Everything Will Work Out

Sometimes things don't go as planned. And that's ok. But it's hard! I've had many experiences in life that have taught me this lesson, yet every time my expected plans change, I'm still always thrown through a loop and caught off guard. You'd think I'd learn!

I found this quote and I really love it. I feel like President Hinckley was always so positive, and I love his sweet words of inspiration. I designed this print, and I want to share it! Feel free to save this if you want it for personal use. This is a .JPG but if you want the .PDF file for printing, comment below with your email and I'll send it to you! Please no commercial use :) I just thought it would be nice to spread some uplifting words.

I hope you're all having a great week! It's almost the weekend! 

Tender Mercies and Reminders

Hi friends,

I know Thanksgiving is over (I still have one of those "I'm thankful for..." posts I'm working on, because I didn't want to post something every day on FB up until Thanksgiving (not hating on you if you did that :) ). However, recently (meaning like, right now) I've just had small reminders, or tender mercies, about being grateful for what I have now.

In church on Sunday the talks were on gratitude. They both came down to being about being grateful for what we have NOW because it's always possible to find something we 'need', that we don't already have, to be happy...but there's no use in that because we have a lot right in front of us now.

So I'm sitting there in Sacrament meeting thinking about how great my life really is right now, even though sometimes I find many faults with it. One thing in particular I was thinking about that I'm grateful for is my health--particularly for the strength and the non-existence of pain in my back. I've mentioned previously, but this past April I experienced severe muscle spasms in my lower back. It sounds like some crazy out-of-control thing..but that's cause it is. Basically I couldn't walk, sit up, roll to my side, or (sorry if this is TMI) go to the bathroom by myself. I couldn't even stand to shower by myself.

It has taken about 5 months to fully recover (I know that might not sound long to someone who has had worse ailments...but for me as I've been active my whole life, this was very difficult because I couldn't do ANY physical activity). So on Sunday I was thinking about how horrible those days were. I told myself that from that day on I was going to take advantage of my good health and all my other blessings, and make the most of them and enjoy them. That was just yesterday.

Yesterday I woke up with some small pains in my back. Throughout the day it progressively got worse. I went to see the dance trainer at BYU, and that helped a little, but not too much. They told me there that I just have a really unique case of muscle problems and that I'll just have to work my way through it. I had a whole list of things I wanted to get done yesterday and today, taking for granted that I could just do them no problem--something I couldn't have done seven months ago. However, the possible beginning of these back troubles has returned, so I've been faced with the question of whether I'm still willing to make the most of the blessings I have in my life, even if maybe one of my 'blessings' isn't as good as it was yesterday.

Right after reading scriptures and praying with Taylor, I came back to my computer to work on my lesson plan for my dance teaching final tomorrow (something I'm not sure right now how I'm going to get through with my back pains), and Facebook was open (don't lie, yours probably always is too :) and my friend's (who is on a mission right now) sister had just updated my friend's status. It was a long story about a woman serving in my friend's mission who has been having severe health issues. At the very end it said something that reminded me to be grateful:

"Live your lives this week for a miracle". The phrase from my friend's mission president was a request to all the missionaries to live in a way that would help heal the sister on the mission. However, this quote had special meaning for me because it reminded me that I have power in the way I handle my trials (and my blessings) in life. I can live to keep my trial a burden, or I can live in hopes for a miracle. My choice is to live for a miracle :)

Because you should know you are good enough.

Okay. I've been posting a lot lately. I'm sorry. But I wanted to share this so that everyone could be reminded that they matter. That they are important. That they are loved. And that they ARE good enough. 

I won't go into detail, but I've been having a hard time lately seeing myself as my Heavenly Father sees me, and how Taylor sees me. I often get caught up in how the world sees me. You know what I mean. Especially if you're a woman. The world is constantly telling us that our hair is the wrong way, that we're too big, or we're too small. That we could and should be better students, wives, moms, etc. The list could go on and on. 

Yesterday Taylor told me about a talk from Elder Holland he had to read for one of his classes. I remember when this talk was given for the first time, but it's been a few years since I've heard it again. Taylor had me read it, and it honestly made such a difference, even just in my day today (even though I fell asleep on the couch until 2:30am because I was reading it..oops).

