rewind..

I went M.I.A. for a little while i guess..i seriously have been awful at updating!!!

Superstorm Sandy hit right after i posted my last post so that was a month and a half ago..goodness how the time flies!! When the storm hit we lost power for 8 days! ahh crazy!! but after those long 8 days it came back on and we were fine. We spent those 8 days over at her parents house which is about 45 minutes away from where we live. The damage that was done was more devastating that i can even tell, and people are still out of homes a month a half later. Its awful so please keep them in your prayers:) We had members of the church got together and did The Mormon Help Hands. Honstly nothing has humbled me so much because looking at the destruction that it did just crushed me. To think that we have everything we need adn no damage done to our home makes me so grateful!!

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For thanksgiving i went to Woodloch with my host family! Woodloch is in Pennsylvania, in the middle of no where. It reminds me of Island Park, Idaho!! But it is the funnest place. It's a huge family resourt with a million family games, competitions, and basically anything you could think of. I got my own room and it was massive, the closet was a huge walk in closet almost bigger than the entire room!! We ate a lot of food and had a blast. I didn't just have to watch the kids the entire time either..my host family let me go and do things that i wanted with the cousins which i was grateful for!! They are an amazing family:) It was an amazing Thanksgiving!!!

me and vivian at Woodloch 

Lindsey (cousin) and me zip lining in 30 degree's

I went on my first date in 15 months with the little handicap boy who is 7. He is very low on the spectrum but still not completely there! He always is cuddly with me and gives me kisses!! Deanna (my host mom) told me the other day that he has never liked or felt so comfortable with someone so much adn that she can see a difference in his behavior! Its amazing to see a difference, adn what that makes just by being an "older sister" to him! He melts my heart!! Cutest boy ever! We went to a local restaurant called Friendly's and than to the movies, Wreck It Ralph (a must see)!!! He ate all three bags of popcorn..what can i say, he LOVES popcorn!! He has such an amazing heart and makes my day!!

The sweetest boy ever on our "date"

One of my best friends came out to New York to nanny!!! She lives in Westchester, which is above Manhattan..and i am on Long Island, so it's about a 2.5 hr train ride, so we usually never see each other except for weekends when she comes adn stays over and we go to church!! I love her being here though, getting to experience this with someone who i know and am comfortable with! I can't wait to see what more adventure we have together!! Love that girl:)

Tia Marie!! 

Family time

This past week my family came to New York to visit me while my dad had some business!! It was amazing and i loved it:) We went to to Wicked the play, ground zero (911 memorial), the Manhattan Temple, shopping, SoHo, walked a lot and got lost a lot! haha!! But i couldn't have asked for a better way to spend my weekend than in New York with my family:) I love them and miss them terribly!! But I will be home for Christmas in a month and a half so its not to bad.

my cute family:)

top of the Empire State Building

NYPD Dept. 

Such an amazing weekend:)

Joshua is amazing and loving his mission. He has 8 1/2 months left and than he will be home..which scared me a little!! It's like where did the time go..but of course i am so so excited that its going by fast! It's weird that its almost here though:) It makes me excited and scared and all of the above. Its a weird feeling..thinking about 2 years, and now i only have to think about 8..ahh its so exciting though!! I get more excited every month that goes by..one less i have to worry about! He is absolutely loving his mission though! I am so excited for him:) He is training right now and district leader so he is very very busy, not enough time to even write me a letter but of course i would rather him be busy and focused than get a letter. He is such an amazing missionary and i am so proud of him!! I can't wait to be in his arms again..only 8 months and i can do this more than anything!!

i love you Elder Stephan

love

I think about this quote a lot. But i know that love will only bring us back together!! Elder Stephan has been gone for 13 1/2 months now..he only has 10 more to go..and i am still asking myself where the time went! I am so excited to be able be in his arms again! There is nothing i want more than too spend the rest of my life with my best friend..but he is over 1000+ miles away..so i will wait patiently for him!! Love is enough, always! I honestly am the happiest girl, there is no one that makes me happier than Josh does!!:) I am the luckiest

i feel like i am always running

I keep running and running and i feel like i never ever stop. From working two jobs, to school and still spending time with my family and Josh's family. It's been crazy so now i am just barley updating for the past while. I think it's been a couple months. 

