Gordon B. Hinckley 1910-2008

The Prophet passed away on Sunday night. He truly was a Prophet of God, and I will miss him. He was a source of comfort and faith during my growing up that helped grow and foster my testimony. Something that has always stuck out to me but is really a small thing. When I was 18, I wanted a second earring hole in my ears. My parents said no, so I asked for it for Christmas. They relented with the words, "If you want to make yourself look like a barbarian, it's up to you." Nice, huh! Of course, I immediately went out and got my ears pierced again. I loved my earrings. I loved wearing four earrings at a time. I took such good care of those holes! And not six months later, President Hinckley told the Young Women to only wear one set of earrings. I was so bummed! I prayed about it and felt it was important to just be obedient. I haven't worn earrings in those holes since. It's a little thing, but I learned a lot about being obedient to the Prophet.

My Mom sent me this poem in an email.

Prophetic Passing


I imagine he's running to Marjorie now,
Yes, running, not waving his cane.
I see him embracing his father and mother
While they keep repeating his name.

I see him now meeting his forebears,
Brother Brigham and Joseph are there.
Sweet reunion of prophets, united by service
That only such noble men share.

I see him embraced by the Savior
While Father says, "Good and well done.
So faithful in stalwart endurance, I welcome
My noble, most excellent son."

I then hear the ripples of laughter
As he says the reception's just fine,
But he hopes that he'll get an assignment or two
Since there's no need to waste any time.

I can hear his clear voice in the stillness
At the close of this sweet Sabbath day,
Have faith and move forward - there's work to be done.
President Hinckley would want it that way.

Anna M. Molgard
January 27, 2008

My 3-day date

I just got to spend three days with my hubby! We did nothing but run errands and eat at our favorite digs (sadly, I'm obsessed with Carl's Jr. and it's not in MN) but it was absolutely lovely and perfect. It was sooooooooo what I needed.

M was such a good girl. I was so worried she would be resentful toward her Dad but she was immediately sweet and loving. She wouldn't let him change her diapers but that's not really a new struggle.

I'm so thankful for my husband and his hard work. He is so patient and kind to us and I can't wait until we actually LIVE in the same state again! :)

A big year

My little one turns TWO in ten days!

2008 is going to be a big year for our family!

W started his new job on January 2nd.

W turns 30 on Feb. 2nd.

M turns 2 on Feb. 2nd (we're really into Groundhog Day around here)

We're moving...hopefully soon. (pray for the house to sell soon!)

M is going to be a big sister in August.

We are really into big life changes right now!

The funny things she does

She loves to get out the packages of post it notes that I have hoarded in our office (from my Dad's office in Utah, circa 1998, seriously!) and line them up on the floor and declare that it's time for prayer. huh? I do, however, usually comply because hey, she's at least learning to pray!

She loves to put small pieces of food in the spout of her sippy cups where it makes a little notch....because you know, it's funny. really, it is.

She bends her knees and stands up fast and declares that she's doing "bubs" or jumps. No catching air yet, but that's okay.

She brushes her hair back from her face (aunt Grace's fave) when it's super staticky aka all the time right now.

She insists on wearing the shoes SHE wants to wear.

She didn't like fruit snacks....until today. When she saw that there were Princess fruit snacks.

She pulls her hat down over her eyes and plays peekaboo from the backseat...and then usually gets her hat stuck over her eyes!

She asks for "seesick" aka music and then dances all over the living room to it.

She puts her boots on her hands and plays patty cake.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

I get to see my sweetie in less than
four
days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Did I tell you that I'm excited??)
It has gotten me through the last week knowing that "next Friday I'll be with my honey"!
There's a blog I read and enjoy of a very talented woman (not in my links, so don't bother looking). She made the announcement that she's getting divorced, and I am just heartsick for her. It has made me think about what it takes to get there. W and I haven't had a rough time, but we're definitely not perfect. If anything, I take advantage of our easy time. Being away has definitely made me aware of how I need to take advantage of him in another way. I need to take advantage of the love that he is always freely giving and the kindness that is always there. Not that we'll be any more perfect, but hopefully enjoy the ride more and more!

