Was yesterday really the Fourth of July!?

I can't believe time is passing so quickly. It feels like just yesterday I was shaking my elder's hand goodbye. The Lord has truly blessed me with a distracting life. It's almost been 7 months. And it's already JULY! Like what!?

So the fourth is a pretty special day for Taylor and I. When we first started dating we were not official. And by the time it hit July we had been unofficially dating for about 3 months. At this time Taylor had gotten his tonsils out so we weren't allowed to kiss. So we would put our hand over the other persons mouth and kiss our hand ( I know we are lame). 

Anyway, we were pretty into each other. Lots of cheek kissing. Since Taylor was medicated he wasn't allowed to drive his truck and take me to our spot (this really cool mountain that over looks both our towns) to watch fireworks. He was SO upset.

His mom ended up driving us around town till Taylor decided on a spot. We picked a random street that over looked the city and we laid in the back of his truck together. Seriously one of my favorite memories. That was the night Taylor and I really knew we loved each other. This wasn't just a summer fling. We had fallen in love and we fell hard and fast. 

July 2011:

"Watching fireworks with the girl that makes fireworks go off every time I look at her" - Elder Taylor Kozak  

July 4, 2011

Can't believe it's been two years since that night. This year I celebrated with both of our families. It was great to be around all the people that love us and completely support us together. 

Never give up on what you know is right. The Lord will always provide a way. Stay faithful and stay strong. 

"And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage." -Mosiah 24:13

He always keeps his promises :)

Have a greet week ladies and remember:

Keep Calm and Wait On

xoxo

Caa

Craft of the Week: A Guessing Game

When I got my mission call to Santiago Chile, I kept it a huge secret from Taylor. He knew I had gotten my call, but I refused to tell him where and I scared every one else by threatening them if they told him. So for about two weeks after my call he had no idea where I was going to be serving. I kept it a secret because I had this super cute idea for a guessing game package. It includes balloons ;)

How to make it:

First

Write a letter that explains to him how the guessing game works ( Label the letter: READ BEFORE POPPING ). Explain to him that within each balloon is a clue and he has to pop the balloons in order from 1 to however many there are. You might want to tape a pin on the letter so he can use it to pop the balloons! :)

Second

Create your clues on little slips of paper 

Third

Get some balloons to blow up

Fourth

Roll up each clue ( I used a Q-tip to hold my clue in place ). Then place the clue in one of the balloons. Make sure the clue is all the way inside the balloon to the round part. 

Fifth

Blow up the balloon after you've placed the clue inside. Then write the corresponding number of the clue onto the balloon. 

Sixth

Write two more notes the first should say: READ AFTER POPPING. This is where you reveal the surprise. Then a: READ LAST letter that talks a lot more about the news, why it's important, how he has helped you, etc. Tape those two envelopes to the bottom.

Lastly

Place all the balloons inside the box! You may need a large box depending on how big you blow up your balloons. 

Then tape your: READ BEFORE POPPING letter to one of the front flaps.

And BINGO! That's the "A Guessing Game" package! Feel free to decorate it and if you use my ideas please email me pictures!

carlycorrineupton@gmail.com

Keep Calm & Get Crafty

xoxo

Carly

Merry Half Christmas

So I know I'm still weird for celebrating random holidays, but June 25th was Half Christmas. Like my favorite half holiday ever haha. Taylor and I started celebrating it two years ago when we went caroling at Taco Bell in Santa hats. Priceless. We had only been casually dating for a few months and that night I knew he was my best friend. So we made a non official vow to celebrate it every year! So I had to celebrate this year with out him :(

My day:

It was absolutely the most perfect Christmas I will have until I come home :) We decorated cookies, dressed in ugly sweaters, and went half caroling! A special thank you to my best friend Hunter for celebrating with me! I'm definitely makin this a tradition in my family! So fun!

