Why my Dad is my Favorite Person

Today is Father’s Day and I have the best dad ever. Everybody’s kinda supposed to say that on Father’s Day but when I say it I’m definitely accurate. I have had this opinion since forever.. and specifically remember one day when my mom asked little mini me who I was gonna marry and I said Dad. Then my mom had to break it to me that she already snatched him up and polygamy (and incest) isn’t really supported by our religion.. or like anyone. I can remember the legitimate confusion at this point.. “there is no one else as cool as him..? I guess I’ll never get married.. ever”. I’ve moved past this phase in my life but still think my mom is the luckiest lady ever.

I have a couple prime examples of why my dad is the best ever...

1. He is the best man to go shopping with EVER.. Because he almost always likes whatever I’ve decided I like.

2. When I had my first kiss we went out to dinner.

3. He loves freeds, and neilsons, and red mango almost as much as I do.

4. He makes the best bread in the world.

5. He boxed with me in the backyard in the middle of night.

6. He gives the best hugs ever.

7. He adores my mom.

8. I love the sound of his voice in church during hymns.

9. No one will ever be able to throw feet like he does.

10. He carried me to bed till I was like 18.. so now (I missed that the last time I came home)

11. Sometimes when he really wants to say something he writes a letter. Those letters are some of my most prized possessions.

12. He let me shave his head once.

13. He has the best deep “ga faw” kinda laugh in the world.

14. When I hit the parallel parking parallel parking barrel at the DMV and left that nice paint scratch, it didn’t even phase him.

15. I have gotten a “goodmorning, I hope you have the best day ever!” Text basically every day since the beginning of my highshool career.

16. He’s that dad who gets up early to fill up your truck with gas and make you a lunch.

17. He sends me texts like “We are at the stake dance…I feel bad for these boys…the hottest girl here is taken. I married her almost 23 yeas ago… J”

18. He is very patient; even at 1 am when you’re calling because you can’t sleep due to the horror film you watched the day before.

19. I always know my dad wants to talk to me and hang out with me. Someone will always think I’m cool.

20. He’s up to ride a rollercoaster, get in a tube, go climb up the side of a mountain and run down, or jump off a cliff with me.

 

There is no boy on the face of this earth that as quite came to mean as much to me as my dad. There’s nothing while at school that makes me quite as homesick as thinking about him or talking to him. Nothing makes me cry faster than hugging him good-bye when I have to go back to school. And the most powerful and immediate moment of home-ness is when he picks me up from the airport in one of his big hugs. He taught me how to serve in little ways that really are the life-altering ways and shown me what it means to just be good all the way through. I love my dad, there is no one else that could teach me who I need to be in the way he has.  

My life

When people ask me about my most embarrassing reaction I usually say that my life is an embarrassing moment because it basically is. There's a couple of things that contribute to this.. But the first and the most prominent contributor is my beyond terrible sense of direction. This we have now found is a family trait! Jack is driving Me, josh, Amber, and Jacks girl.. Friend. Friend girl.. Tersa to Zion's national park to go hiking! We have only turned around three times! I missed one of the turns while I took a much needed nap across Joshy's (he is so big now! He's almost 13 and has clearly passed me up and is fully capable of picking me up and throwing me around) knees. And yes our gps too is to "Zion's Grocer" in Hurricane Utah not the Narrows. 
The first embarrassing moment of the day was when I thought it was funny to pull on this piece of plastic on a rolled up plastic tarp and it came out all over the floor on Zion's Grocer. And then stepped right in front of this very nice old mans truck when trying to make it to our car. I love nice old people.. He rolled down his window to laugh at me for awhile and diffuse my apologies. 
If we wanna go back to yesterday I had this prized moment where we were going through Mcey D's ($1 sodas! Whooo!!) drive through and I somehow forgot to order an just got to wait behind the car in front of me awkwardly before looping back through and realizing that I actually did not pass the ordering widow I just thought I did and could have gotten sodas the first time around. Later that night, to follow up on my gambling goal (I think it toats acceptable one time), we went to the strip & I tried to put a quarter into a slot machine that apparently doesn't have a coin slot and so my whole dream of pulling down that crank was rudely interrupted by me having to awkwardly stand up and walk away from the machine. I guess I will be saving that experience for another outing to Las Vegas Blvd (next time I'll choose a casino with a slots that are more conducive for cheap people like me). 
Continuing with the embarrassing moment thing.. I didn't realize I was in the men's bathroom at cafe rio until I walked out of it after using it and saw amber coming out of the other bathroom. Emily's thinking: "ohh.. Amber you're dumb! Why are you in the men's bathroom!? I'm gonna make fun of you.." Then I turned around and realized that she's not stupid and I'm just doubly stupid. So like any other rational person I walked away swiftly hoping no one saw where I walked out of. Go team! 
I also want to shout out to the woman driving in the car next to us on the way back to Vegas who motioned to us to roll down our window and told us out tank was open. I have to apologize for the frightened/awe-struck family in the minivan next door who watched me hold onto amber as she tried to stick herself far enough out the window to screw in the gas tank cap from inside our moving vehicle on the I-15. 

