the adventures of dani

love it.

2011-10-29T23:12:00.000-06:00

IF YOU CAN CORRECTLY PRONOUNCE EVERY WORD IN THIS POEM, YOU WILL BE SPEAKING ENGLISH BETTER THAN 90% OF THE NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKERS IN THE WORLD. AFTER TRYING THE VERSES, A FRENCHMAN SAID HE’D PREFER SIX MONTHS OF HARD LABOUR TO READING SIX LINES ALOUD. TRY THEM YOURSELF.

Dearest creature in creation, Study English pronunciation. I will teach you in my verse Sounds like corpse, corps, horse, and worse. I will keep you, Suzy, busy, Make your head with heat grow dizzy. Tear in eye, your dress will tear. So shall I! Oh hear my prayer. Just compare heart, beard, and heard, Dies and diet, lord and word, Sword and sward, retain and Britain. (Mind the latter, how it’s written.) Now I surely will not plague you With such words as plaque and ague. But be careful how you speak: Say break and steak, but bleak and streak; Cloven, oven, how and low, Script, receipt, show, poem, and toe. Hear me say, devoid of trickery, Daughter, laughter, and Terpsichore, Typhoid, measles, topsails, aisles, Exiles, similes, and reviles; Scholar, vicar, and cigar, Solar, mica, war and far; One, anemone, Balmoral, Kitchen, lichen, laundry, laurel; Gertrude, German, wind and mind, Scene, Melpomene, mankind. Billet does not rhyme with ballet, Bouquet, wallet, mallet, chalet. Blood and flood are not like food, Nor is mould like should and would. Viscous, viscount, load and broad, Toward, to forward, to reward. And your pronunciation’s OK When you correctly say croquet, Rounded, wounded, grieve and sieve, Friend and fiend, alive and live. Ivy, privy, famous; clamour And enamour rhyme with hammer. River, rival, tomb, bomb, comb, Doll and roll and some and home. Stranger does not rhyme with anger, Neither does devour with clangour. Souls but foul, haunt but aunt, Font, front, wont, want, grand, and grant, Shoes, goes, does. Now first say finger, And then singer, ginger, linger, Real, zeal, mauve, gauze, gouge and gauge, Marriage, foliage, mirage, and age. Query does not rhyme with very, Nor does fury sound like bury. Dost, lost, post and doth, cloth, loth. Job, nob, bosom, transom, oath. Though the differences seem little, We say actual but victual. Refer does not rhyme with deafer. Foeffer does, and zephyr, heifer. Mint, pint, senate and sedate; Dull, bull, and George ate late. Scenic, Arabic, Pacific, Science, conscience, scientific. Liberty, library, heave and heaven, Rachel, ache, moustache, eleven. We say hallowed, but allowed, People, leopard, towed, but vowed. Mark the differences, moreover, Between mover, cover, clover; Leeches, breeches, wise, precise, Chalice, but police and lice; Camel, constable, unstable, Principle, disciple, label. Petal, panel, and canal, Wait, surprise, plait, promise, pal. Worm and storm, chaise, chaos, chair, Senator, spectator, mayor. Tour, but our and succour, four. Gas, alas, and Arkansas. Sea, idea, Korea, area, Psalm, Maria, but malaria. Youth, south, southern, cleanse and clean. Doctrine, turpentine, marine. Compare alien with Italian, Dandelion and battalion. Sally with ally, yea, ye, Eye, I, ay, aye, whey, and key. Say aver, but ever, fever, Neither, leisure, skein, deceiver. Heron, granary, canary. Crevice and device and aerie. Face, but preface, not efface. Phlegm, phlegmatic, ass, glass, bass. Large, but target, gin, give, verging, Ought, out, joust and scour, scourging. Ear, but earn and wear and tear Do not rhyme with here but ere. Seven is right, but so is even, Hyphen, roughen, nephew Stephen, Monkey, donkey, Turk and jerk, Ask, grasp, wasp, and cork and work. Pronunciation (think of Psyche!) Is a paling stout and spikey? Won’t it make you lose your wits, Writing groats and saying grits? It’s a dark abyss or tunnel: Strewn with stones, stowed, solace, gunwale, Islington and Isle of Wight, Housewife, verdict and indict. Finally, which rhymes with enough, Though, through, plough, or dough, or cough? Hiccough has the sound of cup. My advice is to give up!!! - B. Shaw

the day i decided that i hate mountains and rocks...

2011-08-11T23:48:00.000-06:00

Ok, so I only hated them for a day, but the hatred was rather strong. On Tuesday, I climbed my first 14er. Which is a mountain over 14,000 feet in elevation. Since there are two right next to one another we decided that we should hike both in the same day. It was pure torture. At least for me. I had great hiking buddies though and I really appreciated their patience with me. The fact of the matter is that I, Dani Taylor, hiked with my own two feet up and down two 14ers. Grays (14,270) and Torreys (14,267) were dominated on the 10th of August, 2011 by me!

a day in the life...

2011-08-04T00:57:00.000-06:00

So this was my day today.

Started it with a hike up in the Rocky Mountain National Park:

yep. still snow in august.

my favorite hiking buddies: jerry & diane

see...here's my walking stick.

and then ended it with a performance by the Grand County Characters at the Rowley Homestead:

They perform every week and every other week I am the staff in charge of the show.

I swear there are millions of these little buggers everywhere...

taking a break on the porch swing...

The Rowley Homestead...

The end.

holy quickness batman...it's almost over!

2011-08-02T23:14:00.000-06:00

Only two more weeks left here in Colorado for the summer....sad. Anyways....here are some pics to highlight my summer.

Nine mile mountain is one of our hiking trails. I usually take guests up here for a sunset photography hike. We have a ton of wildflowers on this trail and the view is amazing.

Snow Mountain is what the YMCA resort here is named after. It has 5 peaks, but I have only gone up to 1st peak so far. My plan is to hike all 5 next week on one of my days off.

We went up to Chickoree Lake in the Rocky Mountain National Park for a guided hike and saw this newborn elk lying near the parking lot.

My hiking buddy for Chickoree Lake and his pet snail.

Chickoree Lake.

I am about 20 minutes away from Winter Park. I am definitely coming back in the winter to snowboard.

I am about 30 minutes away from the Rocky Mountain National Park and we take guided hikes up here every week.

This is the waterfall trail. These pics were taken on June 1st and there was still snow waist deep up near the waterfall.

Sheryl and me doing the giant's ladder during training. This is one of the elements on our high ropes course.

Making my walking stick with Jerry and Diane. I spent at least 5 hours on it, but it is spectacular. I will have to take a picture of the final product.

We played water kickball during our 4th of July Carnival.

We went up to Grand Lake to watch the 4th of July fireworks! We sat on the rocks and had an amazing view. They even shot off fireworks from a boat about 100 feet in front of us.

My family came to visit me and we went for a hike up to the waterfall. I think Gil had it best by being in the pack instead of walking the trail.

Janelle, Sarah and I went down and explored the Garden of the Gods and Colorado Spring on one of our days off. It was so hot that day...we missed the cool mountain air.

the best summer ever...well, just the beginning.

2011-06-08T22:57:00.000-06:00

welcome to my world of adventures...this summer is going to be epic. I am currently up in the mountains of Colorado working for the YMCA! I am the family programs coordinator and along with 11 other staff, I have the best job ever! I have been here at Snow Mountain Ranch for 1 week and have gotten paid to:
-zip line
-rock climb
-hike
-ropes courses
-archery
-play minute to win it
-more hiking
-listen to music for hours on end
-and just plain have fun!

And this is what I will be doing all summer long. You should be jealous.

graduation!

2011-04-24T19:50:00.000-06:00

outdoor adventure trip: moab!

