Because I Needed a Laugh

Some things never change.  Zoe and Mike 2007ish, and again in 2010.  Uncle and niece. Apparently this family trait runs deep. 

Visitors from Phoenix

The morning I got back from my trip, I got a text from these cute kiddos my step sister and her family. They were visiting from Phoenix. We were able to hang out that day.  Megan, her husband Jake, and the kiddos: Four year old Braxton, twinners Ruby and Lucy, and baby McEwan (I don't have pics of this kid, but he is SO cute and such a funny baby!). We rode the tram up at Snowbird to the top. It was gorgeous! Then we went to Cafe Rio and shopped around the Gateway for a bit.

Mineral Basin (looking southeast from the top)

Meg decides to walk through the biggest puddle, and Braxton decides to promptly throw snowballs at everyone.

View of the Salt Lake Valley

Ruby, me, and Lucy. Love them!

The Tram

Coming down from the top. Still a lot of snow for July 5!

The Hartley Family

Ruby and Lucy watching Braxton jump on the trampoline.

This car is all car seats! Notice the baby's feet sticking up. 

Ruby, Brax, and Lucy at the Gateway

Road Trip

This past weekend, I finished my last day of school, packed up my stuff, and made my way toward Grand Junction, Colorado.  After driving for a very long time (okay, not too long, but long enough!), I snuggled into my nice hotel room with some Cafe Rio and my laptop.  Bliss.

The next morning, after a delicious breakfast of bacon, a waffle, and scrambled eggs, I headed south from Grand Junction over the San Juan Mountains, the scariest mountain pass drive ever! The speed limit is pretty much under 20 the entire way with it being windy, steep, and pretty much no shoulder on the road.  If you miss, it's over the cliff for you! Eventually I ended up in Durango, Colorado at Misty Z's house. The cutest girl ever!  It's a pretty relaxing place.  See the pictures.

On my way there, I drove through the small mountain town of Ridgway. Colorado. I swear I passed a sign that said, "Ridgway. What we lack in wineries, we make up for in winers." It could be the other way around, but I can't find anything online to verify it, and I couldn't take a picture right then either.  But, I do remember thinking it was hilarious, and that I should write it down.

While there, we had pedicures done (Misty, her mom, sister, and me), a bridal shower, bachelorette party dinner, and  .  .  . wait for it . . . s'mores! That's right, my great friend roasted s'mores with me for a late night treat.  We made them on the BBQ, and they were pretty good (almost as good as a campfire!).   We are camping friends, after all!

After leaving Colorado, I headed back home and played phone tag with my mom the whole way.  I probably had 15 dropped calls . . . thanks AT&T. Just one more area I now know my phone doesn't work. I-70 is a pretty major route, but apparently no phone service. Add that to my list of Richfield to Phoenix, Richfield to Nephi, and Boise into Oregon. I then took a short detour to Monroe, Utah to visit the cute Madsen family.  After dinner, some playing, fireworks, and homemade cake and ice cream, I hit the road again to make it home just after midnight.  Ahhhhh, to sleep in my own bed.

Vacations are exhausting!

Enjoy these pictures of some beautiful Colorado and Utah scenery. We live in an amazing place!

Walking by Misty's house.  Over the hill ahead is a small lake.

My favorite. Driving West on I-70.

Apparently this baby is doing a fishy face. Haha!

People

I read this awhile ago, and I have been thinking about it a lot, so I decided to share it with you. (Sorry about the caps. . . I used cut and paste, then just went with it).

SOMETIMES PEOPLE COME INTO YOUR LIFE AND YOU KNOW RIGHT AWAY THAT THEY WERE MEANT TO BE THERE, TO SERVE SOME SORT OF PURPOSE, TEACH YOU A LESSON, OR TO HELP YOU FIGURE OUT WHO YOU ARE OR WHO YOU WANT TO BECOME. YOU NEVER KNOW WHO THESE PEOPLE MAY BE (POSSIBLY YOUR ROOMMATE, NEIGHBOR, CO-WORKER, LONGEST FRIEND, LOVER, OR EVEN A COMPLETE STRANGER) BUT WHEN YOU LOCK EYES WITH THEM, YOU KNOW AT THAT VERY MOMENT THAT THEY WILL AFFECT YOUR LIFE IN SOME PROFOUND WAY.

