Things that make me HAPPY :D

• showers after a long day
• shaved legs
• how my phone can learn songs
• Emma
• sunshine
• Old houses
• Oldies
• steak
• Ice Cream
• brandnew
• pictures
• having roommates/housemates
• textfromlastnight
• camping
• kissing
• laughing
• New magazines
• vegetables
• scrapbooking
• cats
• watermelon
• popcorn
• Chi Omega
• swinging
• good hair/makeup days
• President Obama
• The Park
• sidewalk chalk
• freshly washed sheets
• playing dress up
• Snail mail
• free food
• matilda
• postsecret day
• cooking for my friends
• painted toenails
• my scrapbook
• google calendar

This is obviously not a full list, because there are so many things to be HAPPY about, but it's a start.

In Her Shoes

On November 7, Emma, Rachael and I went down to Utah Valley to help my mom with the In Her Shoes Gala put on by the United Way and Women in Philanthropy.

The event was beautiful. Green and Pink table decorations included edible shoes, sparkling shoes and gift boxes full of truffles. The tables filled a ballroom in a brand new country club venue. As guests arrived in their black tie attire, we checked them in, gave them auction paddles and name tags. We helped guests claim their silent auction gifts and participate in a gong auction. The Women in Philanthropy raised nearly $65,000 dollars that night for the United Way.

United Way:
United Way of Utah County's funding process focuses on the outcomes being achieved in our community by programs in United Way's three focus areas--Income, Education, and Community. The emphasis on program outcomes is designed to increase the impact of donors' money and the efficiency of United Way and its community partners in advancing the common good in Utah County.

http://www.unitedwayuc.org/how_to_give/women_in_philanthropy.html

Catching Up

Sadly these photos are backwards. Bottom to top: 1 My AggieBLUE group at our final activity. 2 A picture from my Labor Day backpacking trip. 3 John and I right before getting on the trail. 4 Naomi Peak hike - top of the peak 5 The family before Canyoneering in Zion National Park 6 Pre-race, showing off our numbers and muscles. 7 My family (the ones who participated) after our triathlon.


After the Bozeman trip I got a busy with life and friends and my old boyfriend that I didn't really keep up with the blog. So, here is a recap of the end of summer, beginning of school (but not for me) and the fall time.

Cole and I did a lot of hiking near the end of the summer. We hit the favored trails up Logan Canyon, two of which were Naomi Peak and White Pine Lake. I wasn't feeling so hot the day we did Naomi so we didn't make it to the actual peak. But, it was beautiful because wildflowers were in bloom and the earth was green. You can't really ask for anything else.

During the middle of August AggieBLUE Fall Leadership rolled around. I was a facilitator and worked with 6 up and coming freshman leaders and 1 already leader as well as with my co-facilitator, John. These kids are coming from high school and changing as we see them over the course of two days, as well as throughout their freshman year, but its such a cool experience to be able to show them many opportunities that lie ahead of them in college. I was so excited to work with them and to teach them and share with them my experiences. Bonnie was the only one in my group who wasn't a freshman, but serves as the straight, republican president for the club on campus called L.I.F.E. (Love Is For Everyone). I think that she does a good job as a leader and I'm glad I can call her my friend. She even got me to join L.I.F.E. which is weird, being a minority and a club that is meant for gays, lesbians, transgenders, and bisexuals.
During AggieBLUE I got to work with John. He is a rough outdoors kind of guy from New York. I really liked him and we got along great.

Speaking of John, Labor day rolled around and I wanted to go backpacking before the fall started to come upon Logan, which happens faster than you think it will. So, we went north about 15 minutes and then up into the mountains. We followed the Naomi Peak National Recreation Trail about 3 miles up and camped in a little opening of trees. We had planned on hiking to a little lake but it had gotten dark faster than we had planned on. John made a great dinner and we had to pump water from the stream by where we had hiked. The trail was beautiful and even though we just camped overnight, I had no complaints about how our short trip had gone.

