A Few Thoughts and Feelings

I know it's been a long time. But I've had some things on my mind the last few days and I wanted to write them down. After a discussion with my mom last week, I see a few things in our world that I'm not sure I like. I have to figure out how to now address them with Libbi so that hopefully when these things come up, she'll be ready and feel confident in her answers.

 **This is in no way an attack on anybody, these are my opinions and my beliefs. This is how we are choosing to raise our family and the things I hope we can teach our children. I just need to write them down.**

One of the things my mom and I were talking about last week was bullying and how much more prevalent it is in my kids world today. I feel that one of the main factors in this is manners. I remember being in elementary school and on valentines day, we were asked to dress up and attend a valentines tea. As silly as this sounds and as old fashioned and how everybody hated it, as I look back I realize how vital it is to society. During this valentines tea, we were expected to be escorted by a boy in our class. He was expected to pull out our chairs, serve us our sugary punch and a sugar cookie. We were expected to place our napkin in our lap, sit like ladies and enjoy pleasant conversation. Of course we all giggled through it, decided it was stupid and couldn't wait to leave the multipurpose room. My daughter doesn't have that same experience. To practice social manners in school. I see a lot of selfish behavior in her, as she doesn't have the training of proper manners. She can't wait to walk away from the dinner table to find somebodies phone and connect herself to a virtual world. We literally have a temper tantrum type attitude when she asks to be excused and is told that she needs to sit at the table and have pleasant conversation with her family. I realize it's not completely her fault. We as her parents have encouraged that behavior at some point and she now finds it acceptable.

We aren't teaching kids manners in school. We aren't teaching kids to stand up for themselves when they are being bullied. Instead, we teach them to tattle instead of working it out. Please don't mistake this for not reporting a serious problem. But there is a difference between reporting a problem and tattling that somebody is 'breathing my air and it's bothering me'. I want to teach Libbi to be strong and independent. I want her to tell me when things bother her and address the problem, but if it's kids saying and being mean,I want her to be able to stand up to them and say, "That's not nice and you can't talk to me like that" and walk away. Report the problem but don't tattle. Schools have a zero tolerance, but I know it's hard to distinguish between tattling daily and a true problem. I think we are doing our kids a dis-service by teaching them not to fight. I don't think for one second that it should be an immediate response, but whose to say that if somebody is picking on you that it's not going to do some good to just hit them once and walk away.

I have a love/hate relationship with facebook and social media. I love that I get to keep in touch with my friends and family. Sometimes post how I'm feeling and see what's going on. But I'm grateful that it didn't exist or wasn't as popular when I was in school. The bullying doesn't end on the playground anymore, it follows those kids home, to their facebook page and it allows their peers to publicly throw the stones without truly seeing the effect it has on them. I had to experience this a few weeks ago, something was posted and people were allowed to publicly list their faults. Having experienced the heartache of not being accepted in school. Rather than remind the person who posted this on facebook that it was wrong and why it was wrong, I privately sent them a message with my discontent and why it's inappropriate to post things like this. It was quickly removed, but I would never have thought that it would be appropriate to post something like that. Before I have to have the birds and bee's talk with Libbi, I'm going to have to have a discussion about what is and isn't appropriate to post on social media. I don't think that every thought you have needs to be posted for 400 of my closest dearest facebook friends need to know. It is interesting to me to see the difference in things that are posted from those under 20 and those over 25. Remember folks, no matter what you post, it will be there forever. Even if you try to remove it. I live by the rule that if I wouldn't say it in front of my grandpa, it doesn't belong on my social media site. It's easier to say things on social media because you don't see the immediate hurt on somebodies face when they realize it's about them. I think part of teaching manners is teaching children what is or isn't appropriate to tell people. While things don't need to be a secret, there are some things we just don't talk about in public or with other people. There are things that even if you know them, you don't share them. Not every thought is meant to be said out loud. Speak what is on your mind, but that doesn't mean you have to share your personal world with everybody you come in contact with.

