The Love of My Life

The last couple of days have been crazy busy at work. Since I am completely loosing my mind, I have Pandora.com tuned to country music. I must say it is great listening to great music and doing my best at keeping my sanity in tact. The song, "Love Of My Life" by Sammy Kershaw came on the other day and it made me think about how lucky I am to be married to someone who truly is the love of my life. He takes such good care of me and I smile when I think of him. He keeps me on my toes by trying to be as funny as me. Alas, that is one area I don't think he will surpass me in....(I at least vote he isn't nearly as funny as me).

Some of the things I love about him are:

1. The wonderful crows feet around his eyes from years of laughter.

2. He works so hard and then pouts about his shoulder hurting.

3. He loves Zack his monkey.

4. He adores Syd, calls her little sister and dotes on her like none other.

5. He pretends he is not notice when the kids are up in the middle of the night.

6. Dating still rocks.

7. He thinks deeply about many different things.

8. Reading is a passion of his too.

9. Scrapbooking doesn't bother him. He encourages me to do it. (Thanks Sweetheart!!)

10. He loves my sisters as though they were his own. (And teases them just as mercilessly.)

Loving him really is pretty easy. How did I ever get so lucky? I think someone must have been praying pretty hard on my behalf to get such a great guy.

Nathan and Katie Watson

One of my good friends, Nathan Watson, recently married an amazing young woman from Montana, Katie Grover. They had this photo taken by their wedding photographer and I loved it so I wanted to share it with you!!! They were married in the Billings, Montana Temple on April 4th. Congrats guys!

I Am Not Perfect....HURRAY!!

Ok, so I have some friends who are amazingly perfect. Everything they do turns out fabulous and everybody loves them. I on the other hand, am not perfect. Everything I try seems to turn out.....well, um, let's just say, less than perfect. I actually tried to do the whole perfect thing and it also turned out less than perfect.

Finally I decided that my imperfection is perfect. I found that I am so much happier when I am me instead of my perfect friends. I love that I don't have to have a supermodel hair cut that is perfectly styled,or that my house is lived in instead of immaculate,

or that my children are happy because they were allowed to pick their own clothes instead of being forced to wear what I told them they had to wear,

or that I find amazing deals at DI instead of shopping at department stores.

In the midst of all of my trying for perfection, I have found that there is one person who thinks that everything I do is perfect. Aside from my silly little Jack Russell Terrier, Sharman is a wonderful cheerleader who although he knows I am not perfect, treats me like I am. I am so lucky. I enjoy hanging out with his and knowing that imperfection and all, he loves me no matter what.

My Best Friends

I am a pretty lucky girl. I have so many people who are my friends, but I have a few select best friends.

Sharman - My best friend in life. We laugh together constantly. Although we disagree on the fact that I am as funny as I think I am we still have a great time together. He has been with me for 15 years. We have seen struggles, successes, babies, death, baptisms, weddings, businesses/work, and various homes together. In all things I hope we will always be best friends. He is the love of my life. I love to laugh with him. I love to watch him play with my children. More than anything, I love the crow's feet around his eyes that dance when he is happy. He inspires me in so many ways.

Emily - My best friend at work who makes unbearable days bearable. And we snicker and laugh and find humor in the dumbest of things. We scrapbook together and lunch together. We text, IM and email constantly. Probably more than I text, IM or email anyone else.

Melissa - My best friend at church who helps me keep my sanity when I think I have lost it for the last time. Who remembers me when I have surgery on my nose and is kind beyond words.

Amy - My sister who has been through every one of the changes in life with me and makes it all better when I think I might not make it. Who has children the ages of my children and who is so incredibly kind to other people (even though she will never admit it). She is so funny and my kids absolutely love her. They know she loves them and they can hardly wait to be around her (me too).

Laurie - My sister who is wise beyond her years and inspires me in so many ways. She is happy when I need someone to share my joys and she cries when I am moved to tears. She is smart, beautiful and so fun to be with. She listens and can empathize when it seems like there is no one else who can.

Tammie - My sister who is stronger than she thinks. She takes care of her cute little boy and tries her best but thinks it is never enough. She reminds me that even when things are hard and you think you have no more to give you just hang in there and it works itself out.

Jill - My mother and my sister. She has been my example of what a righteous woman should be and how they should conduct themselves. She has overcome so many obstacles and shines all the brighter for having gone through them.

