Right now, Trevor is in the midst of studying for CPA exams and so almost every waking moment is spent studying for these exams or working in the tax lab or finishing up class work for his last semester in his masters program. Trevor is usually pretty good about taking breaks and escaping into nature with me and Cooper. This winter we had 3 snow days up in Logan and as you might imagine - TONS of snow to go with it. So we've tried to take advantage of all the xc skiing before all of the snow melted.
I used to dread winter, before I started xc skiing. It was nearly impossible to enjoy the outdoors and was so difficult to get around in my wheelchair. But skiing has totally transformed winter for me and I actually really enjoy nature in the winter.
Winter can still wear on me though, I love being outdoors and in sunlight. So all these short days and minimal sunlight can be a bit of a downer. So my mom, sister and I decided to escape for a girls weekend to Paradise Valley, AZ. And let me tell you in the middle of a cold winter, it really was paradise. Between our morning pool time, afternoon workouts and fabulous dinners on the outdoor patio, it definitely lived up to it's theme #treatyoself2017
We stayed up talking until 2 A.M. the first night, but we still wanted to maximize our pool time so I ended up falling asleep on the pool floaty. There I was awkwardly passed out and floating into people in the pool. Meanwhile, Kaaren and Laura were by the poolside eating lunch and laughing at me. We left the resort a few times, but every time we came back we questioned why we ever left in the first place because we loved it so much. If you are ever looking for a weekend getaway the JW Marriot Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort will not disappoint. It was the perfect girls weekend filled with endless conversations and laugher because lets be honest, if you hang out with Kaaren there is bound to be laughter.
We can't forget our dog child, Cooper. He really is our child. Cooper turned two this month and people told me he'd grow out of the playful puppy stage around this time, but he hasn't. And I don't even mind. He is a bit needy, but I have to remember I got him when I was single and avoiding men. Cooper really did get a lot of attention as a puppy. My mom even refers to him as her dog grandchild and my whole family might be a little excessively in love with him. So it's not all Cooper's fault, we really do encourage his needy behavior sometimes. Taking Cooper xc skiing with us really was the best. One week we couldn't take him because his paw was bleeding and it broke my heart when I saw other dogs out on the trail. So you better bet we bought doggy paw protectors and took him with us the next time - HE LOVED IT. He would sprint ahead and then run back to us and frolic in the giant snow banks. Making Cooper happy makes me happy, that's what it's like to have a real child right? So that's why Cooper is our dog-child. I know this is probably an unhealthy relationship, but I'm conscious of it so it's fine.
Other than that January was a little crazy with a handful of speaking engagements. I've really come to embrace sharing my story and speaking. Sometimes it can be overwhelming with everything else going on in life, but January was good. I was a little exhausted after teaching all day and then speaking at night. I'm continually being reminded that Cache Valley is so interconnected. I'm constantly meeting people and making connections of who is related to who etc. It can be fun and exhausting trying to remember them all. But I really do love that about the "small town" feel of Cache Valley. I know we are really going to miss that when we move. Trevor will graduate in May and my school year will finish in June. We knew our time in Logan had an expiration date when we moved into our first apartment together. But there will be a lot that I miss about Logan, Trevor studying all the time will not be one of them.
I officially became Mrs. Brittany Fisher Frank after a trip down to the Social Security Office in Ogden. Trevor used to joked with me the first time we dated about me becoming his B.F.F. Now it's official. Sitting in the room waiting to change my name made me even more grateful for Trevor. This world is CRA-ZY or maybe just the Ogden Social Security office is, but either way it just made me so grateful for everything - especially Trevor. I know I've been complaining about all of his studying lately, but he's been working so hard and going above and beyond in everything he does.
And that's been life lately. Nothing too exciting or out of the ordinary. Social media has this way of only displaying the highlights in our lives. But I want to remember that life isn't just about the mountain tops or peaks in our lives, it's the walking in between.