Wanna see a REAL vampire?!?!?

Happy Halloween!

ready for the ramblings in my head?

...........I should be folding laundry..........I hate when I wash stuff inside out and then it doesn't get clean...........does liquid fabric softner really have a ton of harmful-ish chemicals? 'cuz I don't want to give up my lavender vanilla...........I'm ready to be done with Halloween...........I love watching that baby...........how much does a baby have to spit up for it to be considered reflux?...........I should unload the dishes...........I'm excited for TV tomorrow night...........is it going to rain wednesday when Kiera supposed to take our pictures?...........I want to see our family at Christmas...........can't believe I was totally suckered by "Cordy"...........I need to get video of Spiderman singing Pink's "so what?" because you will DIE at how cute he is...........just saw Taylor Swift's video for "Love Story" and I like the premise A LOT but I think she's kinda weird looking...........saw some of Obama's 30 minute commercial tonight and I like what I heard but I'm not sure it cancels out the abortion/let babies die thing...........Superman might die when he reads that last statement!...........when is our dog ever going to have her puppies?...........I want to find cute autumn stuff and halloween costumes on sale this saturday...........I should've read Angels and Demons tonight instead of watching TV...........I forgot what a beautiful and sad movie "Pay it Forward" is...........I really gotta fold that laundry...........

What's going on in the back of your mind right now?

Rockin' the 80s like Bananarama and Jesse's girl

Last night was our trunk or treat.

Not the best shot, but you gotta see the leggings.

The Hulk was a dragon. Didn't want face paint, or to wear the hood with the dragon on it.


Spiderman was a tiger. I painted a nose and whiskers on him, but he rubbed them off. And he was pretty toasty in the fur jacket and pants!! Great for cold Halloweens; not-so-great for running around the gym for 2 hours.

No one decorated their trunks, so we just sat around the edge of the gym and handed out candy.

I should've got a close up of my face and the 9 tons of make up I had on!! It seriously took me 20 minutes to do my make up. Extrememly thick eyeliner, tons of blue and orange eye shadow, 18 coats of mascara, so much blush it was in my EARS........

Then the 5 different products in my hair.........

My 3 inch wide pink leopard print earrings and 24 bracelets.......

And of course the neon puff paint bag...........

How did we EVER make it through the 80s?!?!?

Boo!

Sher Booed me! But not in a bad way, like she hates me and is saying "BOOOOO!!!" In a good, ghostly, "Happy Halloween" kind of way.

So here is how the Blogging Boo will go. Go to as many friends as you want and tell them they've been "B00-ED". Have them link back to your blog to pick up their Halloween Treat (picture) and tell them to Boo their friends. (Then put the pic in your side bar so everyone knows that you've already been "boo-ed and to send the pic to someone else.)

I have an announcement to make......

I had a baby!!!!!


Not really. I'm just watching my friend's son. He's 8 weeks old and even cuter than the picture lets on! He's spitting up all the time and not taking a nap and I'm loving it. (The boys love it, too. The Hulk in particular is a HUGE fan of babies.)

I'll be watching him 3 afternoons a week and am so excited!!!

Hope maketh an anchor to the souls of men (and women)

I learned something a few weeks ago that I'd like to share with you. The Sunday School and Relief Society lessons that were taught at church were about faith, then hope. I love it when the lessons work out like that. Superman actually taught the lesson on faith and it was wonderful. Faith is one of his favorite topics, so it was an exceptionally well-prepared lesson. The RS lesson that followed was taught by a substitute teacher, but I have no doubt in my mind that she was supposed to teach that lesson. She basically gave us a brief overview of her marriage, and the role that hope played in it.

Superman's lesson was on Helaman 5, which contains the scripture:

"And now, my sons, rememver, remember that it is upton the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea all his hail and his might storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."


Following this, the sweet sister in RS opened her lesson talking about boating. Her family owns a boat and they get good use out of it in the summer. Once when they were out boating, they cast their anchor and just stayed out on the lake for a while. After a short time, the woman looked around and thought the boat had moved. She mentioned it to her husband, who said that it hadn't moved and he had set the anchor correctly. Another hour later, she looked around again and told him she definately thought the boat had moved. Sure enough, it had. They hadn't set their anchor properly.


We then read Ether 12:4. "Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world...which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God."


Hearing these two principles taught so close together and so beautifully helped me to better understand the roles that faith and hope play with each other. I've always been a bit vague on the difference between the two, and how one builds on the other. But here's what I learned:


We must first build our testimony on the rock, Jesus Christ. He is a firm foundation. He is unchanging, and will never fail us. Building our testimony is like unearthing the rock. We have to dig in and discover more and more of the rock. It's always been there, just waiting for us to find it. Once we've accomplished this, we must cast our anchor of hope to this ever-sure Rock.


I think I used to believe that hope was just a weaker version of faith. This belief is contradicted by that scripture in Ether that says "hope cometh of faith." But it makes sense now. We must build our faith in the Rock first, and as we learn of Christ and his promises to us, we gain hope. Elder Uchtorf taught in our most recent General Conference that "hope is the abiding trust that the Lord will keep His promises to us."


So we cast our anchor of hope onto the Rock of our salvation. The Rock will not fail us, but it's up to us our strong our anchor is. It may be strong enough to get us through the easy times of calm waters, but what about when the devil sends his hail and whirlwinds and mighty storms? Is our anchor strong enough for that? Have we uncovered enough of the Rock to cast our anchors on?