Jon and Amber - My friends who came to BYU-Idaho and inspired me to continue to search out the truth of the gospel for myself. They reminded me that seeking isn't a bad thing and always encouraged me to be my best. The love me like family because they are my family. Jon has been my inspiration for knowing that the Lord does direct our lives for many years.

Jake and Rachel - My friends who attended BYU-Idaho but added me to their family and love me unconditionally. They have watched my children (who couldn't figure out that Cooper's name wasn't Goober) and even let them sleep in their bed while I went on a real date with my husband. They come to our home and have summer cookouts with us. They are amazing people and part of my family.

I guess the very best part of having best friends is that the majority of my very best friends are my family. I am blessed.

THANK YOU!!

With everything that has gone on in my life over the past several weeks I have not had a chance to thank all of you for your love and support. You have been AMAZING. There have been so many acts of kindness. Between letters, cards, emails, meals, gifts, hugs, kind words, and so forth, I have been so overwhelmed with your outpouring of love that I feel pretty ashamed that it has taken me this long to say what I need to say....


I am so grateful for all of you and hope you know how much you mean to me. Your kindness has not gone unnoticed.

10 Things About Him

I miss my Dad. Yes, I know this isn't suppose to be easy, but it down right sucks. I will go to call him and realize that he is gone so I hang up. I get a funny email and think how much he will enjoy it and go to foward it just to remember there is no one to read it. I look at my kiddos and think how great it will be to spend time together with him and them this summer and then realize that I need to change plans as he will not be there.

In the midst of all of this I wanted to remember some good things about him so this entry is dedicated to 10 things you might not know about my Dad.

1. He was a helicopter pilot for the Army in Vietnam.
2. He met Neal A. Maxwell while serving on the High Council in California.
3. He loves music but cannot carry a tune.
4. He has 10 grandchildren who are the light of his life.
5. He graduated from college with a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice.
6. He loves to read and do jigsaw puzzles.
7. He was actively involved in geneology.
8. He was a Mason prior to joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
9. He raised cows and took them to the Washington State Fair and won a ribbon.
10. He played the guitar when he was younger.

Know you know a little bit more about my Dad. I love you and miss you Dad.

Goodbye Daddy

Oh how my heart aches! Although I have known this day would one day come, nothing really prepares you for when it actually does. Last night, March 8, 2008, at 11:05 p.m., my Dad took his final breathe and slipped on into the next life. This has led to a day and night filled with pondering. I wanted to share some of my memories and thoughts of my Dad.

I remember how he would tell the story of Chris and I stealing flowers from the Commanding Officer's home when we lived in Fort Irwin, California; or how he would relay the story of when we "ran away" from home because the other kids were not minding Mom. I remember how when he would talk about growing up, he would pronounce Washington .....Warshington. He loved his parents, and especially kept the memories of his mother fresh in our minds. He would relay the tender moments spent learning from them during those many years long ago growing up in Orting, Washington.

My Dad was never one to tell you that he loved you, but he would give you the shirt off of his back and a pocket full of money. He bought you things to tell you he cared. He was never beyond showing his love for his children's spouses or his grandchildren. He cherished everyone of his grandchildren.

Although my Dad was not perfect, he was my Dad and I love him very much. When I got the news that he likely would not make it through the night, immediately Sharman and I packed and packed the kids up to his parents' place. While traveling to Utah my family would frequently call me and ask for a status report. I would tell them where I was and tell them to tell him to hang on that I was coming as quickly as I could. At one point, about 15 minutes North of Ogden I remember telling my Mom that she could tell him if he needed to go he could but if he could hang on I was trying to hurry. Finally, when we arrived at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, my Mom called again and said, you have to hurry, his vitals are dropping. I walked into his room and there standing around him was Laurie, Tammie (Cory, her husband), Amy, Mom, Chris (Sherry, his girlfriend), and a nurse. Sharman and I walked in and I leaned over and took his hand. I told him I was here and thanked him for waiting. I told him to tell Ben that we love him and that it was okay to go now. Within ten minutes, my Father took his last breathe and slipped into the afterlife to be reunited with my brother Ben and his parents.

As I sit here typing this I feel pretty surreal. I know Dad was ready to go, but it happened so quickly. I still look around at his things and expect to see him and hear him any moment. Dad I love you and and am so glad your passing was painless and quick. I miss you and my children miss you and we can all hardly wait to be together with you again. You are the light of my children's lives and will be forever.

God be with you until we meet again. I love you Daddy.