Dear Mom and Dad

So, as you can imagine, procrastinating cleaning my room for so long has given me some extra time to think. Mostly I’ve been thinking about BYU and moving out. It’s going to be really weird to not have you there with me. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without you guys, but I guess I’m going to find out soon.

Anyway, I’m writing this because I owe it to you.  You’ve put up with me for this long; it’s the least I can do.  It’s basically going to be a whole list of things, so sit tight.

• Thank you for these last almost 19 years.  They’ve been incredible so far all thanks to you.
• Thanks for always feeding me and taking care of me.
• Thanks for all those years of laundry, dishes, bathroom cleanings, etc. you had to do.
• Thanks for letting me move into the basement so I wouldn’t have to share a tiny room with Gillian again.
• Thanks for teaching me good manners.
• Thanks for teaching me how to be respectful.
• Thanks for always helping me with homework.
• Thanks for giving me those No Doubt/Paramore tickets this past May – that was such a fun night.
• Thanks for trusting me – you have no idea how much I appreciate and value it.
• Thanks for the iPod that one Christmas.  The iPod wasn’t that big of a deal, but the gesture was.
• Thanks for always teaching me to put school first – I wouldn’t be where I am now if you hadn’t done so.
• Thanks for not saying anything when I sing along with my music when I’m doing the dishes.
• Thanks for teaching me patience.
• Thanks for being so involved in The Gospel.  You’re testimonies have increased mine.
• Thanks for giving me a curfew; it’s helped me steer clear of some sticky situations.
• Thanks for teaching me to be sensible and practical – it has come in handy a few times.
• Thanks for treating me like an adult (most of the time, anyway) these past few years – I’m glad to know you think of me that way.
• Thanks for teaching me responsibility.
• Thanks for letting me drive the truck during that time when I didn’t have a car.  And thanks for letting me drive it in bad weather, too.
• Thanks for taking me to Disneyland so many times.
• Thanks for surprising us that one time you took us to Disneyland.
• Thanks for telling me the truth about things I needed your opinion on.
• Thanks for teaching me the importance of being punctual.
• Thanks for believing in me.
• Thanks for letting me go out and have fun with friends late at night.
• Thanks for making me take that typing class in 8th grade that I really didn’t want to take.  It’s been very useful.
• Thanks for paying for that summer of volleyball even though it didn’t really lead anywhere.
• Thanks for letting me do Jr. Jazz all those years. It was good to be involved in something like that.
• Thanks for paying for some of my school clothes this year.  You know, you’re not really obligated to do that for me anymore, don’t you?
• Thanks for letting me have the chance to move out.  I know it would be cheaper to live at home, but thanks for understanding that I need the experience.
• Thanks for choosing to live in Lehi.  So many good things have come from living here :)
• Thanks for coming to all those Jr. Jazz games, volleyball games, softball games, clogging competitions and recitals, choir and band concerts, and things like Graduation.  It means a lot to know that you support me.
• Thanks for trying to teach me piano.  I’m sorry I wasn’t very eager to pursue it.
• Thanks for taking me to the emergency room when I needed medical attention.  Thanks for sitting and waiting for me to wake up from that time I dislocated my elbow and when I had the kidney stone and was doped up on morphine.
• Thanks for paying for all those expensive emergencies. (There weren’t THAT many, but there were enough.)
• Thanks for all those Christmas presents over the past 19 years.  Shopping for me must be hard.
• Thanks for agreeing to pay for some of college.  Without you I might not be going.
• Thanks for allowing me to become the individual I am today.  I like the fact that I’m my own person.
• Thanks for appreciating me.
• Thanks for loving me.

And that’s just off the top of my head.  There’s so much more that you’ve done for me that I haven’t even touched the surface of!  I’m so lucky to have you two in my life.  You are both the most selfless people I know. 

Just in case you were wondering, I think you did something right, because I turned out fairly normal. 

I love you so much!  I hope this helps you realize how grateful I am to you.  I know being a parent is probably a very thankless job, but I hope this makes up for some of that.