It seems like we've been all over creation the last three weeks. First, down to St. George to watch Darren and Accalia's kids for the night, then up to Northern Utah to help my parents move. Then back up for Easter, back down to St. George for the Sterling Scholar awards; and, back up to get our Wii and up once again for Adam to interview at Morgan High School last week.
A week ago last Sunday, we asked the family to join with us in fast and prayer over fast Sunday to help Adam find work and get answers about what we should do and where we should go. It's hard depending on other people--waiting around for interviews, hoping for openings, etc. Fasting and prayer is one way we can contribute to our unsure circumstances. Many of our loved ones and friends joined us in seeking the Lord's help and guidance; and, our prayers have already started being answered. The day after is when Adam received an email from the principle at MHS, Tuesday he had a screening interview with him (which went very well, Adam felt really good about it), Wednessday he had a chat/interview with current band director at MHS, and on Thursday he had an official interview at Morgan High School. We haven't heard back from them yet, and Adam has some pretty stiff competition. However, if for nothing else, because the program's doing so well in Morgan at least we have hope now that there are stable jobs out there for teacher's of music.
Adam really wants the job. It's everything he wants right now, and it would be so good for us, not to mention the fact that we would be able to live in a small town and raise our children in a safer, closer-knit family. Nonetheless, St. George would be a good place to be as well, because it still feels like home. Then again, any where we are can be home. And, as long as we are together, we can find happiness in any situation we find ourselves in. That is the way in which Heavenly Father can always answer our prayers. We may not get exactly what we want, but we will be blessed with what is most important. Family is Everything.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
A bright future
I was asked to help judge the Utah Southwest Region Sterling Scholar competition this year. I felt honored that Mr. Erickson at the high school would think me a worthy community member to judge in the music. So, two Thursdays ago, I went down to St. George and helped Dr. Johnson from SUU and a faculty member from DSC decide which sterling scholar was most accomplished. Man, was that a tough decision! I couldn’t believe the talent, experience, and scholastic abilities of these young students.
There were a couple who toured Europe for nearly a month with groups of elite musicians. More than a couple of them have studied with musicians who are widely renowned and some have even played with and for famous musicians—not to mention their vast experiences in charity work from building houses in Mexico to traveling the country to promote drug-free programs. Then, on top of all that, is the incredible transcripts and ACT scores I saw in all their portfolios—I say incredible because almost all of them were 4.0 students (the lowest being somewhere around a 3.8 with college classes) and test scores ranging from 26 or 28 to 32 or 33. So, ten years after I myself competed in this same category in the Southwest Region Sterling Scholar, events were made full circle; and, I kept thinking to myself, “These are the type of people I was competing against? What was I thinking, and how in the world did I even get runner-up?” If I would have known the kind of competition I was up against, I would have immediately given up and ran to the nearest boulder to hide my shame at the mere thought of thinking I even had a chance. All I can say is I must have been a really good BS-er and, thankfully, I had quite the song prepared—Un Bel di Vedremo from Madame Butterfly—and I did rather well with it for all of those who doubt a teenagers ability to do that song justice. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a little impressive considering I was only 17.
I say it was a tough decision because I kept looking at how accomplished all these kids were and hated the fact that there could only be one sterling scholar; but when it came down to it, the actually decision was almost a no-brainer. The kid who won soared above every other contestant. His enthusiasm practically jumped off the pages of his Book and his performance and interview proved to us he really was that enthusiastic in real life. I can tell he has a great future ahead of him.
And...I have a great future ahead of me too. There are so many things I'd love to do and so many opportunities coming my way all the time. I just have to remember, there is a time for each of the things I'm meant to do in life. For that matter, Adam and Damon and Ashton all have a great future ahead of them as well. I think it's just a matter of understanding our purpose and dearest desires and then having patience until it's our time to fulfill them.
