last days of work

Yesterday was my last day of work nannying for one of the families I work for. After I got home I was just thinking about how blessed I have been with work this summer. Every summer I come home with about $5 left in my bank account. Then each summer, I work as much as I possibly can and say a lot of prayers that I will be able to earn enough money. Somehow I always make the exact amount of money I need to pay for school, housing, food, etc. I am so thankful for this and know that it is an answer to my prayers.

This summer I have had the best jobs. I nannied for one family with a little girl and a 8 week old baby boy 2 days a week, nannied for my usual family with a cute little boy and girl 3 days a week, and taught a yoga class every saturday at Pure Fitness. I feel so blessed to have had so many awesome jobs this summer. Also, the families that I work for are seriously the nicest, most generous families ever. They are always giving me gifts, taking me out to lunch, and giving me money to help with college. I could not have had better people to work for. I have also loved teaching a yoga class again. I'm going to miss it when I'm in Hawaii...but it will be nice to have a break from work. I am looking forward to my 2 week break in Hawaii before classes start!!!

I have REALLY missed this.

And ESPECIALLY this! I cannot wait to go surfing in hawaii again!!!

cooking

This summer I have been cooking as much as I can. Everything is so expensive in Hawaii that I just end up eating the same cheap meals every since day (granola for breakfast, peanut butter sandwich for lunch and tortellini for dinner- every single day for 9 months!) Whenever I am in Arizona it is so weird to go into a grocery store and see how cheap everything is. Like $2 for a gallon of milk that would be $8 in Hawaii! I always go crazy and want to buy everything until my mom reminds me that these prices are normal for Arizona. But anyways, I've been cooking dinner at least once a week this summer and I've found some really good recipes. My favorite is for the BBQ chicken pizza from California Pizza Kitchen... so good! I have a week and a half more until I go back to my sandwiches and plain pasta...

BBQ chicken pizza

Parmesan Eggplant Ravioli

sunshine

Right now I am still in Arizona for the summer working as a nanny and yoga instructor. I go back to Hawaii in three weeks... crazy! The summer always starts out slow and then goes by incredibly fast. So since I haven't posted in forever here are some of the highlights of my summer:


*sleepovers with my little sisters
*So You Think You Can Dance parties at my sister Brooke's house
*playing with my little nephews
*being able to hang out with melissa in st. george
*going on bike rides with my mom
*swimming once or twice a day
*California trips! surfing and watching the U.S. open
*going sailing
*mexico
*movie nights
*shopping trips and goint out to eat
*making dinner for my family
*playing guitar
*family reunions
*road trips!

This summer has been really fun. I have missed Hawaii a ton, but I am SO thankful that I have been able to spend the summer at home. I have loved being able to spend so much time with my family. I feel so blessed to have so many fun sisters, they are my best friends! I am also so thankful for my awesome mom and dad! I love my family SO much, they are the BEST!!!

Here are some pictures from my summer (sorry they are all mixed up)....

Happy Father's Day!

Well, this is late, but I just wanted to put up a Father's Day post about my dad. He is awesome! He works so hard for our family. I know it must be hard to take care of five girls, but he does a great job. Since we were little he has let our family go on trips to our favorite place, Hawaii. It is always so much fun and I have so many fun memories from those trips! Now I am so thankful when he brings my little sisters there to visit while I am going to school out there. I am so thankful for my dad. He is a hard worker, goes to church and fulfills his callings, does service, has a fun sense of humor, and he is a GREAT dad!!!

Hawaii and Arizona

Well, I'm not very good at posting on this blog, but now that I'm back in Arizona I finally I have time. Here a some of my favorite pictures from Winter Semester. It was a crazy, busy, awesome semester! Me and my best friends Sam and Katie had some of the most awesome things happen. At Waimea, we got to paddle out on the lifeguard rescue board (thanks to our lifeguard friend, Johnny) where a ton of spinner dolphins were. It was SO amazing, they were swimming and jumping five feet away from us!!! That was the coolest thing I have EVER done! We also had a ton of amazing surfing days including one of the best days ever at V-land! Me and Sam surfed until we were the only ones out and it was pitch dark! That is my favorite thing ever to do! The three of us also went to my favorite place ever, Waialua bakery a million times. And guess what... that is where I met Judge, the most awesome guy ever (: We got to hang out a ton my last two weeks, so that was really fun. We surfed and snorkeled for shells and hung out as much as possible on the beach! I also hung out a lot with one of my best friends, Lindsey my last week. On my last Saturday we rode bikes from Laie to Sharks Cove. We got acai and stopped at all of our favorite beaches. It was so fun!! Now I'm back in Arizona for the summer to work. It is really hard to leave everyone and Hawaii, but in three months I will be back there. It is really good to be able to see my family here. I miss them a ton when I am in Hawaii. They are the most awesome family. I don't have any pictures of being home yet, but we have had a lot of fun. It has been so fun to talk to my mom a ton, hang out with all of my sisters, and see my cute little nephews. I just wish all of my family could move to Hawaii and then everything would be perfect!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!

My mom is the best mom ever! She is the nicest, prettiest, most fun mom ever and I am SO grateful for her! I always want to be just like her! Here are a few of my favorite memories with my mom:

*When I was in high school I had seminary at 5:45 am. She would wake up every morning to make me breakfast. She did this for all of my sisters too! I really appreciated it and I loved being able to talk to her every morning.

*Also in high school, she would let me ditch class so that  I could have a break. We would go out to lunch and shopping. It was so fun!

*Every summer, she plans tons of fun trips and activities for our family to do. 

*Last semester her and my dad came to Hawaii for vacation. My dad was working at a convention for a few of the days, so I came into town to hang out with my mom. It was so fun to have a little vacation and be able to spend time with her. We went to the beach, went shopping, went out to eat, went on a sailboat ride, and visited my dad at his convention. It was so much fun! They stayed a week and we all hung out on the north shore for a few days after my dad was done working. It was awesome!

*My mom still tucks me in at night when I am home(: I love having time to talk with just me and her every night. I miss that when I am away at college!

*She talks to me on the phone all the time. Sometimes I call way late at night (because of the time difference) and she will still talk to me as long as I need for. I really appreciate that.

Well, I could write a million other things, really! I love my mom SO much and am SO thankful for her. I hope you have an AWESOME birthday mom!!! I love you!