Lake Pal

I've fallen way behind on my blog, so I thought I'd take some time to catch up on everything, but it will probably take me awhile.... 


May:
For Mother's Day, we went with Mike's family to Lake Powell. I had never been, but it was gorgeous and now I understand why so many of my friends love it. We mostly rode around in the boat and waterskied. It was my first real time waterskiing and I loved it! We had a great time, and I was grateful we went in early May instead of later in the summer because I burned way bad even with two applications of 50 SPF sunscreen. :s

We took a little hike to a place called Rainbow Bridge

Rainbow Bridge

Me waterskiing. I can get up no problem, but once I'm up
I can't control myself and fall right back down.

My sisters-in-law like to laugh at the Utah accent which make it sound like Lake Pal instead of Powell.

Allie, Laura, and Kitty

We got out and did some swimming too. The water was super cold, but once you got used to it, it felt nice to get out of the heat.

My poor burnt leggies.

My feet got it worst. Somehow I forgot to put sunscreen
on them, so considering, they look pretty good.

Mike's B-Day

Mike's B-Day was two weekends ago, along with Caleb's birthday and his college graduation. Both of my sissies went to Alaska to celebrate, but I figured since I missed his birthday last year, that I should stick around and make-up for his previous lame birthday.

Unfortunately Mike had finals that next week, so it was still kind of a lame birthday. We slept in and then just laid in bed listening to the Hunger Games on my iPhone, then got up and he opened his presents and we ate oatmeal. I had planned on making him coconut pancakes with coconut syrup since he loves coconut, but he was still fighting a cold, so we ate oatmeal instead. After presents, Mike went to the library to study. Lame. But then we went out to Olive Garden for dinner and came home to chocolate coconut cream pie. :) Yum. Low key, but much better than last year.

Presents!!

Mike, still looking sleepy, with his presents.

He got the sweats and the lanyard, but he put his new sweatpants and
sweatshirt over his pjs and looks about 300lbs here :)

So excited for another dinosaur shirt. Aub & Jeremy got him one too so now
he has 3 and looks like he's about 6 when he wears them.

Lagoon

Thanks to Mike's sister Laura, we got to go to Lagoon a few weekends ago and ride the roller coasters. She works there as a lifeguard so we got in cheap, and by cheap I mean free because Mike's parents were kind enough to pay the $10 for each of us. :) We went with most of Mike's siblings - Steve & his wife Kitty, Allie and Laura - and had a blast.
I absolutely LOVE roller coasters!! I love that feeling I get as we scream down the big drop, how I think that I'm not going to make it and any second I'm just going to die or that my stomach will just fly outta my mouth or something horrific and then right as I think I can take it no more, the roller coaster flies around a loop or twist or hill or something and I can breathe again. Love it!

Wicked - my favorite! You seriously shoot straight up and then straight down that first hill.

Mike & I right before Wicked

Mike after Wicked. Check out his sweet hair. :)

