Never the same...

I have been thinking a lot lately about how the years come and go, but with ever passing year though they might be similar they are never completely the same!

Part of what has got

me thinking about this is the "Ice Thing" that Chet

does every year.

Some years it gets going really fast, some years the wind blows and it grows a little lop sided, some years it gets going just a bit at a time, growing day by day, inch by inch. Sometimes, it starts out looking great, and like this year it gets warm and melts before it has much of a chance to get very big.

Like the ice thing, every year brings us different challenges and different lessons that we are suppose to be learning. Hopefully the lessons we have learned have been learned well enough that we won't need to repeat these particular lessons again, but we will continue to grow day by day, inch by inch, into something that when people pass by us they want to stop and look because we have touched them somehow in their life.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas full of all the joys that this season is suppose to bring. With more focus being on the gift that the Savior gave to us That through the years as we continue to grow and change we will be molded into the people that his gift gives us the opportunity to become! Always remembering that things are never staying the same! Excpet for the love our Savior has for each and everyone of us!

Love you all Merry Christmas.

It's official!

Well, It's official! I think I have finally lost my mind! I know that this might have been obvious to some for quite some time now, but for me, it sorta snuck up on me!

This month Ford had his SEOP conference for school. It was decided that if he didn't do something major and soon, he would not be able to graduate. So now, he is not only going to regular school, but he also goes to make up school from 2:30 to 4:30 Monday through Wednesday, then to top off the day for him, he goes straight fro school to work and works from usually 5 to 8 or 9 depending on the day. He still has at least 4 more weeks of this, not to mention trying to keep up with the stuff around the house, IE laundry and chores. It is enough to say that his life right now is not a very happy one. Oh the lessons we must learn the hard way. (I am sure in the back of his mind some place he is asking himself why didn't I just listen to Mom)

Then there is Megan..... Oh Megan! I wish I knew just what to do with Megan. At this point I am just trying to love her tons (which I DO) and try not to hurt her on the days when it seems like she needs a good throttling!

Really all I can say about Megan, is she is still not wanting to grow up, and not seeing the need to do so at this point in her life. Chet asked her if she couldn't see why she needed to work more than she is working currently (about 16 hours a week if she is lucky) and she in all seriousness said "No."

All she wants to do is music. I wish her all the best but when she wants it bad enough to do whatever it takes....then she will want it bad enough. She is not to that place yet.

A while ago, Chet hurt his shoulder at work. He has been going to the Dr for it for a while now. They finally did an MRI on him last week and have decided that it will be necessary for him to have surgery to repair some of the damage that has been done, so as to ease some of the pain and discomfort that he is experiencing. His surgery is tentatively scheduled for the 22nd of December. He is feeling a bit overwhelmed at this point not knowing how on earth he is going to be able to take care of his job! There is no one to come and help him while he is off. We were talking about this today, and the last time he took a vacation was over two years ago. Simply because it is just to hard to get back on top of things if he misses any time.

As for me...well let's just say, the crazy has seemed to taken over me a little bit more than usual. I think it might be the time of year...maybe it's the weather??? It might just be all things working in tandem. Whatever it is I have found it very hard to be nice to people I find to be behaving stupidly. Mostly this would have to be directed at some of the people I work with. I know this is my own personal little battle, but some days I swear I feel like I am waging a full on war with myself, just to be nice. I did not know that common sense was so lacking with SO many people.

The fact the Megan seems to be displaying symptoms of this lack also has not helped with things between her and I.

I would pray for patients, but I am terrified as to what the Lord might give me as my next challenge. This too shall pass and I just need to try to find the positive. (I am trying Dad!) This seems a daunting task some days, but still there is much out there to be grateful for.

Thanksgiving is next week and I have been thinking a lot about the things that I am grateful for. The list is too long to post here, but just know that I know, that I have more to be thankful for than I would ever be able to say.