Elder Stephan hit his year mark!!! YAHOO!!! It honestly felt amazing, it doesn't even seem real!! An entire year without being with each other..isn't that amazing?:) He is still District Leader and he absolutely is loving his mission. He says that he wouldn't want to be anywhere else but where he is at. 

I moved back home and found out that i wasn't able to go back to school this semester because of some things with my schedule and financial aid so i took this semester off of school to just kind of do things for me. A couple weeks ago i was given a great opportunity of a lifetime one i'll never get again. I accepted to be a nanny in NYC for 8 months. I am leaving my job here, my family and Josh's family but i am coming back for Christmas and the end of February after my sister has her baby. 

I am excited to see what the family is like and to be apart of them everyday and live somewhere that I have never lived before. It will be an amazing experience.

long time, no see

wow..it's the end of July and i haven't written on here one time since May!! I am completly slacking over here!! Crazzy to think that Josh has almost been out for a year this next month!! I can't believe that it's been 11 months already, i mean where did the time go? I remember when we just said bye to each other..i swear that was just yesterday!! I guess that's a good thing. I am keeping myself busy and doing things for myself while Joshua is gone! Even though it doesn't get easier, i know that all the tears, lonely nights, zero sleep, email dates, jealousy, and hear ache will all be worth it in the end! There is no one that i would want to spend the rest of my life with!! I love my missionary:)

Update on my life...
-I finished an 8 week course of math. Time and dedication for sure, i had to go everyday from 7-9 p.m. Honestly it was the hardest thing to commit to because i had a million other things going on but i knew that i needed to go. (wahhooo done with math!!)
-Went to Bear Lake for my Wood family reunion and had a blast!!
-Went to Disneyland with Josh's family!! Such an amazingly fun trip!! Love his family so much:)
- Parades, carnivals, swimming, seven peaks, laying out, pools, sleep overs, cabins, working out..etc.

This summer has been great!! I haven't don't a lot, although i have worked every day..but i guess that's normal once your grown up huh?

A little update on Elder Stephan!!:)

These are some of his most recent pictures!! He is doing absolutely amazing!! I am so excited to finally get him back here in one year!:) i love my missionary!!!!

I've moved and so did Joshua:)

It's been a crazy last couple of weeks!! Finals, packing, moving, and getting all settled back in is crazzy..all the while working full time!! This last spring i came back from Dixie State College and got a new job. I lived with my parents for the spring semester to try and save up some money. Well i can offically say that i am moved out again!! I love being on my own, not that i love my family to death, i just love that grown up feel kinda thing!! :) Although i still do miss my family, living on your own is something i think everyone should experience!! What is crazy though is that the next time that i move, i will be moving into the apartment/condo that me and Josh will be living in together!:) That is exciting to think about:) Only next year and we get to have each other back forever!!! That will be an exciting day right there!! Can't wait to be with him again!!
Josh got transfered so now he is in downtown Calgary! He is absolutely loving it!! He says that on the weekends its such a laugh fest because everyone is drunk and just being crazy:) Oh how i love that boyy!! This weekend is exciting because i get to talk to Josh on sunday!!! ahhh!!! I'm a bit freaking out!!! Can't wait to hear his voice!! I haven't since December (christmas) so i am absolutely in love with that boyy!!:)

he is on his mission, and i am here...we live two different lives but are still madly in love!!:)

He still ceases to amazing me!! He is working so hard sometimes i don't get a letter on the day that i am suppose to get it, but i know that its only because he is working so hard!! i am not complaining:) It's amazing how we can be so distant and far away from each but still always be thinking and hoping for that amazing future we having been dreaming about for 5 1/2 years!! You would think after 5 1/2 years of dating that you would get sick of them, or wish you were dating other people..me and josh dont'!! We fall more in love with each other as the days go on!! We take this journey a day at a time, one week at a time..always progressing and never giving up!!:) So proud of you Elder Stephan:)

i love you, forever, always and no matter what!!!

xoxo

my best friend!

