Happy Birthday Utah

 Utah celebrated the 24th of July this week! This is a very meaningful holiday. I can't even imagine what the pioneer's went through. I don't think I will ever be half as brave, strong, and faithful as the pioneers were when they croIssed the plains. I am very grateful for what they did all those years ago.

For Pioneer day, I swam with my family. Jeff is still in Lake Powell with his friends family, but Josh, Lindsay, Andrea, Sean, Mom, Dad, Ella, Charlie, Max, and I all hung out by the pool, and had a BBQ!

My mom is seriously the cutest Grandma I have ever seen!!! And Charlie is seriously the weirdest dog I have ever seen... He likes to roll around in bushes, sniff flowers, and chase bumble bees. YES BEES! He even got stung by one the other day. I felt bad for him, but I have to admit, he isn't the smartest dog in the world.

our neighbors firework display over the roof of our house. Ella and the dogs did not enjoy the loud sounds all evening. 

Later that night, I went to watch the fireworks over the whole valley with Dubs, Zoe, Tessa, and Anna! We had a good time at the elementary school on the top of 3300 S. We jammed out to the guitar, watched fireworks, took pictures, and snuggled. All while enjoying each other's company on top of a storage crate in the parking lot of the school.

 

Oh did I mention my Dad's homeade key lime pie ice cream sandwiches. Oh yes. They were delicious.

and you can't forget the for-every-holiday sugar cookies. These are honestly my favorite things in the world. There is something about that yummy frosting. It melts in your mouth. It's a good thing we see these cookies for every holiday! 

On Friday, I woke up and went to babysit the Pace's kids. When I got home, I hung out by the pool with Lindsay, Mom, Dad, and Carly. It was a very hot day, so swimming in the pool felt very refreshing.

NOTHING beats poolside dirty diet cokes with your best friend. I don't even know why they are called dirty diet cokes. They should be called Shlynny Diet Cokes, because I am their biggest consumer. 

 Me, Lindsay, and Carly went to the mall after to pick up some things. 

 

Then I went to a BBQ at Anna's house! Everyone was there! We played in their backyard on their rock climbing wall which is very fun and complicated to do! It climbs up the back of their treehouse. It is actually pretty neat! 

They are sure goofy, but they are my goofs!

Facetiming my FAVORITE PEEPS!

Hannah: "Mom, why does only Utah get a special holiday and NOT FLORIDA?"
(she was jealous of our 24th of July apparently)

xoxoxo

SHLYN

Just Because

My blog is my journal, so I should use it to record important memories, right? Here are some important memories of this week, that I may want to or even need to remember in the future.

 Friends are, and will be one of the most important thing's you have in this world. Next to family, of course.

Anna and Carly.

The girls I laugh the hardest with, share the most secrets with, stay up the latest with, and make the most memories with. 

The two that can make me happy, get me through anything, and always have my back!

Cheer's to being our little trio for almost a year now, Love you guys more than corndogs. 

(there are few people in my life that will understand that amount of love, coming from me)

Yesterday Anna, Carly, and I headed down to City Creek shopping center in downtown Salt Lake City. We also got to visit the Temple Square grounds, which is honestly one of my favorite places in this world. And believe me, I have been a lot of places.

We got yummy treats at Kneader's Bakery.

We shopped around.

We had a really good time, laughing, talking about boys as if we were in Jr. High again, and enjoying each other's company.

Literally the most beautiful building in the world, with the most beautiful people in the world!

Today, the three of us went up to the University of Utah to attend an institute class!

We arrived only to find out that it was cancelled for the holiday weekend.

BOO!!!

We had a good time exploring the institute building, sending out funny snapchats, and then going to Cafe Rio for dinner

                                         

                                         

One thing about Carly is that she really loves selfies...obviously...^^^

                                        

Did Carly drop my phone into my burrito at Cafe Rio? Yes. Did we laugh about it nonstop and snapchat it to everyone we know? Absolutely!

xoxo

SHLYN

LP2014.... round two

Can you say deja vu? Lake Powell twice within 3 weeks of each other? I feel like the luckiest girl alive to be able to visit such a beautiful place every year, and call it my home away from home.

This time the crew consisted of four parents, one newlywed, three RM's, three 19 year olds, one high schooler, and two furry dogs.

TRANSLATION

My mom and dad came

Janette and Todd came with two of their boys

Lindsay came

Jeff and Carly came

Tyler Skinner came

and I brought my friend Anna!

The dogs were also dragged along for this week long adventure!

Fun in is understatement. 

How you could you possibly not LOVE Lake Powell?

Fun in the Sun ALL day long (literally)

All of the surfing, tubing, skiing, wakeboarding, swimming, jumping, boating, and eating may be exhausting after a week. But every minute is worth it!

My favorite parts of this trip? 

Sleeping under the stars with my best friends. We would talk and laugh until 3 in the morning, every night. We even played steam-roller. 

Watching every sun rise, sun set, and moon rise.

Eating Corn Dogs and Fried Oreos.

Tubing until it hurt. 

Laughing until it hurt.

Eating until it hurt.

Dance Parties happened often.

This picture will always make me laugh. You know why? Well there are two reasons and those are...

1. The length difference in me and Anna's legs compared to everyone elses. 

2. When my dad took it we were all laughing so hard, trying to make fun of those artsy people on instagram. Tyler and Jeff kept saying things like "O-M-G we are so hipster right now!" and "Our peeps are going to be sooo Jealous!!" in these bratty girl voices. Then my dad pops out of no where and says "YA AND WE CAN TOTALLY CHAP SNAT IT!!!" in the same snotty girl voice...

we laughed.

in fact, we laughed so hard Carly almost fell off the ledge.

We knew what he meant. 

He meant "SNAP CHAT IT"

but apparently he doesn't know what Snapchat is REALLY called. He tried his best. 

Props to Dad, for staying hip.

The tattoo and Tyler is my doing....

The tattoo on Jackson was Tyler's doing...

except the chain, Jackson had me do the chain to make his tattoo not look so "Shizzy"

peppy is a good swimmer

The only negative of the trip was when I joined the brave boys on a fifty foot cliff jump.

I lost control in mid air, and landing sideways.

Not only was this an instant headache, but caused bruising up my whole leg from hitting the water so hard. Ouch. 

I don't remember jumping so much.

But I remember hitting the water clearly.

I thought I was paralyzed. I couldn't move my leg, my swimsuit was giving me the worst wedgie ever, and my whole left side of my body ached.

Everyone was dead quiet as I hit the water and came out. 

But the minute I came out of the water they couldn't help but burst out into laughter because I used some harsh words.

For memories sake, this is what I said the second I came up for air. Don't Judge.

"Mother effin sons of bitches I lost my swimsuit up my asshole!!"

Everyone was laughing, I was crying. It was a memorable situation.

for the record, I didn't actually used the "F" word. 

Me about to hit the water, ever so crookedly...

The talented DUO

Some think he is weird.

I think he is talented. Talented in making people laugh.

Just some sisters and their dogs

Until next year Powell!

xoxo

Shlyn