CALLED TO SERVE!

Hello followers that are few.
I suppose this is really just a blog for people who REALLY care about me anyway.
I received a big white envelope in the mail Friday, July 23 that contained a very important letter. An excerpt reads as follows:
"Dear Sister Gonzalez,
 You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the ARGENTINA BUENOS AIRES NORTH MISSION. It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 18 months...."(bold added)

So folks, here I go. So much to do....so little time.
T-minus 12 weeks

Update #1

I'm going to just start having series of photos to update y'all on my life. :) There's a lot and not a lot of time. Well...there could be, but let's be honest, if it's a nice day I'm not going to spend my time inside on the computer. Much love to all.

I get so entranced by the salmon. I couldn't really explain why. Don't judge. But I have stopped looking over the railing because I am sick of the fish water getting all up in my face.

Soo....I was really bored and the sun was setting. Perfect. 

Oh don't worry, this was right after I had gotten off of work and I was waiting for Angelica to go and watch the 10pm show of Inception (fantastic movie but the point of this story is how LIGHT is was!)

I was laughing at my dad laughing at me on Skype. It was awesome. We are funny.

A little yacht that Alec would have to work 2,343 summers to own....

Yup, that's a bum sleeping by the statue of Patsy Ann. What a good dog.

Friends. Laying on my favorite place at Marine Park.

S.A.D.

We have random adventures. This one included a stop at Walmart on the way out to the end of the road for an inflatable raft and wooden paddles. We're cool.

I can't believe I get paid to do this...

There are moments in the day, usually immediately following a passenger exclaiming "Girl, what brought you all the way up here to Alaska from UTAH to drive a BUS?" when I stop and realize,
Hey...I'm a bus driver. Living in Alaska. How about that, eh, Pacha?
Anyway, there are some ridiculously awesome things that I get to do either because I am employed by HAP-Alaska or WHILE I'm working. For example, once upon a time, I was supposed to have last thursday off. My bestie did not have the day off so when dispatch asked me to cover Temsco helicopters transfers (not the greatest as far as transfers go. Not so fun, no tips) instead of sleeping or doing some much needed laundry, I ungrudgingly agreed because at least I'd be getting hours.
Then a magic fairy landed on my shoulder and whisked me away to the dog sled camp on top of the Mendenhall glacier!
Oh wait...in a nutshell what ACTUALLY happened was that one of my transfers was cancelled so a huge, shining window of opportunity glared in my face......I COULD JOIN MY GROUP ON THE HELICOPTER TOUR! They had room and I had nothing to do but wait for them to come down!
Oh my lucky stars, I got to go and fly in a helicopter, play with dogs and puppies and play in the snow in the middle of summer! Wicked awesome fun and oh yeah, I was getting paid all the while. :) I love my job.
{even if some days I wish that I could crawl up in the back of my coach and sleep until all the grumpy grumps were back on the cruise ships eating their own weight in bacon and ice cream.}

My first helicopter

I felt like Mater. If you don't know what I'm talking about watch Disney/Pixar's CARS.

Thank you Temso and Jessica and Ricky and Jen and all those who made my magical day possible.

At the dog camp atop the glacier. An AMAZINGLY beautiful day :) It got kinda cloudy after my group flew back down. But for us, for a moment...it was perfection.

I was driving the back sled while my musher trained a younger dog, Ruby, at her first time as a lead dog!

Lucy. Isn't she precious? The litter she was born in were named for the Peanut Gang. Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy and Sally.

Mom, I want a puppy.