DRJ

I know this is a day late, but I want to say happy 17th birthday to my studly little brother, Devin!

I wish I could have been there to celebrate it with you, Dev. But I heard you were on a hot date and I didn't want to interrupt. :) Here are some things that I love about Devin:

He's just about the nicest, kind-hearted guy you'll ever meet. This kid will do anything for you, and then when he's done, he'll ask you if you need anything else.

Devin has his own style. He doesn't care what other people think about him, and because of that, he is so much cooler!

Devin is a peacemaker. He never fights with anyone, and he has this calmness that he carries with him. He's laid-back and chill.

Lastly, you can't beat this kid's sense of humor. If I'm having a hard day, I call him and end up laughing my little heart out.

Happy birthday, Devin! I'm sad you won't be joining me in good ol' Provo next year, but that doesn't mean we can't have some fun road trips.

Mother Dearest

Dear Mom,

Happy birthday! I hope it's been a great one and I'm glad that I've been able to spend it at home with you. You are an amazing example to me of selfless service, an example of someone who will jump at the chance to provide help to someone in need. You are an example to me of someone who will fiercely defend her children. You have gone to bat for me countless times, and for that I am extremely grateful. You are a loyal mother, wife, and friend, and you honor what you say you will do.

Thank you for the countless hours that you've talked to me. I know sometimes I call home too much, have too many stories and sometimes too many tears, and you have shown so much patience. Thank you for the little gifts, the letters, and the care packages left under the seat of my car, in my suitcase when I leave home, and in my mailbox at school. They each mean so much to me.

Thank you for being an example of beauty. We all know I have a hot mom, and your example of good health has shown me that maybe someday I can look half as good as you. :) But while you are beautiful outside, I don't think it even comes close to the beauty you have on the inside. Your kindness and ability to bethere for someone who needs you is unprecedented. I don't think I've ever met anyone who comes close to you.

Thank you for your testimony. Your quiet faith has been an example to me as my testimony has grown and shaped itself over the years. I take it as a compliment whenever someone tells me I look or act like you. No one can say anything nicer to me!

I love you, Mom, and I hope this next year shows you lots of happiness. You are an amazing woman, and everyone who knows you better realize how lucky they are to have come across you in their lives.

Love,

Alexa

Now, I know she might get mad, but here's a little photo montage of my mom. Isn't she beautiful??

Seriously. Hot couple award right here. I have attractive predecessors.

Oh, darlin' don't you ever grow up.

Are you ready for an emotion-driven, sappy post? Well, you might be in for one. And I'm sorry! I've had a lot on my mind this week and writing about it is therapeutic for me. This week I've been thinking a lot about growing up. My brother Tyler just moved down to Provo and he is living with some of my great friends. All of them are done with school, and in my eyes all of them are, essentially, "grown-ups." They're doing the whole life thing on their own. They're picking out furniture for their new, amazing apartment (I affectionately refer to it as the "palace"), and they work full-time. They even have SALARIES. Um...I want one!

And then my dear friend Jenni said good-bye to me tonight. I met Jenni two years ago in London, and she has been a big part of my life ever since then. She took her last final at BYU today and leaves for southern California tomorrow to be a grown-up.

So all this growing up business has me excited to graduate from BYU. Don't get me wrong, I have LOVED my time here. It has been full of fun, growth, challenges, and of course, learning. I wouldn't give my education up for anything. But I'm ready for whatever is coming next for me. Who knows what it is, but I'm excited!

Until then, I'm off to finish packing, move out of my apartment, and head to California to see my family and my friend Cailey's wedding!!

Also, I hate packing. My poor little room looks so different.

Love Notes

Tonight was one of those nights. The one where nothing is really going on, you're home alone, and your mood starts to sink a little bit. I hope I'm not the only one who occasionally has those! The stress of moving in the next few weeks, of paying rent when I have about $5 in my bank account, and other things just kind of got to me. So I decided to read some notes.

