No hike today

There was no hike today, my friends. The reason being I had a migraine all day, which just went away about an hour and a half ago. I really do hate these things. It makes my life miserable, and it's so frustrating not being able to do what I planned on doing because of it. Poor Zack felt bad, even though he assured me he was fine with it. I told him we would go on Tuesday and take Jelly (my mom's dog) with us. I feel bad for him too. I enjoy his company and love doing things with him. He's like my right hand man! That kid is just awesome! So I felt really bad today that I had to cancel on him since I knew that he was really looking forward to it (he even called me on Friday afternoon to check and make sure we were still going). So, Tuesday after we go on a hike I should have more pictures to post and better things to update you on. I don't know how long the hike will be, but we should be able to hike for about an hour or so. I'm going to pick him up after work around 4:30 pm and then we'll drive to Rabbit Mountain and hike from there. If we get there around 5:00 pm then we should have a good couple of hours to hike before the sun goes down. I'll keep you all informed!

Potentially Bad News

So most of you are aware that I went on a hike on Saturday for about 45 minutes, and will be going on a much longer hike this weekend (I'm talking two or three hours). Well, there is some potentially bad news with this new goal of mine. See, I'm kind of allergic to the sun. If I am in the sun for longer than 15 minutes I tend to break out in little blisters all over my arms and legs, or whatever part of my skin is actually out in the sun. James likes to call them sun spots. "Look at my arms James," I say to him after I have been in the sun that day. "Oh! You have sun spots all over your arms." He replies. It makes me laugh really, and helps me not feel like some sort of leper with an infectious disease. At any rate, after the hike on Saturday my arms started to break out and I have spent every day since slathering prescription medicine on them followed by lotion in order to prevent them from turning into something worse than what they already are. The "sun spots" are little water blisters that burn, itch, and otherwise wreak havoc on my skin. Then they pop and turn into scars or truly painful sores. Ok, maybe I am getting a little too detailed for some of you, but I wanted to paint the picture. I have been trying to take care of this in the hopes it will all be well again by Saturday just so I can do the same thing again next week. I have tried applying sunscreen, lotion, wearing protective layers (which is extremely bothersome considering it is hot outside) and other sorts of remedies but to no avail. And the downside of having the effective prescription medication is that it thins my skin, making it even more pleasant for when the contact with the sun occurs. Ok, I just wanted you all to know that my weekly hikes might need to be adjusted due to this new problem, but I will keep you all informed. :)

Hiking Trip - Week 1

Today was the first day of my spring and summer hikes and I must say it was a rousing success! I was nervous about how I would handle the difficulty of hiking after having been away from it so long. I am happy to report that I did much better than I expected! Zack and I had a blast! From the moment we stepped out of the car I was pumped. I had honestly forgotten what it feels like to be out amongst nature, to be one with the goodness that is this Earth, and to appreciate God's beauty.

The weather was perfect for our first hike as well. The sun was shining, but it wasn't too hot. The wind was blowing a gentle breeze against our faces as if encouraging us to continue onward. The worn, yet still rugged trail was full of rocks and surprisingly pleasant travelers. I was impressed with how the prospect of being outside in the natural environment brings out such friendliness in people. Everyone...every single person we came by smiled and said hello. There is something to be said about people like that. I think those who suggest there are no more niceties in the world should go take a hike...literally! It makes a person feel good, wanted, appreciated, and supported.

The hike was thrilling, mostly because it was a straight incline to get to the summit (well, what we called the summit before the trail split two ways) and the path was uneven. That is what made the hike so fantastic though. On one side of us was a steep mountainside, and the other a slopping meadow full of wildlife. We could hear dozens of birds in the bushes, and saw loads of grasshoppers (which I personally cannot stand), bees, and cacti. I was especially impressed with Zack's knowledge of his surroundings. He told me all about the different types of rocks we passed, and even paused to show me some examples. It was refreshing to see him so excited and appreciative of nature when he has interests in other things that most 11-year-old boys do such as skateboarding, swimming, and riding his bike.

The only problem with the hike today was that we really didn't have enough time. We were only able to hike for about 45 minutes and it really didn't leave any time for hiking further than we did. Next week we will be taking this same trail to the summit and then branching off to the Little Thompson River trail. It should be fun. We are taking my families' dog Jelly Bean as well. She's a black Chinese pug and completely full of energy, so it will be a blast! I'll put more pictures on here next week of our adventures. For now, I am completely exhausted so I must sleep. Good night everyone!

