It's about time....

I realize that I have been remiss in posting on this blog...and for the 4 people who actually read it I apologize...and salute you. The last time I posted was in September and every month since then there has always been a great holiday associated with it that would have been a great time for a post.

October- Halloween...dressing up like an 80's rocker from Jem and the Holograms. (I owned the barbie Jem for those who remember her.) Participating in my stakes Triathlon...I did the biking portion...which was only 4 miles but it was still fun.

November-Thanksgiving...what's not to love there...great food, gratitude, running a 10k...yeah I know...you must be thinking to yourself, self, now I know that trixy Sarah and she is NOT a runner, let alone a 6.3 mile runner. Well I am here to tell you that I did in fact run that 10k and have the shirt, tag and number to prove it. I also thought I would die but am glad I did it. A shout out to all those who cheered and encouraged me along the path to VICTORY! I finished in an hour and 13 minutes and am quite pleased that I finished. (I know the shock is still probably affecting some of you...now may be a good time to pinch yourself. Yes this is real. I am not fibbing.)

December is always a good time to blog...birthday and Christmas...the two best holidays of the year. A new iPhone was my gift to myself...happy birthday to me! I spent Christmas visiting all my friends from my mission in Georgia. It was so great to back since my last visit 3 years ago. I loved spending time with everyone I saw...especially Lorraine who let me stay with her and let me drive her car and just smothered me with food, fun and a fabulous time! She is my Georgia mama. We went to the GA Aquarium- worlds largest- and I LOVED it. I would highly recommend it the next time any of you visit the ATL.

January- New years resolutions...all of which I broke the first week...probably not worth mentioning now. But much better...my sweet momma flew out to visit for the weekend and we had a grand ole time! I showed her the town, took her to the Phoenix Art Museum and she helped me pick out a duvet cover for my comforter (which is really cute btw!) It was really great to see her and be able to show her what my life is like out here in the wonderfully sunny and WARM state of Arizona...I believe the phrase neener neener comes to mind for all of you who live in colder climates! Too bad she had to go back to COLD Idaho.

February- And of course we all know the big holiday for this month---Feb. 14th........Arizona Statehood Day! That's right folks...its a big day here for us Arizonians and I take pride in my new state and celebrated accordingly! But even better would be the weekend I just spent in Utah with friends and family! Rachel, Tami, Esther and I flew out for the weekend. We got to snowboard for FREE twice! And on top of that it dumped 3 feet over the weekend! The slopes were stellar! My uncle let us stay in this posh 'little' house he built up in Park City for the duration of our stay...AWESOME! Another highlight was being able to attend the temple with family as we watched my sweet cousin Kelsie sealed to her spouse for all of eternity. I am so proud of her! I also got to spend some time with friends...two of which recently returned from missions and it was sooooo great to see them all! Yay for amazing friends that make life swonderful!

I guess that is the happinins of my life up to this point...tune-in in another 4 months and you may get another! haha!

Triathlon team: Mike swimming, Me biking, Wendy running

Mesa Turkey Trot- 10k

Notice the number as well as magnetic strip on my shoe to track my time...yeah I'm that cool!

Lorraine- my Georgia mama

Whale sharks...must scuba dive with one someday!

30 before 30

So I realize it has been a while since I have posted anything. Part of the reason has to do with my camera being broken and not having any new pictures to post. Some of the pictures I need to track down from friends cameras. This has been a great summer for me with new opportunities. Two family weddings which were a lot of fun. Wake-boarding, hiking slot canyons, camping, water parks (funny story there perhaps for another time), swim parties, a mud fight, Lake Powell, road trips, new roommates, and my personal favorite: trying to ride an airchair on the lake- which scared me to death! Look it up on youtube if you don't know what that is.

Hopefully in the future I can track down some of those pictures...but for now I decided to blog about a new goal of mine...or should I say 30 new goals. After I moved here I heard about a few friends of mine who have made a 30 before 30 list. Basically a list of 30 things you want to accomplish before you turn 30. I thought that was a terrific idea and started to brainstorm some ideas of what I would put on my list. I have just over three years to accomplish this list and I am pretty stoked about it. I do not have a complete list as of yet...but here are some of the ones that I am sure about:

