Cadbury Eggs

A: Going through her Easter basket, "I 'mant' (want) to eat my chocolate Mom"
Me: "After dinner, if you eat your chicken, you can have your chocolate"
A: "Okay" and proceeded to eat ALL of her chicken.
M: "Do you want me to break it for you to make it easier"
A: "No, I 'mant' to eat it like this. It's yummy yummy yummy!"

A little later,

A: "It's my 'fay brit' Mommy"

LIKE MOTHER LIKE DAUGHTER. YUMMY CADBURY!

She looked up and gave me this funny wrinkley smile

An Epiphany

I was sitting in church yesterday listening to the speaker's explanation of how loved and admired another individual was. She was a teacher and had influenced a large number of people throughout her life, changing many lives for the better.

How did he find about her momentous influence? At her funeral.

He had received countless letters as well as compliments in person about what a wonderful person this teacher was.

It was then that I realized something ... why do we wait until someone is dead to tell them how much they have meant to us? Wouldn't those letters have served a far greater purpose if the teacher herself would have been able to read them? Wouldn't the smile, handshake and compliment have brightened up her day? What an extra sense of joy and fulfillment of a life well-lived if all of those people would have simply sent in their kind words a few days/weeks/years earlier.

The way it stands now, we've got it backwards. As for me, I hope to do a better job of telling the people themselves, not their next of kin, what they've done for me and how much I've appreciated it.

Just a thought, or rather, an epiphany.

"Blessings" Part II - Friends (super long)

In a previous post I mentioned that I am have been recounting my "blessings" I am I wanted to further my thoughts in relation to my friends. My whole life I have been blessed with wonderful friends. I know this because I have seen others, family members and friends, who have had many ups and downs with friends and many who have been treated horribly. I, on the other hand feel too lucky to have had the AMAZING friends that have helped shape who I am today.


Childhood Friends. I had a very great child hood with a close group of friends. The movie "Now and Then" reminds me a lot of our friendship. We did everything together and our families did as well. I have so many fond memories. We never really fought, that I remember, and I always felt like I had someone to call to say "can you play?" or "can you have a sleepover?" Some of my favorite memories include, "nerks" and tubing at Amy's cabin, "3 Amigos- yes, yes, yes"; Roy G. Biv, Marge and Elaine, jumping on the tramp, the club, YW activities, the Barbie game, the Nintendo track and field, rollerblading, circle games, "Ramon"!! and so much more! We, to this day, seem to have a closeness, even though we split off during junior high and high school years. I have always wanted the best for them, even when I went my own way. I hope they know that. I will always be grateful for your examples, love, and support. I love you 5th ward girls and always will!


Junior High School Friends. Though I had GREAT friends growing up, I also met some more great people in Junior High. Many would say that Junior high years are the hardest (and they are), but with good friends you can get through the awkwardness and change in emotions. I remember meeting most of the them. My best friend, to this day, is one I remember distinctly. I was on my way to French class and saw another friend from elementary school walking with a group of kids. She introduced me to my friend, Emily, and I remember walking away thinking "I wish I could be friends with her." (: Luckily that wish came true because we have done everything together since then, including having our babies at the same time. We had a fun group of friends and spent as much time together as possible. We would walk to my house after school each day, eat out the the cupboards, get our hair stuck up on the nail in the wall, meet up with the boys, dream about boys, have sleepovers on the tramp, sneak out to see the boys (and toilet paper with some-Em, does Blake, your husband, know it was us....? ) and talk about our first crushes (or make up secret names for each one -stud muffin, Lucy in the sky with diamonds, 3624, Basketball John, to name a few). We felt on top of the world and LOVED junior high.


High School Friends. Going into high school groups of friends were combined, split, and split again until many little mini groups were formed. I loved Sophomore year, we seemed to always have a party to go to and it felt like everyone was welcome everywhere. We had HUGE groups at dances and had a great time together. Junior Year was the year we really split up into mini groups and I found all the best friends that I still have today. I have been close to each one of them at different times and it seems that we each needed each other for different reasons. We hung out with different boys here and there and I met my Husband because of that. I am thankful for these wonderful girls!

