Sometimes I just need a hug.

I have been thinking about how I deal with things that come my way, that I have to handle and deal with. When these hardships come, I think I switch into survival mode (I know that sounds funny) and make sure that all of my family's basic needs are being met, before I tackle the bigger problem that arises. This can be difficult, because when I have to deal with something big, I have a tendency to ignore it for a little while, so that maybe I can be more prepared when I remember it again. Maybe that is my brain's way of dealing with stuff, and I am just realizing this.

Its kind of like when someone starves. Their body goes into starvation mode and holds everything it gets and stores it for later, so that it can survive. That is why it doesn't work to loose weight by starvation, because your body will think it is not going to be getting food anytime soon, so it will hold on to anything it gets. My brain handles problems much like this.

Next, after I am secure in my family's basic needs, I sit down with a notebook paper and write out a plan. (I actually do this) Josh sometimes doesn't understand my reasoning behind this, but I think it is because I am a visual learner, so if I have to figure something out, I need to write it all out and make sure it will all fit together within a big plan. Then, I will make a to do list. Also Josh doesn't understand why I do this, and he sometimes will get overwhelmed if I show him my list (haha). But in order for me to be able to feel in control of my situation, I have to have a list of everything that I need to do or get or whatnot.

Then, after these are done, I go through them with Josh, and we work out our problems together. If I am not in control of the situation, I feel like I am not combatting an issue, and I will get bogged down. Sometimes I loose that "control" and I will become frustrated, or even depressed. If I don't catch my feelings in time, I will start to ignore people and push those that are closest to me away. I'm sure that is why I have lost many friendships and why my family relationships struggle sometimes. I supposed that I should learn to open up to people and let them help me, but it is so difficult for me.. especially when I am not realizing that I am going through this cycle of loss of control and inevitably become anti social and depressed.

I have tried anti-depressants, and all they do are make me not be able to feel, which is not what I need.. I need to gain control of my life and of certain situations. Forgetting about the pain is horrible, when all I need to do is figure out how to take ahold of the reins and stop the crazy horse.

So I guess what I am saying is, if I haven't talked to you in a while, it may be because of this cycle that I get myself into, and I may think that you hate me. I just have the "everybody hates me, nobody likes me, might as well go eat worms" syndrome. And.. I'm sorry. I don't know how to fix it, but I do still want to be friends, and I want to learn how to stop pushing everyone away.

If you have any suggestions for me Please don't hesitate to let me know. I love reading your comments, and I really need some advice.

And as always, thank you for your continued views. You are awesome!!

Cool artist of the week: Lindsey Stirling

Yes this is a song from Assassin's Creed III.

I haven't seen a violinist this talented in a while. Please enjoy, and have a great night. I'm to tired to post tonight haha.. There will be something big coming soon, I promise.

Thanks for reading!

Feeling like a tired mom...

Sometimes I have those days, or weeks where I can't seem to get out of bed more than to get up to get Lucas out of his crib and into his highchair to eat breakfast. Some days I even will get his breakfast, and make sure he has his milk and I fall asleep on the couch, at 9 in the morning. I wake up to him yelling that he is done. I don't feel like I am being a great example for my son, some days and I hate it. I feel bad because I am supposed to be taking care of myself as well as my family, and it is hard to even get dressed before noon. I make sure that I get dressed though, everyday so that I can open the blinds and see the trees outside my window.

I never claimed to be a perfect mommy, and I am not a horrible one either. I love my son and I want what's best for him. I have better days, where I will get up before Lucas, and make breakfast (eggs and toast) and I'm surprised those days, when he sleeps 'til 10, instead of the usual 6:30. I actually am able to do daily tasks like showering and loads of laundry. Sometimes I will even finish all of the dishes, and be so proud of myself.

It is these days that I long for. Laziness is addictive and easily transferred from one host to another. I wish there was a magic pill that would eradicate laziness haha. (Oh wait, maybe thats crack cocain? just kidding) No, there is no cure all that I can take to help me. I need to become more active.

