60 Days to go!!

Well I still don't know the exact day the Elder Harris will be back. I think that he is still trying to find a way to extend his Visa for an extra 30 days. I really hope that he doesn't find a way! I mean it is great that he wants to serve the Lord more but I think two years is long enough for me! Ha ha ha. He was able to call and talk to his family on Christmas day. I wasn't there to talk to him and I'm still waiting to hear about how it went. Maybe they found out when he is coming home! I am really excited and nervous all at the same time!! It is crazy to think that almost two years have gone by. Life has changed so much in ways but not so much in other ways! Only 60 more days and most of my questions will be answered! I hope :)

Christmas Traditions

Everyone has probably been asked to think of a family tradition before. I have and my thoughts turn almost immediately to Christmas! There are more holiday traditions than another other traditions for the rest of the year. I love the traditions of my family! Each year starts with family time. We spend time together putting up the tree and decorating the house for Christmas.

I love transforming the everyday look of our house to the festive look of the holidays.

Another tradition that has been in my family is going to see the lights. It just doesn't quite feel like Christmas without a trip to Temple Square. The lights aren't really amazing but being on the Temple grounds make them extra special.

There are so many more traditions that I love and enjoy: Extended Family FHE, home-made pajamas, and Christmas Breakfast (not dinner haha) are a few!

I love my family and the times I have to spend with them!

Twelve Days of Christmas

On the first day of Christmas I was blessed with...

An amazing best friend. I've called people best friends in the past but the friendships I've had with them (and still have) are nothing like the friendship I have with V. We make odd noises and totally understand what they mean. We can talk about ANYTHING and EVERYTHING! We have gone through similar things in the past. We both love volleyball!! And there is so much more! I would never have met her if I hadn't gone to Weber. The Lord truly has a part in our lives.

On the second day of Christmas I was blessed with...

Two amazing parents. I love my parents so much. I know that sometimes I get frustrated with their rules, etc., but I wouldn't be the person I am today if they didn't care so much about me! I couldn't ask for better parents for me. They are the ones that I look up to the most and turn to for any reason!

On the third day of Christmas I was blessed with...

Three semesters until I get my Bachelor's (hopefully). If I stay on track and take more credits next year then I should be able to graduate with my Bachelor's in English: Creative Writing. What about being a doctor? Well, I first and foremost want to be a mom and becoming a doctor isn't the best thing to do when I want a family. So English it is and I'll throw in child care. Anyone need a good daycare service in the future? Look me up!!

On the fourth day of Christmas I was blessed with...

Four amazing grandparents. My Palmer grandparents do so much for my family and I'm sure I don't even know about half of it!! They are so caring! I love it! I can hardly wait until they get here for the holidays. My Pelaez grandparents are so cute. They live in the basement of my house and I love the chance I have to be close to them. They aren't the in the best of health so its good to have them here!

On the fifth day of Christmas I was blessed with...

Five wonderful siblings! My sisters and brother are my best friends!!! We all fight and bicker with each other sometimes but in the end I know that they are there for me no matter what! I wouldn't trade any one of them. It's sad because some families would trade. I love my siblings so much!!!

On the sixth day of Christmas I was blessed with...

Finding six favorite scriptures (the list grows). In no certain order: 1 Peter 3:10, Matthew 6:6, John 3:16, Alma 5:14, Moroni 10:3-5, and Moses 1:13. These are so amazing!! I love the scriptures and everything that can be learned in them!

On the seventh day of Christmas I was blessed with...

Seven Christmas hymns. I love songs that celebrate Christ! There is always an amazing, strong spirit that comes with these songs! Here they are: "Angels We Have Heard On High", "O Little Town of Bethlehem", "What Child Is This?" (this song should be in the hymn book), "It Came Upon The Midnight Clear", "Hark The Harold Angels Sing" (this song is about a conversation between one of the shepherds and someone he meets while going to see the Lord), "The First Noel", and "Silent Night". I just love singing. I'm not that good but I know that each song is a prayer to the Lord!

On the eighth day of Christmas I was blessed with...

Eight hours of sleep. I don't get the chance to sleep for the recommended 8 hours very often but it really is a blessing. This plus following the Word of Wisdom is so wonderful! I love being healthy and I hope that I can always be healthy enough to be active with my family and do what I enjoy.

On the ninth day of Christmas I was blessed with...

Nine wedding announcements. I was lucky enough to receive wedding announcements for so many friends! And the best thing is that they were/will be sealed in the House of the Lord!!! It is such a blessing to be able to be sealed to the one you love for all eternity!! I hope I can soon (maybe in 9 months haha jk).

On the tenth day of Christmas I was blessed with...

Ten weeks left! Elder Harris gets home in about 10 weeks!!! YESSS!!! I'm so glad that the two years are almost done!! I don't know the exact day he gets back but I do know that his visa expires on Feb 27th. He wants to "fix" his visa so that he can extend for 30 more days but I hope that he doesn't! Its not that I don't want him to serve the Lord but two years is just so long! We'll have to see what the Lord has in mind...

On the eleventh day of Christmas I was blessed with...

Eleven years of volleyball. Volleyball has been such a huge part of my life! I was on my first really team eleven years ago. I have met so many people through this sport and I can't even imagine life without it. There are countless life lessons that I have learned on the court. I wouldn't change it for the world!! I am so glad that I can stay involved by being a coach! Thanks to my dad I have had the best training around!

On the twelfth day of Christmas I was blessed with...

Twelve more months. Another year has past and I am still here on this earth with my family and friends. I have been so blessed to be surrounded by those that I love. I am looking forward to another year and I pray that nothing tragic will happen. But if it does I know that with the Lord's help, all things are ok!!

These are my twelve days of Christmas. Merry Christmas and don't forget the true meaning of Christmas!!

The 80/20 Rule

I watched a movie a while back called Why Did I Get Married?. Its about four couples that have been friends for along time. Each year they go on a couples retreat to answer that question. One of the couple ends up getting divorced because of secrets that get out while on the retreat. Later on, the divorced man (who is a jerk!) complains to the other men that his new girlfriend doesn't do anything but shop. That is when the 80/20 rule comes in. The guy had left his wife (the 80) and went for the other girl (the 20). The concept behind this rule is that when you are in a relationship you will only get 80% of what you want, ever. Then if you start looking at the 20% that you can get from someone else it looks pretty good. Until you actually get the 20. By then its too late to get the 80 back.

What would make someone leave the 80 and go for the 20? I'm not sure all the reasons, but my really good friend helped me figure out why I would leave the 80.

Right now, Tim is my 80. He gets back in February and I'm scared. Yup, scared! There is some excitement but I would have to say that scared is the dominating feeling right now. I think that fear is what has made me want to date. I see someone that is a great guy but can only give me 20 and I jump into it. At first I am happy and infatuated. I start thinking maybe this is the guy. He could make me happy right. Well, in all reality, I would be miserable in the future and thinking "What if I had waited for Tim?".

I went on a date over the weekend and I started falling for the 20. I talked to my friend about it and she was straight forward and honest. That was what I needed! Now, I'm holding to that 80 with a death grip!

A word to the wise. Don't let FEAR, ANGER, SADNESS, etc. give you an excuse to leave the 80. Look towards the future and make the decision now that will keep you happy later.

