Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Hermana Taets :)

Madison goes into the MTC TODAY!!!!!! I can't believe it!!!

Her farewell talk was on Sunday, but I didn't get to make it. :'( I was going to meet some friends at the institute that morning and carpool over to Avondale with them. I almost made it to the 'tute, but as I got closer to ASU, I started seeing some orange cones. Ok, construction, no biggie...but then, I started seeing bikers. Lots and lots of bikers. It was a triathlon, and it was pretty much impossible to get onto the campus. I was soooo bummed and pretty much cried all the way back home. But I called Madi on Monday and we got to talk for a bit, yay! She sounded sooo happy and excited!!

Madison is one of the strongest people I've ever met, and she is going to be such a great missionary. I'm sooo grateful that Heavenly Father allowed our paths to cross again! I know the Texans are going to fall in love with her, and she'll love them right back.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Missing U5



bahahahaha!!

Monday, October 19, 2009

Let's do this!!

Click on the smiley face to read all about it! :)

In other news...I just got back from an interview with Barnes & Noble. It went good; we'll see if I get a call back. Keep your fingers crossed, please!

I got to see all of my wonderful friends at 5th Ward yesterday morning!! It was so great to see everyone again! But boy, has that ward changed a lot! It's huuuge!! The Relief Society fills up the chapel, haha! I also went to my new ward in the afternoon, and I came home happy! :) Yay! I'm starting to feel a little more comfortable there, and I'm seeing more and more familiar faces each week. The talks were really great, too; one gal who spoke had just returned home after serving a mission in Nauvoo, so she shared some of her experiences from that, and Brother Calton, one of my favorite institute teachers, talked about General Conference.

And that reminds me, I never wrote a post with my thoughts on the last Conference! Oops! So in a nutshell, it was A-MAY-Zinnng. As always. :) One thing I especially noticed, though, that I don't remember doing a whole lot in previous conferences, is that I laughed a lot from things the speakers said. I hope that doesn't sound bad, I had my serious moments, too, haha! I just found myself laughing a lot more with the speakers...maybe I'm understanding Mormon humor better?? Anywho, it was kinda fun to be feeling the Spirit so strongly, but also to have some of those lighter moments, as well.

I will write some more thoughts on Conference in my next post, but I've gotta run now...love you all and hope you're doing fabulously!!

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Call Me Irresponsible

Woohoo, I've made it to 11 months!! I can't believe it's been almost a whole year since my baptism...crazy!

I like making lists; it makes me feel very accomplished when I can check something off as done. :) Sooo here are some goals I hope to accomplish over the next few weeks up until my favorite day on the calendar.

  • Go to the temple at least once a week. Attending the temple regularly is something I need to work on. I love the temple, but I guess I just find myself "too busy" to go, or "too this" or "too that" or whatever. By the way, most Americans think that "whatever" is the most annoying word to ever be put in our vocabulary. What do you think? Kind of a funny story, I was getting ready to go to the temple one night, after having been maybe a week or so before, and my mom asked what I'd be doing there. I told her I was going to do baptisms, and she went, "a-GAIN???" (I don't know if she said it that loud, but it sounded pretty loud to me, haha.) I really do love the temple, and I want to make it a part of my life...I don't want it to seem like a big deal or an event whenever I go, I just want to go.
  • Get the nerve up to ask my mom if she wants to talk to the missionaries. We'd talked a little bit about the possibility before the move, and she said "maybe." I wonder if that's another one of the most annoying words...it's not yes but it's not no, it's just in between.
  • Be a better example, especially to my family. This one's on-going. Chris definitely keeps me on my toes, especially with the WoW...if I pull out a Coke, he yells out, "Bad Mormon!!" haha, oh brother. :)
  • Speak up more in Sunday School and RS.
  • Make a major decision about my mission. This may or may not be accomplished by November 15....we'll see. The major decision being when to put in my papers. My savings account is looking pretty sad right now, so I'm thinking I won't have the $10,000 I'll need by March...or April...or May...or June (I don't know when exactly I would have to have the money...but you get the idea). So I may go ahead and just wait until closer to my 22nd birthday...my parents would be a lot happier, and it would give me a little more time to prepare myself. Again, we'll see.

I wish I had more goals, but my brain is not working for me right now. If I think of more, I'll add them, and if you have any thoughts, I'd be happy to hear them! :)

I love you all, and I'm so grateful for my friends. I hope y'all know how much I appreciate each of you.

P.S. I have a job interview tomorrow; please pray for me!!

P.S.S. The title has nothing to do with this post. It's been a weird few days and I just have Michael Buble going through my head.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

What do you do?

What do you do when one of your friends is having a hard time and all you can do is sit on the sidelines, even though you want to step in and help?

What do you do if that same friend is the one who introduced you to the Church and the gospel, and it's looking like we're finally going our separate ways?

I'm relying on my testimony of the gospel now more than ever to get me through this. After all, the people who show you the way are important, but it's the message that really counts. And I know that I have a Friend in Christ, and He will always be there.

He lives, my kind, wise heav'nly Friend.
He lives and loves me to the end...

Monday, October 12, 2009

Samantha Crowe

On Saturday, October 10, my family had to make the hard decision to put one of our babies to sleep. We all knew it was time. Mom and I didn't go to the vet, but Dad was with her till the end.

Sam was as much a part of our family as any one of us, just like our other 3 kitties. We loved her to pieces, and she will always have a special place in our hearts. She was with us for a good long 15 years; we got her as a kitten in Jacksonville.

The hardest part is waking up in the morning. I don't remember for a bit, and then it hits me. And the tears come. I try to keep my crying time to when I am alone, so that Mom doesn't have to see. She was especially attached to her.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Dreamin'

So late last night or early this morning (I couldn't tell--I was asleep), I was having a dream. Not of California or sugarplums. But of my mission call.

I had the envelope in my hands, and my family and I were sitting in the living room. I slowly pulled out the letter, and read aloud, "You are assigned to labor in the...Chile Earl Grey Mission." Maybe I went to bed hungry last night??

I kept reading the letter. I was supposed to report to the MTC on September 42 (yes, 42 as in forty-two)...and then I realized that...wait, we're already in the month of October!! And then I realized that I wasn't even 21 yet...and then my parents told me that they had changed their minds, that I couldn't go on a mission after all...

And then I woke up.

And then I realized that I still have five more months to the day before I can turn in my papers.


Oh yeah, and I quit my job (in real life, not in my dream). So I'm on the hunt once again...but I feel like everything's going to be ok. :)

Happy Conference Weekend!!!!! :D