Happy Birthday Rachel!

I just wanted to take a minute and mention why I am grateful for today. Today is one of my Best Friends Birthday. Her name is Rachel Kolb Valgardson! Some of you may know her and some of you may not. She has been a special person in my life. We are both very busy and don't live close enough to get together very often but she is such an example to me. Rachel has been blessed with many trials in her life. None of which she has ever brought upon herself. Some of these trials I personally would NEVER be able to endure what she has. She is strong, positive, talented, spiritual and loving. She is so easy to talk to and I feel I could tell her anything. I am so grateful that she is a part of my life. She has taught me so much and I love her! I hope and pray the best for her. Happy Birthday dear friend of mine.

This is a Picture that I took from her facebook because I LOVE IT!

Rachel and I on my wedding day!

(Pathetic that this is my most resent picture I have with her)

God Has Away

Wow!!!

Today at school there was a Lecture given about applying for grad schools. I know this would stress me out so I took a quick minute and read my Patriotical blessing before I left the house. Well like I had anticipated all the talk about Applying for Grad School is making me a complete wreck. After the lecture I went to the bathroom had a little melt down and prayed, not for anything specific. It was more like a little cry for help and comfort. I was so stressed all I wanted to do was go home and go to sleep. But like there always is in Architecture I had home work to do. I had to go and record my part of a movie a group of classmates and I are working on. Still feeling like things I love and are passionate about are a struggle and stressing me out right now. I pick up my video camera and head outside. The video was to show the detour someone would have to take in order to get into the Architecture building (we don't have an elevator or ramps you have to go all the way over to the Art building to take the elevator up). As I walked the slow tedious path the wheelchair would have had to take I glanced down at the time on the camera 12 minutes. I had emotion come over me. My Heavenly Father blessed me with humility. I may get a bad grade on a test or struggle with people from church but I don't have to take 12 minutes to get to my desk from the front of the architecture building. Have to wonderful lags that can walk upstairs. How Lucky am I?

United We Stand, Divided We Fall

I woke up this morning and it only took me a few moments to remember what was special about today. I have held a special place in my heart for this day. Every time the topic of September 11th comes up it instantly takes me to the place in my mind where I have a vivid picturesque image. This image will be in my mind Forever. I can tell you where I was and how I felt as if it happened yesterday. I haven't watched T.V. on September 11 since it happened. I know what I will see and I don't need to. I haven't seen any of the movies and I don't want any pictures. While Dugan and I were in NYC in July. As we were walking toward Ground Zero I saw this on the wall. The image that has been carved into my mind was there carved into a wall. This is where the almost 8 years of hurt, anger and sadness all came out. There was no way to stop the tears that flowed as I stood there on the sidewalk in Manhattan. It was the 3rd of July. I had just been to the Statue of Liberty a few hours earlier and the Celebration of our Nation would be the next day. This morning those feelings came back this morning as I let a few tears fall down my face as I thought about how grateful I am and I am so Proud to be an American!!! My Prayers are with every person that lost something that horrific day. God Bless America!