Busy Birthday

Oh yay another birthday. I woke up early (8am is early for me), and did some rock climbing up above Dammeron Valley at a place called Prophecy Wall, with a group from DSC. It was my FIRST time rock climbing and I both enjoyed it and hated it! Learning the techniques and knots and actual climbing was a BLAST but... the heights and fear and muscle strain really got to me. I found out that I was a LOT weaker - both physically and mentally - than I thought! This pic is of a very small section of Prophecy Wall - the thing is really huge. And also, I didn't take this picture, its a googled image. A camera was the last thing on my mind up there. :) I got back from climbing mid-afternoon, and began preparing for mine and Kyles planned bike ride on the JEM trail, which is runs between the SR59/Apple Valley area and SR9/Virgin along the Virgin River. When we arrived at the trailhead, the weather was AWESOME. It was getting later in the afternoon, so we took off right away. The trail was like a big rollercoaster, up and down and up and down. The momentum from the downturns took us up the hills, so very little pedaling was actually required (hey thats my kind of bike ride!).

We got several miles into the ride, when I stopped to take a rest. My head was throbbing and little blinky-lights were starting to go off in front of my eyes. Kyle admitted he was pretty hungry and shaky too. We decided to ditch the rest of the ride and go find some food and rest. Kyle headed back for the truck and I made my way to the side of the highway and waited there.

Our plan was to head to Springdale for dinner. When we got there, I was not feeling well AT all. A day of over exertion, sun, and lack of food had caught up to me. I chilled out in the truck and tried to nap my headache away. Kyle ordered a pizza and brought it back to the truck. I ate a couple of pieces and went back to sleep as Kyle drove us home. So much for the romantic birthday dinner ;) I was VERY thankful, however, that Kyle was there to take care of me - I don't get sick very often. By the time we got home, I was feeling quite a bit better. We visited some family and cut my super-awesome GREEN lemon birthday cake that Kyle made me :) Check this out, isn't he great?:

Project Bunny

Much to Kyle's dismay, I inherited another "project" bunny this week. And boy is it a mess....

The St. George Animal Shelter called me one afternoon and told me they had a rabbit that had been caught in a trap in the Dixie Downs area, and asked if I wanted to stop by and look at it.

I packed a couple of yogurt treats, dried cranberries, and a few other tasty morsels in a sandwich baggie and went up to take a look. When I arrived and talked to the shelter lady at the front desk, she warned me that the bunny wasn't very friendly. That was kind of an understatement, cause the poor thing was terrified as I walked up to its cage. I offered it a treat and talked softly to it, but it put its face into a corner as far as it possibly could and shook. It was caked with mud and its white fur was stained. She told me that the rabbit wasn't "adoptable" (you can probably guess what that means), and asked if I wanted to take it. Well, since I knew what she meant by saying it wasn't adoptable, I, of course, took it.

Once I got it home, which in itself was a task, and looked it over, I realized SHE needed an ear mite treatment, and a flea treatment. She is absolutely terrified of humans, and flinches everytime she is touched. When I enter the room, she bolts for the corner and cowers like I'm going to eat her. I've been spending a lot of time hanging out in the second bathroom (where her temporary home is), just talking to her softly and petting her, trying to get her used to touch. When I took her outback for some exercise in the sunshine, I realized that she can't hop very well. Her back legs seem to be weak and uncoordinated. Whether it is from not using them or some other injury, I do not know. Her fur has lightened up a bit since she has had a chance to clean herself and she is a little less scared of my voice and touch than she was when I first got her, but a LOT more work is needed.

Six Things that Make Me Happy

I was tagged by Lindsay Denter

Rules: Link to the person who tagged you.
Write down six things that make you happy.
Tag six other people and let them know you did it.
Post Rules Let the tagger know when you are done.

1. To me, family transcends all else. Take away everything else I have, and as long as I have my family, I will be happy. I didn't always realize they were so important. When I was going through my trying teenage years, I didn't care to see them much. I missed some pretty important times of their lives. I wasn't there for them and I didn't allow them to be there for me. I'm glad I figured things out.

