VEGAS BABY!

Alright!
So Amanda, Shelby and I had this wild idea that we should go to Vegas for a day. The reason for this is because I had heard that they have a store down there that sells amazing suits for a really cheap price. This was just a thought we had that came up about a month ago. Christmas break rolled around and the though came back into our heads. We decided to get together and actually make things happen! We asked all the parents what they thought and with a little hesitation, they let us! This pretty much all happened the day before we wanted to leave. I woke up tuesday morning at 3 and arrived at Amanda's house at 4. As we got all packed up we went to Shelby's house and waited for her to come out. She is known to be a deep sleeper and slept through her alarms. Amanda and I didnt know what to do so we waited for about 10 mins and then left. As we were driving we felt really bad but there was nothing else we could of done. We started to drive through Orem, Utah and suddenly got a call from Shelby. We decided to pull over in a Target parking lot and waited for her to come meet us there. Within the next 20 mins we all met up and were back on the road again!

Immediately, Shelby and Amanda went right to sleep. It was just the Tunes and I driving with each other for 5 and a half hours! It was a pretty long trip but when the last hour rolled around everyone was wide away and going nuts! We wanted to get out of that car so bad. WE FINALLY GOT THERE! Our first stop was Las Vegas Outlet Mall. When we got there we ran to Paolo Giardini to get me some suits. Everything worked out perfectly and we were able to get out of there within 45 mins. We shopped around there for about an hour. Then TO THE STRIP! This was the best/worst part of the trip. The strip was so much fun! We were able to go to the M&M Factory, Coca-Cola Store, all the hotels, and see some crazy looking people.

We were all dead tired and I especially wasnt feeling to great just because the drive wore me out. We were making the best of it though. While walking the strip we took some funny pictures, walked in weird ways through casinos, and made jokes about all the weird looking people we saw. Even though we were having the time of our lives, we were also experiencing some negative actions. The way Las Vegas works is pretty ridiculous and low. With all the people on the corner handing out hooker cards to the billboards the line the street making people into objects, makes Vegas not the best place to be.
Now it was time to go home. We left around 6 and had heard that it had been snowing in Utah all day long so we were kind of worried about that. Amanda and I agreed that I would drive through all the canyons and she would drive the 2nd half. When my turn was over and it was her turn to drive, we were starting to hit the icy conditions. We said a prayer as we were driving through and I believe this helped us out a lot. Amanda was able to drive on the roads without a problem. She was afraid to pass the big trucks at first but after the first few she passed them with ease.

This was one of the best trips of my life and I will remember it for the rest of my life. We had so much fun dancing to LOUD techno music in my car, walking the strip and shopping of course. I was able to get my suits and then it hit me. I am going to be using those for my mission! I cant wait.
When is road trip number TWO!?!?!

Holidays

Holidays are meant to bring out the joy in people and bring families together. It is a time to reflect on what happened through the year and if you made it a great one. It is a time to be loving and a time to help others out. With having this mindset it is hard to see what holidays do to certain people. It hurts me to see individuals fight over presents in the store because they think their kids are more grateful for the gift, to see the road rage on the freeways, and to see the selfish side of people come about.

With ending this wonderful year that I have been able to experience, I am looking back on what I have done. I graduated from high school! That was one of the most memorable moments of my life. I graduated from Juan Diego with a 3.5 gpa. When freshmen year started I wouldnt i dreamed to do that well. I'm thankful for the hard work that i put in school. I made the best memories with friends and teachers.

I met such an amazing person. She was able to keep me on track and get me involved in something higher than myself. With this happening it made me realize how happy I was becoming. It wasnt a happiness that lasted a couple of days. It was a feeling that I still posses today. With meeting her, I was then introduced to her family and her church family. They give me so much support with everything I do. I have never met such nice and loving people. They barely even knew me, yet they were willing to do what ever it takes to keep me determined and on the right path. I love them so much.

I made awesome memories with friends and people I hold close to me. I was able to go on a cruise with all my school buddies. That was honestly thee best vacation I have ever been on. We were able to spend a little over a week with each other in the Western Caribbean. I was also able to go to concerts that include The Fray and Jon Schmidt and probably more I just cant think of them. I got fired from Ikea and within 13 hours I was able to get a job at a place I absolutely love!!!

I started COLLEGE!!!! I was soooo scared to start college because I was doing it alone. It was something so different and so big to me. The first month was very difficult because I didnt know anyone. I kept pushing forward and was able to meet a couple of cool kids and found out that it wasnt as scary as I though it was.

I feel like I could of done so much more like help people out and go do charitable things. I did not get involved with anything like that. I did do certain little things here and there. As I look back on this last year, Im going to try and find the things that I lack and make them my strengths this next year. It's sad to see this year just pass by and leave but it makes me happy to think about all the new things that are waiting for me this next year. One Im soooooooo excited for!!!! BRING IT ON!!!

The Next 6 Months

If I have everything go the way i want to i will be able to leave for my mission around the Middle of June. I have tons of different feelings toward it. Almost all of them are great feelings but not all. The other feelings i have towards it is that im going to have to risk losing a lot of things. Such as relationships i have with people. This is one of the big things im going to have to deal with but im also going to have such a hard time with it. My dad is a stickler with my decision that ive made with the whole mission/religion. It hard for me to go on and know that i have his support through words but not his support through thought. When missionaries come to the door he shuts the door in their face and tells them they he isnt interested. I told him that if i have his support then why does he pretend to give me his support. He is pretty much shutting the door in my face and telling me that he isnt interested because i will one day here pretty soon be wearing a nice suit and will have a name tag saying Elder Morley.
It's hard to have this happen but i know that by having my make these decisions it will show him how serious i am with this and how happy i am and maybe he have a change of heart.
Everything that im involved in now is being effected with my decision for my mission. From school to friendships to relationships. It is so hard for me but i know that the end result is going to be great and that if i keep strong certain things will be blessed.