9.4.09

Two years.... I'm not quite sure where the time went. I still remember this day two years ago as if it happened yesterday. Somehow we found a way to move forward, but your memory has never left us. We move forward one day at a time. Still grieving. Still in shock. Sometimes in despair. Yet continue on we must, for that is what you would have wanted. So much has happened since you left us, and I find myself wishing more than ever that you were here to share some special moments with us.

The past year has been an incredible year for your family, one I'm so thankful that they've been blessed to have. God has been so good to us of late. Your sister was such a beautiful bride, stunning in her ivory white dress. I know you saw her and wished her peace and happiness on that October day. I felt you there. I saw you there. We all did. Thank you. Thank you for being there in the only way you could. We heard the waves stop for a brief moment as Danielle and Mark said their vows, and I saw the clouds part and the sun shine down as she made her entrance. It took me a moment to realize it was you giving them your blessing from up above. And with that the day really was complete and perfect.

Grandma turned 80, can you believe it!! I wasn't there for the party but boy do I wish I was, and I know you were missed there too. You always are. I think now more than ever we always seem to reflect on the fact that there was something there you would have loved. We miss your big smile brightening up the room. We miss your pride and admiration for the Lakers and your joy at each and every win. We miss your laugh. We miss you Travis. Today, Yesterday, and Tomorrow. That will never change. We will continue to move forward because there is no way to go back. We try to learn from the hard lessons to make our futures a little easier and a little brighter, I know you would have wanted it that way. Sometimes it's hard, especially in those special moments. I wish you could be here to share and experience your beautiful sister's marriage and her soon to be born baby girl. You would be so proud of the strong woman she has become. We are all so excited for baby Madison to enter this world and I wish you were here to welcome her to life with us. Be comforted in the fact that while she may not know your physical presence she will know all about you. She'll see pictures and be told stories about the Travis we all knew and loved.

Two years.... I've spent countless hours reflecting on what has happened and thinking about you and your family, but no matter how much time I spend thinking, part of me will never understand why God took you so soon. It seems so unfair, a life taken at such a young and precious age. I am comforted in the fact that one day I too will be standing in God's glory and then and only then will I truly understand why things have unfolded the way that they have. Faith. In times of tragedy we turn to our faith, we dive deeper into our love and devotion for the Lord and we seek comfort in the fact that all this is somehow part of a bigger plan. God needed you, for whatever reason, more than we do. One day we will all meet again Travis, and until that day comes we will still look for you, in the stillness of the ocean and the rays of a setting sun.

May you forever rest in peace.

xoxo

T

Happy Bday Katie G!

I'm a few days late posting this one...

But I want to wish one of my favorite gals a spectacular bday. Can't wait to celebrate over drinks, good food, and great friendship. Thank you for being such a wonderful friend to me and to all those around you!

HAPPY (BELATED) BIRTHDAY KATIE G!

~ T

Perspective

Most of you who read this blog send me little notes from time to time saying how something I wrote moved you, made you smile, brightened your day, or maybe made you laugh. I always smile reading these notes knowing that even as small as it may be, that somehow I've made a positive impact on those around me.

Sometimes I get asked how I am always so positive and so happy, I guess people wonder if things ever get me upset.

I am human. Of course things make me sad, or mad, or depressed, sometimes sick, occasionally really angry. I am not happy and positive 100% of the time....

BUT I SURE DO TRY TO BE

When I was little my Daddy would always say to me, "is the glass half empty or is it half full?"

I know it may sound a bit cliche but the fact of the matter is, I truly believe that most of what happens in our lives is a direct reflection of our outlook and our attitude about life. Nobody's life is perfect, mine sure is far from it. I work way too much. I spend very little time on me. Bad things happen around me everyday. The world seems to be getting darker and darker. But, every moment of every day I have a choice (and so do you). I can look at all this negativity around me and let it creep inside my veins, or I can choose to recognize the positives around me, no matter how small they may be. I choose (most of the time) to focus on the good things, that killer workout at the gym, even if it was short. Or running around the soccer field, even if my team looses. Or the one customer that walks out of my restaurant smiling ear to ear because something we did just made their day. Those little moments of magic make up for all the bad ones, and those are the moments I choose to focus on.

