What's a blog? I want one!

So blogs have certainly gotten popular lately. I figured I'd start one, too. Not for anyone in particular to follow; mostly just for myself, so I can see how far I've come. You see, my boyfriend, Jordan, left on his mission 3 months ago. Today is our 2 year anniversary! What better day to start blogging, right? Here's a picture of the two of us, just so you can see how ADORABLE this guy is:

....So what is two years anyway? I mean, that time WITH Jordan just flew by. Now my life has done a complete 180. I've had to figure out how to fill up all this new free time, but in a productive way that will hopefully help me grow to become a better person. I've realized how much of our relationship I've taken for granted now that the only contact we get with each other is through letters/emails. I've also realized how much I've neglected other important people in my life. But that's the best part about all this: it's the ultimate learning experience, and I can take the time to change things that I otherwise may never have. I like to view it as my second chance at a lot of things. ;-)

Yes, there are "waiter-haters" and non-supporters of what I am doing. But I just want to put a few things out there before anyone judges me for my decision to wait for Jordan.
First, I don't like to call it waiting. So many people (myself included, if you would have asked me two years ago) think that waiting for a missionary means that you're putting your whole life on hold, in hopes that maybe, just maybe, things will work out two years down the road. This. Is. Not. True. Not for me, anyway. Here's one thing I strongly believe: there is nothing wrong with not dating. Why? Because I don't need to. This doesn't mean I don't have guy friends to hang out with. This doesn't mean I don't have a social life. This doesn't mean I don't go out and have fun. I'm not locked up in my bedroom, avoiding guys at all costs. That would be silly. However, I believe in dating to marry, and I am not looking for anything like that right now. Even if Jordan was here with me right now, I know I'm not yet mature enough to get married. I'm just not. So I'm taking this time to do one thing: to improve myself. That's it. Since Jordan and I started dating right after I graduated high school, I've been Lauren-and-Jordan for my entire college career so far. Now that it's just Lauren for a while, I'm focusing on just Lauren. And I should be allowed to do that.
Second, this is a mutual thing. I didn't just tell myself that Jordan and I will be together again when he comes home. He believes it just as much as I do. And his love is what makes everything a little bit easier.

Aaanyway, these posts will probably be extremely sporadic. I have great days, bad days, and everything in between. But that will never affect my support for my handsome man and the sacrifices he is making for our Heavenly Father. Yepp, 2 years is a long time. But there's one thing a good friend of mine always reminds me: time never stops, even when you do. So we're making the most of it. And I know it will all be worth it. ♥

Love, me.