New Blog Character

Soooo much to blog about, and I WILL catch up. BUT, I just wanted to introduce someone new to my blogging friends...this isn't my favorite picture of myself but here he is folks. This is Vinnie and he is super rad. We have a lot of fun together and I hope there will be a lot more of him on here! Goodnight!

Betcha didnt Know...

Kelli Julia Young

Well, I have an unexpected extra hour of free time today! That would be great, if I didn't have to go to class in an hour. I would just go home and get things done. But, it is quite inconvenient to go to and from campus. Woof. Soooo here are some random facts I bet you didn't know about me...let me think...

1. I love reading LDS romance novels.

2. Number one creature that terrifies me the most: Alligators

3. I will never go on another cruise as long as I live.

4. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a professional ice skater.

5. I love Wingers...but I don't have a regular thing that I like. Just the popcorn alone has me sold!

6. When I was younger, a little boy jumped in the road and my mom slammed on her breaks but still hit him (he was fine). But I STILL have anxiety when I cross the street.

7. I will only listen to country music in the summer. If I listen to it in the winter, it just makes me depressed that it isn't summer.

8. I have only done baptisms for the dead twice in my entire life.

9. I was in musicals as a child. Most famous role: Aunty Em in Wizard of Oz. I had a solo!

10. When I was younger, I reallly wanted to do Karate, I wore my Karate uniform everywhere and told everyone that I took lessons. Never did.

11. In first grade, I cheated on spelling tests.

12. If I have a whole stick of gum, I get nauseated.

13. I have a REALLY good lisp.

14. I absolutely HATE chinese food.

15. There is nothing that gets on my nerves more than when people use the word "Epic" or wear peace sign things and do peace signs in pictures.

16. I am awful at hand-eye coordination sports (besides bball).

17. Favorite Holiday: Halloweeen. Hated Holiday: Christmas.

18. The first time I remember swearing, I warned Rachel to cover up her ears and told these boys to get their asses off our sledding hill. When Rachel uncovered her ears, I said, "Don't worry I will repent later."

19. I once was chased by three Samoan girls because I made fun of their weight in 7th grade.

20. There is NOTHING I hate more than receiving the Silent Treatment. Like seriously. I stay up at night worrying, get stomach aches, and have even thrown up from feeling so bad that I caused someone to completely shut me out.

21. When I was younger, I met a Japanese lady on an airplane going to Hawaii. She didn't speak any English. We were then "Pen pals" for the next few years and she would send me Japanese gifts.

22. I have honestly always believed that I was allergic to DI and Savers.

23. I am TERRIFIED of teenage girls.

24. In 3rd grade, I killed the class pet.

25. My middle name isn't really Julia.

So there's some random facts off the top of my head. I always think of good ones to share, but never write them down. I will start writing them down, cause they are pretty funny. I am full of surprises!

Brain Dead

Oh my goodness. So much goes on in such a small amount of time in my life. I have been SOOO busy! I had a super intense finance exam this morning that has taken up most of my time trying to study and prepare...even though I don't think the combination of waking up at 5:30 to cram and my lucky pencil even did the trick! It was SUCH a tricky test. Why am I in a graduate student finance class? Stupid stupid stupid!! Anyways...things I have been up to:

Shannon and her cute little family came up and stayed in Layton. We went shopping, out to eat, to Lagoon, and then they came up and saw my house and school up here in Logan. It was such a fun weekend to spend with them and I am really glad they came up. That little Allie...for being such a small person, she sure is a BIG handful! I don't know how people have kids...they are a piece of work! But so fun! I really think she might be starting to like me! It might have something to do with buying her a BIG chocolate ice cream while Shannon and Patrick were on a rollercoaster and letting her dive face-first into it.....

Basketball season is less than 2 weeks away, and we are gearing up BIG TIME! We have been having a lot of meetings about how we are going to coach, what we want to teach, our goals, philosophies, plays, drills, etc. I have a feeling it is going to consume most of my time for the next 4 months, but I think it will be worth it! It's soooo intimidating though. I think about my coaches growing up and the big impacts that they have had in my life and it terrifies me that these impressionable kids will be looking up to me. My how the tables have turned!

I made the step from a GIRL to a WOMAN yesterday. Yep, that's right. I am officially growing up. I picked up my packet for my senior practicum. It is a HUGE packet! I have to do this whole application process to get into my 2 internships that are required to graduate. I was stoked to already get a recommendation from one professor, now I just need one more!

