New Jobs!

We are enjoying the colorful fall colors! What a beautiful time of year, although it is quickly getting cold here in Idaho.  The highlight of this week was the birth of Brook Leigh Coulston on Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 10:59 AM to my sister Natalie & her husband Brady. She looks just like her brother, and we can't wait to meet her in December!

We had a really fun day Monday.  I told all my girls that we had practice to "work on a few things before the club season."  They all came dressed and ready to play.  Kolt had promised them earlier that if they won the Idaho Falls tournament, he would sing a song for them.  He had been putting it off for a long time, so we did that then.  Kolt didn't really feel like singing would be a good idea, so he put on some sunglasses and a hat and did a dance to Call Me Maybe.  The girls loved it, and he did a great job.  Kolt told me before hand, "You can do anything with a hat and sunglasses!" After the dance, I told the girls they finally needed to be tested and prove if they were any good, although they did go undefeated.  Right then, 10 moms walked in ready to take on the girls.  I was so impressed to have all 10 Moms come in to play.  We lined them all up and played Moms vs. Daughters and then mixed them up a little bit.  We made it all official with the score, and I was the ref.  I guess the girls really are good because they even beat their moms! The Moms all brought dinner for the end of the game.  We had a great day of laughing, and I think the girls loved it.  Being my first week without volleyball, I am sure missing those girls! It's good to see them at the football games and at the varsity games.

Monday night Kolt was up all evening with a fever and flu symptoms.  He has had a pretty miserable week, but has been so diligent in not missing any class or work.  He went to the doctor a little later in the week and has been feeling much better.  It isn't any fun to have a sick spouse!  Tuesday night we volunteered to watch a couple of boys for Kristi's friend who is a single mom.  We had a great time with the boys who were 3 and 1.  Jarden & Jackson were quite well-behaved boys, and we had a great time entertaining them.  We also had Kamrie with them while Kristi was at District Volleyball.  She is a very fun baby, who definitely likes to have her mom at bedtime!

Kolt and I started a new job this week.  It's a temporary job in a call center until the elections on November 6-7.  It's definitely out of our comfort zones, but we glad to be able to have a chance to make a little money.  One of my longtime friends who I grew up with in the ward, Natalie Davidson, now Baird, got us involved with it.  Her husband is one of the team leaders.  We are sure glad they thought of us.  We also enjoyed seeing Kolt's Aunt Jan Staker at Melaleuca one of the nights we worked.  I only work Wednesday and Thursday evenings, and Kolt works Wednesday and Thursday evenings, in addition to a full 8-hour day on Friday in Rexburg.  We are learning a lot about call centers and working with people!

After work on Wednesday evening, we ran over to Rope and Brand's football games.  We saw the end of Rope's game.  He won the first game of the playoffs 19-7. Rope had a fumble recovery at the end of the game to seal the deal.  Kolt enjoys watching him grow as a football player.  He has sure improved over the last 2 years.  Brand's team played right after Rope.  He won 45-0.  They got matched up against the other Bonneville team in the first round of the playoffs! We are excited to see them both play this Tuesday as soon as we get out of class!

Friday we went to Tyler's Senior Night football game against Rigby.  It's hard to believe that Tyler is a senior this year.  They beat Rigby handily 49-7.  We were glad to sit with my parents, Bryant & Kristi, Ashley & Kevin, Dylan & Jordyn, & Paul.  After the game, we went to town and bought a couple of things to put in our kitchen.  We are living in my parent's basement, so we've been working on putting in a kitchen downstairs.  Finally, things are starting to get settled! I'm excited to get going in the kitchen!

Saturday Kolt and I rode the bus down to Pocatello High School for the 4A District 5-6 Volleyball Tournament.  We started off at noon playing Century and lost in 3 sets.  Century has a very good middle hitter and some pretty consistent outsides.  We had a hard time stopping the middle! We played Pocatello in the bottom side of the bracket and won in 3, then we played Century again.  We lost again in 3 sets.  We get to take 2 teams to state from our district, so we will go in as the #2 seed, which means we start off with Skyview next Friday at 8 AM at Skyline High School.  I'm excited we don't have to travel so far for State this year!

Sunday I got called to fill in for the choir pianist who was sick.  Kolt got to be the official page turner.  Brother Smith talked in church; his son Andrew is one of Kolt's best friends.  He even acknowledged Kolt for making the right choice by, "Marrying talent and then being the official page turner for the choir."  We were excited to be announced as new members of the Iona 10^th Ward.  Kolt got called today to team teach the 12 year old Sunday School with Malin Reynolds, a longtime friend.  He excited to start teaching next week about The Presidents of the Church. 

We have had a fun week and hope to get rid of the sicknesses fast! We are also happy to get wedding pictures back this week! We are so happy that our family is sealed in the temple forever.  

