tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53059803030793260672024-02-20T22:43:29.922-07:00The Never Ending Adventures of One Random Woman..We all have adventures daily that make us interesting and unique. We sometimes forget that even the smallest things can make a difference- This Blog is dedicated to all the women (people!) who are making a difference daily in the lives of so many, while thinking they do so little!
Follow me on twitter- http://twitter.com/OneRandomWomanAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04525498435825354376noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5305980303079326067.post-81992457136946048472013-10-19T21:38:00.000-06:002013-10-19T22:13:36.897-06:00THE DIFFERENCE ONE CAN MAKE <div style="text-align: center;">
The entire premise of my blog is to remind people that each one of us matters. That each one of us has the power to make a difference. This blog is usually reserved for my more spiritual side, not my working girl side. But this story is too big, too cool to not let it be here. It belongs here. </div>
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The past few weeks I have seen something amazing come together all because of the work of one person. </div>
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I love my job. I love that I work with awesome teachers and staff who continually amaze me with their efforts, their compassion and their hard work. I love the kids I work with. They are funny, smart, caring people. During the past month of the Colorado floods I have seen story after story of hard work, kindness and giving. This story is one of those that make you smile, choke back a tear or two, and make you stand a little taller for being a little part of it all. </div>
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A few weeks ago, Alex, a junior at Silver Creek High School came to see me. He wanted to do something to help people who had been affected by the flooding. He told me he wanted to get VANS to donate shoes, hoodies, t-shirts and hats to flood victims. These kids, he said, needed to have some cool stuff, not just generic t-shirts from Walmart, or someone's leftover shoes. He had a fire in his belly and I loved seeing that. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAeSqfNVJDIWD4kzs6_lF3wKk2HAzr0AkLZshQjE7jfsvlFjMTBT-E6fx4M-OShm4-LXb6f2v4QTax8YO35vJWrpKxK-vx73nd1ALxXZ82Oijw0_1doeB3n9S1vVSYMtJlcm0OgbS6fULY/s1600/vanslogo.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAeSqfNVJDIWD4kzs6_lF3wKk2HAzr0AkLZshQjE7jfsvlFjMTBT-E6fx4M-OShm4-LXb6f2v4QTax8YO35vJWrpKxK-vx73nd1ALxXZ82Oijw0_1doeB3n9S1vVSYMtJlcm0OgbS6fULY/s1600/vanslogo.jpeg" /></a></div>
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This young man is no longer part of my leadership program. He is a very talented musician, part of our school's incredible Drumline, marching band and very active in many music classes at SCHS. He felt his schedule could not allow him to stay in SCLA. I get that. Sometimes there is just not enough hours in the day to do all we want to do. I am proud of kids who sort out their priorities and figure out how they are going to be as successful as they can in high school. Even if I lose them out of my program I am still a huge advocate for them. I was thrilled that he came to talk to me and asked me to assist him how I could with his idea. </div>
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So here we go, a high school kid that loves music, likes wearing VANS stuff, and wants to help kids affected by the flood. Alex starts making phone calls, starts sending emails and the cool thing is that VANS says yes. Alex connects with Shawn Gruenhagen, the Sales Rep for Vans in Colorado. He tells Alex VANS loves this idea, and they would love to come to Longmont and give some stuff away. </div>
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It took us a little bit of time to sort out a location, date and time. Alex went all over Longmont and Lyons talking to leaders in the community, juggling school and band competitions. Alex got the folks at LifeBridge Church to offer their parking lot to host the event. Alex kept pushing when others might have quit when things didn't go quite the way he would have liked it. He stayed positive, and stayed focused. He was going to get cool VANS stuff to the people who lost a lot, no matter what it took. </div>
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So the day arrives....Of course, it snows the morning of the giveaway. </div>
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This event would be held in a parking lot.... outdoors. ugh..</div>
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But the sun came out, like it does in Colorado. The snow melts by lunchtime, like it does in Colorado. Shawn pulls up with a trailer full of boxes. We show up with two classes of SCLA students. Tents go up, a trailer is unloaded and boxes are unloaded and sorted. </div>
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Shawn was amazed that we had a crew of 60 students arrive. We had 12 parents drive to get us there. Our teachers juggled their class plans to make sure our leadership students would be there to help, and to give our students another real life experience making a difference in the community, and not just talking about it in the classroom. Another very cool part of what we do in SCLA. </div>
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Vans had donated thousands and thousands of dollars worth of merchandise. </div>
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I was worried that not enough people would come. I was not sure that the word got to all the right people. There was soooo much stuff. </div>
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Alex was organizing everything and everyone. He was awesome. </div>
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The event was scheduled from 4-6pm. At 3pm people started lining up. More volunteers came to help. The head secretary from Silver Creek, a flood victim herself, came to help. </div>
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Girls from a rival high school's basketball team came to volunteer. None of that stuff mattered, it was all about helping the people in our community. That community, knows no school colors, or team mascots. </div>
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We are Longmont strong. </div>
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We are Lyons strong. </div>
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We are Frederick strong. </div>
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We are Jamestown strong. </div>
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We are Boulder strong. </div>
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We are COLORADO STRONG. </div>
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Mormon Missionaries came to volunteer. </div>
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By the time 4pm rolled around the line was long and people were waiting to pick out some great items all for free from VANS. Shawn welcomed everyone and let them know how the distribution would work. People would all get to take five or six items each. </div>
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Hundreds of people came. Hundreds of people to thousands of items home for free. Some people, after standing in line for a really long time, wanted to meet Alex. They wanted to give him a hug. </div>
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He looked at his mom and said, "I hate hugs!" </div>
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She laughed and said, "Lots of people here want to give you one." </div>
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Alex disappeared back into the tent to get back to work. Back to help people find the shirt they wanted, get a hoodie or choose a backpack. He didn't need to be in front, in charge and taking credit. He was in the trenches, working. </div>
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Leading by example. </div>
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At 6pm the last few people got to take a few more shirts. The backpacks, the shoes, the hoodies were gone. Everything was gone. The small group of people wrapped up by cleaning it all up. </div>
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There was the unlikely group of people, who came together because of one young man who wanted to do something cool for flood victims. </div>
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He wanted people who had lost so much to know we were still thinking of them. </div>
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To all the kids at Lyons High School who are still going to school in an old building in Longmont, Alex is still thinking of you. </div>
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To the people who are still sleeping on their grandma's couch, Alex is still thinking of you. </div>
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To those of you who are living in a hotel room, Alex is still thinking of you. </div>
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And to those of you who are wondering how you are going to rebuild your lives because your houses are completely gone, Alex is still thinking of you. </div>
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And because of Alex, the rest of us are still thinking of you too. </div>
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Just think, a kid who loves playing the drums in Longmont, Colorado decided to do something to help others. He reached out to those who could help him make his dream come true. He found an awesome company that wasn't afraid to say "Yes" to a great idea. </div>
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He has incredible parents who didn't tell him it was too big, or too hard or would take too much time. I am glad he reached out to me because I like to say "yes" as much as I can too. </div>
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Volunteers from all around the community joined in. </div>
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If this is not a wonderful example of the ability of ONE RANDOM PERSON to make a difference, I don't know what is. </div>
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So, dream big. Don't be afraid to try. </div>
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You may have plenty of people who will say no, but there is someone who will say yes. </div>
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Because we all can make a difference, one random person at a time. </div>
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For more pictures and info check out #VansFloodRelief on Twitter and Instagram </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04525498435825354376noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5305980303079326067.post-67023541021229753172013-09-29T21:23:00.000-06:002013-09-29T21:25:31.226-06:00When flood waters rise, so do we. I'm not going to lie. <br />
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I have not written in a long time. I sometimes see the outdated blog staring at me almost taunting me to write. I decided to take a break and get refocused. Life has thrown me a couple of curveballs in the past few months, and I needed some time to figure it all out. But all of that is for another day. <br />
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Most of you know I am a Colorado gal. I have lived here since I was three years old and my dad moved us from Lexington Kentucky to Boulder with IBM. I'm not a native, but I am darn close.<br />
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I love Colorado. It is an amazing state. I love Longmont. It is a great city. In fact, it is such a great city we were voted the 2nd happiest city behind Napa California due to our overabundance of happy Tweets. And if we can outtweet the wine capital of the world, we must be happy. <br />
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<a href="http://www.timescall.com/ci_22623092/tweet-this-longmont-is-second-happiest-city">Longmont Times- Call Tweet This </a></div>
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Recently we were not so happy. The weather freaked out on us and dumped rain until floods ran rampant over our amazing state. Over 7000 people were displaced. It was an insane experience that seemed surreal, as if you were walking on a movie set- but not my hometown. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmVJh2UW4BECFd3jOplqFTVSH0LFzmHv9KONy6tC7UvBxyBXG12taQUWMBam5Scrh1Tl31b3ladZhpmLipyYWzsk7lB97UtAihyphenhyphendkuGXUqHuXbYUD2SpbAtlsrp6GtM8cg4-6879v6DXFH/s1600/colorado-flooding-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmVJh2UW4BECFd3jOplqFTVSH0LFzmHv9KONy6tC7UvBxyBXG12taQUWMBam5Scrh1Tl31b3ladZhpmLipyYWzsk7lB97UtAihyphenhyphendkuGXUqHuXbYUD2SpbAtlsrp6GtM8cg4-6879v6DXFH/s400/colorado-flooding-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Payton Peterson<br />
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We got rocked. We had churches, schools and civic buildings set up as shelters for all the displaced people. The National Guard was called in and had to airlift out many people living in mountain communities, after they had been stranded for days. People died in the flood waters. <br />
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I rolled over Thursday morning, September 12th 2013 to get ready for work. I glanced at my phone. There was an email that school was cancelled due to pending flooding. After my initial glee of a day off, I started to worry. I pulled my sweat pants on and headed to my laptop. I began to scour the internet for information. I had the TV on with the news. By sundown things were getting really really bad. I didn't know what to do. I read the tweets from people wondering what was going on. I saw the concerned facebook posts. I knew the one thing I could do was to keep people up to date. I could stay online and share information. I could tweet, I could facebook, and I could email. And I did. Suddenly social media had a real, important purpose. There were no political rants posted. There were no horrible bathroom "selfies" on twitter. Information was flying around Longmont, and I felt grateful to help, in some little way. <br />
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What happened next I suppose happens in a lot of places where there is a tragedy, but I think in Longmont, in the 2nd happiest twitter place, we did it really, really well. The people came together. Longmont went to work. Longmont rolled up it's sleeves, pulled on it's boots, grabbed a shovel and their neighbor and went to work. People could get back into their houses to work. The National Guard tried to keep the volunteers out of the areas, but that didn't work too well. School was cancelled for a week. I hoped my leadership students would not waste the time, but help. Boy, was I impressed. They helped. They were amazing. EVERYONE was amazing. We gathered at my house and made hundreds of sack lunches to deliver to the volunteers who were cleaning out basements and working so hard to help.<br />
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<b>We collected tools and cleaning supplies to help those in need. People donated hundreds of dollars of worth of items. </b></div>
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<b>A friend collected items from BYU and her Utah friends and drove it all over to Colorado to help. </b></div>
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<b>A friend and her family gathered items and mailed them from California </b></div>
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<b>We gathered a group of people from the LDS church, the Silver Creek Leadership Academy and many amazing local folks and made 1600 sack lunches in an event called </b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">FLOOD LONGMONT WITH FOOD </span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgukbONywYbtuJlgXV-l27R011JAlXfKSroRxckzC6Kjj18qn7z6ELkng94mONaTQIdxevFmisZryiSK5zIvBK4B3p2InWyXpenP91RYpeOWUfAy4m00krOM8Z-cyqZUL7iL78Fa8-WavN/s1600/1600Lunches_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgukbONywYbtuJlgXV-l27R011JAlXfKSroRxckzC6Kjj18qn7z6ELkng94mONaTQIdxevFmisZryiSK5zIvBK4B3p2InWyXpenP91RYpeOWUfAy4m00krOM8Z-cyqZUL7iL78Fa8-WavN/s400/1600Lunches_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>And then we delivered the lunches. </b></div>
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My students were amazing. They worked hard and were featured in a newspaper article. <br />
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<a href="http://www.timescall.com/news/colorado-flood/ci_24143449/st-vrain-students-take-advantage-school-closures-by">http://www.timescall.com/news/colorado-flood/ci_24143449/st-vrain-students-take-advantage-school-closures-by</a>
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Then, one of the kindest acts of thanks I have ever been given, I was thanked for stepping up to help in an article in the Longmont Times Call. <br />
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<a href="http://www.timescall.com/lifestyles-top-stories/ci_24136302/when-their-community-needed-them-most-these-people">http://www.timescall.com/lifestyles-top-stories/ci_24136302/when-their-community-needed-them-most-these-people</a>
