Busy

June was super fun and busy, and I can't believe it's already July. I was gone for most of June and now I'm not going anywhere for the rest of summer. I know I said I probably wouldn't post anything after school got out, but this is exactly why I said PROBABLY haha. I have decided that I'll just post some shorter updates here and there to keep up with what I've been up to or to share a cool idea or recipe.

I went to Lake Powell again the Monday after school got out. A couple of friends and family members  are leaving on missions this summer (my cousin Braeden leaving this week, friend Ashley left June 19, and ward member CJ leaving in August) and wanted one last trip before they have to go. We did a lot of tubing, boating, swimming, cliff jumping, playing volley ball and horse shoes, and doing other random fun things.

Two days after I got home from Powell, I left for Girls Camp. This was my fourth year, so I got to go on an overnight backpacking trip (it was really easy but also really fun). Then I was at camp for a couple days doing the usual things such as crafts and attending fireside devotionals.

I left early to pack for my next adventure; St. Kitts with the Waugh family!!! We went to the beach every day, toured St. Kitts and Nevis, tried new things, went jet skiing, went snorkeling, and of course got sunburned! It was a blast and I really enjoyed being with my friends. Oh and my camera broke so I won't be able to take as many pictures. :( I will just have to find a new one or another way to do what I love.

June was super fun and the only downer was that I missed a lot of soccer and workouts. I'll just have to work extra hard to get back where I was and keep improving. Now I'm in town for the rest of summer so I will have plenty of time to do that. :)

Until the next time I find myself bored enough to reflect on what I've been doing,

Sophie

Spring Break!

This year over spring break, I gave my mind a huge rest, but barely let my body rest at all. I did the very minimum amount of homework I had to (I have yet to see if I will regret this), and just about everything else I did had to do with physical activity. In other words, my break was AWESOME.

I spent Monday and Tuesday in the San Rafael Swell in Southern Utah with a family I go to church with. The temperature was in the seventies and I couldn't think of a place I would rather be. We went running and hiking on Monday, and we hiked Little Wild Horse Canyon on Tuesday. It was beautiful and super fun!

Part of the slot canyon we hiked

On Wednesday, my mom, brother, sister, and I drove down to Lake Powell to meet up with some  friends (pretty much the CrossFit Club; Brea, Chandler, Josh, Calen, my siblings, and me (plus a few adults)) and go backpacking. We spent Wednesday night on the houseboat and left Thursday morning for Lake Canyon to backpack. The original plan was to spend two nights at the campsite we found so we could hike around on the second day. However, when we got there, our water filters weren't working properly so we cut the backpacking portion of our trip short and only spent one night. The scenery was beautiful both during the day and at night. I go to Lake Powell every year, but I have never backpacked there so I got to see a lot of new scenery.

Our packs were a little big on us

Our whole group (minus my mom) at a ruin we hiked to

We spent Friday and Saturday just hanging out and relaxing. We were all happy about that because there wasn't nearly as much water at our destination as we expected there to be. We went on a really fun hike in a slot canyon just off the road to Lake Powell. There was a lot of climbing and it was super nice not to wear our packs.

This tunnel went under the road and was part
of the slot canyon we hiked

A view of the sky from the slot canyon

As always, spring break went by way too fast, but I had a blast! That break is in the past, but we only have a few more weeks before school is out and then we will have the whole summer to have more fun.

Birthdays on a Boat

Lake Powell

     Lake Powell is one of my family's favorite vacation sites. I have been going there at least twice a year since I was born, meaning that I have been there over 30 times. There is always something new and exciting to do; it’s impossible to go there too much. My family owns a share of a houseboat and only gets a few weeks every year to spend on the boat. We had already been twice this year and were fortunate enough to go a third time over UEA weekend.

    Time spent in Lake Powell is always enjoyable because there is so much to do including: swimming, hiking, tubing, other water sports, and spend time with friends. However, the highlight of this trip was the birthdays. The birthdays of all the kids in my family are in the same week. First is my twin brother and me on the eighteenth. Followed by Jessie, my now seventeen-year-old sister, on the nineteenth. Later on in the week, Artimesia, my sister that has a family of her own, was born on the twenty-fifth. Three of the four birthdays just happened to be over break, increasing the things we could do on the houseboat since the water was so cold.

     Thursday night was cake night. Since having three separate cakes would be difficult, my family often just has one big cake for all the birthdays. As always, singing happy birthday was really funny because no one seems to know the right tune or pitch of the song. All the laughter made up for the fact that the cake was store-bought and kind of gross.
     Being in Lake Powell over your birthday changes some things, but the thing that really makes a birthday worthwhile is still there. We didn’t get to open any presents on our birthdays or do our usual birthday traditions, but we still had a blast. This just goes to show that gifts and parties aren’t what make birthdays fun, it’s the people you spend them with.

Birthday Cake

Lighting the Candles

Singing "Happy Birthday" (Birthday kids from left to right: Me, Jessie, and Will)