Grateful for a few things today

A day at the temple. To feel some clarity and answers. Seeing many of our sweet sisters from our ward there. Not feeling too sleepy or foggy or hot. Just a little. Being able to not rush to get to a r.s. activity because I am not in charge anymore. A good lunch with chicken salad and egg salad sandwiches on crescent rolls and yummy dessert with delectablecake and indulgent brownies. Good company at our Relief Society Lunch. 

Cleaning the church. Although there wasn't much for us to do, it was good to get up, get out, and help out. 

Being able to help clean up the garage while Sam is still working on it. Having the boys help Sam doing his electrical work out there. Having Nora and Quill help with relief society valentines. Sweet neighbors that gave them all candy. 

Getting a few things done for my calling. 

My kids. 

My husband.

My home.

Watching a new Marvel movie with my family. Buying pizza and breadsticks. Having Sam pick them up and getting kids treats for helping today. Getting the kind of pizza I wanted. Having delicious carrots and cabbage salad with ranch. Cuddling with Nora during the movie. Elden offering some of his hard earned treat to his dad and I. Then asking me to lie down with him for a few minutes in bed. Nora always wanting to have me lie down with her to sleep. Cuddles. Being able to be fairly patient with a goofy Quill. Liam being more willing to pray lately. His silly eyes he makes. 

A fire.

Heaters.

Coats.

Blankets.

Babysitting

A reminder that little ones take a lot of attention and work. 😂 Babysitting my great nephews and niece. This little guy is soo sweet but oh my goodness, I'm still happy to be out of the baby stages! My kids are sometimes a little too independent but I love that they can often play for long stretches and often can use words to express themselves. They can help take care of messes and things (although usually after lots of whining).  

I really understand why they call it babysitting. I've been sitting with this baby or might as well be sitting because not much can be done if I'm worried about him!! Oliver Pretty man is a sweet sweet baby and has been great. He is chunky - so I'm tired after holding him and he is curious so he doesn't want to nap! :) Kids came running in, just when I thought maybe he had fallen asleep. 

God answered my prayers when I asked about having another baby. He has quite the sense of humor! I read in Proverbs 21, "19 It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman.

   20 There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up." 

To me, this was God telling me that I may not have the mental capacity to handle another baby right now. That I already struggle with the mental load I have. That I need to be wise. I don't think I could have thought up a better answer. How strange and wonderful. 

I did get my IUD out. I felt like it was bothering me and possibly making my pelvic floor problems worse. I hope that we can still avoid getting pregnant for now. It is fun to get a few baby cuddles and give those big cheeks some kisses. 

Standing Out

I guess today I am inspired by my amazing beautiful friend, Sarah Flake, who wrote a beautiful blog entry today @ http://www.sjflake.blogspot.com/2014/02/cherish-moment.html . Also, I was inspired by seeing selfishness in the wrongest of places, family.

The world (the devil) is so clever in being deceiving. Such beautiful things are swept under feet and confused like the meaning of 'Beauty', truly being happy, friends, and choices.

Beauty-Is it the clothes you wear? The shoes? The make-up? The lack of wrinkles?  The perfect figure/body? Flawless skin? A lovely 'D' size? The perfect hair cut/color/style? A fresh manicure/pedicure?

I think the most beautiful women in the world (and men) have so much more to offer. Sure, they take care of their bodies. They keep themselves healthy. It is beautiful to see a woman with wrinkles that show she has loved, worried, worked, cared for others, and maybe even kept her face towards the sun. I love the sun. It has a warmth that crosses my face, my hands, my feet....brings me closer to something bigger than myself. So far away but I feel like I can grasp it, feel it, touch it. Beautiful. It is beautiful to see a young woman who is willing to set aside time for her family, others in need, and sacrifice what she 'wants' for something better. Maybe these beautiful women do not wear the finest of clothes but she knows that many could be used elsewhere. Maybe she does not wear make-up because her time is more important focused on other things. Maybe a little to freshen up or look nice but never caked and never to hide who she is. Maybe she is not skinny as a bean pole because she makes sure her family is well taken care of and fed. She may have other problems that make it difficult. (You may look at me and think I am one to talk but honest to pieces, I have not been able to gain weight since I do not remember when....My metabolism is terribly fast and there are definitely other factors in my life.) There is a possibility that that 'not-so-perfect' body gave birth to another living soul, and that is priceless. Stretchmarks from giving birth are a beautiful signature of children. Any beautiful man would appreciate a woman who has true beauty and also appreciate that she sacrificed even her body for a child or children. Sometimes, when we use our time wisely and we have meaningful things to do, dressing our hair, nails, and even bodies, are merely not as needful. (I speak of fine apparel when I talk of dressing one's self, not that dressing ourselves in actual clothing is not important.) Modesty in all things can be beautiful. In speech, in dress, and in doings, modesty can be a beautiful trait that is more rare than vanity.