2011-04-17T21:45:00.002-06:00

I made this video for my final project in my outdoor adventure class. This was one of the most fun classes I have ever taken...I wish I would have taken it every semester!

environmental ed. center: snow-shoeing.

2011-03-30T21:43:00.001-06:00

For my outdoor education class we went up to the environmental education center to see what type of resources they have there and what they provide to school age children. A few of us needed to leave earlier than the rest, so instead of cross-country skiing we went on a little snow-shoeing trip.

tyrolean traverse.

2011-03-09T21:43:00.001-07:00

Oh the fun things we do in my outdoor education class. We build a tyrolean traverse as a team building activity. This was actually really fun to do. I walked across this river a few times...a little cold. Then I was able to actually go across on the ropes.

bear lake jubilee.

2011-02-12T21:23:00.002-07:00

Every year, for the last six years, a few crazy people venture up to Bear Lake and jump into the freezing cold lake. We have done this to celebrate my friend Juber's birthday. This year was the big 30th! After last years frost-bite incident and just getting over being really sick, I decided to opt out of the getting wet part. I was there to show my support and to document!

Yep. The lake was frozen this year.

9:13 p.m. and 15 degrees.

Adam giving his annual bear lake jubilee speech.

This looks cold...

This is the group that jumped in this year, minus the little scamp on the left.

Adam and Juber. The only two that have jumped in every year!

me and the joob!

igloo making: the attempt.

2011-02-11T21:41:00.001-07:00

For my outdoor adventure class we attempted to make an igloo. The snow was really unpredictable and cutting the blocks for the igloo was not very easy. We had fun anyways!

cross-country skiing - bloomington canyon.

2011-01-30T22:04:00.001-07:00

The epic adventure of 7 cross-country skiiers... at the beginning of our 7.3 mile trip to the bloomington yurt.

the beauty along the way...

the yurt! see how much snow...and the yurt is even stilted 5 feet in the air. notice the viewing dome on top.

the beautiful scenery.

the group.

waterfall canyon - winter hiking.

2011-01-27T21:53:00.000-07:00

now this adventure was for my outdoor education class... yeah... i love taking easy classes! I had never been up to waterfall canyon before and I can only imagine what it is like in the spring or summer.

cross-country skiing - the practice round.

2011-01-22T21:46:00.001-07:00

outdoor adventure class - we practiced for our cross-country ski overnight trip that is next weekend. I told my professor that this was more like ice-skating with cross-country ski's on. He agreed. The snow is horrible! Let's hope the snow is different up in Idaho next weekend...

sledding.

2011-01-17T21:42:00.001-07:00

Eric, Shane, and I had quite the time of sledding! Enjoy.

snow shoeing.

2011-01-16T21:32:00.000-07:00

For my outdoor adventure class we went snow shoeing! I had never been before and I absolutely loved it!

I convinced my friend Shane to take the outdoor adventure class with me...cause we all know adventures are better with friends.

the year of adventures [it's just the beginning]

2011-01-14T17:46:00.000-07:00

I have decided that this year is going to be full of adventures! Even more so than last year...which was by far one of the most adventure filled years I have had. Bring it on 2011!

So far this year I have traveled to Minneapolis, Minnesota. I was there for 36 hours and was in meetings for 14 of those hours. I was outside in the cold, freezing air for a maximum of 1 minute...and that might be stretching it. Yay for airport/hotel shuttles! This was my very first time having a hotel room all to my self! I even had a king size bed!

[cookie recipes]

2010-12-08T18:16:00.003-07:00

This really easy and versatile cookie recipe is from the Martha Stewart Holiday magazine. With one dough you can make 30 different types of cookies. I made 4 flavors and just made the basic cutout cookies.

Basic Vanilla Dough:

3 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 sticks unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

If you'd like to make spice, citrus, or chocolate doughs see the recipe variations below:

Spice Dough:

(add to flour mixture)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Citrus Dough: Replace vanilla extract with 1 teaspoon finely grated citrus zest and 1 tablespoon fresh citrus juice

Chocolate Dough:
Replace 1/3 cup flour with
1/3 cup cocoa powder

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffly. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, and bead until combined. (Dough can be refrigerated overnight or frozen up to one month).

To bake these I used the cutout cookie recipe:

Shape dough into 2 disks, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Roll out 1 disk on a lightly floured piece of parchment to a 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness. Repeat with remaining disk. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Cut out desired shapes. Bake at 350 degrees until cookies are firm, 12 to 15 minutes.

*These cookies turn out crunchy...but the flavor is AMAZING.

2010-12-07T23:04:00.002-07:00

cookie goodness.

2010-12-07T00:55:00.001-07:00

I'll post the recipe soon...

baked brie: holy goodness batman.

2010-12-07T00:02:00.000-07:00

So my cousin's girlfriend made baked brie for thanksgiving...i loved it. So i decided to make it myself tonight.

Ingredients:

Step 1: roll out 1 sheet of puff pastry and add raspberry jam.

Step 2: Add round of brie.

Step 3: Wrap puff pastry around brie. Place seam side down on greased pan. Decorate with extra puff pastry.

Step 4: Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Let cool for 45 minutes. Eat with bread or crackers.

my extremely busy life...

2010-12-06T14:33:00.000-07:00

I know. I know. I haven't updated my blog in almost 3 months...that's really not THAT long, but still. This semester has been busy. I go to school full time, work part time at the University, serve as chair of a student organization, started the student rep position on a national organization, take pictures in any free time I have...good thing my best friends decided to go to Korea for 6 months. The exciting news is that they will all be home in a MONTH!! Yay!

Stay tuned for more...

[temple square lights]

2010-12-04T15:40:00.000-07:00

beautiful pies!

2010-12-01T15:20:00.000-07:00

Before they were baked:

After:

adventures of bambi part two [warning: gruesome post]

2010-11-28T15:03:00.000-07:00

If you remember the last time I saved bambi (adventures of bambi).... So the morning after Thanksgiving my mom woke me up to save yet another bambi. This one was a lot more stuck in the fence than the last one. Mostly because this part of the fence has barbed wire. I had to actually use the wire cutters to get the leg untangled.One day the little bambi's will learn that if they get stuck in the fence they shouldn't fight it (this is what breaks their legs) I will rescue them and then they will be free to go.

the gilly monster [halloween]

2010-11-01T12:00:00.000-06:00

This Halloween I was able to take the gilly monster trick-or-treating! He was so adorable in his dino costume....as you can see. He loved going around and getting candy.

labor day weekend.

2010-09-16T22:54:00.001-06:00

On Labor Day this cute little man and I took a trip up to Bear Lake.

On the North Shore of Bear Lake is this wonderful informational kiosk about the area. Lovely thing about this is I helped design it.

This little sign here, my class partner and I designed. It was for my Environmental Education class.

See. My name is actually on this. I took this loverly picture to go on the signage.

Next, Gil and I went and played on the beach!

Gil loves sand!

Gil was all tuckered out.

All in all. A good bonding day for me and Gil.

the encounter.

2010-08-10T15:48:00.000-06:00

So this is a picture from one of my photo sessions last week. Doesn't this look like a bear? To see more pictures click here.

backpacking brighton "lakes".

2010-07-27T12:58:00.000-06:00

This last weekend a few of my friends and I went backpacking up near the Brighton Ski Resort. There are a few "lakes" up there. They are really just water reservoirs, but for some reason they call them lakes. I think they have been taken over by mosquitos and turned into an all you can eat buffet for them. Seriously, the first words out of every hiker we passed on our way up was "i hope you have bug spray on!" And we were camping out up there...without a tent! Oh boy, what were we thinking. Good think Emmy and I came prepared with bug spray. Anyway, we still had fun and came back with plenty of mosquito bites.

