Grocery Store Fun

So I went to Albertsons tonight...wait, correction, Fresh Market. I made a quick 10pm run there to get some more Sobe before it went off sale. (I will just say that the 'Lean:Fuji Apple Cranberry' is delightful...)

So I run in to the store only to find that they are no longer the 69-cent-bargain they once were. Whatever. I bought some anyway.

I walk back out to Ethel (that is the name of the Buick Ted drove) and tried to get in. Nope. Not gonna happen. The battery on the automatic-let-you-in-the-car-thing, has died. Mind you, my friend Karma is a real hoot...because just hours earlier my Ma had said, "What are we going to do if the battery ever goes out on this thing?" Fast forward to later that night and she found out 'what we were gonna do.'

So there I stand at Ethel as the folks around think I am trying to break in to it. I call my Ma and tell her what has happened.

Her response..."Are you sure?"

Me...No Ma, I'm not sure that I can't get in the freakin car. I just used my psychic abilities to guess that it is not going to open when I press the button. Yes Im sure! I've been standing here for 5 minutes pressing the bloody button only to still be locked out!'

Her..."Are you serious, or are you just messing with me?"

Me...."No Ma, I'm not serious. I find it fun to stand outside of a locked car, in the snow, with groceries on my arm, as the onlookers are getting ready to call the cops on the grand-theft-auto in progress. Yes I'm serious!"

Her..."Well let me find the keys and I'll be there in a minute"

Well that minute was about 15 or so. And as the car drove up, there was my Ma laughing her head off with this precious little guest in the passenger seat...MeatBall. (This isn't the best picture of him with demon looking eyes, but hopefully you get the fact that he is super cute)



And so my advice to you is: Don't go to the store in the snow at 10 oclock at night unless you are sure that what you want is still on sale, and you have a fresh battery in your car-unlocking-device.

Cheers

So tonight I went to the hockey game to help out with some of the fund-raising that was being done to benefit the Special Olympic team going to the national games this Summer.

So what assignment was I given, you might be asking yourself?...Beer-Cart-Operator-Assistant. Yep, I was assigned to the beer-cart. And so you might be wondering what it was like...well, it wasn't anything like the t.v. show Cheers. No one there knew my name. And by the looks of it, and the beer consumption of some of these folks, I don't know if they even knew their own name any more! I ended up as the money collector. Not being a mathematician, this made me a bit nervous.

But alas, all went well. People were quite generous in their tipping and donating to our cause. I know that people are good, and people are generous, but after tonight it was clear that the kindness and generosity increase greatly when they've had a few...

Quaker Oats And A Whole Lot Of Laughs...

I'm still not sure how or why, but today a topic of conversation and a major source of laughter, was Wilford Brimley, the Quaker Oatmeal guy...

Come to think of it, I don't think I care much for him or the oatmeal...

Ted+MTC= A Lot Of Tears

So today was the day...Only 730 more days to go!

It really happened. Ted left. Pictures were taken. Goodbyes were said. My heart broke. There were lots of tears. And those tears led into the ugly cry. Which led into both of my brothers laughing at me as the ugly noises and water works kept coming though I tried hard to keep them contained. The harder I tried for containment and composure, the uglier the sounds became...let's just say that it wasn't a pretty sight.

The MTC really is a drive-thru operation these days. You drive in, they take your beloved family member and their luggage, and off they go. Well as they were taking Ted, I thought I would get one more picture. As I rolled down the window and went to capture the last image of him for two years, my camera flew out of my hands, through the window, and bounced across the pavement. It was special. But I got the pic!

So I say:

Ted, You are doing an amazing thing. Good luck. You will be incredible. We love you. See you in two short years. Make the most of each day, as each will be a gift. It might not always be easy or pleasant, but it will be the best two years of your life.

Sweden, Take good care of him. Jag menar det!

To all of his friends, Contact me. We can get together and form the "I Miss Ted Support Group", full of gellato and sushi...

Here is to the best adventure of my brother's life...

(I seem to have lost the cable that connects my camera to my computer...
as soon as it is found, I will add some of the pics from today...)

