My New Job!

I got a new job! I work at Intermountain Health Care as a security officer. I am going through an intensive training week right now. Tomorrow will be my last day of class room time till next Wednesday, but I still have on-site training over the weekend and into next week. I have had to skip school all week to be able to be in training. Tomorrow I get tazed. I'm not looking forward to it. But I think I'll like this job a alot. I work with some pretty cool people.

The Miracles from Heaven.

So, my job as a Ranger will be over after this up coming holiday. I have interviewed for 2 other jobs and am going back to school. The one thing that I can't get over thinking about is the miracles that have occured up the canyons this summer. There were miracles that happened to me, most of them very personel, and I witnessed or heard about miracles that happened to other people as well.

One miracle happened to a 16 year old boy and his passengers. I heard that the 16 year old rolled his vehicle off a cliff while he was speeding down the Alpine Loop (SR 92). He rolled his vehicle and it landed up side down, none of the vehicles occupants were wearing seatbelts. Amazingly enough, there was not one scratch or a drop of blood was lost. The FPO's that told me about the incident were the first to respond to the accident. They could not believe that anyone survived the accident.

Another miracle happened to another gentleman and his vehicle. The gentleman decided to park his vehicle on the Alpine Loop (SR 92). As he did so, he pulled too far off the road and his front tires were hanging over the edge and his vehicle was teetering off the edge. I received the report from a concerned citizen who wanted some rope or chain to pull the vehicle back onto the road. I was thinking out loud to a co worker of mine and mummbled to her "I hope that everyone is out of the vehicle." A few minutes later I received a call from my partner who was on the highway, he told me that he had received word that the driver was still in the vehicle with his foot on the break, keeping his vehicle from going over the edge. The citizen that had originally informed me of the teetering vehicle had taken it upon himself to help and was able to pull the vehicle to safety. This situation could have been a lot worse and I am very thankful it wasn't. Thanks to a concerned, caring, and coragous person nothing bad happened.

Making it through the hot summer working on trails was a miracle to me. When my body was sore or very tired and I felt I couldn't make it, Heavenly Father gave me just enough strength and energy to carry on. When I was frustrated with people or co workers, He calmed me. And when I thought I was going to have to do something that I physically could not do, he preformed miracles.

I am deeply greatful to Heavenly Father for his kindness and caring.

Looking Back

So it's now August. What a summer it has been. My Wilderness Ranger job is coming to an end (I think). This should be my last week or at least full time week. I have applied for other jobs for the fall and winter semesters. I am really hoping to get the rec assistant job in Lehi.
I just moved again. I'm living in a house with 9 other girls. There are 5 girls in the basement including myself and 4 others upstairs. I am one of the younger ones downstairs, the only one younger than me is Joanna who is 24. A few of the girls are RM's and all of them seem to be pretty cool and layed back.

I have to say one of the most interesting experiences I have had this summer as a Wilderness Ranger was at Tibble Fork Resevoir. My partner Nate and I were driving up to Silver Lake Flat one Saturday morning and on our way we passed through Tibble Fork Parking lot where there happened to be several vehicles parked illegally. Needless to say we had a Sheriff and tow trucks up there. Before the vehicles were towed, the drivers came back and payed the tow truck man to release the vehicles. But before everything was done, there was several tears, almost a fight, threats being made, and alot of yelling done. It was one crazy situation.

Another day that is most memerable was just last Saturday. Timpooneke parking lot was crazy full and people parking everywhere and illegally. The parking lot was so bad it was difficult to get in and out of the lot. We were working with the Sheriff department again and tow trucks. After we had that situation dealt with we were on our way over to Aspen Grove and got stuck on the Alpine Loop because of a bicycle race. We waited it out, but before it was past us, there was a biker who biffed it hard on a turn just above us. We grabbed the first aid kits and drug the biker and his bike off the road. He suffered a broken nose and abrasions, but nothing too serious. The parking lot at Aspen Grove Timpanogas Trail Head was insane, but not as bad as Timpooneke. Moral of the story, if you want to hike Timpanogas, hike it on the weekdays and avoid it at all costs on the weekends.

