I'm not even going to try to name this one

Sometimes I write a poem and then at a later date I write a poem in response to the first one. This was one of those cases. Poem I was written about three months before I even knew Russ existed. Poem II was written about 3 weeks after we "unofficially" got engaged.

Poem I --written 2-3-08

This old and withered flower with

faded petals falling beneath the

brush wonders if she

will ever produce seed to

bring her joy.

Poem II--written 8-31-08

Silly flower,

don't you know?

Wilting must occur

before new seeds can grow.

Its funny how when things are going well in our lives our perspective changes so drastically. The other day I was speaking with and old friend on the phone. She referred to a school trip (Pack Trials) we made to California just a few weeks before my graduation.

"Do you remember," she said "how on Pack Trials you thought you were never going to get married and you were scared about finding a job? And then you found a job right away and got married within 6 months."

She has such a valid point. This is so typical of me. I'm trying hard not to worry about the things that frighten me sometimes. And I feel really good about where we are right now. I wish we could just stop where we are and freeze time for awhile. Things are really good. I know that things are not perfect, but it feels so good to come out of where we were-I'm just basking in what we have right now and I don't want anything to change. I just want to stop here, with us at 29 and 34. I want to stop here, with this perfect late-summer weather. I want to stop here, with me working as an Assistant Grower in my field and doing something I enjoy, working with people I love. I want to stop here, living close to family and going on day-outings with our parents and feeling like a complete family for the first time since I-don't-know-when. I just want to stop here, with us living in this fun new apartment that is just the right size with a beautiful landscape and a trail in our backyard laced with delicious wild blackberries. I just want to stop here, anticipating the arrival of my cousin and his lovely wife and 3 little kids who will soon be moving nearby. I don't want to wait and see what things will come, whether good or bad, I am too fearful of that. I just want to stop here and stay for awhile, where things are not perfect, but good.

What to call this? Family history? Adventure mishaps? Or the feeling of home?

Russ and I have had so much fun these past two weekends! We normally work at the temple Saturday mornings, but since the temple was closed for cleaning we got to have a mini-vacation.

The weekend before last we had this great plan to visit the San Juan Islands. We can see these islands from the bay that borders our town, but Russ had never been. Since my parents only live about 30 minutes away from the ferry dock we decided to spend the night at their house on Friday, and then head to the ferry from there. Well, turns out that the Navy base was having an open house with airplanes on display celebrating 100 years of Naval Aviation. My dad invited us to go with him. I figured that would be fun and if we only spent about an hour or so at the Airplane Show (as I call it) we would still have plenty of time to go to the San Juan Islands.

On Saturday morning my dad cooked us breakfast. Have I ever mentioned that I have the best dad ever? We were a little late leaving for the

Airplane Show, but we still had plenty of time to go to both she show and the San Juan Islands.

The first thing we saw at the show were these cars.

Russ said "Wow, look at all those Dorloreans!"

I said "They look like the car on 'Back to the Future" (this is a typical Annajean comment, I am so pop-culturally illiterate that its not even funny!)

Russ and my dad then explained to me that the car they used on 'Back to the Future' WAS a Dolorean. Ooops.

As we continued on we saw some information about the plane my cousin will be flying when he gets his wings in just a few months.

We are so excited from him! Even more exciting is that he already has his orders to NAS Whidbey!!!! Not only will he be a 3rd generation Naval Officer but he will be the third generation Naval Officer to work at NAS Whidbey. We were bragging about him to everybody who cared, and being on a Navy Base EVERYBODY cared! It was so nice to have so many people share in our excitement! I LOVE that I grew up in a Navy town!

After that my dad spotted two of the planes his father flew in the Navy.

This one he trained in;

and this one he flew.

My dad also spotted the plane that he flew in the Navy, except it was the Marine version and painted a different color.

Here is a model we found later of the plane my dad flew with the right color and markings.

I had a plan that if we just circled around the airplanes and not doing anything else then we would still have time to visit the San Juan Islands. My eye kept drawing itself to a hanger though and I felt the urge to go in and look around just that hanger, but I didn't want to diverge from my plan.

Then my mom and Russ had to use the restroom, and the restrooms were right next to that hanger. So we went into the hanger, and I figured that would be okay since the other side came out near the entrance to the Airplane Show. As we entered the first thing we saw were a collection of quilts on display. I suddenly remembered something. Several months ago my Aunt Gina entered a quilting competition to commemorate Naval Service, and her quilt won 2nd place! It features photos of the three generations of Navy Aviators in our family; my grandfather, my father, and my cousin, and it is on tour throughout the country.

