I'm a pretty awesome human being, or else you wouldn't be reading this blog.

That being said, you have two individuals to thank for me- my parents. Because of them i am who i am today, so lets get started on this story shall we?


It all started with a cup of sugar. My mother lived across from a guy named Mike, whom she knew very well as well as his wife. She see's a really cute guy go into Mike's house that she has never seen before, it's a really small town. Then Mike's wife calls and tells her that Mike's friend, Joe is in town.  So she goes over with the pretense of needing a cup of sugar to "make cookies" and starts to talk with Mike and his friend walks into her view. "Well, aren't you attractive!" Exclaims my mother with all of her latin charm. My dad raised his eyebrows and smiled, and 30 something odd years they are still together.

If you ask my mother about this story she tells it all no nonsense, like what else was i supposed to say to him? then my dad winks at her and smiles. My mother is a firm believer of speaking her mind and my father is a firm believer of adventures. I think that their relationship is their favourite adventure.


CARRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOLA. As my grandmother or uncles yell at her. She's one of my favourite humans, and bless that woman. Bless her. She stands around 5'4, but a terrifying kind of 5'4. She is every introverts nightmare, and i love her for that. I love that she speaks her mind, is loud, and loves to love people. She always calls me after a new Doctor Who so that we can discuss what happened, I always call her when i am walking from class to work or from work to home, and technology is the bane of her existence. If you know her you are better off for it, because this woman inspires you to be bold. This woman inspires you to do what is right and to hold true to who you are. She came to Utah my first year out here and looked around at most of the girls, turns to me and says, "Don't you dare be like that. You always be yourself no matter what". Psh, then she gives me grief because 1/2 of my shirts are animal shirts. Double standards much.

My mother and i didn't always get along, i was a pain in her side. Still am, believe me. My mother and i are a lot alike so we butt heads a lot. Let me tell you something though, i am so thankful for our relationship because we fought to get where we are now. My mother is one of my best friends and knows absolutely everything going on in my life, i talk with her at least 4 times a week. She is my support system and has taught me so much about the kind of mother i want to be. She is one of the strongest people i know, i strive to be even half of how strong she is. She has faced so many trials with my father and they have worked together to face them head on. She is fiercely loyal. Mama bear to the MAX. I admire her for that, and loyalty is one of my fortes because of her.

I know without a doubt in my mind that my mother loves me. She says it often and she shows it in her own way. I know that without a doubt that the most important thing to my mother is her family. She is there as soon as we need her, she listens to her children, and she is such a rock in our family. She supports all of us with our dreams and is always helping us be creative. I hate craft stores because of her, but i'm warming up to them. She cultivated such an artsy soul inside of me- always helping me to have a haven to be myself. She is pupusas, the smell of flowers, craft stores, a lover of people and warm fuzzy socks. All of us love her, even though we dont say it or show it as much as we need to.

Story time: A couple years ago i was having a really hard time with depression and anxiety and when my mother found out she and my father moved me back home to Oregon. I hated it at the time and that was one of the hardest summers of my life. My parents got me the help that i needed even though i wasn't the most cooperative person in the world, because it was hard. My mother pushed me to face my struggles and to grow in ways that i didn't even know were possible. I didn't know what i needed at the time but my parents stayed close to the Spirit and prayed about what to do that was best for me. I am so thankful for loving parents who pushed me to understand myself more and helped me grow as a person. They are honestly so prime.



Joe. VIIEEEEEJOOOOO. That's what my mom calls him. It means old man in Spanish and he always responds with WHAT? because my dad is basically deaf. Although he is deaf, he hears what he wants to. He's an imp. My father sets the standard for all the men that come in and out of my life. He is a no nonsense type of man as well who gets the job done. He has rough hands because he is always working with them, watches a lot of fighting like UFC, enjoys The Eagles, and is one of the most playful souls ever. My sister and i tackle him everytime we are around, to which he responds by beating us, we whine, then mom goes "JOSEPH." and he shrugs and says that we started it. Knuckle head is a perfectly normal insult. He tells jokes a lot or makes puns and then sits there laughing at them himself if people don't appreciate them. He thinks he is the funniest guy ever, and he is. He can't get through a funny story without laughing and i love him for it. He is a really good story teller! I love just being around my dad, because i don't feel like i have to fill the silence. It's a comfortable kind of silence as he works on cars, works in the yard, or is working in the front. He has taught me to fix things in really simple ways and how to view everything as a solution to a problem.

