{Day 14}

I love...

...the following quote.

Why try so hard to fit in when you were born to stand out?

Growing up, my mom would always have a beautiful bouquet of flowers in my room when I would come home from school on Valentine's Day. It meant SO much to me, so much in fact, that I have carried on this tradition with my own girls. This year I decided to add a little teaching moment with it since it went so well with our family night lesson on Monday (click here to watch the video that our lesson was based on).

I chose the red rose because not only is it Katelund's favorite flower, but also because in primary red stands for "courage to do what is right". The older my girls are getting, the more I am realizing how essential it is to teach them to have courage. Courage to stand for the right, even and especially when they are standing all alone.


Dare to be a Mormon;
Dare to stand alone.
Dare to have a purpose firm;
Dare to make it known.

{Day 13}

I love...

... this picture!!! A couple weeks ago, Katelund taught our family night lesson. At the end of her lesson, she had us each draw our favorite scripture story. This was what Katelund drew for her favorite from the Book of Mormon. Can you tell what she's depicting? I love it!!

{Day 12}

I love...

...to wear hats. Cory got me this red one for my birthday (along with the most beautiful off white pea coat). I have quite a few hats that I love to wear, but this is my very favorite lately.

FYI...I took this picture in December, a couple of days after my birthday, to show Cory. My hair is actually not blonde anymore. It is back to auburn. But, looking at this picture has really got me missing my blonde highlights. Hmmm...maybe I'll put some back in for spring.

{Day 11}

I love...

...that my girls have a Daddy who will not only take them to a daddy daughter dance, but who will also wear a pink shirt to match them just because I told him he should.

{Day 10}

I love...

...water.

Water is a necessity. In 50-70 degree weather, a person would only survive a week and a half without water. Two thirds of our body is made up of water and 70% of the earth is covered in water. It is a huge part of our lives and our world. Without it, our world and all the people in it would cease to exist.

But aside from the obvious necessities of water, it is also used in great amounts each day to refresh and wash our bodies, our dishes, our clothes, our cars, our lawns, our plants, and our food. If we were to suffer from a drought (such as in Biblical times), our world would completely be turned upside down. During the hot summer months in Texas (and many other places), cities are actually put on water restrictions. There are certain days and times when you can or cannot water your lawn. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to live in a time when drinking water was restricted as well. How blessed we are to be able to turn on our facet, our washers, our sinks, etc to use however much water we need or want.

Today as I was swimming laps and enjoying the water as it surrounded itself around my body, I felt such gratitude for water. Not only for water in the pool and in a bottle, but also for the Living Water. A couple of years ago, I realized something very interesting to me. I most often receive promptings and personal revelation when I am showering or doing dishes...when I am around water.

Whether it is actual water or the Living Water, we need it. It is and should be the most important thing we take into our bodies and spirit. Just as I immersed myself into the waters of baptism 23 years ago, I hope that I immerse myself into the gospel of Jesus Christ everyday for the rest of my life, so that I will never find myself in a drought and suffering from spiritual thirst. Through Him, we will be filled. We are filled as we thirst and hunger after righteousness, as we feast upon the scriptures, as we weekly partake of the water in sacrament, and as we submerge and drowned our will and allow His will to flow within our life. There are no restrictions or limitations. Through Him, we truly can drink and never thirst again.

{Day 9}

I love...

...sunshine!!! Yesterday I ran during the day while pushing my babies. Usually we run while it is still dark outside so I really enjoyed doing it later in the morning. There is just something therapuetic and revitalizing about sunshine. It is the greatest anti-depressant medicine ever (and so symbolic as well...the Son being the ultimate anti-depressant and rejuvinator). When I was living in Rexburg while I was in college, I would got so depressed during the long winter months. All I wanted was a day of sunshine, or even just a couple of minutes. It got so bad that I actually started going to a tanning bed so that I could at least get some artificial sun. Pretty lame, I know. Besides the awesome tan I got, I learned real quick that nothing compares to the real thing (again, SO symbollic!!). So, today I am loving sunshine (and sweet sleeping babies of course).

