The Kern Family

Moving

2013-01-01T20:54:00.000-08:00

I am closing up shop here and moving to a new blog site. I am starting a private blog so if you would like an invite please let me know your email address and I will be happy to send you one. If I have been following your private blog, I would like to continue following it so if you would please send me an invite at amabey82@gmail.com. Thank you all for your support.

meandyoukid.wordpress.com

Abbie and Logan

6 weeks..... Time Flies

2012-08-07T14:56:00.001-07:00

Wow, well my baby is already 6 weeks old and I am going back to work in just 10 days. I cannot believe how fast the time has gone. I have loved spending so much time with him, and I feel very lucky that when I do go back to work I have friends and family to leave him with instead of putting him in daycare. I hope that we can manage to keep it that way. He is getting so big and starting to develop his personality. He has started smiling and cooing a little bit. I will be sending out birth announcement soon, if you want one please make sure to leave me your address if I don't already have it.

2012-06-27T14:41:00.002-07:00

Our New Arrival!!

Logan Samuel

Arrived June 21, 2012 6:43pm

7 lbs 4 oz 20 inches

Mom and baby are both doing well.

Almost Done!!

2012-05-12T12:08:00.002-07:00

Ok, so I haven't posted much during my pregnancy but let me be honest.... I have been really tired and just getting the stuff done around the house and working has been enough for me most days. I am 32 weeks now and cannot believe that in just 2 short months there will be a baby boy joining our family. The nursery is 98% done, I just have a few finishing touches to put on it and then I will post a picture.

We went to SLC for a shower last weekend that my older sister threw for us, and most of my cousins and aunts were able to come. It was so great to see everyone and meet the new arrivals that have come already this year. It was a nice trip to take before I stop traveling for the rest of the pregnancy. I will stay home now until delivery and then travel some while I am off work on leave this summer.

We recently adopted a puppy, she is a chocolate lab, golden retriever mix and she looks just like a black lab. Her name is Harley and she is hilarious. She has more energy than any 10 people I know but she is a good girl and is learning fast. She does love to snuggle and play and I try to spend time with her everyday so that she is used to the contact with people and will be good with kids. She has a big personality and I love it.

Happy Mothers Day to those moms out there that have had such an impact on my life. You have been great examples to me and I look forward to using those lessons while raising my own family.

Baby Announcement!!!!!

2012-02-20T15:32:00.000-08:00

It's A
BOY!!!

I am so excited that we know what we are having now, I can start shopping for some cute clothes and collecting things from friends and family that they are willing to hand down to our new little guy.
Now we get to figure out what to name the little guy

Baby on the Way!!!

2012-02-03T19:03:00.000-08:00

Ok, so it has been awhile since I posted and there really hasn't been much going on in our lives. We are both working full time and enjoying the time that we have together and the time that we get to spend with Wyatt. He will be 4 in a few months, and he is all boy. He loves superheros and anything to do with Cars or Cars 2, he also has discovered how cool dinasoaurs are and he is learning his letters and numbers.

We are expecting a new addition on July 5. We find out if it is a boy or a girl on the 20th of Feb so stay tuned for that announcement. I am been feeling pretty good lately, the first trimester was pretty easy not to much morning sickness, but I did get acid reflux and just started taking something for that. Thank goodness for small miracles, I had been throwing up a lot and it was really getting old. I am just starting to show, but not enough that I really feel pregnant, I just feel chubby, so when that changes I will post some belly pictures for those of you so far away you won't have a chance to see it in person.

I am so excited and nervous about becoming a full time mom, being a step mom part time at best is not the same and I know that my life is going to change a lot when this baby comes. I know that I am ready and I am going to be a good parent but that does not change the nerves about actually meeting this little person and teaching them to be a good person. It is a good thing that I have had good examples in my own parents and siblings. Thank you everyone that has influenced my life and will in turn influence the way that my child grows up.

I promise I will post more often as the due date gets closer so that my friends and family can enjoy this journey with us. I love you guys.

