Last few months.....................

A lot has happened the last few months...
1) Me and Lexi did the Susan G Komen walk. This is becoming a tradition with us that we do the breast cancer walks. She really enjoys it and we have fun doing it.

2) I got to babysit this little boy while they were here for Ty's shots. Oh I love the Brown boys so much! Grayson now calls me "TiTi" and he calls me about every day.

3) I BOUGHT MYSELF A CAR!! Yep I traded in the Suzuki and I got this new one! The Suzuki was starting to cause a lot of problems I was driving on the freeway and the power steering pump blew out, I would be driving and I would smell burning, the seatbelt light wouldn't go off, check engine light would stay on but nobody could find out WHY. So the weekend of Easter, me and my dad got up early and we were at Henry Day Ford at 9:00 when then opened. I test drove this car and I fell in love! It's a 2013 Ford Focus. The car is in MY NAME and it is MINE!

4) Me and Lexi went to Festival of Colors. We went last year and had so much fun. This year the boys didn't want to go because it was cold (and Kayden then ended up in the hospital the next week). It was cold and rainy, so the colors that were in our hair STAYED in our hair. I ended up having to go pay a good amount of money to color my hair BACK so it wasn't cotton candy pink. But We had fun and that's what we did for Lexi's 13th birthday.

5) My oldest niece turned 13! Good thing I was there to help with everything because the cake was HUGE! It took up almost the whole backseat of my car. Lexi wanted to go ice skating for her birthday. She has been taking lessons and she is really good at it! She is getting so big! We have this great relationship now, I don't know what I'm going to do when they move!

LAST BUT NOT LEAST..........................................

I graduated from SLCC with my Associates in Psychology. The day of my graduation, my team at work decorated the office and we had food and enjoyed it! Then hung out with the parents for a while before I had to be at the E-Center.

 

 

 

 Me and my friend Allison outside at our TENT. I had a few classes with her and sometimes, I don't know what I would do without her!

The Key Note Speaker was amazing! He was so funny and gave a great message. His name is Derreck Kayonga. Check out The Global Soap Project for more information on him.

 

I want to thank my parents for coming up for graduation! They have been a HUGE support to me. Yes it is "just an associate" and no it didn't take me 12 years to get my degree. But either way, I at least did it. The last 3 semesters I did it working full time and going to school with a minimum of 6 credits. I did pull off a 3.26 GPA.

 

MY NEXT CHAPTER.....

I'm hoping to get into Westminster College here in Salt Lake City and go forward with my Bachelors of Psychology. My focus is childhood psychology. I meet with the school next week and hopefully they can help me with scholarships and transferring. I'm SOO excited!

 

In the next few months, I will be working and working.. Then in July... Going to Phoenix, AZ in July with my family to head to NKOTB, 98 degrees and Boyz II Men concert with my sisters. I did offer to buy my SIL a ticket but it's their anniversary and she decided she better not.

I thought I would write again since I haven't in 6 months. I'm loving my new place! Around October/November I was needing someone/something here at the house to give me company. So right after Thanksgiving I got myself a puppy!

Lexi, Kayden and Koy went with me to pick him up from a lady in Draper. He was only 8 weeks old when I bought him (at a GREAT price). Kayden said he looks like an OREO and that name just stuck with him. He has such a fun personality! He goes almost everywhere with me. That picture was taken after he got his haircut in January. He LOVES to go over to "the kids" and play. As soon as I say "the kids" he barks and runs to the door. I took him over there just Friday to get energy out and as soon as I opened the car door, he ran right to the front door and sat there waiting for someone to open the door. He loves to play with Cally (Lexi's dog), he likes to torment Thor (Kayden's dog). Every Tuesday I try to take him to "puppy playtime" at PetCo and he's the life of the party there. Everyone loves to watch him!

I'm still going to SLCC and I will be graduating in May with Associates in Psychology. I am SO excited! Graduation is May 9. Last semester I pulled off a 3.2 GPA, so it did lower my GPA to 3.4, but still really good when I'm working full-time and going to school.

I had a nice Christmas break. I went down to my parents for Christmas and it was so nice to get away. Then I had the first week of January off and I just stayed at home, except the 2 days I was at my parents for a family funeral. It was a much needed break from work and school.