If you're feeling down about yourself..or even if you're not, I invite you to read this talk: 

{This talk is from October 2005 General Conference given by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. Click here if you want to be taken to it on LDS.org}:

"Father Time played a rude trick on me just a few months ago. I arose one morning all bright eyed and bushy tailed, greeted the dawn with a smile—only to realize suddenly that with the birthday to be celebrated that day I now had a teenage grandchild. I thought about it for a minute and then did what any responsible, dignified adult would do. I got back in bed and pulled the covers over my head.

Traditional joking aside about the harrowing experience of raising teenagers, I want to say to my own granddaughter and the vast majority of the youth of the Church whom I meet around the world how extraordinarily proud we are of you. Moral and physical danger exists almost everywhere around you and temptations of a dozen kinds present themselves daily, yet most of you strive to do what is right.

This afternoon I wish to raise my voice in praise of you, to express my love, my encouragement, and my admiration for you. Because this precious eldest grandchild of whom I spoke is a young woman, I am going to address my remarks to the young women of the Church, but I hope the spirit of what I say can apply to women and men of all ages. However today, as Maurice Chevalier used to sing, I want to “thank heaven for little girls.”

First of all, I want you to be proud you are a woman. I want you to feel the reality of what that means, to know who you truly are. You are literally a spirit daughter of heavenly parents with a divine nature and an eternal destiny. ¹ That surpassing truth should be fixed deep in your soul and be fundamental to every decision you make as you grow into mature womanhood. There could never be a greater authentication of your dignity, your worth, your privileges, and your promise. Your Father in Heaven knows your name and knows your circumstance. He hears your prayers. He knows your hopes and dreams, including your fears and frustrations. And He knows what you can become through faith in Him. Because of this divine heritage you, along with all of your spiritual sisters and brothers, have full equality in His sight and are empowered through obedience to become a rightful heir in His eternal kingdom, an “[heir] of God, and joint-[heir] with Christ.” ² Seek to comprehend the significance of these doctrines. Everything Christ taught He taught to women as well as men. Indeed, in the restored light of the gospel of Jesus Christ, a woman, including a young woman, occupies a majesty all her own in the divine design of the Creator. You are, as Elder James E. Talmage once phrased it, “a sanctified investiture which none shall dare profane.” ³

Be a woman of Christ. Cherish your esteemed place in the sight of God. He needs you. This Church needs you. The world needs you. A woman’s abiding trust in God and unfailing devotion to things of the Spirit have always been an anchor when the wind and the waves of life were fiercest.⁴ I say to you what the Prophet Joseph said more than 150 years ago: “If you live up to your privileges, the angels cannot be restrained from being your associates.” ⁵

All of this is to try to tell you how your Father in Heaven feels about you and what He has designed for you to become. And if for a time any of you are less visionary than this or seem bent on living beneath your privilege, then we express even greater love for you and plead with you to make your teenage years a triumph, not a tragedy. Fathers and mothers, prophets and apostles have no motive except to bless your life and to spare you every possible heartache we can spare you.

For you to fully claim Heavenly Father’s blessings and protection, we ask you to stay true to the standards of the gospel of Jesus Christ and notslavishly follow the whims of fads and fashions. The Church will never deny your moral agency regarding what you should wear and exactly how you should look. But the Church will always declare standards and will always teach principles. As Sister Susan Tanner taught this morning, one of those principles is modesty. In the gospel of Jesus Christ, modesty in appearance is always in fashion. Our standards are not socially negotiable.

The For the Strength of Youth pamphlet is very clear in its call for young women to avoid clothing that is too tight, too short, or improperly revealing in any manner, including bare midriffs. ⁶ Parents, please review this booklet with your children. Second only to your love, they need your limits. Young women, choose your clothing the way you would choose your friends—in both cases choose that which improves you and would give you confidence standing in the presence of God. ⁷ Good friends would never embarrass you, demean you, or exploit you. Neither should your clothing.

