This is My Year!

At the beginning of 2008 amongst all the different activities where we talked about New Years resolutions and goals for the new year, I remember as I pondered what sort of things I wanted to do this year I had the feeling "This is MY Year!" That very phrase penetrated my thoughts and heart . I will let you draw your own conclusions as to what hopeful ideas sprang to my mind from that phrase. ;) This year has come to a close and, I will be honest, the hopeful idea that came I am nowhere near accomplishing the idea that shall not be named :) Sorry feeling a Harry Potter moment!

At the close of this year I have been reflecting on this past year and the awesome thing is that, this has been MY year! I feel like I have had one of the greatest years!

It all started off with an awesome room mate who helped to make this year exciting, fun, and full of so many learning and growing experiences. Elizabeth you rock!


I was able to date an awesome guy for a few months, I have been able to serve the Lord in callings that have strengthened my testimony and love for others! I was challenged to read Jesus the Christ and I felt like I had many life and faith changing experiences as I read from those pages and my testimony of the Savior grew even more!

This summer ROCKED!!!! I was able to travel to 3 National Parks around the country! First stop was the Grand Canyon in June. Elizabeth (my roomie) picked me up from the airport in Arizona and we drove down to the North Ridge of the Grand Canyon. What an experience!! Great Bonding time and even got to meet fellow travelers of the trail. There is some sort of bond that is felt as you are hiking a canyon and you come across a stranger. You know that you are both on a journey that will be physically challenging but well worth it! It is like you become automatic friends as you cross each others paths along the way. There was one group that we found was doing the same hike as us. Which was 16 miles round trip. Down to the river and back to the top of the ridge in one day! We went down the South Kaibab Trail and came up the Bright Angel Trail.

We had gone 13 miles by this point, hence the finger adding a 1.

At the end of June I was able to travel back to the beautiful state of Oregon where I served my mission! :D I went for a framily, yes I spelled that correctly, wedding and then traveled around the state for a few days. While there I went to the beach and Crater Lake National Park.

Starfish

This picture is for my fro, Jason, from my framily!

I love Waves

Crater Lake

Oregon Sunrise

In September Elizabeth and I traveled across Texas 8 hours, and we started in the middle of the state and it still took us 8 hours :) Yeah the state is pretty big! Elizabeth and I traveled to Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Where we hiked and set up camp on the mountain, I might add we had the whole mountain to ourselves!! It was pretty awesome. The next morning we went the rest of the way to the top and enjoyed the view from the Tallest peak in Texas!

Do you see that step compared to her knee?

The end of this year was packed with some great lessons through experience such as the Lord can do anything even if it seems impossible and having hope and being optimistic in uncertain times!

I love what Elder Rasband said in his Conference address in April 2008. He said, "As experiences accumulate in our lives, they add strength and support to each other. Just as the building blocks of our homes support the rest of the structure, so too do our personal life experiences become building blocks for our testimonies and add to our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ."

That is what this year has been for me. Through all of my experiences I have felt how it has prepared me for whatever is to come in this coming year. It has been the end of a season and beginning of a new.

Bring on 2009!