23!!!

I am finally 23. WOWWWWW.....a grandma as Baby Jonah would say, but hey, so far, after a couple of weeks, it feel just fine. Who knew right?

I celebrated my birthday most extravagantly..You know, by doing things people LOVE doing on their birthdays, homework, group projects, studying, being exhausted the usual. But hey, YOLO...right? However, my great friends/roommates threw me a great birthday party (seriously lacking in the girl department) but it was still fun for me, and since it was MY birthday, that's all that matters right?? Jk.

We had cake, and ice-cream, and GLUTEN FREE CAKE!!!!! My awesome roommate Katie works at a  Cup Cake Shop and made me my own personal gluten free cake. It was so good and she decorated it cute. If you follow me on instagram (which I recommend you do..) you would have seen it. For some reason I cannot get any of the pictures off of my phone (I just downloaded new software for it..ooppps). But my birthday was great, now onto FINALS!!!!!!!

Orderville Canyon

This week was so hectic, lots of homework, lots of things to do...so why not go out of town on Friday night and hike all day Saturday??

My roommates and I wanted to go to Zion National Park and go hiking. We wanted to do a cool hike, but didn't really have on in mind, so I enlisted Jarrett to help with that little issue. He found us a hike called Orderville Canyon and we were excited. We had a bunch of people that were originally going to come with us, but it just ended up being Jarrett, Lance, Derik, Lisa, Stephanie and myself (I know it sounds....a little...) anyway, it totally worked out and was SO fun!!

We camped Friday night and my new sleeping bag totally worked and I was so excited to use it. I am going to need to get a sleeping pad and bring a pillow! It was so fun, and the only thing that got cold was my nose. Saturday morning we got up and made breakfast and headed out. We got a little bit of a later start than anticipated, like 4 hours later OOPPSS.

It all worked out and was totally fun. We saw about 4 groups go out earlier than we did and we caught up to 2 of them, so we felt pretty accomplished, and no one got hurt!

The hot springs in a meadow  in Meadow!

PHOTO OP

Derik being our tour guide

I think we are the best looking apartment...jk

Jarrett almost walked right over the deer Derik and Lance killed (not literally)

Inside an ampitheater

Not wanting to get wet...

Jarrett saved us!!!

Steph being so outdoorsy

They swam and Jarrett and I hiked around...FREEZING

After 6 hours, we made it!! In the light

Not a Hike...Don't Worry!

This weekend was filled with so much excitement...JK, however, it was definitely filled with something, as to what that something was, I am not quite sure yet. Here are some words that I am thinking:
--Anticipation
--Sleep Deprived
--Pain
--Disappointment
--Elation
--SORE
--Fulfilled
--SORE...

I think you get the point, it was filled with every extreme, and for those of you who know me, this is probably what you think my life is like most of the time, but I promise I am calming down. Although, this weekend was filled with all of these things because Stephanie and I ran the Pink Series Park City Half Marathon yesterday. We were nervous, because like smart college educated, capable girls, we did not train...YET AGAIN. We were also nervous because we didn't have a place to stay up there on Friday night until Friday night, (thank you Allred's!!!!) and that just seemed to magically work out. SO our crazy weekend started off by driving to Park City at 9pm in RAIN, so much RAIN hoping that we would not have snow in the morning for us to run in because I know from experience the Nike Outlet store closes at 10 and we would have gotten there after 10. We were spared from the snow thank goodness!!!

We wok up Saturday morning, and got dressed, did our hair (the most important part...) oh and we had matching outfits!!! We got our packets and waited to get on the buses, and as we were waiting we were talking to this lady who had run a marathon two weeks before and was hoping to finish this half in 1:30-1:50. We thought, CRAP WE SHOULD HAVE TRAINED (to my defense I did start training until I got onto a tractor all summer). The course was a TON harder this year, I think they added more hills, but it was obviously doable because I went to church today, BARELY.

These bad girls have gone through a year of activity (hence the lavender smelling pellets) and not it is time to part!!

Steph and Me after we finished and got freezing, it started raining at the end, but NO SNOW!!!!!!

Jarrett and my friend Andie came to support us, Tyson also cheered for us along the way. I was so disappointed because when the pacer passed me of the time I wanted to beat I seriously wanted to cry, (but didn't) so instead I decided to think of how grateful I was to be able to have a healthy body that I can abuse like this and that all of my parts work perfectly together to complete this arduous task. It was amazing to me how when I decided to not think of myself how easy it was to keep a pace. DUH Justine...anyway, this weekend was an accomplishment weekend. 

Our hair was so cute too until it started raining, we had a french braid in the back starting at our necks and going up, then we had a french braid to keep bangs and fly-aways out of our hair and then just ponies. I am sure the people behind us appreciated what it looked like :) (This is a big deal because I have been designated hair doer by my roommates so if I ever have daughters, they are in luck and will have the cutest hair!)