I make a special appeal regarding how young women might dress for Church services and Sabbath worship. We used to speak of “best dress” or “Sunday dress,” and maybe we should do so again. In any case, from ancient times to modern we have always been invited to present our best selves inside and out when entering the house of the Lord—and a dedicated LDS chapel is a “house of the Lord.” Our clothing or footwear need never be expensive, indeed should not be expensive, but neither should it appear that we are on our way to the beach. When we come to worship the God and Father of us all and to partake of the sacramentsymbolizing the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we should be as comely and respectful, as dignified and appropriate as we can be. We should be recognizable in appearance as well as in behavior that we truly are disciples of Christ, that in a spirit of worship we are meek and lowly of heart, that we truly desire the Savior’s Spirit to be with us always.

In this same vein may I address an even more sensitive subject. I plead with you young women to please be more accepting of yourselves, including your body shape and style, with a little less longing to look like someone else. We are all different. Some are tall, and some are short. Some are round, and some are thin. And almost everyone at some time or other wants to be something they are not! But as one adviser to teenage girls said: “You can’t live your life worrying that the world is staring at you. When you let people’s opinions make you self-conscious you give away your power. … The key to feeling [confident] is to always listen to your inner self—[the real you.]” ⁸ And in the kingdom of God, the real you is “more precious than rubies.” ⁹ Every young woman is a child of destiny and every adult woman a powerful force for good. I mention adult women because, sisters, you are our greatest examples and resource for these young women. And if you are obsessing over being a size 2, you won’t be very surprised when your daughter or the Mia Maid in your class does the same and makes herself physically ill trying to accomplish it. We should all be as fit as we can be—that’s good Word of Wisdom doctrine. That means eating right and exercising and helping our bodies function at their optimum strength. We could probably all do better in that regard. But I speak here of optimum health; there is no universal optimum size.

Frankly, the world has been brutal with you in this regard. You are bombarded in movies, television, fashion magazines, and advertisements with the message that looks are everything! The pitch is, “If your looks are good enough, your life will be glamorous and you will be happy and popular.” That kind of pressure is immense in the teenage years, to say nothing of later womanhood. In too many cases too much is being done to the human body to meet just such a fictional (to say nothing of superficial) standard. As one Hollywood actress is reported to have said recently: “We’ve become obsessed with beauty and the fountain of youth. … I’m really saddened by the way women mutilate [themselves] in search of that. I see women [including young women] … pulling this up and tucking that back. It’s like a slippery slope. [You can’t get off of it.] … It’s really insane … what society is doing to women.” ¹⁰

In terms of preoccupation with self and a fixation on the physical, this is more than social insanity; it is spiritually destructive, and it accounts for much of the unhappiness women, including young women, face in the modern world. And if adults are preoccupied with appearance—tucking and nipping and implanting and remodeling everything that can be remodeled—those pressures and anxieties will certainly seep through to children. At some point the problem becomes what the Book of Mormoncalled “vain imaginations.” ¹¹ And in secular society both vanity andimagination run wild. One would truly need a great and spacious makeup kit to compete with beauty as portrayed in media all around us. Yet at the end of the day there would still be those “in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers” as Lehi saw, ¹² because however much one tries in the world of glamour and fashion, it will never be glamorous enough.

A woman not of our faith once wrote something to the effect that in her years of working with beautiful women she had seen several things they all had in common, and not one of them had anything to do with sizes and shapes. She said the loveliest women she had known had a glow of health, a warm personality, a love of learning, stability of character, and integrity. If we may add the sweet and gentle Spirit of the Lord carried by such a woman, then this describes the loveliness of women in any age or time, every element of which is emphasized in and attainable through the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

May I conclude. Much has been said lately in entertainment media about the current craze for “reality shows.” I am not sure what those are, but from the bottom of my heart I share this gospel reality with the beautiful generation of young women growing up in this Church.

My solemn declaration to you is that the Father and the Son did in very fact appear to the Prophet Joseph Smith, himself a young man called by God from your very age group. I testify that these divine beings spoke to him, that he heard Their eternal voices, and he saw Their glorified bodies.¹³ That experience was as real in its own setting as the Apostle Thomas’s was when the Savior said to him, “Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: … be not faithless, but [be] believing.” ¹⁴

To my granddaughter and to every other young person in this Church I bear my personal witness that God is in reality our Father and Jesus Christ is in reality His Only Begotten Son in the flesh, the Savior and Redeemer of the world. I testify that this really is the Church and kingdom of God on earth, that true prophets have led this people in the past and a true prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley, leads it now. May you know the unending love the leaders of the Church have for you and may you let the eternal realities of the gospel of Jesus Christ lift you above temporal concerns and teenage anxieties I pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

Our first week of our senior year!

