A Little Burst of Sunshine

Updates on my life

2012-01-29T22:45:00.000-08:00

Well, I've now been in Utah for 4 weeks. I am enjoying my student teaching. And I have a boyfriend. Wow...that's weird to say. But it sure does make me happy. Jeff is an amazing guy. I actually met him online...something I never pictured myself doing, but it is so worth it! I don't have much time to update...and y'all probably don't want to read the details anyway, but I have to share!! I'm so happy:)

How Did I Spend my Year Mark?

2012-01-19T22:08:00.000-08:00

Well, the day started out by judging the Elementary School Science Fair. That was...interesting, to say the least. Never thought I'd be doing that on my year mark of being home.

But the part that really freaks me out...I started applying for jobs online. Real jobs. Big-girl jobs. That will also have big-girl pay checks (that's a nice thought). Yep. All of my preparations for teaching are underway. Now all I have to do is keep filling out applications, and wait.

524,600 Minutes

2012-01-19T17:12:00.000-08:00

At this moment, exactly one year ago, I was finishing my first meal with my family in over 18 months. I was sitting in mom's new kitchen with my family, missionary nametag in place, but knowing it wouldn't be there for much longer.

Last night, it really hit me that today is my year-mark of being home. And I totally broke down in tears. I reached over and picked up that black nametag, which I always keep nearby. It's something so trivial, yet something that means so much to me, because the months that I wore that nametag were the months that most shaped me into the woman I am today. And as I sat there, holding my nametag I started to sob. My heart ached for the mission. I longed to be back with the people I grew so to love. I yearned to have a full-on conversation in Spanish. I wished that I had all of my missionary journals here with me, so I could read them, and, in a sense, go back to that time.

I turned out my light, and tears rolled down my face and onto my pillow. How I wished I had, at the very least, a teddy bear to cuddle with. But I didn't have even that. Eventually, I fell asleep, still longing for the mission.

Now, overall, it has been a good year. Of course there were ups and downs, but I do believe that there were more ups than downs. I've met many more wonderful people who I have grown to love. I've had conversations in Spanish. Honestly, I wouldn't trade the past year for anything...except to go back.

Every day, for the past 365 days, I have thought about being a missionary, and the many wonderful experiences I had as such. And for the past 365 days, I've wondered how it would feel to hit my year mark being home. Now I know. And I dread the day, in just 6 short months, when I will have been home for more days than I was a missionary. I don't even want to think about that.

And so today, on this anniversary, I want to joyfully remember all of the people who touched my life while I was a missionary. I want to remember the experiences I had. I want to remember the joy I felt on oh so many occasions. Don't get me wrong, it's been great being with my family, but, as to this point in my life, nothing compares to being a missionary.

Hello, My name is Miss Good

2012-01-16T14:35:00.000-08:00

Well, I've got 2 weeks of my student teaching done already. It's been a busy couple of weeks. I moved here to Utah on New Year's Eve. Since that time, I've gotten settled into my apartment. I'm really enjoying living alone for the time being. Of course, if I do end up getting a job somewhere in this area, I'll likely move in with roommates, but for right now, it's nice to have "me time." I kind of have a cat. Actually, the people I live with have a cat, but she won't leave me alone, so I call her my cat. I really like my ward. I feel more welcome here than I have in any other ward I've been in--at least with the sisters. I don't know that I can say as much for the guys. But I've only gone 3 Sundays. Something is bound to change sooner or later.

I'm also completely loving life in the Salt Lake area. This past weekend, I hopped in the car and made the short drive to Provo. It was very much like all of my driving from Rexburg to IF and back...just with more traffic. I was able to see a bunch of friends--family, friends from high school, old roommates, mission friends. And I met some new people as well. It was fantastic! I love living this close to Provo!

Anyway, I'm really enjoying my student teaching. So far, I've only had 4-day weeks...and this week is no different. Next week when I have all 5 days is going to be a real shocker...but then again, I have a training all day on Monday so I'll still only be in the classroom for 4 days. In my class, there are 31 students, but we switch back and forth with the other 6th grade class, so I have the wonderful opportunity to get to know all 61 6th graders at Fremont Elementary. Yes, that is a lot. And it makes it even more of a challenge that about 2/3 of the students are English Language Learners. But...the whole reason I'm not already done with student teaching and graduated is because I wanted to be certified to work as an ESL instructor...so it's totally worth it. It's going to give me a lot of experience.

There are many different nationalities and languages represented in my classes. I don't even know them all. They include: Burma (Chinese), Thailand (Khmer), Somalia (Somali), India (Indian), Vietnam (Vietnamese), Japan (Japanese), Latin America (Spanish)--I lumped them all into the same category, because I have no clue which countries are represented. As as you can see, we have a very diverse class. It can make instruction difficult at times, but it is so rewarding to be able to see the students succeeding and to be able to help them realize that they really can speak English and perform well if they put their mind to it. And I love the challenge that each new day brings!

No Place Like Home for the Holidays

2011-12-27T22:03:00.000-08:00

It was so good to be home for Christmas this year. It truly was such a wonderful Christmas. I may have had to work all day on Christmas Eve and was unable to help in all the food preparation and such that I was so looking forward to, but it was okay. I really do enjoy my job, and there was still food to make when i got home.

After two years of being gone on Christmas and just having a short time to talk to my family on the phone it was really nice to be with them and celebrate with them. We had our usual Christmas Eve program and the 4 of us kids slept on the floor under the tree. It was the worst night's sleep I've had in a long time. I was so uncomfortable. And it was...different. I remember every year before my mission the anticipation of the next morning and Christmas. This year as I went to sleep, my thoughts were on the Savior and the true meaning of Christmas. I was so grateful that we had church on Sunday that we were able to go and celebrate His birth in the morning. Kesha and I were asked to sing in a small group for one of the musical numbers. That was nice.

I really enjoyed being able to keep my mind more focused on the Savior throughout the day. And I really enjoyed being with my family. It has been a good break at home, regardless of working pretty much every day. And there's only a couple more days of that, because I move to Utah on Saturday!

Home for the Holidays

2011-12-18T21:34:00.000-08:00

"I'll be home for Christmas, you can count on me. Please have snow, and mistletoe, and presents 'neath the tree."

Well, it's Christmas time. There's presents under the tree. The mistletoe didn't get put up this year...but it's fake anyway so that's okay. And besides...I don't have anyone to kiss under the mistletoe anyway. And...there's no snow. I keep hoping, but the forecast isn't looking promising. I haven't had snow for 2 Christmases in a year already...but the past 2 years were understandable. I'm in IDAHO this year, for crying out loud! There should be snow! And I am most definitely home for Christmas. I loved Christmas in the mission. It was probably one of my favorite times (or two of my favorite times because I was one of the "lucky" sisters to have 2 Christmases in the mission field). And I will miss Christmas in the mission. But it is good being back with the family. It's good participating in all of the traditions we have as a family for Christmas. I mean...really, who knows where I'll be a year from now. So I'm really soaking it in as much as possible.

But it is different being home. I have said "goodbye" to Rexburg. That's weird. I've always gone back to Rexburg after Christmas break. This year I'm moving to Utah right after Christmas. That's kind of scary. I am excited, but it will have its challenges, I'm sure. Packing up Friday afternoon was really emotional for me. I had a hard time keeping back the tears. There were times that I just broke down. We went to Carlee's graduation party that her parents threw for her and I totally lost it there as her guys sang a song they wrote for her. Boy, oh boy. I tried real hard to hold back the tears, but it just didn't work. I got a little choked up as I drove out of Rexburg for the last time Friday night. I think the anticipation of being able to spend a Christmas home with my family for the first time in a few years helped me hold it together. We'll see how things continue to go. At least I haven't graduated...that would have totally torn me apart, I think. I'm not ready to be done yet, even though I pretty much am done. It just hasn't hit me yet.

Anyway, I'm excited to be able to spend this Christmas with my family. I'll be busy the whole break before i move working and organizing my stuff and trying to figure out where to put it, now that I don't have a room at home. Well, I do. It's just the smallest room in the house. Kesha basically kicked me out of the room. But I'm really okay with that because now, after 23 years, I finally have my own room. And I'm not going to be here much. I'll just use Kesha's room as a storage room for my stuff that I don't need down in Utah. I've already said that I'm not going to move home again. It's time that I get my own space.

But for now, I'm just going to enjoy the time I have to spend with my family. I'm not going to take it for granted. And I'm super excited for the Christmas program in Sacrament Meeting next Sunday. It will help keep us focused on the real reason of the season. Kesha and I are going to sing with the ward choir. The choir director wants us to do a duet, so we're going to do that. One of the songs we're singing is "For Unto Us a Child is Born" from Handel's Messiah. I'm singing soprano for the choir...something I've never really done before. I kinda struggled with that song because I've sung it before, and was one of the strong altos in the choir. But I'll get it. I brought the music home and will practice this week.

I'm looking forward to this week, and being home for the holidays :0)

Packing up the Memories...

2011-12-15T15:23:00.000-08:00

Five and a half years ago I think I knew that this day would come, but I don't think I realized how quickly it would come. And then a little over 2 1/2 years ago when I packed up to leave Rexburg for a couple years while I went on my mission...I think that gave me a little taste of what it would be like when the time came for me to leave forever. But now as I sit in my room surrounded with the mess that comes along with packing, with some of my stuff loaded in the car and some more of my stuff already hauled home...I don't know how I feel. I have so many memories made as I have been here in Rexburg for the 8 semesters of my college career. My time here in Rexburg has helped to shape me into the person I am today. I have met people who have changed me; changed me for the better. I have had so many great opportunities here. I've broken out of my shyness bubble. I have discovered my crazy side. Really...I think that I have truly become the person I always knew I was deep down inside. Now that I am getting ready to leave Rexburg for good tomorrow and am reflecting on the things I have learned, I am thinking about the things that I can apply into my life and carry over into my time down in Utah. I know that I'll meet new people, make new friends. I know that my life will continue to be shaped. But it is weird leaving the place that has become home to me and all the people who have become more than just friends. I will always remember Rexburg as the place that helped shape my life.

Remembering...

2011-12-13T22:38:00.000-08:00

We had our roommate Christmas tonight. This is really the last time that the 5 of us will be together...and that just breaks my heart. We've had so many good times this year. I've had several good apartments. This year has definitely been a good way for me to go out, a good way for me to end my time here at BYU-Idaho. Kesha wrote a song for us about all of the good times that we've had this year. She had me in tears. I have loved being here. But I do feel that it is time for me to move on...

The Last Days

2011-12-13T00:28:00.000-08:00

I am just a few short days from the end of my time here at BYU-Idaho. It is a bitter-sweet feeling. Really, I don't know exactly how I feel about this. Yesterday was my last day of church here. I did okay...probably mostly due to the fact that I haven't gotten super attached to many people in the ward. I was really attached to the Bishopric, but I got those tears out last week when they were released. It hit me that this is the end at ward prayer. I started bawling. I tried to hide it...but don't know how good of a job I did.

Tonight, we had our last FHE. I've loved my FHE sisters, and really didn't want to say goodbye to them tonight. Who knows when I'll see them again. Sure, Rexburg and IF aren't that far apart anymore, but it's not going to be the same. And one of them leaves on her mission in 3 weeks. We decorated Christmas cookies and took them around to a few apartments in our ward. It was fun to talk and laugh with them. After we were done with that, we took one more DQ run. That was our last roommate outing. Gosh...we've had some good times. I could have made an entire facebook album on our DQ runs alone! Yeah...we tend to get a little bit crazy. And never go without a camera. That would be purely ridiculous with the way that we are when we get a little bit of a Blizzard into our systems.

Last night, I went to Spanish Stadium Singing one last time. I hadn't been much this semester because we've always been doing things on Sunday nights. But this time I couldn't miss it...it was my last chance. I FROZE!! I had my PJs on under my jeans, 2 pair of socks, 2 pair of gloves (which, btw, makes turning pages a tad difficult...), a hoodie and a coat, and my earmuffs...and was still frozen solid by the end of the 1/2 hour. It was worth it though.

Wednesday night I went country dancing one last time. It was actually not a bad night. I danced several times, and just overall had a good time. I'll miss it, but I'm sure that I'll find other places to go dancing when I get down to Utah.

I'm pretty much done with my classes now. I really just have one more day of classes. Actually, tomorrow...er...today, I don't really have anything to do. Hence the reason I'm not in bed yet. Well, that and I didn't get this week's episode of Hawaii 5-O watched A) because we were at DQ and B) because our TV isn't hooked up to cable. So I'm catching it online. I'll be honest though, I'm ready to be done with my classes. I gave the final presentation for my Linguistics class on Friday. I just have to show up to listen to all of the other presentations now. I took the final for my Assessments class this morning. I had the Exit Interview for my Practicum this afternoon. The only test I have left is my Prep for Eternal Marriage class. Other than that, it's just a matter of packing up and heading home.

That's all I have left of my time in Rexburg. And, I do say, it's been good.

A Time of Change

2011-12-04T13:30:00.001-08:00

Well, here I sit at the end of another semester at BYU-Idaho. But not only that, with the end of this semester comes the end of another chapter in my life. In less than two weeks I will be packing up and moving out of Rexburg for the last time. I can't believe how quickly the past five years have gone, or how much has changed in my life in those five years. My eight semesters here at BYU-Idaho have been a wonderful experience. I have learned so much, and grown in ways that I never would have dreamed of. I have met so many wonderful people. I have seen two bishoprics who I have come to love dearly be released (the second of those happening just this morning). I have sat through countless hours of class and learned hundreds of new things. I have met many wonderful people. I've seen many changes take place on campus, and just around town in general. And I kind of feel like I've been here forever. So I guess it really is time for a change, in that respect.

At the end of this month, I will be moving to Utah. Utah...where all my friends are, but where I will be in a place where I won't know anyone. At least not at first. That thought kind of made me nervous when I realized it. But then again, I thought, that it could actually be a good thing for the very fact that I won't know anyone. Now is my chance to take that leap out of my comfort zone and be outgoing and make new friends and be the person that I've always wanted to be. Not that I'm unhappy with who I am, because I'm not. I've just always wished I could be a little more outgoing, and now's my chance to make that happen. And I may or may not be (meaning I am) looking for a new hairstyle to go along with the change of location and outgoing-ness. Any suggestions?

My next semester living in Utah is going to be a time of a lot of new experiences. I got my student teaching placement this week, and it makes me a little nervous. I will be in a 6th grade classroom. I will be teaching 32 students. Half of them are learning English as their Second Language. A couple of them just got to the states and don't speak any English--or any language even remotely similar to English. This may be my endorsement, but I am super nervous to be in charge of the education of these children. I realize that it will be a good learning experience for me, but that doesn't make it any easier to jump right into it.

I am excited for this new time of change though. I realize that it will be good for me. It will help me grow. It will stretch me to do things I didn't realize were possible. And it will allow me to meet new people who will be able to influence my life, and hopefully who I will be able to influence.

Just in closing, I want to share a thought that President Mendenhall, our Stake President shared with us today as they released Bishop Rossiter and his counselors, Brother Burton and Brother Larsen. "Change is good, eventhough it sometimes brings pain and discouragement." This is something I want to remember, especially as I go through this season of change in my life.

A Season of Gratitude

2011-11-27T21:57:00.001-08:00

This week was Thanksgiving. I haveso much to be grateful for. I haven’t logged onto my blog at all this weeksince I’ve been home. It was so good to be home with them this year. OnTuesday, every time I thought about being home for the holiday I teared up. Iwas so excited to be going home with my family. On my way home from the schoolTuesday afternoon the song “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” came on the radio and Ioutright cried. I was so ready to go home!

Spending time with my family wasamazing. It was so good to just be with them. We just watched movies and playedgames. We did go to the museum one day, and mom took Kesha and me shopping sowe could give her ideas of clothes that we like for Christmas. And I ended upspending close to $200 on new outfits for student teaching. I didn’t want toleave them there because I could wear them now in the school, but this way I’vegot a bunch of new clothes when I get down to Utah. It will be worth it.

Anyway, I have so much that I haveto be grateful for. A few months ago I started keeping a “tender mercies”journal. It has been a blessing for me to keep track of the blessings I see inmy life each day. That has especially helped me on the days that have beenespecially rotten. I have been able to see that the Lord really does bless mylife each and every day.

Family
Good friends
Amazing roommates
The opportunity I had to serve a mission
The people I met on the mission
The Gospel
A testimony of the Gospel
Modern Day Prophets
Scriptures to study
Parents who raised me well and taught me tofollow what I know is right
A love of children
A wonderful education program at BYU-Idaho
Amazing professors who have passed on their loveof educating children
The sacrifice my Savior made so I will be ableto return and live with my family for eternity
A merciful Father in Heaven
A free country where I have been able grow upwith many rights that other people only dream of
A warm house to live in
A comfortable bed to sleep in
Food to eat
A place to live while I student teach
Legs so I can walk
Eyes so I can see
Ears so I can hear
A nose so I can smell
Laughter
Children, and the funny things they say
Happy memories
A good job
A boss who is willing to work around my schedule
Fun people to work with
Family vacations and the memories we’ve made
Spanish—it’s a beautiful language
Customers who speak Spanish at work and theability I have to help them
Technology that allows me to keep in touch withpeople I met on my mission
The Atonement that has given me strength toovercome challenges in my life
A sense of humor
A temple close enough that I can walk
Blessings of the temple
Peace that is felt in the temple, and being ableto leave everything outside
Green leaves and flowers in the spring
Beautiful, white snow at Christmas time
Music
Newfound musical talents
My calling and the many people who support me
Peaceful Sunday afternoons
Service
People who love me
People for me to love
Prayer and the way it allows me to communicatewith my Father in Heaven
Life in general

This list is just a short sample ofall of the many things I am grateful for. My heart has been so full ofgratitude. I am so blessed! I will never cease to be grateful for all I have!

I Love My Calling!

