WARNING, THIS IS A REALLY LONG POST:
I would love for you to read it, but I understand with it being so long it could be hard. I do how ever feel that it is my best post. My most heart felt post. It was really healing for me to just write and let it out. It's the story of my best friend, and although it's not the whole story, it shares a must read life lesson, and the most amazing experience that he and I have gone through.
The choice is yours, but I think it's worth reading. :)
February 1 and 2, 2011:
Well, I was going to save this post for a later date, but as I was thinking about what I loved on February 1st and my only answer was my Best Friend! As I mentioned I planned on starting this exactly on February 1st but life is full of unexpected things. Ha ha. I'm not going to tell you exactly what that unexpected event was until the end, but just for those that are impatient like myself, know that your question will be answered!
My best friend in the whole entire world is my friend,
Jacob Parmley.
About 2 and a half years ago, I was a junior at
Orem High School. I am very into drama, and our school was putting on the musical, "The
Fantastiks". None of my friends wanted to go with me, and I was so excited to see it that I attended by myself. Well the show started with all the characters being introduced and I was thoroughly enjoying the entertainment and then the character "Matt" sang.... and I swore I had NEVER heard any male sing that beautifully in my entire LIFE! Then at that moment I had the strangest feeling that he and I needed to be friends. I ignored that feeling because he was a senior and I was just a timid shy junior girl, I didn't think we would ever be friends!
Well the next day I went to school and was walking into my choir class and realized that HE WAS IN CHAMBER! That wasn't even the best part! HE SAT RIGHT BEHIND ME! The whole entire class I wanted to turn around and tell him that he did wonderful in the play but once again, fear got a hold of me and I went the whole class with out saying a word. I did however get to sit there and listen to his voice for the 90 minutes we were in there. Ha ha ha.
(Stalker-ish, I know) I went home and told my mom about what had happened at told her that we HAD to go see the show again after all, it was (extended) closing night.We went and my mom was in the same awe that I was! (Seriously, he has an AMAZING voice!) At the end of the show my mom told me that I needed to become friends with him and I just laughed it off but knew it was true.The next day is when it all started. We were in A
Capella (yes we were in two choirs, ha) and he was sitting across the room from me. There was this little voice in my head screaming, "JUST GO OVER THERE!!!!". I couldn't feel my feet I was so nervous! All the sudden the bell rang for class to end. The next thing I did surprised me and I have no idea how in the world it happened! Next thing I know, I'm walking towards him and TALKING TO HIM! I said, quote, "You were amazing in
Fantastik's last night! I seriously can not tell you how great you were
!(WHAT WAS I DOING! He just looked at me and thanked me politely, but when the next 8 words came out of my mouth, I knew I must have gone insane.) I just need to give you a hug." I then proceeded to give him a hug and strangely he excepted. I walked away hitting myself for being so dumb and went home feeling like a complete idiot.Little did I know that that little tiny conversation would lead to my best friend in the whole entire world. It was soon after that that we began to have lunch together every day. We were
texting each other and helping
each other get through our daily trials and we were always there for each other! Little did I know that the little voice saying “Just go over there!” would change my life for the better.
We went to the Sadie Hawkins Dance together :)
I have the most amazing friend. His name is
Jacob William Parmley
and no one could, can, will, or would, EVER change that.
Well life went on and even though he and I were both in relationships, we still were best friends! There was just this strong connection between us and it was amazing! I would be lying if I said I didn't have feelings about him. Everyone could tell. I liked him, a lot, but he had a girlfriend and I later had a boy friend so I was fine with just being best friend with him. We both needed each other in our lives.
In August 2009, Jacob was called to serve in the Minnesota Minneapolis Mission. He was scheduled to leave for the MTC October 21st. He left and I was on my own. Little did I know that the next 8 months would hold some of the most challenging months of my life. I had major trials and I had no one to turn to. It was at this time when I missed Jacob the most. Jacob was gone on his mission and yes we were writing letters but you never want to burden a missionary with your troubles! Haha. So I muddled through it and some how survived. There were so many times I just wished he could've been there to give me a hug but I knew he was serving the Lord and we were both where we needed to be.
This was our last picture before he left :)
Well summer came and I still wasn't doing as well as I should've. I was starting to go to the temple every week and that was helping, and then on June 24 I was hanging out with my friends when I received a phone call from an unknown number. I let it go to voice mail considering I was in a room full of girls. They left a voice mail and I listened to it. It was Jacob's Mother asking if I could give her a call as soon as I could. I immediately ran into a separate room and gave her a call. The next thing I heard was the last thing I expected. Jacob's mom called me to let me know that Jacob had returned from his mission. I immediately had this peace sweep over me and I started to cry. I could feel how hard it must have been for him to leave his mission and come home. His mom told me that he wanted her to give me a call so that when he called me on Sunday, after he was released as a missionary, I would be expecting a call from him. I told her to give him my love and let him know that I would be there for him. I hung up and knew that the next few months would not be easy but if I handled it right, they would hold some true spiritual growth, love, and friendship. In a way it was a real tender mercy for me to be able to have my best friend there when I needed him and most importantly, when he needed me.
