My Amazing Sister

I just spent a wonderful weekend at home with my family.  I was on the phone with my little sister Abby and I found out that she was singing in church.  I HAD to be there for it!!  There was just now way in the world that I was going to miss it.  Not a chance.  So I left Saturday after work, at about 1:30 pm and get there at about 5:30 pm.  It was a great night!  Then church the next morning was wonderful.  Abby sang SOOO beautifully!!!  I cried and my chills got chills.  Naomi Bott sang the harmony with her.  Their voices just blended together so beautifully!!  I have never heard anything so angelic in my whole life!  I then had to leave on Sunday at about 7 pm.  Cried for about half of my drive home.  Then in the lovely construction zone between Spanish Fork and Thanksgiving Point, it was DUMPING rain.  So not only were my contacts blurry from crying, and it was dark, and I was in an afwul construction zone, but it was pouring rain in torrential sheets.  I couldn't even see the markings for my lane.  It was so scary.
All in all, great weekend, and I'm so glad I went.  Abby is amazing. 

Things I Miss

I recently struck out on my own.  I am 20 years old and the longest I had ever been away from my parents was one week.  It's kind of cool being able to do what I want when I want, but I miss a lot of things about being at home with my family.  I miss actually sitting down for meals.  Here it's like, scrounge up what I can find and eat it in my room.  I miss coming home from work or school and actually having someone there.  Now it's like I walk in the door, and there's no greeting, no dog barking, no little sister screaming.  It's the strangest phenomenon.  It's way to quiet for my ADHD mind to handle.  I miss my little sisters.  Abby just gets prettier with every passing day!  And I'm not there to pick on her!  Or quote movies with her!  Or do any of the dumb things we would do!  Alivia is getting so big.  I was on the phone with my mom today and she told me that Liv is just learning so much.  She's transformed from a baby to a toddler, and I missed it.  She knows me from pictures and from my voice on the phone, but I'm not there to love her and spoil her and that kills me. 
I know that at some point, you gotta spread your wings, jump, and hope that flying was something you learned.  I just never actually realized how hard it would be to do that.  I miss my family like crazy.  The crazy quotes, the stupid jokes, the laughing so hard that Mom loses control of her bladder.  It's a time in my life that I can never get back.  And that makes me sad.
However, I am enjoying learning how to do things without the help of my parents.  It's tough sometimes, but it's shaping me into a strong, independent adult. 
I feel like a baby sometimes because I miss my parents so much.  My mom is my best friend and I can't go for very long without talking to her.  My dad is hilarious and no matter what kind of day I have had, he can always make me laugh.  I miss my family.  There is no other way to put it, even though it sounds so childish.  But I do.  And it's taking some getting used to.
I'm glad I live with my brother, or I REALLY would be going crazy...  If he didn't work so much it'd be better. I've been wanting to get a dog to keep me company when Andrew's not here.  But then I think about it and realize that I don't have the time or energy for a dog.  Which is sad, because I really want one.  It's a conundrum for sure.  We'll see how it goes...

Slug Me if I Snore

I always hate it when I'm sitting by someone, and they fall asleep.  I think it is the tackiest thing to fall asleep in meetings and stuff like that.  However, today I fell victim to my own pet peeve.  I was sitting there in church, trying so hard to pay attention to the talk on the blessings of going to institute, when next thing I know, my brother is elbowing me in the ribs saying, "Amanda, you're snoring." 
Well that sure made me feel like a moron.  I don't know why I was so tired either!  I got a fantastic night's sleep last night.  I attribute it to the new pillows that I bought at Sam's Club.  I had been using the flattest, most dead pillows in the whole world.  It was so nice to finally have an actual pillow under my head!  I was out like a light in 5 minutes time.  So why on earth could I not stay awake during church!?  I felt like a tool. 
But what's done is done, I guess.   And what I heard of the talk was actually quite good. I'll try harder to stay awake next Sunday.