I love weekends!

I do! Weekends are the oasis of oblivion at the end of my workweek.  Two whole days of sleeping in, spending leisure time with my hubby, starting on projects I want to do, and getting to the housework that I have neglected all week.  It’s pure bliss really.

This weekend I skipped out early on Friday and Chris and I did a little window shopping.  And it really was window shopping! I didn’t buy anything! For all of you who know me, this was a great success.  Chris is the best window shopper and he made things fun.

That night we made pizza with Christopher’s family and attempted to watch a movie.  However, we kept striking out on Netflix. I eventually fell asleep and I think they watched a semi-funny 90’s movie. I didn’t make it past the first twenty minutes, so I couldn’t tell you.

Saturday was, of course, GAME DAY! Chris and I huddled down on the sofa, snuggled in my blue BYU blanket, and watched the entire game. It was hopeful, but in the end disappointing. I thought they really had a chance to beat Notre Dame for awhile there. They played well and all I can say is, Go Cougs!

My favorite part of the weekend was Sunday. After a great day at Church, with exceptional Sacrament talks, Chris and I took the afternoon for some fall traditions. Chris made his favorite, and now famous, gingerbread cookies with lemon icing. He is a natural baker so I lend this job entirely to him.  (Last time I tried to make them they came out hard and very un-delicious. I could ruin almost anything in the kitchen.J)  We took the cookies to some neighbors and of course kept a few for ourselves.

While that was happening, I set up the pumpkin creation station! I had bought a couple pumpkins at the beginning of the season and they were just begging to be carved and decorated.  Can you guess which pumpkin is mine? That’s right, I am all over the glitter pumpkin! It’s the easiest thing in world, involving only spray adhesive and glitter, but boy did I fall in love with it when I was finished.  Chris painted the haunted house and I carved out all the windows. It turned out pretty well, I think. Our pumpkin decorating was a success!  

And guess what happened today.  Chris made me a special surprise. He baked me a Happy Friday cake! How awesome is that?!?  Indeed, I have the best husband and this is going to be another great weekend!

All Hallow's Eve

October is here and with that comes all the fun of Halloween!  I have already purchased my pumpkins and started decorating my house.  Also, Chris and I just got invited to a Halloween party and I AM EXCITED!!  Chris and I didn’t really get into the magic of All Hallow’s Eve last year, but I intend on jumping right in this year.  With that, I have come up with a few ideas for our Halloween costume.  Let me know what you think by voting in the poll on the right side of your screen.  Feel free to make your own suggestions in the comments. 

Happy Halloween!

Pinterest

I'm sure some of you know what I'm talking about when I say I am addicted to Pinterest. I have plenty of boards with hundreds of ideas on DIY projects, hair styling tips, and miracle cleaning products you can make yourself from just three ingredients.

Now, before I say that I am going on a Pinterest fast, understand, I am not opposed to Pinterest, it's ideals, or even checking it's boards about ten times a day.

The problem with me is, I have hundreds of pins and I think only two have come to fruition! So, before I go pinning anymore great ideas, I have to complete a project!

So here's the first project on the list. (Notice, I start small so I can quickly get back to pinning again.)

72 Hour Kit!!

I know Chris will be soooo excited about this.  I have been talking about doing this for months now but nothing has been done.  My procrastination ends now!  Emergency preparedness, here I come!!

Cool Breeze, Now you've got the chills!

Autumn Fires

 by Robert Louis Stevenson

In the other gardens
And all up the vale,
From the autumn bonfires
See the smoke trail!

Pleasant summer over
And all the summer flowers,
The red fire blazes,
The grey smoke towers.

Sing a song of seasons!
Something bright in all!
Flowers in the summer,
Fires in the fall!

 

Chris loves fall and is excited to feel the air turn cool and see the colors changing on the mountains just west of our home. He picked this poem to share. Hope you enjoy it!

Happy Anniversary!!!

Today, Chris and I are celebrating one successful year of marriage!  We made it! J Time has flown by and yet, it feels like we’ve been married for a lot longer than a year. I love how comfortable our marriage feels and how well we fit into each other’s lives. Chris has been the best husband a girl could ask for. He’s kind, loving, forgiving and easy going.  I have loved spending this year with him!

