August - Part 1

August needs two sections. I am writing to catch you up on the more boring half so you’ll have to check back soon for the super exciting half!

Using Insurance

I am beginning to feel more like an adult. I went to the eye doctor and the dentist for the first time since I’ve moved to Colorado…I know, it’s been a year. The eye doctor gave me new glasses, said my other ones were kooky. I now only have to wear them when I am reading, which means I frequently forget unless I am at work. They have a cool purple tint to block out the unnatural lighting around me. You can’t see the tint unless a light shines directly behind them…but I think this picture captures it.

I also have a dentist. He found three cavities, apparently you can get cavities under fillings…not cool. I thought once I covered all my teeth with fillings, I would be good but I guess not.

Niece Sitting

Katey and Jason determined to go to them temple on August 5, so I happily volunteered to watch the girls. I made them dinner, then Smiles joined us for the rest of the evening. We had a blast with the girls. We went to the park across the street and played around. Kylee loved chasing Smiles around the playground. We would capture him and put him in jail, then ask for a password or some other trick before he could get out. My favorite was when we asked him to clap 7 times, jump up and down, while singing a song. I was dying laughing. He was a great sport and I think he had a good time. The girls really warmed up to him, they were willing to hold his hand and let us swing them while we walked. Katey and Jason took my keys and enjoyed a little dinner by themselves. Smiles and I read them a couple stories, then Jason left, we had prayers, and the girls went to bed. They did pretty good considering they were in a new place. They kind of missed their beds, as you can see, but they seemed to sleep well. Smiles stayed until late chatting with Katey and me. We had some good laughs, by the end we were all very tired!

The next morning came early with the girls. We headed to the park and played around until lunch time. I had only seen this park from a distance, but it turned out pretty awesome. There was a little duck pond, lots of sidewalk to ride bikes, two playgrounds, and a sand box. We enjoyed it all we could, came home for lunch and naps. After we all woke up, we headed back to Longmont. I stayed for dinner, then returned home to work on budgets and prepare for the Sabbath.

Teaching and Speaking

One week I gave the RS lesson and the next week I gave a talk. My lesson was about the divine nature we have as daughters (or children) of Heavenly Father. As we come to know this truth, we are better able to see it in others which causes us to treat them with a deeper respect and love.

I spoke about the temple and the opportunities we have to attend. The high councilman who spoke played football for EAC. I talked about how our small community attracted over 90k visitors during the temple open house, and the power and light temples bring to communities. I love the temple and I feel blessed to live so close. My Grandpa shared some wise wisdom with me about temples. He said he continues to go because it’s an avenue of service. It provides him with a great purpose to continue living. He is able to help those who have passed on who he is doing work for, and he is able to help those who have done their family history and need help doing their names. It’s true, the temple brings great joy because it is a great act of selfless service.

The Date Box

So, we have a date box in our ward. Anyone can put two people’s name on a slip of paper and they get an email from the date box telling them they have been selected. The date is blind both ways. The first one I went on was with the EQP. We had a good time and it was fun to get to know him better. We went to dinner at an Italian place, I got a salad and yummy gelato. The dates only last about an hour, so not a big time commitment but a fun way to get to know people.

My second date was with Smiley. I kind of guessed it was him, but we had a great time. We sort of rain checked the real date and went to my roommates’ wedding reception. They were serving dinner, so we just ate there. He did open my door and waited for me to eat, but I wouldn’t necessarily count it as a date. We talked for a long time after the reception and clean up was over. He’s easy to talk to, and we laugh a lot which makes it fun.

Sometime I’ll post about the other parts of August…they’re a lot more exciting. 

July Flew By

I am amazed at how quickly this month has gone! I am not ready for August, it means work will start ramping up again and additional crazy hours. In the meantime though, I have loved July! I’ve done many fun things so let’s begin.

Time Off
One of my off-Fridays I got to enjoy with Tabby. She is a teacher and doesn’t have a summer job so we get to play whenever I’m off and she’s home. We went for a long rollerblading ride, then I found a cheap table on Craigslist. We needed a new one because Liz was taking hers. I found this one for only $75! It’s been a little loved, but I couldn’t pass up the price. We can even add two leaves to it and easily fit 8 people. Later that afternoon, Smiles came and played games with us and we went to Bishop’s house for homemade pizza night. I made a special crust without the wheat and several other people helped me eat it. I am so glad I was able to bring it to share. It was the closest thing to real pizza I have had in over 6 months. Yummy!

My table

Me and Jenny, eating my special pizza.

Bishop and his wifey making pizza.

