Family Vacation Ideas

For the first time, I have created a pinterest board. I am officially not a pinterest stalker. http://pinterest.com/resmills/family-vacation-ideas/

Mother Knows Best!

Sunny outside and no homework (that I could remember). Bike tires fully inflated, and a call from a friend. I was out the door in a heart beat. I knew my grandparents would be coming for dinner that night. It must have been the first week of May, school was still in, but not for long, and we were having a birthday dinner. My brother Sam and my sister Becki share the same birthday. I had to hurry and get in some friend time while I could. My friend and I loved to ride our bikes down the big hill on Alpine Blvd. On this beautiful sunny day we spent most of our time laughing so hard I had a stomach ache. I wish I could recall what was so funny, all I remember is that it was the first and only time I wet my pants from laughing. (To this day, this same friend makes my gut hurt from laughing so hard). My friend had a scooter. I was not lucky enough to have a scooter so I rode hers (or maybe her sister's). Down the gravelly hill we flew. We would fly down the hill, and run back up to start all over again, and repeat this process as long as the sun was up. I imagine being able to fly would have similar adreniline effects. We couldn't get enough of it. Our hair blew behind us horizontally, instead of falling flat down our backs; for a ten year old, it felt like warp speed. Did I mention the road was gravel paved? The road had recently been repaved from smooth to a gravel and tar mixture so it was a bumpy ride. We didn't care, the road work was finished. We prefered the smooth road to a gravelly one, but we just wanted a hill to ride down so it didn't matter. My friend's little sister came outside and yelled at us, "Rachel's mom called, she supposed to go home!" "It won't take long to go down a few more times," I distinctly remember thinking this, and worst of all "what does my mom know, I don't care about a birthday dinner. I see my grandparents all the time,". So off I went, several more times down the hill. Each time trying for more speed. When riding a bike or scooter fast, it's important to crouch down so you have good arodynamics and you can go faster. When riding a scooter, it's important to remember that if you crouch down too far, your bum will hit the back tire, so don't crouch down too far. That was my 10 year old logic. Fast fast faster faster fastest . . . Blood, pain, clothing torn, scooter wrecked, oh man I was in so much trouble. . . . stay tuned for the next installment . . .

Running! and a bum knee.

I have always enjoyed running. Wait, that's not all the way true. I hate running, then I start doing it, then I can't give it up, I start loving it, then my bum knee gives me trouble, I stop running, get out of the habit, and I hate it again, and the cycle starts all over again, hate it, start it, love it, hurts, stop, hate, start, love, hurt, stop, etc. Running makes my legs look amazing, gives me some kind of high that I would guess is comparable to some kind of amazing feel good drug, brings me spiritual and emotional peace, and it's free! Right now I am at the in between stages of hating it and trying to figure out how to get started again because I know I will love it. Last summer I ran a bunch of 5ks, but most importantly planned on doing my first relay race. My team was super strong and ran at a good pace. I was no question, the weak link. Earlier in the summer I injured my knee (again) and wasn't able to continue training like I had planned. I was so disappointed about my ability to run when the race day came around. It was a very difficult course with huge elevation changes, temps ranging from freezing to sweltering heat, from deserted mountain to no shade dessert. I had organized a team, paid my dues, made rad team jerseys (with the help of the Mr.) I decided to run the relay despite the injury; it was painful, it was hard, it was long, but it was empowering. I'm so glad I did it, and I'm so grateful for team mates who gave me the courage to keep going. This summer and spring will be a 5k summer. The shorter distance will be better for my lame knee, but I won't be giving it up all together. I know the routine, it's going to be super hard at first, I will hate it, but if I stick with it, I will start loving it again. Here's to the loving it part! This photo is of the ladies of our relay team, Cliff Cats, Staring in the dark hours of the early morning.

Birthday Cake

When I turned 4 I lived in Bountiful Utah. I have a very artistic mom who always made our birthdays and birthday cakes beautiful and creative. I didn't know there was such a thing as frosting from the store, or cakes baked at the grocery store bakery until I was older. My birthday cakes were always colorful, and decorated with whimsy and skill. The first birthday cake I remember was my 4th birthday. It was a butterfly cake, complete with antennae. My mother's birthday cakes have been the inspiration for the cakes I make my own children. It is unfortunate that we recently had a computer virus crash incident that scrubbed everything clean. All the photos of amazing baked creations for birthdays are gone; from Noah's Ark, pirate's treasure chest, to simple elegance all the photos are gone. I hope my kids will have good memories of their birthdays. I feel lucky to be able to make three birthday cakes every year for my favorite little people on earth. The only pictures of cakes I have are the ones I took with my phone :( Sad.