Oregon.... Our First Family Vacation

2011-11-02T00:47:00.000-07:00

Ok so I am a little bit behind on my blogging, but I was waiting for the wedding pictures to come back so that I could post that before our trip to Oregon. It was a great trip, we stayed in Klamath Falls, which is beautiful. Mom, Dad, Fred, Wyatt and I all went together in Mom and Dads car, somedays it felt like a tight fit but it was all in all pretty fun to travel all together.

One day we went to Crater Lake, and one day we drove to the Redwoods. Both very amazing and beautiful places. It was nice weather, the day we went to Crater Lake I think we ate lunch in about 50 degrees, it was so cold up there but it was amazing, Wyatt got a chance to play in a little bit of snow and we got some great pictures.

Our trip to the Redwoods was pretty fun, although the drive was a little bit crazy, it was fun. We got to see Paul Bunnion and Babe the big blue ox, and we drove through a tree, there is a video somewhere of dad driving the cadillac thru a tree which I thought was pretty funny.

Then one day we spent the day in Medford, with my beautiful cousin Elise and her family. It was a great day, Wyatt had some other kids to play with and we got to go out to dinner just the adults at this great place that had amazing Pizza, Fred still talks about it.

I have been having serious issues posting pictures so check back later after I have had a chance to add some.

Wedding Pictures

2011-10-29T11:01:00.000-07:00

I have finally gotten around to posting about the wedding. It was such a great day, the weather was perfect and it was so nice to have so much family and great friends come out to support us. We love you all. I did post a few wedding pictures I hope that you enjoy them, there are more on my facebook page. I hope that everyone has a very safe and happy Halloween.

It's COMING FAST!!

2011-07-31T21:31:00.000-07:00

As my wedding day gets closer and things are starting to fall into place and the rest of the plans are finalized I can't wait. I am so EXCITED!!!! At church today everything that was talking about was Eternal Marriage, our Bishop gave an amazing lesson on Marriage and Divorce in our joint Relief Society and Priesthood meeting today and it was all centered around a talk the Elder Oaks gave, here is the link to the talk.

http://lds.org/general-conference/2007/04/divorce?lang=eng

I think it is something that everyone should see. It really touched me having been divorced and now on the verge of getting married again. I think that everyone can take something from this talk. Even if it is just a little understanding for someone you know who has been divorced or for yourself. Please take the time to read it. It is amazing.

BIG Changes

2011-07-04T22:39:00.001-07:00

I am getting married. Yup, you read that correctly, I am finally going to tie the knot again. I am so excited. The big day, August 27, 2011..... The man, a boy from my past actually, I have known him since high school. We went to 2 high school dances together, that fact was resolved after much debate and actually locating the pictures from the dances. We grew up in the same ward, and after years of not speaking we reconnected and fell in love.

He does have son from his previous marriage, he is 3 and a great little kid. He has captured the hearts of my family, and myself. The next chapter of my life is going to be a great one. I cannot wait to get it started. I am looking forward to all of the things that I miss about being married, and learning all of the things about Fred that I don't know yet. You never really know a person until you live together. I am mostly looking forward to eternity with him. He is a good man and a good father.

So, here is to the future. Whatever it holds, he and I will face it together.

Goodbye 2010

2010-12-26T14:33:00.001-08:00

I cannot believe that the year is already ending. It has gone by so fast, and so many things have happened. I have noticed the older I get the faster the years seem to go, and this year for some reason went so fast. Just a little recap:

I was laid off from the airline after almost 9 years of service. Went back to Hawaii for the 3rd time and this time we went to the Big Island and stayed in Kona with my aunt and uncle, it was an amazing and very fun trip. It was so nice to have Mike and Becky with us for the trip I think all of us needed the vacation. I found a new job shortly after getting home and now I am working for Melaleuca, if you want to know more about the company just ask. I have recently got back in touch with an old friend from high school that grew up in the ward and we are spending a lot of time together, he is a great guy and we are going to see what the future brings.

