23 Days and Counting...

(Kyle & I at the A&M game vs Baylor)

That's right, 23 days until I report to the MTC! It's coming up so fast. When I first got to Denver I kind of thought it would be the longest two months of my life, but to my pleasure & dismay it has gone by so quickly! I take off next Monday for Arizona... I can't wait! Although I'm sad to leave my friends and the Warrens here, I'm so excited to see my friends and family I haven't seen in far too long & spend some time with them.

Last weekend the Warrens took me with them back to Texas. They have got to be the nicest people ever. They took me with them, gave me the entire weekend off, AND got me tickets to the A&M & Baylor game. It was a lot of fun going back to see my friends and family there. Just in the past weeks Makenna has grown so much! I can hardly believe it, she even has hair now and cut her first tooth while I was there! I got to spend a lot of time with Kyle, Tara, and Makenna. Kyle and I had some good bonding time going shooting and to the football game together. (I still can't figure out pictures on here.) My weekend consisted of a girls' night, dancing, shooting, a date, Midnight Yell, the football game, a bbq, church, and hanging out with friends and pizookies. Can't complain.

I went exploring the other day. So much fun.

My boss even let me drive her Mini Cooper for the weekend while they were out of town.

My friend, Micah, made the drive with me to Vail for the day.

BEAUTIFUL.

Kind of makes me think of the Primary song "I Feel My Savior's Love"

Micah grew up in Utah, skiing and whatnot, I think he got tired of me expressing how gorgeous I thought it was up there every 10 seconds.

I am still enjoying myself in Denver.

My job is still AMAZING.

The weather has been slightly awesome.

I have made myself some good friends and have had myself some good times.

To the right is Micah, myself, and Carson at the Diamondbacks game when they played the Rockies. It almost felt like being back at Chase Field except for the fact that I was wearing jeans, boots, a jacket, and a scarf and was still a tad bit chilly. Definitely not Phoenix.

Time for funny stories? I think so. Ty had to get surgery on a Tuesday night a few weeks ago. I Stayed the night with the girls so Kesha could be there with him. Oh my, it was good mommy practice. I did well getting all the girls to sleep on time, teeth brushed, school clothes set out for the morning, prayers said. Before I retired to bed I got their lunches ready, back packs ready, and planned breakfast for the morning. I was sharing Ty and Kesha's bedroom with Brookly (17 mos). Around two AM she woke up and wanted out of her crib and in her parents bed with me. She was wet, so I decided to change her on the bed. Mid diaper change, she starts throwing up. As to not get puke all over the bed, I quickly scooped her up and set her on the floor, diaperless. That's when she started peeing. I then quickly ran her into the bathroom. After getting her all cleaned up, I put her in bed. On a towel, just in case. I cleaned bed, floor, bathroom, and 30 minutes later climbed in bed with Brook. Every sound she made kept me awake. I was afraid she might start puking again. Which she did. at 3 AM she was throwing up even more than she had before. This time all over herself, me, and the bathroom. This time I gave her a bath, which woke her up and she refused to get out. Around 5 I finally got her back to sleep. On the couch this time. I, of course, didn't sleep. I spent the next hour cleaning up the new mess. At 6, I started waking up the other girls to get ready for school. After getting them to school, Brook and I played (more like zombied around due to lack of sleep) for a bit, then napped together on the couch. Although I did not enjoy that night, I love Brooklyn so much, it was a good bonding experience for us :)

Time to get religious! Life has been so amazing as of late. I have been able to recognize the hand of the Lord in my life daily. From minor to major blessings, I am so grateful for the love of my Heavenly Father and Savior. I know my Heavenly Father lives. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God. I love my Heavenly Father. I love my Savior and am so excited to hear the messages they have for us this coming weekend during Conference.

** I had planned on posting more pictures, but it took me days (yes, multiple days) to get those two pictures to do what I wanted them to. I have maxed out my blog efforts on this one :)

Just Livin' "the" Life

First things first: I got my mission call! I leave for the MTC November 16 to serve in the Honduras San Pedro Sula Mission, what's up!?!?! I am so excited to share the gospel, the miracle of the Atonement, the restoration of Christ's church, and our Heavenly Father's love with the people of Honduras!

Okay so quick update on life... I moved to Denver! The weather is beautiful here, and the mountains are gorgeous. I can't wait until Sunday! I need to make friends! I have totally been that awkward person you feel sorry for eating dinner by themselves, at the movies by themselves, and chillin' at Barnes & Noble by themselves reading. Haha, yep that has been me! Leaving Texas was so much harder than I thought it was going to be. The past year there was amazing. I already miss my niece, Makenna, so much! I also have made so many good friends there. I would have loved to spend my last two months before I leave there, but I don't think it would have been easy finding a job there for that short of time & the Warrens said that if I wanted to come to Denver, they would take me for as long as I would stay.

