I Just Might Make It Into Heaven

So about 15 to 16 years ago I use to work at Coco’s in Encino, California while I was going to school.  There I met my friend Deborah.  When I met her I could feel as if her life was a bit dark.  She was a really nice girl with the world around her working against her.  My Love calls it “Crabs in a bucket”.  When you get crabs in a bucket they all pull each other down to try to get ahead/out but quickly find others pulling them down as well, so no one every gets ahead and escapes the bucket. She was in this type of situation were everyone around her was angry or bitter and they wouldn’t let her true spirit HAVE a chance.

When I came along it was when I was about 22 years old during a time in everyone's youth where there are no boundaries or restrictions. Everything is possible!!!! All major world problems are but a simple solution away that all those old morons are too greedy or selfish to see. The world was beautiful and anything you wanted it to be.  I told her of my adventures during my travels and my dreams of becoming a flight attendant.  At first she was overwhelmed by the possibilities in a single person’s life. The longer we were friends she started to see a way out of her bucket. We even took a 10 day road trip from Denver to Canada.  She realized all I had talked about was really true, because she had a chance to experience it first hand. 

It turned out that no matter how many hours I worked I could not find a way to stay in school so I left about a year and a half after I met her.  I  moved back to Fallbrook.  Many months later I called her and said I’m going to Asia I’ll be back in about 4 months.  Those 4 months turned to 3 years, because I had met my ETERNAL SOUL MATE and I would now be traveling on a journey greater than I ever imagined!!!!  I wrote her once from Korea many many years ago and that was the last I knew of my friend Deborah.

So the years have gone by and our lives have completely changed. My once youthful optimism was challenged by motherhood & homemaking and it’s many surprises that don’t make one feel they ever even knew the answers to world solutions let alone even know what they are at the moment.  You find all many boundaries and restrictions you must now live, and you question if anyone even knows that at one point you were a nice person with dreams of changing the world for the better and traveling through it’s many amazing destinations, and not changing diapers and fighting to get a good night’s sleep for what seems an eternity.  I must say that if I hadn’t of had the husband and best friend that I do I would have booked a one way ticket to anywhere, but here. He is the rock I leaned on for many years to help me see that we were not standing still but heading for a greater good beyond our imagination.  With him and Heavenly Father beside me I am happy to say that I can see not the light at the end of the tunnel but I’m basking in the sun at the moment! MY LIFE IS AMAZINGLY WONDERFUL!!!!  I love all of my children dearly and could not see myself without any one of them.  I wake up excited to see them and listen to how they will see the world today.  They don’t have to worry about world problems they just get to focus on it beauty and wonder. And I get front row seats to this everyday!!!

Facebook is how she found Jared, who told me about this Deborah girl that was looking for me. We talked a few times and the next thing I knew she was flying in. Deborah and I met on Wednesday for dinner.  She has told me all about her life. She has traveled all over the world and is now a flight attendant.  She escaped her bucket and everyday lives a happier life.  We talked for hours at this Moroccan/Lebanese  restaurant. We exchanged stories and memories from our past and present.  We had such a wonderful time together.  The next day I emailed her and thanked her for picking up a flight through Salt Lake City so we would have this chance to meet.  She wrote back and thanked me for meeting her.  She also said these wonderful words…. “I always considered myself lucky to be your friend and regretted losing touch with you.  You were a profound influence on my life, from your always cheerful demeanor and optimism, to teaching me that travel is attainable, you just have to do it!  My life got better the day I met you and continues to every day.  So once again, thank YOU!!!”  I, of course, have many regrets regarding my life as a mother and I hope my children don’t carry the memories of my mistakes with them forever, but learn to be better.  Her words really touched my heart because if I can change her world for the better I can do a million times more with my own children since the opportunities will last a little longer than just a year and a half.  I still have many things to work on, but I have discovered, I’m not the only one, and its not going to end anytime soon because this is part of the plan! I AM THAT YOUTH THAT CHANGED SOMEONES LIFE FOR THE BETTER. She is who I really am, not the maid, chauffer, or cook I poorly pretend to be. I chose to come down from heaven to be more than that…. it’s wonderful to have this little reminder of it!!!!!

 

SO MAYBE, I JUST MIGHT, BE LET INTO HEAVEN SOMEDAY FOR HELPING SOMEONE ESCAPE FROM THEIR BUCKET!!!!!!!! 

Skiing with Daddy

It is early out day so Paris got out of school at 1pm and it is her turnto do a daddy/daughter date so she picked skiing!

So off to Sundance they went. Paris is seriously an amazing skier with very little fear.  She is usually in control of her every move and is constantly looking for challenges on the slopes.  She tries to take every jump she comes across and is always looking for new routes to challenge her. Jared loves to ski with her he only regrets this might be the one time they make it up the mountain this year.  Jared has been so busy and the weather has been a bit harsh making the opportunities few and far between. It was a beautiful day!!!

 

They made it up the lift without falling.  Last year Paris slipped off the lift and Jared tried his hardest to pull her up but knew the longer he held her the higher the fall would be because they didn’t stop the lift fast enough, so he was forced to let her drop.  Paris went up after him with a Sundance worker. It broke his heart when Paris asked him “Daddy why did you let go of me and let me drop?” 

THIS GIRL IS JUST GORGEOUS!!!! I THINK JARED SHOULD START TAKING SHOOTING LESSONS!!!!

Paris holding daddy’s poles.

 

Here is a picture of Paris trying to jump this little mound, but was going to slow to make it.

She is standing on the very edge of a super steep part that she had never done before.

