How to hike to a waterfall

Make sure to bring your friend, who's sometimes your enemy, but who's usually your best friend
do some interpretive dancing and belly button cleaning

make sure your hydrated. Like really, really hydrated. Like stop 5 or 6 times to go to the bathroom in a bush or behind a tree or on some rocks hydrated.

You MUST touch the water any and all times that you see it while hiking. Not touching said water would be disastrous, probably fatal.

make sure your mom is there to give you a pep talk

rejoice excitedly when you reach the waterfall. play in freezing water and climb over every rock that can be found, even if that means falling and repeatedly getting hurt.

Oh yeah, and make sure you bring your really cool aunt and uncle along with you too. That always makes it funner.

Don't leave behind anyone at a waterfall, especially this beautiful, happy sweet baby.

make sure you end the hike at least 3 hours later when the sunset is gorgeous and the clouds are threatening a seriously cool rainstorm

that's how we do it. anyone want to join us next time?

Catching up

American Idol Concert

Hiking Up Centerville Canyon

Easter

Summer Running

This summer has been so fun! I've tried to participate in a running event each summer for the past couple of years and this year I've done 2 really fun ones. In June I ran the Ragnar WBR, this was my 4th time and by far one of the very best years! My team was awesome, I didn't fall and have to get stitches, the race was so smoothly put together, and it was such a blast. I love doing this race for a few reasons. 1) Its absolutely gorgeous to run through the smaller towns on the backside of the mountains. 2) It's an emotional expieriance to be with 5 other people, some you don't even know at the beginning. But after 30 hours in a van, cheering eachother on, sharing laughter, tears, and alot of information (Sorry Mike!) they become people that you just love. 3) I love being able to do this with my sister Kristin. She's amazing in a million different ways but she is one of my biggest cheerleaders and my admiration for her grows so much each year we do this together.
I not only got to run with Kristin, but also my freaking amazing sister in law Marci. She came down from Eugene, OR to run this with me and I love her so much for doing that. It was so cool to be with her and spend that time with her. Thanks to her awesome husband for letting her come. While I'm at that, thanks to my awesome husband who is so supportive of my running. Watching the girls, coming to cheer me on, dropping me off places to run, getting up early to watch them while I go run.....love you babe.
Anyways, this is our team S.W.A.T. Speed Walkers and Trash-Talkers. I'm pretty sure we didn't do either of those things, but it was fun to dress up 80'sish stuff :)

At the starting line....Pumped and ready to go! We definately aren't looking much like this at the finish line.

The only two boys on our team. I'd say I felt bad for them but I really didn't....look at them! Actually, Mike was in our van and he had no idea what kinds of things he was gonna be seeing or hearing. I'll leave it at that :) He was a good sport and such a blast.

Marci, Me, Mike, Debbie, Sara, Kristin, Jacee

She's awesome. She just ran a ridiculous leg right before me, and then got out to wipe my tears while I ran this one. I'm so not ashamed to admit how much I cried during this weekend :)

At the finish line!

Debbie was such a stud and let us take her BRAND new van. I thought it was pretty funny that we were the trash talkers but that we had flowers all over. If you look close you can see that the runner on the back window is carrying a gun. and shooting at something. Apparently that's what speed walkers do :)


The other event I did this summer was the Legacy Midnight Half-Marathon. It was awesome because Brandon and Marci (my bro & sis-in-law) ran with me. And it was at night which was fun. But it wasn't one I'll probably do again. I love half marathons....I really think they are so much fun.

It was actually really cool.....they gave every runner 6 glo-sticks to put on but a lot of people went all out. While we were waiting an hour before for the race to start we just looked at all the people with glo sticks taped up and down their legs & arms, all over their shirts and around necks. Had to laugh because we were just looping them around our shoelaces, knowing that running with them on would be really obnoxious. The first mile or two however was just covered with glo sticks that people had just dropped :)

My sweet love who stayed up waiting for me to come across the finish line at midnight. He and he dad and my mom cheered us all on at a few different places and it was so helpful to see them. He's awesome.

Good times guys! Love you and thanks for doing this with me. Next time, you pick the event :)

Happy Birthday Cambria!

On the 30th of July Cambria turned 4, so we took her camping up North Fork Park by Pineview. It was so fun! We found this great trail that led to a waterfall, and then right behind our campground there was a pond where we saw beaver and a moose. Yep, a moose. And it was maybe a hundred or so yards away. It was awesome!

On our way back from camping we stopped in Layton to cheer on Brandon, Eric and Caleb in their first Triathalon. They did awesome, even though we didn't actually make it in time to see them cross the line :)

Eric, Brandon and their cousin David AKA Ben Stiller in "Dodgeball"

Love these two! Quincy is such a sweet baby....always so smiley and lovin on almost anyone. She looks so much like Adam! And she was such a trooper while we were camping. We didn't bring a pack n' play for her to sleep in, just some blankets to lay on. Not sure why we thought that would be a good idea at all. She didn't want to go to sleep at all in the tent, so I wrapped her up and put her in the carseat in the car while Adam and I had hot chocolate outside. When we went to bed we took her out and put her on the floor. At some horribly early hour she woke up choking (I think she swallowed a bug) and then realized that her fingernails made a really cool sound when she scratched the tent. She would have been content to do that all night :) I think adam ended up on the floor and she took his place on the air mattress. Good times.

How I love her! Silly, sweet, creative, loving, passionate, energetic, friendly, bright, and incredibly special. Happy Birthday Bug! We love you!

For a friend.....

Yes it's been almost 5 months since I've posted. Yes there's no really good excuse. So here is what we've been up to :) Literally days after Quincy was born Cambria had her first dance recital down at the festival of trees. She did so good and was so excited. She may or may not have done her own routine (as evidenced by the picture above) but she did look so dang cute. I was so proud of her for not even being scared to be up there. I definately have myself a girl who loves herself the spotlight.

This girl has been so great these past months with being a big sister. She loves Quincy so much and really just wants to be wherever she is.

This was pretty much what every picture of Cambria holding Quincy looked like for a long time. Things are getting a little better....Quincy has come to terms with her big sisters holding style.

Oh this baby of mine is so precious. I love her and am so grateful that she is here. Life has been super crazy these past few months and she has been such a happy content sweet gift to me.

This is exactly how Cambria looks everytime she sees Quincy and talks to her. In her face. Every. Single. Time. It looks cute, but trust me it can get on your nerves every now and then :)

We blessed Quincy in this beautiful dress that a friend of ours from St. George actually crocheted for Cambria but gave it to us after we'd blessed her. Its gorgeous and so special because this friend passed away and never got to see it on either of my girls.

And that is pretty much the same face that Quincy has when Cambria makes the above mentioned face. They are so fun and silly and kooky.

Adam took Cambria skiing for the first time this year and she loved it. Of course she did....that girl was born adventurous and stubborn. She seriously had a blast going down the hill and going on the lift and eating all the snow she could imagine. She might have enjoyed the snow eating part more than anything!

Here you go sweet friend of mine....Sorry that I've been such a slacker! I'll try and be better.