Another Year Gone

I just wanted to take a minute and wish everyone a late but very Merry Christmas and an early and very Happy New Year.

It has been an interesting year, and I am looking forward to 2010 to see what it brings my way. I can't wait for the surprises and the challenges that life brings.

Thoughts on Freedom and the Men I know who have Protected Mine

As today ends and I cannot help but think about all of the past, present, and future veterans that our country has and will see I have to be so grateful to the people I know that have and are willing to risk it all to protect our boarders and our freedom.

First of all, my grandfather who has shared many stories with me about his time in France during WWII. He was color blind and back then there were not that many jobs in the military for him, but he did his duty and served all the same. Lost loved ones at home while he was so far away. I love you grandpa and I am proud to share my birthday with you.

My dad, the time that he spent in the military when I was younger changed our family. The months that he was gone during Desert Storm were the hardest I can remember as a kid, and I am so grateful for him and the things that he taught all of us by being willing to go even though it was leaving his wife and 5 children behind while he did it. I love you dad.

My brothers, both of them have now served. The oldest served right out of high school and the example that he set for the rest of us was one that taught me to make a decision, and stand by it. He was more than willing to go and do whatever uncle sam asked him to. You are and always will be one of the biggest role models in my life. I love you more than you know.

And the brother that just entered into what I can only expect will be the hardest year of his life. He arrived at boot camp yesterday, leaving behind in AZ his wife and 2 little boys while he trains to become one of this countries finest. I have always had a special relationship with him, we were more than siblings, we are friends. He was my best friend for a long time, and we have had a lot of similar experiences at different points in our lives. I am so proud of him, not only for being willing, but for fulfilling a dream that he has had as long as I can can remember. He has always talked about joining the military and now he has. It is going to be a long hard road but one worth it in the end I know it will.

And to all of the friends that I have in the Armed Forces, you know who you are. You have all done something that I consider to be so incredibly brave and honorable. I hope that you know how much you are loved and appreciated. This world needs more men and women that are willing to put it all on the line to save the lives of others. I love you all. Thank you for my freedoms.

"For those who fought for it, freedom has a flavor the protected will never know." -Unknown

Change in the Weather

So, recently the weather here has taken a turn for the much much colder. Now don't get me wrong I don't have a problem with winter, I like snow and all the fun winter activities. But could someone please invent a way that we could have the winter without freezing our body parts off?

Seriously, I work outside and yesterday when we got our first snow fall of the season I thought for a second that my hands were just going to fall off. As the weather continues to change and I try to get ready to deal with working outside this year I will dream of the last few winters when I was lucky enough to be able to stand inside at the gate and watch the deicing occur outside.... While this year it will be me up there in the deice truck spraying that not so friendly stuff at the airplanes and wishing that the wind would stop blowing it back in my face and that I could just go inside and have some hot chocolate and call it a day.

I will try to face the winter head on, take it like a man and just deal with the temperature drop like it is nothing. I do ask in advance for your forgiveness though because I know that I will not be able to just sit back and keep my mouth shut about how much I do not like coming home from work dripping wet and covered in chemicals that should not be used for human consumption but somehow get inside of my mouth when the wind kicks up.

My Obsession

So I have to speak briefly on my obsession. I am not sure how many of you out there know this about me but I am an addict. Yes I can admit that I am addicted to 2 things in life Dr. Pepper, which should come as no surprise to most of you. The other is "Grey's Anatomy" I have never missed an episode.

I will either watch it on Thursday nights whenever I get the chance or I have been known to download it the next day on the internet or subscribe via iTunes so that I can get the whole season and watch them whenever I want. I have the first 4 seasons on DVD because someone loved me enough to feed my addiction before he really knew how bad it was, and I am still not sure he really understands how bad it is. The 5th season comes out on DVD on Sept. 15th and I will buy it as soon as I can. Season 6 starts Sept. 24th and I am counting down the days.

So, there you have it. I have a problem and I know that I do, please do not hate me for it and do not try to stop me from feeding my addiction. I have very few things right now that bring me true joy and happiness and these things do. You all should love me just the way I am. Addicitions and all, if not then maybe we should find you a new friend/family member.

Nothing but Work

Ok, so it has been a long time since I posted anything and lets be honest it is really just because I have nothing to tell. Life is just.... life. I get up I go to work and I come home and then do it all again the next day. Nothing exciting going on really, work has been busy which is good, I am hoping that is stays that way. As long as it is busy I don't worry about if I am going to have a job in another 6 months or so. I am however looking for a second job, part-time just isn't enough for me. I get bored when I don't have enough to do. So the job search starts, I have been kind of looking since I moved home in June, but not really seriously looking and since my work schedule changes at the airport in just a few weeks I figure I can kick it up a notch because by the time something happens I should know what I will be working at the airport through the fall at least. So thats about it.

I am excited to see my sister and her kids this week, they are coming up from Salt Lake for a few days and then I am headed there the following weekend for a few days to visit some family I haven't seen in a long time. I am feeling alittle out of touch with the people that I always keep in touch with because I have been busy with other things this summer. But other things have changed and it is back to what I love most, my family. And then in Sept. I have some vacation time with my parents and sister and we are going to head south to Salt Lake for a week, I know not that exciting it seems, but I am looking forward to spending some quality time with my Grandparents and cousins and all of my extended family. We will do the things that we used to do when we were kids, go to the zoo, play at Lagoon, and visit all of the family that we have there. Most of my extended family is in the Salt Lake area.

So, I am going to get through August hopefully with a little bit if grace, although if it stays so gosh dang hot outside I am not sure how graceful I can be. Then enjoy the fall, maybe catch a baseball game or two and look forward to the seasons changing. I am not looking forward to winter, so I will enjoy the hot and mild weather before it get freaking freezing out there and I have to work in it.