The Power of Prayer

"Think of the power of...prayer. It's as if you lift someone with loving hands and hold him of her up on remembrance before God. That person is in your memory, in your heart, in your thoughts. And now you have brought his or her name before God in joyous, sympathetic remembrance. What a wonderful gift of plenitude." ~Chieko Okazaki

Today I was blessed by this act of prayer. I felt the power of a friends prayers in behalf of my family and I. I was overwhelmed with gratitude. There was so much peace as we were getting ready to take Ted to Provo. Peace wasn't initially what I thought I was going to feel so much of. I was thinking more along the lines of the sadness that comes along with shipping off one of your best friends. But there was peace. And I knew it's source. The Spirit. But I also undeniably knew of who had petitioned that source. Lori.

This woman is amazing. Her prayers are powerful. When she prays, it is more than talking. It is communicating. And not just communicating with her God, but her Father.

I want this kind of personal righteousness. I want this kind of relationship with my Father. And with my whole soul, I desire to bless those around me as she does. She is an example of what a real disciple looks like. She is my friend, and I am so very blessed by this fact.

So today, prayers were felt. They were real. He does hear us, and He will answer us...and so often it is through another person's kindness and loving acts, that those prayers are answered and His love is felt.

Give The Gift Of Life

Got an email today. It was a good email. It was from Be The Match. I am officially on the bone marrow donor registry. I am stoked. You should think about joining too...

www.marrow.org

Happy Birthday Jill!

Happy Birthday to one of the funniest human beings I've ever had the chance to meet! True story. I don't know if there is anyone out there that makes me laugh as hard as Jill does. She is a doll. I am so blessed to call her my friend.

(This picture was from one of our many 'ghost-busting-expeditions'. It was actually taken in the bathroom of the Rio Grande Restaurant. We never did see the blue lady that they say haunts the place...)

Tinkle, Tinkle, Little Tan...

So I went and got myself a spray tan on Saturday. I have done it before. Spray tanning is what I have decided to turn to after hearing all of the studies on using tanning beds. (they increase your chance of melanoma by 75%... Scary!)

So anyway, the process is simple and short. You're totally done in less than 10 minutes. So I was in and out and back on my way in no time. I was running a lot of errands and was busy all day. At no time did I stop and look at the results.

Fast forward to Sunday morning as I am getting ready for Church...

I put on my dress and look down at my leg as I'm stepping into my shoes. What do my eyes behold? A big streak! And not just any streak!...it looks as though I had an accident. The only way to describe this excessively dark, out of place, streak of bronzer, is to say that it looks like I got laughing too hard, and peed a little tanning bronzer down my leg. So not sexy, to say the least.

Moral of the story...well, there is no moral come to think of it. I just thought I'd share this so if and when it happens to you, you know that you're not alone. It's happened to the best of us.

Who do you want to be when you grow up?...

Whenever I was asked this question when I was young, the answer would
have been Tina Turner. I thought for a long time that I was adopted and that Tina Turner was my birth-mother...

As I have gotten older, those 'heroes', the people I want to be just like, have changed. What I want to be 'when I grow up' has changed.

Today, I had a chance to listen to one of 'grown-up-perspective-heroes'. Ardeth Kapp. I have always been in awe of this woman. In awe of the light and spirit she carries with her. In humble awe of her firm and immovable testimony.The woman can make anyone she meets feel like a dear, long-lost friend. She raidiates goodness. She is full of love and gives it freely. I want to be just like her when I grow up.

She spoke today on many things, but the one that struck me was the point she made of how important we all are. We are God's children. His off-spring. And all of the attributes He has, we have divinely placed within us too, though we might not be able to see them quite yet. A quote from her that I read some time ago, that has always stuck with me is "We did not come to Earth to gain our worth, we brought it with us."

I want you to really think about that statement...It is powerful. It is tender. We didn't come here to work each day just so we could earn love or importance in God's eyes, we already have that. We always have. Who you are is important. It is vital. Every single person in this world means something, means something to someone, and will leave a print or two on the heart of another. We are all part of the plan, and we play important parts in the lives of others as we help them feel love, God's love.

So back to my initial statement...Who do you want to be when you grow up? Who do you want to be like? My final goal is to be like Jesus. I've got a long way to go. But along the way, He sends me people. People who make me want to be and do better. People who are much more like Him than myself. They make me more. They stand as examples. Examples of love and kindness. Examples of what it looks like to really be a disciple of Christ.

And so I say: Dear Lord, Thank you for all of the amazing people you've placed in my path. I'm trying to be more like you, though some days it doesn't really look like it, as I fall so short. With your help and power, I know one of these days I will get it right. In the meantime, thank you for the gentle reminders and 'visual aids', Ive been blessed to call friends, that remind me how to be a little more like you.

