10 Things I Have Learned

I have come to the realization that the Lord must really trust me! The reason I say this is because I have felt so many burdens of life these past few months and the challenges I have been faced with have, at times, felt overwhelming and even impossible. But I know that He never gives us more than we can handle. That being said, He must have more faith in me than even I do...

I am so thankful for trials! Yes, I really mean that! I must admit that I am not always thankful when I am going through them, but when they pass (and they do) I look back and am so thankful for the lessons I have learned.

As we have been tried and tested like no other, these past almost 6 months, I would be remiss to go on without expressing my sincerest gratitude to my family for their patience and unconitional love, generosity and support for Brad and me. They are amazing people and I am ever so blessed to be a part of their lives.

So here are a few of the lessons that I have learned:

1. God is God and He know EVERYTHING about us. My friend, Angela, posted an amazing "ah ha" moment for me on her blog here. She said that she was at the Y when she heard her husband's voice in another room. She KNEW it was him because she knows his voice! It made her realize that Heavenly Father KNOWS our voice because He knows us! I have never really thought about Him knowing my voice, what comfort this give me...Thanks, Angela.

2. All that I have is really not mine...It is all on loan from the Lord and His generosity to me has often gone unappreciated and, more times than not, I have felt entitled to the "things" I have "acquired".

3. Family is ALL we really have in life. It's what is real and it's what keeps us gounded. My family is so imperfect, but they are perfect for me! We love each other and we respect each other. When the going gets rough, we are always there for each other and to know that I can count on them is the greatest blessing I could ever hope for.

4. Forgiveness is the most healing balm.

5. I don't need much to be happy. Happiness is not contigent upon the size of my house, the style of my wardrobe, the money in my bank account, where I go for vacations or the model of car I drive. It's contigent upon my relationship with my Heavenly Father and Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

6. Real, true friends are always there for you. They forgive and KNOW our hearts.

7. Good health is a gift that must be nurtured and protected. Exercise is exactly that...Exercise...it's not easy and it often requires a lifestyle change that isn't always easy. Proper diet and moderation is difficult at best.

8. Serving others is the only way to really find yourself. I have had the opportunity to offer more service this past year than ever and I am so saddened by the fact that I have denied myself the amazing opportunities for blessings all of these years by being "too busy" to involve myself in the service of others. The reality is, I have received so much more than I have ever provided...this is still a work in progress, but it feels great!

9. Children are the greatest teachers of the most basic principles. I am constantly amazed at the unconditional love of my *Littles*. They are always forgiving and they forget the transgression. They are humble and submissive to the ways of their parents, teachers and the Lord. Their appetite for learning is unmeasurable and ever inspiring. The pure beauty and joy in their innocence is a lesson for us all.

10. Good Old-Fashioned Kindness is one of the most important things we can offer to others. I see a world of busy, selfish people with their own agendas. Common courtesies are often tossed by the wayside and we have become a world of hurtful, self-righteous, arrogant people. Let's stop and remember that every person we come in contact with has a back story that we do not know. As an example, maybe we can remember to show a bit more appreciation for the "meanial" bag boy at the grocery store by thanking him for the great job he did in bagging our groceries.

I am so thankful for the trials and challenges I have been given to deal with so far in my life. Now don't get me wrong, I didn't always appreciate them while I was going through them, they haven't been easy and I have had many failures along the way. But I have also had many successes and have had to learn to forgive myself and give myself a break!

Life is hard and it's only getting harder with the weakening economy, more forward problems in our societies and general decline of moral values. But we can rise above it and we can set a standard for those we come in contact with by our examples of displaying Christ-like attributes.

Innocence & Joy

I am often touched by the beauty of pure innocence. The other day, 3 of  my *Littles* were dropped off at my house by their dad after spending the weekend with them. As they bounced into my house, I noticed that Alakina had a HUGE hat on with a colorful, blinking necklace on around her neck. She was so excited to tell me about her day at the Circus with her Grandma Bardee and Aunt Jackie.

She was so expressive as she proceeded to tell me about the elephants, tigers, mermaids (she said there were mermaids...??) puppies riding horses and clowns. It was adorable to watch as she could hardly get everything said because she had SO much to tell me. All the while, she had this ridiculous hat on her head. She was SO proud of that hat!

Then I got Stella to put hers on (she wasn't so proud)...

I have reflected back on that day. Alakina was so exited, so proud and so uninhibited as she shared her pure joy of seeing the Circus with me. She proudly took her hat and necklace to her preschool for show-n-tell and happily told everyone about  her adventures.

