Weddings

 I never blogged about Jennae's wedding but it was so perfect. So sweet and so Texas-y and so perfectly Jennae & Johnny. 

So fun having Chrissy & Mimi in Dallas to play with us!

I think I danced at least 10 hours of JD4 that weekend.

Also I've been to a few receptions up here in Utah. Isn't my Michael friend cute?

Home

YALL I'm home... and its the weirdest thing. 

How do I write about a year and a half in the Amazon Jungle, preaching and teaching and walking and running and sometimes crawling and crying and laughing and growing and being stretched and missing my family and also never wanting to go home? I feel eternally grateful for my time spent in Manaus. It was the hardest, and also the best thing I've ever done. I came to know to know my Savior Jesus Christ and my Heavenly Father by serving His children in Brazil. I learned things about patience and humility and Christlike love and charity that I really needed to learn. I grew to appreciate my family and friends in ways that I never had before. I learned Portuguese! I learned how to make Brazilian food! lol in my dreams. Okay so maybe I know a few things.

Anyways. I feel so blessed that God let me go on a mission to Manaus, Brazil. I also feel blessed to be back at home. But we'll save that for another post. 

Peace I'm Out

While I'm gone you can write me aaaaaaaat:

Sister Allison Riding

Brazil Manaus Mission

Rua Loris Cordovil, 1066

Alvorada 1

69042-010 Manaus - AM

Brazil

Interested in reading more about why I'm on a mission? 

Lemme tell ya!

My wonderful mother may or may not post my letters here. We'll see :)

Both to BRASIL

Okay first of all I'm having slight anxiety over how to spell Brazil (Brasil???). Like I totally get that Brasil is the "correct" way to say it because that's Brazil in Portuguese but we don't run around calling Germany "Deutschland" just because that is Germany in German!!! 

I digress. If you are not friends with me in real life slash do not stalk me via social media then you may not be aware that my sister/best fran is ALSO going to Brazil! Yippity skippity!! It's funny because when I opened my call I was cool/calm/collected. When Jen opened hers? A different story. 

Jen- "I'm going to Brazil!"

Me- *crying*

My visa still hasn't gone through yet, so I'll fly out to Provo next Monday afternoon and do my training at the MTC (Missionary Training Center) there! Time is ticking! Still excited and feeling great about heading out to serve the Lord. But yes, I am a bit of an emotional wreck. *grin*

MW Goes to Washington

It is high past time to address the elephant in the room. Err...  blog. I am going on a mission (ur like ya ya ya, we know). I also have a boyfriend that I love and adore, who came to visit me this weekend! (eek!)

So remember that boy who gave me his number during finals week? His name is Michael. And he is wonderful. And he is such a trooper to put up with these crazy people.

To put alllllllll the rumors to rest (subtly letting my audience know that [i like to think] we're a piece of hot gossip)- I've loved dating Michael and hope to date him when I come home in 18 months. The end.

Prezzy Day

This weekend I headed down with some pals to Zion National Park for some well deserving needed sunshine. We stayed in a weird motel, painted the tiny tiny tiny town, hit up the continental breakfast and spent the beautiful afternoon hiking! We came back late Saturday night, then oh a whim headed up to Logan first thing Monday morning for some snowmobiling. Fun to stay with Michael and Neal's gracious family, and always great to get out of Provo. Didn't even mind the appx 15 hours spent in the car. Srsly though.

Love Day

So half the reason I even have a blog is because it's fun to look back and read it. Let's be honest, we all love to stalk ourselves. Who doesn't get a kick of reading old journals, no matter how cringe-worthy they are?! Anyways today I went back and read my blog entry on last Valentine's Day. Oh ho ho I was so incredibly single it kind of makes me giggle. 

Last year my date cancelled on me, day of. We were supposed to double with his roommate and Sydney, and the roommate decided to cancel too after hearing the news. And yet, neither of us were really all too disappointed because it meant we got to go to dinner with Sydney's sibs and mama who was in town. And also at that point we preferred each other's company to any boy in Provo soooo.....

A lot happens in a year! Twelve months ago I was happy to get cards and letters from my missionary pals, and now I'm about to be a missionary myself. 

Happy Valentine's Day! I'm surrounded by people I love and feel incredibly grateful for that fact. Give somebody a hug. Or a side hug, if you're wary about touching other people like my pal Brookie is.

Look how cute my valentine is :)