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Valentines Day, 2016.  Probably one for the record books in my mind.  Sometimes, John and I can't do much more for the day besides order a heart-shaped pizza from Domino's, or head to Texas Roadhouse for dinner.  This year, we each had a goal:  I wanted to do something a bit more meaningful, and John wanted to visit the Morans.  All I needed was 36 free hours in John's schedule, and a computer to make the plans, and we were set.  I didn't know just eight days before Valentine's Day how much I actually would end up needing this time. Of course, a week before February 14, I had an absolutely miserable day at church.  No joke, I could barely get out of the chapel after sacrament meeting before breaking out in actual sobs.   I'm talking about cursing God through the tears, and my whole body shuddering at the emotional pain.  I had been shedding tears at the organ, but nothing that anyone noticed.  I just needed to get home, and get home fast, and once there, I sp

This week, I had a chance to step back in time.  I stepped back to a moment that was full of hope and fun and excitement and anything else that means "a really great time". :-)  I basically got to relive college auditions with Mark, and it was SO. MUCH. FUN! We just finished up with eight puppies.  We keep them for eight weeks, and by the time I hit week 6, I'm usually starting to feel pretty stressed out and down in the dumps.  It's so much unrelenting work, taking care of them 24/7.  So, I planned a trip just two days after the last pup left.  I was honestly hoping for something bigger to do, with friends and such, but that didn't pan out, so I settled for the next best thing:  Ann Arbor! I had originally thought that I would spend five days there, just relaxing and doing whatever with Mark's apartment as the home base.  In fact, I envisioned living the life that I keep hoping will happen:  living in Ann Arbor, and intertwining my life with the kids'