2013- Jan 2 I flew home from Kentucky.
We were waiting for our flight to Chicago. It was the weirdest feeling.
I was blessed with people to welcome me home. Hugging Mum was the BEST feeling in the world. I could have stood there for an hour just hugging her in the airport baggage claim. I wish I had a picture of it.
I got to be home for one day- which was spent packing. Because I had to be at BYU-Idaho Jan 4th. But I got to see Nancy, a few other people, snuggle with my dogs, and eat at Ricardo's. The important things you know.
Thankfully at the time, in Rexburg we had old family friends- the Waltons. They let my mum stay there with them for a week. My sweet roommates didn't see me much that first week, because I spent all my spare time with her.
It was a good and bad semester for me. It was GREAT because of my kind, thoughtful, understanding, and beautiful roommates.
At the Sand Dunes.
They put up with my super awkward what-am-I-doing RMness.
Coming home was hard. I hated it. I felt purposeless, I missed my mum (I was in Idaho she was in Nevada), I missed home. I missed my friends and support in Vegas, I missed my dogs. I missed my Sisters, and a few Elders. I missed the people so much! I missed the mission, but I didn't want to be a missionary again, because my last transfer was the hardest, which was by divine design so that I would be happy to go home. I felt and saw myself fall into old patterns from my life before the mission- I didn't like it. I struggled, to put it lightly.
So when you meet an RM and they are weird, cut them some slack. Not everyone transitions easily. I didn't feel settled until I'd been home 10 months.
My roommates, a FHE sister, and I
That semester though, I was so blessed with amazing roommates, a fantastic FHE group. (I remember when I met my fhe brothers for the first time, one of them hugged me. An innocent gesture, but I felt so extremely awkward and uncomfortable, because he surprised me, and I'd only been home a week) I don't even want to think what that semester would've been like with different roommates and FHE.
My FHE group
Our FHE brothers made us Breakfast :]
One of the best weekends of that year, was going to a mission reunion the Friday before April conference. My roommates and I drove down and they dropped me off at the church, and I finally got to see my mission friends.
Everett, Gardner, Wood (Gardner now), and Banks
Wood, Edgerton, and I
Fun fact, Steph and Bridget were roommates at BYU before their missions. they were called to separate missions, Edgerton to the GKLM (Great Kentucky Louisville Mission) and Wood to Temple Square. On Wood's outbound she served in the GKLM with me. They even got to see each other in Kentucky :]
I spent the night at on Steph and Bridget's floor, and we talked late into the night Brooke even came by. I got to attend Saturday morning session of General Conference with a couple of my favorite Vegas peeps, Nancy and Cynara. It was amazing.
Nancy, Cynara and I between sessions.
On Sunday I spent some time with Ford, Nelson, and Wood. It was so good to be reunited with the Sisters of the Kentuckiana District : ] It was very cathartic for me. I needed to talk with my Sisters from my mission, it helped me with all the things I was dealing with as returned missionary. Everything wasn't solved, and I wasn't looking for that, just an assurance I wasn't alone.
Mum came and picked me up from college at the end of the semester, and the next two weeks were a whirlwind. While picking me up, she had an interview for a job in Idaho Falls. She got the job, and God was clearly telling us that it was time to move again.
Petals making sure that she isn't left behind.
So we made the plans. I spent my two weeks in Vegas packing up the miracle house.
In some ways it felt like I never came home from my mission, because I didn't get to spend much time in my beautiful Vegas.
On my 24th Birthday we said goodbye to Vegas and drove to Idaho.
My summer was spent unpacking. I spent some time with Crystal, my MTC companion. I went to the singles ward and had fun. I won't lie I spent a lot of time missing Vegas, still do, but that summer was the hardest. Mum LOVES Idaho.
I was able to attend my first sealing, of two missionaries from my mission. So much fun!
Nelson, Ford, Noakes, Mikami (now Simms), Simms, Ash, A member from the mission :], and Clemmons. Ignore the demon eyes from the flash.
I had to include this picture of Ford and I making the same face without either of us realizing it.
The Perry's with a few of their Sister Missionaries :]
One of the best things about that summer was visiting the Perry's! A great weekend, with great people. The Perry's were and are so supportive.
That summer and fall two more of my companions got married, but I was unable to attend, but I have pictures of them with their future husbands from Conference Weekend. : ]
My trainer, Edgerton, with her future husband, Clark. Aren't they Cute!?
Wood and Gardner
I love them so much. Fun fact they were both Zone Leaders at one point in their missions.
In fall my semester started, and little did I know, I was taking a class that would basically change the way I see things. Math 100B- with Brother Rich. This is the first math class I had ever taken (in my many many many years of school) that made sense. I would later take Math 101 from Brother Rich, and the next year I would become one of his graders. I am now his T.A. and algebra is sometimes the only thing that makes sense to me.
Also I roomed with people I still room with today. We were however, the worst at taking pictures, Heidi and I just discussed this. Heidi, Courtney, and I still live together. We have a good time. We have more pictures from our later semesters.
That pretty much sums up the year 2013 for me. Mum will have to tell you her side one of these days. 2014 and 2015 yet to come.
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