Thanksgiving

Oh my goodness!  I didn't realize that it had been two months since I've posted anything.  I made a resolve to enjoy life more and spend more time enjoying my family, enjoying my friends, enjoying my life and spend less time on the computer and away from them.  That has been the best decision ever.  So where have I been the last two months?  Well, I'll update that when I have time.  But right now, I want to recognize the holiday we celebrated last week.  It was Thanksgiving.  I love that day, because I know that I don't take enough time to show gratitude for my many, many blessings.  I have been richly blessed in my life and I have been given many gifts and many blessings.

I am so grateful for the things I was taught by loving and righteous parents.  In giving me the gift of the gospel, they have given me a gift that I will carry through my life and that I can wrap around me in every situation I ever find myself in.  They have given me a knowledge and an understanding of things that I'm not sure I'd make it through life without.  I am thankful for being sent to the parents and the family that I was.  My parents are the best mom and dad a girl could ever ask for and I love them both very very much!!


I have some of the best friends in the world!  It helps me get through each day knowing that I have a network of very close and trusted friends who I know will be there to help me in any way they can.  I love you all!

I have been blessed with a lot of people who bring fullness and richness into my life.  I'm grateful for the blessing of being able to find that rare person who makes my life more complete and more fulfilled.  Sometimes, when things seem to be the lowest, and life the hardest, that's when you're given the best gift you could ever imagine...sometimes better than anything you could imagine!!  I'm so grateful that even in my lowest point, my heart was open enough to allow you into it and allow you to help me heal, and to help me become a stronger woman.  I love you.

Thanksgiving was a wonderful day here, shared with family, friends, and loved ones.  It was so nice to spend the day with the people I love the most and to have an opportunity to reflect on how blessed I am.

The Iron Men of soccer

So they've been dubbed by the local paper.  Due to injuries and grades ineligibility, the Snake River soccer team has exactly 11 players.  They have no subs.  They all play the entire game, with no breaks.  They're all beat up, but you can see their team spirit and determination grow with each game.  They're having a great season & as one of their #1 fans, I'm super proud of them & can't wait for STATES!!!

Seriously! Could they BE any cuter????

I seriously love these two girls.  Desiree & Ashley are some of my favorite people to e around.  It is completely impossible to be in a bad mood or sad when in their company. They're both as beautiful inside as they are outside and I just adore them!  Thanks for yesterday girls!  I so needed it!

Amazing Book

I find myself deeply buried in yet another book.  I can't put it down, which I realize is not really a big announcement for me when I'm buried in a book.  It is amazing to me to read of Elizabeth Gilbert's search for herself and the discoveries that she made.  I am able to see a lot of parallels between myself and Mrs. Gilbert.  I admire the courage and strength it took her to make the really hard decisions in her life that she has.  And I am awed by her commitment and willingness to truly look inside herself  to discover exactly who she was.  That's a scary thing.  It's really hard to look that deeply within yourself, because the answers aren't always pretty or flattering.  But from reading and sharing in her journey, I am finding that I'm a little more wiling than I was to start doing that digging and searching.  Even when the answers aren't pretty, I want to get to a point where I want them and am able to accept them and change them where I need to, to fully become the person that I want to be.

I needed this

Thanks to a wonderful friend, I woke up to this message this morning.  I don't think he had any idea just how much I really needed to hear this today.  I am trying really hard to find the good in the experiences I'm going through right now.  I'm not having a whole lot of luck right now, but I'm trying.  And I'm finding a way to get through each day.  I'm so thankful for the amazing friends I have.  I wouldn't be making it through each day without you.  And my family.  Josh always knows when I need a hug more than anything else.  I love you all very much & thank you for your love and support. 

GO JOSH!!

So I have to brag a little bit.  I got a text from Josh this morning that there was a good article in the local paper covering the soccer games yesterday & that there was a picture of him.  So I, of course, went and bought a paper.  And then bought 3 more.  There is a huge color picture of Josh heading the article, and a great article detailing the game and Josh's contributions to the win.  After a lost season last year due to injury, I know it's important to him to be a big part of the team this year and help them succeed, and it's great to see his hard work and effort rewarded!

And the article...


In the boys game the Panthers found themselves trailing at the half but a trio of second half goals by Cooper Peterson erased that deficit as the Panthers prevailed 5-4.
“It was a difficult day to play and I just tried to encourage the guys to have some fun, even though it wasn’t the best day to play soccer with all the wind.”  Snake River head man Trevor Peterson said.
Peterson got the scoring started in the first half of play, drilling his first of four goals on the day just 8 minutes into the contest.  The goal was assisted by Josh Dunkle, a refrain that was repeated on three occasions as Dunkle notched a trio of assists on the day.
North Fremont answered back with a pair of goals before Jonny Rodriguez tied the game at 2-2 on a corner kick by Dunkle.  That tie was short lived as North Fremont took advantage of the wind, getting behind the Panther defense for a late goal and a 3-2 half time advantage.
“In the first way we played the wrong style of game for the wind conditions,”  Coach Peterson said.  “At the half we changed up and went to a more simple style of ball which helped us.”
Indeed that simple switch did wonders as Cooper Peterson knotted the game at 3-3 to begin the second half.  North Fremont had one last gasp left in them, taking a 3-4 lead but another Peterson goal tied the game minutes later.
Peterson eventually headed in the game winner, out of the goal keepers hands when Dunkle played a long ball at the goal, sending the Panther side line into a frenzy.
“The team played hard and were able to come back in a game that was pretty even,”  Coach Peterson said. “It was a fun game and a great learning experience for us.”
Snake River (3-1) travels to Teton today for a showdown with the Redskins at 5:30 P.M.  

