An incredible past...and a spotless future.

Long story short...I joined Google+ and all of my picasa photos were attached to my profile. I didn't so much love that, so when asked, I opted to delete them from my Google+ account. Little did I know that is where Google stores all of my blog images. Conclusion-- a very unhappy me and NO images on my blog. I guess that means a fresh start and a lot of work if I want them back. In the meantime, here's to one of my best years yet...

2011

Went snowmobiling in Christmas Meadows. Made my first cake with fondant. Somehow mended a friendship I thought I may have lost. Chalk and Holi Krishna. Vacationed in Maui. Loved running Ragnar/Wasatch Back. Witnessed closely the circle of life in nature. Used my passport. Repelled a 250 ft waterfall. Went to the temple. Blessed by seeing the birth of a child. Lake Powell (‘nough said). Saw the largest copper mine in the world (for the first time). Ran a marathon. Went Canyoneering. ALL of my immediate family in the Celestial Room…kind of amazing. My oldest niece was baptized. Festival of Trees. Season tickets BYU football. Paid off my car. Went to Costa Rica.Once again realized…
I have a VERY GOOD LIFE.

A few highlights..

A few highlights from my last post.

Maui -
I have been fortunate enough to have been to Hawaii multiple times in the last 5 or so years though until recently I had never been to Maui. It did not disappoint. My dad has to work over on the Big Island and Oahu about every 6 months so occasionally I get the chance to go and hang with my mom while my dad works. We stayed at the Westin in Kaanapali and it was gorgeous. We had a few days of sight seeing and some great days of just lounging on the beach. We went snorkeling, zip lining, did a great hike, ate shrimp from the shrimp truck, went down to Lahaina, went to the top of the volcano, all in all had a wonderful time. Thanks Dad for giving me an excuse to go :)

Ragnar -
Prior to running the Wasatch back I had heard many stories of people who have had both wonderful and terrible experiences running Ragnar. I am happy to say that my experience was fantastic. I absolutely loved it. My van included 2 of my best friends, a girl I knew just a little bit, and 2 gals I had never met prior. I could not have had a better van of ladies to run with. They were all very positive and supportive of everyone. I ran the better part of two of my legs in the dark, 2 in the early morning and one in the later evening. Meaning for me....my first and last run were both pretty cold, at least the first half of both of those runs. I was runner #1 which meant that I was first to start and first to finish. I think I got the best deal. I had the most mileage of the 12 runners on our team but my runs were not the most technical by any means. They were rated hard, very hard, and easy...in that order---ideal. My first run was around 6 miles, my second about 11, and my last near 4. I would run it again in a heart beat, if you have the opportunity I would take it. It was something I had always wanted to do and am grateful I got the opportunity.

Costa Rica -
WOW! Costa Rica was like no where I have ever traveled before. The living conditions in Costa Rica were very humble in most places we visited. The roads are like nothing you have ever driven before. We rented a car and driving there is insane. Paved roads did not exist for a good portion of our driving, most were tiny dirt roads, super windy, tons of one lane bridges, giant holes in the road, uneven from the rain, and a lot of crazy drivers. You could get stuck behind a truck for long periods of time with no opportunity to get around them. Though driving was crazy the land was amazing. The landscape while you travel was beautiful.
We first drove to a town called La Fortuna which is right near Arenal. We rode horses up near the volcano and saw sloths, Toucans, falcons, snakes, gigantic spiders and bugs, armadillo, salamander, frogs, lots of wildlife. We also went canyoneering in this area. Repelling was one of my favorite parts of this trip.
The second place we went was to Monte Verde and the cloud forest. The drive to Monte Verde was probably one of our craziest driving experiences. The roads there were all dirt and it was a good solid 3 hours or so of crazy. Monte Verde was beautiful. We went zip lining at a place called Selvatura Park in the cloud forest. The lines were longer than any lines I have ever done and we did somewhere around 16 lines. The platforms at the top of the trees that they load you on are a bit nerve racking but the zip lining was awesome. We just stayed in Monte Verde for one night. The little bed and breakfast we stayed at was owned by the kindest German man but was something like a step below camp oakcrest. No windows, just slats you could shut with the wind blowing through, a good solid inch of space to outside around the door, no hot water, and a septic tank just to give a brief beginning to our little abode. The service and kindness of the man...incredible, would I change the experience...no, the room and such....something else.
The last place we visited was the Gulf of Papagayo near Guanacaste. The resort was beautiful and it was nice end of the trip to hang out at the beach and just relax by the pool. We went snorkeling (where I got stung by a jelly fish), kayaked, played volleyball, and just enjoyed. Loved every second of this trip...

Lake Powell -
It is still there and I still love it. I was not able to go to Lake Powell the first time my family went this past summer and so I was really excited to be able to go for the second summer visit. I love that place and I love spending time away from reality with my family. We did a lot of wake surfing, the kids as well as the adults enjoyed tubing, we played a lot of games, and did a lot swimming. Still love it, every time.

'Here' -
If you haven't been here.... you should go,
if you have... you should go again.
Best decision I have made yet.

uh..hum

The last few months have been kind of incredible.

