Sunny Day

 I don't think it's a coincidence that I'm feeling so happy today. It's the first day for like a week that the sun is shining. It has been POURING rain and we've had thunder and lightning every day. I love that for like a day, but after that, please give me back my sun. I am a sun girlie all the way. 

For the first time, I am really believing that the school year is going to end. It's going to end fast. My students have been really good today. Ms. Orlando (her first name is Meridian and she's the awesome biology teacher I push in with and she's my age and we're friends) and I had to call the office again for these four boys who always vape, but other than that, it's been a nice day. 

I have a lot of blessings. It's easy for me to get hyper-focused on what's happening at the moment, including all my problems. I have a lot of emotions, and I can, unfortunately, be what our dear President Nelson would call myopic. The sun always comes out again, as it has today. Life always, always, always gets better again. I am getting better at having that eternal perspective or thinking celestial. I'm sure grateful for an inspired prophet. I'm grateful for a really wonderful family who I can't wait to see this summer. I'm grateful that, even though I won't get to see her, Lina is going on a mission and will get to experience all the amazing blessings there. I'm grateful that Liberty has dear little Parley. I'm grateful that Desi is pregnant. I'm grateful that my brothers and parents are doing well. I'm grateful that my parents are going to help me move (again) and let me live with them. I'm pretty old for that, but they aren't turning me away. I'm grateful for all my amazing, supportive extended family. 

I'm grateful to be in the longest and healthiest dating relationship I've ever been in. As we know, I've been engaged twice. Both times, we had only dating for three months when we got engaged. I've been dating Cristian for six months, and I think I will continue to date him for many months more. I am grateful for the safety and stability and joy he brings me. I read on all the all-knowing facebook that men are meant to bring stability to relationships and women are meant to bring warmth. Because he is so stable, it makes it so easy for me to be warm. I'm genuinely enjoying each day with him. It feels so good to be loved for who I am. And I love him too. 

I'm so grateful that I moved to Georgia! I miss the Tabernacle Choir and my family, but I was meant to be here. I have found my footing. The months I've spent here have been sweet and calm and growth inducing. I have been more independent than I ever have in my life, which is not how I want to be forever, but it's sure been good for me to learn. I've learned SO much about classroom management and teaching and I've learned SO much Spanish. I've learned a lot about dating and about loving myself. I've had the best therapist of my life. I've had the best roommates of my life. 

I'm grateful for the adorable Savannah YSA Branch. That place has been such a strength and happiness-bringer for me. I'm totally the grandma of the branch. I think I'm like three years older than the next oldest active girl (and all the boys but like two) and I'm eight to ten years older than most everyone.  Still, I have loved them. I have loved rallying them to participate in musical numbers pretty much every single week. I've loved hosting Sunday night Come Follow Me/game nights. I've loved driving people to the temple. I've loved getting to know the legendary Thatchers, the branch president and his wife, with all their personality and their love. I've loved witnessing so many dear friends in the branch become more converted, get baptized and join the church, be reactivated, start serving, and stay active in the church. The gospel is just amazing. 

I'm grateful for the beautiful world we live in. Everywhere I go, I can feel God's love and majesty in nature. The rain will always come again, but I especially love beautiful, sunny days like today.