Where have we been?

Well we started out heading to lake Havasu, then we went to Jackson Hole and ended going to Yellowstone. All the while going hiking, camping, to Raging waters and Lagoon. I have some pics but I had camera issues and I didn't find myself wanting to constantly be snapping pics. The best feeling in the world is looking at your kids faces and seeing Happy in those precious little eyes. So now, we head into fall, which does make me sad. But that is the new challenge, isn't it? Finding joy in every season. So that is what I intend to do! Love you All! :)

Gimme an "M"

Well my sweet little bear has done it again. She is so cute I can hardly stand it. So last Saturday my girls went shopping with Trav's mom and sisters. Well if there is a girl that can shop it is my Brooke. Well she was helping grandma pick stuff out, looking for the right size and everything. She saw the letter M on a shirt and said "look grandma M is for Maximum!" I think grandma Patty got a chuckle out of it, and obviously I did if I am putting it on my blog. Anyways my kids are my life and I love to experience everything about them.

Up and gone!

We got a call last Wednesday, from my friend. He said that he and his family were staying at his families vacation home in Lake Havasu California. He invited me and my kids there for a few days. So we packed and left early Thursday morning. It was so fun to throw caution to the wind and take off. The kids were so excited. We rode on their boat, rode their sea-doo's, played on a water trampoline, me and Nate knee boarded and Nate got go Cliff jumping. Plus I learned how to drive a 4-wheeler. It was amazing. We were suppose to come home on Sunday morning, but they invited us to stay a few extra days. So we came home on Tuesday. I didn't get many pictures because we were on the water constantly and I was worried about the camera and the water but I got a few. At the lake there is a giant bridge named "London Bridge" which London ate up. It was a great trip. The temperature was well over 100 degrees everyday. I am grateful to my friends who have really been so kind to me and my family. There is no way I could ever have been able to give my kids a vacation like this without the help of my friend. So far Summer is off to a great start!! :)

And Life goes on...

I just thought I would write a little that we are ALL doing good. It seems that with all the rumors and negativity stopped we have been able to begin to heal. It is so surprising to people the way that we have handled this. Which I think is sad. I think that once you have been married to someone, shared your life with them, been everything to the other person you should always have a special friendship with that person. We are moving forward and doing our best to take care of our 3 great kids. Trav's mom was talking to London last weekend about everything. She asked what she thought about the divorce London said "I think it is for the best, now there won't be so much yelling" which is hilarious because if you know Trav and I you would know that we don't yell, At no time in our marriage (I think) there has been yelling, but she can rest assured that now there won't be any yelling. Then Patty told London that if she ever wanted to call her to talk she could, to which London responded that she couldn't. Well you are all thinking that her mean mom won't let her (I was thinking that is what she was going to say) so Patty asks her why? and she says "I don't have your phone number" so I think it is safe to say that the kids are doing good, they have lots of support from lots of different people who love them and care deeply about them. So now life goes on. Thanks to so many people for reading this blog, commenting and offering friendship during our time of trial. You have been prayed for by our family and your prayers have brought us so much comfort and helped get us to this point! Love YA'll

A Celebration of Life!

Today is the 2 year anniversary of my mom's passing. I have a very heavy heart, she was a wonderful person. Was she perfect no, are any of us no, least of all I am certainly not perfect. But did she love her family perfectly...yes. She loved her family like no one else. She was fiercely loyal, kind, giving, very benevolent and extremely good. She didn't have to be the center of attention, but was always content to let others shine. She was the kind of woman, who once you knew her you were better for it. She had the dry-est sense of humor and loved to laugh. I miss her every minute of every day. I see her in the eyes of my kids, I see her in their little faces, and I see her in me. I am most grateful for the time that I did get to have her on Earth as my mom, and I know she is proud of me, she loves me, and she understands me. So if you knew this wonderful woman, I hope that you will think of her, and know that she walks with us everyday in our hearts! Love you mom!

WhAteVer hapPened to juSt being NiCe?

