Free yourself from yourself

Te ipsam a te ipsa libera... Free yourself from yourself.

Honestly.. my biggest obstacle in life has been me. I wish I could define the point in life where I stopped being open-minded, care-free, and happy. I can't define the point where I woke up and decided that for whatever reason I wasn't good enough, I wasn't perfect just the way I was, that I could no longer be happy because something was missing.

I was missing acceptance... love...and the ability to relate to other people.
No one could possibly begin to understand what I was going through. I was above it all, but for some reason that brought me down so low. My form of suffering was unique, special, and filled with arrogance. How could I possibly have been so young?

It's been a hard place to come back from. Drilling these unforgiving lessons into my head for the last 7 or 8 years and then I wonder how things got so bad. I'm done with it all.

I have one focus in life right now and that is Love in all forms. Love for myself, love for others, and love and appreciation for my daily life and all that it contains. Life is a confusing mess of sadness and amazing moments, but I am done shortchanging myself just because of fear. I have no reason to be afraid, no reason at all. I know that I am a good, kind, and amazing person. I know this because I feel that strength on a daily basis. I know my own truth and I know that the world around me is much deeper than what I see on the surface. I'm not running from who I am or what has been in my past, but I am willing to forgive myself and to love myself because it is something I can for sure hold onto. I'm tired of analyzing what happiness is and trying to fit it into society's picture of what that means.

This is why I take the word's "free yourself" so seriously. I have been my biggest enemy all along and made life that much harder on myself. I am ready to drop all the excess crap that was never necessary to begin with. Most of all, I am ready to forgive myself. I'm tired of being mad at myself for my adolescence. I'm ready to turn the page and just leave it all behind...and to live openly and freely..

I promise, I promise, I promise... to be open to all that comes my way and to not be afraid of any of it.

Never did I expect...

Never did I expect or see what was coming my way. Two years ago, four years ago, six years ago, my mindset was so completely different. My attitude towards life was so skeptical and I'm sure a little bit of teenage angst had to do with it, but it's amazing what changes have come my way. No matter what, I am glad I stuck through it all. I am glad that I was able to slowly change my habits and become a happier, healthier, person.

I will always strive for more, but I can't believe what a good place I am in right now, in this moment. I never would've thought I could buy my own house at 21 or that I would be able to start a great career so young. I wasn't sure if I'd graduate college or if I'd ever be in a functional healthy relationship. I wasn't sure if I could ever just love myself, as I am, faults and all. I was wrong. I can, I do, I am.

I know that it's cheesy, but this is me being vulnerable and not letting fear take over. I've worked hard to focus on the positive, to focus on love, to be open to others even if they are not open to me. I've been given a lot of challenges in the past 3-4 years. Challenges that have brought me to the realization of so much more than I could've imagined. Me being sick for so long really has been such a great push for me to grow and learn. It sucks being an outcast sometimes, but I've learned to appreciate the little things and I've learned that every single person has a hidden battle. Every person is someone's child and more often than not people are just looking to give love or receive love. I really believe that for the most part, it really is that simple.

I love everything about life right now. I love the every day challenges I face because I keep conquering them and that makes me feel amazingly powerful. Realizing the strength that I have both physically and mentally has just pushed me to a whole different level of gratitude. I'm thankful for the people that are still in my life to this day. It may not be many, but they are very, very true and I couldn't love them more than I do.

I'm thankful for Kyle because of his assistance in getting me on a more positive path. The path is and will be my own, but he showed me that positive patterns and people do in fact exist. I am lucky as hell to have someone like him in my life and I hope to continue our journey together for the rest of our lives.
I'm thankful for my babies. They bring so much joy to my life on a daily basis just by being them. I love coming home from a hard day at work and snuggling up with them.
I'm thankful for Blake because he has shown me that true friendships do exist. That it's not just friendships that are based on shallow interactions that are out there. I miss him a lot, but I will never stop loving him. He's been such a huge part of my journey, good and bad.
I'm thankful for my family despite any challenges that we have faced. I know that I always have a place to go or a phone call home when things get scary and that means the world because for the longest time I didn't think anyone could be there for me. Funny how it's right in front of my face sometimes.
I'm thankful for my new family, Kyle's family. After my past, I've been cautious to find acceptance and love but they have shown me nothing but those two things. They are amazing people and I can see exactly where Kyle came from.
I'm thankful for my job and the people I work with. Work, for the most part, always goes by fast. I'm grateful that I can go to a place and get paid to work hard (but enjoy my job) and laugh all day. My career has only been more proof to me that I can overcome my physical struggles and still accomplish what I want to in life.

