Biggest New Year's Resolution!!!!

Okay, so I was sitting there, just quilting my quilt, watching The Biggest Loser, just going along, when on the episode I was watching showed a lot of the former contestants participating in a triathlon. Now, if you can't tell from my earlier posts, I've always wanted to do do a triathlon. And almost a year ago, I did that 2-week triathlon, but a triathlon in one day always seemed so big, something I could only dream of, but never realistically achieve.

However, when I saw the distances that they were doing on the show, it seemed like something I could do with some training! I did some research, talked to someone who has done a triathlon before, and I have come to a decision: I am going to compete in an Olympic-distance triathlon!!!!!

It's official now, I can't take it back, because I'm all signed up for the St. George Triathlon on May 21, 2010!

I am scared out of my mind, because it's going to take a lot of dedication and training, but I know I can do it! This will give me something to work towards, a purpose for exercising. :) I'm so excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you have any tips about swimming, running, or biking, please share them! I'll take all the advice I can get! :)

One more shout out :)

The other people who have been a large part of my life this semester are my roommates!!! I LOVE my roommates! They are awesome!!! I already miss them and will continue to miss them tons!

We are so crazy, let me tell you! We do some pretty insane stuff. . . music videos, dressing up as old ladies, sleepovers, the most beautiful kareoke you'll ever hear. . . just to name a few. And we're some pretty good cooks too! :)

Girls, I love you all! Don't have too much fun without me! Haha. :)

Positive Influences

Well, my time here at Snow College is winding down, but I find that the excitement I felt so many months ago at the thought of leaving this place is gone. I have met so many amazing people here the past four months, that I don't want to leave!

I will especially miss my group of friends that I met about two months ago. I have never met a group of people who are so accepting, loving, spiritual, kind, happy, fun and every other good thing out there! Seriously, they are all amazing people!

This isn't all of us, but it's a good chunk of us. This was at a birthday party they all threw for Shari, Tia and I. :)

These girls especially have been such a blessing in my life. They are all so beautiful and amazing! Can I be one of them when I grow up please?!!!! :)

So thanks Shari, Hadley, Jamie, Camille, Kristalyn, Jordan, Landon, Keith, Haven, Emily, Sydney, Jeremy, Mitch, Eli, Collin, Riley, and whoever I forgot to mention at this moment. You are all the greatest! I'm going to miss you all so much!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Happy Turkey Day everyone!!!! I hope it's been a marvelous day for all of you!
I just wanted to write some of the many things that I have been blessed with in my life!

• My incredibly awesome family! I would be nothing without you all!
• My amazing friends (you know who you are! :) )
• The Gospel
• Education (my opportunities to go to both Snow and BYU)
• My functioning body
• Music
• Books
• My talents
• This beautiful country
• Everyday blessings: a roof over my head, electricity, a working car, food.

May we each look for the blessings that we receive each and every day. There is so much that we have to be grateful for that we all take for granted. Please, remember to give thanks, because gratitude never spoken is like a gift never given.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

P.S. Now I can listen to ALL the Christmas music I want and NO ONE can say anything!!! haha

:) :) :)

This is such an exciting post for me!!! After a year and five months of hard work and changing my life, as of Friday I have officially lost

50 pounds!!!

While at times it's been really frustrating and hard, it has been one incredible journey,one that I hope will continue in the future. It's so different than any other times I've attempted to lose weight before: I'm not on a diet, that is my number one rule; I am making a lifestyle change. I am going to have to keep an eye on my weight for my entire life, I know that. That is why I am making changes in my life that will always help me to stay on top of it. Being healthy is the main point!!! That's when I feel my best, when I can run up the stairs and not have to stop and catch my breath, when I go looking for fruit instead of candy, when want to be outside doing something active instead of sitting and watching TV.