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So out of the mud, the smell, the damage came this amazing thing. We stopped whining about things that we disagree on and we helped each other. It reminded me of the United States right after 9/11. We stopped finding fault with each other for a little while and were proud to be Americans. In Longmont, I saw people from very different faiths working together in someone's basement and yard. I saw kids with "Longmont Trojans" and "Silver Creek Raptors" T-shirts on working side by side and enjoying each other. People stopped what they were doing and donated what they had for those who had nothing. A member of the Red Cross was quoted as saying they had never seen a town come together like Longmont. Maybe they were surprised, but I wasn't. <br />
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I know the people here. <br />
They are my friends.<br />
They are my co-workers.<br />
They are the teenagers working part-time who push my cart to the car from King Soopers.<br />
They are the the ladies at the Post Office in the Ace Hardware that know my son is on a mission in California. <br />
They are my kid's teachers and coaches.<br />
They are the policemen and firemen. <br />
They are my friends who are elected officials, and newspaper reporters.<br />
They are my friends from the Longmont Chamber of Commerce, small business owners who gave away all kinds of items to help.<br />
They are retired people who volunteer all around the city. <br />
They are Pastors and Priests and Rabbis and Bishops. <br />
They are football players, soccer players, cheerleaders and bandies. <br />
They are all the amazing people who make Longmont what it is. <br />
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On the night of September 12th 2013 We forgot all that divides us and thought of only one thing. </div>
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How can I help? </div>
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And that, was a beautiful thing......</div>
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Seeing us truly, make a difference, one random woman (person) at a time...... </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04525498435825354376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5305980303079326067.post-65019536468038534552013-03-30T11:22:00.000-06:002013-03-30T11:28:36.138-06:00Happy Easter! <br />
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<i><b> There is something about spring that always makes me smile.</b></i><br />
I love waking up early and feeling the "Spring" air. There is something about it. I am suddenly transported back to my childhood and walking to the bus stop on my way to Douglass Elementary school in Boulder, Colorado. <br />
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It was the time of year you could stop wearing the big winter coat, and the clompy boots. I didn't have to wear tights with my dress anymore and I could put shorts on underneath....( A key necessity for playing on the monkey bars!) The grass started to turn green. Flowers were starting to poke through the cold, hard ground. <br />
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The birds were all around and different chirps serenaded me down the dirt road, over the bridge by the ditch and off to the bus stop in front of the Batstone's corral. The sun <i>felt </i>different. The air <i>smelled </i>different.<br />
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Perhaps it was the fact that Easter was around the corner. There were a couple of things I remember about easter. My mom would drag out the Easter baskets out of the attic. They would have the same plastie eggs in them with the same grass. (sometimes the same black jelly beans in from the last year, if you were not careful!) A new chocolate bunny, refilled eggs, a coloring book, crayons and underwear and socks. I am not sure when the Easter Bunny became obsessed with my need for new underwear, but I suppose my mother's worries of me having on clean underwear in case I was in a car accident spurred that on...... Anywho, that was the contents of the Easter Basket. The dreadful part was still to come. My mother, would go out and get me a frilly, fluffy dress with a matching white purse and white gloves. <br />
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Now, my mother knew me. She knew I was much more inclined to play with GI Joe than Barbie. She knew I would rather shoot beer cans off the fence pole with my dad than knit. She knew I would would ride my bike 50 miles an hour down the hill over baking a cake anytime. Yet, every year, I would come home from school to this Easter Dress torture device. The fabric might as well have been steel wool. It was itchy, it was stiff and it was horribly uncomfortable. Then there was the gloves and purse set. She would expect me to head to church on Sunday with these gloves on that would prohibit me from even my ability to open the car door. The purse? This thing could not even carry a pack of gum, let alone a basketball. Why did the people at Fashion Bar hate little girls? The good part of Easter was a ham dinner, mashed potatoes and homemade rolls, and the second you could get out of that scratchy dress and get into some real clothes. </div>
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I would love to have my mother over for dinner. I could make a pretty decent ham and potatoes, but I would ask her to bring the homemade rolls or she would just be getting the heat and serve ones from King Soopers. She has been gone for almost 34 years. </div>
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I am lucky to have my dad at my house with me. He will appreciate the ham dinner, the hard boiled eggs and he won't notice the non-homemade rolls. I won't have a lot of Easter dinners left with him. I will enjoy them while I can. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV0wiewctt-SDsbIzzb58646APWPFjk2T2_BMJKXLpogRsufHJrcj2E-mqV0JJi9RJe_U7rs-dI1wGL0ichVjreOtZG0suQusydwdAGqnzOENuLNzvS0O8VsZOt9Aa_CUqI0BvYasbBq7K/s1600/mom+and+dad+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV0wiewctt-SDsbIzzb58646APWPFjk2T2_BMJKXLpogRsufHJrcj2E-mqV0JJi9RJe_U7rs-dI1wGL0ichVjreOtZG0suQusydwdAGqnzOENuLNzvS0O8VsZOt9Aa_CUqI0BvYasbBq7K/s320/mom+and+dad+.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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But my thoughts now turn to Christ. The thoughts of that day when he died on the cross and suffered horribly. The sadness of my own weaknesses and faults but then to his kindness and love for me, and for everyone. My thoughts turn from the cross to the empty tomb. To the thoughts that he is risen again and that he has conquered death. With that news, I can have hope to see loved ones who have gone before. That is great news. That is sit in the scratchy dress news. That gives me hope and purpose to know that Christ expects me, gloves, purse and all, to make a difference. He knows we all can make a difference, one random woman at a time. </div>
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<b><i><span style="color: magenta;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: magenta;">Enjoy a video entitled "He Is Risen" from the</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: magenta;"> Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: magenta;">And Happy Easter!! </span></i></b></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bAuaSpJ7zGs" width="560"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04525498435825354376noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5305980303079326067.post-22713715504166581712013-01-20T12:56:00.000-07:002013-01-30T11:25:43.367-07:00The parable of the Wontons Chinese food...... One of my favorites. I am not too picky.<br />
I like Royal Wok for the quick lunch buffet for $6.20.<br />
I like Orange chicken from Panda Express.<br />
I like Fong Garden because they deliver. <br />
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Thursday after a long day at work Travis and I decided to phone in an order to Royal Wok and pick it up on the way home for dinner. After some discussion on what Hank would like, Travis called in our order and we headed up to North Main Street to pick it up. I sent Travis in with some cash and then sent a couple of quick emails out while I waited in the car. Travis came out with a large box that seemed way to big for our order, but didn't think much of it. We headed to home.<br />
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Travis and I continued to chat, when my curiosity got the best of me at the stop light. <br />
"What did you order again Trav?" I ask.<br />
"Sesame Chicken, Beef Lo-mein, Beef and Broccoli, white rice and wontons." He says. <br />
I glance back to the large box in the back seat of my car.... I reached back and opened one of the top Styrofoam box. The box contained 10 wontons.<br />
"Um, Trav, how many wontons did you order?" I ask.<br />
"I asked for 5." he says.<br />
I open the next Styrofoam box and see another 10 wontons. I count the Styrofoam boxes..... there are 5. I begin to laugh.<br />
"Honey, I think we have 5 ORDERS of wontons, instead of 5 wontons."<br />
Travis spins around and looks at the back of the car.<br />
"No way!" He says.<br />
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We pull into the garage and carry the box into the house where upon further inspection, we see that there are, in fact, Five boxes of wontons. 50 wontons for me, Travis and my 84 year old father.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaBDi0OcVzP2rCMXEwlDnjDbSBSByQZrKEQLc0_srT4VEmcO-4Kf_grytvZZ06Y2yqhSW3tUSkQZ50A4J3f_fiidJvvzMxLTlEgPj3LONheY-EyOYZ66XqUfV1o7IabJ4HJT1jEeK7HjVZ/s1600/Traviswontons_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaBDi0OcVzP2rCMXEwlDnjDbSBSByQZrKEQLc0_srT4VEmcO-4Kf_grytvZZ06Y2yqhSW3tUSkQZ50A4J3f_fiidJvvzMxLTlEgPj3LONheY-EyOYZ66XqUfV1o7IabJ4HJT1jEeK7HjVZ/s400/Traviswontons_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We had a good laugh, and I thanked Travis for the smile he gave me. Luckily, he has a good sense of humor and the wontons will live on in family folklore. But it got me thinking....<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>"The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place" </b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b> George Bernard Shaw </b></i></span></div>
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Travis thought he ordered one order of five wontons. The person on the other end of the line heard five orders of ten wontons. How often do we not communicate very clearly with each other? How often do we think we know exactly what the other person meant? <br />
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So many problems could be avoided if we had better communication with each other. I know I often struggle with listening, understanding, not assuming things and allowing my bias or perspective to cloud the conversation. I avoid conflict and sometimes don't want to have the difficult conversations because I am not sure how to have them. I keep working on them. Little steps by little steps I try harder to be a better communicator, because relationships are worth it. People are worth it. When you are struggling to understand someone, think of the parable of the wontons. Are you saying what you really mean? Are you hearing what the other person really is saying? Sure, our 50 wontons was a pretty painless price to pay for a moment of miscommunication, but sometimes, the stakes are a lot higher. <br />
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How about our communication with our Heavenly Father? Do we really communicate with him though meaningful prayer, or do we toss out our order for 5 wontons? Improving our communication with our Father in Heaven is a great step to really learning how to talk to someone. God loves you. He wants to hear from you, and he wants to talk and understand your needs and concerns, joys and happiness. Improving the communication there will have a huge impact on our life.<br />
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Communication. We can all take a minute and do a little bit better job., and in the process, we will all make a difference in our amazing world, one random woman at a time. <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04525498435825354376noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5305980303079326067.post-45404128256414527182013-01-01T21:54:00.000-07:002013-01-01T21:54:01.538-07:002013 Fasten your seatbelts! <div style="text-align: center;">
<b>It really was only a little bit ago that I was writing about 2012 knocking at the door. </b></div>
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<b> How did it fly by so quickly?? </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsDL2B4CBRjcJoMilqm9FACO-m6pjDs9rfUidCIAIbsYzvwiALOeLbeTbS3Vec8djeyrpDOTXUZzYRYhAg3aSiEkvn0WJHynhGfdprEZxyBdZfekrz4tUMZmcNpTTT65Jw9wCvLmK-edqP/s1600/2013-beach.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsDL2B4CBRjcJoMilqm9FACO-m6pjDs9rfUidCIAIbsYzvwiALOeLbeTbS3Vec8djeyrpDOTXUZzYRYhAg3aSiEkvn0WJHynhGfdprEZxyBdZfekrz4tUMZmcNpTTT65Jw9wCvLmK-edqP/s400/2013-beach.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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I have given up on writing resolutions, mostly because every year I write loose 20 lbs, live on a budget, have sparkling clean cabinets and closets, put scrapbooks together, cook more often and be a better person...... so, really, do I need to say those again??? <br />
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Today on facebook I saw a picture and a quote from President Monson from Mormon.org. I wanted to share it here. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy-jESAZRf4rMD81WG_-XRipuAYFKXs66j1farGUUZ3QTVXE55u70QmCjUnBnOchA1CXA3lS_ZbIPjf6IcIFskXiY2RuU0rh2ZZboUXJDqQf7FB1gMg4r9O3tgAurG_QE-MVdtRmsarm5f/s1600/measuring+tape_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy-jESAZRf4rMD81WG_-XRipuAYFKXs66j1farGUUZ3QTVXE55u70QmCjUnBnOchA1CXA3lS_ZbIPjf6IcIFskXiY2RuU0rh2ZZboUXJDqQf7FB1gMg4r9O3tgAurG_QE-MVdtRmsarm5f/s400/measuring+tape_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">“Life by the yard is hard; by the inch it’s a cinch. Decisions Determine Destiny.”</span></span></div>
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"> Thomas S. Monson </span></span><br /><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"></span></span><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"> <br />
"Many people agree that the key to successful change is to set realistic
goals and recognize achievement and progress when it is being made, no
matter how small or insignificant it may appear to be."</span></span><br />
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">So this year, I am not going to measure life by the yard. The scoreboard is unplugged. The comparison chart in my brain that I use when I see one of my amazingly talented friends do something I can not do and I suddenly feel like a failure is disconnected. I am going to use the mirror as my measure and I am going to listen to the spirit to guide me to do what the Lord needs me to do......an inch at a time. Two events this past year taught me the lesson of an inch at a time. </span></span><br />
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><b>Hiking to La Fortuna waterfall in Costa Rica. </b></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJoqJJeVN8LluCE8Peyutph29_Hu45atOxiJm_GbQdWr6_kDRwckHwMb0SoS9FLlvpqO8vbz7wTdMJUZzpeQaa-2azoj7G1IWHqS8O2y6UmXo8aqopuGrs9COIKCOf6tJKZ3ETik5g57cI/s1600/IMG_0896.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJoqJJeVN8LluCE8Peyutph29_Hu45atOxiJm_GbQdWr6_kDRwckHwMb0SoS9FLlvpqO8vbz7wTdMJUZzpeQaa-2azoj7G1IWHqS8O2y6UmXo8aqopuGrs9COIKCOf6tJKZ3ETik5g57cI/s400/IMG_0896.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">La Fortuna is a beautiful waterfall in the Costa Rican Jungle. It is amazing. The only issue with La Fortuna, is..... the stairs. I am not sure how many stairs there really are. Some say 400. Some say 500. Some say 900. One guide to the area just lists it as a "</span></span>slippery and precipitous trail." <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhLmCgLJR-5w4_R-ZjPtdC0SosJCH4Y2SoXPQjBx6X48y98gdXIT5TfDy55Io7VyXIRfAYN981U26pIAcf0AouGBxs2ZHlUPXhZEFp-7so_9f8zSVFUH2dkmj3MTYqS2VsgAMnDOc92ayQ/s1600/IMG_0898.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhLmCgLJR-5w4_R-ZjPtdC0SosJCH4Y2SoXPQjBx6X48y98gdXIT5TfDy55Io7VyXIRfAYN981U26pIAcf0AouGBxs2ZHlUPXhZEFp-7so_9f8zSVFUH2dkmj3MTYqS2VsgAMnDOc92ayQ/s400/IMG_0898.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
It is a hike and it is "slippery and precipitous" (in case you were wondering what that word meant...)<br />
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<span class="vk_ans vk_dgy">pre·cip·i·tous</span> </h3>
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/priˈsipətəs/<span class="speaker-icon-listen-off" data-s="precipitous.mp3" id="speaker_icon" style="margin-bottom: 1px; margin-left: 6px; margin: 0;"></span></div>
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Dead on definition.....BTW......<br />
While you are headed down, you keep seeing the waterfall in the distance, so it looks awesome, and you are excited.... but there is this nagging feeling in your gut that what comes down must go up... and unless there is a hot air balloon, or elevator at the bottom of this baby, you are walking it back up... <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1VW_XH0ahj3TonBQa-Nwun-u08l1ZVlTh8-IdbCqNzqAvLIdTSWDASp5ne_QaHD02kiDFnqFbcdkiB9aPJhZo1fJbBEfh8TEcgYYT1bdr5Epy2S5v8XeOp2ThttqMYy2NQeDURwFa8JoB/s1600/IMG_0900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1VW_XH0ahj3TonBQa-Nwun-u08l1ZVlTh8-IdbCqNzqAvLIdTSWDASp5ne_QaHD02kiDFnqFbcdkiB9aPJhZo1fJbBEfh8TEcgYYT1bdr5Epy2S5v8XeOp2ThttqMYy2NQeDURwFa8JoB/s400/IMG_0900.jpg" width="300" /> </a></div>
