Not Too Shabby

I love days like today. This morning, Emily, my mom, and I got up early so we could watch the Spudman athletes. (for any who may not know, the Spudman is Burley's triathlon...pretty much what we are known for) The bikers come right past my neighborhood and the runners go right past my aunt's house, so we watched some of both. They are pretty hardcore. Also, remember yesterday when I said I wanted to run it next year? Yeah, after watching how exhausted those poor people looked; I may have changed my mind. After being great cheerleaders, we went to my best friend Heather's bridal shower. Weird that Heather had a bridal shower? Yes. A very good and exciting thing at the same time? Definitely. I am so happy for that kid. Also I like her, so I stole her from her family (that she had only been with for a few hours since she got home from DC) and made her come play with me all day. I hope the Carlquists don't hate me now. I also hope that they don't mind that I want to spend just as much time with her as they do this week. We came to my house with the intention of going boating for the afternoon. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't as awesome as it was supposed to be, and my dad got called in to do a surgery that lasted way too long. So we hung around and roasted indoor s'mores and talked about growing up for a while. (it wasn't boating, but it wasn't too terrible) Eventually the weather cleared up and my dad got home. We got a couple hours of boating in before the sun went down. That was pretty great. I am telling you, it never gets old for me. Also, I had a scary realization the other day: What if when I get married and have my own life, we don't live near a body of water? Or what if my husband doesn't like boating? Or what if we can't afford our own boat? Or what if my husband isn't a good boat driver. These things will just not work for me. Boating is happiness to me, and wakeboarding is one of the few things that I consider a slight talent of mine. I can't do cool tricks, but I can get up and be pretty steady on the thing. I feel like that makes it worthy of being called a talent. Also, I don't want to brag or anything, but my dad is THE best boat driver. Besides being good at the actual driving part (which is trickier than one might think) he is so patient and encouraging and helpful when people are trying new things. And he is very selfless with the whole thing. I don't know when the last time was that that guy actually got to waterski. I feel terrible about that a lot, and wish that I was more comfortable driving the boat so that I could pull him. He is very good at acting like it doesn't bother him though. He just makes sure everyone else in the boat is happy, and that seems to make him happy. He's great. Back to the previous problem: What if my husband isn't like that? I grew up boating and it's kind of my favorite thing in the world. I can't just let it go. I could go on and on about my fear of getting married someday and everything that I've ever known changing. I won't though because A) it's not actually a legitimate concern for me right now and B) it's bedtime. Probably I don't need to lose sleep over that just yet.

P.S. I have lots of pictures of our best friend adventures today, but I'm too tired to deal with putting all of them on here right now. Probably they will be on Facebook soon enough.

Good News!

Good news! Today is Friday!

Good news! I had strawberries and cool whip for breakfast!

Good news! I got to ride the good mower at work today!

Good news! Today was my last day of work!!!!!!!!!!

Good news! I went running today, and because it was my last day of work I will be able to get back on track with my running and go every day!

Good news! My aunt went to Boston and brought me back a giant Red Sox hair bow! I don't know what I will wear it with but I sure do love it.

Good news! My mom taught me how to balance a checkbook!

Good news! I had some awesome quality time with my mom and Emily this evening!

Good news! My best friend gets home from her long internship in DC in 2 hours!

Good news! My dad gets home tomorrow and is taking me and my best friend(s) boating!

Good news! I may or may not have decided today that I want to train all year to run in the Spudman next summer!

Good news! My mom washed my sheets and gave me new fluffier pillows! (nothing better than clean sheets)

Good news! I get to go to bed now!