I have kids. They have started complaining that I don't tell them stories about myself, it's not in my nature to talk about myself. I mostly ignore this blog, but since it is here already, and it is called "Mostly My Journal" I am going to start posting more entries. My kids can read about me, and I will start writing things down. In recent years, I have had the privilege of reading letters my grandparents wrote to each other, their siblings, parents, and friends. The letters have impacted my life so much. Their strength of character, everlasting love, enduring forgiveness, priceless experiences, and even the things that may have seemed mundane to them, have had meaning to me. Those letters have shown me the importance of keeping a personal history. Recently, I have also had the opportunity to talk with my mother in law a little bit about her childhood. Her story is full of courage yet heart breaking. I hope she will write her story. She is an amazing example of breaking the mold, and beating the odds. I have a new respect for her. Let's share our stories! We can learn so much from each other.

Wonder Woman

Ever since I can remember, I have adored Princess Diana of the island Paradise, aka Wonder Woman. I used to run around the neighborhood decked out from head to toe in my custom made WW suit. My wonderful mom made boot covers, a crown, an amazing cape, wrist cuffs, and of course the golden eagle crested top and star studded bottoms. It was my favorite thing to wear. I probably wore it all summer. I didn't want to change out of it. I would swoop into neighborhood friends backyards, jump higher than humanly possible on trampolines, and run so fast that no enemy of good could get away. On a beautifully sunny summer afternoon, as I was chasing some "bad guys" (Scotty and his brother), I lost a red and bright boot. Earlier that day, someone in the neighborhood had a new drive way poured, it was lost in wet cement. Of course the cement wasn't too strong to keep wonder woman from catching the bad guys, but my bright boot cover was forever tarnished (not to mention, the expense the neighbor had to go to to fix the boot hole in their new driveway. Of course, I didn't think of that at the time.) I don't know what happened to my amazing suit, I wish I still had it. I have since created other Wonder Woman suits. She is my all time icon for beauty, strength, brains, and skill. If only I had a real golden lasso. Wouldn't it be amazing to get to the truth of things that are important? So many problems would be solved. I have such fond memories of watching Wonder Woman episodes with my mom while eating lunch after kindergarten. I think my mom is Wonder Woman. She is strong, smart, beautiful, and has the kind of humanity for others that would create world peace. I love that she made that wonder woman suit for me, that part of my childhood was like a fairy tale.

Pointless holiday?

Halloween really is a pointless holiday. Maybe that's why people have grown to love it so much. You can have as much or as little expectation of the holiday as you chose to have. There's no worry about what gift will make someone smile, or if the food will turn out and be hot in time for guest, or worry about which family should be visited this year, or having to remember what year someone was born in, (you don't want to give a person a birthday card with "Happy 40th" when it's only their 37th). You can dress up as much or as little as you want, go to all the parties or none of the parties. No one really cares (I don't anyway). I enjoy Halloween. I like to go to a good party or two, I like to listen to music too loudly and dance the craziness out of the night. I like to put on scary makeup, but not too much because then it doesn't look real. I like to carve pumpkins, dress up my kids, and watch funny scary movies. I am always really glad when Halloween is over though. I have found that the week after Halloween is usually pretty uneventful as far as expectations of other people go. It's the calm before the storm I guess. This year is an exception to that. I am so over scheduled the first week of November it is nuts. Happy Halloween!

Thoughts about prayer, it's a gift.

