Step 3

The blessings I feel right now are through the roof. Tonight I finished my mission papers. The stake president has sent them on their way to President Monson and the mission department.

After some misunderstanding with the time of my interview and such I finally finished that last step.

I feel so at peace. I'm so anxious to get my call and find out where I'm going but just knowing that it is all out my hands at this point feels so good.

That is until I realized how really it hasn't ever been in my hands.
It was never my plan to serve a mission.
It was all in His timing to have things take a little longer then planned.
It was Him that gave me the added patience as I waited for those final interviews.
And now it is all in His hands to send me where I need to go.

After my interview, I have never felt so blessed. I just marveled at everything as I walked home and tried to take in the fact that I'm so close to being a full time missionary. That in a few weeks I will know where I will be devoting 18 months of my time. I held in my tears of happiness until I got home.

Sweet Lizzie only said, "dude you're a missionary now." And I just couldn't help but let it out. Guys, this is so real. It is more real then it has been so far. What a blessing.

Guys this church is true. Really. I can't wait to teach people somewhere the truth of it. What a blessing it really is.

Here's to another few weeks of waiting.

My Many Miles

As I said in this blog post, this is my "Many the Miles" story as well as an answer to some of your questions about Mike and my mission, the extra wait time and our story from the beginning, condensed of course. 

We were 12 when we met, we are now 20. It was early into seventh grade and I had just moved so I was the new girl that everyone just assumed went to the “other elementary school” that combined into the Junior High. It was lunch time and another friend walked up to me and announced, “Hey Haley, this is Mike, he has the same birthday as us too!” The rest is history.

            We quickly became best friends. He was one of the first boy best friends I ever had. We were friends but we liked each other, which was obvious to everyone, including each other. However, through the years we had plenty of fights, drama, awkward moments, and so much change. It wasn’t until our senior year of High School that we officially dated. We got to do so many great things together including Prom, and traveling to San Francisco. Then we fell in love, or at least we finally told each other. That was 7 years in the making.

            Throughout our friendship, he had made it clear that he was not interested in serving a mission. This broke my heart but I didn’t push it too much until we graduated high school and both moved out and attended Utah State University. We were 18 and enjoying every second of being together and being at college. However, our next birthday was quickly approaching. I wasn’t very excited for 19 because when exciting things happen when you turn 19? Not much. But I knew that he should have been preparing and getting excited to serve. The topic had been brought up multiple times but each time; I froze when he would say he still was not planning to serve.

            The few months before February were torture. I was constantly worrying, wondering, praying, begging and wishing for him to change his mind. Each time he would confidently say that it just wasn’t for him. Finally I thought to ask why. He explained that he wasn’t going to go because he felt pressured, expected and forced into it. This was two years and he wasn’t going to just give that up if he personally did not want to. My heart broke when he said those things to me. I had never thought about it that way but why did he not feel honored to be able to serve the Lord? How hard was it really, I mean, most everyone we had been friends with were preparing to go, had their calls and were thrilled. What was the difference?

            February 14^th, two days after our 19^th birthday, Mike shared the news with me that he was going to serve. That he was nervous but ready to make that commitment. Then, in a whirlwind and not even 4 months later, he was gone.

            The goodbye process was hard, harder than I could have imagined. The day before he left, we were together while he said some goodbyes, grabbed some last minute necessities and raced around trying to get everything ready. I was never planning on staying through the setting apart and that was for one reason only. The dreaded handshake. I would hug that boy goodbye if it was the last thing I did. But, after some pleading from his parents and him, I agreed to stick around. Boy, was I glad I did. Seeing that boy become a missionary was exactly what I needed. It was the assurance that what was happening was right, hard but exactly right.

            It took probably the summer for me to get back into normalcy after he left. Mostly because all my friends were off, all over the world either on missions themselves or on some summer adventure. The summer was lonely and boring but as soon as I moved back to school things became much easier. I was finally busy, I had other things to think about besides him. My friends were back and there were plenty of opportunities for me to meet new friends. That is the only advice I’d give to the future “waiters.” Just keep busy. Find something you love. Find great friends and stay positive! (I’ve heard they do come back ya know?) School is what did that for me. I was back with my friends who I loved dearly and learned to appreciate them so much more.

