Ft. Collins, CO

Ugh. Checked the mail this morning. Nothing. It's been a little over 2 weeks since I got a letter. When Seth first got into Argentina I didn't receive a letter for a month, so I know everything is fine, the mail just takes a long time to get from his country to mine. He promised he would write every week, so I know he has. I just don't know why the postal service is so dang slow.
Anyway, I promised I would tell you all about my awesome time in Colorado but where to start?
We chose Ft. Collins, Colorado because we wanted to go white water rafting which was super fun! The guide even asked me if I wanted to go to the back of the raft and try it out, so of course I pounced on that chance. Needless to say, I was not an amazing guide and he probably regretted giving me the choice. It was still pretty cool though. If I could have changed anything it would have been to make it scarier and tougher. It was already a level 4, but hey, I like a challenge.

We also hiked 7260 ft. up to the top of Mount Horsetooth, which doesn't sound like it would take that long but all uphill and stopping to take pictures along the way, it took us over an hour to get all the way to the top. Once we got there though...wow. Talk about an amazing view! We also found a rattle snake up there. Now you must know something about our family, we love animals. We have raised countless hurt/dying babies when their mothers have been killed, lots of birds, rabbits, we had a pet squirrel for about a year and this summer we raised 5 baby raccoons. (Super cute, by the way, my dog thinks she's their mother) None of us girls are afraid of snakes or bugs, I'm not saying we absolutely love them crawling on us or anything, but they don't frighten us. My brother has let snakes and turtles loose in our house and once we even had a rattle snake for a few days. Don't worry, that one stayed in a jar. Anyway, all of this goes to show, we aren't afraid of wild animals. So when we found the rattler on the top of the mountain, my little brother kept trying to mess around with it and provoke it to make it move, meanwhile he's about to fall off the ledge of a mountain. Luckily, everything turned out okay, no one was bit by a rattle snake and no one fell of the top of a mountain.
While we were there I saw tons of hippies and tried gelato for the first time, which I loved. I kept thinking about how Seth used to tell me that, even when you're full, you can always eat ice cream because it goes in the cracks. On Sunday we were able to see three babies blessed. =) I absolutely loove little kids. My favorite job, by far, is when I get to nanny. At the end of the day, when I have to go home, I want to stay with the kids I watch so bad it almost aches, I want them to be mine.  Not right this second, of course, I know Heavenly Father has a plan and an order for everything and right now is not the time for me to be a mother. When that time comes though, I will be ecstatic.
I also discovered that there is a temple being built in Ft. Collins! I'd forgotten about that! I cannot wait to see it! =D
On the drive home I read a book called The Help. I loved it. I want to write something like that someday. Not necessarily a novel, but something worthwhile. I want to write something controversial, not because it's bad, but because it's good. Because it makes you think. Because it makes you take a step back and look at your character, at your thoughts and actions. Someday I'm going to write something that needs to be said, even if it isn't easy to hear. Most everything I write is like that, or at least I try to make it that way. Someday, though, someday someone besides my professors will read it and then it will matter.

My Cup Runneth Over

Today I was thinking about blessings. Actually, everyday I think about my blessings. I have so many! First of all, my family is amazing, and not only my immediate family, extended too! I am close to almost everyone I am related to and they all are such a strength to me. My immediate family, however, is my greatest pillar of strength. My parents are always willing to help me through whatever I am going through whether great or small and I talk to them about anything and everything. Last night, for example, I had a terrible nightmare that my mom had died and it was my fault. It was horrible! It was one of those dreams that felt so real that when I woke up, I was upset and crying and, for the first time in probably ten years, I went and crawled in bed with my mom and dad...and they let me. Awesome parents? Yeah I know. =) Then there are my younger siblings, three sisters and one brother. My brother Steele has no brothers, so I have played the "brother" growing up. Therefore, naturally, he and I are extremely close. One of my best friends, the other being Seth, is my sister Sapphire. She and I did everything together before I went to college...everything. Sports, speech, drama, band, double dates, and just hanging out together. We share clothes, a room, memories, and DNA. When I come home, we still are inseparable  but I sometimes miss always being together. She actually has a blog of her own and it's all about the two of us and the awesome bond that we have! http://mysister-myfriend.blogspot.com/  Then there are my youngest two sisters, Shylo and Sequoia. Shylo is a lot like I am and Sequoia acts like Sapphire. They haven't discovered that they are each other's best friends yet, but they will. Sapphire and I are working on teaching them...they're starting to get it. (Since we're always in pairs this is how mom calls us: Sapphire and I = girls!  Shylo and Sequoia = little girls! and Steele = Steele. Poor kid. No buddy system for him!) Another blessing that I've spent a lot of time thinking about this summer is the beautiful earth we have to live on! Isn't it amazing?! Living in this little valley I am surrounded by so much lush green land. I love looking over the hills and seeing the myriad of greens from different fields. The other night I was riding in the back of a truck with my little sisters and I was showing them, first the lights in the sky which form the constellations, and then the hundreds, if not thousands, of lights on the ground: the fireflies. I showed them that if you looked in the trees and ditches, there were sometimes so many fireflies that it looked like the earth itself was sparkling. I just can't get over how incredibly beautiful it is here! I know I've lived here all my life, but wow! How blessed I am to live in a place where I can see the stars in the sky and open, rolling hills covered by fireflies and fields. A few days later I was driving with Sapphire as the sun was setting and once again I admired the beauty of it all. It was one of those very pink and purple sunsets that seem to wash everything in a pink hue and make it look romantic. (I know I sound like a hippy or tree-hugger here, and maybe I am, but seriously! Look around you and pay attention and I think you will experience the same feelings.) Last but not least, I definitely have to count Seth being on a mission as a blessing. Yes, it's tough, but it has blessed both he and I in numerous ways and I have the support and love of his family which is AMAZING.  Plus, as far as trials go, this a pretty good one to have. If I could swap with anyone...I wouldn't. I wouldn't trade any part of my life. Is it perfect? Of course not...but it's pretty darn close. Like I said before, I am extremely blessed. My cup runneth over.