Taylor's Package:

I sent him and his companion a nice little goodie bag for Half Christmas :) it contained mini hand held fans and hand sanitizer (iron man & starwars brand of course). 

 

Then I gave Taylor a seperate larger bag to open that contained this cute little teddy bear I found at the dollar tree. Yes THE DOLLAR TREE. In fact I found all my gifta for this package at the dollar tree. Seriously the best place in the world. I also gave him a mini New Testament and some foot deodorizer haha. 

Can't believe it's already been 6 months! I feel so lucky to have been blessed as much as I have since Taylor's been gone. The Lord is mindful of each of us ladies. Trust Him :)

xoxo

Carly

National Pink Day

So again, my elder and I are kind of silly and like to celebrate random days of the year.
So Sunday was National Pink Day and I went all out.

From baby pink nails, hot pink rings, magenta skirt, light pink top and a breast cancer awareness pin; I could of auditioned for the next Legally Blonde. Oh and my notepad was pink.

Dear Elder Kozak,

We really missed him, but we still had to celebrate! Taylor's mom, me, and Taylor's brother. 
Happy National Pink Day T! Miss you and hope your having fun out there serving the Lord!!! :)

Advice

While Taylor has been away, I've learned a very valuable lesson: You don't have to be sad when things are hard. Its okay to enjoy yourself and make memories while your elder is away. What are you going to be talking about when he gets home if you didn't do anything while he was gone?


Keep you head up & keep celebrating.

Every day is a day closer to when you get to see your elder, what's not to celebrate!

Keep calm and wait on

xoxo

A lady in pink

6 Months Down

Wow.
I never thought I'd see the day. I can't even being to fathom that my sweet heart has been gone for half of a year. It feels like eternity since the day he left me and some how it still feels like yesterday I was holding his hand walking down the street. Its a weird life style (being a missionary girlfriend) and I know I talk about it a lot, but it really is the hardest thing I have ever done. I wish  I could say it gets easier with time, but it doesn't. Every day is just different, you have your good days and your bad days. And the farther a long you go in this journey, the less bad days you seem to have. Maybe its because I'm distracting myself, or just use to this lifestyle. But it never gets easier having my best friend so far away from me.

Let's take a journey through the last 6 Months:

December 19th-January 19th

The hardest month of my entire life, yet the most crafty..
I ate a lot of chocolate
Wrote Taylor a letter every single day he was in the MTC...I'm kind of clingy
Dedicated all of my time to making him crafts & packages
Spent Christmas crying wishing he was with me
Went on lots of adventures with my mom
Realized I had no friends
Cried myself to sleep every single night

January 19th-February 19th

Went back to school at BYU-Idaho
Spent the first weeks bed ridden
Was blessed with the most amazing roommates
Made a lot of new friends
Cried every time I got a letter
Got asked on a lot of dates...said no to them all
Made him a super romantic Valentines Day package :)

February 19th-March 19th

Sent Taylor a birthday package :)
Found out (on his birthday) that I got accepted to BYU! How perfect is that?
Went through some serious drama
Started my mission papers

March 19th-April 19th

Got a 3.65! Heck yeah!
Went to festival of colors.
Had a mental break down or two
Started packing my bags to come home
Became addicted to Sammy's milkshakes
Flew home

April 19th-May 19th:

Hated my life
Sat around and did nothing
Missed Taylor MORE THAN EVER
Started this blog!
Got a job!
Submitted my mission papers
Started hanging out with Taylor's family more

May 19th-June 19th

The hardest month by far
Its all been super confusing
Really developed my faith in God's plan for me
Got my call to Santiago Chile!
Sent Taylor a two packages!
Had our 18 month anniversary
Really started focusing on my mission

"We've got this if we want this. I want it. My biggest dream is to live in a big mansion with you in the Celestial Kingdom for all eternity." 

