Hello dear blog readers,
I have several posts to update you with, but first, (this is random) I was going through some files on my computer and came across our gift list from our wedding.

There were little x's next to a bunch of the names, which I assume is to account for a thank you note being sent. However, I am remembering that I put Chad in charge of sending thank you notes to his family, and many of those names do not have little x's next to them. So if you are bored enough to have found our blog, and haven't written us off because you are so offended that we didn't send you a thank you note, THANK YOU for everything you gave us. I have a detailed list of what everyone gave us, so I can even thank you for your specific gift. And I can tell you where it is in my house or what we spent the money on. Sorry Chad never got around to writing those thank you notes. But your contribution to our brand new beginnings as a married couple have helped us get to where we are now - in a lovely little home, complete with washer and dryer, piano and puppy.

Anywho.

A few weeks ago, BYU-I held an open house night for the new BYU-I Center for all alumni. I got Chad to work his schedule around it, so we got to go. The new auditorium is rumored to be the largest college facility that isn't a sports arena. It seats 15,000. One level seats the total number of people that fit in the Hart Auditorium. (This is where Commencement was.) AND you don't have to sit in bleachers! I was sad that I missed playing at the dedication by 1 year.

Here are some pictures from my cell phone:
The stage


The view from the bottom


The view from the top


It is pretty awesome. They're hosting a Women's Conference there next Saturday that I'm hoping to go to, and then I'll get to see it in action. Interesting fact: their broadcasting cameras are hand-me-downs from the Conference Center in Salt Lake.

In addition to this auditorium, they built 10 new basketball courts, a suspended indoor track, a new cafeteria/dining area, new bookstore, new cafe, skywalk between this building and the old gym, and a skywalk between the new M.C. (Student Center) and the library. Apparently they did not build any new parking though, so those 15,000 people that show up for an event in the BYU-I Center will have to do a lot of walking. That was silly.

Also, hanging in one of the upstairs hallways of the new auditorium was this familiar painting:

I didn't know it was Mormon folk art.