SPOTLIGHT

 OK - So I just have to say that I am slightly obsessed with The Duchess of Cambridge. She is my fashion hero. I came home from my mission just in time to watch the Royal Wedding. Remember this?

Which, by the way, was SO MUCH better than this -

                        
 Sorry Kim, but Kate had the best wedding of the year BY FAR! 

 Kate Middleton is a true princess. She always looks SUPER CLASSY. I want to be her. 

                                                                              Let's take a look, shall we? 

Seriously! She is one classy chick. I am sure that there are lots of crazy photos out there of her from when she was a stupid kid, but she sure knows how to look like royalty now. I could probably look this good too if I were a true princess and people were lining up to dress me, and I have no idea how much say she has in what she actually wears, but look how great she looks all the time. She wears simple jewelry and has modest hemlines. Less is best with her. 

  

...even when she is a cowgirl she looks stunning!

PLUS she has a Sapphire engagement ring. That is my birthstone, and it is GORGEOUS. Not to mention Kathryn (Kate) is one of the most beautiful names in the English language, but I am a little biased. She is basically awesome. SNAPS FOR KATE! 

Dorothy was right...

While I was on my mission my mom sent me a Glinda the Good bookmark with this inscription on the back...


"Then close your eyes and tap your heels together three times. And think to yourself, 'There's no place like home"

That little Bookmark guarded my scriptures the whole time I was in Texas, and the older that I get, the more that saying proves to be true. There truly is NO PLACE like home. For the past two weeks I have had the opportunity to be home between summer and fall semesters. I LOVE BEING HOME. 
Here are a few of the reasons why...

These people. These are my parents. Big brother Riley left to NYC for some much deserved vacation time with Chad before school starts and Lindsey went to Utah to do some shopping (and a little bit of Job Shadowing too). It was just me and the rents for a whole weekend (almost). I have never been an only child, but it was great to spend time with them. We went to Les Miserables in Seattle. I even dragged them to the Grant County Rodeo and to The Help. Don't they just make you smile? They make me smile. Especially when they buy me new jeans and pay for the alterations, because sometimes a "short" just doesn't cut it on these legs. 

LINDSEY McCALL! - My little sister is awesome. I don't think I have even met a more focused 17 year old in my life. She makes me laugh. Each time I come home she impresses me more and more. This time it is was not just with school (although she was brushing up on her calculus the ENTIRE week before school started - who does that?), but Volleyball and staying in shape as well. She runs. Three whole miles. Often. She also has us all eating bananas for dessert and whole wheat bread. Her heart is bigger than her entire wardrobe, which is pretty big - trust me. LOVE HER! 

THE TRAMPOLINE! This is my favorite thing. I LOVE jumping on it every night before I go to bed. Best money my parents ever spent. 

This is our new deck where I could sit all day long and read and look out at Royal City. It is AMAZING. See the beautiful rocking chairs?

This is MI CASA! Isn't it pretty? I love it. Life is just better when I am there. 

Some Lessons Learned...

     This was a big week for me.  I officially completed my LAST day of school of my FIRST semester back at BYU after my mission. It has been an interesting summer full of adjustments, changes, and learning to live life after life as a full time missionary. Here are some things I have come to appreciate these past few months...

COMPANIONS: are awesome. I love them. All of them. On your mission you leave your best friends to live with complete strangers and somewhere along the line those strange peope become your best friends. They are the only people who really understand what it was like to be there, because no matter how hard they try, your parents will never understand your mission as much as the people you lived it with.

These are my cousins. I never really realized what a lucky girl I am. I am like the real life Hannah Montana. I have the best of both worlds. I grew up in the perfect little community and was surrounded by the love of my Pa and Grandma Jean and all my Washington counsins. When I moved to Utah I was surrounded by my Grandpa and Grandma Marilyn and all of Utah Cousins. My aunts always take care of me when I can't be in Washington with my family. I am so glad I have them.

The Provo Temple is BEAU.TI.FUL. On my mission I was lucky enough to go to the temple every six weeks. Now I am blessed even more because I do not have to wait six weeks to go to the temple. I can go whenever I want. It is pretty cool - and it is how I have been able to survive no longer being a missionary and starting school again.

As a missionary getting letters is important, but I never realized how much getting letters FROM missionaries can bring joy to your life. Reading letters from tht tall, blonde kid on the right is like Chicken Soup for the Post Mission Soul. I am so proud of my litte brother. UPDATE: He was just transfered out of the Nevada Las Vegas Mission Office and is now serving in Blythe, California. He is finallly going back to espanol! I am sure he is excited. Blythe is pretty rural too, so it will feel a little bit more like home to him. He hits ONE YEAR in the mission field next week. YAY!

Same thing goes for this kid - her letters from England are little pieces of sunshine for me. I never thought about the fact that both my baby brother and my BFF, two MOST crucial peope in my life, would be GONE when I came home. It has been hard, but I would not have it any other way. They are serving the Lord and doing what they should be doing. Sister White is going GREAT on her mission. She has been out almost 13 months now and will be home after the New Year. For more info please see www.noontimeteawithstephanie.blogspot.com

I LOVE studying Spanish. It makes classes fun and interesing. It is something new and exciting that I never studied before my mission. I look forward to going to class and love talkng with every hispanic that I meet on the street in their native tounge.