**saturday adventures with stacie

one of the reasons i started a blog was the camera factor that i wrote about last post. the other reason is stacie stevens. stacie recently started a blog and loves it! she has been talking me into joing the blogging nation since i moved in with her...and she succeeded. don't ya think, stace?

since we moved to salt lake we have been planning crazy and wonderful adventures, then participating in these insane, portentous activities. one of the reasons stacie succeeded in her persusasions has to do with the fact that i have had the opportunity to create some pretty cool memories during this single life of mine. why not document them, right? i am going to back track a little on this post. i figure i should share the fun i have been participating in each saturday as i have been in salt lake. saturdays are most often filled with some sort of interesting escapade we have created. just be aware, i don't expect you to read this, it is rather lengthy. however, it doesn't even compare to the unabridged version of les miserables. (the book i've been reading on and off for over a year and a half.) let's start from the beginning:

OCT. 30th - BIKING IN THE PROMISED LAND
the stevens family invited me to join their ménage for a saturday of biking, food, and byu football. we headed up provo canyon on our road bikes, splitting up into our own mini peletons of about two riders per group. stacie and i ended up on the same team. (we make a great team, ya know?) as we rode through the canyon i was loving how the mountains looked. however, as we kept at it i was becoming more and more frustrated. traffic was terribly busy, the road was not smooth and was littered with exorbant amounts of junk and hazardous materials, and because of the busy traffic it was super noisy. stacie and i climbed a few hills, saw bridal falls and took some pictures. we discussed the fact that it wasn't our favorite ride in the world. stacie called her mom and we discovered, to our pleasant surprise, we had missed the bike trail. we went on a hunt and found the X that marked the spot. it seemed as though we'd hit the jackpot. the trail was so nice. the road was smooth, the air was clean, the scenery was really nice, and the pollution of noise seemed to have disappeared. stacie and i voted and it was unanimous - we'd been led to a much better path. in our late twenties, we are slowly but surely learing to listen to our parents. when the trail ended we were forced to jump back on the busy road for just a bit in order to make it to the offshoot of the canyon which led us up to sundance. the ride to sundance wasn't very long, but it was steep and narrow. speed was not my ally. by the time i made it up to the resort, my legs weren't very happy with me. as i slowly pedaled up the hills, i continued bargaining with myself to make it to the next tree or just around the next corner. the bargaining worked and i made it! riding down was definitley a more pleasant experience. we made it back to provo city, cleaned up a bit, and went to the brick oven for the best salad bar ever. we made our way to the byu football game when dinner was done. after all was said and done, stacie and i ended up falling asleep on the grass outside the stadium. it felt so good, and we looked so good!


SEPT 6th - MTN. OLYMPUS, AVENUES STREET FESTIVAL, DESERET INDUSTRIES, AND A DINNER PARTY TO BOOT!
stacie and i woke up bright and early and headed for the mountain. we were so excited to climb to the top of mtn. olympus. the hike was full of great conversation, beautiful scenery, a gourmet lunch of pb & j at the top, and the enjoyment of being with a good friend. we loved looking out across the city after we had summited. there is something indescribably satisfying about standing on the top of a mtn. we also really enjoyed some of the interesting characters we met along the way. there was a really funny family we ran into that kept things intesting and entertaining. the hike took the better part of the day. we were pretty beat by the end of the hike. however, that didn't stop us from taking a trip down to the avenues street festival for some prime time people watching. an overzealous salesman tried selling me a garage door and we refused to sign a petition. it was a good time. after a little walk through we decided it was time to make a trip to the di to purchase the junk of one person that became our treasures. stacie and i felt fulfilled with our finds. our treasures included a lamp for the front room, colorful plates and vintage looking decor for our kitchen, mismatched flatware, and a set of shoulder pads for enz. (ask enz's dad and he'll tell you that every women needs a good set of shoulder pads and and ankle bracelet.) when stacie and i arrived home from our shopping adventures, enz was preparing egg rolls to please our palates. what a day!

