Aeornaut

Today was marvelous! I woke up at 6 to go to the Moffat County Hot Air Balloon Festival with my mom and sisters. What a gorgeous morning, just a little cool and a little cloudy but absolutely still... PERFECT for hot air balloons! When we got there, we decided to help a couple from Utah unload their trailer and get their balloon all set up. They were wonderful people, Kent was the pilot and the balloon (or "envelope") they had brought was called Out of The Blue.

Karen and Dee holding tight as

the balloon went up, up, UP!

Much to my surprise, after all the work was done, Kent chose two people to go for a ride, for free!! And I was one of those lucky ones.

Big happy smile (:

As we took off, the song that was playing over the speakers at Loudy was "I Believe I can Fly". Seriously.

Mom and Karen in the balloon!

They got to take a turn (we called it a "hop") after I touched back down!

This is how excited mom was for

the burners as the balloons got filled

(pyro?..)

Marie was the "Fan Queen"

Carmen and Bekah playing under

the side as the balloon was 

getting fanned full of air

During my incredibly relaxing balloon ride, I got to pick leaves from the very top of this very tall tree. I am keeping them!

Very Tall Tree at Loudy

We took a little dip in the river. It amazes me how much control the pilot has on the vertical movement of the balloon. He said he can get it within inches!

Wet feet!

Carmen and Bekah followed the leader and rolled down (or up) the deflated balloon to milk all the rest of the air out.

"Milking" the gas out of the deflated envelope

awesome.

Karen and I with pilot Kent J. Barnes

After we put everything away, we gathered in a nice shady spot for a secret little "ceremony" where we were officially initiated into being AERONAUTS!

I'm an Aeronaut now. (:

First Thoughts?

Taken: Greeley, CO

21 July 2011

Two Jobs

I am so thankful that I have been so lucky and blessed to have such a smooth transition home! In the last two and a half weeks, I have already been accepted for two different jobs and between the two I will be making more than enough to become debt-free and also save up more than enough to go on a church mission. Today I finished all the paperwork necessary that qualifies me as a substitute teacher in our school district. I feel so confident in getting this job because I know that the hand of the Lord has guided me to this and He will help me and teach me how to do well. Although at this time I do not have a sure idea of what will be required of me, I do know that all tools will become available to me in the time that I need them. Also this morning was my second day of training for the paper route. I am driving for the first time this Friday and it will be the last day with my helper, Joseph. After that, it's all me! I cannot wait to take over and just go out there and do what I can do. I have a saying that goes:

"What can I say? I'm good at what I do."

It gives me confidence in myself and also helps me to see the potential in other people. Everyone is good at what they do to the extent that they want to be. I am thankful to come from a family where my parents set a high standard for quality work and taught it by their example.

This morning, my sweetheart and I began reading Mosiah ch 1 together via Skype. I love the Book of Mormon and I know that it brings such a sweetness and a strength into every place it is applied, be that personal or universal. I know that the relationship that Phil and I have can become so much more through this habit! It is so precious to me now, I can't even imagine how it could get better. But I guess that is the beauty of reality: dreams are always better in real life.

I have a confession to make, so I'm going to get it out here and then I'm going to forgive myself and move forward because it is one of those things that I just can't change:
Sometimes, I see women who are so gorgeous and strong and they have beautifully shaped and proportioned bodies... and they can bend. I tried to do yoga today but it hurt too much to do upward facing dog and I got discouraged. So I spent five minutes looking at the screen, just watching and letting my thoughts be sad. 'I wish I could do  that, but I just can't. I am mad at myself that I had to get surgery on my spine, and I can't forgive myself for it. I am stuck this way.'

My back has been hurting since early this morning. I think it starts to hurt when I feel scared, depressed, or overwhelmed. I am going to go on a Journey to my lower spine and work out the kinks by forgiving, loving, and asking for peace and serenity from GOD.

