The Kern Family

Baby on the Way!!!

2012-02-03T19:03:00.000-08:00

Ok, so it has been awhile since I posted and there really hasn't been much going on in our lives. We are both working full time and enjoying the time that we have together and the time that we get to spend with Wyatt. He will be 4 in a few months, and he is all boy. He loves superheros and anything to do with Cars or Cars 2, he also has discovered how cool dinasoaurs are and he is learning his letters and numbers.

We are expecting a new addition on July 5. We find out if it is a boy or a girl on the 20th of Feb so stay tuned for that announcement. I am been feeling pretty good lately, the first trimester was pretty easy not to much morning sickness, but I did get acid reflux and just started taking something for that. Thank goodness for small miracles, I had been throwing up a lot and it was really getting old. I am just starting to show, but not enough that I really feel pregnant, I just feel chubby, so when that changes I will post some belly pictures for those of you so far away you won't have a chance to see it in person.

I am so excited and nervous about becoming a full time mom, being a step mom part time at best is not the same and I know that my life is going to change a lot when this baby comes. I know that I am ready and I am going to be a good parent but that does not change the nerves about actually meeting this little person and teaching them to be a good person. It is a good thing that I have had good examples in my own parents and siblings. Thank you everyone that has influenced my life and will in turn influence the way that my child grows up.

I promise I will post more often as the due date gets closer so that my friends and family can enjoy this journey with us. I love you guys.

Oregon.... Our First Family Vacation

2011-11-02T00:47:00.000-07:00

Ok so I am a little bit behind on my blogging, but I was waiting for the wedding pictures to come back so that I could post that before our trip to Oregon. It was a great trip, we stayed in Klamath Falls, which is beautiful. Mom, Dad, Fred, Wyatt and I all went together in Mom and Dads car, somedays it felt like a tight fit but it was all in all pretty fun to travel all together.

One day we went to Crater Lake, and one day we drove to the Redwoods. Both very amazing and beautiful places. It was nice weather, the day we went to Crater Lake I think we ate lunch in about 50 degrees, it was so cold up there but it was amazing, Wyatt got a chance to play in a little bit of snow and we got some great pictures.

Our trip to the Redwoods was pretty fun, although the drive was a little bit crazy, it was fun. We got to see Paul Bunnion and Babe the big blue ox, and we drove through a tree, there is a video somewhere of dad driving the cadillac thru a tree which I thought was pretty funny.

Then one day we spent the day in Medford, with my beautiful cousin Elise and her family. It was a great day, Wyatt had some other kids to play with and we got to go out to dinner just the adults at this great place that had amazing Pizza, Fred still talks about it.

I have been having serious issues posting pictures so check back later after I have had a chance to add some.

Wedding Pictures

2011-10-29T11:01:00.000-07:00

I have finally gotten around to posting about the wedding. It was such a great day, the weather was perfect and it was so nice to have so much family and great friends come out to support us. We love you all. I did post a few wedding pictures I hope that you enjoy them, there are more on my facebook page. I hope that everyone has a very safe and happy Halloween.

It's COMING FAST!!

2011-07-31T21:31:00.000-07:00

As my wedding day gets closer and things are starting to fall into place and the rest of the plans are finalized I can't wait. I am so EXCITED!!!! At church today everything that was talking about was Eternal Marriage, our Bishop gave an amazing lesson on Marriage and Divorce in our joint Relief Society and Priesthood meeting today and it was all centered around a talk the Elder Oaks gave, here is the link to the talk.

http://lds.org/general-conference/2007/04/divorce?lang=eng

I think it is something that everyone should see. It really touched me having been divorced and now on the verge of getting married again. I think that everyone can take something from this talk. Even if it is just a little understanding for someone you know who has been divorced or for yourself. Please take the time to read it. It is amazing.

BIG Changes

2011-07-04T22:39:00.001-07:00

I am getting married. Yup, you read that correctly, I am finally going to tie the knot again. I am so excited. The big day, August 27, 2011..... The man, a boy from my past actually, I have known him since high school. We went to 2 high school dances together, that fact was resolved after much debate and actually locating the pictures from the dances. We grew up in the same ward, and after years of not speaking we reconnected and fell in love.

He does have son from his previous marriage, he is 3 and a great little kid. He has captured the hearts of my family, and myself. The next chapter of my life is going to be a great one. I cannot wait to get it started. I am looking forward to all of the things that I miss about being married, and learning all of the things about Fred that I don't know yet. You never really know a person until you live together. I am mostly looking forward to eternity with him. He is a good man and a good father.

So, here is to the future. Whatever it holds, he and I will face it together.

Goodbye 2010

2010-12-26T14:33:00.001-08:00

I cannot believe that the year is already ending. It has gone by so fast, and so many things have happened. I have noticed the older I get the faster the years seem to go, and this year for some reason went so fast. Just a little recap:

I was laid off from the airline after almost 9 years of service. Went back to Hawaii for the 3rd time and this time we went to the Big Island and stayed in Kona with my aunt and uncle, it was an amazing and very fun trip. It was so nice to have Mike and Becky with us for the trip I think all of us needed the vacation. I found a new job shortly after getting home and now I am working for Melaleuca, if you want to know more about the company just ask. I have recently got back in touch with an old friend from high school that grew up in the ward and we are spending a lot of time together, he is a great guy and we are going to see what the future brings.

It was a great Christmas and I am looking forward to New Years. I cannot believe that in less than a week it will be 2011. Here is hoping that the new year brings just as much happiness and good memories as the last one did. To all of my friends and family, I love you and I hope that this holiday season has been wonderful and full of love and laughter.

Eat, Pray, Love

2010-07-19T20:39:00.000-07:00

I know several women that have read this book and they all have different opinions about it and how it has affected them. So as I sit here thinking to myself about it and how it has affected me I thought that I would put it into words, if not for those of you out there that read my blog for myself so that I will always remember how I felt.

This book for me was a little bit of a self awakening. I went through a period after my divorce that I like to call my self discovery phase. I had to find out who I was and who I wanted to be. After being a relationship that steals your identity you have to find out who you have become because of those experiences. I am not sure if the post divorce version of Abbie is better or worse than the pre divorce version but I do know that I am a much different person.

After reading this book and reflecting back on my marriage and the events that led up to my divorce and the divorce itself I can understand the authors need to go on this trip. If I had been able to make a such a journey after mine, I like to think that I would have had the courage to do it. I know that not everyone has the need to rediscover themselves after such a heartbreak, however going through that rediscovery is one of the hardest things that I have ever done. I didn't realize how much of myself I had lost until I was actually divorced and looking at myself in the mirror thinking that I didn't even know what do to now that he was no longer a part of my life even though I was better off having ended the marriage. The author makes some very valid and important points that really hit home to me while I was reading the book. The one that really sticks out in my mind and I keep thinking about it and realizing how lucky I am that I did not have any kids with my ex-husband is when she quotes her sister saying "Having a baby is like getting a tattoo on your face, you really need to be certain it is what you want before you commit." I do want a family, and I am sure that when the time is right I will have my chance, until then, I will be patient. I am forever grateful to my ex and his family for the wonderful things that they brought into my life. For the love that they shared with me and for the changes that happened inside of me because we got married. I do not regret the decisions that I made and hope that I never will.

This life is full of decisions, and with each of those there are consequences to our actions. All that we can do is make the best of every situation. Love with all of your heart, even though it may get broken, it is the only way to love. Remember that no one is perfect, you have to have room for error, we are only human and that means that we get our feelings hurt and we don't always say the right thing but we are trying the best that we can. And when the chips are down and life feels like it just never going to get better, when everything is falling apart around you, that is when you discover who truly loves you, because those people will rally around you and do anything with in their power to help you put your life back together and move on. So I will leave you with a few quotes from the book, make of it what you will but try to look at it through the eyes of a woman who has been through some of the greatest pain you can imagine and she came out the other side willing to pick up the broken pieces of her life and put it back together the best way she knew how.

"Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it. You must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it." - Elizabeth Gilbert

"Tis' better to live your own life imperfectly than to imitate someone else's perfectly."
-Elizabeth Gilbert

"There is so much about my fate that I cannot control, but other things do fall under the jurisdiction. I can decide how I spend my time, whom I interact with, whom I share my body and life and money and energy with. I can select what I can read and eat and study. I can choose how I'm going to regard unfortunate circumstances in my life-whether I will see them as curses or opportunities. I can choose my words and the tone of voice in which I speak to others. And most of all, I can choose my thoughts."
-Elizabeth Gilbert

"We search for happiness everywhere, but we are like Tolstoy's fabled beggar who spent his life sitting on a pot of gold, under him the whole time. Your treasure--your perfection--is within you already. But to claim it, you must leave the buy commotion of the mind and abandon the desires of the ego and enter into the silence of the heart."
-Elizabeth Gilbert

A first time for Everything

2010-07-07T22:57:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I am not really sure what to say. I thought that my life was finally settling down and I was finding a routine and things were going pretty good..... Well guess what I get for thinking. I have been working since I was 16, and in that time I have never been unemployed, I have always had another job to go to before I left the one I had. Well this time it is out of my control. Here is my story.

Yup, more big changes on the Horizon, and that is just where they are coming from. Horizon, the company that I currently work for and have been working for since 2001 is going to stop flying into Idaho Falls. So I am getting laid off, as of August 21st I will be unemployed and that is really kinda freaking me out. I love what I do and the company has taken really good care of me for the last 8+ years. But I also feel like everything happens for a reason, so I pick myself up and move forward.
To that end, I am currently looking for a new job/career. I don't think that I will be looking in the travel industry, things are just to unstable there for me to be comfortable going to work for another airline right now. So, I am looking at other options, maybe going back to school, or just a change of pace, maybe something a little slower and simpler. So if any of you know of any really good jobs out there that a girl could make a living and support herself doing, let me know. Right now, there is no job to big or to small to be considered.

Changes

2010-04-10T16:26:00.000-07:00

I keep hoping that spring is in the air..... Unfortunately I live in Idaho and that means that we could end up with snow in June for all I know. I am so tired of all of the snow and the wind the cold, I am so ready for the flowers, sun, and heat.

Work has been kinda busy with the Spring Break rush, but things are starting to quiet down again. I know that things will pick up again in June though, Allegiant Air, the airline that we contract with and provide customer service for here in Idaho Falls is starting non stop service to Los Angeles on June 3rd. Twice a week service on Thursdays and Sundays, it should be pretty busy and fun to add an extra flight. The prices are really cheap to, so if you want to go and you live near the Idaho Falls area, check out the website www.allegiantair.com or get in touch with me.

So there are some changes that I am wishing for and some that I am looking forward to. Just life I guess, it never happens when I want it to, it just happens when it is ready to.

It has been awhile

2010-02-15T21:06:00.000-08:00

So I am pretty sure most of my family knows that I am NOT a fan of Valentine's Day.... AT ALL.

But how can you really be unhappy when something like this shows up for you at work when you are have a not so good day and you just can't wait till the weekend starts.

