An Update on Hermana Savage :)

Hey Everybody!

This is Ashley, Brooke's favorite and older sister ;) She has now been in the MTC for 3 weeks and is doing so great!! We have sent many letters, dear elders and packages and we have heard from her via email (which some of you have received) and hand written letters. I think this is the happiest I have ever heard her. It seems like she laughs a lot and is learning and gaining so much! She says it is VERY hard, especially the spanish but she has great companions (she is in a 3 sister companionship) and great elders in her district. Here are a few highlights from the past 3 wks:

WEEK 1 &2:

Hola Familia!!!!!!!

look at my spanish :) Well i don't really even know where to begin. But I LOOOVVEEEEE the MTC!! seriously it is so great here. it is so spiritual but it is also so much fun and i laugh pretty much all day long.I love my district so much. i love our elders they are so awesome. one second they are out of control and the next they are so spiritual and bring in so much insite to the scriptures and everything.  but i must say half the time it is hermana smith and my fault that we get the elders going. but we figure with the stress of spanish and learning how to teach a good laugh every now and again is much needed! but we really do stay on task and are continuelly doing what is expected of us. tuesday was awesome! we taught victor for the last time and it went awful and then awesome.  our lesson was bad. then we all bore our testimonies with out note cards in spanish. it was amazing the sudden change of when the spirit started testifying what we were saying.  even though our testimonies consisted of i know this church is true and Jesus Christ loves us, but it was the first time we truly spoke with our heart and you could tell that we meant what we said.  it was AWESOME!  after we did our normal studying and classroom time but at night they have a devotional. since it is july the general authorites are all on vacation.  we heard from elder featherstone, he is really old but it was really good. he taught on always having the spirit with you so you know what and how to teach people.  it was really good but my favorite part was after we had a district devotional review which is where our district each shares our favorite part of the devotional.  it was so amazing to hear how we all got something different out of it even though it was the same talk.  i think tuesdays are going to be my favorite!!  today we focused alot on enduring to the end which is exactly what i need.  i keep thinking of all our running analogies and i share them with my district.  i can do anything for a mile... i can do anything for a year and a half!! (even spanish!)

WEEK 3:

hola familia!!

HOLY COW!!! i can't even believe how quickly everything is flying! believe it or not but what everyone says is true...the days are SOOOO long and the weeks are SOOOO fast.  I can't even believe this is my third wednesday here at the MTC. I honestly can't even begin to explain how much i love it here and how awesome missionary work is! So i don't really know where to begin with what has been going on because all of the days mesh together and i can't figure out what happened each day. everyday is filled with studing both the scriptures and the language.  spanish is coming slowly.. i am still one of the worst in the class but i am working on increasing my vocab which will seriously help in speaking the language.  Everyone in my district took spanish in high school except hermana smith and i considering the elders all just graduated it is still in their minds, us on the other hand is a different story but we just try to compare ourselves with how were were when we first entered to how far we are now.  its a slow process but it is coming along. One of my most favorite parts of being a missionary is PUTTING ON my name tag. I cant even begin to explain how wonderful it is. another most favorite part is looking in the mirror, dressed in a skirt, and SEEING my name tag. It is a constant reminder of what my purpose is and why i am out serving my mission. it is the same rush i got in a pageant, right before i went out in my evening wear knowing that it was my last area of competition before results. looking in the mirror and knowing that this is it, there is only one thing left. i get that same feeling i get when i look in the mirror, dressed in a different kind of dress. wearing a completely different style of shoe, and putting on my most important accessory. i love being a missionary!

Well those are some of my favorite parts of her emails :) Let me know if you would like to be on the weekly email list. She is going to try to send us pictures this week, but we will see! Also, check out her mission info tab on the menu and write her!! She would love to hear from everyone! Thank you for all your well wishes and thoughts and prayers! She is doing SO GREAT!!!

called to serve. {the final segment.}

well this is definitely a bitter sweet day for me.
this is my last blog post for 1 1/2 years.
my sister ashley will be taking over my facebook. email. and my blog.
hopefully she will post pictures i send and pieces of my letters.
i you want to write me check the "mission info" tab above for your options.

i have been listening to 1D all day because frankly i will miss them.

i have checked facebook one too many times because soon i won't be able to.

i am wearing high heels because tomorrow i start the "flats" fad.

along with shorts and a t-shirt because skirts start tomorrow.

i may or may not go swimming today.

i am spending all day with my most favorite people. my family.

i have been driving peggie sue {my car.} around town because she will soon be sold.

i have been soaking up the luxury of my iphone and instagram.

i ate my favorite ice cream and i might make a treat because baking is going to have to wait.

i will be having the longest greatest workout of my life.

and tonight i am going to enjoy my wonderful queen size bed.

because 1 1/2 years on a twin is going to make me really grateful for what i have.

i am also soaking in my walk in closet and own bathroom.

i am saying goodbye to all my clothes. accessories. and purses.

they will be attacked and divided between my sisters.

heaven bless them that they will survive.

i slept in until 9:00 am because tomorrow i will start my 6:30 am wake up schedule.

i have been chewing gum constantly {what is new?}

tomorrow i will be having with drawls. 

i have started my packing and it is starting to hit me that this is real.