Libbi hates to talk on the phone. It doesn't matter how many times we talk about having appropriate phone manners and not being rude, she has short sentences, she doesn't say hello and she'd rather text whoever she is calling. Part of the discussion with my mom was that they used to practice having appropriate telephone manners and phone calls. Why have we allowed our children to demand things and be rude on the phone. As much as I hated this rule as a teenager, I can see why it is a valid point. Children should not have cell phones until they are able to pay for them. It's hard to know who and what they are talking about, it's hard to know who is sending them things that are inappropriate. There are many mixed areas on this idea. As Libbi gets older, I may have to change my mind a little, but for now, I don't see her as needing a cell phone. If it comes to that point, we'll get a land line and she is welcome to use that. Even if she gets to a point where she can pay for her one cell phone, I'm still the parent and I still have the right and authority as her parent to take away her privilege of having a cell phone. I feel we are teaching our children that they are entitled to whatever they see and want. We play into the guilty parent syndrome and buy things that we know she doesn't need and don't stick to the guidelines we set down before purchasing said item. Kyle and I have talked about this a lot over the last few weeks. I want to teach Libbi that hard works pays off. Kyle is a fabulous example that when you work hard you can achieve your goals and the things you want. I am so grateful for him and his example to Libbi. Both of our dads and grandpas are great examples of this also.

Again, this is a personal opinion, call it backward if you want, but I think by giving women equal rights, we have taken some of the benefits of being a women out of it. We no longer expect a man to open the door, hold the elevator or allow a women to go first. I'm not asking to step back into the early 1900's, but now that it's gone, was some of it so wrong? I miss the chivalry of the Valentine's tea. Don't get me wrong, there are times where it is shown, but it's not always a bad thing. I was raised in an LDS home, I have values from that time in my life that I hold true to my heart. Religion is a funny thing, this one is mine. I know that some of the outside world sees certain things in this religion and culture as being backwards or not as progressive as the rest of the world. To them I would say, until you have experienced it, you can't knock it. Not every relationship or family is perfect. I am not naive to that, but the love and mutual respect that is taught in those households goes a long way. Why is it so bad that after a week of being home or working, that the mom wants to put on a dress and spend a few hours with her family and feeding her spirit. In a place where her role as a mom and a wife is respected and cherished and encouraged. I also realize that not every wife has the opportunity to stay at home and to 'only' be a mom. I know that you can find these same qualities in relationships that are not LDS families. But again, this is the culture and the household in which I was raised. The relationships I cherish and try to pattern my own after have these qualities and I want to teach my children that these are the things that they should not only expect but have the strength to not settle for less in a relationship. I'm grateful for the examples we have in our lives.

I want our children to be safe and secure. I want them to be strong and to know how to stand up for themselves. I want them to know what is or isn't appropriate to say either to somebodies face or on their social media. I want them to learn to respect their the adults in their lives, but still learn from their experiences. I want them to build personal relationships and not always a virtual one.

Maybe this is a better personal journal entry, but the things we teach our children show in the outside world. We need to get back to basics, teach our children manners and respect. I think it's lacking in the world they are growing up in. I'm not implying that this is one more thing that a teacher needs to focus on in school, but it is part of being a good citizen and that is part of the social experience of school.  You are welcome to disagree with me.  But remember, these are my thoughts and feelings.  I can listen and have a discussions about these things, but you can't tell me I'm wrong just because I don't think the same as you do.

Last thought, then I'll get off my soap box.

Day Eight

Today I'm thankful for a long warm fall...as predicted, tomorrow will be cold, wet and dark. I'm grateful we've had a long warm fall and not an early winter. With crunchy leaves, long warm afternoons and good snuggly mornings. You have to enjoy the small things in life sometimes! :)

Day Seven

Today I'm thankful that I live in a country where I am allowed to voice my opinion and share my views. To vote without the fear of being murdered or my vote not counting because I am a women, not a land owner, or any of the other reasons that do prevent other countries from allowing women to vote. In other news, I'm also thankful this election has passed because now we can remove all the negative political ads from the TV. It's hard to teach my daugther to be positive, to see the good in people and to only say nice things about people when she is bombarded with negative campaign ads slandering the other canidate.

