I am Geneva

Over the past two years I have poured my heart and soul into this blog. I have shared with you all my innermost desires, fears, beliefs and doubts but I don't think I have shared enough about who I am.

I am Geneva May Atwood.

I love life and everything about it. I love and am loved.

Life is an adventure that I face with a smile that is usually accompanied with a sarcastic quip. The smile I get from my Mom and the sarcasm I get from my Dad. Combined, these attributes formulate in to one really lovable personality. Often, I can give the impression that life has me down, or that the struggles I pass through are too tough for me but in reality, there is nothing big enough to ever keep me down. I have three very active kids who seem to challenge my patience at every opportunity and I will admit that sometimes they  win little battles and I loose my cool (who hasn't?), BUT, they have never ever felt anything but love from me.

I was fairly young by today's standards when I got married and had kids (21 and 24 respectively). I fell in love with a young man named Ken and he fell for me also. He knew very early on in our dating life that I was the one for him. We were like two peas in a pod as far as our whit, sarcasm and love of life. We were married after only 6 months of dating and are coming up on 12 years of marriage. Ken knows that he is really lucky to have me, even though he doesn't say it as often as he could. Ken and I have remained best friends through our entire marriage (fights and all) and there is nothing that we wouldn't do for each other.

I remember when we were new parents living in a home we had just purchased and we became quite concerned about what we would do in the event of a fire, especially if the other person was unconscious. So we spend the rest of the evening practicing dragging the other's limp body down the hall and out the front door. This is one of Ken's favorite memories.

Another story that always brings a smile to his face is when we were debating whose head was bigger. I remember telling him that my head was huge and ugly and he would argue that it wasn't. So to settle the matter we took turns weighing our heads on the bathroom scale. We had to do it several times to make sure the reading was accurate. It turns out that Ken was right and my head wasn't as large as I thought.

As most of you know I was in the hospital for the past while but through the grace of God, I am back home now. It is so nice to finally not have that aching back anymore. My only complaint is that there are so many friends and family waiting to say hello that it is hard to find time to update this blog.

So what can I tell you since I last updated you all? Well Disney Land was an experience of a lifetime. I am so glad I had the chance to go there with my kids. I want thank everyone who was part of helping us get there, but most especially Riley, his family and my dear sister Amanda for setting up the fund. I can’t forget my awesome friends in Trail who sacrificed their long beautiful hair to raise money for my family. (Ken is really thankful too even though he is proud and has a hard time accepting charity…It really touched his heart)

So now that I am home everything seems to be at peace. My hair is finally growing back, the scare on my head is gone now and oh yes, and my beloved boob is back. I am cancer free and feeling great.  

I also have a clarity that is almost impossible to describe. I don’t know how to put it to words but I wish you could all see how unimportant so much of our lives are. For those who are struggling with feelings of inadequacy or guilt from sin, LIGHTEN UP!!!, nobody here cares what you have done and if there is one message they could give, it is that it isn't as hard as you think to get here. Life is simply a test at the end of a course; I mean you've already made it through the whole semester, now it is simply a multiple choice exam at the end. And… it’s open book for crying out loud so you can go back and change the answers you may have gotten wrong. Do me a favor and give yourselves a break and don’t sweat the small stuff. And if that wasn't easy enough, you can simply ask the “Teacher” for the answer if you don’t know it.

If there is one thing I have learned through all of this is that he lives and there is a real plan for us. I did not understand his plan for me during life but I do now. Everything makes sense finally and I see how my short earthly life was an important part of things to come for my family. I know they don’t see it right now but I promise that it will all make sense one day. Trust me!

I also want to thank every person who was praying for me. Although the outcome wasn’t what you all desired, I want you to all know that your prayers were answered. It broke Heavenly Father’s heart to not keep me on earth but I can promise you, it was the right thing to do. I can’t ruin the surprise but you will just have to wait and see all the great things that are going to happen. Besides, it’s not like I won’t be around or anything, I still plan on visiting all the time.

I met my grandmother for the first time today and I couldn’t believe my eyes when I found out that she was a “Dog the Bounty Hunter” junkie too. So to my mother I say, “Don’t let anyone make you feel silly for your “Dog” habits.

I also have a few more shout outs to make (sorry I can’t give one to all of you but I’ll make it up to you by the end of this blog). I would like to let Mike know that I found his arm and leg here and they are pretty cool, although they are somewhat disappointed at how well you are doing without them. I’ll keep them clean for you while they wait.

To Dale F, I want to caution not to judge Mormons so harshly because you would be surprised at how many of your relatives here are members. They are however very proud of the great job you are doing with their great great grandchildren.

To my friends, I want to ask to feed my husband lots so he stays fat and un-datable (but don’t tell him I said that)

Okay, that’s enough shout-outs for one blog.

This last while in the hospital has been a great experience for me. I have been able to come and visit so many of you while my body rested in bed. Even if you didn't notice me, I have been to see you and I can prove it. If at any time during this blog you have found yourself smiling,,,,,, that was me saying hello........ If you haven’t smiled, well I guess we weren't that close and too bad for you.

So as I conclude my tale of “My Unexpected Path” I say farewell to you all and thank you from the bottom of my heart for your love. I must be going as its movie night and apparently we get to watch a real scene from any time in Earth’s history. While that sounds cool and all, I hope they have Django cuz I freaking love that bag scene.

Bye for now,

Geneva