Remembering Heritage.

The breeze blew the flags just enough to give the cemetery a honorary feel. The grass had been freshly cut and little kids walked along the graves making sure that every headstone had at least one flower - even if it was only a dandelion they had picked along the way.

The crowds were smaller this year than usual and when I realized it my heart ached for a minute. This is a day to honor our deceased ancestors to show respect for those who have gone before us and given more than we can comprehend to give us the beautiful lives that we live today.

I sat next to Grandpa Fred's headstone while Mom, Grandma and my Aunt Kerri Lynn went looking for some old stones. I sat there and let the sun warm my body. I never knew Grandpa Fred, he died five years before I was born so memorial day is the only memory I have established of this man. I sat there on the grass and thought about how life would be different if he was still around. I wondered if I would be as close to Grandma as I am or if I would be my Grandpa's girl. I thought about the stories Grandma has told me of him and was lost in thought for a good while.

The 'tomb-hunters' had returned and after Grandma got her annual pictures of us with the headstone she turned and blew Grandpa Fred a kiss. "Love you Fred," she says it every time we leave the cemetery and every year it makes my heart melt. 

Memorial Day isn't about camping or just having a day off of work - even though those things are great and fun. No, Memorial Day is about respect, honor, heritage and family.

Happy Memorial Day. 

not the best picture of me- I had just finished my morning run, 

but my grandma looks beautiful.

I just couldn't resist.

"My Little Love"

His arms were wrapped tight around her waist, she was giggling.

I can imagine the sound of her laughter as she was tickled by his large leathered hands. Part of her knew that he was teasing but the other part knew he would never let go. He loved her - she knew it, she could feel it.

She grabbed his hands and for a moment he stopped. He looked down into her eyes and she returned the gaze. Everyone who witnessed them together could feel it - he loved her. He loved with everything he had.

This moment was captured inside a black and white photo during a time when women always wore dresses and vehicles were solid metal. This photo was taken when life was simple and the small town farmer was a rich man. A different time than now. But the love is still the same - strong, real and very much alive.

Scratched in blue ink on the bottom of the photo it reads, "My little love"

The words were too rough and to masculine to have been written by the hand of the woman in the photo. Instead it looked as if the pen could barely fit within the large hands of the master who held it. And even though it was written with such intensity, it looked sincere. He did loved her. He still loves her.

The photo is perfect. 

Then she touched it and traced the picture with her aged hands. She couldn't see it anymore, macular had taken her vision. Looking in my direction she asked me what was in this picture. I described it to her and she relaxed into a sense of memory, she smiled and giggled just the way I imagined her doing in the image. I read her what was written. "That is what Fred called me," she said, "I was his little love," then she giggled again.

"I once wrote a story titled 'Fred and Little Red'. I don't know what I did with it and I wish I still had it. I was his 'Little Love' - his 'Little Red,'"she paused, "I miss him."

Grandma has always told me stories of Grandpa Fred. She has always told me about how much she loves him. She taught me everything about being a hopeless romantic. But never did I realize the love that Grandpa had for her.

He cherished her. With everything he loved her. 

There were lots of pictures that we looked at last night, Grandma and I. And each them came with story. But my favorite pictures were the once with Grandma and Grandpa together because he always had her hand and he was always looking at her with eyes that sang in love.

I believe in true love. This true love.

Sometimes I paint the sky- and then I fly in it.

Caution: photo's may not be the best quality due to the fact that they were taken with a cellular devise.

Every time I am home from school whether it is just a weekend stay or a three week break 

I make a to-do list. Painting has been on that list for a good while now and I can finally mark it off. 

Today we painted. We being Mom, Shay and I.

Below is the process of me being creative:

 Okay so this top picture is not me being creative, it is just a blank canvas. . .

No creativity to it-

Drum roll please.

(Pause for emphasis)

Tada!

Okay, so out of all the above cellular pictures, this by far is the worst one.

Sorry.

But you get the point right?

I still can't get over the fact that it is the year 2012. My stomach drops some and I get butterflies when I think about the history that will be made during this magical year.

"I live a flowery life,"

                                                Grandma RueLeen

Have I ever mentioned that my grandmother is amazing. We are having a sleepover tomorrow night! I am going to live a flowery life just like her. 

She loved him - and still loves him.

Writers block.

Sort of.

There are stories I want to write and share with the world, but then again I don't. Some of my stories I want to keep as mine. Does this make me selfish if I am not willing to share?

I come from a family of story tellers, of people who love to talk and entertain, but yet are calm and listen. I want to uphold the family name.

