I'm back!

So..my sister was complaining about me not blogging so here I am!! :) Let me see if I can recap my life for the past month and a half!! :)

May:

Where to start....

1. Em's graduation party/AU graduation/MK's graduation party: This was a happy but sad time! Em and MK's graduation parties were fantastic!! The food was wonderful and the company was even better!! AU Graduation was a very neat time being able to see all of my friends taking the next step in their lives. They became "grown ups" that day! It was a cool experience to help them get everything moved out of the dorm and be there when they shut the door for the last time! Many tears were cried that night as we had to say "See you later" to Em. But overall, everything was fabulous!!

2. My birthday!!: So....pretty much my roommate ROCKS!! Rach threw me a surprise party for my birthday at my favorite resturant Matty's!! She was SO sneaky!! She not only had my friends there but also my coworkers! I was SO surprised!! I could not believe everyone was there!! I felt SO loved!!! 

3. My baptism!!: So...I was baptized on May 16th!! This was an AWESOME experience!! I was SO happy to have my mom, sister, Ash, Rach, and Bryan there to support me! I was also SO happy that my home group girls were there to support me too!! They were SO amazing!!!

They put up a tent with posters all around it with my name on it and made cookies and put my name on them too!! I am TRULY grateful for them!! The Lord has blessed me SO much through them!! When I look at all of the people the Lord has put in my life I am don't know any more appropriate words than THANK YOU! 

June:

1. SCHOOL'S OUT!!!!!: YAY...YAY...YAY!!! I am SO excited to be out of school!!! I need some good ole R&R!!! My first year was wonderful!! I had a great group of students!! I also work at the BEST school in the WHOLE world with the BEST people!! If it was not for them I don't know what I would have done!!

1. Jamie came to visit!!!!: Over the last week, Jamie came to stay with me!!! It was SO awesome to have her here!!! I TRULY miss her when I'm not home!! She is growing up to be such a beautiful woman of the Lord!! We had tons of fun just chillin out and hangin at the pool!! She also brought Himler to me! 

2. Himler is here to stay!: So...you got it right...Himler has come to live with me! He is adjusting well!! I'm having to get used to having him around....no more late nights out!! haha!! 

Upcoming Events:

1. Alaska

2. Virginia Trip to see MB

3. Bailey's Wedding

4. Ash moves in

5. Icthus

Wow....my summer is filled!!! Just sitting here thinking through it all makes me SO excited!!! I am so truly blessed!! God is SO good!! May be we always see how GREAT and GOOD He is!!

ALASKA!!!

So..as most of you know I am going to Alaska this summer with a group of girls to run a camp just like Camp La Vida only in Alaska!! I could not be happier!!! I am truly excited about where the Lord is leading!! 

So...here's the story! When I called Cindy (the lady who runs La Vida here) to tell her that I was not going to be able to come back to camp this summer because I did not feel like that was what the Lord wanted me to do and I was not going to be able to give 110% like I would want to. Cindy was very nice and understanding! But...she did say "Joya, would you consider doing some short term missions stuff?" well...I thought this meant coming to camp for a week to help out. Well...little did I know she wanted me to go to Alaska. So...I told her "Yes, for sure!" She then said...."I would love for you to go to Alaska" I said, "Where?!?" She said, "Yes, I said Alaska!" I kinda of laughed out loud! I told her I would pray about it and consider it but in the back of my mind I was already shutting the door. Well, this was on a Thursday night when I talked to her. Althrough the weekend, I was talking about Alaska with a friend but was still really unsure about money and whether I was supposed to go. By then I was getting a little excited but was still not sure. Well....Monday night I was at Bible Study with some ladies from my church. Which btw....THEY ROCK!!! I LOVE THEM!!! (just a little side note ;) ) Well...lets just say that I had not read the chapter for that week...and almost didn't go because of it but decided that I really needed that time. So....as we started going through the chapter the Lord really started to speak to my heart. The chapter was about going for the opportunties that the Lord puts in front of you. WOW!! I mean what an opportunity the Lord had given me to go to Alaska! So...the whole time I'm sitting there hearing the Lord speaking to my heart but trying to block it out. I even asked the girls to pray for me about the decision even though I knew that was what I was supposed to do. Well needless to say....after we left I called my mom! You know a girl has to call the Mom before she can make decision! haha!! When I called her I said, "So Mom...what would you say if I told you that I had the opportunity to go to Alaska this summer and serve at a camp for a week just like La Vida?!" She said without hesitation "GO!!" That was it! I knew I was going! I made the decision to jump both feet in to Alaska...no turning back...in faith that the Lord would provide the money. I was also very nervous about not knowing anyone but had a friend who was VERY interested in going just had to get the ok!

