Letters

Dear Bed, I really do very sincerely miss you. We have not been spending enough quality time together lately! As much as I miss you, however, I do have to admit that the things taking your place have been quite worth it. Maybe in a couple of years (or probably in the next life) I'll actually have enough time for you. For now though, hope you enjoy the little time that you do have with me!

Dear Hook (the movie), I haven't seen you in FOREVER! I forgot how fun/silly/good of a movie you are! I'm glad that I got to watch you on Saturday night with my friends.

Dear Lori, Thank you so much for letting us come over to your place to plant flowers! I miss having a yard and being able to work outside in the dirt. The black beneath my fingernails was a happy sight. Thank you even more for taking us out to eat afterwards at the Trolley Cafe. That salad was so good!

Dear Latino Ward Members (and their white friends/roommates), Sunday's break the fast was one of the best break the fasts I've ever been to! Thank you so, so much for spending all of Saturday evening and Sunday morning slaving over delicious enchiladas, rice, beans and horchata. My stomach and taste buds were quite appreciative!

Dear Kate, I'm sorry it took me so long to call you back! I'm super glad that we FINALLY got to talk on Sunday and that you got to tell me all about the awesome girls camp and school and life stuff you have going on and that I got to tell you all about the crazy stuff going on in my life. I love you super tons!!!

Dear Half-Marathon Training, I'm surprised--besides the waking up super early to go running (which sometimes makes me feel like I'm gonna DIE) you're actually not that bad! After running 9 miles on Thursday evening, running 13.1 isn't feeling quite as intimidating. I might actually be able to do this!

Dear Activities Committee, I love being part of a group of people as amazing as you. Every single one of you is so kind, loving, serving, outgoing and all-around stupendous! Thank you for being who you are--it inspires me to be a better person and to love and serve those around me more perfectly.

Dear Ems, I'm glad that we FINALLY decided on a time to hang out. It's been forever! Tomorrow evening is going to be the best.

Dear Day of Rest, You really are my favorite day of the week. Thanks for always getting me ready for the other six.

Dear Tale of Two Cities, Lets see if I can get you read in two weeks. That's the goal, at least!

Dear Jon, Water coloring and coloring outside the lines and endless french toast at Kneaders and planting flowers at Lori's and going to Jamie's wedding reception and running and shopping and making yummy pesto-based food and painting my nails and watching Hook and making banana bread and reading general conference talks and talking and talking and talking all with you at my side are, I think, some of my most favorite things ever. Thank you for being so good and for always leaving me with a desire to be a better person. You're quite the top-notch best friend, and we make quite the fantastic team.

Dear Heavenly Father, I would be selfish if I didn't acknowledge and thank you for all the good that is in my life right now. Thank you for answering my prayers and for knowing exactly what I need and when I need it, and then for giving it all to me even though I don't deserve more than (maybe) 0.9% of it. You are the best part of my life.

Letters

Dearest Amelia, Going expensive perfume shopping with you was the bestest fun I've had in the longest time. For reals. From playing with the sells man to trying on the most ridiculous shoes EVER to buying ice cream even though you're not supposed to be eating dairy--you're a top-notch friend. I'm going to miss you when you leave in less than 22 days!!!

Dear Emily, I'm so glad that you came with me to visit with my boyfriend (I mean the library--don't get excited....) so much this past weekend and even more happy that we got to watch the bestest movie EVER on Friday night ("Ever After," peoples--what else would it be?) Enjoying the simple day to day pleasures of life with you is quite fantastic. Thanks.

Dear Sarah, I'm glad you could join us on Friday night!

Dear Elora, Rachel, Betsy, Ryan and Emily, I'm glad we got to all share yummy french toast on Sunday morning before Conference. The company was just as tasteful as the meal!

Dear Pisters, I'm so grateful to have friends as wonderfully selfless as you guys. Thanks for sharing your amazing Conference tickets with me, even though it meant that you guys couldn't go because you gave away your other tickets to members who had traveled here from Columbia and Slovakia. Each one of you is a champ.

