A Long Lost Relative?

Okay keep breathing...no we did not take in another stray cat! This is Annie she lives with the Otto's in Pocatello ID. She was a stray cat that they took in from the field behind their house. For those of you who don't remember we found Maki as a starving kitten behind the Otto's house in a that same field. Maki and Annie are more than likely related! Can you see some resemblance? Maki is probably Annie's sister or aunt. It was fun to meet Annie and notice the similarities between them. They have the same eyes, small face, big ears, stripey tails and soft fur. The thing that was the most amusing is how similar their characteristics are, i.e. they are both skiddish and not super keen on cuddling. As you can see Annie's favorite place to hang out is the back of the couch just like Maki. The most interesting similarity we found out is that they both like to smell your hand before you can pet them! It's crazy that those weird little things might genetic. It was fun to meet Annie and have that connection of owning relative cats with the Otto's.

I don't know what it is about people that can create good music, but for me sometimes develop a crush on them.(not a serious one, I just think they are super cute). Sometimes they are pretty hot too, but not always and I'm not sure what it is that makes them so attractive. There's just something about someone playing music that you love...you feel a connection to them, not like a deep meaningful connection, maybe it's more of a connection to the music but there's something there...

Seeing people play live always effects how I feel about them. Some of them are really great live and have such an energy and love for what they do and and to me that is really endearing. I usually refer to this as "cute".

Here's some of my crushes...

Todd Park Mohr of Big Head Todd and the Monsters. I just saw them live, I had no idea Todd was so dang cute. When he smiles it's pure joy on his face.

Jon por (jonsi) Birgisson of Sigur Ros. Okay this guy...not cute at all, but the music he makes is stunning. I saw them live and the sounds he can make live with a guitar left me speechless(in a good way ;). His passion and talent are what make him attractive.

Ben Folds. He's just so clever and down to earth and cute...and yes it helps that he plays the piano like nobody's business.

Okay so after seeing the Led Zeppelin movie: The Song Remains the Same I like so many others thought Robert Plant was pretty hot. I don't know what it is!?

Everyone knows I love Trey because he's so cute and so happy and so incredibly talented.

Damien Rice, I'm pretty sure we could be best friends. I just love him.

Do you have any musician crushes?

Chloe had puppies!

9 of them to be exact. Chloe belongs to the Christensen's, my friends in Basalt ID. We went to visit and Chloe had puppies the day we got there! She's a very good mama.

Autumn Barker does not endorse this snowman...

Meet Creepy Snowman. He is abnormally shaped, has almost no head, could poke your eye out with his disturbingly solid and sharp limbs, glows in changing rainbow colors in his stomach and has the words "Christmas Eve" written over his belly (why would it have Christmas Eve written on it? I could see Merry Christmas or bowl full of jelly...?) and let's not forget the glitter all over the bottom.

This is the snowman that was on my desk when I first started my job at FSTC in January 2009. It was left over from Christmas and didn't last long atop my desk. (It was agreed in the office at that time that it was a pretty creepy snowman and it was discarded.) Somehow it "magically" reappeared this Christmas and despite my protests everyone decided to display it, as a kind of joke, stating that it should be our office Christmas mascot! I agree that it's funny but there's one small problem...to display it means that it has to sit on my desk. And the negative side of it being on my desk is that everyone will think that it belongs to me and I LIKE IT. So as a compromise I will display the snowman but I will make a sign that says "Autumn Barker does not endorse this snowman. ;) Good Times

Someone was having a bad day...

Take Two

Another shot that Les got in that same photo shoot.

We May Need Some "Family" Therapy

Maki's reaction to our attempt to take a "sister photo."

IN-N-OUT

In-n-Out opened today in Orem!!! And I got a big surprise at work for lunch when Leslie brought me a double cheese burger with fries! Thanks Les!(she said she had to wait for an hour) I'm so excited that In-n-Out is here, HOORAY, and their food is as good as ever!

California!

Here are the photos from the trip to California to see Phish at Festival 8...a three day, camp there, Festival where Phish played 8 shows. One of which was their famous "costume" set on Halloween night where they covered The Rolling Stones entire "Exile on Main St." album. The Sunday Morning set was entirely acoustic(a first for Phish) and it was incredible! There were 30,000 people there,we met some very nice people. The venue in Indio CA was huge, it was a 3/4's of a mile walk from our campsite to the stage area. Overall it was GR8 FUN and an amazing experience, Phish really went all out to make it awesome in tons and tons of ways. Click below to some of the photos I took...

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=117863&id=534954161&l=0a22900130

After Phish we drove out to Anaheim and stayed there for 3 days visiting Disneyland, Crystal Cove State Park and L.A. Here's the Disneyland Photos...

