My Friend Kelsee

I shudder to think about my first Finance class I took as an MBA student through SUU's online program. I have never before taken a class where I felt like it was a different language and I truly had no idea where to even begin. Even when I took French in junior high and Spanish in college I felt like I could grasp those foreign languages more! Suffice it to say Finance was Rough with a capital "R." The only thing that was worthwhile about it (other than it was necessary to complete my degree) was that I met a girl there named Kelsee. Kelsee was assigned to be in my group project that we worked on throughout the block term. She and I would talk offline all of the time, helping each other with assignments, consoling each other in our terror and overwhelm and FaceTime like once a week to go over our final assignments before submitting them for grades. She was a lifeline during that class and we worked our schedules to have a few more classes together so we could keep in touch and continue to help each other out. The weird thing about virtual work and school is that you feel like you know someone and yet you haven't actually met them in person. That's how I felt about Kelsee. So when we moved back to Utah I knew that we needed to finally meet up. So we scheduled a dinner with our husband up at Maddox in Perry where they live. 

It was honestly so fun to see her in person and catch up and celebrate both being done with school. Her husband was great too and Jaden and him hit it off by both having a shared love of hunting. Quite possibly the crazies thing that resulted from our catch up was when we told her Jaden just finished his degree at Carnegie Mellon University she goes "oh my gosh I have a friend from high school out there did you know Taylor Williams?" We were like you've gotta be kidding me Taylor and Keile were some of our best friends out there. Small stinking world, I can't believe that we never made that connection before especially since I had FaceTimed Kelsee to go over assignments from the William's house several times while we were in Pittsburgh. Crazy!

Other fun reunion for the week was having a bunch of my closest friends and teammates from the Davis High Golf Team over for what was supposed to be a pool party and barbecue but got rained out so turned out to just a barbecue and hot tub night at our new place. We didn't even make it out to the hot tub because we were too busy telling stories and catching up. It was so fun to see these girls that made a big part of my high school experience so memorable. I love them and the good people and examples they are to me. Also can never get over the fact that Mercedes and I ended up being mission companions in Tennessee. God is so so good!

One of my favorite things to think about is the way our life paths twist and turn colliding with people at certain points and often circling back at other points. In my small simple mind I like to think that one day up in heaven we will be able to see a giant roadmap of the way we have been influenced and been an influence in the lives of people we meet. That is extra motivation for me to be a better friend, sister, daughter, wife, and minister to the lives of people in my life. You truly never know how and when you'll meet up again!

So be good to people, after all we are all brothers and sisters and children of the God who allows us to be here and cross paths with each other. 

Peaches

• Began the unpacking and had to smile at Jaden's packing skills. He packed up a majority of our apartment while I worked and his favorite packing material was without a doubt: plastic wrap. Check out these knives and glass butter dish. They are certainly undamaged. 

• Was busy with work and we had like no food in the house so I did a grocery delivery from Smith's and I have to say that extra 10 bucks to have them delivered to my door was amazing. I'm not going to do that every time but it was sooo convenient this week!

• Ran back to my parents to grab something and my mom asked if I wanted to say goodnight to my dad and we ended up all "dogpiling" on dad like old times. 

• The Grantham's have three large garden boxes full of different types of tomatoes. They are starting to ripen in earnest and it has been fun picking and taking care of them. Definitely makes me want to have a garden one day! 

• Made fresh homemade salsa with fresh picked tomatoes. Yep definitely want a garden one day!

• Built our new shoe rack all by myself

• As I walk around the Grantham's house I keep finding cute crafts that I did with the girls when I nannied them. I think it's so sweet that they kept them and hope they have as many fun memories as I have of playing together!

• Went on a shopping spree with mom at Farmington station to get bins and some other kitchen and organization things I needed. Found this awesome gold gorilla and had to take a pic. When mom would get mad at us we'd try to make her laugh by saying "You're flaring your nostrils like a silverback!" For the longest time it would make her laugh and she'd had a hard time staying mad. Especially when we'd ham it up and beat our chests and go "hoo hoo hoo!" It's forever a family joke now when we see gorillas

• Who needs tie downs when you've got Jaden and are just moving across the street?

• Saw a car that looked just like Zach and Jenna's without the Frank Sinatra decal though. Will forever think of them when I see a turquoise Honda Fit (the car that got Zach the part as extra in the movie A Man Called Otto... iconic)

Pits

• Feeling a little overwhelmed at balancing life and work. Summer time is such a crazy time and with trying to move into a new place I feel really distracted working knowing half of our stuff is in boxes. Hoping once I get things unpacked and organized I'll feel more settled and focused