Norwegian Recycling - Miracles

I love this video!! I have it stuck in my head all the time! Hope you like it!
Thanks for sharing it, Matt!

Mission Reunion and Yellowstone

Last weekend was my mission reunion...loved every minute of it! I can't believe it has almost been two years since I got home...crazy! It was so good to see my mission president and his wife, oh how I have missed them. It was also so good to see so many of my mission buddies, although I wish all of them could have been there (Brooke and Angela.) I honestly was smiling the whole time, which probably was a little weird but, I was just so happy to be there.

Crystal, Hayley, and I

Me, Maycee and Julianne (I love this picture because we have one exactly like it that was taken 3 years ago on Maycee's baptism day in Miri.)

Crystal and I with Sister Skelton...oh how I love that lady!

President Skelton and I, he had everyone laughing all night long!

I really didn't want to see the night end but, unfortunately it did...sad day. But, lucky enough for me on Tuesday I got to have some more fun with my mission buddies. Hayley, Matt and I took a little excursion up to Yellowstone, filled with sulfur-smelling geysers, self-timer photos and a up-close encounter with a buffalo!

It smelt horrible but, looked cool so we decided to take a pic!

Old Faithful, a must see in Yellowstone

One of my favorite self-timed photos, the newest explorers of Yellowstone
Me and the buffalo, i was probably to close but, Matt told me to run in serpentine patterns if it started to charge so I felt like I knew what I was doing...haha!

My favorite pic of the trip...it's priceless! They look like they are on a safari, with Hayley's figure over her mouth and Matt crouching down.

Such a great few days, I wish I could always see those people but, I guess that's what makes it special when you do see them after a long time. Can't wait for the next reunion!

Strong women

“We want to be ladies in very deed, not according to the term of the word as the world judges, but fit companions of the Gods and Holy Ones. In an organized capacity we can assist each other in not only doing good but in refining ourselves, and whether few or many come forward and help to prosecute this great work, they will be those that will fill honorable positions in the Kingdom of God. . . . Women should be women and not babies that need petting and correction all the time. I know we like to be appreciated but if we do not get all the appreciation which we think is our due, what matters? We know the Lord has laid high responsibility upon us, and there is not a wish or desire that the Lord has implanted in our hearts in righteousness but will be realized, and the greatest good we can do to ourselves and each other is to refine and cultivate ourselves in everything that is good and ennobling to qualify us for those responsibilities.” Eliza R. Snow
I heard the quote above in Relief Society yesterday and LOVED it! It got me thinking about all the strong women that I have had the privilege to meet in my life. My life has been changed by their willingness to show their faithfulness, their courage and their perseverance to do what is right. Each of them have overcome and accomplished trials and tasks that just amaze me.



My heart seriously bursts with joy that I am able to call each of these women my friends and mentors.


They show me that nothing good comes to you in life without hard work and determination to put all they have in accomplishing their goals. They don't give in to the thoughts of what the world thinks a woman to be but, what they know they should be.





I wish that I could let each of these woman know how much they have changed my life and helped me realize that I have a great responsibility on this earth that only I can fulfill. I have experienced a whole spectrum of emotion learning this from them and I would change those experiences for anything in the world. I wish I could tell each of you personally how much you have changed my life but, sadly some of you have gone from this life. But for those of you who are reading this now, know that for the bottom of my heart I am grateful for you and hope that all good things come for you in the future.


I know that these woman were put in my life for a great purpose. I will try my hardest to repay them for this knowledge that they have shared with me through their words and their actions.
I love each of you!

Graduation

This past weekend I graduated from Idaho State University with a Bachelors in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing. The graduation ceremony was great, meaning that it wasn't its usually 4 hours like in years past...thank goodness. I felt so grown up and satisfied with myself that I had been able to reach this goal in my life.


My Besties minus one (Melissa, Aleesha, Me, Kim)

As I was sitting there waiting for my turn to receive my diploma, I was caught up in all the memories I had of ISU and my time there. I can seriously say that some of the greatest friendships I have right now are because I decided to go to ISU. The memories that go along with those friendships are endless and I'm so grateful for that! I know that as things continues to change and life becomes harder than it was in college, I can always depend on these ladies. They have taught me to be patient, have perseverance, to have fun, and have reminded me that truly good friends are hard to find.


Idaho State University Alumni

The weekend was fabulous and I was kind of sad to see it end. It was a good reminder to why these ladies are more like sisters to me than friends!

The brains that I possess

I feel like I need a funny post on my blog so here it is!
So over these past few months I have really let my somewhat blonde roots show. For example around the beginning of the semester I was cleaning out my room, which by the way doesn't happen as often as it should. As I was cleaning I was clearing out under the bed and came upon a black contraption that I had never seen before, so I grab it out and started to investigate what it was. I took it out to the living room to ask my sister if she new what it was, she was also as baffled as I was about what the contraption was that I held in my hands. As I was continuing to look at it I saw the word "push" engraved on the side of it, so upon seeing that I decided to push right where it told me.
Bad idea.
What happened next was sheer pain and a lot of laughter from my sister. As I pushed the button, a brownish-orange substance came out! The substance went all over my hands, upon it hitting my hand I decide to smell the substance...also a bad idea. Immediately my eyes, throat and nose started to burn....if you haven't figured out the substance by now it was pepper spray and boy did it hurt.
Looking back on it now I laugh but, at the time I seriously wanted to hurt the friend who had accidentally left it under my bed. All in all I just couldn't believe that I had sprayed myself with pepper spray and then inhaled it.
Also this semester for the first time in my college career I went to the completely wrong class twice it wasn't the same class both times, they were different. You would seriously think that I was a freshman who didn't know his way about campus or how to read their schedule. The one I find most amusing out of the two is when I thought my philosophy class was in one classroom and it was actually in the two doors down. The funniest part about it was I wondered the whole building trying to find the classroom and after ten minutes still couldn't find it. Well, at around fifteen minutes after the class had started I finally found my classroom.
This has been the weirdest semester for me by far but, it has really helped me to learn to laugh at myself and realize that life is pretty funny when you learn to have a little fun!

Ruts

So apparently I think I should write every five to six months but, seriously there is nothing that exciting that goes on in my life.
I think I must be a very right brained person because I have the hardest time seeing the big picture of things in life. I wish I could see that all the things that are happening right now, are for a special purpose or just a purpose but, right now I'm not seeing it. It just seems that life at this point isn't what I expected or wanted but, I will none the less go with it. But, along with all this complaining I will add a positive note that I'm grateful for friends who have the talent to look beyond the here and now. These friends help me to realize that life is full of times of hardship but, they also help me see and are there with me for the times that are truly amazing.
I guess what I'm trying to say and I know that I'm not the first person ever to say is life never gives you what you want but, in some way it always turns out great in the end. Because I know deep down in my heart that happy endings (I'm not meaning death or something fatal like that) to stages of life are real. I know that this stage of my life will turn out for the best but, sometimes just like a car, I get stuck in a rut. Sometimes I can get out of that rut by myself but, sometimes I need the help of a tow truck or in my case family or friends. I grateful for all of those people in my life that are willing to help me get out of the rut and back on to the road, heading in the direction that I know I should go.
I know this probably doesn't make sense to anyone but me so take it for what it's worth.