Here is a pic of the trail...(highlighted in red)

This sign is about 1/3 of the way up.

"lake" Mary.

"lake" Martha.

Somewhere down there is "lake" Catherine.

Remember the "mini" marshmallows on the first backpacking trip?...this time we brought "jumbo" marshmallows!

Me, Emmy, Shane, and Adam.

So happy!

change.

2010-07-21T12:57:00.000-06:00

I have been thinking a lot about change lately. Last week I had the realization that I hate change. I have always thought that change and I were best buds. I am constantly on the go and always changing my mind and never really focusing on one thing, because I get bored really easy. I despise routines. My life is constantly changing. So as I was driving home the other night I was thinking about how my life is changing and I how I don't like it. What?! Why would I think that? Then I realized that it is because I have no control of the way my life is changing right now. I am a control freak! Yes. I am. Ok change is good. But I like my life right now. I am happy. Why does it have to change?

Two of my best friends are leaving in a few weeks for Korea. They will be gone for 5 or more months. What will I do without them? Be bored. Be lonely. Actually get homework done. Who knows? All I know is that I need to be grateful for the changes that are happening and find joy in the journey. As hard as that may be.

I found this talk by Pres. Monson and it has helped me reflect on the aspect of change. Here are a few quotes from his talk:

This is our one and only chance at mortal life—here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief. Opportunities come, and then they are gone. I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and nonexistent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey—now.

My brothers and sisters, there is no tomorrow to remember if we don’t do something today.

Of course, there is no going back, but only forward. Rather than dwelling on the past, we should make the most of today, of the here and now, doing all we can to provide pleasant memories for the future.

Stresses in our lives come regardless of our circumstances. We must deal with them the best we can. But we should not let them get in the way of what is most important—and what is most important almost always involves the people around us. Often we assume that they must know how much we love them. But we should never assume; we should let them know. Wrote William Shakespeare, “They do not love that do not show their love.” We will never regret the kind words spoken or the affection shown. Rather, our regrets will come if such things are omitted from our relationships with those who mean the most to us.

Send that note to the friend you’ve been neglecting; give your child a hug; give your parents a hug; say “I love you” more; always express your thanks. Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved. Friends move away, children grow up, loved ones pass on. It’s so easy to take others for granted, until that day when they’re gone from our lives and we are left with feelings of “what if” and “if only.” Said author Harriet Beecher Stowe, “The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.”

Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey, and share our love with friends and family. One day each of us will run out of tomorrows.

Our realization of what is most important in life goes hand in hand with gratitude for our blessings.

Said one well-known author: “Both abundance and lack [of abundance] exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend … when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present—love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature, and personal pursuits that bring us [happiness]—the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience heaven on earth.”

Despite the changes which come into our lives and with gratitude in our hearts, may we fill our days—as much as we can—with those things which matter most. May we cherish those we hold dear and express our love to them in word and in deed.

lagoon.

2010-07-13T11:20:00.001-06:00

Last week I had the opportunity to go to Lagoon. I don't think I had been there in about 8 years. I love theme parks and especially really fast, crazy rides. My favorite ride at Lagoon was Wicked.

climbing again.

2010-07-08T12:02:00.000-06:00

I don't know the name of these climbs, but they are up 29th street in Ogden. This time my friend Shane and I had the company of his 12 year old sister and a 13 year old neighbor boy.

I wish I had the agility and energy of a teenage boy. Holy crap!

I know butt shots are normal with rock climbing...but honestly who gave the 13 year old boy the camera!

After I climbed to the top I had to switch the rope to another route and got to rappel down.

Vanessa getting ready to climb.

Ogden Valley.

backpacking white pine lake.

2010-07-08T11:41:00.000-06:00

Backpacking trip #2! This time we decided to go on a beginner backpacking trip. Yay! We hiked to White Pine Lake, which is up Tony's Grove in Logan, Utah. I much preferred this backpacking trail.

climbing phantasmagorical.

2010-07-08T11:28:00.000-06:00

I love rock climbing. I am lucky to have friends who also love rock climbing.

the beginning of backpacking.

2010-07-08T11:08:00.000-06:00

My friends and I are beginning to get into backpacking. This was my first backpacking trip. We went up Adam's Canyon. Our first plan was to backpack to the cabin and stay overnight there, but we realized that was just insane...since it's a 4 mile straight uphill hike. So some of us took a detour and camped down along the trail toward the waterfall instead. I was so not ready for straight uphill hiking with a backpack. Maybe one day. We still had a lot of fun.

Matty and Jake showing off their amazing fire starting skills.

Jake eating mini marshmallow!

Thanks Matty for bringing the mallows.

Adam's Canyon.

i love running...

2010-06-30T10:14:00.000-06:00

NOT!

Starting this last Monday night, a couple friends of mine and I started running together. Since I am not a runner and have always despised running we are doing the "couch potato to 5K" training schedule. Which, believe it or not is really enjoyable. The first week we do a warm up walk for 5 minutes and then alternate between running for 60 seconds and walking for 90 seconds. We do this for about 30 minutes and cover 2.5 miles. I really want to get to the point were I love running and hopefully training like this will help me. I am grateful that I have such wonderful motivators as my running buddies. Thank you Amy and Crys!

This is the group who went running on the first night.

(Eric, Tariq, Matt, Amy, Me, and Crys)

I am only planning on running a 5K sometime in August, but one day there may be more running. I hate thinking about that right now!

moab.

2010-06-23T11:12:00.000-06:00

Sorry this is a little late in being put up. I already have it on my facebook, but decided I would put it up on my blog also. A month ago my singles ward took a trip down to Moab (Southeast Utah) for a couple days. We had so much fun! We repelled off Corona Arch and some of us went canyoneering up in Slick Rock. Here is the video that Crys and I put together for our ward. Enjoy.

stay tuned for a news flash...

2010-05-27T12:56:00.000-06:00

So I cannot officially announce the exciting news that I received today...I need the official letter to be sent out first. This is something that will affect the outcome of my education and includes a free trip to Minneapolis in January! Stay tuned...

photography...i miss you

2010-04-09T17:03:00.000-06:00

I have really been missing the photography lately. I take pictures here and there, but nothing major lately. I just don't have time. At least to edit the pictures...since that's the time consuming part. It took me 3 months to get around to editing these beauties! Check them out on my photography blog.

spring is coming.

2010-03-15T15:42:00.004-06:00

Sorry for the lack of blogging....life is chaotic. I really wish school wasn't my top priority right now. It is officially spring break at Weber and I am still doing homework and working...Boo! Good news, I am taking a much needed break and going to Colorado with a few friends for a couple days at the end of this week. Hallelujah! Hopefully I can get all of my assignments that are due when school starts done before I leave.

A couple weeks ago my uncles momma cow (1 out of the 3) had their baby. We decided to take my nephew out to show him the moo's. Since the calf was just born that morning we decided not to get too close so I didn't get any good pictures of the calf. The next day on of the other momma's had her calf. We're still waiting for the last one. Here are some of the pictures that were taken:

This is one of the momma cows that hadn't had her baby yet.

These are my amazing boots in action! Yeah for muddy/manurey puddles to walk through...good thing I had my boots so I could walk anywhere I wanted without the worry of getting all gross.

cuteness is back!

2009-12-24T20:38:00.000-07:00

My nephew is finally back! He has been far far away for the last two months. He is one crazy little monster now. He can crawl everywhere, he stands up with anything he can lift himself up, and he can even crawl up the stairs. Enjoy the cuteness that is my nephew...

sneak peeks.