Dear Amy, Being able to sit next to you in Conference was the best. I'm so glad that you were there to share in all the fun and goofiness. I'm 'cited to go running with you this week!

Dear Katt and Carson, You two make me smile.

Dear Ryan and Betsy, Thanks for listening to me last night while I vented. Thanks even more for understanding. You two are superbly awesome.

Five Reasons Why My Weekend Was Great

1. I got to watch Pride and Prejudice with Emily, Amelia, and Sarah. I love Jane Austen's ability to make a room full of girls all gasp and laugh and smile at the same times. The movie was wonderful (as it is every year when I watch it for my birthday) and FINALLY having a girls night after not having one for FOREVER was even greater.

2. I went to my old boss--Fred's--house with my old coworker--Charles--to help Fred shovel snow, repair blinds, and fix some lights. Fred is really old, retired, and can't do much now, so it was good to know we were able to help him. After we fixed up stuff, we played a card game called Five Crowns and had treats with his wife--Diane--and his granddaughter--Amber. It was a wonderful splendid morning and I can't wait to go again.

3. I got to talk to my Aunt Janet on the phone for over half-an-hour. I love talking with people, but when it's my family I love it even more. The two of us are going to start writing letters to each other! I better start on one soon...

4. For homework, I've been reading fun teenage literature for my adolescent literature class. It helps me remember that I actually do enjoy reading! I was having so much fun with it all on Saturday night that it made me laugh, and I haven't laughed in a long time.

5. I went to church on Sunday and officially decided that our ward in awesome. People were talking and reaching out to one another and no one sat alone. The girls in the Relief Society ward right now are remarkably valiant and I'm grateful I get to associate with them!

Friday Nights

This is what I do on Friday nights:

...Along with reading Macbeth and getting frozen yogurt with Ems and watching the TV show Merlin. Life's pretty good.

Movies, Stargazing, and Dinner with the Fam

Dear Super-Awesome Friends, Thanks for coming to see Brave with me last night in the dollar theater! It's a pretty amazing feeling, buying 19 tickets and taking up 3 rows with a group of people I love. Good luck this week with everything!

We're not very photogenic at 2:30 am in the middle of the dark, especially when the flash on the camera blinds you. All things considered, though, I still think we're pretty good lookin! 

Dear Emily Christensen, Thank you, thank you, thank you for inviting me to go watch the meteor shower with you last night (slash this morning) from 12 to 3am. I haven't been in the outdoors in a long time, and I've wanted to go star gazing even longer. Being at the campfire out where there were no buildings and only each other, our friends, the crackling fire, and the sky overhead to watch, made me feel more myself than I have felt in a very, very long time. You are one of the most real people I know. Thank you for knowing what questions to ask and knowing when to talk and when to listen and for supporting me and for just getting it all. You are definitely one of my favorites.

Dear Mike, The car ride to and from Brian and Cindy's was a wonderfully fresh dose of not-Provo reality. You are so real and normal and I love how you say what you feel and don't worry too much about what others think. I'm glad we're family.

Dear Brian and Cindy, Your kindness and generosity in inviting us over for dinner tonight at your house was so appreciated. The food was SO good and it's amazing to be in a home, but it's also just nice to be with family, especially when my immediate family is out of visiting distance. Thank you.

Dear Dale, I'm so glad that we got to talk tonight after dinner at Brian and Cindy's. I think it's the most I've ever talked to you, and I hope we get to do it again. I also hope you know that I will take you up on your offer to come over and just chill at your house when I need a break from college and Provo and work and life. Thank you in advance.

Letters

Dear Stephanie, It was such an awesome surprise to get to see you yesterday! And I finally got to meet Shaun! (and I like him!) Even though it was only 20 minutes, it meant a whole lot to me. I hope that we will be able to hang out over Christmas break and that, this time, it will be more than 20 minutes. I love you!

