Never Challenge Satan to a Duel

*SIGH* I can't believe it's September. I really look forward to fall, but - for some reason, I'm having a hard time letting go of summer this year! Ah, well -- I will embrace the coming season change, and get ready for the leaves to change color, hoodies, football, and - HALLOWEEN! That's always cause for celebration!

At the beginning of the summer, I was feeling pretty good about myself. I was keeping busy with work, and I was actively working out, and I was loving working at the temple on Saturday mornings. I felt like I was in a good place, mentally and spiritually - invincible, almost. Like nothing could touch me. I was driving home from the temple one Saturday morning, feeling particularly untouchable, when I said to myself, "Nothing can bring me down now; do your worst, Satan, you can't touch me!"

I don't know what made me say it in my mind. Who would think something like that? WHY would they think that? I don't know - pride, I guess. (Huh... I guess he COULD get to me.) In any case, I was thinking that he couldn't touch me spiritually, because I felt so strong. But I failed to be specific in my dare, and boy did I ever learn a lesson! Satan certainly has his ways of getting to you. I may still be spiritually strong, but since that day, my self esteem has gone steadily down, while my weight has been creeping up, up, up - in spite of doctor's visits and all the exercise that I like to do. Whatever discipline I had physically has been faltering, and I know that if I don't do something, I'm going to crash and burn - and, judging from the number on the scale, it would be a heavy and fiery crash!

So, with the help of my sisters, I decided to visit a diet & nutrition clinic, get some tips, and start an extremely rigid diet and exercise program. It's going to be hard - no more Coke with lime! - but it's going to be healthier for me overall. I made a goal to run another half-marathon next summer (I'm insane, I know), but I can do it. I'm going to get my weight and health under control. I'm going to stop eating donuts...


...and start eating more apples. :)

(AND stop challenging the devil.)

The Dusk of Summer

I got so depressed tonight when I walked into the Shopko and saw all their Fall decorations out. Come ON! It's 97 degrees outside! We've only had one real month of Summer, thanks to all the rain in June! LET ME HAVE MORE SUMMER!

Well, I DID get to go camping and barbecue up Big Cottonwood Canyon a little over a week ago for the 24th of July weekend, which was nice. My brother-in-law Jesse grilled hamburgers over the campfire. MMMMM, delish. We didn't have a spatula, so Jesse used his hatchet.


I always forget what it looks like up there; the majesty of the mountains never ceases to amaze me. I think it was my sister, Kate, that said that going up that canyon makes her feel like she's actually on vacation somewhere else, a million miles from home. It's nice that to "get away from it all" we really don't have to go any farther than our own backyard. Awesome.

Angels or Demons?

Well, they look like angels here... but man, they can really turn into demons when they're "playing."

These pooches belong to a co-worker's family - the Andersons - for whom I've been house/dog-sitting when they leave town, for probably over five years now. I think Festus (the black Lab) and Nikita (the Rhodesian Ridgeback mix) are the 5th and 6th dogs I've sat for them. They are also the most active ones, by far. Trump, Gus, Forrest and Emma have since passed; now it's Festus and Nikita.

Festus is pretty needy, he likes to come up behind you and put his head (well, his whole body, really) between your knees, and he's REALLY cuddly. Nikita likes to bite - don't leave a hand hanging by your side or it might get bitten off! She's the alpha dog in the house. But in spite of their quirks (like all dogs have), they are really fun, and I always feel safe in the house with Nikita The Attack Dog.

So this is how I spent July 4-15... feeding, walking and playing with two fun dogs. (Plus the Andersons are pretty generous when it comes to compensation. No complaints here.)

HP6

Saw it. Loved it.

Can't wait to see it again!!!

Happy 4th of July!

I know, I know, it's July 8th, not the 4th. But since I'm home sick with an obnoxious cold, I thought I'd update my blog with some pictures of some of the things I did over the holiday weekend.

On Thursday night, I was able to go to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house with some friends and their family members. It was one of the best experiences I've ever had, since I went through the open house with non-members, and was able to answer (decently, I hope) some of their questions about the temple, and Mormonism. They were some of the neatest people I've ever met! And the temple was, of course, beautiful.


Friday I got up and took the dogs for a walk - as you can see, they don't care much for pavement.



It was a gorgeous day for a walk! I think we went about a mile and a half - long enough for those silly dogs, I'd say, judging by the tongues hanging out of those mouths.

Then mom and I met up with my sister Melissa for lunch, and after tossing around different places to eat, we settled on this:



Oh yes. That is lunch and dessert in one. These guys have A-MA-ZING food, I highly recommend it! They're located on 300 South, Downtown, just past 300 West, due north of Pioneer Park. DELISH.

As for the actual FOURTH of July, I was lazy, barbecued with my family, and started dog/house-sitting for some friends. (I'll post pictures of Nikita and Festus later, they're so hyper I don't know if they'll stay still for the camera!) I didn't watch any fireworks, unfortunately, and feel the need to repent of my lack of gratitude. I haven't been feeling very patriotic lately, and I must apologize to America - the land of the free - and to those men and women who gave their blood and lives for our freedom. In spite of what's happening to our country now, watching more and more freedoms being swept out from under us, and several corrupt leaders, I must thank God for this land - it is a chosen land, and He is watching over it - and us. I feel very blessed to live here, and to know that our founding fathers built this great nation on true and everlasting principles.

God Bless the USA!!!