2009-12-22T22:29:00.001-07:00

So the salt flats photoshoot wasn't exactly at the salt flats. Instead we went to a little place near Saltair. It was quite cloudy and foggy so we weren't able to get any of the background like I would have wanted, but I worked with what I had. A few friends of mine were willing participants for this photoshoot and I am really happy with how the pictures turned out.

Click HERE to see the rest of the sneak peek photos.

calvin and hobbes.

2009-12-19T19:06:00.000-07:00

I love the calvin and hobbes snow comics. They make me giggle.

winter.

2009-12-15T22:19:00.000-07:00

I have decided that we need to have more snow. fresh snow. covering the trees. It would definitely make for better winter pictures. Today I drove up to Huntsville to find good photo worthy scenery. This is what I got.

This is the beautiful Morgan Valley.

The road to the monastery in Huntsville.

The rest of the pictures are elsewhere in Huntsville.

There has been a request to go to the Salt Flats to take winter pictures...so that may be coming soon. We'll see. Enjoy.

christmas village.

2009-12-15T09:47:00.001-07:00

My job is great! Yesterday we took the kids to see the lights at the Christmas Village in downtown Ogden. These are my little punks I have the opportunity to work with everyday. Aren't they cute?

Jody bit into her sucker...she found sour fizzy stuff instead of the bubble gum she was expecting. I loved the face she was making.

And here is a winter picture that I took yesterday...more to come.

i LOVE winter.

2009-12-13T23:31:00.000-07:00

It has been snowing and snowing and snowing...I love snow! I love driving in it. I love playing in it. I love watching it fall. I love wearing beanies. I love my new boots, because I can now walk through the snow without getting cold toes! Everyone should get a new pair of boots for winter. My mom bought my dad a new pair of boots last week and we were looking for boots for my nephew the other day. My mom said I should try on a pair of these boots....I fell in love! They are amazing. They are called BOGS. They are great for snow, rain, probably even mud. They keep your feet warm up to -30 degrees. Hopefully I will never need that feature. This is a picture of the exact style I have.

And this is why you should never eat snow...

I hope those of you who are not big fans of all this snow will find atleast one thing you can enjoy about snow!

Side note: My laptop died about two months ago, and I lost all, I mean all of my pictures. Which has made me really sad. My drive to take pictures is gone. I really need to stop sulking and just take more pictures. So hopefully this week I will take the time to go out in this beautiful snowy place and take lots of winter pictures. Stay tuned for winter pictures from me!

san fran.

2009-11-26T21:57:00.003-07:00

On November 10th, 5 of us girls from Weber State left on a road trip to San Francisco. We went to an NCFR conference. NCFR stands for National Council on Family Relations. We had so much fun during this drive...all 12 hours of it! Here are just a few of the things that we did:

We stopped at the giant cement tree and took pictures. We even pretended that we were in a boat out in the desert.

This is the whole group of us from Weber State. We went into downtown San Fran one night while we were there.

Amy, me, Tiffany and Heidi

Joyce was so excited to go to China Town!

Amy riding on the trolley car.

Heidi and Kate.

Fishermans wharf....(sorry that their faces are blurry...the sign is coming in clear though)

me and Heidi.

This is were we ate down at the wharf. It was really good!

They even make their delicous bread into fun animals!

Ghirardelli Square.

Amy and Heidi...it took three pictures for Amy to make a normal face!

Joyce and Tiffany.

Dr. Merrill, Scott, Joyce, and Rick. (Scott and his harem of sugar mommas! Rick was jealous)

Heidi and Amy at Natural Bridges in Santa Cruz! We went there on our last day to visit my sister Brook. I took them to see the wonderful and amazing tide pools!

While we were walking on the beach in 60 degree weather watching the sunset, everyone in N. Utah was enjoying a snowstorm. We really didn't want to come home.

These little birds were so cute. Every time the water would come in they would scurry their little legs so they didn't get wet. Fast little suckers.

Overall, this was such a good break from school and homework! I really enjoyed learning at this conference too! We learned a lot of really good research that is going on with families and other good information too! This conference made me really excited for grad school. I am definitely looking for a good school to go to and have not yet decided. I do want to do something with counseling youth, but as to what type of graduate program I want to pursue is still a mystery to me. Lots of decision making in my near future....oh boy!

Update. Apology. Whatever.

2009-11-20T10:56:00.001-07:00

So a quick update....
I am currently at work doing this, because
A. My computer is dead. DEAD!
B. I have no internet at home...currently. Hopefully that will be fixed today.

It is a rare occasion to be online, except to check my work e-mail and clock-in/clock-out. I apologize for not being able to update on all of the fun and exciting adventures that I am having...really I am. One day I hope to be able to catch up. For now I am going to have to say I am taking a leave of absence from blogging until I either get more time or a new computer. Life is rather busy right now with school winding down and figuring out what I am going to do with life. I love what I am doing right now and the decisions that are being made. Life is great! I'll be back soon!

Such a slacker!

2009-10-04T14:24:00.001-06:00

I am so behind in my blogging. This is due to my busy life and lack of having an internet connection at home. Life has gotten a little less busy and I have internet now, so I will try and be better at blogging. Since all I am doing now is working and school...there is not much of interest to blog about, but I can catch up on all the things I haven't blogged about yet.

I have been busy because I am working two part time jobs - YMCA Afterschool program leader and teaching assistant for the department of child and family studies. And I am still doing photography on the side, about 2-3 sessions a month. I am also still taking classes at Weber. I am hoping to finish up this Spring and am planning on going to grad school for school counseling. I will be taking the GRE at the end of this month.

I am also part of the CFSSA...child and family studies student association...which doesn't take up much time, but I do have early morning meetings a couple times a month.

My nephew is now 6 months old (as of yesterday) and he cut his first tooth yesterday too! He is getting so big and so darn cute. This is a pic from his 6 month photo shoot:

to see more click here.

My nephew is 5 months today!

2009-09-03T13:04:00.002-06:00

Hike 2: Skull Crack Trail

2009-08-12T22:52:00.003-06:00

sorry it's taken forever to continue with the hike posts...

My sister and I did this hike over a month ago. When we got to the trail head and I pulled my camera out I realized I had forgotten my memory card. My camera doesn't take pictures unless you have a memory card. sad. i cried. not really...we hiked anyway. So this trail is very deceiving...online it says that from beginning to end there is only a 100 foot difference...they forgot the mention of the 700 foot climb and descension inbetween.

The story has it that James Slater and Marinus Johansen were up the Canyon hunting many years ago. One of the mules became unruly so Johansen hit the mule over the head with his gun barrel. He cracked the mule's skull, thus, we have Skull Crack Canyon.

I finally had a chance to go back up to Causey Reservoir and I decided to take some pictures of the area.

Check it out.

2009-08-05T12:09:00.004-06:00

I have been super busy lately...
between helping my family clean out our basement, playing with my nephew, and taking pictures for these cute families.

I have sneak peeks of their family photo sessions on my photography blog if you want to check it out.

Oh and I finally finished editing the pictures from a wedding that i shot over a month ago...

Schuyler Fisk finally has a CD!!

2009-07-22T22:57:00.004-06:00

Schuyler Fisk

(pronounced Skyler)

So most of you have probably heard her music around, but not really known who she was. She is also an actress and daughter of Sissy Spacek. I have loved her voice since I first heard it on a movie she starred in called "I'm Reed Fish" and wanted to purchase a CD then, but one didn't exist. I heard her again on a couple of songs from "Penelope" so I bought the soundtrack so I could have some of her music. Last night I found that she now has a CD so I downloaded the album and I am loving it.

My Funky Camera.