2011-11-20T23:33:00.001-08:00

This semester, I am the Ward Choir Director. I absolutely love this calling! We have had a really good turnout at all, well, most of our practices. We sang in Sacrament Meeting today. Because Thanksgiving is this week, I wanted to do a song that relates to Thanksgiving, so I chose to sing "Because I Have Been Given Much." I personally have been reflecting on all of the blessings that I have in my life. And they really are so numerous. And this calling is one of them. I have learned so much about my musical abilities. In fact, without this calling I never would have discovered that I have the ability to arrange music. After choir practice tonight, one of the girls came over to me with our Christmas song in her hand and said, "I didn't realize that you arranged this! This is amazing!" She wanted to know if it was my major...and was completely shocked when she learned that it was the first song I've ever arranged. She said that she absolutely loves it. I really can't wait to share it with the ward in a few weeks. That song really is my testimony of Christmas put to music. It is incredible! I am so blessed!

Ready for a Change

2011-11-14T16:55:00.001-08:00

Yes, it's time. I've been in Rexburg for what seems like ages. And when you look at it, I kinda have been. I am over halfway through my 8th semester here, but because of serving a mission have been here longer than pretty much everyone I know. I was thinking about it today, and I need a change of scenery, a change of pace. Don't get me wrong, I love Rexburg. I love BYU-Idaho. But I can only handle so much of "BYU-I-do." That's right. I'm sick of dating here...or rather, NOT dating. I've actually talked with several returned sister missionaries (both in Rexburg and Provo) and we all agree that the dating life of an RM sister who is close to graduation...um, to put it nicely...isn't so hot. In fact, it's quite non-existent. We've come to the conclusion that it is because they are intimidated by us. Not to be "better than thou" but let's be honest...by the mere fact that we're RMs says that we've accomplished a lot. And being within weeks of graduating from college doesn't help that either.

All of the guys around here are so interested in asking out the freshman girls...girls who, for the most part, don't want to get married yet. They just want to play. And then...there's people like me. I don't want to play. I want to settle down and have a family. I love teaching, but I'd be 100% okay if I never got to teach in a classroom of my own because I had a family. Anyway, back to my rant...

I am so tired of seeing all of the guys who I'd be remotely interested in with a freshman clinging to their arm with what seems like a death grip. (I may be a little biased in saying this, but I really do feel bad for girls who get married young, because I have had so many wonderful experiences that I know I wouldn't have been able to have if I was married already). But in saying that, it doesn't mean that I don't want to date and work toward getting married. Because I do. I'm trying to be patient in dating opportunities. But I'm kind of getting fed up with the fact that I never go on dates. Ever. I can count on one hand the number of dates I've been asked on, ever...and I don't even need a whole hand. Like I only need 1/5 of a hand. Which, when you think about it, is really pathetic because it has been "legal" for me to date for 6 years (if you take out the time I was on the mission, anyway. Add that on and it's been 7 1/2 years).

I know that my roommates are getting sick of hearing me complaining about my (lack of) dating life. And I really am trying hard to be positive. But I'm ready for a change. I'm ready to head down to Utah and have the chance to get to know a whole new side of men that I don't get here in Rexburg. At least that's what I'm hoping. I guess I'll find out in 7 weeks when I move down there.

Mission Coming-homes

2011-11-13T19:54:00.001-08:00

It was a great weekend. After 2 all-nighters in a row last week, I was able to sleep well Friday night and get up early for my Praxis test Saturday morning. Then I headed down to Utah. The first sister I solo-trained got home from her mission last week, and gave her homecoming talk today! I have been so excited to see her. I don't know what it was, but I felt a special connection to her. Maybe it's because of all the hard times we went through together. I don't know. But I have been so flipping excited to see her! I prayed like crazy that the weather would be good this weekend, because it wasn't looking good at all. But the roads were fine. Tender mercy? I think so.

Anyway, Lindsay gave a wonderful talk this morning. She made me cry. She reminded me so much of me when I got home. It was unreal! I got to see a few other missionaries I served with too. It was good to see everyone...but mostly her. She rode with me back to her house. She wanted to back me up...but I wouldn't let her. We've got to break her out of the missionary bubble sometime! And she's got a couple of great friends who did a great job making her feel super awkward with a Lindsay-sandwich.

Driving home tonight I was able to reflect on the mission and all of the good times that we had together. I love Lindsay so much! I can't wait to get down to Utah so we can see each other more often!

A Family is Forever

2011-11-11T15:59:00.001-08:00

Today I had the opportunity to go to the temple sealing of one of my friends. She was actually my counselor last semester in the Relief Society Presidency. I hadn't ever been to a sealing, so I was kind of excited.

One thing that I love about Rexburg is that the temple is so conveniently placed to campus. I was able to walk up to the temple from class in about 20 minutes, and that was going at a nice pace (I probably could have made it in about 7 minutes if I'd needed to). It is so amazing to walk up the hill and think of everything that beautiful, white building symbolizes.

A few months ago, I went to a civil marriage. The "happy" couple didn't look so happy. But Lydia and Matt...they were happy! The feeling of a temple sealing is completely different than a civil marriage. No, I don't want anything else in my life. The Spirit that I felt inside the sealing room is something I can't even begin to explain. It was unlike any Spirit I'd ever felt before. It was amazing!

Another difference in today's wedding was the talk of eternity. There was nothing about "'til death do you part." They will have each other FOREVER. They will have their parents FOREVER. They will have their children FOREVER. Who doesn't want that? What a blessing!

I know that someday I'll have the opportunity to be sealed to a wonderful man for time and all eternity. But until that time comes, I'll keep preparing myself to be the best wife and mother I can be.

Just my luck

2011-11-09T22:38:00.000-08:00

Yes, I went country dancing tonight. And yes, Mr. Amazing from last week was there alright. And we even danced...once. And we talked for a few minutes after the song ended. And that was that. For the rest of the night, he had another girl practically hanging on his arm. And I wasn't asked to dance again. Good thing I've been able to get rid of my bubble and ask guys to dance or it would have been a miserable evening. (I told myself that I had to dance so I wouldn't stand there feeling sorry for myself, so I kind of had to ask the guys to dance or I would have been miserable. So I actually danced more tonight than I have yet this semester.)

Anyway, I started the semester with high hopes for dating, after all, I am over the awkwardness of being an RM. And I am adjusted back into life as a student. But the further into the semester we get, the more pessimistic I start to feel once again. I swear, there is something in the water here. Oh well. I only have 5 1/2 more weeks left of life in Rexburg, then I'll be on to new places. Places where I won't know anyone and no one else will know me either. I think that will be good. I think that will be needed. If I can only survive these next 5 1/2 weeks and not be totally and completely miserable, I'll be fine.

But of course this would happen...

2011-11-02T22:58:00.000-07:00

So I went country dancing tonight, as per my Wednesday-night ritual. And ya know, it was a great night! I danced...kind of a lot. I was just getting ready to ask one guy to dance, but he beat me to the punch and asked me instead! He came over and was like "Do you know how to do this? Will you teach me?" So I proceeded to teach him the basics. Which, I'll be honest...isn't the easiest thing for me, because I just follow. But, we worked it out and I was able to teach him a few things. After that song, we walked off the dance floor, but kept talking. So he asked me again. And we danced 2 more songs. Then we went our separate ways. But later, he came over and asked me to dance again, and we danced a song, walked off the floor talking and danced again. Yep, you counted right. 5 songs. With the same guy. After the 5th song, I told myself that next time I saw him I'd invite him to a game night at our apartment that we'd have this weekend. But he completely disappeared after that, so I didn't get the chance to ask him. Of course. Oh well. Whatever. He may have been attractive, and quick at learning (and told me that he does other types of dance), and heck, he's even in the "zone" set by mom! If I'm supposed to see him again, I will. But now I've got to wait a whole nother week. But! If I see him next week, I'm making it up that the roomies and I are having a game night on Friday and inviting him. I'm not gonna make that mistake again!

What's in a Name (Tag)?

2011-10-27T15:04:00.000-07:00

So all semester long my roommates have asked me on Tuesdays and Thursdays why I don't take off my teacher name tag when I get home from my practicum. And all semester long I've told them that it's just easier to not take it off. But really, how hard is it to take off a magnet and set it on your dresser? Yeah...not hard at all. Anyway, I was thinking earlier this week when I happened to look over and see my missionary name tag hanging from my lamp and then looked down and saw my teacher name tag on my blouse. It's funny how connected you get to something and not even realize it. I realized this week that the reason I don't take off my teacher name tag is because I miss having that missionary name tag in place. Like really though...it's been over 9 months since I had to take off my missionary tag, and for 9 months I have longed to be able to put it back on. Being back in the classroom helps, at least a little bit, to fill that void that I have felt. And putting on my teacher name tag is like a burst of fresh air. It helps to fill that little hole where my missionary name tag once sat. Granted, nothing will ever be able to fully replace my missionary name tag and the calling it represented, but for now as I am moving on with my life, putting on my teacher name tag and going into the classroom to teach helps me remember my purpose and what my goals are.

I Believe in Christ!

2011-10-23T19:51:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day. No...let me rephrase that. Today was a GREAT day! But before I tell you about today, I'm going to back up and tell you about the past few weeks. I'm the Ward Choir Director this semester, so within the first few weeks of the semester, I had to go to a stake-wide training for music people. While there, we practiced the song that the stake choir was going to sing in Stake Conference. We practiced with the piano...and then they asked the girl who played the piano if she knows how to play the organ. Well, she didn't and so they asked for a volunteer. Before it registered in my head what I was doing, my hand was in the air volunteering to play the song in Stake Conference. On the organ. LaKesha turned to me and was like "You don't play the organ." To which I replied, "Well I guess I do now." Over the past 3 weeks I have spent countless hours practicing the organ. We sang Mack Wilberg's arrangement of "I Believe in Christ." (Click on title to see the MoTab perform the very song that I had to learn.) The words "arranged by Mack Wilberg" are kind of scary...it means that the song is gonna be intense. And it was. I practiced, and I practiced, and I practiced. I made special trips to IF just so I could practice the organ. I didn't know why I volunteered...because I didn't know how to play the organ. At the first choir practice, I just played on the piano because there was no organ. That was okay. I could handle that...after 2 weeks of constant practice. It was by no means perfect...and didn't have my feet playing their part either. But I knew that I had two more weeks to be able to get it down. I had one of my FHE brothers give me a blessing

Last Sunday, we had another choir practice. This time with the organ. To say that I screwed up is an understatement. I slaughtered the song. Absolutely slaughtered it. I fought back tears. After the choir practice, one of the sisters in the stake who's over the music asked me if I was sure I would be able to get it by today. Ouch. I came home and sobbed. I didn't know if I would be able to do it. On Monday, I had Dad give me a blessing, and that helped to calm my fears, and gave me the confidence I needed to be able to play it in Conference today. I spent hours practicing. Hours and hours and hours.

Last night, we had practice after the evening meeting. As I sat at the organ and perfectly played the part that I've screwed up every other time that I've played that song, I had to fight back my tears. I couldn't believe it...I'd done it! I had learned that song! But not only that, I had proven to myself that I really can play the organ. I was on cloud 9. Skip, the choir director, looked at me amazed. I can only imagine the look of shock that I had on my face. That was the first time I'd actually been able to play that song without mistakes. He told me that he didn't envy me at all...while everyone would see him, they would HEAR me. "No pressure or anything," he told me.

Well, last night I prayed hard. This morning I prayed hard. During practice, I prayed hard. And while we performed the song, well, I prayed hard. And I felt others praying for me as well. I messed up a couple of times...but I think that I'm probably the only person who knew it. In four weeks, I went from not being able to play the organ at all, but not only that--telling myself that I couldn't play the organ...or the piano for that matter--to being able to play the organ. Four weeks ago, the only way I could play that song was with the bass coupler and using my hands for as many of the foot notes that I could. Today, I'm pleased to announce that every single note that is supposed to be played with the feet, was played with my feet. I have proved to myself that I can play the organ. Okay, and I admit...four weeks ago, I wouldn't have even attempted a song like that on the piano. Let alone the organ.

I have such a strong testimony of my Savior and everything that He has done for me. I know without a doubt that He was there helping me today. Four weeks ago when I volunteered to play the organ, I didn't know why I did. I just knew that I did. And i had a feeling that there was a reason. Today, I have a much clearer picture of what that reason is. I have been able to gain the confidence in myself to play the piano. To play the organ. And to arrange songs (but that is another story for another day.) Todays' message is that I believe in Christ! I know that He is my Savior. I know that He loves me. And I know that He is with me every step of the way, guiding my path.

I Love My Roommates!

2011-10-11T19:52:00.000-07:00

I can't say it enough! I just love my roommates! Sure, we've had our rocky points...but in the long run it is the rocky points that give us the opportunity to grow closer together. I truly have some of the best roommates, and feel so blessed to be in this apartment this semester. At the end of last semester, I felt the Holy Ghost's sweet confirmation that this set of roommates that I was going to have this semester was for a reason. We got a rocky start...and it's partly my fault. But tonight, we were able to open up and the Spirit is definitely here in my apartment. And i am getting a better idea of why we are all together now.

This is my last semester at BYU-Idaho. It's the same for my roommate Carlee. We're both freaking out because we're not ready to grow up yet! We're not ready to graduate. We're not ready to leave BYU-Idaho...but let's be honest...I'm 99% positive that both of us are more than ready to not have to go through another Rexburg winter. Come on. Anyway, we both wanted to go out on a good note. And were really looking forward to our roommates and the whole set of memories that we still have to make before we leave Rexburg. We just want what is best for all involved. And I think that I speak for both of us when I say that, because of increased communication, we truly have the best apartment of roommates in all of Rexburg. Because it's true.

The other 4 roommates, Kesha, Kelsey, Caitlin, and Mary all still have lots of time here at BYU-Idaho. Quite frankly, I'm jealous of them because they have so much time left here. My advice to them: Treasure it, because it will go all too fast. If you don't believe me, wait a few years until you're on the doorstep of graduation and look back on today. It will seem like just yesterday that you started college. But that's not the point. The point is that we all wanted a good apartment...and we've got it. We must be doing something right...because I sure don't deserve the roommates that I've got.

This is a tribute to you girls! And it's because I love you! We are all so different, and yet so alike. Isn't it great? We all have something to contribute to the others and something to learn from the others in our apartment. What a blessing we have to be right here, right now.

Carlee, when we moved in last semester, about the only thing we had in common was...well...the fact that we were both close to graduation. And the minor detail that we're old. (At least compared to the other ladies who we get to rub shoulders with every day.) But the more time we've spent together, the more I have come to realize that we really do have in common. We both love to have fun. We love to laugh. When our sleep gets interrupted, we tend to get...a little testy (is that a good way to put it?) We love being with people. And we're ready to be done with school (but so not at the same time, and the real-life looming in the near future scares the crap out of us).

Kels, I knew you were crazy from the moment I met you. And I liked it! You're a country girl. I may not have grown up in the country, but I'm an Idaho girl, and I'm not ashamed at the fact that I grew up with a potato field less than a football field's distance from my house! Like me, you're trying to juggle school and work and still find time to squeeze in a social life and fun every once in a while. It's not easy...and sometimes that social-ness requires that we lose a bit of sleep...but we always laugh about it for days after.

Cait, I've learned more about you this week than I ever imagined I would ('nuff said. If you live here, you know what I'm talking about. If you don't...get over it). You are hilarious! And I love it! All it took was a little bit of time to get you to warm up to us and a couple of late nights. And you probably hate us, because 9 times out of 10 you are the one we jump out at in the bathroom as you're trying to unwind for the day. But look at the memories we've created.

Kesha, You're my sister. I have to like living with you. ...but really...I do. It's been so much fun, and I am so grateful for this time to be able to spend just us. It's been a lot of fun, and the friendship we already had has grown so much stronger. Forever. For always. No matter what. Because we're sisters!

And last, but certainly not least...Mary. You are amazing. I loved seeing you last semester, because you never didn't have a smile on your face (...er...if that double-negative made sense...Basically...I love the fact that you're always smiling!) It always makes the day go better when one smiles. And smiles are contagious! I was excited to be able to get to know you better this semester, and am so grateful that we still have 8 more weeks to be able to do so. I'm here for ya! I want what's best for you. And any time you need to talk, you know where to find me.

Basically, I just have to express to the world how blessed I am. I could go into so much more detail...but let's be honest. No one wants to read my ramblings anyway. I just want y'all to know that I love your guts!

PS~ Roomies...we have no pictures of all of us together. We need to change that, ASAP!!

The Diary of a Pair of Shoes

2011-10-08T01:31:00.000-07:00

Okay...to preface this, about 2 months ago, I was randomly contacted by a woman who is an artist. She was wanting to do a painting of missionary shoes, and wanted to use my shoes for her project. I sent them to her, along with this story that I wrote. It's a little long, but so perfectly emphasizes how I feel about my mission. It's been almost 3 years since I decided to go, 2 1/2 years (tomorrow) since I got my call, just over 27 months since I left, and in one week it will be 10 months since I got home. I think of the mission every day, and miss it dearly. I just got her e-mail with copies of the finished product, which I am including, along with my shoes' story.

There we were, one spring daysitting all nice and comfortable in our box. We still smelled like new leatherand were perfectly content. Then, without warning, our box was opened and ayoung woman took us out and put us on. She kind of stuck her nose up when shesaw us on her feet, because she was used to the cute flats and heels that shealways wore. “But,” she said, “I’m going to need a pair of comfortable shoes soI can go out and do my best work.” “Perfect,” we thought, “We’re going to beused as work shoes. That is our worst nightmare!”

Theyoung woman took us home, and started wearing us wherever she went. She said itwas because she didn’t want to get blisters when she got on her mission. Butwhat did that mean? What is a mission? We were soon going to find out. She alsotook great care to polish us, and condition the leather so we would always lookour very best. We could tell that, even though she didn’t particularly care forthe way we looked, she loved us and would always care for us.

