Stretching

Short short update. I have been busy...really! The days of sitting around watching the Olympics, Baseball, and Football in one day are pretty much over. I have been working for The Cyzner Institute, a school for students with special needs. I have learned a lot in the last couple of months. I was able to stay on for the summer program doing their camp for the younger children. I asked them before the 4th of July break about me staying on in the fall and being a Teacher's Assistant for these same younger students under a wonderful veteran teacher who I'd learn so much from. They agreed and said I'd most likely be doing just that.

A day before teacher training came they asked me to take over an older class. They asked me to be a teacher. I prayed about it, pondered, and felt like I needed to do some stretching. I accepted the position. I have been in teacher training the last week or so and tomorrow is our complete first day. I feel a lot of responsibility about this...and I'm kind of overwhelmed. But I think in a couple months I'll have the hang of this thing. I'm so thankful for my education and my student teaching.

Running in a Circle,
Arica

Summer Rain Dance

I was recently in Idaho. (Refer to earlier post.) My friends were saying how much they loved my hair.

I said, "Oh it's because it looks better straight with out humidity."

Later we were taking a walk at night and I said, "Wow I can take a walk in the evening and not feel hot and sticky."

Then my friends preceded to ask me why I didn't just move out west. The only thing I could think of was my family and my job. Which are good reasons but I was trying to think of environmental things I liked too.

Later that week I thought to myself, "Oh yeah..I love how green it is."

And then I thought of the rain storms. I cannot help you understand my love for a pour down rain storm. I missed them so much on my mission, at school, and when we had a drought.

This summer has been anything but a drought, we've had wet days at least twice a week. (Which means I hardly ever straighten my hair, messy bun or curly.)

Each time it rains my younger sister Arin and I plan to go out and run in it. It's been a tradition of our families for a while. We love to get soaked. This summer each time Arin and I see it's raining we're usually driving somewhere or not together. Just yesterday is was pouring...sheets and sheets of rain at my work. I only ten miles away. I called Arin on my way home from work and I said, "On my way home, get ready it's pouring outside." We were both so excited. I got into my neighborhood and saw that it was bone dry. I got a little pouty. I came inside and saw Arin.

She looked at me with sad eyes and I asked, "What's wrong?"

Arin said, "It's NOT raining."

I consoled my baby sister and we hoped that we'd have a good rain soon to try again.

A little more than 24 hours later we were driving home from the store and Arin said, "It's raining....wait don't say anything."

So we acted like we didn't care. We got out of the car and it was a light rain but not enough to really enjoy. We tried to make the most of it and decided to do a "rain dance". Yet another tradition that us children started doing...I believe they really work. As kids we did them during a really bad drought and were amazed when it started raining a couple days or hours later.

After our rain dance, and we danced all the way to the door for good measure, we came inside for a half an hour. There we were in the den shooting the breeze with the fam and we hear the rain a little louder.

Arin said, "I think it's time."

We opened the door to find a shower of great proportion. It was fantastic!

As the door flew open, we ran outside and screamed excitedly. We'd done it. Our rain dance had worked! Soaking it in, dancing, and spinning in the moment we'd waited for all summer. We stayed out maybe 2 minutes and were soaked and freezing...and loving every minute. It was perfect. Okay so MAYBE I rolled my ankle during the moment and it hurt but I sucked it up and relished in our moment.
(Side note: this always reminds me of Hercules when Meg says "Do you have trouble with things like these? Weak ankles I mean?" Which I DO...I just rolled my ankle in Idaho last week.)

We came back in and my brother Andrew put some towels by the door for us. ;)

This is the best part.
We get dried off and change into our sweats.
Get all comfy and get a hot mug of herbal tea.

I had to talk about my cOcOmOtIOn. If you don't have one I suggest it! It's amazing for hot chocolate (it's original use) but you can heat up water fast and use it to make the herbal tea. (Of which most every one had a different flavor) Thanks be to Arin who got one for me for my birthday...knowing I've wanted one for years. 

The tea was a perfect ending to a perfect moment. I love traditions and spontaneity. Even if life isn't like the movies where everything works out "perfect", I still loved every minute. I loved sharing the moment with Arin. I loved seeing our rain dance work. I loved hanging in the den with my family drinking herbal tea and listening to  James Taylor. It was a brief pause from present cares.

Life is full of those moments...don't wait for the storms to pass...those could turn into some of the best experiences.


Warm, Comfy, and Happy,
Arica

An Agreement & A Wedding

College started at BYU-Idaho in the fall of 2006. I drove out with my parents and they helped me move in. While they were still there I met my first roommate. Emily Hegerhorst.

