R.I.P Lucy

Lucy has been a Kelm since Easter of 1999 when she and Ricky joined the family . They were tiny and loved to jump. They lived in the backyard in a huge fenced off area and a nice big hutch. Ricky was the friendly one, and Lucy was the boss. Ricky met an untimely death in May 22, 2002, he was killed by a dog that got in the back yard. I heard the commotion as the dog was chasing Lucy around in circles and scared him off. Then we got NewGuy. He was a bit more lively and a trouble maker. He dug tunnels all over the place. He was good company for Lucy. Sadly, he also met an untimely death on November 8, 2004. He was in one of his tunnels all day and when we finally got him out he had a disease (which I won't go into details about) and dad put him out of his misery. He was buried next to Ricky.

For 5 years Lucy lived as the queen of the back yard by herself. She loved kale, carrots, hay, and banana leaves. She was known to jump high. She thumped her foot when she was mad. She ate Christmas lights and shredded Christmas packages. She had to be coaxed out from under mom's bed several times when we didn't close the door. She had an attitude but we loved her for her independence. The vet even noted in her chart she was "wild". My favorite thing was to watch her clean her face and ears. She took her paw and licked it, than pulled her ear down towards her mouth. It was so cute to watch. I also liked it when she would run circles around the yard and kick her back legs. She was fast.

Over the past few weeks she had been moving a bit slower and not eating or drinking very much. We brought her in last night to get out of the cold. She just looked different and seemed to be breathing a bit hard, and thankfully during the night she passed quietly in her sleep at the age of 10 1/2 years old. She was laid to rest this afternoon next to Ricky and NewGuy. We will be asking Michael what he would like on her tombstone when we email him to tell him the news this weekend. He sure did take good care of her.

Rest in Peace Lucy!

Lucy and Ricky

Tamara, Devin, Michael, and Ricky

Lucy and NewGuy

Michael and Lucy before he left on his mission

Lucy chilling in her banana plant jungle, summer 2009.

Pics of Lucy we took to send to Michael.

"Too Nice"

I made some arrangements for a friend to do something he/she REALLY wanted to do. I was so happy for this person that I woke up excited. Seriously? So happy for someone that you wake up early? Kinda strange don't you think? Some people tell me I am too nice. I say, not possible! You may challenge me in this, but I stand by my opinion. One can be taken advantage of, or misused, but me acting in a way that is "too nice" is my choice, not me being taken advantage of. Plus, being "too nice" is kinda selfish in a way because sometimes I do nice things just because it makes me feel so dang good. So I admit that sometimes my motives are not purely towards the good of another. However, it is a win-win situation really. You do something nice, you feel happy; you do something nice and others feel happy; you do something nice and others might be inspired to do something nice for someone else; you do something nice and you realize just how much more you are capable of and feel confident that if you act, God will give you more opportunities. Then you will start doing nice things because of charity, Christ's pure love. I am so far from being "too nice" if it even exists, but I am enjoying how it never gets old and helps make up for the other areas in life where I lack.

Try being "too nice" this week. I dare you to. Or even better, try being "too nice" to one person on several occasions and see how much happier your world will be! I testify that your capacity to love will grow, not because of your own doing, but because God will grow your heart.

1 John 4:18-19

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear; because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us."

Elder David A. Bednar in the October 2009 Conference said-

"Each of us already knows we should tell the people we love that we love them. But what we know is not always reflected in what we do. We may feel unsure, awkward, or even perhaps a bit embarrassed.
As disciples of the Savior, we are not merely striving to know more; rather, we need to consistently do more of what we know is right and become better.
We should remember that saying “I love you” is only a beginning. We need to say it, we need to mean it, and most importantly we need consistently to show it. We need to both express and demonstrate love.
President Thomas S. Monson recently counseled: “Often we assume that [the people around us] must know how much we love them. But we should never assume; we should let them know. . . . We will never regret the kind words spoken or the affection shown. Rather, our regrets will come if such things are omitted from our relationships with those who mean the most to us” (“Finding Joy in the Journey,” Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2008, 86)."

Plenty to keep me balanced!

Even when life looks upside down sometimes, at least you have two strong arms to balance on!

It may be redundant, but I feel like another gratitude blog tonight...