Last week of Volleyball!

We have another great week of school and our last week of volleyball.  We have been working hard on our school work again.  I accomplished the feat of passing three tests this week.  Actually, I am still waiting on the results of the third test, so we will see! Kolt has been diligent in finishing an English paper and taking a test in English also.  He has two big tests in Chemistry and Biology that he has been studying hard for. 

We had our last week of volleyball this week also.  For those of you who don't know, I coach the freshman volleyball team at Bonneville High School.  This is my first year coaching a school volleyball team and have learned a lot about working with schools.   Kolt is an official volunteer assistant as recognized by the district.  We have enjoyed working with our team of 10 girls and even get to enjoy some time together, when Kolt doesn't have class.  Tuesday we played Preston. We won 25-7, 25-8, and 25-15.  I had fun playing girls in some new positions and a few of them might get a chance to play in this new position again because they did so well. Thursday we played at Blackfoot and we won 25-8, 25-8, and 25-12.  The girls learned this week how lucky we are to have a successful, established program.  Friday, we had a fun practice.  Kolt was finally allowed to play with the girls in some of the drills.  He has been practicing for a few weeks because he wasn't "allowed" to practice until he showed he could keep up with the girls with correct technique.  Kolt thinks I'm being too hard on him, but volleyball players will know what I'm talking about! The girls had a great time, and Kolt did a great job.  They all thought it was the best practice of the year, and I've heard over and over again that I should've let him practice all season! The website for Bonneville Volleyball is www.bonnevillevolleyball.net if you want to check it out!

Saturday we had our year end tournament.  Kolt and I had a good visit with the bus driver on the way up.  There were only 6 teams that were at the Madison tournament.  We played both Blackfoot and Skyline in pool play early Saturday morning.  Once we started the tournament, we reffed as many games as we did play.  It was a slow afternoon.  We won all three games in the tournament, making us the champs of the tournament and finishing our season 26-0.  The last game of the tournament we played Idaho Falls.  We came out and won 25-18 and then entered the infamous volleyball lull.  We got down 23-22 and didn't have a fight in us.  In the final game to 15, we battled along, but by that point, Idaho Falls had gotten a lot of momentum. I called a timeout at 12-13 and the girls seemed a little rattled.  Their coach might've been a little too! The girls came out of the timeout with a good fire under their bellies and won 3 straight points in a row to win the match 15-13.  It was a very rewarding day! We had a few tears at the end of the day, and it was sad to think the season is over.  We've had a very talented and passionate team.  They are going to be very successful in the next few years!  After the tournament, I had a parent from the Idaho Falls team come give the team a very nice compliment followed by a request to spend a couple hours with her daughter before club this spring.  Hopefully, I will find some time for that!

Wednesday we went and watched my cousin's football game in Rigby.  Jay plays for West Jefferson's team along with my cousin's boys, Clay & Quincy.  We enjoyed visiting with Uncle Jared and Aunt Trish.  We just don't see them enough!  Friday Tyler had his homecoming football game.  He did an awesome job! We are so proud of the player he has become and more importantly, the man he has grown to be! We are excited to see him serve a mission in the next year! Bonneville played Century on Friday and won 42-7.  We had a great time at the game with Mom & Dad and Kevin, Ashley, Ashley's dad, Paul & Evan.  We love spending time with family.

After Thursday's game in Blackfoot, Kolt drove down and picked me up early from the school.  We hurried back to Kolt's parents' house to stack hay in their barn.  We did a load that night with Shane, Angela and his brother-in-law, Landon.  But we came home at 9:30 to get some homework done.  Shane was worried about a storm Saturday, so Kolt went back Friday after volleyball practice to finish.  They think they had over 500 bales.  Kolt has been pretty sore between stacking hay and playing volleyball. Kolt served 2 baskets of balls on Wednesday while he was practicing at the gym.  The next morning his back was very sore! He was so sure we needed a new bed, but I kept assuring him the bed was just barely bought this spring.  Finally, at about 10 that morning, he texted and realized that it was all the volleyball playing from yesterday.  We have had a good laugh about that this week.

One of my volleyball players Whitney Johnson who is also on student council asked Kolt and I to chaperone the high school Homecoming Dance on Saturday night.  We chose the 10-12 shift; we had a good time seeing some of the varsity volleyball team and were sad we just missed Tyler leaving the dance!  The student council put on a great dance at The Loft.  We also had a good visit with the new vice principal, Mr. Duffey.