I want to thank everyone who has helped me get to this point: My roommates last year and this year, for always supporting me in my endeavors. Makayle, for randomly telling me that I look good (major boost in my self-esteem!) and for making me get off my butt several days over the last year when I didn't want to go work out. Most of all, my mom, for always telling me that I can do this and much more and for always being there to comfort and encourage me when times are hard. I love you! Thank you to all!!!! :)

Together we can all continue our own health journeys. I want to so much to tell others that there is no magic, easy way for it to happen, but that it takes a long time! But IT IS SO WORTH IT!!!! I want to shout all of my knowledge from the rooftops and help others feel as good as I do!

Ready or not. . . Here I come!

Well my friends, the time has finally come. I load up my computer, get online, head to besmart.com and click on "check application status." I wait impatiently as the page loads (Is anyone thinking of You've Got Mail besides me at the moment? haha). and it brings me glorious news!!!

I'VE BEEN ACCEPTED TO BYU!!!!!!!

I couldn't be more excited! I have been anxiously waiting for this news for the past month, and have been depending on it and I'm just so glad that I made it in! No 100% decision whether I'm going to change my major yet, but I hear that BYU has a really good nutrition program.....very tempting. haha. I'm also excited because I get to come back home!!! I don't have to be hours away from my family and friends anymore! Plus, I can still have the college experience. I am really glad that I went to Snow first, to experience what being away would be like, and I think that I have grown a lot from my experiences down there, but I'm ready to be home. :)

Provo, I'll see you in January!!!

Best Friend and Worst Enemy

Over the past week I think I have spent a full 24 hours in the library. It has been one crazy week, although there weren't any really large projects to stress over, it's just my normal load. It's been pretty crazy because I have had some really great times in the library this week. My next door neighbor, Trevor Berry, and I probably have received more glares than have ever been given to people before in our lovely new library. Let's just say we like to laugh... especially after watching the "Double Rainbow" video on YouTube. hehe. You can never laugh softly during something like that, so the glares fly our way. haha It's all good! We laugh anyway.

I've been able to concentrate a lot on my homework this week, even getting ahead on some things! Yay! I really want to get rid of the stress in my life and get lots of things done ahead of time so I can actually spend time with my roommates!

But all in all, dear library, I have a love-hate relationship with you. You help me concentrate and get things done, yet drive me crazy with your ability to do so for hours on end! We'll just have to agree to disagree and we'll get along fine. :)

True Inspiration

One of my life dreams is to be a part of the show

This show is so incredible! I love that there is this kind of show that is out there in the world, helping people who really need help. I have watched so many episodes that have left me feeling a desire to go out and do something to help change the world. I would love to be a part of the staff, working behnd the scenes, experiencing all these amazing stories and helping incredible people. Go Extreme Makeover! :) :) :)

Quelf

For many, including me before last night, who have never heard of or played Quelf, you're missing out! It is an incredibly fun, incredibly random game.

I had to wear a necktie for the whole game.

Kiersten had to be a dog and learn tricks, like play dead.

Amanda's brother had to put the bowl ofver his head and bang it with a spoon, calling out, "Billy are you there?! Let me in!" haha.

Dallin and Amanda had to share the card of wearing some sort of neck strap (we improvised since we didn't have any helmets or anything).

It was a game full of laughter and lots of fun! :)

A Truly Remarkable Woman

In Memory of Louie Mae Jordan

May 15, 1913-September 11,2010

This morning, one of my favorite people on Earth passed on from this life. She was 97 years old, and lived a full life. I just want to write down some of the things that I remember most about her, so I can always remember, and maybe share some of the inspiration that I felt from her with you.