My story with Mike started out in Cedar City. After some serious contemplation and thought, I had decided against going to Western Washington University. It was a late decision so I didn’t know what I would do for the next several months. I was graduated from high school, had just quit my summer job, and had decided against going to a school I had been looking forward to going to for a couple of years. A dear friend called to tell me she had a vacancy in the apartment she was staying in, and why don’t I come to SUU. I felt like I was crazy for just nodding my head and saying, ya ok, that sounds good; but it felt right to say, “yes, I’m coming to Cedar City”. My mom always prayed that her kids would be in the right place at the right time. Moving to Cedar City was the right thing for me to do.
I was able to get a scholarship for Harp Performance even though I was registering late for the semester. I was so grateful to receive the scholarship. After many thousands of hours of practice, many thousands of miles traveled to and from lessons, and many thousands of dollars spent, it was an answer to prayer to receive a scholarship. It was a confirmation from the Lord that all the time and energy spent was good and right.
Not long after moving to Cedar City my roommate and I were on our way to help her cousin move some things. We stopped in a parking lot where we met with her cousin. This is where I met Mike . . . in a parking lot. It wasn’t just any parking lot, it was a holy place! The clouds parted in the sky, rays of sunshine shone down upon him, and the angels started singing heralds from heaven. I sat there and stared. My thoughts were, “What? Are you kidding me? Is this really happening? I don’t believe in this!” I was mad! I was not ready to be in love. But, there was something about him that was so familiar. It was as if we were the best of friends, but hadn’t seen each other for a long, long time.
A few years went by. We both took our time getting through semesters of school. I traveled, had some fun jobs, he joined the National Guard, and then it happened, he asked me to marry him- with a ring. Being in Cedar City led me to my best friend and spouse. I am so grateful I was in the right place at the right time. My mother’s prayers were not unheard.
After Mike and I got married, we transferred to the University of Utah. As a Harp Performance major, at the end of each semester I was required to perform two pieces for a panel of music professors. One performance is how my grade was decided. There were five professors who would critique my performance, then tally up the score from each critique. That is how my grade was determined, and if I could remain in the major. It was nerve wracking! I had a toddler and a studio with 25 students, full time school schedule and a husband. It was so hard to find the time to spend in the practice room that my peers were spending. I practiced and I prepared as much as I could. At the end of a particularly difficult semester, I remember sitting in the parking lot next to the music building just before my performance evaluation. After as much preparation and practice as I could get in throughout the semester, I felt like it wasn’t enough. I was terrified I was going to let myself down, as well as my family, and not receive the grade I desired. In a song of fervent prayer I cried out to the Lord. I asked for His help. I needed for my hands and heart and mind to be blessed that I could have a performance that was worthy of the effort and hours I had spent preparing. I felt an incredible spiritual strength I felt as I played for those professors. The spirit that was in the concert hall when I finished playing was substantial and strong. The Lord had most sincerely heard my pleading, and answered my prayer.
Prayer can be offered earnestly, and prayer can be less intense; depending on our circumstances.
Getting out the door with children is not always simple, especially when you’re trying to get out the door for a vacation. You have to make sure everything is in order, the car is packed perfectly, the trash is taken out of the house, the pets have enough food and water, the doors are locked, the lights are off, and on and on. You have to make sure you have the right blankie, and the right toy. If the correct toy is not in the car when you pull away from the house it could cause some serious problems. This summer we had put our vacation off several times, for several different reasons. August was rolling along and we still hadn’t taken our trip. Finally, we were on our way out the door, the car was packed, Emily and Andrew had their seatbelts on, but Samantha was in the house crying. She would not move, she couldn’t find her stuffed animal squirrel. The squirrel’s name is Aurora. It was nowhere to be found. We had spent an hour looking through her room, the backyard, the playroom, backpacks, we felt like we had looked everywhere. Not having her toy seemed so trivial to me. I had lost my patience. She was to be in the car in ten seconds or she would not be going with us. I didn’t want to have to stick to a punishment that entailed leaving my child with someone else while I went on vacation with the rest of my kids. Samantha let out a very specific prayer and asked the Lord to help us find her squirrel in the next 10 seconds. I was immediately prompted to look in her school backpack. There it was, in the bottom of her backpack. Not only did we learn how effective prayer can be, our faith was also strengthened, and Samantha witnessed the power of prayer, which has been a comfort to her since. It isn’t always the life altering miracles that remind us how amazing the gift of prayers is, it is most often the small day to day things that strengthen our knowledge that the Lord loves us and wants us to be happy. Because he loves us and desires us to be happy, he has given us the gift of prayer. In Psalms is says “The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer”. The Lord definitely received Samantha’s prayer that day.
When Mike deployed the first time to Iraq his re enlistment date came up while he was gone. We knew this would happen and had decided that he wasn’t going to re-enlist. When it came right down to it, our prayers for confirmation on that decision were met with fogginess and confusion. When we prayed about re enlisting, it was a clear answer. We felt the Lord’s confirmation that the right thing to do was to re enlist. I really had to have faith that the Lord knew what was best for us. It was a very difficult decision, but we were comforted by the fact that our decision was backed by an answered prayer. We knew Mike would eventually deploy again. And here we are. We don’t know the reasons for the answer to that prayer, but have faith that the Lord is aware of us and those around us. To us is seems like the harder path, but have faith in the answer that was given.
Mike says, “Prayer gives me focus and strength to overcome negative feelings and thoughts. After a good heartfelt prayer my fear subsides and I know I will survive.” I am given comfort and peace knowing that like me, Mike can pray to the Lord and receive answers.
Andrew had surgery this summer. It was a planned procedure that has required a lot of follow up and recovery. When I had to watch Andrew be rolled in to the O.R. and walk down the long lonely hallway to the waiting room I thought I would pass out. My heart ached and hurt so badly. I couldn’t keep the tears from rolling down my face; they just rolled down my cheeks. There was nothing I could do. I had no control. I had just given my sweet little boy over to the hands of strangers. Although there was loneliness in that waiting room and fear of the unknown, I could literally feel the power of other people’s prayers that were being offered in Andrew’s behalf. I am so grateful for the prayers of others. Prayer is definitely a gift. Prayer can offer comfort.
We can receive guidance and wisdom from Heavenly Father through prayer. We can better understand our children and their needs. We can receive insight that will guide us in helping them. Prayer can be a source of comfort. Prayer strengthens families. Earnest, humble, continual prayer generates immeasurable amounts of blessings. It doesn’t matter where we are. It doesn’t matter if we are poor or rich, humble or arrogant, loved or forsaken, we can address our Heavenly Father in prayer. Prayer is an amazing gift from the Lord.

