I somehow survived a whole day of Astrid Lindgren World

I need to stop procrastinating.

Right.....

Now.

I have so much to catch up on! I guess I shall be giving you the basics once again.

And sorry if I keep on apologizing too much! I do that too often.

Lets seeee....

We we went to Gothenburg and looked around! Its a huge city with a TON of malls which are of course super expensive so we don't buy anything...

This statue is some king I can't remember.

This past Sunday was Mother's day! So we got roses. In the states we celebrate it a lot and get our mothers presents, but they didn't here. 

I think they just named a day Mothers day and thats about it! It made me sad that they don't do much, it made me really appreciate my dear mother :)

Now in this picture we traveled 2 hours and a car ferry away, to the ocean under my feet. And yes these stairs were unstable, I almost fell in.

In this city (that I can't pronounce or remember) there was a park in the middle of it! With this cool statue thing.

And this was the city we visited! It was darling.

Forgive me if I stutter

Here is a blog post I recently found and loved! Most of the time we are our hardest critics, and it gets tough. Satan puts us down so much! I just wanna say: STUPID SATAN. Why do you make me feel so worthless, insecure, down, and sad?? 
There is one person who will love us unconditionally, and lead us to eternal happiness and PURE joy. Christ is the only way, and He will never desert us or put us down. I am so glad I am apart of the true church! He cares about each of us individually. No matter what we look like :)


http://breclawson.blogspot.com/2011/05/fyi.html


people aren't going to define you by your looks... it's whats on the inside that counts.  as in when people meet you and spend time with you then think about you later they aren't going to say things like....

oh she's that girl with the muffin top.
oh the one with the crooked bottom teeth?
you know.... that lady with the big feet
she's that guys girlfriend.... with chubby knees

do you see what i'm saying? we (and when i say we i mean i) need to realize that in the end we are going to be remembered for our personalities, our friendships, the things we accomplish, the lives we impacted and so on and so on..... not by our weird shaped ears, mouse brown roots or fat fingers.

SO STOP PICKING YOURSELF APART .............




When I blog-stalk others, they seem to say what is on my mind in an extremely creative and cute way. I like to read what others have to say! I apologize if I post others blogs too much. I love it too much :)

You always want what you can't have

Things have been going well here! We haven't been doing too much, just trying to help out with the families we're staying with.
Heather has the most intense family for sure! Their kids are Wilma, 4 and Oscar, 2 with one due the first week of July. Oh, and did I mention they're also trying to move? While my family is gone during the day, I go over and help out as much as I can. Their kids are SO CUTE. I have taken a lot of pictures of them! But they don't know boundaries very well.
For example: Today I let Wilma listen to my ipod and I guess she really loved it because she started jumping on me and climbing all over! THEN while she was sitting on my lap... She looked me in the eye, shoved my cheeks together, and started kissing me like crazy!! Oscar saw she was getting excited and had to get in on the action. So he ended up trying to climb on my lap as well and head butted me to my face. Man I just love those kids!

One thing the Swedes know how to do really well is feed us everything. Here I thought I was going to Sweden, get tan, work out and come home. Little did I know it would be very windy, very cold, and they would feed us treats constantly!
Yesterday we also went to a concert! As it turns out this guy, Marcoolio, tries to be funny. They all wore footsie pajamas. Of course it was all in Swedish but still! We had too much fun making fun of him and taking pictures!
Not much else has happened! We're trying to plan a trip to travel somewhere, we haven't exactly decided yet.
I've added some pictures, I hope you enjoy them!!

Kelsey LOVED it. She was joking that she having more fun than she's going to have on her wedding

Yesss that is Marcoolio

Marcoolio performed at the huge amusement park in Gothenburg, about 40 minutes away from where we live. Not only was it fun, but gorgeous of course!

The Hulldins won 10 lbs of chocolate! No biggie.

This is Wilma, and she LOVES snails.

From my apartment to Heathers is only a 10 minute walk! This is the one day I was not forced to wear a jacket because it was so cold.

In Sweden there are a lot of lakes. This one has a lighthouse in the distance! Heather and I want to go get a closer look next week.

First Few Days In EUROPE.

Wellllll lets just say things have been extremely crazy around here!!

We are 8 hours ahead of Utah time, and that was the hardest part.

JET LAG.

We (Brad and myself) left Morgan around 4:30 am. My plane left for the D.C. airport around 7:45 am.

Lets just say I got about an hour and a half  of sleep in!

Not to mention it was very hard to leave Brad at the airport...

When we FINALLY landed (I thought the 4 hour plane ride was tedious, man was I in for a treat for our next flight!) we could not find Heathers carry-on suitcase. We noticed there was a bag that was left one the plane with a phone number and a name on it, that looked NOTHING like hers, but we thought we'd might as well try to call the guy who left his bag, to see if it was his.

