In Between Sunrise and Sunset

As life goes on, I see more and more sunrises and more and more sunsets. They are stunning. So much can happen in one day. So much more can happen in our lifetime. How sad would it be to reach your own sunset in life and realize that you didn't accomplish many worthwhile things? I hope that we are all doing what we can fill our lives with memories worth treasuring.

I have now been home for school for more than 2 months. This blows my mind! Time flies so fast... I feel like Harry Potter in the 3rd movie when Hermione takes him for a ride through time via the time turner. I cannot list every little thing that has happened since the last time I posted but here are some items worth mentioning:
#1. My older sister got married! It was a long courtship, but I am so happy to welcome by brother-in-law to the family :) They had a lovely wedding ceremony (which I got to attend along with my 2 brothers-- the three of us were endowed the week before she was married. What a special experience.) While she didn't get to have the reception outside due to weather, everything turned out lovely and everyone had a marvelous time! I got to wear new clothes, so that was nice ;)

#2. I got my mission call to the Hungary Budapest Mission! I report to the Provo MTC on October 19th!!! I am very excited about this! This is somewhere that I never even thought of as a possibility of being called to serve, but I full-heartedly accept the call, and I am so excited to go! I have been studying up on the history of the Hungarian people... it is amazing! Perhaps I will share a bit of it at another time :)

#3. I do have a job! I am working at a restaurant near home and it really isn't that bad! I never saw myself as the type to work with food, but I am learning a lot and I'm being given many opportunities to improve my leadership skills. I was hired on as the assistant manager, but since then, my mangaer became no longer a part of the company and I now work as a Floor Manager with one other girl. It is a challenge at times, but it is rewarding in its own ways :) I get to work with a cook that thinks he was once abducted by aliens, talks to me about intense nutritional facts, discusses religious viewpoints, talks about the dentist, and shares insight to music and other random categories-- I do enjoy it :)

#4. I got to spend a lovely day in Zions National Park with my parents and two brothers. It was marvelous! It was the last little trip with my younger brother before he would leave for his mission. My mother ended up hurting her ankle pretty bad on one of the trails (it is still healing-- 3 weeks time and counting...), but we all had a wonderful time experiencing the wonders of nature together and enjoying the company of one another.

#5. One of my bosom friends has returned back to his home-- sad :( However, things are quite well, and he has recieved his mission call as well! I do not know if that is information that I am allowed to post here without permission so I will leave it alone for now. But still-- Very exciting!!! It is more than likely that we will see each other at the MTC, so that will bring many smiles to my face! :) It is always good to see a wonderful kindred spirit after a time of separation, but it is definately more meaningful when seen doing work for the Lord together. (Yes, I did use 2 lines from Anne of Green Gables in this paragraph. I dearly love that series.)

#6. I have been blessed with a few opportunities to spend time with the best of friends! There is a location where we adore getting cupcakes, and we finally made a trip there a couple weeks ago after it had been many moons since our last visit! We have also attended a darling muscial concert on the rooftop of a parking garage, eaten out with mutual friends, and walked along main street to visit different shops. Time together is always priceless.

#7. Yes... my younger brother has now entered the MTC. We miss him dearly, but we are so proud of him and his decision to serve the Lord and fulfill his priesthood responsibility. He has been gone for a few weeks now and it still feels like yesterday that he left. Will time pass? Yes... funny how time passes so fast with some things, yet it passes so slow for others even though they may occur within the same time frame... strange. I have written him more than I probably should have over the past few weeks.... haha. I sent him over 10 letter one week, and I have been told that it's been advised that families send about one letter a week to their missionaries... oops! My bad :/ :) But all said and done, I am very excited for him and his mission! He is going to do marvelous things! (He is going to serve in the Argentina Buenos Aires West Mission! So cool! Both of my brothers will be speaking Spanish fluently before you know it!)

#8. I attended the Stadium of Fire two days ago!!!! It was outstanding! Definately better than I thought it would be. While I am not a fan of country, I knew that I would be able to have a good time at the show-- and a good time I had! Before heading to the stadium that evening, I was just have a little war in my head about weather or not I was excited to go. Knowing I don't really like country, I was unsure about how I wasn going to handle listening to Brad Paisley for that long. But deep down inside, I knew that time with my parents and little sister was going to be valuable there. I didn't even know what was coming! When we got to the stadium, we sat around for a good hour waiting for things to start. The sun was beating down on us like a cruel person that likes to burn ants on the sidewalk with a magnifying glass (yes, I actually have done that before in my life, haha... ha) and it seemed as though it was never going to settle behind the mountains across the valley. The show started and the sun still shone brightly in our faces--- however, it wasn't long before I was swept away in an emotional experience with the introduction to the Stadium of Fire. I soon forgot about the sun. It started. The National Anthem. An amazing choir. Lovely dancers. Skydivers. US Soldiers. The US Flag. Jets. My heart was ambushed by an overwhelming presentation of patriotism. Tears filled my eyes as my testimony grew for the reality of how wonderful of a blessing it is to be a US citizen, and to live in a free country-- a country that was preserved and promised for Gods people; a country where there is religious freedom; a country where I can dream big and live to make difference. What a blessing. Yes, David Archuleta was good. Yes, I kind of actually liked Brad Paisley's performance. Yes, the fireworks were remarkable. But the best part of the Stadium Fire... the beginnging--- bar none. I am so grateful for the opportunity my parents blessed me with to attend the Stadium of Fire with them, and for my increased testimony of patriotism and recognition of the Lords hand in the founding of this country.

#9. I bought a romper. Yes, a romper. Haha, I think it's so funny! No, I did not buy one of those silly little short-short ones, but one with long pant legs. (Modest is hottests, truly). I ordered it online and I wasn't sure if I was actually going to keep it. Once it arrived, I immediatley tried it on for size, looked at my reflection in the mirror wearing it... it became mine. I actually do like it :) My mom thinks it's kind of silly and that I shouldn't wear it in public, but she still loves me after I wore it to the Stadium of Fire ;) It is very comfortable! I fine purchase :) Perhaps I will take photos of me wearing it to post in the future.

And that is a fine list of things that have happened :) I am so happy. Period. I am so happy. Life is good to me, and I have so much to be grateful! Trials come and trials go, and there is always something to be grateful for. I am blessed. The little blessings of life enter my life every single day. These tender mercies come to me in many differences shapes and sizes of packages. For example, at work today and little boy came up to me and said, "I am Batman!" I asked him who I was, and he decided I could be Catwoman. He was no more than 3 years old! Not long after that, a little girl (the daughter of my boss from Heritage Halls) came up to me and said, "I'm a princess!" I said, "Yes, you are! You make a lovely princess!" And then she showed me her lovely little princess shoes. She was definately all dolled up for the 4th of July :) So these tender mercies appear in little children. They also show when I find things that once were lost, or when I recieve bits of personal revelation... so many different forms. So yes, I am happy. I am grateful. I am blessed.

I hope that everyone out there is having an outstanding 4th of July! Happy Independence Day :) Much love!