Wants.

So I find that just as you are wanting to go to sleep is when your brain decides to go crazy and think of EVERYTHING. So here I am, well I was just thinking about all the things I want or would like to happen. (There is a lot.)

I want:

- A job...money saved.

- Time to slow down and speed up when desirable.

- To get out of this city.

- To be in school.

- Answers to questions that stay on my mind all the time.

- To hug my best friends again.

That is just a short list because really, who likes listening to "I want, I want, I want"? No one. Thats why I don't talk about it often and it just sits up there in my mind all the time. So anyways, there are things on that list that are unrealistic at the moment (or ever. haha) and there are others that I can achieve and go for. I have learned that you may want one thing and recieve another and THAT is the Lord's work in your life.

He gives us what we NEED and not necessarily what we "want" or would "like". He gives us trials and such to make us grown and become stronger. It is when we get through those times, that we will either get what we want or in most cases realize that those things weren't as important as we once thought. It is in those times we become the most humble and become more like Him. We grow through Him giving us the things he knows we actually need and that in the long run will make us happier and better people.

He always knows whats best for us, even when we can't see it for ourselves. We just all need to have more faith in Him and His plan for us. I'm learning that more and more every day.

Until Then.

One more time...for Elder Taylor.

Saying goodbye to not one but TWO friends in one day was no good. haha Well anyways, Taylor's turn.

"Hi, I'm Taylor and I like to party." hahaha This is how Taylor introduces himself and I'm gonna miss that! Anyways, I met Taylor back in Dance Festival days as well. Oh those were some good times. We've become so much closer since then and I am so thankful for that. Its been awesome hanging out all the time, visiting him at Walmart, making smores at the top of a mountain, dancing crazy at YSA dances, our Utah road trip, and everything in between. By the way, Taylor also gives great hugs! haha So good that it definitely made me cry when we said our goodbyes today.

Well Taylor, I can't believe its time. But I know how long you've waited to leave so you're super excited and that is wonderful. I don't think Argentina knows whats coming to them! haha I love your fun loving attitude. You have so much knowledge in you about the gospel and its so great that you get to share it with others so that they may feel the joy you have. I love that you're always so willing to help anyone that needs it, that will definitely come in handy! Always know how strong you are because you are one of the strongest people I know. You always know what to say and how to say it...whether it be serious or funny. You're wonderful! I hope you do all that you're meant to out there and that you will always know what to do. I hope you learn all that you are supposed to and always teach along side of the Holy Ghost.

Just remember what you've been taught and hold tight to your testimony. You're going to be just great out there! I know you'll be an amazing missionary and can't wait to write to you. See you in 2 years. (:

Until Then.

Elder Ryan.

Another soon to be missionary, another goodbye, another blog post. I never thought I'd be doing this for Ryan!

There is just so much to say. We've only known each other for a year and a half or so but it feels like SO much longer. We have had some great times and during those great times became best friends. Ryan is one of those guys that you can instantly just click with and that's what we did. He has trusted me with so much and has been there for me as much as I have been there for him. He also gives the best hugs! Just saying. haha So anyways.

 

Now to you specifically, Ryan. This is one of the best decisions you've made yet! I'm so proud of you and the fact that you have decided to serve a mission. (: You are THE best. I'm serious. I'm not just saying that as your best friend, I'm saying that because you are. You always are thinking about others and care so much for everyone. I love how close you are to your wonderful family. (By the way, I hope they know I will be visiting them often. haha) You're kind, loving, and strong...all great traits to have in order to be an amazing missionary. I have no doubt that through your strong testimony and gentle ways that you will touch many lives. I pray that you find all the people you're meant to find to bring to this gospel. I am thankful for al the memories we've made. From times as simple as F.H.E. to the B.I. to YSA dances (and our "prom thing") to just hanging out in parking lots and the big ones like our road trip to Utah or Wild Rivers. Thanks for always being there when I needed you most. You say that 2 years will pass by quickly, lets keep going with that. haha Because I'll be missing my best friend often. Between everyone, you win the prize for being the hardest goodbye. haha FORreal.

So, stay strong out there. Remember who you are, that you have a purpose, and that you're meant to be there. Who knows, there could be someone RIGHT now just waiting for you. That is an exciting thought. (: Just remember all the support you have through family and friends AND especially your Savior...and your Heavenly Father. When times get tough, and they probably will, remember that. Everyone is here for you, just a letter away or just a prayer away. Well, I will write you once you get to the MTC and can't wait to hear all about your experiences. Take care and see you in 2 years.

Until Then.

Utah Road Trip Part 2!

