Hi friends!

Holy cow life has been crazy lately.

No video yet…be patient! I have finals!

I’ve been studying and driving back and forth from Provo to Kaysville and studying and working and studying and not getting enough sleep.

But life is so very wonderful.

With the Christmas season and the busy season of finals and my last semester of school coming up and so many adventures ahead, I wanted to share a little something.

In all the craziness going on in my life right now, I’ve be reminded so many times of what’s really important. And that’s the Gospel. No matter what else is going on, the Gospel is the thing I can count on and I am so thankful for that.

Now…enjoy some pictures!

WARNING: THIS IS A SAPPY AND CUTESY POST. IF YOU DON’T WANT TO DEAL WITH THE MUSHINESS, DO NOT READ.

Ok, what is my life?

RANDY IS HOME.

No longer Elder Low, he finished his 2 year mission and came home!

Oh, and I had no idea that he was back until the moment I saw him.

I have a video that I want to cutesy on up and everything, so look forward to that.

Until then, here is the story!

Randy told me he was getting home on December 8th. Which is Monday. Tomorrow. I went around all excited, posting like crazy, getting things ready, etc. etc.

Well, he then proceeded to email my friends and let them know he was really coming home on the 5th! He needed me to get home to Kaysville that night so he could come and surprise me!

My friends then proceeded to tell my other friends and family to make sure they could all help pull it off!

So over Thanksgiving I go home and my sister asks if I’m going to come and spend the night on Friday, the last weekend before Randy gets home. I tell her no, I have tests to study for and things to do. Well she FLIPS OUT. Tells me I HAVE to come home for one more sister sleepover, that I’ll ruin her whole fun if I don’t, etc. etc.

So, I grudgingly agree to go home, telling myself I’ll try to get studying done there.

So Friday comes, and I go with my family to the Festival of Trees and to lunch. We had a grand old time and I had no idea what was going on. Turns out, Randy was on a plane, flying home.

I went home that evening with my family and tried to do some studying, but nothing really exciting happened. We watched White Christmas and sat around, played some games. I was SO confused why it had been such a big deal that I come home. The hours got later, 8:00, 9:00, 10:00. I went down to my room to do some studying and be upset that I’d driven all the way home for a very normal, but still fun, evening with my family. 

I heard some squealing and some running around upstairs, and then my mom called me up. Only to tell me a funny story about my dad swatting a fly. All I could think was, “My family is crazy!” Turns out, they had just heard from Randy and he was ready to come surprise me!

Then, my dad and sister Olivia say they have to run an errand. It’s 10:15 and I’m so confused. SO confused. My mom and my other sister and I sat down to play games, and I was thinking my dad and sister must have gone to get a cake or something for me, but I had no idea.

Then I hear the garage door open and my dad walks in with his iPhone up, recording something.

Then, I see him. He had the biggest smile on his face, he was crouched down to run over and pick me up.

I screamed and ran over to the best hug I’ve had in 2 years.
Turns out that Friday December 5th is best day of my life so far.

Thanks to everyone who made this surprise happen, and cute Randy for planning it SO long ago (senior year of high school). I’m one very lucky girl. Now prepare for the sap.

Can I just tell you how surreal it is to have my best friend home?

Sometimes, I can’t believe that it’s real. That we did it. We made it. There are still hard things ahead, adjusting to do and figuring out how to click back into place, but I can honestly say I don’t think I’ve ever been happier. So much is different, but somehow we’re still us. Things just picked up where they left off, but with the two of us a little older, and smarter, and stronger.

So welcome home Elder Low.

And happy Sunday everyone!

Again, I’m the worst and only took ONE picture this Thanksgiving. ONE. I’m the WORST.

Ok I was enjoying time with my family though, so you’ll just have to read about it!

First though, a few days of gratitude left!

November 24th: I’m grateful for music. Heavenly Father obviously loves us so much to provide us such a wonderful thing to help us be happy.
November 25th: I’m grateful for Kaysville. I love my hometown so so SO much. So many people give me lip about living in Utah my whole life, but it has been absolutely wonderful for me.