Perspective.

That's all it boils down to. You either have a positive one, or you don't. It's not about where we are at in life, or the paths we had bestowed upon us. It's not about our income levels. It's not about where we live or what we drive. It's not about the money in the bank accounts. Perspective is about you and it comes only from within. It is not what happens to you, but how you choose to view and react to life.

Perspective. I choose to have a positive, upbeat, and happy one. And I'm certain its far better than the alternative.

Think about it. Perspective. What's yours?

~T

invest in yourself

In the world today we are surrounded by causes. Help end world hunger. Promote Peace. Buy cookies for the girl scouts, and give the boy scouts money for their box car races. Serve food at the homeless shelter. Walk 5 miles to help find a cure for breast cancer, alzheimers, cancer, leukemia. Be a big brother or a big sister.

The causes are all around us, and yes all of them are equally important. Do your part. Be socially aware and help those around you. Be generous, gracious, genuine, and sincere. One day it may be you needing that helping hand.

But don't forget to help yourself. Buy yourself that new pair of running shoes or the new bike that will get you up off the couch and out onto the pavement. Take the class you've been wanting to but just haven't seemed to find the time to. Take Sunday off, get out of the office, and go somewhere, for you.

I'm not saying to forget those around us or to neglect the needs of others, but what we have to stop doing is neglecting ourselves. Face it. You work hard. Give yourself a break! It's OK. The to-do list and the pile sitting on your desk, it will still be there. But your health, your happiness, your well being, that can fade away far too quickly and is much more difficult to get back on track. Take the time to invest in yourself for your future and the future of those around you.

I promise you, it is one investment that is guaranteed to reap a large reward.

xoxo

T

To my super awesome hard working brother....

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

I am so proud of you and all of your hard work.

Love you!

T

you receive what you give

People often say you receive what you give. This is true. You want love, give love. You want happiness, share joy. It is my belief that in life what we think and feel are in turn reflected back on us. Life, is a mirror reflecting YOU back at yourself. No one ever said that the circumstances of life would be easy or perfect, no one ever said that life would be without challenge, trials, or tribulations. Life IS difficult. But no matter how hard times get, no matter how rough it is or how bad you want to throw in the towel you can't. You can't give up. You can't always change the bad into good, but what you can change is the way you view yourself, those around you, and the world. I guarantee you, little by little as you change your own inner perspective to that of a positive one, suddenly the world around you won't seem quite so dark, scary, and ugly. But don't expect the world to change for you... you must start deep within yourself.

~ T

make me better

Last night I attended a fabulous dinner event with a few of my closest friends. As we sat around the table laughing, drinking goblets full of delicious wine, and feasting on fabulous fare, we shared stories, life lessons, and some good hearted fun. At one point a group of people were asked how they knew each other and what they enjoyed about the other so much. The response was so simple, yet so thoughtful and so true... simply, "she makes me better."

In relationships we are always looking for the person who catches our eye, the one who makes those little butterflies in your stomach erupt and flutter around like crazy. The person who makes you smile EVERY time you see them. The person who simply takes your breath away. These are all common signs of a bit of chemistry and meddling of the heart. But there has to be more, the "other" needs to push you to be better. For yourself. For them. For your family. For you friends. For everyone around you.

And why do we have to stop there? Shouldn't everyone we allow into our inner circle do that. Shouldn't we always want to be better? It seems to me that is the reason God placed us here on this earth, was so that we could brighten not only our own lives, but those of the people around us. It seems to me that if we can make our closest loved ones, friends, and family better and we can make the world a little bit better, then collectively the world might just become a better, nicer, and much more beautiful place.

