Nate's Top 9 from the Past 9

I always hate it when I'm reading a friend's blog and come to super long posts.... well, I don't learn from others' mistakes well, so here's a long post... I was thinking today about how my life has been so blessed with good things, great experiences and not-so-fun learning experiences... It's been 9 years since I finished highschool (good riddance), so I want to count down my favorite 9 experiences, periods of time, etc. since I wouldn't trade these past 9 years for anything.

9. Getting accepted into graduate school... that was a relief in Feb 2006 when I found out that I wouldn't have to find a job in sanitational engineering (garbage man) after all... however, I wouldn't wish the first year of grad school on even my worst enemy...

8. Summer studying in Israel, Jordan and Egypt (1998). Just after high school I studied at the BYU Jerusalem Center for a summer (my GPA never fully recovered, though...)

7. BYU - while I never intended on going there, I would not trade my educational experience with any other school... I had great teachers, true friends and expereinces I couldn't have had anywhere else. Best 6 years I've ever spent (I think I overstayed my welcome, though).

6. Family time and Road trips in Utah while at college there and in Washington while working there in 2005. I loved the countless trips to weddings, to national parks, and trips to nowhere in particular, but just to get away. I loved all of the trips with family or just the two of us .

5. Internships in Seattle and D.C. and living with Maria's family during it.

4. 2 years in Spain... While I struggled the first 6 months, the remaining 18 were the best 18 months of my life. I loved every day being able to get up and serve the people in Spain as a missionary. I loved the community service I participated in, the free smoking cessation courses I got to teach, the youth I got to help in the rough parts of town, the elderly people I got to serve, and most importantly the opportunities I had to share my testimony of how Christ is our Savior and that His church has been restored on the earth.

3. March 15th 2006... I hadn't been back from grad school interviews in Boston more than a couple days when Maria woke me up that morning, excited and nervous saying "Nate! Either I just wet the bed or my water just broke!" That was the first of what still seems like endless sleepless nights and continual chuckles about all the cute things Anabanana does and says.



2. July 25th 2003... I mean the 26th! sorry!... (quote from a mission reunion that got me in trouble)

1. Every day with my girls... I love them both with all my heart