Heidi's Travels and Other Adventures

Wandering

2011-05-01T21:45:00.000-07:00

I have a strong dose of wandering in my blood and it struck this weekend. I started to feel it take over my brain as I sat on the couch watching Rob Lowe on the Oprah Show Thursday afternoon. I tried to silence the urge to get out of town with logic. It will cost money to go, I should stay here and work on my article I have been trying to write for ever and ever, I have an appointment to give blood in the morning. Finally, I convinced myself that I would just take a drive up to Park City, eat some good food, check out the outlets, and come home. I felt like that might at least pacify my desire.

I got in the car and pointed it north, but it just wasn't right. I needed to get out of town and find the sun. I turned the car around and went in the house and pulled out an overnight bag and added the following things to it...

1. tooth brush and tooth paste
2. PJ's
3. 1 pr. hiking pants
4. 1 hiking shirt
5. 1 pr. hiking shoes
6. 2 pr socks
7. 3 pr undies
8. 1 swim suit
9. make up
10. flip flops

and then I stopped and made a veggie shake for the road.

And then I was in the car, pointed south, headed to warmer temperatures, without a plan. It was exhilarating. Ah the places I could go! I drove for a long time and did a lot of thinking. When I looked up, I was in Fillmore and decided I needed to think of where I would be sleeping. I spent a night in Cedar City in a comfy bed and enjoyed all the Royal Wedding coverage I could stand over breakfast. Then I checked the temperatures. It was 10 degrees warmer in St. George, so I headed that way.

My time was not spent doing anything too exciting: a hike in Snow Canyon, laying out by the pool, dinner at Benja (my favorite sushi), and a cup cake from 25 and Main. After a while, I was ready to come home and be with people again.

While I was away, I kept thinking of this phrase from the Book of Mormon scripture 2 Nephi 2:26 "to act for themselves and not to be acted upon". I think it where I am headed in my life.

There are not a lot of exciting pictures to take when you are wandering alone, but here are a few I snapped.

Interesting tree from my hike in Snow Canyon

Sushi Bar at Benja

Lunch outside at 25 and Main. It was snowing in Provo.

Family

2011-04-07T09:39:00.001-07:00

I love this picture and I am so excited for this family. Do you think this is what Elder Scott was talking about on Sunday? Congratulations Shilligs! Can't wait to meet this little guy!

I'm Not Really Sure What to Say About This

2011-03-24T06:01:00.000-07:00

So, right now, if you walk by the JKHB, MCKB, or HFAC on BYU Campus, you will see this picture of me. It's a little strange to be all over the place. There are also smaller posters hanging up in other places on campus. So I keep having this conversation with people that goes something like this..."Hey, your hanging up in the elevator I use," or "Is that you hanging on my refrigerator in the grad lab?" It's been fun to be a BYU celebrity for a little while. I think the campaign ends soon so let me know if you want a souvenir poster to hang in your living room.

And, by the way, I'm investing in BYU

My Last Day in Hawaii

2011-03-14T19:00:00.000-07:00

I never got around to posting about my last day in Hawaii and I still want to talk about it. On my last day in Hawaii I had a tour of Pearl Harbor scheduled for 7:00 am. You can not take anything to Pearl Harbor that doesn't fit in your pocket, no camera, no delicious cookies from the pineapple cookie place, no iPad to look up info. No nothing. This meant I would need to pack all my everything and get it to the hotel attendant before I left on my tour at 7:00 am. When I arrived home the evening after my adventurous bus ride to the Laie temple and sat listening to the sounds of Hawaiian music filling the air on my balcony, I knew that I had made a mistake scheduling that tour. All I really wanted to do is lay on the beach all day. So that is exactly what I did.

I woke up early to cancel my tour and wandered out to the beach to watch the day arrive. It came slowly. The lights that decorated the pier clicked off as the light that decorated the day slowly clicked on. The morning progressed from no people to joggers and walkers to hustling and bustling and I watched it all. At about 9 am, I ignored the fact that I was wearing pajamas and no bra and wandered in to the nice restaurant to enjoy the breakfast buffet. I had yogurt and musliex with mac nuts, crasins, and coconut for breakfast. Along with a few pastries, mangos, and papayas.

I went upstairs and packed my bags, took them to the porter to store and rented a chair on the beach. I spent the day there only leaving my perch to order a final round of delicious noodles from the noodle house I had come to love. It was not a sunny Hawaiian day, but instead rain fell and the breeze occasionally picked up, but somehow knowing my friends in Utah were clad in winter wear made me grateful and determined to soak up a few last rays of sunshine even if it meant they came between predominant cloud cover.

With a few hours left I checked into a hospitality room to shower and change for the plane ride home. I had a few hours to spare so I wandered into Waikiki to find the night market. I wanted to find a Hawaiian quilt to take home and someone had recommended this place to me. I wandered in and there it was, one lone kiosk of handmade Hawaiian quilts. I fell in love with a green and white one and managed to get the price down about $25 dollars. I didn't really have a plan for getting it home, but I had traveled enough to know that if there is a will there is a way. I few merchants down there was a guy selling a giant Hawaiian bag for $10, perfect! Problem solved.

I decided to walk back to the hotel along the beach to hear the waves lap against the shore one last time. As I passed all the lovely beach hotels, night was coming on and there were various performers filling the air with music. I stopped to hear one group with a large base and a ukulele. The music was incredible and the moment perfect. I thanked myself for letting go of one last tour and instead having the perfect day in Hawaii. Pearl Harbor, I'll catch you on my next time around.

Breezy day on Waikiki Beach

My Hawaiian Quilt

Sunrise to Sunset

2011-01-22T19:21:00.001-08:00

I woke up at 5:20 a.m. to catch the shuttle to Diamond Head outside my hotel at 5:50 a.m. There was no other way to fit it in and it is best to see Diamond Head early. Everyone told me how hot the hike would be if I waited until later. I wanted to tell them that I live in the desert, but instead, I took their advice. It was a good recommendation as the views of the early morning touching Waikiki were remarkable. When my tour returned to the hotel at 8:30 a.m. I ran back to my room, showered, got dressed, and made it the conference for the breakfast that ended it 9:00.

Diamond Head is the mountain you see in the distance. I learned that if formed in 3 days to 3 weeks. That makes me think that those scriptures where mountains rise over night are true. You can see which way the wind was blowing when it was formed.

Early morning from Diamond Head

Looking over Waikiki

The Hilton Hawaiian Village from Diamond Head

My conference presentation was called "The Effects of An Inclusive Education Course on Secondary General Education Pre-Service Teachers' Philosophy of Educating Students with Disabilities." I know it is a mouthful, but it meant I gave a survey my class to see how they felt about teaching kids with disabilities in inclusive settings. It was interesting research that I am planning on continuing to pursue and I was excited to talk to people about. I presented a poster, which meant I just stood by my poster for a couple of hours and answered questions about my research. Its my favorite method of presenting at conferences because you meet a lot of people who talk to you about the things they are doing.

As soon as the conference ended I hurried back to my room and changed into a dress and ran out to catch the 1:50 afternoon bus to Laie. The drive to Laie is long and this was no express bus. The bus was filled with workers who live in Honalulu and were returning home. I chatted with a lady from the Philippians as I watched out the window as the waves rolled up the beach. When I arrived at the Laie temple, I took in the beautiful grounds quickly as I hurried inside. I knew they were starting their next temple session at 5:00 and I didn't know if they would start another if I was late. I made it inside just in time and had a wonderful time in the temple with the people who live in that area.

After the temple, I sat outside for a waiting for my bus ride back to Waikiki. I knew that tomorrow evening I would be getting on an airplane and heading back to the mainland. I felt like I had been in Hawaii a long time, long enough I guess, but I did not long for home the way I have on other trips. I could have stayed a bit longer and enjoyed a few more delicious days of sunshine and ocean breeze and star fruit and color and friendly people.

Laie Hawaii Temple

Laie Temple at night

Contemplating life at the bus stop. I took this picture with my camera timer :)

After a crazy bus ride in which I thought I was going to stay in Hawaii forever, but not as a living person, I made it back home and sat on my balcony eating a Lunchable from the gift shop for dinner and listened to that Hawaiian music coming from downstairs one last time.

Cultural Appreciation Day

2011-01-21T19:45:00.000-08:00

My friend Gordon rented a car for the day on Thursday and I caught a ride with him and his wife out of the concrete jungle of Waikiki. A few miles out of the city and the island became green and lush. We took a tour of the north shore following the recommendations of my parents who had been there a few months earlier. Our first stop was their bungalow in Laie. I stopped by to see if they wanted to share a pineapple, but, sadly, they were far away in Texas. Next we drove around to see Turtle Bay, but, alas, no turtles to be seen. It was a bit of a blustery day and I think they were hiding out some where. Our travel agents (the folks) suggested we stop by Ted's bakery for a piece of the famous Chocolate Haupia Cream Pie and it did not disappoint. Yummy!

Stopping by the bungalow for a visit

Turtle Bay

Yummy pie at Ted's Bakery

After a breakfast of delicious pie we checked out a few of the beaches on the north shore. The waves were ferocious and we didn't see a lot of surfing because they were breaking too close to shore. Regardless, we didn't need surfers because nature gave us a spectacular show! We turned around and headed back to Laie with a quick stop at a fruit stand for some cold papaya. I don't really care for papaya here at home, but it tasted pretty yummy in Hawaii.

North Shore

I love that star fruit

In Laie we started our tour of the Polynesian Cultural Center. There were lots of people in island wear telling things about their culture. My favorite part was the really funny Samoan guy who showed how to get milk from a coconut and how to make fire. At mid day there was a parade of dances on boats in the river. Only one boat managed to knock their paddler into the water.

After a delicious Hawaiian buffet we went to the evening show in their outdoor theater. This is definitely a high light of the PCC experience. It is amazing to see all of those kids, who are not only dancing memorized steps, but are dancing steps from their heart. They grabbed and kept my attention throughout the night.

Learning to make a fish

They use every part of the coconut leaf making their homes and clothing

He was really funny

Trapped in a Conference Room and an Escape to Hanauma Bay

2011-01-20T19:45:00.000-08:00

I spent most of Tuesday attending sessions at the conference, which were very good, and were the reason I was there, but it was hard to forget the adventures calling to me from a few feet away. When I arrived at the conference on Wednesday morning, I ran into some colleagues from BYU, and sat down to eat breakfast with them. I guess I had really taken in the island lifestyle because one of them said to me, "Heidi, you look very relaxed." I guess he was trying to say that I don't always look that way back at the office. He was right.

On Wednesday, after the morning sessions, I decided to have an adventure and take the city bus to Hanauma Bay for some snorkeling. I took my friend Gordon's wife Vickie and away we went on Bus #22 with a lot of other people dressed in swim suits. Hanauma Bay was breakthtaking with beautiful blue water and green mountains rising on 3 sides. The water was shallow, very shallow at some points where I would have to suck in my belly to not hit the coral, but the sea life was right at home. I saw the most variety there, compared to the other snorkeling stops, but there the fish were sort of loners and I didn't seen large groups of colorful schools, like I had other places.

