Michaels and JoAnns

I should just not be allowed in these stores with money. I went in there to get three things for my school scrapbook. Did I find what I needed? No. But I did walk out with 4 different slabs of scrapbook paper. I was going to put some back, but I just have a hard time resisting really cute, sparkly, fuzzy paper.

White Water Rafting Adventures

What a fun weekend! Kerri's friend Scott is a raft guide, so invited Kerri and her friends to come up to go rafting. I flew up to Idaho Falls on Friday and met everyone at the airport. We ate lunch, then some of us went to Rexburg to look around. It's amazing how many changes can happen in two and a half years! The temple is done and looks beautiful and can be seen from everywhere in Rexburg! The school is under construction: they are adding on to the MC and building a new, much bigger auditorium. It was great to be able to see Rexburg again.

Saturday morning we drove to Wyoming to raft down the Snake River. The first time down the river, the water was icy cold! It was fun to go through the rapids and try not to fall in; I pulled on Jimmy's life jacket a few times to make sure he didn't fall in. On the biggest rapid, those of us that fell, fell inside the boat! It was pretty funny.

We were able to go down the river again and the second time was so much better! The water was a little warmer, as was the wind. The rapids were also bigger and better! We lost Jimmy and Julie over the edge this time around, but were able to get them back in with no problem. We also did a trust exercise, where we all stood up and held hands on the outer rim of the raft. At first, it was hard to get up and not be worried about falling, but once we were all up, it was fine (until Jimmy started to make the boat shake and we all fell into the boat:)

And even though I was a responsible red head and put sunscreen on, yes, I still got sunburned.

We then drove to Jackson Hole for dinner at a restaurant that had delicious BBQ. After that, we drove back, got cleaned up, played Catch Phrase, talked, and then slept.

This morning we went to Scott's ward for church (I had to leave early to catch my plane). The Young Women in his ward had just gotten back from girl's camp and were giving their testimonies in sacrament meeting. One of the girls looked kind of familiar, but didn't think much of it. Then after the counselor introduced the speakers, I realized why she looked familiar...She was in the fifth grade class I taught in for my methods class the semester before student teaching!

This weekend was a blast!

What a Nice Day...

This afternoon we had a thunderstorm! I opened my sliding door so that I could hear and smell the rain. Las Vegas doesn't get rain very often, so we have to enjoy it while it lasts.

After the rain had cleared away, I went for a nice 3.5 mile walk around my neighborhood. One thing that I really like about my neighborhood is that there are so many little walking paths that every time you go on a walk, you can go some different way. I definitely had a workout, but it was nice to be outside and enjoy the weather.

Sisters!

Chelsea came out my last week of school before track break. She was a HUGE help! She fixed bulletin boards, made copies, and cut and traced for me. She would also help students if they had questions and I was busy working with a group of students. On Friday, we went to the Bellagio because Chelsea has never been to Las Vegas. Ruth and Kerri came with us. We watched two water shows--it never ceases to amaze me :)

Jocelyn came out the following week for a few days. We ran errands, went swimming and running/walking(she ran...I walked), worked on bridal shower planning, and worked on projects. Oh yeah, and had fun hanging out :)

Two weeks later, I went to visit Tamara in Phoenix. I helped her gather pictures for the wedding slideshow and make her guest book. We got a lot accomplished, plus still found time to go swimming and enjoy each others company:)

Happy Fourth of July!

Ruth, Lola, Joy, Riann and her brother, and I went to breakfast at The Original Pancake House (only the best pancakes EVER!). I love chocolate chip pancakes! Then Lola, Ruth, and I went to Dan's house for a BBQ and swimming. We had a lot of fun hanging out with friends and making new friends. That evening we went to Anthem (just south of where I live) and could see the whole valley. The station casinos synchonized their fireworks. It was fun to see the same fireworks going off at the same time across the whole valley (even if they were small because we were far away). We then came back to my house and lit some of our own fireworks and sparklers! I have never lit fireworks before and it was a lot of fun! Overall, it was a fantastic Fourth of July!