XXI

I couldn't have imagined a better way to celebrate turning 21. My sisters and I drove up to Provo, my Mom met us there, and the four of us went to Stadium of Fire to hear Brad Paisley.

The concert was amazing...with the best fireworks.

Sunday night was my birthday party up in Provo Canyon!

Everyone sang happy birthday....

....then my sisters did this

They got me good....I had blue boogers for two days. My sisters are SO lucky that I'm good natured about these things, or they would have been in big trouble. It did make things awkward when friends showed up later, not knowing what had happened, and wondered why I had blue eyebrows and a blue nose. I just told them I was still learning how to eat birthday cake, even at 21.

The following week, I ran my first half marathon! It was the Hobbler Half in Springville, a beautiful course along Hobble Creek. Verdict: half marathons rock. I can't wait to run another!

Well, here is the "big announcement" I promised: I'm going on an 18-month mission for my church! I never planned on going, except when I was a little girl and was convinced I would serve a mission in Italy. Honestly I had only chosen Italy because it was the easiest country to find on my globe since it's shaped like a boot.
Well, this May I had an epiphany at church that I wanted to serve a mission! My papers will hopefully be done in a few weeks. I'm so excited! I know that my Heavenly Father knows me better than I know myself, so wherever I am called will be right. How crazy to think that in just a month or so, the brethren will be looking at my name and my picture, and they will receive inspiration from the Lord on where to send me!

California and New Harmony Trip

I spent two much-needed weeks in California to ring in my big 21st. It was paradise. I stayed with Rikki for the first week, watching her house while she was at work. I spent the days tanning at the pool, running circles around Ladera Ranch, walking Rikki's adorable puppy, Leia, snuggling with her cat, KiKi (and consequently breaking out in hives and having sneezing fits), and parading around in these, my first birthday present:

I've always hated shopping and I suppose that makes me a bit unfeminine, but these shoes compensate for it. I hope I marry someone tall so I can wear adorable heels like these all the time.

It's because of this hot lady here

that I didn't have a single boring moment during my vacation in California.

We played cribbage, danced Kinect, ate Sushi, 

pigged out on Mexican food, "got crabs" at Joe's Crab Shack (I love Brian's face in this picture),

golfed,

watched Brian play softball,

bathed Leia,

and took a road trip down to Imperial beach for the day.

 

 I went kayaking with my Dad in Oceanside and got sunburned, but it was SO fun! We pedaled out to the buoy and I fell in love with the seals.

My best friend Becca was getting married that first weekend, which was the reason I planned my trip to Cali. It was exciting to be a maid of honor for the first time. It was a beautiful wedding at the Redlands temple, followed by a reception in her family's backyard in Wrightwood. I can't believe she's married!  Becca and Andrew are such a beautiful couple.

 

 The following week I stayed closer to the beach with Randi and my cousins. We ran and biked to the ocean, basked in the sun, got pedicures, and went to an Angel's game. 

Unfortunately, my frolicking in California couldn't last forever; luckily, we had some pretty fun stuff lined up. Like a family reunion in New Harmony!! I may be the shortest sister in the family, but I still wasn't short enough for the cramped spot I had in the back seat of the TEENY TINY rental car we drove to Utah. The road trip was made more bearable by listening to Harry Potter on CD in anticipation for the upcoming movie. (We are all Harry Potter geeks, through and through.)

Aunt Deb and Uncle Gary own a gorgeous ranch in Southern Utah, and they spent a lot of time teaching us to ride horses! I won't put up pictures, because I discovered later that my posture was DISGUSTING, and that's just embarrassing. My horse, Chexy, totally took advantage of my sweetness and it was an adventure to say the least trying to steer her around. I guess I have to learn to be more demanding and in-control.

Stay tuned for the rest of my summer adventures....and an exciting announcement!