Wednesday, October 14, 2015

10 Months Later...

Haha ooooops. I've totally neglected this blog!

DAYLON IS HOME!!!! He finally came home! The day before and the day of him coming home I threw up 3 times out of pure nervousness. I was soooo scared to see him again! It had been 2 whole years! But seeing him walk up to my house was AMAZING. I jumped right into his arms and didn't want to let go! Everything fell perfectly back into place the second we were in each other's arms <3

Here's our video!


We went back into my house and sat on the couch and hugged and held onto each other and kissed! I made it in the 24 hour club ;) That night we went to his brother's basketball game and it was seriously the best day of my life. I couldn't be happier!

3 weeks after that, he proposed!
We got an apartment, took our engagement pictures, I went through the Temple for my own endowments, got my dress, took our formal pictures, moved into our apartment, had our reception, and got married on March 14, 2015. All of this happened 6 weeks later. Hahaha you can say I was going absolutely NUTS through all of this.



Being married to my best friend is the absolute BEST thing in the world. I honestly can't describe it. He's amazing, soft, kind, loving, gentle, funny, sarcastic, a leader, a confidant, my best friend and husband. <3 We've had so many adventures in these past 10 months of him being home and 7 months of marriage and I can't wait to see what Eternity brings us!

Being a missionary girlfriend was an amazing part of my life that I will always cherish but I am SOOOOOO thankful it's over and I never have to do it again! Waiting was long and short at the same time. I enjoyed it and hated it. I met some amazing best friends through the wait and have helped others and they've helped me. 

Now that it's over, it's time to start a new blog and let this one be it's own little precious journey dedicated just for when I waited for my love. I'm totally feeling sad and sentimental now hahaha <3

I've started a new blog here and it will include anything and everything. Mostly just updates about our cute little life together and any other rants or art or music or random musings I want to share. My first post is an intro and talks about my anxiety and how I wish there wasn't a stigma behind it. Go read and follow and enjoy <3

Also, follow me on instagram @jenny.crider77 for all the updates I share about our life. Because we're obviously amazing and interesting people. Hahaha ;)

So yeah! This is it. The waiting is finally over and I'm so glad I married my Prince Charming <3 It's completely possible and will definitely be beyond worth every sad and lonely night! HANG IN THERE <3

Always <3




Saturday, December 27, 2014

M.I.A. and D.I.Y.

HELLO!! Life has been the craziest it's ever been in the history of ever and I haven't blogged since August. Such a shame. I'll make a new post *soonish* about Daylon and I (AND THE FACT HE COMES HOME IN 17 DAYS) and school and other stuff in life. But today I'll make this little post about a cute project I just finished making for Daylon's coming home package! I call it a "Coupon Date Book". :) I stole the idea off of Pinterest, so it's definitely not my original idea! But I made it my own, and so can you!


I dunno why this is so blurry... it's not on my phone!


You will need:
Scrapbook paper
Printer paper for the coupon
Scissors or a paper cutter
Two-sided tape or a glue stick
A pen
A hole punch
A key ring
Lots of date ideas
Patience ;)


First I started out creating the Coupon template! I just got on Word and made it up how I liked it :) Mine looks like this:
And yes. The "redeemable" part is Lord of the Rings font. ;) I put four of these on the same page and just printed out three pages, giving me 12 coupons in total. I wrote down 10 date ideas and I'll just use the other two coupons if I think of any more :)

After that, I cut out the coupons using my paper cutter. You can definitely just use scissors, but be sure to have even edges! Nothing makes me crazier than wonky edges.
Next I taped the coupon template onto a piece of scrapbook paper! You can make the coupon as big as you would like! I made them all the same size so they looked nice and even on the key ring. I cut the scrapbook paper using the paper cutter as well :)


After taping everything down, I wrote what the date idea was! Some of the dates are romantic, like star gazing, dinner and a movie, and watching the sun rise. <3 And some are fun and mean a lot to us! These ones are the Harry Potter movie marathon, LOTR/Hobbit marathon, and Ice Cream Tuesday! Make your dates as fun and spontaneous as a nerf gun war (heck yeah that's one of ours!) or more romantic than a Nicholas Spark's novel. It's up to you! 