When my father speaks, you listen. I know without a doubt that he is the Patriarch of our family. We go to him and my mother with everything in our lives and they help us in any way that they can. Family is the foundation of my Father. I remember countless weekends in Eastern Oregon helping my grandma around the yard and then up at the ranch. My father is a silent helper. I feel like my fathers slogan should be See a Need, Fill a Need. I try to emulate that. I remember one night at Winco this single mother was trying to juggle a small child and packing a plethora of groceries. Winco runs are my dad and i's adventures. So, i am packing and look up to find my dad and he is helping this woman pack her groceries as she tries to wrangle the small child. I watch as he smiles at the child and makes small talk with the woman and when he is done packing her groceries he wishes her a good night and comes back and finishes ours without another word. Those are the little acts of service that my father always performs.

I remember coming home crying because my Home Ec class was horrible. Obviously i missed that gene with my mother always crafting it up and my father being able to do absolutely anything. So, i was making a small duffle bag and i could not for the life of me sew on the zipper. My dad heard me talking with my mom and just quipped in, "I'll come tomorrow morning and help you." because we had an open lab of sorts. (It was 7th grade) So he did. He came in the next morning and patiently taught me how to sew it on perfectly. Well, i got frustrated and almost started crying again so he just did it. My dad is a sucker for his children, let me tell you.

My father knows how to do everything and he also just knows everything. I try and emulate him in that sense as well. Planet Earth is also known as Joe vs David Attenburrough. He is who i go to when i need to know a random fact of information, because for some reason he always does. He is a jack of all trades and all of his children take pride in that. We all love him and look up to him.

My father is my adventure buddy. He is stale redvines, garage sales, rock hunting, exploring, chex mix, mountain dew, pickup trucks, country music, animal lover, and all sorts of happy things rolled up into a sturdy family loving man. He is a provider. He works hard for him family and loved ones- both spiritually and temporally. I didn't appreciate that enough growing up, but everything that i have is because of my father and mother. They provided a home for their children to grow up and to grow into ourselves.


Let me tell you a couple things i have learned and want in my future home because of my parents.

I have never doubted that my parents love each other. Oh gosh, they are so gross. SO GROSS. I hope to be that way. My dad is always slapping my moms butt as he walks by, kissing her when he gets back from work that some how turns into them making out as im yelling "NO STOP EW GUYS IM STILL HERE" while running away from the kitchen, my mom making eyes at my dad across the room, and they are always wrapping each other up in hugs. My children will never doubt how much i love my husband. Because even though i know my mom wants to kill my dad sometimes and visa versa, there is so much love in my home. My dad knows my moms language and visa versa and its really entertaining to watch them interact with each other. My mom is all talk, and my dad knows it. He rolls his eyes and kisses her.

They work together as a team. They support each other and help each other to be better. My mother makes my father fight for himself and my father grounds my mother. They work really well together even though they are polar opposites. My mother is a loud latin city girl and my father is a quiet introspective country man. They don't just make it work, they thrive. Have i seen my parents fight? Yes, i have. Have i seen them make up and become stronger together? Yes, i have. They communicate and work through things. When our family faces trials we face them together because my mother and father have raised us as a team. We always have each others back. My children will know that my husband is my best friend and that we are a team. Always and forever.

I remember i had to interview my mother for a paper i was writing and i asked her, "What is one thing that you hope you have taught your children?". Her answer was simple, "To have a relationship with Christ. That that's the most important thing they can have in this life." My family was not perfect at having FHE, reading scriptures, and saying family prayers all the time. I remember with clarity so many nights that we did though, and they were changing moments in my life. They were growing moments for my little seed of a testimony. My mother and father were always pushing me to grow Spiritually. When i told my dad that i wanted to receive my Endowment last year he told me, "That's my independent girl" and i took that to heart. My mother always asks me if i've prayed about stuff that we talk about or if i've gone to the Temple about it. Their greatest achievement is their children's spiritual happiness.

 My parents created a home where i always felt loved and never judged. I was free to be myself and to grow as Emily needed to. All of my friends that came over felt loved and open to be themselves no matter what. A home filled with love and acceptance is what i strive for. There was a night where Julia, one of my best friends, came over and we were blasting Journey. My sister was dancing around the kitchen with her daughter, Julia and I were signing and dancing, my mom was belting it super off key, and my dad and brother in law were laughing and joining us. It was such a perfect moment. If we wanted to try new things and explore hobbies, my parents were there supporting us. They suffered through so many concerts, plays, and sporting events. Bless them. I want to support and love my children through all of their hobbies. My husband as well, because i am stoked to get to know what he loves and love it too. That's how my parents are. My mom loves to knit, so my dad is there rolling balls of yarn beside her. My dad loves to work in the garden, so my mom is picking out flowers and sitting outside watching him and talking with him.

