PRICEless

People knock small towns ALL the time… especially little Price, Utah.

A drive by...

A simple coal miner’s town...

A college pit stop...

A nothing town...

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been asked, “Do you like it there?” and then heard a laugh following my “I love it!” response. Or how many times I’ve been asked, “Why Price?” 

So let me answer that very simple question.

Price has given me some of the most amazing people.

The friendships I have made while in Price are so valuable and completely priceless. They are friends that turned into family. They are the kindest, most loving and caring people. These relationships mean the world to me.

Because of these individuals I have learned life lessons and skills that will follow me forever. With them, I have shared some of the greatest laughs, had the greatest conversations, made life-long memories and learned what it means to love and be loved.

Price has been the home of my mighty change of heart.

Before I moved to Price I was lost. I didn’t have goals that were on the straight and narrow and I didn’t know who I really was. Because of many wonderful influences around me, a lot of prayer and signs that my Heavenly Father was near, I was able to find myself.

Price provided me many opportunities to grow and learn: 

I was able to take on responsibilities as an adult that gave me necessary skills to progress. 

I learned that sometimes you have to just take care of you if you want to get anywhere. 

I learned a love for people, all kinds and all backgrounds. 

I learned when to love and when to give tough love. And most importantly, I learned who I am and what I stand for.

Price has given me various jobs that changed who I am.

First, I worked as a mentor on the USU Eastern campus. I helped first-year students continue on their successful paths of higher education. I had the chance to help individuals through their educational trials and it was so satisfying. I had the most amazing boss and teammates who definitely have a place in my heart. Getting to know these individuals and see their love for others made me so very grateful for their part in my life.

Second, I worked for one of the best families I know! Dinosaur Tire was the HARDEST place in Price to leave. I love the Axelgard family so much and I have eternal gratitude for everything I learned while I was there. They taught me so much and I was always laughing throughout the day. They are my Price family!  

Third, I had the opportunity to spend a few hours a week with an elderly lady helping her with basic tasks. Her stories and advice gave me a new outlook on life. I am so grateful for the time I could spend with her learning, laughing and serving.

Never take for granted the jobs you are given, they can be the biggest blessings in your life if you let them.

Price has given me a place to miss.

I know it’s cliché, but part of my heart will always belong to Price. It is a place that I am going to miss so much. It has become a second home for me, a place I will always proudly claim. Price, for me, will never be just a drive-by or a nothing town;

Price is home.

Step Two

    Can I just express to you what a WONDERFUL journey my Freshman year of college has been?  I have made friends that I know are going to be life-long and I have learned things beyond what I ever thought I could.  I have had the opportunity to serve in the community and to get to know 'Price locals' who are pretty great by the way!  My heart and my hope have grown here... I want so much more for myself and my future!  I'm so blessed to be where I am!
   
    My life was no walk in the park when I first moved here.  Nobody has life that easy, we all struggle, stumble and fall.  Price has enhanced my lifestyle in so many ways.  I never believed I would be active in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints again but here I am... going on month 9 of being fully active.  It feels AMAZING!  I have goals and I know where my life is headed if I continue down this path that Christ has made for me.        

    I never thought I would meet the kind of friends that you just crave to have in your future, always.  When I left home I had 2 of that kind of friend.  Now, after being here in Price, I have 6.  On top of this, I have met people that have changed my life and made it such a brighter place.  Those people will NEVER be forgotten and will always hold a dear place in my heart wherever life takes us.  I can't believe how lucky I am that I was blessed with the friends I needed right when I needed them.  

 

    After this first year of college I am about 80% sold on going into the field of Social Work. I know what I have been through and if I can help others going through hard times and prevent them from feeling the way I felt sometimes, I'm going to.  Social Work has such a power to change the world and build us back up.  To me, being in Social Work means taking care of EVERYONE.  Obviously, it is impossible for me to take care of every person ever... but I can take care of as many as I can and join the races with other Social Workers. We need people to care for each other in this world so that we can knock out as much evil as possible.