Raspberries, Baseballs, Creeps, and a Mustang

Well, it's been a little while. Why? Because I don't have much to say. Here is a little summary of the last few days. On Friday night, Sam came home and brought a few of her BYU friends with her. I was a little worried that it would be awkward time having these kids here that I don't know, but I had so much fun! We pretty much boated all day on Saturday and it was wonderful. Then they stayed for church, dinner, and indoor s'mores before heading back to Provo on Sunday. I felt like almost a part of the group rather than the little sister. They were so fun to have here, and pretty much made me laugh the entire weekend. On Monday morning, Lexi left to go camping with a friend and Mitch left for Camp Bradley. That left me and Mom home alone for the week. Good thing I like her so much! We have been having some good quality time. Yesterday, I got done with work really early so Mom and I took a little trip to Twin Falls. Mostly I needed to go so that I could get a bridal shower present. After I got that, we did a little Costco trip (I have always loved going to Costco with my mom...I don't know why). My mom loves me, so she bought me lots of strawberries, nectarines, grapes, and....wait for it...RASPBERRIES!!!! I couldn't be happier. After shopping, we went on a little dinner date to Applebee's and took advantage of the 2 for $20 deal (like we are a couple or something). It was delicious. I also love talking to my mom. She is amazing and I tell her absolutely everything. I feel like my mom and I have become very good at balancing our relationship between being a mother and daughter, and being best friends. We do both; and we do them both quite well I might add. When we got home, I watched The Guardian while washing and cutting all of my fruit, wrapping my present, and making a card (I know, I'm too productive). Then, Mom and I had some vanilla ice cream topped with raspberries and chocolate syrup. Tell me how it gets better than that. You can't can you? Today, work was just work EXCEPT I found a baseball and a blue golf ball while I was mowing today! I felt like because they were in my path, they were now mine. I realize to the average person these might not be very exciting prizes, but when all you ever find while mowing is garbage, sticks, and dead birds; it's easy to be thrilled. Also, when we were mowing a big rec area today, this creeper-looking guy pulled up in a mini van (don't be fooled by the mini van, he was a creep). He got out of his van and then stood there next to it and just watched me go back and forth on my mower for a very long time. I did not love that. He eventually got in his van and left; probably when he realized that if he tried to kidnap me, I would run him over with my lawn mower. Take that creep! Really though, someone please give me another reason why he would do that if he wasn't a creeper. That's what I thought. When I was on my way home from work, I got a text from my mom that said "Wanna test drive a convertible mustang tonight?" I didn't actually know why we were doing it, but I was excited. I showered super fast after work and we went in to Bonanza Motors to take a mustang for a little spin. My mom is thinking (not too terribly seriously) about getting a Mustang. She said she has always wanted one, and thinks it might be nice to have a fun little car to drive around in now that she's old and doesn't have to take all the children everywhere anymore. I told her she has my full support in this idea. I don't think it's really going to happen. It was fun to take it for a ride and look at all of the options online though. After our joy ride, we had some more raspberries and ice cream while watching My Big Fat Greek Wedding. I love that movie. It's a crack-up. I am going to miss days like yesterday and today when I go back to Virginia. It's nice having my mom around all the time. I guess that's part of growing up though. Nuts. Well, sorry this is such a long and boring post. I didn't mean for it to be that way. Maybe something crazy exciting will happen at work tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

Yes?

Does this make your mouth water? Type in raspberries on Google images and tell me if you can even handle it...I couldn't. I will be going to the fridge as soon as I am done here.

The End of a Decade

I FINALLY got to go to Harry Potter tonight! I wish I could tell you that I don't get too excited about Harry Potter, and it's not really a big deal to me; but that would be a lie. When it comes to Harry Potter, I am definitely a nerd. For the most part, if the rest of the world is in an excited frenzy about something, I am not. Usually when things become overly popular, it turns me off to them. Harry Potter is my weakness. I just love it. I read all of the books as they came out, I've been to my fair share of HP midnight showings, and I just finished re-reading the whole series to prep myself for the last movie. That was a very enjoyable experience for me. The books are definitely better than the movies and have a lot more detail, so it was fun to go back and read them again. Probably you have all already seen it so I'm not going to go on and on about it. Mostly I am just on a Harry Potter High right now. I am pretty sad that it's all over now. Harry has been part of my life for a very long time, and now I have to be done with him. No more buying the new book the day it comes out and not being able to put it down. No more midnight shows. No more wondering if freaking Voldemort will ever die. But don't worry, I will continue to read the books and watch the movies for the rest of my life probably. And I will make my children do so as well. And they will love them.

