Joel's Wedding

Last weekend I went home to attend my cousin Joel's wedding. The wedding was a major HIT, and tons of FUN. It was held in Livermore at a winery. The country was beautiful for the wedding and the barn/shed were great for dinner and dancing. It was one Sweet party. It was great to get to see my extended family.

I didn't get a great picture of the bride and groom because they had a photographer of their own so this dark one will have to do.

This is my cousin Ty, Allison, and their cute baby Autumn. Below are the proud parents of the groom, my dad's sister Janice and her husband Lou. I was hoping to get a picture of Lou dancing because he has the worlds best moves but my camera was not cooperating in the dark without the flash so I didn't bother. Lou is one of my favorite people. We both teach, he is now retired, coach basketball and love to hike and bike. He is also hilarious.

Me with my parents. My Dad looks good considering his health issues as of late. His garden is amazing and my parents yard looks the best I have ever seen it. He even got rid of all the old cars that don't work because I told him I wouldn't get married until he did.

Both of my Dad's sisters Janice and Virginia.

All of my brothers minus Anthony were at the wedding. It was fun to hang out with all of them and to laugh with them. Me, Sam, Aaron and Caleb all swam at the hotel before the wedding. It was fun but I was reminded why I don't particularly enjoy swimming with them. One I was drenched after about 10 seconds and two Aaron tossed me right into Caleb and we butted heads. That one hurt.

Me and my grandma Brown. She looks so good. Looking at my parents and extended family I feel like I look the most like her. I actually don't see it as much in this picture but I have a picture from two summers ago and we look so similar. I like looking like her because I think she is so cute. She is a great person too and I wish I could see her more often.

Ben and Katie. What I learned at this wedding is that Katie can DANCE. I hate dancing and Aaron hates dancing. We got out of it as long as we could but when everyone at the wedding is dancing it can only be avoided for so long. I kept watching Katie and wishing I could dance like her. One can only dream I guess. I was bummed that I didn't get a picture of Cody and Jen they were the photographers so I don't have any pictures of them. LAME!!

Last but not least this is my Dad asking Caleb to take out the trash. Caleb has been so great lately. He is the only one home and so he mows the lawn and does whatever my parents ask him to do. Acording to my Dad he doesn't even complain. I like this picture because my Dad is giving Him the don't mess with me look and Caleb looks scared. They are joking around but I thought it was an awesome picture. Dan is laughing in the background thankful he wasn't asked to take the trash out!

All in all a great weekend. I hate the short trips. I am sore and really tired but it was worth it. I should fly but I am too cheap. When you can rent a car and pay for gas for around $50 each there is no other way to go, right? Maybe someday I will post the video of what Sam and Dan were doing in the car at 2:00am that kept Mikila laughing for over an hour, we shall see.

My new hair

I did it, I really did it!! I have needed a hair cut for sometime and a little color to cover up my 12 gray hairs, YIKES!!! I have been nervous about it because I have not put color in my hair since before my mission and that is a long time. (not that I am counting.) This time my wonderful sister inlaw, Katie, did the cut and color and I love it. Even this morning after the excitement wore off I still love it. I think I may be a color girl for some time now due to the gray. I still feel so young because I can do all the things I have always done, why does my hair insist on exposing me?

I Love Spring!!!

This week has been good for so many reasons.

• The weather has been soooo nice. 70's all week. I feel like I have heat exhaustion after work because I have been outside all day.


• I biked 54 miles the last two days. I am falling in love with my pink bike all over again. Still one of the best purchases I have ever made. I even had a basketball game after one 26 mile ride and I was still able to run. This is good because often I have an awkward biker run that my softball team laughs at all season.


• Softball season started today. I was so nervous because I have not hit a ball since October. To my suprise I hit and even snuck in a triple.


• I bought new cleats, my old ones were six years old and killed my feet. These ones are awesome and there are these little color flaps so that I can make my NIKE sign eight different colors. The cool thing is that I didn't even know that until after I was in the car putting them on. Of course I choose to have a pink NIKE sign.

• I watched The Boy in The Striped Pajamas last night. Really good movie. Sad, but made me think and strangely enough made me appreciate Heavenly Fathers plan more, especially the atonement.

