...like it's my birthday

It was my birthday, shout hooray!

Saturday night my dear friend Camilla threw me an unforgettable party. We went up the canyon and made tin foils dinners, and had cake and s'mores! Cake AND s'mores?! Yes! I told you it was unforgettable. While we were waiting for the tin foil dinners to cook we pulled out a couple of guitars and sang some tunes. I don't think that there is any way I could have been happier. The weather was perfect, the food was divine, we had live music all night long, I was surrounded by the greatest friends in the world, and we all smelled like campfire. I could not have asked for anything more.

In fact, I didn't feel like I could ask for anything more. I was perfectly content to be done with my birthday celebrating. Besides, it couldn't get any better than Saturday.

Well, it kinda actually did get better...I was chatting with a good friend on Sunday and he asked what I was doing for my birthday. "Work and FHE.", I replied. He pretty much told me that I was silly for not doing more, and that we could easily arrange to have some more celebrating on the actual day of my birth. I was ok with that idea. So, I sent out the call - and it was answered. I invited a lot of people (mostly because I love a lot of people), but also because I wanted to make sure someone showed up, as it was last minute invite and my popular friends prolly already had plans. And guess what?! People came. Lots of people. To celebrate me! I feel so very loved! We all went to Applebees and had appetizers and just told stories, laughed, and enjoyed each other's company. It was PERFECT.

It wasn't anything crazy or complicated. It was just good quality time with some of the most incredible people who have ever graced the face of the planet. Wow, I am one very lucky girl.

I don't think that I have had a birthday party to rival this one since I turned ten and we got to stay at the pool all night for midnight swim and then had a big slumby at my house.

Many thanks to everyone who made this birthday one of the very best ever!

Special thanks to Tracy and Jess for the photos, and to Camilla for awesome party!

COMMUTE!

I am now an official commuter. I drive about 90 miles every day to go to my internship and it is fun. So. fun. Remember how I said that the commute would be the hardest part. I was right. But I am doing everything that I can to make it a positive experience. Like I said, on the way into work I listen to two or three conference talks, but then I just take some time to think. Don't get me wrong, I am thinking ALL the time - it is a hard thing to turn off. But I rarely take the time to just sit and think. It is a little hard to avoid when you are in the car though, in the car there is no one else around, and distractions are incredibly easy to mange. So, it's just me - me and my thoughts. I haven't spent this much time with myself for a long time. It might take some time to get used to so much of my own quiet company. I think I like it. I think I have needed it for a long time.

On the way home I have been listening to The Help. I LOVE it. It might have made me cry a little bit on my way in this morning. Almost done. Any suggestions for a good audio book? The great thing about a good book, is that at the end of the day I actually look forward to sitting in the car for an hour. I can do this. I can!

Oh, and today I may have sweetened the commute just a tiny bit with a hot chocolate from Hatch Family Chocolates. If you haven't ever had their hot chocolate you should go get one right now. I am not kidding, drop what you are doing and go get one. It is rainy and cold, and there is nothing to cure the rainy day blues like a hot chocolate dialysis.

I am really ready for the sun to come out again, by the way. I love this weather in April, but news flash Mother Nature, it isn't April anymore! Now that I am spending 2 hours a day in the car I am finding it very difficult to get up in the early morning to run. (Any ideas of how to make an invention that lets you work out and drive at the same time?) I mean, the morning and I don't get along super well anyway, but rainy early mornings?! This is really testing everything I have. So, universe, if you are listening, my life would be a lot easier if you would send me a little sunshine. Just sayin. Thanks.

Internship!

So, I mentioned in my last post, but did not elaborate on the fact that I HAVE A SUMMER INTERNSHIP! I say this in all capital letters because I was honestly worried that it would never happen. That part is a very long story, but let's just say that I am incredibly grateful, and I feel incredibly blessed. I am working for the Anne Stirba Cancer Foundation in Salt Lake. The foundation raises money for the Hunstman Institute to support breast cancer research. We will be putting together a 5k, working on a gala with the Hunstman Institute, and putting on a concert starting none other than Amy Grant. Oh yes, I give you permission to be jealous.

I am actually the second official employee the foundation has ever had. They just hired an executive director in December, and besides that, the law firm that the owner of the foundation owns has been taking care of everything. It is a great time to be a part of things, because I am treated like a normal employee, rather than just a silly little intern. There will be much to do, but also much to learn. I can't wait.

The biggest difficulty will be the commute. What an adventure. However, with general conference talks on podcast (hello, morning devo!) and some rockin' audiobooks, I should be able to make it just fine. It is only 4 months. It is only 4 months. Honestly, I am just grateful. Only a few weeks ago I didn't see how any of this was going to work out, and now, here I am. Did I mention that I feel very blessed?

Oh, and ps! The best news of the day?! Our last grade finally posted - I passed my stats class! Hooray!

Buster Keaton and the Race for the Cure

I have an internship! I am a real live, official, summer-interning grad student! I will be working with the Anne Stirba Cancer Foundation in Salt Lake. We will be planning fundraising events to raise money for the Hunstman Institute to support breast cancer research. I feel like it is going to be a perfect fit for me, and I feel incredibly blessed to be there.

Being up in Salt Lake proved helpful this weekend, as I was able to go pick up everyone's packets for the Race for the Cure! Kate, HRH, The Blur and I all decided to stay up in Salt Lake Friday night so we wouldn't have to get up at the crack of dawn to take Trax up to the race. So, I picked up all of our race packets after work and then headed over to The Organ Loft to meet the ladies for a silent movie. We saw Buster Keaton in "Our Hospitality". I think that the last time I went to a silent movie with a live organist was well more than a decade ago. We had a great time. The movie was surprisingly entertaining and well-paced. And of course, the organist was nothing short of a rock star. The venue was appropriately kitschy. The organ is bright purple and sparkley and is framed by a very classy neon green light up boarder. The audience was appropriately populated with a majority of geriatric patrons, but we all laughed together and had a wonderful time.

