Happiness Is ...

Happiness is …

~ Having this guy get married … FINALLY!! (Not the middle, that’s Dave ~ who is expecting #4, FIRST GIRL!!, later this fall!) … and talking with this guy. We, Dave / Nate / Michelle and I seemed to be the VIP’s at this reception. Brad, Father of the Groom, sat with us just chatting about good old BGII fun times for a large part of the night

~ Seeing these guys in the temple on the middle guy’s wedding day! It was a fantastic surprise to walk in and see a gaggle of old friends. I constantly forget how tall those Labrums are or how sweet the Bryan women are or how dang hilarious AJ is! Thank you Chicago Temple Greeters for being so kind and patient with us as we reunited!

~ Enjoying family time on the Lake

~ Spending the flight back, layover, extended layover remembering all of the fun times the good ol’ days back in Chicago have to offer. Seeing the lil’ Eyres all grown up ~ Kylee Su is heading to college this year ~ made me feel so old. The Fitzgerald girls have grown into two amazingly stunning young ladies … I still think of them as the little ones who hated bedtime. Ty is married (sure it’s been two years or so but … he’s still 14 and being thrown in pools by admirers in my mind) and going to dental school ~ thanks to his amazing wife (I’m still a bit stunned as to how well he did for himself!). Brit has two little girls ~ sassy! Margaret got married. Andre is … well, bless his heart, he’s the same and I love that. The Rules are … oh I love them! I think every conversation I have have with Steve, I get that question, “Mar, when are you coming home?” The funny thing in, he’s not at ‘home’, he’s in Logan. But over that past six years somehow whenever I end up at that house on Burdick, Stevie is there ~ now he’ll be there with Lauren and between you and me … I might like Lauren better than Stevie, so this works well!

~ FOUND NEW HATS!

~ Jason and Jesse … need more be said?

~ Long talks with an old friend about life

~ Heather’s fantastic Sunday Shirts with Pete’s fabulous Heads, a welcome distraction to constant mucus induced noises

~ my M&M mornings/afternoons/nights/twilight time

HAPPY DAY!

To the Men in my Life

Normally I have the fantastic Hallmark Card in the mail by this point but they are in my purse, without a stamp, so chances are high that Dad and Gramps will have an extended Father's Day! But I will take a moment or two to celebrate the Fathers of my life!

Mike, Matt, and Max ~ the three greatest Uncles that a girl could have. All are worth more to me than words could ever convey but I will try.

Uncle Mike, (pictured here in his oh-so-slick-outfit with Uncle Max) who I greatly miss each day, offered so much as he walked this earth to those he loved. He loved with his whole heart and you felt it, you heard it, you knew it. Over these past three years I have learned more about the man that is my Uncle. He has touched so many lives, aided so many friends, loved so many people ... pushing aside the nonsense that sometimes life creates and focused on his family, his loved ones. He continues to love and inspire and I love him so much.

Uncle Matt, our own Job, is the endearing Uncle. I remember as a young girl sitting on the white couch in Grams and Gramps house when everything got chaotic, not surprising for a Saturday morning with the Mounts. Mom was upstairs with Buba who was causing a ruckus, Cubby /Josh / Bri were banging on the piano. I was overwhelmed, a bit dramatic for a six year old ~ I know. Aunt Shelia was trying to calm baby Jennifer who was crying,6 I'm sure she was too a bit overwhelmed. I saw Uncle Matt, sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace, walked over, sat down on his lap, and fell asleep. That is one of my favorite memories of my Uncle Matt. Now that I'm older I still find great peace in the presence of Uncle Matt ... he's been through more than his fair share of storms and yet he truly emulates the peace that he has found. I love him very much.
Uncle Max, 'the favorite Uncle', would have a right to claim on such things if I used the words, when they are self-proclaimed however ...! He was the Uncle that got off the plane from Chile and demanded that we go to McDonald's so that his nieces and nephews, 7/6/4/3 respectively, have their first Big Macs in celebration of his honorable return. He was the Uncle that brought my 'pretend dog' (Gramp's dog, ZEAK) to school. He was the Uncle that showed up at school one random afternoon and took me to McDonald's for a Big Mac and Shake. He was the Uncle that told me not to quickly judge a young gentleman, now that gentleman is among one of my 'people'. He is the Uncle that inquires with reflecting questions causing much internal debate and discovery, whether involving politics, family, relationships, or spiritual matters. He is the Uncle that emails at the crack of dawn on this niece's birthday to win the prize. Uncle Max is following his dreams and allowing me to learn from his process, I love him with my whole heart.

My Favorite Grandfather ...

**** Grampsisms: *cinnamon candies on his desk * vanilla ice-cream every night *frogs * strike days * largest elevator in Wisconsin * fun with the fork-lifts * Beer Brats * How's your love life? * Your voice is sexy sick * Lincolns * little girls that swear at inappropriate times * patriotism * funny emails * tricky teeth * peck kisses * 3rd finger pointing * cats and chicken * perseverance * all things Mason * individual and eternal vow * I SUPPOSE ****
My Grandfather leads the Mount family with love and devotion. He is not a man of many words but he offers his all at all times for his family. He holds us together when the world seems to fall apart. I love my Gramps very much and am very grateful I am his favorite, as confirmed in the video above as well as in on his wedding day in a Holy Place!