- Elder Taylor Stefan Kozak

Surviving every day with out my best friend is the hardest thing I have ever done. But every email, every letter, every package, every dream: it makes every thing worth it. I know that if this is God's will and I do everything in my power that Taylor and I will be able to be sealed together for time and all eternity. I love him so much and can't wait to see what the next 18 months bring.

Ladies, we can do this. When we compare this moment in our lives to the span of all eternity, it seems so small. And it is. What a small price to pay: Wait two years, while your future husband serves our Master Jesus Christ, and then you can be together forever. FOREVER. Let that word sink into your mind.

Forever: without ever ending


The Lord has great blessings in store for us ladies, He loves us and cares about our dreams and wants. Trust Him. It will all work out for the best, I promise :)


Keep calm and keep waiting,


xoxo

Carly

A Message For The Haters

"You're never going to be able to wait that long."
"What if you meet your husband while your elder is away?"
"What if he doesn't wait for you when you get home?"
"You're just going to distract him."
"You know the chances of this working out is like 3%"
"You shouldn't be close minded like that."
"Girlfriends are just trouble before missions."
"What if you come home and you don't want to get married?"

And my personal favorite:

"Its more likely that a missionary will turn gay than have his girlfriend wait for him."

Uhmm.. alright.


But guess what guys:

I STILL LOVE YOU!

 

Even though you've made me doubt myself and cry myself to sleep, I don't feel any bitterness towards you. However, I do have some advice that might be helpful for you:



Mind your own business.



God's plan is different for every one and who are you to tell someone their plan. We are all just trying to align our will with God's. Our path to God is unique and only we know how to get there. So please don't judge someone else on who they choose to love and how they choose to live their life. And next time you feel like being negative: just don't. "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." You might just save a young girl who is just in love some tears.



Sincerly,
A missionary girlfriend




xoxo
Caa

Missionary Girlfriend Problems: Q & A

So lately I have been receiving a lot of emails, comments, and messages with different questions from girls in different circumstances. Some of you are biting your nails as you count down the days till your sweetheart leaves. Some of you are staring at your clock, counting down the seconds, because your elder only has weeks till he comes home to you. Some of you (like me) are stuck somewhere in the middle. Some of you are going to be serving missions. Some of you are going to college. Some of you are still in high school. And some of you don't share the same belief as your elder.

Whatever your circumstances may be. I assure you it is hard for all of us. No one quite gets the pain of watching your roommates go out on dates, never having any one to text, crying yourself to sleep because you just wish he was there to tuck you in, frantically anticipating that weekly email, and becoming best friends with your local post office.

Being a missionary girlfriend is lonely a lot of the time. My best friends would never let me complain about me missing my elder because I "chose this life." I just wanted to scream in their faces every time like "WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU MET YOUR HUSBAND AND HE HAD TO LEAVE YOU FOR TWO YEARS IN ORDER FOR YOU TO GET MARRIED!? HUH!?" But instead I just shut my mouth and decided to suffer in silence because no matter how much I would try to explain it to them, I knew they would never get it.

Ladies, we don't have to be alone. We all know what it is like crying when you get a letter, not so secretly planning your wedding on Pinterest, keeping a countdown on your wall, and stressing over stupid stuff "like what if he meets his wife on his mission" K. No. Not going to happen. We just get what it is like to be a missionary girlfriend. So let's unite together and comfort each other during this journey. We are all children of the same Heavenly Father and I see no need for us to be strangers any longer. BRING ON THE FRIENDSHIP!

K. Now down to business.

Q & A with Caa:

Q: My elder is leaving soon, what should I give him before he leaves on his mission?
A: Okay ladies, you want to give your elder things he will see every day. That way he will always have a little reminder of you. I'll keep the list simple-
Book of Mormon with your testimony written in it
Tie & Tie Clip he can wear often
A wallet sized picture of you that he can show off to people
Type out one of his favorite scriptures and print it out and put it in a frame
Give him a journal that says "For the times when you need someone to talk to" this way he will be able to write down all his thoughts and maybe one day you can read them all
Give him your favorite picture of you two and frame it (make it personal)
Oh and don't forget to have a photo shoot with him before he leaves. YOU WON'T REGRET IT!