            Then the fateful day in all our lives came, October 6, 2012. I was amazed at how quickly the rest of best friends accepted the calling to serve a mission earlier than they had planned. I was so happy for them but how did they just know so quickly? I decided to stick with my previous decision on missions and stay around here. No one was surprised by that decision because I had made it obvious with my friends and family that I had no desire to serve. I convinced myself that just because you could serve now does not mean you have to. You have never wanted to serve before so don’t let an age change make you do it. Still, I felt so much pressure, like everyone almost expected me to go. I wanted it to be my decision because it was a big one, and it was 18 months.

            Then it clicked. I was in Mike’s exact place, not 6 months later than he was. At that moment I wished I had asked so many more questions, had him explain what it felt life, how he dealt with it, everything. I had been too busy wishing he’d change his mind. Which of course he did and look how unbelievably happy he was now. He was so blessed and his life will be forever changed by his decision.

            In January of 2013, I was prompted to serve a mission as well. Mike and I had the same experience with the pressure of deciding and the unexpected prompting. He had been my guinea pig, if you will, with the situation. I watched him struggle. I struggled. I pressured him. I was pressured. He was prompted to serve. I was prompted to serve.

            Now he has been serving in the Kennewck, Washington mission for almost 10 months. We write letters frequently and email on Mondays. Our letters are mostly casual except recently as we have been talking about my service much more. He gives me advice and shares stories with me. I continue to tell him how great he is, celebrate his success with him and help him stay positive.  I visit his loving family when I am home from school, but keep in touch with them while I’m away. Mike and I are still together, or as together as you can be in this situation and I am what I call “waiting and dating.” We have talked about marriage but realize that God often has other things planned for us then we do (obviously) as well as the fact that I will still be out serving when he returns in June 2014.

            I don’t have my call to serve yet but will very soon. The least amount of extra waiting time between Mike and I will be 6 months but it will most likely be longer. However; what a blessing it will be for us to be in each other’s shoes, for him to experience normal life without me and for me to experience a mission on my own. What an even greater blessing it will be for us to serve the Lord together for up to a year.

            That blessing continues as I serve with not only Mike but with 12 of my closest and dearest best friends and my favorite and only sister. What an honor that really is.

Many the Miles

Alright you missionary girlfriends, listen up! 

That includes currently and past faithful, patient girls.

This amazingly cute blog that I follow recently made a request.

All of you girls can help with it. 

Her name is Holly and her blog can be found HERE.

She has requested to have our stories.

The ones we love to tell.

She want's to hear it all.

She has big plans for them I'm sure, I just don't know what it is.

The post about her project is right HERE.

So go write your story, tell her all about your missionary, and relive your experience with your boy.

{I know I did}

I'm thinking about posting my story up here in the future, stay tuned.

Spring Breakin' California Dreamin'

It happened guys. It really did.

I did something awesome for Spring Break for the first time ever.

California got to enjoy the company of four awesome girls last week.

You're welcome Cali.

I'll highlight some of the best moments of this trip for you because I know you are all dying to know.

Let me assure everyone that it was by far one of the best weeks of my life.

I love growing up and being allowed to go on a road trip with friends and having the time of your lives.

Thanks Spring Break, you treated us well.

We arrived and saw the beautiful view. That patio wrapped all the way around with ocean views the whole way around. We woke up and walked along the beach before we even had breakfast. Then stopped at the Pier where we saw two dolphins! {Can you spot them in the second picture??}

The first beach day was perfection. We fell asleep in the sand and soaked up the sun and got out first sunburns of the season. Then Lizzie and Britt went out to boogie board and the furure Mrs. Rex Shields and I sat on the beach and watched. We watched those two teach themselves to boogie board then have to get saved by a super attractive life guard. Don't worry guys, no one drowned. They just don't know the ocean rules. Then we took our time writing in the sand and themed our trip -YOLO- because well, yolo.

