Sister requested

So sister receives. :)

I've been avoiding my blog lately, trying not to face the fact that I have NOTHING to write about. Ok, that's not true. I can always find things to write about...but do I have anything of value to write? That's the question. I suppose I'll let you decide.

Prior to college life:
Kevin flew out to Utah in order to drive back to Oregon with me. We had a fun couple of days with Grams and Gramps Billington singing, cooking, eating, and playing the only game Kevin wouldn't pitch a fit about: 5 Crowns...or whatever that game is called.



Then, we made the LONG drive home to Portland, Oregon. But, both Kevin and I discovered that the trip's not quite as long when you're driving, or in the front seat. Niether of us had had that privelage before. :) Kev just got his liscense not too long ago, so we were able to switch back and forth a bit. We had some good bonding times during those 13-ish hours. :)



Next was an enjoyable week at home. I just love my family tons and miss them too much when I'm away. :)
The ward activity my mom was in charge of. Salmon cook-off...a smashing hit!



Playing "Apples to Apples" at Bobby and Kayleen's place. Good times. :)


Life in Rexburg, Idaho:
Roommies-
Naomi! She's my room roommie and I love her. :) She just got home from her misson (New Jersey, Spanish Speaking) about a week before school started.

Ariel and Ashley. They're tons of fun as well. This is Ashley's last semester for a BS and then she wants to head to law school...yeah, she's like 3 years younger than I, and lots closer to real life. :) And Ariel is like Rory on Gilmore Girls. She's always reading, doing homework, or at the library. :)

This is Anita. She's a little home-maker and a Biology Major. She's ALWAYS making bread, pies, stew...whatever she can make with the ingrediants she has. And then she lets me get fat off of it.

This is Brenna. She's a hoot. She's very sweet and inocent...but then sometimes she has these outbursts of frustration with Rexburg and school. It's so odd to see her upset because she's so timid and quiet. I love her. :)

Nashville Tribute Concert+Mindy Gledhill:

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So...I would have recorded Mindy too, but the mean people made me turn my camera off. :)

Ah...Mindy. My saving grace on the mission. Just ask any of my companions. :) "Mindy, you saved me on my mission. I listened to your CD ALL the time!" "Oh, you're so sweet. Thank you."

And that's my life up until this point. Homework, stress, homework and more stress. Except for a Tender Mercy the Lord granted me recently. Lately I have been majorly STRESSING about my choice to go into communications. I am a writer, not a reporter. My journalism teacher keeps pounding it into our heads that we are reporters. So, I was a bit stressed about it. Until, after reading my introduction paper (an assignment given in order to help him get to know us, which I took very seriously and wrote very creatively) he came up to me and let me know that I made the right choice and I'm in the right place to fulfill my desire to write. He says that many amazing writers go into the journalism feild and eventually create the most beautiful pieces of non-fiction the world has seen. He thinks that could be me. It was just what I needed. Thank goodness for Heavenly Father and His tender mercies. :)

P.S.- I'm sure there are a million and one spelling mistakes in this post. That's why spell-check is my best friend. But unfortunately, my best friend isn't speaking to me right now (it's not wanting to work) so I have to reveal my stupidity to the world.

Communications/English/Communications/English....

AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!! Ok, *deep breath,* I'll back up a bit. When I was in middle school, I discovered I loved to write. It began with the guitar. Actually, if we go back even further, I loved making up songs when I was 6 or 7 years old...but really never thought to write them down. So, in middle school, when I started playing the guitar, I had an actual reason to write my thoughts down on paper. I could put them to music easily. I LOVED it. It was a beautiful escape for me.

When I started high school I had the most amazing freshman English/lit teacher, and fell in LOVE with literature, but more importantly, I realized I LOVED writing my thoughts and feelings down about the literature. From then on, my writing improved and I used it as my main form of expression.

So, I went to college, and what did I major in? Well, English Education of course. Why Education? Because...I LOVED my English teacher so much as a freshman, I wanted to play the same roll. Yeah...that didn't turn out so well. I found out quickly that I don't have the patience for the politics of the education system, nor do I have the patience for kids who don't give a rip about English. So, on to....

