Not the best quality photos... ;)

Hey Y'all! It is time for me to blog again! Here are some events from the last few weeks! 

 So this summer. Mitch and I have been trying to do productive things with our time instead of spend most of it inside our apartments just hanging out, as is so tempting to do in the heat. Here is a photo of us at a bees game! I love this picture.

 Chris and Jacee blessed little Lilly Clayton at the beginning of July, and Mitch hung out with the family. So this is us there.

 We took the big trip to San Diego so that my parents could meet Mitch. It was awesome. We had a blast. We got off the plane, and the Mormon Battalion is near the airport so of course we naturally went to the Battalion. Mitch liked it, and it was fun to go back to the scene of the crime. I started my minny mission a week from tomorrow. That is weird to me that it has been a year...

 The following day was Saturday, and in San Diego in the summer, saturdays are CRAZY. So we went to a less populated spot called Point Loma. It was really fun to be by the water but not have to go in to it. They have the old and new lighthouse there, and so many beautiful views of the san diego harbor and the ocean... It was surprisingly romantic actually...

 Mom spent so long on Saturday making this "Pavlova..." It is a beautiful little suffla (spelling) thing. It was delicious. Good job Mama!!

 Katie has been wanting to go to the Zoo forever, so we took a trip there on Monday. It was really fun, and HUGE. But we saw a lot in the four hours we were there, and will probably never go back. Mitch was a trooper to walk around the whole thing with us with a sore back and two ladies who love to read everything.

 After the Zoo we went to an outdoor organ concert and that was beautiful and fun and I want to go do that a lot more often when I am in San Diego. It is awesome.

 Tuesday we went to this little town called Julian where they are famous for their pies. We only had about 4 hours to get there, eat and look around then drive back. And unfortunately, the drive up there was about 2 hours. We loved the random adventure and the food and apple pies were all delicious. The parents got to know Mitch better and I loved that. It all seemed to go down pretty well! It was not long enough though.

 This little Amy loves Mitch. She always smiles when he comes around, and we just have a blast together. I love that my family, even the little ones, has accepted him so fully!

 I just completed my second and last session of EFY. It was so great to be with older girls. I learned so much from this group of ladies, and I am SO grateful for the lessons I learned at EFY and that I got to teach so much with this experience. What a blessing!

 For the 24th we went to the Orem Olz game with some friends and it was a fun way to celebrate the holiday!

We are weirdos.

That's life!! So much change is coming in the next few weeks! Here's hoping it is all good change. :)

EFY session one - Ogden 2. June 10th-15th 2012

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This is a photo of Hannah's wedding! Me, Hannah, and Heather. How I miss these girls. It was a beautiful wedding. I don't think I posted any photos from it... 

  EFY! I just finished my first session of EFY and it was awesome! I fell in love with these girls and am so happy that they were my first group. There wasn't a hard girl in the group and we all got along really well. They will have bright futures if they keep up their testimonies of Jesus Christ. It was so awesome to think about the amazing blessings that come from the gospel all week this week. We became stronger by being a part of this and it was so great. I am grateful to have had my testimony strengthened and be able to teach and be around the youth. It made me so excited for the  opportunity to teach them! 

 So these are pictures from a trip that my sisters and I took to san diego when we went to visit mom and dad in February. Here are some samplings from our trip. It was awesome! I loved it.

 This is a photo of me at my favorite ice cream shop in Chula Vista. It was so fun to go back with all my sisters (except ashley) to my mission. Yummy Oasis.

 Our bbq at mom and dad's in SD caught on FIRE! Dad opened up the grill, we saw a huge flame of smoke, and all the sudden a scream then silence. Yikes! He was fine and so is the grill ha ha.

                             Ha ha ha. :) Thanks Danielle... maybe I should be a part time model? jk.

Let the Summer Begin!

Oh Hello Blog. You've changed since I last saw you. Life has gotten a little more interesting, and I have never been happier in my life. Crazy how that happens? Because last post was a little bit of a downer one... Let me explain.   

A. My Hannah got married!!! Her and Brent were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple on April 27th and they seem to be very happy!  I am so proud of her and love her mucho. Aren't we cute? My roommates. I love them so much. Heather decided to travel the world and go to Jordan (the country) for the summer, Whitney moved back (for good :() to Kansas City, MO, Kelly and Andrew are doing really well and living in Provo! She just got a job at a security company and being an amazing example to me. I love these girls and miss you all!! 

