My 9/11 Story.

September 11th, 2001 is a bitter day for most, but for me there is a little tenderness to it. I remember the day it happened, i was in fifth grade. We were in our class & my teacher let us out for morning recess & when we came back she was watching the TV, crying. I remember her having us write in our journal about what it meant to us. She tried to explain the best she could about the devastating events of what just happened. We were young & we knew something was wrong but she tried to explain it in a calm, non scary way. Half way through the day my mom checked me & my two brothers out of school. I never really understood why she had wanted to be with her kids that day until a couple of years ago.

My dad worked for a company called Achieve Global up in draper. He had worked there for about 9 years at the time. Being so young i never really understood what his job was but i knew they had moved us to Tennessee & back & that they had the best Halloween parties ever!! My dad had a big office to himself & being so young i thought that was so cool. He traveled a lot for his job & that was exciting because he always brought us a present from where he had traveled to. On the really cool trips that he would go on my mom would tag along & have a mini vacation with my dad after all his meetings were done.

My dad was in charge of a conference in New York City. It was a really big deal for my dad to be spear heading this conference. My mom of course wanted to go!! Who says no to a free trip to New York!! At the time she was pregnant with my younger brother Austin. All the plans were made from the flights, to the hotel bookings, the meetings, a few activities, & the dinners. But then a week before my mom was admitted into the hospital because she was bleeding. She begged the doctor to let her go to New York with my dad but the doctor said it was too much of a risk. She told me today she remembers being so bummed that she couldn't go but my dad was still planning on it. He didn't want to let them all down I'm sure. But he just didn't feel right about it. So after a lot of prayers & a hard decision made my dad had to tell his boss he had to cancel due to his wife's condition. Because my dad was in charge of it they bagged the whole trip. My little brother Austin was born a few days later on September 9th. They changed the conference to their offices in Draper & some of the people in Florida flew in & some just had a conference call with everyone. Now why does this even matter? I will tell you.

On the itinerary for this business trip they were scheduled to have a meeting, a morning tour, & then a lunch. Where at you might ask?? On September 11, 2001 they were supposed to be at the world trade centers at 8:00 a.m for a tour & then they would have a meeting over lunch in a top room in the tower. The people from Florida started calling in when they heard about the World Trade Centers saying "Can you imagine what this would have done. We would have all died." Knowing they were all so close to death shocked everyone to the core.

Now this didn't really hit me for quite a few years because again i was in fifth grade. My parents weren't going to scare us with that news. But last year my mom, dad, & Austin were driving in the car when he asked what happened to the twin towers. My mom explained terrorism to him & then asked him if he knew that they were supposed to be touring one of the towers for a business trip that day. She told him that a week before she was hospitalized so they canceled the trip & he was born on the ninth. Austin went quite for about a minute or so & then said "so i was i gift? I saved your life." My mom replies "yes you are my hero, you saved my life." Today is so bitter sweet to me because even though it was filled with absolute terror I see God's hand in saving my family. Something I will never be able to explain why it happened. I just know I am very blessed. 

My mom could have been fine & her along with my dad could have left on the trip & been in that tower when it went down & i could have lost both my parents & my unborn brother.

They could have went on the trip & my mom go into labor a few days into the trip & had Austin in a New York hospital. Then most likely my dad still would have went that to the Trade Center that day & we could have lost him.

Realizing this every year, being reminded of it brings me to tears. But it also makes me ask why us?

Why was my family & those my dad worked with spared from this devastating heart break. They didn't have to cancel the whole trip just because my dad couldn't go but they did. My heart deeply, & truly goes out to those who lost a loved on that day. I didn't realize it then, but i was so close to being one of them. I would have grown up with out my loving parents & never met my little brother. I would have missed out on so many things. I would have never gotten to dance with my dad at my wedding, or go pick out my first bra with my mom, or my wedding dress. All these little things that i know i take for granted everyday i could have been without. I know a lot of people have a hard time seeing God in this day but i do. My family was blessed probably with more than we deserve. Today i am grateful for my loving family i have been blessed with, the love that i have for them is endless. I am grateful for this wonderful country who rose up from the ashes of that day. This is a day that i will never forget. In honor of those who we lost God bless you & your families. You will never be forgotten.

I hear people saying we don't need this war
But, I say there's some things worth fighting for
What about our freedom and this piece of ground
We didn't get to keep 'em by backing down
They say we don't realize the mess we're getting in
Before you start your preaching let me ask you this my friend

Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell
And you say we shouldn't worry 'bout bin Laden
Have you forgotten?

They took all the footage off my T.V.
Said it's too disturbing for you and me
It'll just breed anger that's what the experts say
If it was up to me I'd show it everyday
Some say this country's just out looking for a fight
Well, after 9/11 man I'd have to say that's right

Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell
And we vowed to get the one’s behind bin Laden
Have you forgotten?

