Peely Lips

This winter I have noticed I bite my lip about every 30 second. I do this in order to bite off the peely skin that is constantly shedding. Today I was out shopping with TJ and saw another guy do the same thing. I sighed and thought "phew I'm not the only one". I attribute this to winter, pregnancy and a heater vent that blows on my face at night. I'm not sure how I can possibly have so much skin to bite off constantly, you think they would bleed. I drink water and other fluids all day long. Maybe I just need to find my chapstick. Anyway, anyone else have this problem?

for our new blog go to http://lizaconnolly.blogspot.com/ I miss you old blog!!!!!!

Our first Easter together!!! We played the Greek egg cracking game, we'll have to post pictures next year because we forgot to take them. I taught TJ how to say "Christ is risen" in Greek which TJ excitedly tells everyone a little different every time. Being away from home on Easter I wanted to have my mom's scalloped potatoes, unfortunately I forgot/didn't know you were supposed to soak the potatoes in cold water, and well as you can see when I opened the tin foil a couple hours later, I was horrified at our mud colored potatoes which we served at family dinnery, yikes!

Here we have some awesome flowers outside our front door, I have no idea what they are called but when it is snowing they look like tulips and when the sun comes out they look like this


One of my best friends gave us a sushi set from Japan for our wedding, TJ surprised me on our 3 month anniversary with a tulip and sushi stuff, this was our first attempt, Thank you Neals!!!


TJ and I are both taking photography classes right now, this is TJ's eye, I may be a bit biased but it is the most light filled beautiful eye I've ever seen. That is the first thing I ever noticed about him, sigh.

This was my first time skiing, an awesome outdoorsy couple in our ward The Graphs told us about free skiing after 3 at Alta and told me that her skiis really wanted to get out on the slopes, I came home one night and TJ had picked them up, neither of us had been skiing or snowboarding since 2004/2005 ish. We went up and down the bunny hill a three times and then headed to the greens. I was worried about hurting my knees but after a while I got over-confident. Eventually I didn't turn one skii as fast as the other and flipped over my head, I was so impressed that my knees didn't get hurt that I gained a little more confidence and learned to turn my skiis appropriately. I LOVED skiing!!!! Thank you Graph's and TJ! Oh and in case you were wondering what kind of goggles TJ is wearing those would be swimming ones, but I hear TJ is a pretty mean skiier which doesn't surprise me because he is gifted in every physical and athletic way.
Besides that we are just working and going to school, TJ is done in 2 weeks and I graduate in one month!!!

Oh haha, I forgot to mention that on Wednesday I chopped off 12" and donated them to Locks of Love, SURPRISE!

This Valentines day, our very first together, TJ had a very special surprise for me.  While on my mission I fell in love with songs by Peter Breinholt, well two of them as I was an LDS missionary I had a limited collection of music.  I had no idea who he was or even his name back then.  Since I served at Temple Square I was also called to serve in a second mission for 4 1/2 months, I was called to some very small towns outside of Las Vegas.  During this time I stopped by an LDS bookstore, that had a really great deal on used CD's, I actually looked at Peter's and read some of the lyrics, it was an autographed copy and I was tempted to buy it, I concluded that there might be some romantic lyrics on it and that is not what you need to think about on a mission.  So I put it down.  Later in Colorado Springs a dear friend of mine was listening to him in her car, I was so excited because I could mainly only listen to Jack Johnson and The Mormon Tabernacle Choir when I returned from my  mission.  Everything else seemed really crass.  She ended up buying me the CD, from then on I have found him more and more inspiring.  Which leads me back to the present.  Peter Breinholt was holding a fireside and I was going and nothing was going to stop me!  The Sunday before the fireside, TJ and I were called to a new responsibility with the young single adults at church, which would require us to be with Steven Covey instead, also a great opportunity I might add!  So we went to see Steven Covey, I was sad that the time that I would get to see an inspiration for me had passed but knew it would come again.  So Valentines Eve, TJ took me to see Peter Breinholt, it was a wonderful experience!  He is this skinny, kind of nerdy looking guy by most peoples standards, but he sure knows how to put on a great show!  TJ and both left inspired to create music and words of our own.  There were also some other artists with extremely moving music.  At the end of the show, we were able to talk to him, as TJ's family is friends with him as well as one of my other favorite singers.  So funny how small the world gets.  During the concert I also reflected on all the past failed relationships that led me to TJ.  I liked myself through all of them but am grateful for the road that has helped me grow into a much stronger person than I ever thought I could be and that has led me to the man of my dreams in a most blessed and wonderful life.  Things usually turn out better than you think they will, trust me!  Sometimes I have fears about my future but as President Stewart (my 3rd mission president) taught, "99% of our fears will never be realized so, KILL THE PIG (your fears) with faith".

Welcome TJ

On the 20th of December I became Elizabeth Connolly.  It was the most perfect and joyous day of my life.  I loved first of all marrying the man of my dreams for eternity.  I loved having our families together and being able to let them meet as well as just enjoying having the people we love most and know us best with us on that day.

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?