A New Semester!

I am loving this semester thus far! I had a great Christmas break with my family and with my boyfriend's family! I loved spending time in San Diego and Vernal. Spending time with family is the most important part of the holiday season! This new semester is going to kick my butt, but I'm grateful for the challenge, and the amazing school that I am able to attend. I feel like I will be very busy! Lots of classes, time with my amazing boyfriend, a great new job, and some great religious experiences! I have been so blessed with a wonderful life here in Provo, Utah. I am so happy to be here. Many people talk about how much they hate Provo and Utah in general. I absolutely love it here. I am really lucky to be going to such a great school and to be surrounded by such great people. I'll keep updating my blog throughout the semester with new exciting things that are happening this semester! I have a feeling that this is going to be a great semester!

Only One Month Left!

Wow this semester has been hectic! Obviously, because I haven't written on my blog in forever. All of my classes are going really well. I enjoy being an IR major a lot. It's super challenging, but I'm learning a lot. Working, school, friends, family, and a boyfriend is definitely a lot of juggling but somehow I have found a way to manage and I'm doing pretty well! I can't wait for this upcoming week though, because it's Thanksgiving break! Yay! Finally a break from school and life in general! I am going to be staying at Little America with Keaton's family to celebrate the holiday, and am really happy about it. Especially because that means I will get to see Temple Square all lit up! B-E-A-utiful! :] I just got a new job working for Wilson Diamonds. Such an amazing opportunity and I seriously have been so blessed. They seem to be a really great team/family and I'm excited to be a part of it! Everything in my life seems to be going really well and I truly have been blessed. I have been a little sick lately, but I am hoping my body corrects itself and gets back on track soon. I have been praying about it a lot. Well, I guess I have run out of time tonight!
Doctrine and Covenants midterm tomorrow! Sister Lisa Tait is my professor and she's amazing. Hoping I do well!
I'll update soon with pictures.

School has begun!!!

Wow, it's already been my second week! It's so crazy that I have already been through two weeks of Fall semester. Life has been going really great lately. My hair is dark again! It's really different and hard to get used to, but I enjoy being a brunette again. September is going to be a great month and I'm excited for it. But I'm even more excited for my birthday in October! 19! It will be so so so great. Keaton keeps asking me what I want for my birthday, but I really have no idea. I am always bad at telling people what I want, gift wise. I have mixed feelings about this semester. I know it's going to be a hard one, school wise, but I feel like something great is going to happen this semester. I've been praying so much and just know that something great will happen! I just am wondering what that will be.
I love my life, and I love Utah! :] Can't wait to see how this semester goes.

Back in the Swing of Things

So my new roommates are supposed to move in today. It will be a lot of fun! I'm excited for the change.
This week I'm working full-time, until school starts on the 29th. I've been ready for some change, something new and exciting to keep me on my toes. I'm hoping that semester does that for me.
I am now off all medication! I made sure that I could slowly get myself off all the medications I was on, and am so happy that I am no longer dependent upon them. I just want to let my body heal itself and it has! I am feeling quite a bit better, and am so happy because of it.
Everything in life has been going really great. I have been so blessed and I notice it more and more everyday.
Lately I've been power walking to the temple and back. It has been good for me to me to see the temple all the time. I especially love it in the evening, because it's all lit up and glowing! This summer I celebrated my one year anniversary of being baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! It's been the best year ever so far. Definitely a lot of hard times and tears, but I am thankful for the knowledge I have gained and the love I have shared.
Now it's time to get back to work...

Fall is Almost Here

I cannot believe that it is already going to be fall semester. It feels like just yesterday I started summer up here in Provo. I have made such close friendships this summer, and respectfully declined participating in the "Summer of Treason". Taylor Dong, you have been an amazing friend and I cannot tell you enough how much you mean to me! You are the greatest best friend I could have ever asked for! Keaton Jolley, you have been a great boyfriend and a fantastic support system this summer and I'm so grateful for the wonderful times we have!
I wish summer didn't have to end! But regretfully, reality must come back and I must go back to school! I am really going to enjoy this semester though. My major is International Relations and I have a pretty hefty load this semester.With all the weddings this past week, I'm pretty exhausted, but so happy for all the wonderful couples that have been married in the temple this summer! To name a few:

Cameron & Aurielle Kimball
Thatcher & Auslinn Schuler
Christian & Bre Jones
Zac & Danielle Rigby
Anthony & Jamie Woolstencroft
Miguel & Jordan Enciso
and last but DEFINITELY not least
Daniel & Regan Gilster

I love you all and am so happy for the wonderful decisions you have all made.
As this new semester starts, I look forward to new adventures, new friendships, and most of all, a new me!

