Last night, all the women in my church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, ages 8 years old and up met together for a meeting. It was held in the beautiful Conference Center in Salt Lake City, UT but it was broadcast to meeting houses all over the world. The leaders of our church spoke to us and gave us the most uplifting messages. There was beautiful music and moving videos. I walked away feeling uplifted and invigorated. If you want to listen to the broadcast, you can find it HERE.
As I sat in our chapel, surrounded by so many wonderful women, I felt a sweet sisterhood with them all. It ALMOST took away the sting of not sitting with my mother and sisters, who I knew were also listening in THEIR meetinghouses elsewhere in the country. I have been blessed to have wonderful family. My mother is as selfless as they come. I treasure my memories of her and love the time I get with her. My older sister is such a role-model to me. Being 6 years my elder, she has experienced all life's major events before me and handled them all with just poise and wisdom. My younger sister is my best buddy and I have had more fun with her over the years than I have had with ANYONE else and my heart is forever tied to her.
So last night I missed them. A lot.
But the pain of separation is SO worth the happiness I have received from having them in my life!
In the meantime, I am so grateful that I am surrounded by so many wonderful gals out here that are taking care of me and loving me and including me.
Life is good.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Spring!!!
Spring is HERE!!! It has been the 5th coldest winter in Minnesota on record. In the last 150 years, only 4 winters have been colder. I am a Texas girl. I'm not MADE for the cold. The average temperature was in single digits. We almost set the record for most days below zero, as in zero FAHRENHEIT. BRRR!!! We had plenty of days when it was so bitterly COLD that school was cancelled because it was dangerous to be outside for 5 minutes even. You could boil water and then throw it up in the air outside and turn it into snow. It was CRAZY.
And yet I made it through. I thought that I would get some sort of seasonal depression but I didn't, which I GREATLY appreciate. And now we are done. Today it was sunny and we had a high of 42 degrees! Absolutely incredible. The piles lining our driveway and sidewalk that were as tall as I am are now melting and I can SEE my lawn in a few places. I saw a small river moving down my street. Our small family was outside for ages today tromping around in our snow stuff. Soon it will be shorts and sandals!
Spring, I am welcoming you with the biggest hug EVER!
Food coloring
I absolutely LOVE St. Patrick's Day. There is something terribly exciting about planning how many ways you can incorporate GREEN and shamrock shapes into every meal : ) green eggs, shamrock french toast, green milk, shamrock quesadillas, green jello, green veggie straws, green applesauce, green mashed potatoes, green beans, shamrock biscuits, etc.
Not sure what makes me happier, seeing the excitement on my 2 year old's face from a plate full of funny green foods or seeing my husbands disgust!
Hope you had an awesome St. Patty's Day!!!
Not sure what makes me happier, seeing the excitement on my 2 year old's face from a plate full of funny green foods or seeing my husbands disgust!
Hope you had an awesome St. Patty's Day!!!
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Favorite Things
A huge group of gals from my church got together the other day to have a "Favorite Things" party. It was awesome to hear everyone's favorite songs and learn a little bit more about these ladies and what they love.
If you've never been to a favorite things party, you bring multiple of something that you adore and wrap them up separately and trade them all around and end up with some new "favorite things" from the other gals. I absolutely LOVE pedicures and my favorite part of the pedicure besides the painted toes is the sugar scrub. LOVE sugar scrubs : ) so I made some!
Here was my basic recipe:
2/3 c coconut oil (purchased at Costco)
1/3 c avocado oil (purchased at Costco)
2 c granulated sugar
1 lime zested
Lime and coconut flavoring oils (purchased online from the Gygi Company- one of my favorite stores ever, located in Salt Lake City, UT)
I mixed them all together and put them in adorable jars. Now these lucky ladies get to enjoy the magnificence of coconut-lime sugar scrubs ; ) here's to spreading happiness in a jar!
If you've never been to a favorite things party, you bring multiple of something that you adore and wrap them up separately and trade them all around and end up with some new "favorite things" from the other gals. I absolutely LOVE pedicures and my favorite part of the pedicure besides the painted toes is the sugar scrub. LOVE sugar scrubs : ) so I made some!
Here was my basic recipe:
2/3 c coconut oil (purchased at Costco)
1/3 c avocado oil (purchased at Costco)
2 c granulated sugar
1 lime zested
Lime and coconut flavoring oils (purchased online from the Gygi Company- one of my favorite stores ever, located in Salt Lake City, UT)
I mixed them all together and put them in adorable jars. Now these lucky ladies get to enjoy the magnificence of coconut-lime sugar scrubs ; ) here's to spreading happiness in a jar!
On Hearing
Do you remember THIS post?!
