Santa Rosa Beach Girls Weekend

Labor Day weekend I spent four days in Florida with one of my besties.  It was my very 1st girl's trip, and it was so much fun. We stayed in a condo, spent all day at the beach, ate, walked and talked and talked and talked.  I didn't realize what I was missing until I did😊 

Kids were finding a ton of jelly fish and digging a big hole for all of them.

Everything's better at the beach...even t-shirts(haha).  I always manage to find a few.

Found one of my favorites at the local Publix.  I wish our Publix had these!!!

The best eats are always at the beach!

They had walking paths that went on forever.  We walked each morning.  I wish I could start every morning this way...

Such a fun and relaxing trip.  She loves the beach as much as I do, so we spent as much time as we could by the water.  The 1st day we thought we'd rent an umbrella and chairs for 15-20$, so we didn't have to drag our own around, but they were $70-80 to rent.  We split the cost the 1st day, which was the day with the most direct sunlight.  We looked around at different stores for chairs but everyone wanted $50 and we weren't willing to pay that. So, we took our towels and enjoyed ourselves.  The weather cooperated and we didn't have as much direct sunlight the next couple days, so we didn't get burnt to a crisp(thankfully)😂

We said our goodbyes and headed home, but not before we stopped at a donut shop in Alabama that MaryAnn's co-worker told her about.  They were almost as good as my hometown favorite.  YUM!

Summer has officially ended 😢 But I do love the fall in GA.🍁🍂

September 18th

Joshua William Thornton 1984-2010

DEATH IS NOTHING AT ALL

Death is nothing at all.

It does not count.

I have only slipped away into the next room.

Nothing has happened.

Everything remains exactly as it was.

I am I, and you are you,

and the old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged.

Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.

Call me by the old familiar name.

Speak of me in the easy way which you always used.

Put no difference into your tone.

Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.

Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together.

Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.

Let my name be ever the household word that it always was.

Let it be spoken without an effort, without the ghost of a shadow upon it.

Life means all that it ever meant.

It is the same as it ever was.

There is absolute and unbroken continuity.

What is this death but a negligible accident?

Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?

I am but waiting for you, for an interval, 

somewhere very near,

just round the corner.

All is well.

Nothing is hurt; nothing is lost.

One brief moment and all will be as it was before.

How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!

--HENRY SCOTT-HOLLAND

In my heart I feel this(the poem) to be true, but in reality it's hard.  Every year when the season begins to change my body feels it before I realize why I'm feeling all the feels. And then it registers.  The date.  The time. It was a beautiful, crisp September morning with clear blue skies. I was cleaning the house when I got the phone call.  Those memories and involuntary bodily reactions will never leave.  I can go there in an instant.  Time eases the sting, but the loss is still felt. The emptiness is still there. Will it ever completely go away.  No(not completely). We adapt.  We cope. We feel the grief. We live and hopefully have learned a few things with our renewed perspective of living a life without those we love the most physically here with us.  

I have learned to appreciate the time I have, living it to the fullest.

Staying true to myself

Listening more

Learning all I can, and 

Loving unconditionally.

💗Until we meet again, My Joshy💗

Systematic Abuse Needs to Stop - They can and should do better

 Seven years of sex abuse: How Mormon officials let it happen

Click for Abuse Article

Former mayor, Mormon bishop accused of sex abuse of children

Click for another recent Abuse Arrest

This is a serious problem within the system and NEEDS to be talked about.  Not hushed, covered up or dealt with by adapting cartoon character training videos within the church to make them(the organization) appear as they are doing "something."  When asked to complete this video training I replied in an email that this does nothing to stop the the abuse.  I received no reply or conversation about how we can do better.  I am a preschool teacher and part of the application process was to complete a background check.  This should be required in any organization where adults are in contact with children/youth.  I grew up with a girl who was sexually abused by her Catholic priest. This caused her a lot of pain and affected her life tremendously.  This problem is not going away.  Cover-up should not be a part of any Christian organization that claims to be Christlike. This has affected my children as well.  At a time when we expressed our concerns over situations we were told this individual was going through some "growing pains." Nothing was done, even though we approached multiple leaders on multiple occasions. Each time we were basically shrugged off.  This problem continued to escalate involving other individuals and ultimately a police investigation was conducted - not because the church leaders made the inquiry, only because another parent decided to take matters to the authorities.  

This is not about religion.  This is about a religious institution/organization doing what is RIGHT.  In order for changes to occur people need to speak up and out about truth. Systems need to have protocols in place to protect the vulnerable not the institution. I said years ago this was only the beginning as far as stories that would come forward.  It has proven to be true, time and time again.  All you need to do is a google search and the evidence is there to be seen. I hope for change.  I hope for truth.  I hope for good people to stand up for what is right.  Children need helpers, not people who consciously hide information and therefore become part of the problem in creating more trauma for the victims involved.  We can and should do more.  Children deserve the very best, so we need to BE better and DO better where, when and however we can.