9-11's Heart Beats On

I am the epitome of nostalgia. I love holidays, traditions, and everything that has "meaning". On 9-11 we proudly had our flag out in our front yard and I had my girls wear red-white-blue. It was amazing to me how many people asked me why they were in those colors.

Seven years ago, 9-11 was a sad day for the United States. Our Liberty and Safety were questioned. It is one of those memorable days that if asked, most will remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when they heard the terrible news of the Twin Towers being bombed by airplanes. I remember what I was doing that day. I spent the day teaching and watching the news clips over and over with my high school students and fellow teachers. Then at the end of the school day, I drove to the doctor's office, met Darren, and heard our baby's (Bethany) heartbeat for the very first time. Our first child was going to enter the world in a few months. What kind of world would she live in? What kind of life could we give her? What kind of parents would we be? All these questions entered my mind. If anything my experiences of the past seven years have taught me this: no matter the trials, challenges, changes, or sadness- Life Beats On!

Our "baby" Bethany

Isabelle is Patriotic

MacKenna the Firecracker

JOY

It has taken me awhile to find a post that could be next to the one about my cousin Kassie and her son Jerym. My good friend, Teresa, helped me find the words. She gave me the sweetest card and gift the other day. She said she had been thinking so much of what had happened to my cousin and her children. She said she'd thought a lot of the time she spends with her kids and family, how not to take it for granted and to find more JOY. My goal: to spend less time worrying about the trivial things in life and to spend more time with the important ones- my family (my girls, my husband, my parents, my brother, my nieces, my nephews, my in-laws, my cousins, my aunts, my uncles, my friends--- ALL my family) and to find JOY in the time spent!

FEARS...

One of my greatest fears is that something will happen to one of my girls. I worry that they might get hurt physically. I worry that they might get hurt emotionally. I worry that they will be sad. I worry that they won't have happy memories. Basically, I worry! As a parent, my biggest goal in life is to keep my children safe. How to accomplish that goal, not sure. I can't imagine how it would feel to have one of my children hurt or taken from me. I do know that my heart would be very sad, as it is now.

On 08-18-08 my cousin Kassie and her two boys were driving to school. Just like any other day. A mom can relate: getting kids up & ready early, rushing out the door, hurry/hurry don't want to be late. These are the usual things I'm doing on a school day. And then... a horrible accident. A moment in time that will forever change EVERYONE. Kassie, at age 27 and her son Jerym, age 8 were killed. Her son Jace, age 6, was flown to Primary Children's Hospital. www.kcsg.com/news/local/27091484.html

At that moment, time stopped and things changed for the Pectol & Lee Families. My heart is heavy and sad as I think of the loss of a mother and her children. My love & prayers go to her family! And, my hope, is that my memories & time will make our hearts less sad...

My Uncle Kelle, his daughter Kassie,
and her sons Jerym & Jace

Kassie and her 2-year-old daughter Jazmyn

Brothers: Jerym & Jace

My Happy Place

St. George has been my "Happy Place" for many years. The more time can spend in St. George playin' the better. As a kid, I loved taking trips with my mom to visit Grandma & Grandpa Pectol. As a young teenager, I loved spending weeks at a time during the summer. I love the Dixie Sunshine. I love the warm weather. I loved attending & graduating from Dixie College. I love the red dirt. I love... we'll you get the picture. I LOVE ST. GEORGE! It is and always will be MY HAPPY PLACE! Here are a few pictures that make it even more of a happy place now.

Darren Tubbin'

Isabelle Slidin'

MacKenna Ridin'

Cassie Teenagin'

Bethany & Isabelle Sleepin'

Bethany Jumpin'

What the HECK???

Anyone that knows my husband, knows that this picture must be a fake, a photoshop masterpiece, a delusional moment on Darren's part... NOPE you are all wrong. My "proud to be an animal-hater" Darren turned to mush when he met our friends' new chocolate lab puppy. The puppy, named Izzy, is adorable (how could she not be with a name like that). After an afternoon with my girls, she'd had her tail pulled, ears tugged, neck squeezed, body dragged and never ever barked or bit. What a sweetheart! Thanks for letting us play and for creating a picture perfect moment :) Maybe there is a chance for my girls' desire to own a dog someday!

Amazing Girls

My girls amaze me every day. The lastest... Bethany & Isabelle and their amazing ability with horses. Bethany has taken riding lessons for about two years, Isabelle since last spring. Grandpa seems to think my girls have an obsession for animals and continues to fund their WILD adventures :) Watching my 6 and 4 year-old girls ride HUGE horses makes my heart beat anxiously. I visualize broken bones & bucked bodies. The girls have proven otherwise. They ride proud and strong. The sassy genes they've inheritated are shown in the arena. Poor horses! Bethany was able to participate in a week long riding camp in July. You'd have thought she had won a zillion dollars, instead of a week of muckin' stalls, feeding horses, washing horses, harnessing horses, trotting horses, bridling horses (you get the picture, lots and lots of horses). The girls dream of living on a farm and having a family of animals. Good luck with that one and beware anyone who stops them (watch out Darren).

My 4-year-old fearless wonder... Isabelle

My sassy horse whisperer... Bethany

VA Hunsakers Visit UT Hunsakers

We've spent the last couple of weeks playing with our Virginia Hunsaker Cousins. Darren's brother Michael, his wife Ginger, and the kids have come to Utah for a visit the past few years. Very fun times. Our girls have LOVED interacting with, or should I call it tormenting, their older cousins. Having 16, 14, 12, and 10 year-old cousins hangout with our 6, 4, and 2 year-old girls is great. I'm so impressed the older cousins have tolerated the young energetic girls. They have let them hang on them, chase them, tickle them, bounce on them, and I'm sure annoy them. Thanks for all the FUN times these last couple of weeks. Much love to our VA cousins!

Troy, Haley, Bethany, Isabelle, Jared, Derek, MacKenna

Picnic up the canyon at the Brighton Boardwalk

FREEZING at the top of Snowbird, yes you are seeing SNOW

Jared & Derek on the zipline Ginger & Isabelle on the Alpine Slide

Bethany doing backflips on the trampoline

Isabelle jumping higher than her mother would approve :)

Bethany, Tara, Isabelle enjoying the Utah Mountains