Perfect Christmas

It's almost the new year and I'm just writing this post, I'm the worst blogger ever!

But I just had to tell all of you about the best Christmas ever! It all started with Christmas Eve. To me, Christmas Eve is a lot better than Christmas Day when it comes to traditions. I don't know why I like it so much. I just love getting with both sides of the family and feeling the joy of Christmas. As a kid, I remember driving home after being at my Grandpa and Grandmas and looking up in the sky and looking for Santa's sleigh. And I love that there is still a child in the house that believes in Santa. Christmas just wouldn't be the same without a Santa Claus. Christmas Eve was fun, we went to my Grandma's house and spent some time with her and then went to my Uncle Todd's house and just enjoyed time with the family. 

Then we went home and opened our Christmas Pajamas :) I love this tradition.

I still feel like I'm 8 years old, and can't sleep on Christmas Eve. I was up til 3:30am talking to friends. I guess we all just couldn't sleep! We were all so excited. and then 5:30am hits, and we are all awake and ready to open presents. 

I hate when we are done opening presents because it feels like Christmas is over.

But the best part of Christmas? I got to skype my boyfriend. I am so grateful for his amazing family that invited me over! They are so sweet and welcoming and treat me as if I'm their own. I'm so lucky to have them! Skyping Shawn was the best Christmas present ever. The minute I saw him, tears flooded my eyes. I was so happy to see him and hear his voice. He is so happy and was so cute. And when I heard him say, "I love you Em". EVERYTHING was perfect and my whole world was back to normal. I can't wait to have that boy home. We got to skype Shawn for an hour and a half and it was pure bliss. We laughed the whole time and it was the happiest I've been in almost 2 years. But when he started saying his goodbyes, I couldn't talk. because if I talked, I would of cried, and right when he got off, me and his mom lost it. Tears were streaming! haha and then we just laughed because we are so pathetic ;) I love his mom.

His cute mom in the blue, and grandma in the red. me in the middle SO happy 

and Shawns poor dad stuck in the back ;) hahaha

Here are some other pictures from this Christmas time :)

Our Christmas Dresses

Me and Ivan at school :)

Our Christmas sweater party at school :)

Love these girls so much!

(Jess & Chrissy)

Want vs. Have

"Sometimes you need to stop focusing on the things you want and just focus on the things you have".

I stumbled upon that quote the other day on Pinterest and it's really stuck with me. This holiday season, it's easy to want things. I want to be done with school, I want to have more friends to do stuff with every night, I want to get paid more, I want new clothes, I want I want I want. But the worldly things haven't been a big issue thus far. What I want is a boyfriend. How stupid does that sound right? A boyfriend. Here. I want that boyfriend in Chile here.

Everyone always told me that Christmas time was the worst time of the whole waiting process. Last Christmas I was lucky enough to not go through that darker time. Shawn was home for surgery and although we didn't get to see each other, knowing that he was home was enough to feel okay. I could feel how close he was and so Christmas time wasn't so hard. And now I'm creeping up on Christmas time and it's honestly terrible. I never imagined it'd be this hard. Being alone is one of the worst feelings. Especially because everyone around me is getting engaged, going to Temple Square lights with a boyfriend, going ice skating, making gingerbread houses, cuddling on the couch watching Elf. Those silly things are everything to me! And I'll be doing them alone this year.

It's also hard going through all these things after a "break up". I was recently just dating this guy, nothing too serious but we were dating and even though I was blinded by him and not focused so much on Shawn, I was excited to share those fun Christmas things with a boy! and now that, that was taken away from me, I feel even more alone going through the process of getting over him and wishing Shawn were here. What a draining thing am I right?

So back to that quote I posted earlier. I need to stop focusing on what I want. I don't want to have a replacement boyfriend. Because what I do have is far better than I'd ever get right now. I have an amazing man serving the Lord, who loves me more than words can describe. That is so forgiving and so thoughtful. That fights for me every day and loves me even though he is 6000 miles away and hasn't seen me in 19 months. I have everything and more that my friends have right now, I just have to be patient enough to wait for it. So, I need to stop focusing on what I want. the boyfriend; the cuddler; the iceskater; the temple date; all those things. and really focus and be grateful for the things I do have!

Because while I'm here complaining, someone out there is just praying to have what I have.

I'm so lucky to have Shawn and his love. Even though times get hard, and this is going to be hard without him, I know that we can do this and that I'll be okay. i just gotta push through Christmas. I'm so lucky to have amazing friends and family. I'm so lucky to have a job and school to keep me busy and sane.

Waiting for a missionary is tough stuff and people do not give us ladies enough credit for what we do. These lonely nights are miserable and I'm sure they are just going to get harder as time goes on until he gets home, but I gotta keep fighting. Remember what I have and how lucky I am to have it back in 5 months and 4 days :)

FLASH MOB

Here is the flash mob that I was in!

This was so much fun and I'm so happy for Johnny and Tessa :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NtGTLcG22I&feature=youtube_gdata_player

copy and paste that link above to youtube!

New friends, lots of laughs, and a great time.

