no such thing as too much fun.

talk about time flying while you're having fun.

i can't believe that it's already the middle of july...which means before i know it i'll be takin' roll and making seating charts.

here's a few highlights.

{1.} starting a new job.

coolest thing ever. i'm working with great people, great kids, and in a great community. who knew work could be so fun? my days in the summer are filled with visiting student's supervised agricultural experience projects...i.e helping them with their fair animals, checking out their crops and gardens, and even helping restore an old tractor. highlights from my new job:

{summer ag teacher conference.} eighty-something ag teachers in one place at one time=lots of learning. even more laughing.

{chapter officer retreat.} jason, wayne, and i (the other 2 ag teachers at box elder) took the 8 chapter officers on an overnight campout up to cinnamon creek for a leadership retreat. it's a camp ground owned by the church and operated by senior missionaries couples. we managed to have a lot of laughs and good times and i'm so excited to work with these kids that i already love so much!

{chapter officer leadership training (colt).} i have a lot of fun memories from colt after being a state officer and national officer candidate. it was fun to sit back and relax and let the state officers do the work. hey, i paid my dues! there were about 15 chapters at northern colt and the sitting around and chatting with other ag teachers was definitely a highlight. i left the camp feeling so unbelievably right about where i was in life.

i can't imagine doing anything else.

{2} family vacation.

each year, our family takes a trip up to alberta (usually) and glacier national park in montana. it's easily one of my favorite places on earth. for as long as i can remember we've been going on trips to glacier so it has become a very important part of my summer :). this year, every

one was able to come except for angela, john, and clay. hopefully everyone will be there next year!! we camped for a couple nights at our favorite campground, apgar, at lake mcdonald, and then headed over to the whitefish lake lodge, also a place we grew up going to. this year, as we all know, was record-breaking in the snow department. glacier was obviously not overlooked by mother nature. we arrived in west glacier and much to our dismay, read a sign that said, "logan

pass closed. going-to-the-sun road open 16 miles" what?? it was July 9th! that is unheard of! the pass had never been stayed closed this late before. fortunately, we were able to stay until it opened on July 13th. our family has been there for 2 pretty historic days. first, in 2003 when the largest forest fire hit glacier and we were pretty much caught in it. and now

this, going over the pass on the latest open-date in history. the snow was still covering the restrooms at the visitors center at the top of the pass, meaning it was still at least 10 feet deep!

{lake mcdonald on a beautiful clear morning,

and again later that everning}

{dylan becoming a junior forest ranger}

{the family at the lake}

{ella and papa payne at whitefish}

{at the top of the pass...lotta snow}

{3.} life lessons.

this summer has proven to be one of the most interesting learning experiences of my life. i have learned so much about myself and who i want to be. maybe graduating from college flipped a switch on me. i have always known who i want to become, however it has all really been solidified over the past few months. prioritizing what is most important and focusing on how to get there has really helped me understand the perspective that i need to have.

happy trails.