This is Home

It amazes me how different things are since the last time I posted on this blog. I'm upset that this is the first I'm posting since we moved to Indiana. I have so much to write about, but I have no idea where to start...I guess I'll start with the beginning of my new life. I'll let the pictures do most of the talking...






We started school a week or two after everyone in Arizona did. I actually really like my new school, but the curriculum is so much harder than what I'm used to. I'm still not fully adjusted to it and I'm not sure that I ever will be! Right now, my classes are:

1. Algebra II (Hardest class ever, mostly because my teacher is terrible)
2. Computer Apps (which is required freshman year at my school, so I'm basically the only oldest one in my class)
3. AP US History (Best teacher I've ever had, but it is ridiculously hard)
4. Spanish III (...I have nothing to say about this.)
5. English 11 (Teacher is terrible)
6. Chemistry (Great teacher, horrible class)
7. Peer Tutoring (Working with the special needs students at my school. Definitely my favorite class of the day!)

Good things about my school:
-I look really good in royal blue.
-I get to work with the special needs kids every day.
-The students are really friendly for the most part.
-They are suuuper good when it comes to sports, so it's fun to go to the games.

Lame things about my school:
-No half-days.
-SEVEN periods a day.
-Late starts are only 30 minutes later than the normal.
-It's ridiculously hard.
-Most of my teachers aren't the greatest.


The time between when I first moved to Indiana to October were definitely the hardest when it comes to missing my old life in Arizona. I'm so grateful that the hard part is all over...for the most part!

The youth in my new ward are so great and so much fun to be with! These next few pictures are from my double birthday party with my friend Sam!






My biggest birthday present was being able to go to Arizona to visit for a few days:





$5 to the person who can figure out what I dressed up as for halloween:

That trip was great for so many reasons, but mostly because it made me realize that Indiana is the place where I'm supposed to be living at this time in my life. And I am so grateful for that.


My first real fall:




Fast forwarding to Christmas time...






One thing I realized my first winter in Indiana is I hate snow. It sucks.

One of our friends works for Bankers Life Fieldhouse so we get to go to Pacers games on a regular basis and get floor seats! (He's getting us tickets for the Suns vs. Pacers game at the end of March!!!)





What up Noah.


My friend Heath has definitely become my greatest friend. There is no way I could have adjusted to Indiana so easily without having him there as a friend. I was so lucky to find a friend that loves sunsets and clouds as much as I do! We go and watch the sunset all the time and it is always the highlight of my week!







One of the sunsets was extra special a few weeks ago...


:)

Yesterday I had the opportunity to go to the Louisville Kentucky Temple with the youth in my ward to do baptisms and it was such a great experience. I LOVE the temple.







Well that was basically my life for the past 8 months. I can't believe how fast the time has gone by, but then again, it seems like it has been forever since I've lived in Arizona. Moving to Indiana has been the hardest, craziest, best thing that has ever happened to me. I am so blessed.



This is Home-Switchfoot




I've got my memories
They're always
Inside of me
But I can't go back
Back to how it was
I believe it now
I've come too far
But I can't go back
Back to how it was
Created for a place
I've never known

This is home
Now I'm finally
Where I belong
Where I belong
Yeah, this is home
I've been searching
For a place of my own
Now I've found it
Maybe this is home
Yeah, this is home

Belief over misery
I've seen the enemy
And I won't go back
Back to how it was
And I've got my heart set
On what happens next
I've got my eyes wide
And it's not over yet
We are miracles
And we're not alone

And now after all
My searching
After all my questions
I'm gonna call it home
I've got
A brand new mindset
I can finally see
The sunset
I'm gonna call it home

Now I know
Yeah, this is home
I've come too far
And I won't go back
Yeah, this is home

Goodbye.

This picture was taken the day my life changed.

So much has happened since then. I've broken the news to my friends, cried, I've visited my new home and met some people that will be in my ward, cried, said goodbye to my friends at school, cried, said goodbye to my cheer team, cried, said goodbye to some of my closest friends, cried, said goodbye to my ward in Arizona, cried, said goodbye to one of my best friends Brooklynn today, cried, attempted to face the fact that things aren't going to be the same anymore, cried, said goodbye to my family, cried...

And now, here I am three months later, sitting in the same spot as where I took the picture in April; staring at a bunch of boxes.



I've watched the movers pack away everything in my house, cried, came home to a bare house with boxes everywhere, cried, and tomorrow I'm going to hang out with Ashley for the last time. That's going to be another tough goodbye. And if that isn't enough, tonight is my last night sleeping at my house in Glendale. Thirteen years of being in this house. So much has happened here, and I have so many memories in this house. It's hard to imagine that this is it. This is the end of my life in Arizona. One more day and then it's all over. And it's hard to enjoy my last times here because of all the emotion. So, let's just say water proof mascara has been coming in handy lately...but, it's time to move forward. I've got bigger and better things coming for me. Wish me luck. The next time I post on this, I will be 1767 miles away.

My summer in pictures.

May:



June:



















July:

Home?

My mom and I flew up to our new home a few weeks ago. Here's how everything went down:

Thursday: Our flight left at 5:00ish and it was a looong plane ride (at least to me it was long...ha :) ) I sat next to a random couple with a cute little boy who kept trying to steal my pencil while I was doing homework. We got there really late and I remember right as I walked off the plane, I could feel the humidity. Ew. Then my dad was there to pick us up. :) It was about a 45 minute drive from the airport and all I did was look out the window the whole time. It was really dark so it was hard to see all the green and trees, but it was light enough that I could see it was nothing like Arizona...

Friday: My dad went to work and our realtor came and picked us up to go check out the high schools. That was when I could really see how different it was there...






First we went to [school #1]. It was big and confusing...and it blew my mind that it was all one huge building (because no one wants to walk from class to class in the snow...obviously.) The man-counselor gave us a tour and then we left. I thought this school was okay...

Then we went to [school #2]. I thought the last school was big and confusing...holy crap, NO. This school was BIG and confusing. We're talking almost 5,000 high school kids. Plus, the counselor was an idiot so I wasn't very pleased with this school. In fact, I was so unpleased with it that I started crying.

Our realtor took us to Paradise Bakery and I completely lost it and started bawling in the bathroom. That lunch wasn't so fun to say the least... From there on out I was a complete wreck for the rest of the trip.

Next we went to [school #3]. I honestly loved this school...it was small and the kids oddly enough seemed like they were having fun. That's when I started feeling better about moving and I was positive that this was the school I was supposed to be at.

We picked up my dad and looked at a few houses that night, but nothing jumped out at us. Then we went over to a family's house who invited us over when they heard we were moving up there. They invited two laurels from that ward over to hang out with me, which was super nice! Their names were Katie and Milani. We talked for a little bit and then they wanted to go ride around on their Rhinos (mind you I hadn't been on one since my accident, so I was fuhhhreaking out the whole time.) And I met another family that was in their ward. Then we got pelted with water balloons by little girls. After that, we watched Pirates of the Carribean and talked some more. It was a good night. :) It made me feel SO much better about moving.

Saturday: House hunting day. (I'll keep this short, but it was a looooooong day.) We looked at quite a few houses and right as we were about to give up for the weekend, we found this one that was in the same ward as the people we met and school #1 (which I was kind of upset about, but Heavenly Father knows what's best for me...)





and we bought it. The End.