The Stuff Memories Are Made Of

Alexander and I were lucky to be able to go out to Utah to say goodbye to Tyler as he leaves for his mission to South Dakota. I'm so proud of you Tyler!! We had an awesome time and it was really hard to go back to Kansas City.

Here are some of my favorite memories from the trip:

Melanie and I singing "You and I" and "Keep Your Head Up" at the top of our lungs as we drive back to Mom and Dad's.

Denise and I getting in the shortest line at Walmart and waiting longer than anyone else around us as the rednecks in front of us argue about who is paying for the iTunes card.

Bryce and Alexander swapping mission stories and discussing the grossest food they've ever eaten.

The narcissistic photo shoot at 10:00 at night with Melanie and Natalie.



Making 38 enchiladas for Sunday dinner.

Tyler to Annalee: You are addicted to caffeine!!
Alexander: It's her headache medicine.
Tyler: She's addicted! Not a day has gone by that I haven't seen her with it!
Alexander: That's 'cause you give her headaches.
(PS, I don't drink it every day, he was just making one of his silly exaggerated comments.)

Staying out till one o'clock in the morning giggling with some of my best friends from high school.

Listening to Tyler hum on the other side of the wall practically the entire night as he wrote and refined his farewell talk.

Visiting Jen and Zac's lovely home and losing track of time as we try to make Hallie giggle.

Singing "I Believe in Christ" with my sisters at Tyler's farewell and trying desperately not to cry.

Mom and I spying on Denise as she cuddled with her new boyfriend.

McKay and Alexander going on a pizza run during "the lady party" (aka Jewelry Party).

Mom asks me, "Are you going to the store? Tomorrow is hundreds day. I need 100 kisses." Dad walks in just in time to hear the last sentence, raises his eyebrows and says, "That will take me all night!"

Tyler and Alexander going out to lunch. Tyler ordered a Zesty BBQ burger with no zest or BBQ, just bacon.

Annalee: I haven't taken a picture with Tyler yet.
Tyler: Sorry you guys. Mom said no sexy pictures tonight.

Melanie tried to teach Hallie to push a certain noise button on her toy but Hallie preferred to push the button that played the music. Melanie tried over and over but Hallie ignored her. Finally, after much bugging, Hallie turned to look Melanie straight in the eyes, picked up the toy, and pushed the noise button repeatedly before then calmly looking away and pushing the music button.



Some photos from the "photo shoot":

Me, Melanie and Natalie


Natalie and Tyler, the twins


Tyler, Alexander, Melanie and Natalie


Tyler, Me, Alexander and Melanie


Tyler, Melanie and Natalie

Christmas 2011

This was the first Christmas I have spent away from my family so I was worried that I would be super homesick, but this Christmas turned out quite lovely and special despite the separation.

We started out our celebrating by hosting our 1st Annual Ugly Sweater Party and boy was it fun! I cooked up quite a spread of food including my first ever attempt at my Grandma's homemade rolls. We also had a white elephant gift exchange which was really fun! We ended up with a black elephant carving from India and a CD of the Messiah.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures at the beginning so most of us had shed our sweaters by the end. I also was unable to get a pic of one of the other couples.


Alexander


Stephanie and Jack


Kelley and John


Kathy and Joe

Christmas Eve Alexander and I were invited to spend the afternoon with our good friends at their family party. We had an enjoyable time and it was a fun diversion, although a tad awkward at times. ;)

I spent the rest of the evening tiding the house and getting everything ready for Christmas. My mother instilled in me the idea that the house must be spotless on Christmas. We were promised Santa would not come until our rooms were clean, like really clean, as in everything out from under the bed clean. So I cleaned away.


The tree Christmas Eve

I loved going to Sacrament meeting on Christmas Day. It was such a beautiful way to celebrate the birth of our Savior and I appreciated the spirit that it brought into the rest of our activities.

We were blessed to be invited to eat Christmas dinner with our dear friends who we also shared Thanksgiving with. I made garlic mashed potatoes, sauerkraut with apples and bacon, homemade rolls and a coconut cream cake. Our hosts provided a succulent ham and other delicious accouterments. We then played a lively game of Lord of the Rings Monopoly which I accidentally won. ;)

Christmas evening I skyped with my family while they did the annual singing at Grandma's house. I admit to getting a bit teary eyed as we sang our favorite Christmas songs. However, I was so grateful for the modern technology that allowed me to be a part of the joyous gathering. I love and miss my family so much that this was an incredible blessing for me.

Christmas is my favorite time of the year and I am sorry to see it end. Thanks to all of those wonderful people who made this holiday so special for us and kept us from feeling lonely! Love you all!






