farewell.

today one of my best friends is heading to chile to serve the lord for two years.




(pictures from Christians "farewell" talk this past sunday)




(pictures from last night, our final "goodbye")

christian can be super goofy, and cracking joke after joke, or he can be serious and mellow, and let you cry and vent to him. his friendship is one i cherish so much because it's been such a blessing in my life.
i've always loved missionaries, but now that the  boys my own age are leaving, my love for missionaries has continued to grow.
i'll miss c-mill lots, but i know he's in good hands. i can't wait to hear about all the amazing things he accomplishes these next two years.

splish splash.

a couple weeks ago, lisa's new pool got finished being built, to celebrate she invited a few girl friends over for a little 'pool party'

her pool was beautiful. after playing around in the water for a bit, her mom brought out some homemade pizza dough, and we each made a little mini personal sized pizza on her BBQ grill for lunch.

after lunch, we got back in the water and played some more. 

later, her mom brought out frozen lemonades on a tray for us all. so cute.

it was such a fun afternoon, i got lots of sun, and it was nice hanging out with the jr. high besties again.

 

national dance day.

yesterday was the one and only (believe it or not... there is only one) NATIONAL DANCE DAY!

i AM that cliché girl who posts photo's of herself doing her thang on national dance day, because why not?!

we celebrated by a family game of "just dance" let me tell ya, if you want some entertainment come watch my little brother and mom duke it out ;) (they aren't the most coordinated. but it's all just for fun, and we love them anyways) 

ONE WHOLE YEAR.

yesterday, we celebrated......

 

 

because sister hill has officially been out on the mission field A WHOLE ENTIRE YEAR!!!!!

 

one year ago my family ate my moms famous homemade bran muffins for breakfast, (lexi's request) while playing a game of clue. they later gathered at the MTC to drop her off, and say their last good byes.

 

 

 i was in treatment at the time, and couldn't be there with the family, i look back and i'm still heartbroken, i missed out on so much, BUT, the good news is, i hear that the last 6 months fly by, which i'm so counting on, because i can't wait to see her bright smile again.

 

 

she is doing AMAZING things in Alabama, and I know when she gets home she's going to wish she could go out and serve 5 more missions before continuing on with her life, BUT (selfishly) i'm relieved that won't be an option, because i'm counting down the days until i can give her the BIGGEST HUG EVER.

 

i love sister hill, i'm grateful for the example she's set for me. now let the countdown begin!

 

P.s. happy pioneer day!


little brother.

i have 5 siblings, so my whole life growing up, i've been use to living in a crazy home full of kids, suddenly, in the blink of an eye, it was just my and jackson left at home, the two babies of the family. things are definitely quieter now, but we have no problem finding fun of our own, ever since i was 4- and jackson was born- he's always been my little partner in crime.

 

one morning last week, we decided it would be fun to go to a random hotel, and see if we could smeag some free breakfast from them, and so we did. it was too easy, and a fun little "adventure" for us.

 

last week me and j also went to the temple with our mama to do baptisms for the dead, we had family names, and that made it extra special. it was cool being baptized and confirmed for the woman i am named after, (and for the woman that my great grandma was named after.) baptisms for the dead are always special, but doing them for your own family makes the spirit 10x stronger. i can't wait to hug all those woman in heaven someday, who i know are so grateful that i took my time to serve them.
 

 

i know for a lot of people, little brothers can often times become a 'burden' (don't worry, j has been a pain in my butt plenty of times;)) but i'm grateful for the relationship i have with jackson.
just the other day he laid on my bed as we listened to music together, and he randomly says "court. i love you" it melted my heart a bit. 14 year old boys like being 'tough' but the fact he has a soft spot in his heart for his sisters - and isn't afraid to show it - is the sweetest.

i truly am so blessed.

 

 

 

payson lakes & tibble fork.

friday afternoon me and my fam packed up our things (and by 'our things' i mean a change of underwear, tooth brushes, and food) then headed to blackhawk campgrounds, up by payson lake, for a short and sweet camping trip.

friday night we grilled chicken for dinner and talked around the fire as it got dark. something about sitting in nature with people you love the most, and smelling the 'mountain smell' is just really refreshing. 

the later it got, the more energy i built up, so i gave the family some 'pre-bed' entertainment of a short play - written out and acted out by me - (it was a one man show) and singing some les' miserables. 

i crashed so hard that night, my body appreciated that i put it down for bed at 10:30 vs. my normal 3 a.m.

the next morning we woke up, and headed to the lake for some fishing, and reading on the dock. 

after we packed up the fishing gear, we took a walk around the lake - which was breathtakingly beautiful - and the weather was absolutely perfect! 

we packed up camp and headed home around 3, it was a short little trip, but it was so ideal.

after showering, it wasn't long before i was headed up af canyon with a friend. 

he's from california, so i took him on a walk around tibble fork, i just can't seem to get enough of the mountains! i feel so lucky and blessed to live so close to them.

i think utah has my heart.