I have to say thank you to the person that sent these to me, and I am grateful to have the chance to get to know him. Life is full of surprises.

Another Year Gone

2009-12-26T22:22:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to take a minute and wish everyone a late but very Merry Christmas and an early and very Happy New Year.

It has been an interesting year, and I am looking forward to 2010 to see what it brings my way. I can't wait for the surprises and the challenges that life brings.

Thoughts on Freedom and the Men I know who have Protected Mine

2009-11-11T21:51:00.000-08:00

As today ends and I cannot help but think about all of the past, present, and future veterans that our country has and will see I have to be so grateful to the people I know that have and are willing to risk it all to protect our boarders and our freedom.

First of all, my grandfather who has shared many stories with me about his time in France during WWII. He was color blind and back then there were not that many jobs in the military for him, but he did his duty and served all the same. Lost loved ones at home while he was so far away. I love you grandpa and I am proud to share my birthday with you.

My dad, the time that he spent in the military when I was younger changed our family. The months that he was gone during Desert Storm were the hardest I can remember as a kid, and I am so grateful for him and the things that he taught all of us by being willing to go even though it was leaving his wife and 5 children behind while he did it. I love you dad.

My brothers, both of them have now served. The oldest served right out of high school and the example that he set for the rest of us was one that taught me to make a decision, and stand by it. He was more than willing to go and do whatever uncle sam asked him to. You are and always will be one of the biggest role models in my life. I love you more than you know.

And the brother that just entered into what I can only expect will be the hardest year of his life. He arrived at boot camp yesterday, leaving behind in AZ his wife and 2 little boys while he trains to become one of this countries finest. I have always had a special relationship with him, we were more than siblings, we are friends. He was my best friend for a long time, and we have had a lot of similar experiences at different points in our lives. I am so proud of him, not only for being willing, but for fulfilling a dream that he has had as long as I can can remember. He has always talked about joining the military and now he has. It is going to be a long hard road but one worth it in the end I know it will.

And to all of the friends that I have in the Armed Forces, you know who you are. You have all done something that I consider to be so incredibly brave and honorable. I hope that you know how much you are loved and appreciated. This world needs more men and women that are willing to put it all on the line to save the lives of others. I love you all. Thank you for my freedoms.

"For those who fought for it, freedom has a flavor the protected will never know." -Unknown

Change in the Weather

2009-10-01T22:59:00.001-07:00

So, recently the weather here has taken a turn for the much much colder. Now don't get me wrong I don't have a problem with winter, I like snow and all the fun winter activities. But could someone please invent a way that we could have the winter without freezing our body parts off?

Seriously, I work outside and yesterday when we got our first snow fall of the season I thought for a second that my hands were just going to fall off. As the weather continues to change and I try to get ready to deal with working outside this year I will dream of the last few winters when I was lucky enough to be able to stand inside at the gate and watch the deicing occur outside.... While this year it will be me up there in the deice truck spraying that not so friendly stuff at the airplanes and wishing that the wind would stop blowing it back in my face and that I could just go inside and have some hot chocolate and call it a day.

I will try to face the winter head on, take it like a man and just deal with the temperature drop like it is nothing. I do ask in advance for your forgiveness though because I know that I will not be able to just sit back and keep my mouth shut about how much I do not like coming home from work dripping wet and covered in chemicals that should not be used for human consumption but somehow get inside of my mouth when the wind kicks up.

My Obsession

2009-08-23T20:54:00.000-07:00

So I have to speak briefly on my obsession. I am not sure how many of you out there know this about me but I am an addict. Yes I can admit that I am addicted to 2 things in life Dr. Pepper, which should come as no surprise to most of you. The other is "Grey's Anatomy" I have never missed an episode.

I will either watch it on Thursday nights whenever I get the chance or I have been known to download it the next day on the internet or subscribe via iTunes so that I can get the whole season and watch them whenever I want. I have the first 4 seasons on DVD because someone loved me enough to feed my addiction before he really knew how bad it was, and I am still not sure he really understands how bad it is. The 5th season comes out on DVD on Sept. 15th and I will buy it as soon as I can. Season 6 starts Sept. 24th and I am counting down the days.

So, there you have it. I have a problem and I know that I do, please do not hate me for it and do not try to stop me from feeding my addiction. I have very few things right now that bring me true joy and happiness and these things do. You all should love me just the way I am. Addicitions and all, if not then maybe we should find you a new friend/family member.

Nothing but Work

2009-08-04T21:53:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it has been a long time since I posted anything and lets be honest it is really just because I have nothing to tell. Life is just.... life. I get up I go to work and I come home and then do it all again the next day. Nothing exciting going on really, work has been busy which is good, I am hoping that is stays that way. As long as it is busy I don't worry about if I am going to have a job in another 6 months or so. I am however looking for a second job, part-time just isn't enough for me. I get bored when I don't have enough to do. So the job search starts, I have been kind of looking since I moved home in June, but not really seriously looking and since my work schedule changes at the airport in just a few weeks I figure I can kick it up a notch because by the time something happens I should know what I will be working at the airport through the fall at least. So thats about it.

I am excited to see my sister and her kids this week, they are coming up from Salt Lake for a few days and then I am headed there the following weekend for a few days to visit some family I haven't seen in a long time. I am feeling alittle out of touch with the people that I always keep in touch with because I have been busy with other things this summer. But other things have changed and it is back to what I love most, my family. And then in Sept. I have some vacation time with my parents and sister and we are going to head south to Salt Lake for a week, I know not that exciting it seems, but I am looking forward to spending some quality time with my Grandparents and cousins and all of my extended family. We will do the things that we used to do when we were kids, go to the zoo, play at Lagoon, and visit all of the family that we have there. Most of my extended family is in the Salt Lake area.

So, I am going to get through August hopefully with a little bit if grace, although if it stays so gosh dang hot outside I am not sure how graceful I can be. Then enjoy the fall, maybe catch a baseball game or two and look forward to the seasons changing. I am not looking forward to winter, so I will enjoy the hot and mild weather before it get freaking freezing out there and I have to work in it.

Boring Life

2009-07-11T01:09:00.000-07:00

So I haven't posted in a little while and lets be honest how many of you were really missing all of my oh so exciting news..... Really?

But here it is anyway, It has been a pretty uneventful month for me. I have completed my move back to Idaho Falls with the exception of a few boxes in Boise that I am picking up this week while I will be there. I have settled into work, trying to work as many hours as I can when I can since I am only scheduled to work 10 hours a week and that takes 5 days it is hard to get extra but I manage most weeks. I have decided to paint the bedroom I moved into, I found the color today, and once that is done I will finish putting together my furniture.

I still need to, find a storage unit and get my stuff out of Mom and Dad's garage so that they can use the other half again. Find a second job to help with my cash flow issues. I am saving tons of money being back here but I also took a hit on the $$ by moving back so I have to find the balance. I also need to plan and make a trip to Salt Lake soon, I haven't been for just a fun visit in a long time and I miss spending time with the people that I have grown use to seeing on a more regular basis since I was flying there at least once a month for visits from Boise. I promise I will come soon, don't worry. And I need to go and see my sisters new digs, the house and everything are finally taken care of and she is so close now I am crazy if I don't take advantage of that.

So that is it, boring I know but it is all I have right now. I will try to do better next time I promise.

Fathers Day

2009-06-21T03:04:00.000-07:00

I want to take a minute and wish all of the Fathers that I know a very Happy Fathers Day. I feel so blessed to have such great men in my life. Not just my own father but my brothers who are great dads and my brother-in-law as well. I have discovered recently how blessed I really am to have had such great parents and family in my life.

I want you all to know that you are amazing and wonderful men and I count myself very lucky to know each and everyone of you. Not just the ones that are in my immediate family but my extended family as well. So many of my cousins and other family members have been so lucky to find such wonderful men to raise families with, I know that not everyone is as blessed as we are.

Count your blessings and give them a big hug today. Happy First Day of Summer as well.

Happy BiRtHdAy to ME..

2009-06-07T22:12:00.000-07:00

So today was my birthday and before I go any further I want to with my Grandpa Ekstrom and cousin Joey a Happy Birthday cause we share this special day. I love you guys. Thanks for being such great examples in my life and sharing our birthday with me.

Ok, so I turned 27 today. Yes I did just divulge my age on the internet. However I don't care about how old I am I just want to talk about how old I feel. We had a BBQ with my brothers and all of the family that could come and it was generally a pretty great birthday as birthdays go. As today ended I started thinking about the last 7 years of my life. Since my 2oth birthday there have been some big defining moments in my life and I wondered if I had really noticed them or just gone right over them because I was distracted by something else.

When I was 20 I got married, about 7 weeks before my 21st birthday, along with that wedding I became a mother to a very great little kid. I am not sure I was ready for all of it but I did it with faith that my father in heaven knew that I could handle it.

Before my 23rd birthday that marriage came to an end. A very abrupt and hard ending as well. I lost everything that I had thought would last for eternity. I even lost a few people that I never thought I would miss if they were gone. I miss my ex-in-laws and my step son, it was a hard transition to make.

Just after the divorce but still before the 23rd birthday I moved to Boise, I needed a fresh start. It was the first time that I had been more than a 30 minute drive from my parents in my entire life. It was a big, hard, but much needed change. I needed to find my independance and that is what I did.

For the next few years I worked hard and played hard. I learned a lot about who I am and who I want to be. Also falling and stumbling along the way but always getting back and and pressing on in the hope that someday I will find what I am looking for. I made some great friends and had some great times. I thought I found love again but I was wrong, and it was just about then I realized that I could not find love again unless I learned to love myself. So I became single again, and I have stayed that way for about 2 years now. I am a strong independant woman who has learned to support herself, and is proud of who she has become.

And this year prior to my birthday, I moved back home to Idaho Falls. Not just home to the town but home to my parents house. I work in an industry that is really feeling the pinch with the economy the way that it is and it became to hard to make ends meet living in Boise. So here I am a strong independant woman, living down the hall from my parents. I am not ashamed to admit that this had to happen. Things are hard in the travel industry right now and I am just glad to have a job, so tomorrow I will get up and go to work and be glad that I have the chance to do that.

Here is to hoping that the next year brings big changes to my life, I don't care how they come but I am ready for them. I feel like I am ready for anything, after what I have been through in the last 7 years what can the next 12 months bring that could be harder? So here is to birthdays, and big changes. In 30 min it won't be my day anymore and I will have started the next year of my life.

So.... I went on Vacation and this is what happened.

2009-05-26T21:09:00.000-07:00

Ok so it has been a while since I posted and rightfully so I think. I went on Vacation, yup thats right I took 11 days off of work and got the heck out of town.

I went to Yellowstone for 5 days with my friend Kristen and her husband Ben. It was a great trip, we saw some great wildlife that included 3 bears, hundreds of buffalo, a few elk and various other little critters. It was awsome, I have got some pictures, however I don't have them with me right now so I will post them later.

