Oh How Time Flies!

Man a lot has gone on in my life after I last posted! My friend Amanda keeps getting on me about not updating this so here goes!

1. Shortly after my last post, on May 8, 2011, Mothers Day, Michael Atkinson asked me on a date but since my birthday was the following weekend and I was in a wedding! We didn't go on our first date until May 21, 2011, I know I am cruel! This ended up being a totally unexpected blessing in my life!

2. Mike and I continue to date throughout the summer and might I add that Amanda helped me and Mike out a bit because I most definitely tried to get rid of him but it didn't really work! Throughout the summer many things happened, Mikes birthday which is July 4th and me taking tests and preparing for student teaching! I was not exactly the person you would always want to be around at this time, HIGH stress levels but my cute little Mike wasn't letting me go that easy!

                                                             The YSA Campout trip!

                                                                  4th of July!

3. I started student teaching in August at Gilbert High School with Mrs. Peterson where I ended up teaching Algebra 1, freshman! I was at Gilbert High until November, this was also a stressful time in my life and it was hard but I definitely learned a lot! Something I learned on my mission that I learned again was that, "I CAN DO HARD THINGS!!" I also want to say that life always happens at the times you least expect it to happen! I was never planning on coming home from BYU-Idaho and finding a man, I just wanted to graduate college but that is the way it worked out! The Lord definitely blesses us when it is the right timing, he really does know us best!

4. September 16, 2011, Mike proposes to me at Golfland! We went miniature golfing, and I totally won! :) and then we played arcade basketball and I totally won at that as well! and then we are going to get prizes for our tickets and BAM there was a card and BAM he was down on one knee, totally had a suspicion but a little unsure, he was being weird ever since he picked me up to go on our date! (No pics on my camera :( of the actual event but here are some of our engagement pics! We had lots of fun with Amanda taking them! ) These were actually taken quite later than September 16th because I was just too busy with school!

5. After Student Teaching was over I had time to focus on wedding things, which was a very stressful time because of some people but it all ended up working out!! On December 16th I graduated officially from BYU-Idaho with a degree in Math Education, I passed Student Teaching!! I didn't go back up there to walk because I walked in April, you know how cold it is in December in Idaho!? I did not want to go back! (These are some pics my mom took when I got home, she actually came up to see me walk and she took pics but I currently don't know where those are at!)

6. Also on December 16, 2011, I got sealed in the Mesa Arizona Temple at 12 pm to my eternal companion Michael Atkinson! It was a great day in my life and I am so very grateful that the Lord provided me with an opportunity to get married in this life because I sure did not ever think it was going to happen! That is why I was so stubborn in the beginning! :)

                                Coming out of the Temple and seeing everyone as Newlyweds!!

                                  I am officially Elizabeth Atkinson!

                       Mike's Family Sarah, Pam, Javier (Sarah's Husband) and Gary

                   The Whole Gang! We sure are blessed to know many great people!

                                                          The Grandma's!

 The Girls! These are a few of my favorite!!! My bridesmaids, Patty, Serriah, Tammy, Amanda, Carolina, Casey and of course Brooke!

          My Mission Companions! (Serriah, Shawndra, Laura, Whitney!) I love these ladies!

 

        A few of the roommates from BYU-Idaho, I had many!

 

        Posterity Picture, Serriah trained me on the mission and I trained Whitney! I am blessed!

      My family! The kids were very hard to get good pics of. Patty, Mom, Brooke, Hart & Casey!

              All of the groomsmen! Javier, Danny, Levi, Cody, Andy & of course Hart!

              Amanda (Maid of Honor) Us and Andy (Best Man)!! We love these two!

                                                    Brother and Sister! :)

                                                         Best Friends!!

        My Beautiful bouquet made by Ms. Beth Ann Wright! She is pretty much amazing!

                                                          Sisters!

                            Oh how I love this man even though he drives me crazy sometimes!!

 This is one of the pics where Mike first stuck his tongue down my throat! It was weird!!!

 7. The Honeymoon, Sedona Arizona! We had a blast! even though it rained a lot and we just stayed in our hotel! :)

                                              Our free dessert for being newlyweds!

