Utah Extravaganza!

So when you need a break from normalcy, vacations are always a good idea. My friend Candace and I went ahead and planned a Utah trip which was more than perfect timing for both of us. Sometimes you just need a break. 

After work last Wednesday, we headed to the airport to catch our flights to Salt Lake City. We arrived in the great state where Candace's brother picked us up from the airport. From there, he took us to Chanon, a cute Thai Cafe. It was a small restaurant, and our highly intoxicated neighbors were a little more than entertaining. One of the girls was running into things, sharing way too much information extremely too loud. We were certainly glad to see them go. The food however, was delicious and satisfying. 

After dinner, we met up at Ashlee's house. She then drove us up to Park City where we would be staying. It was so beautiful. I could live there and have that view to wake up to every morning. Thursday we woke up, got ready for the day, and made it to the nearest bagel shop by noon. Park City Bagels' most delicious bagel? The french toast bagel of course. Heaven sent. Mmm.

Thursday we headed to the outlet mall in Park City, and got a few great purchases. Including matching hot pink V-neck T's. Then it was back to Salt Lake for more shopping and Lunch. 

Don't worry, we also took some pictures in front of East High. Home of High School Musical. Yes, I am 12. 

Later we met up with the one and only Mike C., did a little pizza action, filled each other in our love lives or lack thereof, had some laughs, enjoyed the great music, and invented the pterodactyl grip. After dinner, we did a little tour of the city, including but not limited to Capital hill, and Hobbitville. What was the song of choice that night? That's right- "Tik Tok". But when it doesn't come on the radio after an hour or so, next choice is "Imma Be". We most definitely had a dance party in the street to that song. It was a good night to say the least.

 

"Pterodactyl Grip"

Friday morning we again traveled from Park City to Salt Lake. We met up with my sister Rachel for a little chick flick time. "When in Rome" was the movie of choice. And I'm not gonna say I loved it.  It was a bit too cheesy and predictable for my taste. After the movie, Candace and I wanted to take some pics at temple square. Easier said than done. It took forever for someone to walk by so we could ask them to take a picture for us.

Later we had some people join us at the cabin and we headed out to the Sundance Festival. I had never been before and didn't really know what to expect. It was cold, everyone was super friendly and excited to be there. We walked up and down the streets, talking to random strangers here and there. At one point we noticed a commotion down the sidewalk. To our surprise, Owen Wilson was strolling by. A couple of our friends ran after him. Amy yelled out, "Owen! I quote you everyday!" To which he replied, "Thank you". Then he stopped, turned around, and walked in the opposite direction so he could escape the crowd through an alleyway.

Exciting stuff. I was happy to see at least one famous person, even if he didn't want to be our friend. Rebekah made a sweet video of the night. Owen is in it, wearing a purple puffy coat. Watch closely HERE.

 

Saturday was set aside for good ol' Provo. Most interesting part of the day was when Candace and I realized that we lived in the exact same house in Provo. I lived in it a year before she was there. Crazy! 

We went to the BYU bookstore to stock up on yummy chocolate covered cinnabears. We kept running into people we knew everywhere on campus. It was kinda strange feeling so popular at a school we don't even attend. Haha. 

That night we met up with Jake, Chris, and Jessie. The boys entertained us for hours. We loved every minute. From Jake hitting on the waitress at the pizza place, to Crisco on the 80's camera lens of the Provo community channel. Those boys can make anything hilarious. Chris' roommates play on BYU's basketball team. So we went ahead and took some pictures with the enormous shoes.

We ended up leaving Provo pretty late that night, and had to venture back to Park City in a blizzard. We were tired and scared to die a snowy white death. It was a long drive home, but luckily we made it back safe and sound.

Sunday we went to church, then to my aunt and uncle Winder's home for dinner. They treated us to some home cooked spaghetti and of course any dairy product you could want to drink. Candace headed back to AZ that night, but I stayed an extra day. I slept at the Winder's house with my little sister Rachel. We had some fun Monday, but the day was too short. I wasn't quite ready to head back to reality yet... 

Utah... I will be back, mark my words!

What rhymes with ten?

Welcome then, 2010! 

Where to spend New Years Eve? It's kind of a big decision. Where will all the other people be? With all the different options, how are you supposed to know? This is a story of the most random New years in my history of New years. But it was perfect.

We started out by getting a crew together for dinner. The Cheesecake Factory seemed like an appropriate choice. We enjoyed Diana's random questions like, "Which celebrity would you want to be friends with?" or "Which television show would you want to be on?"... entertaining results to say the least.

After taking their time deciding on the perfect cheesecake flavor. Candace and Caleb went with the Snickers Cheesecake. Good choice guys.