So after a fun and long week in Yellowstone, a lot of driving a day trip to Jackson, WY for a great hamburger and a visit with some family friends we made our way back to Idaho Falls where we were suppose to trade my moms car for mine and drive back to Boise, I decided that since I had the weekend off and there was no reason for me to go back to Boise yet I stayed with my family. On Sunday, my parents and I drove to Salt Lake for my cousin Eddy's mission farewell. I cannot believe that he is going on a mission, I remember when he was born, crazy kids getting all grown up. Then from the lunch we went to decorate my grandparents grave in West Valley, and got back on the road to Arco, ID. Yup the middle of no where ID to decorate the rest of the graves for my moms parents. In all it was a 13 hour day with about 19 of it spent in the car.

So yesterday, at my parents house we had a family bbq, my brother brought his 2 boys over and my sister was up from Salt Lake with her 4 kids and my bro's best friend came over with his daughter. It was fun, the weather was great so the kids played outside and we had some great food and great company and several kids covered in chocolate ice cream before the day was over.

So here is to a great vacation, I am so glad that I had the time to spend with friends and family.

OH.... and somewhere in the middle of my time off I found out that I got a transfer back to the Idaho Falls airport. So on Sunday morning I will load up my car and drive over there in hopes of starting work on Monday if everything goes well... and at a later date I will have to come to back to Boise and pack up my stuff and move it home but I have till the end of June so I am just trying to get through the next 2 weeks and then we will go from there.

Optimism

2009-05-07T20:53:00.000-07:00

I have been watching a documentary tonight that Michael J Fox did after he published his last book. I did a research project on him when I was in high school right after he went public with his PD and after watching this I asked myself a question that I want to ask all of you and see what you think.

Is optimism taught to us or are we born that way?

Is it just the way we are or do we get that way through a series of events in our lives that make us see the picture differently?

The documentary is called "The adventures of an Incurable Optimist" how many of us are just that incurably optimistic? With the world the way that it is and things changing quicker than most of us even realize how many of us are seeing the glass half full instead of half empty? In countries like India where the believe that fate decides what path life takes they make movies like "Slum Dog Millionaire" and inspire millions of people around the world.

And how many things do we take for granted everyday because we can do them without effort? I watched as a man that cannot control the shaking in his limbs play golf.... he can barely hold the club let alone have any control over where the ball is going, but he gets out and plays because he enjoys the game and the time to spend with friends. Everyday most of us get out of bed and go about our day without giving things like brushing our teeth a second thought. When there are people out there that have spent 20 or 30 years doing all of these things without a problem and one day that all changes and it is all they can do to get out of bed.

My point I guess is that even in the hard times that we are all dealing with in our own ways, we can choose to be optimistic and we can see the bigger picture and make the best of the life that we have been given. We can for lack of a better phrase take the lemons and make lemonade. I think that this world needs more incurable optimists.

Books, Books, Books

2009-04-23T13:54:00.000-07:00

So, I read.... A lot. Some weeks I go through one or two books without even trying. There are very few that I buy for myself because I don't see a reason to buy a book that I am only going to read one time. I do have a collection of books that I have read and read again because they are great books and I want to have them to go back to and read whenever I want to. I own all of the Harry Potter books, the Twilight series, most of Nicholas Sparks books, and a small collection of other books that I love to read.

I have a very simple philosophy about reading. It gives me a window into a world that otherwise I never would have entered. It opens up my imagination and my mind to the things that I dream about. I love a good book, some comfortable clothes and a quiet soft place to sit and read. I read at least once a day for a hour or so but some days I have been known to hide away and read the whole day away. I love to read to little kids, to share that world with them and they love to hear stories.

So, if you need a good book I am sure that I could recommend one to you, if you have read something good share it with me I am always looking for the next book to read or to add to my shelf. And if you have a book shelf that you are not using let me know I could put it to use.

Have You Read "The Shack"

2009-04-14T17:12:00.000-07:00

So, I was working today, well kind of, I was in the baggage office and found an article in the local Christian News Paper that struck as kind of interesting. It is called "The Shack, Uncovered" now I read the book and it was to say the least an interesting read. It does not follow a lot of the beliefs of my own faith but I thought what the heck why not give it a read anyways. It is a great book, it sends a message of hope, and healing to those that have suffered some terrible things in this life.

Back to the article I read. The author of this article said that the book is a deep ditch covered in beautiful flowers, and many Christian's are falling into the ditch. Now that seems a little bit harsh to me. I mean seriously just because you don't agree with the authors take on religion do you have to attack him for it? He brings up the authors past and present religious beliefs and is very critical of why he has taken the path that he has. Now he does mention that the author of the book is trying to awnser the question that I think a lot of people have asked, Where is God in a world full of pain and hurt? He then goes on to attack the way that the author portrays God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Now I may not have agreed that God was a African-American woman myself but I do believe that we each have a personal relationship with him and it is possible that we each see him differently and that is ok. We are entitled to our own belief. This day in age I feel it is more important to believe in God than to try to tell people what he should or should not look like. For that matter in the book "The Secret Life Of Bees" the higher power for them is an African-American woman as well. The author of the news article also makes mention that the author of the book presents a false view of god, and mocks the importance and the uniqueness of the bible. I know what I believe and when I read this book I had to try really hard to remove my own religious back ground from my mind and just read it for what it was, a story. The author of this book did not put it out there and declare it as doctrine next to the bible, he wrote a story about a man that was struggling to find peace with tragedy in his life and that it a wonderful story to tell. We all need a little bit of hope and light, a little something that proves that when life is hard if we can lean on God, however you feel you need to, we can get through it. The one thing that the author of the news article said that really struck me was. "Cling to the God who loves you so much that He gave His all."

We should do this, I know that God is there, that He loves me, and he knows me, and he cares about me. He loves all of his children, and he knows each of us by name and when we need him he is there for us, all we have to do is remember to ask, he does not always just offer his comfort. In the last few weeks, life has been rough, emotionally, physically, and financially. I have had to get down on my knees on more than one occasion and ask for help just to get through the day, and I always do and I am always back on my knees at night thanking my Father in Heaven for the blessings of that day. I know that I would not be where I am today without my faith. I am forever grateful for my parents and my grandparents and my great-grandparents for bringing the Gospel into our families and keeping it there. Sharing it and loving it as much as they love our family. As well as teaching us tolerance, and love for others even if they do not have the same faith as we do we are all Children of our Father in Heaven and should treat each other that way. Always remember, treat others how you would like to be treated, and if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.

Happy Easter!!

2009-04-10T21:24:00.001-07:00

As you all prepare to celebrate this holiday with your families and friends I hope that we can all remember why it is that we have this day and try to make sure and make that the center of our celebration instead of the eggs, and bunnies and all of the candy. You all know you love the CANDY, heck I know I do. So to do my part in sharing in the holiday and putting Christ in the forefront of my mind I want to share these videos. I posted them on my facebook page and so I am sure that some of you have seen it but I feel like I should share them here as well since not all of you are facebook junkies like myself... Don't judge, I really only have my work, my facebook and my blog and if you had read my previous post you would know this.

The links are both listed on the side of my blog under Video Links the I LoVe. Please take a few minutes and watch them.

Workaholic

2009-04-04T20:35:00.000-07:00

So, I have decided that I am a workaholic. I spend 6 days a week most weeks at the airport and when I am at home I am thinking about the next time I work. So I have a problem. And I am not sure how to get treatment for this problem. I love my job and have little life outside of my work because my family all lives on the other side of the state. I try to spend time with friends when I can but that usually only happens once or twice a month for a few hours.

I do have some vacation plans and things to look forward to coming up in the next month and half or so. But in the mean time, how to I find ways to spend my spare time without feeling like a jerk because I am not at work when I could be? I know that I need to work extra every week to make things work financially for myself but that does not mean that I need to work every day all day to make things work. I do have hobbies, I read and I blog and I facebook, but that only fills so much of my time. I also feel like spending all day online is just as bad if not worse than spending all day at work.

So, if any of you have any great ideas for me, things that I could do with my spare time that does not cost me.... anything, I don't really have disposable income right now. I am open to suggestions.

So Proud of ME

2009-03-27T22:35:00.000-07:00

I am so proud of myself. I have been having some car trouble of late, and after very little thought a a little observation I realized that I needed a new battery. So thanks Mom and Dad for helping me get that taken care of. Now back to my story.

It all started this morning, after very little sleep last night I got up at 4 am and headed to work for a short shift this morning. I got off at 1030 and headed to an undisclosed location to get the battery in my car replaced. Mom was taking care of getting purchased while I was driving to the store. I got there and it was taking longer that Mom and I had thought it would so I decided to walk to Mrs. Powells for some breakfast while I waited. I ate and then headed back to the store. When I got there somehow there was still a problem with the purchase and I told the guy that I had some other things to get done and gave him my phone number to call me when it was all taken care of and I would be back. Well I never did hear back from the guy. I had to be back at the airport 2 for the rest of my work day. So I called Mom and talked to her and Dad got on the phone trying to figure out why it was taking so long to get this all worked out. Well needless to say, Dad took care of the problem and I got a call a few minutes later from the guy that I had talked to earlier that I could stop by whenever and they would install it for me.

So I had a break from work at 530 and headed back to the store. I got there and the guy told me that it was going to be at least an hour wait for them to install it. At this point I was getting mad because I had already spent and hour there this morning and now I was back and they wanted me to spend more time and if they had known what they were doing in the first place I would not have had to make two trips. So I told the guy to just put it in my back seat and I would take care of it myself. So he apologized to me and loaded the battery into my car. He refunded the cost of the installation that they had charged my mom, and I left. I got back to work and thought that I would talk one of the guys into changing the battery out for me, but I didn't have any tools and he was shocked...... I don't know why..... I do have them but I do not keep them in my car. So I made a decision, I was going to do it myself... and I DID IT. I got home from work about 10pm and pulled my car into the garage where I figured it out all by myself and changed the battery. I know to some this seems like a little victory but for me it was pretty big. I am pretty good and doing most of the things that I set my mind to and I have been given a lot of knowledge by my dad to be able to take care of the little things to do with taking care of a car, but I usually let him do it or I pay someone else to do it just so that I don't have to worry about it. So I changed my first car battery without even having to call for help. It is a good feeling to be able to take care of those kind of things myself. I feel great about my independence. Thanks Dad for teaching me all that you have and for giving my self confidence to take on the tasks that even if I have not done it before I can figure it out on my own and it will be okay. Now I know that I will sleep better not having to wonder if my car will start when I have to leave for work or wonder if I am going to be able to find someone to jump start my car when it won't start.

Spring is in the Air

2009-03-19T23:50:00.001-07:00

So, the weather is finally improving steadily. I love when the seasons change. I love to see the flowers bloom and the grass grow, and all of the great things that come with Spring. It is nice to look out the window and see new life springing up everywhere. After all of the sad things that have happened in the last couple of weeks it is nice to see things coming to life.