Despite the struggles we have been having in our little family, I have to say "WE" are what I am most grateful for! I just need to keep it all in perspective somehow!

This year....

This year seems to be and have been, my personal year for tough struggles! I am not one to usually look forward to another year going by as quickly as possible, but I must say that I am hoping that if next year will be better, that I hope this year will hurry up and get over!

Started out, I turned 40. No big deal really but try telling that to my eyes! Apparently you are allowed to have great eyes till you turn 40 and then you are required to start holding things at a much greater distance than you ever use to just to be able to see them. I can't even have Chet up close because it makes me dizzy because he is out of focus.

Next there was the stress of trying to get Megan to graduate. Which she did by the skin of her teeth. She called to tell me she told me she would. Me on the other end of the phone in tears told her I was glad she had!

Spending most of the summer on the road with Chet, bouncing for one town to the next. (This was the BEST part of my year! Love my time with Chet!) My garden suffered greatly from the lack of daily attention. Well, ok, it really suffered from the late start and the weird weather, but still the weeds looked like they had taken over! Something that I have never really let happen before. It bothered me a bit, but not really enough to spend the time when I was home to fix it.

I applied for a position as a manager this year, and didn't get it, which was ok for the time being. Chet said that it is ok with him that I didn't get it, but financially it would really be a help if I could make more money! I am hoping to be able to re-do the managers training this year, and then reapply at the end of this school year. Time will tell. I would like to have something to rely on for my own.

School started out with all kinds of stress at work. We had one lady take time off to have knee surgery done on both of her knees. One at a time, so she will be off work till sometime in March or April I think. Then we had another lady get a full time job with the University of Utah right after school started, which she took because the school district no longer offers positions that would allow anyone to get benefits through the district. (stupid if you ask me!) Then another lady was having trouble with her feet so she took a month off to see if she would feel any better.

Wow! I am tired just thinking about it all! So, needless to say, things at work have been insanely crazy! With nothing less than three subs now for weeks!

My whole point to this, is that this year has seemed to last forever! There has been a LOT of stress and a lot of things I hope to never relive in my lifetime. I am sure it could be worse, and I pray continually that it does not!

This year I hope to ring in a much happier New Year!

Anniversary

So, last Friday was my 22nd anniversary. Who knew that many years ago that we would even make it to where we are today?

I know there were a lot of people that were surprised that we lasted more than a year. We really were young, looking back at it all now. Thinking that if Megan were me she would already be married right now. Wow! That is a startling thought! I feel like I was more ready to begin my own life than she is, but maybe that is just all in ones own perspective.

Thanks to Chet for loving me for this long and for making sure I talk to him. I have learned, that above everything else we do, talking about things is what has helped us make it through some of the toughest challenges any marriage can face.

I am very excited when I look to the future and spending more time with the two of us! Thanks for being my best friend! Here's to Forever more!

Weddings....

I have to say first and foremost, that I have been to a relative few amounts of weddings compared to the people that I know have been married. Also, the actual weddings I have been to for the most part have all been L.D.S weddings.

This weekend, I had the opportunity to go to a wedding of my very close friends daughter. Although she is L.D.S. she chose a different life path. On this path the man she met and chose is not L.D.S. and for their wedding it was one of the farthest things from any wedding I have been to. (not bad by any means)

At the beginning of the wedding they had what the guy performing the wedding called a Buddhist Blessing (I think that is what he called it). For knowing that at the end of this life, this union will be over, still the ceremony was one of the most memorable I have ever been to.

One of the first things he did was have the bride take the grooms hands palms up into her hands and examine them. He reminded her that these would be the hands that would hold her and give her love and comfort. That would lift her when she was down, and help keep her grounded. That will wipe away the tears when she cries, and stoke her cheek to remind her how much love he has for her. There were a few other things that he listed, but I lost track of them. Then he had the groom do the same thing with the bride.