Today I listened to my grandfather voice. His voice had been recorded many years ago when my mother was still in high school. But it was his voice. The voice of a man I never knew on this earth. The voice of a man who I have only seen in pictures, the voice of a man that I have tried to form in my mind as being real, but never quite comprehending his life. 

Grandpa Fred died 25-years ago this coming January. 

And for 25 years my grandma has lived alone. . . or so it would seem.

They are so much in love. (yes, I wrote that sentence in present tense on purpose)

Grandpa was a large man - tall and solid with a thick head of hair and large hands that were worn from hard work. Handsome. 

He was my grandma's only true love and the way she speaks of him makes my heart burst with pride.

I started my grandma Rueleen's three part love story in the summer with the promise of finishing it. . . six months later I haven't made any progress, it is now in the making. 

You see, the story isn't mine to tell, but her's - It is only my privilege to write it down so that others can feel the power of this love. And I will do it because I come from a line of story tellers and as a story teller I will share this story.

Happy New Year's Eve.

My Storyteller.

Grandma RueLeen is a storyteller.
The very best storyteller actually, and I am not just biase because I am her granddaughter, it is true.

My sister and I used to have sleep overs at Grandma's house all the time when we were young. I remember the three of us squishing into her double bed after saying our evening prayers. The smell of the bed sheets and the thin pillows that we triple-folded just so our heads could be raised from the mattress a few inches are still so real to me.
Grandma usually slept in middle with each hand filled with one of our own. She had promised to tell us the story of Little Black Sambo if we settled down and the enticement worked, as it always did.
Her eyes would be closed as she began the story in her calm, gentle tones. And my mind would begin to be filled with images of tigers chasing each other until they turn to butter and then eating piles and piles of pancakes. The story was always the same- flawless and perfect. But that is how Grandma's stories always are.

I was with my lovely Grandma all this weekend and I fished for stories every moment that I got. She is a storyteller. I want to tell flawless stories like her one day.

She is beautiful.

Grandma's Love Story: Part One.

This picture makes me happy.  It is a picture of my grandparents soon after they were married.  Notice: my grandpa's front tooth is chipped, but yet he was still a very handsome fellow.

I never knew Grandpa Fred, he died at the age of sixty and was buried on his sixty-first birthday.  They think it was due to a blood clot, or a heart attach- I am not quite sure. . .  Grandma RueLeen is still madly in love with him.  She never remarried, and often times I hear her say, "I love you Fred!" She also blows him kisses!  It makes your heart swell huh!?  I have decided that I am going to marry a man as sweet as my grandpa.  He worked hard to support their family, often working a few jobs at a time.  Grandpa was sensitive to Grandma and I can only imagine the way they looked at each other!  I want to love like this.

Grandma and I spend our time together talking about her love life, and I being the hopeless romantic that I am eat it up.  The way she gets lost in her thoughts as if she is reliving them.  Grandma will giggle about how flirtatious she was and shake her head saying, "Kels, you have to understand that there was a war!"  I love it when she says that, like it is a legit excuse!

I will best tell their story from my memory.  I hope to include some of my Grandma's own two-bits.  Oh, and for my Grandma's sake please remember "there was a war".

The beginning of their love story begins before they were married.  It begins before they even truly got to know each other.  This story begins with a man named Doug, a man who Grandma was dating and could have even loved.  A good man that shares my blood.

To get the story straight I need give a little bit of a background.  Grandma was born in 1926, she belongs to the generation of those from World War II and the Great Depression.  She grew up in a small town that her family had deep roots in, note: this also means that a lot of the people that Grandma went to school with were related to her. . .Not very good odds when playing the dating game.  While she was in high school boys were often times being sent off to war.  "It was a scary thing, young boys would leave right out of high school and we wouldn't know if they would come back."  Since there weren't many boys around, the ones that hadn't left yet were scares and if you know anything about economics then you will understand when I say that the boys were compared to the law of supply and demand. . .

Throughout high school Grandma dated a boy named Doug.  And as clique as it may sound, her parents didn't approve because Doug, unfortunately, was related to Grandma.  They were cousins.  Grandma reassured them that it wasn't going to go anywhere and despite all efforts Grandma continued to date Doug.  I don't know what Grandma's feelings were for Doug exactly, she always beats around the bush at that part, but Doug was had fallen hard for Grandma.  I am sure, from my own personal experience, that Grandma probably grew to love Doug in return- after all it is hard to not return the love someone else feels for you.

Doug was a year or so older than Grandma.  As most were, Doug was called into the service soon after he graduated.  Grandma was still in high school.  Grandma doesn't talk much about how she felt when Doug left, but she did say that before he left Doug asked her to wait for him.  She agreed, but when telling me the story always makes a note that she didn't know what else to say-

"I shouldn't have said that, I know, but I didn't think anything of it.  Besides I didn't even know if I would see him again.  Where else was I going to go anyway?"