To top off the wonderful feeling that comes with Spring and things coming to life, I am packing for a trip to Idaho Falls this weekend for a Wedding. Now to be honest, Weddings have not been my favorite thing since well...... I got divorced. HOWEVER, they are also a great time to look around and see fresh starts and new beginnings. There are so many great things happening all around me. I am so blessed and happy to be able to see the great and happy changes happening.

I also had the chance last night to go visit my friend that is Pregnant and well, really sick. I have not seen her in about a month I think. Since she found out she was expecting just after New Years, she has been really sick. Although having a baby is a great blessing it seems that she has had more challenges in these last few months than blessings at this point. As the pregnancy is taking a turn and she is finally starting to feel better, I cannot help but to be so excited for her. To see her grow and have the baby and finally become a Mom. I know that she will be a great parent and I know that all of the things in life that have brought her to this point have served the purpose they were ment to serve and she is an amazing person for it. I am so proud of her. And I am so glad that I can call myself her friend. You know who you are, I love you sweetie. I am here for you if you need anything, keep your chin up and remember that it will all be worth it in the moments when you get to hold that baby for the first time. You are an amazing person, so strong.

So with the new beginnings of Spring, Marriage and Birth upon my life, I can't help but to look forward and wonder..... What changes are coming in my life and will I be ready for them when they happen?

Another farewell.... Another sad week.

2009-03-16T18:08:00.000-07:00

So, I spent last week in Salt Lake saying goodbye to my dear grandmother. The funeral service was Friday and it was a beautiful service. I said my goodbyes and began the process of putting my emotions back in check before having to return to work today. Well then yesterday morning as I was packing my bag to get ready for my trip back to Boise I got a message from a co-worker of mine. One of the women I work was diagnosed with cancer last year... about 9 months ago if I remember right. She passed away in the early morning hours of Sunday morning. The battle with cancer finally ended and she was able to rest finally. I am not sure what kind of cancer it was but I do know that it was very aggressive and very painful for her. She was an amazing woman and an incredible person to know. I am so glad that I had the chance to get to know her and become friends with her. She was a great example of strength and perserviance, she fought with all of the strength that she had until the end. She will alway be remembered and loved. I hope that her family finds peace and comfort in knowing that she is no longer suffering the pain and agony the cancer was for her. My thoughts and prayers are with her family this week as they prepare to say the final goodbyes to her. We will miss you Jacquie.

Goodbye Grandma Catherine Mabey

2009-03-09T12:47:00.000-07:00

I found out early this morning that in the early morning hours of the night my Grandma Catherine Hartley Mabey passed away. She had been suffering for awhile of several terminal problems such as renal failure and wagners disease. Last week she decided that she was tired of the daily fight to keep on living and she was going to let her tired body live what life was left in it and go home to Our Father in Heaven. My grandfather passed away just before I got engaged and my great-grandparents passed awhile ago, my great-grandmother passed when I was 12 or 13 if I remember correctly. She was done with this old world. She lived a long and happy life, she was born and raised in England and saw more than most could imagine there during WWII. She married and American Soilder and started her family having 5 boys including my Dad. She then remarried and had 2 daughters. Her family was so important to her. I was so lucky to spend time with her over the last few years being able to fly back a forth on a moments notice. I was staying a lot with my Aunt Annette, until Grandma moved in with them last fall. She never talked much directly about her childhood but if you listened closely she would make little comments about things. I remember last year I was there for a visit and we decided to go out to lunch. We were sitting just chatting and looking at the menus deciding what to order. I made a comment about being a "meat and potatoes" kinda girl and grandma said that she was to. She went on to make a comment about when she was a girl in England that most days they were lucky to have potatoes and on the rare occasion that they got meat it was always a feast for the family of 13 children. She knows many wonderful people, there are so many stories that I wish she would have told. I will miss her terribly and am so grateful for the knowledge of Eternal Families that I have. So goodbye for now Grams, I will see again someday. I Love You more that I can say.

fUnNy GuY bEnGt WaShBuRn

2009-03-07T21:59:00.000-08:00

So I went to a friends house tonight for a little bit of fun and games and we watched this guy on a DVD called "Bengt Washburn, Mormon Meets World" So if you are at all easily offended if people make fun of the LDS faith I am telling you right now not to watch the video that I posted. However if you enjoy a good laugh about some of the finer points of being LDS then hit the play button and enjoy. I laughed so hard I cried and there were a few times when they had to remind me to take a breath because I was laughing so hard I wasn't making any sound. This is not the exact video I watched but it is similar and still very funny. ENJOY!!

Helicopters

2009-03-03T22:19:00.000-08:00

1. Put your music library on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. You MUST write that song title down no matter how silly it sounds.
4. Tag 10 friends who might enjoy this. Post a comment on their blog that says "You've been tagged. See my blog for details.

1) IF SOMEONE SAYS, "IS THIS OKAY," YOU SAY? Falling In
2)WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY? Sparks
3)WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL? Under 21
4)HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY? I Like It
5)WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE? Traditions of Christmas
6)WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO? The Way You Do Me
7)WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS? You Just Get Better all the Time
8)WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN? Can't Buy Me Love
9)WHAT IS 2+2? Fallin' Upside Down
10) WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND? Jackson
11)WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?Hold You in My Arms
12)WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY? It's about You
13) WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? Walking Contradiction
14) WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?Sarah Yellin' 15)WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU? I Lost It
16)WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?Battle
17)WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL? Far Away
18)WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST? Blank
19)WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?I've Loved Enough To Know
20)WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS? The Gorillas
21)WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS? Helicopters
Lets see what you really listen to!

I tag, Kristen, Natalie Brimhall, Misty, Elise, Charity, Jessica Hopkins, Linsey Branson, Shawn, Shayla, Angel.

This was funner than I thought just because I have such a wide variety of music on my iPod. It is always fun to learn something about your friends and family members.

Handmade

2009-03-03T22:17:00.000-08:00

I got this on my sister and my sister-in-law's blog. In order for me to receive a handmade gift from her, I have to post it on my blog as well. So if you want to play, leave a comment but read the whole post first, because there is a condition.The first five people to respond to this post will receive something made by me to you. My choice. Made especially for you. Of course there are some restrictions and limitations:
1. I make no guarantees you will like what I make.
2.What I create will be just for you.
3. It will be done sometime this month (my friend's blog said a year, but I can't have it hanging over me that long).
4. You have no clue what it will be. I promise it will be made with love!
5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.
The catch is you must post this on your blog and offer the same to the first five people who post it on their blog. The first five people to do so and leave a comment letting me know they did will receive a homemade gift from me!

A Shout out to David McKenna

2009-03-02T20:46:00.000-08:00

So I was out of town last weekend crashing with Dave and Misty to enjoy a little weekend away. Well on Saturday morning Dave got to tear apart the garbage disposal in the kitchen sink because it was making some funny noises.... Now 3 of us know why and I am going to leave it that way, I don't want to incriminate anyone in this story telling. So after like 45 min or something like that he finally got it all taken care of and put the thing back together and went on to struggle getting back under the sink. We went about out day and had a great time.

Today, I got home from work at oh 8:45ish and my roommate was calling out landlord because OHHH guess what our garbage disposal has more or less exploded under the sink. There is a giant leak in one side of it so much though that it has leaked through the sub-floor into the basement and we have drip drip drip in the downstairs closet. Oh and best part is that the thing that lead to this discovery was that she had put some cottage cheese down the disposal. So after she did the worst part of the clean up under the sink trying to get the nasty dairy out so that we don't end up with rotten sticky smell all over our house, I got down on my knees with a bucket of hot water and some cleanser to get the rest of it. I am now sitting in my bed thinking that my hands will never feel clean again as long as I live. I don't think that the smell will ever leave my nose and it is not done yet, I will get up tomorrow morning to get back under there because in the day light I think I will be able to see the damage better and get it cleaned so that hopefully we can get this thing fixed.

So to you Dave, I feel your pain now in a way that I never thought I would. I give you props man for getting down in there and taking care of things the way that you do in a house. I hope that someday I can find a husband that will get down and clean up the messes that I really can't handle. In the mean time I am glad to call the landlord and let him find someone to come over and fix the problems.

Dates to Remember

2009-02-27T22:36:00.000-08:00

So, I guess this is my plea to my family to help me get my facts straight so that I can be a good sister, aunt, sil, and daughter. I want to be able to remember and wish all of my fantastic family members happy birthday or anniversary on the correct dates, however first I need all of the dates, I have most of them but there are some gaps. Please help me fill them in.

Ok so in the months of January and February it is really easy for me to remember the important dates that occur in my family. My BIL birthday is Jan. 11th my Bro and SIL anniversary is Feb. 21st and my Bro's birthday is the 27th. THEN March starts and I get totally and I am talking totally lost on my dates..... I know my Dad's birthday is Mar. 17th of course and Mom's is Mar. 29th along with my SIL's and my other SIL is Mar. 15th but I know that there are a few others in there that belong to my nephews but I can never keep them straight. Then April again I can't remember the birthdays, I do however remember what should have been my 6th anniversary this year on Apr. 19th. May brings more anniversaries... My sister and BIL have been married for over a decade on May ??? Sorry Jen the family is getting so BIG and my brain cannot contain it all. There is my Grandma's B-day and anninversary on May 1st I think. Then June is for Me and Grandpa... on the same day even and my niece is on the 28th. July is a few on the 1st and 2nd then another birthday but I cannot be sure of the date it is one of two days and I don't remember which... sorry little H. My parents anniversary is July 11th celebrating 30 years this year, YIPPEE. August brings more birthdays for my oldest bro and sis and I can remember those are on the 5th and the 11th. Sept is just for my nephew on the 30th and non in Oct. Nov. is very uneventful and Dec. brings my little sis and my niece on the 18th and the 20th.

So I post this blog to ask my family members to please send me either a calender with all of these oh so important dates on it so that I can keep them straight or at least leave me a note with the information so that I can fill in my own calender and for once have it all straight in my mind. I love all of you guys and wish that I was better with dates, I did ok for a few years but as the family grows my brain does not and so a few things have gotten lost along the way.

All My Bags are Packed... I am Ready to go....

2009-02-16T20:32:00.000-08:00

So, as Spring is coming and things are starting to warm up around here I cannot help but start planning some fun and much needed weekend vacations for myself.

First on the list is a trip to Salt Lake this coming weekend to visit my fantastic family. I will visit as many as I can in the 3 days that I am there. If you want my to stop by please send me a note and let me know when a good time is for you. I will get in Friday afternoon and I fly back home on Monday afternoon. I love these trips to visit and catch up. I haven't seen my extended family since the beginning of December, I can't wait to visit.

Next on the list and some are going to think I am out of my mind, I am headed to Barrow AK for a quick trip, I will only be there for about 10 hours. The intention behind this trip is nothing more than I want to go to the most Northern city in USA that I can get to. So I am headed out on March 6th after I get off work to catch the red eye flight to Anchorage and then up farther north. Wish me luck.