Krakauer? More like Crap Hour

Haha, so that title is more something that Mike would say pretending to diss someone, but I think it conveys my sentiments well. For those of you who actually follow this, :), you know I'm on a big reading kick right now. Last spring while I was waiting to get married and finally start Nursing school, I also read a lot of books, one of which was Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. I really loved this book and was inspired to be better because of it. I was terribly disappointed to discovered the other day at the campus bookstore that they were selling this book and his other book Stones Into Schools for cheap with a posted new article denouncing him as a fraud.
For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, check out this piece done by CBS 60 minutes:
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7363068n&tag=related;photovideo
It's true that Mortenson's story seems too good to be true and I wouldn't be surprised if he fluffed up the story in order to gain more attention. Although it's sad that a miraculous story such as his is needed in order to gain sympathy and help from the public, no one can deny that Mortenson has done amazing things to promote education for girls in Afghanistan and Pakistan. So why the need to tear him down?
One thing I think is important to point out is one of CBS' main sources for this libel is Jon Krakauer, the author of Under the Banner of Heaven. Although I haven't read this book, so maybe this is slander on my part, I've heard enough about this book to know it's crap. Crap Hour's "investigative reporting" on the early LDS saints is packed full of lies and exaggerations used to make Mormons appear crazy and law-less by comparing them to modern day FLDS brothers who killed a woman and baby over a polygamy controversy because they had received "revelation" that God told them to do it. 
The Church began "criticizing" Kraukauer's book before it was published.
Richard E. Turley, managing director of the Family and Church History Department of the LDS Church, was among the most notable; he points out mistakes and incorrect assertions in the book and accuses Krakauer of "condemn[ing] religion generally," while saying that "although the book may appeal to gullible persons who rise to such bait like trout to a fly hook, serious readers who want to understand Latter-day Saints and their history need not waste their time on it"
(Taken from Wikipedia's article "Under the Banner of Heaven."
Plus, and this is something Mike pointed out which I thought was good, Mortenson confesses in his book Three Cups of Tea that he was bad with money and people. Some of 60 Minutes' proof that Mortenson was a bad, fraudulent person is based on the fact that he wouldn't answer their questions when they ambushed him at his own book signing. Who wouldn't be flustered and refuse to answer questions when ambushed by a camera in front of a crowd?
Even if some of Mortenson's stories are false, I still think the good he has done to help Afghani and Pakistani girls is worth the story.

Thank You Z.J.

A couple weekends ago Mike & I went to the Logan library and got ourselves library cards. As I put my shiny new card away in my wallet, I discovered I already have three other library cards - two from Utah and one from Alaska. Apparently I collect library cards like some girls collect credit cards. Although those overdue fines can rack up, I think library card debt is a little better than credit card debt. I'm sure Mike would agree :)

My collection of cards.

Happy new library card holder.

I've only been to the Logan library twice, but out of all the libraries I've membership too, I think Alaska's Lousaac is the best! Maybe it's just because I'm more familiar with it, but the Lousaac has a much better selection. Plus you can now borrow audiobooks which you can download to your iPod/Phone which is awesome! I can now get in half hour of listening in walking to and from campus.

My poetry skills are lacking, but in honor of Z.J. Lousaac, I wrote a haiku:

Thanks Z.J. Lousaac

Happiness you bring to us

Your books are the best

Summer Reading

I envy those people who find good books easy to come by. I feel like anytime I go into a bookstore or the library, everything looks "meh" and not necessarily worth my time to pick up and read. I tend to find a good book and then read through everything that author has ever written.
Despite a heavy school schedule, I've discovered the wonders of audiobooks. On the bus or walking to class I can "read," something I never have time for otherwise. Being able to rent and download audiobooks from the Anchorage library has been a great for this. I've read four books in the last month! I've put together a summer reading list for myself and some to read and/or listen to with Mike but I want more. Books suggested to me by friends and family are always great but a little to far between for my tastes. If you have any good book suggestions, I'd love to hear them!
Since I would hate to be  without giving anything in return, here are a few books that I've enjoyed recently-ish:

• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (I just finished this one this morning and can't wait to read the next ones!)
• The Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez (Haven't finished this one yet, but I like it. It reminds me of the Kite Runner, but about women.)
• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (This one is tragic & I struggled with some of the content, but it is truly a great story.)
• Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson (It's amazing what this guy has accomplished! Reading it makes you want to be a better person.)
• The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards (An interesting look at they way the views towards Down Syndrome has changed in the last 30 years.)
• The Book Thief by Markus Zukas (So good! I cried at the end)
• Good Grief by Lolly Winston (This one was suggested to me by Alicia who always has great suggestions) :)
• Tell No One by Harlan Coben (Mystery novel. I picked it up from my in-laws bookshelf and read it in just a couple days. I was disappointed there wasn't another book by him to read.)
• The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas (I was surprised how much I liked this short novel. 

In the beginning was also the end of blog

After spending a ridiculous amount of time putting together my first blog and posts, school took over my life and the blog died. School is wrapping up now and I have high hopes for exciting summer plans that I will be able to share with others. I have a goal to take more pictures and since I have a new iPhone with a pretty decent camera, I'm also hoping that goal will be realized. So stay tuned. Maybe someday this will be worth reading. :)