summer days

the summer has not disappointed. the past few weeks have been filled with great outdoor activities: hiking to the lakes in little cottonwood canyon, through the wildflowers, outdoor concerts, and a boating trip (thanks to my brother-in-law).



Albion Basin- the beginning of our hike.




Lake Catherine (at the Catherine pass) with Ali and Shawn.
the sisters.
my sisters ali and betsy at the lake (Pineview).
ali and shawn


ali attempting her first water skiing trip.

the expert. i wish i looked like this...
but, i look like this. at least i can get up on the wake board.
an outdoor concert with The Police!! it was a great night!!

Denver

this is where i will be for the next 2 years. i'm going to school to become a pediatric nurse practitioner. i have really enjoyed my career thus far as a nurse, i've had some great experiences working in surgery and even a little stint in management. i'm ready for a new challenge and i am excited for what is ahead.
and after deliberating for weeks, i finally choose University of Colorado. it's close to my family, in a somewhat familiar environment (the lifestyle in denver is a little like salt lake), tuition is cheaper, and if i can "toot my own horn" for a bit, it is ranked #3 in the nation.
i was in denver last weekend and found a great little apartment- the prices are great, especially just coming from LA, it's close to a supertarget!! and there's a wahoo's down the street! i think i'm going to like it out there.

grandpa's golf balls

my grandpa collected golf balls. for years he used to walk through Bonneville golf course early in the morning and pick up the golf balls he saw lying around - the lost balls no one looked for. he would store them in buckets and barrels, and later after he retired, in egg cartons. easy storage, easy pick up. in the summers, when we were kids we would go to grandma's to wash golf balls and sell them. it was much more lucrative than selling lemonade, we usually got $.25 a piece for them! as i got older and started golfing i regularly raided my grandpa's golf ball stash for my own stock. i have never purchased a golf ball, no reason when there are so many that need to be used and lost again. we all love grandpa's golf ball stash.

golf wih dad

i've had quite a bit of free time this summer. i've been filling a bit of that time golfing with my dad. we've gone out about once a week. this last week we went to Riveroaks in sandy. it was a beautiful and the rough was a killer. we lost a lot of balls, but had a lot of fun.

johns hopkins

as you may, or may not, know i am going to grad school in the fall to get my nurse pracitioner. it's a 2 year degree and when i'm done i the most amazing nurse ever! (even more than i am now). i got into johns hopkins nurse practitioner pediatric program! yeah! i was pretty excited about that. but, through a very long decision process i've decided NOT to go there. i'm going to university of colorado (more to come next week, after i visit denver).
i was visiting my brother this last weekend and we went to baltimore, just to see where i could have been spending my next 2 years. the hospital and campus are beautiful. the neighborhood around is just as run down and scary as i've heard. all in all, i am happy with my decision and honored that i was accepted.

4th of july

Happy 4th of July! i spent the weekend with Drew and Britt in Pennsylvania. it was great to spend the holiday where so much American history took place. we ate breakfast in Valley Forge, watch fireworks (in the rain) in the little town of Phoenixville (it's where they filmed "the Blob"), and spent the day in Baltimore, visiting Fort McHenry and Johns Hopkins.
breakfast cook-out at Valley Forge. when i was growing up we used to go up the canyons and have a pancake breakfast cookout, it was one of my favorite traditions. i guess it's a Utah thing. In PA. we were the only ones out there making breakfast. everyone else was missing out. Drew makin' the eggs and bacon. Valley Forge and the Schuykill River.
Stu. this is their new little puppy. he is a cute little ball of fluff. he had a great time playing in the grass, digging, digging, digging. he also found some horse poop and thought i t was a ball he would play with. so gross! we gave him the apple to clean his mouth out. S'mores are always a great treat after breakfast!

Saturday we drove to Baltimore to spend the day looking around. this is Fort McHenry national Monument. it's where the Star Spangled Banner was written. (very appropriate 4th activity)
Fort McHenry

The Baltimore skyline from the inner harbor. we went to see johns hopkins (see next post), and spend the day taking water taxis, eating delicious pizza at BOP and gelato at pitango's.

a suitable boy

no- this is not my life's mission (although maybe it should be). it is a book i just finished. a really long book. i am just happy that i finished it (and a bit surprised) and in just a few weeks. i guess that's what happens when you have the summer relatively off and find yourself with lots of free time. but don't rush out and get it, it was just an "ok" book, i didn't love it. the characters are great, but some of the side stories get a little long. and she did find a "suitable boy" at the end. but he is just suitable.
http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9780060786526-0