Life Without a Camera

My camera broke about a year ago and I have missed it a bunch! Since I like to take cool pictures and put them on my blog and let you see what I am talking about, I feel like my blogging abilities have been hindered considerably. For example, I learned how to make crab apple jelly and would love to show you the final product. It is a beautiful pinky-red jelly. My sister, Amber, and I have enjoyed ringing randome doorbells and asking strangers if we could pick their crab apples. They all agreed with gratitude and excitement for our apple picking and jelly making. We are actually making some more at this very moment and it is smelling so good! I'll work on getting a picture of it:)

I Ate This Animal

If you know anything about Wyoming, which I didn't before I lived here, it is that this is HUNT'N TERRITORY! This weekend opens the fall hunting season! I work with a gal whose husband partakes of this Wyoming tradition every year and in preparation for this year's kill I was given some meat. Most of it is elk burger, but I did get some elk and deer steaks as well. Since I am not too picky about what I eat, I was excited for this free food. Elk burger was the first thing I tried. So...ya, it reeks bad, but it cooks up good and is similar to beef when seasoned. This last week I tried the deer steak. It was tender, rich, and pretty good. All in all, I prefer cow, but elk and deer are not bad. Time to get out my neon orange hat:) Just kidding, I don't own one:)

So, ya I know it has been a while. So much has happened that I will just give a brief synopsis of what went down. My parents and I moved in with my brother and his family about two months ago. I was still working, and loving, my guitar apprenticeship and I was still applying for jobs. I ended up getting a job as a dental assistant in Laramie, Wyoming at the same place my sister Amber has been working at for the past two years. So...I packed the car and moved to Laramie, got my own place the first week, and started working right away. It took some getting used to, and a whole lot of missing my family, but I am finally feeling like this is home. Ever since I decided to come, everything has worked out better than I could have imagined for myself, and I see it a an answer to my prayers. For example: the builder I worked for gave me the first guitar I built, the tires I had to get to make the trip were on sale, sweet angels helped me out financially even though I initially refused, I was able to get my own place 5 days after I arrived...I am truly blessed!
Folks are real nice up here and have real pride for their state and the college here in town. I am enjoying my new ward too and have made some good friends. I still really miss my family in AZ and look forward to my visit at Christmas time.

Handsome as the Day is Long!

WELCOME TO THE WORLD LITTLE MAN!!! This is my new nephew GRANT STANLEY JACKSON. He is pretty much the cutest little guy ever and loves to hang out with his Auntie Annie.

Exploring the Tonto Wilderness

My parents, aunt Lana and I recently went on an overnight hike in the Superstition Mountains. I was amazed at the beauty that I beheld down in the canyon that was scarcely visited. We got lost three times due to distractions and a trail that was, at times, invisible. After descending down the canyon's edge, surviving the encounter of a gigantic millipede (which was not a threat at all because something ate it's back end), crossing the stream thrice and fighting our way through the fields of thistled trees (which would grab at our clothes and packs) and wandering tiredly through the mountain lion's grassy island (minus the mountain lion), and up to a peak within a valley, we arrived at a place suitable to camp. We enjoyed an evening by the campfire where we had MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat-military food packs) for dinner as well as roasted prickly pear (tasted like a mild roasted green chili pepper), hot cocoa, Snickers bars, and roasted marshmallows:) My aunt and I were tent buddies and did not fall asleep until 2-3am because we were so cold. The funny thing was that neither one of us was asleep, but we each thought each other was so we did not bother talking to each other for the first 5 hours in the tent! We awoke to a frost covered desert, a thriving fire (thanks to Ma), and the sound of birds awakening with the sun's rise. Ma and I took a bunch of photos around camp. We ate a good breakfast, cleaned up and traveled back to the Suburban. While I enjoyed myself thoroughly, I must admit that I am more of a day hiker because that pack thing is just painful! I am glad I went. We took the long way home passed Roosevelt Lake. We stopped at what we call the Star Wars Cafe (because of the kinds of people there) but it is really called the Butcher Hook (Mmmm appetizing). I do not recommend it unless you are really hungry.