Schoooool's Out for the SUMMER!!

WAHOO!!!! Guess what happened yesterday?! (Slash last week...but we all know how good I am at posting the day I actually start writing!) I took my last final as a JUNIOR in college! When did I even get to be that old? I don't know either. So weird. But I love it at the same time. This last semester there were some days when I did not think I was going to make it. When I had so many things on my to do list that even if I only spent 30 minutes on each one, and did not sleep, I still would not have enough time for all of them. And believe me NONE of them only took thirty minutes! But I did it. I feel so successful based off this last semester and even better yet, this semester is going to be my highest GPA of my college career! So many great things occurring. I am happier than ever that my Arts semester is over. It pushed me a whole lot more than I was used to, which is interesting considering how hard adjusting to college was for me. But I have learned SO much and am grateful for my Father in Heaven for the numerous amount and never ceasing help he provided me with all semester, and all the time really. How blessed am I?! :)

Anyway, now on for the exciting part of my post... My summer plans and thing to look forward to!

1. Pretty sure you all know this one: AFRICA!!

with these, beautiful people!

and I could not be more excited. My visa, passport, vaccination card, and everything else to actually get into the country is here and I just got my really hot shoes yesterday that will keep me cool and comfortable during my stay. Am I REALLY going to Africa?! One of my biggest life goals is one week away from being accomplished. :) Amazing.

2. SPORTS CAMPS! Yes, I know what you all are thinking, "three years Kendra, really?!" What can I say? It is the best summer job ever!!! Playing, 7 Peaks-ing, eating, hanging out, dancing... It just does not get better than that!

3. A little bit of this:

4. In other exciting news we have out Pratt and Haynie reunion this summer and I am sooo stoked about that! 6 days of Pratt's and Haynie's split between Heber and Brian Head. We always have the best times seeing as how my family is pretty much the greatest! Why am I so blessed?! ;)

5. Just a little Tim and Lady A never hurt anybody! So we decided we would try them on for size come July 30th! Everyone is invited..I know you want to be there!

6. Of course, there will always be those spur of the moment trips, to places like Disneyland for redeem our Give-a-Day, Get-a-Day vouchers, maybe a little New Jersey to visit my dear sister and not to mention come the third week of August.... ROCKY POINT, MEXICO!!!

We came here for our Senior trip in 2007..not to mention the fact that my family and I have gone every year since I was about 12ish. It is heavenly. We decided since we are about to start our SENIOR year of COLLEGE it was fitting to go back right? And I need a tan to get me through these ridiculously long winters!

Here's to a summer of fun! I love it so much and can hardly wait!

lds.org... Definitely in tune today.

Remember how I get those Young Single Adult Gems from lds.org? Well they are definitely in tune with the spirit today. Here is what I received in my inbox just minutes ago:

We Need the Holy Ghost

“We need the Holy Ghost as our constant companion to help us make better choices in the decisions that confront us daily.” 

 How did they even know it was the first day of finals!? lds.org BYU students are thanking you for this inspirational message!
They sure know what is up today! :) Thanks Elder Hales! 

A little bit like the Celestial Kingdom...pretty sure.

Just imagine.... walking into a cultural hall to the sound of 4 out of the 6 of those beautiful brethren singing amazing arrangements of church hymns and primary songs. (The Moleni family has 11 children in it, 6 boys and 4 girls)

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7sz3So50f4&feature=related

I promise you should go watch this video. And all the other ones they have. Remember to keep breathing while listening. I sometimes forget. I have spent many hours listening to all their videos. They are amazing.

Just imagine...sitting down in the cultural hall where everywhere you look you are surrounded by brown people. Children, women, men, boys and girls, not to mention the young single adult males that were in quite an abundance.

Just imagine.... a musical fireside where the entire choir that is singing, including any soloists or duets, are people from the pacific islands. Completely brown. and produce a more beautiful sound than any I have ever heard be produced in my entire life. (Kind of like this picture...but only young single adults and all dressed in Church clothes and white.

 Just imagine...being ridiculously excited to be in this environment and to sing along side of all of these wonderful people, to have the hymn start and have no idea what it is. You look at the words and see a little something like this:

'Oku 'ofa 'a e Tamai 'ia kitautolu
'Oku 'ikai ha me'a 'e ta'e malava kiate ia
Hanga hake 'o puke hono nima
Ko ia oku telinga
Tuku kene fanongo 

and have no idea how to pronounce them as it comes straight from the Tongan hymn book! LOVE.

Just imagine...every speaker, every testimony shared, not to mention the bishop who conducted the meeting starting out with "Talofa, Aloha, Malo e lelei, and Hello" and you being expected to say it back.


Just imagine...as soon as the meeting ends everyone begins greeting each other with hugs and kisses on the cheeks and you suddenly feel like you are at a family reunion, with family that has not seen each other for years. 

Well folks, don't be jealous. But this is what my last Sunday evening consisted of. My dear friend Mike Bunn, who is always looking out for my life goals and always willing to help me accomplish them, had a friend who was singing in the choir and invited me to come along to the Wasatch Provo stake Fireside (which happens to include many, if not all, the polynesian wards in Provo). It was beautiful. There were three Latter day Saint singer song writers from New Zealand who put together the entire fireside. It was one of the most spiritual firesides I have ever been to in my entire life. And made my decision even more firm about where my future needs to be... ;) But seriously. It was amazing and there are no words to describe how I felt while there! It really was heavenly. I loved EVERYTHING about it.