oh, hey {round two}.

alright, I'm back. for real this time. for two reasons:

1. I don't journal. I {sadly} even gave up journaling halfway through my mission, so that's not an option. plus pictures make everything better.

2. Laura, Kayla's mom, told me I should start up the blog again and I agreed! {thanks Laura!} Even if only my mom and Kayla's mom read my blog... good enough. Also... in case you all didn't know, Laura once sent me the greatest package on my mission, full of cereal and all. so. you know. not only did I luck out in the parents department, but so did my best friends. Long story short, I like her.

bonus reason {so I guess there's really three reasons} I want to put my pictures somewhere from my hikes and atv rides this summer. So hah, here I am.

I've officially moved back to BYU, as an update. I live with Kayla and Cady from freshmen year and we've already spent the last 72 hours randomly exclaiming "oh my gosh, we're together again!!". It seems like yesterday that we were standing in the Provo airport saying goodbye to kayla after freshmen year {so, this was in about April of 2014}, bawling our eyes out, and repeatedly telling each other "fall 2016 isn't that far away!". But we made it! And we're here! And it's been a fantastic couple days and school hasn't even started and the best is yet to come.

more updates: I feel like I'm not as weird or awkward as at first, so that's a plus. I still miss my mission a whooolllleeee lot but I've come to terms with the fact that life moves on and let me tell you, I am pumped for it. Also, I've gone on a post mission date. so, you know, progress. I'll be normal eventually. {once again, I still love the word 'normal'}

other updates, I got a job! and I decided on accounting as my major... first I have to get in the program. talk to me in a year about that one. and yeah. there you are, more than you even cared to know about my life!

let's talk about Colorado for a minute, shall we? It comes as no surprise to you, I'm sure, that I love Colorado. so very much. Here's some of my summer adventures:

These pictures are from a couple different ATV rides with my parents, my new favorite hiking place that Lori showed me, and Animas Forks {a way cool ghost town in Silverton}... I love my home.

yes it rained and yes we were soaking wet by the end.

Then on top of that, I got to go to California for a couple days! It was my mission trainer, Laura's, wedding! She and Keaton were sealed {married} in the San Diego temple. Oh my land, people, it was gorgeous. Everything about the wedding. I loved it so very, very much.

picture taken by Kaylee Barlow... the wedding photographer. She did a wonderful job!

this is Kayla Stockwell, she was my companion right after she was Laura's sooo you'll be seeing a lot of her. She's great.

This week some mission friends and I made borsh! Plus one of our friends from Moscow is here in town before he heads up to BYU-I. Oh, borsh is a russian soup. Try it, it's actually good despite what you read on the ingredient list.

And I spent the first couple days in Utah staying with my sister because I couldn't move into my apartment quite yet. We went to a pool party,

And that, my friends, was a very condensed version of my summer. Fear not, BYU posts are up and coming! Woot woot!

oh, hey.

alright, I'm back {sort of}. I actually decided not to blog anymore, but then I was standing in the kitchen with my cousin Barb at our family reunion and she turned to me and said, out of the blue, "you have to keep up your blogging!" and a few weeks later, here I am.

almost every time I run into someone the conversation goes something like this:

them: "welcome home!"
me: "thank you!"
them: "how was it?"
me: "incredible"
them: "how is the adjustment?!"
me: *how the heck do I answer this????* "it's ok!"
them: "what are your future plans"
me: *silent freak out* "I'm going back to college soon!"
them: "what are you studying?!"
me: *more silent freaking out*
...and so on.

here you go, I'll be honest to the world... the adjustment has been pretty weird. at first it didn't even seem like an adjustment. I got home, spent time with my family, started working at the movie theater again, got back into running, and enjoyed a little more freedom in my schedule.

that lasted a couple weeks.

and then I really started missing it. it actually hit me like a brick wall. one night I was driving home with Zach and I just started sobbing {this is me being really honest, haha}. I remember judging RMs so much for wanting to talk about their missions or for saying they missed their missions or for talking to anyone that would understand them in their language mission. I formally apologize to all of you. it makes perfect sense. I loved my mission, I spent 18 months pouring my heart {not to mention every waking moment} into the work and the people, and then all of a sudden I woke up in a bed in America. now I can't just turn to the person next to me and tell them about why I'm happy {in Russian}, and that is actually surprisingly sad. I've spent a night or two just looking through pictures and feeling sad. but I also understand that missions end and life moves on. and it's actually a little exciting! It's also a strange feeling because the mission I left is very different than the one that is there now. here's an article about the new law in Russia. {my MTC companion and mission president are quoted in this!}.  but I think it will have a positive impact, actually. or so my friends there say!

