I sit here with my heart full, perhaps fuller than it has ever been.  There was so many blessings this year along with hard times and losses.  I remember my 2007 New Year started with coming out of my bedroom that morning, on my way to my bathroom, and I was startled by my dad standing in my way.  There stood the man that I love with all my heart, who the so-called physicians at Ogden Regional Hospital said would never walk without assistance again after his 9-week hospitalization.  The physical therapists never gave up, we never gave up and most importantly, Dad never gave up.  As my eyes filled with tears, I hugged my dad to make sure it was not a dream.  He had walked down the 14 stairs to my basement to tell me that he finished his physical therapy; mastering the stairs was his last hurdle.  During last Christmas, my family kept calling Dad our Christmas miracle because along with the negative assumptions of his walking was also accompanied by the assumptions that Dad would never regain his mental faculties.  He showed them!  We're so thankful for his new doctors and for all the blessings we've had this year.  Although we still face a battle every day, he's worth it.  Laughter and love go hand-in-hand in our family and he is the root of it all. 

The first ten months of the year sped by and most everything is a blur due to me taking the toughest classes of the four years I went to school.  I sacrificed a lot over the past four years but I was determined to finish my bachelors... and I did in October.  I have my beautiful diploma but my family is waiting to celebrate it on June 14, when the graduation ceremony is scheduled. 

My nephew Tyler and his wife, Sara, brought a sweet baby boy, Caleb, into the world last summer.  Then my nephew Travis and his wife, Sara, brought sweet Eli into the world and despite having a rough start, Eli thrives.  My niece Keldi and her husband Matt are expecting their second boy this April.  Our family is growing and it's awesome to see the people I love thrive and grow.  My niece Elyssa started a special school program and her teachers agree that she is indeed, brilliant; she just cannot say all she wants to.  There is still no diagnosis but we're focusing on her growing and being happy. 

The loser, Elyssa's so-called-father (we call him the sperm donor) was released to a half-way-house in early December.  My sister called the facility where he was held and made it clear that he was not living with her.  Although she hasn't gotten a divorce yet, it's a big step for her to say "no" to him.  He tries calling her often but she ignores the calls.  Kathy suffers from bi-polar and she's had a rough time of it for the past few weeks due to a medication change but she's starting to come out of it.  I know in my heart that if she gets strong enough to divorce him, she can do anything.  The school, bus drivers, and aides have all been warned about him, in case he tries anything.  I'd actually like to have him try something... because he'd land himself back in prison. 

I am grateful for all of my family.  I drove my parents to Idaho Falls, Idaho, Friday for my Aunt Lou Jean's 80th birthday celebration.  The weather was snowy but we made it there safely and back home Saturday, despite Idaho's *cough, cough* so-called snow removal services.  The celebration was wonderful and she deserved such a lovely party.  Cousins, aunts, uncle, were there; local and those who traveled from California, Utah, and Washington.  There is so much love in my family and as I hugged those who I have not seen in years, there was no love loss.  I enjoyed catching up with them all and was honored to be part of the celebration for Lou Jean.  Not many 80 year-olds can still hula like she can. 

In other news, I met someone special at the end of October and I've hesitated in sharing it on my blog - mostly because I did not want to jinx it, however, he is part of the reason why my heart is so full.  His name is David and he's the "special friend" who lost his sister recently.  The outpour of love and support for him has not only helped him and his family but it's made me appreciate you all the more.  David is an incredible man and we have a lot of hopes for the coming year.  He has two children, a daughter (who lives with her mother) and a son (who lives with David) and he is an incredible father, which makes me adore him even more.  He's funny, sensitive, romantic (he blows my mind), caring, and strong.  He actually lives in Utah (only an hour away from me), which means I was wrong when I said, "There are not any straight, great, handsome, sexy, available men in Utah who are not dorks."   He is a little nutty because he loves my sense of humor and he indulges my *snicker* moments.  Our time together has been limited due to work conflicts and the tragedy of his sister's death, but we're patient because we know our relationship is worth waiting and fighting for. The man makes me swoon.......... even through a text message. I wonder where he's been all my life and he asked me the same; however, I know that we've both been on our own journey and the journeys finally met.  

My life is full of incredible friends - each one is special to me and I'm so blessed to have them in my life.  I wish the very best of health, happiness, and peace for each of my friends in this new year.  You all are my friends and I appreciate the love and support you've shown me over the years; you've kept me strong and I've never felt alone with you all by my side.

It's been a year full of discovering and igniting passions within myself and it feels great to feel free enough to explore the person I want to become. I am a work-in-progress and have the self-love to continue the work; my self-esteem has always been low but it's getting higher. I believe that I cannot truly love another without first loving myself. It's been a year now since I opened this place, where I share my thoughts and passions. Again, I thank you all for your friendship and for your part in my journey.

I have a request for a friend of mine, Suzanne.  Her mother passed away yesterday morning and I ask that you keep her and her family in your thoughts. 

