New Years 2010

I had a really tiny little party at my place for New Years!


I hung up cute decorations...

And Shane made a bunch of really good appetizers...

Had some really funny noise makers... and we played some fun games.
Good times had by all!

2010 Wrap Up

Before I move on to 2011... There were some things I thought I would recall before it was too far past!

Had a very successful 1st Game Night at my new Condo! Games... I love any and all!

Spent a great day at the San Diego Wild Animal park during Thanksgiving in San Diego! It's not Africa but it was fun for the mean time until I can get back there!

P made a new friend!


William and I teamed up to make a Sandcastle during the our 1st Annual Pilgrimage that Padgett and Bland organized.... it was so funny! I so wish I had the picture of William flipping the burger.

On the way down to the beach for the Pilgrimage with our directors explaining the rules!

A quick look back at 2010!

January

- Started my first semester at the University of Utah.
- Had to relearn how to study all over again!
- Celebrated Shane's 29th Birthday.

February

- Tried all the new classes they start at the gym for the New Year, Hot Hula.. was hilarious.
- Had a fantastic Valentines Day.

March

- Vacationed in San Diego with family for Spring Break!
- Struggling through Biology but loving my nutrition and ESS classes.
April
- Competed in my first Triathlon with Shane and Tim.
- Started job #2 with Ann Taylor Loft.
May
- Had another successful Race for the Cure.
- Celebrated my 28th Birthday in Wendover, NV!
- Finished my first semester back to school with flying colors... whew.
- Started my summer semester, had the best class yet... Emergency First Aid.
June
- Threw an amazing Baby Shower for Tonya, a Pottery Barn coworker.
- Shane's sister, brother-in-law and niece came to visit from Texas.
- Spent a great weekend up in Midway, UT at a little cabin.
July

- Shane left for 3 weeks to travel to Cambodia for the National Guard.
- Christi had her new baby Keira!
- I went home to Jackson Hole for my 10 year High School Reunion and got to spend some quality time with one of my oldest and best friends Sara!
August
- Went to a fabulous wedding of two of my favorite Pottery Barn coworkers!
- Vacationed again in Jackson, this time with Shane, Toby and Hannah.
- Finished summer semester of school!
- Took an unexpected trip back to Camden, Maine for a funeral, hard but always good to see family.
- Started my hardest semester of school to date, oh Anatomy!
September

- September 10, 2010 became a proud owner of my own CONDO!
- Cheered Shane on at the Salt Lake City Half Marathon.
- Became totally overwhelmed with everything!
- Started packing up my apartment.
- My mom and sister came down to visit and help me move into my condo and shop for new furniture!
October
- Traveled to St. George to watch Shane and Tim run the St. George Marathon.
- Padgett, Me and the Chamber of Commerce went to China!! First off Beijing...
- Then Hougzhou...
- Then Suzhou...
- And finally Shanghai!!!
- Had the annual Simmons Meeting in SLC so once again got to hang out with lots of family!
- Made the final push and offically moved out of my apartment, October 31, 2010!

November

- Drove to Las Vegas for Virginia's Bachelorette Party!!
- Flew to Houston to be in Virginia and Cramer's Amazing Wedding!
- Celebrated Padgett's 25th Birthday!
- Got to go to San Diego for Thanksgiving with the whole family!
- All the while struggling to get through school, mostly Anatomy.
December
- I got to put up my first Christmas tree and decorate my brand new house!
- Made it through all my finals and passed all my classes!
- Hung out with Shane's family while they visited.
- Ice Skating!
- Went back to Jackson for Christmas!
- Back to Salt Lake for a successful New Years Eve party at my condo!

Such a crazy year! But lots of fun and can't wait for what is to come!


photo via marthastewart.com

Oh yeah ... I am back from China!

China was amazing! Traveled with some amazing people that going into it I knew and then met so many more that were equally as fun! (And have some stories of a couple crazies too!) Traveling with groups has got to be one of the best ways to go, you always have a variety and if you get bored you just move on to hang out with someone new.

