'Sup World?

Day #14 - Write your impressions of world events and other important happenings

This is an interesting year for Mormons around the country as we watch Mitt Romney go into battle for the highest office in the United States. I think that he is well-qualified for the job and that he could do a lot of good if given the opportunity. I am not sure the country would be kind to Mormons if he screws up though...

We have been watching the news between Syria and Turkey. It is an old war to those familiar with cold war politics. It terrifies me that we might be just a few bombs away from nuclear war.

I'm am thrilled to have the opportunity to watch the people of the world gather together for the Olympics. I am excited for London (as I really love that city) and it will be fun looking for familiar sights. I also think it will make Alexander really hungry for fish n' chips. Me? I'll have my bangers and mash, if you please. We are having a low-key family gathering around the TV to watch the opening ceremonies. British provisions may be needed.

In tragic news, this morning we learned of the shooting in Colorado at The Dark Knight midnight showing. The ladies in our department were shocked, stunned, and depressed as we kept an eye on the news of the victims. I hope this doesn't lead to copy-cat crimes and other horrible events.

For the Love of Books

Day #13 - Think of a book you've read and explain why it has made a difference in your life.

I have probably read thousands of books in my life. As a teenager, I devoured them and borrowed huge stacks from the library. I have read so many books that it would be almost impossible to nail down how each one has affected my life or influenced the way I think. However, there are a few books that stand out better in my memory than others.

For example, as a 12 year old, I loved the Lord of the Rings series so much that when I finished reading The Hobbit, I sat down at the piano and wrote a song portraying my interpretation of how the battle at the end of the book felt. This was the first time I consciously realized that I was really inspired by another work of art to create something of my own.

Later, as an adult, I read a fictional novel about Sarah, the wife of Abraham. The book touched and communicated with a part of me that was really struggling. I felt like I was the only one who was dealing with infertility but this book unexpectedly allowed me a window into how another person dealt with this pain. I had read the book for enjoyment, with no intention of using it as a self-help book, but it opened the way toward me being able to discuss this broken part of me with other women and the beginning of learning how to deal with my feelings in a healthy way.

I am a strong advocate for the power of reading and it continues to be one of my favorite leisure activities of all time. Just hand me a bowl of popcorn and a good book and I am set for a happy evening. :)

$$$

Day #12 - Write about what you'd do if you were given a million dollars.

I would pay off debt first, including my mortgage and then put the rest into savings to accumulate into something more for when I am older and need retirement funds. :)

I might also take a small fraction of it and do something fun, like travel to some cool places I've never been before such as a Mediterranian cruise to Italy, Greece, etc. I love traveling :)

Heroes

Day #11 - Pick someone who is a hero in your life and write about him or her.

My parents are my heroes. I know this may sound cliche, but they really are my heroes. I don't know what I'd do without them. They have always been there for me and I have always known that if I ever needed anything they would do anything they could to help me out. For the past 30 years they have devoted themselves to their family and worked tirelessly to provide for all of us kids. Even now that I am an adult I still find myself needing my parents all the time.

For example, last month my parents came out and visited me. They knew I was lonely and needed a pick-me-up and they drove all the way to spend time with me and Alexander. While they were here, my dad made sure he fixed all the little things that were broken around my house, like the bathroom door that came off its hinge and replacing the dryer cord.

My mom is amazing too. She is always willing to listen when I need someone to talk to, whether I'm venting or excited or just lonely. She always makes me feel special and important and has always told me that I was given great gifts to use for a great purpose, which makes me feel better when I'm feeling worthless.

I am so thankful for the continued examples of faith, endurance, courage, and love that they radiate on a daily basis. I hope I can someday be a parent as cool as they are. :)

I Am With You

D&C 100:12 - Therefore, continue your journey and let your hearts rejoice; for behold, and lo, I am with you even unto the end.

Day #10 - Tell about your last truly spiritual experience and how it affected you.

I very recently had an experience where I clearly felt the love of my Heavenly Father. It was like a little moment out of time where he reminded me that I was important and that he was watching over me. It was a needed reprieve from a world that is constantly telling me I'm not good enough.

I am thankful for frequent reminders such as this that help me to remember the important things in life and continue on in faith.