Gee whiz, the past few days have been a whirlwind of activity; first with all the cooking and baking I did then with the Christmas celebrations.  I have to admit, despite the sadness I've felt lately, this was one of the best Christmases I can recall.  My family focused more on one another than we have in the past.  My siblings and me pooled our money to purchase Mom and Dad a frost-free freezer.  Mom was upset with us at first, for spending the money, but once the freezer arrived and she realized how much work and energy this will save, she began to come around a bit.  I'm afraid she'll have to continue getting upset with us all because we plan on going in on gifts for her and Dad's birthdays as well as Mother's and Father's Days. 

Sara, Caleb, & TylerChristmas Eve, my two sisters, my niece Elyssa, and my brother Bob and his four kids (two have spouses), and two grandchildren came to dinner.  This is the first year in so long that they've all come and it made Mom and Dad so happy.  I got a lot of compliments on dinner and I think everyone had a good time.  Susie and I kicked Mom out of the kitchen so she could visit with Bob and his kids. 

Matt, Keldi, Jaxton, & BobThis was a hard Christmas for Bob, and I was happy to see his family rally around him.  His wife Kori is divorcing him due to problems she had with Bob's daughter, Heather.  He also said it all was a matter of bad timing - they remain friends - and who knows, when her son grows up and Heather does too (18 and 19 respectively) and they won't cause problems. 

After our dinner was over and Bob and his kids left, Mom, Dad, Susie, and Elyssa went to my brother J Dee's house.  I got my Christmas wish of having a white Christmas - it was wonderful!  Although driving in the blizzard of snow, up several hills, gee whiz, I could have used Santa's sleigh with Rudolph, but Santa needed it more than I did on his busy night.  When I arrived, feeling like I'd taken a dive, head first in the snow, Santa called out my name to sit on his lap.  I can't tell you what I wished for *snicker* but he and Mrs. Claus gave me a wink.  We saw all of J Dee and Patti's kids and grandkids while we were there. 

Chelese & Adam taken earlier this yearI also was able to congratulate my nephew Adam and his new fiance', Chelese; Adam proposed to her on Sunday night.  It was wonderful to see all my siblings, nieces, nephews, and grandnieces and grandnephews.  My heart was filled with love and happiness, which felt so good. 

Me holding Sweet EliSusie was holding sweet Eli and pointing out the fact that she had her and I didn't.  Right then, Eli decided to cry and Susie handed Eli over to me.  She calmed right down - proving once again, I have the magic touch and that Eli likes me and we have a special bond. ;-)  I cuddled Eli, talked to her, and she cooed back while I stood and rocked back and forth.  Pretty soon, her momma, Sara, covered her up with a blanket and she soon fell asleep. Gee whiz, that little girl has a hold of my heart strings.

Elyssa and vanityAfter Mom, Dad, and I got home, Mom and I finished cleaning up the dinner mess and then stayed up until midnight playing the roles of Santa's Elves to put Elyssa's lovely vanity together.  It was a labor of love, if not a royal pain!  Seeing her face Christmas morning was worth every bit of frustration we had.  I even had fun playing with the hair dryer, lipstick, cell phone, and scissors because it played noises when each one was lifted up.  What a hoot.   

After we opened gifts, I decided to go out and do some light shoveling (gee whiz, I think that is an oxymoron); we had another six inches of snow that fell during the night, which makes about 10-12 inches out of the whole storm.  It felt good to be outside in the lovely sunny day with everything covered in snow and breathing in the lovely fresh air.  I shoveled 1/3 of the triple car driveway then the front steps and walkway and was about to leave the rest for my brother when two neighbors walked over and finished the driveway and helped me finish the front sidewalks.  I offered them some treats but they both laughed and said they were shoveling snow to work off the Christmas goodies they had already eaten. 

The rest of the day, I relaxed and napped a bit, while begging my body to forgive me and to quit hurting, but alas, it did not.  I felt better yesterday and my muscles were sorer than my joints so I figured I was forgiven since I slept twelve hours that night.  

Today, I am working a 12-hour day (oh joy) and then another weekend will begin again; gee whiz, I could get used ti this.  Lots of snow is in the forecast so we'll see if it's a white New Year's too. 

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with your families and those special to you.   

Happy Independence Day!  Since our nation became the United States of America on July 4, 1776, our soldiers and citizens fought to keep our country independent and free.  Each American made and makes America what it is today, despite all that is wrong, the fire of hope for the future, courage, love, and pride fills in hearts.

I am grateful for all those who suffered, labored, and gave their lives for our country; I humbly salute them all whether they earned medals or not, they still sacrificed and deserve recognition. This is a photo of medals of a coworker who served in Vietnam and retired a Lt. Colonel from the Army - he entrusted them to me (for a project I am working on), which is an honor.

I am also grateful to all those who are serving now, both overseas and here in America. This is a statue that sits in front of the Hill Air Force Base, Utah. This statue is a reminder of how important letters are - either from family, friends, or strangers.


A fellow blogger, Carlo, from His-Phoenix, wrote a chilling post - his chilling reality as a soldier. Please keep Carlo - and all soldiers - in your thoughts and prayers.

