Summer Lovin'

There is a lot that I love about summer...

-Perpetual messybuns are allowed (really impossible to avoid) due to my constant swimming

-The sun gets up before I do, making it soo much easier to wake up early

-My hair goes blonde without paying a cent :)

-I come home at the end of the day and don't have homework

-Big Paychecks

-Plenty of time to make it to the gym everyday

-Vacations!

-BBQ's all the time - yum

-Swimming, swimming, and a lot more swimming

-I just seem happier (it's the overload of vitamin D that I get from the sun!)

It's going to be GREAT!!

My Mother

Celebrating Mother's Day recently has made me think on how wonderful my mother really is!! I know I don't I come close to thanking her enough! She is the most aMaZiNg mother!! Here are just a few of my favorite reasons why:

1. My mom is always there! We have been blessed to where my mom has never had to work outside the home (Thanks Dad for all your hard work to let this be possible!). I know that not every family has this blessing due to necessity but I am so thankful I have had her around whenever I need her! She has always been the kind of mom to get up before all of us so that she can help get us off to school and the one who is always home when school ends so that we have her to come home to. She is the mom that counts down the days until school ends just so she can have her kids home more often. Even better than that - she is the mom that after a long, busy, crazy summer with twice the noise and mess, cries when we go back to school!

2. She is one of the best listeners I know! She has the wonderful talent of just listening! I look up to her in that so much! No matter what kind of day you have had, she is there to hear all about it! I still come home and tell my mom about my entire day! And no matter how many things she has on her list to do, she puts it all aside the second her kids need to talk! She knows exactly how to sympathize and give council when needed! Everyone in our family loves this quality about my mom, because she frequently has all 4 of us kids fighting for some "mom-time" just to talk!

3. She is our #1 fan!! She is the best support ever! She never forgets about big tests or events coming up! She comes to every activity, recital, sport event, etc. You name it, she is there! And she goes willingly and excitedly! Not to mention, she gives great pep rallies! She can give anyone the confidence they need to get up there and perform! And after it is all over and done, she praises us over and over again for our accomplishments! She makes each of us feel like we are her very favorite! (That, I have learned, is a tremendous talent!!)

4. Patience - something I don't have much of but my mom has lots of! I know that often times she has had to ask us many times to do what she wants. She often times has a big group of kids over until late at night with a big mess to deal with in the morning after a short night's sleep. She often gets to put up with teenagers that think they know better (I was one of those). She waits outside schools to pick kids up. The list could go on and on but through it all, she is patient.

5. A typical day for her goes like this: get up and help the kids finish up homework, get ready for school, and pack lunches. Then she drives 3 kids to school (the joys of attending schools outside your boundaries). Next she spends the day grocery shopping, doing laundry, cleaning, dropping off forgotten homework, taking kids to dental appointments, etc. (what most moms do) and then starts picking everyone up from school. Two growing teenage boys plus friends seem to "need" four meals a day instead of 3 so an after school meal is usually a daily service she provides too. Taxi services continue to and from practices, friends houses, church activities, etc. Finally she makes dinner, helps with homework, helps clean up the messes of the day, and usually stays up to talk when she really just wants to go to bed. Not to mention, there are many days like today where she is involved in helping someone else in the ward on top of it all. I call that a life dedicated to service.

I could go on and name a million more things that I love about my mom. But my favorite is that she is also my friend! People always ask me how I ended up so lucky to have my mom not only be my mom but one of my best friends too! I am not quite sure how I ended up so lucky, but I am glad I did! I am extremely blessed to have an amazing mom that is also one of my best friends! Every day that I have off, we seem to talk for hours and do everything together! I am so grateful for her example, her testimony, her love and support! I love you mom!!

A True Vacation

Vacation: an extended period of recreation especially one spent away from home or in traveling.