Godiva Opening her New Ball


Our Annual Christmas Ornament

Christmas Memories of Miracles

Christmas is my season. I think of it all year long and can hardly wait to change out the Thanksgiving decorations for the Christmas ornaments (poor Thanksgiving...). I adore everything about Christmas! The music, the smells (cinnamon and pine), the twinkling lights! There is nothing quite so spectacular as sitting in a dim room next to a glowing Christmas tree. I think it brings back the feelings of childhood, remembering how I would stare in amazement at how beautiful our tree always was.

Along with those feelings come a flood of memories that cannot contain themselves. So many of my Christmases have been filled with wonders and miracles and it would be a shame not to write some of them down.

I will preface these stories with the note that growing up my family was of humble means and thus, many years we found ourselves the recipients of other people's generosity and compassion.

My earliest Christmas memory is still tainted with the childhood joy I felt when I ran into the living room on Christmas morning and saw our couch literally covered with stuffed animals and dolls. I was probably three or four at the time and my eyes went wide. I then looked to the left and saw a little vinyl playhouse. It was essentially a square tent of cheap materials, but oh how I loved it! I still remember that it was decorated with red shutters around the windows and flowers along the bottom. I was so happy that year! As an adult I shared with my mom how much that Christmas had always stayed with me and she told me that was a year when they had had almost no money. She had gone to DI and bought all the stuffed animals for practically nothing. She had been so sad she couldn't buy new things and so worried that we wouldn't like it and she felt that it was a miracle that my sister and I were so happy.

My first memory of Christmas being given to us came when I was five. I had 3 younger siblings and my mother was younger than I am now (!). My father had recently been permanently disabled on the job, making it difficult for him to work. A group of unidentified elves doorbell ditched us leaving a live Christmas tree on our porch along with a box full of presents, including a beautiful pink stroller that I pushed around for years. I can still remember exactly where I was standing when my parents opened the door and I saw that brand new stroller, waiting to be filled with dolls and teddy bears! I was ecstatic!

Years later I remember being 10 or 11 years old. My family was once again fairly destitute and I remember my mother saying that we were not going to have Christmas presents that year. Since Christmas morning wasn't going to be the same, I opted to stay the night at my Great-Grandmother's house. Close to midnight my mom called us on the phone telling us that my dad had received a Christmas miracle. Just minutes earlier, quite late at night, my dad had sold an old car giving my parents money to buy us a little Christmas. Since no stores were open on Christmas day, my parents left early on Boxing day and we had "Christmas morning" on the 26th instead.

When I was a teenager, for several years someone in our ward (we think, they were anonymous) would leave a box on our porch containing two presents for each of us. One of the presents was always a shirt or a sweater and the other was a toy or other gift. I remember one particular year when I was in high school and I was so elated to receive a popular and expensive brand of sweatshirt in my favorite colors and a bottle of Tommy Girl perfume (which was all the rage). My parents would never have been able to afford either of these gifts and it meant so much to me that someone would take the time to choose something that a self-conscious 15 year old would be excited to wear to school.

I am fully aware that Christmas is not about presents and that my family didn't need to be given gifts to be happy. However, the joy comes not from the present itself, but in the giving and the receiving. The simple act of being able to give someone something that they would appreciate brings an inner peace and joy that is indescribable and is the essence of the Christmas spirit. The receiver too feels the love of friends and of our Savior, knowing that they were being thought of and that the Lord cares enough for each of us to give us the little things that may be small and unimportant that we wouldn't normally be able to have. I think this is the true miracle of Christmas: being able to feel and share the love of our Savior with those around us. :)

Sebastian & Bethany's Wedding

On Sept 24, 2011, Alexander's brother, Sebastian, married sweet Bethany. We were privlidged to be able to fly down to Phoenix, AZ to attend. As an added bonus, I also got to assist in the decoration of the cultural hall for the reception.

We arrived on Wednesday afternoon, just in time for me to attend Bethy's bachelorette party and Alexander spent the evening with his father. We got up bright and early the next morning to decorate the church and we were there until 5pm when we finally left. During that time we set up a dropped ceiling and put up wall panels of pictures along with decorating the tables and entryway. There was no official backdrop, but a faux wall was put up to break up the monotony.




The centerpieces were damask-style candelabras with battery lights along with 2 bud vases holding 3 pink roses each. The tables had white tablecloths, black satin overlays, and a white damask runner to complete the look.



The wall panels were made up of a white horizontal strip, with a black vertical stripe, gathered in at the middle. I hung pictures of the bride and groom with light pink ribbon at alternating heights and then spot-lit the pictures to add ambiance.