SEPT. 13th - RIDE BIKES, WALK DOGS, AND PARLEY'S CANYON BBQ
we decided it was time for a looooooooong ride. the night before this event, enz, stacie, and i stopped by rei for some cliff bloks, sports beans, and lube for our bikes. stacie and i joined a bike club while we were at it. the morning of, we prepared by lubing our chains, packing our jerseys full of energy food and money for lunch, lathering up on the sunscreen, and making sure we had our best looking spandex on. as we headed up 21st south we ran into a little problem. a broken bottle ended enz's ride within 3 minutes of starting it. it was crazy. we tried to change her tube and found that the glass had slashed her tire. she took one for the team and said her farewells to stacie and i. we headed southbound. near the point of the mtn. there was a red light that wouldn't change - but there was no traffic, so stacie talked me into running it on our bikes. i felt like such a rebel. there was also a wicked headwind. (now that i think about it, maybe that was our punishment for not following the laws of the land....hmmm) we muscled through it though. our destination - the subway across from lehi roller mills. the $5 footlong sandwiches we ordered tasted as good as pumpkin pie at thanksgiving! i kept thinking we might run into kevin bacon - i mean he did spend alot of time at the roler mills, right? our ride home was uneventful until i got a flat on our way up a hill in draper. we could have fixed it, but we let a nice man who stopped and offered be blessed by serving us. i know, i know, we are way too nice. he changed the flat in no time, gave us some great tips for the lotoja, and told us that his daughter was labor with his first grandchild. he was one of those people that helped restore my faith in mankind. after that, we rode home as fast as we could.

stacie and i had a service project to attend to. without even taking a shower, i changed into something other than spandex and we headed down to the animal shelter service project we signed up for at church. we found our friend daniel, from the ward, and were assigned the coveted job of pooper scooping - something i have never wanted to do. it wasn't near as bad as i thought it might be. stacie and daniel are great conversationalists, and i was able to blame the stench on something other than the fact that i didn't shower after a 70 mile bike ride. when the scooping was done, we were able to take some little twin dogs on a walk. they were the funniest dogs i've ever seen. i think they had some sort of disorder. they were super hyper most of the time. they didn't really walk - mostly they just jumped around and fought with each other. after a bout of hyperactivity and taking a few pictures, the dog i was walking just lunged foward landing on it's stomach. it wouldn't move for quite some time. after some coaxing we got the little guy back to his kennel. it was one of the most entertaining service projects i have ever been involved in.

next up was a shower and a BBQ up parley's canyon. stacie's friend, grace, was the host. we tossed a great salad, i ran into an old acquaintance from logan, ate some really great food, and sat by a fire talking to some new friends about biking.

needless to say, i was ready for bed at the end of the day.

SEPT. 19th & 20th - WEEKEND IN LOGAN
a weekend spent with my mom, dad, and lance is always a good thing. enz came with me to logan. friday night was so much fun. i hadn't had a chance to attend one of my mom and dad's famous cookouts all summer long. nicole and jeremy white and their kids joined in the events. it was really good to catch up with the white's - it has been so long since i have been able to REALLY catch up with them. the kids were really cute too. jt was loving the grapes i pulled off the vine and the tootsie rolls also became a favorite right away. i think that kid had a serious sugar high by the end of the evening. the most entertaining conversation that evening was between lance and noah. noah is probably about 4 or 5 yrs. old. the conversation went something like this:
noah: "do you play basketball?"
lance's puzzled response: "no, why?"
noah: "well, what is that?" as he pointed to the tatoo on lance's wrist.
out of the mouths of babes, huh?! lance found the conversation rather humurous. kids see what they see, and say what they see.
it was a great night sitting around the firepit, catching up with family and friends, and watching dad perfectly roast marshmallows for all to partake.

the next morning was an early morning of making cookies, cleaning up messes (i am so good at it that my mom always asks me to take are of that portion of the "cooking"), and putting together a salad for the petersen family reunion later that day. after our fun in the kitchen, enz and i headed over to steph's house. we all drove to green canyon. enz went on a run and steph and i went on a mtn. bike ride. it was SUCH a great ride. i loved it. the air was crisp, making it extremely comfortable when we started climbing. the leaves were changing from shades of green to yellow, orange, and red. there was a canopy of leaves covering the single track and the leaves that had fallen dusted the floor of the trail. it was just the right amount of climbing with no loose rocks. the fact that we didn't run into a moose, like our last ride up that canyon, was also a real relief to steph and i. even though we had bike helmets on, a moose left us feeling a bit vulnerable. on our way down the trail, i kept feeling overwhelming comfort, peace, and graditude in my heart. i kept thinking how blessed my life has been with absolutley amazing people. every aspect of my life, from family, to friends, to co-workers, is filled with phenomenal people who love me, watch out for my well being, and continually answer my prayers by just being the amazing people they are. it was one of those times in my life when i felt completely content and at peace with nature and myself. is that what some people call a state of zen? i have always called it feeling the spirit. whatever you call it, it is one of the best feelings i have ever felt in my life.