Being happy-Does that mean having all your 'wants' and having them right NOW? Does it mean you should have all the answers right NOW? Does it mean WHEN something happens in your life, THEN you will be happy? Does it mean the best career? The Biggest and Baddest? Does it mean no boundaries, no safe-guards, and no control? Or All Control? Does it mean doing whatever we feel like? Making sure #1 is given all and focused on most? I have found that the most amazingly Happy moments are shared with others. When I help others, I feel happiness in my soul. When my family is around me, I know I am loved and they bring happiness into my life. I have also found that when I am willing to sacrifice one thing for something better, I feel a sense of accomplishment and joy that would have else-wise been unnoticed. A good example of that is when I sacrificed time being with friends, playing games, texting, or other things to help clean, watch kids, or help comfort someone else and often it has been family. That makes me feel wonderful. That makes me feel beautiful. It builds my self-worth. The Lord has sometimes let me wonder and sometimes even wander before he has told me a specific truth or 'answer'. Looking back, I often see why I needed to be patient and why it was not important for me THEN to know an answer but it was important in HIS timing to know. It is important that he did and will answer. Patience brings ultimate joy. Although, sometimes, it is a sacrifice. *Smile.* We need to focus on good things for our future but learn to ENJOY what we have now. That can help us find happiness now. We can count our blessings and see that Happy is sometimes just a 'hello', a hug, or a helpful hand away and we can be that person NOW. Family is of utmost importance in Joy. That is why humans do not want to be lonely, crave children, and crave love. They can bring Joy into your life. Focus on your family BEFORE others. Yes, others can become family. That is beautiful. The family you have NOW can be with you Forever. That is Wonderful. I am often surprised by the self-control I have and boundaries I set for myself (often with the Lord's help) and how they bring happiness into my life. I see others around me who give up those aspects in hopes that they will be happy and our instead lead to sorrow and discontent. There are things though, that we cannot control. Other human beings are one of those unpredictable components in life. We need a rock for which will never fall and then, all other things WILL fall into their proper order. Have Faith in Christ. Have Faith in God. Then, we can let go of the factors that we cannot control. Pray for those things-or people-that our not in our control. I believe there are times to focus on ourselves. In those times, we need to reflect on how we impact others and how our relationships are being held up. Find your peace, then quickly help others to find theirs. That will make you happy.

Friends-I want to quickly touch on this subject. Friends are those who build you up, encourage, and understand that you need to respect your family. If they stop doing these things, then they become once again acquaintances. They take even less presidence than your friends and your friends should take less presidence than your family. It is good to distance yourself from those who destroy. Friends can become like family or family. My best friend is now my best husband too! I have had lots of sudo-adopted moms and siblings that have brought a lot of joy into my life too but for some reason, the best thing is still my immediate family and I think it took me a long time to appreciate what I really had/have.

Choices-So many people think that since we have choices, we should choose whatever we want. That can be a risky bumpy ride. Yes, you always make the ultimate choice. God gave us that great gift. Remember though, there is always a good, better, and best even in small choices. Sometimes we want to make a choice that seems good because it is what we want but later it can be more difficult to overcome the consequences that come with that choice. The Lord has given us a guiding light to help us know what is BEST. Again, sacrifices are made but the results are wondrous! I feel that if we make choices with not just ourselves in mind but our families, friends, those around us, and our Heavenly Father, we will make better and hopefully the best of decisions. Thinking that your choices do not effect others is a teenage-like attribute that needs to be overcome. You can hurt those around you. You can effect them. You can make a difference. I would beg of you to at least try to make decisions and choices that would be great effectual-wise on those around you.

