Day 13

A picture of your favorite band or artist.


I don't know if I really have a favorite band or artist. Like food, I like many kinds of different "flavors," depending on my mood & situation. Lately I've been doing a lot of nice easy jogs and housecleaning, which call for fun, upbeat tunes with meaningful lyrics. The top songs on my playlist at the moment include "The Ballad of Love and Hate" and "January Wedding" by The Avett Brothers. Their music is described in their biography as "a rootsy amalgam of folk, country, bluegrass, rock and pop – even a jab of punk-style dynamics here and there."

Whatever that means. I just know that I enjoy the real-ness of their voices (so many performers sound like they're just putting on a show, forcing it, not singing from inside out- but their imperfect voices bring out their humanity and add such depth to their music) and the thoughtful well-written lyrics. I enjoy getting caught up in a story and singing along :D

(And you've got to admit- at least if you're a girl- that they're rather attractive in this picture ;)

Day 12

A picture of something you love.


Yup, I love food. Cooking food, trying new foods, experimenting with recipes, arranging colorful & tasty meals, being creative with leftovers, sharing food with other people, and most of all eating food! Especially fresh fruits & veggies and hearty grains like brown rice or quinoa. The above picture is a tasty lunch from a few weeks ago: braised kale with sesame seeds, steamed short-grain brown rice, red grapes, and tacos filled with buttercrisp lettuce, refried beans, corn, salsa, spinach, and garden burger crumbles. Mmmmm!

New favorite tastes: Thai peanut sauce, pesto, curry, falafel. Growing up I was a bit turned off by such strong and unfamiliar flavors, but I have since grown to really love them. It helps that I recently gave up most meat, cheese, egg and dairy products and began exploring all kinds of other food options. I've even started enjoying mushrooms!

If I had to live off of just one "ethnicity" of food, it would be Mexican food. I grew up eating tamales, Spanish rice, corn and beans, tortilla soup, and chips & salsa thanks to my mom's Arizona childhood, and I love them!

Grossest thing I've ever eaten: fish sauce (I lost a dare. Shudder. Closest I've come to throwing up besides jumping out of a plane at 10,000 feet. )

Tastiest thing I've ever eaten: oh man, that's a hard one. I've had some really really good curries and pilafs and even casseroles in my day. Veggie fajitas are among my favorite foods. I've always been a sucker for soups & salads, and pasta makes a hearty base for all kinds of tasty dishes. It doesn't get much better than garden-fresh fruits and vegetables. And let's not even get started on desserts... ;)

But for all the adventuring and trying new things and enjoying bold tastes, I have to admit that tonight I just had PB&J on a pita and an apple for dinner. Sometimes I go hiking instead of cooking an actual meal:P

Day 11

A picture of something you hate



Don't roll your eyes just yet: although it's frustrating to rake out endless social trails, it's not people stepping in crypto that I hate. ;)

I really don't hate a lot of things- hate is such a strong word. But I do strongly dislike people disregarding beauty or innocence or natural things. I also don't like when people do damaging things out of ignorance. I can't get mad at the people at those times, though. Even those with good intentions and good hearts can hurt things just because they don't know how fragile it all really is and what is really going on in the background.

In this day and age I feel like we are distanced from so many things, sheltered from reality by quick trips to a well-stocked market and a fix-it pill. We just don't see the consequences of a lot of our choices and actions. It's hard to know what is truth and what is advertising. This leads us to support practices that might actually cause harm in the long run, harm to our personal health and the health of our societies, our global community and our environments. No, we don't mean to. But this ignorance isn't bliss, it's just blindness. I guess you could say that I hate the quick-fix mindset, the short-sightedness that comes along when you add greed, money, waste and power to narrow minds.
And I hate the helplessness of those who are on the other end of the deal, who know exactly what is going on but feel nearly powerless to fight it. Getting stuck in a rut is worse than stepping in crypto any day :P

Day 10

A picture of the person you do the most adventurous things with.


This one was a no-brainer. Who do I do the most crazy, spontaneous, HILARIOUS, cute and/or memorable things with? Chris Andrew!
Here are just a few of the many adventures we've have had together (not particularly in order):

Prom, talent show skit, river trips, gutter rafting, lots of hiking, first kiss (for us both :), backpacking, slot canyons, rainy camping, skydiving, fancy dinner in a trailer, sledding, butterflies, crazy family events, Halloween, making lemon bars at 2 in the morning, pranks & practical jokes, that first hug when he got out of the hospital after two weeks of uncertainty, rafting down the gutters, Christmas Eve canyoneering, cheesy stuff, half marathon, chalk-tagging, ice cream and wisdom teeth, snowshoeing, weekend visits while I was up at BYU, midnight snacks at Denny's or the Diner, chocolates & frogs, late night conversations, climbing through windows, mountain biking, knee boarding, babysitting, slacklining, Sunday breakfasts, road trips, climbing, inside jokes, long phone calls, tar-line-tag, moonlit walks, and a summer fling that turned into the best two years of my life (that's right- two years next month!).
Yup. I've got a pretty awesome boyfriend.