I used to work out at my gym every single day. I loved the way I had energy then, and I loved the way I felt when I would exercise. Now that I am married and money is tight, I can't go to the gym. I got spoiled being able to go somewhere and get those endorphins. I have to fight for them now, I have to get up and walk around town or work out with my video game system. It is hard for me. Maybe I just need a work out buddy. Yeah! Someone who will help me to stay motivated to keep walking or someone to go to Zumba with me.

Auditions for my workout buddy / friend will be held, next Tuesday. Haha.. no. Lucas may be a good motivator.. I'll get him some little running shoes haha and a sweat suit. I can see it now. "Get up mommy! Lets go walk to the park!" I so wish that would happen.

Prayer has been huge for me lately, perhaps I will not forget to ask for help with motivation to exercise. I need it to be healthy. I need it for my son to stay healthy. I need it for my sanity.

That is all. Thank you for reading. Sorry if I bursted your thoughts that I am the perfect mommy. Well, I'm trying, and at least my son is happy :D I love his happy face! Okay, goodnight.

Oh and I got my ring today! Yay my hand is no longer going to be empty!!!

One of Those Days

"Oh my! It has been a long day," say my feet as they are propped up and throbbing. If only they could talk, oh the stories they could tell. I hate to complain, but I have been on my feet on and off for about 12 hours and I am ready to call it a day.

Lucas has this new favorite show on Netflix called "Bo On The GO!" It is a new cartoon, that gets kids up moving around jumping and running.. basically helping them to be more active. I actually love it too, because Lucas and I can watch it together and we can run around together and do all the activities. Its interesting that he likes it, because usually he likes shows with dogs or animals, or trucks. But this is just a girl who goes and finds characters who are taking something and helps them to not take other people's stuff. She basically saves the world on the go haha. I like it. Lucas will even react to the show more than I have ever seen him react to anything other than me, in regards to being told to do something and actually doing it. He learns a lot from it too. I really like shows that he can learn something from, instead of just droning away in front of a TV.


He has even gotten to a point that he will ask to watch "Bo" and point to the TV or my phone! I hope this doesn't make me into a bad mom haha, but sometimes it is nice to get a little exercise or get a break from the day to day coloring or puzzles or today it was playing with Superman and his motorcycle. He is such a funny little man.

Tomorrow we are going to go pick up my ring! I'm so excited because I have missed it sooooo much! My finger needs a band around it :) I'll post a picture tomorrow after I get it. EXCITED! I need something more exciting and wonderful right now! Life is just crazy this week. We have a friend coming to stay with us next week, and I am planning a Bachelorette party for another friend that is on Saturday! Yikes! At least I will have my ring to love and get distracted by hehe.

If you have ideas for good ways to keep your family on the go, please comment and share with me! I would LOVE to hear your advice! Thanks for reading. Happy Wednesday!

Peace

Sometimes life can be very difficult, and it is necessary to be able to relax and feel peace. This video gives me so much peace, that I want to share it with you. The Piano Guys are amazing, and I love their music.



Life is interesting, that is for sure. One minute you could be doing something and the next minute, out of the blue something else entirely can appear. It is important to me, to be secure with myself so that in any situation I will be able to conquer and succeed.

It is also increasingly important to me to have a safe place that I can go and not have to worry about anything, which can be difficult at times. I always try to keep our home such that I can feel peace, but with a toddler it is hard to even keep up on housework these days. I have to keep a schedule to help our family happy and sane. I would love to hear comments from you as to what you do to keep your homes peaceful and in good spirit.

I hope that you enjoyed this peaceful moment, and thank you for reading! <3

The Grass is Greener...

I remember when I was little, our family would watch a video recording of "The Grass Is Greener," you know the one with Cary Grant? Well, that has always stuck with me even to this day. Not that I remember very much about what that movie is actually about, but the saying about the grass being (more green) in the other side of the fence has been hidden away in my head haha. It is interesting the things that will stick with you, whether it is something that someone said to you a long time ago that stood out to you that changed your outlook on life, or even the way you see things in general. Sometimes I think that if I hadn't heard certain things in my life, I wouldn't have even the same mindset that I fall into at times.

