chart topper

not gonna lie this wasn't the best week of my life.

everything seemed to go wrong all at the same time.

but things work out and my life is full of tender mercies!

this weekend was a chart topper. where to begin. . . ?

some highlights:

i got to talk to the amazing annie on friday afternoon.

this girl is the best front row friend i could ask for.

i love her and her encouraging words and calming influence,

among maaaany other things. she is one-of-a-kind.

alex, griffin, and katie came up to visit me.

i needed that more than they knew.

cali came along too. cali is one of those people

you meet and instantly know you are going to be really really

good friends. i've only known her for 3 weeks but love

her to death already. she makes me want to be a better person.

i miss katie so much up here. i don't want to sound cliche, but honestly

logan isn't the same without her. distance is no bueno.

and being at college brings lots of distance. so i'm glad she came up.

and when she said she might be transferring back my heart leapt :]

i participated in my first american festival chorus concert.

a september 11th commemoration concert in the tabernacle.

craig jessop is fantastic and we were honored to have

clay christiansen with us.though the speeches were a little strange,

the music was amazing.i don't deserve to be in that choir.

but i am so glad i am.it's more work than i ever thought

singing was allowed to be,

but totally worth it. and i love that.

alex is one of the most phenomenal young men i've ever known.

i'm amazed he still puts up with me after so many years.

it's crazy to think an efy friendship would last this long and

still be this deep. we talked about that on friday. what are the chances?

it blows my mind. i missed our deep life talks SO much.

that was remedied friday :] we talked about that too.

we got so close because we dated each other's best friends.

if nothing else, the good that came from those relationships

are that alex and i are friends now. and sadly (?)

the truth has come out. he knows how i feel.

and though things are mostly still completely

unknown, i don't mind. maybe i wish i would've been braver,

especially because he was ready. but i also know things work out

when and if they're supposed to, this no exception.

i will always be glad for alex doxey's friendship.

while griffin slept, friday night with alex flew. but i loved it.

every single minute. and seeing him tonight, though fast,

completed the weekend. ( wow, don't be creeped out by that, alex )

i experienced tummi yummi for the first time saturday.

it was delicious and my favorite part was the toilets

which you can choose to pee on the Y, the U, or Weber.

i love utah state. a lot.

today i went to provo to sing in the ces fireside.

though six hours on a children's school bus wasn't the highlight

of my life, i'm so grateful for the experience i had in the

marriott center tonight. the spirit was so strong and my

testimony grew in so many ways. sister dalton's talk was just

what em and i have been discussing so much lately.

a true answer to prayers, just the reminders i needed.

and all the preparation for the choir, spiritually and musically,

paid off. the discussions on the bus before were wonderful.

i am blessed to belong to a school with such a strong institute program.

the atonement is real and powerful. it is deep and tangible.

it is individualized and all-pervading.

i l o v e t h a t .

it's pouring rain right now. i love the rain with everything in me.

it is my favorite weather by far. the smell is coming

in through my windows, the heavy water on the roof is loud

and completely soothing.

seeing jen tonight made me miss her even more than

i already did, but i'm so glad we got to spend

time together. another best friend on the front row, sometimes i

wonder how i got so lucky? can't wait to head down again in 2 weeks.

be ready jen, he he.

ems and i have had great letters lately. i discover so much

about myself through talking to her. we can't understand how

two people can be so similar, think exactly the same things at the

same time and feel the same way about nearly everything.

though i didn't get to see her tonight,

i've appreciated her letters this week more than ever.

can't wait to start our book, em!

it's weekends like these that remind me why i really do love college.

i'm really good at forgetting that sometimes.

. . . what a chart topper weekend. . .