i fall for fall

I'm so grateful for the seasons. Each season is so unique and shares with us its individual beauty...

Winter, it's no lie, has been my least favorite season my entire life pretty much by default, because warm weather is more friendly and inviting. But even if you discount my newly acquired love of snowboarding, winter's got its perks.

Winter is sweater weather, and allows me to dress in layers (which is something I've always adored, but can't really justify in summer months). Although it's no fun to drive in, snow is absolutely beautiful and serene. Winter is baking weather, and oh, yeah, two words: hot chocolate. Also, snowboarding.

Spring is so wonderful, when the earth comes back to life. I love when the snow melts and the ice is finally off the streets. I adore waking up to the twittering of birds. And seeing nature rejuvenate--flowers in bloom, and budding trees--is simultaneously invigorating and soothing unto my soul.

Summer brings with it camping and hiking and swimming. Independence Day celebrations. Late nights, and bonfires with s'mores, and vacations, and sandals, and...yes, summer is good. Very, very good.

But nothing holds a candle to autumn time. Autumn time is heaven on earth. I admire watching the leaves change colors each day. I adore going for walks, hearing the fallen leaves crunch beneath my feet. I'm fond of wearing jackets and scarves and boots with tall socks. I get a kick out of watching Halloween movies. Making soups or casseroles. Breathing in the crisp air. Eating (Honeycrisp) apples. Baking with apples. Going for little drives to see further enjoy the autumn colors. Autumn time is harvest time, and that just makes me happy.

Yesterday was closing day for the 2013 Idaho Falls farmers market season, and I went to bid farewell; I didn't end up purchasing anything, but I walked by the river and took some pictures...

Wow. That reflection...

All the fall colors on one tree...

fallen leaves...

breathe it in...

water tower

I've been spending a lot of time alone lately, and although it's not typically my first choice (or second or third), it's not been so bad. Pretty good, even. I've had a fairly healthy self esteem (since early adulthood?), but recently I've relearned that I like myself. I'm fun. And I'm thoughtful and considerate and friendly and helpful. And I'm okay being alone. I mean, I love being with people, and it's still typically  my first choice (and second and third), but solitude--even if sometimes it feels forced--is okay. 

Here's to rediscovery. And hot apple cider, and leggings with long sweaters and boots, and bright vivid hues. And here's to whatever tomorrow brings.

all is well

I went to Utah for the second weekend in a row (although you wouldn't know it, unless you follow me on Instagram). My weekend was quite fantastic, for a handful of reasons.

*I had a fantastic phone conversation with Abby
as I drove to Utah Thursday night

*I spent time with family

*I got to see all 8 of my nieces and nephews

*I saw the Warren Miller 2013 World Premier

*I had a fantastic visit with Brooker (both before and after Warren Miller)

*I got to chill with my Ma while we babysat baby Derek
for several hours on Saturday

I headed out later than usual last Thursday because I'm in charge of a group of young girls in my church. (The group is called Achievement Days; we meet every other week, and last Thursday, we drove to a small community and toured a potato cellar. The girls loved it.) Abby called me as I was driving to Utah after the activity, and she made the drive so terrific.

This vision of beauty also helped my drive quite enjoyable.
I pulled over near the Rose/Firth exit to snap this picture.

Any time I get to see my family, life is good. If I happen to see all of my nieces and nephews, life is even better.

Janie chose her own outfit on Friday. I know she knows stripes are my favorite,
but I'm not sure if that's why she wore so many varieties...?

Aaaaand here we have Juliebug, getting into some sort of mischief or another.

Golly, I love these boys; Emmett was as cuddly as usual,
and Seth and I had a nice visit about Harry Potter.

I've gone to the Warren Miller movie probably 4-5 times in as many years; I usually nearly die of boredom, but I've gone anyway, because they have given ski lift vouchers to The Canyons in the past, and usually my friend Cameron can't make it, so he usually pays for the WM ticket and I go in his place so he can get the lift ticket for free. What a good friend I can be! But I digress: this year, I actually thought the film was kind of cool, because I started snowboarding last year. Turns out, if you actually care a little bit about skiing/boarding, it makes the movie much more enjoyable. Also, I got a BOGO lift ticket to Snowbird this year. And I get to keep it! Cameron can't have it!

On Saturday, my brother Ryan and his wife Janel took their older kids to the BYU homecoming game in Provo; Mom and I babysat Derek (their almost 7-month-old) in the meantime, and it. was. awesome. Derek is super chill and SO sweet and I adored every moment with that boy. And Mom. (My mom really is the greatest in all the land, you know...)

He was happy the entire time, until I prematurely took the binky out of his mouth:
then he showed us this sad face, and I gave his pacifier back real quick.

But I'm being honest when I say he was all smiles otherwise, even sans-binky.

We gave him tub time in the sink, and he was quite content splashing around.

This is how he smiles. Doesn't it just melt your heart?

I drove back to Idaho on Sunday morning, and the drive was kind of wonderful. I listened to some Josh Groban as I enjoyed the visual delights of my favorite season: heavy, dense, low-hanging clouds with occasional bursts of rain; the mountains and foothills alight with fading red and yellow-leafed trees speckled among the evergreens; and driving past the lovely communities near the freeway, whose trees glowed with gold and bright orange hues. Yes, I enjoyed my drive back to Idaho, absolutely.  

Breathe it in, baby! FALL!

As I sang along with Josh, I was overcome with the most spectacular feelings of peace, love, joy, and contentment. I switched the music off so I could revel in all the lovely feelings, and ponder a bit.

Sometimes I wish I could catch a glimpse or two of myself in the future; just little snippets to see what awaits, you know? To see who I'll fall in love with and marry, to see how many kids we'll have, and what they'll be like. To know where I'll settle, and other such things.

I realize, of course, that that's not the point of life. 

No. The point of this life is to live in the present. To find your faith and prove it. To allow life (your trials and blessings and everything in between) to mold you into a better version of yourself. To not get so caught up in the "what-ifs" or the "whys" and to quit asking, "when?" 

Life is what you make it, and there is joy to be found in every situation. Even in the seemingly depressing situations, if you'll just look up and around, you'll find something to smile at or laugh about.

I'm not at all where I thought I'd be at this point in life. I figured that by the time I was 31, I'd be married, chasing a toddler and cleaning baby's diapers and making a home with my own little family unit; my yard wouldn't be big, but we'd rake the leaves into giant piles the fall, shovel our little walkway and build snowmen in the winter, plant a garden in the spring, and grill our dinners in the summer. I'd be involved in my kids' lives; I'd wipe away tears when they fell, and I'd read them bedtime stories and tuck them in at night, and we'd go on family walks, and have dance parties on rainy days.

Isn't that a lovely image? It's what I've always wanted. And I think it will still happen...at least, some version of that little dream... 

I just need to keep living my life in the meantime. Make my own adventures, and travel and play and enjoy the heck out of this time in my life. I'm totally loving autumn, and although I'm not keen for winter to start before December, I'll try to take it in stride (because it will likely come by November) and try to trick myself into thinking that winter is the best season while it's in front of me, you know? I'll master carving on my snowboard, and I'll make a different soup every week, and maybe pick up a new hobby when I'd rather stay inside...

During yesterday's drive home, I felt that God is in charge. I mean, I've always known that He's in charge, but I felt with clarity that: God loves me, and things will work out, and I'm at a terrific stage in life and I need to make the most of it.

Anyway, I don't mean to get preachy on you, I just wanted to share my feelings of contentment and peace. All is well, you know?

If Summer in Idaho Had a Flavor...

...it would be HUCKLEBERRY.

It doesn't matter in what form, to be honest. Ice cream (wish it didn't hurt my tummy!). Lemonade (yes, please!). Saltwater taffy (oh my, yes!). Huckleberry is very likely my favorite flavor. Ever.

Well. Today I went to get a shave ice after work (at the Tiki Hut, which is the best shaved ice shack in all of town, by the by), I was looking through their list of fun combinations, and I noticed huckleberry smooshed in there with cranberry and vanilla. I SAID HUCKLEBERRY!

So. I promptly stopped looking at any other flavors, and I ordered a small huckleberry shave ice with a shot of pink lemonade. (Yum, huh??)

BEST! SHAVE ICE! EVER!

Yeah. The Tiki Hut is where I will get all my shave ice from now on. (I went to SnoGo a couple of weeks ago, because they are in the same location where Tiki Hut was last year. That's the only reason.)

Basically, I've decided that even if there are like 20 people in line at the Tiki Hut ahead of me, the wait will be worth it. How come? Well, let's see...

Reasons I love the Tiki Hut?

-The "snow" is perfectly shaven! I love the texture!

-They have huckleberry flavor. (Obviously)

-They actually listen when someone (silly Gina) says,
"Please only put 1/2 the amount of syrup that you usually use,"

and the ice-to-syrup ratio ends up just lovely and perfect.

-It's not far from where I live.

-Perfect. Summer. Treat.

 

Happy Summer Solstice!

it's the very first day of summmer, you know,

and the weather is lovely in idaho!

yesterday, 'twas rather coolish with wind

(which whipped my hair 'round, to my chagrin).

but today (joy of joys!), was both pleasant and sweet;

a day like this would be difficult to beat!

now bring on the barbecues, softball and hikes...

the bonfires, fresh fruit, and riding of bikes!

breathe it in, taste it! can you feel it? i can!

 it's summertime, baby! the best time in the land!

on my drive home from the prepared pantry after work.
it. smelled. FANTASTIC!

also on my drive home. ahhhh, look at the colors!

 how do you like my little ditty of a poem up there?

that was completely unplanned.

(yeah, that's probably not hard to believe;

it's hardly shakespeare or anything...

but still. not bad for something off the cuff?)

i've got a major hankering for watermelon.

and frozen yogurt creamies!

and a fun little trip to southern utah with my mama!

(that's really happening, by the way. in, like, two weeks!)

i realize that june is 2/3 over, and this is only my second post...

but i'm kind of okay with that (and kind of not?).

here's to going out and making the very most of life!

HAPPY SUMMER TO YOU ALL!

Number Eighteen

A couple of days ago, my friend shared a link on Facebook; a link that listed America's 25 Coldest Cities.

Some of them weren't exactly surprising: Fairbanks, Alaska; Fargo, North Dakota...

But do you know which city made the list?

Idaho Falls, in her subarctic glory, sits in her throne in the number eighteen spot.

Now, I'm not sure how they went about making this list, but apparently the stats for 2009 (a cold year indeed!) are as follows:

Average winter temperature 2009: 24.5 degrees
Coldest day: -16.6 degrees, December 10
Warmest day: 59 degrees, March 28
Days with snow: 42%
(source)

I laughed to myself when I read through the list on Monday evening; of all the places, right?! Because I LIVE HERE!

I was laughing much less on Tuesday morning when I went out to turn on my car, and defrost/scrape the ice off my windows.

We've experienced negative temperatures in the mornings here. And it's still only the first part of December! (Those temperatures are reserved for January, people!) Also, if you factor in windchill, it's felt even colder.

IT'S FELT EVEN COLDER THAN NEGATIVE.

Yipes. Looks like I may go through lots of hot cocoa and hot apple cider in the coming months...

feelin' halloweeny...

Last night for FHE, we carved pumpkins.

I brought a pumpkin along, totally hoping that someone might've forgotten to bring one, so that I wouldn't have to do the dirty work. (Let me be clear; I think Jack-o-Lanterns are stellar, wonderful little numbers that just scream Halloween. However...I do not love scooping out the pumpkin guts, and I get a bit nervous around knives and large gourds. Just sayin'.)

Turns out, my friend Carl didn't have time to get a pumpkin before FHE started, so I lucked out! (So did he, technically. Win/Win.)

My pumpkin, but Carl's Jack-o-Lantern
I love the scar for an eye...
Well done, Carlos.

This cute little guy was carved by Jami the Great.
I love him! (Jami too!)


Aaaand do you recognize this face?
It's Jack! From Nightmare Before Christmas!
(So clever to carve a watermelon, too!)
Cade carved this one...

There were LOTS of other pumpkins being carved last night, but I didn't get pictures of most of them. It was a good time, though, and it was fun to see the creativity flow!

rainy days and mondays...

I kinda hate that song. No, I do hate that song. Officially: I do not like it. Alas...today...it expresses my feelings (if you substitute "rainy" with "snowy"); spot-on, Carpenters. Spot-on. Because snowy days and Mondays are the worst, you know?

I'd self-diagnose SAD but I don't think I'm quite to that point; I'm not depressed. But a healthy dose of sunshine sure would help...

Okay, I'm gonna flip this frown upside-down. Here goes...

On Saturday, on the spur of the moment, my roommates (the Brookes) and I decided to do a pot luck for lunch. We invited a few people over and dined and played games and chatted. Good times, really. I decided to make Zuppa Toscana, because soup is splendid on a bitter cold day, and also it's not super labor-intensive. Win-Win!

Guess what Ryan brought. I'll give you a hint: IRONY. That was your hint, the word irony.

Ryan brought Tuscany Soup. It's the same thing. But you know what hurts most? His soup smelled better than mine (a bit more spice and all that jazz). UGH, right?!

I laughed though, because what are the odds, really?! I told everyone "I don't want to know whose soup you prefer." I can't handle the truth. Most people mixed the soups; a ladle of each.

We both won, I suppose...

Mine is the one in the front...

Also, this past weekend we introduced Brooker to Lord of the Rings. She'd never seen any of them. Way back when they first came out, Brooker decided to read the books first. I think the story goes like this: she got halfway through The Hobbit and then lost all will to live gave up the idea of even starting the LOTR trilogy. Since then there hasn't been much opportunity for her to watch them. When we discovered this sad fact, Brookie and I gave her the chance she needed. Fellowship on Friday, and Towers on Saturday. So far, she likes...

During Fellowship, Haldir (a nancy-boy Elf whose name I very may well have invented just now) says, "Tell me, where is Galdalf, for I much desire to speak with him." At this point, Brookie and I started laughing because of this little gem:

After Fellowship, we showed Brooker the clip on youtube. And on Saturday when Legolas said, "They're taking the hobbits to Isengard!" all three of us laughed. I loved sharing that moment with my roommates.

Go ahead. Call me a nerd...

I guess we'll call it good right here. Happy Manic Monday...

smiling...

I finished reading The Screwtape Letters today on my lunch break. But I'm not done thinking about it. Oh, no. I seriously enjoyed that book. And guess what? When I get around to reading again today, I'll be starting Mere Christianity. And I'm very excited about it.

Today, it feels like Spring. Spring, people! When I walk outside, I can hear water trickling down rain gutters, because the snow is melting! When I ran to the store, I could swear that those huge mountains made entirely of snow (and a fair share of dirt), piled into ginormous masses in the corners of the parking lot...they look smaller! They really do!

Now, because of all this melting going on, the roads and sidewalks, where thick-ish layers of ice are thinning out, it's all sorts of slippery out there. And although I've slipped and nearly fallen a dozen times, I don't care. Because they skies are blue and the sun is shining!

I'm sure to be devastated when this little January thaw ends and winter comes back with a vengence...

I'm somehow surviving my battle against Coca Cola. I wanted it yesterday. I wanted it real bad. But I didn't give in. I think I'll somehow win this battle...

After today, my work week is half over. This makes me smile as brightly as the sun shineth today, it does.

I'm losing weight. Not enough that anybody can tell, but I can, and that's what matters. My pants feel a bit looser, and it's a truly liberating feeling.

This, I think, is all for now. Cheers...

a silver-lining (to the clouds of winter)...

I'm talking myself into being excited for winter weather.

Okay, maybe that's a stretch. But I don't want to complain about winter 3 weeks into it, and rather than just keeping my mouth shut and not complaining, I want to try to like the cursed season...

Technically, winter is my 4th favorite season. Yes, dead-last by default. Because all the other seasons are truly so much better.

SPRING is lovely and mild and brings new life & effulgent flowers. And it smells awesome, what with all the perrenials and love blossoming all around...Yes, spring is splendid.

SUMMER=adventure: Hiking. Softball. Biking. Vacation. Independence Day and fireworks...that sort of thing. Also, summer=deliciousness: Watermelon. Sherbet floats. Farmer's Markets. Backyard barbecues. OH YEAH. Summer is stellar.

AUTUMN is #1 in my book. Autumn means sweater weather, and crisp, fresh air that heightens all the senses. Bright, beautiful colors cascading all around. Oh, I smile at the very thought of autumn. Autumn is awesome.

And then we have WINTER. Cold, cold winter, which lasts forever in south-east Idaho. For.Ev.Er.

So I ask myself...what's so great about winter?

Well...snow can surely be beautiful, what with all its whiteness and purity. Sometimes it's fun to venture out into said snow, to act like a kid again and build snow forts and snowmen, make snow angels, to run around and catch the flakes on your tongue; and then scurry back inside to find warmth in a cozy quilt, and in a mug of your favorite brand of hot cocoa.

Also, winter is soup season. I love me some tasty, homemade soup. I'm currently searching out delicious soup recipes. Yes, soup makes me smile, and you can't fully enjoy a bowl of hot soup in the summer, now can you?

What else? Oh yeah, this year my hair is long enough that I won't look like a boy when I wear my beanies. That is neat.

Hmm...Thinking. Thinking. Thanksgiving and Christmas (2 of the best holidays ever) happen in winter. "But Gina," you may say, "Thanksgiving is a fall holiday." To which I will respond: "Not in MY world." (I know, I know, "winter" starts Dec. 21, according to the schmoes in charge of the calendar. I get it. I'm talking weather-wise, which is what this post is all about.) So yeah. I LOVE Thanksgiving and Christmas, with all the family togetherness and scrumptious homemade goodness. I love these holidays. With every fiber of my being, I love them.

And technically, going with the cold weather patterns, Halloween fits nicely into the "winter holidays" here in south-east Idaho as well. Trick or Treaters are welcome to stop by this Saturday. We have candy, and we're willing to share.

What else?

No really, tell me, because I want all the positive ammo I can get once the snow flies. What do you love about winter? (Especially you, Janae!)

remember when...

Back before I could drive, I used to love the car ride at Lagoon. You know, the one where you drive around the track and...that's about it? I can't remember the name of that ride for the life of me...something about raceway? Anyway, there really wasn't much to it; each person in his own individual car, "driving" (somewhat slowly, as I recall) around a track--a track you were stuck on. You couldn't get off the track if you tried. I'm quite certain you didn't really have to even steer.

Why did I love that ride so much? Was my imagination so great that I pictured an adult version of me, driving myself to some amazing destination like...Lagoon?

Probably so...

Anyway, there is a point to this post.

Here it comes...

Driving anywhere within my neighborhood, I feel like I'm back on the driving tracks at Lagoon. The city of Ammon ain't keen on plowing our roads, and there are grooves cut into the snow/ice from car tires.

I don't love it.

True, I have actual control of my real-life car; I can pull out of the tracks if I so choose. But if I do that, I actually am afraid of LOSING control of my car, careening over the bumpy ice and crashing into a mailbox or a parked car or something.

I'm really looking forward to Spring...

answers to the season's problems...

I've sure caught myself a lot of colds this past...month. Seriously. I had an uber sore throat the week Brent came home from his mish. The sore throat was a prelude to a cold.

It eventually went away, as colds always do.

I was feeling the perks of a healthier immune system. For about a week (give or take a couple of days).

Then last Friday--WHAMMO! I developed a big, fat cough. This big, fat cough was a prelude to a cold. (Wait a minute...didn't I just get over this bug?!)

Anyhoo, this silly post is mostly to say "Cheers to Puffs Plus!" It really is the superior facial tissue. At work we have the cheapo facial tissue; if I forget to take Puffs, I use "Cheapo" because the alternative is disgusting. However, after only a few uses, my already tender nose almost caught fire.

Any tissue that ain't Puffs Plus might as well be sandpaper.

A nose in need deserves Puffs Plus indeed.
(truer words have never been spoken)

And...without going into detail, I just want to give a shout-out to Mucinex as well.

For reals?

Does this seem wrong to anyone else?

They look like sad daffodils to me.
And why are they sad?

Okay...this is going to sound a bit whiny...like I'm making a mountain out of a molehill even...but it has to be said:

Why is it snowing? I ran out to my car at work and noticed little flakes coming down. (And when I say little, I mean to say teeny. Really. Itty bitty. And I'm in a good mood...so why does this bother me so much?)

When I moved to Idaho Falls, I knew that winter runs rampant up here; I had survived 2 of them in Rexburg while schooling at BYU-Idaho, so why am I so annoyed over a few sparse, microscopic flakes of snow? A few summers ago (okay, maybe more than a few...it's been at least 5, or maybe 6 summers ago), I looked out my apartment window in Rexburg and saw snow on the ground. Remember, I said it was summer. It was somewhere in mid-June, I do believe.

Anyway...I think it bothers me because I've washed my hands of winter. I've been done with winter in my mind for 2.5 months now. And we all know that once you've washed your hands of something, having to deal with it on a daily basis is kinda crummy. I can enjoy snow. It's white. It can be beautiful. If you 're not a wuss because you twisted your knee that one time, skiing can be a wonderful way to bide your time while the snow is abundant.

I also think that those "teaser days" when the weather warms up and you see blue skies with a few white, puffy clouds and you don't have to bundle up in several layers of clothing...those beautiful, hopeful days...they typically only last an afternoon (maybe 2 of the gods really wanna play with your head). And so the cold returns and Gina wants to cry.

Oh yeah...it also feels sad because I had an amazing trip down to AZ a couple of weeks ago where the weather was perfect.

Having said that...we're going to look for the silver lining in the overabundance of clouds in the south-east Idaho skies. *happy thoughts, happy thoughts, happy thoughts*

Okay, I'm ready. 1) Really, for the most part, the snow has melted! (At least it has in the valley where I live, and that's what counts.) And the roads are ice-free! Yay! 2) Umm...although it's gotten pretty cold, it hasn't returned to the bitter, biting cold of Jan/Feb. What else? 3) The Lord has shown me what Spring could be...I've enjoyed the heck out of those warm, frost-free days. 4) When it snows, it doesn't stick so much any more. (And yes, we've had actual snow...snow that you can see without squinting like I had to do on my sojourn to my car this afternoon). I believe that Spring wants to come. Hang on, I'm sure I can come up with another one...5) I can tell that winter is on its way out because my knuckles aren't so dry that they bleed any more...I'll take that with a smile! 6) Look at where I go in my dreams (since Idaho won't allow it in real life):

Dream a little dream...

Whine, whine, whine...

I think I feel better.

"My prediction is March 21st"

This past weekend I went home to spend some quality time with the fam, and it was pretty terrific. The drive down was kinda yucky, as you can see in the following pictures/video:

This was the drive on I-15 last Thursday.
The roads were almost white-out conditions. Bleh.
(Don't worry, I was going slow.)

The front yard at my folks' place.

Forest and Main Streets in Brigham City as I was leaving town.

Anyway...my oldest brother, Aaron, always has a Groundhog Day party, and this year I was invited. I drove down to Farmington in the afternoon on February 2, and we had ourselves a good time. (Pretty much, the "party" includes sitting around and visiting, eating some delicious grub, and watching that wonderful movie starring Bill Murray, "Groundhog Day.") It was truly a great time.

I rather enjoy Groundhog Day, although I can't really pinpoint the exact reason...maybe it's because this holiday gives me a count-down of when Spring will make its debut. After living through that seemingly endless and rather frigid month we call January, it's good to know that a happier, milder season is on its way.!

-But I digress...

The party was a good time. I got to spend some time in good company, see my sweet nephews, and watch a favorite flick...

"I'll give you a winter prediction:
It's gonna be cold, it's gonna be grey, and it's gonna last you for the rest of your life."
(Yeah, that's kinda how I'm feeling at present...)

"What if there is no tomorrow? There wasn't one yesterday."

"Well, it's Groundhog Day... again..."

"There is no way this winter is ever going to end,
as long as this groundhog keeps seeing his shadow.
I don't see any other way out. He's got to be stopped.
And I have to stop him."

So anyway...I like this movie. A lot. And I had fun celebrating the day with my brother and his family. I didn't take many pictures of the boys because they were sick...bummer.

I leave you with a final quote...

"Today is tomorrow. It happened!"

I'm truly optimistic now that February has come. We got dumped on again last night with lots of snow, and I'm sure it's not done. But the important thing to remember is that January is over, and we can get on with life, knowing that Spring really is on its way (even though the silly rodent saw his blasted shadow...)

And I just had to throw this picture on here
because Seth looked so cute all bundled up.
It was funny because he didn't move a muscle.

Thanks for the fun time, Aaron and Amy!

Happy Birthday, Janae!

So I took Thursday off to celebrate Janae's birthday with her very quickly. (9/20). I took her to lunch at Chili's with Goose, and it was a nice day. And driving through Sardine Canyon was LOVELY, as the fall colors are beginning to show...

So very beautitul...

More fall colors.

Ryan's up-close self portrait in the car. :)

Another shot from the car...

Goose and the BIRTHDAY GIRL at Chili's.


Janae's yummy dessert from Chili's in Logan, UT.
I call it the ChiliCake...
By the way, when I gag, it's because Goose
shoved the spoon into my mouth too far.

Ginabean and Naeners...

The birthday party hug...
(Janae is the short one in the middle:)

Smooshin' the birthday girl...
head to head to head.

A shot of the beautiful Logan Temple.
The picture would've been better had I gotten out of the car...

This really was a FUN day! Janae had no clue that we were coming to visit her; it was good to see her again! Happy Birthday, hon!

Oh yeah...I also realized that I do kinda miss Logan in some ways! This is amazing, because up until this past Thursday, all I could remember about Logan was the hell of graduate school. But that's not the case any more! I remember good times I had there as well, and I do rather miss Cache Valley, not just the people there! :)

9/15: Hiking Table Rock!

Last Saturday I was welcomed back by my friends to our regular summertime activity; HIKING! I have missed hiking with my friends for the past...month at least. So we had planned to hike to Table Rock. We hiked the Face. We woke up much earlier than should be legal on a Saturday morning. (Who knew that a 5am existed on the weekend!?) So...we jumped into the cars and drove to the trail head.

I'm not gonna lie to you...this hike was a TOUGH one! I like to think that I got myself into b pretty good shape this summer. But alas...I think that we should've gone on this hike BEFORE I went to Scotland. I hadn't worked out in a month, and I hadn't hiked in at least 5 or 6 weeks...it was rough. But beautiful...at the top and along the way. Near the top, I couldn't breathe...I make the excuse that I had adjusted to sea-level altitude in Scotland. Whatever though...I am stubborn enough that I kept going (although slowly). The view atop was completely worth it! Here are some pictures/videos:

The beginning of fall colors...

It got kinda steep. See?
(Most of it was steep, actually. I love the Face).

Along the way...


My true feelings. Truly.

The pose I always strike after conquering a mountain.
Those are the Tetons behind me.

Another gorgeous view.

Being silly with Brookey at the top.

I like to think this one is a bit cuter :)

Me and Lisa...


BEAUTIFUL! After lunch (and REST!)
we hiked a little bit further to Inspiration Point...

It took us a while to get down (we went down Huckleberry Trail), and my calves hurt pretty bad a couple of days later, but it was an amazing hike! OUCH a lot, but so pretty! Maybe I'll make a yearly trek up there...