Gene M. Richards, DDS, Grandpa, Dad, Friend, My Biggest Fan in Lacrosse

*** This is a LONG post about my Grandpa Richards. My main purpose in writing this is to have a record of my memories of Grandpa and Grandma Richards, and secondly for people to enjoy and learn about a great man. I love my grandparents more than I know how to write in this small blog, but this will have to do as a supplement for my many memories I hope to keep with me forever and ever. ***

My Grandpa Richards passed away on Dec. 29th. Jonathon and I were up in Washington for the Christmas break. He had a stroke while on a cruise a few weeks ago and a couple of minor strokes following and had been downhill since. I felt like before I left for WA, that would be the last time I saw my grandpa and decided to say my goodbyes. I felt peace and comfort while knowing this would be the last time I saw him.

At first I felt a bit guilty that I hadn't spent more time with him when he was in the hospital. I quickly realized this does no good and decided to focus on the good memories I got to build with him through the years.

I'd like to share some of these.

My favorite memory of my grandpa (and grandma) is that they were my absolute #1 fans for lacrosse. They never missed a game - showing up in their "Jordan Lacrosse" shirts sitting on their beach chairs, snow or shine. I could always count on them to be there. This is something I KNOW my grandpa was so proud of - his state champ grand daughter!

I think his favorite story to tell people went something like this:

"I gotta tell ya... when we were getting ready to go to Nancy's state championship game (the THIRD one she won) we got a phone call from Nancy as we were going out the door. She told Grandma to bring her a list of things; 'Vitamin C, pickle juice, water. Oh, one more thing- Tell Grandpa to bring his wallet!' You see, I normally paid her $1 for every point she scored in her games. I told her for her last game, I'd pay her $6 for each point and $3 for every assist. Boy, I'll tell ya- she cleaned out my wallet that game; $48 dollars that game cost me!"

I loved when he told this story, again and again. It always made me smile knowing I'd made him proud and that he wanted to brag all about me and put me on a pedestal.

My next favorite memory is my college graduation. After I received my diploma, I walked down to my family before going back to my seat and Grandpa pulled me in for a hug and said "I'm proud of ya, babe" with tears in his eyes and the most sincere smile I've ever seen. Grandpa was a big reason behind my decision to go into the dental field. I loved all his stories and how he loved being a dentist. This was a special bond between us and led to many conversations only dental nuts would be interested in. Which leads to one of my next favorite memories...

When my grandpa came in to be a patient for me at my dental hygiene school. Haha- even just typing that made me laugh! From the minute he walked in the doors, he was the star of the show. Everyone knew who he was and loved him. In school, we had specific patient type requirements we needed to fulfill. One of these was a geriatric (older person) and a more moderate to severe amount of calculus. Since Grandpa worked for both, he got passed around at school to help people fulfill all their requirements. And since we were in school, it took four three-hour sessions to finish the job.

Grandpa came early to every appointment. He loved being around all the girls in school and telling all his dental stories (This is mostly why they took three hours :) and even pretended to start a riot when he proclaimed to all the other patients that HE was THE dentist. Oh, and we can't forget when he pretended one of the girls hurt him while cleaning and then laughed heartily and said just kidding (FYI: that is the WORST thing you can do to a dental hygiene student and grandpa knows better!) I smiled at the look on his face when he found out I was going to give him an injection (total shock and terror) and grinned from ear to ear when he told me that night what I great shot I am (pun intended) because he was still numb 6 hours later.

I was really lucky to live so close by my grandma and grandpa. Jonathon and I went over to their place quite often to watch BYU football and basketball with them and to drop off or pick up Cosmo while we were living in our apartment.

One of Jonathon's favorite memories of Gene is when we were visiting their place and Grandpa and Grandma were in their kitchen eating sandwiches for lunch. Grandpa was on a stool near the sink for some reason and grandma was at the table. We walked in the room and heard:

"Cannon got mustard on his head." -Gene

"Well, get it off, Gene!" -Ann yelling

"He won't let me!" -Gene yelling louder

So we walk over and sure enough there is a huge plop of yellow mustard on top of Cannon's head sliding down the side of his face. Like Cannon REALLY climbed up on the table and dipped his head in mustard... LOL- Grandpa just put too much on his sandwich and it fell onto Cannon's head. So Jonathon went over to help wipe and when he was about three inches from his head, Cannon snarled at him and tried to bite. So, Grandpa clearly knew Cannon. This entire story was hilarious.

Grandpa and Grandma

4th of July at Brighton Breakfast

Grandpa, me, and Grandma at my college graduation

Me and Grandpa

Our last picture together

I love you Grandpa. Watch over all of us while you're having fun up there!

