Daddy

Dear Daddy-

I know that it's been two years since I last saw you. It seems like a long time. I know that we'll be together again soon...it might just take a few more years before it happens.

I miss riding in the car to work with you every morning, listening to Glenn Beck through the snowstorms, or the sunrise. Thanks for not hating me when I took those classes at 7am, which meant that you had to go to work at 6:30. Thanks for letting me use your printer to print off my papers that were due in less than an hour.....

I miss waiting for you to pick me up from work and listening to whoever the political talk show guys were that we listened to. I don't listen to them anymore because I'm not even sure what station was on.

I miss complaining about school to you and having you tell me how bad it was for you. I was kind of shocked when you told me that you got a C in one of your accounting classes. I think that you told me you failed a class once. It was silly, but it helped me get some perspective. I'll have you know that I haven't failed a class....yet....I hope you'll be proud.

I miss going to see the new, cool movies with you. I think that you would have like How to Train Your Dragon, Despicable Me and Tron. I miss you gagging at princess movies. I think you would have enjoyed Tangled.

I miss waking up early in the morning to find that you were already up and reading your scriptures. I know that you are a quiet, private kind of guy, but I'm glad that you read in the living room. Having your scriptures means so much more to me than it could have if I hadn't caught you reading.

I miss having somebody to squish my spiders. Though now I won't squish any crawling thing. I pretend that its because I don't want to kill them...but really, you were the only one who could squish spiders.

I miss having someone to eat the burned cookies and tell me that they are delicious, and then get in a fake argument with mom because she likes them uncooked. Sometimes I want to burn an entire batch of cookies just for you. You know that no one else would eat them if I did. Mom would pretend to be furious. Then I would make another double batch and undercook them. And the quadruple batch of cookies would be gone before the weekend was over.

I miss you eating your cereal out of a red, plastic cup.

I miss always having ice cream in the freezer. Not the strawberry stuff. Yuck. No one did like that kind. But I guess that's why you bought it. No one else would eat it.

I miss the smell of starch as mom ironed your shirts for work. The whole house would smell like it. I'm not sure that you knew that, because she hardly ironed while you were there.

I miss going to the temple with you. I'm glad that you took time out of your busy schedule to come do baptisms with us.

I miss you laughing.

I miss you crying.

I miss you snoring.

I miss you.

It won't be long now...I'll see you again soon.

Love from your daughter,

Anne.

P.S. Please ask Jesus when He is coming. I'm getting a little anxious.

What I've Learned...April 2010-April 2011

First of all, my apologies for not writing for 3 months...or so...I am a student, and blogging hasn't really been on my priority list. But, it will be now, because finals are coming and I need a new way to procrastinate!

Anyways....

I try to write a "What I've Learned" list every year. A good friend of mine suggested it to me when life was getting me down. She helped me to see that I had been progressing, and that the Lord had been teaching me all along the way. It helped me gain the perspective that I needed to help me through that difficult circumstance.

What I've Learned: April 2010-2011

I've learned....

• That I should constantly be looking beyond the mask that people put up to hide who they are or how they feel. "In the quiet heart is hidden, Sorrow that the eye can't see" (LDS Hymns #219, Because I have Been Given Much)
  
• To care so much for others that I feel sad about missing an opportunity to serve them.
  
• That when you do your very best, the Lord takes care of the rest.
  
• To love with all of my heart "Better to have loved and lost, then never to have loved at all"
• To be completely honest with everyone around me, my family, my roommates, my friends, my date, strangers, leaders etc.
  
• The Lord uses death as a tool for our spiritual growth
• To not be afraid (I'm not sure if I've finished learning this though...)
• An iPod touch is probably the best invention ever. Besides a Blentech blender. The only thing better than both of those in an iPhone
• I need more than 6 hours of sleep every night.
• Saying goodbye is hard.
• Compassion is an important attribute to have. Everyone has struggles and weaknesses and just because it seems like yours are easier doesn't make you better than them.
• Flame throwers make great substitute matches.
• When I'm having a bad day I buy pizza or ice cream. When I'm having a HORRIFIC day I buy both.
• Exercising every day makes you stronger. That's kind of a no brainer...but I have a testimony of it now.
• Tri-folded wedding announcements look amazing.
• One can survive with only 3 pairs of shoes.
• The Lord will help you heal, sometimes immediately, sometimes later, and sometimes not in this life. It doesn't matter which way it happens, just remember that it always will.
• Country music is therapeutic.
• Mopping the floor on your hands and knees is a productive way to procrastinate paper writing.
• Eating healthy makes you and your body happy.
• You can put everything on an iPod touch, papers for class, books, LDS Institute manuals, pictures, music.....
• There is literally an app for everything. Except a build-your-own-molecule app. Maybe I'll create it. Or suggest it to someone smarter than me.
• Whole grains taste better.
• Doing homework in the living room while your roommate is playing video games=being very, very distracted.

There's probably a lot more. But that's all that I can think of right now. :D