I took a little break after our first jaunt, to convince my brain that it wasn't sea sick. After a few minutes of resting in the sunshine, I went back in the water to another part of the reef. I could see something big a few feet away. You would think my gut would say, "Don't go over there, it is something big," but curiosity got the best of me and I went over to explore. I got so excited when I saw that it was a turtle! I grabbed Vickie and brought her back over to see it. She was ecstatic. I followed it for a while and enjoyed seeing its grace as it moved in the water. When it turned around and came at me, I thought it was best I moved on. That was an experience I hope I never forget.

Here I am heading out for my day at the conference. I wore dress clothes and flip flops. It was the best I could do.

Hanauma Bay. This picture does not do it justice.

Snorkelers at Hanauma Bay

Not exactly me with the turtle, but you get the idea.

Moving in to the Hilton Waikiki

2011-01-16T19:46:00.000-08:00

So you maybe tired of hearing all the details of my trip to Hawaii, but there is a lot more to tell about and I'm blogging for posterity, so I hope posterity is still interested. On Monday morning I left my lovely condo by the sea and went into town to have breakfast with a friend I met from California. About an hour after breakfast I was already ready for a giant shaved ice. I don't let calorie restrictions hold me down on vacation, particularly when there is culture (is shaved ice culture?) to enjoy. We sat on the pier and took in the water while I did my best on the gigantic treat. After a final walk through Kona, I took a taxi to the airport and took a quick trip to the island of Oahu!

So yummy!

I was trying to figure out why I just went through security as I was hanging out in this outdoor airport. Things are different in Hawaii.

Flying into Oahu was gorgeous! I had flown into Kona as the sun was setting, which was lovely, but, I flew into Oahu in the afternoon and saw the city of Honolulu up against that amazing blue water. I don't know if there is another place like it in the world. After a frustrating experience in the airport, sometimes Hawaii is a little too laid back for my uptight mainland needs, I arrived at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. My vacation changed abruptly. The check in desk for the Hilton was outdoors and stood in a long line taking in the breeze and all the colors around me. The Hilton is an unbelievable property with flowers and trees and animals everywhere. It is definitely a tropical paradise, particularly if you don't mind sharing your paradise with thousands of people.

Hilton Waikiki. I walked on that beach every evening.

A wedding chapel at the Hilton

Residents of the Hilton

More residents

And some more

I was pretty beat so I had some noodles for dinner and went to bed in those luxurious sheets. Every night I took a walk on the beach and then wandered back to my ninth story room and fell asleep with the window open, listening to live music from the outdoor bar down below. I was a lucky, lucky girl.

Here's a taste for you. Sorry it's fuzzy.

Church, Temple, and Creation All in One Day

2011-01-15T17:26:00.001-08:00

On Sunday morning I went to church in Kona. It felt a lot like church in Provo, UT and nothing too out of the ordinary happened. During Sunday School I slipped over the the grounds of the Kona temple. It shares a parking lot with the chapel. It was lovely to see a temple that looks very similar to other small temples I have seen around the mainland, but in a setting of coconut trees and other tropical plants. I found Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus statues there, and was happy to see how much warmer they look than the ones covered in snow in front of the Provo Temple. I spent some time with them, thinking of how grateful I was for a moment away from the stresses of my life, thankful for the sweetest gifts that have come to me, while I am still waiting for the gifts I long for most. After a while I pulled myself back to the chapel to finish church with some lovely Hawaiian ladies in Relief Society. I loved that they called each other Auntie rather than Sister. Something about it felt so personal.

When I made it back to my condo, I lay down and took a nap listening to the ocean breeze outside and feeling that delicious soft air. This is the beauty of traveling alone, no one's schedules to coordinate, no one's travel agendas to satisfy, just doing whatever I want, although I can't say I would have minded having the right someone to share that nap with. Maybe next time.

I decided to take a drive to the north point of the island to see a place called Waipio, a sacred place on the island (seemed appropriate for the sabbath). On the way over, I was relating my story of the day before to my mom on the phone and explaining how disappointed I was that I hadn't had the chance to see the lava flowing. She said I should just drive back over and see it. I was halfway there at that point, but it was still another hour and a half and then the same distance back home. I hesitated and then decided she was right. After all, people come across the ocean to see the lava. So after a quick stop at Waipio, I continued on the island road, the only part of it I hadn't been on yet, passed Hilo, to the beach where I had been the night before.

Big Island Cattle

The Big Island Changes Scenery Every Few Miles

Waipio

I arrived at the viewing location just after dark, parked, and walked on a long road toward the beach. There were lots of other people walking on a road, that at one time led to a park, but since the volcano had taken over, just led people to a small viewing area. The viewing area was crowded when I got there, but I waited patiently for some unimpressed Europeans to move and slipped into the front of the crowd. There was a park ranger there who dipped a rod into the hot lava and brought some over for us to see. I couldn't see much as far as the lava went at that point. There were glowing red spots all through the large area where the lava was flowing, but it was mostly dark. When I felt like I had gotten my fill, I started to walk back to my car, but I heard everyone gasp. Heading back, I was able to slip in for a front row stand in a spot where the rock had just broken away and lava was flowing. It was a site. There are plenty of people who will live their whole lives and never see new land being formed. I feel pretty lucky to have had the experience.

Hot Lava

But, even when you have a up close view, you can only watch lava for so long, so I turned around for a long walk back to my car, and a very long drive home. Tomorrow would be my last day on the Big Island.

Around the Big Island in One Long Day

2011-01-13T15:30:00.001-08:00

The California gang I met up with

The Big Island of Hawaii is big, not big like Texas, but big as far as islands go. And there are only a few ways to get from here to there. One way is a long windy road that goes in a circle all around the island. I have been on all of this road, and most of it happened on New Years Day. I stayed the night at the villa my friends family owns because when I went to sleep, the night was really the next day (see previous post). When woke up at 7 a.m., because I was still on Utah time, the other villa guests were still sleeping. I acquainted myself with the kitchen and found some breakfast and left a pineapple I had in my bag, don't ask, as an offering for the granola and milk I took. I then wandered around the grounds. It was an amazing place and it was great to get a birds of view of things from high up in the hills.

From the Villa

From the Villa

We managed to get the group of 6 of us out the door with water bottles and homemade lunches by 10:30 am and headed south for a long time. Our first stop was Punalu'u, the black sand beach near the southern tip of the Big Island. On the beach there is a sign that says, "Don't bother the resting turtles" and sure enough, there they were taking a long or short winters nap, I am not really familiar with the nocturnal habits of turtles. We didn't bother them, but we did take lots of pictures of them. They looked so out of the ordinary to me that I almost doubted they were real until one of them looked up and yawned. The black sand beach was a lovely backdrop to the blue waters and coconut trees. My eyes miss the colors.

Punalu'u Black Sand Beach

Me and some sleepy turtles

Back in the van, me and my new friends, drove past Volcanoes National Park and past Hilo, the recommended route of our Californian friend and tour guide, and up to Akaka Falls. The walk through the rain forest to Akaka Falls reminded me of beautiful Costa Rica, and what you would expect Hawaii to look like everywhere. After the falls we headed back passed Hilo to Volcanoes National Park. All of our driving had not left us much time in the park. We hurried through some lava tubes and up to the top of the volcano. It was cold there, real cold, and a few of our group were not prepared, so the visit to the top of the steaming caldera was very short.

Akaka Falls

Another Big Island climate

Steaming Caldera

Night on the lava field

Next we wandered around looking for lava flowing, but couldn't find it in the park and hurried off to a viewing area that closed just as we arrived. I was bummed out. Seeing lava flow is seeing the creation of new land and was looking forward to the experience. I was tired, and grumpy, and disappointed and I had used up all my jokes and stories to tell my new friends. We were on one side of the island and were 2 and 1/2 hours from home. It was not my best moment. I settled into the back of the van they had rented and tried to find my happy place on the long ride home. Sometimes traveling gets a bit exhausting. It was fun to make new friends, but after a long day of driving, silly stories, giggling, and negotiating plans with a group, I was feeling ready to go solo again.

A New Year's Eve to Remember

2011-01-11T20:53:00.001-08:00

Changing time zones gave me three extra hours of 2010 and I enjoyed every last minute of the year. I woke up New Years Eve morning and lay in bed a while listening to the ocean breeze. It finally called me out of bed to go watch the waves from a lounge chair by the water.

Have you ever watched a coconut tree? Its mesmerizing. I soaked up the ocean waves and the waving palm fronds while I checked out the paddle boarders taking on the early morning surf.

After a while I decided to explore the tide pools that were connected to the beach. I was fascinated with the sea life growing in and around the lava rocks. Each hole in the rock was filled with a spiky plant or animal of some kind.

There were fish swimming in and out as the tide rose and filled the pools. The rocks were soft underwater where they had been covered with something like algae, but were rough above the water.

After a delicious breakfast of eggs and avocado, pineapple and toast, I set out to explore the south side of Kona.

My drive down the road led me past amazing views of the ocean on one side and the mountain side on the other. If there is one thing to say about the Big Island's landscape, it is that it is very diverse. As you drive you pass through lava fields that transition to green rolling hills, that transition to tall redwoods, that transition to rain forest. I found this church on hillside that didn't really look much like I had imagined Hawaii to look like from home.

I went snorkeling at a place called city of refuge. As I maneuvered over the black lava rocks into the water, I slipped and stumbled and finally just put my head in the water in an attempt to swim. The moment my goggles were submerged I entered another world. It was so beautiful. The water was deep and clear and I could see yellow schools of fish swimming all around me. The coral made a colorful home for equally colorful fish. I found myself wandering farther and farther from shore without being aware of my surroundings and completely engaged in the world below me. I wish I had a picture of the magical world of the city of refuge, but maybe you will just have to go there and see it for yourself.

I had worked up quite an appetite so I decided to check out a place called the poke (pohkay) shack near my condo. I didn't know what poke is, but I heard this was a good place so I ventured in. I soon realized that poke meant raw, cut up fish, which sounded a little scary, but when in Hawaii...

I turned out to be fresh and delicious and I am craving some as I am writing this.

I was lucky enough to be set up with some friends of friends who were also visiting the area. When I called to see what they were up to, they invited me to a local families house for New Years. It was so much fun.

It started with an amazing feast of anything Hawaiian you could ever dream up. I tried everything.

At about 8:00 pm they started setting off fire works. There were boxes and boxes of fireworks and they went off all night. Snappers, sparklers, firecrackers, wizzers, poppers, they had everything.

When it got close to midnight they started preparing for the finale. There was a giant strand of fireworks that were draped from a closeline.

At about 20 min to midnight they set it off and it went off until the magical hour. As the last bangs and pops greeted the new year, the sky filled with the kind of fireworks we pay to see here in the mainland.

It was some show. I couldn't stop laughing with delight. When we finally made it home, my head hit the pillow and I don't remember anything until I woke up in 2011.

Here's a little taste of Hawaiian New Year. I'm sorry that I can only share the fireworks and not the feast!

Arrival in Hawaii

2011-01-10T20:53:00.001-08:00

I left for Hawaii on Dec. 29th and it was snowing like crazy in Utah that day. Some how I managed to slip out on an airplane between storms. When I arrived in Hawaii 7 hours later it was evening and the air was soft and warm. As I stood outside waiting for my baggage, the airport is all basically out doors, it was hard to remember the frozen place I had come from. My taxi driver took me through the town of Kona to my lovely little condo. Not knowing where exactly I should go, I walked up to a guy sitting at the security desk. He walked me a ways down the road and carried my luggage to the front door. I assumed he was so nice because he wanted a tip, so I pulled out a few bucks to give him, but he refused. People in Hawaii were just so happy and so happy to help out. I settled into my condo for the night and slept like a dream.