Here are my finished ones! I loved using random scrapbook pages with patterns and colors. Make it fun and cute! This is definitely something I know Daylon will LOVE and we'll both love looking forward to! And the fun part is, they don't have to be redeemed by any particular time! Who knows, we could be married for like 5 years and he redeems the nerf gun war coupon! I can't wait to give it to him!

OH! Remember to make the cover to finish it all off! :) 
Then go ahead and hole punch the top left corner and put them all on a key ring and you're DONE! :)


Have fun with your dates! I know we will! :)

ALWAYS <3



Thursday, August 14, 2014

Soooo why am I waiting for Daylon? Lemme 'splain a thing.

I figured since Daylon has 5 months left that I'd let you all in on the nitty gritty of this waiting thing. I usually just post something about Daylon's successes on Instagram and Facebook, but I've never really come out saying exactly WHY I'm doing this.

Really. Why would ANYONE decide to be separated from the love of their life for 18-24 months with only emails, letters, and 2 Skype calls (or just phone calls) a year as their only forms of contact? I'm pretty sure Army wives have it better in this sense haha...

Also. This is going to be a super long post. I apologize in advance! So feel free to jump around to any questions you want answered :)

So onto the Q&A section.

1. Why send off a missionary in the first place? Don't Church leaders advise against it?
The keyword here is "advise". I've had so many people tell me I'm sinning/going to Hell or going against what the Prophets have taught by sending my boyfriend off on a mission. There is no commandment, no doctrine, no written word that says missionaries should not have girlfriends while serving their mission. Yes, I realize that mission calls say to "leave all other affairs behind" when they leave, but it does not specifically say to break up with girlfriends/boyfriends. And no. I'm not justifying. Just look at President and Sister Hinckley. That is all. Plus this talk is wonderful. Look it up. :) http://www.missionaryhelper.com/talks/lockheart.html

2. Okay, so you sent him off. How did you two decide that was what you wanted to do?
Daylon and I dated for 7 months and 10 days before he left. It's really not that long of a time. But we knew after only 2 months of dating that we wanted to spend forever together. We absolutely knew that's what we wanted. But we also knew that he should serve a mission. It's a Priesthood holder's duty and obligation to serve the Lord, even though prospects of Eternal Temple Marriage are available. At this point, the mission age hadn't changed, so we thought we would have a whole year before he left. After realizing this, we kinda freaked out. Waiting a whole year for him to leave would be SO HARD when we knew that it would be 3 years until we'd get married. We also talked about breaking up after we finished our first year of college so he could focus on preparing for his mission. Then General Conference came that October and the mission age changed and Daylon literally dropped EVERYTHING to start his mission papers. He didn't drop me though ;)

We actually prayed A LOT about him serving a mission. We prayed for comfort, for love and support, for confidence, you name it. From thinking that we had a whole year to be together to just a few months in a matter of seconds was so depressing and caused a lot of drama and crying (mostly on my part haha). Daylon's Stake President also told him he'd have to break up with me before he'd even send his mission papers in!! (I definitely don't think that's right to do... threatening someone to break up with their loved one to serve a mission.) We fasted about that. His Stake President miraculously forgot about me. His mission papers were in. A few weeks later he got his call to the Chile, Santiago West mission leaving January 30, 2013, just 8 short weeks later.

Through this whole time, I never ONCE asked him/begged him/prayed about/ or wondered if he would stay home for me. That was never in my agenda. Of course I thought life would be so much easier and without the drama and pain of him leaving for two years, but I knew and promised myself I would never ever ask him to do that. That would be completely selfish! Denying Daylon and I all these wonderful experiences and blessings just to be married sooner is foolish and detrimental to us and who we are to become because of this experience.

