Florida

Today in the car we were trying to teach Miss Millie that we live in Utah. This is how the conversation went.

Mom: Millie say Utah
Millie: Utah
Mom: Do you know what Utah is?
Millie: Ahhh
Mom: We live in Utah, you know like daddy use to live in Texas.
Daddy: Millie do you want to live in Texas?
Millie: Ah No... I want to live in Florida!!

How does this kid even know about Florida? Of all places, I guess she is smarter then we thought.

Happy Birthday Wishes

I'm not sure how I am feeling about turning 45. I told myself that I was done having birthday's - seems like there tends to be a certain expectations when it comes to our birthdays. Maybe this stems from our childhood with parties, cakes, presents etc. But I'm not sure at what age it comes, but all of a sudden we no longer expect parties, cakes and presents. Just having the people that mean the most around us is all that we desire. Caren made me a delicious dinner, Kenna made a yummy cake - Millie, Maddie, Craig and James were all there to enjoy the feast. Aaron came by to celebrate and as always stepped in to help out with dinner. It was a relaxing night, well for the most part. Miss Millie has been sick for the last several weeks and like any sickness it gets worse in the evenings. Last night was probably one of the toughest nights for her. Once she was able to stop coughing and crying she slept like a baby.

I have always said that when I turn 45 I wanted to be in the best shape of my life. Well needless to say i started this about 3 weeks ago. Not much time to accomplish my goal, but at least it was a start. I set out three weeks ago and started the INSANITY work out program. This has been such an exhausting but rewarding workout. I love the results that I am seeing in just a short period of time. I am going to see this through for the whole 60 days. Maybe if I'm brave enough I will post the before and after photos (MAYBE!)

What I'm most Grateful for

I am very humbled today for the love I have for my Savior. He has blessed my life so deeply and continues to pour out his love and understanding to me. Through all my trial and tribulations my testimony of the Gospel of Christ has grown deeper and my understanding of the atonement is personal and one of deepest gratitude.

I am blessed with a loving family and amazing children whom I love dearly.

I am blessed with health.

I am blessed with wonderful friends.

I am blessed to be able to live in a free country.

I am blessed with wonderful employment.

I feel I am the person I am today because of everyone who I have been blessed to have in my life. I'm grateful for all the associations that I have. I am so grateful for those who have stood by my during my most trying times, I hope one day to be able to bless the lives of those that are struggling and not stand to judge them but to love them as the Savior did.

Last October our Church Leaders addressed us in conference. One of the talks that stood out to me was given Elder Holland. The talk was addressed Because of your Faith. I remember listening to him express his love and gratitude and being compelled to tears and overcoming emotions. Too often we fail to express our gratitude to those that mean the most and for the things that are truly of value to us. I am overcome with gratitude for all that the Lord has blessed me with. I often struggle to express the way that I feel and to my fault I struggle to express how exactly how I think. It seem my tongue does not cooperate with my thoughts.

Because of my faith I am blessed Because of my family I am blessed. Because of my trials I am blessed.

Owie...

Just when you thought things were going great... then your little one takes a nose dive off the swings and plants her forehead into the dirt. She will not let me put any medicine on her owie... so therefore it is up to her to put the medicine on. And she does it quit well. I asked her to pose for the camera and these are the two pictures that I got. After she saw the first one that looked quite dreary she then did the second pose that turned out cute. She is really a trooper about the whole experience.

Thoughts for Tuesday

(Scotty Graham)


"We simply cannot maintain wholeness if we talk and walk differently than we see"

This morning I was woken by a dream. In this dream I was at a family BBQ, everyone was running around getting everything prepared. I was sitting in a lawn chair talking to a man we were observing the activities of everything going on. He leans over to me and looks at his wife and said "She was my world, my everything. She just didn't know it. There came a day whey I had to choose, I could either start showing her or lose her forever. I choose to show her, I'm sad it took me so long and I wasted so much time."

This week I have realized there are others that need me more than I realized, I am a mother everyday but this week I realized that I must be a mom more and push everything else aside. I am sad that I have wasted so much time not really being there for my children. I was there but more as a friend instead of a mom. I choose to walk and talk differently than my divine roll as a mom. I'm not perfect and my children will be the first to agree.

I have to wonder the significance of that dream for the man is now in heaven. Why would I have been so moved by his comment? My heart was racing when I woke from this dream. How many people in our lives have we not shown up for and we are just wasting precious time that we will never get back?

The Pout-Pout Fish Song

This is Miss Millie's new favorite book... now song. It's a cute story. ENJOY!

Forgiveness: My Burden Was Made Light

This is one of my favorite pictures by Greg Olsen. I love the tenderness between the Young Woman and the Savior. How many times have we been in this position as the Young Woman. Kneeling at the Saviors feet asking for forgiveness and for the tender mercies of his love.

Are not the words of Abraham Lincoln beautiful which he spoke out of the tragedy of a terrible civil war: “With malice toward none, with charity for all, … let us … bind up the … wounds.” (In John Bartlett, Familiar Quotations, Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1968, p. 640.)

"Sincere forgiveness isn't colored with expectations that the other person apologize or change. Don't worry whether or not they finally understand you. Love them and release them. Life feeds back truth to people in its own way and time."
Sara Paddison

Songs for Saturdays