A Moment to Brag

I just have to take second to brag about Drew and Catie. I love my family so much and lately these two have really impressed me! Seriously, so amazing. How am I to ever measure up? :)

Drew recently moved from Boston to LA to be in a band. I have to admit I was not too happy that he was moving from Boston because he would not be going to school with me anymore (I know selfish). But he made the move. After a little over a month of working with the band he decided and felt that it was not the best thing for him to be doing for several reasons. Since he quit the band he has written enough songs to put out his own album and become a rock star! He is in the process of recording his songs and he has a manager and everything. I am so excited for him and I know that he is working is very hardest to make his dreams come true! He went home a few weeks ago to spend time with my parents and my dad took so sa-weet pictures of him to use for promotions and hopefully his album. I love you Drew! 

Then there is our little dancer. Look at that girl! Holy flexibility. Seriously, she is so incredible! I have not yet even had the opportunity to see her in a dance concert because I am not home too often, but I did watch her cheer at a Poston basketball game and she was so good! I am so glad that she works so hard at dance and has a true passion for it! Catie is growing up so fast and she is so beautiful! I love her so much and Tara and I miss her like crazy being out here in Boston without her. Love you Catie!!!!

My dad is a brilliant photographer as well! Seriously his talent is amazing. He has been taking pictures for years and I always love what he comes up with.  Future goal- learn from dad how to take pictures. 

Loving life- in every single way

         This time in my life right now is so amazing in many different ways. I am having the time of my life living in Boston going to school. I am growing close with my sister Tara and 
brother Denver who are also out here in Boston with me. I am blessed to be able to attend institute 3 times a week where I am uplifted by spiritual messages from amazing institute teachers. I am developing close relationships with friends from school and also in my ward. I am actively involved in the University Ward where I am busy playing piano, fulfilling my calling, visiting teaching, and getting to know all the ward members. I am studying piano for several hours a day, trying to develop that talent the best I can. Anyway, my point in all of this is that I am so extremely grateful for all of these blessings! I know that the Lord gives us talents so that we can share them with those around us. I also know that we are given the light of Christ to be an example to those that we come in contact with each day. I have been trying very hard to be a good missionary and sometimes I get down on myself because I don't feel like I am literally "sharing" a gospel message very often. But then I am reminded that by simply having the spirit with me every day, I am being a Christlike example to those around me, to many people who are not familiar with this light. 

         So, being the age of 20, I have many friends who are already married, engaged, or at least headed in that direction. Can I just say how incredibly happy I am for them? I have 4 very close friends right now-  Tiffany Evans, Kasey Bodine, Clarissa Ferrin, and Erin Cook, who are 

currently engaged. I know each of the guys that these girls are engaged to and I am thrilled for them! Really it is so wonderful to see my friends find such great men who are worthy to take them to the temple. So many have been wonderful examples to me in living their lives righteously so that when the time comes, they are worthy to enter the temple. It is such a wonderful, beautiful time in our lives as single adults to date and grow together, then to eventually find our eternal companions and be sealed in temple for time and all eternity! 

          Asmany of you know, I have kind of lived all over the place for the last three years. So just to catch some of you up on my life, here is a quick review on what I have been up to. I graduated from High School in 2006. My first semester of school I came to Boston and attended Boston College, which was an incredible experience! Spring of 2007 I went to Kunming, China were I spent 5 months teaching English. Summer of 07 I was an efy counselor at BYU and also got some time to spend at home. Fall 07- Summer 08 I completed 3 full semester's at Berklee College of Music. Fall 08 I went to Changzhou, China and was a head teacher for a volunteer english program. It was the same organization that I went with the first time, but with a completely new group and a new part of China. NOW I am back at Berklee!! I will be a Senior next year, so I will be graduating in May 2010! Woo hoo! So, having wandered all over for the last few years, you can imagine that I have learned a lot. Well YES I have! I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father for blessing me with so many great experiences. I know that he is preparing me for a life full of service to him and his kingdom! I never could have done any of these great things on my own, I always had complete faith and trust in the Lord that I would always be lead and guided by his spirit along the way. 