Riding the bus

I rode the bus to and from school last night for the first time in a couple months. It reminded me of just how terrible it was to not have a car and realize again how hard the last couple years have been for us. Nancy and I genuinely think the Lord put "blinders" over our eyes to help us survive and de-sensitize us to how crappy that was.

We have always been grateful for the Lord providing opportunities for us with the different forms of transportation necessary to do all we needed to do. They haven't always been the easiest or nicest, but it did the job to get us the places we needed to be. Most importantly, school! Our main form of transportation after our car, Lexie, had the head gasket go out, was the UTA trax and bus. We could usually make it to the bus stop in Lexie, but no further. Or we borrowed Grandma and Grandpa Richards huge, old, trusty Suburban (we named it Gene cuz it reminded us of him) to get to the bus stop (It cost $100 to fill up.. this is why it only took us to the bus stop)

You know you are are riding the bus or trax in Utah if...

1-You park and have to SPRINT to the bus stop to make sure it doesn't leave without you or else you have to wait an hour for the next one and you're late to class

2-You wait outside in the cold until your toes, fingers, and nose are numb and never know if it really is even going to come

3-You see 20 open seats on the bus and settle down in a good spot, then a huge, smelly person comes and chooses to sit RIGHT NEXT TO YOU

4-The bus doesn't need any music because you can hear three different choices of songs at once coming out of headphones full blast (usually vulgar) so everyone else can conveniently listen too!

5-Your lungs burn from the fumes, yes, I said FUMES of alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, and probably paint thinner. Oh, and B.O. and periodontal disease. And poop.

6-At the end of the ride, you can tell your spouse Tino's entire life story because he was talking on his cell phone loudly the ENTIRE 45 minute drive... if only you knew Spanish.

7-It takes you 30 minutes to read what normally should take just 15 because the ride is so bumpy and makes you sick by the end

8-You have to carry your pepper spray in hand the entire time until you make it home because of the creepy old guys that don't stop staring at you (From Nancy)

9-You see a larger woman pull out a 2 Liter of 7-Up from her purse and chug it down to the last drop. Yes, a 2 Liter. We have pictures as proof.

Needless to say, we LOVE having our new car. It is good to have these little moments to remind us to appreciate the blessings we have. And having a car IS A BLESSING, not a right!!

We'll post pictures of Zip (our new, perfect-for-us-at-this-time-in-our-lives car) soon.

-Jonathon and Nancy

Typical "Trax Person" (this is what we call them, or TP for short)

Being an example- especially when you don't even know it!

Each and every fall season for the last four years, I have been fortunate enough to referee high school girl's lacrosse Super Sevens for my old coaches Fish and Soni (Taylor) Bartlett. It's a great way to get exercise in and make some extra $money$, especially while I was getting through college (You know.. all those crazy jobs you have in college just trying to get by!)

Some weeks I absolutely loved reffing. The girls would be so nice and cute and I got to teach them how to be better players and help them learn new moves like how to have a better cradle and how to play bottom-hand defense. Other weeks, I hated reffing. The parents would yell at me on the field and tell me all the calls I missed (Even though I've been playing for NINE years compared to their being a fan for one or two... Have you even READ the rule book??) and how awful I was. This made me really sad because for each game, I really did try my best to be fair and make the right calls. It really brought me down and was extremely frustrating.

At the end of the last game this season, there was an envelope labeled "Nancy" sitting on the score table. I thought it was probably just a check for reffing and put it in my pocket. When I got home, I pulled it out and opened it. Inside was a full-page, handwritten letter, cute sparkly "N" keychain, and a Subway gift card.

This was a thank you letter/present from one of the girls I had reffed. She started playing the first year as a freshman so she was one of the few that had been there all along with me the last four years. Paraphrasing, she wrote:

"I wanted to thank you for everything you've done for me the last four years. You have no idea what a great example you've been for me as a lacrosse player and friend and when I grow up I hope to be just like you. Love, Lacey #14"

As you can imagine with my sensitive little tear ducts, I started crying. How CUTE is this girl??! Mostly I was emotional thinking about how I never even thought of someone watching my actions. I thought about how I was dreading and even hating having to go some weeks. Did my attitude bring others down? Was she watching to see how I 'reacted' to the world at those times?

We never know when someone is watching us, looking to us as an example. Don't you think i would have acted differently if I knew each week this girl looked up to me as a role model? It is our responsibility to help others and lift people up. It's the sure way to happiness.

I'll be forever grateful to Lacey and HER example to me and for helping me to have this little "a-ha moment."