Well,the day finally came when we would learn what a mission was. Early one Julymorning, long before the sun rose, the young woman arose and reverently slippedus on as she walked out the door. This was the day when she would leaveeverything behind for a time to go be a missionary. A few hours later, theyoung woman tearfully said goodbye to her family. She stepped out of the carand gave them all a hug, and then, we were all alone. Everyone started calling theyoung woman who wore us “Hermana.” What did that mean? We later learned that itmeant that she was a missionary.

Fortwo months, she walked around a campus with us on her feet. She sat in aclassroom where the teachers would say things that Hermana didn’t alwaysunderstand. As soon as she got back to her room at night, Hermana would kick usoff of her feet…not because she didn’t love us, but because she was tired andready to go to bed. But regularly, Hermana would take care to polish us andalways make sure that we looked our very best. Finally, one night, Hermanapulled out our polish and made us shine! As she talked with the others, whowere also called Hermana, we found out that we would soon be leaving this placefor “the field.” Where was this field?

Earlythe next morning, Hermana quietly slipped us onto her feet and walked out intothe dark and walked across the campus one last time. She climbed onto a bus withmany other people, all of whom seemed nervous, and a little excited. A fewhours later, we were stepping off of an airplane (we learned that Hermanadidn’t much care for airplanes) into a strange place. We found out that thisplace was New Mexico, and where we would be spending the next while. It washot! Hermana had some meetings, then we went outside and visited severalpeople. Lots of them didn’t seem very happy to see Hermana and the others shewas with. It made us sad, yet she still seemed to be happy, even though it wasso hot outside

Wesoon learned that this is what missionary work was. Hermana did lots of walkingin the hot sun, down dusty roads. We got very dirty. It was nothing like ournice, comfortable box that had long since been left behind. But, every night,before she went to bed, Hermana made sure that she at least dusted us off sothat we looked clean, and she polished us before she went to church each Sundayso we would look our very best.

We had a lot of adventures with Hermana. She spent her dayswalking along the streets of various towns. Areas, we think she called them.She spent different amounts of time in each area; some long periods of time andothers short periods of time. But Hermana always seemed happy.

Hermana did something really silly one morning. It was a daythat they went to church. Hermana and her companion were running a bit late, soshe hurriedly grabbed 2 shoes out of the closet and ran to the car. When shegot out of the car, she looked down and realized that she only had one of uson. On her other foot she had one of our friends, but that friend was a brownshoe. Hermana was mortified that she had to go all day wearing two differentcolored shoes. But we thought it was funny.

Another day, we walked to a woman’s house to go visit her.It wasn’t a very long walk, but it was down a dirt road. Hermana and hercompanions had a nice visit with the woman, and when they got ready to leave,the nice woman asked Hermana and her companions if they would like a bottle ofwater for the walk. They asked her how she knew that they were walking. Shetold them it was because their shoes were filthy! We already knew that we were dirty, butHermana and her companions were kind of embarrassed that someone had noticedtheir dirty shoes. If we remember correctly, we got a nice polishing thatnight…

We still remember one night that was kind of scary. It waslate at night, and kind of cold. Hermana had thought about wearing her bootsthat morning, but decided that it would be more comfortable to put us oninstead. We wish she had put on her boots because of what happened. Hermana andher companions were going to visit a family. They didn’t usually go to thishouse after dark, because they had a big, scary dog. But, Hermana called thefamily and asked them to make sure the dog was locked up so they could go in.When the family told them the dog was locked up, Hermana’s companions walked inthe gate and up the stairs. Hermana was last, so she shut the gate. As she waswalking up the stairs, something so scary happened! The dog somehow got out andstarted running toward Hermana. Being nothing more than a pair of shoes, we couldn’twarn her, and the dog jumped on her and bit her leg! Hermana was so brave! Itmust have hurt when that big dog bit her and ripped a piece out of her leg, butall that Hermana said was that she would have been really mad if the dog hadripped her skirt. She was so forgiving to that dog!

Shortly after that event, Hermana told her companions aboutsomething that her family does for Christmas each year. Each year they take apicture of their shoes under the Christmas tree so they can see how much eachperson has grown each year. Hermana thought that would be fun to do to see howher shoes look with her companions’ shoes each year, so we took a picture. Welooked so pretty underneath the tree, freshly polished, with Hermana’s name taglying on top of us. One Sunday morning, Hermana and her companions woke upsuper excited. We weren’t quite sure why, but we could tell it was going to bean extra-special day. They went to church, but it wasn’t where they usually hadchurch. And there were a lot more people in that meeting than were usually atchurch. When we got to the meeting, we found out that it was because a newbranch was going to be created. We had learned that a branch is an organizationof the church in the geographical area. But this branch was special, because itwas the first one for people who speak Spanish in that area. There were a lotof people who were so happy and who felt that this was such a special blessing.

Not very long after that special day, Hermana received acall that she was going to be transferred to a new area. She seemed sad to beleaving. We had been here in the same place for a long time, and she loved somany of the people. The days before she left were spent saying goodbye. It washard for her to make those visits and say goodbye. But, she did seem excitedfor her next adventure. We could tell that she felt at peace with thistransfer. On the day that she was transferred, she drove to Colorado. Hermanasaid that it reminded her a lot of home,because there were lots of farms and mountains. She was happy to be there andto meet new people.

In this area, Hermana did lots of walking in trailer parks.She seemed to enjoy that. She always had a smile on her face as she talked tothese people who she said were so sweet. Of course, walking in the trailerparks that just had dirt roads, we got really dirty, but we didn’t mindanymore. We had learned that missionary work is so important to Hermana, so weare more than happy to help. After Hermana was in Colorado, she went to SantaFe. It was really pretty and green in Santa Fe. Just a few days after we gotthere it was Hermana’s birthday. Her mom sent her a pretty new skirt. There wasa special meeting for the missionaries that day. Hermana played the piano forthat meeting and it sounded so pretty. After the meeting, Hermana and hercompanion walked and visited more people to share the special message that theyhave about Christ. It was sad that more people didn’t want to listen.

Hermana didn’t stay in Santa Fe for very long—only onetransfer. She got a phone call early one Saturday morning telling her that shewould be leaving the following Tuesday to go to El Paso and train a newmissionary who was coming. We remember that she was very scared. And she wassad. All day long people kept asking her if she was okay because she lookedsad, but she couldn’t tell anyone that she was leaving yet. That night, Hermanaand her companion went to a baptism of some people they taught. Hermana playedthe piano, and it was hard for her to not cry. But she didn’t want the peopleto know there was anything wrong when she gave the talk that the sisters beingbaptized asked her to give.

Hermana was scared to go to El Paso. It wasn’t because ofthe location, but rather the fact that she didn’t know anything about the areaand that she would have a brand new missionary to teach. But she decided thatshe was going to be happy and go out and work as always. The first day thatHermana and her new companion went out to talk to people it was so hot! Andthere weren’t very many people at home. Hermana and her new companion were alittle down, but they soon found lots of people to teach and lots of work todo.

There were lots of cockroaches in the apartment whereHermana lived in El Paso. She and her companions just laughed at that…afterthey got used to the idea that there were cockroaches. They kept a can of Raidclose so they could kill the cockroaches. One day, Hermana opened a door andone fell on her head. It startled her, but it made her laugh. That was anotherexperience that they were able to add to their list of “cockroach encounters.”

Hermana really loved her time in El Paso. She was able totrain another missionary during that time. This new missionary had so muchenergy. Hermana kept saying that it was a good thing, because her time as amissionary was growing short and it kept her feeling young. Hermana and thisnew missionary were able to visit and help lots of people learn about theSavior. It made her so happy to be able to share that message with people.

When the call came with news of where the missionaries wouldbe for Hermana’s last transfer, she and her companion were surprised to learnthat they would have a third companion. Hermana was excited! This would meanthree missionaries at Christmas again, and three pair of shoes in front of theChristmas tree. Speaking of shoes in front of the Christmas tree…Hermana didn’trealize until she placed us underneath the tree next to the shoes of hercompanions how beat up we were starting to look. During her mission, she triedreally hard to take good care of us. But when you’re out working as hard as shewas, you can’t expect shoes to stay looking new. And you know, we couldn’t be happierto have had this opportunity to help her with her work, even if it does meanthat we don’t look very pretty anymore.

Right after New Years, all of the sister missionaries wentto Albuquerque for a special conference. Hermana was so excited to go and beable to see her missionary friends before she went home. She was able to takepictures with all of them and remember some good times they all had. ButHermana was sad. It was the last time she would see most of them as amissionary. And she was asked to share her departing testimony with the othersisters. That made her cry as she remembered all of the wonderful experiencesthat she had while she was on her mission.

The next night, Hermana got a letter from the missionoffice. As soon as she saw what it was she started to cry. It was what shecalled her “trunky papers.” Her flight plans and instructions for going homewere in the envelope. She said that it really hit her that the end was nearwhen she opened that envelope. Her companions both took her in their arms andhugged her. Hermana was really grateful for them and their love.

The next week, just one week before Hermana was supposed togo home, she and her companions were at the church one night when their phonerang. It was the mission president. He told Hermana that another sister hadbeen attacked by a dog, and that he wanted her to leave her area a week earlyand go help that sister’s companion work again. Hermana was shocked. Shehurried to say goodbye to a few people before they had to be in for the night.When she got home, Hermana started to pack. She was very sad. And scared. Butshe said that she felt peace.

On the last Saturday of Hermana’s mission, she went out withthe sister she was with and had one last day of walking and knocking on doors.Hermana said that she felt like she hadto talk to as many people as she could and share the message because she didn’thave much time left as a missionary. That made her really sad. The night beforeshe left to return to Albuquerque, the other missionaries let her share thelast message. It meant a lot to her to be able to share that message—one lastmessage as a missionary. She had tears in her eyes, but a smile on her face asshe shared her testimony of the Savior.

Finally, the day that Hermana thought would never come came.It was the day that she would go home. She was sad to be leaving the mission,that she wasn’t going to be a missionary any more. But she was so excited tosee her family again. 18 months is a very long time to not see your family. Asshe said goodbye to her mission president, she turned around with a smile onher face knowing that she did all that she could. And she got on the airplanewith the other missionaries. They all were so excited, looking out the windows.Hermana had a huge smile on her face. When they got to Salt Lake, Hermana saidgoodbye to all of the missionaries. Some of them were done with their trip,others had different flights to catch. But Hermana was all alone for the firsttime in 18 months. She tried to smile, but it was hard. It was really weird tobe completely alone. When she got to where she was going to wait for her plane,she turned around and saw the familiar face of her Stake President from home.She was so happy to see him and to not be alone. That made her feel morecomfortable. She talked to him until it was time to get on her plane to gohome.

We will never forget that last flight. Hermana was soexcited that her legs were bouncing up and down the whole way. That made us feel kind of dizzy. As they got closer tohome, Hermana leaned toward the window and looked out at the things that wereso familiar to her. She whispered over and over to herself, “I’m home!” Theplane couldn’t land fast enough for Hermana. As soon as she could stand up, shegrabbed her coat and her bag, and silently pleaded for the other people to movefaster. Finally, she was able to get off of the plane. She walked as fast asshe could to the escalators. She took a deep breath, and looked down. At thebottom of the escalator and through a glass door was her family waiting.Hermana started to cry. It was so good for her to see them again. As she got tothe bottom of the escalator, Hermana started to run. She was pulling a suitcasebehind her, and it wobbled and thumped down the last few steps. But Hermanadidn’t care. As soon as she got to her mother, she dropped her suitcase andhugged her, and held on tight. And held on tight to her dad, each of hersiblings, and her grandparents as well. She was so happy to be home.

That night, Hermana reported her mission to the Stake HighCouncil. And she was released. As she walked out of that room, she tearfullypulled the name tag from her coat and stumbled through her tears. She was sosad to not be a missionary anymore.

Hermana worked hard as a missionary. And she says that everytime she looks at us with our scuffs and worn-down soles that she remembers themany wonderful experiences that she had as a missionary. And we are so gratefulto have been able to be a part of her mission.

Souls of Service, by Megan Schaugaard

Tender Mercies

2011-10-07T00:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was kind of a rough day...but today I feel so much peace. I spent a good chunk of time in the temple, and came out knowing that everything would be okay. I couldn't be much happier right now. I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ! I am so grateful for temples! And without a loving Heavenly Father, I don't know where I would be. Life is so much better with the Gospel!

A Rock and a Hard Place

2011-10-05T23:54:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I feel like I'm stuck somewhere between a rock and a hard place. Like right now. It's my last semester at BYU-Idaho (as much as I don't want to admit that...). I've got another roommate who's graduating this semester as well. We were both super excited, looking forward to the semester and going out with a bang. Neither of us...well...none of my roommates...were expecting that drama would ensue. And it's hurting the whole apartment. We've got one roommate who struggles with the curfew that we have here. She doesn't take it seriously. We've brought it up, in as loving a way as she lets us get out, and have tried to help her see that there really are serious consequences that come from not following the Honor Code. Things have only spiraled downward the past few days, to the point that the five of us who are super close have no idea how to help our roommate. We all felt that she needed to live with us. Now, we're trying to see why. We know there is a reason. And we want to help her. We're just tired of being shut down...and having her lie to our faces. It hurts. A lot. Actually, there's not much that hurts more than having your trust betrayed by someone. And, quite frankly, there's not many things that are harder to get back than trust when it has been lost. We are all praying to know how we can help her...but if anyone has any suggestions, they would be greatly appreciated.

October?!

2011-10-02T19:14:00.000-07:00

This can't be possible! Seriously...where have the past 10 months gone?? Looking back in my calendar...10 months ago today was Fast Sunday in January...my last as a missionary. That is so crazy to believe. In just a couple of weeks, I'll hit 10 months of being home. Has it really been that long? It doesn't seem like it at all. What's even crazier is that 6 weeks from today I'll see the first sister I trained down in El Paso. That's right...Hermana Jardine is coming home. I'm excited to see her again, but my heart is breaking at the thought of her leaving the mission. She's been such an amazing missionary, and I look up to her so much! She hasn't had it easy, but she's stayed positive through it all. It will be good to be able to talk to her again. Her birthday's this week...she's in my thoughts :)

I've got so much going on right now with school and work and everything. My life is crazy...be glad it's not yours. Don't get me wrong...I'm grateful for every single experience I'm having. But it's nuts! Yesterday at work, one of the guys I work with (but haven't worked with all summer long) asked me what I've been up to. I responded with something along the lines of "my life is super crazy right now and getting crazier." To which he said, "What's his name?" When I told him that I don't have a boyfriend, he felt super awkward. I thought it was funny. Ha! I don't even have time to sleep right now...who has time for a boy? Not me!

We just came out of an amazing Conference Weekend. I always love General Conference. I come out of it feeling so uplifted and happy about everything. I have a few new goals for the next six months that will help me along in my life.

Have a wonderful October, everyone!

Off My Rocker...

2011-09-25T22:56:00.000-07:00

So I got my calling today. Ward Choir Director. And Assistant Humanitarian Service Leader in Relief Society. But this post totally has to do with the choir. I went to the stake training this evening. While there, Sisters Webster and Mendenhall introduced the song that the stake choir is going to sing in Stake Conference in like 3 weeks. It's a beautiful arrangement of "I Believe in Christ." We sang through it, and it's pretty easy. I was totally ready to participate in the choir. My arm, however, obviously thinks that I'm more ready than I really am. You see, after we sang it, Sister Webster asked the girl who sight-read the accompaniment if she could play the organ. She can't. So Sister Webster turned to the rest of us and asked if there was anyone who would be willing to play the organ. My hand shot into the air. Me? WHY??? I haven't TOUCHED an organ since the Christmas Zone Conference...9 months ago. And playing anything with the foot pedals? YEARS! I can handle the first 8 pages (on the piano anyway, without the foot pedals) no problem. Then 2 extra sharps and lots of notes are thrown into the mix. That's where it starts getting complicated. BUT. I'm going to practice...and practice and practice and practice and practice and practice some more...and I'm going to get this down! I'll get blessings for helping out. And it will do me good to get back on the piano again. You see...I say that I can't really play the piano anymore, outside of hymns anyway. But I sat down and sight-read the song, and, while it wasn't perfect, for sight-reading a song that difficult I didn't do half bad. Obviously, I proved myself wrong...but I still have a long way to go. The organ isn't exactly the piano...and I have to use the foot pedals with this song. Yeah...haven't touched those since, oh, HIGH SCHOOL. Oh well. I'm going to grin and go forth with faith and conquer. And let the entire Rexburg YSA 7th Stake know that I play the organ...something that not even my roommates knew about me until, oh, 5 hours ago? Let's just say that this is one of those talents that I have kind of kept hidden under a bushel...But not for long. Wish me luck!

Missing it...

2011-09-24T21:53:00.000-07:00

I don't know why it hit me all of a sudden tonight. But as I was sitting in the General Relief Society Meeting tonight, I all of a sudden missed the mission a ton. We sang "Hark, All Ye Nations," and I started crying as I was taken back to the best 18 months of my life. I thought about the experiences I had sharing the message of the Gospel. I thought about the companions I had, and how much I love each one of them. I thought about Sisters Jardine and Batchkoff, both of whom I trained and are now serving together, and how they would be getting transfer calls tonight...the last time for Jardine before she comes home. My heart ached for the mission and to be able to have that Spirit with me all the time again. Like I said, I don't know why I missed it today, but I did. I am really enjoying where I am right now in my life, but if I could I would go back in a heartbeat.

Third Grade

2011-09-20T14:51:00.000-07:00

When I got home from my mission (8 months ago yesterday), I never thought I'd get to this point. I never thought that I'd finally be able to leave college and go to THIRD GRADE! Yahoo! Okay...so I knew that I'd eventually leave college, but I don't think I realized that it would hit this soon. And okay...so it's not even that soon. I feel like I've been home forever!

Anyway, today was the first day of my Senior Practicum...in other words, the LAST step I have to take before student teaching. I was scared out of my mind, but after experiencing my first day, I realize that it's going to be pretty chill. I'm in a third grade class of 24 students. I don't remember many of their names, but I already love them! They are all so sweet! And Mrs. Ashmore (my cooperating teacher) is bomb!

