Back to School...

And I wish I could say it was the last first day for me... But alas it is not so. However my last first day will be approaching this April! 

2014 is my year. 

I will graduate with my Bachelors in Dental Hygiene. 

I will get my first {real} J.O.B...  

I will {finally} be able to stop worrying about "what if I get pregnant and can't finish school because I'm so sick."

Heck I will be able to start TRYING if Bryce and I decide with The Lord that it's right. 

Which brings me to these two words to explain my feelings toward 2014 so far...

H o l y.C r a p.

To be honest, 2014 scares the heck out of me. I have boards to worry about, 42 appointments to fill in this first semester alone, and what seems like a {bazillion} more things to learn. 

There is one thing that calms me about it all: take it day by day. 

Seriously, if I ran around all the time with these thoughts constantly parading through my head, I would be a hot mess... Which my husband can testify that I've already got that down. 

So I will take it day by day. And most of all, I will not let myself get {down} when something goes wrong. Because something inevitably will. But often I have to remind myself that my purpose here on Earth is not to get a bachelors, to get an A on every exam {that failed my first semester in clinic in dental hygiene}, and it sure as heck isn't to get a job that beats every other job out there in my field... Though that could be nice. 

This life is about doing the best with what I have! About developing my talents and making memories. About growing closer with my friends and family and above all, my Heavenly Father. 

If I fail my boards, have infinite patients cancel on me, get a bad test score or even a bad grade, none of it will matter in the grand spectrum of things. My worth to God is infinite. My world is not over if I were to flunk out of hygiene school {try telling me that if I were to actually flunk out of hygiene school.}

What I am trying to say is, my options in this world are limitless. And the little things, even if they seem bad right then, or even for weeks or months, will not matter when all is said and done. When my time comes to pass on, I don't want memories of the time I cried over an Ethical Infraction {though I surely will}, I want to remember the big things. Like how I met one of my dearest friends in hygiene school. And how I accomplished my dream of being the first person in my family to get my bachelors degree. And the happiness I get to share with my husband and my future family! When the time comes for me to meet God, I want to show Him what I did with my talents, the changes I made in my life and in the lives of others, share the happiness with Him! I know in a few weeks I will {forget} all about this post, as I lay crying in my husbands arms about how cruel the world can be, how my teachers just aren't understanding... But I hope looking back on this one day I will be able to say "yeah, I have learned how to remember my role in the grand scheme of things, I have learned how to overcome the little things, I am doing my best to share my talents and improve my life for the best, because that is what matters most."

I hope we all can work on remembering what matters most. So what if you get a C on that exam, it was worth spending a few extra hours with your husband and kids. 

So what if your boss is angry that you didn't stay at work all night slaving on a project that had a deadline fast approaching... Your baby girl had the flu and you would do anything to make her feel better, do anything to comfort your wife while you both sat back helplessly watching... So WHAT if you weren't on the honor roll, the priceless moments you spent with your spouse and children were well worth missing valuable hours of study time you really never could catch up on.

Now I'm not saying to go and get yourself fired, flunk out of school, or fail all of your exams. I am advising you and myself that we should always remember the things that matter {most}.  

Meet The Bond Family

Who are the Bonds? But really... I think everyone who is married knows from experience that no matter what, no matter who it is that you are just meeting, you always get the "So how did you two meet?" Question... So I'm putting it in blog-form. Maybe I'll just refer people to my blog from now on.

