Deer Valley

So I went on a trip with my good friend Trent (and by 'good friend' I mean we're kind of dating) (and by 'kind of dating' I mean we are dating, I just like to make it sound not serious so no one gets excited because I have commitment issues and like to downplay relationships) up to Deer Valley with his family. 

He's from Kamas, which is up near Park City. It was like 20 degrees cooler than St. George and super pretty.

We rode in his uncle's rented convertible Camero.

 We rode a four wheeler up pretty trail.

We rode a ski lift up a mountain instead of hiking it.

We took this picture that looks like we hiked something, but you all know better than that.

It was a fun trip and I'd say that maybe I'll let Trent keep coming around. He's a nice guy.

My mission farewell

About every four or five months, my mission buds who also live in St. George and I would get together to catch up, eat food, tell the same stories, laugh at the same jokes, bring up the same weird companions, then go home. 

Since we only had time for one more visit before I moved, I FORCED them to remake this picture with me. And we didn't regret it. Well they may resent it, but no regrets, I'm sure.

Sister Fillmore, Elder Poulson, Elder Cunningham

Lots changes in five years. Elder Cunningham's wife is pregnant with their second child. Elder Poulson just got married. And me? I got new teeth. So, it's been quite eventful for all of us.

Found: Long Lost Cousin

I guess something can't be "long lost" if you didn't even know it existed. But anyway.

So there I was in Sunday School when a new girl in the ward got up to introduce herself. She said her name was Jenn Soderborg. I immediately shot up from my seat (they are used to my outbursts...) and said "Soderborg? My mom is a Soderborg!"

Turns out, she's Uncle Grant's granddaughter. Her dad is James Soderborg, whom I have never met.

Small world, right? Some people do family search online. I do family search at church. 

Although maybe I would have known that she existed if I actually did family search...

The Angels Have Landed

One very important thing on my "do before leaving St George" list was to hike Angels Landing. It's a super popular hike in Zion National Park and I knew that I would never hear the end of it if people knew I lived down there but never hiked it. (As if 'people' care about what I've hiked...)

I asked my hike-iest friend Paul to accompany me since he took me on my first hike in Zion four years ago when I decided to move down to St. George. I thought it was only fitting for him to take me on my last.

Here we are!

I packed some uber dry crackers as a snack. I didn't realize they would be uber dry, but in the scorching heat, regular dry crackers become uber dry crackers.

We climbed up this whole mountain! Plus some. It was death.

                      Looking off the edge of the world....then sitting on the crux of it.

Me and Paulito at the top

We finished the trip with another bucket list item -- eating at Oscar's, which is apparently a really big deal and important to do when you visit Zion. And I can see why; the antelope art pieces make excellent picture frames.

Over all, the hike was steep, had a hundred switchbacks, steep, hard on the knees, beautiful, and steep. But I did it and had a great time.