A Work In Progress

I started my new semester at Moorpark College on the 13th. I am taking Human Anatomy, Tuesday and Thursday’s from 6pm to 10pm. It is not going to be an easy class but it is very interesting. We are going to be doing cat dissections in our lab. On the second class the professor brought out two cadavers and I didn’t have any problems. In fact, I actually found it quite fascinating. One side of each cadaver was cut open so you could view the organs, and the professor, who is a doctor, picked up the intestines to show us how little holds it to the body. My class ended up only needing 3 books for the semester, which ended up being $400. It’s truly criminal how much Colleges charge for books. I feel like I will be in school forever. Who knows, I might even still be in school when Andi starts College. With work I can only take 1 class at a time and that is a good thing because I only have hard science classes left. Going to Moorpark College is making me feel really old. I am only 24 but I am going to school with 18 year olds. I feel like that was a lifetime ago. My Mom went to Nursing School at BYU. She never graduated because she ended up marring my Dad. I think part of why I want to go into nursing is because of my Mom. She almost always knew what to do with any medical situation and wanted to help everyone. I have spent a good amount of time in the hospital and I know the dramatic difference a good nurse can make. Also, in my health-challenged family someone needs to have some kind of medical training.

I have never looked forward to the end of a year as I did in 2008. I have learned many lessons this past year.

1. Never Say This Is As Bad As It Could Get – It Will ALWAYS Get Worse
2. Never Think The Year Is Almost Over Nothing Else Could Happen – You Will Be In The Hospital With A Ruptured Ovarian Cyst.
3. Burying Your Mother Is A lot Harder Than You Could Ever Imagine
4. Holidays Are Horrible When You Are Grieving – They Only Make You Mad
5. 2 Funerals 1 Month Apart Really Hard On Your Emotions
6. Just Because Someone Is 89 When They Die Doesn’t Make It Easy

In 2009 I am going to try and see the positive in everything. My Mom would do that. I did not think I was negative but when Ben asked me to name something good that happened in the past year I could not think of anything. I was completely shocked that I could not think of 1 single thing. I had let the bad things that happened cloud my mind. Sometime in the future I will be able to look back at 2008 and see how I grew from all of the trials that happened. I stated writing in a journal again and am trying to write a couple times a week and include something that I am grateful for. I really think it is helping me.

January 10th was my sister’s birthday. She would have turned 33. Sometimes it is still hard knowing she is really gone. I still feel like she is going to walk in the door and everything will be the same. I can’t believe it has been over two years since she died. Ben and I drove up to Bakersfield so I could put flowers on her and my mom’s grave. This was the first time anyone in my family has seen my mom’s headstone. I wish I lived closer to them so I could visit more often. I feel close to my mom and sister there. I like going and just sitting there and talking to them. I am going to try to visit them on their birthdays, anniversaries and mother’s day. This past couple of weeks I have been thinking of all the things that I used to do with Hannah and what she meant to me.

We would like to first thank all those who attended Kathy's funeral and showed your support. We would also like to thank the Relief Society of the Huntington Ward for putting on an incredible luncheon. Setting aside one unfortunate talk, the funeral was an altogether fitting and beautiful tribute to a wonderful woman. I hope those that were able to attend came to know this special person a little better. She truly had the image of God engraved upon her countenance, and like the Savior, she went about doing good, gladdening hearts and lifting the burdens of others. In short, she has been an example to all who have known her. To say she is greatly missed would be the understatement of the world. She is truly loved and we look forward to a joyful reunion in a much happier place.

The next day, Saturday November 8th, we had a grave site service at Greenlawn Cemetery in Bakersfield. We appreciate Wendy and Tom for hosting us over the weekend.

After a nearly two-month hiatus from blogging we're back in the game. We will catch up on the remaining events of 2008 in the next few days and return to our previous rate of posting. I guess it was the thought of recounting some of the difficult events toward the end of the year along with the hectic nature of the Holidays that precluded us from keeping the blog up to date. We hope to have many happy and positive experiences to write about in 2009.