Happy Father's Day!

Dear Dad,

Sometimes when I tell people that my father is a truck driver, they often respond by saying "Oh, so you must not see him very much then." I used to nod my head and agree. Then one day I thought, "Well, if it's true that I really don't see Dad that often, how is it that my memory bank is packed and spilling over the brim with memories of doing things with him?" 

There is quite a simple answer to that Dad, and it is one of my very favorite things about you. Whenever you are home, you make sure that we are always doing things as a family. Even if it is just a simple thing like driving to Brigham to get a Slurpee with the grandkids, you are always teaching me that family is the most important thing. Sometimes we just sit on the couch and watch The Andy Griffith Show (well, I should say that I watch The Andy Griffith Show and you "rest your eyes") but those are still some of my favorite memories. I am quite proud of the fact that while most other teenagers at school talk about the silly and superficial sitcoms they follow, I can happily reply that my favorite TV shows are Perry Mason, Hogan's Heroes, The Andy Griffith Show, Green Acres, and many other good-old classics. The saddest part is that they haven't even heard these titles, and I mean "saddest" as a reference to them because they don't know what they are missing out on. 

Another thing that sticks out is the memory of all the 5Ks I have been to in my life. I was about to say "5Ks that I have run in my life," but it's no secret that I haven't always enjoyed them and that I have most often participated a bit less-than enthusiastically. However, I realize now that those memories are always filled with various family members here and there and it's just another reminder to me of how important it is to be with the family. You are always working on ways to make us better people and live our lives in the best way that we can. 

I just realized that if I keep it up like this, I will never finish this letter because so many memories and other qualitites that I love about you keep popping into my head, but I wanted to finish with one of the most important things. I love that you love my mother. I have never doubted that for one second in my life. You are always serving her and planning some sneaky way to surprise her or do something kind for her, and I love participating in these little plots and seeing how happy you make her. Thank you both for being wonderful parents and teaching me the truths of the Gospel. I love you both dearly and I am very excited to see you in a little over a week!

Carol

   ...  

Are y'all still alive?

Dear Mom and family,

It hasn't been that long since that last time I wrote, and almost nothing has happened since then. I have been home by myself a lot in the past couple days and I had been hoping to use the time well to catch up on things that I was behind on and to get a lot done, but actually I wasn't very productive. I have also been a bit sick lately, which didn't help my lethargic mood either. However, I plan on going to bed early tonight and waking up and getting a fresh start bright and early tomorrow morning. Anyway, I haven't heard from you guys in a while so I was just wondering how everybody was doing. Hope everything is well and I will be seeing many of you quite soon!

Carolina

     ...   

Miracoli!

I apologize for not writing for a while, and I know I should try to catch y'all up on what has been going on, but this week I wanted to share a story. It's actually a really long and ugly story, but I'll try to cut down the details. *Spoiler Alert* It has a happy ending. Even though it doesn't seem like it should. Actually I will probably cut out most of the story because it's really not worth re-hashing and the ending is the very best part, but I'm getting ahead of myself. 

I was supposed to board a plane on Monday morning to finally visit Rome, which I have been wanting to see all year. I was so excited for this moment and I had been looking forward to it all week. For the past few weeks, actually. However, something came up and Sunday night I found myself not finishing packing and not preparing to depart the next morning. This is where I will cut out most of the story, because it's the long and ugly part, but there are some details that are important. In the end, the decision to not go was my own because it seemed to be causing so many problems and there were other factors involved, most of which occured that very day. At one point during the day, I found myself praying and begging God to help me understand what to do because I felt sick and confused inside. Asking if I should just call the whole thing off or continue with my efforts, and of course in my heart I was hoping and hoping and hoping and almost expecting for the answer to be to continue. And this is where the "thy will, not mine" part comes in. 

Sometimes God says no. 

However, this is also where the miracle comes in. It was okay. I expected to be disappointed and angry, but the only thing I felt was a calm in my stomach to have finished and cleaned up the matter. I still really want to see Rome, and I still feel like someday I will have that opportunity, but my biggest regret in the whole situation was that the money Mom and Dad had payed for the ticket had been wasted and not the fact that I wasn't able to go to Rome. I thought that maybe the calm would go away after a little while and I kept expecting myself to be mad about it the more I thought about it, but that's not what happened. Many people knew that I was supposed to leave on Monday and seeing that I was still here caused many to ask about the story and wonder what happened, but even telling them about it didn't bring bitter feelings. It was almost funny in a way, watching them react when they heard the story and calmly watching them get angry about it, even though it happened to me. To me that is the miracle. I know that God knows what is best for us, and sometimes He tells us no. It could be because it is not the right thing or the right time, but whatever the reason may be, I know that He has a reason for it. But I also know that when we listen to Him, He makes is easier for us to accept His will and He takes the bitterness out of disappointments. 

Even though I still haven't been to Rome or Venice or the other areas in Italy that I wanted to see, I am still very grateful to have had this chance to be here in Sicily. I have made incredible friendships and learned one million and one things. Every single one of you has helped me get here and I am so grateful to you for that. One of the most important things I have learned this year is how much I truly love my family and how important you all are to me. Sometimes I want to take a picture of the Italians' faces when I tell them how many siblings/nieces/nephews I have, but I wouldn't trade any of you for anything. I love you all dearly and I am excited to see you soon! 

Carolina

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