It is officially winter. Am I bummed? BIG TIME! I have been wearing all black to mourn the loss of summer. I had to wear thermals under my jeans this morning. Woof. I HATE the cold more than anything. I hate the feeling of being stuck inside all day. I hate wet jeans. I hate getting a stiff neck/back from being cold. I hate wearing shoes. I hate having cold hands/feet. Basically I hate everything about the cold. I still don't know why I live in Logan....

Well, I am not a huge fan of lengthy, boring posts which is what this post has kinda turned out to be...so I will wrap up. For your amusement....my childhood....

I really was so unfortunate looking...

Man wasn't that sooo funny when you made someone look like a bunny?

This is just classic...

I think my face might have stuck like that?

How sad would that be if you didn't have a twin to dress up with on twin day?

This describes my childhood perfectly

I think I still have that dance memorized if ya wanna see it

I never did like people gettin in my space

Man, I should have modeled

How awful is this picture??

I think I REALLY tried dressing like a boy

The famous short hair days...

Wow! Those shoes really add to the whole ensemble

High School

Girls Camp

So I always got made fun of for being friends with old people. I never believed it was true, until I saw this picture of me hanging out with all the old people...

Can't forget this! Serenading the famous Dana Robison!

HAVE A GREAT DAY!

Five Years, Five Lessons

As I have said in previous posts, this week is the fifth anniversary of when Byron died. So crazy to me. I think a lot about him this time of year, along with the things that I want to learn and take from the experience of losing a loved one. I decided to write down the five main things I have learned since Byron died as a result of losing him. It is crazy how much the lord can teach us through tragedy and pain, when we have nothing left but to listen and learn from him.

#1. The very first thing that I learned back when I was sixteen was to always remember the big picture. When I heard that Byron had died, everything else that had weighed on my mind seemed so insignificant. It didn't matter if that certain boy liked me back or if I got asked to the school dance anymore. As busy humans, we tend to get caught up in the things that are directly in front of us. And then we choose to make them bigger deals than they actually need to be. If we just took a step back and thought, "is this going to matter in 1,5, or even 10 years?" probably not.

#2 Unconditional love. I learned this from a very good young woman leader that I had after Byron died. I am still working on it, but I have definitely learned a lot about it. Love people no matter what. And let them know. Love who they are at the time, not who they used to be or who they could be. There is something SO comforting and peaceful when you know that no matter what mistakes you make, there will be at least one person who will love you for you no matter what.

#3 Forgive and forget. I am still working on this, but lately I have tried to forgive quickly. It can be so exhausting holding on to anger and grudges. I used to get so angry and stay up at night thinking about how mad I was at that person. How I could never forgive them. The only person that I was hurting was myself. There is no possible way that a person can have a peaceful spirit if they are holding onto anger towards another person. And why? Why hold onto your pride and allow yourself to have hateful feelings towards someone? The longer you let it fester the harder it will be to let it go. Put yourself in the person's shoes, try to understand where they are coming from, and let it go. There is nothing better than telling someone you forgive them and letting the relationship heal.

#4 Trust in god. We don't know why things happen. Sometimes that is hard. It is hard to let go of the "why". But if we trust in god and put it in his hands, things will work out. Earlier this week, I was having a really hard time with different things. I finally knelt down and said a prayer. Basically I told god that I didn't understand why things had to be the way they were, but I was putting it in his hands. I wanted him to teach me what I needed to learn from my trials, help me be grateful for them, and mold me into the person I was supposed to become from them. The next 2 days after I said that prayer, I felt the most peaceful I ever have since Byron died.

#5 Serve Others. There is so much power in service. Being able to forget about yourself by helping others has so much healing power. This past summer when I volunteered at Primary Children's Hospital, I gained such a testimony of service. I loved Fridays when I got to go up there and forget about the world for a few hours. Serving others is what this life is about. The happiest people aren't the people that sit around thinking about themselves all day. It is the people who wake up and say, "Heavenly father, help me know who I am supposed to help today" and then they listen to those promptings and act. There is always someone that you can serve, you just need to listen to the promptings of the spirit to guide you to those people. And when you do serve them, you will develop a stronger testimony and develop an "attitude of gratitude" like the prophet spoke about in conference.

So there you have it. 5 lessons that I have learned in the past 5 years. Do I wish that I didn't have to go through the trials that I have gone through to learn them? Sure. But am I grateful for trials? Yes. Because, they aren't just trials. They are opportunities for us to humble ourselves and look to god to mold us and teach us from these hard times. Life isn't fair and there are a lot of things that we can't control, but we can control how we react and get back up and fight. One of my favorite quotes goes something like this, "When life gets too tough to stand, kneel".

