Escalante: Spanish for The Grand Canyon

Just if you wanted to know, Escalante is not spanish for The Grand Canyon but it was one of our jokes for the weekend. This was one of the most amazing weeks of my life. I did something I didn't know I could do, and I did it all the way. We ended up having 22 people on the trip!

We left at 6:00 pm on Wednesday night. We were told it was a 4 1/2 hour drive, but when we arrived at our camp at 2 am we decided they had tricked us. We ended up sleeping in the car that night because we were all cold and tired. We woke up first thing Thursday morning and started on our "short" hike for the day.






We went to a place called Neon Canyon.  It was in a place called Egypt and we didn't really understand why until we began hiking.  It was about an 8 mile hike in 3 inch deep sand.  I know that doesn't sound too bad but honestly, it was harder than the backpacking hike. About halfway along, there was a river we had to cross that was about mid-thigh deep, FREEZING cold, and fast moving. I stubbed my toe and it was bruised and swollen the whole rest of the trip.








We got to the end of the canyon at a place called the Golden Cathedral.  Bishop Kilgrow and Dallin rappelled down through it. We hiked back out and went back to the cars.

We drove to the top of Coyote Gulch, put on our packs, covered them with garbage bags, and headed out on our 2 mile hike down into the canyon.  We camped on a little sand spot for the night. It was cold and rainy and disgusting but we survived.

That night we camped right underneath this huge rock!
It was interesting to learn that sand is, in fact, NOT softer than regular ground.
It felt good on the feet but honestly, if I never had to lay on it again,
I think I would be satisfied!! :)
















The next day was definitely the most fun day of the trip. There was little ground to cover and a LOT of time so we got to play around a lot! We were walking up and down the little river that's down in the canyon, skipping rocks, sight seeing, etc. It was really amazing! There are so many beautiful things in nature. I really wish the trip had been longer because I could have stayed there for lots more days and been totally happy! The only thing about this day is that I got a really sore arm from learning to skip rocks. I am pretty good at it now, but since I did it wrong so much, my arm was pretty much dead!! All of these next pics are from day 2!

That night we hiked to the bathroom!!! We camped a little earlier
in the evening and had time to get completely set up before dark. We were playing card games and eating food for a couple hours then we had our own little fireside! We learned about 'hole in the rock' and what the pioneers went through.  If you don't know what the story behind that is, I suggest looking it up, it is an amazing story! It was fun to actually be around a fire having a fireside though, it made me feel all authentic! It wasn't raining that night (unlike the first night) so we slept a little better.  I think what was keeping us up is that we knew we had to hike out in the morning. It was pretty bitter sweet. We didn't want to leave and we knew it was going to be a hard hike the next day, but on the other hand, we all REALLY wanted our beds!! The hike out was about 20 minutes of climbing up steep rocks then almost another two hours to get out by the cars. It was very trying and really hard but I am so glad I made it out.  I was a little worried I would not be able to.

I knew that I wasn't as strong as I thought I was and I knew that this was something I had never done before. All this being said...I FINISHED!!! :)

Home alone..ALMOST!

The past couple of days have been so amazing! I was a little nervous about being home alone for the past couple of days...not because I was afraid someone was going to jump out and kill  me, but more because I hate having to entertain myself. It's a big chore and I would rather just have someone else do it for me.  I had Melanie and Mikaela come over yesterday afternoon. We went to Sonic and Big Foot's BBQ. You see, this is our tradition before the Bachelor on Monday nights. We got home just in time to watch the episode. More on that later.  I decided I didn't really want them to leave so I said, "Hey! You guys should spend the night!!". They did. :)  This morning we got up and watched tons of baby shows then headed out. The big hike is tomorrow and it was important to go get everything we needed. Wal Mart and the dollar store...They are the best! We got everything and then went and played tennis for a while. I also swung on the swings. It has been MUCH too long since I have done that, I forgot how fun it was!!!!!! I am now completely packed and just waiting for tomorrow...It's gonna be a long night!!

So the Bachelor. I have mixed feelings. I really really wanted Chantel to win, I just did. I liked her a lot more and  felt like they were better for each other. He, on the other hand, thought Emily was. I was even more upset at his decision when I figured out they were not even together at the time. I hope they can work it out and get married but I don't know. I actually cried when he told Chantel goodbye because she was SO in love with him and so open and he didn't seem to appreciate it much. That is my little say on the matter. SO EXCITED FOR TOMORROW!

