Reason #25 - Being an Aunt

So last week I went on a family vacation to Idaho, and while spending a week with a two year old and a 9 month old is not exactly restful, it was AWESOME! Sarah is finally old enough that she's stopped spitting up whenever I hold her, so we spent a lot more time hanging out with each other. And Libby was a non-stop treat the entire time, even when she was keeping me from my nap (it's really hard to ignore a little a little curly-haired toddler outside the door calling, "Ray Ray"). Some of my favorite Libby quotes were:
"Hiss, you've hissed your last!"
"Prince John the phony king of England!" (See Robinhood for both of the above quotes)
"Nice to meet you."
"You kill me!"
"Oh my gosh a penny!"
"Wanna dance Sarah?"
And of course my heart melts every time I hear her say, "Ray Ray".

Seriously, being an aunt is awesome. And I have to admit I was especially happy to be an aunt when Sarah and Libby did not want to sleep at night.

Libby's birthday blastoff party.

Me giving Libby the "Stinkeye".

Cute Sarah.

Trish and Mom doing "Pump" while Libby and I danced.

Reason #24 - The Indigo Girls

I love music. And I love a lot of different kinds of music. However, the Indigo Girls became a favorite when I was about 18, and they are the only band that has consistently stayed a favorite since then. I can listen to them when I am happy, sad, and everything in between. Last week, I FINALLY got to see them in concert. I wish I would have captured pictures of some of the sweet mullets in the crowd, but here are at least some pictures of the show...

Reason #23 - Summertime

Here are some of the reasons I love summertime:

1. The Centerville Parade on the 4th of July
2. Barbeques
3. Laying on the grass
4. Running at the park
5. Breakfast at Ruth's Diner
6. Looking at the stars
7. Camping
8. Going to Salmon
9. Riding the Scooter, because I can use all my senses to experience the summer.
10. Outdoor concerts
11. Going on vacation
12. Sleeping with my windows open
13. Fireworks
14. Lagoon (for real, I think that's what I'm doing for my birthday).
15. Baseball games
16. Eating dinner on the patio
17. Lake Powell
18. Spending every possibly waking moment outside
19. Eating popsicles
20. Chirping crickets, babbling brooks, and thunderstorms

Reason #22 - Mowing the Lawn

When I started mowing the lawn, I was small enough that it took the full weight of my body to get the mower turned around when I got to the edge of the yard. Those were the days when I was young enough to think mowing the lawn was a good time. At that age, anything Dad did seemed like it might be fun, even eating brussel sprouts. (Okay, I still eat brussel sprouts). Those darn parents are kind of tricky. Kind of like when my mom made a game out of putting the silverware away and that was SUPER FUN. Those games really only work for so long. But anyway, I'm getting off track...

So about two weeks ago, I was pretty sure there was a lion hiding in my grass. I didn't actually hear any roaring, but my lawn was probably about as tall as a typical African savanna. Downright embarrassing. Little by little I have tried to take on some yard work, but it's been hard to find the time. And mowing was the one thing I left up to my neighbors, since it is technically their job, and the only lawnmower here belongs to them. My neighbor's wife finally stepped up and got the job done, but it was still time to face facts... my house looks like the rental on the block.

Last Saturday I decided it was time to give my yard a little extra TLC. So, I borrowed the weed-whacker from my dad, and went to town early Saturday morning. I can't say my yard has the straightest or most beautiful edging job on the block, but at least now it looks like someone cares. And after all my work that day, I decided I was going to suck it up and mow the lawn too. And it turns out... I really enjoyed the whole experience.

I can't decide if this new love for yard work means I just love being outside now regardless of the activity, or that people who spend all their time gardening and working in the yard aren't really crazy. It's possible there is something great about making something beautiful. Or maybe... at 30... I'm just plain getting old. But regardless, I'm glad that once upon a time my dad led me to believe yard work was fun, because here I am 20 years later putting all my mad lawn mowing skills to work.

Reason #21 - The Rain

I have always liked the rain. Over the last month I have been reminded of a night years ago when my brother Nick called me and asked for a ride home.It was pouring rain outside. I told him to run through the rain. He, of course, declined my suggestion. Then I asked if I ran over to get him, if he would run home with me. He said yes, but I don't think he really expected me to follow through. The next thing he knew, there I was at the door, soaked to the bone, with mascara running down my face. For a moment there was a look of complete shock on his face, and then he grinned and we took off together toward home. It's a silly but sweet memory.

I fell in love with the rain while I was living in New York City. I didn't expect it to be such a rainy place, and there were a few days (such as the day my umbrella turned inside out two steps out of the subway and I stepped off the sidewalk into a knee-deep puddle on the way to work) that I wasn't so keen on the rain. However, a heavy east coast downpour to me, felt like God washing the dirt, the sweat, the pain, the grime, and the heaviness off of the city streets. It lifted my soul.

