Perfect timing- Family Time

Guess who came to visit this girl???

my family!!!! ohh i was the happiest girl!!! They came over to my host parents house and met them!! You should have seen the way i ran down those stairs to hug my two sisters (out of 4..the other two couldn't come), and my parents!! Ohh i was soo happy that day!! I can't tell you how good it was to see them. It was perfect timing..i'd been out here for long enough i needed my family..but right in the middle before i come home for Christmas!! 

That night my host mom ordered chinese food (she doesn't cook). So i took them on the tour of the house while they got everything set up, its a gorgeous house. After the tour, than we sat down for dinner and had dinner together. We talked, laughed..just like my family dinners! I missed it! After 2 hrs of talking and laughing and getting to know each other they left because we had to get the kids together. I stayed at the house that night because i had to work the next afternoon..so i said goodbye to my family for the night.

I rode the train in the next day.. and my dad picked me up at the train station for 45 minutes. (i was scared out of my mind because i am the ONLY white girl so i stick out like a sore thumb), my dad couldn't find the train station..he finally figured out he was 6 minutes away from me the whole time!! Ahh talk about craziness! Over the next couple of days us girls went sight seeing because my dad had come here on business..so us girls did what we do best, shopping!!!!

We went to Ground Zero on Friday, and that was an amazing sight to see..it was cool too actually see where the buildings stood. There is one tree thats original..the stump is what was left..so it was cool to see that! We went shopping in SoHo, walked canal street, and got lost a lot over the few days! Went to the M&M World, the Empire State Building and looked out on the very top..such an amazing view!! We went to the Manhattan Temple and took some pictures..my family was surprised to know that half of the temple was a church, its in such an awkward place it doesn't fit..but its gorgeous!! My sister bought me Wicked tickets for my birthday..so on saturday night me and my family got to go to that!! It was absolutely AMAZING!!!!! I loved every song and it was amazing!!! I want to go see it again for sure:) 

This weekend was amazing and i was so sad to say bye to them..but Christmas is only a month and half away and than i will see them!! I already miss them:) 

In Times Square

My cute fam:)

M&M World

Freedom tower..not even half way done

amazing picture on the wall

south towers

The only tree that was left of all the destruction..it was a stump when they found it

North tower

Ground Zero memorial

On top of Empire State building 

yess..we are tourists!! 

Me on top of the Empire State Building

amazing panorama picture on top of The Empire State Building

Me and Linds on the subway

M&M World

Bubba Gumps..yummy drink 

The saddest note i have ever seen..911 memorial

Wicked...it was AMAZING!!

yess..we are official

NYPD Dept!!

Me and Tiff standing in this weird mirror...
skinny much..? haha we look like pencils

but for now... i have to be stuck here in Hurricane Sandy... yes i'm scared outta my mind!! In Utah you would never get anything like this...so i have never experienced hurricanes, tornados, or anything. The winds are suppose to pick up to anywhere from 50-70 mph. K i am not even used to 30 mph winds..how am i suppose to more? ahh!! I'll be okay, we are about a half hour from the beach, so hopefully we will be okay! There have been many people have been worried about me which makes me happy that they are thinking of me..but i am hoping that everything will be okay:) All the schools are cancelled and so we will so how tomorrow will go if we don't have any power and the kids are stuck inside all day..this should be fun!! 

I don't consider myself a tourist anymore!!

One month today i have been here!! Time seriously is flying by so quickly...it doesn't even seem like i have been out here that long! I love it though:) I have been trying to figure things out, where the main roads are, how to drive in NY, and specifically figure out where the country stations are on the radio!! I love country music, but there is absolutely none on the radio..i try searching but i can't ever find it. I need to ask someone because i'm sick of all there lamo rap crap!!
Isn't it weird that we pick things out that is different about things back at home? There are no trucks out here..i miss those, zero mountains what so ever, and to many cars! haha!! Everyone out here is either really mean or overly nice, i swear there is no inbetween! Everything is fast pace, go go go attitudes..and there drivers are absolutely insane! Last week when i was in the city with my friend we had to take a taxi to take us back down into the city because we were upstate..and i litereally almost died while in the car..ran probably 5 red lights, and 50 fatal accidents! I am so surprised that there are not more accidents. What i figured out was that like in movies when they show NYC and taxi's in traffic and just a constant honk..they aren't lying, thats real life! Nothing ever stops moving, its absolutely insane!! New York is a beautiful place to be though, all of the amazingly tall buildings, shopping centers, museums, and sights to see! I still have a lot to see because of course i only get to go into the city every weekend and in one day you can't see a lot! So i have a lot ahead of me!!
As for the nanny part of this journey..i love it!! I get to be a mom everyday (that may not sound like a lot of fun, but i am learning a lot) the kids can be a bit to much at times, but i have to remind myself that they are kids and thats what kids do. As anyone would say..i am sure that it's much harder looking after other little kids that aren't your own (and since i don't have any of my own) i think about my nephews..how i enjoy watching them but to other people its more of a job!! It used to be a job, but now i am enjoying it more and feeling more comfortable with the kids! It's amazing how you can just mold into peoples life..like it was meant to be, and i don't doubt for a second that this was my plan all along, because i have already seen changes that are for the better with the family.
The parents have asked a lot of questions about the church. Sometimes i don't feel qualified to answer them because i'm not a "missionary"..but that doesn't mean that i can't help get them there right? I believe that this is my "mission" while everyone else gets to go on their missions, this is mine. To help this family in every way, shape and form!! They did tell me that they are interested and intrigued in my religion. I just hope that they will ask me more questions, and actually want to know more. I am praying that the missionaries will be able to get involved..maybe not while i am here, but maybe down the road! That's my "mission"!!!
New York has already changed the way i think and believe life's suppose to be!! This has been one of the best decisions of my life, and i still have 7 1/2 months left!! Can't wait for what lies ahead of me:)