long story short, there have been ups and downs. lots of them. but life is good!

but here I am! I've spent the last couple weeks falling back in love with Colorado, third-wheeling my parents, skyping lots of people, and figuring out what I'm going to do with my life. so, it's been a productive couple weeks, I would say.

we spent Pioneer Days with my mom's family, like usual, and it was just as great as I remember. so we spent a week or so there. and other than that, this summer has been pretty normal {ATTENTION: the word "normal" is my favorite word and english speakers need to start using it more often. WHY DO WE NOT USE THIS WORD??}

and so that's it. that's all I've got for you. I'm impressed I wrote this much & thanks for the inspiration Barb (:

ouray ice festival.

My parents and I spent our last Saturday in Ouray watching the ice climbing festival and hiking into Box Canyon Fall {like we do quite often- here and here!} It was as beautiful as ever and so fun to see all the ice climbers- SO MANY OF THEM- and the hundreds of people watching! I've lived 45 minutes from the Ice Festival and never been, so it was neat finally seeing it.

well. I like Colorado. a lot.

oh, and I go to the MTC TOMORROW. where has time gone?!

it's august 24th already?

well, hi there. once again, I am alive and my attempt to keep up this blog over this summer failed horribly. Not to fear though... I am ELEVEN days away from blogging in L O N D O N, so that's cool. And by cool I actually mean: I've created a very thorough packing list but haven't actually made a single move to further the whole "moving across the world" thing. It just doesn't really feel real yet. Hopefully it will by this weekend since I should probably pack or something. But here... have some very random tidbits from the last few months:

***anyone who knows me even semi-well knows of my love for diet coke. If I'm being honest, I actually can't stand other soda. Root beer now makes me want to throw up. Sprite is far too sweet. Regular coke. ew. don't even get me started. But diet coke? Well... everyone has to have one thing, right? I found this gem just the other day {not sure how I missed it when she first posted}. Believe you me, when I hit up provo again in 2016, you can bet your bottom dollar I will be trying all of these.

***remember how I hiked Mount Sneffels? My friend Erica {yes. the two Ericas} took some wonderful pictures of it! You should look at her website {ericalaurendesign.com}

***this summer I was able to teach with the Sister Missionaries a lot. It was such an awesome learning experience and opened my eyes to how hard I'm going to have to work for 18 months on my mission. Sister Jones has been here all summer and I have loved getting to know her! Her testimony and love of the gospel and Jesus Christ is so apparent in everything she does. She goes home this week and so obviously we had to take a picture! Her companion is Sister Patera, who, just like Sister Jones, is amazing! I was so blessed to get to know these sisters. They got me so excited for my mission. I LOVED spending part of this summer with them!
{also, we asked a nine year old to take our picture. don't do that if quality is a priority. also, he knew how to work my camera because it was an iphone. but. he didn't know how to work a real camera. what has this world come to??}

This blog has just turned into a lot of awkward, low quality photos. oh well.

***This Wednesday is my last day of work. Let me tell you, I am so excited. I'll miss the theater like crazy, but this summer has been all work and I'm ready to be done with it. and to finish paying my dad back for london. but that's beside the point.

full time job + part time job + violin students + office cleaning = no fun

actually I take that back. I've really enjoyed my jobs this summer. They've just given me a really, really good reason to graduate college. I'm not going to consider myself successful until I no longer have to work weekend night shifts. Once those stop, I'll know I've arrived.

Can we talk about how much I LOVED teaching my five year old student? I wanted to cry after I finished her lesson last week. Plus she drew me the cutest picture and they gave me some Euros.
My violin student  > yours

***I spent thursday night hanging out with Kym, her friend Kenzie, and Kelsey! It was the first time I had seen Kym in a year... crazy. We went to Coffee Trader {duh. where else?} then decided to head to the Drive In! So I raced home, asked if I could use my mom's car, and grabbed some blankets. For whatever reason we ended up taking my dad's truck. well ya'll, that is a very large truck. But I decided I quite love driving it and listening to country music and everything else that comes with this beautiful home town of mine. The drive-in ended up being closed so we headed up to sunset mesa and spent the evening watching the sunset, eating dove chocolate and raisenets, and catching up. These girls are the greatest and it was fun getting to see Kym again!

