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Let the Good Times Roll!

Family...it's that group of people you love to hang around with. It's the people who love you for who and what you are. It's where we feel secure when we are away from the everyday stresses and worries. It's that group of people you call at the last minute and say "what are you doing for dinner" or "hey, let's go four wheeling." That is what we did yesterday. Mike and I got together with our favorite family members and went down to "Five Mile Pass" and drove those trails. It was a gorgeous day, started out cold but within a couple of hours we were taking off our snow gear and just enjoyed the sun, the breeze and family. This one of the things we love to do together, whenever my husband is home we all get together and hit the trails. There is nothing more freeing and exilerating than riding the trails on a mountain side. Mike and I have a wedding anniversary tradition, we take three days off during our annivesary week and go camping up Logan Canyon, Left hand fork, and ride all through those trails, dutch oven cook, spend time alone, then on friday night comes Don and Irene (Mike's brother and my sister in law) and we do a big trail trip on Saturday. We have that set again this year. Then in August is our big family campout where my side of the family and Mike's side get together for the weekend and have lots of fun.

Family...that is where peace comes from, it's that little bit of heaven.

Time In a Bottle!

Have I ever discussed my husband's occupation? No? Well, first and foremost, he is a long haul truck driver. He has always drove some kind of truck all his life. First with UPS, then out own trucking company (DMD Trucking) now with Miller Brothers out of Hyrum Utah. After we got married, I had asked Mike what his dream was. He said he wanted to own his own trucking company. I said let's do it! We did just that. I drove with him (he taught me how to drive a big rig) and we took Danielle with us, home schooled her on the road. We saw a lot of country and had some of the best times together. It's a good thing he taught me to drive because one time he was so sick down in Mesquite, NV that Brenna drove me down there so I can drive the rig home. I didn't have my license then and it was scarey going through a port of entry. He said from the bed in the back to just go in and act like you own the place. I did, the officer didn't look over the books too closely and I was on my way. I did pretty good, got him home in one piece. Of course Brenna was following close behind me. Thank goodness.

The interesting thing about being married to a truck driver is the time spent apart. In the beginning...he was home every 4-5 days and home 2 days, then back out again. It was something I could count on. Now as the years go by, his routes get longer. This last trip was to Tennesse, Arkansa, Texas, Arizona then home. Just a day under 2 weeks apart. Why am I talking about this? Because just like my title "Time in a Bottle" the small amount of time we are together is just that...TIME! And it is so precious. There is no time to argue, to be petty about the small stuff, to sit across the room from each other while watching TV. The time is spent sitting close to each other, holding hands, just being together. We cook together, talk, go visit his family together. Then it's back on the road again. Yes, it is hard but it brings eternity into perspective, I may not spend much time with him on this side of the veil, I will spend a lot of time with him on the other side. For some reason it works. So we should not take each other for granted because we never know when it will be our last time with each other. We try hard, and it's worth it. He will be back on the road again in a couple of days, and so begins the cycle again. :)

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Simplify Life!

Even though I work a full time job, and I am exhausted when I get home, there is something to be said about simplifying my life and those life's of my family. Which would include a meal in my crockpot, soups and stews are my husbands favorite. Save laundry for a specific day, give certain chores to my teenager and yes, when the grandkids are over they have a little responsibility, even if it is cleaning up after themselfs.

In Anne Morrow Lindbergh's book, Gift of the Sea, she states: "I mean to lead a simple life, to choose a simple shell I can carry easily, like a hermit crab." But in that same paragraph she states that she can't because of the demands of her husband, children, her roles as a wife and mother, but it is her journey to find a way to make it happen. That is the journey I am constantly on, evolving myself into a different version of what I was in a different season many years ago. I find my spirituality is excelling with each new day, my love for nature, my love for my family, grows each day.

As a good read for the future, I would recommend Lindbergh's book "Gift of the Sea". Very good and insightful.

My Awesome Family!

I have had another blog about my battle with Fibromyalgia, but instead of dwelling on the negative in my life, I want to turn around and focus on what is good and positive in my life. And if no one reads this, at least I know my family will read this and get some enjoyment...I hope.

First and foremost I want to talk about my wonderful husband...Mike. Here is a man who married me knowing I had four daughters, and one of those daughters with a mental handicap. But knowing that he took that challenge and he has been the biggest blessing to my family. We married June 20, 2002, Mike adopted Danielle legally two years after that then two years later took all of us to the Temple to be sealed for all time and eternity. Not only has he been there for me and Danielle but he has been a great dad to the rest of my daughters along with being a great grandpa. He has a love for the great outdoors, he is the one that got me interested in camping, fishing, and most of all ATV'ing. We both love to dance (which is how we met). He is my best friend, my eternal companion. He has one of the hardest jobs (in my opinion) he is a long haul truck driver and the time we have together is far and few, but it makes those times we have together that much more sweet.

Then there are my daughters, Brenna who is married to Jason, they have two beautiful daughters, Kaitlyn (almost 5) and Kyla (16 months). Then there is Ashley who lives in California and then there is Raelyn and her husband Mitch. They live in Pennsylvania (too far for me, miss them much). Then there is Danielle who is 14 and still at home. She is our special child. That will be another post at another time. Then I have three step sons and two daughters in laws. First is Adam and Jill, then Kyle then Jared and Stephanie. They bring a richness into my life. The funny thing is that I knew Kyle before I knew his dad. He and Adam sang in the same choral group in Ogden that my daughters Brenna and Ashley sang in. Little did I know I would be part of their family.

There is nothing that brings me more joy than my family. I can loose every material possession that I own but I know I will not loose my family. A perfect day to me is when it is cold outside, having my granddaughters over, running around my place and just soaking up their laughter. Or when our whole family gathers together for a birthday. Nothing could be better. To me that is what Heaven is going to be like.