Home Sweet Home

Well, I know it's been a while since I've written anything, but I have a little time as I sit here at the fire station. I came home for a long needed vacation. I got off work at 0800 on Tuesday morning and headed to the freeway and was Northbound I-15 in a matter of minutes. Feet up, radio on and a Mtn. Dew to keep me awake, I was headed home. I never think another thing about Southern Utah once I get on the freeway Northbound, my truck seems to know the way.
I got in around 1300 and pulled up to my parents house and it was like I had never left. Mom was in the backyard when I got home, but she had made us a little lunch and we chatted for about an hour before we headed out to Syracuse to see grandma.


After we left there we headed to Duckys baseball game.

Wow, I miss having weather. We sat in the wind and rain and watched the little guys play baseball. I never realized how used to the Southern Utah weather I had gotten. Unfortunately they lost the game, but Ducky sure has a powerful swing!!

We headed to dinner at Chuck E. Cheese (where a kid can be a kid) for a little pizza. Ducky, Scoot and I played a whole bunch of games, won a whole bunch of tickets and they turned them in for suckers, a red High School Musical plastic ball, a popsicle and tiny plastic spiders. We had a really good time.

Yesterday, we headed to the new Oquirrh Mountain Temple for the open house. Derek and MacKenzie had never been inside an LDS temple before. Mom, the kids and I picked up Aunt D in West Jordan and headed to the temple. It was raining SOOO hard, we couldn't even hear the conversation that we had started over the rain pounding the car.

It was an absolute down pour for 15-20 minutes. We finally had a little break in the weather, so we jumped out of the car and ran to the awnings they had set up. The kids were amazed at the things in the temple. They said their most favorite things were the the chandeliers, the "mirrors that went forever" (the sealing room), and the baptismal font. We stopped on the way home and grabbed a little dinner and took Aunt D home. Later that night, we stayed home and watched a movie.


That brings us to today. I'm sitting here at the fire station where we just finished having lunch (dutch oven ribs, baked beans, pasta salad, and cookies). Two of the girls from the city office stopped by and ate with us. I sure miss these guys!! We haven't had any calls yet today, which really suprises me. Guess the citizens know I'm here and I haven't started an IV for a year and a half (do you blame them? lol, I wouldn't call if I knew I was on either, lol). I get off here at 1800 (6:00 for those non-military time people). After that, mom and I are heading to the Lake house (Bear Lake), so if we get a call before I leave, (hopefully a 10-50/car accident) hopefully I can put some pics up and show you guys what I love to do. If not, I'll write more tomorrow when we get to the lake....

Now I've never been one to really make a New Year's resolution, but the other day I was (in all places, the shower) thinking about the people that I have hurt, offended, lied to or just been flat out been rude to. There are five things in particular that have absolutely eaten me up. The first being when I was about 9 years old, and the latest about 6 months ago. I was talking to my cute mom the other day and told her how I was feeling about things in my life. Like always, she had awesome advice.

I whole heartedly believe that people are placed in our lives by our Heavenly Father at a specific time; when we need them the most. They are placed there to help us learn something or for us to teach them something. Whether it be love, patience, trust, honesty, humility or just a listening ear, they are placed there at that specific time for a reason. At the time, we may not know the reason and years down the road that reason is made clear to us; but on the other hand, sometimes we will never know why they were placed in our life.

If I would remember this in the heat of the moment, I think I would be less quick to get upset or say something that might upset someone else, and I could just learn what I need to from that person and our lives could continue like normal. Now I know that we also need to have trials in life to make us stronger and learn, but sometimes I wish MY lessons learned were not at the expense of others.

This is the reason I need to fix the things that I have power to fix now, and let the rest be in the hands of others. There is a song that can totally sum up my feelings right now, it's by Nickelback and it's called "If today was your last day".

My best friend gave me the best advice
He said each day's a gift and not a given right
Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind
And try to take the path less traveled by
That first step you take is the longest stride

If today was your last day
and tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past
Donate every dime you had?
If today was your last day

Against the grain should be your way of life
What's worth the prize is always worth the fight
Every second counts 'cause there's no second try
So live life like you'll never live it twice
Don't take the free ride in your own life

If today was your last day
and tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past
Donate every dime you had?
Would you call those friends you never see?
Reminisce of memories
Would you forgive your enemies?
Would you find that one your dreamin' of?
Swear up and down to God above
That you finally fall in love
If today was your last day

If today was your last day
Would you make your mark by mending a broken heart?
You know it's never too late to shoot for the stars
Regardless of who you are
So do whatever it takes
'Cause you can't rewind a moment in this life
Let nothin' stand in your way
Cause the hands of time are never on your side

If today was your last day
and tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past
Donate every dime you had?