With all of this going on, I also prayed to know if waiting was the right thing for me to do. It takes a lot of guts and faith to send your best friend and true love off and still expect to get married at the end of it all. Many people send off their loved ones and most don't wait the entire time or end up marrying them. It's a lot of trust being put into these two years. I had to know if it was right for me to willingly get through it all. Each time I prayed, I felt more and more confident that this was what was right for us :) And here I am, 18 months later, more in love with him than I ever have been and more confident that we made the right choice. :)

3. How have you kept your relationship alive while he's gone while not distracting him?
I've actually gotten this question a lot! There seems to be a stigma that missionaries with girlfriends are constantly distracted and fail at the Work. And you know what? You're not wrong. For the most part. ;) I see so many girls send off their guys and constantly send super mushy gushy gag-worthy packages and emails and letters that even I wouldn't want to get... and we all know I'm a hopeless romantic. I've seen girls spray letters with their perfume. Seal it with a lipstick kiss. Send letters full of future talk and never anything related to missionary work or the Gospel. I've seen letters full of complaining and whining about how sad and lonely they are. The list goes on.

I don't condemn future talk. Daylon and I love it. We love having goals to look forward to. But we back everything up with scriptures and Gospel stories. We don't let future talk happen every single time. We don't fill letters with "Ohhh my gosh I wish we could kiss and cuddle and watch movies and star gaze and be sappy and disgusting right now cuz I miss you so much blah blah blahhh". Even though I know we both think about kissing and cuddling, we don't say it. Okay maybe we have sometimes... ;) But really. He's on a mission. He's serving the Lord. He's not in a foreign country to write sappy letters and pine away for me and home life. I've had to realize that. I have a separate journal where I write all my sappy, distracting feelings so he doesn't have to worry about it.

But, we do like to have fun! There's nothing wrong with making cute packages and letters and decorating them with drawings or calligraphy or stickers. There's nothing wrong with sending funny jokes, or writing poems, or having doodle wars or sending his favorite foods and a nice new tie. Daylon and I have played "20 Questions" or made up a crossword puzzle or sent coloring book pages or even the "Application to Date a Daughter of God" printout. It's a hilarious questionnaire for missionaries to fill out. Daylon's answers made me laugh so hard! Let me know if you want it and I can send it to you! :) There's nothing wrong with having a little fun along with the Spiritual stuff. Just because he's a missionary doesn't mean he can't lighten up or have fun!

We also tell each other anything and everything. Relationships are about trust and never hiding anything. Just because he's serving his mission doesn't mean this part of our relationship stops! But like I said earlier, if it's sappy and distracting, I don't say it. I've said I miss him maybe 3 times the entire 18 months he's been gone. Any more and I'd feel awful. But he's my best friend. He knows more about me than even my closest girl friends! (Sorry Sarah and Lauren...haha)


4. You always seem so positive about the wait. How do you do it?!
My dears, it's called being optimistic on the outside while you're secretly dying on the inside. Well... kinda. Haha. Have you ever missed someone or something so much that you physically hurt? Have you ever cried so much that you literally can't cry anymore? Have you ever been so ticked off at everyone and their dog getting married that you end up watching 6 Rom/Coms in a row while eating ice cream right out of the carton?

I've felt all of this and more during the wait. But I'm not going to complain to the world about it! (And I don't believe in using Facebook as a soapbox of complaints.) Plus I was the one that willingly decided to wait for Daylon. I didn't have to date him. I don't have to wait for him. I don't have to turn down dates if I'm really that lonely. I don't have to refuse to go to the YSA Ward.

But I chose him above anything and anyone else. And along with it comes the pain of missing him more than I ever thought I could miss someone. But good things come to those who wait. ;)

I have tried to be positive. Instead of seeing how far I have left, I look at what I've accomplished. I have mini countdowns every week. So take August for an example. I worked 6 days in the first 10 days of the month. I had two free days where I worked on artwork. I got my hair colored on Tuesday. My cousin came home from his mission yesterday. It's Daylon's birthday on Saturday. School starts on the 25th. It'll be 19 months down on the 30th. I have many things to count down to. I focus on those things rather than the 150 days I have left. I take it a step at a time because if I focused on the big picture, I'd go absolutely insane. I counted every single day when Daylon first left. I thought time had actually stopped! Haha :P

Also, DON'T EVER COMPARE THE WAIT TO OTHER'S. You'll end up hating yourself. I did this a lot in the beginning as well. The day Daylon left, someone got their boyfriend home from their mission. I was devastated that her 730 days had ended and mine just began all in one day. But yes, she did wait the whole time, so she was in my position at one point! Everyone starts somewhere. But the part you focus on determines your overall attitude.

