Introducing...Sister Ludwig.

This beautiful Easter Sunday was a special one for our family. We all left to Boise to my twin cousin's farewell. Ashley, did a tremendous job with her talk and the spirit she carried was so sweet and strong. I felt so much love for my family and felt that Grandpa was there with us. After all, he would never miss a farewell of one of his grandchildren...especially one of his granddaughters. I thought of the Atonement all day long and was brought to tears many times. The Atonement is real! I testify of that with all my heart. Our Savior lives and He will return again. He loves every child of God and he especially loves His missionaries. Sister Ludwig has made us all proud by responding to the promptings of the Lord to serve a mission. I know that she will be an incredible missionary. I have watched her grow up and she has specific talents for specific people that the Lord is planning for her to teach. I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for blessing us with so many of our family missionaries out right now. Good luck Sister Ludwig!

What a beautiful sister missionary she is going to make!

The twins and I have grown up together and I can't believe we've reached this point in our lives! 

So proud of these two amazing women in my life. 

I'm calling it providential.

Like many of you, conference was definitely on the agenda for the weekend. So Alli and my awesome cousin Chazz drove up with me and we stayed with the Sorensen family Saturday night while planning on going to a Sunday session. The Sorensen's are my friend Heidi's family, who happens to be in Australia on her mission right now. We were so excited to stop in and see them. Several conferences ago it was at their house with Heidi, that I first heard the announcement that would tweak my plans and ultimately end up changing my life. It was so great to see them all again, but we definitely missed Heids being there.

These guys are FUN. One of a kind family.

This is where it starts getting providential for me. Cindy, is the best "doctor" I've talked to since being home I think. I mean of course, I've had some great doctors who I am beyond grateful for, but Heavenly Father led me to Cindy's home for a reason this week. And I am going to recognize this as a HUGE blessing from Him instead of calling it coincidence. This terrific mom gave me so many ways to improve some of my health problems because she and Heidi have been through some of the same things I've been pushing through. 

God bless the Sorensens. 

Anyways, Chazz, Alli and I had a terrific weekend enjoying each other's company, jokes and of course enjoying the Spirit of Conference like I'm sure you all did. I've missed Temple Square since being on my mission. The Spirit is almost like being in the MTC again.  

Then it just got CRAZY!...

 Meet my adorable cousin Sister Victoria Silva who is serving in the Salt Lake City mission. I didn't expect to see her at temple square though and especially with that sea of people. God led us to each other and somehow helped her recognize the back of my head! Seriously...she's good, especially since I just dyed my hair and it was in a bun. How she recognized me, I'll never know.
  

Silva cousins:) 

And then...I turn around and recognize Uncle Peter and Tia Tina...MORE Silva family! 

Call it providential, God-given, heaven-sent or all the above. But it was my weekend miracle. 

...

I think my Heavenly Father may really love me...

I saw 4 people from my mission! 

Including Hermana Reza who used to come out with me in Albuquerque to our lessons. 

We have now switched places wearing those name tags. 

But...both of us have always been and always will be missionaries for our Savior, Jesus Christ.

 

If you didn't have the opportunity to watch General Conference this week you can watch it here.

Call from Carmen.

My sweet friend Carmen that Sister Biancardi and I taught in Horizon City called me recently to see how I was doing and made my entire week. Best. Feeling. Ever. when an old investigator calls you. 

How I love the people I have taught on my mission, 

for they were the ones who actually taught me. 

Procedure #2 done...and hoping for NO more :)

Thursday morning we took yet another trip to Boise to meet up with Dr. Harris at the Intermountain surgery center. Procedure #1 with only 5 shots in the spine wasn't so bad but since it didn't seem to work very well for me, he decided it best that we turn up the volume a little for Procedure #2...I was so completely nervous. I thought about it apprehensively all week long... 

This smile is a total lie. A total lie my friends.

This is REALLY how I was feeling.

 I started getting super nervous, which I've never had a problem with needles or anything before, but 

HOLY. COW. 