~ T

I'M BACK

Yes, I know it has been quite a long time since I've posted, but what can I say.... IVE BEEN BUSY!

A quick recap of the past 2 months:

Graduation
Fathers day
Brothers 28th birthday
Taking over a new store 36 hours before a full corporate audit
Brothers 30th birthday
Boyfriends sisters wedding (SO FUN!)
Semi pro soccer season (heading to nationals, woot woot)
Working LOTS
working on a business idea of my own with the dream team
Finishing my LAST class of my MBA
Did I mention working, LOTS?
Visited my sweet GPA and family in Victorville
Visited my second family, Ron & Christy in San Clemente
Met all the lovely members of Marks family
WORKED LOTS


But people I've got GOOD news... great news... fantastic news...

It has been a complete WHIRLWIND the last 2 years. Chaos. Madness.

I've been BUSY BUSY BUSY.

But... I'm done.

Yup, you read that right.

Done. Finito. Terminado. DONE DONE DONE DONE DONE.

I can sleep again! (indulged in 10 glorious hours last night!)

I know I've neglected many of you over the past few years. That doesn't mean I haven't thought of you. In fact I've thought about you often, but my head hit the pillow faster than my hand could grab the phone or my eyes were just too blurry to write a letter.

It's been a while, but I'm back y'all! And I am so excited to catch up with all of you.

xoxo

T, MBA ( I just had to do that :0) )

Graduation Day

To my fellow classmates, my family, and my friends...

Over the last 22 months, 3 years, or for some of us 4 years we have endured. We’ve read countless HBR case studies, we’ve logged seemingly insurmountable amounts of hours in group meetings, we’ve competed in nationally recognized business competitions, we’ve taken more tests and final exams than we can remember, we’ve traveled the world exploring business and trade from the lens of other cultures and economies, and we’ve developed a strong foundation of business, collaboration, and innovation which will fuel our careers and lives henceforth.

To say that our time here at the GSM has been a whirlwind is no exaggeration. We endured sleep deprivation. We endured malnourishment. We endured seemingly increasing levels of insanity after taking on a full time class load while taking on a full time job. Sometimes it seemed to be too much, but when we were at our breaking points, just when we thought we couldn’t take anymore, just when we thought we were beyond our ability to endure something kept us going. It was all because of you. While you have come here today to pay tribute to the graduating class the real tribute should be paid to you. You are the spouses, the children, the parents, the grandparents, the mentors, and the friends. You were the one’s that listened to us in our moments of weakness and exhaustion. You were the one’s telling us the “end is in sight” just keep on pushing, the reward will come. You are the ones that listened to us rattle off the endless to do lists of reading assignments and papers and while you weren’t physically in the classrooms with us, you were still there, and it is because of you that we all stand here today.So please let me take this brief moment to say Thank You. Thank you for standing by us. Thank you for your patience. Thank you for your understanding. Thank you for shouldering a larger burden of the household activities and chores. Thank you for being the rock which anchored us all down and allowed us to endure these past few years. Without you all here today our success would surely have been inhibited.

In the past few years we have developed relationships that will last a lifetime. I am grateful to have been a part of a strong program which has allowed all of us to understand each others strengths and abilities and to appreciate our cultural differences. We have worked hard on projects together, case studies together, competitions together, and of course we have had a lot of fun together. I cannot say enough about how well the UC Davis GSM has prepared us for the future, in a relatively short amount of time. As the MBA program continues to evolve, as marked by our most recent highest ranking ever, I am certain we have been given a solid foundation for future business success.

We celebrate today with mixed emotions. While the program has been challenging and fun we are ready to embrace a new path on our journeys in life. We leave Davis and re-enter the real world with many mountains ahead of us. As our country continues to come back from the recent recession there is a lot of building to be done. I am confident that the UC Davis MBA has prepared each and every one of us for the seemingly insurmountable tasks that face us as today’s future business leaders. While the country may be at one of it’s lowest points in history, this means we have wonderful opportunities ahead of us. Opportunities to do great things. Opportunities to create and change history. Opportunities to change the world of business around us.

