Mammallama

This is my mom. She's been helping us out this summer and has been letting us help her out a little too. We know she is homesick for AZ, but we're so glad to have her visit us. It's nice of the AZ family to share her with us a little these last two summers.

I was inspired my a blog post one of my friends put up about her mom's visit. Most of this visit she has been pretty sad most of the days because she is grieving the recent loss of her husband. But recently she's gotten to visit my brother's family up north a ways, we've had several more get togethers with the local grandkids, and just had a short visit from my sister Steph and her family. She has seemed more like the old mom. Lighter, easier to laugh, and more driven and energetic. I know she is still going through the grieving process, but it sure is exciting to have days where she laughs so easily.

And she catches fun little moments like this on camera, she's good at that.

And like this.

And this.

This is us with my adorable nephew Jarom when he visited. We took him to the Joseph Smith movie. We are both very touched by that movie and have a goal to go see it with Russ before she goes back.

Confessions of a loser

Written in the front cover of my scripture journal is the heading: "The first things I'll ask when I get to heaven". The first thing on the list says I will ask where my cell phone went to that I lost back in 2007. When I lose things, Russ isn't surprised. In fact, I even lost the ipod he gave me for Christmas one year. I recently found it in a discreet pocket of one of our duffel bags--it was lost for about 3 years!!

I've also broken 2 phones, 2 cars and 2 cameras now. So we don't have a camera. I don't really deserve to have one--but we've been saving up to get one. My mom let us borrow her camera when we went to Vermont and New York to tour church history sites with the Jenny Phillip's choir group we are blessed enough to be a part of. Guess what? I lost her camera. I didn't even get the chance to take even ONE picture before I lost it!! It makes me sick. Anyway, needless to say, we replaced her camera and are once again...saving up.

Luckily, a bunch of people in our tour group took pictures so I'll be able to post them. They didn't lose or break their camera...they probably never have. It's okay, I still have other redeeming qualities.

My sister Steph and her family are in town and then I get my tonsils out the day after they leave...so if I don't post for a while, that is why.

what I've been doing while I haven't been blogging vol. 2

A CRUISE!!! For our (very) early 5th anniversary, we knew we wanted to go to Hawaii or on a cruise. We went on Carnival to the Mexican Riviera. The alcohol bilboard in the background is VERY representative of the types of activities on the cruise! There wasn't a lot to do in the evenings--other than drink--so we just relaxed.
Here is my 9am ice cream cone. Waffle cones are one of my favorite treats. Everybody kept laughing at me. I was so excited to finally find one that I didn't care what time it was. Okay so I know everybody needs a cruise. There is not one person that wouldn't benefit from a vacation, right? So I am not claiming we were anymore deserving than any other hard working person...but I must say WE REALLY REALLY NEEDED THIS! It was totally worth whatever sacrifices it took us to get there. I am especially referring to Russ. He is such a hard lil worker. He is working full time with a lot of responsibility and working on getting his MBA too. He also has a taxing church calling and helps with the yard and is a VERY attentive father. I love nothing more than to see him relaxed and acting all crazy (a side few see) with family or close friends. It just fills my heart. That was probably my most favorite thing about the cruise(that and not having to cook, clean, or meal plan). We could have not done any excursions and just relaxed and played in the water and I would've loved it.
We played in the waves all day this day...it was so much fun!!!

They made us towel animals every night...the elephant was my favorite!

I GOT SO SICK OF EATING!!!!!!!!!!! ECKH!


En route to Long Beach--that was where we ported from.
We went with our good friends, Jason and Mackenzie

See, doesn't he look happy? Here's to making memories, worth every minute (even though it was so hard to be away from Gracee) and every dime.

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!~