Random post- Best Gifts ever

As christmas comes up, I've been thinking lots about gifts I've gotten over the years. Here are my favorite gifts ever:

If it counts as a gift, my engagement/wedding ring:

From Random Stuff

From Wedding

It's two seperate bands that kind of weave together, with the bottom band alternating between diamonds and saphires. Kenny and I found it together at Delusso's in provo (now out of business I think). Though we chose it together, Kenny surprised me by adding in the sapphires in the wedding band. It isn't the hugest diamond, but it suits me so perfectly. I can't picture a ring that is more "me". And of course, I love the significance of it:).

"My" concert harp:

From Young and Cute

This is an OLD picture (I think it's from my senior year of high school). This was a gift from both my parents and my Grandma Lola (who passed away in... 2003, I think). Concert harps are very expensive and I didn't think I'd ever get one, so I'd have to be content with my silly little folk harp which can really only play folk music. We searched a long time and even temporarily bought a few only to return them/sell them back. It's largely my fault, I didn't practice as much as I should and it would be hard to commit to such an expensive instrument when your punk teenager won't buckle down and practice.
Anyways, my senior year my mom found this beautiful french camac harp and combined funds with my grandma, herself a former concert violinist, and surprised me with this harp. I was so happy I literally cried.
The harp still lives at home in Washington with my parents, as a 6-foot, 90 lb, many-thousand-dollar instrument is just not very transportable and hardly suiting for the college lifestyle. I really hope now that we've settled down I can prove I deserve the harp again by practicing with my piddly little folk harp and maybe getting to the point I can give lessons.

Random gifts from Lori:

From Random Stuff

My sister Lori is the best gift-giver I know. She may not give you a gift for every occasion, but if she sees something that really suits you, she'll buy it, even if there is no real holiday or if it's more expensive than the standard gift. For instance, this bookend/sculpture of Rodin's "The Thinker" (it's one of a pair). She bought this for me sometime in High School at the beginning of my book obsession, I think as an early birthday present. I'm pretty sure it cost her 80 bucks or so from Barnes and Noble- that's a lot for a high school sibling gift:). Anyways, it's still one of my favorite things and I really appreciate her thoughtfulness. How she knew that eventually Rodin would be my favorite sculptor, I have no idea. Years later, I'd get to see the real "the Thinker" in person at my favorite Paris museum at Rodin's old house. Another good example of Lori's skill at gift giving: Kenny's "Retired Mario" gnome. Really, she had no reason to buy/paint this other than it was a perfect gift:

From June 08

K, I actually finished this post but as I think of it I have to come back and add one more:

From Baby Shower

My baby shower. My sister in law Candace was such a doll and gave me a baby shower while I was on bedrest and even made this adorable diaper cake. I know she put a lot of work into it, and I will always be so grateful that I got a shower with my first baby. They've done a lot for us but this takes the cake. I also appreciate all the near-strangers from church who came even though I didn't know them. It was really touching to feel so loved.

I'm sure there are many other gifts I should talk about, but these stand out and have a lot of meaning to me.

And since, as previously stated, I can't post anymore without a picture of Daniel, here is him in a new little sailor outfit my mom sent us. Kenny says I could only let him wear it once (he seems to think poor Daniel was quite embarrassed by it):

From October 08	From October 08