Happy Birthday America!

My Fourth of July was very low key but, that was just the way I would have had it this year! Between taking a full load of classes and working, low key is definitely appreciated! I had to work a double on Saturday and the Monday morning shift but, this weekend proved to be very profitable at work. In two days at work I made right around 200 dollars- not bad if you ask me. My weekend also provided me some time to spend with Becca and her family. The Youngs had me over for dinner on Sunday and let me hang out with them for the entire evening! I love having family around and other people's family who treat me like family. Thankfully I also had a little bit of time to squeeze some fireworks into my weekend. We watched the Stadium of Fire fireworks from the grass in front of the Hinckley Center on campus and they were pretty incredible. So, my low key Fourth weekend was pretty great! Happy birthday America!

My Spokane Family

I have been a pro vacationer lately. St. George last weekend and this weekend was spend in Spokane with the Dittos! I am so glad to have such wonderful family members and friends who fill my life with happiness and love and make it all worth while! To hit some highlights of this weekend- we made sweet tye-dye shirts, now that I am a pro from my St. George trip, I shared my knowledge and skills and every one's shirts turned out pretty awesome! On Saturday, I got to go out to lunch with a good friend from PA and her husband. Brandi and Ashley were out here because Ashley did the Couer De'Alene Ironman- he was pretty awesome, I know, I went and saw him race (well about 30 seconds of his race) on Sunday morning, before church. To top it all off, my dad and little sister came over on Saturday night so I got to spend some time with them which is great because Emily is running away to Ecuador to change the lives of all kinds of Ecuadorian orphans and my parents are so busy with their remodeling that I won't see them again until August when I walk at graduation. This was another great weekend, filled with family and friends and some pretty sweet memories! Thanks Dittos!! I am so glad I was able to come stay and especially glad I was able to meet new baby Maren!!

Disclaimer

Reading through my last posts, I found some typos... I posted my last post with a concussion, that is what we will blame it on!

Fun in the Sun

This was the weekend! I spent this weekend in sunny St. George, Utah. It was a great trip, incredibly fun! I am so thankful to have friends like Sam and Jason and I am so thankful for their families' hospitality! The trip went from Friday to Tuesday, morning, very early! There was mountain sight seeing, mountain biking, fun on the lake and a hike through Zion National Park! Amazing weekend!

So, after a sleepy drive (at least for me) we arrived in St. George. Hannah, Sam's little sister, was wearing an awesome tye-dye t-shirt so, we decided to make our own. Mine and Sam's shirts turned out pretty awesome, they will be featured later!!

This was activity number two. This train, the Poppy Trail, is practically in Jason's backyard. It was a really fun trail to ride. I was even able to manage it and I have not ridden a bike in years! As you can see, the sun was setting as we ended our ride. It was sure beautiful! St. George is beautiful and so entertaining!

This was Saturday morning's activity! We headed out, pretty early, to Sand Hollow, a reservoir not too far from St. George. The blue water looked pretty incredible next to the red rocks. I did some wakeboarding, cliff jumping and learned how to wake surf- good day if you ask me! The last picture is to illustrate exactly where I spent my time when I was not behind the boat, sprawled out in the bow, soaking up the Sand Hollow sun!

Saturday evening, after our naps, we did some sightseeing! St. George is really beautiful! I love the red rocks!! I especially love the temple against the red rocks- such a beautiful contrast! We walked around the temple and then hiked around the Sugar Loaf- that is where the view is from. I had a really great time getting to know St. George a little bit better!

Monday was the big hoorah!! We did a hike in Zion National Park. The most legitimate hike I have ever been on! It involved wet suits and harnesses and ropes, very equipment intensive! The scenery was incredible!! We hiked, rappelled, swam (through freezing cold water) and I saw some of the most amazing nature I have ever seen! I also felt more extremes, temperature wise, than I have ever felt in such a short period of time! One minute we were freezing, then then next we were sweating- quite the adventure if you ask me! Highlights- I learned how to safely tie myself in before rappelling, I now have great memories of Jason's 'toga', Sarah and I (Jason's little sister) sang Disney songs while we hiked out, I free rappelled 100 feet, and I had a brush with death (literally) but that is another story entirely!

