BLUE

This background makes all of the guys in my family look blue. I need to change it, don't you think?

Finding Joy in Serving Others

I found something out at Christmastime that is changing my life. My family picked a family from the Starlight Foundation and bought and delivered Christmas to them. It was a really young woman, with a 2-year old little boy. When we showed up laden with packages and groceries, she just started sobbing. I hugged her and asked her to do the same for someone else someday. She promised to do that. I felt so good - it's wonderful to help and serve those less fortunate. The kind of funny thing about this particular delivery, is that when we walked up to the front door, there was a sign that said something like: "Absolutely NO Mormon stuff!" Rick and I looked at each other and kind of laughed. (Actually, Rick said "Ok, well let's go then!" ;-) I thought she might have been really surprised that Mormons provided her Christmas and were so kind to her. Funny.

For the past several days, I've been working with Four of Hearts (the non-profit foundation I'm part of), to gather supplies for an orphanage in Haiti. A friend of one of the foundation founders did this for his Eagle Scout project and so we helped. We sent the word out and people started bringing things over. I'm sometimes stunned at the generosity of people - I shouldn't be, though. I know these people, and they are always wonderful. We filled about 20 boxes with clothing, blankets, cloth diapers, and sandals. Plus, we sent tents and lean-to's. My sister, Kris, and I went through all of the donated clothing and folded and separated the clothes into sizes 0 infants - size 6. Sometimes we would open a bag, and almost everything we pulled out was badly stained or ripped. Plus, we got a lot of adult clothing (we only asked for children's). We wondered why some people feel the need to clean out their junk and send it to us?! We threw away all damaged clothing, and sent the sizes we couldn't use to the D.I. We had so many items for 0-9 months, and 12-24 months, that we went through everything and kept anything that we thought we could sell in the JBF (Just Between Friends) sale in March. The proceeds from that sale will go toward the Guatemala trip. Any left over clothing will also go to the orphanage in Guatemala with us. Here are some pictures of the work we did for Haiti...




Spending all of this time on service is fun - it makes me feel lots of joy. But Monday night, when I told Rick that I was going out to Kris's house to deliver our collection of donations, and help sort through stuff, he very gently asked me if I have noticed things in our house. Weird question. He said that I've been spending most of my time either on the computer - working on blogs, with my Cherish Bound customers - making books for other people, or doing things with the foundation. Did I notice that the box the mixer came in at Christmastime was still sitting in the kitchen? Or that the crock pot that we borrowed from the Spears was still sitting there? Did I ever finish the task I started when I tore our bedroom apart several weeks ago? He then said, "You are spending time serving everyone else except your family."

Well, I probably don't have to tell you how bad I felt. I was mad at first - I said, "So, the people of Haiti have to wait for relief until I clean my bedroom?!" Of course not, Kara. I'm just sayin'.

Once I settled down, I started thinking about what Rick said. You know, Rick doesn't expect a lot from me. He helps a ton around the house - dishes, vacuuming, and doing laundry. He spends 12 1/2 hours every day, Monday-Thursday, away from home, and then comes home and cleans and helps. I, on the other hand, am not working now, so I'm at home all day. I do have time to do the laundry, and clean the house, and STILL do everything else I want to do. But, because cleaning doesn't interest me or make me super happy, I've neglected it - partly, I think, because I'm so used to NOT doing it - I was sick for so long, and didn't do anything except be sick for so long - others cleaned and cooked. "You are spending time serving everyone else except your family." That really made me think. He's right. He really is right.

So, yesterday, I told my sister that I could only spend 1 day each week on the foundation. I really need to budget my time. She agreed that she should do that as well. (Because, really, it's something that could completely consume our lives if we let it.) Then, I went grocery shopping, came home, and filled two crock pots with beef tips. I worked a little bit on my business, then I spent some time at Matthew's school. Afterward, I made two Apple Crisps. And starting cleaning my bedroom. By the end of the day, I had made dinner for two families - mine and the Spears (I returned their crock pot FULL, since I had kept it so long). My room was spotless and beautiful (*sigh* - I love it when it's like that). And the kitchen was clean (and smelled really good - roast beast and apple crisp - mmmmmmm!) Everyone was happy. Here are the AFTER pictures of my room (I really should have taken BEFORE pics!)...