2009-07-21T22:47:00.004-06:00

I came across the website myfunkycamera.com while browsing for a new camera neck strap. I absolutely love the neck straps on this site. The woman actually makes all of the neck straps. It is not a commercial company, just her making them individually. When she runs out of a particular fabric pattern she buys another and creates a new design. She has about 20 designs currently. This is a picture of the neck strap that I purchased and I can't wait to get it.

The most productive Saturday ever!

2009-07-18T21:54:00.003-06:00

Anyone that knows me well knows that this picture explains me perfectly.

So this was my day...

1. Woke up at 9 A.M.
2. 9:15 Mowed my parents lawn and grandpa's lawn.
3. Vacuumed all the bugs out of the windows.
4. Washed all the outside windows at my parents house.
5. Washed 3 cars.
6. Fixed the shelf that fell down in the basement.
7. Took all the screws out of the wall in the room we are fixing. (post to come on this)
8. Talked to my friends and planned my camping/boating trip to Oneida next weekend.
9. Played with my nephew.
10. Packed stuff to go to D.I.
11. Checked online to see when the D.I. donation place closed.
12. Drove to Ogden since the internet said it didn't close until 10 P.M.
13. Found out it had closed at 6 P.M.
14. Drove back home.
15. Taped up the wall board my dad put in the room we are fixing.
16. Did all of my laundry.
17. Put together a jumparoo for my nephew.
18. Did I mention played with my nephew.
19. Stayed in my "pajamas" all day. (t-shirt and capri work out pants that I slept in)
20. Lauged when my mom gave the dog a whole hot dog and he tried to hide it under her pillow.
20. Blogged about my day.

Overall this has been the most productive day this whole summer!

Hopefully tomorrow I can actually catch up on all the blogging I've been meaning to do.

Hike 1: Indian Trail.

2009-07-02T20:54:00.006-06:00

I have decided that I am going to do something fun and productive on my day off...which is Friday. My co-worker (Jody) and I have decided to go on a hike every Friday. Jody chose the Indian trail up Ogden Canyon for this weeks (actually last week) hike. Definitely would not have been my choice of a first hike, but Jody has gone on many hikes this summer so this is what I had to suffer. I actually enjoyed it though, and very beautiful view!

THE INDIAN TRAIL

Winding along the mountainside above the Ogden River, this high country trail rises 1,000 feet in its 4.2 mile length. Indian Trail is so named because the western segment follows an earlier path blazed by Native Americans who wanted to avoid the narrow mouth of Ogden Canyon when the river was high.

THE END!

(ok, this wasn't really the end of the hike...just my blog post.)

Stay tuned for Hike 2: Skull Crack Trail.

I think I'm in love...

2009-06-21T19:10:00.004-06:00

with my new camera lens! Yesterday I bought a new Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm lens...a zoom lens.

And these are the reasons why...

I can take pictures of my cute little nephew from 8 feet away and still get this close. If I were this close with my normal lens he would stare at the camera the whole time. There are many other reasons that I love my new camera lens, but this trumps any of them.

Fodder's Day.

2009-06-21T17:22:00.005-06:00

We actually celebrated Father's Day for 3 Fathers at my house today. My dad, My grandpa, and my bro-in-law.

I love this pic of my dad. This was his response when we got mad at him for not smiling during our family pictures. Gotta love him!

My grandpa Mack. He is 88 years old. He is one amazing man.

This year was Will's first Fodder's Day! Congrats Will.

The Family.

2009-06-18T10:38:00.003-06:00

If you want to see more of the pictures that were taken go to my photography blog.

The link is in the upper right side.

Future Pictures.

2009-06-14T21:08:00.004-06:00

Since I have an older sister (Brooklyn) who lives in California...she's visiting us this week...we decided that we are going to take family pictures while she is in. Today my sis and I drove to a spot my mom suggested we take pictures. Brooklyn asked if I thought our family was a 'rustic' family...since the pictures would be taken in the country near an old dilapidated cabin. These pictures are the future sight of my family pictures....too 'rustic?

me and brooklyn driving.

my lovely sister taking a self-portrait!

Adorableness.

2009-05-30T20:11:00.003-06:00

My nephew Gil is turning 2 months in a few days. I can't believe how fast he is growing! He gets more cute every single day! Here are a few recent pictures of Gil.

This is Gil's 'Mom, what are you doing with that camera?' look.

I have the cutest nephew ever!

My new toy!

2009-05-24T15:28:00.001-06:00

A cricut expression!

Stay tuned for my creations...

Happy 6 weeks Gil!

2009-05-16T17:59:00.002-06:00

My adorable nephew is now 6 weeks old. Here are some of their family pictures that I took yesterday.

For more pictures go to daniluvphotography.blogspot.com

Announcing

2009-04-04T19:02:00.005-06:00

Gilead Larsen Petty!

born on April 3, 2009 at 9:16 p.m.

weighs in at 8 lbs. 10 oz.

and is 20 inches long.

His mother went through 26 hours of labor, and then it took a c-section to bring this little man into the world.

Graduation...should I or shouldn't I?

2009-03-27T20:43:00.004-06:00

So I have this dilemma. Do I keep going on the path that is outlined for me in my major...or deviate and graduate early? I am currently a Family Studies major and there are 4 main blocks. Really only three, but you have to take the prereqs the first block making it four. This semester I altered by block just a bit to be a TA for one of my favorite teachers. Which left me with taking a class this summer to get back on track. Oh and I decided to take a class this semester that I should have taken in the 3rd block...I'm on the 2nd block of classes currently. I have actually found out that there is a chance for me to graduate this December, instead of in May. If I take three online classes this summer, that will only leave me with five classes left. And it is possible to take them all this fall...with a little talking to one of my professors that is. There are two classes that overlap, but one is only on Mondays and you are rarely in the classroom...so we'll see how my professor takes my idea when I talk to her on Monday.

This picture is of me and Em when I graduated from Utah State in 2006.

Pros:

Graduating a semester early.

Being able to find a job sooner.

Being done with school! (for now)

Cons:

Looking for a "real" job.

Going to summer school.

Having a really hard semester this Fall.

Finally...

2009-03-27T19:54:00.004-06:00

A blog post! Ok there are a few reasons why I haven't blogged...in like 2 weeks.

Numero uno: I have been rather sick the last week and haven't felt like doing anything. Just an amazing case of allergies. I am now on medication to help get rid of it, since the other two I was taking simultaneously weren't strong enough. I have felt so much better today.

B: The internet connection at my house is quite unpredictable lately. It is slower than tar on a cold day. Hopefully it doesn't take me hours just to post this.

III: Ree Drummond has taken over my life. If you just asked who is Ree Drummond, shame on you! ok ok. So I only learned who she was a few day ago, but this astounding woman has captured my attention. She is the author of thepioneerwoman.com. She lives on a ranch, has 4 punks (all of which she homeschools), is an incredible photographer, and cooks wonderful food. She is constantly keeping up her website and I absolutely love it! I do not understand where she finds the time to accomplish so much. In case you haven't already you should seriously go to her website and check it out. You too can be addicted to this womans life like I am. She has many great pointers on there about photography, home and garden, homeschooling, cooking, and random confessions from her life. I have my boss Melissa to blame for this new found addiction.

I have more things to blog about...but I will save them for later.

10 reasons why I can't wait for Summer to be here...

2009-03-11T23:30:00.006-06:00

It is Spring Break and what am I doing? Nothing. I get up every morning and paint and then get ready for work, then I go to work, and then come home and read/watch t.v./hang out with the parentals/play on the internet...and now I'm bored. So I decided to think of things that I can't wait to do. Bad idea. Now I'm getting really sick of winter. Here are some of my favorite things to do in the Summer. (in no particular order)

1. Reading outside. I love reading and being outside, so why not mix the two. I just take my favorite blanket and bask in the sun with a good book.
2. Green! I love when everything is pretty and green. Especially great for taking pictures.