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This was my second trip to La Fortuna, so I knew what to expect. It had nearly killed me the summer before. Part of me wanted to skip it. I had seen it before. I could just relax and enjoy the quiet of the jungle, and let the group go down.... but I knew better. I knew 50 was lurking around the corner, and I needed to hike those stairs at La Fortuna again. So I did. <br />
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One step at a time. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVPrVbQZ60EzkXIbpgLCMvV9qe6EFSAKgZUaOKp2SrEA7BkKUePdREgBPCs1sofZAX0oWzp-ggH1vgXbI2AJZBzMZPGS4c7WRm-EZxlug-txJeriqU04bNtfAgoQQPy6mV9T9G2grTmrJ/s1600/IMG_0893.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVPrVbQZ60EzkXIbpgLCMvV9qe6EFSAKgZUaOKp2SrEA7BkKUePdREgBPCs1sofZAX0oWzp-ggH1vgXbI2AJZBzMZPGS4c7WRm-EZxlug-txJeriqU04bNtfAgoQQPy6mV9T9G2grTmrJ/s400/IMG_0893.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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And it was amazing. I wouldn't have missed it for the world..... and I made it back up those slippery and precipitous stairs... all 400, 500 or however-many-hundered of them there are....<br />
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One step at a time.... </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7gyb52qZ_7aQZD2NNB-FVuGETIk27OBgiPlJ4VyYDhs6KLjhPuZseq8q9S187wshPrTDuLIM2XcR8filYtn5jBjjejytntLnMmwCIMgtcvICKOdCMoIebBsT2pDGfksiDIubwbKgfqunn/s1600/IMG_0901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7gyb52qZ_7aQZD2NNB-FVuGETIk27OBgiPlJ4VyYDhs6KLjhPuZseq8q9S187wshPrTDuLIM2XcR8filYtn5jBjjejytntLnMmwCIMgtcvICKOdCMoIebBsT2pDGfksiDIubwbKgfqunn/s400/IMG_0901.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<b><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">Then, this summer I climbed the GREAT WALL OF CHINA. </span></span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwQ09g1hTbJej-S27bYy4xldD0l9yL3Af9A0RP7uEkXsen6YzYN5oO58vjfRnjKPrAcnj7ofoLPLikuAeHoz6QtfkIIvpu3sfS3bXFUut5AaBlFAh6mFO94ZJ3L3xOLfDxBdgMAjiVn0Q/s1600/IMG_2309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwQ09g1hTbJej-S27bYy4xldD0l9yL3Af9A0RP7uEkXsen6YzYN5oO58vjfRnjKPrAcnj7ofoLPLikuAeHoz6QtfkIIvpu3sfS3bXFUut5AaBlFAh6mFO94ZJ3L3xOLfDxBdgMAjiVn0Q/s320/IMG_2309.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My son Travis and I on the Great Wall </td></tr>
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">I was on the trip with an amazing co-worker, Lauren, and her husband, Adam. We decided to head to the "harder" side of the wall as it was less crowded, and we were sure the views would be great. Most of our students took off to see how fast they could do the wall, so the three of us ventured off up the wall. At first, it was like everything we did in China. We would slap each other and jokingly say, "Hey! We are in CHINA!" The hike up the wall became harder and harder and steeper and steeper. My Colorado body was dripping in humidity sweat. </span></span><br />
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"> Lauren and Adam would pause for me to catch my breath. At times, I was tempted to just turn around. After all, I was in China. I was on the Great Wall. It was amazing and I had seen it. I could go back down and get a cold Orange Fanta and wait for the rest of the gang. But Lauren reminded me that I really wanted to get to the top. We wanted to go all the way up!!! We could do it, one step at a time, and we could stop anytime we wanted to. ( Now, my young friend Lauren had no trouble whipping up the wall, she was just being kind to her older friend....) </span></span><br />
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">Then she said reminded me I was days away from turning 50. How cool to remember that the year I turned 50 I climbed the great wall of China. We did it. We hoofed it up the wall. I marveled at the scenery. I marveled at the architecture. I thought of those who lost their lives building that wall. I thought of those it defended in times of war. I was climbing history, and I had no idea if I would stand on that ground again in my life. I was going to the top. </span></span><br />
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">One Step at a Time.... </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6oLB3fihnQ7D_fRgGJ_uYYY-PQHlIT8WwN-TMRl5LhOfE6pEtRAg4Q8lBwtorC1e48nOxV8Gh9HPsHttVvKCHUhkgfrxCPVJSoJlcM5lPo-DcwG5GMM8Ct31LbUYJcqUVSa5yzKCz3MC/s1600/IMG_2180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6oLB3fihnQ7D_fRgGJ_uYYY-PQHlIT8WwN-TMRl5LhOfE6pEtRAg4Q8lBwtorC1e48nOxV8Gh9HPsHttVvKCHUhkgfrxCPVJSoJlcM5lPo-DcwG5GMM8Ct31LbUYJcqUVSa5yzKCz3MC/s320/IMG_2180.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">Now I was grateful to have my friend Lauren there to poke me and prod me to remind me that I really did want to go all the way to the top. We all need friends to cheer us on when times get tough or when we feel we can't do it. Hopefully we all remember that we have a friend who never leaves us, as hard as the road may get, as difficult as the challenge may be, our Savior, Jesus Christ is always beside us. He cheers us on and knows the deep potential for excellence that is within all of us. He knows how hard the road is because he walked it himself. He knows how to succor us. </span></span><br />
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">So this year..........</span></span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">I may not loose 20 lbs.... (although I really am going to try!) </span></span></li>
<li><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">I may not really live on a budget... (although I married a financial analyst...so that will help!) </span></span></li>
<li><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">I may not have sparkling clean cabinets and closets..... (although today I did organize my sock drawer!) </span></span></li>
<li><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">I may not do scrapbooks..... ( but I made my son a great memory book of our trip to China for Christmas!) </span></span></li>
<li><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">I may not cook more often....(although I made a mean pulled pork today in the crock pot!)</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">I may not become a better person.......(actually, the chances of me becoming better are in my favor.....as long as I try....a little bit... every day.....) </span></span></li>
</ul>
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"> </span></span><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">You see, because </span></span><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">Life by the yard is hard; by the inch it’s a cinch. Decisions Determine Destiny..So let's all make 2013 a year of inches. </span></span>Because we all make a difference.....one random woman at a time! <br /><br /><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"> </span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04525498435825354376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5305980303079326067.post-17112535809835797432012-12-25T09:10:00.001-07:002012-12-25T09:10:52.906-07:00Merry Christmas 2012 <div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2012 </b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbSURE8rt5jhmWlfH_j-4qqgcGUI7JgroRru4MklUu-eRKFGHNWu-ifacqArIoPljLgRP8Be2H_cfBOERAH7ztouJiJ5lFNLzIBdct3HWPBcMIEhOAivc6ElrNc5zIfPIuOM3zYRzUUDly/s1600/1224_white_xmas_full_600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbSURE8rt5jhmWlfH_j-4qqgcGUI7JgroRru4MklUu-eRKFGHNWu-ifacqArIoPljLgRP8Be2H_cfBOERAH7ztouJiJ5lFNLzIBdct3HWPBcMIEhOAivc6ElrNc5zIfPIuOM3zYRzUUDly/s320/1224_white_xmas_full_600.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Christmas morning in Colorado. </b><br />
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We woke up to a white Christmas, which is always beautiful to see the sun glistening on the mountains. It's been a wild few weeks. We had the Sandy Hook school shootings, we had the Mayan end of the world predictions that did not happen, we had shootings at a mall, shootings down the street and yesterday firemen were shot and killed responding to a fire. There does not seem to be peace on earth, nor much good will to men. My heart is sad. It is sad for the people who have Christmas morning today with funeral plans, or empty places at the dinner table. I can hardly stand to turn on the TV to see the news. Heartache seems to be everywhere. <br />
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But I am going to continue to look for the good. I am going to dig deep to find positive in our world because it truly is everywhere. If you are on twitter- check out the hashtag #RandomActsOfKindness and see what nice things people are doing for each other. They are not huge things. Little things. Friday, the cashier at Walgreens who asked me if I had used a coupon for my pictures I was picking up. I said "no," so she proceeded to take 30% off my bill with an in-house coupon. Did she need to do that? Nope. Was she busy, frazzled and working long hours at the end of the Christmas shopping rush? Yup. But she took the extra few minutes to save me some money, and I appreciate that. People are paying for each other's groceries, drinks at Starbucks and other fast food restaurants. People are helping folks rebuild their houses from Hurricane Sandy. My SCLA kids are making paper snowflakes for us to mail to the students at Sandy Hook. There is good everywhere. It just isn't as graphic to report on. <br />
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Last night I was able to skype with my grandkids and read them "the night before Christmas." How awesome is that? Sharing a wonderful Christmas story with my three darling grandkids in Iowa is an amazing thing. Thank you technology. <br />
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Good is all around. Good will continue to be all around us even when bad is ranging. It is just up to us to look a little harder, stop and listen a little more closely and seek to find him who helps us find peace. Our Savior, Jesus Christ. Now I know not everyone believes in Christ. I respect that. For me, personally, he is the source of peace and joy in a troubled world. No religious rants, no hellfire and brimstone sermons here, just me and my quiet knowledge that he lives. My knowledge that babe born in Bethlehem and whose birth we celebrate today is real. He was born, he lived. he died. He rose again on the third day. And he is painfully aware of our sadness, our trials and our trouble. He is there ready to walk beside us, and if necessary, carry us for a part of the journey. He waits at the door for us to invite him into our lives. He is welcome in mine. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6nebXXyoaxNh-w7fi0JAaOOf-uCxJwZJ2fKVhua7ysPgpx1iEwLOyrzfrE56IbsDafJQYRnC5xIc2fhZVBzT3Bx-NvEUXUhLVZF5ZTsQ1EN-p2kU7rc2UxMP3UbBZ6TuQcLrnmrux3zbr/s1600/baby-jesus-mary-joseph-by-dewey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6nebXXyoaxNh-w7fi0JAaOOf-uCxJwZJ2fKVhua7ysPgpx1iEwLOyrzfrE56IbsDafJQYRnC5xIc2fhZVBzT3Bx-NvEUXUhLVZF5ZTsQ1EN-p2kU7rc2UxMP3UbBZ6TuQcLrnmrux3zbr/s320/baby-jesus-mary-joseph-by-dewey.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">His Name Shall Be Called Wonderful by Simon Dewey</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Merry Christmas world. Find joy. Find happiness amid the rubble and the trouble. Let's take care of each other. Let us look for ways to bring kindness back into our world that is so filled with hate, anger and sadness. We can do it. We can do it one random woman at a time. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04525498435825354376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5305980303079326067.post-66908440053713840082012-11-24T10:01:00.000-07:002012-11-24T10:01:12.845-07:00Thankful me <div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Another Thanksgiving has come and gone. </b></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Time for my traditional "I am sure Thankful for" list. </b></i></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">*In no particular order* </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<ul style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0YWHSxbYfuq2liUPaepgWZ-Crbkz45rCwr9HVQTnWF-h3dEkmoEl17QmjIjppQUvF2J5b9bmsMlCn-4X67Ok9SX_1HKmNlCq31kWnug_hwUlR0BcsLLaefV2UVktS9P0Xnc8w5hGJDHgZ/s1600/IMG_1455.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0YWHSxbYfuq2liUPaepgWZ-Crbkz45rCwr9HVQTnWF-h3dEkmoEl17QmjIjppQUvF2J5b9bmsMlCn-4X67Ok9SX_1HKmNlCq31kWnug_hwUlR0BcsLLaefV2UVktS9P0Xnc8w5hGJDHgZ/s320/IMG_1455.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-vJTxCj1LlXY8U0zqFbIEzdqScv1NlDiM0Ugqk7zexqVEQ85Mr39oyAIP7bopi6fpymSHVUHZDgepGdnspdok1iTtm1Zw5iMpjyHTPA15-LLROO71LjnQMKhjgeCZt9QzUNKO-z362kzt/s1600/IMG_2073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-vJTxCj1LlXY8U0zqFbIEzdqScv1NlDiM0Ugqk7zexqVEQ85Mr39oyAIP7bopi6fpymSHVUHZDgepGdnspdok1iTtm1Zw5iMpjyHTPA15-LLROO71LjnQMKhjgeCZt9QzUNKO-z362kzt/s320/IMG_2073.JPG" width="320" /></a></span>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">My new husband (Still fun to say..... husband..!!! )</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">My kids and their spouses </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">My new step kids (and to not using the word "step" at our house) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">My grandkids </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">My dad, Hank </span></li>
</ul>
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<ul style="text-align: center;">
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Toilet Paper </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Diet Dr Pepper </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Sunsets in Colorado </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Friends, near and far </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">That I don't live in China where they took my shirt away </span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid9PWWOzf2kyeyyo0CeX1f46X-gU23og-5RONpxEaoUnSb-Y53LeoTbH4uomzYHdDmdROZ9x4tsZCEi0PHLq35_Ld0khRCV94aZPi0-FBAlyeRFnMOKAPxPbpGaUh0BeTNjO_J3Hv1BB-B/s1600/Christ_o_979.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid9PWWOzf2kyeyyo0CeX1f46X-gU23og-5RONpxEaoUnSb-Y53LeoTbH4uomzYHdDmdROZ9x4tsZCEi0PHLq35_Ld0khRCV94aZPi0-FBAlyeRFnMOKAPxPbpGaUh0BeTNjO_J3Hv1BB-B/s1600/Christ_o_979.jpg" /></a></div>
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<ul style="text-align: center;">
<li><span style="font-size: large;">The Gospel of Jesus Christ and my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints </span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><ul style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvDNWU6PYUWHDa1eb1m9wV-yvupt9i6ADv7IKErwiwkkwKn7RDOJjdODoxp13lMCjsVDQlUX-ImMIfXfBII1zS4r-T3LeQdXcFztmNTqze7xsAO4G-2u2Bm_Y2sS_3NHDJTiExyxit6J9j/s1600/Silver+Creek+LA+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvDNWU6PYUWHDa1eb1m9wV-yvupt9i6ADv7IKErwiwkkwKn7RDOJjdODoxp13lMCjsVDQlUX-ImMIfXfBII1zS4r-T3LeQdXcFztmNTqze7xsAO4G-2u2Bm_Y2sS_3NHDJTiExyxit6J9j/s320/Silver+Creek+LA+Logo.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-KYSY7uG6YoOPUwbZLCpIEySGRoGAbwOn5oOjfzEDjkTO3CU3dO9AE38ss5xoH8idsMGiRIAoYgHxJPf0-459MAheiznONno2fqabQbOcCMJELrW2JErFjeZcGGYPM3NlzZoQBkUX5_b/s1600/Twinkies+RIP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-KYSY7uG6YoOPUwbZLCpIEySGRoGAbwOn5oOjfzEDjkTO3CU3dO9AE38ss5xoH8idsMGiRIAoYgHxJPf0-459MAheiznONno2fqabQbOcCMJELrW2JErFjeZcGGYPM3NlzZoQBkUX5_b/s320/Twinkies+RIP.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></ul>
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<ul style="text-align: center;">
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Steak on the grill </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Wii bowling </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Silver Creek High School and my awesome job with awesome co-workers and awesome students. (I work with teenagers, it's like, awesome!) </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: center;">
<li><span style="font-size: large;">music </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">playing dumb games with my adult children </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">airplanes that get me to Iowa in 1 1/2 hours</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Skype / Facetime </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Cars </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Grocery stores with way more than I need </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">DVR </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">House Hunters International </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Hot Tamales </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Twinkies...... RIP </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Hoodies / sweatpants (bless you!) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Cell phones </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Sweet tarts </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Movie Popcorn </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">smelly candles </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">sand between my toes (again, soon?? Please?) </span></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There are way more things to list than humanly possible. But this is a good, short list to work from. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Happy Thanksgiving. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Be Thankful for all the things in your life. When you start counting, its amazing what that list looks like, and then you are able to make a difference, one random woman at a time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /> </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04525498435825354376noreply@blogger.com0Colorado, USA39.5500507 -105.782067436.3104892 -110.83577840000001 42.7896122 -100.7283564tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5305980303079326067.post-31526531575702824592012-11-01T07:39:00.000-06:002012-11-22T13:43:02.926-07:00NOTHING BETTER THAN FAMILY! Family!<br />