Elder Uchtdorf also taught that hope is "believing and expecting that our prayers to be answered." Do you expect answers to your prayers?


Is your faith in Christ able to withstand the storms that will come in your life? Is your anchor of hope strong enough?

Refocus. --alternate title: good, better, best. --alternate title: how did I get my priorities so messed up?

I've had a wake up call I can't ignore. It's made me realize that I have not been doing the right things. I've been choosing the good things over the best things.

I need to change. And I've already started. I read scriptures with my kids over breakfast instead of letting them watch Sid the Science Kid while I blog. And I started a load of laundry and did the dishes BEFORE I even turned on the computer. And I'm NOT going to blog when I could be spending time with my husband.

Don't get me wrong - I love you guys. But I was consistently choosing "imaginary" friends over the more important, concrete things in my life. My family. My responsibilities. My personal spirituality.

It's better for me to have a clean house than a new post everyday. It's better for me spend quality time with my husband than comment on 7 blogs. It's better for me to get my kids outside than it is to spend an hour on flickr searching for the perfect picture. (As I'm tempted to do now.) It's better for me to get to sleep before 1 am than it is to have fun icons that no one even pays attention to. It's better for me to read my scriptures than find out who posted overnight.

I've ignored the Spirit's promptings for balance long enough. Too long.

So. I'm changing. I'm going to start choosing the BEST over just the good.



It's about dang time.

manipulation......

I was manipulated today. By a man.

And I'm thinking about getting manipulated again.

Even asking - and PAYING - for it.

I had no idea it would be so good for me.

I'm considering teaching my husband how to manipulate me.

Or at least my soft tissue. In my neck.

It's kinda nice without those pesky knots there.

Remember that wedding I where I was a bridesmaid? Here are some pictures.

I ask you to remember that I have an inexpensive camera and no editing software.

Nonetheless, I'm quite pleased with some of the shots I got.

This is one of my favorites, but it needs some editing. =D


The best one I got of the bridesmaids. I didn't realize my dress would be so formal compared to the others!!
Isn't she a beautiful bride?

And the reception......
Spiderman had fun dancing!!!

And the Hulk got part of the bouquet.

He was pretty excited about it.

Then they were ready to leave.

Twenty-five and counting.....(A birthday Haiku)

Today is surreal.

It's my 25th birthday.

Not sure how I feel.

Age is a number.

Not something that defines me.

I am in control.

My present to me?
Stayed up late cleaning my house.

Now it's clean (almost.)

I like where I am.

Been a good past twenty-five.

The next will be, too.

photo courtesy flickr

I missed random friday, so you're getting it today. Blog awards, a new song, and DREAM ANALYSIS!!!!

If your speakers are on, you should be hearing my new favorite song. I heard it for the first time yesterday and looked it up to put on my player right away. I love it!! Jason M'raz and Colbie Calliet have such great vibe-y voices that totally mesh in a beautiful way. And the words just make it that much better:

"Lucky I'm in love with my best friend. Lucky to have been where I have been. Lucky to be coming home again."

And it's true - I'm so lucky to be in love with my best friend.

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I got a blog award!! And who doesn't love those? This one is so cute - I love it. The hilarious McEwens sent it my way. She seriously posts the funniest stuff. How to tell the difference between make and female trees, how to amuse yourself at local teenagers' expense........it's awesome. She's a certified Giggle Therapist - not to be confused with a Giggle The Rapist.

Thank you!! This blog really is my creative outlet, so it's nice that it's recognized. =D And now, the lucky seven I'm passing it on to:

Sher - Love this girl. She's SO creative - have you heard her music? It's simply amazing. She's got a professional recording session this Tuesday - go wish her luck!
Shellie - This chick cracks me up. She tells all these hilarious dating stories, and shares techniques on self-defense with common household objects. Gives away t-shirts and stuff from her junk drawer. And lost weight and is a Hotlanta mama!!
Redhoodoos - Jodi always has funny stories about her kids and their wacky antics, and finds the funniest pictures to articulate her moods.
Beeswax - I LOVE the way she writes! I actually laugh outloud in every one of her posts. Red wheat vs. regular (Did you even KNOW there was red wheat?) her love for Justin Timberlake jeans, finding them on e-bay, going to movies in the middle of day and feeling fancy.........and the way she writes it all is simply fabulous.
Jenna - Jenna's an excellent writer, as well. Deep and insightful posts that make me want to establish family traditions, or tell my mom I love her, or read Carol Lynn Pearson. She recently wrote a letter to her daughter's school saying she didn't approve of "Spring Awakening" as a field trip for 14-16 year old girls. I tend to agree. Go take a look.
Motherboard - Oh, sweet Motherboard. Can I just say how much I LOVE this woman?!? Totally an inspiring blogger and mom. Willing to be honest with herself and others - which makes us all love her more. A great writer, photographer, juggler, and friend.
Cally - Cally Co is one of the most creative bloggers I've met. She can sew the cutest, most ADORABLE things. She's got a giveaway going on --> I promise you won't regret entering. (And mention that *I* told you about it -- I get an extra entry! And my birthday's coming! Shouldn't I win a giveaway?!)

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I had a crazy dream last night. I NEVER remember my dreams, so when I do, I figure they must be important. So here's the game: I tell you my dream, you tell me what you think it means!

