Saturday, July 27, 2013

A Road Trip to the City Beautiful

A couple of weeks ago I had the amazing opportunity to take a road trip to Nauvoo with a few friends from Latter Day Voices.  It was my first time in Nauvoo, and it was such an incredible experience.  Five of our friends from Latter Day Voices are in Nauvoo as Young Performing Missionaries this summer, so the main purpose of our trip was to go see and support them.  We spent most of our two and a half days in Nauvoo just following our YPM friends around and going to their shows, and it was a blast.  We had fun cheering them on, and I also enjoyed an outpouring of the Spirit from each performance we went to.



One thing that really touched me a lot during our trip was the friendships I came home with.  Both old(ish) friendships that were strengthened and new friendships that were made with many of the other missionaries in Nauvoo, including YPM's and even senior missionaries.  We made connections with people all over the place and the Spirit brought a special bond and feeling of love between all the people we came in contact with in Nauvoo.









I also got to do a session in the Nauvoo temple, which was a really great experience that I enjoyed a lot.  We got to see Lucy Mack Smith's home and also John Taylor's home, and we also made the 30 or so minute drive to Carthage jail, which was also an amazing experience.



Nauvoo was such a great experience.  It is such a great place and the Spirit is so strong there.  I'm so glad our trip worked out.  The only bad thing was the deer we hit in the middle of Nebraska on the way home...


Don't worry, nobody got hurt, except the deer and the car. It caused somewhat of a delay on our way home, but we were able to get a rental and make the rest of the journey home safely.  And we were able to meet a lot of really nice people in Nebraska who helped us out along the way.  It was a stinky situation, but we were really very blessed in every possible way.  I'm so thankful the Lord was watching out for us and that it was such a wonderful experience overall that week.


In other news, I got the job at the preschool, and I absolutely love it!  So I've just been working both my jobs this summer, and playing some.  I've been going home when I can to help with wedding stuff, and my sister is now getting married in less than three weeks!! Crazy! I'm super excited for them.

Anyway, that's all for now.  Hope everyone is having a great summer!

Monday, May 20, 2013

The Best Semester of My Life

Well, it's been awhile.  This past semester was absolutely amazing, and definitely the happiest I've had of all my college experience.  It was obviously so great that I never had time to update my blog about my life because I was too busy living it.  I'll try to give a brief rundown of what has been going on in 2013 so far.

The first week of the semester I hesitantly and at the last minute decided to audition for Latter-Day Voices (LDV), the Institute choir on campus.  I had considered auditioning since Fall semester but had kinda decided against it, but last minute decided I'd better give it a shot.  I fully expected to not make it, and almost didn't even want to make it. But I did. And I will forever be grateful for that.

I don't know if you know this, but my first semester here at Utah State was a pretty rough one for me. I felt incredibly lonely and didn't know where I fit. After joining LDV my life completely turned a 180.  I met some of the very greatest people I've known in my life, and the best friends I've made in my three years of college. These people are so incredibly Christ-like in every sense of the word.  I've never been around a group of people who are more service-oriented, more welcoming and kind, or more in tune with the Spirit.  When I auditioned for LDV I didn't know I needed to make 80 new, wonderful friends, but my Heavenly Father did, and I'm so glad.


On the first day of LDV rehearsal, I met a cute boy who caught my attention from that first day.  I discovered that day that he had visited Ecuador a couple of times and I instantly liked him.  We went on our first date a week and a half later and we've been dating ever since. So aside from meeting 80 new wonderful friends in this performing, missionary-minded choir, I also met this guy, who makes life so fun, and who makes me so happy.  


This semester was always exciting and spontaneous with Paul around. It was busy busy busy balancing my part-time job as night manager at Apple Spice, 15 credits, choir rehearsals/performances 4, 5, sometimes even 6 times a week, teaching Mission Prep in my singles ward,  and spending time with my friends, family, and boyfriend, but I've never been happier, and somehow I still managed to pull mostly A's in my classes.  Heavenly Father was definitely watching out for me this past semester, and continues to do so. I'm so grateful and so blessed.

I decided to stay in Logan this summer to work and save money for school, and (let's be honest) to play.  It's my first summer not moving home, and so far I'm loving it. Luckily Logan isn't far from home, so I see my family at least every other week usually.  But I'm having so much fun being in Logan.  Life continues to be busy even though I'm not in school for the summer.  I'm training for a potential job right now at ASSERT, which is a preschool on campus for children with autism.  I really hope I'll get the job! I'm loving it so far.  I also changed my major (again) for hopefully the very last time.  I am now majoring in Family, Consumer, and Human Development with an emphasis in Deaf Education. I know, I know. You're all thinking "Oh, she's getting a "Mom" degree." But that's not it. The emphasis, and the best part, is Deaf Education. I will still be getting my Masters in Communicative Disorders (specifically Deaf Education with an emphasis in early intervention) but I just have to take a somewhat different route to get my bachelors.  I'm really excited about this, and as of right now what I think I would like to do is work with parents and families who have children who are Deaf. So working at this preschool for children with autism would be so great and definitely give me hands on experience that will relate to my field.  I finally feel like I'm starting to figure life out and have some direction of what I want to do with my life and my future.  It's a good feeling.  I'm very blessed.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Love these girls!