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The ones we love with all our hearts! The ones we can't live without. The ones that drive us nuts. The ones that evoke all the emotions we never knew we had. We can't live with them, and we can't live without them! All of the best jokes come from our family. Today I am so grateful for them! They truly make my life complete. Two shout-outs to family today.<br />
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Happy Birthday Kelly!<br />
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Today is my sweet daughter's birthday. I love her smile, her spunk, her passion, her fire. I love her kindness. She is a wonderful sister, aunt and daughter. Our family is lucky to have her. <br />
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Next- I just got back from helping my other daughter, Erin, and her family while she had surgery.<br />
This was a fun filled week in Iowa helping out with grandkid carpools, dinner, shopping, laundry, hospital waiting, ball games, preschool, movies and fun. This is what the true meaning of family is, the chance to be around when things get a little rocky and we need a little help. I'm so glad I was able to be there! <br />
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My new heroes for the kind of Grandma I want to be are Mike and Esther Kohn, parent's of dear friends of mine. I spent 11 amazing days in China with their son and daughter-in-law Adam and Lauren. While we were traipsing around China, Mike and Esther were holding down the fort in Colorado with their two grandchildren. They didn't just keep the house from burning down, the kids from starving and out of the emergency room, they did cool stuff with them..... Library, museum, swimming pool, ice cream, you know, cool grandparent stuff. Then they made the kids a great book of all the fun times they had with them. Grandparents like that should get an award or at least a few minutes on "The View." I want to be them when I grow up.<br />
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So while I was in Iowa, I tried to be Mike and Esther. I came up with a few random thoughts that I thought I would share with you.<br />
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<b>#1 Mornings are not for everyone! </b></div>
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The first morning I was there, my daughter had to be at the hospital early for surgery. I took over morning duties, getting kids ready for daycare, pre-school and school, then headed off to join my son in law at the hospital waiting for Erin to come out of surgery. My grand daughter was happy, perky and all smiles as we got dressed and did hair. My grandson, on the other hand, would have preferred I was sucked off the face of the earth. When we brought out the camera he was even less impressed with me. Funnily enough, the roles changed by the end of the week, with my little man the happy perky one, and me having to drag my granddaughter out of bed and nearly get her dressed asleep (which is like putting jello in a ziplock bag.....) I know exactly how they feel. Some mornings I am up and ready to tackle the world, and other mornings.....well, don't talk to me, and get me a Diet Dr. Pepper stat. <br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><b>#2 Do Things For Others </b></span> </div>
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When you get a chance to do something for others, jump on that chance. It won't come around again. My 4th grade grandson was celebrating "America Reads day" while I was in Iowa. He asked me to come to read to his 4th grade class. While I thought of all the the things I<i> should </i>be doing<br />
(Laundry, helping Erin, cooking, etc) There was really nothing more important than taking time to read "The Monster at the End of the Book" with furry, lovable Grover to my grandson's class. The smile on his face as he introduced his grandma from Colorado......Priceless.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><b>#3 Give Comfort </b></span> </div>
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Funny thing about spending time in Iowa... I was supposed to be there to help Erin and comfort her. Guess what happened? My soul was comforted and I was the one who was blessed and uplifted.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><b>#4 Want to feel good? See what great parents your kids are when you see your grandchildren smile. </b></span></div>
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Nothing fills your heart more than seeing your grandchildren, happy, healthy, smiling and loved. With all the Chaos in the world, walking into my daughter's home in Iowa where it is a home filled with love and peace is an amazing thing. Don't take that for granted. Thank your children for raising great children. We all know how tough a job that is, especially in today's world. Stop what you are doing today and give them a hug and thank them for raising such great kids.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">#5 Shout out to the one who married your kid. </span></span> </div>
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I can't tell you how much I love my son in law, John. First of all, he married into our family, so he deserves a medal of honor just for that one, brave act. He puts up with my daughter, who, occasionally acts just like me. But the number one thing I admire about my son in law? He is a GREAT dad. In an era where the importance of fathers is disregarded on all sides, I am proud of my son in law for the time and effort he puts in to being a dad. He is a hands on dad who works all day and comes home and works all evening. Heck, he put up with me being there all week, how awesome is he?<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">#6 Life is short, take a big bite </span></b> </div>
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Buy the big, hand dipped corn dog for your grandson. Buy one for yourself. Life is short. Take a big bite out of it and enjoy every moment. Look for chances to make memories, to show you care! Don't pass up an opportunity by being "too busy" to help, to serve, to be happy. <br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><b>#7 There is beauty all around, when there's love at home</b></span></div>
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Who knew the sunsets in Iowa were so beautiful? Who knew sitting out on the porch on a fall evening was so quiet and peaceful? My trip to Iowa was a wonderful break from my hectic world. I LOVED spending time with my people. I love my daughter and my son in law, and my three grandchildren are amazing, spectacular and fabulous. Kiss your kids today. If they are far away, call them, send them an email, or a text and tell them you love them. Look for the reasons you are proud of them and help them make a difference in the world! I am going to try a little harder to see the opportunities to make a difference too, even if I am just one random woman. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04525498435825354376noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5305980303079326067.post-85685274484975096572012-10-15T22:50:00.002-06:002012-10-15T22:50:38.850-06:00Where the heck have you been? It's almost embarrassing to have your blog alone and neglected for so many months.<br />
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I suppose if I offer the excuse that I got engaged and married in the past few months maybe you will cut me some slack? Well- a shout out to fellow blogger <a href="http://www.notthebabysmomma.com/">www.notthebabysmomma.com</a> who motivated me to get writing again. So here we go! <br />
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So what happened to me? I was a happy middle age single woman. I was plotting my trips to distant locations. I was looking forward to hanging with my friends, taking my grandkids to Disneyland. I had embraced the fact that it was more likely that I would be killed by a terrorist before I would get remarried. Then a blast from the past came back. <br />
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Jim grew up in Colorado. We went to church together. We went to Fairview High School together until I came to my senses and transferred to Boulder High. I remember Jim driving his convertible with his blonde hair blowing in the wind. We danced at a stake dance, dancing to "Stairway to Heaven." I knew Jim's parents. We connected on facebook and began chatting. I should have seen it coming! <br />
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Suddenly I am chatting on the phone, texting and becoming a sappy little girl. On a trip to Texas to visit him, he smiles, pops to one knee and asks me to marry him and I knew then my life would never be the same, in a really good way. <br />
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So catch you up to October. I'm married, living in Colorado, and my husband lives in San Antonio, Texas. We have 9 kids between us. We have 4 grandkids. I still am not sure of how many siblings, cousins, step siblings, aunts, uncles, and any other random relatives that I am not sure about. (So yea, I have a LOT of material to cover now!)<br />
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So here we go. My adventure begins and I will be dragging Jim along. He has already shown he can tolerate my craziness by wearing orange converse shoes and leis to our Colorado outdoor wedding, So I am pretty sure there is not much more I can do to surprise him! <br />
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I am grateful for my sweet family, Erin, John, Bodie, Brynlie, Brycen, Mike, Christine, Kelly, Levi, TJ and Travis. I am grateful for my new family, Jim, Josh, Natalie, Kade, Jake, Joe and Jordan. I am grateful for my dad, and for Jim's parents, Sam and Sally, and Caroline and Bud. For his brothers and their wives, and children. Thank you for being accepting, loving and rolling with the punches. Just the few small steps I have taken in my new role as wife, step-mother and daughter in law among others has taught me we really all can make a difference, <i>one random woman at a time. </i> <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04525498435825354376noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5305980303079326067.post-19260112243050541602012-04-15T18:42:00.001-06:002012-04-15T18:44:01.242-06:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>When Life Gives You Lemons </b></span></div>
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Sometimes life gives ya a couple of sour things to deal with. I got to spend a great evening with the ladies of the Left Hand Creek Ward last week sharing some things with them-</div>
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So here they are for you! For the next few blogs sharing my top 10 list! </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>#10
Throw them back and scream, </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>"LEMONS??? Where is the Chocolate?? I
wanted Chocolate!!" -</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b> Having a sense of humor makes a difference. </b></span></div>
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When I was a young mommy with three small children I scurried around one morning to get a quick shower. ( because, as we all know, showering is a luxury not available to mommies...) I left my 2, 4 and 6 year old camped in front of the TV watching Barney. When I finished my short shower I opened the door of the bathroom and yelled down the stairs, "Erin! Is everything ok?" Hoping my 6 year old had things under control. Just as the last word escaped my mouth, I heard glass breaking. I grabbed a towel, (remembering that it would have been good to grab an actual bath towel before showering as this tiny towel was hardly covering anything,) and ran down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs I heard more glass shattering and this time heard the shrill giggle of my two year old. I found 6 year old Erin and 4 year old Mike sitting dutifully in front of the TV with an empty diaper and clothing of the missing two year old. I yelled, "KELLY!!!" and then heard more glass crashing from the kitchen. By now the other two children have popped into action and we all ran into the kitchen,<br />
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Just at that moment, I saw my naked two year old, standing on the counter, reaching into the cabinet, taking out a drinking glass and tossing it to the floor. As the glass shattered, the two year old did a little naked happy dance on my counter. She saw me and tried to run, but the wall and the sink were in the way, I didn't want her to fall into the glass covered floor so I tried to talk calmly. "Kelly honey, stand still." The siblings were not as helpful.... "Kelly! Bad baby!" yelled the 6 year old. Four year old Mike chimed in, "Kelly NO NO!"<br />
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I quickly said to Erin, "quick! Grab my shoes!" so she headed off and quickly came back with a pair of black church pumps. Now, are you getting the picture? A naked two year old on the kitchen counter, a mostly naked woman with a very small towel and black pumps, two bouncing children and a floor covered in glass. I walked slowly quickly to my naked una-bomber and tried to grab her, but but she was able to perform the difficult two handed- two glass toss on to the floor, causing me to let go of the towel and jump backwards to not get shattered glass on me.<br />
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I grabbed Kelly, (both of us stark naked, her without church shoes on) and headed for the safety of the dining room and the cheering siblings when I looked up to see the meter man standing in front of my large dining room picture window. We made brief eye contact when he threw his hands up in the air and ran back to the sidewalk. (poor man, I am sure he was traumatized!!) <br />
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I was able to get my naked toddler dressed and down for a nap. I put on clothes and opted for the gym shoes instead of the black church pumps and headed to the kitchen. My mind whirled as I thought of what a stupid, selfish, bad mother I was!! My two year old could have been seriously hurt because I was so selfish to think I needed to shower. "Thats it!" I swore to myself! "No showering until they go to college unless there is another adult in the house!"<br />
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And, then... I saw the glass all over the floor. My mind saw the glee in the toddler's eyes as the glass hit the floor and shattered. I saw her happy dance. I thought actually how fun it might be to stand on the counter and toss glasses on the floor. I thought of me standing there in a tiny towel and church shoes. I thought of the poor, meter man with that horrible image burned into his brain. And then, I laughed. I laughed some more. Everyone was ok. My daughter wasn't hurt, and those were really ugly glasses. We all lived to tell about it.<br />
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Moms have seen it all. Faces covered in markers. The beautiful "self" haircut that your little one does with the scissors. Make sure they are alive, then have a laugh! <br />