I talked to him that Sunday and we made plans to see each other the next day. When I went to his house I took one look at him and my heart was BREAKING to see him that way. He was so sad and you could tell he was embarrassed and felt like a failure for being home. But that was the LAST thing he was! We all were so proud of him for coming home, but it really is NOT and easy task. I repeat. It is NOT an easy task! I continued to pray for him and to help me to know what I could do in order to help him and get him back out on his mission. We saw a lot of each other and talked on the phone almost every day and both stayed really close to the spirit.
Unfortunately time is not on our side. June became July, July be came August, and the next thing we knew, it was September and I was leaving for school up at BYU-Idaho. It was really REALLY hard leaving Orem, and most of all, leaving my Best Friend at a time when we needed each other most. We had a tearful goodbye and a rough few days but we got through it. The next time I had planned to come and visit Orem was October 16th for family pictures but one of my roommates who was also from Orem, was coming home two weeks after we had left Orem. So I decided to come down for a surprise visit. I hadn't told Jacob of this plan and I asked if he would like to come over to my house to talk to me over skype. (Tee Hee Hee). I hid in the back yard as he drove over. He arrived and started to walk up the drive way. I ran out and yelled "BOO!" (it's an inside joke between the 2 of us) He turned around and got this huge smile on his face and ran over and said, "I HOPED YOU WOULD BE HERE!" We hugged and it was the best reunion in the world.
I would like to say life was easy for him but it wasn't. Coming home is not an easy task like I said before. There were so many unanswered questions and there were some really hard days. Those days held some of the most spiritual experiences in the world. There would be moments I would be sitting in my dorm and I would get the impression that something was wrong with Jacob. I would pick up my phone and give him a call and sure enough, he needed me. It was incredible how often that happened! I didn't always know what to say, and I don't remember half of the conversations beacuse of it. I know that Heavenly Father was guiding me to say the right things. (As we talked about it later, he told me there was only ONE TIME that when he needed me, I didn't call him. I was in a dance performance that night and wasn't able to talk.)
This is us during Thanksgiving break :) We were SO HAPPY :) :)
Well, on November 28, ours and Jacob's prayers were answered. After 5 months of not knowing anything, being in limbo, and just wanting to know SOMETHING, he finally received an answer which led to the first step of him getting back out on his mission. Which then led to more and more answers. On January 18, Jacob received his Temple recommend, and everything was set for him to go back out on his mission! (HORRAY!! HE DID IT!) He and I made a goal to try to attend as many temples in Utah as we could before he would leave. We didn't know much about when he would leave except that he would receive a call on any Monday informing him that he would leave on a Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Jacob and I did with what time we had and never had a dull moment, we were always doing something! We made the most of every second we had together before he would be called to Minnesota again.
A little important side note, I had been right about every single date that Jacob would receive an answer that would progress him further in returning on his mission. Every. Single. Date.
We were doing GREAT with our goal and had attended the, Provo, Mt. Timpanogos, Oquirrih Mountain, Bountiful, and Draper Utah Temples. One night Jacob was over at my house when his mom called him let him know that his stake president had called and he wanted Jacob to call him back. So he did. His stake president was just letting him know that he had talked to his mission president and told him that everything was in order for him to come back to Minnesota! Jacob thought he would be funny and play a little trick on his mom. He called her and told her that he was just told he was leaving in two days. I was getting mad at him on one end while his poor mom was probably having a panic attack on the other! He then told her he was joking and got in HUGE TROUBLE. The little stinker :)
Monday morning I woke up and had a feeling that Jacob would be leaving this Wednesday. Like I said earlier, I had been right about every single date this far. Jacob knew that I felt this way and I told him that he should start packing. Well Monday came and went and no phone call from Salt Lake. That night while Jacob and I were texting he said, "Well, I didn't get a call today, so it looks like I'll be here another week!" I told him to not bet on it and to not be surprised when he leaves Wednesday.
Yesterday, Tuesday, The Next Day:
I was at school and I received a text from Jacob and it read, "So........ I'M LEAVING! :)" I wrote back, knowing he was joking, and said, "Oh really!? Haha. :) When?! :)" The next text read, "As soon as tomorrow! :)" Then I thought to myself okay it is a joke, just like what he did to his mom. He would've said tomorrow if he really knew. I didn't reply right away and got another text that said. "No joke! :)" I then walked out of class and called him. Sure enough, he WASN'T LYING! I told him to call me back when he knew for sure and went back into class. Me not being able to focus on anything, decided it would be best if I would pack up my things and head home. After all, I had had a feeling he'd be gone on Wednesday!!!