along with all these different things inside i am bursting with excitement. and butterflies.

i can't wait to get this new chapter in my life started.

i can't wait to learn the gospel in a whole different way.

i can't wait to learn how to teach the gospel effectively.

i can't wait to learn how to speak spanish.

i can't wait to have the best and hardest 1 1/2 years in my life.

i can't wait to "leave myself behind and get to work."

i can't wait to have the best and worst companions.

i can't wait to change some ones life.

i can't wait to teach people about families are forever.

i can't wait to teach people about second chances.

i can't wait to be so roasting and so freezing from the chicago weather.

frankly i just can't wait for the good and the bad.

chicago we are about to have an interesting relationship.
i have already saved a place for you in my heart.
but first i have to make it through the MTC.
here is to sister missionaries.
here is to my mission.

called to serve. {part 3}

now that it is officially saturday that makes the countdown to {4 days!!}
i can't even believe it.
and i am not sure it has fully hit me yet.
but as my MTC date nears i find myself so busy.
i have way to much to do.
and way to little time.
but isn't that the story of my life.

going on a mission is one of the hardest decisions i have ever had to make.

i am missing:

~ my family.

~ 2012 LONDON olympics. seriously i am so sad about this.

~ i am taking 3 semesters off of school.

~ multiple friend weddings.

~ family vacations.

~ my grandparents homecoming.

~ lindsay turning 16 and going on dates.

~ potentially tyler leaving on his mission.

~ justin bieber concert. yes this is a big deal.

~ one direction concert in utah. don't judge.

~ maybe my first niece/nephew. {no ash isn't prego... yet :)}

~ new music.

~ no facebook. blog. pinterest.

~ family traditions during the holidays and through out the year.

~ my best friends.

~ rachel competing in LML her first year.

~ running in races.

as you can see the list goes on and on.

but being able to come closer to Christ, share the gospel, learn a new language, help families be together forever, etc.  will make everything i am missing not that big of deal. 

my family will still write me.
the olympics will happen again.
school can wait. plus i need a break anyways.
friends will always be getting married.
my family will still be going on vacations when i come home.
and chicago is one large "vacation" for me as my dad would like to say. {ha.}
my grandparents will be at my homecoming.
lindsay will still be dating when i come home.
there is much potential that tyler will still be here.
justin bieber will come back.
so will one direction.
and if not well i already saw one direction, and i can get over justin bieber... maybe.
ashley will have many children and her oldest will not even remember me not being there.
i will learn all the "cool" songs that i missed when i come back.
ha facebook. my blog. and pinterest will probably be the thing of the past in 1 1/2 years.
traditions will continue to happen. hence the word tradition.
the besties have been split up for the past 3 years so i think we will manage.
and rach will either win LML and i will cry tears of joy. or she will lose LML and i will cry tears of joy that i will get to see her in the year after. its a win-win either way.
i will still be able to run some hopefully. and if not my shins need a break anyways.

i think i am ready.

but i don't know if chicago is.

p.s. come to my farewell.

it is this sunday {july 8th.} at 11:00am

address: 731 East Center Street Lindon, UT

and then come to my house after for some food.

*** picture credit goes to ash! ***

my best friend. {tim mcgraw.}

this post is about 1 week late.
but because of girls camp i didn't have any internet to update.

my best friend meg left on her mission one week + one day ago.

she is headed to louisville, kentucky.

but is currently in the MTC.

lucky her and i, we get to spend her last week and my first week in the MTC together.

our poor companions.

lets just say kentucky is the luckiest state in the whole entire world.

she has played a huge role in helping shape me into the girl i am today.

our friendship began in 9th grade.

but our best friendness began in 10th grade.

without her or kristin lets just say who knows where i would be.

i am so lucky to have the best friends i the whole entire world.

take a look at the past couple years through pictures.
{sadly i am awful at documenting our life. therefore these pics start at our senior trip in central america.}

besties for life.

she spices up my life.

she makes me touch bugs. NASTY!!

she makes me be adventurous. because heaven knows i am quite the opposite.

she is a beauty. (she will kill me if she ever knows i posted this.)

please enjoy our version of synchronized swimming. i think we should be olympians.

sorry there is no sound and the quality is horrible and it doesn't finish it.

but lets face it you were dying for it to end.

she supports me in everything i do.

at her farewell.

look out midwestern america. you won't know what hit you.

drive by. {train.}

i have so much to blog about.
but that is what happens when you desert your blog for 2 weeks.
here are my weeks in pictures.

linds and i on our way to ward trek.

miss lea wride took 4th runner up at miss utah. SO PROUD!!! she was amazing!

the cousins from hawaii came and stayed for a week.

we went to the REAL salt lake game against LA galaxy and watched beautiful david beckham play.

david beckham was shirtless. bad quality. iphone.

we got signings from nico muniz. 

and from javier morales.

karen and i running the AF half marathon.
not the best pic of me. but it was FREEZING. hence the awkward stance.

after the half. i beat my other time  by 3 min.

sam {cousin} and josh took first and second in a golf tournament.

my best friend megan left on her mission. don't worry there will be a post dedicated to her shortly.

that pretty much sums up my life for the past couple weeks.

except girls camp. yes i went to girls camp.

i'll blog about it later.