This year had flown by. I can't believe how many unexpected things have happened since last January and how much I have changed. I've gone places and met people I never thought I would. The biggest suprise was probably going to France all by myself to stay with a family I hardly knew. But it was an amazing experience that caused me to grow and change so much. Many other things have happened before and since I left, and since I haven't posted since June I decided to make an update post on all I've done since then. So here's what I've been up to for the months since I last visited this blog :)
Summer: Part 1~
The first half of the summer was spent in a wild flurry. While preparing for my trip to France at the end of July I tried to cram in as much fun with family and friends as possible. The result was fantastic, although very tiring.
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| We immediately started the summer with a Shelley family trip to Capitol Reef. We had so much fun with all the family enjoying the beautiful scenery. |
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| We had a "western" style photoshoot at Wheeler Farm.. this is one of my favorite pictures we took :) |
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| We also had to cram in a few more times of boating.. both on Ben's boat and with Uncle Marlin's :) |
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| We saw WICKED on my last day at home.. It was so AMAZING!! Especially since I got to have 3 of my best friends come with us because of tickets we won... |
Part 2: France~
At the end of July, I left for France, where I spent the entire month of August. It was the most amazing experience and changed me so much. I grew to love the people and the scenery so much there, I can't wait until the day I go back! :)
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| My french mother, Natalie Rivet, and me at Notre Dame de Paris on my very first day in France. I had only been in the strange new country for a couple hours and was quite afraid.. but so excited for the coming 6 weeks of adventures! :) |
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| I immediately fell in love with the quant village of Louviers where the Rivet family lived. This is one of my favorite pictures there :) |
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| A week into my trip I visited Hardelot, France, with the Rivet's grandmother, Brigitte. I loved both her and Hardelot so much... it was my very favorite place to visit. |
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| I spent that second week with the Rivet's uncle and two cousins and we visited around central France.. a bunch of quant villages and a couple different chateaux. |
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| My third week we visited the Alps, which were so amazing. Every morning we woke up bright and early to hike with the sheep, goats, cows, and marmottes. :) |
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| The fourth week we spent in southern France. We spent lots of time with some family friends of the Rivets, who I came to love so much in those few days with them. |
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| The fifth week we stayed in a small condo in Damgan, Bretagne. The old beach towns were so fun and the sea was amazing. |
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| My favorite day of all I spent in Bretagne.. I started with going to an LDS branch while the Rivets visited the city nearby. We then took an amazing bike ride along the sea, which was so beautiful. This was followed by kayaking in the sea gulf near their cousins home. It was such an amazing day. |
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| While in Bretagne, I loved spending my time on the sandy shore of the beach outside our condo. I sat there painting, reading, writing letters to my family, and studying my French (bien sur! :) |
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| We visited Hardelot again in my final week in France, and I wouldn't have spent it any other way. The air was so fresh and the people so kind, I was in absolute heaven. |
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| This is Brigitte, the beloved Grandmother who I love so much. I was so happy spending my last few days in her company. |
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| My last night at home in Louviers I got a picture with my three french brothers- Marc, Martin, and Francois. Six weeks with them had really made them feel like my family. |
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| My very last day I visited Paris one last time. It was amazing the difference I felt now from when I arrived. Whereas in the beginning I was a strange American girl in a strange new country, I was now "a French girl leaving to America. I was leaving home for a strange new country."
September~
I arrived back home in the Salt Lake City airport on September 1st. My parents surprised me by taking me straight to Goblin Valley, where we met up with the rest of my immediate and extended Shelley family. I only had time to trade my suitcase with a smaller bag of clothes. We drove until night, and although I was extremely tired I talked the entire time with my parents and Nakita, catching up on the past month and a half.. in a mixture of English and French. After 6 weeks I had started thinking in French.. I can't imagine how missionaries feel after 2 years of a different language...
 
I unpacked all of my souvenirs when we returned on Monday... our last day of summer passed gleefully as we ate French food, and played tons.
The summer equated to an amazing one... the best I've ever had. I had so much fun at home and in France, getting to know the French people and culture...
School: Being a Junior~
The 1st day of school I woke up at 5.. to be picked up by Ben at 6:05 for early morning seminary. Although difficult, it had been the most amazing experience this year.. and I love it so much!
For the Halloween dance we dressed up as Clue characters.. I was Ms. Scarlet with my wonderful date, Colonel Mustard... (Braxton) :)
We made Ben breakfast in bed for his birthday... we're such good friends ;)
 This school year I also met Carter... one of the very positive side effects of early morning seminary ;) 
Savanna and I had our birthday party together for the 2nd time.. it was so fun :)
Carter took me on the best birthday date ever.. we took the trax to temple square where we saw the lights and walked around together :)
We went to dinner at the Garden restaurant at the JS memorial building. It was so amazing and sweet of Carter.
 
We were kind of oddballs in a fancy restaurant ;)
 
and very full... :)
Carter and I went to the Christmas dance together and had an amazing time...
We've had a couple baths in the bathtub :)
And played in the snow lots of times!
My mom made a special holliday dinner that we dressed up for.. and then took some darling pictures after. Carter and I couldn't really hold still long enough for a normal one though ;)
We've also invented the "fliratious smile"... one of google's hints for flirting :)
Carter came with my family to Park City for our new years party.. we went cross country skiing, played games until 2:00 a.m. and wore our matching socks... it was so fun :)
All in all this year has been a great one. I've gotten to know some great people and had so much fun. I've gained so much self confidence... I can't wait for another wonderful year of excitement and adventure! :)
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