the best parts of my summer..

well, true to my tendency of slacking with blog updates, here we go...now that it has been raining for about 3 days straight, i take that as summer being officially over (especially because i'm back in school now, so i don't get to be outside at all). i have this inner struggle where i love summer and all the activities that comes with it, but i hate sweating.  so i think i enjoy fall just as much, sans the sweat and sunburn.  i won't bore you with all the details of my adult, grown-up responsibilities..here are the best parts of my summer--

trips up the canyon full of gorgeous sunsets scouting for elk. hunting happens to be a foreign concept for me, but i don't mind being in such beautiful surroundings with my favorite person :)

 

 finding things like horny toads, which are oddly adorable...

 being on off-roading rides that look like these....

plenty of archery practice (also for his hunt)...i think from now on i'll just call him Robin Hood. i don't know how he has the patience to sit in a tree for a week at a time waiting to shoot an elk...but then again, he's always been far more patient than me...

 while he was up in a tree and i was paranoid that he was going to get eaten by some carnivorous animal, i got to spend a much-needed weekend with my best friend. i'm not talking my "best friend that i only kind of get along with"..i mean, we live over 150 miles away, and still manage to buy the EXACT SAME article of clothing without even knowing it. it's crazy, but doesn't surprise either of us at all. we hear all the time that we look/act like twins. i'm convinced we had some crazy separated-at-birth experience, because we're generally on the same wavelength about everything. she's the best though, and i couldn't approve more of the guy she married--they're perfect for each other, and i loved hanging out with them. unfortunately, contrary to our M.O., there were no pictures taken..

seriously, i see this person way too infrequently...luckily, she's coming to provo for her birthday (as unfortunate as THAT is), and there will be too many cupcakes to count :)

this summer also allowed me to get in touch with my inner cowgirl...i'm pretty sure that has always been suppressed, because i love everything country--music, outdoors, horses, even the pink cowboy boots (as referenced in an earlier post). logan is closet country, and doesn't like to be the stereotypical cowboy. but he humored me, and went all-out for a night:) i'm going to be completely cheesy for a second..i don't know how i got lucky enough to date this guy, but i couldn't be more happy..he's THE sweetest, kindest, most patient and hard-working person i know, and always surprises me with how much more mature and intelligent he is..i don't think he knows this, but i've wrangled him into the most lopsided relationship there is. love him :)

our summer concluded with family time, 5 year reunions (him, not me...i don't like to age prematurely), working as much as ever, and getting ready for school..

i also made the leap and decided to work on becoming a certified personal trainer...it's something that i've wanted to do for a long time, but hadn't really had the time for. there are a couple other things after this one, but...baby steps :)








last but not least, i had time to hang out with some of the cutest girls i know...i got to play mommy for a couple days while my sister and her husband painted their new condo..these girls are the cutest, and are joined by brand-new baby libby and another girl cousin this winter. i can't wait!