So, the Warrens, such an amazing family! The plan was to leave my stuff in there garage during the football season, while they would be in Denver, then Kyle would move it when they come back to Texas, but they so graciously are letting me keep it in their garage the entire 18 months I am gone! That saves me so much money that would have been spent on a storage unit. I love the girls, but I don't care who says my job is easy, it so is NOT! You try communicating with 17 month old, not easy. Ty and Kesha are seriously some of the nicest people ever. I feel like a charity project for them, they really don't even need me, I'm just convenient to have around. Heavenly Father definitely had a plan when I lost my last job, and was introduced to them.

I think that's about it for now... Oh funny story, I went running the other day, and decided to take this trail I saw going off the main road I was on. I assumed it was a loop, so I took it. After running 3 miles I was starting to realize it was not a loop. I decided to just keep going even though 3 miles was my goal. At 4.5 miles I decided to use the GPS to find my way home. I was still over 2 miles from the house. The last 3 miles I walked/ran, but sprinted the last half mile because my phone was about to die, and I wanted to make sure I got there before it did in fear of getting eternally lost. I saw some beautiful Colorado scenery, so it was definitely worth the extra 3.5 miles. I even found a community lap pool and basketball court. I know where I'll be spending plenty of time the next two months :)

My Dad is SO Embarrassing

My dad fully enjoyed embarrassing me as a child/teen. Driving around town I heard this song and it immediately reminded me of these times when my dad would do this little dance at the steering wheel, specifically as he was dropping me off or picking me up at school. He would point his fingers to the left and right, sort of hunch over the wheel, and do this weird head bob thing. It was really, really cool. (Sense the hit of sarcasm there?) Anyway, this is the song that reminded me of my dad. Looking back now I realize I love these times I had with my dad. It wasn't often that he would act like total goofball, but when he did, he went all out.

I have many other fun, funny, embarrassing memories with my dad.

• "No Fun Allowed!" - My dad's rule for any family outing. My friends would always ask "Is he serious?"

• "Damn it, Barbara, we're the MEAN Green!" - A girl on my soccer team apologized for kicking an opponent in the shin during a game. This was the year we wanted to be the "Slimeballs," but Dad wouldn't have it. So we had to be the Mean Green. Dad was always my soccer coach, and he was a tough one. Some parents didn't like him much, but all the girls did. He made us work hard, and we were good for it.
  The best was the year we were "The Gang Green" or "The Gangrene."
  

• Going to ASU football games. Oh, how I LOVED that. We have had season tickets for as long as I can remember. Best family tradition ever! All us Jenkins kids owe a big thanks to our dad for that.

• Swim Meets. My dad was always the announcer guy at Trace & my swim meets. He was at every single meet. Even the ones in Wickenburg (anybody remember that pool? How was that pool so cold in the middle of the summer? And why were there no backstroke flags? I hit my head there every time I raced backstroke. Ouch, concrete wall at full speed...Okay so I wasn't that fast at that particular stroke, but it still hurt.)

• Continuing the sports and support topic, my dad instilled in me a passion for basketball. Not only that, he fully supported me in it, too. He even gave up coaching and refereeing, which he LOVES, during my high school years so that he could come watch my games. I didn't always love hearing his advice (criticism) at the end of every game, but I was a better player for it. But, when I made my dad proud, he let me know and everybody else. There was one game in particular my sophomore year against Dysart, that I had a really, really good game. Like, nearly half our points, assists, a great defensive game, played every second of the first four quarters and OT, game winning foul shot. My dad had NO criticism for me after that game, which was a big deal. When I went to call my brothers to tell them about my game, my dad already had called and told them all about it. It made me so happy that my dad was that proud of me. Anyone who knows me the least bit knows I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE basketball. Playing or watching. It's a passion I will have forever. The joy and happiness I get from it, I owe to my daddy.
  

I could go on for a while about the things and memories I love about my dad, but I hope he knows how grateful I am for him. The love, support, and criticism I have received from him over the years have been a big part in shaping my character. He is a great example to me in many ways. I love him so much, and I hope he knows that!

Houston? Green Bay? Denver? Kansas City?

No- I am not guessing where I'll be called to serve. I mean, I'd love to go anywhere, but those places wouldn't be among my first choices. As for those, we are not talking about them, I don't wanna jinx it. Anyway back to what we ARE talking about. My job. My boss, really. For those who are slightly behind the times of my life, I babysit for Ty Warren, former DE for the New England Patriots '03-'10. Just a few days ago he was released (not cut) from this team that took him as their first round pick in the Draft 8 years ago. Since then, life has been crazy, hectic, and a tad bit stressful. I planned on moving to MA with the Warrens for as long as possible. I even had an AMAZING road trip planned out with my restie (no, not "bestie") , Christie. Well, it was cancelled (I may or may not have shed a tear or two. Hint: I did.) After being released a lot of teams showed interest in Ty, wanting to meet with him and making offers. The hope was he would go to Houston, which would mean I would get to stay in College Station. Well every day, hour even, things changed. It's Houston. Nope, Kansas City. Well, he might go meet with Green Bay. Definitely Denver. Oh wait, Houston is making another offer. Oh, now so is Denver. Long story short: Denver won. I will now be moving to Denver while I wait to leave on a mission.

