The Law of Perpetual Motion!

I really wish this law of nature didn't exist. I wish that once I sat on my couch for 20 minutes (to assure my baby that I'm not going anywhere else today and we don't have to be attached at the hip) that I could just hop up and clean as easily as I sat in the first place. Not the way it works so here I still sit looking at my dirty floors and picking Taryn up and setting her down every few minutes! So it is. At least I know when I get moving it will be easier to stay that way, at least till dinner.

I think that relationships could also fall into this category. Our relationships with others are either perpetually disappearing or continuing on at a lovely connected pace. I love reconnecting with friends I have fallen out of touch with. Especially when if feels as if we never lost the forward motion in our relationship in the first place!  I went to Laura Mitchell's wedding reception this past Friday, and it was so fun to see Ann and their whole family! The Mitchell's were friends with my parents when they went to BYU and our families have been friends ever since. Good times and fun memories! I actually felt like I had kept in better touch with Ann than I had in recent times because of these blessed blogs. I love reading my friends blogs or finding them on facebook and checking out pictures from their lives, finding out when marriages and births occurred. Definitely a blessing of this information age.

So again I ask, why is it so hard to contact people that I haven't contacted for a long time? I get all nervous when they don't write me back as quickly as I anticipated, did I say / write something wrong? We care far too much what other people think. I know first hand. I even got a little stressed about how open I was with Ann and Sarah, did I talk too much, etc.? Am I a walking, talking TMI? It is so silly. I have a live journal account too, and when I think something is too strange, akward, or personal I write about it there instead. I just read through it. I have some really good entries! Why am I such a chicken about sharing? Is it because I'm not as funny as some, well written as others, witty enough, honest enough, too honest? I suppose I could go on all day. Alas, I just try to remember this quote:

"What other people think of you is none of your business!"

It really is true. There is always someone better or worse than you at everything you do. Others will sometimes not like us, even if they have no reason or are wrong. I could stress myself out about such matters on a daily basis. All simple truths.

Reality. Others are just glad you share. Most people don't think you are bragging. Honesty is refreshing. Catching up with my friends for hours on cyberspace is a lot of fun and a great stress relief. I believe blogs and other means to share ourselves allow us to share our talents and words of wisdom (even when we are not feeling wise). I will continue to put myself out there, and talk myself into thinking that I'm really not that silly, foolish or TMI because I want to and I know you want to read! ;) And like Ann said in a recent post of hers, you just have to pretend you are so confident and then everyone will believe it.

I am funny and amazing. I am bordering on the worlds most accomplished blogger. My wisdom is profound and everyone wants to read it! Hey, that is a good start!

I guess my point is that it is important to reconnect, get our relationships with our family and friends moving again. Revive them. Even if it just means providing a way for you to find them, or looking for them. I think it is all part of the gathering! I can't speak for anyone else, but I love getting the chance to reconnect and be a better friend! I love finding out how people I knew and loved, how things turned out for them and remember that I love them still. I think that relationships are much more important than many other things in this life. Even more than I realize! I love you all, really I do! I wish I were a better friend regularly! Just know that I love you.

Taryn Talks!

No really she does! I'm suppose I'm typing that to convince myself more than anyone else. Her current vocabulary consists of these words. Mama, Dad, Do (dog), up, "No, No, No", bye, hi, more and hot.  The funny thing about her communication is that she is so casual about it that you almost don't realize that she spoke at all, or that it is a big deal. I'm sure some other children learned to speak even earlier, but I'm still surprised at her skills and age. She is just so good at communicating. She signs more words than she can say, and she always manages to communicate her wants. Very well. Here are a couple of funny Taryn Talk stories! Of course there was the finger wagging "No, no, no!" story in the last post. 

Well today she was sitting on Heidi's lap in Laurels. I was helping to shift from opening exercises into our individual class. Apparently Taryn tried unsuccessfully to get my attention by saying, "Mom, mom, mom." Heidi thought that was cute and to be funny said, "my mom." Taryn then proceeded to argue with Heidi saying, "my mom." "My mom." "My mom." After three rounds of the "my mom", Taryn just leaned over ever so slightly and bit Heidi on her arm. Conversation ended! (Don't worry, she just tasted her. Just enough to let her know she meant business I guess :)

When we were at the Grand Canyon Taryn was cruising around the porch in front of the Gift Shop while my mom and Karalee watched her. Back and forth she toddled and anytime anyone tried to pick her up she would veer away. After a few passes she noticed an elderly gentleman sitting alone a few chairs down. She kept walking closer to him cocking her head to each side and looking into his face. When she caught his attention she lifted her little hand into a wave and said, "Hi!" Then turned and toddled back.

She is so funny and never misses out on the joke. If your laughing, she is too. A very forced laugh, but a laugh all the same. She even covers her little mouth while she chuckles. I'll have to pay attention to see where she gets that from. She is in the copy and mimic stage! She does everything her mom, dad and big brother do. It is so cute! I just love her!

Taryn sporting her new shades!

Taryn loves sunglasses and has never broken a pair. She is amazingly gentle with them, so we bought her this pair from the gift shop. She thought she was pretty cool, but she still seems to want whatever pair I'm wearing!

Gathering the Family!

That is what I feel like I have been doing this past week! It all started by going down to Tucson, AZ to collect my adorable sister Ashley and her amazingly handsome-when-bald husband Robert!  :) He is FINALLY done at the cancer clinic, and his bone marrow transplant went well.  Now he will just have to go back for check-ups every 6 months, and when he is cancer free for 5 years we will officially say he is in remission!

Then there is Elyssa who has returned home for her "summer" from BYUi. She attended the Winter/Summer semesters and will be home until next January! On Sunday evening Kristin and her children Derek 9, Shayla 7 and Junior 1 will fly in from Houston, TX.

Now the time has past that they were here and they have headed home. Yet I still feel as if I am gathering the family! And by gathering I suppose that I also mean reconnecting. I have visited with Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, cousins and friends in person and over the internet. It has been so fun to catch up with everyone. It makes my world feel a little smaller and more connected! I think that gathering is important. We are meant to be connected and work on our relationships together. I want to know all my family members, not lose track of them. I have always felt very motivated to visit. Every member of my family and extended family has amazing things to share with me and teach me. Now I feel like I'm rambling. So, I'll be off to gather!