Would you call old friends you never see?
Reminisce of memories
Would you forgive your enemies?
Would you find that one your dreamin' of?
Swear up and down to God above
That you finally fall in love
If today was your last day

I know it sounds kind of weird, but I really do want to be a better person to EVERYONE! Now I'm not sayin' I want to be liked by everyone, because I know that will never be possible. There will always be people out there that I will never see eye to eye with, and that's ok as long as I am good and honest and love the ones that I do have, I will be better with myself and the life I lead.

There are some people out there that I need to talk to face to face and let them know my feelings. There are also others I'm sure, that I didn't even know I have upset or offended, and to those people, I am truly sorry. I wish I had a list of all you because I would like to apologize to you face to face.

I want to know that if I were to die tomorrow I haven't left anything undone. Especially the things that I had the power to change and didn't. I can change some of those things right now. That would be a huge mistake to know that I had the chance to change things with people and I never sucked up my pride and apologized to them to try and make things right.

So, to all of those that I have upset, lied to, broken promises, hurt, or been rude to, I am so sorry!!

Things I have done

Things I have done:

For anyone that knows Ashley Dawn Pearson Talbot; I saw this on her blog and liked the idea, so here it is...
The things in BOLD are things I have done. The things that are NOT in bold I have not done.

1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band...at school (ok, it was orchestra)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can to a charity
7. Been to Disneyland/World
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (love cruises)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top Statue of Liberty (Been there, didn't walk it)
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill :(
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Been snowmobiling
    
29. Seen a total eclipse
    
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset (Sand Hollow)
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community (Dover, Delaware)
36. Taught yourself a new language (I'm trying to: sign language)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Been skydiving (totally addicted now)
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
    
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach in the moonlight (Biloxi, Mississippi)
46. Been transported in an ambulance :)
47. Had you portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive in movie
55. Been in a movie (a Disney movie)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, plasma, or platelets (received blood also)
65. Gone over 100 mph
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter (both as a civilian and as a patient)
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Time Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job (wanted to be fired)
76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in Arlington Cemetery
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car (I know, I'm spoiled)
83. Had your picture in the newspaper
84. Read the entire Bible
85. Visited the White House
86. Killed and prepared and animal for eating (does a fish count)
87. Had chickenpox
88. Saved someones life (I helped, someone with a higher power saved them)
    
89. Sat on a jury
90. Met someone famous
91. Joined a book club
92. Lost a loved one
93. Had a baby
94. Seen the Alamo in person
95. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
96. Been involved in a law suit
97. Owned a cell phone
98. Been stung by a bee
99. Read an entire book in one day
    

Christmas....NOT too far from home

For the last 8 years, I haven't had Christmas Eve AND Christmas Day off (with the exception of the year that I had a collapsed lung and was in the hospital until the day before Christmas Eve, but who can count that, it wasn't like I was having the time of my life!!). This year is no different. The only thing that is different, is the fact that I can't take the ambulance or the ladder truck home on Christmas Day to chill with my family and my crew.

I moved to St. George back in January of this year to go to school. I took a leave of absence from the fire station to come to Southern Utah to get my paramedic. Things haven't turned out ANYTHING like I had hoped they would. However, I do start a class in January. But this blog has nothing to do with school. This is about someone that has been and done so much for me since we started work together back in March of this year. Her name is April Evans. For those of you that know my friend Kayce Lowry from Layton, April is what I call my "Southern Utah Kayce", which means we have so much in common it's scary.

April is the mother of 3 of the cutes little boys, and an incredible wife to her husband Mike. This year for Thanksgiving, April and I both were scheduled to work dispatch, but Mike wasn't quite aware that meant she wouldn't be home for the normal Thanksgiving dinner like they were used to. Instead, April and Mike planned to have it the day before on Wednesday night. April was so sweet and asked if I would come over to their house and have dinner with her and her family. We had a blast. We laughed a ton. It meant so much to me that I could spend time with "family". The 2 older boys and April and Mike call me "Aunt Lyndsay". They will never know what it has meant to me!

Well, for Christmas we have both been dealt the same hand; we both work on Christmas Day. April and Mike have again asked me to come over for Christmas Eve and spend it with their family since mine is up North spending time together at our parents house in Kaysville.

In the mean time, as I sit here in dispatch on this Christmas Eve Day, me and some of the girls are having a little Christmas party of out own. It started at about 0810 when I opened the bag of what I have named "happy apples". They are small, sweet delicious little apples that are small in stature, but HUGE on taste. Then came our center manager who brought in a cheese ball and crackers, so we then decided....heck, why wait for the 7-layer bean dip, it's already 0930...we began our holiday by binge eating for the next 7 hours...at lunch I ran home and threw in a huge dish of "chili Chicken" and brought it back to work...why stop at the bean dip??