Looking Back at 2006

You know here it is the end of another year. When I look back over 2006 I can think of many, many, difficult situations and trials I've had to deal with. But there are also many wonderful things that took place too. I'd like to hope that 2007 will be even a better year than 2006 was.
I'd like to list a few things that i've been through. And also list the things that were so positive.

Bad things for 2006:
1. It started out in January when I went to Bosley Hair Restoration in Scottsdale, Arizona to have hair grafts put in my head. By the time April rolled around I had lost almost all the hair on the top of my head.My head went into shock after they had placed 1200 grafts . I had to go through the embarrassment and depression of that whole ordeal. I had to accept the fact that I needed a wig so I bought one and wore that for several months.
2. In June I had Kristi cut my hair. She cut it so that it was 1" all over my head. The emotional ordeal of that was so traumatic too. I remember having a panic attack in the mall because of feeling like everyone was staring at me. Feeling so ugly.
3. Having to see Shana go through the pain and sorrow of her divorce. How it affected her and the boys. Hardly seeing her smile. Seeing her cry. Seeing how hard it was for her to handle all the stress that comes along with divorce.
4. Having my new soninlaw Jake discover he has testicular cancer. What a blow that has been to he and Shana now after only being married 1 month. Seeing the worry on their faces. Knowing the road they have ahead.

The hard things in my life this year have been very emotional experiences for me. No one will ever know. But the good things that happened in 2006 far outweigh the bad ones.

Good things for 2006:
1. Troy proposed to Kori in April. She became a part of our family quickly because of her fun p ersonality. She fit right in. They were married in Sept in the Timpanogos Temple.
2. Shana started dating and having a fun time in her life for once. She met many good guys but found an extremely special one named Jake Gardner. To now see her smiling constantly, laughing, feeling good about herself. Seeing Brayden and Daxton loving Jake because of the wonderful person he is to them. Seeing them become a family in October.
3. Finding my half brother Jim Osborn in February of this year. Meeting he and his wife Jane for dinner and going camping with them this summer.
4. Having all my kids and grandkids with us when we go camping. Having Jared and Kristi buy a new trailer so they can always go with us. Seeing how happy that made them.
5. Having Roger healthy and also myself. What a blessing that is.
6. Having jobs that sustain us.
7. Having Troy be safe in Florida and also successful in selling the security alarm systems.
8. We had a beautiful little granddaughter born in April. She was born to Jared and Kristi and her name is Gentry Rilyn. What a blessing grandbabies are!!

The list could go on and on.
I hope that this new year will bring wonderful things to my family. That each of them will be blessed with those things that they are in need of and that they are praying for. They so deserve it.

Why?

How many times have we asked ourselves the question "why?" Why is the sky blue? Why do I have to have the body I have? Why can't I have more money? Why? Why? Why?
Right now in our family we have a situation where we are asking "why?" Why does Jake, our new soninlaw have to find out he has cancer just one month after he married Shana? Why does Shana keep having trial after trial? We will never know the answers. But, we do know that the trials and tribulations that we endure here on the earth are for our own good. How else can we grow and learn? We can always dwell on our problems and think we have it so bad. But then you will always hear of someone else going through something so much worse. That in turn, makes you appreciate your own trials.
I look back on my like and I really have been blessed. My main trials that I've had to endure are loosing both of my parents by the time I was 23 years of age. Watching both of my parents slowly die was probably the hardest thing I've ever had to go through. I remember when my dad died, I was 16 years old. But, I still had my mom. So I wasn't so worried. But then when my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly after, that's when it really hit me. My mom passed away when I was 23 years old and I was now an orphan. I have read and re-read her journals over the years and how badly she wanted to live. My mom had many trials the last few years of her life. Having her mother pass away on Christmas Eve day in 1974. Then in March of 1976 having her husband pass away. She had taken care of him for many years and so that left such a void in her life. In 1977 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. How devastated she was. She went through radiation and chemotherapy only to have the cancer return to her brain, lungs and spine. My trials were trying to be with my little family and taking care of a brand new baby and also wanting to be with my mother and taking her to her appointments in Salt Lake City. Over the years, just like many married couples, we have had our trials. But through faith and lots of prayers we have over come them. I would gladly take my trials over many other peoples.
I guess we will never know "why?" to a lot of our questions. We just have to trust in the Lord that he knows what he's doing when he hands out these trials.
I want Jake to know how much I love him. How proud I am of him and the way he has handled his diagnosis. He has many rough days ahead of him but I know through all of the people praying for him that he will be a survivor. I know that he was sent to Shana and her boys for a reason. God has a plan.

So Many Blessings

Tonight our family gathered at our home to celebrate Christmas just a little bit early. We did that because Troy and Kori are going to be in California for the holidays and the kids wanted to open their presents to each other and Troy and Kori also didn't want to haul all their gifts to California with them. I made some apple crisp for desert and it hit the spot. Had a little dab of vanilla ice-cream on top to make it just right.
As we all sat in our family room laughing and having a good time I was looking around at each member of our family. I was thinking to myself how lucky and blessed I am to have such wonderful children and grandchildren and husband. I couldn't ask for anything better. Family is what life is all about. I"m so thankful that we all get along so well, that we live so close by each other and that our love and concern for one another is so evident. No matter what, we are always there for one another. Whether it's to help someone move, give a ride, babysit, give blessings or to fast for someone in need. We are all right there to help out. I truly am so blessed and I thank my Heavenly Father every night for all that he has given me.

The Joys of Getting Older

I never said this day would come. But..well....it has. I remember when I used to make fun of my sister that is 9 years older than I am. She would always say she couldn't go out with Roger and I because she was too tired. I couldn't believe how old she acted. Well, I don't know what has happened this magic year of turning 47 but it seems i'm never ending tired. I wake up tired and i'm tired during the day and I go to bed tired. It seems like I have no energy. I know i've been slacking on my exercising and that could be part of the reason for the tiredness. But this coming year i'm really going to get going at it again. Exercising makes you feel so much better mentally and physically.
My girlfriend, Lora, has always called me the energizer bunny because I have always been on the go. Whenever we would go out some place or go dancing she would always want to turn in early. I used to say "you can't". So she'd keep on going just to stay up with me. I have another girlfriend, Diane, who is 11 years younger than I am. She always has bragged to people about me and how I can out do her in everything. I out ski her, out run her, out golf her and bike. It's nice to know I can show someone up at my age. Last year I decided I was going to try and run a 5 k race for the first time in my life. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. Well, I started running in February. I hated it. I read a book called "Running with Angels" and it was awesome. It was about an overweight woman and she had been through many trials and tribulations and had put on a lot of weight. She decided to loose weight and started out walking around the block. Then she got farther and farther and ended up running marathons. I remember when I was training for the 5 k race, I would remember what she said and had gone through and it kept me going. I told myself.."if she can do it so can I." Well, I ran my first race in April and did quite well. I took 6th out of 45 women in my age group. I ran a second race in June. I finished that also. I was pretty proud of myself. And since then I haven't ran very much but I'd like to start again.
I hope by starting to exercise more regularly this next year that I'll be able to get my body back to what it was last year. That I'll have more energy and feel better about myself.
I love being my age. I hope when I"m 50 I can still do all the fun things that I love doing.