5. Wait.... you're not dating? Like at all?? Or even going to the YSA Wards?!
Yep. You read that right. In the missionary girlfriend world, you have to decide if you will wait and date or don't date at all. This is a touchy subject with some MGs (missionary girlfriends) and some will get heated and argumentative. Sometimes I've been the one to get heated about NOT dating (because frankly, I feel like it's cheating), but I've come to realize that it's completely up to the person waiting and what they feel they should do. I knew from just two months of dating that Daylon and I would be together. But many people, parents and family members, ward members, and some friends included, urged me to date while he's done. Now, I never was big on dating. I never really liked it. I thought it was lame and too much effort went into dates that would end up being awkward anyway. Plus I looked at dating as finding your future spouse. And going on dates in high school were usually just for fun anyway. So when Daylon and I started talking and eventually dating, I knew our forever would happen and I knew I was done searching for my Eternal Companion. Sooo why would I go on dates anyway just to waste the guy's time and money when my heart was already stolen by my best friend? Plus Daylon, even though he encouraged me to date early on, came clean with me about 4 months into his mission about how much it hurt him to think I was dating other guys. And before you say anything, HE DOES NOT CONTROL MY LIFE. I can date if I want. I can hang out with guys if I want (which I do. Shocker.) He's not holding me back from anything, despite what many people actually think and say to me about it. This was my decision, and the fact that he backs me up 100% makes it even easier. :)

Lots of girls date because they actually don't know that their missionary is "The One". Others date because they want the experience. Some date to keep getting that confirmation that their missionary is perfect for them. And a select few date because, "well I know we're going to get married, so why not get free food and movie tickets?"

I definitely don't agree with the last one. But hey. That's my opinion. But to the girls who date for those first reasons, more power to you! Keep it up! I just know it's not for me :)

As for the YSA Ward... the entire focus, it seems, is to get young adults married off. Well I know who I'm going to marry. I've literally had Spiritual Confirmations about Daylon and I! Sooo why put myself in a position where I keep having to turn down dates and make guys feel awful? I have THEE hardest time telling people "no" for all kinds of things, even though I'm dying on the inside to find a way out. I never ever want to hurt a guy's feelings and turn them down! So I just chose to get myself far away from those situations so it never happens. :) Plus my home ward desperately needs me to be the Primary and ward choir pianist. That's reason enough to stay.

.........................................................................................................................................

This was super long. Kudos to you if you read all of it! I may do a "Part 2" some time with other questions and answers. Let me know if you have any! I'm not holding anything back anymore. :)

I've just gotta give a shout out to all my MG sisters and MB brothers who patiently wait for their loved ones as they serve the Lord! I've never met another group of stronger or lovelier people before! Keep on waiting on!

As for Daylon and I.... the best is yet to come. :)

Always <3

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

16, 17, AND 18 Months Down! Also, I fail at blogging.

The title says it all. I've neglected this blog for too long, once again. I just find it hard to even care about blogging anymore hahahaha. I think my blogging/journaling has been taken over by Instagram. Follow me @jennaynay77 ;) So I've decided with this blog post, I'll post all my pictures and write an update underneath. I'm to lazy to do anything else haha