***Today was a special Stake Conference. Our stake had the wonderful opportunity of hosting Bishop Gerald Gausse from the presiding bishopric! It was amazing {also, there was a special meeting yesterday in Grand Junction for the missionaries... Elder Oaks was there! Yes, I really am jealous I didn't get to go. Nonetheless, today was great}
He and his wife both gave the best talks. In fact, his wife's talk was my favorite out of all the people that spoke! {his was great too, don't worry} She talked about accepting changes and having the faith to follow what our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ ask of us. I loved the talk so much because it's a subject I've been thinking about a lot lately. The last year or so has come with a lot of change and the next couple years will bring even more. I went off to college without truly realizing how much BYU would impact me. As I came home and started being around people I was around during high school, I noticed that just one year at BYU had changed me a great deal more than I had anticipated it would. Because I had changed, a lot around me had too. My priorities have become really different than a lot of people around me. {also... shock of hearing a cuss word for the first time in 8 months? it was real.} In a few months I'll be a missionary and it'll be even more apparent then. I'll give up a lot of things for those 18 months. With all this change in my life, I've realized that I'm not as close to some of people I was before and I've made completely new friends who share the same standards and beliefs and goals in life as me. Sister Gausse talked about when her husband was called to be a General Authority. It meant leaving France and moving to Utah. She left a couple of her daughters home while they attended college and her other children all had to be enrolled in english-speaking education in Utah. She left friends and her home and everything else to follow what had been asked of her and her husband. I also can't help but think about my ancestors who were in the Martin Handcart Company. They left Denmark and traveled to a new country to follow the saints to Utah. They literally gave up most of their possessions to walk thousands of miles across an unknown country and ended up being stranded in an early winter with no food. When I think of what other people give up to follow Jesus Christ, I can't help but think that maybe having to become a little bit of a different person, even if that means not being as close to some of my old friends or not spending as much time on pinterest so I can study my scriptures a little more, isn't that bad at all.
Haha, all right, that was a long schpeal, but I had to get it out there.

***My mom and I watched Anne of Green Gables. not sure it that's actually blog worthy, but I'm just sayin that it's not a summer with the Deckers if you don't watch Anne of Green Gables. and yes, I can still quote every single line. #talent

***Most importantly: Ryan and Tiffany are going to have their baby any time! {did I even mention that Tiffany was pregnant?} Anyways, I'm so dang excited for that little guy to get there! And they are going to be the greatest parents.



I can't believe that the summer is coming to an end so quickly! It's been a great summer filled with lots of adventures and new learning experiences {most of which haven't been documented in any way, shape, or form, which makes me really sad}. But it's been a good way to end living at home in Montrose {never again though. I love my parents and I love Colorado but I am over living at home. except the food. you can't get over my mom's wonderful cooking} Peace out.

-Erica

Mount Sneffels: 14,157 ft.

I've always wanted to climb a fourteener, and considering the fact that I live in a state with 53 of them, it was high time for me to do it. Yesterday our YSA group drove up Yankee Boy Basin in a couple jeeps, parked at the end of the trail and started hiking. {I mean, the drive itself was entertaining- not enough seats, four-wheel drive road, loud latin music ...thank you RMs... and lots of laughing} Let me tell you one thing, "hiking" is not a good term for it. Let's try "climbing over loose rocks then huge rocks and almost dying on the slippery mud-snow". It was the scariest//most-difficult thing I have ever done in my life, but soo great! {although I complained on the way up... do you know how hard it was to breathe??}The entire morning I kept looking around and thinking "is this real? do I really live in a place this beautiful?"  Once we got to the top, I was amazed. I have never seen anything that gorgeous in my life... and I've seen a lot of pretty places. Oh, I love mountains so much. I feel bad for people that don't live near any. Beaches have nothing on the Rocky Mountains.  n o t h i n g . We were literally in the clouds at the top, it was amazing. I'd say that eating lunch on the top of Mount Sneffels is something every person should do in their lifetime.

Say hello to some not-so-high-quality photographs of one of my favorite days...

^^^pre-climb selfie^^^

^^^Nathaniel taking a nap at the top^^^

^^^have a picture of the random strangers we met... look at that view^^^

^^^The Group! *picture stolen from Andy*^^^

Go climb a mountain, you guys. Your life will get better. My Colorado Pride just increased a crazy amount. I LOVE COLORADO.