On we go. (:

[[Pictures are coming! AGAIN, I am having issues with this blog website. /:]]

October 1st: So, since I had the bedroom to myself...I woke up last. haha I had an alarm set but that didn't do much. I am definitely a fan of the snooze button. I want to say I finally got up and out close to 10. So I missed a bit of the morning session of conference. For breakfast there were sticky buns (I think that is what they were called. haha) and eggs. It was very good. After breakfast, the 5 of us got ready for the afternoon session of conference. We left around noon, drove there, and parked. (the parking took a while.) As we were parking Ryan realized he had forgotten his ticket! Brian didn't have a ticket either so they were just going to stick together and either hang out outside or try to get a ticket. OK, so here is the fun part, I wore stiletto heels...and we had to WALK a while. Oh my heck, I sure hope you sensed my sarcasm in the "fun part"...it was not the smartest idea. BUT in my defense, I didn't know what to expect. haha We met up with everyone else that had gone up in separate cars and after some pictures walked to the conference center. The line was pretty long but it went by pretty quick. We got in there and the size of the conference center is INSANE! SO huge. I was purely amazed. Well, somehow we got to sit right up front on the side. It was pretty sweet to be so close. Now. Here is my favorite part of the day, as we are standing there chatting, taking photos, laughing, and whatnot all of a sudden the whole mood in the room changed. The prophet, Thomas S. Monson...was walking in the same room as all of us. How amazing. The silence was unbelievable. I had the chills and it is seriously the closest I have EVER felt to my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, being in the presence of a living prophet. Amazing. Shortly after, David got a text from Ryan saying they found tickets and next thing we knew, they were sitting right next to us. (: Prayers are answered! It was seriously the best conference and it went by SO quick for me! I just wanted to keep hearing talks. haha

When all was said and done, we all left and headed towards temple square. We took a LOT of pictures and then decided we were all hungry. So...we walked to Carl's Jr. My feet were KILLING me but I don't like to complain so I silently went with it. haha It took us a while to get there because we were going the wrong way for a while. Finally. We arrived at Carl's. After eating, my guys went to Priesthood meeting and I went with everyone else. We went to this mall place and walked around. (by the way, Shelby let me borrow flip flops. SO thankful for that. haha) Then we drove back to Provo to a friend's apt. Hung out for a while and then went to Sammy's. The guys met us there shortly after. They left and I was with my guys and Chelsea again to enjoy 'pie shakes'. haha I personally think that is seriously the best way to eat pie since I don't like pie. haha Also, it was freeeeeezing out there and I was still in my church clothes. haha So Ryan let me use his jacket so I'd stay a bit warm. When we finished our fries and shakes, we headed back to "home". When we got there the other 3 guys were leaving and I guess I was supposed to have the bed upstairs...but I gave it to Ben and stayed downstairs with everyone. Taylor took the bed I had the previous night and went to sleep. So it was just me, David, Ryan, and Brian. David fell asleep shortly after while we stayed up. I don't know why but everything Ryan and Brian said just made me laugh! haha So we just stayed up laughing, talking, and having a great time. Finally, we all fell asleep around 3 in the morning.

October 2nd: Well. It is sad to say that we totally slept through the morning session of conference. We just had no will power to get up. haha When we finally got up we just had to hurry and get ready to go to be up there in time for the afternoon session. This time, I had extra clothes if I wanted them and FLIP FLOPS. haha I took my heels to change into once we got to the conference center. That was so much better. It didn't take us too long to get up there, park, walk to the center, and sit in there. We had balcony seats this time and we were a little late, so the prophet had already came in. Again, it was an amazing session that went by took quickly. (I'll have another post with just some notes I took during the 2 sessions.) Chelsea had planned for a picnic with us and her roommates, so we stuck with them after. We were trying to think of where to have it and thought about traffic as well. So, I suggested the Provo temple. It was good all around and we left to go there. Once we got there we had a nice picnic with delicious sandwiches. Chelsea's roommates left and we wanted to still walk around the temple grounds, so we did just that. WELL! Here is the exciting part! We saw Greg! Elder Greg Jordan. It was CRAZY! He is at the MTC right now. Seriously the best part was seeing Taylor's face! He was way more excited I think than the rest of us (and we were pretty dang excited.) It was hard though...because I couldn't hug him. :P All I could do was shake his hand. So we chatted with him a bit, met his companion, took pictures, facebooked the event, and called some family. haha It was the best. We walked with all the missionaries back the the MTC. Said goodbye again and watched him go back. It was so good to see him. (: Chelsea and Ryan wanted to hang out for a bit so the rest of us went to visit Grandpa and Grandma Casper. I love seeing family and they were so excited to meet a few of my closest friends! Uncle Matt and Gunner AND Kristy were there too. It was truly a blessing to see them. I loved every minute of it. Around 9 we said goodbye until next time and drove over to Vanessa and Jessica's place to hang out. Chelsea and Ryan came, Chelsea left a little after, and we stayed to play games. SO funny, I just watched, but everyone played 'Quelf'. Very funny. We said our goodbyes, it was close to midnight or past it, and then went back "home". So...when we got there, we weren't tired surprisingly. So what did we do? Played super smash bros. haha Well, Ran, Taylor, David, and I did. Brian knocked out REAL quick. We played, seriously, until like 4 in the morning. (: It was SO much fun!! (Beeeeeep!) I even beat David, which was a big deal. haha We just had such an awesome time that we didn't want to sleep...but eventually when we saw what time it was, we decided it was time to go to bed.

