After going to the temple this morning, my room mates and I drove over to Mesa Falls. We went last semester, but it is too gorgeous to not go again. I love this place!
told you it was gorgeous!
Later tonight I went on an awesome scavenger hunt date and rode tandem bikes; the side by side ones. so fun!
Tuesday was my 19th birthday! Wowwy I feel so old. I can officially go on a mission! haha theres really nothing else special about 19. IT was actually the first birthday away from home. sad. but thats okay :)
I have the best room mates and family ever! They totally spoiled me. I woke up to a decorated apartment and letters and a package in the mail from my family. My mommy sent us a costa vida gift card to go out for bday dinner. YUM! Thanks momma! I had a wonderful day!
Bring on the 19th year! the 19th has so much to offer! Finishing the rest of the semester out awesome with tons of adventures, going through the temple, family is coming up here to rexburg and having megan stay with me!!!, going home and getting ready for MTC/Russia!! whaaaaat?? still cant believe Im going on a mission sometimes. seriously so excited.
This semester is going to be way more fun than Fall was. It is already! I love it up here. I'm definitely more social than I was last semester.
I'm so happy:) Even though I'm swamped with homework all the time. I seriously feel like I am always 2 steps behind. nah...more like 5 steps behind.
I love my roommates!
(Krysti and Meagan are missing from this picture but they are great too!!)
Tenesia, Ashley, and Hannah
Some of my adventures lately:
Saw 'The Host' and went bowling on a date--it was so good! a little slow, but great. and I creamed our group!
Mission Call openings! I love to go to these and watch them online! Even if these brothers and sisters are strangers, I feel so much love and excitement for them. Congratulations to Susan(South Carolina Columbia), Kyle (Mexico), Ellis (Argentina Resistencia), and Meredith (Pennsylvania Pittsburgh). You will all be super amazing missionaries! Some more are coming this week too!
Grocery store games: You can get 1 treat and whoever is closest to $1 after tax wins and loser buys. little creative.
Sister Julie B Beck came and spoke to us last Tuesday.
A service date; we made and took dinner to a handicapped student in the same apartment building and ate with him. A very humbling experience.
Bonfire/Game night. We went to the bonfire, but it was super lame so we came home and played Wacky Six instead.
The Temple. I LOVE going to the Rexburg Temple. Because there are so
many students there, there is a lot of time sitting and waiting, but I'd
rather call it pondering, praying, and doing personal study.
A random guy kept doorbell ditching goodies at out door. like multiple times and on different days. 18 boxes of candy, and like 3 things of oreos and chips ahoy, and a huge bag of salt water taffy. The note said: "enjoy the sweets. from that one guy." What college kid can a. afford to do this for strangers!? and b. has the heart to! It was so nice!
We met our FHE Family. They are all so nice! It's going to be a great semester with them and the ward.
Two Week Book of Mormon Quick Read is so very hard. I am a little behind...
Lots of time at the library
Shooting date!!! I shot a gun. I can check that off the bucket list! Actually, I shot like 5 guns. 3 different 22s, a shotgun, and a 40 caliber pistol. Super awesome. We shot targets and clay pigeons and I'm actually decent! The pistol was definitely the scariest and the loudest. yikes. but so awesome!!!! I loved it.
Shooting with Jacob
That's right. That's me!!! conquered a fear.
The Piano Guys are coming to Rexburg tomorrow and we have tickets! I can't wait to see them live! Its going to be so cool.
Lately my favorite thing is Alex Boye....That man's got talent.
Can I just say...I am so glad to be back up here. I just love it so much.
Also, Happy Birthday Megan and Bryson!!! You guys are growing up way too fast.
Scripture thought: Doctrine and Covenants 30:11-13
"Go your way whithersoever I will, and it shall be given you by the Comforter what you shall do and whithersoever you shall go. Pray always, lest you enter into temptations and lose your reward. Be faithful unto the end, and lo, I am with you." Go forward with faith. Notice how it says, GO and THEN you will be guided by the spirit. Sometimes we have to take that step into the darkness and let that light follow right behind.
You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the Russia Moscow Mission. You should prepare to preach the gospel in the Russian Language.
Yes ladies and gentlemen, I am going to Russia!!!! Did not see that one coming. Grandpa did apparently though. He was the only one who guessed it right! Which makes it easier for me 'cause I only have to bake cookies for one person.
Can you see me spittin' out Russian?! I can't. I'll probably end up with the nickname Olga or something when I come home.
