Waiting on Pictures.... The Wait is Over!

What's that you say? You've been waiting for the pictures promised in the previous post, and have yet to see them. Hhhhmmmmm........... Interesting. I wonder why that is? Maybe it's because we have been having internet issues and blogging at work is not option (especially because there really isn't time for that). I made a decision not to post all of my pictures from Hawaii here. They are all on Facebook. Here are some more pictures:

Where I stayed

Koi Pond

Bird of Paradise

Hana!

Black Sand Beach. The waves were huge. Hard to stay standing. :)

Look closely and you can see a whale's tail!

View of ocean from a boat with windows on the bottom. So cool. We got to see sea urchins, an octopus (inking  and sticking to the boat's windows), and lots of fish and coral.

Haleakala

First LDS Church built in Hawaii, not just in Maui. It was so neat and became a special place for me. 

Has been on the beach all day so I looked tired but it was great scenery!

 Below is a video of the Blowholes at Hana. It really doesn't do it justice. The crashing waves were huge and the sounds was pure relaxing.

So, there you have it. Some of my pictures from Hawaii! It was such a great experience and I would love to go back there some day. :D

My Hawaiian Adventures

So, I'm not quite sure how to go about this post but maybe a day-by-day, with a few stories tied in will work the best. This was something that was pretty difficult for me to do. I am not one to spend money. In fact, had my mom and sister not been in the room with me, I probably never would have bought the plane tickets. I am so glad that I did. The tripped was planned around a few family affairs. My oldest nephew was baptized on the Saturday before I left. I am so proud of him and the decision he made. I'm so grateful for my sister and brother-in-law, who took me to the airport.

DAY 1~

To say I was nervous, is an understatement. In reality there wasn't much to be worried about. My flight was from Boise to Portland and then Portland to Maui. Everything went without a hitch. I was blessed with some fun people along the way from a grandma who was a frequent traveler and helped me figure out where to go, to a friendly girl on her way to a church camp, to a guy (who's mom was actually someone I know and love) who graduated from the same high school as me. It was interesting too, that on the way to Portland I had a row to myself, and had an empty seat next to me on the flight to Maui. When I got to Maui, my friend Sheila came and picked me up at the airport and we headed back to her place to settle in for the night since it was almost 11 pm.

DAY 2~
This day was spent exploring different parts of Maui. I headed to Kalama Park in Kihei, which is a beach and shops area. It was so pretty and relaxing. My body was immediately at ease. Sheila and I got together and had lunch. After lunch I explored the harbor by her place and the area around town. It was neat to see. I checked out the malls. I grabbed some flyers on fun things to do in Maui. I was able to attend institute that night. It was really great.
     *Random Story of the day* When I was getting on the bus there were two girls and they did not have exact change, which is required. They work it out with me that I gave them some and they paid for all three of us to get on. After we got on the bus, I realized that I did not give them the full amount for my day pass. I walked back to where they were sitting and gave them the rest of the amount. We ended up talking the rest of the ride out there. They gave me a few hints on Hawaii. It was so nice. That night, while I was waiting for institute, a guy came out of a meeting and said he recognized me from the bus where I was talking with my two friends. Apparently, I made some new friends in Hawaii.

DAY 3~
I decided to head Upcountry today and go to the Botanical Gardens. It was beautiful up there. I spent a couple of hours looking around. Once I got to the bus stop, it started to pour rain. I was completely soaked by the time the bus got there. Both the way there and back I had the same bus driver and she treated me like she was my own personal tour guide. I learned a lot from her and she gave me some advice on what to see and do. We also went to Paia, which is known as the coolest little town. It was nice.
     *Random Story of the Day* In case you forgot, I did get caught in the rain today. There is a lot of humidity there, so my hair was a little wavy and frizzy. After getting of the bus at my final stop, I had to walk through the mall to get to my destination. On my way through, a guy stopped me and asked to feel my hair, which I thought was strange. Then he told me that I must be from Canada. That made me laugh because I wasn't from where he thought I was. He wanted to show me something for my hair and basically do my hair for me. Strange!