Poetry

Have you ever written a poem? I haven't. Well, I can no longer say that. I was given the assignment to write seven or more poems about my life. My life? Poems? Yeah right! I had no idea about what to do. I didn't know the first thing about poetry. Ask Wendy. I had to call and ask her for help with homework. After thinking about it, I decided to take the easy way out. Write about other people that have been in my life. Why is that the easy way out? Because it isn't about me. (I really don't like writing about me for assignment.) I got it somewhat figured out. And here are the fruits of my labor. I would love for whoever reads this to leave a comment about one or more of the poems. What do you think? Thanks!




Falling Away from Home

Teaching comes to an end
Harvesting the lessons learned
Leading to a world so rough
Giving all there is to give
Hoping that it’s enough
Waiting for the rough to pass
Dreaming of the new to come
Wanting it to never end
Making space for new gain
Knowing that the time is spent
Letting go, the biggest joy




Summer Sisters

An unbreakable bond exists. It started out strong and grew with every addition. Five parts in all, each part adding to the whole in an inimitable way. What makes the part? A sister, with laughs and smiles.
The smiles and laughs are pinpricks of light. There are too many to count. Each laugh and smile adds up. Each pinprick of light gathers together. Every moment is a day in the summer. The whole is warm and bright.
The occasional grouping of clouds holds no effect on the warmth that is gathered, gathered from irreplaceable sources. Forever together. No distance can break an unbreakable bond.




Stars

Wander and wonder through
There are so many
None are the same
There is glowing and dimming
One shines brightest
Always there, always glowing
Noticed first when I was young
It is ever present though hidden at times
Glowing bright when direction is needed
Pointing towards the north
Past all the dim glows
The big and the little
Some leave, others stay forever in the background
Parts of a whole but not missed when gone



Deadly Winter

Death has taken its toll
Slow at first, creeping to every hole
Numbing senses, killing all
False hope is shown
But never known
There is no cry or call
No one is left behind
Death has all confined





A New Spring

Warmth enters and new life begins
Comfort flows into the cracks
The woes of life chased away
Joy and hope replace each one
Not known before but cherished now

New lessons that lie ahead
Are learned with two, not just one
Two old intertwine to make new life
Strong growth starts and blooms
Promises of forever are told




Sun of Friendship

It is said to be there
Never leaving, never gone
Only glimpses touch the ground
There is hope and faith with every ray.
Breaking through, hope is done
Warmth, instead, surrounds
Faith is now knowledge
Forever there, never to leave again
Happiness warms and stays
Always to be seen




A Touch of the Moon

Ever present, a gentle force
Little touches here and there
Remnants of a brighter source
Teaching lessons from the past

Imprints of a softened light
Comfort given ever free
Always given with delight
Leaving memories as a gift




Unstoppable Rain

Moods change with a flash of light. Sometimes raging and hard, but the next moment so soft and barely there. Unable to contain, it’s a force all its own. An undecided force from Heaven. Without this force, no life would go on. Sorely missed when gone and impossible to replace.
It’s a refreshing source of different in a life filled with similarities. Five parts are alike but one is different. A necessary force that keeps all the rest grounded. What uncontainable force can ground the rest? A brother.

Thank goodness, THREE more months!

I have had so much to be grateful for this last year. There has been good and bad that have blessed me. Yes I said bad. How else am I supposed to learn? One thing that I am thankful for, and it just so happens to be the same day as Thanksgiving, is that today Elder Harris has been serving the Lord for 21 months! Wow!! I can hardly believe it! Sometimes it feels like yesterday I was telling people he had served for only three months. Other times it feels like its been longer! I still don't know his exact release date but I'm thinking it will be pretty close to the 26th of February. He almost had the chance to stay longer than the two years, but it ended up not working out. I'm not going to lie, I'm so glad he is coming home sooner rather than later!

Something else that I am grateful for beyond measure happened this last semester at school. I was planning on going to Utah State at first but then things happened and I ended up at Weber. I wasn't really happy about this, but I think I've changed my mind. If I had gone to Utah State then I would never have met V. I wouldn't have known what I was missing but now I can't imagine not having her. She is the BEST friend I have always looked for! I honestly feel like she is one of my sisters! She is AMAZING!!! I've learned so much just from hanging out with her! I can tell that she has left "foot prints" in my heart that will be there forever! I can't tell you how grateful I am for her!! Thanks for everything V!!! Love ya!!!

I am also so so thankful for my family. Immediate and extended! I have had the chance to utilize Grandma's knowledge and talents over the last few weeks. I love that she is willing to help me no matter what. I hope that she is proud of what I did! Over the last semester at school, I've been able to take a Spanish class. Because of this I feel a lot more confident with my ability to speak Spanish. With this little boost of confidence, my relationship with Abuelo and Abuela has grown also! I love it! To celebrate Thanksgiving, my family had all of my aunts and their families (from my dad's side) come over for dinner. It was so fun to be around them! It is always so loud and crazy! I love it. Here are some pictures of Thanksgiving Dinner.

Amazing Analaine

Yesterday, I learned something incredible. It really isn't that surprising but still amazing. Analaine is just finishing her first year of competitive volleyball at the collegiate level. If any of you had the chance to watch her play, you know how amazing she is! Analaine is easily the best one on the court every time she plays. And I'm so not being bias when I say that.

Analine has received an honor for this season. She is Freshman of the Year for her conference. Plus, she made the All-Conference First Team and the All Star Freshman team. Holy cow, right?! She is definitely on her way to the Olympics! Not only did she get all these awards, she also led the conference in kills per game and made top five for service aces! What can I say? She is AMAZING!! Good job, Sister!! Keep at it!! Love you tons!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Well, today just happens to be Elder Harris' birthday! He is 21 and has been serving the Lord for 20 months and 3ish weeks. Haha yes, I am still counting down. I can't wait til I can actually celebrate special days with him and not half a world apart!

I have decided that it really is pointless for me to be dating right now. I mean, I'm not giving up! If I get asked on a date I will go but I'm really done with searching for "Mr. Right". I found him almost four years ago and I am blessed to still have him in my life. Am I still scared to death for when he gets home? Oh heavens, YES! But I know for a fact that I will be here totally single and waiting for him when he gets done. He did mention in one of his letters something about dating others. It makes complete sense to me but I seriously hope that he doesn't take a long time to figure things out. I've had two years to know for certain and he will have a month or two... That's fair right? Not really but I honestly don't want to drag it out IF he doesn't want to marry me. So for now its waiting. Patience is the key...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ELDER HARRIS! I miss you tons!

Questions

For the last few days I have had a couple of questions bouncing around so fast in my head that I don't think I will ever get the answers. I am not sure if they are questions that others have asked. Well, one of them is something I think others have thought about. That question is: "Have I ever been judged unfairly?". The other question is: "Can you be 'too good'?".

I definitely think that nearly (if not everyone) everyone has touched base with the first question. I, too, have been on the receiving end of unfair judgement. The judgement is almost always a negative judgement. Anyone can tell you. But this time I have been thinking about unfair judgement with positive judgement. How can positive judgement be unfair? Let me tell you...

The answer to the first question is so fully connected to the second that you will understand why they have been connected. The best way to explain it is to tell you about an event that happened recently. The event is a date. It has been a handful of months since I last went on a date so I was really looking forward to it. I had heard that the guy, Mr. W, was a great guy. Perfect! I need a great guy. Well, Mr. W got to my house. He commented on "the barn" so the date started with me showing him the gym. Good start! We headed to Riverdale and decided to stop at Bajio's for dinner. The food was good but the company was better. We just sat and talked for 20 plus minutes after we were done eating. Off to the Weber State basketball game. We watched and talked. Mr. W would throw in a few statements about the next time we hung out and I was feeling great about it. The game was a good time. When it was over, around 9, Mr. W asked what we should do next. Very good sign! I suggested getting hot chocolate because it was too cool for ice cream. We got our hot chocolate (around 9:30) and continued talking. We talked about so many things. Movies, sports, family, church, what girls like in a guy, etc. It was way nice talking like that. (It doesn't happen often with me) After hot chocolate (we left at 10:40ish) it was back home, with a few scenic detours on the way. Mr. W wanted to see the gym again. Out in the gym we messed around with the volleyball: shooting and setting. The night ended with a hug!! It was a great night, right? Everything went smoothly on my side! So how did I start thinking about unfair judgements?

