My favorite person in the whole wide world...

You are my guiding star
You are my shining light
You are my everything
what helps me through the night.
You are my heart
You are my soul
You are my savior
what makes me feel whole.
You are more than my sister
You are my best friend
You are the one that will be there
when my heart needs to mend.
I love you sister
more than you will ever know
You are my other half
with you i am whole

Disclaimer

Just a little one about the post below. Yesterday I tried on all of my shoes and decided to get rid of 10 pairs (so that I don't have to cart them off to Pittsburgh with me). I thought it would be fun to post about one of my favorite secrets. I forgot to say that I am not a die-hard shopper, especially under the economic circumstances we are in. I just thought it was practical to buy the same shoe, knowing that I would be wearing them completely out. I bought each on sale and didn't pay more than $18 per pair.

Just thought this might clear up the feelings I am having about being materialistic. Not quite sure if it worked. Oh well.

Issues

Some people might say I have them, especially when looking at these pictures.




Let me tell you what is right about these pictures.

Heels
*tall enough to give me confidence
*short enough to keep my ego from expanding
*pants don't drag
*pants don't look like they are expecting a flood
*the heel is thick enough that I don't wobble
*the heel isn't too thick, making me feel like I am walking on a brick


Straps
*the main reason I am in love
*they keep my foot in place
*there is no dragging of the shoes
*very helpful since my right foot is a half size larger than my left and I am forced to buy a size larger to compensate-- again, both feet stay comfortably in place.
*the strap doesn't have a buckle, it has a button that is user-friendly

Toe
*it isn't pointy (like a witch shoe), just nice and round
*Sean can't call them witch shoes
*Sean can't hum the wicked witch song to me when I am wearing them

Versatile
*i can wear them with pants
*i can wear them with capris
*i can wear them with shorts
*i can wear them with skirts
*i can wear them with dresses

These reasons are why I have them in four colors: Chocolate, Red, Black, and Tan. It all started with the tan pair. I realized I was finding reasons to wear them constantly. I loved how I could wear them all day and not have throbbing feet, at work. They will work in the winter and the summer.

For these reasons I am in love and have no issues. Well, maybe a couple.

Yellowstone

I went to Yellowstone with some of Sean's family. We canoed/kayaked 24 miles round-trip with all of our camping gear. We (Bruce, Jason, Rachel, Phillip, Brittany, Sean and myself) paddled across Lewis Lake up a river, against the current, and across Lake Shoshone to get to our camping site. We stayed for three nights and had a wonderful time.

My favorite part of the trip had to be when Brittany, Rachel, and I took the canoe out on the lake to fish. Even though each of us had been fishing before, we couldn't help shrieking each time we were reeling a fish in. I'm pretty sure we didn't only entertain ourselves. Once we got the fish in the boat Brittany took the paddle to the poor fish. She had to whack them each about three times. I have a week tummy and had to close my eyes and ears each time.

We also got to explore Geyser Basin. We may or may not have wandered off the trail... The geyser pools contained water that was around 300 degrees. One of the pools was large and a curious bison had walked into the warm water. It's bones have been there in that geyser since the Quigley boys were there 13 years ago.

On the way home we stopped at Old Faithful. On the way home we also counted our bug bites. I think Rachel was the winner with 40 or so just on her legs! If ever camping on Lake Shoshone, bring tons of bug repellent.

Thanks to all those that planned, it was a fun trip!


LOVELY


Phillip and Brittany on our way to Geyser Basin


Brittany and me


Sean and Phillip


Rachel, Brittany and me in front of Minute man (geyser that goes off every minute)


One of the hundreds of geyser pools we weren't supposed to be near...


Jason's hand next to a large wolf print at Geyser Basin


Aww Dad, look what you taught me!


Sean is convinced that if you speak to them in espanish they come into the boat without a fight


Rachel, Me, Sean, Phillip and Brittany


Paddling across Lake Shoshone

"Please tell me you are going to erase that"

As I was going through pictures on my computer, I was surprised at how many bad shots I had saved. These are some of my favorite terrible pictures!

There goes my backup!

Me: "Hey Dan, when I am 30 and single and you are 30 and single, I think we should get married."

Dan: "I think that would be a good idea. Maybe by that time I will know what I want to do with my life."

That was our conversation 2 years ago.... Backup plan it is. Nope, it isn't. Dan met a wonderful match for him and decided to take the plunge July 18th. It was so fun to be able to reunite with friends that I haven't seen in far too long! Thanks to Matt and Rachel Nichols, we had a house rented out to our large group of friends for the weekend. Rachel, Matt and I drove from Salt Lake up to Idaho Falls (we thought that was the temple they would be sealed in--turns out D.B. didn't know what he was talking about--they were sealed in the Rexburg temple). The first night Matt, Jennifer and Jason Neal, Mark, Juanita, Eve and Esther Denninghoff, Woods Woolwine, Matt and Rachel Nichols, and I stayed up telling funny stories about Dan. After the busy day of wedding bliss Todd, Carly and Zachary Hamilton joined us in the mad house for games and catching up. Even though I was never able to secure my rank as President in the game of Scum, it was a fun night that led to laughter, tears, and later the stomach flu.

I love reuniting with friends, especially when you can just pick up right where you left off! Thanks to all of you who made the trip, it was tons of fun!


Brody, the Neals, Dan, the Nichols and I at Dan and Ani's BBQ


Backup plan aborted


Daniel and Ani Brown


Don't get to see these girls often enough! Rachel-Me-Carly

I found a pulse

Yes, she is alive! I have done so many fun things in the last month and a half and need to post pictures and details for each event. This will have to suffice for now.

It's not every day, as a single mormon girl, you have a roommate that....

rediscovers himself in the mirror each day

gets fresh with his stuffed animal

Is so messy when he eats that he must eat naked

requires you to bathe with him


makes a life jacket look THIS good


or gives you this look when.....


.....you look THIS good

If only I could live with/near all my nephews.