Sarah and Amanda

Last night I got to talk to one of my best friends from high school over Skype!

Sarah Goodman

We met in 9th grade and became instant friends. It was always so much fun being with her and talking with her. There were so many funny stories from our high school experience we shared together. Mostly with our lunch group. Haha!

I wish that I could have talked with my other best friend too!

Amanda Paulette

This girl became one of my best friends my Junior year in high school. We were both on the Junior Powderpuff team and we just clicked right away. Little did I know, she and Sarah were already best friends too. It was so perfect! I always had so much fun with these two! So many times we would just meet up at Panera Bread and eat and talk for hours.

It was so hard saying goodbye to these two beautiful girls when I moved out here to Utah. We were all going to different colleges and mine was just a LITTLE farther away. But we all got Skype and kept in touch. We were all so much alike, that without knowing it, we all ordered the same bedding for our college dorms. Haha. It was so FUNNY when we figured that one out. These two girls have always been there for me!

Life goes on and we have all gotten busy in our own lives, but it is so reassuring that we can pick right back up where we left off. Hearing about different drama that is going on in each others lives (yes Amanda, I heard about your most recent drama) or just making silly faces at each other over Skype. ITS THE GREATEST!!!!

Part of the reason I am writing this blog about these two is that Papa Goodman is one of my regular followers and always reads my blogs. I heard from Sarah that he was sad I hadn't post one for awhile. I'm sorry Papa Goodman that I have been behind in my posts and not doing them as regularly. I figured that this would be a good way to make it up to you. :)

Here are just a few more pictures of Miss Sarah, Miss Amanda, and me. Don't judge how little we look. I know I look ridiculous in most of them, but seeing as I haven't seen these pretty girls for almost 3YEARS I don't have any current pictures. :(

Football games!!

Senior Prom!!

Sarah and me before I left Virginia

Amanda and me at prom

 Sarah and Amanda: I love you girls so much!! I miss you all the time! When I finally do come visit Virginia, be prepared to spend a whole day in Panera Bread catching up on life! I can't wait for this reunion to happen. Pictures will be taken so I can do a Part II of my Sarah and Amanda blog.

I LOVE YOU BOTH!!!

"Are You Alright?"

DUMBEST QUESTION EVER!!!!

I was talking with my younger sister, Madelyn, last night about this. We were discussing a bunch of different drama she is going through and how it has been stressing her out. She told me that she has been crying at school (which she hates) and that people are dumb and ask her if she is alright. Obviously she isn't if she is crying. So here are a few lessons about crying:

1. You should know that crying is a way for girls (and some guys) to let out their frustration and hurt. If you see someone crying it is because they are going through something that is difficult for them and they have reached a breaking point where they can't hold it in any longer.

2. Most people hate crying in front of others. So when it does happen, its a big deal. They don't want people staring at them or talking about them as their eyes are leaking.

3. Obviously people will want to know what is causing this emotion, but be tactful about how you ask. And ONLY ask if you sincerely want to know to help them out and not just because you like to know all the gossip.

4. Girls can tell when a person is being sincere in asking. If you come up and ask "Are you alright?" don't be surprised if the girl responds back in a very sarcastic tone saying "Oh yeah I am AWESOME!"
If this does happen, realize that you were being inconsiderate and learn for the next time.

5. If you are really this person's friend you will go up to them and ask them what's wrong or if there is anything they need. If they want to be left alone, be an awesome friend and keep people from going up and being idiots by asking if they are alright.

So that's all for now. I feel like this might come off as me speaking to the guys out there, but no. Its for all you ladies as well. Its something every single person should know and understand. So if any of you ask me if I'm alright the next time you see me crying, I will be mad.

She's the Only Ten I See

Yesterday was a big day for my twin sister, Courtney JoAnn. After pacing around her apartment all day, she finally checked the mail and saw that she had received her mission call! But she had to wait a few hours before opening it. I was so surprised when I got down to Provo that she was actually pretty calm. I was freaking out more than she was and I wasn't the one with the call. Her nerves picked up throughout dinner at the Sizzler so much that she was making crazy faces at all of us.