I was able to start teaching today. Just a mini-lesson on multiplication by 10, but I did it off-the-cuff. That was pretty cool. Thursday I get to teach a lesson with some sort of activity about Photosynthesis. Thanks to Google, I don't think that will be too hard either. I'm so excited, and can't wait to get into a classroom full-time, rather than just 3 days a week!

9-11

2011-09-11T16:33:00.000-07:00

Today is 9-11. Up until ten years ago, September 11 was just another day. But for the past 10 years, it has become something so much more. Ten years ago today, the life of every American changed. I remember exactly what I was doing. I was in the first few weeks of my 8^th grade year. That morning, I was getting ready for school. As usual, I had the radio on. That’s when I heard the news. At the time, I didn’t know what the World Trade Center was. I went into the other room, and turned on the TV. I watched the second plane hit. At school they had the news on, and I watched the towers fall. I remember the emotions I felt: the great sadness, the horror, the gratitude that I had for my life and that of my family.

Yes, I was scared. I was terrified. What was going to happen? Was this going to start a third world war? What was happening? Why would anyone do this? Many questions ran through my 13 year-old mind. And I still don’t have all of the answers. But one thing I know for certain is that my Heavenly Father loves me.

Today I have paused to reflect on that day. I have watched news clips on youtube. I have watched documentaries on TV. And my heart has been full. That day changed my life. There were some people whose testimonies wavered that day. Mine was strengthened. To me, this was just another of the signs of the times in which we live, a sign that the second coming of our Savior is ever growing closer.

That day is one that I never want to relive. Just seeing the news from that day is hard enough for me. Those images are forever burned into my mind as I think of the thousands of people who were injured or killed that day.

Today, my prayers are with the families and friends of those who were killed on that terrible day. May they feel the love of their Father in Heaven in their hearts and be able to come to the knowledge of the great Plan of our Heavenly Father.

And Should We DIe Before Our Journey's Through...

2011-09-01T21:22:00.000-07:00

I heard something at work today that absolutely broke my heart. Of course, it always makes me sad when a missionary dies for whatever reason, but this one hit me even more. I don't know why, but it did. A sister missionary who had been out for 13 months was killed in a car accident on Tuesday, as reported on Deseret News.

I think this one hit me because it reminded me of my interview with President Stewart before he sent in my mission papers, now almost 2 1/2 years ago. I don't remember much from that interview. Okay, I don't remember anything about that interview--except for one thing. He asked me what I would say if I was called Home while I was on my mission. I remember tears filling my eyes, but saying that if that was my Father's will, I would accept that. No, it wouldn't be easy. But I have the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation and that brought me great strength.

I was blessed to be able to return home to my family 8 months ago, and continue my life as I planned. And I am so grateful for that. My thoughts and prayers go out to Sister Bentley and her family, as well as her companion and all of the missionaries in her mission. She will be a great blessing to those in the Spirit World as she goes and shares the beautiful message of the Gospel until the Second Coming of our Savior.

Summer Break Adventures!

2011-08-21T18:13:00.000-07:00

A Photo Blog of the Good Family Summer Adventures 2011

Mom and Dad surprised us with tickets to see the Lion King (Broadway Version)! It was breath-taking!
We saw the Bellagio Water Show

I had my first experience eating at an In-N-Out Burger Joint
Next Stop:
The girls and their fancy feet!

Soaking after a run on Grizzly River Run

We're late, we're late! For a Very important date!
Getting ready to Splash on Splash Mountain!

Taking a nap on the Tower of Terror

Beach Bums!

Eating at the Rainforest Cafe
One of the first families I met in El Paso, the Gonzales family! LOVE THEM!

With the Garcia girls!

Las Hermanas! They sure know how to make an old sister miss the mission!

Bishop Zuniga and his family

Enjoying a Texas-sized (jaja) waffle in the morning!

The view of Juarez from the freeway

McDermed/Longoria family!

Then we hit up Carlsbad and went 7 stories underground to enjoy the beauty of the cave

PAPA LUNA!!!

And Fernanda!
Gonzalez family!

Yeoman family!

The beautiful Albuquerque temple!

Enjoying a slice of Dion's Pepperoni-Jalapeno Pizza! My favorite!

We stopped in at the mission office and ran into Sister Barello! I remember when she came out...and now I've been home for 7 months and she's almost ready to go home herself!

Sister Short in the office--the only office sister I still know

My dear friend and trainer, Sister Michel...Poulette
My old roommate Magaly and her family now live in Albuquerque so I got to see them too!

If you saw a giant chile-pepper apron clad teddy bear, I don't think you'd be able to resist giving him a big kiss either!

We went into this old Catholic Cathedral. It was beautiful!

With my boyfriend! Isn't he a hottie?

We drove down part of the Historic Route 66

And enjoyed good, old fashioned milkshakes

Gloria! I was with her when she went through the temple for the first time!

Magda and I having fun! She told me that since I haven't yet found a boyfriend, she's going to have to go back to Venezuela and bring one back for me

The New Mexico Flag
Sister Swartz

Marquez family! They were like my 2nd family!

Brother and Sister Edwards

Riding the Sandia Tram: The world's longest aerial tramway

Standing in 4 states at once (or at least would be if this were actually on-site of the 4 corners...) but my right heel is in my favorite state (New Mexico!)

With Bishop Decker and his family

With Gabbi and Juan. I was there for her baptism, and he started taking the lessons and was baptized shortly after I was transferred out of the area. They have plans to go to the temple in the very near future! I can't wait!!
With the Renteria family!
With Trena and Angela Decker
Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde

Driving through the Utah Desert

This is the school where I'll be doing my student teaching...and it stretches out just as far on the other side of the entrance! It's huge! But I'm super excited!

Missionary Moments

2011-07-20T21:43:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. I've been talking almost non-stop about the mission. And y'all are probably getting bored with reading about it (if anyone even reads my blog...but who knows). But I had a really neat experience at work tonight that made me remember how much I miss being a missionary.

It was 7:00. I was literally turning to walk over to the light switch because it was closing time, when the door opened. I hate it when that happens...and tonight was no different. A man in his 50s walked in, and I put on my "customer service" smile (side-note...one of the ladies I work with told me that the other day she had a lady ask if Kira was there because "she gave such great service last time and was so helpful." That sure made my day) Anyway...back to the story. I put on my customer service smile and asked if I could help him find anything specific.

This man said that he was looking for a Bible. And Bibles we have. So as I led him to the Bibles, while simultaneously asking if he wanted just a Bible or a Quad. He was like "Wait. This is a foreign language to me." At that moment I smelled the faint hint of cigarette smoke and realized that he wasn't a member. So I instantly went into missionary mode and explained what a Quad is and a little about the books in it. I showed him the different options of both Bibles and Quads. He decided to get a quad. While Russell was putting his name on it (because I have no clue how to use the embosser), I talked to him. Had an OYM, if you will.

He grew up around here, and then moved to California, and then Nevada. He just moved back to IF. But anyway, he grew up with friends who were members. But was never interested in hearing about the Gospel. Until now. He's got an appointment with the missionaries tomorrow night. This man is in for a real treat. As I was talking to him, I felt something that I haven't felt in 6 months. It was such a wonderful feeling...but at the same time, it made me feel super guilty BECAUSE I haven't felt that in 6 months. I mean, I've felt the Spirit, but not in that way.

And that, I realized tonight, is why I miss being a missionary. I think that I'd kinda gotten to where I just took it for granted because I felt it all the time. And that's why the first little bit I was home was hard, because I realized what I was missing. But as I've been home, that "Missionary Spirit" has been fading away as I've been in the world. After feeling it again tonight as I talked to that Brother in Deseret Book, that's not something that I want to lose again. I will be praying to have missionary experiences. And I will keep my study of the scriptures dedicated so I can keep that Spirit in my life. After having that back...how wonderful it was.

That good Brother and his missionaries will be in my prayers tonight, that the Spirit will touch his heart and tell him that it's true. That he will be able to gain a testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel that can change his life for the better. I know the Church is true. I know that lives can be changed because of it. I know that the Holy Ghost will touch the hearts of those who are ready to hear, and I felt something special as I had that conversation in Deseret Book today.

Oh how I love the Gospel! My prayers are with those missionaries who are out fighting the fight against Satan, and for the people they are teaching, those they will teach, and those who they have taught but have rejected the teachings for one reason or another. My prayer is that the Spirit will be with each and every one of them, so that all people here on the earth can have the opportunity to hear the glorious message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and come to know for themselves that it is true.

A Reason, A Season, or A Lifetime

2011-07-18T23:45:00.000-07:00

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.

When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that
person..

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need
you have expressed.

They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with
guidance and support,

To aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually.

They may seem like a godsend and they are.

They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time,

this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an
end.

Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.

Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.

What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire
fulfilled, their work is done.

The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on...

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has
come to share, grow or learn.

They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.

They may teach you something you have never done.

They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.

Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons,

things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional
foundation.

Your job is to accept the lesson,

love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other
relationships and areas of your life.

It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

Thank you for being a part of my life,

whether you were a reason, a season or a lifetime.

This is dedicated to all of the wonderful people who have ever been a part of my life, whether for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. I will forever remember each one of you and the ways in which you helped me. And to those who are from reasons or seasons that have passed, thank you for everything you did for me. You probably influenced me in more ways than you will ever be able to imagine. I love you all!

Oh how the time flies...

2011-07-18T22:08:00.000-07:00

It has now been 6 months since I left the mission field. 6 months ago today I was in the mission home, too excited/nervous/sad to be able to sleep. I laid awake reflecting on the past 18 months and how wonderful they were. And now, even 6 months later, I still think about the mission every single day. Really. I used to think it was dumb how RMs said that they thought about their mission every day. But now I'm one of them. I have so many good memories. It was the mission that made me who I am today. It was the mission that made it possible for me to be strong, to overcome many things. It was the mission that allowed me to meet many people who have become my dearest friends.

Now, 6 months after coming home, the mission seems like a distant memory. It almost seems like a dream. So much has happened. I went from awkward RM to social butterfly able to communicate with guys better than I ever was able to before (and oddly enough, I have mostly guys in my classes...though most of them are married or engaged). I've survived an entire semester (it's kind of crazy how my 6-month mark corresponds with the end of the semester). But not only that, I've also worked and fulfilled my responsibilities as Relief Society President. I've taken a few trips to Utah, 2 completely on my own. I've made some wonderful friends. I've had the best apartment of roommates that I've ever had...and next semester will be the same. I've changed my education track a bit...to something that will open many more doors for me (certified ESL teacher). I've had happy times and sad times--but have grown from each and every experience.

All in all, I am so grateful for the person I have become. I am grateful for the path my life has taken over the last 6 months, and am excited to see where the next 6 months take me!

Finals...with a smidge of fun thrown in

2011-07-16T18:38:00.000-07:00

Finals are next week. But it was this week that was torture for me. I've been so busy that I haven't even been able to sleep! After coming back from Utah, I was in the library on Monday from 8:30 am until 11:30 pm, minus 2 hours for class and an hour for FHE. Tuesday was pretty much the same, except I'm in class for longer on Tuesdays. I was so exhausted. I needed to come home for an apartment complex meeting about white glove. As I was walking home, Kelsey (one of my roommates) texted and asked where I was. Then she told me that she had dinner waiting on the table for me! What a sweet-heart! I could have cried. On Wednesday, I did some homework at home before class. I was so tired that I felt like I was going to fall asleep WALKING to class. I came home when I got out of class because I had to work. I laid down on the couch for 10 minut(es and fell deep-enough asleep that I was dreaming. That's pretty hard-core. I went to work. I came home, fully planning on going back to the library, but I didn't have any energy left to walk up there. So I stayed at home. I opened my computer to try to do homework, but just went cross-eyed so I closed it and went to bed. I got like 8 hours of sleep. I woke up feeling so good on Thursday! I took a nap when I got home...but only because we were going to the midnight premiere of Harry Potter 7.2! (Which, if you haven't seen it yet, is EPIC!) I drove up and picked up Mom from girl's camp. While we were on our way back to IF, Dad (who was already in line at the theater) called and said that if we also bought tickets to see Cars 2 we'd already be in our seats and not have to deal with crowds, so Mom said to go ahead. I thought that she was crazy! Because I haven't been able to stay awake through one, let alone TWO movies since I've been home! And yet here they were, paying bookoo bucks for us to see two movies, so I had to stay awake. I was standing in line trying to write a test for one of my classes that was due on Friday, and nothing was coming to me. So I eventually gave up. We watched the movies. Cars 2 is hilarious. I highly recommend it. Of course, it may have been more funny for me because my funny-bone was highly sensitive due to lack of sleep, but what can ya do? And Harry Potter...Wow. I've grown up with Harry Potter! Like I was 10 when I read the first book. That's over HALF of my life-time spent with Harry Potter! And now it's all over. Done. Nada mas! But I was so pleased with the way that the movie ended. Oh...it was SO good! It had to have been...I actually stayed awake through both of them. Wide awake. Awake enough that I went home and sat down with my computer and stayed up until 4:30 finishing my lesson plan (of course, that was partly due to necessity). Then I went to bed. I was SO tired yesterday though. When I got home, I flopped down on my bed and slept hard for like 2 hours, then got up and got ready for the night. I went to the play that one of my counselors is in. Then came home and went to bed. I woke up late this morning, and lounged around all morning. Then I went to the temple. And came home and lounged around some more. Then one of my friends was in town, so we went and got some ice cream. And now...what am I doing? Laying on my bed getting caught up on my blog. I am feeling good, going into finals. I've got one presentation, one paper to make a couple changes to and hand in, and one unit exam. That's it. I'll be done by Wednesday by 3:00. Free for 7 weeks! And getting ready to head off on vacation! And things are looking good for this semester...I think I should end up with all A's...which is pretty impressive considering the struggle I've had this semester to re-motivate myself for school.

Utah!

2011-07-16T14:17:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, despite my pending finals, I went to Utah. Of course, it was a well-needed break. My brain was getting to the point of exhaustion. I went because my dear Hermana Newbold is home from her mission, and when I left I promised her I'd be there. And a true friend never breaks their promises. But...I had other fun along the way. I left Rexburg early Friday afternoon and hit the road. I was super excited! I had a great weekend planned! First stop: Brigham City, where I spent a little bit visiting with one of my best friends from high school who I hadn't seen since her wedding 4 years ago. And I met her adorable little boy! It was so good to see her again and catch up.

From there, I headed on down to Ogden. I stopped by my Aunt Katherine's house (ok, so she's really my dad's aunt, but close enough) and visited with her for a little bit. Then one of my friends took me out for a late birthday dinner. When I got back to my grandma's house where I was staying, I sat and visited with her and one of her sisters for a while. Then they went to bed...and I was wide awake with nothing to do. So I got on the computer.

On Saturday, I went with my grandma to Aunt Katherine's birthday lunch. It was good to see all of their sisters who I hadn't seen in a few years. We drove past the Brigham City Temple that is under construction. It's going to be a pretty one...but then again, what temple isn't? After that, I got together with a couple of college friends, Jill and Bea. We went to dinner at Cafe Rio. Then we went and walked around the mall until I got with some of my mission friends. We went bowling. It was so good to see all of them and hang out with them. I was never companions with any of these sisters as they're all English sisters, but I did serve in the same area as one of them for a transfer. But regardless...sister missionaries are close.

On my way to the homecoming on Sunday, I stopped and visited another of my friends and her husband. When I got to Hermana Newbold's church and she saw me, she gave me a HUGE hug! I didn't think she was ever gonna let go...and I didn't care! Oh how I miss the mission and my companions! Hermana Cope, well...Alli...who I came home with was there too. It was great to see both of them and catch up on good times. I'm so grateful for the change in mission boundaries that allowed me to be able to meet both of these sweet friends :) After lunch, I was able to sit and talk with Newbold...now Natalie, but that's weird...for like an hour. Poor thing. She's super shell-shocked. But she'll be fine. I've survived, haven't I? haha

Before I came home, I made one last stop to see Hermana Shade. We had a great visit too. It was so fun to talk about old times and the things we went through together and to catch up on what the other is doing now.

It was a great weekend, and it really got me excited for my student teaching in Utah here in just a few months! I've got so many friends down there! I can't wait!

Family, Fun, and the Fourth of July

2011-07-15T11:51:00.000-07:00

Yes, I realize that the Fourth was now like a week and a half ago. Sorry. I've been busy trying to survive finals. And I think I'm gonna make it. Just maybe. If I can survive through Wednesday, well, this weekend even, it'll be free sailing.

Anyway, over the Fourth both of Dad's sisters and one of his brothers, as well as his mom and her sister came to town and we had a family reunion. It was so good to see them all again, as I'd only seen my dad's brother and one of his sister's boys since getting home 6 months ago. We started out at the water park in Pocatello where we spent Saturday. It was a nice, relaxing day! On Sunday we went to church, and otherwise just enjoyed each others' company. We also went to the temple visitor's center and walked around the temple ground
s, both in Rexburg and IF. It was great to be able to just sit around and talk and get to know each other again.

But Monday...oh boy was that a great day! We got up early and went to the parade (I wasn't going to go because sleep just sounded so much better, but how can you resist your little cousin when she says "But Kira, the whole hot-diggity-dog family's gonna be there!"). It was actually really enjoyable. I felt an overwhelming sense of pride at being an American, and as the floats and army trucks with soldiers went past us, I couldn't help but cry. What a wonderful thing they've done for our country! That afternoon, we played some "A Minute to Win It" games,

and took family pictures (classic of every family reunion, right?). And we had a BBQ. Good 'ol American hot dogs and hamburgers. Tasty! After that we headed to the park to launch water balloons. I must say, I got the best shot...hitting my cousin squarely in the chest...without aiming or anything! From there we headed to the fireworks. Wow! I don't think I realized how great it is to be home until I was sitting there watching the fireworks. It's been 3 years since I've seen the fireworks in IF. And it was wonderful. I know that I'm a big boob, but I sat there and cried through the whole thing. When they were over, we said goodbye to one of my dad's sisters and headed home. Early the next morning we came back up to Rexburg, and back to reality.

