Dreams Do Come True!

Where, you ask, is this beautiful place? 

This, my friend, is where I will be working this Summer!

I have been offered a job at Triangle C Ranch this Summer being an assistant children's counselor. This afternoon I was called and tomorrow I will accept the job!

This is my dream. Literally my dream. I cannot wait to be on the Ranch watching the beautiful sunrises and sunsets, breathing in the fresh air with a hint of animal smell, and meeting new and awesome people! 

I am going to buy me some cowboy boots!

AHH! I am so excited!

Being a children's counselor is going to be awesome! This is exactly what I was looking for this Summer. I really wanted to find something that could give me experience in my field of study and fulfill my dream of living on a ranch. 

I cannot wait for all the things that I will learn this Summer. Every new experience brings so many new lessons and self-discoveries.

Oh I just feel so blessed and so excited!

Happy Wednesday ya'll!

I will just leave you with one more picture...

Beautiful Heartbreak: Enjoy the View

I had an interesting experience today. 

After my class my brother called me and said that he was in the Wilk about to eat lunch. So I met him there. We had a jolly ol' time eating lunch and sharing each other's stresses for the day. 

While I was walking out of the Wilk I ran into Jordan. Yes, Jordan Wittwer. You may remember him from many of my previous posts. He was my best friend and boyfriend in high school. Obviously things didn't work out as I was expecting and going through that experience was one of the hardest things I have ever done. 

*Just as a side note: DO NOT LET YOUR CHILDREN STEADY DATE IN HIGH SCHOOL!

We chatted for a good half hour catching up, laughing about old times, and sharing in the joys of now. I will admit if I had ran into him 1 year ago I would have experienced some severe emotional pain. But today there was no emotional pain, no bitter feelings, no silent angry threats, no lingering sadness. There was just happiness. The kind of happiness you feel when you run into an old friend. 

Later, after my evening classes I was thinking and wondering why I ran into Jordan. Throughout the last couple of years I feel the Lord has been merciful in sparing us continual "bumping into each other." Which I consider a great tender mercy for there was a lot of healing and growing up needed on my part. As this question settled in my mind my heart was filled with gratitude that the Lord carried me through that time. While this gratitude was saturating my heart and thoughts I reflected on the specific moments that felt too hard for me to bear and again a new wave of gratitude filled my heart as I realized that today's "bumping into" was a great tender mercy from the Lord. Today the Lord showed me that the Atonement is real. Not only did the Lord carry me through those trying moments, but he healed my heart. He healed my broken life; my broken dreams and replaced them with His own. He has lead me to a place that I honestly did not know that I could be. I have met people that have changed me and helped me on my returning path to Heavenly Father. 

Today could be compared to the feeling after you run. You never actually want to make your lungs and legs burn, but that feeling afterwards is too good. It's the same with the trials that we face in our lives. The moment when you know that you are about to go through something really hard is a dreadful moment, but at the same time you know that after it is all over you will be so grateful and it will feel too good not to praise the Lord for that experience. 

There is a great song that I actually listened to too many times to count during the last 2 years that expresses exactly what I am talking about. Enjoy!

God lives. There are many people who love and care and support us. 
Don't give up. That too-good feeling will come. It will come and it will fill you with joy greater than any of the pain that you experience. 

And They Lived Happily Ever After.

I just had one of the most amazing days. 

My very best friend in the whole world just married her high school sweetheart and missionary after waiting for 4 years. Now that the whole day is over I just feel overwhelmed with emotion. I honestly didn't know that I could feel so happy for someone. 

I met Adriana at the temple this morning to help her with her dress while they were taking their bridals. When I walked up I about keeled over. She looked absolutely stunning. Seriously. 

 

Adriana has been my angel. She took me under her wing and has taught me so much. When my plans for my life fell apart the Lord showed his mercy through Adriana. I don't know how many moments that I felt like I couldn't go on she would smile at me, text me encouraging things, or hug me and instantly I felt God's love. She was the sweet voice that urged me to be Christlike, to turn towards Charity and be humble and forgiving. There has never been a moment that she hasn't believed in me and my ability to conquer whatever trial I face. She is the most amazing listener. 

Pure, whole-hearted, genuine, loving, and virtuous. This is who Adriana is. A beautiful daughter of God who has been faithful. 

Today was proof to me that God truly blesses those who have faith in him and obey his commandments. Congratulations Adriana and Mckade! 

The Smallest Part Which I Feel

Who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel. -Ammon

I read this verse this morning and felt the need to glory in God. Is there really too much we can do to express our gratitude and love for the Lord and his tender mercies? I feel his enabling power each moment as I embark on my journey. 

