MmmMmm Good!

I bet that none of you have seen HOT PIRATES like this before!!

There's nothin' better than side ponytails & patches!
(We have bodyguards boys, don't get too excited!)

Girls' Day

I went with my B.F.F. "Buddy" A.K.A. Rachal & her mom Gayle to Park City a few weeks ago! I went up there to accompany them on their shopping trip.

We went to Bandits' on Main Street for lunch. It was sooooooooo good! "Our Mom" spoiled us and bought lunch for the 3 of us. Gayle is so great! One of the nicest people you could meet.

After we got done eating, of course we stopped by O.C. Tanner. Not only does Gayle work for them, but she looooooooves jewelry! It happened that one of her prior co-workers was working & she let me try on some jewelry... not to mention one of the rings only cost $300,000.00!! Yes.. you read that right... THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS!!!!! Too bad it didn't get stuck on my finger, hahaha. I also tried on a bracelet that cost $250,000.00! I don't think I've ever been worth so much at one time in my life! I was going to ask if I could take a picture with it on... but then I chickened out... just know that the diamond was HUGE and was crystal clear!

Buddy & Buddy... best friends forever!

Love

Okay... So I know that's it's been a pathetically long time since I have blogged! You'll have to forgive me, I have really been busy and blogging has fallen to the bottom of the priority list...

I do want you to know that in my absence I took my test on the "Wheel of Love" and I'm and Animal!! Watch out boys!

4th of July

It's true that the 4Th of July was about a month ago now, but I really do enjoy the holiday and want to share my good times from that weekend!

Every year for the last 50 years my family has gone on a camp out during the week of the 4Th of July. It is a very special time of the year for me because it is the only time that I get to see my whole family.

As I grow older I realize more and more each day how much I love my family, and how much I would rather spend time with them than be anywhere else. There are some people in my family that are getting in their advanced years and it makes me sad knowing that I won't have a lot of years left to spend time with them, and I have truly learned to cherish every moment.

This is me trying out my parents new toy for the first time! I didn't really think that they would buy a 4-wheeler, but here it is!

My brother and I went for a long ride up Log Canyon, and on the way we found this log that had fallen over & decided to climb up it. Please notice my wonderful 4-wheeling/hiking shoes.

My dad's cousin Mark (the one pictured below in the military hat) is a veteran of the Air Force and started hosting flag retirement ceremonies every year over our annual 4Th of July Camp out. They are a really amazing experience. If you not have been to one, look for one online, you can usually find them being done at local military bases. They really make me grateful for those who have served so that the flag can fly freely in our country.

This year he started out by having us all stand and say the "Pledge of Allegiance." I am really grateful he did that. I honestly can't remember the last time I've said it since junior high.

Following the recital he had a family member read the following story. You may have heard it before, but I think it is one that needs to be shared more often:

Hello, Remember me?

Some people call me "Old Glory"

Others call me the "Star Spangled Banner"

But whatever they call me, I am your Flag,

The Flag of the United States of America....

I remember some time ago people lined up on both sides of the street to watch a parade, and naturally I was leading every parade, proudly waving in the breeze. When your Daddy saw me coming, he immediately removed his hat and placed it against his left shoulder, so that his hand was directly over his heart...Remember?

And you, I remember you. Standing there straight as a soldier. You didn't have a hat, but you were giving the right salute. Remember little sister? Not to be outdone, she was saluting the same as you, with her hand over her heart.... Remember?

What happened? I'm still the same old flag. Oh, I have a few more stars now and a lot more blood has been shed since those days long ago. But now I don't feel as proud as I used to. When I come down the street you just stand there with your hands in your pockets, and I may get a small glance, but then you look away.

Then I see children running around and shouting; they don't seem to know who I am.... I saw one man take off his hat, then he looked around and saw no one else with their hat off, so he quickly put his hat back on.

Is it a sin to be patriotic now? Have you forgotten what I stand for? And where I've been? Anzio....Normandy... Guadal Canal....Iwo Jima.....Korea..... Vietnam.... and the Persian Gulf?
Take a look at the Memorial Honor Rolls sometime. Note the names of those who never came back; they died to keep this republic free... One Nation Under God!

