Getting Ready To Go...

So here I am, the day before I leave to go to Uganda. I am so excited! I am so excited because this is one of those things that I have dreamed of since I was a little girl. I can't believe that I am actually going tomorrow. For some reason I think that I have these big dreams, but here I am actually getting the chance to live one of those dreams. My heart is full of appreciation to everyone who has helped me and for the support that I have received. My only regret is that I wish that my husband were able to come with me to create these memories. I hate the fact that I am going to be on the other side of the world than him for a whole month. I come back July 21st. The thing is, is that I had decided to go to Africa before I even met Mason... it just got postponed... I was suppose to go last summer but we ended up getting married instead. So now I am going this summer before we start a little family. It's going to be an adventure!

This is me and my backpack full of my personal things that I will be taking. I have a couple skirts and shirts packed in there that I will be leaving. This is a brand new camping backpack that I have only used once. Mason bought it for me last year and I think he is nervous I will ruin it... but I suppose this will put it to the ultimate test. Thanks hun, I'll be careful I promise!

These two gray boxes are full of donations that I have been collecting for a while now. I got a lot of donations from the wonderful families in my first grade class. One lady in my old ward made 45 of these hygiene kits for her birthday. It was her 45th birthday so she had her kids make 45 of them for me. Wasn't that sweet?? To the left is my little money belt next to my passport that I have to wear on my person at all times. Everything valuable I have to keep in that. Luckily I'm not taking anything valuable... just my passport. I have a fake wedding ring from our honeymoon in Mexico that I will be wearing.

The organization I will be going with is called Reach the Children. You can read more about their organization at http://www.reachthechildren.org/. We are going to be training teachers how to teach in the orphanges. We will be teaching hygiene, dental hygiene, gardening, and other things. I can't wait. I am a little nervous... I think that I am a little in denial about the fact that I am really going... but here it comes, tomorrow!

One year anniversary

We celebrated our one year anniversary this past weekend. Mason surprised me with a delicious dinner and tickets to go see 'O' a Cirque du Soleil show done over water. It was amazing! Those people have TALENT! It was an extreme circus act. We stayed in the Luxor hotel in one of the King Suites. The lady at the desk upgraded us for free because it was our anniversary.

We didn't win the big bucks, but Mason sure had fun trying. We survived our first year. It's gonna be smooth sailing from here on out... right?! Happy anniversary hun.

We were thinking about trying out...

Hawaii

During spring break we went to Maui to visit some of our friends. This was our first time going to Hawaii. We had such a good time and came home with wonderful tans! We did everything tourists usually do and loved every second of it. It was the perfect relaxing spring break vacation.

We went to a pet shop where they had these darling little pot belly pigs with leis on. When you picked them up they would SQUEAL at the top of their lungs. They were just darling!

We hiked to the top of Haleakala, the dormant volcano in Maui. It was beautiful because as you were driving up it was raining and there was a lot of cloud cover. Once you got to the top it was above the clouds and absolutely amazing. It over looked the island and is probably one of the most beautiful things we have ever seen.