Boring Life

So I haven't posted in a little while and lets be honest how many of you were really missing all of my oh so exciting news..... Really?

But here it is anyway, It has been a pretty uneventful month for me. I have completed my move back to Idaho Falls with the exception of a few boxes in Boise that I am picking up this week while I will be there. I have settled into work, trying to work as many hours as I can when I can since I am only scheduled to work 10 hours a week and that takes 5 days it is hard to get extra but I manage most weeks. I have decided to paint the bedroom I moved into, I found the color today, and once that is done I will finish putting together my furniture.

I still need to, find a storage unit and get my stuff out of Mom and Dad's garage so that they can use the other half again. Find a second job to help with my cash flow issues. I am saving tons of money being back here but I also took a hit on the $$ by moving back so I have to find the balance. I also need to plan and make a trip to Salt Lake soon, I haven't been for just a fun visit in a long time and I miss spending time with the people that I have grown use to seeing on a more regular basis since I was flying there at least once a month for visits from Boise. I promise I will come soon, don't worry. And I need to go and see my sisters new digs, the house and everything are finally taken care of and she is so close now I am crazy if I don't take advantage of that.

So that is it, boring I know but it is all I have right now. I will try to do better next time I promise.

Fathers Day

I want to take a minute and wish all of the Fathers that I know a very Happy Fathers Day. I feel so blessed to have such great men in my life. Not just my own father but my brothers who are great dads and my brother-in-law as well. I have discovered recently how blessed I really am to have had such great parents and family in my life.

I want you all to know that you are amazing and wonderful men and I count myself very lucky to know each and everyone of you. Not just the ones that are in my immediate family but my extended family as well. So many of my cousins and other family members have been so lucky to find such wonderful men to raise families with, I know that not everyone is as blessed as we are.

Count your blessings and give them a big hug today. Happy First Day of Summer as well.

Happy BiRtHdAy to ME..

So today was my birthday and before I go any further I want to with my Grandpa Ekstrom and cousin Joey a Happy Birthday cause we share this special day. I love you guys. Thanks for being such great examples in my life and sharing our birthday with me.

Ok, so I turned 27 today. Yes I did just divulge my age on the internet. However I don't care about how old I am I just want to talk about how old I feel. We had a BBQ with my brothers and all of the family that could come and it was generally a pretty great birthday as birthdays go. As today ended I started thinking about the last 7 years of my life. Since my 2oth birthday there have been some big defining moments in my life and I wondered if I had really noticed them or just gone right over them because I was distracted by something else.

When I was 20 I got married, about 7 weeks before my 21st birthday, along with that wedding I became a mother to a very great little kid. I am not sure I was ready for all of it but I did it with faith that my father in heaven knew that I could handle it.

Before my 23rd birthday that marriage came to an end. A very abrupt and hard ending as well. I lost everything that I had thought would last for eternity. I even lost a few people that I never thought I would miss if they were gone. I miss my ex-in-laws and my step son, it was a hard transition to make.

Just after the divorce but still before the 23rd birthday I moved to Boise, I needed a fresh start. It was the first time that I had been more than a 30 minute drive from my parents in my entire life. It was a big, hard, but much needed change. I needed to find my independance and that is what I did.

For the next few years I worked hard and played hard. I learned a lot about who I am and who I want to be. Also falling and stumbling along the way but always getting back and and pressing on in the hope that someday I will find what I am looking for. I made some great friends and had some great times. I thought I found love again but I was wrong, and it was just about then I realized that I could not find love again unless I learned to love myself. So I became single again, and I have stayed that way for about 2 years now. I am a strong independant woman who has learned to support herself, and is proud of who she has become.

And this year prior to my birthday, I moved back home to Idaho Falls. Not just home to the town but home to my parents house. I work in an industry that is really feeling the pinch with the economy the way that it is and it became to hard to make ends meet living in Boise. So here I am a strong independant woman, living down the hall from my parents. I am not ashamed to admit that this had to happen. Things are hard in the travel industry right now and I am just glad to have a job, so tomorrow I will get up and go to work and be glad that I have the chance to do that.

Here is to hoping that the next year brings big changes to my life, I don't care how they come but I am ready for them. I feel like I am ready for anything, after what I have been through in the last 7 years what can the next 12 months bring that could be harder? So here is to birthdays, and big changes. In 30 min it won't be my day anymore and I will have started the next year of my life.

So.... I went on Vacation and this is what happened.

Ok so it has been a while since I posted and rightfully so I think. I went on Vacation, yup thats right I took 11 days off of work and got the heck out of town.

I went to Yellowstone for 5 days with my friend Kristen and her husband Ben. It was a great trip, we saw some great wildlife that included 3 bears, hundreds of buffalo, a few elk and various other little critters. It was awsome, I have got some pictures, however I don't have them with me right now so I will post them later.

So after a fun and long week in Yellowstone, a lot of driving a day trip to Jackson, WY for a great hamburger and a visit with some family friends we made our way back to Idaho Falls where we were suppose to trade my moms car for mine and drive back to Boise, I decided that since I had the weekend off and there was no reason for me to go back to Boise yet I stayed with my family. On Sunday, my parents and I drove to Salt Lake for my cousin Eddy's mission farewell. I cannot believe that he is going on a mission, I remember when he was born, crazy kids getting all grown up. Then from the lunch we went to decorate my grandparents grave in West Valley, and got back on the road to Arco, ID. Yup the middle of no where ID to decorate the rest of the graves for my moms parents. In all it was a 13 hour day with about 19 of it spent in the car.

So yesterday, at my parents house we had a family bbq, my brother brought his 2 boys over and my sister was up from Salt Lake with her 4 kids and my bro's best friend came over with his daughter. It was fun, the weather was great so the kids played outside and we had some great food and great company and several kids covered in chocolate ice cream before the day was over.