When you salute me... you are actually saluting them.

Well, it won't be long now until I'll be coming down your street again....So when you see me, stand straight, place you right hand over you heart, and I'll salute you by waiving back.... and I'll know....
YOU REMEMBERED.

Following the story he had all of the veterans in my family and one who is serving now come up to cut up the flag. "No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United State of America; The Flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning."

My Great Uncle Douglas (below-right) was the oldest member there & he was asked to cut out the field of blue.

After the field of blue was cut out he had each person take turns cutting apart the stripes. My Uncle Kent is pictured to the left and my Grandpa Lamb is on the right.

When the flag was all separated all of the veterans carried the Field of Blue down to be burned.After the field of blue was taken down he had the oldest family member and the youngest family member carry down the first red stripe and then had other family members that were present taking turns carrying down stripes to the fire.

The entire Flag Retirement Ceremony is done with the audience remaining in complete silence.

While the stripes are being taken down one by one the following is read aloud by the host:

FIRST STRIPE: The 13 stripes stand for the thirteen original colonies which are; Massachusetts, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and New Jersey.

SECOND STRIPE: The white stands for purity.

THIRD STRIPE: The red stands for courage.

FOURTH STRIPE: "Give me liberty or give me death".

FIFTH STRIPE: "One if by land, two if the sea".

SIXTH STRIPE: We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution of the United States of America.

SEVENTH STRIPE: We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal. They are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights. Among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

EIGHTH STRIPE: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

NINTH STRIPE: Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech or press.

TENTH STRIPE: "Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth to this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." ELEVENTH STRIPE: The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.

TWELFTH STRIPE: "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."

THIRTEENTH STRIPE: "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

After the first flag has been burned any remaining flags can be burned whole with the first one standing as a symbol for the rest. When burning the whole flag the stripes are always put in first followed by the field of blue.

The ceremony this year I added to an already deep respect and reverence I have for those who have served, or who are serving this, the United States of America.. The GREATEST country in the world! I had a very hard time keeping in the tears when my Grandpa and his brothers were saluting the flag during the Pledge of Allegiance as well as participating in the rest of the ceremony. I am so very very grateful for those who have been willing to put aside their lives to serve our country. It means more to me than they will ever know. Thank-You, Thank-You, Thank-you!!

I had to leave to get back to the city for church the next day, but on my way out I did snap a quick picture of our "Indiana Jones" bridge! I am never fully sure if I want to cross is or not for fear that I might fall through...

I was able to catch the Magna Fireworks show that night with my friend Brian. The fireworks I love the most are the giant ones that make a huge boom that you can feel! I love the power that comes from them. The show was great!... minus the fact that I got eaten alive by mosquitoes.... but I'm sweet, what can I say?!

Weather

So can I tell you that I love Utah weather? I think that we have some of the most stunning sunsets and skies that are almost unexplainable!Last Friday it was pouring rain and I started driving down the freeway and as I looked around I noticed that there was like 4-5 things going on the sky at the same time. It was so incredible, I just couldn't resist sharing the pictures!

So when I first started driving down the freeway I looked forward and to the left and there was part of a rainbow.....

Then I looked to the right & there was the other half of the rainbow! (Sorry it was really bright so it's hard to see in this pic, but you get the idea.

Then forward and to the right the clouds were really heavy on the mountains, but the sun was so brilliant on the other side of the sky that it was causing the rays to go through the clouds. I love this shot! (And no, the sky isn't cracked, that would be my windshield. :) )

Then I look behind me and there was a breathtaking sunset going on! There wasn't near as much color in this sunset as there usually is in our sunsets, but it was still incredible the way the sky was so bright and the clouds were so white and fluffy!


And last but not least.... not only were there 2 segments to one rainbow, there was a double rainbow!!

This is definitely one of the coolest things I have seen lately!

Manti Pageant!!!!!

So if you know me you know that I am constantly saying "Ohhh! that's my favorite!!" or "I love that!" about pretty much anything. It's true, I say it A LOT. I guess I'm just really passionate about things I like. I can, however, put all questions/confusion to rest by telling you all that the Manti Pageant is my #1 absolute very most favorite thing in the whole entire world!

