D girls get car fever, spring fever and hay fever is not far behind.

No sooner than S&S landed in Zion then they did what everyone does who descends Emigration Canyon into the peaceful valley-o. They said to themselves "enough of this handcart stuff, we need some real wheels." So the last few weeks have been punctuated by calls, texts and emails about APRs and MSRPs. Suzanne bought a lovely little Toyota from my ex-M Mission brother Brent Brown (who apparently can bend over backward when selling people cars). Sarah is still in the final stages of finalizing her new Kia Soul a sporty new model barely off the test track. Now the girls can tear up the toll road to each others' apartments, the temples and friends from Logan to St. George. Happy are they. Worried are we. Not really they are both good drivers. And they are paying for their own insurance. We really feel like empty nesters now. Suzanne has been working super hard and even won a recent props letter from her biggest client. Sarah had her first week at Arbinger and so far we only hear good things. She is sporting a new Macbook Pro and Blackberry so she is very much looking the part of the young marketing exec that she is.
And while they may have the classiest of wheels, both D girls are missing their furniture from home. So C. has threatened to U-haul it out there and catch the Church history sites along the way. Imagine that -- Motel 6, Nauvoo, eccentric roadside food and Winter Quarters. A true pioneer experience.

Back at 196 OKHN the front garden is in bloom and the cherry trees are a blaze of color. My favorite time of day is dusk when the outdoor lights kick on and bathe the bushes, trees and plantings in soft light. I love to walk to get the mail and notice every new blossoming thing. We are spending more time outside on the deck and Emmy took advantage of the warm spell during break and went to Cherry Lawn with gal pal Julia and they explored the lakeside in search of ducklings, flora, fauna and boys playing sports. Drew is working on the planning stages of an amazing Eagle project and getting more driving practice and continues to make beautiful music when he is not on the phone with a new found friend up Idaho way.

C and I are still loving Institute, the change in the seasons and our time together out with friends or just the two of us at home for our pillow movie nights. It's funny, I grew up with a sister who loved old movies. It was years before I knew we even had a color TV because more often than not its screen was alight with Myrna Loy or Fred Astaire. And now I am doubly blessed with a bride who appreciates classic cinema. Of course that doesn't give me much hope for that OLED HDTV I want. Don't need 1080p of those to watch "Torchy Blane" or "The Thin Man." Oh well, I laugh at the fact that once again I am seeing see those old familiar faces of my childhood Film Noir days.

Emily shines at YW in Excellence night - debuts new poetry series "Valuing Our Lives"

Em shared her amazing writing chops and poise at the podium at the recent Stamford Ward Young Women In Excellence Night. She read one of her new poems from a series called "Valuing Our Lives." which are a set of poems inspired by the Young Women's values. At the little reception afterward we were so touched by leaders, girls and parents who expressed love, support and interest in Em's work so much so that we created a website called All Things Emily so people can read her stuff. Go Em! You can find Em's latest pen marks here

A winning hand -- Our very own King of Clubs

When Andrew first took an interest in composing music I watched with a Father's penchant curiosity to see how far the apple had fallen from the tree. Drew, 17, is now at the age when I was the most prolific as a song writer. His genre is technically called Techno, a beat-heavy, electronic music genre that has a huge following for its very danceable tracks. Andrew's music has come a long long way since his first forays into sampling and mixing. His tracks are complex, thoughtful and if you listen carefully you can get a sense of his amazing sense of humor because he delights in taking his audiences on journeys in his music. Just when you think you know where a piece is melodically going he surprises and delights you with an unexpected twist. He has soared to the top 10 of internet music sites like OurStage or others. And his music is a favorite special feature of Stake dances. We give special props to our very own King Of Clubs. His future is bright. His music sparkles. And his mad skills are far beyond anything I could have ever imagined. Famous DJs and artists have taken an interest in Drew's work and recently he spent an unforgettable afternoon at a video shoot for Lee Farmer where Lee gave Drew some life lessons in what it takes to reach the top of the music biz. So check out the King of Clubs here and soon to be on iTunes. Go Drew!

Utah 2 Connecticut 4

Last week Sarah received an offer from The Arbinger Institute which is what she had been dreaming about through most of her senior year at the Y. So she is moving to Bountiful in a few weeks. Sue is living in Sugar House, loving her job at Wilkinson Ferrari (a PR firm not a car dealership) so the two eldest D girls are putting down roots in Zion. That leaves the two youngin D's at home. Andrew has his heart set on BYU for Graphic design and Emily is still worried I will pull up stakes (not pun intended) and parachute her down at East High in time for her senior year after I made a small joke about that in an FB status which triggered a lot of comments from Really? When are you coming to Oh no when are you moving? But again for the record no such move is on the docket. That said, our little company has signed a new Utah based client which could amount to be one of the biggest projects we have undertaken as a team since MGM. 

So its to say the least enticing. But again no plans in the immediate future. Suzanne is car shopping, Sarah will be making a recon trip to Utah in a few weeks and staying with Sue. These two have not shared a room since they were 12 so it will be interesting to see what Sarah finds. The company is moving from Woods Cross to Farmington so Sarah is not sure where to live. 

I will say this if the older D girls stay in UT and Drew goes to the Y seriously why on earth wouldn't we at least consider it. I rarely have a conversation with dear friend and mentor Ellis Ivory where he does not ask the golden question "when are you moving here?" Other news...Christie hosted a bridal shower for dear friend's daughter Natalie Merritt marrying tall, blond and handsome Broc Buttars. The chocolate fountain was flowing and the house was chock full of women so the D men and the Merritt men bid a hasty retreat and had dinner out and regaled Nat's fiance Broc with marriage do's and don'ts. Lots of laughs and really good Gyro.

Conference weekend also makes me "home-seek" for Utah which is defined as a sudden urge to look at the For Sale signs on Harvard Ave via Zillow.

Ever since my dear college roomie Jared took me for a drive to see the new-old Garden Park chapel I have vowed to make that lovely tree lined neighborhood our future home. And with the current score Utah 2, Connecticut 4, it will be interesting to see how this contest will end.