So it has been a while since I put a post up. Since then I have come out of the field from an amazing Thanksgiving shift, had 2 of my bes

t friends visit, experienced almost 2 feet of snow in the field and am now home for Christmas! It has been a busy last few months! Here are some pics from my recent adventures...

Anna, Me, Lauren at Zion NP

My Thanksgiving dinner in the field..it was fabulous

Power Shift

Tomorrow I am headed into the field for 11 days! I will be working over the Thanksgiving Holiday, sadly. I am looking forward to experiencing the holiday out in the field, especially all the food we will be getting on Thursday. The not great news is that it is supposed to rain on Thanksgiving and snow on Saturday:( I spent my last off-shift in Frisco visiting the Texas Washburns. It was a great week, and an extended off-shift. It was nice to get some time in with everyone before things get crazy with our new family member coming! I got to attend a baby shower for sus, take drew toy shopping, go with ally climbing and my favorite thing, sit around the house spending time with everyone! This is my longest shift I will have to work for a while, so say some prayers that I am able to hold on for 3 days longer than usual! I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving, and now I miss you all and will be thinking of you! 

Climbing with Ally

Today ally and I went to a climbing gym in Frisco and we had the best time!!! Here are a few pics..i think she is a natural!

I had the best time at home this last off-shift! I of course, knew I would but this went over what I thought it would. I got to spend some quality mom/daughter time, so basically we went shopping around town and eating at my favorite local spots. I also got to attend Avery Jane's 3rd birthday party! I got her a tent with a sleeping bag, of course, but she and luke ended up loving it and played it in while I was there! My highlight would have to be going to the game on Sunday! The titans pulled it out, and it was so much fun to go back to something that is like second nature to me. I got to see a lot of people I used to see every weekend. It was nice to see that people have missed me and think about how I'm doing while I'm gone. I have discovered that one of my favorite feelings is knowing that I am missed. It was hard leaving again, but a little easier because I realize how easy it is for me to just come home and slide right back into that environment. I think when I go home and feel like an outsider, that's when I will be nervous. I'm headed into the field for 9 days this shift...my first long shift of the holiday season. So, I won't be out on tuesday, it will be wed. Then I'll be headed to Frisco!!!

Back to the Desert

I am getting ready to go back to Utah after a great visit to my Home! I got to see the Titans stay undefeated! and got to enjoy halloween with the kids. It was great to come home and have that great comfort that comes from being where you feel most comfortable! I will put some pictures up when I get back to St. George tonight!

Two Things

Well....The PHILLIES WON THE WORLD SEIRES!!!!

Second of all, I am home in Franklin!! I am so happy to be laying in my bed at the Pike. Everything kind of caught up to me in Utah this last week and I needed to come on home and be around some familiar people and family. My heart just about burst when I got to hug avery jane and luke after 2 months of not seeing them. It made me feel amazing that they hadn't lost interest in aunt jess. I am really looking forward to enjoying being at home for a few days and just relaxing. I think it is going to be a great off shift!!!

Go Phils!

The phillies are one game away from winning the world series! Mom and I were lucky enough to be there for opening day this season! We must have been their good luck!

Surprise Trip For Dad

This last off-shift I went to Arkansas and Kansas City to see mom and dad. It was a surprise for dad who had NO idea! It was great to see mom and dad and Grandaddy and Vangie. I was happy that our surprise went off without a hitch. I also got to see my first Titans game of the year, and enjoyed a butt kicking of the Chiefs!! Here are a few pics from the trip. 

I'm serious about my Ice cream

Such a beautiful place in Rocky Mountain NP

God is Great

Jay and I were feeling the elevation that morning

My first drive through Zion NP

Petrified Dunes

My journal for the field, I have carved all the family members names in it..and i left room for 2 more!

I know, another post?! I am not able to sleep late these days so I am sitting up watching old Titans games and posting blogs. I have also been looking through my pictures since I have been here and thought I would just put up some random pictures I enjoy that I might not have shared yet. So, enjoy!

Cassey, Dylan, and Lava Fields in Idaho

This past off shift I went to Idaho to visit my two good friends Cassey and Dylan. We went to MTSU together and now find ourselves residents of the west. I drove up through Salt Lake City and into Twin Falls to Filer Idaho where they are living. It was such a nice sight to see some familiar faces amid all the newness that finds me out here. I personally cherish my older friends and I find a great level of comfort with them because they know me and have a history with me and I don't have to try to be someone else or get to know them and vic versa. Needless to say, it was a great couple of days in Idaho. They are working at a National Monument, The Hagerman Fossil Beds, you should look it up. It isn't much but they are learning about how the Parks system works and can only benefit from this stint. We went to a little snack shop in Shoshone Idaho and they have some of the biggest Ice Cream cones i have ever seen. Dylan and I both got the medium and raced...I of course won, but feel like i lost later in the car when i fell asleep for a while crashing from all the sugar! We also went the national monument Craters of the Moon. There were once active volcanoes in Idaho of all places and there are lava fields there now. They said that the hot spots that are under Yellowstone were at one point under this park! They also said these could errupt at anytime, but I have a hard time believing them! It was a different place, they had caves and blue lava and volcanic cones and so many things you don't expect to see in souther Idaho. Here are some of the pictures from our adventures! 