Pumpkin Carving!!

Okay- so I feel like I am blogging WAAAY too much lately. Am I becoming annoying? Cause I am starting to annoy myself. BUT, there is ALWAYS something going on! And since this is what I use as my journal, I want to stay on top of things!

Anyway, last night we decided to go out and buy some pumkins and carve them. I am very pleased with how well they all turned out (considering how our whole house isn't very artistic)! But they turned out great and I love going past our mantel and seeing our pumpkins! Halloween is my favorite holiday, so I love it all!! Here are the pictures...(I just got back from the gym, don't judge!)

The Group cleaning out pumpkins (I skipped out cause I hate that part)

My extremely artistic carving partner- Ally

Takin a little Halloween cupcake break...

The final product! I am so pleased by mine and Ally's pumpkin! (In case you were wondering, it's the North Carolina sign...bringing good karma to the tarheels in the upcoming bball season!)

Vanessa looked at this little pumpkin and thought "that poor pumpkin looks like a butt, nobody will want it"...but she had a vision for that poor pumpkin...and made it into a THONG! The "quick n' dirty" is the tattoo on the butt...only Vanessa...

Jentry's Pumpkin

Kaylee's Pumpkin

The group outside on our porch! FINALLY all the roommates in one picture!

My carving partner and I!

Our beautiful products

What started out as just another Tuesday night...

Turned into one of the funniest nights of the semester!!

Somehow, we ended up with our mattresses in our front room, and got all bundled up (because our front room is freezing) and had a big roommate SLEEPOVER! Who doesn't love a big sleepover on a school night? That's every kids dream! Here are some of the highlights...

Oh the beauty of a self-timer...

These two kids doin some dance..

Perfecting my "Heel Click"

Jumpin on the beds

We were in HEAVEN!

All of us jumpin

Showin off our sleepover outfits...

What classy models!

In case you were wondering, Jentry was wearing shorts...in some of these pictures...

So there you have it. Our sleepover was a success. We popped in "John Tucker Must Die" and went to bed....

The next day....

I AM EXHAUSTED. STILL WEARING MY SILVER PANTS (they are quite warm). AND EATING A HALLOWEEN CUPCAKE FOR BREAKFAST.

i love being an adult, cause now I can finally do everything I wanted to do when I was a kid!

On a lighter note...

My favorite/Only Nephew

Okay! Enough of the depression! Time to celebrate life! I had the most AMAZING fall break! It was sooo good to be home and see everyone that I got to see. I was SOOO busy the WHOLE weekend! I seriously never even had time to take a "break" and rest. It was worth it, although I am getting sick from being so run down. But who can resist being with the cutest kids in the world and hangin out with my rad parents?! So here is a run down of my fall break...

WEDNESDAY: Danced in the kitchen with Allie, Babysat Rylie and Kali the rest of the night. It is safe to say, I probably won't be a professional "Go Fish" player anytime soon....also...Kali is a big fat CHEATER! Oh well, I like her competitive spirit. AND I am pretty sure I am now Rylie's favorite.

THURSDAY: Visited my grandparents at their assisted living center. It is always good to see them and talk with them. They are two of the most amazing people on this planet. Seriously though. Went to the Pumpkin Patch/Farm with Kali, Kate, and Rylie. Such a warm day and soo fun to enjoy the fall. I LOVE the fall. That night, I went to "The Social Network" with my parents. I thought it was SUPER interesting. Loved. After, I went and saw my favorite people in the WHOLE WORLD! The Agrelius sisters. Such Gems.

FRIDAY: Went to the zoo with the kids, went to dinner/shopping with my very favorite second mother Trudy, watched a scary movie with my dad, saw the Agrelius sisters for the 2nd night in a row and my favorite boys: Jon, TJ, and Dustin!

SATURDAY: Hiked the Y with my brother and dad, went shopping with mom, went to the Real Salt Lake game that night.

SUNDAY: Went to my favorite park 6th ward. Love it there. Visited my grandparents again. Played games with Kate, Dev, Candy, and Dad. My favorite part of the day was being able to see Jack before I left. I love that kid! He is at such a fun age!!

Anyway, as you can tell...I was quite busy! It was super fun, but I think I need a break after my break to catch up on life!