So here is to a great vacation, I am so glad that I had the time to spend with friends and family.

OH.... and somewhere in the middle of my time off I found out that I got a transfer back to the Idaho Falls airport. So on Sunday morning I will load up my car and drive over there in hopes of starting work on Monday if everything goes well... and at a later date I will have to come to back to Boise and pack up my stuff and move it home but I have till the end of June so I am just trying to get through the next 2 weeks and then we will go from there.

Optimism

I have been watching a documentary tonight that Michael J Fox did after he published his last book. I did a research project on him when I was in high school right after he went public with his PD and after watching this I asked myself a question that I want to ask all of you and see what you think.

Is optimism taught to us or are we born that way?

Is it just the way we are or do we get that way through a series of events in our lives that make us see the picture differently?

The documentary is called "The adventures of an Incurable Optimist" how many of us are just that incurably optimistic? With the world the way that it is and things changing quicker than most of us even realize how many of us are seeing the glass half full instead of half empty? In countries like India where the believe that fate decides what path life takes they make movies like "Slum Dog Millionaire" and inspire millions of people around the world.

And how many things do we take for granted everyday because we can do them without effort? I watched as a man that cannot control the shaking in his limbs play golf.... he can barely hold the club let alone have any control over where the ball is going, but he gets out and plays because he enjoys the game and the time to spend with friends. Everyday most of us get out of bed and go about our day without giving things like brushing our teeth a second thought. When there are people out there that have spent 20 or 30 years doing all of these things without a problem and one day that all changes and it is all they can do to get out of bed.

My point I guess is that even in the hard times that we are all dealing with in our own ways, we can choose to be optimistic and we can see the bigger picture and make the best of the life that we have been given. We can for lack of a better phrase take the lemons and make lemonade. I think that this world needs more incurable optimists.

Books, Books, Books

So, I read.... A lot. Some weeks I go through one or two books without even trying. There are very few that I buy for myself because I don't see a reason to buy a book that I am only going to read one time. I do have a collection of books that I have read and read again because they are great books and I want to have them to go back to and read whenever I want to. I own all of the Harry Potter books, the Twilight series, most of Nicholas Sparks books, and a small collection of other books that I love to read.

I have a very simple philosophy about reading. It gives me a window into a world that otherwise I never would have entered. It opens up my imagination and my mind to the things that I dream about. I love a good book, some comfortable clothes and a quiet soft place to sit and read. I read at least once a day for a hour or so but some days I have been known to hide away and read the whole day away. I love to read to little kids, to share that world with them and they love to hear stories.

So, if you need a good book I am sure that I could recommend one to you, if you have read something good share it with me I am always looking for the next book to read or to add to my shelf. And if you have a book shelf that you are not using let me know I could put it to use.

Have You Read "The Shack"

So, I was working today, well kind of, I was in the baggage office and found an article in the local Christian News Paper that struck as kind of interesting. It is called "The Shack, Uncovered" now I read the book and it was to say the least an interesting read. It does not follow a lot of the beliefs of my own faith but I thought what the heck why not give it a read anyways. It is a great book, it sends a message of hope, and healing to those that have suffered some terrible things in this life.



Back to the article I read. The author of this article said that the book is a deep ditch covered in beautiful flowers, and many Christian's are falling into the ditch. Now that seems a little bit harsh to me. I mean seriously just because you don't agree with the authors take on religion do you have to attack him for it? He brings up the authors past and present religious beliefs and is very critical of why he has taken the path that he has. Now he does mention that the author of the book is trying to awnser the question that I think a lot of people have asked, Where is God in a world full of pain and hurt? He then goes on to attack the way that the author portrays God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Now I may not have agreed that God was a African-American woman myself but I do believe that we each have a personal relationship with him and it is possible that we each see him differently and that is ok. We are entitled to our own belief. This day in age I feel it is more important to believe in God than to try to tell people what he should or should not look like. For that matter in the book "The Secret Life Of Bees" the higher power for them is an African-American woman as well. The author of the news article also makes mention that the author of the book presents a false view of god, and mocks the importance and the uniqueness of the bible. I know what I believe and when I read this book I had to try really hard to remove my own religious back ground from my mind and just read it for what it was, a story. The author of this book did not put it out there and declare it as doctrine next to the bible, he wrote a story about a man that was struggling to find peace with tragedy in his life and that it a wonderful story to tell. We all need a little bit of hope and light, a little something that proves that when life is hard if we can lean on God, however you feel you need to, we can get through it. The one thing that the author of the news article said that really struck me was. "Cling to the God who loves you so much that He gave His all."



We should do this, I know that God is there, that He loves me, and he knows me, and he cares about me. He loves all of his children, and he knows each of us by name and when we need him he is there for us, all we have to do is remember to ask, he does not always just offer his comfort. In the last few weeks, life has been rough, emotionally, physically, and financially. I have had to get down on my knees on more than one occasion and ask for help just to get through the day, and I always do and I am always back on my knees at night thanking my Father in Heaven for the blessings of that day. I know that I would not be where I am today without my faith. I am forever grateful for my parents and my grandparents and my great-grandparents for bringing the Gospel into our families and keeping it there. Sharing it and loving it as much as they love our family. As well as teaching us tolerance, and love for others even if they do not have the same faith as we do we are all Children of our Father in Heaven and should treat each other that way. Always remember, treat others how you would like to be treated, and if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.

Happy Easter!!

As you all prepare to celebrate this holiday with your families and friends I hope that we can all remember why it is that we have this day and try to make sure and make that the center of our celebration instead of the eggs, and bunnies and all of the candy. You all know you love the CANDY, heck I know I do. So to do my part in sharing in the holiday and putting Christ in the forefront of my mind I want to share these videos. I posted them on my facebook page and so I am sure that some of you have seen it but I feel like I should share them here as well since not all of you are facebook junkies like myself... Don't judge, I really only have my work, my facebook and my blog and if you had read my previous post you would know this.

