Iceland Wants to Be Your Friend .com

I'm only a month behind reporting on my European vacation, but I've finally found the time to share a few things. I've also had the chance to collect a few more photos from friends as well.

Our first stop was Iceland.  We arrived in the early hours of the morning, which was late at night for us, to find a very empty town of Reykjavik.  We drove all over looking for a place open to grab some breakfast before dropping our belongings off at Our House.  After eating some delicious pastries we discovered that the pub scene we'd read so much about was particularly wild the night before and every jail cell in the city was full.  Which explains the lack of people out and about that morning.

Our first day in Iceland was packed full.  We spent a fair amount of time driving, which I thought was wonderful as it allowed us to see some absolutely stunning scenery around the country.  The pictures really do not do it justice.

We drove to Sellfoss to attend Church, they had a small Branch there with about 25 members in attendance.  We lucked out and got the Primary program with an American Missionary who volunteered to translate the meeting for us.  My favorite part was singing the hymns in Icelandic.

We only stayed for Sacrament Meeting as we had limited amount of daylight in this vast country to see. After church we took off for Gullfoss to see the spectacular falls.

And Geysir, the geyser which all other geysers are named after.  It was not as reliable as Strokkur, which was located about 50 yards from it.  We saw Strokkur go off a number of times in the short time we stayed there.

The next morning we got started by going to the top of Hallgrimskirkja to see the amazing view of Reykjavik.

Followed by walking all over the actual city of Reykjavik to see the sights and take in the colors.

By this time we were feeling a little hungry and decided to try one of Iceland's favorite foods, the hot dog.  If I may be so bold, this was the best hot dog I've had in my entire life.  If you go to Iceland only for the hot dogs you will not be let down.

Our last stop on our way back to the airport was the Blue Lagoon.  I'm sad to report we did not go swimming once while in Iceland (it is the national pastime after all), but I think I will go back one day to spend more time and to swim.  I love to swim.

Next up... London.

Christmas Jars

Christmas Jars by Jason F. Wright
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A year or perhaps 2 years ago my mother gave me a book for Christmas.  Upon opening it I was surprised because it was not my usual type at all, it was a book about Christmas.  I've never read such sappy things as I much prefer fantastic tales of mages and dragons.  My mother said to me, "I don't know why I bought this, but I thought you should tuck it away for a day when it is right for you to read it."  And so Christmas Jars has sat on my self, waiting, tucked between my Charlie Bone series and my Church reference books.

In an effort to make Christmas a little more real this year I decided to read a Christmas tale to help my thoughts be more on the holiday season.  Christmas Jars suddenly came to mind and I began reading.  This book is not the most amazing writing you will ever read, by far.  But it is a very touching story and a perfect read to help put you in the Holiday mood.  It is the story of a little girl who gives away her Christmas to a woman with a great need.  It's a story of how this one small act starts a family tradition carried on by hundreds to bless the lives of others.  It is a story of Hope.


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One Reason I Love Traveling

Since my recent trip to London I've come across a couple references to places I visited while there.  I love the feeling of knowing a place from memory and not just from pictures.  Last week I finished reading the latest Shopaholic book by Sophie Kinsella.  Somewhere in the middle of the book Becky Brandon finds herself walking to Piccadilly Circus.  I couldn't help but smile to myself as I was able to picture exactly what this looks like.

This morning I watched an episode of Doctor Who where the Doctor saves London from an alien attack (gotta love British Sci-Fi).  In the episode there is a scene that shows the Tower Bridge and then turns left to pan up to view the Tower of London.  Again as soon as I saw the Tower Bridge I immediately recognized it because I stood in that exact spot and saw that exact view.

These little things make me happy.  It makes me want to travel more and experience new things.

 

Welcome to the World, Little Nathan

My newest nephew was born last week and tonight was the first time I met him in person. Welcome Nathan Thomas!! Here he is 10 days old. All he did was sleep the entire time I held him. Nathan appears to be able to sleep through anything, and that's a good thing as he has 5 older siblings who can make a fair amount of noise.