Only once in your life, i truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you've never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you. When something wonderful happens, you can't wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement. They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful. There is never any pressure, jealously or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around. You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are. The things that seem insignificant to most people such as a note, song or walk become invaluable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever. Memories of your childhood come back and are so clear and vivid it's like being young again. Colors seem brighter and more brilliant. Laughter seems part of daily life where before it was infrequent or didn't exist at all. A phone call or two during the day helps to get you through a long days work and always brings a smile to your face. In their presence, there's no need for continuous conversation, but you find you're quite content in just having them nearby. Things that never interested you before become fascinating  because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you. You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do. Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind or even a storm cloud on the horizon. You open your heart knowing that there's a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible. You find that being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure that's so real it scares you. You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end. Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life.

This is my best friend!! I love you Josh!!:)

missionaries!!

I found this amazing picture the other day!! If you look close you can see three spirits walking with them!!:) This picture is so surreal and keeps me comforted knowing that Josh is safe and that he is always protected!!:) I love my missionary, Elder Stephan!!

my life in a short something..

year 2012.. my life in fast forward 4 months!!!

Happy Valentines Day to me!!! my watch my amazing boyfriend got me!:)

I sure hope so! I love you Josh!:)

 New Friends have been made!:)

 I love britt:)

Cassidy:)

Nephew Love!!!

Van and me on St. Patricks Day!!:)

Easter!!

 Family get togethers!!

I love my cousins and sisters!!:)

Family at Shoshone Falls in Idaho!!

 My temple!!

I am going there someday!!:)

 My adventures!!..

A day in the sun and rain:)

Twin Falls Temple in Idaho!!

Out to eat with friends!!

Festival of colors!! sooo muchh challlkkk

The cabin for Conference!!

Idaho!! I love horses

Lot's of baseball games!!

love my sisters!!

I can pull the name tag off too:)


 

I can't believe that it's already April!! Time is flying by!!:) I am loving my life right now..I know that everything will be back to normal so soon!! Can't wait for the summer to get here!!

time is flying

It crazy how fast Josh's mission is flying by!! Wow!! He has already been out for 8 months, coming on 9 months soon!! Isn't that crazy? ahh!! I never thought that it would fly this quickly!! Although day to day, it seems a bit slow, i know that he will be home sooner than i think!! Crazzzy!! :)
He just got transfered to South Calgary, so he is staying in the city now!! He was out on the banks of Calgary, but he is a city boy so he loves it!! Can't wait to hear more from him!! I am so proud of him for being the best missionary, for working hard and leaving everything behind to serve the lord for two years of his life!! It's not easy for him, it's not easy for any missionary honestly, but if they work hard i know that they will be blessed!! A couple of weeks ago i was in Idaho at my aunts house and her son is on a mission. She put together a shadow box type thing that has a picture of him and where he is serving and than a couple other quotes and stuff in there, a quote that i loved said, "You've got what it takes, but it will take everything you've got!" I absolutely love that!! I honestly know that exactly how it is!! Josh is working so hard and giving it everything he's got and not thinking twice i can see it through his letters!!:)

Monday's are the best day's, i get an email from my sweetheart and i get a letter!! Although most people hate monday's, i absolutely love them!! Great way to start off to the week right? :) In his last letter he bore his testimony, i wont share it all with you because it's so special to me! He said, "I know that through the power of the Holy Ghost  Joseph Smith was able to translate the Book of Mormon, and i know that as we read the Book of Mormon and then get down on our knees that we will know for ourseles that the Book of Mormon is true, that Joseph Smith was a true prophet, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- Day Saints is the Lords Kingdom once again established on this earth. I want you to know that only going through to the temple and being sealed as a family that we can live with our families for time and all eternity! I want you to know how grateful I am for families! Families are the most important social unit in Time and Eternity!" His testimony goes on much longer, but these words touched me more than anything. He honestly is the most amazing missionary i have ever met!! I dont' know what i would do without him in my life! Even though waiting is not the funnes thing to do at times, i know that there is no way that i would grow as much as i have or him! It's crazy that in 8 months time you could grow to have the spirit in your heart all the time everyday. I have felt the spirit and felt his love more in my life than i ever have in my life! I know that this is what i am suppose to be doing!!:) I am so grateful for joshua and his service and sacrifice he is doing to be the best son, husband, and daddy in his life! I love you sweetheart!!