I got the call in the mail Thursday morning right before class and it was in my backpack all day. TORTURE. I wanted to peak and then pretend to be surprised when I opened it on Skype, but I figured mom would have my head. haha And I really did want it to be a surprise.
Mom got this great video of the party that was goin' on on the other
side of the skype camera that she posted on facebook but I cant figure
out how to share it to blogger...so bummer.
Before I opened it, my little brother caleb sang me "I Hope They Call Me On A Mission." So precious. That triggered the tears for sure!
When I saw "Russia Moscow," this overwhelming, indescribable feeling of peace came over me and I knew that it was of God for ME. Even if it said "Idaho Boise" I would have felt the same way. Only God knows why we are going where we are going and He has a plan for each of us in this life. The difficult, yet exciting, part is figuring out what it is.
Funny Story...So I have, more than once, called it "Rushcow Mossa." For some odd reason, it is a tongue twister for me.
Caleb Singing to me
Chandler made this great collage!
Whoa that's huge
Thank you to my friends and family who documented this moment and who have supported me :)
I just want to testify that I know that this church is the true church on the earth and that missionaries are called of God for the divine purpose of bringing souls unto Christ. I love my Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ and I am so thankful for the plan that they have for me and for everything they have blessed me and my family with. I am so excited to serve as a representative of Him and Christ and I can't wait to serve the people of Russia as well.
Jessica's last sunday at church before leaving for the MTC. She will be an amazing missionary in Florida and she will missed here.
Picnic in the park with Matthew. Always a good time with this one:)
Starbucks with Stacey! :) Iv missed this girl.
Pinkies up!
Tuesday night Matt took me to dinner at Amanda Fondas. It was so yummy!
Wednesday I went to say goodbye to Stacey. I also went to Starbucks with Matt and said goodbye to him. I tried the most delicious hot cocoa ever! It is definitely my new favorite! White Chocolate hot cocoa with peppermint. Go try it if you havent! So yummy! I'll see these two soon:) Its never really goodbye. I have to keep telling myself that when Im saying "see ya later" to all my friends (stacey and matt as I go off to school again, and jessica as she goes on a mission!!)
Iv always wanted to snap a pic of this sign! Finally did it!
Semis along the backroads lined up waiting for i80 to open.
So... funny story.
Ashley and I start driving to Rexburg Thursday morning.
Everything looks hunky dory til we get to northern colorado and southern wyoming.
Then, things get hairy. well, icy i guess.
I have NEVER been more stressed out while driving in my entire life. not even as stressed out as the very first time I ever drove. EVER!
there were parts where we were going literally 5mph on the interstate!
not to mention we were closed in by Semis the entire way. THAT was scary.
While Ashley was driving on this 2 lane highway a semi slid right as it was passing us. THAT was also scary.
Anyways...we make it to cheyenne and then they closed i80. perfect!
Im glad they closed it though because it was death out there.
So they sent us back to Fort Collins so we could take a different route to Laramie where we stayed in a hotel all by ourselves and waited for the road to open up which it did the next morning.
And we were off again! Still a very scary drive. Super windy, icy, and blown snow, but definitely not as bad as it was the day before.
Apparently Wyoming didnt want us to leave because a few miles before crossing the border into idaho poor Cleatus started making weird noises and all of the gauges started shaking, and flying up and down and so we pulled over and turned the car off thinking he only needed a nap.
So about 10 minutes later we tried to turn him on again.
nope.
didnt start.
So there i am waving Jumper Cables in the air, while cars are flying down the interstate in middle of the woods with no cell phone service.
OH! and its raining.
of course.
Soon enough two nice guys pulled over and jumped the car for us. It was so nice of them! and we were very grateful.
SO! we set off again and made it to Rexburg safely and on time to check into our apartment.
What a DAY!
Cleatus still makes this weird putting sound which I am still kind of worried about, but other than that he is running great:)
Cleatus was a mess! this does not even begin to capture the thick nasties caked all over him!
Stuck on the side of the road...in the woods
We are safe now!
I am so thankful for the time I was able to spend in Colorado Springs with my closest friends. and I can't wait to come back after my mission. It's weird to think I probably wont be there again til then. This trip was a fantastic way to wrap up my offtrack semester.
I am so thankful that me and ashley made it safely, even if things did go wrong, I knew Heavenly Father was watching out for us and keeping us safe.
And the Spring Semester begins! Goodluck with this new semester everyone:) It is sure to be a good one.
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