I spent the day serving my family and friends, instead of complete strangers. And no, they didn't break out in tears because I cleaned, and they didn't have a look of amazed thankfulness on their faces because dinner was ready. But, every one of them noticed how good the house smelled and thanked me for dinner.

My conclusion: This is a no brainer, I know. But, I've decided that I should find as much joy in serving my family as I find in serving other people. And if I budget my time wisely, I can do everything I want to do.

So, here are my goals (I'm telling you, because accountability is everything - if it's written down, I have to do it): My house isn't dirty, but it is cluttered in some areas. There is a pile of music and magazines on the side of my piano, my office is a cluttered mess, the laundry room needs to be cleaned and de-cluttered. And then, I have the basement to work on.

Mondays - After straightening up, and making my bed, I'll work on Foundation stuff with Kris.

Tuesdays - I promised my mom I'd spend one day each week with her. So, I'll go to her house and teach her piano, paint with her, teach her to use the computer, and have lunch.

Wednesdays and Thursdays - I'll spend half the day on my business, and the other half doing some deep cleaning. Any left over time will be spent downstairs.

Fridays - Rick is home, so maybe we can go to the temple, and then work on the basement (we are trying to finish the basement, so it's a big job).

Saturdays and Sundays - family time. I'll let Rick decide what we do.

Each day also will include some "me" time: exercise, eating right, scriptures, blogging, and learning something.

Today, I think after my doctor's appointment, I'll tackle the laundry room. I'm posting pictures of the BEFORE here, with a disclaimer - this is NOT my fault. It's my childrens' fault. This laundry room looks like this mostly because of them. I've decided that they are completely incapable of folding their clothes. I don't know why - I've taught them to... I keep reminding them and asking them to. FOLD is just not a word in their vocabulary. (I want to apologize, in advance, to their future wives - I DID teach them the right way to do laundry.) Each child does their own laundry (I know - cool, huh?!), and if they leave it in the drier, the next kid that comes along will throw those clothes on the floor and dry their own. Geez. I mean... really. Geez...




Wish me luck!

Timpanogos Storytelling Festival - Labor Day Weekend

Hey friends and family -

Just a heads up about the wonderful Timp Storytelling Festival - it runs this Friday and Saturday. This year is the 20th anniversary for the nation's 2nd largest storytelling festival! I'll be there with Cherish Bound and I really hope to see you.


Here is the link for information and tickets:
http://www.timpfest.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=31&Itemid=35

Just a few of the renowned story tellers who will be featured: Donald Davis, Carmen Deedy, Bill Harley, Syd Leiberman (my favorite), Barbara McBride Smith, and MORE!

Imagine a beautiful park, HUGE white tents all over with flags flying, lots of yummy food, men and women with a gift for storytelling - all of this, and more, when you come to the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival! Stop by the Cherish Bound booth and say "hi"!

My feature on I Never Grew Up Blog...

Vanessa, at "I Never Grew Up" is doing a feature on me tomorrow (Monday). When she emailed me to ask if she could do this, I was surprised and very flattered. I met Vanessa at a blogging conference called Moms Who Make It. I'm very glad I met her, because she is going to help me make lots of money from home using my computer! (Right, Vanessa?!) She is a genius when it comes to making money with blogs. I love her sight and encourage all of you to visit it: www.inevergrewup.net
Check out her cute button in our button blog roll (left side bar).

Hope you enjoy the interview!

Education Week...

I haven't posted for awhile, because last week I was gone! I attended Education Week at Brigham Young University, in Provo UT. It was a full week of classes - from 8:30 am to 9:30 pm. I had such a great time. I went by myself, because no one else could go. But, I still had a great time. I'm going to share the things I learned with you for Mondays' posts for awhile. Here is a one liner from each of the classes I attended...