3. This summer I will have my very first nephew living with our family. I can't wait to have Gilead Larsen Petty as the newest addition to my family! (Actual picture of him...look at those chubby cheeks!)

4. Wake Boarding!!! Need I say more. (yes, that's me)

5. 4-wheeling up the creek. My family has property up in the wasatch mountains that I love 4-wheeling up to.

6. The warm weather! Ok I only like it when it is warm....I can't stand the heat! 75 degree weather is the best!

7. Hiking! I really want to go hiking down in Zions or Moab this summer. I went on a few trails up Cottonwood Canyon last summer and loved them.

8. I really want to run a 5K. Which is a big thing, because I hate running. I want to enjoy it, but can never get into it.

9. Camping. I miss the good ol' days of college in Logan, where we went camping every Friday night and then I'd get up early on Saturday to drive back down the canyon and go to work...I don't sissy camp either. I prefer to sleep out under the stars, but if it's needed a tent will do. I've even slept outside in a rainstorm.

10. I can't wait for when it's Summer and I'm wishing that Winter would come. I love the thought of Winter and all the fun things to do, just not when it really is Winter and it won't go away. Like right now when I'm wishing it was Summer already!

Any other ideas? Let me know.

Painting.

2009-03-08T09:36:00.004-06:00

Part of my Saturday was spent getting the nursery ready for Emily's baby. Since they are moving in with the parentals for the summer, we figured we needed to have a nursury for the baby (he's due in just a few weeks!) We decided to paint one of the walls a dark blue and the others white. I have only painted the dark blue wall so far.

Repairing the holes in the wall.

Just after putting the primer on.

This is the finished wall...sorry I can't get a picture of the whole wall.

Bear Lake Plunge 2009.

2009-02-22T14:27:00.005-07:00

For the last 4 years we have gone up to Bear Lake to jump in the water. It is for my friend Juber's birthday. His birthday just happens to be in February and because of this people think we are insane, crazy, dumb....and other things. I participated the first year and then the next two years I was on my mission, so for this time I was really excited to be able to participate. Both times that I have been the lake has not been frozen over. If you know Bear Lake you will know that it does not get deep for a really long time. So in order to plunge...or get wet you have to run through the water for quite a ways. The rules are to get into the water, but not to put your head under. We're not that stupid. So basically we run out far enough that we can bend our knees or just sit down in the water. It is quite refreshing. Here are the pictures!

yep. it was cold.

the group before we jumped in.

me wondering why on earth i do this...

running out into the water...

me coming out of the water...just a bit chilly.

warm towel...

the group after we jumped in.

me and the Joob.

to show that the lake was not frozen over....at all!

drinking hot chocolate...

me and heber. heber took all the pictures so we needed one with him in it.

Trip to Oregon.

2009-02-18T23:15:00.011-07:00

Sorry this post has taken forever...I really wanted to put all the pictures up the normal way, but that was taking too long and I really don't have much time these days. So here's a slideshow with some of the pictures from my trip to Oregon.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

I love my job!

2009-01-30T01:29:00.006-07:00

I think I say this every day I go to work...

Update on Preston...the kid who gashed his face on the playground...if you don't know what I am talking about see the post right below this. He had to get 6 stitches between his eyes and 2 stitches on his eyebrow. He was all smiles today...what a trooper. Here is a picture of him with stitches.

So during outside time today, Alex comes out with those plastic gloves on and asks me if I know why he is wearing them...he is going to clean all of the garbage off the playground hill! And sure enough this little guy spent his whole outside time cleaning garbage off the playground. I guess he did it yesterday too and now has decided that he is going to try and save the world by keeping it clean! That must have really made an impact on little Alex! Here he is with a handful of papers he just found...

Crazy adventures at work...

2009-01-29T13:40:00.003-07:00

So work has been rather crazy lately. Usually it is just mellow and the kids are easy to handle. Yeah I get paid to play with kids for 3.5 hours a day! Best job ever...I even got a raise this week!

Tuesday:

This week is my turn to be on outside duty during "free choice" time and since it is snowy and cold I have been staying near the school. Well after being outside for a while a bunch of kids came running and yelling my name...saying that Preston slipped and fell on the playground and that he was crying so I ran over to see if he was alright. He had just slipped while climbing and bumped his knee and shin. All was good. I told them to be careful and use the stairs since it was so slippery. About fifteen minutes later I am playing soccer with some of the kids and I hear my name being yelled again so I turn around and here comes all the kids with Preston (again), but this time Preston is bleeding like crazy! His whole face is covered in blood. I run over to see what happened and thats when I see a huge gash right between his eyes...I immediately tell the kids to go back to playing and then shove Preston's hand to his gash to put pressure on it. While walking inside Preston just keeps saying 'I'm gonna die!, I'm gonna die!' while I say 'you're not gonna die buddy, head wounds bleed alot.' I hurry him inside and call for my boss, Melissa, so she can call his grandma. At this point I really wanted to take a picture, but that thought left my mind when I realized I should be helping Preston instead of taking pictures. (I now regret not taking a picture) My coworker Jordan helps me clean him up and access the damage. I found another gash on his eyebrow while I was cleaning all the blood off of his face. By this time we finally have the bleeding stopped and Preston is calmed down, we even got him to laugh...only by telling him one of Jordan's many and amazing stories...Jordan has a scar between his eyes from head butting a kid with braces...Preston laughed at that. Preston's grandma took him to the hospital to get stitches. I later found out that he was running around the playground and slipped on the snow/ice and hit his head on the playground stairs...which are about a foot high...ouch! I guess he did follow my directions and use the stairs...just not in the way I wanted. He wasn't at school yesterday, but we did talk to his grandma and he is doing ok. Hopefully he will be back today.

Also on Tuesday, about 5 minutes after Preston's incident, Alan came running in screaming and crying. We found out that he slammed his nose into the metal pole while he was playing soccer. We kept him inside and made him walk around with ice on his face the rest of the day...these crazy kids are so accident prone.

Wednesday:

On Wednesdays I go over to a place called "The Tree House", which is an educational children's museum. My coworker Jody and I take about 15 kids every time. One of the kids, Ammon, didn't want to go and we made him so he told me he wanted to be by himself the whole time. I told him he could be my buddy and he didn't have to interact with the other kids if he didn't want to. On the way over there he told me about his plan to runaway after school tomorrow. His plan was to leave right after school. It would just be him and his friend Joe. Ammon is 9 and Joe is 7. He wouldn't stop talking about it for the rest of the day. Quite the plans for a young kid...I started to think what if he really did runaway So I called my coworker Jake to tell our boss. Jake called his mom to warn her. He wants to runaway because his family is moving to Idaho this Saturday....I hope he doesn't run away and stays safe.

Hopefully the rest of this week goes well...and no more incidents!

This one goes out to the one(s) I love...

2009-01-19T22:23:00.011-07:00

This one goes out to the one(s) I left behind...In Oregon! This post is for all the lovely people I get to see in a few short weeks. Yes, I'm finally going back to visit my mission. I'm sorry, but I do not have pictures of everyone that I miss in Oregon. Here are some of the most amazing people in Oregon...

Keirsten Emry and Stephanie Glasscock

The Lyman's and Lowry's

The Silvey's

The Legault's

The Brager's

The Alldredge's

The White's

Sister Pinkerton

Connie Chan

The Resner's

Nicole and Tavin

Meisha Goodrich

The Pigg's

I wish I had another picture of the whole Kuechler family on my computer, but I don't so here is one of Neal at his baptism.

The Ellison's minus Jalon

The Dankenbring's

The one and only Laura Hunsaker!