Then, I think in April I am going to try to make a trip East to Newark NJ or Boston MA. I am also considering heading to Florida to get some sun, it all depends on what flights I can get and if I can find a place to crash for a night or two without having to sell my car to pay for it. Hotels can be a little expensive so I will just have to see how it all plays out. I guess if I cannot figure that out I may just head to Las Vegas for a couple of day, I have friends and family there that I would like to visit with for a day or so.

In May comes my big trip that my best friend and I have been planning for almost 7 months. We are headed to Yellowstone for a week long vacation. I know that it may not seem to exciting to most people but we are totally excited about it. We have got the condo booked and the rental car reserved. It is going to be fantastic. It will still be a little chilly at night but the days should be comfortable and we will see all of the sights and do as much as we can while we are there. I hope that she is feeling better by then, her morning sickness has turned into all day sickness and has even landed her in the hospital once or twice to be treated. I love you sweetie. I hope you are feeling better.

I am not sure what June will bring but I will find somewhere to go or something to do. I may try to sneak over to Hawaii for a long weekend of camping if I can get a friend to join me. Or maybe Mexico if it all works out for me. I still have time to think and plan something to celebrate my birthday this year, and that is all I am planning on doing in June, going somewhere fun to celebrate my birthday. OH, maybe I will go to LA and visit Disneyland and Magic Mountain.

July should be fun, I am planning on joining my parents in Victoria Canada for a few days. The plans for that trip have changed a little bit recently so things are kind of up in the air but as soon as the dates are firmed up I will be taking the time off and heading up there. I also have a friend there, a great girl that I met at one of my many training classes for work and over the last 3 years our friendship has grown into something great and fun.

So, that is my next few months in a nut shell I guess. A few trips planned and some great things to look forward to. I love that my job allows me to do as much traveling as I can handle. I am lucky to have people that love to travel with me or at least love to have my visit them when I decide to travel.

Single Awareness Day.... Feb. 14th

2009-02-12T21:28:00.000-08:00

So some may ask why I refer to this blessed holiday as "Single Awareness Day" well let me start by telling you that it is not my fav holiday either way. I am not a fan of Valentines. I never have been even when I was married I did not enjoy it.

Now the reason why I call it what I do..... It makes those of us who are not in a relationship more aware of the fact that we have no one to send us flowers or take us out to dinner to buy us nice things. I know that it is about more than celebrating love with a husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend it is also about celebrating the love in other relationships. I do enjoy my family and friends and I love them all. But do we really need a holiday to justify spending tons of money on flowers or candy or stuff like that. I guess if you are going to spend the money than you should be spending it more often than just once a year.

SO.... now everyone out there knows how I feel about the holiday that it upon us. For those of you out there that will go and celebrate have a great time, please remember those of us that will be lucky to get a heart shaped cookie.

Thoughts I had this week.

2009-02-04T19:53:00.001-08:00

So, I spent a lot of time in the last week with my family and quite a bit of time just by myself. I spent a lot of time reading and thinking about things.

So I thought that I would put some things out there, share with my family and friends.

I was reading the "Twilight" Saga this week and as I was finishing the last book "Breaking Dawn" last night something struck me as kind of spiritual. I am not sure how many of you have read the books and how many of you are still reading the books so I am going to add a disclaimer right here and say that if you haven't read them and are planning on it stop reading because this will ruin the end of the story for you.

So back to my thought. As I was reading and the end of the book came and they were preparing for the face off with the Volturi, Bella was changed and she was figuring out how to use her POWER.... Something struck me... we all have the power to protect our minds and bodies from the advances of Satan. Some of us I believe have strengthened our guards through trials and tribulations and some of us have strengthened them through other things in out lives. I also think that some of us have the ability to lend a hand to our family and friends by sharing our guards when needed and help them through the hard times. Just like Bella was able to flex her shield out to protect her family and friends against the advances of Jane and Alec during the face off. It is amazing to me how when we are going about our lives just like normal and all of the sudden something that we never would have seen or maybe something that we have seen before strikes us on a different cord and teaches us something that we may not have been expecting.

I also had some thoughts about where my life is going and where I want it to go and how to change the path so that I can get headed down the road that I choose instead of the one that seems like the easy thing to do. So I am working on that as well. It is a little bit more personal so I am not going to share those thoughts with you guys just yet, I am not ready to put all of that out there for the world. I will let you know when I get there though. I am going to be staying in Boise after all, I was looking forward to a chance to move back closer to family but it just is not the right timing I guess. So, I will stay here and continue to work and play and build a life for myself. Who knows maybe what I thought was the Lord telling me to go for it was really just me doing what I wanted instead of what I should have been doing. I do that sometimes.

So, life is not what I was expecting it would be right now but I am going to make the best of it. I am also going to keep thinking about what struck me in that book when I was reading it and try to figure out how to flex my shield to do the work that the Lord would like me to do. I want to be able to help those in need and to share the things that have happened to me, in hopes that someone may hear my story and learn from it and be stronger for my mistakes and lessons. I love you all and want all of you to know how wonderful you are and how grateful I am to have each and everyone of you as a part of my life. I am truly blessed to have such wonderful family and friends to share my burdens and blessings with.

To Do it or Not To Do it.... Online Dating.

2009-01-27T21:32:00.001-08:00

So, in the last few years as I have remained single I have gone back and forth about the online dating thing. I have met some great people that are good friends, and I have met some crazy people that now I have to avoid contact with.

As of late I have gone back to it with an open mind and just hoping to make some new friends for the most part. Unfortunately as things this time have gone on I have been getting a lot of interest from guys that honestly in some cases could be my FATHER. Now don't get my wrong I don't have a problem dating older guys, but I think I need to draw the line somewhere and for me that line has to be before they are having grandchildren.

And I know a few people that have met the one they are now spending eternity with online. So there are some success stories and some not so successful stories I guess. I know that it is not for everyone but how do you know if it is for you? Is it just something that you feel, do you have to learn the hard way but getting rejected over and over again by the same guys who won't write back and won't chat with you when you try? Or do you just play stupid and keep on trying until either you run out of options or you buy a lifetime membership to a website and start cyber-stalking the ones that really interest you and forget marriage... you basically marry your computer because you can't drag yourself away long enough to do more than shower and eat? I am just not sure how long I should keep doing this before I give up and start pricing mail order husbands so that I can start my family.

So now I ask a question, should I keep at it and hope for the best? OR do I move on and go back to the good ole fashion just going to activities and hoping to catch someones eye from across the room or the buffet table?

Bittersweet Times

2009-01-21T21:59:00.000-08:00

So, I have been trying to sell my wedding dress for about a year with little interest from anyone. And I hadn't thought much about it the last month or so but last night I posted it on craigslist and today I got a hit from someone that is really interested. I am happy for this person, happy that someone will wear it again and have the wonderful day that comes with getting married. I am also very sad, sad to think that someone else will be wearing my dress. Someone else will be making those memories that I made in the same dress, but mine are just that memories. It is time for this dress to make someone else a happy bride. So to that unknown girl out there that is going to put on this dress and marry that guy, Good luck. May you have every happiness that life can bring. I hope that this dress makes you feel as beautiful as I felt in it the first time I put it on and saw the look on my Fathers face.

Someday, my prince will come and when he does, I will wear another white dress.

Stupid Inversion layer

2009-01-18T22:07:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I haven't seen the sunshine in what feels like ages. There is this stupid inversion layer over Boise that just won't lift. It is dark and cloudy and miserable. I hate it. I am so ready for the spring, and if I can't have that at least a day or two of sunshine. I don't even really care if it gets warm, I just want to see blue sky and sun.

So as those of you who can, enjoy nicer weather, don't get me wrong I know that there are some of you that are living in sub-zero temps and I am sorry for that. Again for those of you that are enjoying nicer weather please think warm thoughts for those of us who are freezing cold and living under the clouds.

Airports, People, and Holidays. A story of a girl.

2009-01-16T17:31:00.000-08:00

So, I have decided that since I spend 6 out of 7 days of any given week at the airport working it is time that I shared some of my stories with the world. Some will make you laugh and some will make you cry but it is the world of travel and emotions run very high inside the walls of the airport. Trust me.

So to start off my new angle on blogging is a story that happened to me somewhere around Dec. 20th or 21st of 2008.

I had been working several days at 18 or 20 hours a day because Seattle and Portland had been dealing with freezing rain and 90% of our flights had canceled because of the weather there. The reason being that Seattle and Portland are the major hub airports for the airline I work for along with the many other airlines that serve these two major airports in the Pacific Northwest.

I was about half way through my day and all I had seen all day long were the same faces of the same people that I had been dealing with for the previous 2 or 3 days. I had a younger girl approach me and ask me if there was anyway to get to Portland or Pullman, WA. I looked and told her that her only hope was going to be Pullman if she wanted to go anywhere in the next 3 to 5 days. Yes that is really how backed up our flights were. The weather started the Friday before Christmas and kept at it until the Tuesday before. So our company alone displaced thousands and thousands of people that were going to visit loved ones for the holiday. The highways and roads between Boisea and Seattle had been closed on and off as well so driving was not a great option either.

Back to this girl, Sorry. So as I was booking her a flight to Pullman, for those of you who don't know where that is. It is about 45 min. away from Lewiston ID. Not far from Moscow, ID home of UofI. She began telling me the story of how a trip from Oakland CA, going to Portland had landed her in Boise, ID. This girl and boarder her flight on Friday night totally clueless to the weather that was about to hit Portland. By the time the aircraft got to Portland it was to bad for them to land. So they do the next safest thing and divert the airplane Reno, NV of all places. I guess that was the closest airport with somewhat good weather. So she gets to Reno, where she knows no one and because it is due to a weather situation we are not providing hotel rooms or anything else of these people. She manages to get a flight out of Reno to the only place she can Boise. She comes to Boise where thankfully she has and Aunt. She spends a few days here making efforts everyday to get a flight to Portland to have Christmas with her Grandmother as planned but has no success. So on this day she finally comes to the conclusion that she just needs to get out of Boise as soon as she can because if she can't she may not until New Years. That was the case with some of our passengers by the way. So she calls her sister at U of I and asks if she can come there for Christmas instead. So, I send this girl off to Pullman. She looks at me and smiles as I hand her the new ticket after finding her a flight the day after Christmas to Portland just 2 days before she is suppose to go back to Oakland. So that she can still see her Grandmother even though her Holiday plans had been ruined by for lack of a better person to blame... ME. She gives me a big hug and thanks me for all that I had done. She was not the only person grateful mind you but she was the only one that gave me a hug. I was at the end of my rope that day. I had been yelled at and verbally abused more than once a day while this was all going on and this girl who honestly was about my age was so nice and just grateful that she was going to be with someone in her family for the holiday.

