If you have to sign a death waiver, it's probably worth doing.

 Last year after Ryan ran the Tough Mudder with his co-workers I decided that it was something I wanted to do. It sounded fun, a little insane, but fun. So we spread the word and found 6 other crazies to join us in the run! This summer I started to train and something crazy happened, I actually started to enjoy running. And not just the enjoyment that comes after a run, but I started to enjoy it as I was doing it! I started to understand what people mean when they say running is mostly mental, I always thought that was a load of BS before. But I really learned if I pushed past the sucky parts it can actually be really rewarding and fun... crazy I know! So for those of you that don't know what a Tough Mudder is a 12 mile and 25 obstacles challenge not a race, that you complete with a team. So last weekend we made our way up to Austin, TX for the Tough Mudder I was feeling super ready even despite getting sick earlier that week. Then the beautiful steady weather in 80 and 90's we have been enjoying for weeks here in south TX decided to drop into the 50's. This weather might have been nice if it where not for the water and mud obstacles especially considering our second obstacle was to swim through and ice pool and we had to swim under this board so I was pretty much numb from mile 1 to 12. I could not warm up! Every time we started to dry off there would be another water obstacle, it was rough. The rest of the obstacles where fun, jumping off a 20 ft platform into a lake, getting over all the walls as a team, a  sideways rock climbing type one, monkey bars, running with a log, the mud mile, low crawls, crawling through tunnels, running up a half-pipe and much more but the worst of the worst where the electricity ones! And they had 3 of them this year and it was much worse than I expected. It was more of a jolt through your whole body than a shock! The last one at the finish line was the worst I got shocked like 5 times because you just have to run though a bunch of wires, luckily it was over after that! But overall it was a really fun time and I would definitely consider doing it again. It felt good to accomplish it and it was super fun to do with Ryan!

Dinner @ Botticell's, carb loading with the team the night before!

Before, still clean and semi warm!

Only picture during the race... and at the worst part.
 Those would be electricity wires you see, and that would be me that slipped in the mud.
Trying really hard not to cry right there.

WE FINISHED AND COMPLETED EVERY OBSTACLE!
That was my goal going into it but I almost did not finish the 2nd electricity
 one, I super panicked but Ryan came back and did it again with me. What a sweetheart :)

Deb and I trying to warm up after the race!

Dirty Tough Mudders.

Then we got to enjoy the rest of our 3 day weekend in Austin. What a treat, Austin is my favorite city in Texas that we have ventured to so far. We pigged out at the food trucks and other delicious local eats. Walked in and around the Capitol building. Explored South Congress and just enjoyed a fun weekend together!

Ryan's new phone came in the day before we left so we had to test out the new features!

Brie in crepes = best idea ever!

I do not know a better way to end a trip than with cupcakes and sprinkles :)

September shenanigans...

Last week Taylor and I had some fun girl time while Ryan was out of town for a week long training. We did girlie things like work on projects, watching girlie shows and ate lots of grilled cheese sandwiches... super random but I could not get enough of them last week! 

Tay

 One night of my girlie week I went to dinner with all the girls from work, we headed over the bridge to the island which is still part of Corpus but makes for a fun quick little 10 min get away with a great beach atmosphere.. I really should go out there more I love it! We ate at Black Sheep Bistro and it was a hit!                                                                                                                 

Tiffany & I

Kelley & Rachel 

And to end the girlie week Becca and I threw a shower for our friend Lindsey and her sweet little baby on the way! It was a fun afternoon with lots of pink, great company and yummy food! Baby Elliott received lots of fun things for her arrival in November! So excited! 

I look like a giant in my wedges...

Yep that would be football in the background you see, the Texans where playing and Texans don't take their football lightly :)

This little detail I stole from another shower I heard about but loved it. Each guest in lieu of bringing a card brings a baby book to sign instead. I thought it was such a fun idea instead of a card that will get thrown away to start the baby's library!

Ryan got back on Sunday which was awesome because now I can actually fall asleep at night... details details!

The End

The not so surprising surprise...

Ryan 18 days in Utah & Idaho

+

Whittney 13 days in Utah & Idaho

=

One super long post!