With all the stresses of the past few months, I have really been wanting a vacation. So, this past week, Paige and I went on vacation- a true vacation! The saying of the weekend was, "I can't. I am on vacation!" Here are some highlights to our true vacation:

1. Stopping at the Outlet malls and buying TONS of great stuff instead of paying for a day at a theme park!

2. Eating a piece of peanut butter pie even though I am off sugar - because I was on vacation.

3. Getting 30 hours of sleep in 3 days! Sleeping in and waking up to the sun and not the alarm!

4. Staying up to read a good book just because I can.

5. Eating out for breakfast, lunch, AND dinner!!

6. Laying out on the beach in perfect weather doing absolutely nothing but listening to the waves.

7. Going to the LA temple to do baptisms and then enjoying our time there without being rushed or in a hurry to leave.

8. Taking 30 minute showers instead of 5 minute showers just before work.

9. Going running on the beach as the sun set.

10. Blaring feel-good music while driving down the Pacific Coast Highway with the windows down!

Now THAT is a true vacation!! It was seriously so relaxing and perfect!! Thanks so much Kathy for letting us stay there and showing us the ways of Cali living! :) And Paige - you are the best!! Thanks for taking off from your busy life to come play!

Letters to Juliet

I tip my hat to the producers of this new movie that just came out, "Letter to Juliet." It was by far the BEST movie I have paid to see in theaters in well over 2 years!! It is rated PG and is super clean! (How often does that happen anymore?!?) Not to mention it is one of those feel-good movies where you walk out of the theater happy about life! I am so glad I went to see it!! If you want a great movie, GO SEE IT!!

Here is the summary:

Letters To Juliet is an enchanting love story -- a tale of encountering new sparks and rekindling old flames. When Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), a young American, travels to Verona, Italy -- the romantic city where Romeo first met Juliet -- she meets a group of volunteers who respond to letters written to Juliet seeking romantic advice. Sophie finds and answers a letter that has been lost for 50 years, and is stunned when its author Claire (Vanessa Redgrave) arrives in Italy with her handsome but overprotective grandson (Christopher Egan) to find the fiance she left decades before. Fascinated by Claire's quest, Sophie joins them on an adventure through the beautiful hills of Tuscany searching for Claire's long lost Lorenzo. The journey will change their lives forever, as they discover it's never too late to find true love.

A College Graduate

I never thought this day would come. All growing up you think... 16 years old is forever away, and high school graduation is forEVER away, and going to college is FORVER away... but graduation from college?!? - It's one of those things you just feel iis too far away to really happen. But guess what? - It just happened! I am a COLLEGE GRADUATE!! And here is the proof:

ASU has been great!! I have loved my experience here! If I had to do it all over again (not that I am bummed that I can't) I would do it exactly the same! While applying to college in high school, I really wanted to go to BYU with all my friends. Despite this dream, I knew that BYU was not where I was supposed to be. So, I applied for ASU as my default choice. It has been the best default I could imagine! I am so thankful that I was blessed to go to ASU! Why? - Here are just a few reasons: 1. I was forced to make all new friends (since all mine left to BYU) and I have met some of the greatest people because of it! 2.

I got to spend 3 more years right here with my own family. I honestly thought that staying at home was going to be disappointing while all my friends went off and had "independence," but oh, how I was wrong! I have grown closer to my family in the past 3 years than I had the 18 years before that! And I wouldn't trade that for the world! 3. The Speech and Hearing Program here at ASU is a nationally ranked program which has been so wonderful. 4. There is a great network of YSA in the surrounding areas. 5. ASU has paid me to go to college - it doesn't get better than that!

But I feel much like Darla on Little Rascals when she said, "I don't miss him at all... except... his voice." I won't miss ASU at all... except... the institute and my one best friend from school!

The Institute (this lovely building) has been my safe haven amidst the filth. It is where I spend every spare minute! Thank goodness for the church! I have taken some amazing classes such as "The Book of Revelation" and "Latter-day Hymns" along with the usuals - "Book of Mormon" and "New Testament." The teachers there are some of my greatest role models and I have loved getting to learn from them! I recently graduated from Institute as well - it's pretty easy to do when you want to take EVERY class on the list!! Along with the spiritual stuff, I never once paid for parking at ASU because institute lets regularly-attending students park for free. I never had to eat lunch amidst all the immodesty and foul language because of the institute building lunches. I never had to worry about my backpack being stolen when I fell asleep studying. I always had a refrigerator and microwave to use whenever I needed. I could go on forever, but it all comes down to the fact that I will really miss the institute!

