3 weeks

I've got three weeks.

It's going by really fast.

And I'm sorry I've been slacking with posting, but man, getting ready for a mission is hard stuff

When it's time to mission shop, I just gotta be a big girl and do it. 

But it's definitely a horror. So ladies, just prepare yourself for the emotional trauma. 

And maybe a few tears in the dressing room.

But I just gotta tell myself that it'll all be worth it. Cause it will. In 3 weeks. I'll be Hermana Wood

And that's a fact jack!

It's ok

It's ok to miss the one who would sing with you in the car

It's ok to listen to Mumford and Sons over and over again

It's ok to kill the car 15 billion times while learning stick shift.

It's totally ok to drive to Provo to get some delicious BYU Creamery and wait in line for 30 min

It's ok to anxiously wait for the postman to drop off his letters

And it's definitely ok to want your sweetheart to share in these adventures

But it's also ok to know who you are without him

Sister Missionary Shopping

Alright, let's face it. Elders have it SUPER easy shopping for their missions. 10 white shirts, a couple slacks and lots of ties. Boom. Done.

But ladies, we've got our work cut out for us. And I'm just gonna state it right here. I AM NOT A FAN OF THE PIONEER MISSIONARY LOOK. I am so grateful that the church tweaked their standards on what sister missionaries can wear!! More color, more variety and more classy. But, unlike our fellow brethren, we have to mix and match and coordinate and watch skirt length and material and care, etc etc. Sounds hard, huh? Well, fear no more. I've compiled a couple of different places to look for clothes and shoes. {Mostly shoes because that's what I'm REALLY concerned about}

For months I've been on the prowl for sister missionary clothes so hopefully this helps you girls out!

Tip: DO NOT buy anything until you receive your call! This was so hard for me to resist cause I saw soo many cute tops/skirts/dresses all over Pinterest that I tried to rationalize buying, but I never did. And I'm so glad I didn't because wool dresses would not have been kind to me in Mexico. 

Let's start from the top down, shall we?

H&M shirts here

H&M is perfect for basic tops and shirts! And honestly, their prices are pretty killer! You're gonna need some basics for those good ol' 18 months. 

ModCloth here

ModCloth is a little bit of a hit-or-miss. Either they have adorable shirts or what they pulled out of grandma's closet. But if you keep your eyes open, you can find some pretty cute things! Also, watch the reviews and the laundry care cause if it says "Machine Wash cold" and you're going to the middle of the Rainforest, chances are you ain't gettin your hands on a washing machine. So just be aware.

ASOS here

ASOS has soo many adorable skirts and if you watch closely, some of their prices will go down. But this is the best company that I've seen that does below-the-knee skirts without gearing it towards LDS women. Also, free shipping! Who doesn't love that?

  

ModCloth here

ModCloth has some very cute items, but they are a little pricier. That seems to be the norm with skirts, though. But remember to watch the length! For some reason, ModCloth has more short skirts than long. So look at the measurements and then MEASURE YOURSELF. Don't guess!!

Eshakti here

Ok so Eshakti is my favorite BY FAR. Wanna know why? Two words: Custom Tailoring. Yeah, you heard it right, ladies. You can choose the length of your skirt! And there's also a place to put your personal measurements so it'll fit swimmingly. Worth every penny. And their returns are fantastic as well!

Alright ladies, here comes the heart to heart. I am a big advocate for NO clunky trunky sister missionary shoes! Please show your support by avoiding these!

There are other options that are just as comfortable and durable!! And much cuter!! Don't fall into the "I'm so frustrated at trying to find cute shoes, I'm just gonna buy these!" NO! no no no! You might as well strap bricks to your feet! So please, just hang in there! I've got options for ya! {But remember, cheap price: cheap shoe}

Women's Avesso here

Reviews are great for this shoe! What you really want to look for is durability, versatility and comfort. This shoe has it all!

Women's Captiva Strap Waterproof boot here

Women's Born Julianne here

This lovely flat comes in 10 different colors and the reviews are very positive. This shoe is comfortable enough for lots and lots of walking! And of course it's cute.

So that's all I have so far! Leave comments below if you have any questions or if you've found anything! Also, check out my Pinterest board for more missionary ideas!

Missionary Girlfriend

I never never NEVER thought I would be a missionary girlfriend.

Honestly.

If you asked me 3 years ago, "Would you ever wait for a guy for 2 years?" I'd probably laugh and keep laughing.

I was somewhat cynical back then.

