Catching Up

Well it has been a really long time since I posted.  Here is a brief summary of the summer.

EFY
I was an EFY counselor for 3 weeks this summer.  It was a blast.  I learned a lot about the gospel, about teaching, getting along with people you don't have anything in common with, listening, reaching out, and following the Spirit.  It was such a neat experience and I am grateful I had the opportunity to work with those kiddos.  I seriously loved all of my kids.

Bear Lake
We went to bear lake a couple times.  It truly is the greatest place on earth.  I love it so much.  The water was crazy high and quite warm.

Pressing Forward
We have had two deaths in our family in the last month.  My oldest cousin Kristin's son, Gabe, was killed in a car accident on July 30.  He was in the cargo hold of an explorer and the car rolled twice, going about 70 miles an hour.  He was ejected and died on impact.  His mom was told it was the car Gabe was in as she ran down to the site of the accident.  All she saw were his shoes sticking out from under the sheet with which he was covered.  They wouldn't let her see him.  I can't imagine how awful that would be.  Kristin and Tyler are such good people.  They have an awesome family, and my heart aches for their loss.  He had finished his mission in this earth life and was called home to serve an even greater mission.

I also just lost my Grandma.  She died suddenly and quickly.  I am pretty sure my grandpa came to pick her up.  She was ready to go see him.  It was a shock, but it is a blessing.  She is so much happier where she is now, with her loved ones.

What a blessing it is to have a knowledge of the Plan of Salvation, and that we will be able to see those loved ones again someday.

You might be a redneck if...

I found this gem of a photo when I was at home for the long weekend.  It is so awful, but so great.  Looking at old pictures makes you realize how much you have changed and, perhaps, also how much you still want to change. 

(I am able to post this picture because I know every single one of you has a photo just as great as this, lying around somewhere)

Cherish it :)

Rolling Luggage will Roll

If you are going to have an embarrassing moment, it may as well be in another state.

I had a funny moment while traveling on the metro in Washington D.C. We were on our way to the airport so we had all of our luggage with us. Due to some maintenance, the metro was at a stand still for quite some time, so I decided to sit on my luggage--the rolling kind.

I sat there quite happily for some time, so as the train started to move, I stayed sitting. Well, a few moments later, my suitcase decided to roll out from under me. I fell right on my behind in front of a train full of people.

It was pretty embarrassing, but the only thing that hurt a little was my pride. We laughed that off pretty quickly. It was a great clumsy moment of mine.

Freedom Ain't Free

I just got back from visiting Washington D.C. What an amazing city! We saw a lot of museums and monuments. It was a lot of walking. There is some pretty country back there. One of my favorite parts of the trip was taking a bike ride from Old Town Alexandria to Mount Vernon, George Washington's estate. It was a breathtaking 20 mile ride.



We were also able to take a tour of the White House, the Library of Congress, and the Capitol Building. Pretty amazing stuff.

It was so neat to see all that went in to founding our country. So many men and women have sacrificed themselves for our freedom. I am so grateful for their service. We are extremely blessed to live in this great country.

You rush a miracle man, you get rotten miracles

I recently read "The Princess Bride" Such a fun book. I think everyone should read it at some point in their lives. The movie is really great, but the book has so much more. As is the case with most book/movie combos, the book is better than the movie. Quite honestly, I didn't think that one was possible, but boy was I pleasantly proven wrong.

Read it. Love it.

Origin of the Title

I would like to tell you where the inspiration for the title of my blog came from.

Many years ago, I won tickets on the radio to see Keith Urban in concert. (Greatest thing ever. My mom actually did the talking on the radio, because I wasn't old enough, but I called in.) I took my sister Amy with me. Keith Urban is an amazing performer, and we had a wonderful time.

One of his songs is called "Days Go By." After the concert, when Amy and I were driving home, we talked about applying that song to our lives. It is such a waste of time to complain or hold a grudge against someone. Sometimes I want to just stay mad for a little bit. I reason that it will make me feel better. This is never the case. This life really is so short. We don't have time to be mad!

So I have kind of taken that as a motto throughout the years. Days go by, so you better start living right now!

Amy has been a HUGE example to me throughout my life. I look up to her in so many ways, knowing that if I turn out like her, I will be doing just fine. She is full of life and always has such a positive attitude. She is extremely outgoing and fun. I am proud to call her my sister and best friend.

We kind of look like twins, don't we? :)

Starting out on a Journey

Too cheesy of a title for my first blog post?I thought it was appropriate as that is one of my all-time favorite songs. It is the one at the end of Anastasia titled "At the Beginning."

Well, I joined the blogger world. It may seem a little strange since I am not married, and I don't have a family of my own to blog about, but I figure my mom and a few others may enjoy following me. My mom is, after all, the coolest mom in all the world.

It will also be a great journaling tool for me.So, bear with me as I figure out blogging and all that comes with it.

And remember, as the song that inspired my title puts it,
"Life is...now and forever, a wonderful journey."
(Would you like a little more cheese with that?!)