BYU's Museum of Art

This week, on Monday, I was assigned to visit the MOA for two classes. One class required me to be there for 30 minutes in the amazing "Sacred Gift's" exhibit, and the other class required me to spend 20 minutes with one painting. Because I'm wise and try and use my time very efficiently, I thought, I can do the 20 minute one as part of my 30 minutes and save myself 20 minutes! Pretty good thought. However, it didn't work out that way. I went into the "Sacred Gifts" exhibit and I really liked, it. But earlier this year when I went to the MOA, I saw a painting by my Great-Grandma, Minerva Teichert, that I really liked and as I was looking for a painting in the "Sacred Gifts" exhibit to spend 20 minutes with, I kept thinking about this other painting. So, I decided to not do my 20 minutes within my 30 minutes and I am glad I made that decision. Now I want to share with you my experience in the Museum of Art and try and persuade you all to go and see it if you haven't ever. It's amazing! And I'm not even an artist! 

For Book of Mormon I spent 30 minutes in the "Sacred Gifts" exhibit. Here's what I found:

Heinrich Hofmann: Portrait of Christ, the Savior: I am the Way, the Truth, and the Light.
  The artists said, "I wanted to hang it over my bed and when I went to rest in the evening, it should look at me, earnestly scrutinizing, and ask, 'Have you lived this day in my spirit according to my commandments?'"
  Christ was staring at me, and I wondered then how I would answer that question. I know that I always want to answer that question with an unshaken "Yes." 

Frans Schwartz: The Mocking of Christ with Mary the Annunciate and Mary the Elder.
  My response to this piece was that the painting of Mary the Elder makes me sad. She looks a lot like a lady I know, but I don't know who. I can't imagine what I'd look like if my son was crucified. I can see the sadness in her face and the way she holds her body. It's sad.
  It's sad to look at pictures of the crucifixion. In this one I see the tattered robes. I never noticed tattered robes before. I am grateful that Christ was willing to suffer and die for my sins, but the cruelty makes me sad.

Carl Bloch: Let the Little Children Come Unto Me.
  I can see in His face that He loves the kids and the kids adore Him. He is holding the ones hand and is hunched over the other one kind of protectively and there is a little kid behind the apostle that is looking for Christ and it is so cute. I know that I am still a Child of God and He would suffer me to come to Him. I am grateful that although I can’t go to Him physically yet, I can go spiritually, and someday that will allow me to go to Him physically. I love my Savior and I know He loves me.

The "Sacred Gifts" museum was the fastest 30 minutes turned into 45 minutes that I've ever experienced and I skipped over the last 10 pieces. It's amazing and it's a once in a life time experience! Christ is the Savior. He came to earth. He called Prophets and Apostles. He performed miracles. He suffered for us and died for us so that we may repent. He was resurrected so that one day we may be too, and we can forever live with Him again. I know this.

My 20 minutes with Grandma's painting was the fastest 20 minutes turned into 30 minutes! I think the MOA is some kind of a Time-Warp machine. The painting that I chose is in the Gallery on the main floor and it's a paining that I've never seen before this year. I LOVE it!

Minerva Teichert: Immigrants to New York City (Jewish Immigrants)
  Between 1922 and 1939, 19,000 German-Jewish refugees fleeing from Hitler's regime immigrated to the United States. The largest number came in 1938, the year this work was painted. 
  This picture to me, after 20 minutes, says so many things. I'll let you decide what it means for you and I'll just give you some ideas of what I thought. I feel like the woman in the center, with the two girls, looks like she's lost her husband and is just hoping that there will be safety and a way to make a life with her two daughters in America. The musician is looking in awe at the city and I feel like he is hopeful that he'll be able to do what he loves and find a way to make things work. Then the woman with the red bonnet makes me a little sad. I think she's holding a baby and the way her shoulders are hunched, she looks like she really needs a good long rest. She looks very tired and worn down. I hope she found a happy ending to her story. 
  The tattered luggage makes me think that these people are really coming from someplace poor and looking for something better or safer: A place that they can make a better life. It shows the sacrifices people are willing to make.
  I've always been a loyal Patriot and I LOVE America! This painting makes me love America more. That America could provide hope and wonder for so many makes me feel proud to be an American.
  I love the Statue of Liberty and the City in the back-ground! I am excited to see New York and maybe feel the awe and shock that the musician looks like he is feeling.  
  I love Great-Grandma's paintings. She's for sure my favorite artist. 

