I miss my Tina!

Every once in awhile.. probably more often than not, I REALLY miss China!! I miss my friends, the people, the culture, the experiences and even my Crazy guard friend Seth!!
Friday afternoon some friends took me to this authentic restaurant in Salt Lake that had food from the same providence I was in... I was so content eating all the foods I have missed- Rice rolls, duck, lotus fruit, egg plant, fried green beans. It was wonderful- first place I have found that has real Chinese food!!
Today I got to talk with my friend Tina!! Because of the huge time difference it doesn't happen very often. She is a teacher at the school I volunteered at, she lived across the hall from me and speaks very good English! Tina made my experience in China wonderful- she invited me over to room at least twice a week to just chat and giggle, or she would cook me food and bring me wonderful leeche and mangoes!! She also would take us shopping, out to get the most delicious desert ever and play badminton with me!! :)





It is difficult to know I may never see her again, but I can not wait for the church to enter China, because I know she is ready to accept it. She realizes something is missing in her life and I can not wait for her to truly understand this gospel and feel of the happiness it brings!!

Happy Days!!

Today was one of the Best Days Ever! :) While Michelle and I were at Walmart at 1 am this morning, we decided it would be fun to go meet Kristal at the airport, so we bought poster board and I went home and made some signs till about 2 am!! :) Then we were up and off at 5:30 am!! Needless to say...Michelle, Brittany and I were pretty crazy all morning!!

While patiently waiting for Kristal not knowing if we had the right flight or not, we were all shocked to look at the stairs and see Elder L. Tom Perry coming down! We were all pretty stunned and he was nice enough to come over and talk to us and shake our hands!! It was so wonderful!!

Kristal was nice enough to take her sweet time coming down, but when she did we went completely crazy!! We had our posters and screamed as loud as we could... everyone in the airport knew she was home! :) Kristal left to Hawaii last December and I was only able to see her for a week this summer... that is a long time without your Best Friend! It was a good reunion!

After we tried to leave the airport we had some slight difficulties getting out... the gate wouldn't open for us so we had to get special help... but no worries we got suckers

This evening my Amazing Grandmother who recently turned 81 went through the Temple for the first time!! :) She is my role model and helps remind me that everything good in this life is worth doing... I'm so happy and proud of you Grandma!!

The rest of the evening was supposed to be a fun ending to a great day... however, everything can't always go perfectly!! Brittany and I headed to Molly Hills wedding reception, unfortunately we got caught in nasty snow storm and made it there later than planned and the reception ended earlier than planned :( We even had a few traumatic moments as we went sliding all over the road nearly getting caught in oncoming traffic then sliding to the other side and almost falling into a ditch... it was pretty dramatic! :) Luckily we were being protected and made it home safely!

I have slept a total of three hours today and should be sleeping... but no, instead I blog :)

The Most Wonderful Time of The Year....EVER!! :)

I don't believe there has ever been a week as exciting as this wonderful week!! :) 2 years ago I had THREE friends leave on their missions the exact same day!! However, with every good-bye I said I knew in 2 years I would be seeing them again!!
One of my Best Friends comes home on WEDNESDAY!! I'm pretty sure everyone is excited for Kyle to come home... especially a close friend of mine (aka Amanda!!) Kyle is a friend to everyone and has the most contagious laugh!! We have had some very silly times together!

Another wonderful friend who comes home this week is Spencer... I'm not sure the exact date, I think it's Thursday!! Spencer and I worked two summers at Camp Bartlett- Spencer, Emily, Lance and I were Best Friends Summer 2007 and had some crazy times together! We went on a fun trip horsebacking riding and frog catching, we went on several bear hunts and had a wonderful time that summer and luckily we are all still friends!!


And the Third missionary to return home this week is Kendell!! He comes home this Friday evening! Kendell is an amazing friend!! He is fun to tease... especially when him and Jordan wear twin outfits! Senior year we had a prank war; Michelle, Kristal and I vs. Kendell and Jordan!! It was fun and very innocent! I loved that they thought they were so funny for putting gummy bears all over our windows!! We had to play nice with those guys!!

Not going to lie though... I am probably(definitely) most excited to see MY BEST FRIEND Kristal Sabaitis!! Who left to Hawaii about a year ago and I was only able to see her for a week this summer! Kristal is one of the most amazing people I have ever met and is such a wonderful friend!! She amazes me with everything she does and is so creative!! We have had sooo many good times together- trying to go to a foam dance and getting rained on, acting like ninjas while dropping off clues to Jon, crashing HARD on every sledding run we went down, SEEING THE JONAS BROTHERS together!!!! And so many more adventures- I Can't wait to see you Kristal and all of my friends this week!! :)

Happy Sewing!!

