So I never thought I'd say this, but I am no longer an Olive Garden Employee. Yes it's true. After serving an honorable year at the restaurant, as of 9:00pm on this day, August the 28th, I am a free woman. I know! I made sure to eat one more breadstick and discounted tiramisu before I clocked out. I start work at my new job on Monday as a recruiter for ITQuest in downtown Provo: my first real job (thanks to Rachel and her family :-). To be completely honest, I shed a silent tear as I tied my tie one last time.

Some of the other things I will miss are:
My 25% Discount
Henrique (sexy man)
The workers in the back playing Mexican music and singing along late at night
Stupid people (ok, so I won't really miss them)
Learning a new skill and doing it well
Breaking plates and spilling on people
Getting phone numbers
Instant gratification (cash in my pocket every night)
My freakin' awesome grandma non-slip shoes
Breadsticks!
and of course, all the things I learned and the friends I made along the way :-)

Sometime, in the near future, I plan on having an Olive Garden Clothes Burning Party. Perhaps next week, after I'm done with work, I will pay a visit to a unsuspecting fire pit. I will raise my glass, say a few words, and send those clothes right where they belong.........heaven (of course).

Dear Olive Garden,
I love you.
You will always be in my heart and on my hips forever.
Your faithful friend,
Mackenzie

My Time!

Dear Badger Staffers,
Oh, how much I miss you all!! I really do!! I think about you guys a lot, and I think about how much fun you guys still have with whoever is still left in the rexburg area! Or at least the western part of the US! Sometimes I wish I could go back to Rexburg and be with you all again.  I even tried to be the chef for Badger during the summer but it didn't work out and now that I look back over the summer I see why I was suppposed to stay here in Hawaii.  I have made a bunch of friends here and I have had great experiences that have been shaping me to be the person I am supposed to become.  Sorry if this letter doesn't flow really well i'm just going with whats coming through my fingers at this point.
I have been reading the blogs here and now, whenever I remember or get lonely, I read the blogs and it brings back a lot of good happy feelings that make me smile, and cry! But crying in a good way! :) I really do love you guys and there is always a place in my heart for each one of you.  Each one of you had a big influence on me during that summer.  Even now I realize how much you all were really the best of the best.  We are all the cream of the crop. Because the people I met in my life and get to know I realize don't have the same standards or views about the gospel and/or love of the gospel like all the Badger staffers have.  You guys have no idea!!
But there was a few reasons for me writting this: one to actually finally post something, and to let you guys know what has been going on with me and to keep in touch, and most importantly to remind each of you how amazing you are and how much I believe that every single Badger Staff member, the Lord has a great plan for each one of us.  Because Badger has so many lessons for people to learn and grow from.  And I know that all the people who work at Badger have a great mission in life that only they can do!! Its true!
Also, a little brief update.  I have been in Hawaii for a year now and I'm planning on staying till I gradute.  I know that is what i'm supposed to be doing.  Also I may come home only for a week though, but we should plan another reunion for when  I graduate in April, and Jeremy and Abe should be back from there missions. the only person mission should be Abby! But I woud love to have another reunion maybe next may or June??? Anyways, I love you all and hope your not bored with this letter. I will try and think of Badger memories because I have a lot.  I love you and thank you all for make good choices in your life to be the person you are!!

New Pictures from Elder Kim!

Abe is coming home soon! It's gonna be great! Anyways, here are some more pictures and a little message from him:

Hey Ashley!

Sorry about the lack of words over here on this side of the border.
I'm running out of time here, but just wanted to let you know it's all still good in the hood.

Oh and enjoy the pictures! One of them reminded me of all of you and the epic time that we had.

Peace, love, and happiness

Elder Kim

Just a Little Announcement

I remember at Badger one morning I felt sick and stayed in bed for a little while--some of you speculated about things. Two years later that speculation is coming true. I gave an insensitive text to most of you announcing one of the most important things that has happened in my life thus far, but I figured I would make it more official... Will and I are going to be parents! The baby has been in my belly for three months and we find out Sept. 1 what it is. I'm due Feb. 3.

A Change of Heart...or Hearts Rather.

I was reminded of this by Ashley's last post. I remember when I was on group with her, as she began to allude to, our kids especially the guys, had a different view on relations with the opposite gender. I remember one night in particular, I was excited to get to bed. All of the kids were filing off one by one from the camp fire. Until there were a few of the young men left. We started talking to them. One in particular started a conversation with us that led to his life and things he felt about the choices he was making. He stated that he thought it was just too hard to act as a man should around women or at least they way we were talking about a man's responsibilities.
As Ashley said, we did well on group together because we had already built a foundation of friendship. We had a lot of fun. But I feel we were chosen that week to be where we were also because of our individual background.
"It's easy for you guys to make those decisions. You have grown up around members your whole life." was the effect of some of his responses to the types of things that we were saying that would make him happy in life. As we know, Ashley grew up in a small town in Nevada leading to not so plentiful amounts of Mormons. She did a great job instructing in a way that was very upfront without being uncaring. I grew up in a comparatively large diverse town in southern California also resulting in a lesser percentage of LDS youth. Who better then us at that time to be there to tell him that he can do it. Even if he felt alone. He really can be a man. We talked for a while. Needless to say, I was not sad that I did not get to bed as soon as I hoped.
I wish all could have been witness to the call we male counselors put out in the devotional at the top of the hill in the girls absence to the male youth to dare them to be men. In the testimony meeting that night as i was fighting sleep as usual until one of my own got up, I was energized as this boy got up and bore testimony that he was ready to be a man.
Thank you women for being examples and for teaching the girls to be something that the men should fight for. Even if they did think we were married, hopefully we were good examples of a higher interaction.

P.S.Willie is a better person than I. The a fore mentioned experience with our love birds made Willi remember their names but drove them from my memory :)