the BEST part of a snow day

Alan, Jared, and I went skiing at the Canyons on Thursday. This was the highlight. :)

a GRAND adventure

The morning after my dad's 50th birthday celebration, I headed out on my next adventure. My Aunt Sheila had invited me to hike the Grand Canyon with her, and I decided, "Why not?". It was once again a good excuse to get out of Logan and have an adventure. My cousins Alan and Jared joined us.

So, that Tuesday we drove down to Arizona. It was a loooong day. Road trips are that way, at least to me... tis why I usually drive, lol. It was complete with a stop to buy pants to replace a torn pair, a return to the house to get hiking boots, an hour stop for a conference call (and therefore some playing and climbing in some sandstone), Subway sandwiches, and ice cream in a dead little town. It was dark by the time we made it to the lodge on the Grand Canyon south rim. My Aunt's friend from LA joined us here, and we had a nice sit-down meal.

The next morning it was time to hit the trail. We caught a shuttle to the South Kaibab trailhead and headed out. It was pretty cold and windy at the beginning of the hike. But, in the lower parts of the canyon, the sun finally found us and it became an easy jaunt through the red rocks. It was seven miles to the bottom, and well worth the views along the way.

That night (a great BIG thanks to my Aunt Sheila!) we got to spend the night at Phantom Ranch, rather than in cold, hard grounded tents. Our stay there was complete with a huge, yummy steak dinner and chocolate cake. We even got pancakes in the morning before we headed out.

Thursday morning brought with it sunshine and the promise of a decent ten mile ascent back to the canyon rim. I'll admit, it was a long hike, but it was certainly not as bad as I was anticipating. I guess this was because the temperature ranged from 60F to 40F - perfect hiking temp for me. We did run into quite a lot of ice at the top of the trail, but thanks to Alan's crampon-things, I stayed on the trail and didn't slip to my doom. ;)

At first, I was apprehesive about this trip, but it turned out to be really fun. Me being out of shape didn't have too much of an effect. That is not going to help motivate myself to start working out, haha. :) Seventeen miles in two days and I was hardly sore. My knee didn't dislocate. It was sunny the whole trip. Good company. It was a pretty good trip.

On Friday we drove back to Utah. I was carsick with a nasty headache most of the trip... not really sure why. But some pills and some Sprite seemed to make it better. Of course, we had to make a stop at Bryce Canyon for a few pictures and a stop at Ruby's Inn for a yummy dinner.

Thanks MOOSE! :)

Weekend with the family

Oh! This could be... fun? Well, yes, for the most part. :-)

A couple times each year my dad's brother and sisters all get together to work on their family history for a weekend. Uh, this is usually an event I avoid. Not that I don't love my family, because I certainly do, but that weekend just seems like too much stress for me. But...over Marthin Luther King, Jr. Day this year, they decided to do their family history weekend in the Salt Lake area. So, I really couldn't miss the chance to go and see my dad. Plus... there was a free ski ticket involved. ;)

So, spent that Friday up at Park City with a bunch of the family. It was soo much fun! I have really missed my snowboard. This was the first opportunity I've had to go snowboarding all season, and only the second time I have used my brand new board.

I had to be back to my own ward in Logan on Sunday...thank goodness I had an excuse to leave, lol. I have a new calling now. I am the 1st counselor in the Relief Society. I may be forced to actually like some of the people in my new ward, dang. It should be a good thing. Really.

But, I grabbed my cousin Jared and headed back to my uncle's house that monday afternoon. We were celebrating my Dad's 50th birthday that night. Crazy! My dad is now 50. Well, I am still young, and that is all that matters. ;-) It was fun, and I "think" we may have actually suprised him.

I love my family. :)

I'll be home for Christmas

This post is a little late, I know, but at least I remembered that I did have a blog. :) Although, now that I found that episodes of I Dream of Jeannie, one of my all time favorite shows, are on hulu I am being severely distracted...so, I hope this all makes since, lol.

Here's my Christmas card for the year. I was just too lazy apparently to send it out earlier.

For Christmas this year, I was able to go home (YAY!) for almost two weeks...that was really not long enough for me either.

I did have to work some while I was home, but it was fabulous to be there. I got to play with my bro and sis, see my kitty, and hang out with my family. Landon got to call home on Christmas morning. It was good to hear from him, and he seems to be doing well. We even ate a big pancake breakfast before we opened presents. It was nice to sleep in...that never happened when all of us kids were younger.

While I was home, we all went to Ocean Shores to watch Bryce play in a basketball tournament. He made a few good shots, but he didn't get to play as much as we "i.e. the Grandparents" wanted him to. ;) A few weeks ago, though, Bryce scored 22 points and played most of a game, so...maybe his coach is just finicky.

Forks itself doesn't change much. At least in the winter. The Twilight phenomenon seems to die down for awhile. It rained a lot, which I have missed, and we had a few good hail storms. We also took some family pictures while I was home. I thought that we should have put a cardboard cut out of Landon in, but oh well, he will be home next Christmas. :)

Anyways, it was nice to see the beach and play and be with my family. I love being home.

I was really rather sad to come back to Logan after the New Years.

Giving Thanks

Well, I am sitting alone...on Thanksgiving night. I'm having my own private pity party. I hate being alone, especially on the holidays. I'm just so used to being with a big group of family, where it's loud and chaotic and we play games late into the night....this is weird, the silence. Granted, my grandparents are around here somewhere, but they are most likely sleeping. I'm feeling down, so I decided that it would be a good exercise for me to remember the things that I am most thankful for. So, here's a short list...

1. I'm thankful that I was born with in a family with parents strong in the gospel. I'm not sure what my life would be without it, but I'm sure I'd be in a darker place... It's as simple as that.

