Seattle, Salsa, and some slick roads

I LOVE LOVE LOVE seattle!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lately I have been hanging out with my favorite coworker, Roxy!! One day we were talking about taking a road trip, because I have never been on one with just a friend, and we made it happen a week later. We both did not have to work and had nothing else to do so we went to Seattle. It was my first time experiencing Seattle like a real person would, not just China town and nothing else!! I had sooooo much fun!!!

The ride was interesting. I drove to Ellensburg and she drove over the pass and through Seattle. We stayed at our friend's house, Sierra. The first night we went to the Cheesecake factory and OMG... was it delicious or what!! Then we explored the Seattle area and got in pretty late. The next day we went to Pike's Market, Deluxe, had some amazing gelatto, took a nap (and I was catapulted out of bed by Miss Roxy) and then met up with a former coworker, Carolyn. We had some amazing pizza with her and decided to go to H&M.... Well there was game day traffic and we were directed all sorts of different directions. In the end we decided to abort the H&M mission and go back. Well in order to go back we had to go up this steep, steep, steep hill. It was steeper than a 45* angle. No joke. I said "my car might not make it up this hill" so we tried it and guess what?!? A block from the top my car stops. We start burning rubber trying to get up the hill and started freaking out. More curse words were thrown out in a matter of minutes than in a day. We had no option but to reverse it down this steep hill....with a line of traffic going down one way and houses on the other side. Did I say that it was a very narrow street?!?! Yea...and we went over the curb but there was no way we could go forward to correct the car so we just had to go for it. And as we were going downhill a car goes up.... I am in the back yelling "just keep going, go!!" We backed into a driveway and waited to go downhill. Our car wasn't the only one that couldn't make it because a much smaller car had the same issue.Apparently the oils had surfaced making the roads more slick than normal. Now it is comical, but then it was scary beyond measure and now we won't even go up a small hill... My car's name is lucifer now haha.

After our fiasco with the beast of a hill, we went SALSA dancing. And I fell in love with it. I want to salsa all the time now! I learned so much and was out on the floor more than Sierra.

Sister Sammi Naef

About a month ago I said see you later to one of the best missionaries I know. It was tough, I will admit it. My greatest fear was that after Sammi left for her mission I would stop going to church, but I wasn't going to tell her that before she left. Instead I relished in the time we had together. I went to her farewell which was so amazing. Liz and I had planned on going, but we told Sammi that Liz would not be there. Before Sammi left for her mission she had told me that she wanted to see Liz at church at least once. So I made it happen. We walked into the chapel and Sammi saw us and started to cry while she was up on the stand. It was such a great feeling. Liz stayed the entire time and afterwards we went to Sammi's parent's house for dinner. I thought that would have been the last time I saw Sammi so I gave her the quilt I had made for her (my very first quilt). I did not cry, surprisingly.

On Wednesday, October 16th, I had planned on driving to the airport to say my goodbye. My original plan was to get up extremely early because I had to get ready for work, but since the truck was cancelled I was like "I'll go in my PJs to say goodbye." Well, low and behold I had to go to work but I did not wake up til 5am.... I was suppose to be at the airport by 5am. So I ran out of the house in the cleanest shirt that was nearby and cried the entire time driving to the airport thinking I had missed my goodbye and wouldn't see her for another 18 months. But I had made it just in time. I was able to give her the biggest hug ever and then I had to leave because not only could she not leave but i was getting very hysterical. I was kind of in a down mood the entire day and I have only gone to church once since she left. I do have things to work on without Sammi as my crutch but at least I know that she is doing well.

T minus 16 months :)

Buddy Walk 2013...better late than never

Back in October (i believe....feels like forever ago) I walked the buddy walk with my rascal rodeo pal, Hannah! It was so much fun to see all the kids having fun, singing and signing to the music and the walk was a blast too. I just loved after the walk when miss Hannah and I were on the stage smelling the rose she had received. She is so funny and fun to be around. I had a lot of fun on the bouncy house with her and her family made me feel welcomed into their group. I ended up staying longer than I thought I would. I also ran into princess sarah on the walk so she walked with us as well.



After the buddy walk I got super excited and prepared for Sammi, Liz and Emily to come over for some smores and to watch general conference. Liz is an investigator for the church and it was the perfect time for a girls night and to watch some talks on the computer.... We should have watched the talks before smores though, because we all were tired and barely even paying attention to the talks. But all in all it was a fun day/night!!!