Happy Birthday, Mom!

To the best Mom I've ever had!

(Of course, she's the only one I've had, but that is beside the point.)

Mom has supported me through all my changing of decisions and plans. She listens and gives her opinion like mothers do so well.

She has taught me how to be silly and enjoy a humor-filled life.

Without her, I certainly wouldn't be who I am. Our family would be a bag of nuts without any shells.

She has set examples for me- of how to cook, how to learn, how to love music, how to bug my older brothers... the important things in life!

Mom, thanks for being my mom!
Happy (ahem)th Birthday!
I love you!

Week of Concerts

Last week was my week of concerts! I had two Women's Choral Ensemble performances and a band concert. Most of the performances were good. There was one mishap during a Women's Choral Ensemble performance, but it can't be perfect all the time!

I'm really excited to continue performing next term in both Women's Ensemble and in Concert Band. I've had such a taste for both that I never want to give them up! Surprisingly enough, I love playing the piccolo! I almost would jump at the chance to play piccolo on any piece. Next term is going to have some tough pieces on flute and piccolo in Concert Band. Bring it on!

Advising Needs Some Advising

Okay... Registration for next term has started, and I guess I should have gone in to get my pin earlier than I did. But did I really have to stand around waiting for and HOUR and a HALF?!?!?! I watched so many people come in after me and get called before me! The advisers who would call people in would flip through the forms we had to fill out and choose one. Seriously, can't they just call the people in order of arrival? I know they are busy with registration and all, but is that too much to ask?

Thanks to standing for ever, I'm now headed to my concert tired and a little grouchy. Sheesh!

Silliness... Is It Inherited?

Shhhh. I'll let you in on a little secret. I have three silly nieces and one silly nephew! Don't tell anyone!
I don't take any of the credit, but I'm sure I have been instrumental in their corruption! If you watched the video in my last post, you saw a glimpse of their silliness. In the next few photographs, I will attempt to prove their silliness. You may choose to believe or disbelieve, but my opinion stands firm!

Sure, they may seem innocent at first glance...

But underneath their appearances is something so silly it has yet to be explained by scientists!

Case in point.

Boy, do I love those kids. I hope my kids are just as silly. Oh, wait... They will have to be to have me as their mother! :)

What Are You Thankful For?

I asked my nieces and nephew what they are thankful for. Here are their responses. As always, I am thankful for little moments that will be remembered. :)

Melodious Holidays

Throughout my life, I have constantly been reminded by my mother that I come by my giggling honestly. When she was younger, her brothers called her "Giggly Gail". I guess I inherited her giggly gene. Tonight was certainly evidence of that!

We had our family at our house for our Thanksgiving Feast! What a feast it was! We had all the foods we traditionally have, plus a few more I talked Mom into making! (Thanks, Mom!) The tables were filled with food and laughter all night. One thing I love about Thanksgiving is the laughter that is shared! It's been a long time since I laughed so hard so many times all while trying to eat dinner. Another thing I love is spending time with my family over a fantastic feast! I am always reminded of how blessed and thankful I am to have a loving family and plenty of food to go around.

On a side note, I love Thanksgiving because it is the one time of year that I have an excuse to use my silverware! Usually, it stays in a box in my closet. My mom pulls down her best dishes, and I get out my good silverware. I can't tell you how fun it is to have special dishes and silverware to eat with. It's like eating in a banquet hall! The only down side to my silverware is it has to be washed by hand! Ugh. It's a good, good thing I like washing dishes.

In accordance with tradition, the adults sat around and talked while their digestive systems were hard at work. The kids, on the other hand, were laughing and playing. I took the chance to take a bunch of pictures of them with my mom's camera. Some of the pictures turned out, and some of them are okay. Because I'm not used to my mom's camera, I ended up taking a picture of Chickadee up close! I thought I was going to get a video, but it flashed right in her face. It's actually a good picture. I rather like it. We all laughed and laughed over it!