The next morning I checked things out a bit. My condo was directly across the road from the water, not close enough to hear the waves roll, but close enough to watch them. Every morning by about 6:00 a.m. there were surfers at Banyan Beach just outside my balcony. My condo was a cute little one room studio with a small kitchen, a sleeping area, and a bathroom. It was perfect for me and I felt so at home and safe there.

After checking things out, I set out on a walk toward town and half way there my rental car company came and picked me up to take me to get my car. A Hawaiian guy named KJ was the driver. He asked me where I was from and then gave me his cell number just in case I wanted some company while I was on the island. I thought it was best not to take him up on his offer :)

After I got my car, I stopped in Kona for breakfast at a beach warn bar right on the water. I enjoyed my french toast while I took in the blue water as far as the eye could see. Kona is a beachy sort of town with souvenir shops and restaurants. I quickly acquainted myself with the offerings including a farmer's market, the ABC store, the palace, and Kailua Pier. About every 50 yards was a beach area with white sand and rolling waves.

After a short stop at a very windy white sand beach, I took off to see at black sand beach on the north side of the island called Pololu Valley. When I pulled up to the overlook, rain was falling in regular streams, but knowing I most likely wouldn't be back another time, I took off down a slippery trail to the beach.

The view was incredible as one cliff after another revealed itself as I moved farther down the slippery trail.

After I had gone as far as I dared to go alone and in the rain, I worked my way back up the rocks. At the top, I found a tourist who took a picture of me looking very rain soaked.

I drove home with the heater on in my car, my only time to use it on my trip, satisfied with my first amazing day.

2011-01-10T11:02:00.003-08:00

Dear Friends

I've been in Hawaii and I can't wait to tell you about it!

Red Rock Relay

2010-12-19T23:04:00.000-08:00

In September I ran really far.

The race was called the Red Rock Relay and I ran it as a part of my friends Marc and Katie's family reunion. It was an 156 mi race that went from Brian Head to Zions National Park with a team of 12 people in 2 vans in 36 hours. It was an event to remember! Here are the highlights...

The race started on a chilly morning in Brian Head

Here my team is cheering me on and giving me some water during my first leg of the race

Our team name was Marc Made Me Do It. Here we are late running late into the night.

A little early morning dance party erupted spontaneously

Here I am finishing my last leg

You get a mark on your calf for each leg of the race you complete

It was so fun, I think I might like to do it again sometime. Any takers?

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-12-01T18:52:00.000-08:00

This picture tells the whole story of what I am Thankful for. Thanks family for creating this moment.

From The Mountain Top to The Underground

2010-11-21T18:44:00.000-08:00

My adventures in September continued with a trip to hike the Subway, one of the most amazing spots in Zion's National Park. If you have not hiked this one, you need to. It is incredible. It is combination of mountain splendor and canyon awe. You will maneuver your way down steep walls and swim through cold sections of water. The hike is high adventure and amazing scenery. Really, it doesn't get better than this!

It is hard for me to pick only a few pictures, so I am including a lot so you can enjoy the experience with me and my friends.

There was a forest fire in the area which created a smoky cloud over the canyon

I am descending into the canyon bottom

After reaching the canyon floor, the walls narrow and you find cold streams to pass through

Sometimes the streams get deep like this one

Here I am drying off and warming up in the sunshine

Here is a famous spot in the Subway that you may have seen in pictures

The only way down was to jump off a ledge or use this rope

This is why it is called the Subway

Katie and Marc enjoying some waterfalls

The Top of the Mountains

2010-11-07T21:42:00.000-08:00

"And it shall come to pass in the last days, the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, "

Isaiah Ch. 2

What did Isaiah see when he had the vision that inspired this verse? Maybe he saw the top of Mount Timpanogos. It's a pretty amazing site. Timpanogus looms over the Utah Valley like a sleeping guardian who might rise up and protect us if she gets disturbed. I had never been to the top, or to the top of any mountain and I really wanted to go. The top of a mountain is usually a quiet place, although Timpanogos can get down right busy at times. When I was there, it was quiet. I didn't get to see much because it was covered in clouds, but that made it feel more like I was close to Heaven. I decided that when I got to the top, I would leave my worries there. So when I got there, I unloaded my worries and brought home a rock to remember. For a while, when I got anxious about my worries, I would look at Timp and remember that I left them there. It worked for a while, but then my worries worked there way down the mountain and found me again. So then I went to the real mountain top instead. Journeying to the top of Timpanogos with friends is one of my favorite memories.

We left for our hike at midnight. Me, Cousin Jamie, Katie, and Marc

It was too late for people, but not too late for bears. Luckily, we didn't see any.

We didn't see much of the hike on the way up because it was pitch dark.

Sometime in the middle of the night, somewhere on the middle of a mountain.

Here we are at the saddle. I forgot to turn my headlamp off so no real proof I was there.

My friends all decided it was too dark, too cold, and too cloudy to go to the summit. I was determined so I set off with strangers. This is what it looked like when I left.

Katie and Marc napped and Jamie studied (not a common thing to do at the saddle) while they waited for me.

The views on the way down were spectacular.

Early morning in the meadow of Timp.

The Word on the Street

2010-10-01T09:55:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I was on TV talking to the people about inclusive education. I am a Special Educator and I was asked to share my stuff about teaching kids with disabilities in regular classrooms as opposed to separate or special education classrooms. It made me nervous to be on camera, but the questions were things I talk about all the time in the class I teach at BYU so I tried to just take a deep breath and say what I know. If you watch the link below, you will see that I get a bit nervous and stumble around a bit, but at least I didn't accidentally say something crazy. My friend Katie was also with me. She sounds amazing in the video, definitely a natural speaker. It was a fun time. Here are some pics of the experience from start to finish.

Here I am at the BYU broadcasting studio

We had a lot of fun getting our make up done.

All done

Look how curly my lashes are. How did she do that?

They are putting a sound piece in my ear.

Ready to roll!

A few hours later I was here, hiking Timp. That story is coming next!

Eat to Live

2010-09-06T19:06:00.001-07:00

I ate all this food this week and I feel great! Here's the story...

My body doesn't process sugar well. My very intelligent mother figured this out when I was a kid and took me off sugar for a while to combat reoccurring headaches. I have had all sorts of other issues in my life because of this not-so-good-at-processing-sugar problem. Now, if you know me, you might say, "Heidi, I've seen you take down a lot of chocolate chip cookies" and that is no lie. It seems like when sugar is in my body, doing it's havoc reeking work, it calls out to me from baked goods in all forms. So I am fighting back. I have been looking for a low carb diet that was designed for people with insulin resistance, but they have all been low carb, high protein. That doesn't seem to jive with the word of wisdom, the code of health we Mormons ascribe to. So what to do?

I recently was recommended a book called Eat to Live and it made a lot of good sense to me. If you want to understand the ins and outs, you should pick up the book, but basically everything that comes out of the ground is full of all kinds of amazing cancer fighting, disease killing stuff. And there is protein in veggies (who knew?). So I have been eating this way for one week and I feel great!

Here is the plan for the first 6 weeks. Every day eat the following things...

1 lb raw veggies
1 lb cooked veggies
1 cup beans or legumes
at least 4 fruits
1-2 servings of whole grains
about 2 oz of fat (nuts, seeds, avocado, olive oil)
No sugar
No animal products

After 6 weeks you can add back in meats and sweets for about 10% of your total diet.

Here is some photo documentation for your viewing pleasure...

I eat a grab bag of veggies each day (salads, veggie shakes, snacks)

I made soup out of these veggies.

I cooked these veggies.

Here is all the yummy fruit I get to eat.

Here is my lunch for one day. A salad with beans and a veggie shake to wash it down. It isn't Burger King, but it will do.

The next time you see me, I might be a little leaner and I might ask to use your restroom :)

Hooray for veggies!

Smoothie #328 The using up the fruit that is going bad in my house turned out to be a delicious smoothie smoothie

2010-08-29T20:17:00.000-07:00

This is how most of my smoothies come to be. I just look around for what needs to be eaten and blend it up. This is my last smoothie post. I hope you have enjoyed some ideas for tasty ways to eat more fruit. Drink up!

1/2 frozen banana
1 cup fresh pineapple
1/2 fresh mango
small handful of walnuts
water

This turned out so yummy! I'll have to try it again. I think it would also be good with coconut milk or avocado.

Smoothie #327 chocolate strawberry

2010-08-29T20:13:00.000-07:00

OK. So it doesn't quite taste like that picture, but it makes you feel like you had something yummy!

1/2 frozen banana
4-5 frozen strawberries sliced
4-5 fresh strawberries
1 scoop chocolate protein powder (You could use chocolate milk or chocolate soy milk)
15 almonds
You will need a little water if you didn't use milk

Tastes a little like a shake, but so much healthier!

Smoothie #326 Hawaiian

2010-08-29T20:09:00.000-07:00

It's hard to go wrong with these flavors! So yummy!

1/2 frozen banana
1 cup fresh pineapple cut in chunks
1 half orange
1/4 can of lite coconut milk

Birthday Love

2010-08-23T21:49:00.001-07:00

I had the most amazing birthday! Thank you to everyone for making it so special.

And if you have ever considered checking out Cuchina Toscana, go for it. It's pretty much amazing.

PS Lucy picked out that cupcake card and I love it!

Turning

2010-08-22T19:11:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I am turning 35. It feels like a benchmark year, like a time for reflection. If I had to choose one word to use to describe how it feels for me to turn 35 it would be peaceful. Not peaceful like, rest in peace, or life is over, but peaceful like I've seen a lot of things and experienced a lot of things. There are still some surprises left out there for me, but for the most part I kind of understand how things go down. Peaceful because I have experienced a good amount of joy and a good amount of sorrow and I know how I react to both. Peaceful because I am more confident about myself than I ever have been and more happy with the things about me that our great and the things about me that are good opportunities for growth. Peaceful because, more than anytime in my life, I have learned to trust God. Only God and I really know about all the experiences of 34 that taught me about hope and faith and who I am. I couldn't be more grateful for those experiences and all the experiences of my life that have led me to this place.

I feel really good about this year. There is something special about it.

Smoothie #325 Nuts and Berries

2010-08-22T19:03:00.001-07:00

This is a favorite of mine. It's hard to go wrong with berries. Here's what I had today, but most combinations turn out great.

12-15 Almonds
handful of frozen blueberries
handful of fresh blueberries
handful of frozen strawberries
handful of fresh strawberries
handful of fresh blackberries
fill with water to the 1 cup line

Enjoy! I keep fresh berries in the fridge and when they start to go bad I transfer them to the freezer, so I usually have a lot of both fresh and frozen. They are coming back in season and are inexpensive at the store so drink up!

Smoothie #322 Cantaloupe, strawberry, banana, avocado

2010-08-20T09:49:00.000-07:00

The star of this smoothie is the cantaloupe, which has a subtle flavor so you have to be careful not to drowned it out with something strong. This is a little different with the avocado, but I love it because it makes it creamy and it keeps you full for a long time. Here is the recipe

1/8-1/4 of a cantaloupe
4 fresh strawberries
1/2 frozen banana
1/4 of an avocado

Put everything in and fill with water up to the 2 cup line. I like a little more water than usual with this recipe because the avocado can make it kind of thick.

