Goodbye Provo...

On November 12th our time in Provo will end.
It's weird to think how much of a home this place has become to Mitch and I. When I moved out here for school 5 years ago I didn't have a car, I didn't know where anything was, and I definitely didn't think I'd ever miss leaving it. Now that I've been here so long I've learned the back street short cuts, the best prices at each grocery store, and even gotten used to the mountains.
Most importantly I've made some really amazing friends that I will miss dearly. I hope I'll get to see all of you at least one more time before I leave!

Moving to Everett will definitely be a change but I'm super excited to spend so much time with Mitch's family and am really looking forward to Seattle's weather. The clouds and rain will take some getting used to but I'm so sick of this dry climate that the rain will be a welcome alternative. Plus, look how adorable Mitch's brother Alex is. I can't wait to get to see him everyday!

This morning on my way to work I noticed that the crossing guard was dressed up as a clown- red nose and all. For about five minutes I was really confused. Then I remembered it was Halloween. I guess I haven't quite gotten into the spirit of Halloween this year. Hope you all have a safe and spooky night!

Hawaii...

If I could only go back! I loved every minute of it. We were able to do tons of different things but still had time to sit back and just lay on the beach. We spent the first few days in Waikiki just walking around the beach and shopping at the International Market. After that our days were filled with trips to the Bishop Museum, Dole Plantation, Pearl Harbor, Laie Temple, Polynesian Cultural Center, Hanauma Bay, Diamond Head, North Shore...and the list goes on and on.

My two favorite activities were probably the catamaran sail and the North Shore. We had the beach all to ourselves and those big waves gave us all a run for our money, knocking almost everyone of us down at least once. Seeing my mom knocked over and crawling away laughing was a particular favorite :o)

Mitch and I were never able to get our fill of coconut shaved ice either and I think we'll still find ourselves craving it for the rest of our lives. We also found a cheap Mediterranean restaurant that had the most amazing gyros. I could go back just for the food alone. My plan is that Mitch and I will somehow inherit a beach house and live there for the rest of our lives. Keep your fingers crossed.

Pictures just can't tell how amazing the trip was (except maybe our crazy faces in the snorkeling pics, ha). I'm so incredibly thankful to my parents for inviting us to come with them. I loved spending so much time with them both. Just seeing my dad wear a pair of shorts was pretty eventful in and of itself (I've never seen him wear a pair of shorts in my life, the closest I've ever come is seeing him in swim trunks and even that's only happened a handful of times). Mitch and I were able to spend a lot of time in the evenings just sitting down visiting with them and it made me so happy to be there with them. We appreciate them taking us so much and we can't wait to see them again soon!
P.S. Doesn't my dad wear the coolest hats?

I wish...

I could sit in one of these all day.

Mitch's brother Russ in serving his mission in Guatemala right now. He bought this silk hammock from a jail. Sweet. Doesn't it make you want to lay out on a breezy evening with nothing but a good book?

Did you hear that?

They've chosen a temple site for the
Greater Kansas City Area!

Finally, a temple in the homeland! Hooray.

I really love the Gospel.

Traffic School...

"No officer, I did not come to a complete stop at the stop sign back there. Yes I slowed down, yes I could have stopped, I was probably going .0002 miles an hour as I turned, but no I didn't fully stop." This was a three way stop mind you. There were no other cars around and I endangered no one. Nevertheless the laws the law.
Consequently I spent and hour and a half on Monday evening at traffic school. Quite honestly it wasn't that bad. The instructor was entertaining and we basically watched youtube videos the whole time.
This is what I learned:
-There are a lot of crazies on the road, and no matter what you do you can't always avoid them.
-You don't need to leave two car lengths between you and the car in front of you at a stop light (although a lot of people in Utah think you do)...but you should leave enough space to see the back wheels of the car in front of you hit the ground.
-Getting thrown from a car really stinks and usually does your body harm...wearing your seat belt is a good idea.
-Talking on the phone/eating/texting/or any any other distraction while your driving can be very dangerous. Starting next year if you're doing any of the above and get pulled over for a violation or accident it will result in an added major violation/ticket for careless driving being added to your record (but you still can't be pulled over for doing any of these things on their own).
-The average person's perception/reaction time is 1.5 seconds. Don't follow too closely or you won't give your self enough time to get out of the way if there's an accident in front of you.
-If you see an ambulance/police car/fire truck/or any other emergency vehicle behind you with it's lights on move out of the way! Pull off to the shoulder and let it pass. We watched a video taken from one of these vehicles and NO ONE moved, it was insane! They kept honking but everyone just kept driving like normal. It took the emergency vehicle almost 5 extra minutes to get to it's destination because nobody yielded to it. And the person it was going to didn't have an extra five minutes, it cost them their life. Can you believe it? Sad.

In high school my friends used to tell me I drove like a grandpa because I was so slow and by the book. It looks like I should revert to my old ways: full stops, no speeding, and patiently waiting for all the slow pedestrians/students to cross the street (living South of campus is a nightmare sometimes). Here's to me being a better driver, cheers!

Yard Sale Finds...

This morning on the way to take Mitch to work we saw a huge yard sale off 900 East. Even though we only had about 3 minutes to spare we stopped by to look around and learned that all the profits were going to a young girl with diabetes. As you know Mitch and I are currently trying to get rid of stuff, not trying to accumulate more. But sometimes you just can't help it, especially when it's going to a good cause...right?

Here's are loot:













Now I just need a dresser to put this on!

Is it wrong?...

Is it wrong that a part of me was happy when my car wouldn't start (again!) this morning?

NO CAR=

• no work
• getting to spend the day at home with Mitch (which of course prevented him from studying or doing anything productive, oh well)
  
• eating a nice, fresh lunch (nothing frozen or left over)
  
• laying out in the park
• reading a book
• taking a nap
• cleaning the kitchen (something that had been on my to-do list for a while)

Maybe I should pretend my car won't start every day.

Moab...

We went to Moab for the holiday weekend. It was a perfect spot for a little get away. We drove down early, early Saturday morning (we got up at 5am-I don't know what we were thinking) and headed to Arches National Park. After spending the morning hiking we had a little carside picnic and by afternoon we retreated to our campsite to swim and set up. We spent the rest of the afternoon checking out Indian Rock art around the city and walking through the shops in town (the rock art was pretty amazing but none of the sites were well marked which was disappointing. If you ever go down to see them you'll want to print off a locater before you go).
A nice big storm rolled in that evening providing a nice show of lightening and strong winds. After making sure our rain fly was secure we attempted sleep. Sunday morning we headed back to the park and enjoyed the cool, stormy morning. Overall the trip was excellent and despite the heat the first day I think we both loved it. Sometimes it's just good to get away, even if you're not going very far. Happy Labor Day!

Congrats to Jonathan, Kimberly & Audrey...

My little brother Jonathan and his wife Kimberly and little girl Audrey were all sealed in the Houston Temple at the end of July. Mitch and I weren't able to go but my parents sent me a cd of pictures and I couldn't help but post a few of them. Doesn't Kimberly look like a princess? I love Audrey's pretty little white dress too. I'm so happy for them all!After going to the temple my family was able to take a quick trip to the coast too. Now all the babies have taken a dip in the ocean.