Havasupai!!

I said I would put pictures up of Havasupai. I said we were going to camp on Friday night and then hike Saturday but the camping part didn't happen. I went with a friend I've known since I've moved up here, Chris, and his brothers and then two other lady friends he has. I had met them a couple times before and they were really nice. So his older brother lives in Prescott, AZ and he's the one that was going to be driving us but he couldn't come up to Flagstaff so we drove down to Prescott on Friday night. They were going to pull an all-nighter but luckily we did go to bed and slept for like 2 hours and then woke up and drove to Havasupai. We started hiking at 5:30 AM and it was a little chilly. It was 11 miles to the 3rd waterfall and then we had to hike all of that back. And the last waterfall we basically had to rock climb down to get to the pools at the bottom of the waterfall. It was pretty intense and a little scary at times. By the time we got back to our car after hiking uphill most of the way, it was 7:30 PM. We were dead and hurting, especially the feet. I was only sore for two days afterwards so it wasn't that bad. It was beautiful though but the water was pretty cold to swim in. The temperature was nice, not too hot, probably in the low 70s. Well, here's some pictures. I dropped my camera in the water so I wasn't able to get that many pictures with my camera.

This is the 3rd waterfall, the one we had to rock climb down the side of the hill.

Second waterfall

Nicole, Mikaela, and I...the 3 girls that went. This is in the morning at the beginning of our hike, that's why we're smiling, didn't know what we were getting ourselves into.

Climbing down the side of hill to get to bottom of 3rd waterfall. You can see my bum in the light blue shorts.

First waterfall, hidden from the trail.

That's 6AM and at the beginning of our hike, just lookin ahead to what we had to hike.

A pretty pic, I was in the back so our whole group is in front of me. Some people were coming the other way, probably 7 or 8 AM.

Pools at first waterfall.

Second waterfall.

It's April already?