Chris also planned a wonderful anniversary for us. It started with a return to one of the memorable places from our wedding – La Caille.  We took our formal wedding pictures in La Caille’s gardens and the pictures turned out beautiful! This year, we went back to try the food. J It was delicious.  I think one of my favorite parts of the dinner was the house hor d’eovre they served us - smoked pork with a slice of parmesan cheese and microgreens.  Delectable! We shared an appetizer of duck confit, a French onion soup, and for an entrée Chris braved the halibut while I played it safe with the chicken. Chris and I are not seafood fans, but we are trying to get out of the box.  And to be honest, Chris’s halibut was a lot better than my chicken. I think I won’t be such a wuss next time!

Next, Chris drove us up to Midway where he had reserved a room for us at Johnson’s Mill, Midway’s famous bed and breakfast.  Chris actually booked the room a year ago, before we were even married.  This place fills up fast! The bed and breakfast is an old house nestled in the mountains and adjoining a small pond.  Chris booked the honeymoon suite and it was gorgeous! The hotel had even spread rose petals before we arrived. I was in love!

After I was done oogling over the hotel room, we decided to catch the local rodeo and carnival that was going on down the street.  We caught the last of the bull riding and enjoyed their great display of fireworks. Teenagers were everywhere and the air permeated with the youthful sense of freedom they enjoyed. It brought me back to my high school days and made Chris and I believe we could handle anything those teenagers could. With our borrowed nonchalance, we decided to buy some carnival tickets and brave all those spinning carnivals rides – the Gravitron, the Tornado, the Zipper, you name it. We thought we could take them all! However, at the end of the night, we discovered we were not quite as young as we used to be. Both of us were ready to hurl as we staggered off the last ride and found a bench where we could sit and calm our stomachs.

We went home shortly thereafter, not daring to try anything else. We did, however, want to walk around the grounds at Johnson’s Mill before we set in for the night. We walked to the back, over a river, past the mill, and onto the gazebo in the middle of the lake. We sat for a minute, enjoying the night air. However, my stomach was still not feeling well, so I said we should go back to our room.  I promptly set across the dock to dry land, hurrying as I wasn’t sure how much walking my stomach could handle. When I got to the other side I realized Chris was not with me. I turned around to see where he was. And I saw him, still in the gazebo, down on one knee.  Realizing I had messed up the moment (again) I ran back to him. He had a ring box and inside was a delicate wedding band that matched my ring. (We hadn’t gotten one when we were first married, because the ring didn’t come with one. Chris had this specially made. He had taken my ring down for “cleaning,” during which one of my pave diamonds “fell out”. Chris even had the jewelry store call me to reassure me that they were resetting the diamond and my ring would be ready in a week or two. Man they had me fooled! I had no idea Chris was doing something like this.) On his knee, Chris asked me to marry him again. I, of course, said yes. It was very sweet and I love my new band! 

The next morning we explored the Olympic Park in Park City. We watched skiers practicing their jumps into swimming pools. I have never seen that before and it was awesome. They do some cool tricks. We also took a ride down the Alpine Slide. For some reason, I was nervous as we were riding the ski lift up to the top. However, once I found myself on that small scooter, I was ready to roll! Chris had a slight problem with his. He got about 20 feet down the slide and found that his scooter simply wouldn’t slide. I saw him carrying his scooter, slowly walking back up the hill. J Luckily, they gave him a new scooter, told him about the secret “sweet spot” and he was able to have a nice run!

It was a wonderful anniversary and the best part was being able to spend it with Christopher. He is my best friend and I’m grateful we’ve chosen to spend our lives together!



