Jack the Monkey Crosses America

Ok...well, we are officially on the road and crossing the blessed United States of America. After stress and too much sweat, my mom and I moved everything, packed my car, and left my little house in the Avenues of Salt Lake City and headed to Park City last night, where we stayed for the night. Now I know that I am 24 and probably too old to even have stuffed animals, but I do. So my blog will document the adventures of my mom and I, as well as my stuffed monkey, Jack. Yes, he finally has a name, Jack. So in the pictures, be sure to look for Jack and all of the things he is doing and all of the things he is getting to see. After my great run in Park City this morning (it was mighty brisk outside, nice without all the heat for sure), we headed out at 8 am. We made good time and drove all the way through Wyoming and are almost through Nebraska. We are staying the night in Grand Island, Nebraska...and it really ain't that Grand. Let's see...last night we ate at a yummy Italian restaurant in Park City, our last fine dining for a while. Today was continental breakfast, Subway, and Sonic. Along the way we saw Toby Keith's concert trucks, but not him. We saw a shrine of the Virgin Mary in the middle of nowhere, a giant, fake coyote, lots of road kill, also we saw other drag racing trucks, and we saw a truck that said, "got monkey butt?" and we both said, laughing, "yes, of course we do! jack the monkey...we got monkey butt!" In conclusion, it is agreed that Nebraska is prettier overall than Wyoming...stay tuned for more blogging, we will hope for better wireless internet...the internet is struggling to upload pictures, so we will see about better luck tomorrow...

My Last Good-byes!

So today is my final day in Salt Lake City, and as much as I am so so ready to be moving on in my life (boredom and unemployment make you ready to move on to anything!), it has been a sad realization as I have had to say my final good byes here in Salt Lake City. In all honestly, I am not usually an emotional person, but I am sure as I leave Utah, or somewhere along my cross country trip, or once I settle in Boston, I will have the daunting realization that I am not going back, and my move is permanent...then I will miss all of you and cry a lot, I am sure. I just want to say thanks to all my family and friends here, you have made my year and a half enjoyable and memorable. I am grateful that I get to take all the fun memories with me! I have been saying good-byes alot. On Saturday night, my mom and I said good bye to my aunt, my cousin, and her dear little girl, Presley-who I had play dates with a lot. That is Presley and I in the first 2 pictures. Then on Sunday, after going to my ward for the last time and teaching my last Gospel Doctrine Lesson, I had dinner with the Evans, and Sandy-all missionaries that I served with in the blessed Canary Islands. The third photo is of us. Today I met my good friend, Michael, also a missionary that I served with, for lunch at his work. The last 2 photos are of us...squinty eyes in the sun, nice, eh? And I guess I should be the one in a Boston Red Sox hat, I will have to get me one of them. Well, I am off soon...I will be blogging all along my mom and I's road trip to Boston, so stay tuned...

Happy Late Pioneer Day!

So I know I have blogged on the happenings of the last couple days, but I haven't had a chance to update you on my fun Pioneer Day, since those photos were on my mom's camera. My roommate, Shalene (one of the coolest people in Utah), and I got up at 5 am on Thursday and my mom dropped us off at Research Park, the start of our 10k race. We had a great run, and ended at Liberty Park. Shalene kept me going, despite her recent foot pains, right up to the end. We ran it in 54 minutes...not too shabby. Then we watched the parade, my mom, Shalene and I. It was a fun Pioneer Day parade, we saw the prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, alot of other important people, all of Utah's Miss whatevers in their formals, impressive floats, and the man in the back of a pick up, shaking his booty in too short of shorts. My mom and I later went to Provo to see my brother, Alex, and my future sister-in-law, Stacey. We hung out, went to an early dinner, and stayed for Stacey's bridal shower. We saw some fireworks on the way home. All in all, it was a nice summer day!

Final Mountain Excursion

Yesterday evening, I went with my roommate, Shalene, and a few friends from our ward on my last mountain camping excursion in Utah. We left later than scheduled (boys-what can we expect?!) and drove up to Strawberry Reservoir. It is a gorgeous drive, we got to see the mountains, the wildflowers, the forests of aspen trees, the rolling hills, the rivers and lakes, etc. We kind of made our own campsite off the beaten path, set up camp, cooked tin foil dinners, talked, laughed, made s'mores, listened to the guys' lovely serenades, watched shooting stars, went on an imaginary journey of sorts (some mental imagery/psychology experiment), and slept very well. Shalene and I woke up before everyone else, made a quick pit stop in the woods (my favorite part of being a girl and camping), and went on a nice hour long stroll that allowed us to get to the top of the mountain and see in all directions. I love Utah, it is so beautiful. I will miss my mountains. Then after eating a quick breakfast, and cleaning up camp, we headed home. It was a fun time...I like getting dirty, but then I love being clean again.