Oh Baby!

Day #9 - Tell a story your mom or dad has told you about when you were a baby.

Once upon a time, long long ago, there lived a really young, cute couple named Mel and Doree. When they were still just younglings of 20 yrs old, they had a cute little baby they named Anna. Doree was the first of her friends to have a baby and so they gave her lots of adorable baby clothes to dress her in. Anna was also the first grandchild on Mel's side and the first granddaughter on Doree's side, so she was especially spoiled.  Doree says that having Anna was just like having a little baby doll to play with and dress up in all the cute clothes.

Anna did a pretty good job staying out trouble until she could walk, at which time all havoc broke loose around the place. When she was still a toddler, Anna once escaped the house and ran down the road buck naked as fast as she could. Another time, in the middle of the night Anna was found outside sleep-walking (apparently my parents needed to get a better lock on the door!).

When Anna was just 16 months old, she got a little sister whom she called Jenny. Once Jenny came Anna always had someone to get into trouble with and to blame things on (which happened frequently).  Anna and Jenny went on to have exciting toddler adventures and creating all sorts of mischief including bringing snakes in the house, playing in the flour, and chasing puppies around the house. :)

Besties

Day #8 - Describe your best friend. Tell why this person is your best friend.

I have many wonderful "best friends". I will tell you about a few who came into my life at a time when I desperately needed them.

I have one best friend who has been friends with me since the beginning of time (aka 3rd grade). We met and were instantly inseparable. She helped shape many of my thought patterns and influenced the books I read, the shows I watched and the music I listened to. She was always (and still is) a head taller than me, with long slender legs and I would run around on my short chubby ones trying to keep up. Truth be told, she introduced me to a love of the "old country", of the British Isles. I have her to thank for a fondness of British television shows and Monty Python humor that gave me common ground with a cute boy I met who had family in England (and who I later married).

I have another best friend who I found during my freshman year of high school. We were assigned to sit next to each other on a long bus ride and quickly found we enjoyed many of the same things and had the same quirky sense of humor. We became fast friends and stuck by each other through a slew of weird boyfriends, college drama, and marriage. This was a girl who dyed my hair any number of colors, created elaborate dating schemes for me, shared flying pizzas with me after college classes, and still gets excited when I come home to Utah. Her family is my family and we have a blast when we are all together.

Lastly (but not least), is the best friend that I dated and married. He came into my life at the perfect time and immediately felt like family. The best decision of my life was to marry him and continue my life with him by my side. I couldn't have asked for a more charming, gentle, loving husband. He helps me to become a better person every day and I love him so much. Besides all the mushy love stuff, we genuinely love spending time together. He is really funny and makes me laugh all the time. He can do all these adorable accents and remember amazing amounts of information. He also has a crazy silly streak that I adore. :)

I have been blessed with many more friends who I love and have greatly enriched my life. Hopefully someday I will have time to write about each of them. :)

Family Traditions

Day #7 - List some of your family traditions. Which ones are your favorite and why?

I grew up with lots of fun traditions in my family. We try and do something fun every holiday and make it special.

Birthdays a big deal in my family. It is the one day a year when we got singled out from the bunch and got spoiled. Our parents never had a lot of money so they would give us lots of little gifts, things like our favorite candy bar, drink or gum. All the siblings would try and find something little at the grocery store or dollar store to give and we would gather together for a homemade cake in our favorite flavor decorated in some fun way. Mom was also adamant about having our birthday dinner which consisted of our very favorite meal.

My birthday was fun cause it was in the middle of the summer. That meant that my meal could consist of things the other kids couldn't get like watermelon and corn on the cob. The entree was always a bacon and tomato sandwich on toast, hold the lettuce. Always. :)

Another of my favorite family traditions include singing together as a family on Christmas Eve. We gather at my Grandma Dorothy's house and we sing in 4 part harmony our favorite songs like "White Christmas", "Silent Night", etc.  When we were younger we would gather around Grandma or my Mom who would play the piano, but in later years we got pretty good without the piano.

Our traditions are special because they involve gathering our large brood together and having the time of our lives on a shoe-string budget. Nothing will ever replace the fun we had during our midnight conversations around the kitchen table, the kids running to the piano whenever Mom sat down to play, the BBQ's on Memorial Day, and annual camping trip.

