Water Park and Film Festival

On Friday, Joshua and I went with people from my work to Seven Peaks Water park. It's been so long since, I have been to a water park and it was the first time I have ever gone and played at one with Joshua. It was so nice to be with him again.

Then on Saturday, we went to the Salt Lake Film festival where one of my friends from Aspiro had a film showing. It was a great documentary called "In Pursuit of Panama". We had so much fun with those who were there that we knew from Aspiro as well. I really have met some wonderful, quality people through Aspiro.

Sky Diving

On Thursday, Joshua and 3 of the guides I work with, Nic Hoggan, Ben Wampler, and Teancum Bryant went to sky dive. I was going to jump but then chickened out. Instead, I went along, went through all of the training and took pictures. I like being the cheerleader. In the end, it was too windy up top so we had to come back the next day. They had fun. The only time I felt sheepish for not jumping was after the boys had jumped, a woman who was turning 80 that day jumped. But other than that I do not regret my choice. Here are the pictures and video of Nic's landing.








It was really funny to watch Ben practice because he is 6' 10" and well...the door is not.










Ben, Teancum, Me, Joshua, and Nic








All ready to go!









Loading up!









Off we go into the wild blue yonder.








Joshua coming down to earth.







Teancum after landing. Poor thing was sick to his stomach afterward.








Ben after his landing with his instructor.








Nic laughing and in awe at his landing.








Joshua just as calm and cool as can be after he lands.










Me and my brave man!





Nic and Joshua after its all over.


This is Nic coming in for a landing

Pictures From Coyote Gulch Trip

This is one of my co-guides Ben Wampler - He is 6' 10''
This is Escalante as the moon was rising - our car had broken down about 10 miles from the Coyote Gulch Trailhead - so we decided to hike there. In the end, we made it about 2 miles and our EM came and picked us up.




This is the what it looks like up at the Coyote Gulch area (the 4 pictures above). Very dry. On the first day I got a bad sunburn on my neck so I wore my red shirt like a shawl for the week.



These 2 pictures show what we had to weave, walk, climb, and slide down to get to the bottom of the canyon


These 2 picures show what it looks like in the canyon - a little different from up top. The picture above is me at Jacob Hamblin's Arch.Down in the gulch we were able to drink water from natural springs. It was cold and delicious!



The canyon walls were tall and up top it was hot and down in the canyon it was so much cooler.
This is me when I finally made it up the final hill (its a 1/2 mile sand hill that rises from the canyon floor to the top. In the back is Steven's Arch.
I took this picture from the top of the canyon after we hiked out. We came up from the bottom.






These 7 pictures are the views from the top of the sandhill. The place we were at is called Crack in the Wall.
This is Crack in the Wall. It is the final place you have to go through to get on top of the canyon. It is a crack in the canyon wall that you walk up and then have to climb up. For those who are claustrophobic, there is another place that you can walk on to get up to the top.

Last Week at Aspiro

I finished up my last week of my internship as a trailguide. It was sad to realize on Wednesday that in the last 23 days, I had been gone on trail for 20 of them. They had asked if I wanted to stay on for 5 more day. I told them the money would be nice but I would not be able to because most importantly, I have a marriage to take care of. I am sad to leave so many wonderful people that I work with and students, and fun adventures but I am more excited to see my hubby. I know that we can be together forever, but now is the time to be enjoying that too.

During this last week there were many trials with the students and also the vehicle we were driving. It was to say the least, chaotic and not my favorite. But I learned so much about the human need to be feed, played with, laugh, listened to and understood. My patience and ingenuity was tested in new ways. I am glad for the things that I learned.

Our itinerary took us to Coyote Gulch, Escalante, Utah. It was a 14 mile-ish backpacking trip. They had to do it in 2 days instead of 3 because so many of them refused to hike (one after another) which lasted all day long. Here are pictures of our trip.

I found this video that Randy Davis (a fellow efy counselor) and I had made together. This was the EFY dance of the year. Earlier that summer, I had danced this dance in a waterfountain at the Gateway Mall in Salt Lake, UT with 3 other efy counselors. This was at the end of the summer and Randy wanted to dance it too in a water fountain too. So, we found one in AZ.

Places Traveled & Lessons Taught with Aspiro

Family Workshop

On Wednesday night I finished my week on trail, went home, ate sushi with my love, and then the next day went to work at the pool then jumped in the car and drove to St. George, Utah. (This picture is of Snow Canyon one of the places I camped and were the Lava Tubes are). I wanted to go to the family workshop that Aspiro puts on once a month. This is a time were the students who are been in the program for at least 4 weeks are able to see there parents again for a weekend conference/workshop. At it, there are trust building and communication strengthening games, as well as the Arbinger Institutes seminar, "The Choice". The books Leadership and Self-deception and The Anatomy of Peace are published by the Arbinger Institute and books we study at Aspiro and VP. This all happens on the first day and the second day we take them all out for rock climbing and rapelling in Crawdad Canyon.

So I went down to help. While there I spent time working with the Aspiro Boys group, Aspiro Girls group, the Vantage Point group (the group I usually work with) and Kiaros (our adult program). Surprise, that is all of the groups. It worked out so well to have me there to be bounced around to the areas I was needed at.



On Saturday after helping get ready for climbing and rapelling for the adults family workshop (the teen and adult program workshops are on different days), I was called to go work with the boys group. After meeting up with them, I took them swimming at Bakers Resivor and then we went spulunking in the Lava Tubes (caving). The Lava Tubes are so cool! Literally! It was 105 outside but in the tubes it was about 60 degrees! I had tons of fun working with all of the groups and meet the families of those I have been working with. I love that at Aspiro, they do not believe in just working with the client but rather that it is a family affair and they all need to do some changing in order for the best and most impacting results to come about.


This is Chase, my co-guide when I went to work with the boys group and take them caving.












Before heading home on Saturday, I decided to go see the St. George temple. I have only driven past it twice but studied it in a Temples class I took last fall. There was such a sweet feeling



there. It is an amazing building in which I see the faith, dedication and love of a people who had left there homes, traveled across the country and still held strong to their religious beliefs and convictions.