Thank you

 This week I have been thinking of how grateful I am for everything in my life. The people, the circumstances, the gospel, and a host of other reasons.

I also had the ability to take part in a great service activity that took place this week. We had an opportunity to serve military families of all those who are on active duty or deployed overseas. We did a variety of activities including games and babysitting for children of all ages, make-up and hair for the wives, and an awesome lunch. We had great helpers who cared for the children and made them smile and laugh. We had fantastic women who helped do nails, make-up and hair that made the wives of our wonderful service men feel beautiful and loved. 

I had the pleasure to make these women cards thanking them for their service, sacrifice, and dedication. I just thought I would share them with you as well. There are so many people who are not thanked for everything they do. I honestly feel most of us deserve more credit than we get. So I thank you absolutely, sincerely, and steadfastly for making this world and the people in it a little bit better.

I would like to thank all those whom I personally know. Thank you to each of you who have played a large part in my life. I am so grateful to have the warm memories, laughter, and inside jokes that I have with each of you. It is people like you that make the world go around, filling it with a little more joy each time it turns. I did not learn the true meaning of friend until I met you. I am forever in your debt for all you have taught me about being a truly good person. Thank you for enriching my life and I hope you know that it is not going to waste. I have tried to share all that I have learned from you each and everyday. Your influence is far reaching and is going to continue to impact the world. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

So I would encourage you to pick your favorite and I dedicate it to all the wonderful things you do and the fact that I am a better person because I have you in my life.

I love you all and can hardly wait to see what life has in store for all of us. Because I am pretty sure it's going to be great. 

thank you

Father's Day

Today I am immensely grateful for fathers. Both on high and below. I have recently been reflecting on the course my life has taken and realized how much the Lord has already played a significant role in getting me where I am today. I know without a doubt that I am exactly where I am supposed to be. And I love it.

My father is one of the greatest men I know. He has always been one of the people I look up to the most. It's funny looking back on life and seeing how he helped me grow and become what I am today. I feel like I got this perpetual youth from him and this extreme energy for life. It started when I was very young and he taught me to have a great imagination. When I was little he was always my prince who would come to save the day. My Grandmother used to have a drawer full of aprons that I could put on if I was going to help prepare Sunday dinner. It didn't take me long to realize that I could turn them into a fashion statement. I would layer apron on top of apron until I was satisfied and then I would pretend to be locked in the tower (my Grandmother's staircase) and my prince would have to come save me. And he always will. I love that about him. I can always count on him no matter what. It may not be what I want, but it will definitely be what I need to hear or need to experience and I am all the better for it.

After I grew out of the princess-phase, I moved into other side of the spectrum becoming a complete and utter tomboy. I ditched and despised dresses and went for the cargo pants and skate shoes. Unfortunately, this would be the awkward chubby phase as well. Of course it would happen, right? I then started playing soccer which lasted for a total of 12 years. As both my father and I knew nothing of soccer, we both began learning. He actually was my coach for my first 5-6 years and we learned and grew together. It was amazing being able to share that part of me with him and I was sad when the chapter of coaching closed. I eventually moved on to play club soccer and my father became more engaged in work and church, church occupying most of his time. However, he has always remained the ever faithful overly-loud cheerleader I can always count on being in the stands :).

Next came my college years. As I decided to go to college 2 states and 691 miles away, we weren't as close as we had been. He traveled a TON and I wasn't very diligent in calling home every week. If you should know one thing about me, it's that I know unequivocally that I am loved by my family and how much that love is reciprocated by me. No matter how many time zones, miles, or harsh words come between us, that is one thing that I will never doubt as long as I live. I also have the blessing of being raised in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and I know that no matter what happens here on earth, I will have the chance to be with my family again. This is honestly why I didn't feel a pressing need to call home every week. Those seldom times when I did call home, it was like nothing had changed and that I was right around the corner on my way home. I love that and I sincerely hope that this never ever changes.

My last summer in college I got to go with my dad to Germany. I took German all four years of high school and this had been a dream of mine for what seemed like forever. My Grandmother was born in Germany and later immigrated so I felt like it was always calling to me. It was one of those places you hear mentioned and you feel a tug at your heart, though you have no idea why. When I graduated High School, I begged for my parents to let us go to Germany for my senior trip. However, fate had other things in mind for our family when my dad had to go on a business trip to England that summer and we all got to tag along. And I am forever grateful that our course was changed. I think it is hands-down our family's favorite family vacation. So I continued to wait for my chance to go to Germany. I honestly thought it was going to be at least 10 years before I could save up money, be secure enough in a job, and be at a good enough point in my life as well as my family's for us to get there. Again, fate had other plans. I got to join my dad on this business trip as well, this time as the only accompanying guest. It was an amazing time for us to bond and I LOVED getting to share it with him. Germany will forever be one of my favorite places because of the memories I created while I was there with my father.

Flash forward 2 years and I am again living at home with my parents. It's kind of funny moving back in after 3 years of taking care of yourself, but I'm finding that I really wouldn't want it any other way. We all still have a lot of life to live and a whole bunch more memories to make.

And I can hardly wait to see what is on it's way.

My Father and I in Heidelberg, DE.