I have two best friends, one male, one female.  My closest, truest, dearest friend is definitely my boyfriend, Stephen.



 My female best friend, Mary, is definitely a blessing too.
 

Stephen, however, is the one I trust the most.  He epitomizes the term "best friend."  He is, of course, my boyfriend, my soul mate and my kindred spirit, but before all of that - he was my best friend.

Stephen is the most patient, kind, funny, encouraging person I have ever known.  It's not difficult to explain why he is my best friend. 

We met in February 2007.
  
^ that picture is actually from April 2007, but whatever.

When we first met, there was instantaneous romantic spark.  He was much more awkward than I was used to.. Well, he was shy.  Sweet, caring, thoughtful and shy!  He would bring me flowers, send me an email every day telling me how beautiful I was/how lucky he was to have me as a friend, and we talked on the phone every night.  He always ended our conversations with "Goodnight, beautiful."  We shared everything.  The things that I've never told anyone before nor since, he knows.  Things that would make me seem crazy, things that were embarrassing, things that are dear to me... He knows. 


^September 2008.  He went on vacation with my family to Jackson, Mississippi, Mobile, Alabama, Gulf Shores, Alabama, Pensacola Florida, back to Gulf Shores, Alabama, then back to Jackson, Mississippi before finally returning home. 
As you can tell, I'd had some serious knee surgery just a few weeks before we went on vacation.  That was part of the reason he went with my family.  At the time, my dad was working and living out of state in Jackson, MS.  His apartment was on the 3rd floor and there were no elevators.  Stephen, being a tiny thing himself (he now is 6 feet tall and 130lbs. He's proud.), carried me up and down three flights of stairs as many times as necessary.  I only weighed about 90 pounds, but my brace added about 5 pounds. 
On that vacation, we had very little room for sleeping.  I slept on a fold-out futon and Stephen slept on recliner next to me.  He would wake up and help me go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, he'd get my medication for me when I needed it, and he'd carry my food for me.  I was on crutches, so I could do almost nothing for myself. 
Unfortunately for him, narcotic pain killers make me very grumpy.  He is so patient though!  No matter how many times I broke down, crying because of pain, nausea and frustration, he held my hand and comforted me as best he could.  He encouraged me to eat (something I admit I neglect too often), he held my hair back when I was nauseated from the strong pain medication, and he would hold a wet cloth to my cheeks when I was too hot (another side effect of the pain medication). 


^ May 2009.

He's still my everything.  He has been nothing but supportive all of the time we've known each other.  He knows everything about me.  I share with him the mundane, the exciting, the thrilling, the embarrassing, everything in my life.  He has seen me at my very worst, and at my very best.  He applauds my successes and encourages me when I fail.  He loves me for who I am, not who I could be.  We've had our fair share of bumps down the road, we've had our arguments and "discussions," but we've never been able to detach from each other.  We've worked together, volunteered together, studied together, played games together, made dinner together, spent the weekend together, been sick together, slept together, argued together, cried together, laughed together.  He focuses on me so much, and I try to do the same for him.  He makes sure everyone knows I am his.  I don't feel like an object, but I know he's proud to have me on his arm.  He works so hard to ensure that I am happy, I know he'll always take care of me.  He is the most amazing person I know.  He's my soul mate, my lover, my husband to be.



Stephen is my best friend.

   

I just answered this Featured Question; you can answer it too!

Yes, I am awkward.  I don't mind it, so I hope you laugh a little bit.

I am a master at getting locked in. 

About a month ago, I was at school.  I had about five minutes before my next class was supposed to start (darn class before it ran late!) and I had to pee so badly, I knew I wouldn't be able to wait until my next class was out. Soooo I just ran to the bathroom and wasn't really paying attention, but I went into the one stall that is REALLY hard to unlock.  I don't know how on earth I locked it, really.  But when I realized I couldn't unlock it, and I had negative four seconds to get to class, I just ended up crawling out from under the stall.
Thank goodness no one else was in the bathroom or that would have just screamed "AWKWARD."

So today.
Haha.

