Not as easy as I thought

This whole mission prep experience has been soo much harder then I ever expected. Like, hooly crap hard! But I am a stronger person because of it all, and hopefully a little bit more prepared. Tonight I will be set apart as a Missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints and I.Cant.Wait!! :D I'm sure I will write about that later, but for now I have a massive issue to resolve... I haven't finished my list!!


Somehow time ran out (I only had 139 days! how is anyone supposed to achieve anything in such a short time frame?)


Here is the update if you care slightly..

Boogie board down the Number 1 (dressed as sooper heros) FAIL

Flash Mob PASS, even though it was slightly lame

Roady to Pokeno FAIL

Roady to McLaren Falls + Tauranga FAIL

Camping FAIL

Cook something delish ...yep pretty much FAIL

Get some Mission clothes PASS - Thank You Mum

Contact International Licence people PASS

Send Acceptance letter PASS

Get final immunizations (Medical stuff) PASS

Busk FAIL

Pay Taxes PASS

Apply for tithing Rebate (2009 + 2010) FAIL

Transfer Camera Payments PASS

Quit EDS fooreeverrrr!!!! PASS!! Yess

Dance in the Rain FAIL

Scavenger Hunt FAIL

Have a Disney Movie Marathon FAIL

Have a Dress up Party.. semi PASS/FAIL, there was a dress up party but well we all know how that turned out hehe

Have a slumber party :D FAIL

Clean/Pack up room PASS

Clean out boxes in Garage PASS

Hot-and-Cold adventures FAIL

Dress up Fab and go out to dinner FAIL

Update Photography Blog!!! PASS/FAIL

Do a back flip PASS - thank you horizontal bungee :D

Learn something new PASS

Get my Bike + Camel Back + GHD + Bedding sent to Mission Office IN PROGRESS

Get an amazing Camera (Canon Powershot G12) FAIL

Make Sky Lanterns and fly those pretties PASS/FAIL - I am currently in possession of some amazing Lanterns thanks to one of my Fabulous friends (Matty your awesome!). I intend to fly those pretties pronto!

Go on an intense Hike FAIL - unless queen st in auckland counts?

Run 10km non-stop EPIC FAIL

Tough Guy/Gal Challenge FAIL FAIL FAIL

So thats what I've been up to mostly, Tomorrow I will have waay cooler stories to tell, but for now good night :D

Cuddles

Have you ever had a daydream that got out of hand? I was just thinking about my visa and what would happen if it didn't arrive and pretty much wanted to cry, my imagination is too good for my own sake!

Speaking about things that are too good, here is a top 5 of awesome things that have happened lately (in no particular order)...

1. I was searching for my Mission Call (that I may or may not have lost for a couple of weeks) and I found $200!! I think its Tithing, but its still $200 that I forgot I had.

2. Got hired to photograph a HighSchool Ball. $800 for 2hrs isn't that bad now is it!!

3. Went to Time Out For Women and had the most amazing time being filled with inspiration and determination to be the most amazing Sister Farthing EVER!!

These are the quotes that got me the most...

• Don't you DARE be the ONE THING standing in your way!!
• The Greatest privilege in life is to know that God has worked through you - Pres Monson

Wonderfully wonderfully wonderful!!

4. This little gangsta was born (I'm a bit delayed I know)

5. And then this one was born :D

And a bonus just for fun, I learned that if a mailing address has R.D in it, it means Rural Delivery....not road... now i know... thanks Brooke

'to do' list

Assuming my Visa is processed and arrives on time, I have:

2 Months

or

9 Weeks

or

62 Sleeps

or

1488 hrs

or

89280 mins

  

I guess all this waiting is good since I have alot of things to do. Here is my official list of things to do before I go:

1. Boogie board down the Number 1 (dressed as sooper heros)
2. Flash Mob
3. Roady to Pokeno
4. Roady to McLaren Falls + Tauranga
5. Camping
6. Cook something delish
7. Get some Mission clothes
8. Contact International Licence people
9. Send Acceptance letter
10. Get final immunizations (Medical stuff)
11. Busk
12. Pay Taxes
13. Apply for tithing Rebate (2009 + 2010)
14. Transfer Camera Payments
15. Quit EDS fooreeverrrr!!!!
16. Dance in the Rain
17. Scavenger Hunt
18. Have a Disney Movie Marathon
19. Have a Dress up Party
20. Have a slumber party :D
21. Clean/Pack up room
22. Clean out boxes in Garage
23. Hot-and-Cold adventures
24. Dress up Fab and go out to dinner
25. Update Photography Blog!!!
26. Do a back flip
27. Learn something new
28. Get my Bike + Camel Back + GHD + Bedding sent to Mission Office
29. Get an amazing Camera (Canon Powershot G12)
30. Make Sky Lanterns and fly those pretties
31. Go on an intense Hike
32. Run 10km non-stop
33. Tough Guy/Gal Challenge

Yup thats my list of things to do, anyone 

7 reasons I will return obese...

We all know its going to happen, so why not identify exactly what the cause will be...

1. Mozzarella Sticks - Sticks of Mozzarella cheese that have been deep fried. Yup..deep fried goodness!

2. Cinnabons - mmmm smothered in delicious mmmmm

3. Candy- Soo much selection, soo much fat + sugar

4. Taco Bell - Cheep as + delicious as

5. Pizza - They don't have meat pies, but they do have delicious meaty cheesy pizzas mmmmmmm

6. Cheetos - Why is cheese so good!!!

7. Girl Scout Cookies - Made from real Girl Scouts

3 reasons I will not return obese...

1. I have self control (I hope and pray)
2. I am determined to exercise and NOT put on weight
3. I have been blessed with a pretty decent metabolism (although that didn't help me at camp..?)

the mother of all annoying days

OH heck annoying!!!! 

loooong story short, EPIC visa photo fail x3 and all in the same day!!

3 separate occasions, 2 different photo places, holy bad hair day, disgusting lighting, eeeeehhhgewww!!!

but ooh well (grrr!!) at least my Visa is applied for. Lets all pray it gets cleared faster than the current turn around of 4-6 months BECAUSE I LEAVE IN LESS THAN 4 MONTHS!~!!!!

Feel free to laugh at my misfortunes and lack of photogenic-ness. These are my photos in chronological order. I even ran my fingers through my hair before the 2nd one was taken!!! gosh!! 

I look like a convict!

Temple Square my foot!! :D

IT CAME IT CAME!!! And ooh my gosh Thursday 29th of April 2011 was the most exciting day of my life!! I'd been waiting for this moment since I decided to go on a Mission (thats exactly 17 weeks if your playing along at home).

I was at work and at 1.18pm I received a txt from Celine (who put her papers in the same day as me) which said "I got it!!". I got the shock of my life and after alot of 'Oh my gosh's' 'Holy Crap!!'s' Its here Its here!!'s' and Oh my gosh!! I called the family to check. They denied all knowledge, and drove me crazier but I knew it must be there.

After a change of Facebook status and blabbing excitedly to Brooke, I tried to get back to work. I finally got home at 5pm after a photo shoot, peaking into the letter box as I drove up the drive.

READING MY CALL:
Of course everyone already knew, so we took some photos and then sang Called to Serve. I was feeling the tears as soon as I sat down with my opened letter. I covered it with a piece of newspaper then slid it down to reveal the first line. "Sister Farthing" (cue shaking voice and hands). "You are hereby called (cue almost crying) to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints". I slid the newspaper down one more line and accidentally saw it,  burst into tears then tried to read on. "You are assigned to labor in the Arizona Tempe Mission" Cue cheering + lots more crying. Luckily mum rushed to hug me strait away coz I was fully blubbing!!! (excited/happy blubbing haha)

I know this crying photo is UGO, but I love it haha.

After hugging mum and dad for a while I managed to catch my breath and read on. I had originally red it as Arizona TEMPLE, then re-read it and realised it was TEMPE. My bad, but still extra amazing!! Wow I finally knew where I was going, I was insanely overwhelmed and excited and happy and relieved and a bit of a mess haha.

Who would've thought? Arizona haha I am soo excited!! Not so much for the scorpions and rattle snakes, but YAY I got my Call!!