Day Six

Ok, I missed 4 and 5, but here is day 6. Today I'm thankful for a job. It may not always be great and some days I wish I could stay home, but I'm grateful to have a job with some flexibility and that I learn something new everyday.

Day Three

Today I'm grateful for my best friend Jenna. I can talk to her all day and still never run out of things to talk to her about. Even though she's across the country, it's a weird day if I don't talk to her. Libbi: she says shes grateful for animals

A Month Of Gratitude: Day Two

Today I'm grateful that it's Friday....for no particular reason except that I love weekends.  :)

Libbi: She's grateful for Grandma and Grandpa...me too, but it's for different reasons.

A Month Of Gratitude: Day One

Today I'm grateful for amazing grandparents who have shown me how to love, how to care, how to smile, how to care for a family and how to stop and enjoy the quiet moments and small joys in life.

Libbi: She says she's grateful for the iPad at Grandma's...I guess it's the little things in life.

A Month Of Gratitude

I'm going to try to post something each of us are grateful for each day this month.  I feel like as of late we have really just been going through the motions of life, loving the good parts but not really living.  As I was leaving work today, I followed an older gentleman who was walking very slowly with a cane.  As I watched the rest of the world hustle and bustle around him, I was reminded of my grandparents and how much I love them and how much we have to learn from them.  I thought it ironic as I stood waiting for the elevator in the parking garage, that this gentleman caught up with all the people who had passed him in a rush.  He held the door open for each 'young' lady and politely smiled and wished us all a pleasant evening as we got off the elevator.  It's things like this the world needs more of.  I want to be able to look back and see the little things I'm thankful for.  Enjoy the posts.  :)

Words to Live By

Last night as I was driving home from work, I put in an old CD (yup, we still own those and listen to them).  As I scanned through it, the song below came on.  I forgot how much I love the words of wisdom in it.  In fact, I came home and wrote one of them on the mirror in the bathroom.  A place we would all see it every day.  It must have worked because Libbi read it last night and said..."Really...Do I have too!"

No, you don't have to, but why not?!?!

Read through it...maybe you'll find something you needed to hear again today.  :)

Baz Luhrmann - Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be

it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by

scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable

than my own meandering experience…

I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not

understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.

But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and

recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before

you and how fabulous you really looked….

You’re not as fat as you imagine.

Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as

effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing

bubblegum.

The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that

never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing everyday that scares you

Sing

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss

Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes

you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with

yourself.

Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your

life…

the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives,

some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t,

maybe you’ll have children,maybe you won’t,

maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…

what ever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your

choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s.

Enjoy your body, use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people

think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own..

Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

 Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you should hold on.

 Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard;

Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don’t expect anyone else to support you.

Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.

Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it.

Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen…

Five Year Olds Say Funny Things:

Since I'll be removing the side bar (because my once 5 year old is now 7) here are the things I want to remember:

"Dad, you'r hair is skinny!"

"Nobody ever watered my neck!"

"I don't want pancakes, I'll just have yogurt. Because last week, nobody would cut my pancake, I'll just have yogurt."

"What's a girl to do on a cold cold day without some warm tea?!?!"

"How come I only get to sleep a little bit every night?"

While I was finishing my walk/run on the treadmill, I told her how long it had taken me and the distance. She told me to do it again, because my numbers weren't big enough yet. She is the best motivator for me.
document.

At Wal-Mart, she wanted to buy grapes, but they were the old grapes that you either buy today or they throw away. So I told her those were some sad looking grapes. Later we walked past the produce that was fresh and she said, "Could we have those grapes? They aren't sad grapes, they are happy grapes!"

While doing her homework , which was to write her name on the straight lines 3 times and having a meltdown about it: "Mom, I can't write my name straight. While nobody was looking, Jayden (the little boy who is always in trouble for this or that at daycare and school) stole my straight line writing right out from underneath me!"