So let's start with May!
May was Mother's Day :) So here's my mom and I on Mother's Day! I love her and all she does for me! We also like to dress similarly. Haha :)
Then I was invited to Skype Daylon later that day at the Crider's! It was THEE most fantastic thing ever! Skyping with him every few months is definitely what I look forward to! He's doing so well on his mission! He was very happy and I absolutely loved hearing him talk and laugh! And of course we had to get a picture of us skyping together! When I went up to the computer, his mom told us to do the cute half-heart thing! I love this picture :)
Then....... I GOT MY ACCEPTANCE LETTER INTO THE DAY PROGRAM FOR INTERPRETING!!! Like I said in the last blog post, only 12 people are accepted into the Day Program and I was one of them! This is totally unreal. I knew I did well, but I knew that a few people who were applying were even better at ASL than I am. So I worried I wouldn't make it. Basically I was being super negative. Hahaha but doing lots of praying before my interview, along with a Father's Blessing, and lots and lots of praying AFTER the interview helped make my dream come true. Heavenly Father seriously answers prayers. <3 <3 <3
And then of course, 16 months down :) I'd say that past month was a good one! Lots of good things happened. Plus the month mark came up pretty fast! So that was May in a nutshell :)

And here's June!
June had Father's Day, so here's an oldie of my dad and I! :)

I bought a KitchenAid for super cheap! I'm obsessed with the color and I've used it quite a few times since buying it! I seriously can't wait to have my own home and make cookies and bread and lovely things for my husband and kids!

My parents went on a trip to North Carolina WITHOUT ME for a week. I definitely didn't like being home alone. I love my independence and alone time. I thrive off of being alone. But I don't like staying in an empty house by myself for a week. It gets scary haha. But my parents left me letters to open every day. It was adorable :)

Then my countdowns started looking better and better :) Can you believe this number started at 730?!

This sticker countdown has started filling up like crazy! As of writing this blog post, I'm starting on the "R" now! :)


Then it was me and Daylon's 2 year anniversary <3 I love this guy to Eternity and beyond. He's my everything and I can't believe he chose me. I love him more and more every single day and the desire to be with him keeps getting stronger. He's my absolute best friend and confidant and he loves me and understands me for me. He never judges me. He never berates me. He always lends a listening ear and a warm embrace. He's more than perfect and I can't wait to kneel across from him in the Temple as we become husband and wife for Time and All Eternity. <3

For mission news, Daylon was transferred into the Mission Office as the Financial Secretary for his entire mission!! That means he takes care of all the money: tithing, rent, bills, and allowances for missionaries. He's absolutely LOVING it and feels like he's doing such a wonderful job where he's at! He spends about 6 hours in the office each day and about 3 hours tracting. He misses the interaction with members and non-members all day long, but he loves the work he's doing in the office. Plus he works on computers all day long, and we all know how much he loves that! ;) Being the Financial Secretary means he'll be in the office for 6 months. THAT MEANS THIS IS HIS LAST ASSIGNMENT BEFORE HE COMES HOME. WHAT THE WHAT?!

Then of course, 17 months down :) This month also flew by! And that's totally okay with me :)

Now for July!
This happened. What. 25% left?!

I've been baking more! These are my first loaves of bread I made with my mixer and they were so dang yummy! Daylon is lucky ;)

My family went up to our cabin over the 4th. It was fun and relaxing! We read and watched movies and played games and went exploring! We also tracked an elk! They NEVER come this close! It was a good weekend! :)

I hung out with some MGs! We ate lunch and went shopping and it was so fun! I always love hanging out with girls that are in the same position as me :)

Daylon is loving his mission so much! Plus he looks so happy and so dang handsome! I'm so proud of him! He works so hard every day :)

Plus he sends the best emails <3 Every once in awhile we'll chat. And every time we do, he makes my day a million times better! His sweet and loving words mean so much to me, and he really does do so much for me, despite the distance!! I LOVE HIM! <3

Aaaaaand 18 months down!!! Tomorrow, July 31, is also Harry Potter's birthday, and we all know how much Daylon and I love the series, so I dedicated this countdown picture to the Boy Who Lived! I can't believe it's been a year and a half since Daylon left to serve the Lord! I'm so proud of him and all the hard work he's doing! He is absolutely perfect and I'm the luckiest girl in the world. I swear, he gets more perfect every day. And I fall even harder. <3

Here's to the last 5 1/2 months without my handsome man. It's crunch time! <3

Always <3











Thursday, May 1, 2014

13, 14, AND 15 Months Down!