    This first year of college has been the greatest blessing.  I made changes that will stick with me forever.  I made the choice to be who I am and to love my Father in Heaven who made me this way.  I'm grateful to know my Savior again and continue to learn everything I can about His Gospel.  I am super excited to be staying in Price this summer and working the job I really wanted at Dinosaur Tire Les Schwab.  The people there are absolutely wonderful and I'm loving it already!  Ya know, life isn't always rainbows and butterflies, but life is pretty wonderful right now and I wouldn't change much.  :) 

And My Heart Grew Three Sizes

    So here comes another post about my amazing life in little Price, America.  I seriously love it here.  Who knew it would take a little tiny town to open my eyes?  This particular post is about my friends and I; we have all made incredible changes to make our lives better.  My heart grows each and every time I think about each of them and how amazing they are!
   I'm going to start with the biggest testimony building experience I have had since moving to Price.  I never thought I would move to this town alone and find such amazing people who would change my life forever.  I definitely never thought I would move here and have an experience such as this one.  When I got here, I met two pretty rockin' gentlemen through my roommates and only about a month later, found out that one of them was planning to be baptized soon.  His name is Connor.  
   Right before I moved I watched many of my friends prepare for missions and leave on them.  I had been inactive for so long and I supported them 110% but I didn't have much of testimony of the Gospel.  I never thought I would have the opportunity to see what missionaries do on such a personal level.  Hearing about Connor's decision to be baptized opened my mind in so many ways!  At that point I had started to come back to the church and do the right things; the joy I felt at this time was completely indescribable.  
   Then the day arrived in late October; Catherine and I were literally so excited that we showed up 30 minutes early and sat on the front row.  It was honestly... amazing.  To hear the people speak, to see him go from a bright individual to a radiant member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and to see the huge smile on his face, that was what it was all about.  My heart and testimony grew to a size I never knew existed.  Connor's conversion and continuing faith is such an example to me.  

   The second gentleman goes by the name of Jared.  Haha!  The changes that Jared has made in his life to come closer to Christ has been really cool to watch!  There were many nights he, Catherine and I would stay up late talking, sharing experiences and getting to know each other on a whole other level.  Our friendships continue to grow because we all have this bond of 'imperfection' that helps us build our testimonies together.  Jared, for whatever reason, tends to be the butt of all our jokes.  However, we love him a whole lot!  He brings a lot of laughter into our group of friends and let me tell you, learning to laugh things off has been one of my biggest challenges.  Because of Jared, it has started to become easier for me.

   Alright Catherine, this section is for you!  Haha!  For real though, I never thought I would end up with a best friend that could relate so easily.  Catherine and I both struggled with building our testimonies and having a 'real' conversion to the church.  Without each other we wouldn't have been able to attend church as easily.  We are so lucky to have each other as a support system.  Through the church, each other, our friends on missions and the friends we have made in Price, we have been able to change for the best.  
   Catherine has been able to help me as I slowly come back to the church.  I lack so much knowledge about the church and she has been so willing to slow down and explain things to me so I get it.  Her testimony has grown a lot in the last few months and being able to be with her, well basically 24/7, I have seen the light of Christ shine through her.  Her example of dedication to Christ has made me want that in my own life.  She makes it possible for me to find joy in the small things and KNOW my Savior loves me no matter what.

   Now for the newest addition to our lovely group, Jaydan.  His testimony has helped me grow immensely.  He is such a humble person with SUCH a big heart!  Two of the best things about him is his 'true conversion' story and how much he loves his mother.  He has taught me so much in just the short time I have known him.  I have gained a testimony from his experiences that have helped me to grow.  I have been able to find a new love for my friends and family because of him.  Jaydan honestly has a very unique heart; one that is really hard to find.  His example is one that I will forever cherish.

