Letters

To the Beautiful Sisters in My Ward (that's ALL of you!!!), The amount of love I've felt from you today has been overwhelming. Your smiles, hugs, kind words, and testimonies have all given me the strength I need to keep going on. You inspire me and make me want to be better. I hope you know that I have an unbreakable testimony of the FACT (yes--it's a FACT) that every single one of you is beautiful, important, wanted, and loved by Heavenly Father. Never doubt your worth and importance. Never doubt that you can do hard and amazing things. Never doubt that He is there, beside you, helping you, the whole way. I also hope you know that I love every single one of you so much and would do anything for you. I hope I can return the love and support you give to me. Have a fantastic week!

Thoughts That Keep Me Going

"Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therwith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." -Philippians 4:11-13

"We can see that the Lord in his great infinite goodness does bless and prosper those who put their trust in Him." -Helaman 12:1

Some of the Bestest Letters I've Had in a Long Time

Anna and I went here--the Provo Temple--to do service for those who have passed on on Friday. For more information about temples, click here.

 Dear Anna, I cannot thank you enough for going to to the temple, chalk the block, and red mango frozen yogurt with me on Friday. I have not felt that much like myself since school started. Thanks for being some who just gets it all. Thanks for being someone who listens. Thanks for being an amazing friend. I'm so grateful to Heavenly Father for putting you in my life.

Dear Amelia and Rachel, I'm so glad that I skipped out on doing an extra hour of homework and went shopping at Downeast Basics instead! I love the skirt I got and loved even more that it was half off and loved even more than that that I got to spend time with you two being goofy. Thanks for taking me, and for being the best. 

Grandma, Janet, Emily, and I ate lunch at Guru's! 

 Dear Grandma Sorensen and Aunt Janet, Seeing you two for lunch on Saturday was so much fun! I'm so lucky to have family as amazing, inspiring, supporting, and loving as you two. Emily and I really enjoyed the food, but enjoyed seeing you guys ten bajillion times more! I'm so grateful that our family is sealed so that we can be together forever.

Dear Eric and Jeremy and Emily and Janet, Going to see the Piano Guys in Spanish Fork for FREE on Saturday night was so much fun. Janet--thanks for letting us know about it. It was so good to get to see you again before you head back home. Jeremy and Eric--you are two of my best friends in the world. I love how easy-going and fun and awesome you two are. I don't feel stressed about putting on any sort of face or show when I'm with you. Thank you.

Dear Brian, Cindy, and family, It was so good seeing you on Saturday night at the Piano guys concert. Thank you for being so kind as to invite us to your house for dinner sometime in the near future. It is so reassuring to know that we have family nearby to take care of us if we ever need anything. See you soon!

Dear Eric, I was so super happy that you wanted to watch Henry V with me! Doing movie-watching Shakespeare homework is definitely so much better when you're doing it with friends. Best part of the night: three minutes to midnight, you opened your blinds and brought chairs and speakers outside the window so that we could finish the movie while still following the Honor Code. I felt so cool, and am glad that you're cool enough to want to keep the rules. Keep being awesome.

Dear Emily, I've decided that living with your sister at college is cool plus day-off--of-school awesome plus more. We rock this.

Dear Quaelii, You made this Sunday the best Sunday I've had in ages. I'm so glad that we are visiting teaching companions! Thanks for visiting teaching with me and for talking and playing games and for understanding. Official declaration: You and I are friends.

Dear Jenna, I'm so excited to get to visit teach you and that you love young adult literature like I do! Good luck with your week and keep being your awesome self.

Dear Mary, Happy three-days-late birthday! I'm so glad that I get to visit teach someone as awesome and strong and super as you. Remember--if you lose your super suit, you better let Quaelii and I know! We will get you a new one in a flash!

ShenShen's thumb can bend back super far and her elbow bends inside-out, and Emily's backbone sticks out far enough for her to open the fridge with! Me? I'm stuck being boring. They're so lucky!!!

Dear ShenShen, Dinner with you tonight was so yummy! Thanks for bringing your Chinese dish (which was SUPER delicious!) and for thinking that the food I cooked was so good. I loved being able to spend time with you just talking about life and school and grad school and weird things we can do with our bodies and that Chinese people have more joints than us Americans. I can't wait to see you in the library (like I often do!) and to have dinner again with you second block!

Dear Sarah, Your strength and testimony inspires me. I know that Heavenly Father brought you into my life several months ago so that you could help me with things I'm struggling with right now. Your words on Wednesday night answered so many unspoken prayers that have been residing in my heart for several months. You have literally changed the way I think and the way I will interact with others. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Dear Heavenly Father, With you, my life becomes fulfilling, productive, happy, and so many other good things. Every good thing comes from you. Thank you for giving me reason to get out of bed in the morning and for helping me on the mornings when it's hard to. You are my all, and I don't know where I'd be without you.

(Late) Letters

Dear Emily, Lauren, Rachel, Amelia, Lindsey, Gretchen, Spencer, Jeremy, and Brad, I realize that this letter is super late, but I wanted to give you all a huge thank you for going to the Brigham City Temple open house with me on September 1st. I'm so lucky to get to have such amazing friends to share such amazing experiences with. Being there, the overall feeling that I got was that there--the temple--is where Heavenly Father wants us to be. Let's make it happen.