McKenzie has been the greatest blessing all through school. I met her on the second day of classes my freshman year and we have been inseparable ever since. We have the same major, similar personalities, the exact same perfectionist mindset, the same goal to graduate in 3 years, similar upbringings, and similar everything else too! Haha! We have had over half of our classes together - including electives such as Parenting, Society and the Environment, and Yoga! She is the one that keeps me sane through the semester. She is the one that encourages me to study when I want to give up. She is the one I call when I miss class. She is seriously the best! I know that Heavenly Father put us together because of all the things that she has taught me and I will be forever grateful!! But it is now time for us to part. :( She got into the graduate program at University of Texas - Dallas and I got into the graduate program at NAU. We are both excited about our continuing educational opportunities, but I will definitely miss her very much! McKenzie, YOU ARE THE BEST - Thank you!!

Today, as I celebrated this big step in my life, I was so blessed to have my family there with me including my aunt Julie and my Grandma G! THANK YOU!! (I didn't have a picture of all of them on my camera from today... so here is a family picture.) I am so grateful that they could come and support me!! They have been a great support throughout my life to push me to accomplish my goals and I cannot thank them each enough!

Other than that, FAREWELL ASU! You have been great and I love all the memories but... I am off to bigger and better things! :) And just look, we are totally prepared...

Gila Valley Temple

I got to go to Thatcher the other day to walk through the brand new Gila Valley Temple. This new temple is small in size but grand in beauty. It was so amazing!! Temples are nearest place we can be to God. I absolutely LOVE temples!! I have recently realized that I am going to be almost 3 hours away from the nearest temple once I go up to NAU. :/ I am not too excited about that but I still have to be thankful that it is only 3 hours and that I will have to ability to still come to the temple often! I am so grateful to live near a temple now and that we have so many more coming to Arizona in the next few years! Not to mention, in 3 weeks we get to participate in the dedication of this beautiful temple! I am super excited!

Tuesdays with Morrie

A few years ago, one of my best friends suggest that I read this book, "Tuesdays with Morrie" written by Mitch Albom. She told me how the book was her absolute favorite because it had such a wonderful message. It was then that I decided that I wanted to read this book. So I took it home and put it on my nightstand like I do with all the other books I want to read... and there it sat for almost a year. Finally, I gave it back to her because I never had the time to read it. I still intended on reading it someday...

At the beginning of this semester, one of my speech professors explained that each of us would have to read a famous book discussing one of the diseases we were learning about this semester. One of those diseases happened to be ALS, and one of the books about ALS was "Tuesdays with Morrie." I signed up the second I could - I finally had a reason to HAVE to read this book. Oh, how I already loved this professor just because of her homework assignment.

So just a few weeks ago, I excitedly sat down to do my homework (that never happens) - I spent the day reading "Tuesdays with Morrie." It is only 199 pages and the fastest read ever, BUT one of the most inspiring books I have ever read. Every page of this true story is filled with little life lessons from a man who struggled with this disease. I used sticky notes to mark profound thoughts; I ran out of sticky notes before I ran out of finding profound thoughts. If you have never read the book, I HIGHLY recommend it! It seriously took me (a slooow reader) only 3 hours. But I have not stop thinking about some of the things that I read ever since! I have put some of my favorite finds below. To find the rest, you will just have to read the book! :)

"Accept the past as past, without denying it or discarding it."

"The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. We're teaching the wrong things. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn't work, don't buy it. Create your own."

"So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning."

"The fact is, there is no foundation, no secure ground, upon which people may stand today if it isn't the family... If you don't have the support and love and caring and concern that you get from a family, you don't have much at all. Love is so supremely important."