Yellowstone--a Driving Tour

While Mr B and i had done so much hiking in Yellowstone National Park and seen things that most of the thousands of people who pass through the park every year never see, we also recognized that there are some amazing sights right on the figure 8 road that loops through the park.

So on the last weekend of September we loaded up my mini with snacks and sandwiches, found the Sirius XM channels that would broadcast the BYU Football game in the morning and the LDS women's conference in the evening, grabbed a map of the park and took off.

Since both of us had done Old Faithful and the geyser basins in that area quite often, we focused mostly on the upper loop. i had a notepad ready to record all animal sightings.We went in the west entrance (through West Yellowstone) and headed north. We stopped at (you guessed it) the first waterfall that we drove past. We wandered the Norris Geyser Basin, stopping at the museum and to read up all about geysers, mud pots, springs and fumaroles.

Next was wandering around Mammoth Hot Springs. We were fascinated at all the little details.

After Mammoth, we cut across the top of the park (stopping at Undine Falls to eat lunch), visited Tower Falls and drove up into the Lamar Valley toward the NE entrance to the park.

Undine Falls

Mr B had never stopped at my favorite geothermal area, the Mud Volcano area, so we spent a large chunk of time there. i love the mud pots, the churning springs and the lakes that are as acidic as battery acid. Plus, Dragon's Mouth Spring never disappoints me.

The wildlife was wonderful throughout the entire trip. We spotted elk, antelope, deer and, of course, plenty of bison.

Pretty much as big as my car

Both of us wanted to spend some time at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Although we didn't take the staircase down to the bottom of the waterfalls, we enjoyed the Lower Falls from a spectacular look out point.

Mr B admiring the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone

Lower Falls

Oh those colors!

The background looks fake to me...but we were really there!

The last place on our list to spend some time was at Yellowstone Lake. Both of us had driven by it before, but neither of us had ever gone down to water's edge. Without advance planning, we ended up at the lake at exactly the perfect time. We were hungry and ready for dinner and decided to picnic at Sandy point, on the west side of the lake. Although the name should have clued us in, we had no idea that there was a gorgeous black sandy beach!

The best part is that there was ABSOLUTELY NO ONE else there. We couldn't believe that there in Yellowstone Park in September, right off of the Grand Loop Road, we found this heavenly place all to ourselves.

 We plopped down and enjoyed our picnic. Then it got even better! The sun started to set and the colors were pale and cotton candy like. And to top it all off, the full moon had risen and was reflecting across the glassy lake. Incoming picture explosion (because i just couldn't decide which was my favorite).

It was breathtaking. To the point that i got goosebumps all over. 

Standing there, with Mr B's arms around me, basking in the glorious earth on which we live, i felt the tears fall down my cheeks. i was overcome with gratitude--for Yellowstone, for where i live, for this world, for the chance that i had to share that moment with Mr B, for the love of my Heavenly Father.

Thank you, Yellowstone National Park, for an unbelievable summer.

A Reminder

Our divine nature has nothing to do with our personal accomplishments, the status we achieve, the number of marathons we run, or our popularity and self-esteem.

Our divine nature comes from God. It was established in an existence that preceded our birth and will continue on into eternity.

-Rosemary M. Wixom

LDS Primary General President

Picture taken by me at Lake Yellowstone right after listening to this talk

Normal Day

Dating Mr B is an adventure (and i honestly imagine that he would say dating ME is an adventure for him). Especially on weekends, we are all "GO GO GO!" If we aren't at a race, chances are that we are hiking. And not just a quick hike, but an all day, over 15 mile hike.

Speaking of which, Mr B and i ended August with a 17 mile hike into Yellowstone to see this beauty:

Union Falls

Pictures just cannot capture how large and majestic this is. It was a beautiful hike and we also had access to a swimming hole with a tiny 4 foot falls that we jumped off.

We enjoy adventuring, exploring, racing and traveling together. And although that does happen rather often for us (at least as long as the weather holds) they are not every day activities.

