okay so, this may come as a surprise. . . but i have a very close friend about to leave for the MTC in five days. he will be serving in st. louis, missouri. and i am going to miss him so dang much.
these past four months of getting to know each other, hanging out, making crazy good memories and building up our spirituality together, have been the best months i could ever ask for. over those four months, i have grown closer with my Heavenly Father and with my best friend. he will make an amazing missionary and i can't wait for him to serve the Lord for two years and learn so many new things, bask in the wonderful smells of crazy good barbecue, and grow to the man he's meant to be.
elder hubner has been such a wonderful example to me, when it comes to the spiritual aspect of life. for about a year and a half, i was not able to attend the temple because, simply put, i was not worthy. i wasn't doing the things that were condoning to the Spirit. once i had met nathan, i was sort of slapped in the face, if you will. his friends were all going to the temple on a regular basis, and the very first time i had heard his voice, he was on the way to do baptisms with his friend, derek dapp, who is now serving a mission in los angeles, california. because of the way nathan had presented himself to me, and how he was not afraid to tell me of his faith and the fact that he was a Mormon, i had instantly grown to respect him more. my last relationship was a learning experience, and i didn't want to start a relationship with anyone because i needed to grow from my mistakes, and learn about who i really was. not having the Spirit in my life really clouded my divine destination and my personal testimony of who i was and why i was even on this earth.
everyone goes through dark times; i like to call mine the "dark ages", which we do not speak of haha. but throughout my inability to see clearly, i could sense a faint glimmer of hope, a not-so-tangible reflection of what my potential was. and i held onto that as much as i could. relying on the Lord after not having His guidance in my life for a while was really hard. it was difficult to put Him first, and i struggled daily to read a few verses from my scriptures, or say my prayers. but i trudged through it all, and what happens a month after i fought to become where i am today? i came across a lovely young man who was preparing to serve a mission and just needed friendly people in his life. little did we know what was to become of our close friendship months later. i'm very grateful for God putting nathan in my place when i needed some direction in my life. i was on the right track, i just needed a physical push from someone who could relate to how i felt.
throughout these past couple of months, nathan and i have been trying new things, going on new adventures, which i will document our time together through wacky pictures and short summaries. but be forewarned, there's a crap ton of pictures.
you're welcome.
the first time we had a picture taken together:
 |
| nathan & i - taylorsville park |
it was a picnic in the park near my house, on a beautiful sunny day. he had just received his concert uke in the mail and had learned a song for me on the ukulele. i had gone through the pleasant task of making our yummy turkey sandwiches, complete with cool ranch doritos and drinks for days. it was very simple, just being with him in a park, laying on the cool grass, wriggling my newly painted toes. i remember feeling so light and carefree, something i have not felt in a long time. being with nathan always felt like a breath of fresh air, just enough for me to get back on my feet and rejuvenate my tired self.
my easter cantata:
 |
| sister lichtenstein & i - easter cantata |
 |
| so grateful i found this dress for the concert! |
 |
| yes, that is nathan being a creep |
i had participated in the salt lake community college taylorsville institute choir, and man that was a blast. i'm currently attending the summer class, and i'm so excited to sing in the tabernacle! anyways, i had auditioned and gotten the part of "mary magdalene" in an easter cantata that our choir had put together. it was an amazing experience, and the Spirit during our performances were so strong, it was hard not to cry during the songs. i really enjoyed singing with everyone, and my choir instructor, Brother Marshall McDonald, is not only a well known artist throughout the LDS community, but also a wonderful teacher and friend. nathan and his three friends, jacob, elder dapp & elder gidney came and supported me. it was wonderful to see their faces light up after our singing testifying of God's life.
campfires in the backyard:
 |
| we thought we were cool kids |
 |
| his poncho - my smile - our crazy good looks |
nathan's grandparents have a really nice backyard, a perfect setting for firepits and friendly hang outs. it was my first campfire in a while, maybe even since girls camp three years ago! enjoying the crackle from the fire, the warmth of friendship and roasting amazing cheddarwursts, was one of the highlights to my summer.
