Summer Break 2020

There are a lot of great things about my job. One of them is our frequent breaks. Every year we get a week off around the 4th of July. I often like to go on vacation, but with COVID this year was a little different. I really wanted to go somewhere but couldn’t decide if it was a good idea. I went back and forth a few times and ultimately decided it was best to stay home. I took advantage of the time to relax and also get some things done. Chelsea suggested a goal to get one productive things accomplished each day. That really helped me to not waste the whole week. I also made some time to do a few fun things too. 

Ale and I hiked around silver lake in Big Cottonwood Canyon. It was nice and cool and so beautiful up there. It was nice to get outside and enjoy nature. 

July is wildflower season and I tried to take full advantage of flowers I saw

Lisa was in town so we met for an outside lunch with Jackie. 

I am hiking more this summer than over before and it has been so fun. Brooke, Ale, Stacha, and I hiked in Suncrest on a Friday evening. The weather was perfect and the sunset was beautiful. 

This summer and summer break like most of the rest of 2020 are different than the norm, but I am trying to make the best of it. It is much slower paced and home based which is kind of nice at times. 

weekend happs...it's beginning to look a lot like christmas

in my opinion it's really never too early for christmas. i love christmas decorations all the time. even though i have seen them for a while now and even went to a tree lighting last weekend, this weekend it really started to feel like christmas.

i met friends for a quick dinner on friday evening. they went to see mockinjay after dinner. i read all the books, but i haven't seen any of the movies. i might be the only person on the earth that doesn't really care for them. the content is a little much for me so i skipped the movie and did some christmas shopping instead.

i run all winter long and have for years. i always tell people if you are dressed appropriately, it really isn't that cold. i thought it was warmer than it really was on saturday morning. i wasn't dressed appropriately at all, and i was so cold.

after running i went over to laurann's house for a lesson in making pies-really pie crust. i don't actually really like pie, but i feel like it's something i should know how to do. she had the dry ingredients measured in ziploc bags and the butter and shortening measured and cubed in bags too. it made the process of making 10 pie crusts so smooth. i learned everything has be to really really cold, and i also learned pre measuring and prepping ingredients before is really smart.

i met sage, tiffany, and laurann for dinner at the cheesecake factory. after dinner we went to the bell choir christmas concert. i went for the first time last year and loved it so much. they are so amazing. i have no idea how they get to be so good. they are so talented, and the music is amazing.

after the concert, we walked past the candy windows at macys. there has been a long tradition in downtown salt lake of having window displays made all of candy. the theme this year is peanuts. it was so fun to see them.

sunday I went to church with tiffany and sage for their primary program. there is something so amazing about hearing small children testify of our Savior Jesus Christ through music and talks. i loved it! i also got a few coats out of storage so i can quit being so cold all the time.

how was your weekend? any exciting or festive happs?

weekend happs

the past couple of weeks have been insanely busy, and the weekend was no exception. celsey and i have been in full blown party prep for the past couple of weeks. we spent most of last week working on baby mavi's storybook birthday party.

i went over straight from work on friday. celsey made homemade chicken noodle soup (my fave) for dinner and we worked on the party. we got a lot done, and i left completely exhausted.

saturday morning i got up before the crack of dawn to run. i almost skipped, but i am missing the next 2 weeks. i'm so glad i didn't. we ran my favorite run. we saw a few fall leaves, but everything is still pretty green.

after running, i did a few quick errands and went to finish last minute party prep. everything was perfect, and it was the cutest party. everyone had a great time, and we were so happy with it all..and exhausted. full blog post coming soon.

after the party i went to laurann's house for a night of pumpkin, football, hot tub, and fun. it was the perfect night. we laughed our heads off. it was perfect.

sunday i went to church, took a big nap, worked on my what would you do with orange post, and painted my nails.

some weekends are more packed than others, but that usually means they're full of fun.

how was your weekend? any exciting happs?

13.1...huntsville half marathon

after the st. george marathon last year i decided to take a break from full marathons. without the pressure of a race to train for, running has been more fun, but i've also made more excuses. some of my friends started talking about running a half marathon. it was the push i needed to get my rear in gear.  the thing about my running group is we're pretty much always trained for a half. we keep a good 10-13+ mile base so I wasn't too worried. 
picking up my packet

my running story started nearly 10 years ago with ben and kate. it was fun to spend the night with them and do the race with her. 

waiting for the bus with my generation gap ladies

carolyn, judy, joann, renae and kate 

getting ready to start

the energy at the start is one of my fave things about race day

beautiful course

at the finish with the winner of the full

this race was one of the most beautiful races i've ever done. the weather was a little warm but also beautiful. i had expectations for a good strong fast race, but that didn't happen. my watch didn't work(only recorded time not pace or distance). my feet hurt like the devil(never happened before). i ended with the slowest time ever, BUT i met some great people and had an amazing fall morning in the sun. i could tell pretty early that i wasn't going to do very well so i made the decision to just enjoy the day. in the end that's what matters to me. 

it's fall y'all

i love summer! i never want it to end. everyone is talking about boots and pumpkins and everything fall, and i'm over here celebrating the 90 degree weather we're having this week. this summer was really good to me, and i'm really sad to see it go. 

the biggest thing i dislike about fall is that winter comes after. i am trying to have a better attitude about summer ending. to help me (and you if you're struggling or celebrating). i've teamed up with some friends to giveaway a basket of fall fun.