It just struck me as so innocent. I wish we, as adults, would be less inhibited and more free with sharing our joy. Her ability to be unchained by pride and vanity was a gift to me as I was able to "experience" her memories in even a small way. She lifted me up and she made my day!

Maybe we could all learn a few lessons from these wee people who just love life and want to share...Hmmm...

Vegas, Baby!

I have been away for quite a while and I apologize for that...no good reason, really, just busy and unmotivated. Anyway, I'm back...at least for today!

Last night I was supposed to teach a class in Relief Society about Blogs. How ironic since I have been such a slacker lately but since I have been so behind, I figured now is as good a time as ever to start posting again...so here goes:

September has been a crazy month, to say the least! Swiss Days came and went, we headed off to a family reunion in Southern Utah so made a detour to Las Vegas, and my sweet little Tage had surgery. We survived it all and are back, doing well and so far, we're all healthy!

Let me start by saying that today is my amazing husband's birthday! He is 56...FIFTY SIX...Five/Six!! and he looks GREAT!! I'm not too sure what we're going to do today, he just wanted to play it by ear...but it will be a great day because he's a great man and deserves the very best. I am so blessed to have him in my life and my children have benefited more than I could have ever imagined. He is a good man who loves me and honors me as his wife. We just celebrated 6 wonderful years of marriage and I look forward to an eternity of happiness and joy with him! Happy Birthday, Brad!!

Natalie, Brad & Me...

The whole gang...

We went to Las Vegas with Brad's cousin Doug Pope and his adorable family. Vegas has become a regular haunt these days...it's only about a 5 hour drive which makes it very accessable. Aja, Natalie and 3 of my Littles came with us and we had a BLAST! We stayed at the Marriott Residence Inn where we got 2 suites which worked out so well for each family because we were able to hang out together or go our separate ways...it didn't matter, we had SO much fun together. Of course, we HAD to see the Cirque du Soliel show, Beatles LOVE at the Mirage...it's become our favorite ritual or "right of passage" in Vegas! This was our 15th time and it NEVER gets old. (I know, it's ridiculous, but we love it and it's cheaper than gambling!) 

Diane, Erica, Melissa, Me, Sara, Nat, Aja & of course, Alakina!

Brad, Errol, Preston & Doug...

But before the show, we had dinner at "Cravings" which is a HUGE buffet at the Mirage. Dinner was wonderful, as always, and the company was so much fun. We had 12 in our party so dinner conversation was never lacking! Then we headed over to the theater for the best part of the night...

The Pope family had never seen LOVE before, they loved it and it was awesome to watch them rock to it. Alakina has been wanting to see it since she was 2! Yes, really, since she was 2 years old she has been singing Beatles songs and has talked about Beatles LOVE...so at the last minute, Aja bought her a ticket even though she's only 4 years old (she was supposed to be 5...oops!) she loved it and made it through about 3/4's of the show before finally falling asleep. We went to the 9:30 show which was just a bit too late for her...next time we'll make sure we hit the 7:00 show.

Aja, Sara, Nat & Ali...

Brad & Errol Flynn (Yes, that's his real name...)

After the show, we went back to the hotel and played "Balderdash". This is one of our favorite games...you pick a card and there are 5 categories: Word, Initials, Movie, Person & Laws. One person chooses one of the categories and reads, for example, a word...it's always a word that no one has ever heard of, then each person makes up and writes down a definition for the word, passes it to the person reading the card (who wrote down the REAL definition) and each is read aloud. The objective is to try to guess the correct answer. Of course, the definitions are usually outrageous and hilarious (especially late at night and as the night wears on). We laughed until we cried as some of the answers were read...Hilarious game, I HIGHLY recommend it!

All in all it was a GREAT trip and we have all decided that it will become a yearly thing.

After a late Vegas night...

Finally, Baby Tage was scheduled to have 2 surgical proceedures done yesterday. He has a cleft in his throat which has been hindering his ability to eat anything other than very smooth baby food...he's almost 11 months old and should be eating chunky food by now. This has also made his sleep apnea worse. Also, he was supposed to have some biopsies done on his stomach. So he went into surgery and had the cleft opened but his oxygen kept dropping dangerously low during the proceedure that they decided not to do the biopsies. It was pretty scary, but he was little trooper and after a hard day, he was doing pretty well last night. He is seriously the happiest baby and SO adorable!.

Isn't he about the cutest little thing??

So that's about it for now. I will try to do better about posting. I guess I just need to get my life organized better and remember to take time to breathe!

