Lifelong Friends

Do you have those friends where no matter how long you are apart you can just pick up right where you left off when you're back together?  I am lucky enough to have some.  Two of those friends are Nicole and Kristy.  I met Nicole in the third grade when I have just moved to Pleasant View.  We were in class together.  The teacher made us call her Nikki because there was another Nicole in that class.  Nicole didn't like that.  After third grade our school split and Nicole went off to Majestic Elementary.  We became friends again in ninth grade when we went to Orion Junior High.  Then in high school Nicole introduced me to Kristy.  At first we were just friends through association, but that changed and I'm glad it did!

Halloween 2006

On our way to temple square

Just a fun photo session!

Our last day of school

Graduation photos

Graduation day

Senior trip.  Shortly after my ninja skills were revealed.

Nicole's 19th birthday.  

We surprised her and pulled her out of bed for breakfast

After high school Nicole and Kristy went down to Salt Lake to go to SLCC.  I stayed in Ogden and worked.  Nicole moved to Colorado, I got married to Louis, then Kristy got married to Jared.  We were so far apart and have gone years without seeing each other!  In the 7 years since high school the three of us have only been all together maybe 4 times.  When Nicole moved back to Utah, Kristy and I quickly hatched a plan to get together for an over night get together!  Last weekend we all went up to Park City together and it was so fun!
We met at Kristy's new house and went up from there.  We started out by checking in to our hotel then we tried to go check out the Mountain Resort, but it's not opened yet!  We were surprised.  Nicole really wanted to do the zip line.  So instead we headed over to the Olympic Park, but guess what!!  Their zip line wasn't opened either!  Just the museum.  No zip line for us.  We did get to have a little fun in the museum though!

(all the pictures were taken with a phone, so not the best quality)

After two failed attempts at doing the zip line we decided to go shopping at the outlets.  We didn't find anything until we left the outlets and headed to TJ Maxx where we found these great pants!  Sadly, none of us actually bought them.

Nicole and I did find some other great things we did buy.  After TJ Maxx we were all pretty hungry so we headed over to the Red Rock restaurant.  It was very busy and the service was not very great, but my pizza was good.  

After dinner we went to Walmart and we all got matching $1 sweatpants and shirts.  Nicole also found the cutest backpack that I bought for Mary.  Now she can carry around her own books for shopping trips.  (Thanks for that idea Kristy!) Then we headed back to the hotel to go swimming sit in the hot tub.

After sitting in the hot tub we headed back up to our room and had a little spa night.  We each took turns giving each other foot massages, I painted Nicole's nails, and Nicole did glitter toes for Kristy and me!  It was very fun as well as relaxing.  

The rest of the night, which lasted to about 1:30 in the morning was filled with silliness and laughing.  It was so nice to laugh that much!  

If you're wondering about my hair.  It's so it will be curly in the morning.

The next morning we got up early for the free hotel breakfast.  I really don't know why they stop serving breakfast as early as 9.  Then we hung out in the hotel for the morning talking and doing each other's hair.  Then we had some ice cream and went on our way home!

I feel so thankful to have been blessed with such great friends.  They helped me through high school and have helped make me the person I am today.  I love that we have such fun together!

Independence Day Week

This past week has been fun, we've been able to spend a lot of time with family.  I'll start with Tuesday.  Up here in Logan they always do the firework show on the 3rd.  We went with Josh and Megan to a field across the street from our house which was nice because we avoided the 1+ hour drive home we would have been facing if we had gone anywhere else.  I had bought some glow sticks earlier that day and Avery had fun playing with them.  She also liked the fireworks.  Yay!  You never know, she liked them last year, but that could have changed!  The moon came up over the mountain during the fireworks and Avery kept calling it a ball.  It was super cute!

cutie patootie at the firworks

The next morning we drove down to Pleasant View and had a 4th of July breakfast with my side of the family.  We used to do this every year, but as we've all grown up and got married we've stopped.  It was so good to do it again.  A lot of people were able to come.  We enjoyed some delicious scones, fruit, biscuits and gravy, eggs, and much more.  Avery had thrown up that morning and we almost didn't go, but she was acting normal so we did.  She was pretty clingy though and has been ever since.

