You can always come back home

Jason Mraz said it perfectly this morning when I discovered the song called "93 Million Miles"

He says:

93 million miles from the sun, people get ready get ready,

cause here it comes. 

It's a light, a beautiful light, over the horizon into our eyes

Oh, my my how beautiful, oh my beautiful mother

She told me, "Son [or daughter] in life you're gonna go far, and if you do it right you'll love where you are

Just know, that wherever you go, you can always come home"

*                    *                  *

240 thousand miles from the moon, we've come a long way to belong here,

to share this view

 of the night, a glorious night, over the horizon is another bright sky

Oh, my my how beautiful, oh my irrefutable father,

He told me, "Son [or daughter] sometimes it may seem dark, but the absence of the light is a necessary part.

Just know, you're never alone, you can always come back home"

With lots of applying, interviewing, praying, and fasting, I have yet to decide what I am doing for the summer... But at least I know that I can always come back home. 

Thanks mom and dad for all your love. I may be seeing you in a few days, who knows.

But you guys are the best.

Love,

Kate

The things we do

Want to see what tiana and I do sometimes to waste time? Check it out here: http://tianabellemcewen.blogspot.com/2012/04/things-we-do-for-entertainment-now-days.html?m=1 We have too much fun in the Mac lab. I'm going to miss this! Love, Kate

Just a little thank you

 

This is my mother.

My funny, sweet, beautiful, amazing, mother.

She is my best friend.

My biggest fan.

My strength.

My teacher.

I don't know what I would ever do without this woman.

She makes me laugh, she makes me cry [but all for good reasons] and I tell her everything.

She teaches me how to love and be loved. She teaches me how to act and serve others. She teaches me how to laugh and how to live my life and love my life. 

She radiates with sunshine and just being around her makes you feel better.

If she can't make you smile, I don't know what ever could.

She is the best example to me in my life and always has the best advice.

I look up to her in so many ways.

The love I have for her is endless and it grows more and more every single day.

And that is why I owe everything I know to her.

She needs to know how appreciated and loved she is.

So Mom, this is to you!

Thank you for everything. Thank you for all the phone calls, the texts, the concern, the love, the friendship, the help, and the thoughts you share with me on a daily basis. 

I hope and pray to be just like you someday and I hope that  my future children will have the same relationship with me that I have with you, because it is firm and built a sure foundation.

Thank you for all that you have taught me.

But most importantly, thank you for raising me in the gospel. Your testimony is seen through your actions and you are such a light unto this world.

I love you so much. 

Once again, thank you so much for absolutely everything.

Love,

Kate

What, how, when, and where?

I don't know what to do. I'm fighting a battle right now inside of my mind. It's a battle of what, how, when, & where. 

What should I do this summer?

How can I make enough money sufficient to support me through summer semester and for my mission?

When will I know if I ever get the job I apply for?

Where should I even apply?

WHAT
SHOULD
I

DO

?

I have yet to hear from EFY, (major bummer), so I assume I didn't get that job.

Should I work at Fishlake Resort and work my life away? Let's be honest, I have nothing else to do and I don't have any friends, so it would be fine.

However, I would have to work on Sundays and I also don't know if I would have internet access (for my online classes!) yikes.

I would make some good money and I would gain a bunch of work experience. I think I would somewhat enjoy it. But then again, I DON'T KNOW. 

Should I move home and try to find a job in Richfield? Let's be honest again, nobody wants to hire someone who is going to be there only for a few months unless it's a "seasonal" job.

Or

Should I try really hard to find a job here in Cedar? If I found a job here, I could possibly keep it throughout fall semester. However, I would DEFINITLEY have to live here and pay rent...

But I could probably move into the apartment that I will be living in during the fall. That way I wouldn't have to move as much!

Gahhhh so many options, so many choices, so many decisions.

I need to make money.

I need a job.

I guess this is all part of growing up. . . but I won't know how things will turn out unless I TRY and unless I put myself out there.

So here is to the future and lot's of praying.

Wish me luck.

Love,

Kate

Mountains to Climb:: Rooftops to find

Sometimes . . .

Today was one of those days. Today I found my beautiful place to be on the rooftop above the laundry room at my apartment complex. 

It was sunny, warm, & lovely.

"If we have faith in Jesus Christ, the hardest as well as the easiest times in life can be a blessing. In all conditions, we can choose the right with the guidance of the Spirit. We have the gospel of Jesus Christ to shape and guide our lives if we choose it. And with prophets revealing to us our place in the plan of salvation, we can live with perfect hope and a feeling of peace. We never need to feel that we are alone or unloved in the Lord’s service, because we never are. We can feel the love of God. The Savior has promised angels on our left and our right, to bear us up. And He always keeps His word."

—President Henry B. Eyring, "Mountains to Climb", General Conference, Apr. 2012

Love,

Kate

He hath sent his angels

Know why I'm thankful? Because life is good and God answers prayers. I know he does. I see it in my life every single day, and I feel it too.

Today was an especially beautiful day and I was able to spend most of it with Tiana in St. George. We've been soaking up life lately and it has just been flying right by. We can't believe that we graduated from high school two years ago and that now we are living our last few weeks together for [probably] the rest of our lives. 