Now the BEST thing... I got tickets for me and my sisters to go to Boyz II Men, New Kids on the Block and 98 Degrees (Chantel is not able to go because it's their anniversary). The concert is July 14 in Glendale, AZ. So we'll head down to Nancy's. I am taking the 11-15 off work so I can be there for Grayson's 2nd birthday. Now the next chore is to make sure we have the money for the trip. But my very first concert was with my sisters at Boyz II Men, MANY years ago so I'm really looking forward to this.

Yet ANOTHER change..

I have made yet another change in my life. Changes are good! I think this has got to be the best change yet! I feel GREAT, I haven't felt this good in a long time. I know many people I know are probably reading this and thinking "whatever", then stop reading.. I don't care if you continue reading. I'm not trying to impress you, change your feelings about me. I know I may never get you to do that. That has to come from yourself. All that I can do is show that I am trying to change and all I ask is for you to just TRY to accept that I am. If you can't do that... then I'm sorry. Then that is your problem, not mine.

Things happened in my life over the last year that I do take credit for because they were my own actions. However, there were actions of others that I cannot and I will not take credit for. The actions of many people involved caused things to happen in my life that I am not proud of. A lot of my depression, anxiety, fear, etc.. came back. Over the past year, I have continually gone to my doctor to have my meds evaluated. After so long, having personal life and work life and other things bog down on me, things spiraled out of control.

About a month ago, I had a HUGE breakdown with my depression, anxiety, stress, everything. I ended up moving out of Tammy's house and I got an apartment of my own. I think it went the way it had to go for a reason. I learned a lot!!

I LOVE having my own place again. I love coming home and having my own privacy. After living with my 2 sisters over the last year (who I am so thankful they let me in), I needed my own space. I feel I can come home at 11 pm if I want and not have someone ask me where I was, who I was with, what I was doing, etc. If I want to be an hour late for work, I can be (my boss is GREAT and she doesn't mind as long as we get our hours in).

I know there were MANY things that had gone on beyond my control for a few days and I tried to change that, but I was not able to change that. If things were said and people have questions or concerns, I would appreciate it if they would come to me and ask me. I have tried to reach out to people to make things better but again, that is now out of my hands and into yours as I have tried and I have not had success.

I have had amazing people in my life over the past month and I have tried so hard to keep the positive in my life and get the negative out. Me moving out and doing some life changing has really helped.

I do want to say thank you to my parents. I will continue on building our relationship back and I understand that is going to take time. I really enjoyed our time together for a few days last week. Even though we were just in the hospital with dad, I feel that I was able to get a lot of confusion worked out. (I even mentioned it to my doctor that I felt it was the best time in YEARS that we had such a great conversation and it really helped me out).

I have the best friends in the entire world. New friends and old friends! I met some of the best people in the hospital! My heart is broken that one of the good friends I met (Tyrell) died 4 days after I left and only 3 days after he was discharged. We really connected as we had a LOT in common with our situations. I am also really grateful I met Wes. Me, Wes and Tyrell were together for about 3 days in the hospital. Wes is amazing and he wants to move his family out of Nevada and here to SLC (any jobs hiring, let me know!).  I cannot even START to tell Jill and Felicia how grateful I am for them. Jill opened her house for me to stay for a night when I had no place to go. She came the night I was in the ER. Felicia, she has and always will be my best friend! My best friend since high school and we still continue to talk, almost every day. I don't know how I ever got so lucky to have these amazing people in my life!

And to another best friend in my life, Abdul. He was there the night in the ER. He came up almost every night at the hospital and would call me every day. His mom and brother came to the ER and his mom just sat by my side. Before she left, she told me that she prays for me every day. Abdul, his brother Khalifa and his uncle Manjaaye came up one night at the hospital. It wasn't for very long, but they wanted to come and say hi and make sure I was ok. The day I got out, Abdul's uncle Abe (lives in AZ) checked up on me to make sure I was ok, he said he had been so concerned and sad that he wasn't able to be there when I needed him. That family is just amazing! They have opened their arms and welcomed me! Abdul and Khalifa helped move my things to my apartment. They are just amazing and I love them all so much!

