Well, I've Been Tagged!

Hmmmm. A walk down "Memory Lane"!

What I was doing 10 years ago---1997

Sent Mike on a mission to Ohio, Stake Girl's Camp, Josh was a senior in High School, Natalie was a freshman, Shaun in 6th grade, and potty-training Christine! Duff busy with his then new company, and we were involved in soccer, color guard, and varsity basketball and primary nursery. At this point of life, I didn't think it could get any better than right now!

What I was doing 5 years ago---2002

Hanging on to 'life' by an emotional thread! Mike was giving us postponed teenage 'grief' after his mission. Josh was home from a mission and at BYU, Natalie was in Rexburg at BYUI as a sophomore, Shaun was doing high school wrestling and suffering through early morning seminary and decided to be generous and share his suffering with us(!), and Christine got baptized. I had a dear friend, Kay, who was dying from a brain tumor and I cared for her daily with her mother-in-law: bathing, restroom, meals, washed her hair, and helped plan and do her youngest's wedding because she was now full time in bed and/or a wheelchair. She passed away that November. My wonderful hubby was my life-savor in literally every way. He held me steady while I emotionally/spiritually wandered all over the place. I didn't think it could get any worse than right now!

What I Was Doing 1 Year Ago---2006

Hubby sold his company the year before and he was 'retired' until his non-compete was up. So he was home and it was heaven! So glad to know we still like to be together after all these years! The first couple of months were interesting, but after that we settled into a really nice rythm, and when he went back to work in the fall, I missed him terribly.
We bought a wonderful cabin in Midway, Utah. We had been wanting and looking for a 'gathering place' for our family.(even though in 2002 , and 03, and 04, and 05 (!) I had been heard several times swearing in my anger, confusion, and wrath that this just couldn't be worth it all and I was just sure I hadn't signed up for all of this and the fine print of my motherhood contract did not mention ANY of this kind of stuff--it was all supposed to be white picket fences and warm chocolate chip cookies!)
Well, we found it and it has been a 'gathering place' for us. Immediate and extended family--close friends who are like family too. A place where we can come and leave the 'other' concerns of life behind and be together, gain perspective, regroup, love, enjoy, laugh, and go back out in the world again.
Mike moved back from Atlanta and was staying with us. He softened quite a bit in his two years away. Appropriately took care of 'things' and went back to the temple this summer. (whew!)
My sister, Lisa, put her life in order and I was happy to have her lean on me during the process. She went to the temple for the first time that summer on Josh's birthday. This was also the first time Mike had been back in the temple. Such a day that I had waited for for so long----unfortunately I ended up in the emergency room in Phoenix, and then with 2 emergency surgeries and in the hospital for a week, and at my parents recovering for a month! Again, my wonderful husband took care of getting Christine back home to her different summer activities, and getting Josh packed up from working in the valley for UBS and moved to Tempe, AZ to start graduate school.
I had a rough recovery for many months with my health, but got through it all and enjoyed Josh and Meredith's engagement and preparations for their wedding in May 07.
Natalie graduated from BYU, and was living at home and working for a year until she went back to grad school too. Shaun was putting his life back together--he got sick on his mission and had to come home, and Christine started middle school as a 6th grader. Mike met Adrianne and they started dating in December and are now getting married in February 08. Whew--what a year! Life IS Good!

What I Did Yesterday---

This would take too long on this post, so I will address it later. BUT the short version is we were in Midway watching general conference, eating, blessing David (Mere's brother)and Kat's new baby, playing Nerts and Dominos, and having Father's Blessings. Even with life's ups and downs, (and we still have them) it doesn't get any better than this!

5 Places I'd rather be:

Back at the cabin
Hawaii
Soaking in a Bubblebath
Disneyland
Arizona seeing my mom and dad, Josh and Mere, and my sister Lisa and her hubby, Craig.

5 Favorite Treats/Snacks: (these are only 5 from a very long list...)

vanilla bean ice-cream with roasted almonds, chocolate, and caramel
cashews
watermelon
Golden Spoon frozen yogurt--cake batter with chocolate malt
Nutella on a banana then rolled in roasted almonds
Peach cobbler
Corn on the cobb
Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Blueberries
Okay--so it was more than five, I could keep going.....

If I Had a Million Dollars:

I'd give it for wheelchairs and eyeglasses for those who need them, and make blankets so every baby could be swaddled and warm, buy an airplane, and get all my food storage/emergency preparedness at once!

5 Favorite TV Shows:

CSI:Miami
The Closer
Dancing With The Stars
Practically everything on Food-Network
24

5 People to Tag:

Shaun
Meredith
Megan P.
Adrianne
Lisa