October 3rd: It was time to head home but I don't think any of us really wanted to go back. We wanted to leave by 10 a.m. but we didn't even wake up until like 9:45. So we just took our time. Got ready, ate breakfast, cleaned up the basement, left thank-you notes for the family, and packed up. On our way out, we stopped in SF to see Grandma and Grandpa Jenson (also Aunt Clea was there). It was really good to see them. While David went to fill up the car, I gave a tour of the backyard and the guys picked apples to eat. (: We went back inside and got to visit for a good hour or so. Before we left, Grandma said my Dad wanted some zucchini so we went out and picked that along with some apples. After goodbyes, we left to go eat before hitting the road. I am so glad that my family is so accepting of my friends and that everyone had a good time. For lunch we went to Sonic. Mmmm, that was so good. We ate and then left. David drove first...and we basically all fought sleep for a little bit. That didn't last very long though. Brian was out, Taylor was still eating his blue slush, I fell asleep playing with Ryan's hair, and then I think he fell asleep. haha Well when I woke up, we were in St. George. We stopped for snacks and even got a pizza! Brian and Taylor wanted to watch 'Scott Pilgrim v.s. ...something.' I can't remember that movie title. So I swapped seats with David so he could watch it as well and Ryan was driving. I stayed awake for the rest of the drive! haha You should be amazed about that. It was a fun drive back. The laptop died (or as I like to say, it blew up. haha) before they finished the movie. So we popped on some music and it was just great. Taylor kept getting nervous because Ryan would start dancing as he drove. haha I was no help since I was doing the same thing. I knew we were safe. As we approached home, we knew it was over. Everyone was dropped off and I got home around 10:30 p.m.

So that was all of it. (: It was seriously THE best road trip I have been on. It was great being with these great guys. We learned a lot about each other, broke David out of his shell, shared a wonderful spiritual experience together, and so much more. I seriously love these guys and couldn't ask for better friends. It was great to have this last big thing before we each split ways as each of us get ready for new adventures. So to David, Ryan, Brian, and Taylor (if you are to read this), thanks...for that whole trip and all the memories. You'll always be some of my closest and best friends and I am so glad we got to do that! (:

Until Then.

Utah Road Trip! Part 1.

Alright, here we go!


September 29th: SO! I got picked up by David, Ryan, and Rey around 11 at night. We had to go back to David's and switch vehicles before we went and got Brian. So we did that, stopped by Ryan's house, picked up Brian, stopped at Winco for snacks, and then we were on our way! It was a fun but long drive. (I did indeed sleep most of the time. haha) Along the way, we dropped Rey off where he would be staying for the weekend.

October 30th: We got to Taylor's aunt's house around 8 in the morning. (BEFORE Taylor. haha Which is why he ditched us to ride in the other car...to get there earlier.) So his Aunt was taking kids to school and whatnot so she told us to go on inside and Ben would show us around. We all went inside and met Ben. So Ben didn't actually live there either. haha He is in a ward in Canada where the son of Taylor's aunt is serving. She was very trusting! So awesome. (: Well, we were all exhausted so we pulled out the mats and blankets she had down stairs for us to sleep on...and knocked out on those and the couch. We finally all got up around noon. After we ate, we wanted to get our stuff out of the car and bring it inside. So we go out to get our stuff and I walk back to the house first to see that the door was shut completely...that meant we were locked out. haha (The door had a keypad lock on it.) All of us had left our phones inside too...not smart. hah WELL. Brian tried using a credit card to 'break in'. (for the record, I knew it wouldn't work and it was a pretty dumb idea. haha) Finally, we just sent Brian to use a phone at some neighbor's house where he called MY mom to get Taylor's cell number to then call him to get the code. When all was said and done, we got in the house. haha

Well after that adventure, we all decided to get ready for the day. I will admit...I did take my time getting ready. haha It was partly because I was just still tired! But anyways, Brian had to shower and whatnot after me so the rest of us played Super Smash Bros. :D So fun. haha Then we left for Provo when everyone was ready. We met up with Chelsea and she wanted us to eat at J-Dawgs. David left us and went to his Mission Reunion. Me, Ryan, Brian, and Chelsea went and ate while we waited for Taylor to meet up with us. (J-Dawgs was SO very good! BUT caution: it is entirely way too messy.)

