MERRY CHRISTMAS!
That is all! I love you guys!

A Little bit of Everything

So it's been a while (again). I just seem to lose track of time over here! So much going on, and way too much fun! So in the past few weeks I have done a lot of exciting things like:

Decorating for Christmas (sorry it's sideways...)




Taking in the very first real snow of the year!


Taking naps...Natasha joined me for this one!


Hanging out with amazing people...Like Angela and Isabell


Cooking Sunday dinner...Natasha and Sven helped out in the kitchen!

And also...

Going to the Munich Christmas Market! So much fun!

I will have to put more pictures up soon, as these are only a small portion of the fun!

A Tale of Turkey and Turkey

The past few weeks have been busy! On the 22 of November I had the chance to attend another Opera, this one starring my beautiful and talented friend Angela! It was called Il Turco in Italia, or The Turk in Italy. The opera was fantastic, and I enjoyed getting to see Angela in a starring role! She did wonderfully!



Angela the Gypsy

This week I had the good fortune to spend Thanksgiving Day with some friends, and cook a delicious meal. We had a great time making traditional turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie. It was a quiet night at home!

Sunday, however, was a very different story! Melanie wanted to organize Thanksgiving dinner for the YSAs and missionaries in Munich, so we got some turkeys (four, to be exact) and all the fixings for a feast! It actually began on Saturday, with Nathan, Andreas and I making the pumpkin pies and rolls. We spent a lovely afternoon baking and listening to some classical music in the church kitchen. The pies turned out great, but the rolls were a bit undercooked (okay, I still haven't gotten used to the ovens here).


Nathan with the pies!

We hid the good away for Sunday and headed out. I met up with Angela, and we had a great time having a sleepover at Melanie's apartment which she graciously allowed us to use while he was out of town. It was a really fun time!

Sunday I was blessed to be called as a primary teacher, and so I am now responsible for the 9-11 year old Valiant class. I have been subbing for their class for the past two weeks, and I am very excited to get to know them better. I also gave a talk in Sacrament meeting, which was scary! I hadn't given a talk for almost five years (!) but I think it went pretty well, despite being terrified.

Fast forward to about three that afternoon, and I have just put the first turkey in the oven. One turkey was being cooked in Melanie's oven, one by the missionaries in the mission office oven, and two at the church. By five, we had all the help we could have wanted to cook the side dishes. S many cooks in the kitchen! But it was such a fun time being together!


Cooking with everyone

Little did I know that everyone else was playing games while we were slaving away! Some friends they are...Just kidding. The kitchen was so crowded! I am glad they found something to do while the food was being prepared.


Wii bowling, anyone?

Before we knew it, it was time to carve the turkeys! They turned out great and we had so many good things to eat!



Carving the Turkeys

Then we ate! It was so good! After two long days, we pulled it off! We counted heads, and we fed over 30 people that day! How crazy!


Enjoying our blessings!

I loved getting to help out on Sunday, and I have realized just how blessed I am to have such great people in my life. I hope everyone had such a wonderful Thanksgiving, and that everyone who I didn't get to see this year know how much I love you!

Foray into the land of Coos and Haggis

Okay, it has been quite some time since I did anything of any consequence, until this past week. On Wednesday, November 4th, I had the chance to fly to SCOTLAND! Yes, it's really cool. I had the most amazing three days exploring Edinburgh and the Scottish countryside! But let's start at the beginning, so as to impart the full fabulosity of my trip!

Day 1- I woke up relatively early to catch the train with my travel buddy, Jade. We took the train to Memmingen, where there is a small airport. We made good time, and got to the terminal early. The plane was uneventful, and flight attendants were selling stuff to us the whole time. Snacks, booze, and scratch lottery tickets, just to mention a few products offered by a pre-recorded voice over the intercom. It was lovely. We arrived in Edinburgh in the afternoon, and made our way to our hostel, St Christopher's of Edinburgh. Our room was great, as I decided to book and all-girls room with a private bathroom for a few extra pounds.


View from our room in St Christopher's

So we dropped off our stuff and went to wander the Royal Mile, which happened to be a two-minute walk from the hostel. We found a small fish 'n chips shop and obligingly partook of the national food of the UK while looking at tourist-y shops and kilted shop-lads. We also booked a tour of the Scottish countryside and Loch Ness for the next day. After finishing our dinner, we headed back to St. Cristopher's for a good night's sleep.

