part 3....hope everyone enjoys these adventures!!

The last few days of my adventure with my parents took place in some really cool places. On that Thursday in June we went to the Oregon coast. My one spot that I really wanted to see was Depoe Bay, OR that is the whale watching spot of the coast. So we left Portland early and went on Hwy 18 towards Lincoln City and down to Newport. Depoe Bay is in the middle of those 2 cities. We stopped at the Factory Outlets in Lincoln City. In Depoe Bay, we went out on a boat called the Morning Star and tried to see some whales, but there was a storm coming in so we just enjoyed being out on the Pacific Ocean. Whale Watching is really an amazing thing to do, but I will just have to go do it again since I would love to see an Orca Whale out in the wild. We drove down the coast and saw Devil's Punchbowl, and Cape Foulweather. Then we drove up the coast to the Tillamook Cheese Factory and back to Portland.

The next day we traveled up to Seattle. My sister wanted to see Washington State University so that was the purpose of our trip up there. It is a school that I could go to for pharmacy school, but I just don't think that is where I need to be. Then we had the chance to go up the Space Needle which was celebrating it's 50th anniversary. My mom reminded me that the last time we went up to the top it celebrated it's 30th anniversary. It was just as amazing to be up at the top and see for miles. We also went by the Seattle temple (the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) and I had forgotten there was one there.

Then sadly enough we had to leave Portland, but we stopped at some of the waterfalls along the way out of the gorge. We didn't hike to any of them since we didn't have much time and my ankle was sore enough that I knew it would be a bad idea. We stayed the night in Pendleton, OR and then continued on the rest of the way to Pocatello, ID on the next day. Thus ended our great vacation!

 The next great part of the summer was my adventures to Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park. I was given a couple of days off in a row, so I decided it was time to go on a mini vacation. I ended up going by myself since my sister had to work. It was really neat to see so many things there, but I definately didn't have enough time to see everything that I wanted too. Oh well, guess I will just have to go back again. I took so many pictures on these adventures that I can't possibly post even a portion of the good ones so enjoy the few that are on here. :)

May thru August adventures...Part 2

So this is the tree that I thought I could climb. I had my hands in the right spot and put my foot on the tree and pushed up, when my foot slid down. Yet the rest of the day I was walking on it as we went from place to place seeing all kinds of really cool things.


 This is the Pittock Mansion which is in Portland near Washington Park. We could have gone inside for a tour, but chose not to. There were still so many things that we wanted to see anyway.

 After seeing the Pittock Mansion we went over to Washington Park. We went through the international Rose test gardens where we saw all sorts of roses. This one to the right is a chocolate rose. It was a really pretty looking rose. The one on the far right is a statue that is new to the gardens. The statues arm is behind me so I could look like I was wearing his hat. Here are only 2 pictures that I took since I really can't add all the pictures that were taken from me and my family.
Here is my sister and my mom under an archway that was made of roses.

 

Since my arm is long enough, I took a picture of all three of us in the rose gardens. It turned out pretty good too.

 The next place we went was the Japanese Gardens. This little guy was at the entrance and I just had to have a picture next to it. I think he is a pretty cool statue. Inside the garden you can see a Tea house and garden area, a zig-zag bridge, and as seen below- heavenly falls and lower pond. I love this picture of the falls. I am sitting down on a rock, since my right ankle was hurting some.

 We continued through the garden by walking through a natural garden and next to the sand and stone garden. The sand and stone garden reminds me of The Next Karate Kid when she has to jump kick from one rock to another. In honor of the karate kid, my sister is posing with a karate kick and since she is doing it towards me I just had to pull a frowny face.... :(

  We drove out of Washington Park and headed back home so I could put ice on my ankle. The next day we did some shopping and then with our parents we walked up a trail to Larch Mountain. It was there that we could see 5 volcanoes that are in Washington and Oregon. Since it was a pretty clear day we could actually see all of them. It took me a little longer than the rest of my family but it was worth it. Here are a few pictures from this adventure.

 Mt St Helens-- zoomed in picture since it is really 46 miles away

 Mt Adams which is 54 miles away. it is the mountain covered in snow

 Another zoomed in picture since Mt Rainier (washington) is 97 miles away

 Mt Hood is the closet to Larch Mountain and this picture is as I saw it from the top.

 This one is a zoomed in one so you can see the top which is underneath the clouds

 The one below is Mt Jefferson which was 62 miles away, it is a little zoomed in

 Look, I found some snow at Larch Mountain, It was just too far for me to go play in...Maybe another time when I go to Portland then I will be able to play in the snow when I go see Mt Hood close up.

 I am actually quite happy with this picture that I took of myself at the top of Larch Mountain. I believe that it is Mt Hood behind me but I don't remember. But I LOVE this picture!!! The one underneath was my family who walked up the trail with me. It was well worth the trip up to the top.

