in which sister blood and I take our friendship to the next level and get matching friendship bracelets. From the hospital :)

okay so first of all, WE'RE FINE :)

second of all, it was so delightful to see you all on Christmas! you are so cute :) our Christmas was pretty quiet, we just visited some friends, ate some food, did some studies, talked to family. it was lovely :) we got to watch gimli narrate the Christmas story with the mormon tabernacle choir at the home of my friends who love harley davidsons and motab. hahaha. :) :) and we got to watch luke II & i love that movie :) and i got pens and chapstick! which when i was 14 i thought was super lame and now that i'm 22 i think is the best ever hahah. also sister blood and i are looking forward to celebrating 2nd Christmas on January 25th. it should be lovely :) :) also THANK YOU for all the letters & mail!! y'all are delightful :) :)

thennnnnnn the day AFTER Christmas...... we were going with our friend sister b to visit our new friend angie, whennnnnnn we got rear-ended. pretty hard. they told the cops they were going 20mph which doesn't sound that fast but it knocked my glasses off my face and i was confused about why everything was blurry haha. and it was very loud. BAM. and it hurt a little bit but mostly i was just like "crap.... that's gonna hurt later...."

soooooooo then the cops came......... and an ambulance came............ and the first call sis blood made was to cancel our appointment hahah, and then to sister bonners husband, and then to the district leader. who said to call president. at this point the ambulance people were trying to move sister bonner without hurting her (she was fine, just shaken up and so they had her in a neck brace stretcher thing) and they were trying to get us to sign these forms that said we were refusing medical something something and i was like uhhhhhhh.... but anyways we were out in the cold and, funny story, i left my coat in our car in the walgreens parking lot......... remember how dad is always like "WEAR BOOTS AND BRING A COAT WHAT IF WE GET IN A CAR CRASH" and we're like "dad. we will never get in a car crash" ?? welllllll we did. and i didn't have my coat haha. but, tender mercy, it wasn't even that cold. it was probably like 20-something hahah. also, another tender: some EMT guy just HAPPENED to be walking by right after it happened and he called 911 & everything for us. yay :) okay so it's cold so the nice cop lady is like, "do you want to sit in my car?" and we're like "sure!" and i forgot that, since she's a cop, her car is a cop car.......... so by the way those seats are SO UNCOMFORTABLE and made of hard unflexible plastic with very little legroom. also....... we called president from the back of a cop car. with pagan music blaring. sis blood: "he's going to think we've gone apostate" hahahhaa :) :) so he didn't answer so we left a message. and thennnnnn did you know that cop car doors lock automatically?? even if you're not a criminal and you just want to get out to check on your friend?? so we banged on the windows a bit and they let us out and then we were like "hey can we ride with her to the hosptial?" and they said sure, but there was only 1 seat in front and 1 seat in back so i could still hear sis blood but i couldn't see her and i'm pretty sure i hurt my neck worse trying to keep her in eyesight hahaha. #missionrules #missionsrule ;)

so then gabe the ambulance driver guy was like "arrrrrrrrre you gonna sign that release??" and i was like "uhhhhh we're missionaries...." and he was like "??" and i was like "our purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ......" haha jk, jk..... he was a little confused but he understood so sis blood called elder thoreson (assistant to the president) and he was not that helpful but she was like "don't we have to go to the hospital?" "oh yeah!! yeah, you have to. go to the hospital." haha #elders ;) sooooooooo we got to ride in an ambulance to a hospital. but not as patients. so that was nice. and i got to talk to gabe the ambulance driver the whole time about who we are and what we do. and it was super weird not having sister blood right there so i kept mentioning her all the time haha. "so how old are you?" "i'm 22 and sister blood is 21." etc etc. haha. it was good though. i love talking about what i do :) :) also my friend the cop lady knows some mormons in brookfield and called sis bonner later to see how we were doing and to say thank you for being so cooperative. yay, missionary moments! haha ;)

so car crash to ambulance to hospital. they check us in and give us our fancy new friendship bracelets..... they're like "so we'll take you one at a time..." and we're like "orrrrrrrrr we could stay together??" haha. they think we're the weirdest best friends of all time probably. s'all good :) :) sooooo they ask us our medical history...... both of us forget to mention that we've had concussions in the past............ the nice nurse lady is like "do you feel safe at home?" "yes." "so you don't want to hurt yourself or anyone else?" "yes. i mean no. i mean.... what??" ........... wrong answer haha. but i passed anyways ;) aaaaaand then the took us into seperate hospital rooms but they were only seperated by a curtain so we could still hear each other. and they were like "okay what hurts?" sis blood: my head kinda. me: my neck kinda. them: YOUR NECK HURTS?????? GET THIS GIRL IN A NECK BRACE ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! me: uhhhhhhhhhhh... all better????? them: nope. neck brace. now. and don't bend over or move or do anything. me: ugggghhhhh. sis blood: hahahahahaa. also, they put it on "no neck" setting. #rude ;) soooooo they talk to sis blood first and are like "so worst case scenario you have a brain bleed but i am 100% confident that you don't and if you were my wife i would say don't have a CAT scan." her: ... okay then. then they come to me are are like "okay worst case scenario you are paralyzed" and i hear sis blood BURST out laughing through the curtain hahaha. because clearly i was not paralyzed. and she is a supportive loving companion ;) sooooo they ordered an x-ray. and then we waited for a long time and took pictures and videos. and then i had an x-ray. and then we waited a long time and took pictures and videos. and thennnnnnnn they informed me that my neck was NOT broken and that we could go home. hallelujah. haha.