There are also the things that are not adventures, but also don't happen every day. Like spending a Saturday morning making jam, taking blankets just outside of town to watch meteor showers and lunar eclipses, heading to West Yellowstone for a show at the Playmill, or chasing lightening storms. i treasure the memories of these lovely moments.

But the meat of our still budding relationship is the everyday.

i find joy in preparing meals together every evening: trying new recipes, conquering the grocery store side by side, Mr B grilling while i chop veggies, bumping hips as we move around the small space, taste testing as we go, music drifting in the kitchen (sometimes causing us to stop and dance for a moment), racing to see if the dish dryer can finish faster than the dish washer, praying together and for each other before we eat and then enjoying our creation together.

There is happiness in sharing church services together: walking into the chapel and seeing Mr B's smile for the first time on Sunday, poking him if he dozes off, having his arm around me when the air conditioning makes me chilly, listening to his gorgeous voice sing the hymns, sharing thoughts about the talks and lessons with each other.

We build our relationship as we do a nightly checking: sharing our low point of the day, telling about our high moment, expressing our gratitude for at least one thing and testifying of one time during the day when we felt the Spirit or followed a prompting from God. The communication and vulnerability and listening is bonding and my day would feel incomplete without checking in with Mr B.

The little things are my favorite: snuggling on the couch together, running together, crying on Mr B's shoulder after a hard day, spending Sunday afternoons dining with his family, playing card games, reading A.A. Milne out loud to each other, standing out on my porch to watch the stars before saying goodnight, getting into tickle wars, emailing articles that we know the other would find interesting, discussing work projects together, finding excuses to swing by in the morning and get a kiss before the work day, calling each other "friend," watching favorite movies together, taking Sunday drives, learning to appreciate BYU football, meeting up at the temple, and curling up with our own respective books to have a "reading date."

i don't know how much time i will have with Mr B; there are no guarantees in either love or life. And so, i have decided to enjoy the normal days the most of all.

"Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. Let me hold you while I may, for it may not always be so." -Mary Jean Irion

Look like a beauty, train like a beast

Big Cottonwood Canyon was my favorite half marathon last year. This spring i convinced a few girl friends to run it with me. Since the race wasn't until September, we thought it would never come around...but it finally did. It was my last half marathon of the season.

We made matching shirts and planned a girls' weekend. But as the event drew closer, other plans cropped up and although all four of us were still planning on running, we weren't going to be able to travel down from Idaho to Utah together. So, last minute, Mr B decided to come to Utah with me and, if he was driving all the way down, he might as well compete too!

The five of us met up at race start and huddled together to stay warm. We talked about our goals for finishing and got all sorts of nervous and excited.

At race start

i ran the first mile with Mr B. Then i could feel him pulling and i knew that i could never keep up with him. So i said, "Go! Just go! i'll see you at the finish." And he was off like a shot.

i averaged a 8:20 min/mile pace for the first 10 miles. Two of my miles i finished in under 8 minutes! 

Then i hit mile 10 and wanted to die. Luckily, i didn't die, and somehow i kept moving (albeit much slower). i still finished in a record time for me at 1:54:56 averaging a 8:45 pace.

i love setting a new personal record 

My girlfriend finished just two minutes behind me, also setting a record for her fastest half marathon.

So many races with this girl! :)

Mr B pretty much tore it up. He finished in 1:32, keeping his mile average around a 7 minute mile. He finished 112th of about 2500 half marathoners. Man, was i proud of him!

With Speedy Mr B

Everyone was beaming at the end. It was so much fun to do something hard with so many good friends. i absolutely love that i can share my passion with people that are so important to me. And it was nice to have other people limping around for the next week so i didn't feel so alone in my pain :)

Mr B declined a team shirt...hahaha

Our shirts pretty much rock

Prayer

Keep me grounded.

Keep me thankful.

Keep me small.

ITC Run Idaho 2015

In a move of brilliant marketing, three races in my area hooked up together and offered something called the "Idaho Triple Crown." Anyone who ran all three races got an extra shirt, medal and, of course, bragging rights.

In June i ran the first one: Teton Dam Half Marathon in Rexburg.

i loved this one because it was through MY playground...where i do my training runs. It is just beautiful farm country.