I haven't talked to Mr. W since then. I got a text saying he wouldn't be able to come to a game I had invited him to, but I totally understand that he had homework so that was ok. But why haven't I talked to him? I might be jumping to conclusions but after thinking about the weekend I can't help it. There was one part that stuck out in my mind. Hot chocolate. There were a few parts in that on going conversation that I think I sounded "too good" and boastful. That is where the second question comes in. I'll tell you two parts of the conversation... He asked if I watched rated R movies. I answered honestly with a no. He gave me a fist bump and went on to say he did sometimes. Ok cool. Agency right. He was/is a great guy! But I felt funny. I don't know why, but I felt like I was being prideful or something. Maybe it was the comment a moment after that made me feel self-conscious. I had my CTR ring on, mostly out of habit. (Sadly, it has never made me stop when I do something wrong...) He said he didn't have a ring to remind him not to watch R movies. Oh... What do I say to that? I just smiled a little and felt even more funny. Again, it was like I was acting "too good" for people. I didn't mean to... I don't like to show off. But I felt like I was... Did Mr. W think I was? I thought he did. I think he still does. I think I have been unfairly judged as being "too good". I don't know why but that thought has been bouncing around. I have no really evidence if I am or not but it is my feelings. We'll see what happens... I pray that I am just jumping to conclusions...

As for the second question... I don't think I'll ever have an answer for it.

The Lord knows

Many people question the Lord's ability to know what EVERY person needs and how much they can handle and when. Then, instead of turning to the Lord to find comfort, those people turn away from Him and live with hatred or make rash decisions. The psychiatrist at Fort Hood is one such person. I don't know if he ever thought about how much His Father loved him and wanted to help him, but he made a choice and very unfortunately his choice hurt others. I can only say from the perspective of watching my best friend handle the pain, it is not fair. V's family are good people. They do not deserve the pain they are going through. I can't understand everything that is going on with V but I am trying to help. I hope that she knows that I am here for her. Thankfully, she has His gospel. It would be so much harder for her if she didn't have that knowledge! The Lord is there for all those that are suffering. He knows how much each person can take and what they need to feel better.

My prayers are with the families of this unfortunate shooting, especially with V. Love you girl!!

Life

This morning, V text me before her first class. I was thinking it was going to be about helping her move into her new apartment, but instead I got a shock. She was going to Salt Lake for the whole weekend and wouldn't be back until Monday. Why? Because her cousin has returned to our Father in Heaven. He was 19 years old and the cousin that was right after V in the line up. I have never met this young man but V has told me a little about him. No one close to me has ever died or had someone they know die, but when I heard this, I started to cry. It wasn't the sobbing cries but it was real tears leaking over the rim of my eyes. I cried for V and her family. He was too young to go!

You never know when your journey here on earth will be completed. Too often people (mostly young adults and teenagers) think that life, on this earth, will go on forever. But how fragile is our mortal existence. V's cousin had done nothing wrong. In fact he was serving this country. There was a shooting that shouldn't have happened. Her cousin was a victim.

I have had a prayer in my heart and mind all day. I know that V and her family will be ok. They know of the fullness of His gospel. It hurts now but they know that they will see their loved one again!

V, thanks for everything you have done for me. You are such an amazing example to me! Stay strong like I know you are! My prayers will be with you and your family.

Home Making

It's been a tradition for white (maybe ethnic people to but I haven't heard of it before) people to display quilts during a weddings. Back in the day it was to kind of show off all the quilts that the bride had made. Plus any that she had received as gifts. Well, for Wendy's wedding she only had one maybe two quilts. In order to live up to part of the tradition that has been set before me (and it just so happens I can be some credit for my homemaking skills in a few of my college courses), I have decided to make a quilt! I'm so excited! It is going to be a jean quilt. But the special touch will be that I am going to put some poems that I will be writing on the quilt. There will be around 7 poems. I hope that it turns out. It will have a lot of meaning for me and it will be a good family heirloom. I'll show you pictures soon. :)

Holiday Fun

My holiday weekend started pretty early on Saturday. My dad was going to play in a men's tournament in Salt Lake and I was going to be playing. Unfortunately, my dad could find enough guys to play on his team. Well, enough good guys. ha ha. So instead, he decided to go and play walleyball with some guys he knows from around were we live. I was still invited!! It was fun to go and hit the ball as hard as I could and not worry about going out of bounds. I picked up the game fast. It's different digging a ball that is bouncing off a wall than directly from the hitter. I quickly earned the nickname of "Little Chicho". It was a good morning so far. On the way home Dad surprised me by taking me to IHOP. Yes!! I had been craving the cream cheese stuffed french toast for a while. We walk in wait in line for a minute or two. Then my dad threw another surprise at me. "Let's go." Whoa!!! Wait a second... What about breakfast?! "Why are we leaving?" Dad had seen a guy that he had done some work for a while back. It hadn't been a good experience and so my dad left like punching the guy right in the face. OK, that would constitute a good reason to leave! Instead we ended up stopping at Artic Circle for a chicken sandwich (who can eat a burger for breakfast?) and a strawberry cheesecake shake. What a let down from IHOP! But it was nice having a daddy-daughter date!



When we got home, Dad had training with a girl from Salt Lake and asked me to come out and help. Holy cow! I am SO out of shape! I could hardly keep up with the girl when we ran sprints. I'll be going out next time she comes! After sprints, we went into passing and hitting. Seeing how I wasn't the one that was being trained, I was the one that set. I have never been a setter and those that have played with me know why. However, I am proud to say that my setting skills have for sure gotten better since I am not playing. Weird how that works. I get out of shape but my ball handling skill gets better. I just have to say that my sets were so good! Almost as good as when V was setting last week. She is amazing! I didn't have to set the whole time, though. I had plenty of time to swing and hit. I also think my hitting has improved since I've become a full time coach!

After I was finished with volleyball, I caught a ride to Salt Lake City. Now it was time to hang with V for the rest of the weekend! Exciting! I got to met and talk with her family at first. Then it was time to celebrate for Halloween. V, her brother, her aunt, and I had the opportunity to take her little cousins around trick-or-treating. So cute! One of her cousins went as a cute little Cinderella and the other cousin was an adorable bee. Cinderella was the older of the two cousins (the bee was her sister) and ready to take the lead and show us all how trick-or-treating really was done. Bee was the most adorable little thing you have ever seen. Her little stinger would waddle back and forth with each tiny step she took. When she wanted to walk our progression slowed tremendously, but she was having fun so what was the point of rushing. These two little cousins were such good sports. They didn't complain once. We had walked in a five block radius of V's grandparents house and the girls enjoyed it! There really weren't very many house handing out candy considering the distance we covered but the girls hit the jackpot with candy. It was a fun time! V and I were even able to talk about life for a bit while walking around the block. Not much happened the rest of the night: a movie and then bed time!