One year older and...crazier too!

2011-07-01T00:18:00.000-07:00

So today started out as any other normal day this semester. I got up early, went to class. I did go to lunch with Brett which was fun. Then I went to another class, ran home and got the stuff for a presentation, finished putting it together with my partner, then sat through another class and a study group. "Some birthday" I was thinking.

Then I came home. The door was locked. Perfect. My hands were full. I was tired. I was cranky. AND my roommates had my locked out of my house. I knew they were home because I could smell the pizza cooking. Honestly, I wanted to cry. I fumbled for my keys and everything went flying. And when I finally got the door unlocked it appeared as though no one was even there! My one roommate who was home was in the bathroom. Like I said..."Some birthday."

Of course, they HAD gone to the trouble of getting stuff to decorate the living room with. Streamers and balloons. I go back to my room and drop my stuff on my bed. Then go about finishing dinner. But all my roommates were able to join us for dinner. That was fun. And then they took me to TwizlBerry where we were met by some other friends (they give a free frozen yogurt if it's your birthday). There they have an X-Box Kinect...a video game you totally control with your body and dance in front of. Kesha and Christy got up and started dancing. Then Flo, one of my neighbors talked me into doing it with her. I have NEVER done anything like that...let alone in public! But I did it. And ya know what? I had fun!

Now...even better. My dear roommates my freshman year, Hilary, Jamie, Megan, and Nicole put forth a very good effort to try to get me to do the "Tunak Tunak" dance with them. But back then I had a VERY large bubble...more like a turtle shell. If I felt in the least bit uncomfortable, I pulled my head inside my shell and hid from the world. I wouldn't do it. I spent lots of time behind the camera laughing. I admit...deep down inside, I always wished I could dance with them, because it did look like fun, but I just didn't have the self-confidence to do so. Well, today my sister pulled out her computer and was like "You guys HAVE to check out this video!" As soon as I saw what it was, I was like "YES!!!" And I totally started gettin' my groove on. One of my roommates got part of it on video.

Oh gosh...what HAVE I turned into???

I don't know, but whatever it is, I like it!

Two Years Ago...

2011-06-30T21:50:00.001-07:00

Two years ago today I was freaking out because I entered the MTC the next day. Two years ago today I was busily packing my suitcases that would contain my life for the next 18.5 months. Two years ago today I was spending all the time I could with my family. Two years ago today I played out on the lawn with my puppy because I knew that the next time I'd see him he'd be huge. Two years ago today I was set apart as a missionary. Two years ago today I turned 21.

If I weren't a member of the Church, I would have been of legal age to drink (haha...like I would. YUCK!) But because I am a member of the Church, I was finally old enough to go out and preach the Gospel as a missionary. And boy was I excited and ready to leave. I was excited for all of the people I'd meet, and the new things I would get to experience.

Now, two very short years later, it all seems like a dream. Was it really just two years ago that I left on my mission? Was it really just two years? It all seems so hard to believe. The experiences I have had over the past two years have been incredible. They have changed me...definitely for the better. They have truly shaped me into the woman who I want to be. They have helped me to learn things that I need to know to be stronger. I have learned how much I really can withstand in terms of the storms of life, and how I can overcome the trials that are put in my path. Really, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

The Mormon Piano Girl

2011-06-29T12:09:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay. So I know that this is like the 20 millionth post I've done about my sister, but I just think that she is so stinking AWESOME!!! Really though...She is so talented. I wish I had just a fraction of her talent with music. (Yes, I do play the piano, and yes, I do sing. But her talent far supersedes mine!) Check out this link to her youtube page to get to the songs that she's sung while playing...not to mention she's written one of them!

Small, Simple Acts of Service

2011-06-28T18:23:00.000-07:00

Tonight my roommates and I (or should I say I made for my roommates and I) tacos for dinner. Just as we were sitting down, one of the girls in my Relief Society walked past our door and commented that it smelled good. We invited her to sit down and eat with us. As we talked, we discovered that she'd had a bit of a rough day. Being invited to eat with us totally made her day...and hearing that totally made mine. I am so grateful for the quiet whisperings of the Spirit that direct me to do certain things throughout my day to touch and bless the lives of others.

Sprinklers

2011-06-27T20:47:00.000-07:00

My break between classes today started as a perfectly normal break would for me. I went down to the end of the campus where my next class would be and parked myself on the lawn outside of the library. I pulled out my computer and went about checking my e-mail because our internet here was out all weekend. I was enjoying the sunshine...when all of a sudden the unthinkable happened...the sprinklers came on, only on the section of grass where I was seated. I leaped up and ran my computer over to a bench out of reach of the sprinklers. Then I ran back for my backpack and shoes. I settled down on a bench outside of the library to dry off. About 5 minutes later, I realized that I didn't have my phone. And then I remembered. It had been on my lap when I leaped up to get my computer away from the sprinklers. I ran down the steps...and sure enough, lying there in the grass, was my cell phone. Perfect. Just my luck. When I got to my next class, I was telling some of my classmates about my adventure, and one of them just so happens to work for Verizon. He asked to see my phone, and immediately took the back off and popped out the battery. There was a lovely puddle of water inside my phone. Just my luck. So I'm going back to the days of no cell phone while my phone is sitting in a container full of rice to make sure it is fully dried out before I put the battery back in and attempt to turn it on again. Fantastic. I know that just because I don't have my phone I'm going to have 10 million messages and missed calls when I finally turn it back on again.

Praise to the Man

2011-06-27T12:07:00.000-07:00

Today, June 27, 2011, marks a poignant day in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was on this day, in 1844—167 years ago—that our Prophet, the man who restored the fullness of the Gospel to the earth in this dispensation, and his older brother Hyrum, were shot and killed in Carthage Jail. I came to that realization this morning as I woke up, and, instead of opening my scriptures to the place where I have been studying, opened to the 135^th Section of the Doctrine and Covenants where Elder John Taylor (who later became the third prophet of the Church) wrote his witness of the events that unfolded that day when our Prophet willingly gave his life for the benefit of the Church and all those who would follow after him.

I am forever grateful for the sacrifices Joseph Smith went through during the eighteen years from the time he first saw the Angel Moroni appear to him in his bedroom late one night until he was martyred at Carthage. Many times in the MTC, Hermana Waldrop y yo watched the video, “Joseph Smith, the Prophet of the Restoration.” (If you click that link, you can watch it as well!) And every time I watched it, I was filled with the Spirit telling me that it was true. Joseph Smith went through many horrible things in his life. But he did so willingly, because he knew without a doubt that the things he had seen and the things which he was teaching were true.

In D&C 135:3, there is a brief summary of all of the many wonderful things the Prophet Joseph did during his life. “Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it. In the short space of twenty years, he has brought forth the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and power of God, and has between the means of publishing it on two continents; has sent the fullness of the everlasting gospel, which it contained, to the four quarters of the earth; has brought forth the revelations and commandments which compose this book of Doctrine and Covenants, and many other wise documents and instructions for the benefit of the children of men; gathered many thousands of the Latter-day Saints, founded a great city, and left a fame and a name that cannot be slain. He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord’s anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood; and so has his brother Hyrum. In life they were not divided, and in death they were not separated!”

Over the past 167 years, the number of people who have heard and accepted the wonderful message of the Gospel has grown exponentially. When the Church was started in the upper room of the Red Brick Store in April 1830, there were 6 members. There were a few thousand at the Prophet’s death 14 years later. Today, or at least at the end of 2010, there were 14,131,467 members of the Church living on the earth! 272,814 new converts were baptized in 2010 alone! I don’t know if the Prophet Joseph ever imagined that there would be such exponential growth! Several men had served missions throughout the United States and Canada, and some to England. But at the end of 2010, there were 52,225 missionaries serving in 340 missions throughout the world! There were also 28,660 wards and branches. I am so honored to have been a part of that. Last year, I witnessed dozens of baptisms. I trained new missionaries as they went out into the field to start their missionary service. I witnessed the joy of the members in Rio Rancho, New Mexico as a new branch—a Spanish Branch—was created. I even witnessed the creation of a new mission as the boundaries of my mission were changed to accommodate a new mission.

If this Gospel weren’t true, none of that would be possible. None of it! Our loving Heavenly Father wouldn’t allow such exponential growth among believers in something that is not true.

I know without a doubt that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is restored on the earth today. I know that the Angel Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith as a young boy and led him to the brass plates. I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to the 14 year old young man in a grove of trees in upstate New York and answered his prayer as to which church he should join by telling him that, at the time, there was no true church on the face of the earth so he must not join any of them. And I have been in that grove of trees, the Sacred Grove, and felt the special Spirit that I have otherwise only felt in the Temple, telling me that Heavenly Father and our Savior truly were there. I know that the Book of Mormon, which Joseph Smith translated by the gift and power of God, is true. I know that it contains the words which our Heavenly Father wanted us to learn. I know that it brings great strength to those who read it, and that it can change lives. I witnessed many lives change because they too were able to come to a knowledge of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. I am so grateful for the blessing that I have to be a member of the true Church on the earth today. And it is my prayer that all those who have not had the opportunity to hear or accept the Gospel will be able to do so and recognize the great blessing it can become in their lives!

A night at the dunes

2011-06-25T00:59:00.000-07:00

So...I didn't take any pictures. I had my camera, and should have pulled it out. But I just sat around and enjoyed the company and re-lived what I used to do every summer. It's been a few years since I've been able to make a trip to the dunes with my friends. But we headed out tonight. We jumped off the sand-cliff. Come to think of it...that's probably why I'm stiff. We made a fire. We roasted marshmallows, and starbursts. I hadn't had either of those treats in like 2 years, so that was pretty exciting. Overall, I got to spend time with good friends and relive the good times. Next time I'll have to take pictures.

Unstoppable: Written and Composed by LaKesha Good

2011-06-25T00:50:00.000-07:00

Kesha finally finished her song, so I went up and recorded it for her. My baby sister is pretty much amazing!

Summer has come!

2011-06-23T11:18:00.000-07:00

The past few days have been so wonderfully beautiful! I can't get over the nice weather that we've been having here in Rexburg. Though I must say...it's about time! I have been soaking up the sun and enjoying it. Because I know that it won't last long. It's kind of annoying that we can't wear capris or shorts on campus, but I'm perfectly comfortable in a skirt and have lots of cute skirts, so I can get along just fine.

The one thing about summer in Rexburg though...is that I'm in school. I don't know how I feel about that. I've never been in school during the summer before. One nice thing is the fact that I can spend lots of time outside doing homework. There are several places on campus when I can get my wireless internet outside (some better than others). So I am able to soak up the Vitamin D that I was lacking after months of crummy weather. That is definitely nice.

Regardless...Summer is here and I'm enjoying it. Totally and completely. Although...I am super excited to be out of school and bust out of Idaho for a trip to my long-lost Disneyland and the place where I left my heart over 5 months ago :)

Cinco Meses Ya...

2011-06-19T21:04:00.000-07:00

It has been five months since I left the mission field. It has been five months since I boarded the plane in Albuquerque to head for home. And I was super excited to see my family again. Yes, it was hard to leave the mission, but it was good to know that I would be reunited with the people I most love soon. But now, five months later, I am counting down the days until I will be able to go back and visit the family I left behind in the NMAM. A lot has happened these past 5 months. I've learned a lot. I've grown a lot. And I've thought about those experiences each and every day. For five months. It's been a good experience though. Here's to the place I left my heart :)

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T20:36:00.000-07:00

Today is Father's Day. I was able to go home after church and spend it with my daddy, for the first time in a while. I was gone last year...in Cortez. Just getting ready to leave and head down to Santa Fe. I am so grateful for my dad and for everything that he has done for me over the years! What a wonderful example he has been to me, and given me something to look up to so I know what to look for in a potential husband. I am so grateful for my dad and for what he has given me. It has been a wonderful 23 (almost) years.

I also have two amazing grandpas. We said "See ya later" to one of them over 10 years ago. I am so grateful for the Plan of Salvation. It is that wonderful Plan established my a loving Heavenly Father that will allow me to see him again someday, that allows families to be together forever. The other has been a great example to me. He's now 92 years old, and it has been so fun to live close to him growing up to be able to learn from him and grow close to him. I am so grateful for my grandpas!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2011-06-11T09:06:00.000-07:00

Today is my mom's birthday, so I just thought I'd give her a shout-out to thank her for all of the wonderful times we have had together! (But I'm not gonna squeal how old she is...I value my life more than that ;) ) Anyway, my mom is ~~one of~~ my best friend! I am so grateful for the nearly 23 years I have had with her! Sure, we've had our ups and downs just as any mother/daughter relationship would have, but gratefully we've had far more ups than downs. The mother-daughter bond is something very special. I am so grateful for my mom and for everything she does for me! I am so lucky to have a mother like her! Happy birthday, Mom!

Reunited at last!

Goodbye at the MTC

What a good mommy I have, zipping my coat up for me!

What Will You Do With the Time that's Left?

2011-06-06T11:57:00.000-07:00

So this morning I registered for my last semester of classes in Rexburg. My LAST semester. Where has the time gone? But then again, I have been here for what seems like FOREVER. All of my friends are graduated and gone. At least all of my friends who I had every class every semester with. And 95% of my old roommates. And most of my old ward members. I do still know a few people here in Rexburg, and I've been making new friends. But it's hard to believe the time that is just flying by! We just passed midterm of my 7th semester here at BYU-Idaho. That means 6 more weeks, then a 7-week break, then 12 weeks and I'll be done with my time in Rexburg. I guess that's kind of a bitter-sweet time. I have loved it here. I've had a lot of great experiences and made a lot of great memories here. But my time here is not done yet. Which reminds me of a song that one of my companions on the mission had, one that made me do a lot of reflecting. It's called "Time That's Left."

What will you do with the time that's left
Will you live it all with no regret?
Will they say that you loved till your final breath?
What will you do with the time that's left?

Oh, Hallelujah!
Oh, Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Amen

What will you do with the time that's past?
Oh and all the pain that seems to last?
Can you give it to Jesus and not look back?
What will you do with the time that's past?

Oh, Hallelujah!
Oh, Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Amen

What will He say when your time has come?
When He takes you into His arms of love?
With tears in His eyes will He say well done?
What will He say when your time has come?

Oh, Hallelujah!
Oh, Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Amen

What will you do with the time that's left?
Will you live it all with no regret
Will they say that you loved till your final breath?
What will you do with the time?

Really, the song is talking about the time that we have left in our mortal lives, but when I was on the mission I applied it to the time I had left on the mission. And now I can apply it to my time as a student at BYU-Idaho. What will I do with the time that's left? Will I allow myself to go out and have some fun? Will I get to know more people and make more new friends? Will I build new memories? Will I value my classes and what I'm learning (well duh...I love what I'm learning!) Will I leave Rexburg with regrets of things I always wished I'd have done but didn't? Will I build on the experiences that I've had so far, and learn all I can from said experiences? I think I will. And even better, I get to do it with one of my best friends:
It has been such a blast living with my sister. A lot of people, when they hear that we're sisters and living together, and what's more sharing a room, say something along the lines of "Oh my gosh. How do you do it? I could never live with my sister/brother." But we love it. It's given us a time to catch up on all of the times that we missed while I was gone. And it's giving me the opportunity to be able to strengthen the relationship that I have with my sister, one that will carry me through eternity. I love it, and am so grateful for every minute that we have together. And boy have we had some good ones...

A Sleep-Deprived, Brain-Fried Sugar High

2011-06-03T18:47:00.001-07:00

Yes...that's how our night was last night. There were 3 of us home. We were all in the living room doing homework. Or attempting to...we weren't being very successful at it. We are all feeling a little sleep-deprived. It's mid-terms so we've been up late doing homework at are sleep deprived. And our brains are fried. Or re-fried as one of my friends said. AND last night we were all on a sugar high. We were rolling on the floor laughing with tears streaming down our faces...for no apparent reason. We just had a bad, and I mean BAD, case of the giggles. It was quite entertaining. And this went on from about 7:30 until midnight. My abs still hurt from the bad case of the giggles that we had last night. And I've actually been on one again this evening. My poor roommates. Just wait until we hit finals week...then they'll be in for a REAL treat. I think that my insanity can be partially attributed to the fact that this is my first semester back in school and it's been a readjustment for me. Or maybe I'm just making up for the laughter I missed with friends, because I was a little more serious than normal on the mission. Or maybe I really am just crazy and need to go to the psych ward...whatever it is, apartment 301 is quite the entertaining place to be right now because I have absolutely lost my marbles!

3rd Wheel or Solo?

2011-05-27T22:48:00.001-07:00

That was my question tonight. Two of my roommates are out of town. Two of my roommates had dates. And the third had a friend come in from out of town. She got here a little later, so we tagged along on the date (after being invited by the roomies of course) to play laser tag. But then her friend got here, and I felt like a 3rd wheel with those on the date, and I felt like a 3rd wheel with she and her friend. So instead of being awkward, I went dancing. Alone. It was okay though. There weren't a lot of people, but I danced a few times. But I decided this weekend that I need more friends. Where I'm going to find them, I don't really know because almost everyone I know is either dating someone or married...and that's just awkward. So until then, I'm gonna play it solo.

Nothin' Like a Hug

2011-05-26T23:20:00.000-07:00

It's been a good week. A long week, but a good week. I've been up super late every night doing homework...and obviously tonight is no different. But tonight I've got a good reason...I went on a date. It was great! I learned that I really can be myself around a cute guy. Yes, that's always a good thing...because as far as I knew I was about as socially awkward as they come. So anyway...I'd asked this guy in my ward to go to the Paul Cardall concert with me last weekend, but he wasn't able to go. So he came over Sunday night and we arranged to do something tonight. He served his mission in Mexico, so we decided to make a Mexican dinner. We made tortillas and salsa fresca and tacos and buñuelos. It was super tasty! I had a great time talking with him and getting to know him. We had a great Spanglish conversation, because let's face it. I miss speaking Spanish. He misses speaking Spanish. But sometimes English is just so much easier. After we ate, he helped clean up the kitchen then left, but not before giving me a hug. And for all of you who watched (or experienced) my first awkward hug with a guy (or first several) I was perfectly normal! I was so proud of myself! And it felt good to get a great big hug. Yes, that was definitely a plus.

