Sunday Funday

So, hi guys!

How's about an update?

Back in May, I had my dance recital and it was SO cute and FUN and perfect.  What a great way to end a great year of learning and growth and cutie pies.  Believe it when I say that I don't have a single picture or video clip from that day.  I was too busy running that show, and all the people that promised to give me pictures of the day or send me video have not. Jerks.  So, sorry.  I promise, it happened in real life.

My first year of business was a blessed one.  I learned a lot. The end. 

Florida is incredible.  I love LOVE love living here.  I mean, Richmond VA is amazing, and I loved living there and it will forever hold an enormous place in my heart, but Fla? Tis' another place for me to call home. 

Tallahassee continues to grow on me.  I'll admit, at first I wasn't so sure about this college town, but the more I live here, and especially now that I'm living in a new part of town, I couldn't be happier (unless I had a beach house in St. Petersburg)

Which brings me to my next point, I drive down to Tampa and St. Petersburg every chance I get.  It's about 4 hours away, but worth the drive.  I WISH that it was in the cards for me to live down there, but for now, it simply is not.  But suffice it to say Tampa Bay area was built for a girl like me.  Love the people, love the restaurants, love the activity, love the weather, love the area. Love, love, love, love love.

So, hey, guess what? I'm training for a marathon! I decided it's time.  It's been an item on my "Bucket List" for years and now I'm serious about it.

Some good movies I've seen lately include: Jane Eyre, and Midnight at Paris and Secretariat.  All of them some of the best I've ever seen.  For those of you with kiddos, Secretariat is a true story about a rad horse that makes you want to cry when you watch him run in the races. I was literally cheering out loud for him and tearing up.  Man, I don't know what it is about boxing movies and animal movies, but I lose it every time.

Good books- the Book of Mormon, Anna Karenina, Jane Eyre, As a Man Thinketh, How to Win Friends and Influence People, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and Attached.

These aren't books you've never heard of, but I'm currently reading all of them.  And they're all superb. Oh actually, you might not have heard about Attached.  It's a book about the 3 attachment styles of love, written by a couple of doctors.  If you're in love and have some problems understanding your mate, or wish you were in love read it.  It's the newest research.  An LDS psychologist recommended it to me (he's my home teacher. No, I'm not in therapy....although I should be, and sort of am already getting free sessions....) Anywho, girls, read the book, it's pretty brill.

Yesterday, a girlfriend of mine and I went on a an adventure and it was AWEsome.  Tallahassee is about 30 minutes from a river that comes from a Spring called Wakulla.  It's so clean and clear you could literally drink it as you swim in it, and it's the most refreshing temperature.  (last week I was at the beach and the water was so warm, believe that I was disappointed... it was just too warm! haha Has that ever been a complaint in Idaho??)

Yes there are alligators in the water, and yes, I swam in it.  Here's the thing, I know what you're thinking.  The alligators are going to get me!  No.  Alligators are present, but during the day they're either on the banks or back far in the trees.  They're cold blooded, so they sun during the day, hunt during the night.  Furthermore, they're non aggressive, unlike crocodiles.  They are afraid of humans and leave whenever you come near.  AND what's more, is the water is so clear you could see it coming if you got a half retarded one that thought it was night and you were a bird.

Here are come picts of the day.  I'm pretty sure that tomorrow I'm going to do the exact same thing I did yesterday.

Look a manatee! Neat-o!

 That thing on it's fin is a tracking device.

 Taking a breather, right by my kayak.

 Look over yonder! A creeeeature!

 So, it's like a felony to touch the manatees.  So I can't really say, but they may or may not have felt rough with hair, like an elephant.

 Here I am randomly taking picts and this guy happened to be cruising passed us and didn't mind smiling for the camera! haha! cute adventure boy.

 Sharing some grub

 Um. Don't look at my dorky expression, note the manatees in the back making my life awesome.

 Obviously we didn't swim in this part of the river.  See the baby alligator in the vegetation!

Beauties.

 The dark part of the water is the sea weed.  I hate sea weed! Bah! You never know what sort of creatures are hiding in there!  At one point during our adventure we came across some people shucking scallops and they saw we were (such geeks) sharing one pathetic and old pair of goggles, so they offered to let us borrow their masks and snorkels.  We gladly accepted and swam around and to the bottom of the river searching for Seminole artifacts.  Didn't find anything... oh well! It was amazing!

 This is me in my element, being nothing but pure awesome.  Can you see the 2 little girls standing on the platform next to me?  They were so funny! So I'm up there preparing to jump, and wondering if the water is too shallow here and 1 of the girls speaks up and is like "oh no, it's not too shallow, if you jump like this and then pull your feet up like this, you won't even touch the bottom or the sea weed, and so I'm like, ok sure, and run and take a jump.  When I climb back up there, the girls are hesitating to jump, so I ask them what they're doing.  They laugh and admit it was their first time jumping and were a little scared! haha!!! They tricked me!

 This is one of my favorite pictures taken of me of all time.  It's just so awkward and hilarious.  I'm like... "wait, hold on, hold on, let me hold my nose.  I got this."

Gator! This lil dude was the only guy I saw all day, (he's the same gator in the other pic)  Isn't he precious!

Happy Fourth of July tomorrow! Yay America! Yay freedom!