Feeling loved

My heart is so full today. I have to write this post just to let some of it out. This will go down in history as the mushiest thing I have ever written, but I don't care because it is all true. I am sorry that it is so long. I just have so many things to be grateful for today.

I go through hard times. I go through trials, I hit obstacles, I fall down. Especially recently.  The past few weeks have been so hard! But, there is something wonderful that I have that make the hard times worth it. That is my amazing (and I mean that word as literally and with as much emphasis as I can) family. It is because of them that I can still be happy and uplifted through these trials.

For those of you who don't know much about my extended family, (I am sorry if you don't) we are tight. Like, really tight. We hang out, have sleepovers, eat dinner on Sundays, but more than that we are just there for each other. There doesn't have to be a planned dinner or family reunion for us to communicate. I communicate with many of them on a daily/weekly basis. 

I love that I have family members who text or call me frequently, even if they don't know anything is going on. They just call to say hi. I love that I have family members who text me scriptures every night, I love family members who write hilarious blog posts about what I am missing "up north" and those who randomly surprise me with "what are you doing tonight?? I am in St. George!" I love that I will go home for the weekend and there will be cousins from age 10 to age 25 all having a sleepover together watching The Swan Princess and all equally loving it. I love Sunday family dinner with the Wall side of the family. That is what I miss most about living in Centerville. I love that my family isn't afraid to be themselves. I love that my Jenson Grandparents will randomly call and interrogate me about my love life. I love that at age 80 they still work out in the yard, and that Grandpa can still be seen up on the roof, adding another bedroom to their beautiful house all by himself. I love that my Grandpa Wall is the craziest man on this earth. I love that he calls us peasants. I love all the traditions we have. I love that the sandbox at my parents house is full of boulders; it is the mark of another started never finished project of my dad's. I love that my mom and grandma are amazing cooks. I love when people tell me I look like my mom. I love hearing what the Hess kids are doing now, I swear they have tried everything (I still think my favorite is when Lauren played the cello). I love that I pretty much always have a cousin on a mission and that they are always so inspiring and funny in their emails to home. I love that my siblings are so random, you should see some of their snapchats...yeah.

Seriously, I love you all. Even if you aren't one of those that I talk to on a daily basis I love knowing that you love me, that you care about me and that you've got my back.  I don't know how I was blessed with the best family in the world, and I don't know how I made the cut to be in the best family in the world. All I know is that I am so, so grateful.

My friends. Oh, my friends. Again, why did I get so lucky? I have the best friends anyone could ever ask for. I consider my friends to be family as well.  Just yesterday I had 4 different people text or call me to catch up and see how I was doing. That was on a pretty normal day. I love all my friends and I feel so loved by them. I get really attached to people, and that is hard in college when everyone is going every direction with their lives. Nothing makes my day more than being in contact with friends I haven't seen or heard from for a while.

Thank you all for being so supportive, especially through the hard times. I wish I could name you all by name but know that I love you all individually so so much.