Lately

Updates on the going ons around here

Memorial Day Weekend:
Cody's family thought that since we had a three-day weekend that it would be a good opportunity for them to come since BYU-Idaho and then we could all go to Yellowstone. Overall it was a very nice vacation... just a little stressful since I really needed that week to get some projects done and study for tests for the week after. I still utilized the in-the-car driving time to study and do some readings, because really I couldn't afford not to.
The first night they stayed in Rexburg where we went hot tubbing at their hotel. Then the next morning we took them on a tour of campus. It wasn't everything it could've been due to it being Memorial Day Weekend so Rexburg had turned into a ghost town and the student store was closed for the weekend. We still showed them all of the buildings we had our classes in and then we headed off to Yellowstone.
We got into West Yellowstone, checked into our hotel and then headed off for the day inside the park. Sadly enough it was rainy, cold and windy the whole weekend. We were blessed with breaks of sun whenever we would get out of the car to see something. Mostly we went to the hot springs and headed to Old Faithful with stops along the way.
Park Highlights:
-Upon entering the park we were stopped for about 20 minutes in a long train of cars that weren't moving. People were saying there were buffalo just standing in the middle of the road not moving. When we started going again and passed the buffalo, turns out one had given birth in the middle of the road. The little new pitiful thing was too cute. We couldn't get a picture of it thanks to "move along" ranger. But there was a whole tiny herd of mother and baby buffalo all matted and damp from the rain.

-Cody's mom was determined to see a bear. The whole time we were all on bear patrol and were to alert her in case we saw one. This resulted in us stopping and walking back from the car about 40 feet to look on an island where she saw two bears. The bears were stumps. And then while us girls were sitting in the car waiting for Cody and his dad to see more hot springs Julie started screaming she saw one in a tree... but this bear was in fact a raven (a monster sized one at that).
-I saw a wolf!! Cody's dad spotted it driving by so we pulled over and got his really nice binoculars out so we could see him better. And there he was just romping around the river sticking his paws into dirt holes. It was kind of magical seeing a wild wolf just out and about. (This was my favorite part)

It got a little steamy..

Too bad the smell doesn't translate into pictures

For dinner we went to Wild West Pizza, apparently a popular pizzeria, not over the top cheesy western themed (not going to lie I was a little worried). Then back to the hotel for the night.
Sunday we went to the park again to see the side we hadn't been to, looked at some painted pots, bubbling mud holes and more animals, then headed back to Rexburg. Cody's family was quite disappointed that no where in town was open for dinner (remember it's Sunday). We ended up eating at jack in the box and was reminded why I never eat there. But later felt stupid when we remembered Apple Bee's was open. Then more hot tubbing, which really might've been the highlights of my weekend.
It was nice of them to brave the 12 hour drive to come down, but I think Cody's mom really missed him. Julie really enjoyed seeing the place where Cody goes to school and overall approved of the place (good thing she didn't come in the winter, but saw it in it's pretty spring state).

My mommy sent me a care package that the Uskoski's delivered to me. Included were two potatoes and some potato rifles. Best toy ever. We just went outside my apartment and just went at it. People would walk by with either giant smiles or really confused looks. One girl asked if we were shooting potatoes at each other, which when we said yeah she just started cracking up saying "only in Idaho...haha". I ended up with potato bits all over my shirt and hair (don't wear black to a potato fight). But we're thinking of buying some more potatoes and making this a new hobby. :) only in Idaho.


Midterms are OVER!! I can't believe I'm past the half-way mark of my semester. It is quite bittersweet. I'm glad to have some projects behind me, knowing there is only a few left. But I really love my classes and the opportunities each of them give me. This is the last time I'll really be getting this kind of instruction from this caliber of teachers. I'm glad I'm almost done (believe me, I need a vacation), but I'm not glad I'm almost done. I'm definitely going to miss my roommates and just the college setting. This is the time of life that everybody says "enjoy, because this is the only time you'll get to do this". While I am enjoying it and it's going to be very hard to grow up and move on to other things.

Cody, his roommates Shane and Dan and me are all playing on a RecSports Soccer team. I really didn't think I was going to play sports this semester but I'm glad I chanced upon this team. It has been really fun. I haven't played soccer since high school and it feels good to be out there again. I thought I might've forgotten everything but it always amazes me at how much my body can remember. Cody and Shane are amazing forwards and players so it's really fun to watch them just go in and tear it up. I don't think I could've handled being in the hype of the World Cup and not being able to play, so I'm really glad I get to get all this pent up soccer energy out of my system. We've won 2 games and lost 1 (the last win coming down to a PK shoot out, with Cody scoring the last winning shot).

Really right now I'm just getting more and more excited about meeting my niece. It is killing me being so far away from it now that it's getting down to D-Day (or would it be b-day....).

Just forty more days until home.