After our ten-day trip, we are finally back home. Let me tell you, it was so nice to sleep in our own bed without any interruption....especially since we got in at 3 a.m.
The first night of our trip, we stopped in Reno to sleep and stay with my grandparents. Their little miniature poodle kept trying to mount Steinway, but he would have none of it! Go Steinway! The next day we took him to stay at my other grandma's house (Granny) because she is a doglover and basically has doggie heaven in her backyard. Then we headed off to Lake Shasta in California to join up with Ephraim's family.
Seventeen people (three one-year-olds included)...just brothers, sisters, their families, and their mom. It was a pretty crazy adventure. We rented two vacation homes, both with pools, but mostly stayed at one (which had the three families with children). Each family made one breakfast and one dinner, except those who had to double up.
Saturday night, we hung out at the house. Sunday, we went on a hike to a waterfall where four of the men jumped in and almost froze their buns off....followed by lots of swimming. Monday, the women went on a hike to Castle Craggs....so tiring! Tuesday, we went to the lake! Boating, tubing, wave-running, swimming, and WAKE-BOARDING!
Holy cow! That is hard! I've never done it before, but I got up on my first try...and then fell down two seconds later....literally. That happened about 17 times, but then I finally did it! It was awesome! I felt accomplished. I set out to do something, and I did it. It took awhile, but I made it happen. I did that two times, and then I was too sore to do it anymore. Falling hurts!
On Wednesday, the men went on the hike to Castle Craggs (we figured it'd be better to not take the kids....we were right). Then Ephraim took some family pictures of two of the families. The more kids you have, the harder it is to get everyone to cooperate. Thursday, we went to Waterworks park in Redding. That was fun. But I think the best part was going with the kids and listening to them say this was the best day of their life....even better than their birthday!! That's pretty major. On Friday, we stayed around the cabin...everyone was so tired! Then, Raquel (one of Ephraim's sisters) and I got a surprise birthday cake! (Hers just past and mine is coming up.) It was the best chocolate cake I ever had....homemade by his mother. My mouth is watering just thinking of it!
The next morning it was time to head out. We went straight to Granny's house to see Steinway, who was so excited to see us! She and my two uncles just loved him....and how could they not? He is the best dog ever. We had a BBQ, and I got some cool birthday presents. Then we left Steinway there and went to stay at Grandma and Grandpa's house....they were happy they didn't have to worry about their little gay poodle chasing after our dog. The next day, we had lunch with my cousin, Sara. It was a good lunch...we talked for four hours. We had to leave the restaurant so the server could get more tables. Then dinner at a steakhouse with my grandparents and great-grandpa for my birthday. It was AMAZING! We played lots of Crazy Eights and Dominos and Sorry with Great-Grandpa, who is 91, has dementia, and lives with my grandparents.
Then we went to their wedding store, where I bought lots of stuff for some parties coming up. We're having a friend's Rexburg open house here in a couple weeks, then a bridal shower in October, and a baby shower probably in October, also. I got a great deal! Then we had lunch with my cousin, Stevie. Good to see him. Then we picked up Steinway and drove home.
And here we are! This is more detailed blog than I had planned, but oh well.
I think the best part of this trip was that I got to know members of my family better. I talked with Ephraim's brothers and sisters, with my cousins, with grandparents. It was really neat to see where certain traits come from and the effects that we all have on each other. I think I got to know my husband better, as well as myself. I've found people that I can trust and rely on that I never knew I could before. And to be honest, I found that some people I can't really rely on no matter how much I love them. I've found qualities in each person that I admire and qualities that I don't admire. I think it's good to pick those things out, so we know what we're working toward and can figure out how to get there. My family is pretty crazy, but I feel blessed to have them....all of them, whether new or old. I hope they know that. =)
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Thursday, August 16, 2012
A blonde, a brunette, and a redhead walk into a bar.....OUCH!
Some pretty rad things this past week.
1. My husband officially got a job offer where he's been doing his internship these past few months at a company called The Trade Desk. (They do online advertising and search engine optimization and all that stuff.) And this was not a small offer. We're very excited. He graduates in December and will move to California (Ventura Beach area) in January. Unfortunately, I don't graduate until July, and then I have student teaching in the fall, which I'll be doing in Vegas. I'm thinking about loading up on credits for the next two semesters, however, and graduating in April. I wouldn't be able to work, but with this offer, I don't really need to at this point. But it all depends on scheduling with the classes. If I can make it work, I'll do it. We shall see!!