Just as I finished reading the rest of my letter, Crystal + Lian + Elle + Ryan appeared and I got to share the news with them. Then I called Grandmother and some friends, then it was on facebook for the world to see :D 

So now its official :D ARIZONA TEMPE MISSION!!!!

I've already acquired my first proper map of Arizona (thanks K) and have been staring at it all day. Exciting!!!

The next step is to write my Acceptance letter, then get my shop on :D Am I too late for the post summer sales??

WHERE the heck am I going!?!?

I am patiently waiting for my call to arrive. I'm getting more and more nervous + excited the longer it takes.  I just cannot wait to find out No 1. WHERE I am going & No 2. WHEN I am going.

Everyday I am asked 2 questions No 1. Have I got my call & No 2. Where do I want to go..

My answers are generally the same, No 1. Not yet.. & No 2. Anywhere there are people. I am soo excited to get out there and teach and there are places that I think I would love more than others, but in general I just want to go on a Mission. There is nowhere that I DONT want to go to and that makes me happy because I won't be disappointed with any call I receive. Call me to Wellington (I would actually really really love that), call me anywhere, CALL ME!! and I am happy. I'm going on a Mission, not on an OE or a Holiday, I have a work to do and that can be done all over the world. How exciting is that?! I have a call to somewhere in this wide wide world, its floating around in some post office just waiting to be delivered to me haha. And I am waiting.

That is all, I cant wait :D

eeeeeeekjsdoifus;odifjs;odirfuwes;oidfkj;soeirkjfs;oeiruf--(thats an excited squeal if you didn't know, couldn't quite translate it to my fingers haha)

Its OFFICIAL: well, almost

Finished everything on the checklist, had my interviews and now my papers are officially in :D

Right now I think they are sitting at the Area Office waiting to be checked and sent off to Salt Lake where the awesomeness goes down. Next week one of the 1st Presidency or Quorum of the 12 will sit in a room with two screens and a couple of other people. On one screen they bring up the missions that need sisters, and on the other screen they will bring up MY photo + some information from my application (like the fact that I want to learn a language + Bishop & Stake Pres comments and anything else they think is important).

Once the decision is made they will issue me my call in the form of a letter in the mail (How happy am I gonna be when that comes!!!) and it will take approx 9 days from when they send it till I receive it. The estimate is Wednesday 27th of April which just so happens to be my friend Celines birthday (She is also preparing for a mission and put her papers in the same day as me. So thats gonna be extra awesome for her)

I AM SOO EXCITED!!!!

I love lists, so here is a list of things I am looking forward to (in regards to my call)...

1. Becoming best friends with the postie
2. Making my facebook status "is currently in possession of a large white envelope"
3. Going crazy waiting for my family to come home so I can open said envelope
4. Finding out where Heavenly Father wants me to serve
5. Having a cry
6. Telling everyone where I will be serving
7. Having another cry
8. Accepting my call and learning everything I can about where I am going

I don't know why I didn't do this earlier (go on a mission I mean), I am so happy and excited and cannot wait! Oooo I need a 'Things I'm not looking forward to' list.

Ok here it is. Thing I'm NOT looking forward to...

1. Having someone other than Auntie Paula and Uncle Ian as my teachers for Mission Prep :( seriously so sad about that one but really happy for them and Uncle's new calling.

.... yep thats it

We match!!

Last month I taught my last lesson as a member of the Relief Society board. I loved my calling as the 4th sunday "Teaching for our time" teacher, but our awesome bishopric (and Heavenly Father) had bigger and better plans for me. 


Change is good and when Bishop said he had just released our RS pres I got all excited cos I knew what was coming next.. 


And yay it did! I'm sooper happy to be called as the 2nd counsellor in the RS pres. I still have the opportunity to teach sometimes, but now I look after the teachers + do other awesome things. I ACTUALLY feel really special haha, and the rest of the RS pres is awesome so we have alot of fun on the way!!!


In other news, after my 'personal space invasion' aka 'physical' done by the doctors, I had to get a blood test. I came home to show off my awesome cotton bud aaand....

haha shame, we matched. 

She Ate My Heart!!!