Smoothie #320 Strawberry Orange Banana

2010-08-19T13:46:00.001-07:00

This mornings smoothie was your standard strawberry, orange, banana. I wasn't happy with my combination, but this is what I did...

1/2 fresh banana
1/2 cup frozen strawberries (I slice them before I freeze them so they are a little easier for the blender to handle)
1/2 minneola tangelo
small handful of walnuts (good source of DHA which is supposed to be the wonder substance these days)

It was too sour. I would recommend

1/2 frozen banana
1/2 fresh banana
4-5 fresh strawberries
1/2 orange
small handful of walnuts

PS Have you been to Red Mango? I am addicted.

Smoothie #319

2010-08-18T09:55:00.000-07:00

Today's smoothie was not typical for me. I woke up with a cold, so I was trying to imitate the coldbuster at Jamba Juice. I'll have to admit it is pretty delicious. Here's the recipe....

1 half a frozen banan
1/2 cup orange juice concentrate
1/2 minneola tangelo
1/2 orange
1 packet tangerine flavored emergen-c

I like to combine frozen fruit for texture and fresh fruit for flavor. I almost never add juice, but the concentrate sounded good today. I usually add fat in the form of nuts, avocado, or coconut milk, but none of things seemed to go good with the flavors so I left it out today. I'll let you know if it actually busts my cold.

Blender Heaven

2010-08-17T13:35:00.001-07:00

Last year for my birthday my friends chipped in to my Blendtec fund. According to the counter on the front of the blender, I have made 318 smoothies this year. Blendtecs are expensive and right now my smoothies still have an average cost of over $1.00 each to blend, but after 65 more smoothies, the blender will start to pay for itself. I have not experienced buyers remorse for a moment. I feel that the Blendtec has been the reason I have had at least 3 servings of fruit a day for a year and when I am eating my veggie shake, I get at least 3 servings of vegetables. I feel like it was an investment in good health.

In honor of having my Blendtec for one year, I am going to post my breakfast smoothie here each day. It always involves some kind of fruit (fresh or frozen) and some kind of fat (nuts, avocado, or coconut milk). Because this is my first day, I will refresh your memory of my veggie shake recipe. This one is full proof to fight off all that ails you.

handfuls of
spring mix
spinach
kale
broccoli
carrots

2-3 strawberries
lemon juice
enough water to cover everything

Happy blending

PS I got my Blendtec at Costco. They aren't there everyday. You have to check the Blendtec website to see when they are visiting your Costco.

Do you know the way to Santa Fe?

2010-08-15T17:16:00.000-07:00

"There's something that's in the air. The sky is different, the stars are different, the wind is different. I shouldn't say too much about this because other people may get interested and I don't want them interested."

Georgia O'Keefe about New Mexico

In the summer of 2003 I went on a road trip to New Mexico. It was an interesting time in my life when I had a lot of questions about why things hadn't worked out for me the way I had planned. I had recently ended a relationship and was struggling to convince my heart to move on. New Mexico turned out to be the perfect adventure. Each night I would set up my tent and crawl inside, terrified of what might be lurking in the dark. I would vow that the following morning I was going to pack up and drive home and avoid another long night alone in the dark. But each morning would bring the sun and the promise of a new adventure. I ended up spending 10 long nights and 10 sunny days exploring the land around me and the thoughts inside me. When I came home, life began moving in a new direction. I can't give all the credit to New Mexico, but I do think there is something special there.

One of my favorite stops in my wanderings was Santa Fe. This year when my family was looking for a place to spend some time together I suggested Santa Fe. I was happy to return and share this city with my family. I was able to enjoy some of the same experiences I had there many years ago and share discover some new things as well. If you are ever looking for a quiet place to wander for a while, this may be the place for you.

I found the Tesuque Market on my first trip to Santa Fe

For years I have been dreaming of returning for one of these pecan rolls. Delicious!

I never get tired of looking at the clouds in Santa Fe. I agree with Georgia...There's something different about them.

The plaza was alive with music and lots of people the week we were there.

We enjoyed a lovely dinner at the Plaza Cafe

No one does sopapillas like New Mexico. I would return just for a taste of these little pockets of heaven with a side of honey.

I love it when a city comes alive with its culture. That happened one night when by belly was full of sopapillas and the sky was full of New Mexico stars. These ladies broke out into song on the street and the crowd gathered around to listen. It was a magical Santa Fe moment and I tried to take it all in.

P.S. The lady dancing at the end did take it all in and a little more...

Pull Ups

2010-08-10T07:39:00.001-07:00

This is what happens when you do 82 pull ups in a work out. Did I mention that I love crossfit?

Aunt Heidi in Santa Fe

2010-08-06T16:14:00.000-07:00

Rachel is only one of my really great nieces and nephews. We just got back from Santa Fe and I got to hang out with 7 of them. Three were missing and we are still waiting for one to make his appearance. They are all a little piece of heaven. Here are some of our best pics.

My sister Michelle has three boys. The oldest is Caleb. I can remember the first time this guy called my sister, "Mama". It was surreal to realize that this person I had known all my life was now a Mama. And she has turned out to be amazing at it. Her boys are delightful. I love that they are growing up and are so fun to be around. We spent an afternoon at the pool and camped together in a big tent. It was great.

Here is big brother Caleb

This is Wyatt he always has something funny to say, but you have to be listening to catch it.

This is Zane. He always has a big grin on his face and he loves to be with the baby cousins. They love him too.

I made Caleb and Wyatt stand by this sign that said "The End of the Santa Fe Trail" and take a picture. None of us knew what the Santa Fe Trail was at the time, but we went to a museum together on Wednesday and learned about it.

Such great boys!

My brother Adam has two kids, Rachel, who I swam with on the last post, and Josh, who I couldn't stop taking adorable pictures of. They are so fun and have very individual personalities. Josh has started talking a mile a minute so we are getting to know him much better than we used to. I couldn't get enough of these two.

Rachel climbing out of a Kiva. Love those socks!

Josh playing with the sunbeams

Does this picture melt your heart or what?

I love this guy

One day I took the kids on a walk and we found a bronze full size sculpture of an Indian in someone's yard. I guess it made quite an impression on Josh because all day long he kept saying he wanted to go see the Indian again. We were walking down the streets of Santa Fe, which has a large population of Native Americans, with Josh screaming, "I want to see an Indian!". He was finally satisfied when I took him in a shop and showed him some more sculptures of Indians. This kid knows what he wants!

I would feel guilty about having more pictures of Josh than Rachel, but she did get a whole post devoted to her last week, so I think we are ok.

My baby brother Jared has two boys and one on the way. It is still hard for me to believe he is a dad. I don't get to spend as much time with his kids so I tried to soak them in when we were together. Jackson is very much the oldest child and likes to be in charge, a quality I am sure will come in handy in his life. Colin breaks into tears when anyone leaves. I can't get enough of them.

Jackson coming out of the Kiva

Colin and his dad waiting for breakfast to come. Look at those cheeks (Colin's not Jared's :))

We had such a great time in Santa Fe. I am glad all the cousins had time to get to know each other better. I can't wait to see everyone again soon!

Meet Rachel

2010-07-30T07:45:00.000-07:00

This is my niece Rachel. She is pretty great. She lives in California, but she came to visit a few weeks ago. We had a nice afternoon of swimming as she showed me how to do the elementary backstroke. I love this picture of her jumping into the pool. I wish I attacked all new experiences just like this; a little bit nervous, but so excited to hit the water and full of faith that someone will be there to catch you. Rachel teaches me a lot of things. This was a new little lesson on a sunny afternoon in July.

Why I love girl's camp

2010-07-11T20:14:00.000-07:00

I went to girl's camp this week with the young women in my church. I want to tell you all about it because there are so many things to tell, but that would make for a very long post so I will just tell you about why I love girl's camp. Girl's are different at girl's camp. There are no boys to throw them off and their real selves come shining out. They sing silly songs and say silly things. They don't shower and they wear their greasy hair in braids. They go on long hikes and they don't worry about whether or not it is cool to be tough. They are nice to each other even though that might not be socially acceptable at home. And when they sing the heavens open and they look like little queens. There spirits shine all around them and don't seem to fit inside their bodies any more.

And when girl's camp is over they take a little bit of that with them. Girl's camp is a magical place and when I go I feel like the girl's feel. Tonight I am home again and the pressures of life are creeping back into my mind, but for a week I got to braid my greasy hair and sing silly songs and go on long hikes and not worry about being cool or beautiful or smart or funny. I just got be one of the girls. And my spirit felt bigger than my body. I am going to make a plan to keep a little girl's camp magic in my pocket and bring it out when I need it.

Talia, Cambria, and Payton ready to race a canoe

Flag ceremony. Don't they look official?

Sunrise hike

Waving our virtue banner on the sunrise hike

A Thank You Note

2010-06-26T23:00:00.000-07:00

Thank you to my friend who married a man who is smart enough to know how to fix things and nice enough to help other people out. You made a wise choice. And because of that choice you may sometimes find yourself at your single friend's house with your babies after their bedtime waiting for your husband to finish his attempt to fix a very old washing machine. And your friend will be so grateful and wonder what she would do if she didn't have both of you in her life.

Thank you to Heavenly Father who created something called Home Teaching so that you don't have to feel like you're all alone when you have to move heavy things in and out of your house and thank you for sending me home teachers that are worth $1000 a month, but I am blessed to have for free.

Thank you to the guy at Jiffy Lube who gave me new washer blades and an air filter. I know that you overcharged me and that it would be cheaper to go to Autozone, but sometimes the thought of figuring out what I need Autozone and then figuring out how to install it seems like much more than I can handle. And I wanted to give you a hug when I saw what a lovely job you did vacuuming my carpets since I hadn't gotten around to getting all the red dirt from Goblin Valley out of my car.

Thank you to people with trucks who stop what they are doing and give you a ride to get your new washer and dryer.

Thank you to the world wide web for helping me to know that when your new washer jumps out of the closet it is in that it isn't ok and that you need to remove the shipping bolts from the back of a new washer so that it can work properly.

And finally, thank you in advance to the carpet guy who is going to work a miracle on my wet carpets that got wet when I didn't know that you need to remove the shipping bolts from the back of the washing machine for it to work properly.

I feel real tired after a week of fixing and purchasing and installing and problem solving and drying out carpets, but I realize I have a whole lot of people to be thankful for and I am so happy they are all in my life.

A Night with the Goblins

2010-06-20T22:13:00.000-07:00

I took my roommate Yvette camping in Goblin Valley last weekend. We had a really great time. We found this beautiful campsite up next to the red cliffs pocked with rock goblins. The nearest people were about a half mile away, which may be screaming distance, but if an axe murderer came to get us, he would have plenty of time to make a mess of things before help arrived.

So I said to Yvette, "It's really pretty here and it feels safe, but I am warning you that I am going to get really scared when it it gets dark and I am going to want to pack up and go find some nice people to camp by, but I need you to remind me that it will be ok." Yvette was willing to take on the assignment.

We were expecting friends who were coming to arrive at eight. They didn't come. Then it was nine and the sun went down, but no friends came. Then it was ten and we got in our tent. I said, "Yvette, remember how I told you I was going to get scared." And then I thought about coyotes and cougars and strange men who lurk outside campsites where girls are staying by themselves. And then I thought about how hard it would be to pack up the tent and leave. And then I thought about how I was supposed to be strong because this was Yvette's first camping experience. And how we had said a prayer and that I am really not that good at having faith when it's dark outside. And then it was eleven and our friends came and I was so happy.

