HAPPY ST. PATTY'S DAY!

Today is the day of green! I love green! Not as much as I love blue or brown, but I am grateful there is a day we can all wear green. As many of you know I go to Adam's Elementary twice a week to assess students on literacy skills. I have been assessing Kindergarteners on Letter Names, but today we started assessing them on letter sounds. I am amazed as to how much those kids know... I love it. There is one little boy who every day I see him he reminds me of my nephew! This little boy reads at a 4th grade reading level... my nephew, is in 2nd grade and reads at a 6th grade reading level. I've only been in the school for a few weeks now and I love these kids. I'm excited to become a teacher and enjoy a whole classroom full of them. On another note, but still along the same lines... today when I walked into the classroom every student was wearing green. All the kids were coloring clovers and I was reminded of when I was about their age and the things my teachers did on St. Patrick's Day. My favorite St. Patrick's Day ever was in 1st grade with Ms. Blackwell. I remember we went out for recess and when we got back it looked like a Leperchaun attacked our room. There were little footprints everywhere! It was way cool! I'm going to love having the opportunity to do that with my students. I love this holiday! Don't forget Brown Day on the 19th!!!!! St. Joseph's Day!

A little less than nothing

Lately, I have had tons going on in my life and the weirdest part of all is that finally there is no drama!!!!!! WOOHOO!!! However, other people have complicated drama in their lives so, indirectly I'm still dealing with drama. EWW! 
On a totally different note: let's go to why I feel this way... As many know on the 13th of February I went on a date with a good friend of mine (yes, he's a premi). It's been really good getting to know him and watching him prepare to leave to go to Brazil in July. He's one really nice guy and I'm learning tons hanging around him so far. Now, many are probably wondering about everything with my best friend in France! He will always be my best friend... there is never a doubt in my mind about that and lately I have been wondering as well what the heck I'm going to do because all I want to do right now is date, and when he gets home that's all I want him to do too. I really think he should DATE AROUND!!!!! I'm seeing way too much lately people rushing into marriage and honestly it scares me just a bit. Marriage is the biggest decision in a person's life. Especially in the church. Anyway, yesterday I received an e-mail from Jonathan that said this:

désolé que c'est si tard...

Frances,
  Sorry I'm getting to you so late...I wanted to wait until after this weekend to get a letter off to you, because we had a baptism planned for this Saturday, the 28.  Well, it was a dry baptism, if you catch my meaning.  Our investigator has completely disappeared and we have no clue what happened or how to get in touch with her...She doesn't answer her phone and apparently she moved out of her appartment.  So, that's my excuse for not having gotten your letter off yet.
  I've found a new penpal!  One of the Elders in my district, Elder Becquereau, from Canada, gave me his sister's address and so I'm writing to her regularly to work on my written French and grammar.  She's pretty cool.
  So, how was your date with the premi?  I was actually glad to hear that you went out with someone.  It's been a while, no?  Get out, enjoy life!  You're still young!  I think I might go to the Singles Ward in Baton Rouge until I either go to BYU-I or whatever I end up doing.  I know I told you that you were locked in my heart and it's true.  You've been my best friend for a long time and I love you forever for all you've done for me.  When I do get home, I promised you a date.  I'm also going to date other girls, because I've only dated one member in my life.  I'm going to date others and hang out with others.  I'm telling you all this just so you don't get the idea that our future is etched in stone.  I'm on my mission, and the very last thing I need to be worrying about is marriage and all that.  I've got time.  The Lord needs all my heart, might, mind, and strength here where I am.  So, like I said, I'll wait for you and we'll 'faire une sortie.'  But I can't promise anything beyond that.  I gotta go, we've got an appointment in a few minutes, but have a great day and stay safe!!!  Love ya!!

                                                      Ton numéro deux,
                                                                  Elder Lundberg
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- 3 Néphi 5:13

I wrote him an e-mail back to which I said the following:

Jonny boy!!!!!!!
 Hey, that sucks with the whole investigator... Tiff saw that and she
feels for you cause she knows how it goes. I'll have to get her to
write you a letter! ;) She's the best!
 I wrote you a letter on the whole date with the premi. It was
awesome. Also, I wanted to let you know that I might go on a date with
this guy from my trumpet section. We'll see... I haven't really
decided about that. I might talk to him today in class... hmm...
 Anyway's I'm really glad you said what you did about dating other
girls when you get home. I actually really really want you to! Our
past is crazy and yeah, we will have to date because we'll both be new
people, but you need to date other member girls! You need to start off
your first semester at BYU-Idaho dating tons of girls, but I did
promise that I would go on a date with you (or more than one). Anyway,
like you said... you need to have your whole heart, might, mind, and
strength on the LORD! I know you can do it! Endure it all well, and I
will do the same with school!

your number one!
Frances Mae

D&C 18:10 "Remember the Worth of Souls is great in the sight of God."

 so, as I read his e-mail I was very happy to see that he wasn't thinking about me waiting for him. that is not something I can nor do I want to do. Yeah, he's my best friend, but heck that's all! Anyways, I told my mom about it this morning because of course through facebook my siblings spy on me and then tell mom... However, I read her both e-mails and had no problem with it. Soon my mom will get a facebook then she can find out stuff for herself! Well, that's all for now! Gotta love life!

