Good News Minute

Hooray for happy weather. I thought I'd take a minute to share some happy things. Like last Thursday being beautiful and me being able to let my boys play in the sun and in the grass. It was a first for 2009 to have them both outside and free.

Look at him in his cute shoes--first time he's worn these--he didn't know what to do with them on.

And my second good news is that I went on a date with Oliver. We watched Inkheart at the dollar theatre which was a pretty cool movie and then we got ice cream at Cold Stone and ate it outside on the patio while the sun warmed our backs but didn't melt our ice cream. It was a beautiful couple hours. I just wanted to share that I am glad for the warming weather and the sunshine.

In over my head

Ever had that feeling? Where maybe what you agreed to do is a little more difficult or a little more out of your knowledge base than you had expected? Well...I have accepted an assignment of putting on the Women at the Well program for our ward's celebration of the Relief Society birthday. I can be as creative as I wish and control practicing and preparation as much as I want...and now I just have to do it. It's in an area I've never taken this role on before so I'm having to step outside of my comfort zone and just do it. Any thoughts or suggestions widely accepted.

Snowshoe Day

For Anna and anyone else interested, this is the website I've been referring to over the last few months for my random holidays: http://www.brownielocks.com/month2.html
Happy National Be Heard Day.

Random Holidays

I have always enjoyed finding out the random holidays that people celebrate each month. While sometimes I take advantage of the specific day or week by incorporating it into my RA staff meeting, I don't really have other ways to express those holidays. I'm not organized enough to put things together in my house when I know that my babies won't get it, but I still enjoy discovering them and sometimes celebrating them. I was very excited about Monday's Read Across America Day to celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday. It went onto my calendar and that was about it...no extra reading, I didn't break open a single Dr. Seuss book. I did look at the Dr. Seuss backpack that was given to Evan on his birthday, but that was it. Plans made and not done. One thing I did to celebrate a random holiday is to create a word find with names for Celebrate Your Name Week. My RAs thoroughly enjoyed it instead of listening to me during our staff meeting.
So for your reading pleasure or creativity inspiring pleasure: March is not only National Women's History Month, it is also Music In Our Schools Month, National Umbrella Month, International Listening Month, National Craft Month, and among many others Adopt a Rescued Guinea Pig Month.
This week (1st-7th) is not only Celebrate Your Name Week, but it is also Sleep Awareness Week, Returned the Borrowed Books Week, Write a Letter of Appreciation Week, and the 2nd-8th is National Procrastination Week.
And today, March 4th is, among others, March Forth-Do Something Day, International Scrapbooking Industry Day and Learn What Your Name Means Day. Mine means Soft & gentle, peaceful and I've always loved that my maiden name means Broad-shouldered. I'm married to Olive tree wise-protector and we have two boys God is Good wise protector followed by Young Royalty lover of horses. At least according to the above website. This is obviously not accounting for any family connections and personal meanings of the name. For example, I am named after my great grandmothers and that is very special to me. What does your name mean and mean to you?
Happy Random Holiday to you!

Aw...

A few weeks ago I had to go to a meeting and didn't get back until after 10pm. I walked into my house to this:

Oliver was tired before I left, so this was no surprise to find him on the couch. But the bedroom door was closed and very very quiet. I walked in and found this:

Yes, they had a blast in the bedroom, but the fact that they fell asleep just like this is amazing. Aren't they cute?

Grace-divine help & strength

Another plea to help little Grace. She's had a lapse in her health and is back in the NICU for infants after just being released from it to the main floor in the hospital. The Gourley family is in need of any prayer you can offer in their behalf. They need comfort and Deanna needs her baby safe and sound at home if it is God's Will. Keep this dear family in your thoughts and hopefully Grace will find the strength to fight and overcome this setback and will come out on top and healthy. Grace, Deanna, Jason, and Morgan, we're praying for you.

So Proud

Tonight I spent the evening at my sister's apartment. She recieved a large white envelope in the mail today from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She will be serving a mission and preaching the gospel to the Spanish speaking individuals in Virginia. She is going to be an amazing missionary and I am so proud of the decision she has made. She has a very strong testimony and the type of personality that many people understand and like. She gets along so well with people and will be loved by all those she serves in Virginia. I am so excited for her and feel so blessed to have her as my sister. She amazes me and I love her very much. Congratulations lady!! I hope you're ready for this next adventure!