It was a great Christmas and I am looking forward to New Years. I cannot believe that in less than a week it will be 2011. Here is hoping that the new year brings just as much happiness and good memories as the last one did. To all of my friends and family, I love you and I hope that this holiday season has been wonderful and full of love and laughter.

Eat, Pray, Love

2010-07-19T20:39:00.000-07:00

I know several women that have read this book and they all have different opinions about it and how it has affected them. So as I sit here thinking to myself about it and how it has affected me I thought that I would put it into words, if not for those of you out there that read my blog for myself so that I will always remember how I felt.

This book for me was a little bit of a self awakening. I went through a period after my divorce that I like to call my self discovery phase. I had to find out who I was and who I wanted to be. After being a relationship that steals your identity you have to find out who you have become because of those experiences. I am not sure if the post divorce version of Abbie is better or worse than the pre divorce version but I do know that I am a much different person.

After reading this book and reflecting back on my marriage and the events that led up to my divorce and the divorce itself I can understand the authors need to go on this trip. If I had been able to make a such a journey after mine, I like to think that I would have had the courage to do it. I know that not everyone has the need to rediscover themselves after such a heartbreak, however going through that rediscovery is one of the hardest things that I have ever done. I didn't realize how much of myself I had lost until I was actually divorced and looking at myself in the mirror thinking that I didn't even know what do to now that he was no longer a part of my life even though I was better off having ended the marriage. The author makes some very valid and important points that really hit home to me while I was reading the book. The one that really sticks out in my mind and I keep thinking about it and realizing how lucky I am that I did not have any kids with my ex-husband is when she quotes her sister saying "Having a baby is like getting a tattoo on your face, you really need to be certain it is what you want before you commit." I do want a family, and I am sure that when the time is right I will have my chance, until then, I will be patient. I am forever grateful to my ex and his family for the wonderful things that they brought into my life. For the love that they shared with me and for the changes that happened inside of me because we got married. I do not regret the decisions that I made and hope that I never will.

This life is full of decisions, and with each of those there are consequences to our actions. All that we can do is make the best of every situation. Love with all of your heart, even though it may get broken, it is the only way to love. Remember that no one is perfect, you have to have room for error, we are only human and that means that we get our feelings hurt and we don't always say the right thing but we are trying the best that we can. And when the chips are down and life feels like it just never going to get better, when everything is falling apart around you, that is when you discover who truly loves you, because those people will rally around you and do anything with in their power to help you put your life back together and move on. So I will leave you with a few quotes from the book, make of it what you will but try to look at it through the eyes of a woman who has been through some of the greatest pain you can imagine and she came out the other side willing to pick up the broken pieces of her life and put it back together the best way she knew how.

"Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it. You must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it." - Elizabeth Gilbert

"Tis' better to live your own life imperfectly than to imitate someone else's perfectly."
-Elizabeth Gilbert

"There is so much about my fate that I cannot control, but other things do fall under the jurisdiction. I can decide how I spend my time, whom I interact with, whom I share my body and life and money and energy with. I can select what I can read and eat and study. I can choose how I'm going to regard unfortunate circumstances in my life-whether I will see them as curses or opportunities. I can choose my words and the tone of voice in which I speak to others. And most of all, I can choose my thoughts."
-Elizabeth Gilbert

"We search for happiness everywhere, but we are like Tolstoy's fabled beggar who spent his life sitting on a pot of gold, under him the whole time. Your treasure--your perfection--is within you already. But to claim it, you must leave the buy commotion of the mind and abandon the desires of the ego and enter into the silence of the heart."
-Elizabeth Gilbert

A first time for Everything

2010-07-07T22:57:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I am not really sure what to say. I thought that my life was finally settling down and I was finding a routine and things were going pretty good..... Well guess what I get for thinking. I have been working since I was 16, and in that time I have never been unemployed, I have always had another job to go to before I left the one I had. Well this time it is out of my control. Here is my story.