1. Rand Packer (Powerful Scriptures in Solving Life's Problems): "Write down the personal revelation you receive."
2. Linda Eyre (A Joyful Mother of Children): "When you have laboriously finished your tasks for the day, go to sleep and rest. God is awake."
3. Lynn Scoresby (The Crisis of Unbelief - How to Ensure Faith and Testimony in Our Children): "Provide examples of positive emotions - give kids opportunity to express emotions. If they see love, they are more likely to believe an unseen Father (God) can love them."
4. David Christensen (Hope is a Gift of the Spirit): "If you are going to develop worlds and have kids forever, you must develop the characteristics of God - Faith, Hope, and Charity."
5. Dennis R. Deaton (Battling Satan's Ploys in the Latter Days): "Satan hates you as much as Heavenly Father loves you!"
6. Gary and Joy Lunberg (Filling Your Heart and Home with the Irresistible Light of Christlike Love): "The greatest gift you can give to your children - parents who love each other."
7. Susan Fullmer (Food - To Please the Eye and Gladden the Heart - Weighty Matters): "Eat a variety of foods from ALL food groups, in smaller amounts."
8. David LeFevre (Book of Mormon - Discoveries and Evidences): "The greatest evidence you will have, that the Book of Mormon is true, is your own personal testimony and witness from the spirit."
9. Mark Ogletree (Improve Your Marriage This Week): "Successful marriage requires a high degree of motivation. The commitment has to be mutual. There's more to marriage than just surviving!"
10. Ted L. Gibbons (Lessons from Moroni's Letter to Pahoran That Can Bless Our Homes and Families): "When Satan wants to disrupt God's work, he attacks the family. The attacks will not come so much from outside of the home, as from the inside - TV, computers (pornography), arguments, etc."
11. Diana McGuire (Food - Fighting Fat: Facts, Fads, and Fallacies): "There is no such thing as "cleansing your body" - your body does just fine on it's own. It doesn't have to be cleansed. This is a fad diet and will just waste your money." (I heard this two different times - once from a nutritionist and dietitian, and once from a surgeon).
12. Steven A. Tersigni (Obesity, a Modern-day Pandemic - It Does Matter What You Eat): "Don't drink soft drinks - they cause HUGE insulin spikes. Very bad for your body. Soft drinks with artificial sweeteners are bad as well."
13. John Hilton III (Making Your Scripture Study More Meaningful): "The most important thing you can do as you prepare to meet the Savior is immerse yourself in the scriptures."
Nora Nyland (So What's For Dinner - Stocking a Healthy and Convenient Pantry): "We should appreciate food more - it's a gift from God. Healthy eating and busy lifestyles can go together if we Plan (menu), Procure (shop), Pre-Prep (time saver), and Produce (cook)."

That's just a taste of the things I learned last week. Several of those speakers were classes I attended every day - with different subjects each day. If you ever have the opportunity to attend Education Week, DO IT! I learned so much. Now, I just have to apply what I learned!

IS A DAILY SCHEDULE BEST?

I've been neglecting this blog while I work on my new blog: www.reallyincrediblewomen.blogspot.com, so I guess I'd better update this today.

I used to have a strict schedule for this blog, and then I stopped doing it, because I wasn't sure it was a good idea. But, I think I'll start the schedule again. This is what it will be: Monday - Family Home Evening lesson, or Missionary Moment; Tuesday - promoting someone else's blog; Wednesday - Wordless Wednesday, show-casing my kids photography skills at times; Thursday - Book Review; Friday - Thoughts about Freedom; Saturday - Family Update; and Sunday - either no post, or whatever I'm thinking about. So, if you want to vote and let me know if this sounds ok, or give me ideas of stuff you want to hear about, comment on this post. If it's like I've expected, and no one reads this blog, then I guess I'll do whatever I want! :-)

So, Friday is "Freedom" - Here's a great quote for you:

"Liberty has never come from the government. Liberty has always come from the subjects of it. The history of liberty is a history of resistance." ~Woodrow Wilson

I agree with this whole-heartedly, especially in light of the current political climate. We must be aware and fight for what we know is right - even if it's disagreeing with our current leaders. If our leaders do not lead us in the right direction, we DO NOT have to follow. Stand up and let your voice be heard. Love your liberty and freedom and fight to keep it!

