Let's Talk Lists

Are you a maker of lists?

Are you one of those strange creatures that lists things that need to be done and then crosses them off as things get accomplished?

I, fortunately or unfortunately (how ever you choose to view this), am not a member of the list makers club. Lists scare me. My mom, on the other hand is a compulsive "list-er" she has lists OF lists.

I am not sure why lists scare me so. I think some of it is the fear of failure, of not being able to draw a line through that last thing on my list. Because, hey it doesn't matter how many actually got crossed off I still wasn't able to do it all. And now you all have some idea of my thought processes. You are welcome.

I do have mental lists...sometimes. But those, sadly, are not exceptionally effective.

What about the "BIG" list? The one that comes up over and over this time of year?

You know...

Resolutions.

Goals.

Intentions.

Do you make a "BIG" list?

Again, I have done this mentally in the past and, again, it hasn't worked exceptionally well for me. I've heard it said that it is good to write things you want to have happen down. I'm not sure why that is. I'm sure there are studies.

I can hear what you are thinking "If making a small list of day to day things scares the bee cheeses out of you how are you going to handle making a 'BIG' list?"

Honestly?

I don't know. Because this "BIG" list? It scares more than the bee cheeses out of me. A lot more. I mean if I'm worried about failure on a day to day level how am I going to feel about failure on a much larger scale??

Unfortunately or fortunately, I'm really feeling the urge, the push, the prompting (if you will) to do this. So I'm throwing caution to the wind and joining the throngs of list makers. Here goes...

• Get to know myself better
• Stop comparing myself to others
• Do something physical for 30 minutes 6 days a week
• Complete the "Couch to 5k" program
• Run in the Dirty Dash
• Spend more time with my mom
• Work on my photography more
• Develop a deeper relationship with God and Jesus Christ
• Give blood
• Be more aware of those who are around me
• Go hiking more
• Become more organized
• Blog/Journal on a regular basis

There it is. My BIG list. And in order for me to remember this list I'm going to put it on my sidebar. Because let's face it. If I don't it will just get buried and become just another blog post and I don't want that. I really want to be able to cross things off of this list.

If you are making a BIG list what are some of the things on yours?

Come on. I showed you mine.

Merry Christmas from our house to yours

UPDATE FROM THE ORMOND FAMILY

Tyran:

aka - Ramdas

Lucky Number - 40

Enjoys Yoga, Avacados and helping others

Shanna:

aka - Shama-lama-ding-dong

Lucky Number 40

Enjoys mustaches, FB, and photography

Jona:

aka - Brony

Lucky number - 17

Enjoys Music and Video Games

McKenna:

aka - The Reader

Lucky Number - 14

Enjoys Psych and

Singing loud for all to hear

George:

aka - Door

Lucky number - 12

Enjoys Hunting and Art

Jillian:

aka -Frowny

Lucky number - 8

Enjoys Drawing and Bacon

Charlie:

aka- Fatty or Kitty or Zer Kitteh or

Charlie Chin Squeamish Squamish the III

Lucky number - 1

(in human years about 15 in cat years)

Likes tuna and having his belly rubbed

May you have a wonderful Christmas and

a beautiful New Year!!

Christmas Card Sneak Peek

Here's a sneak peek of our Christmas card this year.

I'll post the main card on Christmas Eve.

I have to say I REALLY love our card this year!

Before my head explodes

!!WARNING SERIOUS VENT AHEAD!!

Okay it's been an hour since this incident occurred so hopefully I can get my words out there in some semblance of order and coherency.

If not forgive me.

I took Jona out to lunch for his birthday this afternoon. We decided to check out JCW's burgers. We got there before the majority of the lunch crowd, for which I am thankful. That way I didn't have to spend any extra time next to the "gentlemen" who sat down next to us just minutes before we left.

JCW's has a "sports bar" feel to it and they have four large tv's up around the dining area. On every screen, of course, there was something that had to do with the firing of Joe Paterno. I am by no means a sports fanatic but you can't turn the tv, radio or computer on without hearing about this.

Jona and I had a nice lunch and we were finishing up as the lunch crowd started to roll in. A group of about 6 or 7 guys on their lunch break had placed their orders and had taken seats in tables to the left of us. Almost immediately they start talking about what is going on with Paterno.

Their conversation went something like...

Hey did you hear about Joe Paterno getting fired?

Yeah. That's messed up.

Did you see what those college kids did?

Yeah that was cool.

Wait wasn't he fired because he sexually molested some kids.