DAY 4~
Today I went to Kamaole Beach III. It was beautiful and relaxing. I talked with a few couples from Canada. There were birds that liked to stay put. My experiment of the day was to turn off my phone and not worry about the time and just go with the flow of things. It was pretty amazing. After getting off the bus, Sheila picked me up and we head to Iao Valley State Park. It was beautiful. Everything was so green up there and it was so scenic and calming. I quite enjoyed being up in that area. It was full of a lot history, which was pretty interesting. We ended up having dinner and watching a movie that night.
     *Random Story of the Day* So remember when I met some girls on the bus. Well, one of them happened to get on the same bus as me this morning and we were able to talk. She told me I had a young soul (not sure what that means, but I'll take it). Also, I went into a store today and got offered a shell necklace just for coming in (a guy tried to put it on me). I thanked him kindly but said no thanks. I'm really not a jewelry person (for those of you who don't know, I'm not a big fan of it).

DAY 5~
Lahaina was my destination today and it was an adventure getting there, but I did get there. One of the guys that I talked to on the bus told me about the best things to do in the area, where to find the beach, a little bit of the history of the area and more. It was great to spend some time on the beach and ocean. I also took some time to walk around the area and check out the shops and the galleries. I also got a strawberry guava smoothie, which was amazing. I grabbed a quick dinner. so I could go out to the coastline and watch the sunset. It was pretty incredible.
     *Random Story of the Day* This morning, there was a cruise ship that came in and the excursion buses did not show up so they were all at the bus stop.I had used the bus system the previous days so I knew what I was doing. The cruise ship people came up to me and started asking me questions. We missed the first bus so I got to know some of them a little better. I met some people from Australia, England, Guernsey, and Mexico. It was so neat to talk with them. The couple from Mexico found out that I spoke Spanish and started speaking with me. They told me that I speak Spanish really well. That made me happy. We all made the second bus, some of us standing the whole time. After arriving in Lahaina, I was walking the street and some people from there came up and talked to me. It was quite fun.

DAY 6~
My friend had the day off so we got to spend the whole day exploring. We did the Road to Hana, which was very scenic and amazing! I ran out of descriptive words on the way. Once we got to Hana, we did a little exploring. We went to a cave that had natural water in it. We went swimming there. Then we went to the black sand beach and played in the waves and watched the blowholes. It was great. We had a picnic and headed out the other way. On our way out we stopped at the first LDS church built in Hawaii. It was a special experience.
     *Random Story of the Day* After our picnic, I headed to the bathroom. It appeared that there was some sort of memorial service taking place. While I was in a bathroom, I heard a helicopter circling overhead and it sounded low. Then I heard a lot of yelping and screaming. Unfortunately I was unable to see what had happened, but it was really interesting.

DAY 7~
Today was pretty relaxed. We went to the YSA Branch there. I met a lot of neat people and gained an even greater love of the Polynesian culture. After church, we made a nice dinner of chicken and pesto pasta. We spent the rest of the day talking, taking it easy and relaxing, which was much needed for both of us.

DAY 8~
Today I went to the beach and decided to try snorkeling. The beach I went to was pretty great. I got a little later start than I had thought. When I got there, I realized that it was pretty windy. While putting on my sunscreen, I saw a pretty big whale breach from the shore. When I went to snorkel, I realized that my gear was cover in sand and I was getting pelted with sand. The waves were decent size and it was too windy to snorkel. Sad. So I played in the waves. That night we went to FHE, which was fun.
     *Random Story of the Day*  Apparently after so many days on the island, people start to think you are a local. I ended up sitting next to a guy on the bus who thought I was a local (he was a local). We ended up talking for the whole ride and it was interesting to get to know someone and hear stories of their lives. It was kind of interesting.