Yup, more big changes on the Horizon, and that is just where they are coming from. Horizon, the company that I currently work for and have been working for since 2001 is going to stop flying into Idaho Falls. So I am getting laid off, as of August 21st I will be unemployed and that is really kinda freaking me out. I love what I do and the company has taken really good care of me for the last 8+ years. But I also feel like everything happens for a reason, so I pick myself up and move forward.
To that end, I am currently looking for a new job/career. I don't think that I will be looking in the travel industry, things are just to unstable there for me to be comfortable going to work for another airline right now. So, I am looking at other options, maybe going back to school, or just a change of pace, maybe something a little slower and simpler. So if any of you know of any really good jobs out there that a girl could make a living and support herself doing, let me know. Right now, there is no job to big or to small to be considered.

Changes

2010-04-10T16:26:00.000-07:00

I keep hoping that spring is in the air..... Unfortunately I live in Idaho and that means that we could end up with snow in June for all I know. I am so tired of all of the snow and the wind the cold, I am so ready for the flowers, sun, and heat.

Work has been kinda busy with the Spring Break rush, but things are starting to quiet down again. I know that things will pick up again in June though, Allegiant Air, the airline that we contract with and provide customer service for here in Idaho Falls is starting non stop service to Los Angeles on June 3rd. Twice a week service on Thursdays and Sundays, it should be pretty busy and fun to add an extra flight. The prices are really cheap to, so if you want to go and you live near the Idaho Falls area, check out the website www.allegiantair.com or get in touch with me.

So there are some changes that I am wishing for and some that I am looking forward to. Just life I guess, it never happens when I want it to, it just happens when it is ready to.

It has been awhile

2010-02-15T21:06:00.000-08:00

So I am pretty sure most of my family knows that I am NOT a fan of Valentine's Day.... AT ALL.

But how can you really be unhappy when something like this shows up for you at work when you are have a not so good day and you just can't wait till the weekend starts.

I have to say thank you to the person that sent these to me, and I am grateful to have the chance to get to know him. Life is full of surprises.

Another Year Gone

2009-12-26T22:22:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to take a minute and wish everyone a late but very Merry Christmas and an early and very Happy New Year.

It has been an interesting year, and I am looking forward to 2010 to see what it brings my way. I can't wait for the surprises and the challenges that life brings.

Thoughts on Freedom and the Men I know who have Protected Mine

2009-11-11T21:51:00.000-08:00

As today ends and I cannot help but think about all of the past, present, and future veterans that our country has and will see I have to be so grateful to the people I know that have and are willing to risk it all to protect our boarders and our freedom.

First of all, my grandfather who has shared many stories with me about his time in France during WWII. He was color blind and back then there were not that many jobs in the military for him, but he did his duty and served all the same. Lost loved ones at home while he was so far away. I love you grandpa and I am proud to share my birthday with you.

My dad, the time that he spent in the military when I was younger changed our family. The months that he was gone during Desert Storm were the hardest I can remember as a kid, and I am so grateful for him and the things that he taught all of us by being willing to go even though it was leaving his wife and 5 children behind while he did it. I love you dad.

My brothers, both of them have now served. The oldest served right out of high school and the example that he set for the rest of us was one that taught me to make a decision, and stand by it. He was more than willing to go and do whatever uncle sam asked him to. You are and always will be one of the biggest role models in my life. I love you more than you know.

And the brother that just entered into what I can only expect will be the hardest year of his life. He arrived at boot camp yesterday, leaving behind in AZ his wife and 2 little boys while he trains to become one of this countries finest. I have always had a special relationship with him, we were more than siblings, we are friends. He was my best friend for a long time, and we have had a lot of similar experiences at different points in our lives. I am so proud of him, not only for being willing, but for fulfilling a dream that he has had as long as I can can remember. He has always talked about joining the military and now he has. It is going to be a long hard road but one worth it in the end I know it will.

