...more than just a memory..

Sooooo, how long has it been??  ...ummmm, seems like forever since I wrote a new post...WHOA!!  Have I been lazy or WHAT??  Hahahaha!!!
It's been such an AMAZING weekend so far...been traveling for the majority of the time, but I'm the girl that loves to go on roadtrips...I LOVE THEM!!  Heehee!!
Yesterday my travels took me to Lincoln...shopping with my sister, Kirsten and her hubby Mike...we had a great day and I found a few little treasures to decorate my place..Kirsten got some maternity clothes, which she has been SUPER EXCITED about...she looks so cute....I can't wait until her "little package" as she refers to the baby...to arrive!!  Girl ohhh Girl..hahaha...can you tell that I'm totally voting for a girlie...heehee...ohhhhh, I will be happy with whatever she has, I'm just being selfish and want to buy all the cute girlie things...I KNOW...heehee!!!  :)
Today, we had a family reunion in Holdrege...some of the people there I had never met...it was nice to see everyone together...family reunions always get me to thinking...sometimes we get so caught up in our own lives and become so focused on what's going on in our own little world's that I think sometimes we forget where we come from...howww sadddddd!!  So, as I was sitting there watching everyone (no, I'm not a creeper, I just love watching people..it's SO interesting!)  I was watching the older people in our family...they're all sitting around...seemed so happy to be there..seeing everyone...smiling..laughing...genuinely having a good time, so then....and be forewarned...here's my mind coming at you, in it's purest form...BEEEWARRRRE...hahaha!!!
Ok, so you know how when you go home to see your parents or you go visit your grandparents or really any family members you get the scoop on what everyone is up to..how they have been...whether or not they are struggling with something...upcoming events, like weddings, get-togethers, and God forbid, funerals...so, here I am looking at these beautiful people and thinking of all of the things they have been through..marriages, divorces...illnesses...and yet, here they are...smiling and SO happy...so amazingly beautiful!!!!!  Family is meant to be our foundation...where we can go and know...absolutely KNOW that you are going to be accepted and loved...no questions asked...there's no reason to be afraid because you just KNOW...and it's the bestest feeling in the world....
So, here's where the title of today's blog comes in...memories...ohhhhhhh, it seems that they can either make you or break you, huh???  ...and this is kind of coming from a personal issue that I'm having, but kind of made me think today!  We meet so many people in our lives...and we invite some into our lives to share those memories...to make memories with them...we trust them!  What happens when our memories have taken so much of you away that we can't seem to find it in ourselves to ever let anyone in again????  Do we just lose out..or do we give it a shot...prepared for the worst, but yet expect the best....realize that people can and do let people down, but on the other hand..people can also build people up...how do you know the difference????  Yesssssssssss......this is getting scary, isn't it??  TRUST....oooooooooooo....yes, I'm TERRIFIED...ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED of it...but, yet I know that it is the key to me finding ME....darn it....ha!!  ...and I don't make it easy, that's for sure....yes, it's easy to write this blog...put everything out there...because I'm not sitting here looking anyone in the eye...I'm not seeing the looks on anyone's faces...I don't see any judgement....this is just a release of some sort, I guess......but, looking at this family...knowing what some of them have been through...and to see those smiles...hearing them laugh....it just all melted away....I want that feeling ALLLLLL of the time...I don't ever want to lose it again....EVER!! 
Here's a little quote that I found I think fits perfectly into this little story.....

"Love comes to those who still hope

even though they've been disappointed,

to those who still believe

even though they've been betrayed,

to those who still love

even though they've been hurt before"

-Unknown-

After spending the day with some extended family...loving every minute..I'm seeing the truth in this particular quote....I just need to let all of the bad stuff go....trust that God has a plan for me and what's meant to be will be...if it hurts...it hurts...if not, then look what I found....ME...and once that's accomplished...I will be so much better for the people around me....TRUST IN THE PLAN!!  ALWAYS....because none of us are here by mistake...we all have a purpose!!!  ....and my last little statement before I stop for the day....always be the person who makes good memories for another person...don't play with emotions...they are WAY to fragile to be thrown around...live to that higher standard...I MUST REMEMBER THIS EVERY SINGLE MINUTE OF EVERY SINGLE DAY...I'll just keep picturing the beauty of today in my head...we all deserve goodness!!!  Here's hoping that you're all having a FABULOUS weekend and enjoy the week to come!!  Keep smiling...everything works out the way that it is supposed to...YAYYYYY!!!