it's in...

as of yesterday at 4:20 pm. 

my mission papers have been submitted to salt lake city.

REPEAT:

my mission papers have been submitted.

you really can't tell how excited i am through this post.

i was doing a little happy dance when i got the stake president's voicemail.

no lies.

the reason that they weren't submitted on monday night:

-the doctor didn't write down my pulse

-i didn't have a recent dental x-ray

-we didn't have what my vision was with my glasses (20/20 of course!)

-they were worried about only having half of my hep a vaccination complete,

but my bishop reassured the man submitting the paperwork that i could

get the second dose in the MTC if necessary.

-the doctor didn't write down the results of my blood work

but, we got it all squared away, and now i play the waiting game!

MY PAPERS ARE IN!

i was doing dancing around the island listening to the voicemail.

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1. i started bringing my preach my gospel book to work

and reading while we have a few minutes lull, and it's been great!

2. CHECK MARK! 

i mean, that is why i am writing this post after all...

3. we decided that we are going to do it ourselves!

stitching in the ditch and sewing the longest diagonal ever,

we figured it would just be easier than sewing a four inch border

all the way around a king-sized quilt.

so CHECK MARK!

4. i look forward to having my schedules here in the next day or two,

and then i can plan with them!

5. i love the relief that i find while playing the piano,

and i have been able to pick through and

semi-confidently play through a lot of the hymns.

6. have been doing great. being home yesterday kind of helped that a lot too.

i used my once-a-week-eat-out card yesterday when we 

ordered in hibachi. yumm...

it's going to be a little easier this week to eat healthier because

i get off a a little bit more of a normal "lunch" time.

#GRADuation pictures

Okay, a little explanation. The Blue and Yellow cord is for Marketing and Business Academy at school.

The Light Blue and Gold cord is for Mu Alpha Theta, a Math Honors Society at school.

The White Stole is for National Honors Society.

The Blue and White Tassel is for National Honors Society as well.

Yes, I made my dress. It took me about 10 hours to complete and I started the Wednesday before Graduation. 

That picture with your Grandparents. Thank you so much Grandma and Grandpa for making the sacrifice and the flight out here to see us walk across a stage.

This was the best sibling photo. I do believe in the others I was looking at the other cameras. 

I love you Christian!

Dad wanted a photo from the Stage where we walked... so we got one! Everybody...

(Back, Left: Grandpa Graves, Mom, Julie, Rachel, Janelle, Dad, Grandma Graves.

Front, Left: Spencer, Russell, Christian, Hannah)

And then of just the family! I'm gonna miss you guys, but I am so excited at the same time for the new chapter of my life.

Rachel, Adrian, and Me. Adrian will always be a good friend. We meet Freshman year and have carried an super light and friendly relationship through Senior year. Thanks for the laughs Adrian and I wish you luck next year at Texas A&M!

Rachel and I got to walk across the stage at sort of the same time. Rachel's name was read first, and then mine, so we got to smile and wave together. :)

Rachel hugging Rachel... hehehe. Ms. Bast was the greatest guidance counselor a girl/boy could ask for. Seriously, the most fun and completely understanding of EVERYTHING. Mrs. Bolinger was awesome too. Super amazing at helping you find scholarships and always prepared. Mrs. Gray was amazing as well. She was firm handed but knew how to throw a PAR-TAY!

My church leaders decided to throw a dinner for all of the graduating Senior Girls one Wednesday night. While in the midst of dinner, one of the Junior Girls was on her way home from the activity at the church. She saw all of the cars lined up, and noted that she had some window paint in her car. So she drew '13 and "Happy Graduation" on all of our cars! It was so sweet of her and we kept it on for a few days before Dad made Rach and I wash it off. :(

I went to four graduations (one freshman year, one sophomore year, and then two others this year) before it was actually my turn to walk across the stage. This was Graduation #1 of this year for me. I was so jealous that they got to walk into Pomp and Circumstance played by a full orchestra.... beyond jealous actually. It was beautiful though.

This reminded me of a little boy that goes to my church. He has a hard time saying some sounds in front of words, so "exploded" "cleaning" and "smoking" often come out "sploded" "leaning" and "mokin."

Kelsey! She was my hangout buddy at the Band Banquet 2013, but congrats girlie on University of Tennessee-Knoxville. You will do great things!

NANA!!!! 