Me and Vivian (10) went and got Mai's and Pedi's

The Apple Store. Literally UNREAL! It's underground, it's amazing!!

Wednesday night volleyball. Some people from my branch

Me and Violet! Wednesday night volleyball, such a fun night!!

I decorated the house with stringers for the kids to surprise
them when they got home from school!!

The fall tree's are amazing!!

I put this picture on here, because while i have been here i finished
The Book Of Mormon! The most amazing feeling:)

Me and Zac (4) making ghost cookies

Me, Zac, and Scott in the kitchen making cookies!!

The tree's area amazing, this is what it looks like when your driving on the freeway!!

more tree's!!! most amazing thing ever!

Six Flags wit my branch!!

Fright Fest at Six Flags! such a fun day

Me, Krista, and Violet!! They both are nannies too

They were peeing there pants, while i was laughing..at them!!

Fright fest came to an end!! sooo much fun, soo cold, and sooo tired!!

My journey still continues!!! I can't wait to see what other adventures i get to have!! So happy:)

the big city

I have no officially been here for now 2 weeks! I love it here!! It's now been long enough that i am comfortable with the family, getting used to the area (and all the confusing roads). It's very easy to get lost since they have two main highways..LIE (Long Island Expressway) and 495...yeah i still can't get those right..ever!! Something i figured out, very quickly..people say that Utah drivers sucks, please come out to New York and they will prove everyone wrong in 2 minutes. Not kidding!! 

My branch is amazing!! They have been nothing but nice and so welcoming!! Out here since its so not populated with mormons like Utah..they do lots of things together!! FHE, sports night and institute with everyone. I love it because it beings us all together and the people in my branch are so great. 

During the week days i work everyday and all day so there is no time to actually go into the city..so on the weekends i take advantage of that (and my host parents wants me to go explore everything). This past weekend i went with a friend who is in my branch and she also is a nanny so her weekends are free too! So we headed into the city on saturday. We basically explored Times Square since she had never been in NYC before. So i took her around to all the places that she would enjoy for the first time (M&M Factoary, Hershey's Factory, the stairs in Times Square, all the characters walking around, a lot of the shops, etc) We still didn't get everything done, but thats okay..we have 8 months to do it all. After a couple hours of shopping, we met up with Kristi (Josh's sister-in-law) and her mom and sister for dinner! We went to Dos Caminos, it was so amazing! After dinner we went shopping at a couple of stores! It was so great! So nice of them to invite me!!:)

We were suppose to go to a comedy club that was suppose to be so funny, but it was awful so we left! haha! It was lame, so we left and walked a trillion blocks and finally got back to Penn Station and got on our trains and went home! It was such a fun day, i can't wait for every weekend to be like that! :) 

This experience thus far has been amazing. Even though there are hard days of missing my family and everything back at home..i know that there is a reason why i am out here. It will be amazing once i find out why! The family isn't Mormon so i am praying that they will continue to ask question and that i may be a missionary (this will be my mission at 19, while all the other girls are out on their missions, Marmor family is mine) Keep praying for me because i will always need them. I always remind myself that being an example is much more than words. 

More adventures to come!

Bath time at the Marmor house

Me and Zac just riding on the car out in the back

Me and Elmo in TImes Square

I love Canada!! 

Me and Kristi after dinner at Dos Caminos

Me and Violet on the stairs in Times Square 

the start of my journey

Exactly a week ago i started my big journey and headed east..yup you guessed it.. 

                           New York City!!

