..december at a glance..

when i started my Christmas break i had great intentions of posting on my blog and updating it. yeah, that never happened. these last two weeks have flown by like a race car, a fast one. i decided that i will just post some photos and tell about some highlights from the month. :)

one of my best friends got married! jackie and justin were married on dec. 9, 2011 in the salt lake temple. i couldn't be happier for them. jackie was my roommate for a little over a month, before she moved home to save money before her big day. i met jackie almost two years ago. she and brittany are besties, and they went on the fun bus to wendover with the big group of people. alisa and i chatted with them at dinner and kind of got to know a little about them. but our friendship really evolved on our road trip to st. george/vegas in may 2010. i tell ya, road trips are the best way to get to know people! anyway, a year and a half later, jackie is a married woman! she looked absolutely gorgeous!

..jenny, britt, jackie, alisa, and me at the reception..

as you know, december comes with parties, lots of parties. and of course, what else is there to do on a weekend in salt lake city, except to attend these fine parties? my friends and i did just that. our friend jenny, (pictured above) and her roommates have a great house for having parties. they threw a great, black, silver, and gold party that was a blast! we got all dolled up in our black & gold and had a great time mingling and dancing.

..me, beth, britt, and alisa before the black, silver, & gold party..

and of course, you can't go through the month of december without attending at least one, or four in my case, ugly sweater parties. tis the season for ugly sweaters, right? yes, yes it is. thanks to alisa's mom for letting us borrow her sweaters. they were a hit. :)

..cheers! grinch punch at the party..

and last, but not least, decorating and getting in the christmas spirit. unfortunately, our apartment is far too small for a tree, but, our friends jake and shad have a great spot. we spent an evening decorating the tree and their living room with christmas lights. it looks amazing, i must say.

..brittany & i decorating the tree..

looking back at the month of december, i am happy to say that is was a great month filled with great friends and lots of laughter! i hope everyone else had a great december as well!

[HUGE] pumpkin & jazz game

alisa's boyfriend, kevin, and his buddies just moved into a new place in sugarhouse. it has two ginormous pumpkins in the garden. alisa took one to school to show her kids one day. she had it in her car waiting for kevin to help her move it and take it back to his place. well, he couldn't one night, then left for st. george the next. and it was starting to stink up her car. so, alisa and i used our muscles (and a wheel barrow) to get it out of her car and halfway to the guys' backyard. that bugger was heavy!

alisa with the massive pumpkin

me and the pumpkin
friday night alisa and i got to go to the jazz game. they played the sacramento kings. we got the tickets for free from our friend tremaine. thanks tremaine, you're great! jazz did awesome and came out with the win. we love the jazz and always have a blast when we get to go to a game. brittany and jackie also got tickets from our friend, jared. it was perfect that we all got to go to the game, for free. love when that happens. we met up after the game and just happened to be matching.

GO JAZZ!

jazz doing their thing against the kings
me, britt, alisa, and jackie after the game

{rexburg}

it's impossible for me to update my blog regularly. i'm sure the three of you who check my blog are well aware of that by now. i wish i could say that will change and i am going to try and be better. but that would just make me a liar. :)

last weekend i had the chance to go up to rexburg for my old roommate, lindsey's, bridal shower. i met up with jess in pocatello and we drove up friday night. brittany, linds, and kaylee were in a movie when we got there, so jess and i decided we should go craigo's. it's the yummiest pizza place in rexburg, so naturally we had to make a visit. we stayed at a hotel and the girls came over after the movie and we had some good girl talk.

saturday morning we went and got our nails done before the shower. it was brittany's very first time. she loved every minute of it.

linds and britt waiting to get their nails done

jessica, brittany, lindsey, kaylee, kami

roomies fall 2007 (missing catherine)

it was fun to spend some time with the old roommates and catch up on life. jess has been married now for two years and lindsey is getting married in november. so, out of the 5 of us that were together it's me, britt, and kaylee left. i think kaylee will be the next to get married, but we'll see. none of us are dating anyone, so it's fair game for all. :)

saturday night we went to idaho falls for dinner at johnny carino's. that's our favorite place as roomies to eat. after dinner, kaylee, britt, jess and i went to shelley to the haunted victoria theater. it was awesome. but, i'll admit, i do not love going to a haunted house without grabbing hold of a strong manly, man for protection. i think we all laughed more than screamed throughout the whole thing, besides brittany. but, even without a guy to hide behind, i still had a great time with the girls.