Well, it's that time again. Provo is FULL of crazy drivers, every slot in apartments is taken, and football is all most people talk about for a few months. It's crazy that I could be graduating in April (it could also be August)! Taylor is technically a senior...but you see he spent two years in Guatemala serving the Lord so he has a good excuse to be behind :)

 I heard many people say how long and hard their first week of school was. Now, I'm not always a Positive Polly, but I have to say I completely disagree with those who didn't like their first week.

You see, last time I was in school I was planning a wedding, then I got married, then got injured at dance. I honestly forgot how fun being in school can be. 

Basically this is our first week in a nutshell: 

• Got called to teach primary the day before school started...which we really are sooooo excited about! 

• Took a "first day of school" photo of both of us, against Taylor's will.

• Realized that I'm one of maybe ten upperclassmen in my physical science class #procrastination
• Helped surprise one of my best friends Holly with a surprise party. It was SO great. We totally got her! 

• Learned that Batman is the favorite superhero of almost every person in my physical science lab (don't you love "getting to know you" games??...)
• Discovered these babies:

• Attended BYU's first game of the season. 

• Watched our friend Kaneakua (#82) score not one, but TWO touchdowns in that game! 
• Discovered that we have AWESOME non-rotated seats for the game. 
• Discovered that we also sit by the (I don't know how to be nice about this...they really pushed my limits!) most annoying people ever at the games. (I'm not being dramatic I promise! I went to a high school that practically worshipped football so I know how crazy people can be at games...but these guys were just not very considerate to others. And for sure not respectful) So we'll see what happens at the next game :/ 
• Enjoyed a cookout with my family and grandparents for Labor Day 
• Spent a few lazy hours with each other watching movies and enjoying each others company. 

Welp guys, here's to another great school year that's starting. Enjoy your classes and schedules, cuz I sure enjoy mine! And that's all. 

*happy that I still get a few late-rise mornings with this semester's schedule. thank goodness! (i heart comfy comfys). 

{Grateful}

Hey guys. Yes I did just post the LONGEST post ever prior to this one, but I am posting again. Taylor is working overnight at the MTC and I don't really like being alone so that is why I am on here, writing to all of you.

Anyway, tonight was really fun. I got to spend time with my old roommate {and former bridesmaid :)} Holly. It was so fun to catch up on each other's lives and just chat. Of course we came upon the topic of dating and marriage (we're young, best friends, and we live in Provo---duh! haha). There was a news segment on about marriage and one woman interviewed said that she would definitely never ever marry, even though she had a daughter to take care of, because she had just had too many bad relationships.

This made me sad to think about because marriage really is so great, but there really are a lot of things that get in the way of the good that marriage can bring. I had a little moment of reflection and thought about this (hence this blog post), and it made me so grateful that I have my husband (yes, this is one of my more lovey-dovey posts, but hey it's my blog right??).

I just barely turned twenty-one, so I'm not that old. But I've had my fair share of sadness, heartbreak, and 'bad relationships'. To be honest there was a time when I never thought I'd find someone whom I could trust enough to give my whole heart to. There were times where I thought that I'd never be good enough for someone who I thought was worth marrying. But it's funny to look back and see that Heavenly Father really does have a plan for each of us. All the experiences I went through up until finding Taylor make me that much more grateful for him.

I used to think I knew exactly what kind of guy I needed. I used to go after those guys...and none of those guys are my husband. Heavenly Father knew my needs better than I did, and he gave me the best thing ever for me: Taylor.

To be honest when I met Taylor I think I was in a state of mind that the lady on the news segment is in now. I was scared of relationships and for the first time in a while I was really content being alone. I really didn't want to take any risks. However, the prince that showed up to my door to ask me to date him was very patient in the making of our 'fairytale'. Any time I had doubts or fear about the future or about making the big commitment of marriage, Taylor was there to calm my fears. Taylor taught me and showed me that just as there are really sad and hard things in life, there are also just the opposite...and little did he know that he was one of those things for me in my life.