Some Housekeeping

Well Folks...we did it.  We got married.  It was a fabulous day and full of fun and family and happiness.  Thanks to everybody who came and loved us and for those who supported us and loved us from far away.  There will be more to come, but today I just wanted to draw your attention to the fact that I've changed the address to our blog.  You can now find us at BouldenFamilyFun.blogspot.com.  :)

To see pictures, hop on over to our Amazing Photographer's blog.

Love to You All!

Panic....but the good kind

I'm in a sort of panic.....I have all these ideas for our wedding, now I just want to nail down some details and get going on it. I'll feel better when the location is booked and my dress is purchased. Which brings me to my next point....where the heck are my w-2's from marriott and the state of utah.....hopefully the tax return is big...I'm probably going to end up using most of it to pay for this wedding.....

127 Days!

A Selfish Post.....UPDATE

It seems that a door must close for a window to open. I strongly dislike (my mother always told me never, hate and always are really strong words, used them wisely) that saying, but I do believe that there is a reason behind why things happen. So this is an update to a previous post which you can ready by clicking HERE. Since this post, we've/I've done a few things on it.

#1 - I bought this CD and I love it!

#2 - I also bought one of these and I love it also! Except mine is 144 piece palate, still love it still wouldn't trade it for anything.

#3 - I bought myself a generic Scentsy......because.....

#4- We signed a lease on one of these:

More about this later, when we get settled in and the house isn't full of boxes. But we LOVE it!

#5 - I have a new job. I love my job and what I'm doing. They have been great to me and I know it's where I'm supposed to be. Without accepting this job, we never would have been able to comfortably afford to live on our own.

#6- We also set a wedding date about 3 days after I started working for Van Cott. June 16, 2011 as long as everything goes smoothly. That's the plan anyway! I'm so excited and Kyle seems to be too, you just have to catch him in the right moment.

Yes, I still want one of these:

But he/she will have to wait until after July of next year. Then we'll see where that want/wish falls into place.

More to come on an update of everything, but it might have to wait until after the new year. Things are a little bit crazy and hectic. But we are loving every minute of it!

Thanks for checking in!

Dunies Baby!

So this last weekend, we had the opportunity to go with Kyle's boss Jason and his wife and some of their friends to the dunes. We had so much fun! I may or may not have fallen in love with their razor and might need one. We even taught Jameson some new signs. Sorry, Steph, you might see treats all the time now. But he's so cute. Thanks again Jason and Stephanie, we had so much fun! Here are just some fun pictures from the weekend trip.

Kyle and Libbi on the 3-Wheeler

(I know, she needs a real helmet, it's next on the list)

Kyle jumping the Blaster

Kyle jumping his bike

Kyle's Little Brother Tyler jumping

He's so handsome!

Cloud Nine

As probably one of the greatest birthday presents ever, I was offered a position at Vancott & Bagley as an Accounts Payable clerk. I don't really know what exactly that means, other than the fact that I now have a job!

I start tomorrow. I'm still not sure this is real, but I know it is. Libbi's not to excited to become a daycare kid again. But we need this, so this is the best option. I'm really excited and floated all day yesterday.

I promise to update with pictures from the sand dunes and past adventures. But I just wanted to remember how excited I was about being offered a position at Vancott. I'm truly excited and grateful to everybody who has helped me and pushed me and done what they could to get me to this point. I'm grateful for prayers and postive energy and for the support I have had to get me here.

Here's to a new adventure!!!

The Tooth Fairy

Here is a funny Libbi story. Before we headed to Cowabunga Bay for an afternoon of fun, we stopped for some lunch at the original Utah In-n-Out. It happens to be in the same parking lot with a Sweet Tooth Fairy bakery. Well, we've had a lot of this going on at our house lately:

As we got back in the car to go to Cowabunga Bay, Libbi read the sign above the shop. She wasn't sure what it meant, so I asked her what she thought it was. Her response, "Well, I think it's a place where you go to get your tooth fairy something after she's picked up all your teeth. You know, like a gift."

