Zumba :)

Zumba is the highlight of my life right now! Love it! I think I have decided that Brittany (the teacher today) is my favorite day time teacher. Danita being my favorite night time one. Anywho Brittany is just basically awesome, love her music choices, love her energy, and love her moves! For those that know me well know that I am awkward and can't really dance but that I don't really care and dance a lot anyway. That is why I love Zumba, it's not about how good you look, it's just about shakin it and having a good time! It's also a workout! Which heaven knows I need! :)

I'm going there someday...

Last Friday I had the opportunity to go through the St. George Temple and take out my own Endowment. It was amazing! I had so many questions answered and have learned so much. I had some amazing family members physically there to support me and lots of family members emotionally there for me. Life is taking all these fun paths right now. All my life I've been waiting to go on a mission, go through the temple, get married and sealed for time and all eternity to the love of my life. Two of these major events are happening/have happened recently. It makes me so happy to be a member of the church. It also makes me terrified for the future, terrified in a very good way though :)

Llamados a Servir

Sunday's are great. Seriously.

I went to my parents sacrament meeting today because there was a "farewell" (I know we're not supposed to call them that anymore but basically that's what it is). It was of the Morby's. They are some of the neatest people I think I have ever met. They are such examples to me of how I want to be when I grow up. I want to raise my children just like they have raised theirs... Needless to say, it was amazing. I cried like the entire time.

After church I had an interview with Bishop Watson. It was for my Temple Recommend. Can I tell you how crazy it is that I will be going to the temple soon and making more of the necessary covenants to live with my father in heaven again? After my interview, when I got in my car, I cried. Not because I was sad or scared, but because the spirit overwhelmed me so much. I received yet another confirmation that I am on the right path in my life and I am doing as my father in heaven would have me do. It's an amazing feeling.

:)

Called to Serve

Well the day I've been waiting for has finally arrived, I got my mission call!!! I'm going to the California, Ventura mission, Spanish speaking :) I report on October 26th. It's forever away, but it will give me much needed time to prepare. I'm so grateful I get to go on a mission and that I recovered so well from my back surgery. I'm actually pretty nervous now. I feel super inadequate. A girl in my ward in her testimony said "When the lord calls, he qualifies" I just hope that this is true in my case. :) Here's a quote from President Hinckley that my stake president showed me.

"Many young women are serving missions. Many are preparing to serve. Not because they aren't married or have nothing to do, but because they have a desire to serve and are therefore called to the work. The reason so many are going is because in the next generation, Heavenly Father will be sending His priesthood army to earth and wants to send them to mothers who have been properly trained and taught in the gospel. What better training can a young woman have than a mission?" 


 I love this quote! Honestly!


I feel so humbled to have the opportunity to go and share all my beliefs with others and to have the opportunity to hopefully touch peoples lives. I can't wait to turn myself completely over to the lord and be an instrument in his hands. I know without a doubt the church is true!

A light at the end of the tunnel :)

So I've been pretty down lately... I hate being down. My last post was quite depressing, sorry about that. 

Today was fabulous! It started with my 9 am doctors appointment. At 9 I got my x-ray, the techs were very impressed with me. They didn't have to position me at all and I didn't wear any metal so I didn't have to change. They told me they can tell I've done this before and they're not sure if that's a good thing or bad thing :) haha I figure you gotta stick with what your good at. After I got my x-ray I went in for the doc to check it out. He was super impressed with how quickly I'm healing. I guess there is something to be said for a 20 year old instead of a 60 year old having this surgery. :) The doc originally said I could drive after 45 days but today 25 days into the surgery he released me to drive!!! He also told me that in two more months I can go in and get x-rayed again and baring something horrible happening I get to ditch this awful brace and start swim therapy! Then about a month after that I do normal therapy then I'm done with this whole mess!!! yay! The doc also said I can go back to work as long as I have someone doing my BLT's (bending, lifting, twisting) 

I'm pretty excited for Friday. I'm going to California with Grandma, Grandpa, and Alyson's family. We're going to some cool town, a cool cave, and a castle. haha I'm just excited to get out of St. George. It's gonna be a long car ride but it should be pretty fun! :)

So Josie has been teaching me piano! I freakin love it!!! Gah! I just want to go and practice all the time! I'm not as good when she's watching me but whatev. I just wanna learn to play some hymns and hopefully I go somewhere on my mission that it will be useful. :)

Speaking of missions. I've gotten a few letters lately that have really made me happy. David's letters always brighten my day, and he's pretty good at writing me back. I also recently got one from Josh... his have me hysterically laughing. I love both these kids! My friend CJ just messaged me on Facebook (I'm pretty sure he's not supposed to be on that but oh well it's his choice) anyways he told me to write him and promised that he would write me back haha. He was pretty flirty with me too, which was extremely weird. 

