Expect the Unexpected

I like to plan.

Anyone who knows me well is well aware that I like be in charge of myself and in charge of my schedule. I have had my life mapped out to this point since... well, since I could read a calendar, I suppose. I always knew I would graduate high school in 2013 and begin my university studies at BYU. I would then spend Fall of 2014 on the study abroad program in London. When I came home I would then allow myself to start dating people, be an efy counselor summer of 2015, and get married summer of 2016 right after I turned 21--just as my mother and sister had done. When you are young it does not seem so silly to plan things such as when you are getting married, or the exact time and place you will do a study abroad. I did not consider factors such as "What if I don't get into BYU?" or "What if I can't actually go on study abroad? It's competitive and expensive" or, the real shocker, "What if I have not yet found a person I want to marry/a person who wants to marry me by the incredibly young age of 21??" No. Haha, those thoughts did not come to me until applying to colleges, interviewing for study abroad, or getting to school and realizing how many relationships fail. Call me naive, but I prefer to call myself a dreamer. Even more and a dreamer, a doer.

You see, all my life my parents have taught me that if I want something bad enough, plan for it, and work hard, I can have it. Here I am, days from turning 21, in complete awe of the path my life has taken.

Yes, I have been at BYU these last few years and am whole-heartedly in love with my university and the unique opportunities it provides. There is no where else I would rather spend my days studying and growing.

Yes, I did spend four months living in London last fall, but I have dedicated enough posts to that incredible experience.

Yes, I was an efy counselor for the summer. It was awesome. And hard. But mostly awesome.

Yes, I am getting married in two months. June of 2016, just as I always planned. What?!

And what have I learned through it all??

Expect the unexpected.

While these major events in my life have (miraculously) all gone according to plan, I have found that it is the minor details that have made all the difference. For instance, what am I actually going to study at school and do for the rest of my life? Or why spend copious amounts of money for four short months abroad? What's the point? Oh. Also, turns out it is really competitive to be an efy counselor and they prefer RM's.. Which I am not. What if I don't get the job? Or the real big one: who am I going to marry and spend the rest of my life with?!

I have found over and over again that Heavenly Father is willing to work with me. A few weeks ago at General Conference, something was shared that has stuck with me since.

"You can have what you want, or you can have something better"

That has been my overwhelming experience these last three years in college. I NEVER planned on being a nurse. Not in a thousand years. Never planned on the lessons I learned in England or the ways I changed. Never expected the heartbreaks and miracles of efy. Above all, I definitely never planned on marrying Austin. Those things were not part of my plan. Lucky for me, Heavenly Father is patient. He loves me, stubbornness and all. He has lead me by the hand and said, "Look Aimee. You can have what you want, or if you will just trust me and let go of some of your need for control, you have have something infinitely better."

Gaye Ray fan club

Love me my Ellen

Santa Barbara for life

(I said yes)

Today as I sat with friends from elementary, jr. high, and high school and listened to my closest childhood friend speak of her experiences these last 18 months in Africa as a missionary, I could not help but marvel at how much we had all grown up and changed. From returning from missions, studying in college, marriages, and even babies, big things have happened for each of us. Heavenly Father has a perfect plan for each of us. Now, that does not mean we have to give up all our dreams and goals. Not even a little bit. I have done everything I hoped to in my life! But Heavenly Father knows I am capable of so much more than I think. He has stretched me and pushed me farther than I could go alone. He has led me down paths I was much too terrified to follow. He has strengthened my faith and enlarged my mind and world. Everything He does, He does to benefit me. Simply because I am His daughter and He loves me with a perfect love. It is not because  I am somehow earned it; I am far from deserving the beautiful life I live. It is there purely because He loves me.

Nursing cohort - love these fools.

Looking for Mr. Darcy...

Oh wait. Austin is better than Mr. Darcy.

I know God lives. I have seen his hand in the small details of my life, day after day. All He asks is that I have the faith to follow Him. That I will allow Him to bless me, to lead me, to guide me to the wonderful life He so desperately wants me to have--and above all, the life that will bring me home to Him. I am so grateful. Grateful that He trusts me enough to become a nurse and care for His children in need of healing on this earth. Grateful He let me go to my family's 'homeland' and meet some of the most influential and lifelong friends there. Grateful He allowed me to spend my summer learning from the incredible youth and working with amazing people. Grateful He led me to my best friend; someone who loves me even knowing I am imperfect. More than anything, I am grateful that I can be with my best friend and family quite literally forever. 

