College

First off i would like to apologize for not posting in a while. It was suck a long summer yet it went by so fast and it seemed like my days were always the same old same old, all work and no play. Well the summer was definately one to forget, but also one to remember. This past summer really brought me back down to reality. I realized how short life can be and how so many people take it for granted.

My summer did have its good momments. I travel to Branson, MO almost every summer with my family and yah it might seem boring but i wouldnt change it for anywhere else in the world. There is just something about Branson that makes me feel like a kid again, i look back and just like i was a kid again i recall all the good times me and my family had. When i think about Branson there are almost no worries in the world that could bring me down. Besides that i was fortunate to work alot and make some money.

Now that i am back at SEMO i couldnt be happier, i glad to see my friends again and happy to be back in "groove of things" again. I enjoy every bit of college from parties of course to the pulling the all nighters trying to study for an impossible calculus exam. I can't even begin to explain how i have absolutely no time anymore but i still wouldnt change it for anything. I have such a great appreciation for my Fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon, the guys ive meet here will foreve have a place in my heart. They have helped me get through the tough times and taught me alot and helped me to mature and be a better man. College is like they say the best 4 years of your life. Not just because of the parties and girls, but because of the friends you make and the experiences you share with them. Yah there will always be those speed bumps you hit along the way but good friends never let it slow them down.

All in all im sorry again thats its been so long ive just been so consumed by work, homework, school, and friends its been hard to find time to just stop and think.
I promise ill try and post more often than i have.

Thanks

Travis =]

Curiosity Killed the Cat

Hello Everyone,
Well for those of you who don't know I work 10 hours a day in a very lonely, hot, and tiring place. Yes, i work in a factory in Belleville. Yes the days suck and watching my summer just fade away makes me shed a tear every once in a while [ha ha]. But no in all seriousness the money is nice and really helps heal the pain. But most importantly whenever i have kids [knock on wood not for a long time] i will be able to tell them this story every time they complain. Well, by now I'm sure you are all curious as to why my title of this blog is "Curiosity Killed the Cat." Allow me to explain.

As stated before, i work long and lonely days in a factory. So as a result all i do all day besides telling myself to stay in school, is think. I think ALOT while i am at work. No not because the work is hard, but i spend alot of my time thinking about my life, my family, my friends, and so on. Because i think so much through the course of my day i in turn cause myself to start to question alot of things. Now i apologize because i said in my first blog that these blogs weren't going to be about mourning the loss of an amazing aunt because she wouldn't have wanted that. But rather out of remembrance and joy. When i stand by my lonely station on the assembly line i have recently been thinking alot about what Wanda is doing up in Heaven. Maybe she is resting her ears from listen to my mom tell stories [ sorry mom =) ] or maybe she is catching up with her grandmas or possibly playing fetch with regale [idk if that's how you spell that dogs name ha sorry.]

When i stop and think about heaven i start questioning things like, what is it like, will it be like earth is now, or will i see streets of gold and God sitting on the highest cloud? So many questions and hardly no answers. Yes the bible tells us of heaven and very discreet descriptions of heaven but no one description that really explains it all. And when i ponder about this i think well they say heaven is paradise. Well how can we define paradise? Because for a city man paradise could be having all the luxury things in life, or for a country man paradise could be open fields, timber , deer , etc. Well in Tom Benhoffs case he is already in paradise with his house ;). Well i guess we will all know what "our" paradise is when it is our time to be reunited with God and lost loved ones.

With all this talk about death and heaven it really can cause a very depressing attitude and also that of a scared or cautious attitude. In the sense of maybe realizing you haven't been the best person or nicest person or kindest for that matter. In other words you think to your self maybe you just haven't really been a very good follower of God. Now i'm no religious scholar nor am i some perfect christian. Simply what i am saying is that maybe after the death of someone we are granted the gift of realizing maybe we could be just a little better of a person. Not saying go become a nun or priest or attend church all the time, but just maybe coming to acknowledge the fact we can be a little nicer, kinder, generous, etc everyday to improve the lives of those around us.