Judas

"Is there any punishment for betrayal?
Nay. But take these 30 silver coins.
30 pieces of silver in exchange for a
God. I spit on them to make them
Shine and wonder if it's enough to
Buy my way to heaven."


Sometimes, I write little bits of poetry that come to mind. I found this in my notebook today.
Date written: 30 August, 2010.

Return Again

Life goes by much too quickly. And I look back and see a completely different person, as if the mirror is warped. Ahead I see me. I feel so beautiful and confident. This is who I really am. And not just this being, but also another's. I am two in one. True love is pure selflessness and I begin to learn the meaning of that now.

It's been 10 months and 6 days since the love of my life, Phillip (what a princely name!), wandered into my life. It has been 9 months and 16 days since we decided that there was no one else in the world we would rather be with. And it has been difficult to be apart from each other since I moved 5 hours west 16 days ago. I thank the Lord that I got 9 months with him being just a few minutes away and all of the laughs, tears, and romantic adventures we got to have in that time! I am strengthened by his love and devotion.

I cannot possibly "catch up" this blog to all the things I've been through during this past year and more. I will simply have to start from here and move forward! Isn't that the beauty of it, though? It's life. And I'm living it!

Waffles

I need to post more pictures that tell the story of my life!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, last time I posted on here I had just gotten to Idaho to visit my Aunt Gina and her family. That was such an amazing trip! It wore me out completely, but I wouldn't have traded it for anything. I learned a whole bunch about my family history and my heritage and got to get to know my cousins better! When I first got there Gina pretty much told me that I needed to turn my 13 year old cousin Ciera into a 'girl'; since she has only brothers she didn't know where to start. That was a great excuse for us to go shopping! I don't like shopping, it makes me tired and gives me a headache.... but I loved it! Ah! I don't even know.. but I bought her a little makeup set and some new clothes and some lipgloss (mmm delicious kind from Bath and Bodyworks!) and then, after years of debating it, she was finally brave enough to get her ears pierced on June 11th, 2010! She was only brave enough because I was there :D and I feel very honored. I also got to cut her hair so I chopped it off and put layers in it and made it look gorgeous! Here's my handiwork with the scissors in manifestation:

Ciera's new 'do

And also, her new earrings:

She got little diamond studs (: super cute! just in

time for Kris and Mel's wedding the next day, too

Oh, of course I have to put a picture of the happy couple. Look at how cute they are! Haha, Mel looked stunning I must say and it was really fun to take pictures with my uncle Richard's flipping amazing camera!

Mel and Kris Carney <3 June 12, 2010

Aaaaand a few more pictures of the wedding and my cousins:

Grandma Carney in the center who is Kris's mom

cousin Ciera dancing with her dad

(PS I did her hair and makeup, she looked stunning!)

The two cutest girls in the whole world

a blue balloon

and the cute girls' grandma (:

Mel and her boys, nephew Bailie on the left

and son Jarod on the right

During my stay in Idaho I also got to see some of the houses that my grandparents and great-grandparents lived in! I got to visit my great aunt Dorothy and my other great aunt and also my Bolton grandparents. While I was there my grandpa Bolton brought out a banjo that belonged to his grandpa Will (i believe) It was amazing!

I really do come from a line of musicians haha... and really backwoods hillbilly hobos lol (:

While I was in Idaho, I had a lot of free time between cooking and running a few errands and shopping, of course. So I decided to learn a new hobby and with a car at my disposal (thanks Karen for letting me steal your little truck) and craft stores so close, I really blossomed in this new discovery: knitting. Here are all my new toys that I found on ebay for about $40 total. Just to put this in perspective, look at the sets of 5 little double-pointy needles. ONE set of those goes for about $10 by itself and I got 15 sets for about $15. It was a sick deal, I just couldn't pass it up. Same thing for the regular set of two needles. 15 for $15. OH YEAH BABY!!!!

my new babies!

