Mission Weddings: Kaitlin and Tyler

I should have posted this weeks ago but it's better late than never right?!
Kaitlin (my MTC companion) and Tyler (one of our APs) got married on January 4th in the Salt Lake Temple! I was so grateful for the opportunity to be there for their sealing!



I LOVE it when mission people get married because that usually means that people from the mission will be at the reception. And I love seeing mission people!!

Angela (mission comp), Kim (lived in Germany while we were there), Keri (mission comp)


My first mission president and his wife: President and Sister Webb (also this was the first time I'd seen them since they left the mission back in 2008)


Elder and Sister Hansen (they were the Out-Reach couple serving in Heidelberg while I was there. - Typical Sister Hansen. She never fails to make us laugh)

January Book

This month I chose to read "The Manual" by Steve Santagati.

Steve takes you into the mindset of men: how they think, what they're thinking, what they like and don't like when it comes to relationships. He teaches you what you as a woman need to know so that you can get the most out of your relationships with men, and get what you want!

I highly recommend that you read this (if you are a woman...men, well you already know all this). It made me laugh throughout the whole book and put a smile on my face every time I picked it up!

This book gave me an extra boost of confidence in myself as a woman - that was very much needed. I feel like making the little extra effort to look nice and make sure that I'm feeling good about myself every time I walk out the door. Boys will notice: I'm hott stuff!

Lots of good things will happen...

I cannot for the life of me figure out what's wrong.
I used to love to blog.
I always had stories for my blog.
Now I hardly blog.
Now I have no stories.
What happened?!

For some strange reason I'm feeling creative - like blog creative. Like, I all of the sudden have tons of things I want to blog about.
I should write them down.
Now I don't know what I want to write about first.

Let's start with the new year shall we?
New Year's Resolutions.
I have some.
I won't bore you with all of my goals for the new year but I will share a few. And these are ones that I can update you on my progress:
- read a book every month (not school or church related)
- go home 3 times
- no pop
- no fast food
So far, it's going pretty dang good.
I'm almost done with my book for January. I'll let you know when I'm finished.
I've already booked a flight home for the end of April - beginning May :D one whole week at home. I can hardly wait!
I've also had no pop or fast food since December 31, 2010. The drinking no pop thing really isn't a struggle. But I was worried about the whole no fast food thing. I work at the mall and it's just so easy to grab some food from the food court during my lunches. This goal requires me to think and plan ahead so that I bring food with me to work. So far it's been a lot easier than I thought it would be. AND - I hardly crave sugar. I do a little but not like I used to. This is helping me feel wonderfully free!

Also, I have three theme-ish songs for this year (don't laugh):
- Singing in the Rain
"I'm singing in the rain. Just singing in the rain. What a glorious feeling! I'm happy again! I'm laughing at clouds so dark up above. I'm singing, singing in the rain!"
This song reminds me to be happy even though it may be 'raining' in my life. My favorite part is "I'm laughing at clouds so dark up above." Even though life can be dark and rainy, it's okay to sing, laugh, and just be happy!
- Taking Chances
"What do you say to taking chances? What do you say to jumping off the edge? Never knowing if there's solid ground below, or a hand to hold, or hell to pay. What do you say?"
This song gives me the desire to take chances. This song screams to me: Live your life! Take risks! No regrets!
- I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus
"I'm trying to be like Jesus. I'm following in His way. I'm trying to love as He did in all that I do and say...Love one another as Jesus loves you. Try to show kindness in all that you do. Be gentle and loving in deed and in thought. For these are the things Jesus taught."
This song reminds me to be more like my Savior. I'm not as good as I'd like to be at thinking about the Savior throughout the day and not just when I say my morning prayers or when I read my scriptures at night. I should be thinking about Him constantly and try to be more like Him.

I'm feeling very optimistic about this new year. I think lots of good things will happen!

