Anniversary

Happy late mother's day everyone! I hope you all told your mommy how wonderful she is!

For an update, Elder Peterson is doing great! He was transferred a little while back and is now a senior companion. Woot! (He's such a great guy!) He's loving his mission and is still as nerdy as ever. He told me last week that he couldn't help but buy some fancy Lord of the Rings pez dispensers the other day lol. I also went out and bought a voice recorder last week. He sent me an email a few Mondays ago telling me that he misses hearing about all of the everyday things that go on in my life, and I'm always so busy that it's hard to write as often as I should, so I decided that this would be a good investment.
So, this post will be about a few different things, but the first thing is that mine and Elder Peterson's two year anniversary is less than a month away! :D June 8th to be exact! I'm so excited! It's weird because I can't believe it's been that long, but I also feel like I've known him my whole life, so it's hard to describe. Another happy thought for this anniversary, is that it's the last one that we'll spend apart! On our next anniversary we'll actually be together! I cannot even begin to describe to you how happy that thought makes me. So part of this blog today is to talk about gift ideas for events such as these. I've already got a few, but I could sure any ideas if any of you are willing to share.

Thus far I have gotten him three things; an American sign language "I love you" tie tack, an oil vial with a Christus on it, and a picture of the Savior so that I can write my testimony on the back. I know Elder Peterson has been talking a lot about needing to send stuff home because he has too many trinkets and such, so I've been trying to get him smaller more useful items that won't be so hard to lug around for two years (well, I guess it's one year now). That's pretty much all that I have thus far, of course I'll write him a letter to go along with it, and I'll make him a card, but it would be great to hear any more ideas that ya'll may have. I also had this idea, but it's going to have to wait until our next anniversary. I bought a journal, and starting on June 8th of this year, I'm going to write something about him everyday until the next June 8th. It will range from my thoughts of him that day to full out love letters. I wish a would have thought of this last year, but it's probably better that he get it when he's home.

Please let me know if you have any other fun ideas! Have a great week all!

Year mark!

Well ladies, the day has come, Elder Peterson's hump day was the 30th of March! AH! I'm so stinkin' excited! I love the feeling of being able to say "In a year from now..." Wow, so I'm not really putting any advice in this post, this is more of just some inner thoughts that I've been having lately.
So a little over a month ago my world kind of crash landed. I had vaguely mentioned a few things here or there to Elder Peterson, but not enough to let him know that anything big was going on. I figured that I didn't want to distract or worry him so I was avoiding telling him much. But as I started to overcome all of these trials, I noticed that I was changing, and I had this realization that if the next year of my life was as crazy as this past year, I was going to be a completely different person when he got home. It's the hard things in life that really change us and mold us into the people we are meant to become, and if I didn't share those things with him, he wouldn't know me when he got home. He even mentioned in a letter that he had a realization that he had no idea what was going on in my life. I know that if he were going through something hard I would want to know so that I could be a support to him and help him as much as I could. So, I decided to tell him everything, the good and the bad. Yup, so that was the thought that I had the other day...
I hope your hump days will be as happy as mine was! :D

Update and... Holy Moses it's almost been a year!!!

I am really terrible with keeping up with the blog, sorry ladies. To start things off, Elder Peterson has been gone for almost a year! It doesn't even feel like it's been that long! In a month from now I'll be counting down from a year. This is kind of mind blowing to me at the moment lol. I have to admit that as it gets closer it gets insanely hard for me to not pull out my roommate's bridal magazines (she's engaged btw). But that's beside the point, AH! A year! Okay, I think I'm done with my crazy rant now... Whew!

So valentines day was pretty great this year, surprisingly enough, I didn't sit at home and mope at all! Woots for Katy. Anywho, Elder Peterson sent me a package with some really cute things, and the sweetest letter in the entire world, I cried the entire time that I read it. I just love him so much! Ok lol sorry, I'm turning this into a gush fest.

Weeeell, I know it's a bit late, but lets talk about... Valentines day! (hopefully this blog will still be around next year anyway right?) It's the one holiday in the year that is completely and totally based off of mushiness, which is, let's face it, not the missionary gal's best friend. So how does one celebrate such a holiday without putting their missionary into a trunky coma for a few days? To be honest with you, I have NO IDEA! But let's give it the good ol' college try anyway shall we?

To start things off, might I recommend a letter. You may not know what his current candy craving is, but you can always guarantee that he'll love a letter. Now I don't know what level everyone is at with their missionaries and how much mush is too much mush for them, but we'll just go with a general mush level k?

So I think it's good to acknowledge the holiday and also your feelings for them. Now don't go writing them a novel about how deep and true your love is, but I think a paragraph or two ought to do the trick (please keep in mind this is just general), just to tell them that you care about them.

As far as little gifts go, just remember to stick with the rule that they should be able to use it while they're on their mission, and make sure it's not too big.

That's pretty much it, sorry I don't have much more to say. Hope you have a great day!

Things that help me through the rough times...