But here I am, I've joined a very special group of girls known as "Missionary Girlfriends". And honestly, my respect for people like Hailey Devine, Eden Lee and Skylar Hunt (my step cousin) {who were missionary girlfriends} has sky-rocketed. Because this is HARD.

It's hard waiting a whole week to hear from your sweetheart, IF he has enough time to write you. It's hard not being able to reach out and hold his hand or put your head on his shoulder or feeling his hugs that only he can give. It's hard not hearing his voice or talking to him. And honestly, it's hard keeping a relationship going when ALL you have is letters and pictures.

But I've never been more proud or satisfied than being a missionary girlfriend, especially Dex's missionary girlfriend :)
Because as much pain and sorrow that I've felt with Dex being gone, I've felt equal amounts of joy and excitement. He's on a mission! He's really there in DC!
It was not easy getting to this point in our lives, which is a whole other story, but it has been so worth it!

This is such a learning experience for me and it's been really hard. But I couldn't be more happy than where we are in our lives right now.

Later I'll probably post tips about being a missionary girlfriend, because there are things I've learned that I think would help the entire ARMY of missionary girlfriends out there, but I'm still learning. So we'll hold off on those for a while.

The future is exciting, isn't it?
Especially when you watch this. :)

There are the hard days

Well, it's been 11 days since I sent my sweetheart off on a mission, but who's counting?

It's been hard, but at the same time I've found strength to carry on. I think because I expected it to be hard it hasn't been too hard to handle. But the hours after he left I sobbed and sobbed. At 11 o'clock at night I cried to my mom {bless her heart} and sat on the kitchen floor. I missed him already. It seemed he had become imaginary, a ghost or a figment of something I dreamed. He didn't feel tangible or attainable. He was gone. And I was still here.

All these doubts started to surface, like "Could we make it two years? What kind of people will we be? Will we still love each other? Will he forget about me? Will I forget about him?"

But soon after I received a letter from an Elder Armstrong and my heart leaped. I couldn't read that letter fast enough. He still loved me! He told me about all the adventures he had had thus far and how exhausted he was. My love and admiration grew ten times after reading that letter. And it continues to grow every time I see a letter addressed to me and I read his scribbly handwriting.

It was amazing and comforting to see how many people have reached out to me this past week, giving me words of encouragement and advice on how to weather the next two years without my partner in crime. It's really helped and made me feel peaceful.

I've come to accept that there will come certain times where I'll want to tell Dex about a nightmare I had, or ask him certain questions, or share something with him that'll make him laugh, but he won't be there. Instead of him being a text message away or a few blocks down the road, he's now a letter away and hundreds of miles from me.

But I'm so excited for the adventures to come! I'm excited for him to get to DC {this Wednesday} and for me to start my mission! Life is exciting and wonderful! These next few years are going to be the most memorable moments of my life and I'm excited for them!

Good-byes and tear stains

 

I said goodbye to the best human being I've ever met. He's challenged me every day, he's comforted me, he's wiped away my tears and he's been there to laugh at the weird things I do.

Last night he was set apart as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After he's set apart, he's to abide by the missionary rules {no being alone with the opposite sex, no inappropriate physical contact with the opposite sex, etc} So as we walked out to my car to go to the Stake President, we were both sobbing. We stood next to my car and kissed through our tears. Here was this strong boy, one who never cries, and he was sobbing because he knew we would be apart for 2 years.

Quietly, he took my face in his hands and said, "This will be our last kiss, ok?"

LOST IT.

I was crying but I tried to pull myself together as we entered the Stake President's office.
As soon as that responsibility as a missionary was put upon Dex, I felt a great peace. I knew the future would be as bright as my faith. I felt peace that Dex would be okay and these experiences that we're gonna go through together will only strengthen our relationship.

There are going to be really hard days and then there will be days where I can make it through. Take the good with the bad. I can do this.

It's not goodbye, it's see you later.

The temple

Saturday I went through the temple for the first time.

For those of you who don't know, a temple is a building that LDS members revere as very sacred and it's a building where we do special work for relatives that have passed away. There are promises we make in the temple between God and ourselves and it's a very special day when you're able to enter for the first time. You have to be worthy enough to go in, and meet certain moral requirements.

For 19 years I've been taught about the temple and looked at it with wide, wondering eyes. What would it be like inside? Would I feel peaceful? Would I feel beautiful?

As I slipped on my temple dress, I felt pure and wonderful. I was dressed in white and I felt like I floated from room to room.

It was everything I thought it would be and so much more. I know that temples are sacred and beautiful to Heavenly Father. By being inside, we're able to hear Heavenly Father's voice more clearly.

It was such an amazing day