Hello!  Brooke here!  So it is the week before the end of the world week... FINALS WEEK.  I should be studying for my upcoming tests from hell. Finals you might say, but nah.  I think this blog has been neglected far too long.  Sorry to our moms ... multitudes of readers!  If anything, this serves as a journal for my Dear Friend Maria and I.  Maria, is at the moment, gallivanting around with one of her many suitors I am sure ;)  She is just blossoming before our eyes!  That girl is one whirlwind of awesomeness. Maria is going to study abroad, in like 10 amazing European countries in may.... needless to say I am quite jealous.  She is currently double majoring in graphic design and creative writing, yep and I am over here like... yay school!... She is working at the on campus writing center assisting lost souls in finding their way to A's on their papers, getting hit on by her co-workers and raking in the just over minimum wage. 
   Maria is also in mourning for one little thing that I may have a part in...  It is I believe referred to as a MISSION??  Yea, that sounds right.  Okay, so here is the sweet n' condensed version of the story.  Once upon a time I was having an inner dilemma that boiled down to me not having a clue what to do with my existence.  I was trying to figure out what grand adventure I wanted to undertake in school and life.  apparently however, the big guy upstairs had some pretty crazy plans for me.  It first came as an overwhelming desire to help people.  I was just itching to serve and to help others improve their lives.  Already having crossed out the whole mission option in my mind I thought study abroad or a service trip to Africa perhaps??? With more study and prayer however, the answer to my soul searching became apparent.  I needed to serve a mission.  Shock.  I think I am still in that state of frozen shock.  My toes can wiggle now but other then that I still cant believe it.  Once I decided that a mission was in the stars for me, I sprinted and leaped through the application process.  I knew that if I gave myself time to freak I just might.  My family still thinks I am insane I am pretty sure (Maria, visit them often while I am away, they always loved you more anyways).  I had everything done within a month and a half.  Then, the call arrived.  Bless Marias heart (for many reasons pertaining to this).  She drove me two hours home that weekend whilst I had a series of panic attacks.  We pulled up to my house, both knowing that within the hour, we would know just how soon these two best buds would be saying goodbye for awhile.  It was all a flurry of excitement, tears and relief.  I have been called to serve in the CLEVELAND OHIO mission!  I leave March 5th and I am nervous, excited and just overall freaked out and unprepared!  I know that this is what I am supposed to be doing with my life at this moment in time and I am so looking forward to sharing the true gospel and love of God with his children in Ohio.

    Maria just might get married, have ten kids and be living the dream when I get back (I advise against that however hehe).  Isnt it kind of funny how life is like that?  One moment you are coasting along side your mostest dearest soul mate sista, and life seems just peachy, sometimes a little pickley but you are side by side nonetheless.  Then the next moment the tracks split in two and you find yourself slowly drifting, not in a different direction but a few inches apart from that bestest friend.  Well I know that it will probably be mostly pickley and lemony for the first little while after I leave, but the comforting part is that, even thousands of miles apart, we will still be best friends, soul mates, and joined at the hip crazies.  Also, LETTERS?!?! Yea... epic (those might be the only thing to keep me alive), they will only make the heart grow fonder aye?  I know that we will be a great and unique support to each other as life throws us lemons and peaches.  So come what may because these two gals have got each others backs!  Well I love You all!  Maria hasn't seen this yet, don't get too mad Maria, I probably went way over the length limit just rambling!  

Love always, Brookie

Brooke is the bestest friend in the whole wide world.

As it turns out, Maria has the best friend in the whole world. On Tuesday night, she came home from her class to find out that Brooke had decorated Maria's whole side of the room for her birthday!

Then, when Maria came home from her early morning class the next day (her actual birthday, April 10th), she found Brooke in the kitchen finishing making a cake!

Hence, Brooke being the bestest friend in the whole world. Anyhow, then they got to talk to their other best friend for like an hour on Skype, which was nice, because Maria thought that she wasn't going to really be able to see anyone on her birthday (besides the lovely Brooke).

That's Ann, if you can't tell. Then for the rest of the afternoon, Brooke and Maria went shopping at various discount stores. Because they're poor. Yay for discounts! They got some pretty sweet deals, I might add. Then, while they were waiting for their boys to come over (I know, BOYS!), they played around with Maria's camera, taking various extremely flattering photos.

That evening, they went to Tandoori Oven for dinner with Joseph and Scott (Scott is also the bestest friend ever, for driving two and half hours for Maria's birthday). Then home for cake! Then to a movie! So fun! Let's put more exclamation points so the readers understand our enthusiasm! Anyhow, life is good for this (now) 19 year old and this 18 year old.

 xo- Maria

Literally, like literally, joined at the hip.

Once upon a time, two sort of okay girls met when the weirder one moved into the neighborhood. They weren't super great friends at first, but then they went to the magical camp of Clear Creek (pictures will come) and became semi-ish close friends. Then they started 7th grade and their mothers forced them into being a part of carpool. Lucky them! They got the best friend of their life from the arrangement!

The deeper they trudged into the swamp of junior high, the better friends they became. In ninth grade science class, they even met another best friend- Ann Power. Yay!

The three only got closer and closer through high school. They soon caught on that they could sign up for all the same classes, which made teachers either hate them (made sense- they talked a lot) or love them (which really didn't make sense). Through thick and thin, boys and no boys, summer and stressful school, they stayed three peas in a pod. After barely surviving the three years of high school, they graduated. Yeehaw!

Now, we (Brooke and Maria) are currently roommates at Utah State University and are loving every minute of it! Or at least, every minute they get to spend together. Which brings us to today!

Forevs,

Brooke and Maria