Happy Thanksgiving! :)

I hope this won't be me this year!

Americans Enjoying Thanksgiving Tradition Of Sitting Around At Airport

What is Halloween really about?

This "news" clip definitely gives us something to film about as we reflect upon this true meaning of this very special holiday.

In The Know: Has Halloween Become Overcommercialized?

A real American rodeo!

Bogdan, Galya, and I had a fantastic time at the Fiesta Days rodeo in beautiful ol' Spanish FARK, Utah.
Sadly, it was almost over by the time we finally talked out way in (apparently the rodeo always sells out), but we stayed til after 1 A.M. watching some of the preliminaries for the next day's rodeo. Up close, turns out most of the cowboys were surprisingly hot. I have no idea why I'd never noticed that before. I mean, I watched "8 Seconds" and Luke Perry, obviously, was hot, but I had no idea that all cowboys were similarly attractive. Does this mean I should start listening to country music?

Angel Moroni!

I can't believe it's finally happened! Yesterday, Angel Moroni was placed on top of the temple in Kyiv.

This photos is one of my favorites. Notice the huge apartment buildings built during the Soviet Union era?

Members of the church in Ukraine have been waiting for this since the temple was first announced in July 1998. The members there have waited anxiously for nearly TEN YEARS. Ground on the temple was finally broken in June 2007, but construction has been slow. There is so much red tape to go through, it's taking much longer than anticipated. The dates for dedication have changed so many times already, it's been discouraging. The expected date is now fall of 2010. As you can see from the photos, the temple is not nearly completed, but putting the angel on top is a major step.

If you speak Russian, and maybe even if you don't, you'll love this video showing the statue and some of the members, sharing their testimonies and feelings on this important day.

I wish I could have been there to feel the spirit as the members met in the church building next to the temple and sang hymns. I wish I could see and feel the excitement my brothers and sisters must have felt as they watched the angel take it's permanent position atop the temple. This is truly the beginning of an entire new generation for the church in Ukraine. I am so happy for them.

Utah, a little bit of Arizona, and a quick trip to Cali.

Galya and Bogdan wanted to go EVERYWHERE and see everything. They got in around 7 PM on Thursday, but weren't tired at all. We had dinner, then saw a hypnotist on the strip.

Our first stop was Spanish Fork and the much anticipated Spanish Fork Fiest Days Super Amazing and Insanely Crowded Rodeo. The rodeo was sold out, but Galya was able to work some magic with her sexy Belarussian/Ukrainian accent and not only did we did in, but we got all three tickets for the price of one.

We went to the Days of '47 Parade in Salt Lake and saw a pow wow at Liberty Park.

Luckily, I was able to drop them off with a friend in SLC so I could take a break from "tour guide" and see my own friends. :) I spent most of the weekend with Kristin and Allison. We watched movies, hung out by the pool, went to dinner.

I planned an EXTREME VERSION of the scenic route back to Las Vegas. Our first stop was Bryce National Park. We just drove around and took pictures for a few hours. From Bryce, we went to Zion National Park. Bogdan and I actually hiked in the Narrows a little bit. I've been to Zion a few times before, but I'd never done that.

Our visit to Colorado city was fascinating. Just driving around was not enough. We decided we HAD to make a quick stop at the grocery store. I suggested we all speak Russian the entire time and pretend like we weren't SHOCKED by anything we saw. I'd heard the people there weren't entirely welcoming. I've really just never seen anything like this. Insane. Incredible. I just couldn't stop looking!

We took a SUPER QUICK trip to California. I spent a bit of time hanging out with Kelsey, one of my favorite friends, and her parents in beautiful Newhall, CA.

Everyone's favorite brother

Matt has officially graduated from boot camp on August 14th. My parents drove out with Eva and the girls to watch graduation. (The portable DVD player may have helped alleviate some of the suffering that is bound to happen in a long --VERY long-- car trip halfway across the U.S. with two kids under the age of 4, but... Ugh.)

Matt had one day before graduation off, Family Day. According to Jacquie, they swam at the hotel and "Uncle Matt just slept because he doesn't know how to swim." In reality, boot camp was pretty rough. I think Matt was just happy to get a few extra hours of sleep.

Now, he's off to another camp somewhere near Baltimore to learn something about repairing something. All of my information comes from Matt himself, so details are pretty sketchy.

Much love and congrats to everyone's favorite baby brother, Matt!

Summer!

So, summer vacation is here! Galya and Bogdan (my favorite Belarusian and one of my very favorite Ukrainians) will be here on Tuesday, so we’re doing a mini-tour of the western U.S. They are staying with me for an entire month, so here’s what I’ve got so far:

• Utah
  This includes a variety of activities for the good ol' 24th of July, which you only get to REALLY celebrate in Utah. Rodeo, parade, Native American Powwow, and fireworks.
  Temple Square and "Music and the Spoke Word" with the MoTab.
  Horseback riding.
  Laser show! (Really. These things are just as fun now as they were in high school.)
  Visiting tons of people we know and love.
• Grand Canyon
  I’m not entirely sure if I really want to do this yet. I’m thinking about lying to them both and telling them the Grand Canyon isn’t accessible by car. It’s just so far!
• L.A.
  Of course every Ukrainian wants to see Disneyland and Hollywood, so… even though I have 0% interest in either place, I just can’t disappoint.
• San Diego
  Visiting friends, visiting the beach, and possibly visiting Shamu.
• Las Vegas
  Wandering all around the strip in 100+ degree weather, free shows on the strip, using my awesome connections, Mystere or Le Reve or “O”, shopping for EVERYTHING because the U.S. is so much cheaper than Ukraine, and if it cools down enough, a drive-in movie, complete with popcorn and American pizza.
• Miami
  No clue what we're doing here, but we have a free place to stay!
• Costa Rica. We’ve changed our mind about this trip a million times already, but… Costa Rica, here we come!

It’s a lot, I know, and a LOT of driving (especially for someone who hates driving as much as I do) but I’m excited. I’ve been waiting for this all summer!

Anything I forgot?