We fall. We sin. We are not perfect. Yet, the Lord knows our hearts and knows the right timing for everything. We can try and we can dig ourselves out of our own pits with His help. The biggest pit I can see is selfishness. That ruins families. The opposite of love is not necessarily hate. It is selfishness. I know I can be that way sometimes but because I can see it, it makes me want to be better and try harder. It makes me conscience that I should take care of others the way I want to be taken care of. Only then can I reach my full potential and find eternal Joy. I want to be more selfless with more self respect, self control, and love. I thank my parents for teaching me the gospel because I know, even for them, life is about making sacrifices for the best.

My last comments are about the origin of these thoughts. I have been inspired over years and years of advice, scriptures, and experiences. I did not sit down with any one's works and write this out but I am sure many of these sayings and expressions have been said before and are surfacing from memory. I thank all those that have also inspired me in these thoughts. I love writing. I love that these things were balling up in intensity and by just typing them out, I feel a sense of relief and renewal.

 There is eloquence in the word.

Planes, Trains, and...Cosmetology License

What a Crazy week end/beginning! Sam and I Got to the valley Sunday night and used our handy GPS to find our hotel. The Clarendon hotel was quite nice. They only charged us 17 dollars for parking, wifi, endless snacks and water at the front desk. We definitely got our money's worth from our water and snacks! And the parking was a big plus! We went for a drive to find the Sheraton hotel that my practical licensing exam would be. It was rather intimidating when i saw how gigantic and prestigious it was.

I did have an the advantage of having actually stayed there before for a high school activity. My husband was thoughtful in knowing we should go in and check out exactly where I would be testing but against my better judgement, I decided not to. I thought, surely I had been here before and could easily ask them in the morning the right room to go to. Instead of going in, I followed my tummy and we went to find something to eat.

I prefer not to spend money on Sunday but we did need to eat that night :) we had some coupons for Wendy's and we did get a great deal! We got a small chicken sandwich, large chicken sandwich, a burger, fries, chili fries, and a small drink for under 6 bucks! We headed back to the hotel and a little later, jumped in the swimming pool. Oh boy, it was quite chilly! We thought since it said 'heated pool' when we booked the place, that it would be warmer than the air outside but alas, it was not. So we didn't spend much time in there but did enjoy the hot tub for a while after that. :)

I knew I needed to get up early the next morning for my test, so off to bed we went. I tossed and turned all night. At about 3 am, I was certain it had to almost be 6 am until I saw the clock. At 5:40 am, I just decided there was no use fighting sleep anymore. I laid there contemplating my exam until Sam rolled over and the alarm went off. I was feeling pretty good while getting ready. Sam brought water and some Nutri-grain bars back from the front desk and suddenly I was faced with eating. My stomach churned and the nausea burned my throat. I was getting nervous and my usual morning nausea was hitting me (no I'm not pregnant that I know of). I could not eat. By the time we were leaving the hotel, I thought for sure I was going to hurl. It took me a little longer to get to the car than I wanted but when I did, I found 2 dollars lying on the ground! I hoped that was a good sign.

We drove straight to the hotel downtown and Sam dropped me off. I gathered all my things and mustered up a little confidence. I saw the receptionist with a couple of men giving them information and their room keys. I waited patiently until they left and asked the nice lady where I could go for cosmetology licensing. She could not have given me a worse answer, unless she was completely rude. She was confused and so was I. We came to the conclusion rather quickly, that this was not the right hotel. I hastily looked for my admission paper that had the name of the hotel. When I pulled it out she said that it was a different hotel and that she had directions. As soon as she stepped to the side to grab it, I pulled out my phone and called Sam, "Come back! Come back! Come back! This isn't the right hotel!"

I raced to the doors and as soon as I hung up the phone, I was dialing for an instructors number. I was not sure if they would still let me in if I was only 15 minutes early instead of their 30 minute wish. Miss Barb answered her phone but her comments only made me burst into tears. She said if it was already passed 8, they would not let me in. At this point it was probably just over the hour. I panicked but she said to just go see what they say and see if I could get into the afternoon test. So I finally pulled myself together and we got to the hotel just about the time we had planned.

