"i can SMELL the green!!!"

It End of the semester was last week... what a relief that was! We had the last of our finals on Friday, and I also moved out of Brooklyn and into my new apartment complex at Tuscany. It just so happens that it also decided to snow randomly after 3 beautiful sunshine days. I’m excited because I enjoy making a life change. I enjoy meeting new people, mixing it up, and experiencing new things. I think it’s important because people become "too adapted" to their surroundings, and become lazy and/or bored. Saturday, I finished my clean checks, loaded up the car, and headed home to Oregon with a friend from the singles ward back home. It wasn’t a bad drive at all.... seemed like it went by quickly. I LOVE Oregon, so incredibly much. I’ll be sad to leave on Sunday morning, but I know that right now, I belong in Rexburg. While being home, I’ve been able to spend time with family, and friends. Sunday; was Easter, and I went to my ward here in Gladstone. I had to leave before RS though, because we had a family dinner with my sister’s boyfriend at 3pm. I was thankful to be able to go because I was able to spend time with some future family members, and got to play with some adorable 7 month old twin baby boys! They were so cute with how they interacted with you as you’d make silly faces at them. Monday; after FHE (Easter egg hunt), some friends took me out to voodoo donuts, downtown Portland. It’s always interesting to see people who live different lifestyles, act the way they do. Such as, the multiple homeless people we saw. A few of them had signs that said "homeless, hungry, and jobless... God bless"... while others were blatantly honest and said, "Not going to lie, I just want a beer". I was thankful to have our guy friends with us, because it’s never a good idea to go downtown Portland, with just girls, and no guys to watch your backs. One of my friends even brought out her pepper spray, after almost peeing her pants from being scared half to death by a bunch of crazy people yelling through the streets. Tuesday; I went shopping with Mandy, at the mall and ROSS... I got a couple of clothes for school, and some space bags! That’ll help me with packing for trips, and for when I move around as much as I do... and then later that day I went out to visit my mom in Molalla. Of course, I always without fail... leave her house with several bags of goodies. This time, I was excited because she gave me some of her paints that I can use for my class for the upcoming semester. I’m all for saving money! That night, my dad had made a birthday dinner for my brother, me, and a friend of my dad’s. Wednesday was kind of boring, except when I finished my taxes and found that my tax return was more than I was expecting! A lot more! :) Thursday (today), was great because I got to tinker with my sisters sewing machine, and then go play with her and her dog Achilles (poopy) for a couple of hours. As I was sitting out on the lawn with my sister and her pup... she called me "albino" as I leaned back in my chair with my pant legs and sleeves rolled up. Ha! Not going to lie, I was kind of blinded myself. She then proceeded to tell me that, "you need all the help you can get! I swear your body PRODUCES sun block!" haha she’s such a punk! My plans for tomorrow (Friday) are VERY busy... I have plans with my brother for lunch in the morning, and then will hopefully be able to meet up with my mom in Oregon city, because it’s my last chance to see her before I go back to Rexburg... and then later, I have plans with a friend from the singles ward... before I go to the temple with my other friend Emily. And then Saturday is left for packing, cleaning, and some last minute socializing with family and friends before I leave early Sunday morning. This coming Monday, I have to schedule for a physical, at the health center because I am trying out for a fitness program on campus called, “biggest winner”. Kind of like “biggest loser” but I don’t think contestants get voted off, and I doubt we win a cash prize. I’m excited for this, because it’ll motivate me to get into shape, eat healthy, make new friends, and get my butt off the couch! J My goal is to lose 50 lbs. total, to put me at the weight that I’d be considered “healthy” at. Of course, I’d be ecstatic if I lost 30… but it wouldn’t be enough to satisfy me. The program starts April 30^th, and runs until July 5^th. Of course, I’m not so sure, loosing 50lbs in 3 months is healthy or possible, but if I can get myself started down the right track, and then I can create those supportive relationships with friends who can continue to work out with me. The downside is that I have to work out 5 days a week, some Saturdays, and pay at least $100.00 for it. But hey, if I lose the weight, and get healthy then it’ll be worth it, right? I sure hope so!