Health, Wellness, and Relationships Expo

I'm selling tickets to the Health Wellness, and Relationships Expo, being held next Saturday night, August 1st, at the Larry Miller Campus. (9750 S. 300 W. - Sandy, Utah (West of I-15). It will be held from 6:30-10:00 pm that night. It features the following: Dr. John Lund, Justin Williams (American Idol finalist),
Dr. Cliff Dunston, John Canaan and the One Voice Children's Choir. They'll be speaking on "The Way to a Man's Heart - The Way to a Woman's Heart - How to Keep Superman Flying and the Queen Reigning" (presented by John Canaan), and "Take a Look at Your Heart" - analysis of the #1 challenge in relationships: "Hints." (presented by Dr. John Lund). There will be lots of give-aways, demonstrations, learning, inspiration and encouragement for your life and relationships. It's a great date night for couple and families. The best part is that I'm selling tickets for HALF PRICE - just $10.00 each. And the really great part is that $9 of each ticket sell will go to Relay for Life Cancer walk I'm doing the night before - for cancer research! I'm really excited that John Canaan gave me this opportunity. I've got 75 tickets, so first come, first served. ;-) I hope to see many people at the cancer walk and at the concert that night. Email me if you want tickets: nafari01 (at) yahoo (dot) com.

There is a reason...

You just never know when good things will happen to you. Last Saturday, I participated in the I Heart Utah Festival. They were expecting 10,000 people and got about 125. Yep. 125 people! It was sooooo hot and depressing. All the vendors were annoyed. At around 5:00 pm I decided that I'd call it a day. I just didn't want to stay another 2 hours. Then, Rannette - the Cherish Bound consultant who was sharing my booth - said we had toughed it out all day long, we should stay until the end. So we did. And the most amazing things happened...
1. I met a lady who had a booth next to mine. She thought our business sounded interesting and I'm going to go and do a gathering at her house for her and 5 daughters!
2. One of her daughters was there with her and just happened to be a teacher. I told her about the I'm An Author program for schools, and she is super excited about it. She is going to talk to her principal about having me come and teach it.
3. 2 other people came to talk to me about I'm An Author. One lady wants me to do it in the private school her kids go to. The other guy is going to convince his mother (who is a teacher) that she can't live without it!
4. I met another vendor who was promoting a concert. She offered us a booth (one of only 6) at a very reduced price, gave us 50 tickets to sell for full profit, and when she found out about my cancer, she gave me another 50 tickets to sell at the cancer walk - we get to keep all the proceeds. Incredible.
5. And last, but not least, I met a family who travels to Guatemala every 8 weeks. I told them about Four of Hearts Foundation and they are so excited to help us do fundraising and help us when we go down to Guatemala.

You just never know when cool things are going to happen. I feel like there was a reason I signed up for this festival, a reason I got a partner to help with the booth, a reason we stayed late, and a reason we met all of these people. I love it when cool things happen!

20 Firsts

I saw this list over at La Bella Vita (www.lauravannoy.blogspot.com) and thought it looked fun, so here goes...

20 Firsts

1.Who was your FIRST dance date? That was Rick. I asked him to a girl's choice. I was only 15. I begged and begged my parents to let me go. I can't believe they said yes! (I'm the mom of 4 teenagers/adults and I would NEVER say yes to that. Probably.)

2. Do you still talk to your FIRST love? Of course - I wake up next to him every day. (except when he's gone to scout camp, like this week). ;-)

3. FIRST time you got stitches? The first time I remember getting stitches (correct me if I'm wrong, Mom) is when I put a knife through my finger. I was using a long, wicked looking knife to clean the dirt out of the stitching on the boat cushions and I slipped and the knife went right through my finger. We didn't pull it out because the knife was serrated. Ouch! It really hurt. I have a small scar on each side of my finger (I can still see them, and count the stitches marks).

4. What was your FIRST job? I worked at Arby's. Yeah. For years after being around that meat I wouldn't eat at Arby's. Ew.

5. FIRST car? Bwahahahaha! My dad bought me my first car from our neighbor's daughter. It was a yellow Chevrolet Vega. He redid the inside, and painted the outside red. I LOVED that car! We had just moved from South Jordan to Granger and I was planning on driving back to my same high school (Bingham) until I graduated. I thought the car was for that. Nope. I remember Dad saying "Now you can drive your new friends to school." How can I do that? Oh. (tears, screaming, etc.) Oh well, I had better friends at my new school (I would only admit that years later).

