Can I have my best friend back now?

I technically started this post before the 9th but whatever. I've spent a lot of time thinking today about how what I need in my life right now is my friend Matthew.

For the most part things have been great, but that just makes me want to share all the good things with him. And when things have been not so great, I want him around to help fix it all. He doesn't exactly fix my problems but he makes me feel like anything is possible and somehow says the most brilliant things. He is also an amazing hugger.

Yesterday was both wonderful and difficult. I thought more about him yesterday than I have in a long time. All of my thoughts were concentrated, I suppose. That would seem the best way to describe it. I think about Matthew every day but this past Sunday my mind was especially filled with thoughts of him. He's coming home in June and that's basically two months away now, which is such craziness. His letters have brought some of the greatest comfort and happiness over the past two years. So much has happened these last two years and I think some stuff would have been a lot easier if Matt had been around, but that's not how things work. I'm grateful he's been around at all, even if it has just been in small, handwritten notes.

Besides Matthew, I also thought a lot about my best friend from home on Sunday, though that was because we talked on the phone for almost an hour. We rehashed a lot of life and summer plans. Talking with her is always wonderful and I never want our conversations to end. She's been incredibly supportive through these last two years as my friends were gone on their missions. Now they're coming home she's almost as excited as I am, or so it seems at times. It's amazing. She's seen how important they are to me and to my life so they've become important to her as well. It's one of her greatest talents.

Aren't best friends fabulous people?

The last thing I have to say has to do with new music. I need some. Well, maybe I don't need new music but I need to be reminded of some good music. Lately I've felt like I'm stuck in a musical rut. For the last few months, basically all I've listened to is Imagine Dragons and Julia Nunes. Don't get me wrong, I'm still going to listen to them incessantly but I'm looking for more happy music. You'll remember in my happiness is a choice post that listening to happy music makes a wonderful difference. So give me all you've got as far as happy music is concerned. You guys know the kind of stuff I like, so I trust you.

Last YouTube video I watched: Charles Barkley & Shay Carl get HEATED!!!

New music

I found an unused 10 dollar iTunes gift card yesterday, I think it was from this past Christmas. Here are the 9 songs I bought (the 10th thing was Angry Birds which I have been playing incessantly) and a few other songs I didn't buy because they were priced at $1.29. (How annoying.)

1. Serendipity by Greg Holden - Greg is a fantastic artist I discovered on YouTube perhaps 2 years ago? It was soon after I feel in love with Julia Nunes. He satisfies my love of folk type music.

2. More Than Alive by ALL CAPS - I rave about ALL CAPS any chance I get. They're another band who have made a name for themselves on YouTube, but only because Kristina and Luke both had great followings from their respective Wizard Rock bands. Their songs are sweet and nerdy and just all around lovely. If you want good lyrics, ALL CAPS always delivers.

3. Time by Wade Johnston & The Navigators - Wade is another YouTube love. I found him because Julia Nunes mentioned him a ton; well, maybe not a ton but enough. He's adorable and from the Midwest so I can't help but love him. Also, his ukulele and great original songs.

4. Not Alone by ALL CAPS - You can tell I really love this band. This is my second favorite song that Luke brought to the table. I am always cheered up when I listen to this song. It's about friends and I sure do love mine.

5. Saved (Acoustic) by ALL CAPS - While the other two songs do have nerdy references, they are mostly the sweet/adorable songs that will always cheer you up. This one is chockful of nerd references and video game awesomeness. The acoustic version is a little different (read: a lot different) from the video but you get the idea.

6. Hey, Soul Sister by Street Corner Symphony - These guys were on The Sing-Off, the greatest vocal competition to ever exist. I am so incredibly in love with a'capella. I like the original version of this song but the a'capella-ness of it makes me really like it.

7. And Run by He Is We - Rachel and Trevor got pretty big this last year, what with Pure Volume really giving them a leg up and a free download of one of their songs from their latest album, My Forever, on iTunes. Last summer my friend Mikaela really got me into them so I feel like I've been following them for quite some time now; it's been over a year, I think. This is my favorite song from the newest album.

8. Wrapped in Piano Strings by Radical Face - This girl, Charlotte, posts amazing acoustic covers on YouTube. I'd never heard of Radical Face until she posted a cover of this song. Sadly, she took down her cover but it's still a great song by the original band.

9. First Day of My Life by Bright Eyes - I've had covers of this song by Julia Nunes and Blue Skies for a long time but never the real thing. Now I do. I heard this song for the first time coming back from church volleyball with my friend Margaret. I asked her what song she wanted to dance to at her wedding (mine is The Luckiest by Ben Folds) and she answered with this.

So those are the nine songs I bought! I'll just link you guys to the stuff I didn't end up buying and you can check those out as well.

Charlie McDonnell (I thought about getting a bunch of his stuff, I always do. Yeah, Charlie's a person, not a song.)

The Cave by Mumford and Sons

Count the Shadows by Chameleon Circuit

The World Is Mine (I Don't Know Anything) by Alex Day

Last YouTube video I watched (that wasn't one of those that I posted) What I Like About YouTube