The One in Yellowstone

Like I mentioned before...Ben and I had our Numero Uno Anniversary on the 8th. For about a month we were trying to figure out what to do to celebrate and we seriously went through the most ginormous list of possibilities. Our car was broken (it's fixed now! and for much cheaper than originally thought:) so we weren't sure if we'd have a vehicle. We also weren't sure how much it was going to cost to fix the car, so we didn't want to spend too much money.

We finally settled on just hanging out in the Rexburg area, going swimming and getting dinner, you know, just relaxing.

But Ben is very spontaneous and after I went on my run that morning, Ben said, "Let's go to Yellowstone instead."

So we went! I'm not very good at being spontaneous, so this was good practice. We packed up some snacks, put on our hiking shoes and were out the door, on our way to Yellowstone.

I had never been to Yellowstone before. I know, I know, it's a shame! But we loved it and had a blast! And, seeing as how the entrance is only an hour and half from our house, we bought an annual pass...so...you know, if anyone wants to come visit...(hint.hint.nudge.nudge).

Anyhow, here are some pictures from our awesome adventure:

There were buffalo EVERYWHERE. It was so cool.
And Ben kept saying, "Look at me! I'm a buffalo in
Yellowstone!" And it was hilarious...but maybe you had to be there.

So pretty! (The landscape, not us...). And this was just by the side of the road!

These are the Paint Pots.

It's ol' Fayful!
Yes, it kept reminding me of Dennis the Menace.

It was pretty windy, and when Old Faithful got going, we were
sitting right in the mist...so we got pretty wet. No wonder no one was sitting there...

I can't remember the name of this one, but the steam was incredible.

These were our favorites. It's so crazy to me that these colors are
just rockin around in nature. The picture doesn't give it justice-
It was very orange-y and blue-y. Very pretty.

And very steamy.

You can see the color better in this picture...but not as good as being there.

We loved it. It turned out to be an rockin' day trip and we can't wait to go back sometime!

Three Quick Tips for Having a Successful Ragnar Experience (plus a packing list!)

Holy moly, Ragnar is THIS WEEK, my friends! Can you believe it? It's kind of blowing my mind, but I'm way stoked and I really hope everyone else is too.

So...I have a confession. I gave you all that training schedule and told you that it was soooo important to stick to it and I said that if you trained right, you would have a good race.

Remember that?

Well...that's only half true. Good training IS way important, but running smart on race day is absolutely crucial. I've seen amazing runners die on Ragnar (...not literally) because they didn't know how to run the race. Honestly, it's kind of a weird race, with the running and the sitting and the sleeping and the running...you get the picture.

So here are my Three Quick Tips for Having a Successful Ragnar Experience (plus a packing list!):

#1: Hydrate or Die
Drink! Drink lots! I'm willing to bet that the number 1 problem the Ragnar First Aid team deals with is dehydration. So don't be that guy!

And don't just wait until race day. Starting on Wednesday this week, really focus on making sure your body is completely hydrated. If you're not sure what's enough, refer to the pee chart below:

Haha...that chart always makes me laugh...Anyhow, we're getting a little personal, but your pee should be the color of the overly-hydrated spectator for a couple days before the race. But don't stop drinking once you start running your legs. After each leg, remember to slowly replenish your fluids. To be most efficient (and to avoid an over-active bladder), remember that your body can only retain 8 ounces of fluid for every 15 minutes. So don't chug a Gatorade immediately after your first leg and then call it good.

Another thing: just water won't work. Your body needs electrolytes, so pack a Gatorade, PowerAde, Propel...whatever your flavor, and drink that in addition to water.

It's especially important to stay hydrated for your during-the-day legs. It's going to get hot and you'll need a well-hydrated body to get you through.

Now there's a well hydrated runner!

And I'm just going to say for fear that someone thinks they can quit focusing so much on liquids once they cross the finish line...be diligent about drinking for a few days after the race. Nobody wants you passing out a day or two later (yep...it happened to Kyle, so it could happen to any of you...).

#2: Eat!!
It sounds like a silly thing to give as a tip...but people just don't know how to handle this when they're going to be running soonish.

Take this guy for example:

I'm talking about person #2. He was in awesome shape, super good runner. This is his last leg AND the leg that's finishing our race. He was dying. We all jumped out to run the last 2 miles with him because we honestly didn't think he was going to finish. Later he told us that he didn't want to eat anything during the race because he would be running kind of soon and didn't want a side stitch.

It's a legitimate concern.

Or you can ask Matt Bonner about how he took advantage of the all-you-can-eat pasta bar at exchange #6 and felt like junk the rest of the race.