I guess what I am trying to say is, everything influences everyone at some degree. Whether we realize that we even are taking in information, we are and it could mean the difference between choosing to have children or not, or go to school or not. Everything we do, and choose to do is based upon what we know and what we have heard, seen, or experienced. We make choices based on our judgment, I think, whether or not we even realize where the influence to make a certain decision came from.

Realizing that, I think can help us understand why we make the choices that we do, as well as help us to notice how we are influencing those around us. Do we pay attention to our actions and how they are affecting others? In our homes, do we share our bad habits with our children unintentionally, because they see it? I believe I have talked about this before, how our actions affect others. But I think this goes a bit further than that... This is actively realizing where our motivations are coming from and when we do that, we are more able to create new decisions that stem from changing our mindset, to think logically, in stead of what you grew up thinking or doing.

I just had a Doctor Who moment haha, thinking that if we can go back in time and change our perception on something so small, it can change the outcome to something even better and less impacted by others who may not realize it but, don't necessarily have your best interest at heart.

If we can change our mindset to create original thought, that is not necessarily based on others negative influences, we can become better people, and eventually more easily become the amazing people that we should become.

I hope that this made sense to you, and I hope you have a wonderful week! Happy Monday! Thanks for reading and I would love to see your comments!

The Hope that Comes

So much of our life is the perspective that we have on it. When we choose to perceive only the negative things that come into our lives, we basically close our eyes to the possibility of true happiness. Choosing to change our perspective on life, can have a huge impact on our feelings of acceptance or adequacy and ultimately our happiness.

I am writing tonight about the hope that we can get when we choose to change our view and open our eyes to the light of Christ. When we actively decide to open our eyes and see all of the amazing things that we are blessed with everyday, it can help us to understand a bit better, that we are truly loved by our Father in Heaven. He has not forgotten us, and He cares a great deal about our well being and our joy. If you struggle to feel the love that your Father in Heaven (God) has for you, I would ask you to look at your life, truly look at the good things that you have.. Whether it be your loved ones, your accomplishments, your home, your goals that you have been able to reach, whatever makes you smile.. And realize that Heavenly Father knows how much you need those things, and how He realizes that you need those happy things in your life.

Have you ever heard of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs? Everyone who has taken Psychology of Motivation, has heard of Maslow. I'll share it with you:

Maslow believed, that there are basic elements that are required to achieve true happiness in life. The all balance each other, and they build from on another. It starts out at the bottom of the pyramid, with Physiological needs, the basics: breathing, food, water, sex, sleep, homeostasis and excretion. Obviously we need those basic things to live. Then it builds, adding our need for Safety; security of body, employment, resources (money ect.), family, health and property. Then continuing to get to happiness, you add Love and Belonging needs: friendship, family, sexual intimacy. Then Esteem needs come into play, with; self esteem, confidence, achievement, respect of others, and respect from others. After all of these things are in order, then comes the possibility for Self Actualization and true happiness, which include; morality, creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, lack of prejudice, and acceptance of facts. 

I know that is a lot of information to take it, but basically, it is impossible to realize true happiness, and see the possibilities, without the basic needs being met first. Getting there can be difficult at times, especially when there are a lot of things going on in your life that can way you down and burden you, but everything is made possible through prayer. Honestly, prayer is so important to being able to even create those basic physiological needs of a person. Choosing to make an effort to feel the love that your Father in Heaven has for you, and realizing that He pays attention to your wants and needs and how He blesses you in your life, can make it easier to fulfill those basic needs. Forgetting ourselves and serving others can help a lot with that as well.

Friendships and Energy

I have been thinking a lot this week about friendships that I have gained recently, and about friendships that I have acquired over the years through various activities and events that go on through my life. I have found friends through work, church, high school, college, my church women's organization and through family acquaintances. Friends are extremely important to my growth in life. I am the kind of person who feeds off of other people's energy. If someone whom I am around is feeling negatively, I feel their feelings and I will either try to distance myself from them, or if it is someone whom I care about I will do all that I know how, to help them feel better, and become more positive. 