Every time I see a Sweet Tooth Fairy Bakery, I'll forever think of it as the place you go to get your tooth fairy a gift when all your teeth are gone. You know, like as a thank you! I love watching her grow up and her imagination. I didn't correct her on what the shop really is. I figure, she'll figure it out soon enough and she doesn't need anybody pointing out to her that she was wrong. You know, like a model home is where the model's live. :)

The Dark Side

I'm just going to post it. Because let's be honest, you have to have some bad mixed in with the good.

I find myself lately with one foot in the dark and the othe trying, sometimes successfully and sometimes unsuccessfully, to pull myself out of the dark depression filled world. I don't know how to explain it. I knew that when I was fired from Marriott I would struggle with depression. This isn't the first time. At the time I was let go, we were on a path of success. With goals that were within reach. I feel like now, I've screwed all of those up and we are back to square one and unsuccessfully moving forward. I've learned that I can be a stay at home home, but I don't really enjoy it. I miss having an outside life and a purpose and feel like I'm contributing to my family. I've loved being home with Libbi and getting to take her and pick her up from school. But I spend 6 hours a day home by myself, with only myself to talk to and that can unravel my day quickly. I spend my days stressed about money, lack of insurance (hoping nobody gets sick or hurt) and trying to get ourselves back on a path of success. Kyle has been supportive of everything and understanding, but this is a daily struggle for me. I find myself planning a nap as soon as the alarm goes off. Setting small, insignificant goals to get through my day and hoping somehow to accomplish even half of them. I spend my day on the verge of tears and worried that if somebody says something to me, I might come unglued. My family has been understanding and supportive and I do my best to hide this away, but I'm not sure how well I'm hiding it and I'm sure they know. Every time I think I need help, I remember that there isn't any insurance to pay for the medication I would have to have to stay balanced, which starts the whole cycle all over again. So for now, I set my goals for the day. Accomplish what I can and hug my daughter and remember that this is good for her. To have her mom at home to help her and to be her friend and teacher.

I know that sounds like it rambles. But I needed to write it down. I needed to get it out of my head. I'm working hard to find a purpose and to help get back on track. But some days, the 'dark' side gets the best of me. I know everything happens for a reason, but I need some sort of direction and I need to stay positive.

Something will come along and we'll be ok. But this week, I'm struggling. It's taken me 5 days to finally post this. Why must Depression have such a stigma attached to it?!?!

A Selfish Post

Today, I'm dreaming of a few things that I would like to own. I know, it's a totally selfish post, but it's my blog, so I can do these kinds of things. Maybe if I write it down, I'll somehow achieve it.

I want to start doing this...

I'm hoping that maybe I'll feel better. Lately I've had some serious pain in my lower back (where my herniated discs are) and into my hips. Not good. So I think it's time to join the treadmill world and some additional something for core strength. And I've always wanted to be more flexible. This is my goal. When I have an action plan, I'll post it here with my goal. Thanks to some good pals for reminding me that this is important. (You can see them here, here, here, and here.)

And since we bought a Wii a couple weeks ago, I also want one of these: I think it would just be benefical and my mom has one. She uses hers almost daily. So I think it would be a worthy investment.

Just because, I want one of each of these:

I also want to do new family pictures. Our last real family picture was at my little sister's wedding 3 years ago. I think it's time. Don't you?

Maybe one of these....I go back and forth. But today, I definetly need one of these:

On the pratical side of life, I also want the following three things:

Yeah, it's true, I'm looking, but it would be great to have something sooner than later so that we can afford the things below.

That's what I'm dreaming about today. A new start, a new adventure and a few material things that I don't really need, but definetly want.

Happy Monday All!

