Well I'm back in Idaho...FREEZING!!! But it was great being home for the fall. Family was wonderful and it was great to be with Jordan again!!! Holidays were great! Here's some random pictures from home!

My sister and I..Christmas pictures are a blast!
Christmas night...I was so tired!

Just us...

At the park...watching the ducks!

Here's a couple videos that show the Wheelchair rugby a little bit better!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU3plw0tddE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Y6Ywv-stmA

The first one is an interview that Josh did with a Utah news. The second one is highlighting the Utah Scorpions which is the team that Josh currently plays for.

Wheelchair Rugby....INTENSE!!!

On Halloween this year I was able to go to Reno with my family and see one of my cousins play in a Wheelchair Rugby competition. It was amazing to see all of these guys take the challenge that they were given by being in a wheelchair and making it become one of their greatest strengths. I tell you, the tournament was intense. They aren't very nice out there on the court. In Wheelchair Rugby there are 4 players on a team and they are trying to get the ball across the endzone all the while the opposing team is trying to get the ball from them by crashing their wheelchairs into them and blocking their passes. The first time I saw my cousin get flipped over by another guy I was pretty startled. But those guys love the intensity of it! They get a thrill out of the game and it is very inspiring to watch.

A few years ago my cousin was leaving his sister's house on his motorcycle when he was hit by a vehicle. From this accident he became paralyzed from the waist down and is in a wheelchair. It has been amazing to watch his transformation into who he is today. Going from a hospital bed a couple years ago where he couldn't move at all to being selected for the U.S. National Wheelchair Rugby team today is amazing.

Josh has taken the challenge that he has been given and has made it his strength. He amazes me and I think that we could all learn something from him. We can sit here and complain about everything that is wrong and everything that doesn't go our way and never do anything about it OR we can look at what is going on in our lives and make the best of every situation and every day.That's Josh (Number 10) my cousin.

Also here are some links to a few articles about the tournament and explanations of Wheelchair Rugby itself.

http://www.dailyspar­kstribune.com/pages/f­ull_story/push?articl­e-Rugby+on+wheels%20&­id=4235209-Rugby+on+w­heels&instance=home_n­ews_bullets

http://www.rgj.com/a­rticle/20091102/NEWS/­911020333/Reno-Quad-r­ugby-players-love-the­-intensity

http://www.rgj.com/a­rticle/20091101/NEWS/­91101024/Reno-Quad-Ru­gby-players-love-the-­intensity

I didn't know anything about this until my cousin started playing...it's really interesting and I wish that there was more public knowledge of things like this!

Okay so I'm horrible at this blogging thing and I haven't done it in forever!!! So I finished up my semester in Idaho in July and now I'm back in Cali and loving it! I finally get to spend some time at home with my family and friends here! I've been able to see a lot of my family that I haven't seen in a while and I've also been able to take it easy without worrying about tests, or papers, or finals!!! I tell you it is a relief to be home. I am working for the rec center again...teaching the kids soccer and basketball and I love it as always. The kids keep me on my toes. Life is good...what more can I say....

It's Official Summer!

It is offically summer here in Idaho! I cannot believe it! After two straight weeks of thunderstorms it is about time we have some heat! Last night we all went out to my roommates Stacy's house in Idaho Falls for the evening. She lives right on the river and it is so beautiful...as you can tell from the pictures...which really don't do justice for how amazing it really is out there! We just spent the evening roasting hot dogs and marshmallows and having fun.

Good times!

Me and my old roommate Chris
Jen, Alycia, Stacy, and me...my roommates

Melanie, Jen, me and Stacy...the background totally makes it look like we're in Hawaii

Me and Stacy

Yeah that's Stacy's backyard....AMAZING!!!!

Weekend with Jordan

Last week I got to spend the weekend with Jordan here in Idaho. He got to come up with a family from Elk Grove. It was fun to have him here and do different things. We went over to Jackson, Wyoming on Friday and spent the day walking around the little tourist town of Jackson. On Saturday we went to Ririe Reservoir and took the raft out for a couple of hours...which of course meant when we came back we were BURNT to a crisp. But it was a lot of fun...and it was actually sunny and warm here in Idaho so it was definitely nice! There is nothing like spending the weekend with my favorite person and having a blast!

Jackson, Wyoming...under the massive arch of antlers.


At Ririe Reservoir after spending a few hours on the lake....SUNBURNED!!!

At the lake again...

So we're not normal all the time...it's okay! We just like to have fun!

Oh So Happy

I think I am the happiest girl in the world! Life has been wonderful and I am loving life! I had the opportunity to go home for Memorial Day weekend and it was a blast. I got to spend time with my family and friends. It was just great to get away from school for a few days and be able to just relax and enjoy my time with my loved ones! It was great to be in California and enjoy the 80 degree weather and actually feel the warmth of the sun. Then I came back here to rainy Rexburg days and so far...that's all we've had...with a few sunny days in the mix. School is going good and I cannot believe that I am finishing up my 3rd year of college! It's amazing how time flies. This semester has been great. I spend my Tuesday and Thursday mornings with 16 3 year olds and I love it! They are so much fun and they make me so happy! Other than that things are going amazing and I am just so happy. Things have been happening in my life that make me realize just how grateful I am for the people in my life and the experiences that I have in my life. I think that at times we all just need to step back and look at our lives and where we are going and see what we are doing to get there. And then find that motivation to make those dreams come true! Because I can tell you that with hard work and faith...anything is possible! I challenge you to just take an inventory and really see what it is you want and go for it. Don't delay! Go for it and watch it happen right before your eyes! Hope everyone is well! I wish you the best!



Jordan and me on Memorial Day at Rancho Seco


Just a farm in Idaho about 10 minutes from my house. This picture doesn't do justice for how pretty it looks when the potatoes are being watered.



Yeah...that's Idaho...BEAUTIFUL!

The spider cookies that my 3 year olds and I made at preschool!