B-to-the-righam...

I went home this past weekend, and it was pretty awesome. I headed home Friday morning (because I don't work on Fridays. Geez, my life is good!)...and I hung out with my dad. (Because he took Friday off.) Ran a few errands with the old man and then visited my mom at work. A nap was in the mix, and then we (meaning me and my folks) went to O-town (Ogden) to go to the Temple and get some dinner. Oh yeah, we met up with Aaron at the Temple as well, so that was nice. :)

Saturday...my dear brother Goose put some new break pads on my car and I ran some more errands...and then my boys came over for a visit! Yep, Aaron, Amy & sons came up to Brigham and we had a fantastic time. We celebrated Amy's upcoming birthday with presents and cake, sat outside eating ice cream from the carton, and had some fantastic conversation.

Of course I didn't take any pictures of that. I took pictures of the cutest things going on during it all...the wily antics of Jackson and Seth! :)

Seth loves trucks. Vance has a truck.
So we put the boys in the back of the truck.
And Vance caught himself a Sethington.

And here was have Seth climbing onto Uncle Goose's motorcycle...

Jackson LOVES chocolate and he loves ice cream.
Ergo, chocolate ice cream is the best.
He wanted to make sure he got every last drop!

Chocolate face...

Anyway...I had to get up pretty dang early yesterday to get up and ready for the day in order to make it to my 9:00 church in Ammon. But I made it safe and sound, and I have happy memories of family time to get me through the work week...

Thanks Mom, Dad, Aaron, Amy, Jackson, Seth, Vance, Abby and Goose! I love you all!

beautiful day, beautiful hike...

Who: 9 friends :) The "usual suspects" (meaning me, Lisa and Brooke), plus Lisa's dad Russ and sister Jessa, another Lisa, and three fellas: Andy, Mark and Kelly.

What: Hiking through the Tetons, by way of Cascade Canyon.

When: Saturday. All. Day. Long.

Where: Starting on the Idaho side, near Targhee, and ending on the Wyoming side, near Jackson.

Why: For fun! I haven't done nearly as much hiking this summer as I did last, and I wanted to end the hiking season with a bang!

Okay, so this Saturday really was a long one. My day started at 4:20 (in the morning, thank you!). I basically rolled out of bed, got dressed, and got my CamelBak packed (with an array of hiking food) so we could be ready to roll at 5am.

Shortly after 5:00, we were piled in the van and bound for the trail head, nearly 2 hours away. We met up with the 3 fellas at the trail head and started our sojourn through the Tetons just before 7:30am.

And here is the rest of the story...in pictures. (Pictures courtesy of Lisa Burt, Brooke Stoddard, Kelly Fitzsimmons and Andy McAbree. Oh, I took pictures with my camera. But my computer is being dumb and will upload everybody's pictures but my own! What the...?!)

Be warned: the views on this hike were, in a word, stunning.

It started out COLD!
"The crew" (minus Andy and Mark)
Brooke, Russ, moi, Lisa, Kelly,
Lisa and Jessa...

I told you it was a gorgeous hike!

Huckleberries were picked...

...and consumed along the way.

A mama moose and her calf...

Enjoying nature, baby!

A group shot along the way...
Lisa John had her hand on me bum in this shot.
(At least it's a good one of everyone else!)

Napping on "neutral ground"
...between Targhee National Forest and Teton National Park

Look at the colors!

We didn't know the people on the horses, but isn't that a beautiful picture?!

A bull moose...

It was a beautiful hike. In fact, it may be my new favorite. Perhaps. (I've been on a LOT of cool hikes, mind you. But this one may just take the cake...)

Oh yeah, and here's some other very important information for your consideration. We hiked 22 miles. That's right...11 x 2. 13+9. My age minus 4. Just shy of a marathon in the mountains. I'm not saying that it was all uphill...although there were a few parts that were comparable to hiking Table Rock's face. It was actually a perfect little blend. Quite a bit of level-ish up-and-down-ness. A handful of parts that truly got the blood pumping and made the legs burn. Enough downhill that I think everyone's knees felt it. A nice mix.

