33. HiKe aNGeLS LaNDiNG

So remember this LIST?

(I won't be offended if you don't. I know it's been a while)

Well this weekend, 

my WHoLe (immediate) FaMiLY

went down to visit G.MA and G.PA 

at their timeshare in 

ST. GeoRGe.

(will someone please remind me why I ever moved away from there?)

Do I remember much of the drive down? 

NO.

I slept through most of it. 

We did stop at PaNDa in CeDaR CiTy though. 

Potstickers are highly recommended.

(especially when you get Teriyaki sauce to dip 'em in)

TaYLoR didn't wear shoes. 

SuCCeSS.

This is the LoVeLy LaRGe place we stayed at. 

Canyon Villas at Coral Ridge

Taylor made sure to unpack

 the PAIR of SHORTS the wasn't wearing,

HIS SHiRT,

and his

UNDERWEAR

the second we got there. 

(He had to stake his claim on a bed)

So boys got the bedroom, girls got the couch. 

(which I somehow ended up sleeping on by myself both nights. Oh well!)

Figure that one out haha. 

We'd be crazy if we hadn't gone to the pool that night. 

Or the next night. 

So naturally we went both nights :)

Taylor thought it would be best,

since it was only our family at the pool,

to swim in his underwear.. 

My dad and I decided that probably wasn't the first time its happened.

The next morning was when our 

ANGELS LANDING ADVENTURE

began. 

THE CREW:

DaD.

Me.

KaeSi.

TayLoR.

&

TaNNeR

OUR PLAN: GET TO THE TOP!!

We started by parking in SPRiNGDaLe. We thought that by doing that we could save some money and just take the shuttle in. No car, no fee right? WRONG! If you take the shuttle in you still have to pay the same price to get in. Our first clue should have been the fact that only two other people were on the shuttle. So do yourself a favor when you go. Just drive your car right on into the visitors center. Save on some travel time :)

Once we got to the visitors center, we jumped on another shuttle that takes you to different points in the park. At first I was sitting by Kaesi. But then I decided that I would go sit by Tanner, leaving Kaesi with a wide open seat next to her. So of course when this chick sat down by her we snapped a picture haha. 

Also on this shuttle, there were 

3 GuYS.

They were headed to the same place we were. 

Did I just start talking to them on the shuttle?

No WaY JoSe.

Until they couldn't figure out where on the map we were. 

Then I kindly said

"We started up at the other end."

and pointed to the front end of the map. 

One of them answered with an

"Oh, ok!"

and then continued to try and figure out the same thing again.

Thats when I realized they weren't trying to figure out where we were,

but where to get off. 

And then I felt like a fool.

END OF STORY. 

After what seemed like a good long awkward time, 

we reached our stop.

The hike was on! 

Seriously though. 

Kaesi, and Taylor decided that the best way to the top was at warp speeds.

We reached the top in an hour.

(on average it takes about 2)

  

TaNNer and DaD were able to make it most of the way,

but not quite to the TiP ToP.

Maybe next time :) 

We hung out up there for a good long while.

Ate some TeDDy GRaHMS

FeD some CHiPMuNKS with our NeW FRieNDS. 

(Remember those three guys from the bus? HaHa) 

and even ran into my friend CaMeRoN from my DiXie STaTe DaYS.

(Last time I tried hiking this thing I ran into a girl I knew from Orem too. So weird!)

Then it was back down the chains. 

Kaesi and Taylor ran the whole way, 

AGAIN. 

Lucky for me,

before they took off,

we ran into Cameron and his friends again. 

So i hiked down with them and caught up on old times. 

For those of you who haven't done that hike,

GO!

I'm not going to say it's easy,

cause it's not. 

BUT IT IS SO WORTH IT!!

Would I recommend it?

DeFiNiTeLY!

PHoTo By: TayLoR MouLToN

The rest of the trip was full of..

MoRe SWiMMiNG

CHoCoLaTe Pie

SouL SuRFeR

CoRDoN BLeu

and

TeXaS RoaDHouSe for DaD's BiRTHDaY

Thanks G.Ma and G.Pa for letting us come share your 

aWeSoMe WeeKeND!