1. Take a painting class (Which I am starting soon! Yay)

2. Travel to two continents I have never been to

3. Visit as many temples as I can- at least 5 new ones

4. Get the next level of scuba certification and plan a stellar dive trip

5. Take a photography class

6. Do some kind of volunteer work in a foreign country

7. Start a book club

8. Finish reading Jesus the Christ

9. Learn to play a new sport

10. Learn to swim and do flips underwater without plugging my nose (I know...grown woman blah blah blah)

11. Swim with dolphins

12. Create something......cool?

13. Take a cooking class that focuses on the proper use of seasoning and spices

14. Take a Yoga class

15. Hike Havasupai

16. Go White Water Rafting and hit some HUGE rapids

17. Make a quilt

18. Make a sweet video of my next trip to a foreign land

19. Create and live by a budget and invest

20. See Imogen Heap in concert

21. Teach someone else a new skill

22. Find 30 new family names and do all their temple work from start to finish

So obviously my list isn't complete and is subject to change...but I am really excited about it. I also think that by putting this on my blog it makes me more accountable knowing that others know about my goals. Feel free to offer any ideas you may have for the remaining 8 goals!

A Monumental Weekend

So this last weekend was pretty much one of the most action packed I have had in a long time! I took two days off work and some friends and I headed North! Boyd, Keith, Mandy, Rachel and I left Wednesday evening and headed straight to Bryce Canyon in Southern Utah. Bryce Canyon happens to be my favorite national park...and a great way to begin our adventure! I love the unique and picturesque scenery you get there as you hike through the hoodoos. The color contrast is also incredible- red rocks, blue skies and green trees! I LOVE Bryce Canyon! We had a blast hiking around, feeding chipmunks and enjoying the view.

The crew: Mandy, me, Rachel, Keith and Boyd

I love holes!

Who wouldn't love this!

Mandy trying to feed the chipmunks!

Waterfall at Bryce

After a long day of hiking, we decided to camp one more night at Bryce. The next morning we packed all our gear (which you should be impressed to know we crammed camping gear for all 5 of us inside the trunk of an Altima- we are awesome) and headed to Zion's National Park. Zion's is incredibly majestic. Sheer cliffs rising up everywhere. Once we arrived in the park, we took the shuttle to the entrance to hike the Narrows back to Wall Street. The Narrows is a huge slot canyon...and you are basically fording through a river the entire hike back to Wall Street- the narrowest part of the canyon. You can never go wrong with a hike through water and I loved every minute of it. Some people brought walking sticks to help them ford the river. Who needs that when you have a crossing buddy to hold hands with...definitely my favorite method to crisscross the river. On the way back on the shuttle, we were sitting in the back and Boyd had taught me how to split an apple in half with my bare hands...so I did. Yeah- it was incredible. Anywho- this little boy was watching and then proceeded to tell his dad what I had just done- how I was stronger than him...what with his gray hair and pudgy arms (ps. this guy had muscle and was in great shape). I wish we had had one more apple just so that poor guy could maintain his manhood in front of his son! haha.

The Narrows- Zion's National Park

A perfect hidey-hole to wait in and scare Mandy! Awesome!

We then drove down to Page, AZ. to meet up with some friends of Keith who had a boat at Lake Powell. We got there at one in the morning...so we slept in the cars and boat. We basically woke up with the sun and got ready to take the boat out on the lake. I have never seen anything like Lake Powell before! Sheer cliffs rising straight out of the water...and the house boats people take out are ginormous! They need semi-trucks just to get them down in the water. Put that on my list of things to do next time I am at Lake Powell- stay on a house boat! Our boat was amazing too- thanks to Crystal for sharing with us! We spent the day wakeboarding, swimming and being thrown around on the tube. The sky was blue with some fluffy white clouds...and out of nowhere this tempest blows in and dark, black clouds darkened the sky. Those who were expereinced with Lake Powell quickly got everyone packing up and we started back toward the dock, which was at least 20 minutes away. I have never seen a storm roll in the way this one did. It was fast...and soon we had huge waves that threatened to capsize the boat. I was in the front and the boat was dipping up and down- with waves crashing up and drenching me. I haven't prayed that hard in a long time! Haha. Luckily Keith was great at navigating through dangerous waters! We even anchored the boat off in the sand for a time as we waited for the storm to blow over. Captain Keith saved our lives! haha. Once we made it back to dry land we headed back home. It was a whirlwind weekend and one of the most enjoyable I've had in a long time. Loved it!

A semi lowering a house boat into Lake Powell...too bad it wasn't ours!

Mesa and my new JOB!

Well I guess it's been awhile since I have posted anything here. I guess its time to catch you all up on what has been happening in my life. I moved to Mesa after I got back from Asia and love it down here. I live in a house with four other roommates: Esther, Tami, Katie and Lana. They are really awesome girls and I love living with them! They have done a great job of introducing me to a lot of new people. I have also done some fun stuff since I have moved here- wake boarding, dirt biking, frisbe golf, a Suns playoff game, and lots of other fun stuff. I am attending a singles ward and just got a calling as the Marriage and Family Prep teacher in Sunday School. I know...funny huh! But really I enjoy teaching it and I have been surprised by how well its attended (despite how taboo it is to attend one in a singles ward) and how much people are involved in class.