Day 2-We awoke very early to get a jump start on our day. After free breakfast offered by the hostel, we headed out to meet with our tour group. At eight o'clock sharp, we departed in a 30 passenger van for Loch Ness. Our guide was a born and raised Scot, and was very knowledgeable about the country's history and interesting lore.
As we sped at alarming speeds down the "wrong" side of the road, and after my life had flashed in front of my eyes at least three times, we came to our first official stop to see a Heeland Coo, better known as a shaggy/hairy cow. It was so cool! It looked like a big shaggy dog with huge horns and hooves.


Hamish

It was awesome! Despite our best efforts, Hamish (that was this coo's name) decided to stay in his little shack and now come out for some delicious coo food that we were waving at him from the fence. Oh well. Moving on, we drove past several interesting sights, including the castle where Monty Python was filmed,


THE castle!

the highest peak in the UK, and many Lochs.
Finally we reached Loch Ness, where we ate lunch and went on a boat tour, trying to spot Nessie.


Loch ness

The boat captain told us that if we were to capture irrefutable proof of the existence of a creature in Loch Ness, we were entitled to 1 Million pounds from the British government. Needless to say, Jade and I had our eyes peeled! But alas, we didn't spot any monsters this trip.


Or did we...

On the way home, because of the sun going down so early, the whole group got to watch Braveheart on a small monitor in the van. After a 12 hour day, Jade and I went straight to bed when we got back.

Day 3-On Friday we decided to get up early to catch a bus out to Roslin to see the Rosslyn Chapel that has recently gained world fame from it's role in the Davinci Code. We got to sit at the top f a double decker bus all the way out to the tiny village of Roslin, and see a very intricately beautiful cathedral under piles of scaffolding and restoration debris. It was a little disappointing, but still a sight worth seeing in the end. Upon arriving back in Edinburgh, we headed up to the Royal Mile to explore a little more before meeting up with the free tour offered by the New City Tours company. This company is by far the best deal, and having taken a tour by the same group in Munich, knew it was going to be well worth the time. The tour was three and a half hours long, and covered all the major sights in the city. Our tour guide was amazing and energetic and had a lot of knowledge not only on the history of Edinburgh, but also of the more recent contributions the city has made, including the fact that the first few Harry Potters were written there.


Our funny tour guide

It was fantastic, and we enjoyed every minute of it! We tipped the tour guide heavily at the end, and in exchange he gave us a 25% off coupon for a restaurant on the Royal Mile where we could get some authentic Haggis.


Haggis...Yum!

We obligingly walked to the restaurant and ordered the Scottish specialty, which was surprisingly really good! We ate more of it that the nachos we ordered to supplement our meal. We ended the night by purchasing kilts (mine was an apron that was made to look like a kilt, so I cheated) and other novelties, then headed off to bed.

Day 4-This was our last morning in the city, so we made the most of it, beginning by hiking up to Edinburgh Castle and taking in the panoramic view of the city it offered. After taking a ton of pictures there, we went to the Tartan shop and had a tutorial on medieval swords. It was entertaining to see how enthusiastic our barely-out-of-his-teens sword master described his practice sessions in the city park with his battle-reenacting buddies. After that we needed to head up to the airport , so we said goodbye to our beloved Scotland and flew back to Germany. The end!
Pictures to come soon!

Opera

This weekend I had the good fortune to score some Opera tickets from a friend of mine who sings for the Munich Stadt Oper in Munich, Germany.
The girls! We had some silly boys come, but they somehow escaped the camera!


From left to right-Angela (the Opera singer!), Isabelle, Me, Melanie

I went with a group of YSA's, and we had an absolute blast! he evening began with a great dinner at an Italian restaurant near Marienplatz, where you can order whatever you want on a pizza, pasta, or salad, and they make it in front of you, then you can add fresh herbs from pots right on the table. It was really cool! After that, we made our way to the Munich Opera house, which is an absolutely beautiful place, inside and out.


The inside of the opera house!

We had great seats for the Opera, which was called Jenufa, a Czech opera that happens to be really sad and depressing. If you ever want to be horrified, saddened, and ultimately leave feeling contemplative and sober, go and see Jenufa. It was actually not too bad, and the music was beautiful, and performed by a wonderful orchestra. My friend did very well in her role, and had an amazing voice. All in all, it was a fantastic experience, and one that I hope to repeat several more times before I go back to the states. After the performance, we got a backstage tour from Angela, my Opera friend, and went out for ice cream at Haagen Daas. Best night ever!

