August: Party in Utah baby!

One thing is for sure about my family, when it's time to learn, they get both hands and their heart into it; when it's time to work, they are all in; and when it's time to party, GO BIG OR GO HOME!! We did all of that in August that's for sure! We got there just in time for my birthday, my grandpas, dad's brothers, my aunt's, and Jason's birthday! Plus my parents and my grandparents anniversary!!  We had a Lagoon pass so we spent both our birthdays there. Man we also went to BYUI education week and a few musicals, we caught up with college friends, saw my ward as a teenager, went horse back riding on Antelope Island, cheered BYU games and listened to stories at grandma and grandpa Kunz' house, watched movies almost every night till super late...pretty much caught up for 3 years of being away. Any time I thought it was too late to do something my Dad would say "You can sleep in September". :)

I L.O.V.E.D being actually in my home for the month! I loved seeing my mom do school work with the kids at home and just being able to talk to her the whole day. I didn't like  loved   didn't like loved running with my Dad and Marshall first thing every morning. Thought it was so cool to be a part of my dad branching out into his own law practice (btw if someone wants an awesome attorney who really gives each person his best call Derek Williams at Wasatch Legal Services 8018609727 He is amazing!..And i'm biased), Priscilla and Marshall's friends were seriously some of the best I've met and I I totally felt like one of the group...which I thought was cool but maybe says something about my maturity level... anyways. Caleb, Clancy and Wesley were so cute playing with Aiden and Brynlee and helped me a ton so I could study for my Interpreting Certification exam and my Bachelors, and getting everything lined up for Michigan. Seriously they were a life saver.

My family taught a ballroom dance class every week and they invited me to teach some line dances

since I wouldn't have a partner I could teach with since Jason was working 7am-9pm :S. I have always loved dancing. I started ballet when I was 3 and have always been involved in some kind of dance whether it was in a musical, official dance production, or eventually on the ballroom and folk dance at BYU.

In the middle of the month Jason flew to Philadelphia to take Boards and despite a crazy work schedule was miraculously able to feel like he did very well on his exam. The last week of the month I had my ASL National Interpreting Certification exam and that was a special experience I will never forget.

As we were preparing for our exams we asked my dad to give us a blessing. Both were very tender and needed. I have been singing since I before I could talk and teaching it since I was 8. When I was 12 I went to Salt Lake Community College and started studying ASL Interpreting which I graduated with my Associates with when I was 18. Becoming a Nationally Certified Interpreter has been on my New Years Resolution list since I was 18 but other things have become more of a priority. With lots of faith, fasting, and prayers I was finally taking the exam again. When the day of my exam came I felt calm until the hour I was supposed to leave. I was so nervous and stressed trying to get everything ready to go and despite listening to Elder Uchtdorf's talk on being grateful despite our circumstances (https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/grateful-in-any-circumstances?lang=eng) I was still struggling to not be scared. I got in the car to drive to the exam and turned on that talk again but my phone "accidentally" pulled up the wrong talk..."Fear not I am with thee" started playing (https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/fear-not-i-am-with-thee?lang=eng). I was reminded of my blessing which among other things said I am loved and that there will be angels with me in my exam guiding my hands. I started humbly crying. I felt peace the rest of the day. Whether or not I passed my exam isn't the point to me. I have felt Heavenly Fathers love in a way that I will never forget and that to me is more than anything I could ask for.
When I finished the exam I rushed home and ran in a family 5k that my dad, brother, and I had been training for the whole month. It was an awesome way to end the day!

Things got kinda crazy after that! We bought and sold a car so we could drive in the same vehicle to Michigan, but three days before our trip we found out no one rents to the car we bought!! After frantically researching things we decided our big car was still fit to tow our small car so we bought a car dolly and made the trek out to Michigan!! I'll save the adventures here till next months update but in our less than a week of being here we have been in two motels, almost one apartment which was supposed to be our main residence, and are now renting from an AMAZING family in the ward.  All I can say is Heavenly Father answers prayers and is with us more than we recognize.

July: Colorado Country

Saying goodbye to my Blanchard family was one of the hardest things I've done in a long time!!  I seriously love EACH of them sooo much. Moving closer to them to finish podiatry school was one of the best moves we've made, but since we were now moving away from them to keep our own family loser together, it made it more bearable. We all got together at Bahama Bucks the night before we left and of course a midst all the crying and hugging had to have one more competition. Depending on who you ask there is a different winner, but since I am the one writing this blog, It is SOO obvious that Jason won hands down. I dont know why there is even a debate on who won ;). (btw he is in the plaid shorts and yellow shoes)

After some special Fathers Blessing, the next morning  afternoon we were off!! ..once the red Yaris and white Accent was packed to the brim including a roof bag. My Dad was awesome enough to have flown down from Utah to help with the drive, which was sooo helpful! 

We made a quick stop to Utah to see my brother Colt before he took off on his mission to the Philippines. Which was another miracle because with Jason's work schedule we didn't think we would be able to see him before he left on his mission for two years. Of course He and my sister Priscilla (age 15) taught us some of their favorite ballroom dancing moves. I was so blessed to have been able to see his smile one more time before he left. 

In Colorado we stayed with me Great Aunt Jeanie. They were sooo sweet to let us stay in their upstairs! When we pulled up my cousin twice removed (or something like that) was there with his family! They were our instant best friends. Mark and Crystal seriously were there for us in so many ways from having a friend to go to the beach with to being being our mechanic when the rood started to leak. On the 4th of July they invited us to their place and we saw them at least twice a week it felt like. Which was so needed because I had just left my best friend Jennifer Smith who I would see a few times a day. (I LOVE YOU GIRL!!! Seriously she is my hero in SO many ways)                    

We went to The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ward that also had AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE in the meetings!We found out which ward building was ours by going to mormon.org . At this time I was really getting nervous (and scared and slightly going crazy) because I was taking my National Interpreter Certification exam the next month and it got moved up two weeks and I was not ready. After a lot of prayer we found this ward and the people there were so amazing. They were such an immediate answer to my prayers and fasting. They welcomed us in and let me volunteer interpret for their meeting and activities. There was a sweet interpreter in the ward that even met with me during the week. I can't say enough how overwhelmed with blessings I felt. And my exam was even able to be postponed till the end of that next month. My testimony of fasting was strengthened that month and I will never forget this experience. I went from panic to peace so quickly as I was put in a situation that all I could do was pray and fast for direction.

The Colorado beauty was stunning. Driving around in Greely Colorado and seeing the large open spaces and lakes you couldn't help but feel closer to God. My soul was defiantly nourished in so many ways.

Jason loved the drive also as he spent some of his day driving to different clinics. He said it was a great time to re focus during work. Jason's schedule was a very light one where he was at work around 9 and was done between 3 and 6! He did wish there was more surgery in this rotation though but he loved the teaching and the co workers.

Needless to say we were very sad to leave our friends and the beauty of CO but it made it easier knowing we were going to stay with my family for the next month in Utah!!

Walks in the rain were beautiful

Aiden is totally crying here