I LOVE THE RAIN!!! It never rains in Rexburg but no worries it is raining now....and yes I went out and played in it :) So I haven't written anything for a while and i'ts because I was out of town and for most of the time I didn't have access to a computer...or phone and it was fantastic!! How do we get so addicted to those little technological devices? So much happened this last week and I just want to write about it all! Ok so Friday I flew home, Saturday my little Nathan went through the temple :) I just can't believe he's so old already but I love how proactive he has become about preparing for the temple and to go serve a mission. He's going to do great! Sunday I got to go to church in my home ward. I love going there because most of those people have known me since I was a wee little one and they're like family.... Then Sunday afternoon Heather Raddatz came to visit. She served in my ward when I was in 8th grade...10 years ago... and was a huge inspiration for me to serve a mission. She's amazing and it has been several years since I've seen her last so It was so great to catch up! She's one of the happiest people I have ever known and just such an amazing example to me! I'm considering moving to Africa with her to work at an orphanage :) So then on Monday Nathan, Marcus and I left for Crater lake where we camped for 3 days and it was amazing! So relaxing not worrying about anything... A great way to prepare to start the semester... Here are just a few fotos...
This is Crater lake....seriously the bluest lake I have ever seen...gorgeous!

We did some hiking down to the lake which was about 38 degrees and there is only one place that you can hike down to it and get in.... Nathan and Marcus got in...

And almost died....and then Marcus wanted to go again the next day....sick...just sick...

We hiked up to Watchman's Peak to watch the sunset which was also gorgeous...and very windy and cold...

We hiked down....it took us about 12 tries to get this to work and this is the best we got :)

So we decided to leave Wednesday night and drive all night to Salt Lake and we got there about 10:30 AM on Thursday. I proceeded to have a long, much needed shower and then tried to sleep for a bit. Friday was my Hija's (Kourtney Nielsen) wedding in Salt Lake so we all, Caleb, Nathan, Marcus and I drove up and it was just great. When my mission president and the Hermana walked into the sealing room, my heart just felt so happy! Then Elder Holland followed shortly after...He did the sealing and what an awesome experience that was to be taught from him, right there in the Sealng Room of the Salt Lake Temple! Then I got a few minutes with Pres and Hna all to myself and it was just so great to be with them. At the reception I met for the first time I met my nieta (Hermana Pitman....that means I trained Hna Nielsen and she trained Hna Pitman so here we have a 3 generation picture :) we sat with president the rest of the evening and talked about the mission...and anyone who knows me, knows that this was a little slice of heaven for me. Although all the missionaries that President and Pitman talked about were way after my time so I dont' know any of them...wow that makes me feel old! Anyway, It was a great day...no a great Week! Now I feel all rested and rejuvinated and reenergized and all that stuff and ready to start school in a week... :)

hmmm haven't written in a while.... I don't have anything too exciting to write... but I'm going home in 2 DAYS!!! I am so excitedabout that!! My youngest brother is going through the temple.. wow! So when nathan and dad came to get me in Argentina we bought matching bracelets for our whole fam with the theme of "meet at the gate 2008" my dad wore his for a long time but i'm pretty sure no one else did....i of course still have mine and wear it constantly but that's just me... my question is, what do i do with it after Saturday? Do I keep wearing it? take it off and save it somewhere? I'm not sure how much longer it will last, its been over a year and a half...anyway, I am so excited and proud of nathan beyond words. it's so cool to see him really put so much into preparing to go and I know its going to be a great experience for him. The temple as well as the whole mission. I was talking to a friend from the mission the other day and we got on the hard stuff. It's the stuff that you dont think of or I guess just really 'get' until you've done it. but some how those experiences were good for me. I can't pin point exactly why, maybe they helped me realize how much i cared for these people, maybe they caused me to humble myself, get on my knees and plead for help, of maybe they helped me learn more about myself. Not sure, but I know they had a profound effect on me. So change of subject, but on the road map in my brain, there is a connection... a dear dear friend of mine from highschool, one who I attribute to helping me learn to really love myself...He, after spending some time off the straight and narrow, I just found out that he is working his way back. It just reaffirms to me how our Heavenly Father really doesn't forget any one of His children, but continues to love and stretch out His hand to them. And he listens to and answers prayers said in their behalf. I'm grateful for that, to know that those who I love who stray, aren't forgotten by the Lord, even if they forget Him for a time. Hmmm there are my thoughts. time to sleep now (and my body shouts for joy)! :)

Do you ever miss the old days? When you still lived at home with your mom and dad and brothers (and sisters if applicable), and you could drive and would get together with friends from the ward or whatever watch movies or play games or just hang out and everyone was still at that level of innocence and not into anything too bad, and you didn't have as many bills or homework or job stresses or anything? And then you would go home at the end of the night to YOUR bedroom that was saturated with YOU, rather than a temporary habitation where you slept. Do you ever miss those people that knew you back then? I do... Can you love the 'now' and miss the 'then' at the same time? It's just so interesting I guess, to see where life takes us all...

Hmmm so can I use this as a place to vent as well? I just had a real depressing conversation with my mother about how much money I make in a year....working at least 3 different jobs...and I make a whole didly squat. You know the movie Mad Money? Maybe I should just rob a bank. haha, totally joking.... uggggghhhhh!!!!

Hmmm so Dafni Lee this is for you.... I don't know how good I will be at this, considering how much I write in my journal....but I suppose it's worth a try seeing as how I don't want you to be on the other side of the planet and not know how you're doing. That would also apply to any and everyone that I don't see on a regular basis. Anyway, I think that's all I have for now. I'm just going to try and figure out a little how this works now :)