{Day 8}

I love...

...how I found Cloey sleeping the other night. About an hour prior to this picture, Cloey had been upset and crying because she was scared and thinking about bad things (stupid friend's birthday party where the mother decided it would be funny to scare the kids and tell them about bloody mary...seriously!!?? I'm still upset about it, can you tell?). I told her to say a prayer and sing some primary songs or recite the articles of faith in her head. Then I went back downstairs with Cory. When I came up a little while later to check on her and found her like this, I may...just may...have shed a tear or two. :)

{Day 7}

I love...

...blogging. Writing is my release and my creative outlet. It also doesn't require any money, mess, or clutter, which makes it even more wonderful. It is the perfect way for me to record memories, organize pictures, and document life, day in and day out. As I write, I feel something inside of me that is just waiting to come out. There is just something amazing about the written language. I'm not sure why, but I feel like when I write, I can say things the way that I want to say them and express the emotions I feel inside through the words that I type. Most people just do facebook these days, but it just isn't my thing. I need to write more than just one line about what I'm doing or where I'm going. It is in the posts that I write that I remember to be grateful. I remember that there is more to life than grocery shopping, washing windows, folding clothes, or wiping noses. I remember who I am and why I am doing what I am doing. I remember to be kinder, listen harder, forgive quicker, and love easier. Yes, they are just words and random thoughts, memories, and dreams, but all those things define me and make me who I am. These blog posts are the songs of my heart and through them I will keep singing, even if nobody else is listening.

{Day 6}

I love...

...decorating and celebrating. I spent the day yesterday preparing for Hailey's ladybug birthday party last night. It was so much fun! My friend, Jenae, made the ADORABLE ladybug cake. She made it at my house so that she could teach me as she did it. I think I could really get into cake decorating. At least it's a little less intimidating to me now. (Jenae is the girl with her head sticking into the picture with the cake.) we had four families over to celebrate with us. It was a great party! Lots of laughing, food, and even a personal concert by my friend's daughter, Hannah, who just released her first single on iTunes. She's AMAZING!!!

When my older girls got home from school, the really wanted to be involved in the decorating so I had them make the black ladybug spots to cover the backdoors and front door. They had such a great time doing that while I got all the food ready. We served all of Hailey's favorite foods; pizza, chicken bites, black olives, licorice, strawberries (I posted a pic of the "ladybugs" that I made on the strawberry plate with the olives for heads), valentine sugar cookies, m&ms, and cherry 7 up.

{Day 5}

I love...

...my birthday girl. Happy 2nd birthday to my little monkey.

{Day 4}

I love...

...shoes. The shoes in the first picture are about to become mowing shoes (that's what happens to my run down tennis shoes before I get rid of them). I have had these shoes for about 2 years now. They still look nice but they are giving me shin splints like crazy because I've ran the maximum amount of miles in them. A running shoe should be retired after about 500 miles. Just in the last 5 months that I've been running, I've ran between 400-500 miles. Today I ran in them the longest and farthest I've ever gone. I ran 14 miles at an average pace of 9 minutes and 17 seconds. Running non-stop for 2 hours and 18 minutes is definitely not easy, but man does it feel good afterwards. Well, it feels good knowing I did it, my legs, on the other hand, are not feeling so good. Hopefully new running shoes will make them feel a little bit better.

The second pair of shoes are ones I bought from a friend because they didn't fit her. I love them!! I've never worn shoes this cool before. :) They are also really comfortable. Not running shoes, but I will definitely have a lot of cool in my walk when I'm sporting these shoes.

{Day 3}

I love...

...every little thing about this picture. But one of the things that I love the most about her and about this picture are her eyes.

Yes, I believe her eyes truly are the windows to her soul.

"I love..." Series {Day 1 & 2}

In an effort to be more diligent about blogging, I am going to try something different and fun for the month of February. Each day I am going to write about something I love. Who knows, you may learn some new things about me. Since I am starting a day late, I will start off with two today.