WICKED!!

a couple of weeks ago, chris took me to see the play, WICKED, and i forgot to write about it!! can you believe that??  i have wanted to see Wicked for years after hearing the fun music and learning a little about the story line.  chris bought us tickets for christmas and we have waited patiently these last seven months to see this amazing show.  and it was amazing!! 

i loved elfeba and especially galinda.  i know, she is the ditzy, shallow one, but she was hilarious!! she really played up the part and she reminded me a lot of myself when i was younger - but only in the ways that she was over-dramatic and cheerful. elfeba had a wonderful, strong voice and was pretty funny herself. i really like the music of the play.  it is fun and quirky, yet powerful.  a good combination, if i do say so myself. 

the only "low" point was fierro.  he just wasn't as strong as the other characters.  he didn't have a strong voice and he couldn't dance worth a hoot.  he kept doing the same move over and over and looked quite awkward doing it.  sorry, fierro, you just didn't cut it for me.  luckily, he wasn't the focus of the play and was not in it very much.

everything else was great! the singing, the dancing, the stage, the music - loved it all!  thank you so much, chris, for giving me that experience!

The Famous Farmington

This is now the second week since we officially moved to Farmington. It feels like only the second day because we have been traveling all over the place the past two weeks and we haven’t really lived in our apartment.  However, now that we’re back, we’re settling down a little. 

A few tidbits about Farmington:

v  I love the location! We are about a minute away from the freeway entrance and yet we feel tucked away in a quiet, little neighborhood with tree-lined streets and family-friendly parks.

v  Even though we’re only about fifteen minutes farther north, it feels like I am sooo far from my family!  I think I was just spoiled before, being smack dab in between my parents and my in-laws. I have no idea what I’ll do when we actually move out of state!

v  There is a pool right next to our apartment.  I haven’t taken advantage of it yet (because we’ve been gone) but I am excited to spend some of these hot summer days lounging in the cool water!

v  Our new ward is fantabulous! The Elders Quorum presidency came to visit only two days after we moved in and the Relief Society presidency is coming over tonight!  (The Relief Society wouldn’t have been over just as soon as the Elders Quorum if we hadn’t been out of town. Just FYI – they’re not slackers. J)

v  For some reason, this new apartment seems much more difficult to decorate! I am in need of some serious help.  Pinterest isn’t really helping because I just end up wanting my room to look exactly like the room in the picture! Argh!

For the most part, we’re really loving it here (minus the crazy landlords) and we’re excited to make this our new home for the next few years!

Thank You!

I just wanted to give a shout out to all those who came & helped us move today. You were all so quick and efficient and made this move so easy! We were so appreciative to have your manpower with us!

Also, a special thanks to Darren for coming all the way from Logan and for bringing the trailer. It was a huge help!! (even if it was a pain to get out of the driveway)

We are excited to be in our new apartment and make it our home.

pictures coming soon

Bookstore Date

Last Saturday I decided it was time that I take Chris out for a date.  We went to Barnes & Noble armed with a list of tasks we each had to complete. For example, find a recipe of something you would like to make for your date, or go to the children’s section and pick out your favorite book.  I surprised Chris with this date and he seemed pretty excited to give it a try.  (I found this idea here along with all of the tasks for our date.  Great site!)

We started out with the recipe section.  Turns out that we both picked out something simple but delicious.  My recipe – an ice cream sandwich made with waffles.     Chris’s recipe – a blended drink of mint and lemonade.    Simple but Delicious!

Next stop – magazines!  We each found a quiz in a magazine that we then took together.  I had a hard time actually finding a quiz!  I thought magazines were filled with quizzes but I couldn’t find one anywhere!  Chris took the only magazine with a guaranteed quiz each issue so I just took an article and made one up myself.  ;)

We then sauntered over to the children’s section to pick out our favorite book as a kid.  We found that we read similar books as children. It was fun to reminisce of our favorites and relive a few as we read them aloud to each other.  We couldn’t pick just one!

Task #4 told us to go to the humor section and find a joke we could tell our date.   Chris found “A Book of Insults Every Man Should Know.”  Inside were some seriously witty comebacks and insults.  Chris was having a hay day!  I picked out a book called “Porn for Woman.”  Now, before you go jumping down my throat, you need to see what was inside.  Pictures of men (fully clothed) saying or doing things we women always wish they would.  For example, this young man is leaning forward intently saying “Well, I can’t offer you any solutions, but I am a good listener.”  Priceless! J

One of my favorite tasks was in the travel section.  Chris and I both picked out a dream vacation.  Mine was to Istanbul, Turkey.  Why? Because I know very little about the place and the culture.  I do know about Haggia Sophia and would love to visit that feat of architecture. I know it has both Christian and Muslim influences.  I am drawn to it because I feel it would be a great discovery.