Pictures: (top) My first time sledding this winter, it was Feb. I think. I made that snowchair myself and it was quite comfortable. --The tree I climbed in Sedona on the hike. --At the Salt Lake, looks more like an ocean to me than a lake, except for the mountains in the background. --Holding some military rifle with the maniac gun guy I went to Nevada with. Shooting isn't really my thing and I tried to look serious in this picture.
So it's April now, glad time is flying by...I'm sure no one ever says that but it helps when things in life aren't exciting as you want them to be and you're going to school. I'll be done in a month and then it's summer time! YAY! I think in previous blogs I had talked about going to school closer to home next semester, like EAC or UofA, but none of those things worked out or else I would have to pay extra money. I'll take living in cool Flagstaff and going to school for free instead of forking out $3,000 from I don't know where to go to UofA next year. Despite nothing happening too much, I'm doing pretty good. My grades aren't too shabby, I'm very happy with them but I just hope I can keep them up for the last month of the semester. Next week I have exams in two of my hard classes and I don't like to study too much. I'm more of a crammer than a good studier.
Still not much happening in my love life but that's mostly my fault because I'm just not interested in anyone at the moment. One friend asked if I would like to date him but I only like him as a friend and want to keep our friendship. He'll probably not talk to me for some time so he can "get over" me like he had to last semester. Well, since I don't have a love life, which is fine for now, and not much to do, I go to the Recreation Center on campus a lot and work out. Might as well look good when I finally do meet that special someone. I've been going pretty regularly for a few months now and it feels good to be doing something that's good for my body. I gave blood back in February, I think it was, and when they were taking my pulse they asked if I was athletic or if I exercised often cause my pulse was really good. They say the same thing when I go to the doctor's office too which is really great to hear. But since I'm lifting weights and everything I'm not losing weight cause I'm gaining muscle so I might be a stocky little thing a few months from now.
Back in March, the beginning of March, I went to Nevada with this guy, the same guy who fixed my radiator in my last blog. That's where he grew up and all his friends are so we went camping with them in the "desert" mountains and then I met his family and everything. I'll just say it was interesting cause I think he led them to believe we were dating, I was just going for a roadtrip and weekend out of Flagstaff. I should have told him that before we left. He lives in Mesquite, or used to live, and that's about 5 1/2 hours from Flagstaff. It was quite the drive but I got to see Las Vegas and the north western part of AZ and Nevada too. All new places that I hadn't been before and it was great. I thought Nevada was pretty and Las Vegas was crazy with all the lights. The Hoover Dam was cool too but I only really saw it at night. Well so on the way back to Flagstaff after we had gone to church in St. George, UT, we were between St. George and Mesquite, this guy asked to hold my hand. Thank goodness he asked even though I told him no. So it made it a little awkward for him the rest of the 5 hour drive home but I slept and am used to awkward situations. I feel bad but I'm glad I wasn't too nice and didn't lead him on any more than I already had. Well, we discussed it I guess and now we're "friends" even though I don't talk to him anymore, or haven't for a while. So that's my latest love life news but once again I turned a guy down so I'm still single but I'm fine with it.
For spring break, which was a couple weeks ago, I went to SLC with Mom and visited with her siblings. I also got to see cousins and all the different things they're doing with their lives. I was able to see a good friend that used to live here in Flagstaff last year but moved up to SLC and played Frisbee with him. That was good to see him even though we went around in circles cause I can't throw a frisbee. I also had to bring him his mail and a few things he forgot back at his old apartment here in Flagstaff. Mom, Aunt Luan, and I went to the Great Salt Lake, cause I wanted to and it sure smelled when we were by the dead brine shrimp. The sand was really neat by the lake though. I would try to explain it but I kind of already forgot what made it so neat and it's hard to explain. Mom must have thought I was weird cause we ate out I think 3 out of the 4 nights we were there with her siblings and so the morning we were leaving to come back home she asked if I wanted to go to IHOP or something for breakfast or just eat at Aunt Luan's house. I chose to eat at Aunt Luan's house, I bet she thought I'd never pass up the chance to eat out, especially at IHOP, but I was so tired of eating food that I wasn't sure where it came from. And then when we got back home in Pomerene, she asked one night if she should convince Dad to take us out to eat at the 86 Cafe, a place we always love to go, or if she should think of something to make at home. I chose to stay at home. Eating out a lot just isn't something I like to do cause I don't like to think of what it does to my body.
Well I should get to bed cause I have a class tomorrow and then I work the rest of the day. I now work Mondays and Fridays and from 12-3 I babysit a 5-6 month old girl and then after that I head to an elementary school that I teach tennis at until 5 or 5:30. It's good for me cause I can train to be a mom and practice my patience with a screamin baby that won't fall asleep and I can also keep my hand in tennis. I work almost 10 hours a week but make $100 a week which is what I was making at Bashas' and working more hours a week. So it's pretty nice. I also volunteer one day a week for a high school tennis team as an assistant coach...I used to wake up at 5:30 AM for that cause they had practice at 6 AM but now they have after school practice so I can keep my sleep. But they're season ends pretty soon so I won't be doing that so much anymore. One good thing that came from it is that another assistant coach that volunteers wants to play tennis regularly like I do so hopefully that can get started and I can get playing tennis again! YAY!
Just one more thing and then I got to get to bed. My stomach's growling at me cause it's not used to being awake at this time. Actually, sometimes it is but I usually try to get to bed by 1. So in two weekends I'll be going to a place called Havasupai or Havasu Falls, I know a few of you have been there, and it will be amazing cause I'll be camping on Friday night and then we'll wake up early Saturday morning and hike down to the falls, I think it might be like 10 miles or something. I'll have to put up pictures whenever I get back from it cause it's just a beautiful place. I've never been there but I've seen tons of pictures of it. Oh, and last weekend I went hiking in Sedona, about 30 miles from Flag, at the Red Rock State Park. I got a little tan and that I'm happy about. Plus the hike was refreshing and it was nice to go somewhere for once. Ha, and this guy who was from Prescott, it was a regional young single adult activity, I told him my name and he was just so fascinated by it. He wouldn't let me be until I told him about it. He was asking me where it came from and if my parents were immigrants and all this crazy stuff. Yeh, Melissa, Jacob, and I had laughs about that cause they were right there when he was quizzing me on my name. And his name was Alex so I should have said something like, Alex, I've never heard that name before, just like he did with mine. He also was trying to help me get in and out of a tree. I was a little scared but still, I really didn't want him helping me. But he was a nice kid though, I shouldn't be making fun of him. Anyway, I should get to bed and get some sleep. Adios. Feel free to write me...

Pictures

One week before school, my bike's halfway in that snow.