Kelli Young Revealed

Normally, I don't put things on my Facebook or Blog to show my depressed feelings. I only show the happy ones and how great my life is. Because it is 99% of the time. But right now, on this night, I am having a hard time. After reading "Disease called perfection" I realized that I needed to start being REAL. So this is me being real tonight. Here is a letter I just wrote to Byron.

Dear Byron,

The past 5 years have been some pretty tough ones. From the day that you left this earth, I have been a completely different person. For good and for bad. I have been that angry, sad, depressed, and lonely person sometimes. Other times, I have been on top of the world feeling like I have so much more clarity and knowledge from your death. Because you died, I have had to make some intense decisions. Is this too hard that it will totally crush me? Sometimes I feel like it is. Should I just give up and do things that might hurt my body, but will numb the pain for awhile? Will I ever be able to love and open up my heart again? Because, I haven't opened up my heart since you died. It terrifies me to. It means people will see who I really am. I am still soooo messed up and shaken up from your death 5 years later. I am still very angry that you had to go and don't understand why your daughter will never get to know you. I am upset that you get to be on the other side doing missionary work, while I am stuck on earth feeling extremely alone at times. I miss you so much. I miss having my best friend to talk to and get advice from. I miss all the fun times we had and the laughs. I miss the feeling of you. I miss that safety net I would feel knowing that no matter who I become, you would NEVER love me any less. There are very few people in this world that I open up to about whats going on in my head. Then you left. Think I am a little terrified to open up to someone with that fear that I will lose them as well? So where do I go from here? Does life magically just get better without you in it? Because I can't see that happening and I can't see myself EVER being okay with you not being here. That dark hole will always be there no matter what I try to fix it with. I guess there really is no answer except to carry on with faith. Faith that I will see you again and you will give me a big hug and kiss on the forehead like you always did. Faith that maybe someone will understand me enough that I might feel that safety net again and open up and love again. Faith that each day will get a little better. Faith that one day I will have understanding of who I am supposed to become as a result of your death. Faith that it really will workout somehow in the end. I wish you never had to go and I wish I knew why. I wish there was someone out there who remotely understood and could help take this pain away. Even just for this next week. I wish things turned out differently for you Byron, because I can't stand living in a world where you don't exist.

Much Love,

Kells

OLAY!!

While I was home, my dad scored some box seats to the Real Salt Lake game. It was suuuuper rad. A great game, luxury treatment, AND I got to see Josh! Cath decided not to go about 5 minutes before we were leaving, so I knew Josh would want to come and he drove over on the spot! Good friend. Here are some pictures of our awesome night....

Now that Josh has a mustache...he poses like a creeper...

Ewwwwwwwwwwww! I am not a fan of the mustache. I kept telling Josh I couldn't take him seriously with that thing. He would talk...and all I could stare at was the stache!!

Great seats (We could sit inside, or outside)

Inside, there was drinks, fajitas, and hot dogs. YUMMMY!

Austin acting like a Rockstar in Suite 7

Disease Called PERFECTION

i just stumbled across the article and i LOVED it. so good. so real. take the time to read it.

As a warning, the following post was written in complete desperation. I have recently learned some very sobering truths from people that I love dearly. These truths have set in motion a quest within me to do whatever I can to make a change. Today is not geared at funny. Today is geared at something greater. Read it to the very end. I promise you will be affected in a way you have always needed to be. I spent more than twelve hours writing this post because its message is that important to me.

I wonder. Am I the only one aware that there is an infectious mental disease laying siege on us right now? There is a serious pandemic of "Perfection" spreading, and it needs to stop. Hear me out because this is something for which I am passionately and constantly hurting. It's a sickness that I've been trying to put into words for years without much success. It's a sickness that I have personally struggled with. It's a sickness that at times has left me hiding in dark corners and hating myself.

And chances are it's hit you too.

What is the disease called "Perfection"? Perhaps a list of its real-life symptoms will help you better understand it. We live in communities where people feel unconquerable amounts of pressure to always appear perfectly happy, perfectly functional, and perfectly figured. "Perfection" is much different than perfectionism. The following examples of "Perfection" are all real examples that I have collected from experiences in my own life, from confidential sources, or from my circle of loved ones and friends. If you actually stop to think about some of these, you will cry as I did while writing it. If you don't, maybe you're infected with way too much of this "Perfection" infection.

"Perfection" is a wife who feels trapped in a marriage to a lazy, angry, small man, but at soccer practice tells the other wives how wonderful her husband always is. "Perfection" keeps people from telling the truth, even to themselves. My husband is adorable. He called me a whore this week because I smiled at a stranger. When I started crying, he said he had a game to go watch. I love him so much.