Motivation...Anyone?!?

I have been SO terribly unmotivated lately! I don't know what's wrong with me, but I haven't felt like posting about anything. I hope I haven't lost all of my blogging friends because I still read all of yours and I love you all. I guess I'm just in some kind of funk that I need to dig my way out of...

Life is good:) I am happy and I am SO blessed...just in a funk.

Hang in there with me...I promise I'll be back one of these days!

Enjoy The Ride

"Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he's been robbed.

Most putts don't drop. Most beef is tough. Most children grow up to be just people. Most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration. Most jobs are more often dull than otherwise.

Life is like an old-time rail journey—delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed.

The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride."
-President Gordon B. Hinckley (Quoting Jenkins Lloyd Jones from Deseret News, 12 June 1973. Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1997], p. 254.)

I was looking for a document in my hubs laptop this morning when I ran across this amazing tidbit of knowledge. How timely for me! My life has been so full of the unexpected lately and so many de-railments that I have been in a bit of a tailspin...not really knowing what to do.

I am one of those people who wants clear-cut answers, and I want them NOW. I look for solutions and try to solve things with logic and reason. But I've learned lately that patience is absolutely necessary and it is one thing that I am not very good at!

I have been so prayerful and have been trying to "Lay it at His feet". I have always heard this in the Bible but have to admit that I never really stated things to Him that way in my prayers...until this past year. I am learning that by doing this, I am more free! Yes, I know that He expects me to do ALL that I can do (and then some) and that if I trust in Him, having complete faith in His great love for me, then everything will work out...I've seen it happen and I continue to see it happen. It's wonderful!

But it's still not easy...it still requires faith and patience, and there is no room for fear, (which, I am learning is a HUGE waste of time in the whole scheme of things)...and I have learned that it is an on-going necessity if we want to have real happiness in this life.

So I am thankful for coming across this sweet comment by Pres. Hinckley. He has, once again, touched my heart and given me food-for-thought. He has inspired me to keep moving forward and to keep doing what I know I need to do.

Life is Beautiful! It is most often challenging, trying, tough and exhausting, but it is worth it and it is Beautiful. So come what may...I will try to be patient and will always be so thankful to the Lord for letting me "have the ride!"

Swiss Days Press Junket

Yesterday was a loooong day! It all started at 4:30 AM when my alarm went off and I began to get ready for our "media blitz". I am in charge of PR/Advertising for Swiss Days which is a HUGE event in the state of Utah and takes place in our very own little town of Midway (this Friday and Saturday, 8AM -8PM).

The Swiss Miss girls and one of the mother's picked me up and we headed down the canyon to our first shoot at Fairmont Park with Casey Scott of Channel 2 (CBS affiliate). Casey is a SPAZZ and is know for being outrageous. We met him at 6:30, it was still kind of dark and quite cold (about 50 degrees F). We brought him some lederhosen which he put on without a shirt...AND he wore flip-flops over his knee socks! He was hilarious, was adorable with the girls and made us all laugh! I am very thankful for the press coverage and, even though we were all freezing, it was well worth getting up at "O Dark Hundred". We shared the time with the people from the "Soldier Hollow Classic Sheepdog Trials" (who are up here near Midway) and it all worked out very well.

(Sorry some of the pictures are blurry...it was tooooo early!)

We had about an hour to kill before our radio appearances, so we stopped for breakfast. The girls were so cold, they ordered hot chocolate...

(aren't they adorable?!?)

Then it was on to the Radio stations...8 total! But they were all in the same building and we only had to record twice. Then they do the editing and play us on all of the stations...They were wonderful, and even want to come up and broadcast from Swiss Days next year!

Then we were finally on to our final stop, Channel 5 (NBC affiliate) to appear on their morning show, "Studio 5". The girls were pre-recorded just before the beginning of the show, outside, doing their 2 numbers. Then they were shown 3 times during the show. I was on to discuss a little about what to expect at Swiss Days. It went very well.

It was an exhausting day, but such a great day as well. These darling girls were real professionals! They never complained about being tired or cold, they smiled, performed perfectly and were charming to be around. I am like a proud mother hen! If you come up to Swiss Days and see them, please be sure to stop by and tell them hello and if you saw them on TV, please let them know...this was HUGE to them!

A special thanks to Carrie Dunn who helped get us on all of these great shows. It truly takes a village...

Men-In-Drag...For Charity!