No. It was one of the assistant coaches but Paterno supposedly knew about it and didn't do anything. He told the people above him but they didn't do anything about it either.

That's not right they should lose their jobs too.

At this point I'm kind of rolling my eyes because his superiors that knew about it have lost their jobs.

Yeah...I guess it was younger kids that were being molested and someone walked in on the assistant coach with the kid in the shower.

This next exchange. Is where my head just about pops off.

My guess is the guy was teaching him how to hike.

There was complete silence at the table.

Come on! You guys didn't even laugh at my joke.

Under my breath, but not super soft either, I say "That's because it wasn't funny" And I waited. I waited for one of the other guys at the table to say those words but they didn't. Instead another guy chimes in and says...

Teaching him how to hike (laughs). Yeah. And receive. Yeah kid you need to learn to receive this way. (scattered laughter)

I should have stood up right then and said

"No one laughed at your joke because it WASN'T FUNNY!!!"

I wish I would have had the presence of mind to say, "Do you have children? Do you have a son? Do you think that would be funny if it was your son?"

Instead, I'm ashamed to say, I just grabbed our tray and hustled Jona out the door. I was fuming.

People just don't think before they speak, or if they do they just don't care.

Child abuse in any way, shape or form is unacceptable and it's people like those men at that table who make small "jokes" like those that make it easier for children to be abused because, hey, it's funny right? It's not. It's serious.

And it angers me that there are people out there who would make light of such a horrible, horrible situation and it seems that in this day and age that this occurrence is much more common.

People today say and write the most horrific things. I wonder, in the past have people always had those horrid thoughts and just kept them to themselves because the society was so much more polite? Or have we sunk so far that it's okay to laugh at anything?

Sarcasm is rampant...it's okay to say something sarcastically right? That way you don't really mean it. Words said in sarcasm have a way of hurting just as much as those said in all sincerity. (And hey, I'm just as apt to use sarcasm as the next person so I'm speaking to myself on this one as well.)

People, please. THINK before you say something. Try putting yourself in the place of another. How would you like it if those words were being said to or about you....or someone you love.

All those jokes about being careful about picking up a bar of soap in the shower at the prison are hilarious. Until...

Until you have loved ones whose choices have placed them behind bars. Then those "bar of soap" jokes, not so funny. Why? Because then all of the sudden that horrible thing that you were just laughing and joking about? THAT could be happening to someone you love.

Not so funny then is it.

Think, people. Please. Can we return to SOME form of civility?

I have a feeling that this will fall on deaf ears, or eyes, as it were. I have found that the people who need to see and hear this the most are the ones that are the least like to read this. And if they do they either;

A. Won't see themselves as part of the problem

or

B. They just won't care.

I also realize that this blog has a very limited audience.

I just needed to get that out before my head exploded. I'm glad to say that, so far, it's still intact.

Being a Mom

That's what I'm thankful for today.

17 years ago today I became one. I never realized (and probably still don't) all that that entails. Some days I don't feel all that much older than my, now, 17 year old.

You know how moms are supposed to be all "in charge" and "on top of things"?

Well most days I just feel like I'm along for the ride with my kids. I try not to shatter the illusion of control for the sake of my kids. Someone needs to pretend they have it all together.

I do love it, though. I love the challenges and the growth that have come with that title. I love the laughter and the tears that it has brought me these past 17 years.

But mostly?

I just love those 4 kids that chose me to be their mom...the tall one extra-specially today.

Jona, one day old. My goodness could you just SQUISH those cheeks?!?!?

p.s. I have been doing the thankful thing everyday on FB just not here on the blog. Need to work on that.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes!

Today I am thankful for change. And for my ability to adapt to changes fairly quickly and easily.

I love change.

Just ask my family and friends. My hair color and style change frequently and the furniture in my living room even more so. I wish someone would design a kitchen where you could rearrange everything without remodeling. That would be heaven.

I love living in an area where we get to enjoy the changing of the seasons.

I love watching my kids grow and change. I know that many people bemoan the fact that they don't want their kids to grow up. I'm not that person.

I'm not sure what this says about me but I really, really do love change.

And today that's what I'm thankful for.

Now here's something we can all be thankful for... a song from the Brady Bunch!

My Better Half

Yesterday evening I learned that a friend from high school had lost her husband. She laid him to rest yesterday morning, on what would have been his 40th birthday. My heart and my prayers go out to her and her children at what must be the most difficult time of their lives.

When something like this happens it seems to bring things into super sharp focus.

Therefore, today I am incredibly thankful for Tyran. Thankful for our relationship.