I jumped out and walked briskly to the front desk and they directed me to a line of cosmetology students waiting to check in with their IDs. By that time, I realized for certain that Miss Barb must have thought the actual test started at 8 but it started at 8:30 and I made it! *phew* I let Sam know and then entered the testing room. Surprisingly, my nerves had settled much more than expected and I was ready to test. Everything went seemingly well. No big messes, drops, or issues I could think of. It may not have been fabulous on some tasks but I never felt a rigid fail. When it was over, my relief was great. I took my time packing up my things and had time to wait for Sam to come to get me.

Since every detail is not the most exciting, I think I can jump around here. The only exciting thing about our new hotel room was at 6 pm, there was lots of noise outside and Sam latched the door shut because he could see some people standing outside the door. It was jut a reaction but then a few mins later, they knocked on the door, "Housekeeping!" And tried walking right in. At 6pm!? It made no sense. Then for the rest of the night, we went to my Aunt Dawnele's for pizza with my family. It was like our 'goodbye' dinner for my little brother, Henry. We had a really nice time with the fam.

In the morning, we ate a little breakfast and then headed to the airport to see Henry off. We were the first to arrive and then we all met up near the luggage check-in. My dad was last because he apparently got on the wrong shuttle bus after he had parked. At the security check in, we took pictures and gave him hugs. A few tears came to his sisters, and when our nephew started crying for him as he turned and walked toward the check in, many more tears flowed. My little bro is gone for 2 years, going to preach the word if God in Mexico. I'm so happy. We went to the roof top and watched airplanes take off for a while, including what we think was Henry's plane.

Afterwards, Sam and I drove to Scottsdale, where I took my written license exam. There was only one other girl there for the same test and two guys there for a different test. I was not as worried about this test until I started reading the questions. When I went back to check the questions I had marked unsure, I was still getting worried. Then I went back through ALL the questions and I realized, I had answered the bulk of the questions with answers I was pretty sure of. So when I finished up, I was certain I had to have at least passed. :) And I did. I will not know about my practical for another week or so but this one they tell us right away.

Once again, relief.

I will not bore you with any more details but that we celebrated with Olive Garden and Baskin Robbins and that on the way home, we stopped at Balentin trail, following my parents, Caleb, and Lizzie. We hiked to the creek and just had a nice time with them. Then we headed home behind my parents with a stop at Del Taco where as a group we at 30 tacos.
. Delish.

A little décor

It is getting down to the last wire! It is coming for me! What is it!? What is it that is getting so close!? I guess I will share with you, On Monday, Feb. 4th, I must go to the valley, to take my practical exam, for my cosmetology license. Not to mention the very next day, my little brother flies out to go to the MTC!!!

Man, Henry sure is growing up! *sigh* time needs to stand a little more still before letting everyone grow up! : P After my family sees him off, I get to take my written exam. Oh whoopie! How awesome. Hopefully I can pull through and get my license! I need it about now. :)

Well since things have been slowly changing, my bedroom also got a little rearranged and that left room on the wall for a nice collage of sorts. Most often pictures continue to consist of Sam and I's wedding day and engagement photos. They are very cute though and keep me smiling. One great thing I was able to get out of the arrangement was someplace to hang my jackets, or jamies, or other such launder business, on. :) it is just perfect for this girl. I have to say, I was inspired by Pinterest but not by a single post but by so many beautiful arrangements and decorative ideas! I saw I had good decorative items that needed some love and needed a place to show off. And that is when I saw a blank wall become a beautiful butterfly. (Theoretically of course) :) Pinterest also inspired me to share. It's not a huge deal but it feels good every time I see it. :)

Birthday Time

I know I posted this on facebook but it is also blog worthy....So you will have probably read this unless you looked at it and thought it was much too long of a facebook status post. = )

My birthday Weekend was awesome!! Samuel came and hung out with me at school all day Friday, --sure he was the one getting pampered but I just love being with him! = ) --
We ate a nice lunch of tuna sandwhiches and cheez-its. We left at around 2:30pm and got some happy hour drinks from Sonic. Then we walked around Pintail Lake and saw some ducks and such. We had Taco Bell for dinner, i love me some taco bell. = )
Afterwards, we went to the temple when Henry and Chandler got their endownments.
It was wonderful!

