OKAY, So Im counting down!!

The other day I told my little sisters that my life is even more romantic than the Twilight movie. They completely disagreed but that's okay, what do they know? The truth is, that I am completely in love and getting married to my favorite man in 9 days and 36 minutes! We are so excited!

Not That I'm Counting :)

Only 23 days 21 hours and 29 minutes until I get to be with my best friend FOR ETERNITY!! I am so excited!!

Let Me Introduce You...

DID I MENTION THAT IM GETTING MARRIED?! :) Let me introduce you to my best friend and the man I have been searching for 24 years...Jason Fredrickson! Yes, the only man on the face of the earth that could convince me to drive a 53 passenger bus! He is the one who taught me to drive that beast. I met him at an FHE at my own home! SO much for searching the world, I found him in my own living room! I am incredibly blessed and happier than I have ever been before. I am grateful to a loving Father in Heaven who helped me realize what I had when I was to stubborn to open my eyes and see it:) The big day is December 12, 2008! SO if you want to come send me your address!

On our way back from Anchorage the weather was too foggy to land in Ketchikan. We ended up having to fly to Seattle and spent four long hours in the airport before we could finally get a flight back to Ketchikan. Our trip from Anchorage to Ketchikan ended up taking us from 5:30 am to 9 pm! It was a very long day. When I got home and looked in the mirror I learned why they call those "red eye" flights. I thought I would be happy to never fly again. But I am flying home in two days and that makes me so excited! If I had the ability to sing to you now I would sing the Buble line "IM COMIN' BACK HOME"!

Had to add photos of my partner Jamie and I accepting our medals and of Jason and I following the long two day event.

Alaska State Special Olympics

Jason and I just got back from the Special Olympics Unified Bocce Ball
Tournament in Anchorage Alaska. It was so much fun to spend the weekend together and with our special needs friends. Jason and Joe played really well and placed fifth in the men's division. My partner Jamie Fitzgerald and I did really well too. We actually won the first place gold metal prize for the women's division. It was priceless to see the happiness in her eyes when we stood on the stage and accepted our gold metals! They all have so much to teach us, if we will only listen.

DAD! Now I know two things that I dont want to be when I grow up. The number one is a bus driver (great experience that I am happy to see end). The number two is a fisherman! I went deep sea fishing for my first time with Jason and the Fitzgeralds (family he lives with) this last week. I have always wanted to catch a halibut but I quickly got over that desire when we got out on the open ocean. I spent 6 full hours with my head in the toilet and over the side of the boat! It was a horrible experience. I told them "you catch the fish, I'll watch the toilet". Needless to say, I am cured of my desire to be a fisherman. So dad, I may still not know what I want to be when I grow up, but I do know two things I DONT want to be! We are going to slowly narrow it down, and maybe someday I will have an answer for you.

WHO IS THAT CUTE GUY WITH MANDY?! That is what all my coworkers were thinking when my cousin Zach came up to Ketchikan on his cruise to Alaska with his grandma. It was pouring rain so he got the true Ketchikan experience. He brought me a package from my mom with homemade apricot jam and dried apricots! I hugged it and told my passengers how excited I was. We got to eat the famous fish and chips on the dock and visit together. It was wonderful to see him!

It finally caught up to me! What is known as the "Ketchikan Crud". I have been sick for the last two weeks and still working in the rain every day all day long. But my body had finally had it with me. Both Mandy and bus 814 are out of service. The bad news is that I am very sick but the good news is that I don't have to go to work until Monday, a nice four day weekend. I guess it pays to have a boyfriend and a boss who both love me:) And I think the lack of a voice might have something to do with it since I am a tour guide:)

Tarzan and Jane before going swinging through the canopy zipline! Here we are in our attractive seven point rock-climbing harnesses. We went down 7 zip lines and 2 Indiana Jones style swinging bridges over 150 feet in the air through the rain forest. I am happy to report that I wasn't even scared but Jason wasn't my biggest fan when I made the bridges swing and bounce under him:)

I could never comprehend the size of a cruise ship until I saw it for myself! They are huge floating cities on the water. I cant wait until I can enjoy one myself rather than just making it enjoyable for other people, which I enjoy as well. :)

I just met Rudolph! He has a temporary black plastic nose to cover the red glow. It aids in his hiding from the news camera's.

This is the other side of the bridge at Creek Street, the historic red light district I tell passengers about daily. That's Dolly's house, she was the most famous and wealthy of all the madams:}

Fishing for salmon off of the bridge at Creek Street! The salmon are spawning like crazy right now: kings, silvers, and pinks.

