Blessings

As I was working on my last post a song by Laura Story was playing, a song entitled Blessings. I am not one that would typically type out lyrics for a song; however, I felt these lyrics were so moving, so true to life, and very touching. Maybe it was the topic of the last post, maybe it is because I leaning completely on God’s guidance to navigate me through life, whatever the reason I felt it necessary to share this song with you.

We pray for blessings. We pray for peace. Comfort for family, protection while we sleep. We pray for healing, for prosperity. We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering. All the while, You hear each spoken need, yet love is way too much to give us lesser things. ‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops. What if Your healing comes through tears. What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near. What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise. We pray for wisdom Your voice to hear We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near. We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love. As if every promise from Your Word is not enough All the while, You hear each desperate plea And long that we’d have faith to believe When friends betray us When darkness seems to win We know that pain reminds this hear that this is not our home. What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life The rain, the storms, the hardest nights are your mercies in disguise.

Laura Story

The three of us

I question daily if I left my heart in Oklahoma when I moved. I have a sense of peace, comfort, happiness, and love that seems to be unmatched as I fumble through my new life here in a new place. It could be that I have spent most of my adult life in the heartland, it could be that I have so many great memories (I choose to turn the not so great memories into learning experiences so as a result everything in life is a great memory), it could be that my best friends reside in the state of waving wheat, it could be that my family also known as my oxygen calls Oklahoma home, or it could be that a little man so important in to my life, it takes my breath away thinking he is no longer with us in flesh, is laid to rest in the beauty of the plains. Bryce passes away a little over 10 years ago and I can not only speak on behalf of my life but on behalf of our entire family, on March 30, 2002 our lives changed forever. Bryce was so young when our Lord took him home, yet I learned more from his gentle soul, saw more love is his eyes, and experience more happiness flowing out of that little man than I see in most adults. I feel it is such a mild phrase to say he blessed my life beyond compare, but I don’t know how to put into words my love, gratitude, and happiness to have had him in my life, even for such a short time. For years I was not strong enough to go visit Bryce, I suppose I had a lot of unresolved emotions that have been broken into and are being address during this most recent and continuing journey I have been on. So with new found strength and the uncovering of the woman I have always been, simply hiding behind the pain and coping skills I chose in life, I went to visit Bryce.

After a day of rain and clouds Maggie and I arrived at the grave site to a beautiful sunset, I felt Bryce was there with Maggie and I. It was just the three of us, laughing, smiling, taking in the beauty that only appears as colors exit the Oklahoma sunset skies. We enjoying our time with Bryce and taking the time to shoot a few pictures of the gorgeous sunset over the wheat field.

Bryce loved harvest and as the wheat is nearing the harvest point I knew he was there with us in spirit. Little man, I guess not a little man anymore, you would be nearly 17 years old…..I miss you more with each passing day, but I know you would not want any of us to sit here paralyzed in sadness and pain, you would want us to live our lives to the fullest just as you did in your 6 years with us here on earth. I love you buddy!!!

Got hitched

I am a few days late in updating my bog. What is that you said…..I am a few months late in updating my blog…..well you might be right but we don’t judge around these here parts. My cousin Alexander got hitched to one of the most precious, loving, giving, and amazing women I know. For any of you that are unaware, Alexander and Mary met while in Switzerland. Alexander was studying abroad through a program at Pepperdine and Mary was working with the studying abroad program, and on May 5 after dating for nearly 2.5 years family and friends gathered at the ranch for the wedding of this perfect couple. After much anticipation, through the pasture we saw a glimpse of the bride…..and groom riding to the ceremony on horseback, very fitting for this ranch wedding.

As Alexander led his horse to the hitching post...

and proceeded to the alter where he meet his groomsmen....

Mary galloped to the back of the aisle.

Where she met her father and Alexander's father

In preperation to walk down the aisle.

To meet her best friend, her love, her future husband.

As the pastor provided laughter, tears, and melting hearts with stories of Alexander and Mary’s fairy-tale, the bride and groom loving looked into each other eyes.

I Alexander, take you, Mary, to be my lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part. With this ring I thee wed.

I Mary, take you, Alexander, to be my lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part. With this ring I thee wed.

I now pronounce you man and wife!

You may kiss your bride.

Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Drummond!!

I have attended many weddings, many beautiful weddings and I am not sure if it is my age, my desire to get married, or the fact Alexander is family, but I really think this might have been the most stunning wedding I have been blessed to attend. Alexander and Mary, thank you so much for inviting me to part of your special day, I truly felt blessed and honored. I wish you unending love, laughter, blessings, and success in your new titles of bride and groom, husband and wife, and all the other titles you will gain through your years. Love you!!