I looked at my mom with this kind of look like "get me out of here". I have no idea what my face looked like to her but she immediately got up and found a nurse to get me some Valium haha. They had told me not to eat or drink before the procedure which led me to believe that they'd put me out. Anyways, it turned out that they left me conscious and ended up turning up the volume with 25 plus shots in my SI joints, with so many steroids that my body is now beyond  jittery. It's so hard to sleep...I think I need more Valium haha. I've been sore for a few days but feeling some improvements! Finally. We are a step in the right direction. I still have an epidural to go in my L5 vertebrae to look forward to though. I've had more doctor appointments than I would care to admit in just this last month and have been put on even more and more medication. My body seems to be having so many side-complications and is so darn weak.. so, I've taken to walking by the river as MUCH as I possibly can. 

My goal now, is to not feel like I'm 90 years old. :)

wish me luck.

Introducing...

...my new best friend. 

Apparently walking around with a protonics machine attached to your leg...helps your lower back????? 

Since I am so "twisted" the therapist is doing everything he can to straighten me back out again. Therefore somehow strengthening my ham strings will help balance out my left torn ACL and THAT is supposed to help me do all that un-twisting my body just keeps doing. 

So along with this now, I'll just keep trusting in the Lord and taking pain pills :) 

Note: awkward can be at a whole new level with this thing.

One year past.

For me it's hard to imagine, but this week on February 6th, I woke up and realized I'd hit my year mark. Nothing much to celebrate but its bizarre to look back and realize a year has past and gone already. I know they say this often but,

where has the time gone? 

When I left to the MTC, (craziest day of my life) I knew my purpose and had these words in my heart...

and a year later I still do, just with a lot more memories attached to it. 

"It may not be o'er the mountain height or over the stormy sea. It may not be at the battle's front, my Lord will have need of me. But if by a still small voice He calls, to paths that I do not know, I'll answer dear Lord with my hand in thine, I'll go where you want me to go. I'll go where you want me to go dear Lord. O'er mountain, or plane or sea. I'll say what you want me to say dear Lord, I'll be what you want me to be.

Perhaps there are loving words that Jesus would have me speak. There may be some in the paths of sin some wanderer whom I should seek. Oh Savior, if thou wilt be my Guide, tho dark and rugged the way. My voice shall echo thy message sweet, I'll say what you want me to say. I'll go where you want me to go dear Lord, o'er mountain or plane or sea. I'll say what you want me to say dear Lord, I'll be what you want me to be. There's surely somewhere a lowly place in earth's harvest fields so white, where I may labor in life's short day for Jesus the Crucified. So trusting my all to thy tender care, and knowing thou lovest me, I'll do thy will with a heart sincere. 

I'll be what you want me to be."

 Best moment of my life up to par. Putting on that tag is terribly awesome. 

I got an email from some of my favorite missionaries who are serving in the Monterrey/Puebla Mexico missions this week saying hello and reminding me of our MTC anniversary. 

Eternal friends are made in the Missionary Training Center.

I miss District B all the time. 

An almost perfect day in Brigham City.

I had an almost perfect day in Brigham City yesterday. 

We ran out of gas and got stuck in traffic and I may have thrown up the entire way home but it was so worth every not-so-fun moment for all those wonderful ones in between. I can't tell you how much fun it was to walk into that sealing room and see my missionary friends from NMAM (and yes, my shortness is more than evident here). (Elder) Jackson Eaton looked so darn happy with his beautiful bride sitting next to him and my good friends (Elders) Lincoln Baliff, Dallas Turnbow and David Steffensen were all there to celebrate the day too. I felt like I was back in MLC for a moment haha, (just missing the tags and President) but oh how it was fun. So. stinkin. fun. to catch up with them all and to be a part of that special day! What a sweet spirit we all felt there in the House of the Lord during our 'mini-reunion' of sorts. 

Missing ALL of my missionary friends from the Albuquerque, New Mexico mission. 

...Hermana Silva