Home is my favorite place

I feel like every time I’m home in Vegas I end up wanting to write way more than usual. Because being home is happy and when I’m happy and everything makes sense I write.. which makes me happy .. which makes me want to write more. It’s an endless cycle that I’m totally OK with. On a side note... I accidentally call Rexburg "home" too often and as my mom reminded me "home is where my mom is.." (just clarifying). Anywho...this weekend me and Amber (my main lady) flew down to Vegas for Jack’s mission farewell on Sunday. We are going to drive my car (MY car.. flip yes! I am so excited I get to steal my car back from Jack) home on Monday and stop in Salt Lake for a while. Amb’s never flown on an airplane or been to a casino or Vegas or to Salt Lake so we’re gonna do lots of firsts this weekend (including using a slot machine because embarrassingly enough  I grew up in Las Vegas and have yet to put a quarter in a slot machine either).

It’s funny the things you miss from your home.. I so miss getting on my knees with everyone who happens to be in our house at the time to pray. It’s something I never though too much about but lately I crave kneeling with other people to pray. My roomies all had an apartment prayer last Sunday and it was the most relieving thing. Tonight I got to bless our food with our whole family and it was the best thing ever and I couldn’t even bless my mom’s bomb Chow Mein to “strengthen and nourish our bodies” before I was tearing up and whatnot.

Another (less essential to my salvation) thing that I miss when I’m not home is that it’s hot all the time.. and dry.. and when you swim it feels beautiful. And I can play king of the hill, on the steps of the pool- for hours with my brothers & Amber and still not be cold. There’s something about siblings that gives you an innate right to knock them off their feet and dunk them under the water and throw them around and still expect them to love you. And I love that. Adding to that list of things I love about Vegas is “jump hugs” as my 11 year old Lulu calls them. I got this precious running flying lulu one as I walked over to our car in the airport parking-lot which was perfect and a classic one (expertly executed by myself of course) as soon as I saw my dad. I have to take credit for the improvements she’s made in the “jump hug” department over the last few months though.. I’m convinced that it’s my flawless execution that she used to watch daily that has spurred the progress.

Another super awesome thing is that my Carly Dianne Campbell got home from Ukraine two days ago and I got to run over to her house and wake her poor little jet lagged-self up from a nap! I am so proud of her for going and doing something so good, that experience of a completely different culture is one that will change the way she think about a lot of different things. We are so so blessed and also so sheltered in America.. I cannot imagine dealing with the political situation that’s in Ukraine right now. The concept of having tanks drive past your home and people being killed just miles away from you is not one I can even pretend to understand.  I wanna be like her when I grow up!  