Heeding the Prophet's Council

As I watched Conference this weekend, a particular talk stood out to me. It was Elder Bednar's address from the Saturday evening session (I think). He spoke about the need for every member of the church to bear their testimony as often as possible to everyone around them. So, as it has been several years since I have borne my testimony in Sacrament meeting, I decided I would make a concerted effort to stand up next fast Sunday and proclaim that I know that My Redeemer lives. I know he died for my sins, and rose again on the third day to break the bonds of death, and continues to plead for me with my Heavenly Father, even when I make mistakes (which I do frequently). I know that Joseph Smith knelt down in a grove and asked for guidance, and spoke to the Father and the Son face to face, and that The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the only true and living church on the planet today. I know that I can be forgiven, and that if I make and keep sacred covenants, I can return to live with my Heavenly Father. I know that if I can hold to the rod, and heed all the counsel of the Prophets and Apostles, I will be very blessed, and I will never go wanting for any righteous desire. And I know that He loves me! I love all of you so much, friends and Family, and I hope that as time goes on, I can show my love for you and for my Father in Heaven through my actions.

So much better!

I have been feeling so much better lately, that I remember why I am here, what I want to accomplish, and that I need to have patience! Being sick really made me homesick, but now I'm all better, and I am ready to tackle whatever life throws my way!

Decisions, Decisions.

So here it is. I have so many choices to make, and anyone who knows me well, knows that I stress over things WAY earlier than I need to. I had my life planned after college four times before actually settling into one option. And that was six months before graduation! I know many people have planned that far out, but it seemed like I rushed into something when I was just terrified that I would get stuck somewhere I didn't want to be, and the easiest plan was to come here to Germany and work for a year. I figured that because everything fell into place so easily that it was a sign that coming here was the right choice. But is staying here for the full year also the right choice? Am I supposed to come, learn about the world, and then call it good, or should I stubbornly stick it out for the sake of chalking it up to experience, although I am not happy? What is the right choice? So mny options are open to me right now, and I have had way too much time the past few days to think about it. I could move back home and attend Culinary School. I could move to Oregon and try to find a bakery or restaurant to take me without a proper Culinary degree. I could move to New York with Ashley and find a bakery to work for and call it an internship. Or I could look for a job teaching English in Munich, or I could become a cat lady with 27 cats and take Claritin every day. So many options! But what is right for me? I guess for the time being I am just going to keep on trucking and hope that I begin to enjoy living her a little better, and pray that I can keep in good health, and see how the chips fall. Maybe there is something I am supposed to accomplish here that I haven't done yet, and maybe it really is just supposed to be an experience that teaches me more about the world outside the "Bubble". All I can do is pray and know that what happens is supposed to happen, and go from there. And maybe I should stop being so antsy and just take time to smell the roses. I know I'm just feeling this way because I'm unhappy with my situation and being sick in a foreign country has a negative affect on most people's outlook. I guess I just like to review all the possibilities and see what interests me the most, and right now I have time to do that. But the Church is true, The Lord knows what I need, and I know that He lives and loves me! What else could a girl want?

So they finally made me go...

...to the doctor. I got to work today, and my boss took one look at me and demanded that I make a doctor's appointment, and go straight there. So my wonderful supervisor, Christine, drove me to a German doctor, where they quickly prescribed me medications, and discharged me. Afterward, Christine took me to the Apotheke (pharmacy), and then took me home for a weekend of bed rest. Yep, turns out two weeks of illness is not so good for you. Who knew? It's funny that just when you're about to break, the Lord sends just what you need into your life to help you out. It never ceases to amaze me that the tender mercies of the Lord are never ending, and that someone loves me that much! I am so grateful for the gospel in my life, and I know that whenever I need anything, I can ask, and He'll listen to me. This is such a great comfort to me, especially here, when I'm so far away from everyone I love, and everything I know.

Why does Japan have so many earthquakes?

So the funny title is just the first prompt that popped up when I typed a w into the text box. I thought it was funny and kept it, although it has nothing to do with the actual subject matter in this post.

And now for the actual post.