I was at my friend Lisa's house for choir practice Sunday morning. Choir was over, and it was time to go to our Enrichment committee meeting, which was just around the corner. As we're walking there, we find out that there's a scout meeting I should be at being held across the street. So I go to the scout meeting, and there's like 30 other people there. All crammed into this house. A bunch of the youth from my ward. I think someone was sitting on my lap. The whole time I'm thinking, "I need to be at the enrichment meeting. It's more important than this."

I guess I fell asleep at the meeting, because suddenly I woke up it was 15 minutes till church started. I left the meeting, mad that I missed the enrichment meeting for the scout meeting that did *nothing* for me, and now I'm going to be late for church. I hadn't even showered. And I had to play the organ. Great. So I'm walking home, then realize I'm running late and should pick up the pace. I tried to run, but I couldn't. I just couldn't pick up my feet any faster. It was physically impossible for me to run. I got mad at myself for not being able to run home.

Then I woke up.

So. What's your interpretation?

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There's my randomity. And if you want more LDS music for your sabbath, go here. I hope you have a beautiful, peaceful day.

I need help!! Ideas, opinions......lay it on me!

My son's 4th birthday is approaching and I have NO idea what to do for his party!!!! I've never done a child's birthday party before. His birthday is just days after Halloween, so I want to do a Halloween-themed party: give the kids another chance to wear their costumes. (I'm also thinking that I can get Halloween treats and decorations CHEAP. I'm nothing if not practical!)

So what should we do? I was thinking about making some edible play dough. Does anyone have a recipe? I suppose I could Google it, but it's easier just to ask you. But should they do that in the Halloween costumes? What kind of games should we play? All I can think of is Duck Duck Goose.

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO DO!!!

Halloween's on a Saturday - I was thinking of having the party Monday morning. But is that too much for 3 year olds? And will I have time to get discounted decor? Honestly, I don't know how much the decorations matter, but this is a good excuse to get some for next year. And is Monday morning a good time? Should I wait till Saturday? Afternoon? I just have absolutely no idea!!

Also.........our dog will most likely have puppies within the week. We have gates up to block off the kitchen, but I'm worried that a party's going to be hard with 1 week old puppies. But maybe they aren't even mobile by then. ??

What would you do? What have you done with parties for young kids? Are the puppies an issue? Is November 2nd too soon after Halloween?? HELP!!! I want any and all ideas or thoughts you have!!!!

The beautiful Sher tagged me with this 50 random things tag. And I'm doing it 'cuz I love her -she's simply marvelous: runs marathons, is an amazing pianist with professional recordings, and is a total babe! I also love tags.

1. Do you like blue cheese? Only looks good on the man in the moon. Blue (bleu?) cheese isn't the most flattering thing on me.

2. Have you ever smoked heroin? I thought you shot up heroin. Didn't know it came in a smoke-able form. Have to check into that......

3. Do you own a gun? I own 3 ray-guns.

4. What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic? Strawberry (And Sher, SERIOUSLY? You've never been to sonic? That's un-American!)

5. Do you get nervous before doctor Appointments? No, but I do before dentist appointments. My teeth actually start to ache at the scent of the dentist's office.

6. What do you think of hot dogs? Great, easy, fast meal for the boys.

7. Favorite Christmas movie? White Christmas. Superman and I always sing the snow song whenever it snows.

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Vodka with a twist. I'm hard core like that.

9. Can you do push-ups? I use-ta-could in high school. We had to do 10 everytime our team scored a touchdown. Luckily they didn't score a lot (of touchdowns! Get your mind out of the gutter!) so we didn't have to do a whole lot.

10. Age? 24 for one more week.

11. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? My watch. The face pops out and I have 2 bangles that it goes with. One's gold with off-white stones, the other's silver with pink stones. Dressy, but still casual. Practically perfect in every way.

12. Favorite hobby? Playing piano, reading, scrapbooking, blogging, watching movies, going out to dinner.

13. Favorite Actor: I really liked the guy who plays Eli Stone.

14. Do you have A.D.D.? A-Cute Daughter Disease? Yes, as a matter of fact, I do!. My parents love me and think I'm cute.

15. What's one trait you hate about yourself? I have lazy tendencies.

16. Middle name? Nicole (or Danielle Nicole)

17. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment... Does Superman have a lunch today? I don't have time to be blogging. Excited to scrapbook with Melissa this afternoon.

18. Name 3 things you bought yesterday/today? Special K bars, weight watchers chocolate chip cookies (which are disgusting) and fresh fruit and veggies. I'm really gonna give this weight-loss thing a go.

19. 3 drinks you regularly drink? 1. Water. 2. Milk 3. Hot chocolate -->I'm excited for cooler weather for that exact reason.

20. 3 Current worries? What am I going to do for Spiderman's birthday? Can I come up with cute pages? Am I going to wuss out on weight loss?

21. Current hate right now? presidential candidates I don't want to vote for.

22. Favorite place to be? Home or with family and friends♥

23. How did you bring in the New Year? Got drunk and left my kids at home with no sitter. (just kidding. I don't even remember what I did last new years.)

24.Where would you like to go? Europe

25. Tag three people: No. I refuse. You didn't say please. --I really have no idea who to tag. I do so many that I feel like I've tagged everyone and not everyone likes tags. So, if you want to do it, I tag you! If you don't want to do it, that's cool. But come back and tell me if you do do it. Ha! Do do!! I just made you think doo doo!! Okay, I'm stopping now.

