In awe. {Week 6}

I am just so in awe of how blessed I am. Every night when I get home, I just sit on my bed and think to myself, "Seriously? How did I get so lucky?!" I have so many amazing people in my life and I can't even believe it. 

This blog post is all over the place...just FYI. Props to you if you actually read it all. 

Me and ma girls.  

My sweet little brother got his mission call this week and I cannot believe it. 

This makes me want to cry. So precious. 

That face... he was definitely up to something. 

I've never been so grateful for FaceTime!

The tears were flowin'... even from 2,400 miles away. 

Argentina Mendoza. :) I'm so proud of him and I'm so grateful for all of the missionaries around the world who are serving the Lord. 

Speaking of which... just wanted to give a little shout out to my favorite people on the planet. My heart aches because I miss them so much, but man, I'm sure proud of them. 2016 can't come soon enough. 

AREN'T THEY BEAUTIFUL?!

Pumpkin carving contest for FHE!

It's supposed to be a ninja turtle... haha. 

Kelton came over and made me soup because I wasn't feeling good... safe to say I'm the luckiest girl ever. 

Lex is just a ball of fun.

Tatts by Nicole. 

OKAY GUYS. The greatest thing ever happened this week. Alright, that's a little dramatic, but my photo was put on the VSCO Grid. I'm sure 99% of you have no idea what that is... VSCO is an app kind of like Instagram, except cooler. And the VSCO Grid is a compilation of photos from people all over the world... it's kind of like a popular page that everyone sees on the main page of the app. But yeah, my photo was on the main page!! It made my whole life. 

MY DADDY CAME INTO TOWN. It was the greatest thing ever. It went by way too fast, but I couldn't have asked for a better 6 hours. :)

He treated me and Kelton to Costa Vida! What a guy. 

My daddy is seriously the biggest blessing in my life.

We're cute.

Love that face. FUN FACT: Exactly two years ago to the day, my dad took me out to see BYU-Idaho for the first time. It's cool to think how much has happened since that trip. :)

We took a little trip to the Idaho Falls temple to walk around the grounds. This tree was a gem.

Couldn't love him more. 

A little preview for Halloween... I'll take better pictures this week. Haha.

(Sorry Kelton, I couldn't resist...) He was using this as a cup and it was killin me. Hahaha. #ChemMajorProbs 

Went to the The Piano Guys concert with my favorite guy! It was amazing. They are amazing. That's all I have to say. Just wow.

My new favorite of theirs is Story of My Life ...the video is so precious and I just literally can't even. 

And then my all time favorite is Love Story Meets Viva La Vida ...obviously. I get a little teary eyed every time I hear it...not gonna lie. The first time I heard it I was 14 and I can't help but get emotional thinking about how far I have come since then. 

GUYS, I AM SO BLESSED.

I love you all. Have a great week. :)

xoxo,

Lauren

Tender mercies. {Week 5}

A few nights ago, I was sitting in my room doing homework and I caught a little glimpse of the sunset outside. I fuuuhreaked. It was SO beautiful. I couldn't believe it. If you know me well, you know I immediately grabbed my camera and keys and went off to chase it. 

Can you believe how beautiful it was? I did not edit this one tiny bit. 

I noticed the little beam of light coming out of the sky and thought to myself, "it looks like someone's going up to heaven."

Five minutes after I got home from my little adventure, my dad called me and told me my great grandpa had just passed away. I hung up the phone, thought about the sunset and thought I had just had, and started to cry. I felt so much love in that moment. I couldn't help but think that little beam reaching into the sky was my great grandpa being sent off into heaven. What a great way to leave this earth and enter the next. That sunset was not a coincidence.... but a tender mercy, for sure.

We got to see Grandpa Clark one last time this summer and I'm so grateful.

I'm grateful for the knowledge I have of eternal families. What a blessing it is to know that he has been reunited with his sweet wife in the next life and that I'll be able to see him again someday. I'm sure going to miss that guy. Read his obituary here. And then watch this video. 