Brandi. Here she is y'all in the flesh! She is so cute eh? I love this girl so much too! She is the best example of a servant of the Lord, and the kindest example of friendship and loving others unconditionally. She is the 1st counselor in my relief society and I am SOO grateful. She is also my roommate this summer and we have already had such a great time. Yay. 

 So. We made these new friends. For some reason, throughout the year, we haven't had the chance to get to know each other till like April. Summer always brings changes. My roommates all moved out and on with their lives, I got new adorable ones, and have been making new friends. We walked into one of their apartments the other day and just took from their freezer and ate some ice cream... I think it is going to be quite the summer.

Oh Hey guy. This is Mitch everybody... More to come as needed. ;) Love ya! 

When Life Hands You Lemons...

Oh man. How the world changes in just a month. This last month (in fact almost to the day since I last blogged) has been soo interesting. It has been completely out of my control, and I have built up a testimony that our Father in Heaven has a completely different plan for us than we do for ourselves, and that plan is SO good. Much better than we could have imagined for ourselves. Let me tell you a few reasons why.

First thing that happened to me was that a boy I was dating and I broke up last month, a few days after the last post (March 16th I believe?)... and I was sad for a night, HOWEVER the next day I was totally fine, and have been totally fine since. I have just been so grateful for the lessons learned, and for the relationship that we were able to have (even though it was just a month). I learned how to really enjoy myself in a relationship, and how to make time to spend with someone. I had so much fun, and I am grateful for the testimony it brought to me that I can have a good and fun relationship with someone. One month was the perfect amount of time too, it wouldn't have lasted much longer than that anyways. ;)

So after this, maybe a week later, I lost my job with CORA USA. I have been working with this company for a little over a year, and it has been such a convenient, though often times awful, job. I was upset that I wouldn't have a job through the summer until the Fall, and of course, getting cut off from any income is not cool. However, the job was kind to me and they let me have 3 weeks additional pay for having to let me go. The company is not making money, and so they had to let go of the part time employees. HOWEVER, I have been surprised by then at how busy I have actually been! I was worried that I wouldn't have anything to do with my time, but it has been the opposite where I feel like I still don't have enough time to get done what I need to. I have been able to attend my favorite classes at the gym again, and I feel so much better knowing that I can attend those! So blessings in disguise from that lame surprise.

I have been spending the last few months interviewing for internships for the 2012-2013 school year at a few middle schools. My first one was in Springville, the second in Payson, and the last in Sandy. I did not get the first two jobs, which made me discouraged a little bit, and nervous about where I would be living in the fall. I thought with those other positions that I would be just fine living in Provo, and was about to sign a contract for a really nice apartment right behind the current house that I am living in. HOWEVER, it never felt quite right... So I went forward. I interviewed at Union middle school in Sandy, and I got the position! I will be working there teaching 6 classes of Health and one class of Study Skills every single day. It is going to be so incredible, extremely difficult, and different from anything I ever expected. With this change means that I will be moving back to Sandy in my parent's house with Katie, Kyle, Ashley and baby Amy. What the what? Moving back home already? Am I ready for that? It scares me, but I am so excited for the opportunity to teach full time for a year, and be able to establish my teaching style etc. Bring on the year of the bobcats. :)

I am loosing all of the roommates that I have known for the last three years. They all got married or are traveling the world this summer, and will not be back in the Fall! So Weird! So that is going to be a new challenge and an exciting change for me. I will be living with Brandi, and some other girls that are so cute. But it has been a weird feeling for me to see my friends moving on, and feeling in ways that I have made decisions that are not enabling me to move forward like them. HOWEVER, I know that god's timing is different than mine, and I believe in him, so I believe in the timing thing...

I got a new calling, which I have not been set apart for yet, so I won't mention here, but it will be an interesting change for me, and that is definitely something that I do not feel qualified or ready for. HOWEVER I know that "whom the lord calls he qualifies" so I am excited to reach my potential there, and have opportunities to be reliant on the Lord more often.

