Hey everyone!!!! So here is an update of my life as of right now! It has been pretty crazy the last month or so! About Thanksgiving time I started getting pretty sick. It was about a week after Thanksgiving. I was having a hard time eating. I couldn't keep anything in my body. It was absolutely awful. I threw up about twenty minutes after eating and just felt awful all the time. I was so nauseous everyday and was so exhausted. I went to the urgent care and the doctor that saw me did my bloodwork and it all came back normal. So he told me that I was stressed and that I should see a pyschiatrist. So I went home and just dealt with feeling gross for awhile. It ended up going away the next day for about a week. Then when it came back, it was a LOT worse than it was before. I couldn't keep anything in my body, not even water. It was getting bad.
I went to see my actual doctor, who has been my doctor since I was little. He looked me over and told me that he wanted to do more bloodwork and a stool sample test. He told me that if he didn't find anything wrong he wanted me to have a colonoscopy. So I waited for my tests. I couldn't keep anything down at all. Everything I ate or drank came right back up. I got my bloodwork back on a Tuesday and everything was normal. They told me that I would get my other tests back by Monday. So I waited. That Monday I got SO sick. I was at work teaching my kinders and I just couldn't even do anything. I almost passed out in front of them. So I had to sit down while they were playing, which was sad because I love playing with them and I couldn't. After my morning classes, I made my way to my mom's classroom and just laid on the floor. I did not feel well at all. My mom said I looked horrible and I just couldn't move. My mom called the clinic and she got me an appointment with a doctor I have never seen before. We ended up going to the doctor right then.
He looked me over, did all the normal routine checks. (I lost a total of 12 pounds over 4 weeks.) Then he told me that he thought that I was completely healthy. He wanted to give me a shot that would stop the vomitting and diarrhea and then he said that I should be fine. If I was still feeling sick the next morning then he wanted me to come in and get an ultrasound. So he gave me the shot, I went home and slept for about 5 hours. I ended up breaking up with my boyfriend that night as well. So Monday was just a bit rough for me. I ended up eating dinner and felt fine. The next morning I woke up feeling AMAZING. I was so happy and I was able to eat everything and anything I wanted. I just felt great. I think that my body was telling me that I wasn't supposed to be dating the boy I was dating. Even though he was absolutely fantastic. He was the sweetest, most caring, loving person. He made me extremely happy but I just kept feeling that something wasn't right and that I shouldn't keep it going. It was hard to break up with him, and there are times when I wish I didn't. But I honestly believe that the Spirit was telling me that he wasn't the one and I needed to say goodbye. And I did, and I have been incredibly happy ever since then. It has been a weird week, but a good one.
I have been able to eat all the food and I love it. I am honestly so happy and I am doing so well. I have already been set up on another date and I am quite excited about it. Heavenly Father has so much in store for me in the next couple of months. This year is going to be amazing. I am going to be finishing up my general education classes. My best friend and I are going to go to Germany to visit my WONDERFUL German family for a few weeks in June. I will be moving out and living in the basement apartment of my family that I nanny for now. I am going to have a fantastic time with that. I'm so excited!!! My life is so wonderful right now. I am happy, healthy and so looking forward to 2016!!! I will be a better blogger this year.... hopefully. Haha
Thanks for reading everyone! I love you all so much!
-Kasey :)
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Goodbyes and Hellos.
Hello everyone! Wow I know this post is SO long overdue and I apologize!!!! It has been so hard writing it.... because honestly every time I start it, I just get sad and can't finish it. I have definitely had a hard time.... but it has been an absolute CRAZY last two months! I can't believe that TODAY marks my 2 month mark of being home! Absolutely blown away. In some ways it feels like it has been forever since I have been home and that I never left, but in other ways it feels like I just left/should still be in Germany. And just a fair warning.... this is going to be a LONG post.
I am going to start off with telling you about my last month in Germany. It went way too fast. We had so fun together. The boys had the last couple of days before I left, off of school and we were able to just spend so much time together. I said my goodbyes to my ward and that was difficult, but it was good. I already miss them so much. December was full of fun. The boys slept in my room so many times, we had people over visiting, we just had fun together. We went Christmas tree cutting. That was one of my most favorite things we did. We went to this cute little area and hunted through hundreds of trees, until we found the perfect one, then we cut it down! And by we, I mean Zeljko, Luka, Nevena and I! We did good! Then we got it packaged up and brought it home.
We decorated the house all adorable for Christmas, and it was so fun! On Christmas Eve (which is their Christmas), we had a candlelight dinner, which was so fun. Nevena and I made a ton of food and it was so yummy. :) Then we opened presents. That was a lot of fun. I enjoyed that a lot. We then just spent the day and night together. Then on Christmas (First day of Christmas for them) we had a pajama movie/game day! It was SOOOO much fun! We played games and watched so many movies. I also was able to Skype with Kurtis! That was so nice. My family was on for a bit, then they left to do their Christmas, Kurtis and I were able to talk for another hour by ourselves, then my family came back on and I left. It was so great. I loved it so much. It was so good to see him. Oh and the BEST Christmas present ever.... Maria started walking 2 days before I left!!!!!!!!! And I was the only one home to see it!!!!!!!! I almost died I was so excited. I miss that baby girl of mine so much.
Then on the 26th, we just hung out and Nevena and I went to see a movie. We saw the third Hobbit. It was so good. So we had a girls night and it was much needed. After we came back, we hung out and just stayed together because I left the next morning......
Oh the 27th. What a day that turned out to be. I woke up and finished getting my stuff packed. Then before I knew it, Zeljko was down in my room taking my suitcases up to the car. I double and triple checked my room to make sure I had everything then up the stairs I went. And I almost started bawling. I don't know how I kept my emotions down so well.... cause it was hard. Nevena and the girls weren't coming with me to the airport and I didn't know how to say goodbye to them. I just held my baby girl forever and then had to say goodbye to Doro and I almost lost it. Then I hugged Nevena and I started crying, but not too hard. Then we got in the car and drove away. The boys and I were on our way to the airport. We got there way too fast. They were with me when I checked in and then they left. I hugged my boys for ages. And then Zeljko... and they were gone. I was alone. But I was so excited. I wanted to get on that plane and get home. I did get home but it definitely took me way longer than I thought it would. I was supposed to fly from Munich to Iceland, then Iceland to Seattle and Seattle to home. Well.... it started snowing in Munich the day before and turns out the airport wasn't prepared for it so I ended up sitting on the place in Munich for about 4 hours before we even moved. It was AWFUL.