Two Wheels :)

I know, I am behind schedule . . . Sam is in first grade and I haven't taught her to ride a 2 wheeler yet. But, today I did it. She is on 2 wheels and she loves it. She said, mom, this is way more fun without the training wheels. I have to plug a really cool bike I bought for Andrew. It's called the Strider. It doesn't have any training wheels or pedals. It's supposed to teach kids how to balance better. After riding her bike around the circle a bunch of times, Sam got on Andrew's strider bike ONCE, figured out she could balance and asked to have her training wheels taken off. It was a great suggestion from Char and Andy- thanks guys :) For some reason the video won't post. Too bad, it's really cute.
p.s. Drew likes his bike too :)

This weekend has been beautifully sunny. This week has been full of wonderful things. I am grateful for my kids, my sweetheart, my family, my health, forgiveness, the ability to give and receive love, love love. Smooshy smooshy, cheesy, cheesy, but it's all true :)

good things

I need to write down the good things I can remember from this week before I forget. Here's a brain spew of them. . .

Mom came for a short visit, I sang a solo in the Messiah for the first time, kids so happy about Granny's visit. Monday morning kids are still happy about Granny's visit, Drew and Sam insist on multiple group hugs. Read stories from the Friend for FHE. Signed Sam up for basketball. Got visit teaching done, made neighbor gifts, delivered most of them. Parent day at gymnastics, kids learning and enjoying their gym class. Car was finally repaired. Christmas cards are finished at the printer, addresses mostly gathered. Gifts starting to arrive in KY. Came up with a great gift for Mike, ordered it. Thanked Sam's teacher and delivered gift to her. Went on a couple of great bike rides, Drew rode in the trailer. Clean sheets on all the beds. Remembered garbage day. Mike scrubbed the entire master bathroom! Mike took the a/c out of the window and back to the shed! Sam and Em are both doing well in school. Went to lunch with Mike :) and Drew :) No one is sick. The laundry is almost finished. I was invited to a book club. The party store is selling everything for 75% off so I got all I needed to finish up Mike's family party. Everyone in Mike's family agreed to their assignments. Taught a harp lesson. Visited with some good friends. Tomorrow is Friday, it is crazier than ever. This has been a really busy week, not too much busier than most weeks, but it feels positive. Lots of things have gone wrong this week, but so much has turned out Great! I am grateful for all this GREAT stuff :)

