Friday, May 25, 2007

30 things that make nicole special

[for her (2nd) 29th birthday :)]

...written by her father Brian & posted by John.




Nicole's 2nd Birthday...with Dad


1. She is my firstborn. [I’ll always remember the feelings I had in the delivery room when she came into the world. I marveled at the wave of instant love I felt for this little “stranger”. (Was she a stranger? I’m not sure. I do not automatically adhere to the “Saturday’s Warrior” doctrine, that we all knew each other and were formed as families in the pre-mortal life. The prophets and apostles have remained silent on this issue; so, I’ll remain noncommittal until they speak.)]
2. She was a sweet, obedient child – easy to raise (except for one short period when she was 15. ☺)
3. I believe, like her mother, she has always had a testimony of the restored gospel. (She is, and has always been spiritual.) She loves the Savior and she loves the temple.
4. She always puts all of her heart and effort into anything she commits to do, and always has.
5. She is dependable, and has always been so.
6. Former employers have calculated that she does the work of two regular employees. (She has been an award-winning employee, winning the highest awards given by her employer; and she has been a highly regarded manager.)
7. She is a returned missionary; and, she returned with honor, beloved of those she served, and those who served with her.
8. She put all of her heart into helping me after her mother died, and would not consider going on a mission until she was sure I could manage without her.
9. She is honest.
10. She loves movies and books, probably in that order, and is a hopeless romantic when it comes to a good storyline. (She has read the entire unabridged Victor Hugo classic, Les Miserables, which President Spencer W. Kimball proclaimed to be the closest thing to scripture without being scripture. It is a very, very large epic work, and she has read it more than once).
11. Like her mother, she has many times slept through a movie she really wanted to see.
12. She inherited her dad’s passion about things, sometimes giving others the incorrect perception that she is angry when she expresses herself (which frequently happens to me).
13. She is loyal, and has always been so.
14. She always accompanied the first asker to the high school dances, even if it was a young man she didn’t particularly want to go with, and even if the one she did want to go with ended up asking her afterward. On separate occasions, she attended dances with a mentally handicapped boy and with a blind boy.
15. In high school, she suffered several bitter disappointments in school elections and auditions; but, she would not give up. In her senior year, she was rewarded with almost more successes than she had time for.
16. She is trustworthy.
17. Family means everything to her.
18. She is a sharp dresser. (And, like her Grandma Pitts, she loves shoes.)
19. Like her mother, she is a very good mother. (Just ask Ruby.)
20. She frets over finding the right gifts for others’ birthdays and special occasions.
21. She has known the heartache of the “temporary” loss of a parent and a child, making her wise beyond her years.
22. Like her Grandma Pitts and her Aunt Dorothy, she is an immaculate housekeeper.
23. She has a natural flare for decorating, and has good taste.
24. She worries about how other people feel – she really cares; and, she serves.



25. She has a great sense of humor and loves to laugh.
26. She loves to be physically fit, and works hard at it.
27. She loves to learn.
28. She is wonderful at public speaking, teaching, and presenting (though she wouldn’t think so).
29. She labored through a long, difficult, personal process of trial, deliberation, and inspiration to find the right eternal companion (lasting years); and, she succeeded marvelously! She is a very good wife. (Just ask John.)
30. She is a Christ-like soul whom I desire to emulate. She is my Princess.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Happy birthday Nicole! You are amazing! I love you tons!

Anonymous said...

What an honor to have earned such a beautiful tribute from your father. We, the Eagleston and Rasmussen family are honored and blessed that Nicole is a special member of our family. We all love her, admire her and thankful that she and John chose each other. Happy Birthday Nicole. I love you too. Judy

nicole said...

Dad, you had me in tears. This is an amazing tribute, and a total surprise! (John put in on my blog late last night, and I saw it first thing this morning.) What a way to start off my 30th...
I'm privileged to have you for a father! Thank you!
I love you.

Melanie said...

Happy Birthday, Nicole! What a sweet dad you must have. I hope you have a great day!

Brooke said...

Happy Birthday Nicole, we love you! Hope your weekend is amazing!

Amy Eagleston said...

Happy birthday! I hope you have a wonderful day and can feel how much you are loved.

diana said...

wow! what wonderful words to hear from your dad. this certainly was a great start to your day, i hope your day keeps going like this! happy birthday!

Jeff and Diana said...

nicole, hey this is diana willardson. scott was over at our house the other day and showed us your blog. it's adorable! i love all of the vidoes. ruby is the cutest thing ever and i can't believe she is saying more than mama and dada at 11 months... how old does she think she is? anyway just thought i would say hi (jeff sais hi as well). and we are very sad that you and john aren't moving to Quarry Bend because we could have been neighbors there and hung out, gotten reaquainted!
happy birthday to both of you late!