t minus 10 hours

Wow. Three long months of waiting is finally here.  I can't believe in a few hours I will be at the Missionary Training Center, waiting to start my new adventure to teach and spread this wonderful gospel.  The Lord works in mysterious ways.  I'm so grateful where I am right now, and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.  To be set apart as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints tonight was a surreal thing.  Although I don't necessarily feel different right now, I know I need to step up to the plate and be the best I can be for the Lord.
I would LOVE to hear from you guys!
Either write me on www.dearelder.com  (it's free while I'm in the MTC or just the price of a stamp when I'm in the field.)  or here is my address for at least three weeks, but I'm thinking it will be four.

Sister Chelsey LaVoye Baker
MTC mailbox 155
NE-OMA 1108
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604-1793

Here's to the next 18 months! Hopefully I will be able to do what the Lord needs me to do.  I pray I will be able to answer this call faithfully and honorably.

Thank you all for being so amazing!  My mission blog which will be updated with my letters is

sisterchelseybaker.blogspot.com

I have the best of everything

In this Party post I really want to emphasize how grateful I am for everything in my life.  I have the best of everything!

*Spending conference Saturday with my beautiful friend Catharine, and her adorable four month old!  I just couldn't get enough of this boy! And we made pumpkin waffles, and she made this amazing salad, and we were uplifted by the prophets for our day.  Her mom was also in town so it was super neat to be able to get to know her better!  It was an awesome day and a half. 

Doesn't his smile just get ya?!

Isn't she so pretty?!?! :)  

*my moms birthday was on Thursday!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!  A bunch of her friends from work and I went to Red Lobster, and then to see "The Help."  Which, by the way, if you haven't read it I really recommend it!! Best book I've read in awhile.

Don't mind my hugeness that was created by leaning over ha.

* General Conference for my church was amazing.  Our church leaders are so inspired. I'm grateful I was able to watch both days of conference without work or an extra cirricular activity to get in the way. That hasn't happened in awhile.

*My brother.  I love this boy, and we don't get to hang out enough. It's crazy that he's going to be 17 in Feb.  He shouldn't be that old yet!  

*that I leave on my mission in 9 DAYS!  Everything is starting to come together, and it's amazing what the Lord can teach you if we are willing to seek and listen.

*my lovely friends. I don't know what I would do without them.

*singing for my farewell.  I haven't sang in front of anyone probably since high school, and i miss it. Hopefully i don't mess up.  

*oh yah, my farewell is on SUNDAY!!  Anyone is invited, and open house from 1030-230.  

*Thank all you readers! You guys are so amazing and I learn from you everyday.  

Celebratin'!

I'm celebrating(late), my salt lake weekend a couple weekends ago..

I love Salt Lake City.  I moved to the U right after high school, made tons of friends and even though I had to move back, I go up there probably more than I should.  It's not that long of a drive, and I always have so much fun when I go.  not last weekend, but the one before I went up for a little last hoorah.  And basically I sucked at taking pictures.  Ugh. Sometimes I take millions, and others hardly at all.  Oh well. These are the few :)

This was right as I was pulling into the valley. It was breathtaking and this pic does it no justice.  I miss the green of Salt Lake compared to the red rock of stg.

I LOVE THESE GIRLS!  Becca on the left is my friend since high school, and I love her face off.  The one on the right is her beautiful older sister Meese, or M'Lisa.  We had a fun time at church, and this picture just makes me smile.

Braeden and I, remember him from here? we rented mountain bikes, and fit both of them in the back of his tiny car, and then biked around. It was super fun, and i realized I'm not as in shape as I thought I was lol.

Other highlights that I sure wish I had gotten pictures of.

-My good friend friend Shaun and I went to Park City and did the Alpine Slide and Coaster, and the Zip Line. It was SO MUCH FUN! Oh my goodness. I laughed so hard, and we had a grand time.  Shaun is seriously one of my favorite people, and one of the ones I first met when I lived up there.

-Ultimate Frisbee!  If you haven't played this game, you really should.  It was so much fun to get with everyone again and just play our hearts out. I will miss that.

-La Cocina.  Went there twice. Bring on the mexican food haha.

-now i don't ever watch South Park or any show like that, but it's quite funny to listen to your friends quote stuff.  I know I probbaly wouldn't laugh if I was watching the show, but for some reason when they impersonate them it's hilarious!

-Doing a session in the Salt Lake Temple.  How majestically gorgeous!

-Becca making dinner from noodles and veggies and making it amazing!

-shopping for more mission clothes.

-getting a facial and massage from Meese who is in Master Esthetician.  Amazing!

-Having heartfelt convos with my girls. I love them.

-talking with my good friend Chase.  That kid is awesome.

-sleeping 12 hrs! Aw I really don't sleep enough.

-Randomly seeing Angela at the Institute! It was soooo good to see her!

This is what I'm celebrating.  Life is so good, and I'm grateful I was able to say goodbye in person to some amazing people in my life.  :)

4 weeks!

Life should be a party!


