Congrats to the Obama's!!

Just wanted to do a short blog about 2009's Inauguration Day. I thought it was wonderful! As I was getting ready for work I kept peeking at the T.V. and watched as the Obama's arrived at the White House before heading to the Capitol-they looked so confident and calm. It made me feel very proud that I voted for President Obama. When I hear him speak and watch him conducted himself, I am filled with hope. I believe that I made the right choice by voting for Obama. I believe that he wants to change this country for the better. And more importantly, I believe that he can make that change happen.

There are many people who have been upset by the way our country has been run over the past few years. And hopefully, most of those people welcomed the changes brought by yesterday's events. Hopefully we, as Americans, can continue to stand united behind our new leader and press forward to make this country a better place.

There are people who are criticizing Dr Joseph Lowery's benediction where he said, "we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to give back, when brown can stick around, when yellow will be mellow, when the red man can get ahead man, and when white will embrace what is right" But what those same people should remember is this: that man is not our president. He is not the person we elected. So yes you may think what he said was strange, but he is not the person who is going to be running this country. So please, stop making a big deal about. His message was all about peace anyway. Remember that he also said, "And now, Lord, in the complex arena of human relations, help us to make choices on the side of love, not hate; on the side of inclusion, not exclusion; tolerance, not intolerance. And as we leave this mountaintop, help us to hold on to the spirit of fellowship and the oneness of our family. Let us take that power back to our homes, our workplaces, our churches, our temples, our mosques, or wherever we seek your will." So come one people! If that is the only thing you can complain about, GET OVER IT!

I look forward with hope, not hate, not anger, not with an impending sense of doom or fear, to the next four years. Only time will tell if President Obama is going to be able to help this country out of its current mess. But, I have hope and I believe that yes, we can!

2009

I am done appologizing for not blogging as much as I should. Most of you know that I am a very busy person anyways.

2008 came to close with a lot of goings-ons. Right around Thanksgiving, Ryan's dad Scott came to Utah, with Ryan, in a U-Haul to bring us some furniture for our new home. It was great to see Scott and spend some time with him. (We don't get to see much of Ry's family because almost all of them live in Montana.) And it was fun to get all of our new furniture moved in and give us a place to sleep. And we will be forever grateful for all of Scott's help and all of Grandpa Willard's old furniture.

At the beginning of December I started my CNA class. It was a great experience. I passed my classes with flying colors and now have to pass my state test to become an official CNA. But I feel like I really learned a lot and am excited to really put my training to good use.



Aroud this same time Ryan's grandpa Willard got stuck at the Salt Lake aiport on his way to Washington to visit Ryan's uncle Mark. The weather was terrible and so Ryan and I got to have our first real house guest. It was fun to have Ry's grandpa there for the night. (Willard got to see what happened to all his old furniture!) I love Ry's grandpa! I think he is such an interesting and kind person and I know both Ry and I enjoyed the short visit with him.

We also got to have Sera with us for Christmas this year! It was so much fun to have her around the house. She brings such an incredible energy when she comes. Ry and I both miss her so much when she isn't here that we really enjoy spending time with her when we get it. I only wish it could have been for more than a couple weeks.

Ryan's Mom Linda also came down for a few days during the Christmas holiday. It was so nice because she hadn't been able to come when Scott came right before Thanksgiving. I hope that she enjoyed her time with Ry, Sera, and I. Again, my only regret is that the visit was so short. But I am sure that we will all be seeing each other again soon. (Hopefully we can all meet up again for Easter like we did last year.)

We also had a birthday party for Sera while she was here. Her birthday is Jan. 5 and we had her party with us on Jan. 2 We went to Hollywood Connections and let the kids go crazy! I think that it went great and that everyone had fun. They got to go on rides, play in the play area, go mini golfing, play in the arcade, and eat pizza and ice cream. And quite a few kids were there. Nicole brought her 3 boys: Cam, Jackson, and Chris, as well as a little girl that she watches. Our neighbors Jay and Rosie brought their 2 boys Chance and Logan and our other neighbors Randy and Nina brought their girls Amelia and Maggie. And by the end of the night, all of them were worn out.

Sera left on Jan. 3 which was very sad for both Ryan and I. The house got really quiet after that. The other thing that sucked was we had to have Sera up at 5:30 am to get her to the airport by 6:00 am for her flight...it was way too early for both Sera and myself. Neither of us are morning people.

2008 ended on a really positive note and I can only hope that 2009 is just as great! Thanks to all of our family and friends that helped us with our new home. And a big thanks to my parents who spent countless hours at our place helping to paint and fix things. (WE COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU GUYS!)

Ryan and I love you all and hope that your 2009 has started off well. Keep in touch! Much love!