An Ode to the People I Love

The following was written over a year ago. I could blame how nostalgic and sentimental it is on the fact that I was pregnant when I wrote it, but the fact of the matter is I am quite nostalgic and sentimental all of the time.

Do you ever look at pictures from your life and feel extremely grateful for the people who surround you? I do. Life tends to lead lives together and apart, but the gratitude and love that I feel for people who I may not see as often as years past never changes. Here are a few of my favorites…

Friends! There are so many people who fall into this category who aren’t pictured here, but here are a few of the women I love and admire. Growing up sometimes implies growing unintentionally apart from people with whom you’ve shared your life. Even though I don’t see my friends (old or new) as much as I once may have, I think about them daily, and pray for them often. If you are my friend, thank you for being a part of my life.

Mom. This is a mother that few remember, maybe just 5 adults who had the opportunity to call her mom. This mom was not ill, but energetic and capable. This is a mom who made cookies, built forts and made her children feel loved. This is a mom who was independent and strong. I wish more people had known or could remember this mom in her glory years when we depended on her and not the other way around. I often wish she were here to tell me I am ready to be a mom myself and not to worry about how much I don’t know or how inadequate I feel. Yup, she is definitely a favorite, and a person I’ve missed for some time now.

Sisters. These are the women who I depend on now. They make me laugh, encourage me, tell me when I am being stupid, and listen to me vent about whatever it is I need to. They are unassuming SUPERWOMEN and I would be lost without them. (You may wonder what on earth is going on in this picture. Let me tell you. Please notice the mischievous look on Meredith's face. At this exact moment she grabbed my butt and that m dears is a candid expression captured by a great photographer. )

Brothers. There is never a dull or prideful moment (well, for me) when I am with my brothers. I’ve always sought and often fought for their approval. They are always up to mischief and are surprisingly smart…well, considering some of the shenanigans they try to pull.

Dadman. This man has unconditional love for the people around him. He keeps me young and helped me to keep on track while I was growing up. And he always welcomes us home when we need, even if it is just for an afternoon free from homework. One of his best qualities in recent years… that he married Vicki.

My husband. (by the way, isn't this picture great! I really hope we eventually have sons) I am still trying to figure out how I managed to trick Jack into falling in love with me. I have never once felt unappreciated or unloved with this man. He works without complaint and strives to better the community and world that he lives in. He is my best friend and my favorite part of every day. He keeps me laughing and encourages me to be my best self.

I would be lost without all of you and just wanted to throw a thank you out into the universe and hope you get it.

Labor Day Weekend

A few weeks ago the Fife crew decided to take a trip to visit Blanding’s head librarian and his beautiful wife the social workerThe Head Librarian and Royal *picture courtesy of Zachattack

Jack and I drove down with Morgan and Jennie. Other than Myles’ slight spat of car sickness, the boys were fabulous. Touching on that car sickness though, Myles threw up all over himself. Since the boys were on the backseat of the van and Morgan and Jennie were in the front, we knew it was going to have to be either Jack or me who had the honors of cleaning up the little guy. At first, Jack handed me a wipe and I returned it with a look that said, “You are crazy. You want the pregnant woman to clean up the vomit?” He was a trooper though and managed to clean Myles up while only dry heaving a few times.

We left the next morning from Blanding and headed to Mesa Verde National Park. It was amazing. Jack and I did take a camera but I haven’t downloaded the pictures yet, so these are courtesy of some of my siblings.

We had a good start at Mesa Verde. While looking at some of the recovered artifacts at the Visitors Center Dashiel "junk punched" a complete stranger. Dustin quickly tried to apologize to the man, after witnessing the event. When Dustin told Morgan what had happened he tried to restrain his laughter while sternly telling his 3 year old that he shouldn't "junk punch" strangers.

*picture courtesy of Dusty

We had to climb up some pretty tall ladders in order to get to the cliff dwellings. It is crazy to think that people have been inhabiting the American Southwest as long as they have. If you haven't made it down to this area, I would suggest it.
*picture courtesy of Dustin

Jennie, Baby Chase, Sloane, and Meredith *picture courtesy of Dusty

Jack and me at the Balcony House
*Dustin

Here is one of those lovely ladders. Keep in mind there were 3 little boys who had to be carried up that.
*Dusty

Balcony House
*Dusty

Another view of the Balcony House
*Courtesy of Zach

Here is a great picture by Zach that kind of helps you understand where on these cliff sides these dwellings are.