 The lady who took this picture for us asked us if we were brother and sister and of course we said No!... Awkward!

                                      Our beautiful hike around the time of sunset!

8. While on the honeymoon I got a phone call from Dobson High School to come in for a teaching position that just opened up in the Math Department! Blessing! Not expecting to get a job and I did! I taught there from January 17th until the end of the school year teaching Geometry and Algebra 2 and I am very excited to be returning this upcoming 2012-2013 school year to teach Algebra 1 and Algebra 2! I love teaching math and just being a teacher! I am nervous but excited at the same time! I have already had like 5 to 6 nightmares about the first day of school! Hey! It's scary for teachers as well!! :)

9. Now Mike and I have been almost married for 7 months and we are currently looking to buy a house and boy is it harder than it seems! We will eventually have our own place and I am so excited for that day! I am grateful to be sealed to a wonderful man and I am excited to live life with him!

Let the AdVeNtUrEs in Arizona Begin!!!!!!!

Oh how I love being home and going on midnight trips to QT with my besty!! We are AwEsOmE!!! Enough said! :)

I love that we also got the kids version of a drink when we are both in our mid-twenties!! They are so cute! Plus they contain a lot less sugar, who knew?!

Also since I have been home I have had the opportunity to spend countless hours with my niece and nephew! What can I say? They are cute and pretty much the best! This is Easter Day!

Literally in Limbo

Life at the moment has been very interesting...I feel like I really am in Limbo.
I just finished up my last semester at BYU-Idaho and am currently awaiting for the fall semester to come so that I can do my student teaching and officially graduate! I am having a hard time with the job search because I can only work until August because my life will then be dedicated to school and teaching.

In trying to stay positive about my life...

1. I got a new calling in my branch for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as a Family Home Evening Group Leader and so far that is going good, I have a great friend that I get to work with.

2. Even though my family drives me crazy sometimes, I still LOVE them and am very grateful for them. My youngest sister turned 18 today and is officially an adult, boy do I feel old!

3. I have many great friends that bless me on a daily basis. I really do know that each one was meant to be in my life for a reason.

4. I live close to the temple and get to enjoy the blessings the come from it on a regular basis.

5. I have the Gospel of Jesus Christ!!!!

Even though I feel like life at the moment for me is in that limbo stage, I still know that there is a plan for me and that I just need to have patience and trust in the Lord that everything will work out the way that it is supposed to!!

I've been spending all my time just thinking about you, I don't know what to do...............

I just want to say that at this stage of my life I am finding it very difficult, in my mind, to keep guy friends as friends! This is very hard for me, but it is working, and that's all I am going to say.......about that.

Life is going good, just still in Rexburg going to school. The winter semester is half way over and I am so excited for spring to almost be here! I love all of my roommates and I have been blessed to have many friendships developed!! Only 3 semesters (after this one) until student teaching!! :)

SURPRISE!!!!!

I have not written in forever!!!!!!!!!!!! I have been so busy with life and I just currently started another semester at BYU-Idaho!! I have 3 semesters plus student teaching left!! So I just had to write about this amazing thing that happened to me this past week!!

This is one of my best guy friends and his name is Cory. On Sunday, January 10, 2009, I was completely shocked when I arrived home and found him at my apartment complex!! (He currently lives in California, so this is why I was shocked)!!

I recieved a text at church from him asking when I got out of church? I thought that that was a random question but I answered and asked the same thing!! He said Two! Yes I texted during church, but I was very grateful that I did!!

I arrived at my apartment complex to see him wondering around on the second floor, I looked at him and was like, hey!! and I was so dumbfounded, speechless and in shock that I was like, "What are you doing here??" He told me, I gave him a hug and then was like, "You lied to me!!" He said, "Yeah I did I wanted to surprise you!" What a nice friend!! He drove out of his way to come and visit!! :) He stayed for a little while, we talked, and then he had to leave because he had to drive home to be to work the next day! I was sad that he had to leave because I haven't seen him since July, and what can I say, I love him!! and I am very grateful that he cares about me and is part of my life!!!