Leading in Church

I got a calling a couple months ago of being in the ward music committee. So i lead the music in sacrament meeting every other week and switch with another girl on the committee. Sometimes I think there are callings that are "extra" callings to make sure everyone does something, which i'm more than happy to do I just love when I hear callings that seem a little stretched, but at least things are getting done right? I think it happens probably more in singles wards to make sure everyone's involved.
Anyway... yesterday I had to lead, and I don't love doing it but I am more than happy to. Bradley came to church with me and sat on the 3rd row so I could get up and lead easier. Well.. sometimes I feel like drawing my name in cursive in the air when i get off beat.. but this time... i was feelin "We Thank Thee oh God for a Prophet"! So I looked down at Brad and he mouths, "both hands!" haha so of course... I had to do it to spice things up! But when I did it my face turned BRIGHT red... I could feel tomatoes starting to form on my cheeks! haha but I will never forget Brad's face in the congregation! His smile was so big it almost burst to a laugh. I finally got done and sat by him and he says "Easy there, August Rush!"
This story is probably one of those "Guess you had to have been there" type of story, but I just love how it doesn't matter what me and Brad are doing, something is always entertaining, whether it be playing hot lava on the couches or trying to look like chipmunks. (see picture) I love that we can always laugh but at the same time be serious when we need to be. Life is good and I'm loving my time with my best friend!

Saving the World One Cavity at a Time

I just have to laugh. My job as a dental assistant can be quite entertaining and discusting all at the same time. Working at a dentist office you get to work with all kinds of different people. Happy people, negative people, roudy kids, funny old men, boys preparing for missions, people still scarred from the war, gaggy people, people so scared they can hardly keep tears out of their eyes, teenagers just here for the laughing gas, grandpa's that need a snoring nap right when your working on them, polygimist (who are actually the cleanest, best patients ever!), ex-polygimists, people with peircings and tatoos, creepers who you really have to be careful around, people that yell at ya, people that compliment ya, people who are half asleep on valium, little kids that laugh so hard the first time they try the n20, as well as returned elder couples who bring an Ensign to read while they're in the chair. I love working with such a variety of people! But once in awhile something funny will happen that I just have to kick my head back and laugh. Yesterday in particular. A girl in her 30's was in getting some of her teeth pulled and had the roots that went opposite directions. My doctor I work for is very intelligent, very honest, easy going guy and I'm very lucky. But during this appointment he was carefully trying to get the roots... well.. something snapped, the root of the tooth went flying...hit the ceiling (i heard it hit) and somehow managed to land in my bra!!! i'm sorry but ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! haha I died. He was still in the process of getting it out so I couldn't drop my suction and say... "BRB" (be right back) I had to sit with it poking me. I'm trying to compare the size so you can have a little bit of a visual.. hmm... I'd say almost the size of a pencil eraser. haha so the second my doctor went to go grab something he needed I jolted to the bathroom with the surface wipes. I was so discusted. But all I could do was laugh. seriously. What are the odds!! gotta love my job.

Flyin' Solo

Can I just write and brag about my dad for just a second? I have the cutest dad and I was reading an entry in my journal and thought it was good enough to share on my blog.

At the beginning of this year I flew to Kentucky to meet Brad's family for new years. If you know me, you will have known where my family takes vacations and that I don't fly in airplanes all too often. The Olsen's famous vacation spot is Yellowstone, Yellowstone, and Yellowstone. So airplanes are quite the experience since I usually just drive to places. it was my very first time flying alone because Brad had flown a few weeks before me and I was going to meet him.

Let's be honest... I was quite nervous so my dad took me to the airport. Parked the car, walked me in, got my luggage taken care of, printed off my ticket, walked me to the gate and watched me while I walked through security til he couldn't see me anymore. I looked back to see him as tiny as possible because of distance and I saw him give me thumbs up. I blew him a kiss and walked away. I know this isn't that big of a deal, but to me it meant the world that he did that. I was so scared and he walked me through everything until I could do it by myself. He gave me directions on what to do when I switched planes and told me everything! I can't lie... when I blew him a kiss and walked away I got so teary eyed and realized how much I really love my dad. I always have loved him, but my heart was so grateful for what he does for me! I was in the airplane writing in my journal about how I felt about that moment and I'll be honest, I couldn't hold back my tears. I can't help but think and relate it to how Heavenly Father must have felt when he was getting ready to send us to earth. He told us what he could and then had to say goodbye and probably gave us a thumbs up while we blew him a kiss. I hear that it's hard for dad's to let their daughters get married... but I'm sure it will be hard for me when I get married someday to say goodbye and blow him a kiss. But I know he'll always be there for me with a thumbs up. I love my dad. Growing up he always gives us high fives when we walk by him and he is the most patient, loving man I've ever known. I'm so grateful for my dad and hope I marry someone a lot like him! I love you Dad!!

