I'm bbbaaaacccckkkk !!!!

HELLO....ARE YOU STILL IN THERE?  COME OUT AND PLAY!  WHERE' YOU BEEN?

So, um, it's been a while since I've written on this blog/journal.  I'm not even sure if this one is read anymore!  The whole Peru blog was great and so many people loved following it as we went along on our adventures.  I'll post some highlight pictures at the end of this one.  This summer has flown by, but has been a great one.  I have never felt so relaxed and carefree during a summer as I have this one...and seeing as how this upcoming school year will be an intense one, I'm quite surprised that I was able to put it all out of my mind for the summer.  I am back and ready to start my new teaching adventure (remind me I was this calm in about a month!) 

Summer Highlights:
1.  PERU... see http://www.paradingthroughperu.blogspot.com/   Enough said :o) - btw...lost 12 pounds there!
2.  Total Gym-Rat since coming home - sometimes twice a day, sometimes 3 hours a day - feel strong and healthy and am grateful for a workout companion - thanks, Loralie and Justin for pushing me!
3.  A week in Cedar with a quick day-jaunt to SLC for lunch with 2 of my mission comps - Paula and Krystal - and brought home Sadie's daughter from volleyball camp.  Enjoyed 2 plays at the Shakespeare Festival ("The Glass Menagerie" and "Noises Off")and relaxing/eating/shopping with Amber and Ashley in Cedar as well as visiting a bunch with Sadie and Jessica (thanks for the pedi!)
4.  Spring Mountain Ranch Theater with work friends - we saw "The Drowsy Chaperone"
5.  Hiked Cathedral Rock and Raintree helping a friend get ready for HER Inca Trail hike (they're doing it this week!)
6.  "Did lunch" several times with different friends - including my dad one day at Schlotskys!
7.  Spent a week in San Diego with the Skousons camping, beaching, touring, eating lots, Padres game, and relaxing
8.  Switched from Cox TV to Direct TV  and got rid of my home phone completely!
9.  Gone to school only twice in July - once to meet with principal, and the other to start leveling my class library of books (thanks to Alli!) - major success at leaving it alone for the summer
10.  Cleaned out all my kitchen cabinets and donated lots to DI and threw away most of my "spice cupboard" which had some VERY old stuff in it!
11.  Taught Relief Society twice
12.  Started cleaning out my garage - partly because all my teaching stuff (TONS) has to come out and be taken to school, and partly because clutter makes me crazy.
13.  Read a few novels for fun and 1 teaching book for work
14.  Fun 4th of July bbq and fireworks at the Duncans
and
15.  Tried to keep up with my growing To-Do list this summer... some projects done, some won't be.  Oh well. 

It's been a good summer!

The 3 Crazies on the Via Ferrata
Vertical rock climbing experience, ending with ziplines and rapelling

What in the world were we thinking?
And this was only the first 20 steps off the ground!
4 hours up...just like this...vertically UP!
but waaayyyy cool!

Can you say "Amazing Race?"
Holy cow - a tightrope crossing NOT touching
the mountain!

 

After 4 crazy fun, long, fast ziplines going back down,
the last one began with some rapelling, then he let it
rip...zip...down to that trailer - landed on my feet!





And THEN we did our 4-day, 28 mile INCA TRAIL hike
through the Andes Mountains ending at
Machu Picchu.  Incredible journey and experience
of a lifetime!

Of course, THEN there was the 4 days we spent in a Peruvian Amazon Jungle Lodge.  That was HOT and HUMID, and very awesome.

We finally ended with 2 days in Lima along the coast. 

Other fun summer pictures:
San Diego trip with the Skousons -
The Mormon Battalion Historical Center
and
A Padres vs. Dodgers game - Padres won 3-1

Should have taken my camera more often this summer, but I got worn out in Peru.  It's been a good one.  Pretty much ends on Monday with a week's worth of trainings, then it's in to set up shop for the year! 

Thanks for the summer memories to my friends and family!