Thursday night we were able to go out to dinner with Alexander's best friend, Robert, and his awesome wife Natalie. We had a blast catching up with them and we really miss hanging out with them on a regular basis.

Friday morning dawned with us rushing to help Alexander's parents host the wedding brunch in the backyard. They had everything anyone could have ever wished to eat including: fruit, eggs, bacon, sausage, German meats & bread, veggies and a variety of delicious tamales. Afterwards the brothers helped each other get ready by trimming their twin goatees and making faces in the mirror.





Here Sebastian is fighting off the wedding day jitters:


The ceremony was beautiful and the day was gorgeous (albeit very bright and hot!).

Husband and Wife:




The reception that evening was lovely, although my date was stuck in the line all night. (As a side note, if you are not already married, please DO NOT put the ENTIRE wedding party in the line, it is miserable for the bridesmaids and groomsmen as well as for all of your guests, creating incredibly awkward moments for all!)



Cutting the Cake:


The First Dance:


Throwing the bouquet:


After the reception Alexander and I stayed to help clean up and then hobbled (literally) back to our hotel room where we rested our feet in our awesome Jacuzzi tub (we had an awesome free upgrade!). Needless to say, we were exhausted on Saturday and we lounged around all morning. We spent the rest of the day with Alexander's family. On Sunday we were lucky to be able to go to church with Robert and Natalie and then they graciously took us to the airport for us to make the long trip home.

We had a great time and really took advantage of the "vacation" in the midst of our packing up the house and moving. We are sad to leave the family and friends behind but hope that we will be back again very soon.

Happy Birthday Alexander!

My Alexander turns 29 today. I could go on and on about how wonderful he is but I don’t want to bore you to death or embarrass Alexander too much. Here are just a few reasons (in no particular order) why I am so thankful to have him in my life:

He makes me laugh every day
He is one of the most intelligent people I know but also one of the most humble
He loves to teach others what he learns and he teaches me something new every day
He has great compassion for others, including animals
He is slow to anger
He loves music and he hums when he’s happy
He has the most gorgeous blue eyes
He is very talented at imitating accents and I find it very entertaining
He has a child-like excitement that is infectious
He can make a mean spaghetti dinner
He loves and takes care of the dog even though he is allergic to her

Happy Birthday darling!

One Year Ago

One year ago today I was packing up and cleaning my beloved home in Provo. To say I was an emotional wreck would be an understatement. I was beyond devastated and my heart felt like someone I loved had just died. I unconsciously dragged out the entire process, delaying the inevitable: the moment when I would have to get into the car, turn it to the east and drive 1100 miles away. At one point in the afternoon our good friend came to take our fish. I knew the fish wouldn’t survive the drive and they graciously offered to provide a home for our pets. When he took them it was just one more goodbye we didn’t want to make and we cried even though they were “just fish”. One year ago today was a horrible day.

One year ago I started over in a house I had never seen before, in a city I didn’t know. Sunday came and I dreaded it. Sunday was the day when we usually had gone to my parent’s house for a wonderful dinner and fun evening with my family and I was dreading a lonely evening in a house that still didn’t feel like home. Despite my heartache, homesickness and loss of direction, I knew the Lord was watching out for us. That first Sunday in our new ward the members rushed to greet us and I am sure nearly every person in the ward came up to welcome us. I was relieved to be in a place that seemed to want us. That afternoon the elder’s quorum president called and invited us to dinner and we eagerly accepted. We were blessed to spend the evening with 3 wonderful couples who have since become dear friends. That night was the beginning of healing.

The next Sunday I was called to be in the Young Women’s Presidency and another piece of my heart was healed. I was given a calling where I was able to be spend time with wonderful ladies while serving some amazing girls. Just knowing I had a job to do was a blessing.

Gradually we began to discover the joys and beauty of Kansas City. We found the huge Irish Festival, the incredible Renaissance Festival and the Nelson-Atkins with its free admission to view masterpieces by Van Gogh, Monet and others. We discovered Fall and the crisp autumn perfectness that results in tasty apple cider and gorgeous trees of orange and red.

Slowly we began to appreciate what self-reliance and independence really means, being too far away for my dad to fix anything. Alexander and I have also grown closer and more co-dependent than we previously had been (if that is even possible). Godiva has become more entrenched as a member of our family and I am convinced that she adds a whole new level of comfort that we desperately needed.
Alexander has found his niche and is performing better than expected in school. We have high hopes and expectations for the future and we know that he can accomplish anything he puts his mind to.

The miracles keep coming and our faith in the Lord is being tested and strengthened every day. One year from last year we have grown and stretched ourselves beyond what we thought we could. Our eyes are open to the daily miracles we receive and our hearts have found room to love Kansas City like we love our home in Provo.
One year down, the rest of our lives to go.