Not a lot happened between the Labor Day holiday and Fall break. I was just working and had become single. I still hung out with Cole here and there. He invited me to go to his hiking class with him a few times so I joined them and peaked Mt. Naomi. I also met one of his students, Kirsten, who is a freshman but I really took to her and we've been friends ever since. So, something good came out of it! I also threw a Chi Omega 'recruitment replacement' party for my sisters. We would usually be together non-stop for a week before school started so I thought a few hours wouldn't be so bad. It was a success and I had a good turnout. I've become quite the entertainer, including Chi Omega parties, Halloween parties and hosting dinner at my house nearly once a week. It's fun and keeps me from getting too lonely or bored while I'm not in school. Kyle, one of my closest friends was in "Mr. USU" which is basically a 'man pageant' which is supposed to be fun and funny performance during homecoming. There were 11 contestants who had to perform talents, show off swimwear and evening wear and had to answer questions. Of all the contestants Kyle won the whole pageant. It was a lot of fun to see him so happy and the show was so entertaining!

My job ended in mid October and I packed up my car and went home. My dad and I attended the NRPA (National Recreation and Parks Association) professional conference in Salt Lake for two days. I met a lot of his colleagues and a few people on my own to network with. We looked around the exhibit hall and I went to classes from how to get an internship or how to interact with my professors. It was a really cool few days and I learned SO much about my field. I also really enjoyed that time with my dad. We talked about all kinds of things, which I don't normally get to do. I learned a lot about him and I hope he learned about me.

The night after we were done at NRPA we headed to St. George to have a short family vacation and do some fun stuff. We stayed in a hotel and on Friday we went into Zion National Park and did some canyoneering. It was my first time, and I thought it was a lot of fun. Something that not a lot of people get to do or even have heard of. Saturday Mark, Caitlin, Chelsie, Me, Mariah, and my mom and dad participated in a triathlon at a sports club in St. George. The women did the mini-tri which measured as a 200 m swim, a 6 mile bike ride and a 1.6 mile run. I did the whole thing in 48 minutes. I was so proud of myself! I loved the rush of the race, especially when I was on my bike, and for the first time in my life I beat Chelsie at something athletic. I hope that next year I can take a step up and do the sprint (its double distances of the mini). Our family all finished, and it was such a cool activity to do with them. I think it was memorable for everybody.

A few things in my life that have been added or taken away include getting involved with Utah State's Government Relations Council and I was appointed the City Council Liaison for USU. I like going to City Council because I learn about things that are going on around Logan and how and what I can do to change the city I live in. I'm coming to realize that city politics are almost more important than national government and it effects me more that I knew. I wish that more people would feel this way though, because they don't know that living could be much easier for them. Also, for being in GRC I got a pretty sweet polo!

I've taken to biking a lot. I think that it makes me take things slower and I get some exersize and to appreciate the beautiful place I live in. It also helps me live a more sustainable lifestyle. I had to get my bike into shape before the triathlon, and there is a service on campus that teaches you how to care for your bike. I learned more about my bike than I really cared about, but hey! knowledge is power.

Those are just some highlights of the past few months. I know that the fun will just keep coming though, so look forward to some more life events worth blogging about!

BOZEMAN, MT

(Top: Me on our way home through the beautiful canyon. Bottom: Claire, Me and Megan going out on friday night - shortly after we arrived in town.)

BOZEMAN

Claire and I roadtripped to Bozeman, MT to visit Megan. We were roommates this last semester and couldn't stand to be away from each other much longer so we got in my little geo and headed the 5 1/2 hours up to see Megan.

On the way there we found some guys that were driving to Yellowstone from GA. We car flirted for about an hour through the Targee National Forest. They were a nice form of entertainment. We got a flip chart of messages and some funny memories of them rocking out. Silly boys.

Once we got there we went out to a Restraunt called The Bacchus. It was a fun place and we were out late. So the next morning we slept in, took it easy and then floated the Madison River. It was about 20 miles west of Bozeman. I swear all of Montana was there, just floating along. We were on the river for 2 hours, but we only put in half way. It was a nice way to spend a lazy saturday. That night we went to the Montana Ale Works restraunt. I liked the atmosphere and I decided Bozeman is where I need to live - everyone drives Subarus and wears Chacos. We took a tour around campus on Sunday and had a potluck with Megan's friends. It was a really fun weekend and so nice to get away from Logan for a while.

Backpacking Adventure

The pictures are from the end to the beginning: 1. A cool tree that tipped over in a stream bed.
2. One of the many beautiful views 3. Glacier Cirque 4. Our campsite the first night - cool lake 5. Part of the steam Mill (I think) that was on the trail 6. Cole and I before we started out - see how fresh we looked...

