Girls Night Out!!!

I love my girl friends!!! When I was back in Utah we rallied together (much thanks to Kristi!) for a fun filled evening! The weather tried to stop us, but we were determined to have a night just for the girls!

We went to dinner at Red Butte (that poor waiter always gets stuck taking our picture!) Then we made a quick stop at the grocery store for some treats :) I didn't purchase this adorable cupcake but look at it! It's a skier that wiped out! I LOVED it!!!

After we scored on our treats we headed back to the Humble Yale Abode (sorry girls, I know it's no Park City!) to talk, talk and do some more talk! We chilled with our sweets by the fire place and just enjoyed each other's company! I seriously could not have asked for a more perfect night!

I will say this though...you girls are crazy!!! They didn't believe in sleeping! The only single chica finally called it quits just after 4 and then when I walked upstairs at 9 they were at it again and ready for breakfast! Loved it!!! Mwaaaa

Winter Wonderland!

I don't know if I've ever said this, but I love Utah!!!! It is an amazing place filled with so much beauty! I finished my last final and drove out with Anna (my best friend since 4th grade) the very next day! We went snowboarding with our 6 and under kids pass and enjoyed the beautiful mountains!

After Anna went home on Sunday I got straight to work; I had to earn my free ski pass ;) I helped out on the tram with the other crew and thought my weekend would start when there's did...I was a little wrong! They made me chief tram operator! I even had to train a new guy so I would have 3 people to work for me the next day! Let's just say Snowbird really knows how to put a girl to work on her vacation! 

It all worked out for the best though because any time on the mountains puts a perma-smile on my face!!! I was able to ski some runs I've never skied before and I even attended church ON the mountain! I absolutely love Utah and the beauty of Little Cottonwood Canyon! It will always hold a special place in my heart <3

Life during School

So I've been a bad blogger and I apologize for that but I was spending more time "concentrating" on my school work. It worked because I finished my first trimester of school with all A's and one A-!!!! 

I pretty much had my head inside my books but I managed to get out for Halloween. You've got Darth Vader (Mike), Nathan as Capt Jack, Tyler is Clone Trooper, Ryan was someone in a cape, I was a dental assistant (I didn't have time to be creative), Kaleigh is a pumpkin and Kari was a cow girl. It was rather pathetic but one of my few outings outside of school or the library.

To try and keep my sanity through all of my studying, I would try and make it to the beach once a week. This trimester I was fortunate to have every Friday off of Pepperdine and student teaching. I was never on my A-game to bring my camera to the beach but one Friday my sister-in-law decided to do the unthinkable...take my brother's dog for a walk while he pulled us on roller blades! Cody failed obedient school and I didn't have any breaks on my roller blades! It was a scary experience but I'll take any kind of study break ;)

Takin some time off...

I officially have my first A at Pepperdine! Not just for a paper or assignment (I surprisingly have a couple of those) but for an actual course! It was only 1 credit but still, it's my first A towards my masters :)

With that being said, I think I'm going to put my blogging on hold until I'm done with the program. It's not like my life is super exciting anyway. I just don't feel like I have time to breathe and as silly as it is, the lack of my blogging hangs above me, so....I'll see ya in December for a brief interruption but in July I'll be full swing!

I know I swear to you guys that I work hard in school and I do! but here is a picture of me Lindsay (of course I became friends with another one!) and Rachelle on the right. We're goofing around on our 5 min bathroom break :) Have I mentioned I love my Mac?!?!?

It's a baby GIRL!!!

It's been a long time coming but I finally got my niece!!! When my sis was pregnant with the twins they first told her she was having 2 girls, then they changed their mind and said one of each, but then we were blessed with 2 boys! This is her last child so she wanted to wait to find out the sex until the day of. It was such an added blessing to find out she had a baby girl!

Here is the first Olsen family portrait! 

I'm such a proud aunt! This is the first time I've been around for the birth and I couldn't hold her long enough! I helped burp and swaddle her! To me she looks like every other newborn baby but to me that is a precious piece of heaven!

High School Debaucheries

I've been so consumed with my schoolwork that I haven't even taken the time to hang out with my friends! I finally pulled myself away from my books and went out to dinner with the girls. We caught up over a good meal at El Torito and then later met up with Bobby.

We went completely back to our high school days and just drove around checking out all the multi-millionaire houses that are being built next to our neighborhoods.

Anna blunk! She was hilarious though! We couldn't stop cracking up in the back seat about all the lame high school drama we kept remembering! Bobby looks like that creepy dude coming out of no where to come and take advantage of you!