The weekend ended way too soon, but they always do.  Friday I was let loose on some hedges with an electric hedge trimmer.  Yeehaw!  Mom gave me permission to take a good 18 inches off the big, tall bushes. It was completely exhausting but it was a great stress reliever.  Dad was a little anxious to do something so I asked him to come out and help me pick up branches.  Next thing I knew (he's quick when he wants to be!), he went to get the loppers and chopped the hell out of a hedge on the west side of the house.  There's a gaping hole where he lopped three one-inch branches from the bottom while I was on the ladder trimming the other side.  It was apparent he wanted to get rid of it before he told me so but I reminded him that I need it for shade in my bedroom. I won the battle because I held a bigger trimmer ;-).

When Mom came to inspect my work, she said it looked great. I then told her to walk to the south side of that bush to see Dad's handiwork. She gasped then laughed because she knew he wanted to get rid of it too. She thanked me for the work I did as well as tuckering Dad out so he'd take a nap and not do any more damage with the loppers when she went out to finish the bushes.

I took a nice shower, a nap, and then went back outside after dinner to finish planting my flowers and help Mom with the tomato plants that needed to be planted. She planted the cucumbers last night and I hope they live. I worked hard to keep them alive for two months and they were even blossoming in my basement! I was so excited; however, since she took them outside and didn't plant them all weekend, they looked unhappy.

Saturday, I had a ME day and took a drive around to the back side of the Ben Lomond Mountain range. Everything was lush, green, and gorgeous! I drove around a camping area called North Fork to get some good shots of the mountain and of a small river.

Back of Ben Lomond Peak


Back of a smaller peak on the range


North Fork River




Then I drove around Pine View Reservoir and it was so pretty; such a brilliant blue. There were a lot of boats in the water but I got lucky on this shot, only a couple in the distance.


I drove down Ogden Canyon on the way home and stopped at the waterfall at the mouth of the canyon. It's a small waterfall but I never grow tired of seeing it.
Top of waterfall


Bottom of waterfall


I came home and washed the dust off my car and vacuumed the inside, cleaned the inside windows and dash, etc. It's now all spiffy... now watch, it will rain. After that, I was exhausted so I got in my jammies and relaxed all night. Sunday was a PJ day - enough said. Yesterday was nice; I slept in, went to lunch at the diner my sis works at, then Mom and I took some roses (from her garden) to my late SIL's grave. I also took my camera and wondered around the cemetary and took some photos of some of the older headstones. I found three graves of my ancestors, the Bybee's, that I found when I was a teenager when I went to the junior high by the cemetery. Mom never saw them before and I don't think any of my aunts have either.

I saw my late boss' grave, the dentist, who died from a brain tumor in 2001. His family has it decorated nicely and one thing there made me laugh. They had an open bottle of Pepsi for him. It's something that seems odd to those who didn't know him, but those of us who had the honor of knowing him, it's great.

I've rambled on enough! How was your weekend?? Have a fabulous day!

Memorial Day is much more than a holiday when family and friends get together for picnics, camping, and BBQ's, it's a day to give thanks to those who serve our country, have died protecting our country and our lives. Each year, I am more grateful to the men and women who are willing to give their lives and serve our country; fighting for what they believe in and for our freedoms.

The words, as Americans, we spoke every morning at school may not have been fully understood, but they were important. I cherish the words and I will forever keep these words close to heart and I will never take out "under God," that, I vow.



The following words were spoken by the late Red Skelton on his television program as he related the story of his teacher, Mr. Laswell, who felt his students had come to think of the Pledge of Allegiance as merely something to recite in class each day.Now, more than ever, listen to the meaning of these words.

"I've been listening to you boys and girls recite the Pledge of Allegiance all semester and it seems as though it is becoming monotonous to you.If I may, may I recite it and try to explain to you the meaning of each word?"

I
me, an individual, a committee of one.
Pledge
dedicate all of my worldly goods to give without self pity.
Allegiance
my love and my devotion.
To the flag
our standard, Old Glory, a symbol of freedom. Wherevershe waves, there's respect because your loyalty has given her a dignity that shouts freedom is everybody's job!
of the United
that means that we have all come together.
States of America
individual communities that have united into 48 great states. Forty-eight individual communities with pride and dignity and purpose; all divided with imaginary boundaries, yet united to a common purpose, and that's love for country.
And to the republic
a state in which sovereign power is invested in representatives chosen by the people to govern. And government is the people and it's from the people to the leaders, not from the leaders to the people.
For which it stands, one nation
one nation, meaning "so blessed by God"
Indivisible
incapable of being divided.
With liberty
which is freedom -- the right of power to live one's own life without threats, fear or some sort of retaliation.
And Justice
the principle or quality of dealing fairly with others.
For all
which means, boys and girls, it's as much your country as it is mine. Since I was a small boy, two states have been added to our country and two words have been added to the pledge of Allegiance...
UNDER GOD
Wouldn't it be a pity if someone said that is a prayer and that would be eliminated from schools too?
God Bless America!

Listen to Red Skelton's words HERE.
**************
Isn't is a pity that happened?

So, now I ask you to thank a veteran and/or an active duty person for all they sacrificed and let your flags fly high.

The Easter Lily was there,
When our Savior rose.
A symbol of resurrection
And His enduring love for us.
KJR April 2006