And to all of the friends that I have in the Armed Forces, you know who you are. You have all done something that I consider to be so incredibly brave and honorable. I hope that you know how much you are loved and appreciated. This world needs more men and women that are willing to put it all on the line to save the lives of others. I love you all. Thank you for my freedoms.

"For those who fought for it, freedom has a flavor the protected will never know." -Unknown

Change in the Weather

2009-10-01T22:59:00.001-07:00

So, recently the weather here has taken a turn for the much much colder. Now don't get me wrong I don't have a problem with winter, I like snow and all the fun winter activities. But could someone please invent a way that we could have the winter without freezing our body parts off?

Seriously, I work outside and yesterday when we got our first snow fall of the season I thought for a second that my hands were just going to fall off. As the weather continues to change and I try to get ready to deal with working outside this year I will dream of the last few winters when I was lucky enough to be able to stand inside at the gate and watch the deicing occur outside.... While this year it will be me up there in the deice truck spraying that not so friendly stuff at the airplanes and wishing that the wind would stop blowing it back in my face and that I could just go inside and have some hot chocolate and call it a day.

I will try to face the winter head on, take it like a man and just deal with the temperature drop like it is nothing. I do ask in advance for your forgiveness though because I know that I will not be able to just sit back and keep my mouth shut about how much I do not like coming home from work dripping wet and covered in chemicals that should not be used for human consumption but somehow get inside of my mouth when the wind kicks up.

My Obsession

2009-08-23T20:54:00.000-07:00

So I have to speak briefly on my obsession. I am not sure how many of you out there know this about me but I am an addict. Yes I can admit that I am addicted to 2 things in life Dr. Pepper, which should come as no surprise to most of you. The other is "Grey's Anatomy" I have never missed an episode.

I will either watch it on Thursday nights whenever I get the chance or I have been known to download it the next day on the internet or subscribe via iTunes so that I can get the whole season and watch them whenever I want. I have the first 4 seasons on DVD because someone loved me enough to feed my addiction before he really knew how bad it was, and I am still not sure he really understands how bad it is. The 5th season comes out on DVD on Sept. 15th and I will buy it as soon as I can. Season 6 starts Sept. 24th and I am counting down the days.

So, there you have it. I have a problem and I know that I do, please do not hate me for it and do not try to stop me from feeding my addiction. I have very few things right now that bring me true joy and happiness and these things do. You all should love me just the way I am. Addicitions and all, if not then maybe we should find you a new friend/family member.

Nothing but Work

2009-08-04T21:53:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it has been a long time since I posted anything and lets be honest it is really just because I have nothing to tell. Life is just.... life. I get up I go to work and I come home and then do it all again the next day. Nothing exciting going on really, work has been busy which is good, I am hoping that is stays that way. As long as it is busy I don't worry about if I am going to have a job in another 6 months or so. I am however looking for a second job, part-time just isn't enough for me. I get bored when I don't have enough to do. So the job search starts, I have been kind of looking since I moved home in June, but not really seriously looking and since my work schedule changes at the airport in just a few weeks I figure I can kick it up a notch because by the time something happens I should know what I will be working at the airport through the fall at least. So thats about it.

I am excited to see my sister and her kids this week, they are coming up from Salt Lake for a few days and then I am headed there the following weekend for a few days to visit some family I haven't seen in a long time. I am feeling alittle out of touch with the people that I always keep in touch with because I have been busy with other things this summer. But other things have changed and it is back to what I love most, my family. And then in Sept. I have some vacation time with my parents and sister and we are going to head south to Salt Lake for a week, I know not that exciting it seems, but I am looking forward to spending some quality time with my Grandparents and cousins and all of my extended family. We will do the things that we used to do when we were kids, go to the zoo, play at Lagoon, and visit all of the family that we have there. Most of my extended family is in the Salt Lake area.

So, I am going to get through August hopefully with a little bit if grace, although if it stays so gosh dang hot outside I am not sure how graceful I can be. Then enjoy the fall, maybe catch a baseball game or two and look forward to the seasons changing. I am not looking forward to winter, so I will enjoy the hot and mild weather before it get freaking freezing out there and I have to work in it.