Spring is coming to an end

Does it make me sad? Yes of course. I don't want Spring to end! I'm not ready for it to! I have been so busy with work lately, and I am loving it.
I am going to go to the Logan temple this weekend, and I am going hiking tomorrow. I can't wait. I love staying busy. It keeps my mind in the right places, and helps me to focus on what is truly important and what the Lord wants me doing.
Spiritually these past few months have been hard. In trying to find a balance where I can figure out what the Lord wants for me, I've spiraled into a lot of interesting situations and lots of tears. Doing what my Heavenly Father wants is sometimes the hardest decision that has to be made, but it is ALWAYS the best one. I have grown a lot spiritually and am looking forward to celebrating my one year anniversary of my baptism into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on July 10th. This year has truly had it's ups and downs, but throughout, I have felt the love of a Heavenly Father that understands my trials and can walk me through them with ease.
What I am grateful for this week:
I have also grown to love and respect my mom a lot more. I realize the wonderful things she has done for me and the sacrifices that she has made in order to be the amazing mother that she is. I'm grateful for her in so many ways, that just can't be expressed in words. She is the most amazing woman I know. I am grateful for my dad. His humor and most of all his love continually show through, regardless of how hard he tries to hide it! My dad is the perfect example to me of a successful person. He does what he loves every day and has always set an example for me to set my sights high and aim for the biggest and best that I can be in every situation. I am so happy for my step-mom, Vanessa, in my life. She is so good at planning and being organized. She is a strong willed woman and always stands up for what she believes. Vanessa is one of those people that you love to be around because she is always doing things for other people without a worry in the world. I am grateful for my step-dad, Bim. Him and I are so similar that we clash a lot. But what I have come to realize is that I'm grateful for the tiffs that we have had over the years, maybe it has trained me to be a lawyer! Haha. I love him for always trying as hard as he could at being a step-dad and just being a wonderful man in general. I am so thankful for my sister, Julia. She has always been a great big sister. When I was little, and fat, she made me watch what I ate. She has always been there for me, and she has always been my biggest advocate. She was the first person who stood up for me joining the LDS church. I love her so much, and even though we are complete opposites, I'm happy we get along so well.

I have been realizing what I am grateful for lately. I know that I have so many more things to be grateful for, but above all, I am grateful for my family.
This has been a great month, and I can't wait to see what comes next.

The Start of Summer in Utah

It has been a while since I have written on here and I thought I'd give the update!
I am still up in Provo, Utah just working and living in an apartment. It's been really great to get to know my roommate Julia Dold. She is a complete sweetheart and I really enjoy living with her. It's been easy to adjust to living on my own. I am really happy up here. Utah is the place for me! Beautiful scenery, lots of Mormons, cute boys, great friends, and finally getting to good weather.
I have been dealing with sickness a lot lately, but got some great news after an endoscopy on Thursday. I am healing up great! Now we just need to figure out what is causing me to get sick all the time in the first place. My mom came up to help out with that and also to just hang out for a little while. It was such a blessing to have her around and I loved introducing her to all my friends.
A big goal of mine for this summer is to visit all the temples in Utah. It seems like a lofty goal because there are so many of them, but I will accomplish it! As of right now I have visited:
Salt Lake City Temple
Manti Temple
Provo Temple
So exciting! I love to see how different they all are, and how unique they are in a special way.
I miss my family a lot. It has been great making friends and dating, but no one is the same as my family! My dad's sense of humor, my mom's compassion, my sister's goofiness, I miss it all!
Cannot wait to be home in a couple weeks so that I can spend some time with family!
Planning a trip to the 45th Annual Star Trek Convention. It is in Las Vegas, Nevada on August 11-14! So fun!

I'll be sure to write soon.

-Michelle

Taylor and I trying to be each other.

Manti Temple!

Salt Lake City Temple!

Aw