Home for the 4th of July!

I was able to take a trip home to Washington to see a lot of my family! It was a long drive! I drove (4 hours) to Rexburg and picked up my sister, Molly, then we drove another 14 hours from Rexburg to Port Townsend. The drive was actually really fun and it was nice to spend time together.

You know how sometimes while spending a long period of time in a confined space you get really restless and tired, and everything starts to get funny? Well, that happened to us on the way there and again on the way back. When my sister and I get together things can get kind of out-of-control. She is one of the funniest people I have ever met. We actually had to pull over the car because I was laughing so hard that it was dangerous for me to be on the road and we were both about to pee our pants. I've never been so close to actually peeing my pants from laughter (or anything else).

I'm surprised that we survived the drive. Not only were we laughing uncontrollably almost the whole way, but I tried to teach my sister how to drive a manual transmission in hopes that I could get a break from driving here and there. Although she did drive for 2 hours on our way up to WA, I did not get any rest because I was hyper attentive to what she was doing haha. We almost died a couple of times and one attempt to exit the freeway ended in tears. But she practiced while we were home and she is pretty darn good at it now :)

Our family get-togethers are quite an experience. My family is awesome. And very funny to be around. All of my mom's parents and her siblings and their families were there. We are very competitive. We usually play a softball game but this year we played kickball instead. We had our annual egg toss, which my grandpa is in charge of and very passionate about.

We have cool traditions. In 1995 we made a time capsule. We all filled out a piece of paper, answering questions about our likes and dislikes and where we saw ourselves in the future. i think I was 9 at this time. Then we gathered up for Thanksgiving of 2003, opened our time capsule and read our papers out loud to one another. Then we added to the time capsule that year. Well this year we opened it up and read our papers from both years and it was so much fun! In 1995 I was obsessed with American Girl Dolls and that's all that I wrote about.

Whenever I go home I feel like I'm 10 years old and I feel like all of my maturity goes out the window. Sunday morning my sister and I woke up and raced to the bathroom, pushing each other out of the way and I won of course because I'm the older sister. And then we had our classic wrestling match with my cousin, Marci, on my parent's bed. And then we drive through down town Port Townsend with our windows rolled down and blast all of our old music that we used to listen to (mostly country and music we would never pick up now, except for the sake of re-living old memories).

I hadn't been to my home ward since I gave my homecoming talk last June so it was fun to be there and see everyone. Singles wards are fun but people come and go and it's nice to go to my home ward where people stay! It's like seeing family. I was expecting the Bishop to embarrass me in some form or another (he likes to do that). My family walked into church a couple of minutes before the opening song and as soon as I sat down in my seat, my bishop motioned for me to come up on the stand. I figured he was going to ask me to speak (because he has done that to me before at the last minute) but instead he asked me to lead the music haha. I had a lot of family visiting that Sunday so I had lots of people making funny faces at me while I was up there...

I got to spend some quality time with my two younger brothers, Anker and Max. We played music in our "music hut". Anker is amazing at playing the bass guitar and Max is incredible at the drums. It was SO fun. I just sang and played whatever ditty I could on the guitar and they would play right along with it.

I feel like Anker and I really connected. On Sunday, before church, we were sitting on the couch together waiting to leave and he said, "Hey, have you ever thought about how weird eye brows are?" Hahahaha...I said, "What do you mean?" and he continued, "I mean, just look at them. Stare at my eye brows. It's like a patch of fur above our eyes. Why do we have them?"

I also got to see a really cool project that my dad has been working on. For the past couple of months, whenever I would talk to my mom on the phone I would ask her what Dad was up to and she would always say something like, "Oh, he's just out in the garage working on his totem poles." And I would always laugh because it sounded like a crazy thing for my dad to be doing. While I was home I heard the real story about it and it is so awesome! The stake scout troop asked him if he would make them a "gateway" for a trip they are taking at the end of this month. My dad took on the job. Then he found out that they wanted totem poles as a part of their gateway. He had never done any kind of carving before but he still felt good about doing the project. So, he read a bunch of books about carving and Native American artwork and even went to watch some "Master Carvers" do their thing and then he went to work. Someone donated a huge cedar tree which they cut in half and he has been carving two totem poles and they are absolutely beautiful. All of the characters on the totem pole have spiritual meaning behind them. He even made most of the tools he used for the carving. While I was home he started painting them which was fun to watch.

