Spring at last!!

Well I am so hoping that the sun stays out this time! I had a hard time adjusting to the whole hardcore-blizzard-in-the-middle-of-April thing! haha The weather is so beautiful right now and I am surrounded by the beauty of Utah! ...the mountains, the trees, the grass, the river behind my apartment! It's gorgeous up here! I am really excited to get home next week though! Well...actually I will be stopping in Las Vegas to visit Angela and all them and to meet the famous "Elder Coffey" that I have heard so much about! : ) I am so glad that all of my sisters are finding guys for me! It makes my job easier! haha thanks Drea and Ang! I have really been missing my family and home lately so it will be nice to take a little break before starting back up for summer semester!

This is me on the day of my FIRST BYU PIANO RECITAL! : ) What an exciting day that was! I was so nervous and I had worked so hard on my pieces! My mom, grandpa, aunt and uncle were driving through so they were all able to be there and Michelle and Joey came as well! It was really nice having all that support! : ) I even met a couple people there that were really nice and it was just fun talking to some new people about piano and what they plan to do with it and stuff. It went really well and I am excited for future recitals!

Last Sunday was Easter of course and I had to teach the lesson in Relief Society! (That is my new calling). The lesson tied in really well with Easter (Section 121 of D&C) so I wanted to do something cute to give everyone and make the lesson unique from the typical reading out of the manual. I made these little baskets with the saying and filled the bottom with candy. I think they turned out really cute and everyone loved them.

("The Easter egg is hallow. Just like they found the tomb. For it is meant to represent that Christ had Risen...For me and For you!")

Something that I learned this year on Easter was how real and specific the Atonement actually is. My eyes were really opened up to that. He really knows what pain I am suffering. Not just the general stuff but he knows what it is like to be alone at night, to fail a test that you studied so hard for, to lose a child that you never were able to meet, to suffer through an addiction, to feel so overwhelmed when you are trying to be "supermom", to lose a friend or loved one, to have cancer drain the life out of you and everyone around you. It is SO real and so amazing and I am so incredibly grateful for the gift Heavenly Father has given to each one of us that we DO NOT HAVE TO SUFFER ALONE. Ever.

That has been such a comfort for me as I have been struggling lately with a bunch of things, but trusting in the Lord and going to the temple has really given me strength to push onward! Life is great! : )

Happy Birthday!.....To ME! : )

Well yesterday I celebrated my 21st Birthday! ....I am getting way old. It's weird. It is kind of a bitter sweet thing I suppose. I am excited to be getting older because that means new adventure and new experiences are ahead of me. Yet I am going to miss the years where I didn't have as much responsibility and life wasn't so serious! From conference though I have learned to be happier and I need to work on seeing the good in ALL situations and circumstances! Conference has been so good! The day was really awesome! Michelle invited me over for breakfast and then we watched the first session of conference. After that I went home and got ready for the day and went to check the mail. I had 2 packages and a couple letters!! I was so exciting! I never realized that mail would be such a big thing, and I don't even know why but it is really fun to get mail...; ).

Sheldon came over and helped me open them. He probably thinks I am a freak (if he didn't already that is)! : ) I was going crazy because I was so excited that I had presents and stuff! haha


Tracy sent me all these and they were SO much fun to open up! So. Awesome! Thanks Lady! : )

Angela and the kids sent me some a package as well and it had a nice card, a journal, some pens, a bracelet and some beach stickers that apparently Kayla said I would love them for my birthday! : ) thanks so much Ang! I had a letter from Jared just wishing me a happy birthday and a another card from a family back home. Sheldon brought me a card and a really pretty necklace! I really like it!

....I got a GPS too! Now I will be able to get around a little better! : )

After Priesthood session I went over to Auntie's and then we went over to Derek and Michelle's for the tradition of dinner! It was delicious! and then they revealed my birthday cake! It is SO cute! haha I love it! Terri said that she got this one because she knows I am trying to find my prince at the moment! ; ) (Annabelle is one of my many nicknames!)

After that we watched 7 lbs. with Will Smith and it was so good! It makes you think about life. Anyway it was a really great day and thank you so much to everyone who called, sent stuff, and came to see me! I really appreciate it! It was weird not being home for my birthday for the first time but I am glad I have friends and family up here that care enough about me to make my birthday special!