ahh, memories..

I have always been a journal keeper. I have journals that date back to when I was tiny and was just learning to write. I have journals from Elementary school, Jr. High, journals from when my family lived in France & England, journals from high school, college,study abroad in London and traveling Europe with 5 friends, my mission, and my married life, journals of my thoughts, feelings and worries of being a mother. Let's just say I have a HUGE box of journals in storage back in Utah that are full of my life. I remember laughing at the funny stuff I would write about in Elementary school. Julie + Preston ... or I'd write my name with the boys last name that I liked...silly stuff like that. I wrote about how much I wanted my ears pierced or how I wanted to be in the Olympics one day (doing what..I am not sure..haha, but for some reason I thought it would be really cool.)I wrote about how I wanted a purple crimper and a corn silk cabbage patch. I think I even tried writing stories..I am sure they were hilarious. I wrote about how much I loved basketball and Karl Malone..haha. It goes on and on. I wrote about all the dates I went on in high school and college..what we did on the date... and of course I went into more detail about my thoughts if it were guys I really liked. :) I have so many great memories written down...experiences that have happened in my life, lessons I have learned, hard times that felt so squashing that I was certain that I wouldn't come out ok...but I did, and it is good for me to look back on those experiences and realize that all of it make me who I am. I kinda wish I had some of my journals so that I could embarrass myself and share some snippets with ya'll. ( I am pretty sure Jared has read all of them...so he has all the dirt..haha) Of course as I got older my journal was more of a time for me to reflect and think about life and where I wanted it to go. I think having all these journals has given me perspective and has reminded me that I can do hard things. It has also reminded me of all the great people that have been in my life and the awesome experiences that I have been able to have. Sometimes seeing (or reading) the bigger picture helps us make decisions or come out on top of certain situations. It is interesting to see where life has taken me. Somethings in my life, I would have never guessed would happen to me...good & hard. Did I ever think in a million years that I would be living in Australia with my little family? That would be a big fat nope!! But Australia will be another journal that I will add to the collection. I am not as good at writing in an actual journal, journal these days, life just seems to get crazier as the years pass by, but I like to think my blog is a good journal.

I had this quote in one of my journals and it has always been one that I have try to apply during life.

“ Things will work out, Keep trying, Be believing. Be happy. Don’t get discouraged. Things will work out." President Hinckley

Boy is that true. Whether it is in regards to getting your ears pierced (hahahaha), dating, being a mommy...whatever ya got goin on in your life......things always work out in the end. And if the result is not what we wanted...then I think we are better because of it. Sometimes the alternate outcome is what makes us learn the best lessons.

So ya'll go out and get a journal...if Missionary Emporium was still around and I still worked there,(thank goodness I don't haha), I'd even have your name engraved on it....oohhh fancy, I know!