I've totally neglected this blog for the last three months... oopsies. My life has been so incredibly busy lately that I've found it hard to find the time/motivation to update this blog. Well here it goes!
 School has been crazy busy. I had 5 classes this semester! Granted, some of them were completely online or only met a few times during the semester, so it wasn't that bad. But the homework load and the mental and physical stress of handling everything was so tiring! It's just been a really difficult semester. My grades have been great, but some of my teachers have made school really difficult! I can't count how many times I've ranted about my linguistics class or my sign 6 class... thank GOODNESS the semester ends next week! But oh wait! I start summer school on May 27th. Yaaaaay. :P
BUT. During this semester I had the opportunity to apply for the Interpreter Program starting this fall! It what sooo nerve wracking! Basically, you go in for an interview completely in ASL (obviously), it's recorded, and then sent to some people to rate my signing. The rating scale is pretty difficult and only 12 people are accepted into the day program (one year long) and 12 people into the night program (two years long). No pressure at all! I won't find out the results until June or July, so this is going to be a looooooong summer.... I've been hoping and praying that I get in the day program so that I graduate 3 months after Daylon gets home! That's my dream! But I guess we'll see what Heavenly Father has in store for me. There's nothing else I can do right now. There's no redoing the interview, unless I don't make it in. Even then, I'd have to wait until March of 2015 to redo that! So I'm really hoping things work out in my favor. :)

I also celebrated my 20th birthday in March! HALLELUJAH it was my last one without my love! And *hopefully* we'll be married right around my next! I can't wait! Daylon is such a sweetheart and he sent me the most wonderful package ever! He's never sent anything before, but this package was everything and more! He sent an apron designed like the Chilean flag to help motivate me to perfect my cooking, two leather bracelets he had made for me with both of my names on them, a wonderful letter, and a RING. A real gold and diamond ring he happened upon one day. It is so gorgeous and perfect and I wear it every single day! The package made my birthday so much better than it was. I honestly missed him so much and really had no one to celebrate it with so I was pretty much bummed out all day. I did have a party in my ASL 5 class that day and went to lunch with my mom, all her siblings, and my grandma. My friend Eric took me to dinner and we watched a movie at my house later that night. It was fun and all, but I couldn't help but miss Daylon even more. I'm so ready for him to be home!
One of the Etsy commissions I did :)
In April I opened up an Etsy shop! I always post new paintings and drawings on facebook and all of my friends keep telling me that I should sell them! So I took their advice, and set up my shop! You can find it here :) So far, I've had 2 sales and have been contacted by two other people to do commissions that aren't in my shop. It's super exciting and I hope it takes off! I love creating art and I love making other people happy because of my art :) TELL YOUR FRIENDS! :)

Now onto my favorite subject: DAYLON! It's like I kinda like him, or something ;) He's been having such great success in his mission recently! He got a new companion, Elder White, in the beginning of February and they've been together since then. He's from Utah and also has a girlfriend! So I'm glad he and Daylon have something to connect on. They seem to have a good companionship and are working really well together! They had one baptism in March and have one this Saturday, May 3rd! They've been selected out of their entire mission for a special task! They are part of the "Simi Squad", which basically enlists them to update old stake and ward directories and find inactive members and try to bring them back! It's a long and sometimes difficult process which requires them to work on it most days of the week for 5-7 hours each day, but they've been making great progress. Daylon absolutely loves it because the mission office has given him and his companion laptops to work on. He loves any chance he can get to work on a computer! He was giddy with joy when he found out they'd get the laptops! Haha he's such a dork and I love him so much for it! He's been having so much fun on his mission! He's definitely super busy with everything going on, but we make our relationship work :) I'll just attach some pictures from these past months below :)
My happy man :)

Daylon's District!

He *FINALLY* got the salsa his mom canned over at my house and sent him!

He's a dork. But he's MY dork :)

Okay. I'm a dork too. Haha we like to be cheesy!

