Christmas Package! 🎄

I just sent Elder Johnson his last Christmas package! Crazy! I can't believe that next Christmas he'll be home for it!! This package was probably the fastest package I've made haha!

I think I'll miss making these packages when he gets home because they seriously are so fun to make!

So I made him a blanket since it will be getting colder. (Tip: Make sure you use good fleece because if you don't then it could rip easily...happened to me haha)

Got him some Chapstick cuz who doesn't need Chapstick?!

I used this quote and attached it to some gloves for the winter months. 

Wrote this cute little quote to go along with tic tacs. I've heard that missionaries are encouraged not to use gum so I felt this was better :)

I know this picture is upside down haha but it's just showing the gloves, Chapstick and then some socks I found. 

Had to get some holiday candy!!! My mom threw in some more after this haha!

I stuffed some of the stuff in this Elder stocking. I believe I got it from Deseret, but I don't remember cuz I got it last year and saved it just for this package! :D

And I put in some kisses for him for New Years! I also added 2 letters in the package. One was for him to open after the New Year and the other he could read when he opened the package. Only a few more packages and then he'll be home! Can't wait for 2016!!!!

Over The Year Mark

   It's been so long since I've updated this blog, I figured it was about time I did! Best thing that has happened since last time is the fact that I hit my year mark in September! It feels so great to say that! I still can't get over it! I look back at how hard things have been and everything Wyatt and I have gone through to get to where we are now and it's incredible. We truly have a unique journey and I love it.
   As most of you may remember, Wyatt and I don't email every week like we used to. Not because we were ending things, but because we wanted him to get the most out of his mission. I knew that would be hard, but it has proven to be not necessarily easy, but doable. For a time we got to "check up" on each other thanks to a great elder in his area haha.
   For those who are just starting the wait or they are waiting for the wait to begin, let me tell you how great it is that your man has somebody who supports them as much as you do. It's not easy for either of you two to say goodbye but because of your faith and devotion to each other, you let him serve the Lord. Like any relationship, these ones take work and lots of it to make it last. I have had my doubts many of times throughout the year and I still get them, but as one of my best friends reminded me, "doubt your doubts" because the Lord knows what you need.
   I have been one of the girls who is very open to dating and waiting. I faithfully wait for Wyatt in my own way. Each one of our "waits" are different and it's tailored to you and your missionary. As I've met new guys and everything, my love grows for Wyatt and I find myself reassuring myself that I still want to be with him. That's what works for me and maybe it will work for you, but that's for you to decide.
   I sent Wyatt a package just recently so the rest of this post will be about the package :) I'll try to keep up on this blog more often than I have the past few months!

This is the inside package that I made for him! It's not quite finished but boy do I love this one!

The final product!

I got Wyatt this shirt off of https://www.ldsboutique.com/ 

I also got him this pillowcase from Seagull book so you can probably find it here:http://www.seagullbook.com/

These socks I got from Deseret Book but I'm sure you can find them online too:https://deseretbook.com/

Got him a few favorites and some candy apple making kit for the fall season

Just some little things I added. I got him some Spanish CTR rings so that he can give them out to the kids he teaches or just kids he meets :)

If you don't remember, I made Wyatt a binder for him to keep that holds pictures of things I do over the two years he's on his mission so that he can keep up. You can read the details of that here:http://missionarygirlfrienddiary.blogspot.com/2015/04/keep-him-posted.html

This is month 6:

Month 6 continued...:

Month 7:

More of month 7:

End of month 7/Month 8:

Month 8 continued:

More of month 8:

Month 9:

Month 9 again:

End of month 9/Month 10:

Month 10:

End of Month 10:

Month 11:

Month 11 again:

End of Month 11/Month 12:

Month 12:

End of Month 12:

I'll do these all again in 6 more months! :D

No package is complete without a couple of ties!! And I always put little messages on them!

Threw in some fall cookies that were easy to mail as well as two Halloween treat bags, one for Wyatt and one for his companion. And to top that all off, I filled it with love (hearts)!

Making packages really make time go by so much fast and I LOVE making them!!! 

I'm so proud of Elder Johnson and I'm grateful every day of what we have! I know that this next year won't be easy either but I'm soooo ready for it and I can't wait to see Wyatt at the end of this final year apart! Here's to 11 more months (since he hit 13 months on the 17th). Love you babe!!!

Keep Him Posted!