The Eternal Nature of the Family

I am a frequenter of Yahoo's Shine, a page compiled with random blog posts in all sorts of topics. Generally, for no reason I can explain, I stick to the parenting section and read all the blogs of mothers and their various experiences or complaints. Apparently I think of myself as a mother without kids.

However, today I wandered upon a blog post written by a woman named Abby, a sex-writer and nude model (not the type of post I would generally read). She explained that she is a feminist who was raised in an unconventional home where her dad stayed home and her mother worked. She is working on a degree in Feminist, Gender, Sexuality Studies but has a secret (or not so secret anymore) desire to be a stay-at-home mother with at least 3 kids. She says, "I just want to fall in love with someone for the rest of my life, have kids with him, and watch those kids grow up".

Reading her post struck such a chord with me. The past two weeks I have been teaching my YW Beehives about the eternal nature of the family: how before this life we were a family unit and that pattern continues in this life and if we are worthy, will continue in the life to come. Admittedly, Abby is anything but traditional and her ideas are considerably liberal, however, even she recognizes the unconscious pull toward a family that has all the potential to be eternal.

I loved this statement that she makes: "I know that marriage and the nuclear family is a screwed-up social construction. I’ve even written papers on the topic. But this argument is based on logic (and a desire to get an A). My happiness is not logical. My choices are not logical." I felt that this is a witness toward the sanctity of marriage and of raising children. She may not realize it and her mind can't make sense of it, but her spirit does.

Along those lines, isn't it amazing that with all the wickedness that this world has experienced, that the traditional ideas of marriage and the nuclear family are still the mainstream? I find this to be a testament of the eternal nature of families.

Additionally, I absolutely loved this statement that Abby used to conclude her post, "Being a feminist is about having the right to choose what you do with your life. My choice (as of today) is to be a stay-at-home mom. Therefore, I am a feminist". With all the negative pressure against women who decide to stay home with their kids, I love this affirmation. Women who choose to stay home aren't giving up their right to be independent free-thinkers, they are actually asserting those rights. (FYI, I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with women who choose or who are unable to stay home, just appreciating a feminist woman who is not bashing on stay-at-home mom's.)

So bravo to all the women (not just conservative, traditional types) who, in their search for happiness, acknowledge their desires for a nuclear family life that may not always be the popular choice.

*If interested, you can read Abby's post here: "I'm a White-Picket-Fence Feminist"

Holidays and Miracles

The past few months have just flown by. I can't figure out what I've been doing, but I'm pretty sure I have been busy. I did two more weddings in Utah, both of which turned out really nice and in between helping Alexander with homework, planning Young Women lessons, and looking for jobs, we have celebrated a few holidays.

Halloween was sort of a sorry event at our house this year. We were invited over for dinner by a family who had been great friends with Alexander's parents. It was very enjoyable and fun to meet new friends. We got home not long after dark and I expected the trick or treaters, but they never came. We still have a big bag of 150 mini chocolate bars if anyone is hungry. We had no reason to dress up, so we didn't. I was sort of sad about that. However, we did carve ourselves a couple of pumpkins that we picked up at a great pumpkin patch and we dressed up Godiva for a good laugh. I wanted to get a cute fall picture with Godiva next to the pumpkins, but we found out that for some unknown reason she is afraid of pumpkins. It was sort of hilarious.

This is my frog:


This is Alexander's Homestar Runner Devil:


The Dread Pirate Black Fur:


On November 6th we celebrated Godiva's first birthday. I think I just wanted a good reason to throw a party. I baked a little cake and bought her a new toy. I tried to get her to wear a party hat, but she wasn't too keen on that idea.



Godiva has become a really fun member of our family. She has filled a little of the void due to the lack of children and makes our home feel not so empty. She is a very smart dog and we have become quite adept at understanding each other. She understands a large number of words and we are able to have conversations, of a sort. She is still very energetic and really enjoys playing fetch and tug of war with her rope. She is completely spoiled rotten and has no idea how good she has it and we don't even mind.

This is my favorite position that Godiva sleeps in:


Recently, we have enrolled her in obedience school, hoping it would help with her anxiety problems she has had since the big move. Her first day of class felt like a sort of answer to a prayer, as the two other dogs in the class were right around her same size and knowledge level. There is another dog, Weston, that is part border collie and his owner is a sweet girl close to my own age. I think that having Weston in the class really helped Godiva with socialization and she has honestly done a lot better the past two months since starting the class. The teacher is also a wonder-woman and I couldn't have asked for a better teacher who doesn't make me feel stupid when my stubborn dog decides she wants to lay down instead of sit.