I completely missed my flight out of Iceland. But thankfully once we landed in Iceland, I found out that almost everyone had missed the same flight and the airport was awesome. They got us free hotel, taxi and meals for that night and day. I was so relieved. (I couldn't believe how much Heavenly Father was looking out for me.) I got to my hotel and went to my room. I was so excited that I was in ICELAND of all places for a day. I called my dad and told him what was happening. Then I called my mom and told her what was happening. I was in ICELAND. Hah I couldn't get over it. I went down to dinner and made some friends, who I went with to a viking museum the next day. It was AWESOME. It was the coolest museum I have ever been to. The food they fed us at the hotel was amazing. And before I knew it I was back at an airport, waiting to board my flight. I had been rerouted to fly to Denver. The flight from Iceland to Denver was great. I was in a window seat and the person who was supposed to be in the middle seat never showed up so I had so much extra room! It was fantastic! I had WI-FI on my flight and everything was great. I stayed awake the whole time so that I could adjust easier to home time.
Once we landed in Denver, things kept going smoothly. I got through customs just fine, even though it was a pain. I called my parents and found a place to eat. Then things got worse. My flight from Denver to home ended up being delayed 2 hours. So I was stuck in the Denver airport for about 7 hours (my layover was almost 5 hours) and then I found out that I didn't actually have a seat on the plane because they overbooked. I was so angry and so frustrated I started crying. I couldn't stay in an airport for the night. The lady who helped me must have seen my anxiety and soon called asking for volunteers to give up their seat. After about a half hour of waiting, some very nice man went up to the counter and volunteered. I then started crying tears of joy. I wanted to hug him, but figuring that would be weird, I did not. So I got on the flight. I was so exhausted, physically and emotionally that literally, as soon as I sat down, I was out. I slept through take-off. (Who does that!?!?!) I woke up right as the flight attendant called that we were about to land and that we needed to fasten our seatbelts. We landed and I almost ran through the airport to get to my family. And then I was in my mom's arms. It was great. I just started bawling. It was 3 in the morning, I was exhausted and overwhelmed that I was finally home. When we arrived at home, I ended up opening my Christmas presents (haha at 4 in the morning). Then we went to bed. I passed out as soon as I hit my pillow. I was gone. I woke up the next morning tired but alive. We went to breakfast as a whole family and I met my niece. She is adorable and I love her to pieces. It was such a great day.
So ever since then I have just loved being home. I got home on the 28th of December and started work and school on the 5th of January. I completely jumped right into everything. I love my job so much. I work at the elementary school again and I LOVE it. I have recently been given more hours at work so I am working about 30 hours a week and I am a full time student. I am constantly tired, but it is worth it.
I cannot believe that my year in Germany has come and gone. It went way too fast. I cherish every single moment over there, the good and bad. It made me into such a better person. I grew so much closer to my Father in Heaven. My relationship with Him now is so much more stronger than I ever imagined it could be. He is my best friend and I love Him with all my heart. I miss Germany every single day and especially my adorable German family. But I know that I have another family now and I couldn't have asked for anything different. They mean the world to me and I am so grateful they are in my life. I love skyping with them and I love it that Maria gets excited when I skpye with her. It makes me so happy. I love the relationship I have with them.
A year ago today I could have never thought I made it this far and that I grew this much. I would have never thought that I even stayed in Germany. I was sure I was going to come home. It was so hard. The hardest thing of my life so far. But Heavenly Father knew I could do it, and I did. And I am incredibly proud of myself. I cannot wait to see what other adventures He has in store for me. I will keep you all posted on where He takes me, because even though my German adventure is over for now, I am on a whole new adventure. :)
Thank you to everyone who helped me out this last year. I felt all of your prayers and I couldn't have asked for a better group of people to have in my life. I love you all so much!
Love-
Kasey :)
ps I did not proof read this....so I apologize if there are mistakes. ;)
I am going to start off with telling you about my last month in Germany. It went way too fast. We had so fun together. The boys had the last couple of days before I left, off of school and we were able to just spend so much time together. I said my goodbyes to my ward and that was difficult, but it was good. I already miss them so much. December was full of fun. The boys slept in my room so many times, we had people over visiting, we just had fun together. We went Christmas tree cutting. That was one of my most favorite things we did. We went to this cute little area and hunted through hundreds of trees, until we found the perfect one, then we cut it down! And by we, I mean Zeljko, Luka, Nevena and I! We did good! Then we got it packaged up and brought it home.
We decorated the house all adorable for Christmas, and it was so fun! On Christmas Eve (which is their Christmas), we had a candlelight dinner, which was so fun. Nevena and I made a ton of food and it was so yummy. :) Then we opened presents. That was a lot of fun. I enjoyed that a lot. We then just spent the day and night together. Then on Christmas (First day of Christmas for them) we had a pajama movie/game day! It was SOOOO much fun! We played games and watched so many movies. I also was able to Skype with Kurtis! That was so nice. My family was on for a bit, then they left to do their Christmas, Kurtis and I were able to talk for another hour by ourselves, then my family came back on and I left. It was so great. I loved it so much. It was so good to see him. Oh and the BEST Christmas present ever.... Maria started walking 2 days before I left!!!!!!!!! And I was the only one home to see it!!!!!!!! I almost died I was so excited. I miss that baby girl of mine so much.
Then on the 26th, we just hung out and Nevena and I went to see a movie. We saw the third Hobbit. It was so good. So we had a girls night and it was much needed. After we came back, we hung out and just stayed together because I left the next morning......
