2012

What a year.
So many amazing memories come to mind when I think of this past year. I met so many incredible people, some of which have become a big part of my life. This year has been one of the best years of all time. Everything that happened will forever be a memory that I cherish. Thanks to everyone who made this year what it was! I have the most incredible family ever, who have supported me in everything I have done. I have the most amazing friends I could ever ask for. I am so blessed to be able to be going to college, and no matter how hard it gets, I am grateful for the opportunity to be learning so much.
I have so many blessings, and I have my Heavenly Father to thank for all of them. At this years end, I am the most grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ that I have in my life. It has helped me through so many things, and I wouldn't be where I am today without it. I love my Savior with all of my heart, and I'll be forever grateful to Him. I have been given so many experiences that I know have helped me to become closer to Him, no matter how challenging they were to get through.
I hold no regrets for the year of 2012, and I look forward to 2013.

I hope for it to be a year filled with service to others, great grades, amazing memories, testimony building, incredible people, and Isaac!

Two weeks

Whoa. Only thing that really comes to mind. I seriously cannot believe that my best friend has been gone for almost two years.. He comes home two weeks from today! I'm so excited. My excitement almost can't even really be explained. I love that boy, and the longer I wait, the more worth it he becomes.

Skyping on Christmas was awesome. I didn't take too much time, since at that point I was going to see him in 15 days.

I don't know at all what to expect, but I know whatever happens will be great. I'm excited to get to know him all over again, and to get reacquainted with each other. I have changed so much in the past two years, and I know he has as well. It will add a whole other dimension to the relationship that we had. We have both grown so much as people in this world, and have more to offer in a relationship. We have the ability to be able to get more serious than we were. And the great thing about all of this, we get to decide where it goes. We get to decide, together, if we want to make it forever or not.

I am most excited to be able to communicate with him again. To have conversations that don't take months, but merely minutes and seconds. I have missed being able to constantly talk to him. We dated for a little over a year before he left, and the entire time we dated, we were constantly talking. Either talking on the phone or texting when we weren't together. I am excited to have my very best friend back. The person who knows me better than anyone else. I love the friendship that we have, and I love how much fun we have together. I look forward to all of the fun and amazing times ahead.

In all of the time we dated, the longest we went without seeing each other was 16 days. That is insane, considering right now, he comes home in 13 days. That should be a cinch, all things considering. The longest we went without talking at all was 4 days. So in about 10 days, I'll be practically floating on a cloud with excitement.

 January 10th. Wow. The day that has always been in the future is almost here.

Service

It's amazing how doing a tiny bit of service can change your entire attitude. It's dead week (the week before finals week) around here, and I definitely didn't want to go to FHE tonight. Especially since they announced that we were to be going to an elderly care facility to put on a musical program, and then help them decorate some cookies. My first reaction was, seriously? I have better things to do, like study. But I go every single week, and I shouldn't not go one time just because I don't like the activity. So I went. It was easily the best decision I could've made. It was one of those heart-warming experiences that just leaves a great spirit.
There were some of the cutest people, and they were just happy to be alive. So kind and filled with love. Most of them couldn't really do much but sit there, but they were still happy. It kind of put things into perspective for me. I am so stressed out about finals coming up and doing everything just right. I just need to take advantage of my opportunity to be learning all that I am, and do my best. Stressing about it, is really going to solve nothing. I just need to get it done, and I need to be happy while doing it. There's no time like the present. I won't be young forever, so I might as well take every opportunity I can now to do everything that I want. And I might as well be happy doing it, otherwise, what would be the point?

I've taken a step back more lately and tried to serve people as much as I can, even in the simplest of ways. And each time, when I do something for someone else, I feel a small portion of the love that Heavenly Father has for each of his children. He put us all here together, so that we can learn to love each other through serving one another.
Let's make the most of this Christmas spirit, but also make this a year long thing. Serve someone everyday. It doesn't have to be a huge. Even the small things are noticed and needed.

One month

One month left today. ONE! Can't even believe it. At this point, it seems like forever, and yet at the same time it seems like it's tomorrow. I am filled with about a billion emotions. Scared. Excited. Amazed. Awestruck. Nervous. I just don't even know. It feels kindof like your first day of school. Where you are so excited you want to yell for joy, yet so nervous you feel as if you could puke. Yeah, that about sums it up.

I've had about a billion people talk to me about it, probably because I talk to a billion people about it, and the reactions are usually one or the other. "Oh I'm so excited for you." or. "What happens if he comes home and doesn't like you, or if it doesn't work out?" My response to the latter is always along the same lines. We'll take it from there if that happens. I know there is a possibility that will happen. But I just hope that it won't.

After doing something for so long, aka 'waiting' for a missionary, you'd think people would give it a rest and just be happy for you. Nope. So not the case. But that's fine. I'll show them that I can be happy with whatever happens to me. I've already proved that I can wait 23 months for him, what's another one? I love that missionary with all my heart.

"I won't give up on us."

Sweetheart

"I belong with you and you belong with me, you're my sweetheart." 

I love this cover. The original is almost weird, but they do a fantastic job with it. 

M&L Day

Inspired

Isaac isn't supposed to email me, so he never does. He has a couple times before, for important things, like about finding him an apartment for next semester. So when I got an email this morning, I was pretty shocked. I hadn't expected it, and never have. I had a particularly rough weekend, and missed him more than I have in a really long time. Last week, school was really hard, and I struggled a lot. I expected my weekend to be good and stress relieving, but for some reason it just wasn't. There were some great parts to it, but it just didn't make up for the stress and letdowns I had had throughout the week. I woke up this morning not knowing how I was going to get through the next few weeks. But decided to just put a smile on and trudge through it.

So to get an email during a break between classes, was an inspired thing.

Somehow, Isaac always knows when something is up. Even from a different country. But hearing from him is like an instant stress-relief.

 "Hello :) I just wanted to write a quick email letting you know that I was thinking about you. How is school going? .......... I hope that everything is going well. I am sure that you are doing well :) ..............  Thank you for everything. You are amazing :) I love you!!"

 Love this song by Hunter Hayes, but also loving it by these two! 

"You know I'd fall apart without you. I don't know how you do what you do. Everything that don't make sense about me. Makes sense when I'm with you."