el cruise:
 |
| after they landed back in the states - check out his cool mexican hoodie |
 |
| nathan's model pose |
 |
| left - right: elder jeremy gidney, nathan, jacob & elder derek dapp |
 |
| i have to admit - those eyes are really really pretty. don't laugh. |
 |
| disregard the caption from snapchat :) |
 |
| okay literally the definition of best friends - seriously they are closer than a married couple |
jacob, nathan, elder derek dapp & elder jeremy gidney went on a five day cruise to ensenada, mexico. they also went to six flags in california. and the strip in las vegas. needless to say, i was very jealous the entire time. but look at these fly pictures, i heard so many stories. i mean so. many. stories. every day. seriously. you can stop talking about it now. it's been like four months hahaha.
my beloved sister, lexie, came to visit me for her spring break, and we had so much fun. we attended general conference at the conference center twice, thanks to her wonderful stake president and my second father, Vai Sikahema. we had root beer floats on the daily and recited whole scripts from our favorite movies. we watched she's the man and had panda express and laughed until 2 am in my bedroom. we went bowling with nathan and elder dapp and positively crushed them. we went on adventures and off roading with nathan, and he even taught my sister how to drive in his truck (sorry mom).
the avengers - age of ultron:
 |
| nathan & jeremy |
 |
| our beautiful faces |
 |
| right after watching *and crying* in san andreas - not kidding, that ish was so intense |
oh man, seeing movies with nathan was so much fun! i've seen more than i can count with him and his dorky friends. pitch perfect 2 and san andreas to name a few, thanks to five dollar tuesday nights haha.
matt & kim:
 |
| left - right: jacob, brandi, yours truly, whitney, derek, nathan, jeremy |
 |
| we are super cute |
 |
| post-concert - can you tell we are all super sweaty? yeah, it was great |
okay this concert was flipping awesome. it was nathan's first concert. ever. what the heck kid? hahaha i still remember my first concert with mi madre, coldplay. man that was the best. anywho, matt & kim have been one of my favorites to listen to since my freshman year of high school. but for nathan, elder dapp & elder gidney? they've been fans of this classic duo since like seventh grade! so of course, we had to go and see them at the depot. it was the most energetic concert ever. there was a mosh pit, which was very different to coldplay or kina grannis performing. but still awesome. it was dang hot, and elder gidney got bit on the shoulder at one point. even though matt & kim like cursing. . . a lot, it was still awesome to go to and listen to them live. i absolutely enjoyed it. i'd totally go again. kim's my spirit animal!
the mission call:
 |
| nathan on his phone - jeremy got the hint |
holy crap, i was so nervous when he opened that envelope. really thought he was going to go somewhere overseas. at least, that's what he wanted haha. but the Lord had something else in mind, and st. louis, missouri, the land of the barbecue, is where nathan is meant to live in for the next two years. i felt so much happiness when he read his call out loud. afterwards, we all went to leatherby's and celebrated with massive sundaes and delicious cheese fries.
having some class a friends over for my twentieth birthday was the only thing that would have sufficed for celebrating my end to teen years. taylor, jacob, elder dapp, emilee and nathan were the cherry on top of my sour cream & chocolate cake. we had a barbecue complete with bratwursts and hamburgers, delicious pasta salad, savory cookies, an assortment of chips, yummy fruit dip and my favorite sour cream & chocolate chip cake. we played apples to apples till midnight and just had fun goofing off and exploring with my new polaroid camera, thanks mom.
lagoon for days:
 |
| nathan & derek before they screamed like girls |
 |
| excuse the not so good picture of me - look how crazy nate is |
emilee, nathan, elder dapp & i went to lagoon for a day. we really wanted to ride the new attraction, "the cannibal". but unfortunately at the time we went, it kept killing the crash dummies during the test runs, so it was still closed*. nonetheless, we made it very enjoyable. the sun was in our favor all day, despite the threatening thunder clouds that were so close to us. elder dapp and nate went on a ride called "skyrocket". they were screaming like little girls every time they swung, it was hilarious. i remember when my sister alex and i went on that about three years ago on the boardwalk in coney island, new york. it was exhilarating to my core. so i could only imagine how they felt haha.
