Alabama

I went to Alabama yesterday to help clean up the mess created by the tornadoes the past few weeks. It was humbling, devastating, and very eye-opening. I grossly underestimated the amount of damage a tornado does. It was crazy. We saw porches standing alone with no houses or trailers--the tornadoes had swept them away. So many trees had fallen; I spent the majority of the day clearing away wood and branches and leaves. Leah found a doll amidst the remains of a house that was demolished by a huge tree which fallen on it. The neighbor of this family we were helping had a daughter who had just bought a new trailer with her husband--both were killed in the tornado and their new trailer destroyed.

There was so much damage done, my gosh. It will probably take months to recover and you can't even fully recover from something like that.

I wonder how that tree stays standing at such a sharp angle...and the picture on the right looks like an earthquake went through and the tree was sitting right on the fault line.

Have you ever wanted to talk to someone about just everything that's going on right now, but you don't know who that someone would be and even if you do try, you don't think you'd be able to articulate yourself very well?

#Current_state_of_mind.

I just can't deal.

So prom this past weekend. It was pretty great. It exceeded my [low] expectations. The best part was seeing everybody, naturally. But after getting very little sleep, feeling stressed about APs, and not eating the healthiest, I now have a cold sore. Ughhhhh.

But the exhaustion I'm having as a result of staying up until 6 AM on prom night? Totally worth it. You Michiganders should feel so special.

I feel like May has come out of nowhere. Not that I'm unhappy it's here, because I'm actually elated that it's finally here. But everything seems to be happening all at once. Graduation, APs, new job, HSNCT!, college related deadlines, etc, etc. I have so much to think about, so much I don't want to do but need to do, and so much just constantly going through my head. I can't focus very well with all this stuff going on combined with an oncoming cold and constant exhaustion. I'm confused, I'm excited, I'm afraid, I'm sad, I'm grateful, etc. I can't take all these emotions. I am not an emotional type person. They're messing with my ability to function. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. (That was me constructively releasing a bit of my frustration.)

I'm really tired, and yet after I got off work, what did I come home and do? Make a powerpoint about Spencer W. Kimball and blog and get on facebook. I should delete my facebook. It's manipulating me, I swear.

What is happening to me? I self-studied an AP last year, and this year I can't even bring myself to study for APUSH. I blame Tennessee's schools and the fact that it's my senior year and the fact that I have all this stuff going on in my life right now. I just need a break....after APs. I can wait until next week.

BroTips

While most of these are a bit profane, some of these are also really great. 

 Uhhhh.Yeah. Pretty much. 

Story of my life? Yes. 

OR the answer to a quiz bowl question. Although, if you have a Wikipedia article written about you, you are more than worthy to be the answer to a quiz bowl question. 

Meine Familie

I'm also really grateful for these guys.

When Luke first came home from his mission in March, and all of my immediate family was in town to see him for the first time in two years, those were some of the happiest days. So glad we have an eternity.

They don't really know this, but they're part of the reason I chose BYU.
Op. Guess it's out.

Kaboodle Furniture

I feel like I've walked into a Dr. Seuss novel.
Love.

EBB, Vermeer, and Very Little Sleep

I feel like my last post was really...angsty/pessimistic. Sorry. I hate it when I do that. (Spellcheck suggested "gangsta" as a replacement for "angsty" when I did a spellcheck. Wow.)

So I had two and a half hours of sleep last night.
Note to self: Do not let Luke coerce you into staying up so late. This is the second time he's done this to me. He's lucky I actually woke up on time to go to seminary. And that's the weirdest part. I actually woke up earlier to get ready for seminary than on most other days when I have much more sleep. Hmmm.

For the next few weeks, I'll be posting about things I'm grateful for or things that I just really like.

The Guitar Player, Jan Vermeer

Today's: Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Sonnets from the Portuguese, number XXXII and the above painting by Vermeer. (He's one of the many reasons I love Dutch art.)
Have I ever mentioned how I kinda/sorta want a guy to write me this kind of poetry? No wonder Robert Browning ended up marrying her.