Hanna successfully finished her first semester at Utah State University. She lived in Old Farm #K-2 apartment. She competed for the USU rodeo team. She worked a couple afternoons a week cleaning houses.
She learned a lot of things - how to be a college student, how to live with roommates, how to do grown-up things like getting the oil changed in her car, driving across Montana by herself, finding the lab in the Logan Hospital, etc.
We are thankful for people who are there to help her out - Taylor Lewis, a friend from Cardston who is in her 4th year and is also on the rodeo team. She would haul Hanna's horse for her, hang out, answer he questions, etc. Will Cranney is another boy on the rodeo team who totally took Hanna under his wing and hauls her horse to rodeos, feeds her horse, defends her, helps her, and Hanna just goes to hang out with Will and his wife sometimes. Doc Hall is the rodeo coach and Hanna keeps her horse at his house, and he has helped her out. Steve & Karma Albiston, our adopted grandparents, also help Hanna out by feeding her, letting her use their iron, and letting her keep her car there when she came home for Christmas.
Hanna had a rough stretch with stomach issues this semester. She went about 3 weeks without really eating any solid foods because she would just puke every time she ate. Our friend from when we lived in Hyrum, Bonnie Summers, helped Hanna by bringing her healthy food, and then she went with her to see a gastroenterologist in Bountiful. Hanna is doing much better.
In more exciting news, Hanna did go out on a few dates this semester. She became a True Aggie by kissing a random boy in the "A" on campus on Homecoming night. She hung out at rodeos with two boys from BYU-Idaho, Spencer Moulton and Dalton Christensen. She went on a date with Spencer and at one point in November she said she would say yes if he asked her to marry him. But then that ship sailed - those are Hanna's words.
Hanna finished her finals (with the comment - I didn't have to study in high school - it just came easier then), and then she came home on December 11. We love having her come home. The first day she was home she cleaned our whole house - the oven, the floors, the bathrooms, etc. I have always dreamed of a magic cleaning lady who would clean while I was gone.
The first Sunday she was home, Ethan Pedersen stood up to speak and report on his mission, and he said to pay attention to what the Holy Ghost teaches us - it may not be the words he says in his talk, but the Holy Ghost can testify to us. Just then, Hanna had an overwhelming feeling go through all of her that she was supposed to go on a mission. It was reinforced to her through all of church. She told Austin that night, and she texted her student ward bishop , and he opened her papers. She then spent the next two weeks while she was home filling in her papers and got her dental and medical check-ups. She also had to have a Tuberculosis test and a tetanus shot (thank goodness for the nurse who helped her, Cheryl Smith, who is in our ward, because she just about passed out).
Hanna's patriarchal blessing talks about serving a full-time mission, and she went to mission prep all through her senior year of high school, but she wasn't certain she wanted to go. She told us a couple months ago that she didn't think she was healthy enough to go on a mission. I did actually pray a few times, and I told Heavenly Father that if He wanted her to go, He would have to tell her. And He did. She is completely in the mindset of going on a mission. I am so thankful for her decision and for the personal revelation she received.
We got this text from Hanna on her journey back to Utah today.
I just want to thank you guys for everything. Words will never express how grateful I am for you guys helping me financially. Paying for shots, doctors, tuition, gas money, my car, my phone, and buying me a box of groceries! Not only am I thankful for your help with money but also just for being awesome supportive parents. For loving me and putting up with my crazy self! And thank you for being such good examples to me! Love you guys ❤️❤️
Here is the picture we took for her to use to send in her mission papers. She is going to put her date of availability as August 1, so she won't actually submit her papers until April 1.
This is our stove. It came with this house. It is 30 years old, but it works great, and I love the flat cook top that is easy to clean. Austin told me a couple weeks ago that he was going to buy me a new stove for Christmas and have someone surprise me by putting it in while we were gone. But then after we were talking about needing to pay for part of Hanna's tuition, he gave me his check for horse training so we could pay tuition instead of buying a new stove. A tear did run down my cheek at the thoughtfulness of my husband, but I would definitely sacrifice a new stove so Hanna can go to USU.