"Perfection" is a husband who is belittled, unappreciated, and abused by his wife, yet works endlessly to make his marriage appear incredible to those around him. "Perfection" really does keep people from being real about the truth. You would have laughed, guys. She said that I suck at my job and will never go anywhere in life. Then she insinuated that I was a fat, rotting pile of crap. Isn't she the best?

"Perfection" is a daughter with an eating disorder that keeps it hidden for years because she doesn't want to be the first among her family and friends to be imperfect. She would give anything to confront it, but she can't because then the "Perfect" people would hate her as much as she hates herself for it.

"Perfection" is when a son has a forbidden addiction, and despises himself for it. "Perfection" makes us believe that nobody else could understand what it is like to be weak and fall prey to the pressures of the world.

"Perfection" is a man who loathes himself for feeling unwanted attraction toward other men.

"Perfection" is a couple drowning in debt, but who still agree to that cruise with their friends because the words "we don't have the money" are impossible ones to push across their lips.

"Perfection" is a mom hating herself because she only sees that every other mom around her is the perfect mother, the perfect wife, and the perfect neighbor. I'd give anything to be Mrs. Jones. Today she ran 34 miles, cooked six complete meals, participated in a two-hour activity with each of her seven children, hosted a marriage class with her husband, and still had time to show up for Bunco.What this mom doesn't know is that Mrs. Jones is also at home crying right now because the pressure to be "Perfect" never lets up.

"Perfection" is a dad hating himself because he can't give the same thing to his kids that other dads do, and then hates himself further because he takes his self-loathing out on his kids behind closed doors. You know what would have been nice? If you were never born. Do you realize how much money I'd have right now? Now come give Daddy a hug because I can force you to give me validation.

"Perfection" is a child hating herself because the boys at school call her fat, and when she goes home she tells her mom that school was fine. Her mom never stops to question why her daughter doesn't have any friends, becaue her mom doesn't want to think that anything might be less than "Perfect".

"Perfection" is a man feeling like a smaller man because his neighbor just pulled in with a new boat.

"Perfection" is a woman who is so overwhelmed that she thinks about killing herself daily. "Perfection" makes it so that she never will because of the things people will think if she does. How could I make my suicide look like an accident? If I kill myself, I don't want anybody knowing that I ever had any problems. She never stops to look at why she wants to do it, because healing means admitting imperfection.

"Perfection" is a man who everybody heralds as perfect, and inside he is screaming to be seen as the faulty human being that he always has been. Because to no longer be "the perfect one", thatwould be freeing.

"Perfection" is a woman having an affair because she's too afraid to confront the imperfection in her marriage.

"Perfection" is a twelve-year-old boy killing himself because he is ashamed that he can't stop masturbating.

Stop, and read that one again.

There is a twelve-year-old boy buried 20 miles from where I sit because the "Perfection" that has infected the people around him infected him to the point that he deemed his own life worthless. "Perfection" pushed him to take his own life over something most of us would consider negligible in the life of any teenage boy.

"Perfection" is my friend's cousin swallowing hundreds of pills because she just got the news that she was pregnant, out of wedlock, and the shame was too much to bear. She was only attempting to cause a miscarriage. 24 hours later, she closed her eyes and never opened them again. She isdead because of the "Perfection" infecting those around her. We'd rather you die than shame this family. Thanks for taking care of that, honey. By the way, we'll do the right thing and make ourselves out to be the victims now. We have to. We're infected with "Perfection".

I could go on. This is all a small sampling of the disease called "Perfection". You have brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, extended family members, neighbors, friends, and children who are ALL these things, yet none of us will ever know. "Perfection" is a hideous monster with a really beautiful face. And chances are you're infected. The good news is, there is a cure.

Be real.

Embrace that you have weakness. Because everybody does. Embrace that your body is not perfect. Because nobody's is. Embrace that you have things you can't control. We all have a list of them.

Here's your wake-up call:

You aren't the only one who feels worthless sometimes.

You aren't the only one who took your frustrations out on your children today.

You aren't the only one who isn't making enough money to support your lifestyle.

You aren't the only one who has questions and doubts about your religion.

You aren't the only one who sometimes says things that really hurt other people.

You aren't the only one who feels trapped in your marriage.

You aren't the only one who gets down and hates yourself and you can't figure out why.

You aren't the only one that questions your sexual orientation.

You aren't the only one who hates your body.