English with an emphasis in Creative Writing. WOOT. I had found my calling. LOVED it. I loved my classes, loved the progress I was making in writing. LOVED it all. Except, I didn't love the options ahead of me...as in WORK. Yes, that little activity one has to participate in, in order to survive. I fretted over this quite a bit, talked to advisers, thought, prayed, weighed out my options. It wasn't looking good. I'd either have to A)Be a technical writer (NOT FUN) B)Hope and pray that I'd make it as a famous author from the get-go (and live in a box on the street until then) C)Go to grad school and either become a professor of lit/creative writing or go into publishing. Hmmmm....NONE of these options looked appealing to me. The best choice was B...which was highly unlikely and not realistic to make a living off of for the rest of my life. Especially with the style of writing I'm best at and most enjoy, Creative NON-fiction. :)

So, I came home from my mission, prayed a lot, and decided JOURNALISM. WOOT! It's creative non-fiction, and hopefully (questionable in this horrible economy and the downfall of newspapers) will give me a permanent income, which will help me survive. So far, so good. My English credits clumped together to make a minor (thank goodness for the good people at BYU-I) and I'm done with my generals. So...I just have Communications with an emphasis in journalism left. SO exciting, but SO stressful. I'm not used to this stuff. I'm used to reading a book, picking it apart, and writing about it. Now, I have to attend meetings, ride along with cops, find stories and come up with something flashy to write about. Exciting, but different. It's also a vastly different writing style. Reporting is extremely different than analyzing. One day, my dream is to have my own column. But, that's rare, especially for starters. I know Communications/journalism is the right decision, but it makes me nervous. I miss English.

I also miss the freedom of no homework. I'm not sure taking a year break after my mission was the best choice in the whole world...but you roll with the punches right? I hope I can handle the stress.

Dropping like flies... :)

I'm back in Rexburg, IDAHO. I'm trapped here...pulled to this thing called BYU-Idaho in order to finish my education. In the past, I have made MANY friends in this dear old town. Where are they now? Gone. Done. Graduated. Married. In fact, I believe the only single friends I have now are people I either served with on the mish, or have met within the last 6 months. And even the mission people are gettin' hitched. Geeeeeeez. Let's explore this together shall we? For those of you who I've posted your pictures, I hope you don't mind. :)

I started my college career with a dear friend of mine whom I grew up with. Ashleigh Call, now Thornock, and I were roommates our first semester of college. About 2 weeks into the semester...maybe 3, she met her eternal companion and a week or two after that, they were engaged. They now have 2 beautiful little girls and the rest is history.
Ash and Chad

Next was Lisa Cayton, now Wach. She's been one of my best friends since 4th grade. After Ashleigh and I roomed together for a semester, Lisa moved in and became my roommate. She didn't really meet or get to know her now-husband until the semester I went home for my break. They dated for about a year and then got hitched. They have the cutest little boy, and a little girl on the way.
Lisa and Dave

The next of my close friends to gain an eternal partner was Hailey Everton, now Scarbrough. Actually, Ashleigh, Hailey, Lisa and I were all close friends growing up. But anyway...Hailey and I never lived together during college, but we had some good fun and just lived a few doors down from each other. She actually married someone she knew and dated (a little) in high school. They then dated before his mission, and Hailey "date-waited" while writing him on his mission. It was meant to be and they were married and now have a gorgeous little girl and a little boy on the way.
Hailey and Drew

Dacia Stimpson, now Andersen, was the next to get married. I didn't meet Dacia until my second year of college. We became FAST friends and roomed together for a few semesters. We were in-separable for a while. :) After she graduated, she moved home to coach at her home high school. There she was pursued by a man in her teeny little single's branch, and their dating quickly turned into engagement, and then into marriage. They now have a darling baby girl.
Dacia and Cameron

Next in line was my dear cousin Sundy Lynn Peterson, now Anderson. Sundy Lynn is like a sister. We've obviously known each other our whole lives, and I had the privilege of living with her and her family after her mission and before mine. She helped me discover my calling to serve a mission, and well, basically we're two pees in a pod, as our grandmother says. She stayed single for practically my whole mission...until my year mark, she sent me a note telling me she met someone. Then...another announcement came informing me she was getting married 40 something days before I would arrive at home. While sad I couldn't be there, I was super excited that she had found her eternal companion.
Sundy and Tyler

