Screaming, crying and laughing…and some soup.

There are some phone calls that you dread getting.

There are others that you can’t wait to answer.

Then there are the phone calls that you can’t wait for, yet don’t know when they will come.

I received one such phone call this morning: It was my best friend of ten years telling me that she is engaged.

Amy and I became best friends in junior high and have stuck by each other through thick and thin ever since. Of course there have been times when we haven’t seen each other or spoken as often as we should, but when things are stupendous, horrendous, and everything inbetween, I know who is going to be rooting me on. She is undoubtedly the sister I never had.

Amy and her boyfriend, Dustin, have been together since they were 15 and 16, respectively. In their 7 1/2 years together, they, too, have seen each other through thick and thin, good and bad. I have been anticipating this day for quite some time now, and couldn’t be more happy for both of them.

So happy, in fact, that when she called me (FaceTimed me, actually, so we were video chatting and she and Dustin’s entire family got a full visual of the reaction I am about to describe) I proceeded to scream, run into other room, jump up and down, spin in a circle and burst into tears.

Oh, and I was at work when this happened.

And Dustin’s brother, a videographer, was taping Amy calling people and got my reaction on video.

Perfect. I have always wanted my insanity captured for the rest of time.

Amy and Dustin, I am so happy for the two of you. I cannot wait to share your special day with you!

(I promise I will wear waterproof mascara and keep the crazy scene-making to a minimum.)

Now, for some soup.

This recipe is for you – yeah, I’m talking to you, the one with leftover Christmas ham still hanging out in your freezer. This ham and wild rice soup is a snap to throw together, and since it makes use of your slow cooker, is the perfect thing to make on a particularly cold winter day when you are dreading going to work. It will give you something warm, delicious and comforting to look forward to all day. It also makes great leftovers; I think it might actually be better the second day.

So go make something delicious for dinner. I’m off to read wedding blogs, because now I have an excuse.