Got Milk?

So as you all I'm sure are aware of... Ive been sick with a cold/cough... well, on top of that, last Tuesday morning I got very sick with food poisoning. I think my milk had expired early, and that what made me sick. Thankfully, I haven't thrown up since Tuesday, but I still am sick in other ways. Its not very fun, trust me. But its weird though, because I finished off that bad jug of milk and moved on to my next jug, and am still sick! I think that I'm becoming "lactose intolerant". I haven't gotten much better, these last few days. My parents keep telling me to "wait it out... your body is trying to flush out all of those bad toxins"... but I'm not so sure anymore. Seriously though, If I AM lactose intolerant... I am going to cry! i LOVE dairy! I love ice cream, yogurt, cheese, butter, milk, cottage cheese... i love it ALL! :( I even stayed home from school for 3 days this last week because I was so sick! Today, I had to make an emergency trip to the grocery store for some pepto-bismo, to help me feel better. I found this on a website, and I know that the symptoms DEFINITELY fit what Ive been going through this last week ~If you notice that you have stomach issues whenever you eat foods that contain milk, well then it's probably safe to say that you're lactose intolerant. It can also run in families, so if your parents or siblings have a hard time digesting milk and cheese and such, then there's a good chance that you'll follow in their footsteps.

There are two tests you can take though, just to make sure.

Lactose Intolerance Test: You fast before the test and then drink a liquid that contains lactose. Several blood samples are taken over a two-hour period to measure your blood sugar levels. Normally, when a person eats a dairy product, the lactase enzyme breaks down the lactose into glucose and galactose, which raises the person's blood-sugar levels. If the lactase enzyme isn't there to do its job, then a blood sample would show no rise in the blood-sugar level, and the doctor would then confirm lactose intolerance.

Hydrogen Breath Test: You drink a liquid loaded with lactose, and your breath is analyzed. Normally the breath contains little hydrogen, but when there is undigested lactose in the colon, it's fermented by bacteria, which produces several gases including hydrogen. If your doctor sees raised levels of hydrogen in your breath, then you're lactose intolerant.

So now what? Unfortunately there is no cure for lactose intolerance, but there are two options. You can avoid all foods that contain milk or you can take lactase supplements (Lactaid pills). These allow you to pop a pill with your first bite of dairy, so you can enjoy the foods you love without the horrible symptoms.

Yesterday, my grandma BeaIna's brother Devar called me and invited me over for their Sunday family dinners! I was SO thrilled, because Ive been so homesick lately that I'll take all the family time that I can get! So today, after church... Devar came and picked me up from my apartment and took me back to his house... and i spent most of the day there. I had taken an hour long nap after church before they picked me up... and then took a 2 hour long nap at their house, in the guest bedroom! I think I was tired! :P  It was nice spending time with my 2nd cousins, and their families. I hope to keep going over for dinners so that I can build a relationship with them. Family is so important to me, and the longer I'm away from home, the more I miss those times we'd all gather around the kitchen table and play board games all evening.
I'm SO excited though, because I found a ride home for my semester break! So, ill be going home april 7th, and returning the 14th! Going home will be great, because I miss my family so much, and oregons beautiful green-ness... and my friends of course. It'll be weird, because Charlotte wont be there so I'll be missing her a lot, when I wanna go and do fun things with friends. Char and I would stick together in group activities not only because were best friends, but because were the same age, and a lot of the other people we hung out with are always older than us... I also sense that we can read each others minds and understand if one or the other is uncomfortable, or wants to leave to go elsewhere or just go home. I actually got an email from her last week, saying that she can email her friends, so I'm pretty stoked about that because i don't know how many stamps to put on a letter, and I'm sure it'd take about 2 weeks to even get to Ukraine!
The end of the semester is getting close! finals are the first week of April, and then I'm moving into my new apartment early Saturday morning, and then hitting the road for Oregon, that same day! its going to be pretty crazy, but its gotta be done! There's no way around it, so I guess ill just have to suck it up! This week is also white glove clean checks! So ill start cleaning Monday night/Tuesday afternoon, just to make sure that I do everything required of me, and that its done right. I feel like a lot of people don't do their assigned cleaning jobs, and so things never get cleaned up like they should. the result is to either live in filth... repeatedly ask your room mates to clean up their mess... or to clean it yourself. Ive tried them all... and none have worked. Last week, I registered for my spring classes! I'm pretty excited though, because new semester means, new classes, new teachers, new classmates, new ward, new apartment, and new FRIENDS!!!! i love CHANGE (not the obama kinda change). After some rearranging, this is my spring class schedule:

