cherish the time you have

what a week it has been.  it has been a good one but what a kinda stressful week it has been.  to start off with i had my group chapter presentation which was stupid and my group was dumb so...that didnt help matters any but...we got through it and that is really good.  :)

then for the best part of the week and also probably the most stressful.  there was a soldier who is from the twin falls area originally...he gave his all protecting our freedoms and he was brought home this week.  what a hard thing it must be for his family.  i can not even begin to imagine how hard that must be for them.  his wife was truly a trooper though.  as were his kids and his parents. he had a wife a ten year old and a five year old as well as parents and great friends he left behind. 

he came in on tuesday on a private plane with his best friend as his escort.  what a great honor that must be for that friend.  the military flies them into the closest airport, which happened to be twin falls.   they also obiously flew in his wife and kids with their casualty assistance officer. 

we worked with his wife getting everything lined up and giving him a fitting and honorable service for all that he has done for us Americans. 

thursday was his gather/viewing night.  what a night that was.  his family brought in soooo many photos and there was soooo many flowers there.  then there were a great multitude of friends and family and just people who wanted to pay respects who came.  it was fabulous.  there was a casket guard who stood by him the entire night.  i can not even describe how great it was.

then yesterday was his service.  it was huge and packed.  another great tribute to him and the service he rendered.  i  truly learned to appretiate the service and the military more than i had before.  i greatly respect her casualty officer and the respect that he showed for the soldiers wife.  he gave her space yet...was right there to help and assist and escort and dote on her.  it was great.  it was great to see how he took the honor of helping one of his fellow comrades wife through probably one of the toughest events in her life and maybe the toughest.  his number one goal was to do whatever and make sure everyone else did just what the widow wanted. 

it was a great service with fantastic music.  i had never heard a few of the the songs which were sung but they were great none the less.  one of them is "Fly to your Heart" and the other one is "To a Child"  i have been able to get a rendtion of the Fly to your Heart but have been unsuccessful in finding the other one to this point.  the Fly to your heart one though is:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ViGx1iHtkQ

the graveside service is where it got really touching i felt.  there was so much military and there was flags and an honor guard which walked him to his gravesite.  there was a twenty one gun awards for the service rendered.  flags folded and presented to his wife, two kids, and parents, more specific though his mom.  they all held it together really well though.  his best friend and escort and another one of his really good friends were the ones who folded his flag that draped the casket.  his escort is the one who presented all the flags.  they then had a fly over.  as he was a helicoper pilot they had four of the helicopters which he flew fly over and then one of them took off and few away.  it is called a missing man formation symbolizing that one has left the fight but the fight remains and there is more work to do.  it truly a touching thing.  there were many high ranking officers and such which came to be there for the family.  The soldiers captain flew in.  also another thing that touched me was that a large group of the widows friends who she has been associating with down in Hawaii flew in and surprised her.  at the end of the service they all walked over and stood by the casket and grasped the dog tags of their loved one and husband who is still over seas fighting for their lives and for the freedom we enjoy.  and they just sobbed.  

his wife was a wonder to work with.  she was fantastic and taking it really well.  i felt it an honor to get to work with her and would love to work with people like her all the time who take the death well and have the attitude that everything is going to be alright and that everything happens for a reason.  that though we may not understand the meaning at the time, that in time everything will make sense. 

then as i reflected on the day last night it hit me really REALLY hard.  as i sat and thought i can not even begin to imagine the feelings she has and the reality that she is alone now.  she has two children which she has to raise and teach correctly and continue to help them know who their dad was.  to know she must now walk the path alone.  sure she has family and a others but....to a large extent, she is alone, at least for now.  i just could hardly fathem that feelings she has.  and that she is leaving him here in idaho where they are both from and she is returning to Hawaii at least for now. 

try if you can to think about it.  i really think that it will blow your mind. sure losing your partner at anytime is hard but...at such a young age with young chilren...i think that is a lot harder than someone who has had their spouse for 50 years though that presents its own set of challenges but...

so i guess the point of this post in large was to share just a little of the wonderful/stressful/sad/whatever week that i have had.  and to continue all to encourage you all to really cherish the time you have left. for you never know how much time you have left.  for tomorrow is no guarentee.  all we have is to live for today.  and to make it the best that we possibly can make it.  :) 

Today i gave my first speech in communications.  It went well.  I was real pleased with the results.  I got an A on the speech.  Now I just have to get a topic for my next persuasive speech.  If anyone has any ideas let me know.  Thanks

• People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost.

i saw that quote and it just hit me pretty hard.  i dont really know why.  it was just too cool to me.  it really is soo true as well.  we all have to live the life we are destine to live. it is not always easy or the way everyone would like it all the time.  in fact it is not always the way that we would want it sometimes.  we just have to trust.  trust that things will work out just the way that they are are suppose to because they will...

You really only get over someone when you find someone you like better.

another day in my life...

it is another day in my life.  i really hate saying goodbye to people and today i had to say goodbye to my who i have worked with for the last year.  she has been a great influence on our company.  we def are going to miss her at work.  it will be ok.  we will get over it.  we cant have the best forever.  just for a moment then they are gone.

taking the next step

Well I am pretty sure the time has come for me to move out. It has been a wonderful time here but...it is just time. I am growing up and wanting to do my own things and the parents are not like that so much. I have already been informed that I have to be moved out by May. It also has been moved to December. I am not real sure how serious that one is. I know that it is May for sure though. I am just tired and done with it though. So....short of the long. I am looking for a new place to call home. I have a few ideas but am not real sure what I am going to do or where this new road is going to take me. :) We will see. It is def going to be a growing and learning experience for me. I think that it is going to be good though. At least i hope that it is. :)

update on life

Man it sure has been a while since I have written a post and updated everyone on the happenings in my life. Well honestly there is not a whole lot which has happened but some has so I guess that it is a good time to update.

I am just sitting here watching conference and thinking about how despite the stresses in my life, it is ok and that I am going to make it through and be better for having went through the trials.

I am still going to school here at CSI. It has been a good time. It is a learning experience. I am not sure that I am doing so much learning as far as the education goes. I am really learning alot about life and the stresses that comes with growing up and being an adult.

As i sit here thinking about how almost a year ago my friend left on a mission to Tempe, Arizona, it scares me. I know that I have accomplished a lot but on the other hand I sit here and think about how, what have I done in the year that he has been gone?

I am so blessed in life though. I have such a great and loving family. I also have many fantastic friends. Friends that live here in Twin Falls as well as all over the United States and some which are even out of the states at the moment.

It has been amazing to me to learn of the effect which I have on people everyday. It makes me real happy inside. I had no idea how much some people really look up to me. I try to live my life in a way that would allow me to never have any regrets. I think about what I have to say and think, if this is the last thing that I ever say to this person is it really what I want to say. Is it truly how i feel? I have learned that because of this I have had a tremendous impact on the lives of people.

I have been trying to slow down in life and not take everything so serious. I am trying to build relationships and do things that I would not normally do. I have done a lot more hanging out and not as much being an adult per say. Life is too short to be taken so seriously all the time.

Well I guess that is enough update for now. Until next time...