It was one of the first blog posts I did on here, all about the miracles of hearing and medicine. I find it ironic that I have had such a strong interest in cochlear transplants, one that started over a decade ago, and I now have a daughter that quite possibly will be a candidate for one some day!
We learned of our daughter's hearing loss on the very day that she was born but are still trying to figure out the extent of it. Turns out it is hard to determine what all a baby can hear because they can't tell you what they are hearing! So far, we believe she has moderate to severe loss in one ear, necessitating a hearing aid. We will learn more the older she gets!
Our daughter has had her hearing aid for 4 weeks now. Already we have seen such a change in her responses to sounds. Over the last 6 months, as I have been tutored by audiologists, I have gained such an appreciation for all the every day things that my daughter will struggle with. I hear a noise and INSTANTLY know exactly where that noise is coming from. In crowded rooms, it isn't difficult for me to zone into a particular conversation and completely ignore all the others that are happening around me. If a person is talking to me while facing another direction, I can still tell what that person is saying. In school, chairs scrapping across the floor, fingers tapping on the desk, or pencils scribbling on paper were not a major distraction that effected my learning. These are all challenges that my sweet daughter will have to learn to live with.
All that being said, our daughter can still HEAR. She loves to laugh. She already shows a great appreciation for music. She enjoys experimenting with noises; banging metal spoons on pots, crinkling newspapers, shaking rattles, etc. Despite her handicap, she LOVES noise and she has reminded me to be grateful for noise.
Some of my favorite noises:
-Laughter; I don't think there is anything better than pure, wonderful laughter. Nothing makes me smile like hearing my husband or my children laugh
-Music; I love every instrument in different ways. All move me and fill my heart with beauty
-Sounds of nature; gurgling brooks, wind in trees, rain on rooftops, chirping of birds, waves on the sand
It was one of the first blog posts I did on here, all about the miracles of hearing and medicine. I find it ironic that I have had such a strong interest in cochlear transplants, one that started over a decade ago, and I now have a daughter that quite possibly will be a candidate for one some day!
We learned of our daughter's hearing loss on the very day that she was born but are still trying to figure out the extent of it. Turns out it is hard to determine what all a baby can hear because they can't tell you what they are hearing! So far, we believe she has moderate to severe loss in one ear, necessitating a hearing aid. We will learn more the older she gets!
Our daughter has had her hearing aid for 4 weeks now. Already we have seen such a change in her responses to sounds. Over the last 6 months, as I have been tutored by audiologists, I have gained such an appreciation for all the every day things that my daughter will struggle with. I hear a noise and INSTANTLY know exactly where that noise is coming from. In crowded rooms, it isn't difficult for me to zone into a particular conversation and completely ignore all the others that are happening around me. If a person is talking to me while facing another direction, I can still tell what that person is saying. In school, chairs scrapping across the floor, fingers tapping on the desk, or pencils scribbling on paper were not a major distraction that effected my learning. These are all challenges that my sweet daughter will have to learn to live with.
All that being said, our daughter can still HEAR. She loves to laugh. She already shows a great appreciation for music. She enjoys experimenting with noises; banging metal spoons on pots, crinkling newspapers, shaking rattles, etc. Despite her handicap, she LOVES noise and she has reminded me to be grateful for noise.
Some of my favorite noises:
-Laughter; I don't think there is anything better than pure, wonderful laughter. Nothing makes me smile like hearing my husband or my children laugh
-Music; I love every instrument in different ways. All move me and fill my heart with beauty
-Sounds of nature; gurgling brooks, wind in trees, rain on rooftops, chirping of birds, waves on the sand
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Exertion
One of my cure-alls for a bad day is exercise. Hard, intense exercise. There is something incredibly energizing about working your body until it is exhausted. I love taking off down the road in my running shoes and going till my legs just won't go any more. My new favorite (since this cold weather up north is kicking my trash) is group cycling. I bought a gym membership and go to the spinning classes as often as possible. They have these teachers that are SO good at motivating me to push myself as hard as I possibly can. I know that for 55 minutes, my time on the bike is MY time. No distractions. No kids needing my attention, no dinner to cook, no house to clean. Just my mind and my body, working together. It is my time to sweat and pant and feel my body getting stronger as I am pushing it till it is weak. I LOVE it.
I could give you all sorts of stats from research articles telling you the benefits of exercise but I'm not going to. It is just awesome and it will make you feel awesome. I sleep deeper. I like myself more. I have more energy. I stand taller and sit straighter. I move quicker. I think clearer. We are MADE to be pushed and tested. Our bodies and minds need it.
It is good.
And I am happier.
