H.A.G.S.

It is yearbook signing day. It really is not my favorite. My hand might fall off. Guess I was not quite mean enough this year because I have signed way to many books. I finally asked a student what H.A.G.S. was because I had seen it in so many yearbooks. It means have a great summer. Apparently it takes to long to right that out. I will be done with the year tomorrow at 11:00. Life is starting to look real GOOD!

Angels.

This weekend was the weekend of angels. The first angels were Cyndee and Todd who found an awesome campsite when it seemed like all hope was lost. This is our little camping group. It was smaller then planned but we had an AWESOME weekend.

Our next angel was hiking Angles Landing in Zion National Park. We chose the busiest weekend of the year to visit Zion. It was an international thoroughfare, but the weather was perfect and there was lots of hiking to get done. The hike took a little longer then normal because there were so many people but it provided an awesome view. Here is the point we hiked to (1600 ft drop off on both sides.) No one liked that I kept singing Free Falling but the song was in my head the entire time we were hiking to the top. The trail we followed is basically right up the middle of the cliff. The view from the top was amazing.

Meagan, my more than just basketball friend, chose to lay on the side of the cliff to get a better picture.

We also hiked up the Narrows for a while as well. That was awesome and I can't wait to hike it later this year. I am really going to do it this year.

We also decided to hit up Grand Canyon National Park since we were so close. That was nice because there were less people and it was a lot cooler. We went to the North Rim. The first hike we did was to Angels Point. It was a beautiful overlook of the canyon.

Then we also hiked out to Angels window. This is Angels Window from a distance.

It was a stormy day at the grand canyon we got hailed on, the hail was the size of dimes, luckily we were in the car eating lunch for that storm. On the point of Angels window there was an electrical current mounting because your hair would begin to stand straight up. We didn't stay out there for long.

That is a very brief overview of a very fun, short weekend, with lots of Angels. Oh yea and Cyndee gets another Angel point because she has a National Parks Pass so we didn't have to pay any entrance fees. That kept costs low!!

My Day

Today is not a great day and it is only 11:00am. I am hoping to vent and then get all frustrations out. The day has gone like this:

• wake up and realize I am still sick
  
• get to school and my phone rings and an unreasonable parent tells me how horrible I am (her daughter is failing and has missed class 13 of the 21 days we have had class because it is hard to get to school on time.)
  
• spill my spinich and blueberry shake all over my hoodie I have worn three times
  
• student brings cousin to class and I send them to the office because you can't just have random visitors = entire 1st period class thinks I am a devil. Followed by at least 10 questions as to why the girl couldn't stay in class.
  
• janitors turn the sprinkles on my entire class during 2nd period and leave them on so they can fix them until I go ask them to turn them off. (apparently they couldn't see the 50 students out there on the field playing lacrosse or here them yelling as they were getting soaked.)
  
• My gym is being used this summer as storage and no one is supposed to bring anything down until Tuesday, let's just say that the sidelines are completely full.
• Can't count the number of students that want to make-up their grades today when the deadline was yesterday.

All of this equals me boderline tears because I am so frustrated. I wish I didn't get frustrated none of it really matters, but it is still frustrating. One more class to go. I feel better all ready. And then I am off for a weekend of fun to this place


Zions National Park. Assuming we can get a campground. I have lived in Utah for so long and have never been. I am pumped!! Hopefully everything works out and the weekend is great.

There I feel so much better already. Only four days of school left, but who's counting.

Well it's hard to say goodbye

It has been a hard week. I found out on Monday that my first car ever, a car that I love very much, a car that has been paid off for two years, would not pass emissions without $3100 of engine work. REALLY!!! Lame, the car runs great. I haven't had any problems. It was extremely frustrating. I think making cars pass emissions is a conspiracy, but I won't get into that.

Here is the beauty!! I really loved this car. It was an awesome car and I couldn't say enough good things about it.


My experience with my first small SUV was so good that I knew I wanted another SUV. I shopped around online and looked at CRV's RAV4's - toyota's version and Rogue's - Nissans version. I kept coming back to the CRV's because I loved my car so much. So I purchased this as my replacement:


Bye, bye life savings. Bye, bye New Years resolution about amount of money I wanted to have in savings. Bye, bye not living on a budget. Bye, bye trips I had been dreaming of. Bye, bye bedroom set.

HELLO - 2009 CRV. It is a beautiful car. I am afraid to drive it. I like it but I am not in love yet. Maybe because the racks haven't been put on. I really was sad when I dropped off my old car. I really really loved that little bopper. Now I have to fall in love with the big bopper.

And all I keep thinking is who buys brand new cars - CRAZIES!! I am officially a crazy person. My car has 50 miles on it. I am crazy and poor!

Birthday Boy

It's Dan's birthday. Anyone that knows Dan knows he is a great guy. One of Dan's best qualities is that he doesn't have any enemies. Everyone likes Dan. He is easy to get along with and fun. I have loved having him in Provo for the past few years. Here are some of the reasons why:

He always makes road trips a little more fun

He can take our siblings to the MTC so I don't have to take off work just to cry through the entire opening exercises

I usually have someone to ride home with over holidays (he's not so much of a help on weekend trips, he doesn't do those anymore)

He is always willing to barbeque and he is quite good

And as you can tell he refuses to smile normal in any picture. Even all of his pictures from elementary school are hilarious, he always had a smirk of some sort.

Last but not least a little video of what Dan is like at 1:00 am. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAN!!!

If I were a richman. . . . . .

The first thing I would do is hire a cook. I hate cooking for myself. It is almost 10pm and I haven't had dinner. I don't want leftovers, anything in my house, or fast food. In my desperate, hungered state I learned about a new awesome snack. Frozen blueberries. These blueberries are from costco so they are huge, deliscious, and frozen. Yum . . . . . I may be an addict.
And just so you know how many I have eaten


Katie just reminded me there is pizza in the freezer maybe I will eat a piece.

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!!!!