There are 10 of us that still try to get together whenever we are in the same state. Most of us live out of Utah there are only 3 are there now. Whenever I need to talk to someone I know that one of them will be there for me. Thank you for all the memories, driving with windows down and singing at the top of our lungs, vocal ensemble, "You'll all have wrinkles," laying out at Jen's pool, Christmas parties, dances, Disneyland, St. George trips, all our random cars, boy struggles or many of you dating the same ones (no I actually was never in this category), singing tone deaf, hot tubing (tubbing?), wars with the boys, cabin trips, dreaming of the future, putting funny signs on stop signs, making predictions for the future, and so many more! I love you girls and truly miss living close.


College. Although I had this tight group of friends, life happened and we all had different directions, but tried to get together whenever possible. Many girls served missions while others wrote missionaries. I wouldn't have made it through the two years without Dave if I didn't have the support of my girls and eventually my sorority. I loved being in Chi Omega, though I was never the typical sorority girl. I didn't care to go flirt at the Frat houses and only took friends to our dances. But I LOVED having girls on campus that I was close to. I don't really see these girls much today, but I have always been grateful for how they made my college experience better and so much fun. It is funny that 4 or 5 of us had missionaries and we all helped each other stay focused. Some of my favorite memories are: Bid days, sleepovers, Jenna in her underwear, going to Hires, St. George spring break, "It's cowy out there," making CDs together (this was a new thing back then), Mondays at the house, Christmas parties, Wednesday lunches, Homecoming, and just hanging out. My best to all these girls!


The Boy Friends and their wives or Marriage Friends. When Dave came home from his mission all his friends tried to get back together. IT was fun to see how they all changed through their missions, but still had their fun crazy personalities and joy in being together. As we all started dating seriously and getting married we got to know each other very well and the girlfriends or wives became good friends too. I LOVE all these girls and consider them best friends. We have gone on many vacations together, enjoyed eating out, BBQs, weddings, given showers, had babes at the same times, and so many huge events. We were fortunate enough to move out to Michigan and live by one of the couples, but as we look for the future it looks like there will only be one couple left in Utah. How crazy is that? Some of my favorite memories include, "the Rio walk!", living "upstairs" from the Tophams, pool days at Tophams, playing games, Christmas and Halloween parties, Trips to St. George, Moab, Zions, and Kauai, making the husbands NOT quote stupid movies, playing at parks, play dates with the kids, and so many more.


PCMC Friends. I met some truly outstanding friends when I worked at Primary Children's Medical Center. I looked forward to work because of them. Both in Child Life and Radiology there were people I felt comfortable with. In child life, we have to really get in touch with emotions and before we even dug into patient emotions we are drilled in looking at ourselves, evaluating our lives, and realizing our "buttons" -how they are pushed, when, and WHY. This process aka "journalling" takes a lot of time and emotional effort, but allows you to be a better child life specialist and know how to work better with children. Throughout this process you are talking with other CL staff so they know what you are going through and begin to know more about you than many of your close friends. It is an incredible experience. I have made some truly remarkable friends because of this. Also, the nature of the hospital can be difficult so it is important to have people who you can talk with, de-stress with and have fun with. I appreciate their examples, dedication, support, and FUN! I miss working with all of you and hope to get back in the future.


NOW, Ann Arbor. Moving away for the first time was SCARY to me. I knew I would have Dave and that I was only a phone call away from those I was close to, but I am a person who needs to be WITH people. We were lucky to instantly make great friends. We have great friends through Dave's program and our Ward. We have had many get togethers including visiting local restaurants, watching sports events, celebrating big steps in school, movie nights, park outings, Halloween parties, pizza nights, game nights, Rock Band or Guitar Hero nights, Superbowl parties, and many other excuses to get together. Each couple brings their own element to the group and we always have a great time. It has truly made our two years here in Ann Arbor go by too quickly and we will miss these friends! I wonder where we will all end up!

