Another happy week...

This has been another great week...i told myself that i was gonna be good about keeping up on this so this is gonna be quick and short and sweet sinc ei got to get to bed soon since i work early in the morning...dad, mom, cait, and court were all at girls camp this week. It was so quiet and im not gonna lie i didnt like it...i missed them alot...i like having people to talk to and hang out with and it wasnt the same with out them around. i was happy when they came home...tuesday i was having one of those days and just feeling lonely...called jessica up...(my cousin...) and we hung out..im so grateful to have family close by...its been too long...our lifes are both so crazy...on friday i hung out with her again and her sister heather...we took baby rio swimming...which was way fun...and then on sat it was his 1st bday party...cant believe hes already one...time flys i swear...and grandpa keith even came from texas so that was nice...havent seen him in a while...i wanna say close to 3 years or more...

today i had to teach relief society...it was a good thing for me...u know what they say is so true the teacher always learns the most...so true...it was on developing our talents....i asked the class to share how someone elses talents have blessed you in ur life...as i pondered this question myself it made me think of my older sister amanda...i dont think i have ever really exressed to her just how much her talents have blessed me in my life so i wanted to take the time to express it on my blog...amandas one of those people that is just gifted and blessed...shes a good example of not hiding her talents but sharing them so that others can enjoy them and so that her talents can grow even more...i can remember so many times that amanda would stay up late with me helping me with homework, or a paper so that i could get a better grade. since school came easier for her then for me...she always would help me get a better grade as she would proof read and correct...she was always patient and loving and caring...i am so grateful for not only her love but also for her example to me. i hope i can be like her in some ways as i continune to grow up...love u manda...=)

Institute...

so tonight i was reading in the ensign...and i came across an article titled "making spiritual education a priority"...as i read it makes me think about my own experience and how much institute and spiritual education mean to me in my own life...wow what a blessing. i attended college for almost 3 years before ever going to institute...i never wanted to go alone so i just didnt go and i missed out on so much...but i cant focus on that but i can focus on the blessings that came when i finally decided to make the decision to begin going. It almost brings me to tears when i think about the eternal blessings that came from attending. I encourage every college age person to attend institute because i have never heard of anything bad coming from it, it has always been good. for me i gained the 2 biggest blessings in my whole life. Because i attended institute i met my best friend tommy. If i wouldnt have gone i would have never met him. looking back i know that heavenly father put him in my path. i was at a low point in my life. i felt so alone, i felt like i had no friends. Yes i decided on my own to go to institute but its not like i put myself out there and talked to people. i was shy and im not very out going so i would just sit there with brett and talk to each other. every week tommy would come and talk to us and be nice to us. just what i needed. a good friend to talk to. thats what we truly became. the best of friends, it got to the point where we saw each other everyday and i never knew at the beginning that tommy would become someone i love so much and someone that means so much to me. I dont know what i would do without him. He completes me and is my everything. even though he is so far from me i still feel so close to him as i drawer nearer to my savior and as i hear from him and his miracles as a missionary. its amazing how close we have become even though we have been so far from each other. Its like a different kind of closeness if that makes any sense at all. The next big blessing i recieved from attending institute is my answer to serve my mission. I would have never had the idea to even serve a mission if it werent for lessons heard in institute and honestly i dont think i would have been intune spiritually to recieve my answer to serve. what a great decision i made and something that will bless me for the rest of my life. i will forever be grateful for institute, my best friend and boyfriend tommy, and my mission. Im grateful for the reminder i had tonight of how important it is to gain education spiritually and thru-out our busy weeks. it keeps us strong and helps us feel close to god. even though my schedule doesnt always although me to go to institute i need to be better about studying and being close to my father in heaven because when i really think about it, nothing else really matters in life, what really matters is that i do what i need to now so that i can live with my father in heaven again one day...=)

need ur help..

im really slow when it comes to blogging and making my page look cute and changing the font or colors or backgrounds so if anyone has any advice of easy ways to do this please let me know...ha ha..thanks..

Finally blogging again...

its been too long and so much has happened...this is just for you ru...and im gonna try to be better since i know your gonna be checking up on me...ha ha...feel like i've been so busy lately and i just feel so tired but so many good things have happened...still missing my tommy like crazy but thats life and im learning that its going fast...i dont count the time but trying to work on my and how i can best improve before he comes home, staying super busy. life is good...last wednesday got to watch my little baby sister caitie graduation...felt so good to be there since i wasnt able to be there for bryces due to my mission. brought back so many memories of my days at chaffey and my own graduation..makes me feel so old...ha ha...was also so proud of baby sister court who got to be in ivy chain. they let the jr girls who got the top grades in the school hold this ivy on the field during the graduation...it was a nice night after we just had the family over to eat...i was so spoiled...tommys family wanted me to go with them to az to see the first born grandbaby (tommy's older brother edward and wife renelle just had baby kyleigh 3 weeks ago 2day...shes so beautiful and it makes me so excited to have my own baby one day. I wanted to be at cait's graduation but i always wanted to go with them. they spoiled me, came to caitie's graduation then we headed to arizona. had a really good time with the family over there and loved seeing the baby. went swimming, shopping, zhalia's birthday party, church, good food, watching movies together, and my favorite part was the family meeting. could feel the spirit so strong...great to be together. i only have one more week of work and im actually a little sad for the summer to come. i love my kids and i love what i do. i feel so blessed....friday was lisa's b-day (second mom) we took her out to dinner and then went to the temple. felt so good to be in the house of the lord. felt so peaceful and it was much needed in my life. i have felt so weak lately like i need to be better. I have had a quote in my head for the last few weeks by president Uchtdorf..."Remember the heavens will not be filled with those who never made mistakes but with those who recognized that they were off course and who corrected their ways to get back in the light of gospel truths." ...love this quote and it has helped me realize that really its up to us to get back on track when we feel off. This was a great sunday for me...felt the spirit so strong and had the chance to bear my testimony in church...was reminded of my mission, its amazing that it still brings me to tears and i miss it so much...im just so grateful i had the chance to serve cause its helped me in so many ways i know it...it has prepared me for my future. was able to go to ruby's baby blessing today. was so nice to be with fia and ruby again. it felt like old times in high school. miss them both...i feel behind...the only one not married and no kids...in due time..ha ha...it was nice to catch up though and baby is beautiful....glad u could be there...well thats my week...gotta go get some stuff done...i'm truly so blessed and life is great...=)

