Thursday, January 28, 2010

It will be hard to fill thier shoes, yet we still try.

Yesterday in my education class my teacher wrote on the board,

"We walk in the foot steps of giants."

She then asked us to write our giants down on a piece of paper.

I wrote

My mom

Ms. Rugger (My Kindergarten teacher)

Mrs. Kaufman (My fourth grade teacher)

My dad

Debbie (My God-mother)

She then asked us to narrow it down to one person. She gave us a paper with a footprint outline on it, and asked us to write characteristics of our giant within the footprint.

I wrote in mine,

Hardworking, Loyal, Sincere, Loving, Fun, Patient, Selfless, Genuine, Beautiful, Perfect, Smart, Kind, Caring, Funny and a few others.

At the top of my footprint I wrote, "My Mom Laura"

We then placed our footprints in a circle around the room and we all walked through them, and read what each other wrote. It was a very emotional experience for me. I love my mom, I miss my mom and some days I am reminded just how much I miss her, and yesterday was one of those days.

After we finished reading the other footprints, our teacher then said, "Someday you are going to be the giant, what do you want your foot prints to say?"

It really got me thinking. I strive to be like all of my "giants" they are so perfect. And someday I hope to be someone else's "giant."

Most of all it makes me think about how lucky I was to have my mom in my life for the time that I did. If God were to ask me before I was born if I wanted to have my sweet momma for only 19 years, or some other mom for 50 years, I would with out a doubt choose my mom. If I were asked now if I would do it all over again, knowing that I would lose her, I would do it all again, without skipping a beat.

Oh how I miss that mom of mine. The last few nights she has been in my dreams, they are so real. I never want to wake up without her. But I know that she is forever by my side.

In other news, :) I went to Ogden Preparatory Academy yesterday for an hour an a half. I was a little nervous because it was my first day, but it wasn't too bad. I worked with 5 fifth grade boys. We made mind maps. I started inside the classroom with just three boys...not bad. They began telling me what their maps were about ect. Then the teacher asked another boy to join my group. He brought all of his stuff over and was very angry and annoyed. I asked him where his mind map was and he began to shuffle through his papers, two or three times, then told me he hadn't started one. So I told him we could start one right then, he got out a piece of paper. I said, "What is your mind map about?" He said, "Death" as he shakes his head yes. I said "Death?" He said, "Yes, people dying, people being shot, you know...boom boom (making gun noises)." I had no idea what to say, because I had no idea how sensitive the boy was, or simply why he wanted to write his mind map on death when the topic was Expansionism in the U.S. Finally after trying to convince the kid that we should probably make a map about Expansionism rather than death, the teacher came over and gave him an outline. (Hooray I was thinking, Hooray!) She then asks me to take the boys in the hall, and asks another boy to come with me. I now have 5 fifth grade boys, in the halls, running up the stairs, hiding in lockers, having a battle using pretend swords and gun noises. I ask the boys to sit down and work on their maps. A few sit on one side of the hall, some sit on the other, some want to sit on the stairs. Finally, they all agreed to sit on the stairs, oh my. They are now having one person sit at the bottom of the stairs while they run from the top and jump down. I thought someone was going to get hurt and I continually ask each boy to sit down and work on their map. The teacher then comes out, settles them down and tells them that I have the power to assign detention. (Hooray again!) With detention backing me up, they finished their mind maps, and soon enough they listened and the day was over. (Hooray Hooray!) After the class had left the teacher said, "Sorry, I really didn't mean to scare you on your first day. Those boys are wild, and I never usually put them together, they can be out of hand." Ha! Out of hand is an understatement. Anyway I will be back next Thursday, with a different class, and this time I'm hoping to work with sweet little girls. :)

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Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Sometimes I wonder...

"We must learn to live together as brothers, or perish together as fools." Martin Luther King
Why can't we all be friends? Why can't we accept everyone for who they are..black...white... Muslim or disabled?

Why is it that throughout history people have been abused, killed and discriminated against?

Why is it that we don't go out of our way to meet new people, to make new friends and to make someone's life a little easier?

Why is it that America can't accept a black president?

Why do we associate Muslim's with 9/11 even though it was a select few that tore our country apart that day?

Why is it that there are people we have known our whole life, yet we have never even said hi to them outside of Facebook?

