Wowee wow wow.

I feel a little bit silly for it, but I am weeping tears down my cheeks! Good gracious.

Tonight was my last night in young womens. For a lot of girls, this is quite uneventful, or even a relief. It means they don't have to go to hour and a half long activities on Tuesday nights anymore. It means they can go to the singles ward. It does not mean that for me. There is no way I'm going to singles ward, and I may just instinctively accidentally drive myself over to mutual on Tuesday nights. I don't know if there was a point of maturity I was supposed to hit where I was supposed to be ready to get out of young womens, but I never hit it. Those people are my family, and I just feel like I'm going to be missing out on everything.

I feel like a broken record for saying it so much, but San Tan Valley has some incredibly strong, positive, loving, compassionate members of the church. And some rock star young women. They are top-notch.

I have honestly never felt so loved by such a group of people. The camaradere (I don't know how to spell that...) is awesome in our group of young women. These girls will reach out to anyone, no matter how quiet, shy, annoying, or just plain strange they are. They have the amazing maturity at a young age to see each other as their Heavenly Father sees them. They put their arms around each other. It is really actually touching to see. (Gosh dang it I'm crying again...)

And our leaders... Oh, the incredible women who lead us and taught us and took care of us!! Sis. Atkin taught me to take a good hard look at people and think about how much their Father in Heaven loves them. I will seriously NEVER forget that. And Sis. Crandell inspired me to want to go on a mission. Some of these women have influenced me SO SO much more than they even know!

And then they HAD to go and give me a cute present to purposely make me cry in front of everyone tonight! What the heck??

Haha. Just kidding. I loved it. They are sweet as candy (no pun intended. really.)

I'm just saying,

NOT bragging or ANYTHING.

But my young women experience was way more amazing than yours.

It has shaped me, and I will really, really, really miss it.

I'm going to go get another tissue.

If you know anywhere that's hiring, hit me up in the comments. PLEASE.

I've been feeling purty good lately.

That may have to do with the fact that I graduated two days ago.

And that I am going on a reunion this weekend.

I actually really like family reunions.

Well, this one anyway.

Lately, I have been having too much fun with my webcam (as you may have seen in my previous post).

Observe:

Yes. I used rollers. They are quite the nifty tool, actually. My hair was very voluminous there for a while, which is difficult for my fine, heavy hair (unless i tease it, which sometimes just ends up gross).

So yeah. The job search continues. I actually prayed last night that I wouldn't work at a food place. I hope that's a righteous desire, because honestly, I don't know if I could take it. I am a very smell-oriented person, and don't get me wrong, I love me a 5-layer burrito once in a while, but if I had to work at Taco Bell for 20 hours a week, the smell would probably make me sick to my stomach. I'll apply at food places, because, well, it's money. And I need that.

I'm filling out applications to places halfway across the valley. Realize with me that my beauty school is an hour away from my house. As long as my job is between those two places, I am totally okay working there. So I have a pretty wide geographic range of opportunities. So, if I hit all the places I'm planning on and I still don't get hired at any of them, I'm going to quit beauty school and open an Etsy shop where I sell eccentric boondoggle keychains.

Actually, that sounds like a pretty good plan. Don't tempt me.

I'm lucky just to linger in your light.

FAMILY REUNION PART 3.
Woooohoooo,

So, Sunday was the Sabbath, so we didn't do anything except watch Everybody Loves Raymond in my aunt's trailer. Which is so Sabbath-y, you know it bro?
Anyways.
And then we went to the church building to have a fiesta and a jam session, which ended in some lovely dancing. Me and Keaton even swing danced! But it was cutest when a bunch of the grown-ups got up and slow danced together. Presh.

Kind of a lame picture. But trust me it was cute.

The next day we went to the graveyard to clean up some of the resting places of our grandparents and great aunts and uncles. I took some pictures of cute people.And then we said, "Goodbye beautiful Woodruff!"
And the rest is for tomorrow. Yeah.

{Smile by Uncle Kracker}

I do remember the swing in your step.

Day Two of the family reunion:

The next day, we went down to Woodruff and met up with my Aunt Jerianne and Uncle Ren, my great-uncle Jerry, and some cousins. We all went on a walk around the area and pretended we were cool.

Then we went to my great-uncle Benny's house. We discovered that he kind of has the best backyard of all mankind. It had a teeter totter, a swing set, a big silver slide, a trampoline, lots of lush grass, an outdoor kitchen, and a little stream running through it. All of us cousins had a ball.