I have a drawer in my room where I keep notes and letters from friends, family, neighbors, etc. I haven't read them in a while, and browsing through them was just what I needed. Notes like those remind me to put a smile back on my face, and to keep moving forward. They remind me that there are people out there who care about me, who want the best for me. So to those of you who have written me a "love note" in the last 4 years, thanks. Thank you for reminding me that I'm beyond blessed for having so many wonderful, amazing, and inspirational people in my life. And thanks for the memories those notes remind me of.

Father I Love You, Father I Do

Happy Father's Day, Dad! I know I'm biased, but I think I have the best dad in the world. Many of my memories from growing up were created by or involve him. Here are a few of my favorite things about David Cromar Justesen:

1. Motorcycle rides that always ended with a 7-11 Slurpee

2. Vacations to San Diego, Disneyland, Mexico, Hawaii, and Europe

3. His (and now my) appreciation for nice cars

4. Countless dance recitals that I know he probably didn't want to go to, but he never missed a single one anyway

5. Coaching my T-ball teams

6. Teaching me to drive a truck in the parking lot of a church

7. Various In-N-Out, Baja Fresh, and Big Mac Monday trips

8. Teaching my seminary class all four years

9. All of his advice and one liners: "Never pay full price for anything", "There's always a better way", "Don't give me lip service", "The worst they can say is 'no'", and the list goes on

10. Teaching me how to whistle

11. His ability to master a Santa suit, and how he makes Trick-or-Treaters sing Christmas songs to receive candy

12. His uncanny likeness to Tim the Tool Man Taylor and the white version of Bill Cosby

13. His Hawaiian shirts that he's had for years

14. How he loves my mom and my siblings and me and he sacrifices a lot for us

I love you, Dad! P.S. Anyone would be lucky to have this man as a father-in-law. I'm jut sayin... :)

Reflection

With Christmas and New Year's coming and being home over the break, I don't know how much blogging I'm going to be doing in the next couple weeks. So until 2011 gets here and I get back to Provo and back into the swing of a new semester, I'm going to reflect now on some things I learned during2010. If I had to find one word that defined 2010 for me, I think it would be "Growth." I've definitely done a lot of that this year, in lots of ways. So without further ado, here's a list to round out my 2010. Merry Christmas, and I hope you all have a happy holiday season! See you in 2011.

1. Maria von Trapp said it once, and I'll say it again. "When God closes a door, He opens a window." And sometimes, He even breaks a whole wall down just in case you're being stubborn and aren't able to feel the breeze coming in from said window.

2. It's okay to be silly. Did I play innertube waterpolo this year? Yes. Did we look like idiots? Yes. Was it so fun anyway? YES. Ward Halloween party. Did I fall at Classic Skating? Yes. Did we take silly pictures? Yes. I've done silly things this year, but I've learned it's fun to let go and act like a little kid sometimes, no matter how old you are.

3. Write things down. I've been an avid journal since I was 8, because writing is therapeutic for me. But I learned this year that writing is a great way for me to vent about how I'm feeling instead of getting angry over little things that in the long run won't even matter.

4. Taylor Swift has a song to go with every minute of my life. And after listening, I always feel better.

5. Family will always be there for you. During a rough summer and challenging semester, my family was always there whenever I needed them. I love that, even though we're all getting older, we can still be silly together. Hence the picture below.

6. Make everyone's day better. I saw so many people do this for me this year, and maybe they didn't even know it. My goal is to make sure that, after someone talks to me, they feel better about themselves. I want to be a light in people's lives.

7. Take time to take a break. One of my favorite parts about this year was going to visit my favorite family in Texas. I took two days off from school, and I played with 4 little kids. And it was just what I needed.

8. Make friends with everyone. This year I've been blessed to live in a wonderful ward, and I've made lots of friends. I've also rekindled friendships with old friends, too. Having a variety of people to go to makes life so much better!

9. Appreciate the things you have in your life, because before you know it they can disappear.

10. Don't change who you are for anyone or anything. I've learned this semester that if someone doesn't appreciate you for what you are or what you bring to the table, it's possible to surround yourself with people who do.

11. Most importantly, remember that things will always work out for you. One of my favorite talks this year was the one by President Uchtdorf, called, "Continue in Patience." It constantly reminds me that, as long as I'm doing the things I should be doing and waiting patiently with faith, Heavenly Father will take care of me.