2014!

Happy New Year!!!

I'm in Lehi now. Staying at my tia jenny's house until later today when I get dropped off at the Provo MTC. I understand there's a gap of information there. Originally I was scheduled to fly out of Vegas to Mexico for 6 weeks of training. Now I get 2 weeks in Provo. That's 4 more weeks in Ecuador baby!

This blog has helped me to find a comfortable and familiar form of writing to express my thoughts, feelings, ideas. Yeah there is a lot of casual language, slang, and grammar/punctuation issues...I get that. I did purty good in English class. You see, most of it, along with the words I use, are intentional.

What I have come to like, is a form of writing that can be read as if you were tangibly here experiencing these moments with me. As if you can audibly hear my voice through the script and rhetoric on the page. I hope it's worked so far...

Because now I have a chance to share my thoughts in a similar, but little different way. I hope in this way you can see through the words, and join in the experience with me. Because the next 18 months are going to be bomb.

My theme for 2014 is to "Trust in the Lord." Sister Bedford recommended it. And I approve! absolutely.

So, as my one and only blogger friends, I invite you to join me in this new adventure by being the first to know of my new blog. It's been close to ready for some time now, but I'll let Amy decide when the everyone else gets to know about it. :)

all-in-the-badge.blogspot.com

I will miss following you all virtually haha. And especially having communication with you whenever I flippin want. That's a lot of freedom right there! ;) But I look forward to directing all my attention to acting as a representative of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and serving Him in Ecuador full-time. That's a pretty dang good deal right there.

Enjoy your 2014!! :)

It's a 365 page book. How will our stories go?

my new name

Well, beside the 'Hermana Fernelius' name that I will go by for a while...Emma is getting SOO close to saying my name right....It went from 'Ash' to 'Ish' to....Ahem 'Tiii...t'??

Uhh, emma. Call me Ash, kay?

Also! just yesterday, I was playing with Emma for the last time before leaving for provo. All my stuff was finally packed (Thank you Ari!!!), I finished emptying the room...then we plaayyyed.

Hide-and-Go-Seek. I showed her all the moves. Today's training was: hiding behind doors. I would put my finger over my mouth and say 'shh, shh', as we'd count down "3...2...1!" Then ran to the next room yelling "Hide! Hide! Hide!" hahahah. She is so funny because, in her girly little voice, she copies pretty much any sound we make or thing we say.

We were hiding behind one door as her grandpa ("papa") came looking for us. He walked by calling for emma. Then, he called out, "Yoohooo." From behind the door we stood, emma quietly called back, "Yoo hooo." Hm, I know what we have to work on next...haha Ohh emma.

She is a ball of fire. And very determined. Can't wait to see how she grows!:)

lake powell

So that Olan Rogers video two posts ago...I knew this was going to happen. I was supposed to blog all about my Lake Powell trip my grandparents, parents, Ash, and I took mid-Nov. But we all know how that turned out haha. Basically, it was more than just a blast, it was a pure gift. To be able to spend that time with them -- genius. Even if there were demon duck-birds, Dad and I almost fell overboard, and the weather was rainy and collllld. It made for some great memories.

 


When we docked at Warm Creek Bay the second night, Ashley and I noticed a few mudducks in the water. Their murky color and way they swivel their long neck forward and around as they run are what make them seem so possessed. It really was creepy. Anyway, I filmed Ash doing one of the Olan Roger things..."What is that!? What is thaaat?!" Like he did in the dare on dare. It became our 'thing' for a while.

Ashley is so cute! And I'm grateful for 4 days in a boat on a barren, cold lake to spend some cramming quality time together haha. Seriously, the day we pulled the boat back into the dock to go home...the sun came out. The sun had not come out even since til that point. Not cool bro, not cool. However, because of it the rain we did get to see some pretty cool waterfalls along some of the canyon which aren't usually there. I actually liked the adventure of the weather. It made the hot chocolate, steaming breakfast, and cuddly nights much cozier.

Next time, grandpa, let's do summer and swim! Now that we're pro. :)

fall family pictures

We took family pictures!!! oh how we have changed. it's disgusting. :p I mean, look.

April 16, 2008
Picture before Matthew's mission

 We were so simple, and so happy. Ahh.
Now we have grown in numbers, height, and treasures.



November 16, 2013
Picture before Ashley and my own mission

And somehow the Lord keeps blessing us with more...

Ashley showed one of our new family pictures to emma, and pointed to each person asking who they were. Emma's answer was pretty close. As Ashley pointed to each person, she listed:

Amy - mama
Jay - papa
Grandpa - papa
Grandma - mama
Matthew - Ash
Ashley - Ash
Tiffany - Ash (with further prompting she can sometimes get Ish, which is close enough to Tiff in my opinion)
Benjamin - Ash

"Aaaaaaaassshhhhh." that's her call for company. then she'll grab a finger and pull us to her room or hallway to play. I love when she tilts her head back a little and shows all her itty bitty teeth as she calls up to "Ash." hehehe oh emma :)

 

 

 

 

I like this picture because of what it represents.
We are individuals, we are imperfect, but we are happy.