NeW, NeW, NeW. YeS PLeaSe!

So along with my 

NeW aPaRTMeNT,

which is ADORABLE if I dare say so myself,

(don't worry, there are pics to come)

 come a couple other new things.

NeW RooMaTeS.

SuZY and MaCY. 

They are so so great!

But seriously, 

I couldn't have asked for better roomates. 

Right now we are sitting in our living room watching 

and eating oTTeR PoPS

It's ok to be jealous :)

also come a

NeW WaRD

I wasn't able to attend the actual ward yesterday

because I was over at my home ward.

My Dad is the new 1st Councilor in the Bishopric and I'm so excited for him :)

But last night MaCy, BRee and I went over to 

DeSSeRT NiGHT 

where we met a few new people.

Literally minutes after we got home 

the Executive Secretary came over 

and helped me get my records transferred!

Talk about efficiency, I hadn't even been to the ward yet!

Then tonight SuZY, DoM and I went over to FHE.

I accidentally left my phone at CaMDRea's.

I was over there earlier for his BiRTHDaY PaRTY.

So when SuZy and DoM weren't home yet, 

I went over all on my own! 

(if you don't know me, that's kind of a big deal. I don't ever go to places like that on my own)

The two people that were there before I was were so nice! 

After everyone else got there, we packed up the cars a headed up to 

RoCK CaNYoN 

for 

Then we found out you aren't supposed to have fires up there. 

So we came back and had one on the back patio instead :)

It was such a blast! 

Turns out my FHE dad worked EFY with me two years ago!

and so did another girl MeLiSSa, 

who I actually recognized from my DiXie DaYS

I'm so excited for this new ward! 

My FHE family rocks! 

and everyone is so nice! 

HooRaY for NeW BeGiNNiNGS!

PS. HAPPY BiRTHDaY CaM!!

THe 5 TRuTHS

I absolutely love the talks given in General Conference, CES Firesides, etc. But what I love doing even more is 

1) PRiNTiNG THeM ouT 

and

2) MaRKiNG THeM aLL uP

(in a non-destructive, mark all the goodies kind of way)

Well today I read this one.

It's by KRiSTeN M. OaKS

(wife of Dallin H.)

Both of them just spoke on the 11th in a CES FiReSiDe.

That's where this one comes from :) 

Now I know the title of her talk is 

"To THe SiNGLeS oF THe CHuRCH"

and it definitely is a good one for that group of people.

But really there are some gems for the not so single people too.

Here are some GeMS I found.

Along with some goals I set. 

I'm hoping that by putting them up here I'll have more motivation to follow through with them. 

THe 5 TRuTHS

TRuTH #1: THe LoRD LoVeS US, He ANSWeRS oUR PRaYeRS, aND He DeLiGHTS iN BLeSSiNG THoSe WHo KeeP HiS CoMMaNDMeNTS. Maybe I'm the only one that feels like this is such an easy thing to forget. Maybe not. But I think that as life goes on it's easy to get comfortable. To feel like you really aren't struggling; and it's very possible that you aren't at that time. But then we slip into this place where we stop doing the things we need to. Not necessarily that we are doing anything wrong; we just aren't doing the things we've been taught we should. Then when it comes time that you do need help, you've forgotten what to do. Maybe it's just me. I'm thinking it's probably not though. 

GoaL #1: THINK ABOUT THE DECISIONS I'M MAKING. Don't just fly by the seat of my pants. I know every decision may not be black and white. But I also know that making rushed decisions can be a very bad thing. I want to step back and think about what I'm doing and what the consequences might be. 

TRuTH #2: We aRe NoT SaVeD iN iSoLaTioN. This one I know was said exactly for me. I'm a girl who is completely content hanging out at home just keeping myself occupied. As a matter of fact I usually prefer it. But that is not how we are supposed to live. We were sent to this earth to be a blessing to the people we come in contact with. Which is where the next goal comes in to place. 

GoaL #2: WHENEVER I AM CONTENT AT HOME, WITH NO REAL REASON FOR BEING THERE, FIND SOMETHING TO DO FOR SOMEONE ELSE. 