university visits:
 |
| courtyard of the student wellness center - uvu |
since we're both future utah valley university students (uvu), we decided to take a drive and explore our campus. man, it's beautiful. absolutely breathtaking. the mountains seem even bigger when you're closer to the mouth of the canyon. i can't believe in less than a month, i'll be attending that beautiful campus and taking yet another step towards the future i'm excited to live.
his first time through the temple:
 |
| nathan's mom, nathan & i - oaker mountain temple |
seeing his face light up when he walked towards us after being endowed was amazing to see. you could feel this visible difference being near him, he was so happy. i hope he keeps that happiness throughout his mission. never forget how you felt, dear nathan.
get well soon:
 |
| i am a total junkie for candy & these flowers were my weakness |
 |
| lilies - so pretty |
i had a really bad day, and i was catching a nasty summer cold. what does nathan do? he grabs my favorite candy, beautiful flowers, an elephant bracelet that i absolutely love, throws it all on my front porch, and calls to tell me to look at my porch. thoughtful, i know. and i absolutely loved it.
cookie surprise:
 |
jeremy, nathan, derek - dascookiemachine
can you tell we had just watched pitch perfect 2? |
receiving an amazing assortment of cookies from the three musketeers was super cool. i didn't even know they could bake. let alone bake well. well done, y'all.
selfie king:
okay, do i really need to explain the title? as you can see, he clearly loves himself *insert laughing face emoji here*
bryce canyon:
okay this was fan-freaking-tastic. nathan's family had invited me to a weekend down in tropic, which is literally next to a national park in utah. for the record, i am so stoked to have so many parks in and around utah, because i'm a nature freak. i freaking love the beauty this earth has to offer. if i could, i'd practically live somewhere in nature, and become the next pocahontas or something. anyways, we all slept in a cute, tiny house that belongs to nathan's great aunt. aunt margie is super fit for her age, it's crazy. nathan's sister, brandi, and i slept on an air mattress in the living room, and the other family members slept in their according rooms. it was so beautiful, we spent a weekend there. tropic is a really tiny town, about 400 residents total. they have one post office, one grocery store with this adorable pink & zebra piano out front (which i totally played on), one elementary school, middle school, and high school, and one pizza place. but dang, that chicken bacon garlic pizza was literally to die for. bryce canyon itself is a masterpiece. here are some pictures to try and capture the beauty, although not even polaroids could accurately describe how gorgeous the red rock was.
taylorsville dayzzz:
 |
| excuse the out of picture selfie - but it was pitch black & the flash practically blinded us, hence our crazed facial expressions |
unnecessary z's i know, but taylorsville is no better haha. this year's carnival event proved to be much more enjoyable than last year's. i went with nathan, and my former coworker, leah & her boyfriend. we all enjoyed the good food, the texas twister drinks, and the booths with their colorful displays of things you don't actually need. although i did buy two fans for $5. they are very pretty and supposedly from columbia. either way, i think they're really pretty and they work surprisingly well. as for the firework display, the extravaganza was spectacular! i absolutely love fireworks, and taylorsville never ceases to amaze me with their display. if you haven't been, you need to. it's amazing.
nate's farewell:
 |
| nate & the lovely ladies - just kidding we're all his girlfriends |
 |
| well i don't know what to say. . . |
i wish i could put his farewell talk in full here, but unfortunately it's about 30 minutes. why? maybe because he was literally the ONLY speaker during sacrament meeting. seriously, we all looked at the program and was surprised to see only his name listed as a speaker haha. apparently, the bishop was going to call up some people to say some word about dear nate. but that was not the case, as his talk was very well written (and edited thanks to yours truly), and it was very entertaining. he has such a way with words and captivating his audience to the point where it's hard NOT to listen to what he has to say. it's not a surprise to think of him proselyting on random doors, and talking about something he's passionate about, especially the gospel.
willard bay:
 |
| this was so much fun - i got super tan, he got super. . . lobster |
a montage i made - enjoy
boating adventures are my absolute favorite. to be near the water, to feel the cool breeze on my sunkissed skin, to hear the water lap against jake's boat, and just enjoy the nature of having fun with friends & being crazy.
