fun in the snow

Since we had a day off school today, we decided to go snowboarding! We got a tram pass - which I have never done before - and it is the coolest thing. You board this boat thing and it takes you to the very top (at least as high as they will let you go) and then you have any number of runs to go down and instead of having to go up the lift again and again, there is nothing but mountain to go down. And we wouldn't be the girls that we are if we didn't stop to take a few pictures along the way.

For some reason every time that we moved there would be random lime green snow. It didn't really make any sense and we couldn't tell where it was coming from. It was just green. Very green.

We stopped to take a little lunch break about halfway down.  While there we got quite a few comments about being stopped. At one point all three of us (Emily, Allison, and I) decided that the next time someone commented we were going to offer them some carrots. Unfortunately, the opportunity never presented itself. In this picture though, it almost did as you can tell from the analyzing look on Emily's face.

We had so much fun today! I don't remember the last time that I went snowboarding with just girls - or if that has ever even happened before today. Normally there are boys present (and we love you boys!).  But the problem when going with boys is that they like to go fast and do tricks...we are more the take your time and enjoy the ride type. That doesn't mean that we don't like to have fun though! And kudos to Allison for doing a killer job snowboarding her first time in years. This is definitely an event that will be repeated.

it came and went

This last month or so has been quite the whirlwind.  First with the holidays, which always livens things up a bit, but also because my little Jon reported to the MTC last wednesday.  Being 21 and all, I thought that I had surpassed the age at which you send off a missionary. I think that the Lord had something else in mind though.  Despite being a whirlwind, this last month has also been truly amazing.  I was able to spend time with my family, I got more time off of work than I usually do, and I was able to have a very good last month with my boyfriend before he left on his mission.  These pictures were taken a few minutes before he got set apart as a missionary so they are kind of fun :)

He told me that he had to take some good pictures of me so that he would have some while he was gone.  He must not have realized that they weren't going to be good so close up! haha.  The best part about this picture though is my squinty right eye.  For some reason it closes more than the left one whenever I smile or smirk.  Jon always liked to bring up this little fact, so the fact that he got a close up picture of it is very fitting and will be a fun reminder for him! 

And one final picture before he could only shake my hand...

We have had a very good run these last seven months or so and I am going to miss this boy.  He is in for the experience for a lifetime though, and I couldn't be more excited for him! Besides, how else was I ever going to learn how to write an old fashioned letter - sending a boyfriend into the mission field is the perfect way to learn how!