Wow!!!!

The first year of my program has FINALLY come to an end... YAY!!! I honestly questioned whether or not I would be able to make it... and I did but just barely :) I am sooooo thankful for the break that is about to start and I plan on doing some FUN things this summer. Just to make sure that I accomplish at least half of the things that I want to do I am going to make a list... Kind of funny, I was not a list person at the start of the program, now I am :) just one of the many things that have changed in my life!!!
1. go to LAGOON at least once!!!
2. go to Yellowstone and see a play at the Playmill!!!
3. play softball (I'm already on a team :))
4. work in my yard so it looks GREAT (with Trugreen's help of course)
5. go to Las Vegas for the FIRST time in my life!!!
6. go fishing (it's been a while)
7. read the Book of Mormon AT LEAST two times
8. cook AT LEAST three homemade meals every week (now that I will have more time)
9. spend MUCH more time with my SWEET nephew
10. go camping, in a tent with a fire, marshmallows and starbursts
11. have MANY picnics and bbqs with my co-workers, friends and family
12. get better at the drums on rockband
I really plan on doing ALL of the things on my list!!! I wanted to put "buy a motorcycle" on there but when I bought my new car I promised my grandma that I wouldn't do that this summer... but that will be on the next summer's list FOR SURE!!!
With all that has happened this semester I have come to learn some very important and valuable lessons. One of those lessons is that life is WAY too short not to have fun. As a result of learning this lesson I plan on LIVING it up from now on until the rest of FOREVER! Life really is so good, challenging at times but still good nonetheless! I have learned not to stress the small stuff. It is what it is :) I am so grateful for the experiences and growth that I have had this year. I look forward to this summer and next year along with all of the opportunities for growth and learning that will follow!!!!

So i bought a new car... and I LOVE it! here is a picture of the EXACT CAR i bought but it is not really a picture of mine. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!

Funny Story!

So today i have a paper due... and because i do what i do best every time, i waited till the VERY last minute to do it. Due to the difficulty of this particular paper i didn't really sleep. So early this morning my little puppy goes running out his dogie door, i am sitting at the computer trying to concentrate. I hear oggie bark so i go and look out the window and there is this lady inside of my gate, kind of freaked out i watched her for a minute and noticed a big dog running around in my yard with a leash on.... what in the world??? I watch for a few more mins and then figured out that she brings her dog over every morning for a play date with oggie... they just run around and frolic in my yard... so cute!!! I now know why my puppy goes running out his dogie door barking in the wee hours of the morning.... silly puppy!

Spring Break... it's almost here!!! YAY!

So I just got done writing a paper, the last paper I need to worry about this week :) and I am so happy! I have two more classes tomorrow and then I will be well on my way to spring break!!!! YAY!!!! I thought about getting out and going to somewhere super fun but then I thought about how that would probably use up more energy than I have right now so I decided to stay here, work and get all caught up at MK Place as well as work in my yard. I am so excited for spring to come and to have grass!!!! I love working in the yard and hope to have time to really make it look good this year... chances are that it might have to wait till I finish school in 2010 but I can at least do some things to make it look nice. In fact I have even bought some flowers that I plan on planting here really soon. Over all things are going really well. I have been able to get everything done that I have set forth to do. I have really started to gain a greater understanding and appreciation for principle of 'after all that I can do' and leaving the rest up to my Heavenly Father. He has been so merciful to me and patient with me. I am very thankful for all the blessings that I have enjoyed.
This past week was women's week here at Idaho State University. Don't laugh but they actually guilted me into singing in a chior of returned missionary sisters. For those of you who don't know, I can not sing!!! But I did and I don't think that I ruined it, it actually sounded really good. It was so amazing and I felt very inspired and uplifted. Life is GREAT!!! There is so much joy in the journey!

Campaign Manager!?!?

So my friend, Dave, decided that he wanted to run for ISU student body president. I told him I would help him in anyway I could, but also informed him that I know very little about politics and all those kinds of things. In his mind that translated to appointing me as his new "campaign manager"!!!! What in the world?!? So this is my call to arms... I desperately need ALL of your help!!! Please tell everyone you know and LOVE who go to Idaho State University that Dave would be a GREAT student body president. Also, if you have any ideas as to how and what a campaign manager should do, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE let me know! I am clueless :) We created a Facebook group. If you would like to check it out let me know... here is the link http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=134498950561&ref=mf

A little slower than usual...