Be an example- always. You never know when someone is watching you and your decisions.

p.s. I can't forget to mention that I am grateful too for this Super Sevens because through this I got to meet Smallz and Shalece Hansen who are awesome and I love them. I made some eternal friends with this lacrosse business. :)

My calling as a Sunday School teacher

Trina told me to post more soooooo here it is!

Jonathon and I are on our second round of teaching the 12-14 year old Sunday School class at our church. We absolutely love this calling and those kids. I am so impressed by their innocence and desire to be good. Even the trouble-makers and loud-mouths say things that make me smile and teach me wonderful lessons.

Today we taught a lesson on Immorality and it made me sad thinking about them ever having to go through a tough time or falling into that kind of sin. ANY sin, but especially that one because it is such a powerful thing that can be used in both bad and good ways. I just want them to stay young and not have to go through those hard experiences that cause so much sadness. I want them to make good choices and be successful in life. I know, I know "Just wait until you have kids!" and I know with my own kids it'll be ten times harder. Luckily, we get some "practice rounds" through callings!

Heavenly Father really does know what is best for us and He wants us to be happy. We need to have a stronger desire to follow Him and be better so we can be examples to others and help lift them up.

Random

I've been wanting to post for a long time but can always find a million reasons not to. Mostly I'm too lazy to make it look all cute and clever like most people. Sigh. Thus, this may be one boring post, but who the heck cares!

Here are my random thoughts at this very moment:

1. I love Jonathon. He is my best friend and we love laughing and having so much fun together. It's just easy to be around him and with him and he helps me to be happy in many ways including:

-listening to me ramble and just talk about nothing, makes me feel smart and pretty, always lets me know he loves me, works hard to get us some extra income, he helps me understand the Gospel better, helps me be a better person by encouraging me, he's SO funny!!, makes cute songs and loves to sing, and loves to make other people happy by being nice to them too! I just love him. Alls the time.

2. Cosmo just scratched his ear with his foot and it made the same "thump-thump-thump" sound Thumper from Bambi makes when he scratched his ear.

3. I'm trying out Latisse to help my eyelashes grow all thick and lush so I don't feel the need to put on make-up every morning. I will keep you updated on results.

4. I love being a dental hygienist. I go home so happy at the end of the day because I love my patients. Here is a cool story of one of them:

I saw a patient on Tuesday who had no use of her hands because her mother took some sort of stomach medication while pregnant and caused this deformity. However, this woman had nearly PERFECTLY healthy gums and very little build-up! She uses her feet and teeth to do EVERYTHING for her. And she flosses 2x day using floss sticks and brushes with an electric toothbrush. I was amazed. What an awesome woman. This means there is absolutely no reason in the world that everyone else doesn't floss everyday too!

5. I love hot showers. My mom's house runs out of hot water fast though so I can't ever fully enjoy it. :(

6. Does anyone know how to get rid of sideaches while running?

7. I'm running a marathon next year. - Grandpa Huckvale had a stroke a few months back and does not have use of his right side so he can't walk and talk right now. He made a goal to be walking and talking by July for our family reunion. We decided that we'd all make a goal of something to accomplish by July by the time the family reunion comes and we'll all talk about our experiences. I made three goals:

1) Run a marathon.

2) Read the Book of Mormon.

3) Pay off my student loans.

This takes lots of effort NOW to accomplish these things by THEN so I'm working tough and learning lots along the way. :)

8. I love fresh apple cider. Our home teacher brought us some that is non-pasteurized and only happens one month of the year. It's amazing.

9. I am officially licensed to practice dental hygiene in Oregon and passed the Oregon Jurisprudence exam FINALLY! Wahoo!

10. It feels like nearly every one of my girl friends is pregnant right now. Crazy!

11. I am not good at baking. Or cooking. But, I enjoy it while I'm making it so...... oh well. Maybe someday!

I think that is all for now. I'm going to drive Jonathon downtown to my dental office to have Dr. Ellis pull his last wisdom tooth. It's going to be nice for him to not be in pain anymore!

Bye!

The Third of July, a.k.a. the Fourth of July!

Jonno and Nancy at the CARRIE UNDERWOOD concert!

Independence Day fell on a Sunday this year so we celebrated it on the Saturday before. It was a great day! We started out with the annual breakfast and parade at my family's cabin at Brighton.

Every year after breakfast, we go take family pictures on this humungo rock.

So, behold, the annual family picture on the big rock!

After the rock, we always rock, I mean, walk the trail around Silver Lake.

Jonathon found this stick and called it his "1820's revolver" and carried it the rest of the way.

Here he is shooting me with it.

Annnddd here we are happy that I didn't die with the shot of that almighty revolver!

Sisterly love.