26. Do you own slippers? like 3 pair.

27. What shirt are you wearing? one I got from my Breaking Dawn party that says "TEAM EDWARD"

28. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? never have

29. Can you whistle? No. I know, LAME-O. But I can't. Every now and then I weak sound with lots of air behind it.

30. Favorite color? FOO-sha

31. Would you be a pirate? What the heck kind of question is this? Like for Halloween? Or in the 1700s with Jack Sparrow? heck YES I would. Love me some Johnny Depp with eye-liner. (I don't think he's that attractive without the make-up on.) But I would not be a modern-day pirate and make illegal copies of DVDs for profit because that's WRONG.

32. What songs do you sing in the shower? "No one" by Alicia Keys, or whatever we're singing in choir. (It's my warm-up.)

33. Favorite girl's name? I want a daughter with the middle name Noelle.

34. Favorite boy's name? Sam

35. What is in your pocket? one hand in my pocket, and the other's playin' a piano

36. Last thing that made you laugh? the Hulk growling at me, saying "I wuv oo, mommy."

37. Best bed sheets as a child? I have no idea what the sheets were, but the best bedspread was a quilt my mom made.

38. Worst injury you've ever had? That dye job I did on myself was pretty awful.......

39. Do you love where you live? Pretty much, except I'm 1500 miles from my family.

40. How many TVs do you have in your house? one

41. Who is your loudest friend? I'm married and related to some really people who I consider friends, but non-related would be........Heather O., probably.

42. How many dogs do you have? 2, but soon to be more! We are NOT keeping them, but they're going to be ready to leave their mom right around Christmas!!!!! Anyone in Utah looking for a golden retriever puppy for Christmas?!?!?

43. Does someone have a crush on you? yes

44. What is your favorite book(S)? I love the Twilight series. And the scriptures

45. Where were you born? in a barn

46. What is your favorite candy? york peppermint patties, junior mints, raisinets..........anything chocolate

47. Favorite Sports Team? Russell Crowe's rugby team

48. What songs do you want played at your funeral? Each life that touches our for good, Families are Forever, and Evanescense "Wake me up inside." Wouldn't that be AWESOME?!?

49.What are you doing at 12 A.M.? tonight? I have a spa appointment, then I plan to go TPing. But usually I'm sleeping. Sometimes I write on a secret blog.

50. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? (groan) It's so cold out there, and so warm in here. I'm not moving.

I was a total couch potato last night, but at least there were some good shows on

Yesterday afternoon I got smacked with a huge migraine. I managed to push the pain aside till Superman got home, but once he was here with the kids, I just balled up on the couch and didn't want to move. I couldn't eat dinner in the kitchen between the kids being kids and the dishwasher running. I ate in the cool, dark, quieter living room. Superman had a friend's birthday party to go to, but he put the kids to bed before he left. Thank you, husband!! I knew that I wasn't going to be able to do it without yelling at the kids. So he did it all for me.

Which means I got to watch all of prime time TV I wanted without interruption. =D I SWEAR I really did have a migraine, and wasn't just looking for an excuse to watch TV. But I did get to watch some good shows! I watched The Biggest Loser, Eli Stone, and a little bit of DWTS results. (I flipped to DWTS during BL commercial breaks.)

I love The Biggest Loser. I think it's amazing to see the weight these people shed, the challenges, and the game-play. Right now, it's mostly women left - only 2 men. I think that's cut down on the game playing. But it started to come out last night. They realized they've kinda been in denial about the fact that it IS a game, not just fat camp. The players have started making choices that will help them win. But then it comes down to whether they want to keep people that pull good numbers each week, and therefore help the team, or send those same people home because they're the biggest competition.

Dancing with the Stars: Rocco went home. I think he's a chef. ? Karina was his partner. The only year she's done well was when Mario Lopez was her partner. I think her biggest problem is that she doesn't choose good music. When the professionals choose contemporary music, or even "oldies" that everyone knows, they tend to do a lot better. In my opinion, at least. I don't know who's going to win. I think Derek Hough and Brooke Burke have a good chance, but Lance Bass and Lacey Shwimmer will be good competition. (Even though I can't STAND Lacey.) I also think Julianne Hough and Cody Linley have a shot. We'll see, huh?

Finally, Eli Stone. This is the first time I've watched the show, and I LOVED IT!!!! The music is fun, and I enjoy the characters and the story. I think it's interesting to see a prime time show that talks about God, and faith. I loved it. I really did. I'm excited for next week. (And Katie Holmes and Sigourney Weaver? It must be good if they've signed on.)

Tonight's supposed to be America's Next Top Model and Private Practice, but the final presidential debate's tonight, so I'll be watching that. (And probably a little ANTM, too.) Then the Jon & Kate + 8 marathon.

I can't believe I've just divulged what a TV junkie I am. But it's true. I love this stuff. To be fair, I'll also be scrapbooking tonight once the kids are in bed. It won't be a TOTAL waste of time tonight. We've got a swap night coming up and I have to figure out my pages.

Do you watch any of these shows? Will you be watching the debate?

Are some men born with blinders? Is it genetic? I might need to look into that......

Whenever I ask the Hulk to look for something, he immediately puts on his looking glasses.

It's pretty cute. He tries to find whatever it is with his "glasses" on, but is usually unsuccessful. While the glasses are cute, I think I'm going to make him stop using them to look for things.

Because THIS might happen when he's older:

Superman and I rented a movie last night. He put it in the DVD player, then proceeded to look for the remote.

S: "Babe, where's the DVD remote?"

WW: "Should be over in the remote holder."

S: "It's not over here."