The links are both listed on the side of my blog under Video Links the I LoVe. Please take a few minutes and watch them.

Workaholic

So, I have decided that I am a workaholic. I spend 6 days a week most weeks at the airport and when I am at home I am thinking about the next time I work. So I have a problem. And I am not sure how to get treatment for this problem. I love my job and have little life outside of my work because my family all lives on the other side of the state. I try to spend time with friends when I can but that usually only happens once or twice a month for a few hours.

I do have some vacation plans and things to look forward to coming up in the next month and half or so. But in the mean time, how to I find ways to spend my spare time without feeling like a jerk because I am not at work when I could be? I know that I need to work extra every week to make things work financially for myself but that does not mean that I need to work every day all day to make things work. I do have hobbies, I read and I blog and I facebook, but that only fills so much of my time. I also feel like spending all day online is just as bad if not worse than spending all day at work.

So, if any of you have any great ideas for me, things that I could do with my spare time that does not cost me.... anything, I don't really have disposable income right now. I am open to suggestions.

So Proud of ME

I am so proud of myself. I have been having some car trouble of late, and after very little thought a a little observation I realized that I needed a new battery. So thanks Mom and Dad for helping me get that taken care of. Now back to my story.

It all started this morning, after very little sleep last night I got up at 4 am and headed to work for a short shift this morning. I got off at 1030 and headed to an undisclosed location to get the battery in my car replaced. Mom was taking care of getting purchased while I was driving to the store. I got there and it was taking longer that Mom and I had thought it would so I decided to walk to Mrs. Powells for some breakfast while I waited. I ate and then headed back to the store. When I got there somehow there was still a problem with the purchase and I told the guy that I had some other things to get done and gave him my phone number to call me when it was all taken care of and I would be back. Well I never did hear back from the guy. I had to be back at the airport 2 for the rest of my work day. So I called Mom and talked to her and Dad got on the phone trying to figure out why it was taking so long to get this all worked out. Well needless to say, Dad took care of the problem and I got a call a few minutes later from the guy that I had talked to earlier that I could stop by whenever and they would install it for me.

So I had a break from work at 530 and headed back to the store. I got there and the guy told me that it was going to be at least an hour wait for them to install it. At this point I was getting mad because I had already spent and hour there this morning and now I was back and they wanted me to spend more time and if they had known what they were doing in the first place I would not have had to make two trips. So I told the guy to just put it in my back seat and I would take care of it myself. So he apologized to me and loaded the battery into my car. He refunded the cost of the installation that they had charged my mom, and I left. I got back to work and thought that I would talk one of the guys into changing the battery out for me, but I didn't have any tools and he was shocked...... I don't know why..... I do have them but I do not keep them in my car. So I made a decision, I was going to do it myself... and I DID IT. I got home from work about 10pm and pulled my car into the garage where I figured it out all by myself and changed the battery. I know to some this seems like a little victory but for me it was pretty big. I am pretty good and doing most of the things that I set my mind to and I have been given a lot of knowledge by my dad to be able to take care of the little things to do with taking care of a car, but I usually let him do it or I pay someone else to do it just so that I don't have to worry about it. So I changed my first car battery without even having to call for help. It is a good feeling to be able to take care of those kind of things myself. I feel great about my independence. Thanks Dad for teaching me all that you have and for giving my self confidence to take on the tasks that even if I have not done it before I can figure it out on my own and it will be okay. Now I know that I will sleep better not having to wonder if my car will start when I have to leave for work or wonder if I am going to be able to find someone to jump start my car when it won't start.

Spring is in the Air

So, the weather is finally improving steadily. I love when the seasons change. I love to see the flowers bloom and the grass grow, and all of the great things that come with Spring. It is nice to look out the window and see new life springing up everywhere. After all of the sad things that have happened in the last couple of weeks it is nice to see things coming to life.

To top off the wonderful feeling that comes with Spring and things coming to life, I am packing for a trip to Idaho Falls this weekend for a Wedding. Now to be honest, Weddings have not been my favorite thing since well...... I got divorced. HOWEVER, they are also a great time to look around and see fresh starts and new beginnings. There are so many great things happening all around me. I am so blessed and happy to be able to see the great and happy changes happening.

I also had the chance last night to go visit my friend that is Pregnant and well, really sick. I have not seen her in about a month I think. Since she found out she was expecting just after New Years, she has been really sick. Although having a baby is a great blessing it seems that she has had more challenges in these last few months than blessings at this point. As the pregnancy is taking a turn and she is finally starting to feel better, I cannot help but to be so excited for her. To see her grow and have the baby and finally become a Mom. I know that she will be a great parent and I know that all of the things in life that have brought her to this point have served the purpose they were ment to serve and she is an amazing person for it. I am so proud of her. And I am so glad that I can call myself her friend. You know who you are, I love you sweetie. I am here for you if you need anything, keep your chin up and remember that it will all be worth it in the moments when you get to hold that baby for the first time. You are an amazing person, so strong.

So with the new beginnings of Spring, Marriage and Birth upon my life, I can't help but to look forward and wonder..... What changes are coming in my life and will I be ready for them when they happen?

Another farewell.... Another sad week.

So, I spent last week in Salt Lake saying goodbye to my dear grandmother. The funeral service was Friday and it was a beautiful service. I said my goodbyes and began the process of putting my emotions back in check before having to return to work today. Well then yesterday morning as I was packing my bag to get ready for my trip back to Boise I got a message from a co-worker of mine. One of the women I work was diagnosed with cancer last year... about 9 months ago if I remember right. She passed away in the early morning hours of Sunday morning. The battle with cancer finally ended and she was able to rest finally. I am not sure what kind of cancer it was but I do know that it was very aggressive and very painful for her. She was an amazing woman and an incredible person to know. I am so glad that I had the chance to get to know her and become friends with her. She was a great example of strength and perserviance, she fought with all of the strength that she had until the end. She will alway be remembered and loved. I hope that her family finds peace and comfort in knowing that she is no longer suffering the pain and agony the cancer was for her. My thoughts and prayers are with her family this week as they prepare to say the final goodbyes to her. We will miss you Jacquie.

