More Goodbyes

Last night I gathered a few family members and friends to go to a temple session with me and then we all went to Red Robin after wards and were joined by more friends and family. It was pretty fun to be taking up half of the restaurant with 22 people there to say goodbye to me! I am so grateful for all of the amazing love and support I have!

The gang's all here!

Best Friends don't like saying goodbye- so we wait until the last possible minute, so for us this was a see you tomorrow! ha ha and we'll say goodbye on Sunday :)

More amazing friends! I am so blessed! Chels and Steph are so much fun!!!

And more friends who I will miss dearly, Jennie and Erin.

The beginning of the Goodbyes

Last night the Skousens took me out to Dinner at Joe's BBQ just like they did the first time I left on my mission- I promised them that this would be my last mission farewell dinner! ha ha We had a yummy dinner and then the girls and I played on the grass (and of course Amy was on the phone- can't get her off of that thing! lol). I had so much fun just goofing around with my girls and I am so grateful I was able to spend some time with them since I have been home. I love them so much and I will miss their adorable little faces, but in 18 months I will see them again. Until then I am expecting LOTS and LOTS of letters!! ;)

MY girls!!!

Love the shirt Annie!!

Showing some tongue Kiley!

Hailey are you always this silly, or is it just around me?

Then there is Maicy- so sweet now a days, but some of us remember your fiesty years, ha ha!

I had to put this pic of my Chubba Bubba up here too- she is just TOO cute!!

Gma Betty's Birthday

On Sunday night we went over to Grandma Betty's house to bring her some birthday cheer!!! She loved her presents and cake but most of all enjoyed seeing us- her amazing family! ha ha :)

The family with Grandma Betty

Mom and dad

Grandma opening her presents

Keith and Sarah

Rainy Adventure

Last weekend the family and some friends went out riding up on the rim. We packed up and made a day of it- we had such a great adventure especially when it started hailing!! We had to ride back to our base camp quick, but to no avail, by the time we got to KT's covered trailer we were all soaked to the bone and freezing!! It was a fun trip anyway... even if we had to go home early because of the weather!!

The rim is absolutely gorgeous!!!

Mikey hanging out on the cliff

KK and Brad having a little "moment" he hee

Me- duh! :)


My folks

Hanging out- Jeff and Jake

The crew getting ready to go back out for another ride

Hmm I don't know if I should be flattered or dissed that they are mocking my signature pose! ha ha

Brad enjoying the scenery

My dad- the Tree Hugger!! ha ha

Mikey and KT

Chilling in the trailer trying to keep from freezing to death

Mom attempting to get dry!

A cute couple making out in the trailer? Ha ha Brad and KK

One Week From Today!!!!!!

So I got a phone call this morning from my stake president and I have a flight booked for 10:10 AM on Monday morning the 6th of October!!! I am going back to the MTC!!!! I am so excited, but it is so soon and I have a lot to do still. I will be joining a group of missionaries who have been in the MTC since September 10th and are also going to San Antonio Texas Spanish Speaking! I will be in the MTC until the second week of November. I will write more later but for now that is the breaking news!!!!

My Parents Took Me To Disneyland!!!

I have been gone all week because my amazing parents up and took me to Disneyland!!! Yes I know, I am so spoiled and I love it!!!!!! :)

It was so fun to spend a whole week in Cali with just my mom and dad

We went to Disneyland for 3 days and two of the days we got these! Dream Fastpasses! They are pretty cool- you get a fast pass for every ride that has one. We enjoyed them, even though the two weekdays we went there were like no lines! We walked on almost every ride. But on Saturday these came in handy- it was for sure crowded!!

My friend Erin met up with us one of the days. She lives in Cali and came to Disney for a few hours to hang with me!

It was so great to see Erin. It didn't take long for us to get back to our goofy ways! I met her when she was a Kindergarten teacher at Neely and I was her assistant. She was my boss, basically but became my friend too! She is the one that made me want to become a Kindergarten teacher instead of first grade- she truly is AMAZING!

My new favorite ride at Disney is the Toy Story ride at California Adventures! It is so fun!! Here are mom and dad modeling their 3-d glasses right before getting on the ride.

I got mom to go on the tea cups with me!!

Dad and I in front of the waterfall at Grizzly River

Me and my mommy

We got dad to go on Space Mountain with us twice- he doesn't like it much! I love it, but dad thinks the music in the headrests is too loud (hence why he is covering his ears in the picture) but I always say if it's too loud- you're too old!

The fam in front of a Brother Bear statue

On our last day there I told dad that I hadn't taken enough pictures of the trip yet, so he would make me pose in front of random things and take a picture! ha ha

As I was posing in front of random things dad found that there are several of these old stoves at Disneyland! So we went on an old stove scavenger hunt! lol It was pretty funny!!!

My silly daddy with his Poncho- he loves the Rapid ride, but he won't go on it with out his emergency poncho! lol

This was me on the drive home. On the way there mom and I flew since dad had driven out there for a business trip the week before and was still there. So the return trip was a road trip- dad and mom and I squished into Dad's little Toyota Yaris with all of our stuff and drove home on Sunday. I felt like an animal cracker stuffed into the little circus box!! Those cars were not made to carry three people and a bunch of luggage on a 6 hour drive! lol

Reasons

There are 19 reasons why it will be a lot harder for me to leave on my mission this time.

My Parents

My Best Friends- Jenesse and CristinaMy GrandparentsMy Siblings: Sis-in-Law Sarah and KeithMy Friend JennieThe Jones Family

My Girls -The Skousens

I have grown so close to all of these people and my relationships with them have strengthened so much since I have been home. I don't want to leave them all! Yes, all of these 19 people were here the first time I left, but it was not the same. I love them even more now and I thrive on being around them. They bring JOY into my life and make me HAPPIER than I ever thought possible!! Leaving them will tear very deeply at my heartstrings.


Why I am going anyway:

Jesus Christ

I only need one reason to go and it is to serve the Lord and bring others unto my Savior Jesus Christ. The gospel of Jesus Christ brings me so much happiness every day and I want to share that with the world. It will be a HARD thing to leave my family and friends, WAY harder than it was the first time, but I will go and serve the Lord and my family and friends as well as myself will be amazingly blessed because of it. My papers for my return are in and I am waiting to here from the missionary department. I could be leaving as soon as the first week in October. It seems like these past 4 and a half months have gone by so fast now that the time is actually here!! I AM GOING BACK ON MY MISSION!