It all started by me signing up for with an agency (sitter city if any of you nannies wanna know). I got a notification one day in my email inbox with a family asking to apply for there job, and i was very interested. I looked over the job and figured, what the heck why not right? (what every 19 year old would do..) I told my parents that I was thinking about being a nanny.. they though that it was great that i wanted to do this, but they didn't know that it would be far away from home. They freaked when they found out that it was in NYC!! My mom was a nanny in NY when she was 17 so she was a little less shocked than my dad was. After lots of emails, phone calls, and Skype with the family..i had to make a decision. Prayers, fasting, temple trips and blessings were the only thing that helped me to make the right decision with such a big commitment. After about two weeks i decided that this was right and that i was going to NYC to nanny for 8 months. (just a little freak out!!!)

I didn't know quite where to start with the adventure..so i started where everyone would start, telling the family. I told all my sisters and little brother and they were so happy that i was going to get this opportunity because this doesn't happen all the time. I not only had to tell my family but i had to tell Josh's family. Everyone was shocked that i was moving, but they were also excited for me!! I told my boss at my dental office that i would be putting in my two weeks notice and the shocked faces just kept coming.. (you can tell no one was expecting me to leave). Those two weeks went by fast..and i just kept getting more and more scared..i don't even know why! I was going to be just fine, i think i didn't know what to expect and so i was scared of leaving everything i knew and felt comfortable with behind. 

The last week that i was home i had something every night with my friends and family! I felt so loved by all of them that i was really scared to leave..and the more people asked me if i was scared, the more nervous i would get. Starting with Tuesday, saying goodbye to josh's brothers, sister in-laws and nephew. Wednesday night saying bye to my best friends. Thursday night i had to say bye to all my family. I am so emotional when it comes to my family because i love them so much..so giving each of my sisters brother-in-laws and brother a hug was hard! They all told me it was like a mini mission (but of course i would be able to call, text and Skype ANYTIME i wanted), so i told them to not think of it like that because i would be home soon..3 months for Christmas!! My two nephews were the hardest to say bye too (even though they don't understand..i knew they would grow up so fast and i was scared of missing that. Don't worry i get pictures everyday). As the night went on more goodbyes came. I had to say bye to Josh's parents and little brother (his little brother's my best friend while Elder Stephan is away..so i couldn't not cry, lets be honest).  I fell asleep just fine that night because i was exhausted, but the alarm was set for to early...4:00am!!

Friday 9.21.12 came to early! I had to finish packing my last minute things, try and zip my suit cases (i got them zipped with the help of my dad), and load the car. My little brother and sister were troopers..they woke up at 4:00am with me to take me to the airport with my parents at 5:00am! I was so nervous the entire way to the airport. We arrived about 5:45 with a couple of stops that we had to make. I had to say goodbye to my mom at the curb because she had to wait in the car, hardest goodbye yet..she's my best friend (i miss her everyday). My little brother and sisters rolled my suit cases in with dad so i didn't have to do much other than put a smile on and be happy! I checked in and weighed my bags. Hello...I'm moving for 8 months! You have to pack everything!! (okay so they were both over 50 pounds) I took some things out of one and loaded it in the other, the zipper seriously was gonna pop..but we got it zipped!! Now we only had to pay for one..80 pounds and $90 later I was ready! My dad walked me over to security (with the line being a mile long), he made sure i had everything!! I gave my little brother and sister a hug and than a final goodbye with my dad!! I missed my family the second they walked away..but i stuck a brave face on and kept walking!! 

My flight left at 7:15 with my first flight of 3 (yesss..2 layovers, i'm insane) to Phoenix, second flight to DC and third flight to NYC!! It was a verrryy long day for me! Jet lag much? As soon as i got to the airport i met my host dad at baggage claim. That was my very first time meeting him so i was terrified. We loaded my bags into the car and headed for the house. When we got there, the kids were all excited to meet me and my host mom was thrilled i was there! We sat down for dinner once i got there and we all just talked about everything. There are 3 kids, Vivian-10, Scott- 6 and Zachary-4. 

I have now spent my first week here in Woodbury, NY. Yes it's so different and i miss my family friends and mountains back at home, but i wouldn't change this for the world. The family doesn't know anything about the Mormon church so its so different from how i live my life. They are so kind and genuine, and treat me just like family already! i am so blessed that i got paired with this family, i can't wait for the adventures that i will get to go on while i have this time. I haven't done anything fun or picture worthy other than these (down) but i will be traveling a lot, so i know i will get lots of experiences!!:) 

This missionary i met while i was boarding the plane. He was going home to Calgary, Alberta (where josh is serving)  leaving the provo mission. His name was Elder Mitchell so i had to get a picture with him!!

View from the airplane of NYC!!

the cars...but guess which one i get to drive often..you guessed it..the mini van!!
although i drive the Range Rover often

my cute bathroom! 

my bedroom!! (yes i bring that bear everywhere because it has josh's voice inside)

I'll keep this updated every few weeks!!! Here i go into the real world!! The city that never sleeps:)