November 2013/2014

So I need to play catch up. It really has been too long and I should at least get all the major details down in my life to look back on. Luckily, I have a running list of things to write about and hopefully I can get them done over Christmas Break. But for now there will be a little bit of overlap!

This November and last I was able to check another state off my list and extend the farthest place I've ever been east! Camp Kesem has a national summit where we get to meet up with all the other chapters across the nation and attend training meetings and make connections and it is just so so fun.

                                   

Detroit 2013

It really re-energizes me and remind why I do Kesem. Saturday night they have a family of MSU/UM campers and parents come and ask questions and it reminds me that Kesem is helping so much more than my 100 campers at BYU. It is CHANGING lives across the nation and maybe someday across the world.

I'm so incredibly grateful to be a part of this movement. I can only imagine where CK is going to be in the next few years! One of the coolest things at THIS year's summit was the rebranding of Camp Kesem! The national organization will be known as Kesem now and Camp Kesem is a project of that organization.

Camp Kesem National says:

We know that supporting children through and beyond their parent's cancer can include programming beyond our flagship Camp Kesem. In the coming years, we'll be exploring some of those options for growth. So to prepare for that growth, we've created an umbrella organization - which we have proudly named "Kesem." Kesem will serve as the parent organization for all of our programming, including Camp Kesem. (But rest assured, there are no changes being made to our signature Camp Kesem program). We're thrilled with the new logo for Kesem - which is reflective of the colors found in Karl. We hope you see the same meaning we do in the shining light rays bursting "through and beyond" in the new Kesem logo.  

Camp Kesem is a nationwide community, driven by passionate college student leaders, that supports children through and beyond their parent's cancer.

Detroit 2014

My Missionaries

So I was gonna do this chronologically, but I don't know how well that's gonna go so here's just some random thoughts as I was writing down things I wanted to talk about.
Basically I have no friends because their all on missions. Luckily, I love them and what they're doing so I can wait. And be lonely for a while. But here's a synopsis on my lovely missionaries!

HPen

Haley is on a mission in Richmond, Virginia. She left in November and is just absolutely loving it! She spent some time here before she went to the MTC and it was so great to see her! I even got to see her before they dropped her off. She's doing wonderful things and teaches everyone about simplicity - don't sweat the little things because we're working on an eternal perspective.

 Reunited and it feels so good! During Haley's visit before she left.

Laken, Haley, and me on the day Haley went into the MTC. Oh Hunnay you so prettay.

The Fugal Boys

My boys are on the down hill slope!

Elder Lundwall is in Minnesota and left January 2013.
Elder Lichtenberg is in Ukraine and left February 2013.

Elder Decker is in Mexico and left March 2013.

Elder Cook is in Spain and left March 2013.

Elder Fulton is in Mexico and left May 2013. 

I LOVE reading about their adventures in their weekly emails and seeing their cheesy smiles in the pictures they send. I'm even more excited for all the food we're going to be able to eat when they get home. Hooray! Their experiences all differ in a lot of ways, but they're all growing like crazy! I can't wait for these spiritual giants to be home.

I had to really search through all our pictures because I just have some of the best ones but I settled for this:

And one of Elder Decker because he isn't in the above picture/he hated us then/he hadn't moved in yet/hadn't cut his hair and gained major swag thereafter. 

Lady K

She surprised us all when she decided to put in her papers - even more when she told us they were already done! She left in April for the MTC and is in Bulgaria now, but not before she spent some time getting wild out here so that was super fun. Happy Valentine's Day to me! She loves talking about the light of Christ in our lives.

From Lady K's two-week adventure in Provo. So much ratchet. So much love.

The day she went into the MTC. This pose though. Definitelh starting a tradition. 

Tommy Boy

This kid. Elder LeCheminant's serving in Orlando, Florida and his letters literally make me cry laughing every time I hear back from him. I miss our cookie and juice parties though. Also, I look so good in this picture. He knows he should throw in something spiritual and simply states that the church is true.

We are just supes totes adorbz

Kammmmmmmmmm

Elder Griffiths is serving in England (but actually all over the UK). I swear he was born to be a missionary. Luckily we hung out for a bit before Christmas while he was out visiting in Utah! Plus, I got to Skype with him before he flew across the pond. He is nothing but smiles and focuses on finding the positive in all he does. 

