Thank You

I have some time to kill this morning because lately, my body really loves waking up really early. I decided I would take the time to write my thank you's out to everyone. Sorry I've been a little M.I.A. I'm just trying to soak it all up before I have to go back to work and school (school only has 2 more weeks.. YAY!)

To You: 
Thank you. To everyone. To you, my mom and dad, my siblings, my best friends, and my mg's. To my church leaders and anyone who knew what it felt like to have a mish out. Thank you to those who support me and Brady. And of course, to the waiter haters, thank you ;) I'm grateful for the endless hugs, and smiles. For the endless "I can't wait for you to be with him again!"'s and the "You two are so cute, so happy for you!"'s. For reading my depressing, sad, I miss-my-boyfriend-but-here's-what-i've-been-doing-for-two-years blog. Thank you for getting excited when I got a letter or a package. Thank you. Seriously. I could not have made it without a lot of you. Especially my best friend Abby. She has helped me so much through this wait, and everything else in between. She's my solid rock and support and she's my best friend for life. Nothing will ever tear us apart. Nothing can separate us. Abby, thank you for your kind and patient heart. Thanks for listening to me talk about Brady endlessly. It really means a lot.
Thank you to my roommates. For being there for me when Brady first left, and continuously throughout his mission. Mini m&m's will always make me think of you. And I can't wait for you all to meet him :) He's a sweetheart and you'll love him!
Thank you to my sweet friend Jenna. She really helped me live while Brady was gone. I did more things the whole two years with her, than on my own. We had some really great times and I'll always miss that. But I hold those memories dear to my heart. She's so sweet and her baby girl is gorgeous. Looks just like her mommy :) Love you Jenna, "It's the best out there!"
Thank you to Brady's family as well. For loving and supporting me while Brady was gone. It's nice to have his family accept me, even while he was gone. It's hard being alone and not having him here, but their kindness helped me survive it. I love all of them very much, even the little kiddos that I'm excited to get to know more.
Thank you to Granny. For sending me his emails every single Monday without fail. I always knew at 8 AM I would have a notification on my phone that said, "England." And if I didn't receive it, whether it was at all or later in the day, thank you for calling me to make sure I knew you didn't forget about me. You are so kind and I'm grateful for your caring heart.
Thank you to everyone.

To My MG's:
Thank you. I used to be apart of the W4AM group on Facebook which included over 1,000 girls. I left it around the year mark. I just didn't feel that support was for me anymore. But that group helped me through the first couple months and I'm grateful. I've met some of the most amazing girls through that group. The majority of the girls that I met when I first started have all "graduated" and lives are started. I'm so grateful to all of you who answered my questions, or just simply said, "I know what you're going through." I never met every single girl that I met online, in real life, but the majority of them have become some of my very best friends :) To the parties, of talking really loud, and laughing, and talking of our boyfriends, the areas they're in and all that they've been through. What it's like to get letters from them, packages and how much longer we all have left to wait. From becoming friends with all of them on Facebook, to having dinner in real life. Jamming out to Justin Bieber, to making slideshows of our boyfriends. These girls have been with me through thick and thin. I'm so grateful to them.

To Brady:
Thank you for being patient with me. This hasn't been easy on either of us, but knowing we have each other makes it all worth it. The numerous letters I've sent, thank you for loving me anyway. I know I seemed crazy, probably majority of the time, but it's okay, because you love me still. You still accept me. I can't tell you how grateful I am for your endless love and support, even so far away. You were focused on so many things, all of them so very dear and important to the Lord, but you still found time to tell me hi, that you love me and that you're doing okay. All those sweet gifts, surprise emails and the little things you did to prepare me before you left, are some of my very favorite things. I cannot believe how much you truly cared about me before you left, and even while you were gone. You were and still are an amazing missionary. You may not wear the name tag anymore, but your missionary work does not end at the releasing. It goes on forever and ever, and I'm so grateful to have an example like you. Someone who inspires me to be better about my studies, my prayers, and the Christlike attributes I should strive to obtain. Thank you for serving a mission, and for making that choice on your own. You could have chosen so many different ways in life, and not that any of those are wrong, I'm just really glad you chose to serve a mission. It has changed you in such a great way, yet you're still the same Brady I love. I love you and I'm so grateful to have a blessing like you in my life.


And finally,
To all MG's; current and/or pre-mission:
Hold on. Do not let go. If this is a decision you have made, stick to it. A lot of people have asked me if I have dated and waited, and I can honestly say yes. I've gone on dates, and seriously dated someone. I won't go into details, but going on dates helped me meet people and have friends. It was a great time to grow and learn, and it just so happens Institute really helps you :) Attend institute, make it a priority. I did, and I found myself graduated from Institute. Who knew that was possible? Anyway, stick to your church meetings. Go to every.single.hour. even if you're sitting alone. Stay strong in your relationship with your Father in Heaven. Make prayer a first priority, not a last resort. A Book of Mormon that is falling apart, usually belongs to someone who isn't. Hold that book dear to your heart, it will get you through everything. Consistently read your patriarchal blessing. It's purpose is to help you on your way in life, and it definitely comforted me when I needed it most. Stay close to family and friends. Stay busy. I cannot stress that enough. Staying busy helps the days go by faster, and soon, you'll find yourself at the airport.

Don't give up. Even when the nights are hard. When you cry yourself to sleep because your heart aches for a hug. A simple hug. When you didn't get a letter, or haven't gotten one in a month or more. When you think he's forgotten you because other girls are getting a package every month, or 7 letters in 1 week. When you meet waiter haters, and you get the same statements from them as everyone else, "A lot can happen in two years," or "You're really going to wait for him?" and you proudly, yet feeling somewhat lonely, say, "yes." Because you love your missionary, don't give up. When you meet other boys, and they either shun you because you have a missionary, don't care and still want to date you, don't give up. You'll meet boys who are simply nice, and want to be your friend. Just remember to make a decision if things start getting serious with someone, because someone will get hurt. You will, and either your mish or the other guy will. Pray about it. Just don't give up.

They come home ladies. They truly do. No matter all the tears, sleepless nights, the countless "I-miss-you"'s, the, "can't-wait-to-hear-from-you"'s in all the letters you handwrite weekly. All the emails that talk of his mission, the pictures that are shared. It is all worth it. 

You will survive this waiting. And it is possible to wait for someone and/or something for 2 years (or more). You can hold strong, and still be in love, in a long-distance relationship. You will meet people who won't support you, but you always meet one more person who does. One more person who understands, one more person to hug and comfort you. Keep going, stay strong, and stay close to the Lord. The wait does come to an end, you just have to be patient, and understanding. Your sweetheart will come home. You will get to hold their hand again, maybe even kiss them ;) You will get to see their smiling, shining face. You will get to know what it feels like to be with them again. They won't be going anywhere when they get home, and it's the best feeling ever. You can do this. You can make it. My success story is just an addition to the thousands out there.

Don't give up ladies, you can make it. :)



Again, thank you to everyone for your love and support. I appreciate it, and it isn't forgotten.