As I grow older and have my own  little family, I hope that we can keep the magic of those traditions alive for our own children so that they too can delight in the laughter and love that comes with siblings and cousins.

Change

If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies - author unknown

Day #6 - If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be?

This the trickiest question of all time. I can never answer this question and feel truly confident of my answer. However, I think that regardless of the additional difficulties this would add to my life, I would change the fact that I don't have kids. I would like to have kids. I know that someday I will have kids, but it so hard to wait for someday!

(Someday when I am chasing around a load of rowdy kids I will look at this post and laugh.)

I have been given many blessings in this life that I wouldn't change for the world. I was blessed with a wonderfully large family that is loud, sarcastic, hilarious and musically talented. I have the best husband I could have ever asked for. I live in a nice little home with a cute dog. I am in a city far from my hometown but I am learning and growing and experiencing new things. I have many wonderful friends who keep my spirits up and my life full. Truly, it seems almost sinful to wish for anything to change. :)

Forget Me Not

Day # 5 - How do you want people to remember you? Why?

I think that we always want people to remember the best about us and forget the bad. Wouldn't it be great to be able to live your life in such a way that people really did only remember the good stuff? I want to live my life like that. I still have a long way to go in some areas but it's good to realize where we need to improve so that we can work on becoming better in those areas.

So, what kind of person do I want to be? I want people to remember that I was quick to help out and to give service and that I didn't complain about it. I want to always have something good to say about a person and never say negative things. I want to be happy, generous, friendly, and the type of friend you like to have around.

Finally, I want people to remember the good times we've had togerther and the happy memories of our laughter and time well-spent.

Juxtaposition

Juxtapose: put side by side: to place two or more things together, especially in order to suggest a link between them or emphasize the contrast between them

Day #4 - Write about a time when you were so happy and a time when you were so sad. Did you learn anything from those experiences?

Irreputably, the happiest day of my life was when I finally married the love of my life. Despite everything that went wrong that day (my car broke down, two of my sister's went off the road in the snow, etc) we had made it to the temple to start our little family. I felt so much relief knowing that if anything happened we were now sealed and could be together again. I married my best friend and I'm still so thankful to have him in my life every day.

I learned that there is a reason why God gave men and women each other. We need each other and when both partners are working together in love and faith with mutual respect they help each other to grow and mature in ways that are impossible to learn alone. I learned that God loves us and wants us to be happy and to have lives filled with joy and has allowed us a way to continue that joy long after we have left this earth.

My Best Friend:

Sad Experience... The hardest day of my life was Aug 17, 2010, the day we packed the Uhaul and drove away from my family, friends and cute little home toward Missouri. I was miserable and would have done anything to change our plans and stay. I honestly don't think I would have finished packing had my family not been there dumping things into boxes. I didn't want to leave and I would have stretched it out as long as possible. I cried for hours on end that day. I knew it was the ending to a near perfect life. I was comfortable, happy and successful and I was being ripped away from all that. I was homesick before I had even left.

I learned a lot of things about myself when I forced myself to leave my comfort zone and start over somewhere new. I learned that I can do hard things and that I am never truely alone. I was the beneficiary of dozens, if not hundreds, of little miracles that allowed me to know that the Lord loves me and was watching out for me and my family.

This is my sister, Melanie, showing off the moving truck on moving day:


 I am grateful for both of these experiences in my life and the way they have influenced the person I have become. Though different, these experiences both represent the Lord's hand in my life and His watchful care over my happiness and growth. I know that the Lord sees a picture much bigger than the portion I can see and when I trust in Him, He will make my life even greater.

My Family in KC!

I was so blessed to be able to have  my parents and McKay in town for a week last month. It was better than Christmas! I found out just a few weeks beforehand and I was so excited! They drove long and hard to get here and I was impressed with how quickly they made it.

We had such a blast with them here, hopefully they enjoyed it too. They arrived on Thursday June 7 around 5:00pm. I made them a chicken enchilada dinner that was ready for them when they arrived. We spent that evening just relaxing and catching up. I was still in shock that they were here.

