You know those days...

... when everything goes right?
... when all the girls you teach participate in class?
... when the mountains are perfect colors that remind you of home?
... when you actually feel like you've taught someone something?
... when someone gives you a compliment that is exactly what you need to hear?
... when your internet and cable come back on?
... when the weather is absolutely perfect?
... when you make it up the stairs without being out of breath?
... when you feel on top of all your school work?
... when you're the best kind of sore that lets you know you had a great workout?
... when you have enough time to go early to lacrosse practice and shoot?
... when you don't care how busy the next couple weeks are because this day is great just the way it is?

Yeah... today was one of those days. And I couldn't be happier about it.

4 for Kay

Now that I'm more settled in Provo, I make it back to VA usually three times a year. Once for Christmas, once over the summer, and once for the Women's Four Miler. There are more and more participants every year and I'm always so impressed with their dedication to such a great cause. My mom, sister and I all run the race in honor of my grandmother who was a breast cancer survivor. As always the best part of the day is hearing the inspiration stories that come from survivors, family members, friends, and all the people there that day.

Here are some pictures from the day!

Even the sky was pink!

Right before the race...

After the race, with Grandma's name from the Motivational Mile

Weekend well spent? I think so...

Fall

... is here!

And this is why I'm happy about it:

• I love my classes (even if anatomy is going to kill me)
• I love my job (even if it means that I have a 30 minute commute at 6:45 each morning)
• Lacrosse started today!
• Despite all the traffic, lots of my favorite people are back!
• Football is starting again
• Lacrosse started today!
• I love my major and feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be
• It's starting to cool off at night
• Lacrosse started today! Yeah... I'm that excited about it.
• I get to go home this weekend to see the beautiful fall colors and to run a race for my grandma and on top of all that get to spend the whole time with my family

Until then I guess this view everyday can't hurt...

The trees are changing here too!

Life is pretty darn good right now :)

Grace.

I stumbled upon this speech today thanks to a friend's recommendation. And I couldn't not share... Enjoy :)

Lake Powell

... is hands down my favorite place on earth. And here's why:

1. No phones, no computers, no outside world.

2. Getting to spend all day, every day with these people:

This week would not work
without this man! Love you Grandpa!

Isn't he the cutest?

Ever fit 34 people on a houseboat at
the same time?

 3. Tubing (especially with people who have never been before)

4. Card games. Pounce, hearts, speed, kemps, phase 10...

5. Sleeping under the stars.

6. Watching my cousins do things I will never try...

Right before landing a flip

Tanner mid-flip...

7. Laying on the back of the boat

8. Cliff jumping (ok maybe not but I did it!)

Julia talking me into it... or maybe calling me a chicken

Yeah... I panicked.

And finally made it!

9. Finally making a rooster tail!!!

10. These people:

I can't wait until next year!

Italia

So my sister Julia is an awesome soccer player. So awesome that she made a team this year that travels to Italy to play European teams. I was lucky enough to go with. We went to so many beautiful cities and saw so many incredible things, and I got to cheer for her while she played... and yes, it was as incredible as it sounds. Here are my favorite parts from the trip...

Milan was gorgeous, even though we were exhausted. The inside of the Duomo was just as intricate and gorgeous as the outside.

We loved the tower of Pisa. We counted the steps all the way up and laughed as we almost fell climbing back down. The views were incredible.

There were gorgeous sunflower fields that we passed on one of our long drives... all of the places we drove past were beautiful.

We got to stay in San Marino and this was the view from the top of the mountain. The girls kicked butt at the tournament, won their division and came back with a huge trophy! So proud of them!

No big deal, just a statue of the world's fattest man courtesy of the curiosity museum in San Marino.

Love these girls.

This gorgeous cathedral was in Florence. I love this city and would go back any day!

We love gelato and ate it every single chance we got. Even if people thought we were crazy Americans... It's probably true anyway, right?

We ended the trip with a very long, but incredible day in Rome. We got to see the Vatican and St. Peter's Cathedral. We ate incredible food and walked until our feet hurt.

And we plan on going back...

Here We Go...

My day started with a drive to Rio Tinto stadium to watch the USWNT play Canada in their Olympic send off game. I never thought I'd say this, but I LOVE watching women's soccer. Seriously such a great game to be able to watch in person and I can't wait to watch the team play in London in just one month!!

After coming back to Provo and taking a much needed nap, Shawna and I got ready to head back up to Salt Lake to watch Brittany crown her successor as Miss Utah.

Britt did such an incredible job and I was so proud to be able to support her! She looked beautiful as always and the next Miss Utah has very big shoes to fill... I have the greatest roommates!

Love you Britt!

It's now past 2 in the morning and I'm still not done with my laundry and am even further from being packed. I realize how crazy this sounds, and every trip I promise myself it won't happen again, yet here we are. I guess I inherited this capability from my mom, packing late at night is strangely when I end up forgetting the least. Or maybe it's that I know I'm going home where there's extras of anything I might forget. Guess we'll never know...

I leave tomorrow night for almost a full month and I couldn't be more excited. In less than a week I will be in Italy watching Julia play soccer (hopefully adding to my new-found love for the sport) and exploring a country I've always wanted to go to. After I get home from that I get to catch up with some of my favorite people while visiting home... and of course stop at all my favorite restaurants too (Bodo's, Christian's, Dumplings, Sal's, Arch's, Zazu's, and I'm sure many others that I'm forgetting - dang it this is not making Fast Sunday tomorrow any easier...). I'll get to go visit Ragged Mountain Running Shop, Total Performance, the Downtown Mall, my high school, and so many other places. You could say I'm a little excited to go home. After coming back to Provo my family will turn around and go straight to Lake Powell. This trip is easily one of my favorite weeks of the year. It feels like a piece of heaven on earth. Who wouldn't want to spend an entire week in the sun skiing, wake boarding, swimming, tubing, eating, and sleeping under the stars?

By the end of that week I will have spent an entire month away from a place I'm starting to call home. I can honestly say I'll miss Provo a little bit, especially after an awesome day like today. In the end though I think I'm about to have the best month ever and can't wait to get it started...