So now I'm in Massachusetts, watching the children and helping to get their beautiful home here ready to be put on the market. Here until the 13th or 14th, then back to CS to see my dad and Cindy when they visit Kyle and Tara, tie up some loose ends, store the majority of my stuff, then I will take off to Denver on the 28th or so. The Warrens will be staying around the Englewood area, so I'm hoping to find somewhere near there to live. Have I mentioned how blessed I am to work for this family? They are so awesome. From the kids and parents, to their extended family & friends, just amazing people.

Okay, so no mission call yet... Maybe tomorrow or next week? I hope so, anyway. Lately I have been reading Preach My Gospel. I'm loving it. I am learning a lot, my testimony is growing, and I am getting so, so excited to share this amazing Gospel with those who are ready to hear it.

I Hope They Call Me On a Mission

Family and friends who have known me my whole life know that I have always talked about serving a mission. My mom says she can't even remember when I started expressing my desire to go, she just says that I always have. I remember singing "I Hope They Call Me on a Mission" in primary and loving that song. I have finally grown a foot or two, so I figure it must be time. I met with my stake president tonight, and my mission papers are in! I am so excited! I get to spend 18 months teaching and preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Just in the past year my testimony has grown immensely of Christ, our Savior, and his atoning sacrifice he made for us. I have been able to more fully understand the Atonement, and use it in my life. I can't wait to share the peace and joy that comes the knowledge of our Savior with others as a full-time job. I will get to teach about the prophet, Joseph Smith and his role in restoring the Church of Jesus Christ on the earth and also about the Book of Mormon and the teachings it holds for us in these latter days.

I truly know that Jesus Christ is my Savior. That he died to satisfy the law of justice that I might be able to repent and be forgiven of my sins and found worthy to receive the blessings of the Gospel and return to live with my Heavenly Father. I have experienced the power of the Atonement in my life and can testify of the overwhelming peace and joy that come when we apply the Atonement in our lives. I know that Christ lives. I know that I have a loving Heavenly Father who has a plan for each of His children. I know that he has sent prophets to his people in the past, and has provided us with prophets in these latter days to receive revelation for His people to lead and to guide them. I testify of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, that it is a second testament of Jesus Christ and is the word of God. My testimony goes on, but I am indeed grateful for the knowledge that I have of my Savior, Heavenly Father, and the Gospel. I am grateful for those in my life who have taught me and influenced me to be better disciple of Christ. I am grateful for all my family, leaders, and friends who have gotten me to this point in my life. I am inexpressibly excited to be a full-time missionary for The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-Day Saints.

.... Now, any guesses as to where I'll be called to serve?

Homesick?

Homesick... No, I don't think so. Summertime blues? I think that's what I would call it. Not that this summer has been a bummer, but... it has. Sort of. I miss living with Christie, we used to do random things on random week nights or afternoons. Things that made it feel like summer. Christie wasn't just my roommate, she is my best friend. If we were bored, we did something. Sometimes, or most of the time, that "something" was going to the massive mall down the street and window shopping or going to the gym to take a yoga and spin class. Then on the weekends we would have adventures with Kenna. Dancing, meeting new people, eating In-N-Out or Super Burrito. We had fun. Also, we were funny, or at least WE thought we were funny. My point is, I was hardly ever bored. I never just sat at home, I never blogged about anything I did either. I had something better to do.

Don't get me wrong... I LOVE Texas, and my decision to move here (a year ago now, wow) was the best decision I made, I wouldn't take it back if I had the chance. It's just different here in the summer. It's a real college town, so some of my friends went home for the summer or are taking summer classes that take up all their time. I have had so much free time. I had no time or desire to watch TV last summer in Az, but in the past month I have had time to watch nearly SIX season of Grey's Anatomy along with going to the gym, institute, work, and keeping up with my church callings and studies. So, in conclusion: I don't miss Arizona, I miss my best friends, Kenna & Christie.

Now a break from my "Poor, poor, pitiful me" complaining and a quick update: I'm going to Massachusetts in August with the Warrens and am going to stay with them there for the Fall semester. I'm excited to get out of the heat and humidity. I'm especially excited for the chance to explore Boston, Rhode Island, and take a short road trip to NYC. Oh, I'll also get to see the leaves change, too! I'm pretty excited! Other than the week I spent there in June with the Warrens, I haven't spent any time in the East. So here is to new experiences!