I love being around happy, positive people, because their happiness tends to rub off on me and I love to be happy. My grandmother told me yesterday, when I visited with her for a little bit, that I am always happy. I thought to myself for a minute, and decided that I always want to be really happy, and if I am around the right people I can be. Now I do have those days where it is difficult for me to be happy, and I feel like I will bite people's heads off, but maybe that happens when I am not around enough positivity to feel happy. I need that food (haha), the happy food, that is called good energy, I think. 

I don't know very much about the energy that lives in all of us, aside from the fact that when people have lots of good energy, it shows through their eyes. Often times if there is enough good energy in someone they glow. Which I think is why when women are pregnant, they glow... because of that constant good energy that it takes to grow a fetus inside their bodies. When there is a lack of good energy, sometimes people can become dark in their eyes and even clouded. Which is how, I think their actions can reflect that energy that they have in them, because they become clouded and their judgment lacks good energy. 

I was curious about why it is that I feed off of others energies, because I know that not everyone is affected by others in such a way. So I looked it up :) (Uncle Bryan, you are right, I love "googling" things haha) I found this interesting article that someone wrote about becoming emotionally drained by other people's energy, written by Judith Orloff, MD. It tells about how this writer, as a young girl would become drained from other people's negative energy. She said that, "Unsuspectingly, I was a gigantic sponge, absorbing the energy of people around me." She later realized that she had what is called intuitive empathy. Which is, "the ability to sense what's going on in others both emotionally and physically as it it were happening to [you]."

This "intuitive empathy," I believe is what I experience as well. It can be very difficult sometimes, because I'll be around one of my friends and they will get a text message off to the side of our conversation, and not say anything about it, but it will upset them somehow. I will automatically feel their energy and get upset and not realize the reasoning behind it. Sometimes I will notice that they are not the same as they were a moment ago, and I will be able to help them, other times I have to leave, and I end up feeling horrible the rest of that day. 

The article explains how sometimes when she is out in a group of people, and there is a lot of energy fields that she intersects, she can become overloaded and her "aspect of intuition is the most neglected and misunderstood." So she too, experiences the lack of realizing why she starts feeling all of these emotions and can't handle being there. 

This is an interesting realization, I suppose that I have been empathic to other people's energy for a long time. Perhaps that is why I can help those around me, if I try hard to notice when the feelings are coming from someone else, instead of myself. Perhaps I should become a life coach or something, so that I can help people as much as possible. Right now, I can use this gift to help my family members, and maybe improve my relationships with them. 

Thank you for reading my realization for the day :D I would love to read your comments. Perhaps you are empathic as well and you don't realize it yourself. Have a wonderful Sunday!

Fun Saturday

Today has been a very long day to say the least haha. We decided to go up to Brigham City, Utah, which is 100 miles away, to see some of Josh's old friends. (not that they are "old" but he has known them for a long time) So we got up early, on this Saturday morning and left to get there in the morning. Every time we go to that part of Utah, I feel like I have to go see all of our friends and family that lives that way, because we don't go down there (or up there, whichever it is haha) more than once every two months or so.

So we visited with a lot of people today, including various awesome family and friends. Lucas however, did not take his 2 naps today, and his schedule was all messed up. He whined a lot, and I really felt bad for him most of the day. We took the play pen expecting to put him down for a nap at some point during the day, but we weren't really anywhere long enough to actually do so. So he got a 20 minute nap on the way in the car, going from Roy to Kaysville, where my grandparents live. (One set lives in Roy and the other lives in Kaysville.) Anyway, he was very sleepy, but he did pretty well considering how many people he interacted with and how much we were moving around. He also said "thank you!" all day :D He was so cute!

He took a minute to cuddle with his Great Grandma Malan, and I had to post a picture (I'm sorry Grandma I know I told you I wouldn't..) But it was too cute to not post a picture on here. Look at my beautiful Grandma!