Sunday we went to our new ward for the first time together.  We are in the Iona 10^th Ward.  Kolt enjoys seeing lots of people he knows in the Ward.  Tyler gave a talk on President Monson's talk in the Priesthood Session of General Conference.  He talked about men changing and refraining from judgment.  He shared one of his favorite quotes that is always on my Grandma Lindley's fridge, "We need to learn to be more tolerant of those who sin differently than we do." Daniel Jones also gave a talk; he is leaving on Wednesday for the Texas Houston East Mission.  We had a good Sunday School lesson from Wes and Ashurity Jones about the coming of Christ in 3^rd Nephi.  Kolt really loved it and has been talking about the fulfillment of Samuel's prophecies all day.  After Sunday School, we went to a friend's talk in church.  Trevor Empey graduated from Bonneville with us in 2010 and just returned from a mission in Tijuana, Mexico.  We sat by Andrew Smith's family.  He did a great job, and Kolt loves talking with him in Spanish.  We went up to his house for dinner.   We had a good talk with the missionaries serving in our area, Miss Reddish (our wonderful Student Council advisor from Bonneville) and Savanah Coon.  Savanah graduated with us, married Eli Coon, and has a sweet 6-month old named Remington! We love Eli & Savanah and I had a great time catching up!

We are looking forward to the District Volleyball Tournament this week and are excited for some good volleyball.  Kolt and I are also starting a new job with Americans for Prosperity in a call center with a political poll question.  We will be doing that for the next three weeks! We just don't have enough to do!

One Week Done!

Thank you to all of you for all your love and support last Saturday.  We had an absolutely perfect day and were so thankful for all the love we felt as we were sealed for time and all eternity.  Kolt and I have had plenty of time this past week to think about how lucky we are to have such great family.  We love each of you and are so glad you are part of this family.

This week has been a very busy one as we resumed the postponed homework and work and volleyball.  I am learning quickly that those teachers postpone the due dates like I do the homework.  I am in 15 credits and getting in deep into the Accounting major.  I’m learning lots of new things and actually find that when I go back to work, a few more things make sense every day.  The process that I am routinely doing at the Post Register is starting to come together.  I am learning a new perspective to school; I am very happy with B’s and they aren’t as scary as I thought they were.  On the other hand, Kolt is doing very well in school; he is taking 18 credits this semester and has been a little skeptical of my enrolling him in a busy class load.  Despite his worrying, he is doing very well.  He has classes Monday-Thursday at the Idaho Falls campus and is very disciplined to stay at the school and work on his assignments at school.  One of his classmates, who has been married for about a year, chuckled when he heard Kolt got married last week and said, “Well, I bet your homework just got a LOT harder, didn’t it?” We are both finding that this is a true statement.
 

This week for volleyball we beat Hillcrest on Tuesday and then beat Century on Thursday.  It is fun to play Hillcrest, where my sister Kristi coaches.  She has spent a lot of time and effort and has turned Hillcrest’s volleyball program around.  Century’s freshman team struggled, and I was able to play some kids in new positions and try some fun things.  I am lucky to have a very talented team, who is now 17-0 with this week’s wins.  

 

It has been great having Grandma Lindley at our home for the past week.  We have sure enjoyed her sweet Spirit around the home.  Thursday Kolt surprised me with pizza and a movie.  We had a fun date night at home.  I’m so lucky to have such a great husband who takes care of me.  Friday I went into work early to print checks at work, and then left at 10 down to Smithfield.  We met Dad and Grandma there and then we all went down to the BYU vs. Utah State game.  It was Kolt and my first BYU experience.  On our way there, we met Kevin, Ashley & Evan at Ikea; they helped us get home a few things we got for our kitchen.  We had a good time walking around with Bryant and Tyler before the game.  BYU won 6-3.  It was a serious defensive battle.  We had some fun Utah State fans sitting around us, so the game stayed quite exciting. 

Friday night we stayed at my Uncle Corey and Aunt Janis’ home.  I always love the Spirit in their home and enjoy visiting with them.  We watched Saturday morning of General Conference at their house.  We were all so excited about the news about the change in mission age for men and women.  Men can now serve at age 18 and women can serve at 19.  We are excited for the changes that are ahead for all of us.  After the morning session, we drove to the Conference Center in Salt Lake.  We attended the Saturday afternoon session in the conference center.  While we were there, we ran into my Uncle Jerry, Aunt Nina, my cousin Nathan and his wife, Marianne, and Wyatt & Cody, my cousin’s kids.  It was so good to see some familiar faces!  This was Kolt’s first time attending a conference session.  It is a strong testimony building experience; you can’t leave conference without a stronger testimony that the church is true.  

