Hey guys! It’s Friday night, and #itsAlec leaves on her mission to Jackson, Mississippi on Wednesday! I can’t really describe how happy I am to see her go on a mission. She has a huge testimony and is a fantastic example to me. I just wanted to write this post to share my feelings on it all and to tell the world how Alec blesses my life.

Alec and I met each other on Wednesday, June 15, 2011. (It’s ironic that she’s leaving on June 15, 2016, exactly 5 years after we met, on a Wednesday). We instantly became great friends. It’s like we were friends in the preexistence. Everything about our friendship just felt like it was meant to happen. Needless to say our friendship has only grown since then. Most people would say it’s impossible to love a girl as a friend, but not have her be your girlfriend. I can tell you that that is not true. It is totally possible, and that’s how it is with me and Alec. 

Alec was sent into my life at a time when I needed a solid friend. It was the summer right before going into high school. At that time I wasn’t a very positive person. I had a lot of self-doubt. I didn’t see the world as a very good place. I didn’t have any clear direction of where I wanted to go in life. When I met Alec, she instantly brought a positive light into my life. We are able to talk about almost anything together, which helps a lot. I admit that I vented to her a little too much at times, but usually she was willing to listen and give advice. I was also able to help her (I think) and give her advice.

 Our friendship is unique. I wouldn’t have made it through high school without her uplifting talks, endless text convos, and laughs in the car. The spontaneous trips to Sonic and Wendy’s. The late nights at Applebee’s. The lengthy convos in the car outside her or my house. The walks around the neighborhood, where we would go down the list of things going on in each other’s lives (i.e. school, work, family life, personal life). The time we spent with Julia, doing whatever we felt like doing that day.

There are so many other things that define our friendship. I believe we meet certain people for a reason. Everyone comes into our life at the right time to teach us what we need to learn at that time. Alec has taught me to be positive. She’s taught me how to just be myself. To be spontaneous. To not care what anyone else thinks about me. She’s taught me how to be a good friend, not just to her but to others. None of us are perfect, and Alec knows she’s not perfect. I know that I’m not perfect. We all need to accept ourselves as imperfect beings who make mistakes. If there’s one thing I've learned over the course of our friendship it’s that you can never try hard enough to be a friend to someone. Everyone needs to be loved and to have a friend. I chose Alec and Alec chose me, but we can all choose to be a friend in someone else’s life. 

I wonder sometimes if everyone I meet on my mission I will have known in the preexistence. It’s as if I made a promise to them that I would find them on Earth and help them to find their way back to God. I know that Alec will be amazing on her mission. I know that she will find those people who she is meant to bring back to God’s kingdom. I know that this work is the true and only work to be doing on this Earth. We can all be missionaries. We all have people who we have an obligation to help see the truth. Some people aren’t ready, but the seeds must be planted. We are living in the last days of the Earth as it is currently constituted. I know that I was saved for these final days, and Alec as well. I hope one day that my children will serve the Lord faithfully and bring others to Him. 

Alec, I know that the hand of God will assist you on your mission. Your testimony is strong, and it will only get stronger as you help those in need of the truth. Never give up, and always remember that you have been chosen to be here in the final days. You have been chosen to do this work right now because you are a strong and courageous spirit. You have blessed my life in more ways than you realize, and you will do the same to those you meet on your mission. Thank you for always being there for me. I hope you know that I will always be there for you as well. 

001. 

text: brb gonna go hit my head so maybe i’ll confuse u for someone who is actually charming

002. 

Hey guys what's up? THIS BLOG IS BACK IN BUSINESS. Sorry we haven’t posted in a while! I know that all of our followers (basically Ginny, Katelyn, and Nicole) have been ON THE EDGE OF THEIR SEATS waiting for us to post! ;D 

BUT FOR REAL. Me and Alec have been doing SO MUCH lately, and it’s just been hard to find time to write, but here goes.... 

 I...have a job. Yep. A real job (with ALL TOO REAL taxes). I really like my job, honestly. The people are nice, the environment is great, and I GET PAID. What could be better? 

I LOVE HELPING PEOPLE. It’s really enjoyable being able to help people find exactly what they need! I don’t get any commission, so I don’t have to try and convince people to buy something that they really don’t wanna buy. I give them straight up suggestions for things that I’ve had personal experience with, that I think would be a good fit for them. IT’S SO NICE.

