Several weeks ago, I came home to dinner group (one of the roommates was cooking that night) and the roommates said they had a BIG surprise for me. I was pretty excited and anxious, since everyone likes a good surprise. I was handed an envelope and I immediately knew what it was and began to exclaim, sigh, shout, rejoice, call it watch you will. . . Katherine got tickets to the 2011 First Presidency Christmas Devotional. I love going to Temple Square and I love the Mormon Tabernacle Choir even more than that (I'm a MOTAB Sunday music addict) and I love even more listening to the Orchestra at Temple Square (my dream career job if I ever find myself in Utah when I'm older) accompany the Choir, and I love even more listening to our Prophet, Thomas S. Monson. Ever since I was a Freshman and won/randomly selected tickets to go to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert with famous Brian Stokes Mitchell and we took off to drive to Salt Lake for the show and ran into traffic. It was tragic for my 18-year-0ld mind to miss the show that night. When we finally made it downtown, construction made parking out of the question and I just remember seeing the minutes switch by on the dashboard feeling more and more hollow and sad. The time passed for us to have been 'seated' and then for the show to start. We finally decided to just head back up to Provo. I silently cried the entire way home from Salt Lake from Provo. I was devastated. Every year since then I have requested tickets for me and everyone in my family to try and increase my odds to go to either the MOTAB Christmas Concert or 1st Presidency Christmas Devotional. When Katherine go the tickets, I knew she would take me. Otherwise, well...let's not go to what I would have done if she hadn't. My night was so much fun with the roommates and ward friends. We made crepes to eat on the way, drove to Sandy, took the tracks to downtown SLC, had AMAZING seats in the Conference Center, heard amazing Christmas arrangements by MOTAB with the Orchestra, and powerful messages from the First Presidency. Afterwards, we took a walk around the Square to look at the detailed lights and nativities from around the world. A cold, fun night. One of those nights where nothing could wipe the grin off my face!