As promised, I am doing a post about the annual "Men-in-Drag" Softball game for charity that Brad played in. This year we didn't have much time to dress him up with all that has been going on, so I ran to the local thrift shop and found him a dress. He insisted on wearing one of my hats because his"hair" kept getting in his eyes and he wanted to be at his peak when actually playing the game!

We got to the field and it was hilarious (as always) to see these big burly guys dressed as women. My favorite was when 3 of them drove up simultaneously on their Harleys!

Brad & his cousin, Doug Pope

The game started with the usual fanfare; National Anthem, Cheerleaders (in Drag) and the crowd ready for some good laughs. Brad got some good hits, scored a couple of runs, but was really most valuable at First Base! I was actually really impressed with how well he did getting guys...I mean "gals" out at first! He is a major Baseball fan (Yes, he's a HUGE Yankees fan...he LOVES Yankees Haters, BTW) and he played his heart out.

Aja and Natalie came to the game and we had some pretty great laughs. It was hilarious to watch these guys get up to bat and hike their skirts up so they could get the right position at home plate to hit the ball. And to see them run, some with purses, was priceless. Time-outs were called for "broken fingernails" or "loose false eyelash"...my favorite was "run in their pantyhose". In fact, when Brad was getting dressed, I showed him how to put on his pantyhose without running them. Of course, he pulled a bit too hard and put a hole in them on his upper thight. he was SO upset and told me to go get his some DUCT TAPE...NO, I'M NOT KIDDING!! I told him to put on my biker shorts and he'd be O.K...he was really worried!

After the game, we decided to go to our local fast food drive-in, the "Dairy Keen" which was packed on a Saturday night, and Brad and his cousin Doug were good sports as they proudly walked in and ordered their food! Yes, people stared and whispered, but we didn't care.

So here are the pictures of the "gals" who played their hearts out for charity...Enjoy!!

A Bunch of Random-ness

WOW...so much has happened since I last post...I'm not even sure where to begin!

First, let me say thank you to all of you who were concerned for me since I came home from SkyWest Training. Believe me when I say that I am SO glad to be home and have realized that SkyWest is not the right fit for me...something else will come along, I'm confident.

I have been super busy finalizing my Swiss Days duties. PR/Advertising for Swiss Days is like being a weatherman in Seattle: "Chance of rain"...!! We get over 100,000 people who attend each year. The biggest part of the job for me is getting things ready beforehand on local T.V. news programs. Already we have had to reschedule 2 appearances...with less than a week to go, we'll see what happens. At any rate, I am SO excited for the big event. If you are in Utah, Swiss Days is Fri/Sat Sept 3/4. The square opens at 8:00 AM and closes at 8:00 PM both days. It's going to be a blast this year!!

I woke up 3 days ago with a sinus infection. It about did me in yesterday, but today I am much better. I'm sure my precious *Littles* passed that germ on to me, but that's O.K...I'll survive! They are all doing well...all 5 of them.

I miss Anthony and Brooklyn so much (they live in Idaho) and hate that I don' get to see them everyday like I do the other 3. Nevertheless, they are precious and I ADORE them. Anthony is THE SMARTEST kid I have ever known...even smarter than his mommy who was pretty dang smart. He is hilarious and always keeps us laughing. His little mind just works in an odd way (not bad "odd"...hilarious "odd). He will be 4 the day after Christmas, but I think of him as close to 5 because he is so intelligent.

Brooklyn is sweet and more of the silent type...at least when I see her. She seems so mellow...or is that because she is around Anthony all the time? Not really sure. At any rate, she is so adorable and has been so cuddly with me that last couple of times I've seen her. Again, she is very smart. I'm sure she will give Brittany a run for her money! I heard that they might be coming down for Britt's birthday the weekend of the 11th and 12th...hmmm...hopefully, we'll see. I need some sugar from those 2 Littles...It's been way too long..

Natalie got moved into her apartment in Provo. It's a darling, furnished apt. with 4 bedrooms so each girl has their own space. WOW, things have certainly changed since I lived there in the 70's. She is super excited to be out on her own but is SO burning the candle at both ends by commuting to school in SLC everyday (about 45 mi) and then working each night from 6-11 PM. I have a feeling that will end very soon...

Our weather has been "Old Testament" type weather lately! EXTREME thunder showers and crazy lightening. Two nights ago my house shook from one of the thunderclaps. Aja called to make sure I was O.K. It's nuts! I hope we can order up clear skies for Swiss Days, but have a feeling that the thousands of rain ponchos that the Boosters ordered will be put to good use.