We started our trip Friday afternoon after a couple backtracks to get items we forgot but we were finally on the trail at about 6. The terrain was steep (kicked my butt for sure) and I was slow, but the landscape was very pretty. We hihked through wildflowers and aspen groves. Finally two and a half hours later we made it to the lake. I set up the tarp with mats and sleeping bags while Cole cooked mexican rice (yum!). We had a pretty satisfying meal, considering our intense first leg.

The stars started coming out and man, was it beautiful! I love stars anyway, and the fact that they were out in such abundance with no moon and a very vibrant milky way just took my breath away.

The next day camp was collapsed by 10 and we were on the trail by 10:45. We hiked through the glacial cirque (see photos) which again, was some stunning landscape. Three hundred feet of fast verticle gain later was yet another gorgeous view. We pretty much wandered peak after peak with nearly no luck at finding a trail so we just went which way seemed right. After about 4 hours of hiking we came to a place the seemed familiar. We had done some kind of loop and had no idea how we ended up there. We had planned a two night stay on the Steam Mill/Steep Hollow Canyon trail but somehow ended up a day early back to the car.

So after washing off my dirty feet and legs in the cold, refreshing stream we took off to Bear Lake for raspberry shakes and then back to Logan for a night of nice clothes, dinner and a movie. What a way to end the backpacking trip ;)!

Week of Adventure!

My workweek last week seemed to go on F-O-R-E-V-E-R! But, after work the hours would fly by. I spent the evenings with Cole and we came up with some pretty great adventures. We jumped off the baby cliffs at first dam, hiked the Jardine Juniper trail, watched V for Vandetta, rode dirt bikes, ate at Beehive Grill, tie dyed and I went to the Reggae Festival in Park City. My summer weeks couldn't be any better, although you would think I would want to rest on the weekends, I'm more exhausted Monday mornings than I should be.

First dam is cold. I thought that I would be able to swim across it after I jumped off the rocks but all I could think of once I hit the water was to get out! Luckily the sun was shining bright and I warmed up quick enough to think that getting in again was a good idea. On Wednesday, after putting it off for two days, we hiked Jardine Juniper (see photos). The hike was about 9 miles round trip and it was beautiful because the wildflowers were in bloom and the view was worth it. It wasn't too hard of a hike and if you're around Logan with 4 or 5 hours to kill I would recommend it!

I have a few friends that work at the new restraunt called Beehive Grill and have been wanting me to try it so we gave it a whirl. I was pretty satisfied with my homebrewed rootbeer and blackened tilapia. I even went back last night to try something new! Later that night we had my favorite ice cream mixture of vanilla with raspberries and brownies. Cole says that I need to stop having a sweet tooth because it gives him one by default.

On Friday I got a brilliant idea to tie dye. It just popped into my head at work and I got so excited and couldn't stop thinking about it. So I got some input from Mariah and got to work. We tie dyed wife beaters and whitey tighties. The end result is priceless! I'm wearing one of the shirts right now. Cole told me today that he wants to dye sheets and more shirts and I definately want to try some socks and maybe some underwear. It was just so much fun!

The new ampitheatre in park city featured the RootsRock Reggae Festival this weekend and I went with my friend Kiera. We got there about 3 and enjoyed the music til the concert was over at about 10. The weather was decent although it got hot and cold like Utah does. We ended up in Midway for the night, but I really enjoyed the outdoor concert. It had been too long and I realized how much I miss concerts!

That is just a sneak peak into my weeks of summer! I'm sure there will be more fun to come!

*Fourth of July*

(From top to bottom: Cole and I dirt biking. Dad and Brad grilling for the BBQ. Sisters before the pool party. Boating with the Milne's.)

INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!

My favorite holiday is the 4th of July. Every year is a little different, but I always end up having so much fun. Unlike other highly anticipated holidays, the fourth always just creeps up on me and out of the blue is some of the most fun memories I have.

This year my celebration began on the 3rd in Logan. I got an early morning invite to go boating with Kyle's family at Hyrum Dam. I tubed, wakeboarded and napped on the beach - not getting too fried, but just sunburned enough to have a nice tan today. After boating I headed to Emma's house for her family BBQ. We feasted and had some really great food. We ended the night on the trampoline, watching the fireworks from the stadium. It was well worth staying in Logan for them. It took me 20 minutes to get the 3 miles from Emma's to my house because the fireworks are so popular.