So as I look back on my blog post history I have noticed that I used to post a ton of posts in every month... Since grad school it has been lucky for me to get one a post a month in, A LITTLE SLOWER THAN USUAL... Some is better than none right? Things have been pretty good and easy going lately, but really BUSY! I am starting to really enjoy school and finding a nice balance between school, work and home. Well, maybe not really a balance because work and school take up most of my time but I have worked out all of the kinks and I feel content with how my life is going currently. I have noticed that I have been getting sick a lot more lately. I think it is because of all of the stress. There was a time in my life when I could say that I NEVER got sick... that is not the case now. I think I got food poisoning last weekend- NO FUN!!! Even though I was really sick I still attempted to teach Sunday School, not such a great idea... I was calling the people the wrong name in class the whole time, OUCH! I felt so bad after class I started crying, silly girl!!! I got a blessing later than night and slept like a baby, feeling GREAT, refreshed and ready to face the obstacles of the week. Thank HEAVEN for the priesthood and the faithful men who hold it!!! I had a great week and got SO MUCH accomplished! Such a great feeling! I had a roommate, Melissa, move out this week. She moved up to Idaho Falls where she will be living after she gets married. It's very different not having her around and we miss her so much! She and I have been sharing a room since November, I know, I know, I own the house yet I shared a room? Yep!!! But now I have my own room, all by myself and I feel so much like a big girl!!! :) It's just me and my puppy Oggie in my bedroom at nights now. I decided to decorate it and have had such a fun job doing it... I decided to post some pictures... but please don't look at the OVERWHELMING pile of laundry... I will get around to doing it someday ;)



So my puppy hasn't had his hair cut since we got him! WOW! It has gotten so long and even got to the point that he couldn't see, poor puppy! He kept running into my bed frame and getting snow and all kinds of stuff matted into his fur! Here is a picture
So I got some scissors and some clippers in an attempt to try to save some money and cut his hair myself. Didn't work. In fact it made things worse. I decided to call a groomer and have him cut professionally. When I took him in she said that she wasn't sure what had happened to his fur but she would try to fix it... I didn't say a word and just played dumb, I didn't want her to KNOW that I am an idiot at times! ;) He looks so cute, once again, and loves running around the house with his VERY ANNOYING squeaky toys... Why did I buy them for him??? And why don't I take them away for good??? I don't know, I don't know!
Last item of business, but the most important... my sweet family! It isn't too often that all of us siblings get together but this Christmas we had a great time. Here are some pictures
I love my nephew more than words can express!!! He is so sweet and cuddly with me! He falls asleep in my arms ALL of the time, which is counted as a miracle in itself considering that he is a super hyper-active little man! He is the cutest little busy body! My sister gets mad at me when I put him to sleep before 9:00 p.m. because then he will wake up in the middle of the night and SHE'S the one that has to wake up and take care of him! Isn't that what aunts are supposed to do? Spoil them ROTTEN and send him home??? I am so good at that! ;)


Well, it's Saturday and once again I have a COLD!!! Seriously??? Oh dear! I can't wait for grad school to be done and my stress levels to go WAY down! It's kind of funny because I continue to say that yet things seem to keep on keeping on... just as busy as ever! I guess that is the challenge, taking time to be happy in the here and now! I am so grateful for all of the AMAZING blessings and angels my Father in Heaven has placed in my path to assist me on my way! There is no way I could do it without ALL OF THEM!

Silly, Silly, Silly!!!

So we FINALLY got the internet back at our house... we had a girl move out and she took it with her... now it's here to stay!!! Now I get to try to back date and inform as much as possible... Hang on... this could be FUN! It's a new year! Often times at the start of a new year we like to reflect on the year that just FLEW by, literally. In order to save space and time I will just highlight a few of the MANY events that took place in 2008. Started the last semester of my undergrad in Jan (the good old days when school was enjoyable and EASY!!!) I turned 26 in Feb (this kind of a sad and depressing one) I applied for the Master of Counseling Program in March and was invited back for an interview (NERVE RACKING) I had my actual interview for the program in April and received and ACCEPTANCE LETTER one week later (Whew, I made it in!!!) I loved April because this was the month that my sweet nephew was born ( I LOVE and ADORE HIM!!!) May I graduated from ISU (YAY!!!) and decided to start looking for a house to buy (Found one that I LOVE) Took my CADC test in June and passed (Whew, once again!) June closed on my home (STILL LOVE IT!) July moved into my new home (HAPPY DAY!) August started the hardest and most trying semester of my life (It's a miracle... I MADE it!!!)I also got my puppy, Oggie in August to help me deal and cope with life (he may have made it harder in the beginning;)) The rest of the months are kind of a blur... I remember that I finished my HARDEST semester and had a great Christmas with my family!!! 2008, it was GREAT!!! Now its the new year with new challenges and adventures awaiting me... oh dear, what doesn't kill us makes us stronger, right??? I was able to get my practicum set up at Pacific Rim Counseling... They are even going to pay me because I have my CADC... What a blessing! School starts on Monday... I feel very afraid but also know that fear and faith can not abide in the same heart at the same time (Heather taught me that one while I was on the mission, thanks Heather!!!) I also know that the reason I am so fearful is because often times I try to do everything by myself. If I wanna survived the next year and a half I am going to have to have more faith, kicking out the fear, trusting and relying on my Father in Heaven and the angels he sends me more often. My hope is that I can do that. That I can be more faithful and less fearful this year. Accomplishing all that my Father in Heaven has in store for me with help from Him and His angels... With God ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!!