I'm trying to be like Jesus;

I'm following in his ways.

I'm trying to love as he did, in all that I do and say.

At times I am tempted to make a wrong choice,...

I'm trying to love my neighbor;

I'm learning to serve my friends.

I watch for the day of gladness

when Jesus will come again.

I try to remember the lessons he taught.

Then the Holy Spirit enters into my thoughts, saying:

"Love one another as Jesus loves you.
Try to show kindness in all that you do.

Be gentle and loving in deed and in thought,

For these are the things Jesus taught."

-Janice Kapp Perry-

So yes, I have given up on the dream of being Tina Turner when I grow up. The voice, the legs, and the rockin' hair will never be me. But I feel good about what I'm trying to become, and who I'm trying to become like. I'm trying, and after today's 'visual aid' of seeing and listening to Ardeth, I am recommitted to my goal and will be trying a whole lot harder...

Sister-Sister

Night before last, we went to dinner with my sister and her two adorable little girls. What a joy. It was so wonderful to see her again. Her girls are so stinkin' cute. It was a hoot to see them 'enjoy and experience' their food. A little macaroni to eat, a little for the floor. As for the applesauce, it was a good idea to use a knife to eat it, and it also made it so convenient for sharing it. I hope that there will be many more times just like it.

It was a night that brought such joy to my heart. I've missed her so much. I pray that we will be able to reconnect and do all the things that sisters do.

Something Ive felt so strongly lately, is how important family is. It's what matters. It's one of the few things that are eternal.

And so my advice on this family thing is make the most of each day and love em while you've got em...

Temple Day

Yesterday was a wonderful day. Colton went through the Temple.


As I watched him walk through the front doors of that amazing House, I thought to myself, he is about to be changed for good. He won't be the same person when he walks out those doors. The steps he took, took him closer to Heaven. Incredible. What a gift.

What a blessing it was to be there with him. What an honor. I got to be his faux-mom for the afternoon. Though a sweet man (who probably had glaucoma, well at least I pray he had faultering eyesight, and I don't really look 50) thought I was really his mom. As I sat in the waiting room, I met some sweet ladies. Sister Hall and I became new BFFs! Chatting with her, the time passed quickly. Then it was time to go. Off he went into a new major adventure. As I looked at him, I was so proud. So proud to call him my brother. And so proud of the choice he has made to go on a mission. I love him more than a fat kid loves cookies, or should I say more than I love Thin Mints and Peeps...And thats A LOT!

To the people of Sweden: Look out! Here comes Elder Ted. You are some lucky people. Take good care of my brother while you've got him. Love, his sister

Oh great! Here I am boobing just writing this blog. The 21st is going to be bad, and the 24th even worse! I better get this 'eye sweating' thing under control, ASAP!

Peeps+Thin Mints=A trip to AAA Tent & Awning For New Clothes

Spring is getting ready to burst, and so are the seams of my pants...

Two of the greatest treats ever made are first, Peeps; and coming in at a close second, would be Girl Scout Cookies. My favorite Peeps are the purple ones. Yes it is my favorite color, but my being partial to the color aside, they just taste better. Crazy you might call me, but the different colors taste different. True story. Let them dry out for a few days so they harden up a bit, and they're delightful!

As for the Girl Scout Cookies, the Thin Mints can't be beat! But I ask, why do they call them thin mints? Theres nothing thin about them. They're like Pringles, you can't eat just one. (Or wait, is that Lays? I don't know, it's a chip company.) A box or two later, you wake up from your sugar induced slumber wondering what happened, how you got there, and who in the 'edit' ate all your cookies!

What makes these things so delecitble? What is the secret ingredient? My feeling is it must be cocaine...What do you think?

Thank God For Kids

Today I am thankful for children. For their innocence. For the way they love purely and freely, seeing the best in everyone and everything. I am thankful for the hands that are sticky and covered in Jello, that grasp mine for security. I am thankful for the moment the sleepy child falls asleep on my lap. I am thankful for the big blue eyes that are full of mischief, and the way they light up when I walk in the room. I am thankful for the daily lessons I receive about what real charity is, from those who know it best. It is the little things like this, that help us more clearly see why God has commanded us to be as little children. Pure and innocent. Teachable and trusting. Full of love. 'And a little child shall lead them...'

Happy Birthday Collinoscopy!

Today is my cousin Collin's birthday. And so I say, Happy Birthday Collinoscopy! I am so thankful you were born and just as thankful that God made us family. I love you!