My mom is always so festive. She loves holidays! Here she is with her great 4th of July outfit.

Jonathon captured this picture of my mom leaping off a rock. I thought it was awesome!

Great picture, Jonno!

Here we are in front of Silver Lake. Notice the revolver- again. Haha! :)

Me and my cute lil Grandma Richards.

We had a lot of fun at Brighton. It's always a fun event we look forward to.

This year we also did something we haven't experienced together before and attended the Stadium of Fire! It was SO COOL!!!! We LOVED it!

My most favorite singer in the world was the headliner performer: Carrie Underwood.

And the fireworks show was fantastic.

Here are some pictures:

These four jets flew over the stadium for the opening ceremonies.

They were really loud. And freakin' awesome.

The Stadium of Fire dancers. Pretty cool!

We also got to be a part of the largest Eagle Court of Honor in HISTORY.

Over 150 eagle scouts were awarded at the event. They asked all Eagle Scouts who were in the crowd to stand and hold this Boy Scout Eagle sign.

Our very own Jonathon got to stand with them- I'm so proud that I have an Eagle Scout for a husband. That really is a wonderful achievement!

And....there she is- THE Carrie Underwood!! Such a powerful voice and presence.

A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.

Me and Carrie :D Can you tell how excited I was to be there??

Fireworks:

My camera wasn't able to get the full effect of how cool these fireworks were. Hands down one of the best fireworks shows I've ever seen.

I especially loved that they played patriotic music in the background that matched the show. It even made me cry a couple times.

Jonno and me very satisfied after the show.

Here is a video of the night. Sorry it's kinda choppy.

A glimpse of Carrie!

So what do you think? Did I enjoy it or what?? Heh.

Happy Independence Day!!

I GOT THE JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am pleased to announce that...

I GOT THE JOB!!!!!!!!!

I will try to put in writing how utterly HAPPY I am, but I believe it to be an impossible task.

I will be working part-time at A Kid's Place Dentistry in Murray on Tuesdays and Fridays. This is the same place I did my working interview last week. This is a newer office with a GREAT staff. I can't wait to start.

I'm so grateful for this opportunity. I had interviewed at an office in Draper two weeks ago and the interview was pretty bad. About an hour after that interview finished, I got a phone call to set up an interview for A Kid's Place the next day. I met with Quinndon and we had a great interview that really didn't even feel like an interview. I learned a lot of really cool things from him about life and what type of person I am and want to be. I was thrilled when he asked me to come back for a working interview. The next week at my working interview was the first time I'd ever really seen how an office is run. I felt like it went okay but could have been better, could have been worse. After that day, Christie, the owner, asked if I could come back Thursday. I was pleasantly surprised! I felt like Thursday was better, but still not perfect (of course). We got a call from Quinndon on Friday while we were driving, but I was too nervous to answer to Jonathon answered. I was scared to death and told him to say I wasn't there- he did, and then we didn't hear back from Quinndon until MONDAY. The anticipation was killing me. I thought "What if they were going to offer me the job and then I didn't answer and now they are going to give it to someone else??" So today he called again and said:

"I have good news for you- we'd like you to be a part of our team!"

I'm really excited to start. This is an amazing opportunity for me. I still can't believe it. I'm so happy and grateful. I said awhile ago that whoever gives me my first job I will always try my absolute best to do a great job for the company and go above and beyond to try and say thank you.

That is exactly what I intend to do. :)

I officially start next week- I can't wait!

Our NEW Car!

So for those of you who don't know, Nancy and I have been with out a car for a long long long time now. Living in Salt Lake and both going to school full time in Provo/Orem without a car takes the term "paying your dues" to a whole new level. Seriously.

Now that Nancy has graduated, we thought it would be a good idea for her to get a job. That said, we also figured it would be a good idea to get a car so that she can get to and from work. So we looked at our checking account and figured out that we have around $3,000 to spend on a car and anything over $3,000 we would have to take out a loan for the remaining amount. First, after enormous feedback on which car to drive, we decided we would look at this sweet puppy:

A 2001 Honda Accord EX V6, fully loaded with black leather interior. It was way nice when we went to test drive it. It blue booked at $7,200, but the lady was asking $6,500 with the price not being "firm" ... reason being was because the transmission was acting up a little bit. I figured I could just buy a warranty on it and if it went out I would just use my warranty. Well, I did a little research and found out that the 98-2002 accord/civic is notorious for bad transmissions, even if you replace or rebuild them, these models will continue to have problems. This is just not something (potential car problems) we even wanted to mess with and we gracefully had to pass on this beaute.

