Family Vacation in Island Park, ID *Part 1*

July 29-August 4, 2011

Last year my family decided we needed to have a REAL vacation.  Something that would allow us to get away and enjoy fun adventures together. This was to include all spouses and children, so lots of people. :)   The end result:  Island Park, Idaho, where the Yospes (Heather's in-laws) have a family cabin.  We loved it so much that we decided to go again this year, and will probably continue going until our family gets too big!

I love it because it is relatively small and rustic.  15 people and 1 bathroom.  Yeeaaah! :)

Look at that fun bunch of people!

This is the tent that Cassity and I got to sleep in.  We called it the castle.

Island Park, ID is located about 30-45 minutes from Yellowstone, surrounded by pine trees, rivers, lakes, and fun 4-wheeling trails.  It is THE perfect vacation for me because I prefer mountains over the beach any day. I love the smell; I love running around in T-shirts and jeans; I love the activities;  I love the starry skies; I love the campfires; I love the isolation from reality; I love the togetherness with family!  And this year my dad suggested Cassity come along with us, so that was fun to have a friend there to go on adventures with!

BIKING 

Biking is probably one of my favorite things to do in Island Park.  There are so many fun dirt trails-- technically for 4-wheelers-- but plenty of little jumps and hills to have fun on.  I would just ride around and literally get myself lost in the woods until eventually I would find my way back to the road or end up at the lake. Either way, I could always find my way back to the cabin! :)  It was fun to ride w/ Cassity, the boys, and even the little girls. :)

We strapped the girls in and took them for a ride.  Cam's helmet would bounce all around and end up covering her eyes.  Haha. :)

I found this old school "cruiser" bike for Cassity and she really liked it!  Then... I tried riding it and the bike chain broke in 2.5 seconds.  Sad day!  Oh well, it was fun for her while it lasted.

HORSEBACK RIDING 

I'm not a huge horse person.  I love the way they smell and look, but I'm totally okay not sitting on them or riding them.  However, this is what the family decided on so I went along with it and I actually loved it!  An hour long scenic ride through the woods and along the lake.  It was beautiful and our guides were excellent.

Hahaha... Cass got stuck on a tiny horse.  Allison asked if it was a pony.  Nope!  :)

My mom and Heather stayed back with the kiddos...

David's horse was HUGE.  And she tooted a lot during the ride.

Yep, it's a real moose!  Just chillin' in the lake, and then it ran out into the woods, right in front of us!

My horse's name was Simon.  A sweet little guy that tried to eat all the grass in sight.

I really love how Allison and Nathan always match.  It's so fun.  :)

RIVER RAFTING  (Floating)

So last year we went rafting and it was fun and adventurous and even kind of intense in some places.  This year "rafting" was more like a river float... and there were a lot of bugs and it was kind of cold and cloudy.  So not the ideal rafting experience, but still a lot of fun to be together!

You can tell by the look on our faces.  Bugs everywhere... time to be done!

4-Wheeling Adventures 

Jake's family has two 4-wheelers that they let us use when we're up there.  I learned how to do the clutch and what not last year so I was anxious to ride again.  Jake took Cassity and I on a ride that lasted at least an hour.  We went all over the place and we're pretty sure Jake was lost a good amount of the time. :)  But it was awesome riding through huge water/mud puddles, going up steep rocky hills (scary) and bumping up and down along all the little paths and trails we found.  Cass drove it for a little while but preferred just being a passenger more than the driver.  Fine with me! :)

Nathan's face was super dirty.  The consequence of being the second 4-wheeler following the other. haha.

These jumpsuits were great!  You could ride through dirt, mud, and water and your clothes were still clean underneath by the end of the ride.  Also, we look ridiculous. :)

Getting our game faces on.

 It was harder to take these pictures than you might think.  But I love how they turned out!

Swimming

Okay for real-- one of my fears is deep, dark water.  So why would I ever want to swim in a lake?  Good question.  But for some reason I just do it anyway and try not to think about it!  I love the carefree feeling of running into a lake and splashing and swimming around.  Even though the water is generally not clean, it feels refreshing and I can relax and play like a kid again.  Last year I discovered a cool swimming spot and returned there with Nathan, Cassity, and Bryan.  I found a new swimming spot on one of my bike rides and took them there as well.  I love how these areas were secluded from anyone else and we really were surrounded by the beauty of nature!