If you don't know what the Manti pageant is it's pretty much a play that is acted out on the hill of the Manti LDS Temple.

It's about the restoration of the church, the Prophet Joseph Smith and The history of The Book of Mormon. It's really neat, people dress up like Nephites and Lamanites, and run around acting out war scenes. They use pyrotechnics too! At one point it also depicts the time that the Savior appeared to the people of the America's. You can feel the Spirit so strongly.

I really enjoy the pageant because it's really nostalgic for me and my family used to go a lot. I love going to visit Sanpete County, not only because there is only one traffic light in the whole county, but because my family is from there so I really feel a connection to the area.

Since the Manti Pageant is my favorite thing ever I will tell you some of my favorites about it:

1. Going with April & Kylee (It's our tradition). They are willing to appease me and do everything that I want there

2. Getting there extra early so we can sit on the front row

3. Getting there early so we can get the very best parking spot in town (No, I Will Not tell you where it is.)

4. Eating Pizza at my favorite place.... The Pizza Gallery in Ephraim

5. Going to the Craft fair and taking as long as I want to look at things (this is a good part of the reason why boys aren't allowed on our trip)

6. Buying some of the best caramels in the whole world at the craft fair

7. Eating Sanpete Barbecued Turkey!

8. Eating funnel cake (although sadly, I did stick to my diet this year and I didn't have any. My trainer will be pround.)

(Wow, I must gain weight every time I come here!)

9. Beating traffic out of town to sleep at my Grandpa Lamb's house.

10. Getting up early to take My Grandpa Wayne to breakfast at his favorite place... "Satisfied Ewe Cafe." Where he likes to get the "Grand Ram" That's pretty much everything.... with Syrup on top. However, we usually end up going to the Bowling Alley for breakfast because the other place is always way way packed, and only the locals know about the bowling alley. I love taking him out because it is so enjoyable for him and I learn more about him and get to see his personality more. I get to learn that we have a lot of things in common.... like the fact that we are both very social people and we both really like ham and cheese omelets! Yum!!!

Another thing that's awesome about the pageant is that it's around dusk when it starts, but around halfway through it gets pitch black and the stars in Sanpete County are so bright! It's incredible how many stars you can see there!

During the pageant one of the actors who plays Angel Moroni gets to climb on top of the Temple and hold up a big trumpet... that is the part that I have ALWAYS wanted! I love heights and to be able to stand up on a Temple & act like an Angel... how much better could it get?

I really am so grateful that I am blessed to be able to go to the pageant so often & make such wonderful memories there... (I've blocked out any speeding tickets that may or may not have occurred on these trips) and so grateful that April is willing to come and go along with all my silly demands. Love ya babe!

(P.S. Some of the pics of us together aren't the best because pretty much everyone we asked to take pictures of us were inept at taking pictures....)

New Temple

Larry and I went and saw the new Oquirrh Mountain Temple in South Jordan. Can I just tell you that it is INCREDIBLE?!? It is one of the most beautiful Temples that I have seen! It's really bright inside and the chandeliers are breathtaking!

When we were heading in to the Temple one of the ushers told us that Angel Moroni got struck by lightning.... I was like pssshhh whatever. But then I looked up and saw The Angel Moroni... his whole arm and the trump were all charred and black.

If you look at the very top of his head (even in this pic) you can see a little point sticking out of it... well I came to find out that the church puts lighting rods in the Angel Moroni's as to prevent the building from being struck by lightning which could cause further damage to the building. And seeing as the Angel Moroni is a shiny metal object on the top of tall buildings it's probably pretty wise.

Either way.... poor Angel Moroni!

American Fork Idol

Thursday night I went with Ben to see the current Desert Star show "American Fork Idol"

Like always, I was running late, and Ben was being Mr. Impatient Pants. Oh well... If he wants me to look good he has to wait for it! I always have a lot to do and am always running late! Oh well. I still got there about 20 minutes before the show started, so it's all good!