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When life gives you lemons- toss them back, and ask for chocolate. Have a laugh. Don't take life so seriously sometimes. Because that laugh may help you so that you too, can make a difference, one random woman at a time.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04525498435825354376noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5305980303079326067.post-64089282399670969022012-02-18T02:12:00.000-07:002012-10-15T22:51:50.072-06:00A LITTLE SPORTS TALK<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDOt_NYFW5SCemNZHyfcQ1tr7pbFwTJlyaYfF-bTHwcS-7fLLjjGeinW4hxhU7DEmWzm7jVEMDovn3GUPHwi5frAAPXIVLIEmJ-PkMUVzLvhyphenhyphenfaLbGCE1b0D8IIyTR0U-rflcjceokz1jx/s1600/family+" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDOt_NYFW5SCemNZHyfcQ1tr7pbFwTJlyaYfF-bTHwcS-7fLLjjGeinW4hxhU7DEmWzm7jVEMDovn3GUPHwi5frAAPXIVLIEmJ-PkMUVzLvhyphenhyphenfaLbGCE1b0D8IIyTR0U-rflcjceokz1jx/s1600/family+" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><i>So I'm going to take</i><i> a couple of minutes and help all you new</i> sports parents out. It's almost spring time so pretty soon your little 4 year old Mia Hamm is going to be lacing up the soccer cleats and you will be heading out on Saturday mornings with your Starbucks and Lawnchairs to cheer her on. Far too fast she is playing high school sports and the memories, pictures, and plastic trophies are all you have left. Some of you do the sports parent pretty well. Some of you...... not so much...... Let me share some observations from where I sit. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Let me share a quick resume with you. I have coached high school basketball for 10 years. I have spent 20 in the recreational ranks. I have 5 children. I am not brilliant by any means, but I do have a bit of a clue. So humor me! And now, as my kids get older, and are parenting their own little athletes, and three of them are entering the coaching profession its time to say some things out loud. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>#1 Someone is always better than your kid. </b></span> I'll hang on while you catch your breath. My kids were pretty good athletes. They collected 19 high school athletic letters between them. They had all-conference, all-area, all-state honors. They have a pretty decent collection of trophies, plaques, awards and other hardware. One has a college scholarship. There was and is, someone better than each of them. And ya know what? It's ok. For most of our kids sports is a great way to get them off the couch and doing something with other people. Quit comparing your kid to anyone else. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>#2 Cheer on the entire team-</b></span> Nothing grates me more than seeing the parents who sit in the stands reading a newspaper until their kid comes in. Then all of a sudden they are cheering, the video camera is out and they are super fans. When little Johnny goes back to the bench, Mom and Dad re-enter their coma-like state, with the only movement being to check their watch to see how many minutes their kid plays and sits the bench. Cheer for the WHOLE team the WHOLE game. If you want to only cheer for your kid, have them take up sports that are for one person. Teamwork needs to happen from the parents as well as the players. Oh, and sit with the other parents, get to know them. When we build a community of support for our kids the better off they will be. <span id="goog_1706857233"></span><span id="goog_1706857234"></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>#3 Don't badmouth kids on the team:</b></span> Maybe you can't see why someone is starting in front of your son or daughter. Maybe you think the kid that is getting all the press in the newspaper is "not that good." Teach your kid the bigger lesson by cheering on that kid. Be complementary of the MVP that is not the fruit of your loins. My Daughter Erin played with Tasha Harris, Colorado 4A player of the year. Guess what? She was better than Erin. My son Mike played baseball with Stanford Standout and New York Mets baseball player Sean Ratliff. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span id="goog_1706857238"></span><span id="goog_1706857239"></span> Guess what? He was better than Mike. Daughter Kelly played against Baylor basketball star Melissa Jones for years. Guess what? She was better than Kelly. My son TJ caught passes on the football field from Washington State bound quarterback Austin Apodaca. Guess what? He's better than TJ. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> But you know what? We were huge Tasha Harris fans while she was at Boise State. We prayed for Sean Ratliff after a foul ball caused a major injury for him. We got a thrill out of watching Melissa Jones at Baylor, and we can't wait to wear our Washington State Hoodies on game day and cheer for Austin. Celebrate the success of others. It does not mean you are a failure. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">#4 Quit coaching from the stands:</span> </b>I know. The inbounds plays we coaches run are dumb. The wrong kids are starting. The defense sucks. The offense is lame. Why don't we call a time out? It's a wonder we still have jobs!! Here's the problem. While you are yelling at your son to SHOOT THE BALL! The coach asked him to set a pick. He has to work with us all day and go home with you. He can't win. You want to coach your kid? Great. Take them out and shoot at the park. Play catch. Go running with them. But when your are at the game. Be the parent. He has a coach. He would really like a mom and a dad. Not an ESPN commentator who has no idea what we have been working on all week in practice. And for heaven's sake! Let your kid listen to the coach during time outs. If they look up at you during a time out, its a great time to stick your face in the box of popcorn! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>#5 Sports are for your kid. Not for you.</b> </span> You had your turn. Maybe you were the captain of the football team and the best thing since sliced bread. Congratulations. Your turn is over. If you want to play still, go to the rec center and get a rousing game with every one else who is still living the glory days. This is your kid's turn to have some memories. This is your kids turn to have fun. This is your kids turn to ride the bus, and wear the jersey in the halls of the high school on Friday. This is your kids turn to make it or break it. Unless you are really good with the magic 8 ball you can't control the future. They are going to have joy, disappointment, happiness, failure, frustration, elation, and many other emotions. Be there to LISTEN and support, and help them solve their own problems. You don't have to step in and run to the coach if there is an issue. Are you going to do that for them when they have a job? Call their boss? (The correct answer here is no....) Sports are a great way to learn all of those skills in a safe, controlled environment. Let them learn. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>#6 Sportsmanship Sportsmanship Sportsmanship. </b></span> Don't scream at the ref. Nothing like being at a soccer game with 7 year olds playing and a 13 year old reffing listening to a Dad berate the kid on a missed call. Clap for both teams. Celebrate good plays on both sides. Let your kid hear you thank the umpire on the way out. Don't embarrass your kid, your team, your kid's school, and most importantly, yourself. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Help your kid out- help them enjoy the game, help them learn from the game and help it be the best experience it can possibly be. This is supposed to be fun. You be the grown up, have some class and help your kid become the person you really want them to be. Because we all make a difference, one random parent at a time! </span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04525498435825354376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5305980303079326067.post-70641803360806734882012-01-02T12:00:00.000-07:002012-01-02T12:00:42.304-07:00Happy New Year!<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Goodbye 2011! </span> </div><br />
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It was a year full of travel- Madrid Spain, Costa Rica, St. Louis, Kansas City, Nauvoo Ill, Iowa, and Utah.<br />
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It was a year of change- Erin and John moved to Iowa, I moved into a new house and my dad moved in with me. TJ graduated from high school. <br />
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It was a year of new beginnings- writing for the Time Out for Women website-<br />
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It was a year of challenges, growth, blessings and trials. <br />
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Even though I got to Tebow on a Gorilla, my life is not complete yet!!!<br />
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Now on to 2012~ <br />
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Some are concerned that the world will end this year. I am not too worried, I saw the movie "Back to the Future 2" and Marty Mcfly went to the year 2015 and all was well. So let's bite off a big chunk of 2012 and live life, enjoy our families, and become a little bit better than we were this past year. I, of course, am going to do the proverbial New years resolution list- complete with the loose weight, eat healthier and manage my money better, because, really, it would not be a new years list without those items. But one thing I am going to do this year that will be a bit of a challenge for me is to read all four standard works of the scriptures. Luckily, I am not left to my own to tackle this goal. <br />
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Awesome LDS writer Emily Freeman is tackling this goal and letting us all tag along with her. She has the reading schedule and posts thought provoking daily vignettes to help us think a little deeper and apply the words in the scriptures to our daily lives. <br />
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Will you join me on this 2012 journey to come closer to Christ? <br />
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Emily's website is:<br />
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www.dailyclosertochrist.com<br />
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Be sure to let me know you are playing along and also I will do my best to post thoughts daily (or weekly) :)<br />
on how I am doing. I would love to share your thoughts here as well. <br />
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While losing a few pounds, eating more salad and having more money left than month are great goals, there is truly nothing more worthy of my time than becoming closer to Christ, and becoming more of the person, mother, daughter, and friend He needs me to be. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>So HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Let's get reading!! </b></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04525498435825354376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5305980303079326067.post-1092678758956290082011-11-23T12:10:00.001-07:002011-11-23T13:04:48.221-07:00Thankful Again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I can't believe it is Thanksgiving again.<br />
Where did this year go? This year I am again grateful for so many things- Where to start? Let's start with the fairly obvious: <br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">First and foremost I am grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ.</span> We have taken quite a hit this year! With so many people thinking that "my Jesus" is not the "right Jesus" It has caused me to think of him, what he has done for all of us, and how I need to do a lot better in 2012 standing up for him and sharing his message of love, peace and happiness with those around me. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">I'm thankful for my awesome family, </span>they are the heart and soul of my life. I miss the part of the family that moved to Iowa this fall, but know they are doing great and it was a good move for their family. I am proud of my kids and the human beings they are. They are kind, thoughtful, loving and decent. May we grow closer this next year. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">I love my job working with the coolest high school students in America, and I love taking them on adventures around the world! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">I love seeing my students helping others! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">I have amazing friends! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> So </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> how about the other, </span><br />
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<ul>
<li>Orange Fanta</li>
<li>Chipotle </li>
<li>Toilet Paper</li>
<li>Toothpaste</li>
<li>Cars</li>
<li>Mittens </li>
<li>Sunsets</li>
<li>Crunchy Apples </li>
<li>Palm Trees</li>
<li>Airplanes</li>
<li>Oreos</li>
<li>Pillows</li>
<li>Nyquil</li>
<li>Washing Machines</li>
<li>Talented Musicians </li>
<li>Sports</li>
<li>Computers</li>
<li>Smart People Inventing Cool Things</li>
<li>The List Goes On and On!!! </li>
</ul>
Everything that touches my life I am truly grateful for when I slow down long enough to notice how blessed I am. Tomorrow, when you are pounding down the turkey, mashed potatoes and pie, take that second to truly be thankful for everything we have. Imagine a world full of grateful people even for the little things. Then, we can get together and start coming up with solutions on the tough stuff, one random woman at a time. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Happy Thanksgiving 2011!</span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04525498435825354376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5305980303079326067.post-19625855508293256912011-10-18T12:25:00.000-06:002011-10-18T12:25:24.372-06:00The Never Ending Adventures of life with HankMy dad is 83 years old. He recently moved from middle of nowhere, Wyoming, to my house. Although he has only been at my house for a couple of weeks- he is making an impact on me and my family. He is also funny without trying to be. I am keeping track of this new adventure in my life because there are so many of us in the "sandwich" generation. We are busy with kids on one end, and busy helping our parents on the other end. Let's enjoy this sandwich time together, it won't last very long!!<br />
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HANKISM- Definition- 1)Interesting things Hank says, or does that are unusual to the way I would say or do things. 2) A solid excuse for the reason I act the way I do. 3) Just too dang funny not to share.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEOVBrs-XjR6BE73JLkPcNXsJDVxDc8pSLMC3JVyYBGg6Yhyk-VZStYT7pIYjOGQG74CTHMaqMjITUyqc0_XrguKMp1qPX6lpB5nb7ZcvLEhExeSMJrxsYQtarSsGYR7JQRkmTGobIRpMi/s1600/hank.book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEOVBrs-XjR6BE73JLkPcNXsJDVxDc8pSLMC3JVyYBGg6Yhyk-VZStYT7pIYjOGQG74CTHMaqMjITUyqc0_XrguKMp1qPX6lpB5nb7ZcvLEhExeSMJrxsYQtarSsGYR7JQRkmTGobIRpMi/s320/hank.book.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
I saw this book at a bookstore before Hank moved in and thought it would be interesting for him since he loves to read, and was part of the Berlin Airlift. Here's how that conversation went:<br />
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Me: "Dad, I found this book at the bookstore and thought you would like it! It's about the Berlin Airlift and I thought since you ....."<br />
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Hank: interrupting me "I saw it...all about the damn Air Force. Ohh! I am in the Air Force! I dropped candy to the little German kids! Look at me! Who do you think loaded the damn planes for the Air Force? That's right- THE ARMY. There we are working our asses off 24 on 24 off to make that airlift happen and the book is about the damn Air Force...Well Whoop-de-damn-do." <br />
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Me: "Wow! It's sure warm out today, isn't it?" <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTatgQ9JnZWML1wBRa5ViHDKSf2RKiqGB5-fOTwWaqxoOBzxfedPeL70HZgVvvaiNRbtEeJDPs1_b2M8K9bV9bGt8QsSmp0D8hJcnLX20aiZvRRpXOTQ5_BmfB2ph1rH8EHZSA77Dl5ZXV/s1600/hank.meatpack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTatgQ9JnZWML1wBRa5ViHDKSf2RKiqGB5-fOTwWaqxoOBzxfedPeL70HZgVvvaiNRbtEeJDPs1_b2M8K9bV9bGt8QsSmp0D8hJcnLX20aiZvRRpXOTQ5_BmfB2ph1rH8EHZSA77Dl5ZXV/s320/hank.meatpack.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Hank occasionally goes shopping and brings back treasures. On a recent trip he located this "Hunter's pack of meat" for us...<br />
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2 lbs of summer sausage<br />
2 lbs of ring bologna<br />
2 packages of bacon<br />
2 lbs of braunschweiger<br />
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Do you hear your arteries hardening? <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3uk3bGWOiamXZGY9dKLjtDz-yzvR1-mWFieUkuPGeveJeUb_5X4N-U2yy8ffSDFuxRxe3dWAsIbzc91DvroFHL8_ZmYKAZYTp6vu1mADKupvOI6uGpBf_WFrP3h79YGplifA8-N-YuRf4/s1600/hank.spreadsheet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3uk3bGWOiamXZGY9dKLjtDz-yzvR1-mWFieUkuPGeveJeUb_5X4N-U2yy8ffSDFuxRxe3dWAsIbzc91DvroFHL8_ZmYKAZYTp6vu1mADKupvOI6uGpBf_WFrP3h79YGplifA8-N-YuRf4/s320/hank.spreadsheet.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Came home the other day and Hank had counted all his pills and made a spreadsheet on how many he has on hand and how long they will last. <br />
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Old IBM habits die slow....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhblQby1hVLiehS316wYEzyRT3ml0X7i1ed0_02jpm6QfnmGY3YWX-i50AwOzznh2HzEK5hexn67rxW9Dl3UBRdvpCiBZDtIalgNh2vD7X4Q-Ct4CPdb0kkm-M1SbRTNho3US8MiTA6EedG/s1600/Hank.phone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhblQby1hVLiehS316wYEzyRT3ml0X7i1ed0_02jpm6QfnmGY3YWX-i50AwOzznh2HzEK5hexn67rxW9Dl3UBRdvpCiBZDtIalgNh2vD7X4Q-Ct4CPdb0kkm-M1SbRTNho3US8MiTA6EedG/s320/Hank.phone.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
I recently drug Hank into the current century and got him a cell phone. I worry about him, well, falling, and not being able to get up....So I thought the cell phone would be a handy feature for him. Just yesterday we had this conversation:<br />
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Hank: "This phone doesn't work."<br />
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Me: "What's wrong?"<br />
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Hank: (flipping phone open) "There is no dial tone"<br />
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Me: "It's not like a regular phone, you won't hear a dial tone, you just dial and it will connect you."<br />
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Hank: "That's crazy." <br />
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Last night's conversation!<br />
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Hank: "What day do you do your mending?"<br />
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Me: (trying to remember what the word "mending" means) "Um, it depends."<br />
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Hank: "I have a couple of things that need mending" <br />
