Summer

Wow! I had no idea when I started teaching school, how much I would look forward to summer! This past year has been a great one! I have learned so many things! I wouldn't trade any of it--it has made me such a better person, even the hard times.
I have had a hard time with what to do with myself this summer. My upstairs neighbor and I go walking and it has been a lot of fun. It really has been a great way to get my day started...the only drawback is though, that I'm still pretty tired and come back home and take a "short" nap...Hmm...But, I do feel a lot better about myself and have been feeling much healthier, so it must be making a difference. It has also been a lot of fun getting to know my neighbors. They are all so amazing! The three I know best are all fairly new moms, just getting used to this huge change in their lives and trying to do their best to raise their beautiful children. It has been great for me to watch and to learn from them. They are all such good examples, and I hope that if I get the chance to be a mom, I can use what I have learned from watching them, to maybe be as good at it as they are.
My sister-in-law Holly is such a good mom as well. She has been such a good example to me. My mom and I have had many chances to babysit my little nephew and he is so cute!
It has also been fun to help my family. I got to help plant a little bit of my dad's garden--the famous Foley Family Garden. We were joking about it one night at dinner and my little brother mentioned that we always seemed to do it on a day when it was super windy, and so was the case this day. It was fun to spend time with my parents doing something that means so much to them.
I also got to help my sister Emily clean her new house. The guys that came to put her kitchen counter in, made such a dusty mess, that it was sad to look at. But I think by the time my mom and I left, along with help from her in-laws, it looked great! I am sure excited for her to move into her new house! It will be a lot of fun and they have both worked so hard on it!
Other than that, this summer is going pretty good for me. I have been having a fun time with my cousin Shannon that is living with me. She puts up with my weird schedule and watches movies with me and lets me practice cooking for her. It has been a lot of fun having a good roommate!
I have been having a hard time dealing with some of the changes that have been going on around me, but I am starting to realize that that really is how life goes, and its okay. I am sure grateful to my family who have always been a constant for me as well as the Gospel and all it means to me.
In less than 2 weeks, I'll have been home from my mission to Portland, for 2 years. Its hard to believe that its been that long. It was such an amazing experience for me! I don't wish I was back there doing the same things, but I do miss all the wonderful people I served with, worked with, and learned to love. It has definitely been an experience I will never forget. I am grateful for the chance I had to serve my Heavenly Father there, even for the short time it was, (just under 18 months), and all the blessings that have come to my life because of that opportunity to serve a mission.