Turn the clock back to June/July of 2011. Bryce Bond was a young man whose 24-month mission was coming to a close in Porte Alegre North mission in Brazil.
Carlie Stevens was a young woman who was invited by a friend of hers- Steven- to a cabin in Island park, even though she did not know the owners of the cabin. She became really good friends with someone names Brady James, the official owner (or son of the owners) of the cabin. One of Brady's friends was a young lad names Eric Roisum. Along with the group of friends that was there was the one and only Jadie Blatter. Flash forward to July 7th.
Bryce Bond was finally home! So buddies Eric Roisum and company go to his house to greet him.
Flash over to Carlie Stevens. She had been hanging out with friends Brady and Eric, and had invited a friend Jadie Blatter to a dance on a Friday night... Thug Lyfe Part two I believe... Anyways she (I) was throwing it. Jadie then proceeded to ask Carlie to accompany her to one Bryce Bond's mission homecoming (where the person who was serving a two-year mission reports to their church how it went and talks about spiritual stuff... usually). "But I don't even know this kid", thought Carlie. Nevertheless, Carlie knew Eric was going, and caught a ride down to Idaho Falls that Saturday (the day before the talk). While waiting for Jadie to get off work, Carlie stayed at Eric's place. Enter Bryce Bond onto the basement basketball court where Carlie was shooting some hoops. Carlie makes eye contact, sizing the guy up. THIS must be the return missionary. "Are you Eric's friend who just got home?" she asked. "Yep!" He says in return. "Do you feel pretty awkward?" was the first thing that came to Young Carlie's mind. Little did she know this was her future husband and she obviously should have come up with something better than that...
So on they played basketball for awhile, then a little ping pong (obviously others were there), and off Bryce went back to his house to spend time with his family. Off Carlie went to young Jadie's home.
The next day, Carlie and Jadie attended Bryce's homecoming talk. Eric wasn't even there... akward. But I was, which was obviously more important. We were then invited by Bryce to his house for some lunch and fun! (enter first person please)
I encountered there, for the first time, Bryce's family. I wish I could say that they liked me right away, but who was this girl crashing Bryce's homecoming party?! I don't think I talked much to anyone... We went n to watch Avatar, and before I left I gave Bryce my number so I could "set him up with some friends in Rexburg".... and I thought I meant it! Little did I know it was me who he wanted to be set up with! With that, Bryce came up that Tuesday to watch Devotional with me, then that Wednesday I went down to his place to watch a movie... We dated a little bit before I finally left for Kentucky to house sit for my dad. It was then that I realized Bryce wasn't going anywhere. It wasn't just a fling to him. But I had dated return-missionaries before. They ALWAYS eventually decided "I need to date other people just to be sure..." Puh-LEASE, just tell me you're not interested! So I encouraged Bryce to date while I was away from him the next 4 weeks. We spoke every day, texting, skyping, calling. It was then that we first talked about what wanted in a marriage, what our hopes and dreams were, the first time of many that he would comfort me after a huge fight with my family... It was during that time, the 4 or 5 weeks that I was away from him, that I began to fall in love with him.

I returned to Salt Lake and the weekend that I did, Bryce drove down to see me. Or rather, he rode down with his parents. We met up at the mall and I ran and jumped into his arms! I was so excited to see him in person after weeks of just skyping and talking on the phone and texting. He was real! He was here! He was here for ME! That was the day Bryce first met my mom. It was also the first time I had seen my mom in MONTHS So of course I ran and jumped in to her arms... in a much less romantic way, obviously. But they seemed to get along so well. I was so happy! Bryce and I left my mom and walked around the mall where he bought me a pair of buckle jeans. I mean dang this boy was throwing DOWN for me! I had money to spend and he wouldn't let me! He was just the sweetest.  We proceeded to go to Tucanos, again this guy was sparing no expense on me! It was AMAZING. What a wonderful date, definitely my favorite so far. We then walked to the Salt Lake City temple not too far away from where he was staying in a hotel for the night with his family. We walked around the temple, taking pictures, laughing, talking about our hopes and dreams, our plans, where we ended up on the grass near the reflection pond (a pond right in front of the temple). It was then where Bryce told me he was falling in love with me. One minute later he changed his mind and told me that he was IN love with me. Now, I had rushed into relationships before, and I always said I love you right when they did... so instead I said I was definitely falling in love with him, but didn't want to say it too soon. Leave it to me to pick the most romantic time I've ever had someone tell me that they love me- my future husband, I might add- to NOT say it back. I look back now and want to kick myself for ruining the moment with "I'm not there yet" even though I TOTALLY was. I've regretted it ever since!
So now that love was so clearly hanging in the air for both of us, even if I didn't say it back we both knew it, we started to speak of where we wanted "This" to go. He asked me and I told him how happy I was and how I couldn't wait to see where it was going to go. I then asked him where he wanted it to go... The sly dog looked away from me and up at the Salt Lake temple and said... "here". And the rest is history. 7 months later we were married right there, in the Salt Lake City Temple by his Grandfather Jack Bond. Almost 2 years later and I'm as happy as I was if not even happier, than the day that we were married. To me, I am the luckiest girl in the world.