After the movie we went to Diva's. It is an ADORABLE cupcake place on 3300 s that has the most delightful deck with lots of cozy nooks for sitting, flowers and one great big magical tree with big lanterns hanging in it. When I grow up, I anticipate that my backyard will look exactly like Diva's.

Saturday morning we all got up, dressed in our matching running outfits and headed over to the race. There really is nothing quite like running with 16,000 of your closest friends. The greatest part of the race for me was the gradual incline that I remembered as a rather daunting hill from last year's race. I think I might just be a better runner than I was last year. Hooray!

I really do love this race. It is incredible to see all of the supporters who wear matching t-shirts, fairy wings, and boas, and sport messages of encouragement, love or even pictures of breast cancer survivors. The Race for the Cure is an awesome event and I am proud to have been a part of it again.

SUMMER!

I did it! I survived! Not being in school is a very interesting thing. I have been fighting an immense feeling of guilt that tells me I should be working on school work nonstop.

But I shouldn't be.

So, I have been fighting back.

Here are the highlights of my summer so far:

I read a book just for fun

I went to the zoo

I went fishing

I got a sunburn

I slept past 9 o'clock

I stayed out till 4am

I "hiked" up to Bridal Veil Falls

I signed up for an improv class

I spent a lovely windy afternoon out at Utah Lake

I visited Yogurtland about 1 million times

AND I have spent several days doing almost nothing

It has been lovely.

In other news, our ward boundaries changed again. We are going to be smaller. We have added some great people and it is so good to see the ward coming together to welcome them. I feel really good about it. In short, I feel really good about life. Being free from school is fabulous. Whoever invented summer break should get a free ticket to heaven. Thanks summer break inventor!

Still alive. Almost there.

This last week has been...intense.

Incredibly intense.

I have been existing in three places; my couch, a cubicle at school, and my bed. My finals are giving it their all to try and defeat me and my computer has recently decided to turn off every now and again just for fun. Yikes.

However! In the midst of all of this I have managed to squeeze in an adventure or two. I don't want to miss out on sharing them, and I would love to include all of the epic details here, but I should be working on my stats final right now, so I am just going to post a picture or two and call it good.

Adventure 1

Friday was our MPA closing social. We had a very exciting (albeit incredibly long) murder mystery dinner. I would like to say here and now that I guess every detail of the crime. Maybe I should quit public service and go into criminal investigation. Speaking of leaving public service, it is very possible that I won the most INCREDIBLE award ever at this closing social. At the end of the night they gave away a couple of superlative awards and I won:

*drum roll please*

Most likely to leave public service and become a stand-up comedian!

I was very happy. Not that I would rather be making people laugh than be working countless hours on my stats and accounting finals...but I would rather be out making people laugh.
Adventure 2

On Saturday Camilla and I decided to take on the Salt Lake Marathon after all. We both "trained" for the half-marathon and we both got injured in the process. However, we were not to be defeated. Camilla ran the half and I had to settle for the 5k. She was a rock star. I was just glad to be out and running again. I went out for a run the day before and it was the first time I had run in 5 WEEKS. But I am back in the game folks. Or I will be, once finals are over...

Anyway, tomorrow is stats day. Pray for me.

No really, pray for me. Please.

Getting Down the Mountain

A couple of months ago I went snowboarding with some friends. I had only been snowboarding once before, and was nervous and excited to try it again. You see, it had been about 4 years since I had been and I was a little worried about getting back on a snowboard after all that time. So when I told my friends that I had been only once before I thought that communicated how inexperienced I was, but somehow the only thing that translated to the group that I was with was "I have been snowboarding before". So, after getting suited up, surviving the chair lift, and scooting to the top of the run, I found myself alone *gasp* at the top of the mountain....um, bunny hill...whatever.

My friends weren't very far away, but I was alone. And I didn't know what I was doing. I sat by myself in the snow, not daring to stand up because I knew I would fall. Somewhere inside I knew that I had already done this, that I was capable, that I could make it down this mountain, but I just couldn't remember how. The danger seemed too great - whether the injury was to my body or my pride, I didn't think I could take it.

Well, one of our crew eventually noticed that I was sitting paralyzed at the top of the mountain and hopped back over to me to find out what was going on. I almost started crying. I knew how ridiculous I was being, but this seemed so insurmountable on my own. He smiled and told me I was being silly, that I was more than capable, and then reminded me of the simple things I had forgotten that would get me down in one piece. I took heart, dried my frozen tears, and took off down the mountain.

After about 3.5 seconds I face planted in the snow.

My pride was mortally wounded, but I was not. So I picked myself back up, and took off again, leaving my wounded pride behind me. (This was a very good idea and I tumbled down the mountain for most of that run) But by time I got the bottom of that mountain...um...hill, I was feeling pretty good. I did it. I survived! I went back for more!

Do you see where I am going with this?

School is almost over, but this bunny hill of finals seems like an awfully big mountain right now. I am sitting here at the top of this mountain and once again I am paralyzed. I don't know if I can do this. I don't know if I can complete everything that is required of me. I am scared. I know I shouldn't be, I know that I am capable, but it is just tough to shake.

But you know what? I am going to try. I have already face planted a couple of times, so there is no reason to worry about pride. I just need to keep getting up when I fall and enjoy those incredible moments when everything is as it should be. I just need to enjoy the ride. I can't wait to get to the bottom and realize that I did it - that I survived.

Another 2 weeks and I will wonder what I was so worked up about. I am really looking forward to seeing the bottom of this hill.