Don't pinch me if I'm dreaming: July 2007

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Social Life

One of the awesome benefits of being done with college is the return of my social life!! :) YAY! I'm able to say "yes" to invitations instead of saying "Sorry, I have homework" every time. Last night we celebrated the time we had Alicia in our lives and wished her well as she moves back home to Nebraska. I'm sure she'll visit occasionally, but we will all miss her bright and sunny smile. She was a wonderful addition to the Trinity family.

Tonight I was able to participate in the volleyball game between the Trinity and Sunnyslope young adult groups. (we had a few recruits from other churches on both teams as well) Both sides lost and won several games and EVERYONE had lots of fun. My arms are rather sore now, but that will fade quickly enough.

Tomorrow I look forward to iceskating at Polar Ice after church. (12:30-3:30pm for those who didn't get the email) It will be so much fun and it's a great way to stay cool in the warm summer days.

Now if I could just round up a few tennis players, I'd be happier than a bug in a rug. Heather is willing to learn the sport and I'm sure I can find other willing participants for a doubles match. Mom & Dad: y'all want to come play on Aug 5th?? :D It's not THAT long of a commute... just a short 37 hours!

We had so much fun playing tonight that I completely forgot to take out my camera and capture visual aids. I guess you'll have to use your imagination this time.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

DONE, DONE, DONE, DONE!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm done, done, done, done with college!!!! My Bachelor's degree in Accounting is complete!!! WHOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Monday, July 23, 2007

Camping July 20-22

Wow... what an awesome camping trip! So much to tell! From the beginning:

We decided to go camping in Oak Creek Canyon this past weekend... and so did 90% of the population of Arizona. Ben & Dierdre arrived first at Cave Springs campground Friday evening and could not find any open sites there or at any other forest service campground. Heather, Diane, & I arrived about an hour later and added our efforts to the search. Unfortunately, cell service in the canyon is spotty, so we weren't able to coordinate our search. Ben & Dierdre ended up at a campground Southeast of Flagstaff on Friday night while Diane, Heather and I pitched camp at an unmaintained campground 10 miles north of Slide Rock on SR89. Luckily, both vehicles were self-reliant (we each had tents, food, gear, etc) so we spent Friday night in our respective camp sites. Saturday morning Ben borrowed the camp host's cell phone and was able to call me and get our location. They packed up camp and joined us in time for breakfast. Nathan and Phillip drove up Saturday morning as planned and with a little effort were able to locate our site as well. After breakfast we discussed options for the day and Diane decided to join Amanda (her housemate who happened to be in Flagstaff) and drive up to the Grand Canyon. The remaining 6 of us were preparing to take a hike when the storm clouds rolled in. We had just enough time to secure the tents and gear before the rain started to fall. The guys decided to wait out the storm in Becky's Castle and we girls took shelter in our tents. See Video The rain didn't last very long and soon we were on our way to the West Fork Oak Creek trail for a beautiful afternoon hike. There were some ruins of an old lodge near the beginning of the trail and we had fun exploring those before continuing. Phillip had lots of fun sliding on the mossy rocks in the creek about 1/2 way into the hike. We returned to camp for dinner, then roasted marshmallows and made S'mores. It started to sprinkle again soon after, so we decided to turn in for the night. Sunday morning dawned bright and early and we enjoyed omelets-in-a-bag for breakfast before packing up camp and heading to Midgely Bridge and Wilson Canyon Trail. We enjoyed that hike then returned to the picnic ramada at the bridge for lunch. After lunch Ben, Dierdre, & Nathan headed back to Phoenix while Heather, Diane, Phillip, and I crossed to the south side of the bridge and hiked down the canyon to Oak Creek. I operated the cameras while the other 3 went sliding down the creek. The combination of red rock and algae makes a great natural waterslide in the creekbed. See Video After we had all the fun we could fit in before another storm front rolled in, we climbed back up the canyon (I have the aching leg muscles to prove it!) and headed back to Phoenix. I enjoyed every minute of this trip and definitely will be planning return trips.

See Photo Album for visual aids! :D

TICK TOCK TICK TOCK

The countdown continues... only 2 days of class left until I finish my Bachelor's of Science in Accounting degree!!

Friday, July 20, 2007

Oak Creek Canyon

We're going camping this weekend at Cave Springs Campground in Oak Creek Canyon. We'll leave after work and come home Sunday afternoon. I'm so excited!! See ya on the other side.
:)

Sunday, July 15, 2007

El Encanto

Heather took me to El Encanto in Cave Creek for a birthday lunch. The food was even better than I remembered! Part of my birthday present was this framed photo of our horseback riding trip in January (my Christmas present from Heather!) in Wickenburg.

The day started with Heather making me my favorite breakfast: Baked Oatmeal. Also waiting for me were these absolutely gorgeous flowers! I'm so lucky to have such a thoughtful housemate!!

It's been a really great day! I'm off to bed for a nap... my tummy is full of good food and I'm so sleepy. :)

Sunday, July 08, 2007

Birthday Shoutout

Happy 25th Birthday to my older and much wiser (as he persisted to tell me whenever our 7-day age difference was the topic of conversation) cousin, Matthew Rudd!! Have an awesome birthday, Cuz. Love ya!