TiCk ToCk.....

So apparently Time has gone and grown itself wings because it has been FLYING by.

I have just two and a half weeks left....I cannot even describe how I am feeling but I will try- Happy, Anxious, nervous, excited, sad, stressed, calm, Giddy, and nostalgic. I think that about covers all bases.

I am so anxious to be out there doing what I have been preparing for but as I have started to say goodbye to people I have realized how much things will change while I am gone. But I say let the changes begin.

I am excited to get to go up to utah the day before and spend some time with kristen and jennifer (she was nice enough to take the day off to spend with us ) Other than kris and jen I will be saying farewell here in fresno super early tuesday morning/ monday night.

For all of you Elvis fans out there I have discovered that I will be serving in the Elvis half of tennessee apparently there are two parts to tennessee the Dolly Parton side and the Elvis side. Although 9 to 5 is one of my FAVORITE movies I am a much bigger fan of Elvis so I am quite happy. :)

In other news my baby brother turned 10 yesterday- 10? really? I remember the day he was born like it was yesterday I am not okay with this. he did not ask for permission to grow up. I remember thinking I was sooooo cool in school when I had a few friends come over to see him they all loved his orange hair and that he slept in a bassinet ( I never understood their fascination with it but they talked about it for a few weeks later) my how time really does fly.

As we are coming up on thanksgiving I thought I would let everyone ( ok the few of you that read this) know how grateful I am to live in this Land. While I am not happy with all that goes on in this country I am so blessed to live in a Land that has the freedoms I enjoy everyday. Not to say there are not things that I want to fix and people that I dont agree with in offices important to me but I love this Country. There are a MILLION other things that I am grateful for but thought I would let my patriotic side show through!

Enjoy the holiday.

And in the Big White Envelope.........

.... was my mission call!

I have been called to serve in the Tennessee Knoxville Mission. I report to the MTC on December 9th!!!! I am sooo excited!

I will post more details later! I love you all!

Mission Papers

yep you read the title right..... I TURNED IN MY MISSION PAPERS!!!!!!

I decided to go on a mission two months ago.... kind of out of the blue.... but it is the best decision I have yet to make in life. I know that I will be called to serve where I am needed but....

My sister is putting together a guessing map

http://calikeough.blogspot.com/2009/08/where-will-katie-be-called-to-serve.html

if you have a guess let her know or me know I can pass on the guess!

I know that every missionary says they are willing to go anywhere but really I AM! I know I will go where I will be able to make a difference if I work hard...

so the countdown to the big white envelope began yesterday :) I now officially vow to hate the mailman until he brings me the envelope.... ok maybe not but I have never been so anxious for a letter before:)

I LOVE YOU ALL!

Perspective

Yesterday I had a life changing moments. You know those moments where you realize you have skewed vision of life and then your reality changes from that point on. Yeah -it was one of those...

I was just sitting down to watch a stage production of one of my favorite disney movies beauty and the beast ( dont worry this perspective change has nothing to do with the actual play) I had the privilege of sitting next to a strikingly handsome tall man ( my grandpa) and next to him sat the love of his life and bride of 60 years. I went through the first act of the play not knowing that in a few short moments I would change forever.

My grandma has been struggling with her loss of hearing for a while but it has become more severe these last couple months. Now, she is one that has always enjoyed music and conversation so this loss has been particularly hard. While I casually watched and enjoyed the music she heard little the actual play and was deeply frustrated once again by the inability to hear as she once had been able to.

As the second act started I happened to look over at the two. Here were my grandparents who have been a constant in my life sitting in creaky seats with HARD armrests sitting arm in arm like they had been for 60 years. My grandma not hearing half of what was going on and my grandpa just plain happy to be sitting next to her.

I then ignored the play in front of me and watched as she gently changed the position of their arms ( I am telling you those armrests are not much of a "rest" ) as their arms sat casually embraced I had a deeper understanding of what true love is.

Not that I have ever been the kind of girl into fairy tales and knight in shining armor dreams but my idea of love has been strengthened. IT STILL DOES EXIST!!!! It needs no elaborate rights of passage or store bought symbols. People in this world still do love each other. People can still be married to the same person for more than 60 years - in a country where divorce is so readily available there still are those who muddle through the hard stuff together and at the end of the day go to sleep next to the one they love.

Being an active Young Single Adult in the church I hear so much of the need to be married while my attitude has not always been the best towards every fireside being on marriage I fear my previous position has been changed. And while it is not the path set in front of me right now I am happy for those young couples in my life who have found that person that 60 years from now when they are using oxygen and when mobility does not come as freely as it had before they still are truckin' on through together.

I am grateful for the example of my grandparents and of their faithfulness to the promises they made to each other. with out them our family of 50+ aunts, uncles, and cousins would not be here. So to Nadean and Leonard Halvorson- Thank you for all you have done in my life and in the life of my family members.

Memorial Day 2009

So Last monday ( Memorial Day) we had a family picnic....

Some of us sat and just enjoyed each others company, with our typical family gossip of course but nonetheless we were content to relax

Here is Grandpa just watching in his usual manor... calm, collected, and cool 

But near by all havoc is breaking loose with the Halvorson family
Samuel collected all the small toys and refused to share with any other kids. Since he is a very smart kid he figured out if they are not in the water no one will try and take them so he kept them all in his shirt :) 

and then there is the pool...

My uncles Erik and Matt got into a bit of a wrestling match

I cant figure out who is winning
Mckay and Aaron joined in
Meanwhile Taylor and Abby sought safety in the corner of the pool discussing oh so important secrets i am sure... if i were in them i would stay there too! 

Heres a video of erik and matt wrestling

Fun with the cousins!

so since I was 10 or 11 i have always loved playing with my younger cousins, and cousins kids for that matter. the last month or so has given me time to have some amazing times with them, where they didnt have to worry about their parents coming in or being to embarrassed since i quite often make more of a fool of myself than they do.... here is a look at some recent times.

One night i was babysitting and the boys put on quite the performance for me.... i think they all need to go into performing of some kind they all love to ham it up!  they came out three different times with different skits.... 

Bradley the nerd.

Joshua the Nerd

McKay the Nerd.
This one is Bradley the gansta from their freaks o' nature skit, and my favorite picture of the night, it shows how much fun kids can have when they get to live in the moment!
And this one is to make the mothers of these children worry about them! they came out singing brittany spears, but dont worry at the end of the song they sprayed cologne to make it "MANLY" according to Mckay but i am not sure what about any of this is manly! :) 

And then watching the girls they proved they were not to be left out of the silly times!

the girls and i had some fun in my room on a sunday when it was a little crazy and we needed to escape from the boys... more like i was tired of all the fighting and yelling and crying going on so i took the girls we had our  own family get together in my room! 

taylor was quite the little camera hog but this was my fav or her!

 I both love and hate this picture, Love it cause abby looks beautiful, hate it because she looks beautiful.... i thought i was soo old when taylor and abby were born, they are ten now, i am not ok with that! 

She is getting soo big as well... does that mean i am getting old?

 

Abby and Taylor were having soooo much fun dancing, lindsey was content to sit on my lap... she joined in the dancing later but this was my fav clip! 

These days i dont get to hang out as much with them so memories like this are what make it worth it! and its blackmail like this against them that should always make me be able to hang being their favorite cousin above their head!!!!muahahahaha