Hunting

I posted some pictures of me with a dead deer on mine and Kevin’s blog, so I figure a rundown of what went through my head that day is in order. I’ve gone hunting with Kevin numerous times, but nobody ever shot anything. I was getting pretty comfortable riding Dollar up to some peak in the wee hours of the morning and then looking for deer and elk through binoculars and a spotting scope. I love to see the animals! After a long day on a really rough trail, Brock, Kevin, and I began our long ride down Maple Mountain. All of a sudden, Brock jumped off of his horse, grabbed his gun from his scabbard, and he took a shot. I barely had time to jump off Dollar and grab his lead rope before the beautiful and graceful buck standing on the knoll ahead, looking over the beautiful valley below, hit the snow with a mighty thud. At first adrenaline surged through my body as I calmed Dollar down from the shot. Then the realization hit me; the deer was dead. Kevin told me to stay back as they went to make sure that the poor animal wasn’t struggling. The buck wasn’t, Brock shot him straight through the heart. Over the next thirty minutes or so, Brock skinned and quartered up the deer. It was very solemn for me. I had an intense realization of how fragile life is. With a pull of a trigger life can be lost. In one instance, the world can be changed forever. As I saw the inside of the deer’s body, I realized how amazing our bodies are, yet how fragile. I wasn’t so much sad for the end of the deer’s life, as I was amazed at God’s creations and God’s plan. Every living thing born in this world will return to the earth. So I know you're probably wondering...I have NO desire to shoot anything living but I love being in the mountains with Kevin. Seeing Brock shoot that deer didn't upset me as much as I thought it would. It was almost spiritual in some weird way.

PG-13 for brief nudity.....butt very funny!

Pics from Myrtle Beach Summer 07

Take me to the beach momma!!!



My 3 favorite Power Rangers



Nothing worse than sand in the crack!



Baby Yoga on the Beach



Beach Boys

A new season

We’re right on the cusp of winter. As my body adjusts to the cold, I spend every day sitting at my desk, wrapped in a fleece blanket. I’m freezing. Even at midday, there is a chill in the air. This has been a hard couple of days for me. I just flew back from SC on Sunday. I’m always a little sad when I leave “home” and fly west, but I’m over it before the plane flies over the Rockies. This time was different. The realization finally hit me. “Home” is now Utah. SC is just where I grew up. As happy as I am being married and as much as I love Utah, I feel as if part of me is lost. The cultures are just so different. Whenever we make decisions, no matter how wonderful they are, there are always sacrifices attached.

Bridezilla!!!!

So I never turned into Bridezilla for real....our wedding was just perfect! Low stress and only family and a few local friends. The second picture is for my dad; it is of him and his favorite Catawaba indian. : )

Locked out

Today started out like a normal day. Kevin left for work and I set out for a run. I grabbed Kevin’s keys instead of mine, and when I got back from running I had 10 minutes to get ready and get out the door. The house key on Kevin’s key ring wouldn’t fit. I started to freak out a little bit. Here I was in running shorts and a soaking wet t-shirt locked out of the house. What were my options? I’m pretty good at breaking in if I have a credit card or library card so I thought I’d start there. I searched Kevin’s truck for anything thin and plastic. Nothing. Blast. Next option…..I could drive to Kevin’s parents house, and see if they have a spare key, or spare change of clothes I could work in; then I looked at the clock 8am- they were surely already at work. Think Jessica- THINK! Kevin said he was working for an hour or so in Springville and I thought I knew the neighborhood they have been working in, so I jumped in his truck, wiped the sweat off of my forehead and started searching for his work van. It didn’t take long before I found him. Thank goodness he was outside. I would have died if I would have met his co-workers for the first time wearing running shorts, a shirt with sweaty pits and a nice sweat mark running down my back. Sweet Kevin met me at the house, and after a few minutes of battling with the 1950’s lock and key….we were in! Whew! I was so relieved I didn’t have to show up to work in my sweaty running clothes and nappy bed head.

Pearl Harbor and Sept. 11th

While visiting Pearl Harbor, I realized this tragedy in our country's history was so emotionally traumatic to the people who lived through it, whether they were there when it happened, or not. Anyone alive on December 7th 1941 will never forget where they were when they learned of the devastation. I have to admit, every December 7th passes and I never associate the day with Pearl Harbor- I didn't experience it first hand, but I bet my Grandma makes the connection each year. She would have been in high school.
Now for the rest of my life....I will always think of the terrorist attacks when I hear "September 11th." Six years later and the date is just as, if not more, engraven on my mind. I don't know why I did, but I pulled up some footage of the planes crashing into the towers on YouTube today. I guess I wanted to stir the emotions within me, I wanted to feel some of the sorrow I felt six years ago. History will always provide us with stories of tragedy and devastation; the scary part is that history will be made in our lifetimes and our children's. What dates will be burnt into the minds of our children?

