#4 Dear past Alex....

4. List 10 things you would tell your sixteen-year-old self.
Man oh man this is gonna be interesting....

#1. Let your inner freak flag fly!! 
Yes, some people already find you to be a little annoying and overwhelming Alex, but trust me after high school YOU DON'T SEE THEM! The amazing and fun people around you, who enjoy you being full on dork, will be the ones you talk to, even if only occasionally. 

#2 This "Trever Torgerson" thing you got goin' on.... needs to end. 
It's not going to work out. Don't waste these moments on him. It doesn't matter that people keep repeating "Don't give up he likes you!"...... He doesn't .....He will just break your heart after dragging you around for a long time. Your husband is going to be the nice boy you think Trever is. Just enjoy your friends right now and study for school.

#3 Spend more time with Kelsey. 
He has been a great friend to you, You may think that he will always be there because he is basically one of your brothers, but what he means to you now is nothing. Cherish the time with Kelsey that you can. Tell him he is important to you even though you have grown apart the older you have gotten. 

#4 Go out more.
You may feel awkward. You may think that people hate you. It doesn't matter. Your house will always be there. Stop being such a homebody and get out into the world.

#5 Hang out with the Crose Family.

In a couple years you are going to spend some of the best nights of your life hanging out with Bob, Larry and Calvin. Just go ahead and make that transition now. Koosharem isn't where you will be happy (See #2) Bryanna will be at your house a ton too so you are not going to lose her over it. Go ahead and start the laughing now. That family is amazing!

#6 It does get better.
No you are not the most depressed person in the world, and yes days are going to be hard. However, High School?? NOT the best days you will have..... NOT EVEN CLOSE! Those people who have told you otherwise, know nothing.... 

#7 Keep on Loving Art History.
Georgi is going to teach you SO much about the history of the world. She is going to inspire you to be brave enough to do many things. She may seem to prefer other students over you, but listen to her. Because of everything she teaches, you are going to spend the most incredible time in the most incredible place in the world!!!

#8 You are important. 
Stop letting yourself feel as though you do not matter. Your low self esteem comes from a lifetime of put downs, and you apparently are doing a great job hiding it. But stop feeling it altogether. You will make a difference in peoples lives one day. You are a good human being and have no idea how hypocritical those people that tell you otherwise are. 

#9 Your brothers suck.
Seriously they do.... no other way to put it. They are there to torture you for a few more years. YOU STILL LOVE THEM THOUGH. They will be fun to have when they are older, but stop taking what they say as if it is a Holy Truth. You get a lot of those self esteem problems from them. *News Flash* They lie. Your parents won't believe you either about most of it, so stop trying to find comfort through them. Just get over it all and ignore them for a few years. Their rude friends won't be around when you grow up anyway.

#10 The boy of your dreams is coming. 
You haven't had a boyfriend yet, and you won't have one at all. Your first kiss will come when you are 18. It may seem ridiculous, but kissing boys and needing that perfect one is stupid. You are going to be so happy with what happens to you later in life that it will not even matter that you can't attract their attention with a strobe light and an air horn now. Keep on with the tomboy-ness that is you. It is something that your future husband adores. 

                                             - Sincerely yours, Future Alex

#3 The Rents

# 3 Describe your relationship with your parents. I feel this needs no real intro, seeing as I'm about to start a really... long... cheesey.. ramble...

My father

      Ahh ,what can I say about my dear old dad? I have been and always will be a "Daddy's girl."  (You
don't get to be the only girl and NOT earn that title anyway right?) I love my dad. He is one of the kindest people I know who, quite frequently, gets put into situations where it is difficult to be. I look up to him in many ways, and learn many lessons from things he tells us. His advice is something I seek out even for the minor problems of life. For some reason it has been implanted into my brain that if I don't have the answer one of my parents will. I have spent many hours talking his ear off and at the same time enjoying the silence that may come as long as he is near. I learn new things about him daily now that I am an adult, and it never ceases to amaze me. He has been through things in life that may make others go crazy, but he has come out on top of it all. He IS a super hero through and through. Flaws and all.

    Some of my greatest memories are spent with my dad. To this day I still love going shopping with my parents, because my dad and I will make fun of everything in the store and spend the day laughing. He even puts up with me enough to walk silly by my side and let our legs overlap one step at a time. Anytime I think of being with my dad I think of laughing. He plays along with the silliest of jokes and has the most contagious laugh I have ever heard.

     I know that my dad does not just impact my life either. I have friends who say that a hug from him can cure almost any emotional situation you have. Getting an embrace from him seems to make you melt into his arms and you can literally feel yourself break down and melt away. I have shed many tears on some of his best shirts. He never seems to mind. Anytime I have any problem, I know that he will not judge and simply
give me the input to help in any way he can. Whether it was stupid boy problems (Glad THOSE days are over) or even just and issue with my teachers, my dad was always there to listen and give advice. He is also not afraid to tell me when I am wrong, or help me to see the other persons perspective. I do not judge others for their lives, because he has taught me that you never know what has happened to them to make them they way they are.

    I also admire the way he treats others. Being an officer makes people want to hate you while at the same time run to you in their time of need. My dad has immersed himself into this world and shows a true love for this profession. He will talk of the people in the community as if they are our family. Everyone knows him and he does his best to know everyone as well.Several people get a sense of ease if he is the one who responds to their call for help. I am very proud to be my fathers daughter.


My Mother

     Every mother and daughter go through problems that can rip them apart or bring them closer together. I think it is some sort of ritual that they must fight, especially while said daughter is in her teenage years and full of raging hormones that will make her explode into a fireball of death if not released! My mom and I have fought many battles in the house of Whittaker and neither ever came out a victor. Even still I have never hated my mom. I heard a lot of girls in high school say that they "HATED" their mom. for doing this or doing that, and even though we fought I would always say that I LOVE her. My mom is the best mom in the world. She was not "Suzy homemaker." She did not keep our rooms clean for us while serving cookies off a golden platter, but she was there to heal every wound. She was there the giggle with us and sing as loud as she could in the car. She taught me how to be silly and learn to laugh at life and its problems.

     My mom is someone who I must call almost everyday. Whether it is to ask (for the thousandth time) what is in her recipes, or even to just chat with her about teaching the kids at the school. I feel like no week is complete unless I have heard my mother voice. Her voice is one of the most soothing sounds in the world. If

I have been stressed and holding in problems for a long time, even hearing her ask," what's wrong?" will break my shell and I will cry. Crying is not a difficult thing for me though.

     I keep my mom on speed dial for many reasons, but mostly to ask her to solve life's problem for me. If someone asks me a questions and I don't know the answer 9 times out of 10 I'm calling mom. Like I said, it's implanted in my brain that my parents know more than Google. If they don't have the answer it simply doesn't exist. (Yes, that is a total exaggeration, but it gets my point across) Also medically speaking apparently I think that my mom has gone through the best medical schools in the country and spent 50 years as a doctor.  Not to mention she is a freaking MRI machine and cant find whats wrong with me with simple descriptions. I constantly call her with stupid things like," I coughed today.... it was only one little cough and I haven't done it since, but do I have cancer??" I have to be reminded that she doesn't know, and it is probably nothing anyways so stop freaking out. She is great to put up with me.




All in all, I am so very thankful for my relationship with BOTH my parents. They were actually PARENTS growing up and knew that we could be friends after I got over the selfish phase of my life (aka being a teenager) I know when the time comes for Scott and I to have kids that I will be raising them much like the way they raised me. Because let's be honest, I'm awesome. There SHOULD be more little Alex's running around the world. (conceited much there???)