T-MINUS 16 DAYS!!

but who's counting right?

16 days until I report to the MTC
16 days until I leave my family for 18 months
16 days until I become Sister Askerlund.. (no more sammy slim)
16 days until my life changes forever
16 days until I forget myself and get to work

and I cannot wait!

heaven just got a little bigger

Early this morning I said goodbye to my best friend as Heaven received one of it's most beloved angels.

August 24th at 5:05 am Judith Leavitt took her last breath. 

As I sat there and stared at her, hoping, praying even pleading that should she would take another breath I looked at her and saw the face of Christ and I knew it was her time to go. He was waiting for her, along with so many others. I miss you already grams. I know you've probably already talked everybody's ears off, you're wooping them in a game of Greedy and you're sippin' on a Diet Coke WITH lemon. I don't know how I'm going to be able to go on without you, but I know I have to because you wouldn't want it any other way! You will live on in me and I will always strive to make you proud.

You are my greatest friend

&

I'll miss you every single day

Thank you for always being there for me. You always encouraged me to reach my full potential, you believed in my dreams more than I did. You built my testimony through your example and always radiated with the Savor's love. I don't even know how to describe you to people because words never do you justice. You truly were a little piece of Heaven on Earth and I feel beyond blessed to be called your granddaughter

The Summer Heavenly Father Brought Me To My Knees

I am a strong believer that every experience, whether good or bad that we go through happens for a reason. Every moment of joy or laughter, moments that will stay with us forever. Every hardship and trial, that pushes us to our very limits & the very test of faith that brings you to your knees.

This summer consisted of all of that for me.

My spirit was completely rocked, my testimony shaken, and my faith  weakened..

but I never would of thought I'd come out
S T R O N G E R 

in the end.

Sometimes you need to be brought to your knees to realize that's exactly where you needed to be all along.

I'm so grateful for Heavenly Father and his perfect love he has bestowed upon all of us. I don't know what I'd ever do without the gospel in my life & my amazing family and friends. I am so beyond blessed with more than I could ever deserve

Unanswered Prayers

In the last little bit I have found myself praying hard then ever,
for comfort
for guidance
and just for help.

and it's been sort of disheartening that I haven't been getting much of an answer.

Until last week, I was driving.. listening the the only radio station in Sanpete County which plays just about a little of every kind of music and one of my old favorites came on: Unanswered Prayers by Garth Brooks. and it just hit me way hard! I have always loved this song but it was exactly what I needed to hear and fit perfectly in my mind and mended my heart. I am so grateful for the tender mercies Heavenly Father blesses me with every day. I know he is always cares and is always listening whether it be when I'm kneeling down at my bedside at night or driving in the car listening to Garth Brooks. He is aware of all of our thoughts, our trials and our hardships and he will never leave us defenseless. Sometimes the very trials he lets us endure are the ones that will define us and make us into the person we are supposed to be.

"Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers
Remember when you're talkin' to the man upstairs
That just because he doesn't answer doesn't mean he don't care
Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers "

GOALS:
 
BE HAPPY.
Smile at strangers.
Be better than I was yesterday. Try to improve myself everyday.
Treat others as I would like to be treated.
Play like I'm a four-year old atleast once a day.Make sure the ones I love, know I love them.
Read a book. It's been a while since I've had the time to just sit down and read my heart out.
I want to sit down with my grandparents and write down their story of how they met.
Appreciate the people who truely matter and who always will.
Don't be afraid of change, infact, seek it out.
Meet someone new everyday.
Pass my math class this semester with an A
Get my Patriartical Blessing.Live my life to the fullest and have NO REGRETS.Not fight with my family when I go home for the weekends.Don't care what others think of me, my opinion is the only only that matters.
Work out, everyday.also, eat healthier.Start getting more sleep. 8 hours puuuhlease!Spend more time with my grandparents.
Stop trying to avoid the unavoidable.Don't hold grudges---forgive quickly.
Go to all 3 church classes every Sunday.
Go skydiving before I die.
Go snowboarding, for the first time! I live in the "Greatest Snow on Earth", and yet I've never been snowboarding..
Get a 4.0
Get a great summer job! and by job, I mean like 2 or 3!
Be more crafty, I would really like to learn to sew!Take better care of my hair and just let it gro o o o o o w.I would like to one day get married in the Salt Lake City Temple.
Have LOTS of babies! haha okay maybe not loooots but I do want a big family.
I want to travel, but not to all the generic places everyone goes to, I would like to go places few have ever been.

My someday...

Because to the depths of me, I long to love one person, With all my heart, my soul, my mind, my body... Because I need a forever friend to trust with the intimacies of me, Who won't hold them against me, Who loves me when I'm unlikable, Who sees the small child in me, and Who looks for the divine potential of me... Because I need to cuddle in the warmth of the night With someone who thanks God for me, With someone I feel blessed to hold... Because marriage means opportunity To grow in love in friendship... Because marriage is a discipline To be added to a list of achievements... Because marriages do not fail, people fail When they enter into marriage Expecting another to make them whole... Because, knowing this, I promise myself to take full responsibility For my spiritual, mental and physical wholeness I create me, I take half of the responsibility for my marriage Together we create our marriage... Because with this understanding The possibilities are limitless.

SUMMER TO DO LIST

Hiking: to the Y
Boating
Camping
Demolition Derbys
Carnivals
BBQ's
Lagoon!
Drive in movies
star gazing
fireworks