Chris chose Cambodia and Laos.  Apparently, Cambodia is the Asian country least touched by Western civilization, therefore retaining a lot of the ancient culture.  Chris also loves nature and beautiful landscapes, which Cambodia and Laos are full of.  Who knows, maybe one day we will actually take these dream vacations.

 

However, we saved the best task for last.  For our final book we went to the poetry section and picked out a poem that expressed how we felt about each other.  It was so much fun to rummage through different love poems to find the perfect one.  I don’t think I succeeded in finding the perfect poem, but I’ll tell you what, Christopher did – On an Anniversary by Donald Justice.  We had such a fun time and bonded in a way we hadn't for a while.  I would definitely recommend this date to anyone. 

Diet Update

Sorry I have not been very diligent in recording my progress on the blog.  Truth is, there hasn’t been much progress.  I’ve pretty much stayed constant since those two measly pounds I lost in the beginning.  Between a week of wedding festivities and riding the crimson wave (sorry, TMI) I haven’t much to show for myself as far as weight goes. 

I can say, however, that I am feeling better.  I used to get headaches almost every day in the afternoons.  Come to find out, my daily afternoon candy bar or sugar snack is most likely to blame.  Since I have been trying to eat healthier, I have had almost zero headaches!  That I count as a victory!  I have also had more energy in the afternoons.  I’m usually ready to take a nap at 2:00 with my face in the keyboard.

In summation, while there has not been much to show in terms of numbers, I do think there have been overall positive improvements in my health and energy.

Goal for this week:  go to the gym more consistently.

As we all know, life happens.  Events come up and unforeseen circumstances take us away from our plans.  Unfortunately, I use that as an excuse all too often.  Just because my plans change doesn’t mean that I can cut out exercise entirely. 

On to week 3!

Just for fun, a few pictures from our week

"Just Because" flowers from my hubby.  <3

Thomas & Kelsie's wedding dinner

Thomas & Kelsie's first dance.  Lovely!



Belated, but here

I know, I know, I was supposed to post this on Sunday - the official start date of my Biggest Loser Competition.  However, it was a holiday and we were up in Malad, Idaho celebrating with Christopher's family.  I was far away from my computer (and thoughts of my diet) at the time. 

But, better late than never, right?  So here are the numbers.  I went to the doctor's on Friday for a check-up and of course was weighed. 

Official weight: 158 lbs. 

       Well, that's a little bit much for a girl my size.  So... I went home and calibrated my own scale to
       match the one at the doctor's office.    And then I determined my goal.
            
                 Target weight: 130 lbs.

                               28 lbs to lose.

And guess what, I've already lost two!  I weighed myself tonight, just for good measure, and came in at 156.  Good news!  Of course, I did have my clothes on at the doctor's office and I didn't at home, so that could account for about a pound.  But I'm taking credit for the other one!

I realized something else today.  I like my body. Funny to say as I'm writing about my diet plan, but I was looking in the mirror today and I could honestly say to myself, "You know, self, you're a little bit short and stubby, but I like you!"  I am not doing this Biggest Loser thing to become a "skinny" (that Stacy is so afraid of) but to keep my body as healthy as it can be (and to keep the government from controlling my weight for me ;).  I used to dance, run, play, and swim and my body loved it!  Now that I'm a little older it's harder to get my body in motion.  But with a little energy from me and support from a wonderful husband (who has to literally kick me out of the house sometimes so I will keep my goal of going to the gym) I can get my body moving and in shape. 

Love it!

The Dash Diet

On the third day....
             ....she is fighting.

I have been trying to eat according to the Dash Diet plan which gives you precise measurements for portion size, outlines a well balanced meal including all food groups, and of course, limits your intake of sweets and candies.  I have been pretty well for the past two days.  I had some nonfat frozen yogurt last night with the Relief Society, but at least that was nonfat right! 