I got up bright and early on Saturday morning so I could make it to Utah Valley in time for the annual 4th of July neighborhood breakfast. I was just in time for the second feast of the weekend. After breakfast, I headed home and took some time to rest from the drive. Family and friends started showing up at about 1 for the Hill Family BBQ. We had nearly 40 people over to swim, play games, conversate and eat. Brad grilled his delicious teryaki chicken, we had burgers, brats, potatoe salad, bean dip, chips, homemade rootbeer, homemade ice cream with fresh raspberries and pies.

After a nice swim and a great BBQ, I headed up to Oakley for the Rodeo. People who rodeo are a whole different breed, but so entertaining. I stayed at Cole's cabin about 15 miles above Oakley. We slept out on the deck and when the sun came up in the morning, it took my breath away. After breakfast we took the dirt bike out and farther up Weber Canyon. It was beautiful and relaxing. Then we romped around on NFS land. I love being up in the mountains - it was a great way to end my vacation.

This afternoon I drive Kalli and our cousin Kayleigh up to Logan for EFY. It should be an entertaining car ride.

Life is good.

(From Top: Cerissa's Bridal Shower back in April. Me, Cole and Emma at Summerfest)

Its summertime, and as every collegeaged student knows, bring on the weddings! Today I'm going to Cerissa and Rodney's wedding. I'm very excited for them. Rissa led Chi Omega through the hardest time, and did all while being a great fiance. She and Rodney have been together for a long time and the wedding was the perfect way for them to finalize their relationship. I'm so excited for them to finally be married, and in addition to a great party tonight, I get to see those people I haven't seen all summer or for a longer time for that matter. Congrats Rissa and Rodney!

I've been shopping around for an apartment for the fall, and it's a little more pressure than I thought apartment shopping should be. I know that I want a dishwasher and to hopefully not live in an apartment, but a house. I know that I want my own room and decent rent prices. I feel like such an adult having to look for houses and compare features and prices. Sometimes it makes me want to never grow up, but then again, that's what we're supposed to do... grow up.

Things are going really well with the guy that I'm seeing. We have fun cooking dinner and going and scrapping up activities to do in Logan over the summer. It's a lot harder than you would think to come up with things to do when it's actually nice weather. We like to play frisbee in the parks. Since I work in the parks we've probably hit most of the good ones this summer which is branching out I guess. We went to the zoo the other day and last weekend we checked out Logan's Summerfest! Tomorrow we're meeting up at the Utah Arts Festival in Salt Lake. It's one of my favorite summer activities so I'm excited to go with him. It's great to have someone in my life to learn about and to do things with over the summer and hopefully longer.

For the most part, all is well in Logan for the summer. The weather is finally clearing up, I got sunburned at work this week, although thunder storms keep popping up somehow. I'm enjoying just having a job and friends to worry about rather than tests and schoolwork and everything else that comes with being a student.

JOB!

I finally found a job after about 6 weeks of brutal searching and more interviews than normal people should have in their whole lives. I applied for this job late april, which was too late for first time around hiring. But, my new boss called me a few weeks ago for an interview which I passed with flying colors. I had to have a background and drug test which I obviously passed and was then hired for the Laborer III position in the Parks and Recreation department of Logan City!

I've worked doing this kind of stuff before, so only the people and the way things are run are different to me, which is nice. I have a lot of experience and enjoy what I do. For the most part. The worst part is getting up at 6 a.m. to be at work on time every morning.

It's another Parks and Recreation job to put on my resume to match the nice Parks and Rec bachelors degree that I'm going to have soon enough. I'm always looking for a part-time afternoon/evening job so if you know of one in Logan - let me know!

Missing Chi Omega

Fall Formal 2008- Blackout!