Day 1

I love pearls. My pearl necklaces and earrings are my very favorites. I don't have real pearls, but hopefully someday I will. For now, I am totally content with all the many different kinds of pearl necklaces I have. I'm pretty sure I have about 5 or 6 different ones. I usually don't wear them just for everyday wear, but I love to wear them on special occasions or to church on Sunday. Not only do I love the way that they look, I also love this story. When I was serving in young women, I gave a copy of that story to all the laurels and then I gave them a pearl bracelet (plastic ones) to remind them of the eternal and celestial treasures or "real pearls" that are awaiting them. Awhile back I had felt impressed to buy another fake pearl bracelet at Old Navy. One day later, my friend told me how her daughter wore her pearl bracelet every single day and how she had just barely lost it and was so disappointed. I couldn't believe it! I knew exactly why I had felt impressed to buy it. It was a pretty amazing experience, and it has only increased my love for all things pearl.

Day 2

I love to take bubble baths. It is seriously one of my cure-alls (I have two others which I will save for another day). Had a bad day? Take a bubble bath. Feeling discouraged, overwhelmed, or frustrated? Take a bubble bath. Need to escape from crying babies and fighting children? Take a bubble bath. Need to have some time to just think? Take a bubble bath. Oh the list goes on and on. I would NEVER, NEVER, NEVER live in a house without having a bath tub in the master bath. It's just a necessity for me. One of the very best Valentine's Days ever was when Cory and I lived in Rexburg and I was pregnant with Katelund. He had me go into our bedroom for about an hour. Meanwhile, he made an amazing dinner and prepared everything else. After we ate our delicious dinner on china and with candles and roses on the table, he then excitedly led me upstairs to a candlelit bathroom with rose petals all over the ground leading to the bathtub where he had floating candles and rose petals adorning the bubbly warm water. But wait, it didn't end there. As I soaked in the most luxurious bathtub ever, he sat on the side and rubbed my feet, washed my hair, and fed me chocolate covered strawberries (which I threw up about 20 minutes later). Hmmmm...maybe that is where my obsession with bubble baths came from. MAYBE he will do it again this Valentines...a girl can dream right?!

January in Pictures

For some reason when I tried putting the journaling under the pictures, it just messed everything up. So sorry about the weird stuff under the pictures and you'll have to scroll to the bottom of the post for the journaling.

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Picture 1...Near the beginning of January, I had a run in with...well it's kindof a funny and embarrassing story. I probably shouldn't put in my blog, but I wanted to post it so that I won't forget...although I don't think I ever will. It was my first busted lip ever. Thankfully, it healed within a week's time.

Picture 2...For some little girls, a baby high chair is used as a baby's high chair. But then there is Hailey. To her, it is just one more step stool to get to something out of reach.

Picture 3...Last week, my sweet friend Alison was admitted to the hospital. She is seriously my hero. She is going through chemo for her third time. She is a complete inspiration to me and I feel so incredibly BLESSED to have her as a friend.

Picture 4...This picture was taken at the mall's play center. Hailey is at the perfect age for it. She loves all of the slides and ladders. But, I get a lot of worried looks from other mothers around me as she attempts to climb over and jump from all the things she shouldn't be. I think it's a great place for her to get some energy out. Besides, soft equipment and a bouncy floor is a lot better than a hard wood floor at our house or a dresser that almost fell on top of her. Seriously, everyday I pray for her safety.

Picture 5...Here is the dresser that almost fell on her awhile back. It is actually positioned so that if it falls, the crib will block it from falling all the way to the ground. I have had to "Hailey proof" her entire room. We also had to install latches on the tops of all of our doors because she figured out how to unlock the deadbolts and one day she was found by one of our neighbors in the street a couple houses up from us. It pretty much scared us to death!! I can only imagine what my neighbors must be thinking. They already think we are crazy for having four children and now I can't even manage the ones I have?! She has actually attempted to open the latches with a broom (yes, she is way too smart!) but luckily, she couldn't quite get it.