Our next car was:

...a 2001 VW Jetta GLS V6 listed at $5,500. This was a nice car on the outside, but on the inside it seemed a little worn (though it did have power everything, loaded, leather seats, etc.). Not necessarily because it was poorly taken care of, but because VW's just start to look worn after a while on the interior. We took it on a test drive, and it seemed fine. We pulled into a parking lot and popped the hood. The coolant reservoir was unusually active. I followed the radiator hose to the engine block and could smell coolant as well as a pressurized sound coming from the block. They said there was nothing wrong with it. I should note that when I say "they" I mean that it was former Utah Ute center and 700 KALL radio personality Kyle Gunther. Not sure I want to call him and his wife out for intentionally omitting engine problems, but it seemed pretty obvious to me that there was something wrong with the vehicle. We took a quick pass on that one.

We decided that we would just try to find the best car for under $3,000 that we could find.

That brings us to our last, and final candidate:

Meet "The Pimped Perry."

This was the best car that we could find for our money. It was relatively cheap to fix, just had its radiator, water pump, timing belt, breaks and tires replaced. All stories checked out, Carfax was clean, test drive went great AND it got 30 mpg average. It was also really fun to drive, it felt good. Pretty nice.

We are going to go put a deposit on it tomorrow and then we just need to wait for the title to be mailed from the owners parents in california and we are just going to pay cash for it - no loans, no debt, that's just how we roll.

Honestly, I can't stop looking at her pictures. "The Pimped Perry" is all that we want in a car right now - reliable, recently serviced and cheap to fix.

We are just so incredibly excited. I might, for the first time in almost 2 years, DRIVE to school tomorrow.

Meet the newest Best Buy employee

I almost forgot to mention..

I am the newest Best Buy employee! I applied there a little while back in case it takes awhile for me to land a dental hygiene job and to help bring in all the extra dough I can. I have orientation this coming Friday. It's been a crazy month for the Huckvale family!

I can't wait for my first paycheck. I don't care how much or how little it is- it will be an INCOME!! YES!

My Second Interview- and I got a working interview!!

Day two of interviews. And I am thrilled!

I had an interview today at a place downtown called A Kid's Place dentistry. The job is actually for an office in Murray, but it is part of a company of dental offices.

I met with an executive of the company named Quindon. He was one of those types of people that just from meeting him, you feel like a better person. What a great person. I think it was what I read in a book once called "instant rapport." You know how there are just some people that you instantly click with and others you don't? This was a definite click.

I felt like this was my dream interview because it wasn't full of the typical "Why should we pick you over another applicant?" weird questions that were made for people who can talk real smooth. It was designed for a gal like me who gets nervous in an interview, but I'll make a great hygienist in the office! He really took the time to get to know me and who I really am and use that judgement to make the decision. I really appreciated this.

In the beginning of the interview, he told me that the way they do things, they will call me within one week if they want me to come back for a working interview and if I don't hear from them, it meant I didn't have one of the qualities they were looking for. At the end of the interview today, he said

"Now, do you remember what I said at the beginning of the interview? Going back to that, how I said we'd call you within a week? With that said, I'd like you to come in for a working interview next Tuesday. I want you to work from 9-5 and we will pay you."

Can you believe it?? I'm so excited! What a great day! And interview. I cannot wait for Tuesday- it is going to be so fun! And so nice to get a paycheck, even if it is just one day. :)

My First Interview

Today I had my first interview at a great little office in Draper, Utah. It went okay. Not great, not terrible. The staff was all very nice and positive and the office was very high tech and awesome. I would really love to work here. It seems like it would be such a great fit for me! And me for it! I would love, love, L.O.V.E. to get this job!! We will see..

I've had so many different emotions about this and about finding a job period.

It is a scary thing to apply for jobs. You're throwing yourself out there completely, giving it your all, and it can either end in complete and utter thrill and excitement of getting that job or complete and utter misery that someone else was a better candidate than you.

I've learned I'm not very good at interviewing, but I've been practicing! And Jonathon helps me a lot. He's always one of the last three candidates in every job he applies for. It just comes natural for him to talk with people. What a lucky talent to have!

I have another interview tomorrow at a Pedo office in Murray- this is an office specializing in working on kids. That would be fun too. I'll keep you posted on how everything goes!

k, I don't know how to get rid of this blue underline thing... sorry!

Why I hate Taco Tuesday and will never eat at Del Taco again...

I more recently introduced Jonathon to the beauty that is Taco Tuesday at Del Taco. He was quickly addicted. I'm sure you are all familiar with it- you get three hard or soft shell tacos for just a dollar! Sure they are as American as can be, but oh so good. At least they used to be..

I, Nancy, vow after my last experience at Del Taco, to never choose to eat the famous Taco Tuesday adventure again!!