Last thing is that in the last few weeks I have been nervous about where I am going to live, what I am going to do for a job in the in-term between now and my internship, and nervous about having to live off of my savings account... And last night I got towed from an apartment complex and it cost a whopping $175!!!!!! To tow me from an apartment complex to literally the building next door. I can't afford that... what with not having a job and all that... the guy who towed me even asked, "Will you be paying cash or credit for this..." Yeah. Cash buddy, since I have just 200 dollars lying around like it is nothing... I hate provo and parking in provo!!! It just made me feel like, "really? really? I needed this to happen too? What kind of lesson is it going to teach me???"

Well... Let me tell you the lessons I have learned.

Sometimes I feel discouraged over what has happened, what is, and what could be. I find myself comparing myself to others, feeling lost and alone, and thinking "why me?". This last month, and really this last year, has been full of SO many challenges that I didn't expect. Sometimes I just cry thinking about it all... They have been minor in nature, but when they all seem to happen at the same time, it makes me question why. HOWEVER, I believe that they have been in my life to humble me, and bring me closer to my family and most especially my Savior Jesus Christ. I have learned that I am NEVER alone, and that my crap would be so much worse if it weren't for my Savior. "Show unto me your weaknesses and I will make them strong"... I want to be strong. I want to be strong in my faith and testimony... and this is a way in which to make me that way! One of my favorite scriptures is in Matt. 11 vs. 28-30 (mentioned often in conference) that says, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light". I am ready to find rest into my soul. And I know that with God all things are possible. I really feel like this is the reason for challenges. The lord experienced the atonement and descended below all things in order to rise above it all. It is when we are at our lowest points that we often turn the most fervently to the Lord to help us through our challenges, and help us to rise above it all. How incredible the atonement is, and how grateful I am for the healing power of it.

So. When Life Hands You Lemons... Get on your knees, suck it up, and then make lemonade. :)

I can do hard things.

Where did February go?

Oh, Hello blog. It's been a while. Life has been crazy, and I have been traveling like a fiend. I am home for a while now though... so lets blog.

February started out well! My sisters and I went to San Diego the first weekend of Feb. to visit my parents and that was such a good time! I had so much fun just chatting it up with the sisters and enjoying a good girl time. I was definitely in need of that, and to be with my Mom and Dad is always so nice. I miss them! Here are some photos (courtesy of Danielle) from the trip. We basically just ate a lot of food, talked, and when shopping for hours.

After that was Valentines day and I had some good experiences with that for one of the first times in a while. My date picked me up at my house and showed up in a nice sport jacket with a pretty pink rose... needless to say, he's charming.

A few weeks later I traveled up to boise with my lacrosse girls (UVU). We had our first tournament up there and it was a blast. The girls surprised our expectations, and we just laughed and played together. They won their first game, and with just 12 girls, they really held their own throughout all four games. I couldn't be more proud! We have 14 games ahead of us, with 5 next week... wish us luck!!

Probably the most exciting thing that's happened so far though is that my best buddy Whitney Neilsen got married this last weekend (on March 9th). It was BEAUTIFUL and Perfect, and wonderful and I couldn't be more excited for the two of them. Here are some photo's from their wedding...

I got to spend a few extra days and moments with Whitney while in MO... It was SO nice to just be able to spend time together and talk and be excited for the big day. I miss these days!

Whitney bought us the cutest outfits as her bridesmaids... we felt like 100 bucks, and they look pretty legit in the photos etc. as well. Well done whit! Isn't that a pretty temple? Winter Quarters.

They did it!!! I was so emotional and excited for them. What an amazing day.

We look good right???

I love Whitney's parents... They're so amazing, and feel like my second parents. It was so great to be with Whitney's family this weekend, and Ryans. I have grown to love them all throughout the years.

These obvi aren't from the wedding, but these are the UVU women's lax girls! They're great eh?

School's been a little different for me this year. I have really been struggling to get myself motivated, and have had to resign from a class in order to just keep on top of everything. I am grateful to be at BYU but lately, I just feel like I have been there, done that over, and over, and over again.

I am getting back into my running days. Today was a beautiful 68 degree's outside, and I took full advantage of going on a nice long run through the neighborhoods of Provo. There is just nothing quite like that feeling of being on a good run. It made me excited to train for a half marathon again, and a Marathon for the first time.

Life is just good. I think that God is blessing me endlessly, and I am so grateful for him. I am grateful for my parents and their amazing example. They help me to be better and to want to succeed at life. Thank you both for all you do, and for your support and faith in me. And for these flowers... You're the best.