On another note, I put up the Christmas tree and decorations a little early this year since I knew we would be going out of town. My dear husband seems to love Christmas music as much as I do (which is saying a great deal!) and has been indulging my need to blast it throughout the house. I love our tree and it always makes me so happy when we plug it in and see the shining lights and shimmering ornaments! :)

We felt so blessed when Alexander's parents invited us home to Utah for Thanksgiving on their tab, even paying extra so that we could enjoy good food and friends during our visit. My wonderful family adjust their lives to fit us in. Denise gave up her room and moved in with Natalie and Melanie so that we would have some privacy (bless her soul!). Both Alexander and I needed that wonderful break from reality and enjoyed spending so much time with those we love. We drove out to Utah so that Godiva could come as well. She was actually really good in the car and our trip out to Utah was smooth and quick, we left at 8:30am and arrived at 2:30am that night. Our trip back to Missouri was less delightful, as we left at 6:00pm and drove through the night, stopping for a few hours to sleep in the car in Denver. I think we looked like homeless people but I didn't mind. We drove through the rest of the day and arrived home around 7:00pm. I still have car-lag from the whole event.

We witnessed another miracle upon arriving home. We live in a two story duplex on the main floor, and the upper floor has been empty for a number of months, but the two doors are next to each other. We found that the door to the upstairs unit had been totally kicked in and someone had broken in. The motivation for the break-in is unclear, as burglers rarely need to kick in a door, perhaps someone was after a previous tenant or something. However, robbery isn't unusual in our area and can't be ruled out. The police said that some copper piping was stolen, but that's it. The miracle is that whoever broke in didn't even attempt to get in our door. I know that it was an answer to our prayers.

We will be going back home to Utah again in a few weeks to do a wedding and spend time with the family and friends again over Christmas. We know we are completely spoiled and are just lapping this up because we know that in the future we won't be able to go home this often.

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jog

It has been a crazy couple of weeks since I last wrote. Things are going better for us and we are settling down into a sort of routine and familiarity with this place. We know where we grocery shop and that rush "hour" starts at 3:30pm.

On September 22, my sister Jen had her adorable baby girl, Hallie Ann (I am sure she gets her middle name from me, no matter what Jen says).

Alexander is doing well in school. He has already aced one exam and fired off two papers, lots more to come before Christmas though.

I went to a staffing agency a couple weeks ago. The woman was not very friendly and was sort of exasperated when I explained that I wanted a job as an event coordinator, telling me that there aren't any jobs in that field. I nearly stormed out, but decided to at least try to get my foot in the door somewhere. I grudgingly consented to take the skills tests that they force on you, though I was a bit too prideful to not be offended.

The first test was a typing test, but my hands were really cold and I was a tad nervous (it's been years since I've taking a typing test). My fingers shook the entire 5 minute test, so I assumed I didn't do too well. The next three tests were for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Each test had 20 questions (i.e. password protect this document in two clicks or less) and 25 minutes for each one. I finished the entire thing in less than 30 and I think I shocked the lady when I came out so early. She was visibly impressed though when she saw my scores, 63 wpm with a 99% accuracy rate, and expert levels in Word and PowerPoint. My Excel score was Intermediate, but she said that the test was geared for those with a strong background in accounting, which I have no experience in, and that I did better on it than expected.

Surprisingly, after my test this lady was much nicer to me, and told me that "lots of people want a job as an event coordinator, but now that I look at your resume, I see that you actually have the experience for it". Duh... didn't you look at my resume before? Anyway, she was very confident that with my skill set they would be able to find a good place for me. We shall see...

I guess it's no surprise that I had been having an emotionally difficult time out here the past few weeks. My family constantly talking about the tiny, cute baby just threw me over the edge. I spontaneously bought a plane ticket home and didn't tell anyone but my friend Melissa who agreed to pick me up at the airport. My sweet Alexander was so wonderful to let me go off and leave him alone for 5 days.

I arrived on Thursday morning and spent a couple of hours with Melissa before we went over to Jen's house. She was shocked speechless (which is saying a lot) and I had a fun time holding the darling baby.



While I was there, Melanie called Jen and asked if she could come over. When she arrived I answered the door. Melanie stood on the porch, mouth hanging open for a full 5 seconds before she suddenly threw her arms around me in a huge hug. I LOVE SURPRISES!!!

Later, Melanie drove me down to my parent's house. Apparently, my dad was on the phone with my mom when he looked out the window and saw me outside. He asked my mom why I was walking down the driveway, my mom replied that I wasn't. When I opened the door, Natalie, Denise, and my dad were standing there with wide eyes. Dad handed me the phone and told me to tell mom who I was. She didn't believe me, but she must have driven home fast because pretty soon she was home, running from the car to the house. You would have thought I'd been gone two years instead of two months.

