What a year!

So....blogging didn't happen as much as I planned for it to this year. But it's better than blogs in the past! This year has been crazy, yet oh so good! So here is a tribute to the year 2012!

My best friend, Jonna, left on a mission. This is only the 3rd time we've been more than 10 mins away from each other for months/years at a time, since we were 5 years old. I seriously miss her! But I wouldn't want her to be anywhere else! She's serving the Lord in Texas, and absolutely loving it! I'm so proud of her! I've always looked up to her as my example. I'm grateful for EVERYTHING she does for me and is to me!

After much thought, and prayer I decided to leave the ward I live in and ventured my way into the Mesa YSA 1st Ward. It was THE BEST decision I made all year! I felt so welcome. I loved going to church every week. I finally started going to ward activities. I made so many wonderful new friends, and I cannot see my life without them any more.

Some other best friends of mine had a baby! She is seriously a cutie! Looks like a little cabbage patch doll. I love her!

A friend from my mission, Laura, came to visit me and stayed for 5 whole weeks! We were companions for 3 transfers and never once had an argument while serving together. This was her first time to America and she came to AZ in JULY! Probably not the best idea, but we had a blast! I took her to California for some much needed cooler weather and Disneyland which I promised I'd take her to if she ever made it over here. We then went to Utah and had a wonderful time catching up with other RM's from our mission. Laura was here during a huge trial in my life, and while I don't think I ever expressed to her my love and appreciation for all she meant to me, and did for me at that time, I am eternally grateful she was here for me.

That trial was almost losing my mom. My mom is seriously one of my best friends! I do not know where I would be without her. A week after Laura got here my mom had chemo and then got a staff infection immediately afterwards, which put her in the hospital in ICU, in a coma. After 4 weeks of that we were told she wasnt going to pull through and that when she went we should just let her go. The next morning she woke up and surprised the Dr. with her overnight recovery, she ripped off her DNR bracelet the next day! However, she also caught pnemonia and had to have major surgery, which kept her in the ICU for another week. And then she had to go to a nursing home for yet another week after that. But somehow......with a lot of prayer, faith, and fasting she pulled through!

I started my year of student teaching! Finally! I've waited my whole life to teach. I've known my entire life that this is what I'm supposed/want to do. And finally I'm only one year away from it! ASU's teacher program makes you student teach for a full year, and my specific cohort is in 8 week rotations. We are placed in a Pre-k and a K-3rd grade class. I was blessed to start in 2nd grade and then in a special need pre-K and I'm loving the experience. It is definitely a lot of hard work, but I love going to work every morning! There have been some trials and difficulties with my mentor teachers, but they are both wonderful people and I have gained a lot of knowledge in how to run a class and what I do and do not want to do in my own classroom in the future.

I was eventually kicked out of the mesa ward because 5 YSA stakes were created in the valley and there were no exceptions to the boundaries, NONE. I was so sad to leave that ward. I ended up in another ward where quite honestly I felt was the worst place I could possibly be. Thank goodness that only last 1 week, as another ward was created which I luckily lived in the boundaries of. This ward has been a blessing to me. For months, like 6 months to really get down to it, I felt that I was going to be called to teach Relief Society. After this new ward was established that calling finally came. I was not surprised or overwhelmed with the idea at all. I knew it was coming and gladly accepted it. It was a wonderful blessing for me to see that the Lord was communicating with me and preparing me for this calling. It is and will be great blessing in my life, and I'm really looking forward to teaching and getting to know the sister in my ward.

This next year, Cole gets home from his mission. I graduate from college. Jonna gets home from her mission. And who knows what else?! I'm sure it's going to be another great year though!