It's true I'm engaged check out our new blog spot at tjlizconnolly.blogspot.com

So this pretty much wraps up the fun-filled and sun-filled summer.  I am back in school and now only working part time, so nice I don't know how I ever did it before.  I'm still training for my marathon so I run a lot.  I also would like to note that I won a 5k at the Greek festival last weekend, it's in the blood what can I say.  All my classes seem to relate to epidemiology- the study of disease outbreak and progression etc....   I love it!  I'm excited for the fall, I love each season in season! 

Sometimes you "randomly" run into your old companion as you are talking to her on the phone in an airport, neither of you even knowing that the other one was traveling, I find it good to know God is so mindful of us.
me surrounded by greek dancing men and even better TJ!

Stanley Canyon, TJ found the view of Pikes Peak that I lost after I made him hike an extra 10 minutes, when we had to be at a party in less than an hour.

The Balloon Glow!
Really cute face that my boyfriend makes from time to time.

Another one's gone, these are some of the amazing women I proclaimed the gospel with at Temple Square

Beach by San Juan Capistrano, TJ built me a castle in the sand. . . . sigh.
I've had a friend get married just about every weekend this summer, this is Janelle Vigeant Crouch.  Sarah, Janelle, and I spent many a day swimming in Pueblo, camping, eating whole rotisserie chickens, test driving cars, seeing how much free food we could obtain, and  dancing.  Those were some good times!!! 
TJ though it would be fun to dress up as cowpeople and ride horses, good call.
High on a mountaintop around Murietta, CA.
Newport Beach Temple
no caption necessary

Our horses had an interesting relationship, Mandy my horse had to be behind TJ's horse Larry or she would get angry at Larry because he would get to close to her bottom, they were tough old horses that didn't like to take orders from people and kept running back to their pasture so they could eat hay.


Sunset near Park City

Some small UT town in the middle of nowhere having a parade
Julie (Vance) Grant's wedding

First view of the water yes that is indeed in the middle of nowhere Arizona
I woke up the next morning with a burning eye infection and had to hike an hour to have a sweaty doctor poke my eye and give me eyedrops
but the fun went on one eye or two, Moony falls
me and my pack compliments of TJ
Angel Kirkham and I at the Hoover dam
the 10 mile hike into Havasuppai

THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS at the res
this elder has been on 9 missions
sunday school at the Garden Park building is like being in a tree house
the most comfortable bed I ever slept in
impressively our room had a place to charge my ipod so I could listen to motab and the samples and stare at the stars
a homeless man gave this to me isn't it beautiful

So I went for a drive at 1 am in Utah, it was not the same as a drive in Colorado Springs at 1am, all I wanted was to be in the mountains and see the stars, I had no such luck, so I decided to write the top things I like/dislike about both places

Salt Lake Likes

1. The big blue recycle bin that everyone is issued, I know in most places green means recycle but here green means trash and I am just grateful that everyone has equal opp. to recycle here. I find myself when visiting CO storing recyclable items into piles and having my mom ask me why I don't throw trash into the trash can

2. Rich church history, Brigham Young did say "This is the Place" and I support that

3. You can decide which temple you want to attend and they are all within 25 mins

4. The mountains are all around

5. Unique local businesses and restaurants

6. When you finally do get in the mountains they are amazing!!!

Salt Lake dislikes or things I miss from Colorado Springs

1. All the grocery stores close at 1am, what happens if I want to make a strawberry banana granola smoothie at 1 am and all I have is blueberry yoghourt, oats, and frozen mixed berries? It was good

2. You can say good-bye to the stars!

3. Living at an elevation higher than the highest mountain and having even taller ones to the west

4. I miss all my spots, Goldcamp tunnels, Garden of the Gods, the Air Force Academy, Thunderbird Estates, The Broadmoor, Sonic on Jamboree, The Incline, Pikes Peak, Cheyenne Mountain, the mountains and parks off of NNNNOOOORRRTTTTHHHH Woodmen, the creepy statues, Black Forest, Roller Coaster Rd, Manitous Springs, Waldo Canyon, Woodland Park, Palmer Lake, The Punch Bowls, Grand Lake, I don't know where to stop