Friday morning I went into work for an hour while they caught up on the sleep they had lost during the drive. We then decided to spend the day seeing the church history sites. We took them to Independence first to see the Visitor's Center and the temple site. We then traveled a few miles over to Liberty Jail.

At the temple site in front of the Community of Christ "temple"

After that my dad said he would really like to go to Far West and Adam-ondi-Ahman. We stopped for a quick pick-me-up snack and then headed up across the farmland of Missouri. We had a great time chatting and remarking about the peculiar things along the way. After an hour's drive, we made it to Far West which is just a lovely garden in the middle of nowhere now. There is a tall metal gate surrounding the temple site where the four cornerstones of the temple still sit in each corner with gorgeous flower gardens in between. We had the place to ourselves which was nice for some quiet contemplation. As we were getting ready to leave, an old rickety bus pulled up with Idaho plates and out piled about 20 kids and 5 adult men. The girls were outfitted in pioneer style dresses which made us think they were LDS kids on some kind of trek. We then heard the kids yelling each other's names (Moroni, Helaman, etc) and quickly realized that they were in fact polygamous FLDS which was an interesting inclusion to our day.

We left Far West and headed north to Adam-ondi-Ahman on some country back roads. It had been 11 years since I had last been and I didn't actually remember much about it. I didn't realize that it was a huge valley with multiple rims around it. We drove around to the two accessible sites. Once again we had the place mostly to ourselves and we had fun seeing deer and pondering the history and future of the place. We were there close to sunset, which I swear the the perfect time of day to go. Absolutely gorgeous!



Adam-ondi-Ahman - over looking the valley



Adam-ondi-Ahman - over looking the valley



McKay is so GQ!

We then headed back home stopping on our way at the new Kansas City temple to take pictures.

Can you believe these two love-birds have been married for 30 years?

Two of my favorite guys :)

He's my favorite youngest brother!

Saturday was more of a lazy day. We slept in and ran some errands. We went up to Crown City but there wasn't much to see there. We did take a few pictures by the fountains.

Sunday we went to church and I cooked a turkey dinner. We rested, talked and just overall enjoyed each other's company. On Monday went over to the Federal Reserve to the Money Museum. It's a free museum that shows every coin of the United States since 1777. There are also lots of videos, facts and statistics, as well as fun things for kids to do. We aren't kids, but we had fun playing anyway. There was a place for us to take pictures of our faces in money so we took full advantage of that.



Alexander's face is priceless here

We now have fair warning to not vote McKay in as president but Dad looks respectable ;)

Trying to redeem himself with a "Vote for Me" smile

That's some good lookin' money right there

We also created our own dollar bills on a computer. We could choose our pictures, motto and it even took our pictures.

We played with rubbing stencils to create bills as well. As a souvenir they gave us a bag of shredded money that looks like expensive confetti. We had a blast :).

Our monies

We then went across the street to the Liberty Memorial. It's the National World War 1 Monument. Dad was upset that they didn't have the names of the soldiers there like they do at the other monuments. He was looking forward to seeing the name of his grandfather listed, but alas it wasn't there. We did see a great view of the city and looking down Dad decided he would like to go to Union Station. 



Liberty Memorial looking at the city

The exhibits are usually closed on Mondays but while we were looking at the architecture, on of the employees mentioned to my Dad that for some reason the Titanic exhibit was open and it was half off today only. I thought my Dad would die of excitement. We had been talking about the exhibit on Saturday but that it was too expensive to go. He has loved the Titanic story since he was a kid, so this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. We had one hour before it closed and it was exactly enough time. Half price seemed fair for a once in a lifetime opportunity. Mom wasn't thrilled, she thought it would be morbid, but it turned out to be really well done and a really neat experience. I thought that maybe this was a tender mercy for my Dad as he had wanted to see it so badly.

Doesn't his face just show his excitement? lol...

Solemn faces in respect of the dead

Tuesday morning came way too soon. My family had to leave to drive back and I was heartbroken to see them go. Godiva was also heartbroken as she adores my Dad and McKay. She moped for two days after they left. It just didn't seem fair that we have to be so far apart and not see each other very often. I know that they made some heavy sacrifices to come out and visit us and I am so thankful they did. I have amazing parents and siblings and I love them all so much! Now I hope to see all my other siblings out here soon too! :)

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. - Eleanor Roosevelt

Day #3 - Imagine that it's exactly ten years from today, and describe what you'd like to be doing and what you'd like your life to be like.

