Happy Chinese New Year!

So the Lexi thing is going well. She is progressing slowly, and it's exciting to see. She came over Tues, Wed, Thurs to read scriptures, and each night she had an issue or frustration from that day regarding an assignment or something that was obscure to her or not clear, or that she couldn't decide what was reasonable or not. So each night we address the current day's school concern, and then read scriptures. And it's been so good. Frustrating, well, more exhausting at some moments, but definitely worth the time to see her progress and start to act in faith. She wrote in her journal that first night, like I encouraged her to do (when I did too), and the next day she seemed so much less stressed about everything.
Every night, so far anyway, she gives me a hug before leaving, and though she is not a person of many words or emotions, I can definitely feel her sincerity and appreciation in her hugs and when she quietly and timidly thanks me at the end, and it just fills my heart for love for her. She is so sweet.

Today, church was really crazy and fun! We had our visiting teaching conference, and it turned out really well! The five of us (my presidency: Amy, Joylyn, Natalie, Erin, and I) performed a song, an original song written by Amy and Natalie, about visiting teaching and being friends. It was totally hilarious and kind of ridiculous, including southern accents, and even some beat-boxing and rapping! It went well though, and the RS all loved it, it seemed.
We also were privileged to get Sister Phillips, from the stake, to come and talk about VT and share some stories for a few minutes. She is always so hilarious, and says really great things. She says she is addicted to VTing. So funny.
The rest of the day I've just been in such a good mood. I sat by Amy and Natalie during Sac. Mtg., and we are all just a hoot together. We can't not laugh when we're around each other. We can be serious when we need to, but man, they are fun to be with, all four of my presidency. We all just crack up together. Natalie and Amy, when I came to sit with them before Sac. mtg., Natalie leaned over to me and was like, "We want to play games!" meaning with our presidency. I was so excited, I just love hanging out with them all. And then later this afternoon, Amy was like, "We need to have a meeting, I'm in the mood for a good time.." It was so funny. Our meetings are really just a party. We get stuff done, it just takes a lot longer because we spend so much time laughing! It's so fun. :) And I'm so grateful I got the girls I did.

Okay, so today, more than ever (and I think I'll be able to say this after church every week..), I feel I have exhausted the resources in our ward (meaning the boys), and I just need to look elsewhere. We have some good, fun guys in this ward, but just not marriage material, or even dating, really. Most of them are great, just young. And I feel like my roommate, Jessica, and I, talk about this more and more often. After church almost every Sunday, it seems. Ha.
But we're planning this epic, awesome tri-ward Valentine's dance, as well as a massive speed-dating night to prepare for the dance, and I'm hoping to meet some new, older guys via all that. We'll see.
But tonight, BDA 2 (The Brown sisters--Amy and Allison--and Maile) threw a Chinese New Year party at their apt, and it was such a blast. I was so hyper, because I was around Amy and Natalie, as well as Joel, Alex Foy, and Becca Clyde. But also there, and so much fun, were Jason Damm (said "Dom") and Preston Jackson. There were other people there, Allison, of course, is a lot of fun to be around. But those boys, and reading fortunes from fortune cookies, and me wearing my skirt still, but with sweats underneath, I think all added to my joviality. Hyperness. Yeah. By the time we all left,  after 10:30 pm, my head hurt and I was all stuffy from laughing so hard for the last couple hours.
But, so, my new crush from the night is Preston Jackson. He was EQ pres last semester, he's more mature than most guys in the ward, he's fun, a gentleman, just a great catch. And attractive, but not overly. Anyway, we had this running joke throughout the night of he and I becoming a thing, because of the first fortune I got (said something like, "You will have a romantic night tonight"), and then we just kept going with it. But for a long time I've thought he was really great, and also attractive. Probably nothing will happen, I don't even know if anything would, but it's fun to have a new little interest, at least. Especially after feeling like there really is no one left to hope for from this ward, after church today. Ha.