November 15th, 2009 Best Friends

So today is probably a very special day for me! This very day last year was the day I told my best friend I loved him! I finally realized that everything I was avoiding a pushing away was something I needed in my life. I think he wonders sometimes why it took me so long to figure it out, but for me I think like most good things in our lives, it takes time and effort to find that love. When you are friends with someone for a long time you get to know them from the inside out, and you learn their secrets and everything about them, which almost helps you to develop a Christ like Love for them! When you know you can love that person unconditionally, when you can understand that person without them saying a word, when you don't judge thm for their weaknesses, I think that is when you know... I can't say this last year has been easy, and I know I have made mistakes but I do know that this day means a lot to me even at this time! By this time next year I will be very exacted because I will only be 6 weeks away from seeing my best friend after 2 years!
Receiving a letter on this day from my best friend was almost an answer to my prayers! Growing up is hard and confusing especially when its your life, and your decisions! You figure things out as they go and you learn. All I can say is no matter what I can always count on my best friend to be there for me, no matter what happens. I can't say I deserve that unconditional love or understanding, but I can say I appreciate it, and cherish it. You only find that love with time, Patience and effort. It's when you least expect it when something amazing happens and almost all your dreams come true. Don't be scared of love, love is what brings family and friends together. Cherish that love you have with friends and family and let that love grow!
Love Shanel
These are some pictures he sent me:

Winter Freeze!!!

So this past week has been a relazation of what I am putting myself through by staying here in Rexburg for Winter and Spring... I wake up November 8th to a winter wonderland! My roommates and I were like the little kids on Christmas morning running to the window and just so surprised!!! It was fun getting all bundled up and running and playing in the snow =) I still don't know how I feel about the snow it still is really weird to wake up and there is snow on the ground!...










Well then Thursday night Michael Bruan asked me to go out with him and his roommates and we went sledding up at the upper hills. It was a lot of fun and then running to pop balloons. Then we went back to there place to have hot chocolate and just chilled and all talked it was a lot of fun =)











So since I hurt my neck 3 weeks into school the cold makes it tense up pretty bad and it hurts, so I have to wear a lot of scarfs and bundle up a lot!!!.. But school is going great!! I love college it is a little stressful with school, projects, church calling, and teaching for the school but I love it. =)

Life is great

So I have noticed something I have never really experienced!! The seasons changing, the colors the way the air cools and how the wind blows its almost magical to see. It makes me think how god created all of the earth and how truly amazing it is. As Caitlin and I take our walks to and from Wal-Mart we get to notice things that we never would if we would have driven. Just walking through the tree's and seeing the environment as it changes is truly amazing.

I had a Halloween party in my Ballroom class which was so fun!! We practice our routines then to Halloween music we danced to our routines but with balloons. Michelle and I did Rumba and we had to hold the balloon in between our legs as we did the routine haha it was awesome! Then I did Waltz with this girl in my class and we had to have the a balloon in between our stomachs and then in between our heads it was awesome!! We lasted for a very long time also.



Oh we also celebrated Miss Emily's Birthday this week. She got to be "Queen" for the day with her pretty pink tiara. We surprised her by taking her to dinner at a Mexican food restaurant in our little town it was awesome and we had an amazing time! Oh and it started to snow on Oct 26!!! It is crazy cold here!!!!!

A Love For Rexburg!

So as I have been here a lot has happened! I have grown to be best friends with my roommates Emily, Caitlin, and of course my adopted roommate Laura Mickle! We all just make a great team. Between the late nights of homework, or just talking about life and advice, it is just so nice! I never thought I would say I love living with girls but I do!


especially since Caitlin Laura and I knew each other before college!