Hiking
Saturday, July 16, we went on a ward hike to Devil’s Head. The main attraction is the lookout tower at the top where you can see all the mountain ranges. What beautiful views! I enjoyed the hike, it was shorter and easier than my usual routes which was a nice change. We did have to climb 143 stairs to get to the tower. I enjoyed getting to know the wardies better. I was happy to be welcomed to the Ancient and Honorable Order of Squirrels by the same ranger who has been there for the last 32 years. That evening, we had a BBQ, played lawn games, chatted, and watched Sandlot with the projector. I was reminded how funny that movie is…I caught a lot more jokes than I did as a kid.

Tabby and the stairs.

Anna, Me, and Tabitha

The hut.

The guy who initiated me into the squirrels. 

Anna, Tabby, and Brother Farmer

Look at the view behind me! 

Pirates’ Cove

We had a regional FHE at a small waterpark nearby called Pirate’s Cove. It was a cloudy evening and a little chilly, but it reminded me how much I love being outside in the water. I could go down slides and run up the stairs to do it again all evening. We spent some time running around the kids splash area and diving boards as well. I feel like lazy rivers are overrated so I didn’t spend much time there. On the last few times down the slides, I raced people. To make the last run of the night exciting, I challenged Smiles to see how many times we could spin before getting to the bottom. He went down first, and started the slide sitting crisscross applesauce. What? I laughed pretty hard with the lifeguard, then as my competitive-self went down the slide laying and spinning…I got about 30 by the time I was at the bottom, boy was I dizzy! He said he lost count…oops.

First Major League Baseball Game

The day after Pirate’s Cove, we went to the Rockies Game. Tabitha and I rode the train into downtown, which was really awesome. It had been a pretty rotten day at work, so I was grateful for some quiet time on the train. As we started to walk towards the stadium, the rain came in and as we arrived it was a downpour! We hurried to shelter and quickly found our other ward members. The game was delayed an hour and forty minutes! When the rain cleared up, they squeegeed the field, then sprayed it down with water, then let the teams warm up, and finally the game started. I only stayed for about 1.5 innings, I knew I needed to get to sleep. I enjoyed the little bit of the game I did see, but looking forward to a sunnier game in the future.

Longmont

My trips to Longmont always boost my spirits! I am so blessed to have family close, especially my sister. I needed some sister time and I could tell she did too, so on Friday I headed up to Longmont with Tabby. Tabby also needed a break from being home so it was a multi-purpose trip. Katey and I stayed up wayyyy too late chatting that night after we arrived. Saturday morning came early but it was filled with fun! We started with rollerblading and bike riding, then headed to the nearby pool. This pool had big slides, a beach walk in, and diving boards. We had a blast playing in the water!! I love being in water outside and it was the most perfect weather! I am thankful for the Merrill’s sharing some fun with us. We went shopping during naps, played with the girls for a bit longer then headed home for Liz’s bachelorette party.

Kylee with her two-wheeler. 

Riding like a champ.

This girl can capture your heart with one smile. 

Wearing Aunt Kitt's rollerblades is a hot topic. 

These two girls 

Photo Scavenger Hunt

For FHE, we had a photo scavenger hunt. I thought my team was totally going to lose…but, we won! We were a pretty indecisive team and took a while to get going. We spent all our time in the grocery store and a shopping center near the church. We were late getting back so we got docked points. Luckily, we got high point pictures taken which made up for the errors. We were pretty excited when we won! Here are some fun pics.

Cat’s Wedding

On July 29, 2016 my best friend from my childhood was sealed in the Gilbert temple. Caitlin Peterson and I were besties, she is the first friend I remember having. She waited to be baptized until I was turned eight and we could be baptized on the same day. When we moved the Gila Valley, she moved to Prescott. During the summers, they occasionally met us in Flagstaff and stayed at a hotel with us when Dad was in conferences. I remember going and staying with her in Prescott once as well. We lost contact probably when we were about 12. During my junior year of high school, we had the state tournament in Prescott. So, before my first game, I looked up her dad in the phone book and gave his clinic a call. They came to my games that year and we’ve connected about every year since. It was a treat to be invited to her sealing and it was the first live sealing I’ve witnessed! A very special day. I am grateful for her family and their kindness they still show me. Her grandpa still remembers picking us up from school, I barely remember that. I was grateful to also be able to spend a fun day with Mom and Dad in Phoenix. I also got to see Aunt Liz, she cut my hair and experimented in her lab with some bleached highlights which are very fun. I kept having to remind myself I wasn’t going home, but what a great time it was!

Cat and Kitt 

Their first dance.

The view of Sky Harbor.

July is over and August has brought more fun, stay tuned.

Peace out.

-the tall girl

Turning Coloradoan

This week I did the most Coloradoan thing I have done since moving here, I camped then hiked two Fourteeners. I didn’t know what a Fourteener was until I moved here and someone told me Colorado has 53. Fourteeners are mountains with peaks above the elevation of 14,000 feet. A group decided to camp on Friday and hike two peaks on Saturday, so I figured I might as well give it a shot.