Yes, I know it's not thanksgiving but I am just overwhelmed with peace in my life right now. Days like today are a constant reminder to me to just sit back and enjoy life. To appreciate all of the little things and to push through the bad.

This is a mindset that I want to have always. Life may not be perfect, but I will always remember this feeling and these lessons when life gets rough.

Trip to Zions

Toward the end of May, Kyle and I took a trip down to Zion's National Park. It was a last minute spontaneous thing and we were lucky to get the last campsite that was open. I've always wanted to see more of southern utah and I definitely did not regret my choice. It was absolutely stunning/beautiful and I wish we could've stayed a few extra days.

The first night we came in we decided to just to hike around and explore off trail near our campsite. We played in the river, saw some deer, and I was entertained by all the cacti with flowers on them. The weather couldn't have been more perfect for the weekend. It wasn't super hot, so it made hiking really nice. We made dinner off of a campfire and set up our camp.

The next day, we woke up early and immediately drove up the canyon. We got to go through a mile long tunnel which was really entertaining. The first trail we hiked on was the canyon overlook trail. It was pretty easy, but the end was a beautiful overlook. We came back afterwards and realized we had left the lights on in my car after going through the tunnel. So, we stopped a random French guy and he was kind enough to jump us. That is definitely one thing we noticed while down in Zions; there were a lot of tourists from different countries but I thought it was kinda cool that people would come from so far to see the park.

After that we had to go back to camp and took a shuttle to see all of the other trails. We hiked up the Emerald Pool Trail first which wasn't too much of a struggle but it was crowded so it took a while longer than the last. Just like the name implies, the top of the trail is a series of pools.

The last trail we hiked (and my very own personal challenge) was Angel's Landing. This trail was much harder then the others we had hiked and took 2.5-3 hours to hike. It was very steep which made me feel out of shape lol, but the scary part for me was the end part. I have always been uncomfortable with heights, especially when I'm not harnessed or strapped into something like on a roller coaster. The top section of Angel's Landing is along a 1400ft cliffside were you have to hold onto a chain link. When we got to this section, Kyle was very cautious with me and asked me if I wanted to continue. I sat down for a few minutes, looked at what was in front of me, and decided there was no way in hell I was going to turn back after how far I'd come. I knew that it was much scarier looking up at it then when I was on it. I was really calm the whole way through and even though I was exhausted, I wanted to conquer that mountain.

I only wish our trip could've lasted longer. We had several mishaps (car battery dying, chipmunk eating our hotdog buns, etc.), but it was honestly one of my favorite trips I've ever taken.

Disorganized Updates

Life just rushes by. It scares me that the older I get, the faster my life seems to pass by and I always wonder if I could be doing more or making more of myself. I've always been a goal setter and someone that has to have something to work towards. I just don't know if I am keeping a good balance of enjoying my life while going after my goals. There has got to be a point where I relax and realize the beauty and love that surrounds me and just be okay being me.

As busy as I am, I love my life. I feel peace with where I am at and with all the lessons I have experienced so far. I feel confident with the man I have fallen in love with and I am hopeful at what our future will look like. The only thing holding us back is finances and that wouldn't really be an issue but we bought a house ha ha. A lot of things to pay for right now, but we are only at the beginning and it only goes up from here. I have to remind myself to let go of that a little bit and not be in such a rush to pay things off. We have everything that we hoped for and more, so it's time to enjoy just being together. Eventually, it won't just be me and him ;) ha ha.

I have many reasons to be stressed/hurt/angry, but I have a million more to be happy/grateful. I found my old websites from when I was 13/14 last week and it blew my mind. As far as I've always remembered, I was an unhappy and depressed person at that age. I always thought that I was going through so much when I looked back. You know what I found though? I was happy/confidence/outgoing at those ages. I truly did have joy in my life and I was glad for that reminder. So often, it's easy to remember the bad times in your life but you can't have bad without good. It just doesn't balance out that way.

