HOME!

I'M HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's very weird. BUT I am so happy to be back and to be spending time with my family. I left the beautiful place of vacation on Thursday morning, and the 14 hour drive was actually very good. A little cramped, but entertaining and fun. I arrived back in Utah Valley at 2am Friday morning. :) I am so excited and happy to be home!!!! I didn't get much sleep after getting home, but I got up early to see my family!!! I never in a million years thought it would be possible to miss my family so much, but I really missed them!! I got a HUGE hug from my Daddie and my Mommie... and my baby brother Chip! Then I spent the day doing laundry and cleaning my bedroom... I left it a complete mess. Then I got to spend the night with two of my favorite people in the entire world. I love you Ashes and Hales!! Thanks for making my first night home so awesome! I slept like a rock last night, and was up early! I didn't go running though because my back was hurting a lot... so I just hung out with my family. I got to play with my super cute nephew James all morning! And all of my siblings are here today... ALL of them! It is the first time we have all been together in over 4 months. CRAZY! It's been so good to be able to spend the day with them, talking, and laughing about random things. Playing with my niece and nephews! Had a very unexpected visit from a very close friend... and she brought me my favorite ice cream... :) Thanks Marce! I can't wait to see you this week! Got to go swimming for a couple hours at the Lund's!!! I have to best neighbors ever!!! JUST A GREATLY FANTASTIC DAY!!! :)

Life is amazingly wonderful!

Now for a photo...

In the following post. Yaquina Head Lighthouse. This is not one of my photo's but I went to visit this lighthouse last week and got some great photo's that I will share in a couple days. It is an amazing place. :) I LOVE lighthouses!

insomnia is my nemesis

Many of you know that I have always suffered from insomnia. It is something I have always taken pride in, not just the fact that I can function on no sleep for over a week. Many say that this is not possible, but I am living proof that it is totally possible. So, you may ask yourself why I am posting about this... good question. About a month before my departure to this beautiful vacation spot I had overcome my insomnia, almost entirely... but since being here I have had a hard time keeping on my now normal sleep schedule and thus my insomnia has returned... hence the 4am blog post!! Well I've come to several realizations on this particular night that have caused me to come here to ... vent? I'm not sure that is the right word, but I'll go with it for now.

First, most of us 90's kids are proud to claim this title. But as of tonight, I am no longer a proud 90's kid. In fact I am disturbed... ? I mean come on, have you ever even watched Full House, or Sabrina the Teenage Witch... If you have you know what I am talking about. Ridiculous. I am very embarrassed.

Second, I hate AM Television. 'Nuff said 'bout that.

Third, I want to build something. ( completely random tangent that has nothing to do with my train of thought... :)

Fourth, Justin Beiber? I mean really? What have we done as a society to throw away all modes of brain activity and to accept this as a form of good "entertainment" or "music". He is what 12? Okay MAYBE 13... and he is singing these songs about things that 13 year olds should not even know about... maybe I'm just a sheltered Utah kid, but seriously!? Do all 12 and 13 year old kids actually know what he is talking about!? I think not, or at least I hope not. We should be ashamed to support in any way this kind of garbage.

Other than that I'm just peachy. Actually rather enjoying myself, in a house all alone, rocking out ( I mean completely rocking with the volume blasting, nearly blowing out the windows...) to Paramore, Chris Merritt, and other great artists. The wee hours of the morning are often full of entertainment (so long as they are not sought from the TV set... there is nothing good on at this hour. I PROMISE YOU!).

Much love,

Rachel Lynn

oh yeah... I almost forgot a photo! hmm...

This is one that I took back in April... but I LOVE this photo. Maybe it will inspire you. :)

newness :)

So lately I've been doing a whole bucket load of thinking, pondering, introspection... (whatever word you may choose) about my life and about the things that I place importance and happiness on. Let's just say that it's about time for some dusting and rearranging in the brain room!! In this time of great thinking I've decided to sorta refurbish my blog!! Instead of focusing on the depressing things that happen in my life, I am making a goal right now to be more optimistic and happy about everything in my life. Even if it just that I get to see the sun rise each day (which is a HUGE blessing!!). So with that said... here goes.