He had mistaken Heathers slightly large suitcase for his little oxygen tank! We thought it was hilarious but she ended up getting her stuff back.... thankfully it all worked out.

Just don't travel with a black bag, because A) it might be mistaken for an oxygen tank and B) everyone has a black bag of some sort, and it could easily get lost!

Our next  flight took 8 hours from D.C. to Copenhagen, Denmark and it took off about 35 min late. 

I'm so glad they fed us, even if it was airplane food. It was nice to have something in my belly!

When we got into the Denmark airport (which was HUGE) we missed our plane from Denmark to Gothenburg, Sweden. Gothenburg is only about 40-45 min away from Alingsås (you kinda pronounce it Ah-ling-sauce), where we are staying for the summer.

So we left Utah around 7:30 am Thursday morning, and got to Sweden at 12:30 pm Friday afternoon Sweden time. The time difference was so messed up I couldn't tell what time it was. Ever.

My feet swelled up on the plane to Denmark BIG time. It was so horrible I could barely walk!

Kelsey gave me some Benadryl, and when we were in Sweden I was out of it the whole day. I ended up going to bed around 5 pm!

I met the family I was staying with and man are they cute! I couldn't have asked for a better family to stay with.

They are all very nice, polite, and thoughtful. The kids are Elsa and she is 9, and Arvid and he is 7. They know zero English! It gets kinda confusing to communicate with them but it works out just fine. I'm trying to teach them certain things and it has been a lot of fun! They just love me :)

Their parents, Kristian and Amanda speak English extremely well and that has been very nice.

We all get along really well!

I usually stay up kinda late talking with the two of them, its fun!

A bunch has happened while I've been in Sweden, so here are some differences I've noticed:

-you have to pay/rent your grocery bags and shopping cart

-everyone rides bikes because everything is VERY expensive

-their lettuce is grown in the bag and when you buy it, it is still in the soil

-in Sweden the Swedes speak Swedish and no one else outside their country really does. So they are required to learn English

-they drive very fast and don't slow down on the corners. Ever

-they are very family centered and oriented

-their ice cream and chocolate is tons better

-they use the metric system

-they buy their gas in liters

-use Krona's to pay (pronounce it crown)

-cheap price for them is normal price for the U.S.

-very nice and little cars. maybe I'm just use to the Utah cars with a lot of kids?...

-I call Swedish: organized gibberish. I can NOT understand anything they say! It all sounds like gibberish to me

-people peeing in public places-awkward

Thats all I can think of at the moment! Here are a few pictures I've taken so enjoy :)

On our way downtown

Cute house. I had to take a picture!

All of downtown is like this. VERY cute!

Kelsey, Heather, me, Alyssa and Johannes

Johannes is the oldest of 4 kids that Kelsey and Alyssa help with. She speaks English very well!

Elsa and I

A broken frisbee was chucked at her and barely missed her eye! Poor girl. Her mom took her to the hospital just to make sure her eye was ok.

Arvid! He's a funny kid. His parents call him the fruit loop in their family.

Alyssa at the shopping mall

We went to a shopping mall on Monday, May 16th. Everything in Sweden is expensive, so this store we went to was very cheap with nice things! Picture an Ikea store on a black Friday. Thats how busy this place was!

Shopping trip successful!!

Don't Play With Snakes

Life is fragile.
Yesterday, someone I've known my whole life passed away.
He wasn't extremely close to me... But it definitely put life in perspective.
Since I had moved away to college I hadn't seen my good ol neighbor in quite some time! I had just heard he decided to move back home to die due to cancer. Would that be tough? Knowing you were on your death bed, just waiting to pass on?...


Dear Scott,
I will miss seeing you (in your levi shorts and white legs) get up way early to water your lawn since you wouldn't get a sprinkling system.
I will miss you making fun of me and teasing me every chance you got.
I will miss your smiling face that never fails.
I will miss your kindness.

Now you're in a better place and pain free. Thanks for being such a great neighbor all these years, and being a great, wonderful, cheerful person to talk with. You will be missed.

Whoaaaa! Somebody get me a glass! 'Cuz I just found me a tall drink of water.

This here is a poem written by a convert to the church from Ukraine, where Elder Zach Stanford is serving. I thought it was pretty cool so I thought I'd share it!

Who are you boy?  You journeyed to this land of ours.
This land where I have endured my days,
And felt oppression kill my soul,
And forced me into some tight mold,
And teach me that I should not hope,
Unless I care to smell the smoke,
Of dreams that the Red Army tamed.

Who are you boy?  From this land of plenty,
Teaching of God, if there is any.
You have all, we have none.
Do you know what that feels like son?
And yet, you ask me to believe,
In something that I cannot see,
Some force you say will bring me joy,
Do you know what that feels like boy?