God created us to live a life for him. He put us on this world, in this country, in our state, in our town and down our street for a very specific reason. God created blacks, whites, Muslims and the disabled on purpose. He did this so we could learn from them. He is trying to teach us acceptance. He wants us to get along, he wants us to love each other, he wants us to help each other out. And yet, we continue to discriminate and turn in the other direction when we see people we don't know and don't want to talk to.

I just want to live in a world where we get along. Where we help others through their journey as they help us through ours. I know there is no possible way I could ever change the world. But Gandhi once said, "Be the change you wish to see in the world," and so I will start here. I will smile at strangers, help others and never judge or discriminate.

World Peace has got to start somewhere. Lets start here my bloggy friends!

Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you. Pray for those who mistreat you. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

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Monday, January 25, 2010

You Mean A Lot to Me Monday

I have been getting excited for today's post. After all, it is about my most favorite person. Jerry!

He is the most amazing person I know. He is funny. He sings everyday. He is smart, handsome and loving. Jerry and I have been dating 3 years and 2 months, and I couldn't imagine my life without him. He has been there for me through everything, including my junior prom, high school graduation, my mom's death, my interview for the teaching program and so much more. He has taught me so much. I can now name almost every car, make and model as we drive back and forth to Ogden. He taught me how to snowboard and he is very patient as he waits for me to catch up on the mountain. He always listens to my ridiculous theories about the earth, the stars, and the way life works. He can answer almost any question I have.

We have had some of the funnest times together. We have gone to Vegas, Florida, Idaho, Washington and Oregon together. We gambled our first time together. On our first date Jerry took us down a one way street the wrong way in Salt Lake. He told me that he had been to Salt Lake many times before, little did I know it was his first time to drive down there that day. :) He makes me laugh all the time. He plays the air guitar, tickles me and talks to me in a real deep scary voice.

He even helps me babysit! :)

My family loves Jerry almost as much as I do. My dad would do anything for Jerry and considers him part of the family. They fixed up the 1963 Beetle together, they eat giant steaks and talk about cars. My aunts even sent Christmas cards with Jerry's name on them this year.

I can be myself around him.

I can't imagine where I would be without him. He has been my strength through a lot of things and encourages me everyday. He drives me to class and helps me with my homework. I truly couldn't ask anymore of him. He puts up with me at my worst, he waits for me to get ready, even though it takes me forever, he lets me drive his car, he carries my laundry basket back and forth to the car, he lets me listen to Christmas music and he takes me to movies he doesn't want to see. He is always there for me. I love him more than anything.

He isn't even embarrassed of my lack of snowboarding skills.

Jerry,

I love you today, and everyday. Thanks so much for everything you do. You are so perfect. I am so glad you are at Weber with me, you make it so much easier to be away from home. I love the relationship we have together and I am so thankful that we can tell each other everything. I can't wait to get old with you. You are my best friend and the best boyfriend in the whole world. I have the greatest memories with you and I can't wait to see what the future holds. You are my everything Jerold. I love you.

Love, Cole

I'm gonna marry that boy some day!

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Friday, January 22, 2010

Go out on a limb....would ya?

Progress always involves risks. You can't steal second base and keep your foot on first. ~Frederick B. Wilcox
What does it really mean to go out on a limb?

Well to me, it means to climb a tree high in the sky not only to reach the top, but to go toward the edge of the highest branch where it is most flimsy. All while trusting that that flimsy branch will bring more joy than it will pain. With that said I believe we should,


Spend money because we have it.

Love to be loved in return.

Make friends to avoid enemies.

Play to win, with the risk of losing.

Apologize even when we're right.

Sing with skratchy voices.

Tell jokes, even when your the only one who will laugh.

Take chances, even when scared.

Change for the better.

Try new things to become more well rounded.

Dare to fail, in hope of success.

Open your mind.

Tell them you love them.

Celebrate small accomplishments along with the big ones.

Reunite with old friends.

Make new friends.

Smile at stangers.

Say what you feel, with risk of being laughed at.

Give to the homeless.

Go to new places and get lost.

Pride yourself with positive thoughts.

And most of all, be proud of who you are. Recognize the things you do well, and work on things that you aren't perfect at. Never accept less than the best. Never regret, there is no taking it back, and after all at one time that's exactly what you wanted. Be confident, stand tall and smile. Remember, you're beautiful.

When in doubt, make a fool of yourself. There is a microscopically thin line between being brilliantly creative and acting like the most gigantic idiot on earth. So what the hell, leap. ~Cynthia Heimel
Just do it, go out on a limb!