This is my other favorite view from the island. On a clear day like this you can see the snow capped mountain on one of the islands opposite ours.

This is one of my favorite spots on the island. This was a wet and foggy day down at the George Inlet. It just fills my soul to sit and look at this landscape.

Me and my cute Jason at the Lumberjack show! I sure wish I could climb a pole that quickly...how do they do that anyway? Even with all of my driving a non-powered steering bus all summer I still cant even do one "boy" push up.

I see bald eagles like this every day! They are majestic birds. It was inspired to choose them as our national symbol. To hear their call and watch them fly overhead still gives me chills.

This was one of the most beautiful hikes I have ever been on. It was up in the rain forest where even the moss grows moss.

This is the city of Ketchikan! It hangs over the water on the edge of the granite rock of the island of Revillagigedo. It is a beautiful and wet place. But I cant imagine that there are many more places on the planet that the Lord spent more time creating. Every day there is something new and exciting to behold.

This is Me, five waterproof layers fatter! I never believed everyone who told me how wet and cold it is here. But, oh how I was wrong. We get an average of 13 1/2 feet of rain here a year and have already received 10 feet this year! Thats not a lake, its the parking lot!

The three of us crazies out on the pacific ocean! Mandy, Jason, and Matt:)

This is Jason and I playing with his computer camera on mothers day. My first day of driving with passengers is tomorrow and I am so nervous!! Wish me luck! Better yet, pray for me:)

This is the view out of my bedroom window! Can you believe how beautiful this is? The island is a rain forest and all built on a solid rock.

Hello from Alaska! I cant believe that I am here!
Ketchikan is gorgeous! I had no idea it would be so beautiful. It is consistently raining. They call it liquid sunshine:) I wear two pairs of pants and at least three shirts every day. My dad gave me an assignment to find a good old car so that is my first picture from Ketchikan.

Our Family Has a New Member

I was blessed to share my graduation day with the Birthday of my new niece, Quincy Lee! I received regular updates throughout my graduation ceremony via text, making it fun for me as well as for everyone around me! And the whole thing was timed perfectly. Quincy was born 30 minutes after I got to the hospital so I was able to stand outside the door and hear her first cry! There is not a more beautiful sound:) Welcome to the family Quincy!

My Graduation At Last!

Can you believe it?! I finally graduated! On April 25, 2008 I became the first member of my family to graduate from a University! I got my dual major: Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education. And I graduated with honors:) The Lord has blessed me beyond measure throughout my years at UVSC now UVU! How very grateful I am! Now I just have to decide what I want to do with my life:)

Its Not Just A Rumor!

It truly is unbelievable that I have my CDL. I don't expect you to believe it because I still cant! Its bazaar! But the program trained me well and here is the proof. Mandy can legally drive a 45 passenger vehicle! I was even offered a job on the spot to drive a bus for the school district. So if my teaching career doesn't work out, I can always drive the school bus!:)

Our family had the opportunity to stay in Zermatt resort and spa in Midway. It was beautiful and I even got my own queen sized bed! An amazing feat with such a big family!

The darling women of our family as of general priesthood meeting! That is one fabulous group of women!

My Introduction To The Game

Who ever knew that playing crochet was so much fun?! Ben and Kristy brought it over and we played on our front lawn. I cant wait to try cross country crochet!

The Clan out to dinner for my sister Katie's Birthday

Cute Katie and Jenny enjoying our time together as a family.

Allie, Jason, and Jess! Cheese:)

My mommy and me!

Ben and Kristy! Who wouldn't love a face like that:)

My cute little baby Jess is not so little anymore...but she sure is cute!

Due to popular demand I have decided to add this rather attractive photo to my blog. Marc and I were casually talking at a get-together of high school friends and the next thing I knew I had a ring on my finger and was being congratulated on my upcoming wedding! It was a rather memorable night filled with messed up orders and beautiful Italian accents. The sad part of the story is that the photo was all staged. So instead of going home with an attractive man and a large rock on my finger I went home with leftovers. But I have to admit that a fake fiance is pretty entertaining. You get all of the excitement without any of the stress of actually having to plan the big day.

Kate-n-Manders!

My darling best friend! Katie and I playing with my new camera.
How grateful I am for that darling girl!

Tryouts!

Daddy on New Years with a scruffy face! Jan. 1, 2008