It was just so nice and really refreshing to be with my family because I just love them so much. I also just love the Pacific Northwest, (specifically Northwestern Washington). The trees, the ocean, the sailing, the overcast weather, fresh seafood, the hippies, the art, the music. It's all so wonderful. My skin was sooo hydrated while I was there! Utah is dry. But that's okay because I feel good about living here right now. But one day...one day! I will move back :) Probably.

I don't want to wait until Christmas for my two front teeth...

Yup that's right...I lost em. Both of em this time. Three years ago I lost my left front tooth due to a volleyball incident at BYU-Idaho when my teammate elbowed me in the mouth. It was tragic. I actually had fun acting like a hick though and was able to laugh it off with my friends. I went through cycles of hysterical laughter and sobbing. This is my brother's first reaction to my missing front tooth:



I know you want to see a face shot so here ya go:




Classic.

This time wasn't quite so fun. I was innocently playing a game of Ultimate Frisbee at a Family Home Evening activity when I took a hit in the face!!!!! And it knocked both of my front teeth out! Hahaha...oh my. They took me straight to an emergency dentist and they gave me some ugly, yellow temporary teeth. They look a little like the teeth that you would wear around Halloween time. I haven't taken any pictures and I don't really plan to haha. So you can use your imagination on this one.

My poor smile!

On top of that I scared my roommate, Vanae, when I sent her a text message while she was at work which said that I was headed into the ER. I forgot to tell her why. So when she got off of work she frantically went to the ER looking for me. She never found me cuz I wasn't there. Oops. When I finally was reunited with her I cried like a baby on her shoulder (Thanks Vanae <3 ).

So, my luck hasn't been so great in the 'keeping all my teeth' business...but they are gonna fix me up real good and I might still be cute. :)

'Do It Yourself' Girl...

I've always liked making things. I enjoy pretty much anything to do with the arts. I especially love taking something that most people would throw away and turning it into something beautiful.

My mom introduced me to "garage sailing" when I was little and I would tag along while she and her sisters spent their summer Saturdays 'garage sale hopping'. What can I say? I'm a chip off the ole block and I like to find good deals. More recently, I've become a craigslist addict.

I've recently moved into a cute little yellow house with my friend Vanae and needed to buy some furniture, do some interior designing, etc. So here are a few things that I've done around the house along with some other projects that I've undertaken...

So I bought this mirror at at garage sale for $5 and it had a nasty brown plastic frame that was supposed to look like wood. I spray painted it black. It's so classy :) This is what it looks like on our living room wall...above the SWEET couch that I bought off of craigslist for $20:

I know, I know, it's awesome. Next...

I bought these frames for $0.50 each. They had ugly pictures in them so I took them out and hung them picture-less. Tell me what you think because I like it and I think it's artsy but some people have thought differently...what do you think? tacky? cute? Our wall paper is pretty crazy already so I'm kind of working with what we have here. Ha.

I've made two mosaic mirrors. This is the first one.

And here is the second one...I took old china (most of which I got for free at a yard sale) and smashed it (it was quite fun actually). And then I used tile glue to glue them to the mirror frames then used grout in between the pieces of china. So lovely.

My mom spotted this while we were 'garage sailing' together and bought it for me for like $1 and i spray painted it black. I hang it in a corner on my wall in my room but there was better lighting for me to take a picture of it on the floor :)

My most recently learned skill: Crocheting! The girls at work taught me and I'm making this wicked sweet blanket...it's about halfway finished.

I am also trying out painting. This one i made for my sister, Molly. It's in acrylic on two separate canvas. All of my paintings right now are pretty simple but I like how this one turned out!

This is my most recent project. I bought this antique table from a lady off of craigslist for $3. I like it. It's got character. It definitely needs some fixing up and I'm not sure yet what I'm going to do with it. Any ideas?

Well that's it for now! If you have any cool ideas please share!

By Small and Simple Things...

So there are a ton of things on my mind right now! I'm not really sure how this whole "blogging" thing works. Am I supposed to write about everything on my mind? Or should I try to be patient and pace myself and stick to writing one subject at a time? :)

Missionary work is on my mind.