 And the crazy times we have together!


The decision to live with them was one of the best I've made!

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Well, well, well...

It's been awhile. I just don't have much to post about I guess.

I cannot believe how fast time has been going since I got home from the mission. The semester is almost over! Just over a week and I'll be done with finals and everything! I think this was a good semester to start out with after a two year break from school because it's been a pretty easy one (hopefully my grades will reflect that, too!).  I only have a couple tests that I'm even kind of worried about (although not worried enough to be studying like I probably should be for them) and my other classes will be super easy to finish up.

We have a few weeks off from school, then it'll start all over again.  I've FINALLY declared a major, and I'm taking a few classes spring semester to hopefully be prepared and ready to start in the communicative disorders program next fall. I don't know a TON about the program or the field, but basically it's speech and language pathology, and stuff like that. I honestly wasn't 100% positive about declaring this major, but I figured any major is better than no major, and I can always change (again) if I don't like it, so I'm going with it for now. It does seem interesting.  One of the classes I'm taking next semester is cereal science.




Yep, the science of breakfast cereal. I don't really know what that's about, but I think it will be interesting!

Besides school I've just been working a lot. I LOVE my job. It's a great environment and the people I work with are so much fun. I always say work is my social life. It's true. The other night we had a work party at Karaoke night at Pizza Pie Cafe. Here are a couple pictures from that.



No, I didn't sing. Maybe someday when my voice gets better (I hope...).

I honestly cannot believe it's Christmas time. I'm not a Scrooge, but I just don't feel like it's Christmas yet. I'm blaming it on the lack of snow. Yesterday I spent the day putting up Christmas decorations at home (I didn't take any pictures, dang it) and then went and saw Hailey in A Christmas Carol out at Heritage Theatre. It was fun, and I'm starting to think I'm ready to do a show again. But again with the voice thing... Who knows how long it will be, if ever, that I'll be able to sing like I used to. I have laryngeal reflux apparently, which is like acid reflux only I don't get heartburn, it just burns my vocal chords and makes them raw, and because of that I was starting to get a nodule (NO!!!! That's a singer's worst nightmare!).  I'm taking some medicine and hopefully by the time I go back to the doctor in January the nodule will be gone and I'll be on the road to getting my voice back.  It's so discouraging that I can't really participate in one of my favorite hobbies/past times... I'm praying hard it will get better!

Well, this post is super random. So... I guess on that note I will sign off. Hopefully I'll have more fun things to post about soon!

Sunday, June 24, 2012

A New Beginning?

Well, the good news is, I found a job! I start on Tuesday! Yay! At a restaurant/bakery place called Apple Spice, over in Logan. Not exactly the ideal job, but hey, it's a job, which is more than I've had since I got home. It'll be nice once I move over to Logan in August because I should be able to keep that job once school starts.

Speaking of school starting... I've decided it cannot come fast enough! I'm ready for a new beginning. I mean, being home is great and all, but there's not really anyone around... So that makes for not much of a social life. But I've loved hanging out with my sisters! (Bec and I are going to have a blast living together in Logan!) But... Other than with my sisters, I don't get out much... So at least now I'll have a job- that will give me something to do at least a few days a week! And then time will go faster and soon enough it will be August and the new beginning will start!

Here are some pictures of my summer so far:

Happy Birthday Dad!!

Becca giving Dad a Birthday "Choke-hug"

We accidentally matched one day!

Snow cones!

I made this awesome Jello for Father's Day. Yes, it took me all day.

I got to babysit these cute girls the other night! We had a girl's night at my Grandma's and watched Tangled!

I went with Becca to Pyper and Dakota's wedding in Salt Lake. So cute!

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Sigh...

I think the Lord is trying to teach me patience... Like He did for about 18 months in Ecuador.


Apparently I'm a slow learner...

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Well... Here are some pictures for your viewing enjoyment...

The whole group at our Last Dinner at the Mission Home
At the airport
With my favorite companion! We finished the mission together.
My two favorite companions!

The morning I got released.

And one with Mom. :)
Shopping at City Creek

Best friends!

We'll miss you Grandpa Ralph!

Bailee and Sadie talked me into putting on my Otavalanian clothes to match their dolls I brought them.