 Here I was splashing around and JUST about to dive in, when along floats a little dead fish.  GROSS!

 Aren't we such a beautiful brother/sister duo.  :)

 Nathan set up rocks on various branches and we were using the super soaker for target practice. Fun!

 Yeah.  Cass has bigger muscles than I do.

 I called this my funny tennis outfit.  I kept my shoes on because it was rocky on the bottom of the lake and I didn't want to go barefoot.  Also, I would run around the trail loop for a minute and then jump in the water after and swim.  It was like my own mini-triathlon event over and over again... minus the biking. :)

Gorgeous!  I was proud of my swimming spot.

Campfires 

I'm a huge lover of food cooked over the fire.  Give me a hotdog and I'm totally content-- I don't need anything fancy.  But those tinfoil dinners were delicious... even though mine didn't cook all the way through at first and I was super hungry and frustrated.  But it turned out great in the end!  I also love being all together as a family and singing with the guitar.  My dad always requests the most cheesy songs that I've written, and even though we moan and groan, it's fun to sing them anyway.  I always end my "campfires" with "Come Thou Fount".  It's peaceful and beautiful and perfect.  Also, there were bats flying overhead.  That was creepy. :)

 Have you ever seen a more organized process of cooking tinfoil dinners?  Such engineering men.  

 Dad's thinking or trying to keep the smoke out of his face.  Probably both.

 Haha.  Look at my hot dogs verses Brittney's.  I like mine dark!

 I was trying to be creative and show everyone how to make caramel apple treats that cook in the fire.  It wasn't totally successful, but some of us got to enjoy the good ones. :)

 This is what the single person does at night. :)

 My dad is my biggest music fan!

 Singing our lovely harmonies...

 Cute picture of Mom & Dad with the grandkids.

Games in the Cabin 

We are all night owls-- for the most part-- and enjoyed staying up late and playing games.  "Hand & Foot" is a group favorite and we also played things like Scattergories, Settlers, Ticket to Ride, Qwirkle, and more. :)  Growing up, our family would go camping and always play Scrabble by lantern light at the picnic table.  I love that memory and really love playing games with the family, competitive edge and all. :)

More pics and vacation documentation to follow...  

look forward to Parts 2 & 3!  

Dating Stuff

So here's the deal.  I wouldn't say Soccer Boy and I are "dating."  If I say I'm dating someone, in my mind I'm referring to him as my boyfriend.  Instead, I say we are going on dates.  Getting to know each other.  Kind of dating. But not officially "dating" or anything because that's just not the point where we are yet.  My mom says we're dating.  But we're not yet.  We've just gone on some dates.

Speaking of dates... we have a date tomorrow night. Yes!  It is true.  He even called last Friday asking what my plans were for Wednesday, wondering if we could do something.  THAT is the kind of initiation I like.  It was wonderful to not have to wait and stress and decide if I should make the effort.  Nope, at last, something seemed to go right. 

So that is the plan.  We have a double date with my friend Bekah and her husband.  It is her Birthday so that means it is guaranteed to be fun and energetic!  I won't spill all details here.. I have to keep some things private in my life. :)  But needless to say, I'm looking forward to a fun evening and just wanted all of you invisible readers to know that things with Soccer Boy seem to be in a good place right now.  Much better than my last blog post.

To be continued...

Master's Degree... what?!

It's true.  For some reason I've decided to go back to school to become a School Counselor.  Exciting?! Crazy?! Scary?!  Yes, all the above.  I've been playing around with the idea for about 6 months now; it all stems from one night when I came home from work:

I had spent the whole afternoon "counseling" teens that were in my program at the Boys & Girls Club.  Usually it's the normal dramatic problems between 13 year olds, but this situation was a little more intense:  2 teens who had gone "a little too far" and the girl was afraid she was pregnant;  she was terrified to tell her mom and since the couple was fighting at the time, the boy was threatening to tell everyone and blah blah blah.  It was drama, yes-- but it caused me to really dig deep in my "well of knowledge" to know the right questions to ask and offer the best advice I could think of.  I was sitting behind a desk and the teens were on either side of me, and I really did feel like a counselor.  I felt valuable and significant in helping these teens overcome this serious situation they'd found themselves in.  And that's basically how it all started.