Got to go to the World Expo in Shanghai and many of the Pavilions for the different countries were really cool... USA it was a little embarrassing to be honest. But good to see non the less. There were so many people there, on average on a slow day there are 400,000 people that go there per day! SO MANY PEOPLE!

As an avid watcher of the Beijing Olympics it was really cool to get to see the Birds Nest!

The great wall of China was for sure one of my favorite highlights! Padgett and I climbed all the way to the top of the hard side... yeah it was hard they were not joking!!

Forbidden City, was really fun to see!

And what can be better than traveling with your sister... So much fun and so many funny stories to look back upon!

It would have been nice to see the sun once while we were there but I would go back and eat the food... it was delicious!

CHINA

I leave for China tomorrow!! I must go take one last test and then off for fall break... thank goodness because I need a break from school it was getting to be too much! Here are some things I hope to see... I will have a full report when we get back!

Running Man

Last weekend I had the pleasure of going down to St. George with Shane to support him while he ran the marathon! It was so much fun being a spectator and after watching all the people come into the finish line that is all I ever want to do. It was the hardest thing to watch the people that came in that were collapsing right in front of me. I am not a runner in the first place but to watch the people being carried over the finish line it confirmed that I am totally happy being a spectator!

Coming into the finish line!

Running away at mile 16... 7000 runners in total!

And to top it off he ran the Salt Lake half marathon four weeks earlier... a half marathon and a marathon all in a month! He is a runner that is for sure!
This was at the finish line of the half marathon!

A MUST SEE

ITS BACK!

I have missed it over the summer and if you are not watching this TV show it is a must!


Seriously funny TV!

Update!

It has been WAY too busy in my life... seriously! And my major news of the moment.... I AM A HOME OWNER! It is so fantastic and I can't wait to move over there!

(A little slice of the living room)

I will have to take more pictures but to be honest pictures just don't do this place justice... you will just have to come and see it! I also have to decorate so if anyone has any helpful hits and or places to start I am open to any and all suggestions!
What else.. school started again and i am only taking 3 classes (one of them being ANATOMY), which I had heard was going to be hard and a boat load of memorization but nothing could have prepared me fully for what I have gotten myself into... it is another language people!! And actually I don't really even have time right now to be writing this but I had to take a break!
Also preparing to have a fantastic Bridal Shower next weekend for my beautiful cousin getting married in November, Hannah and I made the invitations and after a couple trial and errors we finally came up with something terrific!

We also made a quick trip back to Maine right before school started and I would go to Maine anytime I had the chance it is SO pretty.

(P and I and beautiful background)

Well to leave you with that today... I must get back to moving, studying, two jobs, classes and trying to get the most out of the warm weather that we are still having!

Snorkel the Snake... or Tube!

Its always a pleasure to get to go home, and this one was no different. My dearest brother always has some crazy idea to execute and this was no different! He convinced 3 out of the 5 members of the family to SNORKEL down the Snake River, I was happy as a clam watching them from the comfort of my tube!




Maybe I will join the party next time if they go a shorter distance but for now I like my party ... on top of the tube!

Good by July and hello August!?

How is the summer going so fast? It is so sad, I am never ready for it to end! Well I finished all my summer classes and I have a couple weeks until the fall semester starts! I have been super busy, school, work, gym, and trying to spend all the time at the outside in the sun and at the pool as I can! I have been to Jackson and back for my 10 yeah High School Reunion (weird) and going back again next weekend! Shane has been to Cambodia and back also!

Looking through old pictures I found this one and it made me laugh! I think the hoop is bigger than I was...

Shane at the airport... those bags were so much heavier than they look in the picture! Glad he made it back safe!

Oh and very very exciting.... I made plans to go to CHINA! With Christina and the Chamber of Commerce and my favorite sister! Yahoo can't wait till October!