halloween...

here is a little preview of halloween this year. i spent all weekend in the gym watching volleyball... we had 2 matches and the 1A, 2A, 3A State tournament was Thursday thru Saturday, so i was literally there all day, for 3 days, with no time to think about a costume... but jess and i had a moment of creativity at 8 pm on saturday night as we were putting together our costumes. i was either going to be a lumberjack or a ninja, and we came out of target as batman and superman! so we went out on the down and got our groove on as superheroes! it was way fun!



more pics to come... and this picture makes me miss summer, cause i need a tan!

sorry, i need a vent session really quick... why do people who are endowed think that the "g-force" rule doesn't apply on halloween?!?! whether it's girls wearing scandalous outfits or guys with no shirts and spandex, i just don't understand the reasoning behind it and it really makes me sad for them. just a thought.

four months and counting...

four months ago (june 16, 2010) i had reconstruction surgery on my acl that i tore in an outdoor volleyball tournament on memorial day... not the way i wanted to spend my summer, and i seriously do not wish this upon anyone EVER!


... taken two days after surgery

... koelliker family gathering 5 weeks later... my best friend/enemy during the summer was that blasted brace!

now, four months later, after many hours of therapy, stretching, icing, strengthening, pain, sweat, and tears, and not a lot of patience on my end, i almost have full range of motion and strength... give me some more time and i'll get there!

... four months later and my knee is starting to look a bit normal... i don't mind the scars, but hopefully the swelling will go down eventually!

... the greatest blessing of being this far along in my recovery is that i get to be more active! this is a picture from the alumni match. no, i didn't get to play, but i did get to pepper and warm up and that in itself just warmed my heart!

it's true what they say that, "you don't know what you got til it's gone". like the simple things of getting out of bed or kneeling down for prayer, sitting on the toilet were all challenges at some point. i'm so grateful for the doctors and trainers who worked with me... my mom who waited during the surgery, gave me medicine, slept on my floor so she could get up with me in the middle of the night, helped me "shower", and still puts up with my complaints, she's the best!... my brother and dad who are worthy priesthood holders and used that sacred power to help heal and comfort me... my wonderful family and friends who's prayers, encouragement, and care helped get me through one of the hardest times in my life. i really cannot express the gratitude and love that i have for them... THANK YOU!

the worst is hopefully over and i still have a long way to go, but i'm so grateful that i am getting back into the swing of things. i feel very blessed for the smooth recovery thus far and the AWESOME people that are always there for me!

always a step behind...

As usual, I'm always the last to get my hands on some of the good books.

I finally finished "Eat Pray Love" a few weeks ago. I read it on and off for a couple months, but overall I really enjoyed it. I could relate to some of her feelings and thoughts (not that i've ever been a 'lover' or divorced or married for that matter), but I really liked the way she wrote and explained herself, and of course all of the amazing place she went!! I'm not gonna lie though, I'm really just excited for the movie!



I've heard all of these great things about "The Hunger Games" series, and so when I got it for my birthday, I felt a bit inclined to read it. I'm happy to say that I am almost through "Catching Fire" and am completely enthralled!

So even though the whole world has been ready and waiting for book 3 to come out for ages, I'm just grateful I finally got to partake of the goodness... Better late than never, right?!

a quarter of a century and counting...

believe it or not, i made it to my 25th birthday and was ready to party! ha i'm usually anti birthday celebrations for myself, but for some reason i was looking forward to some summertime fun with friends and family... i think after a week and a half of surgery recovery/couch-time, i was in need of some happiness! so i braced myself, literally, and with the help of my wonderful parentals and friends, we had a joyful birthday bbq...

thanks to all of you who made my 25th birthday celebration a memorable one!!

much loves :)

wishes, wants, hopes, and dreams for year two-five...

i like to think that i'm a goal oriented person, so i've decided to list the things i want to accomplish during this year of my life... here goes nothing :)

