Friday, May 31, 2013

the stripes









































You might need sunglasses in order to look at this skirt.
In person it is a lot more bright.
Every time I walk past a mirror I jump in surprise.
Because it is SO bright.
But it's OK because it's Summer.
And anything goes in Summer.
Right?

The Mrs. and The Momma

may's favorites

1. Finishing up at SUU! Sad to say goodbye, but now on to a new adventure.






































2. Visiting the Salt Lake Temple. Such a beautiful experience and such a gorgeous temple.






































3. Starting my job. I am a nanny for the cutest kids in the world! Only part-time so it's not much money, but it is so worth it when I go to work. They are seriously geniuses and absolutely adorable! Plus my job requires me to play and go to museums! No complaining here.

4. Sent my handsome little brother off to the MTC and then he heads to San Antonio. Gonna miss him!

































5. Weddings. So many weddings going on this month including two tonight! So exciting!



Wednesday, May 29, 2013

memorial day weekend

This past Monday was Memorial Day.
The big welcoming to Summer.
On Friday night we started out with a fire at our good friend's house.
Perfect way to start the Summer-hot dogs, fire, and friends.
On Saturday I went up Little Cottonwood Canyon with Tami and Riley.

























Now, helpful hint: if you're going to go on a hike with a boy scout....
DON'T go on a hike with a boy scout.
He led us off the trail, up the most treacherous of cliffs.
(Mostly treacherous due to all the bugs...)
We ended up covered in Spiderwebs and larva....gross.
The girls took charge of the next hike and we chose a civilized one.
There were actually other humans on this one so we knew it was a good one.
And it led to a beautiful lake.
It was so green, beautiful, and serene.
It was quite the nice surprise.



























































That night we went to a Real soccer game against Chicago and they tied 1-1.
This was my first time seeing one and it did not disappoint.
I must say that soccer totally trumps all other sports.
Except underwater basket-weaving.

Sunday was spent on my death bed.
I had the flu I assume and was miserable.
And maybe a bit of a baby?

Monday ended the weekend with Ironman 3 and a barbecue.
Oh how I have missed barbecues.
Hello Summer....we welcome you with open arms.


Monday, May 27, 2013

fun in cedar city

I lived in Cedar City for two years.
(Minus the Summer months).
There is so many outdoor adventure opportunities to be had here.
I didn't do all of them because I was busy studying.
Ok.....let's be honest here.
I didn't do all of them because I didn't know about them.
I'm kicking myself now that I don't live there anymore.
So I made this list of fun things to do.
And fun things I want to do when I visit again.
For more ideas go to the cedar scene.

Have done:
1. The 'C' Trail: Well....attempted to do anyway. This is a really steep trail so get ready to sweat.
The top has a wonderful view of the city. Of course, you could just drive to the top as well.
Directions:
Drive south on Main Street
Turn left onto 820 S, right after Big O
Drive straight until you see the water tower
Turn right onto a dirt road
Follow the road until you reach the a dead end.

























2. Cedar Canyon: There are a few waterfalls up here that are fun to play in.
 My roommate and I attempted to climb up them and only got halfway. We must try again.
There is a trail to walk or bike. This is also a great place to stargaze since city lights are not in view.
Drive your truck up and fill the bed with blankets and pillows. Or campout in various places.

























3. Sheep Tunnels: These start across the street from Wal-Mart and go all over the underworkings
of Cedar City. This is more fun with somebody you think is cute so that you can hold their hand
when you get scared (otherwise a bit pointless) or you can play hide and seek in them.

4. Kanarraville Falls: This is honestly one of my favorite hikes ever! It follows a river through a slot canyon just south of Cedar City. Such beautiful scenery to see and so fun hiking through the river. There are a few waterfalls that you climb up and a rock slide that is perfect when it's really hot outside.
Directions:
Head South on I-15 and get off the freeway on Exit 51 toward Kanarraville/ Hamilton Fort. Turn left to get to Kanarraville. Go to 100 E in the small town and drive East  right up to the mountains. The small dirt parking lot will be on the left side of the road.
Kanaraville Falls Hike






































5. Spring Creek Canyon: This is another slot canyon hike near Kanarraville falls. This is a really short and easy hike with lots to explore and see. This canyon is beautiful and perfect for all ages.
Directions:
Take the I-15 Kanarraville exit just south of Cedar.  At 400 S Main Street (in Kanarraville), head southeast toward the cliffs.  Head for the cliffs

























6. The Reservoir: Up on the hill by Wal-mart, behind the aquatics center is a man-made reservoir. There is a sandy beach to play on, fishing, and kayaks to rent out. A fun place for get-togethers, parties, and hanging out.

