They wrote letters, continuing their relationship through the US Postal Service.

ADHDWC.

Confession:  I have ADHDWC.

AKA: Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder While Cleaning

Meaning I easily get distracted when I am on a mission to clean.

I have made headway-

I am learning how to control it!

Now I can actually finish a chore in one sitting

AND

It doesn't take me all afternoon long!

. . . . My poor mother, when I lived at home she always had to keep me on task.

Now that I am a college student though

I have to be on my own.

Sometimes it is just tuff to stay focused. . . 

BEFORE:

DURING:

I was practicing for my trip to Hawaii this summer!

Give a girl a break!

If you look closely you can see my birthmark!  

It is a "V" on my forehead.

Grandma RueLee always told it was because I was VERY SPECIAL!

I love her!

AFTER:

It is now clean.

I guess I should start studying for finals now!

Cheers!

(perma smile!)

Once upon a time I met a guy.

His name is Eric.

He lives in J3

He has crazy curly hair.

And he always makes me happy.

He was my FHE Papa.

We are friends-

sometimes we are "secret-lovers"

 Eric isn't ticklish,

but other than that

we are a lot a like.

It is true.

On April first we got ENGAGED!

and then un-engaged!  

IT WAS APRIL FOOLS- silly!

I made Eric play with me.

Actually- I didn't even ask if he wanted to play- oops!
He was also fooled.

I hacked onto his FB account. . .
well not really- he left it signed in on his computer- his fault!

I posted our Relationship Status on Facebook as "ENGAGED"

and within 2 MINUTES I got a phone call

from my mother-

I guess the EXTENDED family had already found the news.

They were expecting an explanation.

I laughed all the while Mom cussed me

She made me call my Grandma RueLeen before word got to her.
That would have been bad mojo!
I called her!  I love calling her
O and to make matters so much better,

Grandma LOVES April Fools!
She was the Foolin' Queen back-in-the-day!

And as expected she giggled all the while I told her of my foolin' ideas.

I will share some of her tricks from her day eventually! 

She was a master!

Word gets around fast in my small town

especially due to Facebook.

I found this ring picture on Google,

posted it as my Facebook picture and got so many complements.

Dear lady of the ring: Everyone thinks it is "Gorgeous!" 

O and that your man is a "keeper" according to the diamond size! (thumps up!)  

P.S. Thanks for letting me use a picture of your hand and ring-

It greatly added to the whole effect of things!

To all of those who left me kind words of Congratulations 

Thank You

I got a great kick out of each FB comment, text message and phone call!

To all that were so gullible to believe me

You made my entire day!

Merry Fooling Day of April! (:

-"You can paint with all the colors of the. . . . chalk?

I went to Spanish Forks Color Festival.
It was so much fun!  I was so tired!
(the previous night I went to bed at 3:30 AM because a group of us dressed up like gothic/punk people and partied it up!)
The Color Festival is a religious celebrations- but that is all I know basically. . .
I haven't really cared to take the time to look up why we threw colors in the air, but I will now-
I know they burt a witch.

Only five of our crew made the trek down.
It was a bit chilly, but not too bad.
I got blue chalk in my eye- Thanks Eric.
We ended up looking like Easter Eggs.

I can't wait until next year!
I am going to do the mud slide! (:
Oh and I either want to dress up like a ninja or a birde!
Good plan huh!?

Notice the creeper in the left hand corner- totally creepin' But he makes this picture so much better I will admit!

I drove the rest of the way home after being caked in chalk dust.
I was starving and tired and so glad to finally get home to shower.
The rest of the weekend was amazing!

Fact: Three hours of sleep for two days full of excitement is not enough.
Fact: Color is a BIG deal in my life.
Fact: Driving while tired is not safe.  It is scary.
Fact: Wearing someone else contacts won't make you see better.
Fact: I miss my high school friends more than I thought possible.
Fact: Hoss is going to be an amazing missionary.
Fact: Grandma RuLeen is amazing.

Quote of the weekend: "Next time you won't catch me in my fan-duds." - Grandma RuLeen.

Dear Break of Spring. Don't leave me.

People keep asking me if I have done anything fun for Spring Break. . . 

AND I tell them

"I am doing exactly what I wanted to be doing."

I came home for Spring Break.

All I wanted to do was to spend time with my family.

I knew that home would be hectic and that everyone's lives would still be going 100 mph, but that is home to me and I love it.

I have had quite the time thus far during my break to celebrate Spring.