My mom, she helps me so much. She understands when I'm hurting and she empathizes with me. When I cry, she cries, when I smile, she smiles. I know people always say that "when mom ain't happy ain't nobody happy" but I think that a mother feels what her children are going through and has a type of "sympathy pain" for how they feel.
Tonight I looked at her and started crying because I miss Elder Peterson, (I don't cry very often any more, but sometimes it's hard to be strong) the moment my eyes filled with tears, hers did as well. When I told her that I miss him, she hugged me and told me that she knew, she understood more fully than any one else could. She really understands my heart, and I think she knows it better than I do.
I am so lucky to have that support system behind me. I don't know if I'm a special case, but I think that there have got to be some more great moms out there. So if times get hard, go to her, or some other strong understanding figure in your life. Someone who will just hold you and cry with you. It really helps.

Speaking of mothers, I am so blessed that Elder Peterson has such an amazing mother and family. They send me emails, cards, letters, and I even got a package from them for Christmas. Keeping in touch with them has made such a difference! They have helped me through some of my roughest patches without even knowing it, I am truly blessed.
I know that maybe not everyone has these ideal circumstances, but if you can, try to stay in touch with your missionary's family, it really can help you to feel a little more connected. They know what you are going through too, chances are they miss him just as much as you do. Plus, you might develop some great relationships that you will cherish for the rest of your life, trust me, I know. I've often found myself talking about Elder Peterson's family as if they were my own. It can help so much to keep in touch.

Recognizing the joy that the gospel brings to my life, and realizing that he is out bringing that same joy into the lives of so many who do not have it is something that always helps me to get through. When I take a moment to ponder on this and to also ponder on the joy that the gospel can bring into my life every day, it helps me to be humble and to realize that the work that he is doing is much bigger than myself, that he is giving his time to the Lord and His plan. He is helping others to have joy and is impacting the lives of many people for generations. Missionary work is truly a wonderful thing, and when I understand its significance, I am better able to understand that the Lord wants all of his children to be happy, and that includes me.
Gaining a testimony of missionary work has been a very vital part of me being able to get through the rough times. If you take the time to try and understand why your missionary is out serving the lord, it will help you to endure with more patients and joy. Reading Preach My Gospel has had a great effect on my understanding of the work, and also reading about the different missionaries in the scriptures. I also find that when I seek for opportunities to share the gospel, I start to love missionary work more. So give it a try, pray about it and search it out, the lord will help you.

What are some things that help you to get through those rough times? Please share! :)

-Katy

What to do for Your Missionary During Christmas

Merry Christmas!!! Yay! I love this time of year! Christmas is in a week and the family is all together, life can't get much better than this!
So, as the tittle of the post says, I'm going to talk a bit about a few ideas I had about what to get that special missionary in your life.
As I was scouring the internet a couple of weeks ago for the perfect present, I got a message from Elder Peterson. I had asked about what he wanted for Christmas, and he had replied that there wasn't anything in particular that he wanted, but that he was still the same person as he was when he was at home, so if I found something that I think he would love, I should get that. Lucky for me, we have very similar, very nerdy tastes, so finding him a gift would be easy. So gals, just think about things that he's in to, and go off your instincts. Hopefully you know enough about him to know whether or not he'll like something, and hey, if he suggests things for you to get, that's even better! That way you know he'll love it
Might I also recommend getting a gift that has a use, it can be a titanium spork, or a football tie clip, as long as he can use it while he's on his mission, you're good to go. You don't want to give him something that he'll have to lug around as dead weight for 2 years before he can use it.
I know that as a poor college student, my funds are very limited on what I can spend on my Christmas shopping, so I also had to keep that in mind while looking. But I also got some advice from a very wise woman who told me to "send him something to let him know you care". Remember when you were little and you always made the silliest homemade gifts for your family? Well... They aren't lying when they say "it's the thought that counts". For me, not having a large amount of funds meant that I had to get creative. So make him a homemade card with a special encouraging message, or sew him a new tie. Really anything you send will be appreciated and cherished.
Another thing to make sure of is to make sure that you don't make them too trunky with whatever you decide to do. It's good to let them know that you care, and that you are there to support them, but just make sure that you don't go to over-the-top with mushiness.

Well, if you're wondering what I finally decided to get Elder Peterson, I'll tell you, but it's super cheesy and dorky, so don't judge me lol. I got him a doodle frame, it's a picture frame with 80 sheets of paper around it that you can draw on and tear off if you wish. So I decided to put a picture of us in the middle, and to draw on every page o.O Crazy, I know. I'm still not done, but I've started it, so we'll see how this goes. I'm decorating it with silly, funny, random things that he'll find entertaining. There's also a few with inspirational quotes, and some with a little note from me to him. I also got him a little light up Star Trek emblem thingy lol, it's silly but he'll like it :) (pictures to come soon)

That's all for now, I hope that helped a little, if you have any other ideas and/or questions, feel free to post. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

-Katy

Updates

Sorry it's been so long since we've updated on here, with school starting and life moving on, we've been a bit distracted.

