big sky country

as part of the temple square mission we get sent on an "outbound" where we receive a new call to a stateside mission for a few transfers.  the temple square mission president decides when we go, and the brethren decide where we go.  i got called to serve for three transfers in the great montana billings mission.  since the transfers at temple square were different than the transfers in montana i got to montana a week and a half before their transfers would occur.  i was placed in a trio with these two awesome sisters above, sister linda willhite and sister emily highland.  (this picture was taken on p-day bowling with our zone; i didn't tract in clothes like that).  we lived in miles city which is on the eastern side of montana and covered a few small hunting towns not-so-near-by.  i lived out of my suitcase for that whole week and a half.

it was a strange feeling to be half way through my mission but to suddenly feel so green again.  it was the same wonderful gospel i was teaching but it was taught in a different way, in a different setting, and i actually got to carry my bible with me.  this was the perfect situation for me to get someone emotionally settled into a new mission.

after our week and a half was up, i ended up getting transferred all the way across the big state of montana, but never forgot my experiences in miles city.  i also knew that i hadn't seen the last of sister willhite.

(much more to come about montana)

all you need is love

what a lucky girl i am. 

i usually wake up in the mornings before blake but i don't like to get out of bed without him so i cuddle up next to him and have some quite thinking time before he wakes up.  this morning i was overwhelmed with gratitude for the amazing guy lying next to me.  he is so sweet to me.  this picture makes me smile as i think of him looking at me so lovingly. 

i know lots of girls say that their husband is the best.  and for them, they are the best.  but for me, i cannot think of anyone more fitting for me to spend my life and all of eternity with.  i wish every girl could be this happy.

ring of fire

 

so over a month ago i got my ring caught on a ledge as i was catching myself from a fall.  as seen on the picture above, this fall took some of my skin but my ring did a number on my finger.  as i noticed my finger turn purple as my swelling finger was losing circulation i called my brother who works in the ER and told him that i needed him to get my ring off.  i drove out to the hospital, he met me in my car with some supplies and suggested we cut the ring off of my finger that had now swelled up pretty big.  i really didn't want my ring cut so asked him to please try to just pull it off using some lubricant.  i screamed bloody murder as he twisted and pulled my ring off.  it hurt.  he wrapped it up for me and gave me some stuff to keep it clean.  i had to cut the flaps of skin off and it eventually healed over a few weeks.  i only have part of a scab left.  the problem now is that the swelling won't go down and i still have trouble gripping things since my finger can't bend all the way which makes dental hygiene work a little tough at times.  at least its my left hand.  so after weeks of no improvement i had a classmate take an x-ray at school using dental films.  i don't know how to interpret x-rays but it didn't look broken to me.  well, my husband and father and pretty much everyone i talked to said i should go see a doctor.  so i went to see someone this morning and brought print outs of my dental-film-x-rays of my finger with me.  and its broken apparently.  not badly but he said i should go see a hand specialist.  silly really.  i have broken this same finger back in elementary school and it healed just fine.  why now does it give me so much trouble?  i have a beautiful wedding ring that i want to wear and i don't think i will have that chance for a long while.  i guess i could have cut it off after all.  it would have been fixed long before i will be able to fit it back on my chubby, scarred-up finger.  so to another doctor i go.

there will be snacks

we went to the andrew bird show last night. blake was loving it. there is nothing like good music. my phone died before I could get a picture of him playing but here is me and blake excited for it to start.

just another adelaide moment

every now and then God puts someone in my life that strengthens my testimony of the pre-earth life.  sister freja cross was definitely one of those people.  we had to have been friends before we came here.  and since she lives in australia and i live in the united states, God had to call us both to the same mission to meet each other for the first time (or rather reunite).  there is not a day that went by during our transfer together that i did not laugh uncontrollably.  there is also not a day that went by that we didn't eat otter pops.  there is probably not an hour that went by that we didn't sing.  freja has the most beautiful voice EVER, and has perfect pitch.  the poor thing had to listen to me sing along with her and was patient enough to put up with it.

freja and i knew we were going to be companions long before we were called to be.  we would even call each other "compy" in the hall or on the square as we passed each other.  divine inspiration.  so we weren't too surprised when this transfer call came around.  she was such a supportive companion.  for example, i was really into running in the mornings.  my previous transfers i either had a roommate that could go on exchanges in the morning or a companion that wouldn't mind running with me.  freja didn't want to run with me but she got up every morning at 6:00am (30 min earlier than we have to) and go outside with me while i ran.  it was october and november while we were together so sometimes she would be sitting outside while it was snowing while i ran.  it still blows my mind that she would do that for me.

we would laugh a lot a quote disney's robin hood.  i would call her, "hiss."  she would also go on adventures with him while in the temple to try to see more rooms that we hadn't before seen, or finding secret rooms in the beehive house.  i loved finding out new things and she would be right there with me.  oh freja, how i miss you. 

since the mission, freja is now married. i heard about this lucky guy while we were companions and long after.  he is a lucky guy.  they are living in adelaide and recently purchased a house there.  i told freja that she is to be preparing the guest room in their house so that i may come for a visit.  i so look forward to the time when we are reunited.  miss you freja.

the teacher becomes the student

so you may remember me mentioning this beautiful girl when talking about my trainer.  well this is the one and only sister karen mckay.  i remember finding out that i was training a few days before transfers actually happened, it was the day that the incoming sisters did their visitor's center experience and who come from the mtc on a bus a spend the afternoon/evening on exchanges with one of the currently serving sisters to get an idea of what they were coming to in a few short days.  i was so afraid of meeting any of the sisters from the mtc because i didn't want to form any ideas about anyone until the day the got there.  the only one i ended up meeting was sister mckay.  i only talked to her briefly in the break room but walked away thinking that she was the sweetest girl ever and that she was a total babe, (don't let the goofy faces we were making in the above picture fool you).  sure enough we were assigned as companions through inspiration.  i learned so much from sister mckay during the transfer we were together.  at first she was a little afraid of talking to people on the square or to lead a tour, but she slowly but surely gained confidence.  i loved watching her throughout her mission and having a psudo-parent's pride while hearing her teach.  what i really loved about her though, was her purity.  there was never a front she would put on, what you saw was what you got; and what you got was really, really great. 

again, i have not kept in great contact with karen.  we did ok at it right when she got home, but since then we have slipped up.  i know that she is creating materpieces wherever she is.  she is so gifted in music and art.  i miss you, karen.

2 years

2 years ago today i married my best friend and love of my life.  it seems weird to think that these 2 years have gone by so fast as i remember so clearly waking up that morning and thinking that was the first day of my new life.  it seems like last week in some ways.  in other ways, however, it feels like we have always been married, like i don't remember what life was like before i married blake.  one think i do know though, is that i am very much in love with my blake and so excited for many  more years to come. 

we haven't taken an anniversary picture yet so this wedding photo (blake's favorite) will have to do in its place until we take a proper photo.  we are due for our yearly family pictures that i make blake take with me.  and we just found out that our photographer (my amazingly talented cousin) is moving to washington at the end of the month so we had better get moving on getting those pictures taken.