Looking back

Today I stumbled upon some pictures from about three years ago, and I was so overwhelmed! I can't believe how quickly my kids are growing, and how absolutely irresistibly cute they were (and still are, of course)!  Just look at those chubby cheeks!

I honestly have no recollection of where this was taken...but it almost looks like a food court at a mall somewhere

Weston and Owen, at what looks to be the first Christmas party in the Harmony Hills ward.  It is unbelievable to me how little they are in this picture.  How can time fly so fast???

Seriously, those cheeks!

What's weird is that Sophie doesn't seem that much bigger in this picture than Brighton is right now.  I remember when Grandpa gave the kids that table. In some ways, it seems like a lifetime ago...but in reality it was less than 3 years!

I think I might have forgotten that we ever went to this show were it not for the picture. What fun!  I remember Weston trying to decide how real these characters actually were.

After just getting Sophie's hair cut this week (because it is so very long), it is crazy to see this super short hair...with that same adorable smile. :)

Minature golfing with some good friends in Utah...

Love these two little angels...and their little brother, too!

California Dreaming

Some people grow up in a place they love.  They graduate high school, move away for college to embark on life as an "adult," and come home to visit for holidays and in between semesters.  They come back home to the awesome place they grew up, enjoy their family, reconnect with life-long friends, and get to go to many of the places they did while growing up.

I am lucky in that I did grow up in a beautiful place that I loved very much, but when I left for college, my mom moved to Las Vegas.  I am grateful that she moved to Las Vegas because of the incredible friendships and experiences I have had here, but because of it, I have rarely gone back to the O.C.  In fact, although I have been on a couple of hurried day trips to various parts of Cali with the youth in recent years, I haven't actually been back to the paradise where I grew up for 7 years...until this week.

Jason had a business trip and would be staying at the Irvine Marriott.  How could I resist a free hotel stay?  I had an ocean view from my bedroom window as a teenager in Dana Point, yet my children had never even seen the ocean!! I have been so overwhelmed lately.  I mean, SO overwhelmed.  I almost didn't go because my head felt like it might explode from all the things I had to do.  But then I just closed my eyes and thought, "what would mom say?"  Immediately I heard her voice in my head saying, "Go!"  

I had little time to plan, but I figured it would be worth it, even if I only was able to see one good friend and take my kids to the beach for a little while.  I was right!  It was so awesome.  Everything about being there soothed my soul!  I wanted so badly to stay longer ~ my heart literally ached when it was time to leave.  Somehow, I felt like my mom was there, soaking in the beauty and enjoying the whole experience right along with me.

I was surprised how at home I felt, even though I moved away 17 years ago!  When I was there it felt like I had been gone just a little while, like I belonged there.  I had that feeling you get when you see a close friend after years and it's as though no time has passed at all...like being together is the most natural thing in the world. 

I felt my mom there, and it made me miss her more once I came home. It was also incredible reconnecting with a few friends...it was comforting to be with people who have known you through multiple stages of your life...something that I guess I missed out on to an extent when my mom moved away.  And, I'm sure it doesn't help that I've moved more than 15 times in the past 17 years!

On our way, we stopped in Baker to eat at the Mad Greek where I snapped this pic - aren't they cute?

On Monday night we went to visit Bruce and Patti Spencer, who have been dear family friends for as long as I can remember.  I must have been just a girl when Patti and my mom met! For some reason I didn't take any pictures that night, but we sure did have a lovely time visiting.  And the kids really thought all their instruments were neat. :)
Tuesday morning we went to visit the Bells...Barbara (in the picture below) was both a seminary teacher and my piano teacher during high school.  When I left for college she had just had her first baby - Lauren, the pretty girl in the next picture...

I wish I could have captured the moment when Brighton was grabbing Daisy's face, it was a cute moment!

After a brief but lovely visit at the Bell's home, we met up with Chad and Karen George and headed over to Doheny Beach.  They brought food, towels, and everything necessary for a perfect afternoon (including themselves)!
Despite a slight obsession (as evidenced by at least a hundred questions) with the possibility of a tsunami on the California coast, the kids immediately fell in love with the beach...how could they not!?  