And as cheesy as it may sound, I've discovered that love really is quite the adventure even by itself :)

Day 9

A picture of the person who's gotten you through the most.



This one is a no-brainer. Where would I be without my Savior?
This post is timely, especially appropriate to think about during Easter when we celebrate His Resurrection. Not only did Christ suffer for all of our sins, feel all of our pains, endure all of our grief, he also gave His life and took it up again so that we might live with Him forever. I have definitely felt His guiding and reassuring influence in my life. Following His commandments has saved me from a lot of grief, and turning to Him in tough times has carried me through. Yup, it's all about love, and I am grateful :)
I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me... It is wonderful to me <3

Day 8

A picture that makes you laugh.


Violet loves cameras, and she always makes the funniest squinty-eyed crazy face. This one gets me every time! I nearly made a scene in the museum where this was taken because I just couldn't stop laughing. What a cute little goof :)

Day 7

A picture of your most treasured possession.

This one was really hard. I kept thinking, “What would I save if my house burned down?” That just stacked up the obvious valuables: computer, phone, camera, etc.
As far as treasured goes, I then thought, “What do I always have with me? What would be irreplaceable? What would I never want to lose?” I looked on the bed beside me and noticed three things that have been there for years, things I use nearly every night. Simple things: the turquoise quadruple combination scriptures I got when I was baptized, a wrinkled & torn copy of my Patriarchal blessing (I accidentally dropped it in the river once!), and my journal. They help me sort through my thoughts and stay on track, keeping me close to Heavenly Father and aimed toward my eternal goals. That’s why I treasure them.

(I can't find my camera at the moment, otherwise I really would have a picture here. Does this still count as the "picture of the day"? Well... just use your imagination & it does :)

Day 6

A picture of someone you'd like to trade places with for a day

I can't think of anyone famous or nearby that I would honestly like to be for a day. However, I would really like to get to know a totally different culture from the inside. Through visiting, studying, reading books, and talking with people you get to scratch the surface and learn from the slant of your own cultural background, but through truly being another person, you would automatically understand the language and customs and how things came to be accepted as they are. I would like to see the world through completely different eyes so I can have a broader perspective and a more understanding heart. That would be the ultimate total immersion experience. :)

Day 5

A picture of your favorite memory.

Wowzers, this one is nearly impossible: how am I supposed to narrow it down to just one memory? I decided to just find two pictures that give a general feeling of my favorite times, way back in the day and more recently.

Basically, most of my favorite memories involve being outside and having adventures with friends and family who mean a lot to me. I remember car camping in the LaSals way back when there were just three of us Hazletts and exploring arroyos before curling up on Grandma's lap to look at the stars. Then the Era of the Pop-up Camper, then the motorhome and cross-country travel. Girls' camp, snipe hunting, discovering hidden and unnamed canyons around Moab. Climbing mountains, each one "the hardest thing I've ever done!" (at least it felt so at the time ;). Lots of hikes and trips to the swimming hole, camping beside the river. Exploring new places like the Nauvoo groves, catching fireflies in Eastern woods at night. Even in New York, standing on a rooftop watching the snow fall in an orange glow. Sledding and climbing and escaping the summer heat in the LaSal Mountains. Lots of river trips with friends, inside jokes and grit and wind and riding the waves. Long days and tired legs and spectacular sunsets. INHUT - the spring term I spent backpacking & driving & canoeing all over Utah getting to know the people, places and history of this vast state. School trips to National Parks, and now living in one of the most remote and beautiful places in the world.



One of these pictures is my little cousin snuggled up in her sleeping bag at Hittle Bottom. The other is Sheena, Chris, Cody & me about to begin an overnight ducky adventure from the Portal to Gold Bar.

I think there's a special closeness you develop with people and with God when you're outside. Conversations are more open and relaxed, stress and distractions are lower, and you feel really alive. You get back down to the simple things and realize that relationships and wholesome dose of fresh air really are the stuff of life :D

Day 4

A picture of your night


Tonight we had the final races of the Needles 500. We've been practicing and qualifying all week. I was surprised at how fun & addictive it was. Tonight I didn't do so well in my first few races, but then I got to fill in for Dorita since she was still working. Suddenly, my times were so much better! I think it's because I didn't have the competitive urge to win as much since I'd already given up on my car. I was a lot more cautious with Dorita's, which turned out to be the key to racing well because crashes take up a lot of time. Slow & steady really does win the race! (but it helps to be fast, too!)

