What's my age again?

Yikes! I can't believe I'm really 23.. I have been thinking about this a lot lately, and seriously  what good is there about being 23 haha? the night before I turned 23 a month ago.. I was listening to good ole taylor swift .. I don't know about you but I'm feeling 22, had to enjoy it while I could.. I wanted a new theme song for my new age and I searched google and I dare you to go look up the songs, every song about 23 is super depressing and sad. In the worlds of Blink 182 .. no one likes you when your 23.. is pretty much how i'm feeling right about now haha! I get on facebook just to see someone else is engaged, married, starting a full blown family, graduating! it's crazy! then you look at me and I'm just kinda doing my own thing haha! at least I got the mission going for me right? but seriously what have I been doing with the last 23 years of my life!? than it got me thinking, honestly who cares what everyone else is doing or not doing..everyone looks at everyone else's life to find something they want and wish. so as I was thinking about that I realized your life is just that YOUR life. you really can't compare your life to anyone else. I had to take a step back to see what and who I really am. I really think everybody needs to take a step back sometimes and examine who they are! I'm 23, I have found true friends, I have fallen in love, I've had my heart broken, I've had pointless jobs, I've traveled, I have a firm foundation of the gospel. I laugh more then I cry, I've gotten 4 nieces and 1 nephew who are my world! I try to see the positive in everything, I love my family more than life and I seem to love them more and more as I get older. I know what kind of future I want, I know the kind of guy I want to marry, I know what kind of wife I want to be. You can love your life no matter where you are at. I know sometimes it can be a struggle to watch other people succeed, but I hope that we can be happy for them and enjoy those moments with them, don't forget to enjoy your own. You only get to live this moment once, so don't waste your life waiting for the next big thing to happen in your life. Don't worry about what others are doing focus on what your doing! Most of my favorite memories are not any huge life changing event but just something that randomly occured! I love my life! I'm going to to choose to not just wait for something or anything it'll happen when it'll happen.. anyway that is what it's like to be 23 in my life haha! I figured why not put some picutres of being 22!- which so far as been the best year:) but I have a feeling 23 will be even greater!

Mission decision!

I'm not really sure how to start these things, but here we go! I decided to do my first blog post on why I decided to serve a mission! I will be honest I have NEVER wanted to go on a mission and I mean never. It was just something I never wanted to do or had the desrire to do. So imagine my surprise when a few months ago I was sitting in institute and I just had this strong feeling to go on a mission, well I got that thought out of my head as fast as it came! then a few weeks later it just kept coming to my head so I caved and decided to give it an earnest prayer. I did and nothing happened. I thought I was off the hook, than about a month or so later I had a strong feeling to make an appointment with the bishop that afternoon wasn't sure why but I went for it. As I was sitting in relief society that afternoon, I got this overwhelming feeling that the lord wanted me to go on a mission, then the teacher announced the lesson was on missionary work...so that was the asnwer I got I needed to go. I got the paper work done in a couple weeks, and submitted them! it was the most nerve racking decison of my life! I had honestly felt every emotion in the world. I was nervous! than as that white envelope was in my hands it finally felt real. That's when the excitement came! I was called to Irvine California! which is my dream place so that was a relief! I thought for sure I was going to to to Idaho- not that I have anything against Idaho just not where I wanted to go haha! it's been crazy! I went through the temple a few weeks ago and honestly my testimony just got deeper going through. I'm happier. This gospel has changed my life. I'm not near the person I was a year ago.I promise I am the last person anyone even me would expect to go on a mission, but that's what change is all about!  I'm truly grateful for the gospel and the atonement. To me the gospel is all about change. I had a change of heart, I got my own testimony. I have never known such happiness in my life than the gospel. If I can teach one person this amazing message and they feel the joy I feel from it then it will be all worth it. I'm sad and scared to leave the life I love behind, but I know it's where i'm suppose to be. why I don't know yet but I will.:)