Boy Crazy

5 years ago today I was proposed to by the love of my life. Since then, I have been blessed with two more boys in my life. I can't believe how lucky I am. Who knew I could have room in my heart to love 3 boys at the same time and as much as I do? Well, after looking at them, who couldn't believe it?


There's nothing else more heart melting than a pair of eyes that are somewhere between green and brown, unless its a pair of bright smiling blue. I love you, my youngest Valentines. And there's nothing that can stop me in my tracks faster than the brilliant piercing blues of the man who has been my Valentine longer than anyone else. I love you most.

Little Miracle

I was inspired by another's blog entry, and felt that I would contribute to the good will. One of the women I respect more than most has a little miracle in her family. Gracie is an adorable little girl with a great big pair of dark eyes who's little body has had to deal with more in the few short months of her life than many people have to deal with in several decades. Gracie is recovering from a heart surgery...3 surgeries just yesterday. She has already accomplished so much and been through several surgeries and recovered well from them. Please pray for her and for her family. I pray that she will continue to be the little miracle that she is. Deanna, I love you. Grace, you can do it!

One of THOSE Tuesdays...

Its been a rough day. Perhaps I should have guessed it when I had plans for myself around 8am(breakfast, maybe run some errands) and didn't get out of bed until 9. (What else do you expect when you spent several hours of the night being kicked and punched by a 7 month old who can't get comfortable next to you...)
The morning really wasn't too bad. I at least fed Evan breakfast and some lunch. Perhaps I should have been tipped off when Evan didn't relax enough to take a nap...so close twice before I had to leave for staff meeting. But then unfortunately I had to go to staff meeting. Which was very nice today. We talked about a lot of random things as usual, but it wasn't that frustrating. But then afterwards, I really got frustrated. I'm having to deal with a situation a resident is in that is kind of unique and yet stressful. I have this project that seemed like a brilliant idea 5 months ago, but now seems impossible. And as I was trying to fit my mind around those two work related things, unfortunately RA class was not as enlightening as I usually think it is. And so when it got to the point where the instructor sounded like he was rambling and going off on a tangent I had to step out and get a drink of water so that I didn't start banging my head on my binder. I'm not normally like that! I swear! (I hope anyone reading this understands that)
Well, by that time I didn't want to think too hard about dinner, so called Oliver asking for suggestions for me to pick something up. I bought a Betty Crocker Complete Meal, but seeing that it takes 30 minutes to bake, I also grabbed some french bread and cookies. I came home to two boys who hadn't taken a nap while I was gone and continued to refuse. This was a problem because Oliver had to go to class and we had to hold the fire drills today while he was gone. Due to the crankiness of Mr. Sleepy Pants, I didn't know what i was going to do. Thankfully, Natalie loves me and was willing to stay and watch them for the 40 minutes that the fire drills took. I finally threw the meal into the oven right before I met with a resident. Unfortunately, Natalie had to go be a good stuent, Oliver was still gone being a good student and Evan was still refusing to sleep--he started screaming halfway through this chat I was having and was inconsolable. The screaming then woke Ryan up and the resident says: You have another one?
To make a long story short...er...Oliver finally came home, the last 5 hours had been kind of rough and I had to go to another meeting. I think I apologized to Kendra and my RAs at least 3 times for comments I made that were inappropriate, but it has just been one of THOSE Tuesdays. All of you fellow and former HAs out there: Today, I applaud you! You are all amazing for all you do and all you handle both then and now and tomorrow. Keep it up! (and those that are no longer HAs, way to be great examples in my head...I look up to the memory of you and wish I had your wisdom and insight in my head because then maybe it wouldn't be on the brink of explosion)
A last little note. Thank you to my handsome husband for being able to work around the rickdiculousness (SNL skit) of Tuesdays and loving me and our beautiful children. (He cleaned out one of our storage cages this evening). Thank you to Natalie for being such a highlight of my life. I'm so excited for her and am glad that she can share her excitement with me...even if we don't know anything about Paint. I'm so thankful to be able to work with the RAs I work with. They have their own little quirks and keep me on my toes as well as keep a smile on my face. I like those people. They and the other people I work with can usually make Tuesdays a very fun experience even if sometimes they are long. .. like this post. have a good night.