Not Too Much

Well, I have nothing to talk about tonight. I know that I will be reprimanded if I don't blog though, so I will see what I can come up with. I went to work today. It wasn't much of a thrill. Emily found a snake and felt the need to bring me over to look at it. I hate those things soooo much. Luckily he was little and refused to move. That's a little easier to handle. I still kept my distance though. After I got home from work, I did my favorite part of the day: showering! Showers are the best when you are sweaty and covered in dirt and grass. Love them. Then I wrote a missionary letter that was 3 months overdue. Oops. While I was doing that, I listened to this band that Lexi introduced me to. They are called Boyce Avenue. I don't know if they have any original songs, but they have TONS of acoustic covers of popular songs. I really love them I have decided.

Pretend this is a Boyce Avenue video. I can't figure out how to get it on here. Look them up on Youtube. My favorite of theirs is Fast Car. I love the original song, but I love what they do with it. Sorry I'm video retarded. :S

For some reason, I am suddenly in a really good mood. I was having a nostalgic moment and looking at some of my old pictures on facebook, and it made me think about how incredible my friends and family are. I am soo lucky! Have you ever felt an almost overwhelming love for someone? Not in a romantic way, just, "Wow I love you more than I can even tell you and I just want to spend every second with you!" Okay, that sounds romantic, but that's not how I'm meaning it. Anyway, I am feeling that way right now about a lot of people. Probably if you are reading this blog, you are one of them. I love being in a good mood!

What are You Waiting For?

I have no idea why I am thinking about this tonight, but sometimes random thoughts come into your head and just feel like sticking around and being mulled over for a while. Tonight is one of those nights, so bear with me. When I graduated last year, I received several copies of the book "Oh the Places You'll Go" by Dr. Seuss. There is a part in it that talks about "The Waiting Place." It talks about how people tend to get stuck in this place of just waiting. Waiting for something; or maybe nothing. I feel like the great Dr. Seuss had a really good point. I am definitely guilty of getting stuck in "The Waiting Place." I think we all are. People tell themselves, "After high school, my life will get started." Or they say, "When I finally have the job that I want" or "When I am married" or "When we have kids" or "When our kids grow up" or "When I can finally retire, that's when I will be happy." It really is a silly thing that we do. If we spend our whole life waiting for the great things to come, we will miss the great things that are already happening. Wishing your life away is not a good way to make the most of it. When I was at school, I would find myself counting down the days until the weekend, or counting down the days until I could see my family, or counting down the days until the semester would end. Instead, I should have been enjoying the whole journey. If all you have to look forward to is that week when your family is coming to visit, then what do you have after that week is over and you're alone again? It's like kids and Christmas. For a month or more, all they can think about is Christmas morning. Then it comes, and an hour later the presents are all unwrapped and what do you have? Another 365 day wait for the next one. It's a hard habit to break; always looking toward the end goal. I know I will still be guilty of doing it....a lot. It's good to be conscious of though. Life is a journey and it's probably better to enjoy the whole thing, rather than fill it with impatient waiting for a moment of joy, followed by more waiting.

"Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured."

McCall :)

What a wonderful week I just had! I love McCall so much. Here is a quick summary of what happened:

Tuesday: We went to the Pancake House for breakfast. This place is crazy! The serving sizes there would probably be sufficient for a small army, not just one person. We all ordered what they call "plate-sized" pancakes. These things are HUGE! Think pizza pan size. But they are sooo delicious! I got their new pineapple pancake with coconut syrup. Best pancake ever! The syrup made it super yummy. It was like Hawaii in my mouth. I only ate about half of it though...so filling! Then we spent the rest of the day hanging out on the lake. We love to just lie on the dock and sleep. The lake was freezing so we didn't do a whole lot of swimming.

Wednesday: We rented some jet skis and took them out on the lake for a couple of hours. So much fun! I love jet skiing. It wasn't a super hot day, and the water was still freezing, (obviously) so we got pretty cold. It was a lot of fun though. After jet skis, we went back to our dock for a while, and then out to a new pizza place for dinner.