Families are Forever!

The Gang!

The awesome open house volunteer who took our picture (this is a  self-portrait!)

Letters

Emily and I at Evidance

 

Dear Emily, I loved being able to go to the Evidance performance last Saturday. Spending weekends with you is the best. I also love having weight-lifting class with you twice a week. Not only do I get to get super strong, but I get to spend time with you. Good luck with school this week! You can do it!

Dear Lauren, You can do it. All of it. End of story.

Dear Gideon, WELCOME HOME!!!! Has it really been two years?! Good job for serving faithfully. It's so good to have you back.

Dear School Week, Please, have a little mercy. Don't kill me.

Dear School Week, Please keep pushing me hard so that I become even more super awesome and learn so many super awesome things!

Dear Self, Think you might be feeling a little conflicted about the school week?

Dear Hymn Book, I really like studying a song from you every night before I read my scriptures. You bring so much comfort and enthusiasm and love to my study. Thank you.

Dear Me, Heavenly Father knows how crazy your life is because He's the one who has given you so many things to get done each day. The responsibilities you have come from Him. Why? He trusts that you can do it. He knows that you can do it. Conclusion? You can most definitely do it.

Letters

Stephanie and I at prom our senior year

Dear Stephanie, Happy one day late birthday! You are one of the reasons I made it through high school semi-sane. Thanks for late nights on Paige's rooftop, homecoming nights in PJs with Ken dolls, egg salad food fights, rare winter days sledding down your house's hill, daily lunches in your kitchen, Sunday cookie-making nights, mutual book obsessing, movie nights with popcorn and goldfish, running in the rain, sitting together in calculus and AP Language, surprise birthday parties, making me laugh so hard I can't stay upright, and everything else in-between. You are awesome and I love you!!!

Dear Jason, You are already missed. Laughing outrageously hard while playing liers dice with you and calling you fat because you found your shorts in the plus-sizes area at DI and talking about prophets on the benches in the middle of south court and being excited that you have a new horsey friend to sleep with and running into each other on the path south of campus where all the awesome baby ducks (who aren't so baby anymore) are and celebrating your birthday by going to Sonic and everything else with you is the best. Thank you for being comfortable with and confident in yourself. It liberates those around you and gives them the freedom to be themselves too. I'm sure gonna' miss you.

Dear Anna, I was going to write you a nice note on Sunday night, but then realized that you no longer live in our ward. It was very sad. Therefore, I'm having to pass along my nice note via blog. Here it is (eh-hem!): You were an answer to my unsaid prayers when you invited me to go to the temple with you on Friday. It set the tone for the rest of my weekend. I miss you so much and am so glad that you and I have decided to go to the temple together regularly. I don't think I've ever felt more comfortable with anyone there than you. Thanks for being such an amazing example, support, and friend. I love you!

Dear Amelia, Rachel, and Lauren, Talking late at night on Sundays under the stars on the tables outside Slab Pizza with you three was amazing. Real talk is the best. I love you guys and am glad we're roommates. You are all doing just fine. Keep it up.

Dear Sarah, I'm glad Heavenly Father has placed you in my life right now so that we can help each other be awesome. I feel like I can be honest with you. I feel like you want me around. I feel like I can help lift you up because you lift me up. I feel like getting ice cream with you and talking about life is the best. I feel like I love looking at the pictures you take on your adventures. I feel like sitting and listening to you play the piano while I read my scriptures and think about life helps me feel at peace. I feel like you are such an incredible person and that you make me want to be an incredible person too. Thanks for being there.

Dear Mom and Dad, I was so happy to see you on Saturday night and to get frozen yogurt with you and to sit up on campus on the benches between the Clyde and the MARB. You two are some of my favoritest people in the world. Thanks for sitting and sharing stories about Grandpa Rogers and about all the things you got to do when you were down in St. Johns, AZ for his funeral this past week. I love you guys more than ice cream, 7 hours of sleep in one night, getting rain and sunshine in the same day, and writing letters combined.

Dear Ryan, No one helps me figure out my life more than you do. You are honestly the best friend I've ever had. Thanks for stopping and asking and listening and commenting and understanding. I know you're always there if I need anything. I also know you're there to have so much fun with and to tease me and to approve or not approve of any of the guys I consider dating. What else to brothers do?

Dear Bishopbric, You do amazing work. Thanks for the support. Thanks for the example. Thanks for the laughs. Thanks for the smiles. Thanks for the service. Thanks for the testimony. Thanks for the love. Thank you.

Dear Awesome Ward, I am so happy to belong to such an amazing group of happy, steadfast, faithful, funny, uplifting people. Air five to each and every one of you.

Dear S109, I love how warm and inviting and fun your apartment is. What I love even more, though, is how warm and inviting and fun you all are. Thanks for talking and smiling and being friends. Let's keep this up!

Dear John and Scott and Drew and Gentry, I think this whole FHE family thing just might work, even though you are rich snobs for living in the four person apartments instead of the six person ones. But that's okay. We can handle snobs. At least you seem like nice, fun snobs. Though, there is still this whole problem with you guys being pigs. Really, you need to work on that. Monday nights are going to be so much fun!