See that little redhead guy there? That's my cousin Tanner. I have a little crush on him. ;) You would too if you were me.

Then when we got bored (you know, hours later) we shimmied on down to the playground that my mom and my aunts and uncles played at when they were little. It was quite a bit more run down than before, but it had a merry go round thing and some teeter totters, so we were content.

The rest of the day consisted of porch swinging, trailer rides, sunburns, and hot dogs. It was the most tiring day of the weekend.

{Last Kiss by Taylor Swift}

Here is the rainbow I've been praying for.

This weekend, we went up to Woodruff for a family reunion.

Woodruff {since you likely haven't heard of it} is a "if-you-blink-you'll-miss-it" town

near Holbrook. It's the cutest place.

Me, my three siblings, and my mom, stayed in a little cabin at a KOA in Holbrook. The first night we didn't even touch Woodruff, just played in Holbrook for a few hours.

There was a little playground at the KOA and it had one of those sometimes-illegal merry go round things we all love.

Needless to say, we went fast. And it was jolly.

But the real story happened when we went to eat dinner at the nearest Denny's.

I know. Fancy shmancy {sarcasm}. Whatevs. We like our Denny's.

Anyways, I was browsing the menu, particularly eying the breakfast food. As I turned a page, I made a double take. At... what the??:

Bacon a la mode.

You've gone too far, America.

STAY TUNED FOR PART TWO OF FAMILY REUNION WEEKEND!

{I Can See Clearly Now by Johnny Nash}

Update on the Life of Emily Jardine.

1. Last week, I went to Utah. It was lovely. The Salt Lake City Temple is the most beautiful temple I've ever seen. It makes it even better to gaze up at it and think about all the humble, willing, sacrificing men and women that put forty years into building the magnificent thing.

I took all of these pictures. None of them are edited.

Guess what I did on Thursday while in Temple Square??

I took THAT picture, too! Do you know what that is?? THAT is THE Mormon Tabernacle Choir!!! Oh my heck. I saw them perform. IN THE CONFERENCE CENTER. They sang:
"Alleluia Fanfare" (Amazzzing)
"Battle Hymn of the Republic" (Gave me chills)
"It's a Grand Night For Singing" (Darling)
"Seventy-Six Trombones in the Big Parade" (Fun-ness)
"Climb Every Mountain" (OHHH my heck)
"Betelehemu" (Freaking cool)
"Amazing Grace" (Soothing)
"Come, Come, Ye Saints" (Tear-jerking.)

Oh guys, it was amazing!! I loved it.

2. Ummm, I'd better get cerr-ackin' on my summer reading.
I'm not even halfway through Huckleberry Finn. And even after that, I still have to read Grapes of Wrath. Which I've heard is LOOONNG.

3. The good news is, I am almost done with Semester 1 of American History online! (Party over HERE!) I have to finish the very last submission and take the final. THAT'S ALL!! I am so proud of myself. Last year I didn't get done until December 18th or something.

4. I am turning sixteen in 11 days! Fun, fun, fun!
(Party over here)

Thats all. Toodaloo.

First Matter of Business:

We had a tragic event occur in our family last week. A couple of you may know. If you don't know, you will. I've only told four people so far. I don't want to blog about it, though. I don't want anyone to pat me on the back or expect me to cry. I'm not going to. It is hard, and I am very sad about it, but I don't want to dwell on it. It happens to many people. I am okay.

Second Matter of Business:

July Fourth was good fun.

I went to my neighbors/distant cousins/ward friends house for fried chicken and potato salad and other such summer foods and then we all went down to the park to watch fireworks that were going on down at a nearby farm. It was lovely.

Oh my dear Caroline. I love this child. :)


Keaton, Kate, me, and Caroline, all on the air mattress. :)


Third Matter of Business:

So, I am just about the only Mormon who's never been to Utah. Not really, but when I told my seminary class I had never been there, I got big eyes and "Seriously?!?!" all over the place.
"Um, no. I was kidding about that. Of COURSE I've been to Utah. *Sarcasm*"
Wow.

Anyway, me and my family are going next week! I am excited to see the Salt Lake City Temple and get away from this blasted heat. *Insert vengeful man shaking his fist in the air here*

Yeah. Last Thursday night I was at my Aunt Becky's house, and at 10:30pm, it was 102 degrees Fahrenheit outside. Oh my heck.

Bless our souls.

That's all. Good day!