After seeing a few more people, we stopped for dinner, and Lucas was pretty anxious at this point. So I was doing all that I could to  help him not jump out of his highchair and throw a crazy fit. I handed him my lemon slice from my water and he was instantly interested. He loved sucking on it and making a sour face every time. It was like he didn't think it was going to be sour for a minute then it suddenly was haha it was the cutest thing, so I just had to share it with you <3

I hope you enjoyed reading a little bit about our Saturday, and I look forward to your reactions and comments <3 As always, thank you for reading!

P.s. I'm getting my wedding ring resized!!!! I'll post a pic next week when I get it back from the jeweler!!! :D :D :D

Energy, Happiness & Confidence

Lucas and I got back from an activity this morning, called Zumbini. One of my friends Kim Yost is starting this class called Zumbini, that is for ages 0-3 and involves little ones and their caregivers, with singing, dancing, wiggling and learning. It was really fun to go and sing the songs and interact with everyone. I am thinking about continuing with her 10 week program that starts September 20th, which is in a few weeks. 

Although, Lucas started out shy this morning. He was all excited to go, and we walked over to the building and he was ready to go dance, then we walked in an he just stood there as kids ran around around him. It was like he went into panic mode and his heart started racing as he begged me to pick him up. Sometimes he just can't handle lots of chaos going on around him. The same thing happens at the swimming pool, he just clings to me and is shy. I wonder how I can help him to be more outgoing and extrovert. He gets that from me, I think; the not liking big groups or being on the spot. 

For example, when I am at church, during Sunday school I feel like I should make a comment. I raise my hand and think of what I'm going to say, then as soon as I get called on to comment, I start shaking a little bit and my voice has a hard time coming out. I wonder if there is anything that can help with maybe confidence building, for both Lucas and myself. Looking for ideas to help build confidence within children and even adults, I found this really interesting little photo that helps a little bit with this question.

I think that it is really a blessing to be able to look for these things, to find answers using the great and powerful (haha) Internet. Anyway, so this says to help your child to have opportunities to practice skills and challenges before they arise in their lives. This makes sense to me, but actually being able to come up with these things to prepare them is difficult for me. Maybe for Lucas to help him like to dance with other people and have fun at Zumbini class, I could find really fun music and get together with a few friends and have dance time. Lucas can build his confidence before going to a bigger class and actually be able to not be so shy because he knows it is okay to run around and laugh and jump and know that he is safe. 

The next thing it says to do is let your kids make mistakes, and when they do, to encourage them to do it again and improve themselves. I like this idea. Some kids have a hard time learning from other people's mistakes, while it is easier for others to do so. Some children may be followers and some may be leaders. I think that perhaps that may be a big difference between followers and leaders. I think that leaders may need to be more experienced than those they lead, so that they can be of service to those that follow them. Leading by example is important also, like it says in number 8, if you are a positive role model, it will hep your child. Your children really do see everything you do, and try to copy it, or emulate your actions. I still remember watching my mom cook, and memorizing her techniques and the way she even spiced things. I can even picture in my mind right now, her putting spices into the tomato sauce to make spaghetti, or when she would make gravy from turkey drippings. Your children see what you do more than you may realize. When they first start talking, they start with the things they hear most. Lucas said "yeah"a lot, when he was little haha because I would ask him if he liked something or if he was happy, things that the answer was always "yeah," and I would answer for him. :D 

So, leading by example. If he sees me talking to new people, or getting out there and dancing, then he will want to dance with me eventually, when he feels comfortable with his own ability to do it as well. The next thing is says to do is to be "enthusiastic" when your child shows you a new skill they can do. This is so true. When a child is learning about how to react to a situation, they look at what those around them are doing, especially what their parents are doing. Thinking about singing hymns in church, I have seen those people who don't enjoy singing, just sitting there during the hymn and looking like they don't want to be there, and their children are there right along with them, not singing, not sitting still and sometimes running around not paying attention. Now, I'm not judging those whom may do this, but I am merely showing this as an example of what the kids see from their parents and what they do as a reaction to what they are learning and actually internalizing and applying to their "this is what I'm supposed to do and this is what is socially acceptable to do," in their heads.