I love my parents. They are seriously some of the best humans ever. I could go on and on about how much i love them and how lucky my sisters and brother and i are. I know without a doubt that our family is forever and i would not have it any other way. The most important thing to me is my family, and thats because of my parents and how they raised us. They raised us to understand our Father in Heaven and His love for His children because of their love for each and every one of us. I've never questioned my Fathers love for me because my parents emulate it in all of their actions and words.

I have been blessed. Because of them i can't wait to one day start my own adventure.

Sometimes ,when life gets a bit much i have to step back and realize how grateful i am for the little things.

So, without further ado.....


I call cows Moos, and everything else is fluffs. Cats? Fluffs. Dogs? Fluffs. Small hamsters that are probably just satan? Evil fluffs. They bring me so much happiness and peace. I'm pretty sure that heaven will just be a bunch of fluffs that want to cuddle and play all the time.

Pomegranate Orchards, i think that was one of my favourite things. Why? Because I am a little obsessed with Pomegranates. They are my favourite fruit ever and i love winter because that's when they are in season! So we picked a bunch of fresh pomegranates to eat the rest of the weekend. It was really entertaining to try and get the best ones down from the highest branches. Especially with the ranch dog, Oso, following us around. The sign outside said "Beware of Dog". Yes, beware of adorable dog that will lick you to death and lie on your feet until you scratch their stomach. He was a complete baby. There were two other dogs, a black lab and a chocolate lab. AND the equivalent of a warrior cat. He was so stocky and part of his foot was falling off, but he was a cuddle bug as most cats tend to be. There were turkeys walking around as well, but we only saw them from a distance. All in all, it's a place that i hope to come back to in the future.











So, with our legs turning into jello and our arms sore we headed back to the condo to watch WW2 documentaries and the Emperors New Groove and eat our cravings worth of taquitos, tater tots, and honey bbq chicken strips.


I opted out of Angels Landing, because you know, death. Weirdly enough, 21 switch backs don't sound like the greatest time to me. But one day i'll probably end up hiking at least part of it. Knowing Katy and Ivy. To the very top, nah, i'm good. Why? BECAUSE THERE ARE DROPS OFF ON EITHER SIDE OF YOU AND ALL YOU HAVE TO HOLD ON TO IS CHAINS. I rather enjoy my existence.

So, we hiked the Weeping Rock trail first. Really chill hike that teaches you a lot about plants. Now, for those of you who know me- that's my kind of trail. The ferns were so beautiful! Everything was beautiful! All of the green reminded me of Oregon and made me want to hike all over Oregon. Maybe next summer i'll take a trip home so i can dedicate the time needed to explore. Who knows?





Next up was the Emerald Pools. We hiked really chill hikes because it was Sunday and we wanted to enjoy nature.

"Let's just go to the bottom pools"
"Yeah, sounds good"

I don't know why i ever trust these girls. Mixed messages right, because all i keep talking about is how much i trust them. THEY ARE DEVIOUS LITTLE SUCKERS. Mostly because they know what will make me happy even when i complain, like i said, i'm all talk. {I'm working on not complaining at all, its a work in progress}

So, we made it to the first pools. Which were beautiful. Shocker, i know.




 Eh, i guess the view was alright.

 BUT REALLY, GUYS IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. This is honestly one of my favourite hikes ever. The trail was beautiful, the views were beautiful, and it was the absolute best. Favourite part of Zions, at least so far. Goals- Hike part of the Narrows, make it up part of Angels Landing, and explore that river.

We made it to the top and i perched on top of a rock for a moment as i looked around me. It was a little alcove softly filled with the sounds of birds, people, and water. Tucked away perfection is what it was.



For part of the way down i jumped from rock to rock because i was alone. I had time to think about what i wanted from my future adventures and what i had learned that weekend. I have surrounded myself with some pretty awesome people, and i'm grateful that Heavenly Father has blessed me with them in my life. I'm grateful for a Father who had made a huge playground for me. I'm grateful for people who don't listen to me when i complain but push me to things that they know will make me happy. I'm grateful for patient people. I'm grateful for adventure buddies. I'm grateful for my testimony of my Father and the love He has for His children. It was something i was humbled by as i looked around at all the different people we met this weekend, and even those we just saw in passing. He is aware of each and every one of us and loves us so much.

This adventure didn't suddenly solve all of my problems, but it made my soul peaceful. My body was sore- but a good kind of sore. A kind of sore where my body was thanking me for letting it have fun. My body was sore but my soul was happy. It's one of the greatest feelings in the world.

Then Katy and Ivy caught up and i will never forget this guys face when we rounded a bend talking loudly about the Zombie Apocalypse. I wanted to run down that trail, that's how happy i was.
 I need more adventures in my life. I'm a wee bit addicted. So, for now, i'm collecting adventure buddies.

One of the most humbling and uplifting experiences I've had to date is to ask some of the people closest to me to write a letter to my future husband.