Dear Jeremy, Thanks so much for inviting me to the football game last night! Even though I only stayed for 1 1/2 quarters, I still had tons of fun. The best part was getting to spend time with you! I'm so super glad that we're friends, Jeremy, and hope that we can be for a very long time.

A picture of Emily over the summer when she went to do a field study in Africa!

Dear Emily Christensen, Yea for getting your mission call and yea for serving a mission in Texas and for doing it in Spanish!!! I'm so glad that you invited me to be there with you when you opened your call; I felt blessed to share in one of your life's special moments. You are going to be an AMAZING missionary. I know that the Lord is grateful to have daughters like you who are willing to go out and do His work. You continue to be an inspiration to me, and I hope that one day I can grow up to be like you!

Dear Nicole, I really, really enjoyed talking to you last night when Emily opened her mission call AND your facebook post on my wall made. My. Day. (and it's been kind of a rough one!) I hope that you and I can make opportunities to do fun things and become better friends. Thanks for being awesome.

Charlotte's finger after our trip to the ER!

Dear Charlotte, Well. A 3 hour trip to the ER last night wasn't exactly what I had planned, but it made for quite the adventure! Thank you so much for thinking to call me so that Rachel and I could help you out. It meant so much to us. I hope that your finger heals fast, and that next time you try to cut butternut squash, you  watch that finger of yours!

Dear Self, Try not to be shamefully embarrassed by the fact that you turned bleach white and practically passed out and had to leave the room last night when the nurse was numbing Charlotte's finger with a needle that was nearly twelve feet long. I mean, since the nurse couldn't even walk you twenty feet away without having you begin to blackout you got to sit in the hallway where you were treated with a Kit Kat bar and some yummy grape juice that had crushed ice in it like the kind they have at Sonic that your mom really likes. It just made the whole night a lot more exciting. And Charlotte didn't even get yummy grape juice and she was the one with the sliced finger, so you should feel pretty lucky.

All because of this guy...

Dear caveman who would faint at the sight of blood in order to stay alive, Thanks for passing the trait along. I appreciate feeling like a  prima donna every time I staple my finger with a staple gun or scrape the skin off my palms or see someone get stabbed at the doctor's with a needle--and then black out. The sensation that your about to lose it is great, and so is the whole "feeling self-conscious and like a wuss" thing. Really.

Dear Abby and Jessica, I hope you had so much super fun today at your first competition! I'm sad I can't be there to see you every time to perform, but I hope you know that I'm routing for you every dot and note of the show!

Dear Rachel and Emily and Amelia (and partly Spencer), Watching The Avengers with you guys tonight was more than exactly what I needed. Thanks for the laughing and the fun. I love you guys!!!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thanks for trying me and for making things not easy. Even though it's hard to appreciate it all right now, I know that it's what I need and that it will help me to become more like Thee. With You at my side, I can do this!

Letters

Dear John and Gentry, I forgot to mention the other day, but thank you for inviting me to see The Amazing Spider-Man with you in the dollar theater on Friday night. I was feel overwhelmed and, even though I didn't realize it or think it was a good idea, I needed to get away and to go and have fun. The movie was wonderful, and so was your company. P.S.--I hope you warm up to my sarcasm soon (and no--there wasn't any in this letter!)

Dear Kristi, Thank you so much for trusting us at work enough to talk about your crazy life. It let me feel comfortable enough to talk to you about mine today, and I really just needed someone to listen. I hope you know that I admire you so much for the good person you are and for all the good choices I have seen you make. You are an amazing women. Sorry I couldn't make it to the party tonight. I hope it was a blast!

Dear Mary, This is going to be one super awesome French party. I hope you're ready to go all out!

Dear Elder Hardy, If you want a reply to a letter, don't write it completely in Portuguese to a girl who only reads English and signs ASL. It will not encourage her to write back faster. Especially if that girl is me. I will leave the rest of my thoughts on the matter to myself.