       Life is great! I am so especially grateful for my many friends and family who support me no matter where I live or what I am doing with my life :) Also, I apologize for not keeping in close contact with everyone. But, just so everyone knows and to clear things up, I am not currently dating anyone. Hahaha I hate to just say it like that but that always seems to be the question when I am catching up with people back home. I have been on some great fun dates though! All is well, I am using this time to focus on school and prepare myself for the eternal marriage that I will have someday! Woo hoo! 

Birthday's, Dates, Dennis, and more!!!!

So here are some fun random pictures from the last few weeks. Tara turned 19 a week ago! She had a really fun birthday, we had a combined birthday party for her along with Neal and Kana last week. I also have been on some really fun dates, and spent time over at Dennis's house as well! ENJOY

Rockin B-Town

So I started school 2 weeks ago and everything has been going great. Mikki Rogers and my mom came out to visit the same week and we had so much fun with them! I am so glad that they came out, even though it was freezing cold for most of the time while they were here. I had fun showing them some cool places around Boston, including the Boston temple, which is my favorite place. I love my mom so much and was so happy to have her out here with us for a little bit!! 

Yes yes I took a first day of school picture! So cute right? I was excited because I haven't been in school full time since last spring semester so it was a big day for me!!! 

The picture right above is of me and Celeste Mazzeo. She is one of my closest friends out here in Boston. She is currently the relief society president and she is doing an incredible job at it! She goes to BU and is such a hard worker! I LOVE Celeste!!! 

This picture is with some girls in my ward; Alane, Mary, and Katie. This was on our first Sunday back to church. We only had sacrament meeting because there was so much snow this day and a lot of our ward members couldn't make it out. My ward is so great!!! The University Ward is seriously probably the best singles ward ever. We have students from all over the country going to many different Colleges and Universities throughout Boston. It is good to be back in the ward again with so many ambitious and talents people. 

SNOW...

Alright so I apologize for not writing in over a month! That really is so unlike me... I will try to catch everyone up on my life though! 

So I am officially moved back to Boston, my favorite city in the world. I came out about 2 weeks ago and moved into an adorable apartment with my sister and 2 other roommates. Our apartment is about a 10 minute walk to school and it is in a cute neighborhood. Tara and I share our cozy little room together. It is freezing in Boston.... FREEZING. Last week some of the days were so cold I really didn't think I would survive. One day the high was 10 degrees and it was windy which made it way colder!! WHEW. I have been so proud of myself though! Little mesa girl living in the cold.... I have noticed that I am getting used to it though, which is great.

 

Here are a few pictures of the street I live on after it snowed, a picture of my roommates and I after church, and one of Tara and I in front of our apt. building. 

The last two works out church meetings have been cancelled because of the snow! Well the first week back we just had sacrament meeting and then last week it was snowing really bad so all of our meetings were cancelled. It was kind fun though because we got together with out FHE group and our own sacrament meeting. What a neat experience it was to feel the spirit so strongly in our meeting, when we were not even in a church setting. It was a really cool experience! 

The best four months

Words cannot describe what an incredible four months that I have had here in China. I came with a purpose and I truly feel that I have accomplished that purpose. These children have the light of Christ in them! I truly love them as if they were my own children. I feel like my heart has grown beyond anything I could have ever imagined. I could feel my Saviors love for them pouring through me. I am so glad that I could be a part of their lives for this short time frame. As much fun as I have loved traveling and doing crazy things in China, in the end, it was all about these sweet children. The girls and I missed them so much when we were away from the school. I love them so much. My heart is broken, as it was the first time that I came to China. I have now had two opportunity's to spend time in China, fall in love with the Chinese people, their culture, and their children. I am so blessed! I know that many of these children will one day accept the message of the restored Gospel and I look forward to the wonderful reunion I will have with them in heaven. I hope that I can never forget the things that I have learned here in China. I am overwhelmed with gratitude for this opportunity that I know is once (or twice:) in a lifetime! It was very last minute and spur of the moment but has turned into another life changing experience. 

Wo ai Zhong Gou!!!

(I love China!)