Expanding horizons

I have always been a huge bookworm!  I love to bury myself in a good book and put myself into another reality for a few hours.  I'm a big fan of mysteries and spy books and thrillers. I love a good scare!  Someone came into my life last year and became an important part of my life.  He opened my eyes to a world of books I'd never really explored before....non fiction.  While that individual has chosen to not be a part of my life anymore, one of the many things he's left with me is a new love of non fiction books.  The ones that we read together have become some of my favorites, and I've added some other great ones.  So, here are some non fiction books I highly, highly recommend!!

What a great book!  Simple, basic, important life lessons taught with love and kindness by a truly great man.

Talk about a book that makes you think!  Each section taught a better lesson than the one before it did.  

A beautiful story of two very different men, in very different walks of life, and the way that their faith leads and guides them, and saved their lives.  It reminded me of the importance of faith and having a belief system in my life.

Oh wow!  Talk about a book that made me cry.  Almost from start to finish.  Randy Pausch was an amazing man, husband, and father who wanted to leave a legacy of learning and love for his children, who lost him far, far too soon due to cancer.  The lessons he wanted to leave for them are beautifully shared in this book.  It hit very close to home for me, because  also was left the same type of legacy by a loving dad that I lost too soon.  I've read this book three times now & cried every time!

Such a cute book!  Brad Meltzer selected about 50 people from all walks of life who made a difference in the world.  The heroes range from everyone from the Wright brothers, who made the book not because they discovered flight, but because they KNEW they were going to fail and continued to persevere anyway, to Rosa Parks, who made history for taking a stand for what was right. 

My current read.  Such a good book!  And perfect for me at this point in my life, as I feel like I'm at a point where everything is changing for me.  One of the things this book is helping me to realize is that even though some of the changes are ones that I would never make on my own & am not particularly embracing, they can still be changes that have a powerful and positive effect on my life.  It's all in how I look at it and how I embrace it.  My life is no more and no less than what I make of it.  Change is always going to be a part of my life, so change is no more and no less than what I make of it.

Panther Soccer wins again!

They brought their season record thus far to 3-1, with a great 5-4 win over North Freemont tonight!  It was a great game and a win they earned by never giving up & fighting til the very end of the game.  I really love watching these guys play...they're a great team!  Go Panthers!!!

Junior Soccer

Soccer season has started again!  Today was actually game #3, but because of work, the first game I was able to go to.  First game of the season was against South Fremont, and Snake River won 7-3.  Second game was against Sugar Salem, always a hard opponent, and Snake River lost 4-1.  Today was against Wendell.  Great, great game, beautiful weather, and a chance to work on my tan.  And our boys won 6-2!!!

 

Junior Year

I'm a little slow.  I can't believe that Josh is a Junior already!  It makes me feel old!  He is such a great kid.  He's one of my favorite people on earth, and one of my favorite people to spend time with.  He makes me happy and makes my world feel more complete.  In addition to being one of the world's best nephews ever(I have the world's 9 best nephews), he is one of my best friends.  I'm so proud of him and love him so much!!

I totally am...

My aunt is an awesome cross stitcher.  Years ago, she owned a store.  When the store closed, she sent me a bunch of inventory....fabric, patterns, etc.  I never did anything with it, because I am not at all a cross stitcher.  Then I met Aunt D in Ogden for lunch one day a few years ago and she took me to a cross stitch store.  It was so cool!  The things that talented people can create with cross stitch is amazing.  So I decided I wanted to pick it up.  I learned how, but do not have the love for it that my aunt does.  I've started several different projects, but to this date, have only ever finished one project.  I lost it, but found it last week and am so excited, because it's perfect for me!  And being as it may well be the only project I ever finish, I believe I am going to need to frame it and put it in a place of honor!!

I love you Dad

There's not enough space in the world to be able to say all the things I have in my heart for my dad. He's my hero. He's the best person I have ever known. The world is missing it's brightest star because he's no longer with us. And our family is missing the center of our hearts. I know what made my dad the proudest was his family. And I know that the legacy that he has left behind him in my brothers, me, and his grandkids and now great grandkids, is what means the most to him. So here's to my dad's legacy, my amazing family.


All Because Two People Fell In Love