"I testify that the tender mercies of the Lord are real and that they do not occur randomly or merely by coincidence. Often, the Lord's timing of his tender mercies helps us to both discern and acknowledge them... The Lord's tender mercies are the very personal and individualized blessings, strength, protection, assurances, guidance, loving-kindnesses, consolation, support, and spiritual gifts which we receive from and because of and through the Lord Jesus Christ...Each of us can have eyes to see clearly and ears to hear distinctly the tender mercies of the Lord as they strengthen and assist us in these latter days." -David A. Bednar 

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Some other stuff that happened this week...

Got to video chat with my family + Bekah! (Anthony was MIA)

Went on an adventure with this sweet guy. 

Hi, I'm an eskimo.

I'm in love with this place. (P.S. Kelton is basically a pro photographer.)

Just throwing this in here because Anthony got his braces off and he is SO handsome. 

Went to the cutest little pumpkin patch. 

So so fun.

This picture is so perfectly hilarious and awkward.

Okay, I feel like I did a lot more this week, but I guess I don't have pictures. Basically, I've just been eating a lot of really good Mexican food and enjoying the b e a u t i f u l weather outside. 

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I hope you guys all have a good week and recognize the Lord's tender mercies in your life...because they sure are there. :)

FAMILIES ARE FOREVER.

xoxo,

Lauren

Luckiest girl alive. {Week 4}

Last semester when Nahiomi came to visit me and Coley at school, my heart was hurting because I knew this would be the last time I would be with my best friends for two years. I can't even explain to you how many tears were shed as I thought about coming into a new semester without having my best friends by my side. 

I know it sounds silly, but the thought of being separated from my best friends for so long just made my heart ache in ways that I never thought it could. I remember Nahiomi telling me something that really calmed my aching heart...

"Heavenly Father knows that you're giving up your best friends. He doesn't only bless the families of missionaries, He blesses their friends too. He's going to do all that He can to watch out for you and bless you while I'm gone."

I half believed her at the time. I still cried. I was still worried about starting a new semester on my own. 

But she was right. 

She's always right. ;) It's only been a month since I've been back up at school, but the blessings have been pouring out more than I could have ever imagined. I have met some of the greatest people in the world this semester. I feel so blessed. 

I'm the luckiest girl alive.

Okay, here are some random, awesome things I did this week... then I'll tell you about my fairytale birthday. :)

Saw a cute puppy. JUST LOOK AT THAT FACE.

Got these babies. #spoiled

Had a game night for FHE! Our FHE brothers are way too awesome. Haha.

Got a tattoo. Nicole is a pro. 

We made steak for dinner! And by "we" I mean Kelton. And it was incredible.

Went to the straw maze! Hollllaaaa. Then the birthday partying began :) Heeeeere we go!

Excuse my sleepy face, but Kelton came over and made me breakfast and it was the sweetest thing. 

TWENTY. (Photo credit goes to the incredible Rachel Chery!!)

FaceTiming my sweet family. I miss them so much! P.S. Trevor is a goof.

Kylie Browne is the biggest sweetheart.

So grateful.

These have gotta be one of my all time favorite presents. My family made these for me! Packing paper with a bunch of my favorite quotes. :)

Olive Garden is da bomb. And so is he.

"Kelton's great! He gives me chocolate cake!" http://youtu.be/zuamlBQ2aW4?t=7m8s

Roller blading with awesome people! We didn't get a big group photo :( but I'm so grateful for the group that came to celebrate with me!

Okay, now for my favorite... Kelton surprised me for this part. He took me up to Cress Creek and we sent off floating lanterns! (Like in Tangled! ^) Not gonna lie, I got a little teary eyed when he whipped them out.

 If that's not straight out of a fairytale, I don't know what is! 

So lucky. So blessed.

Stay tuned because this week has already been so awesome and I've got some cool pictures to show you guys in my next post. :) Go make someone smile! Love you all.

xoxo,

Lauren