I love laughing! It's one of the best mood lifters ever!

May your holidays be as melodious with laughter as mine was tonight!

Thanksgiving Poem

Tonight, I was serenaded by my six year old nephew, Roadrunner, and he let me capture his song on video after a little coaxing, a lot of pretend crying and even more laughter!




In case you can't hear him, here are the words:

The turkey is a funny bird,
His head goes wobble, wobble.
All he says is just one word:
Gobble, gobble, gobble.

And yes, that is me giggling when Roadrunner takes his bow! :D

Revenge Has Never Been So Sweet

I absolutely love my friends! I cannot express that with enough enthusiasm!!
Today, I was the unsuspecting recipient of a long overdue revenge.

Imagine taking a break from baking to practice the flute. After running scales up and down till your mouth hurts, you sit down to a good book for a few minutes. The doorbell rings, but you don't go downstairs to see who it is. Mom will get it. A moment later, you decide you need a drink of water. As you head down the stairs, there is suddenly a person in front of you, standing on the stairs! It's one of your best friends, Hungry!! But wait. She's supposed to be in Provo at school! Oh, who cares! You shriek like all self-respecting girls do and give her a big hug! What better revenge could anyone ask for?

Alright, I suppose I should explain the revenge part. Way back in January of this year, I was supposed to leave for Russia on a certain date. I said my goodbyes to everyone and two days later found out my visa had been delayed. Instead of informing my friends that I would be around for a few more weeks, I took care to seem out of town. I hid in the house and didn't talk to anyone! Then, that Friday, I suddenly showed up at the YSA dance, surprising everyone! Thus, the need for Hungry's revenge!

I love you, Hungry! You can get me back like that any day! :D

P.S. Due to a pie crisis, I could not obtain a current picture of Hungry and myself. "Sad, but true." (Name that movie quotation!)

Scriptural Amputation

In my Institute class last week, we read Mark 9:43-48, which talks about "if thy hand offend thee, cut it off". We discussed the meaning of those verses and determined quite quickly (especially after reading the Joseph Smith Translation in the appendix) that Christ isn't telling us to literally cut off our hand. Instead, He tells us to evaluate the people around us and see if there needs to be improvement.

In the last month or so, I've been trying to accomplish this type of evaluation for my life. Now, don't worry. Anyone who reads this is in no danger of being cut from my life! However, there are a few places I could improve in. It finally hit me like a ton of bricks that the time to "cut off my hand" is now. If I don't make an effort to "cut off my hand", I will not be happy with the path I'll walk down.

I know this process won't be easy at all. It's going to take a while to adjust to the changes, but I'll be better off in the eternal spectrum. If nothing else, this process will teach me to rely on the Lord that much more. There is no way I can do this without the Lord's help and guidance. It is He who helped me recognize which hand needs to be cut off in the first place.

So, wish me luck as I start work on my "amputation"; any and all prayers are welcome!

To Flute or Not to Flute...

is never a question! When the opportunity arises, always play the flute. Although, I find I always want to practice my flute AFTER I eat a meal! Go figure.

I had my first flute lesson this afternoon. Man, it was a tiring two hours!! Usually, lessons only go for one hour, but my teacher and I were having such a good time getting started that I think we forgot that time existed! I think I'm really going to enjoy this teacher. She is a WSU graduate and has a fun personality. She's a little scatter-brained, just like me! We should get on just grand. She actually is friends with one of my former flute teachers. The music world is certainly a small one!

I'm starting preparations for an audition at USU in February. It'll be a long, hard road full of wrong notes and learning. And I do mean every word of that. With only twelve weeks to learn two pieces, I am a little concerned I won't make it. However always the optimistic one, I'll work my hardest to get there, and that hard work will not be for naught.

