Thanksgiving.....

Hello friends and family,

I cannot believe another year has passed by so quickly! This year I have many things I am thankful for.  My family is my greatest blessing, there are no words to express the love I have for each of them in my heart.  I have loving brothers, a sister, nieces and nephews and cousins that I love deeply.  I am grateful for the laughter and the tears that we share together through the years.  I have been blessed with a Mother that is also my best friend.  I don't know what I did to get to be her daughter but I am profoundly grateful for her.  She has always been there for me.  In good times and in bad.  She loves me unconditionally and I thank my Heavenly Father for every day and every minute I have with her.  I have also been blessed with two fathers.  My dad passed away from lung cancer 13 years ago. He taught me some difficult lessons during his time here on earth and while our relationship was somewhat strained he loved me in the only way he knew how and for that I am grateful.  I also have been blessed with a wonderful step-father who has been like the kind of father I always dreamed of having as a child.  He is fun, he loves me, he helps me and inspires me to be better.  I often wonder what I did to have a Dad who is there for me whenever I need him.

I am thankful for my friends.  I am one very lucky girl who has been blessed with the best friends.  I am so grateful for the laughter, the tears and all of the fun memories and times I have with them. I feel so lucky to have friends I had since grade school, high school, college and in life.  I love to laugh and have the best time when I am around all of you.  I am thankful for your examples in my life.  You have each touched me in ways that I can never repay you for. I am so thankful for the times we get together and visits on the phone that keep us connected.  I know time is hard to come by and I appreciate every moment I spend connecting with all of you.  I love you all deeply!

I am thankful for my home and my neighbors.  I am grateful for my crazy basset hound, she drives me crazy but she also has saved my life several times.  I am so thankful for the nights when my sugar drops and she instinctively knows to wake me up.  She has known from the time she was six weeks old and I am lucky to have her.  She also is funny and keeps me laughing.

I am thankful for the gospel for our Prophet, his counselors and apostles.  I am deeply humbled by their examples in my life.  I am grateful beyond measure for what they teach me and how much they love each of us.

I am thankful for personal revelation.  I am learning more everyday how to "Be Still and know that I (He) is God" and is there for us both in sunlight and in rain.  If we are still and listen we can hear Him teach us in those tender moments.

I am thankful for music and for the gift of singing that the Savior has blessed my life with.  I did not think I would ever sing again after two huge blood clots passed through my heart and into my lungs.  While there has been significant damage my little voice is in there.

I am thankful for the future and for the promise of a new day.  I want to make the most of every day.  Spend time with those I love and express my love to them.  Thank you for sharing your time with me.

I am thankful for a loving Savior, for His atoning sacrifice and for the beautiful blessings that He bore for me.  There are no words to express my deep and abiding love for him. 

Thank you all for being a part of my life.  Thank you for your friendships, your laughter, sharing your sweet babies and life in general with me.  I am a better person because of all of you.

As I spend the weekend and holiday with family, I wish all of you the blessings of your heart.  Let's stay in touch!

Love,
Karley

What I know....

Hello friends and family,

I have started this post several times, left it and then came back to it and here we are once again.  I went through some of my old blogs, I was a mess for several years.  In looking back at how sad I was and what I was going through really made me reflect on how far I have come and how far I still have to go.

Life has a funny way of teaching you lessons that you never expected to learn.  I have found this out recently.  I have to thank my Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ for the past three years.  I have learned so much about love, faith and simply believing in things that are not seen, but felt.  I have to say that I would not trade a moment of the pain that I have endured for anything.  It actually has been a gift and a great learning experience for me.

Life changes quickly and all of a sudden you are standing in Holy Places with people and learning how much the Lord loves you, despite all of the mistakes that we sometimes make in this life.  I am grateful beyond words for the places and people that He has sent into my life.  I can never repay Him for these treasured gifts that He has given me.

I had the opportunity to sit down and visit with someone I consider one of my greatest hero's and mentors.  It was still and sweet and answered many long awaited questions to my heart and mind.  It has made me a different person, I want to be better, I want to love more and express that love to everyone. 

One of most simple and profound things that we can do in this life is express our love to each other.  So, if I start telling you I love you and I have not done that before, accept my apology for not doing so and accept the fact that I may be telling you often..:)

I am so grateful for a friend of mine who has helped my tackle one of my biggest and most emotional issues in my life.  My weight.  It will be a long journey.  But I can say now that I am ready to take it.  It is so strange to see me actually be willing to talk about my weight and I have someone who loves me unconditionally and wants to help me not because he has too, but because he wants too.  I will keep you posted as to my progress, it a new beginning and will be a long road, but I am optimistic and ready for change.

I am excited to finally be well enough to be working from home and hope to be back in full swing the first of the year.

For the first time in a while, I have seen the sun again.  It was a long winter and I am grateful for the seasons and what each one has taught me.

I am thankful for a loving family.  I struck the jackpot with good parents and siblings that teach me through their examples.

My voice is coming back slowly, but it is in there somewhere. With all of the damage done to my lungs, I really worried that I would never sing again.  When I hit my half way point with my weight loss, I am going to record a song about the journey (with a little help from my friends) and then when I am at my goal, start working on a project with several songs...

Well it is late, which is not a shock I am sure to any of you.  I love you all and am thankful for your examples in my life.  I could not do it without you!!

Love,
Karley   XOXOXO

Hello my friends, Hello! (Nothing to worry about, just sounded like a Neil Diamond song for a minute!)

Hi Friends and Family,

I am back!  That was a nice little year since I posted last!  I am such a slacker!!  Life continues to have a surprise around every corner for me.  I am thankful to have a great family and wonderful friends who laugh and cry with me... (This often can happen in the same conversation at times!)

I am hanging in there. My health is back on track, however my back is another story.  I have 6 herniated disc's and sciatica in my lower back... not so much fun, I would not recommend have a back that is limiting when you are ready to get back to life!

I spent almost five years under the radar from speaking in my ward.  Sunday, that came to an end.  I spoke about how the Savior's love for me and the wonderful blessings that can come to us through adversity.  I am a lucky girl to know that He loves me enough to give me trials that teach me about the atonement and how it not only applies to sin, but also to the pain that we often endure in this life.

My family always goes to Bear Lake over the fourth of July.  I will not be going this year.... It is a bummer, with 6 herniated disc's in my back and sciatica in my lower back, I would miserable and not a happy camper.  I wish I could be with them, but there is always next year!

I am enjoying my home and my sweet neighbors.  I love living in a culdesac! (not sure I spelled that right)  After church yesterday my cute neighbor who is 12 brought me little cupcakes she made because she said she liked my talk.  It was sweet.  They were grape I believe...I have never had a grape cupcake! LOL

I love all the babies in my ward!  It is so much fun to be the honorary Auntie and makes losing my baby a little easier when I hold a sweet little one.

Well I will write more this week and post pictures!  Until then carry on and know that I am thankful for all of you.
Let's talk soon!
Karley