Last Note to You Bloggers

Hey guys! Just one quick thing before I sign off. =) I just had a brilliant idea, inspired by my sister, Tonya. When I get my new email address for my mission, you can add my address to your blog so that I'll get your blog in my email. The way you do that if you don't already know: go to the top of you blog and hit the button that says "customize". Once in there go to settings, then go to "email and mobile". Then enter my address in where it says "BlogSend". Make sure to save it after that. =) I'd really love it if you all could do that cause I'd love to see what everyone's up to. Don't get me wrong though... this doesn't replace letters! =) I still want letters too! =) I don't have my addresses with me at the moment, but if you email my mom at malindalou@gmail.com she can get you them. She can also add you to the emailing list so that you can get my emails too. She'll have my new email address too when I get it. =) Thanks guys! Have a great 18 months! Love you all!

Blessings and Fears

This could very well be the last blog that I write for the next year and a half. I can't believe it's already here! It seems like just yesterday I made the decision to even go on a mission, and now here I am leaving in three days to report to the MTC. Today was a very melancholy day for me. It was my last Sunday before the mission, and I decided to go to my single's ward in Provo for the last time. I'm not sure if that was the wisest decision on my part... There were only a handful of people still left from last semester and there were a ton of new people. It was a little hard to see that situation. I realized that people were moving on already. I knew it would happen, but I put myself in the situation where I had to see it happen. I had to say goodbye to a lot of dear friends... some of which I may never see again. I'm at the point of desperation a little bit I guess. I just want to spend every spare moment with my friends and family and it's harsh reality when my friends can't spend these last moments with me... even a few of the moments. I'm grateful, very grateful, to those friends that have taken time out of their lives to make my last moments here meaninful and memorable. I know this sounds like a very depressing blog, but like I said in the last one, I really am so blessed. Even if my friends can't be here now, I still love them and will always have the memories that we've created together. I keep asking myself why it's so scary to go on a mission. It's only a year and a half, and I've gone away to college before without so many fears. I think the answer is definitely "the unknown". I don't know what to expect once I get out there and I will have limited contact with family and friends. I don't know if I'll get letters from my friends or if I'll even see them again. If I do see them again, which ones? One thing I am sure of, thankfully... Things will work out according to Heavenly Father's will, and I will be happy as long as I am trying to follow His commandments. I did have a great last weekend though! It started off with a trip to St. George with Sarah! It was only for a day and a half, but it was super fun and random. =) We walked through Dixie campus and took as many pictures along the way, drove up to the airport to survey the city, went to the temple (where I did sealings for the first time!), spent time with my friends from when I was going to school down there (Adam and Natalie Loris), ate at Nielsen's Frozen Custard, ate at In and Out, hiked Dixie Rock, and hiked "the narrows", Oh, on our way down, we stopped at Cove Fort which is a fort that Brigham Yound asked Pres. Hinckley's grandpa to build and settle. It was pretty neat. On the way up from St. George we stopped at "The Red Barn" in Santaquin and got ice cream! The barn has my last name on it! Also, to keep us from getting bored on both trips we decided to see how many semi trucks we could get to honk at us. We got 56!!! I believe that has to be some kind of all time record!!! It was an awesome weekend and I'm so grateful for the memories I was able to create with Sarah! I now have three days left to make the most of! I'm so excited to spend it with my family! I know that I will miss them immensely! They mean the world to me and I'm so grateful for them! I'm especially grateful that I don't have to worry about whether I'll see them again because I know I will. Nothing can separate us! I love the laughs that we've had together and all the blonde moments we've shared... mostely all mom's of course. =) The next three days will be priceless to me!