The show was really funny! We even stayed around for the "Love Songs Olio" which was great! We typically skip out on the olio's but I'm glad that we stayed this time. :)

Temple

This weekend I went to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple Celebration "Come to the Mountain of the Lord." I watched it at my parents Stake Center and it was awesome! Thousands of youth from within in the Temple district participated in the event. There was a youth choir, some danced, some acted, but they all had a part to play. My trainers girls' even got to roller skate! The celebration was mainly a portrayal of the history of Utah, and how we got to the point of having 2 Temples in one city!

My favorite part of the celebration was when they did a Military Tribute. The choir sang all of the songs from each branch of the military & then they showed pictures of the First Presidency & Quorum of the 12 Apostles who had served in that branch, it showed a pic of them when they were really young & a current picture. They also had members of the audience stand up who had served in the military. I felt the spirit so strongly when they did this & I felt even more appreciation for all of those who have served our country.

I am going to tour the new Temple next weekend and I can't wait!

Girls Night Out

Tonight I got to go to a show that I have been soooo excited for! I went to see the celebrity impersonator Jason Hewlett! If you click on his name it will take you to his site where you can watch his promotional video. He does funny impersonations of people such as Cher, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, etc. I was laughing so hard my eyes started watering.

The show was at the Desert Star Theatre, which anyone who knows me knows that is one of my very favorite places. I originally got the tickets with the intention of asking a date to the show, but then I decided that I didn't want to ask a date because I'm kind of burned out on that. I decided to take one of my dearest friends April because this is totally her kind of thing. That, and I never get to see her much, so I thought it would be a fun thing for us to do! Boys Schmoys! It's all about having a girls night out!


At the end of the show Jason was nice enough to come out and meet the audience. Of course I had to get a picture with him for my blog, if nothing else. I must say that he has the coolest shoes I had ever seen! I would have taken a picture of them, but I was embarrassed enough just asking for a picture with him, let alone being a crazy and taking a picture of his shoes!

Purse Party

I went to a purse party at Jill's house last night. There were so many to pick from but I finally decided on this one!

Memorial Day Weekend

This weekend I went with my family on our now annual camping trip. We went up to our property in Nephi Canyon, in the Mt. Nebo area.

Oh yeah... this sign is for real. Leave our trees and shrubs alone! :)

Some people that own property in our little community put these signs up because a few years ago we almost lost all of our property due to a wild fire.

This picture is really fuzzy but it's the best one I could find that shows the fire.

On Saturday we went to the Scandinavian Festival in Epraim, UT which is also known as "Little Denmark." It's really neat to go there. People dress up like vikings and they have music and Scandinavian food and all sorts of good stuff.

This is my oldest nephew Jordan eating one of his favorite treats, "Candy in a Bag" as he calls it.

Saturday we drove to Wales to go to the cemetary and put flowers on my Family's Graves.

This is my newest Nephew Alex. He was having a little nap while he was sitting by the fire with my Mom. I have another cute nephew Shawn, but I didn't take very many pics this weekend for some reason. On Monday I was hanging out with my friend Larry and we went to the Hill Air Force Base Museum and checked out some of the planes. It was really cool. It makes me realize how thankful I am for all of the Soldiers who have died and for those who are currently fighting for my freedom.

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Road Trip!

This weekend Ashlee and I went on another road trip! It was another short one, we went from Friday night until Sunday but it felt much longer! We had so much fun!

One of her students parents offered to let Ashlee use their property in St. George for a weekend & she took them up on it! We actually stayed in Leeds which is about 15 minutes from St. George.

If you notice the sign, it says "Harrisburg Estates." Now when I think of the word estate, I either think of something really fancy, or a sale where they are pawning dead people's stuff. This wasn't exactly either one of those. It was a Mobile home park for adults... as-in old, retired people. It was different than we were expeciting but it really was nice & we were so glad we had somewhere to stay!

On Friday we went to St. George to surprise Ashlee's sister & her family. They didn't know we were coming & especially didn't expect to see us since we were just there 2 weekends ago. Her sisters reaction was definitely priceless! We actually showed up when she was in the middle of throwing a party for all of her yearbook students which was pretty funny.

Ashlee and I went to dinner at the Pasta Factory & it was soooo good! After that we went back to her sisters house to have some of the goodies from the party (Mainly a chocolate fountain!) and then went back to our "estate" to get some rest for the next day.