2. I am thankful for my Mom and all she has ever done for me. We had moments when we didn't always get along, but she is the one person I can confide in, and just having her in the room makes me feel better. I miss her hugs.

3. I'm thankful for my family. They are my best friends, and I miss them terribly right now. They have always been the only people that I can count on unconditionally, they only people I can be completely myself around, and I love them. (This includes my wonderful extended family, cousins and such.)

4. I am thankful to have a place to live. This seems especially important to me right now, as it is in the negatives outside.

5. I am thankful to have good food to eat and to have my grandparents here in Logan to look after me when funds are low. I cooked my first turkey today... It turned out well, if I say so myself. :) I made pies and jello, too, to contribute to our feast for four.

6. I am thankful to have a job. It may not always be the most fun, interesting, or exciting, but, I am grateful.

7. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to go to college and to graduate. I am still contemplating returning to school, but my degree will provide me with opportunities that I would otherwise not have without it.

8. I am thankful to have the opportunity to travel and learn about the world. I hope to continue this throughout my life.

9. I am thankful for friends that make my life much more full and enjoyable.

10. I am thankful to live in this country. It may not always be governed in a way I agree with, but the freedoms that we are afforded with here are a great blessing.

11. I am thankful for the pilgrims that came to the American continent. I am thankful for Richard Warren and Francis and John Cooke, my pilgrim ancestors, that had the courage to stand up for what they believed in. I am thankful for my ancestors' bravery, as they joined the church throughout the world, left everything they knew, and traveled across the plains to pursue a safe place of worship.

12. I am thankful for chocolate. It's a glorious food.

13. I am thankful for my pets, particularly my angel of a cat.

14. I am thankful for music, it soothes my soul.

15. I am thankful for nature and the chance I have to grow closer to God through it.

I suppose this list could go on and on... This was a very good exercise to engage in, though... my mind is in a better place. But, so this post doesn't get too long, I should probably stop writing. Plus, one of my favorite Christmas movies just came on, which makes me happy. :)

Halloween

Halloween. I am simply not a fan.

I remember as a kid how fun this holiday was. I loved dressing up and getting free candy. We would literally canvas the entire town...granted, Forks isn't that big, but it was still a long night. We knew the best houses to go to...the ones with the really good stuff and the ones that were the best decorated and the ones that were the most "haunted". It was fun to decorate our house and, after trick-or-treating was done, to be on a sugar-high for the next month.

I'm not entirely sure when I stopped liking the holiday. I was twelve when my Dad said, "No more trick-or-treating for you." I dressed up a few more times after that for church parties, but somewhere along the line I lost the fun in it.

Maybe I'm just more opposed to the dark atmosphere of the holiday....maybe I've grown up to see more of that. There are still tons of good fun things going on, don't get me wrong, but it's just not a particularly joyful holiday. And, maybe that just makes me old, ha ha.

I think more of the problem is that I don't like anything that draws attention to me. And, costumes certainly do that. I didn't dress up for Homecoming Spirit Week in high school, either...

And, Halloween in general is just lame in Utah. Seriously, what's with these trunk-or-treats? It seems like cheating the kids out of a fun night of running amok in the town. lol.

So, nope I didn't dress up this year...oh well, there is always next year to try... I do love carving pumpkins, though. :)

If you ask for a challenge, you're bound to get one

I decided that I needed a way to combat the doldrums in which I've found myself lately...I was tired of the same ol' things. I decided that I needed to go on a hike! Not just any hike... I wanted a challenge. All I needed was someone willing to come with me, and who better to ask than my cousin Alan.

So, last Monday, Alan and I decided to try and conquer the Pfeifferhorn, which is in the Wasatch Range near Salt Lake City. Personally, I just thought the name of the mountain was intimidating, and pretty awesome at the same time. It is known as the Little Matterhorn.

I spent Sunday night in Magna, and it was really nice to spend time with my cousin Jen. I need more family time in general, so this was good. The next morning, Alan and I headed up the canyon to undertake our ten mile journey. I saw clouds looming over the mountain tops, but it takes a lot to halt me once I make plans.

The first few miles of the hike were a pretty steady climb, but nothing too hard. We walked up through trees that were changing their colors for the oncoming winter and past little gurgling streams. It wasn't until we reached Red Pine Lake that I could tell things were going to get a little tougher.

Take note of how straight my hair was at the beginning of the hike...

The above picture is Red Pine Lake... the trail from there lead straight up through the trees and then right, straight up the rocky ridge.

 

And scrambling over these rocks....

If you can't tell from the last picture of me, at this point we started to ascend into the clouds. We climbed to the top of this one ridge and back behind it on a relatively easy path. That is, until we reached the saddle of the Pfiefferhorn.

On the left is a picture of what the last length of the "trail" looks like on a clear day.....but on the right is what it looked like when we chose to climb.

Why, yes, that is a steep drop off on both sides. Maybe the cloud cover made it easier for me to crawl over all of these rocks, because I couldn't see how far it was to fall....

It was also the steepest part of the mountain.

We did, however, finally conquer the mountain! And, I felt great about it!! I have come to realize that I crave a sense of accomplishment in my life to feel like I am progressing, and it certainly makes me happy. Maybe that is why I was such a dedicated A+ student. Maybe that is why I have felt a little lost lately. Well, this hike (actually, I am going to refer to it as more of a CLIMB) gave me the feeling that I needed.

And, don't let the short pants fool you... my legs were fine in regards to the cold. I was just thankful that Alan had an extra rain coat for me, since it started snowing on us at the top.

The upper Red Pine Lakes on our way back down.

Notice how curly the wettness made my hair...and this picture just doesn't do it justice.

Overall, I had a great day, and it was good to get to spend time with my cousin. Growing up, I was always so much younger, that I didn't really get to know my older cousins very well, and it's nice to remedy some  of that.