Stadium of FIRE

So Ben invited me to Stadium of Fire and told me Mariah Carey was singing.

and in my head I was like...

I hate Mariah Carey.

But I said yes because it was really nice for him to take me and I was grateful.

Then I found out it was actually Kelly Clarkson and was like...

YeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeAH!

And she did not disappoint!

And there were a bunch of opening acts like The Strike (pictures in this post may just be of little people on stage but it's a stadium... so that's the best I could do)

And of course this guy jumping out of a plane with the American flag. Just like the founding fathers.

And then there was Cirque du Soleil who are a group of not human crazies who know how to suspend gravity. It was INCREDIBLE to watch! They could actually fly.

Next was the call-me-maybe girl 

 Here's how that kind of went down:

 She performed a couple of songs that I had never heard of and while I'm sure she's very talented and Canadian I just wasn't feeling the magic. Grumpy Cat is pretty good at showing how I felt.

 And then she finally did Call Me Maybe and I transformed into this extremely ductile mass of human being, pounded into some incredible dance moves (If I do say so myself) by one of the most annoying songs known to man if played more than once. But she only sang it once so we danced and sang along!

And then Kelly Clarkson came out and did an amazing job! It was beautiful! 

Basically the only surviving American Idol star and she is still going strong!

Then the fireworks!

Throughout the fireworks show there were commentaries given on the progress of the United States and inspiring footage played of significant events that brought us to where we are today. It was moving and a great reminder that America always stands for freedom and progress!

Sometimes I Finish School and Go to Hawaii!

Here's the past little while in Jesslandia-

My brother, Sam, came home from his mission! He served in the Pennsylvania Philadelphia Mission and was, of course, an incredible missionary. I hadn't seen him in about 3 years so it was a little insane to have him walk in the door a 21 year old when the last time I saw him he was barely 18...

But finally the family is back together again! I got to spend a few days at home with the most ridiculously funny family and I must say, it was about time.

Janna, Jeff, Jacob, Sam, Silas, Me
Mom and Dad

ALSO

I finished school. It's true that I still have 2 Independent Study Classes but what I love to say out loud is that I NEVER HAVE TO GO TO CLASS ON BYU CAMPUS EVER AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't get me wrong. I'm grateful for the education I have received but I've been here since 2007 and I want something to show for it! So, this fall I will apply at the U for their awesome Social Work program and see if by some miracle I can get in. MORE SCHOOL! But it will be more school in something that I actually want to study. No more classes that either don't relate to what I'm studying or only barely relate to what I want to do. 

So that's great news.

Then skydiving happened!

Me, Papz and Ben

Let me tell you, my preparation for this involved me thinking about if 

I could have a panic attack and fall out of a plane at the same time. 

So then we got there and Papz kept asking me if I was freaking out yet and I said "not yet, I think it won't hit until I'm in the plane" and then I got in the plane and was totally relaxed. No big deal. and then I got to the edge of the plane and still. no big deal. and I seemed to have under estimated myself because the free fall was my favorite part! Then the chute opens and you glide down. It was so fun! 

Unfortunately the company is, of course, run by hippies who schedule appointments ~just because~ and then actually keep you in the hot Moab sun for 3 hours before you even go up! About an hour after my fall I was hit with a killer migraine and spent the rest of the day nauseous and wondering if some force was actually splitting my head open. But YAY for skydiving!

Me and Kjirstin

Then, a weekend or two later, me and this awesome woman decided to do a little kayaking. Luckily she grew up on the water because I had no idea what I was doing! We powered through some twists and turns and came out alive, it was so fun!

There was also an awesome concert Where Barenaked Ladies had Guster and Ben Folds Five open for them and it was SO AWESOME.

Guster

Ben Folds Five

Barenaked Ladies

Ben- The best friend ever who convinced me to take the night off and go to this amazing concert

And Then There Was Hawaii

So my amazing grandma decided t take all of the women in the family to Hawaii. I don't know how I was born into such greatness but truly, the was a great deed that she did.

Sunday

We went to church! Praise Jesus!

Then we went to visit a cemetery.

Which has a beautiful view of Honolulu. See if you can spot the rainbow!

Monday

Hanauma Bay

Where we snorkled!

Tuesday

The Dole Plantation where they have Dole Whip!
It's a kind of pineapple ice cream and it was DELICIOUS

Wednesday

We took a trip to Pearl Harbor and went out over the U.S.S. Arizona.
God bless the men who were trapped that day and are still down inside the ship.

Every day 2 quarts of oil leak from the ship and 
it's expected that the ship won't run out for another 50-80 years.
So much oil was on the ship that day that it burned for three days before it could be controlled. 
Absolutely fascinating.

Over a thousand men were on the U.S.S. Arizona when it was sunk.
Many of the survivors ask to be  interred with the men on the ship when they pass away.
There are only 13 men left alive.

Thursday

The PCC! So fun! We saw little shows about Hawaii, Figi, New Zealand, Tahiti and Samoa.

And then we enjoyed some amazing food and some dang great entertainment.

Friday

The Laie Temple!

A Hungarian Book of Mormon!

A beautiful Kristus right when you walk in.

Then we went down to a beach and this was the first thing I saw. I thought
"Great, I'm going home a mutant,"
 but it turned out that most of the beach was normal.

At this beach there were sea turtles that just pop up and you can pet them! Well actually you're not supposed to pet them but I couldn't help myself... twice! The turtles were so cute!

I am SO GRATEFUL to Grandma Wright for this incredible trip!

I can't believe I'm related to so many amazing and beautiful women!

So life has been CRAZY but fun! 

I couldn't ask for life to be better!