	Child Development	3.00		Eagar, Kimberly_A.	MWF  11:30AM - 12:30 PM
	Introduction to Family History	2.00		Baggett, Boyd_L.	WF  10:15 - 11:15 AM
	Essentials of Human Nutrition	3.00		Cook, Kathleen	TR  11:30AM - 1:00 PM
	Practical Homemaking	2.00		Blakely, Teresa_Blaser	TR  3:15 - 4:45 PM
	Children’s Clothing	2.00		Miller, Linda	TR  9:45 - 11:15 AM

"It's time for AFRICA!"

So, I went to my first ZUMBA class tonight... man oh man! I am sore! and im sure I looked like a dork, doing it too! everyone else seemed to know what they were doing, and then there was me... imagine a flopping fish. . . Yeah, that was me tonight! Haha it was fun tho! And I got a good workout doing it, too!
Last week, an apartment manager for another complex, called me to let me know that I got in, for spring semester! I was so excited because thats a HUGE relief off my shoulders, and I'll have my own room as well with free laundry. It pretty much pays for itself, which im stoked for! the bad part is, is that I have to pay extra to stay there the week before school starts... And I cant stay at my current apartment because I dont have a spring contract.
This last weekend, my room mate invited the apartment to her home town of pocatello, idaho for the weekend to stay at her parents house. Though, only 3 of us total were the only ones able to go, we still had a blast. We originally had planned to go to lava hot springs, but it was just way too hot outside to be able to sit out in the hot pools, so we went for a hike instead, and to the fish hatchery to feed the fishes. Her family was very nice to let us stay for the weekend. I was also impressed with pocatello... it was a very cute, friendly town, and seemed very "clean" as far as how the people act with one another. though, im sure thats because half the population is LDS (i think).
Yesterday (monday), I woke up to find I had gotten an email from my best friend! She was excited because her mission president told her that she can email her family AND friends!!! I think I was much more excited though, because now I wont have to wait several days/weeks for her reply. Here's a few of the pictures her mom sent me! Can you tell how much I miss her??? ;)

Tomorrow, I have to wake up super early, because I have to register for my classes for spring semester. The registration window online opens at 6am, so I might be a little bit cranky till I catch up on my beauty sleep! ;)

Even after living in salt lake for a year and a half, then moving back home to Oregon for 4 months... then out to rexburg for the last 3 months... I still always manage to become homesick! I miss my friends, my house, the rain, the humidity, the YSA ward, and most of all... my family. I wish i didnt live so far away. It seems that a lot of people here live within an hour or 2 drivings distance, and are able to go home to visit frequently. haha I need to marry someone from oregon, because then we'd always be close to family. Family is essential, and I feel that a lot of people take it for granted. Love and miss all of you!

Someday Someone Will Walk Into Your Life And Make You Realize Why It Never Worked Out With Anyone Else.

Today I got a package and a letter from my best friend, Charlotte! She left on Tuesday for the mission field, so I'm very excited for her, but also SUPER worried about her because she’s in a foreign country, in a very poor community... But I know that the Lord will watch over her, and keep her safe. I can only imagine what beautiful places she has seen, the people she has already met, and the promptings she has received.