Today was such a fun day! I have honestly been looking forward to this day for so long. For the past couple weeks, a bunch of people have been getting together to do a Flash mob. Its actually a crazy story. So, my three friends; Nick, Johnny, and Tyler, they make these hilarious videos on YouTube. They're quite popular actually. Million's of views. They've pranked Venice Beach, Vegas, and so much more. So their next great idea was a Flash Mob at City Creek in Salt Lake City. After a couple rehearsals, the boys had the idea to go ask permission at City Creek. That caused them to get banned from City Creek for 90 days, get their pictures taken by the police, and sign paper work. Oops.

So they decided to check out The Gateway. Which turned out to be a blessing in disguise because when they got there, they found out that every hour, on the hour, they play All I Want for Christmas is You as part of their light/fountain show. PERFECT RIGHT? Right.

So the Flash Mob was today. Video still to come, but it was such a blast. I made so many new friends and I have loved seeing them all the time. We spent a lot of time laughing and thats what I needed right now. I love my new friends.

I'm also so happy for Johnny and Tessa! At the end of the Flash mob, Johnny proposed to Tessa and it was so perfect. They are so in love and I can't wait for my turn.

Today was also so fun with Kelsey Blackham. We went to the rehearsal together, then went to Keva and Great Harvest Bread, and then drove out to Salt Lake together and just laughed the whole way there. We're ridiculous actually. We were making the funniest noises and talking like complete idiots hahaha. I just laugh thinking about it and if anyone was there we'd have no friends. hahaha!

Kels is honestly the best friend any girl could ever ask for. She has been there for me through some pretty hard times and its amazing that God put her in my life at the perfect timing. We were friends in highschool but not close and now every time we're together we always wonder why we weren't best friends. She's such an amazing, strong girl and i'm so lucky to have her as my best friend.

Oh yeah, and did I mention I put highlights in my hair? Change is fun. and I'm lovin' it!

I'm so lucky to have the friends that I have. And seriously so grateful for the new friends that I made. We made some amazing memories that I'll cherish forever and ever.

Sometimes things don't happen for a reason.

I've always been one to say that ''Everything happens for a reason''. 
But not today. I will not be saying that today. My heart and prayers go out to the poor families who have lost their loved ones today. I am not a mother, but I've always had the heart of a mother. As being the oldest, I've always been a second mom. And I can't even imagine sending my child off to school and having them not come home so I could hug and kiss them. My blood is boiling and my heart is aching when I think about what happened today. I think about my little brother being in second grade, and the kids that lost their lives today in the shooting were younger than him! Kindergarteners. Are you kidding me? It's times like this where I'm grateful for a place called hell that this man can suffer in because what he did was absolutely terrible. There are no words to describe the feelings I have. My neighbors niece was one of the children that died, and it's absolutely heartbreaking. How could a man be so cold? What causes someone to break and snap like this? How could he kill his mom, and a bunch of 5 year olds. They deserved to live. Not him. They deserved to feel safe going to school and having fun and learning. The parents send their 5 years olds off to school every day trusting that they are going to be okay. They had such a great life ahead of them, and this man, this cold hearted rotten man took that away from them and their families.

Some things happen for a reason;

but not everything.

The savior loves these children so very much. I know that he welcomed them with open arms. I am grateful that these children are there with the Savior, but they should be here. and I just pray for the families to be okay and know that their children are happy with their Savior. I am so grateful that families can be together forever and I hope that those families have the same knowledge that I do, and if they don't, I pray that the missionaries, or others, will reach out to them and teach them that they will one day get to be with their children again. 

Chocolates

I love this family tradition that we have. Every year on my mom's side, we get together at my house and dip chocolates! We dip cashews, almonds, marshmellows, and make peanut butter cups. It's so much fun to do this as a family and get together and laugh. We make hilarious jokes and messes. It's great. I can't wait for next year already, and I'll even have a special someone there with me :)

Working hard, or hardly working boys?

Girls making peanut butter cups :)

My uncle and my dad heating up the chocolate! 

I love being on baby duty :) 

This is my cousin Abbie's adorable little boy Crew!

Couldn't be happier.

Missionary Monday! :)

But this missionary Monday was a lot better than others.
Let me just start from the beginning.

Sunday night, I cannot sleep. I think it's worse than Christmas Eve waiting for that email.
I stay up all night so excited to hear from Shawn. He still gives me butterflies. Finally it's 6:30am and I can roll out of bed and go to work. It's good to go to work to keep my busy instead of waiting around all day. It's Noon and I finally get an email from him! He's telling me about his week, telling me that he loves me, all that cute stuff, and then says, by the way, I'll be in the SLC airport on May 21.

Wait. What?

That's right folks, my wonderful boyfriend gets home 3 weeks earlier!! :) Notice how my countdown changed a whole lot?? I get my boyfriend back in MAY! I am freaking out with excitement! I am so happy that I'll have him back for his Birthday on May 24, and he'll be able to go to my brothers graduation, and start summer with me. We'll have a lot to do that summer because wedding bells should be going off.

I really am so excited. but I'm also so nervous! I feel like I have so much to do and I'm not nearly prepared enough. 3 weeks is a huge jump! I got to get this bod into shape, I got to get close to graduating school, I need to read the Book of Mormon cover to cover. I got a lot to do! But a lot to keep me busy :)

He'll be back into my arms in no time.

51/2 more months babe.
We can do this :)