One week and counting!!!

Well the end is here, Kevin graduates tomorrow!!! I am so excited for him! One more week and we are out of here! We are a little nervous and a little excited! We are really excited to live in a good size apartment. Although I will miss our landlords who have become our good friends. Anyways, yesterday was my last day at work and it was so tender. The little kids were so sweet. I know it sounds cheesy but one of the best ways (i think) to feel Heavenly Father's love is to work and be around little children and I am sure I will understand more when I have my own but you can just look in their faces and see how much potential is there. You see what Heavenly Father sees in all his children, pure potential. They were a privilege to work with. When I got into the classroom the teacher I work with had me sit in the front of the room while each kid said something nice about me. When it got to one of my favorites (she struggles a lot in school but has such a sweet spirit) she looked at me and in her silly way said, "I LOVE YOU!" and I almost lost it. Especially with her, because she has some issues that make it harder for her to get along with other kids and progress academically, I can see the love of Heavenly Father. It was the funnest job ever! I loved it! Don't even get me going on how fun the staff was! They were great to work with!

Anyways it had been a week or so since I blogged about our spring break here are some pictures of that adventure. It was so fun! I just can't get over how fun Disney Land was!!! I wish Texas had a Disneyland! That would be AWESOME! There are also some Easter pics too, check out my cutie-pa-tootie lil sister!

Hi ho, hi ho it's off to work I go! OR NOT!!! BAHAHA!!

Hello all!!! Today I was talking to Kevin and I think the move is starting to become real. Oh man! It is exciting to think we will be starting roots together!! YAY!! I know I say this time and time again but as Kev and I were talking we kept saying that it was as if the Lord is eager for us to move. First he prompted us three months after we were married that Dallas was the place, next he provided Kevin with his job, and then the Lord looked at our bank account and helped us a little there because heaven knows we needed it. It's like he is pushing us there! We are so blessed and so excited to be able to serve him from Texas. We talked to our future bishop today who I happened to call randomly a couple months ago to see what areas would be good to live. He was so nice and seemed really excited to have us in the ward. Also I ONLY HAVE THREE DAYS LEFT OF WORK!!!! YAHOO!!!!!!!!!! This is actually more bittersweet than I am making it sound. Mostly I am excited to not have to get up early and to finally pack. This was one of my favorite jobs. Working there was so fun and rewarding and I worked with some amazing people!!! The next two weeks will go by fast I know it. Am I excited? Yes. Am I nervous for what lays ahead? Yes.

Spring Break!!!!

Well I am writing this a little late but oh well. Last week was spring break and it was pretty amazing I have to say. Since I work for the school district I got the whole week off and my wonderful husband surprised me with a trip to Denver for a couple of days before we headed off to California. Denver was so fun! It was so nice to be with my family. We ate food, watched movies, played wii and of course did a little shopping. I am especially glad that I got to be with them a little before Kevin and I take off for Texas... which is in a couple weeks! EEEK!!! The day after I got back from Denver, Kevin and I set off for California. It was fantastic! The weather was great and there were palm trees! I love palm trees! We got to the beach a little bit late in the evening so it was pretty chilly but still beautiful. The next day we finally got to use our free Disneyland passes!!! WOO HOO! Amazing. It was my first time and I loved it. I didn't really care for Pirates but I loved Space Mountain and Indiana Jones. The weather was pretty nice that day which made up for the crowds and I was in good company so I didn't mind having to wait in line. The cutest ride there (I think) was the Haunted Mansion. So cute! and the effects were pretty cool. I don't care if I sound like a geek. It was so whimsical. The actors dressed up as the Disney characters seemed to weird me out at first. I didn't know what to think. But seeing all the little kids get excited was pretty cute. On Friday we went to Hollywood, but took a more round about way by taking the pacific coast highway. It was so beautiful one of the most scenic rides I have been on. We stopped in Malibu to get a picture and I can't believe people live the way they do in houses that big, in a place that pretty... I am sure there are prettier places though and bigger houses too somewhere. Hollywood was okay. We didn't have much time but we made the most of it by getting some tasty ice cream and people watching.
As for now, we are counting down the days for the big move. Trying to get things in order. I don't know how I feel. I am really excited that we will be so close to the temple and that we will be more in the mission field. I hope that I can immerse myself in the ward and create a little texas ward family for us. At the same time I don't think it has hit that it is a permanent move!!! I am sure it will hit when we get down there and I get lost trying to find the grocery store or something. Then it will be like "wow, your not in Provo anymore." I do know though that we are supposed to go there. I believe that this is where Heavenly Father wants us and that we will progress a lot there. Anyways till the next post!

Easter Time

Today as we were listening to conference and over the past few days really, I have been thinking about what the atonement means to me personally. Before I knew that our savior bled and died for us. I knew that he felt all the pains of the world but I never knew how to apply that to my own life. How to apply the atonement in other areas of my life not just repentance. After much thought I have begun to understand how to do just that. The atonement goes so much farther than just repentance. Christ, understanding and having felt every pain, must know the struggles of everyday life for us. For me personally, it gives me the imagery (okay this is the gospel according to Steffany not necessarily doctrine) that every time I pray and plead and ask for help, every time I tell him how bad something hurts, or how dissapointed I am he comforts me and then jots everything down on a to-be-discussed list. I know that one day I will be able to reconcile any hurt feelings and dissapointments I have had with him and that whatever couldn't be made better in this life will be made better in the next. I know that there will be a day when he explains why things happened the way they did. All I have to be now, is faithful. If there is one thing I know without any doubt it is the love that Heavenly Father has for his children. The love he has for me. I have been so blessed to have seen his hand so closely in my life. Sometimes I think to myself "how on earth did I get here!?!" and I know that it is because of the atonement and the love he has for me. Just a little thought on Easter Sunday.