There were a couple who toured Europe for nearly a month with groups of elite musicians. More than a couple of them have studied with musicians who are widely renowned and some have even played with and for famous musicians—not to mention their vast experiences in charity work from building houses in Mexico to traveling the country to promote drug-free programs. Then, on top of all that, is the incredible transcripts and ACT scores I saw in all their portfolios—I say incredible because almost all of them were 4.0 students (the lowest being somewhere around a 3.8 with college classes) and test scores ranging from 26 or 28 to 32 or 33. So, ten years after I myself competed in this same category in the Southwest Region Sterling Scholar, events were made full circle; and, I kept thinking to myself, “These are the type of people I was competing against? What was I thinking, and how in the world did I even get runner-up?” If I would have known the kind of competition I was up against, I would have immediately given up and ran to the nearest boulder to hide my shame at the mere thought of thinking I even had a chance. All I can say is I must have been a really good BS-er and, thankfully, I had quite the song prepared—Un Bel di Vedremo from Madame Butterfly—and I did rather well with it for all of those who doubt a teenagers ability to do that song justice. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a little impressive considering I was only 17.
I say it was a tough decision because I kept looking at how accomplished all these kids were and hated the fact that there could only be one sterling scholar; but when it came down to it, the actually decision was almost a no-brainer. The kid who won soared above every other contestant. His enthusiasm practically jumped off the pages of his Book and his performance and interview proved to us he really was that enthusiastic in real life. I can tell he has a great future ahead of him.
And...I have a great future ahead of me too. There are so many things I'd love to do and so many opportunities coming my way all the time. I just have to remember, there is a time for each of the things I'm meant to do in life. For that matter, Adam and Damon and Ashton all have a great future ahead of them as well. I think it's just a matter of understanding our purpose and dearest desires and then having patience until it's our time to fulfill them.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Easter Break
Last weekend was super busy. Adam's last day of school before spring break was Wednessday. Then, that evening we drove up to West Point to Stacie's, Friday to Sharla's in Lehi, Saturday evening back to Stacie's and Monday evening back home. There was a lot of time in the car, but we dealt with it well. On the way home, we played "I Spy" from Bountiful all the way past Provo. Let me tell ya, Damon is a tough apponant to beat.
It was wonderful meeting Dustin's fiance, Nicki, on Friday. She seems super nice and I can tell she adores Dustin (something is waited a long time for) and he's pretty smitten by her as well. It's fun to see them together--all the lovey-kissy-can't-bear-to-be-seperated-from-you-for-one-second kind of affection brought me back a little to when Adam and I were engaged. But, I'm glad to say, they are not nearly as bad or corney as Adam and I were--Thank Goodness! However, they seem to have a little bit of the "island" syndrome. A thousand things could be happening around them and they are so into eachother that they would probably only catch about twenty of the different events. I love it--Oh, that period of time before the first fight on your honeymoon...ignorance really can be bliss.
General conference was amazing. I was very touched by almost every talk given. I have to admit, the only talks I wasn't enlightened by were the couple that didn't get my undivided attention. What really stood out to me, though, was the "teach your children at home" theme running throughout the whole conference. Almost every speaker mentioned the importance of the parents being their children's first teachers, that the church is only a tool in rearing children and their greatest strength comes from what they have learned at home.
It makes me feel like there is a lot of pressure placed on my shoulders. Of course I already knew that I was taking on a grave and difficult responsibility when I decided to become a mother. While I did feel reprimanded at times and even incompetent when I thought of all that was expected of me, the most wonderful thing about general conference (and this happens in every conference) is it left me with a greater hope and excitement for the future than I had before. I think it's mostly because we're practically given a step-by-step play to overcoming the life-challenges they address; and, the inspiration and spirit remind me of how much our Heavenly Father loves us and wants us to be happy.