This is written by Trav:
My purpose with this post is to help everyone to see that Cindy is a good person and there are circumstances that people don’t understand and because of this they should not judge either Cindy or me with what is happening. Actually what I am asking is that people treat Cindy with both love and respect. First, I have to say that this is something I never imagined would happen to me and the divorce is something I don't want to happen and I would do anything to stop it. That being said, this is not just about what I want. Two years ago when we were in the car accident not only did Cindy lose her entire life, I lost the girl I had been married to for over 10 years. Although she looked the same she was different. This didn't mean that I loved her any less but just the opposite, I love her more now than ever before. I will continue to love her as long as I live. I know Cindy better than anyone else alive except for herself. Whenever anyone asks questions about life prior to the accident I am probably the best person able to answer these questions. Well, after two years of someone telling you what you liked and didn’t like, why we don’t have a dog and why we don’t want one, and everything else about your life that you just don’t have an answer to Cindy wants to experience life without me. Cindy has been a great wife and friend and we will continue to be great friends.
People have expressed concern about Cindy’s ability to take care of the children. She is a wonderful mother. I have heard rumors from those considered friends as far as how she has done at being a mother and know that these rumors are not true. Why someone would spread hurtful rumors is beyond me. The rumors that were spread could have been for no other reason than to hurt someone. I just don’t understand this. Why would someone make up complete garbage and then tell people about it? And why would the people being told this believe the rumors without first checking into their truthfulness? The only conclusion for this is that the person is jealous for some reason and wants to do whatever they can to hurt that person. I am not going to mention any names but I know who is spreading the rumors and they need to stop. If they continue I will confront you so I can understand what is so wrong in your life that you need to try and ruin someone else’s. Cindy has done a fantastic job taking care of the kids and I have no concerns about her ability to continue to do so. I am trusting Cindy with my most precious things. I would not do anything to hurt my children or put them in danger in any way. So if I trust Cindy with my children why wouldn’t everyone else trust her?
Since there is no way I can stop the divorce there is no reason to fight and cause problems that don’t need to exist. The only thing people need to know about this is that Cindy, the kids and I will all be taken care of and be fine.
I appreciate all of the concern everyone shows to me. I have received support from sources I never imagined. And although I appreciate this, the best way people can show their support to me and my family is to make sure Cindy is doing okay. Cindy is going through something that very few people can even hope to understand. As hard as this is, I will continue to support Cindy in what she feels she needs in her life. What I don’t understand is why if I can support Cindy in this, why can’t others do the same without telling her what they feel she should be doing?
I understand that people have the best of intentions and in most cases they really do mean well. When someone is going through a hard time, the last thing they want to hear is everything people feel they are doing wrong. Actually most of the time the best thing to do is make sure the person that is struggling is doing okay. We may not agree with what they are doing but this doesn’t give us the right to judge them. One example of this is why would someone tell Cindy she is going to Hell? I can’t even see how this would help. Is that supposed to inspire someone to change the way they are doing things? Is that what the Savior would do? I don’t think he would. People express concern to me about how they should approach Cindy because they are worried about offending her. What is wrong with just asking her how she is doing and then just listening to her? You may not agree with the result of what is going on. You don’t have to agree with it but it doesn’t hurt anything or anyone to just listen and show concern for someone’s well being.
Cindy mentioned that I have been doing everything for everyone else but nothing for me. That is where I have found happiness and I love to do things for other people. However, when you get on an airplane one of the first things they tell you to do in case of an emergency is put the oxygen mask on yourself first and then on your children. The reason for this is obvious; you are no good to your children if you are dead. Sometimes you need to worry about yourself first. My hope is that down the road Cindy has answered the questions in her life that she wants answered and we end up back together. Whether this happens or not isn’t as important as both of us being happy. Until then, I am just going to find myself a couple of hobbies and work on some things that define who I am. I will still be a part of the family and I will continue to do everything I can to be a major part of their lives.

HeRe is the Run doWn

I had hoped that by not saying much that people would mind there own business but this is not the case. So I am going to share my story. I was in a car accident 2 years ago. Since that time I have tried my absolute hardest to be the person that I have been told I am. I have tried to learn as much about myself through everyone else's eyes. I said what I thought I needed to say, I have acted as I have been told I was "suppose to", I have done everything in my power to fit back into the person who I was "before" the accident. I have only wanted to be loved. I have loved. I have trusted. Well I finally realized that life wasn't meant to be lived this way. I am a different person than I was before the accident. Yes there are similarities to the girl I was, but I need to be given a chance to make my own choices, my own mistakes, live my own life. That is what this is about. Trav is a great man. He has been through so much and been so brave and strong. He has suffered a tremendous loss. He has been so willing to completely live his life for someone else. But at the end of the day, that is not what living life is really about. We separated in early May and now we are getting divorced. There are worse things in life than a divorce. People act like death is better. Well it is not. I will always love Trav, our children are the most important part of of our lives. I am a really good mother. I love those kids and take care of them more than anyone else in this world. That will never change. Our heavenly father has given us the gift of agency, and yet so many of you would rather I live a life without mine. And you are wrong. I have suffered more than any of you will ever know. This decision didn't come easily and thanks to most of you it has been extra painful. People that i thought loved me have lashed out to me, in the most cruel and hurtful way. You have told Trav to take my kids away from me and that he needs to take everything and never look back. Well shame on you. The most shocking part is that the ones saying this are the ones who are the "church go-ers" the ones who really should know better. My Heavenly Father loves me and my family and he understands. Outsiders have no idea what I have been through or what I need, and yet you feel your selfs qualified to judge me. Well you are wrong. Our ward has turned their back on me, and as a result I am no longer going to go to my home ward. I have a strong testimony of my Savior and that will never change. I need to go where I can be accepted and loved. I will go to a ward where this can happen. The next time you open your mouth to gossip or judge someone I hope you will know that all that you say and do will be returned to yourself someday. Trav and I are very much still friends this will continue. If you truly want to help him you will stop bad mouthing me, and love him. Trust his judgment in this. He is a smart man, who knows me better than anyone, and if he can understand than maybe you need to as well. I hope to hear from anyone who can truly be a good Christ-like friend. Thank you for the prayers in my families behalf. They have helped us get to this place. They will continue to help us heal and get through this. I hope this helps everyone to calm down. We are going to be fine and our story isn't over, it is just changing a bit. Thanks for taking the time to read this!