So it's coming up on week seven of my adventure in Germany, and things are...interesting. I have had the good fortune of being sick for almost two weeks now, and it is making it hard to want to stay here, despite the fact that I get to live in a foreign country rent free. I am trying really hard to just push through it, but when you can hardly eat anything for two weeks straight, you begin to wonder if moving so far away from home and people you love was a rash thing to do. Unfortunately, the closest health care facility is two towns over, and I haven't been able to get there yet, so I have no idea what is wrong, and it isn't getting any better. But more on that later.

On the bright side, I have made many friends among the YSAs in Munich, and we always have a great time together on Sunday. Last Sunday we all got together and went to Salzburg for a single's ward. The ward is mobile, and meets about once every few months, each time in a different city. This time, it was in the beautiful Austrian city of Salzburg! The meeting lasted two hours, then dinner was served, and our group decided to take in a few sights before heading back to Munich. We saw the house used in the filming of The Sound of Music (!!!!!) and the lake that the Von Trapp children fell into with Maria. Then we walked past a beautiful castle high on a hill, and saw the gate Maria enters in the movie. After strolling through the Austrian countryside, we caught a bus into town and saw the birthplace of Mozart! It was very cool, and we loved seeing all the great sights. Once we saw enough to leave us all planning a trip back, we headed for the train station. At one point, we realized that we would not be able to make the train unless we ran the final 1/3 mile or so. I was in heels that had already given me huge blisters. So I took them off and ran in my stockings all the way to the train station. Needless to say, I had very dirty feet and ruined nylons upon arrival, but we made it!! Thankfully, we then had a two hour train ride to cool off and settle back down after all the hullabaloo. It was such a fun trip, and it makes me even more excited for Scotland in November! Hopefully I will be able to borrow a camera for that trip!

Update!

Okay, so first off, my camera was stolen, so no more pictures for a while, until I can afford to replace it. I know, sad. :( But on the bright side, I have been having the best time! Two weeks ago I had the chance to go to Munich for the day and see the city. I took my friend Jen, and we had so much fun! We started by going to an outdoor grocery market and wandering around, then we found a free walking tour in Marienplatz that took you all around the old city center. It was so cool to see all the architecture that was destroyed and then rebuilt after the war. The Germans sure do pay attention to detail! The guide wa funny and engaging, and we enjoyed it very much. After the tour Jen and I separated so she could go home and I could go stay with my Missionaries (my Uncle's parents are on a mission here, and they put me up whenever I stay overnight). Sunday was wonderful, as usual, and I had a great night. The next weekend I spent Saturday reading and chilling out in my room, because it rained all day. This is turning out to be indicative of the weather round here in general. Rain. Sunday I took an early train and decided to stay in Munich for an activity that a few YSA's in the area do every Sunday night. We made Mexcian food with the sister missionaries, and sat around talking and having a good time. The guy who lives only a couple of towns over accompanied me most of the way home, and I can't wait for this Sunday to do it again! I had so much fun, and I look forward to getting to know there kids ore in coming weeks! As for friends here in Garmisch, I have finally found a few. A girl I work with named Tyane, who is very religious and easy going, Ben, who came in two weeks after I did who is also christian, and Scott, who is so funny and such a cool kid! We have hung out a few times and we have so much fun together. Last night we all went to get some dinner at a Doner Kebap joint downtown, and while getting Gelato afterward, we got hit with some major rain. We got a cab home, and spent the rest of the night watching Phantom of the Opera on the big screen downstairs. It was so much fun, and I really feel like I am beginning to find my niche here. All in all, I am settling in at last, and I have high hopes for the next year!

First Adventure!

This Friday a group from the Abrahms (the employee housing) went to a little town called Murnau in Germany known for a small Gasthaus/brewery/restaurant to celebrate a few birthdays. I was invited by a girl I met at the Fest last Wednesday. We caught the Six O'clock train, and with a Bayern pass, paid very little for our tickets. Once there, we got some great food and had a great time! I was excited for my first official out-of-town trip here in Europe.



My meal, which consisted of traditional Knodl and Pork with Mushrooms. Soooo good!


Sorry this is sideways, that's never happened before! This is the view from the train!


Getting on the train to Murnau!


So the guy who picked us up at the airport told us that cows walk right through the downtown of Garmisch every day to get to and from their homes. I hadn't ever seen them before, so I was astonished to see them actually blocking traffic today! It was so funny!

