Alabama vs. Reality

Confession:

I hate to admit it but I now secretly love being able to say I call Idaho home, especially Teton Valley and my vacations are spent where I used to call home.


Sundays in the South:

I loved being home and being able to catch up with my home ward and meeting all of the new members. This is Nikki. I went to high school with her and she converted 2 years ago and now she's married and pregnant so next time I see her she's gonna have a baby! Also my mom and I went to a piano recital for my sister's best friends since she wasn't able to go because she was at the beach.

Rachael Graduated:

My sister Karen came down from Nashville with my baby niece Elizabeth and my brother Joe works downtown where it was held so he was able to come as well. I'm so proud of her and all she has accomplished and I can't wait to she what she decides to pursue.

Graduation Cookout:

I loved seeing so many people come together to support Rachael and what she has done but I especially loved seeing my family. I surprised my nieces and nephews and hung out with them the whole night. My oldest nephew is now taller than me!

Fishing for Days:

How do I spend my last night at home? I fish. It is one of my favorite things to do and I was the only one who caught a bass. I caught 5 for the night. Don Paul just wanted me to take a picture with his catfish so I took one with Hunter who leaves for his mission on my birthday next month to Spain. Last time I get to see him for 2 years!

Home to Home in 1 Day:

Usually when I travel home I break it up into 2 days because it is such a long drive to Idaho alone but I did it all in one day on Wednesday. Woke up at 4, flew to Dallas with a 2 hour layover, then SLC, then drove 5 plus hours to Teton Valley. I got a beautiful sunrise before I got to the airport and when I got back to Idaho I got a rainbow in my backyard.

JOSH TURNER:

Thursday I went to a sold out show at my school for Josh Turner. I went with my friend Daniel who has heard of him but doesn't know much of his music. I'm pretty sure he loved it. Scotty McCreery came 2 years ago and sang a cover of Your Man and Mr. Turner ended the night with that song. It was great to say I've heard it twice on the same stage. We had amazing seats too!

Training:

Thursday I also started my training to be an AFY counselor and so far it has been a blast and a ton of work. I got chosen to be one of the wranglers so all that time at President Wilson's paid off! I also live with 34 people and that has been one for the books as well.

HomeGrown

Sunday Best:

I just love these girls and it is going to be an amazing summer! (Bekah, Annie, Meredith, Me)

Last Ride on a Monday: 

It rained and I took Scott riding. Once again I learned a new path and I LOVE riding in the rain.

 Work:

I had to cut metal poles for tents and bunk beds and it looked pretty cool. I even got to wear Keith's brand new welder's cap.

Sunsets in Idaho and Alabama!

It had been raining for days in Idaho and when I was in Pocatello the clouds let up to give me a great show. Then I decided as soon as I got home to Alabama I was going to the stake camp out at camp Hulaco and this was the sunset on the way and I loved it.

Stake Camp Out:

Since I am ropes certified my friends volunteered me to help work the ropes course all day. It was so fun to see all the kids I use to babysit come up and do a great job on all of the elements. This place is beautiful. and I miss it so much. (Jessica Armstrong with her daughters Lily and Kate. I am their former babysitter. And Don Paul the most knowledgeable man I know when it comes to the outdoors.)

 Baron's Baseball:

My parents both have summer jobs downtown for Birmingham's Minor League team the Baron's. My dad and my sister were at the beach for a music festival so I went with my mom since she had to work. We lost by a landslide but I was still in heaven. I just love being home and the south; just look at those clouds! She also showed me where they installed the sign for the entrance to the newly done rotary trail. I love being home!

Lovin' Every Minute

Sunday Flower Fields:

Dandelions are actually really pretty when there are enough to take cool pictures like this on a Sunday afternoon.

Alli's Birthday Present:

I went riding on Monday and I took Alli with me for her birthday. But of course she one upped me and brought her camera. But I'm glad she did because just look at these!! Photos courtesy of Brock.Alli Photography:

Snow:

I thought this was over but we woke up on Tuesday to 4 inches of snow! It melted by noon thank heavens! But green and white look oddly beautiful together.

Critter Ran:

Wednesday I am out with President Wilson riding. He had to get down to clear the path and cut a small dead tree. He is about half way done and critter decides that he has had enough and runs home to the barn. Sure enough when we got back he was there. But in the mean time president takes the horse I'm riding, Indie, and goes to make sure he ran home. So I was in national forest for a solid 15 minutes by myself paranoid a bear was going to eat me.

Tailing:

So president comes back and he walks the whole way home clearing this path. We get to the bottom if a very steep hill and he says to me, "Okay when I say go you are going to have Indie run up the hill and make sure he runs and I will follow." I was fine with that but I felt bad that he was going to have to walk up this dreaded hill.

He tells me to go and I go, then I turn around as we are going and I see President Wilson holding onto the horse's tail and running up the hill behind Indie! It was the craziest thing I have ever been a part of. But it was so cool. Here is President Wilson (photo courtesy of Brock.Alli Photography):

Bike rides:

Thursday Bree, Merideth, and Bekah all decide that they want to go on a bike ride so I borrowed a friend's bike and tagged along. Little did I know how out of shape I am. We rode to Tetonia and back and it was a whopping 8 miles. I thought my legs were going to fall off. But the sunset on the Grand was beautiful! And so was the sunset afterwords. And we saw 2 owls and their nests!

Work:

We built and delivered bunks to different camp sites on the property in preparation for AFY. We built 22 bunks which passed our goal of 20 so we get to have a pizza party. We also had to set up more tents but we didn't have enough poles so I had to cut some new poles. Sparks were flying and it hurt when they hit but it was fun to try something new!

Ebony and Water:

Since Critter ran away Wednesday I got to spur train him on Saturday. I took my friend Kennedie to ride with us and she rode Ebony. We go down a trail that crosses over a creek about 3 times and Ebony did not want to get her feet wet. The first cross she jumps and Kennedie almost flew off. Then next one she dragged her through all of this side brush and the last time she ran Kennedie into a tree. I felt so bad, so this week President Wilson is water training her.