So now....I am going, Britnie is going, and hopefully some other fun and amazing girls!!! I am SO SO SO excited to get to spend time with each of these girls serving the Lord in ALASKA!!!! We are looking at plane tickets and trying to make the best decision on the ones to buy and all that jazz!! I will most definitely keep you updated! PLEASE pray for us as we go and for the girls we will minister to! God is SO good!! I can't wait to see what He does there!!! I know it will be a once in a lifetime experience!!!

Marlee Ava

SHE'S HERE!!!! YAY!!!! We have waited for this day for SO long!!!

Welcome...Marlee Ava 8 pounds 7 ounces 19 inches long born at 5:35 pm!!

More to come about her later!!!!

My Bucket List

I figured Valentines Day was the pefect time to put up my bucket list! This is just a little bit of it some have been done and...more to be added!

(x) 1. Become a teacher 

(  ) 2. Get my masters

(  ) 3. Get married

(  ) 4. Love one man with all my heart for the rest of my life

(x) 5. Fly in a plane

(x) 6. Go on an overseas mission trip

(x) 7. Graduate from AU with good grades

(x) 8. Ride a motorcycle

(  ) 9. Go to NYC and see a broadway show

(  ) 10. Go to California

(  ) 11. Become a mother

(  ) 12. Adopt a baby

(  ) 13. Go to Niagra Falls and the Grand Canyon

(  ) 14. Go on a cruise

(  ) 15. Kiss in the rain

(  ) 16. See the sunrise while sitting on the beach

(  ) 17. Take shag lessons

(  ) 18. Have a boxer and other small dog...havent figured out which one yet!

(  ) 19. Dance under the moonlight

(  ) 20. Leave a legacy

There's the start of the list...more to come later!!

25 Kinda Random Facts about Me!

1. I love Ladybugs! Real and fake!! haha

2. I love to sing at the top of my lungs while riding in the car with the windows down and sunroof open!

3. I love exclamation marks!!!!! haha :)

4. I sleep with a fan on and normally tv sleep timer set!

5. I love to read!

6. I love to have random dance parties in my room and car!!

7. Francesca Battistelli is like my FAV right now!! 

8. I'm a sucker for chick flicks!

9. I eat at Chickfila and Zaxby's at least once a week!

10. I don't have as much randomness in my life as I used to...it stinks a little!

11. I LOVE to watch the AU wrestling team!! They ROCK my socks!!

12. I want a puppy REALLY bad!! 

13. My favorite movie right now is 27 Dresses

14. I love to get mail!! Especially cards!!! No bills :(

15. I miss my family MORE than you will EVER know and LOVE them OH SO much!!

16. I LOVE getting my hair cut!!

17. My feet are EXTREMELY ticklish!!

18. I played the clarinet and trumpet in middle school and then quit! haha!

19. I laugh when I get nervous...not always the best thing!

20. I LOVE peanut M&Ms!!

21. Fruit makes me happy!

22. Cool days with sunshine make me smile REALLY big!

23. I CAN'T wait for BABY FOREMAN to be here!!!

24. Flip flops, jeans, and tshirt=perfect outfit!!

25. Lord I'm so clumsy...but on your shoulders I'm free to be me!!

So....lets see how this thing works! :)

I'm gonna try this out and see how I like it. No deals as to how often I'll write but here goes nothing!! haha!! Everyone seems to have one so why not join the club!! Who knows maybe I'll actually like this how blogging thing! :)