We were sitting around having lunch on May 4
th after the blessing of my newest niece Sydney when a comment was made that I guess I’ve never thought of or at least never put to words. Teri was talking to my cousin Gina about how our family has supported her in an effort to run a marathon for charity. I can second that! My family has been such a support to me over the years, more than I can possibly describe. I am so grateful for the love and support my family offers me. . . especially for these four women who have truly been an inspiration to me!
My Mom: My mom is an amazing woman who raised two independent, strong, intelligent daughters. She taught my sister and I the value of hard work at a young age, yet also made sure we found the time to play and have fun. My mom was always honest and upfront in all her dealings. She taught us to have values, morals, principals and to respect others for their differences. I use to think I knew it all and that my mom didn’t understand or have a clue. . . but when I moved out on my own, I quickly gained a deep, permanent respect for my mom and all that she did for me. She always knew more than I gave her credit for and I can never possibly thank her enough for the values she instilled in me. She taught me to stand on my own two feet, to be independently strong and steadfast, characteristics I hope to one day instill in my own children.
My Aunt Karla: I lived with my Aunt Karla and her family after I finished my Associate’s Degree at Rick’s college and didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do with my life. She gratefully took me under her wing as I tried to figure out which direction I was headed. She was the one who pointed out to me that I am a huge fretter and like to fret about things in advance. J She always said, “You’re borrowing jacks!” I can’t quite remember the story behind that but generally speaking, it means, I’m fretting about the things of tomorrow that I have no control over and that don’t matter. She stepped in as my second mom when I sat at her table, crying, confused about life, school, work, etc. Karla is also a strong, independent woman, who helped me put things into perspective when I needed it most.
My Aunt Beezer: Arlene, otherwise known as Beezer, has also loved and cared for me as if I were her own daughter. When I made the decision to not continue with my education, she was the one who continued to have conversations with me about the importance of education. I remember thinking that getting a bachelors degree was going to take way too long and I felt like I had other things I wanted to do with my life besides school. Beezer helped me to realize that the time in school would pass quickly and I would never look back with regret on those years. J Those heart-felt conversations about my future really did have an impact on me and needless to say, she is one of the main reasons I continued with my education, on to get a master’s degree. She is the one who calls me to offer suggestions for our blog, decorating our nursery and anything to offer advice in the hopes that we’ll get a child sooner. I swear she’s the person most excited for us to get a baby.
These three women are sisters that have bonded together and share this amazing friendship that I hope to have with my sister. They love, support and help each other and the other’s children no matter what. They are all strong-willed, independent, beautiful women that I aspire to becoming like as I get older.
Last but not least, my sister Teri: We had our fare share of fights when we were younger. . . if fact I may go as far as to say that we hated each other some days. However, in the past ten years, we’ve grown closer and I’ve come to admire Teri and all that she is as a woman, a sister, a friend and a mother. She has three beautiful children that I love more than I thought I could love anything and I’m so grateful that they live so close so I can be a part of the girl’s lives. She isn’t perfect, but she is a wonderful mother, teaching her children with love and logic. Her patience, love and ability to discipline the children in a positive manner is amazing. I don’t know if she’s aware of how much I watch her and take note of how she handles her children, for one day, I hope that I can be the same kind of mother to my children. Talent pours from her in every aspect. She’s an amazing pianist, artist, vocalist, and is extremely intelligent. Everything she attempts to do she succeeds at, with seemingly little or no effort. Teri has honestly become my very best friend. She listens to me cry, whine, laugh, smile and she’s always there to listen and be my friend. I think that she and I are well on our way to establishing a long lasting friendship like my mom and aunts have.
I can’t even begin to describe my appreciation to these four phenomenal women. They are my inspiration and my light! They have been there to support me through my good and bad decisions, through my ups and downs, through the trials and triumphs. They rally behind me in everything I attempt to do and stand in the sidelines cheering me on full-heartedly. I love them dearly and hope they know how much I love, appreciate and cherish their love, friendship and support.
We were able to go with a few friends camping overnight in the Uintah's this last weekend. We had a great time. It's so amazing to be able to get out of the city and feel the country air once in a while. It's so beautiful in the mountains. . . the peace and serenity give you a feeling of calm and comfort. The area reminds me a lot of home (Star Valley). It was good to get away for a while and put things in perspective. Plus. . . I think Jon and I both needed a break for a while. :)
Interestingly, I got to play cook the first evening. . . we had tin-foil dinners in the fire. Steak and chicken with onions, garlic, potatoes and carrots. Then our friend talked us into doing what I'd call "orange cakes" also. We sliced off the top of the oranges, dug the insides out the best we could, then poured cake batter into the hollowed orange. Just like the tin-foil dinners, we wrapped them in tin-foiled and let them bake the the coals. You can see them behind me in the picture. Dinner was great and the "organge cakes" were pretty good too. Very interesting to say the least.
