December.

December means a lot of different things to a lot of different people.  

To some, it is all about this guy; the presents that he brings and the reindeer that he cavorts with:  

Santa made an unexpected house call this year.  His elves must have told him

about this good little boy who is hibernating for the winter to stay away from germs.

For others, it is the only time of year when it is socially acceptable to wear applique Santas on their clothing:

But for us, it means this:

This:

Henry's cemetery hosts a Christmas Luminary each year where they fill the grounds

with thousands of candles in paper bags.  The lights around its sacred lawns 

are some of the most magical ones that we see each year.  

(The orange light in the picture above is a candle in the snow resting just above Henry's grave. )

And finally, after three long years of waiting, being able to do this:

And this:

But what December really means to us is a greater opportunity to celebrate Him:

Church of Our Lady 

Copenhagen, Denmark May 2010

Because of this:

"He rose from the grave to "become the firstfruits of them that slept" (1 Corinthians 15:20).  As Risen Lord, He visited among those He had loved in life.  He also ministered among His "other sheep" (John 10:16) in Ancient America.  In the modern world, He and His Father appeared to the boy Joseph Smith, ushering in the long-promised "dispensation of the fulness of times" (Ephesians 1:10).

...We testify that He will someday return to earth.  "And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together" (Isaiah 40:5).  He will rule as King of Kings and reign as Lord of Lords, and every knee shall bend and every tongue shall speak in worship before Him.

...Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God.  He is the great King Emmanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father.  He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world.  His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come.

God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son."

"The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints"

Merry Christmas from our home to yours.  May your day be filled with peace and your heart be filled love.

Rob, Erin, & Eddie Koelliker

Art.

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and an incredibly talented friend of mine is selling her work for the holiday.  It is peculiar to write this, especially considering that I am only 25, but Caitlin and I have been friends for over 20 years.  And if you ask me, that makes me the perfect person to gush about her work.  Not only am I an art historian and overall fan of art in general but I am a fan of her.  I have known her for most of my life and it has been an absolute pleasure to see her apply her talents so successfully.  

Believe me when I say that Ms. Caitlin Connolly is going to be BIG in the art scene one day and you would be smart to snatch up her work right now when it is unbelievably affordable and not going for millions at Sotheby's (although I know she would appreciate that too) in a couple of years. 

P.S. - You should also follow her on her charming and anecdotal blog, because it is always nice to see that people appreciate the visual and written art that we make in our lives each day.

Tissues.

First off thanks to everyone that added a crying confession to my last post - we can all take comfort in knowing that we are not alone in our tears.  And speaking of those saline companions, I found an article that started mine all over again. It just makes me adore Up and revere Pixar all the more. Has anyone else heard of this?

Final.

(Judging from my last post and my inability to get the picture of our new computer to load, we obviously have some kinks to work out with our new Mac.  Putting the minor issues of transferring our documents over onto our new system, learning Mac commands, and feeling moments of frustration aside, I think that we made the right choice.  After a week of owning our new Apple we are still smitten.)

For the past seven months I have been lucky to work at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts.  Up until now I have been relatively quiet about promoting Museum-related events.  But today I have to break my silence and encourage each and every one of my friends and readers in Salt Lake City (or in the vicinity) to walk, run, trax, or scooter over to the UMFA before September 21st.  

In case you have not heard, for the past three months the UMFA has been hosting the Monet to Picasso exhibition, which as you guessed it, displays works of Art painted by Monet and Picasso.  But to say that Monet and Picasso are the only "big names" in the show would be offending some of the greatest artists of the 19th century.  Even if you are not an Art fan surely you have heard the names van Gogh, Renoir, Degas, Rodin, or Matisse somewhere in a humanities class somewhere.  If you have, and if you recognize something inspiring, beautiful, or even controversial in them, then you can see their work on the wall right now in Utah before the exhibition goes home to the Cleveland Museum of Art (I know, who would have thought that Cleveland had such an amazing Art collection?).

I am biased.  If it was up to me I would keep these paintings and sculptures here.  Because to have real Monets, Picassos, van Goghs, etc. in Utah is a big deal.  Normally you would have to travel to Chicago, New York, D.C., or Europe to see Art like this but now you have the chance to see these things in your own backyard.  Take a look at the beauties on my toolbar and the paintings will whet your appetite for Art because all but two of them are on display right now. The possibility of this happening again in our generation or even lifetime is basically impossible so do whatever you can to get there before it is over!        

The Museum is not hurting for visitors.  Do not think that my recommendation is merely based on an attempt to boost our numbers.  In just a few short months this exhibition has attracted over 55,000 people and it will most likely increase by the thousands these next couple of days. I am blogging about this because I know that if you are even remotely interested in seeing this Art that you will be kicking yourself for not seeing this exhibition. So if you are interested buy your tickets in advance, try to go during the day (preferably on a weekday), and let me know so I can come down and see you.

I'll see you in the galleries!