The things I love

My mom - she's everything I want to be.

Popsicles waiting for me at my parents house.

My papa - he teases me for still loving "A Little Princess" but doesn't realize that I love it partially because of him.

Good television. By good, I mean television that makes you laugh, feel, love, and be better in just 45 minutes.

Good movies. By good, I mean they do everything a good TV show does but on a slightly elevated, higher risk way.

My job. I could spend all day (and often do) with the people I work with. They are some of the best friends I will ever have. They could kick Chuck Norris' butt (no offense Mr. Norris - they're just that cool)

Movies that make me cry. I used to abhor movies that made me cry, but I think I have come to understand the cathartic nature of it. Or perhaps it's since I've begun writing that I've realized exactly how hard it is to write something that connects with someone on a deep enough level that they end up crying. I just watched "Stranger Than Fiction" and found myself crying at the climax - it was one of those good movies.

My brothers. I am bits of all of them and I owe them more than I can ever repay, including all of my favorite music.

My sisters in-law for so perfectly matching my brothers and being awesome women, strong and smart and funny and amazing mothers.

My roommates. They not only put up with my down days but love me through them.

My iPhone. Special thanks to my brother Danny who always thinks of others before himself and decided to send me his iPhone without telling me, thus causing the biggest and best surprise in recent memory. Plants vs. Zombies rocks, by the way. And Cut the Rope. If you have an iPhone, get those two games at least.

Gareth, My MacBook Pro. Named in honor of my British summer. Gareth came in and saved me when Sophie, my HP notebook who is awfully ill right now and doesn't seem likely to make it, fell off my bed. Yes, it was my fault Sophie fell. I cannot tell you how guilty I felt over it. She's like a family member - I seriously almost cried. I felt nauseous even thinking about getting a new computer. Gareth made the transition much smoother than I could have expected.

People who have no inhibitions. Today my friend Dustin and I were approached by a woman who wanted our advice. You see, her son had bad acne in high school and took Acutane, which at the time was in its testing period. His skin was cleared up, like a miracle. This woman saw a young man in the BYU bookstore who also had terrible acne. She asked Dustin and me if it would be too invasive to suggest Acutane to him. She proceeded to tell us how they were worried the drug would make her son impotent but he has six kids now so it must be safe. She then commented on how Dustin and I were studying together and how great she thought that was for dating couples. She said she took three classes with her husband when they were at BYU and studying together just proved that what they had was not simply infatuation. So now at least I know I'm not infatuated with Dustin - we could totally get married and be just fine. There's just the whole dating thing we'd have to do first. I love this woman for her uninhibited candor. Priceless.