Achievement Unlocked! 6 months completed!

I've SERIOUSLY been slacking; and for that, I apologize. 

I need to get better at this blogging thing. For reals.

Anyway, this post is going to be about Elder Sellers being gone for 6 months!

           On February 28th, (since there was no February 29th), I celebrated this huge milestone by making homemade BBQ Chicken pizza! Wow. 6 months? 1/4 of his mission? I only have to do that 3 more times? 18 more fast Sundays? 3 more general conferences?

Oh yeah.

I got this.

Are you kidding me?

Easy-peasy lemon squeezy.

I honestly can't believe he's been gone for nearly 7 months. You guys, he's growing so much. He really is. Elder Sellers is currently in Las Vegas! He's training a new greenie, Elder Colton.

 Jared says Elder Colton is 18 years old and very excited to do missionary work. Jareds love for the Gospel and the happiness it brings to people grows every single day. He's becoming the man God needs him to be and it's such a privilege and honour to be apart of this experience, to watch him grow and to grow with him as well. It's a blessing to be waiting for him. 

As I prepare to serve my own mission, I can't help but think about how hard Jared works, how much he gives, and how much he learns. I begin to have an overwhelming sense of pride for him. He loves the Lord and the work that he's been asked to do, and I can't wait to serve the Lord with all my heart, might, and mind, just like my missionary. I can't wait to grow as much as he does, to have the spirit working miracles through me 24/7 as I serve my Heavenly Father.

I can't begin to express how happy I am every day as I wait for this boy, everyone. I've been blessed so far during this wait in that it has been so easy. I haven't once been sad, haven't cried, haven't felt alone. I was actually telling my Mom the other day how funny everything is: In my emails with Jared, we're still the same, still sharing the same little concerns and thoughts we normally would. Last week, he discussed with me his desire to purchase a rice cooker, and what he was going to start cooking for his lunches. 

I couldn't help but laugh. It was just so....us. 

I love him so much.

I love him more than I love Taco Bell.

That is all.

Until next time, everyone! 

(Which hopefully won't be too long)

-Samantha J Stanley

5 Months and other things!

HELLO EVERYONE!

C:

         I think I just choose to update when a lot happens, and then just kinda word vomit everything after it all settles. Gross? Yes. Effective? Absolutely.

Anyway...

          So first, just a recap on MY life right now: I got laid off from my job. :C That wasn't fun. The manager is in my ward and everything, she hired me, and she knew I was saving up for a mission. I still got laid off though. I was bitter and just really confused and lost. I came home from my last day of work on a Thursday, heard about a friend of mine who declined a job at Allstate doing phone surveys. 

         You better believe I hopped in my car the second I heard that and drove my little self over there to tell them to give me a job. Turns out, they liked me enough and I was hired on the spot! I was told I would start that following Monday at 11am, working Mon-Thur, for $8/hour. Wow. I didn't even miss a day of work. The job is a little rough, I don't really enjoy it at all, but it was a God-send and I will keep it until I find something better.

          And I did! I got a call last Sunday while I was in church from the movie theater I used to work for. They wanted me to come in for an interview, so I went in after work on Monday! They said they'd give me a call on Thursday to let me know whether I got the job or not. 

I nailed that interview like it was my job. 

Hehe.

          I don't know when I start or if I'll be working full-time or part time, but what I think I'm going to do is if they offer me a full-time position, I'll quit my job at Allstate and work for the theater and try to pick up another part-time job. If they offer me a part-time position, i'll keep my job at Allstate until I can find another part-time job. Either way, I'll be working two jobs so I can save for my mission double time. This is so exciting! Mission papers are still not in though...I'm getting antsy and just ready to serve. Or at least KNOW where I'll be going...Everyone pray that things go through quickly and soon, please?

NOW JARED NEWS! :D

Gosh, he's just my favourite person ever...

I just love him so much... <3

          Back on track! Sorry about that! He's still in Vegas, still with Elder Driggs. I'm sending off his Valentines package on Monday, filled with cute little stuff. I'll post a picture later. I sent him some valentines that i got from Krispy Kreme for free doughnuts. I got 3 letters from him a couple weeks ago. I cried. A lot. They were just great. :) 

          AND HE'S BEEN GONE FOR 5 MONTHS. AHHHHHH!!!!!

          That means THIS MONTH, FEBRUARY, HE WILL HAVE BEEN GONE FOR 6 MONTHS. THAT'S A WHOLE FREAKIN' HALF A YEAR. THAT'S 1/4 OF HIS MISSION!! HOOOOOLY CRAAAAP!!!! Where the heck is the time going? Is this real life? I sure as heck hope so. 

          Anyway, so for his 5 month, I wanted to get a cake that was on sale. This may seem silly, but hear me out: Jared and I used to go to Broulim's when we lived in Rexburg and buy the cakes that were marked down to like....$7. We would get them when we were stressed out, upset, or just needed to chill. We'd seriously just get a whole cake, no plates, no nothin', just forks and a whole cake and go at it. It was hilarious. The first time we did it, Jared goes, "Sam, I've never just....eaten a cake off of the platter it comes on. Is this allowed?" Bless his adorable little heart, he took that first bite and was so surprised at how fun just...eating a whole cake was. It was great.

          So I went out, bought a cake that was on sale, and just ate it. I also got some Chile Con Queso pringles, since he told me to in his letter, telling me how great they were. It was a grand celebration. 