Sunday morning and afternoon were filled with church, naps, and food. We ate at both of V's grandparents homes. It was some good tasting food! Then we headed to a CES fireside. President Uchtdorf was the speaker! Wow! He is truly a man called of God! It was a talk about individual worth as well as dating and finding your "soul mate". He made a comparison to the story The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Anderson. (Pres. Uchtdorf's version is so much better!) We are to find our true selves in the adventure of life. Everyone is something divine, Princes and Princesses, Kings and Queens, Children of God! It was such an amazing talk I highly recommend that everyone go to lds.org and watch it for themselves!

Thanks for such a great weekend V!!!

The End of the Beginning

My first year as the assistant/sophomore coach at Fremont High has officially come to an end. It was such a roller-coaster feeling season. Happy. Annoyed. Angry. Humbled. Joy. Frustrated/Confused. Acceptance. Sadness. What a relief!!

Happy: I am only 20. Who would have thought I could get into the high school coaching system now. I was thinking I would have to wait a few years!! My girls: Stephanie, Morgan, and Preslee, are all in high school now and I got to be a small part of their experience!

Annoyed: I know more than people think. Why doesn't anyone listen to me! I should have more of a say. (Not a good attitude for coaching...)

Angry: WHY AM I THE SOPHOMORE COACH?!? I should be the head coach. I have more experience. I know more! I'm still getting ignored! I'm not coaching next year! (Again, not a good attitude!)

Humbled: I am definitely still learning. I can learn a LOT from the other coaches. I am lucky to even be coaching! Everyone is new to the program. Thank heavens I'm not the head coach! (They got a ton of 'hate-mail' :( )

Joy: I love volleyball. The sophomores are the best; they are the most coachable. They work so hard. They have the most fun during a game. I am helping mold these girls-fixing bad habits and creating good ones!

Frustrated: Come on Varsity! Do they have any desire?!? Do they want to be on the court?!? Just give me a jersey! I still look like I'm in high school! Can I drain my heart and desire into them?!? Why do they give up? Are they listening to any of the coaches? Nope... They, for the most part, don't care. :(

Acceptance: Well, we tried our best. The girls, for the most part, didn't want it. Most of the Varsity players think we, the coaches, are the worst ever. I can't wait until next year. It can only get better.

Sadness: My sister won't be at state! She worked so hard! Half of my sophomores won't try-out next year. I can't coach my girls during club.

Relief: The hardest part is done. Next year will be better!

I have never had so many feelings during one season of volleyball. I think I can handle it better in the future now!

P.S. Pictures to come....

A Blessing

Today I went to Salt Lake on a last minute trip. Why? Well... This morning after our volleyball class, V and I were walking to our next class and she was telling me that she had blurred vision out of one of her eyes. V was hoping that it would just go away so I set the info aside while I went to Institute. After Institute was over, I text V to see how her vision was. She had to go home! What?! She wasn't sick when I left her in front of the Social Science building! The blurred vision had led to a migraine and nausea. :( Oh no!!

I told her that I heard saltines or similar crackers usually help with nausea. Well, she didn't have any. (My bad... I ate them on Friday!) So my next thought was the doctors. They are no help. They just drug her with pain meds instead of trying to find the source of the pain! How annoying! Finally, I suggest a blessing and volunteered my dad. She agreed that it was a good idea. We got it all set up and I headed to practice. Then V decided that she would like a blessing from her grandpa in Salt Lake. That works. She was going to drive herself down because her brother had class. I DON'T THINK SO!!! There was no way I was going to let her drive that far alone. So after practice I headed over to V's place and pick her up. Thank heavens I was there! She was tired and obviously not up to driving!

When we got to her grandparents house, we only waited a few minutes before her grandpa and one of his friends were ready to give her a blessing. Wow!! There was such a strong presence of the Spirit there before they even laid their hands on her head. During the blessing, the Spirit only got stronger! I started tearing up and I wasn't the one getting blessed. I'm so glad that V had the chance to get a blessing and that there were people in her life that were able to help! I know everything will work out and she is going to be completely healthy again!

After her blessing, we just hung out at her grandparents house. Dinner was amazing! Then we looked at family photo albums. That was so fun. :) Thanks for everything V!!

GET BETTER FAST!!!!!!

FOUR MORE!!

Holy Cow, its getting so close!! I don't know his exact release date yet, but his mom said we should find out really soon. I can hardly believe I have made it for 20 months. I told my mom the other day that I had a small doubt when Tim left that I would make it this far. She said she didn't think I would make it this far either. I am so excited that I did make it! The closer I get to the end, though, the more nervous I get. I have NO CLUE what to expect! Before Tim left I talked to him everyday. But in four months I just don't know how it will be. How soon after will I see him? A day, a week, longer?? Will I get a hug or a hand shake? Will he want to talk like we used to? How long will it take for him to be "normal" again? All these questions and more are bouncing around my head! Sometimes it would be great to know the future! I will have to be patient a little longer! :)

The BEST of Friends!!

My family can attest to the fact that I don't get close to many people. I have quite a few acquaintances but almost zero close friends. From high school, I talk to only one of the friends (besides Tim) I had and we are best friends. He probably knows the most about me. From my year and a half at Snow College, I talk to a small handful of people every few months. And from my job at Zions, I talk to my co-works every so often. It's not that I don't get along with others, I just don't feel a connection that is very strong.


So I start school at Weber State (to save on housing) with no real hope of finding a friend, not even thinking about multiple friends. Most people I have met have been through volleyball. But since I don't play on a team anymore I don't meet very many new people. This semester I decided to take a volleyball class in hopes of still saving some of my skills. (It's crazy how much you lose after just missing one season.) When I got to class I was kinda scoping out the talent. Its hard to play with beginners. There were a few girls that were at my level. Me being a little shy, I just sat back and did my own things while discreetly trying to play on the same side of the net as the girls. There was one in particular that I really wanted to get to know. I didn't know her name but she looked way nice, cute, and athletic. After a few classes I found out her name. We'll just call her V. Then I think it was the next class, I needed to give her my number (we were going to be on the same rec volleyball team and practice was at my house). We ended up talking for a whole hour after class. Dang! I never do that. I'm not one to linger and make small talk.

Well, we totally hit it off. We talk everyday, no joke. We are seriously best friends. She knows me better than Chad and maybe even Tim. We hang every weekend. For real, we are so much a like. Someone we hung out with on Friday told us that he thought we had known each other for forever. How crazy! The Lord truly has blessed me this semester! I didn't think I would ever find a true best friend, but I was wrong.

Me and V hanging out at the corn maze! What a fun night :) Thanks V, that was the best idea!

The Good and Bad of life

I have always loved being with my family. I rarely pass up the chance to spend time with them. There are times that I get so mad at my sisters or brothers that I wish I hadn't chosen to hang around, but for the most part it is a blast! Now that we are all grown and spreading around the state, it's not often that the whole family is at the same place at once. The high schools, jr. high schools, and elementary schools had the UEA/Fall break this last weekend. Because all the kids and my mom were out of school the family decided to get out of town for a few days and go to Cedar City. Analaine had a game on Thursday and Saturday. This is wonderful minus one little thing... I wasn't there. The colleges in Utah don't have UEA. There is a fall break but that isn't until the 16th of October and it is only one day. So while I was spending time in class on Thursday morning, my family headed out to support Analaine. I would have gone down later in the week, but I had class Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. (Now that the semester has been going I realized I shouldn't have taken a Saturday class.) I haven't ever stayed at my house alone before. It is nothing like being down at college and staying in my apartment alone. My family is supposed to be here when I am; that is how life should be! The first night was rough but after that I was fine. I was able to get a lot of things finished on Friday and I heard every word of the Saturday afternoon session of conference!

