2014

Gosh, we are almost to February and I have just been procrastinating writing this post. I wanted to talk about my 2014, a year I will always remember. It is past midnight, but sometimes I have more of a writing bug at night and so sometimes I write and just don't make sense. So hopefully I do. Ya know, make sense.

So many things have happened this year, good and bad, happy and sad. 

I have learned so many things. I have done so many things. I continued my work at One Exchange. I continued my schooling at SLCC. Madi wrote me a letter begging me to take a trip to China with her. I questioned my religion. I continued writing and waiting for Mike. Mike hit his year mark in July. I continued letting my hair grow, although I thought about chopping it again several times. I took a Children's Lit. class at SLCC during the summer and found a love for children's books. I quit my job at OE in August. I traveled to Oregon in August with family and friends and had such an amazing trip at the beach. I PASSED THE PRAXIS, finally, allowing me to officially be accepted into the UVU teaching program. I saved money. I celebrated Valentine's day with my parents, searching for the restaurant with the shortest wait time. I said yes to going to China in the fall. I said yes, then no to being in a missionary girlfriend documentary. Jennie created a video for me and Mike for his year mark. I received my patriarchal blessing, which is so amazing. I STOPPED biting my nails, hallelujah. I traveled to China. I went to the Ogden Temple open house. I went to Lava Hot Springs with my best friends. I read The Fault in Our Stars several times and bawled every time. I rode an elephant and decided not to hold a tiger after seeing how they were treated. I walked on the Great Wall of China. I rode stinky, crowded buses in China. The relationship between Mike and I struggled. I graduated with my Associate's degree from SLCC. I made friends that I'll keep forever. I lost grandma two days before Christmas. I stayed up too late most nights in the fall. I celebrated Thanksgiving and Halloween half way across the world. We celebrated {what we didn't know to be} grandma linda's last mother's day and birthday. We lost my Aunt Connie to a drug overdose. My mom lost her baby sister. I taught over 200 Chinese students to speak English. I went to the Dreamathon with Ashy. I fainted at the Fourth of July parade. I hiked to the Haugen flag, twice. I had my toe nail roots deadened -- no more ingrown toe nails!! I got two pairs of Salties and wore them too much. We visited family in WA. I taught the sunbeams with my sissy. Payt moved out with Jordan while I was gone to China. My baby sister got engaged. Our dryer broke down, so my family went to the Laundromat and it ended up being such a fun adventure. I had many sleepovers with Dak in China in our small twin beds. I grew so close to Madi and Jennie. I went to St. George with family friends. Madi and I shared a room for four months and it was the best ever. The relationship between Madi and I was rough for part of the year, but we are now closer than ever because of it. I got closer to Erika. Davis and I got closer. I left my heart in China. I got glasses. I re-did my room and simplified my life. I fervently searched for a nanny job for when I returned from China. I listened to way too much music. I wrote a lot of letters to Sister Phelps and my great grandpa in Ohio. My sister graduated from high school and I am so proud. We had a nice visit from my grandpa and great grandpa in June. I tried to eat healthier and keep an exercise regimen. I tried to continuously take my vitamins. Tay put a blonde streak in my hair. I took way too many pictures and started posting on Instagram more. I've blogged more. I attended the weirdest missionary girlfriend night ever and will never go to another. I loved and laughed and lived.

Wow. I can't believe what a year it has been. I am so grateful. I always look back at my year and think about all of the grand moments, the things I will forever remember. I really lived my life this year, to the absolute fullest. I learned so many things about love and actually living. And I just laughed a lot. I wonder how this next year will be? I hope it's just as amazing.

Because it is going to take a lot to beat this one.

My goal for this next year is to listen better, listen more. Because one thing I learned while being in Ningbo is that it is often times better to listen than to be heard.

I am striving to be a light this year because light always overcomes darkness.