Goodbye Grandma Catherine Mabey

I found out early this morning that in the early morning hours of the night my Grandma Catherine Hartley Mabey passed away. She had been suffering for awhile of several terminal problems such as renal failure and wagners disease. Last week she decided that she was tired of the daily fight to keep on living and she was going to let her tired body live what life was left in it and go home to Our Father in Heaven. My grandfather passed away just before I got engaged and my great-grandparents passed awhile ago, my great-grandmother passed when I was 12 or 13 if I remember correctly. She was done with this old world. She lived a long and happy life, she was born and raised in England and saw more than most could imagine there during WWII. She married and American Soilder and started her family having 5 boys including my Dad. She then remarried and had 2 daughters. Her family was so important to her. I was so lucky to spend time with her over the last few years being able to fly back a forth on a moments notice. I was staying a lot with my Aunt Annette, until Grandma moved in with them last fall. She never talked much directly about her childhood but if you listened closely she would make little comments about things. I remember last year I was there for a visit and we decided to go out to lunch. We were sitting just chatting and looking at the menus deciding what to order. I made a comment about being a "meat and potatoes" kinda girl and grandma said that she was to. She went on to make a comment about when she was a girl in England that most days they were lucky to have potatoes and on the rare occasion that they got meat it was always a feast for the family of 13 children. She knows many wonderful people, there are so many stories that I wish she would have told. I will miss her terribly and am so grateful for the knowledge of Eternal Families that I have. So goodbye for now Grams, I will see again someday. I Love You more that I can say.

fUnNy GuY bEnGt WaShBuRn

So I went to a friends house tonight for a little bit of fun and games and we watched this guy on a DVD called "Bengt Washburn, Mormon Meets World" So if you are at all easily offended if people make fun of the LDS faith I am telling you right now not to watch the video that I posted. However if you enjoy a good laugh about some of the finer points of being LDS then hit the play button and enjoy. I laughed so hard I cried and there were a few times when they had to remind me to take a breath because I was laughing so hard I wasn't making any sound. This is not the exact video I watched but it is similar and still very funny. ENJOY!!

Helicopters

1. Put your music library on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. You MUST write that song title down no matter how silly it sounds.
4. Tag 10 friends who might enjoy this. Post a comment on their blog that says "You've been tagged. See my blog for details.

1) IF SOMEONE SAYS, "IS THIS OKAY," YOU SAY? Falling In
2)WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY? Sparks
3)WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL? Under 21
4)HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY? I Like It
5)WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE? Traditions of Christmas
6)WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO? The Way You Do Me
7)WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS? You Just Get Better all the Time
8)WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN? Can't Buy Me Love
9)WHAT IS 2+2? Fallin' Upside Down
10) WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND? Jackson
11)WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?Hold You in My Arms
12)WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY? It's about You
13) WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? Walking Contradiction
14) WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?Sarah Yellin' 15)WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU? I Lost It
16)WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?Battle
17)WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL? Far Away
18)WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST? Blank
19)WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?I've Loved Enough To Know
20)WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS? The Gorillas
21)WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS? Helicopters
Lets see what you really listen to!

I tag, Kristen, Natalie Brimhall, Misty, Elise, Charity, Jessica Hopkins, Linsey Branson, Shawn, Shayla, Angel.

This was funner than I thought just because I have such a wide variety of music on my iPod. It is always fun to learn something about your friends and family members.

Handmade

I got this on my sister and my sister-in-law's blog. In order for me to receive a handmade gift from her, I have to post it on my blog as well. So if you want to play, leave a comment but read the whole post first, because there is a condition.The first five people to respond to this post will receive something made by me to you. My choice. Made especially for you. Of course there are some restrictions and limitations:
1. I make no guarantees you will like what I make.
2.What I create will be just for you.
3. It will be done sometime this month (my friend's blog said a year, but I can't have it hanging over me that long).
4. You have no clue what it will be. I promise it will be made with love!
5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.
The catch is you must post this on your blog and offer the same to the first five people who post it on their blog. The first five people to do so and leave a comment letting me know they did will receive a homemade gift from me!

A Shout out to David McKenna

So I was out of town last weekend crashing with Dave and Misty to enjoy a little weekend away. Well on Saturday morning Dave got to tear apart the garbage disposal in the kitchen sink because it was making some funny noises.... Now 3 of us know why and I am going to leave it that way, I don't want to incriminate anyone in this story telling. So after like 45 min or something like that he finally got it all taken care of and put the thing back together and went on to struggle getting back under the sink. We went about out day and had a great time.

Today, I got home from work at oh 8:45ish and my roommate was calling out landlord because OHHH guess what our garbage disposal has more or less exploded under the sink. There is a giant leak in one side of it so much though that it has leaked through the sub-floor into the basement and we have drip drip drip in the downstairs closet. Oh and best part is that the thing that lead to this discovery was that she had put some cottage cheese down the disposal. So after she did the worst part of the clean up under the sink trying to get the nasty dairy out so that we don't end up with rotten sticky smell all over our house, I got down on my knees with a bucket of hot water and some cleanser to get the rest of it. I am now sitting in my bed thinking that my hands will never feel clean again as long as I live. I don't think that the smell will ever leave my nose and it is not done yet, I will get up tomorrow morning to get back under there because in the day light I think I will be able to see the damage better and get it cleaned so that hopefully we can get this thing fixed.

