HOLY COW.... WHAT?!?!?!?!

Ok, now REALLY... you're NEVER EVER IN A MILLION YEARS GOING TO BELIEVE THIS!!!!!!

So, remember my friend Marvin that I rode with to the Single's Ward a couple Sundays ago? He has a sister- Mariam and their half brother- Daniel. We all ride together. So, last night I went to Institute for the first time out here- and let me tell you!! IT WAS SO GREAT!! I text Sister Cook on our way home and one of the things I said was, "Can I move here for Institute?!" It was really really great. Everyone was SOO incredibly nice and it wasn't as awkward for me to admit when they started talking to me, that I didn't speak German. They were totally, "oh ok! Well..." and keep talking to me in English and it was no big. It was so comforting. Especially since that's been my biggest obstacle here-communicating with those that are born and raised here. I go up to the register in McDonalds and try and order and as soon as they start talking back in German, my face goes completely red and my hands sweat and shake. It's quite the sight to see I'm sure. But I'm trying!! I'm learning/know words, so I can pick up on bits and pieces of conversations, but I have no clue where to even begin forming a proper sentence... oh well :)

Anyway, so Institute!! It was so fun. It was the Missionaries P-Day, so they (2 of them) were there hanging out with us... it was weird seeing them in regular clothes... very very weird. But they were super nice! Funny story about them in a minute...

So, after riding in the car to St. Gallen and listening to some crazy music (some Swiss Hip-Hop {Weird stuff} Techno, and American music!! AHH! lol we JAMMED out to Chris Daughtry-it was awesome!!!) Me, Mariam, Marvin, and Daniel got to the church building. The boys went to some meeting thing,and Mariam and I went to go hang out in the kitchen/gaming area. We were sitting there talking when a Senior Missionary (Sister Palmer) came over and was saying Hi to everyone. I noticed that she had an American accent so when she came and shook my hand I made it obvious that I spoke English. She was excited! It was really cute. So we talked about who I was, where I was from, what I was doing in Switzerland.. the normal stuff. I noticed that there was a guy sitting next to me (on the other end of the couch-I had no idea who he was) and that he was watching/listening to my conversation. We (Mariam and I) went into the chapel for opening exercises and the two of us sat by Brother and Sister Palmer, and there was an open seat next to me. Not even kidding- 2 min later the guy that was sitting next to me on the couch and another guy (who I later found out was an Elder) came and sat right next to me. Cute guy from the couch next to me, then the Elder. I was totally dumbstruck but trying so hard not to laugh. I kept thinking, "WHOA DUDE! There's PLENTY of seats up there... why HERE?!?" It was really hilarious.

So as these two (might I add- VERY cute) young men sit next to me, they both turn to me and ask me my name (in German by the way... freak out time!! lol I went red... which I'm SURE didn't help the situation) and I said, "Oh, I'm Heather sprekense English?" {spell check?!} The cute guy next to me (I can't for the life of me remember his name- it was one that you don't hear often... I'm horrible with names anyway grrr..) shakes my hand and tells me his name, and then... drum roll- this is the funny story about the Missionary- the Elder sitting next to him (who is also VERY cute.) says, "Hey! You're American! That's so great! (He's obviously American) I'm ... (drum roll!!) Elder Moore." WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?! AAAARRRRRGGGGG!!!! :D hahahahha I was SOO close to looking to the sky and saying, "ARE YOU SERIOUS?! THAT'S SO MEAN!!!!" hahahahaha Anyway, so my face gets hotter and hotter and I really start freaking out. But no big deal. Opening exercises starts, we sing the opening hymn (I sang in German :D YAY! It's so much easier for me to sing the hymns in German 1-because I can see the word and 2- everyone around me is saying the word, so I just follow if I'm not right in my sounding out) and they give announcements and that... anyway, so the couch guy (the one that I don't remember his name...) I SWEAR was sitting EXTREMELY close to me... almost touching my arm... "uhhhhhhhh" I guess I'm just fresh meat?!? I don't know!! Nothing like THAT happened the first time I went to Institute at home!!! lol it was hilarious! So opening exercises ends and he turns to me and asks me if I was staying in the chapel for the class that was being offered there and I laughed and said, "that depends on which class it is" and he said, "It's the Eternal Marriage Prep class... they make couples here." WHOA!!! lol little strong buddy!!! So I said, "oh! well, I guess I'm a little young for that *chuckle* I'll take my chances with the Old Testament class. Have fun! Oh, and uh.. good luck?" He smiled and we said goodbye. That was all I saw of couch guy (kinda dissapointing, I wanted to talk to him at least). I thought it was absolutely hilarious. Maybe I should've just worn a sign on my head that said, "Fresh meat! And she's from the States! Bon Appetite!!" ahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So after our Old Testament class (Mariam translates for me-I love it.) Elder Moore came over and started talking to the two of us, and asking about the missionaries in my ward and where I was from... yadda yadda... I found out that he's from California-to which I OF COURSE put in that I was born there and we laughed about how I only lived there for 5 years, but I could still claim being a "Cali Baby". He's absolutely hilarious. I don't know how long he's been out- I'm saving that for next time... if he's there next week. It's fun! Don't freak out! I know that he's a missionary and I can't flirt. I know that. We were just talking :) and he was talking to Mariam as well... and Marvin when he joined us. It was just fun :).

After that... we went and ate food, and whenever someone would leave they would come and shake everyone's hand... they'd get to me and say, "Tschuss, and you're Heather?" uhhhhhhhh have I met you yet?? "Tschuss, yeah, I am!" It was so funny! I guess I was talk of the night or something... I have no idea, it was probably in German (if they talked about me) lol or I could totally be reading into it, and it was just because I was new... that's probably it. :) It was really fun!!

Ok, now I know that the title of this blog is a little confusing... because that story really wasn't all that exciting... here's the OMGOSH part... :) Kept you on the edge of your seat didn't I?! ;)

Sooo... Marvin found out that it's my birthday on Tuesday.. and it's kind of.. no.. it IS a big deal to turn 18 here because that's when you get your driver's liscense (crazy right?!) and drink and that-not so exciting for me :). So he found out, and started talking about planning a party for me next weekend, and if I would be up for it- sure! you bet! invite cute couch boy!!! ;) lol jkjk. But then last night, he came up to me and started telling me that he had an idea and he wanted to know how I would feel about it. He said it was something he thought of and it would be his gift to me to take home to the States. At this point I'm thinking, "Oh shoot. He's going to ask me on a date.." But it actually turned out to be quite the opposite!!!!!!!

Here's the deal! Next Tuesday, on my birthday, he's going to come pick me up in St. Margrethen, let me drive his car (EEEK!? I'm terrified to drive here!) and take us over to...... THE RECORDING STUDIO where he and his family band record cds and have done a lot of work there.... here's the "you'll never believe this" part... he wants ME to sing whatever I want, however many I want, and PROFESSIONALLY RECORD A CD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ARE YOU KIDDING?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Only the best thing EVER!!!!! He was like, "I know how you like to sing and everything (of course, thanks to me and my singing in the car and making up harmonies and stuff... lol) and I thought it would be kind of cool for you." AHHHHHH!!!!!! I'm SOO excited!!!!!!!! I mean, Mrs. Benavides does the lessons on cd, she has a REALLY good system and I'm singing into a microphone... but this is TOTALLY professional!! Like.. what you see in music videos or movie extras when they talk about the music!!!! Huge headphones and everything!!! AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! So we'll see how it goes!!! I am so incredibly excited! So I should probably run so that I can find the music that I need...AAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! WISH ME LUCK!!!!!