Learning from Dog Poop

Visiting this lady

Lisa Hale (aka: Angel on Earth)

last weekend reminded me that the name of my blog insinuates I believe there is good and bad in life. Happy and sad. Incredible, fabulous, fantastic experiences, and things we wouldn't wish on our worst enemies. I also realized I have almost exclusively written about the positive lately. Time to talk about the negative...but not necessarily in a negative way.

This woman?

She either volunteered or was volunteered by her husband (the story is different depending on who you ask :)) to watch my brother and I (ages 2 1/2 & 8) when my mother died suddenly in 1994. Heaven knows my dad-who was left with two young children, a full-time job, and a bucket-load of grief-needed the help. She and her husband honestly saved the lives of a little family whose world had been turned upside-down. Subconsciously, I was learning for the first time that positive things can come from crap (for lack of a better term).

When my dad's brother died my freshman year of college, I learned again, more poignantly this time, the same lesson. My uncle the science teacher, happy and always full of life, who would answer the phone with something like: "Hey sweet girl! Did you know an elephant can fit on the tongue of a blue whale?!" had died. Amidst wrapping my mind around the concept of mortality, I flew to Texas the next summer to help my aunt and cousins make the drive to New Hampshire for our family reunion they had always made with their dad. IT WAS FABULOUS. I had an incredible time with their family and met my aunt for the first time. She had always been in my uncle's shadow (at least from my perspective). I talked to her SO MUCH-her personality came to life for me and I gained a great friend.

In summary, when terrible, almost impossibly difficult things like this happen,

I have always learned more than I would have had God allowed my life to be perfect or simply easy or entirely peaches and roses. ALWAYS! I am so thankful for each experience I have had in life. I learn something from every single one.

EASTER

Easter weekend was marvelous: full of birthday parties, bridal showers, Easter dinner with family (where I picked up some great recipes), and singing in The Garden, an allegorical oratorio, or musical tribute to Jesus Christ. It was a busy weekend, but a happy one! And a good reminder that my Heavenly Father loves me, individually, as much as he loves anyone else or all of mankind-and the same is true for you! I love the hope in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, that all of our sins AND suffering can be fixed, made up for, through His atonement.

Making Easter Bunnies (so what if it looks like a dog):
strawberry cake, vanilla icing, coconut, & raspberries

Got Christmas presents from my Dad-just in time for Easter!!
That's how he rolls. Personally, I like spreading out the Christmas joy!

From last year's performance of The Garden

Hangin' with the fam!

Grandpa and Grandma invited us to go out with them last night! I was so excited to hear G-pa was healthy enough to be hitting the town again-after a tough battle with a broken back and pneumonia (at the same time)-it didn't matter in the slightest where we were going. It could have been the National Dog Show or a rousing round of curling for all I cared.

Not what we saw, sadly...

Good news for me, not only did I get to spend precious time with the family, but we got to see The President's Own Marine Corps Band (think John Philip Sousa) perform everything from The Star Spangled Banner to Aaron Copland and the world premiere of the guest conductor's, Gerard Schwarz, piece: Above and Beyond. Strathmore always rocks, the music was incredible, and I could have watched Grandpa in awe over the percussion section all night. And it didn't really bother me that the average age of concert attendee was 45 years older than me. I just thoroughly enjoyed Grandpa's subsequent inability to shut up on the way home about how cool the drums were.

Purpose of Life

I know, kind of tackling a giant but certain events on Sunday got me thinkin'...

Sunday was a great day; it pretty much always is. I went to church and learned, listened, pondered, and conversed about great topics: like the love of God for each of us, scriptures, and the Priesthood (the power of God here on earth).

I am so blessed to have been raised by parents who did everything they could to provide us with a solid foundation, including our family's membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Not only was I surrounded by people, friends, and associates of faith growing up who shared common values but I now attend church on a weekly basis (and activities on, well, pretty much a daily basis) with hundreds of people my age who I consider good friends. People who want the best for me, are happy when I succeed, empathize with me when life is less than fabulous, and definitely have my back!

This background and subsequent life experience has taught and enforced for me many eternal truths, not the least of which is the fact that my life-everyone's life-has a purpose far greater than the 75-80 measly, problem-laden, disease-ridden, difficult years we will live. I hope this is sufficient preface for what happened Sunday evening:

After a nice night with family and celebrating some friends' birthday, I got a phone call from a family member notifying me that my great-uncle (dad's dad's brother, if you follow) Charles had passed away. It wasn't particularly difficult or distressing news for me as he had lived in the midwest my entire life and I only met him on a couple of occasions going to or from our family vacations on the east coast. But I started thinking about the man he was and the life he had lived.

Devoted son, brother, husband, uncle, great-uncle, cousin, friend. A pilot-he loved telling and enchanting everyone with his flying stories. He served honorably in WWII. Tuberculosis took one of his lungs and eventually caused his death when he refused to take medication that would strengthen the one remaining lung against pneumonia which he got last fall.


It all made me a little sad as I thought about it. He died at home, alone (his wife died last year), in the middle of the night, his home care nurse only finding him later; he had previously made the decisions to donate his body to medical science (so there would be no burial, no place for the people who cared about him to visit in his honor) and not to hold a funeral service. So essentially, all of his hard work and dedication, his entire life, would come down to a 50-75 word obituary in the local paper??

No, I quickly reminded myself...he had influenced many people over the course of his life: lovingly caring for family members, impacting young, impressionable nieces and nephews with his colorful, slightly offbeat humor and personality. Not only that, but he still lives, despite his mortal life having ended. I believe very firmly in a life after this one and that we will have the chance to be reunited with the people we care about that have already died.