So to you Dave, I feel your pain now in a way that I never thought I would. I give you props man for getting down in there and taking care of things the way that you do in a house. I hope that someday I can find a husband that will get down and clean up the messes that I really can't handle. In the mean time I am glad to call the landlord and let him find someone to come over and fix the problems.

Dates to Remember

So, I guess this is my plea to my family to help me get my facts straight so that I can be a good sister, aunt, sil, and daughter. I want to be able to remember and wish all of my fantastic family members happy birthday or anniversary on the correct dates, however first I need all of the dates, I have most of them but there are some gaps. Please help me fill them in.

Ok so in the months of January and February it is really easy for me to remember the important dates that occur in my family. My BIL birthday is Jan. 11th my Bro and SIL anniversary is Feb. 21st and my Bro's birthday is the 27th. THEN March starts and I get totally and I am talking totally lost on my dates..... I know my Dad's birthday is Mar. 17th of course and Mom's is Mar. 29th along with my SIL's and my other SIL is Mar. 15th but I know that there are a few others in there that belong to my nephews but I can never keep them straight. Then April again I can't remember the birthdays, I do however remember what should have been my 6th anniversary this year on Apr. 19th. May brings more anniversaries... My sister and BIL have been married for over a decade on May ??? Sorry Jen the family is getting so BIG and my brain cannot contain it all. There is my Grandma's B-day and anninversary on May 1st I think. Then June is for Me and Grandpa... on the same day even and my niece is on the 28th. July is a few on the 1st and 2nd then another birthday but I cannot be sure of the date it is one of two days and I don't remember which... sorry little H. My parents anniversary is July 11th celebrating 30 years this year, YIPPEE. August brings more birthdays for my oldest bro and sis and I can remember those are on the 5th and the 11th. Sept is just for my nephew on the 30th and non in Oct. Nov. is very uneventful and Dec. brings my little sis and my niece on the 18th and the 20th.

So I post this blog to ask my family members to please send me either a calender with all of these oh so important dates on it so that I can keep them straight or at least leave me a note with the information so that I can fill in my own calender and for once have it all straight in my mind. I love all of you guys and wish that I was better with dates, I did ok for a few years but as the family grows my brain does not and so a few things have gotten lost along the way.

All My Bags are Packed... I am Ready to go....

So, as Spring is coming and things are starting to warm up around here I cannot help but start planning some fun and much needed weekend vacations for myself.

First on the list is a trip to Salt Lake this coming weekend to visit my fantastic family. I will visit as many as I can in the 3 days that I am there. If you want my to stop by please send me a note and let me know when a good time is for you. I will get in Friday afternoon and I fly back home on Monday afternoon. I love these trips to visit and catch up. I haven't seen my extended family since the beginning of December, I can't wait to visit.

Next on the list and some are going to think I am out of my mind, I am headed to Barrow AK for a quick trip, I will only be there for about 10 hours. The intention behind this trip is nothing more than I want to go to the most Northern city in USA that I can get to. So I am headed out on March 6th after I get off work to catch the red eye flight to Anchorage and then up farther north. Wish me luck.

Then, I think in April I am going to try to make a trip East to Newark NJ or Boston MA. I am also considering heading to Florida to get some sun, it all depends on what flights I can get and if I can find a place to crash for a night or two without having to sell my car to pay for it. Hotels can be a little expensive so I will just have to see how it all plays out. I guess if I cannot figure that out I may just head to Las Vegas for a couple of day, I have friends and family there that I would like to visit with for a day or so.

In May comes my big trip that my best friend and I have been planning for almost 7 months. We are headed to Yellowstone for a week long vacation. I know that it may not seem to exciting to most people but we are totally excited about it. We have got the condo booked and the rental car reserved. It is going to be fantastic. It will still be a little chilly at night but the days should be comfortable and we will see all of the sights and do as much as we can while we are there. I hope that she is feeling better by then, her morning sickness has turned into all day sickness and has even landed her in the hospital once or twice to be treated. I love you sweetie. I hope you are feeling better.

I am not sure what June will bring but I will find somewhere to go or something to do. I may try to sneak over to Hawaii for a long weekend of camping if I can get a friend to join me. Or maybe Mexico if it all works out for me. I still have time to think and plan something to celebrate my birthday this year, and that is all I am planning on doing in June, going somewhere fun to celebrate my birthday. OH, maybe I will go to LA and visit Disneyland and Magic Mountain.

July should be fun, I am planning on joining my parents in Victoria Canada for a few days. The plans for that trip have changed a little bit recently so things are kind of up in the air but as soon as the dates are firmed up I will be taking the time off and heading up there. I also have a friend there, a great girl that I met at one of my many training classes for work and over the last 3 years our friendship has grown into something great and fun.

So, that is my next few months in a nut shell I guess. A few trips planned and some great things to look forward to. I love that my job allows me to do as much traveling as I can handle. I am lucky to have people that love to travel with me or at least love to have my visit them when I decide to travel.

Single Awareness Day.... Feb. 14th

So some may ask why I refer to this blessed holiday as "Single Awareness Day" well let me start by telling you that it is not my fav holiday either way. I am not a fan of Valentines. I never have been even when I was married I did not enjoy it.

Now the reason why I call it what I do..... It makes those of us who are not in a relationship more aware of the fact that we have no one to send us flowers or take us out to dinner to buy us nice things. I know that it is about more than celebrating love with a husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend it is also about celebrating the love in other relationships. I do enjoy my family and friends and I love them all. But do we really need a holiday to justify spending tons of money on flowers or candy or stuff like that. I guess if you are going to spend the money than you should be spending it more often than just once a year.

SO.... now everyone out there knows how I feel about the holiday that it upon us. For those of you out there that will go and celebrate have a great time, please remember those of us that will be lucky to get a heart shaped cookie.

Thoughts I had this week.

