Happy Birthday!

The return of....

Well, my journal has heard this line a million times before: It has been SO LONG since I have written! I am actually quite embarrassed...
Not that my life warrants regular blog, or even a weekly blog...but I should  be able to come up with something to say at least once per month  right??
My normal next action would be to, as a result of my guilt, post a ton of catch-up pictures to make myself feel better...but I am going to refrain. I will only post the most important ones. Basically, we are going to pretend that more than a month has passed, and I will just report the BIG NEWS.
Drum roll please......
I finally got NEW SHOES!! These ones, from Target!

I know what you are thinking, "Wow, I can definitely see why you waited months to tell us this! This is a big deal!" If that is what you were thinking, you would be right! It IS a big deal. I am loving having one pair of shoes that is at least semi-in-style for the year 2013. 

Was that not the news you were expecting? 

Fine. You are right. I do have one more bit of news. I will leave it to you to decide if it is as exciting as my shoe news. On the day in question (in story?), this is a text I received around 1:30. 

Uh huh. It was a big letter, with a familiar logo...

 Whaaaat? It was addressed to WHO??

...and signed by WHO???

So unless you are my facebook friend (which I am pretty sure that the two people who read this blog ARE my facebook friends), this is a total surprise, but just in case, I have been called to the Minnesota Minneapolis Mission, speaking Spanish! I leave for the Provo MTC on July 10. The best way that I feel like I can describe what it feels like is: Whaaaaaaaat?!? Now of course, when we read between the lines of that "Whaaaaaat?!?" you see, "Yes!" "Are you crazy?" "I can't wait!" "Aren't you old?" "Perfect" "...are you crazy?!"

I am so so so very excited though! I know this is the exact right thing for me to be doing/preparing to do right now. I know it as much as I have ever known anything in the world!

My principal gave me these at school the next day, it was so sweet! 

So, there we go! It is out, and it is official! I still have a ton to do before then, but I am going to love every minute of it!

‎"This is our one and only chance at mortal life - here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief. Opportunities come, and then they are gone. I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for what illusive and nonexistent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey - now." -- President Monson

“The time has come for us to stand a little taller, to lift our eyes and stretch our minds to a greater comprehension and understanding of the grand millennial mission of this, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

In my car, the soundtrack to my life has been Sheri Dew's biography of Gordon B. Hinckley-Go Forward With Faith. I don't expect you to have planned enough time to watch this video when you checked my blog, but at least you will know it is here if you ever DO have the time to watch it.
In sunday school this week, we talked about how you can love someone more by learning about them, and that is 100% true. One way I know, is because of this man, right here.

I'm not very good with words, so I'm not going to even TRY to do him justice with what I say, but I will say that I love this man, even more than before! I am so thankful that I was able to have the chance to hear his words, his testimony, and feel of his love for us and for the Savior.

The end?

What to post on the last day of 2012? (Although, as I am typing this and thinking of what I have going on today, it realistically won't get finished until the first day of 2013.)

....

And here I am on the first day of 2013-at 7:05 pm, just about to go out to eat with my long lost cousin who has been in KOREA for the past few years. Needless to say, this post won't be finished today either. Fail.  But hey, at least I'm making an effort right?

So, how to sufficiently cover the past year in one blog post? Should I do the "list all the highlights by month" approach?

January: 

• I was living in South Provo as 2012 began, in the "Barbie Dream House." Yep.
• I spent some time with the Egberts in Idaho
• Received a copy of my thesis, book-style, in the mail!
• Beginning stages of my purple hair (calm down, just a few streaks, well hidden!)
• Loved my job!!

February:

• Found my love for BYU Men's Volleyball
• Celebrated Corrie's birthday with young Joseph Smith (when I say young Joseph I mean the actor who played him in the movie...and when I say "with" I mean we got a picture taken with him..)
• Loved my job!!

March:

• Officially decided to start training for my first half marathon
• Discovered the fantastic European band, One Direction. Life officially changed (For a few months).
• Loved my job a little more

April:

• Completed my first (and hopefully last) half marathon!
• Went to Las Vegas for the first time (please see my facebook album that is a very good photo journal with accompanying story, cataloguing the trip)
• Spring break hiking at Zion's with one of my best speechie-friends and fellow blog-starter Kristen Dingus. No, we did not finish Angel's Landing. It snowed.
• Was audited at work-had a blast! (No I didn't, that was my 2013 attempt at being positive!)