Boring Life

2009-07-11T01:09:00.000-07:00

So I haven't posted in a little while and lets be honest how many of you were really missing all of my oh so exciting news..... Really?

But here it is anyway, It has been a pretty uneventful month for me. I have completed my move back to Idaho Falls with the exception of a few boxes in Boise that I am picking up this week while I will be there. I have settled into work, trying to work as many hours as I can when I can since I am only scheduled to work 10 hours a week and that takes 5 days it is hard to get extra but I manage most weeks. I have decided to paint the bedroom I moved into, I found the color today, and once that is done I will finish putting together my furniture.

I still need to, find a storage unit and get my stuff out of Mom and Dad's garage so that they can use the other half again. Find a second job to help with my cash flow issues. I am saving tons of money being back here but I also took a hit on the $$ by moving back so I have to find the balance. I also need to plan and make a trip to Salt Lake soon, I haven't been for just a fun visit in a long time and I miss spending time with the people that I have grown use to seeing on a more regular basis since I was flying there at least once a month for visits from Boise. I promise I will come soon, don't worry. And I need to go and see my sisters new digs, the house and everything are finally taken care of and she is so close now I am crazy if I don't take advantage of that.

So that is it, boring I know but it is all I have right now. I will try to do better next time I promise.

Fathers Day

2009-06-21T03:04:00.000-07:00

I want to take a minute and wish all of the Fathers that I know a very Happy Fathers Day. I feel so blessed to have such great men in my life. Not just my own father but my brothers who are great dads and my brother-in-law as well. I have discovered recently how blessed I really am to have had such great parents and family in my life.

I want you all to know that you are amazing and wonderful men and I count myself very lucky to know each and everyone of you. Not just the ones that are in my immediate family but my extended family as well. So many of my cousins and other family members have been so lucky to find such wonderful men to raise families with, I know that not everyone is as blessed as we are.

Count your blessings and give them a big hug today. Happy First Day of Summer as well.

Happy BiRtHdAy to ME..

2009-06-07T22:12:00.000-07:00

So today was my birthday and before I go any further I want to with my Grandpa Ekstrom and cousin Joey a Happy Birthday cause we share this special day. I love you guys. Thanks for being such great examples in my life and sharing our birthday with me.

Ok, so I turned 27 today. Yes I did just divulge my age on the internet. However I don't care about how old I am I just want to talk about how old I feel. We had a BBQ with my brothers and all of the family that could come and it was generally a pretty great birthday as birthdays go. As today ended I started thinking about the last 7 years of my life. Since my 2oth birthday there have been some big defining moments in my life and I wondered if I had really noticed them or just gone right over them because I was distracted by something else.

When I was 20 I got married, about 7 weeks before my 21st birthday, along with that wedding I became a mother to a very great little kid. I am not sure I was ready for all of it but I did it with faith that my father in heaven knew that I could handle it.

Before my 23rd birthday that marriage came to an end. A very abrupt and hard ending as well. I lost everything that I had thought would last for eternity. I even lost a few people that I never thought I would miss if they were gone. I miss my ex-in-laws and my step son, it was a hard transition to make.

Just after the divorce but still before the 23rd birthday I moved to Boise, I needed a fresh start. It was the first time that I had been more than a 30 minute drive from my parents in my entire life. It was a big, hard, but much needed change. I needed to find my independance and that is what I did.

For the next few years I worked hard and played hard. I learned a lot about who I am and who I want to be. Also falling and stumbling along the way but always getting back and and pressing on in the hope that someday I will find what I am looking for. I made some great friends and had some great times. I thought I found love again but I was wrong, and it was just about then I realized that I could not find love again unless I learned to love myself. So I became single again, and I have stayed that way for about 2 years now. I am a strong independant woman who has learned to support herself, and is proud of who she has become.