I know I've only been married for four months so I might sound like a cheesy newlywed...but I don't really care, so I will continue :). I can't tell you how much I hate cliche sayings...but Taylor really is my best friend. Sometimes it's easy for me to feel down or discouraged with myself, and sometimes I just need to smile. Heavenly Father gave me someone who knows exactly what will make me laugh or smile.

I'm basically here to say that I'm so grateful for Taylor because he has helped me to realize how great life really is. Although there are so many things and reasons out there for people to fear marriage or not believe in it, I'm very grateful that Heavenly Father blessed me with a reason to have faith in it.

This is my late night rant about how much I love and am grateful for my husband. I will now proceed to have a ice cream fudge bar (those are low in calories you know..for real!:). And that's all. :)

Friends

Mr. & Mrs. :)

The miracle of 'today'

Hey friends.

So here I am trying to be productive and do all our laundry that reeks of campfire from our recent family reunion.. Just as I was about to turn off the TV, a story on KSL Studio 5 came on and it almost had me in tears {lately I've been good at almost crying but not losing it when something is sad or inspiring}. The story was about a four-year-old boy named Cooper who was accidentally backed over by a car in his own driveway.

This post isn't meant to be about depressing and sad tragedies, but more about what I have been reminded of by them. Taylor and I were only gone for about a month visiting family. In that one month we heard of four different people who were tragically and unexpectedly killed in an accident of some sort. We didn't know any of them personally, but three out of the four were either relatives, friends, or siblings of people we know. Each time we heard the news I was reminded of the blessing that being alive is.

These were four people under the age of 45 who probably thought they'd live a long life.

These stories reminded me of and made me want to share about how grateful I am for the people and things that Heavenly Father gave me and continues to give me to have the most beautiful life. These stories also reminded me of how precious life really is. Something that I learned, that luckily I've been able to remember and try to practice daily, from my father's premature death almost five years ago is to be grateful for every single day that we live and for each day we have with our friends and loved ones.

Tomorrow is the five-year anniversary of my father's passing. I have absolutely no doubt that his passing was part of Heavenly Father's plan. I had heard a story once when I was young about two brothers who got in a big fight over something very little and went to bed mad at each other. The next morning one of the brothers didn't wake up. He had died in his sleep from some kind of brain problem {sorry that I don't remember exactly what or have the correct terminology}. Ever since then I tried to make it a habit to always tell my family I loved them when I went to bed or when we parted ways. The last time I saw my dad was five years ago as I said goodbye to him before the rest of my family was leaving somewhere. He gave me a hug and a kiss and told me he loved me. I don't know why, but I felt like I should just give him one more hug 'goodbye'...just in case. I am so grateful that I listened to that small voice and feeling because I can still distinctly remember my last works and hug to him here on Earth.

Life really is such a precious gift. Since my husband is from Hawaii, and I from Utah, people always ask if we're going to live there one day and tell me how awesome it is that my husband is from such an exotic place. It was then that I realized that it really doesn't matter to me where we end up, but more about who we're surrounded by---such as our loved ones and friends.

I recently read a book {if you know me well then I should explain that yes I did read and enjoy a book {for some reason I really have never been a big reader. I think I have too much A.D.D. to sit and read for too long. But I obviously love writing!}}. This book is called Heaven is Here. It's written by Stephanie Nielson, a plane-crash survivor and writer of the blog http://nieniedialogues.com/. I read this book right after I had experienced some extremely painful back problems, some of which I am still struggling with. At the time I was so focused on how hard my life was {embarrassing to say out loud, but who likes fake people right? ...Just being honest}. Anyway, I was unable to really do anything physical at all. As I read this book I realized that even though I couldn't do many things I loved or was used to doing at the time {my dancing career is basically over as far as I know now}, I still had so many other blessings in life. I'm not here to preach to anyone, but if you're looking for a good read, or if you're feeling down about life, you should read this book.

