Weekend Trip

This weekend, a few friends and I headed to the woods for a girls trip. It was so fun catching up with everyone and spending time together. It reminded me of the good old times we spent together at the lunch table in high school and the sleepovers we used to have. I missed it. I hope there are more times like these to come.

Are you ready to rock?

Last night I had the chance to go see a true rock concert. My dad got tickets to see Styx, REO Speedwagon and 38 Special. He also had a spare set of tickets so he invited Mike and Kaitlyn Rogers. Let me just start off by saying that it was unbelievable! All of them sounded amazing. It was so fun rocking out with my dad singing "Renegade" and "Come Sail Away" together. I loved it!

Rock On

Road Trip!

This past weekend my friend Brooke and I went on our first road trip together without any supervision or a set plan. We left friday night and stayed at my cousin Ali's house, then headed off in the morning to California. We were so excited at we crossed the border and waved goodbye to Arizona. We arrived at the San Onofre State Beach and basked in the sun for a few hours. The sun felt so nice on my face and I love hearing the waves crash down as I relaxed on the sand. We then went to the pier and had a nice stroll watching the sunset and seeing the surfers catch waves. Towards the end of the day we still had no clue where we were going to stay for the night. We tried seeing if there were camping spots but they were full and getting a hotel room for $50 bucks for one night was not worth it. We ended up sleeping in Brookes car at a lot for RV's at Oceanside Beach. We had a blast and it felt awesome having a sense of adventure. If I could, I would travel cross country and live out of my car. One day....maybe.

It is official

I AM GOING TO SEE GAELIC STORM!!!

APRIL 18 at Chandler Center for the Arts

With my Mum and Roxy

Happy St. Patricks Day

Snow Day

A few weeks ago, Roxy and I had the chance to go up to Sunrise with a YSA group. We were so psyched to go and play in the snow while attempting to try and snowboard. The group took a bus ride there at 4:30 in the morning and slept the whole way. As we got off the bus and went to get our snowboards, Roxy and I realized we were the only ones wearing jeans (no joke, only ones). It's Arizona for crying out loud! Who has snow pants?

We both decided it would be best to start off on the bunny hill just to get the hang of it. I had been snowboarding once while I was in Utah with Jake, Connor and my Dad (he ended up getting skis). I thought I would be totally fine because I remember it being really easy the first time I went. This was NOT the case. It took me forever to get up and when I did, I fell right back down. My pants were wet and my hands were freezing because I forgot gloves. I didn't feel like a complete weakling because Roxanne was struggling with the same thing, although she was smart and brought gloves. After a while of struggling we got down the hill, mostly by falling.

We met up with a couple guys who were fairly used to snowboarding and decided to go up on the lift with them to a pretty easy run. As we started, I fell down a few times but then I was finally getting the hang of it and I hardly fell down at all. One reason for that was probably that the boys knew what they were doing so we just followed them. It felt good getting down that mountain.

I don't think words can express

How much love I have for my mum and dad. 

I am having extended family withdrawls

For the past couple of days I have been thinking of my family here in America and in Australia. If only there were some way I could win the lottery, then I would travel as much I could and visit.

I am truly blessed by my Heavenly Father for the family that I have. I cannot wait for the day in heaven when we will all get to see each other and embrace each other all together. I love my family. Everyone is so welcoming and kind. It feels that when we reconnect, our bond is so strong and cannot be broken.

I can't believe it's been two years since I have seen the Florida Smylie's. I loved the chance that my Mum, Maddie and I had to visit. All the aunts and uncles, mums and dads, cousins and brothers and sisters together. That time was so fun and so enjoyable. Thank you Stephen and Donna for opening your home to us! And I can't wait for the next time I come to meet Auntie Dinah and the new additions to the family.

I know I only visited Australia a few months ago but I don't think anyone knows how much I miss it. I can't imagine how my mum feels. I was only there for a short while but I couldn't believe how much it hurt to leave. I had the time of my life when I visited all the family in Sydney, Queensland and Adelaide. I miss seeing the family and getting to know everyone. I miss Granny and the stories she shared. I miss Auntie Chris and that motherly love and care she gave to me while I was there. I miss Uncle Jouni and the jokes he made. I miss Auntie Gerry and the kindness and comfort she gave me. I miss Uncle Al and talking about movies with him. I miss Auntie Shelley and her sense of humor and spirit. I miss Uncle Andy and seeing his love and passion for music and photography. I miss Auntie Trish and her gooooood cooking. I miss all of the cousins and them showing me a good time and welcoming me with open arms. I miss it so so so much. I think one of the best memories was when we had a Family Home Evening night and EVERYONE was there. It was amazing. I loved the chance of going to the beach house and just spending time talking and laughing. I am so thankful for the provision that everyone gave to me such as paying for food and giving me a place to stay. My heart is so full with love for everyone. I don't think thank you would even be able to cover the gratefulness that I have. I am so in love with my parents for providing that trip of a lifetime for me. I will remember it for forever. I will visit again. And next time my Mum is coming.

An Irish Blessing

May the road rise up to meet you. 

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

and rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again, 

may God hold you in the palm of his hand.

I love you to eternity and back. Big hugs and kisses to each of you.