Life Changes in an Instant

It's been amazing to me to think about everything that has happened in the last few months but especially in the last few days. Three of my cousins were in two seperate car accidents and all were seriously hurt. They will be recovering physically, mentally, and emotionally for years to come. What stands out to me, is the immediate love that is felt from friends and family alike. Of course it's always there somehow, but it seems to become stronger in times of need. Prayers and thoughts are offered. Thanks is given for their spared lives. It draws people closer together and re-news the love that was there as an undercurrent. The Spirit is also there, giving warmth and comfort, even to those of us who are far way and cannot physically be there to be supportive in person. But as I have learned, even if someone is not there in person, you CAN feel their love, their thoughts, their hugs. This has been clearly manifested to me several times in the last few weeks. It's an incredible witness to me that people all over who care and love you can know exactly what you need even if you didn't actually tell them what you needed.
On the days I have felt my lowest, my heart burns with love and unseen arms surround me and lift me right back up, a peace soothes me like a blanket being put on. I always have to keep remembering this and that there is always always always someone looking out for me no matter where they are.
As I have been sitting at home these last several weeks and exploring new venues, time and time again, the thought comes to me that if I was still working, I never would have learned the things I have learned otherwise. My Self has grown immensly. I have learned to rely on higher authority more than ever. I learned that people really really do care and will be there when you call and ask and sometimes when you don't even say anything. I have learned to live off food storage, live frugally, be a heck of a lot more HUMBLE, be more GRATEFUL, be more KIND and I am still working on the patience part! :)
I have actually made tons of new friends in several different places as well. I don't think that would have happened otherwise. These new people have given me advice, hope, opportunities to explore, places to go and people to see. My eyes have been opened to see the world from a different side as well. I have several opportunities to work with the deaf and heard of hearing in Utah. That has been an incredible experience as well. Just knowing I am not alone in that sense has been a blessing as well. I can talk to other people who truly UNDERSTAND another hearing impaired person, the feelings, emotions, struggles, joys, frustrations, anything else that they go through. Yes, I have had support from people who are NOT hearing impaired and I am truly grateful for them (you know who you are), but to be able to make friends who LISTEN to you and that I can HEAR has been awesome. There will be several opportunities to travel the US in upcoming months and years and to go to conventions for the hearing impaired. That will be a sight to behold and I am excited to be a part of it!
But to all you out there who read my blog, please know that I love you and am so grateful for you. I consider you to always always be a part of my life, you make me smile, cry, laugh, and support me through EVERYTHING. I love you! For that I am thankful! and truly blessed!

The BIG 30!!!

Wow you are so old!---that's from the 18-25 year olds in the singles ward, they don't know the meaning of the word OLD! We celebrated a little early since it's my nephew Tyler's baptism in the morning and I get to lead the music (the second hand wave). So the parentals and Bubba (Camden my youngest nephew at the moment) went to Robintino's for the annual birthday dinner. It was a lot of fun! We then went back to the homestead and met my sister Larisa, her husband Chris, and their other two kids KK and KarKar for cake (which I made...mmmmmmm) and chocolate or vanilla icecream. We then had a lovely conversation about colonoscopies. You are just jealous you weren't there to participate right? The older I get, this is what you feel like doing when it comes to birthdays (see above)
I then started thinking about the cakes I have had in the past...the ones with the keys to the coveted station wagon when I was 16, the one where I found my barbie that resembled something like the one seen here....
Aren't birthdays fun?

Goals in the next year

So, as y'all know or pretend to know or care to know.....I have decided to become a hearing impaired advocate for the hearing impaired. Makes sense right? All of sudden I have this immense desire to learn all I can about what is out there for hearing impaired individuals such as myself. It's been a huge eye opener and just masses of information. I may have the opportunity to go to Milwaukee in June of next year for the Hearing Impaired of America Convention. That is if I can find a job and start saving money for it because it will be a grand total of like 600 dollars (I think) that's for the convention and airfare (they offer discounts to hearing impaired people on a certain airline) and then I would have to find a hotel...so maybe a thousand dollars at most. But it would be one of those once in a lifetime opportunities.