My Best Christmas Gift

The morning of Christmas has expectations. Excitement, joy, happiness, love, warmth, companionship, beauty, plentiful, surprise, generosity, and giving are all words that come to mind when I think of Christmas morning. On Christmas morning in 2004, there was a big part of my life missing. As my kids excitedly found what Santa had left them the night before, I watched for their reactions. The were very happy. Watching my children be happy made the ache in my heart pound a little harder. Knowing that their dad wasn't able to be there with them, to experience some of the "firsts" for our littlest, and enjoy the elation of our oldest. The phone rang just as the wrapping paper had all been ripped off the gifts, and the stockings had been scavenged. I laid on the floor with my kids watching them unwrap and eat Christmas candy for breakfast. On the other end of the phone was Mike. That Christmas morning was as complete as we could get it that year. We were all together, if we count being on speaker phone. We all laid on the floor with the phone in the middle of us and talked about what we had eaten for Christmas Eve. We talked about how the weather was in our different regions of the world. We talked about the people we spent Christmas Eve with, the packages we received, and the gifts we gave. During a deployment, holidays are difficult. The Christmas season has expectations. Sometimes those expectations are hard to meet. It is all in our attitude. The best Christmas gift I have received is when I answered that phone call from Mike. He was thousands of miles away, but we were still able to share Christmas morning together.

Respect

Today I was thinking about giving and earning respect. I have recently become friends with a few people who have really made me reflect on what kind of person I am. These people have made me feel like I am a good person, and that they respect me for who I am, the way I am. Do I treat people this way or have I become complacent about how I treat other people? Have I become careless about the attention I give my family and friends? Have I forgotten how to listen when someone is speaking to me? Am I a taker or a giver? I want to be a giver. I want people I come in contact with to feel like I respect them. I want to care about how a person feels and what they are experiencing. I feel like I have lost my way a little. I feel like my possible addiction to instant social interaction (facebook and texting), has effected my human interaction skills.

I went looking for some guidelines to help me answer these questions, and find some ways to modify my behavior so I can get into good habits again. I am a fan of Matt Townsend; he is a relationship counselor. I like his point of view. These are his 5 rules of respect. I have added some of my own thoughts about the rules.

1. Keep private things private. (Keep secrets in the proper places. Respect things that are private to your spouse. Keep your confidences- have the discipline to keep it to yourself.)
2. Honor the people who aren't present. (Talk to people with respect when you are with them, and not with them.)
3. It's more about your delivery than your intent or content.
4. Wow people with words of respect. (Such as, May I, pardon me, please, thank you, forgive me, excuse me, sorry, etc).
5. Pay attention while others speak. (If an important political person was talking to you, it would be easy to sit and listen and tune out the rest of the world. If your toddler is talking to you, it isn't as easy, but so important to show the child that you respect them, and what they care about. Check your text message when the person has finished speaking and your conversation is over).

These rules seem so obvious to me, but I have strayed from some of them. On my way back to keeping these rules, I will remember how good I feel when I am around my new friends, and strive treat others in a respectful and kind way.

Vote for Yourself!

The Lord is voting for me, and Lucifer is voting against me, but it is my vote that counts.

Ordinary Days

Today was the most ordinary day for me. It is more extraordinary to have a day like today. An ordinary day is far a few between. The kitchen appliances operated they way they should. I had ingredients for the things I made. There is gasoline in my car, but I didn't drive it anywhere. No one missed the bus to or from school. Home work got finished. Friends came to play. Emily and I had our daily harp practice. I didn't get any worrisome news about my family. All the shoes were where they go this morning. I was busy, but not overly busy. I am grateful for a quiet day like today. Today was one of those magic ordinary days.

More Seat Belts

I have this cute little car. It is fast, and fun to drive. It has enough seat belts for my family, but my family is growing up and they are so squished in the back seat. I know I won't be getting a new car in the near future, but it would be great to have that happen. We travel so often it is nice to drive a car that has a great turning radius, super easy to parallel park, and gets decent gas mileage. Although, being able to put each kid on their own row, or even in a wider seat would be so nice for all these long drives we can't seem to go without. I would love to try out an electric Suburban or Expedition. Haha, of the two, I would chose the Ford. Why? Well because my taxes aren't going towards their bail out. In any case, I love my car, but wish it was wider. Any mom with kids filling up the backseats can relate to the craziness that happens when siblings poke, sing, spill, elbow, steal, color on, etc each other. A few more inches between the kids would be helpful in avoiding distracted driving. Okay, this is my new angle- I need a bigger car to avoid being distracted while driving. It is a safety issue after all.