Spring Formal 2008
Recruitment; Fall 2007

Spring Formal 2007

“To live constantly above snobbery of word or deed; to place scholarship before social obligations and character before appearances; to be, in the best sense, democratic rather than 'exclusive' and lovable rather than 'popular'; to work earnestly, to speak kindly, to act sincerely, to choose thoughtfully that course which occasion and conscience demand; to be womanly always; to be discouraged never; in a word, to be loyal under any and all circumstances to my Fraternity and her highest teachings and to have her welfare ever at heart that she may be a symphony of high purpose and helpfulness in which there is no discordant note."
Written by Ethel Switzer-Howard, 1904, Xi Chapter

Like I’ve said before, I'm living in a fraternity for the summer. You would think it would be smelly, lively and full of commotion - likewise, it’s quiet, monotonous and lonely. I thought that I would like living here, with my social lifestyle and genuine interest in people but the guys aren’t around as much as I had anticipated and people keep to themselves.

In a way, it’s nice because I’m not interested in entertaining a lot of various people, but I wish that I had someone here a lot of the time. I miss living in Chi Omega very much. My sisters were always interested in my love life, my busy schedule and at the very least what I was cooking. Chi Omega was a place for gossip, laughs, solitude, understanding, learning and so much more. It was a home, my home, and it brought me through many dark times in my life. I can’t explain what the sisterhood did for me. All my life I had wished for people who seemed to want to understand my life, dreams and goals and finally through Chi Omega I achieved that internal need. Those women helped me learn countless things about myself that I never would have learned. They contributed to my realization of religion, lifestyle choices, right and wrong, what ‘not’ to do and how to be happy. My sisters taught me about myself, about leading, teaching, loving, understanding and anticipating human action and reaction.

Chi Omega teaches and supports 6 purposes; Friendship, High Standards of Personnel, Scholarship, Community Service, Campus Activities, and Career Development. I met women who showed and taught me the real meaning of having friends. No matter what they are still my friends today, I’m invited to weddings, birthdays and just to hang out at their houses. I learned and sought to have high standards of integrity and good character. I strive for honesty and to be an example to younger women around campus and in my life, especially my little (blood) sisters. I have worked hard to get an average GPA which has been hard for me in college because of all the opportunities I have had for leadership and friendship, but Chi Omega taught me that I could have a social life as well as an academic life and that studying didn’t have to be boring or worthless. Everyone has something scholastic to add to my collection of knowledge, no matter their major. As an Alpha Gamma Chi Omega of Utah State I got to participate in the annual Chi Omega Halloween Carnival that we hosted for the community. Each club was invited to attend and host a booth and in addition to collecting food we also reached out to the community to donate money for the Make-A-Wish foundation. Our goal for Spring ’09 was to host an incredible service project to make enough money to grant a wish for a local child. Since I was a freshman I got to cheer on my sisters in the intramural bracket for flag football and soccer at the least. But, this last fall our team made it to the finals for the flag football championship. I was part of the team and I can’t tell you how exciting it was to be a part of the championship winning team! It had been a long time and it was so worth the practices and the hard work to finally be called the winners of the women’s league. Finally, to development my career interests we had speakers and each week we had a resume building tip. I know that in the long run I will have benefited from the networking and the relationships that the Greek community and my time in Chi Omega gave me.

Right now I’m just trying to find my place again. In Chi Omega I had found a place; I was working my way to being a serious leader in the organization. I had worked my hardest as treasurer to figure a budget that worked for each council member and position. I had given Monday afternoons to the Greek Council by establishing an honors society and by giving a few early mornings to the Student Advisory Board who worked with President Albrecht and as a contributing member of the Greek community. I strove to make friends with people from each fraternity and sorority so that I could stand up for them and be an advocate for the whole community. I still work to keep these bonds, but since the respect of Chi Omega as a whole has been lost, it’s hard to keep up these bonds as a professional.

After the Alpha Gamma chapter of Chi Omega closed on January 23, 2009 I put myself into STAB through USU. It was so hard to not have that support system to lean on. I didn’t know who I could go to and trust after we closed. I had close friends in other organizations but it wasn’t the same. I didn’t know who or how to talk to anyone, even my close friends and roommates. Even after a few months it was still hard to talk about it. Even today I want to avoid the subject because it just makes my heart hurt.

Chi Omega made my initial three college years more than I could have dreamed of. That organization taught me more about life that I ever wanted or could have hope for and for that I am so grateful, but it doesn’t mean that I don’t miss the opportunities that I had or could have had. I miss living with my sisters and the activities that we planned or didn’t plan but just had fun doing. I miss the crazy, late nights and the stupid reality TV marathons we would have. I wish we could still road trip to Salt Lake for a weekend night of fun or just going on campus causing mischief. I’m forever in debt to the organization I joined when I was a freshman that changed my outlook on Greeks, college and life in general.