He continues to look for the remote. Checks the entertainment unit, couch cushions, end table......

S: "If we can't find the remote, we can't watch the movie."

WW: "I have faith in your ability to find the remote."

The search continues, to no avail.

S: "I'm missing the previews!" (Usually Superman's favorite part of any movie.)

WW: "Okay! I'll help you find it. It can't have gone far."

I get up, look under the couches, then check the remote control holder, just in case.

WW: "Superman, would you come over here for a moment? Just look inside and tell me what you see."

Yep, you guessed it.

The remote control.

I'll admit it. I'm a sucker for quizzes, and am (OBVIOUSLY--->) nosy about your political views. I promise to still love you!

Your Political Profile:

Overall: 55% Conservative, 45% Liberal Social Issues: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal Personal Responsibility: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal Fiscal Issues: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal Ethics: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal Defense and Crime: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal

How Liberal Or Conservative Are You?

You Are 44% Republican

You aren't a full fledged Republican yet, but it's probably the party that fits you best. You probably consider yourself an independent Republican. You usually support the party, but you also think for yourself!

How Republican Are You?

How Democrat Are You?

Your Vote Score: 58% Republican, 42% Democrat

You are truly an independent voter, and you don't fit well with either party. Maybe you should choose one issue to vote on - or look into third parties!

Should You Vote Republican or Democrat?

Come back and tell me what your results are!!

Need some good LDS tunage?

This is for all you out there who don't have a local radio station that plays LDS music. FM 100 is one of my favorite things about Sundays.

Yesterday I got to go up to our church building and practice today's hymns on the organ. I took extra sheet music I've accumulated over the years and spent time playing the piano as well. It was wonderful to spend the time by myself, with no interruptions, playing and singing these beautiful songs. I went over "My Shepherd Will Supply My Need." I sang this song with my student ward choir. It's so beautiful. I also played the EFY medley of "As Sisters in Zion & We'll Bring the World His Truth." I sang this at EFY when I went years ago. It's a moving arrangement. I still get chills when I hear the men come in. (The links I gave will take you to YouTube recordings of the songs.)

Another song I played yesterday is called "When I Feel His Love," by Janice Kapp Perry. I sang this in a stake choir a few years ago for a women's conference. It's inspiring. I love the image of being an instrument in God's hands. These are the words:

Quiet times of revelation tune my heart to see
Tender mercies of the Lord are daily shown to me.
As I feel the love of God I seem to understand
I can be an instrument in Heavenly Father's hands.

And when I feel His love my heart has one desire:
To share the joy and warmth His perfect love inspires.
My hands reach out to all in purest charity
That other souls may feel God's love through me.

Quiet times of inspiration touch me and I feel
God's pure love is guiding me; His promises are real.
As I nurture those I love within my daily sphere,
I feel strength beyond my own and know that God is near.

And when I feel His love my heart has one desire:
To share the joy and warmth His perfect love inspires.
My hands reach out to all in purest charity
That other souls may feel God's love through me.

Heavenly Father's blessings, bestowed so lovingly,
Make my hands as His hands when the Spirit shines through me.

And when I feel His love my heart has one desire:
To share the joy and warmth His perfect love inspires.
My hands reach out to all in purest charity
That other souls may feel God's love through me.
That other souls may feel His love though me.

Isn't that beautiful?

I also went through my "Women of Destiny" songbook. (As I sit here, I'm going through the songbook, trying to pick out a favorite. I can't!! There are so many songs in here that speak to me. I'll have to post the words another time.)

So the point of all this is...........I believe in the power of music. Music can move your soul like nothing else. The Spirit can move through the medium of music with such ease. There's a reason we open and close our sacrament meetings each week with hymns. And invite the Spirit further by singing just before we partake of the sacrament. Music has always been a part of my life from a young age. It's shaped my life and who I am. I encourage you to go to all the links I've given and listen to the powerful songs. And if you want, leave FM 100 streaming all day. It's what I'll be listening to.

Because I know you're all DYING for updates on my last post.......

I love my bangs. It'll take some training, but I like it. I feel like it's a new style, and all I did was change my part!!

I lied a little bit when I said the friend's birthday party was next week. It was last night. But the friend who's party it was reads my blog and it was a surprise party. I made a cute, fake Twilight movie ticket, got a gift card for the amount of a ticket, a big cup from the movie theater (which I had to pay FULL PRICE FOR), some boxed candy and microwave popcorn. It was really cute, and she loved it. I told her to save the cup, 'cuz she could take it and get a drink. Thanks for the idea, Pam!

Superman read my post and decided to find the answer to my Beauty and Beast question. Started searching all kinds of movie and Disney sites. He seriously looked for like 45 minutes. I kept saying, "They probably just needed a word to rhyme with "see" and "Charming" and came up with "three." But he was relentless in his quest. He finally found a site to ask any movie question and they post the answers. So he submitted the question, and we'll have to check back and see if anyone could answer it. (I really don't think there's an answer.)

And I'm going to check out Hulu in a little bit for the shows I missed. Thanks for the suggestion!

At my friend's party last night, her husband gave her a Wii Fit!! We hooked it up and played for hours. I set a ski jumping record, bowled a 133 (with a TURKEY!) and had fun hula hooping. Doing the hula hoop was harder than it looked! That's actually not a bad workout! I had a blast. I stayed there till after 2 am with a 45 minute drive home!! Superman stayed home with the kids, so I didn't have to worry about a babysitter. (This counted as my date with myself, Mechelle!) I was glad I went. She and I have a playdate scheduled for Monday. We plan on locking the kids in her basement playing the Wii!!! They'll be fine.......