Oh the 27th. What a day that turned out to be. I woke up and finished getting my stuff packed. Then before I knew it, Zeljko was down in my room taking my suitcases up to the car. I double and triple checked my room to make sure I had everything then up the stairs I went. And I almost started bawling. I don't know how I kept my emotions down so well.... cause it was hard. Nevena and the girls weren't coming with me to the airport and I didn't know how to say goodbye to them. I just held my baby girl forever and then had to say goodbye to Doro and I almost lost it. Then I hugged Nevena and I started crying, but not too hard. Then we got in the car and drove away. The boys and I were on our way to the airport. We got there way too fast. They were with me when I checked in and then they left. I hugged my boys for ages. And then Zeljko... and they were gone. I was alone. But I was so excited. I wanted to get on that plane and get home. I did get home but it definitely took me way longer than I thought it would. I was supposed to fly from Munich to Iceland, then Iceland to Seattle and Seattle to home. Well.... it started snowing in Munich the day before and turns out the airport wasn't prepared for it so I ended up sitting on the place in Munich for about 4 hours before we even moved. It was AWFUL.
I completely missed my flight out of Iceland. But thankfully once we landed in Iceland, I found out that almost everyone had missed the same flight and the airport was awesome. They got us free hotel, taxi and meals for that night and day. I was so relieved. (I couldn't believe how much Heavenly Father was looking out for me.) I got to my hotel and went to my room. I was so excited that I was in ICELAND of all places for a day. I called my dad and told him what was happening. Then I called my mom and told her what was happening. I was in ICELAND. Hah I couldn't get over it. I went down to dinner and made some friends, who I went with to a viking museum the next day. It was AWESOME. It was the coolest museum I have ever been to. The food they fed us at the hotel was amazing. And before I knew it I was back at an airport, waiting to board my flight. I had been rerouted to fly to Denver. The flight from Iceland to Denver was great. I was in a window seat and the person who was supposed to be in the middle seat never showed up so I had so much extra room! It was fantastic! I had WI-FI on my flight and everything was great. I stayed awake the whole time so that I could adjust easier to home time.
Once we landed in Denver, things kept going smoothly. I got through customs just fine, even though it was a pain. I called my parents and found a place to eat. Then things got worse. My flight from Denver to home ended up being delayed 2 hours. So I was stuck in the Denver airport for about 7 hours (my layover was almost 5 hours) and then I found out that I didn't actually have a seat on the plane because they overbooked. I was so angry and so frustrated I started crying. I couldn't stay in an airport for the night. The lady who helped me must have seen my anxiety and soon called asking for volunteers to give up their seat. After about a half hour of waiting, some very nice man went up to the counter and volunteered. I then started crying tears of joy. I wanted to hug him, but figuring that would be weird, I did not. So I got on the flight. I was so exhausted, physically and emotionally that literally, as soon as I sat down, I was out. I slept through take-off. (Who does that!?!?!) I woke up right as the flight attendant called that we were about to land and that we needed to fasten our seatbelts. We landed and I almost ran through the airport to get to my family. And then I was in my mom's arms. It was great. I just started bawling. It was 3 in the morning, I was exhausted and overwhelmed that I was finally home. When we arrived at home, I ended up opening my Christmas presents (haha at 4 in the morning). Then we went to bed. I passed out as soon as I hit my pillow. I was gone. I woke up the next morning tired but alive. We went to breakfast as a whole family and I met my niece. She is adorable and I love her to pieces. It was such a great day.
So ever since then I have just loved being home. I got home on the 28th of December and started work and school on the 5th of January. I completely jumped right into everything. I love my job so much. I work at the elementary school again and I LOVE it. I have recently been given more hours at work so I am working about 30 hours a week and I am a full time student. I am constantly tired, but it is worth it.
I cannot believe that my year in Germany has come and gone. It went way too fast. I cherish every single moment over there, the good and bad. It made me into such a better person. I grew so much closer to my Father in Heaven. My relationship with Him now is so much more stronger than I ever imagined it could be. He is my best friend and I love Him with all my heart. I miss Germany every single day and especially my adorable German family. But I know that I have another family now and I couldn't have asked for anything different. They mean the world to me and I am so grateful they are in my life. I love skyping with them and I love it that Maria gets excited when I skpye with her. It makes me so happy. I love the relationship I have with them.
A year ago today I could have never thought I made it this far and that I grew this much. I would have never thought that I even stayed in Germany. I was sure I was going to come home. It was so hard. The hardest thing of my life so far. But Heavenly Father knew I could do it, and I did. And I am incredibly proud of myself. I cannot wait to see what other adventures He has in store for me. I will keep you all posted on where He takes me, because even though my German adventure is over for now, I am on a whole new adventure. :)
Thank you to everyone who helped me out this last year. I felt all of your prayers and I couldn't have asked for a better group of people to have in my life. I love you all so much!
Love-
Kasey :)
ps I did not proof read this....so I apologize if there are mistakes. ;)
Friday, December 5, 2014
Mission and Me.
Hey everyone! I know I just wrote a blog a couple weeks ago but I would like to share a couple things that have been on my mind lately. :)
First things first: I will not be serving an LDS mission any time soon. I have had actually quite a few people ask me if I have thought about serving a mission in the last year. If you are one of those people who have asked me, I still love you, this post is nothing against you. I understand you are just wanting to know and that is completely fine. :) When President Monson announced the age change for the missionaries in October 2012, the first thing I thought and felt was, "oh my word I want to serve a mission!" And I thought about it. I even went and talked with my bishop about it. I prayed and prayed my little heart out wondering if I should be serving a mission. The answer I received was very clear and I didn't doubt it for a minute. I was not to be serving a mission at this time. Then over the course of the next year, I found myself on a "mission" of my own. I came to Germany and discovered why I was not supposed to be called on a mission. The Lord sent me where He needed me and I couldn't be happier.
Just because I will not be going on a mission doesn't mean that I don't love the gospel and the Lord more than anything, because I do. The gospel, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are my rock. I would NEVER be in Germany on this amazing adventure if they weren't. Being able to go to church each week is part of the reason I was able to stay here. If I didn't have that little piece of home with me, I probably would have never survived. My ward has become my family. They were so accepting and loving to me the first week I went to church and even more and more each week. It is going to be hard to say goodbye to a lot of them.
Heavenly Father has become my best friend. I have cried more tears then I thought I could cry to Him in this last year. I have vented and ranted about everything to Him. And He is ALWAYS there. After I talk to Him, I feel SO much better. It is like He just wraps me in His arms and everything feels like it will be okay. I know He is there and I KNOW that He will always be there. And I am so thankful for that.