DAY 9~
My main adventure of the day was whale watching. I headed out to Maalea Harbor. Before the watch, I went to a Hawaiian History museum and looking for gifts for the family. It was nice. The whale watch was pretty amazing. We were able to watch a baby whale, which our guide said was born that morning or potentially the night before. It was cute. It was learning how to breach and wasn't doing so good at times, but it was so cute to watch. The mama was close by and a male whale came around too. We saw some other whales as well. It was pretty incredible and fun to watch them in their natural habitat.
     *Random Story of the Day*  Apparently, forgetting your sunscreen and water on the same day is not a good idea. I did buy some juice and a little thing of sunscreen. Once I got back, I realized how blah I felt and spent the evening drinking water and relaxing. Apparently, I had heat exhaustion. Oh wow! It was nice to relax though.

DAY 10~
Once again, I headed out to Lahiana and tried to finish up my souvenir shopping before my tour. Today's adventure was going on a boat that had windows on the bottom, where you could look at the coral and sea life. It is basically snorkeling without getting wet. They sent divers down to find sea life and brought them up to the windows. We were able to see a sea urchin, an octopus, a star cushion, lots of different fish, clams, and more. It was pretty incredible. After that, I had a long bus ride back. My friend and I made dinner and she headed off to a meeting while I started to pack. We went to a sports night. She played basketball while I watched and talked.
     *Random Story of the Day*  Today, while waiting for the tour to begin, there was a family in front of me that invited me to be a part of them. It was kind of nice to feel like I had someone to be with. When we were boarding the boat, they went up to get a picture and one of the divers asked me if I was with them. Then, he started talking to me and was super-nice. After the tour and saying bye to both the family and the diver, I went to the bus. Another random person came and started talking to me and continued the whole hour bus ride. Met some interesting people today.

DAY 11~
This was bittersweet. I finished my packing, finished getting the things I needed and went to the harbor one last time to wash the snorkel gear and take some pictures. Once my friend got off work, we headed up to Haleakala, which was the coolest thing ever. It gets up above the clouds and is amazing to watch the sunset there. We were also able to see volcanic remains and hike a little trail. The view was incredible. We had so much fun taking pictures up there. After the sunset, we headed back down and went and got some dinner. We were super hungry. After dinner, we headed to the airport and I prepared to leave Hawaii. Sad Day! :(
     *Random Story of the Day* After getting checked in for my flight, I headed to security. I learned that if you don't hold still in the scan machine, it says you have metal all over. Apparently I didn't hold still so they sent me through for a second time. On the second time, I held still and made it through. The airline actually requested to check some of the carry-ons, which was nice. I only had to carry a bag. The flight was full, but as luck would have it, one of the few empty seats (if not the only one) was next to me.

~I made it to Seattle that morning and Boise a little later on that morning. My padres picked me up at the airport and I tried to stay awake all day, which I guess didn't happen because apparently I fell asleep on the kitchen floor while my nephew was showing me something. That night we celebrated his birthday and went to Chuck E. Cheese the next evening. I went to Rexburg to see my bro on Sunday and went to church with him and then began my trek back home. My trip was over.

(I will post pictures in a separate post a little later, once I figure the best way to do it. Here's a few to hold you over until I do.)

A Snowy Lesson

Wow! I just had a neat experience. To preface all of this, let me explain that being single has allowed me to become a more independent person. I have always had a hard time asking people for help when it is something that I could do on my own. I have convinced myself that I can do almost anything needed, or at least try to, before asking.

Sometimes this causes problems for me. For example, right now I have an old, battered mattress with holes and springs popping out, because I don't want to ask for help to get it to the dump. I keep telling myself that I am sure that I can find a way. I have a burnt out light bulb that I am going to attempt to take care of today using a chair because it is too high for me to reach normally and I don't want to have anyone help where it is in my bedroom. Needless to say my closet light and bed lamp have been getting a lot of use.

It also has helped me to learn things too. I love searching the web for answers to problems or to see what can be done. Last week, I made homemade Mayo because we had run out, it was Sunday, so I wasn't going to the store, and the recipe I was making called for it, so I needed it.

