Spartans

So when I say that I have things to catch up on I am serious! SO here goes.

The Spartan Race.

Since about February, my good friend Matt has been obsessed with the idea of doing a Spartan Race. The Spartan is a race that can be anywhere from 3-15 miles long, with 10+ obstacles during the race. It's nuts!

Finally in July the time for the Spartan had arrived. Matt assembled a team of 15+ people who all decided to join in the Spartan fun. For the record, I was not part of this team, I was on the cheerleading team for this event. The team consisted of people in our group of friends new and old. Three of the boys on the team came from each coast for this little friendship reunion which I loved. We all spent the weekend with Matt's family and stayed up later they most should have for running this race the next day but ooooh well.

After everyone went to bed Laurel, Cara, and I stayed up late to make signs for the runners which are not pictured. The following morning, after a breakfast for champions, we headed out for the race and were out of the house by 7:30 am. Probably shouldn't have made all those signs because we were feeling it.

We finally got to the location in Midvale, UT and took in all the Spartaness. This place was crazy and filled with plenty of attractive men walking around without their shirts on so don't worry about that, energy, and the "Spartan Spirit". We took one big group picture, wrote some numbers on our team, and off they went.

Aside from running 8+ miles these were the obstacles that they had to finish and if they could not they had to do burpees. Here are the obstacles from what I gathered:

1. jump over a wall, then run under a net rope

2. over a wall, under a wall, through a wall, then repeated again

3. shoot a gun

4. climb a net rope thing

5. over a 6. foot wall, then 8 foot wall, then a 10 foot wall

6. balance boards

7. balance on logs as you try to get across

8. cinder block carry

9. rope climb

10. carry a tire

11. rubrics cube

12. monkey bars

13. javelin throw

14. some weird wall slicked down with soap that you had to climb and slide down the other side 15. mud crawl under bared wire

16. fire jump

17. mud pit swim

Like I said, I just was just a cheerleader so I had fun watching them do all of these things.

So here is my photo documentation of this event.

All of the runners

Everyone that went! Runners and cheer squad

Matt and I. This is what I did all day long. Wrote the runners numbers wherever they wanted it. I seriously loved this job.

Matt, Me, Kris, and Tyler just bonding and prepping for the race. I was the motivator as well I'd like to think.

There were only three girls that ran but these are all of the girls that went

Emma = Runner Laurel and I = biggest fans Emma really is just sooo hardcore.

Some of the boys right before the race. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that all of the boys cut their hair in mohawks and tried to grow beards for this event. Super proud.

After the event started we had time to get to know/take picture of the Spartans that hit you with the q-tip things as you run across that finish line. They loved us.

Some obstacles

Team Horkleys

Proud finishers. Just displaying their manliness

After the race the runners and spectators got to eat, dance, listen to music, get free drinks, and sign the contestant walls. Once again, soo proud.

Finally after a long, hot, sweaty, tough, and fun day full of memories it was time to go home. But, not before taking this beauty.

Everything said and done this was seriously one of the highlights of the summer.

We had so much fun this weekend and all were participants in some way. Such a fun memory. This was one of the first times I got to cheer on Emma in something like this and I enjoyed being on the side but only for a bit.

We've decided, well I've decided and made Adam decided too, that we are doing a Spartan in November 19 in Malibu, CA. Some of the people pictured will come and participate too. It will be a fun event and I seriously can't wait.

I was glad I had the chance to go to this and cheer on all of my friends. They really are just Spartan Strong.

Things to come...

These are the things that I have to blog about in the coming days.

Maybe they will be seperate posts maybe they won't.

The Spartan Race

The end of school

Girls Camp 2011

Crazy day in LA

Welcome home Elder Nelson

Family Vacation

Maybe a few other things but I haven't got there yet.

Flash Dance Moment

This one is for you Mom.
So Monday night was our ward Closing Social (not really our closing since we're doing mud football tonight and a dessert Linger Longer on Sunday but whatever). After the social we all came home and underloaded my car from the last closing social I will be in charge of.
As I was unloading my car I found a water jug from the weekend that Emma and I failed to finish. All of my roommates plus a few on lookers (8+ people) where standing on my balcony when I looked at Emma and said
"what if I just pour this over my head all sexy like?"
Well, everyone started yelling for me to do it.

My own personal Flash Dance Moment.
One thing led to another and this happened.
I thought no one had a camera but I can't get that lucky.

I don't really know why I did it or what possessed me to but it happened.
Not sexy at all really.
Funny more than anything. Eventually, about 30% of the girls in our ward came out and wondered what was going on so they as well go to share in the magic as well. This picture makes me a little embarrassed but apparently not embarrassed enough not to post it. Reason it's for you Mom? "All I ever wanted was a Princess Alexis, but I got you." Me in response: "I know Mom, one day we'll get there!" Looks like we've still got a long way to go. Somethings just feel right.

