Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity.... It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow. ~Melody Beattie

If the only prayer you said in your life was "thank you," that would suffice. --Meister Eckhart

Adventures from Africa (May 2007)

My trip to Kenya this year was absolutely life changing. I loved my experience the first time I went in 2000 as well, but this time it was healing, motivating and perspective giving in a whole new way. The team I went with was amazing and so cohesive. Out project was to build a school, or at least get the foundation laid and get the bulk of the work started. The work was hard, harder than anything I have done in my life but it was invigorating as well. They dont have cement mixers there, I was the cement mixer! I didn't know my body could work that hard! Every night I would just crash in my bed, I was even so tired one night that I didnt have the energy to fight with my mosqitoe net, and I was SORRY the next morning! I was eaten alive- my face and arms looked awful!
I fell in love with a little boy named Duncan Aloo, he is 10 years old and came to Kwawatoto (name of a school that was built previously by the team) a few years ago when his mother died of AIDS, he hadn't seen his father for several years before that. He is bright and wants an education so he works hard. Before I left I asked him what things he felt he really needed and I tried to get those things for him before I left. His answer was so simple. "I need shoes and a box to keep things in." I had some old New Balance shoes that I had worked in everyday, they were dirty and cement had dried on them, but I thought they would fit him, so I scrubbed them clean and went looking for a trunk that night. When I gave him the shoes I had found some other things at the store- so he had a little Christmas in June! He was so humble and overwelmed, he hardly spoke (which wasn't that uncommon for him).

BRAGGING SQUARE!!!

This is sweet Reagan holding Gibson, aka Gibby! Reagan used to be mortally afraid of dogs but as you can see she has overcome her fears- she is an example to all of us! She is 6 1/2 years old, in first grade and doesn't like to talk about school!

For some reason I fall totally in love with each of the kids in our family when they are right about this age- ok I admit I fall in love with every age- but this is one of my favs outside of baby age. She is so dang SWEET!!!

Adventures with my Friends

I have been so richly blessed with incredible friends! Couldn't have made it through any of the rough adventures without them!

Witchy Adventures

For the last few years all of us girls have been going to Witches Night Out at Gardner's Village. I absolutely love it! I look forward to it all year long and hate it when its over. My mom made the Glinda the Good Witch costume and its a hit, the little girls think I am a princess and the effect is something like a Disneyland character where I end up taking pictures with hundreds of little girls! Its a great time and a fun tradition. These pictures are all from the 2006 and 2007 years. My mom is in the Wicked Witch of the West in 2006 and Malifacent in 2007. My Aunt Charlotte is the gorgeous blonde witch with her 2 little girls, Hailey and Reagan. My Cousin Jen is the beautiful one with darker hair and her daughter is Riley- there is a picture of Riley and I that I love- we are cheek to cheek and she had on a pink beenie, I can still feel the cool feeling of her cheek next to mine- she is soooo sweet. My cousin Esther and her daughter Tory are in some and this year my dear friend Anne-Marie joined us as well as Charlottes friend Rachel and her girls! SOO much fun! best part: Yummy Scones!!!

Adventures this summer with the people I love most!

On the 24th of July we all met up at Cousin Randy Townsends for a BBQ and swimming. Then later in the summer we all went hiking up Little Cottonwood Canyon to Albien Basin, where the kids caught salamanders and we all enjoyed a bit cooler air. Even Grams made the big hike! Best part was all being together.