Taking a break from music is not a good thing. Really, taking a break from any skill for a long period of time doesn't help in the long run. I've reverted back to some old habits and sloppy aspects in my flute playing. My teacher and I determined that I open my jaw too much to focus my sound. (Normally, it is quite the opposite in flute players; they don't open enough!) So, I have to consciously think about closing my jaw as I'm playing. On top of that, my teacher has me learning another tonguing technique. I had initially learned one way with another teacher, but my current teacher is having me switch back. I guess knowing how to use both will help me in the long run.

Who knew a flutist actually has to think about their tongue position while they play?! That is the hardest part; no one can see into your mouth to analyze the tongue position. I have to describe where I feel it to my teacher, and she, in turn, has to try to help me understand where it needs to be. Crazy and exciting stuff!

Things to Look Forward To

As the time to jump into music classes again approaches, I am again reminded of all the work I will gladly need to put into these classes. I have a lot of review work to do these next two months before I jump back into Music Theory and Ear Training! Fun, fun, fun!

I was driving home from the Adult Session of Stake Conference and I heard the song So You Want to Write a Fugue? playing on the classical radio station. This is a crazy song! It reminds me of what I have to look forward to in my theory classes- all the analyzing, making sure there aren't parallel fifths or other rules broken in my harmonizing.

Enjoy!

P.S. Just ignore the subtitles! Also, click on the first video. I couldn't figure out how to get rid of the second one. I'm still learning.

Wailings of a Sore Throat

As you know, I am singing with my school's Women Ensemble this year. My throat is not used to being used so much. After each rehearsal, I come out with a tired voice. No matter if I cut out on the high notes or if I belt out all my notes, my voice is almost gone. It's a good work out for it, though, and I'm learning a lot.

For instance, cold pudding is great on a tired throat! That is about the only sure thing that will give comfort to my throat after singing. However, it isn't so friendly to the waistline! So, I need to find something better to soothe my throat after rehearsals. Water works, but it doesn't really do much long-term. Hot chocolate is good, but my tongue always ends up burned because I lack the patience to let it cool.

Well, my brain is too scattered to write another cohesive paragraph!

Extra! Extra!

Some very exciting news is hot off the press!

I have been given a scholarship to take flute lessons next term! I was shocked to learn that I got it. I didn't really think I would, but I suppose it helps that I'm currently taking classes from two of the teachers on the decision board! :)

Also, I'm switching my major back to music. Crazy, I know! Music is one of the hardest majors because of all the "unfair" credit classes (i.e. ear training for two credits when the work is at least four credits). I'll be majoring in flute performance. I'll finish my first year music classes this year and transfer to USU eventually. My education goal is to double major in Flute and English when I get to USU. We'll see if that's what really happens. Hey- I'm a young single adult and a girl; I have the right to change my mind!

Have a great day!

Vote, Vote, Vote

This is the first Presidential Election to I get to vote in. It's been quite the experience deciding on who I want to vote for. I think this is the most I've ever paid attention to politics. I had a great discussion with my friend to really help me see points of view I hadn't even thought of.

When it comes to politics, I really don't know a lot. I have opinions about certain issues, but they are few and far between. I'm really glad this friend had me explain what I think to him in our discussion. He gave me a better grasp on what my views are. He also found a website that helped me compare candidates and issues in one place without a lot of digging.

I've decided I want to take a political class next term to gain a better understanding of how the political system works in the United States.

Everyone should vote! Your opinion does matter!

Weekend Retreat

Saturday was the retreat for Women's Ensemble. That means we went to a location different than school, sang, laughed, sang some more. This is my first experience singing with a formal choir.

We spent the day at a local church rehearsing this term's music. We are singing seven pieces, and we worked on all of them. We started singing around 9:10am in a cold sanctuary room. The acoustics were phenomenal! We sang and sang. In fact, we sang so much that my voice was gone when we broke for lunch.


We broke for lunch around noon and enjoyed a variety of foods brought to share. There was more food than all 22 of us could eat! We certainly did not go hungry that day! After lunch, we had the chance to look through a few books of duet music. We have the opportunity to sing in some small groups at one of our performances this year. I am singing in one group and playing the flute in accompaniment for another group.