The folded lava that dried that way

i think this should be their "save the date" for their wedding!

In Tennessee we call this a hole

I was  a little too close to the edge...

The Rec alum at hagerman fossil beds

The sunrise from their front yard

Dylan and I preparing for our battle 

Our Kitchen

Our Living Room

The back yard-Real Grass!!!

Here are some pictures of the house I'm living in...i will put some more up shortly

Level 1 Tests

So, before I can go from an intern to a Level 1 at work, I have to take some tests. One, is on p & ps....programs and policies. The other is  Busting an Ember. I am not sure if I have told all of you about this. It is making fire with a Bow, Spindle, Top Rock, and Fire Board. I am putting a piece of wood that looks like a big pencil wrapped up in the bow and putting it between the fire board and top rock and making pressure to create friction to get an ember that i can blow into flames. I found a video of it on You Tube...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDdEXm-X-y4

As it turns out...less than like 1% of the population can make fire this way, it is not the easiest thing in the world, but VErY empowering when you can do it. It is a big part of our therapy and we make many metaphors out of making fire with a lot of friction and effort. So, today I have to do this with my boss looking over me. So, I know that I can do it, I have done it many times. But I also know I will get nervous. Say some prayers I can perform! I will update to let you all know!

A short one

Here are some pictures from some recent adventures with jay and from the road....I will write a long post tomorrow night filling you guys in on my off week before i head back into the field.

I'm heading out into the desert tomorrow for my second internship shift. I am excited and a lot less nervous going into this shift. I feel like I learned so much during my first shift and my comfort level will be so much higher. I think my challenge this week will be to add more responsibility and have more on my plate. I still do have some butterflies and worry about some things dealing with my job and outside of my job. I still have to work on letting my mind get the best of me. But, I can already see changes in my thinking since I have gotten here and how I handle things differently. I expect only good things to continue personally and profesionally. 

This past off-week was pretty busy for me. On wed. I found a place to live and started moving in, and then on thurs. rachel came to visit me and we spent most of her time in town moving me into the house and getting things set up. It is amazing to me how much goes into moving into a new place, even just moving myself in, there were so many things i had to get and set up. It was great that Rachel was here to help because she is a great organizer!!! Saturday night we went to Las Vegas and had a blast seeing the city and doing some gambling!! Sunday we watched the game in a casino and even put bets on the Titans!! Rach left before the game was over and I stayed in Vegas till the game was over...I had to collect my winnings!!:) I had a great time with Rachel here, it felt like a piece of home was here with me, and I felt a little more comfortable with things. I hope she will be able to come back sometime soon. 

Looking forward to next off-shift, I will be driving to Colorado to see Jeremiah! It turns out he will be in Fort Collins doing some scouting and he will be able to spend some time with me! I can't wait to see him, it has been a few months and there is nothing like seeing a family member to cure a little homesickness!! I am also looking forward to the drive to Co...I expect it to be beautiful. 

I have found it interesting just looking back at this off-week, I felt like all the outside distractions got in the way of my time with the Lord, it's funny how when I am in the field I spend so much time just talking to God and marveling at his majestic wilderness, and when i am back in the 'real world' I focus on less important things. I know in my heart that that is one of the reasons God has me here at this job in this location. So, I can spend 8 uninteruptted days praising him and reminding myself how important He is and how He is the only way to succeed in life. He has put me in an amazing position to learn to love Him more and more. Sometimes I am prone to getting wrapped up in my own mind, worrying about missing home, titans games, big family events, everyday things, and then I remember that God has me here for a reason. And is this going to be my life forever...no. Will there be hard times...yes. But, there is a reason I am here, and I need to embrace God's plan, because it is his, and not mine. What a blessing I have been given. Daily reminders of how Loved I am by God!

I hope whoever reads this enjoys the little, and i emphasize little insight I have gotten from my time away from home and out in the desert. I am ready to get back out in the desert and learn more and more and have more Godly realizations! I'm glad that this blog gets read and helps us all stay connected...that is VERY important to me, staying connected to my family and friends back in the south. I hope everyone has a great week, if you ever want to feel close to me or look at what I am looking at, take a minute at night and look for the big dipper...every night before i go to bed I find the big dipper because it is the only constilation I can always find!!! So, enjoy that little relation between our world!!!

Sad Sunday

Just wanted to write a little post here. I am currently in Las Vegas and not in Nashville, Tn....location of the game going on today. This will be only the 3rd game I will have missed in the last 10 years. And that number will grow this season. I know not everyone will understand why this is so hard for me. But I have really been struggling with the fact that I am not there. And I just pray that God calms me down and lets me know that I can still be connected even though I'm not there....

another address

Since I have moved into a new house, I have yet another address to add and it presents you reader with another opportunity to send me mail! How wonderful for you!!!:) I am working on getting some good pictures of the house. Rachel has been visiting so I have been trying to soak up our visit. 