6. Who was the FIRST person to text you today? No one yet. It's too early for texting on a summer day. But my final text last night was from Grant, my 21-year-old son. We were trying to decide where to go to eat when he got home from work/school.

7. Who was the FIRST person you thought about this morning? Myself. Yep. I'm self-centered. But only because when I woke up I was in pain. (whine)

8. FIRST grade teacher? Are you kidding me?! I'm old. I can't remember stuff like that. But, I think I went to West Jordan Elementary - the big old two-story building. They've torn it down and replaced it with a shopping center. I told you I was old. My middle school has even been torn down (in Copperton)!

9. Where did you go on your FIRST airplane ride? Hmmmm. Well, from what I remember, it was either Arizona (to visit my grandparents), or California (for my senior trip). I really don't know. My dad worked for Western Airlines and then Delta, so I know I flew, but don't remember where.

10. Who was your FIRST best friend and do you still talk? Alicia Martinez. We were so cool together. We used to play Nancy Drew and she was always Nancy. I haven't seen her for years and years. Wonder where she is now?

11. Where was your FIRST sleepover? Yeah. 'Nother lame "remember" question. I don't. Remember.

12. Who was the FIRST person you talked to today? No one yet. Rick, Alex, and Matthew are all gone to scout camps, Grant left for work without waking me up, and Michael is still asleep. Oh, I talked to Cocoa (I told her to shut up and stop waking me up)! Does she count as human (Chocolate Lab). No? Oh.

13. Whose wedding were you in for the FIRST time? Probably my own. Don't think I was a bridesmaid until after I was married.

14. What was the FIRST thing you did this morning? Ate a banana while turning on my computer to blog. I haven't even gone to the bathroom yet. Hold on.... ok, I'm back.

15. Who was your FIRST kiss? Ok, I know this sounds bad, but, I can't remember. It was either that guy with the long blond hair (can't remember his name) or that Indian guy, Sonny. Ew. I can't believe I ever kissed him. Yuck. (I blame my dad for letting me work at his arcade from the age of 12! I met some interesting (read "Disgusting") guys there.) And Dad, if I hear one word from you about Sonny, I won't talk to you anymore. Stop smiling.

16. FIRST trip to the hospital? When I was run over. But I don't remember it. My mom said I was really mad at all the doctors. Probably. That sounds like me.

17. FIRST piercing? My mom pierced my ears (she had her own hair salon and a wicked piercing gun). Ouch! She pierced my ears again after I begged her. She told me having two holes in your ears was a fad and I'd hate it eventually. I've never told her this, but.... "You were right, Mom." (She probably loves hearing that!)

18. FIRST foreign country you have been to? Mexico. I went on a cruise, during my senior year of high school, with the Jazz Band and Madrigals. That was also the LAST time I went to a foreign country. (Hint, hint, Rick).

19. When was your FIRST detention? Dentention?! Little 'ol me? No, seriously, I never got detention. I was only caught doing something naughty once, by the vice-principal. In Jr. High. And no, I'm not going to tell you what it was. Suffice it to say that I got in BIG trouble and had to call my parents (the ultimate punishment) and tell them myself. After which I got in even BIGGER trouble. Dad, remember the 2 packs in the truck? Of course you do. NOT funny. It worked, but it was NOT funny!

Well, that was fun. Take the quiz on your own blog and leave me a comment. Tell me where to go to read your answers.

I know my craft room is in there somewhere...

Today is the day I start to clean out my craft room. Rick calls it my "Crap" room. He's right - it's full of crap. Whenever someone doesn't know where to put something, it ends up in that room.

When we first moved to this house, I knew I wanted that room in the basement. It's in the back corner of the basement and I had an extra window put in so I could look out into the backyard and watch the kids playing. So, now it's 8 years later (and my kids rarely play in the backyard anymore), and it's still not a finished room. I've got an idea of the kinds of things I want in this room - countertops in an L-shape on two of the walls. A sink. Drawers that are long and flat, to put all of my posters in. A place for all of the wrapping paper and ribbons. A nice workspace in front of the window. Etc, etc. But, before I can have any of this, I have to clean it out. And, to tell you the truth, I don't really do crafts anymore. I just don't have time. So, I'm now in the mood to get rid of stuff, and I started today.

