My 2008 Scripture

Doctrine and Covenants 124:49-50
49 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that when I give a commandment to any of the sons of men to do a work unto my name, and those sons of men go with all their might and with all they have to perform that work, and cease not their diligence, and their enemies come upon them and hinder them from performing that work, behold, it behooveth me to require that work no more at the hands of those sons of men, but to accept of their offerings.
50 And the iniquity and transgression of my holy laws and commandments I will visit upon the heads of those who hindered my work, unto the third and fourth generation, so long as they repent not, and hate me, saith the Lord God.

While we were visiting Rachel and Adam, their Sunday School teacher taught this great lesson and referenced these verses. They have had a huge impact on my life. It is proof that the Lord knows what we are up against at times and that we must continue putting forth our best efforts to make that grand offering to the Lord. It is up to the Lord to decide when enough is enough, not me. I am just expected to keep on giving. I mean, the Savior had to give so much that it required his life! The trials and difficulties I face are not that severe, and if they ever are, then I still need to be "true to the faith" forever.

Guard Dogs are Great!

We rarely have visitors, so my front light is barely used. I can't see out when people come to the door, so I am ever thankful for Hannah. When I opened the door last night to two strangers, I had a hold on Hannah's collar. She kept growling and barking at the two men. I definitely feel safer having her around!! (Oh, and don't worry, they were two older men just coming to give us an invitation to one of the local churches. They were very nice...and Hannah wasn't going to let them come any closer, no matter what. They were very wary of this growling dog straining against her collar. If she really wanted to eat them, she could have pulled out of my grasp.)

Things That Go Bump In The Night

We live in a brand-new house, and thank goodness! All the noises I heard last night because "Eric wasn't here" would have terrified me. We had high winds (judging by the noises and also the miscellaneous items that were blown into our yard) and some other "mysterious" noises. I was grateful to have a good book to read to help wear me out and go to sleep. Even Hannah's movements panicked me, so out she went to her kennel in the garage. To think this was only one night and Eric will have to do more of these and for longer periods! I'm just glad we have a house alarm to give me more of that false comfort. =)

My Husband Left Me...for a night

I am really pathetic. I left Eric for a week to go to Girls' Camp while I was pregnant with Emily. I'm so bummed he had to leave FOR ONE NIGHT for work!! It made me so sad all day before we dropped him off. Now I don't know what to do, which is completely silly since he is at seminary/school/work all day every day anyway!! What's my problem? I'm just that pathetic. I wanted Daisey to be here so I could force her to come over and stay the night with me. I guess I just have to grow up and be an adult about this.

Toddlers and Tantrums

Being a mother teaches you such incredible skills that you just don't get the pleasure of learning in any other atmosphere. Emily has grown to express her opinions with these terrible whole-body tantrums. I've experienced several of these in the car (Ryan will recall a long drive to Atlanta where Em showcased this talent). After she has worn herself out a little, the only thing she will calm down for is to hold my hand. That's fabulous if I can ride passenger and in the back. However, driving down the freeway or the busy streets can be a bit nerve wracking when trying to steer while half-turned in the seat to console my daughter. So, my vote is in for a third hand! Who has THAT on their presidential agenda?

The Artist Known as Emily

Emily has a very creative mind. She can take anything and put her mark on it.
First, we see Emily sporting her lovely Sheepie Fur Coat. It not only is stylish, but you can use it either as a blanket or a pillow.

Next, is the ever popular straw hat. Emily has taken this concept to a new level as she unraveled the brim to create a twist on the flapper-style bonnet. Gorgeous!

Finally, we are also grateful to know that Emily has exceptional talent in drawing, as well. Her masterpieces now grace four walls and the fireplace step. (Thank goodness it was only a pencil!!)

Shoots and Latters

New Beginnings is tonight and I came up with this idea to "mormonize" a children's game known as Chutes and Ladders. It's a morality teaching game, so it was perfect for this event. In my version it's a "shoots" as in "darn it, I messed up again" and "latters" for things latter-day saints should be doing. Therefore, "Shoots and Latters".
Anyway, seeing as there are no life-sized game board available plus the changes (and shorter game squares), I got to design my own. It took a lot longer than expected, but I think it turned out nicely. I'm keeping it to use as a FHE idea. I'm using cards (monopoly style like the "chance" pile) that correspond with the major or minor falls or climbs. That way, I can alter it to fit whatever the lesson may be.
Anyway, it was a lot of fun and I'm contemplating creating other life-sized game boards for our kids.

No, I haven't forgotten

I haven't forgotten that I was going to keep this thing updated. We've been in Missouri visiting family for a week now and it has gone too quickly!! We've had some adventures...like taking a sick child on her first flight. No, really she did really well...until they said we had to turn off Sponge Bob. I wonder if Em will ever know that Sponge Bob isn't a real person. I got to see my youngest bro play basketball (he's a sophmore on the Varsity team at his highschool) and realized why I can't coach...I get too involved in the game. We've played enough Rock Band to warp our minds (and it is THE best game ever!!!) and cramp our legs. More stories to come on the bands we've created...some funny things. Em also had bouts of happiness and sorrow as the Red Robin (at Red Robin) was walked around the restaurant last night. She wanted to play with him/her...all the other kids were kind of weirded out by the person in costume, but Emily thought she'd died and gone to heaven with a big "animal" there! There's more to tell, but I'll have to get in here later to properly update...until then...

VW makes me happy!

Last night, we took Hannah to get acquainted with the family we are entrusting her to during our vacation. Upon returning to our home, the headlights illuminated an interesting marking on our driveway where the Passat usually sits. It was a smiley face!! Due to the way the condensation dripped off the car, it left water marks on the drive in the form of a smiley face. You know, the kind you might put on your snowman! We took a picture to document that even driveways are happy to have a VW parked on it.

An Unwanted Visitor

As we are counting down the days to go and meet our new nephew (Em's cousin Haydn), the warm winter season gave way to a cold front...temperature wise and health wise. Emily and I are both sick with bad colds. We keep praying and doing what we can so that we won't be sick when we do arrive to see this new baby. We definitely don't want them to suffer the same medical scare as we did when Emily was so new.

Hannah's a good dog

So, the investment of getting a dog back in June has already paid off. In an homage to Lassie, Hannah has saved the day!! Emily figured out how to work the door handles on our new house, so I have tried to make sure the exterior doors are locked. Somehow, with both of us at home today, she made the escape with the co-conspirator, Hannah. Emily, being a responsible "big girl," shut the door behind her so we didn't even KNOW she was gone until the neighbor came to get us. Of course, you may wonder why the neighbor didn't have Emily in tow...well, Hannah was guarding her. So, Hannah, here's to you! Thanks, a million!!

In the beginning...

After viewing several other blogs, I thought I would join the crowd and have a central site to direct friends and family to updates about our lives. As it is a new year, I thought it would also be a great way to keep a family record of the things we have done. Hope you enjoy it!!