July 13, 2008 (Sunday)
The Lord’s Hand in my Life: My Grandma and Grandpa Alexander who I look up to so much. They are amazing.

Kenz and Elisa ended up staying home from church. They were both still feeling really sick from the weekend of food at Andreiseni. I felt soo bad for them both…As for me I started feeling a little sick from the smell of my scabies cream. I put my second dose on for my third cleansing. I hate scabies! I hate them. I hate them.

Church was great. The mission president and his wife were there. His wife spoke in Romanian. She was so nervous – she is still learning the language, but we were all impressed that she had the guts to give a talk in Romanian. None of us did. Sadly I don’t think any of our Romanian has really improved all that much. I just think we are starting to understand what people are saying to us better….My goal is to be able to bare my testimony in Romanian for the last Fast Sunday I’m here. At least it’s better than nothing.

After church I wrote in my journal for three and a half hours about our day in Andreiseni. All the girls think it’s funny I write so much. Some of the girls said they are going to copy my journals so they can remember the details and just cut out my personal commentary. I’m an all or nothing kind of girl. I either don’t write at all or I write every detail of every day and thought. That’s just the way I am - all or nothing - Zero or 100%. I think that’s why I drive myself crazy though because 99% of the time I try to give a 100%. I despise feeling like I didn’t do my best in whatever I try to accomplish. Sometimes I think I might be a bit of a perfectionist.

Later we had dinner at the other girls’ apartment, and I downloaded about a thousand pictures from Andreiseni while we ate. They made a curry dish with vegetables. To be honest I really don’t like curry, but this particular dish wasn’t bad. It had peanut butter mixed with it. That probably sounds gross – I know it did to me, but it was surprisingly really good. Can’t knock it until you try it.

To make the evening exciting Annie, Melissa, Whitney S. and I decided to dye a streak of our hair in the back of our head bright pink. One may ask why. There is no reason except that we wanted to. Out of the four of us I’m the only one with blonde hair – needless to say the glowing pink stood out on my head the most. Elisa’s eyes bugged out when she saw my hair – she was like “wow.” That pretty much sums up what everyone in the room was thinking. Normally I would freak out about doing something like that, but I just don’t care. It was fun to do, and it will fade. I’m really starting to care little about my appearance. Maybe because I’m being spit up on by kids 24/7, in apartments and hospitals that aren’t air conditioned in summer weather, and on top of it I don’t have any normal hair supplies to do my hair. Plus I can’t date here. I’m still eating healthy and working out, but I just don’t care as much as I normally do. I can’t wait until I get to get ready when I go home. I will be able to feel attractive again! Yes!

Before I went to bed I got to talk to my grandparents and then my good friend Miquel. First I talked to my Grandma and Grandpa Alexander. It was so great to talk to them. I told them both about my adventures in Romania and about a couple of experiences I have had. Then I brought up some dating situations and my grandma is so cute. She is protective of me, and I love it. She was like “Whitney you need to make sure you marry a guy that is a strong church member who has his stuff together.” She is a little spitfire, but I love it! I wouldn’t wish for anything else. I love having family members that watch out for me. She is so cute.

Then I talked to my grandpa. Oh how I love him! I started telling him how I missed the boat rides to Paradise (my favorite restaurant on the lake that my family and I always go to and we drink the most divine pina coladas). Trips there were regular family occurrences when I would stay with them during the summers. He replied “I know. I read your blog.” It made me feel so good to know that he cares enough to read about my adventures here. It means a lot to me. Then he said that sometimes he has to stop reading my blog because it makes him sad reading about the kids. I’ve always thought of my grandpa as a very manly man – which he is, but he does have a soft heart - especially when it comes to animals and children. I adore him. He is a good, good man, and lucky for me one of his favorite pass times is to tease me. Haha. I remember when I would stay with my grandparents on my summer breaks from college every morning my grandpa would peek his head around the corner right after I woke up, look at me with a huge grin, and say “Good morning sunshine. How’s my sunshine?” It would make me so grouchy. I’m not a morning person, and he knew that – which is why he did it. He thought it was hilarious to get a reaction out of me. He’s such a stinker, but he loves me! I’ve always felt like he understands me a lot better than most people. He’s great. I’ve decided his teasing nature is a way he shows his love. What’s even better is when my dad and my grandpa get together. I am the target of about every joke…It’s okay though – I get them back. I do miss him dearly though as I do my parents and family in Missouri. Hopefully I will get to come visit them soon. Maybe a miracle will happen with finances…it has for my funds to come to Romania.

After I talked to my grandparents I called my good friend Miquel. She was excited to talk to me, and I felt the same way! I missed her so much! She was so cute – she was like “you told me that you would be calling and to answer if it was a number you didn’t recognize, so I was hoping it was you when your number showed up!” I called right in the middle of Sunday School without knowing it, and she left to talk to me. I felt so special. It was so good to talk to her! I have missed her! She told me about some of her latest dating adventures – blind dates gone bad. Apparently she was recently set up on a blind date and when she walked into the room to meet him she instantly knew it would be a long night, and it was. Those are the worst. I have to admit not dating has been really nice. Dating drama is usually where all my stress comes from, but for the most part I’ve been pretty free of it. I’m not looking forward to dating when I get back home. Maybe I’ll just avoid it all together. The only problem is that I always say that, but I never do it. It’s okay though because Miquel and I decided we are going to have some awesome girl’s nights when I get home. I’m glad that I will have a single girlfriend to play with. The rest of my roommates are going to be gone all the time with their serious boyfriends. Stinks.

After I got done talking to my grandparents and Miquel I was in the best mood ever. I love talking to people that I care about!