Dear Library and MES Office

I can't remember if I ever officially thanked you for the fabulous baby shower you threw for Jason and I last summer. It's always incredibly exciting to welcome the first baby into a family, and we were thrilled you were happy to welcome our Little Miss with us.

I've been to a few baby showers and several bridal showers and I must say that never have I seen such an amazing spread of delicious food as what was available at our baby shower.

You were all so kind, and the "guess the name" game was so much fun! Thanks for everything; we felt really loved and enjoyed sharing our excitement with you.

They say it takes a village to raise a child, and I don't think we could have chosen a better village to help us parent our daughter. Thanks for your support and encouragement and advice.

Grateful,
Becky

Dear Jenn

My thank you to you is similar to my thank you to Rachel C. You both were so helpful when I was pregnant and had no idea what to expect. You were willing to share your birth story, your pregnancy woes and joys, your breastfeeding issues, your sleep deprivation, and anything else I inquired about. You weren't shy at all, and your explicitly detailed narratives were more than helpful - if there is a word that means that, insert it there!

Even after Kayla was born you were willing to answer any questions about newborn care, doctors, breastfeeding, diaper rash, baby routines, and more. You've impressed me as one of a few "Super Moms" I know, and I really appreciate your insights.

Not only did you share your experiences in hopes that they would be beneficial, but you also offered encouragement when I needed it most. Though my husband was always (and will always be) there for me, there is something different about the understanding of a fellow first-time mom. It was incredibly heartening to know that there was someone out there who understood where I was coming from, what I was feeling, and had some ideas on how to make it better...or at least bearable.

Thank you SO much for all of your sage advice and free help. You've been a godsend...even from 2,000 miles away.

Thanks, Jenn.

A Grateful Mother,
Becky

Dear Next-Door Neighbours

It's pretty sad that I don't know your names. When I was a kid, we knew EVERYONE within a block of our house - a CUBIC block, if you will. We were friends with almost all of them, too - Mormons, Catholics, non-church-goers, middle-aged couples, young families, grandparents...all of them. I can probably still tell you the names of most of the people who lived in each house in that old neighbourhood. Today I think maybe two of the same families are there...and mine isn't one of them, sadly.

Today I only know the name of one of the kids in the other house because her parents won an ATV and were in the paper. Sad.

At any rate, the reason I'm writing to you is because you have been fabulous neighbours. We've lived here for two and a half years and I can't complain about anything you've done. Within the first week you'd introduced yourselves, welcomed us, and asked if there was anything you could do for us. Last summer you warned us that you were going to be having parties to celebrate 1) Your child's high school graduation and 2) Your twins' 16th birthday. You apologized in advance for being noisy a bit later than we may like. We appreciated the heads up, but never heard a thing. When your dogs bark you often call them inside. When you're outside at night, it is rare and you aren't noisy about it. You've never encroached on our property, invaded our privacy, damaged anything of ours, been rude or inconsiderate, or done anything to be considered even slightly bad neighbours.

That is amazing.

Thank you so much for being such fabulous neighbours; we hope we've been as good from our side of the fence.

Signed,
Becky

Dear Alex

You literally made high school twice as good by being there. You made me laugh so much and so hard that I often look back on those days and wish I could travel in time just so I could experience that amazing fun again.

You and I had a lot in common back then. We had some great conversations, and not all of them were in Musfinqil. :)

In fact, now that I'm looking back on it, that word seems such a natural part of my vocabulary and the language so ingrained in my mind that I can't ever remember not knowing and using it. (Does anyone still remember what "Musfinqil" stood for in the first place?) But it's kind of like you. I can hardly remember a time when you weren't a part of my life. And THAT is a good thing.

You've taught me a lot. Mostly because you talk a lot and you know about everything there is to know about anything, but I've had some amazingly deep philosophical conversations with you that I really do miss these days.

I'm super glad you're still around the area and that we're still friends. I'm pretty sure you're one of those people God put in my life for a lifetime, not just a mere season. And I've thanked Him for that MANY times.