Q: My elder hasn't been writing me every week, should I be worried?
A: No. My elder hasn't written me a hand written letter for like months haha. It is just easier for him to email, so we do that. Your elder has many responsibility that we don't even think about. Sometimes finding time to write can be tough. Don't worry, keep writing :)

Q: How do you find time to send cute packages?
A: Good question. Honestly, I don't really know haha. Last semester I was a full-time student and this semester I work full-time. Every time I come home I just want to sleep. But I find joy in making little crafts for my elder. I often make packages and cute letters on days that I have off or on Sundays. Also, I work on packages for weeks before I want to send them, that way I have time to figure out new ideas and am not rushing myself before the send date.

Q: My missionary is coming home, what should I give him?
A: K. I hate you. So jealous right now. I would give him a cute little picture booklet that catches him up on what you have been doing for the last two years. "Since You've Been Gone." Fill it with pictures and descriptions. This way he will feel like he hasn't missed any time at all. And at the end of the booklet I would create a list of thing to do with him now: "The Past Two Years Were Great, But I'm Ready For A Date." Also, give him a hug and kiss. You have a lot of time to make up for!

Q: My missionary's parents don't take me seriously. What should I do?
A: Prove them wrong. Stick around and show them you are serious. Be a sweetheart. Get to know them, hang out with them, and talk to them often. This takes time, but they will come around even if it takes two years and a wedding. They will get that you are seriously in love with their son.

Q: What should I do to get my mind off of missing him?
A: Something that I have learned is that you don't have to stop missing your elder to be happy. These next two years aren't about distracting yourself as much as possible so you can "get by." Embrace this time you have to get to know each other even more and to get know yourself. To help you cope with this shock of being away from your elder lean on those who love you. Remember those friends you use to hang out with? And your family that lives with you? These people aren't complete strangers. They love you and want to be there for you. Trust me. Also another thing I like to do is go to places I use to go with my elder, eat the food we use to eat together, listen to our songs, and look through pictures. This isn't something to run away from ladies. THIS IS REALITY.

Q: How often do you send letters? And packages?
A: Okay well.... when I was a better girlfriend haha I used to send like 3 letters a week and a package every month. But I got more and more busy with school and now work. So I send about a letter a week, if he is lucky two. And then I send packages still about every month or every 6 weeks. Basically anytime there is a special event coming up (anniversary, birthday, mission mark, holidays, etc) I send a package. I think it is important to send a letter every week and then packages whenever you can. Your elder will appreciate what ever and whenever you send something :)

Q: How do you stay so positive?
A: Oh if only you could see me on the days I eat a tub of ice cream to suffocate my tears. Being a missionary girlfriend is NOT EASY. Like "Hi, I'm Carly. I'm in love with my best friend and want to marry him, but I can't see him for the next two years. Oh and did I mention we can't call...or text...or visit each other...but I'm going to wait for him." AM I CRAZY? Apparently I am. However, something I have learned is that positivity is a choice. If I wanted to, I could cry every single day for the next two years. But I won't because I am happy and I know I've been blessed to have met my sweetheart so early in my life. Positivity comes through getting to know your Savior and that HE understands you. It comes through constantly choosing to see the good in every thing and every one. It comes through faith in God and His plan for you. And it comes through counting your blessings each and every day. "If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it."

I know life is full of trials and questions ladies.

I can not answer every question & relieve every burden.

But their is some one who can and that is Jesus Christ.

He can get you through anything and He will answer any question you have.

I promise you that.

I love you ladies & the Lord loves you.

More Q & As coming soon! Feel free to email me or leave a comment with your questions!

Stay Positive my loves, Make a new mg friend, and remember:

KEEP CALM AND WAIT ON

xoxo

Carly