Feeling Hopeless...

One morning I decided to turn on the news and I saw a report by Ann Curry. She was in Uganda and was in a cave interviewing an old woman who had 15 children she was helping... none of them her own. They were all orphans whose parents, siblings, friends had been killed by rebel forces. One girl about 14 was holding her 2 year old sister and said her mother had laid her body on top of theirs... and been shot to death. I was horrified. And then the old woman opened her mouth and said, "There is no hope in the world". The words came through my television and hit my in the forehead like a ton a bricks. My mouth hung open and my heart broken... one mouth, one heart, one voice. I felt so helpless. All day long I went through the tasks of my day-- brush my teeth, drive 35 minutes to work, see 14 patients, drive home, go to the Smith's and buy groceries, cook for 15 minutes, eat dinner, watch TV, get ready for bed, read, REPEAT. I had such a hard time shaking that woman's face or the screams of another woman who was videoed driving away in the back of a pick-up truck... she had been the collateral damage of a bomb. Her lung was outside her body. She was being "trucked" down a bumpy road as the people said, "She won't live long enough to get help." What is happening in this world? I know it might just sound dramatic to you... but I felt like I could do nothing. Maybe I can't do anything for those children and families in Uganda. Most likely not. Nothing. But I can be human. I can stop the daily routine and LOOK, SEE, ACKNOWLEDGE that there is a whole world out there that needs someone, anyone to give. Maybe not money, maybe not a lot of time... but hope. So here's to trying in my little meager way... to spread the message. I had seen bits of something called "Kony 2012" on the news. But in my rush to do everything ME-- I didn't stop to watch. Tonight my brother sent me this video. If I could plead with everyone who reads this just to stop and watch. I promise there's nothing more important you could do with your 3o min. Im not asking for donations. But I have to believe that if we all even FELT the DESIRE to help people who didn't affect our daily lives one iota... that there would be more hope in the world. And there IS hope in the world...if we can only show it...

http://vimeo.com/invisible/kony2012

I've realized something... it's okay for us to feel hopeless. It's NOT okay to allow that hopelessness to inhibit us from action. From being human. Surely we cannot allow ourselves to feel so hopeless we can do nothing... that it stops us from doing anything.

They don't come much cuter...

Than THIS!!

Both these boys... love 'em to death!!

Christmas with a BANG!

Mike and I decided to get ourselves a gun for Christmas. Mike owns a shotgun but we (I) felt like in an emergency, we would need something more manageable to whip out. So bless my hubby's heart, one day near Thanksgiving he said, "Let's go look for a gun for you!" Not a phrase I'd really imagine hearing directed to me {ever} as we never had ANY guns in our house growing up... Nonetheless I was excited about this new purchase!

So Mike and I went to Basin Sports in Vernal and I had my first gun-buying lesson. The guy at the counter recommended a revolver for me. Revolver?! Psht... clearly this man does not know how many episodes of Alias I've watched (and re-watched and RE-watched) in my life. Sydney Bristow would never carry a revolver! :) So of course- we had to move on down the line to the 9mm pistols. That's just the gun a spy would carry, folks. Okay, ok, I'll stop projecting my secret desires to be a CIA spy. Mike was so sweet and let us pick out a gun with a smaller hand grip for my small hands. Fits perfectly and surprisingly, I have great pride in my little, big gun.

We tried it out a few days later at the outdoor range in Vernal.

From happy...

to HARDCORE! :)

He's so handsome.

I just love a man holding a 9mm gun (Vaughn... cough, cough) Jk! Ok, really, I'll stop with the Alias comments.

No lie... I actually hit the bullseye! (The above picture has not been doctored in any way)

Alright, it only happened once and there may have been more on the dirt hill behind then on the target... but hey, you gotta brag when you get 'em.

I'm quite surprised how happy I am with this new purchase. Not only do I feel more secure in our home but I just feel tough---just by owning it. Yes, I know I'm far from it but somewhere deep inside... I'd like to think that I am. :)

Thanks to mom and dad Mansfield for contributing to our Christmas gift!!

Moments That Matter Most

This morning I am fasting and praying for answers in my life. I was feeling heavy hearted when I opened Mike's laptop. Bless his heart... his homepage is lds.org. I went to type in "google" when some mormon message videos caught my eye. I thought, "I can watch those later". But my fingers froze on the keyboard and I felt like I needed to watch them now. I started watching these short, 3 min. messages and it was like my perspective broke wide open. What I already knew came rushing back to me in a wave of peace and happiness. I loved this one about "Moments that Matter Most". It made a smile come to my face and my heart lighten just a little. Thank heaven for moments that matter most... if only we can keep the perspective that they are what are significant and what we're living for...