Busy Weekend

The title of this post pretty much says it all! I have had so much fun in the valley this weekend! After my super fun Friday night, I went to play practice first thing Saturday morning. I got to do everyone's favorite thing...clean!! Not actually cleaning like removing dirt, but I got to clean a couple of the dances for the show.  It was really fun for me to be there again. I learned something though, you cannot make 50 kids participate in doing something they don't want to do.  It was the longest half hour of my life. All I wanted to do was to get them to all do the counts on the same word so it would look good and they just did not understand.

There were issues with the adults too...just very different ones. When someone has experience in something, they think they are always right! They have to let their opinion be heard and nobody can question it.  There were a few ladies that made it very clear that what I taught them was not right and not what they were supposed to do. What I don't understand is why Molly would send me to do something and to teach them if they weren't supposed to listen to me. That's all I want to know. A few people even left and didn't let me help them anymore. WOW. That is all I have to say on that subject.

After play practice I went and picked up Bo, and him and I went to Julia's house.  Bo missed Lainey and I needed a hair cut...BAD. It was fun to catch up.  It's awesome when you have a leader that becomes a friend. I have actually talked to her more than my mom has since the move. I love her to death and I'm so glad she has been there for me.  We went to sonic during happy hour which I decided was the best invention of all time!! The rest of the day was not all that exciting but it was enough to where I just wanted to sit down and SLEEP!

Today I went to 5 hours of church, which is the usual routine when I am down in the valley.  All of the singles ward, then 2 hours of primary. :) It's everything I love all in one day! Singles ward has gotten so much more fun since I have gotten to know people.  It is really exciting to go and have someone to sit by and have people  know who you are. I really love it. All that is left is to get my backpacks together for the hike on Thursday and hang out with the fam! I have not had Sunday dinner in heaven knows how long...I am excited :).

I love doing things with people

Today was honestly one of the most fun days I have had in a LOOONG time :). To start off the day, I got to go to school and see my old seminary teachers and my English teacher miss Jensen.  After getting picked up and eating a piece of pizza, Andrew texted me and asked how Queen Creek was. I told him good and after a short swap of information, we ended up at lunch. While waiting for his roommate to get out of the temple, we chowed down on some Macaroni Grill. Definitely a lot of fun!! Arriving home, I did some work and  headed to the Merchants to help sister Merchant with the party.

I got to babysit baby Claire for quite a while and I absolutely LOVE HER.  The party went amazingly and Maddie said she had fun :).  My gift for her was so amazing...Mouthwash (for the obvious reason), a watch (so she is home from her dates in time), nerds (reminding her to always be herself), lotion (for all those hand holding times), and last but not least, lip plumping lip gloss (for the KISSING of course) :).  She liked it.

After deciding that we all felt old at a sweet 16 party, the elders of us that were there ended up going to hang out together. First we stopped at Sonic because all the boys were hungry.  After sonic we decided to go bowling. We got to cosmic bowl and it was REALLY fun. I didn't fail too miserably so I call it a success.  We decided the night was not quite over yet, so we went to McDonald's and got the really cheap ice cream cones. It was SO much fun. It ended up being Me, McKenzie, Wesley, Trent, and Chris.  I am so glad I have such amazing friends that we can go and have a dance party in the middle of the street and still have so much fun :). Thanks guys!!! You rock!

HIKE!

Yesterday afternoon I got invited to go on a hike! We went to hike mt. Elden (I think that's what it's called). I was told we were going on a 2 mile hike...little did I know, the person who invited me had no idea what he was talking about! There were 5 of us: Larissa, Anderew, Jason, Tracy, and me.  We headed up the mountain and it wasn't too bad at first, just a little steep.  The hard part was when it started getting cold. Being the smart hiker that I am, I didn't bring a jacket. It was a beautiful day and I forgot it gets colder the higher up you go!

My hands were completely numb by the time we reached the top (or as far as we ended up going) and they were really fat! I looked like an oompa loompa!  It was 2.5 miles uphill, and I mean REALLY uphill, pretty much as uphill as you can get.  That's where we turned around. Going down was almost as fun as going up, seeing as we had to walk down that steep mountain, sliding on icy snow. There were a few good falls let me tell you. We made it to the bottom and headed home. This might not seem like that big of a deal, but to me, it was time to think and be with amazing people.

