Utah continued

So Friday a senior missionary couple (the Hollingsworth) took me to a place called This is the place. It's like a pioneer type village. It was a lot of fun. Friday night I just hung out with Janet. Saturday I went to a cultral festival and then went and meet up with two former senior missionary couples (The Kellers and the Brimhalls). We had lunch and then went and toured the conference center. Afterwards the Kellers took me back to where I was staying. Sister Keller gave me a necklace with the word faith on it so that I can remember to have faith in myself. Then from there I went and hung out with Emily and some people she knew for girls movie night. Sunday I went to hear music and the spoken word which the Mormon Tabernacle Choir broadcasts every sunday. It was a lot of fun. Then I went to church with Emily and just laid low the rest of the day. This morning I flew home. I had an awesome trip and met up with awesome people. I truely love being out west and the people there.

Utah has been an amazing trip so far

On Saturday I went and had lunch with a former missionary and his wife. His wife is so nice and they are a very cute couple. This is the Elder I used to call dude. He is an awesome friend and person. We had our picture taken with the Red Robin. Then from there Amy Sue, Tammy and I went to Temple Square in Salt Lake City. It is an amazing place to visit. I love all the flowers and just all the sites. The conference center has a waterfall built into the front it was amazing to see. Then from temple square we went and dropped Tammy off and then went over to Layton to the mall to go to deseret books and I also got a BYU shirt. It's pretty sweet. Then Amy Sue and I just hung around. Sunday I went to church with Amy Sue and I love single wards (yes I said ward and not branch). I kind of have a crush on one of the guys I met. He is very nice and funny. Then Amy Sue after church brought me over to Nathan's family. I met his mom, dad, sister, and two cousins. After dinner we drove up one of the canyons and I got to hold snow in may. It was fun. Monday I spent the day with Michelle (one of the cousins). We went to temple square and just hung out. It was awesome. Janet and I helped Michelle pack up her car and she went to Provo. Janet (Nathan's mom) and I went to the National History musuem and saw the frog exhibit. It was awesome. I also got to see where the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics were. Then she, Gary (nathan's dad) and I had dinner and just kind of chilled. Although she took me to a place like Dairy Queen called Shivers (it was awesome). Tues I hung out in the morning and Josh Pappas (he served in the Single's branch back home) went to a bird type zoo thing which was fun. We also went out for Greek food (it was amazing). When I got back I hung out with Nathan's Sister Emily. We went to another deseret books (and I bought a piano book with what my grandma had given me for vacation she is the one who taught to play piano). After there we drove to the great salt lake and that was fun. Then we drove to two temples and got pictures. Weds I went all day to temple square and just walked around. It was fun. I got to hear an organ recital in the tabernacle and that was truly amazing. Weds evening I had dinner with Jason and Melissa Anderson. Jason was a missionary from the Wooster Ward in 2006 when I had moved to wooster. He was an awesome support during that time. It was great to meet his wife too. She is an awesome person. Thurs I hung out at the house and then hung out with Kyle Robison. Kyle serve in Wooster in 2006 too in the later summer/early fall. We went to Park City which is where the bobsled took place at the Olympics. We just walked around and ate. It has truely been amazing to see all these old friends and to meet new ones. I am falling in love with Utah more and more every day. After I get home I will try to post about the rest of my trip and post some pics. I have decided God gives you many oppurtunities and sometimes you have to take them.

Well I made it to Utah

Yesterday I began my cross country adventure to Utah. I flew in to Salt Lake City at 7:00pm their time so it was 9:00pm ohio time. It was awesome to fly in and see the mountains with snow on them. I got to the airport and met up with two sisters that served in my home ward for 6 months. Both sisters haven't changed. They keep me laughing. I am grateful to be able to have this vacation because I feel while i am gone I can do some thinking about my life and where I want it to head. I am going to do some praying and just take time for me this week. It feels weird for me to want to spend time just on me this week but it will be good.

This has been weighing on my mind lately

So I am not on step 9 yet but when the time is right sometimes ammends need to be made sooner than later. So I know I have some occassional lurkers on here and since I no longer have their email I am hoping they are reading this. I just want you to know how sorry I am for the pain and upheaval I caused in your life. I am truely sorry from the bottom of my heart. I want you to know that I wasn't really myself when you met me and i know that doesn't matter. I am taking steps to make myself a better person and one day hope that you can forgive me for what I did. You guys are awesome people and again I am truely sorry. Now hopefully those people will read this blog and in time can forgive.

An awesome Sunday

So yesterday I stopped by the Methodist church to drop off paper work they needed to do a background check to make sure I don't have anything on my record (which I don't) and I ran into my cousin. He said he needed to speak to me. I stayed around and talked with him. I was offered a job this summer being a daycamp counselor for the local park for 4 weeks in the mornings. I am so excited about this possiblity. I have learned that if you are patient, follow the Lord's commandments, and are faithful good things come. I didn't even seek this job out it just kind of happened. I am excited about the oppurtunity laid in front of me.

25 Things about me

So I did this thing on facebook a couple of months ago in a note but thought I would redo it on here and see how it has changed. These are 25 random things about me, hopes, habits, and goals.