Picture Time

On the plane, about 30 min from landing. The clouds were so cool!


First glimpse of German soil!


On the road from Munich to Garmisch.


The view out my bdroom window. Yes folks, I get to wake up to this every day!



Some more mountains by the Army post.

Day 1!

Okay, this will be brief as I am about to pass out. I got in on time and met up with the Missionary couple that I had been in contact with for the past few weeks. Then I found the Resort rep, met the other guys in my group, and headed out to Garmisch. I had a quick tour of the housing complex, met my roomie, and set up my stuff, then promptly fell asleep for two hours. My new roommate, Amy, woke me up and invited me to go to a Softball game with her and a few friends. Before the game began, Amy and I trudged through the torrential downpour to a Chinese restaurant, a I hadn't eaten since the plane that morning. After my first meal in Germany, I got to watch several people get very drunk, which was interesting, and now I'm going to bed. But before I do, I just want to say this. Lederhosen are hott. Peace out.

And so it begins...

I leave tomorrow morning at 10:44 am, and arrive in Munich at 7:40 on Monday morning! Yay! I'll post more when I have gotten there!

Getting Ready for...LIFE!

Okay, well, so much has happened lately! On Thursday, July 23rd, I graduated from college. Yep, I did it! I never thought it would happen, but lo and behold, I have a Bachelor's Degree! And it only took me the four years that are usually allotted for that kind of thing. It still has to sink in that I will never have to go back to Idaho again! But I am very grateful for everything I got out of the wonderful years I spent in Rexburg. I have some of the most amazing friends that I will love for life, and I have life experiences that will help me be a better person. For that I am eternally grateful!

After graduation, my family and I drove down to Utah for a couple of family reunions. Saturday was the Poulton Reunion, for my Mother's Father's Mother's family. It is always a fun time, and I was happily accompanied by my very best friend Casey Van Wagenen. We then spent the rest of the afternoon shopping and watching our favorite chick flick. I am going to miss her so much this next year!

Sunday was the beginning of the Eddington/Smiley Reunion in Alpine, Ut. We spent Monday going to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house, and it was beautiful!



After that, we went to a famous Mexican joint in downtown Salt Lake called the Red Iguana.



My brother Westin had seen it on the Food network and wanted to go, so we checked it out. It was great food, and had a really laid back atmosphere. We had a great dinner, and headed back to Alpine for another reunion function that included some extended family on the Eddington side.

Tuesday was Lagoon day. it was so much fun! I haven't been in a while, so I had to catch up on all the newest attractions. I went on Wicked twice, and holy cow! It was exhilarating! It also gave me a headache. But hey, all in the name of a thrill! Haha. The day was amazing, racing down water slides that give you a killer wedgie, eating amusement park food, and roller coasters; who could ask for more?

Wednesday we all headed up to Mount Timp for a picnic and hike. I wasn't able to go on the hike to the caves, as I had promised Bethany, a very good friend of mine from American Fork, that I would go to Institute with her. We had a wonderful lesson, and then went back to my Aunt's home for a bonfire and S'mores.

Thursday was a day of goodbyes as I prepared to fly back home to Colorado for my final week in the states. My sister-in-law, Natalie, picked me and Jordan (my little brother) and took us back to her place to wait for Adam. Once he got there, we drove back home to the Springs.

I know I probably am loading this post with way too much, but hey, I may not get to it again for a while, so what the heck.

Friday was a down day after so much travel. Saturday rolled around, and we went to see G-Force in the theatre. I couldn't understand why my Dad wanted to see it, and after seeing it, I still can't. But at least now he doesn't either. :)

Sunday I attended the single's ward in town in which I have several aquaintances. It was fun to see all of them again, but I won't miss the single's ward here. I can't wait to meet all the singles in Gremany! My Uncle's parents are on their missin in Munich right now, and have been telling me all about the ward there. I am getting so anxious to get there already! After church I made a killer dinner using a recipe I learned at school. My family loved it, and I was happy they did! I guess I am always happy to please people with my talents!

Today my Mom and I did some shopping. I hate spending my parent's money, but they do have much mor of it than I do. I got some shoes, and a sweet bag for traveling. I am looking forward to using all of it in Germany!

Okay, that's it for now! Pretty boring stuff, I know. It should get more exciting in the near future!