I just finished my first week working at my new job with Healthy Families. I am a Family Support Specialist and my job is to go into the homes of new mothers and fathers and teach them about child development and how to have healthy relationships with their babies. I got a name badge with my picture on it as well as a cell phone for my job. WOW- I really feel like an adult now! Who knew all it took was a name badge and work phone to enter adult society? Next week I will meet two of the families I will take on, and the week after that I will receive 5 new caseloads. After a few months, I will have between 10 and 15 caseloads. I am really excited about this job. I am a bit overwhelmed at all the new information I have to learn, but it is a great program and something I will learn a great deal from! Yay for jobs and adulthood! haha.

My grace and talent aptly shown here as I mastered the art of wake boarding!

Perhaps this one is a bit better!

Where the Heyo are Lindsay and Sarah?

So my good friend Lindsay showed me this really cool video on youtube before we left for Asia. It is about this guy named Matt and he goes all over the world and does this silly little dance move in really famous places. So we decided we wanted to do the same! With that said, I present to you:

Where the Heyo are Lindsay & Sarah?

Okay so for whatever reason it will not load on here- and I have tried three different times- so just go to youtube.com and type in 'Where the Heyo are Lindsay & Sarah?'

Or here is the link:

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

For those who are interested in seeing Matt's video- just go to youtube and type in "Where the Hell is Matt?" He was even sponsored by Stride Gum. His videos are pretty rad!

Bangkok and Ayutthaya

Bangkok was our first destination in our SE Asia Trekking! We spent one day in Bangkok before heading up to Chiang Mai. Bangkok is the capital of Siam- and very large and busy! There are taxis, tuk tuks and people everywhere. We spent the day in a whirlwind of activity trying to hit all the highlights. I enjoyed Bangkok- but is so crazy and it feels like everyone is trying to hustle you! We were nickel and dimed for everything- from temples to tuk tuks and everything in between. You definitely feel the fast pace of Bangkok compared to how laid back it is in Northern and Southern Thailand! One day in Bangkok was enough for me! Also- you get better detail if you click on the picture!

We began our day on the canals of Bangkok looking for the floating market. Bangkok is known as the Venice of Asia because of all the canals. We rode around in a long-tail boat and it was great to see the smaller canals and where people lived.

When we eventually found the "floating market," there were only a few vendors left- so I am not sure we found the right one. The large floating market has dozens upon dozens of small boats like this one that sell food and produce- and you purchase it as you float along.

Our next stop was at Wat Arun- the oldest temple in Bangkok.

You can climb up Wat Arun and you have a really great view of Bangkok. You can see the roof-tops of the Grand Palace.

The steps were really steep!

Fresh coconut juice! Yum!

Lindsay and I missed the 40 at the bottom and had to pay 40 Baht for this picture! haha

Tuk tuks are a cheap way to get around- if you can get a driver that won't take you around to shops that he gets commissions on first!

This is at Wat Saket and that is money hanging down that the Thai people pin on!

I love the architecture in the temples!

This is King Bhumibol Adulyade and he is loved by the people of Thailand. You can see his picture all over Thailand. I loved asking the Thai people about their king because of the love they all share for him- and hearing stories of the great things he does for the people. He was actually born in the U.S. and studied at Harvard and played the sax! While Thailand has a democracy- his influence has helped avert a political crisis in 2008 among many other things. I admire their loyalty to their king and wish we had greater unity in America.

Wat Benchamabophit and the lucky Buddha

This is the Grand Palace and Lindz and I had to rent sarongs to cover our legs!

Inside this temple in the Grand Palace is the sacred Emerald Buddha- no cameras allowed inside!

This is Wat Po and houses the largest reclining Buddha. It is so huge you can't really get a picture with the entire Buddha in it!

The feet are inlaid with mother of pearl

AYUTTHAYA

After we got back from Chiang Mai we took a two hour train out to the ruins of Ayutthaya for the day. Ayutthaya used to be the center of Siam before the Burmese attacked and destroyed the city.

This tree has grown around the head of Buddha

Lindsay and I didn't realize we were standing in bat dung until we were up there and saw and smelled the bats.

The stinky bats!

I loved the ruins of Ayutthaya! They reminded me of the Roman Forum!

I can't believe the trip is over! I really miss Thailand and Thai food and the people! Thailand should be a MUST on everyones list! There is something for everyone in Thailand!