School is starting up in a week and I am SO excited! I only have 13 credits left and I will graduate. I never thought I would see this day. I am taking 7 credits this semester and 6 in the Spring.

I know there will be ups and downs. Things aren't always going to be great. But I have learned so much! I have really learned who I can trust and who I can't. I am going to do what I can to mend a lot of relationships and of course, that will take some time and effort. I hope that things will continue on the path that is going.

Vacation.. well, WORK

Well, my first semester back to school is over! I had a BLAST! My classes were great! I'm going to take the summer semester off and I'm already registered for Fall. I talked to a counselor at SLCC to see how much longer until I can graduate and just to see if I'm still on track, he said for me to get ready to graduate. I'll be taking 7 credits in the fall and then 6 in the Spring, then I'll graduate! I just got back from a trip back east. My work gave me the opportunity to go to the territory I work. I flew out Saturday morning(right after I was done with finals so a NICE end to the semester). My flight left at 7 am, I am so thankful that Tammy took me to the airport. I flew out with a girl on my team Jessica.

We flew to Detroit. That airport is crazy!

We got on the tram from our terminal and had to go to from there almost to the other side of the world (it felt). From the tram we had to walk thru this tunnel which was AMAZING. It had awesome lights that changed colors and had relaxing music :)

We flew from Detroit to Newark, NJ. There we were picked up by the rep that we would be working with the next few days that got this trip worked out for us, Stacey. It was AMAZING! She told me she would be picking us up in a black car, I never thought it would be a LIMO!

She gave us the royal treatment when we got there. There we went to Manhattan and ate a Thai restaurant called PEEP. It was so fun! Where the bathroom is, is a one sided mirror. People in the bathroom can look out but people can't look in. Kind of gives you stage fright :) There Stacey told us she had ANOTHER surprise for us..BLUE MAN GROUP! That show was SOO much fun! From there, we went to Times Square. I found ELMO in the middle of Times Square. Elmo was Asian asking for money lol We got to the hotel late. The hotel we stayed at was in Bethlehem, PA called Sands. Sunday was a day of R&R. I went shopping at the stores there. Got myself a new purse and wallet. Even played my first time at a casino. AND I DIDN'T LOSE ANY MONEY! Ate at great restaurants there (Carnegie Deli and Emeril's Italian restuarant) Monday and Tuesday we got to experience the field of sales for the company. It was CRAZY! Long days of running around. We ate at WONDERFUL places (panini's, italian, and my favorite.. SUSHI) Wednesday we left PA in the rain got to Newark to fly to Minneapolis. That airport is MASSIVE! I'm not sure if it's a mall in the airport or an airport in the mall. While at the gate, I saw about 7 missionaries waiting to get on our flight to come home to Utah. I went up and talked to them and actually found out that one of them actually lives close by me and his best friends dad is my bishop in my current ward! Small world! I am so glad to be home now. I was missing my bed. Nancy, Tyler and Grayson picked me up from the airport. Tyler was so cute and was cheering for me when I came down the escalator. I was so ready to hit my bed and fall asleep. I'm so grateful for the trip back there but I am so grateful for where I live.

New Year

A new year has come! There are a lot of changes in my life that I am happy about. I start school at Salt Lake Community College this upcoming week. It has been quite a long time since I've been at school. I have finally decided what I REALLY wanna go into and I REALLY excited about it. I have decided to focus on Psychology. I will be taking 3 classes at Salt Lake Community that are all Psychology classes. I'm a little nervous about classes because it has been so long but overall, I am really excited because most of my credits have transferred over from the previous schools and I am close to getting my associates done.

I had a wonderful Christmas! A wee before Christmas, I had the chance to go to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert and The Spoken Word (on Dec.18). I got the tickets from my boss who wasn't able to go. We had the best seats. I got 3 tickets, I got them for my mom. She grew up with Mack Wilberg (the choir director) and she has always wanted to go to the Christmas concert. We got there early that Sunday morning. We got in line at about 7. We visited with people in line and finally those doors opened. My parents and I went and got a seat, they were EXCELLENT seats! We were sitting in the same section as President Monson! We were able to watch the choir practice. It was amazing. There were 2 guests this year for the concert, Nathan Gunn and Jane Seymour. It was amazing and the spirit there was so amazing. The very last song that was sung by the choir was for the 2 guests, God be With You. It was all Acapella, just SOO amazing! Not a dry eye!