There have also been moments that I have been able to truly use the Atonement. It is absolutely incredible to feel like the things you did are so wrong and they drag you down and down. And then you let Him in and you take the Atonement and allow it to heal you. Or even when you feel sad, disappointed, frustrated, stressed, heartbroken, etc. The list goes on and on. You can just use the power of the Atonement and it is all somehow okay. It is so nice to know that someone has felt EXACTLY how I feel at times. I love having the Atonement in my life. And I am so unbelievably grateful and overwhelmed that Christ did that for me. I love Him more and more everyday.
The next subject is more of a super happy moment and I am just so grateful!!! I have NO doubt in my mind that I was supposed to come to Germany this year. Everything before I came just wasn't working out and I felt like something was missing. And then I felt I was supposed to come to Germany and I knew that if I did that, I would be blessed for following the Lord.... and I have been. Immensely. Everything is working out! I get to go back to school in a month today. I am so excited for that. I was really worried that I wasn't going to be able to work at the elementary school when I get back. I not only really wanted to, because I LOVED it, but I had worked out my entire school schedule to work at the elementary school. It would also look great on my future resume. :) And I found out this last week that I GOT THE JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am SOOOO excited!!!! I really cannot get over how much the Lord is blessing me!!!! So in a few weeks I will be Miss Hammer again and I am just so excited. :D
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| I also REALLY need a haircut. Hah. :) LIFE IS GOOD!!! |
Guys, follow the Lord. He REALLY does have a plan for each and everyone of us. He loves us so much and He will never, ever leave us alone. I know that times can seem hard and that you will get frustrated, but remember to keep your head held high.
Love-
Kasey :)
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Woah.
It is almost December.... my time here is almost over... and I am literally shocked at how fast it has gone. I just realized the other day that I haven't written a blog update in over a month... whoops! So here we are now! Not that much has happened over the course of the last month. Halloween was on the 31st. That was actually pretty fun. My family came with me to my ward's Halloween party. I think they had a good time, I sure did!
Nevena and I went to a ballet on the 24th of October. That was SO much fun! It was my first ballet that I have ever been to and I LOVED it!!! It was in the Munich Opera House and inside the building was stunning. But then having the live orchestra and watching the ballet in the building, it was amazing. There are no words. I loved every second of it. The performers were amazing and they just did a fantastic job. The piano player was incredible as well! He played the entire time and it was so cool! I love ballets. :)
I was also able to take a weekend trip to Frankfurt to go to the Frankfurt temple to do baptisms. That was the best weekend ever. It was a super fast trip there and back but it was completely worth it. Being able to accomplish the top goal on my list of things to do over here felt great. And I was also able to do baptisms for my family. That made it even more personal. I love that there are temples all over the world and that the gospel is literally everywhere. I am so grateful to be a part of it. I don't know where I would be without it. :)
Nothing really spectacular happened since then. Except this last weekend, Nevena, Maria and I went to Salzburg! Nevena had a work conference and so I had to go along to help out with Maria. But it was absolutely wonderful! Friday when we got there, we went and walked around the city center for a few minutes then went to lunch and then Nevena had to get to her workshop. So I strapped Maria into the baby carrier and we headed up to the fortress. There was a tram that was supposed to take us to the top, but it wasn't working that day so I walked. It took about 20-30 minutes to get to the top and it was uphill the entire way so I was exhausted! Haha. Especially with baby girl. But she was slept the whole time so that was nice. She is seriously the easiest baby ever. I love her. Once we got to the top, there were a couple of rooms that we could go through and look at. Those were pretty interesting to see. They had a Marionette Museum and so we went through that. It was funny because Maria thought the dolls were hilarious and she kept talking to them and laughing at them.That was fun. After we went through the tiny museum, we just walked around a little bit more. The view was absolutely incredible.
After we came down from the fortress, we went and just chilled in the hotel for awhile until Nevena got back. When she came back we went and walked around Salzburg! It was so pretty at night time! The Christmas Markets were set up and they were just so cool! I loved it!
The next day, Saturday, Nevena left early and Maria and I hung out for a bit in the hotel. After we left, we went on a walk around the city. It was fun to just watch the people walking around. We found a couple more Christmas markets and went and walked through those. Around noon we went and met up with Nevena. Then we went on a hop on hop off bus tour of the city! I listened to the Sound of Music history. It was fun to see where the movie was filmed! I really enjoyed it. We took a stop at the place where they have the original gazebo that was used in the Sound of Music. At this stop we also were able to see the most famous Christmas market in Salburg. I loved that one. :)
We also were able to see the Von Trapp house. We weren't able to get any closer because it isn't open for the public. (In the back left)
After we got back to the hotel, we headed back to Munich. It was a fast trip but totally worth it. I loved it so much. :)
I am absolutely blown away that my time here is almost over. I am SO excited to get home! My school has all worked out how I wanted it to and I will most likely be getting the job that I want. Everything is just all coming together. It makes me realize even more that I was obviously supposed to come here because it is all working out how I wanted it to, and how Heavenly Father wants it to. He just wanted me to take a little detour first. :) Don't get me wrong, I am going to miss this family and Germany like CRAZY but it is time to get home. I miss my family and I am so excited to be back with them.