Sorry if this sounds really off, but this is honestly my biggest pet peeve... Being taken advantage of! You know how there's people in the world, who try to keep the peace? Who do all that they can to make others’ lives easier, by giving and sharing there things that they've worked hard for without asking for anything in return? And then there are those people who constantly cause problems. Use other peoples things without permission, or even when they ask, they're all "sweet" about it, making it IMPOSSIBLE to say no, because you WANT to stay on good terms! You don't want them to have a grudge against you, because your friends, or roommates, or whatever! And those people that are always "take take take" and they never give back to those who contributed so much! That’s how I feel right now, because I can never say "no" to anyone, when they ask me for help. I’m always afraid of letting them down, or making them feel that they can’t trust me. But seriously, I need to lock up all of my things, so that people don’t take advantage of me anymore. Don’t get me wrong, I mean, I’m happy to help you however I can, but are you going to be there for me when I need you? And these people that are always asking for stuff, it seems like they never contribute their time to others... whether its cleaning the kitchen, bathroom, or whatever... or even just saying, "hey, thank you for all that you do around here. I truly do appreciate it" would mean SO much to me. I guess that’s just how some people are though... they were raised a particular way, and that’s how they will always be. I’ve learned to just start saying "no" or, "sorry, I don’t have any flour"... this way, it’s a win win situation. They don’t feel like I’m not rejecting them, and I won’t feel upset if they never pay me back. The independent lifestyle is the way to be, because I’m not expecting anyone to take care of me. I am my own person, and have learned how to survive off of what I’ve got.  

Yesterday, I got a call from an apartment complex manager, telling me that I have housing for spring semester! I am SO relieved that I have a place to live, rather than having to quickly find a junky place, and have to share a room as well. The place that I’ll be moving into, I’ll have my own room. Yeah, it’s a really small "closet" but that’s ok, because that’s all that I really need, honestly. And the complex has a workout room, and really nice apartments! I’ll be sure to post pictures as soon as I get settled. If I could, Id move in tomorrow! But I can’t until the 14th, unless I want to pay $15 extra per day before the 14th.

This weekend, I and 2 of my other roomies are driving down to Pocatello, Idaho for the weekend, to visit my roommate’s hometown, and family. On Saturday, were also going to Lava Hot Springs, to relax and enjoy the day with friends! After church on Sunday, we'll hit the road, and drive home to Rexburg. I’m excited though, because it’s nice to get outta town for a few days. Things around here can get pretty boring, especially if you don’t know very many people quite yet, to spend your time with. I've also got 2 tests to take in the testing center before we leave at 5pm, so ill be cutting it pretty close! 

Today, being Friday... I have been sick now for 6 days. I’ve had a sore throat, cough, headache, aching back and joints, and a stuffy/runny nose. The other day, I was so miserable, that I sounded like a man, even to my own mom when I called her on the phone.

The festival of colors celebration is coming up here pretty soon! The weekend of March 24th, to be exact! I’m trying to get a group of friends from byu-idaho to drive down together, and spend the weekend in Utah.

~Quoted from Wikipedia~ "Holi (होली), is a religious spring festival celebrated by Hindus. Holi is also known as festival of Colours. In most areas, Holi lasts about two days. One of Holi’s biggest customs is the loosening strictness of social structures, which normally include age, sex, status, and caste. Holi closes the wide gaps between social classes and brings Hindus together. Together, the rich and poor, women and men, enjoy each other’s presence on this joyous day. Additionally, Holi lowers the strictness of social norms. No one expects polite behavior; as a result, the atmosphere is filled with excitement and joy.

Every year, thousands of Hindus participate in the festival Holi. Waiting for the day after the full moon in the month of Phalguna, or early March, These men and women are ready to spread the joy. Holi has many purposes. First and foremost, it celebrates the beginning of the new season, spring. It also has a religious purpose, commemorating many events that are present in Hindu mythology. Although it is the least religious holiday, it is probably one of the most exhilarating ones in existence. During this event, participants hold a bonfire, throw colored powder at each other, and celebrate wildly.

Originally, it was a festival that commemorated good harvests and the fertile land. In addition to celebrating the coming of spring, Holi has even greater purposes. Hindus believe it is a time of enjoying spring's abundant colors and saying farewell to winter. Furthermore, Holi celebrates many religious myths and legends. Rangapanchami occurs a few days later on a Panchami (fifth day of the full moon), marking the end of festivities involving colours." When I was living down in Salt Lake City, I’d always wanted to go, but whenever Id make the plans too, they’d seem to never work out! So, I hope this year will be different so that I can spend the weekend with friends, throwing colored powder at each other, coming out looking like I’ve been tie-dyed!