This is one of the best friends that I could ever have outside the church. I had some much fun with you throughout high school and I hope that life takes you far!

another sewing project

so I started and finished another sewing project in a collective 45 minutes. the bag is soo amazingly simple.

but adorable at the same time…

its just big enough to get my scriptures into without the case, and then have a little bit of room for my hand lol

<-- the outside

 

 

 

 

 

 

this is the inside and outside  -->    

if you want the pattern to this bag, or the other one that I make a ton, just let me know. I can give you the pattern number and make. I don’t know if it would work to put up on my blog, but let me know if you think that would work. :)

trek

youth conference is summer is a TREK!! for those of you that may not know what a trek is, it is a three to four day journey pulling a handcart about 4-5 miles everyday. by hand. in the middle of June. dressed as pioneers (aka those in the c. 1850’s).  near Pickett State Park.

for those of you, again, who don’t know what Pickett State Park is like, it is full of bugs and the humidity levels are atrocious. the dress is going to be exciting, but its also a lot of layering. in humidity. it definitely is going to be a challenge to keep hydrated. I hope we can bring a jug or something… because heat exhaustion really isn't on my list of things to learn about this year at youth conference.

but I am super excited about this trek. its going to be AWESOME!!! sleeping underneath the stars, acting like a Saint for a couple of days, spending time with some awesome people and of course strengthening my testimony. who wouldn’t love an experience like that?

my dress

this is my dress. I wore it last Friday and got loads of compliments. I absolutely love the thing. the pockets are amazing cuz you don’t have to carry around your phone in your hand of jacket! ahahaha I think I might make a floor length one with contrasting colors like the other floor length dress I have… hmmm next time we go to joanns, that’s what im getting! haha :)

this is just a new picture of me. I figured its been awhile since I put a picture of me on my blog…

sewing project #3

this is my newest sewing project. i started and finished it in the past two days. i did most of it myself, with the exception of the gathering. my mom gathered and pinned the skirt graciously. (thanks mom!) other than that i did everything else by myself. i put the side zipper, the pockets, the hook and eye and the hem in by myself. the pattern is roses, with brown centers. it doesn't look like it the picture, but its pink.

i am super excited about it. i just have to figure out what to wear it with. find a pink shirt to match? or find brown leggings and wear it with a brown shirt? or just wear it with a white shirt?? these are my questions. but im excited about it none the less. another sewing project that i did all by myself with a little help from my mom.

im super excited about the fact that i did the zipper once and it worked with a minor adjustment at the top. first timers luck my mom says. or maybe its just the way that the pattern had you put the zipper in. i don't know.

snow!

so it snowed. again. for like the bajillionth time in the last month. we got out of school yesterday because there was four inches of snow on the ground, and today for the fear of icy secondary roads as well as a new layer of powder on top of yesterdays snow. i was soo excited. sleeping in and being able to bundle up warm while drinking some hot chocolate was amazing! i also got the chance to start and complete a sewing project. i am so excited about it!! (pics to come) we still dont have snow things for me to go out and play in, so i sat inside with my mom and sewed. i know i know, what a bum. but i really didnt have a whole lot of choices.

we just found out that we are having school tomorrow and im excited and sad. excited because i can see all my friends and have something to do again. sad because i want to try and find some more fabric to make something else. maybe cross something off the "i need for college" list. i guess that is just going to have to wait until another day becomes clear.

adorable bag #2

i made another bag like the black one i made a couple weeks ago, this time i made it for the girl on the colorguard that i am giving secret sister gifts to. the bag turned out so adorable and it was super easy this time because i actually knew what i was doing without having to really pour over the instructions. the only hard time i had was with the attachment of the lining to the outside. that was the trickest part.

this one turned out so cute i might go buy some of this fabric and make myself one! hahaha :)

scripture bag

in times past i have been known to have a bad relationship with scriptures and the beautiful bad that holds it. since the first time i got my scriptures, i have exchanged my scriptures 3 times but kept the same bad. recently the bad ripped at the seam that held one side of a handle to the other. now the handle didnt rip, but about 1/4 inch below the handle did, so it was putting a lot of stress on the hole to carry my scriptures around by those handles. my idea was to just build a whole new case, but that changed when i found this really cute bag that i could make instead.

just recently i finished that bag:



the finished bag has pleats, two handles, and a huge inside. but no pockets inside!!





<>

inside of the bag

but the exciting part was i was able to find enough of some scraps that my mom had. she had used the two cotton pieces to make a skirt for christmas a couple years ago.



the two contrasting colors

the bag is super easy. nothing really complicated about it, except for maybe the slip-stitching you do at the end to close the whole in the lining. but nothing really else complicated.

dress news

thanks so much to those of you who commented on which dress you liked best. i decided to go with the black dress, but my fabric is a light aquamarine color, like the sky on a clear summers day. i am soo excited and my mom has all the parts sewn together, its just waiting the final assembly and stitching. the banquet is the first of may, so i have about two weeks, but thats all ive got. NERVES!! my really excited though. i miss the dance that the band had at the end of band camp and i cant wait to have another with all my friends. but this time i know most of the people!! i dont feel like a complete stranger anymore. i can name most of the people by name from conversations with them, so i feel acheived.