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Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Everyday they still wake up in this nightmare.

It's still on the news, though a little less everyday.

There are still commercials. And people still care, though a little less everyday.

It is still real, and the nightmare does not weaken. It does not go away. It is as real as ever, and we can not even comprehend.

Families are torn. Some may never know the resting place of their family. Some will never know where they died, who was there to tell them good bye, or what their last image of this world was.

Bodies are everywhere. There are mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters beneath ruble, unrecognizable.

They have resorted to mass graves to prevent diseases.

Haiti has approved for the orphans to unite with their new families in the U.S. however the U.S. still hasn't allowed this. You can help, read more about how to help here.

There are many without homes, many without food, without water, without their family, without a bed to rest.

There isn't enough help. There isn't enough money. There aren't enough hospitals.

What do you do when your world has been torn apart? What do you do when you don't have one person by your side. It would be hard not to give up.

I beg you, please pray.

I urge you, please donate $10. Text "HAITI" to 90999.

You never know when you might be the one searching for your family beneath fallen buildings.

Because, well, if what goes around comes around then........ Let's be there for them. The least we could do is pray. We can pray for them at regular times like before bed. We can add prayers through out the day.

Pray on behalf of the helpless Haiti people.


It's like the Holocaust, yet there is no one to blame.

(All of the pictures are taken from foxnews.com) They're graphic, but real.

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Monday, January 18, 2010

You Mean A Lot To Me Monday

My dad. He sure does mean a lot to me. :)

My dad is the strongest person I know. He is a hard worker. He has the funniest sense of humor. He is handsome and loving.

I have always been a daddy's girl. When I was little I loved the days that he would take me out in his truck. He use to do my hair, and he would use so much hair spray and my hair would turn out pretty crazy.

Let me tell you a few stories about my sweet dad.

My family was going to a BBQ at one of my parents friends house and my dad got me dressed for the day. He put me in shorts with a long sleeve shirt, and I remember thinking that it just wasn't right to be wearing a warm shirt with shorts. ha!

My dad has always dressed me up for Halloween. One year I was a crow and my sister was a scarecrow, one year I was a rodeo clown, and another year I was a pig and my sister and my cousin were also a pig, we were the three little pigs. When I was in 4th grade, my dad dressed me up as a football player, wearing his football uniform. My best friend had dressed up as a cheerleader, and when my dad was dropping me off at school I said, "I wish I was a cheerleader," and my dad said "Cole, you can't take the easy way out." I will never forget that, and I am glad that I always wore the crazy costumes that I did. They were all so clever and cute.

I love my dad so much. He has been so strong though everything. He can do anything, and whenever I ask him for help, he always knows the right thing to do. I don't know where I would be without him. He has taught me so much, and I couldn't possibly ask for a better dad.

I will never forget the day that he came to my dorm and had to tell me the heartbreaking news that my mom had died. I don't know how he did it, and is so strong. I know that someday he will be okay again. I know he still has a long life to live. :) He is the best dad.

Dad,

You mean so much to me. Thank you for giving me the life that everyone dreams of. Thank you for all the things you have taught me. Thank you for being strong, and for supporting me through everything I do. I hope you know you have so much to live for, and I will always be here for you. I love you dad!

Love,

Cole

My dad, he's my hero.

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Thursday, January 14, 2010

Thankful Thursday

Never a day goes by, no matter how bad the day may seem that we aren't surrounded by God's blessings.

Haiti needs our help. In this great time of despair and tragedy, they need our help. Are you asking what help could we possibly participate in half way across the world? Funds...you can donate a mere $10 by texting "HAITI" at 90999. Would you, please? You can also donate your contributions at redcross.org.

I am thankful that I have never been through an Earthquake. I am thankful that I don't have to search for my friends and family through buildings we once viewed as protection. I am thankful that I have not had everything taken away from me through an awful Earthquake. I am thankful that there are people doing all that they can to help at this tragic time. I am thankful for the RedCross which has enabled our help. I am thankful for the power of prayer, Haiti needs our prayer at this time.

I can't even imagine....please pray.

On to the brighter side of things.

