Phoenix Arizona

Aka the land of Hell.

My family and I journeyed to this land mid June.

It's early September now... and I'm just now posting this.

It's called major procrastination.

But Ellen said "do not delay the day of your procrastination.

Start today!"

So I did.

It's only been 1/4 of a year so I'd say I'm right on track :)

Because it's been so long I will post a few of my favorite pictures from the trip and maybe add my two cents on a few of them :)

This is the Grand Canyon at a distance

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My first time at the legendary Lake Powell

This is my Little Mermaid picture because we all know that when the sun goes down my fins come out! What I'm really trying to say is i love mermaids.

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I get wedgies... what can I say?

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Phoenix Arizona temple

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A pretty picture taken at the condo we stayed at

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B.E.E.F.

These four letters will improve you basketball skills and your life tremendously.

Last night was family basketball night.

Usually I am known for my defensive artistry but last night was all about my shooting.

Brett and Ang have been playing basketball their whole lives.

Needless to say they dominate these family games.

Now for me, the closest I've ever gotten to playing ball is when I rebound for them when they practice.

My shooting average is probably something like 1 in 20.

Not the greatest stats you've ever heard I'm sure.

But something wild happen to me last night.
Before the game began Ang was teaching Nate the correct shooting technique and I listened in,
there was no way I was going to let the opposing team have one up on me.
Anything they can do I can do better. {anyone else remember that commercial from the 90's?}
Any way this is what she taught him:

B stands for balance

E for elbow

E eyes on the basket

and F for follow through

I tried it a couple times and the ball went in.

Dumb luck I thought.

The game started and every time I shot the ball I would yell BEEF and somehow someway the ball went in time after time.

It was crazy!

I was the leading scorer of the night.

I think I made about 15 points.

That might not sound impressive... but for me it was.

I had a lot of fun and I think the boys were a little relieved that I was toning down on boxing out with my elbows and focusing on NOTHING BUT NET!

Stomp. Stomp. Clap. Clap. Swish.
It's a shame I didn't find my calling in live til now.
I have a lot of time to catch up on!
Ow I'm feeling a pressure building up in my skull.
It couldn't be that I'm getting a big head could it?

I think my bragging rights end here.
Family basketball nights are the best! :)

Peas :)

This is the fruit of my labor.

Obviously I didn't labor very hard.

This year when my ma was buying plants for the garden I begged her to purchase peas!

I love fresh peas.

I planted them and they have been in my care...

or lack of.

Ma, Pa, Nate, and Brett have taken better care of them than I have.

This evening I went to the garden to harvest just to find out that weeds have choked the life out of my poor darlings.

I literally picked every pea pod out there in a matter of minutes.

When It Leaks It Floods

I love listening to the Morning Moo Crew on KBull 93 with Shot Gun Jackson and Carly Cash.

The other day they were talking about Jason Aldean's "Tattoo's on This Town."

If you've never heard it... repent ye repent ye, and click right HERE!

They were asking people to call in and share their stories about what marks they have left on their towns.

The first thing that came to my mind was ninth grade dance company with McKenzie Sant.

We were rehearsing a dance that was going to be in a school assembly, everyone had loads of make up caked on their faces and Kenzie had a large bottle of pink body sparkles.

These lovely shiny specks of pinkness made me happy.

Kenzie, being the great friend that she is said I could use some.

I don't think she knew I'd end up using THE WHOLE thing, but now I'm just getting ahead of myself.

Kenz and I were sitting down waiting for our cue to run on stage, when it came I bolted outta there like a bat outta hell and in my rush I bumped the bottle.

When we were finished dancing I scurried back to clean up my mess.

Kenz and I tried to scoop the sparkles back into the container, we were laughing quite uncontrollably.

In the midst of our laughter we heard our dance company teacher ask where are the sparkles came from.

We looked up and it was literally RAINING pink shimmery stuff.

I unleashed so many glitzy glamory particles into the air that they fluttered down for at least fifteen minutes.

It was a mushroom cloud from Barbie land.

The next day a thin layer of the glitter covered the stage and some of the chairs like a fresh snowfall.

The best part is it left a big pink stain on the carpet when the sparkles were spilled.

Still to this day, our tattoo can be seen in the Oquirrh Hills Middle School auditorium 7 rows up.

*7 is just a good guess*

Leaving behind a record of my life or just a small mark is important to me.

I love finding stuff that people have left behind, not knowing who would read it but knowing that SOMEONE would.

Any way for the real story of the night...

My mother discovered that out kitchen had flooded and my dad had to tear up the wood floor.

We had to dry all the boards and set them out to dry.

We labeled them so my dad would know how to reassemble the floor.

I took one of the markers and signed the bottom of one of the floor boards.

Then I got really into it and started writing on all of them.

My sister joined me in my endeavor.

We wrote down our favorite artists and songs and different things we like.

We don't know if someone will every see these after we put them back but if they do that would be cool.

It's awesome to think that I left a trade mark on the house that I grew up in.

I walked these floors and my memories will forever be written on them.

What tattoo's have you left on your town?

Family. Isn't It About Time.

My little cousin Bradi spent this past week with me and my family.

We had a lot of fun.

We...

• flew a kite
• had a slumber party
• gave her a pedicure
• ate ice cream cones
• had an adventure at Daybreak Lake
• visited the "Up" house
• enjoyed a picnic
• went to the park
• shopped at the mall
• ate free Panda Express Orange Chicken
•  had plenty of reading time together
• she played with my old Bratz Dolls and Polly Pockets
• and the best of all {in my personal opinion} we took her to a Charley Jenkins concert

 Our adventure at Daybreak was pretty fun.

We played on the playground and waded in the lake and saw a cute little family of ducks.

Bradi was really excited about that.

After we played at the lake and the park we walked around and looked at the houses and stores.

My mom bought a brownie from one of the cute local shops and cut it into four pieces with her credit card so we could all have some.

It was really peanut buttery... that's not really my style but Nate liked it a lot.

When we got home Kenzie came over and she was talking with Ang and I when my mom handed Ang the credit card and said "wash it".

I was in the middle of an intense story when I looked down at Ang's hands and saw broken pieces of plastic

I asked her why she was destroying mom's bank card.

She weakly replied "I think mom told me to trash it...."

We all busted up laughing for at least five minutes and mom was stunned at the broken sight of her card but she had a good laughing attack as well.

Ang just kept saying that she thought that was a weird request but for some reason she just didn't question it.
Yay for absent mindedness!

This will save mom some money... I'm sure of it!

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 The Charley Jenkins concert was the highlight of our week.
Bradi is a natural at going to concerts.
It is an art form ok people.
She danced and screamed along with me and we lit up the night.
She was just as excited as I was.
I want her to be my permanent concert buddy from now on because she knows how to live it up.
I let her wear my hat because she didn't feel right going to a country concert without one.
Whoever taught this girl concert etiquette taught her RIGHT!
I was so proud!

 

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Bradi husking corn for dinner.

The up house.

Ice cream cone.

If you want to read more about the Charley Jenkins and Chris Cagle concert click HERE!