One night I walked out of a movie theatre on the upper east side just as it was starting to rain. I didn't have enough cash to take a cab home, and I couldn't handle the thought of spending the next hour in the subway. So, I decided to walk. I was walking across the bottom of Central Park in the pouring rain, listening to my music and enjoying the solace of the empty city streets when a man in a rickshaw pulled up alongside me. He asked me if I'd like a ride. I was perfectly content to walk so I said no, thanked him, and continued on my way. He told me he was heading in for the night, it wouldn't cost anything, and he could just take me to the other side of the park. How could I turn him down? Besides, I had never ridden in a rickshaw. So he drove me to the other side of the park and I hopped out to say goodbye and continue on home. I don't remember what we said to each other, and it wasn't significant. But I remember knowing we had shared a sweet moment of humanity.

Tonight I was intent on working on the yard. I knew it would probably rain, again, as it has almost every day for the past month, but I thought I would try to get something done anyway. As I finally accepted the storm's victory over my plans and ran in the house, I couldn't help opening my window and standing and watching the power of the storm take over the night. The lightening was beautiful, and the thunder so commanding. And now as I sit here I am remembering all of my memories of the rain. I am reminded I love to watch it, hear it, smell it, and sometimes even run through it. And I love the way the street becomes quiet as the storm ends, and the sun comes back out, and on some days, a perfect rainbow even appears in the sky.

Maybe part of why I love the rain is because life feels like a rainstorm sometimes. The weight of my troubles takes over and forces me to retreat inside myself to wait out the worst of it. But eventually, the sun comes out, and I am ready to bask in its light. And the storm has given me a whole new appreciation for the brightness of the sun.

Reason #20 - Rediscovering childhood in grown-up ways

So last summer I pulled out a mountain bike that has been hanging out at my parents house and decided I was going to start riding it around to help me get in shape. What I quickly discovered was riding a bike is a whole new adventure at 30, compared to what it was when I was 10. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that no matter which way I go when I leave my house, I'm heading uphill, or maybe it has something to do with the concept of riding for exercise versus riding to get where I want to go. Maybe it also has to do with the fact that my little 10 year old legs were used to being extremely active, while my 30 year old legs have to look for ways to be active.

Whatever the case may be, when I pulled the bike back out for the first time this year, I decided it was possibly also the last time I'd be riding it this summer. It was almost impossible to ride for half an hour. But finding something hard sometimes does nothing more than ignite a flame of determination in my little soul. And I've realized I can't let this silly two-wheeled contraption bring me down.

My opportunities for riding have come in spurts. It's been a busy couple of months. But I have found that there is nothing that pushes all of life into the background quite like an hour (or so) on my bike. Not because I love every minute of it. But because I am constantly trying to decide how hard I can push myself uphill before giving up and going across, or down. All of my energy is focused on peddling my legs and moving forward just a little bit more.

Sometimes I wonder how exercise can feel so good when it's just a condensed version of what we do in everyday life. Sometimes just getting out of bed feels a lot like cranking my pedals that last 4 times to get to the crest of the hill, and it doesn't seem worth it to get there because it's not very comfortable. And occasionally I feel like no matter how low I set my gears, it's just too hard to keep pushing forward. But then... I finally get to the end of a journey, and I get to coast down to the end, and look back up the hill and appreciate how high I climbed. And it's exhilarating to know I survived. I made it through one more ride.

Reason #19 - Southern Utah, and being an indenpendent woman

Looking out of Partition Arch in Arches National Park


Double O Arch at Arches National Park


Me, Betty (aka Erika) and Eiko who did all the setting up by ourselves. Stephen was in our car too, but he wasn't allowed to help us set up the tent trailer. We did allow him to help us take it down... just to be nice.


I know that in my 17th reason I love being 30 I mentioned that boys can come in handy for things. This is still true. However, my girlfriends and I took my dad's truck and tent trailer down to Moab this weekend. And we hitched, unhitched, backed up, drove, and set up the tent trailer all by ourselves. I was a little nervous about this little adventure because I knew that my dad was going to be nervous, but he was an incredibly good sport, and trusted me to give it a shot. It was nice to feel independent enough to do all of those things without a male around to take the responsibility. Sometimes it's just nice to know you can do it on your own!

And along with feeling like an independent woman this weekend, I finally got to experience Moab for the first time. I had no idea what I had been missing all of these years. As we passed people speaking all different languages on the hike up Devil's Garden in the Arches I couldn't help but think about the fact that people were there from all over the world, and in comparison, all of this amazing landscape is in my backyard, and I haven't bothered to take advantage of it. So... there will be many more adventures to come this summer (hopefully with the tent trailer, but let's face it... and independent woman can probably handle roughing it in a tent with an air mattress as well).