We finally managed to get a somewhat decent picture of us in between laughing uncontrollably and keeping our eyes open through the strobe of a flash!

It was exactly the night I needed! I've been so stressed about school and all my assignments/readings/presentation/lesson plans and quizzes that it was nice to finally take some time to just chill. Thanks guys! We should definitely do it again soon!!!

Twins' soccer game!

It's nice to be living at home again and be around family! My nephews started soccer last year but I missed all the games because I was traveling down under. This weekend they finally had a game that started after 10am on a Sat!!! That works great for Roger, Kari and myself :)

Here is a picture of Tyler and Ryan (they're the 2 blue players on the far outside) It was a pretty entertaining Sat afternoon because we've never seen a team suck so badly! I know that sounds harsh but you'd agree if you saw the game. My nephews and one other kid are the only ones on our team that move, let alone run! I'm not bragging because they're my nephews but the 3 that move actually played last year! One kid on our team would move AWAY from the ball and when someone would run into him he would look at them with the Napolean Dynamite look on his face! It was hilarious!

My poor, poor sister is due to have her 4th kid in 2 weeks! She wants this baby out more than anything else right now! She was a good sport though!

Nathan cracks me up! He so wants to be a "big boy". He got so excited when he saw Roger, Kari and I walk up to the game! I was sitting watching and cheering when he comes right in front of me and just starts to sit down :)

Look how tired Ryan looks...poor kid was one of three kids on his team actually moving! The ball hit him in the stomach and he freaked! I'm a terrible aunt but it was kinda funny

The boys love "Ra Ra"! Tyler was sitting out for a second and came next to Roger to tell him all about the new toy they got yesterday!

I just can't help it...he is just so cute to me, dressed up in his soccer sweats, ready to cheer on his big bros!

It's fun to be home :)  I was relaxing in shorts and a T-shirt while ignoring phone calls about the snow they were receiving in the mountains. It still hurts my soul a little but it's starting to get easier!

Trip to Utah!

This past weekend I made my first trip back to Utah since I've moved! The instant I landed I wanted to move back!!! My dad and I are already planning to move to Utah in Aug :)

The entire reason for the trip was to experience conference in person. I've lived in Utah for 6 years but never managed to get a seat inside...I must be moving up in life! My parents and I attended the first session of Conference on Sat morning (yea it was raining!) It was a great session, maybe because I actually stayed awake for the entire thing or just because it was such a powerful experience to actually be there and among everyone.

It worked out really well that Lyndsgrove happened to be in town for her cousin's wedding. It was fun to see her and hang out with her kids. I also managed to squeeze in a girl's dinner. We might not hang out all the time but whenever we get together it feels like no time has past. I love ya girls! I didn't do so hot at taking pictures but for pictures from dinner with the girls check out Kristi's blog

http://quinnandkristi.blogspot.com/2008/10/friends.html

I did manage to do a little better with pictures when I went for a drive up the canyon. By now you all know my love for the mountains, I can't get over how amazing they are! Dave and I went for a drive up Little Cottonwood Canyon to see the changing colors of the leaves! CA doesn't get season so it's a beautiful site to take in! I didn't step foot at Snowbird (my supervisor said the visibility was terrible so we just stayed in the car and drove up to Alta)

The day before I flew to Utah it was 94 degrees in CA and not a cloud in the sky. It isn't everyone's dream to come to vacation and experience rain/snow but I loved it! I do miss the seasons! I couldn't get over the beautiful array of colors throughout the mountains!

With that being said....you guys should come visit me in CA! I'll take you to the beach :) I miss you all in Utah but it's comforting knowing that you'll still be my friends whether we live in the same state or not! Love ya guys!!!

Haagen Dazs

Papa trained him well!!! It's been of kind of difficult transition back home with the folks and going back to school in such an intense program but it's times like these that make me remember why I came back to CA for school! Nathan (my nephew) cracks me up! He has such a personality and loves to do exactly what his older brothers do! He can't get enough of my dad aka papa and so chose papa's ice cream for dessert! This kid ate it up! I think he even had more than his older bro Tyler!!! I just love them all!
Can you say no to this face??? He melts my heart every time he says my name "indsey"!!! ha ha he goes to speech classes also :) 

Road Trip!!!!

