9 YEARS IN THE MAKING!

I have now lived in Arizona for NINE years!! Can you believe it? I can't! The drive down here was the first of many adventures - none of which I could have imagined when I left Utah. I thought growing up was a challenge in a world that I didn't understand but then I learned that growing up didn't happen until after 18 years old and that the world that I didn't understand only expanded. I was lucky to leave home with some of my best friends with me. Taylor and Derek moved here with me and I couldn't have done it without them. They made it easy! They made it hard when they decided to move back to Utah and I had to decide if I was going with them, or if I was staying behind - OBVIOUSLY, I stayed behind. I had many moments questioning my decision but it was the right one. I still miss having them here!!
I can't believe what the past years have brought me. I have never been happier, more sad, more scared, more satisfied, more achieved, more devastated, more everything!
I'm so thankful that I made the choice to move here after high school. I can't imagine my life any other way!

Take a walk down MY memory lane!
(Pictures are in no paticular order - just how the downloaded - but they are some of my most favoritest moments)

Arizona maybe a desert but it's a beautiful one! I found a spot that has brought me peace and serenity. I used to come to this spot and read, pray, cry, and even a time or two it has provided me a very nice sleepful rest. I have celebrated life here. I have cried about life here. It's a very special spot!

Call me an old lady but one of my favorite things to do here is go to the casino and play BINGO! And thanks to Joyce - we survived a small moment of unemployment by winning BINGO! (I don't recommend gambling of any kind when you don't have a job - we were just lucky - not responsible!)


These are MY boys!! I will love them more than any other woman can ever possibly love them. I will always owe it to them for being my guiding light when I wanted and needed to leave Utah. Without Taylor, Derek, and Steve, I don't know where I would be!


For the years that I worked at the massage school these moments were my favorite! We used to hold our own therapy sessions at IHOP where we solved the world's problems, predicted the future, talked each other out of bad ideas, gave each other hope and love and enough umph to go back to work the next day! We also owe these times to Big John who was our server at IHOP every time and was our sounding board when we needed one.



True friends! Courtney and Joyce have made me laugh until I have cried, and have made laugh when I have been crying. They help me survive! Courtney started out as my instructor at massage school, my boss when I worked there, a dear friend as time went on, a roommate a little bit later, and a best friend after that. People wonder how I survived living with her - I wonder how I would have survived without living with her! Joyce and I were just destined to be friends. We understand each other when no one else does, we don't need to make excuses for who we are, and she has been one of my biggest life supporters in everything that I have done and do. She gets me. What would I do without them??


This is my turtle, Goose. He is now 2 years old. He has a personality all his own but I love him!


OH MY LACY! I can't imagine my life without her! I met her when she was my boss at the massage school - little did I know that she was going to be my best friend! People say that no matter where you live you find new friends that "you can't imagine your life without" - but really, I was brought here so I could have Lacy. JLCC can't be done without her!

If you can't tell by the picture - we are studying! Kelly is the only reason I made it through my bachelors degree. She wouldn't let me quit even when I wanted to. Proof once again that I wouldn't have been able to survive anywhere else! Kelly was here, so I had to be.

Carla and Rachael were able to come and visit me last year. We had SOOOO much fun! Even though we all live in different places in the country, we are lucky enough to have had this time together!

GRADUATION! Need I say more??