Holy Heat Wave

It really is rough when you go from 70 degree weather to 90 degree weather over night. Man it is hot. I enjoy the heat, especially compared to rain, but I need a pool or lake close by when it is this hot.

Last week it started to warm up a little bit. Mostly it was just nice and I was able to do lots of fun things outside. I pulled Moki up the canyon twice. She ran part of the way and we stopped to let her swim. It is really hard to pull 80 pounds behind my bike. I mountain biked one day and she got to run. This was a much better option.

 The down side was we went a little early and she gets so hot with that fur of hers. I loved that she could just run and I didn't have to worry about her. It would have been perfect if she could have swam somewhere.

Moki and I went up north after work last Thursday and attempted to hike Mt. Olympus with Sam and Andrew. We ran out of daylight and so we didn't summit but it was fun to try something new.

 Jana let me borrow her kid packer and it was awesome. Andrew did great and it was a fun evening. I will have to try to get to the summit at some point this summer.

 Amber and I have been wanting to practice touring before our trip this summer. Memorial day weekend seemed like a great opportunity. We wanted to see how fast we could go, what gear we are missing, and how many miles seem reasonable in a day. We biked from Provo to Layton, 88miles. All in one day.

We decided that was too many miles. It was fun. But we were wiped out and there was no way we were biking that far the next day. We camped in her brothers backyard. It was a good weekend adventure. Thanks to Ben and Jana who watched my dog. The downside of having a dog is you have to beg people to watch her.

 Memorial day was mostly spent biking but I made it home in time for Dan's Barbeque. I had to bust out Moki's festive bandana for the occasion.

 Today I went to Lagoon with our 9th graders. It was really really hot, but super fun. For some reason there were not a lot of schools there and so we never waited more than 10 minutes for any ride. We rode all day non stop. It was great. On the way out I remembered to grab a picture. The ironic thing is that we didn't waste our time on the Ferris wheel, but I like the shot.

Here's to hoping it cools down just a little bit for the rest of the week because I really have no time or place to swim.

Signs of Spring

The weather in Utah this time of year is crazy. For example it may snow one day and then be 75 degrees the next day. I am not convinced the crazy weather is done but we have had several nice days in a row. It is magical. I love this time of year. Warm weather, stays light later, lots of yummy fruit available, and countdown for school to be over. (yes I ate all those cherries in two days!)

I am in survival mode at school. I take a nap almost every day after school. This week I didn't on two days and I was very proud of myself. Moki usually naps with me.

Last weekend Moki got to run in her first official 5K. She was in heaven!  There were lots of people and lots of dogs. Two of her favorite things. She got good exercise and tons of attention. It was a lot of fun. We had to document the milestone when we got home.

 Dan had a birthday. Dan, Anthony, and I all went to PF Changs. Other than the price it was really good. I don't eat there very often and I was reminded why. That place is expensive!

 Moki has done so much better in the dog trailer. A co-worker suggested I take her somewhere fun every time we go in it until she likes it. Then she will associate it with the good times. On Wednesday I had to force her in the thing. I biked to the Provo River Trail and then let her run for 3 miles. Then we stopped so she could swim. She was crazy in the water.

 On the way home she got to ride in the trailer with the sun roof open. That is a privilege. She did awesome on this tip and seemed to enjoy it.

 We got a lot of funny looks. It turns out people aren't expecting to see a dog in a trailer. It was pretty funny.

We had family dinner on Sunday. I love getting to see one of my favorite little guys. We went to the park and played. He loves being outside, loves balls, and loves Moki. He is just so fun!

Then he came to town again on Thursday. My lucky week. He hung out with just me for a little while. We discovered that he loves watermelon. He is just so cute.

 With the warmer weather I have been able to bike to work the last three weeks. That is a great way to start my day and a great way to save money. Why is gas so expensive right now? Seriously so lame! Other activities I want to document but didn't take pictures of: 1st bike ride ever with Jana, we enjoyed the Murdock trail Friday evening. It was perfect weather for biking. Today I biked with Rachelle up the canyon pulling Moki. We stopped and hiked to the top of bridal veil falls. The canyon is amazing right now. Then Amber and I hiked up Rock Canyon. It was a very active Saturday. Just how I like them. Moki came on both adventures and has been asleep all evening. She is worn out. I ordered a few more decorations for my bike themed room. They are adorable. Love them. I am anxiously awaiting the start of summer break. This teacher is TIRED!

Provo attracts people

One of the nice things about living in Provo is that there are lots of reasons for people to come here. It's nice to get a chance to catch up with old friends and you feel especially lucky when you can do it without traveling. This week women's conference was happening at BYU and I got the chance to meet up with friends that really came to town for that, in my head I can pretend they also really really wanted to see me too. It meant some late nights but it was lots of fun.

 We ate at The Slab one evening. I got to see Emily, Erica, and Jeneca. So fun! I am horrible at using my phone to stay in touch with people so it was great to get some real face time with friends.

Jana, Erica, and I drinking our dirty diet cokes in front if swig. It's funny how I live in Provo and ate in all new places over the weekend. Not much has changed over the years, or at least it feels that way when we are all together.

This morning Erica, Emily, and I hiked the Y. Moki was with us as well. Always love to get a Y hike in. It really does have a great view of the valley.

Thanks for having women's conference BYU. Thanks for coming to town Erica and Emily. If anyone wants to come next year my house is available.

In other news I finally made it to Costco on a day when they had the gourmet potatoes in stock. I love them. They are delicious and quite beautiful to look at.I am pretty sure I have never eaten anything that deep purple color before.

Andrew was over last Sunday for dinner. He loved trying to wear my rain boots.

 I sold my scooter. I just didn't ride it as much as I wanted too. Mainly because of Moki. She goes with me so much. It just didn't make sense to keep it. I was sad but excited as well because I had something else in mind. More on that another day.

 Moki and I hiked the Y the night of graduation when it was all lit up. I forgot how nice it is to hike at night. There aren't really any people and the city lights are so bright you don't even need a flashlight.

 I like eating salad but I get in ruts and kind of just do the same thing everyday. When I do that salad becomes very boring for me. I went to Paradise Cafe for lunch one day and tried their crumbly blue cheese salad. It was delicious and so easy to imitate. Some cranberries, sunflower seeds, blue cheese, and lettuce. They used a Cesar dressing. So yummy. It's a new favorite.

We had stake conference a couple weeks ago and ut was so good. The Saturday evening session was on hastening the work. The talks really brought in the spirit and it was a good reminder to me of the ways I can participate in missionary work even though I live in Provo.

I can't believe it is already May. Four weeks of school left. I am so excited for summer. The year has actually been great but I am looking forward to more sleep and more time in the saddle.