OK so there are more likes than dislikes and Salt Lake indeed feels like home, my goal these next 3 weeks is to find spots in Salt Lake, all though I will admit I like Donner Park, the acoustic amphitheater at the library, sledding down skii slopes, the hotel down town with the outdoor elevator, the airplanes at the landfill, Millcreek, Wasatch Blvd, the Avenues, City Creek, Temple Square, Ensign Peak, Bountiful. . . . . 

Presenting . . . .. Mrs. Vincent!!!!!  Vanny face the one in a white shirt got hitched on June 27, what a joyous day for many of us!
My team for a 180 mile relay "The Pretenders", more pictures of this to come, we ran through the sun and stars!  My power song of the race was the one by Modest Mouse, where the whole world stinks cause' no one's taking showers anymore.  

my nephew Ashton
On the 4th of July, TJ and I were melting at the arts festival, we decided to go to the library down town but it was a holiday hello!  Alas we ended up in the fountains at the Gateway amongst little boys peeing, soap suds from who knows, and seals*.  Items with an * may or may not be fabricated.
This was after, so much for straight hair!
my niece Cassidy
what can I say?
I bring out the best in kids?

Now that it is officially father's day I want to pay tribute to my dear father.  My dad, John Patroklos Andreadakis, or Ionnis as I remember seeing on his books in the attic was born Dec 8th 18 ;-)I mean 1940 on the island of Samos, Greece, or so he tells us.  My dad is amazing and I'm pretty convinced he is actually John the Beloved one of Christ's original apostles still roaming the earth and blessing and making everything better where he trods.  His father died when he was fairly young leaving him the eldest son.  He sacrificed his life to sail around the world  a captain on merchant ships to be able to send money to his family.  He then ventured to the good ol' USA where he went to school.  He was the most sought after bachelor in my mom's Greek orthodox congregation, or so the ladies told me when we went for my Yia yia's funeral.  My father is extremely intelligent he speaks languages, navigates by the stars, builds computers, writes, and is a gospel scholar,  oh and I can't neglect his passion for politics (now that Hillary's out I'm sure you're sleeping better, haha).  All of us kids have managed to grow up to be moral contributing adults or are at least striving to be.  My father recognizes and applies the power of prayer and has taught me that by examples and stories.  I am grateful that his heart was sensitive to the Holy Ghost and that my mother and him joined the church before I was born, giving me the greatest gift in my life, my relationship with my Saviour and a true knowledge of Him and His gospel.  While I was in high school my father translated materials for the church into Greek and still managed to fly my sister and I out there to travel around Greece and spoil us rotten.  He's continually sacrificed for me and blessed me his spoiled undeserving daughter.  One day in one of my favorite parks in California, where the palm trees rise like sentinels, we were having a family picnic which included of course croquet, my oldest brother asked my dad, "did you ever think that you would be in California with English speaking children?"  I like to wonder that too, when my dad was born amidst a war on an island occupied by Italian soldiers, or when he was a refugee in Israel (I stand corrected I thought it was Egypt), or following his grandfather to sing at the monastery, or watering his orange fields faster than Katina's spit dried, when he was traveling the world by sea navigating by the stars, did he ever imagine that this is where he would be today?  I LOVE YOU DADDY and I'm glad you are here today!!!

This is a sight I miss from my mission, had to take a picture.
My new roommates, Denise and Tressa with foreman Richard from CO woot woo
Croquet Fo- Real-Yo

View from Sugarhouse park, which is right across the street from my house isn't it beautiful!!?
The I-70, circa Glenwood Springs, love that place
Idaho Springs, another place I love, someday I want to live between Boulder and Idaho Springs, CO
My UT friends, all 3 of us chikas originate from CO.
Love that place!