Lake Powell

A little impromptu Lake Powell trip always does the soul good right?
RIGHT.

I didn't end up taking many pics but I had so much fun! I made a lot of new friends and some great memories!

Pics of the canyons:







Indian ruins:


My swimsuit was still wet when I put my tank top back on and it looked a little awkward so I was trying to cover up..


And then Annette stepped in to help out haha


Thanks to my horrible Dominoes' skills I was supposed to eat a lizard. Luckily no one was able to catch one.. this guy was kinda cute tho.


It is so amazing how people lived like this!








Cliff jumping.


Look how sexy Jess is.. lol


Some of the guys were spear fishing and the guys up on top were leading them to the huge schools of fish that they could see below.


Funny story: One night we were all wound up and supposed to be going to bed. It was hard to relax when freakin Carlos Santana was playing a huge gig in the houseboat down from us. (No it wasn't really him :) just a huge party going on with a live band and a bunch of crazy drink people.)
Anyways- Kenny dared Max and Anton to go down the slide back into the lake, after we were all dry and piled in our massive pile of sleeping mats on top of the houseboat. Of course I objected to the dare because I really didnt want to sleep next to wet-stinky men that night. Weird I know. They ended up trying to throw me in-failing- and then when they were done with their little midnight swim they decided to make a Kaitlin Oreo and soaked my pajamas/sleeping bag/everything. Ugh I was so pissed.. so the next morning I woke them up with an ice cold shower. :D

And then I was thrown in over the side of the boat.
Nice.

Prepare for Vacation Pic Dump.. don't be jealous

okay.
so there are over 500 pictures of our Florida/Bahamas trip this past week in the Photobucket albums below. enjoy!

i didn't label any of them because that would take years but just some things to look for:

colton is physically incapable of smiling normally in a picture
sometimes i got bored in the car and would just start taking picture after picture after picture of pretty much nothing..
some activities we did:

Ft. Lauderdale Beach (Deerfield Beach)
Stayed at a piece of crap Ramada Inn
Palm Beach shopping and Sailfish Marina
Billie Swamp Safari in the Everglades
Drive-In Movie -The Other Guys
Kennedy Space Center
Cruise to Bahamas on 'Bahamas Celebration'
White sand beach on Lucaya Island Bahamas
Shopping
Butterfly World

Plus: Lots of flights and boredom in airports, wonderful food, cool animals,
sunburns, beached marine animals, etc.

:D

Florida/Bahamas 6

Florida/Bahamas 5

Florida/Bahamas 4

Florida/Bahamas 3

Florida/Bahamas 2

Florida/Bahamas 1

Make it work people!

So one of the things on my List of Things to Do Before I Die is to sew a dress.
There is NO WAY that I could handle a prom dress/wedding dress/anything with more than a couple yards of fabric, so I just made this little number. I didn't have a pattern, just kinda cut pieces out and tried to make them fit together somehow. It didn't turn out too bad! I mean its definitely not designer but hey, for a first timer I think I did okay!


Sorry this one is a little dark, I took these pictures in my sisters room. (She has slept in it twice MAYBE, and really it has just turned into my really big walk in closet :D)


This is not to show you a picture of my -ahem- chest, its just to show you the detail up top because it looked really hideous without a body to fill it in.


Maybe when I'm done with my Nursing, Cake Decorating, and Circus careers I will call Heidi and Tim up and take a shot at designing on Project Runway haha..

Okay I'm done being obnoxious for the moment.

G'night!

Insert Cheesy Vitamin C Song Here:

The beautiful flowers my mom got me :) I always feel so special when I get flowers... not that it happens often lol


Diploma!


Me and my mom :)


I have the best grandpa in the whole world. Seriously I dare you to even challenge me on that one.


Mom, Colt, Grandpa, Me, Carolyn


Oh look, he DOES know how to smile!



...and accessorizes so well?


Class of 2010!

"What do you want me to do, dress in drag and do the hula?"

A little blurry, sorry..


This MASSIVE elephant that came down one of the aisles, SO COOL.







I LOVED LION KING!
I got my mom tickets for her birthday back in April and have been looking forward to it since then. We had so much fun! I loved all of the costumes and the set... it was beautiful.