time goes by...

the last few weeks alot has happened...i feel so blessed...time goes by fast and i dont always get to do alot of what i want to do...like write on this blog weekly like i had planned...its been great to be able to spend time with family and just enjoy life...i have been loving the nice warm weather and because of my one job (after school daycare) i get to enjoy it out on the play ground and actually kind of get a tan...so its a farmers tan but at least i am getting some color right...i feel so blessed to have the jobs i do...i was talking to a friend the other day she was telling about her stresses at work and then she asked me about my job...i could honestly say i love my jobs so much...of course there are hard days here and there where the kids dont listen but over all its just the best feeling to work with kids and help them and spend time with them...last week we were able to go see my grandma lorrianne...its been a while...u know how life gets so busy but it was so nice to see her and spend time together..she sure does hold a special place in my heart... she gave us her life story printed out with pictures and everything. it is just so special to me... one of my good friends marina is preparing to go on her mission and went through the temple over the weekend...that was a great thing to be able to witness...watching her join the church and get to this point just makes me happy and feel blessed that heavenly father allowed me to see her come unto the gospel and feel of the joy it brings...well i think thats it right now...hopefully i can be better about posting more often and actually posting something exciting...ha ha...although i do live a pretty simple live...its good... =)

I LoVe SuNdAyS....

Today was a great sunday actually it was a really fun weekend I think...

Friday night me and courtney went shopping and hung out..it was fun to spend some time with her...
Saturday we left early and went to the outlets in Carlsbad then off to san diego for rachel and frankies wedding...it was a really nice day and really good to be with all the family..and fun jessica and baby rio came..i wish i would have taken more pictures...oh well...

Today went to the family ward to hear Eden speak for his farewell...Hes going to Panama City Panama...wow he spoke with so much power the spirit was strong and i know he will be a great missionary..when he was talking he cried alot and just his stories he reminded me so much of his daddy...after church we went to the mahinas for lunch...it was so nice to catch up and talk with old friends that have moved and just spend time together...felt like old times...we went down memory lane talking about stuff we did growing up and we watched home videos had us all laughing for days...it was alot of fun...we were all in pain from laughing so hard...anyways...it was so much fun...

Im gonna try to write on here at least weekly...i think its a good way to keep a journal...

This week flew by but i think thats a blessing...i can honestly say though im enjoying my life at this time i am really excited to start the next chapter in my life and i cant wait for my bestest friend in the whole wide world to be home...love elder tommy james so much and as the time flies by it just makes me more and more excited...i really look forward to it...

On friday after work i got to talk to mcneilie one of my companions from my mission who i love...life is busy so we dont get to talk much but when we do it just makes me happy to have her in my life and im grateful for her...drove with my mom to take my sisters to mormon prom and it was nice to spend some time with her on the way there just to be able to talk...we work such different hours that some times it feels like i dont see her as much as i would like to thru out the week...we went home and beca came over then me, her and brett went and picked up the girls from the dance...seemed like they had a good time...i love my siblings and love with we can spend time together...they both looked so pretty...i love that they wore modest dresses too...great example to me...looking back i wish i would have worn a modest dress to prom...they truly are good examples to me..they even took friends from school to the dance...



i was so proud of myself i exercised 4 days this week...that is alot for me with being so busy im trying to be better..now if i could only stop eatting sweets...its so hard for me i swear...ha ha...ever since my mission...it sucks how much sweets people give u after meals and now its like i always have to have something sweet i hate it but this is a new week and im gonna try to be stronger...we will see if i can do it...

yesterday i made puerto rican food for my friend marina cause she got hermission call to go there and i wanted her to try the food...i miss it so much..it never quite tastes like sister nieves but hopefully the more i make it the better it will taste...=)

church was great i love hearing testimonies and i love how we can just feel the sprit and be uplifted by others..I went with caitie and naomi winters to a youth fireside...one of her friends spoke about her mission and the spirit was so strong...it made me cry so hard as i thought about my own mission...i feel so blessed i was able to serve a mission and sometimes i just have days where i miss it so much...it makes me cry when i think of the blessings of it and the ways i learned and grew and just how it blessed my life...she talked about how she loved her time studying...and actually a rm sister at church mentioned the same thing how she misses studying the scriptutres...like shes good about reading them but not studying them...as i was at this fireside it made me cry more just cause i started thinking about how i havent really studying since i have been home..ive have always hated reading so its hard for me but i know i need to set aside time to be taught by the scriptures and thats only gonna come as i give myself that time to study so thats a new goal i have...ha ha...anyways I guess thats what life is all about right...living, learning and trying to become better...