He's so tiny. He's so precious.

His parents debated over his name for some time. I'm really glad they chose Nathan Thomas for a couple reasons. First both are family names, Nathan Thomas is the namesake for a number of great men in our family who he can look up to for examples. Plus, it's just a cool name.

Final Score
Nephews: 8
Nieces: 3

Burns 02

When my nephew turned 1 last year I made him a red jersey/ t-shirt.  Across the back it has his name (Burns) with his jersey number 01 (for his age).  I thought it turned out kinda cute.

This week I made version 2, now available in green.  

Many people have been asking about my big trip to Europe and I do plan on blogging about it.  I'm still collecting pictures from friends before I blog.  Oh, and I've just been busy too.  

My New Favorite

In less than one week I will be in Iceland.  I can hardly believe my European vacation is almost here and there's still so much to do to prepare for it!

In the meantime meet Jang Geun Suk, actor and singer.  I've seen Geun Suk play in 4 different roles now and each time he impresses me with his talents.  Please enjoy a song called Without Words sung by Jang Geun Suk for the soundtrack to You're Beautiful.  His voice alone makes me happy.

Men in the Background

Don’t worry, this post is not about a Korean Drama but it is inspired by one, actually two. This weekend I finished another Drama that I absolutely loved called You’re Beautiful. It has a similar feel to Boys Before Flowers which is another favorite of mine. Coincidently these are the two highest rated Korean Drama’s of all time (according to mysoju.com). The stories are different but they do share a common plot thread of a young guy and girl who slowly begin to fall for each other but have a rocky relationship full of hardships and (dare I say it?) drama. They are the hero and heroine of the story, the reason you watch until the end to make sure they end up together. In the meantime the guy’s best friend falls for the girl and is eventually forced to step aside. It is of this guy, the one in the background, that I wish to point out.

Meet Shinwoo. He is tall and handsome, quiet, pensive, understanding, selfless. He loves Minam and finds himself constantly by her side when she needs help. Minam finds great strength in her friendship with Shinwoo and often calls him “Hyung” meaning big brother.* Although he tries Shinwoo does not win the girl in the end.

Meet Jihoo. He is an introvert who thinks of others before himself. He is kind and loving. He has a quiet strength about him that each of his friends lean on. Jihoo loves Jandi. Through a series of events Jandi has things hard and is often brutally picked on, however each time Jihoo comes and saves the day. Jandi nicknames him her “fireman” since Jihoo is always putting out the fires to save her. Again Jihoo does not win the girl in the end.

Both Shinwoo and Jihoo discover what a treasure their girl is and long before the Hero of the story does. Both save the day countless times. Both provide a shoulder to cry on. Both step aside when the girl chooses to be with someone else. Both endure the pain of a broken heart alone.

So why do I point out these men? Because to me they are the true heroes of the story. They are the ones always there to save the heroine.

The overly dramatic love story of the hero and heroine make for great entertainment and it is why so many people love these shows. However in real life it’s the Shinwoo’s and Jihoo’s that I love and want to be with. They are the men that are kind and loving, thoughtful and understanding. Who wouldn’t want a man who is always there for you, always brightening your day? These are the things every girl says she wants but too often overlooks them and chooses the flashier option.

I wanted to point out the men in the background. These guys deserve to be noticed.

Thinking about my current set of close friends, specifically my male friends, it occurred to me that I would classify each one of them as one of these guys, the real heroes. They are good and honest men who deserve to be noticed. They aren’t necessarily the men that women swoon over, but they are the ones any heroine in her right mind would want to be with.

*A note to those who know a little Korean, Minam is a girl posing as her twin brother which will explain why she uses the name Hyung which is what a guy would call his big brother. As opposed to “oppa” which is what a girl would call her big brother.