That's right... CHANGE is about to happen. And not just one change, but many... and they are going to be BIG.

I am graduating from SUU with my Bachelor of Science degree in DECEMBER 2012. Can you believe it?! I can't. But it really is happening. It's finalized and the papers are submitted. 

GOODNESS GRACIOUS.

I'm almost done with school!!! I will be taking two online classes over the summer, then a normal (16 credit) fall semester, and then boom. I'll be done before we know it!

But...

guess what I plan on having by [hopefully] the end of August???

my mission call.

That's right, I can submit my papers on August 6th, to be exact.

I have always thought that I would enjoy serving a mission and it has always been a possibility for me. I absolutely LOVE the gospel so much and with all my heart. I would love to share the gospel with others and I know that the Lord could use me as an instrument in his hands for bringing souls unto him. 

I feel like the song "the Call" by Regina Spektor, has perfect lyrics for how my desire to serve a mission came about:

"It started out as a feeling

which then grew in to a hope

which then turned into a quiet thought

which then turned into a quiet word

And then that word grew louder and louder

till there was a battle cry

I'll come back

When you call me

No need to say goodbye"

Then today as I was studying my scriptures, I read Helaman 5:11 which said, "therefore he (Jesus Christ) hath sent his angels to declare the tidings of the conditions of repentance..."

I thought to myself, "Holy cow! Maybe I'm meant to be one of those angels." So I ended up writing next to that scripture, "this could be me"

Right after, I was prompted to turn to D&C 136. Verse 37 immediately stood out to me on the page and it read, "I did call upon by mine angels, my ministering servants, and by mine own voice out of the heavens, to bring forth my work"

WOW.

I knew right then that I was sent to this earth to proclaim this gospel to the world. I wrote next to that scripture, "this IS me" and my heart filled with joy. I know not what the future has in store for me, or what the Lord has planned... but all I can do is trust in him and do what is right. I know that I will/can/already do share this gospel by the way I live and by sharing my testimony with others. I hope and pray that I will be able to do the Lord's will and if He has a mission for me in the future, [which I feel like he does] then I know that I will be ready. . .

Because in the strength of the Lord, I can do all things.

Love,

Kate

Life is like riding a bicycle

Picture from Pinterest

I woke up to a text this morning that said, "Happy Conference day miss Katelin :) would you like to go on a little date this evening?"

(This would be our second date; our first date was last summer)

 I agreed to it and asked if I'd need to bring anything specific. He replied, "Just bring your beautiful self and just some casual out door wear. We're going to go on a little ride that requires some physical activity!"

I was stumped. I had no idea what we could possibly be doing. A four wheeler ride? A hike? What else could it be? Well he said he'd come right after conference ended so to be ready shortly after 4pm.

*    *    *

I knew I was in for a surprise when the doorbell rang and was greeted with a friendly hug. My date came inside and visited with me and my parents for a couple minutes and then finally we left. We walked outside and to my surprise, there was a TANDEM BIKE on my front lawn! I was so excited!

We hopped on the bike and peddled up the road. The sun was shining, the breeze would catch my hair and sometimes it would whip me in the face, but I didn't care. I was having an enjoyable time.

After huffing and puffing once in a while (from going up hills), and permanently grinning from laughing and catching up on each other's lives, we made it to our destination: The beloved (and my favorite) Lions Park. 

As we pulled up to the park, I told him how much I loved this park. I explained to him that one of my favorite things to do when I come to Richfield is to bring a picnic there with my best friend after a fun bike ride or hike. He told me that this was his favorite park too! We parked the bike and hopped off. I had no idea what was going on so I just went with it. He was looking around as if he were looking for something in particular and I asked what was going on. He said we were looking for something, but he wasn't sure where it was. [At this point there were people at one of the pavilions and I noticed right as he looked over there, they pointed in a certain direction and he smiled and nodded. I'm pretty sure I wasn't supposed to see that, but I did anyways, ha ha] So we walked over to another area of the park and came upon a blanket that was set out with food set out on top of it! Along with the food was a beautiful red rose standing up in a vase tied with a red ribbon. I was in shock! It was such a fun surprise! We sat down to have a picnic and enjoyed our sandwiches and punch bags as we continued to catch up with one another. I swear we were laughing almost the entire time. He explained that he wanted to come to the place where we first met... that is why we were at the Lions Park! 

(About four or five years ago, we officially met at the Lions Park during the summer because of a get together before the school year started. There was water balloons and slip'n slides. We just so happened to go on the slip'n slide at the exact same time-- however, he was going the opposite way as me-- to make a long story short, I ended up getting a concussion from our collision and I hardly remember anything from that day. Story has it that he even brought me chocolate chip cookies to apologize, but that memory is very vague. So anyways, that's how we met! We've always had a funny "connection" ever since then.)

 Finally when we were finished eating, we packed up everything and road the bike back to his house where we were suppose to have ice cream cones but we were too full. We dropped off the bike and he drove me back to my house and then he left to go to the priesthood session.

It was one of the most thoughtful, fun, exciting, and surprising dates I have been on and it was lovely. I am so thankful for this great experience I had today. It will definitely be a memory I won't forget.

So like this cute saying, ya gotta keep moving to keep your balance. You'll never get anywhere if you don't start peddling.

Love,

Kate