I'm also one who has always thought women and men can be good at and do the same things. (I'm not an extremists.) It doesn't bother me when I guy forgets to open a door. I love working hard with guys. For example, one time when I moved, I did everything I could ahead of time. I had moved all of the big stuff to be right by the stairs so I could get some help with that. It is enjoyable for me to help my dad put branches in the truck, bind them in and take them to the dump.

With that being said, it is nice to be offered help. Here is the story. Not sure how many of you know this, but it is snowing quite heavily right now where I live. When I went to church this morning, I parked my car and sat in there for no more than 3 minutes getting my stuff together. By the time I got out, my car was already covered in a light blanket of snow. It didn't occur to me as a problem where it was frigidly cold and I've cleaned off my care numerous times.

After church, I was talking with one of the counselor about some young women stuff. When we went to leave, I realized how much it had been snowing. My car was covered and so was the parking lot. I was a little worried about getting stuck. As we were walking out the door, my friend's husband told her to wait inside and he would bring the car up. For a very brief moment, I thought that was really sweet and what a gentlemen he was. I even had the thought that it would be great to have a guy about then. That quickly went away because cleaning off windows isn't terrible. I went to work. I grabbed my snow removal device (I call it a fluffer, but I'm not sure of the technical name) and started going at it. I was in boots and a coat, do I could totally handle it. Within a minute, a guy had jumped out of his car and told me to hop in my car and he would take care of it. I was a little shocked to say the least. No one has ever offered to do that for me. I responded saying I was fine and could handle it, but he wouldn't take it as answer. He started cleaning off my car and told me to get in. So I got in, after thanking him a couple times, and started my car, so it would warm up a bit. By the time he had finished, it was already covered but not bad enough that I couldn't drive. I thanked him again and took off.

This was an incredible experience for me. Even though I am independent and could have taken care off it by myself, it felt nice for a guy to offer to help, insist on it and do it. He was so respectful and kind. I'm sure he wanted to get home, out of the snow, and spend some time with his family. Instead he took a little time out to clean off my car and help me out. It showed my that there are good people out there and makes me want to pay it forward and help someone else out, who may be in need but may be too prideful to ask for it (like I am).

Thanks to Brother (I'm not quite sure of his last name) for the help and for his family, though they may not know what he did, for allowing him to help me. What a good person!

Sock Sagas!

NEWS FLASH!!!! I love fun socks! That is not an exaggeration either. When the highlight of your night is matching your socks, you know that you may have a slight problem. What a fun problem to have though. As I  sat and matched up my socks, I thought of the stories that went with some of them and it made me smile. For some reason, it has made me super happy. If these socks and stories can make me happy, maybe they can help you too. Here are some sock stories for you.

Gray with Yellow, Blue, and Pink (Diamond/Argyle like patterns)

I bought these socks one day as a reward. There was something that I needed to do that was really hard for me and I had been dreading it all day. My sister and I had talked that morning, and she told me that I needed to tell her when I had done it. When she hadn't heard from me, she contacted me to remind me about it. We then established a reward, the socks! I attempted to do it and was unable to, but not for my lack of trying. I called her, completely disappointed because I really wanted those socks. While we were talking, the opportunity came for me to do accomplish the goal and I did it!!! I earned my socks!!!

Dark Gray, Maroon, and Black Striped

I think I may cry when these socks die. I love wearing these sock with my gray skirt and maroon sweater. They match perfectly. In fact, every Sunday that I wear that combo, I come home and wear those socks the rest of the day. I have gotten so many compliments on the combination that it has become a temptation to wear them to church sometimes. I actually wore them with the skirt and sweater to a fundraiser last year. 

Green M&M Socks

One day, I was walking around a local dollar store looking for a gift to give a friend who was going to Africa. As I looked, I came across this display of M&M socks. It made me incredibly happy. I walked by them a couple times. Then I stopped to really look at them and found a pair of socks that was purely Green M&Ms. Now, there is a story behind me and the green M&M. Let's just say that my family has always teased me about it, so it was the perfect dose of humor to add. Every time I see or wear those socks, I smile. 