Ryan took off to Utah for some fun dude days and I followed close behind! I flew in late one night and partied with Dan and A-Rock then the next morning we where off to the beautiful state of Idaho with a stop in there to visit my Aunt Vicki, cousin Savannah and her cute kiddos.

Love this place!

Home Sweet Home!

Charlotte and I reunited at last... she really missed her aunt Whittney :)

Charlotte meeting her uncle Ryan... this was her first reaction. Ha, a little unsure. 

But it only took took two seconds for her to warm up to him! 

***

The next day we went to Lava Hot Springs with Ryan's fam. It was a party with 7 cousins on that side now. We got to meet the sweet new little babies, Beckham, Paizley and Baron! We swam and played and slid and water rockclimbed with the fearless "big kids". Seriously they where fearless and fun and cute and growing up way to fast!

Travis and Ryan helping Aniston down the slide. She looks like she is crying and terrified, but I promise that is laughter and tears of joy haha she LOVED that slide!

***

The next day we ventured to Driggs with my familia with a pit stop through Rexburg and Monkey Rock. A fun little walk through our old stomping grounds! I was sad to make it Driggs with no view of the the Tetons or any signs of mountians for that matter, it was SO smokey from all the Idaho fires. But we took a beautiful drive up ski hill road to Targhee and rode the lift to the top and from there we had a beautiful hazy view of the Tetons and did some little fun hiking around and enjoying the Huckleberry Festivals! I love huckleberries... especially in the form of a shake :) We spent the rest of the day with my sweet  Grandma and Grandpa Price in Driggs.

Targhee!!!

Tyler is most definitely flipping me off in this pic... real cool Tyler!

Which reminds me of a funny story involving Tyler and flipping people off... It was two summers ago and the week of Kaylee and Tyler's wedding. Tyler flipped off some "crazy" lady while driving. Turns out that crazy lady was my mother, he had just given the bird to his almost mother in law! Ha ohhh Tyler.

                                     

Ryan and Tyer doing "manly" things like throwing big rocks.

Had to.

Charlotte really really wanted some of Ryan's shake that he was teasing her with.

***

The next day was Sunday Funday with TWO baby blessings! First was Ryan's brother Travis and Janae blessed their sweet little Beckham and had a delish brunch at her parents. The his brother Chris and Jessica blessed Paisley and had a fun get together at their place. More fun time with those cute little nieces and nephews!

Ice blocking! This kept the littlies entertained for quite some time, they loved it! It was so funny to watch all the different ways they would go down, or the ways their uncles would tell them to.  Funny story, Blaze is such a good big brother and cousin he pushed that ice block up that hill over and over again thinking he was going to get a chance to ride down but every time one of the girls would jump on and slide down right after he made it to the top. So without saying anything or getting upset he would run back down and push it up again. Finally after this happening about 8 times Blaze lost it and says "I just cant take it anymore!" It was hilarious. End of story.

***

The rest of our week in Idaho was a fun blur of lunch dates, tennis match, game nights, a Potter family get together, Emily's volleyball game, BYU football bash with both families, making a "greenie" package for Elder Potter, relaxing and enjoying the beautiful weather. Oh and Ryan trying to beat me in Ping Pong... which he did once, I won't tell you how many tries that took :)

i love my Charlotte time!

Team Evans!

Emily's cheering section!

Yep they weigh the exact same amount.

The Evans cousins!

***

Luckily we had more fun plans for after Idaho so I didn't even have to be sad about leaving! We spent the last few days in Utah hanging out with our friengs! We got to stay with the awesome Total Moedl's and take a tour of their new home that is almost done ekk plus I got to feel little baby Moedl kick so that was worth the whole trip right there! Extra bonus the YGBG's where visiting also! We got to have a girlie dinner with my bf Nattie before she left to Idaho! The boys got to do manly things like shoot guns and we got to do even better stuff like shopping, pedi's and fro-yo. Games were played, Scattergories for a teeny tiny bit, Settlers for awhile and then Dominion for a ridiculous amout of time. I also was introduced to Parks and Recreation... yes I am the very last person to jump on the band wagon but I am super happy to be there, that show is hilar! 

(photo borrowed from the talented MB)

And now are back home to the blazing heat and our Ttay!