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Me: "I will be happy to mend anything for you! My mending kit is right in the cabinet" (where I keep my 3x3 plastic travel sewing kit containing 4 tiny spools of thread, 5 needles, tiny scissors and plastic thimble) <br />
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Hank: "You don't have to do it now, you can wait until your mending day." <br />
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Me: "Oh, I don't mind, besides, I might be really busy on mending day so now is great." ( while I envision "Mending day" as January 20th 2179" )<br />
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I love having you here at my house Dad- I hope I can take care of you like you took care of me when I was little. I hope you have fun while you are here and we don't drive you too crazy. You are the greatest. Thank you for making a difference, one random man at a time. <br />
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For those of us in the sandwich generation, if you haven't seen this- click and watch this youTube... thought provoking and soooo true!!!<br />
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<a href="http://youtu.be/TB6VkEcXfTo">http://youtu.be/TB6VkEcXfTo</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04525498435825354376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5305980303079326067.post-78160899166718020062011-10-08T11:31:00.000-06:002011-10-09T10:23:28.218-06:00<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>OK Friends, I need to get on my soapbox. </b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Please indulge me (or don't read this- ahh!! the beauty of living in America!!) </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Pastor Robert Jeffress of Dallas chose the Values Voter Summit to loudly proclaim that Presidential candidate Mitt Romney is not a Christian because he is a Mormon, and Mormonism is a cult. First of all, to be clear, I don't care if you vote for Mitt, Obama, or a little green man from Mars. I do take offense with my church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints being called a cult. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I know my beliefs are "out there" to some of you. I know you don't believe what I do, and you really can't understand why I go to church for three hours every week, donate a portion of my income, wear the clothing I wear and spend the amount of time doing church-related things that I do. You and I may differ on what Jesus looks like, what he wants us to do, and how to do it. Does that mean we can't get along? Really? I think our differences make us awesome. I think our differences make us better. </span></div>
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<i><b><span style="font-size: small;">But please, can we stop with the "cult" crap? </span></b></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> There are 14 million Mormons on six continents. We spend our time helping others, mostly not of our own faith. Since my church started keeping track of charitable donations in 1985 we have donated over 1 Billion dollars. We are often first in line after a natural disaster to offer relief. We have a program to assist training care givers in underdeveloped countries neonatal resuscitation. We partner with the the Red Cross and UNICEF to help stop measles, and donate 1 million dollars a year to that cause. Since 2002 we have helped 5 million people have access to clean water in 4500 communities. We have provided vision treatment to over 180,000 people around the globe. We have donated over 300,000 wheelchairs in 101 countries. This is just the big stuff. I am not counting the hours or dollars we happily donate to help our neighbors, our friends and our communities. Jesus said, ( yea, the same Jesus you say I don't believe in) "By their fruits ye shall know them." Sorry, but I think we have some pretty great fruit....if I do say so myself.... </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaz2CLYim_oBrfi3KfoTD4b6AMfxJy077fOQFkZ511CNrIs0z1t8xjwRtyqx2AZIp_5DyD2M1HEwX3qv3_hHkXHdyyu9LxuLAbUqRlAWssqLXT2mf0h_b-SY85v6QJgqIaHdaafWFHd3lq/s1600/wheelchairs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaz2CLYim_oBrfi3KfoTD4b6AMfxJy077fOQFkZ511CNrIs0z1t8xjwRtyqx2AZIp_5DyD2M1HEwX3qv3_hHkXHdyyu9LxuLAbUqRlAWssqLXT2mf0h_b-SY85v6QJgqIaHdaafWFHd3lq/s400/wheelchairs.jpg" width="400" /></a>Is my church perfect? Nope. Full of a lot of strange people. But it is also full of amazing, talented, kind, thoughtful followers of Christ who just want to make a difference in their community, and live a good life. The leaders of my church are amazing men and women donating their time and energy to make our world a better place. I don't follow a Charles Manson that wants me to climb around the Hollywood hills and murder people.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> I am not part of a cult. I think, I choose, and I act. All by myself. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I follow Jesus Christ. Even if you don't like how I do it, or think I am not "really" a Christian. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">How about we stop all this nonsense of name calling and look to find what we have in common? How about we work together as Americans to solve the problems that our great country is facing. How about we learn to listen to each other- we might be surprised to hear a suggestion or a thought that actually might work. Let's make our country a wonderful place for our kids, our grandkids and all those who follow after them. Let's stop pointing fingers at each other like snotty nosed kids on the playground who blame each other for everything that is wrong with little thought as to how we have contributed to the problem. Let's dig out the ancient art of compromise to look for ways to solve the really hard problems. Let's go out there and roll up our sleeves, shut our mouths, and get to work.... because I believe we really all can make a difference.... one random woman at a time!!! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinmMSVgcvJEn6gy8WFaex4LSQdp8P-ctDWQuk3yt4lze6xeX3uQe8P1kgVyBwAQ9gsFraups8N03nJCY7i1-EKZHVMTU9deC9U-LeoUI-0uEW5esUkeQuhBb0ZsMHU09u7MChhqxhFmsjT/s1600/220px-Christus_statue_temple_square_salt_lake_city.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinmMSVgcvJEn6gy8WFaex4LSQdp8P-ctDWQuk3yt4lze6xeX3uQe8P1kgVyBwAQ9gsFraups8N03nJCY7i1-EKZHVMTU9deC9U-LeoUI-0uEW5esUkeQuhBb0ZsMHU09u7MChhqxhFmsjT/s400/220px-Christus_statue_temple_square_salt_lake_city.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">For more info on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints- go to <a href="http://www.mormon.org/">www.mormon.org</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Here is the link to Pastor Jeffress' comments: <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2011/10/07/values_voter_summit_perry_s_anti_mormon_endorser.html">http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2011/10/07/values_voter_summit_perry_s_anti_mormon_endorser.html</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">And this is a link to one of my leaders talking of Christ.... You choose! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wIJIKxt5nk&feature=related">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wIJIKxt5nk&feature=related</a> </span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04525498435825354376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5305980303079326067.post-39200045223759270312011-10-01T18:21:00.000-06:002011-10-01T18:21:09.030-06:00It's General Conference time again!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig6w9s5Ub32XutBcjJfRCJ7PLITy-SxV5-4Hpko70QDumLE1oeTGKdbb1_7Fr0mzjWry1vCyd5uXvJadDK1pcMx_iKl_IclPAov5ULU1iP9gQQUNDdJdQ3RGGiBk9PTP7YHmomp-jn_ur7/s1600/crowd+conference+center+lds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig6w9s5Ub32XutBcjJfRCJ7PLITy-SxV5-4Hpko70QDumLE1oeTGKdbb1_7Fr0mzjWry1vCyd5uXvJadDK1pcMx_iKl_IclPAov5ULU1iP9gQQUNDdJdQ3RGGiBk9PTP7YHmomp-jn_ur7/s1600/crowd+conference+center+lds.jpg" /></a><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">When I was younger I looked forward to General Conference weekend because it was a weekend I did not have to go to church. </span></i><br />
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I missed the entire point! Now, I look forward to General Conference weekend, and look forward to the talks arriving next month in my Ensign magazine for me to read and re-read. What is General Conference? <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHlRfkjMPXPF6BpHeEMDw8OuvnZQuPmVDC1kad2gULqrpkO8AFmxhhyphenhyphenp3FjR0yL0nwdGjuHkeOm3YEcDFtF5knZmYEQg0iYiN1UmvHDOXwJOY56whuau5hRYoJEO-MXeZ2Q3mN9sJvQCQh/s1600/conferencecenter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHlRfkjMPXPF6BpHeEMDw8OuvnZQuPmVDC1kad2gULqrpkO8AFmxhhyphenhyphenp3FjR0yL0nwdGjuHkeOm3YEcDFtF5knZmYEQg0iYiN1UmvHDOXwJOY56whuau5hRYoJEO-MXeZ2Q3mN9sJvQCQh/s320/conferencecenter.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
This amazing meeting draws all of my church together. The conference is seen in over 102 countries, and translated into 92 languages from Albanian to Yapese. My church has held these conferences every 6 months since 1830. We hear from our leaders on all topics to help us live better lives and become better people. We are reminded on ways to be better followers of Christ. <br />
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So while I love not getting up on Sunday morning and putting on my pantyhose every six months- I love even more hearing great messages about my purpose here on earth. Why families matter. Why I need to focus on the important things in life. Most of all, I am reminded that Jesus lives. He is my Savior, and yours. He loves me and knows me, and he died for me. <br />
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And when I have spend the weekend getting my cup filled up- I am ready to try to make a difference, again, one random woman at time. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04525498435825354376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5305980303079326067.post-27268220165412293492011-09-25T16:44:00.000-06:002011-09-25T16:44:27.000-06:00Sometimes ya just gotta trust<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b> Last week we took the Silver Creek Leadership Academy to the CU
Challenge Ropes Course at the University of Colorado at Boulder. It was
amazing to see the kids working together, reaching out to help each
other and trusting each other. Too often in this world we think we have
to make it on our own, or that we need to put others down to make
ourselves feel better. Wonder why it took hanging from a string 40 feet
in the air to feel differently? </b><br />
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<b>Wouldn't it be great if we all took care of each other? What if I was
strong when you were weak? You were smart when I was dumb? And we all
just managed to cut each other some slack and treat each other with love
and respect? </b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlpnT0b3ZWbsUEhMkiaHRPDGHmiCNB_Nb7M1FZuaH1hibdo0aQUV3zmyOrOYCpXfPjL1FNYgo7XedU9vwtyowjdyZh9dPrUQRSeQoee9jqPq0B5hI52FbMPTxTvcZhgYG1fmtKUjakoTxu/s1600/Copy+%25282%2529+of+100_1283.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlpnT0b3ZWbsUEhMkiaHRPDGHmiCNB_Nb7M1FZuaH1hibdo0aQUV3zmyOrOYCpXfPjL1FNYgo7XedU9vwtyowjdyZh9dPrUQRSeQoee9jqPq0B5hI52FbMPTxTvcZhgYG1fmtKUjakoTxu/s400/Copy+%25282%2529+of+100_1283.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>I look forward to when we just reach out our hands to help each other. I don't care if you are my best friend, or someone I hardly know. If you need help- I want to be that person. </b><br />
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<b>And when life seems unstable- or I am a little unsure of myself- you will be there for me. </b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUARsGjnJKLwsvJFERx6oVop-nTIgFC9skManlp9BMQVsfPVrVGVL_mLxuy0c4mNeXBOg2qtDHG9c0pZXWhvuCdJace9ghoVhWH_lW7kXZOvGE2DZkP0-wGBVOX21GFqgzeBPSiJ8Y9Z1Q/s1600/100_1362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUARsGjnJKLwsvJFERx6oVop-nTIgFC9skManlp9BMQVsfPVrVGVL_mLxuy0c4mNeXBOg2qtDHG9c0pZXWhvuCdJace9ghoVhWH_lW7kXZOvGE2DZkP0-wGBVOX21GFqgzeBPSiJ8Y9Z1Q/s640/100_1362.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Because we all make a difference</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>one random woman (person) at a time! </b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04525498435825354376noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5305980303079326067.post-64849833966180793522011-09-17T13:09:00.001-06:002011-09-18T16:54:33.320-06:00We lost a couple of great ones-<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutz5AXfDSr_5BXvb4ThX2A9AW8ipt_-4B6bJgEefFUJbugtFgqoLNuRqGqV_1cn2-s2y339YcKIOK-J-6K7cRWlGuOOrulJPzPIg9_IC-OepzeSb6DEZQEAHtoUeFNsuuCcqjhwMDzTtZ/s1600/drummond_marie_edit1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutz5AXfDSr_5BXvb4ThX2A9AW8ipt_-4B6bJgEefFUJbugtFgqoLNuRqGqV_1cn2-s2y339YcKIOK-J-6K7cRWlGuOOrulJPzPIg9_IC-OepzeSb6DEZQEAHtoUeFNsuuCcqjhwMDzTtZ/s320/drummond_marie_edit1.jpg" width="291" /></a></div><h1 style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></h1><h1 style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> "What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monumen</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">ts, but what is woven into the lives of others." - Pericles </span></h1><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IL_JMVm4i-bXgcVSOjTchGvZX_f2-C3uP25ZbjaGWR_8OVXDozG9-dPN1nkNnISRFpaLixE12h7r-fHITtmC8b279h9rrc86WeOXBP-7v563Cclm2YAp_fwDDeW1DsK8aKaio777Ggcy/s1600/brenda+stella+CA.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IL_JMVm4i-bXgcVSOjTchGvZX_f2-C3uP25ZbjaGWR_8OVXDozG9-dPN1nkNnISRFpaLixE12h7r-fHITtmC8b279h9rrc86WeOXBP-7v563Cclm2YAp_fwDDeW1DsK8aKaio777Ggcy/s400/brenda+stella+CA.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><h1 style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Recently we lost two great people- <i>Marie Drummond </i>was a teacher at Silver Creek High School in Longmont CO. She did some amazing work with my son, TJ. She helped him through some tough times in high school, and was his advocate in many ways. She did that for so many students along the way in her 30 year career in teaching. She personifies what is right with public education, and the kind of people who spend hours every day with our children. Thank you Marie, for your impact on the world. </span></span></h1><h1 style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></h1><h1 style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></h1><h1 style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Brenda Bane</i> amazed us all with her will power, her strength, and her faith. After being diagnosed with a brain tumor, Brenda defied all odds, and lived an amazing 22 months. Brenda, to me, will most be remembered for two things- her amazing faith and positive attitude, and her devotion to her two boys. My favorite memory of Brenda is sitting at a basketball tournament in Denver that lasted all day and well into the night. Our two oldest boys were playing, and our two younger boys were bored silly. Brenda and I laughed at how similar boys were. </span></span></h1><h1 style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></h1><h1 style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Both women have left a mark on the Silver Creek High School community, and in the hearts of so many. Heaven is a little cooler of a place to be with these amazing women there. </span></span></h1><h1 style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></h1><h1 style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></h1><h1 style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></h1><h1 style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thank you......... We will miss you.....Thanks for teaching us that we can make a difference- one random woman at a time! </span></span></h1><h1 style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></h1><br />
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</h1>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04525498435825354376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5305980303079326067.post-50216525269086025442011-07-26T09:05:00.000-06:002011-07-26T09:05:31.424-06:00Sleeping on the trampoline<i><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">When I was growing up we spent many a summer night sleeping on trampolines.</span></span></b></i> We thought it was the coolest thing ever! ( I have since come to believe our mothers figured out it was a good way to get us out of the house and not have to listen to us and yell at us to shut up and go to sleep) My kids were big on sleeping out on the tramp as well when they were little, so it only makes sense that I would want to share that tradition with my grandchildren. <br />
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It's been hot as blazes here in Colorado the last while, so getting out of my house without air conditioning has been tops on my priority list. A couple of nights ago, while watching my 3 year old granddaughter jumping on the tramp at dusk I knew we had to have a trampoline sleepover. I climbed on the tramp with her and did a few rounds of "ring around the rosie" (Which was more fun when I was younger....I was beginning to get vertigo) and we laid down and looked at the clouds and decided what they were. (spiders, angels and monkeys...oh my!!) and hatched the plan with her to sleep outside. Her eyes were huge in disbelief that sleeping outside on the tramp was even allowed. She smiled at me with the largest grin I have seen on her face in a long time. It was as if in her little mind she was thinking-<br />
