Owl City, Snowy Hikes, and Sunrises

I don't know how I forgot to mention that Scott and I went to an Owl City concert the week before Lake Powell! I found out that they were coming to Utah several months ago and as soon as I knew that I would be in town the day of the concert I bought tickets for Scott and I to go!

The concert was so great! It was a hot day and we were surrounded by many people, but we had a great time! Mat Kearney even opened for Owl City! He was a great singer and performer! Then Owl City was great! This was my third time seeing Owl City in concert, but my first time with Scott! :D Then afterwards we got slurpees together - a concert tradition that Scott shared with me :) It was an amazing night!

So, I would consider myself a pretty adventurous girl. I am pretty much open for anything - but at the same time I can tend to be a bit lazy... Scott has helped me to get out in the world and enjoy beautiful nature with healthy physical activity, haha. I previously blogged about hiking Stewart Falls but since then we have been on several more hikes.

On July 25th Scott didn't have any classes for Pioneer Day Weekend so we took advantage of the day off to take a hike up at Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort. I had never been up there before - it was so beautiful up the canyon! The hike was a bit intense at parts, and I felt like my legs were still a bit tired from my previous week at Lake Powell. So we took many breaks and enjoyed the scenery. And Scott was the camera man for the day again.

There were several parts of the trail that were still covered in several feet of snow. In JULY! Craziness... But we made it all the way to the top of the mountain at Hidden Peak. It was difficult, but very rewarding! We got to the top right before a tram tour did and so we rested and then were able to catch a ride back down on the tram which we were VERY grateful for! Going UP the mountain is what really counts, right? :)

Then that Friday my roommate Ashley and her Fiance Mark were flying to New Jersey to spend time with his family before their wedding on August 13th. So Scott went with me to drive them to the airport at 4:30 am to catch their flight. On our way back we decided to make the most of our time up in Salt Lake so early and take a hike to see the sun rise. We went back up the canyon and drove past Snowbird and Alta resorts and took a gorgeous little hike to Cecret/Secret Lake.

The hike had a little snow like Snowbird did, as well as some rocky portions, but we made it easily and got to the lake just a little before the sun rose over the mountains. It was beautiful! We took lots of pictures and enjoyed the gorgeous mountain morning before hiking back to the car and getting Scott back to Provo for class. And then we each took 3 hour naps while the other was at work. Sleep is great - but only when there's nothing else better to do :)

July 23rd / Our Engagement Story

I left Lake Powell on Saturday morning and was so excited to get back to Provo! I made super good time driving and got back in just over 5 hours :) I had been talking to Scott about whether I should go straight to his apartment or to mine first and then compromised by making a quick trip home to freshen up a bit and then he would come over. I was so excited to see him that I didn't want to waste any time apart!

He came and picked me up not much later and we got In-N-Out together. I asked him what he wanted to do that night and Scott said he was sorry that he didn't make any fun plans but suggested watching a movie. I didn't care what we did, I was just happy to be back with him! So we went back to my apartment and watched the classic - Napoleon Dynamite! It was hilarious, as always.

When it was dark Scott asked me if I wanted to go over to his apartment to pick up the bag his grandma made for me and the friendship bracelet that he had made for me. I excitedly agreed and so we drove off towards his apartment... but then he did not turn into his complex. I was confused and asked him if we were going to his apartment and he told me that we were going to make a detour first. I had a few suspicions at this point, but I wasn't sure...

So we drove over to Kiwanis Park and saw tons of people lighting little fireworks and playing frisbee. Scott told me that he found something that he wanted to show me so we parked the car and made our way to the middle of the field. As we stood there though, a group of people came right next to us to set up some large aerial fireworks and so we wandered off to find another spot by ourselves.

Scott was holding a bag that I couldn't tell what was inside and he pulled out his phone. He started playing a song from his phone which I immediately recognized as I See the Light from my favorite movie Tangled! He had re-recorded it himself and changed the words- it is the most amazing thing ever! As the song was playing he pulled something out of the bag and after opening it up I realized it was a floating lantern!! I got SUPER excited! I had told Scott before how I really wanted to see a real floating lantern and he had found one for me!

We both had to work hard to get it floating, but we eventually figured it out! [Cause what's gonna work? TEAMWORK!] <-- haha I even said that out loud that night :) Once it was floating in the air Scott told me to make a wish and to close my eyes. When he told me that I could open my eyes he was kneeling down in front of me and he asked me to marry him! I said YES and then gave him a huge hug and a few kisses. He then pulled out the ring and placed it on my finger and it felt so surreal! I had just driven back from Lake Powell a few hours earlier and now I was engaged!!!

We then sent off another floating lantern that Scott had and as we watched the second one float away people all around us started setting off their huge fireworks. It was absolute perfect timing! I didn't know whether to look at the lantern, Scott, the fireworks, or my ring! It was all so incredible! :D The rest of the night was spend in a daze of pure happiness as Scott and I walked around the park and then began to share the wonderful news with friends and family.

So now I am the luckiest and happiest girl in the world - and that happiness will somehow increase when I marry Scott Whitlock on December 17th in the Los Angeles Temple!!!

July 2011 was my favorite month ever- - so far :)

July was a month full of adventures and fun trips! And I will finally update about them all :)

Fourth of July Weekend Scott and I drove down to visit my family and spend some time in the California sun! We left Friday afternoon and rolled into Palmdale around 9:30. We had fun relaxing and hanging out with my family for the night.
Then on Saturday we met up with some of my extended family at a favorite restaurant of ours - Bear Pit! We then continued on to the beach where the weather was perfect.
Sunday we went to church with my family and then enjoyed dinner, games, and fireworks at my mom's house with my siblings. I love spending time with my nieces and nephews!
Monday we got all our stuff together, enjoyed some time at a BBQ at my dad's house, and then had to drive back to Utah. It was a quick trip, but it felt long as we made the most of all our time and had a blast!

The next weekend was the Harry Potter Marathon at Scott's aunt's house up in Salt Lake. We had a ton of fun there watching all the movies and even did a little Potter Trivia. Scott was not aware just how much I knew about Harry Potter, but now he knows! haha
The marathon had a break so that we could attended the homecoming for Scott's mission president. I loved meeting so many of the missionaries that I had heard stories about for so long! Many came up to us and asked "Is this the famous Holly?!" Apparently writing a letter a week can make a person famous! :) We had a great time there as Scott was able to catch up with old friends and companions and I was able to meet them in person.

The next weekend I drove to Page, AZ where I met up with family from California, Texas, and Idaho for a week on a houseboat at Lake Powell. This is my absolute favorite vacation! We get to wakeboard, wake surf, tube, play cards, eat delicious food, read, hang out with family, and enjoy the beautiful scenery. I was super excited for Powell, but at the same time I was sad to leave Scott behind. I enjoyed my time there, but I was ready to come home at the end of the week!

I drove back from Powell on Saturday July 23rd and that day was so amazing that it is going to deserve its very own post... :D