Back to School

After finishing the last season of Prison Break, sewing my first skirt ever, and forgetting all of my scholastic knowledge over my 3 week vacation, I was actually excited to start school again. However, when I got back to class I found that because of weird scheduling things I only have 2 classes a week or less until the middle of June. Weird I know. So now Jake and I basically have another break from school every morning before he and I start work around 1.

It has been great getting in quality time at the gym, biking, and spending time with family. Last week we took Jake's little sisters to Hogle Zoo. Apparently you shouldn't get there mid-afternoon if you want to see the animals do anything besides sleep. We learned that the hard way. However, the prowling tigers were pretty cool.

 I know this is blurry (I hate my camera), but Anna is just too funny in this picture to not post it

I have also been busy lately planning a 5k fundraiser for a family that lives in Orem. They are trying to raise money to adopt a 15 year old girl from a Ukrainian orphanage. She turns 16 this year and she will be sent away from the orphanage where many in her position end up in prostitution. Because this family has a 7 year old son who has quadriplegic cerebral palsy, heart and lung disease, and is legally blind and deaf, a lot of their money is lost in his medical expenses. This adoption it will cost them over $32,000 for all the adoption and travel fees, and they are looking for any way to raise money to help them in this cause. 


We are only in the beginning stages of planning, but we are really excited about it. If anyone wants to run in it on July 16th  let me know! It's going to be great.

CA Trip: Redwood State Parks

 This is called the Chimney Redwood. From a 40-year smoldering fire the entire insides were burned from bottom to top. In this photo I am standing inside the tree at the bottom and you can see the opening in the top

 Blur Master

 This tree was called the Father of the Forest because it has the widest trunk. It's estimated to be 2000 years old.

CA Trip: Santa Cruz

We went to downtown Santa Cruz to go shopping and to dinner. We wanted to go to the boardwalk too but it turns out it doesn't open until Memorial Day. So we only got to look around. Too bad.

The show at Kianti's is always fun to watch. But the best part was looking over at Jake, who was there for the first time, and seeing him watching the Celtics vs Heat basketball game on TV instead of the pizza twirling.

CA Trip: Giants game

Friday night we got to go to the Giants game with my aunt and uncle. That day it was Willie Mays' 80th birthday so they brought him in and we had a big party for him before the game. For me it was cool to learn who Willie Mays was; for Jake is was cool to see him. The game was so cold and boring until the very end. The Giants were down from 3-0 almost the whole game and then they ended up winning in the bottom of the 9th. Those San Franciscoans sure love their Giants.

As told by my aunt Andrea: This is best stadium in the major leagues. What other stadium do you find the ocean right next to it, a beautiful bridge lit up crossing the bay, and an LDS Temple in the distance.
I would have to agree, it was pretty cool.

 Here is my sweet action shot of Brian Wilson pitching in the 9th inning.

This is an even better shot of the awesome lady loving every minute of the game. Not gonna lie, she reminds me a lot of my grandma.

CA Trip: Mountain Biking

First we went biking in the Soquel Demonstration Forest. It was really pretty here biking through all the redwoods. Because of mudslides on the road we had to park our car about 2 miles away from the trailhead and bike down into the valley. Which wasn't a big deal, until we had to bike 4 miles back uphill to the trailhead and then the extra 2 miles back uphill to the car when we finished. (which might make us sound like weaklings but in our defense we started out with a 5 mile climb followed by a really steep and bumpy 5 mile downhill. Thus never getting a rest)

 After riding back up to our car I am very tired and mad at the mudslides

 We were quite disappointed in ourselves for how tired we were riding back up to the trailhead. But after eating our Clif Bars we were full of energy. For reals, it was weird.

Our next ride was at Wilder Ranch in Santa Cruz. We both thought it was a lot more fun. Some parts were in grassy meadows, some in redwoods crossing streams, and others right on the edge of the bluff overlooking the ocean. It was so pretty. However, I soon remembered how Jake hates stopping to take pictures of us mountain biking. Because I want to take at least some pictures of our biking excursions, we compromised on taking action shots instead. Which is cooler anyways. Hopefully my not very good camera will cooperate. Here are some pictures of what we saw but weren't able to document.

from here

from here

CA Trip: San Francisco

After driving for 12 hours and sleeping in the car at a rest stop (note to self: either never do that again or remember to bring blankets) we arrived in San Francisco. Jake has never really been to a big city like that (he says Vegas doesn't count, i agree), so we decided to be the typical San Francisco tourists for a couple of hours.

First we stopped at the Antique Arcade Museum at Pier 39. My favorite was the old gypsy ladies in a box who told your fortune. Apparently Jake is arm wrestling the same man that was in Princess Diaries? We aren't sure, but that's what we have been told. Also we found the Bimbo-Box that just had Phantom of the Opera-like monkeys playing music. I am not really sure what that means...

Next we went to Fisherman's Wharf and got a little bit bored with walking past shops and looking at sea lion's. However it was interesting to see a man in jeans doing sit ups on the pier in 85 degree weather. I couldn't help but notice a bowl next to him, maybe he was trying to get money? I'll never be sure. This was a picture of part of the wharf with the city and Coit Tower in the background.

Next we drove over to Chrissy Field to have lunch on the beach and ride our bikes around the Golden Gate Bridge.