Lately I have been thinking about living in the moment. Not in the "eat, drink and be merry" kind of moment, but enjoying what is going on in my life right now. Phases and stages seem to pass by so quickly. From semester to semester I meet and interact with so many different people who add to the color of my life. Some are bright, some are dark. 

Being a mom has been on my mind a lot lately. Sometimes I wonder what my kids will be like. What personalities they will develop and what challenges they will have. Many times I wonder how the experiences that I am having right now will help them and shape the way they see the world and how they will react to people. Walking around Park City Main Street, observing all the people who came from all over the world, a spark of desire surged through me to give my children the opportunity to be cultured, to see the world in its raw and beautiful state. I want them to feel empowered by the diversity, not frightened. There's so much about the world that I don't know. There's so much about people I don't know. When I think of myself as a teacher instructing pure innocent children how to be in this world it seems surreal. Maybe it is because I am in school right now, but I have been thinking about giving my children a desire to know, to know about everything, even the things that I am not quite interested in. Most of all I want to give them the Gospel. I want to teach them that there is no limit in praising God. I want to teach them that there are times when the whole world seems dark, but that they will find light and life in Jesus Christ. Pondering on the mother that I want to be, the mother that I have and the mothers that have influenced my life by their examples including my sisters, makes me acutely aware of the many things that I lack in order to be like these women. 

Thinking of these things enlarges my gratitude for the experiences of now. This very moment that I have to be at BYU, to be studying Therapeutic Recreation, to be working at the Key Office, and to be learning more about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

So find joy in your journey. Take this moment to reflect and be grateful for the joys and sorrows that have brought you to this time in your life whether you are on the older end or the younger end. Allow those feelings to strengthen your hope and faith in the future. There is a God and he loves us. 

Ice Ice Baby

Winter. 

I have been trying to find the beauty in this season. 

Yesterday made it pretty hard. 

While trying to hurry to my car to get to my 6 o'clock class at the RB I guess I decided that it would be appropriate to play a little baseball. 

I had a backpack full of books and a smaller backpack full of my soccer stuff for my intramural soccer game after my class, a water bottle because I can't get dehydrated, and my gloves that weren't actually on my hands. Tied loosely around my water bottle was my watch, so I can be sure that I am on time (one of my new years resolutions), but of course I didn't have time to actually put the watch on my wrist.

Anyway, while juggling all my stuff, I scurried across the ice covered driveway in front of my apartment...

Yes. Yes, I did. 

Giving it my all I slid into home base hands and head first. 

It was epic! My backpacks slid down my arms dragging behind me, my gloves skidded across the snow-covered sidewalk, my water bottle and watch bounced and hit home base just seconds before me. 

This happened only once in Rexburg, of which I was very proud of, but that experienced was more like basketball. I slid for the ball and bounced right back up making sure no one saw me. Yesterday was a little different. Considering I had more stuff than last time I took my time getting up and I definitely did not care if anyone saw me. 

Baseball. The All-American sport. Wasn't expecting such a curve-ball, but don't worry, I hit the winning home-run.  

Mega Long Update

Christmas:  a much needed break. 

Being able to spend time with my family was amazing. It was our first Christmas in Rexburg. Holly and Mark and my niece and nephews came from St. George and we just had a blast playing games, swimming, playing in the snow, and talking. Every day was crazy full of crying, laughing, yelling, and love. I love my family. 

 

 

I am not going to lie. I am obsessed with my niece Jane. Maybe it's because I saw her the very first day that she came into this world. Maybe it was because I did pregnant pilates with my sister while we were preparing for her to finally come into this world. Maybe it was because I was able to help Lucy along with my sister Adell after she was born which really means I got to hold her while Lucy slept. Maybe because she is the cutest/most beautiful little girl. I don't know what it is, but every time I see her I want to squeeze her and kiss her chubby little cheeks. Each time I go up and see them She has developed a little more of her sassy little personality. I just love her so much!

Other Highlights From Christmas Break: 

* Seeing Les Miserables.

* Sledding and watching my mom fly through the air (don't worry, she is okay). 

* Having a girl's night with Mom and Lucy watching Hallmark style chick flicks.

* Spending time with my mom, just me and her. 

* Going to my mom's Sunday School class. 

* Adriana coming to Provo!

* Sledding with Adriana, Saryn, Jessica, and Chris. 

* Sledding down the humungo hill with Adriana.

* Going to Salt Lake and doing Baptisms in the Salt Lake Temple for the first time. 

* Finishing The Secret Garden (Easily one of my most favorite novels).

* Visiting with Jessica Miller (also known as Sister Miller to Adriana and I). 