   I want all of these individuals, the friends I have met here in Price, my friends on missions, my family and the leaders of this church to know how grateful I am for them.  My testimony has grown above and beyond what I ever thought it would be.  I love each of you so much for strengthening that in me, even if you didn't know you were.  I'm blessed with such amazing people in my life and I wouldn't trade it for the world!  This church is so very true.  The Lord placed people in our lives so that we might grow and learn from them, I was given some of the best!!  I can't wait for these friendships to grow and prosper as we grow up, have families and grow old.  I love you all so much! You're truly helping shape who I am today and who I'll be tomorrow! :)

Spring Semester 2015

Well hello all!  Welcome to slackerville, I'm Casey and I'm so obviously the mayor here.  I apologize for the lack of posts.  It's been about two months since my last one!  I made it through semester one of college!!  It was quite an adventure!  Although, I have to say it wasn't nearly as bad as everyone said it would be!  Finals week was somewhat stressful but I made it through and passed all of my classes!  Afterward, I went home for Christmas break and I got to hang out with some old friends and that was much needed!  The saddest part however was losing my little Rosie.  She made her way to Doggie Heaven and I miss her so so much!  I've had her since I was six years old.  Losing a dog is like losing a family member but she lived a good long life and I'm sure she is loving where she is now!  
   
So what's new with me?  Well, I started Spring Semester this week.  It technically began last Wednesday but guess who went to the hospital that day instead?

This chick.

I ended up there because I had a high fever.  Luckily it was only the flu but I had to stay home all three days last week.  So, I began school Monday and so far I'm loving it.  I have a position on campus that requires two hours from my week.  I am one of the student success mentors.  It's a lot of fun so far and I love the people I get to interact with!  I also started my first institute class which so far, is great!

I never took seminary in high school so this is a whole new world for me.  The class is called The Gospel and The Productive Life.  There is only four people in the class so far.  Others are enrolled but haven't shown up.  I think this class is going to be a really good thing for me and I'm already love going!  Speaking of church-related things, I am getting my Patriarchal Blessing this Sunday and I'm VERY excited about it!!  I truly love the Gospel and all that it does for my life.  There are many people who don't know a lot about my religion or who despise me and other members because of it.  If I have one piece of advice for those people, it's to truly investigate our church.  Talk with missionaries in your area, they have an amazing message to share and they just want to be your friend!  Or, go to www.mormon.org  that will also give you information! After being away from the church for a few years and coming back, there is nothing that I know to be more true than The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints!

I want to take a quick second to also give a shout out to someone who has truly made me realize a lot recently.  Miranda, thank you so much for teaching me all that you have through your actions.  You have overcome such a difficult trial and through that, you have shown me the importance of my life and the people in it.  I love you so much and I'm so so proud of you!!  Truthfully, EVERYONE should be reading her blog.  

http://kickedintheass.blogspot.com

Anyways, overall college is treating me really well. I have made some really good friends here and I continue to find new opportunities behind every door.  I am grateful for the friendship I have found in my roommate who is now one of my best friends.  We might not always get along but we always have each others back and are a constant support.  

Those in college, those planning for college or those just simply embarking on a new journey... enjoy it.  Don't take it for granted.  Hold onto the relationships that come into your life right now, they will be some of the best ones. Love you guys much!  I will try to post more than once every two months!! Have a great night!

Day of Caring

      A couple of weeks ago I got up on a Saturday morning and went to volunteer in Eastern Utah's United Way Day of Caring.  I was tired from staying up too late and debated on even going at all but I pushed myself to go and I am so glad I did.  I volunteered at the community garden in Price.
     I began working by digging up some stubborn weeds.  I was working with a high school student from Carbon High and an elderly lady by the name of Francis.  I loved talking with them both!  I gravitate to the elderly though because I really enjoy hearing their stories and all the cool things they have done in their lives.  As I got to know her better, I found out that her husband, Lamar, is actually the main volunteer at the garden and is the one who had worked so hard to make it so great for everyone.
     My friend, Connor also volunteers at the garden with Lamar so I had heard of him before.  It was kind of cool to get to put faces to names.  Francis and Lamar both love Connor and all the hard work he does, they raved about him for a while and it was pretty funny ;)  It was really great to get to know them!  Francis told me about how they went on a mission for the LDS church to Chile and about their children and their life together.  I want to be like that with my husband when I am their age!  They are both in their 80's but act like they are just coming up on their 60's.  Their spirits are so lively and so exciting to be around!
     Aside from the amazing people I got to meet while volunteering, I did actually work to help the garden look better.  I did some weeding and straightening of the soil.  Although it was a small act, it was a contribution to helping the garden look so much better for the community to enjoy.  Seeing the finished product after the volunteers had been there was truly amazing.
     Service is one of the best things in life.  Acts small and large can make an impact on lives of many.  Each act of service that we do can help someone else but also make us feel so good inside for helping someone else.  Our world is a large community, instead of taking each other to war we should be trying to help and serve each other to make the world a better place.  I am so grateful for the opportunities I have to serve others and help the world become a better place, even  if it's just by a small act.