This is where she had her biggest wreck and actually got hurt.  She cried for a bit then she got up and kept skiing…that’s my girl!!!!!  How is she going to budgie jump and skydive with daddy if she can’t take a little fall?

There’s my little amazing skier!!!!!!

  

Then it was time for “all day” pizza which they got for free because it really had been sitting there all day.

Here are our cute ski bunnies!!!

Okay this picture comes with a very very funny story.  On the way home down the mountain Paris turned to Jared and said “Daddy why will talking down the mountain help you go faster?  I don’t get how that works!” Jared was completely lost by this question.  He asked what she meant.  Well when Paris took this picture of daddy “squatting” he said “Paris if you squat you will go faster down the mountain.”  Paris thought he said talk not squat. So she said that all the way down the mountain she was saying “ I don’t know how this will help but I have to talk all the way down.  Good job Paris you are skiing so good. Look at the trees how pretty they are.  Man I hope I see a deer.  I love skiing!! Daddy is way back there, I’m such a good skier.”  ETC ETC.  Jared laughed so hard and explained what he had really said, Paris laughed too. When I heard it I couldn’t stop laughing picturing our talkative Paris coming down the mountain passing people as she talked ALL THE WAY DOWN just to go faster!!!!

                 I LOVE THAT GIRL!!!!!!!

            LOOK AT THIS HANSOME STUD!!!!!

CAN’T KEEP MY EYES OFF HIM WHO AM I FOULING, YOU KNOW I MEAN HANDS!!!!

Regan’s 1st Birthday

Today Regan turned 1.  Tristan was especially excited because she LOVES to play with Regan.  Regan’s parents Danielle and Ryan are our Amazing Race buddies and were also Tristan’s primary teachers for two years, so she knows Regan really well.  Tristan is our baby lover and can play with babies for hours so all kids really like her.  She is patient and loving with them all, I only hope she sticks to single digit number of kids when she starts having her own. Tristan of course, played with Regan as much as she could. Doesn’t Regan look like a Gerber Baby, I keep telling them to send her picture in she could be making some cash with that adorable face!!!!

 

Her mom made this amazing barn cake for her, she is a caterer so she can do just about anything!! The food at the party was also just amazing, of course Danielle is awesome!!  I was so happy there was food because none of us had eaten dinner.

   

  

After cake and food we headed upstairs to ice skate. Jared just walked around helping the kids with his shoes on.  My shoes were way to slippery so I just took pictures on Jared’s phone since I forgot my camera…I suck!!!!!

 

 

The party was at this huge place called Noah’s Ark. It has many rooms that you can rent for parties, weddings, racquet ball, volleyball, pool, or many other things. It was really a fun night!!!

                 HAPPY BIRHTDAY REGAN!!!

FHE At The Movies

“Bolt” is playing at the dollar theater so we had to see it AGAIN. Seriously that movie is dang funny!!! We all laughed at our favorite parts.  Esher and Jared seemed to laugh the loudest. 

My wonderful love met us at the movies since he works about a half a mile from it. He went a little early to get us good seats popcorn, nachos and a soda. The kids were so happy to see daddy. Look at that HANDSOME face how can you not be excited to see him!!!!!

The movie started at 7pm so we knew it would end past their bedtime so we all decided to go in our PJ and slippers.

 

You can only see Tristan’s slippers but trust me we are all wearing them.  It was a Fun Night Out!!!!

Computers

Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I take 4 kids to computers. 

                                     TRISTAN

 

                                     NAOMI

 

                                     MAYA

 

                                      ESHER

They are all really good so I don’t mind it at all.  After every class Esher runs and hides in this corner of the building and all of the girls stand in front of him to hide him from me.  I tell them all to get in the car and I look around and call out to Esher.  He giggles the whole time.  It’s so super cute!!!!! So today I decide to get a picture of it. So here he is hiding behind the three girls giggling away, as I call out his name.  Oh and Tristan and Esher usually end up going to computer in their PJ’s because I basically just grab them out of bed and carry them to the car since they are never awake before the class.  It starts at 9:55 which means we have to be out of the house no later than 9:30.  I predict 1st grade will be very hard for Tristan, Esher I’m not worried about since he wakes up happy no matter what time you wake him. 

 

Sometimes I think people must look at us as if we are super poor and can’t afford clothes for our kids.  Paris is usually dirty, Tristan usually wears plaids, stripes, flower prints and poke-a-dots all in one outfit which she insists matches because they all have one common color, and Esher wears PJ’s all day long if he doesn’t have school, and when he does have school most of his shirts don’t fit him anymore so it looks like he is wearing 3/4 inch midriff shirts and high water pants. So, I’m really surprised no one has handed us a card with the directions to the local DI for new clothes.

We have decide to let Tristan pick out her own outfits because I got tired of explain to her that one common color does not make a matching set. So I take pictures of her almost everyday so I can eventually make her, her very own “Tristan’s Fashion” Book. Some outfits are very unique to say the least.  I love my kids!!!!

Okay so I might only be allowed to take 3 kids to computer from now on.  I usually bring all the kids home with me so they can all play together before Tristan goes to school at noon.  Her school is about a 1/2 a mile away from our house so the kids love to not wear their seatbelts and slide side to side in the car as I take each turn, there are 5 of them.  Well today Maya didn’t take the last one quite like usual and hit her nose on the cup holder and started bleeding all over.  She got blood all over her clothes and Esher’s blanket that we keep in the back.  I felt so bad I told the kids we can’t play that anymore so we never have an accident like this again.  Hopefully Maya’s mom will still let me take her home with us. SORRY MAYA!!!! Let this be a lesson to us all; kids can get hurt in the car even if they are only going a half mile away from home if they aren’t wearing their seatbelts.