He's Home!

He is home! :D 

He has been home for a day over a week now and I just wanted to blog about how everything has been going. :) 

The night he came home! I don't know if any of you have stayed up on our story, but I wasn't supposed to find out when he was really coming home. But someone who somehow became in the know about the date told me when he was coming. Therefore I knew when he would be home. :) When that day came OH MY GOSH I was freaking out. I got ready about noonish and just sat and waited. Every knock at my door I freaked out a little inside. It finally became 9:00 and I had had enough of waiting for him to come, I kind of got a little cranky! (I feel bad now. haha) My roommate got us playing a card game and I was all ready to win when the next thing I knew there was a knock at the door and my boyfriend came walking in to my apartment. My roommate got a full video of this, but unfortunately because she has the camera card I don't have it right now.... But here is a Facebook link that HOPEFULLY will send ya there and let ya watch the video. :) https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10201070345060911&l=210738060703303171

If you have watched that you can see the look on my face... absolutely priceless as my roommate says. :) I could NOT believe my boyfriend was there! After all of that I went to sit next to him on the couch and he just pulled me in and we cuddled for a bit. We tried to watch a movie that night, but everyone left the room so we got to talk and just be there with each other and no we didn't kiss. He told me from 2 months ago that I should be patient with him, so I didn't want to pressure him in to doing something he wasn't comfortable with. We got to talk a lot that night and then the next day too. :) That's when we finally kissed. 

I'd love to say that everything has been perfect, but it hasn't been. We were together a year and a half before he left, which was enough time to get out of the "puppy dog" stage and into a real life relationship. It's been difficult since he's come home-- just because we are both not used to having each other around. I for one am used to being alone a lot and he is used to having a male companion with him 24/7. That took some time to get used to and just working everything out. It hasn't been all smiles, but it definitely hasn't been all tears either. A relationship is tough, but is also totally worth it! 

He has been home a week and the 2nd day he was home he was asking how soon we could get married. :) I feel like he's been home forever! The past couple days have been some of the best and I couldn't ask for anything better. :) I love him so much and I am so excited to have him home. :) Now we can finally start our future instead of just talk about it. :) 

Waiting for him was only a blink of our eternity. :) 

2 years later... 

MAYBE the Last Couple Weeks!

I cannot believe how long it has been since I have written on here! It has been almost 6 months! Holy cow!

Life has been just busy. :) I started my new semester at Dixie State University (it's a University now..woot! ;)) ANYWAYS School is just school, nothing too awesome going on there. I actually don't like school that much haha. I used to enjoy it, but now that I'm almost done with my Bachelor's I'm like ughhhhhh. Maybe I'll like it after my Bachelor's? Who knows. BUT That's not the reason anyone would be reading this blog, my rantings about school. You might want to know more about how Mark is. :) Well I definitely can talk about that! :)

Communication has been reduced to emails every week. It's not much, but it keeps me sane. :) I got a package for my birthday, which was awesome and I think I wrote about -- other than that there hasn't been any snail mail. ;) I feel like his mission has been going well. With what I can get out of him he likes his companion. :) So that's gotta be good right? haha.

As for the day he is coming back he still won't tell me for sure. I have done some investigating... well kinda not really STUMBLED upon, purely. ;) I know a couple girls who had missionaries go to the same area and they are coming home on the 19th of December, but they've stayed in that same area as for Mark he did move to another area so I was thinking it's a possibility that he could come home a week earlier or so, but I decided to take that idea out of my head, so I am set on the 19th of December. HE tells me that January 2nd is the day he's coming and his mom said that was the date on his plane ticket, but I just never know haha. From this I don't know if I have only a couple weeks left to 3 weeks or a little more than a month... Haha. So we will hope for sooner than later, but when he comes home and how he sees me again for the first time is a mystery to me as much as it is for you. :)

I have learned so much from my experience for the last little bit of waiting. People say that it goes by super fast and honestly I can't really think about when he had 2 months left or anything I feel like it went from 4 to a few weeks left! I definitely am still trying to keep myself preoccupied, but everyone around me is getting excited too. :) His cousin is freaking out haha. :) I try to not think about it, but because of that it's super hard to stay preoccupied. :) I feel like a couple weeks should go by super fast, but it has been dragging! We have Thanksgiving break this week so I think it'll go quick after that. :) I am excited to sleep haha!