TRuTH #3: oUR ReSPoNSiBiLiTy iS To BeCoMe THe BeST DiSCiPLeS oF CHRiST We CaN BeCoMe. She said something I absolutely loved when she was expounding on this truth. While talking about an experience she had had, she said "Those words were a call to action for me to make my life wonderful regardless of any situation or difficulty I faced." 

GoaL #3: TO DO JUST THAT. MAKE MY LIFE WONDERFUL REGARDLESS OF ANY SITUATION OR DIFFICULTY I FACE. I know that's not easy, but I also know that living a life feeling sorry for yourself is much worse. It's so much easier to play the victim. I want to look for the best in every situation I'm in. 

TRuTH #4: LeaRN To ReCoGNiZe THe WHiSPeRiNGS oF THe HoLY GHoST iN YouR LiFe.

GoaL #4: RECOGNIZE AND ELIMINATE THE THINGS THAT WOULD DISTRACT ME FROM FEELING THE SPIRIT. 

TRuTH #5: aLL SiNGLeS SHouLD ReMaiN aCTiVe MeMBeRS oF THe CHURCH. It's sad to know that most members of the church are lost during this early adulthood stage. I think that this truth has a lot to do with it though. The easiest way to feel misplaced is to not attend things your ward does; wether it be going to church, FHE or even the activities. It also makes it very easy to slip. 

GoaL #5: DON'T JUST BE ACTIVE, BUT BE A PROACTIVE MEMBER IN MY WARD. 

Really though, take 15 minutes and read the talk. 

I promise you'll get way more out of it that what I just summarized. 

And to anyone who made it all the way to the bottom; 

I would love ideas on how you would accomplish these goals. 

I've got some good ideas but the more the merrier! 

Besides, someone else reading may be just as curious :)

THiS iS Me #3 & 4

ToDaY = Me+SiCK

I started feeling it yesterday afternoon; but it wasn't to bad. 

So what did I do this morning?

I woke up and did what I was planning on doing.

1) I jumped in the shower

2) I finished the last of my EMT Workbook Chapter

and

3) I moved a few things into my new apartment :) 

(Carrying boxes up two flights of stairs doesn't quite equal REST)

I'm pretty sure thats what did me in. 

I did make it to SaMMyS with CaM, CaNDaCe, RaCHeL and Cam's pest control buddy, CaSeY. 

I left there with every intention of going to class, but by the time it rolled around I knew that was definitely NOT going to happen. 

SO, I spent HOURS watching this instead! 

THiS iS Me #3: BoNeS

Although I did LoVe my aNaToMY class, that's not the bones I am talking about.

CoNFeSSioN: I'm seriously, I'm aDDiCTeD!

Seasons 1-4: OWN :)

Season 5-6: WiLL OWN

Season 7: STOKED FOR!!!

THiS iS Me #4: oRGaNiZeD

I'm a tad bit of a perfectionist when it comes to having things organized. 

My DVD's are in alphabetical order. 

My books are in order, tallest to shortest.

My closet, color coordinated. 

It's all true.

So what did I buy today?

a PLaNNeR

I'll never forget anything! Hopefully...haha

and to finish the day off, 

I've got a date with Tylenol Cold PM 

and

GooDNiGHT!

THuS BeGiNS aNoTHeR SeMeSTeR!

CONFESSION: the last time I actually went to school FuLL TiMe was in SPRiNG 2009. 

2 1/2 YEARS AGO!

I didn't even realize that until 5 minutes ago when I was looking at my transcript!

No wonder I've been in college as long as I have.

Well..

THIS SEMESTER

13 CReDiTS

+

32 HouRS @ WoRK
=
HOLY HANNAH

But I definitely don't mind :)

Because you see...

BUSY > BORED

BUSY 

means 

PaRK CiTY THiS WEEKEND

MeGaNS WeDDiNG NeXT WeeK

DIRTY DASH NeXT WeeKeND

and

MoViNG To PRoVo Too!

so be excited for future posts!

cause like I said

BUSY > BORED

:D