7. Cave: Near the trailhead of the 'C' hike is another trailhead. This one will lead to a stream that leads to a waterfall. It's a bit tricky to climb, but once you get to the cave it is worth. It is the perfect place to have a fire and explore.

8. Rock Climbing: Of course I have to mention all of the rock climbing available. Both up the canyon and west of Cedar City there is a lot of outdoor rock climbing opportunities. There are also two climbing gyms: SUU's rock wall and also the new Boulder Box on the west end of town.

Want to do:
1. Camping in Three Peaks
Directions:
Get on hwy 56
Turn left on Lund Road
Head north for 5 mi to Mid-Valley Rd
Turn west for 2 mi
It will be on the right

2. Lion's Mouth Cave:
Directions:
Drive east on HWY 56.
Follow the road for 15-17 miles.
Shortly after the mile post 46, turn left onto a dirt road called Pinto Road.
Follow the road for about a mile
On the right hand side is a turn off where the trail begins.

Friday, May 24, 2013

nostalgia

I moved home and all my stuff has been strewn about because I'm only home for the Summer.
And I procrastinate.
So yesterday I was cleaning out some stuff to find room for my college stuff.
I ended up going through a box that contains all my memories:
Journals, scrapbooks, souvenirs, mementos, letters, etc.
It was so fun to see what a nerd I was in elementary....and on.
Lately I have been feeling really nostalgic.
Not "oh I miss those carefree high school days" nostalgia.
This nostalgia came from remembering the last two years....my college days.
I'm still in my college days, but I miss the first two years of them.
Like Andy from the office said:
"I wish you could know you were in the good ol' days while you were still in them"
I am still in them.
Those first two years of college were amazing and I know that the next two
(or 3...?)
Will be just as amazing if not more.
I'm changing schools and this has added to the nostalgia.
Thinking about maybe never seeing some of my friends ever again?
I hope I do, but sometimes life gets in the way and it never happens.
That last day living in Cedar City produced such a strange feeling.
It didn't feel real that that was going to be my last night in that quiet little town.
That town that I called home for two years.
It was bitter-sweet.
I felt a sense of longing for wanting to stay and remain in the comfort of this circle of friends.
Tam and I had only started hanging out with some of these people the last few months.
It wasn't enough time.
But it was too much.....to finally get comfortable and then leave it all.
To balance the feeling of longing I felt a sense of excitement.
I was getting ready to start truly working towards what I want in life.
Going to a new school and starting my program.
This was also going to be a chance to meet even more amazing people.
What brought this post on was reading something from a journal from middle school.
My biggest change was also changing schools...but this time it was to high school.
So the journal entry was a little dramatic for it's time.
But it fit perfectly for this time.
        "I wonder why we're so surprised by change. It's happening all the time, all around us. Things are           always ending and beginning in life. The surprising thing, I guess, would be if things weren't changing.   We're always moving or changing, or someone near and dear to us is taking a new step. The best you can do is make sure that what you carry within you are the things that are important, the things that matter, the things that will last forever."
Wasn't I just such a little philosopher?

And here's a picture of a dog.
He has nothing to do with this post.



Wednesday, May 22, 2013

creamy italian pasta

This pasta is the most delicious pasta that I have ever placed in my mouth.
It is soo yummy!
And incredibly simple as well.
Pairing this with some grilled chicken or a salad would be divine.

Ingredients:
1 Pkg. bowtie pasta
1/2 C. butter
1 C. whipping cream
1/2 C. grated parmesan
1 Pkg.italian dressing mix

























Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pot.

























Add butter and mix until butter is melted.

























Add cream and parmesan and mix well.

























Add seasoning and mix again.

























Serve right away while it's creamy and hot.

























The Newlywed Table - Recipe Link Up and Features 12 #recipe #newlywedtable

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

i can ride my bike with no handlebars

I was going through my old computer files and found some old videos.
My ex-roommate and I loved documenting our lives.
Here is one that we made.
We owned a three-wheeled bike with no handlebars.
It was quite the hit in our college town.
Enjoy.





Friday, May 17, 2013

the view from here

In this post I talked about what makes me happy.
One of those things was witnessing the world be.
There are so many beautiful things that this world offers.
Last night Tami and I went to the Draper Temple.
It was gorgeous.
The dark green trees, white temple, and gray clouds.




































It made me think of all of my favorite views I've ever seen.
Ya know, the ones that just cannot be captured on camera.
So we have to store them away in our minds and try not to forget.