I could give you all sorts of stats from research articles telling you the benefits of exercise but I'm not going to. It is just awesome and it will make you feel awesome. I sleep deeper. I like myself more. I have more energy. I stand taller and sit straighter. I move quicker. I think clearer. We are MADE to be pushed and tested. Our bodies and minds need it.
It is good.
And I am happier.
Monday, March 3, 2014
Life Goes On
Every Monday night, members of our church the whole world over gather together in their own families in their own homes to have an evening dedicated to family growth and unity. These Family Home Evenings, as they are called, usually involve the singing of hymns, scripture study, lessons on gospel topics, prayer, and sometimes a fun activity and dessert. In my childhood home, I always loved our family nights. They were fun and happy and brought a good feeling into our homes. I was blessed to have wonderful parents that were dedicated to God and knew the importance of raising their children to have devotion to the Lord as well. I can remember many of the lessons that my parents gave to us. I have fond memories of us all playing games together and bonding over some delicious treat. One thing I so looked forward to in having my own family was implementing these Family Home Evenings.
Our oldest is two now and old enough to sit through a short lesson (at least KINDA sit through it...) and even remember some of what we teach and I LOVE that we get to start the tradition of family nights in our home. Each time I have the opportunity to tell him about his Heavenly Father or Jesus Christ or prophets it just reaffirms my own faith. Today, our lesson was about God's plan for us. We talked about how God is the father of our spirits and how we lived with Him before we came to earth. We talked about how God made this beautiful world and everything in it for us. We talked about our bodies that He gave us and how special they are, that they are similar to His body. We talked about how this life is time to learn and be happy and be grateful for all that God made and help others. And then we taught that when this life is over, we get to go back to Heaven and be with God again and how happy that will be. We talked about the different members of our families that have already gone back to heaven before us, how they are waiting for us and will hug us when we get there, and how God and Jesus especially will be wanting to hug us.
Aren't these beautiful truths to be able to teach a child. Is there anything more important to teach a child than who they are, where they came from, why they are here, and what happens next? And is there anything happier?
As we were discussing our family members that have passed beyond this life, I found my heart filled with gratitude that I will have a chance to see and hug these members of our family again and that Nathan will be able to meet them some day. That is the silver lining behind the sting of death, that death is not the end, and that we can continue these beautiful family relationships beyond this earth.
Happy isn't even the right word for how wonderful that makes me feel.
Our oldest is two now and old enough to sit through a short lesson (at least KINDA sit through it...) and even remember some of what we teach and I LOVE that we get to start the tradition of family nights in our home. Each time I have the opportunity to tell him about his Heavenly Father or Jesus Christ or prophets it just reaffirms my own faith. Today, our lesson was about God's plan for us. We talked about how God is the father of our spirits and how we lived with Him before we came to earth. We talked about how God made this beautiful world and everything in it for us. We talked about our bodies that He gave us and how special they are, that they are similar to His body. We talked about how this life is time to learn and be happy and be grateful for all that God made and help others. And then we taught that when this life is over, we get to go back to Heaven and be with God again and how happy that will be. We talked about the different members of our families that have already gone back to heaven before us, how they are waiting for us and will hug us when we get there, and how God and Jesus especially will be wanting to hug us.
Aren't these beautiful truths to be able to teach a child. Is there anything more important to teach a child than who they are, where they came from, why they are here, and what happens next? And is there anything happier?
As we were discussing our family members that have passed beyond this life, I found my heart filled with gratitude that I will have a chance to see and hug these members of our family again and that Nathan will be able to meet them some day. That is the silver lining behind the sting of death, that death is not the end, and that we can continue these beautiful family relationships beyond this earth.
Happy isn't even the right word for how wonderful that makes me feel.
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Our True Identity
Today at church, we had a marvelous lesson about strengthening our relationship with ourselves. Too often we are too hard on ourselves. We are our worst critic. Things that we might never say to another person, we inwardly say to ourselves. We set expectations for ourselves that we would never set for overs. We berate ourselves when we do not meet those expectations.
During our lesson, I was reminded that we are loved by the creator of the universe, a person that has all power and is all knowing, a god that organizes worlds and moves stars. If He cares for us, we MUST be of tremendous worth. Doesn't that make you feel important? Doesn't that make your heart sing within you knowing that you are of value to the most important being in all creation? Can you not feel your soul fill with light as you remember your divine origins as children of God?
As I sat holding my sleeping baby girl the other night, I was amazed by how truly beautiful and precious she is. I know and love every curve of her face; her sweet button nose, her long delicate eyelashes, her plump rosy cheeks, the soft roundness of her chin. I have stared at that face so often that I could easily draw it from memory. I look at her face and see pure perfection.