So once Taylor got there we decided we would all go to the Hot Springs that night. So as we waited for the other groups to show up, we walked to Chelsea's to get her stuff and then walked back. Everyone was there but had other plans so we left back to go to Taylor's aunt's. We decided also to wait until David was done with his reunion to go, so we didn't leave him out. So...of course as we waited we played Super Smash Bros. hahaha (Which I am very good at, especially after this trip.) Also! One of Taylor's cousins were staying at the house with 2 of HIS friends as well. Once David showed up, we all got in our suits and stuff then headed out! On our way, we picked up Ben. The group then was: Ryan, Taylor, Brian, Ben, David, Chelsea, and I. Fun group of friends! We were ready to hike. (kinda, no one had flashlights except Ben.) It took us a while to get to the trail head, its FAR into the canyon in SF. So using cell phones and Ben's light, we were off!

The hike was about 2 1/2 miles or so and boy, was it cold. FREEZING. Well, I was anyways. Ryan and Taylor helped keep me warm part of the way. haha (when I couldn't feel my arms.) Well. We arrived at the hot springs and it was SO cool! (: They stink but after a while you don't even notice the smell. haha People that were leaving gave us their glow sticks and then we got on in the hot spring. We stayed there for a while just talking and enjoying eachother's company. I swear, the water was probably disgusting but since we couldn't really see it...it was just fine. hah

We finally decided after a while to get out and get ready to hike back. After pictures were taken and we were all dressed/changed, we headed back. We didn't get home until like...2:00/2:30 a.m. It was pretty late. Once we were all showered and everything, we were exhausted. Since there were so many guys...Taylor's Aunt thought I would like to have a bedroom. haha We didn't know WHICH bedroom she wanted me in though. So, Ben was really nice and let me sleep in the one down stairs (where he had been) for the night. When I started settling in I noticed my rings on my hands...they were black! The hot springs tarnished them. /: I was so sad! (update: they're clean now. cleaned up just fine) Also, I looked around the room and for some reason there were containers full of bugs! Freaked me out. haha I finally got to sleep around 3:30.

The rest will come soon, hopefully tomorrow I'll finish. (:
Until Then.

Loneliness.

So, I promise I am getting to the Utah post but this one first. Well I have learned that sometimes you just can't help the feeling of being lonely. Especially, when you feel like that in a room full of people.

In life people come and go, people change, people grow apart from each other, and so on. It is just how it goes. Sometimes no matter what you do those things still happen because people CHANGE. People change in personality, they grow up, or maybe they just change how they act around certain people and when its just the two of you.

I've been through it all. I've seen all of this before. I am seeing it now.

I have so many thoughts about everything right now that I can't even think on just this one topic for this post. Its insane. I'm just tired...of a lot of things. Not just physically tired, I'm all sorts of tired. So tired in every way that my head is starting to pound...so goodnight.

Until Then.

Unexpected.

Ok, so I know I said that my next post would be about Utah BUT like we all know, life is full of unexpected twists and so I have other stuff to talk about. Anyways. The NEXT post will be about Utah.

So, 10.7.2011, I took my permit test...again (my other permit expired :P) and I passed. :D So that was great. I'll take my driving test in the next week or so. (:

Now. The unexpected twist. Well, Ryan talked about having people over around 7:30 pm. So I got ready like normal and then ended up showing up late. So the door gets opened and all the dogs are there, so I'm petting them and saying hello to everyone. For some reason, everyone was just hanging out in the doorway area. So I was like, alright. Like maybe a minute or so after I got there...ERIC comes around the corner. Did you get that? ERIC. haha (Elder Johansen.) I seriously freaked OUT. Seriously, I had no words. The only thing I could get out was "oh my gosh" and "what the heck" and "seriously"..."oh my gosh". haha You get it. Anyways. He started coming near me and I was just like "can I hug you?" haha Then he gave me a hug and I was all shaky and crap. haha It seriously just shocked the heck out of me.

So after all that and I could gather thoughts again and speak normal, I found out why he is here. He was released so that he could come home for back surgery. So basically, his mission is on hold for a little while until that is all squared away then he will be set apart again and gone.

Life is crazy. You never know what is going to happen because its just full of unexpected surprises. So learn to always expect the unexpected.

Until then.

Back.

I just got back (Oct. 3rd, 2011) from truly a PERFECT weekend. Simply amazing. I will blog about it most likely tomorrow or the next day.

This upcoming epic post (and I don't use the word 'epic' like ever. haha) will include:
-pictures.
-great friends.
-conference.
-random moments.
-bonding times.
-Ryan, Taylor, David, and Brian.
-family moments.
and more.

Like I said, it was the best weekend/roadtrip ever. Just you wait. (:

Until Then.