How I miss this...sitting on the beach, just letting all of your troubles be washed away by the waves.  There's nothing quite like it!  Weston was a little squeamish about going out into the water (even up to his ankles) at first.  In fact, when I asked him what he thought about it shortly after arriving, his comment was, "I really like the beach other than the waves!"  Silly boy!  By the time we left he had decided that he liked the waves after all.

I guess it goes without saying, but I was just thrilled to watch my sweet kiddos enjoying their time that day!  And due to some generous people along the way, they had plenty of toys to play with in the sand.

Karen and me...

Chad and Karen's lovely daughter, Sophia, hanging out with Sophie.  Their son, Campbell, was also there, but (sadly) I didn't get him in a pic!

Playing on the tramp...Brighton pretty much had the time of his life.  And yes, he is eating pine needles in this picture!

I'm still trying to figure out where they saw people dancing this way...but it sure is cute. :)

Chad, Sophia, and Sophie...who is wearing Sophia's Little Red Riding Hood costume (and loving it).

Since Karen's birthday was the next day (Sept. 25), Weston made her a picture (rolled up into a scroll).  What I found so funny was his response when Chad asked him how he wanted to tie it.  He offered a few suggestions like string or ribbon, but Weston insisted on a wax seal.  The average family may not happen to have sealing wax and stamps on hand, but of course this would never be a concern at the George's house!  So Karen's card was sealed with a "P," for pirate of course!

Although it was late by the time we left, I decided that since we were on vacation, we'd stop and get some food.  We ended up going to the Denny's right by my high school, which was practically empty.  Even though I wasn't a Denny's regular in high school, it was still so fun to be there. 

The kids were particularly excited because I let them get a strawberryshake.  It really is the simple things...

Brighton was a good little munchkin and only dropped 3 or 4 pieces of silver wear on the floor. :)

As we drove back to the hotel that night, I got that awful feeling in the pit of my stomach. You know, the feeling you get when you are being separated and you really don't want to be.  It is the same feeling I had while driving away from the Nye's house after saying goodbye just before they moved in July...and the same feeling I get whenever I think about watching my mom slip away from me.  I just hate saying good bye!  It's not my thing!  The only way I can handle it is by thinking, "until next time."  Suffice it to say, I am already looking forward my next California trip.  And I already have a plan for some of the places we will go that we missed this time. Can't wait!

The New School

Some firsts are better than others. Last year, when Weston was 3, because of a speech delay, he qualified for the school district's awesome pre-school program. I was so nervous to send my little "baby" off into the big wide world of public school, but the instant I met his teacher my fears melted away. Mrs. Shelly is the single most awesome teacher in the whole universe! Seriously, I think she has super powers. She is one of those people that just oozes warmth and goodness... and I knew she loved my Weston. She genuinely loved each of the kids in her class, seemingly from the moment she met them! She had a system for everything, and always seemed to know the right thing to do.

Jason and I thought Weston would cry his first day of school but he didn't. He loved it from day one which was something of a small miracle! The whole year was incredible. Weston learned to talk, made great friends, and thrived with his awesome teachers.

The last day of school after saying good-bye to everyone, I came home and opened Weston's Spider Man backpack. To my shock there was a letter from Mrs. Shelly saying that she was taking a different position in the school district and wouldn't be returning to run the preschool program at Tartan Elementary. I was overcome with a wave of intense sadness! I had just assumed Weston would be fortunate enough to be with Mrs. Shelly another year... and that I would be lucky enough to volunteer in her class, which was run so perfectly! I thought about Mrs. Shelly a lot this last Summer and how much we were going to miss her.

Then, another unexpected thing happened. Sometime at the end of July or beginning of August we received a letter saying that Weston had been reassigned to a different school - Duncan Elementary. Duncan has only been open for a year, and this is its first year with the preschool. It is supposed to be a great school, and is only 10 minutes down the road... but when you compare that with Tartan, which is only a couple of blocks away, the change seemed a little ridiculous!