One of the best parts of Christmas Break means I get to make those skirts off the blogs I stalk :)
I currently have two I want to make and hope to get one of them done this week!!!
I love making skirts without patterns, I hate pinning them down and cutting them!
Here is one I just bought the fabric for, hopefully it will turn out for Mollys wedding!!
http://vievesscrapbooking.blogspot.com/2010/08/party-skirt-tutorial.html

And I just found this one and can not wait to make it!!! Not sure it will be polka dots, but its a cute style and EASY pattern!
http://www.dana-made-it.com/2008/07/tutorial-circle-skirt.html

I am thankful for...

I wanted to do the 24 days of Thanksgiving, however I forgot until about day ten ;) So here is my list of thanks for November all at once. I LOVED doing this, everyday I would think about all the things I was thankful for that I could add to the list. It was so fun to spend most of the month constantly being Thankful!
Here We go, I am Thankful for....
1. The Gospel- I have always loved being a member of this church, I know I would be lost without it- However, until I spent some time in China did I realize how lucky I was to have it in my life. I met people everyday you have never had the opportunity to love our Heavenly Father and it made me want to embrace this gospel as much as I can
2. My mom :)- My mom has taught me so many wonderful skills- She got me a sewing machine when I was five and I have been sewing since, she also taught me how to cut hair- which has been very helpful, I have been able to cut my family members hair and those that I work with at camp. She has tried to teach me to cook... one day i will be better, hopefully
3. My dad- we are such great buddys, and I am thankful that he has taught me to be down to earth. I have been mowing our lawn since I was ten, he got me into scouting, he taught me how to change a tire and some good construction tips :)
4. Families- I love my siblings, they are my best friends and we have so much fun together. I love spending time with them and I am thankful that I can feel so comfortable with them
5. Skype- I may not have lived through China without skype, it allowed me to talk with my family and friends once a week! It also lets me see Kristals face while she is in Hawaii, even though we talk more on it while she is just around the corner ;)
6. The Mountains- They are probably my most favorite place to be, the mountains offer so many opportunities; camping, hiking, mountain biking, skiing, tubing, ect... ;)
7. Sunsets- I LOVE sunsets, I love to drive over the bridge by my house at night just to see the sunset over the great salt lake, probably the most beautiful scene ever
8. School- I sometimes complain about having to go to school and take tests, but I really am thankful for the opportunity I have to learn. The two months waiting to go to China without any school helped me realize the joy of attending school
9. Books- I wish I made more time to read them, when I do sit down and read I am thankful for that time to escape into another world and become part of the story
10. Music- At my house we have the radio on 24/7 which I think is due to the fact my mom just likes to dance to it ;)
11. The Jonas Brothers :) I know this is so silly and immature!! But I love the fact that the Jonas Brothers is something that me and my best friends all love and gives us something to enjoy together. It also helps remind me to be young and silly!!
12. Change- I feel really good about myself for being able to say I am thankful for change, because it is usually something I hate and run from! However, change brings about wonderful and new opportunities and great chances to grow and become a better person.
13. The Color Orange!! I LOVE this color so much and sometimes I am willing to accept that is it as unhealthy obsession... but I love that it is a part of who I am- if you know me... you know that I am crazy about this color, and I love that. I am thankful for the silly happiness it brings me
14. Laughter. I am so thankful for the joy of laughter, it brings people together lightens the mood and just makes the world a better place :)
15. Random Acts of Kindness, how can you not be thankful for someone when they smile at you, open your door or even give you their seat on the shuttle!!
16. Old Movies- I am thankful for the memories they bring. When I was five my favorite movies were Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, Gidget Goes Hawaiin and Hello Dolly... I definitely had a different childhood :) But they are so fun!
17. My Bunny! I am thankful everyday for my cute little baby bunny, he is so cute and something about him makes me happy and calm
18. SNOW! It would be SO Easy to complain about the cold, icy roads and having to shovel but it is so much for fun to be thankful for what it brings!! It brings adventure, time to go skiing, snowshoeing, tubing and man more fun things.
19. Missionaries- All my best guy friends from high school are currently on their missions right now and I know their lives are being blessed. I am also thankful for the opportunity i will have to go on a mission one day... maybe it will be in the very near future or a long time from now, either way I am thankful for the opportunity.
20. Yoga- I have now been doing yoga for 3 years and I am still thankful for it after every class. I am a much more relaxed easy going person than I was my senior year!
21. Talents, I have learned to really appreciate my talents no matter what they are. Everyone has talents and we should learn to appreciate them, use them and be thankful for them
22. My Friends- I have the BEST FRIENDS ever- the four of us are so silly and happy together and I am thankful everyday that they can be a part of my life! They have made me a better person, loved and supported me with everything and taught me how to love others!!
23. America- It was not till i spent time in China that I truly appreciated our freedom, we have so much to appreciate here and we don't usually know it.
24. Camp Bartlett!! I can never give enough thanks to the person Camp Bartlett has made me! i have had so many adventures, growing opportunities, spiritual experiences and the chance to make many new friends!!

