Living the Dream

Finals week! The end of the semester is always a little bittersweet for me. I love school. Like, I really love school. I love living in my apartment (side note: I will have lived my entire single college life in the same apartment), and I don't want to move home. But I'm also a little burned out after six months of studying. And I'm getting married, so it'll be nice to not worry about school while I'm planning a wedding. And for the record, I am STOKED to have one eternal roommate and not live with girls anymore. Hooray for our own fridge and our own bathroom and our own kitchen and our own living room and our own study space and our own quiet and our own music playing!!!

This year of school has brought tremendous growth and learning. It's really hard to put it into words. I've learned a lot academically, but I've matured spiritually and emotionally too. So many things have happened that have taught me to rely on the Lord and turn myself over to Him. My calling has blessed my life so much. I truly love the people in my ward. I've made so many friends this semester, and it makes me a little sad to leave them. I made a goal to attend the temple every Saturday morning this semester, and I did, minus one week I didn't feel well and the week Jake proposed. That alone has brought blessings and peace into my life. And of course, I'm so grateful for Jake. He has strengths where I have weaknesses, and constantly helps me to be better. Our courtship has taught me so much about myself and about God and about the gospel. I love everything about him, but especially his patience and kindness. 

Overall, it's been a really rewarding year of school. I've loved it. 

Now, for the future. We're getting married on September 22 in the Idaho Falls Temple. We haven't called to schedule it yet though (finals week, remember? everything is on hold.), so that is subject to change, but most likely not. I interviewed for an on-campus Human Resources internship, and they offered it to me on the spot. It's a huge blessing. It's full time, and paid very well. It's in the tutoring center, and they've got some projects for the Writing Center for me to work on over the 7 week break before I actually start my internship. So I'll be living at home for a few months, working part time, and planning my wedding. Jake is still looking for work in Rexburg. (If you wouldn't mind sending up a little prayer for him to find work, that'd be awesome.) Then we get married and move to Rexburg and work and save for school. Then we go back to school in January. I only have three semesters left, and Jake's got at least six. We'll be here for a while. (Oh, by the way, I never told you that Jake's a mechanical engineering major. He's very smart.) So then we graduate and live a comfortable life and have 4-6 adorable children who are smart and talented and perfectly behaved. We go rock climbing and biking as a family and homeschool our kids and send them to college and on missions. We grow old together and spoil our grandchildren. Then we serve a mission. Eventually we retire and live like kings in Patagonia. After years of healthy old age, we die and go to the Celestial Kingdom. 

That's exactly how it's going to go, right? ;)