As she left, and I was getting ready to call it a day and go home to pack so that I could go home for what would be my first Christmas at home in 4 years. I was to grateful for my family and my friends and the chance that we all have to celebrate. Just do me a favor and plan in advance. Try not to fly with 5 days of Christmas, because the weather sucks in the winter in Idaho and Utah and a lot of other places in the country and chances are things will either be delayed or canceled and you do not want to be one of the thousands of people that spent 4 days sleeping on the floor in the Seattle airport this last December.

I love what I do. I meet interesting people some nice... some not so nice but all of them are going somewhere to either see family or celebrate something. In those cases where I get the passenger that is on the way to say goodbye to a family member to loved one, I want to cry with them because it is a hard thing to do and traveling... Lets be honest it is stressful, not really what you want to be dealing with when you are already upset. I laugh with the ones that are on the way to Mexico or Hawaii to celebrate birthdays or anniversaries. I tease the ones that are going to Las Vegas, cause we all know what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. And I get to see the lit up faces of little kids getting to get on an airplane for the first time and the excitement and the thrill that they are about to have. Travel often with family if you can, it may be a road trip or by air but it always create memories that we never forget.

No News Is ?????

2009-01-15T20:31:00.000-08:00

So I have had a lot of people asking me about the job thing. Well I haven't heard anything and I am not sure if no new is good news or bad news. So I am still waiting.

In the mean time, there has been some fun weather working its was across the state. FOG.... and well I am not a big fan of this weather anomaly at all. It is hard to predict and even harder to fly in. So I look out the window and what do I see... A big cloud of FOG and I can't see through it or around it or over it and not really under it either. My headlights reflect off of it back into my face. I do not like it at all.

What The Future May Hold

2009-01-08T14:02:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I have been posting some very vague status lines on my facebook page this week and I have had a lot of questions about them. I was trying not to go public with my news to soon because I am not sure it will happen but I had to tell my mom today because I had to change some appointments around on Monday.

I have applied for an open position at the Idaho Falls Airport. I am trying to transfer back. I have no idea if or when this will happen but if things work out I should be back living with Mom and Dad by the end of February at the latest.

I have some mixed feelings about this although I know it is what I want to do. I am excited at the idea of spending more time with my family and friends that are over there. At the same time I am sad to leave the friends that I have here in Boise. I love it here, I love my work and I love my friends so it is a very bittersweet prospect.

Please keep your fingers crossed for me and I will let everyone know when I find out what is going to happen.

Happy New Year

2009-01-04T18:44:00.000-08:00

So I know I am a little bit behind everyone else posting the New Years blog but I have been in Idaho Falls visiting for a few days. I made a last minute trip last week when CJ and I spoke on the phone and he asked me to jump a flight to come over while Aunt Violet, Uncle Mike and Steve were there for a few days. So I did.

I am so glad to start the new year. I know that it is going to be so much better than last year, I can feel it in my bones. I rang in the new year just the way that I wanted to, with some great friends and some great fun. My friend Kristen and I went with her little bro and husband to the LDSSA activity on the BSU campus. But before that we met at their house and watched Baby Mama and played a little Rockband, we are pretty dang good if I do say so myself. Then we danced, watched Ben and Devin play on the giant inflatable toy, watched a some what entertaining magic show, ran into some other friends and danced some more. It was fantastic. Thanks Kristen and Ben for letting my crash you party.

For the first time in 3 years I was totally single and totally happy to start a new year that way. It feels like a truely fresh start for me this year. I feel like I have the chance to make it whatever I want and that feels great. I also feel like I am taking more control of the things in my life that I can and letting go of the things that I can't. I love it.

So, to all of those that I love and care about Happy New Years. I hope that everyone can feel as great as I do about this upcoming year. I hope that we can all make this the best year yet in our lives. And always remember, we are never given any trials that we cannot overcome, all we need is faith in our father in heaven and the right attitude will take us a long way.

Better Moods

2008-12-29T21:15:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I had some pretty harsh feelings about what happened at work last weekend. And now we have had rain two days in a row here. I guess I should have kept my mouth shut, I love the snow and the winter time.

I do however feel much better about life. Work is getting better although still challenging, it always is this time of year. I am feeling better thanks to the medicine that I started on while I was in Idaho Falls. I am sleeping much better than I have been for awhile and I worked enough hours last pay period that I might even have some extra money after I pay bills on Friday. So here is to the New Year, hoping it is better than the last, and starting it off right, with a little money in the bank. I will ring in the 2009 with a few close friends and wishing I was with some family.

Crazy Days of Christmas

2008-12-28T00:22:00.000-08:00

So as this week comes to an end I can honestly say that I am soooo happy it is finally over. I was so glad to go home for Christmas this year, it had been 4 years since I was able to celebrate this holiday at home (aka my mom and dad's house) with my family. The first part of the week was not at all what I had hoped for. I start my work week on Saturday afternoon so that is where I will start my story.

Last Saturday it seemed as though it would be a pretty normal day at the airport. My Mom was trying to get home from Texas which was proving to be more of a challenge than we had thought but it was working. She arrived in Boise around 1030 that morning so I picked her up and brought her back to my house to rest for a little while since she had spent the night in the Seattle airport I knew she would like a nap and shower. Besides Seattle is the coldest airport in the world in the middle of the night, we learned this a few years ago on our way home from Alaska.

So anyways, I dropped her off and headed back to start my shift at 12pm that day. I clocked in and went about the first part of my day without any major events. It was trying to snow but it wasn't anything to get excited about. I picked Mom up at 4pm and brought her back to the airport, I was scheduled to work until 8pm that day. She had a flight at 940pm back to Idaho Falls so she decided to just spend the afternoon at the airport reading. So around 5 that evening is when the holiday season turned into something that I will never forget as long as I live. Seattle and Portland we forecast for freezing rain... what does this mean, well it means that we still had 8 flights that were scheduled to leave that night and only if I remember right 3 of them did, Mom's was one of them. Well while they were canceling flights for the rest of the night I was rebooking passengers that were getting more and more upset that due to this horrible weather in the Pacific Northwest their holiday travel was being interrupted. I got off work that night at 230am... after 3 Alaska 737 aircraft came to Boise to get more fuel to try to land in Seattle, one from Kona HI, one from Newark NJ, and one from Cancun MX.

I returned to work the following morning at 715am with about 2 hours of sleep and very little patience for what the day held for me. That Sunday of the 20 flights that our airline was suppose to operate out of Boise we sent 3 or 4. We spent the entire day rebooking people for the next day hoping that things would get better overnight. Well they didn't and on Monday I returned to work again to spend the entire day rebooking passengers. By this time I was on a first name basis with about 200 people that had been trying to get out of Boise now for 3 days to no avail. Tuesday was more of the same although we did send more flights that day we got several phone calls telling us not to send anyone to Portland or Seattle if they had connecting flights to anywhere else in our system. Because Portland and Seattle had felt the worst of the displaced angry passengers they had thousands of people they were trying to move. At one point there was a 4 hour wait in Portland just to get a chance to speak face to face with and airline agent. Tuesday was the last day of my work week this week. I was headed home for Christmas and come freezing rain or not I was going to make it. And I did, Dad offered to drive round trip from Idaho Falls to Boise that day to pick me up, but I decided that I would take my chances with the flight and see what came of it. Well come 940pm that day when I should have been climbing onto and airplane for a short 45 min. flight home, I was climbing onto a bus to transport me across that state. I got into Idaho Falls as 130am where Dad picked me up and took to me home. I got sick, some kind of upper respiratory crap, I am sure I got it from one of the hundreds of boarding passes I handled in the 4 days I spent telling the same passengers over and over again how sorry I was that the weather in Seattle and Portland was so bad and that we would get them there as soon as we could. In those 4 days at work I put in approx 49 hours give or take a few. We had great support from our leadership at the airport, they brought in food when we needed it and they tried to make sure that each of us had the chance to sit down and eat at least once a day. I know that I did not put in any more hours than at least 4 of my coworkers. My hat goes off to the people in Seattle and Portland that dealt with the same thing on a much larger scale. As a company things like this really show our true colors and the fact that most of our passengers still had smiles on their faces as they were finally boarding flights to various destinations makes me proud to be a member of the team. We are doing something right.

I spent 3 days at Mom and Dad's house. It was a great mini-vacation, I got to go sledding with my niece and nephews and we had a great holiday together. So I came home to Boise today, where we got 6 inches of new snow and dealt with more delayed flights. I have a feeling that last weekend was the worst of the winter weather but it is far from over. I have never worked so many hours and been on my feet for so long, and still felt so useless. No matter what I did, those people were not going to get where they wanted to be in time for the holiday. At work today I saw several of them just now getting to board a flight that they should have been on a week ago.

So as this holiday season in upon us, for those of us that were lucky enough to spend it the people that we love I hope that we can remember all of those that did not have that chance. Because of things that were out of their control. For the soldiers over seas and for the families that suffered loss this year or in the years past. We are truly blessed when we can be surrounded by our loved ones during this season.

Another Day at the Office

2008-12-17T20:07:00.000-08:00

The winter is in full swing here in Boise, we have had snow in some form or another everyday this week. I always forget how crazy things get at work during the winter time, and I have decided that is a good thing because if I always remembered what it was like last winter then I don't think I would still be working for an airline. So, with that I look forward to having tomorrow off work because we are forcast to have an other storm come through here this weekend and I think that I am going to need my sleep to get through the weekend of angry passengers yelling at me because the flights are late because of deicing and other things that only happen when it snows. So, please think of me while you are all at home in your warm cozy homes and I am at the airport trying to get everyone home for Christmas.

Family and the Holidays

2008-12-10T22:09:00.000-08:00

I found this little guy and just had to post him. It is so true.

Planes, Trucks, and Automobiles

2008-12-06T20:56:00.000-08:00

Ok, so here is my story. I feel like I need to spend the next 3 days in a hot bath to get rid of all of my muscle aches and pains after the last week of my life.

Last Friday I flew to Idaho Falls to see my family for Thanksgiving, it was a great weekend, we ate and played and just hung out together. On Tuesday morning Hollie and I went to the airport to catch a flight back to Boise so I could work for a few days before the Ekstrom Family Christmas Party on Thursday. So we got to the airport and found out that our flight had been canceled.... So dad picked us up and took us back to the house where we woke mom up and started figuring out how I was going to get home to Boise. We decided that I would drive Dad's truck and while I had it in Boise, Hollie and I would pack it full of her stuff and then Dad would fly over Thursday morning and drive it back while Hollie and I drove her car to Idaho Falls. So Thursday morning I got up at 5:30am and met my dad and the airport where we headed for Idaho Falls. We got to Mom and Dad's house at about 11:30 we unloaded the car and got into Mom's car and headed for Salt Lake City.

It was great to see the family and visit with my cousins and aunts and uncles, I really enjoy the family christmas party.