Too much blondie to just dark enough

So some of you know that my hair was superdark on my mission, I bought a bunch of dye in a pretty dark color beforehand and then did it myself throughout. I basically had black hair on my mission, the elders called me "negrita." Well, after the mission, I incorporated highlights into my hair, and over the past year and a half, I have become more and more blonde. I had decided lately that I had had enough of the blonde, and wanted to go dark, more of my natural color. I figure it is more practical for grad school, being poorer and all, and this way I can just dye it myself. So I couldn't stand it yesterday, woke up, made an appointment with a salon here in Salt Lake that I have heard is good...and I LOVE the results! My hair is dark, shiny, and more natural...which according to "the waste of time" magazine that I flipped through at the salon, for Bostonian girls, dark and natural is definitely the style...I am glad that I got rid of my blonde just in time! Here is a recent picture of too much blondie, followed by yesterday's picture of just dark enough.

Have You or Have You Not?!

So my friend, Kristen, had this on her blog, and I decided to try it. It's fun because you learn little tid-bits about people that you may or may not have known. It caused for a fun jog down memory lane, from my childhood to just recent times...and it was fun to think of all the people that I did some of these things with, and to think of where I was in the world to complete some of these HAVEs. If you don't believe one, I will back it up...PROMISE! Oh, PS, the ones I have done are in BOLD.

200 Have and Have-nots!

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all fours
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one (if put put counts)
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon-ALMOST, 20 MILES OF TRAINING-DUMB FOOT
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog.
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Became addicted to blogging

Well, hopefully you know a little more about me...Happy Tuesday! My mommy flies in tonight! Hooray! I only have one more week here-yeah, get me to Boston!

I love the mountains...

...I love the rolling hills...although riding up them can be a challenge. Alex and I had a great ride up Provo Canyon, he inherited a road bike, an old Schwinn, but still a road bike, from his fiancee's uncle. That means that he isn't on his mountain bike with road slick tires, and thus, I have lost my advantage of being on a lighter road bike. we had fun on our ride, as always, even if it was a very fast-paced one, and well, I haven't been out on my bike since before my trips. It was a good workout to say the least, and there were no attacking dogs out either, thank goodness. I think Le Tour de France really inspires us, too. We watched some of yesterday's footage. We also went swimming, Alex made me lunch, and then I treated us to soft serve ice cream cones. It was a fun day, and I appreciate people that love me and will play with me, especially when I am trying not to go crazy being unemployed. I will miss many things about Utah, mostly the mountains, but also lots of great places and people...I realized last night at a ward service activity, that I am getting down to "lasts"...my last time to do this or that, my last time to driveby this, my last time to see that person, etc. Sad...but I am leaving for Boston in 14 days to be exact...and for that, I am ecstatic!

PS...the picture is of our blessed bikes, without their spandex-clad riders, some of you have seen enough of Alex in spandex for your lifetime, haha...so I will cut back on those pictures.

Reminiscing....

...Today was a wonderful day. I had lunch at a yummy restaurant with my last companion in the mission, Sandy Schaugaard. She doesn't live too far, but we just don't seem to see each other as much as we should. We ate lunch and then I filled her in on all the details of my trip, how all the members are, how the islands are, and most importantly, on how our convert, Maritsa and her almost 8 year old son, Aron, are doing. We sat and talked for 3 hours, it was much needed. We reminisced about our missions and what a blessing they were and will continue to be in our lives. I loved all of my mission, but the end was the best. That area was hard, but today we realized once again, that more than anything, we learned that when we put our lives in the Lord's hands we are always blessed, and things are always ok. We both got to that area, and knew no one and knew nothing. We had the roughest 4 weeks of my mission, and then after much testing, the Lord deemed us worthy, and poured out the blessings of heaven. We found lots of people, had so many teaching opportunities, had wonderful experiences, and most importantly, we found and taught Maritsa, and I saw her baptized on my last Sunday in the mission...all so many tender mercies from the Lord. I am glad for that reminder today of what I learned back then...that the Lord always blesses us, that things always work out...and like my Dad and others often say, when we put our lives in the Lord's hands, our lives turn out thousands of times better than we could ever even imagine or plan for ourselves. I am grateful for the faith I had as a missionary, and I am grateful for all of these memories and experiences that I can recollect on time and time again, so that I can be reminded of things I once knew and now need to remember again. So, I will put another picture of me with my special friends, Maritsa and her son, Aron, from my recent trip...I loved my mission, and I hope that all of you that served missions stop and reflect on them time and time again...Love y'all!