We decided to become team "Ivorita" when Dorita finally showed up halfway through the last qualifier. I made it to the final race, 200 laps (about 40 minutes), and when Stephen finished his 200th lap, the rest of us finished 173 (Team Ivorita), 172 (Steve) and 171 (Cindy- I think, but maybe it's the other way around... i dunno.). Soooo close! I was pretty surprised- Second place! Usually I'm hopeless if it has to do with cars or sports or competition. I won a shiny new car in a blue egg, which you can see in the picture. Beginners' luck, I guess. :)

And who says it's boring to live out in the middle of nowhere, an hour from the nearest grocery store, with fewer than two dozen people who average twice your age? Naw, these guys still play with toy cars. They're all right in my book ;)

Day 3

Day 3: A picture of the cast from your favorite show.

Now this is a hard one, since I don't really watch T.V. all that often and I can hardly name any celebrities, let alone which parts they've played. I do see a lot of good animated shows, though. Maybe I'll just list a few of my recent favorites:

How To Train Your Dragon
The Incredibles
Slumdog Millionaire
Wall-E
Ratatouille
Prince Caspian
Megamind
Baptists At Our Barbecue
Tangled

Day 2

A picture of you and a friend you have been close to the longest.

I remember when Kandace moved into the yellow house near my neighborhood, before we even started preschool. Playdates, ice cream after school, "City Girl & Country Girl" games, sleepovers, cheerleading, Track & Field, new songs & long conversations in the car after practice, Young Women events, family activities, lunch dates, late night Facebook chats, so many good times! And even though we attend college hours & hours apart, we still keep in touch. Thanks for everything, Kandace! :D

30 Day Photo Challenge

Alrighty, it has recently been suggested that I put up another post. I agree, I am a slacker sometimes. :P

And in order to help me get used to posting more, I'm giving in to the fad & doing the whole "30 Day Photo Challenge" thing. It may take a bit more than 30 days... but I'll get to the end eventually. Here goes!


Day 01 - A picture of yourself with fifteen facts
Day 02 - A picture of you and a friend you have been closest to the longest
Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show
Day 04 - A picture of your night
Day 05 - A picture of a favorite memory
Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day
Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item
Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh
Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most
Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most adventurous things with
Day 11 - A picture of something you hate
Day 12 - A picture of something you love
Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist
Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without
Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die
Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you
Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently
Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity
Day 19 - A picture of something you never leave home without
Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel
Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget
Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at
Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book
Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change
Day 25 - A picture of your day
Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you
Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member
Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of
Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile
Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss

1. First, the basics: I'm the oldest of seven children and I have an awesome family and the best hometown ever, Moab. I’m studying Conservation Biology and Spanish at BYU, where I try to fit in as many fitness, music, and English classes as I can. No, I don’t know what to do with the rest of my life. I’m currently doing an internship with the National Park Service to check out that option, but there are just so many choices…

2. I once broke my arm falling off of a ball I was trying to stand on. Later, I broke my arm falling off of a trampoline. Apparently gymnastics is not my thing. ;)

3. The first song I sang in public (not church) was “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” when I was seven. I think the first solo song I sang in front of a crowd in Church was “The Nativity Song” when I was four… or maybe it was “I Am a Child of God.”

4. I shop for clothing almost exclusively at thrift stores, but when it comes to some things I like to have quality stuff that will last a while (so my new down sleeping bag probably cost more than my entire wardrobe ;).

5. I have never pierced my ears or dyed my hair, but I have had braces.

6. People tailgating me in the car is one of my biggest pet peeves. (I don’t want them to run me over in my little car!) Now that I’ve said that, I know I’ve probably set myself up for some teasing, car-style… lol

7. I really love cold cereal. Not with milk- I don’t really like milk- but dry. However, I’ve been known to eat an entire box in one day, so maybe I shouldn’t buy cereal anymore…It’s just too good! It goes right along with cookie dough, chips & salsa, and a few other foods that I just can't walk away from...

8. Both my eardrums have ruptured at least once.

9. I would hesitate to call myself a full-blown writer, climber, vegetarian, photographer, reader, gardener, runner, musician, rafter or cook because I don’t define myself by one label or the other. Rather, they are things that I’ve tried on (or been born into) and liked how they fit. They’re pieces that add color and depth to my identity as a daughter of God- that’s who I really am. :D

10. I would love to be more of a morning person instead of a night owl because early morning is my favorite time of day, especially when I’m the only one awake and it’s all mine.

11. Even when I was a cheerleader, I didn’t have a lot of interest in watching sports. Or makeup. Or pink.

12. I cannot snap my fingers. Four-year-old children who can do it like to tease me. lol

13. I enjoy taking pictures and going through the 13,000+ photos on my computer that remind me of good times and good friends.

14. I keep lots of frozen vegetables (red bell peppers, green spinach/peas/broccoli, yellow corn, orange carrots) in my freezer so I can add color, texture and flavor to boring dishes. You’d be amazed how many things you can sneak spinach into and have it be delicious.

15. I love taking laundry out of the dryer because it’s warm, soft, clean and smells wonderful. I also like the smell of clothes saturated with day-old juniper smoke because it reminds me of camping and being outside.