Never forget that He is there for you. Always. No matter what you are going through. He loves you more than you can ever imagine and He is ready for you when you are ready for Him. Open up and let Him in your life. You will never regret it. Take an adventure. Follow the path that He has planned for you. You never know what opportunities you will be blessed to have. When life is easy or hard never forget to keep your head held high. :)
Love-
Kasey :)
Nevena and I went to a ballet on the 24th of October. That was SO much fun! It was my first ballet that I have ever been to and I LOVED it!!! It was in the Munich Opera House and inside the building was stunning. But then having the live orchestra and watching the ballet in the building, it was amazing. There are no words. I loved every second of it. The performers were amazing and they just did a fantastic job. The piano player was incredible as well! He played the entire time and it was so cool! I love ballets. :)
I was also able to take a weekend trip to Frankfurt to go to the Frankfurt temple to do baptisms. That was the best weekend ever. It was a super fast trip there and back but it was completely worth it. Being able to accomplish the top goal on my list of things to do over here felt great. And I was also able to do baptisms for my family. That made it even more personal. I love that there are temples all over the world and that the gospel is literally everywhere. I am so grateful to be a part of it. I don't know where I would be without it. :)
Nothing really spectacular happened since then. Except this last weekend, Nevena, Maria and I went to Salzburg! Nevena had a work conference and so I had to go along to help out with Maria. But it was absolutely wonderful! Friday when we got there, we went and walked around the city center for a few minutes then went to lunch and then Nevena had to get to her workshop. So I strapped Maria into the baby carrier and we headed up to the fortress. There was a tram that was supposed to take us to the top, but it wasn't working that day so I walked. It took about 20-30 minutes to get to the top and it was uphill the entire way so I was exhausted! Haha. Especially with baby girl. But she was slept the whole time so that was nice. She is seriously the easiest baby ever. I love her. Once we got to the top, there were a couple of rooms that we could go through and look at. Those were pretty interesting to see. They had a Marionette Museum and so we went through that. It was funny because Maria thought the dolls were hilarious and she kept talking to them and laughing at them.That was fun. After we went through the tiny museum, we just walked around a little bit more. The view was absolutely incredible.
The next day, Saturday, Nevena left early and Maria and I hung out for a bit in the hotel. After we left, we went on a walk around the city. It was fun to just watch the people walking around. We found a couple more Christmas markets and went and walked through those. Around noon we went and met up with Nevena. Then we went on a hop on hop off bus tour of the city! I listened to the Sound of Music history. It was fun to see where the movie was filmed! I really enjoyed it. We took a stop at the place where they have the original gazebo that was used in the Sound of Music. At this stop we also were able to see the most famous Christmas market in Salburg. I loved that one. :)
We also were able to see the Von Trapp house. We weren't able to get any closer because it isn't open for the public. (In the back left)
After we got back to the hotel, we headed back to Munich. It was a fast trip but totally worth it. I loved it so much. :)
I am absolutely blown away that my time here is almost over. I am SO excited to get home! My school has all worked out how I wanted it to and I will most likely be getting the job that I want. Everything is just all coming together. It makes me realize even more that I was obviously supposed to come here because it is all working out how I wanted it to, and how Heavenly Father wants it to. He just wanted me to take a little detour first. :) Don't get me wrong, I am going to miss this family and Germany like CRAZY but it is time to get home. I miss my family and I am so excited to be back with them.
Never forget that He is there for you. Always. No matter what you are going through. He loves you more than you can ever imagine and He is ready for you when you are ready for Him. Open up and let Him in your life. You will never regret it. Take an adventure. Follow the path that He has planned for you. You never know what opportunities you will be blessed to have. When life is easy or hard never forget to keep your head held high. :)
Love-
Kasey :)
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Neuschwanstein and Conference!
On September 27th I finally was able to go to Neuschwanstein Castle! It was so beautiful!!! My day started pretty early as I had a tour that I was going to go on. I was supposed to meet my tour guide at the central train station at 9am which meant I needed to leave my house around 8 to get to the train. I was a little early which gave me time to get some breakfast and wait for my tour group. Well when the tour guide finally came he informed us that he was doing the Spanish group and that our English tour guide got sick and there wasn't a replacement. So we were given the option to go with the Spanish group just not to have the tour. I decided that would be best for me as I didn't know when I would be able to go again and it would be cheaper to go without a guide so that was a bonus! The train ride there would take 2 hours and so I had brought a couple of books and things to do while I was on the train. Turns out I didn't even need them because I ended up making friends and talking to them the whole time! It was so fun. I met this girl and her dad who were from Canada. The girl's name was Robin. She had been a nanny in Spain for a couple of months and then they moved to Ireland. She was there for a few more months and then she started traveling. She has been everywhere and will continue to travel for the rest of the year. She was so funny, I really liked getting to know her. Once we got to the end of the train ride we were at the bottom of the hill where the castle was. The Spanish tour guide told us to meet him back there at 4 as we were to take the train home. And we were released. The Hohenschwangau castle was just opposite of the Neuschwanstein castle and I went there first. It was comparably smaller and less elegant and extravagant as Neuschwanstein, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I was only able to walk around it because I didn't have a ticket inside. It was still amazing.
And then I walked the way up to the Neuschwanstein castle. The walk up was so pretty. A pathway through the trees and it was so sunny and just beautiful. Once I got up to the castle I just walked around and looked at everything. My ticket into the castle was 20 minutes later. Luckily, Robin and her dad had the same entry time so we went together. The inside was dark, but still beautiful. King Ludwig was insane in my opinion... there were swans on everything. And just the way he had things decorated it was strange but amazing. There was a random man made cave in the middle of our tour. I loved it though. After the tour I wanted to go to the famous bridge. So I walked over. That was my favorite part of the whole day. I could have stayed on that bridge the entire day. It was so pretty. Having a perfect view of the castle and the valley behind. It was just breathtaking. After I stayed on the bridge for awhile, I realized the time and had to hurry down to catch the bus back. Once I got on the bus I sat with Robin and her dad again. The two hours went by in no time and before I knew it I was telling them bye. It was such a nice day but by the time I got home I was exhausted. It was completely worth it though. :)
A week later October 4th was the weekend I had been waiting for since April. GENERAL CONFERENCE!!!! I was so excited to hear from the beloved prophet and all the other leaders who would speak to us. As I do every conference, I had a couple of questions I wanted answered and I had been praying about it. I have no doubt in my mind that Heavenly Father is there and He listens and answers our prayers. My questions were answered in the very first hour and kept being confirmed throughout all of conference. It was amazing. I felt that this conference was for me. And it was just the best feeling. I love listening to my prophet.
I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and I love it. I KNOW without a doubt in my mind that Heavenly Father is there for me and for you. He will answer our prayers in His own time. It may not be when we want them answered, but He will answer them. He loves us so much. I love Him so much. In this time that I have been in Germany, I have become more close to Him than I ever thought possible. My testimony has been strengthened and keeps being strengthened everyday. Coming to Germany has been the most trying thing of my life so far but it has prepared me for my future in so many ways. I am so thankful for the chance to be here. :)
Life is good. I am enjoying everything even when it is difficult. I try everyday, especially through the hard days to keep my Head Held High and I encourage you to do the same!!!