These guys were hilarious and sounded just like the ones from the cartoon.
(Shenzi, Banzi and Ed)


We almost hit Timone and Pumba on the way there, a little late guys?


Alas, they made it on time :)


This is the pic I pulled off the internet, and then after I uploaded my pics from my camera I realized that I took a pic of the exact same scene. Weird.


I felt so bad for these giraffes, I bet their heads hurt after holding up those heavy costumes all night!

I took a couple pics while we were there and I'll add those to the post later, but for now this is all you get.

Next years birthday present?
LES MIS!
(Shhh...Don't tell her!)

OMG I think I just....

passed my test and became an RN.

For real.
See look:

Details for KAITLIN ELIZABETH HALE

License Information

Name:	KAITLIN ELIZABETH HALE
City, State, Zip:	AMERICAN FORK, UT 84003
Profession:	NURSE
License Type:	REGISTERED NURSE
	UNDER INTERSTATE COMPACT
License Number:
Obtained By:	APPLICATION
License Status:	ACTIVE
Status Change Reason:	LICENSE ISSUANCE
Original Issue Date:	09/09/2010
Expiration Date:	01/31/2011
Disciplinary Action:	NONE
Docket Number:	N/A

I deleted my license number so no one would try to steal my license or something shady like that lol... but I promise its legit.

And I got an RN position on the Neuro-Trauma Rehab Floor at UVRMC!
REHAB ROCKS!

just some wonderful things that have arrived in the mail lately...

Integrity First- Service Before Self- Excellence in All We Do

There may be a slight change of plans...

Dear Body.

It's time we had a little talk.
You see, coming up here real soon you will be forced to endure many of these



insane amounts of these



and hours and hours of this



I understand that you and I have never quite gotten along when it comes to exercise because, honestly, you suck at it. You've never been muscular and toned, you've never been able to run long distances, and even when paired with a physical trainer (aka Satan), you did not cooperate. I have been filling you with vegetables and protein and all that is good and healthy for you and have been dragging your butt to the gym, but you need to step it up.

Really.

For your own sake.
And for the sake of this really cute swimsuit that I just bought you.



Thank you, that is all.
Love, Kaitlin

Just thinkin.

Just thinking lately about expectations and what they do for our future selves. Meaning, do expectations and the pressures that are placed on us by either outside forces or by our own selves somehow elevate us to a level unachievable by any other means? Or do these expectations somehow box us into a reality that, when we reach it, forces us to look back and regret so many decisions that we've made? Do we base our goals and dreams on what we should or should not eventually turn out like?

I worry about this a lot.

What if my choices aren't really mine at all? Am I happy with my insides, or do I focus on the image of me too much?

I suppose I must take a closer look at my insides:
What do I love? I mean TRULY love--
I love the explosion of joy felt in my soul when I feel that I've truly made a difference in someones life.
I love reaching a point in a friendship or relationship when all defenses are down and the raw emotions- hope, fear, love, disappointment- can be expressed, accepted, and explored.
I love hearing stories of triumph and strength. The human resolve is an incredible thing.
I love seeing an elderly couple holding hands in the grocery store, and I especially love sitting bedside to an ill patient and listening to their tearful partner recount stories from their life together.
I love the concept of creation. That somethings can be made out of nothing and that there really is no such thing as impossible.
I love proving myself wrong or surprising myself with a strength I didn't know I had.
I love words and poetry and books and eloquent speakers and inspirational quotes and riveting speeches.
I love earth, water, fire- the elements- and our world. Rain is something that will always make my stop and look heavenward. I have decided that this is God's way of getting my attention, perhaps the fact that it is raining an angry storm outside is the reason for my writing this.
I love beauty and grace and the strength of a woman. We truly are capable of amazing things and have an innate love for others.

I love so many other things, but those are a few that are speaking to me right now. So, do the things I'm doing or reaching for reflect the things that I love?

Maybe I'll dream about it tonight and receive a little divine inspiration to help me sort this all out. :)

I need a Champion?

Think the media alters the expectations we have of the opposite sex much?
That goes for both men and women.

No worries, I will still be the first one in line to see this movie,

I CAN'T WAIT!

*And I wouldn't mind a champion..