one AMAZING weekend.

   This last weekend I had the chance to go up to Salt Lake for the weekend! It was so nice to be able to spend some quality time with each member of my family, watch some football and celebrate my birthday with the ones that I love most. 

   Tim and his Bantam A team have gone undefeated every year until the championship game and then they lose by one point. It has been really hard on that team to give up that one loss at the end of each season, especially since sometimes the reason for the opponents win was because they cheated and didn't get caught. None the less the boys practiced real hard all season this year, making progression each game. And this last weekend it was time to see who was going to be the champions this year! The Murray boys played their very best and it paid off, these boys finally won their well deserved title! There was so much cheering and screaming after the refs announced the game to be over. These same group of boys will probably never be together with every person to play football ever again. Some will not play football anymore, some will go to other schools for sports, and some will play on the high school team. After the game there was lots of picture taking with smiles on everyones faces.

The boys were so excited! 

Me and my boys!

My boyfriend Luke

My amazing Family!

   After soaking in the win of the Murray boys we had to change into our Red, Black and White to head over to support our UTES! So we changed and drove up to the game, it snowed for the whole first half of the gam, just long enough to get us soaked for the second half of the game. The Utes did not disappoint and the game was a blast! Nothing better than sitting at Rice Eccles stadium with two of my best friends cheering on my favorite team!!

My Utes, Me and My girls!

Mer and Lu

Crazy Zach in his shorts!

   When all the football was over and the weekend was drawing to a close I got to spend my last day with my family. My parents made a good dinner and a yummy birthday cake. I had all the ones I loved surrounding me, I'm not sure life can get any better than this. Here's to being 20, I am excited to see what the next year has in store. But in the meantime, I am so lucky to have the family and friends I do, and I am grateful to have had one amazing weekend!

One week!!

So...it is no big deal anything, but I get to see my family and my dog in a week!! I am so excited to spend a few days with my family. It will be a weekend full of...

*Family

*Friends

*Murray Football

*Ute Football

And best of all....Birthday Celebrations! Although it will be really different to not have Ty there, I know that this means I am one Birthday closer to him coming home!

Now if I can just get time to go faster!! 

ONE WEEK!

The stakes are high the water's rough.....but this love is OURS

  Something I am coming to learn more and more with each day that passes by, is that there is always going to be people who try and provide commentary on your life. ALWAYS!  Whether it be positive commentary or negative it is always going to be there.
  Having a missionary is in fact the hardest thing I have yet faced thus far in my life. You honestly never know how much people really mean to you until they aren't right within your grasp.
 I am so grateful for Ty, he is such an example for good to me in my life. Even though we are hundreds of miles apart I can still feel of his love for me and most importantly for the gospel. Another thing I have come to realize and love is the best part about me and Ty's relationship is that is in fact OURS. No one can take it away from us or change it. Yes two years is a long time, Yes people can change, Yes the odds are against us, Yes there is a lot of fear of the unknown, but there is one thing I do know, YES I love him.

10 Months down, 14 to go!!

The Gospel is SO true!!

   About a month ago I met 3 new girls. They were girls that I would now call my "family" for the next nine months. I worried whether or not we would like each other and how it would all work out. Amazingly within a week we were all best friends. We did everything together, and we even started taking family pictures for our apartment! I was so excited to know that these girls would be my roommates for the school year.

   After about two weeks of living together the missionaries knocked on our door, and Nikkie let them in. They have been coming on a weekly basis ever since. One of my roommates decided to take the discussions. I couldn't have been any happier for her. I have watched her take the huge steps for good in her life. Jessica is one amazing girl and I have learned so much from her. I am so proud of her and her decision to be baptized. We as roommates have grown so much closer to each other.

  I know the missionaries have been coming for Jess, to teach and help her understand the concepts of the gospel, but I think I have learned just as much as her, if not more. My testimony has been strengthened more than ever, I am so grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. I cannot imagine my life without it. I love this gospel with all my heart. I am excited for Jess, tomorrow will definitely be life changing for her. The gospel is so true!!  I CANNOT wait til Saturday when we will have the chance to hear from the Lord's prophet and apostles.