We don't email chat anymore, but every so often, we'll sneak in a few emails back and forth! :)
Life has been crazy, but it's all worth it. I love Daylon more than ever and I absolutely CRAVE the day he comes home. I can't wait for our eternity! I'm so proud of him and I am so thankful for his hard work and service on his mission in Chile. He's an amazing example to me and I love him so much!

Until next time :)

Always <3









Thursday, January 30, 2014

ONE YEAR DOWNNNNN!!

SHUT. UP.
This is really REAL?? It can't be....
But this makes me so dang excited!! I can't believe it's actually here! I've dreamed about this day since before he left. Half way there feels so good! 
This year has had its fair share of ups and downs, long nights of crying and devouring tubs of ice cream, but also laughing and reminiscing about the amazing memories we've had. I won't lie and say this has been the easiest thing I've ever done. That's completely absurd! But what makes it seem easy is the love Daylon and I share. I've found that on the many times I've cried myself to sleep or binged on Netflix, Daylon's love fills me up and reminds me that it's worth it and it will end eventually. :) And Daylon has told me the same goes for him. He's been having a SUPER hard time with his companion right now, but he has told me that he feels my love and support and it lifts him up when all he does is fall down. That's what our relationship is like. No matter the distance, we lift each other up :) However, it's still been difficult. To be apart from your best friend and love of your life for any amount of time is hard. But to willingly be apart for two years is just crazy! I never thought I would be a missionary girlfriend. I used to think the girls that waited were just crazy! Now I'm one of them and it's the best (and easiest) decision I've ever made in my life. I know this is right for me. Daylon and I are so in love and so comfortable with each other. There's no way our relationship would be this perfect without it being blessed by Heavenly Father. :)

This last month went by SO. SLOW. So dang slow.... oh my goodness. I thought it would never end! The first month or so of this wait went by super slow, then everything else flew by! I hoped that this one would, too. BUUUUUT no. HALLELUJAH it's finally over! Everyone keeps telling me the second year goes by super fast too, so I can only hope that happens for me!! I've definitely felt some mixed feelings as this new year has started. I am SO HAPPY that it's finally here! But I keep remembering what I did a year ago today, and how we said goodbye a year ago yesterday. Hooooo boy. Those are some intense feels. I just remember feeling so lonely and so numb. I wanted so badly for it to be a dream. I felt like I was actually in one. But then reality set in and I was a mess. Knowing that we had said our goodbyes and that two whole years would pass before we could physically be together again was devastating! Obviously I wouldn't have him be anywhere else. His mission is the most important thing he can be doing right now! I'm so glad he's there and I will always support him! But it's hard. I would honestly be worried if it wasn't hard.... haha

This past month for Daylon has been the biggest trial he has faced on his mission so far. He was sick for a few weeks, started having companion problems, and Satan started bugging him and getting him down. He went through a hard couple of weeks but he's finally starting to get out of it. He's been progressing with his investigators! So far a family has all made a goal to go back to church and a different lady has decided to be baptized in March! This is so exciting! Daylon is such a great missionary and I can't be prouder of him and his example and hard work! He's doing so great! :)
Chilean Flag Santa Claus hats!

I found this old picture of him when a member posted it to his FB page. I'm obsessed. He's so handsome! <3

For me, I started school again with a heavy load! I have 6 classes this semester, but some are only 6 weeks long. It's still a crazy load! However, so far I only have to physically go to one class every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday! HALLELUJAH. But that means everything else is online.... ick. Also this semester, I have to apply for the interpreter program! SCARY!! It will determine if I'm 1) good enough to be an interpreter and 2) if I make it into the day program which is one year long, or the night program which is two years long. I am hoping and praying for the day program so that I can be done a few months after Daylon comes home!
I also got to go to the Gilbert Temple Open House! I have never been to one before and I absolutely LOVED it!! Being in the Temple and feeling the Spirit so strongly was everything I needed and more. Seeing the giant chandelier in the Celestial Room and hearing how quiet and peaceful it was was amazing. Looking into the Eternity Mirrors and imagining myself looking at Daylon and I going on through the Eternities together forever was such a wonderful confirmation of our forever love. It was a beautiful experience and I am so thankful for it!
My Forever Family <3