Our last skype chat! (Side note: can I just say how much I love getting international mail??)

Dump

Elder Marshall is serving in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and loveloveloves everything about it. Except coconut water. He always takes the time to thank God for the many blessings he is given while in Florida serving the people. 

Fish

Elder Hamilton is serving in El Salvador and likes to complain about how hot he is all the time. Also, he's probably gonna die down there between the gang fights and the volcano eruptions. He loves talking to investigators about the beauty of the Plan of Salvation and the importance of families. 

He's the one on the far right. 

I'm so blessed by their examples and these missionaries are making my life so great without even knowing it I'll bet. 

To learn more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints missionaries, click here. 

Sometimes I'm so pathetic

Like those moments I just spent like half an hour stalking my favoritest missionary/roommate HPen's blog because I just sat and watched the Notebook and my rommates are slowly disappearing and I sat without pants on for a couple hours today and I don't know what I'm going to do for the rest of the summer.

I think it's time the mission gives back my friends.

Meanwhile, I have a lot of blogging to catch up on apparently! Just now realizing how far behind I am. Like extremely.

You people don't even know that I lived with my best friend for the last 6 weeks! Or that I wrote a grant! Or that I declared a major! Yeah, I'm hot stuff. Lemme tell you, Provo is looking good on this girl.

Except for when it decides to snow in June. WUT.

My First Summer

So this is the my first summer away from home. It's been a wild ride for sure. Can I just throw it out there that growing up is so bittersweet? It's so nice to have all these experiences, but there's always the complicated 'grown up' stuff. As HPen tells me in every letter, C'est le vie.

Anyway, summer in Provo is so cool! First of all, there's no snow. Also, there's plenty of free stuff to do around town (one week soon we're going to a food truck round up. That's pretty snazzy.) And let me tell you, food is so good and there's still student deals. #savingdollars

Also, I'm not taking classes right now so I work a lot at super awesome job that lets me talk to fantastic people (and not so fantastic ones, too) all day long. Plus I still work for res Life so I get to see all my favorite people everyday! Not taking classes opens up a lot of time and I love finding things to fill it with. Parties, drives, movie nights, and more food. Really just exploring Provo. #lovewhereyoulive (shout out to Elmo)

And now for some pictures. Because that's what this is really all about right?

Just chillin at the UP HOUSE in Herriman, Utah. It's an exact replica! Excuse the ratchet level of this picture. It was after a temple day. 

Excuse the derp face. 

Oquirrh Mountain Temple with my favorites! This was the second temple we went to that day. We hit up the Draper temple too, but we didn't get a picture there. 

Then one day Jason and I went to the zoo. Luckily we're both like 5-year-olds so it was the experience of a lifetime. Also, we pretty sure that they just spray painted the black bears white and called them polar bears. And we can't forget that zebras have five wives?

Okay, we literally looked all over for the sloth (Hoffman) and everyone else found him in like 2 seconds. Jason really wanted to steal him but I wouldn't let him. I'm too pretty to go to jail yet. 

Family picture <3 My long lost Ranga sista friend. 

One of us looking semi-normal.

HOFFMAN. I want him so badly. He's perfect - seriously.

So at the zoo we learned about sloths and their "cuddle puddles". Here is our cuddle pudd (no "le" because Zach wouldn't join us.)

Also, can I just say I'm so glad that Jason and Taylor became best friends on the mish because that means that Taylor and I also became best friends on the mish and now we're the three best friends anyone could have. 

Lei and I went to the temple while Amber studied for finals. We always look so cute so we have to take a picture every time. FYI, the Provo temple is extremely busy Fridays so pick another time to go. Or go to another temple like we do hahah. 

After the temple we got unratchet and hung out with Taylor! He's the greatest.

#swelfie - It's that thing where you go to swig and take a selfie. I missed the cute memo. Thanks y'all. Oh well, still cute though.

Okay I have so much else to write about (another time) still! Like that one time I went to California! Or that time I went to a Bees game! Or that time that I went to Camp Kesem... wait that didn't happen yet.

Moral of the story is that there is so much fun to be had and so much still to be shared.

Take the time to do something adventurous. Live in moment. Just do! And life will be happy I swear.