I have to say that I could have never of made it through this summer with out prayer and without the help of Heavenly Father. There is no way I would have survied it. I am extremely greatful for Him, for his caring, and the miracles that happened because of him.

School is going to be starting soon again. I'm taking a full schedule and hoping that it isn't going to be a crazy semester.

Obey the Law!

I just finished my first week at my new job being a wilderness ranger. I have to be honest, there are some pretty crazy and stupid things that people do in the forest that I never thought they would do! I'm not going to post what they did, because I don't want to give anyone ideas. I've had a great time working and doing trail maintanance, patrolling, and sign posting. It's hard work, but way fun. I can't believe I'm getting paid for hiking! I hope that I get to ride with the FPO's (Forest Protection Officers) soon. I get to write out tickets, but they get to do more stuff like that and get to interact more with the public than what I get to. So please obey the laws when you're out this summer hiking and camping! If you have questions about what you can and can't do, ask me!! We have awesome people on our staff and crews. I met some of the FPO's, fire crew, and trails crew the other day and they were really cool also. I think this summer is going to be awsome, but hard. The only thing that I regret is that I don't get to go to church at all until September. But I gotta do what I gotta do.

I'm just so glad that last semester is over with. I ended with 4 A's and a B+. I finished and have my WFR (wilderness first responding) certificate. I got very sick during the intense 9 day 80+ hour class and almost had to drop out, but I survived and I can save lives in the wilderness! I moved to Centennial apartments during the WFR class. It's ok living here, sometimes it reminds me of the Riv, but I think It'll be good for me for the summer. I'm hoping to move somewhere nicer for the fall, but we'll see what happens.

I'm just enjoying the warmth and my 3 day weekends which are Monday to Wednesdays.

The beginning of spring and warmth!

So it's about the end of March which is weird to me. Only 4 weeks left of spring semester which I'm looking forward too, but not finals. I've decided recently that I want to switch majors. I want to go into law enforcement. My dream job: working for the FBI investigating cold case files. But I guess I'm stuck in Recreation (not that that's a bad thing) because if I switched then I would have 2 to 3 years left of school instead of 1 1/2 years. I did unofficially get my internship with the Forest Service in American Fork/Pleasant Grove area. I'm going to be a wilderness ranger. I'll get to write out citations and act like I'm in law enforcement! The only down side I can see to this is that I'll be working 4 -10's Thursday through Sunday so there goes church.

But things are looking good. I'm moving soon out of my parents house. Moving date: April 28! I'm moving to Centennial and looking forward to it. I'll be starting my WFR class at the same time which is an insane 10 day 80 hour class, and for summer I'm taking a fly fishing class to finish up my water base required classes. So things are looking good for the future. Also, my best friend Liz is home from her mission and moving to Provo in a few weeks! YEA!!! I miss her and can't wait to hang out with her without having a time limit.

For those of you who know my younger brother Ryan, his wife is pregnant and they're very excited!

Way too busy!

I've been very busy lately. Mid-terms arrived. I have written 2 papers, taken 4 tests and have 2 tests, a presentation, and 1 paper left to go. My birthday is Wednesday March 5 and it's about the only thing that I am looking forward to this next week, although I'll be celebrating it alone this year.

When Play Is Misused

My first experience as an official BYU student came last Tuesday. I only have one class at BYU and I can't wait for that class to be over with. It's social leadership in recreation (more like how to host a party) and I hate it. I don't really mind that we play party games in class or that we are graded on hosting parties outside of class, but what bothers me the most is while I'm in class I'm TOLD to play.

There's my stuborness comming through. I love to play on my own time, when I chose to do so, and how I choose to do it. Playing is an essential part of life. I LOVE to play (that's one reason why I'm in the recreation major) and I'm not going to be told when, where, or how to do it. Having leisure and play forced upon someone goes against everything that recreation, leisure, and play stands for. It should be against the law. Charged as a felony.

Fortunately, when we did take a little break to discuss something, I got to decide to sit in the corner alone and away from people. How am I going to survive this class?