Mark and I have been kinda having a tough time. It's hard to realize that everything you know now and have been used to for 2 years is about to change drastically. It's weird for me to think about having a boyfriend in town with me. It might sound weird, but I feel weird being single in a singles ward and not able to date. The fact that I'm waiting for a missionary got around like wild fire and I haven't really ever gotten asked out on a date. I am excited to be able to start dating Mark and having that person around that I can confide in. :) Two of my best friends that I would hang out with a lot, Mark's cousin being one of them, started dating each other. Therefore that situation has gotten kind of awkward for me and of course they don't realize the epic third wheeling they are able to do. Since it's Mark's cousin and I have gotten super close to both of them I don't want to just write them off, but it'll be nice to have Mark home so my life isn't awkward with couples haha. I think about how nervous I am for Mark to come home and I can't even imagine how HE is feeling! His whole world is changing and I can tell he isn't himself right now. I hope that by the time he comes home he will feel better about it all, but we won't really know until he does come home.

I think the number one thing I want to tell anyone reading this is to not let anyone around you tell you about your relationship. This might be confusing and you might be like, "Well duh Jennica." But I guess I am someone who just likes reassurance from the people around me. My mom has always been super supportive of the whole situation. She is just like, "Make sure that you really love him and care about him still when he come home." I told her that every time I think about him coming home I get nervous and that I know I am just going to start bawling when I see him again. That's all she needed for reassurance and we continued to talk about our wedding plans haha. My mom has been super awesome this whole time. :) As for Mark's cousin here at school he has been supportive to a point. He kept on telling me today IF Mark and I work out, but he hopes we do. My dad even was saying he isn't planning on getting a plane ticket here for a wedding until we "know we want to get married." I'm like thinking you guys just don't get it! I got super sad and let it affect me because Mark and I didn't have too awesome of an email today. He wasn't in a great mood and I kind of wrongly took offense to something he had said, but I totally ignored everything he had said. He reassured me that we were in this together and that he loves me. What more did I need? I wrote him a letter and it made me feel a lot better. My emotions have kind of been going crazy from excited to scared to really nervous. I FEEL LIKE I AM BIPOLAR! I hope the next couple weeks just goes by fast because I don't know how much longer I can feel like a mental person haha.

In the end I just miss Mark... a lot. He has been my best friend for over 3 years and we both know what we want from this relationship. I have gotten 2 specific confirmations about Mark and me getting married in the end and THAT was from the big man upstairs. :) We all know He is never wrong. :) I don't want to doubt my relationship anymore and him coming home will be such a relief. :) I love him and I am so nervous, excited, and scared to see him again! :)

Horse Riding!

Catching Fire was SOOOOO Good!

Shooting some archery!

We walk the dogs from the pound every week. This one was so cute!

Halloween Costumes. Gryffindor wins!

Months 17 and 18 Down, 6 to go!

I haven't updated about life in so long and I definitely think that today is a good day to do it! :)

Waiting has been hard. Struggling is only beginning to describe it. For a while doubt has struck me and feeling like I'm not good enough to have an RM for a boyfriend, much less a husband. I think this was Satan's way to make me feel bad about myself and try to make me give up. It was so difficult to get through this last month I can't even describe it, but I've made it through it. :) We aren't out of the woods yet, but I'm feeling a lot better about life than I did before.

We have been apart for so long it's weird to look at pictures and think, "That's the guy that loves me and wants to marry me." After so long I feel alone in life, like I don't have a boyfriend, but I know I do. Definitely the hardest part is to remember why I am waiting. Why this is all worth it. I am so glad that in the beginning I wrote a lot of Mark and my experiences together. I am also really glad that I've gotten to know his family so well, I honestly couldn't see myself without his family.

I got a package from Mark yesterday! :) My first package in a while, but my first letter too! :) I was so excited! In the letter he was talking about how his mission is tough right now and I think it's so crazy that he and I go through tough times at the same time. This just reminds me that we need to be there for each other and that I especially need to continue to life Mark up and support him on his mission. I am growing my testimony each day. I am reading my scriptures so that when he needs some strength it doesn't just come from me, but from Heavenly Father too. :)

I was only a little excited. ;)

Everything that was in my package. :) Gotta love it!

I'm excited to get to date him when he comes home. :) I always wanted to go on dates with someone, I never really have gone on an official date haha. I know that's kind of weird, but I really haven't! So I have decided that I can ask Mark on dates when he gets home and make them fun and spontaneous. :) At night I like sitting in bed and thinking about what I can do to surprise him and just have fun. :) It's going to be awesome! :) Getting to know him again I think is going to be a lot of fun. :) It's just going to remind me how we fell in love to begin with and I get to fall in love with him all over again. :) We aren't perfect people, but together we can strive to be perfect people with Christ.