We finally got back to Glenwood and then we had to wait some more. People started showing up making the suspense build even more. Finally, everyone was there, whether in person or over the phone or Skype. She opened her call and read:

"Sister Smith you are hereby called to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the Tennessee Nashville Mission."

This is when we all screamed our heads off in excitement! She continued to read the call stating that she will also be a Spanish speaking missionary and that she leaves April 25.

I am so excited for her!! She will be such a fabulous missionary. Tennessee doesn't know what's coming there way. I won't lie though... It was hard for me to actually see her call. Its weird to think that my twin sister will be leaving for 18 months and that the only times I'll get to talk with her is on Mother's Day and Christmas. She was so busy talking with people and I was feeling emotional that I couldn't go up to her to give her a hug until a lot of people left.

Tender, I know. She is such a great example to me. I don't know if I will personally go on a mission, but if I do decide to go, I hope that I will be as prepared and willing to serve as Courtney. Regardless, I hope to become more like her. I look up to her so much (and not just physically speaking). It will be hard to have her gone and I know there will be times that I will just want to go visit Virginia and "accidentally" get lost and end up in Tennessee just so I can see her.

Court, I love you and am so excited for you! You will be an excellent missionary. I know Tennessee isn't where you were expecting to go, but I know that its where the Lord needs you. It will be nice for you to be back in the south, in a more colorful part of the world. We will start your training for listening to country music A.S.A.P. The country accent is something that Jacob will have to help you with, but I'm sure you'll master it. Then you will just have to incorporate that accent in with your Spanish. BAHAHA!! I can't wait to hear how different yours and Kaitlyn's accents are. I love you twinner! You are and always will be my best friend!

Inspiration's Power

I had one of the most incredible experiences at church on Sunday. I had started the day off thinking about what I wanted to fast about, since it was Fast Sunday. As I was reflecting on my life as of late, I realized what I needed the most was comfort to know that things would work out the way God intended them too. I decided to fast for comfort while I was feeling lost and confused.

I got to church, not thinking anything special would happen, and I was just focusing on my worship. One of the stake presidency members, President Chang, was visiting my ward that day. He was there to obviously see how the ward was, but also because an old student of his just got back from his mission and he wanted to come see him.

President Chang is one of my favorite leaders. He is so in tune with the Spirit and has a way of relating things to the YSA wards in a way that we understand them. After the meeting, I went up to him to shake his hand and say hello. As I was doing so, he asked me if I had a second to talk with him. I told him that I would love to. I had to wait just a little bit as he was saying hello to some other people in the ward. Finally, after he talked with the newly returned missionary he came to visit, we went into a classroom to have a chat.

I have gotten to know President Chang fairly well since he was called into the stake presidency. He knows what trials I have been going through lately and always asks how I am doing. So we started out our conversation with some pleasantries and I explained to him that I was feeling lost and confused again. I told him how I could not figure out what was right and how everything I thought about seemed like it would be good, but nothing felt right. President Chang explained to me at that point in time why he had asked me to talk with him. While up on the stand during sacrament meeting, he felt that he needed to talk with Alexa Smith. He did not know why, he had planned on talking with the young man he came to see, but knew that he needed to talk with me for whatever reason.

As we talked, I realized that it was an answer to my prayers. He was able to help me realize so many things that I hadn't figured out on my own. He gave me such great counsel and gave me hope that something great was coming my way and that I just needed to be patient and have faith in my Heavenly Father's plan for me.

We never know when inspiration will come to us, but when it does, we all need to act upon it. You have no idea what it will mean to someone else. I would still be feeling lost and confused with life, ready to give up all hope, if President Chang had not pulled me aside and gave me the guidance I needed. I'm sorry that I pulled President Chang away from seeing the young man he had intended on visiting with. I hope he will forgive me, but at that moment in time, Heavenly Father saw that I needed this guidance. Heavenly Father knows each of us individually and knows exactly when to send help our way. I am so grateful for this experience. It is one I will never forget.