Oh, Hawaii, how I love you

Ragnar - Wasatch Back

Costa Rica - absolutely beautiful

Lake Powell - perfect mixture of relaxation and plenty to do

I went here - nothing compares :)

LIFE IS GOOD

The happs...

Sooo many great things have been going on!

In March, I was able to go with all of the adults in my family to Hawaii. It was wonderful, as could be expected. So grateful to my parents for making it happen. Wonderful memories were made that I will not soon forget, that is for sure.

I recently ran the Salt Lake Half Marathon. Building up your mileage for sure requires some time dedication but, it pays off well in the end. It brought a great sense of accomplishment. I was lucky enough to have my mom, Kat, Cassie, and Linds all running it as well. I loved it and hope to do more in the future.

In May, I ran the race for the cure. This race is not competitive in any nature, I do not think they even have a clock but, it was the first 5k I ever ran, a few years back, and I still love it. It brings so many great feelings of unity with sooo many people racing for the same cause. Just like in years past, this year did not disappoint.

Went on a family trip to Lake Powell. I love that place. The downfall to this particular trip was that it was really windy the whole time we were there. The national weather service had put out warnings multiple days that we were there for crazy high winds and boy were they correct. The weather was warm but, the wind made the water not too appealing at 62 degrees. Lots of horseshoes, waverunners, games, and good times on the beach.

Since summer has begun I have done a bunch of fun summerish activities. I have been hiking a couple of times, been on some great bike rides, outdoor concerts, and the chalk art festival. Went to the Lehi Rodeo and the Riverton Demolition Derby---how can you not love that?! They both provided a great amount of entertainment in and outside of the arena.




As a matter of fact while I was at the Lehi Rodeo I had an experience that may be worth sharing. Mid rodeo I needed to use the restroom. I located the high class cinder block building and made my way that direction. Upon arrival I noticed 2 girls going into the same bathroom stall and overheard someone saying there were 2 toilets in that particular stall. I tried not to think much of it and waited my turn in line. As I approached the front of the line the next available stall happened to be this same stall the 2 girls a few people in front of me had used. I went to go in the stall and the lady directly behind me in line, we are talking late 20's early 30's says to me...no joke..."aren't there 2 in that stall?" I kinda look at the lady for a brief second trying to figure out if she is messing with me, bottom line she was not. I, as politely as possible, averted my gaze and just said...'sorry but I am going solo.' Really?! did that just happen? Yes, yes it did. And for the record, it truly was a 2 seater.

This past week I felt the youngest I have felt in a while when I was able to attend the James Taylor and Natalie King concert. I would say median age...55. They are two very talented people and can still sing like there is no tomorrow. It was really good, better than I would have ever anticipated. They sang and wrote so many songs that I knew but, had no idea it was their talents and brains behind them. They seemed almost sort of kindred...like they were meant to be doing what they were doing together. Not cocky or arrogant, just true love of music and happy to be there. Have you ever thought that someone was truly made to be doing what they were...that was them. Pure talent!

I have been playing on a co-ed softball team as well as a women's soccer team.... Both so much fun, even though my skills are lacking.

Life is good:)

Hiking at night?!

At first thought, the sound of a night hike during the first week of January sounded like not much good. It sounded cold, snowy, and a bit crazy. The reality of the hike was, it was amazing. It was nothing too hard, but beautiful and very enjoyable. I highly recommend it.


On a different note... I vaguely remember people posting something uber exciting on their 100th post---I am not sure what but, this is my 100th post and it is not exciting. It took me exactly 2 years to get to it ... pretty pathetic ... but I made it.

Just in case...

Never been hunting--not sure I really plan on going hunting but, just in case...I passed my hunters safety yesterday! Who'd have thought?!

Team Finish

TEAM NAME: Team Finish
OUR GOAL: To Finish

So, a few weeks back I was asked last minute to run in a half marathon relay. There were 3 of us running and the guy that asked me to run said he was willing to do either of the 2 legs left if I would do the other. There was a leg that was 4 miles and another that was 5.5 miles. I of course opted for the 4 mile leg since the race was in about a week and I had not run as much as I should have prior to then. He told me that there may be a few small hills in my section and I expressed concern about them if they were not small, he assured me I would be fine and that "it was not like I was going to be running up a mountain or anything." I ran hard for the next week, ran consistently and felt like I was ready to run my 4 miles.

Well, on Wednesday 3 days before the race my friend said he had gone to drive the course and check it out. He mentioned in the text that he could not lie and that I had some pretty serious hill climbing. I immediately panicked and went to check the course map and elevation change online. I only had one more day to run and was totally freaked out!!! Come to find out I was the first leg of the race. According to the map online the race began at Mountain Dell Golf headed up Emigration Canyon (which was sounding a lot like a mountain) and then back down and ended at the U of U. The end of the first 4 miles was at the peak of Emigration Canyon. MEANING---I would start 1,000 ft. higher in elevation than I had been running that week and would run about 1,000 ft. up from there. 1,000 ft. elevation gain over 4 miles did not sound good. The 5.5 miles going all downhill started sounding like a dream.