We finished off the day with a small performance for our friends and family around 4:00pm. I was impressed with how much of the songs I have memorized after singing them so much on Saturday! Of the seven songs, I have five learned enough that I can sing them from memory. The German song and the Latin song are the only two I still need the music for- mostly for the words and not the notes.

By the end of the day, my voice was very warm. In fact, I was hitting the high notes with a new ease after singing for about six hours. My throat was quite sore when we finished, and my voice was tired. It isn't used to being used so much in such a way!


I am really excited to be in Women's Ensemble the next two terms! I know I will be a better singer because of this experience. I am already a better speaker- I learned how to cheat at rolling my Rs! (I will no longer have an American accent when I say hello in Russian!)

Time Passing

Friday marked my being home from Russia for six months!

I can hardly believe it has been that long, yet Russia seems years away at times. I think of all the events I packed into the last six months and am in awe by what happened. Then I think of what I have planned for the next six months and am almost floored!

It is so amazing to me how the Lord works. I can feel His hand guiding my life and in my choices. Because I currently belong to the YSA age group, I find my life making twists and turns that are unexpected. Through all these changes, I know the Lord is placing me where I can be the most service to Him. The next eight months will be quite the challenging months while being the most rewarding.

Life's Puzzle II

Today, I found all the missing pieces for my life's puzzle! It seems that I was trying to fit the old pieces into the new spots. Being the young single adult (YSA) that I am, life changes rapidly. It took having everything in my life called into question for me to realize my plans needed to change. I made one simple course alteration, and poof, life is dandy again! I am more at peace right now than I have the last week.

You may be asking what this course alteration is. Well, I'll tell you! I am not moving to Logan, UT after Christmas as previously planned!

I am super excited to stay here and continue my schooling at home, be part of the YSA program, and have fun without worrying what comes next! Eventually, I'll move to Logan, but it won't be until at least July. Who knows, I might decide to serve a mission after this school year is out. I might meet the man of my dreams and find myself rushing off to get married. I have no idea what will be next in my life. All roads are open at this point. I just know that finishing this school year is what I need to do!

I'm really excited to continue serving on the Multi-Stake Committee for a while longer. I'm going to enjoy it very much. I attended my second meeting tonight, and this meeting was almost night and day compared to last month's meeting. I left tonight's meeting raring to go, ready to take action! I love being a YSA!!

I can't express my heartfelt gratitude enough to my Father in heaven for the opportunity to stay here to serve in the YSA program, to sing in Women's Ensemble and play in band at school, to be excited about life once again!

May we each enjoy life to its fullest!

Truly Scrumptious

Start with this:


Add a few of these:

Bake for an hour.

The end result?
A scrumptious Pecan Pumpkin Pie!


Would you like a piece?

Visiting Logan

This last weekend, I visited Logan, UT for the first time to check out the town, along with other things.

I love Logan!!! It is one of the neatest towns I've ever been to. Cache Valley is so beautiful with its mixture of fall foliage and evergreen trees! Logan feels like a small town in some parts, but it also feels like a big town when you walk down main street. As I looked over the valley, I felt like I was at home. The colors, the smell of trees were similar to that at home.

The very first thing I saw upon entering Logan was the temple! It's amazing at night. I also had the chance to walk along the grounds of the temple. I was overwhelmed by the beauty and strength this temple has. The hymn that played over and over in my head was "A Mighty Fortress is Our God". The Logan Temple exhibits the Lord's strength to me. It can be seen around the entire valley, from almost everywhere! I am looking forward to having that daily reminder of the Lord's love for His children.