1. My favorite view in the entire world was from an airplane.
Sunsets from an airplane are amazing, but that wasn't my favorite.
I watched a distant thunderstorm in the middle of the night from one.
Lightening strikes, shooting stars, bursts of light.... beautiful.
2. Nighttime ombre skies are my favorite.
When the sun is setting and there's just a little bit of orange at the bottom.
And the colors slowly fade to black at the top.
In saying that....Utah sunsets are always amazing.
And in saying that.....
3. My next favorite view is driving north into the Salt Lake valley at Sunset.
With the mountains all lit up and reflecting off Utah Lake.
The clouds are orange and pink, they look like they're on fire.
4. I experienced my next one last year. Sitting at the base of Mount Olympus.
Looking over the valley at night. Amazing.

Now it looks like I need to get out of Utah and see some more amazing views :)

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

my happiness

I am happy. And I'm happy that I can say that. I have found the things that make me happy and here they are:

1. Playing the piano.
Surprisingly. But actually, if I'm having a bad mood day, playing hymns and other church songs       makes me feel so much better. I just wish that I was better at it.

2. Listening to good music.
Cliche, I know. I have been listening to Green River Ordinance lately and it just makes me so happy. I can't stop smiling. Down at SUU  would pick good songs to listen to between classes and I would just get a fluttery heart because the songs would just make me so happy.

3. Relationships with people.
I think that this is the greatest source of my happiness. How do I even explain this? Joking with and learning from a variety of people is just the most amazing thing on this Earth. Being with people, supporting each other, loving each other, learning from each other.... it's what life is all about. And it is beautiful.

4. Witnessing the world be.
The world has so much to offer us and so many beautiful things to show us. Watching a gorgeous sunset, the rainfall, and a shooting star....they are amazing. They put the world and life into perspective. In a way they make us feel invincible.

5. Trying new things. This is my favorite thing to do. Why not experience a whole bunch of things instead of doing the same things everyday? Life is more exciting this way. You also meet so many amazing and interesting people this way.

6. Reading. Books, so much more than movies for me, can stir emotion. You live these characters lives. You feel what they feel. You learn from these characters. You learn about your own life from books. Losing yourself in someone else's words is incredible.

7. Feeling the Spirit. Knowing that the Gospel that I live is the truest thing in the world and knowing that we are not left comfortless. Knowing that there is a purpose in life and feeling it. Feeling a heart bursting with joy because the spirit is just so strong.



































8. Sitting on the porch.
During spring time with the scent of blossoms. Reading a good book. While the sun goes down.



Saturday, May 11, 2013

a day in the city

My dear friend Tamra and I took a trip to Salt Lake City.
The first of many this Summer.
Ya see, I have a billion bus tokens.
(Long story...)
We need to use them up.
So we went today.
But the bus didn't show...?
Good job UTA.
So we took Trax.
We made our way safely to the city and began the adventure.
We stopped at the library and took a stairway to heaven to see some beautiful views.



























After the library we stopped by the LDS temple to do baptisms for the dead.
This was my first time in this temple.
And it was GORGEOUS.
Most definitely the most gorgeous temple I've been in.


 We then spent our day wandering the streets.
(OK...getting really lost.)
(Pioneer Park is completely different than Liberty Part FYI. And not even close to each other.)
No we didn't rent these bikes, but they were cute.
Next time.


We visited this delicious waffle house.
Bruges Waffles and Frites.
Downtown Salt Lake on Broadway.
You devil you.
Belgian waffles and fries with delicious sauces.
Genius.
Best waffles ever.


Friday, May 10, 2013

an embarassment

I embarrass myself just about everyday.
The one that stands out in my mind though happened two years ago.
It was the first Sunday down in Cedar City.
My first week of college.
My roommate, me, and our friend Dallin went to church together.
I wore my flowy white sundress.
I was so excited to meet so many new people.
During sacrament I got up to go to the bathroom.
I look in the mirror and....
My bright blue underwear is completely visible through my white dress.
I was mortified. How many people had seen my underwear?
I had no idea what to do.
I couldn't hide out in the bathroom all day.
I had a crush on Dallin and he couldn't know what was going on.
I looked around the bathroom and got a brilliant idea.
Paper towels.
Those were white.
So I hiked up my dress and proceeded to make a paper towel diaper.
I wore a paper towel diaper.
After I had created this I walked back to sacrament.
Paper towels are crunchy.
I had to walk with my legs at least a foot apart or people would hear the crunch.
It was a very awkward day in church, but Dallin still does not know.
I disguised my diaper well.



Link up peeps!



Thursday, May 9, 2013

today

Thursday.
The bike ride of death.
Hills are not my best friend.
How did I ride my bike with such ease as a child??


Wednesday, May 8, 2013

my job

So my current job is being a nanny, but I only started that this week.
So I don't feel as if that is sufficient time for this post.
So I will write about my previous job.
I was a custodian this last semester at SUU.
I had also been a custodian for 3 years at Riverton Elementary.
So I know what's going on.

Truth 1:
This job is the most glamorous job available.
But not actually. It's just a job.
A job that involves monotonous vacuuming and garbage emptying.