The meaning of my being

As mentioned yesterday I set out on an adventure last week, an adventure to learn how to snowboard. I have been skiing for what seems like forever it is the meaning of my being, so snowboarding should not be that difficult for me to catch on to, right?
After getting fitted for snowboarding boats and making sure I knew how to buckle myself into Katie's board Maddy and I hopped onto the gondola.

Not only had the mountains been my home away from home for so many years and Maddy is a regular snowboard instructor at BC and I was using a board of a veteran snowboarder, I was confident this was going to be a snitch.
Once we exited the gondola and I met a super hot lifty, Maddy and I ventured over to the bunny hill. I should probably point out that the bunny hill at Beaver Creek is not like most, it is about 50 yards in length and the slope is about a 10% grade, no kidding!
As I road up the magic carpet to the top of the 'bunny hill' I figured a few times down this little hill and I will be ready for the chair lift.

After 3 hours on the bunny I may or may not have had a nervous breakdown, I may or may not have ever gotten the hang of riding heal side, I may or may not have flirted with the lifty named Darren who I am sure was beyond impressed with by my snowboarding skills, I may or may not have tossed in the towel and chosen to put my skies on and head to the top of the mountain. But I will admit I did get the hang of riding toe side, it just happens that when riding toe side I am heading down the hill backwards, I am not sure that is very safe for the rest of the individuals on the mountain. Darren told me it is just like drive, however as I mentioned to him I tend to not drive backwards a lot.

So, I will buckle back into a snowboard next season and try it again. I am determined to get this skill under my belt. Wish me luck!!

Fresh mountain air.

For all of those that may be thinking I fell off a mountain being it has been some time since I have written, rest assure I still have my feet firmly planted on the Colorado soil. Last week however, I nearly firmly planted my bottom in the mountain snow and taken what I would have considered the easier route down the hill at Beaver Creek. For you see I took my very first snowboarding lesson. After skiing for nearly 20 years I thought what better adventure than that of snowboarding for the first time at age 33. An adventure it was, but that story will have to wait.

I headed to Beaver Creek to spend a few days with my dear friend Maddy. She requested that my camera come to one of her soccer games in order to take pictures, and as fate might have it, I needed to accompany my camera.



After the melee of the bumblebees on the soccer field, Maddy and I made a beeline for the fire pit at Beaver Creek resort to make s'mores. I am a bit remiss for not taking a picture of the marshmallows we purchased for this s'mores outing. They were jumbo sized, in fact they were not the easiest things to roast we held them in the fire until we were nearly on fire and the oooy gooy marshmallows were not so oooy gooy. For what it is worth, if you should find yourself in the grocery store collecting s'mores making supplies, just stand in awe of how large the jumbo marshmallows are and settle for the regular s'mores marshmallows.



We had an extraordinary evening in the fresh mountain rain which may or may not have made us smell like a campfire.

Where I have been, where I am, & where I am going

This will come as an epic shock to you all I am sure, but over the past few months I have spent a lot of time thinking about life. After all I had to do a lot of talking, reflecting, and writing about my life, the twists and turns, the ups and downs, the extraordinary people and the....challenging people who's paths have crossed mine.

I have never been one to like the word 'regret'. I have always tried to live my life with the absence of the word, which might be one reason I lived my life so cautiously and why when I picked up my entire life and moved it to Colorado I did not only shock others but I shocked myself. Have there been situation that I at times wish would have gone differently.....you bet! However, the more I have reflected the more I am able to embrace the ups and downs life has so graciously allowed me to experience.

In life we do things, some we wish we had never done, some we wish we could replay a million times in our heads. But they all make us who we are, and in the end they shape every detail about us. If we were to reverse any of them we wouldn't be the person we are. So just live, make mistakes, have wonderful memories, but never ever second guess who you are, where you have been, and most importantly where it is you're going.

Live life my friends!!

I Believe

I believe everything happens for a reason!
People change so you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you can appreciate them when they're right.
You believe lies so that you will eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes, good things fall apart so better things can fall together.

-Marilyn Monroe

Bucket List

Marry my best friend
Watch the sunset at the beach
Spend a holiday with my family somewhere exotic
Ski the Swiss Alps
Be a great parent
Watch the sunrise at the beach
Visit Virginia in the fall
Spend a few weeks in Greece
Have a child
Run in the Marine Corps Marathon
Go to Hawaii
Become fluent in a another language
Grow old with someone I love

Never Alone

During this most recent journey I found myself on I encountered many extraordinary people, people who have changed my life for the better, people who will remain in my life and my heart always. One of these extraordinary individuals shared this song with all of us as she was leaving and heading back home. Many tears were shed when we began to I listen to these beautiful lyrics and I feel as though the message is so poinent as we all began this new year. A year filled with new beginnings, friends worht having, more smiles than grumbles, and above all for us to always remember we are never alone!!

Never Alone by Lady Antebellum

Enjoy & Happy New Year!!