So here's the update:

Erin is engaged! :) She met an awesome guy at BYU and is going to be married near the end of December! I'm super excited for her, and she is so happy! Congratulations Erin!

Watch Tower and Green Arrow, I don't know the details there, but I think things are about the same.

As for myself, I'm doing just dandy! I've been dating some different people through the summer and fall, and just enjoying life. College has been quite the adventure, I've been contemplating changing my major from dance to something else, not sure what, but we'll see. I have wonderful roommates who have become some great friends, and I'm growing and learning so much about the gospel and about myself.

Elder Peterson is doing great! I just got some pictures from him today and it looks like he's having a blast. He's having some awesome experiences and he loves serving the people in his mission.

I guess that's all for now, I'll try to update some more soon!

Hey, if any of you have any questions, please ask, and I'll try to answer them best I can!

The Ladies in Waiting Team...

Alright Ladies, we would like to introduce ourselves to you, to let you know where we are in our waiting process, and a little bit about ourselves and our missionaries. So here goes!

• Well, first off, we've got Erin and Elder Mayo:

Stuart and Erin

How we met: Primary

How long we've been dating: 1 year

Where he's serving: Tijuana, Mexico

How long he's been out: 6 days (as of 04-26-11)

My dating status: Fully intend to marry Stuart, but am all for getting out and going on a fun date. Honestly, the large majority of my dates have been with friends just for fun and that's the way to go -- no pressure, no awkwardness, just two people having a blast.

Our story: Stuart and I have been best friends since I moved to Oregon when we were both four. We were at each other's houses several times a week. We went to Primary and Kindergarten together, then we did home school together. He introduced me to Veggie Tales and I introduced him to jumping off tall ladders onto the trampoline. I played with his lego door bell and he built cities with my blocks. 

Stuart moved to California on Halloween when we were ten. We kept in touch and spent two weeks together (one week in California and one in Oregon) every summer for the next five years. As we entered our teen years, I finally decided it would be okay to like my best friend (I'd been very adamant against my friends' teasing up to that point). One summer we sat down with some friends to watch Phantom of Opera and he made his first move. I still love that movie. ;) 

We missed our annual visits for three years. I moved to Utah. We dated other people. In fact, I remember calling to tell him about my first date and he had just gotten home from his first date too. Though I was loving my dating life, Stuart was still often in my thoughts. Finally, I got him out to Utah during my spring break last year. The awkward getting-to-know-you-again phase quickly moved on to, "I really, really like you," and "Oh! You really, really like me too!" The week ended. He went home. We started talking for way too long on the phone every night and I thanked my lucky stars that my last semester of high school was a breeze.

We've now been "dating" (650 miles apart) for a year. All told, we've had three visits and about two weeks together since March 31, 2010. We've both been on dates with other people in that time. We're both still pretty stuck on each other. 

• Next up we've got Watch Tower and Elder Green Arrow:

I’d like to use code names for myself and my missionary.

I’m WatchTower and my missionary is Green Arrow. We met at BYU in line for textbooks. Being only just barely five feet, I was easy to spot when carting around four feet of books on a trolley at the cash register line. It was even easier for him to spot me as he is around six feet and two inches. After chatting in line, we would end up finding each other in the same Book of Mormon class. He hung towards the back and walk me to wherever my next destination was. We talked constantly. Eventually he even walked me all the way to my dorm and staid in my kitchen for two hours just talking about things from Star Wars to politics to new temples. I had never had so much fun just talking to another person. He is going to Texas. He starts in three weeks (as of 04-26-11). I’m going to wait. He’s worth every minute.

• And last but not least, there is Katy and Elder Peterson:

How long we've been dating: Ten months

Where he's serving: Spokane, Washington

How long he's been gone: 1 month (as of 04-27-11)

Our Story:

Jason knew my older sister Amy from the spring semester at college in Nauvoo, Illinois. I guess she talked about me a bunch (we're best buds) and it peaked his interest. So that summer while he was visiting some family in Utah, he decided to come over and pay my sister a visit. I wasn't to keen on the idea of my sister hooking me up with one of her college friends, so I was going to sleep in that morning, lucky for me I fell asleep on the couch.

On the morning of June 8, 2010 I walked into my front room, sat down on the chair and said to myself "oh crap, he's cute..." We talked a lot that day, and he gave me an awkward man hug goodbye. But that night we chatted, and then every night after that, up until August 13, when I flew out a week before school started to stay with him and his family.

After that it was long road trips, and even longer visits. We dated long distance from the time I left his house that first week, up until he got set apart as a missionary, March 23, 2011.

I am fully convinced that we are going to have our happily ever after. But in the meantime, I will be going on dates and living life. I'll give guys a chance to make me as happy as he did, but I honestly don't believe that will ever happen. He was an amazing person before he left, and I can't wait to see the wonderful man he'll be when he comes home! (I just hope I can keep up)