SOME PEOPLE COME INTO OUR LIVES AND QUICKLY GO. SOME PEOPLE MOVE OUR SOULS TO DANCE.
THEY AWAKEN US TO NEW UNDERSTANDING WITH THE PASSING WHISPER OF THEIR WISDOM. SOME PEOPLE MAKE THE SKY MORE BEAUTIFUL TO GAZE UPON. THEY STAY IN OUR LIVES FOR AWHILE, LEAVE FOOTPRINTS IN OUR HEARTS, AND WE ARE NEVER, EVER THE SAME.

AND SOMETIMES THINGS HAPPEN TO YOU THAT MAY SEEM HORRIBLE, PAINFUL, AND UNFAIR AT FIRST, BUT IN REFLECTION YOU FIND THAT WITHOUT OVERCOMING THOSE OBSTACLES YOU WOULD HAVE NEVER REALISED YOUR POTENTIAL, STRENGTH, WILLPOWER, OR HEART. EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON, NOTHING HAPPENS BY CHANCE OR BY MEANS OF LUCK. ILLNESS, INJURY, LOVE, LOST MOMENTS OF TRUE GREATNESS, AND SHEER STUPIDITY ALL OCCUR TO TEST THE LIMITS OF YOUR SOUL. WITHOUT THESE SMALL TESTS, WHATEVER THEY MAY BE, LIFE WOULD BE LIKE A SMOOTHLY PAVED, STRAIGHT FLAT ROAD TO NOWHERE. IT WOULD BE SAFE AND COMFORTABLE, BUT DULL AND UTTERLY POINTLESS. THE PEOPLE YOU MEET WHO AFFECT YOUR LIFE, AND THE SUCCESS AND DOWNFALLS YOU EXPERIENCE HELP TO CREATE WHO YOU BECOME.

EVEN THE BAD EXPERIENCES CAN BE LEARNED FROM. IN FACT, THEY ARE PROBABLY THE MOST POIGNANT AND IMPORTANT ONES.

IF SOMEONE HURTS YOU, BETRAYS YOU, OR BREAKS YOUR HEART, FORGIVE THEM, FOR THEY HAVE HELPED YOU LEARN ABOUT TRUST AND THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING CAUTIOUS WHEN YOU OPEN YOUR HEART. IF SOMEONE LOVES YOU, LOVE THEM BACK UNCONDITIONALLY, NOT ONLY BECAUSE THEY LOVE YOU, BUT BECAUSE IN A WAY, THEY ARE TEACHING YOU TO LOVE AND HOW TO OPEN YOUR HEART AND EYES TO THINGS.

MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT!! APPRECIATE EVERY MOMENT AND TAKE FROM THOSE MOMENTS EVERYTHING THAT YOU POSSIBLY CAN FOR YOU MAY NEVER BE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE IT AGAIN. TALK TO PEOPLE THAT YOU HAVE NEVER TALKED TO BEFORE, AND ACTUALLY LISTEN. LET YOURSELF FALL IN LOVE, BREAK FREE, AND SET YOUR SIGHTS HIGH. HOLD YOUR HEAD UP BECAUSE YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO. TELL YOURSELF YOU ARE A GREAT INDIVIDUAL AND BELIEVE IN YOURSELF, FOR IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE IN YOURSELF; IT WILL BE HARD FOR OTHERS TO BELIEVE IN YOU.

YOU CAN MAKE OF YOUR LIFE ANYTHING YOU WISH. CREATE YOUR OWN LIFE THEN GO OUT AND LIVE IT WITH ABSOLUTELY NO REGRETS.

Or Not

Dear Earring Makers,

Thanks for saying that these earrings are for sensitive ears and are nickel free.  But, just because you say that doesn't mean it's true. They are not for sensitive skin and my ears are so sad because of it. Bleeding ears really do hurt.  I love earrings, but I don't think these ones are for me.