• She would make the best cheese spaghetti in the world when we all went over to her house to spend the night.
• She also made the best ice cream cones, with vanilla ice cream and a cake cone. Nothing has ever compared.
• She and I would drive to Macey's to get groceries, and always get ice cream.
• Whenever I had money, like $5, she would get all excited for me and say, "You've got enough money to pain the town red!"
• She kept a journal every single day.
• She always had her scriptures open and she read them often.
• She survived breast cancer.
• We loved doing puzzles together.
• We would go watch the last session of General Conference at her house and I would sit in front of her and she would rub my back until I was almost asleep.
• We loved watching The Price Is Right.
• She loved Everyone Loves Raymond.
• She loved hearing anyone play the piano, especially her grandkids.
• She would give us a dollar if we gave her a foot massage.
• We would garden in the backyard, followed by many games of soccer that she would watch us kids play.
• She always made homemade grape juice.
• She loved her rosebushes, and her apricot tree.
• She and I read Work and the Glory together every Sunday for several years.
• She would come to our soccer games and cheer us on.
• We would go to her house every Halloween and find the hidden candy in her house and then watch a movie.
• Every Christmas we would decorate the three-foot-tree and decorate (the the random Haunaka candlestick). And she would give us a paper sack Christmas Eve with peanuts and oranges and popcorn.
• Every Christmas Eve we would go over to her house and listen to "The Little Clockmaker"
• New Year's Eve we celebrated by banging pots and pans outside at midnight.
• She said she would never catch up to President Hinckley's age; well, she finally did. :)
• She loved her family so much! (2 sons, 14 grandkids and even more great-grandkids!)

She will be missed by all that knew her. She always was a bright person, and loved to make people laugh. But she is walking with God and with her husband now. She is pain free. She has peace.

New School Year

Well, school has been in full swing for a couple weeks now, and it is so weird to be back. There aren't very many familiar faces here, which I should expect coming to a 2-year college. School is going fairly well. Had you asked me at the beginning of last week about it however, I probably would have unleashed my fury for a certain class on you. Astronomy. It is a killer hard class and I think that I've about got everyone on campus determined to never take it. Oops.... It is seeming better though, now that I'm back into the swing of things. It is still going to be my toughest class, but I'm ready for it!

My eating behaviors class is by far my favorite! This is stuff that I'm really interested in! I love learning about how people respond to food in different ways and how we can help them be healthy. I would really love to do that with my life, help people be healthy. Because if I can do it, anyone can! :) And I'll tell you right now, it is a GLORIOUS feeling.

My roommates are awesome! We have already done so many fun things this year!

Amanda, Merissa, Katie, Kiersten, Me, and Camille

We have gone rock climbing in the canyon (it was so scary!!!), hiked the S, had a paint fight (which was incredibly fun!), gone boating, had a chocolate fondue night, had apartment dinnners, gone toilet papering, and been absolutely crazy in our apartment together! What can I say? I love my roommates! :)

Jelly fish and sand castles

I am definitely adding to my list of firsts here in North Carolina. Today, I built my first sand castle EVER!!! I know, I know, I am deprived. It was so cool though! I made this fortress castle thing, Ariel made a dinosaur to protect my castle, Jay made half of a gate around the perimeter and Eva made the Provo temple, so we were complete! :)

Also, I'm having my first experiences with jellyfish. In the warm ocean on the east coast, there are, at the moment, MANY jellyfish! We haven't been going into the water as much as I would have hoped we would be because there are so many jellyfish roaming around. Yesterday, we were so excited because there were hardly an jellyfish, even though the water was like numbingly cold. And yesterday....Jazon got stung by a jellyfish! Ironic, huh?

Happily Ever After

Recently I heard this new song, "Happily Ever After" by He Is We. Here's just a little bit of the lyrics that have been in my mind a lot, a wonder I guess that I have for myself.

"We all want to know how it ends.

Oh, happily ever after, wouldn't you know, wouldn't you know
Oh, skip to the ending, I'd like to know, I'd like to know
Author of the moment, would you tell me, do I end up, do I end up happy?

Inhale, breathe steady, exhale, like your ready, if you're ready or not.
Just a boy and a girl trying to take on the world, and we wanna get caught.
In the middle of a very happy ending, let's see what we've got, let's give it a shot.
Let's give it a shot.

Oh, happily ever after, wouldn't you know, wouldn't you know
Oh, skip to the ending, I'd like to know, I'd like to know
Author of the moment, would you tell me, do I end up, do I end up happy?"

