Update

Well...I had it on my to do list to update my blog today....but I spent like the last half hour looking at everyone elses blog, and NOW I don't really feel like writing much! Just for the sake of being able to cross it off my to do list I will update my blog to say that I'll update my blog..later! I have pictures from my most recent adventure with Mike to the Grand Canyon, and will get more from my next adventure to Rexburg for Cate's birthday. How about I update then? Okay. Done. :)

Been a while!

Oh, so it's been a while since I wrote! Life is just crazy busy, and I'm sure most of you (if anyone actually reads this blog) feel the same. (Do you ever feel like you're writing to a non-existent audience? ANYWAY.)

I got called into the Young Women as a Laurel Adviser! I love this calling already. It's amazing to already feel of the girls' heart and strength. I see now, from a leader's standpoint, all that my past leaders did for me! Each one of them were examples to me, and all of them taught me specific things I'm still trying to incorporate into my life today. I hope that I can be a small example to these girls. I feel very..unfit.. to be their 'leader' in some ways--so I guess I'll just try to be their friends and maybe some natural leadership will follow. I wonder what they must be thinking? I hope they like me! I'm not insecure about it, I just know that coming into their lives at this point is trickier than maybe the younger girls.

I love the President, and still have to get to know the other adviser, but I'm sure I'll love her too! I get to teach a few times this fall--starting in November I'll have about 4 weeks until the New Year that I'll get to teach. I even get to teach a joint lesson with all the girls and leaders around Christmas! (ah! Scary!)

Fall is definitely in the air..and I love it. Utah has the best weather this time of year! I've loved living at home this fall, and have had a much better time than I did a year ago. It's been great (and a major blessing in this economy) to work a full time job vs. 12 hours a week at minimum wage, have Mike around, spend time with my best friends, see family and have a calling!

Kathy went into the MTC the other day. It was bittersweet to say goodbye-but I know she is where she should be, and I am too...so it can't be sad for that long. It's not anymore, by the way. I'll just miss having her to go to ANYTIME I need. She is that kind of friend to answer the phone at 4 in the morning, still love you when you don't call for 5 days, and make you smile when you're down. She knows me in and out..and I will always love her. Julie goes to Brazil next week, too! Amazing girls.

Cait came down last weekend! That was really fun. She's coming down again for conference this next weekend, too! Always great when the Briney's are around. (It makes me wanna go to CA to see their whole family again!)

Life is so great. I honestly wake up every morning grateful for a new day. (Maybe that is because I love mornings?) But, really...the Lord just knows how to make things right when they need to be. I look at last year in comparison to this one, and think that the Lord teaches us ways to be grateful in our lives through allowing times of hardship to be followed by times of great blessings. Even in our darkest times we can still be grateful--but in those times we're just getting by instead of thriving every day.

Maybe I love the seasons here in Utah so much because it reminds me that we all have different 'seasons' in our lives as well. (THAT was not supposed to sound cheesy...btw) I look at all the different times of good/bad/happy/sad/grateful/selfish, etc and see how each of these periods in my life have contributed to where I am now. I love looking forward, and using all I've had in the past as guide for where I want to be. There are new beginnings everywhere. Whether it be a new day, a new month, year..or even a minute..we can make our lives beautiful whenever we choose.

Love it.

Never happier...

This is my absolute calling in life! For anyone that knows me would probably say I was crazy for not knowing sooner--but I couldn't be happier with my job or more over-joyed that I WILL get into a Special Ed program sometime, somewhere. I am determined. I know the U is a big possibility-but I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch, right?! I'll keep my fingers crossed. But, for now, take a look at what I call heaven on earth...

Oh, and I will learn braille and sign language one day. That's a promise.

Life is beautiful.

Hello!!!

It's been a while since I last blogged! But, the past few weeks have been crazy! At the beginning of August, I flew down to see Mike in California for a few days! Then, my mom and Matt drove down the night before Mike left for Utah (to start his internship), and the three of us stayed for a few extra days before driving up the next week!

Mike and I haven't taken pictures together in a LONG time. (I have like 5 copies of the same picture up around my room. That needs to change!) This was the only picture we got of the few days we were together before he left. I love the Brineys!

This is me and my mom at the L.A. temple! The visitor's center was just redone and it's amazing! (Matt was taking the picture..:) )

Me and Matt at Newport! We went and bought donuts at Seaside! ($11 bucks worth, by the way)


You can see Doyle's in the background!

DISNEYLAND! It really is the happiest place on earth...

Waiting for our first ride of the day!

Me and Matt eating lunch at PIZZA PORT. (Blue Bayou was..well..30 bucks a plate!)

Waiting in line for the best ride...


