Back to School at CES

I have been seeing a lot of "back to school" posts from moms. Well I'm not a mom and I'm not going back to school yet but I went back to CES this last week for just an hour and I felt so grateful for the childhood that I had and the great people in Cokeville Elementary School.

As I was helping my dad do his calendar and his Friend of the Week board and SRA folders, all while listening to Christmas music it reminded me of the days when I felt like the first day of school was about as good as Christmas! I'd lay out my outfit on the top bunk like a week or two before. I had my back-pack packed and ready too long before I needed to! I LOVED school! And with teachers like Mrs. Petersen, Mrs. Ribgy, Mrs. Taylor, My Dad, Mr. Warner, Mr. Moore and Mrs. Warner, how could I not love school!

Then I went to High School and loved the social life of school and a little less the actual school part. I played sports with my friends. I did band. I was a member of National Honor Society and participated in Student Body Offices! I had relationships with my teachers that were more like friendships because I knew they just wanted the best for me. I had it so good!!

I grew up and went to BYU. I cried. But I learned to really love it too!! How? My teachers mostly don't know me. I sometimes have friends in my classes, sometimes not. I do play sports, but not with coaches. I walk or ride my bike to get my own groceries! But I have met so many influencial people in my life and I have the best friends and have learned a lot about who I am. I just really like BYU!

School is so important to me and school is so good for me. And even though I am happy in my comfort zone right here in Cokeville, I am happy to be going back in a couple of weeks. And this is where it all got started! CES--Thank You!

Coming Home

I've been itching to write on my blog again.  I am just not sure how to gather my thoughts or what would be most helpful for me and for those of you that read my blog. So I would like to share a picture with you and a few of my thoughts on returning home from my mission.

A dear friend of mine, Hermana Guerra, drew this heart for me. She calls it The Heart of La Plata. I was blessed to serve my whole mission in the same city, La Plata, and this heart was the symbol of the city. When I asked her to draw it for me she said she would. I was not expecting her to put my face in it, but when I received this beautiful gift, I couldn't stop looking at it. Hermana Guerra put me into the heart of my mission and it will always be a symbol of accomplishment for me. 

I loved my mission. It was the hardest, best, happiest, full of tears, exciting, stressful, amazing, memorable time of my life. I don't know how to explain it, but I am so grateful that I was able to go and serve the Lord.

When I was getting close to coming home I was really anxious for coming home and nervous for how I would adjust to the "real life". Well, I think I'm doing okay. What keeps me going is just being grateful. I am grateful for my family--their support, their love, their direction. I am grateful for the prophets that give me direction and tips on how to be a successful human. I am grateful for my President for telling me to just hug pepole. I am grateful for the YSABranch in Montpelier that helps me keep reaching out and making friends and feeling like an important part of church on Sunday and during the week. 

I have nothing to be worried or nervous about as long as I just keep doing what is right. If I keep making time for scriptures and prayers and church and service. I know that as each of us just keeps hangning on, even if we don't feel like it, the Lord will help us along. He loves us and He loves me. I know that because He called me to the gratest mission of all time and is helping me LOVE every day since coming home too!