From Roommates to Roommate: What's Stability?

Amy
Rachel (X2)
Annie
Carrie (X2)
Jamie
Lindsay
Sara
Melissa
Shauna
Courtney
Erica
Charlotte
Caitlin
Anneli
Jen
Skye
Heather
Lindsey
Jolyn
Bre
Becky
Melody
Mikelle
Annie
Christine
Lindsey (G.)
Melody (C.)
Natalie
Chloe
Tayler
Pattie
Kelsi
Hannah
Kim
Ashlee
Sariah

This is a list of all the girls who had to put up with being my roommate in the last six years. My life has gone from adjusting to living with 36 different people at different times to ONE!

Let me tell you, it's been a change. There are so many things I have loved about it: the free reign of the kitchen, cleanliness, not being kicked out of the family room for boyfriends etc. This does not discount that I loved many of my roommate experiences. I had wonderful friendships, talks, and pure good times with so many roommates, but the constant change and transition from going from one to the next made it so I could never get too comfortable.

Is it possible that stability kind of scares me? No, not the stability of Ben--that comforts me a great deal. It is the stability that comes from buying our house in North Ogden. This implies we may be here for a while. You are talking to someone who hasn't lived somewhere for longer than a year and four months since she was fifteen years old (that's nine years of change). I have had all of my things in portable boxes and bins so at any moment I can move conveniently. I am at the point where I am more used to change than consistency. Then, I think of the things in my life that have been consistent through all of the change: the love of my family and the gospel. These things have been constant, and really, they are the only things that matter. This gospel is what is constant. The truthfulness of the PLAN of Happiness helps console me at all times no matter where I am. I guess it's time to settle down, :) and although it somewhat scares me, it also makes me feel excited to have a HOME. I have lived in many "dwellings" over the past few years, but they were never truly home. I am so blessed to finally have a home, a place where my heart can settle for a while. So, here's to the newest change in my life: stability. I am ready for this challenge :)

My Family is Growing Up!

This is the most recent family photo. I have spent lots of time thinking about my family has seemed to all grow up so fast and most of it has been in the last few years. Mike has been back from his mission for a year and a half and is studying at BYU-Idaho. Seth got back from his mission in September, is also studying at BYU-I and is ENGAGED! He is engaged to Leslie Ricks--I just love her, and is getting married April 7th (I am so looking forward to this):) Kim is at BYU-Idaho also(I am beginning to feel left out). Mary is a senior, still deciding where to go. I feel like all at once my family is growing up and all in the college phase (almost) right when I just finished. I had to do it all by lonesome. No fair. Just kidding, I am so happy for them. It has been fun to watch everyone grow and all be in the same phase :)I am so grateful for all of their righteous examples. Yay for family!

What's Been Happening...

Ben and I met in the Spring and were married October 14, 2011. He has been such a wonderful blessing in my life. He is always with me every step of the way. I couldn't ask for a more supportive, righteous, loving, and fun husband. He even survived our engagement through my student teaching (yes, we got married in the middle of my student teaching--we were that in love :) Speaking of, I loved student teaching. I loved my students, my cooperating teacher, discussing literature, hearing their comments-- everything! The only thing I did not like was the constant stress and time constraints, but I am sure if I taught for a few more years, I would get used to it (that's what all the veteran teachers kept telling me). I digress... Ben and I got married in the middle of my student teaching. I student taught until the middle of November when, for the first time in a long time, I was not involved in any education. Since then, I have been trying to accept the fact that I am done with my bachelors, masters, and teaching certificate and I can move on from the phase of education (in the formal sense, of course). It's been nice not having "homework" and "studying", but I miss the satisfying feeling you have after turning in a 30 page paper in a weird, partially insincere way.

Since student teaching, Ben goes to work every day at the bank as a Lending Operations Analyst (he's been doing this for a few years), and I have been finally able to concentrate on making our house a home. We are living in North Ogden, UT, which has a charm about it that I just love! It is nestled at the base/bottom of the mountains, has a great view, wonderful hard-working people with great values, and my favorite community grocery store! Note to everyone: North Ogden is much different than Ogden, even though the only addition is "North," it's totally different than you would imagine Ogden. In fact, we live twenty minutes away from Ogden. We have loved the opportunity to be in our home:

My favorite features are: the kitchen, the big family room, and the fact that Ben and I get to start married life here. Some things that we are going to work on, eventually, are the multi-colored walls, dings, dents etc. Almost every room is a different color. We have a hot pink room, a mustard yellow living room etc. Some of the colors we like and some...not so much. However, the view we have from the back of the house/our back yard makes up for any "color"ing.
Even more than the view, we love the people who surround us. We have amazing neighbors and love our ward. With the last snow storm, we had so many people come snowblow our driveway for us (we haven't gotten one yet...we forgot that we live on the side of a mountain :) We plan to get one soon. These people are so kind, and we are so grateful for their examples. I am in the Young Women organization right now as the Laurels Advisor. I am loving the people I serve with: the leaders and the girls (who happen to be many of my former students from student teaching). Ben and I feel like this is the place where we are supposed to be right now, which is why we came here in the first place. We are so grateful that we are living here, have found each other (after a very long search--at least, that's what it felt like), and have been making so many friends. This was a super long post, but how can you catch up on a few months?! I know--you can't!

Starting out on a Journey...

This is my first blog entry. Ever.

I have been debating this idea with myself for quite a while, wondering what I would write about etc. Finally, I have caved in. I am now working from home as an assessment coordinator for a consulting company. I am loving the flexibility of the job but having less interaction with people has been a new thing for me. Most importantly, many of my friends are scattered across Utah and across the country, and this is a fun, easy way to stay in touch. So, my friends, and family, this is for you and for me :)