and so home we went! brother b drove us home. he is so nice! he's called us a few times to check up on us. and he and brother r came over with sister r to give us each a blessing. and that was lovely as well :)

sooooo then we laid on the couches for a long time. because we're pretty sure we both have concussions haha our headaches just got worse and worse........ and everyone said we would hurt worse the next day and we did............ so we accomplished basically nothing because every time we try to do things we die.......... so that's been unpleasant haha. also, thursday night we set an alarm for 12:30, 2:30, and 4:30am so that we could make sure we were still alive. "are you in a coma?" "no. are you?" "no." "k." "k." hahah. :) :)

friday was interviews with president & sister cutler! which was interesting since we were both waaayyy out of it....... haha. they'd ask what i was learning in my studies and i was like "uhhhhhh........." ;) but it was okay. i remembered a few things ;) president cutler said some really nice things and even got a little emotional..... just about how i've been a blessing to every area i've served in an few missionaries can say that and how he felt strongly impressed that it was time for kettle moraine to "feel the power of sister proffit." :) and he told sister blood that i'm the best in the mission at working with members........? haha. not sure what that means but thanks :) :)

also, sister cutler showed me alma 31:38 and yes, true <3 like literally just so true. and perfect for this week. "And the Lord provided for them ...and He also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ." literally about me <3 <3 sis blood and i have just been laughing and happy this week, even though our heads are killing us and we haven't been able to like DO anything....... s'all good. He's got this. :) :)

so saturday we got out of bed at 10:30am and then dragged our bodies to the couches and then laid there until 10:30pm. great day haha. we tried to weekly plan but could only think OR talk. not both. k i l l e r  h e a d a c h e. also neck & back aches. i learned some great things though. #1 - Ramses from Prince of Egypt is voiced by Voldemort. yes, this is true.

also, apparently i asked sister blood "WHY IS THERE A HUGE CHUNK MISSING OUT OF CANADA?????" one too many times hahahaha. the hudson bay looked bigger than i remembered from my position on the couch. (it faces a map of the world. i'm learning lots there too. #geography) :)

and then we watched the testaments. and realized that the character we related most to was Helam of Moriancum. after he gets hit by a tree. and he's laying down mumbling, "take me to the land bountiful...... that i may die....... near the temple of our God......." ;) hahaha.

also, i'm going to the chicago temple on jan. 8th. YAY :) :) :) :) :) so no letter until then. so don't worry :)

Sunday was lovely....... we were still dying but there was no way we were missing church haha so we went and kettle moraine had the BEST ward council of my mission..... 30 minutes for the missionaries, and then they just went around and talked about families that had been on their minds and made plans and it was great. also president cutler was right......... brother b is the best ward mission leader in the mission. i love all my wmls forever but brother b is exceptional and good :) :) :)

concussion-land at church was kind of a bummer haha everything was so bright and loud...... and i was having a really hard time focusing and remembering people's names....... but it was still good to be there :) :) mom -- there was a really nice piano-organ duet of angels we have heard on high. arranged by todd smith & don hustad. i asked for you :) we can play it together soon!

also someone brought a live hedgehog to church. i got to pet it. <3

and hey! miracle and tender mercy! randomly my new friend megan came to church and i didn't know her until i met her (obviously........ #concussion) but i mean i met her for the first time at church and now we're friends. because she wants to start coming back to church, yay!! so we had a new friend at church even though we weren't able to do any work this week, and why?? because Heavenly Father still loves us, that's why :) :) :) and i kept introducing her thus: "this is my friend whose name i forget," "m." "that's right. this is my friend m." haha. #concussion. ;)

soooooooooo it's been a weird one. but thanks for the prayers!! haha I know the Lord has been keeping us safe :) so grateful we weren't hurt worse. grateful we're starting to feel better. grateful for the Lord's tender mercies. honestly it's been hard being inside all the time & not being able to do any work. we're still laughing and happy and okay, but i've been going a little crazy and feeling frustrated and upset that NO ONE is tending this corner of the Lord's vineyard!!! it's been abandoned by his servants!!! i'm not doing my job!!!!!! :( :( buuuuuttttttttt it's okay. it will be okay. we are getting better and determined to do great work this week. so pray that we are able to do so :) pray that we heal up just perfectly fine, and that we find the balance between taking care of ourselves and taking care of His sheep :) :)

i'm so grateful for all of you! i'm grateful for the temple <3 and for the protection i have because of what happens there. i'm grateful for my Savior. I know that He lives. I know that our Heavenly Father lives. MERRY CHRISTMAS and happy new year, family.

scripture of my life: alma 26:1. I had no idea the blessings the Lord would give me when I started 2013.

We have no idea the blessings that are in store for us in 2014 -- blessings that the Lord is ready and anxious to give :) :)

I love Him and I love you. Hooray for forever families!!!!!


xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox


all my love --------

sister cece :) :)