After the second session, Kolt, Dad and Tyler attended the priesthood session as well.  Kolt and I were able to slip into the video God’s Plan at the Visitor’s Center.  It is one of my favorite videos, and I was excited to show Kolt.  I am so grateful for the assurance that families are forever.  Kolt met up with his dad and Brand’s Deacon’s quorum at the conference center.  Mom, Grandma Lindley, and I met up with Jocelyn and visited the Visitor’s Center and took a short trip to the mall.  Grandma treated us to some delicious chocolates!  Jocelyn and I had such a great time talking.  I am so lucky to have great friends and perfect examples to follow.  We finished the evening with dinner at Maddox, another first for us both.  It was a great dinner, and it was so nice to be with family.  We stayed at Grandma Lindley’s Saturday night and then woke up early Sunday morning to get home before the morning session.  

On Sunday we had a great lunch at Kolt’s Grandma & Grandpa Staker’s house.   His mom and grandma made us delicious lasagna, salad, garlic bread and raspberry dessert.  We listened to the last session of conference with Grandma & Grandpa Staker, Mom, Shauna & Landon, and Rope.  We always love being with family.  Before we left, we played some baseball with Rope and Kolt’s cousins, Jerry & Justin.  On our way home, we stopped by a sweet lady in Kolt’s ward.  Her husband passed away while Kolt was on his mission.  She and her husband have always been a good support to Kolt, and I was so honored to meet her.   

We are so excited to have made it through the first week of being married.  We love it and are so happy to be together.  We are learning so much along the way and coming to love each other more than we knew we could.  I am so grateful for the gospel and the temples, so that we can be together forever. 

 

August 18, 2012 ---We're engaged!

I've had a few requests for the engagement story, so I thought I would take some time to write it all down! In answer to many questions, yes, we got engaged in 5 days!  We were inspired by my cousins Erica & Coleman Green, who also didn't take too long to get engaged once they knew it was right! :)  During the week Kolt got home, we spent every day together.  He surprised my team with muffins and juice early in the morning, we had dinner with my family, we went to freshman orientation at ISU and many more things.  We had talked about getting engaged during that time, and at one point when I asked if we could get married soon, Kolt said, "Just wait until Saturday..." So I did!

Saturday, we spent the afternoon setting up for Kolt's dinner at his Grandma & Grandpa Piquet's house.  We washed off tons of chairs and then set them up out in the front yard.  After we finished, we went to Staker's house.  When we were there, his sister, Shauna, asked me if I wanted to go on a girls date with her.  I had no idea what to say, but I didn't know if Kolt had plans! But Kolt told me to go and just kept saying, "Hurry back because we have something to do tonight!" So I was so nervous that I was going to miss my own proposal! Shauna and I went and looked her their new house out in Rigby.  It was beautiful! They were just about to close on it and move it! Then we drove up to Rexburg and got a Gelato.  I had no idea what they were, but Shauna said they were delicious! It was a snow cone with thick layers of cream! I was totally in heaven! After we got done, she asked if I wanted to just go on a drive around! I was SO afraid we were going to be late! I was hoping she'd hurry! We headed back on the freeway toward Ashton and she mentioned that we might not get home 'til midnight! I really started worrying! We decided to go up to Mesa Falls, just past Ashton.  I had never been there before! We had a really good drive, and I had a great time talking to my new sister-in-law! I'm so lucky to get such a good sister!

When we parked the car at the top of the falls, I saw Rope running down the pathway.  Then it clicked, and I took a deep breath because I realized I wasn't going to miss Kolt's proposal! Kolt had 4 little notes down the pathway each with a rose and a candle. The told me about the first time he noticed me, reminded me about our first kiss and our first date, and finally he told me the first time he knew he loved me.  They were so sweet, and I loved reading them!

The last rose and note was up ahead in Kolt's hands.  It said "4 years, 3 months, 18 days....now eternity?"  Kolt asked me to marry him, and of course, I said yes! Kolt was able to get a replacement ring until the one I picked out came in.  It was beautiful too, and I asked if I could keep it for my right hand! Shauna took pictures of us around the falls, and then we went home.  On the way home, Kolt and I told all our friends and family.  I was SOO happy that it was finally real. Something we had talked about for years was finally happening! Kolt had surprised me with buying The Hunger Games that just came out Saturday also, but we decided to stop by his grandparent's house to make our announcement first! Then we went home and watched one of my favorite movies!

I remember thinking that night how long awaited this day had been and how sweet my fiance was to make it so special.  It is definitely a night I will remember for a long time.  Thank you SOO much to Shauna and Rope for helping make that day happen.  It was absolutely perfect!

Here are the pictures around Mesa Falls...

August 13, 2012---Welcome Home Elder Piquet

So I think it's about time I take the time to write down the engagement story and welcoming Kolt home.  A little late, but better than never!  Kolt got home August 13th from his mission in Villahermosa, Mexico! That day was one of the most rewarding days of my life!  He was scheduled to fly in at 4:55 PM on Monday evening. 