Another Freebie!

Hey readers! There's another fun freebie out there! Sugar and Spice, the Momblog I am part of is hosting a freebie for vinyl lettering!! Anyone can comment and win so head on over there!!!

Eggs

I've been craving fried egg sandwiches lately. In just this dozen, I've had two eggs with double yokes. Isn't that weird????

I can't stop looking at my layout. I'm very proud of it. Even if it looks like a valentine threw up all over it, I don't care. I still think it's cute!

Boy, I feel safe!

So we met Grandma Jan for some shopping and dinner tonight. It was lovely to get out (even if the outdoors are scary cold!) and it was fun. We walked around Archiver's and M was so cute. She got mad every time I'd walk away from "umma" (a nice change after she was such a cranky pants last Sunday).

Then we walked around Target and Grandma even got some cute spring clothes for M's birthday! M and i wandered around the toys and turned the corner and gasp! M (yes, she gasped and yelled out, Princess!!!) went nuts over the Princesses! It was toooo cute! I don't know where her love for all things princess is coming from but it is taking over! They had cute soft dolls for each Disney princess and so I snuck one away for her birthday later! :)

We had dinner in the mall and I had a good chuckle over the security guards keeping us "safe" in the mall. Seriously, the kid was skinnier than Steve Erkel, his uniform was hanging off his body, my six year old nephew could take him down! It was funny, good thing our mall is really quite tame! :)

Being Grateful

I'm trying hard to not let my blogspot become my sobspot while W and I are apart. It's hard but we're doing okay. Today was a hard day but I've been trying to think of all the wonderful blessings we have felt recently.

Grandma and Grandpa letting W stay with them indefinitely
Katie and Jeff stopping by for a game of Settlers...and inviting him to dinner
Karl and Barb inviting him out to their family dinner
people at his new office being nice to him
people at my office planning a pizza party to keep me distracted and busy
Ali babysitting M for me and inviting us over during M's birthday weekend
Trisha babysitting M while Tiffani is out of town
Roxanne calling me out of the blue to make me laugh on my long Saturday last week
T putting up with me for over an hour last weekend when I just kept talking and talking and talking and talking (and probably a few more of you feel that way too!)
Grandma Jan for yummy lunches and putting up with us even when M was grumpy gills on Sunday
Christina for her fabulously yummy HOMEMADE bread and chicken soup to warm and fill me up...i've had yummy toast all week!
Laura for calling me before I even got back in town to see how I was adjusting to things
all of the phone calls and emails to make sure i'm doing okay
all of the sweet comments of encouragement on the blog from friends and family near and far
all of the prayers I know are being said in our behalf
Thank you for these sweet blessings

cutest aprons!

Head on over to Tutus and Turtles for the cutest apron giveaway! It closes on the 17th so hurry! They are cute little designs for your little ones! I have yet to win a giveaway but it doesn't stop me from trying!

Pipstidt

M LOVES chapstick aka "pipstidt". She begs for it and on our trip she loved carrying it in her pocket aka "pippet". She thought it was so cool. Of course, now I'm trying to remember to go through all her pippets to avoid any waxy disasters (which, I must say, chapstick is getting better at this, even when i forget, it hasn't ruined my clothes lately-hooray for a better seal and newer technology!) I digress. Today, she was totally fondling my leg asking for "pipstidt" and sure enough, I had a chapstick shaped lump in my jeans pippet. Gotta love my two year old.

Christmas projects!