I don't know if I explained this on here yet, haha but I don't know the exact date when Mark will come home. He wants to surprise me. I think this is adorable and I don't mind because I don't want to know what that dreaded week before he comes home feels like haha. I'll just be going about life as normal and BAM my boyfriend is home. It's gonna be awesome!!!!! I have 168 days until January 11th. :)

My advice to anyone this week is to have faith, even if your relationship seems to be slipping from you. It's not that he doesn't love you anymore, it's just that he is gone on a mission focusing on Christ and the gospel. Keep your faith that our Heavenly Father wouldn't have you wait in vain, that something good will come out of all of this. :) I love this gospel and I know that in the end, everything will be okay. :)

As for life in general this summer has been awesome! I went to visit my dad in Tennessee, where we went to the lake pretty much every day. :) It was great to be with family and going out to have fun all the time. I move back to St. George next week! And then after the school semester Mark will be home! I'm looking for a job right now and if any one reading this knows of one there let me know! That would be AMAZING! I have two friends getting married too! Next weekend and then the weekend after that. I am excited for them, but I keep thinking about that day that Mark and I will be sealed together forever. :) I can't wait! Life is good and it can only go uphill from here! :)

Leaving TN, It was a sad day.

At the firing range!

DQ. It's a family weakness. ;)

Late night Call of Duty. What up?!

Family photo. :)

Super Easy Yogurt Pie

This yogurt pie is super easy but my family loves it! :)

I just take a container of strawberry yogurt, one container of cool whip and a graham cracker crust. Mix the two together and then just put it in the graham cracker crust. Then just refrigerate it. :) That's it! :) It should be illegal with how easy and awesome this is. :)

Chinese Dumplings and Chow Mein

One hobby that I told Mark I was going to do while he was gone was learn how to cook like a beast! So that's what I have been doing and I feel like I should throw some of my recipes up here in case anyone wants to try them--plus a handy way for me to keep them all in the same place. :)

Tonight I made Chinese Dumplings and Chow Mein. I have wanted to perfect this recipe for some time and I think tonight I definitely got close! :) I wanted to write down what I put in it before it got too late.

I used pork for the dumplings, but you can use chicken or beef. With trial and error I like it shredded better or ground. I've tried using chunks but they don't hold the flavor as well. Meat should be cooked at least part of the way.

All these measurements are guesses, so don't take them too literally!

Dumplings

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup terriyaki sauce
• 1/8 cup (or less) of lemon juice and sprinkle enough powdered ginger in until you start seeing it not dissolve 
• Garlic salt or powder
• black pepper
• chopped carrots (can put anything just for a crunch i.e. celery, water chestnuts)
• onions (if you use dehydrated onions put a little lemon juice and water in and microwave it just to re-hydrate them) 

Take the shredded meat and mix everything into it. Put that in the refrigerator to let sit and "talk" to each other. haha. When you're ready to fill the dumplings just take a small spoonful-- around a teaspoon-- in the middle. With some water wet two edges and fold it over in half so it looks like a triangle. Make sure that the edges get sealed so they don't break open when cooking. Then you can take the two edges and pinch them together, it makes them look pretty. ;) When cooking, make sure they don't touch. You can boil them until you can see the middle through the noodle. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes. Grease the baking sheet so they don't stick and put water on top of every dumpling. (I put water on about every 5 minutes). You should see some of the noodle get golden brown--then they are done! Steaming-- you can steam them for about 5 minutes each. They are done when you can see the middle through the noodle. 

Dumplings before I baked them.

Chow Mein

I actually just took some chicken top ramen, I'm sure any kind would work just fine this is just all we had.

• 3 packages Chicken Top Ramen
• 4 cups water
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup terriyaki sauce
• garlic salt
• bean sprouts

Bottom left- Steamed dumplings, the others are baked

Boil the packages of flavoring and all the seasonings and sauces in a small pot. Break the top ramen noodles in half and put them in the boiling water. Boil them uncovered until almost all the sauce is gone. The ramen turns to a brownish color when the noodles get soft and tender. That's when you know it is soft enough. At that point put in a can of bean sprouts. (Shredded carrots, cabbage or something else you like in chow mein would also be pretty good in it too. Add whatever you want! :) )

16 Month Mark

I have been so busy I forgot to write!

School is finally out and I am so glad! I was so done with that semester from the beginning haha. All I have left in the wait is the summer and then ONE more school semester! ONE! Holy shnikes! I can't even believe it one more semester of school and he will be home. :)

Since school has been out I finished working at Sonic, I'm not going back there again. I am excited that I don't have a specific work schedule anymore. The summer is going to be fun. :)

I got to visit my sister in Provo for a week! :) I was so excited to see her and spend so much time with her. I'd really missed having her around.

I am now at home, helping out my family and enjoying being home.

I hope time keeps on going fast. :) I will soon have my boyfriend back. :) I hope that everything is good when he comes home. I get worried that we won't get along as well as I hope or that we won't work out. But I can't worry too much about that. I just need to have faith that Heavenly Father knows what he is doing. :) I do love Mark, I just hope that he is doing okay.

14 &15 Months. Check!

