...been a bit.

It has been a bit.

Sorry about that.

What updates I can give since June?

Let us see...

July

I was actually home for the 4th of July!!!

If you are not aware, Independence Day is nearly bigger than Christmas at the House of Nuts.

and, for the first time since 2008, or thereabouts, I was home.

Usually I am traveling the world. 

This year I came home early.

We camped out near the BYU Broadcasting building and watched the Stadium of Fire fireworks with the fam.

It was marvelous.  Bug and I got to spend some quality teasing time together.

At the end of the month my baby sister turned 16.

We threw her a movie themed birthday party.

The Hulk pounded her down.

That was also quite enjoyable.

August

We went to Colorado to visit family and while there I had my first real manicure pedicure.
See?  I can't even get the name right!

The Padre played his awesome window percussion while we were there.

I got a new roommate!

My good cousin who will be called Hunter...because she is.

Hunter and I enjoy many things.

Including playing with the exercise ball.

Here is Hunter:

Here is Aliswan:

We also went to IKEA and got new desks.

I always find it strange that you have to trash your apartment in order to make it look awesome.

In other news, I still love Rosie.

More than just anything right now.

Hunter, Bug, Stephie, Deruda and I also attempted the opening of our first coconut.

Here is the coconut:

Now it is open...notice the hammer.

Yes...it was absolutely necessary.

Nice eh?

Unfortunately we found out that we did it wrong.

FYI read the directions on how to open a coconut before taking a nail and hammer to it.

There is video of us drinking from and breaking open the coconut but it is long and I am pretty sure you wouldn't watch the entire thing.

Oh!!!

We also took Deruda down to SUU after a tearful goodbye dinner in which the Cita had to stand on a chair in order to be taller than Deruda.

September

September started with me deciding to add another program onto my masters degree.

Yep, the day before school started I decided to do the Museum Certificate program in conjunction with my MA in Archaeology.

It adds another year onto my remaining year before graduation...a.k.a. It will be 1.5 to 2 years before I leave good old BYU.

Oh well.

I am apparently certifiable.

This month my roommate Hunter got to go to the temple for the first time to do baptisms for the dead.

Stephie and I were so happy that we got to be there with her!

Also in other apartment adventures with Hunter, I walked out of our front door to find this last week:

Are you looking at this creepiness and thinking to yourself,

is that a red hourglass on that 

creepy, 

creepy, 

creepy 

spider?

Let's get a little closer shall we?

Yep, it is.

For your information, Black Widow Spiders are faster than you think.

When I finally got up the guts to smash the atrocity with my foot I missed.

Yep, missed.

It quickly avoided my initial attempt.

Do not fear.

It lost the second round. 

Ugh.

I hate Black Widows.

And FINALLY,

this is how the month of September ended.

I turned 25.

On that same day I worked my first shift as an ordinance worker in the Provo Temple.

I work a super early shift but it is the perfect way to start my day.

Now I work once a week for a few hours and it is the light of my week.

October

Okay, really only 1 thing because the month JUST started.

This weekend was the most amazing weekend.

It was general conference and I was so overwhelmed and edified.

I loved it all and will talk about it a little more a little later.

This post is long enough.

Between sessions today we drove up to Bridal Veil Falls and gathered leaves.

Family traditions and all that.

Here are the final pics.

The falls themselves:

The goofy girls:

Bug and Aliswan.

Bug, Hunter, and Aliswan.

Dad taking Rosie across the water to the big rock.

I think it is a dude thing...Rosie is not a dude, she was terrified...probably because he almost fell into the water at one point.

Hiking up towards the top of the lower fall.

Hunter, Stephie, and Bug at the base of the upper fall.

Aliswan, Stephie, and Bug showing off our leaves.

My 2 favorite shots of Hunter.

She makes me happy.

Well folks, there is the longest update EVER.

Happy Sunday!

♥ ♥ ♥