So I decided a while back that I was going to do this project for Wyatt while he's out on his mission. Our 1 year was the beginning of April and Wyatt's 6 months was on March 17 so I just did this project for the both of them. It's kind of like a scrapbook, but a lot simpler in my mind. All you really need is a binder, some of those clear sheets (can't think of the name haha) to put paper in, paper and pictures! Then you can choose how to personalize it on your own :) Every 6 months I'll update him and send him more for him to just add inside the binder. I decided to do this so that he can actually see what I get to do while he is away on his mission and so he won't be shocked when he comes home...cuz I'll probably have different hair knowing me haha.

Here's how I decorated the cover page :) Nothing too crazy. The baseball stuff is a theme to the picture of the both of us on the cover. That was the day we started being a thing. We went to a baseball game, and afterwards he told me that he liked me :)

I put my month pictures on each page and then chose a few pics for him. I did 2 pages of pictures for him for each month.

Month 1:

End of Month 1/ Month 2:

End of Month 2/ Month 3:

 End of Month 3/ Month 4:

End of Month 4/ Month 5:

End of Month 5/ Month 6: 

Like I said, I'll add more every 6 months. This has become really important now because we don't get to email every week like in the past, so this way Wyatt will still be able to see what I'm up to every 6 months and see that I'm doing just fine :D

Also I wanted to add this cuz I love this haha. It's just the story of Wyatt and I :)

http://flipagram.com/f/TgLKCvDYMC

"...And A Threefold Cord Is Not Quickly Broken."

My favorite scripture lately has been Ecclesiastes 4:12. The reason being is that it pretty much says how 2 is better than 1 but 3 is much stronger than 2. I like relating that to my relationship with Wyatt. 

I have always known that having God on my side and keeping Him a part of my life made me stronger than when I was on my own. Then Wyatt came along and it was the 3 of us. We could have chosen to make it just the two of us, but Wyatt and I both knew we needed God in our relationship to make it work. That's one thing that has made waiting for Wyatt easier. 

However, God sometimes asks us to sacrifice for the people we love. 

I received that dreaded email from my missionary today. The one that tells you that he needs to focus more on the Lord and less on you. I have been waiting for this email for quite a while though.

Early into Wyatt's mission, probably a couple of months into it, I had been praying about mine and Wyatt's relationship. I had received an answer that yes, I was going to get in the way of Wyatt's focus and that God needed Him to focus on his mission and that I needed the time to grow on my own. I was confused at first because I wasn't told to tell Wyatt what I knew and from back then, it didn't seem like I was in the way yet. So I was told to wait and everything would be okay - which only made me more confused. 

However, time went on and for a while I almost forgot about it, but it came back to me a few weeks ago. Wyatt wrote a letter to me saying how he made a commitment to God that he would start sacrificing things so he could become more converted to the mission and that he would be praying to know what the Lord wanted him to sacrifice. That's when I remembered what I had been told months before. 

A few days later, I went to the temple on a whim and since it was late, I just sat outside the gates and prayed. I cried out to God asking him what I was to do. I loved Wyatt more than anything but I felt like it was time. I was so worried though, because I didn't know if we could make it last if we didn't get to email each other once a week. I cried and cried asking what God wanted me to do and the answer I got: rain. 

Yup, that's right. My answer was rain. Which may sound really weird but rain to me, in my relationship with Wyatt has become a way of comfort and peace as well as telling me to just wait (It's kind of a long story). So that was what I got that night. To wait because Wyatt needed to figure it out on his own. 

So today was finally the day. And yes, it still hurt even knowing that it was coming soon, but God prepared me for it. I don't normally tell people much of what Wyatt and I say to each other but this is some of what he said in his email today.

"I prayed to God asking what are some things you want me to sacrifice? And the first thing that came up was you. At this point I was crying because I knew this would be the hardest thing to do....I'm not asking us to end this awesome, most marvelous relationship...this is something that will help us....I hope you are proud of me for making this decision and I hope you respect it because we have respected both of our decisions for a year and I love that..." 

He later goes on and tells me some goals and promises he makes for the both of us. 

Honestly, I couldn't be happier that this is the man I fell in love with. A man willing to put aside his desires for the Lord's desires. I know it's not going to be easy now, but if this is the man I'm meant to marry, I will sacrifice all I can to prove my love for him and be sealed to him for time and all eternity. I know it seems like God is asking a lot from the both of us, but I also know that He will make up for the sacrifices we make for Him. God only gives us what He knows we can handle and what we need. And together, the 3 of us can make a strong bond that is unbreakable. 

