Q4 Dates

Wrapping up another year of great dates with my sweetheart. We've done some really fun things and we've also had plenty of simple dates filled with grocery store runs and fast food on the couch after the kids are in bed. That's the very best thing about getting to go on dates with your best friend, it doesn't really matter what you're doing - just being together is the best thing. 

Q4 had some really great dates and I'm lucky to be this one's plus-one. 

Hayley and Darian Wedding

I was SO excited for this wedding! (I love weddings.) David and Hayley are friends from work, and we have hung out with them several times (BBQ, dinner, games, etc..) We were so happy to be a part of the celebration of Hayley and Darian. We were seated at the Eide Bailly table with other people that David works with and it was really neat to see how much the people that David works with mean to each other. They are such a good group of people and I love watching David in his element with them. 

Jazz Game (Double Date) 

Now that David is a hot-shot partner (ha), he has the opportunity to use the Jazz Game box tickets. Hypothetically it should be for making connections with people who can increase business for the company. For this first time, he threw around a couple of names and pretty quickly we knew that we wanted to invite Dani and David Martin. We had a great time with them (we like them so much). It was fun to be at the sports game together, and the box came with a huge delicious meal! Appetizers, dinner, dessert, snacks. It was so good. 

Hale Center Theater Orem - Final Performance 

This date was definitely bittersweet. The very last performance in the Orem theater. We have loved this theater so much. We are excited, I guess, for the new theater- but actually I don't like change and would rather just stay in this quaint, lovely theater. Alas. 

We tried to enjoy every minute of our last performance in this theater: My Fair Lady. 

The play was lovely - but I'm going to be honest, the highlight may have been during intermission when we noticed a lady across the theater who was standing up in the middle of the row, reading a book. I don't know why it struck us as so funny - but we had quite a scintillating conversation about social norms and how if she was standing there looking at her phone, we wouldn't have even noticed - alternately, if she was sitting and reading her book, it wouldn't have been a big deal. But the fact that she was standing in the middle of the row, fully absorbed in her book (for the entire intermission) kept us spellbound. We almost immediately started on a quest to figure out which book she was reading (which is why we have pictures of this in the first place). We finally found it. A book titled "After" - but not I can't find the link to it and I'm not going to go down that rabbit hole again. We felt so accomplished that we had figured it out. Never a dull moment with us around. 

And last of the Q4 Dates is the 

Eide Bailly Christmas Party

This year the party was hosted at the Utah State Fairgounds. The food was really very good (we have feelings about buffet food) and I appreciated the soda bar. The activity was a poker night and we spent a lot of time at a roulette table, which was fun, but I left the night with zero desire to gamble. EVER.  This was David's first Christmas Party as a partner and he had to do a few things like hand out prizes. Always glad to belong to him when we are at events like this. I'm so proud of him and love getting to know his work friends. 

I'm laughing as I realize that three of these dates were Eide Bailly related - but I guess that's good! 

I'm grateful for each day I get to spend with David and extra grateful to go on so many dates together. 

Hale Center Theater Orem (Final Season) 2024

See last years Play Review: https://thepeadenlife.blogspot.com/2023/11/hale-center-theater-season-tickets-and.html
and our 2018 Play Review: https://thepeadenlife.blogspot.com/2018/11/hale-center-theater-season-tickets-play.html

Hale Center Theater Orem (Final Season) and Play Review 2024

This is the final season of Hale Center Theater in the Orem location. Starting in January 2025 they are moving to their new location in Pleasant Grove (called The Ruth). Shantel and I have loved this little theater and did not want to miss the final season here. 

THE FOREIGNER
JAN. 06 – FEB. 17, 2024
By Larry Shue

In a rural Georgia fishing lodge, "Froggy" brings his shy friend Charlie, who pretends to be a non-English speaker. Overhearing sinister plots, scandalous secrets, and hilarious misunderstandings, Charlie becomes the unexpected hero, leading to uproarious chaos and a triumphant resolution in this side-splitting comedy. (Show Type: Play).  Star rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

Shantel Thoughts: I didn't know that this play was written by the same playwright as "The Nerd" until we sat in our seats and heard the people talking behind us. They were talking about the Nerd and I couldn't resist turning around and joining in their conversation. Knowing that The Nerd is one of our all time favorite plays, we were even more excited. I thought this play was very funny and enjoyed it a lot. We attended this previously-scheduled performance only a week after Sue passed away and the emotional upheaval was fresh and heavy. It was so good for us to laugh and breathe a little lighter for a little bit. There were some heavier topics (of racism, etc..) and that portrayal was a little heavy knowing that things like that really happened - but the play did a great job of making it clear who were the good guys and that there isn't place for racism. This was the first play of our year, and after such a low-scoring season in 2023, this play gives me such hope for 2024! (I would probably give it closer to 3.5-3.8 stars!) 