I am so excited to live there with a temple right there, tons of living history, and many new friends to make. One of the girls I sat by in Relief Society on Sunday suggested that I start looking for apartments now in order to have one when I move after Christmas. So, that's what I did today! I starting looking for apartments. I made a bunch of phone calls to find out availability, rates, and information about possible apartments I would want to live in. After all that, I found one I feel will suit my needs perfectly. I can't express enough how excited I am to head on this grand adventure in December!

Now comes the hardest part... waiting and preparing for it to start!

Being A Girl

My entire life, I've been trying to deny the following fact: I am a girl.

I went shopping with Bookworm yesterday. That was quite fun to learn about her interests. She is quite the young woman. I am always surprised at how much she has grown over the last few years. If my nieces and nephews grow this fast, I can't imagine how I'll feel when I have my own growing kids.

I've been able to successfully find the pieces to my life's puzzle that I need for now. Let me tell you, dark chocolate and a new hat solve nothing! However, they sure do help with the process! I found this hat when I was shopping with Bookworm, and I couldn't resist. I discovered my liking of hats when I lived in Russia, where I had to wear one every day!

I'm so glad to have the gospel in my life- especially when I hit my low points in life. I wasn't my normal self yesterday, but attending Institute sure helped get me headed in that direction. I'm kind of excited to see what is up ahead for me. More and more puzzle pieces will come into reach as I travel along the straight and narrow path.

Have a great day!

Life's Puzzle

These last few months, I have forgotten the biggest lesson I learned from my experiences in Russia: Life changes quickly.

It seems that the only thing consistent in life is change. Usually, the biggest changes happen without notice or warning. While I'm thankful for the growth I gain from life's changes, I wish I could be more prepared for them.

I've learned that life is like a puzzle. Well, my puzzle was turned upside down this weekend. I have to figure out how all the pieces fit together now that some of them have changed.

Even though I feel very confused and lost in completing my puzzle, I know that the Lord is with me. He knows where all the pieces are and how they fit together. I am determined to place more trust in Him as I undertake this huge task of rearranging the pieces of my life.

Wish me luck!

A Hand in All Things

Today, I was again reminded that the Lord's hand is in all things. Earlier this week, I had received a call asking me if I would play the organ for a funeral. A man from my former stake had passed away. The people asking me to play had called several organists from the stake finding none that could play. They asked a high councilor if they had any suggestions, and my name was put forth.

I agreed to play and give of my talents. What I didn't know was that my grandpa would be in attendance at the funeral. I had thought he might be there, but I wasn't sure. It was good to see him afterwards. My grandpa knew the couple who had asked me to play, and they were surprised to learn I was his granddaughter. The wife commented, "Now, I know why you are so special!"

That just made my day! I love being my grandpa's granddaughter! I'd never deny being part of his family, and I am so thankful to have such a family legacy being left for me.

I love you, Grandpa!

Are You a Mormon?

Today as I sat in my English class writing down the extra credit, a guy asked me that. It caught me off guard because I am never expecting to hear that question. I answered with a resounding "Yes." Then, he sat down at his seat again.

You might be asking what prompted this question, and I intend to answer just that! The shirt I grabbed to wear today was my WMOH shirt. It is pretty much a walking ad of the play, but it's a shirt that fits.

It helped me remember that I am always under observation as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am so excited for General Conference tomorrow and Sunday!! It is going to be such the great spiritual boost that I need to get through school! At least, it will spark that boost to give me something to work towards in the next six months!

First Penguin Report

I survived the first week of school!! Barely! :)

I'm really excited for this term. It'll be a tough term, but I'm sure I can handle it. I auditioned for Women's Ensemble and made it in! I sing Second Soprano. This is the first "real" choir I've sung in since Middle School. It's going to be a stretch, but I'm really going to enjoy it. I have three friends in the ensemble with me, and that helps A LOT!! Two of the girls came over this morning to work parts, and I found out that I need more practice in playing parts on the piano!