This last little while has been a period of "growth" for us. Probably more for me than for him. He has been willing and open to listen to me, to all of my concerns and my fears.

Tyran puts up with a lot. He has put up with my love of change....from the constant change of the furniture in our home to the constant change of my hair color and length. He puts up with my poor house keeping skills and my lack of skill in the kitchen with little or no complaint.

He puts up with my insecurities and my idiosyncrasies. He lives through my "moods" and loves me in spite of them. He puts up with my teasing.

He goes to work at a job that, although it's a good job and he likes it, he doesn't love. I know he would much rather be teaching yoga full time and he sacrifices his personal happiness to provide for myself and for our children.

He loves the Savior.

He loves me.

He loves our kids.

He honors his priesthood.

We balance each other out incredibly well and I am so thankful for that. Sometimes I wonder what other people think when they see us together. Especially if they know us very well at all.

He has been, and continues to be, incredibly patient with me.

He loves me extra baggage, extra poundage and all.

I don't know what I would do without him.

If it wasn't for him I have a feeling I would be single, lonely, bitter and unwilling and possibly unable to trust.

I hope I never have to know life without him by my side. I know that at different times during our relationship where he has longed for the simpler life of a hermit. I'm thankful that he chose differently.

I want him to know how much I love and appreciate him.

He is my better half....thankfully.

For Tyran.

It really is so sweet to be loved by you.

My Progeny

See these kids right here?

They are my Progeny.

(I am using that word,

progeny,

in a probably futile effort to appear more intellectual.)

prog·e·ny

1.

a descendant or offspring, as a child, plant, or animal.

2.

such descendants or offspring collectively.

3.

something that originates or results from something else;outcome; issue.

I am thankful for them today.

And every day.

They are great kids, like, SUPER GREAT kids.

They have helped me become the person that I am today. I wouldn't be who I am without them.

That is an old picture of them but it's my favorite and probably how they will forever remain in my mind as the years continue to pass.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that they are perfect because they aren't. We've had our share of melt downs and days that were (and are) full of hair pulling, screaming and tears... both them and me.

And I'm not naive enough to think that there won't be difficult days to come, possibly more difficult than I can imagine.

It doesn't matter. I will go through anything for those four spectacular, shining spirits.

I love them more than I ever could have imagined before having kids. I enjoy watching them grow so much. It amazes me how they change and grow, sometimes from day to day. They are respectful and loving and helpful.

And they are friendly. That's one of the things about them that just makes my heart all warm and fuzzy.

We laugh together....a lot. And I can't even begin to express enough how much I love that.

I could go on and on and on about them so I'll wrap it up with this....

Yesterday I checked their grades from the first semester of this school year. All four of them had all A's and B's. This is Jilli's first year to get letter grades so this is kind of new to her. She had all B's. George struggled early on in his Pre-Algebra class and was able to pull it up from an F at mid-term to a B! McKenna's lowest grade was a B+ and the rest were A's and A-'s. And Jona? Jona pulled straight A's and one B+. He even got an A in Chemistry.

Okay I lied, I'm going to go on just a smidge more.

I would love my kids just the same if they got lower grades. But I am thankful that they work hard in school and that they are learning....and their grades reflect that.

Okay, now I'm done.

Thankfully ;)

Listen

I lay in bed this morning listening to the soft sounds above my head of my daughter shifting and moving around trying to get comfortable I was trying not to be annoyed by the squeaks that her movements were causing, keeping me from falling back into sleep for another hour or so.

Then I realized that was thankful for those squeaks.

Well not necessarily the squeaks themselves but I was thankful for the ability that I have to hear those movements. That I have the ability to hear at all. You may have seen this video if you haven't take a minute to watch.

There is a song that I grew up singing with a line in it that says...

"He gave me my ears that I might hear. The magical sound of things."

There are sounds that are truly magical.

Water flowing in a stream

The song of the first robin of Spring

Laughter of a child

A newborn's first cry

The words "I love you" whispered into your ear

So many wondrous and beautiful sounds.

So today I am thankful for my hearing. I hope that it sticks around for a long time.

Options - Choices if you will.

This morning I after family prayer and Ty had left for work, the kids were back in their beds and I climbed back into mine but my mind wouldn't shut off. As I lay there gears spinning, thoughts churning about different things going on in my life, I realized I was slowly spiraling downward. Not a good thing. I thought maybe if I got up and got in the shower I could turn things around.

As I stood there under the warm water, negative thoughts still flowing around me I realized something.