So then Friday morning CJ and I got up early to go to the airport to catch a flight to Pheonix. Thanks Dave to taking us. Well CJ got on the flight that we had intended to but I did not, the joy of traveling standby I guess. So I waited at the airport for the 10:30 flight and got to Pheonix just a few hours behind CJ. Then the two of us headed north again, we drove as far at St. George on Friday, this trip was to drive his second car from Pheonix to Idaho Falls, they left it there when they moved this summer. We spent the night in St. George, Thanks Matt (Shayla's Dad) for the hotel for the night. We got up this morning and drove to Salt Lake where I am spending the night tonight with Misty and Dave, Thanks again guys. Tomorrow another day of traveling, I am driving the second car back to Idaho Falls and spending the night with my parents and then getting up on Monday morning to head back to Boise where I will start my regular work week on Tuesday afternoon, after the hour and a half massage that I scheduled.

In the last week, I have traveled more than I ever thought possible. I have been on 2 Flights with 1 still to go, I have driven round trip to Boise from Idaho Falls, and round trip to Salt Lake from Idaho Falls, I flew to Pheonix and drove to Salt Lake, just to recap my story. I have no clue how many miles I have traveled but I do know that I have traveled approx. 26 hours in the last 7 days.

I don't think I will be traveling again in the next little while, I am just about traveled out for the year. If anyone has any ideas on how to relieve the pain in my butt and neck please let me know, I will take any advise I can get.

And to those that I have traveled with and those who needed my help to get the things done that needed to be done on these many trips I have taken, I love you guys and I would do it all again in a minute.

Guess What

2008-12-03T13:01:00.000-08:00

Hey all you out there that want to keep track of more and more of our family Hollie started a blog..... Check it out MK!!!!

hollister83.blogspot.com

The plague is spreading... Watch out.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-02T18:41:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Thanksgiving Gone

2008-12-01T17:07:00.000-08:00

I had the chance this weekend to visit my parents house and have a family dinner since I had to work on Thanksgiving Day. It was nice to be home and see my family all in one place, except Jennifer, I missed you sweetie.

We gathered in Mom and Dads kitchen for a family dinner on Sunday evening after we had all gone to our church meetings and done all of the other things that keep our restful Sundays so busy. Mom made a ham and I made Parker House Rolls, we all love those things don't we. And we ate and ate and ate, we played with the kids and watched Christmas movies. It was nice to just have the time and not feel like someone had somewhere to go or something else to be doing.

Hollie and I helped Mom decorate the house for christmas on Saturday, that is always a bit of a job but it is done and it looks great. I am looking forward to actually being home for Christmas this year, I have had to work the last few years and haven't been able to be with family. So as I head back to Boise and back to work until the next holiday comes, I have to say how truely thankful I am for my family this holiday season. I love them all and look forward to the next time we can all really be in the same place for a holiday, hopefully that day is not to far off with most of my family on the move who knows what next year will bring.

The Weekend

2008-11-23T11:48:00.000-08:00

So this weekend I had the chance to hang out with Hollie for a little while. Since we are not living together anymore we don't see each other much because we are living on opposite sides of town. So we went to see Michael McLean in his Forgotten Carols Concert which was awsome if anyone has a chance to go take your families and go. It is such an amazing thing, his music is so uplifting and I reminds me of when our parents took us when we were younger. I think I need to make this a tradition that I carry on to my own family.

Well anyways after 2 hours of being spiritually fed we decided to go see Twilight, yes I saw the movie against my better judgement because I have read all of the books and the movies never seem to meet my expectations after I have read the book. BUT it was great. I was so surprised how great it was, I guess this is the first movie I have seen that might have improved the story for me instead of making me want to burn it. It made me want to read the books again because I know the story continues and now I feel like I have to find out what happens next. I was a little taken aback when they had to change the time line in the movie and so some of the things that happened closer to the end of the book happened alot earlier in the movie but they did a great job all in all and it is one that I will be adding to my movie collection, I already have the books in my book collection.

So Megan, since we have both seen it and we did not get to have our sister-in-law date and go together what say we see again huh...... maybe we can convince mom to go she seems to think that it wont be that great but I think that we can convince her to see it if we both work on her.

I can't wait to see what happens with the second book.

Another Year

2008-11-20T23:18:00.000-08:00

So I just had my anniversary at work, it has been 7 years since that fateful day I started my job with the Airline. I am so glad that I met the people that led me to this job. I know that I don't speak the them anymore but they are great people and I am grateful for the affect that it had on my life. Without them I would not be where I am professionally. I love my job, and as the holidays are upon us I will be working hard to make sure that everyone that wants to fly to visit family and friends will be able to get there safely and enjoy the time that they have.

It is a great thing to have a job that you really are passionate about. I know that there are a lot of people out there that only do what they do to provide for their families, and my hat goes off to those people because it takes a lot of courage to do what you know you have to instead of what you really want to because the doors have not opened up for you yet. I count myself very lucky to have found a job at the ripe old age of 19 that has made me as happy as mine has with very little education needed to be valuable to my company.

I am grateful as well that I am not the only one that gets to share in the benefits of working for an airline. My family gets to share them as well. I wish that there was a way to share more of them with my family but I do offer what I can and I am glad to do that. I have been able to see a lot of places that had I not been blessed with the great benefits that I have I otherwise would not have gone. I hope that I can continue to travel and enjoy what I do. I look forward to another year with a great company and hope that it gets better.

So here is to year 8 in a great job with great benefits and great opportunities to go and do things that otherwise would seem impossible.

Thank You QX for 7 great years.

2008-11-15T21:46:00.000-08:00

33 States to Go

Make yours @ BigHugeLabs.com

MOVED.... Finally

2008-11-15T21:19:00.000-08:00

So I got moved into my new place today, it is nice to be unpacked finally. There are still a few things that I need to get done but for the most part I am settled in. I did loose a few parts to my bed frame in the move somehow so I have get those replaced this weekend when I get paid again, other than that things are looking good.

I will post pictures after I get my stuff on the walls, I have lots of pictures and things to hang but I can't find my hammer, I think it found a new home with a previous roommate somewhere along the way.

Not sure who in my family has my for christmas this year but a good idea:

I need a tool kit, a pretty decent one would be nice but anything would be fantastic.

Anyways, Have a good week all.
Love You

The Holidays

2008-11-10T18:16:00.000-08:00

So as the holidays are upon us and I try to prepare mentally for the many challenges that are on the way with work I can only hope that it will be a good winter. I hope that the snow falls, that my family can enjoy some time together and that we can all be so thankful for all of the things that have been good this year.

Before Thanksgiving arrives I have some things that I would like to mention that I am thankful for.

1. My fantastic family, my brothers for being good brothers and my sisters for being good sisters. My sister-in-laws for taking such good care of my brothers and my brother-in-law for being such a good husband to my sister.

2. My nephews all 8 of them and my Niece and the one on the way. I am so thankful to have the chance to be part of the lives of all of these wonderful little people that will grow up and become who we help them to be.

3. My little sister and the example that she is and the friendship that we have since we are still single and sometimes we have to stick together so that we don't feel so out numbered.

4. I still have a great job in an industry that is struggling everyday to keep going.

5. Great friends that become more like family everyday. Without whom I don't know where I would be today. And the husbands of those friends (Ben) for showing me that everyone deserves to be happy and that if we really want to overcome our past we can find eternal happiness with the right person.

6. The gospel in my life, when the times are getting harder we have to turn to our faith and it up to us to use the resources that have been given to us by the leadership of our church.

7. My health, I have had to many friends this year have things that have really taken a toll on the health and well being of their bodies. As I pray for friends with cancer and with other problems, I cannot help but be thankful that what health problems I have had this year have been taken care of and thanks to great doctors I am healthy and happy.

So as the thanksgiving holiday approaches please take a few minutes and remember the things this year that have been great and count the many blessings in your lives, it has been a tough year for many and I can attest to that but it is still and good year when we all make it through and can be thankful for the trials that we have survived once again. Our father in heaven does not give us anything that he knows we cannot handle. Keep your heads up and your eyes focused the new year is coming and it is up to us to make it a better year in 2009.

Halloween

2008-11-01T16:03:00.000-07:00

So I dressed up for the holiday for the first time in a long time. I was a scrub nurse... thanks dad for the inspiration. I got some pink scrubs and a cap and went to work. I did the pink because October is Breast Cancer awareness month. I sported the pink ribbons and all for my friends and family that have had this terrible thing happen in their lives. I hope that you all know how amazed I am at how strong you have all been when things have been so hard.

I saw some great pictures of my nephews and niece all dressed up for the holiday as well, great job to the parents they had some great costumes guys. I wish that I could be around for more of the fun times with the kids and I will be as I get into a better place in my job and can hopefully get better days off work.

Love you guys.

A Place To Live

2008-10-30T11:50:00.000-07:00

I finally found a place to move. I cannot wait to get this over with. I am going to be moving in with a couple of girls that I found on the LDS Institute bulletin board. I am going to get the master bedroom and my own bathroom and everything I am so excited. Plus my new roommates are both older than I am so I am hoping that the drama will be much less. I will take pictures and post them when I get moved... the big day is planned for Nov. 15th.

Big Move

2008-10-22T21:39:00.000-07:00

So Hollie and I are moving this week so things are a bit crazy, so I will just say that we are moving and I will post more later after things quiet down for us.

8 Obsessions

2008-10-12T19:11:00.000-07:00

This one came from Jennifer.

1. My phone, I can't leave home without it. I keep it in my back pocket all day long, it however disappoints me a lot because the people I want to hear from are never the ones that call.

2. My work, I work like a crazy person. I cannot see myself ever finding another job that makes me as happy as this one does. I spend more time at work than I do sleeping or anything else for that matter.

3. Reading, I am always working on a novel of some kind. I carry it everywhere I go and read as much as I can without becoming a bump on a log. I read sometimes 3 or 4 books a week.

4. Traveling, I am always planning my next trip. I just got back from NYC and I am already planning a get away for May yes that far away but May it is, I cannot plan anything else closer because there are a few things still pending for those events.

5. My Hair, I am never happy with my hair. I cannot ever fix it the way that I want to look. When it is long I want it short and when it is short I want it long, I cannot find a color and cut that really just make me think, "that really fits me"

6. My family, I am always thinking about my family, it can be what is going on with them right now or what they have got coming up. Birthdays, Anniversaries, and all kinds of things like that, I try to keep all of my dates straight but the bigger the family gets the harder it is.

7. Movies, I am always keeping my eye on the newest movies coming out and planning what I want to go see and what can wait until it comes out on video. I buy the ones that I cannot live without and I rent the rest.

8. Greys Anatomy, I love this show, I watch every single week. I try to be home on the nights when it is on otherwise I watch it on the internet the next day or so. I have the first 4 seasons on DVD and cannot wait to see what is going to happen next.

I tag Kristen, Megan, Shayla and Shawn.

My Dirty Secrets

2008-10-12T18:59:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the Tag Kristen.

1. I am a workaholic, I spend 6 days a week at my job and don't think there is anything wrong with it. I love my job and love to make even one passengers day better.

2. I am lonely. I wish that I could find and eternal companion. I hate being alone, I miss being married and cannot wait until I find the person that will spend the eternities with me.

