Happy Birthday, Erica & Sambones!

I can't believe I've had this crazy cat for SIX YEARS!

and I've known this crazy girl for SIXTEEN YEARS!

Happy Birthday Erica & Sammy!

Knitting project insanity

When Laura told me that she had a 'project' for us, I was pretty leery... as well I should have been.

I went to visit her last Wednesday at the Needle Point Joint and go to lunch at Tona.

She announced that she had a project for us to do together, and pulled out the pattern for this hoodie.
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It's really neat, but I've never done anything that time intensive. I usually stick to projects that I know I can have done fairly quickly and I hardly ever use patterns. I just like to make them up.
The last thing I did from a pattern was a sweater for Hadlee... it turned out really good, but it was pretty frustrating sometimes.

After I reluctantly agreed to knit this with Laura or "got yarn shoved down my throat" as Laura says - we got together on Sunday to start.
After beginning the intricate cable pattern, I only had to undo my first couple rows about 4 times until I got it right. It seems to be going a lot faster now, but fast = about an inch and a half every hour on the back section. :(
It's certainly challenging, but I think I'll like it when I'm done.

At this rate, you'll all be able to see me in my new hoodie for the Fall 2012 Season ;)

Toes!

Hadlee: 4.5 months

Hadlee just found out she has feet, and more importantly, TOES.
Her grandpa has been encouraging her to stick them in her mouth, which is pretty dang cute!
She's such a cute little bug and I especially love her recently developed
'thunder thighs' ;)

Bloomington Hike...part two

Saturday Me and Manny went to Bloomington Lake, which is probably my favorite place.
It's so gorgeous, as you can tell from these photos. I was pretty much in absolute bliss.
All the wildflowers were in bloom, which made it even better.

We Spent a couple hours swimming and walking around the three lakes, taking in the scenery (and of course, me just snapping away with the camera!)
I was glad that we finally got up there so I could show Manny what I've been raving about :)

See more photos here

Baby Hummers!

This was just too cute not to share!
These are two baby hummingbirds who currently live on my parent's Christmas lights. You have to think of how small that plug is to put their size into perspective! They're sooo tiny, yet too big for that nest.
They'll be learning to fly any day now!

Meet me.

I've been doing a lot of soul-searching over the past couple days.
I've been wrestling with ideas concerning whether or not I'm ok with the person I am.

For the most part, I don't much care what people think about me, but lately, it's really been bothering me.

I am highly opinionated and stubborn. I'm also caring and understanding.
I am shy and independent. I'm also honest and trustworthy.

I spent most of my High School career staring at the floor in the halls and shuffling along with the masses. I was a grade-A nerd. My attitude developed the end of my senior year, when I realized that it was ok to be into computers and photography and it was ok to be smart.
I had a lot of animosity towards cheerleaders and the like because they ran the school as though they were better than everyone else... it really bothered me. It also bothered me that I FELT inferior to them. What did they have that I didn't? Looks, of course, but that may have been the beginning and end of the list.

How does someone have power over you to make you feel less of a great person?
I was crying to my newspaper adviser one day in High School, and he said
"You know, Erin, cheerleaders may have it all now... but you can't shake your ass forever".
I'll never forget that.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say, is that there will always be someone that makes you feel less than you know you are. In my case, it was cheerleaders.
I'm over that now, and I know that everyone has something about them that makes them great.

So why now am I feeling like the qualities I think I possess are more like detrimental attributes?
I think people have been known to take my honest approach to life and my openness of opinions to be hurtful, and this is in no way my intent. I choose to live my life wide open. People rarely have to wonder what I'm thinking, or how I'm feeling. It's all out there. I have few secrets. I do not hide what I feel, and I do not pretend to feel things I do not.

At the conclusion of my soul-searching, I've realized that I can sleep at night.
I know at the end of each day that I have tried my hardest to do good for the world, be a friend to my friends, love openly and be honest in my dealings.
That is who I am, and who I will continue to be.

"Bay Day O-Niner"

Some of us went to Willard Bay yesterday to hang out in the sun. Aaron started the Bass Assassin on fire, so it was a good thing that Saje was out with his boat we could play on.
(Don't be alarmed, the assassin should be up and running again in no time!)

I love this picture! Erin + Aaron = Best friends!



This cracks me up. She's so cute! I think I said something stupid she was laughing at.. yeah, that's probably it...


Utah is a really great place to live, and sometimes I think we all take it for granted. The mountains are gorgeous and there really is so much open space to take advantage of!

Bloomington Hike...attempt....

We thought it would be safe to hike to Bloomington Lake in Idaho at the end of May, but we were sadly mistaken. After a mile or so, the road was completely covered in snow. It was a really nice day, so we just continued our hike to see how far we could get. After a couple more miles in JUST SNOW, we arrived at the base of the mountain and decided that it was still too far to finish.
We had a good time, even though we didn't get to the lake.