One lucky winner will be spoiled with a new brown and white chevron scarf, Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin hand cream, Pumpkin Cupcake PocketBac, a mini Pumpkin Carving candle, OPI's 'A Great Opera-tunity' polish and a cute notebook to organize your thoughts. Enter with rafflecopter below.

i'm trying to focus on all the things i do love about fall-fall nail polish colors, pumpkin flavored everything, changing leaves, cardigans and scarves. ok so i don't really hate fall. i just wish summer could last forever and ever.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

weekend happs

this weekend was the perfect summer weekend. people keep talking about fall and pumpkin and sweaters and boots, and i don't want to hear any of it. i love summer and want it to stay forever!

i only worked 1/2 day friday so i could hit the pool. after the pool, we grilled kabobs for dinner and watched mean girls. it was the perfect, easy going day/night.

saturday started super early. i met tiffany and sage at 6:15 to carpool up to kari's to meet for the lake.

loren skied first and then kari skied. the water was perfect, and so was the day.

carly catching air on the wakeboard.

loren skied and surfed before helping sage learn to surf. she did great, and loren was the most patient teacher-you can tell he's a dad.

carly had to leave to go work on her house and loren left for a bike ride.

tiffany and alli

sage the mermaid

we picked up alli and georgia and kids.

alli surfing

we stopped in the cove for lunch and a swim. the water was warm enough that swimming was actually fun.

for some reason we started belly boarding on the knee board. the water was pretty choppy by then so no one really wanted to do anything else. belly boarding is actually quite fun.

with laurann in our matchymatchy flippin waffles hats

most of the girls-tiffany, kari, sage, me, laurann

we got off the lake completely exhausted=super fun time. i ran a few errands on the way home because i knew once i got home i would be way too tired to leave the house again.

i spent sunday going to church, doing a few things at home, and visiting some friends.

it was the absolute perfect weekend, and after a crazy exhausting week exactly what i needed. how was your weekend? any exciting happs?

did you enter saturday's giveaway?

goodbye summer...hello fall

this is a throwback post from a few years ago. i've been waiting for fall to actually arrive, but i don't know if it's really going to. the leaves are changing and falling (especially all over my yard) so even though it's still nearly 80 degrees in the afternoon, this is utah fall.



Good-bye flip-flops...goodbye dirty feet...hello boots.
Good-bye BBQ dinners...hello baked pies and turkeys roasting in the oven.
Good-bye lawn mowing...hello raking leaves.
Good-bye bathing suits...hello cozy sweaters and that favorite pair of jeans...
Good-bye roasted marshmallows...hello candy apples...
Good-bye camping and summer festivals...hello scrapbooking, reading good books, and Christmas shopping!
Good-bye barefeet...hello warm socks and slippers.
Good-bye cool showers...hello bubble baths.
Good-bye air conditioners...hello crackling fireplaces.
Good-bye heat...hello crisp, fresh air.
Good-bye fresh-picked strawberries...hello crunchy, juicy apples.
Good-bye bug bites...hello dry skin.
Good-bye sunscreen...hello moisturizer.
Good-bye long days outside...hello early bedtimes!
Good-bye watering flowers...hello fall decorating.
Good-bye otter pops...hello pumpkin shakes and peppermint ice cream
Good-bye picnics...hello slow-cooking.
Good-bye lazy days of summer...hello cozy nights.
Good-bye pool days and biking and tennis and...

I love summer and always get depressed when fall starts coming because I know it inevitably means winter and snow. This post got me a little excited for fall, and I am ready for a seasonal wardrobe change. Bring on the long sleeve tees and jeans. Hello Fall...

what are your favorite things about fall?

falling back to summer

i planned to post about fall today, but it was 93 degrees yesterday. something about that just doesn't make me feel like a fall post is appropriate.

i really really love summer! we had some crazy weather in august which kind of stole the end of summer for me. i went into fall mode and have been trying my hardest to accept fall. there are some great things about fall, but i spend most of fall dreading the inevitable winter.

since it turned back to summer here this week, i'm in extra denial about fall. until the weather drops about 25 degress (which is probably will in about a day), i'm still celebrating the last little bits of summer.