Intent...

I had every intention of going grocery shopping - list, menu planned, cash, full gas tank and my car keys. Not 2 minutes into the drive this happened...see above and 2 minutes later her sister followed suit. So here I am parked on the side of the road wondering, waiting, trying to keep them from waking up. Do I drive to Monterey to go to Traders assuming they will wake up by then...and if they don't, then what? Do I stay parked here? Transferring from the car to bed always results in woken up cranky kids. Safeway? Not far enough away. Drive home park in the driveway until they wake up. Do you remember when you use to grocery shop alone and not at 11pm?

Shadows

i have sisters. 3 sisters. Elizabeth. Rebekah. Sarah. sisters is the english word for angels. each of my angels has played a very important role in who i am, who i am striving to be and who i have been in my previous years. they have each decided what role they have wanted and are willing to play in my life.

Elizabeth: she is my oldest angel. she is an angel with a huge heart. we are all lucky in this life to have people who love us in our lives but Elizabeth does all that she can for those she loves. for examples she was there when i gave birth to my first child, linkin. it was a difficult, long, hard delivery and she stayed all night to help...even when it wasn't fun anymore. she stuck by me at one of my most challenging times. she made all my wedding cakes (i didn't have multiple weddings. i had multiple wedding cakes all at the same wedding). i can't tell you how late she stayed up making them but i can tell you they tasted like heaven. on my wedding day as my husbands best man gave a wonderful speech about him i feared that no one would get up and speak on my behalf...guess who did, Elizabeth. once again i was loved. when graduation day came and it was time for me to leave the nest and head to college she came to my rescue. she set me up with a place to live and told me her door was always open. she eventually took me in and let me live with her and her family. again, i felt loved. i can remember as a child waiting by the window for her to come home from sacramento. i waited there so long i heard my mother say repeatedly "a pot that is watched never boils". i would have waited there all day if i had too. Elizabeth has been not only my angel but my best friend.

Rebekah: she is the second oldest angel. she is an angel that i am sure in the previous life was bbfs with Christ himself. (serious, i am not being blasphemous) Rebekah is an angel that will teach you how to love unconditionally. when all reason says to be angry and lock the door to love she loves. she gives. she works. for example, when i was pregnant with bentley and wasn't sure i could see the light at the end of the tunnel she drove all the down to my house to help me clean, prepare meals for several weeks and talk the day away with me. she makes an effort to let you know she cares, like her same day trip down for Seth's 30th birthday. she is real. she is exactly who she says she is, doesn't profess to be something she isn't. she would give you her left shoe if you needed it. there has never been a question in my mind if this angel loved me. as a child i remember her taking me with her to the lamb barns to feed her lamb. she worked so hard. at night when i would wake up and she would be in the kitchen cleaning up and doing the dishes when everyone else was asleep and would make me a PB&J and put me back to bed. Rebekah has not only been my angel but my best friend.

Sarah: she is my third oldest angel. she is an angel that has given support and strength when it was needed most. for example, when i had to conquer a very daunting task of taking bentley, my 4 month old to stanford for an mri in which she would be sedated alone, this angel came with me quietly cancelling her appointments and providing me with lunch. the huge daunting task didn't seem so hard with an angel by my side. this angel invited me to join her in what has become one of the most rewarding accomplishments of my life - the nike womens half marathon. it wasn't long after i had bentley that she called an invited me to join her. shortly after i agreed i began to doubt myself and she would reassure me that I could accomplish this. 3 miles into the race i began to panic, i didn't have to say anything and she just quietly said "one mile at a time. one mile and a time" my fear was gone. as a kid i remember sharing a room with her. there is nothing more special about sharing a room with an angel. When she went off to college she would invite me over to visit her in SLO. those were many of my favorite childhood memories. Sarah has not only been my angel but my best friend.

i am forever indebted to these three angels. my life has been truly blessed by them.

I have a father

I consider myself very lucky to have been raised in a home full of love, happiness, boundaries and spirituality. I have two amazing parents. I know we all feel that our parents are great-because they are, they raised us. However my parents are exceptionally amazing. Not only did they manage to raise 6 very different, very strong-willed children they managed to do amazing things in there personal lives.

My mother (briefly since it is fathers day) has made a huge impact in our home ward. She has helped countless women become stronger better mothers, from giving advice to holding a crying baby while a mother can sleep. she has served. She has used her talents in the arts to help the community from painting the cafeteria walls to delivering handmade card to those celebrating a special event. Lastly and with great importance she has supported my father, her husband through countless concerts, art project, hartnell classes, and community events and all the while thinking "wow, mr. Graham is a hottie" (a direct quote). Thank you mom, for being supportive of a wonderful father.

As for the man of the hour, my father, Bruce Chambers Graham...he is a man who stood his ground. I remember as a youth getting ready to go to the movies, in the car ready to back out of the driveway with a car full of friends he looked over at me and with no hesitation said "you won't be wearing that to the movies go in and change". My body ached with embarrassment. However i knew two things at that moment, first, my father paid attention and cared about me and second, he had strong morals and standard for not only himself but for me as well.

My fathers impact on our community is one that can not and will not ever be replicated. He has touched the lives of so many children. From teaching them to play an instrument to teaching them to understand they have great purpose in life. Literally helping children who are struggling in their personal lives and giving the direction, hope and a stepping stone for success. He has changed the course of many children in king city for better. The community understand his role in the city and highly respects him and are willing to give support and help to him.

My father has been a great role in our home ward. He has used his talents to write music for our ward which has spread like wildfire and now being used throughout the stake. He has taught countless firesides about music and sung our favorite songs. He has worked with many youth, teaching them by example.

My fathers impact on his posterity is one that will live on forever. My children speak of him often. Reminding me to tell him how they learned a song or ran a mile...because they know he cares. They know he loves them. They know he knows them.

I was raised by two exceptional patents. For this I am grateful.

To an exceptional father I say, happy fathers day! I love you pops and am blessed, truly blessed to be called your daughter.

Summer Time

here are the things we know about summer....

there will be kids up past their bedtime

it won't get over 80 degrees

we will spend more money on gas than usual

there will be grown-ups awake past their bedtime

there will be more laundry and dishes to do

we will run a lot

we will go to big sur as much as possible


i will be cooking


we will step foot on utah soil


we will watch the sunset on the beach more than once


i will lose 20 lbs


we will have lots of family time


we will see our cousions and love every minute of it


we will sleep in a tent more than once


we will laugh a lot


we will have fun


we will embrace every moment


we will soak up the sun


we will be happy!





SUMMER TIME!