Now, let me explain why.. (Even writing this post is making me feel kind of sick... blahhh!!)

WARNING: ADULT CONTENT. Well, no nudity or anything but, I might throw in a description of my throw up bowl or the toilet when I was done with it... PHEW.

So I picked up Jonathon from the bus station early last night and he (and me too) was craving Taco Tuesday. We headed out there and ordered a typical serving of 12 tacos- 9 soft and 3 hard and 2 churros. It was all great and dandy! I had four myself plus my churro. On our drive home, we decided those churros just didn't satisfy our sweet tooth and decided we'd try to recreate the blondie from Applebees- AMAZING. As I was baking it, I started feeling really sick. When we finished, I couldn't believe that after all that work I put into it and how it was so perfectly golden, I couldn't even try ONE BITE because I felt too sick!! If you know me, you know how much I love my sweets and this NEVER happens. Well, it happened.

The rest of the night was spent with me throwing up every hour and... well... on the pot, to be quite frank! I don't know what time it was the last refried bean I threw up, but let me tell you Taco Tuesday does NOT taste as good coming up as it does going down!!

I have stopped with the throwing up and other goodies, but have still been weak and had stomach pain all day. I think I have started to make an imprint of my body on the couch from laying there so long. Sprite, otter pops, jello, and saltine crackers have been my best friends today.

And THAT, my friends, is why I will never eat at Taco Tuesday again.

OH, and by the way, Jonathon was just fine. Very satisfied actually. Agh. Not that I'm spiteful or anything but.. come on!!!

That is all for now.

Sincerely,

Nancy

P.s. Jonathon was really sweet taking care of me last night and today even though he's been really busy with school. THANK YOU JONNO! He helped me with all I needed and even took out the throw up-py garbage for. What a dear, sweet husband.

AND my mom rescued me by bringing me the food for the day. I don't know what it is, but there is nothing like being taken care of Mom when you're sick. My mom was sooo good when me and my siblings were growing up to do what ever our little heart desired. I think she spoiled us because I was sad all day today being home alone with out my Mommy here to help me. :( So THANK YOU MOMMY for helping me today while I was sick! She's so cute.

P.S.S. Cosmo is the cutest dog in the world and laid by me on the couch alllll day long. What a good friend!

I gradulated!

Jonathon asks me all the time "Nancy, is life really that great after you graduate or do people make it sound better than it is?" and I always respond "It is even BETTER!!!" I have loved being graduated. I feel like a completely different person- a huge weight of stress has been lifted off my shoulders. I've still got stress- applying for licenses, trying to find a job to pay back $40,000 worth of loans, figuring out what to do about a car... but it's different kind of stress. At this point in life, it seems easier to manage than the stress of tests and school and homework.

I love it!!

Maybe someday I'll do a post on my graduation, a.k.a. the best day of my life. :)

Pictures!

I realized this week that I've only got TWO MORE MONTHS left in the "college" chapter of my life. I've made plenty of great memories of this time that I'll cherish forever in my heart and mind, but... it's so much easier to remember those times when you have pictures! Jonathon and I haven't gotten hardly any pictures during the 2 1/2 years of marriage- ever since I sat on my camera at a BYU football game a month after we got married! (Those five pounds I gained after getting married really went a long ways!) Anyway, like I said, I realized this week that we have hardly any pictures from this time in our lives and that has made me sad because we've really enjoyed it and had a great experience. I decided I want to start taking more pictures (and also blog more!) so years from now, I can look back at this time and remember everything I can! Jonathon likes this idea too so hopefully you'll see a little bit more from the boths of us. :)

Here are a few pictures to introduce you to our life...

Here's "Homie Mo" getting ready to go out for his walk down to Murray Park

A lot of gangsters "pop their collars"

....this gangster 'Mo pops his coll-EARS. BAM!

First stop.. Cosmo's favorite tree. This is the place we always drive down at Murray Park to let Cosmo do his thing three times a day. This is his favorite spot. And trust me, you bet your bottom dollar he "owns" every square inch of grass, tree, and fire hydrant in that area. He has got it MARKED.

Here's Jonno and Cosmo walking. Aren't they cute??

My favorite part of Murray Park.

We always walk around this big circle around the park because two of those circles=one mile.

It's easy to keep track. This is a fun spot because there is a big field on the left that always has friends and families playing in and a pretty lake with geese on the right. Jonno and I love to sit on that bench up there and chat and let Cosmo go smell stuff.

This is so funny- I had to post this! Jonathon got mad at Cosmo because he wouldn't go chase the ducks- he just kept peeing on stuff. haha! I thought it was hilarious.