God is real. God is good. It is a beautiful life, and I am so lucky to live it--even (and perhaps especially) when it does not go according to my plan. 

Love Always, Aimee 

I am in love with life.

The Haunted Half Doesn't Scare Us

Well folks. I have changed a lot over the last couple of years, and done quite a few things I said I never would. (Number one on that list would be nursing school. That was a hard no. But it turns out you cannot actually give Heavenly Father a hard no, or he will test you on it.) 

Kylie, Rick, me, and Steven keeping warm pre-race

Running was something I always despised growing up. I hated being sweaty, I hated feeling slow and out of breath, and I hated feeling weaker than everyone around me because I just thought I could not do it. I always told myself and others that I simply was not athletic; it is easy to blame things on what is out of your control and rationalize that you therefore have no power to change it.

Spider Man, Harry Potter, Leonardo, and Super Man ready to rock.

As I have grown and matured (or like to believe I have..) I have come to reject the idea that there are a lot of things outside of my control. I have come to love the challenge of being told I can't do something or can't change something. My parents raised me to believe that I could accomplish anything I wanted if I planned and worked hard enough for it. A few years ago I decided to take my health into my own hands and started doing research on healthy eating/lifestyles/etc. I came to truly love how it felt to eat and be healthy. I started swimming a lot to get my exercise in. But the problem with swimming is it is sort of a seasonal sport. Every winter would come and my health would decline for a few months, and I once again would place the blame on the weather; something outside of my control. Last year when I left on study abroad I became determined to continue exercising year round. I realize the only way to make that happen would be to start running...

family fun 

I was lucky enough in London to have a bunkmate who was an avid runner and got me up every morning to go with her for a half hour. It only took a week or two to learn to love our morning jogs through Kensington Gardens. It was gorgeous trails, perfect temperature, and just felt good to move my body and feel my heart and muscles growing stronger.

This summer I made a goal to run a half marathon. Daunting to my beginning runner self, but I wanted to prove I could do it. Fast forward 6 months and I am thrilled (and shamelessly proud) to announce I have conquered that goal. Yesterday me and my roommate/best friend ran the Haunted Half! We've been running every morning together since school started and training for longer runs, but the farthest I had ever run was 10 miles.. How different can 13 be, right? ha.

running 13.1 miles is fun folks

We had two goals going into it:
1. Don't walk/stop running
2. Finish in under 2 hours.

shamelessly proud of ourselves and thrilled that I can now go eat all the pumpkin cookies I want..

We did not stop even for one second and ran an 8:47 mile to finish a few minutes under the two hour mark!  #success. WE ARE SO HAPPY. It was so fun! Can I say that? It was 2 hours of running, but I had the time of my life pushing myself and accomplishing a big goal with Erika. My brother-in-law decided last minute to run it as well, and the three of us ended up running the last few miles together and crossing the finish line hand it hand. Ashley came down to support us at the finish line, and Erika's parents came so we saw them several times on the trail. They are adorable.

Rick's cute fams signs

I would be lying if I did not say it was hard, and I definitely had to push myself. I don't know if I could have done it alone, but Erika is a champion friend and encouraged me in my moments of doubt and up the hill at the end. It was definitely an experience for the books, and we are already looking into future half marathons for us to run. It might be an addiction.. We love to say that we run because we can. Our bodies are strong, and they can do amazing things. I am so grateful to my Father in Heaven for my incredible body. The more I study it in anatomy and physiology the more I am blown away by the complexity and perfect intricate workings of our bodies.

 

Health/exercise has become one of the subjects I am most passionate about. I love that I have grown to love running and pushing my body to its limits. It is so empowering and humbling at the same time. I run because I can; I will keep pushing myself and running until I can't. And even then I am not sure I will accept my fate.. Who knows what adventures are in store for me and Erika now. We feel like we can conquer the world at this point! Everyone should go make a health goal and then work until you reach it. I have such a testimony of goal setting. IT IS SO FUN. Go! Get up and move. You won't regret it and I promise your body will thank you for it now and in the years to come.

Spider Man and Harry Potter on cloud 9

Happy Halloween!

Love Always, Aimee

medals are for winners.