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My coworker, Kim, drew this. It's amazingly true.

Grajumacation

So, the big moment is finally in sight. I'm finally graduating from college in December. I haven't actually officially applied yet so nothing is permanently set in stone. But what looks like is gonna happen is I will take a few classes in the fall but do the walking/ceremony type stuff in August. I got all motivated and went to a meeting with an academic adviser and figured it all out today.

Wow, I really wish it were August now. Not only would I be doing graduation, but it would be warm outside. Actually today is pretty nice for February. The sun is shining, the snow is melting and I'm gonna be out of college in less than a year! How could things not be good!

Moving

I have to move in the spring. My beautiful, gorgeous apartment is turning into, *gasp*, a guy apartment. I'm being forced to move out of an apartment I love so some stupid messy boys can come trash the place. No offense to boys, but they will ruin the place. There is a ray of hope, though. I've talked to some girls in my ward and I have a housing option. There's a little house called "The Hobbit House" that is nice and I know some of the girls who live there. And how can I pass up the opportunity to live in "The Hobbit House"? Amelia, one of the girls there is gonna show me around sometime, so I can see if it would work.

Upsides: I'd have a single room, which would be sooooo nice. I'm really not a fan of sharing a room anymore.

There is a washer and dryer, so no more coin laundry! Yay!

I wouldn't have to live with people who I don't really know anymore. I have determined that my current roommates and I are very different people.

Downsides: No dishwasher. That could be a difficulty, but shouldn't be, since Mom taught us to wash our dishes before we put them in the dishwasher anyway.

The house isn't as nice as my current apartment. I'd miss it.

I'd have to move all my stuff again. Well, at least I'd have a chance to do some culling of my possessions. And I'm gonna have to do that no matter where I move. At least with this house, I'd only have to move my stuff about a block.

I'd have to walk another whole block more up to campus than I currently do. Why is it that the longer I go to school, the further away from campus I live? Dang, it's times like this I wish I had a car. However, during the spring at least, the walk up to campus should be pleasant. I'm not looking forward to long walks in the heat of summer though. Oh well, what's one measly block anyhoo?

So, what I need to do now, I guess, is actually go check out the place. I have been there lots before, but I've only seen one bedroom. Okey-dokey.

In other news, I bought a Playstation 2. Yes, I'm a big nerd. I got a good deal on Ebay. Now I just need to find a good deal on DDR and then I'm set!

Incredible

So, while I was on Facebook a little while ago, I was just looking at random stuff on there and I found a post that my youngest brother made. It was while reading that post that I realized that my little brother is incredible. I thought, When did that happen? How did I miss it? Have I really missed that much being out here in Utah instead of Alabama? I have such strong memories of him being this little kid, kinda incomplete in a way. And I read that post and found that he is so much more grown up than I give him credit for. That in some ways, he is stronger than I am. And I was just so struck by that.

In other news, I watched the press conference today when President Monson was announced as the new prophet. There was a moment when I was metaphorically laid flat by the spiritual confirmation that he really is the prophet. That God directed that calling and President Monson is, in fact, now the voice of the Lord for His church. It was wonderful to get that confirmation. I don't even remember what President Monson was saying at the time, but I remember that feeling I got. A light bulb came on, something just clicked, the puzzle piece snapped into place, my heart burned within me, whatever metaphor you want to use, I knew then and know now that President Monson is called of God. Incredible.

Prophet

I'm sitting at my desk, listening to pretty songs and feeling melancholy.

I just heard that Gordon B. Hinckley, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and prophet, seer and revelator, has passed away. My heart hurt to hear the news.

He was a truly great man, who loved serving the Lord and loved serving His children. He was old and had lived a good life, so it's not a bad thing for him to go. I will miss him, though.

I know that he was a prophet of the Lord. Though I never personally met him (but I had seen him in real life), he affected my life in a wonderful, positive way. I remember seeing him after the Birmingham temple was dedicated and we sang the hymn, "We Thank Thee, O God, For a Prophet." I remember seeing him at my freshman orientation at BYU. I remember seeing him at a devotional the Halloween before last. He was wearing a tie with pumpkins on it and joked about it. Every one of those times I saw him, I received a testimony in my heart that he truly was a prophet. That he received revelation from the Lord to guide us. I am so grateful that I could know that and I am so grateful that I was alive while he was the prophet.