Julia Gulia

A few months ago, I was able to go up North a bit to take pictures of a cousin of mine who's "graduating" from high school this year. The quotes around that has to do with the fact that she's already started college classes, taking the opportunity to do a sort of duel enrollment. Julia is one of the most amazing girls I know, and though she's almost ten years younger than me, when we talk sometimes I realize that I'm the one looking up to her. Here are my favorite ones from our Senior Shoot!

 

 

 

Congratulations Julia!!!

Mommy Day

As last year I told a story as part of Mother's Day I thought it might be a good tradition to keep up for both Mother's Day and Father's Day this year.

I've had a chance to think of one of the greatest ways my mom has been an example to me lately. A good friend from Florida just graduated and wrote a fantastic tribute to his dad. (I'd really recommend reading it here.)

It really got me to thinking about my own mom going back to school. I was a little older than my friend when my mom went back to school full time. We lived in Barstow, CA--where my siblings and I were born--and there was a community college there. To be honest, I don't remember her taking classes there, but I know she took as many there before there weren't more options and this was the main factor in moving to Henderson. Mom started taking classes at UNLV and I was about eight at the time.

I know I don't remember all the sacrifices. Mom worked, Dad had given up a business in Barstow and worked in constructions. There were times I know he worked by the light of lamps because he was paid in piece work rather than hourly. They were still always there for school projects and activities. I remember sometimes going with her to classes. Sometimes us kids would be guinea pigs in projects; memorizing state capitols or reading Anne of Green Gables and doing book projects, even though it was summer. They were usually the fun kind of projects, though, so I don't think we minded much.

In one class, I know we helped her out by teaching her Hyperlink (an OLD program) for a music education class. She put together something fun, but I think us kids deserved the A in that case.

There were all the times she substituted in our class. (It was always fun if we were doing particularly well in that class). Students loved her. I had classmates ask when she stopped subbing because she had her own class. They were disappointed. She was a good sub.

Her graduation day was a big deal. Our aunts came down from Utah for it. I don't think I realized then what participating in that did for me. While all four of her kids have taken a while getting to our own degrees, none of us have questioned whether or not it will be worth it. All four of us have made efforts to complete an education, and have had to work hard to do so. Her example has taught us how important education is and I, for one, am beyond grateful!

Happy Mother's Day Mom! And keep on rockin' the realm of edu-ma-cation!

Foot update

So it's been quite a while since the accident, but I'm finally in some physical therapy for the foot. Lately it's just been walking down stairs and walking for long periods of time that really bother the foot, but I figure it's better to get it done and have full motion than wait and hope it comes on its own.

The thing about physical therapy: they lure you into thinking it's all fun and games. First they let me stick my feet into a hot jacuzzi tub for fifteen minutes (heaven!), then after a couple exercises the assistant massaged my foot. It felt so good and nice... then they have to go and bring out the ice pack and ruin it for me. Oh well, c'est la vive.

(Oh, and I have to mention a big THANK YOU to my sister-in-law who gave me exercises long ago when we thought it was sprained. I started using those when the boot was off and it's definitely helped give me a head start. Hope you don't torture your patients with ice though!!!)

Ever wonder...

... what waking up 10 minutes before you're supposed to be at work looks like?

It looks a lot like:

"I totaled my car and broke my foot and can't stand long enough to do anything with myself"

Or even:

"I don't care if I get mistaken for a werewolf and would rather hit the snooze button".

Eh. Whatcha gonna do.

Happy Easter!

For real this time.


Happy Easter all!

An Easter Thought

The other day as I came home from my Spiral Jetty adventures, I turned down a street to get to my apartment and there were police lights at the next intersection. Sirens rang from a bit of a distance and two cars sat in awkward angles to the streets main paths, people gathered around. One woman sat in the front of the car that looked as though it had been sideswiped. "I hope she's okay," I said to my friend, watching the faces as I passed by them.

Before February and my own accident I always felt for people, but there's something different when I see it now. Even when I heard about a friend's husband getting into an accident on the freeway shortly after I went through that, I had this sinking feeling of being there with him. It was terrible. I understood that. It's never expected, never wanted, and it throws your entire life into chaos, even if you're physically better off than you could have been.

With Easter coming up I was thinking about this and the difference between the sympathy I would feel for people in a car wreck before to the empathy that reverberates through me now.

Ever wonder why Christ had to suffer? Why would he need to feel our pain? Our sorrows? Because there is a love and connection that comes with having true empathy for others. Christ suffered to understand. Christ loved us enough to know us the best way you can know others: to know how they feel.

I know it's a bit early for Easter, but we spend a whole month celebrating the birth of Christ. I'm thinking a week isn't too long to be celebrating the great sacrifice of the Atonement. Happy Easter to all!

It's 3 a.m.

And my brain won't shut up. After a few hours of "sleep", I've realized all I've done is daydreamed about all the things I have to do over the next few weeks and now I have a knot in my chest and I can't even feel tired enough to really get rest.

So what am I doing? Going to the gym. At three in the stinkin' morning. Hoping to hear about the internship soon.