Then, Monday, on our way home, I stopped to have lunch with a couple of old high school friends from Morgan--Alana and Angela. We laughed for over two hours and reminisced and got caught up. It was really nice and it's good to know that time may change us, make us look different, teach us life-lessons, and transform the way we see see things; but, essentially, we are still the same people. Despite all the changes in our lives and person we are still our own selves--that deep in our core we are still ourselves.
Here are just a few pics from the weekend--
A few of my favorite and most inspirational quotes:
“ACTIVATE THE POWER OF THE PRIESTHOOD.” There will be times when that is the only shield standing between your family and the power of the destroyer. -Packer
A good woman must constantly resist voices telling her she deserves time away, but the spirit can help to prioritize things in life. -Julie Beck
“They [the pioneers] may have been homeless, but they were not hopeless.” They had learned that the true source of hope is faith...Hope and happiness and joy are not products of circumstance, but products of the Lord. (Moroni 7:41-42) -Wilford W. Anderson
“You [mother] are your Daughter’s first line of defense against the wiles of the world” -Ballard
We help God the best by providing ways to build faith, especially while children are young. Lay the path and rescue them quickly from the darkness when and if they wander. Most valuable time is within the first eight years of their life. Because they are younger than the age of accountability, the mists of Satan do not cloud their eyes from the path to eternal life. -Eyring
The scripture enlarge our memory and teach us things that we would have not known otherwise...A loving God would not leave us alone to learn the unhappiness of the truth that wickedness never was happiness. -D. Todd Christofferson
We can reject the evil one if we want it enough. The light of the gospel can and will shine where we fear life has gone hopelessly and helplessly dark. - Holland
“It is not fair for us to make others feel as though they are deficient..." We are to support and heal rather...we shouldn’t act as though they are already lost... "Let us love at all times."
But until we manifest our words by our actions, we are nothing but a sounding brass…Christ not only taught but showed us how to succor the week etc…If we are his hands, should we not do the same?
Without the act of love, we are only the form of his church without the substance.-Uchdorf
What do our children see when they look at our faces? Do they see the countenance of the Savior...We are the angels heavenly father has sent to help the children…together we can come to know him, feel his presence, and experience his blessings as we strive to return to him -Lant
Need to be civil in our disagreements. It is appropriate to disagree, but it is not appropriate to be disagreeable. -Quentin L. Cook
“Being there” means understanding the hearts of our youth.” Connecting with them means not just talking with them, but doing things with them too. - Robert D. Hales
“A distraction does not have to be evil to be effective.” -Bradly D. Foster
“We will all face times of difficulty. The question is not when we will face them but how.” We may never know in this life why we face what we do, but we can face them with a surety that we will learn and have the strength to do what we must. -James B. Martino
Many blessings in life are missed because of worldly judgment to a spiritual decision. -Schwitzer
The gospel is adapted individually, the principles are universal elements and can be applied in our various situations...Must teach the things pertaining to righteousness so our children will be converted and have the strength to live their lives in righteousness. -Vinas
We live in Troubled times, in a time of permissiveness, distraction, etc...“We hold in our arms the rising generation…we cannot be casual in how we prepare them”
As you speak of Christ, you will feel the power of Heaven with you.
“I knew that I would be made equal to my mission” (mother of Oaks?)
If your child isn’t listening, do not despair. Time and truth are on your side...Your testimony will never leave your children…
As you do your best, the testimony of Jesus will gently distill upon your children’s hearts. They will go to Heavenly Father in humble prayer, and feel his influence through the power of the Holy Ghost. A stronger personal faith in Jesus Christ will prepare them for the challenges they will most surely face. (this is the promise)-Neil L. Andersen
It was wonderful meeting Dustin's fiance, Nicki, on Friday. She seems super nice and I can tell she adores Dustin (something is waited a long time for) and he's pretty smitten by her as well. It's fun to see them together--all the lovey-kissy-can't-bear-to-be-seperated-from-you-for-one-second kind of affection brought me back a little to when Adam and I were engaged. But, I'm glad to say, they are not nearly as bad or corney as Adam and I were--Thank Goodness! However, they seem to have a little bit of the "island" syndrome. A thousand things could be happening around them and they are so into eachother that they would probably only catch about twenty of the different events. I love it--Oh, that period of time before the first fight on your honeymoon...ignorance really can be bliss.