I am especially grateful that they have meant so much to Anna, she loves all the couples! The other day we were getting together with the Hortons and I was telling Anna who we were going to see. She said, "Jess and Drew, they're my friends!" Anna knows where all of them live and when we drive down the road she will say their names in hope we are going to their house. It is so cute. We are grateful to have a Utah fan club out here, even though it dwindled throughout the years and also for the camaraderie we have with the cougars. (: I remember meeting the Abernethys our first or second Sunday and we hung out the next day, since then we have enjoyed seeing the sites of A2 and having our kids play. Anna's first kiss came because of them! (:

FUTURE. Who knows who we will meet in Modesto, but I hope I can continue to make good friends there. If not, then I will always have the collection of amazing people listed above! Love you all thanks for making me who I am and dealing with the outcome! (:

Happy Birthday Sis...

Just a shout out to my Sister Natalie! I love you so much and hope you had a HAPPY BIRTHDAY amidst all the craziness. Wish I could be there to eat Glauss cake with you (and cute shamrock cupcakes for your class)!

Facebook... REALLY????

Okay I have to talk about FB for a minute. I think it is a great resource to find old friends (and many acquaintances that I probably still never talk to still). It is fun to chat, and funny to see the random thoughts that people have, and nice to hear from people. Sometimes I get on and say a quick blurb, but overall it is just to have a way to contact. I don't spend too much time on it. I have a hard time keeping up with a blog, emails, and my house.

However, there are MANY people that have WAY too much time on their hands. Seriously could you go read a good book, make cookies for your neighbor, walk a dog or yourself, or watch TV or something you don't need to send me things like.... (yes all these were in my inbox today)

Join this club or that
Mystic Jewels
Help U of U get more votes than BYU
Circle request
godfather invitation
support Hogle zoo
become a fan of some store
Some Wizardry invitation

Okay so some of these might be a good cause, but how do I really support so much? I am only one person. Ha! (:

Also, how many quizzes can one person take? I swear I don't care what 80's icon I am or cartoon character, Disney princess, movie, quote, where I "should live" what I am, how much I know about someone. It doesn't really make sense.

Who else thinks it is a little bizarre or crazy or am I alone in this?

"Blessings" Part I - Family

I know the word "blessings" has become a word that is cliched, overused, or just a typical everyday word, but I feel that it is THE WORD to describe my feelings right now. I am going through a "pondering," or self evaluation process right now where different situations or words spoken by others really make me think. So as a step in journaling (since typing is faster than writing for me) and a way to express gratitude to others I felt inclined to blog. Read it if you wish.

First off, I went to breakfast with a FABULOUS friend on Saturday. We always have a great time talking, sometimes I feel like I talk her ears off, other times she says the same. . . all in all I am grateful to have her in my life (see next post)! We got talking about families and she said something like, "it seems from what you have said that your family is a cute, Mormon family who loves each other and gets along really well." This sparked many emotions and thoughts within me.

I was able to express to her that, yes, we are close and, yes, it is hard to be away. But I feel as though being away from it all has made me appreciate them even more. I started to go into detail about my family members and their qualities. I have never been good at describing people, especially those I am close to. I wish I could. I think people are so much deeper than a couple words could describe. I also talked about my Mom and Dad and how they raised us to support one another like to go sporting events and dance recitals (I give kudos to my Dad I think he has been to more dance recitals and cheer events, with 4 girls than any Dad out there. And he is always the proud father in the aisle filming it!) and we love taking time to be together such as Sunday evenings and vacations.

Growing up I didn't realize the closeness we had, it was just what is was and all that I ever knew. Now being older, I am seeing different family lives', relationships, and characteristics and it has made me look back and see my family through a different lens. Later Saturday, I was able to take a walk in the rain and ponder some of these thoughts. It was then when I felt so many emotions and so much gratitude that I felt I needed to express.

I love my family!! (Really all my family, Dave and Anna, my biological family and my in laws, I am VERY "blessed.)"

