Pictures from the last week or so!

I've gotten to do so many fun things these past couple of weeks. First of all, here are some pictures from hiking Mt. Jumbo with my good friend Hannah. It was a beautiful hike overlooking Missoula!

It's kinda hard to tell, but there were sheep on the mountain!

There were some beautiful flowers!

Then, I went on a bike ride with Lauren and Hannah and we went to the end of the Kim Williams trail...something we've all wanted to do. It's not as long as I thought, but it was really fun! On the way back we went on some side trails and I got all scratched up from running into branches and bushes! It was a lot of fun!

And, on Sunday I watched the Missoula Marathon with Lauren, Heidi, and Lauren Morey. Lauren and Heidi's dad ran the full! He did really well, finishing in 3:48. Not too bad for a 49 year old first time marathoner! We got up at 4am in order to bring him to the race, then went to different places along the course to cheer. The last half we rode bikes, which was really fun!

This was the sunrise we watched as the runners passed us. It was so pretty!

It was so early! Quick funny story...one of the first girls that passed us running went behind our car and as she passed us was like, "Don't be weirded out, but I'm going to pee behind your car." Oh the things that runners will do!

The coffee was much needed!

Mr. Cross finishing strong!

We were his loyal cheer team! It's really cool to watch a marathon and see people after they finish, just knowing how much work and time they had to put into training. It really takes a lot of will and discipline to run a marathon!

So much to say...

As I lay here on the couch after a day of being sick, I decided to blog. Being sick really gives you a lot of time to think about life, past...present...future. So far, this summer has been full of adventure, stress, and also relaxation. I have been working at the Lighthouse Espresso, which has been a wonderful experience for me. It's my first real job, so it's been pretty exciting. It has taught me how to handle difficult people, patience in frustrating situations, and work ethic. I've gone to the lake, the river, hiked Mt. Jumbo (the mountain the "L" is on), and spent some time at home with nothing to do. And, in less than 2 weeks I will move to Colorado Springs. Today I received my official acceptance letter and packet for theWall internship at Every Home for Christ. It's all starting to seem real, though I can't believe how fast my summer is going by. I haven't decided for sure what I want to do after the internship, so I am leaving that decision in God's hands for now. I am so thankful for the places and experiences God has taken me through and those He will take me through. I am really looking forward to taking this season of my life and dedicating it to the Lord - in prayer, worship and in missions.

Tomorrow is the fourth of July, or Independence Day. We live in a country where we are free to worship God. I am so very thankful for that, and although at times it can cause me to become lazy in my faith, it also gives me so many opportunities to grow in my faith. I have often complained about the church in America being lukewarm and that people who call themselves Christians aren't truly living the lifestyle. But as I complain, I also realize that I am guilty of that many times, and that there really are some amazing men and women of God in America, who have given their lives to spread the Gospel. I am so thankful for those people who give me an example to follow, and I am thankful that I am free to follow Jesus. I am truly blessed. Independence Day reminds me of that.

Creepers and Crawlers

So, I didn't want this to be on facebook, but I needed to sing this for my sisters because of the facebook conversation we are having!

Welp, I cooked

Sorta. I started out very simple - a twenty minute recipe from that Betty Crocker cookbook. But, it tasted wonderful! Pita bread spread with hummus and topped with fetta cheese. Put that in the oven for about ten minutes to let the cheese melt, then top it with diced tomatoes and spinach (the recipe called for olives and onions, both of which I'm not a huge fan)...and you have dinner! I'm excited to start trying more new things! Maybe I'll make some homemade Pad Thai next!

Also, I start working tomorrow at Lighthouse Espresso! Well, actually I'm just going in to figure out my schedule and sign up for times to work. I'm pretty excited, though...this is my first actual job so I hope it goes well!

My Resolve

Okay, so first of all I'd better tell you about my crazy week. So, it was Kylie's birthday last Thursday, and her wonderful husband, Jesse, wanted to give her a multitude of surprises. My mom and I were her first surprise. We got to meet her for coffee and then go and pick up her second "surprise" (she knew about it), my sister Beth and niece Ty. We went to Ky's house for a picnic lunch then met Kay Valentine at the mall (a surprise to us all) then had a Mexican fiesta for Cinco de Maio. That's right...Kylie's birthday was on Thursday, but this was all on Wednesday. The fun was yet to begin. Thursday morning we woke up with the kids, had lattes, and gave Kylie her biggest surprise yet...a massage and pedicure scheduled for later in the afternoon. After lunch with my mom, Amanda, Beth and I, Kylie went to get pampered. But we also surprised Beth, who got to get a massage at the same time. It was fun!

Now, Thursday evening is when the fun truly began. Kylie's parents both got sick with the flu, and we had planned to go to their house for dinner. Her mom had cooked the whole meal, but wasn't feeling well enough to eat it, so we went and got it and brought it to our house. It was delicious curry chicken and the most beautiful multi-sized cupcakes I've ever seen! After dinner I went over to Kylie and Jesse's house and was going to spend the night. But, low and behold, as I lay next to Beth on Kylie's bed, while Kylie was answering her seventy-something birthday wishes on facebook, I got that feeling. You know, the one where you're about to throw up... and I lost it. Dinner, dessert, and all. I decided to go home and I'm glad I did. The routine that night was throw up in the bowl, go wash it out, try to rest a little, then repeat half an hour later. I lost count after about 12 times. When morning came, the time gap was a little longer, which was nice. So this nasty bug sorta ruined the rest of our plans for Kylie. Beth didn't feel well the next day either, so poor Kylie had to take care of Ty and her kids (I say poor because she was so exhausted...I bet she loved being with Ty!) But, at least we got through her birthday! I am feeling much better now, thankfully.

And this next part has absolutely nothing to do with all of that...my resolve:

I have resolved to learn how to cook. Not to become a cook or anything super fancy. I just want to learn how to cook. I think it is a very valuable art, not to mention, fun! Therefore, I will be cooking a meal each Tuesday for my family, starting tomorrow. Well, for now it's each Tuesday..that's flexible.

Tomorrow I will make Middle Eastern Pita Pizzas, a recipe from the Betty Crocker Cookbook, 10th edition. I'm really looking forward to this new little adventure! There was something else that I resolved to do, but I just can't remember right now. Maybe I was being ambitious...oh well! Anyways, I will let you know how it goes!