General conference was amazing. I was very touched by almost every talk given. I have to admit, the only talks I wasn't enlightened by were the couple that didn't get my undivided attention. What really stood out to me, though, was the "teach your children at home" theme running throughout the whole conference. Almost every speaker mentioned the importance of the parents being their children's first teachers, that the church is only a tool in rearing children and their greatest strength comes from what they have learned at home.
It makes me feel like there is a lot of pressure placed on my shoulders. Of course I already knew that I was taking on a grave and difficult responsibility when I decided to become a mother. While I did feel reprimanded at times and even incompetent when I thought of all that was expected of me, the most wonderful thing about general conference (and this happens in every conference) is it left me with a greater hope and excitement for the future than I had before. I think it's mostly because we're practically given a step-by-step play to overcoming the life-challenges they address; and, the inspiration and spirit remind me of how much our Heavenly Father loves us and wants us to be happy.
Then, Monday, on our way home, I stopped to have lunch with a couple of old high school friends from Morgan--Alana and Angela. We laughed for over two hours and reminisced and got caught up. It was really nice and it's good to know that time may change us, make us look different, teach us life-lessons, and transform the way we see see things; but, essentially, we are still the same people. Despite all the changes in our lives and person we are still our own selves--that deep in our core we are still ourselves.
Here are just a few pics from the weekend--
Melanie's b-day present to Dustin--This whitie-tighty bean
was some kind of inside joke. We all got a pretty good laugh
about it.
Ashton got a bath in Sharlas laundry room sink. It's gigantic! and I
want one. I liked that he could splash all he wanted and I didn't have
to worry about a big mess.
A few of my favorite and most inspirational quotes:
“ACTIVATE THE POWER OF THE PRIESTHOOD.” There will be times when that is the only shield standing between your family and the power of the destroyer. -Packer
A good woman must constantly resist voices telling her she deserves time away, but the spirit can help to prioritize things in life. -Julie Beck
“They [the pioneers] may have been homeless, but they were not hopeless.” They had learned that the true source of hope is faith...Hope and happiness and joy are not products of circumstance, but products of the Lord. (Moroni 7:41-42) -Wilford W. Anderson
“You [mother] are your Daughter’s first line of defense against the wiles of the world” -Ballard
We help God the best by providing ways to build faith, especially while children are young. Lay the path and rescue them quickly from the darkness when and if they wander. Most valuable time is within the first eight years of their life. Because they are younger than the age of accountability, the mists of Satan do not cloud their eyes from the path to eternal life. -Eyring
The scripture enlarge our memory and teach us things that we would have not known otherwise...A loving God would not leave us alone to learn the unhappiness of the truth that wickedness never was happiness. -D. Todd Christofferson
We can reject the evil one if we want it enough. The light of the gospel can and will shine where we fear life has gone hopelessly and helplessly dark. - Holland
“It is not fair for us to make others feel as though they are deficient..." We are to support and heal rather...we shouldn’t act as though they are already lost... "Let us love at all times."
But until we manifest our words by our actions, we are nothing but a sounding brass…Christ not only taught but showed us how to succor the week etc…If we are his hands, should we not do the same?