Also, I auditioned for a chair in band on Wednesday and for the piccolo part! You are reading the words of the second chair flute player and piccolo player!! I am so excited to be in band again! I've missed it terribly. If I had been able to, I would have joined last year. Alas, the timing didn't work out. C'est la vie!

I'm taking a fiction writing class that is really going to stretch me. I don't consider myself a writer, even though I can write. Some of the students in the class write just for fun as a hobby or a possible future career. I'm only taking it because my friend suggested it will give me practice in editing different writings. Speaking of fiction class, I need to look over my story for submission tomorrow!

Have a great week!

Last First Day

Today was my last first day of School at Clark College. It was a great day! I was on time to all my classes- I actually found my classes! I think I'm going to enjoy this term a lot! I'm retaking two classes to try for a better grade, so I'm really excited to take College Algebra again. The English class will be fun. The teacher is very personable, and she has a teaching certificate in my intended field. (I'm hoping to talk with her about it sometime this term.) I'm in Concert Band again! I'm very excited to play with a group again. I put it off too long!! Tomorrow, I'll be starting my Fiction Writing class and auditioning for Women's Ensemble.

What first day of school is complete without a picture of the kid with the loaded backpack? None! Here is my Last-First Day pic. I even wore my new outfit to school today!

As I was walking around campus today, I felt especially cute and happy. I don't know... There's something about being on a campus as a student that puts my life into perspective. It's like I'm showing to the world that I can achieve my goals and dreams! And really, that's what this term is all about for me! I'm fixing some of my past mistakes in school and giving myself plenty of new experiences that will open many doors later in life.

I was sitting next to a 16 year old, Running Start student in a class today, and I felt my age. I'm not saying I felt old, just experienced. I've done something with my life! I'm not the little girl right out of high school that hasn't seen anything outside of this city.

I love, love, love school!! Look out! I'm eager to learn!

Happy First Day of Fall!

Quilting Circle

It's official! I am a Quilting B!! It's a great accomplishing feeling to see your work completed! Last week, my finished quilt arrived from my aunt who actually finished it for me. Nonetheless, this was my first big quilt! It's so beautiful, more beautiful than I ever imagined it to be!! It's been a three year process- I picked out the fabrics in June of 2006, my aunt cut all the pieces out and mailed them summer of 2007, and I completed sewing the top June 2008! I doubt my next quilting project will take that long.




The pictures aren't too great, but it's still amazing to see the finished product. Now on to my next quilt... What to choose, what to choose...

Honorable Mention

To stop the glares coming from Provo for not mentioning the eternal coalition, (You know who you are!) here are a few pictures from Hagmoth's wedding.





It was a very fun day and a great honor to be part of it. She is so happy! I can only hope I'll be as happy and bubbly as Hagmoth on my wedding day!

Love you!

P.S. You can stop glaring now! :)

Meeting of Exhaustion

In August, I was asked to be a Co-Chair to our Young Single Adult Multi-Stake Committee. (That sure is a mouthful!) I, of course, agreed, but I never expected to be so drained after my first meeting. I had served on the committee as a Stake Representative before I left for Russia, so I wasn't going into this completely blind tonight.

My counterpart was unable to attend tonight's meeting. This was the WORST initiation a person could ever get!!! I had to conduct my very first meeting as Co-Chair without my counterpart! I do not recommend that at all!

The meeting went well. We discussed and planned everything on the agenda, but seriously... Do people not understand that an outline doesn't include details?? I came home very drained and feeling like I was about to cry from frustration.

At least my first meeting is over with! Now I can start to get the hang of things before becoming a vagabond bound for Logan.

Don't Push The Button

Our play performances for BYU Education Week were in the HFAC (the Arts Center). Hungry and I went around campus one day to find all her classrooms. That was a neat experience. I had never been to BYU before. We stopped by the library, which is HUGE!!! We saw a sign that I loved!

Before I go into that, anyone who knows me should know that I have a lot of quirks. One of them involves NOT pushing the handicap door open button unless you need it!! So, take a look.