I was also able to spend time with a new friend of mine, V. It has been fun getting to know her. We spend hours talking and don't realize how much time has passed. This is rare thing for me. I usually just float through life. I haven't had a lot of close friends. But this is why life is good, finding those that leave footprints!

Unmeasurable Love

I just wanted share something that is extremely important to me. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the one and only completely true church on this earth. I know that the boy Joseph Smith was visited by God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. I know that the Lord's will was to have Prophet Joseph restore His church here on the earth. I am so grateful that the young Joseph followed his heart and prayed to God that day! I would be so entirely lost without His gospel to help me through. I know from personal experience that if I want true happiness then I must follow the commandments of the Lord.

I know that I am but a mere mortal. I am far from sinless. I have felt the pain and sorrow that comes from breaking the Lord's commandments. I know that I can take my pain and sorrow to Christ and His Father. He will hear me out. He does forgive!!!! What a wonderfully merciful Lord this world has! I have felt the power of the Atonement in my life! I know that the Savior knows me personally along with every being to ever live. I know that the Savior wants to have ALL of his children back with Him in heaven. Through the Redeemer of the world, my scarlet sins can be made white once more. Greg Olsen does an amazing job at depicting this scripture Isaiah 1:18. Without the Savior there is no hope!

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The last few weeks my mind has been pondering and I truly stand all amazed. Not only with the love I have felt from the Savior, but with His all-powerful hand that is so evident in this world. I see natures beauty and I can't help but see that it is all too wonderful to happen by mere chance. I hear of the many many miracles that Christ performed while on this earth, as well of the modern miracles performed by the Lord's servants, and my mind is blown away! How can people of this world not see His hand in all aspects???

I love my Savior, Jesus Christ, with all of my heart, might, and strength! I know all this to be true!!! Amen!! :)

Five more months!!!!!!

Wow!!!! My Elder Tim has been serving the Lord faithfully for a year and seven months as of today. A lot of time has gone by and Tim is still the guy at the forefront of my mind! I can hardly believe the change that has happened in the last year and a half. One thing that has been constant is Tim. He has always been there for me. Even when he is half way around the world, I draw so much strength from him!! I have a memorabilia from him. Its a necklace that I have worn everyday for almost two years. Tim gave me this necklace as a gift the Christmas before he left. To be honest, the only time it leaves my neck is when I wear the other necklace Tim gave me (Valentine's before he left), play volleyball in college (that has been a while), and when I shower. The necklace is a sego lily. When I go on dates, I always wonder if the guy is going to ask me about it.... That would be a great conversation on a date, ha ha ha. No one has asked. I don't think I will have to worry about it anymore. I am not liking the whole dating thing right now so I don't have to go on any dates (and no one has asked me!). I know I will be here when Tim gets home. The question is if we will stay together!

Now a quick update... I am absolutely loving being back in school. All of my classes are wonderful! I am the sophomore coach at Fremont High and my girls are doing wonderful!!!! I am so blessed to be working there. That covers the bases of my life as of now. I'll write more soon!!

Life is CRAZY fun!!

So I realize it has been nearly a month since I last wrote. I'll try catching you up...

One of the biggest things that occupied my time is spending time with my family at a LOT of Ogden Raptor's games. You see, it was about this time a month ago that I met some new friends, two to be exact. I met these friends at my brother's championship rec baseball game (he won!!). Kind of funny that we met there because they happened to be from Dominican Republic. They told my mom and me that they were here for work. My very first thought was "How boring! Who would come to Roy, UT to work?" As we continue to talk I realized what their jobs are. They are players on the Raptor's team! It has been fun getting to know the two I first met and then also the six other players that are from the DR. We now can get tickets whenever we want. I think I have gone to more games in this season than I will ever go to for the remainder of my time on earth. They are a fun group of guys to have over for dinner and just be around. They all like to laugh and joke around. One thing they tease all of the kids about is not really knowing much Spanish. They encourage us to try to speak but since I hardly ever know how to translate the whole sentence, I resort to English. This brings me to my next change in life.

I am happy and sad to say that I no longer work for Zion's Bank. A few weeks ago I was pretty set with the idea that I would put off going to school for another semester or two. After all, starting back to school in the spring still put me on track with Tim. I decided to talk to my parents about it and to my surprise, they completely disagreed. In fact, they told me that they wanted me to go back to school full time this fall. I tried to explain that I was an adult and needed to work in order to earn money. But then they said something that I couldn't argue with. My parents pointed out the odds of me finishing my school after I get married is very slime. Not that my future husband wouldn't support me, but if I started a family with kids and all then it would be extremely hard to do both. I know that if or when I get into that situation I would be able to handle it, however, why not get as much school done sooner rather than later..? So as of today I haven't worked for Zions for two of my normal work days. Instead I have been going to classes a Weber State. I am now taking two English classes: British Literature and Biographical Writing, a studio art class, a volleyball class, and last but not least, a Spanish class.

I am very excited to dive into school. I feel like I have taken just the right amount of credits and classes that are very important to me. The English classes I have are going towards my major (English with an emphasis on Creative Writing). The art class is allowing me to continue with my passion for drawing. The volleyball class, I think, is pretty self explanatory. And the Spanish class is allowing me to better communicate with my family and new friends!

There is one last big change in my life. I am really looking forward to this semester of school. The reason being is that I am now the sophomore coach at Fremont High School!! I have a new group of girls (the ones I have coached before are now on Varsity!!) and a new set of challenges. There is quite a noticeable gap in the skill level between varsity and sophomores. I know these girls will work hard and close that gap fast!! It will be a season full of growth!

Something else that isn't really new but extremely important. Tomorrow Elder Tim will have served the Lord for 18 months in Porto Alegre! I ONLY HAVE 6 MORE MONTHS!!!! I can't begin to expression the joy that I am feeling at the very moment!! What an amazing man that I have been so blessed to have in my life. I am scared to near death about not being what he needs when he comes home. At the same time I am filled with hope that I am. I feel like he is exactly what I need. He will be terribly sad to have to come home from a place and people he has grown to love almost more than his family. He truly has engrossed himself in the work of the Lord. I know this because he hasn't written to his family, via email, for a couple weeks now. I continue to pray and worry about him. He is constantly telling me in letters that I don't need to worry but I just can't seem to help it. I can hardly believe that my wait is almost over!!!

Seven!!!

This last month has flown by so fast. I suppose it is a month to month feeling now for me. But then again, I have been more busy than at any other time since Tim has left. I have recently found out that one of my new friends also has a missionary in Brazil, too. This makes it three people that I personally know that have missionaries there. I was talking to her about how much Tim is loving every second he has over there. I heard somewhere that they are no longer allowing missionaries to serve extended missions. Honestly, I don't know how accurate this statement is but I cross my fingers it is true. Although I know that it would be the Lord's all-knowing wisdom that would guide the decision, I am so grateful that Tim can't serrve longer. He would take the opportunity in a heart beat. I can truthfully say that I would be happy because Tim would be so exstatic, but I would also be terribly sad. Who knows how much more of this I can take ha ha ha JK.

This last Monday I got some exciting news; Tim's brother sent in his papers about a week earlier and would be receiving his call on Wednesday. That night I learned that Jake will be serving in the Sao Paulo South Mission!! Tim guessed that he would serve in Brazil (I think he is a little biased) and he was right. One thing that is slightly sad is that Jake will be leaving for Brazil on November 25, 2009. Tim doesn't arrive home until February 2010. I can't image going 4 years without seeing all of my family. However, I am sure the boys won't complain because they understand the Lord's insight! Congrats Jake!!!