9/11

Today is the 10th anniversary of the tragedy that affected our country on so many levels. It is the day that 4 planes were taken hostage by a radical terrorist group and changed my life forever. I am sad that Libbi will not know how this impacted my life, that she will only know about this tragedy through TV specials and discussions in history class. I truly hope that her generation will NEVER see something like this and that the impact will always be something we talk about, not something she has to experience. I am sad that she doesn’t understand the significance of the pledge of allegiance each morning in school or that impact of the national anthem. I know that some of that responsibility lies on our shoulders as her parents and I want her to know how grateful I am to be an American. To have that knowledge and to know what it means. She informed me the other day that they do recite the pledge every morning, I’m so grateful for that. I think it is important for our children to celebrate our nation’s history each day. To remember what all of our soldiers and their families have sacrificed so that we have the right and opportunity to be free and to practice what we believe. Libbi and I had a conversation last week about what 9/11 means and why it is so important. I was telling her the story about where I was and that day is still etched in my memories as if it were yesterday. For my own account, in the instance that this memory becomes less vivid for me, I want to know what happened to me that day.

On Tuesday morning of September 11, 2001, I was just getting into the routine of being a Senior. For some reason that morning as I got ready for school, I was not listening to the radio. I missed all the news reports and the information as it was happening. When I walked into my first period (Mrs. Ott’s chemistry class) I overheard some people talking about the first plane hitting the first tower. I was only briefly listening and I wasn’t processing the information. That day happened to be lab day and Mrs. Ott quickly put us in the lab to complete the assignment. About half way through the lab, Mrs. Ott came in to inform us that a second plane had just hit the second tower. She was visibly upset, but again, I was still trying to process what all this meant. She would not allow us out of the lab until our assignment was finished. This class ended and I made my way through the high school out to our portable classrooms for my sociology class. This is where the biggest impact to me came. I walked into that room and my sociology teacher was parked in front of his TV in a red chair. I don’t think he even took role that day; class wasn’t anything other than watching news reports and trying to process this information. I think we had a loose discussion about what this meant. I walked out of class in a daze and somehow made it to my psychology class. I don’t remember much about that day from there. I’m not even sure we talked about it at home as a family. I was 17 and self absorbed in my world and my routine. It took a few days for the full impact of what had happened to sink in and to be real to me. I remember that morning and I remember the disbelief that this was truly happening on our soil, in my home and the fear of being attacked. New York, DC and Pennsylvania seemed so far away, but my heart broke for the families that will be affected by this tragedy for the rest of their lives.
The greatest impact to me came a year or so later as a freshman at Utah State. When I had the opportunity to go to a memorial on the quad on the one year anniversary. To participate in that moment of silence. I remember having Family Home Evening in my front room in Logan. Where one of the young men, who happened to be part of the army was listening to a small radio, listening to see if his life would be affected by a deployment. He did end up being deployed during my sophomore year. This is when it became real to me. When I knew that this was not going to be something that the United States was going to let become something that happened. We would stand up and fight for our rights and our freedom.

This year, as I sat on the couch explaining to Libbi what 9/11 means and why it’s important, I had tears in my eyes. When I turned 18, my mom put together a book of letters to me. I don’t think she will ever know how much that book means to me. That’s a post for another day, the reason I mention it is because there is a portion of the letter my Grandpa Parrish wrote to me that I remember often. At 18, his future was decided for him. He would be drafted and sent across the sea to fight for my freedom and my rights. His words to me said, you are 18 and you have the opportunity to go and choose something different than I did. I can only imagine that the way I felt on 9/11/01 is similar to the way the United States felt on the morning of December 7, 1941. My Grandpa is my hero. He is loving and kind, full of inspiration and positivity. Even having been drafted and sent to fight, he is humble about his experiences, that he went to fight for his country and for the freedom I am still able to experience today.

With the attacks on 9/11, it sent many families into a direct effect of war and loss. I have seen families be affected and know many people that I graduated with that have accepted the call to serve our country and how their families are affected by their selfless act of service. I want them to know, how grateful I am to their willingness and their continued service to our country. I have close family who have been affected personally with deployments and military life. I can’t imagine how they do it, but I’m grateful for their strength.

