I guess I have not been able to bring myself to blog about things going on in my life because it is really hard to put into words the emotions. This summer has been an experience of a lifetime. I have never given so much of myself for any specific cause. I have never believed in a message and a single person the way I did for my dad. I couldn't go to sleep at nights, because I would be thinking about the campaign. I would go running and all I could think about was the campaign. I guess I became obsessed with only one goal on my mind. August 17th was one of the hardest days I have gone through. Some people may laugh or turn their heads to this, but to me it was real. It hit me and it hit me hard. It was a part of me that was lost. I watched the election results come in and with hope and faith I held on until the bitter end. My dad lost by about 2000 votes. It was so close and in the blink of an eye everything we worked for was now over. That night I hurt for my dad! I am so proud of my dad and the lessons he taught me. I know that he ran for governor for the right reasons. I know that he loves our great country and the great state of Wyoming. There were so many blessings and miracles that happened along the way. I have to admit I have gone through the mourning process. From being numb to angry to saying "what if" to tears. I have come to the conclusion that the WHAT IF game is a very dangerous game. Things happen that are out of our control. The things we could control my dad did with class and with honor, and this is what I am so proud of! It is a very hard decision to put your name on the line. When you put your name out there, you are automatically up for mockery from anyone and everyone. I am so proud of my dad for taking that chance and bringing a message to the voters of Wyoming. It was a message of true conservative values. A message of less government and less spending. It was a message of our constitutional rights and our great founding fathers. It was a message of family values. Many criticized him for these values but he would never deviate from his message to win more votes. He was willing to take a stance and stay true to what he believed. I was so humbled as I watched so many people work so hard and sacrifice so much time, energy and money for MY DAD! They believe in him and my dad brought hope to so many voters across the state. I saw as my little Tyler would walk up to doors and knock and say "Vote for my grandpa." What a great lesson my kids learned. I saw people tear up as they heard my dad speak. They believe in him as much as I believe in him! He is a true hero in my book and I am so proud of the dad, grandpa and example he is to me. I am so thankful for the great opportunities I had. I am thankful for the new passion I have developed and I know my dad made a difference! So YES we lost but I will hold my head high and always be thankful for the experiences I had. I will never regret the decision my family and my parents made 2 1/2 years ago to have my dad run for governor. It was the right thing to do and I know we made a difference in Wyoming!
I am sorry if you have read through all of this! I know it is long, but thank you for caring about the election! It means a lot knowing people took an interest in what my family went through this summer.
As our time here in Omaha is coming to an end, I feel like we are down to the FINAL CHECK MARKS of things we need to do. For Randy's final spring break we went to Kansas City for the night. We went out to eat at T-Rex. The boys thought it was a lot of fun, but Randy and I were not impressed so much with the food. The next day we spent at Liberty Jail and took a tour of The Community of Christ Temple. It was a lot of fun and big CHECK on my list of things to do!