My day started off early with volleyball tryouts from 7-9 at Bonneville.  I am the freshman coach this year, and we had the most girls at tryouts ever at Bonneville.  I did a really good job of staying focused and got to take a good look at the girls before the team was made that evening.  After volleyball, I went into work at the Post Register and tried really hard to get lots done and keep busy! I left in the early afternoon to come home.  I attempted to take a short nap and then spend the evening getting ready.  Thank you so much for all the sweet texts and calls that day! I was SO anxious to get him home, and it was so nice to feel the support from my family and friends!

I worked out to pick out a good outfit and got lots of good advice from Tyler, Makayla, Jocelyn, Kallie, Kristi, Natalie and my mom. By 5:30, I was feeling very good about how I looked! His family was the only ones to greet him at the airport and he went quickly to get released.  After he got released, he came over.  My family was having a block party that same night of course, but I was glad because that meant a little more distraction for me and that Jeanna & Jared and the kids got to be there also! At about 6:25, I saw Kolt pull in with his brother-in-law's green truck.  I caught a glance of him in the window in his suit and tie, looking just how I left him 2 years ago!  I ran out of the house and gave him a big hug and lucky for me, since he was released, he gave me a kiss too!

We went around to the back of the house to see the rest of my family, and then took off for dinner at Big Jud's in Ririe with his family.  People have asked me if it was weird being with him again, and the best answer I can think of is...NO! It was weird for about 10 seconds until we both felt completely confident that we were supposed to be together.  After that, everything picked up right where we left off.  Kolt and I had the best talk up to Big Jud's; we even managed to get lost on the way to the restaurant.  We had a great dinner with his family, Grandma and Grandpa Staker, and a few of his cousins.  I was totally content to sit and hold his hand all night long.

After dinner, Kolt and I went on a drive all around Idaho Falls.  We spent the whole night getting caught up on everything that happned over the past 2 year apart.  We didn't cover much, but we got a good start, and somewhere in the middle of the night, I finally was able to let him go home.  During our drive, we fell in love all over again.  We were both so happy to be together, and it was as if we had never been apart except I loved him much much more.  Seeing Kolt again after 2 years was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done.  And I really do believe that, "Distance makes the heart grow fonder."

Here are some pictures and a video of the welcome home.  Thank you to my mom for recording it!

Welcome Home sign made by Tyler, Mom, & Me!

Walking in!

He's home!

For Time and All Eternity

We did it! Saturday, on September 29, 2012, Kolt and I were sealed for time and all eternity.  At 10:30 AM, we were sealed in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple not only for the time on this earth, but for all eternity.  We were sealed by my Great Uncle John Dalling.  He did a beautiful job and neither of us could stop smiling.  We had so many great friends and family there in the temple to be a part of our special ceremony.  I am so grateful for the priesthood power here on earth, so that we could be sealed forever.

After the sealing, we took some pictures out in front of the temple.  The weather was beautiful! We were very blessed! Thank you to Melonie Harris and Sarah for taking our pictures! They did wonderful! After pictures, we headed to the new Iona church for the luncheon.  Kolt's family did such a good job and it was SO delicious! We had Chicken Cordon Bleu, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls and lots of yummy desserts. The cultural hall was decorated so beautifully in hot pink and blue! The flowers were gorgeous.  Kolt was so happy to finally eat, and we were excited to sit and talk with friends and family for the afternoon.

At 5:00, we went to the church and took lots of pictures.  I am SOO excited to see them. I will post them as soon as I get them!  The reception went from 7-9. Kolt and I were both so touched by all the love and support we felt that night.  We had so many sweet people come through and congratulate us.  We are both so blessed to know such wonderful people. 

Thank you SOO much to all our family for making this special day happen.  We couldn't have planned it better.  Kolt and I are so happy together and can't wait to start this new journey now as husband and wife.  This week we are working on getting back into the flow of school, work, and coaching volleyball.  It's a little rusty, but we are loving working together through all that we want to do. Already in the past 3 days, we have learned that "The things in life worth having REALLY are the things worth waiting for."

25 Lessons Learned

Hey everybody! For those of you who don't know, Kolt is finally home from his mission in Villahermosa, Mexico! He got home on August 13, 2012. Here's where you can catch up on all that goes on!! I decided that I wanted to start this blog by sharing 25 things I learned over the past two years. Looking back, I can think of so many things that I have learned, and I am so grateful for this opportunity to learn, grow, and become my own person!  I hope that you can learn something valuable from my experiences! So here's my list in no particular order...

 



The band members: Candace, Kortnie, Me and Dani on
the guitar. We got together and sang about every week!