I also got to see an awesome/super depressing but precious movie with some of my favorite people last night. I love when I come home and see my Quinny who knows just how to make me feel like she’s missed me! And the adorable Rachel Jenkins! And I am so excited that my Mckenna (who has been one of my favorite people since the fourth grade) is gonna come live in The Burg with me next semester. AND with Jack who is obviously the coolest person ever since we’ve shared a life since the womb.. prob before in the premortal too. I know he secretly thought that movie (The fault in our stars) was precious, and loved going to a movie with all his girlfriends … even though he pretends it worried him when he overheard the gay guy in front of us tell all his friends that this movie was made for “girls and their gay friends”. He needs to stock up on his time with the ladies anyways considering he’s gonna be a hands off commodity within the next 96 hours.

                     

Spud Shooting Weather

Today I used my new favorite things.. Potato gun (yes.. only in Idaho)
and the weather was absolutely PERFECT.. and i ran just a little bit and threw a medicine ball at Amber and ate a bomb breakfast burrito from the very classy Roberto's Taco Shop

Ingredients

"Spud Launcher"

Hair spray

Good sized Spuds

Broom

Big rock

Drive into the middle of nowhere, unscrew the back of launcher (rocks may be used to forcefully remove when potato crap is stuck), spray a crap ton of spray paint into the contraption, shut lid tightly, face away from you and companions and press big red button.

Warning: Some hair was lost (singed off).. screw back of contraption on tight.

BUT.. I've heard shaving your arm hair is kinda in.. soo.

"Therefore Moments"

Today In my Book of Mormon Class we talked about my new favorite concept.. "Therefore moments". We were reading in Heleman13:4 about the story of the prophet Samuel who was trying to testify of Christ and preach repentance to the people and they “would not suffer that he should enter into the city; THEREFORE he went and got upon the wall thereof and prophesied unto the people whatsoever things the Lord put into his heart”.  Samuel could have turned around right then and left without delivering his message, but instead he took the experience in stride and chose to react by changing course and trying something different. He could have been disappointed and spiteful at the people who drove him out but instead he handled didn't let him phase him. I imagine him laughing just a little and then stealing his resolve and climbing up that wall.

One of my favorite quote: “One day she (or he..you can be a Queen too guys) finally grasped that unexpected things were always going to happen in life. And with that she realized the only control she had was how she chose to handle them. So, she made the decision to survive using courage, humor and grace. She was the Queen of her own life and the choice was hers.”

Samuel handled his disappointment with resolve, with grace, courage and I hope there was a bit of humor to soften to blow. I love this example- that is what the whole Book of Mormon (as well as the Bible) consists of- specific examples, preserved by God to help us know how to handle this life and everything that comes with it. There are so many instances I have seen and see in my life where I have to make the decision to react to things differently, to try again, to be positive..ect.

A kid in my class raised his hand and compared these “therefore” moments to guys as they’re rejected or let down by girls. I had to laugh, Bro Kivett said “those arrows those girls are throwing aren't gonna hit” and he replied “oh yes they do.. and they hit hard.” Probably one of my favorite moments in this class. And every other person in this room was laughing because they knew just how true that was. Elder Ballard’s talk "The  Power of Followup" was brought up, “I got her telephone number and called her the very next day to ask her out, but she was busy with school and social commitments. Thankfully, my mission taught me to be persistent even in the face of discouragement, and I was eventually able to make a date. And that date led to others. Somehow during those dates I was able to convince her that I was the only true and living returned missionary—at least as far as she should be concerned”, and I felt the need to give some serious props to some really good guys who know “the power of follow-up”.  There’s this awesome guy I know, who I was figuratively throwing the arrows at (unintentionally of course) and last Saturday he asked me out to lunch. Instead of lunch I ended up on an elaborately planned spy scavenger hunt to collect our lunch from some secret “agents” all over campus while getting text-ed directions from “intel” and then met him in the gardens to eat. The same guy answered my “I need some time to figure some things out” let down with a “well I’m just gonna keep asking you out, and you can say no till you’re ready (he says his motto is “The power of Follow-up” from last conference- haha)” And my eventual “I have a boyfriend now” let down, with a “that’s fine, don’t disappear on me”. I don’t have a boyfriend now and I still haven’t “figured out” all of whatever it is I want to figure out.. and i might never. But this guy is super great and his "power of follow-up" is commendable.