I guess that everyone in the world has this question: do I end up happy?
I've never been one to have much luck with romance or anything, and while I don't enjoy being alone and I hate it, I have high hopes that one day, there will be someone for me.
However, over the past couple of days this question has been more prevalent in my mind. I have cared a lot about someone for a very long time, but I recently came to the realization that I need to let him go. Not like never speaking to him again, but just to look at him more as a friend. If not to save our friendship, to protect my heart.
So, what it boils down to is my continued hope that I will someday be happy, loved and loving a wonderful man who I can build a family with, raising them in the Gospel, and be with for eternity.

Long time, sorry!

Hey guys, I'm so sorry that I haven't been able to keep my blog up to date. I didn't have Internet access nearly as much as I thought we were going to. In fact, this is the first time the whole trip that I have had it for enough time to even think about writing.

So far, the trip has been great! I have had so many new experiences, some great, some...not so great. But I am learning a lot about myself and about the rest of the country.

I've been to Glacier, where I hiked 17 miles in one day!!! It was insane, but the views were amazing! Next was Teddy Roosevelt National Park, which was kind of hard to appreciate just having come from Glacier. Then came Mt. Rushmore, which was really cool. There is so much about the mountain that I didn't know about. Like, not a single person died during the entire construction of Mt. Rushmore. And 90% of the mountain was formed by dynamite. Only 10% was actually chiseled.

Then, the Mall of America!!! It is gigantic!!! My favorite was by far the Puma store. :) There was this amazing jacket, but it was $60...and that was 40% off! I couldn't bring myself to buy it. Oh well! But, I did get to meet and even hug DORA THE EXPLORER!!!!! How cool is that?!

Then came my favorite part of the trip yet: Loiusa, VA! This was Jazon's house, and I LOVE his family!!!! We went to the fair to sell pigs, and it was amazing! I was really sad to leave, but...BEACH WEEK IS HERE!!!! :) I'm in North Carolina at the moment, and I'll be spending the next 9 days here, just lounging around on the beach, having a good old time. :)

I'm sorry it's just an overview and that I didn't get to keep it all up to date, but I'll try to be better while I"m here.

Why?

It's an interesting thing. Summer has been just going along for the past 2 and a half months. I mean, it's been great; I've been able to hang out with a lot of my friends, and do pretty much whatever I wanted, but over the past couple of weeks, there seem to be more and more things going on, and leaving for this trip is turning bittersweet.
I don't like missing things, and I'm afraid of what I'll miss while I'm gone. Don't get me wrong, I am STOKED for my vacation, for many many reasons, but why does everything have to turn so awesome right before I leave? Is it because I am leaving? Why can't we, generally, value what we have until it is almost gone?

I Stand All Amazed

I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me,

Confused at the grace that so fully he profers me.

I tremble to know that for me he was crucified,

That for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died.

Oh it is wonderful that he should care for me enough to die for me.

Oh it is wonderful, wonderful to me.

I marvel that He should descend from his throne divine,

To rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine.

That he should extend his great love unto such as I,

Sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify.

Oh it is wonderful that he should care for me enough to die for me.

Oh it is wonderful, wonderful to me.

I think of his hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt,

Such mercy, such love and devotion can I forget?

No, no, I will praise and adore at the mercy seat,

Until at the glorified throne I kneel at his feet.

Oh it is wonderful that he should care for me enough to die for me.

Oh it is wonderful, wonderful to me.

Over the past several months, this song has come to hold immense meaning for me. It has helped calm my soul during storms in my life and always gives me more faith and hope for tomorrow. This song helps me know that I am loved, I mean the world to someone. Christ gave His life for me, even with all of my faults and imperfections. Every time I think about Him and this sacrifice, I stand amazed, filled with awe. The Atonement, Christ, the Gospel; it's all so amazing. Every time I think of or hear this song, it makes me want to be better. Maybe it will do the same for you.

Queen Victoria

Over the past several months, I have learned quite a bit about Queen Victoria. It all began in my British Literature class. While Lord Byron and the other figures of history were dull to me, Queen Victoria stood out. She was such an incredible woman. She came from a life of being told what she could and couldn't do, and she rose above it. When she became Queen, she didn't let anyone use her. And her relationship with Prince Albert, even though he was her cousin, was incredibly romantic and was one of the greatest friendships I think the world has ever known. She ruled for the people, always striving to do what was right for others, not for herself.