My Favorite Father ... I could write for days and still be unable to truly allow you to see who he is and why he is so adored by me. My favorite memory of my Dad and I is actually the first memory I have of my Dad and I. He woke me early one morning and took me down to the Lake. The sun had yet to come up, I was in my Strawberry Short Cake nightgown. We cuddled down on the rocks and watched the sun come up. I don't remember what wisdom he imparted that particular morning but I do remember him saying "I love you Sunshine" right as the sun came up over the Lake. I could live to be a 103 and that memory would still be vivid in my mind. Every time I hear him call me Sunshine that memory comes flooding back. There is no greater gift a father could give his daughter than the knowledge that she is loved and adored. My Father has not let one day go by in my life without allowing me to hear and feel of that love. Even while I was serving my Father in Heaven and contact was limited I could feel of my Father's prayers and knew that the extra ounce of strength was coming from him. I'm a Daddy's Little Girl ... I always will be.

I love you Daddy!

Happy Father's Day to the Men in my Life! I love you all very much!

I Get It

It's been almost six months since Michelle's visit to Utah. It amazes me that the REDDEST STATE (for my political babies that are just learning that means a conservative state) was privileged with the presence of a Democrat. Barack was scheduled to come but with the passing of President Hinckley it was decided that his trip would be cancelled out of respect and honor for the late prophet. When it was confirmed that Michelle was to come in his place, I'll be honest, I was even more thrilled. These videos are from that visit.

Having dedicated much of my time during the months of November, December, and January to this campaign I grew to know the characters of Barack and Michelle. How they run this campaign, with respect and dignity, trickles down to even the lowliest volunteer. They care deeply for one another, for their daughters, for their unique heritages, for God, and for this country.

I have found myself defending my regard for Barack and this campaign on a daily basis. A few days ago I received an email from an 'acquaintance' attacking me for going 'against the faith' that I cherish. The argument was that I have simply gotten atop a band wagon without truly knowing in which direction I am heading, that it is the 'hype and fad' I am intrigued with. Oh GOODNESS!! I have cooled down and responded with this ...

I am not one to go with the 'hype or fad'. I am a 25 year old single Mormon Girl working for a democrat in the state of Utah. I have not read Harry Potter nor seen the films. I refuse to talk through my nose and click my tongue. I share my life with a variety of people, only a portion being those that share my faith. I do not succumb to the wind. I am not ignorant of the issues nor of Barack's positions, I share his views on Health Care, the War, Education, Immigration ... I could go on. What we also have to look at however is the fact that enthusiasm, hope, and a man to inspire these things in people is a reason to vote for him or at the very least consider him. To have a man of integrity in the White House will change America. The policies are going to change constantly, the arguments to evolve with time, but a person's character is what ~ hopefully ~ remains intact through it all. It's that trust that will change how Americans feel about the Man in the White House. It's that trust that will continue to inspire the my generation, the previous apathetic generation, to get out and not simply vote but speak up about voting. It's that trust that will make our Nation the Nation that our Founding Fathers dreamed of. It's that trust, that character, that Man that will continue to cultivate hope.

We can argue where Barack stands on the issues, whether he and the Church are in juxtapositions or not (let us remember that the LDS Church takes NO POSITION, simply encourages us to be proactive in our political process)... but at night, he's tucking the girls in bed, kissing Michelle goodnight and praying to God for the chance to do it again tomorrow while helping others to have the hope for it as well.

This is not just hype or a fad, we have gained the nomination. This is historic. This is change. This is hope. I get it!

A and B

There are people that laugh at life. There are people who see the bigger picture. There are people who get it, even when you’re whining. There are people who will swear for you. There are people that pick up the phone or answer the door in the middle of the night so that you can curl up in bed with a warm body. There are people that will take a class for you. There are people that will listen to a country song for you. There are people that will show up, make dinner, get the kids in bed, and then sit down and not make you talk about it. There are people that will drive across the country with you so you don’t have to fly. There are people who offer logical thoughts. There are people that inspire.

I know these people, I could go on and create a tribute to each one. But today, on what very well could become a historic day for this nation, I would like to pay tribute to the friend that introduced me to Barack.



It was perhaps a year and half ago now that Adam and I were chatting about politics and religion, our favorite topics. In the midst of it all we found ourselves discussing Barack Obama, the senator from Illinois. Adam can make a stapler sound interesting so I’ve learned over the past ten years how to decipher the stapler from the truly exciting and intriguing. This conversation brought on a strong desire to know more about the man who was causing quite the rucus. I started my research ~ I’m a nerd.

I spent the next several months researching the Senator; reading his books, reading other’s words about him (his supporters and his critics), understanding his accomplishments, understanding where he’s fallen or failed. I took my time in thinking about this … I have my own views and not all of them coincide with Barack’s. My family freaked out, bless their hearts. My Father linked his daughters ways to a democratic rally he attended in eighth grade, "I knew there would be retribution for that." (Kylee, don't worry, Dad's forgive their daughters!) But in the end, I decided that I believe in Barack as a man and in his ability to bring this country back from the hell that we currently find ourselves in.

And unlike my normal run-away-from-all-good-things tendencies I ran toward this … perhaps it’s a sign of sorts. I got involved in California and upon moving to UT found that there was much to do! I spent my days in the HP office and my nights and weekends with Barack. I organized, went to meetings, organized, knocked on doors, organized, and called a gazillion people. Some were not thrilled to speak with me. While others that I spoke with were open for conversation regarding the Senator. It was in these moments, which were bit missionish, that I was able to speak of my conviction regarding Barack and my hope for the future … I loved every minute of it! (To discuss policy and such, call me! The blog is not the best way to have me put you in your place in regards to the Mormon = Republican theory!)

I still love every minute of it! And as Barack continues his steps forward, as I know he will, I will love it even more. To have a President that is true to himself, true to his family, and true to the country that he loves … well, that is a miracle I’m excited to witness.

So Adam, gracias. You did not push this, you simply cultivated. You offer a fresh pair of untainted eyes to view life. I appreciate those eyes, that insight. And now, as you are continually telling me … GO! GO! GO! Leap, we always find the net! Happiness and adventure are right there!