Ketchup

I guess it's been a while since my last blog post... oops! It happens. I thought my title was clever, maybe it's just me personality... My mom and I bottled ketchup at the cannery and it was wonderful to spend the day with her! By the end I was ready to sit down and not to ready to eat ketchup again any time soon.
In the last couple of months I have started working at Steve's Krazy Sub again. It has been a breath of fresh air--like coming home--and so much fun! I also started babysitting for a family every now and then so I am making enough money to keep me going for the summer.

Baby Kacee graduated high school! Whoop whoop! It was so fun to see her walk across that stage. After spending a weekend in Utah she was able to come to Arizona and stay with me for a whole week! It was so much fun and I made sure I quickly shoved her into the single's ward scene. It was a blast!

We found a candy store in Chandler and had a little too much fun...

A little over a month ago Zoey got sick out of the blue, within two weeks she was gone. I went in to check on her one day and noticed she was fading fast. I told my dad then got in the shower so we could take her to the vet. By the time I got out of the shower she had passed. That fat little furrball has been a best friend to me. She always knew when I was sad or sick and knew how to comfort me. I loved coming home to her wagging her tail so hard she couldn't even stand up. She is so missed, but her spirit is still here. That part is actually pretty funny! Any member of my family will be doing their own thing then randomly say something like "Ope there's Zoey!" or "Zoey's crying!" or even "Will someone let Zoey out??". The other day I swear I saw her walking around in the kitchen. It makes sense though; she was so spoiled rotten here, why would she go anywhere else? Her absence has for sure been an adjustment.

My car has been fixed! The timing belt did break but fortunately it was a lot less to fix than we had anticipated. It is at the shop waiting to be picked up so hopefully I will have it back soon.
My soon-to-be-roommate Brooke called me a while back to tell me that the housing plans we thought we had settled fell through. It was a ton of frustration trying this and that, calling different complexes.. especially from another city. But we finally were able to figure it out! We had to put more money down than any of us had hoped for but where we will be staying is cheaper, redone, and right on campus. We got the lease today and we are so excited for another fun year up at Northern Arizona University!

Two days ago, Saturday, I got home from a week long trip at Lake Powell! My friend Jessica's family has a time share on a houseboat so she invited me and Emi to come along with them and two other families. It was the best week ever! Jessica has a younger brother who is going to be a senior in high school this year and he brought along two friends as well. I remember seeing them and thinking "Oh crap, these punks are going to drive us nuts by the end of the week!" But within a couple days we were one big family. We did everything together and had so much fun. We never got sick of each other for one minute and were already planning our next lake trip before this trip was over. Also, I am finally successful and wakeboarding and wakesurfing! That is the best feeling accomplishment! I had so much fun! Every fall was worth it but I am so happy there will be less falls from now on. I may have gotten my first concussion this week too from falling off the tube. Still worth it. It was only minor but it's a cool story.

Finally, yesterday was Rian's first birthday! We are all in awe at how quick this last year has gone by. This little nugget has brought our family together in so many ways. I have loved every minute of watching her learn and grow. She has yet to say her favorite aunt's name, but that will come soon enough! She is walking, talking, dancing, and getting in to something constantly but we wouldn't have it any other way!

<PS> If you have yet to check out Hello Kierra B Photography, you're missing out! My friends are so incredibly talented! http://hellokierrabphotography.com/

I will Survive... And I have!