You aren't the only one that can't control yourself around food.

Your husband is not the only husband who's addiction sends him online for his sexual fulfillment instead of to you.

Your wife is not the only wife that is mean and vindictive and makes you hate yourself.

Why didn't somebody, anybody, put their arm around that 12-year old boy and let him know that they loved him and would always love him? What was he being told and taught that he would end his own life over something that almost no teenager can control? Maybe that beautiful and wonderful boy would still be alive if even one person had broken down the "Perfection" that completely controlled all those in his life from whom he desperately craved validation.

Why didn't somebody, anybody, tell a beautiful pregnant girl that there was nothing so big in life that it couldn't be made right. Maybe that incredible young woman would still be alive. Maybe her now one-year-old child would be learning to walk or say "Mommy" right now. Maybe.

Maybe.

The cure is so simple.

Be real.

Be bold about your weaknesses and you will change people's lives. Be honest about who you actually are, and others will begin to be their actual selves around you. Once you cure yourself of the disease, others will come to you, asking if they can just "talk". People are desperate to talk. Some of the most "perfect" people around you will tell you of some of the greatest struggles going on. Some of the most "perfect" people around you will break down in tears as they tell you how difficult life is for them. Turns out some of the most "perfect" people around us are human beings after all, and are dying to talk to another human being about it.

You'll love them for it. And you'll love yourself even more.

Let's not forget this quote: "I went out to find a friend and could not find one there. I went out to be a friend, and friends were everywhere." Somebody who is being a friend doesn't spread "Perfection". Somebody who is being a friend spreads "Real". Then, and only then, can we all grow together.

I am not perfect, nor do I want anybody to think of me as such. Here's my dose of real:

I once stole a box of money that was meant for a child with cancer. There was more than $150 inside. That was 12 years ago, and I still hate the person in me that did that.

I believe in God, but not religion. It took me 30 years to find the courage to say that. It took me 30 years to believe that I could be a good man and still believe that.

I once got so angry at my wife that I hit the wall. The dent is still there, haunting me every time I see it because I never thought that was something I would do.

I once sat in my bedroom crying uncontrollably because I felt like everybody thought I was fat and ugly. I was a full grown man.

There are some people I avoid bumping into in public because I feel like I'm not as good as them.

I judge people harshly who share the same features that I hate about myself.

Sometimes I'm sad. Sometimes I'm not funny. Sometimes I just want to be alone. Sometimes I stay at home on a weekend because I just don't want to see the "Perfection" going on around me. Sometimes I want to drop-kick a perfect person's head across the room.

"Perfection" infects every corner of society. It infects our schools. It infects neighborhoods. It infects our workplaces. This is not to say that there aren't a lot of genuinely, happy people. I am one of those people. Most of the time. There is nothing more beautiful than a person finding true happiness in who they are and what they believe. No, this is not me trying to diminish the happiness in others. This is merely me pathetically attempting to put a face on a problem that I see everywhere but few people ever notice.

This is me, weeping as I write, asking the good people of the world to find somebody to put their arm around and be "real". This is me, wishing that people would realize how beautiful they are, even with all of their imperfections. This is me, sad and desperate for the girls in this world to love themselves. This is me, a very imperfect man, trying to help others feel a little more perfect by asking you to act a little less perfect.

Will you help me spread "Real"? Tell us below just how perfect you aren't. You never know who might be alive tomorrow because you were real today. You never know who needs to feel like they aren't alone in their inability to be perfect. Even if you comment as an anonymous guest, please comment. Tell us what you struggle with. Tell a sad or dark secret. Get vulnerable. Get real. Let's see if we can get 10,000 people showing the world that we're not defined by perfection.

And please, share this post on Facebook, twitter, and your blog. If you want the people around you to start being real, you have to be real first. I believe in the power of numbers and that enough people reading it might actually help shake down a few of the problems we cause for each other. If it's your first time here, we'd love to have you follow us. I promise it's not always this intense (or nearly this long). I'll post something really funny tomorrow.

Dan Pearce, Single Dad Laughing Being Real

Zoo

I went to the zoo with my mom, sisters, and nieces today! It was pretty fun and the kids were really good! Here are some pictures (They were taken with my phone sorry!)

It takes intense skills to maneuver that double stroller...

Allie LOVED seeing the animals

Rylie slept the whole time

But she sure looked cute in her sun hat and sunglasses

Shannon, Allie, Kate

Allie wanted to get out and dance while Kali was on the Merry-Go-Round

This kid is so stinkin cute!