I decided that if I did just one or two boxes (went through them and cleaned them out - storing stuff I want to keep, throwing away stuff that doesn't matter anymore, and giving the rest away) it wouldn't take too long and I wouldn't get worn out and lose interest. I didn't really want to spend the whole day in the basement, so I had Michael bring up two boxes and put them on the floor in the family room. I opened the first one and put on a movie. I worked the rest of the day on that one box. Here are some pictures of what this all looks like right now (10:00 pm). Don't laugh. This might take longer than I thought!

I just watched this and LOVED it! Enjoy...

This is Jon Schmidt's unbelievable arrangement of LOVE STORY by Taylor Swift & VIVA LA VIDA by Coldplay.

A Fun Mother's Day list

Thanks to my sister-in-law, Becca, for sending me this funny list. I just wanted to share it with all of you. This sounds just like the stuff my mom used to say to me, and I know I've said a bunch of this stuff to my kids. Enjoy....

25 REASONS I OWE MY MOTHER

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE .
'If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning.'

2. My mother taught me RELIGION .
'You better pray that will come out of the carpet.'

3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL .
'If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!'

4. My mother taught me LOGIC .
' Because I said so, that's why.'

5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC ..
'If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me.'

6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT .
'Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident.'

7. My mother taught me IRONY
'Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about.'

8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS .
'Shut your mouth and eat your supper.'

9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM .
'Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!'

10. My mother taught me about STAMINA .
'You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone.'

11. My mother taught me about WEATHER .
'This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it.'

12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY .
'If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!'

13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE .
'I brought you into this world, and I can take you out.'

14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION .
'Stop acting like your father!'

15. M y mother taught me about ENVY .
'There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do.'

16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION .
'Just wait until we get home.'

17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING .
'You are going to get it when you get home!'

18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE .
'If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way.'

19. My mother taught me ESP .
'Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?'

20. My mother taught me HUMOR .
'When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me.'

21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT .
'If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up.'

22. My mother taught me GENETICS.
'You're just like your father.'

23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS .
'Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?'

24. My mother taught me WISDOM .
'When you get to be my age, you'll understand.'

25. And my favorite: My mother taught me about JUSTICE
'One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you

Dream Dinners Reunion

I used to work at a place called Dream Dinners. I worked with a bunch of great women. We really had fun and it was probably my favorite job up to that point. It's been over a year since I've seen most of these girls and today we met at a buffet and caught up on our lives. A great big SHOUT OUT to all of my Dream Dinners buddies. It was fun seeing everyone. So much has changed in the last year, and yet it seemed like no time at all has passed. Someone suggested we get together once a year - girls, that's way too long between visits. I say we do this 3 or 4 times a year!

As I drove home this afternoon, I thought about the different groups of friends that I have - those I've known forever and kept in touch with, and I'm so grateful for good friendships. There is the group of high school friends that Rick and I get together with every quarter (Hi, Morrells, Klunks and Hogans!), our best friends that we go on dates with (that's you, Spears and Larsens), my bookclub friends (Hi girls), the group of missionary moms that I keep in touch with through email (Go MMJapan!), my Cherish Bound friends, who've come to mean so much to me (Find, Capture and Share!), and of course, all of those people we've met all over the country through our travels (thanks to Facebook, we are connecting again). Friendships are so important to me. I'm the one in a group that tries to stay in touch - I hate losing touch of people that I love. I'm one of those people who sends out 5 tons of Christmas cards every year, even though I only get about 1 ton back. I'm just afraid that I'll lose touch with someone.

I believe friendships are essential in our lives. Friendships make our lives meaningful. I hope I'm as good of a friend as those in my life. Abraham Lincoln once said: "The better part of one's life consists of his friendships." To all of my friends... one of the BEST parts of my life - mmmmwwwwaaaaaaa! Love ya'll!

Spring is Finally Here!