We stopped by my parents after to have rootbeer floats. We went home and changed into PJs. Then Sam blindfolded me and took me out near the temple to surprise me with a little 'picnic' with blankets laid out, candles lit, and a thermos with my next surprise, Postum! = ) He had me open my present which had the Postum mix and we drank the warm drink from two mugs he had brought.

In the morning, He wouldn't let me get out of bed until he gave me another present. It turned out to be a -much sought after- beautiful blue Robe! = )
I lounged around in it all morning.

Later we watched maxx's soccer game and then watched my nephew Eli open his present for his birthday (since he will be moving to Idaho).
Sunday, my parents had a birthday dinner for me at their house with eggs, hashbrowns, biscuits, and bacon. yum! *Not to mention dessert, icecream and sprinkles! = D

 (oh with carmel and chocolate too)

 I ended up playing "throw around paper and bags and try to hit one another" with henry, liz, maddi, and Eli. = )
hahaha later we picked names for Christmas and then played Apples to Apples, where Sam dominated. But I was Handsome and Awesome. = )

My family is Grand.

After a long day

My husband is the sweetest! He always makes dinner. Unless Marianne makes it or we all wait long enough that one of us just decides it would be easier to just buy everyone food from a restaurant. Yesterday he did the laundry, as many other days he does. He watches kids and walks dogs. Does the dishes. What a super guy he can be :)

New thoughts

I think I may start blogging again. We will see. If blogging on my iPod is easy and works well, then I may do it frequently. For today just a quick update on our lives,
Sam is searching for a job.
I am still going to school. Planning to graduate from Cosmo in January.
We live with Marianne and Maxx but now Ben and Steven live with us also.
Maxx is in soccer and we enjoy watching his games on Saturdays.



I am in the Primary Presidency in our ward, 1st counselor.
Sam is the assistant teacher's quorum advisor.
I am excited for fall =]

Fab-u-louso

Life is good.
Still married to the best guy ever.
Not pregnant!
GOing to Cosmetology school on monday-friday from 8am to 4:30pm. It makes for a very long day. Especially since i am getting up much earlier to go with my sister-in-law who has work at 7am.
Sam is also going to school full time but one class a day monday-thursday.
The Lord works in His own way but He takes good care of us and we are so very blessed! <3

Date

We are getting married on JULY 1st!!

(One week after I get back from ChiNA!! )

*heart*

Story Time

I am so excited to Marry my Love!! <3 Sam is AMAZING <3 My best friend and I love him. <3


So here is the engagement story:

We ate and played games at my parents house on Christmas Eve. Before I left, my mom told me I had to be back by 12 because I was spending the night there and they wanted to have time to set everything out for us for Christmas. Sam and I went to Sam's house and frosted cookies. After his parents went to bed, we sat on the couch and watched the lights on his tree. When it was about 10 mins or less from midnight, I told him I better get home. He started driving up his road but turned the wrong way. I was confused and a little anxious by then.

"Where are you going?" I asked him.



"We are going to look at some Christmas lights."

I figured we would have to be quick but we could make it to a few nice places and then get me home just in time. When we got to the end of town, he started going the right way again. I was feeling relieved when suddenly he turned around again. He started heading out on the Highway. He said, "We have to see the best Christmas lights!" (I thought he meant some really cool place he had seen that was really crazy lit up or something.) We turned on the road leadin to the temple and when I saw the temple, I understood what he meant.

I thought, 'Well, if we go right past the temple and just look, I will BARELY get home on time.' Instead, he was pulling right up to it! Ah! What was I going to do? My mom was going to be very angry. I was almost to the point of freaking out when he said, of course, the perfectly adorable thing. "I feel bad because I am just being selfish. I just want to be the first one with you on Christmas. *HEART MELT!?*

Well....for me it was. So I decided right then that I could splurg a few minutes and deal with the consequences later. It was a few minutes into Christmas day (a little after midnight).