My New Adventure

I like creating new, simple goals that I can achieve without feeling completely overwhelmed at the larger ones I set and don't ever achieve. (I know you are all shaking your heads right now in agreement with me as you reminisce about past goals that fall into this very category!) So this time I have decided to go a little bigger and set a goal that I can work on each weekend through the spring and the summer. And that new goal is...I am going hiking!! :)

That's right! I have decided to go hiking on a new trail every Saturday and take pictures. I will post those pictures and a little blurb about my adventures each week to share with all of you the beauty that is Colorado. I'm going to start this new adventure tomorrow and continue each Saturday until my last hike which will be November 1, 2008. Tomorrow my little brother Zack is coming with me. He is super excited about it, and so am I. I think he might be a frequent traveler with me on my hikes each Saturday.

Some of you may be asking what has prompted this new goal of mine. You may be thinking to yourself, why would she want to go hiking? There are plenty of other things to do on a Saturday during the summer. Well, to those of you who may be thinking this, here is my answer: I love the mountains, and I think it's pretty ridiculous that I have lived in Colorado for over eight years and have only been to the mountains once or twice. I used to work in the mountains of Southern California and loved being in the crisp mountain air. I was close to nature, and enjoyed the peacefulness of the experience. I miss that and I have been reminded of that much more lately for no specific reason. That's when I decided to do this each week. I really am excited about it!

So bring on the water bottles and granola bars! I am ready to leave my footprints on some mountain soil and capture the moments in photographs to share with each of you. Keep an eye out for the updates!!

My Nieces truly are Princesses!

On Sunday James and I had a wonderful visit with my sister-in-law Ashley and her three little girls. I've heard her and my brother talk about how their girls think they are little princesses, and I am here to tell you all that it is true! These beautiful girls are so full of sugar and spice and everything nice that it makes me think whoever wrote that poem must have known my nieces would come into this world, and created that poem as a tribute to them. They were so fun to play with, talk to, and share excitement in such little things that others would consider trivial.

They all came over in the afternoon when the sun was shining brightly into our apartment. There was a cool breeze blowing so I had the sliding glass door open to let in some fresh air. After a couple of hours the sun became too much, so I walked over and closed the door and the blinds. Sweet little Brooklyne, with all the innocence and gratitude she could muster, looked at me and said "Oh, thank you!" I had to laugh. She's three years old, but definitely appreciates the coolness of shade upon her beautiful face.

After dinner the girls wanted to watch a movie. So we pulled out all the movies I own and had a grand time of deciding which one to watch. The girls were ecstatic to see that I had Beauty and the Beast. Brooklyne couldn't wait to watch it; she was so excited. Madison, however, stuck out her bottom lip in the most heart-melting pout you have ever seen and said "You don't have Cinderella? I wanted to watch a princess movie." Again, I had to laugh. Of all the movies I have (and mind you, I have quite a bit - especially kid friendly movies) she was sad that we didn't have Cinderella. But she handled herself so gracefully as she quickly beamed a bright smile and joined her younger sister on the couch to watch the one movie Ashley told me they didn't have. At least they were happy.

And so was James when Ashley and I went into the study to work on some new blog templates (keep an eye out for some updates soon) and he was able to play with the girls and get them good and tired out. They wrestled, they ran, they screamed for joy, and they made a genuine ruckus! But it was so fun to hear them all laughing together. Ashley and I got to play with Tristan who, I am convinced, does not know what crying is...though Ashley tries to assure me otherwise. I have never seen a happier baby! And all I wanted to do was play with her and make her laugh so I could see her beautiful blue eyes twinkle so fiercely. I wish they didn't have to go, because I truly consider that Sunday to be one of the best days I have had in a very long time.

The dreams I once had

I remember well the dreams I used to have as a kid for what I wanted to be when I grew up, and what I wanted my life to be like. At first I wanted to be a doctor to help others overcome sickness and pain, and to bring happiness into the world. Then, as I started to realize how being a doctor was not always a good thing, I changed my mind and decided I wanted to be a singer.

I learned how to sing thanks in no small part to my older sister who decided one day she had had enough of my feeble attempt at singing, and so she punched me right in the stomach. Of course it was a shock, and not at all the way I imagined learning how to sing would be. I clearly remember her standing over me, ignoring my efforts to gain my breath and snubbing my evil stares in her direction as she proudly said, "Now that's how you should sing; from your stomach!" I wanted to kick her, but in that moment I knew she was absolutely right. So I started to sing and was certain my future would be on the stage in front of hundreds of thousands of people. Sadly, somewhere in between my junior year in high school and about ten years ago I realized I would never be able to have the singing career I thought I wanted. So I gave up on that dream, though I still sing today.