Summer = Sun + Sweat + ICE CREAM!!!

...Well, I had exciting, busy vacations, and now life is almost too slow. I finished up subbing before my trips and I have not had much success getting work through the temp agency that I applied with, so more or less since my vacation, I have been unemplyed. As ideal as that sounds for some of you, it makes me crazy...crazy bored and crazy poor. Oh well, my mom will be here in a couple weeks and then another week later, I will be off to Boston! I have just been running lots of errands, packing up my room, etc. I had a really good 4th of July. I went up to Provo in the morning and my younger brother, Alex, and I went hiking. We were going to do part of the Mount Timpanogos trail, not all of it this time, but we picked the wrong trailhead, so it was a quick 2 mile hike to the top of Stewart Falls and back down, and we decided to go over to the other trailhead to hike up a ways. We sweat a lot (alas, we are Carruth's), laughed a lot, and took some fun pictures...Alex was starving and kept eating all the snacks I packed. Then later in the afternoon, we had a pool party at my roommate's family's house in Draper. I love swimming and eating, so it was definitely fun. That night we watched the fireworks at Thanksgiving Point. Saturday I hung out with Alex up here in Salt Lake, because his fiancee, Stacey, was still out of town, and I am the next best thing to her, I suppose, hehe. Here are a few pictures...today Alex made me buy him ice cream while I was in Provo, the things I do for people, and when I am poor, too...love ya, Alex, and it didn't really break the bank. Hope everyone has a great week!

A Jog Down Missionary Memory Lane

...So this is the post about my visits to Santa Cruz, the city where I spent the last 12 weeks of my mission. We flew into Tenerife on Saturday, and I spent all of Sunday in Santa Cruz. I went with my sister and her family on the bus, or as some of you know, its called the guagua, to the chapel and we attended church in the branch where I served. The branch has grown alot in the nearly two years that I have been gone. There have been some move-ins and quite a lot of baptisms. All the members are happy and healthy and going strong in the gospel. The Canary Islands are working really hard to be a stake by October. My convert, Maritsa, is still great, happy, and very active. Her son, Aron, will be 8 next year, and they are both excited for him to be baptized. Our investigator, Ernesto, from Cuba, still attends church and meets with the missionaries regularly, but he is yet to make a serious commitment to be baptized. Sunday was actually really funny...a lot of the members didn't recognize me at first, they wanted to know why an American was on vacation there, or why my face looked familiar...apparently some highlights and bangs, and a little more make-up really throws them off...I must have looked pretty bad on the mission, hahaha. Those of you that know Sayli, she has been working in her medical field in France, and she is engaged to a member of the Church who is French, she has never been so happy and so strong in her terstimony of the gospel. I think she gets married in October. Oh, and a very cool side note...as I was visiting with members after the meetings, a girl came up to me, it took me a second to remember who she was...her name is Maria Martinez, she is from Venezuela, and Hermana Schaugaard and I found her knocking doors, taught her a few lessons, she came to church, etc., but I just didn't feel like she was really serious about the gospel...come to find out she just needed time...I went home in Sept. 2006 and she got baptized the following July! So all those seeds we planted, some are being reaped! I spent most of Sunday afternoon with Maritsa and Aron-walking through the city, enjoying the park where we taught her the discussions, they fed me dinner, and we enjoyed each other's company. I went back up to Santa Cruz on Tuesday where I met up with Maritsa, Aron, and Any Flores, a member from Venezuela who helped us teach Maritsa. They took me out to lunch and then out for yummy ice cream, we relaxed in a park, and then I went with Maritsa to visit Ernesto in the store where he works...The islands are wonderful...I loved visiting becuase I felt like a little part of me was home. Being there reminded me of my mission and all the things I learned and all the amazing experiences that I had...Love to all!

More Beach Holiday Photos...

The Best Beach Holiday Ever...

