Island In The Sun.

I don't know whattt has been in the air these last few days--but something is seriously making me very Thai-sick, and I don't like it one bit. I'm so home-sick for my second home, my cute kids, some of my favorite girls, smoothies, fresh fruit, incredibly friendly people, bike rides, green everywhere amazing history and sights---that I sometimes think I will just get on the next flight over there and not look back.


So, I figured instead of doing the later...I would finally just blog about our Phuket trip that I have not told you guys about yet! ...I feel like it's due. 

Our adventures started out in Bangkok...and let me tell you, it was an adventure for sure. Bangkok is so different from any Thailand that I ever pictured. And I'm going to be honest--it was not my favorite! After living in such a small community for months, it was quite the shock to be finding our way around a massive city for a few days. Clinging on to our bags and sheilding our eyes from all of the questionable street vendors and their uh..."items" ... we realized we were not in our Phichit town anymore. 

We of course had a swell time though. We laugh, because our time spent in Bangkok was very Americanized.... we ate a ton of subway, found some Mexican food. And saw two, yes, two movies at the huge mall. Don't judge us, Hunger Games and Titanic in 3D could not wait. We were of course able to fit some culture in there as well. Heading to a floating market for the day! But not before a quick stop at this weird little train/market thing and a verrry nausiating van ride. 

Just one short day of flying from Bangkok, another nausiating van ride and THIS was our view for the next six days. It makes my heart seriously jump just looking at this picture!! I'm just going to say it, I love Phuket, and I wish every day could be spent with a view like this. And I also wish I could have that henna on my foot every day--because if I'm being honest....I loved that henna. And may or may not have been tempted to make it permanent. 

We spent our days like this. Lounging around the beach, meeting new friends, lounging around the beach... eating the most delicious spring roles. Shopping for cute swim suits, meeting new friends, lounging around the beach....swimming in the most glorious water, lathering ourselves every 30 minutes with SPF 50 and still getting fried aaannnd lounging around the beach. It could not have been a better six days. Just what we were looking for.

Our nights were spent a bit moreee..... active? One of our favorite things to do was to go out and dance at a few of the many night clubs that were around the beach. And I'll tell you what, dance we did!! We had a blast dancing with each other and meeting new friends from all over the world! Being offered drinks left and right was always entertaining as we explained to them we don't drink--but would love a bottle of water! Nobody could believe that five girls could be so much fun, and sober! Midway through the week, we met Scottie, Kieran, Dave, Ravi and Viv from Perth Australia, and ended up spending the next few days seeing them on and off. Such a great group of guys, and we still keep in touch with them today! 

Phuket was amazing. We cannot wait to go back! (And you better believe we are!) More than the beach, more than the spring rolls, and more than the dirt cheap swim suits--I think more than anything, we all miss the diversity of the area, and the seriously amazing people we were able to meet, and spend a few brief moments with. And if we're being honest..... we definitely can't wait to be back on that beach either.

Take Me Back.

I know that I have not even blogged about the last half of my Thailand adventures--and I will get to that. But I feel like I need to blog at this moment, about how much I miss it. The last month in Thailand was incredible. Easily one of the best months of my life, but trying at the same time. Summer term had just started, meaning that we got about a bazillion new kids and our class sizes more than doubled. It seemed like we were teaching less, and babysitting more and the days were long. But slowly we started to see progress with the new kids and that was so rewarding! Our last month we got to go on our long vacation to Phuket and that was amazing. Diannas parents got to come visit, and Neil as well. We got to spend one more long weekend in Chiang Mai, and though we weren't crazy about going for a 3rd time--we could not be more grateful we did. It was the perfect ending to a perfect four months. 

There is so much I miss about Thailand. I miss that every day was something just a little bit different. I miss starting off each day the same way--Angee waking up...then Shayla, Marci and then I. We'd eat toast and granola or yogurt. We didn't talk much--none of us were morning people. I miss more than I can even explain the little "Teacha, Teacha!" as we walked into our classrooms and Nest saying with his little fingers pinched close together... "Scoot little bit.." hahaha it only took half the semester to figure out what he was saying! I miss the bike rides and the smoothies, the street markets and spending time with Tang and her family. Swimming at the garden home and flat bike tires. I miss the friendliness of complete strangers and the looks we'd get for being white, ha! I miss trying new things and appreciating the familiar things back home that we'd miss. I miss our roomie talks and dinner time sitting around the table for hours sometimes just laughing and making up crazy scenerios. Napping for hours, all of us on the floor, in front of our only fan. Mostly though, I miss how simple life was. We had the necessities, our kiddos, us teachers and a few Baht...and we were perfectly happy. 

Life according to everybody's Iphones...but mine.

Happy Birthday To Me!! 

Well, I finally did it. I made it two decades and it's about time.
I feel like a completely different person and stuff.... 

No, just kidding. I feel exactly the same. However I do feel like more of a basket case. 

Is there such thing as a 20 year old crisis? 

For my birthday celebration, Katelyn and I decided to get together with a couple of our friends and rough it!
Who better then Spencer and Clay? Spence has been our friend for over six years now so we knew we could count on him to fend off the bears...and build fires and such. Though we froze, soaked our only bread, and got kicked off of our perfect campsite for danger of falling trees...we had a total blast and it was definitely a birthday to remember! 

Katelyn and I have been of course, working on our summer tans. Seeing each other whenever possible. It's difficult between jobs, family and different dates! hahaha wow, do we sound attached yet? 

Fathers day weekend was a blast!
Mom, Dad, Kenz and I headed up to So. Cal for cousin Steve's temple sealing. 

We met up with Christian and cute Ang, as well as a good portion of Dad's side for the Angels game Saturday night! What's better than family, baseball players, and $20 nachos? 

Nothing I tell ya. 

Life Changes--Really fast.

Remember how last time I blogged--I blogged about going to China? Remember how shortly after that I decided not to go? Remember how shortly after that I decided to move up to Salt lake? Remembbber how just two days after coming home from Salt Lake apartment searching, I was offered a scholarship to Dixie State? Oh yeah, me too.

MY MIND IS A TERRIBLE PLACE TO BE RIGHT NOW. 

Now, this post is not going to tell you all the ins-and outs of my decisions to not go to China, to move up to Salt Lake, and now to possibly stay here. Because the truth is that I couldn't even tell you. One thing feels wrong, and the other feels right. Then once you think you've got it all figured out. Life changes again--and really fast. And you are forced to make a decision, and sometimes it's really hard. And sometimes you just want the heavens to open up and somebody to step out from the clouds and tell you exactly what you are supposed to be doing. But after realizing that that, is most definitely not going to happen. You end up on your knees, or asking your dad for a blessing. And then you just kind of realize; whatever you choose, you have to choose for yourself. Nobody else, and that whatever you choose, if you are honestly seeking to make the right choice--will be the right one for you.

It's taken a lot of time, and I am definitely still not there yet. But I think I'm slowly learning for myself that Heavenly Father has a much bigger plan in store for our lives than we do. It's so hard though ya know? Aligning our plans with his. Sometimes it feels like a bit of a tug-of-war but then I realize life would be a little bit easier if I just loosen the grip and let him direct me. And why not choose easy, ya know?