Okay, and I'll come clean. It was actually just under 22 miles. I rounded up. Sue me.

It sure was beautiful though! So many gorgeous views! I tell you, when I'm out in the beauty of the mountains, there's no way I can deny that there is a God, and that He created this beautiful world for our enjoyment! (Not that I doubt God anyway...I'm just saying, being out in nature re-affirms my belief in that Higher Power.)

I loved this hike! I may just make an annual trip of it...

7 years...

I woke up this morning just like I do every other Thursday morning; my phone alarm went off at 6:45am. This morning I woke up to "Get Rhythm" by Johnny Cash.

It wasn't until I was driving to work at 7:50 that I remembered what day it is. September 11th. I saw streets lined with flags, and it brought tears to my eyes. I love this country.

That's a lot of flags...

I've actually been anticipating this day for the past few days at least...but in the busy schedule of my every day life, I woke up thinking about how tired I still was, what I had to get done today, and so on...

September 11, 2001 changed the nation. And it changed me.

I do not personally know anybody who was killed that day in those awful attacks. But it still affected me. I still cry when I think of all the innocent lives lost; when I remember the images that were displayed all over the television during that day and the days to follow; when I think of the lives lost in the wars we've entered since then. And it makes me sad when I think of those left behind--my heart aches for the people who actually knew and loved people who were killed in those attacks, and killed in the wars.

I do not know anyone who died in those attacks, and I don't have anyone close to me serving our country. But I sure do appreciate them. As divided as this nation is, I still love it. I love the United States of America. I love the freedoms I enjoy--because of the great men who founded this nation, and because of the great men and women defending those rights for me today. I fully recognize that my life is cushy and wonderful. That's not to say my life is perfect or easy...but I've got it good. I enjoy so many freedoms. I get to live my life as I choose. God bless America!

I remember...

I was a sophomore at BYU-Idaho. It was a Tuesday morning and I was in my weight training class; the news was on the TV set, and all eyes were glued to it. I saw the images but they didn't make sense. I remember thinking, "Who do these people think they are?!" I was angry more than anything. I didn't fully comprehend what was happening...I still don't fully comprehend what happened. But I remember being angry. So as everyone stood around watching the television, I got to work lifting weights.

After I finished my circuits, I walked back to my apartment. I saw people crying and hugging each other. I went home to take a shower and my roommates were in the living room with the TV on. You know what they were watching.

I took my shower and thought about what I had seen and heard that morning. It just wasn't connecting or making sense...

I went on my day as normally as possible; classes were still being held, technically...but in each class, the TV was on, and it seemed more like group counseling than Developmental Psychology or Statistics. -And I think it was probably good and necessary.

Every Tuesday afternoon at 2pm, BYU-Idaho has devotional, and although this Tuesday was unlike any other that anybody had ever experienced, devotional was still held. It was, I believe, the first devotional of the school year. The then-President of BYUI, David A. Bednar, gave the address. I don't recall exactly what was said, but it sure did seem to fit the situation that was directly on top of us. I was still confused about the terrorist attacks, but I somehow felt more at peace...

7 years. 84 months. 364 weeks. 2,557 days...have passed since then. So much has happened in my life in 7 years. I've grown a lot, mentally and spiritually. I've had some great days and some awful days. I've earned 3 degrees, started my career, traveled a bit. I've watched my brothers serve missions. I've gained some sisters-in-law and become and aunt.

My point is...I've lived. I've had days. Life will never go back to the way it was before 9/11/01. But maybe that's a good thing. I think it's good to remember.

Timing...

I ponder the concept of TIMING quite a bit. More than the average Joe, I daresay. It's not like I'm stuck on the topic on some unhealthy level or anything...it just sometimes pops into my head. Usually when I'm driving.

Because I hit red lights. All the time.

Now when I say "all the time" I'm not being literal. I sometimes hit green lights.

But mostly I hit red lights. We're talking somewhere between 80 and 90% of the time. (I haven't done the math, but it sure feels closer to 90%.) If you don't believe me, feel free to ask my roommates...or anyone who's ever been a passenger in my car.

So...yeah...sitting at so many stop lights kind of gets me thinking a lot about timing.