25 goals for my 25th year...
1. make a new friend
2. go to 3 new temples
3. do something spontaneous
4. break a bad habit
5. travel to 5 new places
6. have a snowball fight
7. go to a "show"
8. make dinner at least once a week
9. find a new hobby
10. don't threaten to quit my job halfway through the season :)
11. be active in my ward
12. kiss in the rain
13. visit my sister in Virginia
14. do something i've never done
15. read the Book of Mormon
16. run a half-marathon
17. win an outdoor tournament!
18. attend the temple regularly
19. lose some weight... 25 lbs for my 25 years??
20. commit some players for 2011... this seems to be an issue at the moment :)
21. open my heart and not be scared or ashamed to share myself with others
22. find a "home" to live in
23. be more assertive and decisive
24. fall in love!
25. be happy with me :)

... game on!!

the end of another year... so long 24...

24 things learned/relearned during my 24th year... (in no particular order!)

1. there are no "little" things
2. being an adult isn't always fun
3. KNEEL to pray whenever possible
4. plan to be surprised
5. institute and scripture glue-in's are awesome!
6. my team makes me happy
7. i love having my little brother home
8. star gazing in Park City is heavensent
9. getting a mani/pedi makes me feel pretty
10. i need to be more sincere and show my true gratitude
11. i love america
12. someone is always in a worse situation, so be grateful and optimistic... i will always have to work on this one!
13. Jillian Michaels is legit!
14. utah is beautiful
15. patience is never fully learned
16. a head coach can make or break a team... Sam is incredible!
17. just when i think i have it all figured out, think again!
18. i NEVER EVER EVER want to tear my ACL again
19. my family is my everything and i can't wait to add to it and start my own family!
20. i thrive on being active and productive
21. no matter how much i hate being in the center of attention, having my friends and family serenade me with "happy birthday" is pretty sweet
22. i love sunshine and summertime
23. those who love me really do want to know my thoughts and feelings... i need to open up!
24. i have sooooo much to learn about love, life, and myself... here it goes for year 25!!

the summer must go on...

Summer is here and life couldn't be better right?!?! Ha, it's truly amazing to me how quickly things can change... but I'll get to that later!

I got to spend the first 2 weeks of May gallivanting around the beautiful land of New Zealand and the breathtaking beaches of Samoa with my team... I heart my job! It was my second time visiting these amazing countries, and I really couldn’t be more grateful for the incredible experiences I had whilst I was there. It was definitely a life changing experience that I will remember and cherish forever.

Here are a few of the hundreds of pictures that were taken!

...New Zealand...

...SAMOA...

Simply incredible, right?! If you want the full update and day-to-day play-by-play, go to our team blog... uvuvolleyball.blogspot.com

Life after the trip has been pretty great! Just catching up with work, enjoying the crazy Utah weather (snow to sunshine... go figure!), and enjoying time with my friends and family!

I've been pretty pumped for this summer and have been looking forward to so many fun activities like... running my first half marathon, running the Ragnar Relay, (ha, running just in general), playing in outdoor volleyball tournaments with the bestie, hiking the beautiful Utah mountains, just doing anything and everything I can outside... I just love summer!

Unfortunately, my summer dreams have been cut short. Maegs and I played in our first outdoor tourney on Memorial Day, and about halfway through the day I went up to hit and my knee gave out when I landed. Long/emotional story short, I blew out my knee and am scheduled for surgery on June 16th. Kind of a bummer... but life and summer goes on!

-complete ACL tear - Partial tear or strain of PCL - tear of lateral meniscus - partial tear of MCL - partial tear of LCL - serious bone bruising... yeah, it's just a bit sore :)

So yes, it is amazing how quickly plans and life can change, and all it takes is something small. I'm grateful for the help, support, and prayers of my incredible friends and family. Even amongst the challenge, I feel so blessed and I'm excited for the lessons Heavenly Father is trying to teach me (apparently, i didn't learn enough with my first surgery... i struggle!) Needless to say, this summer will be a time of learning humility and patience, getting back on my feet, and of course FUN... BRING IT ON!!