This girl...

Shaunee has moved out to Tennessee, 

to bigger and better things.

I'm beyond ecstatic and supportive for her.
Doesn't mean I have to like it.

We met in 2006 when we were both working at Target.  

Things were never the same since...

One of the best roommates I've ever had.

 Many, many trips to Zions.

And many other outdoor adventures in Southern Utah.

She makes some bomb enchiladas...

Even when she moved up to West Valley, and before I moved from St. George,

we still found each other.

And when she moved to Price, we still found each other.

When "we" found out that she was going to be making the move out east last year, 

we made more effort for some just us adventures... 

 The Lake Powell Trip

The City of Rocks Adventure

 Music and the Spoken Word trips

The #TNWarmUpAdventures

The inside jokes we still laugh about,

the everyday reminders,

her strange obsession with cows,
how she instantly becomes friends with everyone she meets,

the heart-to-hearts we can have in less than a minute,
and everything else that comes in best-friend form.
She's also basically the female version of Derek,
or is it that Derek is the male version of her?
That's how awesome this girl is.
(Don't make it weird... geeze)

45.41%

So these books have some travel in them.. but mostly adventure!

Ender's Game (The Ender Quintet #1) by Orson Scott Card

Pg.324

I have already read this book before, but we started reading it as a class so it counts.

I'd like to think I had a hand in the English teacher picking this book, I had been telling him about the Red Rising Trilogy and how book one is like Enders Game & Hunger Games all rolled into one.  Anyways, this has been a great book for this age group to be reading, it opens a lot up to discussion, and we've had some interesting discussions indeed! 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/375802.Ender_s_Game

****

Firefight (The Reckoners #2) by Brandon Sanderson

Pgs. 416

TWIST!!!

It finally came out in January of this year, and I had been on the waiting list at the library for quite some time (had to wait for the library to get a copy which felt like forever! Just like Golden Son!!!)

And now... another book I have to wait a YEAR for! 

Book 3 better be worth the wait...

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15704459-firefight

****

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

Pgs. 416

Written in the manner a lot like Unbroken, this story mainly tells the tale of one crew rower and how he had it on the team that made it to the 1936 Olympics.  It also takes a moment here and there to let you know what was going on in Hitler's Germany at that time.  It was a great story! Kinda slow in some parts but now I find myself wanting to watch rowing regattas... and I kept looking up the Reich Sports Field.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16158542-the-boys-in-the-boat

****

Here's the book trailer:

And here's the footage:

That Risen Snow: A Scary Tale of Snow White & Zombies (Scary Tales #1) by Rob E. Boley

Pgs. 248

Free ebook.

Waste of time. Don't read it.

I think I could have written a better story when I was 10.

It felt like torture reading this book, I kept hoping it would get better.  But it didn't.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21845757-that-risen-snow

* (Only because Goodreads doesn't let you give 0)

Odd Thomas (Odd Thomas #1) by Dean Koontz

Pgs. 446

My first Dean Koontz book.

Was not disappointed! It's been a while since I've read a mystery type book and it was wonderful to get away from the teeny books for a while! Bonus part is that I found out they made a movie about this book and the library has it.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14995.Odd_Thomas

****

The Crown in the Heather (The Bruce Trilogy #1) by N. Gemini Sasson

Pg. 298

Another free ebook!

So Braveheart has basically ruined any reading of Scottish-related stories for me.

That and how unfamiliar I am with all the Scottish lingo of castles and places.

It was still a nice historical fiction, with what I'm guessing is with great artistic license, that was a rather easy read.  I don't think I'll be reading the last two books however. 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8437633-the-crown-in-the-heather

***

11,475 + 2,148 = 13,623 Total Pages/ 30,000

31 + 6 = 37 Total Books

45.41%

Strawberry MMIIILLLKKSSHHAAKKEEE!!!!!

The River Relay

51 miles- 3 counties

Starting in Roy at the Denver Rio Grande Trail system

then to Legacy Trail system

then on the Jordan River Trail system

to finish at Gardner Village.

Team Defiantly Competitive

In running order;

Me-JeNae-Lacey-Dave

Early morning selfie

 Finished first leg, Lacey getting GU'd up for her first leg

 I'm done!
That last leg was hot, very hot.
I walked in every little bit of shade I came across on the parkway.
And somehow I still managed to finish under an hour.
JeNae wasn't ready, I came in yelling for her, even friends from the other teams were yelling to get her attention.
They were busy taking selfies lol
You can say a got a little sun that day.

 We're all done!

 Waiting on Dave to finish.

Finishing time: 3:46 pm
Team finish 8th overall.

Celebratory dinner at Cheesecake factory.

Lacey was very tired. VERY TIRED.
So when she asked for a strawberry milkshake, it came out more like a drunk sailor asking for more whiskey.
When the waiter came back with the drink, it was really in fact a smoothie and Lacey was going to have none of that.
Lacey finally got her milkshake.

MMMIIILLLKKKSSSHHHAAAKKKEEEE!!!!!!!!

I had such a blast with this crazy group!

4 out of 12

April...

Ragnar's favorite sleeping spot...  at the end of the bed

Me and JeNae took our mom to get Mani/Pedi's.

It was our Christmas gift to her.

Spring Season of Soccer has Started!

Played indoor soccer for the first time in 3 years.

Didn't even ruin my pedicure! 

I "babysat" some teenagers one weekend. Basically I was just being the responsible adult at the house during the night & drive up the car load to the Grizzly Invite.  The last night we had a fire with some of the kids from the team and the kids made me S'mores.
Easiest gig ever.

This was funny..

My dad took his fantasy soccer seriously.
Yes, one of his teams is beating mine.

It Snowed.

 Ragnar Loved It.

Tried some interesting ice cream flavors at Baskin Robins.
Wasn't disappointed.

Tis the season of family walks!!!

 Took Dad to his first Monarch's game.. well his first game at RioT ever!

 It was a down-pour!!

 Jaxson was obsessed...

Aren't they the cutest?

#TNWarmUpAdventures... Day 3

The Final Day...
San Rafael Swell

First Stop:
The Wedge aka the Little Grand Canyon!

It was just us at the two different overlooks.

It was so peaceful.

(Photo Cred: Shaunee)

Second Stop:

Checking out all the various Morrison Knudsen Tunnels.

We were all sad we couldn't go inside any of the tunnels.

Third Stop:

The petroglyphs were vandalize by someone who traced chalk over them to make the glyphs "stand out" more. 

Fourth Stop:

The Buckhorn Wash Petroglyph Panel

Nature is the number one threat to this panel.

Very scenic drive of the Swell... the BLM guy we talked to earlier in the morning would be proud of us.

Way cool dirt devil, however it died by the time I got my camera out.

Fith Stop:

The San Rafael Swing Bridge.

So. freaking. COOL!

Of course Ragnar ran across the bridge to get to the river.

She was a happy puppy.

Sixth Stop:

Seventh Stop:

Ghost Rock

SOOOO...

Take two on looking for the Black Dragon Panel and Head of Sindbad Panel.

We couldn't find either.

But we found these panel's instead.

Still pretty cool even though it got super windy and dirt got everywhere.

EVERYWHERE.

Ragnar selfie we sent to Derek.

It was a great trip!  
I am so happy and lucky to have been able to spend these few days with my best friend before she starts her new chapter out East. 
I'm going to miss her something fierce.