Since I have been at Myriad for 5 years, I was able to get the Christmas break off. It was my first year getting this break and it was much needed. My parents came up on Friday before christmas. My dad had a sleepover with the kids upstairs. They were so excited to have grandma and grandpa able to sleep at their house now. Me and my mom slept downstairs in my own little "house". Christmas morning, we were able to see the Gale kids open their gifts. Then we went down to spend some time with the Browns. Tyler and Grandpa were having a lot of fun putting his race track up on the wall. We came up to my ward for church. It was so much fun having my parents up for Christmas. After church, my parents went up to Logan to see the Labrum kids. I headed over to spend time with Abdul's family. We had a nice dinner and I got to meet his parents. Monday afternoon, me and my parents headed up to Logan to the hotel so they could go to the temple Tuesday morning with the Labrum's. Isaac was being sealed to the family. You can read the story ehere. Tuesday was the day that the family has been waiting for. Since I am not able to in the temple with the family, I got to watch the rest of the kids. After the temple sealing, we all headed out to the Labrum home for the blessing of Isaac and for food :) It was so nice to see the family and for time to visit. After the eventful day, headed home with Tammy and the kids.

This whole break I was having extreme knee pain. Not able to put much weight on me knee. I was just thinking it was because of the cold weather. But everyday it was just getting worse. I would just wear my knee brace and keep treking along hoping it would get better. Finally, after the trip the Logan I made an appointment with my orthopedic surgeon just to take a look at the knee. He looked at the leg, range of motion, etc. We decided on giving me a cortisone shot and if that didn't work then we would do an MRI. The cortisone shot worked for about 3 days. I'm back to not being able to walk much, having to wear the knee brace at all time so my knee doesn't give out on me. I have contacted the doctor and they are working on getting me into the MRI. As of yesterday, my insurance has denied the authorization for the MRI, not sure WHY. My doctor did tell me he is worried that I have a torn meniscus.

I am really working on keeping a positive attitude about everything. My goal for 2012 is to be a person each day then I was the day before. I control my life and I will not allow anyone to ruin my day. I learned so much from 2011. Everything happens for a reason. I don't think that if I was still where I was at, I would be going back to school and progressing with my life. Everything happens for a reason! I had to have the life changing experience that I had to help things come out in the open and I don't think that I would've been able to handle things if they happened any other way.

New Changes

Wow, I can't believe it has been 2 months since I posted last. A lot has happened since I posted last. I had my birthday, I'm now 29 (next year I'll be the big 3-0) We had a family get-together (and we all loved it!) Thanksgiving, and... I MOVED BACK TO SALT LAKE!

I live in a house with Tammy and her family. We found a nice house in Salt Lake where I have the downstairs and the family has the upstairs. We share the laundry room and the kitchen. I have my own little living room, bedroom and bathroom. It's really close to the freeway so I can just jump on and make it to work within 15 minutes. It was so nice to get my stuff back, it was kind of like Christmas opening up my stuff again!

I am so thankful for Nancy and Dallas. They opened their home to me and let me move in with them. It was a hard move for me because I LOVED waking up and seeing Tyler every morning and night. There is just something special about that boy that I just love and I miss him so much! I'm also going to miss seeing Grayson grow up. I had so much fun seeing him grow the few months I was there.

Today we had the Labrum family Christmas Party. This is a tradition with my dads family that has always gone on the 2nd Saturday of December. This year, it just seemed different. Growing up, there was always TONS of snow! All of the cousins would meet and we would have our snowsuits on and we would go and play in the snow before the party started. This year... the little kids were outside playing without coats on! It is always fun to get together with the Labrum family. There is always so much love and the family always knows what is going on and they care so much!