We told Cosmo to go get the geese (he used to LOVE this!) and he wanted to go mark his territory first. Jonathon talks about how Cosmo's got problems.

And here, Cosmo finally conquers the Geese!!

Here is another one of my favorite places. It's a cute little bridge.

(Cosmo also owns this.)

Here is when we've finally made it back from our walk- Home Sweet Home!

I was number 17 for lacrosse in high school so I thought it was fate we ended up here.

Here's what we see when we walk in. We have a balcony to the left that overlooks Murray park and is AWESOME! We LOVE it! And I love our little living room!! It's so dang cute.

Here's another view. :)

And here is the front of our living room.

We used to have a gigantic TV up and a sweet set-up there until last September when we sold it to Robby, Jonathon's brother. So we replaced it with a pretty picture of the Portland temple my Grandma Roush made us for our wedding (she picked flowers from the day of our wedding and used them as a border) I love that picture.

Okay, well, you are officially caught up on my life today. Oh wait, maybe not.. I think Jonathon still wants to post about our 50 piece chicken McNugget and Paranormal Activity experience tonight too. Ah! You are in for a treat!

Peace.

Things I've Learned

I've had the realization the last month or so that the older you get, the more "life" you'll experience. Both good and bad. It's inevitable.

I am 21 years old. In these 21 years of life, I feel as though I've had a relatively easy life. I've never suffered any sort of physical pain besides shutting my finger on a staple on a bench and even then didn't need stitches when I was 11. I experienced my parents go through a somewhat messy divorce, but knew through the entire process that it was for the good and it was a relief in my life for it to happen. In my teenage years, I felt the loneliness of feeling as though I had no one to turn to talk to. With my mom being deaf, it was like we were in two different worlds- we couldn't understand each other and the different pains we each had experienced. I always wanted someone to talk to and express all my feelings to, whether it be heartaches or happiness. I was lucky to find this person early on in life when I was only 17 by meeting Jonathon and getting to marry him for eternity a year and a half later. In the last 2 1/2 years of marriage, we've never had loads of money to spend on whatever we wish, but we've always had a roof over our heads and food in our cupboards. We've only had a working car for half our marriage, but have been blessed with some form of transportation to get us to and from the places we need to be.

A few weeks ago, my friend Kat sent me a text message asking "Nancy, did you hear about JR?" JR is a friend of mine I had dated for a bit in high school before he left on his mission. I replied no and she called me and let me know that he had passed away the night before due to pneumonia. He was only 23 years old. I had emailed back and forth with him just three weeks earlier asking about meeting up with his older sister who was a dental hygienist to get some tips from her. From what I know, he got pneumonia and it was severe enough that he was in the hospital. Two weeks later, he died. Just like that. Two weeks! The night Kat called me, I was in tears. Not necessarily that we were very close friends, because we only talked every so often, but for some reason it just hit me so hard that if it happened to JR, it could just as easily happen to me or to someone I AM closer to. My tears were streaming that night as I was thinking about this. Jonathon then asked me "Is JR the closest person to you that has passed away?" And I realized it was. Besides my great-grandma Richards and my old art teacher in 5th grade. This was when I had my initial thought that I am only 21- the older I get, the more experiences I'll have and the more people I know could die too!

This thought branched off to many other thoughts, which I'll share later in this blog.

Just now, I had another experience that got me thinking about life and was the catalyst for this blog tonight.

I saw on Facebook that someone from my high school started a blog for Jordan High School-Class of 2006. It's to keep people updated on reunions and help keep in touch with one another on what's new. I saw a gal I had played basketball with a long time ago, Cali, who had posted her personal blog. I was excited since I hadn't seen or heard from her in such a long time. I was very happy to read that she had just had a beautiful little baby girl. As I was reading along, she kept mentioning her son who had passed away, Mac. I was curious as to what happened. She's done a great job with her blog and posting to keep updates with her life. I learned that two days before Mac was due, something had gone wrong with the umbilical cord and when she went in for a test, he had no heartbeat. A blog for Mac was created with precious pictures and comments. I have been crying and crying while I've looked at this thinking how I couldn't imagine going through those nine months preparing for a perfect little baby, and then having to go through such a sad thing like that. Her attitude on it was amazingly positive. Not fake, but there was a quiet assurance in her that she knew this happened for a reason and while it is sad, she has learned a lot from the experience too and that little Mac had made everyone who knew them closer to God.

So with these two recent experiences of passing away, here are some of my thoughts.

1) You never know when either yourself or someone you love will pass away.

-There is no time to waste. I never, ever would want to get a phone call hearing that Jonathon had been in an accident or SOMETHING happened on a morning that I had gotten upset at him. It's not worth it. Soak in all the good moments and appreciate everything about your loved ones. Even ones you don't know that well! Leading me to my next thought..

