This ain't my first rodeo!!!...oh wait...yes it is...

Well, I have big news for you all....I have fallen in love....WITH THE RODEO LIFE!!! I now finally understand the saying, "This ain't my first rodeo." Because you feel like a big dummy and everyone can tell when it is your first rodeo!! This past weekend we somehow were able to get permission to go to a Rodeo with Aaron [on Sister Hemenway's birthday! yay!] and we were so terrified at first, but then it turned into the greatest thing ever!! Rodeos are so crazy but SO MUCH FUN!!!!! I was freaking out the whole time. Sister Hemenway and Aaron kept having to tell me that the bull riders were going to be okay. Ummm....false. That second guy was NOT okay!! He fell off and then the bull plowed him with his horns a few times and then stomped on him!! I could not understand why no one else was as scared as I was! He was down for a while. He got a broken nose and stitches!! What kind of sport of this??? I don't even know but I love it!! Y'all need to be ready for the closest rodeo to Gilbert come July! 

I LOVE THE TEMPLE!!! No, no...I didn't get to go, but the power in the temple works!! I asked Mom to put Kim's name in at the temple this past week and we had the most amazing miracle with her!! We went to go visit her Wednesday evening with Sister McKee, a sister from the branch that was only baptized back in August. Kim loved her; it was so great. We were teaching the Word of Wisdom which we were actually kind of nervous about because Kim has told us time and time again that she will not give up her coffee. She quit smoking all on her own before she ever even heard of the Word of Wisdom [Thanks Heavenly Father for that one! :)] but she was adamant about her coffee. And Kim is STUBBORN. So we knew going into it that it was going to be a bit more of a difficult lesson. WRONG-O!!! It went great!!! Clearly her testimony of Joseph Smith and the gospel have grown so much since we last brought it up. She accepted it all and even said she would live it!! But that wasn't even the best part. Halfway through our lesson she goes, "Oh yeah! I was going to tell you about this right when you got here but I forgot. This morning I woke up and couldn't get June out of my head. I just kept thinking, 'What am I doing in June? I can't remember....I better write that down.' Then I remembered! I was praying about baptism last night! I'm getting baptized in June!" YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I immediately teared up and we were both trying so hard not to just get up and scream we were so happy!!!!!!!!! The progress that we have seen in the past few weeks has been incredible!! She is now praying about which date in June she wants to be baptized on. When we got in the car Sister Hemenway and I both just started screaming and hugging each other. [It scared Sister McKee half to death....] But she was so happy with us too!!!! It was such a memorable night. Then yesterday we met with Kim and John and had another amazing lesson. We were teaching about the 10 Commandments and the Law of Chastity, but then we ended up talking a whole lot more about the temple and answering a ton of their question. They are so excited to go to the temple someday! It is so precious! John's home teachers visited him earlier that day and talked a little bit about the priesthood. We were able to talk to him about working towards receiving the priesthood and he was on board!! How amazing would that be if John was able to baptize Kim in June?!?!? Then Kim was talking about how much she loved having Sister McKee come over and she goes, "It got me thinking....once I am baptized I will be able to do that. I can go teaching with the missionaries and help other people just like she did." IT WAS SO GREAT!!!!! I just love them both SO MUCH!!!!

Remember good ole Estevan?? Well he is back!! And he has a baptismal date for June 6!!! The branch members were all so excited [and surprised] to see him back at church yesterday :) 

We had a huge bonfire at Brother Yule's house this week and it was SO St. Marys. That is honestly the only way I can think to describe it. Huge fire, a tractor, corn hole, weenie roast, we introduced Ramiro to s'mores ["you're killin me smalls!!"], and so many people that I just love so much. It is times that like that I will miss so very much in 6 weeks. I love this area and these amazing people more than words can express. 

Miss you tons and love you more.

Sister Amber Olds

watching a rousing game of corn hole!

We have made it a goal to get a picture with every welcome sign of all of our little towns. Cute little Coldwater was the first :)

So funny story..when the Hombres were trying to tell us where the Rodeo was at we had the hardest time understanding them. They kept saying "mack arena" but all we were hearing was "macarena". They just busted up laughing when we asked if that's what they were saying, then proceeded to sing and do the macarena. They actually know all the words to it!! I showed them how Americans sang it and that just made them laugh harder. ["dununununununun MACARENA! dununununununu MACARENA!"] But no it was in fact at Mack Arena...not Macarena.