So see when I step back and look at things my life really isn't too bad and the worst of this surgery is over. I know that my Father in Heaven loves me and that I can make it through anything that is dished out to me. If I keep my head up and go through my trials trying to say positive than it will be much easier on me.

I love life and the wonderful friends and family that I have! :)

Well then... aint life just peachy

   I need you to hold me and tell me everything is going to be alright...

   So two months ago I started having the same pain in my leg that I had when I was 15. When I was 15 this pain resulted in major back surgery (which is quite uncommon for someone of that age). I got an MRI two months ago and just went yesterday to see the back specialist. He immediately informed me that I was going to need to have emergency surgery and fuse two sections of vertebrae. This means they also are going to be taking a bone graft from my pelvic bone... ouch. I held it together until I made it out of the doctors office and the instant I made it into my car I started bawling. Not just a little cry, but uncontrollable sobbing. I didn't/don't understand why this is happening to me... again. I read my scriptures, say my prayers, brush my teeth, strive really hard to do what is right, and I even stopped school for this semester so I could work full time and earn money for my mission. Due to all the pre-operation stuff my bank account is now... empty. It was a 2,500 down payment just so they could schedule my surgery. To top it all off, I'm out of work for at least three months and for the next six months I cannot bend, lift, or twist.

   My parents said before I quit school that they wanted to help me pay for my mission but I always wanted to pay for it myself.... now they not only have a mission to pay for but a surgery. This isn't just some cheapo same day surgery but I will be in the hospital a minimum of three days... I have wonderful grandparents who said they are going to set aside money for my mission to help me out and honestly it makes me cry just thinking about it. I know how much love my family has for me and it means so much. I have an aunt who my mom said is setting up a fast for our family to help us get through this trial... this is going to be much needed because I'm already emotionally exhausted and I haven't even been stuck at home for three months yet...

   Pretty much I am completely disheartened. I miss my best friend and want him here to hold me and tell me everything is going to be alright. I crave his company too much...

   I just keep telling myself that there is something that I need to learn from this, there is some lesson that I should take from this. My parents keep telling me that the lesson I need to learn is to accept help from others and not try to do everything myself. I'm not too sure this is the lesson... I don't understand why it is a bad thing that I want to pay for my mission myself...

   Sorry I know I try to stay positive all the time but this... this is just too much, I know I will make it through this... I just don't know how.

Road Trip

   This past weekend I went down to Boulder City with Josie Garff. I just love road trips with her! We talk, sing, and go crazy! In Boulder City we did a lot of the same types of things too. I played lots of games, danced(a lot), sang a ton, and hung out with random people a little.

   I loved it! Though I'm 95% sure that I could never live down there. I would get in WAY too much trouble. I wasn't tempted even slightly to do bad stuff but my music choices weren't so hot and the things that went on in conversations I was a part of weren't so good all the time. I mean nothing like I need to repent of it or anything, but just not stuff that brings the spirit. haha anyways... after that little ramble. Let's just say I was seriously ready to head home and go to mission prep. I needed spiritual upliftment. :)

   I am loving mission prep right now! Seriously, I feel the spirit so strong in there and it makes me feel way less overwhelmed about me going on a mission in September. There was also a CES fireside by Elder D. Todd Christofferson, and it was super good. I was really glad I stayed. I am loving my scriptural habits right now, they honestly make me a happier person.

   I pretty much have no life right now. The sad thing is I'm kind of alright with it. I mean besides tonight, I go to bed really early and my body wakes me up before my alarm goes off which is super nice. Some nights, not very often, I get texts asking if I do want to do something and normally I really would just rather stay home. I mean if I get invited I normally always go and enjoy myself but I don't feel bad in the slightest when I don't get invited anywhere. Is that pathetic or what?

   My influx of letters has subsided. :( This actually does make me really sad and lonely. Ever since I was 16 and got my cell phone I have had tons of guy friends to text/talk to. Nothing ever romantic or anything but just that I could talk to(I mean I've only ever kissed 2 guys). Ever since all of my guy friends turned 19 they all left. There is seriously no one left (who is a guy) that I can talk to. It is depressing. I cannot wait until I'm out on a mission so that I will be busy and not at home thinking about receiving letters back. It is honestly so heartbreaking everyday when I go to the mailbox and the only mail I get is bills. Luckily I still get to read the emails of a few of my friends so at least I get to know what's going on with them, even if it's not direct conversation with me. I know that me wanting letters back is extremely selfish because these boys are out serving the Lord and obviously doing it well because they are so busy. I need to just chill and be grateful for what they're out doing.

   I have my back appointment on the 17th, and I am honestly so nervous about it. I don't know what he's going to say about it... I hope whatever it is I can get back to doing Zumba soon... I really miss it! I hate not being able to exercise...

   Oh! When I was in boulder I played this game on the Wii called Just Dance, I'm pretty much in love with it. I'm pretty sure I'm buying it... like tomorrow.

   Well sorry this post is mostly sad... ttfn