Creepy People

Prank calls might be considered funny if you are in elementary school calling your friend to tell them that you are a girl/boy who has a crush on you. (I personally think prank calls are lame, and if I find out my kids prank call, they will loose their telephone privileges). I can see that some people think pranks are funny, and maybe they might think they can prove a point with them. That's all for now.

random advise

If my opinions were important to anyone, and I was able to give them advice, I would tell them, in matters of life choices, be selfish. Meaning:
• If you are getting ready to be engaged, don’t be afraid to look out for yourself. Check your sweethearts credit score, email accounts, and personal history- of course those things should be available to your honey as well; history has a tendency to repeat itself.
• Education is important, and can mean your own security. Don’t let others push you about, finish your education. You are the only one who has the power to shape your future. Other people’s choices can create obstacles, but you are the one who puts yourself on the path, and that path is what leads you to where you will end up. Chose the path wisely.
• Being healthy and staying fit will keep your mind and spirit strong. Take time from the day to be healthy and fit. You will be happier and more mentally independent if you’re healthy and strong.
• Don’t have sex without being married and don’t get married so you can have sex. If you decide now to not have sex before you get married it will be much easier to say to the person your heart has fallen for, “now is not the time”, and you want to wait. If you don’t make up your mind to be abstinent, be smart about it. Don’t allow someone to give their infections to you or get you pregnant. Use protection, not just oral contraceptives, but other protection too.
• Stay true to the one you love. Don’t let anyone or thing come between the trust and honesty that a good relationship needs to have.
This is what I mean by “be selfish”. Deliberate decisions like these will make it so much easier to let your heart love with abandon. Being able to love with wild fever is one of the greatest feelings I have ever felt. My wish for anyone who reads this is that they will be able to feel endless love, knowing they have done everything in their power to secure their heart’s safety.

4

A few weeks ago I decided I should write my own story. Since I only remember a few small things from my very young childhood, most of that part of my life will not be written about. I know that I was born on my due date Aug 25. I was 9 ½ lbs, and long. I was born in Germany at a military hospital. My dad was on training missions and hitched a ride on a helicopter to come home when the news was brought to him. My Grandma Free was visiting from Provo, UT. I can imagine that I was a perfect baby. My mom must have been a loving and grateful woman, because when I think of my early childhood, I remember the warmth of her love, and her smiling face.
My first real memory is of a birthday when I turned 4. I had the most wonderful birthday cake. It was shaped like a butterfly, double layered. My mom always put thought, artistry, and whimsy into our birthday cakes. She used colored pipe cleaners for the antennas. My dad had just purchased a video camera. He opted to get a Beta camera instead of the more popular VHS camera because Beta had better quality film. Since it was the more expensive option, Beta wasn’t loved by consumers and it was hard to find anything Beta soon after that. In any case, we have video in Beta capturing the birthday cake and me dancing on the front porch. I remember my mom having to coax me to keep moving, because “this was the kind of camera you could make movies with”. My parents doting on me with their new camera, the beautiful and thoughtful birthday cake, and my little sister Charlotte dancing with me has made this memory strong and detailed. Whenever I think of it, I feel loved.

Opening in the Sky

The sky was blue, white fluffy marshmallow clouds were scattered about and kept us shaded from the sun. Across the parking lot stood two men, well, dudes. I had been in Cedar City for less than a week. I didn't know anyone except 2 of my room mates. When one of them asked if I wanted to take a ride with her, (I didn't have my own car yet, so I was stranded unless I ran to where I was going, or begged for a ride), of course I jumped into the cab of her big, old, Chevy pick-up. Our destination was a parking lot? Yes, a parking lot. Their names were Gary and Mike. I had never seen Gary before, he was just the average college guy. I had never met Mike before, but when I looked at him he was beaming. I looked around me, "could this be happening," I thought. I looked back at him, he was still beaming. Everything was shaded by the puff ball clouds, except Mike. It was like he was radiating, as if the sun was shining down on just him. (Is that the cheesiest thing you have ever heard? This coming from a person who has gone to great lengths not to be seem like a silly girl, ha!) It was confusing. I remember thinking, "what and why is this happening". When Mike opened his mouth, this came out, "I haven't seen you for so long!". He proceeded to wrap his arms around me in a giant hug, then looked at my face. You can't imagine what was going through my head at this moment, so I will enlighten you. "Is this person really hugging me? Does he think he can just touch me without even knowing who I am and without my permission? He has really great milk chocolate eyes. Why am I not kicking him in the groin? Why does he seem so familiar to me? I have never seen this person before. What's his name again? His arms feel so good around me. He has got to let go. How dare he enter my personal space bubble! Why do I feel like I know him, and why did he say he hadn't seen me for so long? How can we both feel that way when I know we have never met?" All this took just a portion of a second to wind around in my thoughts.

This is how I met Mike :)

Journal

We are supposed to keep a journal. I am so bad at it!! This is my attempt.