You know, getting lost isn't as bad as most think. Actually....in this case...it was perfect.
Imagine Snow White. Up Cedar Mountain...without black hair, flowy dress and seven trailing dwarfs. And just replace the singing birds with little frogs....and there you will have the place. A stream...small cabin....sheep and deer in the distance...little frogs hopping everywhere.. It was like something stamped out of a book.
So naturally, I had to catch a few. And just in case you were wondering....climbing a fence while holding a wiggling frog is much more difficult then one would imagine....
This little guy enjoyed his picture being taken much more then the other little frog. At one point...there was a fish....but believe it or not....fish are even harder to hold one handed and take a picture simultaneously.
At places like this...there isn't much room for worry. It took an afternoon spent with slimy little frogs and splashing in the stream to remind me what really matters....and you know what? It was perfect.
To top it off....I came home to a room mate who let me warm up my water frozen feet under her while sitting on the couch. (In case you needed to check....you know someone cares if they let you stick your half frostbitten feet on them....ok...frostbite may have been an exaggeration...)
If you're a little amused envisioning my story...that's great.. Or possibly..if you were worried...no frogs were harmed in the taking of these pictures. They were all safely returned to their little frog families. Most of all, I was thankful. Thankful for a day of perfect little moments....even if they were moments of simple happiness, comfort, and slight silliness.
The past few months, I've been thinking about a simple question that most of you will think is a little silly. I've been trying to figure out what makes people want to do hard things. I mean, granted...we all tend to be faced with trials and hard times whether we choose them or not...yet...
How do people do it....get through grueling school programs, handle loss, disappointment, hurt....or overcome challenges like surgeries, broken arms, family problems or even learning disabilities? And even more....what makes us, as people, want to go through them?
I mean, many of the hard things we face are a result of our own choice. For example, a choice to pursue further education isn't exactly going to be like a nice day at the beach. Or choosing to move to a new place, buy a house or a car, travel, raise a family, learn a new instrument....
All of those things pose some level of challenge. There comes a point with each....that one might have the sudden overwhelming desire to hide under the blankets for an extended period of time with a spoon and a bucket of ice cream...(Or maybe that's just me).
Can you see why I've had this on my mind for a while? I mean, I wasn't so blind as to not see the immediate answers...personal growth...becoming more, finding a greater purpose, furthering our talents...
But I felt there was more.
And lucky for me, I'm blessed to have so many incredible people in my life....people who were able to answer my question without even know it...simply by the way they live their lives. To top it off, the simple answer from a great friend...
"Sometimes, it's through the hard things that we feel our hearts and souls stretching the most.....but as a result....He allows us to feel that much greater happiness and joy."
The best part about it...is that no matter what we are facing....no matter how hard our burdens may be, even if it may simply be in learning a talent....There is someone to help us carry that burden. To help us through those hard times whenever it is that we may face them.
Even more amazing....is that when we do face those hard things, we begin to see ourselves in terms of forever. And after all... that's part of the point of this life....right? So of course it's going to be hard...maybe at times, even a little scary. Yet, it never fails to be worth it, and in the end....those moments that once seemed so hard....will allow far greater moments of true happiness.
This video....goes along perfectly. I've loved it so much that I may or may not have watched it 6 times...this morning.
I know this is likely common knowledge for most people. I just thought I'd share my a portion of my thoughts...since I haven't been so great at the blogging business as of late.
So for me...it means....to not have a fear of those things to come. To be prepared to enjoy the journey of it. A journey which I'm sure still includes days of blanket hiding and ice cream.
But that's okay....because I'm prepared....and will have an emergency spoon for those moments.
Will be counted as one of my favorite moments to remember.
Most every girl grows up always hearing of countless love stories. Of knights in shining armor saving the girl from the fierce fire breathing dragon.They grow up with all sorts of fantasies of the kind of love that's supposed to sweep you off your feet...and make your heart beat ring in your ears. Fairy tales try to spread the magic...movies try to capture it....people try to find it.
As for me.....I wasn't sure if I believed in it. Sounds absurd to say coming from a girl who tends to be a hopeless romantic..I know. I saw so many people who seemed so captivated by that little thing called love. But I didn't connect myself with it.
Enter into the picture...David Brown. Right from the beginning, I thought he was pretty great, he was a little quirky, had a fantastic smile and made me laugh. However, also right from the beginning...I figured that it wouldn't go anywhere. After all, he was graduating that semester and I had a tendency to shy away from relationships.
Yet somewhere along the lines of handfuls of dates, almost killing him while hiking (though I'm trying to forget that part), his move to Vegas, skype dates, the amazing person he is and his loving family...it turned into something more then I could ever imagine. That little thing called love? I fell right into it.
And you know what? It's even better then they try to tell you growing up.
So why does that make August 17th important? That just so happens to be the day that David pulled out the most beautiful ring I had ever seen and asked that one particular question. After getting over the surprise of it all, and not knowing whether to cry, squeal..... Of course I said yes.
Flash forward to December 15, 2012....and that shall be marked as the day that we get married. For time and all eternity. I can't wait. Because there is no one else that I would rather spend my forever with.