It's Halloween Time!

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays! I love the idea of getting to dress up and pretend you are someone else! I had a lot of fun this halloween season with all my friends, cousins and the kids I take care of!

Final Caligraphy Piece!

For the past semester I have been taking a Caligraphy class at Weber State and i have LOVED it! :) Learning Caligraphy was one of my wishes for while I was in China, unfortunately, we ran out of time- So here I am now fulfilling my dream!
I really enjoyed making my final piece, I was able to incorporate some of my favorite pictures of China so that it represents more of who I am!

On the bigger picture it says Zhongshan(the city I lived in) China 2010 and my Chinese name is in the upper right!
This is the symbol for Love!

And this is the symbol for Laughter!

Two words that perfectly describe my experience in China! It was a lot of work putting it together, however, I am excited with how it all turned out! :)

What Happens in Vegas... Stays in Vegas!

My grandparents live in Las Vegas, so twice a year we go down for the weekend to visit them :)

This year it was just my parents and I, so we had to find some fun activities to entertain ourselves! I have been going to Las Vegas my entire life and I never knew there were dolphins... now that I know they are there... I may be visiting them on a frequent schedule!

I absolutely LOVE dolphins, ever since I was about five my best friend Michelle Shurtz and I have fantasized about becoming Dolphin trainers! I still want to fulfill this dream, and would love to get into a summer internship as an assistant trainer :)
This exhibit was wonderful, not only did they have dolphins, but they also had White Tigers... my second favorite animal :) They are so beautiful!


The next day we went to a shark reef! I love the ocean and could be a marine biologist... so I loved both of these places!!





This was a really fun trip, I love the little adventures I take with my family! :)

The Beautiful Bradi Jones' Wedding!

Rylee Ryan one of my best friends was the first of our friends to get married!! It is a little difficult to see my friends move on, but I am so happy for them and it is fun to see our lives taking a new direction!


A couple weeks ago a friend I have had since Kindergarten got married to the lucky Trevor Southwick. It was a beautiful wedding and the perfect colors :)

Bradi looked gorgeous and it was very fun to spend time with other friends!!


Congratulations Bradi we are all so happy for you! :)

Hennas, Fried Food, Cows...State Fair- Best time of the Year!

Every year when the State Fair comes around, it's a girls night out!! A couple years ago we started a fun tradition of going to the state fairs and we do the same thing every time! :)
We started off by shoving our mouths with awful, greasy, wonderful, deep fried, delicious food!! This year we tried some new things, we got deep fried bacon, snickers and oreos! All were delicious... bacon was a little interesting!


I'm not sure why we ate all that food first but afterwards we headed to our favorite ride, the best ride at the fair in our opinions! :) The Moby Dick- you just go around and around in circles. We all laugh our heads off and scream the entire time!!
The best part is that we are screaming louder than all the six year olds on the ride with us!

Afterwards we got our Henna Tatoos! I am not exactly sure why we always get them... since about 3 days later we are sick of them and scrubbing them off- but it's just fun to get them together! :)


Then of course we have to go check out all the animals :) I think the cows were our favorite this year!




Every other year we have gone to the fair, Kristal has come with us! However this year she was off enjoying the sun on the beach of Hawaii! So in honor of her we got her favorite treat at the fair- a Caramel Apple, we we thought about her the entire time it was eaten!! :) I love my friends and am so glad they are in my life!!
P.S. My camera is slowly dying on me... hence the reason for the bad quality pictures :(