We had a lot of the same things to get done so we just walked around with each other. My mom said, "I think she seems like she'll be a really great friend." It was good to see that my mom was grateful that I was in good hands with a stranger but also someone who was approved almost instantly. The first semester we got to know each other, there were things I didn't understand like how does someone not know how to pay and pump gas.  But it wasn't until I went to her farm in Bruneau, Idaho that I really understood Emily. They had their own gas tank on their land and she never had to go to a gas station.

The farm was peaceful with many things to do to keep you busy. I got to experience life in a new way. I was in love. Then there was her family. They were delightful! The farm, family, and more made this one place I knew I wanted to come back to. I started with going each semester with Emily. If she was going home I tried to go at least once. Then I started going to Thanksgiving with her, it was a new tradition. I even went to their house for Thanksgiving after my mission and Emily was still on hers! The Hegerhorst's became family.

Emily and I continued to live together for the next semester with our other roommates. This is where we made a contract. For some reason we kept arguing about who would get engaged first. A third party, Megan Wyatt (Skagen) wrote out a contract stating, whomever was engaged first was owed the other a steak dinner. We both signed it. And have since lost the document. College life.

I have been paid in full by who is now Emily Anderson.

I opted for Cafe Rio instead of a steakhouse...I don't have them in NC and I miss them dearly. 

So glad that she kept her end of the contract. 

As stated by her sister, "Way to hold out." 

Heck yes! :)

I just returned from one of my favorite places in the world on Sunday. I got a call one evening from Emily and we caught up. She told me about her love life and how she started liking this guy named Ben. Months later I get the text, "I'm engaged" and next thing I know I'm buying a plane ticket. Then months later it's August and I'm flying out to Idaho for my best friend's wedding.

It was amazing. I got there in time to help set up, buy food, travel here and there to get everything to their apartment, and spend time with my favorite people. I'm so so happy that I'm not just friends with Emily but her entire family. I went there for her but I didn't realize I needed the recharge with the farm and family.

Some shout outs:
Mom and Dad H,
Thank you for the endless amount of whole milk you've let me drink. It's probably good you don't have a camel like me around all the time or you wouldn't make a profit. Also, thank you for the Thanksgivings, storing my stuff for my mission, and the open door policy. I will be back, be sure of it.

Katie, Becky, and Margie,
I really appreciate you accepting me as a part of the family, though I'm Emily's friend. You are like sisters to me as well. I love you all and I'm all too grateful that our paths have crossed.

Emily,
You beautiful bride! I love you beyond words and I'm glad I could share the day with you. I told Ben, "You just got one of the best dude!" He agreed. BFFE!

I'm being selfish and putting the picture of us instead of her and Ben. They will have many many pictures and this was a quick shot before the guests came to the reception. Friends for 6 years and will continue much longer.

Happy Heart,
Arica

THE Mission

We're all on the same team! When you're on a mission you're spreading Christ's gospel. It makes me upset when people try to make out that their mission is harder than mine was.

It's not about whose was harder but how hard you worked.

I'm guilty of this but I'm going to change. When people say "on MY mission" they're actually wrong, it's "THE mission" because it's Christ's mission. It's about bringing people to Christ...the end. That's is it. You're not going there to prove something or to go and then share your woes from the mission. And if you are then that's your loss because you've waisted to much pride on worrying about yourself.

End of Rant.

Of Course I'm Happy,
Arica

Remember Attitude

Remember. It's been said to be the most important word in the dictionary. I believe it.

If I remembered all of the lessons I've learned over the years than I wouldn't have to RE-learn them all the time. I am unsure why I forget the things that the Lord and life has taught me. As I am a blogger you can hopefully assume that I have kept a journal (you know those ones that you actually use a pen) and I have, since second grade. I tend to look back on what I've written and it's amazing at the things I forgot about and the lessons I learned even in those early stages of my life. 

Sometimes what we need to remember hasn't come to us through experience. In church or discussions with friends I can learn things from  them that I don't necessarily have to go through myself. I can avoid the situations, temptations, or unnecessary steps because of their advice. I've heard this is the difference between wise people and super-wise people. But there are times when you have to go through things yourself not matter how wise you think you already are. This is the only way to truly learn the lesson taught. It's when I go through similar experiences I can take their stories or advice and apply what they suggested instead of trying and failing on my own. That's what the hope is, that we'll apply what was taught to us. The tricky part was we need to remember what was taught.

I have recently forgotten. That word too is often used by us mortals because we have to have things drilled in our heads all the time. Anyways, I digress because I need to get to the point. The POINT is, I forgot the simple lesson:

Attitude is Everything.

I have made my attitude adjustment and recently found (yet again) how great life is when you are positive and when you don't let the little things get you down. I guess happiness really does run in a circular motion...everything always come full circle. So I'm not sure who needed the reminder but I really needed a wake up call... Attitude is Everything.

Remember,
Arica