The best year of my life

When the end of the year comes and a new year approaches, I frequently sit and contemplate my successes and create goals to achieve my dreams and goals. However, at the close of this year, I realize how much I have to be thankful for this year. This has been a miracle year for me and because I have done so much stretching and growing, I have spent too much of my time focusing on growing pains, when in reality, this has been the best year of my life:

- I was blessed with endowments from on high as I entered into the Holy Temple. My whole life, I read about ancient temples and the prophets that dwelled inside and became so much stronger from the ordinances inside. I remember sitting outside the temple as a kid and looking up at it and waiting until I was old enough and worthy enough to enter the temple. I would listen to hymns that would remind me of my purpose of this earth and how I would return to my Heavenly Father and yearn for the day I could sit in the temple walls and feel of his spirit. Now that I have entered into the temple, my favorite part is sitting in the celestial room and just sitting and feeling. I love the peace and happiness these covenants bring and I never want to forget how beautiful and how sacred these experiences are. I remember what it was like before I made these covenants and my heart still is just so full of happiness.

- I was able to be married in the temple, surrounded by the people who love me the most. Not only did my celebrations and the fun trip we took for our honeymoon exceed my expectations, but the simple, yet extraordinary experience of being married to my husband was by far the most special experience I have had thus far in my life. I have a husband who loves me and cherishes me above all others. He treats my like royalty and makes me laugh and roll my eyes at him every day. He listens to my concerns and puts my needs above him. When I act crazy, he is patient with me and learns what he can do to make me happy. That is what marriage is and I got to learn the joys of marriage this year with the person I love the most, my best friend.

- I was accepted into my husband's family. The stereotypes of in-laws were not true for me. I feel like I have a second set of parents and new brothers and sisters. Every time I go with J.T. back to his home, I feel comfortable and I feel loved. His grandmothers, his aunts and uncles, his cousins, friends and immediate family help me feel loved and accepted. They bring the best out of my husband and they motivate me to love deeper and care about people in a deeper way.

- The principal at the school I loved the most was able to give me a position so I could have a secure job doing what I love the most. At this school, I have a very supportive administration, I have had fellow teachers who have taken me under their wings and given me advice to become a better teacher, I have helped build the program from 15 kids to our now 50 kid program ranging from third grade to eighth grade. But the biggest blessing from this opportunity is the love and the bond I share with these kids. They come in before school and after school just because they love music so much and they want to be a part of this orchestra family we have built. The culture in Memphis, let alone Douglass is so unique from anywhere else that I can't expect anyone else to understand. But when these kids talk to me and hug me, I feel that all my hard work is worth something and I am sharing with them something that means the most to me.

- I was called to be the young women's president of my ward at my church. While this is a big responsibility despite the many obligations I have currently, I have gained a deep love for the youth of my church. I am still learning, but the short time I have been there, I have seen them grow so much already. I love watching them interact with one another because they are such examples to those around them. I see so many of the students I care about at school make wrong choices that lead them down paths of misery and regret; but I regain my hope as I watch these young women make goals and raise the people around them. They perform acts of service, they learn the skills they need to learn to improve themselves, and they reach out to those around them. They are thinking about their future and what they can do to improve. I also learn from their comments and insights in our lessons and just love who they are.

- I am about to celebrate my first Christmas married. There are so many exciting feelings of Christmas. So many new things. I have a husband who spoils me and who has presents wrapped for me already. I have an incredible mom and grandma who got me a whole bunch of gifts and wrapped them to help me still feel loved as this is my first Christmas away from home- and it is really hard. I am so excited to start these new traditions with my new family while I still continue on the traditions I have had from before as I ache for my family and their companionship.

At only 24, I have learned and grown so much. I don't know when I will ever be able to experience this many blessings all in one year again. As I said before, it has been stretching, but I am so blessed and oh so happy.