2. My husband got back home at 5 a.m. this morning after being gone for a month! I'm so happy he's back. It's good to have him here. =)
3. We got new phones. The Epic Touch....an android! It's pretty exciting for me because I have NEVER had a nice phone. I never really thought I needed or wanted one, but it was buy one get one so we got two for a hundred bucks!! AWESOME!
4. We're going on vacation tomorrow!!! While Ephraim has been traveling all over the country these past few months, I've been stuck in Rexburg since January. I'm happy to be getting out of here, especially since the smoke from the fires in this area are causing a lot of issues around my facial area. (You know, dry and puffy eyes, congestion, hard to breathe, etc.) So what does this mean? I'm doing laundry and packing. The worst part of vacation for sure. But we do get to stop in Reno and see my family on the way to Lake Shasta. STOKED!
5. I got tons of pictures up! Unfortunately, we only have pictures of us and pictures of our wedding, so we look pretty stuck on ourselves. But now that we have an awesome new camera (that would be number six!), I'm hoping we'll get pictures of and with the family to put up.
6. I already mentioned it. The camera.
7. I got my hair done! Pretty snazzy. I've never done anything crazy with my hair, and I love this. It's an ombre....kind of.
(Picture taken by my new awesome phone!!!)
See....now I'm a blonde, a brunette, AND a redhead. (I guess you can't see the blonde a whole lot in this picture...it's down at the bottom.) So I guess that makes me smart, fun, and fiery? I don't know. Bring on the jokes!
1. My husband officially got a job offer where he's been doing his internship these past few months at a company called The Trade Desk. (They do online advertising and search engine optimization and all that stuff.) And this was not a small offer. We're very excited. He graduates in December and will move to California (Ventura Beach area) in January. Unfortunately, I don't graduate until July, and then I have student teaching in the fall, which I'll be doing in Vegas. I'm thinking about loading up on credits for the next two semesters, however, and graduating in April. I wouldn't be able to work, but with this offer, I don't really need to at this point. But it all depends on scheduling with the classes. If I can make it work, I'll do it. We shall see!!
2. My husband got back home at 5 a.m. this morning after being gone for a month! I'm so happy he's back. It's good to have him here. =)
3. We got new phones. The Epic Touch....an android! It's pretty exciting for me because I have NEVER had a nice phone. I never really thought I needed or wanted one, but it was buy one get one so we got two for a hundred bucks!! AWESOME!
4. We're going on vacation tomorrow!!! While Ephraim has been traveling all over the country these past few months, I've been stuck in Rexburg since January. I'm happy to be getting out of here, especially since the smoke from the fires in this area are causing a lot of issues around my facial area. (You know, dry and puffy eyes, congestion, hard to breathe, etc.) So what does this mean? I'm doing laundry and packing. The worst part of vacation for sure. But we do get to stop in Reno and see my family on the way to Lake Shasta. STOKED!
5. I got tons of pictures up! Unfortunately, we only have pictures of us and pictures of our wedding, so we look pretty stuck on ourselves. But now that we have an awesome new camera (that would be number six!), I'm hoping we'll get pictures of and with the family to put up.
6. I already mentioned it. The camera.
7. I got my hair done! Pretty snazzy. I've never done anything crazy with my hair, and I love this. It's an ombre....kind of.
(Picture taken by my new awesome phone!!!)
See....now I'm a blonde, a brunette, AND a redhead. (I guess you can't see the blonde a whole lot in this picture...it's down at the bottom.) So I guess that makes me smart, fun, and fiery? I don't know. Bring on the jokes!
Thursday, August 9, 2012
R.I.C.E.
By the way, these Target commercials with the teachers singing about what their students will need....HILARIOUS!
On to more interesting things (at least I hope so).... training was going so great! I found a 10k on September 15th, either in Rexburg or Pocatello, and I was super excited. Then on Saturday, I went to zumba for the first time in months. I was super excited, because sometimes a girl just needs to spice up her life a little bit. (Did you just sing that in your head? Yeah, I just did, too.) Anyway, during the very first song, my ankle totally inverted. OUCH! It hurt real bad, but in soccer, the coaches always told me to walk it off. So I just took it down a few notches and worked through it.
For the rest of the day, it was ok. A slight pain, but not debilitating or anything. The next day, I wore heels to church. Definitely felt it a little more. O Monday....yeah....ow. And by Tuesday, I was hobbling. R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) So I haven't been able to run at all, and I'm really sad about it. But, it's getting better, so I'm thinking in a couple days I should be able to slowly get back into the groove.