Oh yeah baby! Matt and I went on it 5 times..and mom joined us for 1 round!


My apologies to the poor dude behind me! I totally covered his face with my hand..



I was all out of ideas of what ugly face to make..then I thought doing nothing would be just as ugly. And it was. Hahaha! We'd get off the ride..and got to find our picture only to see complete strangers (who WEREN'T in our car) pointing at laughing at mine and Matt's hideous faces..

After we got home on Wednesday, I studied like crazy for the Praxis test (which I took and PASSED! 184/200 on reading and 178/200 on math!), had an audition AND call back for U of U singers, started my first days of work at ATEC and worked at the carwash! I had like 3 12 hour days of straight work in there. I have never been so tired! On the flip side, it's been SO nice to have Mike here. We spend a lot of time together--and it's so fun to both be working and to not have HOMEWORK run either of our lives. Last Sunday we drove to Cascade springs. It was a long drive but really pretty...so..oh well! Pictures!

Me and Mike

I love him

Week of Weeks!

Holy cow. This week is already going be crazy and jam-packed with stuff! I don't want my blog to be a glorified recap my schedule..so I won't really talk about it. BUT I did accept a job today that starts at the end of this month! It's at a place located in Lindon that helps Special Needs individuals with life skills and employment opportunities! It's for all of the Alpine School District..and its for ages 18-22. Seniors from various high schools in the ASD come for about a half day..and others who are graduated are there full day (I think..)

Anyway, I am SO excited for it. It'll be a great job as I continue to apply and (hopefully) get in to the Special Ed program at the U! Wish me luck! (Oh, and I also found the study book for the Praxis 1 test (PPST-Pre Professional Skills Test) I have to take as a part of my application! guh).

:)

Life!

Okay! So...here are a lot of pictures over the past few months. I felt like this was probably the easiest way to catch up!

Kim got married! This is me, Gemma, Lo and Hillary waiting for her to come out! It was snowing that day, but there was a spot of sunshine right as this picture was taken. Then it got real cold :/

Here is Kim after coming out of the temple! She looked gorgeous! And they are all clones of each other! (Look! It's Kim on the right in a few years with short hair!)

These are the balloons from the freedom festival on July 5th! It was way fun--but freezing! If you stood close enough, the fire to inflate the balloon kept you warm :)

James and Heather came for about 10 days at the end of my mom's school year! We got the mandatory family picture! This was the ONLY one that really turned out of all of us..but you only need one anyway, right? :)

We all got single shots, too. Here is my beautiful mother. Someone once said about her, "What would we do without her shining example of womanhood?" I say Amen.

The girls (minus Heather..where was she?!)

I like him. And his beard.

Me

Bekah! She is adorable

This is Evan, well this is 4 pictures of Evan. These were all too cute to pass up! Look at his blue eyes! Heartbreaker.

:)

So happy

Huh?

We all like to laugh. A lot.

We were celebrating Bekah's and Evan's birthdays! Evan's birthday was on June 15th, and Bekah's was on June 26th. Birthdays are meant to celebrated all month long anyway!

Mike, with his party hat and party face!

James, Heather and Bekah were pooped after the birthday party in Park City! Mike drove, with mom in shotgun, I was in the middle with Evan..and these three were in the back doing this. In fact, we were all doing this. Except for Mike (of course) and Evan. Evan blabbered his way home-making it very entertaining for Mike! (and me, once he woke me up to capture fun videos and pictures--like this one!)

Wired!

This looks entertaining (I mean, check out my little pony/rat tail flailing in the breeze!)--but I was so dizzy afterward I almost..well..you know. They all got a good laugh.

One-day-to-be Uncle Mike and Evan. Evan loved Mike so much, he even gave him a black eye and a BROKEN nose! Ouch. Sorry Mike! Just think of it as your initiation!

Me and April! This was one one of THREE trips I took to Rexburg this summer. Mike wins the better boyfriend award for coming down MANY more times than I came up! ah!

We love Target! and Toothpaste!

Mom and Matt on Mother's day. This picture will be historic one day.

This is just one picture of one of the many adventures I've had with the Tinsley kids this summer! They are like my own family. I love them.

Cooper. He wants to be a police man, army man, fire man or any other type of man for that matter when he grows up--as long as they get to wear a hat of some kind.

That's right. I won the jackpot at Chuck-E-Cheese. Not once, not twice, but 3 times. Be jealous.

Armed and dangerous. (Check out Parker's pillow armor! He's always been the...eccentric one of the group..and yes, that is underwear on his head.) Air-soft guns were never so exciting.

Oh, and I got extensions. Way fun.


More to come--but that's to be expected because LIFE keeps on going!
Love it.