During my trip to Arizona last week, I realized that spring is finally here. There were flowers on all of the cactus plants! I've never been to Arizona is the spring, so imagine my surprise at seeing these ugly prickly plants bloom and become beautiful. That's kind of the way I feel right now. I've lost my hair, my good complexion, my pretty hands and nails, but now things are starting to come back. I kind of feel like one of those springtime cactus plants. One of the reasons I love springtime is that so many things are blooming and becoming so beautiful. It's nice to have my cancer-free body start to bloom again too. Here a some of the pictures we took of those incredible prickly blooms...

Tulip Festival

Today I went to the Thanksgiving Point Tulip Festival in Lehi, Utah. I've lived here for 8, almost 9, years, and I've never been to this festival. There are hundreds of thousands of tulips on display. It was even more enjoyable, because I went with a friend from work, Shantel, and one of our Cherish Bound consultants, Vicky Lamb and her husband, Randy. My son Grant came along as well. I'm going to post some of the pictures that Grant took here. He told me he snapped around 200 pictures (so I was expecting to have pictures of everything), but like all photographers, he deleted probably 150 of them that weren't to his liking. Unfortunately, he didn't bring his D50, so he used mine. Bummer - I probably would have had way more pictures to share had I taken them. That's ok, though. The pictures he did take (and keep) are quite lovely. Here are some of the incredible things we saw...

I've lived near some awe-inspiring sights in my life. And I've tried to take the time to visit those sights. I've been to Washington D.C. (with all of the museums/statues/buildings that are so familiar), Ashville, NC (with the largest privately owned home - Biltmore House), Gettysburg, PA (with the heart-wrenching graveyards), Lancaster, PA (with all that gorgeous farmland and those Amish homes), New York City, NY (with things like the Statue of Liberty, the Twin Towers, Times Squares, etc.) and I could go on and on. Sometimes, when you lived near something like these gardens at Thanksgiving Point, you never quite make it out the door to visit. It's a shame, because Utah has many beautiful parts. I've lived here most of my life and I guess I've never realized how pretty it is. Except for the mountains - the one thing that I missed so much when I moved away. When we sing "Purple mountains majesty" - that's my home. We live in a very beautiful area. Right under those Rocky Mountains, actually.

This picture is looking right outside of my front door! BEAUTIFUL.

I really need to take the time to stop and enjoy what is around me more than I do. What's around you? Go and visit!

Lake Havasu Show Offs

This week I was traveling home from Arizona with my sister, Kris, and we went through a town called Lake Havasu. We started noticing some really nice boats and soon it became obvious that something must be happening - a boat show, or races, or something. So, we went down to the pier and talked to some people, who told us that the Desert Storm Boat Races were happening in 2 days. We snapped a bunch of pictures and then headed toward Las Vegas and home. At first we loved the boats, we thought they were amazing. But, then, after seeing the people on display - there were topless women and families with young kids, all within a few hundred feet of each other - we started to discuss what a ridiculous amount of money and greed and vanity was on display in Lake Havasu. Quite unbelievable. When you've gone through some of the things I've gone through this last year - a life threatening illness, trouble with finances, having to pay for college and a mission, etc. - you realize how stupid it is for people to think that something like having the greatest boat around is important. Silly, really. I'm grateful that my life doesn't consist of just sitting around on a Thursday afternoon (don't these people have jobs?!) and drinking and partying and showing off. Here some of the pictures we took - you'll see what I mean...

Get a life!

On Vacation...

I won't be blogging for the next week most likely. I'm going to Arizona to see my grandmother and she does not have internet access (no surprise there, right?). My sis, Kris, is with me, and we've got Ellie, my niece, here too. I'll try to check in sometime this week.

I just updated the look of my cancer blog. Go check it out and let me know if you like it. Also, I've added a button to this blog about the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Salt Lake City, UT. I won't be able to make it this year (my reconstructive surgery is 8 days before, so I'll be down and out), but I'd love it if any of you could make it. I'll be there next year for sure, so plan on coming with me.

Also, on my cancer blog, I've got a breast cancer button that you can click on - this takes you to a site where you can click on a button and help give a woman a free mammogram. It's free - and important - so click on it every time you visit my blog, please.

Until next time...

New Button

Trying to make my button... here it is!