Picture 6...This is one of Katelund's school assignments that she brought home from last week. If you look closely you will notice that she got all of the questions right, except the very last one. Whenever she gets an answer wrong on her assignments, I make her redo them or I go over it with her to reinforce what she's learning. But not this time, this time I couldn't stop laughing. Read the question and then her answer. Seriously...stupid question, stupid answer, right?! I loved her response. If I was her teacher I would've given her bonus points just for being so stinkin' cute.

Picture 7...Here is proof that Cory's toes look great with nail polish and a flower sticker. He's caved in and finally just come to terms with the fact that having four little girls and a wife who loves to give pedicures...means he will sometimes get his toes painted. Don't worry, we take it off after we laugh our heads off and get pictures.

Picture 8...I was actually quite impressed with how well she put the lipstick on. Way to go Hailey, too bad you are like 14 years away from wearing lipstick.

January in Pictures

Picture 1...I spent many hours putting this together for Literacy Night at the girls' school. (I actually took this picture before it was completely finished. There were two pics of her books added to the bottom of the left white square.) It was all made out of butcher paper and I hung each of them with clothespins on a string that I tied up. It was a lot of fun and a GREAT event to be involved with. One of my friends was in charge of the night and she did such a great job. The author of the Llama Llama book series was flown in for the night and it was so much fun hearing her speak about her books. I would LOVE to write children's books someday.

Picture 2...Have I told you how much I LOVE having four girls?! Well, I do. Sometimes (a lot of times) things are loud and crazy, but honestly, I even love that (except when I don't) :).

Picture 3...There is no question about who the favorite is in our house. It's definitely Daddy. And...he's my favorite as well.

Picture 4...We have had a very spring-like winter this year. I keep waiting for the cold weather to blast us, but it just hasn't. One day last week was absolutely beautiful so I spent about four hours there before I went home to pick the older girls up and then I drove right back and spent another two.

Picture 5...This is Hailey's "I'm in trouble" look.

Picture 6...This is the cupboard that Hailey is in charge of putting dishes away in. She LOVES to help with dishes, especially since I let her stand on the counter.

Picture 7...One of the food staples around our house is olives. I will open up a can and it will be gone in about 5 seconds. We all love them. I love to put them on my girls' fingers so they can eat them off. Hailey loves it, but I don't think she loves it nearly as much as Cloey does.

Picture 8...Makayla is our first baby to not take a pacifier. I thought for sure she would end up being a thumb sucker...nope. But, apparently she likes Hailey's toe.

Picture 9...This is the cutest little boy ever!! His name is Jaxon and he belongs to my friend Jenae. Although he is totally and completely head over heels in love with his momma, every once in awhile he lets me snuggle him. I've got to get in some boy time somehow.

A couple more things that don't have pictures to go with them...

In January, I ran right around 90 miles. The half marathon is just weeks away and the full is right around the corner as well. It is pretty intense training, but it will be totally worth it.

Cory has spent a lot of hours on the trails mountain biking. He LOVES it!! On Saturdays, me and the girls go running early in the morning, then the boys go biking. It is something he REALLY enjoys and he is getting pretty good at it as well.

Katelund is loving 3rd grade and is doing really well too. She has just jumped into reading with both feet this year. I LOVE seeing her walking around the house with her nose in a book. It has taken quite awhile for her to really like reading, but now that she does, she is off and reading like crazy. She is also really enjoying math this year. She is such a wonderful big sister and I can totally see why she was sent down first. I am so GRATEFUL for all of the help she is constantly giving me with the babies.

Cloey is loving 1st grade. Unlike Katelund, I never have to ask her twice to get started on her homework. She is a very good student and an absolute SWEETHEART!! It's amazing how each child fills a different place in your heart. Cloey is so sensitive to not only her friends and her sisters feelings, but also to mine. She is just a beautiful girl, inside and out.

I think I've written a lot about Hailey along with the pictures so I'll just skip to Makayla...