The rest of the night consisted of hilarious greetings whenever someone else came home. McKay walked in the door looked at me, dropped his bag, and yelled "What the freak?!" It was fairly awesome.

I had so much fun with my family and friends and they were so nice to me, letting me use their cars and mess up their weekend schedules. I arrived at VitalSmarts on Friday just in time to go out with all the girls for Tara's birthday lunch, so I was pretty excited about that. Melanie had an extra ticket to the Saturday afternoon session of conference so I went up there with her and Denise and enjoyed the perfect weather. Sunday I cooked a huge meal of BBQ pork and beef with potato salad and baked beans. On Monday I was able to meet up with Jaclyn for lunch and see her gorgeous new house. Later Melissa and I broke all our previous records on the X-box game Lips and got #1 in the world singing the song "Kiss Me" by Sixpence None the Richer. YAY!!! The blood, sweat, and tears finally paid off there. ;)

It was hard leaving Tuesday morning, I already felt like I was home, but I knew that Alexander was waiting for me and I did miss him, so I sadly walked the plank, err, terminal to my fate and back to Missouri.

I have felt better since returning, like the visit refilled my spirits. I have so many blessings and am so grateful for all those people who love me enough to want to spend time with me. :)

Deborah

Last Saturday I broke all my own rules and expectations and went with some of my co-workers to participate in the Rex Lee Run. This is a 5k/10k run/walk fundraiser that raises money for cancer research. Participants are also welcome to contribute extra in the name of a cancer victim or survivor and wear their name in the race.

I have never participated in a 5k before, not even walking. It goes against my most firmly held belief that other people don't want to see me exercise. However, since I have broken this rule quite consistently lately by attending my aerobic classes I figured I could walk a couple miles. No sweat, right? Well...mostly. I forgot my ankle brace and thus ended up slowing my very nice friends down. I did surprising well without the brace, but I was sore later.

My real motivation in doing the race was for my husband and honoring his mother in the race. I know a lot of wonderful people that I could have honored instead, but I felt they would understand.

Alexander's mother was Deborah Alvord Strub. She was an extremely accomplished classically trained operatic soprano and had a double master's from ASU in music and pedagogy.

After finishing at ASU, she traveled to England for four years to study voice under a very famous instructor. One night she preformed at the Hyde Park Chapel and was so outstanding that a certain young man, Peter, in the audience couldn't leave without speaking to her. Peter courted her the rest of the time she was in England but she was forced to leave when her visa expired. Distraught that he hadn't proposed while she was still there, Peter proposed to Deborah in a letter and mailed it to Arizona where she was staying with her family. When the letter arrived her family tried to convince her not to open it (they were afraid he would break her heart again). However, she did open it and accepted his proposal. He then came to the US to marry her.

Soon after they were married they had Alexander and then 6 years after that, Sebastian. Deborah was a devoted mother who magnified her talents as a voice instructor in the community as well as an organist and choir director in her church for many years.

When Alexander was a teenager she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, an incredibly painful and incurable disease. It starts as a tumor with no symptoms and by the time symptoms have developed enough for it to be found, it is usually too late for survival. Because of this, 95% of individuals diagnosed with pancreatic cancer will die within 5 years.

Deborah fought a brave battle, undergoing all sorts of treatments to stave off the inevitable. Regardless of her illness, she encouraged Alexander to go on a mission and so he left in October 2001. He was blessed to be serving in the Salt Lake City mission under Pres. Richard Hinckley (son of Gordon B. Hinckley). When his mother was very close to the end of her life, Alexander was given the special option to spend a few days with her living or to attend her funeral. He chose to see her and was quickly sent down to spend a few days with his family. His mother was so proud of her missionary and only lamented that she hadn't had time to teach him how to be a good husband.

What Deborah may not have realized is that with her entire life she taught her sons how to be great men. She infused Alexander with her love of music and family and taught him kindness, sincerity, humility, and compassion. She also encouraged him to go after his dreams and to take advantage of the wonderful things life has to offer. She taught him true forgiveness and repentance as she spent many months praying so that she would be ready to face the next step in her progression after death. Of course, with all of these wonderful traits, Alexander didn't need to be taught how to be a good husband, he was already great.

Deborah passed away on February 4, 2002 after battling cancer for more than 2 years. She left this earth too early for me to ever meet her, but I imagine that we would have been wonderful friends and that she would have helped me continue my own pursuits by teaching me voice and piano. I think the best compliment Alexander has ever given me is, "My mother would have really liked you". The first time I met Alexander's grandmother she played a recording of Deborah singing "O Divine Redeemer". I've never heard it's equal and it brought tears to my eyes.