So I decided to make myself a pair of socks just to see if I could do it and here's how they turned out. Thanks to Drops Design Studio -> http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/en/kategori_oversikt.php for the patterns for pretty much everything I knit!

SOCKIES!! not bad for my first try. ever.

my first attempt at knitting with a cable... i ended up

taking the whole thing out because i was using

needles that were 3 sizes too big... which just 

does NOT work for knitting stuff...

I also had some other adventures while I was there. Cousin Chris and I went and walked the beautiful canyon a couple times and I celebrated my birthday by watching Fantastic Mr. Fox at the matinee theater after driving to Burley and back. Then Chris and Jeff took me out dirtbiking for the first time in my life!! It was so much fun!! I got a little sun and stuff and had the time of my life. I got stuck a couple times and Chris had to help me out, like that one time my bike died half way up the hill and as I started rolling back down I thought I saw my life flash before my eyes. Or when I ran into the huge sagebrush and couldn't get out. But once I got warmed up it was so much fun to go flying down the trail over the dips and hills. (:

Chris and Jeff unloading the toys

me and mah bike!

I'm so sexy with mah helmut!

(notice: tons of sunshine = zero color for Sarah)

So it's really late, and church is tomorrow and I have a feeling it's going to be a long day so I better get to bed, but just a few things before I do. First of all, the marvelous, wonderful, gorgeous Kasey Brown spoiled me with a free haircut and makeover for my birthday! and the results are in:

layers and bangs and Regina Spektor

I also bought my first big piece of furniture which made me feel really old. It's mah desk yay!!

Also, my roommates Chloe, Jessica, and I decided to buy this spiffy looking metal, push-pedal garbage can for our kitchen!! it's awesome!! except that the sticker won't come off :( but we'll fix that soon enough. I just love the pedal part of it. (:

i like heavy metal. garbage cans that is.

Well, that's it for now everyone! I'll try to get on here more often, especially as I am crafting more and have some marvelous things to share! I have to say I AM SO GLAD TO BE BACK HOME IN GREELEY!!! <3 <3 <3  I missed my tute and my roomies so much! It's so wonderful to be in my apartment too, and have a kitchen and a living room and a nice room all to myself and i can sleep in my underwear and not feel weird about it. hahaha!!!

Love
Sarah

Trippin'

Well, first of all I want to say HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!! Even though it's a little late! Since I'm cheap (really, really cheap) I decided to write my Mom a letter instead of trying to find the perfect thing to buy her. She loved it though! Maybe next year I will be able to have enough green to get her a necklace or something fun! I have a hard time with the whole 'saving' part of Saving Money though... :\

AAaaannnnd I'm in Idaho for a month!! Saturday night, Mom came up to Greeley to pick me and a bunch of my stuff up, and I drove us home. We got into Craig at about 2 AM and then I slept for a few hours, went to church at 9, then left Craig for Twin Falls, I-Deee-Ho. I got a Father's blessing before I left which was wonderful. There was no problem on the road and I made it before sundown with only one stop! My Incredible Aunt Gina has actually partitioned off a corner of the house for my 'room' and it's awesome! (it's literally about the size of the room i have in my apartment back home haha) And I have shelves and a bedside table and stuff and it's great! I feel right at home! Plus with Chris and Uncle smart-pants teasing me all the time, I feel just like part of the family. ;) which is good i guess....

Finals week feels like it was months ago, but really it was last week. I just feel so far away from it! But my body doesn't forget that easily. I've been sleeping like a mummy the last 24 hours or so that I've been here. I hope that I will normalize my sleeping schedule soon! I'm just glad that I don't have to change time zones or anything. That would throw me off even worse. I'm sure I'll be all caught up and back to normal in a few days! I'm glad my aunt is being patient with me. I'm here to help her out but she's treating me like I'm an important guest haha!

We had crazy downpour/hail weather today. I'm glad I didn't have to drive in it!

I think I'm going to go to bed so hopefully I'll be able to be awake in time for scripture prayer in the early AM. Love to all!

Sarah