Go out and find someone to serve, I promise you will feel so much happier and so much more purpose in your life. :)

College Freshman- Week ONE!

   

     So it's Friday which means I have completed week one of college!  It has been so great!!  It's so much different from high school and so much better!  You get to choose your own schedule, which means being done with classes by 11:30 in the morning.  That's always really nice because then you have the rest of the day to get done whatever you need to.

     The class sizes at USU Eastern are high school size.  My biggest class has 40 people in it!  Only 40!  That makes it easier to be able to talk to my instructors whenever I need to!  It is also helpful because you can ACTUALLY meet people.  You usually end up sitting in the same seat by the same people.  You don't have to worry about meeting someone one day and then never even seeing them again.

     I have gotten to know some really nice people here.  Everyone is very friendly and inviting.  There haven't been very many places in Price where I have felt like I wasn't welcome.  I have made friends pretty quickly!  As it has always been for me though, I have made friends with guys much quicker than girls!  I just find it harder to hang out with girls and sometimes... It's really just not as fun!  My roommates however, are some of the funnest girls I have ever met!  I really do love hanging out with them even when it's just in our little apartment with music too loud and bringing in stray cats.  Just a jump start to my cat lady future ;)  I mentioned that a girl named Rachel would be moving in with us, however she was moved over to the apartment next to us so it is still just Seerie, Catherine and I.  We could get a fourth roommate at any time but for now it's just the three of us!

     I am so blessed to be where I am.  I am truly enjoying the college life so far and I'm ready for the frustrating days and all the challenges that it is about to bring.  I honestly thank God daily for my trials and I know what I have already experienced will not be the end of them.  Every trial I have faced in my short life has made me stronger in some way or another.  I am thankful for my family and my friends for all of the support they give to me.  I am thankful for my favorite little Ali and Cooper and everything I learned from the two of them, because believe it or not... it's helping me daily at college.  I am thankful for my Heavenly Father and for his grace in forgiving me for my mistakes and helping me stay strong as I face big life changes.  And lastly, I am thankful for all the good examples in my life and in this world helping me to become a better person as I transfer into adulthood.  I love you all!

The Start Of Something New

     So! It's August which means it's time for school to start up!  I moved to Price, UT a week ago into an apartment that I will be sharing with 3 other girls.  Two of them are already here and one moves in this Thursday.  I instantly clicked with them and we have already had a lot of fun!  Their names are Catherine and Seerie, the other girl that is supposed to be moving in is named Rachel.  Rachel and I will be sharing a room.
    Catherine and Seerie have been so much fun to get to know! I think we have a lot of things in common and it makes it so much fun to be here!  We have been able to build our friendships really quickly which I am so grateful for! I have never really had any girl friends so it's kind of nice!  I originally wanted to live out here on my own but I am glad that I am living where I am because it has been so much fun!
     I am so excited for school to start so I can begin my path to becoming an elementary teacher!  I think the small campus is going to be really good for me!  The classes aren't very big at all and the student body is about double the high school.  That should make it easy to get to know a lot of people!  I am super excited about meeting new friends, I think it will be really great!!
     I am so blessed to have the support I do in coming to school and getting an education.  I am glad that I have the support of really great friends and an amazing family.  I will try and post frequently about my journey here at school and as a college student out on my own!  I am really excited for this new adventure in my life!! So here we goooooo! :)