12/31/19

I’ve been so caught up in holidays & a Disneyland trip that I’ve completely spaced on posting: I wanted to fit just one more in though before the new year.

I’m so grateful for all that I’ve learned this year & the people that I’ve met. I wouldn’t trade a single second of it, even the hard seconds. I’m excited to see what 2020 has to bring!

12/21/19

Got any advice on long distance relationships? Because it would seem that I’m in one & I can’t stop smiling like an idiot.

12/20/19

“Are we a thing now?”

“Do you wanna be a thing?”

“Yeah. I do.”

“Me too.”

12/19/19

I was sorting through more of my things and I found all my old journals I'd only written like four entries in each. I found my fancy knife set that I'd gotten junior year. It's funny how nostalgic you can get over a recipe book for cakes and frosting.

12/18/19

Today I have been incredibly overwhelmed by how underwhelmed I am.

12/17/19

Breakfast this morning with Spence, Brev, and Em. We went to Kneaders and I always get their endless french toast so I thought I would spice things up by getting the pancakes this time.

I watched romcoms with Kate and Ashlyn in the evening. They're so cheesy but I've missed them. The previous sentence applies to both romcoms and Kate and Ashlyn.

I think I found a boy who likes me enough to buy a plane ticket to see me. Good news is, I'd buy one to see him too.

12/16/19

Got to hang out with Kenns, Rach, Mary, and Em tonight. We made sugar cookies and too-sweet frosting and laughed and talked about life and boys and it was so so good.

They've all got my back and I appreciate that. The nicest thing is that it didn't feel like it had been so long since we had last seen each other. Those are the best kind of friendships.

12/15/19

I got a bit of a motivation boost last night since I ended up sitting next to a guy coming home from his mission in Brazil and this was his last flight after like 24 hours of jumping from plane to plane and missing a few flights due to delays on one flight screwing up everything else.

It was super fun because we just talked about missions the whole time and turns out he lives in AF and went to school with Liz and recognized her once I showed him a picture of her.

So I was pumped, albeit mad nervous, when it came to giving my homecoming talk today. But man, it ended up going okay. I told a pun and people laughed and I talked about the gospel and met all the people that my cousins had married/gotten engaged to whilst I was gone.

I got to see Rachael and Mary and Kennadee and Emily and it was so so good to be together again. It's been about two years. And technically Megan is still serving in Panama so until she comes home it won't be a full reunion.

My extended family had a Christmas party tonight and we all sat around and sang Christmas songs together and it struck me how picturesque it all was and that I'm honestly so lucky to have these people and these traditions.

I'm just thankful all around. (Oh yeah and also President and Sister Christensen showed up to my homecoming so that was flipping awesome!!)

12/14/19

I have been graced with too many kind people in my life. I missed my first flight home by a couple of minutes. The next one wasn't going to be until tomorrow and I wouldn't get home until 11:54 PM, meaning I would miss my homecoming talk and my family Christmas party.

So I panicked and I cried in the airport and it was a whole ordeal. But one of my Aunts stepped in and offered to buy me a ticket for another airline that would get me a flight home that night.

Derity had already driven all the way back to the airport by the time we got this figured out and I was in her car squeezing my eyes shut to try and get out all my tears and complaining that I had a migraine. We looped back around and she dropped me back off at the airport and I said, "Bye, I'm going to go chill in the airport for a couple of hours."

I had just gotten my ticket when I saw a charging station and my phone was nearly dead so I figured I would stop there to charge it since I still had such a long while until my flight. About an hour later Derity calls me and says, "Where are you in the airport?" I tell her where and ask why.

"I brought you some ibuprofen for your migraine. I'm going to come give it to you. I'm already parked and everything." So I was like, wow. That is literally so sweet. Like just to bring me ibuprofen. That's such a little thing and my head doesn't hurt so bad anymore so I feel kind of bad but wow what a sweetheart.

About five minutes later she walks past me not with ibuprofen but with Vince. She literally drove back to Chandler, picked him up, and brought him to the airport so we could say goodbye again cause she knew how much that would mean to me. So I got to hug him goodbye again and suddenly I was really grateful I'd missed my flight and all too thankful for these friends of mine.

12/13/19

BEST. FIFTEEN. HUGS.

12/12/19

I'm really grateful for the people in my life that I can literally talk to for hours and genuinely enjoy every minute of it.

12/11/19

I am currently sitting at the airport with Derity waiting for our flight that doesn't even begin boarding for another hour. Tonight, at approximately 10:14 we will be landing in Arizona. I haven't even been gone for that long but I miss it so much.

12/10/19

Being back home is strange. I feel slightly misplaced everywhere I go. I'd found a home in Arizona, and I knew my place and my purpose as a missionary. And now I am home and everyone is older and taller and different and they've all grown and found their way without me this past little bit. It'll be interesting going back to Arizona as not a missionary. I have a feeling that I will be slightly misplaced there too. I've just got to readjust and find my own place again. That shouldn't be too hard, right?

12/8/19

Approximately five days ago I returned home from my mission in Arizona. I can honestly say that the last eighteen months have been some of the best and the hardest of my life. A blog post really can't cover everything I learned and experienced and all the people I've met who have touched my life in countless ways. I'm hoping to get back in the habit of a daily- or near daily- post which will helpfully over time convey at least of a sliver of all that I've gained from my mission.

Get ready to hear about the roller coaster that is adjusting to regular life.

Today all I have to say is that I miss yellow fire hydrants. And my Arizona people.