1. I used to work in an alternitive middle/high school for a college semester. (I was working on my 2 year degree in Social Service Technology and for a semester interned through Boy's Village at both their treatment foster care {1 day a week} and the Oppurtunity School {3 days a week}. I would go from 9 am until 12pm. I learned a lot that semester and decided eventually that is where I want to work {well in that area of troubled teens}.

2. I was on probation for most of my teen age years but did successfully earn my release from probation and was able to graduate with my class {i failed my 10th grade year but was able to catch up and graduate with my class. Something at one time that no one thought I would accomplish}.

3. I was a part of a community play last Aug. call Over the Rainbow and actually enjoyed doing it (for years I had always said I wanted to do community theather and never went through with it until last year and I found I loved it totally)

4. I am going on my first cross county trip next week (I have never been farther than Ill and I am acutally going to Utah on Friday).

5. I took 2 years of Spanish in highschool and can only remember hi, how are you, and how to count to ten.

6. I wouldn't change any of the experiences I have had in life because they have showed me areas I have grown in, things I need to change, and who my real friends are.

7. I play many different areas but my favorite to play in the paino (I learned to play paino from my grandma {my dad's mom} and it has given many special memories of her and I together)

8. My mom has 2 different sets of parents (ok this is just an interesting fact about my mom's family. My mom's parents were killed when she was two in a freak car accident that also killed her grandfather and aunt {my grandparents were on their way to church with their 5 kids and my grandfather was on either his way to church or home with my aunt in another car and they collided head first into each other and all 4 over 16 were killed. My mom and her siblings all lived} and so she went to live with her aunt who at had 8 other children and my mom made 9.)

9. I was placed for adoption at birth and my parents got me when I was 4 weeks and 3 days old (my parents actually got a call on a monday and asked if they still wanted a baby and my mom of course said yes and they told her to come to the court house on friday to pick up their new baby girl {my parents had a total of 4 days to get prepared for a newborn}).

10. I had one other sister before my little sister came to be (My parents were trying an adoption placement when I was 4 and it didn't work. I have always wondered what happened to Crystal who would be 32 this year. We have never heard anything about her since my parents took her back {long story to explain this one}.

11. I love to sing (i sometimes sing in church and i had a solo in the community play I was in earlier).

12. I love my 2 neices very much (when I moved to wooster in 2006 I got to spend a lot of time with my upstairs neighbor and her family. We became friends very fast and both her girls call me aunt Jen. It's been amazing to see them walk for the first time and to talk. I am amazed at how fast they grow).

13. I love working with the ROCK group (I have learned to love each and every child {it took me a long time to let my guard down and to just have fun with the kids} and enjoy watching them grow in their love of Christ and the love they show each other).

14. I used to work at a domestic violence shelter for 2 years (I also interned there for a semester with the children since my main job was to work with the women. I learned first hand what a hard decision it is to leave a partner who is abusive and I truely give credit to those that do it on a daily basis ).

15. I worked for 2 years of my college years as a video store clerk (and I knew almost all my customers by name when they walked in. I loved that job because I could study when I was slow and it was a lot of fun. I really got to know some of my customers).

16. I graduated in Dec. of 2000 with a two year degree in social work and even for awhile was registared with the state of ohio as a social work assistant (I was the first in my family to graduate college and it was an awesome experience).

17. I have a huge frog collection (and couldn't even begin to tell you how my collection started).

18. I am a daughter of a Heavenly father and he truely loves me for me (all my faults and everything. I just recently have finally accepted that he truely loves me).

19. I have some pretty awesome friends who I don't know today where I would be without them (and I am truely grateful for them and love them so much).

20. I do not like the movie Forest Gump because of the line "that's my jenny" (i hate to be called Jenny and my sister will say it sometimes because she knows I don't like to be called that. She even went as far to write it on my cast one time in big letters knowing I couldn't cut off the cast an it was the middle of aug so i wouldn't be wearing pants).

21. My neighbor met her husband now because of me (This is a funny story. In the apartment complex I live now i used to live there before I moved to wooster. So anyways I moved out and he moved in and they began hanging out and eventually got married. I moved into a different apartment at the complex and they now live 2 doors up from me. She and her husband always look out for me and I love them like my grandparents).

22. I have an older lady who lives in my apartment complex that i have adopted as my grandma (she didn't have kids and i truely love her).

23. I love to read (and have read many books).

24. It takes me a long time to warm up to dogs (I was bit when I was 7 and sometimes dogs scare me).

25. I am glad I let you guys get to know some more about me.

Changes taking place

So life hasn't been exactly easy this past week in fact at times it's been down right hard. I have come to the conclussion that when you are striving your best to follow all of God's commandments this is when Satan will try you the most and lets face it he has. I have seen some awesome blessings happen too. I am so grateful for all that I have learned and the person I am now striving to become. I am loving life and all the people I come into contact with (even the ones who disappoint me and I don't get along with very well). I am grateful this past 2 months to find my true friends (ones who stand by you no matter what) and have found out who wasn't worth my time or energy. I am so grateful just for the new people i am meeting on a daily basis. I love working with the ROCK group (they have so much energy and sometimes I am exhausted when i come home but I love them).