In conclusion, this weekend way A.M.A.Z.I.N.G! Thank you so much to Sam and Jason, the Burton's and Stacey!! It was the best!

Sorry for this one, Jason. I needed to show off my completely awesome tye-dye shirt! Thanks, Hannah, for showing me how!!!

The Smartest Dad in the World

Today is my Dad's birthday. Sunday is Father's Day. This week in June has always been a busy one in our family. I have been taught from a very young age that my Dad is the smartest dad in the world! This is true, he is the smartest and the nicest and the most loving dad in the whole wide world. I am so thankful to have a father like I do. There have been so many times that my dad has come to my rescue and seen me through a number of difficult times. I love Love LOVE my dad and am so glad he is mine, forever.

Practice Makes Perfect... Eventually

SO! This weekend I am headed to southern Utah with my friends Jason and Sam (pictured above). Sam and I are in the athletic training program together. Thanks to the BYU football team last fall, we became really good friends! I am really thankful to have friends like these two. On Thursday we decided that in preparation for our trip we needed to go rock climbing. We hiked it up Rock Canyon and did some climbing. Not only was it active and fun but peaceful and good to feel like we got away from Provo for a minute!

It was an incredibly beautiful day! I am so glad that I have such beautiful surroundings to enjoy! I recently discovered the Bonneville Shoreline Trail up in the Provo Canyon and I love Love LOVE running on it! There is just something about being outside in the summer time that calls to me- I just can't resist!!

So this is the pre-climb picture. I was excited!

Here is a during climb picture. Climbing shots are not very good for the bum... Sorry.

Here is the top! I made it all the way! Higher than Marc, not that that really matters.

And, what goes up, must come down! Thanks to Jason for belaying me safely to the ground!

I got a little bit of practice belaying myself. I belayed for Jason which was not exactly the best idea...

This is how we handled the situation. Sam and I were tied in together... just in case! Thanks, Jason and Sam for a great night even if I should have been studying for finals!! I am so looking forward to this weekend!

21 and 363/365ths

It doesn't get much closer than that!! Two days before my twenty second birthday, my incredible older sister drove all the way to Salt Lake with her family, brought me a delicious dinner and helped me ring in my twenty second year! It was a beautiful day (a little windy but other than that...) and so fun to spend an afternoon with the Young's!

These are my birthday cupcakes! Carrot cake, of course! Becca took all my requests for what we had to eat so we ate macaroni salad, wraps, cantaloupe and carrot cake cupcakes! It was the best birthday meal a girl could ask for!!

So, we spent our eating time at Ensign Park up above the State Capitol in Salt Lake City. It was beautiful! The wind was blowing kind of hard, that made blowing out my candles a little easier, but other than that, the day was beautiful! We played at the park for a while and even made friends with a dog named River! Clay got me a bag of Reese's Cups- one of my favorite treats! I also received a pack of Trident Tropical Splash gum- my favorite flavor and, my incredibly talented sister Becca made me the coolest headband! She knitted a super cute bow and put it on a headband, I can't wait to wear it around! It will go especially well with my Brick Oven Apron!

Not that this picture is especially flattering but, I wanted

to show off Becca's awesome bow making skills!

After our meal at the park we headed to Temple Square! The grounds were incredible! Becca and I decided that the temple grounds were like our own private tulip festival! It really was beautiful! We decided that we probably got there right in time as the tulips will most likely be removed in the next little while. The ground's crew must have known I was coming for my birthday and that tulips were on of my favorite flowers- it was nice of them to keep them there for me!

This may be my favorite picture of the day! I just love this little family! I love that Becca wanted to make my birthday special! I love that Jake can tell me the name of any plant or tree anywhere! I love that Clay can tell me about any animal in the whole wide world! And, when he tells me stories, he uses phrases like 'vast plains' and talks about places I have never even heard of! I love Ella's attachment to her baby and the great care she gives to her- she is a pretty good momma! I am so blessed to people like these in my family! Thank you guys, so much, for helping me to have a great, almost birthday! I love you!!