I have been on this really random running fetish as of late. It may just be that I'm on vacation alone, and have nothing better to do with all the free time that continues to fall from the deeply blue sky here in the great state of Washington! But I have been loving every minute of it! Today I ran 18.5 miles! That is the most that I have ever run at one time!! I'd like to think that I want to train for and run a half or even a full marathon, but I don't think I have the .. what is the word... DRIVE. I like to run to vent, to release pent up emotion, and to feel the breeze (not to mention that I love to completely rock out to my music when I go on my long runs! ) People give me really weird looks, but I could care less!! On top of that fantastic news is even more glorious news! Tomorrow I am going to the BEACH!! :) WOOT! I'm going to spend a couple (or more) days at the beach to relax and enjoy before I head back to my hometown! It is going to be awesome!!! There is nothing better than sitting by the ocean, soaking up the sun, and doing absolutely nothing! And I will get to spend time with a group of people whom I love so dearly!

So with that said, I shall leave you with a photo! This is also going to be a new thing, I'll add a photo with every post. Some will be mine, but not all.... :)

This is a photo that I took on one of my outings to Big Cedars Park. Awesome park next to a great stream to swim in and soak up the sun! :)

Hope you enjoy!

Much love,

Rachel Lynn

'aint I supposed to be on my vacation?

This weekend has been a not so good one for me... I've spent the last two nights puking my guts out. I don't know why and I'm uber frustrated and grumpy about it. But other than that my vacation has been really great. Lot's of adventures, lots of thinking time, lots of relaxation. The weather has been great here and I've been loving it!! Lot's of hiking, running, etc... I've taken so many photos as well!!! I'm loving it so much that I might move here permanently!! But as much as I am loving it here I find my self more often missing home... Utah. I miss my beautiful Maple Mountain. I miss my backyard with lush green grass that I can lay on and take a nap. I do not miss the heat, but I do miss the fact that the heat keep most the bugs away. That is one thing that bothers me about where I am... great location, beautiful scenery, but it's just humid enough that the bugs are ALWAYS around. They never take a break! Even in the middle of the afternoon when it is very warm... I sit outside in the evenings to enjoy a good book and some lemonade and I go crazy because the stupid mosquito's and flies will not leave me alone... AGH!!!! Anyway, enough rambling about things that have no real importance in life... but I had to get my two cents in. All that said, I've had a lot of time to think about life. It has been a while since I actually sat down and thought about how much importance I place on the little stupid insignificant annoyances in my life. I've realized that I am very selfish, and it stops now. I know that I'm human and I can't be perfect at being completely selfless, but starting right now I am going to make a conscious effort to try my hardest to be more selfless. This world has enough rude, egotistical, selfish people... I don't want to be one of them. :)

This is Mt. Hood. This is my favorite photo that I have taken in the last m

onth. It is amazing!!!

There is beauty all around :)

This is the view I have on my morning runs!! :) It is pretty much the greatest thing ever!

Mt. Adams

I do a loop that is just under 7 miles. I go 1 mile up the road that my house is on and then take a right. The next road up it the Highway and I turn left and go west for 2 miles, turn right onto this dirt road that goes for about a half a mile to a little river called Trout Creek, and then it comes back.

It is probably the most amazingly beautiful place I have ever been. I love it here and I am loving it more everyday!! :) The only hard part is that I don't have cell phone service at the house so I have to drive a half hour to where I go to church to use my cell phone... the good thing is that there is a landline at the house so I'm not completely disconnected... and I have internet so I'm good. :)

Just thought you'd like an update... I LOVE LIFE!!! :)

Much love,

RaeLynn