2. Kyle. Girls must be blind and dumb. How did he stay single for so long? I can't believe what a smart, hard-working, thoughtful, skilled, energetic, fun, and good-lookin' guy I found. The older I got, the less I thought I'd have to choose from. Wrong again, me!

3. Being alone in nature, far from roads and cell-phone signals. Using my legs to take me places that people just aren't stupid enough to go. Watching crows circle overhead. Listening to coyotes howl. Standing in a grove of trees or in a meadow, and knowing that I'm the only person to stand there in a long long time. Smelling moss on rock walls. Following a bee around to see where he goes. How can anyone get bored in nature? (If you like the smell of moss too, check this out!)

4. Trials. Hardships & weaknesses. Learning to accept them with an attitude of "what can I learn" rather than "why is this happening to me." Understanding myself a little bit more after each one.

5. Bunnies :) Haha of course. These silent gentle animals are very interesting and therapeutic to me. It's almost common knowledge now, that interacting with pets lower stress levels. I love watching them hop around the yard and beg for treats at the fridge. It's also very rewardng to me to rehabilitate injured, sick, or attitude-problem rabbits.

6. Gardening. Another stress-reducer. Got it from my dad who was a very skilled vegetable gardener (albeit a bit heavy-handed with the chemicals), and was even in the newspaper once with a picture for growing 12-foot high tomato plants. My Mom was the flower gardener, as was her grandmother, and taught me all the names of the flowers, where they grow, and what they like.

I tag Rachelle, Bethany, Monica, Amy, Gilleyweed, and Tracie!

Don't be "Crazy," just "Enjoy The Silence"

After hearing my MOST favorite song and my LEAST favorite song both in one day, I decided to list them next to each other just for the heck of it.

My #1, all-time favorite song is "Enjoy the Silence" by Depeche Mode. This song speaks to me. It's telling me that silence is beautiful and not to screw it up with meaningless words. Silence is better than saying something stupid or hurtful.
The lyrics are a bit depressing and hopeless but thats part of why I like it :)

"Vows are spoken
To be broken
Feelings are intense
Words are trivial
Pleasures remain
So does the pain
Words are meaningless
And forgettable"

The video is even great. Strange but great. It's a little bit surreal, but to me it is depicting a man traversing the world, looking for a place to get away from the noisy-ness of everything, and trying to find a place that he can be king over; to "enjoy the silence." He keeps trying to find that place throughout the video. I think the not-quite subliminal pictures of a rose that keep showing up is kinda cool too. This vid is very "eighties" but thats ok, I grew up in the eighties which makes it part of why I love it. "Come Undone" by Duran Duran is a VERY close second favorite, however.






"Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley is my LEAST favorite song. It really drives me crazy - I can't stand it! I have honestly left restaurants mid-meal and stores while shopping when I hear this song come on the speakers. I hate the whiney, high-pitched chorus. "Does that make me craaaaaazaaayyy...." I scream "YES!", plug my ears, and get out of hearing range as fast as possible.



I'm kind of wondering what everyone else's MOST and LEAST favorite songs are. Therefore, you're TAGGED! Post yours and include a music video if possible - they're fun to watch! :)

Spelunking with Glowsticks

The triplets TWENTIETH birthday was Sunday! I can't believe they've gotten so OLD! (What does that make me?!)

Sunday afternoon after church everyone gathered at mine & Kyles house and had a homemade Cafe Rio-style lunch/dinner. Then, at Tia's request, we quite literally piled in Kyle's truck (to avoid multiple vehicle fees), and headed up to the Snow Canyon State Park lava caves to play a little game called "Glow Stick Hide-and-Go-Seek." To play, many non-toxic glow sticks are activated, then broken open and splashed onto the cave room walls, the ground, boulders, and the clothing of everyone playing. When a person wearing glow-stick-spattered clothing moves, they are easily spotted, but if they hold still, they blend into the scene. Which makes it really fun to play hide and go seek! People crouching down look like boulders. People standing up against the wall look like the wall. The tiny ones (mom, Rachelle, Tia) seemed to be able to hide the best - they were always found last. Other than the scraped ankles, bumped heads, and stepped on body parts, it was a LOT of fun!!! A little cake and a few presents later, we called it a birthday. Happy Twentieth Tia, Trenton, and Tim! Love you lots!