November 26th: I’m grateful for for the amazing opportunities life has thrown at me. I left my job at BYU Radio to move on to a different adventure (that I’ll be announcing tomorrow. Stay tuned.) But I am so lucky to have had the amazing experiences in my life. Heavenly Father has been looking out for me.
November 27th: I’m grateful for Thanksgiving! What an amazing holiday. This Thanksgiving was so wonderful! We started the day with a Turkey Bowl (that turned into Ultimate Frisbee) which was SO fun. Then we went around as a family and shared what we were grateful for, and got to talk to my brother and sister-in-law in Boston before they headed to Cape Cod for Thanksgiving. All of my extended family got together and ate and ate and ate and played games (Rook and Bang are our favorites) and talked and laughed, and we just had such a great time. I have so many wonderful memories of are crazy family get togethers, and I feel so lucky to have been blessed with my family. Love you all!

Wow guys, this month has been rough. One of the harder months for me to get through. So I’m super glad I’ve been doing this gratitude thing, so I have to look at all the wonderful and amazing things that happen even in spite of all the not so wonderful and amazing things.

November 18th. Today I am so grateful for my high school experience being involved in theater. Being a part of the musical, getting to know some incredible people, and making friends that last forever is such a huge blessing. It made me a better person, it made me who I am. There’s this huge part of my life that only some will understand, and that’s being a part of the Davis High Musical. What an experience. I miss it every single day.

Hello friends!

I’ve been a major slacker at posting lately, it’s because I’m so darn busy!

School, work, and the food drive are all I have time for these days!

Let’s play a little catch up on gratitude, yeah?

November 10th: I’m grateful for the BYU Food Drive. I had the opportunity to participate last year, and I’m doing it all again this year! It’s awesome, so fun, and so much work! We’re gathering food for the people in Utah County who suffer from food insecurity, not knowing where their next meal is coming from. We’ve been working like crazy to host fun events and get food and money donations! Contact me if you’re in Provo and interested in helping out!

(check it out: BYU Food Drive Article)

November 11th: I’m so grateful for those who fight to defend our country. We are so lucky to live in the land of the free, because of the brave. Thanks to all those currently serving, and to everyone who has served to protect this God blessed land!

November 12th: I’m thankful for my ultimate frisbee team. Seems silly, but seriously it made this semester so much fun! I loved getting to meet new people, and run around playing the game. I’m not the best, but I enjoyed every second playing with the BYU Radio Team.

November 13th: I’m grateful for family. I lucked out getting the best family in the whole world! They’re so supportive and wonderful, and I don’t know what I would do without them. I’m so glad they’re stuck with me for eternity!

November 14th: I’m grateful for my best friends. I’ve been struggling feeling unsure of myself, confused, and even a little sad lately. I have the best friends who bring me cookies, make me dinner, and tell me that everything is going to be ok. My life would be a whole lot less wonderful without them.

November 15th: I’m grateful for football! I love heading to the stadium all bundled up and excited to cheer for my team. I’m so sad I only have one BYU home football game left as a student, On to bigger and better things I guess…but I’m sure going to miss it!

November 16th: I’m thankful for hospitals and medicine. I met my sweet little self-proclaimed god-daughter Addie Juliette on Sunday. And wow, is she wonderful! I’m just thankful for modern medicine and the advancements and comfort it gives to us. We are so lucky!

November 17th: Today, I’m thankful for the career path I picked. There are some people in my major who have no desire to get a job in what we’re studying, and I’m just thankful that Heavenly Father helped me find a path that I love. I’m so excited to get out their and follow my dreams with a news/communications career. I’m a lucky girl!

Friends, I’m so blessed, and thanks to all of you who make my life sweet.

Happy Monday everyone!

And happy-three-weeks-left….what? Where has the time gone?

I’ve been writing this post in my head for about 23 months. Some people aren’t going to like this, but I’m getting better at realizing I’m not going to make everyone happy, some people are going to dislike me, no matter what I do. SO. I’m posting this for me, and so hopefully some other boy or girl who is missing a friend, brother, sister, or cousin, can have some tips!

So I’ve been writing to my best friend who is off serving an LDS mission. He gets home next month, and I’ve learned a thing or two about writing a missionary since he (and practically all my other friends) have been gone.

What They Won’t Tell You About Writing A Missionary

1. It is hard. I thought I understood what that meant. Let me tell you, I didn’t. There are all of these conflicting feelings, like being so proud but missing them so much, wanting to confide in them while not being distracting, not writing too much or too little but jussst the right amount. It’s exhausting. And unfortunately while it gets easier to cope….it never really gets better.

2. People are going to trash talk. I was shocked how many people were so rude to me about the whole situation. People telling me I was a distraction, people throwing stories in my face about missionaries they knew who were so terrible because they were distracted by friends writing, people telling me that it wasn’t ever going to be the same, it wouldn’t work out, that I was being stupid and should just forget it. It’s so hard having such a huge part of your life completely thrashed. But it made me stronger.

