Daddyo!

So, I got a huge slap in the face today at church. I've been praying a lot lately for my dad to be safe in Tokyo. It scares me to death that he's so far away so much of the time. He has been going to Tokyo since August? Maybe mid-summer? I can't remember. He is a CPA and commutes every week for his job and gets back thursday or friday and is home on the weekends. He's had this job since right before I started high school. It's been a good job for him and he was so excited about the job. It's good for him especially working in the accounting department, he goes in fixes things up w/ finances/whatever in different businesses, then onto another project. He stays in the same place for a few months usually. Some of his commutes have included California, Minnesota, D.C. Texas, Russia, Mexico, Ohio and now Tokyo.

At first it was thrill for the family, because when it was places closer like D.C. or Ohio my mom and brothers and sometimes I would go along and we'd drive to the places he'd be working during the summer or other breaks and hang out and tour the city, etc. As the years have gone on, he's been promoted or worked his way up, but his work becomes more demanding.

This Tokyo time has been the hardest on my dad and heaven knows it has on my mom as well. He is gone for 3 weeks and home for 1 or 2. I know my mom misses him especially more now that my sister and I are out in Utah for school. I feel sad for her and I feel really sad for my dad. He travels the 30 hr flight 3x a month....I feel like I travel a lot w/ the 10 hr flights at christmas and summertime! ....yeah it doesn't even compare. So, it's made me sad and it's especially hard, because with the economy he needs to stay on the project and it's a huge risk to find a new job, just because the new guy is the first to get cut. But, I've prayed about it a lot and for my family that everything will work out. I know my dad wants to be home, but he is an righteous man, and so I know he follows his inspiration and there is a reason he's staying on this job.

Today at church our sacrament meeting was based on prayers of gratitude and I realized, 'Wow, this has been a huge toll on our family, but such is life. There are bump, bruises and trials galore, but we grow from them.' What a blessing it is that my dad has a job, that he is able to provide for my family and how blessed I am to be sealed to happily married parents that are a great example and make good choices, etc. I love my family more than I can tell you. I have the most rad little brothers (well big brothers, but younger) and the greatest older sister. I love them so much! I can't wait to visit home again! Welp, just thought I'd share that w/ yall! xoxoxo