Quick Getaway

We enjoyed the chance this weekend to get away with some friends. We went up to Crystal Hot Springs and camped Friday and enjoyed the hot pots and water slides on Saturday. It was a blast! We have such great friends!

Enjoy the Weekend!

This is where we are spending our weekend. Loving it.

Good Day

We had a great day today.

First, my dear friend had her baby and she is beautiful!

Then we headed up to Twin falls ID to attend the temple with a friend for the first time.

We enjoyed the road trip, and the fun and the tears and all of it. We are so blessed.

Weekend Getaway

This weekend Jared's brothers and their wives and us, went on an overnight vacation. The kids all stayed with grandma and grandpa and we took off about lunch time on Saturday. We headed to Wendover Nevada.

There really isn't anything to do wendover, for those of you who haven't been. It's a bunch of Casinos and a concert hall. We go for the concerts. This weekend we saw Larry the cable guy. He was hilarious!

On our way there we got caught in a Salt storm. Yeah, you read that right, a salt storm. To get there we have to drive through the salt flats created by the great salt lake. So the wind starts blowing and the salt starts flying. There is little visibility and it's creepy. The sky takes on an almost green hue.

Once there we enjoyed buffet eating, laughs and a little penny slot action. We played $5 and lost most of it. Then gave the little we had left to my SIL and she doubled it. It was fun to be away!

The salt storm blew out the power though and from 3:30pm until about 8 am we had no power, but the casino did! It made for a very interesting trip.

All in all, we love any excuse to get out of town and enjoy ourselves. And that is exactly what we did.

Vegas!!!

What a wonderful husband I have! A surprise trip to Las Vegas is what awaited me on Friday. A quick trip but a trip nonetheless.

We are loving it and loving being away from home for a bit. So much more to post later, but enjoy a few pics from earlier today. Going to diner...

Surprise!

I love my husband. That isn't the surprise though! The surprise is that he surprised me with a trip to Vegas! Packed up and Away we went. We've had a rough month and needed something away from home. So when he popped up with this, it was perfect. So, off to the glitz and glitter, the loud and crazy and the far away Las Vegas.

I wouldn't trade my sweet husband for anything. He makes my life so sweet and wonderful. I know it must get boring to hear it, but I love him! I am so happy that we have forever to be together.

Roatan Honduras

Oh my, time flies! Suddenly it has been two weeks since my cruise and I have hardly had time to breath! Which is good, with the start of the holiday season I get giddy and excited. I really think you should experience and enjoy the holidays. That may be the reason I have tickets to the Trans-siberian Orchestra, Forgotten Carols and the Nutcracker. Those are not to mention of course the christmas recitals of my kaysville nieces. They are already excited and telling me all about what their parts are going to be and making sure I will be there on time. Silly girls.

But back to the things you care about, pictures! Ok,I am just going to show off my favorites right now and get that over with.



Me and Mr. French. I will not lie, I was a little nervous but it was so cool!



Mallory and I with Mr. French. I never thought I would touch a dolphin, much less pose with one!

Isn't this beautiful? Just a random board walk out into the water. Spectacular.

I loved Roatan Honduras. I would sell everything I own and move there in a heart beat. It was so beautiful and when I was there, I really just felt connected. It was kind of weird how life changing that whole trip was for me. I really felt connect and a part of the world, does that make sense? It does to me.

It was so beautiful and I just walked out there and faced the fear of being in the water with a dolphin. It just made me realize how often that feeling of fear and uncertainty seem to pop up in my life. So I have been working really hard to work past those and just do things since then.

If you ever want and amazing vacation spot and a cruise isn't your thing, seriously consider Roatan. It is beautiful and so full of amazing opportunites.

I'm Home

I had the best vacation ever! Really. It was spectacular. I am running on empty, as you always are right after a vacation but I will post a great post later with a lot of pics but for now enjoy this one of my in my new favorite place in the world, Roatan Honduras.

In Case You Didn't Know

It is only 15 days, 6 hours, 21 minutes and 40 seconds from now I will be on vacation. And I will be loving every contact free, happy, calm moment of it. I can hardly wait. Central America and the Islands are calling me. And I am dying to answer the call.

