why i love the fourth

Why I love the 4th of July....

morning hikes

neighborhood parades

the traditional Udall family 4th of July quilt

delicious food

(I realize America is older than 31, the 4th is also my bro-in-law's b-day)

including popsicles

and fireworks with the fam.

(photo credit- my bro jim)

It's my favorite holiday.

park city

A couple of weekends ago my family spent the day up at a ranch house in Park City (my dad's friend runs the place). Between the horseback riding, swimming and one of my nieces getting knocked into the lake by two over-excited Labradors, it was a pretty memorable day.

brooklyn half

So I know I’ve already talked a little about this already and it happened almost a month ago but I wanted to give my sisters a shout out for running the Brooklyn Half Marathon.

The race started in Prospect Park and ended on the Coney Island boardwalk – a really neat spot to finish a race like this. I’ve never been to Coney Island before and it was cool to see it because I doubt would otherwise.

The final stretch.

That's how she rolls (I wonder which side of the family she gets it).

Nathan in front of Nathan's Hot Dogs. Both of them had babies last summer so they called this their comeback. I’m so proud of you sisters!

Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam

Laura and I just got asked to teach Sunbeams (3 year old kids) at our church and I thought it would be fun to put up the hit single "Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam" from the album "Sunday School Rock" by Jordan Wheeler and I. Our band was called Computer Lab Station, and we had played together since our freshman year of college. We generally got our best results when we got together in the early hours of the morning. Like all of our songs "Jesus wants me for a sunbeam" has the beautiful sounds you would expect from various Garageband sound bites with just the right amount of vocal improvisation from J and I.

the truth is out

My friend Megan found this on a blog today.

The fact that it's my name and the date is one day off from my actual birthday (even time of birth is right on, seriously), led her to confirm what she's always believed: that I'm a baby. Touché Megan.

june showers

1) Caitlin Wilson's baby shower hosted by her sister at the Salt Lake Country Club.

Hanging at the Danville table. I'm so proud to be "adopted" into this group.
The flowers were gorgeous.
She got hooked up. 

It was a fancy affair ("Where do you all summer?").

Cutest mom-to-be.

2) Abbie Curtis' Bridal Shower hosted by Milly Hanseen.

My Chi Omega roommates (BLAM for life)

Sweet Chios.

3) We've also had a lot of rain lately.

rollin' with the wheelers

I was lucky enough to hang out with our good friends the Wheelers a few times while I was in New York. They're the best and we miss them a lot.

After eating at a delicious Cuban place in Soho (with the most amazing corn on the cob imaginable) we went to some random street fair in Nolita. I was tempted to purchase Bret a dreamcatcher, they had a fine selection.

Later we got some delicious gelato in the village (it's actually called Grom not Rom, I couldn't fit in the G).

Dance party on their roof

They have a great place right in Harlem. Candice also has some amazing new Ray Bans.

The Wheelers have many New York adventures and are full of one-of-a-kind stories. You should check them out. Thanks for hanging out with me Wheelers, it was a dream come true. Bret was jealous he missed out.