I was a little disappointed in the boys in this group shot. Kenny's hiding behind Dan who isn't really smiling, and I'm not sure what Jared is doing. But I have to say, good job Caleb, he's actually smiling very genuinely. 

After dinner we has some time to kill, so we went back to our place. Decision making was not our strong suit that night. Finally, we came up with a game plan, and we were on our way. First stop, YSA activity at a church building. Pulling up to the parking lot, we saw there was only a hand full of cars. Not very promising. We couldn't resist taking a peek inside. Sure enough, there was about 20 people sitting in a circle playing charades in the gym. Next. 

We headed to a house party... lots of cars at this one. But upon further examination, we noticed the average age was probably 17-18. So we were again were on our way to the next option. 

Plan C... Polar Ice- skating rink activity. We decided this should probably be the last stop of the night because midnight was slowly creeping upon us. We got to Polar Ice and weren't very excited about what we found. Again a very young crowd and not much to do since we weren't in the mood to skate. One of the highlights was when Diana started to dance with people who were just walking by. People who had no idea who she was. It was sooo entertaining and of course I got it on camera....

It was 11:45pm... and we were all getting super restless. No one wanted to welcome in the new year at Polar Ice. A last minute rash decision was made and we all darted out to the cars, drove to the nearest QT station, and rang in the new year! So random but entirely memorable. Poor Dan, Kenny and Jared got lost and didn't make it in time for midnight. But we kept the cashier company and took pictures inside the beloved establishment. Who does that? We do. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

No place else we'd rather be.

After the celebrated minute, we thought we should check out the one other option we didn't try. The party at Game Works. A video game arcade that hadn't sounded intriguing to any of us. We showed up just as they were closing it down. To our horror, this is where everyone was the whole time! This was the party to be at! This was where the dancing was! Where the age appropriate peers were! We hung out outside talking to people as they left. Then, as if we hadn't already driven all over the Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler area enough, we hit up a breakfast put on at a church building. Pancakes. We saw a few more people but I had reached my limit, and it was time for bed. I'm not 18 anymore. I need my sleep. So we drove home and went to bed. I loved the New Years and was so happy to spend it with my friends who I love! 

Welcome then, 2010!

Where are you Christmas?

Well December '09 was an interesting month for Me. It all began when I totaled my car on December 3rd. Yes, you have all seen the darling Chevy Cavalier for the last time. It was put to rest after smashing into the back a of white toyota pick up. One of the scariest things I've been through. Two cars in front of me collided and I decided to join. It all happened so fast, and I don't think I will ever get that image out of my mind. Before I knew it, my air bags went off and the retched smell of hot broken car filled the air. I smashed my face in the airbag and my nose went numb momentarily. Luckily I wasn't hurt other than some whip lash that I am still dealing with. But I was very watched over and protected. It could've been so much worse. I'm grateful it wasn't.

So I was car less for about a week, depending on good friends to tow me around. I'm grateful for my friends. The doctor I work for hooked me up with his buddy who sells cars. I worked with him to find an affordable car, he went to the auction and got the car we picked out. I'm grateful for connections. The end result? A black 2008 Dodge Caliber...

So I now have wheels, but am still paying for the aftermath of the accident. Towing company fees $300. My insurance only covered liability. I was also sited a ticket for "Failure to avoid collision". With all the extra expenses in my life, I wasn't able to buy a ticket to go home for Christmas. 

There was one other year I didn't go home for Christmas, and that was a few years ago... '05 or '06. I spent it with my friend Whit and her family. But I was already living with them, so it seemed natural and it still felt like Christmas. Her home was my home away from home.

This year, I was invited to many of my friend's homes to have dinner etc with them for the holiday. I spent Christmas Eve with my friend Candace's family. Her dad is also my bishop. They were very sweet to have us over. And by "us", I mean me and my roommate Sarah who also wasn't able to go home to Utah because of work. So at least we weren't alone. We had each other. After we left the bishops home, we came back to our condo, and realized that something wasn't quite right. We had a Christmas tree, but no stockings. Sarah got out all her crafty supplies and we attempted to make paper stockings for ourselves. I think they turned out pretty cute actually. All they could hold was a candy cane. But what more do you really need? We hung them above our Television and called it good.

We also received a boxed ginger bread house kit. I thought it sounded fun to decorate it. I opened the box and boom... it was a PRE-ASSEMBLED ginger bread house... so we laughed for awhile about that. Of course it would be already decorated! We decided to take some pics with the poorly structured thing, so we could remember this Christmas forever. Ha.

Eventually, we gave up and went to bed. I slept in the next morning until 9:30 or 10:00 I think. Sarah was already up making lemon poppy seed muffins. We ate breakfast then decided to open presents. We both laughed as we look over at the gifts under the tree.