17 months seemed so much easier knowing I'd hear from him at least once a week but I trust God. I know He will be there for the both of us every step of the way these next 17 months as we both better ourselves for each other. 

I love Wyatt and I know I always will. I hope more than anything that I get to become his wife one day. I support him completely for these next 17 months and will stand by him even at a distance. We are making our threefold cord strong. I'm glad God prepared me for today and I'm glad that Wyatt was able to learn for himself to put me aside for the rest of his mission so that he can return in honour.

I still get it send Wyatt some packages and I'll still take my monthly photos. The only thing really changing is the fact that we will both be focusing more on what the Lord wants of us. 

Love never is easy

Being a girlfriend is hard. You have to learn to give up some things, try new things, compromise and work alongside your partner to make things work. Relationships require for both parties to work.
The past 5 months I've come to learn how much harder it is to be a missionary girlfriend. They never get enough credit for all they do and all they sacrifice for the one they love. Instead, a lot of the time they end up getting criticized, teased, and torn down because of the bad rep of a girl who waits for a missionary for two years. I've found it funny how supportive people are of girls who wait for guys who leave for deployment, yet they turn around and say that a missionary girlfriend "is going to just 'dear john' their missionary."
Missionary girlfriends are some of the strongest people I know. They say goodbye to somebody they love more than anything. They can't call or text them. They get to email once a week (if that), they get a letter every now and then (if any), some get to Skype on Christmas and Mother's Day or a phone call before they leave for the airport. Some girls have even more restrictions than what I've mentioned. But waiting for a missionary really is one of the hardest long-distance relationships.
Contrary to what people believe, they don't put their life on hold, but learn how to be happy even though half their heart is miles away. They learn to deal with sadness without the one who helped them the most.
They don't always get to talk about their missionary to people, but when they do you can see the love come from their eyes and you can hear how proud they are of their missionary. Missionary girlfriends learn to be open to any kind of relationships around them. Every relationship is different and that's okay. I've seen these girls open their hearts up to so many people in all different kinds of relationships and support them when they need support. No questions asked, these girls will be there for you through your relationship because they believe in love and being happy with the one you love no matter how much it asks of you to sacrifice.

Missionary girlfriends learn to keep their head up even when everything and everyone is telling them to just give up. They have heard it all from, "you're going to find another guy" to "you are just distracting him." This is not something they need to hear! It's like if you are trying to go rock climbing for the first time and your friend is telling you that you're just going to fall and you'll never reach the top. If they continue to say it, they question themselves and eventually end up feeling like they aren't capable of doing something. It needs to stop! Do you really want to be the reason they never try to make it to the top because it's too difficult of a climb? I understand you are trying to make sure you pull my head out of the clouds and realize what really could happen, but I don't need to be reminded of something I already know! I knew what I was getting myself into when I chose to wait for my missionary. But I thought I deserved to at least know where we were heading and what this relationship could do for the both of us. I wasn't ready to just end things with Wyatt because he made me happy and I wasn't ready to let go of that happiness. Call me selfish but that's really what we all are looking for in this life. A love where you can feel truly happy no matter what it asks you to sacrifice.
I love Wyatt and I wanted to make sure I loved him beyond all the physical stuff. I wanted to know if