David Thoughts: I feel like this play was very average. I was hoping that it would be laugh out loud funny and so clever. It had a few moments, but I don't feel like it held the enjoyment throughout and while I enjoyed it, it was okay, but not spectacular. 




HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING

MAR 01 – APRIL 13, 2024
By FRANK LOESSER AND ABE BURROWS

When a restless window washer named J. Pierrepont Finch happens upon a book entitled 'How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying', he begins his rise up the corporate ladder. As hijinks ensue, he must eventually rely on his wits and heart to save the day. A Pulitzer prize and Tony award winning hit! (Show Type: Play). Star rating: 3.8 out of 5 stars.

Shantel Thoughts: This play was clever and fun. On principle, I have to dock points anytime an affair or inappropriate relationship is a main part of the play. But the storyline was engaging, the acting was fantastic, and the songs were fun.  

David Thoughts: This was another one that I feel like had a ton of potential. While it definitely had some funny parts, it also had a few parts that made me feel a little uncomfortable and that held the rating down just a bit. Overall, it was fun and good. 

THE HELLO GIRLS
APR. 26 – JUN. 01, 2024
By Peter Mills & Cara Reichel
From New York to Paris, from ragtime to jazz: THE HELLO GIRLS chronicles the story of America’s first women soldiers in this new musical inspired by history. Serving as bilingual telephone operators on the front lines of World War I, these courageous women helped turn the tide of war and shape the course of human history. (Show Type: Musical) Star rating: 5 out of 5 stars.

Shantel Thoughts: The moment we left this performance, I wanted to tell everyone I knew to GO! It was fantastic. It was such a beautiful, intense, and inspiring story about WWI with spot-on acting and incredible production. I loved how they were able to share a complex story in a way that helped you understand the good people involved at all levels and how they were all trying to do their best in a really hard situation. It made me feel connected and grateful to the men and women who served in WWI as well as following the highs and lows of the performance.  5/5 stars and we almost never give more than 4.5 stars.

David Thoughts: I loved this show. It is exactly what I hope for when I think about what I want out of a play. I went in not knowing what the play was even about and left feeling so great. It was such a heartwarming story that brought me in emotionally. It did cover topics with more depth and so it definitely had more somber moments/themes, but they handled those so well and then had such a great balance of funny moments to lighten it up. I would definitely want to see this one again. After we went, we were telling everyone they needed to go see it before it was gone. I'd rate this as one of my 10 favorite HCT plays we've ever seen (but behind, the Nerd, The Scarlet Pimpernel etc.). 

SEUSSICAL

JUNE 14 – AUGUST 3, 2024
By STEPHEN FLAHERTY & LYNN AHRENS; BASED ON THE WORKS BY DR. SEUSS

Embark on a whimsical journey through beloved Dr. Seuss stories, where Horton, the Cat in the Hat, and other iconic characters come to life. With larger-than-life personalities and songs like “Alone in the Universe” and “Oh the Thinks you Can Think”, Seussical delivers delightful entertainment for the whole family. (Show Type: Musical) Star rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

Shantel Thoughts: This exceeded my expectations. The music was fun and upbeat. The musical numbers were energetic and exciting. The storyline required a generous amount of flexibility to follow, but all in all we enjoyed our date to this performance. One thing that I think the Hale Orem does so well is to create outstanding, high-impact, performances in such a small space. 3.5 stars.

David Thoughts: I did not have high expectations for this play. Not that I really knew what to expect, but just form my understanding of Dr. Suess I did not expect much. It was enjoyable and we had a great time. I'd give it 3 out of 5 stars. 

THE NUTTY PROFESSOR (BONUS PLAY AT HCT SANDY WITH THE PERKINS)

JULY 1 – AUGUST 17, 2024
By RUPERT HOLMES AND JERRY LEWIS

The Nutty Professor is a modern spin on Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The story follows bullied scientist Julius Kelp as he creates a serum that transforms him into his handsome and dangerous alter ego, Buddy Love. (Show Type: Play) Star rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars.

This was a bonus play. Amy and Derek Perkins were going with his parents and had two extra tickets and invited us to go with them. We were so excited to go. It was fairly last minute, so we did not have a babysitter. We've had Lydia do a lot of babysitting for us, but have avoided things that are this long/far away for things where it is hard to step out. However, she is older now and we decided she could babysit for us. 