Kenny Chesney

Have you ever been to a concert?? I haven't. Well I guess I can't say that anymore. Last night I had the chance to go see Kenny Chesney live. My friend Sam was lucky enough to get us tickets! I was pretty excited that she decided to ask me to come! It was so fun to see someone live. We had nosebleed seats but I still enjoyed the show. However, I think that next time I go to a concert I will try for closer seats. :)




















Thanks so much Sam!!!






There was an amazing violinist that was part of the band. Man, if only I had practiced a bit more. ha ha

Honored

I never really considered being a nanny work. I admit that when explaining to people why I couldn't do something, I would say work but I didn't think it was. I played all day and slept all night. I was just lucky enough to get paid for it. There really wasn't any extra effort put into it. I feel blessed to have had that chance! It has been almost 2 and 1/2 months since I last watched Devyn. I miss him tons!!! Yesterday, I had the chance to see him again!!!! His mom had called me earlier in the week and wanted to know if she could bring Devyn and his dad to Sunday dinner. I was more than happy to tell her yes. Sunday brought friends and family together (we had more then just Devyn's family over). About half way through dinner, Devyn's dad excuses himself. When he returns he asks me if he could make an announcement. Without thinking or hesitating, I tell him yes. He stands and gets everyone's attention. Then much to my surprise and embarrassment, he presents me with... this. It is a flag that was flown over Iraq on a combat mission in my honor, and a certificate indicating its authenticity. It has been signed by the Lieutenant Colonel. Wow!! I honestly didn't know what to say. He told me that I was more help than he could of asked for his wife and son. I feel so honored. The Lord truely blesses good people through small and simple things. I do not feel like I did anything worth honoring but Devyn's family felt it a blessing I was there. It still boggles my mind. Thank you so much for this wonderful honor!!!

Heat and such

Wow, it has been a long time... Life has been very full and busy as of late.

I am never one to say no to a little heat. In fact, I would much rather it be a hot summers day than a blizzard in the middle of winter. But that is for the outside... About a week and a half ago the most miserable thing happened. The AC in my home died!!! Why couldn't it have died a few weeks earlier, let's say the beginning of June, instead of now? The answer to that is, my family never seems to be that lucky. :) At first I didn't mind so much because I was at work all day, and then is was cool enough outside that I could sleep with the window open and still use a light blanket. However, as the days dragged on the temperature outside increased. That is why it is so miserable. I am constantly trying to find ways to cool down. Many would suggest swimming in order to cool off, but unfortunately, all water parks and pools are closed before I get off work. One of the joys of growing up and working.

There is a slight upside to the whole situation, after coming home from school, I have gained a few pounds. (It really isn't anything to worry about) Now that I live in a sauna, I have noticed that I must have some water weight. I am slowly losing pounds. That could be good and bad...

I wish it was only in my house that I have felt this extreme heat. Yesterday, I headed over to The Gym (odd name for a rec center) so that I could play a few games of four on four volleyball. When I got there, I found out that there wasn't any AC in The Gym. Holy hannah, was it HOT!! I was sweating right as I hit the doors. Then we all started to play and as you can imagine it just got hotter. But since we were playing volleyball, I wasn't too sad about being in such heat.

We have a new AC unit today and my dad is working on getting it all connected. I am very excited and I pray that it will be up and running soon!!!

16 down, 8 more to go! Hooray!!!

I can't begin to explain how elated I have become with this day. I honestly had doubts, when Tim first left, that I would make it this far and love him more than I did when he left. Anyone who knew me or been around me before Tim left could have easily told you that we were inseparable. My friends had begun to address us as TiMelody. (I guess its fate because our names fit so well together, hee hee, ha ha) But then he was gone and I faced a new challenge. I had countless people tell me that the chances of things working out when he got home were slim to none. They would tell how they didn't end up with their missionary, or how their girlfriend was married before their first year out. My first year was bombarded by these constant reminders that it wasn't/isn't going to work out between Tim and me. I couldn't help but feel a bit discouraged after hearing such stories. But then there would be a hopeful story in the midst of a handful of bad. Like the family that both the grandmother and the mom had waited for and married their missionaries. Needless to say, I like those stories better. After each month slips by and gets me that much closer to his return, my hopes get that much bigger. I am extremely confident that I will be here waiting for Tim, with my arms ready for a hug, to get home. I also know that the Lord is able to see a better path than the one that may look right to me, He will not hesitate when I need something to help make a decision for or about anything important.

Daddy!

I know this is a bit late but life is a can be hectic sometimes.

This Father's Day hit me by surprise. I almost forgot about it. Luckily, I wasn't too thoughtless. I was the first one to tell my daddy Happy Father's Day (well out of the kids anyway). My dad is one of the most amazing men I know. I have seen his struggles and trials, his mistakes and triumphs. He isn't perfect, by all means, but he has come so far. My dad has a very crazy way of showing his love. Although, he can show his love in the more conventional ways, a hug, a kiss, etc., he is more likely to really convey his love when he is being protective. I don't always like it when he is "showing" his love. It makes it a bit tough on dates and such, but I wouldn't trade him for anyone. He is a great comfort to me and I love him so much. He has taught me so much, from each part of how to build a house to lessons in the Gospel. I don't think I tell him thank you and I love you enough. I will work on that!

There are other men that I am very glad I can turn to. My grandpa is a wonderful man and is always there if I need him. We have a special bond. I love you Grandpa, you whistling swan. My abuelo is so sweet! He knows very little English but he tries using what he knows to communicate with us. Sometimes I will be talking to him in the little Spanish I know and then he will answer me in English. Just like him to find a way to make me laugh! Love you Abuelo!

Those that I haven't mentioned, thanks for everything! Love you too!

Memories!

I was thinking today about how grateful I am for memories!! Although I miss Tim so much, I get so much comfort from the times we have already spent together! I wouldn't trade my memories for anything! One that is very special to me is a very simple one... I was driving with Tim after a date. (I'm not sure where from or the time of year, but I think we were going back to my house) We had gotten on the subject of our very first date. Which was Prom and, seriously, the most awkward date I have ever been on. I was curious as to why Tim had asked me to the dance. One of my friends once told me that he set Tim up to it and I wanted to know if that was true. Well, on our drive I asked Tim why. He got a bit quiet and really didn't say much. But, I kept prodding until he finally told me. He said it was because one day when he walked up to our lockers I had given him a smile. That's what started it all!!! I had no clue!!! When he finished telling me that I felt so special. He told me that that was the reason he loved to see me smile so much! How can I feel anything but love toward such a sweet, wonderful guy!!

I'm looking forward to many more wonderful memories and will continue to cherish the ones I have!!

Utah Summer Games

What an amazing weekend! I took my team down to Cedar City in order to participate in the Utah Summer Games. I had the feeling that we would do really well. The tournament started on Friday morning and ended on Saturday afternoon. The girls played their hearts out and showed their love for the game. Although my team has seven girls only six were able to make it to this extra tournament. With only six girls and playing 5 matches a day, you might think they would get extremely tired and not want to play towards the end. On the contrary, I have never had a more focused and well conditioned group of girls.



