Reflections on Funeral by Rachel

We drove to California this weekend for the funeral of a friend of my family. It is a long drive and it was hard to decide on going, but I'm glad we went. It was wonderful to see many people who have meant so much to me and my family for so many years. My hometown has changed a lot. It keeps growing.
The funeral was peaceful and made me reflect on a lot of things. It made me think about my dad's funeral, which I could not attend because I was out of the country. I often wish I had been there. Part of me though, is glad that I wasn't. The body of a loved one once dead is no longer the same. Yet, it gives some closure to the loved ones to see them that way and say their good-byes. It was also hard for me because we were back in the church where I grew up, the church that holds so many memories with my dad. We were even surrounded by people who knew him and loved him. Still, it was also somewhat joyful and made me feel at peace. I look forward to when I can be with him again.
I think it's important to stop once in a while and reflect on how we are living our lives. Are we showing love effectively to our loved ones? Are we doing our best? Are we reaching our goals? Are we where we want to or should be? Are we living in accordance with our beliefs? We have the opportunity every day to do better, to be better. I should do this more often.

I've Been Tagged by Amanda!

5 Things I was doing 10 years ago:
1. Running and RUNNING in Cross Country and Track (I was watching what I ate and was in really good shape--at my lightest weight)
2. Turned 16 in January and was driving by July
3. Wondering if I would ever really date, but enjoying time with friends anyway
4. Playing church basketball--we were the stake champs
5. Living in California with my whole immediate family. Sharing a room with my sister.

5 Things on my T0-Do List today:
1. Go to school, take school pictures
2. Lesson Plans, lesson plans, and more lesson plans
3. Art Workshop
4. Call doctor to ask some questions
5. Teach English to neighbors (if I'm back from workshop)

5 Things I would do if I were a millionaire:
1. Pay off debts (car loans, etc.)
2. Buy a house
3. Travel
4. Donate to charities (including family members who need it)
5. Invest money

5 Things I'll never wear again:
1. Spandex shorts without anything else over them
2. tapered pants/jeans
3. plastic glasses (besides sunglasses)
4. body suits (those leotard things)
5. Short, very short, running shorts

5 Favorite Toys:
1. Jason :)
2. cell phone
3. computer
4. Shut the Box (game)
5. My gigantic hackie-sack from Guatemala

5 People to tag:
Julie
Alyson
Mo
Christie
Todd

Us in New York

This last summer, we took a trip to New York City to attend a friend's wedding and stayed to see some of the sites. This is us at the Statue of Liberty (just in case you couldn't tell). We also visited the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, the World Trade Center, Central Park, Ellis Island, The American Museum of Natural History, and saw The Lion King on Broadway. We really enjoyed riding the subways, trains and buses (it's really cheap and a good idea to see a lot of the city). The taxis were a little too expensive for us, especially when they got lost (that happened to us twice, both at very important times).