But let me tell you this - frozen yogurt is not ice cream!  Today is "get your ice cream free if you guess the price" day at work.  Right now I am feeling like this little girl.  Just replace that Snickers with ice cream and I would run like the wind to be able to eat it! 

However, I must say that I am exercising miraculous will power.  I am not going downstairs to buy ice cream.  I am not even opening the candy cabinet right above my head to grab me some delicious chocolate.  (The office candy cabinet is of course located in my office and I have the key.  Not smart.)

I am going to eat me some strawberries and yogurt, if I can find any.  I feel like that will satisfy my cravings. 

I will be strong!....

           ....I just keep telling myself that.  :)

The Biggest Loser

At work (both at BYU and the Church Office Building) there is a very commonly used quote from President Monson - "When performance is measured, performance improves.  When performance is measured and reported, the rate of improvement accelerates."

I would like to take this principle to heart and apply it not to work, but to another facet of my life - my health.  I have been trying to live a more healthy livestyle using merely will power and the occassional reminder from my husband (who I usually get mad at when he reminds me anyway).  This approach has not worked very well so far.

You know what this means?!  I am now going to report my progress to you!  I figure that if I have to tell people how I am doing week to week, I may be more motivated to work hard at my goals. 

I am starting my very own Biggest Loser!!... 

(...but without the mean coaches and the parading around with little clothes on at weigh in time.  I figure you guys don't want to see any pictures of that. :)

So here's the plan for the next two months... 

Goal:        Go to the gym

Plan:        Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday classes

                 Monday, Wednesday, Friday yoga (or similar) at home

                 Keep an exercise log

Goal:       Follow Dash Diet

Plan:       4 - 5 servings fruit

                4 - 5 servings veggies

                3 servings dairy

                3 - 4 servings beans and nuts

                5 ounces leans meats, fish, poultry

                3 servings grain

                2 servings fats and sweets

                Prepare healthy snacks and meals the night before

                Every Sunday record on blog my weight and inches

                Record on blog the changes in my mood, energy level, self-confidence, etc.

It's a pretty simple plan right now, but I figure start off easy and then we'll work our way into some more difficult goals.  Any suggestions or encouragment from you would be welcome! 

You can also join me in my Biggest Loser club and we can have a blogging competition!  Post your own weight loss goals every Sunday.  If I have any takers, we may even throw in a prize for the winner in the end! :)

Wish me luck!!

Meandering Through Moab

And it’s finally here.  Sorry it’s taken me so long to write about our Moab trip.  There is just so much fun stuff to report on that it was a little daunting! 

Our scheduled departure was 2:00pm, Thursday, April 26^th.  But of course, on a trip like this, we never leave on time.  Our comrades arrived at 3:00 and then we began the task of combining two carloads or camping stuff into one truck.  You’d think this would be relatively easy, but when we camp, we camp in style!  We had a huge cooking stove, mattress pads, pots, pans, lanterns, chairs, bikes, and a whole lot more.  I didn’t take a picture of the truck after we finished squeezing everything in, but it looked a little bit like this…

We finally hit the road around 4:00 and enjoyed a candy-filled, four-hour road trip to Moab.  Somehow we made it with no bathroom breaks and only one driver switch.  Pretty good!

When we arrived it was starting to get dark, so we had to do the most important things first.  Bathroom break and gas fill-up!  Then for the second most important thing – hunting for a campsite!  We planned on staying on BML campsites, which were first come first serve.  The first campsite we drove to looked like it had a vacancy, but on a post near the entrance was a small white piece of paper that said reserved with today’s date on the paper.  Shucks.  So we kept searching, but didn’t have much luck.  It was getting pretty dark and we needed to find something soon or we all would be sleeping in the truck!  So we decided to go back to our original campsite and see if anyone had claimed it yet.   …  No one.    Soooo, Larynn ate the little piece of paper and we set up camp. 

The boys pitched our tent by the light of a lantern, while the girls used a flashlight to set up the cooking stove and rustle up some grub for our hungry stomachs.   We managed to whip up some hamburgers, fruit and chips.  It was pretty good considering we made it in the dark. 