Vacation Time

It is only a few weeks away, this wonderful cruise of mine. I am so excited and I can hardly wait. Mallory and I made cute beach bags, two a piece, a couple a swim suit cover ups, and a dress or two. I want to pack so bad! I can't, it is still too far away but I am just so excited to be off on an adventure.

Life is crazy and hectic and I feel like I am always running but it is a good life. I picked up a few more Spanish students and I enjoy teaching them so much more than I would have ever thought. 

If life is about enjoying the journey, I think I am doing a decent job of it right about now.

Its Getting So Close!

I'm in the home stretch of waiting for he cruise. I can hardly wait! We have booked everything but the airline tickets so far. those come this week.

We are doing some amazing things on the cruise. A jeep tour, swimming with dolphins, lots of beaches, zip lines, Mayan ruins, cooking with a renowned chef...and I can hardly wait. I have been working on this vacation forever it seems and I can hardly wait to have my chance to just take a week away from everything and enjoy the single life I love so much.

I have lost enough weight that I am happy to put on a bathing suit and play in the water and that feels good! The new wardrobe of sale rack items for the cruise makes me happy. I love that I got some super cheap clothes at the end of the season that I liked for the cruise. I can come home and not wear them again and feel like I got the $3-$5 worth I spent on my of them. I can even zip up my end of the year goal dress! It doesn't look great yet, but it zips and that is half that battle. I am not even sure that it will fit at the end of the year.

This last month was a battle, with being so sick and all, but I have learned to rely more on the love of my father in heaven. What greater blessing could I possibly be given? I am amazed daily at his love for me and I just live each day to the fullest in hopes that I live up to the potential he has given me.

What's Up?

Been a while since I posted last, I know. Life has a way of sneaking up and taking over.

I got horribly sick last week and spent it in bed. I have no idea how you mom's do it. There was no way I could have dealt with kids the first 3 days. I had strep, which, did you know totally involves vomiting? I had strep as a kid a lot, but haven't had it in at least 10 years or so. Apparently, like everything else, it is harder when you are older. I seriously couldn't get out of bed/off the couch for a week. It was not something I want to relive but apparently there is a huge rash of strep cases. Just at work 7 of the 9 childcare workers have had it and we have had numerous parents and kids with it as well. Luckily I am at the end.

I had a nasty reaction to the antibiotic and that put me out for another day or too. It was just nasty all around.

I have been working a lot (until I got sick) and anxiously awaiting my cruise. It is only 2 months away now and I am dying to go already. I have just had this urge/feeling that I need to travel as much as I can. So I am taking all kinds of trips in the next year. I am trying to get someone to go with me to Abu Dabi U.A.E. but so far no bitters. I am determined because I have a burning desire to go though. I figure now is the time in life to travel and since I don't have kids I should take advantage of it. Who knows, maybe in a year I will marry some old guy with 4 kids and I won't have the time to travel anymore.

Ok...off to work again. Such a boring and yet wonderful life!

Stinky Bums & Vacations

Do not get me wrong, there is a part of me that wants kids. In fact, I have always wanted kids. I have always known that I wanted to love other people's kids, by being a step-parent or adoption too.

Today, after a long week of screaming children, with lots of bugers and spit-ups, I have decided it is a good thing I don't have any at the moment. I look forward to the selfish "me time" at the end of my day where I am not holding hands, settling fights, digging stuff out of mouths and checking for "stinky bums". I am tired of parents who are just as burned out as I am not caring that their kid is screaming, they just have to take two classes at the gym. Or who don't seem to care much if their kid is the bitter. I have just had enough.

Do you think that this is a sign that I need a vacation? I think it is. Unfortunately none of my friends have spare time in the summer (with the exception of one that I am putting a call out to today!) and while a vacation on my own sounds fun...I kinda like having someone to hangout with.

Who knows, I will see what happens. All I know is it better be soon, once I start my biggest loser competition I am back to heavy duty workouts and hard core food restrictions again. Blah. But worth the money and the weight I will lose. Totally worth it.