He said quietly, "Santa came a little early this year." My heart started pounding and I just stared at him. "Whhat?" I asked. (I thought he might propose right there but when he pulled out a gray plastic bag, I could see that it was something different.) Before I could place my finger on what it was exactly, he told me we had to get out first because it was for the cold. Then I knew, it had to be a scarf. (Avid collector...or something like that ; )



We got out and looked at the statues for about a minute before he turned to me. Half handing me the present and half helping me open it, he asked if he could put it around me. I said yeah and he held the end part of one end and wrapped it around my neck twice, gently. Then Sam said that there was a little more and flipped up one of the strings on the scarf and the ring was tied to it. ^_^ He got down on his knee and proposed. = ) At this point, I started to cry. haha, what a baby I am sometimes. = ) But I was happy. He said some really great things too. He told me he wanted to come back (to the temple) and be sealed to me for eternity. <3 I Love Him. <3

I said, "YES!" and then we hugged for several minutes after. I was making excited noises and jumping up and down. He pretty much had to carry me back to the car because I didn't want to leave. He was persistant that he had to get me back before my mom got too mad. The ride home was blissful.

Then when I walked into the house, I could hear my mom yelling at someone. I knew she was not in a good mood. I walked into the living room where my sister, Kaisha, was. She told me mom was not happy. I waited until my mom came in there and she said only barely joking, "You know you are getting coal in your stocking, right?"

I threw my hand up next to my face and pointed with the other hand saying, "Thhhhhat's alright." I awkwardly hugged my sister (because at that moment neither one of them really had time to react. I told them the story. My mom said, "I would be more happy for you if you weren't late...." But this time she was MOSTLY kidding. = ) It's hard to change your mood that quickly when you want to be mad...you know?

It was lovely. I had the best Christmas with him.

Winter Wonder Land

Flying Time

I am ENGAGED! = D or as Marianne says, "Fiancee-ed" .

I love my Sam. <3

Blank Slate

I have this really nice white board in my room and the trouble I think at this moment is that it isn't in a very accessible place to write on. I can see it but it is not in a place that draws attention to itself for me to see.


Now what is on this board? Goals. Plans. Quotes. A picture of Madason. A Place To Start Over Again and Keep Moving Forward.

In the four corners it has different lists.

1-'Now-Future' This has things that I can do now and should do now that I will keep doing in the future and for my future. If I am not doing them now, I should at least be ready when the time is right. Right now it has written:

Sewing (because I have lots of things I can do little sewing things with)

BoM-fall (try to finish the Book of Mormon by the end of fall...which as you can tell since it is still there, I haven't quite gotten there but I am getting closer to finishing it and hoping to start again.)

P.M.G-Bring to bed (still haven't brought 'Preach my Gospel' to bed yet. I would really like to go through that and start learning more.

T. Cards (Thank you cards for people that have helped me with China)

Things to take-ILP (to China)

Save $

Better Food (eating better food)

2-Can-Wants

This corner is for things that I can do and want to do or work towards. (All corners are pretty connected)

Written here is:

Goals (make goals and keep them, write them)

Try Foods

Laptop-Fixed-mini (This Toshiba laptop is pretty crappy and I need a smaller one for China)

Camera (need to make sure I take a camera to China)

Save $

3-Always-Everyday

Things I always am working on and need to do everyday.

Written here is:

Clean Room

Laundry

Tithing

Earlier to bed

Dishes

Gas

Journal

Calling

Serve

Exercise

4-Today (mind you, I haven't changed this in a while....)

Start and Plan Exercise

Blog or journal about men

Ask about scriptures (I don't even remember which ones and if I wrote it down)



I don't have any real quotes on there right now but Sam wrote on the top in the middle section, "I Love You Sooo Much <3 " and right beside that I wrote in all caps, "GRATITUDE".

I like my board to be organized and I can write down thoughts, goals, and keep myself motivated. I would recommend this to anyone!

Inspired

I love when people post things on their blogs because it makes me want to blog as well. = D

I am surprised that it is almost Thanksgiving. The count down to China is about...10 weeks. <---10! weeks. that is it.