i hadn't been to rexburg in over a year, so a visit was well overdue. going back makes me remember all the good times i had in rexburg at byu-idaho. so many good memories that i'll have forever.

the [start] of something new

This summer ended up being somewhat of a stressful, but fun one. At the end of June I was laid off from Med One Medical. They claimed they didn't have a job for me anymore. This happened one month before my lease was up at my apartment. Yes, I started to feel the stress of everything. We were in the process of house-hunting, but the pressure of not having a job and paying for rent really set in. Everything combined was too much to handle. But, it was one of the best things that happened to me.

I spent majority of my days looking for jobs and sending my resume in. But since it just happened to be around the 4th of July and summertime, I definitely took advantage of having the free time. And it also helped that Alisa had the summer off too. We made a few trips to Lagoon a Beach and caught some rays. I went to Colorado and hiked a freaking mountain! Went to Lake Mead and surfed for the first time. And I got to sleep in. Which I really loved. (Though I would still wake up by 9:00 every morning, bleh).

This all happened in the month of July. I was let go on June 30, and went through two and a half weeks of sickening stress. I didn't know what was going to happen- how long I would be unemployed, what I was going to do about moving, etc. Alisa and I planned it out that we could move in with her parents for a few months until I found a job. That way we could get free rent and then still be roommates. Kevin, Alisa's boyfriend found a duplex on KSL. We went and looked at it on Tuesday morning, and by Thursday we were signing the lease and moving in. It's up near the Capitol, right by Beck Street. Nice, quick, easy access to I-15 for me. It's a great central location for Brooke, Alisa, and me.

Back to the Job Searching...

I'd been searching on craigslist, ksl, indeed, jobseeker, etc. I kept seeing an ad for Challenger School and a few different people had mentioned it to me. The requirements were to send a resume, cover letter, and short essay about my views on America. This caused me to get nervous about the essay and what exactly they were looking for, and so I put off sending it in. Signs kept coming around and I couldn't avoid it any longer. So, I finally sent in my resume on July 15th. The following Tuesday morning I got a call from Challenger School. They wanted me to come in for a test at their Corporate office. So, that afternoon, I went in. I filled out an application after taking a test. Oh man did I feel stupid afterwards! When I left I for sure thought I wouldn't be hearing back from them because of my test scores. But I was wrong. The next day, Wednesday, I got a call from Heidi. Heidi is the Headmaster at the Farmington campus of Challenger School. She called to set up a teaching interview. So, the next morning, Thursday, I went in and read a book and taught a little lesson to the 4 year old class. It went very well, and before I left she offered me a job.

Soooooo, now I am a Preschool Teacher at Challenger School in Farmington. I started work last Monday with training. We spent 7 days in Sandy doing workshops. It was very informative, so I hope that I can apply everything to my class when the students come. I spent all day getting things ready in my classroom. So far on MWF I have 13 students and TTH I have 10. I am really excited, but oh so nervous at the same time. It is my first year teaching at Challenger, so of course I am still learning everything. But, I am also all by myself and don't have a co-teacher like most everyone else. So, needless to say, this will be interesting. Tomorrow we have Preschool Orientation, so I will get the chance to meet some of my students and their parents. Exciting!

Well, that is all for now. I need to finish my lesson plans! Hope you enjoyed the update! :)

Uncompahgre Peak

This past weekend I made my way to Colorado with some friends for quite the adventure. We went to hike Uncompahgre Peak, part of the San Juan mountain range. Which is the 6th highest peak in Colorado, at 14,309 feet. We camped just outside the small town of Lake City, Colorado.