P.S I was totally listening to this song while I wrote this. My, my! Time flies! ...Now doesn't it?

Olan Rogers: dare on dare 9

I need you to watch this for something I will be posting about later on...



Unless I end up spacing it and not mentioning it later on. In that case, simply enjoy. :)

to my death

 

Can you imagine that feeling? What Harry must have felt: confused, alone, doubtful...As he walked along the cold, dark path leading to his own death. And Voldemort.

 

This image was playing through my mind as I walked down Tenaya towards Lake Mead. No one could take me that afternoon, but I had already set the appointment to get my hair cut.

 

It's just a haircut, right? Wrong. I was going big time this time. My hair has never been shorter than my shoulders, but for some reason, I really really wanted a bob.

 

And the persistent idea of having a bob was nagging at me. I. don't. know. why.

Maybe it's because last time I got my hair layered very recently, I was toying with the idea and took a couple pictures with the rest of my hair tied back to try it out and see if it'd be cute.

 

 

I don't know. I liked the thought of trying it. Then, on my mom's birthday, I was looking through some pictures of my young mom in her 20's. I saw a little bit of myself in her. And she experimented with all sorts of short hair...and she looked cute! That amplified the desire to just tryyy it.

 

Nag nag nag it did. Nag how? Every time I looked in the mirror, at a picture, or imagined myself on the mission in Ecuador, all I could picture on myself was with my hair as a bob. It was a strange impulse. And persisted for like a month before Wednesday at 4:30pm. The appointment.

 

I felt very much like Harry Potter at this moment before the point of no return. I even made a couple phone calls on the way..."Amy, what do you think..? Do you think I can do this..?" "Ashley, are you suuuure you think it'd be okay? Isn't it a bad idea since it's right before I leave?"

It's true, hair does grow back. And if it turns out horrendous I probably deserved it. But all the opinions that I cared about thought that it would look good. "Because you have a heart-shaped face and long neck..." My lanza I hoped so.

 

The lady's name was Ashley. Okay okay, that's good. That's my beautiful little sister's name. I can deal. The place was called Canyon Falls...an especially special salon place recommended to me by my older sister Aimster. So that's another plus.

 

She gave me a niiice scalp shampoo massage thing to start. Good, good. Then I explained what I was looking for. The bob, but keep it kinda long in front still. I want it easy to manage, and voluminous. Please grant me my wish.

 

It took an hour and a half to cut and style. Then, I panicked. I was trying to be patient and wait til Ashley was done styling it, but I looked terrible. It looked like someone put a corn husk on my head. I looked like Willy Wonka --- the Johnny Depp one!!! I had somewhere to be soon, and Ashley had two little guests of hers waiting for her to get done. So...I panicked...with time, with diminishing hair, and diminishing faith in my idea that it would turn out fine.

 

I asked Ashley to snip a little more in back. It was taking forever!! I panicked big time. At 6:45, 2.5 hrs after we started this process, I pretty much told her 'nevermind' and to finish wherever she was at and I would just deal with it. (but said nicely).

 

Then I darted out because I had somewhere to be at 7!! My cooworkers were having a last Bon Voyage dinner at Lucille's BBQ for me. They even called it La Fiesta de Despedida. I had to be there!

 

My hair air-dried. My coworker friends pointed out that it made me look younger, but some said it made me look more mature, and one said it made me look exotic...I felt temporary relief at the good comments. But ever since then, I've been threading my fingers through my hair only to feel the stubby ends terminate too soon. I don't know if I can do this.

 

But I guess it's too late. I hope I find a cute way or two to style it. Otherwise, people in Ecuador are going to think I'm some weird corn husk head lady who owns a chocolate factory.

 

 

 

A little longer and I think I'll like it better.

Grow hair! Grow!!!

But, I still don't regret it. It was the only solution to my nagging notion -- it's an experiment. Just had to try.

thank heavens she's short

Thunk. the door closed behind the nice lady who was gathering information for our visit. last time they weren't so nice. I like this lady a lot better than the last one.

We waited in our little secluded room. Time for the doctor.  With an HIV test and letter of good health, I'll be ready to apply for that Ecuadorian visa. Good thing Ashley didn't have to do all this...her visa application was easy. No notaries, no background check, no physician's letter...lucky girl.

I rustled through the papers on my lap, quadruple checking that I had all the information I needed. We could hear the chatter of the desk clerks and physicians at the central desk beyond the door. I looked around the office. Dusty. We waited some more.

Then, like I'm obliged to do in any situation like this, I burst into song.

"I hooooope they call me on a misssshuuuuun."
Pause, look over at mom. she whispers over to me a typical sshhhh. I go on, just a little less obnoxiously.
"When Iiiii have grown a foot or twwwoooo."

Then mom, with an expression of realization, looks up and remarks, "That's why I never went on a mission!"

I looked over at her, puzzled. She threw her arms down to her side like a little kid and finished, "..it's because I never grew that foot or two!"

Hahaha I love my mom :)