So, I spent a lot of time in the last week with my family and quite a bit of time just by myself. I spent a lot of time reading and thinking about things.

So I thought that I would put some things out there, share with my family and friends.

I was reading the "Twilight" Saga this week and as I was finishing the last book "Breaking Dawn" last night something struck me as kind of spiritual. I am not sure how many of you have read the books and how many of you are still reading the books so I am going to add a disclaimer right here and say that if you haven't read them and are planning on it stop reading because this will ruin the end of the story for you.

So back to my thought. As I was reading and the end of the book came and they were preparing for the face off with the Volturi, Bella was changed and she was figuring out how to use her POWER.... Something struck me... we all have the power to protect our minds and bodies from the advances of Satan. Some of us I believe have strengthened our guards through trials and tribulations and some of us have strengthened them through other things in out lives. I also think that some of us have the ability to lend a hand to our family and friends by sharing our guards when needed and help them through the hard times. Just like Bella was able to flex her shield out to protect her family and friends against the advances of Jane and Alec during the face off. It is amazing to me how when we are going about our lives just like normal and all of the sudden something that we never would have seen or maybe something that we have seen before strikes us on a different cord and teaches us something that we may not have been expecting.

I also had some thoughts about where my life is going and where I want it to go and how to change the path so that I can get headed down the road that I choose instead of the one that seems like the easy thing to do. So I am working on that as well. It is a little bit more personal so I am not going to share those thoughts with you guys just yet, I am not ready to put all of that out there for the world. I will let you know when I get there though. I am going to be staying in Boise after all, I was looking forward to a chance to move back closer to family but it just is not the right timing I guess. So, I will stay here and continue to work and play and build a life for myself. Who knows maybe what I thought was the Lord telling me to go for it was really just me doing what I wanted instead of what I should have been doing. I do that sometimes.

So, life is not what I was expecting it would be right now but I am going to make the best of it. I am also going to keep thinking about what struck me in that book when I was reading it and try to figure out how to flex my shield to do the work that the Lord would like me to do. I want to be able to help those in need and to share the things that have happened to me, in hopes that someone may hear my story and learn from it and be stronger for my mistakes and lessons. I love you all and want all of you to know how wonderful you are and how grateful I am to have each and everyone of you as a part of my life. I am truly blessed to have such wonderful family and friends to share my burdens and blessings with.

To Do it or Not To Do it.... Online Dating.

So, in the last few years as I have remained single I have gone back and forth about the online dating thing. I have met some great people that are good friends, and I have met some crazy people that now I have to avoid contact with.

As of late I have gone back to it with an open mind and just hoping to make some new friends for the most part. Unfortunately as things this time have gone on I have been getting a lot of interest from guys that honestly in some cases could be my FATHER. Now don't get my wrong I don't have a problem dating older guys, but I think I need to draw the line somewhere and for me that line has to be before they are having grandchildren.

And I know a few people that have met the one they are now spending eternity with online. So there are some success stories and some not so successful stories I guess. I know that it is not for everyone but how do you know if it is for you? Is it just something that you feel, do you have to learn the hard way but getting rejected over and over again by the same guys who won't write back and won't chat with you when you try? Or do you just play stupid and keep on trying until either you run out of options or you buy a lifetime membership to a website and start cyber-stalking the ones that really interest you and forget marriage... you basically marry your computer because you can't drag yourself away long enough to do more than shower and eat? I am just not sure how long I should keep doing this before I give up and start pricing mail order husbands so that I can start my family.

So now I ask a question, should I keep at it and hope for the best? OR do I move on and go back to the good ole fashion just going to activities and hoping to catch someones eye from across the room or the buffet table?

Bittersweet Times

So, I have been trying to sell my wedding dress for about a year with little interest from anyone. And I hadn't thought much about it the last month or so but last night I posted it on craigslist and today I got a hit from someone that is really interested. I am happy for this person, happy that someone will wear it again and have the wonderful day that comes with getting married. I am also very sad, sad to think that someone else will be wearing my dress. Someone else will be making those memories that I made in the same dress, but mine are just that memories. It is time for this dress to make someone else a happy bride. So to that unknown girl out there that is going to put on this dress and marry that guy, Good luck. May you have every happiness that life can bring. I hope that this dress makes you feel as beautiful as I felt in it the first time I put it on and saw the look on my Fathers face.

Someday, my prince will come and when he does, I will wear another white dress.

Stupid Inversion layer

Ok, so I haven't seen the sunshine in what feels like ages. There is this stupid inversion layer over Boise that just won't lift. It is dark and cloudy and miserable. I hate it. I am so ready for the spring, and if I can't have that at least a day or two of sunshine. I don't even really care if it gets warm, I just want to see blue sky and sun.

So as those of you who can, enjoy nicer weather, don't get me wrong I know that there are some of you that are living in sub-zero temps and I am sorry for that. Again for those of you that are enjoying nicer weather please think warm thoughts for those of us who are freezing cold and living under the clouds.

Airports, People, and Holidays. A story of a girl.

So, I have decided that since I spend 6 out of 7 days of any given week at the airport working it is time that I shared some of my stories with the world. Some will make you laugh and some will make you cry but it is the world of travel and emotions run very high inside the walls of the airport. Trust me.

So to start off my new angle on blogging is a story that happened to me somewhere around Dec. 20th or 21st of 2008.

I had been working several days at 18 or 20 hours a day because Seattle and Portland had been dealing with freezing rain and 90% of our flights had canceled because of the weather there. The reason being that Seattle and Portland are the major hub airports for the airline I work for along with the many other airlines that serve these two major airports in the Pacific Northwest.