Another goal I have is to learn ASL (American Sign Language). The classes start in January in Salt Lake. I am very excited to learn because apparently, it will be a huge benefit to me in many ways including swearing at people in sign! :) Just kidding!!!! (maybe). But that's my thoughts for the week.

Interested in Helping?

I am going to start collecting items needed for the Humane Society of Utah. This is a project that will be going until the end of the year 2009. To see the items needed goggle Humane Society of Utah, click on Donations and the donations needed list. Any help y'all could give would be tremendously appreciated.

Newspaper (to line cages

cat food

dog food

paper towels

bleach

poweder laundry detergent (wash blankets and towels)

trash bags

sponges

dish soap (antibacterial)

windex

cleaning liquid (409, Mr Clean. etc)

Latex gloves

cotton balls

q-tips
rubbing alcohol
gauze pads

band-aids

distilled water

ink pens (black and blue)

duct tape

tape

bateries

Scissors

staplers

highlighters

and so forth, there are several more items on the list

easily obtainable stuff they said they would love to take anything they can get. I will be collecting the items from now until the end of the year. If you would love to help with this service project or involve your friends and family....all help will be truly appreciated

e-mail me, call me, blog me

Thanks!

Kristen

Still looking.....

This is my life for the last couple of weeks.......trying to stay patient and not have a mental breakdown......I have a new respect for people who don't have a job and are trying to survive until they get one....

Keep Smiling

There are days that will have more road construction than others. There is always going to be something to take me out of a frump, slump, dump, bump, crump........It's better to think positive than nothing at all. Good always comes from the bad.......Life's curve balls teach me something new every time.

You know it's hot when....

So, my air conditioner has broken and the land lord is out of town. the INSIDE of my house is between 82-89 degrees even with the little fans blowing that I bought.

My cat will not drink water from the tap anymore. She seriously waits until I fill her water bowel with water from waterbottles in the fridge. She drinks it like she's gonna die from the heat. I keep threatening to shave her if it will help her cool off......It's bad enough that she will get in the bathtub and play in the water while it's draining from my shower. She's desperate......will the heat ever end. I took all that rain the month of June for granted :(

Proud to be an American---Don't Forget!!!

AMEN!!!!

SSSSHHHHH, don't tell

80 More days for a trip to .....drumroll please.......DISNEYLAND!!!!!!

Sorry Trevor and Lisa, I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive me..............................

"VACATION" T minus 4 days

No, It's not another disneyland Trip. But on my board at work it states "10,259 days until the next disneyland trip" for those unmathematic minds---that's approximately 29 years from now. But if I am not at Disneyland, where am I??? You guessed it......more modeling of the beautiful hospital gowns that don't tie and are not modest by any means. Tuesday is the big DAY for more hand surgery.....hopefully this is the last of it for the left hand.....to finish what started 30 years ago as a birth defect. Yes 30..... anyways.....just wanted to catch you all up on the excitement. Lortab and percocet here I come! bbbbllleeehhhhh

The next trip was down south

Two days after getting back from Zarahemla....I headed out to St George with my coworker Tricia to work in the hospitals down there. The weather was absolutely perfect, however we were disappointed not to see any polygamists like we usually do. We had some nice hotel suites at the Best Western on Bluff Street. That is a really nice hotel for those who are interested in staying there. We had many discussions about the Swine Flu sitting in the lobby eating breakfast with several other travelers. Everyone kind of left the bacon alone even tho you can't get the flu from the bacon. It was kinda funny to see people start to eat it while the news was on and by the end of the swine flu report, all the bacon had been pushed to the side of many plates! This is the hotel we stayed in......see above. It was a good trip but we were glad to get back home after working 30 hours total in two days. We were exhausted. Well that's all the excitement for now!