the petersen family reunion was the next event of the day. enz joined us for the first half of the reunion. steph and clay met me at the park to pick up my bike, and when my parents saw them, of course they invited them to join in the food and festivities. my extended family had the chance of meeting some of my amazing friends. i joked about how i may be single, but i just invited all my friends to prove to my family that i am really popular!

steph, clay, and enz jumped shipped after lunch and when it was time for the games. if you know me, you know i'm not a gamer. i was feeling rather content talking to my dear cuz sandy and my cute little cousin michael. there weren't any places to hide, so sandy and i were recruited to be on our mom's relay team. the relay ended up being a blast. it was entertaining to watch and to participate in. my favorite part - i ended up licking shaving cream off of my hand because i thought it was whipped cream. the shaving cream came in handy after the race when my uncle steve decided to smear it on lance's moustache, just to "help him out". while, i still do not profess to be a gamer, i did have a rather fun time sticking my had in a pie and participating in the egg toss portion of the event.

steph and clay graciously had me over for an amazing dinner of salmon, santa fe salad, and peach shakes. steph is becoming quite the chef. at the rate she is going, i may need to pass my chef hat i earned while catering stacie's brother's wedding to steph if she keeps things up. my plan was to fill my car up with gas and run a few errands as i drove away from their house into the midnight sky. i ended up accomplishing those tasks, but i also ended up on the bench by the temple with an attractive young man. i'll let your imagination run wild with what else may have happened that evening...

SEPT. 27th - MTN. BIKING IN AMERICAN FORK CANYON
pituresque: visually charming or quaint, as if resembling or suitable for a painting. that is the word i would use to describe american fork canyon last weekend as the leaves were changing from their usual healthy green color to the vivid splashes of orange, yellow, and red. the moutain ridges were distinct against the clear blue skyline. the contrast of the quakies and the pines looked unreal. i felt like i was inside a special edition national geographic book - and that was just the drive up to the trail. steph, clay, and i rode the ridge trail up and then headed down tibble fork to the lake. the leaves were amazing along the entire trail. it was fun to ride with both steph and clay. i believe it would be accurate to say that steph and i are similiar in that we want to go as hard and fast as we can and get done. we are often worried about how high our heart rate is and whether or not we are getting a good workout. it was good to have clay there to stop us every so often and remind us to look at the mountains in the distance and to take pictures. (compliments and copyright to clay for providing the pictures of the trail on this post.) the trail was fun. there were challenging ups and downs. we came across quite a few loose rocks and big drops. it was never too consistently up or down hill....until the end. at that point there was a lot of down hill. there were times were all i could do was pray that i could continue holding my brakes because i was afraid of the speed i would gain if i let go, and my hands were cramping up in a major way. my prayers were answered and i finished the trail. steph and clay were smiling at me from the lake as i slowly came down the last little bit. after the trail ended we had to make it back to the car, so we road down the road, and up the road. the downhill was super fun, and then the uphill came. we rode a little way and clay's persuasive intitmidation to a truck driving by won him a ride up to the top to get the car. steph and i opted to keep riding and have clay drive down and get us. we wanted to extend our workout just a little longer. it was a long ride up, but it was worth it. just being outside and enjoying the beauty of the canyon made it worth the fatigued legs. with about two miles to the top, we saw clay. we got our bikes all situated and drove down the opposite side to see the scenery from a different angle. my hands were a little sore the next day, but it was well worth sore hands to see the beauty of God's creations while on my bike.

that night was the general relief society women's conference. the whole conference was filled with goodness. president dieter f. uchtdorf's talk particularly stuck a chord and has been resonating in my head since i heard it. he spoke of how we worship and know a God of compassion and creation. we should work to possess these characteristics. i felt with intensity what he spoke of after just witnessing the beauty of God's creation in american fork canyon. God DOES love each of us so much. His compassion for us is beyond our comprehension. i feel his compassion at different times and in different ways - when i am among his creation, while i worship at church and/or in the temple, as i spend time with family and friends, at times when i am able to serve, when i am in an unfamiliar enviroment among people i don't know and i recognize that they too are children of Him, and sometimes just when i am walking down the road and see a single dandelion growing among the blades of grass. compassion and creation - elder uchtdorf said it, and i believe it. he also said something to the effect that, in the end it may not matter so much how many prayers we said, as how many prayers we answer. i've been the recipient of so many of those answers. people who have created situations of compassion for me to help comfort me and assist in my survival, learning, and growth.

until the next adventure, ladies and gentleman. don't worry, you won't have to wait too long...