Peruvian Adventures

I just returned from 11 days in Peru. It was trip full of majestic views, gourmet food, loads of laughter, panting (out of breath) hikes, and all modes of transportation.
I can't believe it's already over.



Me, Tara, Amber, Amanda, and Kimberly in the Sacred Valley.




You don't even know how much I LOVED holding this little guy. It was only 4 days old. It was the cutest thing I've ever seen. I almost cried. (I 'm not kidding.)



I still am not 100% sure- I think this is a baby llama, not a alpaca.




Kimberly, Tara, Amanda, and I glamming (or hamming) it up in the main square in Cusco, Peru.
In actuality, there was a real photo shoot with models going on at the same time. (Some of us couldn't resist striking a pose.)

Peru is full of Incan ruins. Every place we visited was really interesting (and each seemed to be in the shape of a puma - or so we were told. Numerous times.)





Machu Picchu

I know this looks superimposed, but it's not. I was really there in Machu Picchu.

We spent the night in the Amazon. We had a lot of different animal encounters.









This is a view from an island on Lake Titicaca.




Christopher, who lives on a reed island on Lake Titicaca


All in all, it was a fantastic vacation.



(Yeah, we said at the time, that this may look a little like that Wilson Phillips album cover. Good times.)

Birthday blessings

sunny skies
fresh snow
tall trees
favorite tunes
txts
birthday serenades
nephews singing
good food
great books
fun friends
loving family
peace

Funny Business

Today was a hilarious day at work.
My Captain and First Officer are really friendly and funny; we had a great rapport from the start.
Rick (the FO) had serenaded the plane at the start of each leg.
After boarding, but before we pushed back on our last flight of the day, he told the passengers that he had proposed last night - to me!
He then sang," You are so beautiful to me...."
The passengers LOVED it.
Combine that, with the fact that he got down on one knee and sang "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling."
It was hysterical.
(Of course I was beet red.)
People were txting their friends and congratulating us.
I didn't have the heart to let people know that it was all a joke. Mainly I just smiled, laughed, and said thank you to all the well wishers.
(Someone did ask if this was "for real" and I honestly answered no.)
It made for a fun day.
This is why I love my job. I work with lively people who make memories instead of just making time pass.
[By the way, Rick is happily married with two children. We (the crew) all knew it was just for fun. I told him it's a good thing that it was our last leg, because there would have been retribution.]

This was about as bad as the time a fellow flight attendant told passengers that I had just signed a record deal! It was just before Christmas, and he sweetly shared the news with the passengers. He asked them to ask me to sing a Christmas song. It was a through flight (multiple stops) so the requests continued all day long.
I felt awful turning down so many sweet requests from grandmas, parents, and children.That flight attendant got me. I could never top his brilliant trick.
Like I said - Fun times abound.

MissMom

I spent the last two weeks with these rugrats.
It was so much fun to be Aunt Beck and help take care of them. It gives me a greater appreciation for my mother and all the mothers that I know. You are amazing women. Really, I cannot praise mothers enough for such tireless and neverending service.
I will admit that I was a little giddy when I returned to my own home and could crawl into bed.
A whole lot of fun with a whole lot of redheads:

New little Rowan:

Little Noelle:

I want to be a ballerina

Go to the ballet.
It will make you a 5 year old again.
Who wouldn't want the be the ethereal girl floating and twirling almost magically onstage?

I'm so lucky to be able to attend the ballet (somewhat) regularly each year. I don't think I've ever missed seeing at least one program from the SF ballet since moving to the bay area over 10 years ago. This season started with the quintessential classic, Swan Lake. I've seen it before, but SF just changed the costumes and sets in 2009. It was gorgeous. I wanted so many of the Napoleanic dresses for myself. It was a feast for the eye yet still classic and elegant.
This video doesn't do justice for the pas de deux between Odette and the Prince. In fact, it doesn't show any footage of Odette (in the white swan tutu.) It really was perfection. Yuan Yuan Tan is perfection.
How is it fair that some people are so ridiculously graceful, limber, and tiny?
I know the reality of my situation. I will never grace the stage of the War Memorial Opera House.
(But that hasn't stopped me from twirling in front of a mirror a few times since Saturday.)

The big bang theory

Every little while I seem to get an itch for change....
Change of job?

Change of residence?

Change of lifestyle?
Change of size?
How about the easiest change of all?
Yep.
Hair.
Even in that, I seem to take the easy way.
Bangs.
The bangs are back in town.

One decision down, a million to go

I've made an executive decision for my life : I have no desire to live in freezing temperatures. I am in Minneapolis right now and it's supposed to get to -17 tonight. When we landed it was -4 degrees. No, thank you.
I am so glad that there are millions of people who will brave through frigid temperatures for the winter months.
I have just decided that I'll try to never be one of them. Right now, while I am making my decisions independently, I say no to cold winters. Done.
(At least that's what I say now... Life can change.)

The holiday roundup

A week or so after Thanksgiving, NorCal was hit with a major winter storm. It finally made it feel like Christmas was coming.....

(My parents' home. I was so bummed to miss out on the fun. )

I shouldn't have worried about missing the snow, because I spent Christmas in Utah for the first time in my life. Brrrr. It was beautiful and snowy, but FREEZING.

It was fun to have a family party before Christmas and still be able to visit with a few family members at their homes Christmas morning.

I've missed highlighting my awesome nephew and niece who are 17 and 15. They are a so fun to hang out with.


Tucker


Sadey


Trev, Cody, Tucker, and Sadey


Curtis, Tami, Carson, Summer, Tanner


Laura, Josh, Noah, Clara


Jon and Peg

I inadvertently didn't take any pictures of Lissy and Mark. I am lame. They were one of the main reasons I even came out to Utah in the first place. So sorry.

The other BIG reason to be in Utah was....
little Noelle


Kjelly was really excited to meet his sister. He adores her already.





A new addition to the family was a perfect way to end a lovely family holiday ( and the year! )