IT'S ABOUT TIME......

That I wrote again that is. So I am now and have officially been on Summer Break for two weeks. Oh and TODAY is my ONE year ANNIVERSARY of being HOME from the MISSION! 1st I can't believe I've been home a year. 2nd what do I have to show for it? Well, a year more of school under my belt. That's a good thing.

That brings me to now.... my Summer Break..... so far during my break I have been to Missouri, went camping, and watched about a million movies. I need to slow down on the watching movies. I was thinking about it today and the fact that when I'm in school I don't watch very many movies. (I go through dry spells) There has to be a happy medium though. That's enough about that.

Today I inherited something special.... SOMETHING I've been wanting for a while...... THE FINE CHINA. Ha! kidding. A bike. Mom gave me a bike today. this is a very effective gift because this fall at school, I'll be living away from campus, to far to walk, (unless I want to leave an hour early) but I don't want to drive either. So a bike is a PERFECT solution.

And also from exciting news in Boo Boo's World...... I ACED my Sociology class. It was my hardest but also my favorite class. It's pretty convenient that I got an A because Sociology is my Major and it'd be kind of lame to flunk out of my major.

I know that this is a randomly put together blog but what do you expect my brain is on vacation and it's late.

So now for the details from my trip to Missouri..... Julie(my roommate/former mission companion) and I left Rexburg Friday the day after school got out at about 1:15 pm we drove all afternoon and into the night. We had big plans to stay the night in a hotel in Ogallala, Nebraska, but alas, without reservations we didn't get a room. The hotels were all booked...... still an unsolved mystery as to why. So we drove down the freeway a couple towns 'til we got to Hershey, Nebraska. I thought "hey I like chocolate, let's stay here" so we pulled into a truck stop, went inside to the bathroom, gave our grills a little scrubin', crawled back into the car with sleep in our eyes, locked the door and said goodnight 'til morning. (don't tell Dad) We woke with the chickens at about 7:30 (I think, who knows with the time change it might have been 8:30) we drove all the rest of the way to Missouri and got there at 3. We checked in with the Bells. Boy, do I love them, they are a family that live in Independence 2nd ward. I was in that ward for seven and a half months. (that's a long time in mission life) after a shower and a shave. (ok, not the shave) we went to our favorite restaurant in Inde. SQUARE PIZZA..... ahh just thinking of that delicious BBQ Chicken Pizza makes me salivate. The highlight of the trip for me came early..... (one of the highlights anyway, I had a blast) Saturday evening I got to see my last companion and daughter (mission slang for I trained her) Sister Schiess. I never knew she'd be so excited to see me. We both freaked out, jumping and screaming just like we used to when we were companions. Boy, do I LOVE her. She'll be home next week, meaning... I will no longer know the missionaries in my mission. What a SAD day. Sunday we went to church at about ten wards. Just like being a missionary again. Ok so it was only three. We got to see SO many people though. It was a great blessing. All the days start to blur together after that but I do know I got to see Janet, Nicholas, the Flaters, the Fuscos, THE SANDERS and Patrick. I don't know how the trip could have possibly be better. A few of the families I taught are still active. I saw people that touch my life, people who claim I touched their lives. I wondered for a long time before and after I came home from the mission if I had done all that Heavenly Father had wanted me to do while I was there, finally the answer came. It felt like I had been home forever before it did but I think it was only a few months. I don't even remember where I was I just remember feeling like Heavenly Father was pleased with my life especially my mission. I do feel like Heavenly Father has accepted my work there. Thanks goodness too, all I wanted to do was serve him. And now, after all this time, going back and hearing "Thank you" from the people I taught. I don't know of a better way Heavenly Father could tell me that he has accepted my offer.

While in Missouri I went and saw some of my favorite places. Adam-ondi-Ahman, Far West, the Visitors Center, and my favorite, the Temple Sight in Independence. I took some time to ponder on the things that happened in Missouri while I was there. It's a special place, my friends and family, don't forget that. Dad says that someday I'm going to be a old lady in my rocking chair waiting for that temple to be build. It's true, I surely will be. Hopefully when it's built I'm still strong enough to help.

We left to come home on Wednesday I was sad to see Missouri go behind me, I was excited to come home and see all of you my lovely family. And, I was excited not to have to drive 18 hours again for a while. Maybe next time I'll fly. (fun side note we got to go fishing at Far West, we caught Bass and Bluegill, we ate them the next day.) We left Missouri about the same time we had left Rexburg, we got tired a lot faster this time and stayed the night in a cheap hotel. This time IN Ogallala, they weren't sold out anymore. This is just funny, while in the hotel we watched this show called "Toddlers in Tiara's" I'm sure you've all heard of it. It was intense. Why a mother would put her child through that is BEYOND ME. Just in interesting random thing to know. We got to Salt Lake (to drop off Julie at the airport) at 7 pm the Thursday after we left. Tired and worn I drove to Manda's I got there at about 10 pm I think it was. I've slept good every night since being out of school. It takes a lot out of me. Being in school. I love it though and I'm glad to be home for a month. I love you all. Thanks for reading my blog.