Clock in downtown Flagstaff



Isabel Darlena 6 lbs 4 oz 18" 2:59 PM
Olivia LoRene 6 lbs 1 oz 18" 3:10 PM

Snowy snowy Flagstaff

Hello Everyone!
I should definitely update this blog thing but I have to tell you that not too many exciting things are happening. Life isn't too bad as I sometimes make it out to be, I'm doing pretty well in school but as the semester wears on I have missed a few classes. Its snowed a few days when I've been roaming around school going to class and such. I love the snow though and am excited when it snows a lot. I hate it when it snows little teeny weeny snow balls though and not flakes. Snow balls just don't build up and don't produce a lot of snow. In the middle of January I was dismissed from my job and still am currently unemployed. I have had so much time that I've been so bored but now I'm doing little jobs like teaching or more like getting kids interested in tennis at the elementary schools around Flagstaff. I've had a few women call me back on some babysitting jobs and so hopefully a few of those start up. I'm not sure if I'll be coming back up to Flag next semester so I don't want a real job that I would have to quit in like 3 months...I would like a real job but I don't want to deal with the quitting part after only working there for a little bit of time. I will probably stay in Flagstaff for at least part of the summer cause this one guy wants me to help with some tennis camps and teaching tennis and I will love that! I really want to move closer to home for some time anyway. I'm thinking of going to Eastern Arizona College in Thatcher which is about 80 miles from home and its closely corresponded with NAU. I'm planning on going there next year and then probably heading back up to NAU for the next year so I can finish my degree in some branch of business.
On Valentine's Day my two newest twin nieces were born! I came home this weekend to see them and they are way cute. I usually don't think newborns are that cute cause they look a lot the same but they are so tiny and just adorable. I love the little faces they make. There names are Isabel Darlena Morgan and Olivia LoRene Morgan. Olivia is named after me cause my middle name is Lorene and now I have two nieces named after me...the other is Danica Jolene Anderson. So now I have 7 nieces and love them all. They are all so cute and all so different. So this past weekend I've been travelling each day to Tucson from home, Pomerene, to see my siblings and nieces. Oh, and my brother Michael just asked his girlfriend Michelle to marry him on Saturday. Now it'll just be Trevor, Riley, and me as the unmarrieds...and they both have girlfriends so I'll probably be the only one left soon and don't have much luck of beating them cause I'm not currently dating anyone. I wish I could like some of the guys up in Flagstaff but I'm sorry to say that none of them really interest me.
So I make the long 5 or more hour drive back to Flag tomorrow and get back into going to school and that means I'll have to start working out again too. That's not so bad though, I enjoy it, gives me something to do. I've gained quite a bit of weight somehow, most likely from eating food but I was surprised when I finally weighed myself back here at home...I'll just say I've never weighed this much in my life. Part of the weight might be muscle though cause I did work out the past week quite a lot. I don't like putting on the pounds though.
I'm glad I made it home though cause I did have a crack in my radiator case on my car and it was leaking coolant pretty badly. Luckily I have this really nice friend, now he'd be considered a good friend (on my part anyway, he probably wishes I thought it was more) but he fixed it so that I could make it home. Tomorrow Dad will put in a new radiator before I head back north. Ha, I didn't realize this but now I think back on it, this guy probably fixed my car cause he's interested...man and I thought he was just being a really nice guy. I'll take that back, we went to eat breakfast before I left on Friday to go home and he was about a half hour late because first of all, he lives an hour away from Flagstaff. It had snowed pretty heavily the day before so the highways were quite icy when he was driving over about 8 in the morning. Anyway, he passed this lady and looked in his rear view mirror to see her spinning out and go off the side of the road. He decided to turn around and pull her out with his truck...what a nice guy, I just wish I could have some interest in him or something. I feel so bad but breakfast tasted good! :)
Oh and a few weeks ago NAU had a snow day, the first in like 5 years or something. It came as a surprise to a lot of people but I'm sure glad they decided to have one. Anyway, I better be getting to bed cause I have to drive back tomorrow but visit with family and my twin nieces before I head back. Then I'll have to study for tests that will be on Tuesday and Wednesday. I'm ditching school tomorrow, only have one class though it is important that I should go to it cause its the test review but family is more important!! Love ya lots!

No more school...for a while!

