over the weekend.

This past week was one of those times where so much is going on that you just plow straight through and only stop and look back when everything's over. Now that I can breathe again, if only for a week :), I've enjoyed reminiscing about the good things that happened these past few days. 

One night we went to Mazza, a Middle Eastern restaurant, and ate some hummus and falafel. We told them right when we ordered that some of us had been to Jerusalem and knew what really good falafel tasted like. I think we were just trying to scare them in to making some really good food. And it wasn't half bad. (Though nothing will be as good as the falafel at the bottom of Damascus Gate.) Eating the pita and hummus brought back a lot of memories. 

Oh, did I mention that Danielle came to visit? She just got back from a study abroad in Mexico and Belize, *cough* world traveler, and stayed for the weekend. She kept me sane while I prepared for my talk and everything. Also, it was her birthday. The big 21. So we celebrated. 

My favorite part of the birthday celebration was taking Danielle on a hike up Bell's Canyon. Here she is enjoying the view and drinking some sparkling cider. 

As soon as we sat down on the bench overlooking the lake, two geese made a bee-line straight towards us. It was slightly freaky. Apparently people feed them all the time. But I couldn't justify giving them any pop-rocks chocolate, happy hippos, or peach rings. They were pretty upset. Here they are leaving us in disgust. 

 On the way down, Danielle's awesome camera was able to snap this beauty of a picture.

I think this might be the only picture someone has taken of me driving in a car. A lot of the week invovled rockin' out to music. Because soon all of that will be over. I think music might be the thing I'll miss most. Besides my family of course. :)

For my farewell, I got this crazy idea to make Eiffel Tower cookies. Let's just say I won't be doing it again. But it was fun to make them with Danielle and see her inner pastry chef. 

My farewell was really a lot of fun. I was somewhat dreading giving a talk in front of my whole ward, but as soon as I stood up I felt really calm and might have enjoyed giving it. Just a little. It was fun afterwards to see friends and family at my house. My mom worked wonders with the decorations and food. And all of it just made me more excited to leave on mission. I can't wait to learn French and preach the gospel to people of France. Can it only be 7 days away!?!?

bell's canyon.

Today, Peter got out of school early so we decided to hike up Bell's Canyon. We only made it to the first reservoir (steep hike + no water + heat + bad shoes) but it was still so beautiful. I'm glad I brought my new camera along for the adventure. I had fun taking pictures (as you can probably tell). I followed Peter around the lake as he fished, soaking in the sun and loving the scenery. Whoever hates on Utah has clearly not been to the mountains, or looked out their window for that matter.  

Ah, springtime in the mountains. Everything is so green and new and I love the sound of water rushing over the rocks. The only sad thing about this little adventure was realizing that once I leave on my mission, I won't see Peter for over 3 years. He's leaving on his mission next summer. This is lame. I'm gonna miss singing to the radio in the car with him and laughing about some silly little thing together. 

Hopefully we'll be able to squeeze in a few more fun times before I leave. I asked Peter what we should do before that and he said "hike and bake something." Cool. I think we can figure something out. 

i went to the woods because i wished to live deliberately...

... to front only the essential facts of life, 

and see if i could not learn what it had to teach...

i wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life...

our life is frittered away by detail. 

simplicity, simplicity, simplicity!

why should we live with such hurry and waste of life?

we are determined to be starved before we are hungry...

let us spend one day as deliberately as nature, and not be thrown off the track.

- h. d. thoreau

All this warmish weather and the winding down of the school scene has got me itching to go exploring in the great outdoors. I love the first big hike of the new year. It's like you've been hibernating inside a dark cave all winter, sometimes acting like a grumpy bear, and then you escape to the mountains one fine day and you stretch and feel the breeze and smell the flowers and life is better. Always.