• I turned in the rough draft of my final thesis today. YIPEE!!! I know there will still be some revisions but this is a major milestone.


• Last but not least tomorrow I am headed home for the weekend. The car ride should be great me, Dan, Sam, and Mikila. I can't wait to see all these people

as well as Angelee and her sweet little baby.

SwApPiNg

This last week was awesome!!! I swapped cleaning and sitting inside with friends . . . .FOR



laying on the beach and hanging out in the beautiful weather!!! (Notice my new swimsuit, my first ever tankini and the bottoms are so cute!)



I swapped being in the snow . . . FOR . . . being in the sun



I swapped Dan finding my camera and taking 30, yes 30, pictures of himself . . . . FOR . . .



actually wanting to use my camera to take pictures of my fun friends and trip.



Addios vacation and now it's back to real life

MISSION: Drop That Winter Weight

Every year I gain 5 pounds in the winter. I do really good until Christmas and then all of a sudden I can't get out of bed and go to the gym in the morning and I am exhausted (even more than normal). So now that spring is fast approaching I am pumped to take a hold of my life and lose that winter weight. In order to help myself I learned how to teach kickboxing and am teaching it to all of my classes. On a- days that equals 3 hours of cardio and on b-days about two hours of cardio. It is awesome!!! It is tiring but it feels good to get to workout with my classes. It is also nice because the students have to work really hard because they are in partners and I am by myself so I do double the work they do . . . . . . .which means I can get on them if they aren't working hard:)

Oh, and I just have to get through this week and then it is spring break and I will be going here



to visit Katie for a couple of days and here



to visit Jen. The above picture is my favorite kayaking spot!!!!

Sundays Are The Best

I love Sundays!!! Here are a few reasons why:

• I love church music, I listen to it on other days as well but I try to listen to it all day on Sunday.
• Church - I love going to church and feeling the spirit and being uplifted. I love listening to their talks and lessons and learning from them.
• I love my Bishop he really is inspired from on high.
• I love having dinner with family and friends and Sundays work out best.
• I love taking a Sunday nap.
• I love not having to worry about anything.
• I love feeling the spirit and having that spirit in my home.

Tonight we had Katie's parents, my aunt Nancy, and Dan over for dinner. We enjoyed some awesome tacos, playing the wii, cheering each other on while watching them play the wii, visiting, taking a short after dinner nap, dessert, watching Bolt (I love this movie, so cute) and taking pictures with my camera.

If YoU pLaY wItH tHe BiG gIrLs YoU MaY gEt BuRnEd

The past couple of weeks have been awesome because I have been able to play basketball 4 nights a week. I am getting in better shape and I am working out at a higher intensity. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I play in a league and tonight we played the best team. With 3 minutes left my teammate Meagan came down with the rebound turned to pivot and wacked me in the nose. Blood was gushing out of my nose and mouth. I subbed out to go clean it up. Meanwhile we lost and Meagan says who gave you a bloody nose I will give them one. Umm that might have been you. OOPs!! This is the 2nd time I have ever gotten a bloody nose playing basketball and both have been from Meagan. Apparently I am a slow learner. She told me if it swells up to tell people I got in a fight with someone that weighs 230 pounds. No fight but I did get a monster hit. My teeth and lip are still numb. We will see how it looks tomorrow. The principal at my school was at the game because his wife plays with us and I asked if this meant I could take a sick day, he said yes, I wonder if he was joking??? The only sad thing about the situation is that I got blood all over my favorite t-shirt. Dang!!

Locker Room Drama

Thank goodness my office is not in the locker room like it is at most high schools!!! Lucky for me my office is in the gym, but it shares a wall with the locker room and man I will tell you I hear all. For instance I know: who made out with who when parents went to bed at the party over the weekend, who is hooking up with who, Who has started swearing, which teachers are the worst, which teachers swear in class, which boys are hot, which girls are #$@! (you can fill that one in), which parents are beasts, cell phones ringing even though they aren't allowed at school, what's for lunch, and all the mean things I have done. But that is not what inspired this post it was that all day I have been hearing, "There is a test in PE today'" through the wall. I am sitting in my office thinking no there is not, you have not gotten a study guide, what am I testing you on, who the heck told you that. RUMORS in junior high are awesome. I heard the comment every class period except first period even a few students asked me if we have a test. I don't give surprise tests, never have. Where do they get their information. They are so funny. So that is what I do all day listen to junior high gossip that seeps through the walls of my office. Man could you have a better job?

