Meet The Bushel.

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about how certain events have changed my life. I've been trying to come up with one thing that really turned my life around and helped me see something I'd been waiting for. Well, there are a couple things that have changed my life for the better, by far. But the one that really started it all was the summer of 2008.

Now, everyone says "EFY changed my life!". Everyone does. You go home with this insane spiritualness and generally, eventually, the hype of EFY wears off. I knew this was going to happen, and I figured that after that week at SVU, I'd never see those people again and it would be "whatever" & I could go on with my life the way I had before.

Boy, was I wrong.

EFY changed my life. And I say that cliche wholeheartedly. If I hadn't gone to EFY that week in July, I seriously would NOT be where I am today. I would not have such a close bond with 24 youth that I came so close to. I wouldn't have learned so many things about relationships & long distance friendships. I wouldn't have learned about the Gospel so closely and so personally. I wouldn't have gotten that self-esteem boost to start off my senior year in high school. I really needed all of that. I was at a very low point in my life before that week, and it's crazy how just one week made it all better. I was looking so hard for something to change what I was doing, to make me happy.

July 3rd(ish), 2008

That week was one of the two best weeks of my life. I met my best friends. I had finally found what I was looking for for so long. I found what I needed to make me happy. And that entailed the gospel of Jesus Christ, & true friends. People that had the same morals and standards as I did, people that understood everything I was going through at that point in my life, people that knew how to make me the happiest by just being in the same room as me. It was incredible.

But, I knew that that week had to end. I tried very hard not to get too close. I tried to keep a little distance in the case everything I was experiencing was too good to be true. It seriously felt like it was too good to be true. The majority of the group lived on the east coast. Most of them were from North Carolina and Virginia. It was perfect, but still, I didn't want to be too disappointed when I never heard from them again. But again, I was wrong. Well, I was right on some level---that week DID end, and we did say goodbyes. But, other than that, I was very very VERY wrong. & this is how:

Everyone stayed in touch. Facebook messages, texting 24/7, phone calls every night...etc. It was insane. I was so surprised that everyone was so persistent in talking to each other so much. It was crazy! Although I was pretty convinced I wouldn't see them again, these people became my best friends faster than you could drop a bucket. And then, what we thought was the impossible, happened.

We had our first reunion.

August 2008

It was crazy. We all got together again, Jenica even flew down from CT! I couldn't believe it. I got to see them again! It was awesome. We spent about 3-4ish days together. & it was just like EFY minus the EFY part. We all were together again and I absolutely loved every minute of it.

We had many reunions after the first one. It became a regular thing. I would be going out of town all the time, and having visitors almost every weekend. We basically saw each other EVERY chance we could. :)

September 2008

Jordan's house. We had a paint fight and stayed up until ridiculous hours watching Disney movies. The newly-found tradition for all reunions.

After a football game I conducted at. I was the senior Drum Major and the boys all came to watch me. After a performance, they came up and gave me roses. EVERYONE saw them give those to me, too. It was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. I'd never gotten flowers at a band performance before. I hold that memory very close to my heart.

November 2008.

This was at my senior project. Inspired by my amazing week at EFY, I decided to do "A Day of EFY" for the deacons & beehives in my stake. It was a lot of work, but so worth it. We got a full weekend of THE ENTIRE GROUP together, along with being counselors together. :)

The day after my senior project activity.

This picture is just too good not to post. :)

The week of the new year. (2009)

The boys had a little operation behind my and Sydni's backs. They all pitched in to fly Jenica down for a few days as a surprise for us. It was amazing. :)

January 2009.

Jordan's farewell. It was very hard, seeing as he was the first boy to leave for his mission. But everyone that could got together to say goodbye to him. It was a very...eventful weekend. (ACID PARK, ANYONE?!)

March 2009.

Church prom. Ainsley was up in Charlotte visiting her brother, & Jelana was going to prom with Zach. We heard of this and HAD to get together before going to the dance. :)

Memorial Day 2009.

A group of us went to Ainsley's for the weekend. We went to the beach and had a blast!

We even adopted a few people into our group....

Needless to say, these people WERE my senior year in high school. I think Heavenly Father put them in my life to prepare me for college. They set such amazing examples for me, and they always made me want to be a better person. I am forever grateful for these kids, and I try to keep in contact with as many of them as I can. I seriously don't know where I'd be without them.

After a while, the Bushel-hype started to fade. I knew it would, and I have to say that it started to fade when the boys started leaving for missions. Us girls went off to college in Virginia and Utah & slowly started losing contact. Life was getting in the way, as it does for most things. College was finally here, & some of the group are even married now! It's crazy! But that doesn't change how much they mean to me. Although we are all apart, I know that I can go to any of them with anything I need. I know they will be there.

They seriously changed my life for the better, and I can't be more thankful for them. They showed me so many things that I carry with me always. How important the gospel is & how happy you can be if you truly live it, for one. The love of the Bushel is the pure love of Christ. I know it is with my whole heart. And I feel so blessed and lucky to have been apart of it!

So, if any Original Bushelers, or adopted Bushelers, read this, know that I love you, and I couldn't be more thankful for you. :)