I am grateful for many things... I am grateful that I made a good turkey on my first attempt. I am grateful that my parents are back from their trips and I can stop talking to myself in the house all alone. I am grateful for warm socks with cooler weather. I am grateful for football games, to play and watch. I am grateful for conference talks. I am grateful for a long hose on the vacuum to suck up the inch of dust under my bed. I am grateful for naps on my bed and my memory foam pillow. I am grateful for Christmas music and movies that start the day after Thanksgiving. I am grateful for strong muscles that help me have more weight at BODY PUMP than 2 out of the 4 guys that were there! I am grateful for dinner with long lost friends and catching up. I’m grateful to be to be able to go to the temple this morning. I am grateful for inspiration to serve people, even if it seems a bit much sometimes. I’m grateful for lip gloss from Bath & Body Works. I am grateful for who I am becoming, who I am, and happy that I am comfortable just being me! I am grateful for Milk Duds even though they get stuck in my teeth. I am grateful for future opportunities that will come my way, because I know that God has been in control all along, why wouldn’t he continue to take care of me?

Sitting at a Red Light

I'm sitting at a red light...

My foot is on the break, anxiously waiting for the light to turn green...

My foot is falling asleep it has been on the break for so long...

If I ignore the red light, inevitably I'll get T-boned in the intersection...

I have a couple good CD's in my car...

I love singing in my car...

But dang it when is the light going to turn green?

I also have my cell phone (with hands free ear piece of course) and plenty of great friends to talk to...

And so I sit, with my foot on the break...

Trying to appreciate the blue sky outside, very little rain, and only the occasional splatter of bird poop...

It's always better to wait for the light to turn green, than risk getting smashed to pieces and going before the time is right.

So here I sit, with my foot on the break at a red light.

Thankful Indeed!

Maybe Ivy and I are having an unspoken competition on who can have more blog posts, but I had to share this link. I don't know how to make it embedded in the blog, so I guess you have to just click on it. It is a Mormon Messages called "In the Spirit of Thanksgiving" and I really liked it this afternoon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tuwid8_O8dk

I am sitting here at home sick with a cold. I normally would act like I am fine and go on to school or work, however my clinical involves me dealing with patients hands-on all day, so I thought it best I did not go infect anyone. I've had a lot of quiet time to think today.

I am thankful for a nice blue afgan that my Aunt Trisha-Yvonne made for me and is keeping me warm right now.

I am thankful that I am healthy enough that this cold will pass quick and I'll be good as new.

I am thankful that I can soon go take a nap in my parents comfy bed.

I am thankful that my back is finally healing since I have not been sitting so much.

I am thankful for gmail chat so I can stay connected with my friends.

I am thankful for text messages that simple say- I love you!

I am thankful for the left-over Indian food in the fridge and reminder that I got to enjoy it last night with dear friends and an adorable 9 year old who truly is an Angel.

I am thankful, as one man said in the video, for future opportunities. That statement is the essence of hope.

I am thankful for the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ that helped me threw a rough weekend of mixed emotions.

I am thankful for a dad who scraped off the frost on my car windows yesterday a 6am.

I am thankful for each member of my family, immediate and distant.

I am thankful to God for helping me see just how thankful I should be.

Surgery Observation!

I technically cannot divulge any info, but let's just say I observed some surgeries today. I didn't pass out or even feel sick at all. Surgery ain't for the faint of heart, that is for sure! Lots of drilling, sawing, hacking, pounding, cutting, bleeding, suturing, and stapling. It is amazing how the body looks on the inside. I walked around in scrubs, a mask, and bonnet for 4 hours and loved it! This is me holding a piece of dried surgical cement. It gets mixed up and turns to putty, than before it sets hard it gets super hot. I think I made a lovely ball, don't you? I don't think my future is as an orthopedic surgeon however. I'd rather be on the rehab end. Now you may think is strange to enjoy watching all the bloody graphic stuff, but it is really about a fascination and amazement of how the human body works. It just screams proof that there is a God!

Rainbow of Emotions

Meu Pai mi ama

My mom is a comforting, listening ear.

My friends are wonderful.

My visiting teachers are fantastic.

My God loves me.

That being said, how can I not be confident about my future? I've run a rainbow of emotions the past several months, and than a bunch all at once the past week of my life. Let's just say I have felt giddy, happy, doubtful, flirty, mad, dreamy, pretty, excited, confident, scared, boldness, fear, on-top-of-the-world, faithful, hopeful, sad, and discouraged (and not in that order). Am I crazy? Perhaps. Am I normal? Definately not, I'm extraordinary (but hopefully not cocky)!!! I was kinda bummed today, life was just a bit hard. No need for details, but I was talking to my visiting teacher and she told me how impressed she was by all the emotions I have had a chance to live and experience because of life's curve balls. She said emotions help us learn to let down our walls so we can get to know people and let them in our lives. I've been thinking about this evening. It is actually giving me comfort. Emotions are a gift, and I'd like to embrace it.

So here's to emotions, good and bad, happy and sad. May the happier ones be more frequent, and the sad ones help us grow.