College can be hard at times but I know that it is something I want to accomplish for me! As I go to my classes I still am figuring out what I want to do and also look at the roll god wants for me. I still wonder how the plan is all going to a line but I am trying my best! I volunteer to teach at the school for students that have been on probation for breaking the honor code and just that experience alone is amazing. Caitlin and I are companions and basically we read a talk and then teach a lesson and have the students interact within the discussion! I have just loved seeing the students grow and to become stronger in their testimonies you really can tell that they are trying to become better! I love seeing the light in their eyes beginning to come back. I also think this has been a growing experience for Caitlin and I. We have been put out of our comfort zone and has helped us to get more leadership roles. I think the best part is it has taught me unconditional love for those that are members but are trying to better themselves or trying to fix mistakes that they have made! It really shows me how the our Heavenly Father Loves us and is proud of us even we are weak and trying to become strong.
So far here in Rexburg Idaho I have found that I am more at home then I thought. The weather is random, it rains, it gets hot, it gets freezing cold, and most of all it is over cast a lot! Haha I still get up and step outside to see what I should wear for the day and even then I may have to change once or twice a day haha. I love it here though. I can't explain how the spirit is so strong here and there is so much love and people just strive to be better and lift each other up!
Some fun experiences I have had this first semester is fizz ball which is base ball with soda! That was really fun and we hit over 100 soda cans haha that exploded when you hit them!




I have been to the ice caves which is really cool its this cave in a big hole and the whole thing is made out of ice. It just glistens at some parts of the cave and it was just really fun to slide and climb your way through the cave!
I have decided to stay up for winter track to get some classes and prerequisites out of the way, so I will be freezing!!! But It will be fun rooming with Erika Stead and 4 other girls! I am pretty excited! I will miss my roommates though!
We will be reunited though for Spring oh and hopefully little miss Thais will be joining us!! I can't wait! She is so amazing and I miss her more and more each and everyday.




So you might be asking about these last two missionaries have been writing about... Well I found that my job is to do what I am supposed to do and they are to be missionaries and to become all they can be! If it is meant to be it is meant to be! I know that god has a plan for me and he knows when the right time is for me to make that decision will be. I am just going to college getting an education and having fun meeting new people! I love college!!! =)
Well that is an update on my life! I do miss Texas and the People I know there but I will be back for Christmas be expecting a visit from me =) I love you all
Shanel

The duty of a women!

So if anything I have learned as I have become a women is that God really must love his daughters the most, because he wouldn't give us cramps that run all the way to our toes to where we have to take so much IB that it puts us to sleep for 8 hrs +.. In some ways I think it will prepare us for when that time of child birth comes to play but right now I wish this pain was not needed!! When I have to come for church take a lot of medicine laugh on the couch with my tummy on a heating pad and a frozen bag of beans on my back there is a problem haha.
Gotta love being a women!!

The Most Epic Night In Rexburg!!

So after a long day at class and have little to no homework for the weekend, Emily aka Cici and I just sat in the dorm for a while being so tired because of getting up so early for the temple. We decided to go walk around campus, so we got up and head out until Caitlin got done with her study group.. Well as we were walking around Cici got a text from one of her friends, she asked if we wanted to go to porter park tonight to have a shaving cream slip and slide war!! Of course we said yes!! So we went to the MC to have dinner which was okay, I had spaghetti as always I love Pasta!! Well after that we headed to the Library to go see how Caitlin was doing and to tell her about our amazing plans tonight, but then we got a text she was somewhere else..Luckily we only climbed 2 flights of stairs before we made it to the top. I have had so much problems with the elevation here, I am out of breath all the time and my mom always thinks I am sick when I call home... Haha well we decided to go back to the dorm and wait for Caitlin and Laura. Cici and I always talk about our lives and always help each other with our drama spills, seriously our roommates were meant to be, we are so close and do everything together its great!! Finally after about 30min they showed up we dressed for battle and headed to Porter park which is about 2 and half miles aways, I really enjoy walking every where since I moved here it's really great!! So we got there but no one had showed up yet so we all just waited on the bench then Cici goes I want to yell her name but not be loud haha so Laura did the honors for her and then Cici's friend yelled back it was really funny... This girl has so much energy it is insane!!! But I loved it. We waited for everyone to get there then we each got a can of shaving cream and then started to go crazy getting everyone!! It was a blast !! Oh well then out of the blue Laura decides to tackle me to the ground and then Caitlin did the same and I got a pretty nasty bruise from that haha. Well then we duck taped trash bags to the ground and put a ton of soap and water on it.. It sort of work and then I got an Idea to use the plastic wrap around our bodies and then put soap on us and that was pretty funny especially when we wrapped Laura and her arms in .. She fell on the ground and couldn't get up so we all tried to help her but we are so slippery that we just kept dropping her haha it was so funny and we all were laughing on the ground. Well finally she broke lose and got up, then we decided to go down the slides with our slippery selves but there were people there playing a bunch of games already so they asked us to join, then we played missionary tag haha we were so slippery that when people would try to join arms with us they would slip and fall haha it was hilarious!! Well after losing our breath from running around we decided to clean up and leave.. It was great!!