So as i stated i do alot of thinking, and all this is just a slight majority of stuff i think of. I think about good old days of soccer, high school, family vacations etc. I'm glad i do alot of thinking because that way i never forget or let anything slip away from me that east. I just look at it as we are all so fortunate to be able to walk this planet everyday and to enjoy life because we will never know when that day for us to return home will come. So if you take anything away from this blog take the satisfaction of reminding yourself how lucky you really are and be thankful for everything you have because tomorrow is a new day and everything can change in a moments notice.

I hope i didn't offend anyone with my religious blog, if i did i am sorry i am just trying to express what is on my mind.

Just want to remind everyone that if you have and family members email please email them this website like "travl10.blogspot.com" because i have a very limited address book. They no longer need to become a member to comment or read it is completely open now.

Thank You,
And
Goodnight!

Travis Liening

***Important***

I forgot to add in my first post, please feel free to invite any friends or family i have very limited e-mail addresses. You may post the e-mail addresses in the comment box if you would like. Thanks

Also feel free to comment on the blog at the bottom.
Examples
-Feelings
-Thoughts
-Any thing you like =]

THANKS!!

In the Beginning

Greetings,
For those of you who do blogs or read blogs, i would like you to know this is my first ever blog. The reason I've never "blogged" before is because i honestly never saw the point of it. I always thought it was just another dumb form of social networking that gave people an excuse to waste time instead of doing productive work. Well now i have to admit that i have come to my senses and realized that blogging is much more than wasting time, but actually it is a way to open up your life to those around you. We all spend a lot of time either working, going to school, or just plan being busy. As a result we rarely have time to talk and connect with those around us. By keeping good connections with family and friends we expand our relationships and grow closer together. It took a while to realize these things, because i would read other blogs and just not get it. But now i see that by reading my cousin Aaron's blog it allowed my Aunt Wanda to connect with Aaron and grow a wonderful relationship. So with that i felt that this was my time to start up the hobby in order to better connect with everyone.

Now that i have started my journey of "blogging" i really took some time to think about what to write about. I guess the reason i am really excited about this idea of blogging is because there were a lot of things left unsaid between my aunt Wanda and I. Not in a bad sense but in a sense of i wish i could of taken the time out to talk to her more and fill her in more about my new college life and other fun times. I wish i could go back and thank her for all the small cans of soda she would give me when she would let us come over and swim in her pool. I wish i could tell her how much fun she was and how no matter how bad of a mood i was in her smile and bright attitude would always cheer me up. As bad as it hurts that i didn't get to say one last goodbye, i feel so much better knowing that Wanda and I share so many wonderful memories and fun times. Those memories will last forever even as time passes.

As i sit back and think about the last few months i think about how strong Wanda truly was. To be able to fight for so long really makes me step back and think, how could i ever make another excuse or how could i ever complain about something after she did all that and she didn't even have a choice. As much as i wish i could go back in time and do things differently i can't, none of us can. As much as my heart goes out for Gerry, the Girls, and the rest of my family i know deep down Wanda wouldn't want us to stay locked up all day and be sad, nor does she want us to forget about her even though we never will. She wants us to live everyday as if she was still here, because even though we might not be able to see her, she is still here with us every single day, watching, listening, and guiding us.

Each morning when we awake
we know that you are gone.
And no one knows the heartache
As we try to carry on.

Our hearts still ache with sadness
and many tears still flow.
What it meant to lose you,
No one will ever know.

Our thoughts are always with you,
your place no one can fill.
In life we loved you dearly,
In death we love you still.

There will always be a heartache,
and often a silent tear,
But always a precious memory
Of the days when you were here.

If tears could make a staircase,
And heartaches make a lane,
We'd walk the path to heaven
And bring you home again.

We hold you close within our hearts,
And there you will remain,
To walk with us throughout our lives
Until we meet again.



Its hard to put pain into words but it can also help you overcome some of the hurt and bring smiles to others. I will never forget any of the good times and the memories you gave me Wanda. Thank You.
Love Your Nephew,
Travis =]

To be continued...

P.s- more photos will be added shorty =]