Life was once exciting but now that its not so new anymore, the exciting factor has decided to crash. Luckily I finished my first semester of college here at NAU and am still alive. I have to say that right now is probably the hardest time of my life so far and its quite hard to keep my spirits up. I have moved to a new apartment, about a half mile from my last one and I have 3 new roommates. This apartment is right next to south campus so its really nice, or it will be once school starts and I have to go to school everyday again. I just got my grades for this past semester and I got all Bs and one A in marching band. I was really happy to see those letters on the screen because I stressed all semester about keeping a 3.0 so that I could keep my tuition waiver. I just barely got that 3.0 though, I have a 3.09 right now. That means I won't have to work as hard as I thought I would have next semester to keep my GPA up. Right now on my break I'm just working and going home on Saturday. I had quite a scare on Monday cause my boss told me it was impossible for her to give me the time off I asked for. It's a horrible feeling to know that I can't go home for Christmas my first time away from home. Luckily a very nice co-worker switched her vacation so that I could go home and see my family.
Next semester I am going to try out the business field and see if I want to major in that field of study. I'm taking a business law class, intro to business management, a computer class that is required, geological disasters, and history of clothing. It's 16 credits and 6 classes so a bit more of a load than last semester. I'm hoping I'll like these classes more cause it was pretty depressing this past semester and I didn't even want to go to school. I'm hoping these new classes will somehow change my mind about wanting to go to school.
I still don't have a boyfriend so don't anyone go thinkin or spreadin that I'm getting married. I still have a few guy friends, many have moved. I'm going to be quite lonely up here without my best friend Brooke. I didn't realize how alone I would be until it got closer to her moving away. Now that she's back down south, I'll sure miss her.
It snowed quite a bit almost 2 weeks ago...I'm pretty sure it snowed about a foot and a half. The snow is still on the ground. My first time driving in the snow wasn't too bad, only missed an entrance to a store three times so I was driving around in circles cause I couldn't stop soon enough. I also learned that my car does quite well in the snow and I'm so glad its front wheel drive. Brooke kept asking me if I was sliding around like she did when she was driving and I wasn't and then I found that her truck is rear-wheel drive and that makes quite a difference.
Hopefully I can go snowboarding when I get back from home...I have a friend who works up at Snowbowl and he gets free rentals, I'll just have to pay $50 for the ski lift pass. That's one reason why I wanted to go to school up here so I think $50 shouldn't damage my bank account too much. And plus, he's a snowboard instructor up there so he can teach me. I'm excited about that.
There's just a little update on my life here up north. Nothing too exciting...oh but I did cut down my first christmas tree with an axe a couple weeks ago. And I've had a lot of snow rubbed in my face and lots of fogged glasses when I go inside.:) Anyway, I'm still alive and that's one thing I'm grateful for especially during these hard times. Feel free to write or call or text me.

Update on life

Now I am almost half way through the semester and I am so happy. I can't miss any more of my classes because my grade will lower if I do. It's quite hard to wake up 4 days in a row to go to English at 9 AM. It's not that early but when I go to bed no earlier than midnight, it's early. It's starting to get cold up here. One day there was a light frosting of snow on Snowbowl, a ski resort, mountain thing up here in Flag. Then the next few days and today its been warm. School is difficult at times, having to do homework which I do at the last minute most of the time. I found that I don't want to be an interior designer, major in psychology or do marching band next year. So my first semester of college, instead of finding something I like and want to major in, I find all the things I don't like. But I'm still making it through, barely though. I've basically failed my past two psychology exams. Luckily I'm in a class where my professors give other assignments so that my grade isn't based on just my exams. I got some good news this morning in English, I got an A, 98 on my paper that I wrote the night before and only took like two hours to write it. And I wrote it over at a friends house too though he was sleeping or reading most of the time. That made me so happy. I've learned to appreciate the small things that come, like good grades, finding out that class was cancelled, getting a good paycheck.
Oh yes, I don't think I have mentioned that I'm working at Bashas' and I had to go to training down in Phoenix for 3 days by myself and stay in a hotel by myself in downtown Phoenix. I thought I would be scared but I really liked it. I've been working at the store here in Flag for two weeks now and have gotten two paychecks. I like the money coming in. And then my roommates are leaving this weekend and I'll be home by myself again. YES! And Mom and Dad are coming up, I'm excited about that. I'm coming up on my 9th week of being up here and I still haven't been home. I haven't really been homesick, just miss the easy life at home and being able to run to a mom that I can cry to. Now I have to rely on prayers and scriptures to get me through my rough times and only being able to talk on the phone to my family. I have realized up here how much my family does love me, though they never call me!!! ha ha. We all have busy lives and I guess all them think I'm too busy to actually talk to the people I care most about. And thanks again Mom for making me feel so much better. I just wanted something to make me feel better and nothing did for about 2 weeks until I talked to you.
Life in my apartment isn't going so great but I'm dealing with it as best as I can. I hope to move out after this semester and it looks like I probably will be able to. It'll be a new change but one I definitely need so I can get away from things that keep bringing me down.
I'm doing good in marching band, faking it the whole way. But no one can hear me, they can only see what I do and if I mess up when I'm marching. That's my objective, to do good at marching and the rest of the band does a good job with the actual music.
Anything else? I think this is the first blog I haven't said anything about guys for the first 500 words. I've been slacking too much in my schoolwork and studies and spending too much time with the boys so now I'm trying to reverse that and get good grades. I haven't been on any dates for a while but I'm not too worried. I still have my guy friends up here and still don't have a boyfriend. Yes. It's tough at times but when it all comes down to it, I really just don't want to deal with relationship things right now. I already have too much to deal with with a past relationship, inside myself anyway. So time is still moving and my life along with it. There's days I just wish I could go back home and sleep all the time but I can't so I keep pushing along. And I'm trying to keep my attitude on the positive side though it wears me out to fight the negative side that loves to reside inside me. Alright, I better get goin...I came home between classes today cause I woke up too late to eat breakfast and make a lunch. Had to come home so I could eat. If any of you want to talk to me, just write me an e-mail. lovemeansnothing.27@gmail.com And the meaning of that e-mail address, I love tennis and in tennis love means zero, therefore, it means nothing in tennis. Talk to ya later!