It really is hard finding the line between too much food and too little food. Plus you have to think about the fact that your legs could be anywhere from 3-6 hours apart. It can get tricky.

Here's what I do. I eat a substantial amount of food right after I run (Perk: your body actually retains more nutrients if you eat within 60 minutes of exercising). During Ragnar, I never let myself get completely full. I'll snack if I'm feeling hungry or if I still have plenty of time before my next run. But I like to stop eating completely when I know I have about 2 (or a little more) hours before I have to lace up my shoes again.

What should you eat? When your body is most healthy, it will crave the things you need the most. So think back to some of your most intense exercises. What did you crave afterward? Honestly, I'm usually craving a Jamba Juice or a banana with some peanut butter. Here's a list of food I like to take with me for Ragnar:

• bananas
• grapes
• oranges or orange juice
• crackers
• pretzels
• peanut butter
• Power Bars/Gu/Honey Stingers/Sport Beans
• chocolate milk (actually one of the best things you can consume after a workout)
• string cheese

Hopefully that gives you a good idea of some stuff to bring.

#3: Have Fun
Just expect the worst...and decide to have fun anyway. I promise you will be sore and tired and maybe a little grumpy, but just remember that you're doing this to have a good time. I guarantee we won't win (the BYU cross country team will--they are fast!), so you don't have to worry about that.

One time I was on a team with a bunch of women and one lady set the tone by telling everyone, "Do NOT cheer for me. I hate it when people cheer for me." So we didn't cheer for her. But we didn't really cheer for anyone on our team. It turned out to be quite lame.

A different year, one girl on my team bought a coconut and dubbed it the Coconut of Healing Power. Someone would shove it out the window to our runner, who would rub it or kiss it or whatever. Weird? Yes! But also hilarious and awesome.

 No, you don't have to buy a coconut for a successful Ragnar, but have fun and be positive.


Okay. Those are your tips. And just in case, I'm going to write down a list of things you might want to remember to bring (like, things you might not think of. You all better remember your running shoes and some extra socks, even though they're NOT on the list):

• sleeping bag and pillow (for some reason, I always think I can go without the pillow. It never ends well)
• a tarp (in case your only option for sleeping is the grass...and the only option for grass is the wet grass)
• earplugs (it's very hard to fall asleep in an echo-y gym that's filled with restless runners. Just make sure that someone in your group will be able to wake up before you're supposed to be up and running again)
• Extra water bottles/Gatorade
• Layers! (it gets cold at 2am in the Utah mountains! Take winter gear--mittens and hat included. You'd rather be safe than sorry)
• A headlamp/flashlight
• Reflective gear (everyone on the team needs a reflective vest. Ragnar rules)

Reflective gear is very attractive.

That's everything I can think of. Good luck this week! Have fun! And remember to stretch before and after each run!

The One Year

Just had to give a shout out to the fact that Ben and I have now officially been married for 1 year (plus a day if you're gonna get technical).

Crazy, right?

We decided that in some ways it seems like we've been married for sooooo much longer than that, and in other ways it seems like we tied the knot no more than a few weeks ago.

But my gosh,
What an adventure.

I am super crazy lucky to have Ben in my life and here are some of the reasons why.

First, I have to admit that I owe him BIG time because he was the one who absolutely insisted that I read Harry Potter. He was aghast when he found out I had never read the books, and even went so far as to accuse me of hating reading! Let's be real, people: Harry Potter is probably one of the best stories ever written. I never would have known what I was missing out on, but I'm so glad I'm no longer one of those lame-os who never let Harry Potter change their life.

His love for Harry Potter has been a long-
term sort of commitment.

Ben teaches me things that I need to know. This one time, I found these boots that I completely fell in love with. They were super cute, but they were more spendy that I would normally consider. So buying them, in my opinion, was clearly out of the question. But Ben patiently and logically explained that a)We were in a position where we could definitely afford to buy them b)I had been working hard and earning good money and c)I was worth the boots. It seems silly and simple, but I learned so much from that little experience.

And when I wasn't getting as many compliments as I wanted from those super cute boots? Ben stepped in with, "Oh wow, look at those boots! Those are so cute! You obviously have really great taste." He has sisters...so he knows the drill.

Ben is crazy adventurous. Like the China thing? Yeah, NEVER would do that on my own.

This is us adventuring.