, "I need to hang out more with Gammie. She has some serious fun."<br />
(Which thinking she wound be totally right!!) <br />
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We grabbed the blankies from around the house, made popcorn, and pulled out the laptop to watch a movie. (yea, we didn't do that as a kid) The movie portion actually lasted only a few minutes, and I was thrilled when she said, "Gammie, can we turn off the movie and look at the stars?" <br />
"Duh" I thought. My one minute to unplug and hang out with her and I organize more technology for her. I made a note to myself not to do that again, and off went the movie. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxgyS1MpYRfO9XMy3qhjMrfYA5TQeBF5eQm2ghkfrSA6K8p0g8qB0eT-cJpqgSEu18-9ml_Da-5YE0IameERHshsMkSYPvNpkjzUxjd3JGsvh7RJOYc8tPbufA-eusgCwxEJMaR_pdpqQp/s1600/stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxgyS1MpYRfO9XMy3qhjMrfYA5TQeBF5eQm2ghkfrSA6K8p0g8qB0eT-cJpqgSEu18-9ml_Da-5YE0IameERHshsMkSYPvNpkjzUxjd3JGsvh7RJOYc8tPbufA-eusgCwxEJMaR_pdpqQp/s1600/stars.jpg" /></a></div> We laid on our backs and snacked on popcorn. We talked about stars and where they came from and what they were made of and how big they were. I made up most of the stuff as I am not sure the exact molecular structure of a star, but she thought the answer that Heavenly Father and Jesus made the stars so we would have a beautiful sky to look at night was a great answer. (And, frankly, I do too!) <br />
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We looked at all the airplanes flying with their blinking lights. We guessed where the people in the airplanes were flying to. She snuggled close to me and giggled. ( I hardly slept, and my granddaughter will probably get west nile from all the bug bites she has,) It was the best night in a long time. <br />
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Too often we are so busy with the hustle and bustle of life. We do what our Iphones and blackberries tell us to do when they tell us to do them. I don't want to live my life like that. I want memories that last into eternity. I want my granddaughter to remember the night on the trampoline and I hope there are many more in the future. I have learned something from the teachers I work with. They take summers off still. While I continue to work every day and juggle all the responsibilities of the leadership program, they are not. And they are smarter than I am. They went on vacation for six weeks. They are up in the mountains all summer. They are bike riding, swimming, and making sandcastles. That is why they are teachers, and they are smart to use their time to unplug. Heaven knows they will spend the next nine months running with their hair on fire. Maybe we all don't get summers off, but we all get some time off. Are we using that time to make a difference and build relationships with those who matter most, or are we bringing work home, shoo-ing off the kids to be quiet, ignoring our spouse for hours at a time to do a little more work? <br />
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Don't forget why we are here- build those relationships that truly matter! Because that is how we truly make a difference, one random woman at a time!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04525498435825354376noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5305980303079326067.post-90425139423474090592011-07-19T20:13:00.000-06:002011-07-19T20:13:24.252-06:00Good Karma<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5cV6j1wplKIQSCwkuqjjtvzvEesJo_z2U-lqAQg8OVjcN2xlJiuiP79FrFDsPLxufPnO8khkfeDyyLMV39eYIDTWZSOG-lWtsC8e2c0BqtXLgJKhcyLzhIiY1ags7zUnA6A2GhEtEZOW8/s1600/las-vegas-mormon-temple5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5cV6j1wplKIQSCwkuqjjtvzvEesJo_z2U-lqAQg8OVjcN2xlJiuiP79FrFDsPLxufPnO8khkfeDyyLMV39eYIDTWZSOG-lWtsC8e2c0BqtXLgJKhcyLzhIiY1ags7zUnA6A2GhEtEZOW8/s400/las-vegas-mormon-temple5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <b><i style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: x-large;">On a recent trip </span></i></b>to Las Vegas, Nevada with my two sons for a basketball tournament I knew I would have some free time. I decided to sneak out of the hotel early while my teenage boys were still sleeping (thus they would never really know I was gone, and I would not miss any fun times with them! Aahh, the beauty of teenage boys and their sleep patterns!) and head to the Las Vegas Temple. <br />
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I love to visit the other temples! The are so beautiful and so unique while still being so similar. (I know, that sounds silly, but it's true!) <br />
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We were on a pretty tight budget this trip- in fact, I did not rent a car. I knew the temple was a bit away from the hotel we were staying at on the strip, but I thought I could still get a cab ride to the temple. It would be a little pricey, but certainly worth it! <br />
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I got a cab with a lady who was from Ethiopia and had been in the United States for around ten years. She had no idea where the temple was. I was glad to have the GPS on my phone to make sure we were headed the right way!! This sweet lady and I had a wonderful conversation about our families, and why I needed to attend a "church" that was so far away. (she assured me she would help me find one closer, but I insisted this was the one I wanted to go to!) I began to get nervous in the back seat of the cab when I saw the dollar amount for my ride continue to climb and climb. I was nearing the dollar amount I had envisioned spending on the entire trip, and I was not at the temple yet. My heart sank as I began to calculate the cost of a return trip. Maybe this was a bad idea. <br />
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We got closer to the temple and I began to contemplate walking the rest of the way when I saw Moroni in the distance, but I continued on with my sweet driver chatting about so many things. As we got closer, my cab driver got quiet. <br />
She said, "Oh my, it's beautiful! I had no idea this building was here!!"<br />
We pulled into the parking lot and were met by the sign- "Las Vegas Temple- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." My cab driver read the sign.<br />
Her eyebrows raised.<br />
She said quietly, "You believe in Jesus Christ?"<br />
I smiled. "Yes, I do." I replied.<br />
She said, "I do too."<br />
I said, "It makes all the difference in my world."<br />
We pulled to the front of the temple doors and she asked me how long my church service was, and how was I getting home. I told her I would probably need a ride. (with my stomach sinking, while I calculated the tip for with my trip) She gave me her phone number and told me to call her. She marveled again at the beautiful gardens and I told her to park her cab for a couple minutes and enjoy the serenity of the temple grounds. I thanked her for the ride, and headed to the front doors.<br />
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I said a quiet prayer for my new friend from Ethiopia. <br />
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I walked in the front door of the temple. It was beautiful, but I could hardly think because I began to worry about the costs of the trip. How was I going to get back to the hotel? Maybe there was a bus? I was met at the front door by a sweet sister who welcomed me to the temple. I must have had that "I am confused and don't know which way to go look" on my face, as she asked me if this was my first time at the temple. I told her I was from Colorado and was visiting. She smiled and told me she would help me navigate my way around. We chatted quietly for a moment as we walked into the temple and she helped me find my way around to prepare for the next session. I thanked her for all her help and went to the chapel to wait for the next session. <br />
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My mind went from looking at the beauty of the temple to panicking about the cost of the cab ride. I knew I needed to "put the world aside" so that I could enjoy the peace of the temple. I said a heartfelt prayer that I would figure something out. I knew the Lord loved me, and was mindful of my situation, so I needed to enjoy the time at the temple and put the worries of the cab ride away. I did my best. <br />
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Towards the end of the session I began to think about the cab ride again. "would that older couple think I was a weirdo if I asked them to drive me to the strip?" I thought.... maybe not, but probably. So I decided not to ask total strangers for rides.<br />
I could ask the front desk if there was a bus nearby.<br />
Or.......I could just suck it up and pay the cab ride.<br />
It was my sacrifice for attending the temple. <br />
Yup. <br />
That was it.<br />
Stop whining Carrie! <br />
Put on your big girl panties!<br />
You are not pulling a hand cart!!<br />
You did not save for five years to pay for a boat ride to the temple thousands of miles away.<br />
You have a cab ride that cost you more that you wanted to.<br />
Deal with it. <br />
Yup, that was it. I took a big breath, said a small prayer for the opportunity to serve in the beautiful Las Vegas Temple and I walked out the door to change my clothes. <br />
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Just then Karma happened. <br />
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The sweet lady who showed me around in the beginning of my day was standing outside another door. Her eyes lite up when she saw me. <br />
"There you are!" she said.<br />
"What hotel are you staying at?" She asked me.<br />
"I told her I was at Mandalay Bay, on the strip. <br />
"She glanced at her watch. I get off my shift in 20 minutes, and I would be happy to drive you to your hotel. It's silly for you to pay for a cab." <br />
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Wow. <br />
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I asked her if she was sure, and told her she was an answer to a prayer. She told me she would meet me out front in 20 minutes. <br />
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I changed my clothes and said a prayer. That was an answer to a prayer. It came swift, quickly and actually exactly how I would have liked it to be answered. But only after I was willing to pay the cab ride. I know all prayers aren't answered like that. If they were no one I know would be dead, sick, divorced, flunked a test, needed surgery or wanted for anything. But today in Las Vegas, I hit the jackpot. <br />
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I met my ride in the front of the temple. She apologized for making me wait. Really? You are doing me a huge favor and you are apologizing....really? Yup... your are an LDS Woman....<br />
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We headed off to Mandalay Bay. We hit it off and had several things in common. And the kicker? Her name was Karma. I'd say she was appropriately named. She was good Karma today! She dropped me off at the front of the hotel. She, of course, would not take any money. I thanked her and she drove away. My boys were just waking up, I had a wonderful time at the temple, and I got a little reminder of how much my Heavenly Father knows me, loves me and is there for me. I also got a reminder that women rock. The do amazing things for each other. My life was touched by my cab driver and sweet Karma. Just goes to show you, we can all make a difference, one random woman at a time!!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04525498435825354376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5305980303079326067.post-85613249036305609732011-06-21T20:14:00.000-06:002011-06-21T20:14:35.567-06:00Pura Vida!Just returned from 10 days in Costa Rica with some of the greatest kids from Silver Creek High School. As part of my job as the Program Coordinator for the Silver Creek Leadership Academy, we are working to give students the opportunity to travel internationally to understand other cultures, find commonalities, and become better world citizens. So, I (being the kind, giving, and thoughtful person that I am) took time out of my life to donate to the cause. (I know, dirty job.....but someone has to do it!) <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Manuel Antonio National Park </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La Fortuna Waterfall </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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The Costa Ricans have a saying. "Pura Vida!" Which, directly translated means "Pure life." While it is easy to enjoy the pure life while sitting on a beach, looking at a volcano, enjoying the beauty of a waterfall, I found a deeper meaning to the thought of "Pure Life" while there. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The group at Poas Volcano- and Jurassic Park size leaves </td></tr>
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Living a "pure life" is living a life that is worth living. <br />
A life that has purpose, direction and meaning. Living a pure life is one where our values are not fleeting, and we are not swayed back and forth by popular opinion. Living a pure life is knowing who you are- standing for it even when it is uncomfortable. <br />
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<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Living a pure life</b></span></i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b> is the essence of leadership </b></span></i></div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset at Jaco Beach </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of the sunset at Jaco Beach </td></tr>
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How often do we pause to look at life with "Pura Vida" eyes?<br />
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How often do I reflect on the beauty of this amazing earth and breathe in the smells, listen to the sounds and just stop my mind for a few minutes and be grateful for all I have? <br />
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Living life the Pura Vida way would allow me to do that. <br />
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So while I was in Costa Rica, I kayaked, zip-lined, river rafted, rode horses thru amazing countryside, watched kids dance their native dances, listened to birds, looked at flowers, swam in the ocean and loved every second of it. But the best part was sometimes sitting quietly and thinking nothing. I loved watching the students soaking in every experience and knowing it was making an impact on their life and who they would become. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiynagCnRcVKnkVt6OAYV1nYxpHMmRl2lYcts97K7fjdAlGPUp6-JE3mITxMAwc_vyEtyZ7N4W-rWG23PlER8vy4QSpcENFJodLNuPw_5QMgbxK4N5TIX8PKCyKrwEtF6iZOaMT_y2qpNzH/s1600/100_0849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiynagCnRcVKnkVt6OAYV1nYxpHMmRl2lYcts97K7fjdAlGPUp6-JE3mITxMAwc_vyEtyZ7N4W-rWG23PlER8vy4QSpcENFJodLNuPw_5QMgbxK4N5TIX8PKCyKrwEtF6iZOaMT_y2qpNzH/s400/100_0849.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting ready for river rafting with the group (minus Lisa) </td></tr>
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How amazing would the world be if we all added a little "Pura Vida" to it? What difference could you make if every morning you woke up determined to live a pure life? What would you become? For me- Pura Vida changed me forever. I am going to work a little harder to live life a little "pure-er" and make a difference.....one random woman at a time... Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04525498435825354376noreply@blogger.com2Costa Rica9.7489169999999987 -83.7534279999999858.1251764999999985 -85.516727999999986 11.372657499999999 -81.990127999999984tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5305980303079326067.post-73071855415333554842011-05-03T09:26:00.000-06:002011-05-03T09:26:29.674-06:00TJ signs on the dotted line....<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY91ouCxx8nL_RQgucPzRMMe-R17xWL1xyasmtp64QaprOVAFzAIB03NlyI5wDmda-DBAWXcQUSfFJkdJWINWKJFnDLZQWHedDHyWN4-YeyuUnbdWyFpyfyDJ4LMvXx-XL1KS1EnzKlZ5K/s1600/100_0363.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY91ouCxx8nL_RQgucPzRMMe-R17xWL1xyasmtp64QaprOVAFzAIB03NlyI5wDmda-DBAWXcQUSfFJkdJWINWKJFnDLZQWHedDHyWN4-YeyuUnbdWyFpyfyDJ4LMvXx-XL1KS1EnzKlZ5K/s400/100_0363.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, TJ and Coach Doty from Central Wyoming College </td></tr>
</tbody></table> <span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><b>Sometimes as a mother</b></i></span> you worry about your kids. Will they eat enough vegetables, drink enough milk, not ride their bike into the street, and graduate high school.<br />
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We also worry about bigger things like: will they be a decent human being? Will they give more than they take and will they get the big picture, and know who they are, why they are here and where they are going?<br />
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Each child of ours is not really ours. They are just on loan from our Father in Heaven. He would really like it if we don't screw them up too much. He would like them to come back home to him when this life is all said and done. So we as parents do all the things we can to give them experiences here in this life that will help them make decisions to get to the next life and be where they want to be. <br />