2) Get to know people better and let people get to know you better.

-Life is constantly busy with one thing or another- we're always busy! And each new phase of our life brings new stresses and new things that take up our time. While this isn't always a bad thing, we need to MAKE time for the important things. Kat and I had a sleepover the next weekend after we talked. She helped point this out to me because she said she didn't know JR well and was sad when she realized she had missed her chance to get to know him. Also, it has let me reach out and try to get to know more people better. At church I often sit by myself in class. I'm not opposed to talking with anyone, I just donn't go out of my way very often. The last few weeks, I've tried sitting with new people, introducing myself, letting people talk with me, etc. I've been surprised with how much happier I have felt and also the happiness it brings other people. Everyone (well, most everyone!) appreciates when someone else talks with you or genuinely asks how you are. Why not do it for others more often?

3) I want to be a light of happiness in other's lives, not a burden.

-I was thinking about what would be said about me if I were to die. Again, I wouldn't want the last memories people had of me to be that we'd been in a fight or I'd held a grudge. I've always thought of myself as a naturally happy person. It takes quite a bit to make me really get upset. But, sometimes, like everyone, I get down on myself and on life. This gives me a "Why me?" feel and it ends up with me being selfish. These last few weeks, I've tried to be very appreciative of people. I've made extra phone calls to say thank you for the little things and written more notes. I've really tried to NOTICE the little things people do that you normally just assume are a given and make sure they know I noticed it! It's really helped me be happier and those around me be happier too. I can feel it. This has a positive effect on every other aspect of my life as well. So since I'm happier, I can do more and want to improve my life more too. So, don't be selfish! It only makes you less happy. Do the little things for people that you know would help them, and don't expect anything in return. And.. if you WANT to be happy, you will be. We CHOOSE to be happy.

4) I need to understand my purpose on life better.

-With JR's passing away, I started thinking about how right now his body is just empty, in a coffin, in a cemetery somewhere. HE isn't there anymore. His spirit is gone. It's just an empty, lifeless body. And how this seems so weird to me. It led me to think about the Plan of Salvation and our purpose here on earth which led to a whole other string of thoughts and questions. I realize that part of me right now is scared of the thought of death because I don't understand it all quite yet. I am not prepared. I haven't done my research and studied it out! I've gone along with the Gospel all my life and I know that the things I do know, I know (that sentence sounds weird) but I need to learn more about those things that I don't know. Does that make sense? In another way, I am not scared because I know I've generally tried to be a good person here on earth. I did shoplift once in 7th grade, and I've stayed home from church a couple times to just sleep in, and I don't always remember to say my prayers at night, but all in all, I TRY to be a good person and do my best. And for that, I think I'll get some credit at the judgement seat. Anyway, I'm making it a goal this year and every year after to learn more about the Gospel. I know I can't understand everything, but I'd like to solidify my testimony a little more and have an even greater appreciation and understanding for what I CAN know.

5) Our purpose on Earth is to gain experience.

Like I said earlier, I feel my life has been relatively easy-going. I am grateful for this!! But I do know that with hard times and trials, we grow. In clinic at school, I've worked on patients I feel have been considered "easier patients." The few patients I had that had more stuff going on in their mouths, were the patients I learned the most from and I became a better hygienist because of it. Sometimes I've found myself say during prayers in the past "Please let me learn about blank... but please don't make me have to go through a bad experience to do it!" I still would like that, haha, but I know it's not likely. Sigh. And also like I said earlier, the older I get, the more I'll be exposed to those trials. I just hope I'll have the ability to understand it is for the good and be able to get through it the best way possible.

I am thankful for the many blessings in my life. Jonathon is my biggest blessing of all. I love him with everything in me. I waited and waited for a friend like him to come into my life and we've been laughing and enjoying life together ever since. I wouldn't trade him for anything. Nothing else in life would be quite as enjoyable or happy without him by my side enjoying it with me. We often talk about our future together and how excited we are for all our upcoming experiences together. This next year will be a big year. We will both be graduating from school. I will get my first real job! And.. my first big paycheck! We'll make a big move up to Washington to live in Jonathon's parent's basement. Jonathon will either be working his first post-college job or working on his master's degree. After that.. a baby someday! Our first little home. Our first car we buy together. Raising a little family together. Our next home. Maybe another dog. Raising teenagers.... and on and on. I can't wait. There is so much to look forward to. I know those tough times will squeeze their way in there somewhere, but I'm so glad I'll have my wonderful husband to get through them with. And all our friends and family who love us and we love them too.