Another Hike..WHAT?!?!?

A couple of weeks ago (I think) was National Park's Day and so we went on a hike in a national park...We went to the Mt. Timpanogos Caves. It was an asphalted hike, but SO steep! It was fun, Lisa, Me, and Steph and bunch of guys from our ward went. I was tired from the hike the day before and kind of hit a wall and just booked it the rest of the way up the mountain because I knew I would just sit and wait for them to come down if I stopped one more time.

The caves were SUPER fun and cool. It was so beautiful with all of the fall colors and the crisp autumn air.

Our group

Steph and Me...it was so pretty!

Ding and Dang

For my Outdoor Leadership Skills class, it was required to go on a camping field trip. For anyone who knows me, you know I am NOT a camper of any sort, not really outdoorsy, or in love with getting dirty. However, I am always surprised at how much I enjoy being outside and doing everything that I say I do not enjoy. ANYWAY...

This camping trip had me SO stressed out (it was one night and a day). Luckily, I had a mountain backpacking bag, access to a WARM sleeping bag and pad (which I could not figure out how to inflate) and experienced hikers. I was also freaked out about food, Subway was great for everyone that can eat regular bread, but for me, it was stressful, but of course, it all worked out. I went over to Jarrett's apartment and got some help from him and his roommate (they packed my bag) and got me all set up. I felt so legit.

We went to Goblin Valley and it was so cool. I felt so nostalgic because Lake Powell is RIGHT there and if you know me, you know I LOVE LP.

Goblin Valley

The class RecM 223R

BYU!!!

 When it got dark on Thursday night, we went back to the valley and played capture the flag with glow sticks. It was so funny to hear footsteps and then THUD and rolling. I was laughing so hard. (my first reaction should be to ask if they are ok)

We didn't even use the tent, my sleeping bag is the red, white and grey.

Sunrise!!

L-R: Sarah, Maria, and Me

I was not literally falling, but it was a perfect photo op.

The class

We had time for pictures, I was NOT the last one!!

We climbed this wall and we all sat in the holes, I thought it was so cool. 

Interesting experience

Don't worry, we were ALL wearing Nikes. None of us fell.

I was like 4" from the water, I got a little nervous. 

Switching Gears

Senior year is here and completely underway. Before school started my mom and I were driving down to Utah, my tire pressure warning light went on and my mom and I thought nothing of it because it had been going on all summer. Well, right before Nampa, ID, we figured out why and I am pretty sure my rear tire is still on the freeway. I am glad my mom was there.

SSOOO school is so busy, I am still working with the Women's Tennis Team, and we just finished our fall invitational. I was so nervous, I had never put on the fall tournament, and there were 4 different schools coming: Weber State, Utah State, Boise State, and Wyoming. It went really well, and I was so happy!! I had all of the draws blown up, and then for all of the BYU players, I had printed of facial shots and cut them out and moved them along the draws like on Harry Potter and the Marauder's Map. The whole thing went well, the other coaches said so.

I am liking my ward more and more. It is getting fun. Today we went to the Brigham City Temple dedication, it was great and beautiful. Temples are so amazing. I love them!!!

Jack comes home on November 21!!!!!!

Summer, Summer, Oh I have no time...

While this title may seem as though I am frustrated I have no time, I am actually extremely grateful for my busyness!! I came home from school at the end of April, had no job after filling out so many applications, still no job in May, and a few weeks into May I got a job. This may not seem like it is a great job to many people in a rural area, however, I have never learned anything about farming and am loving it and see why so many people love to farm. I work for a farmer here in Mattawa, and I, Justine, have learned how to drive 3 count them 3 different tractors and a few different implements as well. I have LOVED it!!!

flipping the hay after a rain storm

My new work boots, they are cuter once the legs get pulled up.

After a long day, an empty field is the BEST sight!! 

The tractor I usually drive with the rake. 

I learned how to drive this bad boy (a bigger tractor than my brother's have driven) in a two second about tutorial. Not only did I have to control the tractor, I also had a LONG implement on the back (a disc) that I had to manage. Luckily I was super scared at the beginning and went slow, but by the 10 minute, I was able to handle pushing the button to get the GPS to hook on so all I needed to really watch for was the disc and the end of the row with no steering. Modern technology is great!!

John Deere 8130 T-Tractor

Despite the excitement of 'farming', you know, getting up at about 3:30am, out of the door at 4am and working by 430 (AM that is) and going until 11 or 12 at night, on Mother's Day, we got to Skype with Jack!! He looked so good and could not believe how big the little boys have gotten! It was so fun to see him and talk to him, he comes home in November and is dreading it, and we could not be more excited even though we know he is where he is needed for the Lord.

Elder Gallacci only has 5 months left!