Adventures in August

The 1st of August started off great! Sandi and I became roommates again and although we haven't been roommates for years, living together again is so natural and easy. She is not only an amazing friend but a great roommate. My second roommate, Jessica, is also great and is from Kansas-what a small world! I think it's safe to say we love our condo-complete with granite, stone floors, and great amenities. The only con to our location are the numerous flights of stairs we have to climb-which is a doozy when we go grocery shopping or after I've done a strenuous workout at the gym.

After I finished moving my things in the first Saturday, my friend Kasie and I went for a swim in the pool and layed out. As you can/can't tell from the picture below, the cabanas, chairs, and great amenities make the clubhouse and surrounding pool area feel more like a resort-very relaxing. I'm glad I was able to enjoy it for a few Saturday's before it was closed for the rest of the year.

I was lucky to have some help moving into my apartment because my Dad, sister Autumn, and her friend from church, came out to visit some college campuses. It was such a special treat to see these two family members, so when my Dad asked me to pick them up from the airport at midnight on a school night, I was more than happy to oblige. Mind you, this was probably the first time in my life my Dad has ever asked me to do anything for him so it was a treat to "give back" to the greatest man in my life. Although their visit was mostly business rather than pleasure we were able to go to dinner together and spend some time at my sister Tasha's house. While we were there, Leighton had woken up from sleeping for the night and had gotten her "second wind". She got a little hyper and asked me to continually snap some photos of her, haha.What a little gem!



 She also asked my sister Autumn, to read the same book to her OVER and OVER. After about the 15th time of sweetly and patiently reading the book to Leighton, we were able to distract her with something else. It was so cute to see my Dad and sister with my niece and nephews and a nice refresher on what life is all about in my heart-love and family!

Also, during the month of August were two minor milestones-the end of summer classes and the beginning of fall semester. Although I made some great friends in my classes, I was happy to see the semester conclude and needed an opportunity to relax. I scheduled a few days off work with no official plans and as luck would have it I was invited to go to Jackson, WY. Normally accepting a last minute invitation would be so unlike me, but I needed some spontaneity and thought it would be a fun weekend trip.

It was my first trip to Jackson and all I can say is, wow! It is so beautiful and there is so much more to do than I previously knew. I will definitely be making a trip back. On the drive (about 4 hours) we jammed to tunes and the Stewart brothers forever changed the way I'll listen to Celine Deon from now on ;) haha.

We stayed in Star Valley, a town about 30 minutes outside of Jackson, which was tiny and quaint. The cabin we stayed in is was perfect for relaxing and feeling removed from civilization, as there was little to no cellphone service. The group of us stayed Friday and Saturday and enjoyed a few different activities. We slept in each day, which was a treat in and of itself. Most of the guys hit up a local golf course in Star Valley Friday, while Megan, Clayton, and I went to Jackson to shop.



 Belt buckles for miles made me feel like I was back in Kansas ;)

Later that day we all went to lunch at a cute drive-in and then joined the guys on the golf course. I swung a few drives on the course, from the ladies position naturally and didn't do too bad if I say so myself. I never thought I'd admit to this, but I wish I knew how to golf! I guess I should've taken advantage of learning when I was younger and instead of concentrating on driving the cart, golfed a few rounds with my Dad.

The sky was so clear. The beauty was unreal!



 Afterward, we got some dinner, watched a classic movie, and star gazed. Star Valley earned it's name rightfully because the view of the stars was uncanny. Within a matter of minutes I saw two shooting stars. What a beautiful sight!

We slept in the next morning and then took off for a hike at a National Forest Park-The Grand Teton Mountains. Oh my goodness! Talk about the most majestic hike of a lifetime. Granted, I'm not a novice hiker, but I've lived in over 10 states, so I have seen various beautiful states and landscapes, each in their own respects. However, the Grand Tetons was breathtaking! I snapped a number of pictures on our hike. The hike we chose was the Grand Tetons on Jenny Lake.

The Grand Tetons

 Entering the National Park

 Clayton and his American pride-love it!

We intended to hike up just to the waterfall, which was about a five mile hike-nothing strenuous. Here are some of pictures of the way up, which although gorgeous, do not capture the full majesty of the hike.



Once we hiked to the waterfall, we realized it was just another short mile to Inspiration Point, which held an even clearer view of the landscape. I snapped plenty more pictures and was blown away by the beauty of the view. Although I call myself an "inside girl" I love enjoying and appreciating nature. This hike was the perfect mix of the outdoors, view, exercise, and relaxation a "inside girl" could ask for. Honestly, it made me want to start doing more hiking. What a great experience! Here are the rest of the pictures:

Due to time constraints we decided to hike down to the ferry and take it across the water to the parking lot. The way down to Lake Jenny was just as beautiful and the lake itself was this gorgeous jade color, but clear at the same time. It's moments like this that are so spiritual to me. Something about communing and being one with nature makes me feel His love and gratitude for such a beautiful world we live!

After our hike, we ate some tasty bbq and went down main street to make tourist t-shirts. The group I went with has this tradition every year and although I thought it rather silly, I joined in. I had this beauty of a t-shirt made to remember my time in Jackson, haha.

I was able to relax, enjoy nature, read a book on a porch swing (one of my loves), watch the stars at night and try a few new things. It was a great last minute trip and a perfect way to enjoy the two week fall break.

During the second week of summer break, Sandi and I were able to hang out a lot, which was nice considering we both are always on the go! The view from our balcony is amazing and so we'd sit and chat as we'd watch the sunset. What a beautiful way to end a day!

One Saturday, Sandi invited me to go boating with her and some of her coworkers which was so nice. We soaked up some rays and had a good time relaxing!



I also got my hair done by Sandi for the first time, which was a blast. Having your best friend as your hair dresser is probably the best thing ever! Love her so much and am proud of her. I think she did a great job :)

I was SO sad to say goodbye to summer break but I'm excited to be closer to graduating. I might have been a bit advantageous signing up for 17 credit hours earlier this year, knowing I'd be working part-time. I realized this after my first week of school and scaled down to 14 credit hours to avoid hurting my gpa. Now that my full workload has begun, 14 credit hours still takes plenty of my time but it's great to feel like a college student by working just part-time and enjoying this stage of my life. Before I know it, a year will be passed and I'll be graduated. Crazy?! Then I will have to go back to being a grown up. In the meantime, I'm just enjoying having lots of girl time, dating, and focusing on what makes me happy!

Speaking of happy, how could this beautiful sight not make you happy? Going to the temple always makes me feel reassured and peaceful about life. I snapped this shot as I came out of the Provo temple last month-simply gorgeous!

Much love,
Calissa