Of course Christmas is not about getting presents... but I realized that I missed watching everyone else open the presents that I had picked out or that other family members had made. The whole experience just wasn't the same. Although I'm grateful for Christmas, and the true meaning of it all, I also know that family and tradition is such a big part of the spirit of Christmas. I really am thankful for those who made efforts to make me feel at home this Christmas. I'm so lucky to have such wonderful people in life. 

Thanksgiving in Washington

So... Thanksgiving was a delight. Full of food, family and good ol' Washington goodness. All the kids were home except Maren and the McCaleb crew, which was sad. I miss them. But we had some fun in Seattle this November.

We made a trip to Seattle the day before Thanksgiving...

First stop was the gum wall. Gross and unsanitary, yet artistic and beautiful, all at the same time. It's a wall in the alley behind the Pikes Place Market. People stick their gum on it. 

Gum wall photos:

Next, we ventured in the rain to find the infamous "Troll under the Bridge". Eventually we found him. This was a first for me. I remember they went to the troll in the movie "Ten Things I Hate About You" ... classic. I have always wanted to find it. 

Troll photos:

Thanksgiving was a success. Grandma and Grandpa. Aunts and Uncle. Missionaries. Sisters. Brother. Bro-in-law. Mom. Dad. Nieces and Nephew. And Me. Nothing like Mom's cooking. 

My niece Tess loves to make silly faces.

My nephew Eli. Such a good baby.

Photo shoot with my little ladies. 

My Dad and his sister Sherri.

But the day was not complete until my Aunt Lynn's puppet show musical.

Spookalicous

Halloween. I love it. The one day you can be ANYBODY you want. It doesn't matter if you're too short to be a basketball player, too uncoordinated to be a dancer, or too boring to be a rockstar. If you can dream it, on Halloween- you can BE it. 

This year, I am ashamed to say I didn't put much effort into my costume. I always have good intentions but it never gets done until the night before or the day of. This year was a "day of" kind of year. 

To start the day off right, the girls and I hiked Camelback mountain. I had never hiked it before. It was pretty intense, requiring semi-rock climbing skills, and lots of water. 

The sun was a bit too bright. I couldn't look at the camera.

For my costume, I borrowed a dress from a girl at work, painted on some fake freckles, grabbed some cowboy boots and I was on my way. Country girl? Western girl? Cow girl? Call my mediocre costume what you will, but I had a blast. 

We met at Candace's house for photos and then we headed to parties we had lined up. House party then the hanger. The hanger is an actual airplane hanger they rent out for parties and such. Lots and lots of people. Every costume you could think of. Much dancing. It was a good night. Here's a little taste of our Halloween:

My roommate Jen is here to save the day!

Catwalk in the QT.

The BIG apple!

Last month, my girlfriends and I decided to take Southwest up on their $90 flights to NYC.  Karen used to live there, so we trusted her to show us around. It was my first time ever to the big city. It was a lot of walking, a lot of eating, a lot of shopping, a lot of people, and a lot of memories. Overall, I loved the the trip. But I realized that I'm a country girl at heart and probably could not live in a city that big ever.  

First up: We left super early to catch our flight Friday morning. It was a whole day of travel with a forever long layover in Baltimore. This is us in the first cab of the trip, right after we landed in New York. We were a little tired.

This was our cab driver. He loved to talk and talk and talk. It was kind of funny. I couldn't really understand half of what he was saying... but entertaining none the less. He was trying to make a "crazy cab driver face" in this picture.

After dropping our stuff off at Karen's friend Mel's house, we headed to dinner and then Pink Berry. Both of which were delicious. Candace went ahead and got 4 toppings on her yogurt. One being Caption Crunch. I love her.

After eating our lives away, we walked around the area. This is Washington Square. I think they were filming a movie behind us because they had bright set lights up.

Karen forgot a toothbrush. But luckily I was "Captain Prepared" this trip. I brought "Whisps", which are little brushes on the go. I don't know how I did it, but I was a really great packer and brought anything you would ever need on a trip.

Saturday started off with a delicious brunch at a cute little French cafe. Mmm. Crepes.

Saturday was a day of shopping. We covered all the major stores. We didn't go crazy though. I only bought a couple $4 "I love NYC" t-shirts. Must haves.

And don't worry, we never went hungry. This corn was absolutely heaven sent. I loved it.

And of course we couldn't pass up these cute little cupcakes. Luckily all we did was walk all day, otherwise I think we would have gained about 20 lbs each. 