Upon remembering this I wondered if it would be there, and as soon as I glanced around I spotted it immediately! I announced to my family its presence and my dad (who is very quiet, shy, and soft spoken-until you start talking about politics that is) promptly turned a deep shade of red. After learning that the quilt had won 2nd place and would be on tour throughout the country my dads exact words were "I don't know about this, now my picture is going to be on tour throughout the country." And here it was practically in his own backyard! Even better yet, here it was a short walk from the building he goes to work in every day!

At this moment I knew we would NOT be going to the San Juan Islands that day. And I was completely okay with that.

As if all this wasn't enough, a reporter from the Whidbey Crosswinds was impressed by the presence of my dad with his picture on the quilt that featured 3 generations of Aviators, ALL of whom either had been or would be at NAS Whidbey and decided to include his story in an article she was writing about the quilts. Imagine how red my dad turned after that! I say this: Too bad dad, you deserve your moment of fame!

Here is the article if you would like to see it.

It was a great day. But that isn't even the end! After viewing the quilts my mom asked if I had ever seen my grandfather's name on a memorial in downtown Oak Harbor. This is a memorial that was constructed fairly recently and I had not seen it. My parents hadn't seen it either so we decided to go take a look.

It was such a humbling experience. We were standing in a park that I had spent time at before it was even a park. In front of blackberry bushes that I had grazed off of years before, staring down at my grandfather's name that was there because he had been in this town over 40 years before I was even born, before he even met my grandmother, across the street from the College I had attended for over a year, and no more than a mile and a half from my parent's home. My entire life I had felt unsure about calling Oak Harbor home. I was not born there. My parents were not born there. It always felt like home, but I never felt like I had any deep roots there. But then suddenly I realized that I DO have roots there. My grandfather will now have five members and three generations of his posterity living in the vicinity. I wonder if that ever crossed his mind back in 1945 when he stood upon those soils. And now I really can feel like this IS my home.

Even better yet, this park is walking distance from most of the Navy housing. There is a good chance that my cousin, his wife, and their three young children will live walking distance from this park. I am so excited for my cousin's kids, my grandfather's great-grandchildren, to come to this park and see the name of their ancestor. And after all-isn't that what life is really all about? (Malachi 4:6)

Oh, and P.S. We DID get to go to the San Juan Islands the next weekend. More about that next time!

Since May...really?

I can't believe I haven't posted since May. A lot has happened. I'll have to give the details later, but here are just a few hightlights:

1. We moved (not far, just to the next town over)

2. I worked my first 59 hour work week in my life (yup, the same week that I moved!) and actually survived...okay, there were a lot of tears involved, but I survived.

3. We got a new (to us) car. You do crazy things out of desperation. In the past three years my car has left me stranded on the side of the road three times and almost stranded two times. I currently drive 60 miles every day to get to work and back and every day I was getting nervous. Definitely more about this purchase later!

4. We went on an outing with my parents and saw a fun surprise! I can't give any details about this without spoiling it. You will just have to wait as this merits its own post.

5. Russ got to see the San Juan Islands for the first time. After a year and a half of not being able to take any trips whatsoever we are having more than our fair share of fun! Pictures to come!

Rain Stay

Rain, rain

Don't go away

Rain, rain

Please stay

We can have sunshine any other day

But just for today

Rain, rain

Please stay

Haha. I actually wrote that when I was in 8th grade. Unfortunately I am not as optimistic about rain now as I was then-but I still think it's a cute poem. And yes, I do still like the rain for the most part.

Fun visits with fun people

A friend of mine from the mission, Cara, came to visit this weekend. It was so much fun. I love her jovial charisma! I think I laughed more in the past 3 days than I have in the past 6 months! Her presence was just what I needed to lift my spirits. She also just returned from a summer in my beloved Ecuador and I loved hearing some first-hand news about that place, which is more special to me than words can describe. Here are some highlights of the weekend:

I took Cara to some sights on Whidbey Island where I grew up. We met my mom at Deception Pass State park for a picnic lunch and then we went to Fort Casey.

We went to the Vancouver, BC temple.

We got lost driving around trying to get to downtown Vancouver.

And of course we spent some time just hanging out and relaxing.