What a crazy week

For five days I have been sitting in various cars traveling the state of Utah for work or pleasure or both. Wednesday the 22nd of April was a trip to Vernal to work at the hospitals in Roosevelt and Vernal. The drive is incredibly boring! We were given a mini van for two people! I seriously (no offense to anyone) felt like a "mormon mom" all I needed was a few car seats in the back! It was a really nice van but a little too big for us!

Friday and Saturday was the single ward's first campout at Zarahemla. It snowed and rained the entire time. It was so dang cold that the elders got in the cars and drove up and down the campsite with the heaters on cause they had to sleep in the cabins on one side of the camp sight and the girls slept in the lodge. Some of us were wise (maybe?) to sleep in our cars because the 18-21 year old girls kept the rest of the group up ALL NIGHT long laughing and screaming. I heard there were also some freight train snorers in the group as well. I have been recovering from pneumonia so I slept in my car. I did get some sleep but it was quite cold even with a sleeping bag and two blankets and a coat on.

A workout and then some......

I got a full body work out today by going to Speed Street in Layton. You seriously ache from head to toe after you do 40 laps. You really have to think mentally and everything else when you are in a go kart going 35 mph and sharp corners everywhere! It hurt so bad by the time I got home I could barely move. I was there on a date.......don't ask. But I had fun with the couple that set me up. They were a blast and I laughed the entire time. So I now have my own license and helmet cover from the place. I highly recommend this to any one who has never been. It's a cheap activity and really fun with a group of people. Let me know if you want to go and we can go play!

Life's updates

Hi,
I am still working on getting pictures of some of the things I promised to write about....however just wanted to inform y'all that after a short stint in the hospital (home away from home) I had some testing done and found out that for the first time in two years no cancer cells/tumors were found in my colon yay! I am doing great now. Just enjoying the springy weather aaaahhhhhh..........

My First Tag!

Tag You're It....
1. Go to the photo folder in your computer.
2. Go to the 6th folder of photos.
3. Go to the sixth picture.
4. Put the picture on your blog and description of it.
5. Invite six friends to join the challenge

This is a picture of my grandma Willey. Probably the best she looked before she broke her hip and got Alzeheimer's Disease. She was my favorite person in the whole world and it's been almost two years since she died this coming May. I love her dearly!

I now tag Stefanie P., Larisa, Kelly H., Amy R., katey, Katie,

Stay Tuned and Look Forward to it!

So for those of you who know me, I plan my life like years in advance--well I quit doing that since it hasn't panned out EXACTLY as I want it to....but anyways keep your eyes peeled for upcoming blogs on (and in no particular order)

*the cancer update

*trips around the state for work

*mom's b-day party

*I can drive without getting lost...

*General Conference

*Draper Temple Dedication

*the colonoscopy play by play (totally kidding!)

*The 1st ward campout of the year at ZARAHEMLA!! whoo!

*hand surgery

*2nd ward campout to JACKSON HOLE-yipee!!!!!

*24th of July

*The first baptism in our family (of the first nephew/grandchild)

*Willey Reunion in Manti

SO I will eventually have something to blog about so stay tuned!.......

Happy Birthday!!!!

January 26th is Lulu's 32nd Birthday. Whoot, whoot!

Hope you have a wonderful day. Thanks for being my sister through good times and bad and all the times in between!m Love ya!

Wendy's Anyone?

So, my sister was sweet enough to buy me dinner at Wendy's tonight, unfortunately, her little family all has had the stomach flu for several days now. While we are eating, the two little girls wouldn't eat or complained of tummy aches....well both of them had gotten happy meals....so Chris (my brother in law) proceeds to show them that if they are getting sick, how to barf in a happy meal sack....and if it comes through your nose, how to turn your head and place your face in the sack so it doesn't go anywhere. They took the sacks home ......just in case.....since they didn't want it in the car.....not only that, but I can't look at a chicken nugget kids meal the same again.....