Fast Sunday

So, today I got an email from my Grandma BeaIna. I guess she was in Idaho Falls, but didnt have very much time to see me, which I understand, but it still wouldve been nice to see her and my grandpa... Ive been having a hard time lately, and so homesick lately, that anytime that I can spend with my family, I do! IShe gave me some really good advice as well, as far as serving a mission or not. It seemed to be exactly what I needed in my deciding process. Its hard for me, because my brother and sister arent active and neither is my mom. Im thankful that I have my dad still active in the church, but when it comes time to go through the temple, my dream would be to have my mom there with me by my side. Im thankful that I have my grandma who is willing to escort me through, when Im ready.
yesterday, I got into a religion debate that I wasnt expecting. The guy I was talking to, started being more agressive then Id like, and I had to go to bed to get ready for bed, so I said goodnight after baring my testimony and told him Id have to talk to him later. He wasnt very happy. I feel like these experiences make me consider serving a mission more, because most of the time, these people are confused on the church's standards of life. Ever if they were raised in the church, sometimes they just dont understand. As a missionary, Id be there to help them through the rough patch, answer their questions, and tell them the truth. Being as it is/was fast sunday... I am going to bare my testimony for whoever is reading this.

I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior. I know that He died for all of us and our sins. I know that Thomas S. Monson is the true living prophet today, and that he is a messenger from Heavenly Father. I know that families can be together forever, so long as they are willing to follow the Lords plan. I am thankful for the temple and all of the beautiful work we can do there not only for ourselves, but for our ancestors as well. I have a strong testimony that the book of Mormon is the keystone of this religion, and without it, everything else would crumble. i believe that through the atonement (at/one/ment = cover) of Jesus Christ that we may be forgiven for our sins. I know that through prayer, and diligence, you can receive blessings for things you werent even expecting. if you have enough faith in the Lord, and what He thinks best for you, than thats what you should do because your on the Lords time... not your own. He will never let you fall farther than your knees. Ask in prayer what is right, and never ever doubt the Lord. I know this to be true, and I say these things in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

"Anybody got any nyquil?"

This has been a very busy week. I've been trying to catch up with my homework, and stay sane at the same time. I'm not sure if its working out so well, though because of how crazy its been. For my sewing class, were making a button up shirt. Its pretty difficult, but i'm getting the hang of it.
Last week, I ran out of laundry soap, so I decided to make my own! yeah, you heard me! I MADE my laundry soap! but I still have yet to try it out. haha. The recipe called for me to grate the bar of soap, and melt it down into a pan, over the stove... so, I did! The problem is, is that my pan smells, and tastes like soap. I've tried everything! boiling water with cinnamon... boiling water with baking soda... a salt/dish soap scrub... and yet, it still smells and tastes like fels-naptha bar soap... which, if you've smelled it before then you know EXACTLY what i'm talking about! I was going to keep the soap in a 5 gallon bucket, in the closet... but then i got to thinking about how much of a pain that will be to move around. So, I poured all of it into empty laundry jugs, and empty milk jugs and put those in the closet instead. This was funny because my room mate came home from work, opened the closet and saw the milk jugs filled with what looked like "sour milk"... and started asking the other room mates if id gone crazy yet because of what she thought was milk.
Friday after I got out of class, I hiked up to the temple to do baptisms. Its a long walk, but its definitely worth the journey, and I am so grateful that its close by. I also went again the next morning with my ward. Its great to see the ward members there, doing the Lords work, so that people who have passed, can be in the prescience of Heavenly Father.
Last night, I went with a friend to see "the woman in black" movie... man oh man... it was pretty scary. not gonna lie, I almost peed my pants along with the rest of the theater. My friend Erin, didnt show much emotion during the movie. After it was over, she expressed how terrifying the scary woman was. It was really nice to see her... being in a new town, definitely has its downsides when you dont have very many people to hang out with, but I also think that its helps your social life depending upon where you live, and brooklyn isn't social at all.
The other day, my room mate came down with some bug... yesterday, it finally caught up with me. yesterday my throat started hurting... and then this morning, I woke up with a sore back, throat, headache, and a mans voice. I was sad because I skipped church today. I didn't even get out of bed till 11 when my roomie got home. I did though, have a blessing from my home teacher. I'm so grateful for the Priesthood, knowing that their there for us whenever we need them. I'm also thankful for my room mate Anne Marie... She is so nurturing and thoughtful. Before she left for church this morning, she came in and checked on me to see if I was feeling alright... and then left some "emergen-C" on the table with a note.... and just now offered to bring me food from the ward "break the fast" dinner. Though, all I really want right now, is a back rub. I feel like someone punched me 1000 times in my mid back section. I really cant afford to miss anymore school, so I hope this blows over quickly. I hate being sick.

