Two words: ЧЕРНОТО МОРЕ!

Yes this is the Black Sea! 

I've been dying to swim in it because if anyone knows anything about Eastern Bulgaria...

it's a sauna.

Summer 2012 + me + Black Sea = pure joy

updates just in case you missed the past 2 years of my life...

First of all, I got back from my mission in Bulgaria August 2010 with an unknown illness accompanying me to present. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. If anyone is debating on serving a mission, I always tell them it is worth it to teach people and bring them closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not some fairytale. The Plan of Happiness is real. (to learn more about this plan copy and paste:

https://lds.org/plan/earth-life?lang=eng ). It makes life on earth worth it. When times are difficult, it gives me purpose and direction. I cannot deny the existence of God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. There were so many experiences that make my heart so happy thinking about them and I have this love for Bulgarians, unlike anything else I've felt in my life.

Second, after lots of prayers, priesthood blessings, doctors appointments, 1.5 years time of healing, medications, and physical therapy, I just finished my first semester back at Brigham Young University since before my mission. It makes me cry just thinking of the Lord's mercy and love He has shown me in every aspect of my life. I cannot tell you how grateful I am to God for the strength He gave me to serve a mission, gain my health back and then go back to school.

It has been a long journey but a definite pleasure and privilege to learn how the Spirit communicates to me, how prayers of faithful friends and families are answered, and to be healthy enough to study around some of the finest young adults in all the world. I couldn't be happier this Christmas season for blessings of health, blessings of attaining an education, blessings of relations with my family and my friends, near and far.

Merry Christmas my dear family and friends! I love you all with a tremendous amount of my heart.

Wow.

That is the only word that comes to mind.




I am just in awe of the wondrous and majestic power of our loving Father in Heaven. How finely tuned each day is to the miracles that he procures through us, if we allow it and open our eyes to see them. There are just so many things going on in my head that it makes it quite impossible for slumber and since I've been MIA from the blog scene for forever (I've been playing with my nephews and it's really just been "summer" these past 6 months:)


so, I thought I would type one last hoorah before I enter the MTC in a week!!!!!

I have always loved learning new things and I knew one day that I would attend college. I guess, you could say that it was a dream of mine to go to school... sure. But, a mission. I have prayed so hard and long to know if this is what I'm supposed to do and upon receiving such a strong answer as to confirm it and dispelling any confusion that was before me, it was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had. I leave in a week to serve a full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Bulgaria Sofia Mission. There could not be more joy or happiness in my life right now. I know that the Lord is preparing us for what is to come ahead and I feel like I've been strengthened tremendously and given many learning opportunities to be patient, to be kind, to be submissive, to be the peacemaker, to be forgiving, etc. We are given these opportunities to live and learn because the Lord knows and trusts that we can succeed.

I feel like I have to get it all out of my system right now. It is a new year and all... so, here are my New Year's Resolutions:

1. Laugh more. I feel like everyone benefits from laughter. You get firm abs, you get those wrinkles on the side of your eyes that I hope to have someday:) and you live a longer life, I feel. I love the General Conference talk by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Come What May and Love It", couldn't have said it better myself.

2. Read the Bible. Cover to cover. I feel like there is much to learn from our ancestor's experiences! It's a book full of journal entries on how to survive this life. They did it without television, indoor plumbing or fad diets... I feel enlightened just thinking about reading it.

3. Love my God, my family and myself. Mainly just be more loving towards everyone. Love can change the world! I truly know that and I've seen it.

4. Be inspired. There are so many distractions in this life. I am taking the time to breath in the beat of a song, the encouragement of a friend, the fact that the sun is still shining above those thick, dense clouds, the wisdom of a seasoned saint, the beauty of this gorgeous earth... the list goes on because life is just that good.

Wow! The Lord really has called me to serve a mission to the people of Bulgaria!

Wow! This is exactly how I feel sometimes...

Wow! I cannot believe how fast everything is changing.

Wow! My heart feels unlike anything it has before.

God be with you 'til we meet again. (that is one of my favorite Hymns! )

First things first

Itinerary for DAY of CHANGE:
5:00 am- wake up and move EVERYTHING out of garage
7:00 am til 9:00 pm- sort EVERYTHING into piles: keep, toss, or donate
10:00 pm- jump into pool

This day was MONUMENTAL! Even if it feels impossible, I definitely recommend putting your life in order! If my family can do it, I believe anyone can. Not to say that this wasn't a tremendously painful day, however the joy that comes from having a clutter-free space is 1.2 billion times better than having junk continuously encroaching upon and taking over your life!

"Day of Change" is imminent

So, my parents are pack rats. As a result I have never been able to step foot in my garage without seeing boxes of stuff... sentimental stuff, of course but still just stuff. Moving away from home was one of the most invigorating steps in my life for a lot of reasons. For one I was able to see that I don't need all that "stuff". I can live with at least one pair of pants, a couple of shirts, some shoes, maybe a jacket if I'm in the north, etc. Because of this rejuvenating existence that I experienced at school and with the experiences of my sister, Kristen, who recently returned from serving a mission in Antofagasta, Chile, we decided that there must be a reason all of my siblings are living in such close quarters this summer... with our powers combined we decided to clean out the house for good :) This Saturday, the eighteenth of July of the year two thousand and nine has been dubbed "The Day of Change" for the Parker Family. Questions and doubts have filled my mind plenty of times but all that can be done and said is SI SE PUEDE! haha. I feel it is not healthy to live in such a way where the materialistic things that we are surrounded by, engulf us. There is a much more happier way of life and I feel it is my duty to bring that happiness to my parents since they seem to be stressed all the time. Stress= no bueno. I really believe it will shorten and inhibit our souls to live a long healthy, well-lived and happy life! The moral of this story is that there is never a time like the present for your life to change for good.

This is the first day of my life.

These past 2 weeks have been crazy, to say the least. But I like crazy because I am crazy. I feel that moving back home has given me this opportunity to start anew, which is a very rejuvenating and refreshing feeling. I'm not gonna lie, at times it has been difficult but what's life without a little bit of a challenge now and then, eh? When I think about this time that I have been given to be around such amazing people, I'm just happy and grateful to be living down south again. It has been weird hearing the F bomb dropped like sprinkles from a cupcake and the fumes of cigarrettes intoxicating my lungs but I just remind myself that we are all on a great adventure to find true happiness really.