Love always-
Kasey :)
And then I walked the way up to the Neuschwanstein castle. The walk up was so pretty. A pathway through the trees and it was so sunny and just beautiful. Once I got up to the castle I just walked around and looked at everything. My ticket into the castle was 20 minutes later. Luckily, Robin and her dad had the same entry time so we went together. The inside was dark, but still beautiful. King Ludwig was insane in my opinion... there were swans on everything. And just the way he had things decorated it was strange but amazing. There was a random man made cave in the middle of our tour. I loved it though. After the tour I wanted to go to the famous bridge. So I walked over. That was my favorite part of the whole day. I could have stayed on that bridge the entire day. It was so pretty. Having a perfect view of the castle and the valley behind. It was just breathtaking. After I stayed on the bridge for awhile, I realized the time and had to hurry down to catch the bus back. Once I got on the bus I sat with Robin and her dad again. The two hours went by in no time and before I knew it I was telling them bye. It was such a nice day but by the time I got home I was exhausted. It was completely worth it though. :)
A week later October 4th was the weekend I had been waiting for since April. GENERAL CONFERENCE!!!! I was so excited to hear from the beloved prophet and all the other leaders who would speak to us. As I do every conference, I had a couple of questions I wanted answered and I had been praying about it. I have no doubt in my mind that Heavenly Father is there and He listens and answers our prayers. My questions were answered in the very first hour and kept being confirmed throughout all of conference. It was amazing. I felt that this conference was for me. And it was just the best feeling. I love listening to my prophet.
I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and I love it. I KNOW without a doubt in my mind that Heavenly Father is there for me and for you. He will answer our prayers in His own time. It may not be when we want them answered, but He will answer them. He loves us so much. I love Him so much. In this time that I have been in Germany, I have become more close to Him than I ever thought possible. My testimony has been strengthened and keeps being strengthened everyday. Coming to Germany has been the most trying thing of my life so far but it has prepared me for my future in so many ways. I am so thankful for the chance to be here. :)
Life is good. I am enjoying everything even when it is difficult. I try everyday, especially through the hard days to keep my Head Held High and I encourage you to do the same!!!
Love always-
Kasey :)
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Overload!!!
Hey everyone!!! WOW I have not written in almost two months! Things have been so busy crazy! But here we go! Time for an overload of updates!!!
Since the last time I wrote, I have been to Montenegro! It was super fun, exhausting and completely not what I was expecting but I LOVED it! The mom left with the kids on August 7th and I had the next week to go explore Munich! That was fun. I went into the city almost every single day. I got all of my souvenir shopping done which is nice to get to check off my list of things to do. I went on a free city walking tour and saw all of the main sites. I loved that. One of my favorite things was going into the Frauenkirche and seeing the Devil's footprint. (Look up that story online, it's pretty interesting.) I also was able to go to the Deutches Museum and Dachau. I had been to the Deutches Museum before with the mom and kids, but it is HUGE and so I went again to see more.
(Deutches Museum)
Dachau was absolutely morbid. I had a feeling of utter disturbance the entire time I was there. I was moved to tears more than once, but most of the time I couldn't even cry because I felt numb. I could not get over the horrible things I was seeing and hearing. I can't and never will be able to understand how someone could enjoy causing pain to another human. It was awful. But at the same time, I felt a sense of peace (which is weird to say about Dachau) because I know without a doubt those souls are Home. And there isn't a better place they could be. So that was Dachau.
And then on Friday the 15th, Zeljko and I left for Montenegro at 11pm. I fell asleep after an hour of driving. I actually don't even think it took that long. Haha. And I slept pretty well for being in a car. I woke up around 8am and we still had so long to go, but we made it. We talked and the ride was actually pretty enjoyable. We were able to go on a ferry across the river with the car. That was super fun for some reason. I loved it. And we stopped and went on the sea side for an hour. Then we were finally there! We stayed the first night at Zeljko's mom's house and then the next day we went to the Coast house and met Nevena and the kids there! :) We stayed there all day and went swimming and just played in the sun. That afternoon we went back to Podgorica and we were there for the next couple of days. And then we went HIKING! It was so beautiful. We met this amazing family who were the sweetest people ever. We saw some amazing sights and I just loved it.
The next week we were at the coast! The Adriatic Sea is beautiful. I really enjoyed being on the coast. I had so much fun... and Kasey learned how to swim!!!! WHAT?! I am still pretty shocked about it it. It took not as long as I thought it would. It was scary, and I almost talked myself out of it. But I did it. And I am so happy I did. The boys were and are so proud of themselves because they helped me the most. So that was the greatest experience of the three weeks.
The last week we were in Podgorica everyday. The family spent a lot of time visiting friends and family but it was okay. I had fun exploring Podgorica a little bit. I went shopping and spent way too much money and I had a really fun time. The whole Montenegro experience was super fun, exhausting and sometimes stressful, but I would do it again. And then the drive back was fun. Zeljko and I had a great time together. We now have many inside jokes and fun memories together. I really am glad that Zeljko and I had that time together. It was nice to get to know him a little more. :)
After we got back from Montenegro we have been pretty busy! The boys started school on my birthday... I am now a 21 year old. They were so cute on my birthday. They made me a carrot cake which is my favorite cake. They got me flowers and a super cute picture book. Oh and Nevena and I are going to a ballet in the opera house in the middle of October! I am SUPER excited for that! And we went to KFC for dinner. Haha... something American for my big day. It was just a great day overall. I loved when Doro would tell me "Happy Birthday Kasey" because it was adorable. One of the best birthday presents I got was finishing the Book of Mormon again! I love that book so much. I honestly have no idea where I would be without it and without the gospel. I am proud to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. My life wouldn't be complete without it. I am so thankful that no matter where I go in the world, the gospel is still the same. It gives me a sense of home. I love going to church and as soon as I walk in those doors I feel home.
My niece was born on the 18th. So I am now Aunt Kasey!!!! I am going to spoil that little girl like crazy when I get home. Favorite aunt status. :) She is perfect in every way and I can't wait to meet her in 3 months.