169 S. 1250 W.

Apt. #3

St. George, UT

84770

Home sweet Home....for now

So, God has shown me his powers yet again. I found a place to live today, a 4 bedroom house shared with some other 2nd Nature staffers. Because of how our schedules work there will only be myself and another girl, Jane, living there during our off shifts. So we will have a nice sized house all to ourselves for a wonderfully low rent since we are sharing it with 2 other people. I am amazed at how God continually takes care of my needs. And this all happened so quickly. I met this girl last tuesday before we went into the field and she told me about the room, we met back up today and she showed me the room and I said, "I'm in" during the tour, wrote my check for the first months rent and started moving my stuff in! I will go over tomorrow and take some pictures to post!!

First Shift is in the books

Well, I made it through my first shift as an Intern at Second Nature. What a week it was. I was really nervous going in on Tuesday morning. But as soon as I got into the field and got to know the people I was working with, all that faded and I felt so at home. I knew right away that God had put me right where he knew I needed to be. What a wonderful feeling it was! The week was one filled with powerful moments, ones that included helping 6 teenage girls climb a mountain that's peek was over 7,000 feet, and hearing a girl tell her mom she loved her for the first time. It was a very rewarding week. I had a few moments where I longed for the company of my family and friends, but overall I felt like I was in the right place and happy to be there. My mind was so busy that I haven't had time to worry about things I thought might fill my mind. I will add some pictures from my week. 

Headed to the Woods

Well, tomorrow is the first day of my 3-shift internship. I am really excited to get started. All this waiting around has almost killed me, I am horrible with anticipation. I hope that everyone at home is doing well, and know that I miss you horribly. But I am doing well with things out here, at least, well enough on my 4th day in St. George. I know God has put me here to do His work and I just have to run the race he has set forth for me. 

I do ask that if you have time, say some prayers for me that I am able to do the hikes and work on my "hard skills" and excel with the clients and building relationships with them. I will update again when I get out of the woods and have time. 

Thanks for all the well wishes and prayers! They are well received!

I fill the sadness already

Mom is leaving Utah tomorrow afternoon. I can already feel the tears coming. I am excited to start my job and get going, but I will really miss mom and saying goodbye will be difficult for me. The two of us have a bond that is hard to match between mothers and daughters. We have been through so much together, it is hard to imagine going through all of this without her being here. I know I will flourish in my new setting, but it is hard starting out on my own. So, say some prayers for me that I can go on with strength. 

On the Road with Mom

Mom and I are in Flagstaff Arizona this morning making our final trek to St. George this afternoon. It has been a long drive out here and we have seen some great things and some ugly roads! I am looking forward to getting to Utah and trying to get settled a little bit. I start my first shift on Tuesday August 26, so it's coming soon. I thought I would put some pictures up from my training week. There aren't many, but I will add a few so you can get an idea of what I will be surrounded by.

Leaving Nashvegas

Mom and I are leaving in a few minutes to head out to Utah. I have said my goodbyes to everyone around town that won't be able to come to Utah and it has been exhausting. I am excited and ready for my new job, but it is hard to leave Franklin a place that has become my home. I hate to let anyone down, but the hardest person to say goodbye to was Luke. I have watched him grown from the womb and it will be hard missing chunks of his life. I will update more once we get there. 

My "kids"

I think it is a known fact, but if in case it isn't. I LOVE my nephews and nieces more than anything. I of course, do not have kids, but I love each of them as if they were my own. My point, the other day we all went to Third Coast Clay and painted pottery. They had a set of coasters and perfectly they had a set of 6! So, I had each of the kids paint a coaster and then Ashley and Susan painted one of behalf of their tummies. They turned out really well. Here is a picture of them. 

My Nature Boys

Today Luke and I took Drew to our new favorite spot along the Harpeth River. These two boys where in Heaven!! We were there for 2 1/2 hours and it was like pulling teeth to get them out of the river. One funny thing...Drew was peeing in the river and he was done and looked down stream and said, "Bye Bye pee pee, see you later" Then Luke also decided that he was going to throw Drew's crocs down river to see if they would be a boat, and they would and traveled quite far before I got them! Here are some of my pics from today. 

Lately I have been struggling at work, knowing that it is my last few weeks and finding it hard to do my absolute best even though I am leaving soon. I would never do less than my best, but it is hard to work my hardest sometimes when everyone I work with doesn't do their hardest. Dad spoke at church the other day and said he used this verse and it of course hit home for me. 

Galatians 6:4

"Each of you must examine your own actions. Then you can be proud of your own accomplishments without comparing yourself to others."

I just thought this was a great verse to remind me that it is my work that matters and even though i want to compare myself to others, that i shouldn't waste my energy. 

Day at the creek with Luke

Today Luke and I went down to the Harpeth river on a little adventure. He loves throwing rocks and this was like the super jackpot! There was also a little waterfall that we decided to walk across and had fun being a mountain man with aunt jess. I got some pictures of us having a great time. The only problem was the trash out there...so I can see us going back sometime before I leave and cleaning up some of the trash that takes away from the experience.