We headed up to Beuno Vista on Friday after work. It took about two and a half hours to get there, so I was very grateful for the group that had gotten there early to help set up camp. I roasted a few s’mores chatted and enjoyed the company. We headed to bed early because we planned to be hiking at 3:30 on Saturday morning.

Sitting around the campfire before bedtime.

It took me forever to fall asleep, so I probably only got a couple hours of sleep. I was grateful for what I could get. Micaela had a headlamp she let me borrow, and we headed out to the trail by 3:45. Esto decided not to come, he was too tired from the Fourteener they did on Friday before those who had to work got there. The trail was steep and even at the beginning I could feel this was going to be a tough hike. We started with a lot of switch backs, taking short breaks, but trudging on. Anna and Music fell behind the rest of the crew early on. We found out later they continued, but altitude sickness crept in and they turned around. We probably started our hike around 10,000 feet, but most of the hike was above the tree line. The shadows protected us from the morning sun that we desperately needed to warm us. As we continued up the never ending switchbacks, the breaks increased. My lungs felt tight and my heart was beating very fast, despite how slow we were climbing. Wind increased as we got higher and without the sun my hands became numb so I put on gloves and my windbreaker. Even with these, when summiting I was still frozen! My teeth were chattering and legs shaking. We summited Mt. Belford around 7:30, then continued over to Mt. Oxford.  

This was towards the beginning of the hike, when we were able to stop using headlamps. Looking up at Mt. Missouri. 

This was almost to the top of Belford, but a great view of the mountain ranges.

Annie, Sarah, and I resting before our final ascent to Mt. Belford.

 

Again working our way to the top in the early morning. 

On top of Belford, 14,203 feet, look at the views in the background. 

Some of the groupies, we're missing Kevin and Kenny. They already headed to Oxford.

We dropped elevation rather quickly on the saddle, and thankfully it got much warmer! It was an additional mile and a half to Mt. Oxford. Summiting Mt. Oxford seemed a little easier, although I still had to take several breaks along the switchbacks. Mt. Oxford was warmer, you can see I didn't have my gloves on anymore. The wind was still roaring, but we enjoyed the views, ate some snacks, then headed back to Belford around 9. I was so confused by the time, I felt like we summited Oxford around 11, but it was still early morning and many other people were just starting to hike as we headed back.

On top of Oxford, 14,160 feet.

The entire group on Oxford.

Some of us being silly.

Jumping for joy on Oxford with Belford in the background.

The views, I just can't get enough!

Smiles hurt himself while hiking up, so he was limping the rest of the way back and using trek poles to help support. He went much slower than usual, so I stayed behind him and kept an eye on Annie who is a very cautious downhill hiker. Climbing back to Belford was very difficult, we paused often. We did see a marmot, which was really awesome! I had never heard of it before but it looks like a combination of a beaver and a squirrel…not as big as a beaver though. It lives in the rocks, and it really liked staring at us. We summited Belford, ate some more food, and continued down the mountain. I moderated between Smiles, Annie, and Sarah…making sure they were all good to go. We determined it was best to get down the mountain and too the tree line for shade before waiting for Annie. She made it down safely and we continued on. We enjoyed taking pictures of a mountain goat, a really ugly one trying to shed its winter coat. We crossed a beautiful creek and enjoyed chatting our way down the mountain. We met up with the rest of the crew around 3 that afternoon at the trailhead. Almost 12 hours hiking, 33,500 steps, and 12 miles.

This is the saddle heading back to Belford. 

The shedding mountain goat, I tried to get a selfie but I haven't mastered that skill yet.

The pretty creek we passed.

What a great feeling it was to successfully summit those two mountains, and to do one twice! It is still a little hard to believe we made it! Above tree line, there were many beautiful flowers. I was impressed with the vegetation that could grow so high and add so much beauty. When I was up so high on a mountain, looking at the tops of other mountains below and all around, I realized how small I am. Nature is beautiful, with so much order and beauty. I was grateful I could be outside enjoying it! I am so grateful the Savior took time to create such a glorious place for us to live. 

I talked a little bit with Smiley about the metaphors that can be drawn from hiking. Many times as we hiked up, it was helpful to see the peak at the top and know it was our goal. Other times, we had to focus on the road straight in front of us in order to not be discouraged. In life, sometimes we are blessed to look into our future and see the blessings the Lord has in store by reading our patriarchal blessing. But, those magnificent promises can sometimes be a bit discouraging if we don’t feel like we are good enough or have self-doubts…this is when we must focus on the road right in front of us and take it at our own pace. Slowing down allows us to have the energy we need to continue to the summit and keep moving one switchback at a time. The road is often not easy, but when you are on the right path it will always be worth it in the end and you receive many blessings along the way.