Heading into Wildhorse Canyon. Gorgeous!

The narrows were amazing in here. Really unique stuff.

The Valley of the Goblins

We had shrimp tacos and guacamole for dinner.

Our great campsite before it got dark and scary.

This is the sign that helped Cindy find us at 11:00 pm.

Melanie and Yvette heading into Crack Canyon about 10 minutes before it started raining.

This is not something you want to see in a slot canyon, but it was really beautiful.

Hightailing it out of the canyon in the rain. The thunder was amazing in here. I wish I could have gotten it on video.

Time Off

2010-06-15T21:06:00.001-07:00

I spent the month of May on the east coast. I went there because I had a month off work and I have learned that the best way to take time off work is to leave the state. I also went there to see a boy that I thought I loved and wanted to know if he loved me too. It turns out that he doesn't and that makes me kind of sad. The strange part is that I had such a great experience finding out that things were not going to work out with us. I am grateful for the time I was able to spend away listening to my heart and remembering that although life hasn't brought me all the things I have wanted, it has taught me how to hope and that feels like a gift. I spent time with my wonderful friend Amy who makes me feel happy and has always brought sunshine into my life. I felt very inspired by this and remembered that I want my trials to make me softer and sweeter. One day a guy told me I was beautiful and bought me a sandwich, which seemed like I nice thing to hear when love seems to allude you.

I am grateful for quiet times and beaches and summer sun and friendships that feel like they will last forever and the spirit and hope. And I am grateful for adventures that take me to far away places, but even more for adventures that happen in the quiet places of my heart.

What happens in Nashville...

2010-06-06T15:44:00.001-07:00

My annual conference for special education was held in Nashville this year. I feel like the heart of country music took me over and I found myself wanting to join in on the festivities. In fact, at one point I found myself on stage singing with a band! Who knew I had such a country music fan in my heart. All those years in Texas must have worn off.

Katie came with me and we had so much fun seeing, smelling, hearing, and tasting the sites of Nashville!

Katie and I on the streets of Nashville!

So Nashville! There was live music everywhere!

We stayed at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel! It was amazing!

A ride on the General Jackson turned out to be a great adventure!

This river completely over ran it's banks a week later. We felt so blessed that we were not in town that week.

Oh Nashville! I love you!

2010-05-04T08:45:00.001-07:00

I've updated my book blog

2010-02-27T12:20:00.001-08:00

Sorry it took so long.

Cross Fit

2010-02-27T11:49:00.000-08:00

I am working out at a new gym called cross fit. The philosophy of the gym is to work out doing functional movements such as lifting weight, jumping, running, pulling, pushing, etc. There are no machines in the gym, in fact it is a big warehouse, but there are pull up bars, barbells, dumbbells, and gymnastic rings. There are 4 times a day you can go and workout and there is a set workout that has been planned. You complete the workout as a class with a trainer. I am loving it! I completed a body fat test when I started and re tested last week. I had lost 7% body fat! I am so happy about that because I feel like I gained a lot of muscle and got stronger rather than just getting smaller. The picture above is of me doing a deadlift.

Here is the website if you want to know more www.crossfituv.com

Linkin's Arrival

2010-02-22T08:47:00.000-08:00

I think I fixed the video at the bottom of the last post. Scroll down to the second You Tube video. Let me know if you still can't view it.

Adventures in Babysitting

2010-02-14T15:53:00.000-08:00

One of the best parts about being the single aunt is that I get to be there for many of the big moments in my siblings lives. Last week was one of those moments. Nathan and Nicole had their baby and I was able to come and stay with Ethan and Shelby. I learned a lot about what mothers do all day (I'm not sure I'm ready!), and Ethan, Shelby and I had a great time. Here are some photos to document the time we spent together waiting for brother Linkin to arrive.

We took a trip to the mall and found all our favorite friends at the Disney store

Aunt Heidi bought a nutritious lunch of hamburgers, fries, and ice cream cones

We just got a text message with a picture of the new baby Linkin and everyone is excited!

Ethan insisted that Linkin needed a giraffe and we also found a giraffe balloon.

Mommy and Linkin come home today!

Ethan likes to play with this puzzle. He kept saying, "Heidi, will you help me make a guy?"

Making Cookies with Rachel and Josh

2010-01-29T06:38:00.000-08:00

My niece Rachel and I have a long standing tradition of cookie making that began when she was pretty tiny. She has always been a great cookie making companion. Even when she was little she was able to help out with the ingredients and roll out the dough. Now she is an old pro. We had a great time and this year we even let her little brother Josh join in. He wasn't all that interesting in helping out with the cookies, but he did like to eat the mint chocolate chips which he called "spicy". I am blessed to have such fun nieces and nephews to hang out with.

Heidi's List of 100 Books #10

2010-01-03T21:33:00.000-08:00

I have finished 10 books on my list of 100 books. Check out my book blog by clicking here or on the stack of books to the right of this post.

A San Antonio Christmas

2010-01-03T20:15:00.000-08:00

This year my family and I celebrated Christmas in San Antonio, TX. It was a lot of fun. We left Azle in a rare blizzard. It was the firs white Christmas in the Dallas/Fort Worth area in 50 years.

We stayed in an beautiful hotel that had been converted from a bank.

The river walk was dressed up beautifully in holiday lights.

We enjoyed some good old Texas BBQ

And of course, we stopped in at the Alamo

Thanks for a great time family! Let's do it again, but maybe when it's not so crowded!

Mary's House

2009-12-21T14:12:00.000-08:00

Nathan, Nicole, Ethan, Shelby, and I went up to see the lights at temple square last week. We had a great time. It was a bit crowded, but the weather was perfect. It was so fun to be with Ethan now that he is understanding Christmas. He listened intently as they nativity story was read over a loud speaker and watched with interest each time the stable with Mary, Joseph, and Jesus lit up to reveal the little family. After we left the nativity, he kept saying, "I want to see Mary's house". I think it is how we all feel about the story of the first Christmas. Like the shepherds and wise men, we too feel in our hearts a desire to see Mary's house and the new baby born there.

Here are some highlights...

Merry Christmas!

Surprise Party in Texas

2009-12-10T20:50:00.000-08:00

My mom turned 60 on December 3 and my brothers and sisters surprised her by coming by train, plane, and automobile to spend the weekend with her. It was so much fun to surprise her and so much fun to spend the weekend with my parents and brothers and sisters together. I know that mom does not want me to post the video I made when we barged into her classroom and gave her the shock of her life, but here are some other fun pics from the weekend.

We went to a fondue place for dinner

Cooking our dinner

More than we could eat

Great to be together

Adam before he escaped to buy cowboy boots

Jared and the gang

Marshmallows roasting on an open fire

We stopped by the Gaylord to check out the attractions

It was also my niece Shelby's first birthday and she flew in to Texas to celebrate with her grandma

Happy Birthday Mom! I hope you had as much fun as we did!

Thanksgiving Traditions

2009-11-30T19:33:00.000-08:00

I have established a few Thanksgiving traditions in past years.

The first is a 5-10K run on Thanksgiving morning. This began on Thanksgiving Day 2006 when my brother Adam and I ran a 10K in San Jose before Thanksgiving dinner. It was a great feeling to eat that delicious meal after running 6 miles. I decided to make it an annual event, althought this year it was a 3 mile run. Here are the members of the Thanksgiving 2009 Stockton 5k. It was a great event filled with a tour of Stockton, a few wild turkeys, a run past the Stockton Jail, and a train crossing.

My next tradition is to try making something new each year. The problem with this tradition is that when the something new turns out good, people want you to bring it again. Pretty soon you have a lot of things to bring to Thanksgiving. This year my something new was a chocolate ricotta tart. It is was so good, but a little rich for eating after Thanksgiving dinner. I think it will be a good tradition for New Year's. Here's a picture before I cooked it.

My last tradition is old and new. My family always had a relish tray at Thanksgiving dinner, filled with pickles, olives, and cherry peppers.

Because of this tradition, I always bring a relish tray to the places I am invited. I was not sure what to do with the leftovers until I had a muffaleta sandwich at Jason's Deli. Now I take the leftover pickles, olives, and other items and chop them up into a relish. I buy some good bread, Italian meat, and cheese and make muffaletas. It is yummy and makes a nice alternative to Thanksgiving leftovers. Here is a picture of the sandwich before I grilled it.

Here's to friends, family, food, and traditions old and new!

House Projects

2009-11-08T20:11:00.000-08:00

I have had some house projects. Here is a sneak peek, but you should come by to get the full effect.

1. Marc and Katie finished my bathroom counter top for my birthday. I love it and I am so happy that it is finished!

2. I laid vinyl tile in my kitchen. I can't believe how easy it was and now I am so excited to refinish the cabinets and change the counter tops. The floor has already made such a difference.

3. I have been decorating my bedroom. I gave it a bit of an Asian feel with a bedspread I bought in Thailand and colorful picture of lotus flowers.

Basement Bootcamp

2009-10-28T16:44:00.000-07:00

About six months ago, I got this crazy idea that I wanted to work out at 5:00 am in my friend Cindy's basement. I had been attending a bootcamp class for a couple of months and I was excited about the principles I had learned there. I wanted to try and replicate bootcamp and invited my friend's Marc and Cindy to join me. We have been faithfully attending basement bootcamp since April and we have grown to a group of seven. Here are a few, never-before-seen-pictures, of this strange, early morning ritual.

This is what my clock says when I leave for bootcamp.

It's really dark at 5:00 a.m.

Cindy is in charge today and she is giving us some instructions.

Cindy, Brooke, and Julie get to work with the weights.

We are very creative in our "gym"

Ryan is pumping that iron.

Marc is working those triceps.

Brooke is amazing on the stability ball.

Here I am on the chin up bar.

Cindy and I are getting in some leg work on a few cinder blocks.

Lifting Burdens

2009-10-24T09:18:00.000-07:00

I have thought a lot about God's power to lift our burdens over the past year. I love this recent message from www.lds.org I hope you will love it too.

Lifting Burdens

Heidi's List of 100 Books

2009-10-06T19:01:00.000-07:00

I now have a link to Heidi's List of 100 books on the sidebar. Feel free to check it out. It feels a little like the longest book report in the world, but I promise to keep it more interesting than that creepy kid in your 5th grade class who always gave his book reports on weird science fiction stories. OK, maybe he was interesting, but I promise to post books that you would actually want to read. Come and visit!

The Fruits of My Labors

2009-10-06T18:37:00.001-07:00

Peaches, Pears, and Peach Habanero Jam

I think they are so pretty that they are decorating my mantle right now.

I got my Blendtec!

2009-09-29T08:19:00.000-07:00

Some of you know that I have been saving for a Blendtec blender. I even asked for donations to my blender fund for my birthday. I had finally saved the money so when I saw the Blendtec demo at Costco, I decided it was time to buy. I'm in love!

I posted my veggie shake recipe on here a few months ago (spinach, kale, lettuce, carrots, and broccoli). I have been driving two times a week over to Katie's to make four days worth of shake in her blendtec for the last 6 months. Now, I am on my own. The blender I got has a whole juice option that makes everything so smooth. My veggie shake is basically straight juice and it's actually yummy! The blendtec also makes salsa, guacamole, soup, batters, and ice cream. I am going to have a dinner party with all the servings made in the blendtec.