Sunday Thoughts and Memories

There are some days where my husband and I get to bed at an unreasonably late hour on a Saturday night. We have 9 o'clock church, and it is sometimes the hardest thing in the world to get out of bed. And sometimes we just don't make it out. Call me strange, but sometimes these are treasured days of mine. Not because I get to miss three hours of church... but because of what we choose to do when we finally are able to wake up and not feel sick to our stomachs. If ever we don't make it to church, we spend a long time watching the mormon youtube channel. On it there are hundreds of videos.. My favorite "episodes" are called mormon messages.
This morning, it was one of the morning when we couldn't get up. I had woken up in the middle of the night with a terrible coughing fit, and my husband wanted me to get some rest as I am about to go back to school and cannot afford to be sick. So we slept in an extra hour or so, and when we woke up, I looked at him and said, "We get to watch a loooot of mormon messages today!" Not have to, but get to. I just love the way the LDS church has embraced the use of technology! They take these already amazing talks that make you want to cry with joy and happiness at the prospect of hope, add little videos to them, some sentimental music, and soon enough you find yourself bawling all morning while your husband keeps telling you as you sniffle, "you must have a cold, you can't seriously STILL be sniffling...." oh, but I am. As I write this I am still sniffling.
I cannot in words explain my gratitude of being able to attend such a glorious church. I am not proud... I just feel beyond blessed. I am forever indebted to those sweet missionaries that my great aunt sent to my mothers house when she was a teenager. I am forever grateful that though my mom was not always very active, she realized the importance of raising her children in this church. I am forever grateful and indebted to a savior who not only died, but lived for me as well. He has set the most amazing example for me! I wish I had the motivation He does to go and seek those who are weak, to help lift them and heal them in anyway possible. He is the one who offers me comfort in my darkest hours. It may be through my husband or friends that He does so, but He is ALWAYS very near, ready to send mighty angels as soon as He feels I need them.

I am blessed to have an amazing family. I speak with my sister most every day, and see my little niece grow due to the advances in technology. I can assure you that these advances in technology were not sparked by men who just had a brilliant idea. I firmly believe that every advancement of the human race is due to inspiration from our kind and loving Heavenly Father. It is up to us to use these gifts wisely.

Ah my heart is just EXPLODING with gratitude.

Back to these mormon messages... there were a few in the hour and a half that we spent watching them that truly struck me. One of them was about Elder Jeffrey R. Holland and an experience that he had when he wanted to spend time with his son and show him a fun time with lovely nature! Okay maybe not in so many words, but something like that. Anyways, here is the link:

Wrong Roads

(You can either click the link or watch the video here, it will open in anew window :) )

WOW. What an amazing message... I had no idea where they were going to go with "the moral of the story is" and then BAM. It hit me. Our Father in Heaven knows our hearts so well that He is willing to show us the wrong road in order to help us know what the right one is... if that makes any sense at all.. It makes sense to me at least, and Bryce loved it too.
I have a similar experience.

When Bryce and I were seriously dating, I had many doubts. I had come from a broken family, and was very reserved about moving quickly (as I knew it would if we continued to date). Naturally I always had a pit in my stomach due to my doubts. I wondered if it was the spirit telling me that it wasn't right. My roommate Whitney and many talks I was reading at the time advised me that I had to take a step in the dark before the light turned on. So I made the decision to end my relationship with Bryce, hoping it would either feel right or very wrong... and boy was I a mess. I cried on the way home, confused on what I had just done. I had confused Bryce terribly, as everything had been going well between us since day 1! We had told each other that we loved one another, what was going on?
A few days went by and there was no clarity. I felt so confused, and the confusion did not go away. Finally on a Monday, I was reading a talk for a family foundations class, and I learned all of these amazing things and had annotated it and felt like I had made so many more discoveries about our church and my immediate feeling was "I need to tell Bryce!"... but I had broken his heart... but he was the only one I wanted to talk about this with. So I had my answer. I went to him later that night and did my best to explain everything to him, and hoped it wasn't too late. Obviously it wasn't... because we were married 6 months later. But I think that Heavenly Father planned it all out. I think that He KNEW I would have doubts all the way up to our marriage if I did not learn for myself that it was right, so He gave me the feeling that I needed to end it, and I figured out quickly that it was obviously the wrong choice... I don't know if that makes sense to anyone, but it does to me. I'm grateful for that lesson I learned, for that experience that I had. I'm sure there are many other experiences that we have had.

This has probably been a very long and seemingly never-ending blog post. But I wanted to share it while I felt these feelings :) I hope to be on this more often to share my experiences, trials, and life with my friends and family and those who may need some uplifting. If I am able to help one person with this blog, it will be worth it! If I could help spread the gospel to someone or reignite something in one person, it will be worth it!
Here is the link that pushed me to update the blog and start utilizing technology more :)

I would like to close this blog with this one last video that touched my heart. I have always been in love with science, and while many who go into science feel that it explains that there couldn't possibly be a God after knowing what they know, I have the exact opposite feeling after knowing what I know. The way our bodies function, the way this world functions, how there is light and dark, how our heart knows when to beat, how our bodies can create beings with personalities, with gifts... to me it is just proof that there is a God!