To be honest, I'd forgotten how it really feels to have a guy hug me. I mean, it was completely off-limits for 18 months of my life, and then I was too awkward to want to hug a guy. So now that my missionary shell is flaking off and revealing a new and improved Kira who's ready to conquer life and all of it's many adventures I was able to remember how it feels to get a good hug. And I must say...it's definitely a plus in my book to have a guy who's willing to give a girl a hug after a date...and initiates it. Because I'm always (or at least am now) ready for a hug, but don't want to be the one to initiate it...at least not after a first date when you're not quite sure how to react. But it's all good!

I love Sundays!

2011-05-22T21:49:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love Sundays! They're pretty much the best day of the week! I love going to church and learning everything the Lord has for us to learn. I love spending time with the roomies. Eating Sunday dinner. I even enjoy them laughing at me as I attempt to make cinnamon rolls...but they turned out yummy so I don't care. I enjoy watching Disney movies (this week's movie of choice was Tangled--LOVE it!) I enjoy going Stadium Singing. I pretty much love everything about Sundays.

And to make this one even better...my baby sister has been composing a song (lyrics and music) over the past week, and pretty much finished it today. She's got to do a few finishing touches then I'll post it for all to see...but for those who are interested now, go check out the lyrics on her blog at www.lakeshagood.blogspot.com. Yeah, she's pretty much the coolest sister ever!

Yeah. It was a good day. I am in a super good mood! And I have a feeling that it's going to be a VERY good week!!!

Honestly...the whole weekend was good. I was off work. I went to the Paul Cardall concert Friday night. And goofed off and did absolutely nothing productive on Saturday. I did go to my FHE brothers' baseball game. That was good. Heck, it was just plain good to be able to sleep in! Yes, I'm going to greatly enjoy not having to work weekends so I can have that time to unwind. This was my first weekend off in over 2 years...so it was needed.

Season Finale

2011-05-16T22:05:00.000-07:00

I have NEVER been a person to get hooked on a TV show. I hate TV. I've never been one to just sit down and watch a show. But when I got home from my mission, my family had a few shows that they watch religiously. None of them really grabbed my attention...except one. Yeah, I'm hooked! Every Monday night, I rushed home from FHE to be able to watch my show. Every Monday night I've been glued to the TV from 9-10. And Every Monday night I've been left dying to find out what will happen next week.

But tonight...tonight was epic. Everything that you didn't expect to happen, happened. And the closer it got to the end, the more I could tell that this was going to be a royal cliff-hanger. And it was. It ended in the middle of a climax...and said "to be continued." But we have to wait for that "to be continued" until SEPTEMBER!!! BAH! I have been replaying those final scenes over and over and over again in my head...and am going crazy to find out what happens next!

I have absolutely no choice but to wait until September to find out what comes next...but you bet your bottom dollar that on the opening night for the next season I'll be glued to the TV for that hour of my show...and every night all season long.

Until then, adieu my dear show, adieu.

Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun, Please Shine Down On Me!

2011-05-13T12:28:00.000-07:00

I have missed the sunshine SO much! And it's back! I spent my class break yesterday sitting out in the sun doing homework. And right now I"m doing the same thing...except I was on some sort of freaky motivation kick last night and got all my homework that's due up until Tuesday done. So I'm just sitting outside enjoying the sun. It is so refreshing! I have had some serious withdrawls from sunshine for several months now. It probably didn't help anything that I had all sorts of sun all winter long until I came home from Texas, and then came home to gloomy weather and such. But the sun is finally back! I feel so refreshed in everything! While having the sun out makes it harder to be sitting in class, it also gives me so much more energy. I feel like I can conquer the world. And I feel super happy! I could get used to this. I have an hour long break every day, and I've found places on campus where I can sit outside and still have an internet connection, so those will be my every day break spots so I can enjoy the sunshine while it lasts, before winter sets in. So if you're in Rexburg and looking for me, check the rocks in front of the Hinckley or the Spori quad. Chances are pretty good that's where you'll find me!

Student Teaching, Here I Come!

2011-05-05T19:14:00.000-07:00

Okay, so not quite. I've still got this semester and fall semester left here in Rexburg. Do don't freak out yet. I'll be here for a while yet. But after Christmas I'm moving to Utah to do so. But today I went to the preparation meeting for student teaching. I feel SO much better about everything. Everything is clear in my mind. I understand all of the new procedures and all that jazz. I've got everything done...there's a bit of updating I need to do in my application process, but I've got it all done (and already have my placement too).

So basically what I learned is that the Partnership Schools (that's new since i left on my mission) are schools that were hand picked by the people over student teaching here at BYU-Idaho because they are such great schools with a great faculty, and good diversity. That will help to give us the greatest experience, and also the largest variety of experiences. Really, it's a good thing. Granted, I didn't get my placement in my first choice, but I am excited for the experiences that I'll be able to have.

I also learned that when we do our student teaching in one of these Partnership Schools, WE are hand-picked by the administrators to do our student teaching in their school after they interview with them. I don't think I ever mentioned...the DAY after I interviewed up here with those school districts, I got an e-mail telling me that I have been selected by one of the schools I met with. That school is Silver Crest Elementary in Herriman Utah. It's a brand-new school, only in it's second year. And i have been very impressed by everything that I have learned about the school.

It is a great honor that I have been selected to do my student teaching there. And we were told that as of now, there hasn't been one student who did their student teaching in one of the Partnership Schools that hasn't been offered a job upon graduation. And throw my TESOL minor in there and things are definitely looking up for me :)

So, with just 2 semesters more and one more Praxis test (because I need to do one for TESOL), I'm ready for student teaching, and the real world. Woo-hoo!

Sigh

2011-05-04T22:59:00.000-07:00

As I sit here, I don't know what to think. I guess you could say that I'm feeling a little down tonight. It probably sounds dumb, but I'm frustrated that I never get asked out on dates. Yes, I know that I've only been home for a little over 3 months and don't really know anyone yet. But when I go dancing I never get asked to dance either, or at least rarely. And I've got friends who rarely aren't dancing. Really, I want nothing more in my life than to be able to have a family. But right now, that's the thing furthest from my grasp. How am I supposed to fall in love and get married if no one turns his head twice? Okay, okay. I admit...I'm not exactly doing much to try to attract boys either. I don't have time. But honestly, if one were to ask me, I'd make time. Seriously boys. Let's follow the counsel of the Prophet and ask me out so that you can eventually get married too. And it would surely help a girl's self-esteem.

This is something that has always frustrated me. I have gone through semester after semester of roommates going on dates, and me staying home or going dancing alone on Friday nights. All that has brought with it is frustration and hurt. Or, even if roommates do go dancing with me I stand alone while they dance. I am an introverted person, and I rarely step out of my comfort zone to ask a guy to dance. That is one of the few things about me that didn't change. But I was really hoping that something would change this semester: I was hoping that I would be able to go on dates. Now, I realize that we are still early in the semester, but with each day that passes, the more cynical I tend to get in my head toward boys. I know that sounds ridiculous and irrational. It probably is. Okay. It is irrational. But it really is hard on the way a girl sees herself when she never, ever gets to go on dates. I'm not looking for a relationship. I just want to have fun. Get to know some people. Is that so much to ask?

He Is Risen!

2011-04-24T22:05:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite pictures of all time! I thing that it perfectly symbolizes our Savior and everything that we believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that He IS risen! Our Savior, Jesus Christ, suffered greater things than we can even begin to imagine. He bled at every pore. He was scourged and beaten. Nails were driven through His hands and His feet as He was hung on the cross. He died for us. For me, and for you. And then, on the third day, that beautiful Sunday morning, He rose again. Our beloved Savior broke the bonds of death and made it possible for each and every one of us to also rise again! Death is not the end, but merely the beginning.

I like to imagine how I would have felt, had I been in Mary's shoes when she arrived at the Tomb of her Lord only to find His body gone. And then to be sitting outside the Tomb, weeping, when He came to hear and said to her "Woman, why weepest thou? Why seekest thou the living among the dead?" How would I have felt to see Him standing there before me? I think that it would have been the most amazing feeling in the world to realize that, just as He said He would, Jesus Christ was resurrected on the third day after His crucifixion.

This Easter Sunday, a day when the Christian World pauses to remember what He did for us, I want to express my gratitude to my Savior for all He did for me. It is because of Him and His suffering that I was even able to finish my mission. His Atonement brought me strength greater than I could have imagined. I learned so much about my Savior during the time that I served my mission. He really truly did do so much for each and every one of us so that we can have the opportunity to live again. And what a blessing it is.

I know that He lives. I know that He died for each one of us because He loves us. I know that because of His sacrifice and suffering, we will all have the opportunity to live again, and have our eternal families.

I am eternally grateful for my Savior and for all that He did for me. I cannot wait for the day when I will be able to kneel before Him and thank Him for all that He has done for me to make my life the way it is. To quote a favorite hymn, "Oh it is wonderful, wonderful to me!"

It's a Great Day at BYU-Idaho

2011-04-21T22:08:00.000-07:00

Wow. I'm beat! It's only the 3rd day of classes, and I'm already wiped out. Of course, I do feel better than I did after the first day. By the time I got home after being on campus only a few hours I felt like I hadn't slept in a week! Now I just feel like an over-worked college student who is actually getting a decent amount of sleep. (But the truth of the matter is...I'm not really that over-worked. I'm just not used to this.)

I think that I'm really going to enjoy my classes this semester. They're all looking like they're going to be really insightful. I'm going to get some good information. All of my classes this semester, except my religion class, are for my minor. It is definitely a different twist on things from what I'm used to here in my college education. Sure there are some ElEd majors, but there are a lot of Secondary Ed majors as well (which isn't entirely a bad thing, because there are quite a few guys in Secondary Ed as opposed to mostly girls in ElEd). I also think that I have a lot greater appreciation for these classes now than I would have had before I served a mission and had experiences with different cultures and people from different countries, some of whom are learning English. I think my mind is a lot more open to the things that I'm learning now.

I really love the Spirit that is present here on campus. I'd forgotten what it is like. As I was sitting in class the first day, I was so overwhelmed with the Spirit. As I thought back over the past several months, I haven't felt the Spirit that strongly since I got home. It's not for lack of trying, it's just that the environment here is so completely different! What a blessing it is for me to be here at BYU-Idaho to get the education that I'm here to get!

Also...one last piece of good news...I was trying to get into one more of the classes for my minor this semester. I e-mailed the professor and he told me that there was no way that I could add the class becuase as part of the class we tutor students from other countries, and there just weren't enough students for me to be able to be in the class as well. But, I decided that it wouldn't hurt to go the first day of class, just in case. So I went to class on Tuesday and talked to him. He told me that he wasn't sure, but that I could try to go again today becuase he'd have a better idea by then. Well, after class today he told me that he had another international student add his class, which made it possible for me to add! HOORAY! I had to hold back my tears of joy! What a great blessing it is for me!

Honestly, I don't know what I've done to deserve so many wonderful blessings. I'm not that good of a person. But I am forever indebted to my Heavenly Father for opening all of these doors in my life to experiences that I never would have had if I hadn't served a mission! What a wonderful day it is indeed here at BYU-Idaho...despite the dreary, winter-like conditions outside.

Back in the 'Burg!

2011-04-18T19:46:00.001-07:00

Wahoo! I'm back in Rexburg! And boy does it feel good to be back! I'd forgotten how much fun it is up here...and I've only been here for 4 days. Friday I got up and moved back. I got my stuff unpacked and organized. I got my textbooks. Mom and dad took us to lunch. And we were on our own. It felt good to just bum around. Saturday I had to work, but when I got back, well I guess I just chilled some more. Kesha and I watched Harry Potter 6, and we were going to watch 7 but I was falling asleep. Sunday was good. It felt good to be back in a ward up here again. Well, it was 3 wards combined because there weren't enough people up here to have each ward meet separately. I saw one of the Elders I came home with, so that was pretty cool. They'd called and asked me to teach Relief Society. There was lots of participation, which always makes things better. In the evening we went to meet some of the people in our ward, the girls in our Relief Society (minus the local girls because we don't know where they live) and some of the guys. It'll be a good semester. Today I went to work. We had a ward FHE tonight and got our FHE families. 2 of our brothers were my brothers before the mission, one in my first semester and the other in my 3rd. That will be fun. It will also be fun to get to know new people. I'm excited to start my classes tomorrow. It will be good. I'm ready to start learning again. My brain may not be...but I'll break it in fast enough. It will be good to start getting into things again. And I'm excited for my classes. They'll be really great. It will be fun to meet new people. My roommates are a hoot and a half! We're gonna have an amazing semester. It's definitely going to be one of those semesters when I'll need to do all of my homework in the library so I can play. Not to mention I really doubt I'll be able to focus here at home. But that will make things great! I'm excited!

2 Years...

2011-04-09T23:44:00.000-07:00

It was something that happened 2 years ago today that changed my life...who I am...forever. Two years ago today I finished up another semester at BYU-Idaho. But that's not what changed my life. No, I'll be back there in another 6 days. But two years ago today, I got something in the mail that changed my life: My mission call! It was such a wonderful blessing to be able to go on a mission. Now...well, it's hard to believe that it's in the past. Someone came into work today, and described being an RM in a way that sums it up perfectly: Now, as an RM, the mission seems like a dream, not the reality. It makes me sad to know that I'll never be back there...but at the same time, when I look at who I have become, I am so extremely grateful.

Please join me in a photo journey of the past 2 years

With my mission call

Dear Sister Good, You are hereby called to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are called to serve in the New Mexico Albuquerque Mission.

Goodbye

My MTC District

An Albuquerque Sunset

War Wounds

Missionary Shoes (Mine are on the left)

With some of the office sisters, my President's wife, and one of the APs

Making Gorditas

Temple Day

Sleeping Ute Mountain

Karina and Ivan's wedding day

Sisters With A Testimony

Missionary Shoes! (Mine are in the middle...note the difference...)

Reading my "trunky papers" This is the opposite from the first pictures in this post. This is my call to return home. Not that I wasn't excited to come home...but I was NOT excited to leave the place and people I had grown to love so much.

YIKES

2011-04-06T11:30:00.000-07:00

Oh...and just as I hit "Publish Post" on the post below this one, my phone rang. It was the BYU-I Field Services Office...wanting to schedule an interview with me tomorrow...TOMORROW...with one of the school districts where I will be doing my student teaching. Not my first choice, but the one I think I'll probably be placed in because of my minor. Anyway...They already have my letter of introduction...the one I want to change. Oh well! Here we go!

Painting a Picture of Yours Truly

2011-04-06T10:57:00.000-07:00

I had to fill out my application for Student Teaching before I left on my mission. So like 2 years ago. The actual application part was pretty easy. But along with that application went a letter of introduction. A "picture," if you will, of me. And why I am going into education. The schools I will potentially student-teach at will see this letter. The schools I apply for jobs at will see this letter. So basically, this is kind of a big deal. I wrote the letter before the mission, obviously, because it was a part of the application process. Then I e-mailed it to the lady in charge of formatting the letter and she inserted the picture that the BYU-I campus photographer took of me. It was a great picture at the time...but it is now like 3 years old. Okay, okay. It's not horrible. But it's not me either. That will be easy to fix. All I have to do is go to the Student Teaching meetings this upcoming semester (which I need to do anyway because a lot can change in 2 years) and get a new picture taken. Easy. The hard part is editing my letter.

You see...since I wrote the letter, I believe in fall of 2009, a LOT in my life has changed. A LOT in my teaching experience has changed. Not to mention, I now will have a Minor in TESOL which was not an option when I wrote the letter...and I speak Spanish. Psh...minor detail, right? Wrong. In my profession, or what will be my profession, being able to speak Spanish will be a HUGE asset! Not to mention with the TESOL I will be a little more highly qualified than the average-Jane teacher. I'll have a little more experience and a little more knowledge of how to teach those children who are learning English, and how to help their parents (not to mention be able to actually communicate with their parents) right out of the holding pen.

But as I'm sitting here, trying to figure out what to write to paint a vivid picture of myself, I'm stuck. I'm clueless. I don't know what to write! I kind of what to totally change my letter. I know for sure that there are at least some parts that I want to nix altogether. But what to add? Who knows! I need to keep it neutral, so I can't exactly mention my mission...but that is where I had a TON of teaching experiences, and learned Spanish. It was there that I really gained an appreciation for those who have migrated to the US and are trying to make a living for themselves and their families, even if it is hard. Those parents want their children to succeed...and one day I will be the educator helping them succeed. But how do I explain that in less than a page? Just a few hundred words? Really, I have less space to explain myself than I have already taken here in this blog post! And this just so happens to be one of my smaller ones. (What can I say...I'm a girl of many words...who absolutes hates talking herself up to other people.) Why can't someone else just write the letter for me??? Oh yeah...because I'm supposed to introduce myself to the administrators I will soon be working with.

So, I'm going to sit here and attempt to paint a picture of myself and hope it turns out to be a positive, uplifting, colorful image of who I am and where I stand in terms of my love for education. And alas, I'll keep it short.

Reuniones de la Mision

2011-04-06T09:24:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I went back to Utah. I had a mission reunion, and I wasn't going to miss it! Friday I got off work, ran home...er...drove, grabbed a few things, picked up a friend who was going with me (it made for a much better drive than last week's drive alone) and hit the road! Kelsey and I had a great time talking. Where she was and English sister and I Spanish, and we never really served around each other we didn't get to know each other very well in the mission field. We stopped in Tremonton to eat dinner. Then we got back on the road, for maybe 1/2 hour when we hit some pretty good traffic. It stretched out for quite a way in front of us. Lucky for us, we were right by an off-ramp, so we got over and got off the freeway, taking the back road to get to our reunion. Thank goodness we had my GPS, or we would have been very lost.