Well after we got home we all took showers and Laura showed up again.. she got locked out of her dorm and her roommates were out and curfew isn't till 1 on weekends so she borrowed some close and took a shower.. Well after talking with her she fell asleep and we tried to make her lay back and then the awesome sleep talking Laura came out haha we love it when this happens and guess what I got it on video haha here ya go!
(Videos are to come) =)

Thinking I know it all!!

I am the type of person that thinks I know it all at times and know what I am doing. However Heavenly Father knows better then that, and knows I don't know everything so he gives me trials to figure the rest of the world out. Being here in Rexburg I guess I do feel the spirit of BYU-I OR AKA Spirit of Ricks! People told me they have either loved it up here or they have hated it. Know I see, Here at BYU-I they have a standard, standards of being professional and genuine. The people are the nicest people you meet. The teacher are there to spiritual teach you and to educate you. I see a temple up on the hill as I walk from class to class, reminding me of why I am here and what my ending goal is, which is to be in that temple, to return to my Heavenly Father with Armor! I love how because of the "strict rules" and standards set here you have a respect for the campus and a respect for yourself and everyone around you. It's a feeling you never want to lose or forget.
These past 2 weeks I have felt very little and back at the bottom of the food chain, however with great roommates who are supportive and just know how to make me laugh I have risen to the top. We are all committed to doing homework before play, which eliminates any stress or last minute frustrations! We work out together to keep our bodies in shape and to prevent from gaining the freshman 15.. I have lost 5 pounds actually between all the walking, dance classes, and working out.
I have learned to listen to the simplest things from my mom, I really love how my mom can listen to me think about what I am having a melt down over and she knows just what to say. The comfort of a mom, and the love from a mom is the most remarkable thing and I hope to be at least half the women my mom is, when I am at that stage of life. Just how the other night I was freaking out about the future and how all my choices lead up to that one moment and going on and on and my mom simply replied "Just become all you can be as a person and the right person will find you you wont have to find him, you will just know, stay focused on creating who you are inside and who you want to be.... Love you!" That simple advice calmed my thoughts and helped me to move past it.
It's just how the simple promptings I get from my Heavenly Father as I go to the Temple. I entered the Temple this morning at 5:30am. My ward had asked to go so Caitlin, Emily and I woke up and ready to walk half a mile to the Temple up hill in 40 degree weather. It was so great =/ however so worth the feeling and gratitude I got for doing it =). The Rexburg temple has only been open for 2 years and the design of the baptismal fount is out standing. Well we got to the temple a little early and was one of the first groups there, which gave us a chance to talk to our bishop a little bit. Then we sat down in the front. Read some scriptures which I turned to D&C 109, perfect scripture for being in a temple, it talks about the Kirkland Temple, the importance of it and to what should happen in it. I also read some talks that really inspired me. Caitlin and I waited for a long time to go, I took this time to sit there and ponder and feel and hear the spirit as to what I need to be doing. It was an amazing feeling to feel, to know that my Heavenly Father loves me and gives me the advice I need. To let me know I am worthy to be in such an amazing place at this time!
I may think I know it all but Heavenly Father has a way of showing me and teaching me that I still have a lot more to learn. That is the blessing of this life that I am gaining knowledge that I will keep the rest of my life.
I am also blessed to get the opportunity to be involved in an organization at my school to where I will be teaching with a partner, teaching students who are on probation's with the honor code... I will get to talk with them about talks that we have read and ways to better our selves. My hope is to guide them towards the Atonment. The antonment isn't only for big mistakes but also for the little ones. If you rely on the Atonment you can be perfected in the way god wants you to be, but the only way you do that is if you let Jesus take upon your burdens, frustrations, and fears. We don't have to do anything a lone, we always have Jesus Christ our Brother who lived and died for us. I am excited to get this opportunity and to help those around me. Its not for me to judge but for me to love and help.
Well I guess I have figured out a lot in these past two weeks, I guess I am excited to see what the rest holds for me.
Love Shanel!!


This is from the flower Garden


My Roommates!!