sister Shayna left on her mission to Kyiv, Ukraine!  She gave a  thoughtfully composed talk about prayer and I especially loved her sweet testimony of the gospel and why she had decided to serve a mission.  And she was wearing the cutest dress!

I ditched out of my symphony rehearsal early Tuesday night to be there for her setting apart and say goodbye.  It was funny because my mom, Shayna, and I were just sitting at the kitchen table talking and then I told them I should get going since it was late.  I said bye like it was no big deal and started walking to the door. Then I realized "oh yeah, you're saying bye for 18 months!"  So after 20 more minutes, seven more "byes", and a few hugs, I left for real.  It's really bizarre just saying goodbye to someone for a long time.  Like a hug and a goodbye doesn't do justice to how much bigger than that it feels.

I've already had a brother serve a mission, and no offense to him, but I feel like I will miss my sister a little more!  She is my only sister after all, and the one that I am constantly texting for fashion advice, life advice, funny cat photos, snap chats, etc.  I will miss her dearly but know she will be an amazing missionary in Ukraine!  She is one tough cookie and excels in anything she tries so I know this will be no different.

A few days later, we had a funeral service for Dustin's Grandma Harper.  She was 93!  I would love to live to at least 90!  Unfortunately, the last five years of her life she had been living in a rest home, suffering from dementia and other illnesses.  While it's always hard to lose a loved one, it was bittersweet for the whole family.  Everyone was glad that she could finally be freed from her frail body and move on to be with her sweetheart who died 11 years ago.  

They just had a small graveside service and it was lovely.  The weather was perfect and the cemetery was located on a hill in Provo which overlooked the entire valley.  Each of the children (including Dustin's dad) shared some favorite memories of her, the grandkids sang "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" and I played two pieces on the harp - "Over the Rainbow" and "O My Father" (which was her favorite hymn).  After we had a luncheon with the family at Dustin's aunt's home.  I only met Grandma Harper a few times and even though she didn't really know me, or remember me - she always touched me with her sweet smile and her loving spirit.  One of my favorite things shared about her was that her favorite holiday was April Fool's and she always played the best tricks on everyone in the family!  

A picture of us on Easter Sunday.  I am so deeply grateful for our savior Jesus Christ, and his atonement and what it means for our family.  Funerals are a little easier knowing that you will get to be with your loved ones again someday!

good news

The police found Dustin's car yesterday!

They found it parked on the street, only 8 blocks from where we live! And it was basically in perfect condition!  Just a few random things were taken, and one of the windows was left open so the seats were wet.  We are just so so thrilled to have it back.  Thank you for all the kind words and sympathy shared.

And now I'm sharing a few happy hopeful spring pictures, as I sit and watch the snow come down outside my window.

wing back chair

We have this wing back chair that has been sitting in our extra bedroom for a few months now.  I'd like to move it to the living room but first I need to reupholster it.  The chair is in excellent condition and the fabric is in great shape too but it's a weird mauve/pink color that doesn't go with anything we have and Dustin hates it.  I'm trying to decide what look I want to go for and I think it would be fun to have it be a statement chair with a fun print or color.  Here are some of my inspirations so far...let me know what you think!

bold chevron
this is basically the same shape of the chair I have

I like this smaller chevon print

a fun yellow floral

yellow chevron

solid teal

houndstooth

flamboyant print. this might be a little too cray cray for me.

neutral ikat

zebra

the latest and greatest, and not so greatest...

Here's a quick recap of what we've been up to lately!  Just enjoying life as usual, all of the great and not-so-great moments...we'll get to that later.  Oh and did I mention that we are going to Corpus Christi again this summer?  Another Vivint summer in Texas!  It would have been cool to go somewhere else but I really enjoyed south Texas and we are happy about our decision to go back.  Also, my brother Trevor and Dustin's brother Stephen are coming along to sell!  It's gonna be a par-tay!

My little cousin Max was baptized!  Eight is great!  