Quite naturally (here is where that extra X chromosome kicks in), I've analyzed timing from many angles.

Like, my timing for TRAFFIC LIGHTS sure does suck, so I wonder, how OFF is my timing in other aspects of my life? (I really don't feel like this holds true for my life; I feel like I've been in the right place at the right time throughout my life...minus traffic, of course.)

The other day, a brand new idea came to mind...

What is it that you are forced to do while sitting at a stop light? Each person may do his or her own thing...re-applying makeup, picking your nose/face, sending a text, adjusting the radio; no need to feel ashamed or embarrassed...we've all seen all sorts of things going on in "other people's" cars. Whatever. The thing I'm getting at is WAITING. While sitting at a stop light, you are forced to wait.

I've done a lot of waiting in my life--even if you get rid of all the stop-light waiting (which must account for some 50% of my wait time), I've spent much of my life waiting.

Waiting at the doctor's office. Waiting for dinner to be ready. Waiting for clients to show. Waiting in line at the grocery store. Waiting for Mr. Wonderful. Waiting for the weekend.

Wait, wait, wait, WAIT, WAIT.

Now I'm not whining, mind you. Just pondering.

A few months ago I came across a Calvin & Hobbes comic strip that made me stop and think...

"Sometimes it seems things go by too quickly. We are so busy watching out for what's just ahead of us that we don't take the time to enjoy where we are." -Calvin (aka Bill Watterson)

So true, little Calvin. So true.

As tired as I sometimes get of waiting, I might as well stop and enjoy the moments as they happen. I try to do that anyway, but it's kind of all coming together for me just now...

why do YOU go to the fair?

Last night I went with my roommates to the EISF (that's Eastern Idaho State Fair for those of you who don't know). And the whole reason we go to the fair is for...

FAIR FOOD!

Enjoying our delicious lime drinks...
("on the house" thanks to Kindra!)

That's actually a lime,
not some scary pickle or banana pepper...

Gotta love dutch oven food!

I heart Navajo tacos!

"Footlong!!! Who got the footlong?!"
(Name that movie! I quoted it every time I saw a footlong booth.)

There's really nothing quite like fair food...all sorts of culinary tastiness gathered in one place for your dining pleasure. So many delish foods to choose from! And since it's all rather pricey, that's another great reason to go with friends; everybody tries something different and y'all share. That's the way to go about it. Indulge!

Anyway...we found some other things to do. We went into the craft tent...I think that's what it was called. Anyway...there were some cool crafts in there, but a couple of other things nabbed our attention almost immediately after walking through the doors. I give you...

Who is this man behind the mask and his be-leathered friend?

Why it's the Lone Ranger and Tonto!
(Brooke making friends with the man in tights...)

Lisa with the Duke...

We also spent some time looking at the photography, as well as sniffing around some other booths. Such as...

The caramel apple booth...

And the cotton candy booth...

And then on our way out we saw goats. I never knew before last night that I kinda like goats. Especially the baby ones. They're cute little creatures; I really get a kick out of 'em!

A baby goat!
Made me wish Seth was there; he loves animals!

summer MUST be over...

Obviously I'm talking about the weather. The end of summer hasn't inflicted me with panic at the start of another school year in quite some time. I'm just taking note about the changing of seasons...

Not that summer's end is a bad thing. Autumn is my favorite season.

However...I live in south-east Idaho where the weather isn't always predictable, and it certainly ain't exactly governed by the seasons. I've seen snow in summer, and this past "spring" felt more like winter. (Yeah, yeah...Idaho isn't known for its long seasons of mild temperatures...I knew this before I moved here.)

Anyway...I guess I just wasn't quite prepared to freeze on September 1st. It's supposed to warm up this week, so they say. I hope so! I LOVE autumn, and until the snow falls, I'm prepared to enjoy the heck out of this fantastic weather we are currently experiencing!

This is actually ideal weather in my opinion.
Here's to hoping that it lasts through October...!

Hmm...now let me see if there's anything rad from my own life that I can post about...

Nope.

So here is a picture of my ridiculously good-looking nephews.

Gina loves her boys!