I cannot believe I leave in 3 months. I feel like I was just saying that I had only been here for 3 months. It has gone so fast. I have grown SO much since I got here. I love the person I have grown into. I have a lot more to learn and to grow up even more, but I like where I am headed. :)
This last weekend Nevena, Maria and I went to Bonn for Nevena's work conference. It was super ironic that we went there because Bonn is where I was going to go very first with a different family. It was funny to me going there because after they told me they decided on someone else, I never thought I would see Bonn... but I was there this last weekend! It is a super cute city. It has a lot of history to it. I really enjoyed walking around it for a couple hours. It was also nice to have a girls weekend. Even thought Nevena was at work things, I still enjoyed it. :)
Well... I will be better over the course of the next three months with my last German adventures. I cannot believe it is almost over. I am looking forward to going home for so many different reasons: my family, my niece, I get to go to school again, being in an LDS community, my ward, my neighborhood, work, a boy, my friends, and just being home. But I am also really looking forward to the rest of my time here: being in Germany during fall, Oktoberfest, Neushwanstein castle, spending as much time with my family here, Christmas in Germany, the ballet, my ward, going to the Frankfurt temple and many other things! I will be busy, it will go fast and I am sure I will be having all sorts of crazy emotions so I have to keep my head held high! :)
I hope all of this all made sense. Just little snippets of things that have happened! Thanks for reading! I love you all!
Love-
Kasey :)
Since the last time I wrote, I have been to Montenegro! It was super fun, exhausting and completely not what I was expecting but I LOVED it! The mom left with the kids on August 7th and I had the next week to go explore Munich! That was fun. I went into the city almost every single day. I got all of my souvenir shopping done which is nice to get to check off my list of things to do. I went on a free city walking tour and saw all of the main sites. I loved that. One of my favorite things was going into the Frauenkirche and seeing the Devil's footprint. (Look up that story online, it's pretty interesting.) I also was able to go to the Deutches Museum and Dachau. I had been to the Deutches Museum before with the mom and kids, but it is HUGE and so I went again to see more.
(Deutches Museum)Dachau was absolutely morbid. I had a feeling of utter disturbance the entire time I was there. I was moved to tears more than once, but most of the time I couldn't even cry because I felt numb. I could not get over the horrible things I was seeing and hearing. I can't and never will be able to understand how someone could enjoy causing pain to another human. It was awful. But at the same time, I felt a sense of peace (which is weird to say about Dachau) because I know without a doubt those souls are Home. And there isn't a better place they could be. So that was Dachau.
Dachau
And then on Friday the 15th, Zeljko and I left for Montenegro at 11pm. I fell asleep after an hour of driving. I actually don't even think it took that long. Haha. And I slept pretty well for being in a car. I woke up around 8am and we still had so long to go, but we made it. We talked and the ride was actually pretty enjoyable. We were able to go on a ferry across the river with the car. That was super fun for some reason. I loved it. And we stopped and went on the sea side for an hour. Then we were finally there! We stayed the first night at Zeljko's mom's house and then the next day we went to the Coast house and met Nevena and the kids there! :) We stayed there all day and went swimming and just played in the sun. That afternoon we went back to Podgorica and we were there for the next couple of days. And then we went HIKING! It was so beautiful. We met this amazing family who were the sweetest people ever. We saw some amazing sights and I just loved it.
The next week we were at the coast! The Adriatic Sea is beautiful. I really enjoyed being on the coast. I had so much fun... and Kasey learned how to swim!!!! WHAT?! I am still pretty shocked about it it. It took not as long as I thought it would. It was scary, and I almost talked myself out of it. But I did it. And I am so happy I did. The boys were and are so proud of themselves because they helped me the most. So that was the greatest experience of the three weeks.
The last week we were in Podgorica everyday. The family spent a lot of time visiting friends and family but it was okay. I had fun exploring Podgorica a little bit. I went shopping and spent way too much money and I had a really fun time. The whole Montenegro experience was super fun, exhausting and sometimes stressful, but I would do it again. And then the drive back was fun. Zeljko and I had a great time together. We now have many inside jokes and fun memories together. I really am glad that Zeljko and I had that time together. It was nice to get to know him a little more. :)
After we got back from Montenegro we have been pretty busy! The boys started school on my birthday... I am now a 21 year old. They were so cute on my birthday. They made me a carrot cake which is my favorite cake. They got me flowers and a super cute picture book. Oh and Nevena and I are going to a ballet in the opera house in the middle of October! I am SUPER excited for that! And we went to KFC for dinner. Haha... something American for my big day. It was just a great day overall. I loved when Doro would tell me "Happy Birthday Kasey" because it was adorable. One of the best birthday presents I got was finishing the Book of Mormon again! I love that book so much. I honestly have no idea where I would be without it and without the gospel. I am proud to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. My life wouldn't be complete without it. I am so thankful that no matter where I go in the world, the gospel is still the same. It gives me a sense of home. I love going to church and as soon as I walk in those doors I feel home.
My niece was born on the 18th. So I am now Aunt Kasey!!!! I am going to spoil that little girl like crazy when I get home. Favorite aunt status. :) She is perfect in every way and I can't wait to meet her in 3 months.
I cannot believe I leave in 3 months. I feel like I was just saying that I had only been here for 3 months. It has gone so fast. I have grown SO much since I got here. I love the person I have grown into. I have a lot more to learn and to grow up even more, but I like where I am headed. :)
This last weekend Nevena, Maria and I went to Bonn for Nevena's work conference. It was super ironic that we went there because Bonn is where I was going to go very first with a different family. It was funny to me going there because after they told me they decided on someone else, I never thought I would see Bonn... but I was there this last weekend! It is a super cute city. It has a lot of history to it. I really enjoyed walking around it for a couple hours. It was also nice to have a girls weekend. Even thought Nevena was at work things, I still enjoyed it. :)
Well... I will be better over the course of the next three months with my last German adventures. I cannot believe it is almost over. I am looking forward to going home for so many different reasons: my family, my niece, I get to go to school again, being in an LDS community, my ward, my neighborhood, work, a boy, my friends, and just being home. But I am also really looking forward to the rest of my time here: being in Germany during fall, Oktoberfest, Neushwanstein castle, spending as much time with my family here, Christmas in Germany, the ballet, my ward, going to the Frankfurt temple and many other things! I will be busy, it will go fast and I am sure I will be having all sorts of crazy emotions so I have to keep my head held high! :)
I hope all of this all made sense. Just little snippets of things that have happened! Thanks for reading! I love you all!