I was about half way through my day and all I had seen all day long were the same faces of the same people that I had been dealing with for the previous 2 or 3 days. I had a younger girl approach me and ask me if there was anyway to get to Portland or Pullman, WA. I looked and told her that her only hope was going to be Pullman if she wanted to go anywhere in the next 3 to 5 days. Yes that is really how backed up our flights were. The weather started the Friday before Christmas and kept at it until the Tuesday before. So our company alone displaced thousands and thousands of people that were going to visit loved ones for the holiday. The highways and roads between Boisea and Seattle had been closed on and off as well so driving was not a great option either.

Back to this girl, Sorry. So as I was booking her a flight to Pullman, for those of you who don't know where that is. It is about 45 min. away from Lewiston ID. Not far from Moscow, ID home of UofI. She began telling me the story of how a trip from Oakland CA, going to Portland had landed her in Boise, ID. This girl and boarder her flight on Friday night totally clueless to the weather that was about to hit Portland. By the time the aircraft got to Portland it was to bad for them to land. So they do the next safest thing and divert the airplane Reno, NV of all places. I guess that was the closest airport with somewhat good weather. So she gets to Reno, where she knows no one and because it is due to a weather situation we are not providing hotel rooms or anything else of these people. She manages to get a flight out of Reno to the only place she can Boise. She comes to Boise where thankfully she has and Aunt. She spends a few days here making efforts everyday to get a flight to Portland to have Christmas with her Grandmother as planned but has no success. So on this day she finally comes to the conclusion that she just needs to get out of Boise as soon as she can because if she can't she may not until New Years. That was the case with some of our passengers by the way. So she calls her sister at U of I and asks if she can come there for Christmas instead. So, I send this girl off to Pullman. She looks at me and smiles as I hand her the new ticket after finding her a flight the day after Christmas to Portland just 2 days before she is suppose to go back to Oakland. So that she can still see her Grandmother even though her Holiday plans had been ruined by for lack of a better person to blame... ME. She gives me a big hug and thanks me for all that I had done. She was not the only person grateful mind you but she was the only one that gave me a hug. I was at the end of my rope that day. I had been yelled at and verbally abused more than once a day while this was all going on and this girl who honestly was about my age was so nice and just grateful that she was going to be with someone in her family for the holiday.

As she left, and I was getting ready to call it a day and go home to pack so that I could go home for what would be my first Christmas at home in 4 years. I was to grateful for my family and my friends and the chance that we all have to celebrate. Just do me a favor and plan in advance. Try not to fly with 5 days of Christmas, because the weather sucks in the winter in Idaho and Utah and a lot of other places in the country and chances are things will either be delayed or canceled and you do not want to be one of the thousands of people that spent 4 days sleeping on the floor in the Seattle airport this last December.

I love what I do. I meet interesting people some nice... some not so nice but all of them are going somewhere to either see family or celebrate something. In those cases where I get the passenger that is on the way to say goodbye to a family member to loved one, I want to cry with them because it is a hard thing to do and traveling... Lets be honest it is stressful, not really what you want to be dealing with when you are already upset. I laugh with the ones that are on the way to Mexico or Hawaii to celebrate birthdays or anniversaries. I tease the ones that are going to Las Vegas, cause we all know what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. And I get to see the lit up faces of little kids getting to get on an airplane for the first time and the excitement and the thrill that they are about to have. Travel often with family if you can, it may be a road trip or by air but it always create memories that we never forget.

No News Is ?????

So I have had a lot of people asking me about the job thing. Well I haven't heard anything and I am not sure if no new is good news or bad news. So I am still waiting.

In the mean time, there has been some fun weather working its was across the state. FOG.... and well I am not a big fan of this weather anomaly at all. It is hard to predict and even harder to fly in. So I look out the window and what do I see... A big cloud of FOG and I can't see through it or around it or over it and not really under it either. My headlights reflect off of it back into my face. I do not like it at all.

What The Future May Hold

Ok, so I have been posting some very vague status lines on my facebook page this week and I have had a lot of questions about them. I was trying not to go public with my news to soon because I am not sure it will happen but I had to tell my mom today because I had to change some appointments around on Monday.

I have applied for an open position at the Idaho Falls Airport. I am trying to transfer back. I have no idea if or when this will happen but if things work out I should be back living with Mom and Dad by the end of February at the latest.

I have some mixed feelings about this although I know it is what I want to do. I am excited at the idea of spending more time with my family and friends that are over there. At the same time I am sad to leave the friends that I have here in Boise. I love it here, I love my work and I love my friends so it is a very bittersweet prospect.

Please keep your fingers crossed for me and I will let everyone know when I find out what is going to happen.

Happy New Year

So I know I am a little bit behind everyone else posting the New Years blog but I have been in Idaho Falls visiting for a few days. I made a last minute trip last week when CJ and I spoke on the phone and he asked me to jump a flight to come over while Aunt Violet, Uncle Mike and Steve were there for a few days. So I did.

I am so glad to start the new year. I know that it is going to be so much better than last year, I can feel it in my bones. I rang in the new year just the way that I wanted to, with some great friends and some great fun. My friend Kristen and I went with her little bro and husband to the LDSSA activity on the BSU campus. But before that we met at their house and watched Baby Mama and played a little Rockband, we are pretty dang good if I do say so myself. Then we danced, watched Ben and Devin play on the giant inflatable toy, watched a some what entertaining magic show, ran into some other friends and danced some more. It was fantastic. Thanks Kristen and Ben for letting my crash you party.

For the first time in 3 years I was totally single and totally happy to start a new year that way. It feels like a truely fresh start for me this year. I feel like I have the chance to make it whatever I want and that feels great. I also feel like I am taking more control of the things in my life that I can and letting go of the things that I can't. I love it.

So, to all of those that I love and care about Happy New Years. I hope that everyone can feel as great as I do about this upcoming year. I hope that we can all make this the best year yet in our lives. And always remember, we are never given any trials that we cannot overcome, all we need is faith in our father in heaven and the right attitude will take us a long way.