To Draw Closer to God

So, I have needed a little diversion from reading constantly about this congenital disease, or how to care for that syndrome. In shopping for Father's Day, I found this little book by President Eyring. I am in love! It is already changing my life! Check it out! I think you will love it!

Blogging Buddies

   I just wanted to give a shout out to all of my friends who are actively reading my blog, and letting me read theirs!! I love you guys!

   Most of you are friends from my life that I don't really get to interact with all that often.  But it is so fun to keep up on a little portion of your lives through this medium of blogs! I am so grateful for your comments on my blog. Its like I have a whole little posse that I can connect with even just a little through my computer! I love it! Thank you friends!!

A Welcome Return to ME!!

This is the new me... still an enigma, but way more Andie

So, I have to say that since I got home from my mission, I haven't felt much like me.  I think I have been very much "under construction."  But in the last few months, I have really been feeling like I have been able to reconcile the Post mission Andrea, and feel much more comfortable in my own skin.  That by no means that I am done with the construction, I am constantly learning, growing, changing and improving.  I make tons of mistakes, but I am rolling with life and learning how to be happy.  I really love it!

I had a conversation with a good friend recently, and she commented that she thought I had been quite a bit more happy.  I feel like life is just really, really good! The Lord really loves me, and is sending me challenges, but He is really teaching me how to deal with them!!! I want to share with you the silly little things I have been able to reconcile that have dispersed the inner conflict and made me way more me...

Music... I have finally gotten myself back into popular music. I have many new loves... Taylor Swift, Death Cab for Cutie, Dashboard, All American Rejects, The Fray, Sara Evans, and so many more! I love playlist.com!  The music on my blog is the soundtrack for my life- I update it all the time!

Friends! I have a fun group of friends, mostly from my ward that I play with all the time! I feel like I belong in a group of single people again! In addition, I think I have finally become comfy with my single status amongst the girls from High School. They are all married and having fun, having babies, and I am totally not, but I have a great life! I love playing with them, despite the incongruences in our current lives! I have wonderful friends who love me! Thanks, guys!

Professional life- Nursing or BUST! I have finally begun to fulfill my dream of becoming a nurse. School has been brutal, but I am getting so very close, and while I have so much to learn, I am finding so much joy in my professional development! I am happy doing the work I am doing! This is an amazing feeling!  I love nursing!!

Playing! I have finally relaxed enough to just play! I love to run, hike, waterski, see movies, play games and be adventurous.  Admittedly life has hurt so much in the last few years I have been more timid in this area (Me, timid? hardly, I know!) and I think I have recently been coming out of it... giving the hurt to the Lord and just continuing to be happy!  I think that the Adventurous Andrea is way more fun!

Dating... the Adventurous Andrea is way more apt to date! It has actually been quite fun! Not really what I would term "successful,"  but fun nonetheless! And interestingly enough, I have no real desire to date, so it has to be fun for me to do it!! I know that sounds backwards, but that is how it has been!

Summer has helped immensely. I LOVE SUMMER!! I feel so free and ready fro life when I can just sit outside on a warm summer night and gaze at the stars!!

And, now that Andrea is back to her old self, she is so HAPPY!! Yay for life, yay for everything!! 

Lake Powell

The Powell Peeps.

Waaaaa-ter skiing. My one love!

Sun setting over Powell- absolutely amazing!

Kylie and I... the "redheads!"

Meg... I love you, girl!! Should've Said No, huh?

Em... what would I have done without you, girl?

Devin, you look so happy!

The Toesies... this is a great pic!!

The water at Powell... amazing!!

After the wedding, I spent a few days at Lake Powell... it was a blast! I wish there were words to decribe the trip... I'll use a few to try.

Hot, sunny, "We're camping!," "There's a double meaning in that," "That was a delk," "And that's why we stop at the Beaver Valley Chevron," nudity (only partial, thank heavens), "Bryce! really?", animal crackers, jet skis and stranded, Nurse Andrea to the rescue... DRINK WATER!!!, too many boys, "I'm a hot babe!", "Should've Said No!", "Sush, girl...," funny in the morning, We love Walmart, sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen, music... no country! Girl power!!

And that about sums it up! Hopefully the pictures express what you missed by not being there.

Wedding...

After all the drama... my parents look so happy!! I love it!

My little bro, Nick, the married man! You got a good one Laura, take good care of him!

My family, minus Adam and plus my new sister! Welcome to the family, ready or not!

As promised... here are a few more wedding pics courtesy of Liz Frandsen, Laura's older sister and the amazing photographer! 

On Monday, my whole family went to see Wolverine as one last hoorah prior to Nick's getting hitched! It was a good flick, and Hugh Jackman is a mega hottie!

The wedding was May 12, and turned out to be a ton more fun than I had anticipated.  The sealing was beautiful... my aunt Von said she had never heard a more enthusiastic response from the bride! They were both radiant, and the sealer gave them some sound advice! Many family and friends came... it was fun to have my extended family around!!

The Wedding Dinner was at the Old Meeting House.  We had to be there early for pictures, and the time was fun... but I swear if I see Nick and Laura kiss one more time, I might be sick! Then the real fun happened! All the guests began arriving... it was really fun to meet and greet everyone! Then at dinner, they put all the single girls (mostly my cousins, but a few friends). Dinner was yummy, especially the chocolate fountain.  After dinner, there was dancing, which turned out to be my favorite part.  I couldn't help but laugh uncontrollably when I discovered that my little bro knew the Boot Scoot! Who would have thought? We danced the rest of the night away, and then saw the happy couple off to their honeymoon!

After all is said and done, it wasn't so very bad to have my little bro get married before me. Over the last few months, I have been getting tons of questions about whether or not I was okay with it... the answer is YES!! Stop asking! And the snide comments are particularly fun! I love being single! And I am not trying to convince myself of that, either!! I am happy!! I am perfectly okay with being single... I just wish everyone else would be!!

The Last Few Weeks...

UPDATE!

Graduation... or the ceremony at least! These are the girls from the program... thick and thin, we stick together!

The couple's first few dances... Laura's parents and mine join in.

Parents of the Groom... they are such a good looking pair!

My best Blue Steel!

The cake- beautiful!!!

The hapy couple fresh from the Temple, and already locking lips!

The couple at the shower!

Laura admiring the quilt my mom made!

Alex and I take a moment to pose!!

I haven't posted in a little while... its been a busy last few weeks. To recap quickly: my sister-in-law Laura, received her endowments, I walked at graduation (though I am not done until August), my cousin Daniel recieved his endowments, there was a family shower for Nick and Laura, I got to talk to Adam in Argentina on Mother's Day, Nick (my little bro) got married, I "broke up" with Buddy (if we were even dating to begin with), I spent 4 days at Lake Powell, and I started school again. Whirlwind!! But I am back, and resetting myself to get in the groove. I hope you enjoy some of the pics! I may post again later in the week about the wedding and Powell!

DONE and done.

This is the light at the end of the tunnel... graduation is only 13 weeks away!!

I am done! Not forever, but for the semester. It has been a long, long semester... too many tests, assignments, lectures and clinicals.  I am glad I will never have to do that again! Here's to not being done, but having completed 3/4 of nursing school... I am so excited to be done! YAY!!!