OREGON!

Thursday afternoon I started my adventures to the great state of Oregon. My friend Katie dropped me at the airport, sadly I was starting the trip with a headache and I didn't have anything with me to take. I flew from Salt Lake to Pheonix. Layover in there for an hour. Getting on the plane, the flight attendant Mike, asked how I was doing,(he was asking everyone, I didn't look that bad) I asked if he had anything for a headache and he said he'd see what he could do. I found a seat and waited for take-off. I kind of thought my friend Mike had forgotten, but right before we pulled onto the runway, he walked by and handed me some painkillers and a water. Best part of my night. Mike was one of my favorite people of the trip.
Upon arrival in Portland I made my way outside. It is much colder in Oregon at night than it is in Utah. I was FREEZING. I've been sleeping with no blanket and still been completely miserable in Utah, so I wasn't planning on colder weather. I didn't have a jacket and it was really cold. Luckily my ride was there so I didn't have to stand in it long.
Friday was full of fun things like setting up tables and stealing tables and chairs from the church. I was only the accomplice, it wasn't my idea. Moving those tables and chairs proved to be not good as Saturday I woke up with my left arm KILLING me. It still hurts. Anyway, Friday afternoon we made our way to the beach to take pictures of Denae and David looking all nice in their wedding attire. The beach was fun. It wasn't too cold. Worst part of the beach was that I left my camera in the car. Lucky for me Justin was nice enough to take some pictures for me with his camera. The pictures ended up taking way longer than planned. Denae started to drive back but as I watched her eyes in the rearview mirror I got a bit scared and offered to drive, so I drove the rest of the way home.
Saturday morning we got up to get ready for the wedding breakfast. It was very delicious. From there we were off to the temple. The temple was beautiful and it was all very lovely. From the temple I went with Denae's mom and I totally crashed. I slept for like 3 hours. I figured I had put in my manual labor hours the day before with the tables and chairs. Everything was very beautiful and the reception was fun. Denae and David were so happy and lucky for me I made a couple friends and her brother was there so I wasn't completely on my own.
This morning her mom and dad took me to the airport and I made my way back to Utah. It's much hotter and deserty here, but that's usually how vacations go. It was fun, and I'm glad I could be part of something so great for Denae and David.

Worst Day Update

So I made it camping. The spot was AMAZING. Sadly we got there when it was getting dark so I couldn't see very much, but it was so fun. I slept like a rock. The temperature was great, the ground wasn't too ridiculously hard, fun people, hiking, beautiful scenery. It was great. Then I came home and my friends boyfriend looked at my car since he volunteered and said he knows about cars. He looked at it, said it started on fire because the oil hit the HOT exhaust manifold and ignited. The fire burnt a hose, but just a surface burn so he says it will be fine. As for the oil in the alternator, he said those are made to spit out fluid that doesn't belong. He told me to just take it to the car wash and spray it out. So that's what I did. First time ever using a car wash. That was interesting to figure out. So my car is fine. The camping was amazing and now I'm ready for a nap.

Worst Day Ever

So I don't exactly love my job and for that I'm blaming this not so great day on my job, although in truth it was just my fault. So I'm at work and I get off at 6. I'm suppose to be in Salem 20 minutes away at 7 to meet some friends to go camping. Well I didn't get out of work til 6:15, then I had to take the deposit to the bank and go get gas. So I'm at the gas station and I think, "I haven't checked the oil in a while" so I do and it's low so I'm going to put oil in the car and I'm in a hurry and I pour oil EVERYWHERE! Ridiculous. I've spilled oil before, but not quite this much, and it smokes and stinks and that's the end. So it's smoking and then there are FLAMES!!! This is not good. I'm at a GAS STATION!!! So I look around for a fire extinguisher or something but there isn't one. I step back a little and just watch it. In reality the flames lasted about 2 seconds. So I'm standing there and it's still smoking and I don't know what to do, so I do what I always do when I have car trouble, I call my dad. He tells me to just wait and then drive home and look at it with the car running. So I get home and I'm looking at it and I'm on the phone with my dad (mind you I'm still in a skirt from work) and this guy comes up and asks if I'm having car trouble. I tell him what happened and he looks and it and tells me I got oil in the alternator. NOT GOOD. Actually REALLY REALLY BAD. So camping, still going to happen I just have to wait til my friend Barbara gets off work and go with her. Car, well my dad called back and my mom had the idea to take it to the car wash and use the high powered sprayer to wash everything out. Better water than oil right? At least water doesn't catch on fire. So when I get back from camping tomorrow that is what I will do. What a lame day. Hopefully camping goes well. I'll make sure to stay away from anything flammable. Blek.

The Mission!

I freakin' LOVE LOVE LOVE the mission. My mission president got home this last week and they had a big party at their house. It was so great!!! To be perfectly honest I didn't know a lot of the elders very well. I recognize them and know most of their names, but I wasn't super great friends with very many, but it was still great to see everyone and just sit back and watch everyone interact. It was weird to see President Mellor. In my mind he just belongs in Spain. The past couple weeks every time I thought about him coming home it made me want to cry. He was the last person I knew in the mission. Obviously members excluded. I don't know a single missionary in the Spain Malaga mission. But I suppose that's how life is. Full of changes. We learn from our experiences, we have great memories, and make great friends, but we can't live in the same place or same stage of life forever. Sometimes it's just hard to move on. Basically I love the mission. I miss it. I'm so grateful for the people I met, the friends I made, the testimony it strengthened, and the many experiences it gave me. I wouldn't trade it for anything. Thanks to all my amazing friends from the Spain Malaga Mission. You know who you are and I LOVE YOU.

Best Friends

Some days I feel that maybe God tucked me away on a shelf and forgot about me. You know the feeling, nothing is going right, you feel that maybe no one would even miss you if you suddenly disappeared? But then there are those other days when you can be pretty sure that you must be God's favorite. Those moments come to me often one right after the other. One minute I feel that I'm the person pushed to the back of the cupboard growing something moldy, and then suddenly I see the bright glimmer of love from God, reflected in the face of a good friend. God sure knew me and continues to, as He sent me a very good friend when I was only 3 years old and just a sunbeam. One of those friends who knows what you're talking about, even when maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. A friend who puts a hand on your shoulder and says I'm here for you or maybe just doesn't say anything, but you still know that you haven't been forgotten, that maybe life could get worse and things really aren't that bad, and that someone does love me. So thank you God, for sending me Katie, when I was 3. And for sending her closer to me when I was 25. I appreciate it. And for all my other great friends. I'm very grateful for you too. :)