The Museum of Art is an amazing place to visit in Provo and I'm so glad that I've been able to go twice this school year. The main floor is where these paintings came from, but plan to spend a while in there because the art downstairs is fantastic as well. I'm glad that God blessed many people with artistic talents. The world is a better and more beautiful place because of artists. Go to the Museum of Art. You won't regret it!

For tickets go here:  http://moa.byu.edu/

TOU

  Call me crazy or whatever you want folks... I am officially registered for the Top of Utah Half Marathon on August 23rd. To all of those who thought I'd never run that far by my own free will and actually pay money for it, well I never thought I would either. But, when something is taken away from you, it makes your desire to do that so much stronger!
  When I tore my ACL I couldn't run for a while. During this time of me not running, I went to the TOU Half to watch Holly Voges run across the finish line. Watching all of those runners of all different shapes and sizes cross the finish line of a 13.1 mile run was so inspiring! I thought to myself, I can do this! And in my mind right then I decided that I was going to run it next year.

  So last night I got online and registered and paid and now I'm in it. I have to do it. I am determined to stay fit and to finish the race that I promised myself to do. Now that I can run again, I sometimes think, you don't really want to run this half marathon. But I promised. And today in Relief Society we had a quote on the board that said, "Character is following through with a worthy decision after the emotion of making the decision has already passed." This race will build my character and keep me fit and I actually am excited to do it! All encouraging quotes and thoughts and ideas for good songs to run and train to are very welcome! 
  I'm crazy and it's exciting! What a life! :)

My Dream House

  Sometimes on Saturdays it is just fun to waste a little time. So, what does a 19 year old girl do to waste time? Normally one would sit on facebook, but I have been on a facebook diet this week... mostly I just cut myself off for a week, and it's been quite helpful in my productivity. However, Saturday led me to Google Images and my dream house was built!

  Picture this house out of town on a piece of land. I want a beautiful front yard with trees and stuff and grass for me to mow! And the back yard I want a pretty big lawn for a ways and then a field where I will strategically place dirt hills and cool stuff for my kids to find and explore! I will have 2 cats probably to take care of the field mice and stuff. It will be the best yard for kids EVER! 

  Now follow me inside:

  Imagine walking in through my front door and seeing the shiny hard wood floor and the beautiful, big, wooden stairway in the entry and the living room off o the right! (Sigh) This is a rough floor plan that I like. I would probably make this downstairs master bedroom a little bit smaller and extend the kitchen into it a little and find a place to have a mud room in the back and a garage in back. And I'll have big windows in my kitchen so that I can see my kids playing in the field! 

 This is my upstairs. I'll probably have bunk beds or another room or something. Not really sure. We'll see how big of a family I get. And you're wondering, why is there a master bedroom upstairs and one downstairs? Well, because. When I have little kids I want to be able to be upstairs with them in case they need me in the night and I don't want to go up the stairs infinity times. And then when my parents or his parents come to visit, they can sleep in the downstairs bedroom and not be so disturbed by my kids. Then when I'm old and can't make it up the stairs, I'll move down to the other master bedroom and when my kids come and bring the grandkids, they can occupy the rooms upstairs and I won't be so disturbed by their kids! Smart! 

  My basement doesn't have a picture, but I want a basement that is a PARTY! I'm going to have a BIG open room for games and balloon volleyball and throwing balls and stuff. Then on the end of the big room, I'll have two smaller rooms. One will be a TV Den area so that when we're down there playing games and we don't break the TV! And the other room will be a wrestling room so that when my boys are hating each other I can just send them to the wall to wall padded room and they can figure it out! On the other end of the game room I will have a big cold storage room! Preparedness is key! 

  And now look at my decorations:

  My front door style. I love the double doors that are barely bigger than a single door! I saw them in Nauvoo and fell in LOVE! So I'm gonna have one!

  A living room something like these.

  A Dining room like one of these! 

  And wallpaper like these! I love them! I think wallpaper is the best! 

Okay, okay. You're all thinking, "Hey lady! You don't have money and you'll have kids someday and this house is so not practical and the decorations and trinkets are going to be the WORST with little kids!" Well, I already know that and I know that this house is probably only ever going to be in my mind and on this blog. So don't bother telling me all those things. I already know. But just see the beauty and how AWESOME it would be to have this house! I would love it!