After the baptism, we headed over to another harp recital.  My students got to participate in another studio's recital.  Sadly, I didn't get any pics but they played beautifully!  My four year old student played Mary Had a Little Lamb and looked oh so adorable in her pink tutu dress.

We finally made it to Scheel's! 

Watch Kitty.

The other day when I pulled up to my parent's house, this is what I saw.  

Our good friends Katie & Jason (who set us up on our blind date, and thus we owe them forever).  Katie threw Jason a surprise birthday party last week.  I love surprise parties!  Happy 24 Jason! 

Shayna and Tanner picked me up from work last week to take me out to lunch!  Yum, fish tacos.  I'm sorry Tanner but if you're gonna make a face like that, you can't expect it not to show up on the internet.

Sister bonding time.  Shayna and I had a craft day while Dustin was out selling.  Who knew celery was so beautiful?

We also had a not-so-great moment last week when Dustin's car was stolen.  Yes, STOLEN!!  It was parked on the street, locked, and the next morning it was GONE.  Such an awful awful feeling!  Even thinking about it now, I just feel sick.  It makes you feel so violated, you know?  Luckily there was nothing valuable in it, although he had a nice stereo system.  We filed a police report and Dustin thinks that it won't turn up, but I am just crossing my fingers and praying that it will show up!  Even if the stereo is ripped out, it would just be nice to have the car back.  Dustin has never not had a car, and I think it is driving him even more crazy than me.  I think it maybe has something to do with his man ego.  

So for now, we are experiencing the one-car life.  We have always had two cars, and even though we both live close to school and work it is kind of a pain and pretty annoying.  We have to go through this talk every day where we have to figure out who needs to be where, when and who needs the car, etc.  I'm still hoping that the car will turn up, but if not we will just make it work until we leave for the summer, and then re-evaluate and possibly buy a car after the summer.  

Anyway - to end a happy note - this week is spring break for Dustin!  I still have to work but it means that we can play every night and stay up late watching movies and he doesn't have to worry about doing homework.  Also, I made these yummy lemon cookies last night.  

that one time we went to vegas

Last weekend we took a spur-of-the-moment road trip to Las Vegas!  Dustin had been thinking about going down there for the Linkin Park concert, but hadn't really made any plans.  The day before the concert we decided to go!  We bought our tickets (probably the very last 2 tickets available - we were in the 2nd to back row of the hall haha), found a hotel, and left Saturday morning!

We absolutely love taking road trips together.  When we were dating, we made the trip home from Oklahoma to Utah.  I believe that is seriously a legit test when you're dating someone and considering spending the rest of your life with them.  If you can stand to be with one person in a car for 18+ hours, then you must really like each other a lot.  Dustin always drives, we jam to music, talk about everything and anything, sometimes I take little naps, and we only stop for gas and food but then eat in the car.  I keep him awake by feeding him snacks, changing the music, and sometimes giving him kisses on his cheek and ear.

Anyway, we got to Vegas around 3pm - checked into our hotel, took a dip in the outdoor pool and hot tub (it was 70 degrees there!), then took the free hotel shuttle over to the strip.  We walked along the strip and hit up M&M world, watched the Bellagio fountains - my fave!, ate overpriced pizza, and did a lot of people watching.

The concert was at Planet Hollywood and they didn't have an opening band.  They were so good live!  Dustin is a huge Linkin Park fan, and I like most of their music.  Luckily they only played a few super scream-o songs haha.  I still had fun rocking out though!  It was our first concert together too!  Dustin knew every single word to every single song and was singing the whole time.  He still surprises me.  Even songs that I listen to all the time - I don't know every word!

After the concert, we walked all the way back to Mandalay Bay to catch our shuttle back to the hotel.  Our legs were sore.  And the next day we slept in, hit up the continental breakfast, and drove home!

Such a fun romantic weekend getaway with my hubby!

When we were going through security before the concert, they almost took away my M&M's because they said no outside food bla bla bla.  But one of the security guards liked me so he said we could keep them if we shoved them inside Dustin's pocket.  Good thing boys have big pockets in their jeans, and good thing we only bought a 1/2 lb haha.  :)