2011 in Review

You could never possibly recount everything that had happened in a year's time. However, with a bright, shiny new year ahead of me... I am feeling nostalgic about what transpired in 2011. Not to be worried, I narrowed it down to one to two significant events per month.

January: Mike began complaining of sudden "heartburn" and discomfort in his chest.

February: Megan goes with Starkey to fit hearing aids on children and adults in Mexico. Mike is hospitalized for a few days under the presumption of "bowel obstruction".

March: After many doctors and specialists, the bowel obstruction turned out to be some other mystery entirely... 8-10" of Mike's bowel are removed without doctors really knowing what made them abnormal.

**No pictures because Mike refused to let me take any of him in the hospital. I got one video while he was coming out of anesthesia but as mentioned in a previous post... I have vowed not to post it**

April: Mike and I celebrate 1 yr of being homeowners by re-doing our front yard and planting trees.

May: I (finally) graduate with my Au.D. Mike and I celebrate and take a trip to the condo in Florida!

June: Mike finds out he passed the CPA exams!! All 4 on his first try! He's an official CPA.

July: We bask in the awesomeness that is the annual Mansfield 24th of July campout

August: Mike bought me a new car-- a crossover preparing us for family days in the future. Mike plays in corporate games. Marisa and I have our first garage sale-- a raging success.

September: We go on a Lake Powell trip with my bosses and their friends for a week. An entire week of boating, sun and games!! I celebrate my 25th birthday and Mike's 27th birthday!

October: We went up to Scofield cabin with the Dyes and Jonny. Mike competed in a volleyball tournament (not pictured).

November: Brittany and I road trip to Las Vegas for a girl's trip!

December: Mike and I celebrate our 4 year anniversary by staying at the Marriott at City Center, shopping at Gateway and eating delicious food.

2011 had it's ups and downs (as most years do). Mike and I are looking anxiously toward 2012 with hope, goals and ambition to make it the best year yet.

Thai Food

Thai food is a new love for Mike and I... but, boy, do we love it! For over a year, I've wanted to eat at this new place in Riverton called Thai Basil. One of Mike's co-workers this week told him it was excellent. We went last night and it was delicious! The decor was nice, our waiter was fantastic and the food was wonderful. We loved the cream-cheese wontons. Not overly fried and smooth cream cheese inside. We got the standard go-to Pad Thai and the waiter's recommendation of Pad Prick Sod (wowza, spicy!). The other thing I loved about it was the menu included an Asian mix... Thai, Chinese and Vietnamese (I once had Vietnamese in Miami and it was one of the best things I ever ate!) with lots of vegetarian choices. I love trying new places and it's rare that they're actually worth the adventure. My parents are also new Thai lovers so Mike and I will have to take them there. I hope they stay in business... so you should all try it! :)

P.S. Sorry this is a no-picture post. I had just showered with no make-up and no hair-do (a result of a spa afternoon gone terribly wrong-- that post coming soon) when we went out... hardly picture worthy!

For the love of reading...

Such a variety of emotions... anticipation, contentment, serenity and thrill all compressed into one iota of a moment. The instant of running my exploring fingers over the pages of a new book. Newness of the copy itself has very little to do with it. In fact, sometimes the older the book, that more character it's worn pages provides my avid imagination to create it's pathway through existence. The emotion lies in the unknown descriptions, characters, adventures, romances, places and history my mind craves but doesn't even know yet exists. It's like going home to your favorite place in the world but never knowing what you'll find there each time. I don't know if that analogy computes in anyone else's brain besides mine... but even writing about it stimulates neurons deep in my brain that have my itching to race to my bookshelves.

Reading. It's been such a part of me for so long, I can't remember books not being an important part of my life. I have my wonderful parents to credit for that. It began with my pre-K self standing in front of the small bookshelf in the very back of the old South Jordan library. I don't remember a single title of those square, shiny-paged, paper-back books that I started with...only 3 words per page. But I read them-- all. My mom said she'd pay me a nickel a page. That gets a kid's mind racing and eyes moving. However, the beauty of it all was I honestly can't remember when the monetary payment stopped because an emotional payoff took over.

One of my dreams is to have a library in my home. It doesn't have to be large (okay, okay, I might have imagined a Beauty & the Beast library in my wildest dreams) but just one room-designated to the love of the excitingly unexplored and the lovingly familiar. In this process of building my own library, book by book, I want YOUR input. Yes, you. Book recommendations are always high on my questions for people. I love asking for favorites or their current read... so now I'm asking blogosphere. As many as I can get... pour it on. I really, really want to know....

GOT FAVORITES?