Pretty in Pink

I like PINK!! Is it my favorite color, absolutely not. But I do like it. The hot pink version was my favorite until about 5th grade and then I put pink on the shelf for a few years and rediscovered it in a pink shirt that I loved on my mission. Since that time I have had no problem buying pink, despite all the ridicule I have endured. Here are a few of my favorite pink things:


My bike, needs no explanation one of the best purchases I ever made. I waited patiently for a year before I bought it, I had to save up money and wait for the price to come down. I have never regretted this purchase.




My IPOD, love this as well. Actually wanted the green one but they only had pink and silver at COSTCO.



My cute little church bag.




My newest purchase my pink shades. They will most likely not be used at the same time as my pink bike, that would be a little overboard but I do like them. Mikila even admitted that they were cute on me.




My African, actually afghan that Emily Andrew made for me. I love, love, love it and use it every time I sit down in the living room. If someone else is using it I make them hand it over.

The awesome tool set Katie got me for my birthday. I mean if you have to buy tools they might as well be pink. All the handles of the tools are pink as well. I was really really excited about this present and I can even report that I have used a few of the tools.

My sweet biking jersey. I love this jersey. I think it is so cute and it is really comfortable.

So there you have it. I have more pink but this will do for now. I like pink and I like the reaction I get from some people, those that cannot be named, when I come home with my pink purchases.

Project Home Beautification

Since I bought a house I have wanted to paint something the color of the Utah redrock. I just love the color in nature and thought it would be awesome (with a capital A) to have something that color in my home. Since I recieved my income tax return I thought I should spend a little bit of it on doing something nice with my house. I have always hated how the ceilings in my living room were tan and so I painted those cottage white and I got brave and painted my bay window orangish red. I was sooooooooo nervous. But I love it!!!! I am so happy with how it turned out and it ties in really nicely with my furniture as well. I still have to do some touch-ups but I am really excited about the new look.

This week I also had the basketball banquet for my team and the girls bought me flowers. The flowers also liven up my house and I love them. I also have three vases growing tulips as well. They all make me smile whenever I see them and are all considered part of home beautification.

A weekend in St. George

This weekend Amber and I signed up for a century ride in St. George. We were really excited to go down south and soak up the sun and spend some time on our bikes. We also got a great deal on a condo thanks to my cousin Sharee and her husband Gordon. The condo was really nice and we each had our own room and bathroom. We were spoiled. The itinerary for the bike ride said this:

Join us as we ride to the entrance of Zion National Park on a leisurely route that will allow you to get out on the road, test your legs, relax, and enjoy your first organized ride of the season.

The statement is entirely true except for the part about it being a leisurely route. I loved the ride and had a great time but there were seven (yes, seven) huge climbs. Legs tested, check. The entire time I was riding up those blasted hills I just kept thinking about how are bodies are like machines. They just keep on going. It is AWESOME!!

Here is a self portrait at the turnaround. I have to add that at this turnaround there were these two dudes that pulled in on their bikes and there was a sign that said hot sandwiches and one guy said, "It would be awesome if I took your picture in front of that sign that said hot." I thought, oh would that be awesome, in all my glory wearing spandex and covered in sweat.

Here is Amber at the first rest stop. We had not really started climbing the big hills yet, so she is still smiling.

The scenery was amazing. It is so fun to bike somewhere new. I have always loved the beautiful red rock and we were surrounded by it on this ride.

It was a great weekend. Surprisingly I am not even sore. My legs are tired but I biked to work today and my butt didn't even hurt.

The weather was great in St. George and I even came away with a tan face. That made me even happier. We did a 75 mile ride and then gorged ourselves at barf-o-rama (Chuck-a-rama). I am pretty sure there were not any sweet rolls left when we finished eating. Overall a great weekend and I am starting to get really excited for spring. (Even though it is supposed to rain this week)

I believe this could be the start of a new tradition for me:)