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=118272&id=534954161&l=7e9f343e31

Here's Crystal Cove....

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=118413&id=534954161&l=e312042a48

In L.A. we went to The Getty, a HUGE art museum built on a hill like a castle. It was a beautiful place with fountains, gardens and tons of great art. I could have spent days there. We also went down to Hollywood Blvd that night, saw some sights and went to Ripley's Museum. We also happened upon a movie opening that night at the Chinese Theatre. Mm-oh boy. That night we drove out to Calico near Yermo and stayed in a ghost town there. Then headed home the next day. All in all an awesome trip!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=119050&id=534954161&l=2a639e9f03

This just makes me happy

...it's beautiful.










http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWiJWLiSKro

Some Decent Shots from Capitol Reef

Bonus Birthday Shots

So as I was looking through the photos from my birthday that Airie and Leslie took while I was opening my birthday presents...I started noticing that Baron was making some pretty awesome faces. I decided to share.... (forgive the crudity of these shots, as Baron was originally in the background I cropped myself out of them so he could be the focus ;)

Birthday Highlights...

I had a Birthday! ...and it was a great one! Here are a few shots from some of the celebrations. I also went to Park City with Leslie and enjoyed the beautiful changing leaves and rode on the Alpine Slide...but when I got the camera out to take the first photo the battery was dead(sad face). But here are some photos from my birthday trip to the Dinosaur Museum with my family, and a dinner out with some friends. Thank you to everyone for your birthday wishes and love!

A New Calling...A New Adventure

So I was released as the 2nd Counselor in the Relief Society Presidency last month. While I loved having the opportunity to serve in that calling and learned and grew tons...I was ready to pass that job onto someone else. (and I was only a tiny bit bitter about the monthly stake meetings being changed from 7:00am on Sundays to 8:30am just a few weeks after I was released ;) I think more than anything else I enjoyed serving and getting to know the sisters in my ward. It was amazing how as soon as a was sustained I immediately felt a genuine concern and love for those I served.

They didn't let me rest long...the same Sunday I was released I was asked to speak in Sacrament Meeting(again, 2nd time in 8 months) and given a new calling...Gospel Doctrine Teacher. Let me tell you I was nervous about teaching Gospel Doctrine. I had several opportunities to teach Relief Society while in the Presidency which means I'm not completely rusty at teaching but think the hard part of teaching RS was the extremely high expectations that I felt and the fact that I had to prepare a lesson from scratch. Let me tell you, teaching Gospel Doctrine is so much better. I'm pretty sure I have the best calling in the church! -At least that's what Elder Eyring called it and since he's an apostle I'm pretty sure he's right.

There are several great things about Teaching Gospel Doctrine:
1# I get to run the show: prayers, hymns sung, what I do with the 45 minutes I teach, everything! and because of that...
2# It is much less formal and serious...I feel very at ease and can be more creative and even humorous.
3# I get to study the WHOLE lesson and I am learning tons of amazing stuff. There is so much to learn! I have loved reading Our Heritage and looking for extra stuff online etc. I get so much out of each lesson I teach and I love it! Being a teacher is such a huge blessing for the teacher in that way.


I'm excited for this new adventure, I hope I will do well.

Rainbow Valley...All you need is Jesus!

Leslie and I are gearing up for grant writing season and plans for our "Transitional Living" girls group home are in full swing. We are trying to knuckle down and write our business plan etc. The most pressing issue at this time which we want to throw out for any suggestions is...we need a name and motto! Unfortunately our favorite has already been taken by a program in northern California, as referenced in the title of this blog. (Please catch the heavy sarcasm here)

But seriously we've been tossing names around and would like your ideas. Here's the gist, we are looking to open a home for teenage girls to support them and provide resources as they transition into independent living. We planing on having some land and farming some produce/veggies etc. and have some animals for the girls to be responsible for.

We have decided that we like the names of programs like Red Cliff Ascent and Lightening Peak, rather than Women's Empowerment Center or Center for Change. Most of the names we think of last all of about a day before we start making fun of it and decide that it won't work. One that has stuck for a few days is Summerwood or Summerwoods...but we're not attached yet. I think our motto will be something simple like "a place to grow" referring to the farm and the girls in many different capacities. Anyway let us know what you think and if you have any ideas. Thanks!






Picture that popped up when I Googled Summerwood

For anyone that hasn't heard yet...

Phish is doing their first festival since reuniting! It will be in Indio CA, it will be over Halloween(a famous phish show each year where the band covers an entire album from another band, past selections include: Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side of the Moon" and the Beatles "White Album"), it will include 8 sets over three days including their first ever completely acoustic set and...

I WILL BE THERE!!!

Leslie has graciously agreed to go with me and I'm so excited I can hardly stand it! Another one of my life goals can be checked off! HOORAY!