Ok...we're getting closer to the end of the list. Recently, my fabulous friend, Rebecca Joy Falke, now Somers, married the love of her life...just a couple months ago. This was such a joyous occasion. :) It really really was. There are no words to describe Becca...she's just a bundle of happiness. She was my first college friend...meaning, we lived together our first semester and became great friends and lived together for 4 more semesters after that. While I was on my mission, she graduated from BYU-I and moved to Texas to work for her brother, where she met her now-husband. They dated about a year...or close, and are now husband and wife.
Becca and Rob

And now, my beautiful sister (who was not always on my top list of friends growing up, but is now one of my closest :)) is married as well. She, as I've mentioned many times before, married a man we both knew when we were small chillins. We reunited with them a few years back, Bobby and Kayleen made a connection and now they are Mr. and Mrs. Ulrich.
Kayleen and Bobby

I also made many close friends on my mish...connecting strongly with many companions and having many good laughs. Two of these great companions are now married. Sista Heather Love, now Jones and Sista Tanja Jensen, now Dalton.
Heather and Ryan - Tanja and Brad

And, I'd be crazy to say these are ALL of my friends who have gotten married. BUT, I don't have time to post every single person. So...as you see, I am the lone being in the midst of Marriage-ville. But...although I may sound kind of bitter, I'm really not. In all actuality, what made me want to post this is looking at pictures of Hailey's little girl. All of the sudden I was overcome with emotion. I've been so blessed to know all these people and become such great friends with all of them. And, I'm so extremely happy they've all met their eternal companions and are continuing on in this life, trying to keep the commandments and raise their families up with Gospel principles in this crazy world. I'm blessed to still know and stay in contact with each of these people. And while yes, it is hard to be single cuz at times it feels as though I'm being left behind, I know Heavenly Father is aware of all of us and each of our needs.

A series of not so unfortunate events :)

So, today's my day off and I decided to post a bunch of blogs I've wanted to post for a while. Take a looksy if you're curious and/or have the time. :)

A year ago and then some...

I can no longer say "A year ago today I was knocking on doors in humid, sweaty Mississippi." July 30th marked 1 year since I was released from being a full time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And now, all I can say is "A year ago today I was a normal person." But wait a minute...we, as Latter-day Saints are a peculiar people, right? So, I guess I'm not "normal." I'm peculiar. :) I want to do better with spreading the gospel as a member missionary. I've done some things here and there, helped a few people on my merry little way, but I want to do much, MUCH more. I MISS being a missionary A LOT. And in some ways, it doesn't really feel like a whole year has passed. I'll always cherish the memories and eternal friendships I made during that year and a half. This last year hasn't been easy. In fact, the transition back was a very hard and painful process, and every once in a while I'm swept back to those same feelings of loss and heart-ache I had when I laid my head on my pillow the night of July 30th, 2008 and realized that the next morning would be the start of the first day I would not wear my name tag. Tears streamed down my cheeks that night as I realized how much harder it was going to be to keep my personal relationship with my Savior and Heavenly Father strong and connected. It has been a battle, but I've felt their comfort and support through every trial I've had to face during this last year. And I'm happy to say, I still know that the Gospel is true; it was restored by Jesus Christ himself through the boy, Joseph Smith, who was chosen to be the first prophet in this last dispensation. I know that through the Gospel of Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end we will get back to our Savior and Father in Heaven. I know the Book of Mormon, Bible, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price are true and each testify of Jesus Christ and His Gospel. And I will not let the world convince me otherwise.

Kevin did it!

So, I took this trip before the wedding trip and never posted about it. My brother, Kevin Patrick Perry, graduated from Westview Highschool! Never thought that would happen...just kidding! No, I know Kevin can do anything when he sets his mind to it, and I had a blast spending a long weekend with the family in honor of him and his accomplishments. He's such a great guy and recently, on August 8th, turned 18. He'll be heading off to BYU-Idaho in the winter and I'm super excited to share "adult life" with him in good ole Rexburg. I'm blessed to have him as my brother.

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I freakin' LOVE my family.

Um...so yeah. I pretty much have the most amazing family ever. Immediate, extended, married in...you name it, I've got the greatest. Ok, so I'm a little biased to my own family. But shoot, if you knew them you'd freakin' LOVE them too. I had so much fun spending time with the fam on my trip to Oregon for the wedding. We had some good bonding times. LOVE LOVE LOVE them. (Small picture disclaimer:Because some family members work and also live so far away such as Chuck, step-siblings, other members of the Peterson/Anderson clan, and other extended family...there're only a select few family members in these shots. :))