Well, the excitement of being on our own has come and is starting to go now that I am feeling a little bit lonely. After reading Andrea's blog, I know what my solution should be, call my friends and strengthen our relationships. Although, I don't know how much strengthening of relationships that I want to do when we might be moving here in a couple weeks or so. One of the hardest things about the last 6 years has been making and then leaving such incredible friends. I would much rather make them and leave then to never have made them at all, but it doesn't make it any easier. There are friends to be made everywhere you go, even if it is on the border of Mexico, so I look forward with anticipation to those who I have yet to meet who will like all of my friends before touch my life in a way that nobody else could. When I look back at my life, I can see how Heavenly Father answered so many of my prayers through my friends at different times. Friends are truly angels of the Lord sent to answer prayers and strengthen the spirit.

One of the greatest blessings from the Lord is to have friends within my own family who have been and will be there forever. I can't wait till the day when I pass through the veil and see my entire family and all of my friends who have gone before me. What an incredible experience that will be. Why should one ever fear death when they know what will be awaiting them on the other side if they but live righteously.

We are all moved in. You'd think we were living here for a year with all that I brought over. I just want to make it feel like home for the girls. The first thing I did once I brought everything in was close the blinds and run around in my garments. It was wonderful!!! I haven't done that for a long time!!!! I am so grateful for the opportunity that we have to live here until we move to Asheville (cross your fingers) or to an apartment/rental house here in Fayetteville. It feels good to be on our own.

I am so grateful for the opportunity that I had to live with the Manns. I learned SO MANY things from each one of them. I know that I was supposed to be there for many reasons. I am really going to miss having such a full house. I love living and being around a lot of people. I am so excited for the day that my own home will be filled with lots of children, love, and laughter.

Last night in the car, Katelund completely melted my heart. She started to sing. These were the words she sang; "Someday I go to the temple and feel the Holy Spirit. House of God, I listen and pray." It was so adorable. When we came home at 10pm, she asked if she could watch a Dora. I told her she could and Cory looked at me like I was crazy. I told him that after her song in the car, she has me totally twisted around her finger at the moment.

Well today is officially the last day living at the Mann's house. We will be moving tomorrow to house sit for our friends, the Prasse's, for the next 6 weeks or until we move to wherever we are sent (hopefully Asheville). I am getting so anxious for Cory's meeting on Thursday.

Today I am babysitting for the Prasse kids, James and Gabby. Their parents are spending the morning together and going to lunch. I could not even imagine how hard it is going to be for Deborah and the kids to say goodbye to their husband/dad, Jimmy. He is going to Iraq for the next 3 months. Luckily, it will only be 3 months but he will be doing some dangerous missions. In fact, he has to try and blend in with the civilians there because he will be joining a counter-terrorist unit from Iraq in order to bring down some terrorists among them. Last night he came over to receive a blessing from Cory and John. Cory promised him in his blessing that if he would diligently read his scriptures and pray then he would be protected. When we went over last night he let me try on his bullet-proof vests and stuff like that. It was pretty crazy. I am so grateful that Cory has not chosen such a dangerous profession. I am also extremely grateful and in awe of all of the men and women around the country who sacrifice their own lives to protect others and fight as Moroni put it, "for the liberty of the wives [husbands] and children" all around the world. God bless America the home of the brave.

Yesterday was such a fun day!!! I spent the morning cleaning the entire house (it looked awesome). Then Katelund, Cloey, and I went to the park for a picnic. After we ate, the girls played for an hour or so on the playground. They were in heaven. Then we came home (very hot and sweaty). I put Cloey down for a nap and Katelund and I went out to the baby pool in the backyard. We played in the pool for almost two hours. We fished, we played red light green light, we splashed each other, and we blew bubbles in the water. We had so much fun together. That night, Cory, Katelund, Cloey, the Prasses, and Grandpa, went and watched a baseball scrimage because Logan was pitching most the game and then we all went and got snow cones. At the end of the day as Katelund was winding down with a Dora episode, she said to me, "Mommy I had fun with you today." It made my day, week, and year. I am so grateful for a husband and father that understands the importance and need for me to stay home with my children. It would have been a lot easier for both of us to work in order to get over the mountain we had to climb this last year, but we both knew that it wasn't the way we should do it. Thanks to a living prophet, loving and patient in-laws, and an incredible husband, I am able to spend my days with the most precious blessings of my life.

Yesterday I had two small yet significant miracles in my life. I had a priesthood blessing that took the flu from my body in two hours. I also found the social security building in downtown Fayetteville in an incredibly insane thunderstorm. I was seriously, without question, led by the Spirit to the building. I never would have found it on my own. Today I had my car break down in the parking lot of the grocercy store and I didn't even stress for one second. I have a new cell phone that I am so grateful to Cory for (he paid for it with a side job that he got last week--with the intent of getting me a new phone with the money he earned from it) and I just had such an incredible spiritual experience the day before. I just sat there with my two adorable children and played with them as we sat in the 95 degree weather waiting for Cory to come save us. I didn't freak out for one second. I know that cars will always break down, sicknesses will always find its way to our physical bodies, things won't always turn out the way that we plan them, but Heavenly Father will always be there because just like the primary theme for this year says, "His promises are sure". I know that if I am doing all that I should be doing, then everything will be okay and all I have to do is find joy in the journey, as rocky as it may be at times, and put my trust in the Lord.