Now I must thank you: Thank you for being such a good friend; thank you for teaching me things; thank you for always being willing to answer my questions, even when they were really hard ones; and thank you for including Jason and me in your game nights. One of these days we'll do those again.

I love you, my friend.

Beckdy

Dear Rachel C.

I know I said thank you a few times while I was pregnant, but I probably didn't say it enough. You really helped me out! I was all at once terrified and thrilled and had no idea what to expect. You used your calm assurance to share with me your experience and answered any questions I had. I can't tell you how much that meant to me!

You've also been a wonderful friend, watching Kayla so Jason and I could have a much-needed date night (or two or three!), inviting us over for dinner and Sabbath games, letting us watch your adorable little boy so we could have a taste for what having a son would be like, made sure our dog had food and water while we were gone for a weekend...the list goes on.

And I cannot forget to mention how much I appreciate your musical gift. You've helped me last-minute with a few special musics for church, and you let me sing with you every month, so my life is wonderful! :) God has truly blessed our church with you and your talents and willingness to share them. Thank you for letting me be a part of that. I am so blessed every time I make music with you and Charley, and I always think, "Wow. I must really be special for God to give me this unspeakable gift."

You inspire me. Your knowledge of the Bible, your faith, your disinterest in being anyone but yourself, your ability to be such a great mother - especially now that you're pregnant with number two! - your musicality...all of it makes me want to be a better person.

Thank you, my friend!

Becky

Dear Jodi

Yes, yes, I know it seems like I'm brown-nosing. But I really do need to say "thank you" to you for the many opportunities you've given me since taking over your current job. Don't worry, I'll make this quick.

Rosa was a gem to hire me nearly fresh out of college, with absolutely NO experience in public relations. I didn't even have a degree in communications or journalism. What I did have, though, was a passion for writing and a desire to learn all I could about doing it as a career. The amount of knowledge I have now has at least quadrupled since April 12, 2007 - my first day as a PR professional.

You have taken what Rosa started and built on it, and I'm loving every minute of it. I've had more opportunities to learn what PR is all about than I ever really dreamed of, and I look forward to many more. You've helped me discover a dream - I became an English major with the goal of becoming a publishing house editor. (Though, admittedly, I really had - and still have - no idea what that actually entails.) You gave me the chance to edit a publication and see it through from beginning to end. Thank you.

One thing I do love doing is writing magazine articles. You have certainly not put a stop to that; I really appreciate that you ask what I want to do, what I enjoy doing and what I feel I'm good at, and then help me explore more of those things, while still opening my eyes to new and different options as well.

I said I'd keep this short, so I will. But know that I feel that God has blessed me with such a wonderful office to work in and a fabulous professional to work for, and I am eternally grateful to you for the experiences you've allowed me to have. Thank you.

Becky

Dear KarrLayn

You make me laugh. You're goofy, you're funny, you're fun and you're sweet and that all adds up to one fantastic woman. There have been a few women in my life who have been there for me when my mom couldn't be (i.e. at high school, during college, etc.), and you are definitely one of them.

Thanks for listening to me, and thanks for understanding me when I talked about disappointments and frustrations. As I discovered things about life I didn't necessarily like, you nodded and smiled a sad smile and said you had been there, too. And you cried with me. That helped immensely.

It was so much fun playing in steel drums with you. The interactions between you and Brandon made me laugh so often. What an adventure! We've been to Florida, Tennessee, Orcas Island and Bermuda together, and I'd always hoped we'd make it to Europe. At least one of us got to go on tour there!

Thanks for being patient with me and kindly being honest with me all the time. Thanks, too, for introducing me to your daughter. Many happy exchanges have happened between she and I and I can see where she got her beauty, for sure! :) (Hint: It wasn't Brandon.) :)

You're the lucky one who gets a "Thank You" blog from me on Mother's Day, so Happy Mother's Day to one of the world's finest. Lots of Love and a Big Hug from me to you.

Thank you for being such a wonderful second mother.

Love,
Becky