By the end of the day the little boys were all tuckered out.
*Zach

After church on Sunday (by the way, when the Fife siblings attend church together reverence is sometimes hard to find. Dustin and I played the classic game of switching a letter in the closing hymn another letter. I know that it is probably not the best way to sing a hymn, but, well, it is really funny to hear your 27 year old brother switch every “e” in a song to “o”) the majority of the clan headed to Monument Valley. Dustin, Sloane, Jack and I stayed behind.

Monument Valley. If this looks familiar it is because it appears in practically every Western movie made before 1970.
*Zach

Have I mentioned that Myles has incredible strength? Here he is lifting up a boulder.
*Zach


As a side note:

Although the scenery and company was fabulous, sleeping arangements were not so wonderful. Jack and I shared a hotel room with my Dad and Vicki. That man, Dad that is, has the oddest variety of snores that I have ever heard. There was gurgling, puffing, snorting, and just your classic snoring. Jack commented that one of the nights he woke up and was sure Darth Vader was in the bed next to us. I really should have taken ear plugs…Vicki, I don’t know how you do it.
*Zach

The time that passes...

Often I wonder how time seems to go by so quickly. But then I remember the schedule that Jack and I continuously run on and remember quite well. The summer has come and gone and Fall will be upon us in a matter of days. I won’t bother to go into detail on the happenings of the summer, but I will shortly highlight a few (really, more than a few) things.

• Hoping to finish his undergraduate degree as soon as possible, my sweet husband took a full schedule of classes over the summer. His class free summer didn’t start until August 6th and ended August 24th.
• Dustin and Sloane moved to Blanding, UT.
• Mid-July Jack became the official bread winner of our household. We found out at the beginning of June that I am pregnant. We then found out that “morning sickness” should actually be called inconsolable nausea and discomfort. Weeks 6 through 14 were what my own personal hell will be (definitely going to avoid sin…) and with approximately one semester left of school we decided that I should just focus on that. Sorry Stone Hill National and thanks for that promotion a few months ago… :S
• We spent a few days with my family in Central Utah at the Sevier River in July. I don’t know that I have ever, or ever want to see, that much hair on men who haven’t even made it to 30 years old yet. (Zach, your back “wings”, as you called them, were especially disgusting). And I also found it funny that my 3 year old nephew could put sunscreen on more efficiently than my 61 year old father. (In response to us noticing his burn he replied, “Sunscreen never works for me”. Well, it had worked in the places he had applied it. He had handprints on his chest were the sunscreen had made it and was red everywhere else). A big thank you to Hot Rod and Vicki for planning and executing such a fun weekend.
• Kevin Taylor proposed to my sister Megan. He treats her very well and doesn't weigh 540 lbs. This is promising.
• Jack bought me a Kirsten American Girl doll for our one year anniversary. I cried. It was something that I had always wanted growing up but my parents were never able to afford… isn't he sweet!
• I bought Jack a power drill for our one year anniversary. He almost cried.
• Cole and Vanessa moved to Japan.
• We moved into Cole and Vanessa’s apartment. Considering the fact that I was still feeling rather sick we were especially grateful to good friends and family who helped with the mvoe!
• My dad sold his house in Spanish Fork (sniff sniff). We were moving at approximately the same time and weren’t able to offer a lot of help (Dad is a bit of a packrat though so I was somewhat grateful for that). I loved growing up in that house. My family, friends and neighborhood made it my home and I will always have tender feelings when I think back on it.
• I started feeling alive again…I lost 10 lbs between week 6 and week 10 of pregnancy. Not throwing up 5 times a day is something I will appreciate much more than I ever could have imagined.
• School started. Jack is not only taking 20 credit hours but is also working at least 34 hours a week and volunteering as an ESL teacher on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. I’ll still have 4 credit hours after this semester, but am so happy to finally see the end…well, of this degree.