Liberty and Jumping for All

This Independence Day, Utah welcomed back her prodigal son (and daughter), for a weekend of patriotism (read: Toby Keith music and illegal firecrackers). This year, the 4th weekend also corresponded nicely with the Nordstrom Family Reunion (read: aged relatives and caffeine deprivation).

RP was a sport, putting in a two hour meet-and-greet prior to fleeing to the river for an afternoon of fly-fishing. I, however, spent a good 10 hours getting to know the extendeds (or rather, hanging with my brothers while the extendeds mingled around us).


Other highlights of the trip included:

- Two runs in the July sun (Temperature: 90 – 99, elevation: way higher than the beach)

- A birthday dinner for a cute niece and nephew

- RP digging our wedding cake out of his parents’ freezer (the treat that keeps on giving – in five-pound increments)

- RP forcing me to eat a pound of icing from said wedding cake


- A fantastic Fourth BBQ with the Prices


- Lunch w/ mis padres at Café Rio

- RP helping me make black-bottom cupcakes

- RP helping his father make lemon sherbet (he’s so helpful when something sweet is at stake)

- RP making me eat more icing

- A morning hike to a waterfall (and uber-flattering self-portraits



- A weight-lifting-and-chat session with an adorable sister-in-law

- Trying out sleeping bags on the floor of REI in prep for Alaska backpacking trip

- Witnessing RP’s childhood street turn into a warzone of explosives (I still have PTSD)



- Watching fireworks with mis padres, Preston and Marisa

- Finding out they actually make sugar free sweet pickles – color me happy (and full of sodium)

- Getting up at 3:30 am California time to fly back to Long Beach – then heading straight to work


I’m still paying for that last one (and all the icing).


Consider freedom rung.