Thursday: Lexi's friend, Brooklyn, and my sister, Sam, got to McCall late Wednesday night/early Thursday morning. I woke up around 8 and went for a little run. Seriously, if you want to be a runner, McCall is the place to do it. It had rained the night before so everything was wet and smelled wonderful. It's such a gorgeous place. Also, it was fun because there's lots of other people out running around and everyone is super friendly like we've known each other for years. I love that. The rest of the family didn't get up and going until around noon. Lazies! We spent the rest of the day being lazy on the dock mostly. That night we went for a little drive around the lake and up to Sharlie's Point; a little lookout place where you can mostly see the whole lake.

Friday: Hike day! My mom found this place in a book about hikes to do in McCall, and decided that that was the one we would do. It was supposed to be an easy hike, one mile each way, and lead us to a lake. I don't think any of that was true. The "trail" was a stream half the time and a muddy mess the other half. It was uphill all the way, and I'm fairly certain it was more than a mile. We hiked for a while and eventually the trail disappeared and there was no lake in sight, just more mountain to climb. So, we turned around and went back to the car. While we were hiking, Mitch caught a little baby frog. For some reason I got really excited about it. I don't really do little creepy crawly animals like frogs, snakes, lizards, etc. They creep me out. But, I fell in love with this frog. I even held him in my hands! That was a crazy experience for me. He was super jumpy, and every time he jumped, so did I. Eventually, I decided that I had traumatized him enough and I put him back. We found a few more frogs after that. I loved them too. Then we found a giant, ugly toad. I hated him. He was DISGUSTING! I just like babies. Okay, that story was probably not near as exciting to you as it was to me. Sorry. After our hike we did more of the same, eating and chilling on the dock. Before we went out to dinner, Lexi, Brooklyn, Mitch, and I decided to go check out the haunted house. Up the hill from our cabin is this abandoned hotel that was built in 1914. I had always heard from my family members that it was haunted...or just creepy and old and abandoned...but I had never seen it for myself. Unfortunately, we didn't get very close to it because there were about ten "No Trespassing" signs all over in its front yard. And, there was a little trailer house in the front corner of it with a car parked in it. We are all goody-goodies and decided that it probably wouldn't be our best idea to test if those people really meant business with their signs. So we looked at it from afar. It really is old and creepy looking though. I wish we could have gotten closer. After this little adventure, we went to an ice-skating show. We thought it was a professional show, but it turned out to be a recital-type-thing for the local skating classes with a professional guest couple. It was kind of fun to watch, but after we had been there for an hour, they told us that they were having a 20 minute intermission. We decided it wasn't thrilling enough to wait 20 minutes for it to start again, so we went and got dinner instead.

Saturday: We went to the pancake house again for breakfast. Yum Yum! Then we went kayaking. There is this place at the north end of the lake that rents out kayaks and canoes that you can take down the river. That is another one of our McCall traditions. So, of course, we did that. Oh, cool story! There is this cabin down the road from us, and every time that we drove past it this week we were sure that we saw a bobcat on a leash chilling out in the driveway. We were curious about it so we took a little stroll down the road. Sure enough, there was a bobcat sitting there in the driveway. We asked the guy if we could take a picture and he was just great with that. Then he let us pet him and even picked him up and put him in Lexi's arms! She freaked out a little. He was kind of growling at her...or purring? The guy said that he knows this lady who raises bobcats for pets and that's where he got him. Crazy huh? And he takes him to preschools and lets him sleep in his bed and stuff. He's just a big kitty (that could tear him to pieces if he wanted to). So yes, that was super exciting for us.Then we wandered around downtown for a little bit and ordered some Mexican food for dinner. The Mexican restaurant is called Si Bueno. I love that. Yes Good. Ha! Anyway, after dinner we watched Monsters Inc. on ABC Family while Brooklyn did our nails. This girl is incredible painting nails. So we all took advantage of her talent. My nails look wonderful!!

Sunday: We packed up and left. I hate that part. Now I am home, which is nice but I miss McCall. I would be happier to be back if I didn't have to go back to work in the morning. It's supposed to be 94 degrees! Mowing lawns all day is definitely not what you should do with those kinds of temperatures. It's going to be miserable. Good thing I have my friends. I sure did miss them this week. Wow, that was more than a brief summary. Oh well.

P.S. I have pictures but they will probably be going on facebook only. That simplifies life for me a little bit.