Bradley Grant

Am i allowed to write more than one post a day? welp... i am. here it goes. I want to tell a little bit about the boy i have been dating since thanksgiving and how we started to date. I see him as a huge blessing in my life right now and i'd like to brag a little bit about him i guess.
Let me give you a little bit of background first...
i dated someone in high school for about 3 years.. we'll call him Toad for right now. Toad was my first love, my first kiss, my first adventure. I truly loved him with all that i had. I've heard some people say that you can't know of true love when your that young. i really felt like i did.
He didn't always treat me too great. He was pretty popular in school and enjoyed the company of other girls all over him rather then his girlfriend. But he still was my very best friend. I moved up to Utah State and he went on a mission. I got an average of one letter a year. yup. 2 letters (he wrote a little while in the mtc) but other than that... nothing. Not even an explanation. Not only did he break my heart but he knew how to rip it into shreds and stomp on it. i didn't tell a whole lot of people, but my heart was broken for 2 years. i couldn't even bare to look at the mailbox because I knew it was empty. i've learned that loneliness and being ignored is the worst punishment and i will never treat anyone that way no matter who they are. so days, months went by and i prayed almost every day that i would stop thinking about Toad.
then october 2009 happened..
as some of you know i love going out, meeting new people, enjoy the company of lots of friends. my dad would call me his "gypsi girl" because my life was just crazy.
well, i went to a halloween dance party in october dressed as a nerd. Right before the party ended, i was dancing with a different boy and some handsome boy came and stole my attention. i literally left the other boy and went to talk to this handsome boy trying to get my attention. I was about to leave so we talked briefly and he got my digits and i was gone. Mind you, since it was a dance party i looked QUITE unattractive. A. i was a nerd. B. i had pants like they wore in the 80s aka. mom bum and C. my hair was a mangled mess by the end of the night.
that was the end of that. i left, and he just texted me so i would have his number in my phone as well.
A few days after that my family went through a tragedy. My sister Jaymie was 9 months pregnant and lost her sweet baby. I know i'm only the sister of her and i've only felt probably 1% of what she's felt, but i still ache for her and am amazed by her and forever will. While we were at the hospital this boy that i met at the Halloween party named Bradley Grant was texting me. I told him the nightmare we were going through right then and there, and this stranger was the only person who could tell me what I needed to hear and reminded me of the atonement.
I wrote in my journal that "i met a stranger with the biggest heart" Brad didn't know my sister, he didn't know my family, but he knew the Savior enough to help me remember that atonement is real. My sister is a huge example to me of that and how strong she is. i love her so much.
There has been other events that have happened since this Bradley Grant has been in my life... such as me starting my favorite time of the month while we're at the temple doing baptisms (our first date) or how his Thanksgiving fell through so he HAD to eat at my house. which... i loved:)
I'm telling like 5 stories at once because 2 weeks after me and Bradley started dating, Toad was supposed to be coming home from his mission. I remember talking to Brad and getting tears because even tho i was hurt i still didn't wanta hurt anyone, and i had a feeling i'd end up hurting one or the other.
so it was quite a battle for a couple weeks. I couldn't tell if i still had feelings for Toad because 3 years of dating is a lot compared to a few weeks with Brad. But Toad got home and still wanted to give it one more chance. There was once a point where plans went a little crazy and somehow i ended up at classic skating with the two of them at once and wanted to die.
Since I've been dating Brad he's treated me better than anyone i've ever met. He's made me so happy, and I love being with him. But i had tons of pictures and memories with Toad i didn't know how to let go. So Brad took action and said he would take a step back til I decided. He wouldn't talk to me for a few days but he would have someone deliver flowers and wait for me to figure things out. And for the record, he's taught me that mailboxes aren't so bad.. he'll send me letters even if he's only a half hour drive away because he knew how much an empty mailbox has hurt me in the past.
I learned a lot that week. I learned that you have to love someone for what they are now and what they will be in the future, you can't love pictures and a box of memories. It wasn't my favorite situation, but I'm loving dating him now. I don't know if I'll end up marrying him, but he really is such an incredible person. My family only sees the "goofy" side of him. but he has a huge testimony of the gospel, and would do anything for anyone in a heart beat. He has a huge heart and treats me like i'm the only girl that has ever been in his life. He always tells me how grateful he is that i've lived my life worthily, he always makes me laugh even if i have tonsils the size of texas from mono.
He flew me to Kentucky to meet his family, and whether or not I marry him or not, i am so grateful to have him in my life and the big blessing he has been and is now. He is my best friend. and that's how i met Bradley Grant:)

Small and Simple things

well, here I am trying to start up the old blog. i'm still pretty new at this so i hope i last longer than i did since the last time.
i've been home sick with mono for the passed couple weeks. i've had to drop out of school for this semester since i'm so far behind and i'm lucky to have the boss i do otherwise my job would've been history.
i have been debating to start a blog because i don't feel like my life is interesting for people to really follow. All my sisters are pretty up to date on their blogs, but i feel like their lives are so much more interesting than mine. i'm not creative, i'm not a writer, i'm not good with words, nor am i good at knowing HOW to put a blog together. but... i've decided to give my blog a theme. the only words i could come up with was "runnin round barefoot" there are a few different reasons i'm calling this blog that and it's because i've been very pessamistic lately and my boyfriend Brad always says to me "remember the small things"
I've thought about this a few times. I have absolutely nothing to complain about, but that doesn't mean i need to stand still, i feel like i need to be so grateful for what i do have. and the little things in life that are small and simple but mean so much.
i know everyone has felt the feeling of running on a beach with barefeet, or the wind in your hair, or the watching a beautiful sunset. All very small but everyone has felt the joy that it brings. so for my blog i want to write about the little things that happen almost everyday that mean so much more. Bednar might have called these "tender mercies" :)