The best game of the tournament was the Championship game. It was a double elimination tournament and we had lost to the opposing team earlier in the day. This left us with one loss and them without any. We had to win the last match in order to have a chance at the gold. The matches are won by playing the best two out of three games. We started out the match terribly. We lost the first game and had no momentum coming into the second one. But the girls dug down deep and found the fire and drive they needed. We beat the team by far more than they had beaten us. We had an intense game. Morgan worked hard to give the team the best chances of getting the points we needed. She learned quickly as Melissa (my sister and assistant) coached her through knowing who to set and when and also when she needed to take charge and tip the ball. Sariah learned how to adjust to a not-so-perfect set and being our of position. With my dad there helping to coach as well, Sariah earned many points by playing smart and know when to tip or when to hit. She threw everyong off when she came out swinging and had the hardest hit of the team. She is still the shortest on the team and no one expects such a little girl to have so much power. Stephanie finally learned how to handle the pressure that I put on her as a coach. She is my my strongest hitter and a big point maker. She was able to brign so much energy and momentum onto our side of the court. She even hit a few of the opponents in the face/head. Many of the girls we played were afraid of her. Ali found her place on the team. Through out the season I know she struggled with knowing where she fit in and how she added to the team. She was my most consistent server and made the most points off a serve. It was a regular occurance to have her serve for seven to ten points in a row. What a wonderful way to bring the team confidence! Ciara has grown so much this season and it showed in this match. She dug so many hits and played amazing in the front row. It is the progression I see in her that makes me love coaching!! She has a bunch to learn still but I know she will go as far as she desires to. Preslee has stepped up so much. She started the season as a setter but willingly changed her game and became a strong outside hitter. She also learned how to adjust to sets and being out of position. She played her smartest game of the season.



My girls ended up winning the match by a large margin. Because this match was our opponents first loss we had to play one game to 25 to decide the champion. This one game started out really rough. We were behind 1-14 and things were not looking good. I honestly started having doubts that we would be able to catch up. I did not voice my thoughts and cheered for my girls. They began to fight back!! When most started to doubt, my girls found it in their hearts to continue playing! We came back and tied the game at 22. We then battled back and forth keeping the score tied or by one. My girls put their whole hearts out on the court and unfortunately made the last mistake. We lost 25-27. It was hard on my team but I told them to keep their heads up high. They played an AMAZING game. I am so so proud of everything they accomplished!!! What an amazing team!! Thank you for a great season!!!

SINGLE DIGITS!!

HOORAY!!! Tim now has 9 months left! I am so excited! Time is a fickle thing. I look back at the last 15 months and I feel like it was just yesterday that Tim was giving his farewell talk. But during the time it was forever!! I can't tell you how many time I would think that time had come to a stop just to see if I could handle the wait. Even now I think about how extremely slowly just the last 3 months have gone by. I then compare the time I have waited for Tim to other parts of my life, like work or school, and I find that time has flown by and I feel like I have accomplished so little and there isn't enough time. Although the rate of time is constant, my perception has obviously been altered! I had high hopes that the second year would fly by. (I've been told by many that it would.) So far.... It's slower than the first.... Life is still going and AMAZING!! No worries :)

Why I date...

Since being home from college, I have gone on a few dates here and there. Its nothing serious and it always reminds me how much I love and miss Tim. In the last 15 months, Tim has gotten more compliments and praises from my dad than the two years before his mission all combined!! I don't understand my dad sometimes. :) I know that he is so protective because he loves and cares about me but it is hard to explain dating to him. He gets very protective of Tim when he hears about me going on another date with a new guy. I have to explain to my wonderful dad that I am dating because Tim and I agreed that I should. Also, dating other guys helps to make me 100% positive that Tim is the one for me! One day my dad will understand and not worry so much. Well, I hope he will understand. I am so happy that my dad is realizing what an amazing guy Tim is. I just wish he would have seen it earlier.

Lately, have been thinking a lot about how life might play out next February and the months following. I can honestly say that I can see myself with Tim, planning/talking about being sealed for time and all eternity. I hope I am good enough for him!!! I love him very much!!

My Amazing Mom!!!

As you all know, today is Mother's Day! Today I have been thinking not only about my mom but all the other women in my life. Wow, it is such a blessing to know that I have women that I can look to for an example! I will talk about my wonderful mom in a little bit but I want to start with the other women I was thinking of. One that is almost equal to my own mother is Tim's mom. She understands the relationship that Tim and I have a bit better than my parents seem to. She is always there to listen and help out! She has put so much time into getting to know me better! I am so glad that we get along! She just called me today and we were able to talk about Tim. He called today and unfortunately I couldn't be there. She knows and understands how much I miss him. She told me that he is so so happy! Tim also doesn't know English anymore! Ha ha, he had such a hard time translating from Portuguese to English. I can't wait to hear him after 10 more months! I hope he will be able to understand me and vice versa! :)

Some of the other women I have been thinking about are both of my grandmothers, Grandma and Abuela. They are both wonderufl in very different ways! My Grandma is very dependable and excepts a lot from you! I know she has high expectations for me and believes I can be the best me ever! She is always there for me and I absolutely love her! Thanks Grandma! My Abuela is so adorable! She only speaks Spanish and so sometimes she talks so fast I don't know what is going on. She lives in the mother-in-law apartment my family has in our basement. Living at home has given me the wonderful opportunity to get to know her better! What a wonderful sense of humor! She makes me laugh all of the time. She has strong views on the type of guys that will marry into my family. She once told me that Tim was great because he wasn't black! I laughed pretty hard because its not like my dad is that light! I love her very much and look forward to getting to know her better!


Now my mother! What an absolutely amazing women! I couldn't ask for a better women to raise me! She has so much patience, kindness, love, understanding, compassion, etc. I don't

know how I would have survived these 20 years of my life without her. I can talk to her about anything! She tries hard to understand how much I miss Tim and helps me so much. She is always there to help me handle things with my dad. Most recently, Mom has had to help me explain to my dad the concept of dating others while Tim is gone. He doesn't quite understand the whole thing. I was getting frustrated but my wonderful mom helped out. She also has had to put up with a lot from me. Although I am much more independent than the rest of my sisters I still don't do anything major without running it by my mom first. I value her advice and opinion more than anything! I always want to talk to her. Sometimes I feel guilty because I'll call home and my dad will answer the phone. My usually response after saying hi is "Where's Mom?" I can't help it. Things just go a lot smoother when I talk with her. Thanks for always being there for me Mom and being the perfect mom for me and my life! I LOVE YOU TONS AND BUNCHES!!!

Working Girl

Well I have now been a full time worker for about a month. I absolutely love working at Zion's Bank. I have learned a lot and fast. There is usually a two week training period when you learn from your mentor. I never really had that. My first week there I was put to learn off the computer training program. I was so bored. It was scheduled to stretch for a week and a half. Thankfully, I was able to finish in about 4 days. When I wasn't on the computer, my "mentor" had me with the other tellers and running a few deposits or withdrawls. From what my one and only co-teller, Lacie, tells me, no one is usually allowed to touch any transactions until their training is complete. I was a little surprised with that. I guess I am a fast learner! According to the one and only guy that works there I am way smarter than he was expecting me to be. I was glad about that. How horrible it would have been if I was dumber than he thought...

Here are a few pictures of where I work now. This is what you will see me sitting/standing behind if you ever happen to come visit. I would love for anyone that will be hanging around Salt Lake to come visit!! My branch is in Salt Lake City. We are the first bank ever built in Utah and it is a cute little building!