Needless to say, we ate food, headed home, showered, and went to bed. We were exhausted! I am so grateful for the good group I was able to hike with and the friendships that grew.

Until next week.

-the tall girl

Happy 4th of July!!!

I needed a week to recover from my vacation, I was exhausted on Monday, even took a nap in my car to try to get ahead of the game. We played waterballoon volleyball, real volleyball, and Frisbee for FHE. The weather was perfect, and we had a lot of fun. Tuesday was another night of Frisbee…I was exhausted at the end of this one. I was driving to play when a hail storm started. While sitting at a stop light, I hear a thump on my windshield and a big scratch. I was terrified, I thought I’d been struck! After calming down, I realized my windshield wiper had come off! Of course, the light turned green so I turned and pulled off as soon as I could. I got pretty wet just from getting out of the car and fixing it, but continued the journey. Luckily, I haven’t had much of an issue since. We played after the rain calmed down. It was great to be outside!

Wednesday I was able to do a short sealing session with my roommates. Anna had some family names, so we went and it was a neat experience. We finished earlier than I expected, so did some intiatories as well. I was grateful to spend the evening in the temple.

Thursday we played volleyball after institute. Most of the time, it was my team of four verse the other team of six. I am not sure why we didn’t even it out, but my team did do well and we ended up winning.

I was grateful for my off-Friday and enjoyed sleeping in a bit. I played volleyball with Ray Ray, which was fun. I haven’t played tennis in a long time! He was insistent we play a match, so after warm up I reminded him of how to keep score and we played. I won 6-1, 6-2. He made me work for the wins, he was good at hitting it away from me. We had perfect weather and I am so glad we were outside enjoying it! I came home, cooked some crockpot zucchini lasagna and finished out the day reading a book. Our ward did baptisms at the temple that night, followed by ice cream at Bishop’s house. Ray Ray stopped Anna and I as we were leaving to see what we were up to…at this point it was 9:15 and we informed him we were going to bed. He wanted to watch Zootopia, so he went to the store, bought it, and brought it back to our apartment. He also bought us pizza because he felt bad for making us stay up late to watch it…unfortunately, both of us don’t eat gluten. That made the situation even funnier. The movie was actually pretty good, and I enjoyed having a relaxing evening.

Before cooking

After cooking

Saturday was filled with spring cleaning and reading. I loved it, I took time to clean then read then clean. When Anna got home from the temple we went on a small hike and then to the Columbine Memorial. I was reminded of the great blessing of life and how fragile it is. The memorial was amazing and I was impressed with the stories shared, most of the kids seemed to be somewhat prepared because of their faith. One scripture mentioned on a note about a student was 1 John 4:4, which reminded me of the divine nature we each have. Our spirit is divine and our spiritual DNA is perfect. If we allow Heavenly Father to help us, we can be lifted and become more than anything the world could ever try to make. We must trust and put our faith in Him.

Anna with some cool rocks.

Neat rock formations everywhere! 

Me and Anna

We did a little climbing.

Great view! 

Each student and the teacher killed had one of these. 

A little dark, but hopefully you can see the beautiful memorial.

July 4th is one of my favorite holidays! It's the only one during the summer and it always brings out the fun in people. I enjoyed an early hike with Anna's family at Lair o' the Bear. Towards the end, we got to play in the creek, which was so fun! Having Chacos was very beneficial. It's the first time I have really been able to use them in the water. We also got to climb trees, here's Anna in the big one. That afternoon, I went swimming with Caroline and enjoyed catching up on life with her. She's such a sweet lady. I went grocery shopping, baked some cookies and then it was time for the BBQ. A family in the ward hosted at their house, I provided cookies and everyone else provided the rest. SO YUMMY! I loved it, and it was so fun to eat outside and get to know some new people. We set off bottle rockets from the porch, later moving to the front yard. We never knew if the rockets were duds or not...for example, Zach lit one and it swirled around and flew right into the middle of us on the porch. We all scattered! Yikes!!! It popped and we moved back to our positions. Later, in the front yard, Zach's dad was lighting them and then throwing them to explode. He pretended to light one and tossed it in the tree that was right above all of us. We all ducked and ran our separate was squealing. He was dying with laughter, and we joined the giggles when we realized it was a prank. After we finished up there, we headed to the park to watch fireworks. We were surrounded by neighborhoods and people were shooting off the big ones everywhere! I didn't know where to look, there were so many happening. Finally, the real show started, which was also very good and impressive. When it finished, we determined it was time we all headed back to real life...It was a wonderful holiday and great to spend close to home and with friends. 

This little boy loved the water just like I did.

Chacos...

A beautiful wild flower.

Anna in the climbing tree.

Doing sparklers

Zach lighting a bottle rocket.

The crew at the park.

Some of the fireworks before the real show started.

Another great week in the books, and I am excited for the week ahead.

Peace out.

-the tall girl