Jazz vs. Kings game

So the coolest thing happened to me last Tuesday. I was just hanging out with my friends at our apartment, and didn't think much about checking my e-mail until about 12:00 a.m. right before I got into bed. Well... within that e-mail was 2 free tickets to the Jazz vs. Kings game that was last Saturday (the 28th). I entered my name in a drawing and ended up winning tickets on the 19th row lower bowl!! Isn't it awesome? Here are some pics from the night. Oh, and we won, and Jimmer Fredett actually had a good night... except he needs to learn that he isn't playing college ball anymore... But when he does, he's gonna be good.

Kyle and I... plus the random smiling man behind us... ;)

Just my boys.

Oh hey Jimmer!

Snow Times! Winter semester is lookin like it is gonna be a good time.

So. Snow. That is the epitome of what my week has been like. We have had a lot of snow in P town, and it is so beautiful. I love walking up to campus with the snow capped mountains... I also love coming out of my Art History class (contemporary art with my Study abroad director) and looking at the mountains while the sun sets.... There is basically nothing better! The last few weeks Heather and I have been trying to do something fun/random every night of the week. We started last Sunday with this awesome fort! (Pictured below). Heather's little niece (she's 9) came and spent the holiday weekend with us, and we thought, what would be better than watching a movie in a fort?? So we made the most comfy fort... it was so Fun! Monday we went on a random outside run and some pilates that turned into a par-core party with a good friend of ours in the ward. We participated in a few Sonic runs, and volleyball games, or just games, diddy kong, and pulling a few pranks on the neighbors... (They started it with a horse leg that they left on our porch... Heather freaked out!)

Our sweet Fort. (Heather's neice, Heather, and me wearing the MOST comfy jacket a friend of ours left at our house. He came over to get it, and I was wearing it! Talk about embarrassing.)

Last night we decided it would be a good idea to play in the newly fallen snow! We spent about 2 hours outside after an hour of playing basketball handing out in the snow. We had 3 separate snowball fights, and then made this little snowman guy. I think he looks great and ready for a cold run. ;) Our neighbor (Doug) is an advertiser or something for the Utah Valley Marathon. Cute eh? (Heather, me, Ryan and Doug)

Speaking of Marathons. I am definitely doing one!!! I am in for the Provo Marathon that is on the 5th of May. I am nervous, but I know I will be able to do it!! Jeff Handy, Jeff Perry, my roommate Heather, and Adam are all on board to do it too... It's gonna be awesome.

SO life is good. I have been feeling so blessed to have a strong family, awesome roommates, and good friends surrounding me. It has been a fun and super busy 3 weeks, but they've been so great!!! Here's to our next adventure... Sundance maybe? ?

New Year! 2012

Happy 2012! I can't believe it. I am so excited for a fresh start, and a new load of classes. It is going to be a tough and very busy semester, but what is new... ;). I was reading the 1st presidency message yesterday by President Monson, and came across this quote. As I read it I thought, this is going to be my motto for the year...

"Have the determination to make the effort, the single mindedness to work toward a worthy goal, and the courage not only to face the challenges that inevitably come, but also to make a second effort should such be required. Sometimes courage is the voice that says, "i'll try again tomorrow."

I love the Church! I am so grateful for simple, positive, and encouraging statements like these... and we get them ALL THE TIME. With church publications, the scriptures, and even in good conversations with friends. It is awesome.

Here are some photos from my trip to San Diego for Christmas with my parents and some siblings. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera charged for the trip, so I just have these Iphone photos ha.

Dad made the Ham into a little Christmas pig... So silly that man. But cute pig. ;)

On Christmas eve we decided to take a little trip to La Jolla to see the temple. Kyle and Ashley (pictured in front of the manger scene) hadn't seen it before, and so we went! It was a perfect kick off to what was a very different, but yet really memorable Christmas. Isn't the San Diego temple so beautiful???

Kim and Spencer and their family joined us for the second week of our adventure. We went to in and out one day and I got to sit by Andrew and the Spencers. He kept posing for the photos with his cute little hat. He also fed me my fries... It was very endearing, and we had a blast.

I had to work at 6:00 a.m. a few mornings, but I was grateful because I got to see the sunrise...

And the sunset out my parents backyard. Isn't it BEAUTIFUL!!! Take me back! ;)