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I am rambling, I guess we all get to do that when a kid graduates from high school. It's a changing time, and a time for reflection. <br />
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TJ is headed to Central Wyoming College to play basketball. I assume he will also attend classes in-between gym time. I am proud of this kid. When he tore his ACL many thought his playing days were over. He never quit. He worked hard, helped coach the team he could not play with and gave all he had in a different role. It's all anyone can ask. They have no idea what they are getting at CWC. They are so lucky. <br />
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When the basketball banquet rolled around at SCHS they made an announcement that the award formally known as the Chris Johnson award was now called the TJ Adams award. For the player that goes above and beyond for his teammates. I don't know about you, but I don't have an award named after me. I probably never will. Way to go, TJ. <br />
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TJ really has made a difference- at home, at Silver Creek High School, and in the lives of so many. And that is the best we can do, make a difference- one random kid at a time!! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg75B2KFYOp82YQCIUlQAQaRWxO-T6X8-kK-XN1kDHsH5Q-wZVOOvWil5fZXiheXECXa3wmNn6-Hne_AjgprTI-RMgBNOZTCYLo96c8njFF8oipDfh1HgOCsPuiYwcp97co8MAeGIL5J6mx/s1600/100_0359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg75B2KFYOp82YQCIUlQAQaRWxO-T6X8-kK-XN1kDHsH5Q-wZVOOvWil5fZXiheXECXa3wmNn6-Hne_AjgprTI-RMgBNOZTCYLo96c8njFF8oipDfh1HgOCsPuiYwcp97co8MAeGIL5J6mx/s320/100_0359.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TJ signing his life away </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqlcnZGB7aDDHQg6pMt8yuVYnbzs9Bj_5Hf93fkPXC8jvgNBq2k6pQF4pylQ5oZVHZUweW59twjwuFkURBmHt1Q7FLpCm6NrBr7zpJdpufhvZocZHOXdVI7674R6d8UocWfZ6JkKcQ56mL/s1600/100_0367.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqlcnZGB7aDDHQg6pMt8yuVYnbzs9Bj_5Hf93fkPXC8jvgNBq2k6pQF4pylQ5oZVHZUweW59twjwuFkURBmHt1Q7FLpCm6NrBr7zpJdpufhvZocZHOXdVI7674R6d8UocWfZ6JkKcQ56mL/s400/100_0367.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Siblings </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuHvWXs1lYEyv5czNCC9CSnZhIKSi7W1Y6ybTN_30GsSkKIwkNCHH8DwpmrTxkiGP7oUNzLrAuy9vf_pPIV8sTv8uHC85YQif2nMNr-9Ikjc1humVUxgIGpDTluJBlvFjyVwICNP0ub3FC/s1600/100_0368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuHvWXs1lYEyv5czNCC9CSnZhIKSi7W1Y6ybTN_30GsSkKIwkNCHH8DwpmrTxkiGP7oUNzLrAuy9vf_pPIV8sTv8uHC85YQif2nMNr-9Ikjc1humVUxgIGpDTluJBlvFjyVwICNP0ub3FC/s400/100_0368.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The whole family </td></tr>
</tbody></table>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04525498435825354376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5305980303079326067.post-86142538676395800272011-04-15T16:19:00.000-06:002011-04-15T16:19:53.757-06:00Thanks Coach!<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Tomorrow my high <span style="font-size: large;">school track</span> coach is being honored at the Boulder Valley</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"> Invitational track meet as the honorary coach of the year.</span></b></i> Mrs. C. from Boulder High School, this is<b><i> long</i></b> overdue! Mrs. C was assisted by her husband, Ron. Our Track team was a combination of real athletes, average athletes, and wannabee athletes. I am sure you can not guess which pile I am from. For some kids, track was a fun thing to do after school and a fun thing to do on a Saturday to hang out with friends and look at the guys in short shorts. For me, Track was a lifeline. To me, Mr. and Mrs. C were lifesavers. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3dCTw8kDyewZUho5paZ0s0YfEQz2B8tl6J0u2peuu4RutbuUx5pJS9qg-KTA8U7de1Yw9vkAcZ8fa3OknXUNmJBevmyzqXaaD5FoJtPdvb9A_y49vAFs4iV3UnrEHj7dWQ5bsHrpqsZQD/s1600/BHS+track.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3dCTw8kDyewZUho5paZ0s0YfEQz2B8tl6J0u2peuu4RutbuUx5pJS9qg-KTA8U7de1Yw9vkAcZ8fa3OknXUNmJBevmyzqXaaD5FoJtPdvb9A_y49vAFs4iV3UnrEHj7dWQ5bsHrpqsZQD/s400/BHS+track.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>I "ran" track my junior and senior year at Boulder High School. My junior year I was arm-wrestled into coming out for track by a good friend. I loved the camaraderie and the Carlson's were awesome, hip and fun. Little did I know that summer would change my life. <br />
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My mother was battling cancer on and off while I was growing up. She had always come through a winner, even though the battles seemed to get harder and harder. I was the typical teenager. Self-absorbed, whiny and felt like the entire world was on some secret mission to ruin my life. I was talked into going to a track camp at Adams State College ( I have no idea why I would do such a silly thing) but actually was looking forward to it. I was enjoying a Sunday dinner at home before heading out to Alamosa with friends. When I got in the car to go, my Mom gave me a hug and told me she was headed to the hospital that afternoon as well. "Just for some tests" she reassured me, and told me she would be home when I got back the next weekend. She died a few days after I got home. She never came back home. <br />
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Mr. and Mrs. C were on their usual summer vacation to visit family in Dallas. Mrs. C. had a Texas accent that came out when she was being sassy or super angry, other times she sounded like a regular gal from Colorado. When you heard the accent you were either going to get teased or ripped. It was like a fire alarm going off. It was good to have. <br />
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I spent the week busily preparing for my Mother's funeral. It was a whirlwind and my mind was blank. One evening after doing all the busy little things that were needed to be done, I came home to a card on the table, addressed to me. Now mail had been coming on a regular basis after my Mom passed away. Cards from people who knew her from one of her 500 volunteer activities, church, the Avon lady, the folks at the bank and even the doctor's office staff came every day, addressed to my Dad, or our family. But this was addressed to me. It was from Coach. She took time from her vacation to get me a card, write in it and mail it to me. She had no idea what that meant to me. It helped me breathe when I could not breathe. It reminded me I had a life still. I had no idea what that life would look like, but I had one. And, I had people who really cared about me. <br />
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Spring forward to my Senior year. School seemed mostly like an optional activity, something to do when the ski slopes were not at their peak, or the reservoir was closed. Mrs. C., however, kept the thumb screws on. I ate dinner at their house, I ran errands for them. She threatened my life at times when necessary. In fact, I recall an evening doing a project for English class with several people working along side of me to finish some poster-board art project. I knew I had better get it done, Mrs. C was speaking "Texan" to me. And she wasn't smiling. I best get it done.<br />
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Mrs. C. wrote me in college. She wrote me when I was a young married mommy with a bunch of little kids. I would see her and come by and hang out at her pool. She was with me in the room when my youngest son was born. She stepped way outside of "high school track coach" and turned into a life coach, a mentor, a friend, and a mom. <br />
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When I began coaching high school sports, I knew who I would coach like. It was simple, I would follow the lead that Mrs. C showed me, without speaking Texan. She taught me to pay it forward to the future generation. She taught me that winning was important, but creating winning people was bigger and ultimately, of infinite value. <br />
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Thanks Coach. You are amazing. You are a dynamic woman who had molded the lives of thousands of young women who walked the halls of Boulder High and put on track cleats. Tomorrow at the BVI's I will be so proud to stand next to you while they honor you for your work . It's long overdue, and its not nearly enough, but it's something. <br />
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You show us we all can make a difference, one random woman at a time! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04525498435825354376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5305980303079326067.post-66423811731163410152011-03-20T16:27:00.000-06:002011-03-20T16:27:54.352-06:00Happy Birthday Sweet Daughter!<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Yesterday my oldest child turned 27.</i></span> How did the time fly by so fast? Wasn't it just yesterday I was fretting over wearing elastic waist maternity jeans? Today I share some memories of my oldest as I celebrate the woman she has become. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO8T_-KUkKIuGyh2fDkaR6JSa01vLc6Nko0VIygg1QqoCAtNNIEaQ4viMcuCriHNmXHdzNn6Ak8TCEN9a42LvHVIyCxUzbzwn2qALTxJW3G9h0jCPamLgHYFfm28RQbAVQIctUK0jwyQrA/s1600/maternity+jeans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO8T_-KUkKIuGyh2fDkaR6JSa01vLc6Nko0VIygg1QqoCAtNNIEaQ4viMcuCriHNmXHdzNn6Ak8TCEN9a42LvHVIyCxUzbzwn2qALTxJW3G9h0jCPamLgHYFfm28RQbAVQIctUK0jwyQrA/s200/maternity+jeans.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>March 1984</i></span>....You weren't due until; April but you came early. (I should have figured then patience was not your strong suit!) We headed to the hospital. Your dad decided we should stop and put gas in the car on the way to the hospital. (The hospital was a block away, I figured we could probably make it there even on fumes- but your dad insisted.....I began envisioning how to give birth in a blue VW Bug.....luckily we made it to the hospital!) You were born a little later, and were perfect!!! I could not believe I was a mother. I forgot to turn off the iron. I left the keys in the car. How could I ever raise a child? I was terrified, but you made every minute worth the fear in my soul. We started to figure it out! <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Spring 1986</i></span>.... I was pregnant again with your little brother. You were sassy, strong-willed funny and smart. We headed to K-Mart (because there were no other stores to choose from in our little town) and you were looking for toys. I have been reading parenting books. I am confidant in my parenting skills. Then the dreaded K-Mart incident happened. I squat down to look at you in the eye, so we have perfect eye contact and I am not talking "down" to you (yea, I read that in a book...)<br />
"Sweetie, three more minutes looking at toys and then we need to go home. Remember, we are not buying a toy, just looking today!" I say in my calm, perfectly capable parent voice. <br />
"I want a toy!" You say to me. <br />
"No toy today." I say, firmly but kindly. <br />
Then what happened next will forever be etched in my mind. You slugged me. Not just a little sissy girl punch, you laid me out. I didn't see the left hook coming. I tried to lean back but didn't get out of the way. You caught me right on the nose. I fell backwards. You looked at me defiantly and said, "I want a toy!......please?" I can hardly see you, as my eyes are watering. I reach up to my nose and catch the blood on my hand. My kid just cold-cocked me in the face and bloodied my nose. I grabbed you and headed out to the car. You sensed the gravity of the situation and didn't say a word. I buckled you into the car seat and headed home in silence. <br />
I am driving home thinking of the kid in the car seat at age16. Stealing cars, knocking off 7-11's, selling grandma's meds, prison.... What's next?? <br />
We head to the house and I am a mixture between fuming, confused and scared. You put your arms around me, look me in the eyes and say "Sorry Mommy" and hug me tight. Suddenly all my fears go away. You are not going to jail- you are not Bonnie looking for Clyde. You are a tough, independent woman who is not going to take any crap from anyone. You will be just fine. I do make a mental note to take away the punching bag in your room. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfmBHRXL7GQzTeQ1Qy25w-l0PG30Pas0EVQXa0ANk5dfLtmnkctXABZFQTlwn-eg7C_GhA191Iwb_pvQ1W3K2LjIbQ8sfS8Fd-ndAiznxQu3d4Tqfywfpr9QKF1lG7GIDub7jeWsVKLL7j/s1600/741401-R1-08-17_009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfmBHRXL7GQzTeQ1Qy25w-l0PG30Pas0EVQXa0ANk5dfLtmnkctXABZFQTlwn-eg7C_GhA191Iwb_pvQ1W3K2LjIbQ8sfS8Fd-ndAiznxQu3d4Tqfywfpr9QKF1lG7GIDub7jeWsVKLL7j/s320/741401-R1-08-17_009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The memories flood my mind this weekend as we celebrate your birthday. Soccer games, basketball games, Disneyland, middle school kids in my backyard, the gaggle of your friends, the "camping" incident, the "door" incident (We will save those for another time!) A wonderful husband, and your own turn with your three wonderful children. How lucky am I to be your mom? I must have done something right somewhere to be so blessed to have you in my life. <br />
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The circle of life is a funny thing. One day we are the kid playing on the tramp, then it's your own child jumping on the tramp, then a grandchild. I don't feel any older, but the time marches on. Hopefully we take some time to remember the little funny memories that make life so sweet. Stop today to remember the wonderful people in your life. While I won't take credit for the awesome person my daughter has become, but I do know I have made an impact on her life... good and bad...but isn't that what this life is all about? Making a difference...one random woman at a time!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2rdPpDqSoc4qQ2R96cDg60V3sL4-VL6cQjC63filzPKqO2QdiOkvMjq8623m5QJ_EZ2NNVMDMqMlVOPpsAhWbMQqvzchwaXLNWgktwezarUaF-jpcLU48UQi3KUIyQsQ6Hljx7u5BaKL1/s1600/Carrie+Family+-++%252810+of+34%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2rdPpDqSoc4qQ2R96cDg60V3sL4-VL6cQjC63filzPKqO2QdiOkvMjq8623m5QJ_EZ2NNVMDMqMlVOPpsAhWbMQqvzchwaXLNWgktwezarUaF-jpcLU48UQi3KUIyQsQ6Hljx7u5BaKL1/s640/Carrie+Family+-++%252810+of+34%2529.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04525498435825354376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5305980303079326067.post-55556730867949014332011-02-24T23:13:00.000-07:002011-02-24T23:13:54.109-07:00These are a few of my LEAST favorite things.....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5tE1hIeZNfERKFzHbebdsm7fI74Q82f9zXg1PQpbqxaFwDjtQZqM3ZhLXrLidA8iGobmScEXClSvG0Z6dRAUKxSOEiDnrDc4x39b79jkSvjrBZnA_PScOe6uENQ-JuqKpr6gMgn5QnFYC/s1600/Gnome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5tE1hIeZNfERKFzHbebdsm7fI74Q82f9zXg1PQpbqxaFwDjtQZqM3ZhLXrLidA8iGobmScEXClSvG0Z6dRAUKxSOEiDnrDc4x39b79jkSvjrBZnA_PScOe6uENQ-JuqKpr6gMgn5QnFYC/s1600/Gnome.jpg" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="font-size: x-large;">When in the Course</span></span></i><span style="font-size: x-large;"> of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.......I declare....</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-large;"><i><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">I have a strong dislike for gnomes</span></b></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> I am sorry. </span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I know I will offend some people who have little garden art all around, and I don't mean to offend. I just can't take them. Gnomes are redneck cousins of Santa's elves. Why did we start putting creepy little people in our yard and nailing large metal butterflies to our house? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEVnhnI7CLxGEafk4PbNCGzP_jqbElaepO-fl8FuCrrx3cYE1HDerepqR6N4lZQ2yV3BraGLid8gFnMto1FIcatJVBdPIdh3Z_VTguAeht6rT72k22ghdnWgm_UBTdh7jJT0JBPklv_m0f/s1600/no+gnomes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEVnhnI7CLxGEafk4PbNCGzP_jqbElaepO-fl8FuCrrx3cYE1HDerepqR6N4lZQ2yV3BraGLid8gFnMto1FIcatJVBdPIdh3Z_VTguAeht6rT72k22ghdnWgm_UBTdh7jJT0JBPklv_m0f/s400/no+gnomes.jpg" width="345" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I did my grandmotherly duty and took my grandchildren to see "Gnomeo and Juliet" and I suppose there were cute parts in it. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I am concerned that Elton John is worried about college tuition for his new baby if he is letting a movie like this use his music. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Gnomes dancing to "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Help me. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">That is a lot for this Grandma to take. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">And I have seen "Space Chimps". </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> AND </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">"Beverly Hills Chihuahua". </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I am no wimp. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Save the money and rent this movie from Redbox so the kids can see it and you can do something important. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Like hose off the pink flamingos in your yard</span>.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04525498435825354376noreply@blogger.com0