Here is my favorite fruit smoothie recipe so far...

1 frozen banana
a few chunks of frozen pineapple
1 fresh kiwi
the juice from 1 lime
water

optional
protein powder
1 package of emergency
1 teaspoon flax oil

It is delicious!

My Ironman Swim

2009-09-22T19:42:00.000-07:00

On Monday I swam 2.4 mi with the Timp Tri Club. Once a year the Timp Tri Club swims across Deer Creek Reservoir. Last year I swam across the lake, but got a ride back on a boat. This year I swam across the lake and when I got to the other side I still felt great so I decided to try to swim back. I got pretty tired about half way back, but I was able to go the distance. The total swim was 2.4 mi. My arms are so tired! Here is a picture of our group heading out. I am one of the people putting on my wetsuit on shore.

A New Year!

2009-09-19T19:37:00.000-07:00

I turned 34 in August and had a great day with the wonderful people in my life. The day started off with the dedication of the Oquirrh Mountain temple. It was an amazing experience. I think this temple will always be special to me because it was dedicated on my birthday.

I headed up to SLC for lunch to have lunch with Olivia and her family. Olivia's birthday is one day before mine and she still had a cake. She shared it with me and even added my name it. It was great to celebrate our birthdays together and it was crazy to realize this was our 9th birthday to share. Time definitely flies.

The day ended with a great party at Katie and Marc's. Yvette made me a delicious cake and all my favorite people were there. Happy Birthday to me!

I am excited to see what this new year will bring. Thank you to all my friends and family for making this such a special day! You are all wonderful!

Introducing Heidis list of 100 books

2009-09-13T20:21:00.000-07:00

First let me apologize about my lack of posts. My camera cord is lost and it just doesn't seem right to post on this blog without pictures. So I am still searching and will soon return to post.

I am announcing my new blog. It is called Heidi's list of 100 books

I have started a project to read 100 new books and I will post reviews and commentary on this new blog. I hope you will join me and share your insights.

Looking for a good book...any suggestions?

2009-08-16T21:22:00.001-07:00

I am making a list of 100 books I want to read and I am looking for some ideas. I am listing a few books here that I like in hopes that you will take some ideas from me and leave a few of your own. These are not necessarily my all time favorites, but just a few books that I enjoyed and kept me interested. Please leave a comment with some suggestions for my list. I am looking for both fiction and non fiction, classic and contemporary, books you would talk about to impress your date and books you are embarrassed that you love. Whatever, I wont judge...I mean after all...I love Twilight.

So here it goes

The Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Ok. This is one of my all time favorites. I love this book. My dad recommended it to me and I resisted reading it for a few years. It is the story of a man who shares a life boat with a tiger, hyenna, and something else for several months at sea. He tells the story of all the things he has to do to keep the tiger happy enough not to eat him, but realizes that the tiger it was actually keeps him alive in the end. I know. It doesn't sound that great. Trust me. This is a great story.

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

Rebecca is also a favorite of mine. It is a classic that doesn't read like a classic. It is both a love story and a mystery all wrapped up in one. I'm not going to tell you any more than that, but trust me, if you haven't read Rebecca, you should. I know you won't be disappointed.

A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly

This is a well written young adult book. It is set in a lodge in the mountains of upstate New York where rich people came in the early 1900's to get away from the city. I have visited a lodge like this and found it easy to picture the setting of this story of a girl who uncovers a murder. I love the main character and the unfolding story. Writing this makes me want to pull it out and read it again.

Gap Creek by Robert Morgan

This book is bit of a long shot because I am not sure if you all will like it as much as I did. I have always had an unexplained love for stories set in Appalachia. There is something about the hard life of farming and surviving that seems to appeal to me. This is a story of a young girl who thinks who life is complete when a handsome man wants to marry her. She quickly finds out that life is about to get very hard. I remember loving the authors vivid descriptions. I know there is some sex in this one, so be warned.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon

If you have not read this book, you need to read it. It is told from the perspective of a teen age boy with autism. The story is interesting and well written on top of the fact that it helps you get into the mind of a character with Autism. I know I am a special ed person and that means I am biased, but I am pretty sure you will love this book, whatever your background.

So there you go. I hope this gives you an idea or two. Please don't keep your favorites to yourself. I would love to add them to my list.

It's a Miracle!

2009-08-12T20:10:00.000-07:00

The official name of this product is Bar Keepers Friend, but I like to call it repentance cleaner because it makes things look like new. I read about this stuff on my friend Katie's blog and thought I would give it a try on my shower. I was amazed. With a little time and effort my shower looked and felt like new. I was a believer.

Today I thought I would try it on my bathtub. I live in an older condo and my bathtub has been stained since I moved in. I have tried lots of products on it, but nothing has been able to get the stain out. I let the Bar Keeper's Friend sit on the stain for a few minutes and then I started to work on it. I came right up. I couldn't believe it. I was so shocked that I decided I better take a before and after picture. So here they are...

Before when my tub was stained and nasty

After when my tub was gleaming and shiny

Talk about a miracle!
You're going to want to try this stuff. You get it at any store. It's usually on the bottom shelf. It's less than a couple bucks and it is worth every penny.

Who is Jason?

2009-08-09T20:13:00.001-07:00

A comment on my last post has got a few people wondering about someone named Jason.

Here he is...

Jason Chaffetz is my congressman. I met him in his office and he gave me a pass to see the House of Representatives meeting. It was pretty exciting, but not as exciting as you might have been wondering about. Thought I should clear that up.

Washington DC

2009-08-04T10:31:00.000-07:00

I finished up my summer responsibilities at work a few weeks ago and the next day I hopped on a plane to Washington DC. I had a leadership training scheduled because I am currently serving as the state president of the Utah chapter of a national organization called The Council for Exceptional Children. The Council for Exceptional Children is an organization that advocates for children with disabilities. They have lobbied congress for funding for special education legislation, they support teachers who work with kids with disabilities, and they put on a national conference where they provide professional development for special education teachers and honor children with disabilities. In Utah we provide similar services for the members of our state. I was able to travel to DC to spend time with presidents of other state chapters of CEC.

Of course, I also took time to see a few sights that I haven't seen before. Here are the highlights...

One of my favorite things to do in DC is to walk through the memorials at night. My favorite is the Korean War Memorial where you see the faces of soldiers walking though the rice fields. I always wonder what is going through their minds as they walk bravely to an unknown future. I also love the Lincoln Memorial. I took time to read the Gettysburg Address which is written on the wall of the monument. I know I don't know everything about the circumstances of the civil war, but several times during my trip I was struck with the importance of that event. Our country has often found itself caught between two opinions and the right one seems obvious as you look back with modern day eyes. We know find ourselves struggling again with ideas and opinions that sometimes seem that they will also pull our country in two. It makes me wonder if we are learning enough from our own history.

As a part of the conference I attended we visited the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. I am standing here with a friend from Utah that came to the leadership conference with me. We had a great time watching a funny but mildly inappropriate play called "Sheer Maddness".

I was able to visit Arlington National Cemetery one afternoon after I was done with my conference. I loved how peaceful and quiet it was there. I was able to take my time walking through the pathways of people who had left this life. The changing of the guard was a beautiful ceremony which I decided not to film, but I took this short video of the soldier guarding the tomb. He walks back and forth in front of the tomb and completes a ritual with his gun at each end. I also took a short video of the sound of bugles playing which started spontaneously as I was walking through the cemetery.

I was able to spend a day visiting the capitol building. I had never done this before and I enjoyed seeing the history of the building and visiting the house gallery to see the House of Representatives voting on legislation. I can't say I agree with everything that goes on in Washington, but I was struck with the beauty of the system that was designed by our nations fathers. I stopped in at the Library of Congress as well which was an amazingly beautiful building.

If At First You Don't Succeed....

2009-07-12T07:53:00.000-07:00

Tri, Tri, Tri

So I am hooked on the sport of triathlon. I am not very good at it, but I love the challenge of beating my own times on each race and I love the way it makes me feel. There is something about competing in 3 sports and transitioning before each one that makes me feel like a real athlete. Here are some highlights of the Echo triathlon in Coalville, UT on July 11.

Here I am getting ready for the swim. I swam 3 minutes faster on my swim than I did 3 weeks ago at the Provo Tri. I was so excited about that.

Here is my transition from swim to bike. No I am not sitting down and taking a break. I had to sit to get my wetsuit off and put on my shoes and socks.

Here I am coming in on the bike. The course was a long hill up to the turnaround and then a long down hill ride back. It was really fun.

Here I am after the run. I love it when they have red grapes at the finish line. They are so delicious after a race. My finish time was 1 hour and 50 min.

Here is my friend Tara who came to the race. It was so great to have a friend their to cheer me own. We enjoyed a delicious breakfast in Park City afterward.

Congratulations to Christy

2009-06-22T19:06:00.000-07:00

My baby sister, Christy, graduated from high school last month. I was lucky enough to get to go to Texas and be there for her big day. It was a bit surreal to see her lead her class into the auditorium. I can still remember the day I went to see her in the hospital. I had spent many years praying for a little sister and I had never seen such a beautiful baby. It is hard to imagine what our lives were like without her. I am so proud of you Christy and excited to see where lives adventures will take you!

Adam and his family were able to join us in Texas as well. It was so fun to be with Adam and his family. It seems like Rachel is growing up so fast and Joshua is getting his own cute little personality. Rachel loved playing with her Texas cousin, Jackson. Jared and Jamie have a new little addition to their family as well. His name is Colin and he was so cute and friendly. It was great to have half of the family together. Maybe someday soon we will all be in the same place at once.

We ventured out on a hot humid day to see the Japanese gardens...

We dropped by Angelo's Bar-b-que

The girl's pampered themselves with a pedicure

It was a great trip. Thanks for giving us an excuse to get together, Christy!

Beauty Products Take Two

2009-06-21T20:29:00.000-07:00

OK. So I got a little less excited about beauty products after my last post and I never finished up. Here are reviews of a few other products.

Jergen's Natural Glow Express Body Moisturizer is a must have. The price is right and it is the most natural looking fake tanning product out there. The express lotion works quickly to get you a quick tan in 3-4 days and then you can switch to the regular natural glow product. I don't really have anything bad to say about this product except that sometimes I feel a little itchy and sometimes I wonder what bizarre chemicals are working together to create this sunnless tan, but other than that it is great. Check it out.

I got very excited about the Oil of Olay Regenerist line after I had such a great experience with the microdermabrasion kit. So I went out and bought the replenishing night cream. I am going to have to give this one a negative. It is very rich and even in though I live in the desert, my skin could not handle the greasiness. After a few days of using this product at night, I felt like it was pro wrinkle. My skin looked heavy and oily. So, unless you have very dry skin, I would not suggest using this product. Sorry oil of olay. I guess I am just not ready for this much replenishing!

The New Oil of Olay

2009-06-05T05:18:00.000-07:00

My first amazing product to review is the Oil of Olay Regenerist Microdermabrasion and Peel System. I read about this product on line and found that many dermatologist felt like it was somewhat of a miracle product. It seemed like the answer for me. My skin was looking old and tired. I tried the microdermabrasion system and was amazed with the results. My skin is so soft and looks much smoother. Here's how it works. You rub in a layer of dermacrystals for one minute and let you add this warming gel for one minute. Then you wash it off. It is fast and easy. They recommended to follow up with the regenerist serum, which I did, and I must say again that it made my skin really soft.
The price is a little steep for this product, but you don't need very much. They recommend to use it twice a week and I think on that schedule it will last a long time. An actual microdermabrasion is about $80 for one visit, so compared to that, this is a bargain.
So if you are looking for a new fresh glow, you might try this one out.