As I’ve watched multiple things today about 9/11 and how it affected our life 10 years ago. I have been teary eyed as I see what has impacted the lives of many. I’m glad we have the 4th of July to celebrate our independence with celebrations and fun things. I’m grateful that September 11, is a somber day. A day of remembrance and a day of reflection. I’m proud to be an American and that these radical terrorist will never be able to take that away from me. I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free. And I’ll never forget the men and women, who will forever be heroes, who have given of their lives and their time to defend that right for me.

I will Learn to Forgive.

I will NEVER Forget.

August Adventures

August was full of lots of fun. Kyle took his vacation and we had some fun close to home. It was nice to have him home and available for family fun. He spent quite a few of his days off on his motorcycle enjoying the time he had to ride. Here are some highlights:

Day One:
Liberty Park, Paddle boats and some lunch.



Day Two:
We used our day passes for Cowabunga Bay for an afternoon of fun. It was a little chilly but we still had fun. Libbi went up to one of the tallest slides with Kyle. (I don’t do tunnel slides, it has something to do with the closterphobia factor). It’s a very small water park, but fun. I think Libbi would have had more fun if we had taken somebody her age to play with. There was a small wind blowing that day and the slides are all on a large structure, so with the wind blowing, it was a little chilly to stand in the lines. But, we had fun and enjoyed ourselves.

Day Four:
We had some lunch at Red Robin and wandered through the mall. We stopped to feed the ducks that afternoon at the local cannel. Libbi had fun throwing bread over the fence to the ducks, goats, sheep and geese.

Day Five:
We had a fairly boring day. Nothing much happened.

Day six: Kyle’s Birthday!
Kyle and I took the opportunity to go riding up at Bountiful. Libbi spent the afternoon with Grandma. Happy Birthday to Kyle! You are an amazing and loving dad. I love you more today than I did 8 years ago.

We also had the opportunity to take Libbi to Lagoon for the first time. We enjoyed a day with some of Kyle’s co-workers and their families. Thanks again for a day of fun. We took Libbi on the log flume and Colossus very first and she loved them. We also ran into Miss Jen and Miss Julie from Libbi’s daycare and so Libbi and I spent some time in kiddie land riding rides with Zane and Alicia.

As August came to an end, Marriott and I ended our contract of employment. It was unexpected and not planned. I’m sad about it. I’m upset, I’m worried and concerned, but I have to stay positive. Otherwise the day gets the best of me and I’ll become unproductive, unmotivated and unable to function. I know there are reasons I was allowed to be employed there. I made some amazing friends that I hope to stay in touch with and I want them to know how much they mean to me and how grateful I am to each of them for their friendship. They made work a little bit of home and a little easier to tolerate. I know there is a reason I worked there and that reason changed almost daily. It’s time for a new adventure I guess. But it’s hard and job hunting is not how I would like to ideally spend my day.

Libbi also started first grade this year. She is in Mrs. Kwak’s class and enjoying first grade for the most part. It’s been an interesting couple of weeks as we learned a new normal. She is such a smart girl. We have already had our first parent teacher conference and learned that she is doing exceptionally well and that her Dibble scores are high. I’m so proud of her and all that she is learning and how smart she is.

We also had the opportunity to celebrate birthdays for both my dad and Kyle’s great-Grandma Ila. I love family birthday dinners at my grandparent’s house. It seems like such a piece of home and I love those memories. I’m so grateful that Libbi will have memories like that.
Great –Grandma Ila turned 97 this year. She is such a cute grandma and we have some great pictures from her birthday party.

We ended our summer on Labor day. Libbi enjoyed a day with my family at Boondocks in Kaysville. I’m so glad that she has such a great relationship with my family. Kyle and I went out to five mile pass for a day of riding.

One morning, when I took Libbi to school, she wanted to say Hello to her cousin Bailey (who recently moved to Maine), so we stopped in to say hi!

Yay for August and the fun we’ve had.