what I've been doing while I haven't been blogging vol. 3

GIRL'S CAMP!!!
One of my favorite callings so far, I am a Laurel Advisor. I love the YW. Our ward YW are really great about not having tons-o-drama and not being too cliquey=) It was really hard to leave Gracee after having been on the crusie for a week--but I felt really good about going and I am glad that I did.

I was able to get to know the other leaders a lot better
This is Maddie, she's a cutie and it was her birthday so I carried on my back for a mile of the hike!!! My hips were so bruised, but it was worth it.
some of my girls on the hike.
We got to go canoeing whenever we wanted because we were right by the lake! Nothing better than experiencing nature while getting a little workout!!
There was lots of lounging time this year...kind of nice.

While I wasn't blogging Vol. 1

I have sort of dropped off the face of the blogging earth. I am sorry, for anyone who cares=). There have been a lot (and I do mean A LOT) of other things going on. For instance, I went to AZ for Morin's funeral. While I was there I saw my brother, Slade's, play. I also saw his daughter Briana's play.This is me and Bri about 4 years ago.

Us now. She is a great lil actress! I'm excited to see more things she does. She has an agent now. I also got to do her hair for prom! That was so much fun to be there for that. She's like the little sister I never had, but always wanted.

Here is my Gracee girl playing at the park in AZ.
I am very very proud of this picture I took!

Morin--one good year

This is my mom and her sweetheart, Morin. He recently passed away. I was able to go to AZ where me and my 6 siblings supported mom.

An unlikely match, they were married my senior year of high school. She was his nurse in prison and they fell in love. After their marriage, he fell into his old bad habits and hurt my mom and all of us a great deal. He wound up back in prison. My mom forgave him and remained loyally his. She wrote him and visited him for about 10 years. He contracted several terminal illnesses and grew weaker over the last couple years of his imprisonment. He did a lot of changing during those last years. He committed to himself and to my mom that he would prove himself to her and to her family and his family as well, once he was released. He would be a better man. He promised her 10 good years together--at least.

(This picture was supposed to be for Morin and Linda's Christmas card in 2009, but no card ever was created because so much time and energy was spent on hospital stays and the everyday things that kept life so busy.)

They ended up getting ONE good year together. And man, did my mom make it good. Anybody that knows my mom knows that she warms everything that she touches with love. She doted on him, saved all of his old hats and jewelry that he loved for him to adorn himself with, got him power tools for Christmas that he was too weak to use, she made him all of his favorite meals, and snuggled with him on a very tiny hospital bed even though she got no sleep!

Here is a beautiful poem she wrote, she said I could share it :

WHEN LIFE BEGINS

Every day that I have lived

I've had so much love to give.

Although - until you came along...

Somehow, giving it always felt wrong.

So I lived life in the way I knew -

Striving to be honest and true,

Busily bringing precious new lives to earth;

With wonder and awe at each new birth.

Then my life was twisted and turned -

I was victimized, battered and burned.

Through it all my spirit stayed true,

As I vowed there would never be anyone new.

As I awoke from the dark - something was amiss.

And then; our very first kiss - what bliss!

I had never a clue...but suddenly I knew!

The answer would be found in you!

A rather surprising combination;

Others have called it infatuation.

Yet what I longed for so silently,

You have offered to me completely.

A love so true, so deep, so strong;

One could search a whole life long

And endlessly hope, dream and wait

For that special missing link - a soul mate!

Someone to cherish, to hold, to love -

Who understands you as the angels above.

He sees the inside for what it is;

And loves you as though you were always his.

MORIN - you are that person for me.

You set my heart, mind and soul free

From the dark dungeons of loneliness,

Into a world of love, light and happiness.

I know our love will always see us through

No matter what it is that we must do;

Because as I have told you (and this is true)

Oh, yes! My love...My life truly began with you.

by Linda Jean Peterman 12-04-2003

This poem helped me understand a little more clearly what Morin did for my mom. My mom has never been one to request her needs--to a fault. He loved her the way she silently always hoped to be loved--completely. Her love changed him. His love changed her.

Christmas morning 2009. It was such a wonderful day and they were so happy to spend it together after so many years apart.
Morin's gift from his son - Morin Jr. was this beautiful puppy. Morin named her Star and enjoyed every minute he spent loving her and training her. It was Star who summoned help for Morin the day he fell in the garage. Little did she know she would never see him again.
Isn't that the way love should be? Thank you Morin, for what you did for my mom. We are sad to see you leave so soon, but glad that you are out of pain and suffering. We know you have joined the ranks of one of my mom's guardian angels. We forgive you. We love you. Thank you for being a better man like you promised her. That little bit means the world to her.

Thank you for one good year.

Happy Birthday, My Prince

My sweetheart turned 28 on Mother's Day. He is such an amazing husband and father. I knew he would be, I just knew it. (ignore the dates on these pics, our camera has issues)
I texted to ask him what he wanted for breakfast on his birthday and he told me he was making ME breakfast...who does that?
My gift to him was a mission scrapbook/photo album. We had a lot of fun looking at it with his fam on our deck after dinner. He and I also spent a relaxing hour that evening looking through it again and having him tell me all of his stories. We dream of serving missions together one day, and love to talk about our missions with each other.
This is us the day before his birthday at a local fancy restaurant where we got to overlook the beautiful mountains in this valley. It was just lovely.
Part of Russ's birthday weekend wish was to do some fun stuff with Gracee. We took her to Kneader's for breakfast where Russ got to enjoy unlimited french toast (one of his favorites) and then we stopped by the Macey's carnival. It was short lived, but she sure was cute and excited!
Russ, you are everything I ever dreamed of! Thank you for being my honey. I love you dear. Happy 28!~

18 months and counting!

Gracee Girl we love you!!!

This is partly a happy 18 month to you, Gracee and partly a tribute to your cousin, Joey. He asked for some pictures of your cute little hands and fingers and nose and stuff (he lives in AZ and misses you very much). I tried getting some close up shots of your nose and neck and cheeks like I've done in the past, but it's a little more difficult getting you to cooperate in pictures than it used to be.
Here are your sweet hands that are so good at signing and telling us what you need.
here are your sweet pigtails that you only leave in for about 5 minutes, if we're lucky.
Here is you with a "VROOM VROOM VACUUM!" What a good helper!
We love you Sweetness! We "thank our God upon every remembrance of you."

Friends we are and friends we'll ever be

These are some of my wonderful HS friends. Rick and Aileena were in town visiting so we all got together and sang around the piano (with Tasha at the helm of course!). It really filled my cup.

This post is a tribute to friends. I have been so blessed throughout my life with friends who inspire me to be better. 6th grade, Junior High, HS, college, mission and currently--I have been touched by many. Sometimes I don't feel deserving of these great treasures. Though not every friend who has ever touched my life could be pictured here, this picture is a representation of all of you. So thanks for touching my life.

Go Cougs!

Russ's two passions: Sports (NBA and NCAA) and the Gospel. We got to go to the last home game of the year for the BYU basketball team. These are our friends Kalle and Jess. It was a very intense but sad game--we lost to New Mexico. It was filled with highs and lows. I told Russ that this is why I am not a sports fan like he is--I can't handle the emotional roller coaster it sends me on to be watching a game that I'm actually in to. When we left this game I felt so fried. Russ enjoyed watching his team play for the NCAA championships. Unfortunately the Cougars only made it to the second round, but they haven't even made it that far since 1993 or something, so it was pretty exciting for Russ that they made it that far. (They had a pretty cool pregame show that I uploaded below, sorry if it didn't work.)