A new movie, The Young Victoria, does an excellent job of showing what Queen Victoria dealt with and how she came to be the Queen she was. It really is a good movie.

Queen Victoria is, to this day, the longest reining Queen.

Not Forgotten

No, I haven't forgotten about my blog. I simply don't have internet at my house, and I think of things to put on here, but then forget them before I get to my parent's house to write about them. I'm kinda forgetful like that...
Much has been going on this summer. But the most exciting thing? I'm going on a MONTH long trip!!! Ya, I'm pretty excited. :) And I'm going to be SO dark when I come home! Not to mention have totally awesome calves because of all the hiking we're going to do. 13 days...not that I'm counting down or anything.
I've made new friends, had more than my fair share of drama, gone on a blind date, hiked the Y many many times, worked at my parent's house, and had tons of fun. I'll really try to write more, and when I leave (July 21st, after my writing class, which I am SO excited for!) check back for updates on wherever I am in the country.

Spiders

Okay. I. HATE. Spiders. HATE them. So, this afternoon when I was weeding my mom's flower garden, I was ready with shovel in hand to kill any who dared to show their faces. I had a few run ins, but considering the fact that I was dealing with spiders, I was doing quite well. Then.....out of no where came a MAMA spider!!!! You know, the kind that are carrying the eggs with them. Ugh, I shudder just thinking about it.

Needless to say, after getting rid of mama spider, I didn't stay working in the flower bed much longer.

Summer and pillowcases

Well, summer is at last here. I was hoping to be fully busy at work all the day long, making endless amounts of money with my hard work. Alas, this is not the case. I have yet to find a job. Oh, I've had interviews, just no offers. However, I'm trying my best to just stay busy with other things, which includes making lots and lots of pillowcases!!!!!

This summer the quilting community is doing a service project. The goal is to get 1 million pillowcases by the end of the year. I believe that the pillowcases will be going to kids in foster care, since that's what they

put all of their belongings in when they change houses. This thought just breaks my heart, but if I can help in any way then I am going to!

So, if anyone wants instructions on how to make pillowcases (they are SUPER easy), just let me know and I'll be more than happy to help you. And if you do make pillowcases, you can get them to me and I will make sure they get to the right people. I'd love it if anyone could help!!!

The end of things...of this year anyway

Well, my freshman year is over and all (okay, most) of my stuff is packed away in the car. Everyone has left, and I'm at a loss of where my life is going to go over the next 4 months. Living place? Check. Awesome roommate at said living place? Check. Job? NO check....which I am quite worried about.

As my wonderful roommate Mel was leaving this morning, it hit me how different things are going to be. Most of the people who I spent many hours of everyday with, I'm never going to see again. The great boys just down the hall, who can make me so angry and so happy, I'm pretty sure that I'll only see one of them next year, and that makes me really sad. I guess it's just because these people have been such a big part of my life, shaping how I changed this year (which is a lot, I think), and now they won't be there any more.

So, here's a shoutout to all of those great people who influenced my life this year. Thanks. I'll miss you. Good luck in every aspect of your life.

Day 13...a day early!

Everyone..... WE FINISHED THE TRIATHLON!!!!!!

I am pretty excited, let me tell you! I really can't believe that we did it, but we just did a little bit at a time and we came out on top! Slow and steady wins the race right? :) I'm really glad I did this though; it was a great experience for me. Sometimes when I'm running or doing anything else I don't think I can push myself any more than I already am, but this triathlon showed me that I can push through anything and that even when I'm tired, I can still give it my best and I will do well. Am I excited the race is over? Yes. Would I do it again? Yes. Am I now going to get ready to kick butt in lots of 5ks this summer? Most definitely yes.