Where are you from, faith is free,
But it has a price for me.
When I have pain, I have a bottle,
Hurt dies quick when you down it in vodka.
That's enough to warm my soul.
I work, I sleep, the days go by,
I am waiting for the day I die,
You don't understand this place,
You say you believe, obey, have faith.
Live life well, serve and give,
Here in Russia we just live.

Who are you boy?  Why did you come?
To save a soul who once was numb?
To teach a wretched hateful man,
Who cursed your help, refused you hand.
I thought that we were worlds apart,
So how is it you knew my heart?
A fraction my age, you calmed my rage,
Mercy paid my generous wage,
I should have been left behind,
It is hard to love my kind,
Hope in your heart, power in your hands,
Why did you come to this distant land?

I know now, it was for me.
The red curtain fell, but I was not free,
Until a boy from nations away,
Brought me my Lord, I bless the day.
He led me to weep at my masters feet,
The American boy I met on the street.
New and naive, still in his teens,
With a message to bring the world to its knees,
I thought that the truth would come from another,
I did not know this boy was my brother."

Sweeeeeeden things

Sweden is a week and a half away!! I can't wait to leave the country and experience a new culture. It might be hard, fun, and crazy but I'm so excited!

I took school off for a semester, got two jobs and thats all I've been doing for this trip since my parents told me they would not be paying a singe penny. My solution was to drop out of school for a semester haha.

Probably not the best idea, but I did it anyways.

And no I don't know a single word of Swedish, but my host family told me it will all work out.

I will be nannying two kids ages 7 and 9.

Heather was born in Germany on the army base, and for her birthday her mother is coming over to get us and take us there!

We also have a plan at the end of July to attend this YSA week-long fireside thing and that should be a ton of fun. 27 different countries are coming together for it! http://www.festinord.org/2011/ thats the website if you wish to check it out!

Blog post that broke my heart

Letters Between Lovers
(The Things We Leave Unsaid)
By Ashley Shaw

Danny,

It is sunny here,

But not as warm as expected.

Dusty yellow rays bounce off

The shiny red paint

On my car,

But I still shiver.

I never realized how

Cold it could be

In Florida

-Leslie

Leslie,

I, too, am cold.

But for a different reason.

I miss you.

I wish you would come home.

I can still hear your tentative footsteps

Walking through our bedroom.

It still smells like gardenia,

Even though all of the flowers

Have died.

It is brisk here.

Love,

-Danny

Danny,

Yes, I am aware of your brisk temperatures.

Like the cold tone of your letter.

I made it to the beach today

And let my toes drift lazily

Against the water's edge.

I wore my black bikini.

The one we picked out together

In one of those little stores on the

Jersey boardwalk.

I caught men staring at my

Rounded bottom.

I don't know why I'm telling you this.

I chased the seagulls

Into the foaming surf.

It's so beautiful here.

But I still long for home.

I hope you are keeping occupied.

-Leslie

Leslie,

I am keeping busy.

To distract myself from

Thoughts of your hair

And toes and skin and shoulders

And scent.

I feel your ghost in each

Breath I take, and

I keep thinking I see you

Out of the corner of my eye,

Your lips stretched into a smile.

It was so rare to see you smile

During the past few months.

I wish you were here.

Yes, I'm very busy.

-Danny

Danny,

I'm having my lawyer send up the papers.

Please sign them at your earliest convenience.

Why couldn't you just talk to me?

We could have resolved this.

I'm sorry it worked out this way.

Why didn't you just

Love me?

-Leslie

Leslie,

The papers are signed.

I'm sorry.

I wish I could have fixed this,

But I know

I could never be what you need.

I wish I could tell you

How much I love you,

How much I long for you,

How late I stay awake each night

Just thinking of your eyes,

But some things are

Better left

Unsaid.

-Danny

Life. Is. Amazing.

I am very completely and happily satisfied with life right now.

Brad and I are doing fairly well... I'm not complaining ;)

Sweden is coming along- less than 3 WEEKS! 

Summer is CLOSE

Got into some classes for the fall. Some.

We had a roommate Easter party! It was a success. Sure I got a LOT of strange things... oh well.

I have decided I'm really going to miss Golden Corral! I've grown to love all the customers that come in, and I've loved serving them

My family is healthy and back to normal- finally. My dad was really sick for a week or two with pneumonia and I'm GLAD its over.

With Autumn leaving on her mission, Kelsey almost getting engaged, me and Heather dating, and Haley leaving for Ukraine it has been crazy trying to get together. I'm glad I will see them on Tuesday. In two weeks! 

Roommate easter dinner!

We were exhausted after.

Love the Satchel. 

I got underwear in my basket! Yah..

They liked bitting my silly-putty

Don't ask...

This would be my bum. and my xxxxxxlarge underwear.