Smell ya later!

Welp i am off to AFRICA!!  See ya in a few weeks!! love you all!! :) 


ps i am so excited you have noooo idea. Expect a HUGE blog post when i get back. Actually... expect multiple blog posts!

1 YEAR!

A week from today.. Benny Boy will have been out for a YEAR! How great is that? I am so proud of the kid! He is doing amazing and is so positive and happy every week. Seeming that i am going to be in Kenya for the next few weeks i figured i would do an update before i leave.



Ben has met so many cool people! He always talks very highly of the people of Mozambique and has truly come to love them.


Ben has LOVED all his companions and the people he has been blessed to work with. I think its just his ability to get along with anyone, but he says he has been "lucky". 


He loves to try and make me jealous.. I got these pictures this week with the caption "the ladies here love me hay!" hahah yeah its not working. But lets just hope the Jungle Fever doesn't settle in too much. hahaha :)

Seriously the missionaries never cease to amaze me. The things they are doing are nothing like anything else in the world. I love hearing them testify of the truthfulness of this gospel and their willingness to serve is unwavering. What great examples they are to us all! 

I am excited to see what sweet experiences he gets to have in the next year... He has grown and matured so much already it is amazing. It's weird how close we have gotten even though he is sooo far away. I have gotten use to life with out Benjamin being here, but at the same time i just wanna say.. [in the famous words of John Mayer] ...

"I'm tired of being alone.. so hurry up and get HERE!!"

Happy week everyone!! :)

Lets go on an ADVENTURE!

On Wednesday we met up with some friends and decided that we wanted to go on an adventure. So we decided we would hike, in the pitch black with no flash lights, up to a waterfall off Wasatch Blvd. With only a few casualties, we came out survivors! It ended up being such a fun night and definitely a night to remember!
The water was going so fast and was FREEZING COLD!

Poor Brad tripped and gashed his shin on a rock or something..

Brad and Ryan.. cant forget the Mardi Gras beads.. Nerds.

Cheezy smiles in the middle of the stream thing. We were freezing!

SUMMER HAS ARRIVED!!!

I know you can't tell by the weather.. but for awhile there it was pretty nice outside! The girls and I decided to take a little trek on down to St. George. Oh how good it felt to go back to my home. :) I still consider my home as St George.. it's weird being "up north" for so long! Alex and Ammon came down that same week with us too. It made for a great week.. although i wish i could have seen my roommates more. They are all grown up now with jobs, school, and soccer practice.. IN SUMMER?! i call them crazy!

None of the pictures we took are that great considering we got FRIED at the lake and our hair was FLUFFY. Still, we had a blast!!

We drove by this park and there were all these weird people dressed up in medieval clothes.. we pulled over and the girls and Alex decided they wanted to play along. Some sort of sword fighting game.. i dunno but it was hilarious!


Driving to the lake to go Cliff JUMPING!!


The only semi- decent picture from that day. oh man good times! Now, if only Salt Lake would warm up for a few days!

Burfffday celebration

My birthday turned out to be AWESOME. I honestly have the best friends in the world and they made the day so great. i had a little 'get together' at my house and i was quite surprised that people showed up! It was so fun to celebrate, mingle and catch up with both new and old friends! Thanks guys :)


My mom made the BEST food... and seriously look at the ADORABLE cake that she made! i lovedd it.


Just missin Miss Brookie who's in Ecuador!


I was so excited when these two showed up.. Both of them went to Brighton and we have known each other all while growing up. Skwig (left) and i played soccer together back for Celtic, and me and Scottie (right) use to be roommates at Dixie! They are crazzzy girls and make me so happy!


Jessica Mero, Jaimie Watts, and me :)


Me and Joshua Durrant.. we have been friends forever.. he was my first 'Dance date' back in 2006 to homecoming!

Lindsey Canfield! friends since PRESCHOOL! love that girl


Good ol T.J. Richards.. we have an on-going joke that we are going to get married on Aug. 20.. The day before his [sister] and my [best friend]... Brooke's wedding!

Flowers from Mozambique wishing me a Happy Birthday :) boy do i love that boy!


Birthday! Birthday!! Birthday!!!

Welp it's official.. I AM 20! Happy Birthday to myself i guess. This birthday is going to be different than any birthday i have in the past few years.. Benjamin isnt going to be here to share our special day together! Yup we have the same birthday!...Pretty crazy huh? I remember spending our birthdays together since the day we turned 15!

I remember going to Build-A-Bear and making ben a bear for his 15th birthday. (we had the funniest inside joke about.. BEAR!!)
For our 16th birthday i remember getting him a shirt at American Eagle, and he gave me perfume from Pac Sun. I also recently found the card he gave me this year! so cute.
For our 17th birthday.. i honestly don't remember, and i have no pictures of this day?

18th Birthday we went skydiving with Ben's family and of course.. Carsy. Amazing experience.

18th birthday.. we went to The Roof for dinner with my family. So fun!


Our 19th birthday we went to Vegas with Ben's parents and brother. So many fun memories!


19th birthday party at my house.

Pretty crazy to think that we are 20! .. i just got an email from Ben and, even though his birthday is already half way over, he is doing really well!..And i am sure i will have a great day also :)

Happy Birthday to us!!

Ecstatic

CAN I JUST TELL YOU HOW EXCITED I AM FOR KENYA!???!!!!!!! SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED. JUNE 17th CAN'T GET HERE SOON ENOUGH!!!


Also if anyone is interested in helping me with donations (I have a list of items, or even just money works.. helps me buy bug nets to prevent malaria(6$)..) that i can take over there.. let me know! it would be much appreciated and really can save a life!

Jess And Evan

Jess and Evan are finally married. They have dated since they were in 9th grade.. and now, 4 years later are finally married! They seriously are the perfect couple, and honestly all through high school we referred to them as "the married couple". It is nice that the statement is finally true!

The Beautiful bride after coming out of the temple.


My dear friend Evan! i have known Evan since i was in about 7th grade or so. They moved into our ward and i could see their front yard from my backyard. When i was little, I would always jump on the tramp so i could see Evan and Ben playing baseball! haha


The girls missing Brooke! (Haley, Haley, Jaimie, Steph)

My favorite little kids campers were at the wedding! Lexi and Elle.. I seriously love these girls. They are such little angels!