Uncompahgre Peak

Saturday morning we arose, bright and early [5:45 AM bright and early] and made our way to the Nellie Creek trail head, where we would begin our journey. The hike was beautiful and the views were absolutely amazing! I couldn't believe what I was looking at when we got to the top of the peak. You could look out and see for miles and miles. Tops of mountain peaks, snow covering in some areas, beautiful blue skies and white clouds. It was absolutely unbelievable!

Amazing view from the Summit

Dave and I... and a mouthful of bagel sandwich, mmm.

{Thanks to Dave, I made it to the top. I thought I was going to die. He was so nice to stay back with me until we made it all the way. What a sweetheart, huh? Haha.}

Heading back down, with a great view behind

After the hike we went back to our campsite and decided to get in the river. The guys enjoyed skipping some rocks and having races to see who's stronger, blah blah. The water was freezing and the air was very warm. I decided to get in the water a little bit to try and cool down. As I was bending over getting my arms and legs wet, I heard a THUD, then blacked out. I opened my eyes, not sure of what happened and heard Kyle say, "I think I just hit her in the head." I responded, "Yeah, I think you did." Then, as I'm still bending over, I look up to see a steady stream of red blood falling into the water, from my head. Turns out, as I was getting wet, Kyle was skipping a rock. And that rock hit me right in the head. :) Luckily, Hillary, who is a nurse, and Dave were there very quickly to my rescue. With some pressure and pad, the bleeding stopped in no time. Now I am just left with a small cut and bump, that is slightly tender.

The aftermath of boys playing with rocks.

Saturday afternoon Dave, Hillary, Mike and I went into Lake City for lunch. We ate at a bar and grill called Cannibal Grill. It was very tasty. We were all pretty pooped, so we took an afternoon nap. We finished the evening off with some bocce ball and pizza. Then of course we had to end the night with a fire and smores.

Playing some good ol' bocce ball.

Sunday we took a longer way to get home. We took the scenic route through the mountains and saw some INCREDIBLE views. This weekend has opened my eyes to nature and how beautiful it really is. It's amazing what is out there and so many people will never experience that beauty. I'll let the pictures do the explaining. Unbelievable.

Dave & I in front of the San Juan mountains, from Slumgullion Pass.

{Old Mine along the back roads. Beautiful lake and valley. Top of a rock peak.}

Oh, and I can't forget. I'm so proud of my Pathfinder. We were off-roading most of the time and the pathfinder handled it like a champ. First time going four-wheeling and off-roading like that. So proud. And Dave was an excellent driver the entire weekend. I loved the ride from the passenger seat. :)

I Made It!

Well, as you know I went down to Moab last weekend for the Canyonlands Half Marathon. Don't worry, I didn't run a half marathon. They also have a 5 Mile Run. Yep, that's what I did. I was pretty nervous about running because I didn't do as much training as I should have. Not to mention I was sick the entire week before and was struggling to even breath! So, needless to say I wasn't sure how the race would go.

Saturday morning came, very early. We woke up around 6:30 to be at the shuttle spots by 7:30. Then we had a long, freezing wait at the start until race time, which was 9:30. Luckily we were able to wear our sweats and jackets until the Sweat Truck took off at 9:00. That half hour about killed me. It was SO cold.

Alisa and I ran the 5 mile race together, mostly. I was feeling good, but had to take a break around 3.5 miles. I told Alisa to keep going. I tried to catch her, but my shoes started hurting my feet. {Unfortunately I wore my old ones instead of my new ones. But, I didn't get blisters like I was worried about.} So because of my feet I had to walk a little here and there. I finished in 00:56:51, which put me at a 00:11:25 mile. To me, that is fine! I was just happy to finish under an hour. And for my first race, I didn't want to set any expectations that I wouldn't be able to meet and then get all discouraged about it. So, I set the goal to finish. And doing it in under an hour was in the back of my mind, but mainly, I just wanted to finish. :)

After all the running was said and done we went back to our cabin to relax. Brooke met up with a friend she went to school with and they invited us to go Jeeping with them. Alisa and I wanted to take a nap because we both had headaches. So Brooke went and we laid down. Our friends Skyler and Kevin came down with us. While we were running they were riding. A dirt bike and 4-wheeler. They got back and the four of us went to eat at Zax. It's a fun Pizza, Pasta, Sandwich place. Since this was my first trip to Moab I wanted to make the best of it, and go hiking, somewhere! So, we talked the guys into going to Arches National Park. We were pressed for daylight, so we didn't do the full Delicate Arch hike. Instead we just went to the 'Viewpoint' and a few other cool places.