Lori Hooton now Meadows

JoDean Stehle

Kelly Cuellar

The Martin's

The Boyd's

The Luna's

The Antone's

Christa and Cathlena Spencer

I can't wait to see all of these people and many more when I go to Oregon next month! It will be so great to go back and visit!!!!

Photo Blog

2009-01-18T14:31:00.002-07:00

So I am looking for a name for my photo hobby...as in ... if I were to start my own little photography company what would I name it. I need suggestions...I'm having a hard time thinking of anything. Also everyone is welcome to look at my photo blog which has recently been updated. Please help with a name!!!!

Ashlea & Ehin - Bridals....(sneak peek)

2009-01-01T09:42:00.005-07:00

These are just a few of the pictures...enjoy!

Driving home from Salt Lake...

2008-12-21T17:58:00.008-07:00

First of all I want to say that I am glad my camera was in my car yesterday...The drive home from Salt Lake was so beautiful and a typical day of Utah weather. You can see the changing weather in these pictures.

The mountains in Salt Lake.

The Sunset in Kaysville with the mountains and Great Salt Lake.

This next picture is just a few minutes after the sunset...heading down I-89.
It had just started snowing.

This is on I-84 in Morgan about 15 minutes after the last picture...definitely more snow.

Temple Square.

2008-12-15T12:43:00.008-07:00

So this weekend I was able to go to see the lights on Temple Square twice. Yes twice. My friends from college and I all met down there on Saturday. I don't have any pictures from then because I left my camera in the car...and I didn't want to walk all the way back and get it. On Sunday my friend Heather (and her baby Isaac) and her friend Whitney came and spent the night. Whitney had never seen the lights on Temple Square so we drove down there Sunday night. I have plenty of pictures of this time around... oh and in case you were wondering Heather forgot the baby carrier so that is why she is carrying him around in her coat like that...

The Probationary Test of Mortality.

2008-12-07T21:02:00.003-07:00

In my Doctrines of the Gospel institute class we were talking about immortality and exaltation on Friday. This is a quote that our teacher gave us and I really liked it so I thought I would share...

by Elder Bruce R. McConkie:

"We don't need to get a complex or get a feeling that you have to be perfect to be saved. You don't There's only been one perfect person, and that's the Lord Jesus, but in order to be saved in the Kingdom of God and in order to pass the test of mortality, what you have to do is get on the straight and narrow path--thus charting a course leading to eternal life--and then, being on that path, pass out of this life in full fellowship. I'm not saying you don't have to be perfect to be saved. If you did, no one would be saved. The way it operates is this you get on the path that's named the "straight and narrow." You do it by entering the gate of repentance and baptism. The straight and narrow path leads from the gate of repentance and baptism, a very great distance, to a reward that's called eternal life. If you're on that path and pressing forward, and you die, you'll never get off the path. There is no such thing as falling off the straight and narrow path in the life to come, and the reason is that this life is the time that is given to men to prepare for eternity. Now is the time and the day of your salvation, so if you're working zealously in this life--though you haven't fully overcome the world and you haven't done all you hope you might do--you're still going to be saved. You don't have to do what Jacob said, 'Go beyond the mark.' You don't have to live a life that's truer than true. You don't have to have an excessive zeal that becomes fanatical and becomes unbalancing. What you have to do is stay in the mainstream of the Church and live as upright and decent people live in the Church--keeping the commandments, paying your tithing, serving in the organizations of the Church, loving the Lord, staying on the straight and narrow path. If you're on that path when death comes--because this is the time and the day appointed, this the probationary estate--you'll never fall of from it, and, for all practical purposes your calling and election is made sure. Now, that isn't the definition of that term, but the end result will be the same. ("The Probationary Test of Mortality," address delivered at the University of Utah Institute of Religion, 10 Jan. 1982)

The adventures of bambi.

2008-12-04T21:25:00.009-07:00

On Wednesday morning when I went outside I saw a sight that was very unusual. There was a little deer stuck in the fence between my house and my aunts. Of course when I went near, the poor little thing started freaking out and trying to get away...but it was definitely stuck. I didn't take a picture of it before I helped it, mostly because my first reaction was to save it not to document it. Here are some pictures of the poor little deer.

This is right after I figured out how to get it's leg out of the fence.

This is the part of the fence where its leg was caught. Its leg was over the top part and under the vertical part of the fence...so kind of weaved through the fence. You can see the blood on the fence from the deer.

And this is the blood of the little deer on my hand....gross!

I don't know if you can see this one very well, but this is to show how high the fence is that the little deer was jumping over and got caught in.

This is the little deer after a few minutes. It even let me pet it...obviously still in shock.

The sad part is that when I came back out a few minutes later it tried to run away and because its leg was obviously hurt it kept falling. I called my uncle to see if he could do something with the little deer because it was now stuck in the field and I needed to get to class. He couldn't find it so I have no idea if it found its way out or even if the leg was broken. Hopefully the little guy is ok.

From the study journal...

2008-11-18T23:05:00.002-07:00

So last night I was reading from my missionary study journal and there were a couple of quotes i had written down that really stood out to me. Mostly because of things that are either going on in my life or in my friends lives...hopefully to those of you who read them they might help you or someone you know.

Strengthening Each Other
by President Gordon B. Hinckley Ensign Feb 1985 (points of emphasis)
1. It is important to know that each of us gets discouraged on occasion.
2. Each of us should cultivate a sensitivity toward the feelings of others and, when encouragement is needed, make an effort to extend it.
3. We shouldn't waste our time feeling sorry for ourselves.
4. We should try handing out compliments and building up others.
5. The Lord refined and polished each of the Presidents of the Church, letting each one know discouragement and failure and experience illness and sorrow. This great refining process, so evident in our lives, is a part of each of our lives.

another one from President Gordon B. Hinckley (source unknown)
"Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he's been robbed. The fact is that most putts don't drop; most beef is tough; most children grow up to be just people; most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual tolerance; most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. Life is like an old time rail-journey...delays...sidetracks...smoke...dust...cinder...and jolts interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride."

The Atonement: All for All
by Elder Bruce C. Hafen
"...So if you have problems in your life, don't assume there is something wrong with you. Struggling with those problems is at the very core of life's purpose. As we draw close to God, he will show us our weaknesses and through them make us wiser, stronger. If you're seeing more of your weaknesses, that just might mean you're moving nearer to God, not farther away."

Just for you, Heather!

2008-11-16T14:24:00.011-07:00

Last weekend I went up to Rexburg to visit some friends.

My first stop was in Pocatello to visit Vicki, my first roommate in college. It was so good to see her and her husband Michael again. Last time I saw them was about three years ago at their reception in Orlando, Florida.

Vicki and Michael's Wedding Reception.

Vicki, Michael, and me in a boat at Sea World in Orlando.

Next stop Rexburg to visit one of my mission companion Dayna!

Rexburg Temple. (We went to a session on Saturday.)

Dayna. (We were companions for 6 months!)

Me and Katelyn. (Dayna and I taught Katelyn and her family in our last area on the mission.)

Last stop was to visit another one of my college roommates, Heather, and her adorable baby boy Isaac.

Thanks Brandon for this picture of your cute baby boy. Isaac is 2 months old.

Overall it was a really fun weekend. Thanks Vicki and Michael, Dayna and her roommates, and Heather!

My future niece/nephew.

2008-11-03T22:39:00.004-07:00

These are pictures of my sister Emily and her 5 month pregnant belly. She finds out next week if it's a boy or girl.

Beus Park.

2008-10-31T23:26:00.008-06:00

(CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE)

These pictures were taken at Beus park in Ogden. I pass by this park on my way to school and finally decided to take a few pictures. This was the best day to take pictures because if was cloudy and everything looked great!