So Deborah, in the time between now and when I meet you face to face, I promise to take care of your boy, Alexander, and to love him as much as you would have wished. The best way for me to honor your memory is to love those that you loved and to take care of them when you can't. I pray I can live up to the task.

To Kiss and Tell

There has been quite a bit activity in my family regarding boyfriends, girlfriends, and dating in general. The biggest gossip concerns my youngest sister who has a new "boyfriend-ish guy" and had her first kiss this week.

When I talked with Nattie about her first kiss, I asked her how it was, did he have bad breath, were his lips chapped, was he sloppy? It was immediately obvious that I had kissed some losers in the past. I loved her answer though, so typical of the first kiss la-la land, "It was really good. I didn't notice anything else."

I have had some first kiss drama myself. On high school graduation day, we had a big party, like most schools do. A boy I had been friends with and with whom I had gone on several dates was there. We spent a good hour just talking on the grass. As the night waned on, I was getting more tired, but also more giddy/crazy (think: teenager). My friends were watching us from a distance and this guy thought it would be funny to stage kiss and then pretend we had really kissed. I personally thought it would be funnier to actually kiss, but I didn't say that. So, because I was silly and wanted him to like me, I agreed. He made me promise not to tell my friends it was a fake. Looking back, I totally don't get why we did it. The next morning my friends were all gabbing about our kiss when my friend Mel pulled me aside, looked me in the eye, and said, "You are a liar." And because I'm not a very good liar, my secret was out.

My actual first kiss was when I was a sophomore in college. I was 19 and completely flattered by a guy I had been dating for about 2 weeks. After one of those long days at school, he walked me to my car and kissed me. I thought it was good at the time, but 2 weeks later I wished I had never kissed him.

I like the story of my husband's first kiss best. We were on our first date and had spent the entire afternoon and evening together. We had taken a walk around campus and had ended up sitting on the bench by the bell tower. Alexander was sharing his heartache about his mom and family and I was overwhelmed at some of the things I felt comfortable enough to share with him. At one point we grew quiet, his arm around me as he stared off into the valley of lights. Suddenly, he turned and kissed me right on the lips. I was surprised and I distinctly remember the thought crossing my mind, "Do I want to be kissing him? Yes, yes, I do!" When we pulled apart, he got a shy grin on his face and said, "Well, I've never done that before".

"What?" I asked, "Never kissed someone on a first date before?"

"No, I mean, I've never kissed a girl at all before". Frankly, I was flabbergasted because his kiss was really nice. Not sloppy, not too long or too short, no chapped lips or bad breath, just really nice. I think that's why I married him. ;)

I think I would like again to experience that rush of adrenaline, of surprise, glee, adoration, joy, and giddiness that comes to a girl the first time she kisses a man she really likes. While I love every single kiss my darling husband gives me, it doesn't carry the same feeling of miraculous anxiety that our first kiss together did.

This quote brings that feeling to life again:

I ran up the door, opened the stairs, said my pajamas and put on my prayers - turned off my bed, tumbled into my light, and all because he kissed me good-night! ~Author Unknown

Four Years Ago Today...

It was a beautiful Saturday and I had talked my boss into letting me get off work early to go to the last day of the Ancient Mediterranean exhibit at BYU. By 3:00 I had pulled into the parking lot and was ready to do some exciting historical studies.

Waiting in line at the ticket booth, I noticed a handsome, blond guy in front of me. He was wearing an expensive green polo style shirt and looked comfortable with his blue backpack in his hand. After paying the $3.00 fee, I walked in and was surrounded by the soft light and hushed voices that seem to always accompany our ancient treasures. I was greeted by archeological finds from Ancient Rome and was quickly immersed into my own personal study of each object on display. Lips pursed and brows knitted together, I barely noticed the people around me. Suddenly, 3 small children rushed by me, delighting in the opportunity to explore and play. Their loud laughter broke my concentration and I realized that I had been following the handsome young man I mentioned earlier. After peering in the same cases at the same time, I felt I should break the silence and acknowledge his existence.

"I don't think all these figurines were used for 'religious purposes'. I bet these were just their action figures."

He was kind enough to laugh and we started talking. I tried to show off a little bit of my historical knowledge when we came up the Minoans section (since I had written a large paper on the Minoans) and was surprised when he knew just as much as me. Further conversation proved that he could correctly pronounce Greek and Egyptian words and knew fascinating tidbits about everything in the entire exhibit. I was impressed and so when he invited me over to his apartment to watch a movie he had made, I agreed.