Today is November 1st

November. The month that we celebrate Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving. Giving Thanks. Gratitude.

And here I was,

I had just had a good nights sleep, safe and comfortable in a warm bed, next to an amazing man. I had been able to kneel down surrounded by family and have family prayer while the rain fell and the temperature outside dropped. Here I was standing under a flow of clean water at just the perfect temperature...

taking it all for granted.

I was CHOOSING to focus on those negative thoughts. Choosing to fall deeper into that downward spiral.

That was when I remembered last November. When I had started up an event called "A Month of Thanksgiving" on Facebook. I even tried to do that here on the blog.

So I decided, I CHOSE if you will, to focus on the things that I had to be thankful for. I got out of the shower, fired up the old computer, logged on to FB and proceeded to make this November like the last. I created another Month of Thanksgiving event for this year and started to focus on what I am thankful for.

At 7:25 a.m. as I am adding friends to the invite to this event, I realized that none of the kids were up. Jona's school starts at 7:45. I went upstairs and got things moving. He stepped out of the car in front of the school at 7:40 while finishing up a piece of cold pizza for breakfast and a pocket full of mints so his breath didn't stink. The traffic getting out of there was intense so I took a longer route home.

George and McKenna had left while I was dropping Jona off. Their classes start at 8:15. The phone rang at 8:10. George had left his binder that contains everything he needs for each class at home. So out into the rain (which was coming down much harder now) I went to take George's binder to the school.

side note: the kids get one "free pass" where I am willing to do something like this for them

Even with the creation of that event and the reminder to be thankful I was STILL having to really work at not focusing on the negativity. I felt like some sort of magnet for the negative today.

But I'm not a magnet. It's an option that I have available to me.

I have the ability to CHOOSE to focus on the negative or on the positive. No one is forcing me either way.

It's my choice.

And boy howdy am I thankful for that choice.

So as I start off this Month of Thanksgiving I'm thankful for Choice and my ability to choose.

What are you Thankful for?

Care to join me as I strive to be thankful this month?

If you do feel free to take this button.

Feel free to share.

The world needs more than one day of Thanksgiving. Don't you think?

It's not a toomah....or a blow fly

This scene from the movie Kindergarten Cop is one that I quote on a fairly frequent basis...

But now I'll be substituting the word "toomah" for "Bot Fly"

Why? you may ask.

The other day my daughter Jillian had a little bump on her leg that was red and swollen and sore. Ty took a look at it and realized that it needed to be "lanced" as it were. So he took care of it midst much screaming and possibly name calling.

Today when we came home from church I had a conversation with Jilli where she informed me that she thought she knew what that bump on her leg was from. So of course I inquired what she thought it was. And she told me that she figured out that it must have been a Bot Fly.

What? I turned and looked at her and asked her where she had even heard of a Bot Fly. She then proceeds to go into her room and return with a book called 100 Most Disgusting Things on the Planet. Great book. I guess she purchased it at the book fair from school last year...unbeknownst to me.

So yeah. She was thinking that she had a Bot Fly in her. Lovely. I calmly explained that it most definitely was NOT a Bot Fly. That there was no possible way that she could have this horrible insect in her.

Did you watch that video? Did you see that kid that said "It might be tumor?" That kid right there is Jillian. We are fighting hard against raising a hypochondriac but with this latest Bot Fly incident I'm not sure how good of a job we are doing.

16 1/2 hours

That's how long it took us to hike to the summit of Mt. Timpanogos this past Saturday.

True story.

It is a 15 mile hike round trip. We...

(We being Ty and I and Scott and Jen Fugal who were there with us during the first attempt in the rain and wind and snow. The two teenagers that were there last week opted out of a re-hike)

We got to the Timpooneke trail head at 2:30 in the afternoon and had someone take our picture. Please excuse the spot on most of the pictures...I didn't clean the lens properly.

Me, Ty, Jen and Scott

Look at us smiling and happy ready to take on this mountain again. The plan was to summit, hopefully by sunset and be down the mountain by midnight at the latest. That was the plan. And, as is the case with this mountain, things rarely go as planned.

You think we would have learned that lesson last week.

It was fun to see what we couldn't last week because of the darkness and the rain. We tried to see if we could locate where the rock slide that we heard had happened. We figured it probably happened at the spot in the top left of the picture where rock slides had already been occurring.

This really is a beautiful hike. I hiked it last Summer up to the second meadow with my family for the Nielsen family reunion.

This is looking up through the first meadow

towards the second.

The leaves are just beginning to change.