-I only have FOUR weeks left till I leave!
-Going to SL this weekend to find more clothes and to play with good friends.
-Going to eat at Zupas and The Pie this weekend. Seriously, STG NEEDS to get a Zupas.
-Jillian Michaels 30 day shred. Seriously guys, I love her workouts!
-Pinterest.  I can't wait till I get back from my mish so that I can start to do all these fun ideas.
-Did I mention I leave in four weeks? haha
-Spending all day Saturday with my dear friend Catharine, loving her little chubby boy, singing hymns and playing the piano, and then eating dinner and watching a movie.  It was so great to be a part of her family for a day! They are so stinkin' cute. I wish I had taken more pictures.
-I'm going to start reading "The Help" tonight. I've heard so many good things about it!
-Currently eating a cinnamon chip muffin, and it is sooo good.
-Finding new blogs that just inspire you.
-BEING ALIVE AND LOVING THE LIFE I'VE BEEN GIVEN. I'm so very blessed. I hope to never take it for granted.

VIA

Just had to share this thought of inspiration. 

Life is a Party!

Monday's technically not over, right? It's celebratin' time!

Today I'm celebrating..

- the friends in my life.  I don't know how I got so lucky, but I have amazing friends.  One of my really good friends, Braeden, came down this weekend.  We went hiking, then a scenic drive to Cedar breaks, then game night, then hiking again this morning.  It was a fun filled weekend. And he was really patient with me when it came to taking pictures, some of the time.

Haha I tried FOREVER to get a good picture of me blowing one of these and getting the cool effect. It didn't work.   Hence the look on his face below :)

This morning we hiked through Snow Canyon {it was such a lame trail.} If I had wanted a workout by walking in sand, I would have rather gone to the beach. We hiked over 3/4 of the way through this.  At least we got our exercise, right?


-The beautifulness that is our world! I definitely need to go exploring more.
-The temple is open again tomorrow! Oh how I've missed it.
-I only have 6 weeks left until I leave on my mission.
-Game night with super fun people. What a night full of laughter! It was awesome.

Tell me some of the things you're grateful for/celebrating in your life!

Life is A Party

It's Monday, and time remember life is still a PARTY!

Lately I've been reminded more and more of how much I love life, and how blessed I am.  No matter what trials you're going through, keep moving on.  The light will come.  But only if you look for the light, look for the good in all things.  Have faith, and hope. ♥

Anywho, off my little soapbox for the day...{But I needed to say it! }

Things I'm celebrating in life right now...

          ♡ WAKEBOARDING!! I finally got to go for the first time this summer.  It's amazing    what our bodies can do! I love getting better each time and trying harder stuff.  {definitely not amazing or anything, but I'm learning to become less scared to jump.}
          ♡friends.  I could not have gotten through these last six months without my amazing support group.  i'm making so many new friends, and getting closer to the old ones.  I hope I can keep those friendships up while I'm gone.  I will write!
          ♡phone calls. I love getting phone calls from friends. Which goes back the friends. I have AMAZING friends and people who love me, and I love back.
          ♡the sun.  I am loving the sun this summer. SO wonderful.
          ♡The temple.  self explanatory. {going to the LA temple on Tue. Whoo!}
          ♡CATALINA ISLAND! can't wait to see my sista :)

Please let me know what you are celebrating today?? 

Happy 4th and PARTY day!

Remember THIS?  Welp, it's monday folks!  

Today I really want to celebrate that I'm 

ALIVE.

For some reason the past few days I have felt very blah.

 Not a lot of motivation to do much of anything. 

 {maybe it's the lack of sleep, but I think it's a little more than that.} 

I'm really tired of being blah though.  

I know that by counting my blessings, I will feel rejuvenated.  

I'm so happy I'm alive and that I have a body that can do this..

And see the beauty of this..

And have amazing friends like this..

~being able to worthily serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!  {call should be here any day now!!}

~to feel the wind {I love the wind} and the sun.  

~to not have to worry if I'm going to be able to find something to eat for meals.

~to have a purpose in my life..  I know where I've been, where I'm going, and where I'm going after I die.

~to be able to laugh, and to hear laughter.

The list could go on and on!  But I have so any things to be grateful for, and it makes me sad that I forget that sometimes.  I such a lucky girl in so many aspects.  I'm so happy to be alive!

Aren't you???    Can I get a hoo-rah??

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!

I'm also very grateful to live in America.  The land of the free, because of the brave.  Thank you to EVERYONE who has and are making it so we can live in this great nation.

And who doesn't enjoy fireworks!  I still ooh and ahh, no matter how old I get. 

 Hope your day is party-and-red/white/blue-liscious!!

Life should be a PARTY!

Mondays are usually the drab days of the week, right?  School/work/day to day life starts again, and sometimes it can be a real bummer.  

"just another manic monday."

 haha 80's flashback. awesome.

Anyway, this cute girl had the best idea here! Why not celebrate the good we all have in our lives, and try really hard to remember them on the day most people dread the most.

Voila!

 I found a quote that said,

There are exactly as many special occasions in life as we choose to celebrate. ~Robert Brault

This quote makes me smile.  We shouldn't wait to wear that new dress we bought until a "special occasion." We should get dressed up to go grocery shopping, just for the heck of it.  The list could go on and on.  Life can have so many more special moments than the big obvious ones if we choose to make everything a celebration, or a party. :) 

I'm so excited to start this!  Join!  Go HERE to get the button or to read more about it.  So every monday, I'm going to celebrate something good in my life. (or at least blog about it. I want to celebrate everyday. haha )  

Can you think of a good reason not to celebrate all the good things in life??

I sure can't.

:)