• The weather is amazing! (I went running in shorts and a t-shirt today, not to mention I sweated)
• Lunch with two of my favorite people, Mama and Grandma (picture above)
• Watched my nieces dance
• Took pictures 
• Ran everyday thus far
• Went on a date with Hossy (last one before his mission!)
• Started reading Hunger Games
• Got my hair done
• Watched Shay play softball
• Ate delicious food
• Met up with old friends
• Got a canker from eating Cadberry Eggs (so worth it!)
• Slept in my AMAZING bed
• Got paid
• Pondered by a fire
• Slept in (sorta)
• Blogged multiple times
• Finished some overdue homework
• Had a splendid time as of Thursday night!

What else could there be to come?

Here goes nothing. Day 1.

Well here it goes- the "30 DAY BLOG CHALLENGE". . .
I don't know as if I really need this to spark any ideas or random thoughts that I have just waiting to escape this brain of mine, but hey what-the-heck I guess I will try it out and see how far I get with it!  Here goes nothing:


Day 1: A recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself.

1. I have a "KISS" tongue- aka: a really long tongue.  I can touch my nose with it and the bottom of my chin, and when I stick it out just to show it off it curls on the end.

2. I LOVE birthdays.  I am super excited to grow old and to have the experiences of a life time.  I am excited live my life every new day and to start fresh with every morning just to enjoy every hour of the day that I have been given.

3. I have always been a "deep", "mature", "sensitive", "sincere" person- even as a child I would have deep thoughts and huge perspectives that I don't even understand.

4. When I see shooting stars I don't wish on them.  It started when I was little- a shooting star would fly across the sky, someone would tell me to make a wish- when I started to wish for something I would feel foolish and stop. . . then I would fold my arms and say the "wish" as a prayer.  Since then I have never "wished" on a shooting star again- but instead they are reminders for me to pray.

5. I love rough-housing and wrestling!  I get it from being raised by four older brothers I am sure of it!  I think I can handle my own and I am okay with that- I like to pounce on people play around being all sorts of wild and crazy!

6. I flirt. I flirt a lot.  I can't help it.  It causes me troubles sometimes. . . Oops!  sorry it is just my nature.  I don't really have a "personal-space bubble" that so many people talk about, I wish I did sometimes though.  However- flirting has its benefits too. . . It helps a girl to get what she wants. Sometimes.

7. I have an active conscience.  I am thankful I guess.

8. I went through an "ugly-awkward" stage that completely changed my life.  I was, in my mom's words, "a homely looking child."  She wasn't being mean- we were looking at some old pictures and we came across one where I had a bum-crack part, glasses, spacey teeth, chubby cheeks still, and my body was just unproportional- I was ginormous compared to everyone else in my class- in fact I have only grown one inch since sixth grade. . . This "ugliness" though humbled me and taught me to except people for who they truly are, not by how they look.  I am grateful for the "ugliness" I had, a blessing.

9. I have more guy friends than girl friends.  (Fact: guys are easier to talk to.  Myth: guys don't have any drama.)

10. I am a hairspray-aholic.  I love the smell, the sound, the way it makes my hair look.  It is an addiction that I will live with.

11. I was never allowed to wear sweatpants to school just because- I only could if it was a "pj day" or a team-sweatpant day.  School is a place for learning not for lounge, that's how I was raised and I like that modo.  My brother Bryan made me promise him that I would never go to school like I had just rolled out of bed.  It is very important to me to keep that promise- after all Bryan has always been a big example in my life.

12.  Sleep has always been on of my last priorities.  I am a night owl, but I love mornings too.  I know that sleep is very important and that without it my functioning skills suck, but in those hours that I am sleeping think of all the things I could be accomplishing.

13. I love to please people. . I guess that makes me a People-Pleaser. . . I know, I know,  I can't please everyone, but gosh dang I would sure like to try.  I love to see people happy.  I have been told over and over that it isn't possible but I would much rather hurt than cause someone pain or disappointment.

14. My nose looks just like my grandma's.  I love her and I love sharing her nose.  I am her favorite- she told me (You are probably thinking that she tells every grandchild that, but for reals I am her favorite. . ask her.)  Mom would say that my nose is turned up like a ski jump, then she would always run her fingers down my nose and jump them off the end of my nose- I would always laugh.  I have a different nose, but I love it.  My nose is cold right now- it is always the first thing to get cold.

15. I have no desire to be rebellious, nor have I have had that desire.  I guess that is interesting. . . most people want to do something illegal or rebellious, but not me.  I have always been the "teacher's pet"  "Molly Mormon" "Miss Goodie Two-Shoes"  It used to bug me, but I don't mind anymore.  I have standards and concerns, deal with it.

P.S. do you think I look like my grandma!