I have to clean up seasonal. Do you know what seasonal means? That means Back to School. That means HALLOWEEN. Seasonal is honestly the most ridiculous part of the store. I spend hours, ENTIRE SHIFTS, fixing the messes in seasonal, and it just ends up getting messed up an hour later. HOWEVER, I don’t even mind it. I really don’t. For the first couple of weeks it got annoying, but I started to just accept the fact that things were always going to get messed up and I would just have to re-do everything. I’VE ACTUALLY COME TO ENJOY DOING IT. Is that bad? Like, it’s seriously just fine. I’m just waiting for Halloween, where I will find shredded up costumes strewn all over the store, bags of candy burst open and spread everywhere, and hundreds of little kids begging their parents to buy them stuff, only to end up in tears after being rejected. LOLOL. SO EXCITED! xD

The people I work with are SO NICE! Obviously, there are always a couple team members that I don’t care to talk to....lol. BUT, I seriously do enjoy working with the amazing team that I have!

What’s up guys? So I know it’s a little late for a Friday blog post, but I think it’s a good example of what I’m gonna be talking about today! LET’S GET STARTED. 

Sooo... I’m 18. Aaaaannd, to all my NOT 18 friends... BEING AN ADULT SUCKS. I haven’t even seen all there is to see, and I can say that it already sucks. I have been so busy and tired that I totally forgot to even blog yesterday! THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT. Busy busy busy.... it never ends. I can’t even imagine how it must feel for my parents. 

Being an adult comes with a lot of responsibility, but mostly a lot of expectations. You are expected to get a job, go to college, pay for things yourself, and basically begin the separation process from being dependent on your parents. IT’S A STRUGGLE. I finally have a job...but does that makes things any better? NO. Having a job when you are a young adult is terrible. You don’t have the experience you need to get a job in something you are actually interested in, so you basically have to just take whatever you can get. I appreciate that I have a job, and the people at my job are amazing. I couldn’t really ask for more at my age, but it still just makes things difficult. 

I HATE DEPENDENCY, but then I still want my parents to pay for things and give me things without much of anything in return. (i.e. getting money for doing chores). Being 18 means you can finally do all those things you ever wanted to do, right? You’re no longer dependent on your parents for things. You can go out and do whatever you want and your parents have no say...right? WRONG. Just because you are 18, doesn’t mean your parents don’t control you. I mean, I’m not really one to talk. My parents have always been pretty lenient with me. But, for most young adults who are still living in their parents houses, they can’t really do what they want. It sucks. 

I CAN’T REALLY DO WHAT I WANT TO DO. I don’t have a car. Sorry that my parents aren’t rich and can’t afford to spend money to buy a nice new car for themselves, let alone for me. So, what really ends up happening is that me and my friends can’t really do much of anything we actually want to do. AND THE MOST IMPORTANT PART IS THAT I CAN’T JUST GO GET WENDYS AT 3AM WHENEVER I FEEL LIKE IT. That is seriously a problem. Sometimes I just wanna go get a frosty in the middle of the night, ya feel?

BASICALLY you aren’t really an adult. It’s a really annoying stage. You want to be independent and do whatever you want, but you still want to be a kid and have your parents take care of you. Trust me, if you are a kid and haven’t gotten to this point yet, you will. It comes WAAAY too fast, so seriously enjoy your childhood while you have it. There are a lot of good things that you can experience when you are an adult, but good things start to come at a price. BIG PRICES. Hahaha. 

What’s up guys? SOOO. I’m sorry that we missed blogging on Friday! (You probably didn’t even notice or care at all). BUT we are happy to come at you today with a FAN REQUESTED TOPIC (disclaimer: if you hate this topic, it wasn't my idea. BAHAHA) 

THIS WEEK I’m just gonna give a little advice to the “losers still in high school” (not my words). High school literally sucks. I get it... and the friends you make in high school MOST LIKELY won’t stick with you past it. The true ones, the ones you thought would be your friend forever, grow apart during the last year of high school. That is the reality. THERE ARE DEFINITELY THINGS YOU CAN DO TO AVOID HIGH SCHOOL PROBLEMS, ESPECIALLY DURING SENIOR YEAR. 