-Erica

P.S. the last couple days have been great. Paddle boarding & hiking with Nathan, working at the theater, hiking a 14er with YSA, and KATIE GOT ENGAGED!!!! I am so happy for her! Alex is such a great guy and they are an awesome couple. I really am heartbroken that I'll be in London during her wedding and that I won't be able to throw a bridal shower for her, but dang am I excited. Life doesn't turn out how you plan it, that's for sure. But goodness is she getting ready for some awesome adventures in her life. I love you Katie and I'm so glad to call you one of my best friends. I knew the instant I saw your incoming call yesterday afternoon. I knew it. I couldn't be happier for someone.

summer update.

hello!

So I'm currently telling myself that the reason I have become so bad at blogging lately is actually because I'm saving all my superior blogging skills for L O N D O N {34 days my friends!} Good enough excuse, am I right? But because I've learned how much I love looking back at my blog, I'll do a quick update on this summer {because, memories.}

***The only thing that stands between me and turning in my mission papers is a couple blood tests, 2 interviews, and EXACTLY ONE MONTH. I can't even tell you how much I want to turn them in. It's a weird feeling knowing that I didn't even consider a mission for almost 19 years of my life, and now I can't think of my life without it. 

***I went to the valley for the 24th {remember last year?} Which also included horseback riding, family meals galore, and riding the Cumbres and Toltec Railraod! It's the highest, longest narrow-gage railroad in the world! It took us through the prettiest places... I didn't take my good camera so yay for phones.

this was post family ping pong tournament. zach beat me {BARELY} in quarter finals. That bracket should have been mine and Amanda's.

back of the cabin!!^^

sorry, that was quite the set of random pictures. but it's late and I think I forgot how to blog.

***YSA activites...

***saying goodbye to Kayla. SHE'S OFFICIALLY IN THE PHILIPPINES. I will admit that I did my fair share of crying, it's been hard not being able to send her a random text, or call about stupid things, or snapchat something weird. But she's doing what she's supposed to and I am so happy for her! Here's her blog: http://sisterkaylalockwood.blogspot.com/

the last picture with all three mileys before we reunite #byu2016

***this is what the other {non-working} part of my summer looks like:

saying goodbye to lloyd^^

I miss these people. Most of them are on missions {seriously though. all my friends are on missions. Kayla, Dylan, Michael, Sam, Lloyd... and quite a few other's have their calls. it makes checking my email about 100 times better}

*** HUNTER WAS CALLED TO KOBE JAPAN!!!!! {yes, that many exclamation points were necessary.} It's the same mission as Dylan. Seriously, of all the missions in the world, 2 of my greatest friends get to be together!

Well. there was your series of low-quality photos from Erica. you're welcome. I hope you guys are all having a wonderful summer! I sure am {in a weird sort of way.} It feels like it's dragged by, but I just tell myself that this is my last summer home... I'm on to bigger and better things, folks! But it's not all bad. I've loved getting to know the Montrose kids a little bit better and I've loved rewatching The Paradise with my mom {the ending is just a heart wrenching the second time through, I promise} and going to dairy queen with Zach.

Alright. I'm gonna get all sappy on you now, this is my blog: I miss BYU and my friends there more than I can even describe. I know it's corny and I know that it's all I seem to talk about. But listen, I had the best 8 months. ever. It's not the situation where I look back at it and make it seem better than it really was... every moment truly was great. I miss the HBLL {is it weird to miss a library?} I miss homework {I really, really do. my life honestly feels somewhat pointless when I come home after work with nothing left to do. I've taken to reading real books. I'll post a picture of my amazon purchases sometime, it's actually really weird. but I love it? i know.} I miss late night talks with Cady and Kayla. I miss CANC dinners with half my ward. I miss weekly devotionals. I miss crazy three a.m. adventures to the crepe place or dennys. I miss tunnel singing and vendy runs before church. everything. it's not that I hated high school, I actually really liked it. but college was the first time I felt like I really had somewhere to be {wow. that was corny. I shouldn't blog past midnight} Oh, BYU I love you so much.

But I'm trying to not think about it as much. I have so much ahead of me. I have a study abroad, a mission, and three more years at byu.  I have stacks of missionaries to write. I have packing lists to write. but I have a feeling the future is going to be just dandy {different, definitely. but still great.} Bring it.

Kay, sappy I-miss-byu moment over. I'm going to try to post more, for my own sake. sheesh. blogging isn't that time-consuming, I don't know why I've slacked!

-Erica