The post reads "PLEASE Do Not Use The Access Button Unless Necessary Thank You"

One of the many great things about BYU!

My Trip to Zion

Well, my trip down to Utah was quite the adventure! I rode down with Hungry in her truck. We were taking her truck down to Provo for her stay at BYU. It was loaded up with boxes and all sorts of things. We started late on a Thursday after the heat of the day had passed. Pendleton (not Medford) was our overnight destination! Boy, were we tired... Well, Hungry had more of an excuse- she drove the entire way! I'll save us both the embarrassment of showing our arrival picture from that night... Definitely not our best picture!! But we did see a beautiful sunset. This picture doesn't give it justice at all.

We started out the next morning at 5 am!! Yes, Mom, I woke up that early all by myself! What a fun day that was. We drove and drove and drove... Have you ever realized how long Idaho is? Seriously!! It never ends! Hungry and I thought we would never reach Utah. In frustration, we pulled off at a rest area, wondering if Utah would ever come! To our dismay, we found a map showing our location.

We found we were SO close to the Idaho-Utah border!

Our reactions:












But things started looking up! We made it to Utah!! Oh, what joy we felt!

Adventures Galore!

For those of you still wondering... Yes, I am still alive!

August has been quite an amazing month!! So many events have occurred in such a short amount of time! I can't possibly mention all of them, so I'll give you the highlights!

August 1st was my first official date with Caps!! What an amazing way to start off the month! He took me for dinner and miniature golf (I won!). Then, Caps and I went for a walk, as is our custom. I have to say that my favorite part of the date was just before I went into my house. Caps and I were hugging when my oldest brother came out of the house. The look on his face was so great! It was a combination of "What is my little sister doing in the arms of that guy?" and "Wait! What's that guy doing with my sister?" That look was ever so worth being caught in Caps' arms!!!

The next week was spent being absorbed by preparations for WMOH performances. Opening night in Portland was the sixth and we closed on the ninth. Those performances were great. We had gotten most of the bugs out for our Provo run two weeks later for BYU Campus Education Week. More to come in a later post. I spent a week and a half down in Provo with the show. It was so much fun!!

I returned on the 23rd, driving a manual transmission home after only two lessons! I don't know why people think it's so hard to learn. I found it quite easy. You just have to realize that you will make mistakes the same as you do with any new task learned.

Caps left for Logan, UT on the 26th of August, and he is already sorely missed. BUT a plan is already in the works for me to visit him in October.

My blog turned one year old on the 30th of August! Happy Belated Birthday, Piano Plinker!!

So, there are the highlights of August!

Walked and Walked and Walked...

When I was in Russia, I gained a love for walking to clear my head. This week certainly has needed some clearing! I ended up staying home from the Family Reunion because I thought I had a job training this week. (Turns out, it's next week. Oh well.)

Some might say I should be disappointed that I didn't go, but they would be wrong. I don't believe in coincidences; this week certainly hasn't been that. I had the opportunity to walk with Caps a lot yesterday. We talked about this and that and stuff. It was the 'and stuff' that set my mind a-racing.

Today, I walked a lot last week, and I walked today. I've decided that I want to start training for a walking marathon. Walking helps me sort out my thoughts while getting exercise. I can predict that I'll be needing several walks in the near future! Best to start now!

Let's get a-walkin'!!

Falls Creek Falls Adventure

This week has been a fantastic week! Right in the middle of my fantastic week was a hike to Falls Creek Falls in the Gifford Pinchot. It was so beautiful! I would love to go there again and again and again. I took Roadrunner with me. My friend, Caps, came along, too! I can't tell you how much fun it was spending time out in Heavenly Father's creations with two of my favorite guys! Anyway, I'll stop talking and let some pictures talk now!

Enjoy!

Falls Creek Falls

Eating lunch at Falls Creek Falls

Roadrunner at Falls Creek Falls

Roadrunner and Caps on the trail