Saturday morning was fantastic because I got to sleeep in! That never happens, but I was so grateful to be able to get some much needed rest! After we got ready we went to Jill's (Ashlee's sister) for a late breakfast & then headed off to Vegas!

A lot of people don't know this, but this was actually my first time ever going to Vegas, well that is if you don't count the one time I rode down the strip when I was about 8 & the time that I was stuck in the Vegas Airport for about 4 hours on the way back from Cali. I was so excited to go & see something new!

We got to Las Vegas about 1 P.M. & went to meet up with our friends Mitch & Shawn who happened to be vacationing in Vegas the same time that we would be down there. When we first got there we decided to go to the Stratosphere Tower & go on all the insane rides there!

This is the a view looking straight down from one of the "lower" levels of the Stratosphere hotel. When we went to the tower during the day only Ashlee, Mitch & I went up the tower and rode the rides. The first time we went on Insanity Ashlee was freaking out and was screaming bloody murder the whole time. I'll admit that I had a few butterflies in my stomach, but she had everyone else on the ride laughing because she was so scared. The funniest thing I think I heard her say all day was "who even invented a contraption like this?!?!?!" Good times! Insanity, the Ride - A massive mechanical arm extends 64 feet over the edge of the Tower and spins you at a force of 3 Gs for a truly mind-bending experience. It's so awesome! At some points while you're on the ride it feels like you are almost parallel with the ground. We were joking about all of the swimming pools we could see from the ride & said that if anything went awry we could aim to land in the water! Next we went on Xscream A giant teeter-totter that propels you 27 feet over the edge of the Tower, 866 feet above the ground. This was soooo much fun the first time we went on it! Ashlee and I sat on the front row. I think we were holding hands the whole time, along with screaming our heads off!! I'll be honest though, it was pretty scary sitting on the front row, but later we went and it wasn't super scary becuase it was the second time around, and because I sat towards the back. When you don't sit on the front row all you can really see is the seat in front of you, which kinda takes the thrill out of it.

Finally we went on the Big Shot - Shoots passengers straight up 160 feet at 45 mph (over 4 Gs) until they are 1,081 feet above the Strip. This ride is AWESOME!! It's like the Re-Entry Rocket at Lagoon, however this one is much bigger. This shoots you up towards the sky and then it bounces back down to earth, but on each bounce your butt totally comes out of the seat and you catch air! You can't help but scream on it. It's pretty much uncontrollable - even Mitch was screaming which he hadn't done on any of the other rides.

After the Stratosphere we went for a drive down the Strip & went to the M&M Factory & Coke World. After all those rides Ashlee and I were pretty hungry so we went to Fatburger. We both got turkey bugers. They were so delicious!

Haha I totally dig this T-Shirt! I thought about buying it for a minute, but I really don't like wearing T-Shirts so I put the kibash on that.

This menu is so funny! I couldn't resist taking a picture of it. That Triple Kingburger..... Ugh... there's no words.

We stopped in at the Rock Shop where Ashlee tried on this hot "Michael Jackson" hat. Rawr Ashlee!

We went back to the Sahara Hotel where Mitch & Shawn were staying & just relaxed. The hotel had this pool that looked so inviting! All I've wanted to do for the last few months is go swimming, especially somewhere hot like Vegas. So we decide to start getting ready to go to the pool, so we looked outside and not a soul was out there. We were wondering what was going on so we called the hotel (which took like 40 minutes to get through) and the pool & deck were closed for a private party!! I was not very thrilled about that!

Instead of swimming Ashlee and I took a nap at the hotel while Mitch & Shawn went to a friends house for dinner.

Oh yeah... and we rode Speed the Nascar roller coaster at their hotel. It was short but really fast and fun!

After the guys got back from dinner we went back up to the Stratosphere & Shawn joined us this time. Above is a really cool view from the bottom of the Big Shot at night!

So here we have 2 pics of the group... in the top one everyone is smiling, except the random guy in the background... we gave him a name, but I can't remember it now.... however the view in the background isn't that great.

In the second pic the view is amazing, but not everyone is smiling... so just pretend that I know how to use photo shop to combine them & imagine that the pic has a fantastic view, with everyone smiling and no random guy. :)