Pieces of Me

When my cousin Madison was around 2 years old I started babysitting her. That summer we spent almost every day together. My aunt Kim was pregnant and busy helping uncle Dave with his dental practice, so I helped by watching Maddie.
This was by far one of the best summers of my life.
Maddie was a funny little girl. She was very particular about who she liked. She likes things a certain way. Which makes it a little difficult for her to deal with change. It took her a while to get used to having me around.
We used to watch The Wiggles all the time. And when I put her down for her nap, I would sing to her. That was the summer that Ashley Simpson was popular and so I would always sing "Pieces of Me". And then we would sit on the couch together and look out the window and wait for Kim to come home.

Maddie and I developed a special connection. She's my girl.


I remember a few summers later when Maddie turned 4. I had been away at college and was home for the summer. It was her birthday party and I went with Gramma and Gramper. We got out of the car and were walking towards the party when Maddie saw us. I remember she was wearing her hair in pigtails and she was wearing a pink sweatshirt and rain boots (even though it was summer, it was still raining. We're from Seattle people). I remember her marching up to us, passing Gramma and Gramper and came straight to me. I picked her up and she hugged me, and wouldn't let me go.
I love this girl more than words can express.
Imagine how hard it was for me to tell her I was going to serve a mission. I had to explain to her that I wouldn't get to see her for a year and a half. I wouldn't be able to come home for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter. I would miss her birthday and wouldn't be able to call and talk to her on the phone.
Saying goodbye was one of the hardest things I'd had to do. I knew she would continue to grow up...and I wasn't going to be there.

I've been home from my mission for over a year. I had lived away from home before I went away to Germany. But that was different. I came home every summer. I was home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. And now I live in Utah. I can't go home for the whole summer or even be there for Thanksgiving.
While I was home for Christmas a few weeks ago, Maddie asked me why I live here in Utah. She didn't understand why I couldn't come home like I used to. I had to explain to her that I would so much rather live at home so I could see her all the time, but I feel like God wants me to be in Utah. Man, that broke my heart.
While I was on my mission, her mother had another girl. Payton. She looks almost exactly like Madison looked when she was Payton's age. One of the many reasons it was hard for me to leave on my mission was that I knew that Kim was going to have Payton, and I wasn't going to be apart of this little girl's life like I had been for Maddie and her brother James.
The first time I ever saw Payton, she looked at me, waved and said "goodbye". She thought I was a babysitter and she didn't want me around.
This Christmas, was another story. It was like re-living Maddie all over again. Payton let me hold her and we spent most of the evening together. It was like being with my little girl all over again.

I wish with all my heart that I could spend more time with them, my girls. I'm SO grateful to have them in my life.


I hope that Maddie always knows how much I love her.

"On a Monday, I am waiting. Tuesday, I am fading. And by Wednesday, I can't sleep. Then the phone rings, I hear you. And the darkness is a clear view. Cuz you've come to rescue me. Fall...With you, I fall so fast. I can hardly catch my breath, I hope it lasts...



Ohhhhh. It seems like I can finally rest my head on something real. I like the way that feels. Ohhhhh. It's as if you've known me better than I ever knew myself. I love how you can tell all the pieces, pieces, pieces of me. All the pieces, pieces, pieces of me...



I am moody, messy. I get restless, and it's senseless. How you never seem to care. When I'm angry, you listen. When you're happy, it's a mission. And you wont stop 'til I'm there. Fall...Sometimes I fall so fast. Well, I hit that bottom. Crash, you're all I have...



Ohhhhh. It seems like I can finally rest my head on something real. I like the way that feels. Ohhhhh. It's as if you've known me better than I ever knew myself. I love how you can tell all the pieces, pieces, pieces of me. All the pieces, pieces, pieces of me...



How do you know everything I'm about to say? Am I that obvious? And if it's written on my face...I hope it never goes away...yeah. On a Monday, I am waiting. And by Tuesday, I am fading into your arms...So I can breathe...



Ohhhhh. It seems like I can finally rest my head on something real. I like the way that feels. Ohhhhh. It's as if you've know me better than I ever knew myself. I love how you can tell. Ohhhhh. I love how you can tell. Ohhhhh. I love how you can tell all the pieces, pieces, pieces of me. All the pieces, pieces, pieces of me..."