We got the church where the reunion was being held, and right away started seeing people we had known in the mission! Several former Spanish Elders were there...3 of them who served en la Rama Coronado with me. 3 of my former District Leaders were there. A former Zone Leader was there too. Two of my former companions were there. And of course President and Sister Anderson! It was great to see them again. President Anderson had us all gather in the chapel where he spoke to us for a bit. Then we moved into the cultural hall and had refreshments and got caught up on each other's lives after the mission. It was so much fun! We didn't want to leave :)

Four generations of missionaries: Me, my trainer Trunnell (now Olsen), my grandma Hartford (now Villanueva), and my great-grandma
The 5th generation, Hermana Cabello, goes home to Peru in a week

Barley and Anderson

Me, Waters, and Lamb

Weatherston and Wilding

Weatherston and Shade

With President and Sister Anderson

SPANISH MISSIONARIES! The 6 of us on the right all served en la Rama Coronado (or what would be la Rama) at one time or another, working together to get that moving! I never knew the other 3 on the left

Me and Shade

Fitting in

2011-03-28T22:46:00.000-07:00

The world of an RM is kind of a different one. It's not bad. Not at all. Just different. I've been at home getting used to "normal" life again for the past 2 months. And I must say, I'm SUPER ready to get back to school. It's nothing against my family or IF. I just need something different in my life. I need to get back in with people my age. I really learned that this past weekend.

You see, I was off work early on Friday and all day on Saturday, so I packed up and headed to Utah for the weekend for a much-needed mini-vacation. I stopped in Logan on my way down to see some old family friends. And a friend there had set me up on a blind date. It was fun to go out and do something with people my age. But...I felt a little awkward. I still don't really know how to act around guys my age. Looking back I could have handled myself so much better. I could have been a little less stiff. I could have tried to participate in the conversation with the group a little better. But, it was my first date home. And everyone's got to start somewhere.

I was super excited for Saturday. I had plans to see some of my old roommates, and a couple other friends who I hadn't seen yet. I got up and had breakfast with my aunt in Logan, then hit the road and headed further south to Provo. I first met up with Jamie. It was so good to see her again! We hit up Subway for lunch and had a great time talking. Then we went and saw Emily and her new baby. She is so adorable. And it was good to see them both again. But I realized while visiting with them how much everything has changed. They're both married now and have their own lives. And I'm still me. A different me, but me none-the-less. It was weird to be there with my old roommates who are now married and see how much our lives have changed.

I've got to say that the best part of my weekend, the part where I really felt like I fit in with people, was when I got with Whitney. She got home like a month before me, but was back to BYU before I got home. It was great to be able to talk to her and share experiences with her and have a great time. She showed me around Provo...at least a bit. There's an awful lot of Provo. And we were just too busy talking. We also went and saw my old FHE brother who is now in Provo. That's where I fit in. With a group of RMs talking about life. Or with single college students. That was great too. Yes, that was super great. It made me realize how much I really do miss college life. I've only got 3 more weeks and I'll be back into it all. And I can't wait.

I also got to see my dad's brother Marc and his family. I haven't seen them in at least 2 years, if not more. They had a baby while I was in the MTC, who is now almost 2! They invited my cousin Michael and I for dinner, so I had a nice visit with all of them. It was great to see family too.

I had a nice long time to think on the drive back home. Think about life and everything that has gone on and changed in the past few years. I'm still trying to fit in, but I do have a solid idea of who I am. I know where I want to go with my life. And I really think that just getting back to Rexburg and the social scene (or as much as I can have between school and work) will help me out.

Not to mention...when I get back to Rexburg I'll probably be able to find an old friend or two, and make friends of my own so I don't have to tag along with my sister and her friends like the annoying younger sibling that I'm not. She's 4 years younger than me. And is such a good sport to let me hang out with them...even though I never did the same for her. Shame on me.

The Member Missionary I Want to Be

2011-03-23T23:20:00.000-07:00

While I was serving my mission, I had lots of members go to different appointments with us. And I'll be honest, some were DEFINITELY better than others. Over the course of time, I was able to get a pretty good idea of the kind of member missionary I wanted to be when I got home. One who was always willing to go out and teach with the missionaries, one who would be able to help investigators by giving them rides to church, be there to support them. All that good stuff.

I have finally met the SPANISH Sisters. Or should I say, Las Misioneras. I've gone to a couple of lessons with them. I went to a lesson with them again tonight. Well, at least we tried. The family they planned to visit wasn't home. So we went to plan B, popping in on another investigator. Off we went. We went and had a great discussion with her about the Holy Ghost. And then they invited her to a Relief Society Activity tomorrow night. She kinda hummed and hawed saying that she had too many kids and all sorts of "good" excuses. The Sisters said that having the kids there wouldn't be a problem because others would be taking their kids as well. This investigator said that she thought she knew where the church was. But by this point, the Spirit was kicking me to say that I'd go pick her up. Yes, I have a bajillion things to do tomorrow night. But I also know that when directed to do something by the Spirit, one needs to do just that. So, I offered to go pick them all up. She said it would be better if she followed me. So I'm going to go and get her tomorrow after work and take her to the activity.

The whole way back to their car (I had the Sisters get in my car because I know that miles are limited in mission vehicles) Sister White kept saying how amazing I was to offer to do that. Hey, I've been there, done that. Sometimes the ONLY way you can get someone to church or an activity--especially that first time--is to have a member go and get them. And I also know that it isn't exactly an easy thing to find a member willing and able to do so. Before I came home, I determined that I was going to be one of those "super members" that every missionary dreams of having in their area.

Honestly, I don't feel like I'm doing much for the Sisters. I'm not really going out of my way. And I'll be able to speak Spanish all night, which will be like a dream come true anyway. But I do know how important members are in missionary work. Heck, it talks many times in Preach My Gospel about the importance of members and the benefits of using members in lessons. It talks about how members should give rides to the investigators and be that support to them. And I have a strong testimony about member involvement in missionary work. I'm just "paying it forward." Several times while I was on my mission I had members go out of their way to help investigators get to church or activities. They helped me out. Now I'm the member helping out these sisters. And I'm sure that when they get home, they'll remember this example--just like I remembered the example of those who helped us--and do the same for the missionaries in their area. And what a blessing it is to be able to continue helping in the Lord's work!

2 Months Have Come and Gone

2011-03-19T23:14:00.000-07:00

Wow! Today marks 2 months since I left Albuquerque. 2 months since I saw my family for the first time in over 18 months. 2 months since I took off my nametag and became Kira again. They haven't been easy, but I have certainly seen MANY blessings! And I marked today with a celebration!

Actually...I was a tag-along. With my little sister. You normally hear about younger siblings tagging along with older siblings and their friends. Tonight was the opposite. But they were good sports about it and let me hang out with them--for which I was VERY grateful! And I did have a good time. It didn't seem like I was hanging out with my little sister. I was with a group of friends. And I didn't even know two of them!

We went up to Rexburg and to Best of Guitars Unplugged. Then we went to Arctic Circle...that was an adventure. Then we went and introduced Kesha and one of her other friends to the Haunted Swingset. Yep. We had a great time. Talking and laughing. Well...okay. I mostly just listened. I kinda felt like a 3rd wheel...especially since I kinda invited myself along on this little outing. But I just couldn't handle the thought of sitting home while my sister was off doing something I've missed: going to activities on campus! And they were all good sports about it, and at least didn't seem annoyed that I was there.

Overall, it's not horrible being home. But I sure can't wait to get back to school again and really jump back into life.

I Am SO Blessed!

2011-03-18T22:06:00.000-07:00

Well, it wasn't that long ago that I was upset because I didn't know if BYU-I would approve my petition for the TESOL Education Minor. Well...I have been checking my e-mail faithfully every night. I have been praying with everything I had. I have fasted. I have held out my faith and not gotten discouraged. Or at least tried not to. There have been a few times that I've been a little down. But today I got amazing news that is such a great blessing in coming... BYU-IDAHO APPROVED MY PETITION FOR THE TESOL EDUCATION MINOR!!!!!! I had a great day at work, and went straight to the temple with my parents after work. After we got home and ate dinner, I got online and checked my BYU-I e-mail, completely not expecting to find anything on the minor. But the first message in my in-box had the title of "Double Major/Minor Petition." I didn't even feel nervous. I felt instant peace...and knew that I had been accepted. I opened the e-mail and started crying...from joy. My hands went up into the air, and I cheered. My family cheered. And I got right online to drop some of my courses, and pick up others that I need for my minor. All but one were open. And I e-mailed the professor of that class, explaining my situation that I was waiting for this petition to be approved, to see if I'll be able to get into that class. So far, Heavenly Father has taken care of my every need, every desire of my heart. I have great faith that He will continue to do so. Everything will work out.

This will also allow me to work a few more hours at work. That will surely be a great blessing. Of course...it will totally mess up the schedule that my boss has created for the next like 7 weeks, but I told him it was a possibility. I'll let him know tomorrow. That is...if he works tomorrow. Otherwise I'll let him know first thing Monday morning. But either way, it's enough time for him to rework the schedule.

I have such a strong testimony of Heavenly Father taking care of His children when they do what is right. It wasn't exactly easy for me to go on a mission, but I knew that Heavenly Father wanted me to go. I knew that He wanted me to learn Spanish. I knew that He wanted me to use it later in my life. And now He is laying the way for me to be able to fulfill all of the plans that He's got in store for me. What a blessing it is to be living here now!

Took long enough...

2011-03-16T01:29:00.001-07:00

Some of you people who faithfully kept up with my blog while I was on my mission may remember me mentioning something about my jaw locking shut. Even if you were and don't remember, I won't be offended. It would have been around Thanksgiving time. That's kind of a long time ago. Anyway, just a brief re-cap: The Tuesday before Thanksgiving I woke up and my jaw was completely locked shut. Like I couldn't even open it wide enough to put one finger inside. I kept praying that it would unlock and stop hurting, because it really hurt a lot. It hurt to eat anything, because the movement from chewing hurt. Heck...I couldn't eat some things because I didn't have full use of my mouth. Subway sandwiches? They were out...I couldn't open my mouth wide enough to take a bite. Apples? Forget it. You can't eat an apple with mouse-sized nibbles. Anything you couldn't cut up into itty-bitty pieces? Ya right! With time, it got a little better, but still hurt and gave me problems. Well, I have good news! Yesterday morning while I was getting ready, my jaw popped and I can finally open it all the way! I can eat an apple without pain...and normal-sized bites! Yea! I mean...Thanksgiving was only like 4 months ago. But hey. Better late than never, right?

Back to School

2011-03-08T08:48:00.001-08:00

No, I haven't quite started back to school yet. But I took a step in that direction today when I registered for classes. I got the classes I needed...though not with the teacher I wanted for one of them. Actually, I got a teacher who I've heard clear through my career at BYU-I to avoid if at all possible. Beautiful. But hey, I got the class. I'm gonna think positive here. And I didn't get the religion class I wanted, because for some reason I thought it fit into my schedule, but really it doesn't. But, on another positive note...I found one that is taught by a former SHS seminary teacher, one who I always wanted but wasn't ever put into his class. So I'm way excited for that. And I'm only going to be taking 14 credits...that will be weird. But then again, I'll also be working while going to school, and commuting to IF for that. There's something I've never done before.

But it was interesting how this whole registration thing worked...late last night I had a friend call me who just needed someone to listen. I'm not gonna lie, I was tired, but if it were me on the other end of that phone, I'd want someone to listen to me too. Besides, it was one of my best friends. I couldn't say no! After we got off the phone, I went into my room and started making my bed because I'd washed my sheets. I didn't think I registered until tomorrow because of my credits. However, I did get 8 additional credits last week for the Spanish tests. They're not showing up yet on my transcript...but obviously they're marked down somewhere because I registred. Anyway, I had this feeling that I should check to see if the credits were listed yet so I'd know if I needed to get up early or not. I did, and they weren't so I went to bed fully planning on registering tomorrow. I did get the insurance hold taken care of at that point. A few minutes after I laid down, the Spirit told me to check again on registration. Well, I've learned to not ignore the Spirit when it speaks to me. So I got up and turned on my computer and opened the registration website. And sure enough, I was cleared to register today. So I changed the time my alarm was set for and went to sleep.

I slept right through that alarm. I was tired! Luckily, I use my phone and can have multiple alarms set at a time, so I woke up 45 minutes later to another alarm. As soon as I heard it, I realized that it wasn't my first alarm, that I was late. In one fell swoop, my computer was in my hands and i was sitting up putting on my glasses so I could actually see, praying that the classes I needed still had openings. One of them only had 3 left, but I got it! That class is full now...if I hadn't had that prompting to check last night, I wouldn't have gotten into that class, which is vital for me to have this semester. Well, I guess I could have registered for another class dealing with my minor that I petitioned for...but I'm supposed to take this particular class at the same time as another I've got this semester.

Anyway, I am SO grateful for those quiet whisperings of the Spirit and for the lessons I have learned in my life of the importance of listening to the Spirit. What a wonderful blessing!

Getting there...

2011-03-05T20:54:00.000-08:00

So Thursday night I went out to dinner with some amazing friends I had from the mission. It was so fun and so needed. I hadn't gone out and done anything socially in 2 weeks. Yeah, I'm pretty lame. I don't get out and do anything socially. But...at the same time I've spent so much time with my family. It's been great.

But Friday I spent the day in Rexburg. I initially went up to find out how I did on the RM Spanish tests (for anyone who cares, I passed 2 of the 3 with flying colors...good thing I didn't need to pass all 3 for the minor I'm petitioning for, just one!) I also did what I needed to do to turn in the petition for my minor. I am praying that it will be approved when it goes to committee. (I'll find out in 2-4 weeks). I feel good about that whole thing, and know that whatever happens is supposed to happen.

After that I meandered around campus for a bit. I figured I should probably reacquaint myself with campus since I'll be back up there in like 6 weeks. And it's changed a TON since I was there last. So up and down the hill I went. I hadn't done that much walking in...well, at least 6 weeks. I do a lot of standing around for my job and running up and down stairs, but that's about it. Anyway, my meandering around campus included a visit to the Spori Art Gallery, where I saw the Interior Design students' senior projects. One of my good friends, Lindsay, had her project on display. After that I met up with her and had a great visit.

Then I went to Jill's apartment. We went to dinner, then went back and watched Madagascar 2. It was just like old times...sitting watching a movie on Friday nights. But after the movie...we went Latin Dancing! Duh! What did I ALWAYS do on Friday nights before the mission? And I think I have even more of a passion for it now than I did then, because of my much greater love for the Hispanic culture. Anyway...I had a blast! I danced lots. I had some good conversations, including some in Spanish. One of the guys I danced with even hugged me (for those who don't know, the Hispanic people are, for the most part,very...cómo se dice en íngles...idk. touchy-feeley. That's not it, but yeah. You get the idea.) Anyway, back to the hug...I didn't flinch, and the guy was practically a stranger! Yeah, I was quite proud of myself. And later on, I even asked a guy to dance. Yeah, that took some gumption por parte mía, pero I had to do it because I knew that if I didn't I'd never get over the fear I have of boys. Because, quite frankly, I have been afraid, well, not afraid, but not comfortable, with boys. I've been on missionary terms for too long. I need to get back to normal life. I'm not saying that I'm ready to run off and find me a boyfriend, but it would be nice to go out and meet a guy or two. And is it so wrong to want to dress up and go out?

I'm not saying by this that I am, in any way, shape, or form, "normal" yet. I still have a long way to go. But every little bit helps. I'm ready to start going on with my life. I've been home for 6 weeks now. I've talked with a couple of people I served with who came home this transfer. It's weird to think that more missionaries I served with are getting home. Hermana Cabello, the first sister I trained, gets home in less than 6 weeks now. That is really weird. Yes, I'm still connected to the mission. Very connected. I think about it every day, and talk to people I met almost every day. And I've decided that it is time for me to get back into life. Not to forget about the mission, or to just pick up where I left off, but to start fresh. After all, I am a "new" person. I need to go out and do things that will continue helping me find out who I really am. And I know that everything will work out exactly as it's supposed to.

Kicked to the side of the road

2011-03-01T19:20:00.000-08:00

Yeah, it was a GREAT day at work. Then I came home and checked my e-mail. I've been waiting for the past week to hear back from BYU-I about whether or not they'll let me get a minor for my Spanish. And I would have been better off not checking my e-mail today. They came back and said no. Because I'm an Elementary Ed major they won't let me get the minor. I was so frustrated. They tell me that I can come back after graduation as a non-traditional student to get the minor...but what good does that do me, or them? Their purpose is to get students OUT so there is room for more students. But...if I go back after graduation it will be just the same as if I'm there now. It doesn't make any sense to me. I feel like I'm being kicked to the side of the road and abandoned, that my education isn't important to them. It is all so...ARGH! I felt so good about everything...and now I feel as if all my plans have gone down the drain...

¡Hablo Español!

2011-03-01T16:12:00.000-08:00

It was amazing! I was standing at the counter organizing the new tags to put up today at work when a couple of sisters came in speaking in Spanish! I was SO excited, you have NO idea! So I went over and started talking to them. I was in heaven! My brain was able to flip from English to Spanish super easily! The words flowed and I was able to help them with what they needed. And then I was thinking in Spanglish for the rest of the day, because I just could NOT flip my brain back from Spanish to English. All the girls I work with were quite impressed at how easy it was for me to help them...and commented that they were super grateful that I was there. I actually wasn't scheduled to work today...I was just covering the shift for one of my co-workers. What a blessing it was that I was there! Heavenly Father has blessed me to be able to speak Spanish. And I will be eternally grateful for that!