However, sleeping that first night was AWFUL!!  I think I was a little nervous about having stolen someone’s campsite that any little noise would make me jump.  When a car would drive by I would hold my breath to see if it would stop.  I’d hear a footstep or a leaf rustle and look around to see if we were being ambushed.   I did not fall asleep until 2:00am and I’m pretty sure I woke up at six o’clock with the sun.  Fortunately, the sleeping went uphill from there.

FRIDAY

Friday morning we all woke to gorgeous scenery.  Our campsite was right next to the Colorado River, surrounded by high, red-rock canyon walls.  It is so nice to occasionally get away from the confinements of a house (or basement apartment in my case), of work, of school and all the other responsibilities of daily life.  Being out in the open air of Moab was good for all of us. 

Darren and Larynn made us a great breakfast of dutch-oven monkey bread.  It was their first attempt at dutch-oven cooking and I think it went rather well!  I was too afraid to even attempt dutch-oven so I was grateful for their bravery!  After breakfast we hit the road to enjoy the famous rocks and arches of Moab.  We drove to Arches National Park, admired the landscape, and even got out of the car for a few strolls.  The sun was shining but a wind was blowing nicely so it was still a little nippy outside.  Among our favorite sites were Balanced Rock, the Three Judges and this crazy tree we found along the way.

That first trip to Arches was a little short because we had to be back in town for our “white-water” rafting trip.  We arrived at Adrift Adventures at 11:00, with a trip scheduled to leave at 11:15.  However, Darren left his wallet back at our campsite, so he and Larynn hurried back to grab it.  The campsite is farther away than we thought and they made it back around 11:20, just in time!  However, because we were all rushing we forgot sunscreen.  Of course!  My legs burned bright red in one solid stripe down the front.   Very cute. 

Our “white-water” rafting trip turned out to be more of a “beer float” as the locals call it.  That means that the water is so calm you just crack open a beer and meander down the river.  The rapids were virtually non-existent and if any ripples did appear our guide seemed to avoid them like the plague.  Luckily, Chris and I had rented a two-man kayak and we followed behind the raft.  This meant that we could “accidentally” take little detours and try to hit as many rapids as we could.  We subtly ignored our guide’s frequent reminders to “follow right behind the raft.”  We did make friends with the other family on the raft and our tour guide.  Most of us thought our guide was pretty awesome.  Chris, however, was sure he and our bus driver were high on LSD.  Whatever the case, we had fun and we were safe!  Those pictures will have to come later because none of us were willing to bring our phones on the rafting trip to take picture.  So we bought one of the old school disposable water cameras.  I’m going to have to actually print pictures!  Crazy!

We returned from our “beer float” at about 4:30pm.  During the trip our guide told us about a famous burger and shake restaurant in Moab called Milt's Stop N' Eat.   After a hot day in the sun, nothing sounds better than shakes.  And they were good!  They were just the right thickness – thin enough to drink through a straw but thick enough to know you’re not just drinking milk.  Refreshing!

That night we made tin foil dinners and roasted some mallows for s’mores.  We stayed up "late" playing card games and attempting to tell ghost stories (although someone kept guessing the ending before the story teller could finish!)  We didn't stay up too late though because we were all beat and we needed to get up early the next morning.

SATURDAY

I set the alarm on my phone (praying that the battery would last the night) for 6:30 that morning.  Chris and I had breakfast that morning and we rustled up some pancakes, sausage and eggs for everyone.  We needed a good breakfast because we were going to hike to Delicate Arch.  The description of the hike said difficult, intimidating us with words like scrambling on slick rock and exposure to cliffs and heights and no shade.  However, the hike turned out to be pretty easy and enjoyable.  I learned what a "cairn" is and that "scrambling on slick rock" is pretty fun.  Delicate Arch was beautiful in person.  We played our tourist card by taking a million pictures and acting like idiots as we "hugged a license plate," as Chris would say.

Our next adventure was one Chris and I would have to brave alone.  I somehow convinced Chris to fulfill one of my bucketlist dreams - to jump out of a flying airplane and fall through the sky at 120 mph with just a parachute strapped to your back!  We arrived at Skydive Moab at 12:00, nervous and excited for our jump.  We met one of the owners and the two men we would be jumping with.  (They would actually be strapped to our backs and then the parachutes strapped to them.)  We watched a film outlining the risks of skydiving (exactly what we wanted to see at that point) and then signed a waiver saying we couldn't do anything to Skydive Moab if we died.  I hesitated for one moment...and then put pen to paper.  Here goes nothing!!  