*****

That night, we met up with our friend Brittany and had the time of our lives at the off broadway show "FuerzaBruta". This show was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. First of all, the audience stands the whole time in the big open room, surrounded by curtains. Then they direct you and move you around during the whole show. It's kind of like acrobatic show, meets dance party, meets singing in the rain. At the end of the show it pours rain over everyone and we all dance in the rain together. It was really crazy, we were soaked. But it was so worth it. 

Karen and I soaked to the bone. Ready to head out into the chilly NY weather.

Waiting for the subway that night, there was a guy playing the piano. I don't know how he got that piano in the subway... but I loved it.

Sunday we were off to church which was in the same building as the temple. Kind of cool. Amazing seeing a temple smack in the middle of the busy city. 

If there was a photo opportunity... we took it.  

After walking around the city for a couple days, our feet were KILLING us. So we changed into our Ug boots. In the name of comfort... not beauty. 

 On the bus. Heading to the MET. 

Arrived at the MET. Ready to see art, history, and much more. 

We internalized the art so much, that eventually we became a part of it. 

A really cool metal sculpture on the roof of the MET. A beautiful view.

Delicious meal at a pizza joint. The name of which escapes me. This is why I should not wait a month and a half to blog about something. All the details are gone from my memory. :(

That night we saw "Coco Before Chanel". A really great foreign film. 

*****

Monday was full of the classic spots. We Headed to the Staten Island Ferry. It was free and they float right past the Statue of Liberty. 

After a little lunch, we headed to 30 ROCK. Karen's friend had some stand-by tickets to the Jimmy Fallon show. Sadly we waited, but never got into the show. So, it was on to plan B which was originally plan A. Bike rides in Central Park! This was one of my favorite parts of the trip. I loved the park. It was way bigger than I thought it was going to be. So beautiful. 

That night we headed to Brooklyn for some more delicious pizza. A place called Grimaldi's. There's always a huge line outside the restaurant to get in. We waited to partake of the famous pizza pie.

After eating our faces off, we burned some of those extra calories by walking the Brooklyn bridge home. Loved it.

Tuesday was our last day. But we hadn't even begun our adventure yet. First thing, we woke up, and took a taxi to the trapeze school. Yes, trapeze school. Karen had done this once before, but Candace and I were a little worried we were going to die. We didn't take a ton of pictures. But don't you worry... we have the video footage to prove our feat. 

We were pretty proud of ourselves afterwards. We are trapeze artists. No big deal. :)

And then it was time to pack up and head to the airport. Sad day. But first we had to say goodbye to Karen and Candace's new little friend, Lyla. Our roommate for the weekend.

Sneak attack nose licker.

One of the BEST.

Wow. It's not often that you have such a fun-filled weekend. A weekend where everyday is uplifting spiritually and so much fun in every other aspect. The following was one of those weekends...

It all began Thursday night, October 1st. A group of us went out to the Brad Paisley/ Dirks Bentley concert. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed the whole show. Candace and I probably spent way too much time people watching, and couldn't help but snatch a few pics of the classics...

True love. Cowboy style.

*****

Friday, Karen, Candace and I caught some rays poolside. Karen has recently joined our Friday-work-free-club. And I love it. Later that night, a big group of our lady friends got together and headed to Martini Ranch to see the one, the only, Ingrid Michaelson!! The concert was more than I could've asked for or expected. Most of us were on cloud 9 the whole time. If you are not a fan of Ingrid yet... you should really rethink some things. She's amazing. 

We creepily waited in the back alley for an opportunity to meet Ingrid. Our stalking paid off in the end! 

Me and Ingrid!

Ashley, A.K.A "20", got underage X's instead of wrist band. She felt left out. Oh little one.

*****

Saturday started out with some amazing General Conference talks. It was a great way to start out the day. It's always so important to take that time to re-evaluate my life and goals. 

Between sessions on Saturday, we had a neighborhood BBQ. It was fun to get together with all the people I drive by on a daily basis. We wave, but I'm not sure I knew most of their names until the BBQ. 

Afternoon session of Conference, equally inspiring. Then me and the girls were off to the movies! "What was the movie of choice?" you may ask... the answer is "Whip It". 

A film about a young girl who decides she wants to join the roller derby. We kind of loved this movie, and were inspired for what we hope will pan out to be our Halloween costumes for this year. 

*****

Sunday, in between conferences we headed over to our bishops house for some waffles. Mmm. Delicious. 

That night we had our semi-annual Pizookie party. What is a "Pizookie"? It's this dessert that Arizonians love and cherish. You take a cookie (only half-way baked), and add a big scoop of ice cream on top. My roommate Jen has been having these parties for years now, and we felt it would be a good weekend to get one in. 

The party was a success and many Pizookies were enjoyed. Great friends. Great talks. Great weekend.