As one great institute teacher said last semester, "You're only half of who you are...half of your potential until you find who you will marry." Lucky for me, I couldn't have found a better half....That's not just because I'm biased...
So moral of the story....You never know what you'll find when you least expect it. Sometimes, (alright, most times) it's not about the timing that you have planned for yourself....but the timing of Someone even greater. Just let yourself be open to it.
He didn't even have to save me from some fire breathing dragon....I'm beginning to that think that part of most fairy tales may be a little skewed when it comes to love....
A little over two years ago...my little white car came into my life. Alas...right from the beginning...she had her problems...but I was certain we could work through them..
Flash forward two more years and we've reach the end of my young cars life. Seeing how the past two years have been a plethora of car problems...one after another....I've decided it's a good thing. My poor brother-in-law has been frequently greeted with, "Rusty! I've missed you....how are things? Oh...and also...my car is making a weird noise....I tried to turn the radio up so it would go away...but...." And then he would proceed to fix whatever ailment my car had decided to have.
It would be safe to say that my car was a little temperamental. Who knows...maybe it's because her last owners tried to fill her with popcorn kernels... (You may think I'm joking...but that's what we found under the hood).
However, even with my car reaching an untimely death....I'm so blessed to have so many incredible people in my life so willing to help. Of course my grandparents fall under that category. As soon as my grandparents found out....my grandpa was ready to head straight down here..but I reasoned a couple extra days wouldn't hurt. I think he was worried about my over productive tear ducts...and wanted to save the day.
As lucky as I am, I got to spend yesterday hanging out with my grandparents and my little cousin. They brought me a loving bag of pears and of course, my grandpas favorite....squeaky cheese.We sold my car to a local car place....and before leaving...my grandpa give me the wise counsel..."Manda, just give it one final kick to the tire."
So I did. And felt much better.
Afterwards, we went to the museum here in Cedar. Often I think my grandpa still views me as a little girl, and wanted to make sure I was happy before he left. Which, by all means was perfect in my book.
At the museum!
I absolutely loved it. I got to spend time talking with my grandma as my grandpa went around from place to place and bringing up the old days. Which...on a different note....I think it's sad that we don't spend much time thinking about everything that the people of the past have done for us. I don't think I would have lasted long as a pioneer...their strength is amazingly inspiring.
Overall though, I feel blessed. Life may be pretty good at throwing curve balls....but most of the time, it ends up being a blessing in disguise. Even if you're no good at baseball (like myself)....Someone else gives you a bat that's big enough to hit the ball...no matter how terrible your swing.
As for me, I got to spend the day hearing an assortment of my grandpas hilarious, yet sometimes incredibly insightful "one liners." Not only that.....but my grandma just has a way of making every situation seem better by finding all of the good things that come as a result.
So long little car!
But.. thanks for at least a couple of years! Hopefully you'll find new friends in car heaven
You know, I thought of a number of things I could say to attempt to sum up my thoughts about a certain someone....We could probably call him David.
But most of all....I'm just happy.
Happy to be around someone that is so thoughtful, funny, caring and
quirky. Someone who laughs at my jokes even when they're not very funny.
Who has such a great perspective on life. He goes above what I had imagined in dating (which, since I tend to be one of those
pathetic hopeless romantics....means a lot).
Even more...I'm happy with who I am when I'm with him.
Not to mention, getting to spend the past weekend in Vegas was just the icing on the cake. If asked, I don't think I'd even be able to pin point my favorite part....he planned out the day with an assortment of things I loved doing. What a champ right?
I could go on about the little things I loved....being at the chocolate factory..spending time on the strip...seeing campus...hanging out at the library or even watching airplanes....but I probably wouldn't do it justice.
He even made me breakfast.
And..
Told me a number of random stories to keep my tears at a minimum when my car decided to go on strike. (A plan that worked perfectly without me even realizing it...)
So as cheesy as this post might be, as they say..."If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." Adventure is out there...sometimes right in front of us...all you have to do is jump in.
I think it's safe to say I've jumped in.
Since I tend to forget about my camera... the weekend instead had to be documented with my highly developed stick figure skills..
He's now a cool teenage boy....filling his vocabulary with profound words like "Dude," "Totally sick," "Bro," or my favorite....the combination of all three. "Dude, Manda...I was with my bros, and it was totally sick....."
He now is often followed by a band of girls. He has developed a passion obsession for learning all about history and wars. And like every other teenage boy.....he thinks he is the coolest kid on the block.
But for me, I still see him as the little boy who would sneak into my room after his bedtime and fall asleep in my bed. I think of the boy who would dance around the kitchen with me while making cookies and would often (attempt) to paint my finger nails.
Look at that face? You can see his love for me overflowing!
Though he's now 15, to me he'll always be that sweet little boy who stuck it out through thick and thin. Even when he is being a slightly frustrating Captain Know-It-All, I'm still so proud of him and the person he is becoming.
And though he may be taller.....I can still beat him in arm wrestling and leg wars....
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