For me it is hard to differentiate between trying to let your children make mistakes but at the same time show them how it is to be done, and help them choose the right path, or even choose to be shy if that is their personality... My dad always said that he would never force me to do something, but that I can choose, and he hopes that I will make the right choice. But what do you do when they make a choice that is not necessarily going to help them succeed? I guess just be there for them and let them know that you love them no matter what. Being a parent is hard. Not only when they are little, but when they start to actually make their own choices, and when those choices don't necessarily agree with your idea of what they "should be." 

I guess that leads us into the next one which says that we should help our children develop their own personal strengths and talents and personality traits. Maybe by allowing them to express themselves and make their own mistakes, they will learn and grow from their actions and eventually choose what they will do, whether they want to be an introvert, or really outgoing, or somewhere in the middle. I still want Lucas to be excitable when it comes to interacting with others. Playing well with others is a really good and desirable trait to have. It will help him throughout his whole life. Friends are what I live for sometimes. A life without friends and people to interact with seems really lonely and sad to me. 

The next one says that we should have high expectations for them, because children seem to live up to those high hopes, when we encourage them. We need to let them know that anything is possible, and it is up to them to achieve success in their dreams, and it is okay to have high hopes and dreams for them. I think that sometimes people don't want to have high expectations for their children, because they don't want disappointment and sadness to come when it seems impossible to reach those expectations. But that is not the case. When you expect that they can succeed in every possible way with their lives, then they will see your faith in them, and they will have faith in themselves, that they can accomplish anything that they put effort towards doing. They just need the right fuel and motivation. Faith and love, I think is that fuel. With enough fuel, there is confidence, and the ability to achieve great things!

That goes really well into the next one, that says that we should spend our time with our children everyday so that they feel loved. Love is a huge part of that fuel! I have a really good friend, who waits to put her son to bed until after his daddy gets home, so that he can spend that bonding time with him everyday. Those relationships are really important to our confidence and just life! The reason that I am a stay at home mom, is so that our children get enough love and attention, to be able to succeed in this ever changing and increasingly scary world. The role that mothers play is so pivotal to this amazing plan, to help your children succeed and have the confidence they need to live! 

The next one says that we should praise our children for their efforts along with the result, so encourage them to keep succeeding, and continue to try and keep moving on. Also to let them know that they are loved even if they fail at certain things. They need to know to never give up. 

The last one is really important. It says to have clear rules about when your child should perform certain activities, such as walking to school by themselves at certain ages. Added confidence can be good, but it can also be bad, because it encourages them to do sometimes dangerous things by themselves that they really should have a parent to protect them. Rules are good, and they are for our protection. Be sure to set good boundaries and help your children to know that it is okay to be calm and hold back a bit at times, but other times it is good to have fun and go crazy! 

I hope you got something good out of this post, I sure did :) I never know what is going to come out of these, I just type what comes into my head. Thank you for reading, and I would LOVE to see your comments and questions.

Cold Feet

I have cold feet. Literally haha, my toes are cold because of the air conditioner that keeps conditioning my home, but won't leave my toes alone. :P So I must keep the air on, but have a blanket. It makes me kind of chuckle to myself. But I like to snuggle and be warm, so I pay money to the power company to help me achieve this goal haha.

So while I am all snuggled up on my couch waiting for my wonderful hubby to get home, I find myself thinking about how much I love being a mother. People have said that you have never known love until you give birth to a child. I think that is true to a point. There is definitely a different kind of love that comes when you have a child than say the way I love my husband. Not don't get me wrong, I love my husband with all my heart, and I can't imagine life without him being good at all, but there is something about the way that I love my son that is very different. I look at him, and I see all of the good things about me in him. I think he is the cutest child that I have ever seen, and I'm not exaggerating. Haha.

We were watching an old home video from when I was really little, and I noticed a lot of similarities between Lucas and myself, that are already showing in him. I love it! He is such a little character, and he is just figuring out how to communicate with me with words. I love his little "her you go" or "thank you!" He just makes me giggle inside and then I realize that I know what those people meant what they said about love.