Random 10

"Do you really think that personal attacks are not the way to win an election? ...... That's like saying you can win a marathon without bringing a gun to shoot the people in front of you!"
-Stephen Colbert (love this man)

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I'm trying something new today. Like 6 years ago I went from big, almost 80s-style "bubble" bangs to a nice side-swept look. I was only like 2 years late on the style. I picked a side and have parted my hair that way ever since. About a week ago, I was looking at this girl's hair, thinking that her bangs looked kinda weird on the side she had them parted on. Then I realized that my were parted on the same side.

I think I just figured out that everyone sees the opposite of my reflection. (See? I really should stay blonde!)

So I'm trying to train my bangs to part on the other side. Got a little bobby pin and everything. I'll let you know how it goes.


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I have a birthday party for a friend to go to next week. I have NO idea what to get her! She's really artsy. I have a feeling that others at her party will have no problem spending $30 or more on a gift, but I can't afford to do that. (I would if I could. I love this chick!) I'd like to get her a gift card so she can get what she wants, but don't want to look cheap. I'd find something on sale, but it's hard to buy clothes or decor items for other women. I know of a book series she likes, but don't know if she owns them yet. And I was thinking about a ticket to the Twilight movie, but they aren't on sale yet.

Any ideas?

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I had a meeting last night (I went to roundtable, Dad!), so I missed my shows. And we're still living in 2005 - no DVR. I'll have to watch them online later today, I guess. Oh, wait. I can't on this computer!!! We're still using the laptop and it's so slow with no anti-spyware and so prone to viruses. I can't upload the players on this!!!!! WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?!?!?!?

................thinking................still thinking................

Youtube. Yes. I'll just have to find them on Youtube. I love that place.

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My boys are watching Beauty and the Beast. Isn't it one the best Disney movies EVER?! But I have a question: In the song "Bonjour!" She sings "Oh, isn't this amazing? It's my favorite part because, you'll see...............Here's where she meets Prince Charming, but she won't discover that it's him till chapter three!" What fairy tale is that? Ususally the the heroine doesn't know it's Prince Charming till the end, right?

Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast.......?

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There's my randomness for today. And here's what's on the radio:

1. Bubbly - Colbie Calliet
2. All American Girl - Carrie Underwood
3. Stay Beautiful - the last goodnight
4. Love is a beautiful thing - Phil Vassar
5. Higher - Matt Nathason
6. I'll be - Edwin McCain
7. Time of my life - David Cook -->I heard he has a new single out. Is this true? Anyone know what it's called?
8. 2 am - Anna Nalick
9. Doo Wah Diddy Diddy Dum Diddy Doo - didn't hear/don't know the artist. (But I think Sher told me at one time.
10. Cat's in the cradle - didn't hear/don't know the artist

Bonus: Here without you - 3 Doors Down

Scatterbrained.......continued

I'm not exactly sure what the purpose of my last post was. I think I started out trying to be funny, showing some of my thought processes. Then it turned into my daily chore routine (or lack thereof.) Then........I realized I couldn't catalogue ALL the thoughts I have in a day. 1) It'd be kinda boring 2) We aren't that close yet. =D So I just kinda stopped, and pushed "publish."

But then I got to thinking about things, and realized this might be the purpose of that post:

I'm grateful to wake up to the alarm - it means I got some sleep last night.

I'm grateful I need a new comforter - it means I have one, even if I want a different one.

I'm grateful I have to clean up breakfast - it means our cupboards aren't bare.

I'm grateful I have laundry to do - it means we have clothes to wear.

I'm grateful I have to vacuum - it means the art of living occurs in my home.

I'm grateful I have to switch load of laundry - it means I have a washer and dryer.

I'm grateful to lose myself in blogging for a little bit - it means I have friends. And it's healthy.

I'm grateful my destoyed the living room - it means I have healthy little ones that are the joy of my life. (Thanks, m)

I'm grateful to do the dishes - it means I have running water. And time with my own thoughts.

I'm not usually so contemplative, but I think I should try it more. I'm actually kind of excited to do my dishes now. Well, not really. (They're pretty stinky today.) But I DO have a better attitude about it now.

Scatterbrained

Alarm goes off. Better get up. Hit snooze. Alarm goes off. Better get up. Hit snooze. Alarm goes off. REALLY better get up. Hit snooze. Alarm goes off. Out of time to sleep in. Get up. Realize kids aren't awake yet!! I can say a prayer in peace! Better make the bed. Someone one time said they made a habit of that and I can, too. Make the bed. Need to get a new comforter. Say prayer. Think of Elder Bednar - make it meaningful. I should be praying for people.....who are they? Hmm....Oh, well. Bless those in need. Hulk's awake. And Spiderman. Love those boys and their morning happiness. Makes me a little happier about getting up.