Road trip!!!! haha not really! I finished work went to the cabin for one last huray and then had a spare day in the valley. I was hanging out with Dave from work and his 2 roommates (pictured below, Taylor and Timmy wearing some ridiculous glasses!) We wanted to drive up Guardsman to appreciate the mountains and their beauty! We're all from out of state we don't take it for granted!
If you can't tell we were stoked for our car ride! We all packed into the car with our stellar attitudes and cameras! We wanted to document this final experience as much as we could...somehow that shortly ended after the original photos.

We must have been too amazed with how cool Utah really is to take that many more pictures!

It really is a beautiful state and I hope you guys don't forget where you live! It's got everything...well besides In-n-Out and the beach...and now me but besides that Utah is the PLACE!!!! Miss you guys already!

Last Day of Work

So I go into work on my last day. Brentis is late...as usual so Duckworth and I start doing our routine morning checks. About the 3rd stop in we notice something funny on the screen....I BROKE THE TRAM!!!! Ok it wasn't really me but for awhile Duck and I were both skeptical about it all. It was a pretty serious problem because they had all the control panels open and even Ty aka Mr. Know-it-all had the Swedish books out reading up on everything! After a couple HOURS he finally fixed the problem! Thanks Ty! I always knew you were a good one to keep on my good side! ;)I just can't get over the beauty of the mountains! I got paid to look at this all day!!!!

The blue tram and I didn't start off as friends but she became my baby in the end!

Don't we make a cute crew??? Brent, myself and Duck right before I emptied out my locker :(

Snowbird was a difficult place for me to leave! I really enjoyed the fun times I had working there and learned a lot from the difficult times! It was always hold a huge part in my heart! Love you all!!!!!

Cabin

I know it's not summer anymore but I thought I'd just a quick re-cap of what my oh so enjoyable summer was like. It was filled with work and cabin. I work 3 days and then get 4 days off and then vise versa. On my weekends I would book it out to my cabin to just chill. I absolutely love it out there. It's filled with plenty of glassy water and even more deer! My parents were out there all summer living the retired life (yea I know my dad isn't retired but he plays like he is!) and then Roger and Kari came out for a week. I unfortunately was only bright enough to bring the camera after they left...oops!

Here is me just hanging out enjoying the glassy water! I love nothing more in life than that right there!
This is my baby :) It's the first board I learned to wakeboard on and I haven't been able to give her up since! When I go with friends I always use their boards but I just can't say goodbye...it must be that change thing!
After the lake one day we went for a car ride and found this deer that was ever so friendly with us! Now Roger has an superb zoom on his camera but my zoom sucks! This was taken with MY camera!
Every year when we come to the cabin we always look for the osprey and every year they're always there! Roger and I think we can whistle like them so we always have fun with that...the look at us like we're crazy, which is kinda true ;)

BBQ Season!!!

I've said this before and I'll say it again...the best part about Utah are the summer nights! The best thing about summer nights are the bbq's! A couple of my friends from Snowbird found out I have a bbq and offered to cook if I hosted....ANYTIME!!!!
Here is Mikey aka the chef and myself! This picture was clearly taken after I had some tasty food in my stomach! Next we have Taylor and Timmy!!!

Oh and let's not forget one of my favoritest roommates from 807! Erica made a guest appearance!!!!

It was a fun evening! We sat out in the "adult playground" aka the swings and chatted before filling our tummies with scrumptious food! We weren't so smart in taking photos as you can tell but I'd like to thank the Aussies for hanging out for a bit and most of all for bringing the Tim Tams!!!! Linny you rock my socks off!!!!!

Birthday Celebrations!

I woke up to the beautiful poster yesterday morning! Gotta love Kylee!!! (you can live with me as long as you'd like!)After a very uplifting and spiritual church experience I went to visit Grandpa Turner and continued over to have dinner with the Snelgroves! This is a weekly tradition I do on Sundays and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect birthday dinner! They've really been my family away from home and have made my decision to move extremely difficult! Thanks guys!!!!!

My next stop was off to Birthday Bunko Bash with my mom's side of the family...this was a little awkward because no one really knew the exact date of my b-day until Chad (featured below) asked what day it was...."it's actually today :/"

Here is a picture of some of the Hardy cousins....Nick, Chad, Morgan and me
I know we're a special looking group of kin

To top the evening off a picture of me and my favorite aunt Sherrie!
We played Bunko and I finally won!!!!! By won, I mean I won for the most losses :)

Thanks to everyone who were able to take the time to send a text message or phone call. Sarah and Emma you guys win for best phone call!!!! (it's kinda by default cuz they called from NZ!)

Oh but my best birthday present was.........................the fact that I got

ACCEPTED TO PEPPERDINE!!!!!!!!