My favorite thing to do is to love. I was taught to be Christlike, and I interpret that as doing everything, including acting and doing how and what Christ did and does. He loves everyone unconditionally, he does not love them any less because of any action they may or may not do. He is there for us whenever we choose to seek His help and guidance. I always try to emulate all of His attributes, and I hope to appear to those around me, a Christlike being. I am His daughter after all, we all have the ability to become like Him. So what I'm saying I guess, is that if you are reading this, you obviously love me to a point, so I just wanted to tell you that I love you, unconditionally. Whether you are perfect or not, whether you make choices I agree with or not, I still love you, and I hope that I can show you that. I hope that you can trust me enough to let me show you how much I only want to help those around me, without expecting anything of anyone. I don't expect anything of you, I only love you for who you are, my friend, or mother, or sister, or stranger. Please let me know if I can help you, and I will do all that I am able.

:D Being a mother is AMAZING and loving everyone is kind of like being a mother to everyone <3
I love you all!

A Word on Marriage : From my Dad, and James E. Faust

Ron Kingsford

"I came across some great counsel for keeping our marriages strong from James Faust. He states as follows:

We build our marriages with endless friendship, confidence, integrity, and by administering and sustaining each other in our difficulties.
There are a few simple, relevant questions which each person, whether married or contemplating marriage, should honestly ask in an effort to become “one flesh.” They are:
First, am I able to think of the interest of my marriage and partner first before I think of my own desires?
Second, how deep is my commitment to my companion, aside from any other interests?
Third, is he or she my best friend?
Fourth, do I have respect for the dignity of my partner as a person of worth and value?
Fifth, do we quarrel over money? Money itself seems neither to make a couple happy, nor the lack of it, necessarily, to make them unhappy, but money is often a symbol of selfishness.
Sixth, is there a spiritually sanctifying bond between us?

Great questions for all of us to ask ourselves to keep our marriages strong."

My father is so insightful about what to read and what to share with others. I love you daddy! Marriage is ordained of God, and I think everyone should get married in order to attain true happiness. Especially when a marriage happens in God's temple, and is sealed by the Holy Power of the Priesthood. Only then can we become Kings and Queens after this life. I love that I can participate in this!! And I love that everyone has the opportunity to do so as well. I love the Temple of God~

Family Photos! Summer 2013

Kylie Bagley took our Family Photos, and I love them!!

What do you think? I would love to see your comments!

Sewing Project

My son loves babies, so I decided to buy him a baby-doll from a yard sale for $1. The baby-doll has pink clothes and a pink bracelet that are sewn onto it. I wanted the baby to be gender neutral, so I decided to sew some clothes for it.

I took a pair of Lucas's newborn pajamas and made this:

It was so much fun! I found the idea on Pinterest :) I love Pinterest! 

Stay tuned for more projects and recipes and more!!

New Recipe Creation - Sloppy Juevos

I was making dinner and I decided that I had a lot of hard boiled eggs and and sausage, so I created a new recipe, and my husband and son loved it. I hope you enjoy, because I sure did! :D

Sloppy Juevos

Ingredients
Hard Boiled Eggs
Homemade Olive Oil Mayo
Yellow Mustard
Breakfast Sausage
Hot Dog Buns
Sliced Tomatoes
Chopped Lettuce

Directions
Peel eggs, put in bowl. Mash eggs until they turn into small pieces, then add mayo and mustard. (I didn't add an amount, because if you are going to make your own mayo, you will know how much to put :) Cook sausage, I cut mine in bite size pieces to it will cook faster. After the sausage is fully cooked, turn off the heat, but leave the pan on the burner. Add the egg mixture into the pan and mix well with the sausage, while squishing the egg down into the hot pan, creating a cool chemical reaction. Next, get a hotdog bun, hold it open and load that baby up with the sausage/egg mixture and top with tomatoes and lettuce. Eat warm :) Yum!!

Lucas having fun playing :)

Sometimes I can't help it... I have to take a video of this adorable kid <3 

He is so fun!

Lucas - 18 months old!!