May:

• Incredibly horrible sunburn repeat! (Remember the trek? Yeah. That happened again. Swollllen face.)
• Contracted walking Pneumonia
• Posted this status (give me a break, I thought it was funny, and I have no memory of writing it!): Two reasons why I don't love wearing my retainer: 1. As a speech language pathologist, it is a little embarrassing to have a lisp. 2. It is very difficult to successfully blow my nose while wearing it. (and I have no idea why my mouth keeps opening...)

June:

• Hiked Hiked Hiked
• First country concert ever! Happy Early Birthday to Me!
• Got a new house in Orem
• Finished my first year of school at Shelley Elementary (actually kind of sad to leave my job...)
• Visited Missouri!!

July:

• Worked on my new house
• Completed my SECOND half marathon...what??
• Went to my first Orem Owlz game
• Jumped off some cliffs at Wall Lake
• Got a calling in my new ward as a Gospel Principles teacher
• Saw Les Mis in Cedar City
• Went to my first midnight showing of a movie-Batman (very sad night)
• Worked at summer school speech with children with severe Autism-new experience-hard, but great!
• Started my first fire in the oven...when there were 3 new friends over who had never had anything I had cooked--fail.
• Another concert!

August:

• Turned 24 finally (I have been saying "24" since November)
• Another concert! (Diamond Rio I think?)
• Sent my good friend Erica Nelson on a mission
• Played at Lowe's Extreme Air Sports...ie Coolest Trampoline/Gym ever!
• Went to Rexburg for a GoTeamJason auction/fundraiser!
• ANOTHER concert!
• Started back at school...and I LOVE IT

September

• We, as roommates, became involved in a really good prank war--with a few different groups of people I think... 
• Threw my phone in the toilet. Yes I did. I threw my phone IN the toilet on accident. Well, I more like dropped  it in, while I was holding it with two hands (I'm not sure which story is more embarrassing). 
• GOT. MY. CCC's. Enough Said.
• Got a henna tatto
• Went to a rodeo in SLC

October

• I got a favorite temple this month! The Mt. Timp temple!
• Fall Break - Mom and Rachelle came and then we visited the Egbert's up in Rexburg. Unfortunately Haley ended up in the hospital, but then that meant I got to spend more time with the kids, YAY!
• Poor little Gannon broke his leg, so we got to spend a lot of time on facetime!
• ANOTHER concert--this time Parachute, All American Rejects, and Boys Like Girls
• Started going to FHE...what the heck??

November

• got a SECOND favorite temple-this time Rexburg. My whole family except for Rafal (we missed you!) were able to get together for when I went through the temple, and when Haley had little baby Sloane! 
• FHE trip to SLC to see the Christmas lights!
• More prank war shenanigans
• Started going to ward prayer...what is going on here?!?!
• Oh hey, I still love my job!

December

• Best Christmas party ever! #redbrickchristmas
• CHRISTMAS with the Egberts
• Got a gold star
• ROSS came home from his mission
• Rode the brand new FrontRunner to SLC
• Sarah came to visit!
• An Osmond performed at my school!
• Got an iPad for school
• Surprising "reconnect with old friends and cousins" month-love it!
• Festival of Trees

So, doing it that way is pretty thorough, but I definitely feel guilty if I forgot something...

Another option would be the ol' "write every highlight you can think of right off the bat because that will mean it was the most important things" method (I'm just going to write things that aren't included in the previous list):

Love my roommates - started "the list"- saw some excellent movies - Got my "13 point freaking one" sweatshirt - made some new friends - made some new friends again - put in some white extensions - put in some pink/purple/blue extensions - spent a lot of quality time at the doctor and dentist - went 1 month without sugar - rediscovered my violin - decided I never want to leave my school ever - 

hmmm, well, I am kind of done, and kind of bored thinking of things...

The last way is the "year in pictures" method. I have been pretty good about posting pictures here and on the FB, so I will forgo that option.  Honestly, who am I kidding. No one wants a catalog of my life in 2012! On that note, since you already read it, whether you wanted it or not...

VIVE LE FRANCE!

Here's to 2013. I've got some big plans. Stay tuned.