Don't Blink

Wow, so much has changed since I last blogged! Deciding to go on a mission, going home to Georgia and working 4 jobs at the same time (Spine Care and Pain Management, Check it Books, Ingles, and babysitting), receiving my mission call to go to the Brasil, João Pessoa mission (BEST THING OF MY LIFE!!!) and having so many great experiences there. Then I came home on the 28th of January, worked at Cracker Barrel for a few weeks and then went back to Ingles (waitressing wasn't really my thing... haha) and now I'm out at BYU again, living with a mission friend and loving life!

It's crazy to think about how I have changed so much in just a short amount of time. I remember last time I was out at BYU, it was so hard. I struggled socially and academically and was super homesick all of the time. Then my mission kicked my fanny into gear and totally changed my outlook on life and it's challenges, and I'm loving it now!

So I came out to Utah the Saturday before classes started to hang out with Shell, Nate, Megan, Sam and the kids and it was so much fun! I didn't really get a bunch of pictures of all of us, but I took quite a few of the cute little ones. :) It was so much fun to hang out with them and get to see them all and FINALLY meet Natalie and Asa!

 On our way to the Atlanta airport, bright and early! (Or should I say, dark and early?)

 Goofing off with Leah on our way to Roy! She's a hoot!

Bonding time with Natalie playing the cupcake game.

 The one, the only, Addison!

 The fabulous Bryn!

 On our way to church!

 Addison's quite the photographer. :)

 Birthday Festivities

 My hair straightened a little bit when I left the humidity! A Christmas miracle!

I'm sad that I didn't get ANY pictures with the big kids, but there's always next time. :) It was seriously so much fun. We went on a hike on Saturday, and Sunday we all went to church together. Me and Meg stayed with Shell in the nursery (she's nursery leader), and it was a blast. Who know nursery could be so much fun?!

Monday morning Nate worked from home so Shell could go with Addison on a field trip. I got to hang out with Leah that morning, and it was a blast. This little gem happened:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYyfwHixErM

And Shell and Nate were kind enough to let me crash their house and eat their food and party with the birthday boy (Asa) and take me grocery shopping and then Nate even drove me down to Provo early Tuesday morning. I left with a home made lunch Shell made for me with a cute note inside, that I still have. :) (She even made a lunch for Spencer. What a gal.)

It's weird being out here without Beck and Ben, but I'm grateful that there's still family close! We have the best family ever!

Stay tuned for the next edition: Entering the University- Take 2

First days of Utah

Hullo! As you all know, I'm in Utah now!!! My first four days were spent with Michelle and Nate, who are very fantastic hosts. We partied it up! On New Years Eve, Nate's fam came over (his dad, mam, and sister Abbey) and we ate takeout Chinese ("which I never actually did before but kind of enjoyed") and played on the Waite's new Wii. It was especially fun to watch Grandpa play wipeout (it's just like the show). He was pretty terrible at it but it was HILARIOUS! We were ALL laughing our heads off and I almost wet my pants. Then they left and we started the movie Rango. Shell got tired and went to bed, and me and Nate stayed down to finish it. I fell asleep at 11:30 though, and Nate finished it all by his lonesome.
To make up for me and Shells lack of party attitude on NYE, New Years DAY was the real partay. After church we went over to Nate's bro Aaron's house to help Grandma watch the children (5 of them, the 6th was born that day)! We left and came home to play Ticket to Ride and Shell got really grumpy because she lost reeeeeeeally badly plus she was gassy. We drank Martenelli's (which we called "bubbly") out of wine glasses and I thought it was really gross so I only drank like 2 sips. Plus, I was kind of gassy too and I didn't want to become any bubblier than I already was. (Yeah, yeah, I know i told you guys I wasn't gassy. I lied.)
And, somewhere in there we saw temple square with all of it's lights. IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL!!! And cold.
pictures!



We're so refined. And bubbly.




Addison at breakfast. This is one awesome kid. Oh, later we went to J Dawgs where they have massive hot dogs and Nate was trying to get him to take another bite, and he screamed, "BUT THEY TASTE LIKE TRASH!!!" Then, once he noticed me laughing my head off he screamed, "THEY TASTE LIKE GARBAGE!!!" hahahahahahaha





Bryn. She is also awesome, and has fabulous pink light-up princess cowgirl boots.