Looking up to the cliffs off to the north of the trail

Looking back down the trail in between the first

and second meadows. I LOVE the red berries in

this picture. If you can't see them click on the picture

to see a bigger version.

Hiking up you have to cross water a bunch of times. Jen counted on the way back down. There were 13 water crossings. I don't know if that number changes in dryer years or not...I would imagine it does.

Ty at one of the crossings.

We made it to the second meadow. And I ask Scott and Jen to pose for a picture. At first they didn't want to stand next to each other and then they decided it would be okay. See those hiking sticks that they are holding? Those came in mucho handy in the hours ahead.

I love the cliffs and the colors that were just beginning to change

As we continued on out of the first meadow Ty and Scott were able to spot the mountain goats way up high grazing. We actually ran into a friend of Ty's from his old neighborhood. They had been up on a hunt and had gotten a goat. They didn't have it with them because it was being taken down the front side of Timp. I had no idea that a decent down the front was even possible. Anyway if you look really close at those little white spots. Those are mountain goats. Clicky the picture for a better view.

As we hiked there were a TON of people coming down off of the mountain. Some had gotten really close to the goats and so Jen and I were really excited to get up there before the sun set and try to get some shots of them with our cameras.

We crossed the snowfield going up without any problems. I was shocked that it seemed SO much smaller in the daylight. Night time just jumps things up so much....and boy did that ever hold true on our way back out.

When finally came to the point where we had made it to last week we were shocked, again, at how the dark and the rain and the clouds (and the HIGHER water) had made this particular water crossing seem so formidable. In all reality it was very simple. But the water last week was gushing out from under this snow bridge. It would have been up to at least our shins.

Here are Ty and Scot in front of the snow bridge.

Just past this point we stopped for our longest rest. We sat down and ate some food so we could get our energy up as we headed towards the summit.

My hiker man Tyran... Love him.

As we headed higher the wildflowers were still blooming.

You can even see a couple of wild Columbine in this picture.

Looking North along the back side of the mountain.

I love the look of those shale slides that look like waterfalls of rock.

We finally reached the third meadow. Off to the right you can go over to a latrine that is up there. I needed to go REALLY badly and the thought of having a toilet to sit on was highly appealing. Until I got to the toilet and lifted the lid. Then....not so much. I spare you any pictures of that horrid spot and give you instead the wild life that blessed us with their presence.

Mama dear and her baby....

And then there were TWO babies...

And then three!!

Loving the deer butts.

It was there in that third meadow that we realized that there was no way that we would be able to get to the summit (or even the Saddle) in time for sunset. We didn't care we just kept plugging along.

You have no idea the crazed looks we were getting from the people coming down. Or how many times we were asked if we were going to the summit. Scott kept wanting to tell people "No we are just walking backwards." Which would have been awesome!

We were also asked multiple times if we had flashlights. Which we did.

At this time Scott was starting to have difficulties breathing because of the altitude. I was noticing a headache coming on and was worried about altitude sickness. Scott said that he would go with us to the saddle and wait there for us while we hiked the summit. I just said that we would wait and see how he felt about things once we made it to the saddle.

As we came up onto the Saddle the scene that came into view was breath taking. We had made the Saddle just after 9 p.m. With a little rest Scott decided he would continue on to the top with us. I'm so glad that he did.

This is looking to the South towards Orem and Provo.

This is pretty much the main view.

As we started up that last part of the hike we had to take it pretty slow with frequent stops for both Scott and I to catch our breath. At times it was also very hard to know where the trail went so while Scott, Jen and I were catching a breather Ty would scout ahead to make sure we were on the correct trail.

It was difficult, to say the least. And, I'll be honest, it was scary. There were times as we were climbing I was asking myself "How are we going to get back down this in the dark?" I started to sing the hymn "I Need Thee Every Hour" and I was asking for courage and comfort and safety.

My prayer was answered.

In the most beautiful way.

My dad came. He was there with me. And his dad was there as well...my Grandpa George. I could feel both of them there beside me. Encouraging me and cheering me on. I could feel him saying "You can do this Shanna. I know you can!"

And so.... I did.

I took us until midnight.

Yes you read that right. 3 hours from the saddle to the top. But we did it. With encouragement from one another and from those sent to help me.

Yes.

We.

Did it!

We did it!

We really, really did it!!

One of my goals was to not only to make it to the top but to

write my name down in the log that they have there.

At first we couldn't find it and I was TICKED off.

Then we realized where it was, found it and signed it.

