Life As I Know It : 2013

SO HI THERE!!!

It has been a really long time since I have blogged. I think it is safe to say that no... I did not go on my mission. It has been hard to not go, but I do know it is for the best. I have had some health problems that would have made it difficult if not impossible for me to go.

I did get a job that I fell in love with! I work at the Arivaca Boy's ranch!! And it has changed my life! These boy's have some incredible stories that make my life challenges seem so small!! I am so blessed to work with these troubled teenage boys. I have learned so much from them! More than what I could ever teach them. They seriously are the greatest.

My little home at the boys ranch

I adopted a sweet little bunny, Her name is Tulip and she is soooo cute! and adorable! I kinda love her!

I will be going back to school in January! And I am excited and nervous! The job at the boy's ranch has shown me my true passions. I thought I wanted to be a nurse because I felt like being a nurse was the ultimate way to help people. But as I volunteered at a hospital and worked as a phlebotomist I discovered that healthcare really is a ton of skill and time pressure. Patients are crunched in every nook of time imaginable, but not to help them emotionally or mentally just to perform the necessary physical tasks. Which is so mighty of our health professionals. And I fell that most of them care greatly about others, but that just was not for me. I want to build a relationship with people. And it becomes difficult when you have so many people to see. So I found that I want to become a therapist! So yes, I went off on a tangent, but that is what I am going to school for noe. So I am going to FINALLY get my associates, but in equine science.... Now that may seem random but I assure it is not. At my work they use equine assisted therapy (and for those few of you who are not positive what equine means it means horses, you were right... horses folks!). You see horses have this unique ability to reflect their owner in their attitudes and feelings. It actually is pretty fantastic to see. So by watching someone work with their horse you can actually tell a lot about that person simply by looking at their horse. What is even cooler??? Working with someone else's horse because you will completely see that horse act like their owner. So like if a person has issues with boundaries, like they are always crowding your space, if you were to work with thei horse you will see their horse keep on trying to get all up and in your personal space!! Pretty crazy! So that is what I am doing! I want to use horses in my therapy because horses can truly teach someone a lot about themselves and help them work and change their own habits as they work with their horse!! I bet you did not know just how amazing horses are! I am extremely excited to take this path in school... slightly nervous, but mostly excited!

Really I have been kinda a hermit... I do have a couple pictures that I can show from October when I went to six flags with my buddy... and some lake pictures from like september... but mostly my life has been chaotic and I became a home body when I'd get off shift from the ranch. Which I am planning on changing when I get back from spending Christmas with my good ol parents in California!!! And I plan to have plenty of pictures from my Christmas adventures!

Six Flag Fright Fest Adventures!! With Ammon!!!!

Visited Lance and Brittany and got to see beautiful ellie and my precious newborn niece brynn!!!

Babysat nora and ethan again and got to take them to a zoo!

Had some lake trips before it got too cold

And that pretty much sums up my adventures since like july... wow... hahaha

SO! I FINALLY GOT MY CALL!!!

And all I can say is that I am so happy and excited and I cannot wait!!!! :)

So you guys! I have been called to serve in the Argentina Neuquen Mission! (ps that last e has an accent over it... I am just not computer savvy enough to figure out how to do that! my bad!)

I cannot even tell you how excited I am. It does kinda feel like a dream though... After five long weeks after sending my papers in for my call to finally have it and KNOW where I am going is pretty well crazy! ha It does not feel quite real yet! ha

So I got to admit, I knew all day long on Friday the 5th that my papers were at home. I just knew that this time they will actually be there. Work was busy! Thankful;y! ha So I didn't have too much time on my hands, but when I got home and pulled into my driveway I saw my call sitting in the mail box and my heart was beating outta my chest! In fact, I got out of my car and slowly approached my mail box. My nieghbors might have thought I looked like I was trying to catch a lizard or something with the way I was moving! But really I just couldn't believe it. I saw that it was thin, I quickly grabbed it... yep. It was thin... My hear sank little. I know I said I would love to go anywhere, but to be honest, I really wanted to go out of states! ha So because it was thin I thought I was going state side. And then I carried it in the house and started freaking out! I was a nervous wreck! I set my call down and was too scared to touch it! I was terrified for a moment there... mostly nervous though. Very nervous.

I needed to calm down so I started searching around and I found this quote,

"Whatever our calling, regardless of our fears or anxieties, let us pray and then go and do, remembering the words of the Master, even the Lord Jesus Christ, who promised, "I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."

-Pres. Thomas S Monson

Let me tell you! That calmed me so much and I was ready to accept wherever the Lord had need of me to go. So then I had to get rid of my jitters and as all my roommates know I clean like a crazy woman when I am nervous or angry or really excited! So yes, I cleaned my room the bathroom, the kitchen, and I even started wiping down the walls! Oh and I made brownies! Yes, I cook as well when I feel nervous! Finally it was time to go to my brother Ryan's! My friends Dena, Kelsey, Kristin, and Mikayla all joined me in going to my brothers for the opening of my call.

We got the google hangout all set up so that Lance, Brittany, Derek, Mary, and Cory could join up and see me open it! My parents along with josh and erin were also supposed to be a part of this, but they were in the car traveling and would not be back until 9:30. I said, "I told you guys I was opening it at 9! You should have made plans to be back in time! I am opening it now, you will just have to hear it!" Does that make me a mean daughter and sister???

So I began to read my call... I almost started to tear up at "you have been called to serve" but I was too excited so I read on... I wanted to look down and see where I was going, but my nerves kept me from looking down and then I read it ARGENTINA NEUQUEN MISSION!!! I was so excited! And you know what?! It would not have mattered if I went to California or Nebraska or Canada, or Tonga! I have been called to serve!!! And it would have mattered not where I go or what language I would speak. But since it is in Argentina, you know I got to say that this is the best place to get called. I mean it is in South America, where I wanted to serve, and I will be speaking Spanish! So yes! It is perfect! Plus my brother Lance served in Argentina, my Uncle did, and my good ol' Gma Sue did as well. I am sure Grandma Suzie is talking up a storm right now in heaven about how her first granddaughter that has been called to serve is going to Argentina where to the country that she served in! ha

I had no clue that I would serve in Argentina... to be honest it never crossed my mind! I kinda knew I would be spanish speaking, but you can do that state side and I even thought maybe I would go to Puerto Rico at one point, but not Argentina! Ha But now that I have recieved the call I know that it is right and the place the Lord wants me to be!

I report to the Provo MTC on November 20th!!!

So yeah!! That is that! I am so excited to go... now I am just gonna show you pictures of what I have been up to the last while here.... going in chronological order now :)

FAMILY VACATION AT LAKE HAVASU FOR A WEEK!!! ... NOTE: i was really bad at remembering to bring my camera on the boat. And I am only going to share a few pics with you.