1. Place others' needs ahead of my own.---I have come to really love placing my needs behind others.  I think it's one of the most important parts of being a successful team, a good roommate, a loving friend, and a forever family.  I was called to serve as the 1st counselor in the Relief Society in the Rock Springs College Branch.  By serving with Dani and Sequoia, we spent so much time on our knees praying for the sisters in the branch.  In Chapter 5 of Alma in The Book of Mormon, Alma asks the people if they have received God's image in their countenances.  This scriptures reminds me of Dani Hardy perfectly. She is always in tune with the Spirit and truly an instrument in the Lord's hands.  I learned so much from Dani's willingness to pray for others.  She was always willing to drop everything and help someone.  I really hope to be like her someday.  



Kortnie & Candace sang "I Know That My Redeemer
Lives" at a baptism.  

2. Be kind and reach out.---My friends have taught me some of the greatest lessons in life.  Devin King taught me to always be kind and reach out to help whenever needed.  Candace Clifford is always happy and bubbly and ready to talk to anyone.  Kortnie Christiansen has the biggest sweetest heart and loves to help others.  Makayla Keck is kind to others and will never say a bad word about anyone.  Jocelyn Ostermiller is always fun and happy.  Her glow spreads like a wildfire.  I'm so glad to be around such special people and learn to be kind and reach out.  The kindness and willingness to help has made a difference in my life.



3rd place finish at the NJCAA tournament Nov. 2010

3. Get out of my comfort zone.---Believe it or not, thanks to my father, moving away from home was one of the hardest things I have ever done.  The only thing that helped me get through each day is the overwhelming feeling I had when I knew I was supposed to be at Western.  Each day became easier and I was able to reconfirm the feelings that I had before I went.  I never would've guessed that I would've had such a hard time leaving WWCC for good this past winter.  I'm so glad that I got out of my comfort zone and became a better, more refined person.  I know that wherever I go and whatever hard things I have ahead of me, I will be blessed and protected to be able to accomplish the task ahead of me. 



Meeting Evan for the first time October 2010

4. When in doubt, pray!---There were times when everything seems to fall apart, and a new day seems too hard to handle.  No matter how hard life seemed, kneeling to pray seemed to put everything in perspective and give me power to conquer life's challenges.  I also realized that when I was praying morning and night, those tough days seemed to happen less often. Remember, when times get the toughest, never forget to pray.





March 3, 2012--Evan's sealing day

5. Take advantage of every moment with family.---Western Wyoming has an Adopt-A-Athlete program available to all athletes in which an employee from the college can "adopt" an athlete and include them in their family events.  Makayla and I were adopted by Kay Leum and her family Brian, Ashlee, and Autumn. We were one of the lucky athletes for sure! They invited us to come be part of their family all the time, and I still look forward to Kay's big hugs when I see her. I always loved being at their house and spending time with their family.  No matter what is going on in life, things always seem a little lighter when you're with family.  Even though I wasn't able to spend time with my own family very much, I was able to be around other families, the Leum's and the Keck's, and I loved that just as much!  And I finally got some little sisters!! 

6. Learn to love what's around me.---The easiest way to be happy is to learn to love what's around you.  Learn to love your circumstance, learn to love yourself, and most importantly, learn to love those around you.  Learning to love what's around me at any given moment has been the key to my happiness.
7. Be patient.---Never become so impatient that you forget to appreciate what is around you. Be patient in everything you do.  Never rush to get an answer, never rush to hurry through your day, and never rush to the next stage of life.  Just like Elder Busche said in a devotional, "Embrace this day with an enthusiastic welcome."



Athletic Banquet April 2012

8. The power of friendship---I absolutely LOVE my friends.  I have learned just how much friends can influence your life for good. I have met some of the neatest people in Wyoming, and I'm so glad that I have the relationships that I do. I want to use this chance to thank all of my friends! (I'm sure that I will miss some, so forgive me when I do!!)----Devin King, Candace Clifford, Makayla Keck, Jocelyn Ostermiller, Cameron Lowry, Kortnie Christiansen, Cori Perrault, Breonna Phillips, Dani Hardy, Mason Hansen, Jack Lambert, and Sequoia Hair....and MANY MANY more! I love learning about others and getting to know their own life story.  I hope that I have changed their lives in the way that they have changed mine.  THANK YOU!

9. Discover my priorities.---Living in Wyoming gave me the chance to determine what really means the most to me.  The ups and downs of playing college volleyball and taking college courses has helped me really take a step back and find what means the most to me.  The most important thing to me is my testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I have learned that no matter what goes on around me and all those things that happen outside of my control, I can hold tight to my testimony of Jesus Christ and his restored gospel.



Go-Karting in Twin Falls

10. Serving others is the recipe for happiness.---Sometimes the most important moments are the moments I spent listening to Candace think things through, helping Makayla with her tests, cooking dinner for our "floor dinners," and walking with friends to church. Thank you to all those who have served me! 