Without the act of love, we are only the form of his church without the substance.-Uchdorf
What do our children see when they look at our faces? Do they see the countenance of the Savior...We are the angels heavenly father has sent to help the children…together we can come to know him, feel his presence, and experience his blessings as we strive to return to him -Lant
Need to be civil in our disagreements. It is appropriate to disagree, but it is not appropriate to be disagreeable. -Quentin L. Cook
“Being there” means understanding the hearts of our youth.” Connecting with them means not just talking with them, but doing things with them too. - Robert D. Hales
“A distraction does not have to be evil to be effective.” -Bradly D. Foster
“We will all face times of difficulty. The question is not when we will face them but how.” We may never know in this life why we face what we do, but we can face them with a surety that we will learn and have the strength to do what we must. -James B. Martino
Many blessings in life are missed because of worldly judgment to a spiritual decision. -Schwitzer
The gospel is adapted individually, the principles are universal elements and can be applied in our various situations...Must teach the things pertaining to righteousness so our children will be converted and have the strength to live their lives in righteousness. -Vinas
We live in Troubled times, in a time of permissiveness, distraction, etc...“We hold in our arms the rising generation…we cannot be casual in how we prepare them”
As you speak of Christ, you will feel the power of Heaven with you.
“I knew that I would be made equal to my mission” (mother of Oaks?)
If your child isn’t listening, do not despair. Time and truth are on your side...Your testimony will never leave your children…
As you do your best, the testimony of Jesus will gently distill upon your children’s hearts. They will go to Heavenly Father in humble prayer, and feel his influence through the power of the Holy Ghost. A stronger personal faith in Jesus Christ will prepare them for the challenges they will most surely face. (this is the promise)-Neil L. Andersen
Sunday, March 28, 2010
It keeps going, and going, and going...
So, the first thing that happened this week was this--
First I thought it was a spider bite, then it got blisters and was tender so I thought I'd gotten a burn somehow without realizing it. Then it spread farther and the blisters turned into more smaller blisters, and I thought maybe it really is a spider bite. That's when I got onto the internet and looked up information and pictures of spider bites; and, yes, that's what it was. The pictures above are on day 5, when it was already beginning to heal. If I would have realized what it actually was earlier, when it looked really bad, I would have probably panicked and gone to the doctor. Sometimes it pays to be ignorant. At least it saved me a co-pay.
We've been working really hard to get our house done. I wanted to finish by the end of the weekend--we're still a ways away from completing everything. Oh, well. We'll just keep trudging on...
Since we don't have a sink in Damon's bathroom right now and our hot water's not currently accessible in the master bath sink, Damon's been stealing our big stool to wash his hands at the kitchen sink. I'm constantly either tripping over while I'm cooking or looking for it when I need to do a project. I can't wait till order returns to our house. Then again, perhaps there was never order in the first place.
Ashton has about had it with us neglecting him (not really, but you'd think so with the way he carries on when we put him down on the floor or in his jumper). So, he got to help daddy paint, if you can consider it helping. He spent most the time trying to get a hold of the brush. Knowing him, I'm sure he wanted to taste-test it. What a cutie-petutie.
This is a nightly ritual. After family prayer, Adam tucks Damon in and reads him a story. Right now they're working on a graphic novel about Robin Hood. Occasionally, when he's not ornery at bed-time, Ashton joins them for the story. He's not quite ready to pay attention, but we'll keep workin' on him. :)
First I thought it was a spider bite, then it got blisters and was tender so I thought I'd gotten a burn somehow without realizing it. Then it spread farther and the blisters turned into more smaller blisters, and I thought maybe it really is a spider bite. That's when I got onto the internet and looked up information and pictures of spider bites; and, yes, that's what it was. The pictures above are on day 5, when it was already beginning to heal. If I would have realized what it actually was earlier, when it looked really bad, I would have probably panicked and gone to the doctor. Sometimes it pays to be ignorant. At least it saved me a co-pay.
We've been working really hard to get our house done. I wanted to finish by the end of the weekend--we're still a ways away from completing everything. Oh, well. We'll just keep trudging on...
Since we don't have a sink in Damon's bathroom right now and our hot water's not currently accessible in the master bath sink, Damon's been stealing our big stool to wash his hands at the kitchen sink. I'm constantly either tripping over while I'm cooking or looking for it when I need to do a project. I can't wait till order returns to our house. Then again, perhaps there was never order in the first place.