And this year prior to my birthday, I moved back home to Idaho Falls. Not just home to the town but home to my parents house. I work in an industry that is really feeling the pinch with the economy the way that it is and it became to hard to make ends meet living in Boise. So here I am a strong independant woman, living down the hall from my parents. I am not ashamed to admit that this had to happen. Things are hard in the travel industry right now and I am just glad to have a job, so tomorrow I will get up and go to work and be glad that I have the chance to do that.

Here is to hoping that the next year brings big changes to my life, I don't care how they come but I am ready for them. I feel like I am ready for anything, after what I have been through in the last 7 years what can the next 12 months bring that could be harder? So here is to birthdays, and big changes. In 30 min it won't be my day anymore and I will have started the next year of my life.

So.... I went on Vacation and this is what happened.

2009-05-26T21:09:00.000-07:00

Ok so it has been a while since I posted and rightfully so I think. I went on Vacation, yup thats right I took 11 days off of work and got the heck out of town.

I went to Yellowstone for 5 days with my friend Kristen and her husband Ben. It was a great trip, we saw some great wildlife that included 3 bears, hundreds of buffalo, a few elk and various other little critters. It was awsome, I have got some pictures, however I don't have them with me right now so I will post them later.

So after a fun and long week in Yellowstone, a lot of driving a day trip to Jackson, WY for a great hamburger and a visit with some family friends we made our way back to Idaho Falls where we were suppose to trade my moms car for mine and drive back to Boise, I decided that since I had the weekend off and there was no reason for me to go back to Boise yet I stayed with my family. On Sunday, my parents and I drove to Salt Lake for my cousin Eddy's mission farewell. I cannot believe that he is going on a mission, I remember when he was born, crazy kids getting all grown up. Then from the lunch we went to decorate my grandparents grave in West Valley, and got back on the road to Arco, ID. Yup the middle of no where ID to decorate the rest of the graves for my moms parents. In all it was a 13 hour day with about 19 of it spent in the car.

So yesterday, at my parents house we had a family bbq, my brother brought his 2 boys over and my sister was up from Salt Lake with her 4 kids and my bro's best friend came over with his daughter. It was fun, the weather was great so the kids played outside and we had some great food and great company and several kids covered in chocolate ice cream before the day was over.

So here is to a great vacation, I am so glad that I had the time to spend with friends and family.

OH.... and somewhere in the middle of my time off I found out that I got a transfer back to the Idaho Falls airport. So on Sunday morning I will load up my car and drive over there in hopes of starting work on Monday if everything goes well... and at a later date I will have to come to back to Boise and pack up my stuff and move it home but I have till the end of June so I am just trying to get through the next 2 weeks and then we will go from there.

Optimism

2009-05-07T20:53:00.000-07:00

I have been watching a documentary tonight that Michael J Fox did after he published his last book. I did a research project on him when I was in high school right after he went public with his PD and after watching this I asked myself a question that I want to ask all of you and see what you think.

Is optimism taught to us or are we born that way?

Is it just the way we are or do we get that way through a series of events in our lives that make us see the picture differently?

The documentary is called "The adventures of an Incurable Optimist" how many of us are just that incurably optimistic? With the world the way that it is and things changing quicker than most of us even realize how many of us are seeing the glass half full instead of half empty? In countries like India where the believe that fate decides what path life takes they make movies like "Slum Dog Millionaire" and inspire millions of people around the world.

And how many things do we take for granted everyday because we can do them without effort? I watched as a man that cannot control the shaking in his limbs play golf.... he can barely hold the club let alone have any control over where the ball is going, but he gets out and plays because he enjoys the game and the time to spend with friends. Everyday most of us get out of bed and go about our day without giving things like brushing our teeth a second thought. When there are people out there that have spent 20 or 30 years doing all of these things without a problem and one day that all changes and it is all they can do to get out of bed.

My point I guess is that even in the hard times that we are all dealing with in our own ways, we can choose to be optimistic and we can see the bigger picture and make the best of the life that we have been given. We can for lack of a better phrase take the lemons and make lemonade. I think that this world needs more incurable optimists.