Red & White Striped 

These ones have received many different ways. I wore them to work one day and my boss called them my wicked witch socks. They kind of look like candy cane socks, which I believe was the original intent. However, they have become my superhero socks. For Halloween, I dressed up as "Wonder Wit". Let me explain. Whit has always been a nickname, even though during my younger years I did not like it. As I have gotten a little older, it has grown on me and I kind of like it now. Surprise! Anyway, I went to Vernal with some friends one weekend. My friend and I were playing Wii with her nephew and we made a Mii and named it Wonder Whit! For Halloween, I decided to make that a reality and became a smart superhero, with red and white striped socks. (Sorry no pictures were taken that included the socks).

Brown with Pink and Tan Wavy Lines

This story is kind of sad. I'm guessing these socks came from my parents for Christmas or my birthday or something. I have always loved them and they match great when I wear earth tones. So I was wearing them the other day and I began to get this weird feeling on the toes of one of my feet. The inevitable had happened. It had a hole or two. The other sock was fine though. As I was folding them today, the great debate took place in my head. Do I throw these away or do I keep them and either try to fix them or wear them with the holes? I could not bring my self to throw them out. So now I have a pair of socks with holes. I will probably still wear them too.

Blue Ankle Socks with Flowers

I was on my way to an FHE and knew that we may be outside for a while and wasn't sure how cold it was going to get, but I didn't want to wear full socks and didn't have any fun ankle socks at that point. I ended up stopping at Wal-Mart on my way and found these socks. I don't think I wore them that night, but I was excited to have some ankle socks that were fun!

I could probably go on and on and on and on and on and on with stories about my socks, whether they were  a present from my roommate or my Valentine's Day gift for myself. Opening my sock drawer is like opening a life story. Maybe that is why it is so difficult to get rid of them. The drawer is completely full of socks and stories!

A New Year, A New Me

Not to be Grinch or a Scrooge (if I can still use those terms now that Christmas is over), but 2012 has left some room for improvement. That isn't to say that there weren't good things that happened. It just seemed like there wasn't a ton of progression. There were a lot of trials and difficult times that have taught me a lot. On numerous occasions I had people tell me they didn't understand why why good things weren't happening for me and why I couldn't catch a break. Granted, some great things did happen. I met President Uchtdorf and Elder Christoffereson, ran a 5K, went to Girl's Camp, got called as Personal Progress Leader, and bought my plane tickets to Hawaii. I also realized how truly blessed I am to have amazing friends who were truly there for me and supported me with encouragement and love.

I am still working at the same job, which means I have broken the trend. The previous two jobs I was at for a year and three months. This time, it is going to be longer! I am still loving being in a conventional ward. Some of my greatest friends are the same. It has been great to see that our friendships haven't changed much, even though most all of them are married or engaged. We still have fun talking and playing!

Recently, I saw an idea that made a lot of sense to me. By the end of the year, it is sometimes hard to think of all the positive things that have happened. This year, it became a little discouraging for me. So, this year, I am going to get a container of some sort and write good memories that I have, when they happen. Then at the end of the year, I will be able to go through and read them. I have a feeling this will give the year a more positive spin.

As for my resolutions and goals, well I've never really been huge on having to set those at the beginning of the year. I did make a Bucket List in April of things to accomplish before my next birthday. At this point, I will most likely accomplish 4 out of the 5. The only one I may not get is to attend a Pro Sporting Event. I am excited for the potential of the year. There are a few things that I am looking forward to doing this year like going to my nephew's baptism and going to Hawaii (which also kind of scares me because I have never flown by myself before and am a little nervous about switching planes and all that).

I want 2013 to be better than 2012, but I will take whatever is handed to me. However I am open to new experiences and to try to accomplish more. So, I need some advice from you. PLEASE HELP!!! What are some things that I should try to accomplish this year?