In that time I will have:

Went to California for -Thanksgiving and -My Grandma's wedding.

Have a super great Christmas (I have some really great presents that I just cannot wait to give!!! )

Go to Utah in January for China program training and probably super great quality time with me Madre!!! <3 Whom I love.

Pack

Buy a new Laptop

Work my buns off! (at least work as much as possible....)

Keep having a wonderful time with LiFe!

I wish I had more inspiring things to say rather than lists . . . but I have grown to enjoy my lists. . . .

Today something beautiful and interesting has happened. Lisa and Dammon had their first baby today. He is 2 months premature- 3 lbs 13 oz. As far as I have heard, everyone is fine but a premature baby usually has a lot more risks and need a lot more time to develop properly. It is very exciting though and we all love them very much!! <3

Please keep them in your prayers! <3

Some side notes:

Sam and I dressed up as Bonnie And Clyde for Halloween.

I have a super awesome boyfriend. <3

And super adorable family!

Checkin my List

China is coming fast! The one thing that I did not see coming, was the change in departure dates. I guess I will be leaving early February rather than January. : / It has some good advantages and some not so great. I will be here for my nephew's arrival! I can keep earning money for an extra month....

I really need to keep up with this though. Call them and find out what kind of things I can buy there- rather than take with me, finish papers and call for overview of them before I send them off, and figure out approximately when I will be returning from China. Those would be good things to do.

Sam is still a super amazing great Boyfriend. <3

My family is still super awesome beyond all reason.... <3

I am still working at Trapper's Cafe....and looking for a seasonal or temporary job for me until Feb. ....

Yes, I am still a work in progress. ^_^

BABe-ee

Dammon and Lisa found out that they are having a BOY. = D

For some reason I felt like they were going to have a boy.

I am a little sad that I wont actually be here when he is born in

January but I will love to come back and meet my new nephew!! <3

Life is good.



Weeks Go By

Sam has met most of my family, now. He has not met Dammon and Lisa yet. I was surprised at how many of my relatives were at my grandparent's house last night! There were so many little kids that I could hardly keep track. I did a horrible job at remembering their names...I do have very cute cousins though. = )

I finally got all of the money for the program to China. I just need spending money and other essential items to take with me. = )

Here is a sample of some family pictures:

I love all of these people!! <3 Such good times!

The Hopes and Dreams of a Girl's Heart

I am going to start doing photography and photoshoots to earn a little bit of money and so I can do what I really love to do. Recently I was with my boyfriend and his nephew, Maxx  -- Maxx is super adorable! <3 -- and I took pictures of our adventures. That was a Great day!! We had a blast! Maxx was taking pictures on my phone and I was taking pictures of him. = ) It was so fun! Hopefully I can find a few people who would like me to do some photos for them. ( = Family pictures, Senior pictures, Just a group of friends, Couples, Engagement pictures, whatever it may be....

That Boy I Adore and So Much More

If you haven't heard, Sam and I are back together. This time seems a lot different but in a really good way. I am very happy! = )
He left today after sacrament to go to a family reunion in Utah...I miss him already. = ) Just six days....just six. I can't imagine how it will be when I go to China! I don't even want to think about it! hahaha so moving on-

I am going to be in a Joseph Smith play called 'What Power Shall Stay the Heavens' at the Snowflake Social Hall. Performances are July 21st - 25th. Times are 6:00 & 8:00 each night except July 24th - Pioneer Day. The times that day are at 2:00 & 4:00 p.m. Admission is FREE. I am playing Lucy Mack Smith. It will be a neat little play and hopefully it goes well.

I should be getting assigned to a town in China very soon. I sent all of my stuff in and they said I can be assigned now. I will have to find a way to get to Utah when they have trainings but I haven't even figured out dates yet. I am still sooooo thankful for people who are supporting me in any way. Financially, spiritually, or just with my choices.

<--memorial day.

I love my family and I go over to my parents house often, even with my boyfriend. We have fun, mostly being entertained by my little sister or me madre. = ) I am about to go over there to play games but this has been a really good update and I hope everything is well with all!! <3