O, Canada!

With my husband's crazy absurd work schedule it's been hard to find time together. Today, though he didn't have to go to work until later in the evening so we got to go to a place that has been and will become very special to us.

This is the site of the new Vancouver, B.C. temple. (This picture was taken a little over a year ago shortly before my husband asked me to marry him at a nearby park.) We just found out on Sunday that we will be in this temple district! We are so excited about this because it is an hour closer to us than the Seattle temple. All this time we thought for sure we'd still be in the Seattle temple district being that Canada is a whole different country and all (even though our Stake touches the border and is quite close to the new temple site). As far as I understand we're the only stake in the U.S. that belongs to a temple district in a different country! What a blessing for us, and for our friends to the north as well, aye?

This is pretty much what it looked like today...

...and this is what it will look like upon completion.

I'm back!

Whew, it's been a while, but here's what I've been up to the past few months:

-I got a seasonal job at a retail nursery.

-The season ended and I'm GLAD to be back home!

As much as I said that I wouldn't let the fact that I'd be earning $5.50 LESS per hour than my last job get to me...it did! It was also a strain on our marriage with not one but two people coming home exhausted and with high tensions every day.

-I planted a garden on my patio.

That's my dad with me!

-The garden grew!

And I have been thoroughly enjoying the fruits of my labors.

-Re-started my Mary Kay business and LOVE it!

And I have so much to say about this fabulous company and how it can empower women to be WOMEN-but that will have to wait for another time. (By the way, if there's anything you need I do keep an inventory. So for those of you who are local to me-I can get you your products that day, and for those of you who are not local I offer free shipping. You are welcome to visit and order from my website here.)

-Went to a couple of ball games.

Ken Griffey, Jr. is my new hero. He was the one who finally ENDED a 14 inning game carrying a score of 0 to 0. My husband would have insisted we stay there all night long if Ken Griffey, Jr. hadn't rescued me!

-Dealt with car trouble a couple of times. (Hang in there just a little longer, car!)

-Helped my husband with his algebra homework.

I always struggled with math in school. I never imagined the day would come when I'd actually be able to help my husband with his math homework! Goes to show what a little bit of hard work and persistence will do.

-And finally, I'M BACK ON THE BLOG!

See you all soon!

Light

One of the hardest things about living in the Northwest is the short days in the winter.  One of the greatest things about living in the Northwest is the long days in the summer.  In the dead of winter it can be pitch dark as early as 4:30 in the afternoon.  But in mid-summer it stays light until almost 10:oo pm.  It is so wonderful to feel spring coming as the days get longer and longer. I love light.  In looking for an apartment one of my prerequesites was that it be bright.  I turn all the lights on in the house when it's not bright enough.  I used to want to live in Alaska until I realized the prospect of days with no light at all.  And when you think about it, light is the source of all life.  Plants, which are on the bottom of the food chain, produce their food from light.  Our growth, our ability to function, our energy, the only thing that keeps us going...is light.  This is true spiritually as well as physically.  It makes me think of one of my favorite scriptures about the true source of all light:

 "He that ascended up on high, as also he descended below all things, in that he comprehended all things, that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth; Which truth shineth.  This is the light of Christ. As also he is in the sun, and the light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made.  As also he is the moon, and is the light of the moon, and the power thereof by which it was made; As also the light of the stars, and the power thereof by which they were made; And the earth also, and the power thereof, even the earth upon which you stand.  And the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings; Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space-The light which is in all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things."  Doctrine and Covenants 88:6-13

His light is in each of us and it is the source of all light...the source of all life.  As long as we look to Him that light will shine in us, and our understanding will be increased.

"And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things."  Doctrine and Covenants 88:67

"That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light growth brighter and brighter until the perfect day." Doctrine and Covenants 50:24

So often in life we feel distressed and discouraged.  I have noticed in my own life that when I neglect to nourish my spirituality and fail to daily fill my life with the words of Christ it seems as though I am in darkness.  I feel like the houseplant that is stuck in a room without the curtains open and I'm constantly trying to twist and turn myself in all the wrong directions trying to get to that light that will sustain me.  When I bask in the light of Christ I am strengthened and able to do all things in Him.  My prayer is that we each seek the light that will nourish and strengthen us. 

Star light

Star bright

Many stars I see tonight

In the darkness, black or blue

Shines the light of you, so true

While dark it seems from far away

Where you are, is light to stay