We had the opportunity to meet Weston's teacher before school started, and she was (is) really nice. Jason says she looks like she's 10 years old. To be fair, she looks closer to 20. The classroom wasn't decorated yet, and there was barely anything in the room at all when I took Weston to our "meet the teacher" deal... and no refreshments! I don't particularly care about the food, but when we went to the school, we just weren't feeling the love. Everything was cold and awkward. I was pretty sad about the whole thing, but trying to keep a positive attitude for Weston.

The first day of school was MADNESS. There was no parking on any street going in any direction around the school. Jason and I literally spent 20 minutes looking for ONE spot to open up. So even though we went with plenty of time to spare, we ended up being late after hiking up to the school from our parking spot, which left no time for first day of school pictures in front of the school! I was bummed. That entire day I found myself constantly comparing everything less desirable about this new preschool to everything that was so great about the last one. It's a long list, trust me!

When Weston got home the first day, he wasn't too happy. He said he didn't play with anyone, because he missed his "best friends." He told us he didn't want to play with any of the toys in the room because he missed his old (school) room with his old toys! Poor kid.

It was then that I realized how good for him this experience was going to be. Life is ever changing! You can't spend your life longing for the "good old days!" I figure now is as good a time is any for Weston to learn that awkward and unsettled beginnings can sometimes turn into the best experiences of our lives! To be honest, this situation reminds me a lot of how I felt when our ward was first formed a little over a year ago. There wasn't a sense of cohesion at all those first weeks. Most people felt torn about leaving their old wards that they had come from and just didn't know where they fit in. Looking back, I am astounded at how far we have come! I don't know a soul that would go back to their old ward now, because we have truly become a ward family.

I look forward to seeing what this school year will bring. Weston will undoubtedly make new friends and love his new teacher as he gets to know her. Not everything is magic at the beginning... but that doesn't mean it won't turn into something wonderful with a little bit of time and effort!

Weston got to eat anything he wanted for breakfast on the first day of school. What did he choose? A turkey sandwhich and chips. Here he is pretending to have a grumpy face, but he loved it (along with all the extra special attention)!
I tried to take a nice, smiley picture of him before leaving for school, but he did his goofy, over dramatic "I'm smiling so big that I throw my head back in glee" grin. So here is a nice picture of Weston's neck! For the record, his back pack this year is Iron Man.

Garth

I first knew Garth as Bishop Abbott. He was my bishop during a very crucial time in my life. I knew he was more than a bishop - he was my friend. He went out of his way to ask about my life and how I was doing... on a weekly basis! He would pull me into his office for a few minutes to ask how my date went the previous night, and ask me if the guy tried to kiss me. He would give me all sorts of pointers and advice, most of which I don't remember. What I do remember is that he genuinely loved me.

He exuded greatness, and had a personality that was larger than life. He was wise, funny, blunt, and never hesitated to stand up for what he thought or believed. He was bold. You never wanted to disappoint the man, not because you were afraid of him, but because you respected him so much and knew that he believed in you. At the time that he was my bishop, I always thought I was sort of special. Why else would he devote so much time and energy to little me? There were 500 young adults in that ward! As it turns out, every single person felt that he or she was special to him. And they were.

There was not a false bone in that man's body. He loved everyone that he served, and he had a magnificent, incredible capacity to reach each person individually. He was charming, and you just couldn't help but love him! Garth, whether in his capacity as bishop or friend, had an infectious quality that drew you to him. He could get away with saying almost anything because of his charm, but also because you knew he loved you. I'll never forget one time seeing him at a wedding reception where I had brought a young man that I was dating at the time. He kind of gave that dude the evil eye and then told him that if he ever did anything to hurt me he would break his leg!

I kept in touch with Garth even after he was no longer my bishop, as did many others. One of my nearest and dearest friends, Rachelle, married his oldest son (Jonathan), so I had the good fortune of running into him more frequently. What a blessing and honor it has been to know the Abbott family!