Day 12

2 miles running, 7 miles biking today. It has been a light day because there's not really a lot more left to do for this thing. I thought I only needed 7 more miles of biking...and I got home and I have 2 more! haha. Only 2 more...
But the exciting thing is that Makayle, Kevin and I are all finishing tomorrow!!!! I'm so excited!!! :)

Day 11 and almost done

Wow...my body is SO tired! Today I ran 3 miles, swam 16 laps and biked 13 miles. I'm hoping to be done in 2 more days...one day ahead of schedule! Woot!!! But now I'm going to go fall onto my bed and sleep from exhaustion of this triathlon and lots of unsuccessful job hunting. ugh.

Day 10

Yes, we skipped day 9, another Sunday. It was really good for my body to have a break, but it was SO much harder to get up and go swimming this morning. Funny story: Mak and I were up and ready to go at 6:50 and we went over to get Kevin, but his door was locked and he wouldn't answer the door when we knocked. Neither of us had our cell phones, and we were about to give up when Mak had a BRILLIANT idea! We went down onto the grass, and began throwing pebbles at Kevin's window! It took him forever to get up! When he did though, he looked at us through the corner of his blinds, with this look of utter hatred on his face. It was creepy. haha.

Anyway, I swam 11 laps and then ran 3 miles today. We're on the countdown now. 30 laps of swimming, 7 miles running and 20 miles biking. Bring it on!

Day 8 and still going

Today....I RAN 6 MILES!!!!!!!!!!! I also biked 21 miles, but the 6 miles of running was a real triumph for me. Makayle and Kevin are gone this weekend and I am under strict orders not to go swimming, so I didn't do any swimming, but I'm really excited about these 6 miles...can you tell? :)

Day 7

Well, I'm halfway through this thing. I'm over halfway done swimming and biking, but I've got some running to do. Okay, make that a lot of running.
Today I biked 13 miles and ran 2. I have a feeling I'll be doing a lot tomorrow though because for some reason I could NOT stop eating today! I've got to work it off...don't we love trying to be healthy? :)

The funniest session of yoga I have ever attended

Today in aerobics, Makayle and I both thought that we were going to drop over and die from exhaustion. We've both been going so hard with the triathlon, but we had to go to aerobics, because we'd used up all of our freebies, and there is NO way that we were going to get less than an A in aerobics!

So what we did today was cardio and yoga. Let's just say that we weren't nearly as energetic during cardio as we usually are. (That's a major understatement. haha) Then came yoga......ugh. Neither of us like yoga to begin with, but today it just seemed even more torturous. From the downward dogs to the altered tree poses, Makayle and I were just rolling our eyes. I mean, how do people get a workout doing yoga anyway? I can never feel anything while doing it, and yes, I really do try.

Anyway, when we got ready for our final relaxation portion of the workout, we were laying (lying?) on our backs and I made a motion to Makayle, like bringing my hands together while humming...I hope you understand what motion I am talking about, but anyway, it was really funny to her for some reason and she just burst into laughter. Then I started shaking with laughter. This continued for several minutes. We were both rocking on the floor, our hands over our mouths, in attempt (mostly successful) to not be loud. I mean, we were doing yoga, not to mention relaxation. (I'm just thinking of 27 dresses when they are doing yoga and they get shushed for talking....I wonder what would have happened if we had let our laughter loose....)

At one point I took a deep breath and got control of myself and turned back onto my back and closed my eyes, determined not to look at Makayle and make the most of the rest of the relaxation period. Then, I heard her snort in her laughter. That earlier plan went out the window as I had to hold my laughter inside again. We were literally shaking on the ground with the laughter trapped inside.

Needless to say, we didn't get much relaxation done. But it was the funniest yoga session I have ever been to. :)

DAY 6!

Today Makayle, Kevin and I were able to get everything done by eleven!

We went walking at 6am.....yeah, I know. And then later we went

biking and swimming.
It's tough to know exact distances on the bikes though, because different bikes clock WAY different distances.

But when we went swimming this guy taught me some new techniques to make my swimming faster and easier for me. All I can say is

THANK YOU!!!!!!

Almost halfway though this triathlon!!! Yay!