Fourth of July

When I was younger, the only thing that I looked forward to on the Fourth of July was not having to do anything, being in my swim suit all day, and making toilet paper roll bombs with my Uncle Randy and his friends.

As I get older I have soon found out that I love this Holiday more than any other (except for Thanksgiving, they'll pretty much tied). For the past few years I have gone to Bear Lake, Idaho with some close friends and their family. This year we had a lot of options for July 4th but we decided to just stay in Idaho and have a relaxing weekend in town.

To my surprise it was the greatest! We started the weekend on Friday night with outdoor volleyball, dinner, movie, and finished with a fire outside, all filled with lots and lots of friends. Saturday: After sleeping in for hours, we got a big group of people together and went to Rigby lake. We were there all day it felt like. We were actually only there for six hours, but it was the hottest sun ever to me though so it felt like all day! I even got a little burnt which never happens! I was just glad to have some color and was so happy to be with lots of friends.

We BBQ'd all day and I love that about this weekend. For lunch we had hot dogs. This is Kris. I like to give nicknames and I called him the Weiny King for the day. Probably not the most appropriate but it still makes me laugh a little bit.

We also enjoyed sides like watermelon. I felt like there was an endless supply of that. So delicious.While waiting for our lunch to settle we went and did some Karaoke. I thought that it would just be funny to say I was going to do it and then trick all of my friends into doing it, but no dice. I was the first one. I sang with my friend Leif. A nice little duet called "Love the Way You Lie" by Eminem and Rihanna. Maybe you've heard of it. We took a video but it embarrasses me sooo much that I can't post it. Here is Leif and I after our little number just so pleased with our performance. We then got to watch almost everyone in our group sing themselves. Emma and Jenny finished off the group by singing "Summer Lovin" from Grease which was a great way for us to end. Emma had some great dance moves and that is a video that I feel is worth posting when I find it.
We then went back to the water and played for a few more hours. A couple of us even decided to swim across the lake and we did great! Finally we decided to go home. On our way home though we spotted this beauty. Emma started freaking out before I saw it and then finally yelled "AMERICA" which meant that we had to take a picture next to it because it really was just so American.
We then later went to the Duck Pond here in Rexburg but did not stay long because five mins into our duck feeding we were getting eaten alive by mosquitoes and I couldn't handle it so I ran away and didn't take any pictures except for Emma kissing her Diet Pepsi because she said it was a necessity for this weekend.
That night we just relaxed some more had another small fire and enjoyed some nice weather. Really nothing too exciting. Sunday was the exact same thing.
Finally on Monday we got to celebrate! We started our day out by playing 3 hours worth of Sand Volleyball. I wanted to die about 20 mins into playing because my shoulders were burnt and I have found out that I am the biggest baby when I'm burnt. Oh well. the whole time that we played the Rexburg parade was going on and we got to see that and listen to the great music that it provided. After playing we all went home and washed up for the day. We had a huge BBQ. The only thing we listened to while there? American pride music. Eventually they fixed the flag and it looked ten times better. It's still hanging now actually.
We then all jumped into cars and went down to Idaho Falls. This is where they have the biggest firework show this side of the Mississippi. That could totally be false but that's just what I heard. We spent the time waiting for the show to start by drawing with sidewalk chalk, playing volleyball, catch, eating, and just whatever felt right.
We did some walking around and stopped at some of the crazy street vender's. It really was such a nice afternoon because the weather. We sat right on the water and directly across from the temple and directly on the falls which made for a great view.
So the falls were accidentally cut out but you get the gist.
As the night went on everyone got more and more excited for the show to start.
This was taken right before fireworks. I just like it because Adam and his ghost like complexion make me look the tannest ever! We had to get one in. So so sooo excited for the fireworks to start. Finally the fireworks started and it was so happy. Not really the best but I loved the show so much that I only took this at the very beginning of the show. Just imagine lots and lots of firework that filled up the entire sky. The show went on for 30-45 mins and was absolutely spectacular. It felt like the were exploding right over you and shook your body every time. It was amazing! After the Idaho Falls show we went to a member of our bishoprics home who invited us to come over and watch him blow off some of his illegal fireworks, he's such a good example. Illegal or not they were great! I loved them so much. My favorite part would have to be when Brother Smith "accidentally" tossed them our way and they went off 5 feet away from us. He yelled "oh crap", I hid under a blanket and all the boys who surrounded me ran away without even checking on me. Epic fail on their part. I kept shouting at the boy I was there with that if we were dating we'd be completely broken up. Little dramatic I know but he left me. Finally our night and extremely long day was over, or so we thought. We got back on the road to Rexburg. Traffic was awful and our 30 mins drive ended up being 1 1/2 hours long! My car and a few others took a detour and I was the only one who got home in under two hours because I super ILEGALLY cut through a shoulder and a construction zone. Thanks to the three boys in my car giving me courage to break the law! And, sorry that the cop caught you and not me Emma. Somethings just happen.

All and all it was a great day! I love the Fourth of July and was so glad I could spend it with close friends and everything was so nice!