I haven't written in so long! I suck! What have I been doing the past 2 months? Welll! I'll just show you! :D 

I WENT SKYDIVING! :D Definitely something I would recommend and TOTALLY do again! :)
Other than that though I have been going to school and working and stuff. I am moving home for the summer to spend time with my family before Mark and I get married next summer. :) I am really spending time with his family and getting to know them a lot better too. :) I am loving every day and it's crazy how much faster time seems to be going when I am not thinking about it all the time! I am getting more excited and nervous for the day he comes home everyday! I have been thinking about it a lot more lately haha. :) But that's still 9 months off!

13 Months DOWN! :D

This month I think just the hardest part was time seemed to go by so slowly! I don't know why, but it just did.

I have been thinking a lot about how I was feeling this time last year and this time last year I THOUGHT time would go by so slowly, but it went by super quick and NOW it's going by slow haha. Weird right? I thought so. :)

So I have been trying different methods of waiting, thinking about him a lot or trying to not think about him. Some girls I think prefer one over the other and I think I definitely prefer reminiscing or writing him almost everyday. I feel like it makes time go by faster, well better I guess. I like it a lot better to think about him and how he and I were. Now don't get me wrong I ALWAYS thought about him. Just some girls don't write as often as I do and I for some reason didn't write as often for a couple weeks and I just didn't like it! Now that I'm writing as fast as I used to I really feel like I am happier. :) I love writing him and I don't like feeling like he won't hear from me because I am being lazy. I don't know, it's kind of a weird thought and feeling haha.

So Valentine's Day is tomorrow! The LAST Valentine's I'll have to spend alone! :) Yayyyy! I am So excited to say that. :) I don't mind being alone on Valentine's actually, I think it really bothers some people, but I'm like "Whatever, it's just another day." haha. Yeah.

Life has been crazy! My roommate is getting married! This is SO hard for me because she's my best friend here at college and it sucks kind of. Like I'm super happy for her, but it sucks that she won't be my roommate anymore... :( I'll have to blog about it haha. But I love her so much and I am so excited for her! :)

Mark is still on his mission and is loving it. :) He is transforming into a different person, a very good person though. :) He's telling me about attributes he's picked up and I'm like "Sweet! This is going to be awesome!" This just emphasizes the whole getting to know him again when he comes home. I feel like I know him, because I do-- I know his wants, goals and ambitions in life. I just have to get to know the more refined him, which I am so excited to do! :)

Only 11 months left! :D Yay! :)

One Year Done!

Oh my goodness I have finally hit the half way point! :D What the what?!

The last year has been such a roller coaster! I can't even believe everything that's happened. I miss him, yes but after I think the first six months I got used to the fact that he was gone and I couldn't talk to him everyday. Don't get me wrong, I still get upset every now and then about him being gone. I still cry every once in a while, but I'm trying to keep myself occupied and it doesn't upset me that much anymore. I still miss him a lot though!

I remember since the first day he left I was always thinking "I cannot wait until I can say that this day last year I wasn't with Mark so that means he is coming home soon." AND NOW I CAN SAY THAT! It's crazy!

Not going to lie, the last month went SLOWWWWW! I was talking to Jayda just being like "Holy cow these last few days couldn't have gone any slower!" She totally agreed with me haha, but I be that's what it will be like when he is about to come home next year. :) Crazy to think that this time next year he and I will almost be together (his transfers end on the 15th).

Today, the 14th, though is our 2 and a half year anniversary. :)

Time is so crazy and really seems like it's going slow but in the grand scheme of things it goes fast. I remember not being able to wait to move out of home and how I was thinking time would go so slow with Mark being gone. Now I'm like WOW! it's really been THAT long?!

Christmas was great too! :D I got to Skype with him. :) It was SO good to hear him and see him. :) 

Life is way good though! I am finally all settled in to St. George and am making a lot of friends, so they keep me entertained while I'm waiting for Mark to get back. :) I haven't gotten a letter in a few weeks, but I'm kinda getting used to it. I just remember that if he is either too tired or too busy to write me, either one is okay with me because that means he's working hard and doing his job instead of being worried about me or anything like that. I just keep in my mind that he is giving these two years to the Lord and when he is done with that he will be here with me, where we can talk everyday and stuff. :)

I've really been thinking about the past year, how I have grown and how he has grown. We both have grown up and become more mature I feel, for sure. I definitely have become more independent, I even consider myself a full blown adult... weird. He has just become so close to our Heavenly Father and Christ and it has changed him into something better than he ever has been. :) Whenever I talk to him about stuff going on here at home he will answer with some gospel things like scriptures or stuff and I love that! :) It just shows me that he is working and remembering and learning and doing amazing. :)

The past year has been difficult, but it's definitely been worth it. We have become better people and are more prepared for what life has to bring us when he does get home. I can't imagine what more we'll learn the next year, but I'm set and ready for the ride! :) 12 more months! :D