False alarm...

Ok, it looks like this now...Whew. I'm ok with prolonging the inevitable until at least Halloween.

It's inevitable...

Well people, it's beginning. This is what it looks like outside right now...

Am I happy about this? No. Because you know what this means? It means winter is coming. That blasted season that living in Las Vegas allowed me to avoid for the first 18 years of my life.

*Reasons I hate winter:

1. I don't like being cold.

2. I don't like the bottom half of my pant legs soaking wet all day because I had to walk somewhere in the nasty slush.

3. No more going outside and kicking the soccer ball whenever I want. Now there's white stuff in the way.

4. The She Devil struggles in the snow.

5. What am I supposed to wear to church?! Tights? Ugh.

*Now to be fair, winter isn't a total loss. I do like it for a couple of reasons:

1. Christmas

2. Hockey season!

3. I'll admit, it's beautiful (just as long as I can view it from the comfort of my warm home and not have to walk out in it).

4. I don't have to be as creative with my outfits. I just put on whatever miss matched thing I want, throw on my coat or hoodie, and call it good.

5. "If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant." - Anne Bradstreet

2008 Reptile Expo

First, my roommate Hailey and I had a soccer game yesterday morning in Spanish Fork. It was awesome because we played a really good team with "girls who played in college" and beat them 2-1. Hailey got the first goal in probably the 5th minute, and then I scored the winning goal with 2 minutes left in the game! It was awesome!

Then after the game I went to the Reptile Expo at the Utah State Fair grounds in SLC. I'm sure you can guess whose idea this little activity was ::cough:: bj ::cough::

Well it was really fun! My mom's cousin Kristy and her son Tyson met us there as well as Kristy's brother Tyler and his wife and two kids. I didn't get too many pictures but you better believe I at least got one of BJ and I holding a huge albino boa!

Tyler's kids loving the big snake! I tried to get them petting it but my camera was too slow snapping the picture :(

BJ also finally bought the camilion he's been saving for for a year. The camilion doesn't cost too much but he had to get the cage, plants, sticks for him to crawl on, the right food (yucky crickets that apparently escaped once and ate BJ's roommates alive while they slept), a heat lamp, etc. etc. So after collecting all the habitat stuff he finally brought little "Camo" home (Camilion's name not verified). Jewell was brave and held camo while BJ tried to feed him some dinner, but I think he was a little stressed out from the days activities. I'll have to get a better picture of him later. Oh he also got a praying mantis!

Ward Softball - Oh so fun!!

Ward softball ended this week and I am so sad! I've loved every second of it! Despite the fact that a certain umpire on a power trip didn't like us from the very beginning. But we're not gonna let that ruin our fun are we? No siree.

We had a game every Wednesday night and the die hards practiced every Tuesday as well. I was talking to Paul last night and I think we were both having a little softball meltdown. We have nothing to do with our Tuesday and Wednesday nights now! Blahhh! At least until volleyball starts....

(Back Row, L-R: Diana, Paul, Kristen, Ben H., Melinda, Ben B., Matt

Middle, L-R: Ryan, Jared, Traci

Front, L-R: Tyrel, Meghan, Rachel, Jamie, Ashley, Kallie)

Tyrel and I in the outfield

Ben B. about to speed around the bases. It was stressful running in front of him! And I'm not exactly slow!
Brian at 1st base, and Andrew pitching
Mary at bat, Rachel on base

On Saturday we had a Stake tournament. The first game we beat them pretty handily. Ok we annihilated them! Then off to watch the BYU/UCLA game (59-0! woop woop!)

Our second game it took us a little bit to get warmed up, but once we got it together at about the 3rd inning it was no contest.

The next game was the championship against the 48th ward. We played well but ended up losing in the last inning by 1 run (they had last ups, don't you hate that?)

Here are some pictures from the championship game (thanks to Tiffany for the pics!)

___________________________

Waiting for the championship to start. That's a pretty good deal Matt's got going there...

Brian, Rachel, and Meghan

I also want to point out the "magic bat"/"the green machine." You may not think having a good bat makes any difference, but oh does it ever! I'll tell you what, I will be checking the sale racks (it'll have to be a major sale) for a composite bat like this. You don't have to try nearly as hard to get a good hit with this piece of batting glory.

Diana New Ben B./"mighty mouse" high five! Rachel about to smash the ball to smitherines!
Tyrel, aka "wheels"
Take your base (I know it's terrible to walk in slow pitch softball, but the pitches were equally terrible) Us getting in trouble...again. But that's Bro. Walker there on the right, he's cool. It was the other power trip girl ump that hated us. Maybe it's cause we're good. It's usually like that!
Brian our ringer, probably getting ready to hit another one out of the park
Ben B., our amazing shortstop. There's me playing left center.
Matt
Our faithful fans, Sue and Tiffany! Brian at first base, and Andrew the pitcher.
Ready to go Me trying to take it to left field. It worked but look at me picking up my back foot. Terrible.
Tyrel, Ben B., and Traci talking some strategy I'm sure :) Ben B., Brian, and Adam
Tyrel and Melinda
I'm gonna miss softball so much! Most of my very best friends in the ward I've met playing softball. Although probably not quite as fun, I'm sure volleyball will be great as well.

p.s. I LOVE my ward! The SL University 49th ward is the best! No contest!

