what's really important....?

Happy Birthday to the BEST MISSIONARY I KNOW. Elder James Murray. 

crazy. HE COMES HOME IN 1 MONTH!!!

Sunday Sissy Singing

 

addiction.

 

love.

 giddy.

 

10 days. 

So I'm liking blogging again. I'm so visual- I don't like just writing out feelings cuz sometimes only a song or a picture is the only way to explain how one is feeling. So let's see... Everyone keeps asking how The "post mission" life is. For those of you that don't know- when you are on a mission you dedicate 100% of yourself to helping others. From 7 a.m. - 11 p.m. Everyday. All day. I think that is why I loved my mission so much- because I didn't worry about anything going on in my own life. I love the Chilean people so much. I honestly have never felt a love so strong. I think that was the hardest thing about coming home- was not being able to dedicate myself to something I loved so dearly. About 3 weeks after being home I had a really hard week or so. I was so emotional and literally just wanted to escape the world- jump on a plane and be back doing something I loved with all my heart. To help people accept christ in their lives was an irreplacable feeling. I know that I was sent to Concepcion, Chile for specific people- who I can't wait to reunite with again one day. Ok, I'm gonna do a post about my
Mission one day when I don't have mascara on-

Anyways, yes coming home was hard. I have always heard that missionaries are weird when they come home or just feel lost... So before I came home I told myself I would not let that happen to me. Well it was out of my control and YES it did happen to me. I felt lost for a little bit. Naturally- I am someone who cannot stand to be bored... I like to constantly be doing something, so to come home and not have every minute mapped out for me- did not work out so well. But ya know, eventually everything fell into place. Now I have a good job making good money- and I have been able to meet some new friends

dating- um not so much. We'll have to wait until the island is my home for that to be a category in my life. Honestly though, I am so ready to just be free. Not worries no attachments just the ocean and sand to keep me company.

Brittany and I were in target today and accidentally grabbed makeup without SPF in it. So brit ran 5 feet away from the register to grab the one with SPF... The women behind us started to tap her foot and get anxious after 10 seconds. What a crazy world we live in. People are just too rushed all the time. Brit and I walked away and thought- wow. Calm down world. We then had our second discussion this week about how America just needs to take a chill pill. We need to remember lifes to short to rush our lives away. Agree?

“Even if we’re just driving around in our RV camper and hitting all the local fast-food joints I’ll tease my hair and put it up in a little scrunchie.”

—	Dolly Parton

so i love art. i have one problem though... i am not very patient. My mother is an amazing artist. I'll never forget the day when i found all her old artwork tucked away-never to be seen. GOSH-shes soooo talented.. i wish she would have pursued it. Anyways, this is my first pencil drawing in Highschool. Just found it- ITS HUGE in real life. but if u can't tell...it's Miss Britney Spears-back in the good ol' days. I got a nice chunk if money/scholarships for some art.. i'll have to go find some of them someday to post.

 spark,

  please be there when he comes home

all time favorite song. forever and always.

and this lovely lady covers it rather well... :)

 

I dream of a farm house-right outside the city.

lots of little ones running around.

a hard workin' man.

ATHLETIC children.

a simple life.

a Christ-centered home

a garden-so I can make chilean salads.

 i dream of

laughter...

tears.

Singing

fishing.

a TAN man.

an art studio

Country Music.

I dream of mom/dad pulling up in their RV

good dinners

family bonfires

and

just plain ol' happiness.

obsessed.

And I'll look back in regret how I ignored when they said 'Run as fast as you can’

But I took your matches
Before fire could catch me
So don’t look now
I’m shining like fireworks
Over your sad empty town

-T.S.

Sister Brittany. Sorry there is NOBODY in my life like her.
So Paige was born. exactly 2 years later lil brit was born. I came out with blonde curly hair. Brit came out with wispy white hair. No more hair than the end of a q-tip. Brit followed me everywhere I went. We made barbie houses, forts, and played dress-up everyday. We had a lot of stuff for a lil poor family. Lots of garage sales I guess. So anyways, people say we look alike/act alike... some say were opposite. I'll tell u how it is. We're both crazy. And thats about the only thing we have in common. BRIT is free. She is more carefree than a piece of gum. She just goes. She just lives. I am not. I like a plan. I like a checklist. She likes to lay. I like to do. I dance. She laughs. I talk. She laughs. GOSH-if anyone knows brittany... U KNOW her laugh is contagious. If you mess with her...she will WRECK your world. Im sorry. She did get the "crazy" gene in the family. And gave me a few cells of it. I am messy and creative and messy and really messy. We currently share a room until we leave in 2 weeks for hawaii. I get yelled at everyday for my clothes on the floor. It's kinda like one of those automatic things... you blink out of habit. It's automatic. My clothes just automatically get dropped on the floor. I leave trails.

Brit had a hard year. I was in chile when she found out she had cancer I will never forget getting that email... And literally dropping to my knees in the mission office. I felt helpless. Literally thousands of miles away...and I couldn't even hug her. I wanted more than anything to just crawl up in a ball in my bed and not do anything. But I knew that would not help. SO I PRAYED MY HEART OUT. I felt peace. I am so proud of her. She has gone through so much and is still feeling the pains/after effects. But finds a way to stay positive and be a "freebird" as we call call her.  And we be fllyyyinnn to hawaii in 2 weeks baby.

Brit. SERIOUSLY is my best friend. We should be twins because we alwayyyyys know what the other is thing. So many things go unspoken because we can read each others mind. I love her soooo much. I honestly can't explain how much I care for her. We have some good times a'comin!