Gratitude for Good Friends

2011-02-27T00:33:00.000-08:00

Tonight I just want to express my gratitude for one of my best friends. Someone I can talk to about anything. And he's the same with me. We were pretty much talking all night. I started texting him on my lunch break, and he called me tonight, then we moved to chatting on facebook and when his internet died we went back to texting. (Okay, I know that some of you are probably wondering who this guy is. We both mutually say that it is NOT a love-interest. We're just really good friends...more like siblings than anything else) I wrote him his whole mission, he wrote me my whole mission. I watched him grow on the mission, he watched me grow on the mission. And we've always been there for the other. Back before he left, going on 4 years ago now, we talked regularly. He gave me boy advice, I gave him girl advice. Then he went on his mission, and we switched to letters for 3 1/2 years. This was the first real conversation we've had. And it was right back to the same old same old. I gave him girl advice...though didn't ask for/want any boy advice from him. We laughed and shared some memories. Yes, I'm very grateful to have been blessed to have him for a friend.

Negative Nellie...

2011-02-26T00:16:00.000-08:00

*Disclamer* This is not exactly the most positive blog post. If you're having a crappy day don't read it. I promise...there's nothing important in here anyway, it's mostly just to get some disappointments out of my system so I can sleep tonight.

Wow. What a day it has been. Maybe it's because I slept in...until almost 11:00--I felt SO horrible and guilty for doing that. But I kinda don't think so, because everything that made the day not-so-great was completely out of my control.

I got a letter from Sister Cabello. That made me super excited to get because I love and miss her so much! But she started the letter by telling me that one of the families we baptized and love so dearly have gone inactive. Completely inactive. (The last I'd heard is that they were preparing to go to the temple later this year.) But even worse...she told me that it sounds like they'll be getting a divorce! That just made me sick! My heart is breaking. I'm so far away. Yes, I can call them (thanks to the blessing of having served in the States), but I can't go visit them and talk to them face to face to help them realize that it's just Satan trying to break up their family so they can't become an eternal family. Because, let's face it, what good would that do to Satan's plan if they can be sealed for eternity? That news has just put me into a slump today. I want to cry is what I want to do! This family WAS my family for the time that we were teaching them! I'm at a loss of words to explain how I feel right now...probably the only way anyone would understand would be if they've been through something similar.

And then later, I got a text from someone who was one of my really good friends before I left on my mission saying that he was up in Rexburg from Provo for the weekend. It just had to be on a night when I'd decided to stay home and help with the painting that I've been putting off instead of going dancing to save money. But, he told me that they were planning on taking a Denny's run tonight, meaning they'd leave Rexburg around midnight or so and come down here to IF for some fun times. Duh I was excited! I mean, I would have been able to see some of my best friends I haven't seen in a long while and go on a Denny's run, both things that I've missed. But that's right. Would have been able to. I texted them around midnight to see if they were going to be coming. No response. I texted them again around 1 because I kinda needed to know because I do have to work in the morning. And I got the reply of "Sorry Kira. We forgot to tell you. We got too tired and aren't going." Of course. Should I have expected anything different? So now, I probably won't be able to see him for who-knows-how-much longer. Because I work all day tomorrow and then have to finish preparing the talk I'm giving on Sunday in my YSA branch. And Sunday is full of meetings and church. Oh well. I guess I should be used to not seeing my friends...after all, I did have over 18 months of not really having any contact with anyone.

Sorry for the negativity to anyone who actually takes the time to read my random thoughts. But I just had to get this out of my system, and putting it on my blog will make it so much easier and more organized to find when I have time to actually sit down and write in my journal sometime when my sister isn't asleep and I can have my light on.

Acclimatizing...

2011-02-20T23:27:00.001-08:00

Wow. It really has been a month. I remember back when I was a brand new missionary in the MTC, so homesick that I couldn't hardly stand it, I felt like I'd never go home. And now I've been home for an entire month. And it has been a good month. I've enjoyed getting to know my family again, and a few of my friends. I've jumped back into work. I've gotten over my fear of technology. I've seen a few movies. And I've thought about, and missed horribly, the mission every single day.

I used to think that people were crazy when they said that they still thought about their mission every day when they'd been home for several years. But now I'm beginning to understand why. A mission is something that changes lives. The 18 months I served my Heavenly Father changed me. They made me into who I am today--the person I want to be, and I know Heavenly Father wants me to be.

I have become one of those people who think about their mission every single day. And it won't surprise me 5 years from now if I still do. I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to serve. I learned so many wonderful things. I received so many wonderful blessings. I met so many wonderful people. I had so many wonderful experiences. I've got the knowledge and the blessings. But the people, the experiences. Those are the things that I miss. There is nothing like being a missionary.

But now, I am an RM. That is definitely taking some getting used to. Life is so much better when I am busy. If I'm just sitting around I go crazy! I can't stand it! I am so used to the rigid schedule of a missionary. I miss the mission a whole lot more when I'm not busy. It's hard not having the depth of studies I had as a missionary. I still study every day. I don't leave my room before I've done my scripture study. But it's just not the same. I've seen several of my male friends, and when I do I stick out my hand for a good, hearty handshake...but they hug me. The first little bit that was REALLY hard. Now it is getting easier, but it's still weird. Hugging a guy? It was completely off-limits for 18 months of my life! I couldn't listen to "worldly" music for a few weeks. I tried, but immediately turned it off. I can't in good conscience sit down and watch TV. Not that I watched much before, but I feel weird watching TV. But I have started listening to "worldly" music. I've got the radio in my car tuned, not to the country station I always listened to before I left, but to a Spanish station. Yea! That makes me happy! And I do sit down and watch a few TV shows with my family...Wipeout, Hawaii 5-O...Yeah, I'm hooked. And I stay up late at night (obviously, from the time I'm posting this). But life is so different. Everyone tells me that it will continue to get better with time, and I'm sure it will, but for now I'm working to get used to life as an RM. (Too bad it's not as easy as taking off my coat and saying that I'm going to get used to the weather if it kills me, like I did on my way to church today despite the snow. And ya know, it really wasn't that cold!)

When Life Throws it's Punches

2011-02-11T21:39:00.000-08:00

Wow. Today was a day that I most certainly didn't expect. Well, I did expect the day. I've been planning for a while now to go up to Rexburg to figure out my life for the next little bit in terms of school. I've only got 17 more necessary credits to graduate. That's student teaching and my Senior Practicum. Not bad at all, is it. But then, life threw a punch. I now speak Spanish. That's not something I did 2 years ago when I was planning out my education/ graduation plan. And I found out today that if I take 3 Spanish Language tests (and pay a very affordable $30 to get the grades put on my transcript) and 13 extra credits I'll be able to get an endorsement in Teacher Education for Students of Other Languages (technically minor, except as an elementary ed major I'm not allowed to have a minor so they call it an endorsement) in Spanish. Yeah, that would be SUCH a blessing. I would normally jump all over that...but here's the real punch. I've already got 100 credit hours. BYU-Idaho wants you gone at 120 credit hours. If I do get my TESOL endorsement, I would have to take 12 -14 credits the next 2 semesters, plus have up to 12 credits added for the Spanish classes, and my student teaching which would put me way over the 120 credits. But honestly, the more I think about it, the better I feel. I mean, Heavenly Father didn't call me to speak Spanish to use it for 18 months a put that language ability at the back of the junk drawer never to be found again! I want to use Spanish for the rest of my life! So it sounds like something that could potentially be a HUGE blessing. This is definitely something I'm going to have to make a serious matter of prayer, because this has all been thrown at me in the past few hours. I know that Heavenly Father will take care of me as I follow the promptings of the Spirit to do what is best for me. But I may not be student teaching and graduating in the fall, but rather in the winter.

Kira-ology

2011-02-06T18:14:00.000-08:00

So, I was bored the other night, and looked at my facebook notes... I found a couple on there that I figured I could up-date and put up here so y'all can get to know me better!

The world according to me! :) After you read this, do your own. Label the note (your name)+ ology!

***********FOODOLOGY***************
What is your salad dressing of choice? -Honey Mustard

What is your favorite sit-down restaurant? - Olive Garden

What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of? - Mexican! Oh how I miss real Mexican food. I just can't make it the same as the wonderful sisters in the mission made it.

What are your pizza toppings of choice? - Pepperoni and Jalapeños

Pancakes or waffles? - waffles, but they have to be crispy

Chocolate or Vanilla? - I don't like chocolate pudding or ice cream, unless it has lots of additives (ie rocky road)
***********TECHNOLOGY***************
How many televisions are in your house? - 3

What color cell phone do you have? -Black

Do you have a laptop? - Sure do...a brand-spankin' new one that I get to play with

***************BIOLOGY******************

Are you right-handed or left-handed? - Righty

What color are your eyes?- It depends on what I'm wearing. Some days they're green and others they're blue

Have you ever had anything removed from your body? - My tonsils and a couple of moles. And a chunk of my calf thanks to a lovely Rottweiler.

What is the last heavy item you lifted? - A laundry basket full of stuff I needed to re-stock at work

Have you ever been knocked unconscious? - Not that I recall, but then again, if I had been knocked unconscious, would I remember it?
************NONSENSEOLOGY**************

If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die? - Nope I kinda try to live every day like it's my last.

If you could change your name, what would you change it to? - I'd give myself a middle name of Lynn. Now that my mom looks back, that's what she wished she'd done in the first place, but oh well.

Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000? -Psh. Yeah. When it comes to my taste buds, the hotter the better

If you had to choose between being blind or deaf, which would you choose? -Well, I've simulated sight impairments and that was rough, so I'd have to say deaf

************DUMBOLOGY******************

How many pairs of flip flops do you own? - One, and they have been all over the place (they went with me on my mission)

Last time you had a run-in with the cops?- On the mission. I know...you're probably all thinking "Kira! What did you do?!?" But I wasn't driving. I wasn't even the co-driver. I was in the backseat. It was dark, and my companion pulled out in front of a cop and kinda cut him off. He pulled her over to make sure everything was okay. It was...she just didn't see him coming.

Last person you talked to on the phone? - My mom

Last person you hugged? -Sister Reed

**************FAVORITOLOGY****************
Season? - Spring

Holiday? - Christmas

Day of the week? - Sunday!

Month? - June!
***********CURRENTOLOGY*****************
Missing someone? - Lots of someones...most of them are in New Mexico, Colorado, and Texas

Mood? - Relaxed

What are you listening to? - Kinda the Superbowl...but not really

Watching? -Again, the Superbowl is on in the background, but I'm not paying much attention.

Worrying about? -I've been pretty care-free since I got home.

***************RANDOMOLOGY****************
First place you went this morning? - A meeting before church

Do you smile often? - All the time

Do you always answer your phone? -Unless I'm working, yeah

What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic? - I don't really go to Sonic

Do you own a digital camera? - Yes. It helped me get lots of memories on film to always remember the mission!

Have you ever had a pet fish? - Yep

What's on your wish list for your birthday? - Umm...I just got Christmas like 2 weeks ago. I haven't even started thinking about my birthday. I guess it would be a great birthday present to be able to go on a date with someone

Can you do push ups? - Maybe...but I doubt it

Can you do a chin up? - Heck no

Does the future make you more nervous or excited? - I'm kind of a fan of the unknown, so the future makes me pretty excited

Do you have any saved texts? -Not on my new phone. At least not yet.

Ever been in a car wreck? - Yep. It'll be 5 years ago next week.

Do you have an accent? - I kinda have a Texan accent...and when I speak Spanish, people say that I've got a pretty good Mexican accent. So yeah. I do. And Sister Cabello (my companion from Peru) tells me that I just have a really lazy accent.

What is the last song to make you cry? - Umm...all I remember is that it was one of the songs we were listening to as we were driving to the mission home. And I think it was on one of my Kory Kunz CD's.

Plans tonight - Hopefully I'll talk to a good friend I haven't talked to since before the mission. And I think we're gonna watch a movie.

Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom? -Actually, I know I have. That was NOT a good time, but with the help of my Savior and His Atonement, I was able to overcome it and am SO much

Name 3 things you bought yesterday? - Nothing

Have you ever been given roses? -Unless you count corsages from dances in high school, no

Met someone who changed your life? - Oh yeah. Lots of someones. I'm sure you know who you are

How did you bring in the New Year? - Waking up to the fireworks that were going off over my missionary apartment, groggily wishing myself a happy new year and wondering for a split second what adventures this new year would bring, and rolling over to go right back to sleep

Would you go back in time if you were given the chance? - Yes

Have you ever dated someone longer than a year? - No

Do you have any tattoos/piercings? - Just my ears

Does anyone love you? - My family does, among other people

Have you ever been sung to?- Yes, for my birthday

Do you like to cuddle? - Yes I do

Have you held hands with anyone today? - No

Who was the last person you took a picture of? - Me personally? The last time I used my camera to take a picture was as I was going down the escalator at the airport to take pictures of my family. But the last picture on my camera is of Jill and I being reunited!

Do you believe in staying close with your exes? - It probably depends on the guy. I don't know

Are most of the friends in your life new or old? - New

What is something your friends make fun of you for? -I had some missionary friends make fun of me for baking Bob the Tarantula

Have you ever ridden an elephant? -No

What are you saving your money up for right now? - College

When is the last time you ate peanut butter and jelly? - I honestly, truly, don't remember

Suriving Civilian Life

2011-02-06T17:44:00.000-08:00

Well, here I am again. I'm still alive and kicking. And I'm adjusting to life quite well. I love my job. It's a great way to adjust to "normal" life again. Let's see...what have I done this week? I worked a couple of days. I went to the mall with mom...and found yet another super cute outfit! I babysat my cousin's daughters...SO adorable! We played wii...and they wanted to break out the barbies just as their mom got back to pick them up. So I told them that one day that I'm off work this week I'd go pick them up and bring them back here to play barbies.

I was also able to go to the temple a couple of times. Once I went with a former District Leader from the mission. It was great to see him again. But I'm not gonna lie...it was a little weird to hug an elder from the mission. The other time I went with my dad. Mom was going to go with us, but she wasn't feeling well, so we got to go on a daddy-daughter date. That was nice too.

I went out to the YSA branch again today. There were lots of familiar faces, though several new ones as well. It was good to be back out there. I already have a calling: I'm the FHE coordinator. I like that calling! I've had it once before...except in the summer. So I get to plan all of the FHE activities until I go back to school. That will be fun! I'm pretty excited!

So...I feel like there were all sorts of things I wanted to say in this blog, but I can't remember any of them right now. So I guess I'm not going to blog about those things. Oh well. Enjoy!

OH! Before I post this! I remember what it was! I went Latin Dancing Friday night! It was SO super amazing! I had 18...well, 19, months of built-up "I wanna dance" energy. The music started, and my feet started moving. And they didn't stop moving until I got in my car to come home over 2 hours later. I had so much fun! The first guy who asked me to dance asked what I'm studying and where I'm living and all that good stuff, and when I said that I'd just gotten home from a mission, he kinda jumped back (mid-dance) and was like "Are you okay with this?!" It was pretty funny. And there was another guy who was spinning me right and left. Yeah, that was pretty fun. I really had forgotten how fun Latin Dancing is! I can't wait to get back there and be able to go dancing every weekend. But for now, I'll be up there as often as my schedule permits...and gas money.

Homesick...

2011-01-31T19:29:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm well aware of the fact that I'm home. And I love being here. I love spending time with my family. I love being able to run to the store by myself (no, I don't freak out to be alone any more). I'm getting used to "normal" music. I've been dancing. I've started my job. And I'm not quite as weird as I was when I got here either. Overall, I'm adjusting quite well to life after the mission.

But today at work, I really got homesick for the mission. While working at Deseret Book (yeah, it's a pretty good job for easing back into life... wearing "missionary" clothes, listening to church music all day) today, the missionaries were all in the store for their p-day. I saw Sister Missionaries. I saw Spanish-speaking Elders. And I talked to all of them. And it made me miss the mission SO bad! Just 2 weeks ago I was still on the mission. It was my p-day. Has it really only been 2 weeks? The past 2 weeks have been so full of... stuff... that they have absolutely flown by, and yet it seems like an eternity since I was a missionary. Man... this sure is a weird time-warp that I'm in.

As for my life, I have gone dancing. That was a little weird. I saw several friends I knew before the mission... a lot more than I thought I'd see. One of them who had been my co-teacher in Gospel Doctrine the semester before I left totally attacked me with a hug when he saw me, and then jumped back apologizing when he found out I'd only been home for a week. It was pretty amusing.I started work at the Distribution Center inside Deseret Book. I'm going to LOVE it! It's a lot of fun. I've been to the homecoming and farewell of two people in my ward. I've got a calling already, as the FHE coordinator in my YSA branch. I went to FHE tonight. There were a lot of people there I knew. It was fun.

So yeah, I'm just keeping on keeping on. And loving life. Things are going well. And I really do think that the more time that passes the more used to things I'll get.

One Week Down

2011-01-26T09:14:00.000-08:00

Well, here I am, and true to my word, I'm not going to stop giving updates on my life after the mission. Exactly one week ago, I was saying goodbye to President and Sister Miller in the Albuquerque Airport. Just one week? It feels like an eternity ago! But yeah, it's just been one week. And so much has happened.

My homecoming was on Sunday. It was so great to see my friends again, at least those who have been able to come. I also hugged my first guy friend... that was AwKwArD! But I survived, and each hug got a little less awkward. I've talked to others on the phone. And you know, it's just like I never left. Weird.

I'm starting to be able to be left alone. In fact, I was alone for most of the day yesterday cleaning and organizing my room and unpacking. Slowly but surely I'm getting it all done. I was also listening to "worldly" music. Now, for most of you it's no big deal to listen to country music or soft rock music, or whatever else my sister has on her i pod (because I have no music on mine yet) but for me it was. The first few times I tried to listen to music I had to turn it off. I just couldn't do it! But I'm getting there. Poco a poco.

Tonight I'm planning on paying a long-overdue visit to Rexburg... and COUNTRY DANCING! WooHoo! I'm excited! My dancing shoes are ready!