Whats going on in my life you may ask? well, not only am I going to school at BYU-IDAHO, and freezing my butt off... I have been trying to decide if I am to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Ive been thinking about this major life decision for the last 8 months. But I know that when the Lord is ready to tell me His plan, that He will.
Here at BYUI, my major is MARRIAGE AND FAMILY STUDIES... No, that doesnt mean that I am here to get married and have a family. Though, I wouldnt object to start heading down that path. Anyways, my career goal is to become a marriage and family therapist, so that I can help families keep sacred covenants, and not break that promise that they have made with the Lord. I figured, that since I have such strong feelings for families, and being happy... and the fact that I come from a divorced family, and such traumatic life events, then that makes me want to make other peoples family relationships stronger so that they can be together for eternity.

ABOUT ME... well, I come from a family with 3 kids... My older Sister, Ashley (24) and my older brother Jarrand (23)... and my mom, Gina, and my Dad, Don. I was born in Dallas, Texas, and lived in Wylie, Texas till I was 3 years old, when our house was hit by a tornado. After rebuilding it, we packed up and moved to Gladstone, Oregon. Growing up, we had several pets. Frisky (poodle), Brittany (lab/chow), my 3 lizards, several gold fish, turtles, my hamster, and lastly... Katie (lab). Katie, was our favorite. We were blessed with her, when our aunt had found her abandoned in the woods, and after much begging and pleading... We brought her home. We must've had her for about 11 or so years. She was such a blessing. May 9th, 2011 was the day it all happened. I was borrowing my moms car, so that I could take her to the vet to get a check up, because she had been acting differently. Looking back on it now, I almost wish I hadnt taken her alone... but then I think how ill always cherish those last few hours with her privately. After we had to put her down, due to health issues... i felt like a part of me died that day. But i know, that she is much happier now. We wrapped her up in a mexican blanket that we used to lay out on, and buried her in our back yard, next to Brittany. Katie was so special to us, because she was always there for us, good times or bad. Even when my folks were going through their divorce when I was 13 years old, I fought to always keep her with me where ever I was living at.

I graduated from HS in 2009. I really enjoyed my time there, even though I only was there for my last 2 years of HS. For graduation, i even was able to walk with one of my best friends, Lexie Perez (now Packer). After graduation, I took the fall semester off, and worked at JC Penneys before heading off to Salt Lake City, for college.
School at the LDS, Business College, wasnt what I was expecting it too be. I started out living in the dorms, in the Plaza hotel, downtown SLC. The night life there is crazy at times, but not nearly as bad as Portland. From the dorms, I moved to an apartment complex, where I lived with 3 other girls in a 2 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment. At the end of the summer, they moved out, and 3 more girls moved in. We lived togehter for 8 months, and then I felt that I needed a change of scenery, so I packed up my stuff and moved to a duplex, north of the LDSBC... and lived there for about 2 months, and then felt like I needed to move back home to Oregon. After a very emotional hour, I called up my parents and told them id be moving home in 3 weeks, for the semester. So I packed up my things, had a garage sale, went on a couple of dates with a good friend, and went to lagoon for the first time. My friend Paul, drove me to the SLC airport. i had so many bags, that as I was crossing the crosswalk at the drop off... He just stood there outside of his car, and laughed at me, as I struggled! He offered to help me, but I said no, because he couldnt leave his car there, in the drop off zone. Thankfully, as soon as I got inside, a very nice woman offered to help me carry my bags. WHERE ARE ALL THE MEN?! So, I got on the plane, and flew home to Oregon... oh how I missed the beautiful green trees, and green grass... the moisture in the air, and the beautiful hippies everywhere! ha! that ryhmed. ;)