There is a Poll -------->>>>>>>>>


In other news, my papers are going exceedingly well and I am almost finished :D I have ticked off 10 of the 13 Tasks/Forms and pretty much have 2 more questions left on each. Things are moving quickly which is what I like but after my visit to the doctors yesterday I found out I cant leave until August (I wanted to leave in May). This is because I had to have my Tetnus + Hep A Immunisations yesterday, and Hep A comes in two stages.. Yup I have to wait till August the 18th to have my 2nd Injection and I need to have all that done before I enter the MTC. 


Pretty guttering, but its all good. It just means that Ill be closer to 25 when I get home then I wanted to be (not that that is the reason for wanting to leave earlier, but it is part of it. The other part is I WANT TO GOOOOOO!!!! IM SO EXCITEEEEEEED!!) but seriously, Ill get back in the end of February 2013 and It'll pretty much be my birthday the next week. Oh well, Itll be a cool welcome home party??


Onto another story -- this week has been busy busy with appointments and work and life and after one of these busy + exhausting days I came home just wanting some chocolate. I was looking forward to eating a chocolate heart that my dearest mother bought especially for me for valentines day-- It was exactly what I needed -- I walked inside and into my room and had a chat with Tania who was in there. I explained about my difficult day and how I just wanted to eat my Chocolate Heart. As I said those words my eyes fell upon a crumpled red and silver foil wrapper..... She had eaten MY HEART!!! I may or may not have had a slight breakdown and Laugh-Yelled at her whilst dying inside (I was feeling a little emotional lol). It was a frustrating day and I was soo guttered!! I neeeded Chocolate lol


It puts another meaning to 'stole my heart' doesn't it. Feeling bad yet Taniwha??


haha Love youuuu

p.s this is what my heart looked like before Tania maliciously devoured it without my consent..

Especially for Me

So I know its called Especially for Youth, but I had the most amazing week ever at efy!!!

 My story is just like theirs... I didn't really want to go but had made a commitment and knew I would have an amazing time (which I did). My nervousness at being soo underprepared faded away (and not just coz the other counsellors were just as unprepared as me :D) as my kids arrived one by one and I actually remembered their names. We were so excited, they were so excited, there was just a whole lot of excitement (and Ninja). 


After spending the week with my kids, teaching them atleast one official lesson each day (and sometimes 3), taking on extra challenges, being inspired to share certain experiences, actually being able to answer questions, not killing any of my 28 14-15 yr-olds, being able to survive with limited sleep, and watching my 'Wisdom Warriors' become best friends....i dont really know where this sentence was goin...cough cough.... I didn't realise how much a week teaching and being an example to my kids would help me to be a better person. Its life changing stuff I tell ya!! Never have I ever felt so Prepared for what the world has to chuck at me.

I am now more sure then ever that I am going on a Mission (yes I know most of you wont believe it till it happens, but its gonna happen :D)

2010 in Retrospect

2010 is done and dusted and Holy Moly what a year. I was sad the other day coz I couldn't think of anything I had done or achieved that didn't have to do with Photography, then I remembered all this...

I photographed my First Solo Wedding...

...Got my dream Camera...

...Jumped right out of my comfort zone and entered the Waikato Rose of Tralee Contest...And won...

...We through Dad a 50th Party...

...I embarrassed myself of National Radio for a whole half hour...

...Competed in the National Rose of Tralee Contest in Invercargill...

 ...We made it to the Front Page of the Southland Times...

...Went all the way to Bluff and ate some Bluff Oysters blehh...

 ...Cuzzy Dillon came to visit and we roadied with the Warwicks to Rotovegas...

...Went to Hot-n-cold during the daylight hours...

...Played on the Playground...

 ...Helped organise a YSA conference weekend that went to Rainbows end...

...Danced in some Comps and actually did good...

...was lucky to be a bridesmaid for Pauly and Kita's Wedding...

...learnt how to throw a football...

 ...crossed 'stay in a 5-star resort' off my Life List by going to Fiji...

 ...somehow managed to capture this pure awesomeness...

 ...Photographed my 12th Solo Wedding, my 15th of the Year(if you count assisting/second shooter) and my 19th overall (counting last year)...

So I guess it has been a pretty awesome year!! With a whole lot of awesomeness that cant be put into one blog post. Im sooper excited for 2011 so Bring It ON!!

Oooh one last thing from 2010.. I decided to go on a Mission :D