If I had to choose one thing that I learned most from my time spent at UC Davis, it is that people make people grow. You’re forced too, that’s life. Your friends at home don’t change, you do and it’s the environment that you’re in that determines your outcome as a human being.What better place then Davis? Obviously, heavy hearted we will part, but we will leave each other knowing that everyone one we meet in life gives us a piece to the puzzle of our being. We meet; we grow, share that growth and move on. Davis has given us the foundation in which we may lay our puzzle, so that we may never lose the beginning of the end here at UC Davis.

As I reflect back on my time at Davis I wish to leave with one piece of advice:

Think for yourselves. Do not find yourself stuck in decision making, following the followers. Do your own thinking, determine your own course and your own fate. Don’t just think outside the box, GO outside the box. Do not be afraid of failure. The world is at our fingertips, our future and our success is at our fingertips.

Believe it.

See it.

Make it.

Congratulations to my fellow graduates of 2011, I wish you the very best.

Where are we going? And who is going with me???

I need a vacation!

<3 T

Everyone says love hurts, but that is not true. Loneliness hurts. Rejection hurts. Envy hurts. Everyone gets these things confused with love, but in reality, love is the only thing in this world that covers up all the pain and makes someone feel wonderful again. Love is the only thing in this world that doesn't hurt. ♥

~ Re-posted from the lovely Megan McGraw, she is so wise!

Happy Birthday Chandara!

Happy Birthday to one of my sweet friends, the lovely Chandara!

Isn't she just the cutest!!!

I hope you day is wonderful, just like you!

T

(source: pinterest)

Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination, full of hope.
Maya Angelou

... and so very full of hope (and love) I am!

And I hope you are too!

~ T

Home

(source: pinterest)

Couldnt have said it better myself !!!

To all the great moms out there, especially my sweet sweet mama, THANK YOU, for all that you do.

xo

T

12 days

12 Days.....

Until I walk across that stage....

GRADUATION.

22 LONG months.

DONE.

I am SO EXCITED I can just hardly contain myself.

12 Days Until Graduation!!!!

As I Am

So just kiss me, and let my hair messy itself in your fingers. Let me steady myself in the arms of a man who won’t ask me to be what he needs, but lets me exist as I am.

Jewel

Best Guy Ever?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnVAE91E7kM&feature=youtu.be

Click there...


To all the boys, guys, and men out there.... THIS GUY just set the bar a little bit higher for all of you. I hope you are taking notes!

Incredible, and I'd really like to know how he pulled that one off.

(thanks to Kdubs for sharing)

xo! T

Stop Saying I Wish... Start Saying I Will

I often write about the fact that our lives are what we make of them. Life is a collection of choices which lead to expected (or sometimes unexpected) outcomes. If you don't like your situation you have the choice to do something to change it or you have the choice to stay where you are. If you want something you have the choice to go after it. If you aren't happy you have the choice to change your situation or state of mind to create your own happiness.

Choices are all around us. They are in every breath we take, every moment of every day, is a choice and it is ours.

Life is difficult, no one ever said it would be easy, nor is it supposed to be. Life is the summation of a plethora of experiences defined by our choices. Who do you choose to be? What do you choose to define yourself by? What character do you choose to have?

I understand it is not always easy, you want one thing, but life seems to be leading you in another direction. STOP! Think. Who are you? What do you want to be? Take a breath. BREATHE. This is your life, not your friends, not your neighbors, not your families, not your co-workers, it is yours. Let your life be what you want it to be. Let your life be full. Make the choices that are right for you. Do what makes you happy. Be who you want to do.

It is your life.

How do you want your life to be?

The choice is yours...

T

Charlie St. Cloud

You can’t put life on hold, it doesn’t wait for you.Charlie St. Cloud

Leo Buscaglia

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.Leo Buscaglia