This is a nightly ritual. After family prayer, Adam tucks Damon in and reads him a story. Right now they're working on a graphic novel about Robin Hood. Occasionally, when he's not ornery at bed-time, Ashton joins them for the story. He's not quite ready to pay attention, but we'll keep workin' on him. :)
Friday, March 26, 2010
We're in Trouble!!!!!
Alright everybody, take a real good look at this, because this is the face of Trouble-And I mean TROUBLE!
He's widdling his way into cubby holes, finding chords in impossible places and trying to eat them, pulling apart my new decorative plants, and moving long distances in incredibly short amounts of time. One second he's laying in front of the entertainment cupboard, the next he's practically down the hall. Help Me!
He's getting so excited about life. You can see it in the way his face lights up when he smiles. I just love it, especially when he lights up because he sees me. I'm a lucky momma. Although, the following pictures are pretty good examples of my life lately.
Over-cooked, frazzled, and bursting at the seems, but still mostly contained. I've got a hundred ingredients fighting for attention in my life and I'm doing my best to keep it all under control.
Needless to say, my first attempt at baking an Angel Food Cake didn't go so well. Maybe the fact that the mix expired in April of '06 had something to do with it. Note to self: pay attention to the expiration dates of food I try to feed my family. All the box requires is to add water. That's it, and I still managed to completely botch it. Oh, well, it's just a good thing that the store is only one minute away, and Adam is a super fast go-to guy.
I just keep reminding myself, it all ends up alright in the end, if not exactly how we planned. Life really is good to us, and I'm grateful for all the happiness.
He's widdling his way into cubby holes, finding chords in impossible places and trying to eat them, pulling apart my new decorative plants, and moving long distances in incredibly short amounts of time. One second he's laying in front of the entertainment cupboard, the next he's practically down the hall. Help Me!
He's getting so excited about life. You can see it in the way his face lights up when he smiles. I just love it, especially when he lights up because he sees me. I'm a lucky momma. Although, the following pictures are pretty good examples of my life lately.
Over-cooked, frazzled, and bursting at the seems, but still mostly contained. I've got a hundred ingredients fighting for attention in my life and I'm doing my best to keep it all under control.
Needless to say, my first attempt at baking an Angel Food Cake didn't go so well. Maybe the fact that the mix expired in April of '06 had something to do with it. Note to self: pay attention to the expiration dates of food I try to feed my family. All the box requires is to add water. That's it, and I still managed to completely botch it. Oh, well, it's just a good thing that the store is only one minute away, and Adam is a super fast go-to guy.
I just keep reminding myself, it all ends up alright in the end, if not exactly how we planned. Life really is good to us, and I'm grateful for all the happiness.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Hand to Mouth...
Okay, finances may get a little tight at times, but Ashton's taking the term "hand to mouth" to a whole new level. For him it's literal. He picks up an items, studies it for a second, then promptly gives it a taste-test as if that will give him a better idea of what it is. It's so fun to watch him watching the world around him. He doesn't just look, he studies the people, the objects, everything; and, I can practically see his observations processing in his mind. I love seeing him try to use his fine motor skills. Sometimes I'll put little pieces of food on his tray and watch him try to pinch it between his pointer finger and thumb. Mostly, he just pushes it away in his attempts or, if he gets lucky and manages to pick it up, loses it before it's even half-way to his mouth. Of course, when he's down on the floor, he is miraculously able to pinch lint and put it to his mouth with no problems at all. How does that always happen--they always want or find what they shouldn't have.
Last week in sacrement meeting, he was interested in a woman sitting behind us. He kept looking over my shoulder at her and flashing his biggest smile, then he'd duck down and play with a toy a minute and then look back over my should and smile at her again. At one point, she got up and left the chapel. Ashton watched her the whole way and even kept looking a the door seemingly waiting fore her to return. It was so cute, hardly anyone can keep from smiling at him when they make eye-contact.