A Day to Always Remember

  Ten years ago today, it was just another day and I was getting ready for school when I heard my mom yell my name for me to come to her room. I ran into her room and saw on the Tv that there had been a plane that crashed into one of the twin tower buildings. I didn't fully understand what was going on, but my Mom started to cry, just as I was going to ask what was going on the second plane crashed into the second plane. I couldn't understand why this was happening,who would do it, and what would happen next. 

  The time came and it was time for me to go to school. Once I got to school all the teachers in the school had turned on the news. We sat and watched the live footage of what was going on in New York. Once school got out I rushed home to talk to my parents. The Tv was on all night as we watched and waited for news on the attack. When I talked to my Mom and Dad they had explained to me that we had been attacked and that things would never be the same. From that day on I saw American pride that I had never seen before.

  Here we are 10 years later , I understand even more than I did when it happened. As hard and as horrific as the events were I have learned so much from them and have come to realize what is most important in life. I have gained such an appreciation for the many Men and Women who have fought and continue to fight for our freedom. I am especially grateful for the people I know in my own life that have helped fight for our freedom. I am proud to be an American, to live in this incredible country. That Day in September was a day that we as Americans will always remember, probably one of the only times in the worlds history that we all turned to God, no matter what race, color, creed or religion. May we always remember the events of this day and the feelings we felt. 

May we always remember that September 11, 2011 was a Day to Always Remember.

Land of the Free, Because of the Brave

God gave me you.

  I know I have only been gone for less than a month but I have already learned so much. I have realized what matters most in life, My Family, Good friends, the Gospel and My Best Friend. I am so grateful for everything the Lord has seen fit to bless me with but especially for these four things.

  [ My family] means everything to me, I love each person in my family so much. I have gained a greater appreciation for each of them. My parents are the best parents any girl could ask for, they are a living example of how living the gospel can bless your life. My siblings are some of the funniest people I know, whenever I need to smile or laugh all I have to think about is my cute siblings. I am so thankful that I get to spend forever with them.

   I am also so blessed to have such an {amazing friends}, I am incredibly blessed in the aspect of good friends. They are such a rock in my life, they are there for me always and I couldn't ask for any better people to have in my life.

  [ The Gospel], the biggest part of my life. I cannot imagine my life without the Gospel. The knowledge, understanding and peace I have because I am a member of the LDS faith is indescribable. Because I have the Gospel in my life, I know that I always have a loving Savior that knows me better than I know myself, He loves me unconditionally and He can understand fully every aspect of my life good or bad because He has been through it. When all else fails or changes in life, I know the Gospel is something that will always stay consistent.

   {My best friend}, even though we are hundreds of miles apart and only get to communicate once a week through email and every few weeks or months through letters I have gained such a greater appreciation for him. He has always been such a huge part of my life but I never realized how much he affected my life until he was temporarily taken out. I am so proud of him and his service in Mexico. He has taught me so much and I look up to him more than I am sure he realizes. I love you Elder Allen and I am so incredibly blessed to call you mine.

   I am truly blessed with so many great things in my life.  I am coming to realize more and more each day of the Lord's tender mercies. Thank goodness we have a Father in Heaven that knows exactly who and what we need in our lives, when we need it. I am so grateful for everything the Lord has blessed and continues to bless me with.

Apartment 7

   Well the time finally came, I am currently a resident of St George Utah! I moved down a few days ago and have been loving it ever since. I was fortunate enough to have my parents bring me down along with all the baggage that came with moving. Once we got here we got all checked in and started to unpack. It was so unreal that I was finally here doing what I had been looking forward to for months. After we did some unpacking then it was off to the store to find some things to put into my room, we found a cute dresser with bins for only $35! I was sold. 

My lovely sleeping area

Bedside Table

The complete room!

Then we went to the grocery store and got me set with all the groceries I will need for the next month or even longer. I was set, my room was set up, the pantry was full, tuition paid and had a new laptop! I am looking forward to this year and what it has to bring. I am so grateful for my parents and everything they have done to get me here. I love them and miss them like crazy already. It's crazy to think that this is what I will call home for the next 9 months!

Let the adventures of Apartment 7 begin!!