Life in Oregon, was interesting. I couldnt find a job anywhere nearby. Most of the jobs were outside of walking distance, and id either have to drive or ride the bus... and since I dont have a car, and the bus's are scary... I stayed home, and became addicted to pinterest and crocheting. It was also nice because I was able to spend a lot more time with my best friend, Charlotte who was preparing to leave for her LDS mission to Kiev, Ukraine on December 21st or 2011. About a week after I had gotten home, the bishop gave me a new calling, as a ward missionary! I was very excited to be blessed with this calling because I had been trying to decide if I was to serve a mission or not. Over the next 4 months, I went teaching with the missionaries, Elder Nielsen and Elder Sonntag who were serving in my ward in the Portland, OR mission. While I was home, my dad even worked on the kitchen remodel. Man oh man... does it look great! Yeah, its still in progress, but it already looks 10X better than it did before! The dreaded/exciting/tear jerking day came along... December 21st. My best friend, Charlotte was leaving for her mission. She had to be at the airport very early that morning to check in, and so I borrowed my dads van, and drove over to her house to take her to the airport with her family and another friend, Aimee. I show up, about 4AM... and go downstairs, to her bedroom, to find her on the floor... with her suitcases not completely packed yet. I bust up laughing as shes on her computer doing some finishing touches to some stuff. We all finally pile in the car, and I am doing my BEST to not look at her mom, Jessica because I KNOW that she is crying already, and if I see her tears, then ill start too. It was weird, because I felt like we had several hours until our final farewells... but then that we didnt have enough time. As were all taking our last pictures, before she gets in line, I break down... and I am balling like a baby! I couldnt stop! I even saw her dad tear up a bit! All through out our goodbyes, the church hymn, "God be with you till we meet again" was playing over and over in my head. The ride home was weird, because I kept thinking... 'Oh, ill call her tomorrow... oh, I should ask Char to go get some ice cream with me... Oh i cant WAIT to tell Charlotte about this...!' but then id think... not for 18 more months, can I talk to her?! holy cow!
It was definitely a bitter-sweet moment, the day before I was to hit the open road, with my dad. I was thankful enough to see my brother and sister the day before, and to visit with my mom. Family is so very important to me, because I know that if you follow His commandments, then we can all be together again in the Celestial kingdom.  The next morning, I got up very early, and got ready for the long drive. The car was officially over flowing with my stuff. We crammed ourselves in the front seats, and hit the road! What a long drive that was... Seriously, I had to stop about every 2 hours because of how much water and soda I was drinking. We finally got in to Idaho Falls around 7pm that night, and stayed over at my great uncle Devars house. I was able to meet some extended family members who I had not seen in over 10 years, or have even met before. I also found out that I even have a few cousins that go to BYU-IDAHO, too. Its nice to know that I have family living nearby, even if I dont know them very well.
Rexburg has definitely surprised me. I never thought id say it, but I am truly sick of the wind, and snow! I do like it here a lot more then the LDS Business College, tho. The people up here are a lot more "different" id say. The spirit is also stronger because the standards are higher. Theres also a lot more dating options here. I swear, everywhere I turn, BAM.... another good looking guy! The ward here is great too! Very involved. My bishops last name is "Bean", also. Though, no relation according to him. Here in Rexburg, housing is a bit different then the usual college town, I guess. All over rexburg, there are several housing options. Most of the complex's are either male or female apartments, duplex, or houses. For my first semester, im staying in some off campus aartments. Theyre "ok"... not quite what I was expecting tho, as far as what the pictures show online... but thats fine. Its all part of the college experience, right? haha, thats what I thought! We just had midterms last week, so only 4 more weeks of school till the end of the semester!!! YAY! and then i'll hopefully be moving to a different complex! but, we'll see what happens.