For starters, DON’T CAUSE DRAMA. I could seriously end my post right there. 90% of the problems I faced during my senior year could have been avoided if I had avoided drama and the people who cause drama. It’s hard to get away from, especially when you are stuck with these people in classrooms and are forced to be around them every day. Just try your best to stay out of it! Don’t cause problems and drama, and don’t participate in things that only stir up more drama.

People seriously change senior year. It’s the year before you are expected to go off and do something with your life. There’s a lot of pressure from parents and teachers to get good grades, apply for scholarships, choose a college/university, AS WELL AS A MAJOR. You may look around at everyone else and think “oh they DEFINITELY have their life figured out”, and while that may or may not be true, you need to know that you aren’t alone if you are confused. Not many kids can so easily figure out their lives. THEY JUST CAN’T. I STILL don’t know what I’m doing....lol. Look for guidance. You are not stupid for needing help. AT ALL. If you need advice, go visit your advisor in the office, or talk to your parents. If neither of those people give you decent advice, ask a favorite teacher or coach. The best teachers are glad to help a student out and make things better. 

High school is a huge turning point in a teenagers life. You will either make a ton of good decisions, or a ton of bad ones. Nothing can hold you back from being the best you can be. You have tons of potential. BE CRAZY. BE A KID. DON’T, however, do anything stupid. I know you have/will hear this a million times, but it’s true; the choices you make in high school and college will affect you for the rest of your life. There are ALWAYS consequences for your actions, whether they be good or bad. The best advice I can give you is to strive every day to be a good example and to make the best choices you can make. You will make mistakes, and that’s okay, but don’t learn everything the hard way. Live your life like it lasts for eternity, because it does. :)

What’s up guys? This past week I saw Inside Out, and it was such a cute movie! I REALLY LOVE how it used all the emotions to make up this little girl’s personality. TODAY I wanna talk about how to be positive, and how to feel better when you are sad! 

NOBODY likes to be sad, but sadness is an emotion that will never go away! When I’m sad, there are a bunch of things I like to do to cheer myself up. 

ONE. I listen to music. Jamming out to my favorite songs is ALWAYS my go to when I’m feeling down. Pull up THAT ONE playlist that always pumps you up and get off your feet!

TWO. I go walking/running! Getting out and breathing some fresh air always gives me time to think about my problems and get over them. Plus I feel great about myself afterwards!

THREE. Make plans. Make PLANS. MAKE FREAKING PLANS. Hanging out with friends and doing crazy fun teenager stuff is ALWAYS a good and healthy way to get your mind off of life’s problems. Sitting around the house moping about it never works. Trust me. If I can get out of the house and avoid my problems, that’s always my first choice. 

FOUR. I go to Wendy’s, and get a frosty. FROSTY’S ARE HAPPINESS IN A CUP. What better way to change your attitude than to eat ice cream? I know for me this is the best way to flip around my frowns! :)

FIVE. I talk to someone about it. YOU ALL have that one friend that you can talk to about anything. Why not talk to them about it? If they are a good friend, they will always know how to make you happy, no matter what is going on in your life. (If you don’t really have friends, I’m sorry, try talking to your parents.) :P Sometimes the best way to deal with your problems is to have a good talk with someone who cares about you. Like in the movie (sorry if your haven’t seen it), having a cry session and just getting it out sometimes is the best route. Don’t ever be afraid to talk about things to people, even if you think they don’t care. They probably do. 

Staying positive and not letting life get you down all the time is probably one of the hardest things in life. Sadness is always trying to take the reins, but you can’t let it! Try one of the above suggestions and see if that works for you, but try to not dwell on things too long. Most things in life just aren’t worth your time thinking about, so don’t! 

I’m far from perfect, but I always make it a goal to be positive, whether or not things are going well in my life. I am a bit of a realist, so I may sound like I’m being negative, but I’m really not. I make it a personal goal all the time to be happy and to make others happy as well, and I do! I hope you can make the same goals. BE POSITIVE. MAKE OTHERS HAPPY. 

What’s up guys?! IT’S FRIDAY ALREADY. This is so nice! SOO, lately I’ve been eating out WAY too much. Most of the time, it’s fast food. Now, we all have a love/hate relationship with fast food. IT’S SUPER QUICK AND YUMMY (sometimes), but it’s probably not that good for us. SOO..

