Catching up on October

I can't believe that we are already 2/3 of the way through October!  I have quite a few pictures that I've been meaning to post so here goes...  

First of all... Taylor. Swift.  The concert was awesome.  I mean there were quite a few little girls and screaming teenagers, but we didn't expect anything different.  She really puts on a great show with lots of effects and fireworks and dancers and all that.  And I may have teared up a little when she came out on stage.  I mean I just couldn't believe that I was actually there. 

Waiting at the TRAX station

The only picture I got of the stage.. the camera battery was near dead as it turned out :(

We did manage to fight off the crowds long enough to buy me this sweet T.Swift t-shirt.  I say $30 well spent.  Sometimes I just get so caught up that $30 seems like a small price to pay for memorabilia such as this...

So basically the concert was great.  I mean it was kind of expensive, but I was really sad when I missed the last time she came to town and I just had to go this time.  

Then... it decided to SNOW the first week of October!  We're talking full on blizzard like snow.  Luckily it didn't stick in the valley, but the mountains still have snow on them.

Here is our lovely apartment building with good ol' snow covered Mount Olympus behind

Luckily, after the blizzard week the weather shaped up quite nicely and it's been in the 60s and 70s every day for the past couple of weeks with even a few days near 80.    Fall really is my favorite season.  I just love the cooler temperatures and the beautiful changing leaves.  Jason had fall break last week and we tried to take advantage of his free evenings and go hiking as much as possible.  Here are some pictures from up Milcreek canyon...

Here's a view of Oly post blizzard.

We went up the temple quarry trail another evening...

Then last Friday we rented Jason a mountain bike for the weekend so we could do some trail riding.  It was seriously so gorgeous, but I didn't take any pictures on account of me being on the bike.  We drove one car up to the top of the canyon to start and then we rode the trail down and then we had my car at the bottom so we could shuttle back up to grab the other car.  Well when we got to the top and I tried to start my car again it wouldn't start....turns out somebody was out of gas... Luckily it did make it all the way to the top and Jason was able to coast it on down to the gas station at the bottom of the canyon...  My bad on forgetting to get gas..

On Saturday we ran our annual 5k for the Christ Lutheran School.  This is the 3rd year that I've run this race and it's pretty funny because it's really small and basically the only ones that run it are friends and parents of the students...and me and my friends.  This year my friend Alicia (who's done it the past 2 years) couldn't so I recruited a few friends from work and of course Jason.  The reason why I love this race so much is because everyone is a winner.  We all walked out with trophies and medals.  And this year I won a $10 gift certificate to Dick's Sporting Goods and a hoodie and Jason won a free massage in the raffle, which I promptly traded him for my gift certificate.

Josh, Heather, Me and Jason

I was 3rd overall female (9th overall)

Jason was first in his division

On Tuesday we decided to take a drive through Guardsman Pass which goes from the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon into Park City.  Unfortunately, we were about 3 weeks late because most of the leaves had already dropped at that elevation, but we did discover this super pretty lookout at the top.  I think we need to do more exploring because there are seriously so many trails and mountain roads that I've never been to and it's all so close to us.  So even though there weren't a ton of pretty leaves it was still a really nice drive and we got to see the crazy nice lodges of Deer Valley Resort.  And we got 7 eleven hot chocolate on the way home.  I say an evening well spent.

Also in case you ever need to remove a venomous snake I now know what number to call...


AND I signed up for a half marathon yesterday with my friend Alicia...for October 29th!  I hope I don't die.  There's pretty much no time to train and I'm definitely not in half marathon shape.  The good news is that a lot of people will be wearing bulky costumes so maybe that will give me a slight advantage.  I think I'll just wear a pumpkin shirt or something and hope for the best.  There will be medals for those who finish...