Another cool thing about Ben is he knows a bit about everything. When we first started dating, Ben told me two very important things:
1. That he wasn't a fan of watching sports and
2. That he didn't like video games and would never own a gaming console.
Seriously, what a blessing! So I'm always in shock when Ben has a conversation with one of those hardcore jock types. Despite the fact that I have only ever seen Ben actually sit down to watch a game once, he can totally talk to these jock types like he knows the ins and outs of the sport like the back of his hand. He knows teams, players, and info on specific games. I don't know how he does it, but somehow he knows his "guy stuff" including all major sports and manly shenanigans.

Ben makes me laugh. Like, more than is justifiable. Here's an example:

Now, normally I wouldn't post such hideous pictures of myself, but I had to prove a point. That guy can get me to laugh my head off with some of the lamest jokes.

I could go on and on about my good fortune in the husband department (i.e. his ability to grow a very manly beard, his good cooking/eating skills, his guitar playing finesse) but I'll just include one more fact: Ben kills snakes.

My mother-in-law's porch is infested with snakes and it is both terrifying and disgusting. Yeah, they're garter snakes, but if you know me, you know it doesn't matter the kind or size. All snakes are awful (which is an understatement). So Ben took a machete and started chopping heads off. I'm being completely serious. He chopped 8 heads in less than 10 minutes. Hero status? Definitely. Sorry for the poor quality of the photo, I was safely inside the house while I took this picture.

Anyhow, it's been an awesome year, full of lessons and adventures. I'm lucky to have such an amazing guy at my side and I am stoked to see what the future holds!

The One with Me and the Hedgehog

First a little bit of background.

Ben's dad was a lover of all animals. He found them completely fascinating. He'd get on these kicks, with one animal in particular being all the rage and he'd study and read and research until he knew everything there was to know about that animal. He did the same things with plants as well.

When Ben was in high school, his dad turned their back porch into a greenhouse. He covered it in glass and plastic and filled it with cool plants-even a banana tree! He also made a little water feature and got some turtles and lizards that would scamper around the place. Like I mentioned before, Papa's motto was, "Fear ain't a part of my life." He made that especially true when he included a baby alligator into the greenhouse mix. The kept the gator until he was 3 or 4 feet long, then they took him to an alligator farm (a place Papa frequented).

Another time, Ben's dad was out and he found a little baby skunk that had been injured. So he scooped the skunk up and took it home. The skunk absolutely fell in love with Dad and never once sprayed him.

Anyhow, when Papa passed away, Ben's sister (Heather) and her husband really wanted to make something that would remind them of Dad. Something that Dad would be proud of. So they made this:

It is the coolest thing ever. And they seriously went all out. They even put pictures of Dad around:

Plus they've got one of those white noise machines going, making it sound like there are crickets chirping. And Heather's husband is going to make signs for all the critters with interesting facts about them and their names. Cool, right?

See Dad's cool turtle shell in the background?

Here are the girls with 2 of the 3 ferrets (sorry you can't see them well).

This is one of their turtles.

This is Heather (the mastermind) holding their little hedgehog.
She was seriously so cute and surprisingly cuddly...
not at first. But she got there.

Me and the African tortoise. These are the kind that get really big
and end up weighing like 200 pounds.
Let me get you a close up of this guy...
 

He looked TOO real. Is that possible?
My favorite thing about him is his name: Kingsley Shacklebolt.
Perfect, right?

I think I scared her. See how's she's flailing her arms??

Heather isn't the kind of person to do things half heartedly...and the petting zoo was no different. They did such a good job. I could have stayed in there all night long!

So awesome. I'm 100% sure that Dad would approve.

The One with the Stuff

Well...

I've been watching too much Project Runway. I finally dreamt about it. The dream was complete with Tim Gunn and feelings of complete anxiety at choosing the right fabric-not too bright but not too boring.


On another note...
My dad let us bring his little moped scooter home to Rexburg with us. Just for a borrow. Which is just as well (I can't imagine it would function very well in Rexburg's crazy winters). Ben looks kinda hilarious riding it to school. I'd post a pic, but Ben already left :( Maybe next time?



On another note...
Our car broke down. Lame. Sauce. It's especially lame because I NEED a car for work. For some reason, I can't imagine my clients' parents being ecstatic about me driving their kid around town on a 50cc scooter that only gets up to 30mph if it's going downhill.

But my mother in law said, "Don't be frustrated. Life happens." And she's right. Life does indeed happen. At least I've had time to A)Train for Ragnar B)Pretend I'm skilled at refashioning clothes whilst I dream about Project Runway and C)Cook decent meals for Ben...and delicious ice cream cakes for myself.

On another note...
I got myself a library card. You know, having fun isn't hard, if you've got a library card (Ben had NEVER heard that song, which I thought was a travesty. So I sang it for him. I think he was mostly embarrassed).