Now, every once in a while I hear the faint whisperings of what could have been, where I could be, and what I could have been doing and to be honest it makes me long for times past. I have had so many dreams that I thought I would follow; so many tales I was sure I was going to tell. It's hard to let go, really. It's hard to consciously choose to go down a different path, confident you will never see the dream again. It's hard to turn away. But you do. Maybe it's because you know you should. Maybe it's because you have to.

Tonight I realized another dream that I won't be able to achieve. It is time for me to lay this dream to rest, and focus on the things I have yet to create dreams for. Dreams don't have to be grand visions of the ultimate successes in one's life. They are the small and simple things, the large and beautiful, the weak and mild. They are what we set our hearts on and what we reach our hands out for. They are what keep us going day in and day out.

I honestly feel that if we give up on our dreams then we give up on ourselves. May the Lord bless you all to know what dreams to pursue, and what dreams to lay down...and may you have the courage to do both.

Just a note

Today I had the pleasure of listening to general conference, and once again it lifted my spirits and showed me things I could be doing better. James and I have a goal to not watch so much TV, so this week we have planned to not watch TV until Saturday night when we intend to watch our only favorite show via the Internet - Eli Stone.

For any of you who have yet to see this show, you really should watch it. It's about a lawyer (Eli) who gets visions and sees things that no one else sees. Most of them are rather silly, really and almost all of them involve George Michael in one way or another. Turns out he is having these visions due to a brain aneurysm in an inoperable part of his brain; the same condition his father had though he (Eli) thought it was due to his father being an alcoholic. At any rate, it's on abc.com and I highly recommend it. I'm sure I'll be speaking of this show more often.

Today in its entirety was pretty good. I got to spend the day with James talking about dreams and goals, and listening to modern day prophets and apostles speak. How can that be a bad thing?

Success!

Well I did it. I know the day isn't over yet, but I'm chocking this one up as a success. As you may (or may not) know, I decided to spend the day thinking good thoughts, not complaining, and not being a burden on my fellow co-workers. I think it was a good experience that everyone should try at some point in their lives. There were two things that were most surprising to me during this challenge: 1. I was really quiet, and 2. I think negative thoughts more than I actually thought I did. Case in point for number two. I drive into the parking lot at work today and there is a an employee walking up to the building. When he hears my car, he turns around and looks right at me. Most people would just look away, or smile. However, in my mind I thought, "Yes?! What are you looking at?!" and I was honestly mad that he would even look at me. What a great start to the day, right? Not so, my friends. I immediately shook my head, cleared out the bad thoughts, and decided to say something nice about him in my mind, "That shirt looks good on him." It made me feel better.

That's how most of my day went. Only once did I say something mean about someone (I called some people "dorks") and even then I changed my words. It was a good lesson in being conscious of what I really think and say. I think I'll try this more often. It's like a fast for the mind. :)

Two good things that happened to me today. First, when my husband came home I told him about how hard I worked at being positive and not complaining. Then I told him (albeit jokingly) that I was starting to get a buildup of negative things because of it. He immediately got up, didn't even hesitate, came over and gave me a great big hug. He said "I know exactly how to get rid of that buildup. I'll just hug you until it subsides." So sweet!! And the second thing was when two separate people called me to tell me they saw me driving past them and they wanted to say hello. Very nice. I kind of like days like this.

A New Goal (for tomorrow)

I think I complain too much. Anyone who knows me knows this to be true (though they may be nice and try to assure me otherwise). However, I know this about myself. I see it in the expression of my co-worker who is already stressed to the max with his own duties and gives me that half-paying-attention look. I know I should stop, but I just have to get out whatever the immediate frustration is, so I complain, and in some instances I think I bring him down. Now, don't get me wrong. Venting is a perfectly appropriate thing to do every once in a while. I have noticed that I "vent" more often than any person should. The other day I heard another one of my co-workers talking about one of the employees who seemed to complain about everything the company was doing. He complained to everyone and would comment about how he should just retire (he's an older man). The co-worker said to us "Geez. I would hate to be that old and be that disgruntled about my job." It cut me. It cut me real deep.

So I have decided that tomorrow I am going to try to go through the whole day without complaining about anything. And I mean anything. I am going to find nice things to say (if I can't say them already), I'm going to think good thoughts (instead of the negative ones that are there more often than not), and I'm going to try my best to not bring my co-worker down. I understand this is going to be a challenge, but it is a challenge I really need so I can see just how much I complain in a day, and if I am strong enough to change my thoughts and words. I'll let you all know how it goes.

Oh, and my good thing for today...when I got into work I noticed that someone had changed my calendar over to the month of April for me. I know it's not the greatest thing in the world to most people, but I couldn't help but think that it was such a nice gesture, and it made me smile every time I looked at it. Good things do not always have to be on a grand scale. :)