Margo, the college student

So as you might have noticed, I haven't written any blogs for a while. That's because school happened and I just don't have much free time with homework, practicing, church, social life, and just keeping active. Oh and sleep, I've missed a lot of that lately. I wake up, actually my alarm goes off at 7 AM Mon-Thurs, and I wake up sometime around there. I've been depending on my bike much more because walking takes too long and that means I have to get ready earlier too. My leg muscles are sure getting a work out.
This week is the 3rd week of school, only 13 more weeks left until I get a whole month off!! YAY! I'm liking my classes but I would rather socialize and hang out with fun people than stay home and do homework so I give and take. Last night I was up till 1:30 writing a 3 page paper that was due today at 9:10 AM. My paper actually turned out to be 4 pages and that's not too bad for starting it at 8 last night. I was going to start it on Tuesday but I really wanted to go to Ultimate Frisbee cause I've missed the past couple times so that's why I had to write it all last night. But I feel great this morning and I only have one more class today, Interior Design.
My first "official" date was two weeks ago. This guy Jacob asked for my number after a fireside, I had known him for a couple weeks before this and then we went to a deer farm later that week. It was fun and interesting, after the farm we went on some random road, just taking an adventure and it actually brought us back to Flagstaff. Then the next week he asked me to go to dinner with him, we wanted to go to a mexican restaurant but it was closed because it was labor day so we went to Subway instead.
After me and Jacob went to the deer farm and our little date, I went to an institute dance later that night and it was lame at first but then it became fun. Guys actually asked me which was nice and Cardon counted for like 3 or 4 dances. But anyway, my life isn't all about boys...just most of it. But I'm having lots of fun and my plan is to just not get attached and then I won't get jealous or hurt, it's not easy but it's working.
I cut my first watermelon, now I know why the men always do it at outings. It was scrumptious. I am eating well for those in my family who knew how I wasn't hungry like all summer. Marching band is getting easier but it still is hard. I found out that I can fake it and still sound great. I'm pretty good at marching, I didn't mess up at the NAU vs. UofA football game down in Tucson. The bus rides were pretty long though going down to Tucson. We left Friday afternoon and played at one high school football game in Mesa/Phoenix before their game started, known as pre-game show, and then we packed back up into the bus and headed to another high school game just down the road and played at their half time. Then after that, it was about 9:30 PM we left for Tucson. We got to Tucson around 12 and stayed at a Hilton hotel. Those beds are so nice, that's what I loved most about the hotel. Saturday morning we practiced in the morning at a high school near Tucson, Cienega High, and it reminded me why I wanted to go to school in Flagstaff. Then we had like a 4 hour break and I got to see my family for a little bit. Then we did some pre game pep rally things for NAU before the game and after that headed into the stadium and faced the dispicable UofA fans. Not all of them are dispicable but a lot of them are really mean. Then Sunday we headed home at 9:30 AM and I didn't get home to Flag until 3:30PM. It was a long bus ride home and I was so glad when it was over.
I better get wrappin this up, I need to head to class in about 20 minutes. My first psychology exam is tomorrow and I'll need to study for that tonight. And then Jacob is coming over to eat dinner with us, Levi Garner came up to visit so we're eating all our meals together. I like it, it means I don't have to cook for myself. I hope I can find some time to study, I will, I sent Russ, one guy that came to eat dinner with us last night, home cause I needed to buckle down and write my paper. Ha, but then I took like an hour break around 11 and went over to Jacob's and then Cardon's house just so I could really get away from all my writing. Anyway, if any of you want to call me or write, feel free to do so. I'll get back to you sometime, whenever I can find the time. I was supposed to be taking a nap right now but I needed to update everyone, especially mom...sorry mom. Talk at ya later!!