I truly loved him like I said I did. This has put my love for him to the test in a way I wasn't prepared for but was willing to take. I never once felt pressured to say I would wait for Wyatt because that's what he wanted me to do. He let me choose. And it just so happened that what I chose, was in line with what he wanted. He has proven to me that what we have was more than I thought it was. Wyatt has truly been there for me through so much and helped me in ways that sound impossible when he's so far away. He's been understanding of choices I've made and he's been supportive beyond belief about where I'm going in life. He continues to make me feel loved in simple phrases, words or even little surprises. I love that boy more than words could describe.
Missionary girlfriends often don't share how hard it is to be one. I wouldn't wish for my worst enemy to be in my shoes, but at the same time, this experience has been one of the most rewarding experiences. There are days when you feel so down and unsure about what you are doing. Yes. We question ourselves many times throughout the waiting because of all of the uncertainty. Did I really make the right choice? Is he going to love me when he gets home? What if there's somebody else I'm meant to be with? Did I make a mistake? Do I really love him? I'll admit it. I've had these thoughts many times. I have a long way, I know. And yes, there still is a lot of uncertainty of the future with Wyatt, but as I've learned, it really is like that in any relationship. It was like that when I dated other guys. I questioned if things in other relationships just like I do at times with Wyatt. That's what comes when you give the power of holding your heart to somebody else. You'll never be able to escape it.
Sometimes it feels like you are dating a ghost. Being a missionary girlfriend really takes a lot of faith. Between all the disbelievers, distance, lack of communication, and even Satan - these girls that choose to wait for a missionary have every right to walk away because it really is hard. But they choose not to because of their faith. Their faith in themselves, in their relationship and in their God up above.
So let the missionary girlfriends dream. Let them be happy. They deserve it. They've given up a lot and God needed them to wait.
Who cares if they don't end up with the missionary they were originally waiting for? Waiting takes a lot from somebody and not everyone can do it. Yet these girls accept the challenge head on, not knowing what the future holds, but having faith that things will end up okay in the end. These girls have become my support and strength when I've needed it most. I don't know what I'd do without their amazing examples and I'm so lucky to have them in my life as we all go on this crazy journey. There wasn't an instruction manual on how to be a missionary girlfriend. I stepped into this not knowing how hard it really would be. I knew it was going to be difficult but it really has proven to me what I am capable of doing. It has shown me that I do deserve to be happy and to be loved by somebody. Who knows what the future will bring Wyatt and I but for now, we are happy with what we have even with the distance.
I am so grateful that even through all the disbelief, I have found people who believe in what I'm doing. I'm glad I've had such a great support system. I know I'm lucky to have as much support as I do. Love isn't an easy thing, and this waiting thing hasn't been a bit of easy, but it's been worth it and it has brought me joy in ways I never thought possible.
Missionary girlfriends deserve so much more credit than they are given. They really are some of the strongest people I know and I've come to know of God's love for His missionary girlfriends. He loves them dearly and I'm glad I got to be in this journey with them. The future holds great things for each of these girls I have come to know and I am so excited for them and all they have going for them. Keep your head up girls. You are an example to many people. You are great and you are strong. Love you girls! Here's to two years!

First Package!

Well I tried to send out this package back in time for Christmas but things got crazy and so I waited and have finally finished it haha. I just love Pinterest though because it helps me with cute ideas :) Here's Wyatt's Christmas/Birthday/Valentine's Day package! I am seriously in love with it!

This is how it looks when completed! :D 

This was when I was starting to really freak out over how cute it was turning out! I painted the two long sides with yellow paint and then the shorter sides with blue (as you can see from the pic haha) Then I just did a strip of black paint and then painted some overalls on the little guys. I had to use the little slips of paper just so I could see if it was working out haha.

After a couple of coats for the overalls I made the little buttons and like a little pocket for the minions and drew their smiles and hair. I used stencils for the letters and the two stars and just used a round brush to make the dots. It's getting close to being done!

The final step! I cut out circles for the eyes from white paper and then used the black paint and a round brush for the pupils and then glued them on! :D I love this box sooo much haha!

What I put in the package:

I bought this back before he left. It came from the Cracker Barrel and that was when he met my grandparents on my dad's side :)

I put in 12 "Open When" letters! Here's the link to how I did those: http://missionarygirlfrienddiary.blogspot.com/2015/01/open-when-letters.html

This was part of the Valentine's Day card I made for him :)

I got this cute book from Target. It lets you even write some stuff in it about some memories, things you like about your loved one, etc. It was only a few bucks!

I sent him these little things :) The picture with the blue glasses, that is me and my best friend in the picture from spending a girl's night at Chuck E Cheese (I work there haha) and then the glasses was one of the prizes I got. 

I got him these two ties with messages on the back. These ties are great quality and didn't cost me an arm and a leg! I got them from http://www.cheap-neckties.com/ . Check them out!

 I also got Wyatt and his companion these matching ties! They are both from Orem Utah so I got the Provo Temple for them but they had a few others. I got mine from the BYU bookstore but I am pretty sure they sell them online at http://deseretbook.com/

I got this cute pillow off of Etsy! You can write your own message or have them write it for you! I sprayed it with my perfume haha and stuck a note inside of it :D

 These are just a few of the hearts I made :D I got the idea from Pinterest and I think they are super cute!

So I wrote 10 things I like about Wyatt on little slips of paper (and yeah...I hashtagged it) and put them inside balloons that I used to finish off the package!

I spelled out "Happy Bday!" on the balloons because his birthday is also coming up :D

Now it's all sealed up and ready to go! Get there safely package! I sure hope Wyatt loves it because I do haha! (Don't mind the awkward pen at the bottom of the picture)