There is a little stone pillar in the middle of the shack that is there so we all took turns standing on it so that we could say that we actually made it to the VERY top of Timp!

Jen on the top!

Scott

Tyran

And me looking crazed with a big thumbs up!

I was testing out to see what a picture would look like if

I used the timer and got this spooky shot of Jen.

The four of us crazy loons on the top of Mt. Timpanogos

after hiking for 10 hours.

At this point, let's be honest, I think we were all contemplating staying the night there in that shack. We were cold and tired and the prospect of going back down the mountain in the dark wasn't a happy one.

Jen and Scott getting cozy

Ty and I didn't sit.

(I don't think I could have gotten up off of that

floor if I had sat down.)

But we did get cozy.

Then came the time that Scott was waiting for. He had packed with him a golf club and some golf balls so he could hit one off of the top.

Surveying the scene.

Teeing up.

And...

FORE!!!!

He decided he didn't want to pack them back down the mountain

so he left the club and the balls there for others to have their swing.

Scott called his sister and told her to look up and see if she could

see lights at the top and she could see his head lamp!

That was cool!

This next picture is a panorama of the view from the top of Timpanogos

looking down into Utah Valley at midnight.

It is a beautiful sight.

The Salt Lake Valley is to the far right of that picture.

There was actually a couple of points during the

hike to the top where we could see the Provo temple,

the Mt. Timpanogos Temple and the Oquirrh Moutain Temple

all at once.

(clicky on the picture for the bigger version.)

Coming back down off of the top and onto the saddle again took an hour and a half. I was feeling better. Scott also did better the lower we got.

The stars that you could see were incredible. Jen and I even saw a shooting star. I decided to see what I could get with my point and shoot camera. See that one little white dot? That's what I saw when I looked on the picture review on the camera.

I actually think that little white dot might be Venus.

Then I got the picture home on my editing software and I upped the contrast and the brightness and THIS is what came up!

Remember what I said earlier about the snow field seeming larger in the dark? Boy was that ever true this time around. The snow that had been ever so slightly slushy on the way up had frozen, super solid and even with sticks to give us a little bit more help in crossing there was some serious slippage going on. I actually covered probably the last quarter of that on my rear end because I couldn't keep my footing. That got the adrenaline pumping!

As we were coming down and we hit the place where we turned back last week we were hopeful. It had only taken us 2 hours from that point down a week ago. What we didn't count on was how fatigued we all were. My left knee really started acting up. Thankfully I had packed an ace bandage because last week it was my right knee and I knew that there was a possibility that I would need some extra support. Ty's left knee was killing him as well so I wish I'd had two wraps so he could have had one too.

It ended up taking us double the time it took us the week before.

We only ran into a few people on the way back down. This night we pretty much had that mountain to ourselves.

Just before we finished we ran into a couple of guys who were hike with skis and ski boots on their backs. They were heading to the glacier to take a ski down that! We tried to warn them that on our way up we had come across two different people who had been bloodied up pretty good trying to slide down that thing. I don't know if they actually made that attempt or not but they didn't end up on the news so maybe they were able to ski down it...or maybe common sense took over. Who knows.

On this hike we watched as the edge of darkness descended Saturday night and we welcomed the sun rise. We made it back to the parking lot at 7 a.m. Sunday morning.

Don't you love the look on the guys faces?

We were extremely tired. Scott and Ty both had church meetings that they were supposed to be to Sunday morning at 7. Needless to say they didn't make it.

Our church starts at 9 a.m. We got home just before 8. I drove Jona down to the church for a meeting he was supposed to be to then I came home, took a shower and headed back so I could go to sacrament meeting.

You may think that I'm crazy. But this was my thinking. My Savior was there for me on that mountain. When I was scared He sent my dad and grandpa to be with me. The least I could do was make it to Sacrament Meeting and renew my covenants with Him. And so I did.

At the end of the meeting I had been awake for 26 and 1/2 hours...it was time for my head to be hitting my pillow.

And this brings me to the end of my story. It probably took 16 and 1/2 hours to read through it. If you made it through it all I commend and thank you.

If you get the chance to hike to the top of Mt. Timpanogos I highly recommend it. But plan for a very long day. I do want to hike this again. I want to get to the top when there is sunlight so I can see that view from both ends of the spectrum.

Today as I went out for a walk and looked up at the top of that mountain a big smile broke onto my face. Because I did it. I made it to the top and proved to myself that I can do hard things.

Thanks to Ty and Jen and Scott for going up with me. Good company makes all the difference in the world.