K. So i love movie nights. Love cuddling. Love getting dressed up and going on dates or just going t to get takeout food. BUT seriously Girls nights are my favorite. Growing up- I was a tomboy. I grew up with boys. A good time consisted of football, dirtbiking, fishing, and bonfires. But LET ME TELL YOU... This summer-iv met some amazing girls that I cant get enough of. We laugh our butts off- make fools of ourselves and make fun of each other allll night. It's hard to find friends these days who can go out without drinking. It's nice to have some friends who don't need the booz to enjoy themselves. I LOVE THEM.

As we all head our separate ways as the summer comes to a close-- kinda makes me wanna meet them all over again- skip work and redo every night all over again...Tonight was one of the best nights! We threw down some beats - went to a creepy restaurant- and laughed until we peed our pants. I miss them already.

Oh Sundays.

We arrive to church, 10:01 one minute late and take the long walk (all 5 of us kids) to the 2nd to last row. We fight over who sits where and who owes who a back scratch. Finally we settle. I find myself listening to the crunches of the little kids behind us digging their lil chubby fingers into tupperware containers full of lucky charms as they try to reach the last marshmallow. One row over a young father lets his wife rest for a few minutes as he takes care of all 4 children...his finger in the palm of his infant.. two kids wrapped around his legs..his daughter on his lap making herself comfortable with her little white flats planted on the seat in front of her. I can't help but watch. That is one thing I look for when I am dating someone... Is how they interact with Children. I LOVE kids so much. They bring a happiness and energy to my life. Once again brings me back to Chile...where all the little kids would come up and dig through my bags during church looking for the "treats from the United States".  Church always take me back to what is important... I think it's because it's not just a building we go to each sunday- But a way of life.  I can't wait to have a family of my own one day. A big family. I love listening to the speakers each week that allow us to apply the teachings of Jesus Christ to our lives. I have a desire to strengthen my testimony each day. 

I love sundays. We just watched "Catfish" as a family. Um. Its a couple years old i think. But So worth watching. Its a documentary about Facebook...and kinda creepy.

Time for a bubble bath.

Birthday :)

Saturday Night I got to celebrate my 23rd at the Eli Young Band Young Band CD Release Show. They are One of my favorite singer/song writers. We had amazing seats and screamed the whole time. AND got yelled at by security guard crazy people. I enjoyed this concert with two of my favorite People-Brit and Kristian.

 

Here it goes...

I am sitting on my couch. Its 11:42. I just worked a 3:30-9:30 shift at CoalVines. $120. Not bad. Anything helps when your moving to hawaii. Today was a good day. Brit and I went to the Gym. We "trained" each other. We normally don't go to the gym together or we will just laugh the whole time and get NOTHING done. We did squats across the gym with weights...Each squat step we named something we're looking forward to. " Hawaii, Palmtrees, OCEAN, sand, toes, blonde, love, fruit, ....and several other things I won't mention." 50 squats later...we were ready to get on a plane and head on out.  I don't really know why I am going to hawaii other than cause its hawaii. When I was on my mission, I decided I was going to stay home and work... see what happens when Elder Murray gets home from his mission...and take life as it comes. But when I came home, My sister did some begging and I finally cracked. So now... I need to make a few more thousand dollars in the next couple weeks and i'll be set. Wow. it's been an emotional roller coaster lately. Lots of crazy things have been happening and sometimes I just wish I could be a little kid again when the trouble of the day was that my mom didnt give me an extra 75 cents to get an icecream bar for lunch. Those were the good ol' days. My life as a child was soccer, pizza, and my karaoke machine. I would make tapes of me singing, thanking all my fans and my inspiration "dixie chicks" haha. I always wanted to grow up...and now Im turning 23 (still young) but just life just happened...so fast. I want to do it all. But more than ever Iv realized that we have to remember what is important sometimes. If there is anything I learned from 18 months of serving a mission-it's that We have a special purpose here on earth. And that is to prepare to return with our Father in Heaven again. It's so easy to get caught up in the world. I find myself lost in it sometimes. But I know with all my heart that we are here for a special purpose and it's up to us to live it.

110 degree Arizona Photoshoot

So I managed to sneak in a little trip to Arizona to see Monica and heres the Photoshoot she did!! More to come!!  All Photos by: http://monicajohnsonphotography.blogspot.com/

My family. My family is um a little crazy. We are super close. BUT make fun of each other all day. Each one of us are SO DIFFERENT yet so a like.

Daddy- Dan. Dan works for Horace Mann (An insurance company for educators). Dad is very honest and very hard working. When he does something he does it right. He cares about us so much. He wants to protect us but he allows us to have freedom to make decisions for ourselves. Funny moment-The first time I held hands with a guy (age 15 or so) he talked to me until 3 a.m. in the morning how one thing leads to another...  :) My dad has always taught me to save my money which allowed me to pay for college/my mission to Chile. I love. love. love my dad. 

Mommy-Julie. So you know how girls say that their mom is their best friend. Yeah, thats my mom. We talk about EVERYTHING. She is sooo funny and so gullible (she was named "most gullible" in Highschool). I get my Goofy/crazy side from her.  I love the relationship my parents have with one another. The other day as we were pulling into the gym we passed my dads car...and she said, " Is normal that I stillllll get giddy when I see your dads car". All I have to say is I hope I have a marriage as strong as they do. They celebrated their 25 year anniversary this month! And will be coming to visit us in HAWAII to do a little more celebrating later this year!