“Chi Omega yours forever, loyal we will be, to our symphony and colors our fraternity. Rho, beta, upsilon, eta, sigma, bear your standards high. For our bond shall ne'r be broken, Chi Omega Chi.”

Solo Backpacking

So, I took my first backpacking trip of the summer last night. It was just a short hike, but far enough to get away from the sounds of Logan, but close enought to feel safe all by myself!

I got my pack all ready and drove up Green Canyon. I parked about 6 pm and headed up the canyon. I hiked for about 45 minutes to get as far as I could before there was no place that was flat enough to stay.

I unpacked my pots and stove and got some rice cooking and then I proceeded to build a fire. I got it started in about 5 minutes. I know, I'm cool like that. I could beat Cole in a fire building contest any day. Then the hardest part of the night was figuring out how to set up the bivy. (Bivy: A bivouac sack, also known as a bivy sack, bivi bag or just bivy, is an extremely lightweight, waterproof alternative to traditional tent systems.) It has two tent poles, a screen and a strap for the mat. Other than that I just took in the fresh air, listened to the thunder in Logan, read a magazine and wrote in my journal. It was so peaceful and gave me a lot of quite time to reflect on life right now.

When the sun started to set, I gathered more sticks and wood to burn into the night (I kept the fire going from about 7 until 10). I'll admit, once it got dark I got a little scared because I was alone and I was in the mountains. I slept until 9 this morning, which is unusual while camping, put all my things away and headed home. It was a successful trip and I can't wait to go again. This time though, I'll probably bring someone along because I kept wanting some interesting conversation.

Growing My Garden

So, to be blunt, I'm living in a fraternity house for the summer. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I'm going to be overwhelmed with the male sex or anything. I have a room and a bathroom and my best friend lives across the hall and we basically run the place because the boys are too lazy to. So far, it has been a lot of fun.

Anyway, to the good stuff. Being unemployed has made me gain a real appriciation for raw, fresh fruits and vegetables. Seeing as fruits take a long time to grow, I decided to plant a vegetable garden! I had been growing a cucumber from seed, but that didn't seem like enough for a legit garden. So, off to Lowes I went. I bought some lettuce seeds, a 6" tomato plant, and a 3" bell pepper plant. The garden people told me that peppers wouldn't grow in time so what the heck right?

Next was the hard part. I had to get permission to dig up the backyard for my 5x5 spot. Brian was really cautious until I showed him where and what I wanted to do. I dug it up, planted and watered my little plants. I felt kind of like the little red hen, doing all the work alone. Everyone will be sad by the time harvest comes around because I'm not going to share those tasty vegetables with anyone unless they helped. I figure the hours and $10 I spent initially will pay off near the end of the summer. Right now though, I wish I had so many veggies I didn't know what to do with them.

Finals

"With all thy getting, get understanding" Proverbs 4:7

This week has felt like the longest week of my life. I started studying for finals last Thursday and haven't stopped until today, although today is the most crucial. I took my ENVS final Tuesday morning, this morning I had ecology and tomorrow will be the final two. I should be studying for the Sociology of Race Class and Gender and the Asian American literature tests, but I need a break so here I am blogging.

I have enjoyed my classes this semester, but I think from now on I'm going to take it easy and do 12 credit semesters. ENVS 4130 has probably been the most challenging class I've taken in college. It was in combination with a graduate level class and the curriculum was intense. I wrote a 15 page research paper about Clean Energy Use in National Parks according to the Energy SmartPARKS Memorandum of Understanding. I put a lot of time and energy into the paper and it was well worth it - I managed a B+ grade. Now, I have to wait for the final grade.

Asian American Literature was a class I never expected to enjoy, and although the reading load was extreme, the curriculum was facinating. We talked about the dominant discource of communities, stereotypes of Asian Americans and what it means to be American. There was a lot of discussion about it, and no matter what was said, I'm proud to be an American.

My other classes were decent, but nothing to write home about. I'm just excited for the summer to be here, when I all have to worry about is going to my job (when it's found) and being with my friends. Here's to finishing the semester with a bang!!