So I created this on scrapblog.com which is an amazing site to make scrapbook pages for FREE!

Crawdad Fishin' at East Canyon.

2008-10-29T11:20:00.005-06:00

The beginning of our journey...

Glistening in the sun...

Me pretending like I can play...

Jake really playing...

Sorry girls.... not for keeps!

Ashlea and Ehin's Engagement Pictures!

2008-10-15T23:15:00.005-06:00

So last Saturday I took engagement pictures for my friend Ashlea and her fiance Ehin. I wanted to post a few of the pictures.

Photo of the Week Blog...

2008-10-06T01:36:00.002-06:00

So I have decided to start a photo of the week project where i will post a new photo every week. It is to help me learn new tricks with my camera and to encourage me to keep taking pictures. I decided to start a new blog for this....everyone is welcome to check it out.

http://daniluvphotography.blogspot.com

Flowers and Sky...

2008-10-05T15:36:00.006-06:00

Playing Tag!

2008-09-30T09:45:00.002-06:00

8 TV shows I love to watch:
1. The Office
2. My Boys
3. Gilmore Girls (still!)
4. House
5. Fringe
6. What Not to Wear
7. Heroes
8. Scrubs

8 favorite places I love to eat:
1. Chili's
2. Lee's Mongolian BBQ
3. Olive Garden - just for the breadsticks!
4. Texas Roadhouse
5. Wendy's - i'm addicted to frosty's
6. Red Robin
7. Cafe Rio
8. Burrito Amigos - best horchata ever!

8 things that happened yesterday:
1. Ran thousands of stairs.
2. Ate at Subway.
3. Went to work.
4. Ate dinner at Roosters with Jake and Shane.
5. Started losing my mind...
6. Went to FHE.
7. Watched Heroes.
8. Did homework.

8 things I look forward to:
1. Sleep.
2. The weekend.
3. Becoming an aunt...less than 6 months away!
4. Being done with school.
5. Being with friends.
6. Getting a puppy dog.
7. Moving out of parents house.
8. Snow.

8 things I love about Fall:
1. The leaves changing colors.
2. The smell.
3. Perfect sweater weather.
4. Candy corn.
5. It means Winter is coming...
6. Being with the family for Thanksgiving.
7. Taking pretty pictures.
8. Having a good excuse to eat a lot of candy...

8 things on my wish list (only 8 things):
1. Have more time to do things.
2. My own apartment/house.
3. Having money...
4. A new wardrobe.
5. A personal chef.
6. A name for my car.
7. Student loans payed off.
8. Motivation and will power to lose weight!

8 people I'm tagging:
1. Emily
2. Wendy
3. Cassie
4. Becky
5. Adria
6. Heather
7. Melanie
8. Anyone else who reads this.

Photo Shoot at East Canyon...

2008-09-21T20:32:00.004-06:00

I got a Job!!!

2008-09-20T15:23:00.004-06:00

I now have a job! I am working through the YMCA at Dee Elementary. We run an after-school program for K-6th graders. It is Monday - Friday 2:30 - 5:30 pm. I am really excited about this because I want to keep working in after-school programs.

Conservation Day!

2008-09-13T14:56:00.005-06:00

My mom's work held a Holcim Conservation Day at the park today. She volunteered me to take pictures. I am glad that today was such a nice day to be outside at the park. Here are a few pictures of the festivities.

I had to put this picture up... this is my cousin Kasey and his little girl Kalystah. I hadn't seen her since right before my mission. She is so cute!

This is the point of Conservation Day.

My mom's boss Keith and his adorable little boy.

Any excuse I could make to get on the little kids toys...

The Different Activities...

Jumping Castle and Slide.

Doug wanted to try out the slide. (even big kids can have fun)

Digging to find golden coins...winners won a free Disney movie.

Look at all the little kiddies watching the magician.

Cotton Candy to give the kiddies sugar rushes.

The wonderful cooks who provided us with food.

3 different age groups designed posters about conservation to win a brand new shiny bicycle.

There were many different prizes given to the adults too. Things like...water heater insulators, cleaning supplies, even 2 bicycles, and the grand prize of a GPS!

All the employees of Holcim that attended receive a green bag full of wonderful things...magnet, key chain, mouse pad, energy efficient light bulbs, tire gauge,
baseball, flashlight that lasts for eternity...a book on how to prevent global warming, and I'm sure there were other things I've forgotten...

It was a ZOOtastic day!

2008-09-08T18:57:00.003-06:00

On Saturday a group of us decided we wanted to go to the Hogle Zoo and visit the animals. I hadn't been since I was in first grade....so a long time ago. It was so much fun. Enjoy the wonderful pictures...

The most adorable orangutan ever.

The mama giraffe.

Summer penguins?

The ferocious black bear.

Jake, Lindsey, Krissy, Alora, Chelsie and Erica.

Yeah for sleeping kitties.

We were excited to ride the Zoofari Express.

The Zoofari Express Train.

Chelsie, Me, Alora, Jake and Lindsey.

The wild ride of the Zoofari Express.

Me, Erica, Kelie and Jake.

My New Car...

2008-08-20T11:50:00.002-06:00

So last Friday I went and bought a 2008 Mazda3 Hatchback! My first new car. Here are some pictures of my baby....

Natural Bridges and the Tide Pools

2008-08-05T11:22:00.003-06:00

i wanted to go and see the tidepools, but the only time i would be able to do that was this morning at 7 a.m. It wasn't the best time, but it was better than nothing.

The happenings of Dayna, Diana, and Dani....

2008-08-04T14:33:00.002-06:00

Dayna and Diana are sister missionaries from my mission. They both live in California. Saturday we all got together and drove to Oakland to go to the temple and then back to Santa Cruz to hang out at the beach. We met up with some of Dayna's friends at the beach and had a lot of fun. Here a the wonderful pics that mostly Caitlin took...Dayna took the ones at the temple...and I took a few.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

boating at pineview...

2008-07-28T15:28:00.002-06:00

My friend Lyn (who i used to work with in vegas) invited me to go boating at pineview this morning/afternoon. It was a lot of fun. I hadn't been wakeboarding in 2 years so I was a little nervous, but it was just like riding a bike. I got up the first time. I'm not very good at coming back over the wake...i fell the first two times...the "experts" told me what i was doing wrong and after that it was a piece of cake. Here are some pictures of this adventure...

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Having Good Times With Old Friends...

2008-07-27T23:02:00.002-06:00

Every year our little group of college friends goes boating up in Oneida. This year the boat was dead so we decided to float the Oneida Narrows instead. These are the pictures from our little adventure...

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Donut Falls

2008-07-23T14:48:00.009-06:00

Last night Adria and I decided we needed to go hiking. We left at 8 am so it wouldn't be too hot. We hiked Donut Falls which is about 10 miles up Big Cottonwood Canyon. The trail is only 3/4 mile long and it is about a half hour hike. We made it into an hour and a half hike though. Something about taking a wrong trail...and then finding our way back. Who knows? It was definitely fun. Here are some pictures for all to enjoy...

The painting continues...

2008-07-17T20:57:00.002-06:00

My dad and I decided to paint one of the hardest parts this afternoon. First we had to remove all of the beehives from the roof...there were 7 of them...then squirt it down, then we had to tie the ladder up on the roof since the aluminum roof is quite slippery. We tied the ladder to a tree on the other side of the house. Sitting in the hot sun painting today was sooooo fun!

Sitting on the ladder.

I should have taken a before picture, but this is what it looked like after we painted it.

This is what the back looks like now...all painted.

more pictures to come...

Pig and I are way too alike...

2008-07-12T06:17:00.009-06:00

I read this and laughed because this is so me...

This is from my favorite comic...
Pearls Before Swine.