Adventures of the Mom and Dad

My parents just got back from Mexico/Guatemala. They toured around all of the historical sites and archaeological digs that support the stories in the Book of Mormon. John Lund, a prominent LDS church historian was their personal tour guide. The fact my parents went on this trip is not the least bit surprising to me, but I was shocked when they reported the 9 zip line rides they took through the jungle. My mom said, "I was standing in the top of this tree, well more like hugging this tree and I look over and there are monkeys swinging from tree to tree. That's when you know you are not where you are suppose to be." Mom is scared....no petrified of heights, so I was proud of her for facing her fear and allowing some adventure in. They seemed to enjoy their time there and are planning a trip with John Lund to Israel next year.

Run Forrest Run!

I have definitely regressed in my running abilities since high school cross country, but I hit a mile mark today. I've had knee trouble since 05' and it got a lot worse in the last year so my runs are always cut short with knee pain and I end up walking a lot. I've been running/walking a 2.5 mile loop everyday but could never run after this long downhill slope that killed my knees. So I came up with a plan......knee braces. I look and feel like Forrest Gump, but a miracle happened! My knees didn't hurt until the last little bit. I finished the loop for the first time without walking. I feel like a cripple now and can barely walk down stairs, but I did it! I never thought I'd be excited to run 2.5 miles, but then again I never thought I'd have bad knees at 24. : )

We're alive.....

It’s been over a month since my last post. Kevin and I got married, spent a week cruising around the Hawaiian Islands and are slowly but surely adjusting to married life.

Kevin and I have had fun making his bachelor pad into a “home”. We’ve had quite the adventure trying to find a mattress that we both like, that doesn’t kill our backs. Kevin brought the latest one home yesterday. I feel like Goldilocks. This one is too hard….this one is too soft…..and hopefully this new one will be just right!

Next weekend Kevin and I are heading up Nebo. We’re going to take Dollar and camp in luxury. We’ll load Dollar down with all of our gear/food and the three of us will make a weekend of it.

I'll try to post pictures soon. You can find our wedding proofs at www.haleyannwarner.com. Just go to online proofing.

Final Count Down......

With three days until my wedding, I feel surprisingly calm. Kevin makes it easy though. Mom, Grandma, Heather, and Aimee fly in tomorrow, and I am looking forward to spending some time with them. I love you all! I’ll post pictures as soon as we’re back from Hawaii!
Here are some pictures from Myrtle Beach:

Bridesmaids!!!

I flew to SC last weekend to be in Isabel's wedding. It was super busy, but the wedding was gorgeous!!!

Elder Scotty- Alive and well!

I’m off to Colorado for a 3 day work trip, but I just heard from my dear friend Elder Scotty, who is serving an LDS mission in OK. Here is a paragraph from his last letter:

“I used to like dogs before my mission. Now I hate them.

I nearly got swallowed by a humungadunga german shepherd in the ghetto a few days ago. This HUGE unchained and uncollared dog tears out of a front yard after me on a bike (I was on the bike, not the dog), with a guttural growly bark and tail firmly planted in a fixed and unfriendly position. This wasn’t a “Look! Something fun to chase!” bark, it was a “MURDER DEATH KILL AAARGH!” bark. I was much more scared than the raccoon incident. I did the smartest thing, yelp and tear off quickly on the bike. I had to be rocking at 25+ MPH and the dog was right behind me, timing his head to the pedaling motion of my sweet, succulent calf. As proof that mercy is an operating law in the universe, after 300 yards the dog slowed off and went his way. Another 300 yards away was a brave, strikingly apathetic Lawton Police officer parked under the shade of a tree picking his nose, who was shocked to be bothered with such unimportant reports of a man-eating dog on the loose. I’m going to start carrying “strong enough for a man, but made for a dog” pepper spray. Or maybe a machete.”

I love this story for many reasons but a few of my favorite reasons are:
1- There was a raccoon incident not expounded on that really stimulates my imagination!
2-Scott used the adjective “humungadunga”
3- I can picture Scott in his missionary attire pumping his legs like crazy, tie flapping in the wind.
4- The police officer wasn’t eating donuts or talking to a fellow officer; he was picking his nose.

Thanks for the laughs Elder Scotty!

Kevin and Me

My biggest adventure yet!!!!!

If I told you I was getting married in four weeks would you believe me? Well, if I would have told myself I would be getting married in four weeks just 4 days ago, I wouldn’t have believed me either, but it’s time to believe! Kevin and I will be married on August 4th in Salt Lake and will fly to Hawaii on Sunday for a week long cruise around the islands. No one thought we could plan a wedding in 4 weeks, but things are falling into place perfectly and with every day that passes we are more and more thankful we chose not to wait longer. We’re not having a reception, but if you want an announcement, email me your address! Love you all!