So, basically, my life rocks! I have been so blessed this week with so many good friends, good people, and amazing experiences! This past week I have crossed so many things off my bucket list (refer to second post). First, I went on a way fun date with a friend from work. He treated me to a wonderful dinner at a Gringos, the local Mexican restaurant, and then we saw a campus talent show. It was a blast!

Then last Monday night I was invited by a married friend, Rachel, and her husband to spent the night and all of Tuesday with them and a friend at a cabin in Island Park, Idaho. It's only an hour from Rexburg, but id infinitely more beautiful! We got there late on Monday night, watched a movie and had a slumber party in the living room. (For all of those thinking I am scandalous, I made sure we did everything by the Honor Code!) The next day we got up early and had an amazing pancake breakfast, and then went to ride ATVs, which I have really never done before! I even got to drive one, and caught some air going over a bump. That really caught Rachel by surprise! It was so fun! After we got back from four wheeling, we rafted down a part of the Moose River. We were all in a little raft with oars, and we just got to enjoy the beauty of Idaho! We were pretty much spent after that, so while the boys went to get the truck, Rachel and I improvised some lunch, and after lunch we all drank some hot chocolate and took a quick nap before heading home. Luckily, work was canceled (Rachel and I work together) so we got to take our time getting back.

On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to help open a restaurant for my Culinary Arts class. We had to plan the menu-including developing our own recipes-and do all of the pricing, ordering, and dining room design. After planning all of that, we also had to be the kitchen staff and front of house staff (waitstaff, host, etc). I was in charge of all main dish plating, as well as telling the cooks when to put certain things on the grill to cook, when to prepare items, and all that. It was very hectic, and I felt that I was in WAY over my head, but I loved it! It was a long day, but turned out very well. I also had the good fortune of having my recipe for a main dishes be selected for service, so I got very uplifting comments on my food. It was amazing!

But that was far from the end of what happened this week! On Thursday I had a final in y floral arranging class, and did very well on both the final exam and the practical exam. I now have a beautiful silk arrangement in my living room, and some skills I can use for the rest of my life. I have really enjoyed learning about flowers and the way they can me used to enhance a room or and outfit! I can now make beautiful corsages, vase arrangements, and table pieces.

Okay, finally we get to the weekend! Friday I had the pleasure of going on yet another date with a friend's roommate who I have been acquainted with a few times. We went to get some frozen yogurt, then went for a lovely walk that ended with some star-gazing in Porter Park. When the caretaker came to tell us he was going to turn on the sprinklers, we called it a night. It was so much fun!

On Saturday, I got to go to work in the morning, and see some of the coolest people for the last time. It was sad! I love the people I work with, and I have had such a great time getting to know all of them! Later that day, Zach, Rob (from Friday) Stacy, and random dude, and I went to the Civil Defense caves in Ashton to play games. We hiked all the way through the caves, then found a level place to play. Then we proceeded to ply glow-in-the-dark hide-and-go-seek. The way you play the game is simple; you get some dollar store glow sticks, cut them open, and fling them all over the cave and your clothing. Then you extinguish all lights and everyone hides. It's so tough! When everyone is bespeckled with glow, they blend in really well with the floor and walls! It was one of the best things I have ever done! We had so much fun, we were a little late getting home! And now I get to cap off the whole week with a perfect Sunday with curry for dinner, a party in the evening, Home teachers and Visiting Teaching. I am so blessed, as you can tell from all the fun I've had! And next week, I get to see my family, and Graduate from College! can life get any better that that?

July the Fourth

This was such a fun day! It began with taking the Elderly residents of a nursing home in town to the local parade. That was fun, even though Rexburg's parade lasted for TWO hours!! It was very long, and I got a little sun for the first time this summer. I have been so occupied with graduating that the only time I spent outside is walking to classes and to work. But I did love the Giant Broulim's Cart. It was ginormous!


Broulims Cart


the High School Marching Band. This throws me back to freshman year in Alabama!

After the Parade, my roommates and I ate some lunch and then headed to Idaho Falls for some shopping and a barbecue at Bishop Bishop's home before heading to our spot to watch the fireworks. I got such a deal on new jeans that day! It was amazing!


The whole gang! There's Stacy, Zach, Charlotte, Angela, Bailey, and Amber.