Days 4 & 5

I'm am completely exhausted. I don't understand how people do all of this at one time. They are insane!!!!
Yesterday I didn't get any running done, but I did get 14 laps of swimming and 11 miles of biking. Slowly but surely I am working my way through this.
Today, I ran 3.2 miles (on a tredmill, unfortunately), swam 16 laps and biked 13 miles. I'm nearing the half-way mark on my swimming and biking, but the running is in need of some work. I thought that swimming would be the hardest part for me, but it is turning out to be the running that is hardest. I know that one thing that makes it harder is bed weather, and I am forced to run on a tredmill. I'm not the biggest fan of tredmills. But we, Kevin, Makayle and I, are all doing pretty well for day 5! Go triathlon!!!

Triathlon- Day 3

Okay, I was going to put this up yesterday, but our dear, dear internet decided it didn't want to work...again...so here it is today. Since day 2 of the triathlon was Sunday, we skipped it and have to make up for that day during the week. I'm proud to say that I did make up some yesterday.

Mak and I went swimming in the morning (at 6am!!!!) because that's when the lanes are up. We swam 11 laps each.

At my lunch break I ran 3 miles....which seemed a lot harder with the sun shining on the track, making it MUCH hotter than it really was.

Before dinner all three of us went biking. 11 miles of biking! Yeah! My legs were really really tired though.

We wanted to get in the hot tub to help our aching muscles that would be strained yet again the next day, but there were so many people in there I don't think we would have fit. We'd better be able to get in tonight.

All goes well. We can do this. I can do this!

Finals Camping

In an attempt to get away, relax and take a break before finals weekend. Mak, Kevin, Emily and I all went up by Fountain Green, and had an overnighter.

First of all, our tent. It was kinda special. Okay, really special. :) The main thing is that it stayed up, it didn't blow onto us in the middle of the night. We had the wrong tent, it was ripped, and the wrong poles, but we made it work. We put the poles in sideways and put logs over the ripped part of the tent.

The first night of our camping trip consisted of tinfoil dinners, a four-wheeler ride, roasting starbursts and going to bed earlier than I have this entire semester. Unfortunately, the stars were hidden by a blanket of clouds, so I didn't get to see my favorite part of camping, but oh well.

The next day, dutch oven for breakfast, then another 4-wheeler ride! This time we went exploring further away, and we ended up going on several different trails because many of them still were too muddy or snowy. Kasey, Emily's dog, rode or ran with us the entire way. He rode with Emily and I, and she kept wedging herself in between Emily and I, getting us more muddy than we already were. Thank goodness she's such a small dog!

During our ride, all of us got SO muddy! Emily went through one puddle that came all the way up and got our faces and hair wet! I'll tell you, riding with a wet face and hair with the wind really gave me a brain freeze!

We all took a nap out in the sun, and man, we are all SUNBURNED!!!!! Faces, arms, legs, the whole schebang....or however you spell that. haha. Thankfully, my burn will turn into a tan in just a few days. What a blessing!

The Traveler's Gift

Of all the books I have ever read in my entire life, which has been a fair amount, none has ever had the affect that The Traveler's Gift has had on my outlook on life. I can honestly say this is my favorite book ever.

It all began when my roommate, Amy, told me to take a class called Intro to PE this semester. For Intro to PE, we had to read The Traveler's Gift. I had heard that it was an incredible, life changing book, but I was not ready for just how awesome it is.

This book contains seven things that will change your outlook on life. I won't give them away, because I want all of you to read this book! This book truly makes me look at my life in a brighter way, and makes me want to be a better person. It's incredible....read it!

Triathlon- Day 1

Well friends, it's official, I am doing a full Ironman triathlon!

Okay, there is no way I could it in one day...there is, thankfully, a catch. I have 2 weeks to finish 2.5 miles of swimming, 26.2 miles of running and 112 miles of biking. No worries though, I've got it all planned out.

