Summer after my 3rd year of College - 2007

June 9, 2007 - During the Summer of 2007 I worked as an EFY (Especially for Youth) counselor.  I did a session at the U of U, two sessions at NAU, a session at EAC, and a session at BYU.  After my first session at the U of U some of the counselors and I went to the Gateway Mall to do the EFY line dance in the fountain.  I am the second one in on the left.

This is my first group of girls as an EFY counselor.  They attended at the U of U.  I am on the floor on the left.

This is my whole group during my first session at the U of U.  Aaron Coombs was my co-counselor, who taught me so much.  He is on the front row far left and I am on the front row far right.

My group at EAC (Eastern Arizona College, in Safford, AZ).  I am on the far right.

My group of girls at the first NAU session I worked.

My whole group of teens at the first NAU session I worked at.

Ben and Adam attended the second session of EFY I worked at NAU.  I was not their counselor but I did like seeing them around.  During the few days in between each of the NAU sessions, I stayed with Uncle Richard and Aunt Marissa.  Marissa had just had surgery for breast cancer.  I was able to help out a little by finishing painting a room she had started and keep her company as she recovered.

Adam at NAU EFY.  He and Ben were the studs of EFY.  Every girls was in love with them.

My group of teens at the 2nd EFY session at NAU

My co-guides for the second session of EFY at NAU - Jason Linford and Cari - Jason is a talented ukulele player.  Our group enjoyed it and it really tested my patients as it was not always being played at the most appropriate times.  But we all survived.

BYU Deaf Session that I worked.  We were 2 groups of girls, and 2 groups of boys that were combined.  My girls and one of the boys groups had deaf and hearing teens in them.  The other 2 groups were just hearing teens.  I was a sign language counselor and had to sign the lessons I taught, interpret for those who did not sign, give instructions, EVERYTHING, in both sign language and speaking.  It was a fun, exhausting and rewarding week.  I truly felt I was sustained and uplifted by God.  I prayed harder that week than I may have ever prayed in my entire life as I could not do it without him.  At times I felt my hands guided.  I feel I had been given the gift of tongues for that week.

Our whole group during BYU's deaf session - I am on the front row far right

My wonderful co-counselors for BYU EFY Deaf session.  Chelsea, Jason, Me, Nate, Emily

I was able to stop by the Salt Lake Temple to explore temple square as I waited for a flight to my next EFY session.  The SLC airport has a shuttle that takes you from the airport to Temple Square and back.  I had used it before as a teenager after attending EFY at BYU.  It was wonderful.

As a counselor I meet some wonderful people who I later dated and have been influencial in my life.  One of the most influencial is Kyle Spencer.  In this picture we were on a date at the Cheese Cake Factory.  He had picked me up from my brother's swim meet to take me out.  We dated off and on.  He called me a princess because when we would go ballroom dancing, I would not always follow so well do my own thing.  He has a wonderful sense of humor and an ability to flatter.  He is very kind.  It was Kyle who changed my life by confronting me about my not fully committing to one person to date and marry.  He was very blunt about it and upset that I would not decide to date him.  I thought about what he said and began thinking about if I did decided to date someone exclusively who would it be.  It was then that I decided that Joshua is who I would most like to date more seriously.  That then led to us getting married.   Thank you Kyle for speaking so boldly and honestly to me.  You were right that I would not commit to date exclusively anyone and got me moving again, even if it was not to marry you.

Randy Davis and I met at EFY as well.  We were both counselors from the Phoenix area.  We went on a date or two and had a great time.  He was the first one to get me to eat sushi.  I even liked it. After Sushi we went to a mall north of Phoenix and danced the EFY line dance in a water fountain.  It was great fun.  Thank you Randy for teaching me to love sushi.

Getting ready to go to the Opera in Salt Lake with Paul Bodily Fall 2006

Halloween 2006 with my roommates Darcee Thomson Bowen and Brooke Yates when we were living at the Riviera Apartments

Christmas 2006 with Jasmyne and Adam

Christmas 2006 with Jasmyne, Adam, Luke and Myself

December 2006 with my Riviera Apartment roommates - me, Alyssa Anderson Yandow, Darcee Thomson Bowen, Brooke Yates

December 2006 in our Apartment in our green kitchen

February 2007 - Cibola Arizona trip with Arnett Family to find Grandpa Marvin's plane crash site and see the farm

The old bobcat at Cibola that Grandpa Marvin used to work the fields

March 2007 dropping Jasmyne off at the MTC to start her mission.  She went to the Russia Moscow West Mission.  Jasmyne, with Adam on her arm are in this picture.

Daniel and Caleb in my coat at the MTC when we took Jasmyne there to begin her mission.  She was a good missionary.

Caleb and Daniel - they had so much fun playing together

Caleb and Daniel playing together when we dropped Jasmyne off at the MTC.  They would run up and down the sidewalk.

April 2007 - Michelle Rogers came to visit for General Conference.  She stayed with me and we had a great time together.  This is us late at night when we decided to take pictures of ourselves.

May 2007 - flying with my family (everyone but Jasmyne) and Aunt MaryAnn, Junetta, Barbara, Sandy, Uncle Rex and cousin Leliani, and others to Missouri to be there for Uncle Don's baptism.  My Dad baptized Uncle Don.  One year later, Aunt Marsha, his wife, was also baptized.  The following year they were sealed in the Nauvoo Temple.

