Well, my past previous blogs were about my amazing life in Hawaii, but I think its about time I post about my amazing life in Georgia.

Heres an update for some of you.

1) We are getting married in less than two weeks!!!! I am so excited for my family to all be in town to celebrate this new beginning with us!!

2.) We own a home!!!! Its been SO much work! We have had to make many many decisions on what color for paint, what kind of carpet, find couches, etc, its been so much fun, but also very stressful!

3.) My dream has come true! Christopher put up a tire swing in our back yard! Its not just any tire swing tho, its the best tire swing i have ever swang on haha it goes SOO high and its SOO much fun!

 

Yall all have to come over and swing on our tire swing!!!! hahah its so much fun!!!!



Never let go of the kid in you!!!

 

BOOM SHAKA LAKA

welll, the news is out!! WERE ENGAGED!! haha

I could not be more excited, thrilled, ecstatic, and happier than I am right now. I am so happy to be marrying my absolute best friend. I cant wait to share a life with him. Hes perfect.

My aunt jessica took some engagement pictures for us, it was really fun! Here are how some turned out!!

haha we had some fun with some old trucks and cars =)

I used to blog for my family back home, so that they could see what across the nation in Hawaii! But its fun to be able to blog from home in Georgia. Its an exciting feeling and everyday im more grateful and excited for the future =)


"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life youve always imagined. "
 --- Henry David Thoreau

The Temple

Here is just a bunch of pictures throughout my time here in hawaii at the temple, I thought they were cool- so one more post til I leave after this haha I lied.

But the temple is such an amazing place. I have LOVED every second I have been able to have to go on the grounds and to sit and think,pray, read, or whichever. I can see the temple lit up at night higher than everything else, from my house. I am grateful that I was able to be here for the temple rededication and the open house. I came at perfect timing.  This is something else I will sorely miss but I have been so lucky to have it in my life in such a close proximity for my time here!!!

Below is a video of the cultural celebreation for the temple the first year I was here

"as you an I look to the holy  houses of God, we will be more able to bear every trial and overcome each temptation, in this sacred sanctuary, we will find peace."

-Thomas S. Monson

Well- Hawaii is slowly coming to an end. I have this post, and one more Sunday that I will post next week before it all concludes. It has been an amazing journey. I have learned more than I possibly ever imagined I would on these magical islands. But, before I lay out all my love for these islands, I have a few more adventures to post about before that time comes!

Adventure Number One-
I was blessed to be able to go to San Francisco for tennis! Where we played matches everyday, and won the PacWest Conference Championship! That was such a fun experience! We got to go to the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman's Warf, Lombard Street, and to see the beginning of some of the Redwood Trees!

 Adventure Number Two
This year I have had the amazing opportunity to get to know two of the cutest little boys in the world! Isaac and Mannesse. I live in a house that is three minute walk from the beach, and they live right under me, our house is split into parts, so they come up ALL the time. I have already had to say goodbye to some of my very best friends for an infinite number of time. We don't know when we will really see each other again, which is so sad, but its extremely sad knowing I probably wont ever see these two boys again. But I am eternally grateful for the chance I got to live with them and to hear their laughter, running feet, singing, banging on the piano. I will miss my nickname dubbed by them- "coconut" However, they are now calling me "Coconut- Princess" haha cant complain about that one!    I am gonna miss hearing " Hey coconut- Chech this out!"  followed by an awesome trick on a scooter. They were a blessing in my life- they became my family here on the isna.-

 

Adventure number three

Christopher got to come to Hawaii again!!! He came twice in one semester, How lucky am I?! This year I was so blessed, my cousin came to live with me, my brother came to visit me, my best friend- Haleigh came to visit me- and Christopher came twice! It was so perfect. This time when he came, we went to Pearl Harbor, Hard Rock Cafe, of course the Beach- Sunset Beach- Waikiki, Haliewa, we basically went all over the island, cause he had a car. It was perfect. Life is soooo great!!!! We had such an awesome time. Cant wait to see him in about two weeks!! 

I know this is a really long post, its just been a while, and I had a lot to fit in. But to conclude this post, I think my main feeling is just gratitude. Its so easy to take this for granted. I look outside everyday and know that I am blessed, but I dont have to be in Hawaii to know that I am blessed. I am blessed with an incredible family, and incredible mother and father. I am blessed because of the relationships I have. The relationships I have with my team, the relationships I have been able to create with Isaac and Mannesse, and of course with Christopher. I am blessed with my amazing family. I am blessed with a best friend who shows perfect friendship. Relationships are everything. After living for two and half yeas in Hawaii with no car, few material things, Ive learned that material things mean NOTHING in life. Its about relationships with living, breathing, human beings. I couldn't be more blessed withe people in my life.

OK- Well one more post in Hawaii- Cant wait for the next one!

"He is not here, He is Risen"

I am so grateful for the love of my Savior, Jesus Christ. I am so grateful that he atoned for my sins, and that he died, so that he could Rise again, and Live. There were three days of darkness, heart ache, and hopelessness for many, but on the third day, Sunday, He rose. He Lives. I love the talk that says "Sunday will Come". We all have darkness, heart ache, and hopelessness sometimes in our lives, but "Sunday Will Come". He Lives. He Lives for each of us. I am so grateful for that, and we will Rise as well. Because of Him.