After reading this book, I was able to put my trial of back problems into perspective. Just like Stephanie, even though my body isn't perfect, I am alive. I have tried to keep this in mind any time I start complaining about things in my life that might not be perfect.

Each time I hear of the unexpected passing of someone I am again reminded of how grateful I am to be alive. I am so grateful for my husband Taylor. He makes me laugh and smile every day. I am grateful for my body, even in its imperfections. I am so grateful every morning that I wake up and realize that Heavenly Father has given me another day to live and make a difference in my life, and hopefully in the lives of others. Every day the fact that I am able to say the word 'today' I realize that 'today' is a miracle because it's another day that Heavenly Father has given me.


As I was writing this post I heard on the news of two more deaths on the news, and found out about one more death of a friend's father. It really is crazy how fast life can be taken, which is why 'today' is a miracle. And that's all.


***I mentioned at the beginning of this post about a little boy Cooper who was accidentally killed. Here is the beautiful video they showed on the news segment. Cooper's family is holding the annual 'Cooper's Run' next Saturday, July 28th. If you're interested, I saw the family talking about it and it really is a good cause. The money from registering for the 5k run goes toward a scholarship they have created in Cooper's name. They even said if you don't register but still want to go you can. They just want support. After the 5k they also have a 'fun run/walk' for kids, teens, adults, everyone! Click here for more information.


Have a beautiful 'today' everyone!

Daddy's Little Girl

Hello again. I've been posting a lot because I've been super behind on things I've wanted to post, so sorry if you're sick of me! I've always loved blogs that are down to Earth and easy to relate to, as well as blogs that are entertaining and give me new ideas. So that's kind of what I'm going for...so if my blog seems a little hodge-podge, that's why :)

I know it's a day late, but I spent all day yesterday trying to figure out where I belong on Father's Day and how I should celebrate, so that's why I'm just finally giving tribute to my wonderful father. This July will mark the five year anniversary of when my dad passed away. This caused me to think about my life and where I am now compared to where I was when my dad left this earth.

When my dad passed away I had just turned sixteen. My friends were sort of all that "mattered" to me, and of course I had all sorts of crushes on boys and dreams that I hoped would come true. I wanted to feel accepted, just like all girls in high school do. I wondered who I would marry, where I would go to college, and where my life would take me. My life was just like every other teenager at the time. When my dad passed away I was still a child living under the direction care of my parents at home. My dad always wanted me to spend time with him and learn about cars (he was a car dealer/mechnic). That very rarely sparked my girly interest.

A week after I turned sixteen, my perspective changed and all that really mattered to me became clear. I had always known that my dad loved me and wanted the best for me. My dad loved all five of us children, as well as my beautiful mom, so very much. Although many people would only view the passing of a young 43-year-old father as a tragedy, I've finally been able to view it as a blessing. My dad had poor health and couldn't do all that he would like here on Earth anymore. The night my dad passed away, prior to his passing, I was saying my nightly prayers and prayed that my dad could be happy. My dad was a very bright and happy person normally, but his health hindered a lot happiness to be experienced by him. Though I wish he could be here on Earth with my family now, my dad's passing has given him the opportunity to live and be happy without the restrictions of a sick body. I don't doubt that I would have learned the things my dad wanted me to learn in life if he was still here, but as I've had to have a relationship with my dad from afar for the past few years, I've learned many things from him in many different and special ways.

Before my dad passed away, he and I were working on an old 1993 Mazda 626 for me to drive when I got my license. He called it the "Gumby-mobile" (his nickname for me was Gumby). If you knew my dad you won't be surprised to hear that when he passed my car was completely gutted out on the inside. He always wanted to implement his Grandpa Jones' motto: "Do it once, do it right."We were going to get the car painted and the windows tinted, but none of that was done before he was gone either. Needless to say, after my dad died I was a little overwhelmed with what to do with all the pieces and such because I really needed a car to help my mom with the kids. My sister Nicole an I decided to put the car all back together and put the things that we had learned from my dad to use.

