So I just found my old blog and it's kind of entertaining. When I googled it to see if I could find it (since I didn't even remember the URL for it), the post it pulled up was from February of 2008 and it was all about my crazy roommate from back in the day. Seriously, read about it. Here. It's hilarious now looking back on it, but I swore at the time that girl was going to be the death of me. Well, I realized as I was reading about that experience that it's been 3 years since that happened. A lot can happen in 3 years and a lot has happened for me in these last 3 years. I just felt like reflecting on my fabulous life, so here's a recap:
- I successfully moved out of that apartment and into a different one with 3 girls I had never met before. The Spirit could be felt so easily in this new apartment that the difference astounded me. In the old apartment, I went through a couple of good roommates, but fighting with the other few made it difficult for much good to be felt in our home. It turned out to be a blessing that I had to move into this different place because that's where I received my answer to serve a mission for my church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I remember very well that sweet feeling of clarity as I realized that's what I needed to do.
- Skylar came home from his mission in Poland! That was definitely a highlight. I loved spending that very short week with him before I dashed off to El Salvador for a while. Then the very short week before I did EFY. And finally the very short week before I left for my mission.
- During the summer of 2008 I got to spend a couple of months in El Salvador with a non-profit organization called Help International. I gained invaluable experiences there as I served those that I thought needed help. I found out though that I needed plenty of help too. I wish I had pictures on this laptop from those months. Maybe one day I'll get them on here!
- That same summer I got to be an EFY (church youth camp) counselor for the first time and discovered that the youth in this church understand WAY more about Christ's gospel than I did at that age! The youth today are so strong. I'm constantly amazed.
- Finally, the time came in July of 2008 for me to serve that so-desired mission. I was called to serve in Tacoma, WA and I can't think of a better place for the Lord to send me. Of course the area was BEAUTIFUL (being on the west coast rain forest), but the people were incredible. I've never met such wonderful, humble, spiritual people!
- On July 1, 2009 my brother Joseph was in a fatal car accident. It was a very hard period in our lives, but I found great comfort in knowing that the Lord was aware of all of us and had a plan. I've never been so grateful to have a testimony of Christ's gospel and His plan of salvation in my life. Interestingly, I've never felt so much love from my Father in Heaven as I did during that painful time. I love my brother and miss him constantly, but I know that we'll be together as a family forever.
- I got home in February of 2010 with the idea that since Skylar and I were never going to date again (because I stopped talking to him for various silly reasons while I was on my mission), we were never going to be friends again either (that was always HIS thing - that if we couldn't be together, it probably wouldn't work for us to be just friends). I was very wrong on both counts. We quickly picked up where we left off and I knew VERY early on that we would be getting married that summer. Skylar had known that all along.
- The summer before we got married, I got to do a few more weeks of being an EFY counselor. Again, it was amazing. But even more so this time around.
- On July 30, 2010 we were married for time and all eternity in the LDS Dallas, Texas Temple. It was pretty awesome. Then a couple weeks later we packed up and moved to Utah so I could finish out my degree at BYU. We moved into a simply fabulous, ultra ghetto, 110 year old house that had been split up into several apartments. We love it here. And Skylar is working to get his roofing business going. (Need a permanent roof that's pretty and very eco-friendly? Marvelous. Contact me.)
All in all, it's been a pretty sweet 3 years. Of course there have been plenty of rough patches in there, but the sweet has far outweighed the bitter. Life is good!
- I successfully moved out of that apartment and into a different one with 3 girls I had never met before. The Spirit could be felt so easily in this new apartment that the difference astounded me. In the old apartment, I went through a couple of good roommates, but fighting with the other few made it difficult for much good to be felt in our home. It turned out to be a blessing that I had to move into this different place because that's where I received my answer to serve a mission for my church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I remember very well that sweet feeling of clarity as I realized that's what I needed to do.
- Skylar came home from his mission in Poland! That was definitely a highlight. I loved spending that very short week with him before I dashed off to El Salvador for a while. Then the very short week before I did EFY. And finally the very short week before I left for my mission.
- During the summer of 2008 I got to spend a couple of months in El Salvador with a non-profit organization called Help International. I gained invaluable experiences there as I served those that I thought needed help. I found out though that I needed plenty of help too. I wish I had pictures on this laptop from those months. Maybe one day I'll get them on here!
- That same summer I got to be an EFY (church youth camp) counselor for the first time and discovered that the youth in this church understand WAY more about Christ's gospel than I did at that age! The youth today are so strong. I'm constantly amazed.
- Finally, the time came in July of 2008 for me to serve that so-desired mission. I was called to serve in Tacoma, WA and I can't think of a better place for the Lord to send me. Of course the area was BEAUTIFUL (being on the west coast rain forest), but the people were incredible. I've never met such wonderful, humble, spiritual people!
- On July 1, 2009 my brother Joseph was in a fatal car accident. It was a very hard period in our lives, but I found great comfort in knowing that the Lord was aware of all of us and had a plan. I've never been so grateful to have a testimony of Christ's gospel and His plan of salvation in my life. Interestingly, I've never felt so much love from my Father in Heaven as I did during that painful time. I love my brother and miss him constantly, but I know that we'll be together as a family forever.
- I got home in February of 2010 with the idea that since Skylar and I were never going to date again (because I stopped talking to him for various silly reasons while I was on my mission), we were never going to be friends again either (that was always HIS thing - that if we couldn't be together, it probably wouldn't work for us to be just friends). I was very wrong on both counts. We quickly picked up where we left off and I knew VERY early on that we would be getting married that summer. Skylar had known that all along.
- The summer before we got married, I got to do a few more weeks of being an EFY counselor. Again, it was amazing. But even more so this time around.
- On July 30, 2010 we were married for time and all eternity in the LDS Dallas, Texas Temple. It was pretty awesome. Then a couple weeks later we packed up and moved to Utah so I could finish out my degree at BYU. We moved into a simply fabulous, ultra ghetto, 110 year old house that had been split up into several apartments. We love it here. And Skylar is working to get his roofing business going. (Need a permanent roof that's pretty and very eco-friendly? Marvelous. Contact me.)
All in all, it's been a pretty sweet 3 years. Of course there have been plenty of rough patches in there, but the sweet has far outweighed the bitter. Life is good!
What a novel idea! Will do.
ReplyDeleteI might cry the day I hear that my DOG has a baby in her belly! It'll be really exciting!
ReplyDelete