I have survived my first year of college! How crazy is that?? I am still having a hard time with it. As of today I have been out of school for three weeks. And so far... I have done nothing with myself. I am not much of a fan of mot having a definite schedule. I was supposed to have a full-time summer job in customer service as soon as I got home. But, as luck would have it, when I called ready to work my boss informed me that she didn't actually need me. I have put my name in at a few places now and still no response. It makes me wish I had stayed in Flagstaff for the summer and worked at one or more of the options I had placed in front of me there. I miss Flagstaff a lot too. I guess everything happens for a reason right? Soon enough I will find out what the reason is. Perhaps this is one of the reasons; my car broke down. Thank goodness I was not in Flagstaff for that! I'm still praying that it is fixable but with 275,000+ miles on it my hopes aren't too high. I was driving it and in the middle of the road it just decided to shut down. That's not normal right? Thankfully there were two nice men and their wives that stopped behind me to push my little Toyota out of the street and into a parking lot. I am so grateful for Heavenly Father's small tender mercies and the knowledge that there are kind, generous people everywhere you are!

This car was my savior this last semester! She really is ol' reliable. Kept me safe a couple of times sliding on ice even.. (Don't tell my dad) Even though her antenna is broken, has only one working speaker, no headlights, crank windows, tweets like a bird, rattles like an air conditioning unit, is as tiny as a clown car, and smells like a skunk in the heat and rain... I could not have wished for a better car! Maybe it's just because I learned how to drive a manual with this car, but I really have become so attached. Here's hoping she's alright!

In other news, did I say I miss Flagstaff? I did? Guess that's all I really think about. I might have the chance of going up for the day tomorrow but we will see. Here at home I am just enjoying spending time with my family. Mostly Kandyce and Rian! Rian is so big! She says a few words-mostly dog and mama-and is very close to walking!

I am enjoying singles ward here as well. My good friend Emi is helping me out to make some friends here so we are able to keep ourselves busy with fun things. The YSA in Mesa puts on country swing dancing every Wednesday and we are enjoying going to that along with an institute class at ASU. Other than that it is exciting to see what fun and new things we are invited to go to. For those of you in the valley with free Wednesday nights, I definitely recommend trying out country swing! Sometimes it is hit or miss so you have to come at least twice then I'm sure you will be addicted. It is so much fun!

My goal this summer is still to get a good job so that I am able to buy my own car. I'm praying things work out for the best! But until then I am enjoying seeing my family every day and making friends and making memories. Life after high school is stressful and completely different than anything I could have prepared myself for... But it is wonderful!! I wouldn't change a thing!

The Month of April

Time sure flies... I feel like it was just Spring Break! Now I only have two weeks until the end of the semester? Crazy. And the last three weeks have been nothing but that! It seems the homework is never ending. At times I hardly keep track of what day it is... Actually that is every day.
Yesterday morning my wonderful roommate Paige talked to me about a mentoring class she was going to have that night. Later that say when I asked where she was going she was confused when I told her I thought she had that class the night before. "It's still Thursday??", I thought. My brain may be just about fried.

         My final two weeks to do list:
Spanish book project
Study for Spanish Final
Anthropology Project Research
Anthropology Final Essay
Math Unit 15
Study for Math Final
Psychology Chapters 14 and 15 Notes
Study for Psych final
        May not seem like much but I will definitely will be relying on some prayers to have enough time to get through it all. Because on top of all that I actually have to GO to class...
Then freedom!

From homework at least.
Temporarily

This summer is going to be a busy one! I will be working 30-40 hours a week to save enough money to buy a car. BTW> I am looking to buy an older Toyota 4Runner so if anyone knows of someone planning on selling theirs end of July/beginning of August, I am interested! 150,000 miles or less would be even better.
It is so exciting thinking that soon I will be purchasing my own first car! Does that mean I am growing up?

Speaking of growing up... There are just over FOUR MONTHS until I am no longer a teenager. That is so frightening. What should I do in my last four months being a teenager? I think I need to do something crazy before I hit my second decade and have to act like a mature adult... at least more often that I do now.

So the last few weeks have been busy busy.. But wonderful! My friends and family keep me thriving. The weather in Flagstaff is finally starting to warm up. Slowly but surely. Though it still has it's days where it decides to throw a bone-chilling wind at us. Those are not my favorite. I am looking forward to the sun! I have missed the heat. I do wish I could take the summer weather of Flagstaff to the valley with me. I am not so much looking forward to 115* weather. Swimming? Yes. Need to find a new suit.