Mickey is getting so big. It's been really fun to get reminders of all the little stages Laila went through. He has been VERY lazy lately and pretty much sleeps whenever he's with me. Not sure if it's because his Dad spoils him in the afternoons and plays with him or not yet lol. Either way, I love this little puppy and his sweet/goofy personality. I am happy that Kyle and I made the decision to get Laila a friend. It's still a love/hate relationship right now but the puppy is learning not to be such an ass with her ha ha.

Being a goof <3

Both my babies.

Today, almost 3 months old.

Looking forward to a California trip in just 3 short months. I can't wait to take Kyle on his first REAL vacation and to show him disneyland, universal, sea world, six flags, and the ocean all for the first time. I can't wait to just have alone time with him without all the stress of work and chores that we have right now.

Anyway, there's my disorganized thoughts for the week. ;)

Just a little bit of writing.

Something I haven't done for awhile. Just something I wrote up in 20 minutes or so...

Immerse myself in light, feel the warmth in my soul
Turned away from the darkness, let go of control
What will be will be and there's nothing I can do
So I trust in my life so that I can get through

Two sides of a very sharp double-edged blade
Good memories, bad memories, but they all fade
All that matters is now, each moment's a chance
To succumb to the past or learn how to dance

I choose to be strong, to stand up and fight
To turn away from my past and into the light
To feel the warmth of a God, religion aside
A strength within myself that I cannot hide

What I know and what I feel are black and white
Emotions are the day and logic is the night
Love is all that matters, I'm no longer blind
Time to seek life out, leave the negativity behind
~Jordan Stocking '12

New Family Member.

This little guy will be joining our family the 2nd week of April. He is a miniature dachshund just like Laila and is currently in Cedar City until he his old enough to come home. We are absolutely excited. I can't wait for Laila to have a friend and Kyle has never even had a puppy before. I have been working 50 hour weeks the last 3 weeks so that we will have mostly everything paid for ahead of time. He is definitely meant for us and will be a great addition to our family. Since we aren't ready for real babies, we love spending time and taking care of our furry babies ha ha. I won't get rid of my pups though even when I have kids. Dogs are for life and it breaks my heart when people just give away their pets because they aren't convenient anymore.

Anyway, short update. But that's what is going on. :)

Catch Up Time

So It's been a long while and a lot of things have happened since I last posted. I haven't stopped writing. I tried another blog site and discovered it's really not for me.. at all. Kyle also bought me a regular journal which I use for all the trivial parts of life. I guess I will try to make this blog more organized. What's happened the last few months:

I finally got through school and graduated with my Bachelor's in Microbiology. As difficult as that was, I miss school. I don't know what to do with myself now that I don't have that stress in my life. I've been working on it though and I keep myself busy working full time and keeping our house going.

Christmas time was amazing and hectic all at once. Spent time with family, moved into our new house, and everyone got that really nasty flu. My grandpa was taken to the hospital in an ambulance christmas night because it was so bad. Our first night in our house (day after christmas) I spent 8 hours throwing up. I wouldn't trade any of it though. We created some pretty fun, amazing, and memorable stories and everyone got through it.

So lately we've been focusing on the house. Fixing up little things like replacing lights, batteries in smoke alarms, hanging pictures, getting weeds out of the yard, etc. Next weekend we are going to paint in our main room. It's so nice to have something that is ours that we can do anything we want with. It gives me all the motivation in the world to make it as nice as possible. Our tax returns were awesome this year so we will hopefully get to put in a yard and will have most of our new house stuff paid off within the next 6 months.

Something to look forward to: August 12-18th we are going to California. I'm so excited because Kyle has never seen the ocean before. I would consider Southern California my dream place to live so I love going there. We are going to be hitting up disneyland for 3 days, universal studios, and sea world. In between we will try to make time for the beach for a couple days at least and just have fun together. I can't wait to experience this with Kyle and I know it is going to be absolutely amazing.

I'm also going to be getting a tattoo fairly soon I think. I would like to get "Luctor et emergo" down my spine which translates to "I struggle and emerge". This has a lot of significant for me not only because of my past but also because of my daily life dealing with being sick. So, I'm going to keep thinking about it for the next little bit and if it still feels right then I will go through with it. I'm also planning on getting a tribal wolf on my back. This has huge significant with my family. Just some inspiration: