Sun's Out Fun's Out

Sometimes you end your day in the best of ways. You get to go eat s'more after s'more in all kinds of varieties. Rolos, Reese's, cookies in cream Hershey's, original Hershey's, Hershey's with almonds, colored marshmallows or plain, cinnamon, chocolate, or honey graham crackers. Seriously. Why not try them all and maybe a roasted Starburst or two? Going along with all of that spend time with a friend the whole time, play with a baby, and pet a Siberian Husky. Maybe even flirt with a couple guys a little. Leave smiling and on a sugar high with the top of the car down and just laugh when a guy hangs out of the window and yells how much he loves you all the way down the street. When you turn the other way and he is still yelling think of things you should have yelled back. Why not say you love him to? You will never see him again. Just say you're never getting back together. Like ever. Because, again, you will never see him again. Laugh until you get home, and to wind down watch a favorite Disney movie and fall asleep to it. 

Sometimes your day begins in only the best of ways. You get to sleep in. There is not much better. But, not only do you get to sleep in, you know when you wake up you will be able to go to Seven Peaks with one of your best friends. So, we go to Seven Peaks and play on all of the slides screaming and laughing on the way down. We carry the tube from ride to ride, take ridiculous selfies, lay out on our towels soaking up the sun, and lounge in the lazy river making it live up to its name. When we left I drove straight to work and got to park in the graduate parking garage right by where I work. I changed in the bathroom out of my swimsuit and immediately had things to do. All the while I am smiling because I am going to California in two days. When I got home I made a good dinner only putting me in a better mood, and  when my mom called she told me about how a lizard fell out of a tree and landed on the spotted dog who proceeded to completely freak out. I was crying from laughing so hard. I watched my favorite show, and when I thought my day could not get any better... It did. Sometimes the prayers of a young girl are answered within a few minutes when she prays to find her puppy who has run away and he is there when she turns a corner. Sometimes it takes a little while longer. I guess the point is, they are always answered. 

Know What Makes Your Heart Happy

Some things just make your heart happy. On days when you don't know if you are happy or sad, I look to those things and I end up leaning to the happy side of things. Here are a few of those things that bring a smile to my heart as well as my face.

1. Downton Abbey or Harry Potter marathons.

2. Going to Seven Peaks and smelling like chlorine for days.

3. Looking at pictures of animals (not just the puppy you want but all cute animals).

4. New recipes that I want to try one day. 

Like these orange sweet rolls.

5. Babies. 

6. New workout clothes and just new shoes in general.

7. Dreams of a home of my own. 

8. Knowing I am going to the beach next week. 

9. Bouquets of big, pink peonies at weddings. 

10. Graduation being in 27 days and having the principle of my elementary school (I thought she was 100 years old when I started... how old is she NOW?!) who is the sweetest and scariest woman I know send me a card for graduation. 

11. Cute quotes.

12. Whimsical artwork.

Just Around the River Bend

When Julie Anne asked me if I wanted to go camping I was more than a little hesitant. The last time I camped I was a senior in high school. When she asked me if I wanted to go camping and hike up a river I said yes for some reason. I know why. It was because I love adventures, and the ones including water always win. So, on the day we would be leaving I was pacing my apartment and feeling really anxious about the adventure I was about to embark on. When we finally got there and set up our tent we decided to go on a short hike. Guys! The lizards... They are massive. More than one I froze because one was right in front of me. Julie Anne had to go ahead and get them to move. On our hike, we ended up getting in the river and ultimately having a mud fight. When we got back to camp I am pretty sure I had more sand in my shoes and clothes than there was in the river. When I dried off and wiped some of the sand off of me I fell asleep on the picnic table bench.  Julie Anne had to wake me up to go to bed. It was nice and cool in our tent. It felt so good. I will say that with the drunk guys in the camping site next to us I did not get much sleep, but it was still a good night. Now, if you want to hike the Narrows let me tell you that you have to scale boulders, climb over fallen trees, slip on rocks in the river, go against the current most of the time, go through waist deep mud pools, and your muscles are so sore by the end. Let me also tell you it is beautiful. At the very end, there is a waterfall and with all of the ginormous butterflies it is almost like you are in a different world. There are also little springs along the way, when you climb the big rocks they are nice places to take a water or snack break, and you don't really get too hot because you're in water the whole time. I loved our trip even though my leg didn't quite clear a fallen tree and a scratch turned into a giant bruise. What is an adventure without a battle scar? I fought long and hard for my bruise. The hike up the river is 10 miles round trip not including the one mile hike there and the one mile hike back. I am thankful to be back and clean, but I really did have fun. Going to Zion National Park was on my Utah summer bucket list. I did not get to it last summer, but I can check it off now!

The Cold Never Bothered Me Anyway

It was hard to pay attention in class as there was a crying child outside. She was so loud, and after seeing all of the fun things the BYU preschool kids get to do I could not imagine why she was so upset. As I was being pulled out of class I honestly had no idea what was going on. One minute my teacher was leaving the room to take care of a crying little girl and the next she was asking me to go out with her. Um... I knelt down in front of the little crying girl and with tear-stained cheeks she shyly smiles and says, "Elsa?" I go with it. After all, she stopped crying. She asked me if I was really a snow princess. I say, "Yep!" and hold out my always freezing cold hands. She puts hers on top and a huge smile breaks out on her face as she yells, "I KNEW you were real!" Then, she happily skips off to wherever she was supposed to be going before she saw me through the window. My teacher explained to me later that after she saw me she insisted on meeting me. My blonde hair in a braid and purple eye-shadow must have made me look like Elsa. I'm glad I could make this little girl's day because she absolutely made mine! That is two little girls thinking I am Elsa within a couple of days. Winning. 

Do I look like her? I guess to little girls I do!

Going Out with a Bang... Literally

Last Friday I made a fifteen hour trip to Arizona. Yep. A one day trip for my internship. The girl I was with was insanely upset. I had fun. We had to wait for the future adoptive parents of a foster kid to drop him back off to us. We waited for forever. Good thing we had caves, an animal sanctuary, and multiple little shops to explore. Like I said, I had fun. It was a long trip though, and I had a hard time recovering. Saturday we were out late to watch a fireworks show in Cedar Hills, Sunday I was up fairly early for a RS breakfast, Monday was rough with work and then a court hearing for my internship, and by Tuesday I was so tired that I fell asleep in the middle of my favorite show. Long days and short nights are what makes summer, summer. With all of the summer activities I guess it is time to get back to the point of this blog post. So, Meghan and I have been together every Fourth of July since freshman year. The first year we watched the stadium fireworks from outside of the stadium sitting on a blanket, last year we did the same and went to the Utah Symphony fireworks show at Thanksgiving Point, and this year we decided to really go out with a bang. Literally. Let's make our last Fourth the best one yet. First, we went to Seven Peaks. Then, we got dressed in our red, white, and blue and painted our nails so we could be extra patriotic. Then, we watched Miss Congeniality and went to a BBQ. Then!!!! We went to the Stadium of Fire which is the largest fireworks show in the nation. Let me just say I have a woman crush on Carrie Underwood, Studio C still isn't that funny, and Flippenout is an amazing group. But seriously, Carrie Underwood. She sang so many songs and she is amazing live! And guys, the fireworks. I love fireworks. So, my Fourth was filled with friends, Seven Peaks, a concert, and so many fireworks! Saturday was filled with more fun, Seven Peaks not once but twice, and an outdoor movie. It has been a fun weekend to say the least. During the second trip to Seven Peaks a little girl was talking to her dad about the snow princess. He said, "Oh, Elsa?" She replied, "Daddy, the cold never bothered me anyway!" and pointed at me. He turned around and smiled and then asked her if I was Elsa. She said, "Yes, Daddy, I've been trying to tell you!!!" I have achieved Elsa status. I need no more out of life. Also, I have freckles galore and my hair is actually its blonde blonde again. Summer lovin'.

  

Always remember... At the end of the day your hair should be messy, your feet dirty, and your eyes sparkling.