A little background is required:
Tomorrow is New Student Orientation.  We are preforming an informative skit during the presentation.  Of course, all good skits require excellent sets...right?  Well about five ambassadors had pulled MORE than their weight in getting those sets painted, but there was still a little bit left to be done.  With no one else volunteering, even though I had worked about five hours on those sets, I just said I'd go knock it out and finish up the sets.

In order to protect the tile floors inside the building, we put our sets out on a patio that students aren't allowed to use normally.  The only way to get on that patio is to go through FSC 400 - a huge room with a stage and all that jazz.  So I worked for about an hour and a half and finally, I was done!  So I gathered my things and walked back inside and went to the door...

... It was locked. FROM THE OUTSIDE.

I never heard anyone lock the doors...so this was awkward.

I called my adviser and he laughed and said he'd take care of it.  I sat on the stage and waited... A couple of minutes later, campus security unlocks the door.  Both of the security men looked like they were trying not to laugh as they asked how I got locked in, and if I was okay. 

...yay for getting locked in awkward places! 

"Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note blog with 25 random facts, habits, goals, or things about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you."

1.  Fact:  I am a vegetarian.  I would say I'm vegan, but I occasionally use milk or cheese when cooking.

2.  Habit:  I check my Facebook every morning while lying in bed, estimated time 5:02AM

3.  Goal:  To obtain an apprenticeship within the next month.

4.  Fact:  I am in love with my high school sweetheart.  We dated off-and-on all through high school, had the normal fights and break-ups, but he is the only one that I ever want. 

5.  Habit:  I overwork myself habitually.  I stay up til 2AM working or studying then get up at 5AM to get to work/school on time.  I have 4 classes in a row at school, then I pull two and a half hours in enrollment services for my scholarship, then go home and do homework, study, housework etc.  The next day, I get up and go to work, then go home and study etc.  This repeats til I'm at my breaking point.  Then I cry for about 30 minutes, then everything is okay again.

6.  Goal:  To be married to said sweetheart by December 2010.

7.  Fact:  I have had six knee surgeries.  Rarely a day goes by that my legs do not hurt.

8.  Habit:  Psychological torture upon myself.

9.  Goal:  To completely overcome the wounds that have been inflicted by my mother, infected by her words, and decaying in my heart for the past some-odd years.

10.  Fact:  My hair is naturally curly.

11.  Habit:  I pop my knuckles, elbows, wrists, and back out of necessity a couple of times each day.  I pop my knuckles who knows how many times as a nervous habit. 

12.  Goal:  To go back to school, some time in the future.  This is, of course, after I've been working in my field with my associates for a good while.  I'm not sure what I'll study... But I think I may want to go back to school eventually.  Ah, what am I saying? I haven't even graduated yet.

13.  Fact:  I have absolutely no social life and very few friends.

14.  Habit:  After I check FB from bed each morning, I carry my cat downstairs and feed her, make coffee, then return to my room to begin getting ready.

15.  Goal:  To have friends.  I have many, many acquaintances but my standards are so high for myself (and thus for my friends since I never lower my standards) that most people just...don't meet them. 

16.  Fact:  The only person to say "I love you" to me in the past year is my boyfriend. 

17.  Habit:  I spin my promise ring on my finger almost all the time - unconsciously.

18.  Goal:  To graduate from Jeff State with a 4.0GPA....so far so good!

19.  Fact:  I correct people's grammar in my mind.  Yes, when I read your blogs I am thinking about the grammatical errors that you have made.  No worries, though, I still enjoy reading them. 

20.  Habit:  I read FMLs and Texts From Last Night every night before I go to sleep (on my iPod).

21.  Goal:  To be the very best wife to my sweetheart that I possibly can be.  He deserves so much more than me, and I want to give him my very best.

22.  Fact:  Failure is my biggest fear and my worst enemy.

23.  Habit:  I never stop until I think things are absolutely perfect.  I can't accept it.

24.  Goal:  To have more Xanga readers eventually.  It makes my day when people read/post comments on my blogs. 

25.  Fact:  I am 5 feet tall and 87lbs.  My ring size is 5 and I hate yogurt.  Also, I love Michael Buble and Megadeth.   My favorite book of the Bible is Genesis (or Philippians or James).  I have read Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte at least three times. I am dissatisfied with only being able to list 25 things because I feel that there is so much more to me....but I could be completely wrong.