All is Well

A few days after Taylor was born, the doctors found fractures in his hips. I remember trying to be so careful with him. Our friends, Andy and Cindy Pickett, came over in the late hours and gave him a blessing. He was sleeping peacefully when Andy and Jason gave him the blessing. I felt pain in my heart wondering what the future would hold for Taylor. Seven years later, I vividly remember listening to him scream at the Petaluma Valley Hospital as they were resetting his femur. He received another blessing, I remember a few words they said, "...the recovery would not be easy, but all is well." Again, my heart was aching because I didn't want him to suffer. Once he finally learned to run again with a "few" other fractures in between his course of healing, I knew all would be well. I also recall his 1st asthma attack in Antioch, California. Jason and I didn't realize he was having an asthma attack and watching him struggle for air was frightening. He stayed in the hospital for 7 days. Again, it was painful to feel so helpless and wanting to take away his burden. However, nothing has prepared me for watching him leave our home. I hope he realizes what he is leaving behind...I also hope my Dad is kicking him in his butt!!!

Hopefully, he misses us just as much as we miss him!

Our STRIPLING WARRIOR

Oh, Tanner...never a dull moment with him!

The weekend has been filled with major changes and challenges. Taylor decided it was best to live somewhere else and we are facing "tough love". He knows we love him. During Sunday School and dinner we studied the story of Alma the Younger, perhaps Taylor will be struck dumb and find his way back to our family. After dinner, we moved Tanner downstairs and went through many things we had in storage. Tanner found my props I used for youth conferences when I spoke. He, of course, went into character starring as a stripling warrior. I had fun narrating the story. Hopefully he can earn some extra credit in seminary!!!

Happy Mother's Day!

I have been very blessed to be surrounded by some amazing women...

Many of you remember our amazing youth leaders. This photo was taken of my senior year in high school. It's me, Shelly Burdett, Kathy Olson and Becky Roner. I had many other leaders that I am grateful for, but Kathy Olson knew me the longest. She babysat me when I was just a few months old. She is probably my greatest influence in falling in love with a red head! She is someone very dear to me...

My Grandma and I were very close. When I was attending Santa Rosa Junior College, I often stayed at her house. We would stay up late and she would tell me stories about Grandpa and when my Mom and Dad met. She was also very close to my Dad. I miss her but believe her reunion with my Dad was spectacular and filled with much laughter. I can still remember her laugh.

I am very fortunate to have Missy live so close. She is more than an Aunt to my children. They adore her!!! There is something special between sisters and I am lucky to have her!

My mom is the strongest, talented and amazing woman I really know. Kathy Olson often tells me how she was the most prepared mother. She always had my diaper bag with EVERYTHING possible and always kept to her word. I have many memories of her helping our Girl Scout troop. She was the cookie coordinator and zillions of cookie boxes to distribute. Unfortunately, we had a huge flood and Mom was rescuing all the cookies. She also made my book reports look the best. I still have one of them on Panda's from 3rd grade. Mom was also dynamic with speeches and helped me with a few powerful talks. Christmas Parties and our numerous Disneyland trips are unforgettable. However, I have two memories that still have an impact in my life. When I was in high school, Mom was finishing up her schooling. She was juggling a full load, work and trying to make it financially. I remember waking up around 3:00 in the morning and she was up listening to Anne Murray and studying. I was invited to go to Disneyland with my cheerleading team, money was tight and I found her one evening rolling pennies so I could have just a few more dollars. For some reason, that memory still makes me cry. It taught me how important I was to her and that she was determined to make anything possible. My other favorite memory was in the delivery room. I saw her cry when each one of my children were born. She is so proud of them. I must admit the most powerful example of her strength was getting us through my Dad's death. She was gentle, patient, considerate, loving and supportive of our feelings, heartache and confusion. She is brave, more brave than I can ever imagine as she begins a new chapter in her life. She has also turned into the bionic woman with all the changes she is making to her house.

(I have encouraged her to start a blog...she is just too funny to share with email only!)

Happy Mother's Day!

And this is why I blog...

My Dad had many brothers and sisters. A few moved to the United States and when I was a little girl I remember visiting those that lived in Mexico. My Dad tried his best to keep me posted about my cousins. I never saw photos, except a couple baby pictures. I also know the day he passed away he had a chance to speak with a few of his brothers and sisters. Last week, I received a comment on a posting from my cousin in Mexico. I had no idea he was reading our family blog. I responded back and this evening I learned a little bit more about my cousin, Arqueles...Taylor couldn't believe he teaches photography and media technology at the Universidad del Valle de México at Reynosa. It has been so much fun to blog and reunite with not only family but old friends across the world, to the amazing group of Young Women I taught in Petaluma and those I grew up with in San Rafael Stake. Happy Blogging!

First Photo: Arqueles with his wife and daughter

Second Photo: Arqueles with his mother, Aunt Nora (my Dad's sister)

Happy Anniversary!!!

The first week of May is always busy for Jason! He is slammed with my birthday on the 1st, our anniversary on the 4th and then Mother's Day...

Today we celebrate 18 YEARS!!!

I am very lucky to have Jason. He is so funny and works so hard at anything he sets his mind to do. When we were dating we had to deal with his mother dying, but so grateful we had the opportunity to tell her we decided to get married. I remember the first time I realized I was in love and wanted to marry Jason. We had been dating (if you call that) for a month, actually we disagreed and argued more than date! I was at his house and his mom was getting sick. I watched how gentle and tender he was towards her. As the months passed, I couldn't stop watching how much he cared about her and how well he eased her pain and never left her side. She died a few months before we were married. Jason's mom gave me a great gift I will never take for granted. She allowed me to spend her last 5 months getting to know all about her life. She shared wonderful stories and cared so much for her Jason! I was there the night she passed away. It was my first real understanding moment of literally feeling her spirit return to our Father in Heaven. It was a beautiful, remarkable moment in my life.

My parents had concerns (to put it mildly) of getting married and now that 18 years have passed everyone is happy I married Jason. He has definitely become another son to my Mom and Dad. I will never forget seeing my Dad's reaction when I told him we were getting married...It was the first time I saw a "white" Mexican.

Jason and I have so much fun together. We are getting closer to the time when it's just "us" at the house. (We started to experience this a few nights during the week, now that the kids are teenagers!)...and we love it! Jason is ALWAYS supporting me, much more than I do for him...Yeap, I am lucky and look forward to many, many more decades of marriage!!!

Life is just going by too fast!!!

Are You Kidding Me???

How can I be 37 years olds?????

It was a few years ago that I was attending USA Cheer Camp in Southern California. It wasn't so long ago I was going to school at Novato High and driving the bat mobile. (photo taken 1987!!!)

And how could this be...the Olympics were just held in Salt Lake City!!! I am still recovering from the excitement and little sleep during that magical two weeks. We still have the Olympic spirit in my house everyday. Impossible to believe it's been 6 years ago!!!

So, it's true...37 years old. My knees tell me everyday I am getting old. I am plucking more gray hair (perhaps due to teenagers) and naps in the middle of the day sound incredible! But whats more important is I am a very happy 37 year old mother, wife, daughter and friend! Happy Birthday to me!!! Spending it in Denver at US Figure Skating Governing Council with a few friends. Jason is surviving with the kids along with Missy's help! To celebrate my birthday in Denver, I am going to Rockies vs. Dodgers game!!! Mom bought me a ticket for my birthday and I have terrific seats watching the Dodgers play behind their dugout and thinking of my Dad!

(hint: boys what I would love for a service gift is the windows cleaned inside and out!!!)