Truth 2:
I play A LOT of Solitaire while on the job.
There's only so much vacuuming that needs to be done in that large amount of time.
I am now Solitaire queen.

Truth 3:
Since work started at 6 every morning and I'm a college student that likes to stay up late,
many mornings I woke up and called in "sick". This is incredibly common in the life of a
student custodian.

Truth 4:
An astounding amount of people leave backpacks and purses behind.
Weeks later they are still sitting in the classroom.
Peeps, how are you forgetting this EVERY TIME?

Truth 5:
My favorite part about work is that I perform my own rock concert every day.
Leave me alone in an empty building with music and I will be jamming.
I am positive that every custodian does this.
I have caught many others doing it.
I worry how many have caught me....

Truth 6:
We wear vacuums on our backs.
They look like jet packs.
They're pretty cool.
Except when you have to pick up garbage off the ground.
It's the opposite of being pregnant (i imagine).
Most awkward maneuvering ever has to be done.

Any other custodians out there?

Join the linky party!!

Eloquent Graffiti

a word of advice

I have got to say that the best advice I have ever heard is...

If you're in a fight with someone then just get naked.
Because nobody can fight with a naked person.

This is the advice that I give to all newlyweds.
Now I have never tried this before but it sounds pretty genius.
I can't wait to actually use this.
So if anybody reading has ever done this before,
was it a success or a failure?
I really would like to know.

Thanks!




Tuesday, May 7, 2013

what i'm most afraid of

Fear is my biggest enemy.
I feel as if most fear is irrational.
But to the person who is afraid,
it is anything BUT irrational.
I try to live my life by doing the things that scare me most.
I skydive.
I rock climb.
I say bold things.
I go to Africa by myself on a whim.
If I say that something scares me then it is a personal challenge to face it.
This is hard sometimes.
Especially when facing my biggest fear.
My biggest fear in the whole wide world is being alone.
(More specifically....waking up and being the last person on earth).
I don't know why this scares me so much.
Sometimes my roommates will leave for the weekend and leave me home alone.
By the end of those three days I am scared out of my mind.
Because I feel as if I have been left.
Left to be alone forever.
There is comfort in physical proximity to people for me.
Maybe it's knowing that if I needed somebody then I would have them?
I cannot ever imagine living by myself.
I would go crazy and turn into the lady that neighborhood kids are scared of.
I know that this fear is irrational, but not to me.
I don't understand it, but it's there.


Monday, May 6, 2013

what i do

What do I do?
-I am a student. Literally. I go to college and hope that I learn stuff. I try to be a student in life too. Learning should be done everywhere, during everything (I'm going into education...can you tell?). I try to always be learning about new things and reading interesting books and watching the news. This also makes conversations a lot more interesting (rather than talking about so-and-so's new boyfriend and all sorts of other drama).

-I rock climb. There is nothing quite like finishing a really hard route that you have been working on for days or weeks. I'm not the best rock climber out there, but I'm better than when I began. That's what I love about rock climbing. Nobody is being compared to others and you never have to worry about being judged. You are just challenging yourself. You are only trying to do better than what you did yesterday.




































-I try many new things. I don't think I'm extremely good at one thing, but I am decent at a lot of things. I love trying knew things. Racquetball, tennis, pickleball, volleyball, photography, swimming, sewing, scrapbooking, skateboarding, etc. But I am always trying new things because that's what life is about....experiencing new things!

And that's what I do :)

Saturday, May 4, 2013

skateboarding

I finished with finals and headed home yesterday.
I should be singing praises right now, right?
Wrong. I'm not done.
Ya see.....I did something stupid.
The only final that I had to go to class for was on Thursday.
Thursday at three.
I planned everything around this final...
Meetings, work, appointments, check-out...
Thursday rolls around and I start studying for my test.
(procrastinate much?)
As I'm studying I look at my syllabus and instantly notice:
FINAL EXAM: MAY 1ST!!!!!
My test was Wednesday!!!!
Oh my goodness, I'm a dumb.
I e-mail my teacher to kindly ask her to disregard my stupidity and let me take the test.
Her reply: LOL, I'll send you a take-home test.
I'm glad my teacher is chill enough to say LOL and to let me re-do this.

On my first day back in R-town I asked my brother to teach me how to skateboard.
He is basically a pro and I want to be that cool.
(Really it's because my favorite character in the current TV series I'm watching skateboards....)
One lesson down and I have a LOT more practice to do.
I landed on my butt many times.
He challenged me to go down the hill.
And so I sat my rear end on it and rode down that hill.
That's how it's done.



























My brother is a fabulous skateboard model.
These pictures weren't taken recently.
They were for my photography class a few years back.
Sorry in advance brother :)