Today was the first day. I am super excited. However, due to extreme circumstances, I was gone camping and the AC closed early, I wasn't able to get my whole workout done today. I did get 12 miles of biking in though, which is more than the daily necessity for biking. When Monday comes, I will be up early and ready to swim, run and ride! :)

Thankfully, Mak and Kevin are doing this with me, so we are all helping each other out. Funny thing is, we each excell in one of the sections; Mak running, me biking and Kevin swimming. Now all we have to do is do it! Yay!

Denny's Run

Last night my friends and I all went to Denny's. Normally, this wouldn't be such a big deal, but here in little Ephraim, Utah, it is. Denny's is approximately 45 minutes away, and it is a given rule that you must go late at night.

So, the 6 of us crammed into a truck and we were on our way. Many country songs and laughs later, we reached Denny's. Our meal consisted of several varieties of meals, ranging from omlettes to onion rings to pancakes. What can I say, Denny's offers just about everything. (The just about came from the fact that Makayle really wanted waffles, but they don't have them.)

One of my favorite moments of the night was when Dallon showed us how to make a weird noise just by using our hands. He did it once and we asked him to do it again, and he looked over to the table next to us, where all of the people, who all had long dark hair, were staring at him.

Dallon: "That girl keeps staring at me strangely."

Mel and I looked over at the table then at each other.

Me: "Dallon, that isn't a girl."

It was really funny. At least we thought so.

Friendly Fire

We went up to the Ephraim Elk Farm to have a fire. It was super fun. :) We had a little bit of trouble starting the fire because there was quite a bit of wind, but eventually we got it going. We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows; classic campfire. Something that wasn't classic about our s'mores though, was instead of using a chocolate bar, we used Easter Reeses eggs! I can tell you, it is absolutely delightful! Peanut Butter + Chocolate = much better than a normal Hershey's bar.

Zack thinks he's pretty funny....this time he was. haha

We told ghost stories, which made us all nervous, especially with the blackness encasing us from all sides. I'm not the biggest fan of creepy stories! Makayle gets award for the scariest story though! And Tara gets points for having the scaries and most real scream on command, which she used multiple times, scaring all of us.

It was really fun though. I love campfires, and when we put out the fire, we got to see all of the BEAUTIFUL stars that Ephraim has to offer. What a great way to spend a night. :)

Yummy Smoothie

One of my most favorite snacks/breakfasts ever is a smoothie. I'm not talking about Jamba juice or something prepackaged. Sure, those taste good, but they are not MY smoothie! :) My smoothie is super healthy and super good....as long as you can get passed the color. Here's the recipe; try it, and don't judge a smoothie by it's look. :)
1 banana (it's a good way to use bananas that are getting too ripe)
1 cup spinach
a handful of frozen fruit (I use strawberries and peaches)
1/3 cup of apple juice (I use light apple juice)

Put it in the blender and enjoy! It really is amazing! :) You can try different combinations to find the taste that you like best (sweeter, more tart) it just depends on what fruit you use.

New and excited!

I was looking on my friend's blog this afternoon, and it totally made me want to blog! So here I am! :) I'm not 100% sure what I'll be writing about, probably anything and everything. But I hope that when you read my blog a smile comes to your face or a laugh escapes your lips. Oh, and bonus points go to anyone who can create an incredibly awesome name for this fabulous blog!

One thing I can think of to write about happened last night. My roommate, Makayle, and her boyfriend, Kevin, and I all went to get snow cones at this ADORABLE and AMAZING place called Sugar Plum Cottage in Spring City. We were just cruising down the road when a rabbit jumped into the road! Kevin, who was driving, swerved to miss the rabbit, scaring Makayle and I to death! Makayle swears we rocked the car onto two tires, and we all were sure we hit the rabbit. Mak and I were lamenting the poor bunny rabbit, which Mak thinks was pregnant, when Kevin informed us that it was a jackalope, not a bunny. The debate continued until we reached Sugar Plum, when we all agreed that it was not a rabbit or a jackalope, but a unicorn!
We all went inside and enjoyed our delicious snow cones, and on the way we searched for our unicorn. Alas, no unicorn was found lying in the middle of the road. Yay! I'm glad the unicorn survived Kevin's swerving car. :)