My girlfriend ran the first 9-10 miles with me.

Then i picked up my pace and tore it up for the last three miles, finishing with miles a whole 1.5 minutes faster per mile than my first three miles.

Mr B wasn't at half marathon distances yet, so he ran the 10k. And he RAN it, coming in for 5th place and averaging just under 8 minute miles.

It is so fun to have friends to race with! Not only were my friends racing with me, but my mom, my little brother and Mr B's mother were waiting at the finish line and we had a huge celebratory breakfast after.

The next race was in July: M.A.D. Half Marathon in Idaho Falls.

i ran this one on my own. We started in the foothills to the east of Idaho Falls and were graced with a gorgeous sunrise at race start.

Because we had just done a 17 mile hike the day before, and because we were going on our long backpacking trip four days later, i told Mr B that i was just going to take it easy on the run.

Well, i didn't. i surprised myself by feeling my competitive side kick in and i ended up getting my second fastest time on a half marathon (30 seconds shy of making a personal record). When i saw Mr B at the finish line, i was ecstatic to announce that i made it under 2 hours.

The last one was just a couple days into September: Running the Gap Half Marathon in Pocatello.

i ran this one alone too and it was also the first time that i didn't have anyone at the finish line for me. It was a pretty course but it was a hard one for me. i had run my second full marathon just two weeks before that and then, the next weekend, Mr B and i had done another 17 mile hike (i haven't posted about that one yet).  i was pretty trashed. In fact, in August i had 95 running miles, 49.7 racing miles and 37 hiking miles. That will wear down a person's legs. 

So from the very get go, i started slower...averaging 9:30 min/miles. And then when the 15 mph headwind kicked in at mile 10, i dropped even slower, finishing with an average of 9:52 min/mile and a ending with a total time of 2:08:45 (a full 10 mins slower than IF!) But i was happy to have finished and very glad to be done!

My Idaho Triple Crown medal is pretty cool too! It says "ITC Run Idaho 2015" and lists the name and the dates of the three races.

So many races....so little summer! More pictures of races and hikes coming that i have yet to post about :)

Being 30 is like being 29...but older

Last week i left my twenties behind me.

A few months ago, i imagined a huge birthday bash with massive amounts of my friends. But as it grew closer, i realized that what i really loved (and wanted) was to share it with just those few people in Rexburg that are always there for me...and to spoil myself doing the things that i love the most.

So, of course, i started the day with a run. Mr B joined me and we watched the sun rise as we ran through the rolling farmland just east of town. On our way back to town, he stopped to pick me a birthday bouquet of wildflowers.

Instead of rushing into the office, i took the time to soak in the bubble bath and whittle away on the stack of books i'm currently reading. It was a relaxing morning.

Per their usual, my employees had gone all out for my birthday. My office was calf-high in balloons, there were streamers every which way, and the desk was covered in ribbons and cards. Not only that, but they had organized a potluck lunch with delicious food and a decadent chocolate fudge and strawberry cake.

i received so many texts and calls from my friends and family who live far away. Even my nephew (who is *almost* here) sent well wishes! This snapchat makes me ridiculously happy:

{i think she is the cutest pregnant lady ever}

After work i curled up on my floor in the patch of sun shining through my sliding door and read and napped until dinner time. Then it was time to head to Mr B's. And i was greeted with this view on the grill:

He is the grillmaster

We put on my Spotify "Happy" playlist and worked together to prepare some delicious peach-kissed burgers to go along with the jalapeno poppers, corn on the cob and pineapple that were already on the grill.

A few more of our closest friends came to enjoy dinner, games and the delicious cake that Mr B prepared.

Nice candle placement :)

After cake, i opened a stack of cards from my family and Mr B's family and giggled my way through a book that my girlfriend picked up for me when she was in England last month.

The night ended curled up on the couch next to Mr B, reveling in the day, making hiking plans for the weekend, laughing and enjoying one another's company.


A friend asked me how i felt about turning 30. After much thought i realized that i am in better shape physically, emotionally, and spiritually than i ever have been. If that's how i'm starting my third decade of life, then i say...


BRING ON THE THIRTIES