The Narrows

August 29-30, 2008

BJ and I met up with Mike and Julie Humphery's in Provo Friday night (8/29) and then carpooled down to Zion's. Another group (Adam Wingate, Mike Nicholls, Megan, and Nicole) was coming from Vegas, and Mallory came with Adam's mom who was going up there anyway. Preston went down from Provo the night before so he could be first in line to get a backwoods pass. See anyone can hike part of the Narrows from the bottom up, but if you want to hike from the top down you have to have a backwoods pass. There is also a limit of 50 people doing this route at a time, so groups are limited to 12 people. We initially planned for a bigger group but a lot of people bailed which turned out to be a good thing because of the group limit.

Anyway, poor Preston kept running into problem after problem. First, he found out that only 6 people were allowed per campsite and we had 10, ugh. So we had to get another campsite. Then he was able to get a backwoods pass but only for 7 people.

So when our car showed up that night we were trying to figure out who would go from top to bottom and which 3 would hike up from the bottom and meet them.

Here's me, BJ, Julie and Mike's campsite. And yep, that's my "bed" on the table :)

It's a long hike so we decided to get up at 5:30 to get a move on. Well, when we woke up it was still dark and we could see lightning. We knew there was a chance for rain and anyone whose done the Narrows knows that you have to worry about flash floods. So we called the Park Ranger to ask if he thought it was safe (dumb, their never gonna tell you to go because they have to cover their butt). He called us back at like 7:30 and said not to go (surprise, surprise). So we waited some more till daylight and there wasn't a cloud in the sky! So we got a late start and all decided to just go together from the bottom up. It just stinks that we didn't get to use the backwoods pass that we bought.

So here's some pictures from the hike, it was soooo fun! Random: On the way up we ran into the Roundy's! I looked up ahead of me and thought I saw Bro. Roundy. Then as my brothers passed him he kept looking back at them so I knew it was him. I just love the Roundy's! What a great family. So I had a little chat with Bro. Roundy and we were on our way.

BJ and Mike

BJ in a cool little crevace

Me
Mike and Julie
BJ and a makeshift bazooka :)
A triumphant Meghan right after she totally fell in, all the way!

Julie: "BJ looks like he's naked."

Meghan: "Ewwww!"

Bathroom buddies :) You can just figure that one out
Preston, Megan, and Mallory
Preston and Megan (no, not Meghan)

Mallory, Megan, Preston, and BJ. Look at Mallory go! Totally in the water!
Mike N. always wanted to take the hard way
This hike was probably 85% in the water and I loved every minute of it! I felt like an explorer or something fun like that
Cleaning the sand out of our shoes
BJ the turtle (on the way down he would use his backpack as a flotation device and float down the river)
Break time. Some of the boys had fun jumping off this rock.

Mallory, Mike, and Meghan
Cute Julie
Preston climbing
This is only about 1/3 of the monter of a bag of trailmix provided by my mom. 3 cheers to mom!!
The group: Mallory, BJ, Mike and Julie Humphery's, Adam and Nicole (in the back), Megan, Preston, Mike Nicholls. Not pictured: Meghan the photographer :))

This hike was so fun! I highly recommend it. And going only about 1/4 of the way from the bottom up only wetted my appetite to want to go again and do the whole thing. Next time Narrows, next time we will conquer you!

My mom met us at Zion's to pick up Mallory and our family plus Mike and Julie had dinner at a sandwich shop in the park.

We split up, Mom and Mallory back to Vegas, Preston and I in my car going to SLC (Preston was staying with BJ while he was homeless), and BJ, Mike and Julie in BJ's car. BJ was going to drop them off in Provo and then they were going to then drive up to Logan. Well considering we didn't get into SLC until 2:00am they decided to just stay the night at BJ's apt. So it was funny, right as I'm getting off the exit to go to my place I get a call from Mike who says, "Hey we're right behind you." What? How did that happen? I mean, we both stopped on the way home at different spots. But we just happened to meet up again. Anyway, we went to my apt. and everyone put their stuff back in their own car. I had been driving Preston's car the last couple of days so I took my stuff out and he put his in, my bags were in BJ's car, Mike and Julie took their stuff from BJ's car to theirs, etc. etc. It was craziness! Anyhoo, to conlude this crazy two day excursion, Preston and I even got up for 9:00am church the next morning! Holla!