happy cuatro:
 |
| my two favorites - a mega sparkler & decked out nathan |
spending the fourth of july with both our families was pretty enjoyable. we had a barbecue at my grandparent's, complete with marinated teriyaki chicken and some other good recipes. nathan came over and we played xbox and he beat me at table tennis. i totally let him win though. afterwards, we drove down to his parents' in tooele, and surprised kevin, nate's little brother, with an assortment of fireworks. we brought a fun pack with fountains, snaps and sparklers. and then we brought out the big guns. . . two different aerials from harmon's. they were pretty awesome!! it was a night to remember.
temple dates:
 |
| my first time through the temple in a year & a half - so proud of myself |
 |
| i just really like this picture :) |
 |
| the bountiful temple! |
 |
| left - right: nathan, the cutie & madi at the draper temple |
being able to set foot inside the temple after a year and half was the most purifying experience i could have ever felt. stepping into the baptismal font was so different for me, i've never really thought twice of what the temple was there for, and why i was doing what i did. but after a while of not being able to be as in tune with the Spirit, not being able to take the sacrament, not being able to bask in the blessings the temple can bring, i felt. . . changed. stepping out of the font, after nathan had baptized me, i cried so much. shaking all over, i looked at nate and gave him the biggest smile i could muster. celebrating my first time in the temple after a while with nathan was the best reward ever. he could see how i treasured the temple. he went with his friends so much that it became sort of second nature to him, not really thinking twice of what exactly he was doing. but after going to the temple with me and several others who were in similar situations as mine, really humbled him. he noticed that you need to look for the blessings in going to the temple. you should treasure the fact that you are WORTHY to go in, and you can perform the ordinances special to the kingdom of God. it's not something you should get over with, it's not like going to work everyday, plastering a smile on your face and hoping you can get through the day without ripping a complaining customer's head off. it's the temple, the house of the Lord. and we need to treat it as such. every time we go in should be amazing to us each time, as if it were our first time going in our lives.
our uh-may-zing dates:
 |
| trying on his new suit - he was being a dork |
 |
| had dinner at the salt lake - saw a rattlesnake - and enjoyed each other's company |
 |
drove to the top of butterfield canyon
*before our "big blowout" tire situation* |
 |
| played piano for him - he loves it when i do what makes me happy |
 |
| lagoon day - i live for amusement parks |
 |
| after the crazy matt & kim concert - pretty sure i was dehydrated haha |
 |
| bryce canyon with my lovely |
need i say more? going on so many dates with this man was the cherry on top. i freaking loved spending time with him, and doing things i never really thought to do:
campfires in mill creek canyon
taking my sister to airborne, this trampoline wonder of a place
bonfires on sunday in nate's backyard
off roading to beautiful heights in nate's crazy truck
getting a flat at the top of butterfield canyon & praying for our lives
getting super sweaty at matt & kim
enjoying the scenery in the canyons
going down for drives to tooele to visit nate's awesome family
exploring down trails at bryce canyon
getting caught in the rain and enjoying every minute
random in n out cravings
late night movie times
watching the lord of the rings
and the hobbit
and loving every freaking second
and crying at the end of both movies
especially when *spoiler alert* thorin dies
but aragorn still lives
and bilbo is just adorable
trading books & music
crying at soppy romantic chick flicks
late talks & getting to know each other
going on crazy fun dates
beating him at bowling
getting jealous at the five day mexico cruise he took
buying me a turntable & making my dream come true
and so much more. . .
i know this post may sound completely mushy and full of puke-worthy descriptions, but frankly i don't really care haha. i am just so happy all the time, and i felt like writing about this on my blog would help with that. he's always so eager to talk about his mission with anyone who will listen. he's getting things ready and i couldn't be more proud of someone. he is so thoughtful, he's very respectful and has such a passion for the church, for his country and for his friends & family. there isn't anyone i've met who is as kindhearted as nathan. he cares for everyone and anyone who is in his life. i'm privileged to have met him and grown closer over the past few months. i wish him the best and even though i'll miss him tons, i know he's doing the right thing by growing closer with his Heavenly Father and becoming a man who's prepared for anything. God bless nate, stay safe and stay hydrated. that humidity could be the death of you haha. but most of all, stay blessed.
and ctr. i'll see you in two years, dear.
 |
| tried on his grandfather's mission tag - i think he's ready - live it up, elder hubner |