I came home and told Cassity of my "counseling" experience and how much I really liked helping them and talking to them.  And her response was, "You should be a school counselor!  You'd be perfect!"  I just kind of laughed it off, but then it was like, "What?  Are you serious?"  And the thought never left me.

A big part of my job as Teen Program Director at the Club is helping the teens progress academically. We strongly emphasize graduation readiness, ACT/SAT pre-paredness, opportunities for higher education, etc.  We talk about grades, encourage (sometimes force) them to do homework, help them with projects, and celebrate in their successes.  I love that aspect of my job, along-side all the fun day-to-day play stuff.  But as I have worked on getting to know the school principals, counselors, and teachers more... it's helped me think more on the idea of actually being a counselor myself.  I like that idea. 

I have friends who have also pursued a Master's in School Counseling.  Utah State, University of Phoenix, University of Utah, BYU.  Plenty of options and plenty of things for me to look into.  It was kind of a process.  But when it came down to it, this is what I wanted:

1)  To keep working at the Club while going to school. (No full-time graduate program)
2)  I wanted to at least have some face-to-face interaction in classes.  (No online school)
3) I didn't want to have to take a ton of pre-requisite classes that my bachelor degree doesn't already cover.
4)  Some even didn't require the GRE to get started.  (Yes please).

So after letting a lot of time pass, I decided I needed to do SOMETHING this summer or I would miss my opportunity.   I just kind of threw myself into it and didn't look back.  University of Phoenix was the most accessible; has a campus really close to my work; and the application process was quick and really not too complicated.  Had I chosen Utah State (which sounded good to me), there were at least 8 classes I'd have to take before even taking the GRE to apply for the program.  I decided to just avoid that whole mess and jump right to it.  So... here I go!

Here's a little bit about me:  I'm not a huge academic scholar.  Surprise?  :)  I only took one honor's class in high school.  I never took any AP classes or even really knew about them.  I really didn't like school at all.  I loved college much more than high school but that's probably because it was a lot of "play time" and never-ending sleepovers with great friends.  I managed to go to my classes and luckily chose a major that I LOVED:  Recreation Management and Youth Leadership.  Yeah, go ahead and laugh.  It was a good  program-- I learned a lot and got to do tons of fun things in my classes.  I graduated with a good GPA, but never even took a single math class in college.  Isn't that crazy?  Somehow the path I chose had the option of foreign language or math.  SPANISH, please!  So the last math class I ever took was my junior year in high school.  That is RIDICULOUS... but I've made it THIS far and I'm still alive.  :)

So.  That's why it's kind of funny and crazy to me that I've decided to pursue a Master's degree... almost 10 years later.  I never would have pictured myself on this path, but I like the thought of it now.  School Counseling... and hopefully I'll be the counselor that everyone hopes they get to have. :)  I have plenty of experience meeting one on one with teens of all kinds... scary ones, shy ones, cocky ones, jerk ones, happy ones, pretty ones, insecure ones, popular ones, nice ones... I like them all. 

So here goes nothin'!  Class starts September 20th. 

Useful (or Useless?) Knowledge

I think I'm funny.  :)  I was watching "Soul Surfer" with friends the other night and was quite pleased that I could provide commentary throughout the entire movie.  I feel so well versed in the life of Bethany Hamilton and feel I have plenty of good insight and info to share about her shark attack and surfing experiences.  For full coverage on "Soul Surfer" and Bethany Hamilton, I dare you to click here.

But this is why I'm funny:  I don't really know a lot of USEFUL information, like about things that really matter.  I voiced this realization as we were watching the movie.  Why don't I have this kind of passion for historic events or people?  How great would it be to take another trip to Gettysburg and know the story of any statue or prominent leader from that battle?  I have been there so many times, yet I STILL hardly know who was who and which side won and why it all started and who knows what.