Shantel Thoughts: What a fantastic performance. We loved attending this with our friends, Derek and Amy, and Derek's parents. It was engaging and exciting. Honestly, the production value at the Sandy Theater is unmatched. However, I did miss the intimacy of the smaller Orem theater. I am unsure if (to me) production value > performance value. I hope that when the new theater "The Ruth" is completed in Orem they will still be able to capture the small-theater feeling. That being said, it's been a long time since a performance has been so thoroughly entertaining and engaging (minus the Hello Girls, which we loved). I would go and see this again! 4.5 out of 5 stars. 

David Thoughts: I loved this play. It is definitely one where the longer the play went, the more and more I enjoyed it. At intermission I would have given it a 4 out of 5, but I enjoyed the 2nd half even more and would give it 4.3 out of 5. 

ARSENIC AND OLD LACE
AUGUSTS 16 – SEPTEMBER 21, 2024
By JOSEPH KESSELRING

In the hilarious comedy, Arsenic and Old Lace, Mortimer Brewster's engagement takes a dark turn when he discovers a corpse in his aunts' home. Unbeknownst to him, the sweet old ladies have a dark secret, and chaos ensues with poison, a delusional brother, and a race to save Mortimer's wedding from madness. 

Star rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars.

Shantel's Thoughts: I love this play so much. It's one of my all-time favorites (right up there with The Nerd). I wanted so badly to come back and see the Friday night cast of this performance before the show was over because it was just SO good and the thought of never seeing Arsenic and Old Lace in this theater again makes me want to cry a little. (This is our second time seeing it here and even though we enjoyed it this time, the first time was just GOLD.) I'm trying to be okay with letting go of this theater, but I just love it here so much. 4.8 out of 5 stars! 

David's Thoughts: This is such a classic. It was funny and so well done. Even knowing what is coming it still hits home to get me laughing. 4.6 out of 5 stars. 


MY FAIR LADY
OCTOBER 4 – NOVEMBER 23, 2024
By ALAN JAY LERNER & FEDERICK LOEWE

On the streets of Edwardian England, flower seller Eliza Doolittle enlists the help of privileged Professor Henry Higgins to transform her from a gutter snipe to a proper lady. A guaranteed favorite with classic songs like “I Could Have Danced All Night” and “The Street Where You Live.” Star rating: 4.1 out of 5 stars.

Shantel's Thoughts: I had never seen this play before but I think I've seen the movie, maybe? A long time ago? As always - it was well done in all areas: The singing, the acting, the production. I am pretty satisfied with this play as the final play in this theater, although the sentimental side of me wanted an announcement over the speaker before the play started (or a note in the program) saying that this was Ruth Hale's favorite play and that's why they chose it. I don't know if it was - I just wanted it to be! 4.1 out of 5 stars. 

David's Thoughts: I have watched this (or at least parts of it) when my Mom would put it on, but didn't really remember the storyline until it started and then it came back to me. I really enjoyed the play and thought it was so great (though part of me wishes the guy had been more kind at the end). 4.1 out of 5 stars. 

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Shantel's final thoughts. 

I have a vivid memory of a time that my Grandma and Grandpa Walker treated us all to a performance at the Hale Center Theater Orem. I don't know exactly how old I was, but I think probably about ten.  My memory starts with my cousins and I gathered in a group under the overhang by the corner door, waiting for the doors to open. We ended up sitting in a big circle and playing "down by the banks", a hand-clapping game, while we waited. The performance was Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat and I remember a giant gold pyramid that they wheeled in and put over the middle section. Actors were up and down and singing and dancing and it was the most incredible thing my ten year old self had ever experienced. Was it that moment that my love for live theater was born? Who knows, but I do know that experience was special to me. We have had many, many, wonderful experiences here: The Secret Garden, The Nerd, and The Hello Girls. (And to be fair, a couple of poor experiences like "Anything Goes".) When we first moved to the area, Wendy and Sam invited us to come with them and that kind act has had such an impact on us. I have loved going to this theater with David. I love sitting next to him, drinking our free "season ticket holder soda" (always Dr. Pepper), laughing (or crying), and breaking down our thoughts about the production in the car all the way home. I love how small and intimate this theater is and I am grateful for the gift of being able to spend so much time here and experience so many different stories on this stage. 