To make a long story shorter, I made it. I ran Thursday night on my treadmill at an incline for 4 miles trying to convince myself I could do it. I had hoped to drive the course prior to running it as well, but somehow never found the time...I think it was a blessing. If I had seen the course prior I would have completely psyched myself out. It is amazing what you can do when you know that 2 people are standing at the top of a 'mountain' waiting for you to get there and can't begin until you do. I prayed my guts out to make it up that mountain...I did.

....this, this, this and this!

*I got this lens a about 2 months ago and it is everything that I could have hoped for. It is a Canon 24-105 f/4 L IS USM. It was not exactly cheap but I could not be happier with my purchase.

*This may just be the best water bottle yet fabricated. I like ice in my water. When I drink out of a Nalgene I get ice face--the hole is too big. I love my Camel Back water bottle but in my venture to drink more water a day a straw does not prove the best method. This Contigo is the answer...I love it. You can get a three pack of them at your local Costco right now. I highly recommend it.

*I do not have an auxiliary port in my car and trying to get my ipod adapter that ran through my radio to not be staticky proved difficult. Now, I can listen to my ipod directly through my stereo, charge it while I listen, and skip through songs on my stereo face! Lovin' it!

*My siblings in all of their wisdom got me a unicycle for my birthday. You would think to get a unicycle you would need to ask for something this specific for someone to even think of getting it for you. Nope I didn't-- they know me just that well--- I love it! (I will admit it proves much harder than one would think)

TuLiPs

This past weekend I went to the tulip festival and it was most delightful. The gardens at Thanksgiving Point are beautiful. I had never been to the gardens before and I certainly should have gone sooner. It is like bridal photography central...they are making bank! It was a bit rainy, but with a few umbrellas in tote, it made for some wonderful scenery.

The Zoo

Yesterday was an almost perfect day for the zoo. When we first arrived it was a little bit chilly, but soon after we got there it seemed to turn into the perfect temperature. The zoo amazes me. All sorts of animals that I am sure I would NEVER see in my life time and if I did I am sure I would run in sure terror, are within feet of me. I actually have this strange inner struggle when I go to the zoo. On one hand being locked up in a cage that is hardly like their habitat seems like no fun at all---on the other where else would I be able to see and learn about these animals?! I mean, that is what we as well as they are here for right? They have taken great measures at the zoo to provide 'habitats' for these animals so they have more space to move around and feel like they are closer to what would be their natural environment. I have so many wonderful thoughts about that, but on a selfish note...now that they have this huge living space it seems at times like you are walking around the zoo playing where's Waldo and never finding him. I go from the thought of wondering if we should have these animals locked up at all, to thinking that the space they keep them in is so large now I can hardly find the animal to see him anyhow. I guess the bottom line is I don't know what I think really. I am for sure not in any way against the zoo... I actually love the zoo. My thoughts just go from one extreme to the other and it all provides some food for thought.

I was there with all of my nieces and nephews and their moms. (well, and Scott) Those kids are completely adorable and in my opinion were absolute gems the whole time. I really, really loved going to the zoo. My company was divine, I loved seeing all of the many animals, I am so amazed at all of the many different creatures God created, and there are so many good things to take pictures of there...I need to go back again with a real camera---how can you not love that!

Bottom line---the zoo was good times!

..MoRe SkYdiViNg!

Just thought I would post a few more pics of skydiving. It was absolutely amazing. I highly recommend it. I was pretty nervous the week before and then decided to think about why I was nervous. What was it that made me nervous?! That I would fall?? That is my normal fear of heights but, that was the point, so what was it making me nervous. I came to conclude that the only thing to be afraid of was something going wrong and if that happened, I probably wouldn't get bruised up and break a leg falling from that high, let's be honest, I would probably die. The chances of that happening were so slim and I am not really afraid of dying...getting hurt yes, someone else dying yes, but me-- not so much. So from there on out, I was just super excited. Loved every second and want to do it again. It is a feeling like nothing else in the world! Thanks for a great adventure Linds--will never forget it!

remember the time...

... I jumped out of an airplane?! and it was AMAZING!



*more details to follow

THE FORCE

*I was driving down State Street and suddenly with my eagle eyes spotted a shampoo chair on the side of the road. You know I flipped around to check it out. It is in mint condition and now in the basement of yours truly! Free dollars my friends!!

*I was heading to the freeway to go to Park City when I came upon the chair. The bad news is as I was coming out of Parley's there was a Highway Patrol man, sitting in his usual place, waiting for someone to let gravity get the best of them. You guessed it...and the minute he pulled out so did I, I was history. That hill sucks! Bottom line, I was riding my brake and still got clocked at 83! The bad news is I really was going 83, no denying it, but so was everyone else. The speed limit--65. He came to get my lisence and registration and I was totally shaking as I gave it to him. I was imagining the bad news of a ticket going 18 over. The officer went back to his car for about 5 minutes. He returned and in all of his kindness let me go with out a ticket and just told me to slow down! Yippee!

TONIGHT THE FORCE WAS DEFINITELY WITH ME!