shooting guns and shooting stars

Two FHE's ago, I had the opportunity to do something that I absolutely love....but hardly ever have the chance to do. I was able to go shooting--shotguns, no less. I know that might sound very strange and/or twisted (especially to my Phoenician friends), but what can I say? I will always be a small-town girl at heart. It was so, so fun! My only regret is that I didn't get pictures.

Two Tuesdays ago, I got to go tubing down the Salt River with Briana Bluth, Kailan Anderson, Raquel Higgins, Gary Fenn, and Ambre Martin (now Ambre Fenn!!!). I had a blast. It was so, so fun. Unfortunately, I got very sunburned (since the tube with the sunscreen in it was almost always about a hundred yards or so down the river), but that didn't really matter much. One of the funniest things about the whole trip was watching Kailan float around in her tube. HAHA I could not stop laughing. Her dad had generously donated two tubes to our cause, but when we got to Tempe and put air into the tubes we realized they were pretty tiny. We put the ice chest in one of the tiny tubes, and Kailan ended up with the other. Watching her paddle around in her tube (while she was almost fully immersed in the water) is a sight that I hope never leaves my memory.

For the last couple of weeks, I have just been working....and getting sick. :( Although I don't actually feel that sick, I sound far more sick than I really am. My voice is almost completely gone, and since I work in a country club snack bar, I always wonder whether our customers are thinking, "Do I really want that girl touching my food?!" Don't worry, though, I am constantly washing my hands, and I ALWAYS wear gloves when handling food. I am stoked that I have been getting so many hours at work but am pretty disappointed since I have to work next Sunday. :( I am going to go to a family ward in the morning before work, but I am really going to miss my last Sunday in the Prescott Singles Ward. I LOVE those kids!

And as of 8-8-08, Ambre is married!!! I am so, so happy for her and Gary! I love them both so much. It's still something I'm having trouble comprehending--that one of the girls I grew up with is married--but it's awesome! And they got married in the temple, which just makes it 500 times better! :)

Last Monday for FHE, we hiked P-Mountain. The whole walk was pretty dang gorgeous, as the sun was setting behind the mountains and cast a light across the valley. I was super stoked the whole time. I tried to get some pictures, but my little camera did it no justice. I guess sometimes memory must suffice. Another amazing thing happened when I got to look through a telescope for the first time!!! Oh my gosh, I have been missing out on life. I got to see the moon, Jupiter, and Venus. Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. As strange as it sounds, I felt so important. As small as I am compared to everything else in the universe, Heavenly Father cares about me! It was an incredible experience.

Last night, I got home from a movie and glanced up at the sky. OH my, it was amazing! I have never seen clouds like that in my life. So, of course, I had to get out my camera and try to capture the moment. Again, I certainly didn't do it justice, but the pictures still came out pretty cool. Then, after I was done with my picture-taking, I spent several wonderful minutes just looking up at the sky and thinking about my life and about Heavenly Father. It was wonderful. And then, to my complete and utter awe, I saw a shooting star--below the clouds! It was so, so beautiful and an experience I will never forget. My heart is so full with gratitude to our Heavenly Father.