Yaaaay Steelers! I took this pic for Daylon for Superbowl Sunday. Even though the Steelers aren't playing, he can just stare at me and pretend everything is well in the world. haha :P
This post is gonna be short cuz I've got a long day ahead of me tomorrow... ew. But yeah! Year mark, yay!! I spent the day watching tv and doing Valentine's crafts. I'll *hopefully* make a post about my DIY crafts :) I can only hope this next year flies by and that Daylon and I continue to grow together in love and on the same spiritual level. I love my best friend so much!! <3

Always <3

Monday, December 30, 2013

ELEVENNNNNNN.

That's right. ELEVEN WHOLE MONTHS DONE. What is this. This is awesome. And Perfect. And so lovely. HALLELUJAH. I'm really excited :) ONLY ONE MORE MONTH UNTIL THE YEAR MARK!!!! I can't believe I can say that! :))))

This past month flew by! The holidays always seem to go by super fast. And I'm glad! I'm ready to hit that year mark and get this wait over with! It's crazy that the month marks keep coming up faster and faster. It's wonderful and frightening at the same time. Sometimes I really worry if I'm ready for Daylon to come home. But I am soooooo ready to marry him. It's just crazy to think we will be getting married in a little over a year! I've dreamed of my wedding day for as long as I can remember, and now it's coming up! :)
However, I did have some hard moments this month. Holidays SUCK without my love here. I swear everyone got engaged and married this December and all I wanted to do was crawl into a hole. Or maybe find the Doctor and his TARDIS and time travel to January 2015. That would be lovely. But anyway. Waiting for my Daylon is the HARDEST thing I have ever done, hands down. But you know what? It's been the best thing I've ever done and I wouldn't trade this experience for anything, not even marrying him sooner. We need this experience because I KNOW it'll help us through all of our years of marriage together. It's exactly what we need. :)

This past month for me saw lots of parties and celebrations for Christmas! There were lots of family parties I went to. Tyler, Casey, and my nephew Tyler came over on Christmas Eve and we had dinner and presents. It was great! Then Christmas Day, I woke up and opened presents with my parents and then headed over to my Grandma's for brunch. I was only there for about an hour because......... I GOT TO SKYPE WITH DAYLON!!! It was theeeee most fantastic thing in the world! His family invited me over around noon and Daylon got online a few minutes later. He was only supposed to Skype for one hour, but it ended up being two!! AHHH! It was so fantastic to see my best friend again! We all talked about his mission, about our future, his homecoming, life, and random every day things. It felt so natural and so perfect! It was almost as if he was in the room with us and that he had never left. Talking with him was so wonderful and our relationship is better than ever! We're more in love and better friends and closer than we've ever been before. I can't even begin to express how much I love him! Words don't even skim the surface <3 I love my man!! <3

Daylon has seen sooo much progress and success on his mission! Even though he hasn't had a baptism, he's teaching so many people and is getting some inactive members to come back to church again! How wonderful is that?? He was also transferred into a new area and got a new companion! Elder Sanchez is a greenie from Colombia! Daylon and E' Sanchez seem to be getting along pretty well :) It's been great to hear about their shennanigans out on the mission! Including the time where Daylon's trio found a couch and tried to stuff it into an elevator.... haha


Looks like they made it! Haha

Daylon got this cute Christmas tree from his grandparents! :) Aaaaand he's wearing the Slytherin tie I gave him ;)
Daylon said he had a great time opening all of our packages.....three weeks early. That kid. But he loved everything we sent him! He wore the Gryffindor tie I sent him during the Christmas Skype! I felt pretty special ;) I just love it when he wears the ties I send him!! :)

I seriously can't believe another month has come and gone. Time is flying and I am SO grateful for it! I can't thank my Heavenly Father enough for this perfect man in my life. I love Daylon Michael with all my heart and I can't wait for our future together. 
Here's to making it to Eleven Months without my love.

Always <3




Also, my cute man sent me this Christmas video. How did I get so lucky? <3 <3 <3