Hmm, well, ten years from now I will be 39! That seems so old!! As a kid I always assumed my life would be just like my mom's. I'd get married younger, have about 5 kids, and then they'd all be grown-up by the time I was 40 or so at which time I could be free to do whatever I want. However, it now seems like my life will be quite different. Here I am sitting at 29, no kids in sight. However, I've been married 5 1/2 years to a wonderful guy and I've had some awesome experiences so that's gotta count for something.

I really do anticipate having kids in the near future so in ten years I would expect them to still be involved in my life ;).  I think 3 kids is a nice goal to shoot for at this point in my life. I want to be learning new things with my kids like playing the piano and learning German (they will be German citizens afterall). They will also be exploring who they are and what they like. This could mean I end up as a soccer mom shuffling kids to practices or enduring the headaches of a first year violin player and their squeaky attempts at songs (Melanie, I still harbor a little hostility over that year of violin you took while I was trying to do my high school homework!)

I want my husband to have a great, fulfilling career in history that he enjoys and will allow me to stay home with the kids. I also want to be running the wedding business again on the side, possibly owning a reception center with my best buds helping me out and creating beautiful events. Additionally, I'd like to have done some more world traveling and giving my kids neat learning experiences. I want to be healthy, happy and productive and looking forward to 40 more years of happiness.

Us Today:

Free Time?

Day #2 - What do you like to do in your free time (Don't just list, explain why, too)

When I have free time, I usually come to a crossroads and have to make a decision: do I do something semi-productive like a craft or a project or do I totally relax with a book or a nap?

Generally it breaks down to a 70% projects, 30% relaxing ratio. This means I get lots done but I totally wear myself out to the point where I have to take a nap or make myself relax. Lately I have been working on planning my brother's wedding so my crafts are things that have to get done in the next few weeks and include making table runners, painting glass, researching decor ideas, rummaging through thrift stores, etc. My relaxing has come in the form of a great book, #2 in the Beyonders series. It's kind of young adult but I love it. :)

When I have no important projects and absolutely nothing going on, in my free time I: paint canvases, read fantasy books, cook new foods, try new kinds of crafts (sewing, jewelry, etc), play with my dog, and cuddle with my husband (I acutally try to do this every day ;) ).

This is a Coconut Cake I once made in my free time:

This is a baby quilt I made for a Personal Progress project:

20-Day Journal Challange

I am issuing a challenge to my Beehives tomorrow to write in their journals every day for 20 days. In fairness, I am also taking up the challenge and am going to post it here on my blog for accountability. Each day has a a pretty simple writing prompt and I will be one day ahead of my girls so that they can read what I’ve written to get ideas for their own journal entries. I would love it if any of you would like to join me. J

“Tonight, and tomorrow night, you might pray and ponder asking the questions: Did god send a message that was just for me? Did I see His hand in my life? I will do that. And then I will find a way to preserve that memory for the day that I, and those that I love, will need to remember how much God loves us and how much we need Him.” – Henry B. Eyring

Day #1: Write about your day (a good thing to include in any journal entry) – What was the best part about it? What was the worst?

Today did not go as planned. It started out really productive. I got up early and got the house cleaned quite quickly. However, halfway through vacuuming the living room, the vacuum broke, I think it needs a new belt. I finished vacuuming with the hose as best I could. I then spent a couple of hours on the phone with my brother’s fiancé and then my mom planning out my brother’s wedding, which was fun. That was the best part of the day.

The rest of my day got sucked up in a commitment that I thought would only be an hour, but turned into five hours. I was trapped by someone who apparently needed to talk, excessively. I’m having a hard time deciphering how I feel about the situation. If I feel upset do I lose any blessings I might have gotten? I’m trying to see the good in it and hopefully it can be considered a service in its own right.

I am seeing some small mercies in the situation though. My YW lesson is already prepared and ready from last week when I accidentally planned the wrong one. My handouts are even already made, which is something of a miracle! So in actuality everything that I really needed to do today did get done. J I guess I can’t actually be upset after-all.