Thanksgiving Point Tulip Festival 2012

Carolyn--I totally plan to do a post "sometime" (hopefully soon) about dealing with panic/anxiety. Not that I've got it all figured out, but I've learned a lot since my big fake heart attack last February. Thanks for asking. Two other "serious" blog posts I'm dying to do sometime if I catch a rare but short lived illness that requires me to stay in bed for, say, about two weeks are: Being Mormon in Utah and The Real Value of Money. Now, if I could somehow tie Mitt Romney and both his money and his Mormonism into this, I would be successfully addressing all THREE taboo topics: religion, money, AND politics. (That wouldn't be hard to do, actually. I'll think about it.) 

I love weekends. After Kate and I made a big batch of what my Grandma Cutkomp used to call Oatmeal Scotchies, the whole family went for a walk down the lovely little creekside path that ends at our new property. (The path, not the creek.) I almost hate to get my hopes up after the various experiences we've had in the past (I'm totally gun-shy), but it is entirely possible--even probable--that we will be living in that house in about a month! I think there's a part of me that won't believe it until we actually wake up there on our first morning. And the thought of not moving again for at least another 15 years (probably longer) when Rachael graduates from high school sounds positively dreamy! I've never been able to get too excited about decorating any of the homes we've lived in in the past knowing it wasn't permanent (and I'm kind of terrible at it), but now I'm actually looking forward to it. Does anyone have any Wasatch Front interior designer names for me? I'll try Facebook too. (It's like a free Angie's list . . .)

Today's pictures were taken at the Tulip Festival last weekend. (We're having such a beautiful spring! Warm sun and cool breezes for weeks now. The best.)

It's no Huntington Gardens (or Getty or Descanso Gardens), but it's pretty sweet in it's own way. What impresses me most is looking at the surrounding landscape and realizing what they've done with this little plot of desert!!

Yes, the three rolling bodies belong to me:

We're in love with Japanese maples. As I type, Brandon is on his computer looking up possible trees to plant in our new yard, (Dogwood, Flowering Almond, October Glory . . .) but the Japanese maple is the no-brainer:

Why does Will look like we've just brought him out of the torture chamber in all these pictures?

I first saw these sculptures by Angela Johnson in Nauvoo. She is an LDS artist and has created a series of sculptures based on the teachings and miracles of Christ. Thanksgiving Point is creating a sculpture garden of her works, and they are making them life size. Only three of them are life size at this point, but they are all beautiful! I included a few favorites here:

Raising of Lazarus:

Gethsemane:

There is also one of Joseph Smith and The First Vision:

Jesus walking on water. I would LOVE to get this painting of this story/miracle as well:

We had Elizabeth's birthday party at Thanksgiving Point's Children's Garden last year. Such a cute place:

Is this just precious? You don't catch these quick expressions very often:

You can't leave without doing the hedge maze:

This will be full of water and fountains as it warms up next month:

Once the tulips die, they dig up the bulbs and sell them to the public. Isn't that crazy? They replant all of them every year! I can't wait to take my mom and dad to see the summer flowers they plant in their place when they come for a visit at the end of June. (They haven't been here in almost 2 years since they were taking care of my sister, bless their souls!)

My favorite . . .