Love-
Kasey :)
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Things Are FINALLY Coming Together!!!!!! :)
Oh my goodness. I am just so enthusiastic right now that I have to blog about it!!!! I don't remember if I ever put the reason why I came to Germany on my blog, other than that Heavenly Father obviously wanted me here. So here is the short version of the story, because it will help make my enthusiasm more clear. :)
After I graduated high school in 2012, I went to college in the fall. While I was there it was a really hard year. Even though I made life long friends who I love to pieces, it was just hard being away from my family. (Which now seems hilarious because I am 8000 miles away from home!!! Haha.) So that school year was rough and it was really stressful having to worry about paying for school. I have never had to worry about paying for everything on my own and I didn't have a job to help pay for things. That was extremely hard. I ended up deciding to transfer to a school right near my home so that I could live at home and not have to worry about paying for extra things. About 3 weeks before I was to begin school in 2013, I found out that my FAFSA had been selected for verification. There was a TON of paperwork that I had to fill out, and plus all of my transfer things I had to do, my financial aid did not go through in time for school. And so I had to take that year off of school to work and earn money. So the school year 2013-2014 I was just going to work at the elementary school.
Then, I think in September, I started to have the feeling that I should get another job so I could earn more money. I began looking but nothing was really hiring, and I did NOT want to work in a fast food/restaurant type of a job again. I was talking with one of the moms that I babysat for and she mentioned a website she used to find a nanny job. So I thought maybe that would be a good idea. Stay home, find a family close by to nanny and still work at the elementary school. I signed up for this website and almost immediately started getting emails from families all over the world... none of which were in Utah. I turned down most of them right away. And then I got a few from Utah but none of them felt right. That is when a family in Germany contacted me. We started talking and I really liked them, but long story short, they went with another girl and I was devastated. Then I found another family in Germany and here I am!
So the whole reason that I even thought of being a nanny was because my school didn't go through and it was the most frustrating thing ever. This year while I have been in Germany I had to obviously get things figured out for school while I am here. Which I am finding out was WAY more frustrating than getting it figured out at home. But a couple of weeks ago I found out that I was selected for verification again. I was SO worried that it wasn't going to go through again and that I would have to wait another year before going to school. I had to turn in some paperwork and thankfully my mom is amazing and helped me out with it. And I just found out a few minutes ago that...........
I GET TO GO TO SCHOOL IN THE SPRING AND I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My financial aid went through without a glitch at all. I almost started screaming with excitement!!! I called my mom and basically screamed it at her. Haha. I have NEVER thought that I would be so excited to go to school in my entire life. Things are finally coming together for when I get home. There is nothing greater in my life right now than my desire to become a teacher. Obviously I want a family, and if that comes a long before hand than I will be more than happy, but right now as a single women, I just want to teach!!!! And now that I know I get to go to school when I get back in the Spring, I am one step closer!!!!!
I am so grateful that Heavenly Father is there watching out for me and that He cares about what I care about. I love Him so much!!!
Sorry if this was confusing at all, I wrote it really fast because I am just filled with excitement! Haha!
Thanks for reading, and even if things get frustrating, or you are worried about something, keep your head held high! It will all be okay.
Love-
Kasey :)
After I graduated high school in 2012, I went to college in the fall. While I was there it was a really hard year. Even though I made life long friends who I love to pieces, it was just hard being away from my family. (Which now seems hilarious because I am 8000 miles away from home!!! Haha.) So that school year was rough and it was really stressful having to worry about paying for school. I have never had to worry about paying for everything on my own and I didn't have a job to help pay for things. That was extremely hard. I ended up deciding to transfer to a school right near my home so that I could live at home and not have to worry about paying for extra things. About 3 weeks before I was to begin school in 2013, I found out that my FAFSA had been selected for verification. There was a TON of paperwork that I had to fill out, and plus all of my transfer things I had to do, my financial aid did not go through in time for school. And so I had to take that year off of school to work and earn money. So the school year 2013-2014 I was just going to work at the elementary school.
Then, I think in September, I started to have the feeling that I should get another job so I could earn more money. I began looking but nothing was really hiring, and I did NOT want to work in a fast food/restaurant type of a job again. I was talking with one of the moms that I babysat for and she mentioned a website she used to find a nanny job. So I thought maybe that would be a good idea. Stay home, find a family close by to nanny and still work at the elementary school. I signed up for this website and almost immediately started getting emails from families all over the world... none of which were in Utah. I turned down most of them right away. And then I got a few from Utah but none of them felt right. That is when a family in Germany contacted me. We started talking and I really liked them, but long story short, they went with another girl and I was devastated. Then I found another family in Germany and here I am!
So the whole reason that I even thought of being a nanny was because my school didn't go through and it was the most frustrating thing ever. This year while I have been in Germany I had to obviously get things figured out for school while I am here. Which I am finding out was WAY more frustrating than getting it figured out at home. But a couple of weeks ago I found out that I was selected for verification again. I was SO worried that it wasn't going to go through again and that I would have to wait another year before going to school. I had to turn in some paperwork and thankfully my mom is amazing and helped me out with it. And I just found out a few minutes ago that...........
I GET TO GO TO SCHOOL IN THE SPRING AND I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My financial aid went through without a glitch at all. I almost started screaming with excitement!!! I called my mom and basically screamed it at her. Haha. I have NEVER thought that I would be so excited to go to school in my entire life. Things are finally coming together for when I get home. There is nothing greater in my life right now than my desire to become a teacher. Obviously I want a family, and if that comes a long before hand than I will be more than happy, but right now as a single women, I just want to teach!!!! And now that I know I get to go to school when I get back in the Spring, I am one step closer!!!!!
I am so grateful that Heavenly Father is there watching out for me and that He cares about what I care about. I love Him so much!!!
Sorry if this was confusing at all, I wrote it really fast because I am just filled with excitement! Haha!
Thanks for reading, and even if things get frustrating, or you are worried about something, keep your head held high! It will all be okay.
Love-
Kasey :)
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