Beauty is a Duty

2009-06-03T10:55:00.000-07:00

I have a new obsession with beauty products and services. I'm not sure what kicked in to create this obsession. I am hoping that prince charming is on his way and I am getting some premonition to work on marketing. Maybe is a quote from some general authority that sometimes rolls around in my mind about how even an old barn looks better with a fresh coat of paint. Maybe it is that I have reached my mid thirties and I don't recognize myself when I look in the mirror. Regardless, I have discovered that modern science has come up with some pretty amazing ways to avoid the aging process and I am a big fan. I have decided to review a couple of my new favorite products and services here.

For those of you out there looking for a beauty boost, I will be posting some great new finds. Remember: Beauty is a Duty!

The pool's open!

2009-05-31T14:09:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone the pool is open. Come on over for a dip.

Katie and Lucy and I took our first dip on Friday. It was great!

Memorial Weekend

2009-05-31T09:20:00.000-07:00

On memorial weekend I broke out the grill and had 2 barbecues. The first was a traditional hamburger and hot dog barbecue with pineapple and peppers. And finished off with a delicious cherry pie.

My adorable niece and nephew Shelby and Ethan came.

It was fun to have Nathan and Nicole and their friends Tara, Ben, and Harmony.

On Monday we had a yummy Mexican with tacos, Mexican corn, and fruit. It was delicious.

Katie and Marc, Ryan and Jayna, and my neighbors Matt and Janet joined us. It was a great time.

The highlight was Lucy practicing her walking skills. Just one week before her baby brother joins the family.

So You Think You Can Dance - Season 5

2009-05-18T10:48:00.001-07:00

Seattle Times

2009-04-17T09:03:00.000-07:00

This month my adventures took me to the pacific northwest, Seattle, to be exact. I have never been in this part of the country and of course loved having the opportunity to explore a new city. Here are my top 10 things I enjoyed about Seattle in no particular order.

10. Seeing a forest next to the ocean. Up to this point I have only experienced oceans and palm trees.

9. Pike's place market

8. Eating clam chowder in a bread bowl at a restaurant over looking the water on a cold rainy day.

7. The city is big enough to have a lot to see, but small enough to see it on foot.

6. Staying at a great little bed and breakfast that was right on the water.

5. Taking a tour of the underground tunnels.

4. Walking to a great little park called Gas Works Park and watching the crew boats roll by.

3. Mt. Rainier covered in snow.

2. Taking 13 BYU students to a conference and they didn't make me crazy!

1. Alan showed up in Seattle after my conference ended!

I would love to get back to Seattle and explore a bit more. This was a nice little taste of the sights and sounds of a great city!

The Simple Seven

2009-03-23T19:06:00.000-07:00

In January I found myself out of shape and not sure how to get back in shape. A local triathlon coach invited me to participate in a nutrition challenge. Each person paid $20 to enter and we received a specific meal plan that included protein, carbs, fruits, veggies, nutritional supplements, water, and something else (the simple seven). On top of the diet, she invited us to participate in a Boot Camp class on Monday and Wednesday mornings at 5:30 a.m. Well, I took her up on the offer. I spent 6 weeks on the nutrition plan and going to boot camp. I lost 10 lbs and 15 inches and I came in 4th among the women.

One of the recipes that I eat everyday is a veggie shake. Here are the directions if anyone is brave enough to try it.

a handful of spinach
a handful of red/green leaf lettuce
a couple leafs of kale
3-4 broccoli florettes
4-5 baby carrots
a tablespoon of lemon juice
a tablespoon of ground flax
Cover with water

Mix it up in a really good blender and enjoy. It's not the best tasting stuff, but it makes you feel amazing and it curbs your hunger in the afternoon.

Thesis

2009-03-23T19:02:00.000-07:00

I was able to present a poster on my thesis at the Learning Disabilities Association of America. It is my last hurrah for my thesis. I am planning to get it published this year and then I won't be able to present it at conferences anymore. It has gotten me a trip to Dallas and Boston. Not bad. The title is Using Peer Tutors to Provide Accommodations in the General Education Classroom.

Snowboarding

2009-03-14T15:44:00.001-07:00

Olivia and I went snowboarding a few weeks ago and I never got around to updating my blog. Here are some pics. I have decided that I need to plan on going more often next year. It's hard to get my snow chick groove on when I can't remember how to get down a blue run. Regardless, we had a great time.

Here is Olivia's cute family that she is trying to transform into snowboarders.

'

Back to Kansas

2009-02-17T08:42:00.001-08:00

I was lucky and got to spend the three day weekend in Kansas with Alan. It was really great to see him again and we had a great time together. Of course, I always forgot to take pictures until the last day I am there. Here a few highlights of President's Day.

Alan took me shooting on Monday. He has several rifles and hand guns. I thought I would like shooting the hand guns because it would make me feel like Sydney Bristow from Alias, but I really liked shooting this rifle because I could actually hit the target.

This is a picture in front of Alan's house in Kansas. This is a great little place with a lot of character. He owns it, but will probably rent it out when he moves to Virginia this summer.

This is Alan climbing a rope in front of his house. He is definitely a man of many talents!

I love this picture. We took it right before I left for the airport. I would have to say that long distance dating is not my favorite thing, but it is great to be able to spend the whole weekend together.

So far Alan and I have spent all our major holidays of 2009 together. Maybe he will show up in Utah sometime around St. Patty's day, so we can keep up the tradition.

Whirlwind Weekend in Nauvoo

2009-02-02T16:07:00.000-08:00

Some of you know that I had a really great set up for New Year's eve. I was sure nothing would come of it because he was just in town for the weekend and that is just kind of how these things go. But we talked on the phone a few times and then he invited me to spend a weekend in Kansas. I was really nervous, but I decided to be brave and take him up on the offer.

I flew into Kansas City and we got in the car and headed toward Nauvoo, with a quick stop at Adam Ondi Ahman. These are both historical religious sites for the LDS church. It was a 5 hour drive and we made it to our cute little condos at 10 pm. I would definitely recommend this place for anyone going to Nauvoo. It is called the Nauvoo Family Condos. I stayed in the house with the red door and he stayed in the house with the green door.

The next morning we headed down to the visitors center to plan our day. The older missionary couples were so fun to visit and talk with. They were so excited to have visitors on a wintery January Day. The day included a wagon ride, a visit to several sites, a session at the Nauvoo temple, and the rendezvous that evening with all the older missionary couples.

This is Alan and I with the horses for the wagon ride.

This little girl brought Alan all the babies from the cradle that was there. The she sat down next to him. She seemed to really think he was great.

The next morning we went to church and then stopped by Carthage Jail on the way out of town. Carthage Jail is the site where the prophet Joseph Smith was killed by an angry mob. The spirit was palpable there and I am really glad we took the time to stop by.

We stopped for a quick picture at the temple on the way out of town.

After that we drove back to the Kansas City area and he showed me around the military base where he goes to school and his house. I had a great time and hope to see him again. I would have to list it is my most unique 2nd date.

When a girl from American visits Thailand she thinks it's ok to cook a whole fish

2009-02-02T16:00:00.000-08:00

I know that there are not many girls out there who see a whole red snapper, head and all, at Macey's and think, "Hey, I'd like to cook that up for dinner." I learned in my travels to other countries that the rest of the world thinks it is perfectly normal to cook and serve a whole fish including the eyeballs. I have to admit that Katie had to come over and clean it out before I cooked it. It turned out delicious and a few friends and I ate just about all of it. My friends in Thailand would have thought I was crazy for leaving the head, but I'm not quite ready to embrace that cultural tradition.

Hiking to Stewart Falls

2009-02-02T15:51:00.000-08:00

I drug my friend and new roommate Yvette out to hike in the snow about a week ago. We did great on the snow when it was packed down, but things got a little tricky when we lost the trail. We finally just decided to stop and eat a snack several hundred yard from our destination. We figured it wasn't worth falling in the freezing cold river just to make it to the waterfall. Stewart Falls proves to be a great hike in all seasons.

Christmas Morning

2009-01-11T18:24:00.000-08:00

I didn't get anygood pictures of Christmas morning and I have given up on trying to get pictures from my family (They don't understand the importance of timing in the blogging world). I thought this picture kind of summed it all up. This is my nephew Joshua who seems to be enjoying himself although I'm not sure he realized that it was Christmas and that he was opening a present. We had a great time Christmas morning at my house. Santa came and delivered presents to my nephews. It has been a while since I have been at Christmas with kids and Santa. It was a real treat for me.

After we opened presents, we started on our famous Christmas breakfast. It is a layer of hashbrowns, then a layer of eggs, then sausage, then bacon, then two kinds of cheese and then put under the broiler to all melt together. It is really delicious and tastes amazing on Christmas morning.

The rest of the family came over later to exchange gifts and hang out. We had a great time together. We finished off the evening with a visit to the lights in Spanish Fork. It will definitely go down in history as one of my favorite Christmas Days.

Making Cookies with Aunt Heidi

2008-12-29T16:54:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things in life is being an Aunt. I have 9 nieces and nephews and I got to see most of them this Christmas. On Christmas Eve after breakfast, Rachel came over to help me make rolls for dinner and she got really messy so we had to take a picture.

Later, Caleb, Wyatt, and Zane dropped in to cut out and decorate gingerbread cookies. We made a ton and they lasted all week. Here is a little video of the cookie making project.

The Abraham's Hit the Streets of SLC

2008-12-28T17:04:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2008 started with a bang when my family arrived in SLC. We dropped off their bags at the Little America and caught tracks to the Gateway Mall. Here we are showing off our new snow boots, a necessity for the snowy sidewalks in Salt Lake City.

Here are Mom and Dad in front of the fountain.

The Little America has a great indoor and outdoor heated pool and hot tub that we all enjoyed for a few hours after lunch.

After we all showered and cleaned up we headed out into the cold to see the lights of temple square. The lights were spectacular, the company was wonderful and the Christmas spirit was in the air. We had a great time and hardly even noticed the cold.

The next morning we walked over to the Grand America for a delicious breakfast in the Garden Cafe. The breakfast buffet included fruit, omelets, pancakes, waffles, smoked salmon, meats and cheeses, and other stuff. No one left hungry. Rachel and Zane had the best seats in the house next to Grandma and Grandpa!

A Preview of Temple Square

2008-12-13T09:05:00.000-08:00

My family is coming into town before Christmas and we are planning to see the lights at Temple Square. This week I was up there twice and got some great pictures.

On Tuesday the Young Women took their annual trip to see the lights. Here are some of our girls. They are so great and we had a nice quiet time in SLC. Last year we invited the boys and took tracks and it was all a bit crazy. This year we just took the girls and all went very well. We are getting smarter as we go. I'm sure the girls would disagree and would have loved to have the boys join us again. Everything is better when the boys come.

Here is a picture of the nativity scene on the reflection pond.

On Thursday I was able to get last minute tickets to see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. I talked my date into taking a picture with me at the Roof of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.

Then we both tried our skills on the ice a the Gallivan Center. He apparently had more skills than me.