It had to be one of the most emotional ceremonies for me. It felt very personal for me. Firstly probably because I have always loved Chet's hands! His hands are strong and can fix most things. They are an extension of him. I love his hands! So for the Preacher guy, (I'm not sure he was a preacher) to point this out to the two of them, it became very personal to me. It touched my soul and reminded me how grateful I am for Chet and his hands. For being there lo lift me up and keep me grounded all at the same time.

While talking to my Mom about the ceremony, when I mentioned that I felt like it was a very personal ceremony for me, she told me that she thinks that that is what we are suppose to do at someone else's wedding. Make it personal. To her she feels this way because, at your own wedding, there is SO much going on, that most of the time you miss the things that should stand out the most, so by making someone else's wedding personal to you, you can and might learn something, or be reminded of something you might have forgotten, that could help you in your marriage currently. It made a great deal of sense to me! In this case I think I truly just might have taken more away from the ceremony than the couple did.

I also think that I might just pay more attention to the next one just a bit more than I have before!

The Fair is in town!

Well, it is fair time in Utah once again! I have to say this is one of the things I look forward to most. It signals that fall is officially here and I just love the feeling in the air.

Not to mention that ever since Chet and I have been together, we have been going to the fair. Some of my best memories of the kids being little is taking them to the fair. They look forward to it as much as we do, I think.

This year I took a day off work and Chet and I are going down for the entire day :) Yeah for us! I told Megan that I would pay for her and Ford to come down later if she wanted to drive them down, but I think they both work, so we will have to work something else out for them. Not that that is a hard thing for us. We usually go down more than once, as there are SO many different people to look at and things to see.

Fall is my favorite time of year without a doubt and this year it feels no different. I love the feel in the air and to see all of the things being harvested, both from my garden and all around me! I love it! Makes me remember how many thing I have to be grateful for!

Till next time! :)

First Day back

Well it was official! Today was my first day back to work! School starts on Monday and we had to go get things ready.

Things are going to be changing quite a bit I am thinking! They told the managers to tell all of us that if we want our jobs, that we need to "suck it up" and deal with it. The work is going to be a lot harder this year and the menus a lot more labor intensive. In short, we are going to be working more for yet again less!

What I mean by this is that I have not had a raise for three years! Yes I am glad to have a job that provides me with insurance at a reasonable cost. It would be nice though, that along with said insurance, who's rates go up and up every year, I could get a cost of living raise that would help me cover the cost of said insurance! Last year I barely made enough to cover the cost of insurance without having to come up with any out of pocket above what they took out of my check. I am quite literally working for the insurance only!

Then you have people bitching and moaning about the food we are serving the kids! When there has been no increase in what a school meal costs for the last two years! These people bitching about the food we are serving, are the same people that would be the first to bitch about the increase in meals! Even if it were to give the kids some better options and nutrition!

I mean think about it people! Where else can you go and get a main dish, drink and sides for $2?! Really!

So because there are people out there thinking that the kids are getting the shaft when it comes to eating, I get the shaft (and others like me) for three years running because we are trying to make everyone happy! Let me just say also, that I eat the same food as the kids, and it's not as bad as some people make it out to be! It is not a gourmet restaurant but for the price that is being paid for the meal, it really isn't too bad!

Whew! I think I am done dancing on the soap box for now.I think. ;)

I really am glad that I have a job REALLY!

I am just NOT looking forward to going back, and NOT looking forward to having my insurance rates go up again and still not get any kind of raise.

I can't go any place else and get the summer off, or get paid as much as I do without any kind of schooling (hind sights).

I just had to vent a little bit, after hearing some people out there griping up a storm about things that that haven't really thought completely through from every angle. Not to mention all of the people working their hardest to try to keep as many people as possible happy.

Also, one more thing that bugs the crap out of me.....Oh, never mind....it wouldn't change anyway, and the ones who might be reading this probably feel the same as I do.

I will just leave it as enough said, take a deep breath and try to enjoy the last weekend before work begins with a vengeance.