Until then, I guess I'll just do sit-ups.....?
On to more interesting things (at least I hope so).... training was going so great! I found a 10k on September 15th, either in Rexburg or Pocatello, and I was super excited. Then on Saturday, I went to zumba for the first time in months. I was super excited, because sometimes a girl just needs to spice up her life a little bit. (Did you just sing that in your head? Yeah, I just did, too.) Anyway, during the very first song, my ankle totally inverted. OUCH! It hurt real bad, but in soccer, the coaches always told me to walk it off. So I just took it down a few notches and worked through it.
For the rest of the day, it was ok. A slight pain, but not debilitating or anything. The next day, I wore heels to church. Definitely felt it a little more. O Monday....yeah....ow. And by Tuesday, I was hobbling. R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) So I haven't been able to run at all, and I'm really sad about it. But, it's getting better, so I'm thinking in a couple days I should be able to slowly get back into the groove.
Until then, I guess I'll just do sit-ups.....?
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Plasma Time!!
I must begin this entry by saying that Rexburg during the 7-week summer break is absolutely beautiful and incredibly peaceful. I am so grateful for the short lines at the grocery store and being able to walk around campus. Getting around on the streets, however, is not so easy. Because the place is empty, this is the time the city takes to completely tear up roads and put them back in, draw new lines, etc. Whole streets are shut down! And it's multiple streets at once! And it's not like this place is so big that there are so many options. Oh well. Small price to pay for short lines!
Now, on to the good stuff. I have an announcement! (No, I'm not pregnant. Why does everyone assume that when a married Mormon girl has an announcement, it's that she's going to have a baby?) Anyway, the announcement is: I'm training for a triathlon!!!
The Olympic Triathlon is:
Run: 6.2mi (10k)
Bike: 24.8mi (20k)
Swim: 0.93mi (1.5km)
I hadn't really mentioned this to anyone in case I decided not to do it after a week or two. But it's been two weeks now, and I feel really good about it. I started riding my bike to and from school back in June (almost 4mi each way) everyday, and I love it! (I was so scared at first, just ask my husband. I looked ridiculous trying to get started on that dumb bike.)
Also, I've seen a huge difference in my running. A couple weeks ago, I could run for about 15 min before I needed to slow down and walk a little. But yesterday, I ran for 40min! And I felt like I could go longer, but my training plan only said 40min today. The one I'm most worried about is swimming. I took a swim class last winter semester, but I still struggle. So, I start with a private swim teacher next week. I'm pretty excited about it.
Unfortunately, the program is 4-months, so by the time I'm ready, it'll be December...which is the off-season. So I'll just have to keep going. I might be in California in January, so maybe I'll have to do it then. And I'm planning to do a 10k run in September.
But with this means that I need to pay for swim lessons, new running shoes, and a road bike. And you know what that means? $$$$ Which means.....it's plasma time!
Now, on to the good stuff. I have an announcement! (No, I'm not pregnant. Why does everyone assume that when a married Mormon girl has an announcement, it's that she's going to have a baby?) Anyway, the announcement is: I'm training for a triathlon!!!
The Olympic Triathlon is:
Run: 6.2mi (10k)
Bike: 24.8mi (20k)
Swim: 0.93mi (1.5km)
I hadn't really mentioned this to anyone in case I decided not to do it after a week or two. But it's been two weeks now, and I feel really good about it. I started riding my bike to and from school back in June (almost 4mi each way) everyday, and I love it! (I was so scared at first, just ask my husband. I looked ridiculous trying to get started on that dumb bike.)
Also, I've seen a huge difference in my running. A couple weeks ago, I could run for about 15 min before I needed to slow down and walk a little. But yesterday, I ran for 40min! And I felt like I could go longer, but my training plan only said 40min today. The one I'm most worried about is swimming. I took a swim class last winter semester, but I still struggle. So, I start with a private swim teacher next week. I'm pretty excited about it.
Unfortunately, the program is 4-months, so by the time I'm ready, it'll be December...which is the off-season. So I'll just have to keep going. I might be in California in January, so maybe I'll have to do it then. And I'm planning to do a 10k run in September.
But with this means that I need to pay for swim lessons, new running shoes, and a road bike. And you know what that means? $$$$ Which means.....it's plasma time!
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