Regional IX Tournament 2011

11. Hard work DOES pay off.---Truth is...Hard work does pay off.  I never really fully believed that, but I have learned that it always DOES pay off. The key is that hard work doesn't always pay off in the way you think it will. Sometimes working as hard as you can in volleyball doesn't make you the best volleyball player. Sometimes studying longer or harder than others won't always get you an A. Sometimes hard work pays off in ways we don't expect.  No matter what I'm going to look for my reward which may not be what I expect it to be.
12. BE HAPPY.---One of my favorites quotes goes like this, "If you want to be happy, then BE."  I fully believe this is the key to happiness.  Although I am so blessed, there are still days when I think the world is falling apart. If I make the decision to be happy, then I am. 
    

    

    Makayla and I

13. We often have to make mistakes to find ourselves.---No matter how much I would love to be perfect, I have finally accepted the fact that I am not. Sometimes we have to fall before we can get higher.  Heavenly Father has made a plan for each of us and mine included some significant mistakes that helped me grow and become perfected.  I'm so glad that I had the chance to make mistakes and partake of the atonement to become better and more prepared to enter the next stage of life.



Region IX Champions 2011--Candace, Makayla,
Jocelyn and I

14. Never forget to read your scriptures.---"A pattern of personal righteousness which includes prayer, scripture study, and service is the answer to avoiding the dangers spoken of in the Book of Mormon." -Sister Hales  I have come to learn that a testimony is fragile and without the daily pattern of prayer, scripture study, and service, that testimony can be lost in a blink of an eye.  I have learned to never forget to read my scriptures because it provides me with the personal opportunity to rekindle the fire that acts as the foundation to my testimony.



Nathan and I over Christmas 2011

15. Refrain from making judgements.---I have learned to hold back judgements in every situation.  Not only does it help you be happier, it makes it easier to love others.  I remember one particular drive home from Logan with my dad really late at night.  We spent the whole drive talking about holding back judgements.  I'm so glad to have a dad who is so good at this.  He is always slow to judge.  That night, we stayed at my Grandma Lindley's and there on her fridge, like it always is, was a perfectly fitting quote, "We need to learn to be more tolerant of those who sin differently than us." There is no way to know what another person has gone through or what path they should take.  Don't judge; just love.



Region IX Champions 2010

16. Be a missionary.---One of my most memorable experiences happened in September of my 2nd year at Western Wyoming. I met Mark, a 27 year old from Australia that just moved to Wyoming and was looking for a change in his life. He came to the Singles Branch one day, and Candace, Makayla, and I grabbed him and got to talk to him for a little while.  I will never forget how privileged he felt to live in Wyoming, and it definitely gave me a chance to rethink my opportunity to live there.  He came to a couple of the activities with us, watched a volleyball game, and then met with the 3 of us, Devin King, and my mom one evening to talk about the church. He was so intrigued with the peace and joy the gospel brings to us and kept commented about how happy we always were.  Just as he was ready to meet with the missionaries and take the next step, he got transferred to Florida for his work. Candace and I spent many nights thinking about the experiences we had and were so grateful for the chance we had to share the gospel.  That is where true joy is found and clearly a sign of true conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm so glad that I had the chance to have a missionary experience for myself.  About 3 months later, Mark contacted us and let us know that he had been baptized. I can't explain how happy I felt when I heard the news.  I felt like a real missionary out in the field.  This past June, he got engaged to a beautiful girl with a little boy.  He was so excited to marry her and was so excited to be part of a family of his own.  He even invited Candace and I to the wedding in London in September.  Five days after he announced his engagement, Mark passed away in a racing accident.  No one could believe the news.  Not only did this teach me about the fragile gift of life, I am SO glad that I followed the promptings to share the gospel with Mark back in September and invite him to discuss the gospel.  Mark and his enthusiastic desire to enjoy life will always be in my heart.



Evan and I Christmas 2011

17. Live for today---I have so many people to thank for teaching me to live for today.  Sometimes it's okay to forget about the future enough to love today.  Sometimes in the bustle of life, we forget to love today.  There are some stages of my life that I was in such a hurry to pass through, that I completely forgot the memories of that stage.  I don't ever want to forget any of the memories I experience.  No matter what stage of life I'm in or what stage of life I'm preparing for, I never want to forget to live for today enough to love it.



Brooke, Makayla, Cori and me--Roommates my first year

18. Make sacrifices regularly---There are no words to explain the power that comes when we sacrifice something that is important to us.  Sometimes we are asked to give up something little, like the plans we have for the evening, and sometimes we are asked to give up something big, like our best friend for two years.  As Elder Busche says, "And finally, when you are compelled to give up something or when things that are dear to you are withdrawn from you, know that this is your lesson to be learned right now. But know also that, as you are learning this lesson, God wants to give you something better."