We had the plane almost to ourselves.  It was fun to have so many family members on this flight.

We flew into St. Louis Missouri during this trip to see Don be baptized.  Don was living in Mexico, MO at the time.  This is use waiting for the bus to take us to get our rental car - with our large family it was a large van.  At the end of this trip, Mom and the boys flew out of Kansas City airport.  Dad and I drove the van back across the state to St. Louis to return the van as they required us to take it back to the location we rented it from.  We then flew out of St. Louis.  I liked spending that time with my Dad.

Caleb and Daniel were so tired after this long flight.  This was the first time they had flown on a plane and they seemed to like it.

May 2007 at the Nauvoo Temple during our trip to Don's baptism - back row L to R: Adam, Ben, Jessica; Middle: Luke; Front row L to R: Caleb, Daniel

Ben

Nauvoo Temple - picture I took during our trip end of April/beginning of May 2007

Me at the Nauvoo Temple during our trip for Don's baptism

 

 

 

 

May 3, 2007 - one year to the day before Joshua and I were married I was in Mexico, MO at Uncle Don's house - this may also have been the day he was baptized but more likely it was a day or two after.  I took these pictures myself of his home and the farms surrounding it.  I love this area and think it is one of the most beautiful places in the world.  To me it is very peaceful.  The first time I had come to this place was when I was 12 or 13 with Mom, Dad and Jasmyne.  I remembered so much of it even though I was now 20 years old.  Ever since visiting here, I have dreamed of one day living here. 

May 3, 2007 - Mexico, MO.  Barn across from Don and Marsha's house.

May 3, 2007

I am very pleased with the way these pictures turned out.  I love this area and I feel the pictures capture some of the beauty of the area.  Unfortunately though, there are lots of ticks in this area.  We went for a walk in the pastures and came home to find them all over our clothes.

May 3, 2007 - Mexico, MO

May 3, 2007 - Mexico, MO - Don and Marsha's house.  I love the enclosed porch that they have on this house.  There home here became my first dream home.  I think it is such a beautiful home.  In 2010, they moved to another town about 10 minutes away from here. 

Honeymoon May 3 - 10, 2008

Chichen Itza

On May 4, 2008 we flew from Phoenix to Cancun, Mexico.  From Cancun, we took a bus to Playa del Carmon.  There we walked the cobblestone streets while we waited for our next bus.  Next we boarded a bus to Tulum, Mexico.  Once in Tulum, we walked the streets to find our hotel, a nice, clean place run by the town doctor and his wife.  They both spoke English and were helpful in knowing where to eat, where not to eat, how much cabs should cost and where people might try to rip us off.

During our time in Mexico, we took buses to see several ancient ruins.  We saw the Ruins of Tulum, Chichen Itza, and Coba.  We also went to several beaches, out to eat, spent the day with David, enjoyed walks in Tulum and saw some of Cancun.

Chichen Itza

On our way to the airport to return to the states, Joshua was given marital advice by our cab driver.  I did not understand what he told him (almost everyone we met did not speak English and speak no Spanish) but Joshua laughed a lot and seemed to enjoy it.

Chichen Itza  - Joshua is the man in the picture

From Cancun, we flew to Toluca, Mexico - spent a few hours at the airport, and then flew to Tijuana.  Once in Tijuana, Joshua left me outside with our luggage while he went to an ATM.  While he was gone a pigeon pooped on my head.  When Joshua came back, I had tears in my eyes and he looked at his new wife, laughed then moved his luggage away so it would not be pooped on.  Then we boarded a bus which took us to the San Diego Train Depot, where his Dad picked us up.  Although the traveling was long and I felt sick most of the time (we now know it was because of my blood sugar), it was a lovely trip.

Chichen Itza - ball court

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza - temple

Chichen Itza - by the ball court

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza  - ball court and temple

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza - top of temple

Chichen Itza - Joshua is the one in the picture - he does not like to have his picture taken or to have people in the pictures he takes. 

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza  - skulls!

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza - bath house

Chichen Itza  - this area is known as something like the thousand pillars

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza - me by the big towers

Chichen Itza - me being eaten by the feathered serpent

Chichen Itza - Joshua and I at the Cenote

Chichen Itza  - Me at the cenote where they would throw people in as sacrifices to the gods

Chichen Itza - me at the foot of the Temple

Joshua & I on our day out with David - he took us to a secluded white sand beach, cenote and Akumal - here we are at Akumal looking for Sea turtles.  David and Joshua knew each other when Joshua was a missionary in Mexico.  We happened to run into David in an internet cafe in the small town of Tulum.  Tulum is one of my favorite places on earth.  It is a beautiful town with a beautiful people.

Joshua & I at Akumal

Joshua and I at Akumal

Beautiful beaches of Akumal on our day out with David

Here Joshua and I laid down in the sand under a palm tree and both feel asleep.  It was wonderful.  David was so kind to show us around.

This is the secluded beach that David took us to early in the day.  We were the only ones there.  There were also no resorts to be seen.  I liked being in this water because it was so clear you could see your feet and anything else swimming around you.  It also was not too cold.

Our very own beach.  If you hike back into the trees in the background (really it is apart of the jungle) there is a fresh water cenote which we also swam in.