Moab is beautiful! I definitely want to go back and take more time to enjoy everything there is to do there! We were there for only a short weekend, so time was very limited. But, it was a good time nonetheless.

Here are some pictures of our fun weekend!!

GaNgSTa'S

Alisa and me waiting before our race.

Still waiting, final minutes before the race began.

We all made it! Alisa and I ran the 5 mile and Brooke ran the half marathon!

Balanced Rock {that you can't see} with Skyler & Kevin

I know you're all wondering..

What is going on in my life?! Well, lots has happened since my last post, and even before that I left some stuff out. So here's to a little update. ---->

I found a job! Yes, back in June, a little late, I know. I am working as a receptionist at Med One Medical. It is a Sleep Laboratory, so they do studies to test for sleep apnea and such. Then they also sell Cpap machines, along with masks and supplies. So it's something I've never really known much about, but boy have I learned a lot in the month and a half I've been working there. It has been an overwhelming amount of information, but I think it's all sinking in pretty well, at least I hope. :)

My move down to Salt Lake was a quick one. I interviewed with Med One on Wednesday, got a call Friday morning to come in that afternoon for a second interview, got the job an hour after leaving, and started on Monday, two days later. So pretty much, I went home and packed up a bunch of clothes and necessary items and moved in with Karen and Greg. They were kind enough to let me cramp their style until I was able to find an apartment. Luckily, I was able to find one pretty quick and only had to bother them for about a month. {Thanks again Greg & Karen, I really appreciate it!}

So while living with Karen and Greg, I would come home and search online to look for apartments that were available. I checked out a few different locations and met a few different people. Some which were nice and seemed pretty normal, others who were, well, maybe normal to some, but not all... With the few that I looked at, there was one that I couldn't stop thinking about. So, I decided I'd give it a GO! I found it on Craigslist and was so nervous about it. Then I went to the Apartment complex to check it out and meet the girl who posted it. When I met her, I could tell right away that we could be great friends and that we'd get along. You could say it was meant to be. ;) [that's a little joke between Steph & me]. Anyway, so here I am, living with Steph and Alisa. I lucked out big time, because it's not everyday you find a normal person for a roommate, on Craigslist of all places! We live in a three bed, two bath apartment.

my apartment

the complex

It's a great location, easy to work, shopping, freeways, etc. I love it, and I love my roommates. We get along great and have a lot of fun together already! We have only been in our apartment for three and a half weeks, but it feels like it's been much longer than that!

I am getting ready to go up to Idaho tomorrow. My old roommate Lindsey is getting married on Friday! I'm so excited for her and Rob. They are a great couple and I couldn't be happier for them. I try to take the credit of their love, but I'm sure it wasn't all me. :) While I'm up there I'm also going to see my old roommate Kaylee! We lived together Fall 07 and worked together at the Admissions Office. She just returned from her mission in Nauvoo last week. It will be great to see her again after 18 months!!

Well, there's still much more that has happened that I am leaving out. OH! Like the fact that I CHOPPED my hair tonight! Yeah, it's gone. I like it. I think. I will let you know after I do it myself tomorrow. Pictures to come, eventually. We have internet at our apartment, but Steph hasn't quite set up the wireless, so I'm bumming off her laptop right now and that's why there are no pictures for your viewing pleasure. Apologies. Next time!

Bear Lake!