Katelund and Brooklynn have become buddies. They walk around the house together holding hands, run from Cloey, and take turns pushing each other in the baby stroller. It is really cute!!! Yesterday I walked in on Katelund changing Brooklynn's diaper. The wet diaper was on the ground and Katelund was in the middle of teaching Brooklynn how to put on a pull-up. I started laughing so hard. I asked Katelund what she was doing and she said, "Brooklynn had a wet diaper, mommy". It was so adorable.

The other week I took Cloey into the doctor's for her 1 year shot. The doctor saw Katelund's excima (sp?) on her legs and freaked out. He hooked me up with all sorts of medicine. I have to give her a singular in the morning. Put on a steroid cream and eucerin cream twice a day, and then Allergy Benedryl at night. It is insane!!! After doing this for over a week now, her legs look better than they've looked in a LONG time!! It is almost all the way gone. I hate putting steroid cream on her, but it sure makes a big difference. I just hope she outgrows this.

Well the homecoming was wonderful. Logan's airplane got in at 10:30 pm on Thursday night. After we met him at the airport with a big balloon archway, tons of welcome home posters, and about 30 people anxiously awaiting their turn to finally embrace Logan and tell him how much we love him, the family all went over to the church to release him. John got to release him because President Catlett was out of town. After he was interviewed and reported on his mission to President Mann, he came into the relief society room where we were all waiting. He bore his testimony to us for the last time as a missionary (well the last time as a young missionary). He bore a powerful testimony about the relationship that he has developed with the Savior. He also talked about his great love for Joseph Smith. Then his dad released him and as he took off his missionary tag he started to sob. It was such a sweet moment. Cory said that when he was released he also began to sob and his stake president in Austin told him that only the best missionaries respond in that way to their release. Logan has been so much fun to be around. He is so loving, patient, humble, and full of great stories. He said in his talk on Sunday that part of him is excited to be home with his family and the other part of him feels like he just left his family in Honduras and wants to go back. It is such an incredible experience to be around a brand new returned missionary. He wakes up around 6 every morning and reads his scriptures and is just so full of peace and love for everybody. What a wonderful example he has been for me. Katelund and Cloey love their uncle Logan. I wonder if they feel drawn to the spirit that he carries with him. I am so grateful for faithful righteous 19 year old boys who spend 2 years of their life serving the Lord and serving our brothers and sisters around the world. I cannot wait to go on a mission someday with my eternal companion. What a great honor it will be to wear the name tag of a missionary. Until that day, I have a lot of work to do in North Carolina and wherever else I live. Just like I wrote on my Ricks application, I am a life-long missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

It is always hard to say goodbye to my family in Texas, but it is also wonderful to be back home again with my family in North Carolina. Life is exciting as we are all anxiously awaiting the honorable return of Elder Logan Ryne Mann. Amber is busy with teaching swimming lessons which gives me the chance to spend my days with her adorable daughter Brooklynn. She and Katelund are loving each other's company and really learning about sharing toys. Brooklynn walks around all day saying, "Zoey, Zoey" (her aunt's dog is named Zoey so she thinks that is also Cloey's name). Cloey is walking around all day trying to keep up with the other two as she is getting better and better with walking. In fact, it has now become her main mode of transportation. Tonight Grandma and Grandpa Mann will arrive. Vaughn comes in on Wed. night and the Elder Mann comes in on Thursday night. After that it is party time!!

I had some very exciting news last week. The boy that I have been tutoring in math for the last month, passed his EOC test (end of course math test). His mom was so worried that he was going to fail it. She was so excited when she told me. She said that every since our last tutoring session before I went to Texas, Caleb (the tutoree) has been asking when he gets to go to his tutor again. Isn't that sweet? Anyways, she wants me to continue tutoring him throughout the summer and also start tutoring his 8 year old brother. I was very excited!!!!

Last Sunday I had so much fun teaching singing time again. I love those kids so much (especially when they're singing). One of them asked me to go to her spelling bee yesterday. She got out the first round with the word "weren't", but it was quite an accomplishment to be selected for the contest. Anyways, for singing time I went and bought that magnetic fishing set that mom has . I put a number on each fish and we sang whatever song coordinated with the number that was on the fish that they caught. They LOVED it. I also taught them a new song. It is a new song this year and it is written by Janice Kapp Perry. It is my new favorite primary song (okay it ties with Scripture Power). It is called "Holding Hands Around the World". I LOVE it!! I listened to it on the internet over and over again on LDS.org. I was singing my heart out!!! Abby would love it!! I wish she was here so I could teach it to her.