Finally, this weekend is a big one! My dear friend of 8 years Chaille Jensen returned home from BYU Jerusalem late last night. She spent an entire semester halfway across the world. Although I cannot spend this whole weekend with her I am excited to see her on Sunday! Sunday is the only day I get to spend with her because she actually is living in Utah for the summer. It kills me for us to be apart but no matter the distance we manage to stay the closest of friends. I cannot wait to see her and her brother who just came home from mission in Switzerland.

Wrapping up this long post... I am excited to wrap up the school year! It's unbelievable that I am almost finished with my first year of college. It's a crazy and wonderful thought. I cannot wait to see what next year has in store!! Moving in to an apartment... more crazy classes plus work... and just not being a freshman! Bring it on :)

Love you all

Living a Little Hippie Life

Over Spring Break the institute here in Flagstaff takes an annual backpacking trip. This year we were able to spend three nights in the beautiful Escalante, Utah! Before packing up, Mckaylee and I received a personal two hour tutorial on tents, sleeping bags, food, clothes, jackets, packs, shoes, water, stoves, and wild animals from my aunt who is pretty much as pro as you can get. She saved our tushies! It was a long drive up to Utah where we camped out so we got some sleep, slept in a little late, but we were up and ready to get going by lunch!


Before all the dirt and sweat...


(me, Marlee, Kelsi, Kayla, Mallery, Mckaylee)



The first day a few of us got a little lost. Not lost, but took a wrong turn.. After a while of exploring we figured everyone was probably back at the cars so we headed back and started eating lunch. It wasn't until about an hour later that everyone else came back wondering where we were. Oops. So our hike that day was cut short.

The next two days we hiked to Jacob Hamblin's arch, and it was beautiful! Another bonus was that most of the hike was sand so we were able to walk barefoot and be cooled down every time we crossed the river. How's that for hippie??



The hike was so fun! Everyone that came was wonderful and so much fun. I love meeting knew people and being able to share fun memories like this one!



I am allowed to show off a little right?



So this mountain was pretty steep. And that's me, Spiderman. Brother Kilgrow handed me down the rope but as I started climbing I realized it was angled enough to simply go with momentum. I ditched my pack (making one of the boys take it up) and mountain goat-ed up that little mountain. It was a rush, made me think that I might actually start mountain climbing. But when I got to the top I definitely could not get my knees to stop chattering. Looking down I realized had my shoes not had very good tread I could have rolled right on down. But I survived and enjoyed the confidence boost.

The Three M's

Marriage, Missions, and Mommies...

Isn't that what everyone is doing these days? If I could make a list of all the wonderful people fulfilling one or more of these things I would.. But I honestly can't! There are too many. I am truly blessed to know such fantastic people gaining their blessings of the temple but I just cannot keep up. Too many happy goodbyes. In the last even, four months I don't know how many receptions I have been to. And missions calls? I lost count as soon as President Monson said "we have also given consideration to the age at which a young woman might serve". Thinking of those words coming out of his mouth, my heart wrenches with excitement for all the women who will now be able to serve a mission who previously would not have had the opportunity. I know that the work is moving forward! The Lord's church is growing as the gathering of His sheep becomes more urgent.

But I am sick of saying goodbye. It's a great goodbye when they are in a nametag and tie but I am ready for these wonderful missionaries to start coming home. In the month of April I know of four boys (men!) coming home from serving full-time missionaries, and I am so excited! Every time one comes home I have flashbacks of all the crazy fun things we did as highschoolers and remember how blessed I am to have had such great friends.