Saturday I was able to spend a beautiful day up at Bear Lake with Tessa and her dad, aunt, and cousin. We got out on the lake around 11:00 and spent the first couple hours wake boarding and enjoying the water. There were TONS of boats on the lake!! Around 1:00 the sky was starting to look pretty dark and scary. We decided to head back to the marina so we could get the tube out of the truck. As we were heading for the marina it was like a swarm of boats doing the same thing. I'm guessing everyone got worried about the sky and thought a bad storm was coming. But, no grey sky is going to stop us! We got the tube and headed back out on the lake. We just stopped and had lunch and by the time we were done, the sun was peeking out from behind the clouds and the sky had cleared up quite a bit! So, of course, the fun continued. Richard and I had a pretty intense tube ride, thanks to Tessa. Yesterday I was feeling it pretty good, my neck and shoulders were very sore! I also got a little sunburned, but that's okay. I had a ton of fun! Bear Lake is definitely one of my favorite places to go! I don't think I can ever get enough of that place, with the blue water and sunshine! Ah, it's perfect!! It helps that I love to swim, too. :)

Here are a few pictures from the day!

Weekend of the 24th

I'm alive, no worries. Just waaaaaaay out of the habit of blogging. Ooops. Last weekend I went up to Hyrum and stayed with Mom and Dad. It was nice to be back and see old friends. And it was especially nice to sleep in my, oh so comfortable bed back home.

Thursday I went to brunch at Angie's with Tessa. It's always great to catch up with old friends and talk about what's happening in life. Later, I went with Mom and Dad to look for bedroom furniture. We found a mattress, but I still haven't made a decision on a bed. I am trying to decide between two. One from IKEA, and one from Palmer Furniture in Logan. I'm going to try to go to IKEA tomorrow to check out the bed I want, and hopefully after seeing it I will be able to make my decision. :)

In between the furniture search I went to lunch at Beehive Grill with Micah, Cathy, and Scott. It was my first time eating at Beehive Grill. I thought my lunch was okay, but nothing spectacular. I did learn something exciting though. Micah is ENGAGED. He and Cathy are getting married in September. Congratulations to them! Micah and I have been really good friends since my Junior year in high school. So this is very exciting and great news that he's found someone!

Later that night, Nick and I took a drive to Bear Lake. It was just lovely. We went to a beach on the southwest side of the lake and just walked down to the water. Nick went swimming and I took pictures and waded in the water. It is really high this year, and Nick was out pretty far and the water was still only up to his thighs. Before heading back to Logan we stopped at La Beau's Too and got some shakes. Yum! I love La Beau's, and La Beau's Too was great because there was NO line, and it was the SAME shakes. It was great. After the deliscious shakes, we drove back to Logan. We made it just in time to meet up with Micah for the Fireworks at Willow Park. Nick borrowed my camera and caught some really cool shots of the fireworks.

[post] grad stuff

well it's been a month now since graduation, and since the last time i updated! i feel like this month has flown by, but at the same time, lasted so long? weird.

i am still in search of a job. a few weeks ago i went to salt lake and stayed with my sister, jill. while i was there i called some places to see if they were hiring. i was able to get an interview and even a job offer out of it. however, the job did not pay near what i should get paid... especially for having a college degree. so i turned the offer down after thinking about it for a few days. i feel good about the decision. now i am back to square one, with pretty much nothing. that is the downside of things. after a month of living at home and not having a job, i am feeling so ready to start working and move into my own apartment. i love my parents and they make living at home easier, however, my social life is not what i would like it to be, and i am just ready to have my OWN place. i am facing the dilemma of when to move and where to move. since i don't have a job yet i'm not sure where to move because of location. i am just feeling ready to start my life and having a hard time with patience right now. big test for me, that's for sure.

when i haven't been looking for a job i've been trying to stay busy with other things. last weekend i spontaneously decided to go to rexburg to visit. my weekend trip ended up lasting until wednesday. i loved being back! just being around my friends again, in such a social, comfortable setting. that's what i've known for four years, so i like it. but, by wednesday i was ready to come home. as much as i loved being there i need to move on from rexburg. the time spent there was so great and i love thinking about all the memories! but now it is time to make new memories in a new place! just gotta find out where that place is going to be... haha.

{some pictures from my rexburg visit}

{i even got to see lauren and dayna! love them!}

and finally...

on my way home the car hit

66,666 miles!!

eeek!