TODAY I’m talking about what I like about different fast food stops, AND what I don’t like!!

McDONALD’s. I know when people think about McDonald’s, they think about the “Big Mac” and how fatty and unhealthy their food is. BUT, I actually have found a lot of healthy, yummy things on their menu! FIRST OFF they have this SUPER YUMMY snack wrap! It’s cheap, and not fatty and gross. It’s just a piece of chicken and lettuce in a tortilla, with a bit of ranch and cheese. SO GOOD. ALOT of their burgers are under 400 calories too! So not too bad! They also have salads.. but if any of you have been to ANY fast food place recently, you know that the salads are almost as much money as the huge burgers! IF NOT MORE! SO, I usually stay away from those, unless I’m really in the mood for one, MY POINT IS here that just because people usually connect McDonald’s to the “growing crisis of childhood obesity”, it’s really not as bad as people make it sound. I don’t go around their that much, but when I do there’s always something their that I like, and that I don’t have to feel crappy about eating!

TACO BELL. OKay....umm... I’m not super big on Taco Bell. It’s not that their burritos aren’t good, it’s just that my tummy feels AWFUL afterwards. It makes me feel like crap (no pun intended). THE NICE THING ABOUT TACO BELL IS ALSO THE REASON I HATE IT. It’s, plain and simply, cheap. In more than one way. Most of the things on the menu are quite cheap and affordable, but that also means you are getting cheap and lower quality ingredients, which are hardly good for you. IDK maybe I’m just the weirdo and everyone loves Taco Bell, all I’m saying is that IT DOESN’T FEEL VERY GOOD LATER>>> Awk. 

OKAY WELL ON TO WENDY’S. This used to be my GO TO fast food stop. I used to crave chocolate frostys, and chili with crackers... Okay I still kinda do. BUT since I’ve gone so much lately, I’ve honestly become sick of the menu. BECAUSE I AIN’T RICH AND I DON’T BUY ALL THE EXPENSIVE STUFF I’m limited to a meal that is under five dollars, and with all the price hikes lately, that’s not easy to get anymore. I just can’t justify spending two dollars on a tiny cheeseburger off the “value menu”. And MY FAVE THING EVER (the chicken caesar wrap) THEY TOOK OFF THE MENU, AFTER RAISING THE PRICE OF IT SLOWLY FROM $1 to $2!!! Like seriously, over the course of 2 months, every time I went there, the price kept going up (ON EVERYTHING) like 10 cents of 20 cents until pretty soon it was two bucks! And THEN THEY GOT RID OF IT. Like of course no one’s gonna buy it if it’s two bucks! ............sorry. Rant over. It’s just so stupid how much food prices are going up nowadays, even in fast food. Like by the time I’m spending that much at a fast food place I might as well go to a chain restaurant like Smashburger or Chipotle! IF THEY START RAISING FROSTY PRICES I’M DONE.

Jack-in-the-Box. This one is probably my number one in terms of food that I like. I really love their MUNCHIE MEALS! Okay okay if you don’t know what a Munchie Meal is, it’s a little box filled with two tacos, regular and curly fries, and your choice of a few yummy entrées! (It also comes with a drink. My personal FAVE of the entrées is the loaded chicken nuggets (nuggets loaded with bacon, ranch, and cheese). OH MY GOSH ITS SO GOOD. My only complaint is you can only get it after 9pm, so I hardly ever get one, but when I do it’s so good and filling and I love it! Okay... advertisement over. Jack has always been there for me. There ALWAYS something I like on their menu. Their prices (ESPECIALLY ON DRINKS AND FRIES) aren’t the cheapest, but there are definitely some things (probably not healthy) that are cheap! I don’t know... I don’t really crave their food like I used to, but it’s still good. LOL.

So, which of these above is my favorite? Honestly none of them. McDonald’s probably has the best food that doesn't make me feel terrible, but even that is gross to me sometimes. SINCE GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL, where I’m not stuck eating the nasty school food everyday, I’ve started eating healthier and I’ve come to dislike the idea of going to a fast food place sometimes (most of the time). It’s just become bleh to me. ONE THING I WILL NEVER TIRE OF THOUGH IS PAPA JOHN’S PIZZA!!!! I’m really ticked that the Diamondback’s suck and I can never get my 50% off pizza! Hahaha..