Or why don't I dive into the history and lives of my own ancestors, who were probably awesome and maybe got their arms eaten by mountain lions or something.  The one story I remember is about Jane Black, who hit an Indian over the head with a frying pan after he spit in her food.  Awesome.  :)

Take me to Washington, D.C. and I'm in a world of confusion and emptiness in my mind.  Don't ask me dates or wars or battles or Presidents or anything.  I once checked out children's books from the library before going to D.C. with friends so I wouldn't feel so clueless and out of the loop.  I must have blocked out all history classes in my educational experiences because I really don't know anything about anything.  I got a D- in American Heritage at BYU and we celebrated that grade.  I didn't fail.

All I know is slavery in the south is over-- or is it?-- the wall came down in Germany-- and there's a Great Wall in China.  Don't try to ask me other things because I'll just make up crap and most likely be wrong.

Sooo... instead, I decide to watch "Soul Surfer" at least 6 times, read and study Bethany's biography, look up random links on her website, and become a "guru" for supporting her life story.  Well... she should feel grateful for me taking such an interest.  I've talked at least 5 people into watching her movie. :)  I don't even like the ocean, really, and certainly don't surf, myself.  *shrug*  I have no idea.

Maybe one day I'll come to enjoy learning about things that matter.  Random sidenote:  I do love learning about the holocaust, if that's not depressing and morbid.  But at least it's something, right? 

If anyone has any ideas to help me expand my mind beyond things other than "Soul Surfer", I just might be open to trying it out.  Maybe. 

Dating Rules...

What Are the Rules to Dating?

I have no idea how all of this stuff is supposed to work.  Obviously I'm far from figuring it out because I've never really been in a real relationship and ask people 10 years younger than me for advice.  :)  But I just keep plugging along and hope that one of these days I'll be able to look back on these years and smile.

Remember Soccer Boy?  Yeah, he's still the person I've been going on dates with, but there is not much progress to report.  But that's what makes this all interesting... is that there is still a situation to analyze and think about, though nothing new is really blossoming, deepening, or expanding.  AKA... I haven't freaked out or given up.  Good for me.

#1. Physical Affection 

I don't have a rule about this, and I think that's why it's so confusing.  Some people feel strongly about kissing by the third date (or whatever) because you need to find out if there's chemistry.  Some people have dated their boy for months before ever kissing.  Some feel there is more value in kissing than hand-holding, or vice-versa.  Some girls won't ever make the first move and leave it up to the boy to take the initiative.  Some girls just go with it and think, "who cares?" and just jump right into it and take charge.  I don't know where I fit in.  I've been all of these people at some point and haven't really found a successful road.  The most recent road (over a year ago) was the "take the initiative" girl and the "I'll make the first move" girl and the "I love holding his hand AND kissing him" girl... and I probably shouldn't have done any of those things because I just got burned a month later.  I learned.  

And now I have no idea what to do, or what is "normal" for me.  

So in my current situation, there has been none of that.  Not even a "I thought he was going to hold my hand" or "I wish he would have kissed me" situation.  It's just like the physical stuff isn't involved at all... yet we're still spending time together and I like getting to know him.  So this can mean a few things:

#1.  I am his buddy and he isn't interested at all in dating or taking it to that level.

#2.  He is super respectful of my boundaries and is waiting to see if I'll initiate anything.

#3.  He senses my stiff awkwardness and doesn't want to scare me off.

#4.  He is patient and wants to get to know me better.

#5.  He is kissing other girls and therefore doesn't need me to fulfill that for him.  (I hope not!!)

I fear that over the past year, I have built up this huge wall of protection, similar to the fortifications Captain Moroni set up around the city Ammonihah in the Book of Mormon. (Alma ch. 50)  It wasn't just a wall around the city... it was a wall with like 5 different layers of other things on top of it to ensure that the people were totally protected and no harm could break through.  That must be what I have emotionally done to myself, and it will take a lot for me to trust and risk and slowly break down these layers.

It's not that I don't want to.  Because believe you me:  I want to be close to a boy and be able to cuddle up in his arms and feel safe and secure and happy.  But physically, that seems almost impossible, like I would never really do it!  And I wonder what it will take for me to prove myself wrong.