Uncle Charles lived the life he needed to, inspired the people he was supposed to, and learned the things necessary for him to now progress on a much bigger, eternal scale. Similarly, millions of people have lived lives of obscurity, not leaving a mark noteworthy for the world's standard, but I am so thankful to know each person's life is valuable and important.

Happy Parts of 2011!

So grateful for these! They really made what could 
have been a fail year turn out to be a semi-successful 
year. Thanks happy parts!

Ringing in 2011 at Disney World!

Getting back to my French Class roots and finding 
the king in the cake with the fam. 
Happy Epiphany!

Discovering places like Ford's Theater and the Spy Museum with friends

Almost dying in Snowmageddon the Younger. Thrilled to be a part of it actually. Feel I missed out being in Romania during Snowmageddon the First. Good thing we had Marissa's bed to keep warm in when we didn't have power for, oh, three days.

Discovering places like The National Cathedral with friends

Visiting The Aunt in Asheville, North Carolina

Cherry Blossoms!!!

Saying good-bye to The Brother. Okay, so that wasn't 

totally happy, but getting him back in 16 more 

months will be! 

Knowing I have friends in Utah who still care :) (I think...)

Being in St. George for Elizabeth's wedding and learning 

about a family that is very different than mine but 

as equally incredibly wonderful!

THE BEACH

THE BEACH!

THE BEACH!!

(seeing the USS Cole & the USS New York: a ship 

forged from the steel of the World Trade Center)

DANCING INTO TWENTY-FIVE

@ a party with which some awesome friends 

surprised me. Unfortunately, due to technical difficulties,

the video is not available for your viewing pleasure 

on this page. You will have to check The FB.

Running my 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th 5Ks. This year's goal:

Half Marathon. Wish me luck!

Discovering Eastern Market!

Watching Fred learn how to drive 

and parallel park :)

Celebrating the Fourth of July in DC!

Attending my Romania Mission President's homecoming!

So good to see all the mission buddies!!

Driving across the country to get to the homecoming!

If you're ever in Denver, you must hug the big blue bear.

Thank you for making the trip happen Jeffrey Divis.

Spending time in Palmyra, New York with Missy, her family,

and friends visiting LDS Church History sites and

seeing the Hill Cumorah Pageant!

Introducing new family to the best place on earth

and spending two weeks with them there.

Discovering the Library of Congress with the Relief Society.

I now have a reader card and can sit and learn in that 

beautiful building whenever I want!

Um, Grandma got baptized! That's about all I can say

about that. I'm kind of still in shock. :)

Having so many great Romania Mission 

buddies here in DC!!

Visiting Pittsburgh's greatest nurse in Steelers Country!

Bucket List moment on Thanksgiving Day

in New York City :) (well, basically the whole

trip was incredible!)

Making awesome Christmas memories in DC!

Like singing in Institute Choir, singing in the ward

Christmas Program, and singing carols

at the Romanian Embassy!! Did I mention I did a lot

of singing this Christmas? And...discovered a LOT

of delicious holiday recipes. Hit me up if you need

some next Christmas!

Happy New Year!

Lessons Learned in 2011

"I'm just happy it's over." Literally heard those words come out of someone's mouth re 2011 and it seems to be the general sentiment in regards to last year. Amen! I totally understand. Twenty-eleven was a rough and tough one for a lot of us in a lot of ways. But...if we really want 2012 to be better like y'all are posting on Facebook, we should look back and genuinely try to learn from last year before slamming the door and yelling "good riddance!" -yeah, I was tempted... (don't worry, the happy parts of 2011 post is coming in a couple hours). So, in the hope that someone will be inspired by my attempt, here is some of what I learned (Before you think me stupid or incredibly shallow, consider that I probably actually knew these things before. This year simply provided me with uniquely personally-tailored experiences to learn them better - experiences which will remain anonymous, for the most part, unless you ask. Then I'm happy to share. I love to talk!):

• Just 'cause it seems like a good thing doesn't mean it is (or that it's the right thing for you to be doing).

• Despite drowning in an assortment of good and even GREAT advice from people who really care about you and opinions from those that really just want you to make the decision the way they think is right, the making of the decision is eventually all up to you (with God's help). No one can make it for you (pretty dang happy about learning that one a lot better this year!).

• Everyone has talents! Maybe you should take time out of centering your life around yourself and figure out what Mr. Iseethatguyaroundbutdon'tknowhimtoowell's are. Maybe it will be a good experience. Maybe you'll learn something new and make another friend.

• That thing you can see would be a nice, good, considerate thing for someone to do given the situation and the circumstances but no one seems to be doing it?!! It's cause you're supposed to do it.

• People can still care about each other and have a decent relationship despite having BIG differences.

• It takes a really long time to mow the lawn around our house and roommates can have really great ideas about how to make it less of a nightmare-like working together and halfsies-ing it, brilliant!

• It's possible to be nice and not let people walk all over you simultaneously.

• You really can learn something from everyone!

• Cooking is really fun.

• Your financial status does not define you.

• Your employment status and career field do not define you.

• The way you carry yourself through difficult times and the way you treat others does define you.

• Little brothers can say very profound things.

• You can spearhead a project, and you can achieve your goals.

• Family (and time spent with them) is so ridiculously precious (pictures added on this last one because this really is the crux of it all folks, for serious).

Hmm...

Not quite

That's it!

Let's make 2012 better because we learn from 2011!