The movie showed a silly side of this too-good-to-be-true guy and I enjoyed getting to know that aspect of his personality. When it was over, we continued our conversation about anything and everything. Right as I was feeling awkward over whether to stay or go, he asked me out to dinner at PF Chang's. By the time dinner was over, I was clearly head-over-heels for this guy. I didn't want to leave so when he suggested a movie, I quickly accepted. We saw Hitch and laughed so hard we cried. Later we went for a walk around BYU. Surprising both of us, he kissed me in front of the Bell Tower and I knew right then that this was something special.

Seventeen months later on October 1st, 2006, the cute blond guy took me up Provo Canyon to Nunn's Park and proposed to me. We were later married on January 5, 2007.

Although it is not our wedding anniversary, I have always considered June 4 to be a very special day for me. It was the day I was blessed to meet my sweetheart, Alexander, and the day we unofficially started our life together. So, thank you darling for these 4 years of bliss and happiness. I will love you forever!

Random Reflections

I have been so busy the last few weeks. I love being busy because it makes me feel like I am useful and that I am contributing to something. Unfortunately, this kind of busy has left me exhausted and vulnerable.

On Wednesday, without any warning at all, I got very sick. I thought it was a sinus infection because I had a sinus headache and all the bad stuff that goes with it, but then I think it turned into the flu and I have been rather miserable. Along with the sickness comes a forced break. I haven't done ANYTHING in 3 days! My house is a mess, my husband is forced to eat like a bachelor again, and my to-do list is getting longer and longer.

I cannot stand being forced to sit and do nothing for days on end. The only thing keeping me confined to bed is that I feel really yucky, which sounds like a lousy excuse to me. Out of desperation I finally called my mom yesterday to ask her for advice on miracle treatments to make me better within the hour. She didn't have any, but she did reprimand me for not telling her I was sick. Two hours later she was at my door with a pot of homemade chicken soup and fresh homemade bread! My mother is amazing!

So I sit here alone while my ever-faithful husband is at church fixing other people's problems. I have just run out of orange juice and I am trying to be reflective and religious while in my pajamas. It is Easter after all, the special day when we remember Christ's atoning sacrifice for man-kind. I am struck by the fact that the pain and sickness that I am currently enduring, Christ also suffered for me in Gethsemane, so that He would best "know how to succor His people." This is such an important piece of knowledge for me; it brings such comfort, yet it makes me sad that there are so many others who do not have this knowledge.

How blessed I am to know that Christ lives and to know that He is aware of me in my trials, however small they may be. I pray that we will each feel His spirit with us in our daily lives, whatever our current situations may be.

Despite my runny nose and cough, I cannot help but proclaim in my heart, "Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Most High God!"

I Was Good, I Promise!

And that is basically all I have to say about our trip to visit the in-laws last week in Phoenix. I was good. It almost killed me, but I was good...mostly.

Sebastian (Alexander's brother) came home from his mission in Atlanta on Thursday so we drove down there to see him before life becomes busy for him again. It was pretty good. Despite that I had horrible allergies that turned into bronchitis, it wasn't a bad trip.

On the down we stayed in Vegas in the Stratosphere and while we were eating lunch in the restaurant at the top, the fire alarm went off. I had visions of running down 110 flights of stairs, but luckily it was a false alarm.







On Thursday we went to meet Sebastian at the airport. We thought we were 10 minutes early, but Sebastian's plane had arrived early as well. We got to the gate 30 seconds before he walked out of the gate. Phew!





I helped by keeping Sebastian's sunglasses safe while he got his luggage.



We were lucky to be able to stay at my in-law's cabin in Black Canyon, which is in the middle of the desert.

From the deck:


Trying to be cute:


In the Front Yard:



On the drive home we stopped at Montezuma Castle. This home was built by the Sinagua (which means "Without Water" in Spanish) around AD 1100 and is about 2 hours North of Phoenix. It's always nice to check out the local culture. We stopped here the last time we were in Phoenix two years ago, but we had forgotten the camera, so we had to come again.

The Valentine's Dance

Tonight Alexander and I hosted a Valentine's Dance for the Elders Quorum (and their wives). It was a very successful evening and everyone had a lot of fun. I created a great play-list with a variety of songs that made for the perfect dance. We also decorated the joint a little bit. I really enjoy decorating when I can do it the way I want it to be. :)

Here are a few pics of the night:

Some of the Decorations:









My cute parents who volunteered to babysit all the kids:



Everyone got their pictures taken in front of the backdrop, including our guest DJ's, my brother and his adorable girlfriend:



Oh yeah, and I get to do it all again tomorrow night for a Stake dance... ;)