The boys playing basketball

Matt, Valery, Uncle Dennis, and Dad

Charissa talking to Elizabeth

After the breakfast we went back to my mom and dad's house.  The boys later went golfing and the girls and kids (minus Trey, he went golfing with the boys) played in the water.  Charissa and Sarina bought a slip n' slide and a swimming pool.  I totally thought I would get a break from holding Avery (like I said she was really clingy and didn't let me put her down much) because she LOVED water and running through the sprinklers.  I was wrong, she didn't want anything to do with it and the only time I got to put her down was when we took a break to eat popsicles.

Chase's awesome slip n' slide face

See what I mean?  What a grumpy butt

After a while Avery and I left to go visit my friend Kristy at her mom's house.  Kristy is pregnant with her first baby, a little boy.  She is 35 weeks and due on August 9th.  She is one of my first friends to have kids so it's super exciting to finally have someone to talk mommy stuff to!  Her mom had fun watching the two of us together and said, "the babies are having babies!"

Kristy at 35 weeks and me at 27 weeks

Avery and I went back to my mom's house and had dinner then I left to do a little shopping with Charissa and my mom.  It was extremely nice to have a break from Avery.  We left for home before the fireworks because Avery had been woken up from her nap early and was wouldn't of had a good time.  She fell asleep within 15 minutes of our drive home.

Yesterday some of my family came up for the Cruise-In.  Every year in Cache Valley there's a car show and on the last day of the show all the cars that want to can drive down main street and have a little car parade!  Josh had his trailer and grill parked in front of the library saving our spot and everyone brought a treat to share.  It's fun!

A green Delorean??  That's a first!

A Jeep Liberty.  I don't know why they wasted the money
to enter it into the show.

This was the first car we saw break down.  It over heated.
They ended up pushing it into a parking lot and not getting
it started again

Jake and Celestial in the cruise-in!

That was our week!  It was full of fun and family, just the way we like it!  I hope everyone had a fun Independence Day week!

Bike With Brent

If you live in Logan than I'm sure you know of Brent.  If you didn't know his name I'm still sure you've seen him before.  Brent is a man here in Cache Valley that is almost always biking around somewhere.  He honks his horn and waves at everyone as they pass.  He'll ride along with parades and when the cars from the Cache Valley Cruise In drive down main street he'll bike along beside them honking and waving.  He also has a backpack with a bunch of awesome key chains on it!

image source

Today was the 2nd annual "Bike with Brent" event.  At this event you can bike, walk, jog, or run a 1.4 mile loop with Brent.  All proceeds go towards scholarships for those with disabilities.  I had heard about it on the radio, but didn't know when it was.  Yesterday my friend Holly posted on facebook that she was going to bike it and was wondering if anyone wanted to come along. I wanted to do it, but I don't have a bike.  I also have never biked pregnant, I don't know how that would be?  I was willing to walk though, and they said strollers are welcome!  I didn't want to walk alone so I started asking around to see who wanted to come with me!  Kamila and Kaileb ended up joining Avery and me this morning.  It was a very nice morning to be out, it was slightly overcast and not too hot.   May I just say that Brent is one fast biker!  He lapped us before we were even half way through, and he started out at the end of the biking group.  Once we were down we stuck around for a while they had some small refreshments and drinks and there was an awesome playground.  By this point it was no longer cloudy and it was so hot!  I pushed Avery on the swing for awhile then I handed her off to Kamila and Kaileb and Holly and I went to sit in the shade!  I love my family they are so good to always help out!  We had a great morning and enjoyed being outside and supporting a good cause.

Thanks Kami for taking this beautiful picture

That's better
Holly and me

Kaileb, Kami, me, and Avery

Holly  is in this pack of bikers.

Holly can you find yourself??

I'll help you