With these snowballing amount of The Three M's comes the question... "Are you dating anyone or are going on a mission?" "Well I'm going to school!" Of course I have prayed about a mission and have a great desire to serve but as of right now it is not my turn. I am continuing to do my best as a member missionary and see the blessings as I do so. And I love dating! Which is one reason I know I am not ready to have ring on my finger. I am still a kid enjoying my last few months of being a teenager before hitting the dreaded... TWENTY. Plus, I LOVE college! I love NAU, I love Flagstaff, I all the experiences I am having, and I love everything I am learning about myself and the world. I know right now I am making the decisions I need to make for myself. No doubt. All the people of The Three M's are making the right decisions for them. And all is wonderful! It's a happy day when I see another friend choosing to serve the world and get set on their adventure of a lifetime. I love the love in people's eyes and the ear-to-ear beam on their faces as they prepare for eternity together.

Life after high school is a time to make decisions and learn. Everyone learns in a different way. Everyone can benefit from another's learning. And that's what makes life fun and full of surprises.

As I walked to class on Friday this song came on my Pandora station. Looking out the window of the Health and Learning Center and seeing this beautiful snow storm, it seemed quite fitting. Although the snow could have caused our death driving back to valley, it is quite amazing. I love the purity of snow. At times I think my toes, nose, ears, and hair might fall off, but I always I find myself unable to keep from smiling. I love living in a place so majestic.

The B Book

I thought I would explain my title a bit.. I love Dr. Seuss! His messages within such simple poetry have so much to teach. When I was little I had The B Book memorized. "Big Brown Bear blowing bubbles biking backwards bump baby bird's balloon..." There isn't much of a lesson there, it's just simple fun, but it is fun to reminisce on the little things that made you smile as a kid. Here are a  few of his quotes for today...

Decision Making

I made this blog mostly for myself but if I can enlighten or cheer up one person who reads it then I will feel fulfilled. My heart has been so full the last few weeks. I have been faced with making decisions that Heavenly Father knew I had the strength to make, even when I didn't believe it. Although I wish someone could hit me and tell me which path I am supposed to take, I know my testimony and faith are strengthened when I am assured that I have made a correct decision.
I first came here to NAU simply because they offered me the most financial aid and I thought it would be an easy adjustment to college life. What a blessing those two things have been! Since before I graduated high school I knew I wanted to study music therapy and work with kids with autism. I know I have so much to learn from these earthy angels. NAU does not have a music therapy degree so I planned on only being here for a year then transferring to ASU or Utah State. ASU never felt right and out-of-state tuition is expensive so I started looking into BYU-Idaho. I applied, and have been accepted! As soon as I received the email I started planning out everything I was going to do until I got there. That night I called my mom and my excitement turned into insecurity. And after that, more and more things began to get even better in Flagstaff. I prayed to Heavenly Father asking Him to let me know if Idaho was not the right choice for me. It sounds ridiculous though, that a church school can be the wrong place to attend. Finally the irritation got the best of me and I changed my mind. "Fine! I'm staying in Flagstaff!" And the weight was gone.
I almost become sad when I think of not experiencing attendance at BYU-Idaho, almost. But I know the fact that I'm not really sad is a sign that I am supposed to stay in Flagstaff. I definitely did not expect to fall in love with this place as much as I have. The laid-back hippie life has rubbed off on me. I remember coming up to Flagstaff to visit my aunt, uncle, and cousins as a little girl and absolutely loving it. I begged and begged my mom to bring us up more often. Now I'm up here fulfilling my dream. It's like Heavenly Father knew I would love it before I did. I love the feeling. I love the people. I love the fresh air. I love the food. And I most of all love that I know I meant to be here.
Along with that, I will not be studying Music Therapy, but actually Human Development. I have recently heard of a field in child development where I can certify as a specialist and work with parents to help their children learn and grow healthily and happily. I expect this job to be just as rewarding and blessing rich to myself, my family, and others and their families as a job as a music therapist. I am so excited to get started!
I am so grateful for the power of prayer. I love the scriptures and everything about the Gospel, but my favorite part about being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is having a constant communication opportunity with my Father in Heaven. It is such a blessed gift.