This is a video I made when I was sixteen after we finished the project. I never thought I would really need to know the things my dad desired to teach me in the garage all those times that I didn't want to be there. My dad also prided himself in his "slim-jim" abilities. "Slim-Jim" is a name for breaking into cars (for purposes that are not illegal, don't worry :) He used to narrate a scenario and time himself to see how fast he could do it. Little did I know that in the five years following his passing, I would need this skill to unlock my own car 5+ times, Lydia's car twice, Nicole's car once, my friend Lindsey's car (after all the men around walked away because it was almost impossible to break into), and probably others that I am forgetting about. I always thought my dad would be the one to help me jump a car if needed. Since my dad has been gone, I've jumped several cars, including cars of strangers, which has always been an adventure. Although these things are simple tasks, it always brings a smile to my face to do these things because I know my dad is happy I'm using skills that he so desperately wanted to teach me.

When I was in elementary school I was teased constantly. I was chubby and awkward--to say the least. However, my dad ALWAYS made me feel like I was the most beautiful girl always. Finally in high school I grew a little taller and got a little cuter. When I was a senior I was very surprised but very excited to learn that I'd been voted homecoming queen. I definitely wasn't the typical person who was expected to win, but I knew my dad was smiling down, because even though it took others a few extra years to see something in me, my dad always believed in me and thought I was pretty. Although this is just a high school thing, I remember being so excited because I finally felt accepted by others. My dad was the one who got me through all the years of teasing and me coming home in tears.

I've already posted here about how protective my dad was with his girls when it came to the males :) Even though my dad hasn't been here physically to remind me how boys should treat girls, he made it pretty darn clear how he felt about the matter, so much that I've always felt like he's been there for me when my heart has been broken, and I know for a fact he was there when I was able to marry the love of my life.

Something my dad always taught me was to always make time to smile and have fun. When I was in seventh grade I struggled with severe migraines because of stress (strange, right?). My dad would always make an effort to plan something fun for me and my friends to do. He has instilled in me a love for living life and enjoying being healthy and able to be active. I've had my ups and downs in my life, but I have so many fun memories because I've always tried to remember to enjoy life and try to make others happy like my dad taught me to do.

My dad was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and I taught me many gospel principles. Recently, even though he is not here, my dad helped me to better understand and gain a testimony of Christ's atonement for all of us. My dad suffered from severe back problems. He had many slipped and herniated discs that constantly gave him problems. He even underwent back surgery to try to help some of his problems. Two years ago I began having some back problems (not as severe, but problems nonetheless) after attending a dance intensive. I've dealt with the problems on and off for the past two years, but recently they got a lot worse. Two months ago my lower back problems flared up again at dance and caused me to have severe muscle spasms that caused me to collapse any time I tried to stand or walk on my own. I've never felt so frustrated and vulnerable in my life. I remembered my dad always talking about how much it hurt to sit for a long period of time because of his back, how much he wished his back would be better, and how much pain he was in. I never ever understood his pain or why he was always in such discomfort. My back problems have basically ended my dance career which breaks my heart. I can hardly do much exercising which has caused me to not be in as good of shape as I once was when I was dancing 24/7. This has been physically and emotionally exhausting for me at times, but when I looked back and thought about my dad and the pain he went through, I was reminded that my dad is watching over me and that he knows exactly how I feel. Although I should be just as easily reminded of the Lord and that He knows exactly what I'm going through, I'm human and I'm still working on becoming perfect. This experience has reminded me of Christ's atonement, and just as my dad knows exactly what I'm going through, my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ know what I'm going through just as well.

It's been a long five years since I last saw my dad, and things are very different. However, I know that my dad is still my father and he still teaches me things every day just like fathers here on Earth do for their children. I still have many people in my life who show my dad's love to me for him. On my wedding day when I walked out of the temple, my Grandpa Nielsen, my dad's dad, came and teased me about how I used to tell him that I didn't believe that there were any good guys out there and that I would never find one. He reminded me of my dad at that moment. My Grandpa Nielsen also danced with me in place of my dad for the daddy-daughter dance at our reception.

So this was my tribute to my daddy. Even though it's been a while since I've seen him, and it'll be a while till I get to see him again, he's taught me so many things and he's been the best dad I could ever ask for. I love and miss my dad, and wish him a Happy Father's day. No matter how far my dad is, I'm my daddy's little girl always, and that's all. :)