MY BIOLOGICAL FAMILY...We truly have a great time together. We are a family that loves to laugh, we sit around the dinner table for hours after a meal just talking, laughing or what not. We love to vacation together. This is something I truly appreciate. It isn't so much where we go (though we have been able to explore many cool places), but it is a time for us to escape the real world and just have fun together or be "stuck" together to make memories. I am grateful my parents made this a big focus and choose to spend money on experiences rather than things. I hope Dave and I can continue on that path.

I also love that we can all be ourselves. We can be honest, dumb (yes that category fits well with a few of us... can I say Heidisms?), serious, faithful, and loving. We ache for one another during hard times, we cheer one another on, and pray for one another.

I am thankful we grew up with the gospel of Jesus Christ (http://www.lds.org/) in our home. I am grateful we had prayer with one another and that my father has always been a worthy Priesthood holder. I heard recently from a colleague that she has never heard a man pray in her home. It made me realize how lucky I am and how I have taken it for granted. The knowledge of my Savior and the other aspects of the gospel have made me who I am today and kept me a happier, healthier, and more loving person. I am thankful to my family for their constant examples and faith. I am especially grateful to my Mom who went to church on her own her whole childhood and stuck to her faith and beliefs despite the home life she had. And I am grateful for my Dad's humility, quiet example, and dedication he truly is a Christ like example on earth.

I am grateful that I am realizing more and more how amazing each person is and thankful for the relationship I have with them. Though I am not able to be with them physically I am grateful I know that we will always be close.

Another family I am grateful for is my IN LAWS. The Miners AND the Storheims. I married into a unique and amazing family. Each side has been through many struggles, but have come together so well. To summarize: Dave's mother died when he was 14 of heart problems and his Dad married his step mother, JoAnn, a few years later. JoAnn divorced her husband when her boys were young and raised the four of them. Dave is the youngest and was one of three or four that were home when JoAnn and Paul married. So blending the family at a time when hearts were still healing and teenagers were growing up and other sibs were married and out of the home was probably difficult. However the family has come together thanks to the amazing efforts of everyone, but I accredit much of it to JoAnn. It is a huge family: 8 kids and their spouses with 20 grandchildren, that gets to be a lot to plan for and get together. We all love it though. We try to do dinner once a month and get away on a vacation ALL TOGETHER every other year. It is the BEST circus ever. The Miners also do their own things like going to the cabin together, out to dinner, have new years eve parties, etc. and the Storheims have their own traditions as well. It works out.

I am thankful I have the relationships I have with each of them. I can be myself, have lots to talk about, we laugh... alot! (Especially at the cabin and/or when we share kid stories), we support one another and just enjoy being together. Though I know it was a bumpy road for a while and most of the family members grieved privately, It is amazing to see how the family can heal from tragedies and come together.

Last but not least, I am grateful for my OWN family. Dave and I hit it off in high school. We instantly became best friends. We never argued and still to this day don't have a lot of disagreements. We would finish each other's sentences and thoughts. We shared a lot of personal experiences within months of dating, we had fun and loved to explore together, we were kind to one another's needs, we have the same humor (though Dave is a lot quicker), we enjoy a lot of the same things, and we root for the same color (and in our homes that was important! (: )

Writing during Dave's LDS Mission to Veracruz, Mexico brought us close on a different level. We shared thoughts and testimony, prayed for one another, and had our own personal experiences that shaped who we are. And we realized we didn't like living without one another.

To this day we have such a great time together and whole- heartedly support one another. We love to talk and there never seems to be a dull moment. (Especially when you are married to a man like Dave. (: ) We talk about everything and share our daily thoughts and activities. It is wonderful to have a relationship like we have and I am VERY thankful for it.

Being parents has brought a different dimension to our lives. We still have our talks and moments, but also share the immense amount of JOY that we feel for Anna. We laugh together, bounce ideas off one another and try to take turns with responsibility. I love being a mom and feel so blessed to have the family life I have.

Family blessings are incredible and I feel "blessed" to have what I do!

Now I want to post on friends....

My Name Is...