Get everyone a bowl of cereal. Blog during breakfast. Kiss Superman goodbye. Clean up breakfast. Tidy livingroom: Pick up dirty laundry, toys, trash. Put dirty clothes in hamper. Should start a load of laundry. Throw away trash first. Then drop off toys. Make Spiderman's bed while I'm in there. And pick up the toys. And dirty laundry.....oh, yeah. Was gonna start load of laundry. Quickly sort a load and start washer. Where was I? Oh, yeah. Tidy living room. Walk by computer. Show great restraint and keep walking. Pick up all the other random stuff in the living room and put it on the coffee table to vacuum. Vacuum. Chase kids with the vacuum. Glad they think it's fun. Let each take a turn. Another thing they think is fun. Probably ought to start a load of dishes. BLECH. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. Well, maybe I should shower first. Don't want to run out of hot water before my shower. Make sure chains are locked on doors. Turn on Wonderpets. Run to shower. Get out of shower. Any sounds of torture? Whew. Moisturize. Only have 3 minutes from the time I washed my face. Comb hair. Should I dye it again? Probably not. I kinda like it. Get dressed. Well, not really. Put on clean loungewear. Washing machine is done. Move it into the dryer. Wait. Dryer's got a load in it already. Move that to the couch. Move wet clothes to the dryer. Walk by computer again. Lose battle of wills. Start to blog.....

.......2 hours later, hair is crazy, no make-up, no dishes for lunch. Kids have destroyed living room again. Turn on over for Tony's pizza. Turn on curling iron. Pop in contacts. Do make-up. Do half of my hair. Put pizza in the oven. Hurry and finish hair. Pull pizza out. Eat my nice, healthy lunch. Summon strength to tackle dishes........

Realize dishes don't have to be a fate worse than death. Nice chance to listen to good music. And isn't it nice to have a clean sink? Well, almost. Not all the dishes fit. I'll get them next time. Like tomorrow. Or the next day.

Wordless Wednesday - what's on my mind.......

I got an "I Love Your Blog!" Award from Mechelle. I get to answer these questions in one word. (Honestly a challenge for me!)

1. Where is your cell phone? purse
2. Where is your significant other? carpool
3. Your hair color? strawberry
4. Your mother? compassionate
5. Your father? friend
6. Your favorite thing? happiness
7. Your dream last night? bloggers
8. Your dream/goal? eternity
9. The room you're in? den
10. Your hobby? creating
11. Your fear? widowhood
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? MomOf4
13. Where were you last night? couch
14. What you're not? perfect
15. One of your wish-list items? minivan
16. Where you grew up? Kansas
17. The last thing you ate? SpecialK
18. What are you wearing? pajamas
19. Your TV? RobinHood
20. Your pet? pregnant
21. Your computer? laptop
22. Your mood? GettingFrazzled
23. Missing someone? yes
24. Your car? accent
25. Something you're not wearing? make-up
26. Favorite store? Target
27. Your summer? fun
28. Love someone? eternally
29. Your favorite color? fuschia
30. When is the last time you laughed? yesterday
31. Last time you cried? Sunday

And I give you all the "I Love Your Blog!" Award! Really. If you're reading this, then I read your blog, and love it. It contributes to the happiness of my day. Gotta go. The kids are chasing each other and one's crying and Spiderman has preschool in 50 minutes and I have yet to begin getting ready!

Highlights

A couple of my favorite highlights from General Conference:

New temples!! The most exciting for me were the ones announced in Rome, Italy and the greater Kansas City area. ROME!! Do you think they'll get to build in Vatican City? =D And the one announced in KC was of note to me because I'm from Kansas - about 3 hours south of Kansas City. A little geography lesson for you: Kansas City is in Kansas and Missouri - goes right across the border. Actually, the Missouri side of KC is larger than the Kansas side. And it is very close to Independence, MO, Liberty Jail, and Jackson County. I don't think that this is THE temple to be built in Jackson County, but it's awfully close!!

I learned many things from many talks: "Faith is not a feeling; it is a decision," Neil. L. Andersen; the purposes and preparation for sacrament meeting; things hoped for give you faith, things hoped in give you charity; not all angels are on the other side of the veil (be in tune enough to answer another's prayer); Zion is unity; how to say more meaningful prayers (LOVE Elder Bednar. I met him a few times at BYU-I); how to be a better teacher.

An interesting thing I noted was the use of the same scripture story told in almost back-to-back talks, and applied in different ways. The story is found in Alma 47. The wicked Amalickiah sent a messenger up the mountain to a leader in the Nephite army, Lehonti. Amalickiah wanted Lehonti to come down the mountain and talk to him. At first, Lehonti said no way, and told the messenger as much. He then told Amalickiah, who sent the messenger back again with the same request. Lehonti said no a second, then again a third time. Amalickiah made a fourth request, and said he could bring his guards with him. Lehonti came down the mountain, and was eventually poisoned by Amalickiah.

Both Robert D. Hales and Elaine S. Dalton used this some-what obscure story. Elder Hales used it in reference to missionary work and the importance of behaving like a Christian. He told us not to "go down the mountain" and behave like some who would contentiously debate doctrine with us. We may end up poisoned.

Sister Dalton's talk was about virtue. She was speaking to the young women in particular, and told them to guard their virtue and not let others' insistings to "come down the mountain" make them compromise their standards. They, too, could end up poisoned.

I think it is more than a coincidence whenever ANY scripture story is mentioned more than once. But this was different from the story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt, or some other major story, or parable of Christ's. It seems like a fairly unknown story (at least to someone like me who hasn't read the Book of Mormon 20 times!)

But the almost back-to-back repetition of this story made me sit up and pay attention to it. (Kind of like Senator Biden's repetition of things in the VP debate!) I won't soon forget this story, and the applications shared.

I also learned that I should get to bed before 2am so that I can pay better attention to conference. I had a hard time by Sunday afternoon. Especially since I was at home on my nice comfortable couch. Sometimes I miss living "in the mission field" where we had to go to the church building to watch conference. I paid MUCH better attention then. Or maybe it was just because I didn't have kids to try to entertain!