I've been there with the soldiers
Who've gone away to war
And you can bet that they remember
Just what they're fighting for
Have you forgotten all the people killed?
Yeah, some went down like heroes in that Pennsylvania field Have you forgotten about our Pentagon?
All the loved ones that we lost and those left to carry on
Don't you tell me not to worry about bin Laden
Have you forgotten?

Have you forgotten?
Have you forgotten?

I will never forget.

Come what may & love it.

This is so applicable in my life right now. Life is so easy to love & be happy when it's going the way you want it to but when you feel like your life is off track it actually may have been off track before & now God is helping you get back on the track he has laid out for you. Going with God's plan will only bring you endless blessings you never saw coming but it's hard to know what God's plan is for you. But whatever it is you need to be positive!! For instance last week I got a flat tire & as a matter of fact I wasn't even mad!! Me & McKell were on our way to a concert & BAM flat tire on the freeway in Draper. Only 19 minutes away from our destination. We pulled of the road & were a little stunned. Who should we call?? My brother, then my dad & her mom & we found out that highway patrol would come help us so we called it in & waited. The whole time we were laughing hysterically nothing was going to get us down!! I turned to her & said "enjoy the journey!!" It made our night even more memorable & it was a funny addition to our night! Not saying this is how I treat every obstacle in my life but ideally this is how I should look at everything!! It's easier to say than actually do but it's something I'm trying to do. We all just need to learn to enjoy the journey, don't stress about the little things, live life to the fullest, & at least try love everything that comes our way:)

A word to the wise.

I found this picture the other day & I think it's the complete truth to a happy life & especially a happy marriage:) I had so many people tell me that i shouldn't get married, that I'm too young & I need to wait & live my life. But really I am the happiest I have ever been:) [Those who told me that have clearly never been married to chance hahaha] Being married has taught me so much about myself & about my husband. I am excited about our incredible life together!! Even though we have only been married for a month it has been the best month of my life:) I'm sure if i didn't have Chance I wouldn't have been ready for marriage but marrying my best friend....was the greatest decision I ever made:)

two girls, a butt, & a dream come true.

 My second mother Sue is a big wig at the hospital where she has worked very hard to get where she is today. Well she along with many others are in charge of a concert they put on every year that is completely free to kick off payson onion days. She is mostly in charge of finding out who they should bring to the concert. Last year they brought Billy Dean who was amazing, but i don't think anyone will top this year with Mark Wills I had only seen him one other time at the Salt Lake State Fair but i fell in love. My mom had to be up really early the next morning so we left while everyone stayed after & got to meet him!! I felt cheated!!! So when Sue told me he was coming i was so excited because we were going to be selling his merchandise which meant i would hopefully get to meet him:]

& i did. Plus much more than i ever expected.:]

Me & Mckell think he is so hot. We have this thing going that last year we touched Billy Dean's butt so now it had turned into a tradition to try & get a butt grab or graze from these famous country stars. So we are taking a picture & Mckell says to me "I'm trying to touch the booty" I sadly replied "i can't reach." 

Complete Devistation.  But hey at least i met him & got a picture with him. He laughed & we explained that it was tradition because we did it to Billy Dean.

So we were just sitting there just chatting. Mark Wills is such a chatter box. Seriously talked to us for 20 minutes like we were old friends. So I'm jealous that i didn't even stand by him in the picture so i asked Sue if we could get one with just me & mckell & she goes of course go ask him!!

So we go up to take a picture with him & he grabs both of our hands & places them on his butt & says "Go ahead girls grab it, there's enough of it"

 

So we are laughing hysterically & we make him turn around to take a picture so we could document this momentous thing that just happened. Literally made our whole life. Then he signs our badges & then finally decides it's time to back to the hotel & eat some dinner.

The End. Just kidding it doesn't end there. So then we tell him goodbye after inviting us to go see him again at the Westerner next month (which we will be there front & center) as soon as that car door shut the screams came out. I'm pretty sure i did a heel click also. We were so excited. It was probably all we talked about for the next week. So then i being the superfan that i have now become decided to follow him on twitter & why not i sent him a tweet & this was the result of it. :]

Do you see why i love him so freaking much:] So i am in the works of trying to convince my dad to let me book him for the Mapleton Day Celebration. I will do everything in my power to make it happen. So i can have another picture just like this one:]

So as you can tell this was a very big deal to Mckell & I & i can guarantee we won't forget it. So brush up on your Mark Wills because july 24th 2013 i will hopefully be performing in Mapleton:]

Below is one of my favorite songs of his. He talks about how "American" needs to deal with their own problems & stop trying to solve the worlds problems before we have ours under control. He is very prideful in his country & this song certainly shows it!! Looking for American:]