          I honestly find myself thinking so many happy thoughts every day about memories of us. I know this sounds cheesy and just totally cliche, but I fall in love with him every single day, just thinking about the times we spent together over the past 6 years. I'll be doing mundane things, like dishes, vacuuming, or cooking, and just slip into this stumbling, slipping state of love where I just think about doing his dishes for him when he was sick or stressed, or cleaning his apartment while he was in class for him, or cooking with him. And then I fall in love all over again with him and it just makes me smile. I thought this was supposed to be a hard, trying, difficult thing, being without him for 2 years, but so far, I've found that nothing has changed between us. The ONLY thing that has changed is the fact that we're 1,859 miles away, and that we only get to talk once a week through emails and letters. And you wanna know what? Surprisingly...It doesn't seem that bad at all. I'm growing so much, and so is he, and I'm just so proud of who he is becoming. I don't care WHERE he is, whether he's with me or away from me, for 2 years or 2 days, but if he can progress and become a better person, let it be.

         Transfers are on the 25th of February, and it's only going to be 5 weeks long since they're getting so many new missionaries cause' of the age drop. AWESOME! He's great, life is great, everything is great.

Until next time, people who read my blog! 

I love you all and wish you the best!

Cheers!

-Samantha

A Bigger Plan.

          Wow everyone. Sorry I haven't posted in a while. A lot has been happening and I really wanted to get it all done before I updated so I could just give the whole story at once! Right now, I'm laying on my bed, jacked up on pain meds, and waiting for my AMAZING Mother to graciously bring me a chocolate milkshake. Why you ask? BECAUSE I GOT MY WISDOM TEETH TAKEN OUT.

       Let's back up: Last blog post, I was freakin' out. I needed 6 cavities filled and all four wisdom teeth removed before my mission papers went in. I didn't think I had dental insurance, and I didn't think I'd be able to find anyone to take my wisdom teeth out for a reasonable price. I believe that sums up my last post pretty accurately, right? So I post a link to that blog on my facebook and you wouldn't believe it: one of my AMAZING YW leaders from when I first moved to Kentucky posts on the link: "Mark (her AMAZING husband) will do it for free."

What.

The.

HECK.

          

          Is this real life? I won't go into all the details, but through many messages and exchanging information, we found out that I do have dental insurance, that Mark couldn't take my teeth out because my teeth were too impacted, but that he knew of a couple people that he thought would be willing to help me out. Lo and Behold, Mark had a Oral Surgeon friend who was more than happy and willing to help me out. So on Wednesday, January 23rd, my wisdom teeth were removed: something I thought was going to take many many months to work out, and many many dollars to pay for. I had the work done in a matter of a couple weeks, and for as much money as my dental insurance could cover.

          Now let me just back up a while. I moved to Kentucky in 2008, when my Mom got remarried. I'd lived in Xenia, Ohio my whole life. I'd never been in a different ward, a different school, a different anything. My whole entire life was there. Moving to Kentucky was one of the worst things to happen to me in my life! It was taking me away from everything I'd ever known, including my best friend, Jared. I told myself all the time: "The Lord is putting me through this for a reason. I'm supposed to be here for some reason, I just don't know why yet." I wouldn't find out why until 5 years later. Here is my point: The Lord knew the bigger picture. He knew the I would serve a mission someday. He knew that I would need my wisdom teeth taken out. He placed me in a specific ward at a specific time so that this could happen. My Father KNEW all of this, and his hand was in my life, leading me through the whole time. I can see that now. I mean, I knew before that it was all part of a bigger plan, but now seeing that plan unravel right in front of me, being able to see the blessings forthcoming straight from Heaven, watching my life being blessed in miraculous ways because I chose to serve a mission...Now that's amazing. I can only imagine the blessings and revelations that will happen when I'm actually on my mission. 

          All in all, my wisdom teeth are out, 3 cavities have been filled, my physical stuff is taking WAY too long to process (the doctors really have no idea how to fill this paperwork out), and I have 3 more cavities to fill. These papers will be in soon and then I will know where I'm going to be serving the Lord in for the next 18 months. I just want to give the biggest thank you to Brother and Sister Mortenson, the amazing people that helped find someone to take my wisdom teeth out. They worked so hard and did everything in their power to help me out and didn't stop until my teeth were pulled. I am so so so grateful for their help, and I know that the Lord will bless them for doing so much for me. “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” I'd also like to thank my amazing Bishop, who is a dentist! He gave me my examination and is filling my cavities for me. So many people have been placed in my life to help me get on my mission. Someday, I hope to be able to help someone out as much as all these people have helped me.

          

          In other news, Jared will have been done for 5 months on the 29th, so I'll be posting my celebration of that soon! Holy moly, has it been 5 months already?? WOW. Time is FLYING by! This is awesome! Valentines Day is coming up and guess who agreed to be my valentine this year?? That's right! 

JARED DID. :D Hehe. He's great. He said he'd love a valentine package from me on one condition: "Hold off on the confetti." We'll see. ;)

Well, I'm off! Recovering from these dang wisdom teeth is rough business! I love you all very much! 

Cheers!

-Samantha J Stanley

         

P.S!
A VERY VERY big CONGRATULATIONS to my friend JESS! Her missionary Michael came home yesterday and they couldn't be happier! GET MARRIED ALREADY, SLACKER. ;)