While I was hiking though, I was following the people in front of me and the people right behind me were follwing me. I started noticing something. Andrew went first, then me, then the others.  I was following his and watching where he stepped so I could step there and I wouldn't fall.  The others were following me doing the same thing. It really reminded me of how life works.  By being a follower of Christ, you are also being a leader. By choosing to follow someone I trusted, those that trusted me knew they would be ok. It was a really neat learning experience!

My Ward Family

Being away from home is a little bit scary at times. There isn't really anybody to turn to, all of the friends that have known you for forever are just gone, and you have to start new. I learned yesterday that there are things away from home that can act like your family. My ward is absolutely amazing.

Last night we had family home evening.  We went to a member of our bishopric's house and we played scategories. This sounds like a very simple thing, but with our small little group, it's great. Every week, no matter what we do, we always have fun.  We all get along and we always have fun. It makes me so happy. I know that no matter what, when I go to FHE, I will have fun. (Even though I miss the Bachelor)

My Relief Society president is the most amazing person ever. I know I can talk to her about everything. We go way back! She babysat me when I was little, the amazing Kourtney Garner!! Her, along with my visiting teachers, the sister missionaries, my friends, my teachers...it is a GREAT ward and I absolutely love it.

I hope that everyone can have a chance to be in an amazing ward like I am :).

Our Generation

It has been a good couple of days! One of the best parts being, I have a new phone to use! Summer let me use her old phone until I work out my phone situation. It is just like my old touchscreen so it is a blast from the past! I never knew how dependent society was on technology! L. Tom Perry talked about how hard it is for him to adapt to our fast moving technological generation.  The Palm pilots, the blackberries, the ipads, the iphones, and now he has an ipod.   Not to mention the facebook, twitter, and youtube.  I was thinking about how I don't feel like anything has really changed. Everything feels the same to me.  I have always grown up using computers, phones, the Internet, and it's weird to think there are people who didn't.

A girl told a story in church yesterday about how her computer got a virus and how now she doesn't have it to do her homework or to work and how she was freaking out.  It is crazy to me how dependent we are.  There are classes now that are COMPLETELY online. If something happens to your computer, there is nothing you can do about it.  I am so happy that I have a working computer. 

Last night I also talked to my visiting teachers! They are so sweet. They gave me a message on how the priesthood and the Relief Society go hand in hand. The Relief Society takes all of its organization and power from the priesthood. I am so happy to have the priesthood in my life. I am hoping that I have the chance to go to the temple soon, it seems like a good time!! :) 

Happy Monday Everyone!!!!! 

A Saturday to Remember.

Yesterday was an amazing day! It made me really appreciate the amazing friends and family that I have.  My dear cousin Deanna, my awesome friends Britney, Courtney, and Ryan, and my buddy Carsten make my life SO amazing!  After waking up and eating pizza, we had an awesome day hanging out, going to circle k, watching youtube videos, playing on a website, and just have the time of our lives!

We decided it was time for a friend photo shoot! We got all cute and matchy and took pictures behind my apartment in these little woods.  They are so cute :). I love taking the time to just enjoy a day, nothing to do, nowhere to be, just friends and all the time in the world.

This morning I woke up and skyped Mom, Dalin, Rhett, Stephen, Bo, and Katy. I love them so much and am so excited to go down and visit them this weekend!!!! :) Fast Sunday and I am pretty sure I am about to eat myself alive, I have a certain friend visiting me and all she makes me want to do is eat and lay in bed with a heat pad!!! Luckily she has been nice with the cramps but the hunger...NO WAY!!

It's Late :)

It is 2 in the morning and I am sitting at my beautiful cousin's house and we are about to go get pizza!!! :) Oh the life of a college student.  We went to Mr. Institute, then watched MegaMind! After I woke up, we decided we were hungry! And THAT is why we are awake about to eat pizza!

Today I had a sad day. My phone had a little accident! I actually don't know how it exactly happened but the trackball fell out and it got lost on the road. We searched for a good 15 minutes and couldn't find it. THIS is what I get for having a phone for this long...I am now trying to find ways around using the trackball and all I can do is text and call. NO camera, NO alarm clock, NO music...QUITE a bummer. Time for a new one!

No real plans for tomorrow, hopefully something fun will come up and it will be a party!

Happy BIRTHDAY to YOU!!

Today is a very special day! Today is the day that my dear mother turns 21! I love her so much! I thought it would be fitting on this day of birth so (not) long ago to talk a little bit about my amazing mother :).