Thanks.

Mom, You'd Be So Proud

All these years that I've been learning to quilt, I've ALWAYS had to have my mom help me with my binding. And in many cases, help actually means she did it. I've even mailed her fabric, she's made the binding and then given it back. It's been wonderful, for it's the worst part of quilt making for me. Getting down the folding and cutting on the bias was kind of hard!  Well, I finally did it. It may have been the time crunch and utter desperation to get this quilt finished (pictures to follow), but I finally bit the bullet and did it. Yay!

Okay, it only took Google, three texts, and two calls to my mom.  Love you, Mom!

You're My Favorite

Yes, I tell all my nephews and nieces they are my favorite. Because they are! :)

Just a quick note to say, I love this kid.  EVERY time I am on Skype with him, he asks  if he can come to my house. Every time.  He has even said, "Can you come get me and bring me to your house?"

Soon, buddy. Soon!

And Then It Hit Me

Just as our year is ending, I'm realizing how much I love my little class.  I feel like one of their parents because I know some of their strengths, weaknesses, favorites, dislikes, and see some of their truest moments. Today was a good day. A great day. Despite all the crazy antics of third grade, they are wonderful little spirits.

Read about it here. 

Life is Hard

I can do hard things! 

Delicious!

I've now made chocolate chip scones several times.  I love the recipe found here. I've now started experimenting with it and adding other options.  Today I made cinnamon raisin scones, and they were delicious! Now I can stop getting one at Carl's Jr. in the mornings. I know, I know. But they are so good, and those biscuits totally remind me of summers with my Grandma Rene where we'd go to Hardee's in the mornings and get a cinnamon raisin biscuit. Carl's Jr. and Hardee's biscuits are one in the same. It's true. Read the package. Anyway, now I can make my own. They're cheap, easy, and a great breakfast to grab and go!

Keeping Me Up

I've been reading The Hunger Games series. Bah. I hate it but I can't put it down. I've read two books in three days. It's seriously bad for my sleep.  I still can't decide if I like it or hate it.

On another note, did you know my sign is Sagittarius? A half-beast, half-man.  Sometimes I feel like that. I little beasty but still human.  I guess it's appropriate that it's my sign.

Wahoo!

I no longer have a car payment. And I now have way cheaper car insurance. Sweet.


And now, in other news, my car has recently become a place for birds to sit and poop. I almost can't contain my joy. 


And my headlight went out. Again. For the 52nd time. It's super annoying. 


I'll enjoy having no car payment while it lasts!

This Makes Me Happy

Momentarily, anyway.  :)

Honest

"Better to write for yourself and have no public than to write for the public and have no self."

Confessions of the Truest Kind

This is a post of true confessions. The truest. It's my blog, after all. I can say what I want.

This weekend, I'm feeling super lonely. Okay, pretty much all the time. I miss my mom, my sisters, their families, and my friends.  I guess that tends to happen when everyone moves away and does their separate things, leads their own lives, but that doesn't make it any easier. For years I have tried really hard to stay connected to people. Calling, sending cards, emails, inviting them places, whatnot. It's exhausting. They say that the way to have a good friend is to be one. It's not true. I hate that growing up means growing apart.

It's not that I don't go out and do things because I do. It's just more fun to do things with friends. I have met some new people, but its just not the same. People are too caught up in their lives to make friendships work. Sometimes too caught up to even care about each other. I know it's not always the case and that people just get busy, but I'm just saying that I think it sucks.

I haven't found a roommate. I'm tired of looking.  It's quiet here.  Most of the time, I enjoy my alone time and time to do the things I need to get done.  I have the TV or music on a lot. Mostly it's just to hear noise. My friends have moved and/or dissolved into oblivion. I hate it. A girl can't live on Facebook friends alone.

So, for now, I'm going to a movie. By myself. I don't care how lame that is. Maybe I'll meet a new friend.

And, friends, I still do love you.