This is me behind the counter. There are only two tellers that work at my branch and these are our computers. It is pretty funny at times, but other times it gets boring. We are probably the slowest branch in the Zions company. I really don't mind though. It has allowed me to learn at a wonderful pace! If it was any busier I would most likely make too many mistakes and not be able to find the time when I need it!











Here is the lovely Lacie. She will be a married woman this weekend!! It has been really fun getting to know her! She is one of those girls that are funny without trying to be. She is very much a sheltered girl. She doesn't think about the world outside of her hometown. She is also the kind of girl that gives blondes their reputation!! It is extremely funny being able to tak to her!! I wish her the best on her new life!!












Carla is my boss! She is very sweet and a great boss! She is very understanding and really knows the ways of the bank. She has helped me so much! I have also enjoyed getting to know her!

The only one I am missing a picture of is Kalani. Kalani is the only guy at work. He was afraid of my camera, you see, and wouldn't let me take a picture but I'll get one soon!! It is fun having him around! I'm sure he would much rather have another guy but oh well!












I think that this is just a cool picture. This is one of the vaults where I work. It is one of the oldest ones in Utah! The door is huge and HEAVY!!

10 More!

Hooray!! Today, Tim has been serving the Lord for 14 months!! That leaves roughly 10 more months til he is home. I am looking forward to it so much. The more I date others the more I love and miss my missionary. Right now, I'm dating a guy named Chase. He really is a sweet guy and very much a gentlemen but he isn't my Tim. I have realized in the last 14 months that Tim really did spoil me when we dated. Not with earthly possessions, but in the way he was with me. He was always willing to sacrifice for me, but I never thought of it as a sacrifice. Maybe for him it wasn't but for the guys I date now, it is.

The relationship I had with Tim was both a giving and a receiving relationship. Tim wanted to make me happy and I wanted to make him happy. We never wanted what was best for ourselves but rather what was best for the other. Tim would always try to get me to pick what to do for the date. His reason being was that he wanted to make sure I was doing what I wanted, even when he didn't always enjoy it. He was quite stubborn about it at times! But you see, I am a pretty stubborn person myself! I would tell him that I was happy with doing whatever he wanted to do. Eventually, he ended up planning most of our dates. If I really had an idea we would go and do it, but I absolutely love that he would just plan it for me! This is just one small thing he did for me. It is among many of the things he did for me, like putting up with my dad, doing what he said he would, worrying about me when I honestly think he wouldn't, etc. Just a quick story that came to mind... This story starts when we graduated from high school. Neither one of us ever brought up the subject of breaking up when we went to different schools. It never crossed my mind that we wouldn't be together. Well I went home quite a bit on the weekends to see him and we talked every night before I went to sleep. I would spend every night with Tim on the weekends I was home. Sundays we would just hang out at one of our families house. I would say goodnight and drive home after our date. I am guilty in not thinking that Tim would worry about me when I drove back to Snow. I never called him when I arrived safe. Well, Tim came down a couple of times to visit me at Snow. When he would leave I told him that he had to call me when he got home. I couldn't ever really sleep til he called. He called me every time with out fail. One day I got to thinking and when we talked that night I asked him if he would like me to call him when I get to Snow. He said that he absolutely would like it! He told me that he would always think about me and that when he would talk to me the next night he was relieved to hear me answer the phone. Who knew?! What an amazing guy! I did much better at calling him, but I don't think I remembered every time...

Sorry for the side track! It just seems like no one comes close to the high bar that Tim placed. Chase is one of the closest but still hasn't hit that mark. To be honest I don't think he will hit it...

I have 10 more months until I find out if I can hit the mark that Tim has set for finding the one he loves... Pray for me!! I'm so nervous!!

The Blessing of the Lord

Life has gotten so hectic this last few weeks. I am still adjusting to being a full time worker. I have now decided that the numbers of hours i a day should be changed to at least 30 hours a day now. Maybe I'll be able to fit everything in then.



With in these few weeks I have been able to see a lot more of the blessings that the Lord has given me. A few of those blessings finally came into my life today!! They have been planned for the last little while so they weren't much of a surprise.



The first one I would like to tell you about has to do with my brother. He had his 12th birthday last week. Instead of receiving the priesthood that day he made the decision to wait a week. He wanted my grandparents to be here with us. Then on Thursday my dad had an interview with the stake president. No one really thought a whole lot about it. We thought he might get a calling because they asked my mom to come along. When they got home that night, my parents decided to tell us what was going on. Last Sunday, my ward was informed that our bishopric was getting released. Well, my dad is now the new second counselor. Wow! Who would have thought? What a wonderful chance to serve the Lord! My dad is one of the most spiritual guys I know! I know he will be amazing! Right after my dad was set apart as the 2nd counselor. I witnessed my baby brother receiving the sacred ordinance of the Aaronic Priesthood. What an amazing thing to see. He has grown up so much and has been waiting for the chance to pass the Sacrament, and all the other wonderful things that come with this responsibility.



It has been a day so full of the Spirit! What a wonderful day!

Crazy!

Wow! It has been a full week. I didn't think that starting a full time job would mean that I would have absolutely no free time! It seems like now that the bulk of my day is full the rest seems to want to cram in at the end. This week has been extremely busy. I haven't even had time to hang out with my best friend. :( We have been trying to do something for ages now. Sorry Chad... Maybe there will be better luck next week.


Work has been absolutely wonderful! I have learned so much. Sometimes I just find myself nodding and saying yes when they ask if I get it. I know I should ask them to repent it but I don't. I have a lot more training to do so I'm not real worried. My trainer has been apologizing for the last two days a lot. Apparently, he is supposed to be giving me more attention. However, I don't mind. Yesterday, I was set to a computer training program. There are plenty of modules, or chapters. I should be working on that for 4 days, but today I was placed behind the counter with the other tellers. They were patient with me and let me use their computer to run transactions. I'm still in training so I don't have my own yet... I learned a lot with the hands-on, learn-on-my-feet time. I'm getting more comfortable and slowly remembering all the little things.




Now that I work at a bank my wardrobe is is serious need of repair!! I am now a very professionally dressed young lady. Ha ha. The thing is, I am seriously lacking in that department. If anyone knows where to get cute dress slacks, PLEASE share the wealth of knowledge!! On Monday I had orientation and on the way home I hit one of my favorite clothing stores, Plato's Closet. This store sells name brand clothing for way cheap. I found a small treasure... a pair of dress pants that fit perfectly, two different tops, and, of course, shoes. I was very excited. Now I have taken a baby step into my prefessional wardrobe!

A New Job!

As of yesterday, I officially have a new job. My nanny job came to a sudden stand still last Sunday and I was worried about finding a new job. Then on Monday I recieved a call from Tim's dad, Jodie. In January, he helped me get a ton of interviews with Zion's Bank. (it was around 10-15) At the time, I was a little put out because I wasn't getting accepted to any of the jobs. I was told that I interviewed amazingly but I didn't have enough experience. That always made me curious as to how people got experience if they never got hired!! Well, one of those many interviews finally paid off! Jodie's call was about one of the interviewers wanting another interview. I was very excited and called them up. Surprisingly, they wanted an interview that very same day. After the interview, I felt like it went really well but I wasn't getting my hopes up. That's how I felt after a lot of the others. Then two hours after I got home, Zion's called me. This time they offered me the position!!!!! I will officially start as a teller on Tuesday. (Monday is orientation.) I am so excited for this opportunity! Its amazing how the Lord makes everything work out so amazingly well! I have seen the blessings he has worked in order for this to happen. At first I did not feel like they were blessings but it is very evident now! I love the Lord with all my might, mind, and heart!! Thank you!!