3. I am baby hungry. I know that usually comes with marriage but I got it now I think because all of my family members are having babies or just had babies. I want to be a mom more than anything.

4. I miss Idaho Falls. I say all the time that I would never move back there to the people here in boise that I love but I can see myself back there raising kids someday. I want to live close to my family so that my kids can have the relationships with their cousins that I did.

I tag Megan, Misty, Shawn, Jennifer

The Pictures Are Up

2008-10-08T20:33:00.000-07:00

Ok folks, I am back in the mountain standard time zone and holy cow that was a long and exhausting flight. Here are a few pics of my trip.

Sad Day

2008-10-07T19:38:00.000-07:00

So tomorrow ends my adventure to the big apple. I am very sad to be leaving this amazing place, although it is always nice to go home and sleep in a real bed..... I have sleeping on Nat's futon mattress since I got here, it is a comfortable bed but still not mine all the same.

I have decided that this may be my first trip to this great place but it is sure not my last. I am glad that I had the chance to make this trip on my own for the first time however. I am glad for the time that I had to spend with Natalie while Miles was in San Fran this week and I am glad for the little bit of time I have had with Miles. I am glad that I got to brave the city on my own for 2 days after Nat was around to show me the ropes when I first arrived.

This place holds so much history and culture I think it is impossible to take it all in. I was however able to get to most of the really good ones on the limited budget that I had. I will be back to spend more money and see more things up close, I am sorry that I didn't get to take the ferry to Ellis Island even though I was able to get some good pictures of it, or the ferry to Liberty Island to visit our Lady Liberty those are things that I will be back to do.

I saw a lot and I experienced a lot and for that I am grateful. I am so grateful for the family that I have here and for the generousness that they shared with me while I was on my visit. I am grateful for the cake at Max Brenners, the Lemon Bars at the Corner Bakery and the Hot Chocolate at City Bakery. Thanks Nat for showing me your favorite spots.

So goodbye to NYC for now but I will be back and you can count on it.

Finally Arrived

2008-10-04T23:22:00.000-07:00

Well, I made it to NYC without a hitch in my plan which is always a great way to start a trip. I arrived yesterday afternoon and after a small panic attack at JFK waiting for my bag to come in I made my way to the AirTran to catch the train into the city to meet Natalie.

I made it all the way to her apartment without any trouble which was a little surprising to me to, I thought for sure that something was going to go wrong that I was going to miss my subway stop or get off on the wrong one. I made it though thanks to Natalie's very detailed directions and after she got home from work we went for some food and I saw my first glimpses of the city with my eyes wide open since honestly riding the train from the airport I tried really hard not to look at anything but the floor.

Today we walked through Central Park and went to Time Square and the Rockafeller Center took a few pictures and then took a nap.

Tomorrow is another day and we will see what it will bring. I will post pictures after I get back home I promise.

Going to the Big Apple

2008-09-19T23:52:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I am pretty sure that most of my family knows by now that in about 2 weeks yes just 2 weeks from today I am going to be having dinner with one of my best friends and lucky enough for me one of my cousins in NYC. I am going to visit Natalie and Miles for 5 fun filled and I am sure chaotic days in a city that I have always dreamed of seeing and for a long time thought that it would just remain a dream.

I cannot believc what my next vacation holds for me, just thinking about all of the things that there are do see and so in that city blows my mind. I am so happy that I am going to be able to see it with family and friends. This trip was just a thought I had a few months back and then Nat and I started emailing and all of the pieces just fell into place for me to be there over Conference weekend.

I was talking to my awsome Gram Ekstrom this last weekend while I was in SLC to see a friend of mine, and we were discussing how lucky we are as a family to have the friendships that we do with our cousins. I get strange looks from so many people when they find out that I am flying across the country in almost every sense of the word to visit a cousin, not a brother or a sister, they think that it is odd that I feel such a bond to my extended family that I would make that kind of effort. I cannot imagine any other kind of relationships, we are such a close family, and I am so grateful for that. For those of you out there that I have not been able to see in the last year, I miss you and I wish that there were more days in the month and more months in the year to visit you. As we grow up and spread out and start our lives as husbands and wives and mothers and fathers, we had great examples set for us by our parents and our grandparents. They taught us to love and to forgive and I don't think that there is any greater gift in the world than the relationships that we share now. I consider my family my friends and my friends my family, you are all so important to me and have had an impact on my life and I love you all for that.

So, as I am getting ready to go on the biggest adventure that I have ever had in my life, I cannot wait to see the city and feel the energy, to experience NYC and all that it can offer me in the short time that I will have there, I am more excited to see Natalie and Miles, it has been to long and I hope it is never this long again.

I know that no one from my dads side of the family reads this but to them I have to say that I love you guys and that you have played and important role in my life. I am going to Ellis Island while I am in NYC, I want to go back to the place that brought our family to the USA and made all that is my life possible. Without the courage of my Grandmother and my Great-Grandparents to leave all that they had known in England and start a new life, our lives would never have been possible. Thank you Grandma Mabey, and Great Grandma and Grandpa Hartley you are an inspiration to me, to want to make my life all that it can be, and to do that I must be willing to do things that may be scary and may even seem impossible but in the end are worth every prayer, tear, and heartache.

My Family

2008-09-07T21:01:00.000-07:00

Today I had the chance to be here in Idaho Falls while my oldest brother Shawn blessed the last edition to their little family Porter. I am so blessed myself to have such a great family. It amazes me to spend time with them and to see them with their children and the way that we have all grown up and where our lives have taken us.

I have 8 nephews and 1 niece and 1 niece on the way and I can't wait to meet her and see what kind of person she turns out to be. I have really enjoyed watching the others learn and grow and become little people that have opinions and fears and everything that we feel. I can't wait until I have the chance to have children of my own and see what kind of little people they become.

I also started thinking about the rest of my family, my many cousins and the families that they have started and the little people that they are raising. I just can't be anything but greatful for the amazing people that I have in my life and the examples that they have set for me.

To all of you out there and I am sure that most of you know who you are, You are great and amazing parents and I pray that someday I can grow up to be as great as you are. I love you all.

Airlines.....UGH

2008-09-04T22:56:00.000-07:00

So I guess if anyone really watches the news you know that the travel industry is less than stable these days. Well yesterday the 2nd airline in the last year pulled its service out of Boise. I know that may not seem like big news to those of you that travel out of places like SLC and JFK and all those really big airports but it is a big deal here when there are only 7 airlines here to start with. The only benefit is that the customers have to go somewhere else to buy the tickets so hopefully our business will pick up soon. Things have been really slow since school started again and there is always a bit of a lull this time of year, but in 7 years of doing this I have never seen one like this. I just pray that Horizon will keep on doing whatever it is that they have been doing so that they don't have to lay off anyone. It seems like an endless battle to please the customer and keep the business alive. The big companies like United, Delta and Northwest start making big changes in the fees that they charge and the customers get mad and start traveling other companies like Horizon/Alaska and Southwest but then we have to follow suit in order not to go under ourselves and then the people just seem to stop traveling all together. I know alot of families that normally would have gone on some big vacation this year stayed home because the cost of gas was to much to drive anywhere and the cost of airfare was to much to justify paying. I know that the ecomony is bad and that people have to make changes in the way that they are spending, I just hope that I don't have to find a new job because of it.

PS.. I don't see travel getting any cheaper in the near future, I guess it is going back to the way it used to be, Flying somewhere used to be something that the rich and fabulous could afford. We came to a place where it became easy for the masses to afford a ticket, and now I see it swinging back in favor of the rich and fabulous again.

I want to take a poll.... Please awnser one question for me....

Would you rather....
Pay more for your plane ticket and be able to check more luggage..
or
Have cheaper airfare and have to pay for your extra luggage....?
Keep in mind that if it is just you traveling and not your entire family aka your kids and all the stuff you need for them how many bags could you pack into and would you have to check them or could you carry it. Since Horizon changed its policy to only allow each passenger only 1 checked bag free of charge, it amazes me how many people can carry on what they need for a 2 day trip.

Busy Life

2008-08-21T22:32:00.000-07:00

So I know that I am suppose to be updating this blog alot more often than once a month. Things have just been a little crazy lately.

Last weekend Hollie and I had the chance to go rafting with our singles branch. It was a total blast. It was the first time I had been with anyone buy my family. I have so many great memories from when we would go on our family trips down the Snake when we were kids. It took me back and made me feel a little bit homesick I guess for that carefree and fun life that we had. We have an amazing family, to have the friendships that we do with one another and for them to keep on growing even as we start our own families, I feel really blessed. Back to the rafting trip.... It was the first time I can remember being ejected from the boat, I had never gone over the side in a rapid until last weekend and it totally rocked. I had so much fun with my ward family and with my sister. Unfortunatly there are no pictures to document the trip because my camera is not waterproof and the elders in the ward took the pictures that we did get and I have not seen then since.

I am back home in good old Idaho Falls for the weekend visiting the folks and my brothers since they have both moved here. It is nice to come here and visit more than just my mom and dad although when it was just the three of us we had some good times together. I feel like now at this stage in my life I can call my parents friends and not just my parents, we have done alot together over the last few years and really had the chance to build our relationship to a different place, it is awsome. I am hoping to visit some old friends while I am here, I miss the people that I don't see everytime I come to visit.

That is about it though, it has been a month and the only thing that I have to talk about is a rafting trip.... What a sad social butterfly I turned out to be.... can we say I work to much ;-)

Here Goes

2008-07-27T21:35:00.000-07:00

So, I figure that if I have to read blogs to keep up on everyone else then they can start reading to keep up with me.

I have been in Boise now for just over 3 years and I love it there. I am still working for Horizon Air at the ticket counter and I truly love my job. Some days as the industry seems to suffer more and more I worry if I will still have it in a year but I guess we cross that bridge right...

I try to spend as much time as I can with my family, I am sharing an apartment with Hollie right now and that seems to be going pretty good. We are still sisters and we do fight but not like we did when we were kids. We attend a singles branch together and we have made good friends and have a great time. I finally feel like I have found a place where I can go to church and people don't look at me and see my divorce instead of the person that I really am. I love my life right now. The last few years have been a challenge as I have been dealing with the emotions of my divorce and the challenge of moving on with my life, but I have managed with the help of my family and few close friends that I had and the ones that I have made in Boise. I have been very lucky to know the people that I have known and to have the family support that I have had through this challenge in my life that I never thought I would have to face.

I have to thank everyone who has been there for me. As a shoulder to cry on or just to listen to me vent as I fought the battle some days just to get out of bed. My life is what it is because of my own determination to keep going and the love that I have received on the days that I thought I would never make it through. I am so lucky to have so much family that loves me and wants to see me happy. I am so grateful for the gospel in my life and how much it has helped me, I struggled for awhile questioning my faith, but I found my way back and I love it more now than I ever thought possible.

It has been a great thing to rediscover my faith and my strength in myself.