THEREFORE, because life never happens exactly the way I think it’s supposed to - I’m just going to suck it up and love what comes. 

Moms & Sucky Days

Tribute to my Mother who rocks:

Mother’s Day is Sunday and even though I just put her package in the mail today (so no, it won’t get there by Mother’s day) I really adore my mom. When I came to school I didn’t anticipate how much I’d realize I need my mom or realize how many things I know how to do purely because she’s my mother. First of all, I never really cook (quesadillas and oatmeal are just so flippin good) but I can make a rue, pat bruse’, bread, and some mean cream cheese brownies. Second, I don’t usually consider myself super crafty, but I have genetically (k.. not really) inherited how to make earrings, stencil something on the wall  from a computer font and distress a dresser. I didn’t know I was a crier, but sometimes I am and that’s ok because my mom is the queen of crying and it is therapeutic (or else you explode into a fiery ball of blood and puss). It’s absolutely OK to be soft, and sincere, and passionate even when those don’t seem like the safest or easiest things to be. Next, all thanks to her, I am fully aware that any sucky day is quickly resolved with a book & diet coke. I know how to “be sunshine” because she knows how to be sunshine personified, and when she tells me to “be sunshine”-I know she says it because my positivity will benefit me more than it possibly could anyone else. I know how to just work, and get really sweaty and dirty and keep working and even like it, because my mom knows how to do that. Another thing that is ingrained in me because of who she is, is "hope" not because she uses that word but because real solid hope of the eternities and of Heavenly Father is part if who she is. It is just how she lives her life. One of the things I’m most grateful my mom taught me is how to learn from people. I know how to look at another person and really admire them, and then work to be more like them. And finally (the list could be a lot longer) I got to watch my mom choose my dad over and over again for eighteen years, and watch her LOVE my family. I will get together and just laugh with my sister, and I will remember the importance of saying yes when my daughter asks me to drive around the block “one more time” so she can keep talking, and I will never forget to make my boys hug me, and I will PLAY with them- because I watched my mom do that.

-I want to be almost as cool as my mom when I grow up

Things that make me feel better about break-ups:

1. They suck for both people

2. Attachment & love are different.. so at least when it sucks you can try to differentiate

   3. Bad break up songs (Yes “I will survive”, wear “my red high heels”, “call that old boyfriend who says he’s got it bad for me”, “be in the back of your mind”, and “carve my name into your leather seat”)

4. Frozen yogurt HEALS.. HEALS

5 And so does crying sporadically for about a day (give or take)

6. Laughing at my sporadic down pours 

7. Calling my mom

8. If it was supposed to happen, it would happen.. and it didn’t.. so

9. Planning road trips to Vegas with your Best Friend

10. Auzzie accents and Elantris

11, Diet pepsi and taco bell

12. Face masks and legally blonde

13. Midnight dance parties with the apartment next door and Amber's strobe light

Tampons & Snow

I hate Rexburg.

I’m walking home from the grocery store (with Amber per usual).. with all my fruit, eggs, butter and tampons (so I’m already like in a super great mood).. wearing a skirt because I have work in a half an hour.. and it starts to snow (What the HAY it was sunny 10 minutes ago…..). And I’m just like; best day EVERRRR (all sarcasm intended)… and THEN this little red car pulls up and asks if we wanna ride. We just ran out into the street and hopped in their car! It was just some random cute engaged couple and their buddy (who happened to be from Henderson), that we’d never met before in our lives. And then I was like..

I love Rexburg.

(Even though the weather sometimes sucks.) Thanks random couple. You're super cute.