Idaho Falls is supposed to have the best fireworks this side of the Mississippi!



So fun!

Things I Know

There are very few things that I actually know, without a doubt. Yes, I know many of you would describe me as an insufferable know-it-all, but unfortunately, I am very good at sounding knowledgeable. I really don't know very much at all. But what I do know, is that I am a Child of God. I know that he loves me, I know he answers my prayers. I know that my Redeemer died and rose again on the third day to atone for my sins, that I might have the chance to return to my Heavenly Father. I know God loves me, and I know he forgives me for my imperfections. I know that I love my family, and that they love me. I know that with and through my Brother, Jesus Christ, I can do anything and everything I put my mind to. The things I know may be few, but he fact that I know these things has carried me through my life, through my trials past, present, and future, and will be the rock of my salvation if I continue to be faithful and obedient.

A Weekend of Photos

So we take a lot of pictures. Of everything. And sometimes we go a little crazy, and take two hundred at a time. But they always provide good memories and help document the end and beginning of things. Take this weekend for example. I got new batteries for my camera, and wore them out in two days. Thursday Stacy, Bethany and I went on a grand tour of the school's green houses, and found the perfect spot for portraits...and everything else.




Me


Bethany


Stacy


And then, we took many, many more...







And there you have it. Lots and lots of completely pointless photos. But so much fun!

The Time Speedily Cometh

I am getting so excited for all the things coming up in my life! The next big event I have planned is a fun almost-weekend in Utah. The second ans third of July are holidays for my school, BYU-Idaho, and my roommates and I decided to go to Utah for those two days to hang out with a friends family and visit Ikea, which is a super-fun store! Two of my roommates have never been, ad as one opened up recently in Draper, we thought it might be fun to go. We also thought it would b fun if our friend from American Fork set us all up with dates for Thursday night. So we're all going to have a blast just doing whatever. We plan to head back to Idaho Friday night, as we all would like to spend the Fourth with our ward and watching the famous fireworks in Idaho Falls.

After this fun weekend, I have only one week to prepare for the final in my Culinary class, which will consist of putting together a menu and opening a restaurant for an evening. I have conveniently been chosen to head up my team, and s such, have to coordinate a full six-course menu with my fellow classmates. I really enjoy the challenge, and I'm already having a blast coming up with my own recipe for an entree that may possibly be used on the menu. After that eventful evening, I have a few days to prepare for my family to come up to Idaho for my graduation from college. Yes folks, I am actually graduating from a University with a Bachelors! I never thought that was going to happen for me, and I am so grateful for all the support I have gotten from family and friends! I really am so excited! Anyway, right after graduation, I go to Utah for a family reunion, and then to Colorado to prepare to move to GERMANY! I am so very excited!

I think I'll post some fun pictures that my roomies and I took of us...well, three of us! We were all very photogenic that day, as you can see from the following.

Sorry!

So it's been an eventful few weeks! I went home for Adam's wedding at the end of May, and had so much fun seeing all my family! After getting back to Rexburg, I had a full week of mid-terms. I'm a little worried about how fast this semester is going! I knew it would go quickly, but wow! I'm looking toward graduation with increasing excitement and anxiety. I am Excited to have gotten through all four years of college, and at the same time anxious to enter the world! I am heading off to a largely unknown territory, without anyone I know for reassurance. At the same time, I know that this is what I'm supposed to be doing right now. I know I have a purpose in going to Germany, and I hope that I can have a positive impact on all the new people I meet there. Today I'm going to make a cake for my roommate Stacy's birthday. I love being able to make people happy with my talents! It is what made me want to go into the culinary field! Anyway, I know this is short, but I don't have too much going on right now! More later, I promise!

Blabbity Blah

I'm the best.

And also, I love Stacy.

The Weekenders strike again!

This weekend has been so much fun! It began with building a fort in the living room, and then Saturday consisted of blowing bubbles outside in the sunshine, and ended with a bonfire! It was great spending time with my many wonderful friends!



The fort!


It was so cool!


We watched the Scarlet Pimpernel in it!

The More...Interesting Side of Sam

So, I get bored easily. Especially on weekends when all my friends, excepting one, abandon me. So when my very good friend and roommate Stacy and I decided to dress up, we went all out!



Oh YES!


Stacy and I RULE!






Now that my future children have plenty of ammunition, I'll end. Bye!