We traveled to Balboa Island for some shopping, frozen banana's and lots of sunshine. We all got sweatshirts and little souvenirs then we got to take the Ferry over to the ocean to walk the pier, have some lunch, and shop some more. 

For those of you who don't me very well don't know how much I love sparklers. I just do. They are so fun and pretty and well sparkle-y! So one night, we walked down to the beach and lit 20 sparklers. I loved it. It was so pretty with the ocean waves crashing behind you and the sand between your toes folding fireworks in your hands. And we had to tell some boys that we weren't there for business. Sometimes in California, boys get wasted and are not nice.

We went out to Irvine Mall to do some more shopping. The whole mall is outdoors and has a carousal and a Ferris wheel. So naturally we rode the big wheel and got to look onto beautiful California. The weather was perfect, hot even, which I adore. And Lizzie and I got to be twins when we both purchased sunglasses and fedoras.  

We had to take these gems of pictures on the beach. I mean come on, it's spring break and all. It had to be done.

On our drive home, we decided to make some pit stops {not knowing how long it would make our drive home} The first was in Primm at good 'ol Buffalo Bills to ride the ever popular Desperado it was the largest roller coaster in 1996. Guys, it is huge and so much fun. If you love the feeling of almost throwing up your stomach, you will love this ride. There is one huge drop at the beginning that you literally cannot see the track or any cars in front of you because it is so straight down. It is frightening but so worth it. Then I got to stop in St. George to see my sweet grandparents who are serving there right now on their missions. I don't know the next time I will see them since our time overlaps so it was nice to be able to see them.

Some more of my favorite moments included,

Seeing the Eiffel Tower when we drove through Vegas.

Swinging right on the beach

Having mirrored ceilings and watching the Bachelor Finale all together with the Live after the Rose ceremony just an hour away from us.

This picture. Needless to say, Ash is getting married in 3 months. #handsy

The sunsets from the deck

Taking cliche mirror pictures in the bathroom just so we could send them to Lizzie while she peed. And seeing OZ. "Honestly yo-self!" "My name is Nook! Alright Sour Puss..."

This freaking picture is so perfect I don't even know where to begin. 

Naked.

The face.

El Tigre.

That face. 

Perfection.

These perfect gems. We loved that car and it was parked in the same spot all week. Gotta love Cali.

The disappointment of this girl when this ride not only took her quarter but didn't ever start.

When Britt fell in half while trying to do a handstand. Good job girl.

Not only the majesty of this picture but the fog. As much as I was looking forward to endless sun, I loved the fog we had. And how it was only at the ocean, how it would almost blur out the pier from the porch but you could faintly still make it out, how you could feel it as soon as you walked outside, it just seeped into your skin. 

When Britt re-enacted her favorite movie, Cast Away "Wilson!"

The sweet tan line I got on my foot from the week! Nail Polish you guys, it works!

The last picture of the ocean all together

Some other moments that weren't caught on camera:

Playing beach Volleyball 

The bonfire on the beach we had on the last night

When Lizzie yelled "Un Slut!" in the middle of some store in the mall

Yelling out every license plate state if it wasn't California "Warshington!"

All of Ashley's poop jokes

The poop that Rex put on her bed

Ashley's dads beer jokes

Eating Ice cream and it being okay since it was warm outside

The nasty flavored sodas including Peanut Butter and Jelly,Bacon, and Buffalo Wings.

The YOLO list

Our deliriousness for the last 2 hours of our drive home

The perfect music videos we made in our long drives

The Persian man we got to have dinner with

All in all Spring Break was perfect.

 Now I'm back in Logan, freezing to death and trying to remind myself that 6 more weeks of school can be done. 

Step 2

Hi. So I most definitely submitted my mission papers.

Like just barely.

I can't even.. I don't even know what to say.

Holy. Yes.

Uh huh.

I'm shaking in excitement and anxious-ness.

What a blessing.

That's it. 

Just look at this guys, look at it. 

IT'S BEEN SUBMITTED!!!!!!!