My dad is doing better. He is actually beginning to eat a bit now and doesn't look quite so skeletal. He had us pretty worried. He is walking pretty good and has come up to Midway to see us 3 times since he left the hospital. I know it's difficult for him, but I'm glad he makes the effort. He is an example of true tenacity and determination!

I know this post has been All-Over-The-Place...Sorry about that...That's just kind of how my life has been lately! Hopefully things will settle down over the next few weeks...Swiss Days will be over and then we start again! I promise a more cohesive post next time...Next post: Brad in Drag!

Life Is Hard...

"Life is hard. It's harder when you're stupid" ~John Wayne

I heard this quote recently and thought about how I have, many times, made stupid decisions and every time, they have complicated things. I laughed when I first heard this and immediately thought of "other" people who maybe appeared to make stupid decisions...then I thought of myself {gasp}...

I find life so incredibly interesting. Just when you think things are going great and you are on the right path, something happens and things change and turn 180 degrees from where you think you were headed. This has happened to me over and over and over again...I guess that's what makes life interesting.

Brad and I went to a movie today. We decided to take a break for a few hours and drive down to Orem (about 25 min. away) and as we were driving down the canyon, I noticed that a few trees were starting to turn different colors...Provo Canyon is incredibly beautiful as it is, but when the leaves start to turn, it's breathtaking. I noticed that some of the leaves were bright orange, others were bright yellow and a few were a vibrant purple. I always look forward to Fall; it's one of my very favorite seasons and in Utah it's INCREDIBLE! The only problem with Fall is that Winter is right behind it...and it seems like Winter hangs around much longer than any other season...but I digress...

As I have been reflecting on how my life has taken some pretty sharp hairpin turns just within the last month, I thought about how maybe that's what helps us create balance in our lives. After all, nature takes sharp turns and seems to always maintain some semblance of balance. Things don't always turn out the way we expect or even hope. And maybe that, in and of itself, can create harmony.

So now that my "best-laid" plans have been undone. I can either freak out and fall apart or I can find ways to celebrate the good things in my life. Just like nature celebrates the beautiful changes and displays the magnificent colors of the dying leaves, which will inevitable fall and blow away, I have to find ways to celebrate the changes in my life. The dead leaves make room for the new ones. The tree grows taller and stronger and seems to flourish because of the loss.

I am SO incredibly blessed and have absolutely NOTHING to feel slighted about. I have an amazing life. My personal challenges and trials are a blessing. I have tried to adopt a thankful attitude realizing that the Lord must really love and trust me to allow me to be tried in whatever ways I have been and will be tried. He knows that I can overcome anything if I really want to. He also knows that I can become stronger if I have the right attitude.

Now, I'm not saying that I have mastered this...I'm FAR from it. But, I have come to the realization that that's just life. Pure and simple, life is a test. I personally feel that it's a testament of God's amazing love for each of us. He knows what we can handle and He knows what will break us. He is always there to pick up the slack and expects us to do ALL that we can (and maybe then some). I have found that He is always there...even when I'm going over the edge...that's when He helps me build a parachute!

Curve Ball

Well...I went to SLC for training for SkyWest Airlines. I had adorable roomates and was doing great...that is, until today. We had an agility test where we had to lift a 45 lb suitcase and put it into the overhead bin 4 times, then lift a 35 lb can and stow it about chest high. After all that, we had to run up and down 2 stairs 5 times...all in 2 minutes. Well.....last year, I broke my left wrist and it has never completely healed and it gave out on me. I got the 45 lb bag into the overhead the required 4 times, lifted the 35 lb can and on the second lift, my wrist was shot. I dropped the can on my foot and that was it! Since you have to pass all of the tests, I decided to opt out and cut my losses.

I have been asked to come back to the Aug 31st class but it will all depend on my wrist and now my foot which I am sure is broken. The can fell on the top of my foot and cut it, it is now swollen and I can't walk on it. What a mess!

I am thrilled at the thought of resuming my Swiss Days duties and hoping that I can fully heal by then. SkyWest is not a totally closed door...they aren't my first choice of airline, but they are a great carrrier and I was excited to fly again. There is another airline that I have wanted to be with, they just aren't hiring just yet. Maybe I just need to be more patient!

Thank you for all of your kind words of encouragement and all of your confidences in me. For the record, I had PERFECT scores on all my verbal and written tests. I met some amazing people and will always be thankful for the associations I made these past few days.

I KNOW that things work out for a reason. I don't know why this happened, but it did and that's O.K. I am thrilled to be back with my sweet husband and I will move forward with a positive attitude!