"He is risen from the dead, and I will rise when he calls my name, no more sorrow, no more pain, I will Rise on the eagles wings, before my God, fall on my knees, and Rise"

Well the past couple of weeks have probably been some of the best couple of weeks in my life. I feel unbelievably blessed and outrageously lucky to have such amazing people in my life.

I have been blessed to live in three amazing places in my life. I grew up in, what I consider, the most amazing-comforting-loving place- Marietta, Georgia, I lived in Provo, Utah- where I met some of the most incredible people in the world and learned to live in the beautiful white snow surrounded by beautiful white tipped mountains. And I now live on a tropical island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean surrounded by white tipped waves. I am incredibly lucky.

Haleigh Hodges has been my best friend in all three of these amazing places, and I finally got to share one of my homes with her, and it happens to be this amazing tropical island. We had such a great time! We went to the beach, where she didnt wear sunscreen, haha, went to Kahuku Grill, went to the Polynesian Cultural Center, went snorkeling and swimming with a Sea Turtle, went to the Temple, and just did all the good stuff. It was so fun to be with friends that I have only known for two years, and say yeah, I have known her since I was a baby. It was such a sense of home having her here, and Im so glad I got to share it with her!

As if having Haleigh was not amazing enough, I was lucky enough to have Christopher come and visit me here in Laie, Hawaii too!!

So count that ladies and gentlemen, two visitors, in two weeks!! It was AWESOME!!! So now, I am personally inviting whoever would like to come visit me in hawaii now. haha I love visitors!!

OK well Christopher arrived in Hawaii on Thursday and left on Sunday. It was so fun introducing him to all of my friends and getting the chance to show off the mystery guy that everyone had heard so much about. We had such a fun time!! We went to my favorite beach called Keikis, to the place Pirates of the Carribean was filmed, Kahuku Grill- everyone must go there!, Some old Ww2 Bunkers, Turtle Bay- and to foodland. hahah foodland was definitely the most frequented spot during our trip haha.

Well, I always like to end my blog with some kinda thought. I dont know who really reads this and who doesnt, but I usually just try and think about something that has been on my mind lately and just try to write it out in words, and that way, it really helps me.

But despite my amazing two weeks, we all know that life has road blocks. There are times when everything in our life could not possibly get any better, and there are times, when it feels like everything is crashing at one moment. Sometimes people around us are going through really really difficult times,  And then sometimes, we are those people, and we wish that they would recognize us. Road blocks come out of nowhere, and they can deaden our stride and make us feel weak, helpless, angry, frustrated, you name it. Everyone feels these things, the hard part, that not everyone can do, is letting go of these feelings. The truth is, is road blocks happen for a reason. They happen so that people can come together, lean on each other for support and learn to love each other. God wants us to support each other, he wants us to help each other when we are need. He atoned for our sins and allows us to lean on Him. Help to others is the best love we can give. Whether you are facing a road block yourself, or you know someone facing one, the best medicine for your own problem and anothers, is by helping someone else.

This video is so inspiring, It can not be easy for someone to go through something like she is, but she does it with such graceals, optimism, and service. She is an inspiration to me, and in my SMALL trials and road blocks that I go through, I hope that I can with even a small amount of the grace, service, and love that she shows.

Well that past couple of weeks have been busy!!! I went to Arizona and saw my beautiful amazing cousin, Leah Krogh, and my awesome amazing grandma and a bunch of cousins that I dont always get to see so that was so fun!!!
The week was EXHAUSTING. Two matches a day, plus we were there with the men's team, so we watched them play as well. Here was my schedule.

6:15 wake up
Breakfast
Tennis warm up
Tennis match
Lunch
Warm up again
Match
Watch Boys Play
Dinner
Sleep
Start it again the next day.

We did this for 5 days, but it was SO fun, and we won all of our matches!!

Right to left

Jia (China) Sophie(Canada) Marietta (New Zealand) Me! Annie (China) Sasha (Slovakia) Tanja (Germany) and Sheri (China)

The next week was full of catching up on homework and blah blah blah that good ole stuff. hahaha

But the coolest thing ever!!! I Saw Jon Schmidt and Steven Sharp Nelson, who are just absolute incredible musicians. They blew my mind. They are people who just have raw talent. Its obvious they have put years and dedicated hours into practice, but their talent, is jaw dropping.

Here is two of the songs they played for us, the first I wanted to share with you is perfect because I live in paradise =) haha So if you have heard Paradise by Coldplay, it is an African twist on that song!

This one is just really cool.

Music is amazing. It is the one thing that doesnt need a language. Why words are so powerful in this world; raw, lyricless music can touch people from every part of the world. I sat in the Gym, where they were performing with a school that is filled with students from more than seventy different countries. I sat with students from Fiji beside me, students from Asia in front of me, Students from Australia to my right, and any country, you name it, filled the rest of the auditorium. And you know what was so cool? Everyone was touched differently, but in the same way. While these songs are just modern day songs that are on the radio, the melody, and the talent, did not need a language to fill the hearts of the people around us. Sometimes the best language is no language, but rather just a feeling of love, friendship, and inspiration to be better at whatever it is you do. To be better as a person, as an athlete ,as a musician, as a daughter, a mother, a father, a son, a roomate, a colleague, an employer,  as a student, and just as a child of God. Inspiration comes in many ways, and music, for me, cultivates it.

Here is one last one that inspires me, and hopefully it does you too!

This is just Steven Sharp Nelson, but he is so talented, and this is his twist on the original.