Dear Jared McBride, When I got home from the library last night at 11:45 pm after a very long day and saw a postcard from you sitting on my bed--it meant an incredible amount to me! Immediately  the stresses of the day vanished. Thank you for making me feel so special and loved. You better know--and if you don't, listen up!--that I think you are an amazing person and that I admire you very much. I can say that because I have seen you do amazing things. You are motivated by a love for others and for your Heavenly Father. More people need to be like this. Even though this first year of teaching for you might be going crazy, I'm sure you are doing fine. Know that back here, at CP, I'm rooting for you. Keep up the awesome-ness.

Letters

It's the first time I've ever caught something on fire in the kitchen. An accomplishment...?

Dear Amelia, You're really good at rescuing people. I would know. Yesterday afternoon you saved me when I was making kettle corn and the towel I was using caught on fire and the oil in the pot starting attacking me and the popcorn started burning and the burner was still on and I was freaking out. You're pretty great.

Dear Tiana Cole and Elise Meiners, I'm so excited to have you guys as my new roommates! Remember our goal: to be super sad when you guys have to leave for the summer. Good luck with classes today!

Dear People Who Came to our AWESOME Tuesday Movie Night, Watching Pirates of the Caribbean with you was better than watching five armadillos speed race the backstroke. Not that I've ever seen armadillos speed race the back stroke. But still! Let's keep it up!

Dear Kendrick Shepherd, Jarrett Lever, and Ben Johnson, Going to Macy's for our adventure on Monday night was super much fun! Thanks for letting me tag along so that I have enough food to make it though the week.

PS World--Today let's all be SUPER AWESOME! Okay? Deal!

Letters

Dear Brad, Thanks so much for the Laugh Out Loud show, the frozen yogurt, and the good conversation. You're a really good friend who has his priorities straight. Keep being awesome.

Dear Anthony, Thanks for the yummy frapachino and cupcake! I always enjoy spending my time with fantastic people.

Dear Emily, Sarah, Lisa, and Kent, Thanks for letting me sit next to you for the 12:07am showing of Hunger Games. The movie was awesome, but your company was even awesomer.


Dear Roommates, Thanks for dealing with me when I get frustrated with myself. Like on Friday. Knowing that you all love me always makes my frustrating days better.

Dear Ward Family, Thanks for all your love and support as I begin the new adventure of being the Relief Society president. How am I feeling at the moment? The better question is what am I not feeling at the moment. But even though I know it's going to be a little crazy and is going to take a lot of work, I know I can do it with your love and support. Thanks for being there.

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for trusting me, for comforting me, and for giving me the strength to do what you need me to do. I love Thee so very much. Thank you for loving me too.

Letters

Dear Pister, Thanks for inviting my apartment to the barbecue last minute! The food was fantastic and so was the company. I couldn't ask for a better home teacher!

Dear Tennyson, I know I should have taken The Lady of Shalott more seriously, but all I could think of when I read it was a girl with carrot-colored hair "fishing for lake trout". It couldn't be helped.


Dear Three Day Weekend, "Awesome": the best two-syllable summary that I can think of to describe you.

Letters

Dear Mr. John Campbell, Thanks for the fantastic lunch date yesterday! From camping to fighting off bad guys to reading David Eddings, it was fun talking and getting to know you more! (PS-Geek confession number 2: I sometimes listen to Mo-Tab when I work out)

Dear Weatherman, I LOVED the sunny weather yesterday! I even dug out my shorts and sunglasses to celebrate. But perhaps your confused? It's snowing this morning. Maybe you forgot that bi-polar weather is not allowed until April. No worries; I forgive you. Just bring the sun back.

Dear Brad Pitt, "Moneyball" was wonderful. Very well done. However, I'll be sending you a bar of soap and a toothbrush in the mail very soon. Just thought you should know.

Dear Roommates, Staying up until 2am doing some deep talk was the best. If I were a boy I would date you.

Dear Single Boys of Provo, UT, I have four AWESOME roommates. They are on the market. Interested? Good. You should be. Stop by my place anytime and I'll set you up with one (or all four) of them.

Dear Sunday, You make the whole rest of the week worth it. Thanks.