Love

Love. There has been a lot of talk this week about love. However, this brings the question how does one describe love, to my mind.

According to www.dictionary.com, love is defined in the following four ways.

1. a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.

2. a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend.

3. sexual passion or desire.

4. a person toward whom love is felt; beloved person; sweetheart.

 

If you're religious and turn to the scriptures for definitions, the greatest description of love is found in the New Testament in John. 

John 3:16 reads, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

 

As I've thought about love this week, my thoughts have drifted (naturally) to Ryan. The following are ways I KNOW that Ryan loves me.

 

1. Work--Ryan works tirelessly to provide for our family. Regardless of how he feels, he goes to work everyday and works hard to support our family.

 

2. Empathy--Ryan has the greatest empathy of anyone I know. When I am in bed for days, not being able to move, Ryan is there giving to me and trying to understand what I'm going through.  

3. Cook--Ryan works all day and then comes home and cooks for the family. He does this almost every day of the week.

4. Service--Ryan serves not only our family, but serves those around us. 

5. Teach--Ryan teaches our children how to help those in need. He does this by showing Joanie and Hunter how to best help me when I need it. 

There are a lot of other ways Ryan shows love. Ryan is my epitome of love. I was extremely blessed to find Ryan and have him as my husband. 

 

The Lord has blessed our lives for the last 17 years. We have been blessed with two wonderful, loving children. We have been blessed with a love that has withstood multiple obstacles. We have been blessed with numerous friendships in many different places. We have been blessed with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

 

Above all, we have been blessed with the knowledge of being together forever. Our love will span not only generations, but will be one that lasts forever.

 

2016...We Survived

We Survived

This past year can be described in two words...We Survived.

Ryan and I survived our 16-year-anniversary.

We survived Ryan's job change.

We survived Abby's near-obsession with family history.

We survived a trip to Barnes and Noble and Deseret Book for Joanie's 14th birthday.

We survived Joanie babysitting all summer. 

We survived Joanie growing 3-4 inches.
 
We survived Hunter turning 12 and entering junior high.

We survived Hunter growing 6-7 inches, making him taller than Joanie and Abby (this was a BIG survival).

We survived Hunter's first-seven-day scout camping trip (Abby by a hair).

We survived the death of Abby's granny and grandpa.

We survived the death of our beloved Shih tzu, Winky.

We survived getting a new puppy, Charley.

We survived two weddings in one day.
We survived Abby having back surgery, again.

We survived Joanie having her lingual tonsils out (2-days before Christmas).

We survived Abby's parents starting a 2-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

We survived multiple short road trips; including trips to South Dakota, California, Las Vegas, and Beaver Dam. 

We survived having our friend and her three daughters move in with us 2 1/2 weeks before Christmas.

Above all, we survived another year of Abby being in constant pain, and the depression and anxiety that comes from being in that much pain.

Here's to 2017!

 

What it's like in the eyes of a daughter

I'm Joanie. I'm the oldest child of the sufferer, Abby. As a child of someone that suffers from anxiety and depression, I know what it's like to see someone you love stay at home all day because they are nervous and anxious about being around people. Having anxiety and depression together is hard for the person who suffers from it, but does anyone think about how hard it is for the sufferers loved ones, who have to watch and, at times, not be able to help?

I have watched as my mom has anxiety attacks and sometimes I can't do anything to help. When it's bad enough she sits in bed and rubs her hands together. When this happens I never know what to do, it scares me. My mom has good days and that lasts for a couple of days, but then everything she had done catches up to her and she spends a couple more day in her room. Whenever Hunter or I have important events coming up, my mom has to take medication in order to be able to come and see our parts and than she has to go in a hall or separate room for the rest of the performances.

Any performer or person who knows concert etiquette knows that it is considered highly rude to walk out of a concert or performance. Because of my mom's diseases, she isn't able to stay in the crowded gym after Hunter or I's band or dance concerts. Whenever we have band concerts (since we don't do dance anymore) our mom stays in long enough to at least see our performances, sometimes she is able to stay longer. It makes me sad that my mom can't handle staying to watch all performances because she loves hearing band, orchestra and other performances.

The best times are when we stay at home as a family and do activities, or when we go driving in the mountains. We have so much fun that when a bad day comes up it scares me. When we drive in the mountains you can see the peace on mom's face as we look at the scenery.

The times when I see my mom's face content and peaceful are the times I most enjoy.