First of all, I cannot describe what a good example my mom has been to me. Even when I didn't see it at first, she has always been looking out for me and helping me through my trials.  There has never been a day when I couldn't call her and ask her my silly little, 'I'm living on my own and can't figure this out' questions. One recently being, "How do I bleach a load of laundry?!" I thought I knew laundry up and down, backwards and forwards, but there are still a lot of things I have left to learn.

My mom is B-E-A-UTIFUL! And I am  not just saying that because people say I look like her ;).  Even with her frizzy hair, my mom is the most beautiful lady I know, inside and out.  She is who she is and I am pretty sure there is absolutely NOBODY like her. I love that she is crazy and throws herself parties and doesn't care what people think of her!  She loves to jam out to her Usher...and I love it! I love when she texts me things like 'I like you.', and no matter how dorky it seems, and even if I don't think it's her, I know that she loves me and thinks about me and cares for me.

My Mother is an awesome teacher. Though she might not believe it and she might get nervous, I know that she will succeed in anything she tries, it's just who she is!!! :)  I have to say I feel like I am the mother writing about my daughter! I am so glad she is my mom and I would not want anybody else to help me through my tough times; to take me to sonic late at night, to gossip about our favorite show (The show shall remain unnamed because we are total dorks), to talk about roomies, siblings, boys, friends, life, school, callings, pretty much anything you can imagine!!  I know I live away from home now and we don't talk as much as we used to, but I hope that my spot by the computer will always be mine and that I can go there and see my mommy and talk to her whenever the heck I want!!!!

I love you mom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope you enjoy your birthday present! I know that you said you didn't want anything but I decided that for your birthday, I'm giving you a date night! Your favorite restaurant and a movie with your hubbie! You do so much for our family I just want to thank you again!! :))) <3 <3 <3

Money from the Pocket

Today has been interesting already...and it's only 2! Math was lame, both of them, but of course that is life :) I went to the post office to mail my buddy her phone back and I could NOT figure out how to work the labels! I got it all set and the girl tells me that the price to mail my box was $18.30. WHAT THE?! I cannot believe that! It might have been cheaper to send it in a regular envelope! Oh well.

I am finally able to work again! I decided that's something I need to be a little bit more diligent about. There may be swing dancing tonight, depending on how late I want to stay out before my 8 am class tomorrow. We shall see!!!!!

P.s. My fish REFUSE to swim in their new little toy I bought them! I am quite an unhappy mommy. :( All in all, my money keeps disappearing!

Starting New

It has been WAY too long since I have blogged. I just find it so hard to actually sit down and write about all the things in my life. I have been inspired though, thanks to my dear friend Amy Schweitzer!


After reading her blog, and seeing that even on days when there wasn't much to say, she just posted a picture and a little sentence and it counted! So this is what I am going to do, too.  Starting today!


Today was AMAZING to say the least. After waking up at 7 and packing up all of my junk, the family packed up the car and began our journey to flag! I was also very lucky to be accompanied by one of my best friends McKenzie Merchant :).  I miss this girl like crazy so we had some pretty fun bonding time!  The trip was long and the music was repetitive (I mean what do you expect from the radio??) but I honestly had so much fun.  We got to flag, went to my house, and everybody ate and we left again for the sledding hills.  We found this little park that is shaped like a bowl and only cost $12 per vehicle! According to Grandma though, "I heard fire pit so it's worth it! Plus there will probably be bathrooms!"


The quest for sleds was also an interesting one, it only took $45 and 3 different gas stations to find some sleds. And a free MAP! Haha


I will not go into details about the sled trip except for me and McKenzie made the coolest snowman ever to live. His name is Buster and all the little kids there thought he was the coolest thing in the world!

Sorry the pictures are sideways, I still have not figured out how to do that AND I don't have the patience right now :)

This is Buster. We named him that because we tried to make him robust but he really more ended up on the scrawny side.  

Good to meet you! Brooklyn was taking our picture at this point.

Honestly, I love this girl SO STINKING MUCH!! She has been the friend I have had for the longest time and I have so much fun every time we party! Go snow day!!

I think he is pretty dang studly! :)

After the snow, those who needed to went potty and the fam was off! The "best" part of the day though is when I got a call from my grandma but it was actually McKenzie! She left her phone here! Tomorrow it is going in the mail :).  It was a really good day and I'm glad I was able to spend it with my family.