getting to know Utah

I love mountains. 

While we were on the road, I decided to take a break from the flat(ish) lands of New Mexico and take a little nap.  When I woke up, I was surrounded by the most majestic mountains. I have only seen them one other time in my life, and I forgot how much I loved to just look at them.

Utah has been experiencing some wild fires up in the mountains. 

The last few days, we have been blessed with RAIN! I love it. its cool and refreshing here, much unlike 120 degree humid Kansas. 

I do miss my Kansas...

yesterday Kent's brother Derek took me, Hollie and Carissa (Kent's sister and cousin) to CAFE RIO.

I have heard it was delicious

I did not realize how delicious

I got a sweet pork salad. 

The only thing 'Salad' about this was a few lettuce leaves.

I felt like I was about to explode trying to eat it. 

This will be my midnight snack tonight !! 

TOMORROW is EFY!!! I cannot wait. i'm super nervous as I have no idea what to expect, 

but pumped all the same.

 .....................................................................................................................................

Spiritual Enlightenment here

Happy Sunday!

update

hey howdy hey!

okso. this is what has been goin on.
Anna Kent and I have been in Okie dokie Oklahoma for about 5 days. We stayed at this awesome family's house who only spoke Spanish, Kent was our translator.  It was fun and we got to practice our Spanish skills. 
The mom was so nice...but she fed us all the time. whenever we came home she would always say "sientense, comen comen!" which means "sit, eat eat!" haha her food was MUY Delicious but I feel really fat now.

We drove all day today and we stopped in New Mexico for the night.  I will see Utah tomorrow! woo! 

Pics to come.

Enjoy today!

goodbye Kansas.

Today I am leaving with Anna and Kent. (3rd wheelish I know.) We are going to Oklahoma to visit the place Kent served his LDS mission.  We get to stay with a familia that only speaks spanish so that will be fun.
Then we are headed up to Utah and staying with the Buys family.  I'm going to EFY (especially for youth lds church camp) for the first time! I have heard so many good things about it and can't wait to go!

We are leaving today at 2pm...and I have maybe 4 shirts and a dress packed...i need to get moving but decided to blog and watch Arturo instead.

Happy Summer everyone!

pin your interests

Goal:  Make this for PK's 8th birthday in August...perhaps a bit smaller. 

hp!

i love harry potter. after the competition was over, Sidney, me and our moms went to UNIVERSAL STUDIOS!!! Here are some pics of that day:

<hogwarts!!!>

<platform 9 3/4>

<honeydukes and the 3 broomsticks!>

 

<My first butterbeer-->contains no beer.>

<...I admit I said about 10 spells in an English accent when I picked this baby up>

<Sidney and I were rebels and got out of line to take a picture going up the Gryffindor common room...we felt apart of Harry Ron and Hermione's gang already>

best time ever.

crazy week

For the past week, me madre and I have been in Florida.
The week went "well". I was in a competition that was not in my 'special skills' category..it was embarrassing but helpful. However, when I first arrived, I was really struggling.  I really didn't see myself doing anything relating to the topic of this competition anytime in my future. EVER.  I really just wanted to go home. I was studying my scriptures one night in my hotel room and I came across a scripture in the Book of Mormon that read,  


And now behold, I say unto you that myself, and also my men, and also Helaman and his men, have suffered exceedingly great  sufferings; yea, even hunger, thirst, and fatigue, and all manner of afflictions of every kind.

But behold, were this all we had suffered we would not murmur nor complain

Wow. was I really complaining? I had had no troubles like they had to endure and still I was complaining. Maybe not aloud, but definitely in my head.  I decided to suck it up. and actually, once I tried having a good attitude, there were times I really did enjoy it.  I loved my mom for helping me out when I didn't feel comfortable and for always being my friend.  I looked at awkward situations as a moment to break out of my shell a little bit, and grow from that.  I even ended up winning an award.  the conference ended up being helpful in  ways.  Sure there were times where I felt awkward and murmured a little...but no one is perfect.

Here are some pics from the event:

<this is Chad Brodsky. basically the best looking man alive. He acted on Wizards of Waverly place>

<my  favorite event was creative runway.  Me and my newspaper skirt on the left and my friend Sidney's outfit on the right>.

<---interviews      night on the town^

I won 1st place in my division for my creative runway outfit, and Sidney was a finalist.

                                                        Our group. we are basically family.
I also competed in

• monologue
• cold read
• improv.
• photography 
• and a few others.

I had a lot of fun with the ladies my mom and I roomed with (sidney and her mom) they were pretty much exactly like us. Overall, I am grateful for the experience.  I probably won't do it again, but the knowledge I have gained from it was well worth my time.