my cheeky sheila

today starts a tribute to my missionary companions.  there is not a day that goes by that i don't think about my mission.  i learned so much about the gospel, church history, people, and myself.  i owe everything i am to the Lord, but He also assisted me by giving me the most amazing companions that a missionary could ask for.  each one taught me what i needed to know right when i needed to know them.

i remember being in the car with my dad pulling into the parking lot a the mtc and finally having it hit me that he was going to drop me off and i would stay there... and be on a mission.  i was nervous to meet my companion after hearing horror stories of sister missionaries.  sister ward was the perfect mtc companion.  this cute little aussie not only taught me the australian slang and how to get a good accent but she taught me how to love.  she taught me that we don't have to be perfect.  being a perfectionist, i am very hard on myself.  and since companions are suppose to be united, i was unintentionally hard on her.  somehow she loved me in spite of my imperfections and she remained one of my closest friends throughout the entirety of my mission.  and she is one of the most beautiful girls ever so being in the mtc with a cute companion with the cutest accent you ever heard made of some stalkers.

thank you liz for patients, your testimony, your love, and that cute laugh that i can't wait to hear again.  i really need to plan a trip to australia.

girl of his (and my) dreams

so nate has been my best friend for years and years.  i was always so afraid of the day when he would fall in love.  mostly it was fear that i wouldn't like the girl and would therefore lose my best friend.  i am SO excited that he fell in love with one of the coolest girls ever.  not only do i still have my best friend, i get to have another great friend "join the family."  nate and kelly got engaged on monday and will have a joyful wedding this summer in denver.  words can not express how happy i am for these two.  i think they are both very lucky to have each other.  i have always said that he will be an amazing husband to whoever he ends up with, and she is his perfect match.

now i just dream of when nate graduates dental school next year and will move back here with his cute wife.  life will be grand.  since i am in hygiene school, the plan has always been for me to work for nate when he finishes and we would basically have a blast all day long in the office.  when i get bogged down at school, i just think of that....

i am suppose to be studying for my national board exam but i just wanted to document this important event in history.  now, back to the books.

"cool house, cool house, cool house for me"

i am not a believer in valentines day.  i feel like it is for children and high school couples.  once you get married i think that your anniversary takes its place.  or maybe its that just a 2 weeks ago we celebrated both our birthdays.  or that i think getting flowers is kind of a waste of money.  not that i don't love the gesture, but after a few days of admiring them, they die.  needless to say, i'm not a big romantic when it comes to the traditional stuff. 

what i do LOVE is spending time with my blake.  he has been sick lately so he didn't go to teach seminary class this morning so i got to spend time with him this morning and we went out for lunch (cheeseburgers of course) and he took me to school and came back to pick me up.  we then drove around looking at houses in phoenix.  this is one of our favorite activities.  the poor quality photo above is my favorite house i have ever laid eyes on.  it is prefect and about $4.3 million outside of our price range.  we love weaving in and out of old historic districts in phoenix and choose the ones we like the most, or pointing out what needs to change about the ones that are "close, but just not quite there." 

i love having a husband that loves to spend time with me.  so i guess i do like valentines day if it means just spending time with my sweet boy.  i don't need flowers, chocolates, jewelry, gifts, cards, special meals, or anything like unto these things.  i am perfectly content and in love with the moments when we just sit next to each other.  he gets me.  he encourages me.  he cheers me up.  he serves me to no end.  he is so perfect for me.  i don't think there is anyone else that gets treated this good.  good thing we have forever for me to try to show him how much i love him.