David Final Thoughts:

I have loved so much going to this Theater with Shantel. I loved watching the shows and then breaking down every detail on the car ride home. I agree with Shantel that I will always remember seeing some favorites here: The Nerd, The Secret Garden, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and The Little Mermaid. There have been so many great plays and I love how intimate it is. I also loved the creative ways that they remade the set for each different play. I always looked forward to what they had done. I also loved getting a soda every time (except the time when the straws wouldn't dispense and the worker reached there hand in and jiggled around and touched every straw to make it work and I could only think about the germs). Best of all was that it gave such a great opportunity for a date with Shantel. I will miss this little theater. Final Rating: Hale Center Theater Orem 5.0 Stars. 

Q3 Dates (David and Shantel)

I love going on dates with this wonderful guy. Honestly, I feel grateful for how many opportunities that we have to spend one-on-one time together. 

1. We do a 3 hour date swap with our next door neighbors, the Wards, once a month (we get a date, they get a date). 

2. We swap for "Cousin Weekend" where all the cousins go to one house once a month and the other two couples get a date weekend. This means that we host cousin weekend 4 times a year and we get 7 date weekends in a year. 

3. We have Hale Center Theater season tickets, so if we can't arrange the date night/date weekends around our play dates, we ask Amy or my mom to come watch the kids for our play. 

4. A handful of other events that give us time together. Sometimes this is as small as sneaking away for a game night across the street, or a movie at Thanksgiving point while Lydia babysits or sometimes it's a larger event like David's work Christmas party that we have to get a specific babysitter for. 

We have a lot of opportunities to be together and I recognize that it's a huge blessing in our lives, one that not everyone has readily available to them. I'm grateful because I think that going on dates, big and small, is so good for our relationship and the opportunity to do things together is an important part of our lives! Honestly, sometimes we go to the grocery store and pick up Panda and Arby's to eat after we put the kids to bed and while we watch a Hallmark movie. Sometimes we take 8 hours to hike to the top of a mountain together. I love all of the things because I genuinely just love to be with David. 

Here are some of the highlights from our dates during July, August, and September. 

Hale Center Theater Orem - Seussical & Arsenic and Old Lace

We are soaking in the last few performances in the historic Orem Theater space. We love it here so much, and are disappointed that the theater is moving to a new space. But, we understand that things change and we are grateful to be along for the ride. 

Seussical - We went to Seussical in July -  The music was fun and upbeat. The musical numbers were energetic and exciting. It is amazing how the Hale Orem can create such outstanding, high-impact performances in such a small space. 

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Arsenic and Old Lace - We went to this in September, as part of my birthday weekend celebration. Arsenic and Old Lace is one of my favorite plays, and I loved seeing it one last time at my favorite theater. Kevin and Amy came with us (we gave them tickets for their birthdays last year).

BONUS: Amy and Derek Perkins invited us to go to the Hale Center Theatre Sandy performance of The Nutty Professor. It was fun to go with them and their family (and generous of their parents to allow us to use their extra tickets as we tagged along). The performance was fun and funny and so well done (although even with all the high show-stopping production, you have to miss a little bit of the smallness of the other theater). This was the first performance that Lydia babysat for us through the whole thing and we were so grateful to her! 

Hiking Mt. Raymond

We knew we wanted to go on a hike for our date weekend in September and looked into several 5ish mile hikes. We ended up hiking the Mt. Raymond Summit, because I've not stopped talking about it since I hiked it with some friends last year. We LOVED it! 

-7.5 miles
-3,028 elevation gain

We saw a giant Bull Moose on the trail about 30 minutes into the hike and almost turned around to go home. I mean, we did turn around and run the other way as fast as we could. But then we saw him cross the path to join up with his family a little ways off and decided to be brave and keep going. I was sincerely terrified that we might be in physical danger, but the adrenaline from seeing the moose helped propel us up one of the steepest parts of the hike. 

These pictures with the peak behind us were taken halfway through the hike and I am pointing to the summit that we ended the hike at. It really was incredible!

The start of this hike is so steep (and so is the end) and I was so tired. But we made it and I’m so proud of us. We are confident that hiking a difficult hike together must be a psychology-approved relationship builder because it’s awesome to accomplish something so hard together. 

Curling

Back in January when we were talking about making goals I decided that in addition to the many things that I am putting my heart and soul into on a daily basis (motherhood, homeschool, homemaking, being a wife, friend, daughter, my stake primary calling, taking care of myself) - I wanted to make ONE goal, but I wanted it to be a fun goal. It took until August, but we finally made that one goal that I made happen: curling! It was kind of a ridiculous goal, but maybe that's why I loved it so much. 

Learning to curl at the Olympic Oval was everything that I wanted it to be! We convinced Jason and Sarah Newbold to come with us, and even though they might have thought we were a little crazy - we all had fun together.  I officially love curling and am already looking forward to coming back again sometime.