today and yesterday.

Today my dear friend, Erik, is leaving for the MTC. He has been called to serve in the Missouri Independence Mission. I'm so excited and happy for him, but at the same time, it makes me sad to see him go. I don't like change--especially the kind that involves my friends leaving me.

I stayed up late last night, writing him a letter so he would get one on his second day there. As I was writing, I was crying. Really hard. I can't remember the last time I cried that hard. I was thinking about all the many ways he has changed and blessed my life, and also about how much I'm going to miss him and his listening ears and positive attitude. He was, hands down, the first person I could go to if I was having a bad day or just needed someone to talk to, and he was always there for me. What a good friend. He's going to be a great missionary.

After I finished his letter, I checked my email and saw that August had sent me this video, with the words, "I loved this video and thought you would too. :)" As I watched it (not for the first time) my eyes filled with tears as I thought of how amazing this woman really is. I was then that I had a desire to go and read her blog. I read post after post, page after page, and I couldn't stop. As I read, I couldn't help but be excited to be a wife and even more, a mother. (I also really love the pictures she takes, and the way her house is decorated!)

When 3:45 AM rolled around, I forced myself to stop reading and go to sleep. After saying my prayers, I slid into my covers and closed my eyes. I was thankful for my bed. It's so big and comfy, and so much better than the student housing bed I was sleeping in for the past 8 months. My bed is my very favorite place to be in my whole house. It's where I sleep, where I think, where I read, where I pray. It's where I type, where I write and where I go when I want to be alone. Oh, how I love my bed.

Yesterday, on my way home from visiting with my friends, the sky was dark with clouds, and it had just stopped raining. While I was driving on Main Street, I couldn't help but pull over and shoot a few photos--something I've been wanting to do for a while. While I was doing so, a man in a truck yelled and honked at me as he passed by. It just made me laugh.

Today I think I want to cook something. Since I've been home, I'm been really good about baking desserts for my family, but since my mom and dad are in California visiting my sister, I think I want to put my cooking skills to use--that is, if I have any. One thing I like best about being home for the summer is that my mom has more ingredients that I, a lowly college student, had down at school. Excellent.