On My Way

I have set the date and got tickets...and I am heading on my cruise. Watch out Miami, Grand Cayman, Routan Island, Belize and Mexico...I am coming for a week of awesomeness. That is right, I am on my way.

Wendover...The Hike

On route 80 heading west there are some amazing rest stops between SLC and Wendover, NV.

This particular rest stop had a great features, a nice hike. The plaque at the trail head talks about the Donner-Reid party that passed through this area before hitting the mountains you can see in the distance that were ultimately their demise. I thought of them and of all the others who traveled this part of the country in wagons and handcarts.

The hike went up to the top of a decent little hill and out crop of rocks that lead to a great view of the valley. It was kind of amazing.

I took a quick moment to snap a picture of myself but I am squinting and the wind is blowing the hair. A picture none the less.

More pictures of the weekend to come. Stay tuned.

Vegas Jr.

So some friends and I are heading to Vegas Jr. Which is actually Wendover, NV.

Full of all the Vegas glitz and craziness at lots smaller size and price. It is pretty much really cheesy but we are super excited. Why you ask? let me tell you.

.

Sugar Ray.

See, we got some amazing tickets to see this entertaining group. Sure, none of us know more than a hand full of songs and none of us have heard from them in years, but how could we not go? I mean, have you seen Mark McGrath?

See, he is attractive. But the real reason is just for fun. A quick road trip, a huge hotel room and a crazy fun concert. We just had the need to get away from life for a while and have a little fun.

Some of my best friends are going with me and I am excited. Everyone needs a break and this is a chance to have some fun. So, in 14 days, I will be having a blast. Yes.

Bahamas

The Bahamas...I am going! I am so totally excited about this. The planning has really started to take off and I am already picking out new bathing suits...because the old one doesn't fit. :)

Ah...now we are just picking our departure port...did you know we can leave from Mobile, Alabama and a couple places in Texas? I am loving it.

What a Weekend!

As you may have noticed I have had a pretty great weekend.

Thursday night I went to a seminar entitled "How not to fall for a jerk!". It was entertaining if not common sense stuff.

Friday night I met my friends Lisa and Mallory for dinner. We enjoyed soup and great bread at Great Harvest with a side of hot chocolate.

Then we joined the crowds for the Dashboard Confessional concert. It was so much fun! I did get caught in the mosh pit but I oddly didn't mind that much. It was kind of fun.

After the concert we decided to go see "Leap Year". Oh my goodness, it was hilarious! We laughed so hard through the movie. It is definitely worth seeing.

Saturday I got tickets to Best of Fest from Sundance Film Festival. So exciting to see movies at Sundance, always good movies.

Then I headed up the mountain and watched some Dew Tour action. It is amazing at what some of those snowboarders and Skiers can do. I have no desire to do most of it, but it was still pretty cool to watch.

Then this evening I caught up on laundry and started planing for a cruise with friends. So excited to go! I have wanted to go on a cruise for a while but no one has wanted to go with me until now. So we are trying to decide if we do eastern Caribbean or just Bahamas. Either way I am excited about it.

A Day Away

This week I had a chance to make the drive to Denever Colorado. Driving a rental there then flying home, kind of fun. The long drive was just what I needed. We left about 6am and this is what I saw an hour in to the drive.

Not as beautiful as it really was, the clouds pink and the moon still shining bright.

Then later at the airport with the others who drove different cars. Chad and Stephanie were hilarious in the airport.

All in all it was a much needed day of quiet for me. Time to think and to just be. So goodbye Denver and thank you for giving me a great day.

Catch Up

So I realized that I have some catching up to do. I have vacation pictures to post still, pictures from the wedding, and all kinds of odds and ends to post as well! How did I get so behind! It is crazy.

So the goal this week is to get updated. And to add the new weeks worth of info.

I am hoping to get some sleep in sometime this week, but my weeks always seem to be so busy and then I forget/miss/don't have time for the things I really want or need to do. This week's goals:

1) go to the temple
2) update blog
3) clean kitchen floor (so icky!)
4) finish transferring old data to new computer
5) start on research

Whew. Ok, that is I said it out loud (or at least typed it) so that should help me get it all done, right?