update overload

Well after not blogging for like two months, I'm going on a photo posting rampage. 

Here are some more pictures from the past couple months. 

 Bees game for Becky's birthday. We did more people watching than game watching, but it was great. And the fireworks were fabulous. I was a little excited about those. 

Robin with the Banksy in Park City

My brother

 The hippest little musician in Park City.

Climbing in Rock Canyon

I love the Colorado Rockies. 

I was excited to go to a game in August when I went home.

The view at Zephyr Ranch, where I've been riding. 

graduation

 With Grant & Robin. Occasionally we're actually really attractive & photogenic.

I can't believe how tall Grant has gotten. My brother is so handsome!

We saw Jimmer at Magleby's Fresh. Grant was pretty excited.

 Mom & Grandma

The Fam.

 My mom graduated in August 30 years ago. Crazy!

Becky & I at Helaman Halls, where it all began!

 With my grandma. She graduated from the U, but we're making her a BYU fan.

 I got this fortune the night before graduation: pretty much perfect.

twenty-three

Now that I've been 23 for two months, 

I figure it's about time I share some pictures from my lovely birthday back in July. 

I went in to work at midnight, and Becky solidified her position as Roommate of the Year by waking up at the crack of dawn to have this amazing crepe breakfast ready when I got home from work at about 6:30. She also had You've Got Mail playing. Can you think of a better way to start the day? I sure can't. 

For my birthday dinner I went to Gourmandise in Salt Lake with my awesome friends. 

1. Becky & Emme laughing at something  2. Abbey & some of our delicious desserts

3. Freshman roommates!  4. The porcupine: my chocolatey treat

Heather, Me, Abbey, Becky & Maddi. Freshman friends!

Heather, Abbey, Me, Becky& Emme.

I'm so thankful for my great friends and a fun birthday to kick of 23!

I tend to reflect more about the year on my birthday than I do with the new year in January, and I must say I'm hoping 23 will be a better year. I'm hoping for some great things ahead.

four years

Fours years ago today we arrived in Jerusalem. These first few days of September are always really special to me. 

I expected Jerusalem to be amazing, but I don't think I realized how much it would change my life.  

Even now, I hardly go a day without thinking about the city or my classes or my JC friends.  

JC friends, I love you and I miss you! I'm so glad we met 4 years ago. 

Jerusalem, I hope I get to see you again someday. 

more reasons why my job is awesome

Guess what I did at work last night. Pretty much every night at work is a good night, but last night was an especially great example of why I love my job.

The first thing I did was help a woman get out of bed for dinner. I hadn't seen her in a week and I was blown away by the improvement she had made. A week ago it took three people to get her up, but last night she did nearly all of the work herself. Seeing people get better and stronger is the happiest part of my job. Since it was a pretty relaxed night I also got to put curlers in a woman's hair and then later sit on her bed and talk to her for a while. We talked about school and making fried chicken, her family, her childhood, and her illness. She was born in the little mining camp of Sweets, Utah and says that's why she tells everyone she is so sweet. I laughed when she said how much fun she's had in the hospital. Her mantra is that if you can't change the situation you might as well enjoy it. I love the determination that I see in so many of the people I work with. I like being a cheerleader for people who are feeling down and hopeless.

I got to work with some of my favorite people. Nothing is better than working together with a team of fabulous people. I love the high fives from Matt when he gets to work and hearing about his cute baby. Brittny trained me and is just excellent at her job. Nights when we are on the floor together are always good nights. Janice is great at teaching me and explaining why we do things. Leigh Ann always makes me laugh and we also get emotional about the same things. {We were getting a little choked up watching some Olympics last night} Dawnie is a blast to work with, and I love stories about her beautiful daughters.

Also of note, today was my last day of classes at BYU! Class consisted of a semi-boring discussion about a depressing Spanish novel. It wasn't nearly as enjoyable as work last night. Now I just have to survive finals. Have I mentioned lately how excited I am to work full time at my awesome job and have a break from school? In case you can't tell, I'm pretty excited.