* Going to the Logan Temple with my cousin/best friend Kurt. 

* Buying "Pillow Talk."

 

School Started!

Last semester was challenging in every way and after the break I was feeling ready, hopeful and even a little excited for school to start. 

I love my major! I am a Therapeutic Recreation major. Let me tell ya, it was a journey getting to this point. In the first chapter of my Intro to TR textbook it summarized everything that I have been learning in the last 4 years. Every time I go to class I feel the spirit and feel pumped and inspired. I am learning so much and cannot express how blessed I feel. The Lord is so merciful and kind. 

Last week I taught the first chapter of Gospel Principles in Sunday School. The first chapter is Our Heavenly Father. We had a great discussion about God and who he really is and what our relationship to him really is and how we can come closer to him. One of the things that stuck with me was how he shows his love through tender mercies and how specific those tender mercies are. In the last two weeks I feel like my life sped up a million notches. I have been trying to record in my journal all the tender mercies that happen in one day, but 1.) There are too many to even write and probably a million more I don't even realize. 2.) I am so exhausted by the end of the day that I can't write all of them down. The beautiful thing about this is that my life isn't perfect. There are still things that happen throughout the day that I would rather not happen, I still make so many mistakes, but the tender mercies are so specific that I cannot deny that God loves me and that he is watching over me and cares about my life. 

I am on an Intramural Water Polo team and Soccer team this semester. It is so fun. Last night we had our first Water Polo game and it was hilarious. We play on inter tubes  because let's be honest, real Water Polo would be extremely hard. The best part though was seeing people flip out of their tubes and watching their feet fly straight up in the air. I think my abs got the best work out from laughing so hard. We have our first Soccer game tomorrow. I am super excited. I haven't played Soccer in so long. I am a little rusty, but hopefully I will be able to help a little! 

Over the summer I was in a weight training class with Professor Bailey. This semester I really wanted to take his class again, but it was full. Yesterday I checked and he had spots open so I get to be in his class. It will be awesome!

Another awesome thing is that I am taking Water Safety Instructor Training. By the end I will be certified with Red Cross to teach swimming lessons. I am pretty stoked. 

Last year I made a friend in my personal finance class, Jeremy Hammer. We had fun studying together, but since I have moved I didn't really keep in touch with him. Through facebook I found out that he got married to the girl he was dating last year and I was super excited for him. Anyway, the other day at work I was out on campus with Tessa doing some service requests. We were walking out the Crabtree building and there was Jeremy in his car delivering Jimmy Johns to someone at BYU. It was so good to see him! It made me so happy and made me think about Dixie and how much I LOVE IT! I love that school so much. I am so thankful I was able to go to school there and meet all the people I did and got to be involved in Institute. 

Little by little the experiences that I have had are starting to make more sense to me and I am starting to see why I have been on the journey I have been on. It has been great. Yay for growing up! 

So there is my mega long update. I will leave you with one last quote that I have been obsessed with lately. 

"Go into the world today and love the people you meet. Let your presence light new light in the hearts of people." - Mother Teresa

Pretty much one of my most adored role models. 

So love people in whatever way you can! 

It's Break Baby!

 

I love Temple square. It is so pretty. Two of my friends from work and a few other people decided to go to Temple square this weekend to see the Christmas lights. We stopped to hear the Nativity. It was so beautiful. The snow was falling and as we stopped and listened to the story of Jesus' birth I felt peace. 

My aunt and uncle picked me up in Salt Lake and we drove up to Roy to my Grandma's house where I got to see my momma and Lucy and baby Jane. My cousin Emily got married this weekend and it was beautiful. I am so thankful that I was able to go to the reception and celebrate with them. More of my extended family was there and it was such a joy to see them and spend time with them. 

I finished yet another semester last week. It feels so good to have this semester behind me. Although at the beginning I was so excited for my classes I quickly learned that they were not was I was interested in. Thankfully I live in America where I can change my major five billion times and the only person that it bothers is me....and my poor family...and friends. It will all work out right? Of  course.

“Things work out, it isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out, don't worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. If you do your best, it will all work out. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. If we will put our trust in him, if we will pray to him, if we will live worthy of his blessings, he will hear our prayers.” - Pres. Hinckley

I am so thankful for Prophets and their wisdom. They aren't just inspired men of God they are men who have lived, made mistakes, learned life lessons, and are willing to share their lessons with us. 

I am looking forward to next semester, but first I get to enjoy a three week long break! I can't wait to go home and see my nieces and nephews. Happy Holidays everyone!

Oh P.S. my best friend's boyfriend just got home. I have been receiving updates since Dec. 3. I am so so SO excited for them. They are adorable. See more of their story here.