Garth died of cancer last week. My heart was heavy, and I just couldn't shake the sadness. As the opening hymn began at his funeral on Saturday, I started to cry. If I hadn't been in public, I probably would have bawled like a baby. Since there were many people around me, however, I attempted to control myself! As the memories and testimonies were shared, I felt the heaviness begin to lift and instead felt grateful. Grateful to have rubbed shoulders with this man. Grateful for all that he inspired in me. Grateful to recognize the tremendous impact that one great man can have on so very many people. Jason, one of Garth's sons, read the following quote:

"I believe that the first test of a truly great man is his humility. I don't mean by humility, doubt of his power. But really great men have a curious feeling that the greatness is not of them, but through them. And they see something divine in every other man and are endlessly, foolishly, incredibly merciful." ~John Ruskin

I'm convinced that the idea expressed in this quote is what made him such an effective leader. That and his incredible knowledge of the scriptures. And his boldness in speaking the truth, along with at least 50 other things!

If I were to describe Garth Abbott to a total stranger, I might say that he was fun, full of life, with a dash of crazy. Obviously that would only give half the story. The legacy Garth left is a living testimony to the truthfulness of the gospel he loved.

I left that funeral feeling grateful, inspired, and still a little sad. I was also reminded of a vital truth: no matter where we are in our life, Jesus Christ offers solace, peace and hope. I realized as I left that my heavy heart had been filled with hope, and it was the kind of hope that is found only in and through the Savior of the world! I hope to live the kind of life that leads others to Christ, that makes them want to be better. I hope for the day that I will see my dear friend again. The best part about the kind of hope that the Savior offers is that it is based in the truth. The hope I have is a sure hope! I also hope to live the kind of life that would make Garth proud.

The older I get, the more I understand how important our connections with others are. What a tragedy it would be for those connections to end at the conclusion of our mortal life... and what a glorious blessing to know that they extend into eternity!

Five glorious years!

Last Thursday, May 12th, was our 5th wedding anniversary. I have been bummed lately thinking about the fact that I would probably never find our wedding pictures. You see, the photographer who did our professional pictures used old-fashioned film... and I'm pretty sure that film got destroyed by the heat while sitting in a box that was never supposed to be in the garage. Being in the Young Women organization of our ward, many opportunities have presented themselves to bring my wedding pictures to show the girls. Every time, I feel sad! I want to show "my" girls the pictures of my Temple wedding... especially since there is almost no other decision that influences your life more profoundly than how you marry!

So, on our anniversary morning as Jason drove off for work, an idea popped in my head... what if the photos my dear friend Julie took at our wedding reception were on my old laptop from college? Pictures from the reception are better than no pictures at all! A glimmer of hope sparked in me and I ran to open the old computer, praying that it would turn on. Fortunately it had been stored with its power cord. My glee quickly turned to panic when I realized that my computer had been password protected, and I had NO IDEA what the password was. I never even remembered having a password and figured that was something that had come about in the months that Jason attempted to rescue my ailing computer long ago. A quick call to the man of the hour revealed that no one on planet earth knew the password.

Dang it!

I tried every variation of every password I remember having ever in my life...

nothing. UGH! I could feel the anticipation mounting as I glared at that password protected screen, searching the recesses of my mind to no avail!

For some reason, all other responsibilities fled my mind and all I could think of was getting in that dang computer. It seemed to me the most important task in the world.

And then at last... some 45 minutes later, a word popped into my head: cleo. I had practically forgotten all about Cleo, my cat. That was the password! The second my desktop appeared, there it was! The file entitled WEDDING PICS lay right before my eyes! As I clicked it open, a glorious realization hit. Not only had Julie taken pictures at our reception, but because she wanted to learn some picture taking skills from a professional, she had followed our photographer around the Temple taking pictures of everything earlier in the day as well! THANK YOU JULIE!!!!!!! (It should be noted that Julie was friends with the professional photographer, Karen, who happily agreed to let Julie follow her around and learn from her)

So although the lighting isn't always perfect, I am just thrilled to have wedding pictures in my very own possession! This discovery pretty much made my day... and I just wanted to share. Unfortunately, blogger was down the ENTIRE day on Thursday. Better late than never, though. These are just a few pictures of me and my handsome groom just 5 years ago. Weird how those 5 years seem kind of like a lifetime all on their own!

The Reception... as you can see, I was more than a little embarrassed by the whole garter belt thing!So glad I married the right guy at the right time in the right place!