The month of December is such an eventful one this year for the family. Barrett and Chantel got the adoption finalized with Isaac! AND, on the 27th Isaac will be sealed to them in the Logan LDS temple. I am SO excited for Barrett and Chantel!

That is just a quick update of what has been going on the past few months.

I am grateful of the tender mercies I am given

I have never really looked forward to conference. When I was in primary, they would always give us the conference BINGO and we had M&M's and I would enjoy the M&M's more then playing the game. I never understood conference.

After so much has gone in my life over the past month, I was really looking forward toconference. So much that I got up right before conference and I took my blanket downstairs and had my notebook and pen with me so I could take notes. I really wanted to get as much as out on conference as I could. There were so many talks that I really needed to hear and I knew that the Lord was speaking to me.

One talk I really enjoyed was Bro Packer. Some things I got out of his talk are:
*Gospel plan is the center of the family
*All physical bodies have power over the temptation
*Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost
*Words of Christ come as a feeling not as a voice
*With repentence, the Lord says "I the Lord remember them no more"

Keys from Pres. Uchdorf's talk
*The prisoner holds the key and it needs to be unlocked from the inside.
*Only repentance can heal what hurts no matter what it is
*You will be sealed and protected by the advesary IF you will head the prompting that come from the holy ghost.
*Dress modestly
*Talk reverently
*Listen to uplifting music
*Avoid all immorality and degrading practice
*Take hold of your life, we depend so much on you,you will be remarkable blessed. You're never far from the side of your heavenly father
*Lucifer will lose the battle.

Me and Nancy went to her friends baby's birthday so we missed the Saturday afternoon session. I got home and didn't feel well so I took a nap.

Sunday, I listened to both sessions and I REALLY enjoyed every talk.
I really enjoyed Bro Robert D Hales
*We have trials to help us grow and to strengthen us. We wait upon the Lord to test.
*They are all for our experience and for our own good.
*"THY WILL BE DONE"
*Wait on the Lord is like planting a seed--Plant a seed on the Lord and nourish it, ponder it, stand fast.
*Line upon line, precept upon precept
*Answers will come. He knows our sacrifices and sorrows
*Blessings are eternal not temporary

Bro Tad Callister
He did a good job about explaining how different religions can have different interpretations of the bible and he likened it to a circle. How many lines can go thru a circle, INFINITE. Then he put another circle out to the side. How many lines can go to one circle to another, only one. One circle was the bible and the other the Book of Mormon.
*God is the same yesterday, today and forever. If you believe in Christ you will believe in these words

One of my favorite quotes of ALL of conference, came from Sister Elaine S Dalton, General Young Women President
*Value Womanhood
*Satan is clever, he does not need to break down the door
*Fathers are showing what true love is
*Priesthood is connected to heaven
*If she is late coming home from a date, GO GET HER!
My favorite...
**BE LOYAL TO THE ROYAL**


Brother Ballard told us
*We took name on us in baptism
*Savior is only name under heaven which man may be saved
*The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is Jesus Christ's church and we are the Latter-day followers
*Jssus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer
*Stand as a witness at all times and in all places and in places
*In old times we were called Christians, now we are called Mormons. Please refrain from "Mormon" use the full name of the church

Bro. Dallin H Oaks
*When you consider all the things the Lord has done for you, why not go to church?
*Whatever shall be bound on earth shall be bound in heaven.
*Comforter will teach you all things, guides you all things
*Focus on HIM, not on the things of the world
*The Lord is the Bread of life.
*He is LIVING bread
*Blood shed for the many for the remission of sin
*He will judge according to their works
*The Atonement gives a chance to overcome spiritual death

Bro Randall Bennett
*Choose eternal Life
*When you make a choice, you are choosing the consequence.
*We have 2 choices: Follow the Lord, Follow the World
*We all have made choices and made errors---repent
*Savior will remember sins no more
*Never too late to choose eternal life

Pres Monson announced 6 new temples!
1) Provo Temple (rebuilding the Provo tabernacle into a templ)
2) Barranquilla, Columbia
3) Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
4) Durban, South Africa
5) Star Valley, Wyoming
6) Paris, France

I got so much out of conference and I got so many prayers answers. I know that so many of the talks were just what I needed