For all those girls that might be reading this..i want you to know that this isn't just time away from your boyfriend, that Heavenly Father is stealing him away from you. YOU picked this, YOU decided that you want to wait for you missionary, even if you only wait for 3 months, 13 months, or the whole two years, you are giving something up to..your best friend! Make it worth it!! Don't sit around and wait for you missionary to get home because he isn't going to come home faster, it will only  make time go by slower!! Yes of course you will have those nights, those dreams, and think about your future..but make sure you are growing just like he is! There isn't a better thing that a 19 year old boy could do than go on a mission and teach the Gospel to those people who are just waiting for them to come along! Always encourage them and send them love, they need it! He is on a mission to serve and help the Lord's people. When he comes back from his mission, we'll have the rest of forever. I would rather miss him for 2 years and have him for eternity, than have him today and lose him forever!
"Waiting for a missionary is about dealing with the pain, being strong when no one else is, even if you're alone. It's about finding your own self and becoming that girl that when he comes home he can point you out and say, "her, i want her". While it may be hard, there are many adventures to be had, friends to be made and lost, lessons to learn, and when he's home we'll have enough stories to tell for eternity!!"
Do something spontaneous that you wouldn't do while he is here!! Have fun, and live it up..but remember you are loved half way around the country/world!! Don't let your decisions ruin the plans you have in the future!!:)

i love my missionary, Elder Joshua Ty Stephan!!:)
ps. i'll see you soon!!

whats new

It's been forever since i have wrote on here last. Since the last time i have been on here i have had many things change!! Good changes of course:) I was down at Dixie State College for a while, and i didn't love it down there so i decided that coming back here would be best for me. I have moved back home just before christmas in 2011 so that i can save some money so that when Josh comes home, we won't be soo poor. I plan to move out in the fall of 2012 with some friends. I have started a new job, working full time at a dental office called, Gordon Family Dental. I am an assistant right now and i am absolutely love it!! The people i work with are amazing and the best thing about it is i get to do something that i actually like to do instead of just some other job that will get me no where. I am going to school full time at UVU, where i am studying Dental Hygiene.  I am still doing my perquisites and have another year to go on those. I can't wait to finally be done with school..but i still have a ways to go. Being a full time student and working full time is soo crazy at times but it sure does make the time fly by so fast!! I have met a lot of new people who i have become good friends with who i never thought would come into my life, but it just so happens at those time when i need someone that most..they come into my life!! 

-I have since been sick twice, once with the flu and second a cold!! 

-Had a baby shower for Demi Jo for baby Taitym!

-Written josh mmm...30 letters (maybe)

-Said goodbye to one of my really close cousins so he could

go on a mission to Nashville, Tennessee.

-Dyde my hair brown..and back to blonde.

-Had a baby shower for Kristi and baby Diesel (cutest baby shower ever)

-Met baby Diesel. 7lbs 20 in

-talked to Josh on the phone for Christmas.

-Made valentines cards for Josh.

-Sent two packages to Josh!!

-Got my first car!

-Helped baptize someone!

These are just a few of the many things since the beginning of fall that have happened!! 

My life is just perfect right now, and i wouldn't have it any other way!:)

Josh has now been out for five months..seriously i never thought that i would be here.. ah it kinda freaks me out!!! Josh is loving his mission, he is serving in Okatoks, Ab. He is training just after 5 months..isn't that crazy? He is doing so amazing!!!:) I am so proud of him!