...Well, after I left Texas on Wednesday, I flew to London where I stayed with my sister, Allyson, my brother-in-law, Luke, and my 2 adorable nieces for 2 days. We had fun playing, shopping, walking the streets of London, and just hanging out. Isabelle and I did get some hair styling especially done by Madeleine. We all left bright and early Saturday morning for our beach holiday to the Canary Islands. We stayed there from Saturday June 21st to the following Saturday, June 28th. It was fabulous! As many of you recall, I served my mission in the islands, and it has been almost 2 years. I had requested that we stay on the island of Tenerife, which was my last island to serve on. We stayed in a beautiful resort in the south, in Costa Adeje. I will report here on beach holiday happenings, and I will do a separate post for the 2 days that I went to Santa Cruz, the city where I ended my mission. Saturday we checked into our hotel, swam at the beautiful pools at our hotel, Maddie counted 4, that included the jacuzzi. The water in the pools was salty, a little different from chlorine, oh well. We ordered room service that night. Sunday was spent is Santa Cruz, see my other posting. Monday morning I went out for a run, running the same sidewalks that are all over the islands, and getting a few hola guapa comments like we used to hear on the mission. We went to our buffet breakfast-I was excited about tortilla espanola and the nutella and bananas for my crepes! I stole a mini nutella every day, shhhh, don't tell (it was like a one-serving thing, like butters, not a whole jar). Monday we spent all day at the beach, playing in the waves, playing in the sand. We went out for oriental cuisine that night. Tuesday I went to Santa Cruz again, see other posting. Wednesday we headed to the beach again, and it seemed that with each day, there were more and more topless women, yikes...we were definitely the most modest family there. We had more fun swimming and playing, and Luke rented a paddleboat that Maddie and I rode in with him. Isabelle seemed to like the ocean water, even though it was cold. Wednesday night we enjoyed the 80s music entertainment that the hotel had-Spanish performers singing 80s American tunes-scary. Thursday we spent the day at the pools. I wrote lots of postcards, or was swimming with Maddie, or playing and laughing with Izzie-she is a very happy baby. We went to Playa de las Americas, the neighboring city, and were a little disappointed...we did get Maddie dinner at McDonald's and I got a really cute shirt, my only souvenir...so I guess it was worth something. Oh, and of all things there was a Hooters right by the McDonalds, go figure...I wonder if the elders frequented it on Pday, I will hope not. Friday we spent the morning at the beach, and the afternoon at the pool. We ate the hotel's dinner buffet and then enjoyed the evening entertainment-Il Divo wanna-be's from who knows where. I thought it was going to be the real group, Il Divo, at first, I thought, "Oh, man, Alex will be so jealous." Saturday we had breakfast, hung out, packed up, went to the airport and headed back to London. My favorite things about my beach holiday were: sharing a room with Maddie, sand stuck everywhere after the beach, nutella, yummy ice cream (not quite daily consumption, but close), playing with Izzie and Maddie, using my Spanish, swimming lots, laughing with Ally and Luke or at them (kidding, love ya guys), sleeping lots (8-9 hours/night), and being a part of the happy Colton family. I love beach holidays, everyone should take one...they are good for the soul, and Ally would suggest that the sand is a great exfoliator for the feet. If you want to see more pics, you will have to come visit me and look at them on my computer...I am here in Salt Lake City until about July 29th before I head to Boston. Mucho Amor.

Fun in the Texas Heat

...Many of you know that I have been having lots of fun trips, vacationing, etc. I left Friday June 13th for Texas, and I was there until Wednesday June 18th. I had a great time, despite the heat and humidity that I seemed to survive as a kid growing up there, but now as an adult, it just means I am sweaty and miserable unless I am swimming or inside with AC. Maybe that is why I took up swim team at an early age. Anyway, I stayed with my brother James and his family, which includes my sister-in-law, Ruth, and my 4 nieces and 1 nephew. Friday we went to Caitlyn and Aimee's pep rally for their swim team and then just hung out. Saturday I sweat the day away at Caitlyn and Aimee's swim meet-they have become quite the swimmers, and I was excited to be at their last meet of the season, I am their Super Swimmer Aunt Krissy afterall. We hung out the rest of the day, went swimming, and then went out to dinner. Sunday was Father's day, I got to attend church in the same chapel that I attended for some 12 years of my life. We had a yummy dinner, an assortment of desserts, and a relaxing Sunday afternoon (hehe, there was a little drama for me, but I won't go into details, you want to know, email me). After a superearly run Monday morning for me, we headed to Schlitterbahn with a packed van. Schlitterbahn is the best waterpark ever, and the largest, and its some 3 or so hours away. It was me, my brother and his family, Caitlyn's friend, Ruth's mom and younger sister, and we met up with my other brother, Andrew and his wife, Leigh. It was a great day, and after tons of fun in the sun and lots of water rides, we made the long drive home. Tuesday and Wednesday were just hang out days, going to gymnastics, swimming at the pool, eating ice cream at Coldstone...I had a fabulous time thanks to the wonderful Carruth's in Texas. I love y'all!