Lots of fun

This last week my family and I were in Wisconsin for my dad's family reunion. The last time the Forciea's had a reunion, I was almost 2 years old. Needless to say, it was long overdue. We had a beautiful 2 day drive to get there with 7 adults, 2 teenagers, 3 toddlers and 2 vehicles. Amazingly enough, the toddlers were very well behaved on the drive to and from Wisconsin. We play games, sang songs and had a really good time. We stayed in Wisconsin for 7 days ane got to see our whole family, minus a few. We went to the Public Library, which was way better than Orem's, to the Milwaukee Public Museum, which was AMAZING, and to the Milwaukee Zoo, which is such a great zoo! All the animals were walking around or playing and just generally in plain view for us to see. We got to see the house where my dad grew up (and where my Grandma & Grandpa Forciea lived until they died), and a few beaches. We were able to attend my cousin Jen's baby shower after going to an amazing beach. We spent a LOT of time with family. We went to a Brewer's game with my Uncles Sean & Ralph, my cousin Scott and my Aunt Marie (after which, we went to my Uncle Ralph's bar for a little while to visit with more family. Our zoo trip involved my cousin and her kids and another cousin and aunt. We were fed most of our meals by family members, who we later found out had had a family meeting before our arrival to make sure we never went without a meal (so sweet!). We did so much, it's hard to remember everything.

In short, our trip was amazing. I fell in love with Wisconsin and I now understand exactly why my dad wants to go back. My family is so amazing. They are kind, loving and so tolerant of others and their choices. They listen (if you can get them to stop talking for a few minutes) with open hearts and open minds. I would never feel judged around my family. It really makes me want to be around them more. I can't wait until I can see them all again.

My Happy Ending

(Oh, oh, oh, oh)
So much for my happy ending
(Oh, oh, oh, oh)

(Oh, oh, oh, oh)
So much for my happy ending
(Oh, oh, oh, oh)

(Oh, oh, oh, oh)
(Oh, oh)

Lets talk this over
It's not like we're dead
Was it something I did?
Was it something you said?

Don't leave me hanging
In a city so dead
Held up so high
On such a breakable thread

You were all the things I thought I knew
And I thought we could be

You were everything, everything
That I wanted
We were meant to be, supposed to be
But we lost it

All of our memories so close to me
Just fade away
All this time you were pretending
So much for my happy ending

(Oh, oh, oh, oh)
So much for my happy ending
(Oh, oh, oh, oh)

(Oh, oh, oh, oh)

You've got your dumb friends
I know what they say
They tell you I'm difficult
But so are they

But they don't know me
Do they even know you?
All the things you hide from me
All the stuff that you do?

You were all the things I thought I knew
And I thought we could be

You were everything, everything
That I wanted
We were meant to be, supposed to be
But we lost it

All of our memories so close to me
Just fade away
All this time you were pretending
So much for my happy ending

It's nice to know that you were there
Thanks for acting like you cared
And making me feel like I was the only one

It's nice to know we had it all
Thanks for watching as I fall
And letting me know we were done

He was everything, everything
That I wanted
We were meant to be, supposed to be
But we lost it

All of the memories so close to me
Just fade away
All this time you were pretending
So much for my happy ending

You were everything, everything
That I wanted
We were meant to be, supposed to be
But we lost it

All of the memories so close to me
Just fade away
All this time you were pretending
So much for my happy ending

(Oh, oh, oh, oh)
So much for my happy ending
(Oh, oh, oh, oh)

(Oh, oh, oh, oh)
So much for my happy ending
(Oh, oh, oh, oh)

(Oh, oh, oh, oh)
(Oh, oh, oh, oh)

Crazy

I know this is going to sound crazy, but I really love my job at Walmart. It's so nice to know that I am supporting my kids and having a pretty good time, too. My co workers, supervisors and managers are all really nice and funny and just plain welcoming. Not as uptight as the Orem store. I have a good time at work, make ok money and I come home to my totally awesome and studly boys. I am feeling pretty good about life right now. Really tired, but good.

Little update: Harley, starting next year, is going to be attending a special ed preschool at an elementary down the street for his speech. In a nutshell, his mouth doesn't form the way it should when he is trying to make/imitate sounds and words. So because he can't speak correctly, he can't learn effectively. He knows what things are and he can point to most things if you ask him to, but he can't say the names of things. We are working on it at home, but his teachers and speech therapist will also be working on it at school and that will help a lot. Plus, with everything going on, I think it will help him to be less aggressive toward other children. He's not horribly aggressive, just a enough to be concerned about. So, he and I go to meet his teacher tomorrow. I'm nervous. Wasn't expecting the whole elementary thing to come up so quickly.
Hayden is doing really well and, in my opinion, is learning things quickly. He's very loud, very messy and very adorable. He will be turning 2 pretty soon and I can't believe it has gone by so quickly. He loves nursery and the nursery workers. He generally attaches himself to one of them for the entire time.
Both the boys are doing well. So am I. I believe in Heavenly Father and that He has a plan for me. I know with all my heart that He will take care of me (and my boys) and show me the way if I just step aside and let Him. So that's my goal.

Lesson

We had a lot of really inspired people speak today in church and our Sunday school/Relief Society teachers were inspired as well. We were talking about the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the "lost" or prodigal son in Sunday school today. We talked about the differences in how each subject got lost in the first place. 
The sheep kind of wandered off, the coin was misplaced and the son just plain left. It's important for us to pay attention and be careful that we don't wander off the right path. It's also important that we don't do or say anything to "misplace" other people. Yes, it is the responsibility of each person to choose not to be offended, but we each also have the responsibility to carefully choose our words and actions so as not to offend other people who might become lost as a result. The prodigal son was not insulted and he didn't wander off aimlessly, he chose to take his inheritance and leave. *Someone pointed out that he, in fact, was the one who insulted his father by demanding his inheritance, basically saying, "I wish you were dead, give me what you owe me." However, the father was a kind and loving man and gave in to his son's request. When the son came back, the older son was upset at his father welcoming his brother back with open arms. But it is that specific thing we need to take into our minds and our hearts. The father welcomed his humbled and repentant son with open arms. I, myself, have not always stayed on the straight and narrow and because of it, I have sometimes been treated like I wasn't worthy of anyone's friendship or affection. I also know there have been times in my life that I have not treated others as I should have. This, along with the other things I was taught today, is going to be a goal for me.
To pay attention to my life and the decisions I am making so I don't wander off the path I'm supposed to be on.
To be careful of my words and deeds so as not to offend others. I don't want to be part of why someone leaves the church. To also remember how I have been offended and choose not to be in the future.
To treat others as we were all meant to be treated. As brothers and sisters in Christ and as sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father.
These are only a few of the things I took from my Sunday School lesson and there was so much more. I was well and truly spiritually nourished today and I was really excited to share with everyone.


Happy Mother's Day!!!

Tomorrow

Tomorrow is Mother's Day...obviously. I'm really not excited about it at all.

Feeling

You know that feeling you get in a dream when you're falling? You feel like the bottom drops out of your stomach and you don't know when you're going to touch the ground again. Yeah, that's how it feels.

Our Deepest Fear

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people the permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Marianne Williamson