8!!! OH MY!

So, not only is today Valentine's Day, but my nephew, Michael, got baptized today! I couldn't be there for it because school is very very important and I had to be here instead! It's all good though. I guess the weirdest part is knowing that my whole family is together and not being there with them. I love them so much! They are very important to me & I am so glad I get to spend eternity with them! That's a really long time! :D I can't believe that 8 years ago is when my sister's life changed forever! haha! Well, that's all I have to say for now! I love that my lappy is working! Gotta jet! :D

I will try to fix you...

So, I know it sounds really lame, but the past few days I've had dreams about my best friend. In one of them it was like I lost him forever and it wasn't to death... it was to something much much worse. I wasn't sure how to take it all day long and then I realized that truly I hadn't lost him at all, and that he would continue to serve his mission faithfully and whole heartedly. Well, this morning I had another dream with him and it was like a picture perfect experience and I have just been inspired so much that I feel this bond with him. The hardest thing for me lately has been to accept this because well I keep thinking about things my family says. However, I haven't exactly told them everything because I guess I'm afraid. Last week I was talking to my oldest sister when she was telling me that she didn't want to see me get hurt by him again, and I realized that once before when I was talking my oldest brother about everything. It's the weirdest thing for me because for some reason through every hard trial with him we've stayed friends. I keep talking to my roommates-- well, mostly Tiffany... about it and I just feel like there is something amazing about this guy I dated a few years ago. For one I'm truly realizing how missions are amazing for people and those who go on one come back stronger. I'm not saying I want to go on a mission because right now the one thing I know is this "Focus on studies for now and everything else in life will work out." Crazy how the Lord gives you revelation before you actually really need it. My dad gave me a Father's blessing just before I came back up this semester and that was said in it. A couple of weeks ago I was searching for some personal revelation and I got 2 thoughts immediately after praying. They were to read my patriarchal blessing and read my father's blessing. So, I did both and felt so much better. I keep finding out how amazing personal revelation is & how important it is for me to keep receiving it. My life is changing so much & there are times where I'm not sure if I can keep up, but I know that if I just hold on & endure to the end I will have blessings poured out upon me. I love my life even with all the tirals and tibulations that I face. :D

So this is the new year?

So this is the new year.
And i don't feel any different.
The clanking of crystal
Explosions off in the distance (in the distance).

So this is the new year
And I have no resolutions
For self assigned penance
For problems with easy solutions
The New Year  by Death Cab for Cutie
So everybody put your best suit or dress on
Let's make believe that we are wealthy for just this once
Lighting firecrackers off on the front lawn
As thirty dialogs bleed into one

I wish the world was flat like the old days
Then i could travel just by folding a map
No more airplanes, or speed trains, or freeways
There'd be no distance that could hold us back.

There'd be no distance that could hold us back [x2]

So this is the new year [x4]

Basically that song describes every new year. Except last year was way different from what I expected, but that's good when it happens right...? I think I will go over some of the events of last year for details please read blog or ask...:

2008 overall

January: 

my mom was in Colorado for New Year's because my nephew, William, had been born on the 29th of December. 

I had decided to go back to live in Rexburg, Idaho... burr... cold decision. Before I left I said goodbye to one of my closest friends because a month later he'd be leaving for his mission in Toulouse, France.

I left to go to Colorado saw my new nephew for the first time & then left for Idaho! :D

President Gordon B. Hinckley 15th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints passed away. Jan 27, 2008

February:

President Hinckley's funeral

Rexburg Temple dedicated

I had the best Mardi Gras party ever!!!!!

My best friend went into the MTC on Ash Wednesday and started his mission!

March: 

My grandfather passes away on the 6th at the age of 82.

I go to Colorado for a few days and then to Louisiana for a week and a half....

I was going down to Co at first because my sister, Jeane, was getting out her endownments and my nephew's baby blessing, but since Grandpa passed away we had all 3 in one weekend.

My father gets a call asking him to transfer to SLC... 

I go home to Louisiana for the second to last time...

April:

 I started school & buried myself in it.

May:

My dad moves to Utah & he & John come to visit me for my birthday

MOM COMES TOO!!!!! This was my first birthday since I graduated that I was with my family!

June:

School continues & I apply for fast grad

July:

I'm accepted to fast grad 

and go home to LA for the last time

August:

I help mom pack away things so we can head back to Utah

Louisiana prepares for another hurricane...

September:

Hurricane Gustav makes landfall and does more damge to Baton Rouge

I start another semester and decide when I will definitely graduate

I apply to make my state literacy test

October: 

me & a close friend of mine get into a fight that lasted way too long

I had my last marching band performance ever!

November:

Thanksgiving in Utah with the fam & the excitement that school was almost over

Bubba gets home from Guatemala!

December: 

LA gets a lot of snow for the first time in 20 years & I'm not there to see it...

school gets out for the semester &...

I go to Utah for my first white Christmas ever!

Man, it was an eventful year... crazy!