3. You will change. And your missionary will change. This is 100% expected and 100% good. Change for the better. Both of you. And maybe those changes will pull you further apart, and that’s ok. If you are both turning into the people you are meant to be, and that means you aren’t supposed to stay friends, that’s life. But in my situation, the changes were all so good and made us closer, more Christ-like, and happier.

4. Some days you will just want to cry. People will tell you not to, but that’s not good. Sometimes, just let it out, listen to sad songs and have a blah day. It will be ok!

5. The last three months are by far the worst. I didn’t ever believe people who told me this, but it’s true. Unfortunately, every day that it’s closer seems to be a littler harder than the one before!

6. You will be so blessed. I have grown closer to Christ as I read letters about His Atonement, about the miracles and the wonderful things that are happening with His work. I have studied and pondered and grown so much. My testimony is unshakable. And I think writing a missionary was a huge part of that.

7. You will grow independent. I was terrified at the beginning that not having my best friend around to vent or cry to would mean the end of me. It was just the opposite. I found me by having to be independent, be by myself. And now, I am 100% comfortable with my own company. In fact, I love it.

8. Everyone is different. Everyone and every missionary is so different. Things that happened to your neighbors best friend’s sister’s boyfriend won’t happen to you. So relax, do what is best for you, and stop comparing!

9. You will be angry. Sometimes I felt so cheated that I was missing out on two years of my best friend’s life. His favorite color changed, and I didn’t know about it. He did all these incredible things that didn’t involve me. And it hurt. But you have to kick that, grow up, and realize that being an individual is wonderful. Embrace all of the good things about the situation and shake off the bad.

10. Turn to your Heavenly Father. I didn’t realize how much I would be relying on my Heavenly Father and my Savior when this whole ordeal started. He understands how it feels, your frustrations and fears. And He has the perfect plan for you. Rely on Him and His knowledge no matter what your earthly brain is thinking. You can do it, with his help!

That’s it really. I’m no expert, and I still have some time left before all my friends are home. But you can do this!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Whoooooa where have I been? This week just got away from me friends!

November 4th: I’m grateful for America. Unfortunately, I think so many people take for granted the right to vote, especially people my age. I look at all the people who fought for my right. I look at the women who protested and were arrested to make sure women like me could vote. What a blessing, and a responsibility we have to honor that right!

November 5th: I’m grateful for BYU. I feel so lucky to go to this university. There are too many things about it to list, but seriously I’m so thankful I get to be here. I love my professors, the people, the campus, Provo city, my program, everything!

November 6th: I’m thankful for the scriptures. I’m taking a D and C class right now, and wow. I am so glad I have a road map to help me through this life. The religion classes I have taken at BYU have totally changed the way I view the scriptures. These were real people, real and amazing people. And they wrote to us.

November 7th: I’m grateful for my job. I love BYU Radio and the many opportunities it has given to me. The people I have met there and the things I have learned can’t be compared to anything else. I lucked out finding this awesome job!

November 8th: I’m thankful for blogging. Seriously, I have made amazing friends through blogging and I am so grateful for how I’ve grown through writing. I had the chance to head to The Buzz Reveal Party and it was AMAZING. I met Hailey and Brad Devine and their families, which was incredible to say the least. I may have even told her that I watched her videos every day for the first 3 months that Randy was gone, and it’s still a weekly thing. What an amazing night!

November 9th: I’m grateful for my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We had a wonderful regional conference where many of the speakers talked about God and his love for us, and how to figure out what we are doing with our lives. They were so real and wonderful.

Some highlights:
Sister Whitney’s story about her boys buying 100 pesos worth of gelato, and encouraging us to bring home bags of the Lord’s sweet and delicious love for ourselves.
Elder Whitney’s story about turkeys learning how to fly and then walking home.
Elder Ballard’s entire talk, and him straight up saying “if you murmur about the Honor Code then you don’t really believe in Jesus Christ.” WOW. Powerful words. His grandfatherly advice, and telling the sisters to wear some lipstick and have the “sparkle of the Spirit” in their eyes was also great.

It’s been a crazy week, and this month is about to get crazier! The Food Drive starts next week so I will be a BUSY, BUSY bee!

Friends, We have so much to be thankful for. I feel like the luckiest person alive. November is a beautiful month to remind me to be more thankful, and to be happy with what I have.

Happy Sunday friends!