As I was walking out of the class room I received a text from Jacob and his Mother that said, "Jacob (I) will be set a part at 5:30 tonight, and leaving for Minnesota tomorrow! :)" WHAT!?!?!?! I KNEW it would be fast! But not THAT fast! I bawled on the drive home and tried to get it all out of my system before I went over to his house to help him pack.
(By then, I only had 7 hours to be with him before he was set a part.)
I helped him pack and get ready, there were a few tears but we tried to hold it in. Next thing we knew, it was 5 o'clock and I needed to be getting to work and he only had a half hour before he was going to be set a part. I hugged him one last time, and gave him some rules (if you know Jacob you'll find it funny and TRUE) like, no playing with fire, ice, or salt. Don't pull out the pocket knife unless for protection. And be smart. Haha. :) One tear came out of my eye, but I held it in. I hugged him one more last time and left. He sent me one last final text, and then he was set a part.
This was our last picture together before he was set a part :)
And just like that! He's OUT! :) I'd be lying if I said last night wasn't hard. I couldn't talk to people in drive through at work because getting the strength to open up my mouth to talk just made me want to cry so I worked in the back. Every time my mom or anyone would ask a question, I'd start to cry and couldn't answer because I was crying so hard. I was WRECK! I had my dad give me a blessing and the second he laid his hand on my head, I stopped. I felt comforted, and I knew everything was okay! Now I don't want to make it sound like I was sad he was gone, because I'm not! I think it was just the shock of how everything happened so fast! I am SO SO SO SO SO PROUD OF HIM! When this happens to missionaries, 90 percent of them don't go back out. HE BEAT THE ODDS AND HE IS OUT THERE SERVING THE LORD! He went through so much in the last 7 months and it was not easy! It was actually really hard, BUT HE CONQUERED IT! HE DID IT ALL! HE IS AMAZING!
This morning I received a text from him mom wondering if I would accept a phone call from him before he left. I said yes of course. I will cherish that 30 minute phone call for ever. Yesterday flew by so fast, but yet it had felt like so much happened. It was nice to talk on the phone for that one last final goodbye. His plane left at 2:00pm today, and should be landing in a few minutes here. Today's been easier than last night, but there will still be little things that I see or hear that remind me of him and I'll start to cry out of happiness and sadness. I can be just sitting there doing nothing
completely content and then it hits me and I start to cry. It's bittersweet and I'm on the verge of tears at every moment,but I really am fine! I'm so happy!
He is my hero! I don't think I could
EVER do what he did. I really can't even describe how happy and proud I am for him! He did a miraculous thing and he's back out there! He'll return June 2012 and be able to serve all of the 24 months any other missionary would serve. Except he's going to be an even BETTER missionary! :)
I'm sorry it ended up being so long. I think I needed this just for myself as a healing process. But I really am SO SO SO SO PROUD OF HIM! I know the days will come with more tears but he'll be back before we know it! I think it is just SO cool that he is back out there! If any of you would like to write him, just let me know and I will get you his address. He's going to need support just like any other missionary!
So for my first two days of this challenge, February 1st and 2nd,
I LOVE MY Best Friend.
His Mom sent me this picture of him at the airport getting ready to go through security :) If you look closely, he's wearing a tie that I gave him the last time he was serving as part of his Christmas present. He claim's it's his favorite tie, and it brings him luck. :)
God be with you til we meet again Elder, See you in 16 months when we've grown, and become even better people than we are now! :)
I have the MOST AMAZING BEST FRIEND IN THE WHOLE ENTIRE WORLD.
JACOB WILLIAM PARMLEY
..... and THAT'S a sip of Livi's lemonade. :)
I won't go into detail, but for those curious souls, there has always been this chemistry between Jacob and I, and with being as close as we'v always been, and knowing so much about each other, he did leave with the both of us sharing feelings for each other. The both of us have never been happier and would love to pursue it when he gets home. And as we both have learned in the last 7 months, it's not our plan, it's the Lords, but lets just say, we both are THRILLED with the out come, and completely happy, and if it just so happens to turn out that way, it will be the greatest story ever told. :)
Meet my Best Friend. He makes me the happiest and the luckiest girl in the whole entire world!
I miss the 
I miss performing on 
I miss the 
This picture was just taken by chance on my phone at temple square. I love it.
Jacob LOVES to do his so called "Nerdy Smile" ha ha. He makes me laugh.... all the time. :)
This was my kindergarten picture.... ha ha ha. 