And then I realized that my sweet mother surely thought the same thing of me when I was her little baby girl, rocking me to sleep in the late hours of the night. I am certain that her heart burned with all the same feelings of love and awe that mine do now. I think of how hard I have been on myself over the years. How it must have broken her heart to see me so hateful of the nose that she probably kissed over and over and over when I was a baby. Surely it made her cry to see the drastic measures I took to be thin and desirable to the world when she thought I was perfect the way I was. I know now the perfect love of a mother and want desperately for my daughter to know how truly marvelous she is.
If us terribly imperfect beings can love our children so deeply, how much more does God love HIS children. I am sure that it is incomprehensible. We have reason to rejoice in his love.
Our teacher shared this beautiful video with us about self-worth. It is one of the many uplifting Mormon Messages videos produced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This one is based on a talk given by one of our apostles, Dieter F. Uchtdorf. Enjoy!
Our True Identity
During our lesson, I was reminded that we are loved by the creator of the universe, a person that has all power and is all knowing, a god that organizes worlds and moves stars. If He cares for us, we MUST be of tremendous worth. Doesn't that make you feel important? Doesn't that make your heart sing within you knowing that you are of value to the most important being in all creation? Can you not feel your soul fill with light as you remember your divine origins as children of God?
As I sat holding my sleeping baby girl the other night, I was amazed by how truly beautiful and precious she is. I know and love every curve of her face; her sweet button nose, her long delicate eyelashes, her plump rosy cheeks, the soft roundness of her chin. I have stared at that face so often that I could easily draw it from memory. I look at her face and see pure perfection.
And then I realized that my sweet mother surely thought the same thing of me when I was her little baby girl, rocking me to sleep in the late hours of the night. I am certain that her heart burned with all the same feelings of love and awe that mine do now. I think of how hard I have been on myself over the years. How it must have broken her heart to see me so hateful of the nose that she probably kissed over and over and over when I was a baby. Surely it made her cry to see the drastic measures I took to be thin and desirable to the world when she thought I was perfect the way I was. I know now the perfect love of a mother and want desperately for my daughter to know how truly marvelous she is.
If us terribly imperfect beings can love our children so deeply, how much more does God love HIS children. I am sure that it is incomprehensible. We have reason to rejoice in his love.
Our teacher shared this beautiful video with us about self-worth. It is one of the many uplifting Mormon Messages videos produced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This one is based on a talk given by one of our apostles, Dieter F. Uchtdorf. Enjoy!
Our True Identity
One Beautiful Year
I haven't added anything to this blog in almost a year. It has been a year of some tremendous changes and I felt the need to settle in, adjust, and appreciate those changes a little without worrying about capturing them on this blog. Have you ever been in a really good lecture or lesson and force yourself to just set down your pen, keep your paper blank, and just LISTEN and enjoy what is being said. I find that sometimes I get so caught up in keeping record of what is going on that I don't fully appreciate what is actually going on. Like when I see a beautiful sunset or gorgeous waves on the beach or the smiles of my children and try so hard to catch it on camera and then miss the opportunity to just savor the moment. That's how I felt about blogging this last year.
That being said, I'm going to start back up again. We left our old home and town of 4 years almost 50 weeks ago. We moved to a new state and bought our first house almost 10 months ago. Almost 9 months ago, I gave birth to my second child and my husband started his first post-graduate job. Between adjusting to being the wife of a resident, the mother of two wonderful yet busy children, a first-time homeowner, and starting a new life in a totally new town and state, my life has been so full that sometimes I forget to appreciate that it is full of JOY.
I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We believe that we are children of God and that we are here to learn and to grow and to be HAPPY. In the Book of Mormon, our companion scripture to the Bible, the attitude that we should have about life is clearly stated. It says "Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have JOY" (2 Nephi 2:25). God wishes for us to be happy, to rejoice, to cherish life.
Here's to happiness
That being said, I'm going to start back up again. We left our old home and town of 4 years almost 50 weeks ago. We moved to a new state and bought our first house almost 10 months ago. Almost 9 months ago, I gave birth to my second child and my husband started his first post-graduate job. Between adjusting to being the wife of a resident, the mother of two wonderful yet busy children, a first-time homeowner, and starting a new life in a totally new town and state, my life has been so full that sometimes I forget to appreciate that it is full of JOY.
I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We believe that we are children of God and that we are here to learn and to grow and to be HAPPY. In the Book of Mormon, our companion scripture to the Bible, the attitude that we should have about life is clearly stated. It says "Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have JOY" (2 Nephi 2:25). God wishes for us to be happy, to rejoice, to cherish life.
Here's to happiness
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