HAPPY NEW YEARS FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!!!

Night of Excellence

The past couple of weeks have been plain crazy and busy. A lot of it had to do with our Night of Excellence that we had last night. We had two of our young women help plan and prepare for it, as a value project for them. So here is a break down of what we did.

THEME: Spiritual Gifts

SCRIPTURE: Doctrine & Covenants 46:10-11

INVITATIONS: Invitation was folded up in cardstock to look like a gift and a bow was placed on top of them. 

DECORATIONS: Gifts throughout the room, with a Christmas Tree decorated with some lights and bulbs. There was also some greenery and lights in other places. Projects were displayed by the young women of things they had accomplished this year. Photos from Girls Camp and other activities were placed around the room. It look amazing. There was a wrapped gift in each of the value colors with the name of the value on it. 

PROGRAM: We started with the standard opening: opening hymn, prayer and theme. The girls then did a presentation of the values. Because we have a smaller group, each girl had the opportunity to participate. The each gave a 2-minute talk about a specific value and then after their talked placed the value gift under the tree. After that, we had two of our girls speak. Both of them had finished their Personal Progress this year (one a couple hours prior to the meeting) and they did an amazing job. Our young women and leaders then did a musical number. After the hymn, a member of our bishopric gave a talk. After him, I (the Personal Progress Leader) spoke. We then watched a slide show that one of the girls had put together from camp (which was a project for her). The Bishop made some closing remarks and we presented the girls with some cute ornaments and pictures that were taken of them during camp. 

REFRESHMENTS: Each leader made a favorite Christmas treat. The girls said that they were going to go into a sugar coma. It was really good. We had truffles, brownies, rice crispy gingerbread men, cookies with holiday candies and more. To drink we had ice water and homemade hot chocolate with whip cream, sprinkles and a peppermint stick.

After writing all of this, I can see why I am so tired now. Unfortunately, I did not get any pictures of the place, but it looked amazing! Our girls are amazing and they can turn a rather rough day into a special day. They have a way to make you feel loved and special. These girls are the future and from what I can tell, the future is going to be amazing!

A Letter to My Grandpa

Dear Grandpa,

I have been thinking of you a lot these past couple of days. I remember all the time we spent together. It was always so amazing to me that your birthday was in April too. You were such a hard worker. You spent countless hours working in your garden and yard, fixing things, cutting hair and serving. I remember coming over when you would cut my dad's hair. Your work ethic was very evident in your work with the Railroad and Potato Harvests.
You lived your testimony. It was such a great example to see you fulfilling your callings and using your priesthood to help my dad give me a blessing, when I wasn't doing too well. I'm not clear on the circumstances of that blessing, but I remember you coming over, and with my dad, putting your hands on my hand, while I on the couch. Your example of fulfilling your callings has helped me in the callings that I have had.
As I grew older, I learned more and more about you. I didn't know that you were a veteran and had fought for our country. Not only did you fight, but you were injured. You received a Purple Heart. That was a sense of pride in you that I felt when I learned that story. Thank you so much for doing that.
You were always there for me. My dad always told stories of you being there for sporting events and you were there for some of mine. More importantly, you were there at the events that mattered the most: my baptism, my graduation, and more. I remember going through the temple for the first time and walking into the Celestial Room and you were there. That was such a special experience. You were there as I was set apart as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I remember giving you a hug after being set apart and you telling me how proud you were of me.
I didn't know, at that time, that it would be my last time seeing you or else I would have told you then how much you meant to me and how much I truly appreciated you. Even though you have passed on your legacy and lessons live on in your sons, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In fact, my guess is that each one of them has learned so much from you and has so many memories.
You have helped make me who I am today. I have tried to use your work ethic and dedication in everything I do. At times when I am feeling weak, unable, or just plain struggling, I think of you and have more strength. You are always near and close for your family, even now and I look forward to the day when I can wrap my arms around you, give you a big hug and thank you for everything.
Grandpa, you are my hero!

Whitney