May thru Aug adventures...Part 1

I figured that since I haven't written too much about my summer, I better take advantage now to do so. This summer has been filled with traveling adventures, work, and reading good books.
In May I began my summer with working and reading. I found another series that is written by Suzanne Collins (author of the Hunger Games) and I have been enjoying the 5 books in the series for the Underland Chronicles. They are adventurous and easy readers so it has been worth it to read them. :) I also read a book by Richard Paul Evans that is called Micheal Vey: Prisoner of Cell 25. I enjoyed that one too. It is nice to read a variety of things when you do not have to read textbooks. During May my sister and I decided when to go see our parents and so I was very excited about being in Portland with them.
June came and my traveling began!! I had a 10 year mission reunion that took place in East Canyon Resort just east of Salt Lake City. It was an overnight camping trip and I hadn't been camping since I was a teenager when I attended Girls Camp, so I was excited to go again. I drove down and spent some time in the Salt Lake valley and then drove through Provo Canyon to get there. I saw Bridal Veil Falls, which I am sure I saw when I was growing up. Then I drove through Heber City, by Park City and on up to East canyon resort.
The reunion was really a lot of fun, I would have loved it even more if my mission president and his wife would have been able to come from Colorado. But he was unable to travel due to a heart surgery within the last year. I look forward to the day when I am able to see them again.
Since I posted so many pictures on facebook, I am only going to put a few in this post (as my internet isn't downloading them as quickly as I would like it too).
 The first picture shows all those who served in the Viriginia Richmond mission from 1999 to 2002 (ish). most of them I didn't know very well since I was not there until 2001. The mission president that was before mine was there with his wife, the Fellers.

 This picture shows everyone who was able to come to the reunion with their families. There were a lot of kids who had so much fun playing. A mission really does bless the lives of so many, especially when the missionary returns home and stays strong in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Then is married in the temple and raises their children in the same manner. I am grateful to know that so many who served in my mission are still strong in the gospel today.

The last pictures shows some of the tents that were put up at our site. East canyon really is beautiful.
I was very happy to be there and to have the chance to talk about the land that we all love so much. It was a blessing in my life to serve the people of Virginia and I hope to go back there one day. Also I hope to have the chance to see more of my companions over the next few years since they live in other states.


Then the last week of June my sister and I left Idaho to visit Portland, Or. Our parents now live there and since I have never lived there I love to visit as often as I can. We saw so many things that I can't even begin to post all the pictures showing the many wonderful things that we saw. So I will write about them, put a few pictures, but then allow you to learn more about each place on your own.
We left on a Saturday night after I got off work and headed to Meridian, ID (next to Boise where we used to live). We stayed the night with a good friend of mine that I have known since we graduated high school. We then went to church at our old home ward the next morning. Before leaving the Boise area, we drove up to Eagle to see the high school that I attended for all 3 years, and past the site that has been chosen for a temple to be built. Then it was time to be on the road and head to Troutdale to be with our parents. We stopped along the way just to stretch and be out of the car and arrived in the late afternoon. Once we brought our things in from my car, and gave our parents hugs, my sister opened an envelope that contained her Associates Degree from BYU-Idaho. She was very excited to finally have it.
On Monday, my sister and I spent time with our mom touring some of the sites in downtown Portland. We saw Powell's Bookstore (which is the biggest bookstore I have ever seen since it is 4 levels in one building and has an annex with a couple more levels- I think) then we walked down to see the opening of Chinatown. It was neat to see it but I thought it would be different from what it really was. We walked along the streets to see the Govenor Tom McCall Waterfront park! I have wanted to see that park for a couple of years since I saw pictures online. It is a park that is next to the Willamette River and was really neat to see it.
On tuesday, again dad wasn't with us since he works nights and slept while we went and played during the morning. The first place we went to was the Pittock Mansion! It is 100 years old, 100 feet up, and has an amazing yard. [funny story about the mansion.....there was a tree that a family was taking pictures of their children climbing up it and once they were done we went over to take pictures by it too. Well I thought I could climb up the tree too just like the kids so I got my hands secured and put my right foot up on the tree, and when I went to pull myself up the tree my right foot slid down the trunk, and landed on the ground in a way that I can't even tell you. Because of this I earned the name of Monkey for the rest of my trip. and a side note...2 months later it still hurts and I learned that I tore a ligament] And for more of my adventures, you will have to wait until tomorrow when I am more awake to write it. :)

Adventures in Rexburg-summer 2012

 

My heart will always belong in Rexburg, no matter how far away I am from it. BYU-Idaho has changed over the years from when I first went there back in 1998 when it was still Ricks College. This is the library quad that they have redone to be an ampitheater type area. The building to the left is the Library and the right is the Smith building (where I had english classes). 

 This picture shows the front of the university store (bookstore) which is inside the Manwaring Center, also called the MC and has had construction on it to be what it is today. It looks more modernized and has so much more in it than just the bookstore, food area, and bowling alley. I had a dance class in the ballrooms and I even attended church in this building when I first came to Rexburg.

 The Jacob Spori building was actually rebuilt just after I graduated in 2000 (which means I have an associates degree from Ricks College, since in 2001 it became BYU-Idaho).

 The famous testing center was through the doors and up the stairs to the second floor and into a room where there were lots of desks waiting for us to take our tests. When I first came to campus, the health center was actually in this building too. Now it is on upper campus in its own building.

 One of my most favorite buildings...The Taylor building. I spent a lot of time in this building as I attended my religion classes. I still love to go back to campus and attend a class or two as time permits. On the second floor I spent lots of time studying on the benches that are there.

 The whole reason why I was even up to Rexburg in June was to not only attend the temple, hang out in a few religion classes, and just enjoy the day, but to be in the Hart auditorium to see Bill Cosby!!! This picture shows where I was sitting on the floor.

 On the screens on both side of the stage showed a close up of Bill Cosby. It is the only way that I was able to have any pictures. He was so funny and I am glad I had the chance to be up there. All 3 days showed that the tickets were sold out on the first day that I looked at. Then a few days later I felt I should try again, and there were 4 individual seats in 4 different spots in the auditorium so I could go. I laughed so much and I was so glad to be able to be there.

 Here I am by the stage where Bill Cosby sat. Then to end the night I went up by the temple to see it at night. The picture below is one of the many that I took that night before I drove back down to Pocatello. I really do love the temple!!!