I was a nerd and didn't take pictures of the projects I made for my Mom and T for Christmas. I took the pattern I got from Cramster and made it bigger! I was so excited with how well they turned out. T had specifically asked for one in brown and aqua/blue and I was so nervous that she wouldn't like the colors/patterns I ended up with but I never saw her without it the rest of the trip so I must have done well. :)
My Mom had asked for a bag for her to take to Young Women's (she just got called to be the ward's YW president). Hers turned out massive and a bit deeper than I anticipated but she still claims to like it. :)
They were fun to make and so quick! I changed a few things from last time and felt so smart! :) I used fat quarters for all my calicos and bought the pre-quilted fabric for the liner so I wouldn't have to make a liner or use batting that felt so thick but I wanted the quilted look and it worked wonderfully! Plus I only had two layers to sew. I also attached the handles early so I wouldn't run into the problem I had last time of not knowing where to put the handles! It worked great!

ps-thanks Kathy for posting these so I at least have one picture of the bags! Maybe we can work out a jewelry/haircut-bag exchange for the next time I'm in town!
pps-Gma Jan asked what "fat quarters" are. They're small squares of fabric that you can usually buy for a discount so you don't have tons of fabric left over. They're convenient because you also don't have to wait in line to get your fabric cut! :)

I know it's a little early

but if you know me, then you'll understand why I bought M a swimsuit in January!

Until she's old enough to beg for an Elmo swimsuit, I can push my cherry fetish on her!

Some of the reasons I miss my husband

W has been in Utah for almost two weeks. I've only been home for a week so it hasn't been so bad yet. Scratch that. The first day was awful and the rest have been not so bad. I cooked my favorite meal that he doesn't like (Spaghetti Deluxe Casserole) but I'm also discovering the many wonderful ways that he takes care of me that I hadn't quite expected to deal with on my own.

I'm scared of the dark. I make him turn off the lights at night. I kept joking that I needed a "clapper" now that he's gone so I can climb safely into bed and then turn off the lights. Now I have to turn on all the lights to our room and progressively turn them off and run and jump into bed!

He always takes out the trash. I have rarely had to take out the trash in our four years of marriage. It's just one of the things he does.

He brings in the mail after work. I have let it pile up over two days twice this week because it's just not a habit for me to get the mail. He likes to.

He reminds us to have prayer at meals. I'm lazy with this but luckily W has trained M well and she often automatically folds her arms when we sit down.

He talks to me!!! M may be having a big language burst right now but toddler conversations are just not the same!

The bed is just EMPTY!

I have to shovel snow now????

But...I get to go to Utah in less than two weeks for the weekend!!!! We have some airline credit that I have to use by April. And we have to pay for a ticket for M after February 2nd, so we basically had to use the credit now to feel like it was an actual discount! So Happy Early Birthday Present to M&W we get to be together for four days!!!!!

oooh!

M LOVES clementines! We even put them in her stocking! But we hardly ever buy them. They're usually so expensive. But today, Target had a great sale on them so I splurged while she was at play group. When I was unloading groceries after we got home, I told her, "guess what I got for you at the store?" and dramatically pulled out the clementines. She responded just as I'd hoped with an exaggerated, "oooooooh! oranges!" like ooh lala! She's so funny!

She also told me a story today. She's growing up! I asked her as we were driving away from play group what she did. She said, "play in kitchen". I asked what else and she said "play Ethan Mary". She described an event! yes!

Safe and Sound...and sad

I was getting really good at the going home thing. With W and M in tow, it's a whole lot easier leaving my ENTIRE family in AR after a visit. When it was just me, I would bawl and bawl when I'd leave my parents. Even in college, my room mates thought I was crazy that I wanted to go home for the entire break! What can I say? My Mom and sister and now sister in laws are some of my very best friends and I LOVE being with my Mom. Going home with my little family makes it easier. However, with W in Utah now (call him, he needs friends! :) I came home to an empty house and it has been the loneliest day! I'm such a baby. And I'm so glad M is here to keep the monsters away!

It only took two weeks!

for them to play nice!

so of course, we're leaving tomorrow! :(

Look What I Made!

We had this for New Year's Day dinner. It is sooooooo good! It's a yummy fudgy mousse cake with almond chocolate frosting that we layered in a trifle dish!

Please excuse the profuse horn-tooting here!