First of all...I've been reading my cousin's (Elder Erick McNerney) emails and they are absolutely inspiring. He is serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Baltics. I just keep thinking of my mission and how wonderful it was to be out serving. I hope he doesn't mind that I'm going to quote him right now. I just love the words that he uses here. In his most recent email he said, "Things are going great, and we are working with all patience and love with everyone that has a willingness to hear our message. I've been reflecting on the promises of the Gospel--Salvation and Eternal Life. I've realized while it's something I continue to feel a greater understanding for, it's hard to put it in words. I know that Christ was prepared before the foundation of the world, to save us all from the effects of the fall, and that he submitted to the will of the Father and suffered and died for our sins, and even suffered all things, and was was Resurrected after 3 days. I don't understand how it all happened, or completely why it all happened, except that Our Heavenly Father loves us and has provided wonderful blessings for us (1 Corinthians 2: 9) . It is the plan of our God--our Heavenly Father--and that it the only plan which will bring us Eternal Life. I see more and more, as I study the scriptures, listen to the words of the modern Prophets and Apostles, and Preach the Gospel here in the Baltics, that the Restoration of the Gospel is true, and that the Authority of God must be given by Him...All I know is that I have felt nothing but an increase of Faith, Love and Hope as I have strived to live according to the principles of the Restored Gospel."

What an awesome missionary he must be! I read this and I just get so pumped up! Haha...I love missionary work. It is my favorite thing.

When we share the gospel, we grow and realize so much. I wrote this home from my mission in Tennessee, "In a world full of so much confusion, I am so happy to know that the Lord has restored his gospel to the earth by calling true and living prophets on the earth. I am so glad that he works in an orderly fashion so that we can clearly understand the things that we must do. I know that his church is on the earth and I know that President Thomas S. Monson is his prophet on the earth today. I feel love from him when he speaks and the Holy Ghost bears witness to my soul that the words that he says are from God."

It is such a privilege to be there as someone comes to understand who they are, a child of a loving Heavenly Father and to realize what that means. To me, this video says it all!





I loved waking up every morning, knowing that I was going to do everything I could to be where the Lord needed me that day and to do and say what he wanted me to do and say. I was exhausted but could not have been happier with my life.

I wrote a letter from Tennessee to my ward in Port Townsend, Washington that said this:
"Missionary work is amazing. You can't live the gospel without sharing it with others. If you aren't sharing it then you don't understand the gospel of Jesus Christ. If I could encourage you to do anything, it would be this: Go visit members who haven't been coming to church. Even ones that you don't know. And get to know them. Let them know that they are missed and invite them to church. Offer them a ride. Come to church for everyone else and not for yourself. Don't be afraid to say, 'Hi'. What do yo have to lose? Fear is not of the Lord. Secondly, help the full-time missionaries!!! If any visitors come to church...EVERYONE should attack them with love and friendship so they want to come back! Go with the missionaries to appointments and meet the people they are teaching. Missionaries come and go. So, the members are even more important to missionary work than the missionaries themselves. If there is one thing I've learned since I've been out here, it's how much missionary work I have waiting for me when I get home. There is so much to be done!"

I look at this as an inspired letter to myself. It's so easy to get lost in the business of life and forget how fabulous it is to share the gospel. There are opportunities all around us!

That's all for now :) Sorry to get all preachy on y'all haha but it's what has been on my mind!

Finding Joy in My Journey...

"This is our one and only chance at mortal life—here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief. Opportunities come, and then they are gone. I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and nonexistent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey—now."
-Thomas S. Monson

When i was serving in the Tennessee Knoxville Mission I was writing a weekly email home to my parents, which was then forwarded to all of my family and friends. Knowing that each email would reach many people who I love, I would do my best to write about and describe all of the wonderful experiences I was having. This weekly email was like a journal for me, full of uplifting things. Somehow, it helped me to "distinguish between what is important and what is not". I noticed the beautiful things around me, and I saw the Lord's hand in my life. I was more focused and dedicated to the work I was doing. My time was never wasted on frivolous things.

Now that I've been home from my mission for nearly a year (yikes!) I catch myself focusing more on the negative aspects of my life rather than all of the wonderful things that really are going on. As much as I hate to admit it...I have also been having a difficult time accomplishing the goals that I've set for myself.

So this blog of mine is an attempt at finding more joy in each day! Like the above quote says, "This is our one and only chance at mortal life." I do not want to waste my time waiting for a future when the time for me to be happy is now! And neither should you :)

This will also be a great way for me to keep in touch with all of you while I am so far away from many people that I love. I'm not sure how often I will be writing on here but I'll shoot for at least once a week!

Love, Emily