Me, Jocelyn, and Makayla--3rd place 2011

19. Sometimes a phone call can make all the difference---I remember one particular day at school in Wyoming that I was just having a rough day.  As I was walking back to my apartment, my mom called me and just wanted to talk.  That made all the difference to me and helped cheered me up so much.  That happened again while I was waiting for the bus home from Idaho State and Devin King called me. We talked for a few minutes and just got caught up.  It completely made my day and I thought I couldn't be happier until Candace called me and we also talked for a few minutes.  I've never been much of a "talking on the phone" kind of person, but I have learned to be now.  My mom, my friends, and numerous others were so inspired to give me a call just when I needed.  I hope to be as inspired as them to be ready to call a friend spontaneously, just so that I can help make their day as they have made mine.



Basketball Game--Jocelyn, Cori, Makayla, me, Chelsea,
Kirsti, Kortnie, and Brooke

20. I love to see the temple---I never realized how lucky I was to live so close to a temple.  I took advantage of driving past the temple on the freeway and seeing Captain Moroni.  I took advantage of monthly Branch Temple trips.  I took advantage of walking around the Greenbelt in Idaho Falls and seeing the beautiful temple.  The closest temple to Rock Springs is Salt Lake which means NOT VERY CLOSE! It's really hard to make attending the temple a habit when it's so far away. However, since I've been home, I've set a goal to attend the temple every week.  It's still a work in process, but I know that I am happier and I keep better perspective when I attend the temple.



Ugly Sweater Dance at the Institute--Candace, Jocelyn,
me, and Brooke

21. Sisterhood---Playing volleyball at the college level has given me the chance to be part of one of the greatest sisterhood I've ever known.  Together, with all our different personalities, various life stories from across the country, and multiple perspectives on life, we have come together in a way I never knew we could.  By the end of the season, I knew so much about each girl and came to love who they were, no matter how many times we fought at practice.  I'm so grateful for each and every one of the 16 girls that I played with.  I love you all and remember that no matter where you go in life or which path you take, my door is always open and my phone is always on. 



Lindsey, me, Ashley and Lacey--Dalling girls at
Kristi and Bryant's wedding January 5, 2011

22. Be humble---Humility is the key to personal revelation, growth and learning. I find it so easy to become prideful and sometimes just purely self-interested.  I want to always remember to be humble and acknowledge others, and ultimately Heavenly Father,  in all that I am able to accomplish.



Athletic Banquet 2011

23. Always stand for the right---Never lower your standards to fit in or please others.  I have found that if I have to lower my standards or be ashamed of what I believe or who I am, it's not worth changing.  I have learned that by standing for right, others notice the light of the Savior in my life.  I hope to always represent the Savior.  Whenever I have doubts in what to do, I want to ask myself "What would Jesus Do?"



January 5, 2011--Kristi's Wedding

24. Spend some time having fun---Some of my favorite memories of Wyoming are those when I just simply had fun.  I didn't think about the things I had to do before tomorrow or the things I needed to do over the weekend.  I put everything aside and just spent a night for me.  No matter how busy life gets, I want to remember to spend some time for me.  Thank you Sam and Makayla for those nights!!



April 23, 2012--Kamrie Neibaur

25. Families are Forever---Surprisingly driving away from Rock Springs for the last time on December 13th was not the exciting event that I thought it would be. It was really sad for me to leave my friends in Rock Springs, Wyoming.  I graduated with my Associate of Science degree in three semesters and attended Idaho State this past Spring.  The sad departure in December made m wonder why I had felt so good about being home.  I had looked forward to it for so long, and when the time came, it was hard to leave.  There have been some nights that I wished I was there.  On February 14, 2012, my Grandpa Lindley passed away.  It was a really hard thing for all of our family; my parents took many trips to Salt Lake to visit my Grandpa in the hospital while he battled for his life.  My grandpa had the neatest funeral; it truly was a tribute to his life and a celebration of the fact that families are forever.  I have since found many reasons why I am glad that I am home: the relationship I have built with my mother, supporting my brother at his basketball games and tennis matches, and walking my nephew Evan to school, but none as important as being able to be with my family through this important time.  I also got to be with my family when Evan got sealed to Kevin and Ashley and be able to see my new niece Kamrie on the day she was born.  My immediate family has now grown to 13 and i'm so glad that I get to spend eternity with them.  I know that families are forever, and I'm so grateful that I was able to have the knowledge of the gospel to help me and my family get through this difficult time in our lives.  I am so excited to be able to see Grandpa again in heaven.  "I always want to be with my own family, and the Lord has shown me  how I can."