He's also practicing his gross motor skills. His knew favorite past-time is playing on the floor. He hasn't figured out crawling or even the army crawl, yet. Instead he just puts his arms forward and pulls himself forward with his brute strength and an occasional grunt. I'm still cringing at the thought of baby-proofing. There is just so much to do and I feel so little time. Everyday he seems to get into something else I didn't think was problem or even a temptation.
My parents came down yesterday. They ate chilli and spent the afternoon with us. I'm sad to think a quick visit won't be a possibility come next weekend. They finally sold (or presold, since it's just on lease until the new residence sell their own home) their house, and now they're moving to Northern Utah (Huntsville) for a while. It's a little sad, but we won't be here too much longer anyway. It's funny how my whole family has returned to Northern Utah and I'm the only left with a link to St. George. It's always bittersweet to grow up and build your own family. Home developes a new definition. It's no longer the house we grew up in, or where mom and dad are, it's not even where the heart is. I'm learning that home is a place where you feel safe, have a purpose, and where you're life is shared with those you couldn't live without. My heart will always be with my parents and siblings and I'll always want to be near them; but, the greatest part of me will always want to be with Adam and our children as they grow to be men. Wherever we can thrive in all the facets of life, that's where we need to be. I hope we will never be too far from our loved ones, but I also hope we will alow the road to take us wherever we will find the greatest possibilities for our stability, growth and happiness. However, I also realize that as long as we are together, we can make wherever we are HOME.
Last week in sacrement meeting, he was interested in a woman sitting behind us. He kept looking over my shoulder at her and flashing his biggest smile, then he'd duck down and play with a toy a minute and then look back over my should and smile at her again. At one point, she got up and left the chapel. Ashton watched her the whole way and even kept looking a the door seemingly waiting fore her to return. It was so cute, hardly anyone can keep from smiling at him when they make eye-contact.
He's also practicing his gross motor skills. His knew favorite past-time is playing on the floor. He hasn't figured out crawling or even the army crawl, yet. Instead he just puts his arms forward and pulls himself forward with his brute strength and an occasional grunt. I'm still cringing at the thought of baby-proofing. There is just so much to do and I feel so little time. Everyday he seems to get into something else I didn't think was problem or even a temptation.
My parents came down yesterday. They ate chilli and spent the afternoon with us. I'm sad to think a quick visit won't be a possibility come next weekend. They finally sold (or presold, since it's just on lease until the new residence sell their own home) their house, and now they're moving to Northern Utah (Huntsville) for a while. It's a little sad, but we won't be here too much longer anyway. It's funny how my whole family has returned to Northern Utah and I'm the only left with a link to St. George. It's always bittersweet to grow up and build your own family. Home developes a new definition. It's no longer the house we grew up in, or where mom and dad are, it's not even where the heart is. I'm learning that home is a place where you feel safe, have a purpose, and where you're life is shared with those you couldn't live without. My heart will always be with my parents and siblings and I'll always want to be near them; but, the greatest part of me will always want to be with Adam and our children as they grow to be men. Wherever we can thrive in all the facets of life, that's where we need to be. I hope we will never be too far from our loved ones, but I also hope we will alow the road to take us wherever we will find the greatest possibilities for our stability, growth and happiness. However, I also realize that as long as we are together, we can make wherever we are HOME.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
thinking sunny thoughts
...and I thought we would get a taste of Spring!
Monday's weather was sunny, clear, and there was no evidence of snow anywhere. I was excited, thinking that maybe it would be warm enough this weekend to paint the trim on my house and put up the picket fence in the front. On Tuesday morning, we stepped out the door into a couple inches of snow. Darn! 4 hours later, when I went to pick up Damon, we had 13+ inches, the snow touching the doors of all the cars and I thought, "Oh, boy, I hope I don't get stuck." So, I backed up into some fresh truck tracks, all the while thankful that I could just get out of the driveway, and then promptly got stuck right in the middle of the road. I jumped out, scraped the road around my tires, and crossed my fingers as I slowly made my way forward and toward the main road which had already been plowed. I miraculously made it to and from Headstart with no major incidents.