What did you learn?

Tis the Season

The beautiful Mechelle had this bucket-filler (suggestion to make your life or someone else's richer) the other day and I decided to take her up on it. The suggestion was write about the season you are in and realize that it will only be here for a short period of time.

I'm in the "young mom" season. My boys are 2 and nearly 4. They're still home all day. One's still in diapers. But while these are true, they won't be for long. Spiderman's not home all day, every day. He's in preschool, and in a couple short years will be in grade school. And while the Hulk is still in diapers, he likes to sit on the potty. (Sometimes I can't get him off!) Within 6 months, I won't have ANY kids in diapers! That's exciting and a little depressing at the same time. I'm not ready to leave this season. At all. The best thing about this season is that my kids ADORE me. And I adore them. They have their tantrums. But they don't get mad at me. They are so happy and full of life and fun and songs and games and laughter......which means that's what MY life is full of.

I'm in a season of political awareness. More now than at any other time in my life. I enjoy watching the debates and commentaries, and talking with people about it. This probably will be a short-lived season, too, once the election occurs and there aren't any decisions for me to make any more. What I enjoy most about this season of life is not feeling like I'm living in a bubble. Being aware of things outside my home and town, and having an opinion on them. Thinking for myself. Feeling like I'm smart and cultured.

What season are you in? What's the best thing about it?

p.s. Come back and tell me what your favorite talk (or talks) were from general conference!

Who hands out the Mommy/Housewife awards? Because I seriously deserve a nomination for this.

Have I told you all how much I hate dishes? I mean seriously HATE them. My most dreaded household chore. I would rather fold and iron laundry for 8 hours than do one load of dishes. I don't know what it is. And I always feel like I can skip a day. Well, we have 3 spoons and 2 bowls left. That's enough for breakfast tomorrow if I rinse out one of the bowls. Yeah, that sounds good. I'll DEFINATELY do them tomorrow. After breakfast. And shower. And pre-school. Well, can't we just have pizza for lunch? That doesn't require any dishes. I'll do them after lunch. I PROMISE.

Consequently, this procrastinating means I always have a TON of dishes to do. Both sinks are full. Maybe this is why I hate it? You're probably thinking, "Why doesn't she just load them when they get dirty? Do a little at a time?"

Well, I would, except my house is older and wasn't built for a dishwasher. There's not enough under-the-counter space to put one in. We do have a portable dishwasher, though, and it's what I use. It's really not a big deal. It hides nicely in the water heater closet, and I just wheel it when I need to do the dishes. (Yes, it's as classy as it sounds.)

So I don't have easy access to the dishwasher from the sink. The dirty dishes sit in the sink until we're absolutely desperate for dishes and I will myself to do them.

So. Back to the thing I need a freakin' AWARD for. On Monday I made chicken noodle soup. Make the noodles from scratch, the whole bit. It's really good and one of my favorite things about cooler weather. We finished it off on Monday, and the pot's been sitting with the lid on it since then. It's so big that I never have room to put it in the dishwasher. Dishes we use more often take precedence, since I always wait till they're all dirty to wash them.

The little bit of soup that was sitting in the pot has been fermenting since MONDAY NIGHT. I didn't realize how bad it would be. This was probably the rankest smelling leftover ANYTHING I've ever gotten a whiff of. And I've smelt some pretty rank things. (Sippy cups with milk or juice found under the couch that have been there for who knows HOW long come to mind.)

It was positively disgusting. Utterly wretched!!! I had to wash my hands twice to get the smell off, and I plugged in my little scented oil thing. And I can STILL smell it! I wish I could get a sample on the internet for you. Then you'd believe me! (Why do people always do that? "Eww! This smells so bad! Here, SMELL IT!" Like we just can't WAIT to inflict the horribleness on our friends.)

So I think my detestment of doing dishes combined with the rankest fermented soup qualifies me for some kind of award, doesn't it? And I did the dishes TWO DAYS IN A ROW, people! Do you understand the kind of accomplishment that is for me?! I mean, seriously. Shouldn't I at least win a giveaway? A little help, here!!

I'm it

My beautiful friend Motherboard tagged me! I'm always feeling very random, so I'm diggin' this tag.




1. My favorite Disney movie is Sleeping Beauty.

2. I got keys to our church building the other night. BWAAH HA HA HA!!! They're mine, ALL MINE! I feel so VERY powerful now!!!

3. I'm a bridesmaid in a wedding tomorrow for a girl whose last name I didn't know till I saw her wedding invitation. She's a friend of Superman's.

4. I can't move my right pinky toe as much as I can move my left one.

5. I got heartburn the other night and wished it was because I was pregnant.

6. According to Taylor Hartman's Color Code personality test, I'm a Blue/Yellow. Split almost 50/50. Blue is altuistic, romantic; yellow is outgoing and fun-loving. I have one point in each of the red (power) and white (passive) personalities. Anyone else done this test? What are you? EDIT: I found the link. Here's the test.

7. Spiderman has pre-school in 35 minutes and I haven't started getting anyone ready. And I'm waiting for a call from his dr.'s office to make sure he doesn't have strep throat. UPDATE: He doesn't!! Whew.

And I tag.....Emily, Catie, Shellie, Nemiha (since she tagged herself), Anna, and........I don't know who else. Angie? Ashley? Plainbellied? If you want to do it, go ahead.