We boarded a plane that was probably the size of an ordinary bathroom.  The four of us could barely squeeze in, even though we were practically sitting on each other's laps.  We rose to 10,000 feet in about ten minutes.  The flight was beautiful as you could see all the surrounding areas of Moab, including Arches & Canyonlands National Parks.  However, my enjoyment of the flight was a little hampered when I started getting nauseous.  It was probably my nerves mixed with the bumpy flight and the big breakfast I had that morning. I closed my eyes and tried to calm my stomach because I for sure did not want to vomit midair!

I managed to calm myself down until my instructor said, "Okay, put on your goggles."  That meant it was time to go.  Without any warning he opened the door and told me to put my feet on this little step next to the wheels of the plane.  That, my friends, was the scariest part of the entire experience.  Luckily, once I stepped onto this tiny ledge, the instructor took charge.  He stood up, titled my head back, and jumped.

What a rush!  The wind was coming at my face so strongly that I could barely breathe.  I just kept screaming, not only because I was scared, but also because it helped me breathe.  The free-fall was only about 30 seconds, but it felt like a very long time to me.  In the videa, which I hope will load, my cheeks are flapping around like sheets in the wind.  When my instructor pulled the rip cord and our shut opened (thank goodness) my entire body folded up into my eyes as I was jerked backwards.  Relief!  I was no longer free-falling and I could breathe a little easier.  From then on the float to the ground was fairly enjoyable.  I can't say it was exactly relaxing, because the ground was still coming at me at a pretty good speed, but the instructor let me steer the parachute and little and we did a few loop-de-loos.  When it came time to land I had to lift my feet high in the air while the instructor ran on the ground and get us steady.  He quickly unfastened me and I stumbled forward, relieve that my feet were finally on firm ground.

We lived!  I saw Chris land a few seconds after me.  They didn't land so gracefully.  :)  Chris was so much taller than his instructor that they had to slide in on their bums.  But we made it!  We smiled for the camera and exclaimed our exuberant joy at having made the dive.  However, as soon as our backs were turned, we both turned to each other and said, "I'm never doing that again!"  Don't get me wrong, it was a fun experience and I'm glad that I can check it off my bucket list, but I just don't think I need to repeat the experience.  Once was enough!  I was still nauseous for about an hour after the jump, until I god a good burger and shake from Milt's in my stomach again.

Darren and Larynn had safely enjoyed themselves shopping on solid ground while we were up in the air.  After lunch we all felt like we needed a little nap and I zonked out after being physically and emotionally drained.  I know, not a good use of a Moab day, but it was nice.  Later, Darren and Larynn started making dinner while Chris and I took a small hike up Negro Bill Canyon. We explored the first half of the hike before we had to turn back, but we were glad we did.  We knew it was worth going back to finish the hike the next day.

SUNDAY

Sunday morning, after another great dutch-oven breakfast from Darren and Larynn, we packed up camp and cleaned up after ourselves.  "Always leave the campsite better than you found it," my Grandpa Brough would always say.  I believe we did so.  Then, as a last hoorah, we decided to tackle the five mile hike up Negro Bill Trailhead.  That's right, we worshipped that Sabbath in God's great outdoors.  The hike was beautiful, as it meandered through a canyon following a small river.  There was a lot of foliage (relatively speaking).  The deep greens made a beautiful contrast against the red-rock walls of the canyon.  The hike ended at the sixth largest natural bridge in the world.  If you climbed a little farther, you could even traverse the bridge or repel down it as these brave people did (no it's not us in the photo).  We had packed a lunch and ate it at the end of the hike next to the natural spring that produced the river.  Hiking back was still beautiful, but I think everyone's feet hurt in the end.  It was a good, exhausting end to our Moab trip.

On the road again, Chris drove us safely home and we were all glad to be back.  We had a blast!  I think this may have to be an annual trip...  :)