On another note...
My dad sent me this article. I thought it was pretty interesting. So Ben and I had an FHE where we had to write a story about us. You know. For legacy purposes.

A pic from my story




A pic from Ben's story. The resemblance? Uncanny.

Finally,
My sister in law (in this post) complained about how now that she's the mom, she's never in the pictures. I went through my pics from their last 2 visits and I hate to admit it, but she's right. I had a total of 3 pictures of her but countless pics of her chilluns. Shame on me.  Here's an attempt to make up for it (a feeble one, I might add) because let's be real: karma, karma, karma...Whitney, this is for you:


She came to the temple my first time through.

And Whitney's baby turned 1 year old the day before my wedding.

See, Whitney? You really do exist when you visit. Albeit, not very much.

I'll do better I swear!!!


The One With the Attack of the Photos

The last weekend in April, Ben and I packed up and headed down to Utah.

Maybe it was just me, but I felt like I hadn't been down to visit in FOREVER. And this trip was especially exciting for several reasons:

1. Ben and I had an ILP training meeting to attend, to learn more about our trip to China.
2. My brother and sister-in-law were coming out all the way from Kansas to visit. And they brought along their stinkin' cute kiddos (prepare yourself for a lot of pictures. When those kids are around, I can't help myself!).
3. My sister was getting married!!!

Crazy awesomeness, I believe, is the phrase to capture all the events that ensued.

The ILP meeting (a 2 day deal) was kinda longish...but it was very informative and it got me super excited about  teaching (we're leaving in like 3 months, people!).

We got to go hike Bridal Veil with (almost) the whole crew.

Me and my hiking buddy. I wish I was as glam as she is.

Eric and Ezra went the crazy route. But they made it.
And, surprisingly, the leader wasn't Eric.

The girls kept asking me to take more pictures. Such models.

Leslie and Oak.

Unfortunately, Ben had to leave on Sunday night to get back to work and school. But I got to stay in Utah and keep hanging out.

On Monday, Whitney and I threw Heather a pretty awesome bachelorette party, if I do say so myself.

Cute, right?

 On Tuesday, we headed to Salt Lake. We went to the new interactive children's exhibit at the Church Library. The kids loved it.

Scarlett mauling the cute sound-making, egg-laying chickens.

Fishing off of Nephi's ship.

The girls loved the fun Latin dancing game they had.

Outside the temple.

 After that, we headed to Sweet's. It's a candy factory in SLC that gives tours. My first favorite thing about our tour was that they give out a LOT of samples. My next favorite thing was that our tour guide asked me in a sugary sweet voice, "And how old are you?" I told her I'm 22. She looked shocked and said, "Oh! You're older than I am!" She wouldn't look me in the eye the rest of our visit.

See what I'm saying? Scarlett's gone crazy with sugar!

Georgia LOVED her hair net. She insisted on wearing it the rest of the day.
What a fashionable little diva!

That night, Ben surprised me by coming back a day early than we had planned. I was so excited! And I bet he regretted it once he saw what our wedding-related task was.

Yep, we spent probably 4 hours making a huge pile of tissue paper pom poms.

 In lieu of a wedding breakfast, Heather and Matt opted for a rehearsal type dinner. At Tucanos. You can't go wrong there!

Are you getting an idea of who my favorite little people are?
I love Love LOVE these girlies.

Thursday was the BIG day! The ceremony was so beautiful, and I just can't say how happy I am for Matt and Heather.

Let's be real, people. I NEVER in one million years would have guessed that my sister would be marrying Matt Bonner, but I could not be happier with it. I love them both SO much and I'm way excited for them!

This was the only picture I got of the bride and groom.
I fail! So sue me!

Another one with my favorite chiquitas.

Doesn't my sister make such a pretty bride?

Oak loved Ben so much the whole trip.
 I think it's cause Ben looks so much like Spencer.

Us. You know. In front of the temple.

 For the record, it is SO much easier being a bridesmaid rather than being the bride. Yes, as a bridesmaid you do a lot more of the setting up/taking down/running around like a chicken with your head chopped off...buuuut the role of the bride is way more stressful in the long run.

I'm awful and didn't take any pictures at the reception. Just believe me when I say that it turned out beautifully.

The sad part was that it took a full 2 and 1/2 hours to set up...and it all came down in less than 30 minutes.


Georgia practically swam in the mound of glittery ribbon
left over from the chair ties. I bet she's still finding gobs of
glitter under her arms and in between her toes.

Returning to the real world was rough, let me tell you. But soon enough we'll be heading back to Utah for wedding #2: Kyle and Natalie :)