Engagements

I have a thing for Andrew.  

I think that is pretty dang obvious.  

Somehow he kind of has a thing for me.  

And we have a thing for red rocks.  

Canyoneering, jeeping, camping, hiking, climbing.  Anything to do with those red rocks has our name all over it.  And of course most of the major moments in our relationship have happened in red rock land.  

FIRST KISS:  on top of one of Moab's greatest jeeping trails, Hell's Revenge.

FIRST TIME WE SAID "I LOVE YOU": after sky diving over the canyon lands of Moab.

So seeing as some of my favorite moments have happened in some of Utah's most gorgeous canyon lands, I thought it was only appropriate to take our engagements pictures in yet another one of my favorite red rock canyons, Capital Reef.  

I will admit I was a tad bit stressed about engagements.  Andrew and I are not the most photogenic couple and most of our pictures consist of both of us sticking our tongues out. But luckily my soon-to-be brother and sister-in-law are magical with the camera.       

And to top it all off… our classic pose.  We couldn't help it.

Canyoneering

This weekend we went to Capital Reef for a little engagement photo shoot session and as an added bonus we got to go CANYONEERING.  

If we are being honest, until this weekend I had absolutely no idea what "canyoneering" really meant.  And when I originally agreed to the trip I agreed because:  

A.  I wanted to be semi-warm while shooting engagements and somewhere down south sounded much warmer than the bipolar weather Salt Lake has to offer. 

B.  The term "canyoneering" just sounded really neat.  It sounded completely unlike your typical take-a-hike-in-the-mountains kind of adventure.  It sounded like a real exploration. And it was something totally NEW and foreign.  And lately… I am all about new.  

So when Sarah and Pat suggested we go…  I, of course, said... HECK YA. 

Canyoneering was everything I expected but nothing I had imagined all at the same time.  If that makes any sense at all.  Ultimately it was NEW.  With lots to learn.  But that's why I love new things.  Because new experiences means learning and quite honestly I love learning.  

It turned out being one of my favorite adventures yet.  So here's to Sarah and Pat for taking stellar engagements, planning a fabulous trip, and teaching me...  

TEN THINGS I DIDN'T KNOW WHEN I WAS A CANYONEERING NOOB:   

#1:  You don't repel.  You rappel.  All week I had been thinking we were going repelling… hahaha I kill myself sometimes. 

#2:  Your right hand must NEVER leave the rope.  Never ever ever.  Or you may very well die.  EEK.   Please note that right hand death grip on the rope below.  

#3:  The Seven Wives are seven slot canyons found in Capital Reef.  This weekend we did Wife #5 and Wife #3.  Although Wife #5 is supposed to be the prettiest slot canyon with a total of five rappels; Wife #3 was by far my favorite… Probably because it began with my very favorite rappel of all… 

the 200 footer. 

  

A M A Z I N G

#4:  Wife #3 is INCREDIBLE.  Seriously, it blew my mind.  200 feet of nothing but pure exhilaration.  It was incredible to be so high.  To take in views that very few other humans have ever had to the opportunity to see.  And to feel so insanely small.  

#5:  I may possibly also love Wife #3 so much because quite honestly it made me feel like I could conquer the world.  I mean I just descended 200 feet… what can't I do?  

I am INVINCIBLE.  

Until I remind myself of the incident that occurred in #6.  

#6:  I can rappel 200 feet.  No big deal.  But I have major meltdowns when asked to trust fall over small five foot crevices.  Shaking.  Pure terror.  Another one of those ridiculous-this-really-shouldn't-be-as-scary-as-I-am-making-it moments.  Where I ALMOST started begging to be left behind.  And stated "I just don't think I am cut out for canyoneering."  But luckily Andrew is super patient.  And super persistent.  And luckily Sarah and Pat only found the incident to be completely humorous.  So we all got over it… after fifteen minutes of coaxing from the world's best fiancé.  

  

#7:  I am now a huge a fan of canyoneering.  And totally cut out for it now that I overcame what we now call "Beth's Wedge." 

#8:  "Ridin'" by Chamillionaire is never a suitable trip theme song.  Even though Andrew insisted it was.  And sang it continually during the 48 hours.  

#9:  I am the luckiest.  Because in 44 short days I get to marry my best friend.  And not only do I get to marry the boy of my dreams, but I also get the added bonus of gaining lifetime adventure buddies to go on countless couple trips with.  

#10:  Space Team is probably one of my new favorite I-Phone games everrrr.  Sorry to our neighbors who we probably kept up all night.  We didn't mean to scream we just didn't want to get caught in a worm hole.  YOLO.