Then, on Tuesday, Adam and I entertained at a High Priest dinner. We had three weeks to prepare, but I kept forgetting and we didn't actually get things together until Sunday, oops. I wasn't too woried, because we were supposed to perform while they ate; and, my experience with performing during a dinner is that the people never actually pay attention to you. That is way I really don't like performing during meals. Well, the room went dead silent the moment we got up to sing and every eye seemed to bore right into us. Definitely not what I expected. Thankfully, we just decided to sing a bunch of church songs since it was a spiritual meeting. Since we've had the opportunity to learn many special arrangements for hymns and LDS songs over the past few years, we still sounded like we knew what we were doing. I even faced my fears and accompanied Adam on a couple songs--a very first for me--I'm afraid of playing in public. I'm proud of myself, I did surprisingly okay. Although, I'm not sure I'll be ready to do it again any time soon.
Ashton's making way around, eventhough he's still not crawling. I keep telling him he can take his time. Not only is he growing too big too fast, I'm not even close to baby proofing. I'm hoping to be done fixing up the house soon so we can get all the litttle nick-knacks and tools put away and out of reach of his little busy baby fingers. I seem to be constantly telling myself to hurry. It's just a matter of time (and not much of that) before he is on all fours wreeking havoc. Heaven help us! I can only handle so much at once. Besides, once that happens, he won't be my sweet little baby anymore. He'll be my sweet little toddler--I'm not sure if I ready for that.
Monday's weather was sunny, clear, and there was no evidence of snow anywhere. I was excited, thinking that maybe it would be warm enough this weekend to paint the trim on my house and put up the picket fence in the front. On Tuesday morning, we stepped out the door into a couple inches of snow. Darn! 4 hours later, when I went to pick up Damon, we had 13+ inches, the snow touching the doors of all the cars and I thought, "Oh, boy, I hope I don't get stuck." So, I backed up into some fresh truck tracks, all the while thankful that I could just get out of the driveway, and then promptly got stuck right in the middle of the road. I jumped out, scraped the road around my tires, and crossed my fingers as I slowly made my way forward and toward the main road which had already been plowed. I miraculously made it to and from Headstart with no major incidents.
Then, on Tuesday, Adam and I entertained at a High Priest dinner. We had three weeks to prepare, but I kept forgetting and we didn't actually get things together until Sunday, oops. I wasn't too woried, because we were supposed to perform while they ate; and, my experience with performing during a dinner is that the people never actually pay attention to you. That is way I really don't like performing during meals. Well, the room went dead silent the moment we got up to sing and every eye seemed to bore right into us. Definitely not what I expected. Thankfully, we just decided to sing a bunch of church songs since it was a spiritual meeting. Since we've had the opportunity to learn many special arrangements for hymns and LDS songs over the past few years, we still sounded like we knew what we were doing. I even faced my fears and accompanied Adam on a couple songs--a very first for me--I'm afraid of playing in public. I'm proud of myself, I did surprisingly okay. Although, I'm not sure I'll be ready to do it again any time soon.
Ashton's making way around, eventhough he's still not crawling. I keep telling him he can take his time. Not only is he growing too big too fast, I'm not even close to baby proofing. I'm hoping to be done fixing up the house soon so we can get all the litttle nick-knacks and tools put away and out of reach of his little busy baby fingers. I seem to be constantly telling myself to hurry. It's just a matter of time (and not much of that) before he is on all fours wreeking havoc. Heaven help us! I can only handle so much at once. Besides, once that happens, he won't be my sweet little baby anymore. He'll be my sweet little toddler--I'm not sure if I ready for that.
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