I am thankful for Daymon, I got to spend the day with this little boy, he is the cutest. He made me smile all day. He says, "What's that?" about EVERYTHING. Ha, but it is so cute. And I just love it when he says, "YES!' It's so enthusiastic and cute! What a fun day. However, I was thankful for the nap he took. :) I am thankful for the reminder that I am not ready to have kids, and I am ever so thankful for all the mom's out there, and Jordan (Daymon's mom) especially. I am so impressed. I don't know how you guys do it everyday, you are amazing.

I am thankful for Elton John, Billy Joel, Simon and Garfunkel and The Beatles, listening to the music reminds me so much of my mom. I can hear her singing it, dancing to it and telling me the meaning behind each song. ((A funny story, when I was little I use to worry that I would never like music of my generation because I always liked my mom's better. And I still do! :) I never knew there was a reason I liked it so much. Now I know that the music has been a reminder, a symbol of my mom's love.))

I am thankful for the reminders that I receive daily that remind me that I am truly blessed. I couldn't ask for anything more. Everything does happen for a reason, and it is all worth it.

This is it. This is your only life.

LIVE IT!

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Monday, January 11, 2010

You Mean A Lot to Me Monday


I have decided to start something new today, 'You mean a lot to me Monday.' Every Monday from now on I will write about one special person in my life. And let me tell you, I will never run out. :)

To start with, I will start with one of the most special people in my life, my Mom!

My mom and cousins. Aren't they beautiful?

Let me start out with the history of our lives together. :)

I was born on May 10, 1989, for the first few days of my life I was known as "Unnamed female Linn" because my mom and dad couldn't settle on a name. Within the first few days of my life, my mom had gotten me to smile, had lost me in the hospital during a power outage and had cut off the tip of my pinkie finger (I still have a scar toady). From the start we were best friends.

As I grew up I was always a Mommy's girl, and a Daddy's girl. I was one lucky kid. My mom took me everywhere with her. I even had my own office at one of her jobs. She gave me many nicknames such as, Cole, Colie, Coco, Cocomoroco and Stretch.

Before I would go to school each morning my mom would ask me to give her a "Poo poo," in her words, a kiss goodbye. She would skip her lunch break in order to get off early from work to be home with my sister and I after school.

My mom taught me many things, she taught me to have a kind heart, she taught me never to lie and to always forgive. She would write me notes telling me she was sorry after we would fight (which wasn't often) and I would do the same. I would do her hair like she did mine when I was little.

When I was in Kindergarten, my mom would come to my class to read "The Summertime Pie" in her southern voice. Everyone loved her, and I was proud to have her as my mom. She could make me laugh for hours with her 'Munchkin" voice from the Wizard of Oz. Or her 'Mommy Dearest' impressions. She would tell stories over and over and they never got old.

She had the most beautiful voice and sang all the time, and I loved it when she would dance as she cleaned the house. She could befriend the meanest people. She always made me feel special. She would buy me gifts to make ordinary days special. She would take me shopping in Salt Lake and to American Idol concerts.

She was the most perfect mom, and I am lucky to have spent 19 years of my life with her.

Mom,

You mean a lot to me, today and everyday. Thanks for all that you have given me. You taught me to be my very best, and I hope that I am making you proud. I can't wait to see you again someday, and in my dreams tonight.

Thank you Mom,

Cole

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Thursday, January 7, 2010

Thankful Thursday

This Thursday, as any, I am so very thankful. However more today than others.

I am so thankful that I have Thursdays off from school. What a refreshing break from school.

I am thankful for Jerry. That sweet boy makes me laugh so hard. He tickles me until I fall to the floor. He is the sweetest person I know. He's even there to make me study when I would rather play computer games.

I am thankful that Jerry's grandma is out of the hospital, and doing well. :)

I am thankful for Penny and Maddie. They have really make life easier for me. They take care of my dad when I can't. They make him smile, they make him dinner....they make the distance between us... bearable.

I am so thankful for my sweet dad. As I was on the phone with him today, first he asked, "Are your classes this semester hard?" and before I could even answer yes he said, "You'll do fine." I don't think he has ever thought I could fail at something...and because of that, I too, believe in myself. I love him.

And this Thursday, and all Thursdays to come, I am thankful for my sister, who is now expecting her first baby. I know she will be a good mom, and Jay will be a good dad. This may not have been the time they would plan to have a baby, but it is all within God's plan, all within his timing and we wouldn't want it any other way. Congrats sister. I love you.

And today there is no exception, I am so very thankful for my beautiful guardian angel in heaven...mom. I thought about her all day, and that's okay. :)

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