Looking Back

I do believe 2008 is going down as not my most favorite year. No particular reason why it's just been "One of THOSE years" That's not saying it was a bad year. Not at all. I really had a good year in a lot of ways. I started School again, majoring in Spanish. I bought a Mountain bike and actually used it. Lost 10 lbs and gained it back. :) Went on Some fun Trips:
This is from my January trip to West Yellowstone. Sadly almost all of my pictures of this trip were deleted but this is me standing in a snow bank. The snow was deep! We learned some interesting things on this trip. One was that West Yellowstone never plows their roads. They just pack it down so you can ride your snowmobiles on it. We also took a trip through Yellowstone. We chartered a trip in a giant van with huge tank-like tires instead of tiers and skies in the front to ski. We went and saw Old Faithful and yes it is faithful even in winter. I have now seen it in winter with snow everywhere, in the middle of the night watching by moonlight and in the summer. Oh and I saw wolves and Bears and Eagles and Elk on this trip. It was awesome!
This was taken at Panguich in July. It rained quite a bit while we were there. This was the outfit I rigged for myself to be able to survive a rescue mission of something. I don't remember what exactly. But it needed saving and I had just the Hero outfit to do it.
Wade and I took up hiking this summer. This is one of our favorites. Cecret Lake.
This was the dear hunt in September. My Brother Sister-in-law, Dad, Cousins, Uncle and Grandpa and I all went hunting. We had a lot of fun. Cooking Hiking and hunting We had a great time.
We took some trips to Wyoming to see some Plays.
This is from my trip with the Scouts to Goblin Valley. We hiked our legs off on this one about 14 miles in 2 days and a service project. Ouch! We had a lot of fun. This was taken at the end of our hike that we were on the first day.
I went to Delta many times and road horses. Most importantly. Also I went to St George for a Christmas Party and Thanksgiving. Lots of family and good times .
St George.
Big Events

• In May I had the opportunity to return to my Highschool and do a reunion show for my High School drama teacher's retierment. That was alot of fun. I got to work with many people that I had known or known of in highschool it was a really fun exsperiance for me.

• In September I found out that I will be an aunt this may and I would tell you what it is but I don't know if that information is public knowledge yet.

This is Button (as in cute as a...) Wade and I adopted her on September 13. She was born mid July. She is a Lionhead rabbit and quite funny. She is litter box trained and lives in the house. A couple months ago we added 2 more to the bunch

Mo and Lilly
sortof got donated to us and now we have a heard. Mo and Lilly are the outside bunnies and they wouldn't have to live in their cage if they would be nice to eachother. I know they look like the same bunny in the pictures but they are really quite different. Mo is about twice as big has a Mohawk and is somewhat freindly so long as you have food and don't pick her up. Lilly is smaller and older. She's very shy. but can be sweet when she wants to be.
Well those are the highlights It really has been a good year! Wishing you all the very best in the year to come. Happy New Year !!!!

MY MISSION

So guess what 2 years ago today I stepped off a plane and was in the United States again after 18 months away. My mission. I've been home as long as an elder is out now! Crazy I can't believe it. I decided a little reminiscing was in order. I was trying to pick a picture or 2 but I couldn't pick one.
Here we go a trip down memory lane.
Madrid Spain Temple. I took this one on my last morning in the Spain MTC. From my window. The most Beautiful temple in the world. I took it on my way to catch a plane to the most wonderful place on earth!
This is in my first area. Well actually I'm in Conosur. The sister area south of The Port where I was serving. Do you see the little hill in the background? At the base of the hill is an elders area and then Mine and then another Elders area and then Conosur. So I'm that way a little bit.

These are the Sisters in my Zone when I got in the mission. All of them but a few went home within 2 transfers or were my companions at some point.
This is Anna and her family. I had a lesson with her my first day in the mission field. Its: Me, Andres, Anna, Anna Paula, Her husband who's name I can't remember, Andrea and Alexander. We taught her for a while wonderful family but they still haven't accepted the gospel. But I do still talk to them from time to time.
Transferred to Tenerife. Getting on a boat to a new Island. Actually I'm on a bus right now but then I will be on a boat.
Do you see the fish sections in these places?!?!?!
This is acctually in the Canary Island version of a Cosco.
This is the only area I had a car in. We only used it 2 days a week. And I think this is the only time I ever drove this car. Our cars had transfers just after we did. My car for most of the time I was in this area was white.
This was a beautiful area. This is the view from my appartment.
This was from the top of our area.
This is the view from the Pettingills appartment lookin at Teide. The tallest mountain in Spain. Its a volcano.
Last area. Bario Salud, in Santa Cruz. My area that always seemed up hill. It was a city on the side of a volcano. Good excersize here.
This is Maritsa and Aron. My favorite people in Spain

I could keep adding pictures all night. My mission was the most amazing experience of my life. I loved it all and looking through these pictures has been so fun for me. It's only been a glimpse. But it's a great reminder for me.

12:49 Finals done.

So here I sit, 12:49 in the morning. I just finished my last final. Spanish History of Spain. I really didn't like that class all that much. But I believe I passed. Which is a plus. My final from earlier in the week, the class I did like. I'm not so sure about that one.
So anyway my last final is done and I should be catching up on some much needed beauty sleep but here I am Blogging. I should at least be working on Christmas presents but no. That would be logical.
Tonight we went to my uncles house for a Christmas party with the Birrells. We had a lot of fun we played some Mario Kart on the wii and ate good food and played some games. It's so good to be around family! I just love Christmas. The time we spend together and the fun we have. I'm grateful for such a family that loves to be together and to take time out of so many busy lives to share an evening of fun, food and Family. I should stop there I can tell I'm suddenly very ready for bed. But I just want every body to know how great my Family is.

Lets get this thing started

OK first thing I need to do is get some better font options. Hi y'all yes it's me Sandy finally getting on the Blogging bandwagon. Not that I really think that my life is interesting enough to be publicly documented. On the contrary it's quite possible that the opposite is true! This might be setting myself up for a public humiliation. Oh Well here it goes.
This week has been CRAZY!!! With my finals and everything coming up and taking on another job I'm stretched pretty thin. But it's almost over 2 more tests! Yeah Baby!
But the week before was a good week. I went to St. George for some good eating thinking I was going to hit the sun one more time before a long cold winter in Salt Lake. I was wrong! I didn't even know it could get that cold, wet and cloudy in St. George! It was crazy. But the food was soooo good! I love Thanksgiving. I still haven't been hungry I ate so much.
We also spent some time in Delta with Wade's parents and went horseback riding. Still my favorite past time. It was a good time and I got to see almost every single person I know... at least the ones I'm related too...(well half of them anyway.)