I'm getting excited for my family to come and spend time together at Temple Square. It is always a fun place to be at Christmas.

Two times an new aunt

2008-12-07T14:09:00.000-08:00

We have had some exciting events in the family during the past few weeks. Jared and Jamie had a new baby boy, Colin Jordan Abraham, on the Monday before Thanksgiving. I haven't been able to see this cute guy yet, but I am looking forward to seeing him in person soon.

Nathan and Nicole had a beautiful baby girl, Shelby, on Decemeber 3 which is also my mom's birthday. It has been fun to be the only family around and get to be one of first people to hold her. She is perfect in every way!

I have been able to spend some quality time with Ethan, Nathan and Nicole's first, during the last week. He is such a good boy and so much fun to be with. Here he is enjoying a Saturday afternoon at the mall.

It is so fun to see our family growing. I have yet to meet a niece or nephew I didn't love to pieces!

Christmas is Coming

2008-11-30T21:12:00.001-08:00

I hadn't even finished eating all the Thanksgiving leftovers before I started thinking about Christmas. Katie and I decided to have craft day the day after Thanksgiving. Her house looked a bit like Santa's workshop. I can't show you most of the crafts I was making because I am giving them to most of you for Christmas. I will show you this cute advent calendar I made. I am so proud of myself. I'll have to admit that I got the pattern and all the materials at a church activity, but I think I did a pretty good job of putting it all together.

I also went to the Baum's Christmas tree lot just down the road from my house and picked out a cute little Christmas tree. I am so excited for the season to begin!

Thanksgiving

2008-11-30T20:54:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is the signal for the holiday season to begin. Before Thanksgiving the cold spark in the air is an annoyance but after we start dreaming of Christmas snow. Before thanksgiving we eat sensibly and watch the calories after Thanksgiving we enter the treat time of year. Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday all on it's own, but I also see it as the kickoff holiday to the most magical time of year.

My Thankgiving began with a 5K run. I have tried to make a tradition of running the morning of Thanksgiving. It always makes the pie and other goodies taste even more delicious. This year I was able to find several friends to join in the new tradition.

I have celebrated Thanksgiving more times without my family than with my family. One tradition in our family is to have a relish tray at Thanksgiving. When I visit other families on Thanksgiving, I have started bringing a relish tray so that it feels more like home. This year I bought myself a beautiful new relish tray and filled it with the traditional items as well as some new favorites (artichoke hearts, marinated mushrooms, and purple olives). It turned out so lovely.

I also brought rolls and pumpkin stuffing. The rolls looked beautiful but were a little underdone and the pumpkin stuffing smelled amazing but was too goey. Oh well, there's always next year. The steeds were nice enough to let me join their family in a delicious Thanksgiving dinner.

I finished off the night with a visit to Nathan and Nicole's. We ate delicious apple cobbler and shirley temples. It was so great to finish off the day with family. Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Funnies

2008-11-26T20:26:00.000-08:00

For a good thanksgiving laugh check out the story on my friends blog about last Thanksgiving. Don't worry. I won't be making a turkey this year.

Katie's Birthday

2008-11-23T17:34:00.000-08:00

This weekend was Katie's Birthday. She called on Friday night because she needed an emergency shopping trip to look cute on her birthday. We had a fun time trying on everything in the Banana Republic. This item didn't quite make the cut, but she did find some really cute shirts. The Banana Republic always comes through.

The next morning we went to the Provo temple. What a great way to celebrate a birthday.

Katie and I have made it a tradition to eat Mimi's breakfast on our birthdays. Mimi's is so delicious for breakfast that I am only allowed to go there those two days of the year. Marc and Lucy were able to join us. Marc was responsible for getting Lucy dressed and doing her hair. Shh don't tell him that she's wearing a pajama top with her jeans and that bow doesn't really match. Good thing Lucy is so cute in what ever she is wearing.

Happy Birthday Katie!

Twilight Tonight

2008-11-21T12:03:00.000-08:00

I am going to see Twilight tonight. I'm so excited!

Tiffany's Etsy Shop

2008-11-17T11:48:00.001-08:00

My fiend Tiffany is starting an Etsy Shop. Please check out her link under Etsy Shops on the right side of the page.

Girl's Weekend in Park City

2008-11-16T15:52:00.000-08:00

This weekend I invited some girls to come up and stay the night in Park City. I am participating in a conference with Provo School District and they get these great deals on these amazing rooms at the Westgate Condos at the Canyons resort. I talked 5 single friends into making the trip up to Park City. I am realizing how grateful I am for friends that still like to get away and have an adventure!

The ladies met me at Bangkok Thai on mainstreet in Park City. I would definitely recommend this place. The food was delicious, but stay away from the mango sticky rice, it's a little strange.

After dinner we headed back to the hotel for a dip to the outdoor hot tub.

I managed to find places for all six of us to sleep. There was a king size bed and a pull out couch. Yvette enjoyed sleeping on some couch cushions on the floor.

The next moring we made a delicious breakfast of french toast, bacon, eggs, and fruit. It was fun to cook in our little villa.

We hit the outlets in Park City at 10:00. I guess everyone in town knew that there were going to be amazing deals that day becuase it was super crowded. We all managed to find some things we couldn't resist at the Banana Republic.

What a great time! Thanks for coming ladies! Let's do this again sometime!

Time in Texas

2008-11-09T15:38:00.000-08:00

So I have returned from the warmth and sunshine in Texas. I had a great time visiting my family, attending a conference, and generally destressing about life. It's always nice to get away and forget about the pressures of life for a while. I always come back with new resolve to tackle the problems of the world or at least of my world. Here are some highlights of the trip...

Christy invited me to be in her senior pictures. Here she is after one of her many costume changes. Isn't she beautiful? Watch out boys, she is graduating from high school this year and is ready to take the world by storm.

My mom took a couple of days off work to hang out with me while I was in town. I told her that I wanted to go to a city that I had never been to before. We took a long drive to Waxahachie and ate real ice cream sodas at this soda fountain. Then we kept driving and ended up at the Collin Street Bakery in Corsicana. I can definitely say that is nothing like these little towns in the west.

On Tuesday mom, Jamie, and I went to a session at the Dallas Temple. It was lovely and peaceful and nice to be there with family. That is a rare treat for me.

I talked Christy into skipping school and joining Jamie and I in Dallas. We ate some delicious banana cake at this restraunt and then they dropped my off at my hotel for the conference.

I spent a couple of days with JoAnn and Barb from work. We took a shuttle over to the Galleria Mall and shopped and ate delicious seafood on Thursday night.

My parents took Barb and I to Medival Times for dinner on Friday. You attend a medival feast where you eat with your hands, cheer on your knight, watch joisting and sword fighting. We had a great time. Unfourtunately, our knight didin't win that evening, but all seemed to be safe in the kingdom when we left. Here are some highlights.

If only it was this easy to find a knight in shining armor!

Election Results

2008-11-04T18:56:00.000-08:00

Halloween in Texas

2008-11-02T09:16:00.000-08:00

I am hanging out in Texas for the next week because I have a conference in Dallas that starts on Wednesday. We have had a fun time trick or treating on Halloween night and attending the Azle ward Halloween party on Saturday. Here are some of the adventures...

Want some candy? Come and get it!

Jackson the pig

Christy is looking so hot I will have to put out the fire at the ward party.

Halloween party Texas style

Enjoying the festivities. Yes, my dad is wearing short sleeves. It was about 70 degrees.

The hayride got pulled over by a guy on horseback who made everyone stick em up and then gave them candy.

The trunks for the trunk or treating part were pretty amazing! Here's my brother Jared's trunk.

This is Helen Bennie and her trunk. Is it just me or does she never age?

The folks and their trunk. Mom is dressed up as Maya Angelou (she lost her turban).

Olivia Got Married!

2008-10-30T07:38:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday Olivia got married! It such a beautiful and perfect fall day. I am so proud of her and so excited for the new adventures she will have with her husband and two boys. Here are a few pictures of the day.

Welcome to Halloween Week!

2008-10-22T11:41:00.000-07:00

2008-10-21T16:56:00.000-07:00

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

One Adventure Too Many...

2008-10-19T22:02:00.000-07:00

Sometimes my adventurous spirit takes over my rational thinking. This weekend I decided that I wanted to get one more trip to southern Utah in before the temperature changed and the weather got too cold. So although I had a crazy week of running here and running there, and my house was a wreck, and I was juggling several plates at work, and many other things were going on, I hoped in the car with my friend Cindy and drove to Moab for a 24 hour adventure.
Before we had even left Utah county I had a waive of nausea come over me. I assumed that I was just getting a little motion sick and that it would pass soon. The ride through Spanish Fork Canyon was torturous and by the time we were on the other side of it, I knew I was not well. I told Cindy not to worry that I was sure I wouldn't get sick in the car, but about half way to Moab I proved myself wrong. I was miserable, but I was sure that I would feel better and we should keep going. I made it to Moab before Cindy had to pull over again for me to be sick. At that point I was feeling pretty desperate to just lay down and sleep it off. Luckily, our friends Ryan and Jayna were also staying in Moab and drove out to get us and sneak us in to the Moab Valley Resort so we could sleep in their tent that night. I have never been so grateful to lay down and go to sleep! Hooray for Ryan and Jayna!
The next day I was not feeling great, but not wanting to spoil Cindy's trip to Moab, we hiked 11 miles in Arches National Park. This is the only picture we got becuase my camera died immediately after we got this shot. The hikes were beautiful, but I was dragging all day. We met up with Ryan and Jayna for dinner and then cruised back home to Provo that night.
Needless to say, this experience taught me that I am not as young and resilient as I used to be. And maybe when my life is crazy, leaving town for 24 hours isn't the quick fix that it used to be. Does this mean I am getting old? I hope not. I hope there will still be many adventures, but maybe taken with a bit more caution and planning. Sad, that really does sound like I am getting old.

Bridal Bewitching

2008-10-16T20:26:00.000-07:00

Olivia's bridal shower was thrown last Thursday by her friend Gina and had a Halloween witch theme. It was so fun to see all of Olivia's friends in witch hats. I was running late and almost didn't stop to buy a hat, but I knew that a hat would be required at the door and I was right. My favorite part of the shower was that we all wrote a memory about Olivia and read it when she opened our gift. I told about the time she and I drove to Lake Havasui Nevada. Our trunk was packed to the brim included flotation devices for the lake, snacks for every occasion, and a TV that plugged into the car. Lake Havasui was 113 degrees and we were staying in the tent. We spent most of our time at the air conditioned walmart. After two days, we gave up and came home. Olivia and I have so many crazy memories.
It was so great to see all her friends in one place celebrating her big day! I am so happy for her. Her mom said, "He is the one. I've been waiting a long time for him to come!" I'm so glad that she found the one. What a great day!

The Shortest Visit to Utah

2008-10-12T22:22:00.001-07:00

My brother Adam came to town to recruit some BYU students. We had a short but quick visit. We managed to fit a few important things...

A trip to Smart Cookie

A ride in his fancy rental car

Breakfast at Mimi's

My brother Adam is such a great person. A short trip is better than no trip at all. Great to see you! And congrats on passing the CPA exam. That's impressive!

Olivia

2008-10-10T11:01:00.000-07:00

I realized that it was weird that I had a post about Olivia, but no picture. So here is a picture of her and her soon to be husband. She's getting married in two weeks!