#2.  The Doorstep Scene 

Something positive about soccer boy is I've never suffered through an awkward, uncomfortable "goodnight" at the door.  He is kind enough to walk me up the 3 flights of stairs, we don't linger and chat and fumble around.  We just get there, finish our random little convo... he leans in to give me a hug and then begins walking down the stairs as I'm unlocking the door.  It's all very simple and comfortable.  I once kissed a boy just to escape an awkward good-bye, and regretted it as soon as he drove away. "Idiot!  Why did I do that?!"  Because I couldn't handle the awkwardness and wanted it to just be over, and I knew he wanted to kiss me.  Well now I definitely know I won't kiss a boy unless I really want to.  But this situation at hand is more like, "I wonder if he even wants to?"  *shrug*  But I don't stress over it and don't really worry about it.  

#3.  The Timing

How long do you spend time with a boy until something finally needs to be discussed about the relationship, or whatever it is that has developed?  My parents dated off and on for 5 years before they got married.  My brother met his future wife and proposed exactly 1 month later.  I am a strong believer that there is no set "time" on love or how you find it or know when you have it.  I just have never felt that way about anyone so still wonder how it all works.  I'm trying to avoid the "Soo... how do you feel about me?" conversation, but sometimes I wish it would just all come out at once so I don't have to continue analyzing and over-thinking things in my head.  But really, I'm quite patient for the time-being and seem to be okay with the slowness of it all.  

#4. Who's Court is the Ball In?

This one is a struggle for me because my natural self wants to take full control and invite, initiate, and follow-up, regardless of whether or not the boy has made the same effort.  If I want to hang out with him, I'll naturally want to make plans and set it up, rather than wait.  This is how I made a fool of myself a year ago and should've seen the signs sooner.  Cassity suggested I read "He's Just Not That Into You," which was a hilarious book and quite emotionally therapeutic.  (Much more realistic and helpful than the movie). 

Needless to say, if I've asked the boy on a date and we enjoy the night and have a good time... should I wait for him to make the next move?  Just chill to find out if he will make the effort to talk to me or see me again?  Or what if he is thinking the same thing... waiting to see if I'll call or text the next day to keep things rolling?  This one is hard for me.  I'm clueless. 

So anyway, tonight was a date, and it was fun.  I'm not super giddy or madly in love, but content with the opportunity to get to know him better and the ability to share a little about me and trust him with that.  I was already stressing over what I'm supposed to do now... wait for him to set the next date, wondering if he's even interested, confused about the lack of physical contact... 

...And then he sent me a text-- thanking me for a fun night and hoping I get some good sleep tonight.  

I'll take that as a positive sign and just keep living life one day at a time.

Is That a Boy or a Girl?

I was in the stall of a public bathroom somewhere between Provo and St. George.  I was wearing the gray Vans shoes that I love and wear often.  There was a little girl in the stall next to me with her mom, and upon looking at my shoes (I assumed), she asked her mom if they were in the girls' or boys' bathroom.  Her mom assured her it was the girls' bathroom.  "But those are boy shoes.  They look like boys."  I wanted to pipe up and assure her I was a girl, but I enjoyed the humor of the situation.  You really can't judge a person by their shoes, right?

Well, it got better.

They finished before I did and were drying their hands when I emerged from my stall.  The little girl pointed at me (I pretended not to notice) and said loudly, "Is that a BOY or a GIRL?!  They look weird."  Wow.  Seriously?!?  I was wearing a cute, fitted shirt, knee length shorts, and my hair was looking rather cute.  This girl was a jerk.  I looked at myself in the mirror as I was washing my hands just to check to see if I looked like a girl to me.  Mascara on, girly blue eyes, a touch of lipstick.... yeah, I'm a girl.

So I just pretended not to notice and the mom was embarrassed and trying to rush her daughter out the door.  I guess I could have said something just to make light of the situation, but I kind of liked my silent treatment and just tried to keep my chin up and feel feminine.

It was a flashback to my childhood days of being 10 with nasty boy hair and wearing boy-ish clothes.  But for the love!  I think I've grown into a woman since then and really don't look like a boy.  Or do I?  I know the short hair is definitely not as feminine as what would be longer wavy hair on me-- which I hate-- so I guess people will just have to accept it for what it is. 

All weekend I've been mocking that little girl voice:  "Is that a BOY or a GIRL?  They look weird."

Well, guess what kid.  I'm a girl.  So there.  :)