Makayla is sweeter than sweet! I seriously wish I could just freeze the aging process and keep her as a 6 month old forever! She is rolling over, almost sitting, eating baby food, and I'm pretty sure she is weeks away from crawling. She brings me so much joy (Although, she may not tomorrow. I had pizza last night. It was the first time I've eaten cheese for 5 months...I'm so ready to be done with this no milk diet!!)

So that is it for January...whew!!! Now I'm ready to jump into February.

Not just a kitchen table...

Some say that with time, things lose their value. In many cases, this is true. But in other cases I believe that with time things not only increase in value, but eventually become priceless. Such is the case with my kitchen table.

We bought our table almost six years ago. When both leaves are put in, it can comfortably seat ten people. The only drawback to it was that it was a close-out and so it came as is...which meant no chairs. We got it anyways. For almost 4 years, we used folding chairs with it because, come to find out, chairs are really expensive when sold separately. Then one day, Cory and I were driving down the road and decided to check out an estate sale, and I'm so glad we did because that is where we found our chairs. Once we brought the chairs home, we decided that we were going to sand them all down and refinish them ourselves. A couple hour project (at least that's what we originally thought) turned into a VERY LONG project that I finally gave up on once I realized that I actually did like the original cream color. So we were left with three chairs that were sanded and four that were not. Which is why we now have three spray painted black chairs and four cream ones. I have always loved the chairs but this last summer I fell in love with them even more when my mom helped me refinish them all with the perfect fabric. Now, each day when I look at those chairs, I think of her. I think of the selfless countless hours that she not only spent last July, but that she has spent my whole life, serving and loving me.

The table no longer has the perfect finish across it, in fact, it is anything BUT perfect. It has nail polish stains, marker spots, scratches and dents all over it. It has been well used and well loved. Upon its surface, hundreds of meals have been eaten, hundreds of pages of homework have been completed, and hundreds of clothes have been folded. I have scrapbooked on it, sewn on it, and sat at it hundreds of thousands of times to read a book, lecture a child, prepare for a lesson, do my visiting teaching reports, make things for my home, school, community, or church. Upon its chairs I have bowed my head in humility as I have listened to the words of a prayer, I have felt gratitude in my heart as I have fed countless numbers of friends, family, missionaries, and neighbors. I have collapsed my head upon its surface as I have laughed harder than I thought possible, and also at other times, as I have prayed and cried for comfort, forgiveness, understanding and relief. Upon its surface, I have made gingerbread houses, rolled out play dough, taught joy school, cut out snowflakes, wrapped presents, and taught my children.

This morning as I wiped the table down for the ten millionth time, I couldn't help but smile as I wiped away the spilled water from Hailey's sippy cup, the cream of wheat from the girls' breakfast, and then put away all four sets of scriptures that were used last night as we sat at our table to read and study from the Book of Mormon. This table of mine is one filled with memories, memories of unforgettable conversations, good company, and millions of moments that have carved character and meaning not only into our table, but into our home, family, and hearts.

Yes, this table may be worthless to somebody else, but to me...it is priceless.

Angels and Running

One of the greatest blessings of my life is and always has been my girl friends. Ever since I was four, I have always had a best friend. My very first best friend was Bree. To this day, I still remember what she looked like, her long beautiful brown hair and her green eyes. Then there was Monica. She had curly black hair, dark brown eyes and light brown skin. She was the first person I ever gave a Book of Mormon to. Then there was Angela. Angela was my best friend for a long long time. All the way from 3rd grade to 8th grade. We moved after 8th grade, but Angela and I continued our friendship. In fact, we still keep in touch occasionally. Then there were my high school friends. I couldn't imagine having gone through high school without them. And of course, I can't forget the best friend who has been by my side my entire life (all though at times I swore she was my enemy), my oldest sister Andrea.

Although Cory is and always will be my very best friend, Heavenly Father must have known that I would continue to need good girl friends in my life because everywhere I have moved, I always seem to find those kind of friends that come into my life and leave me a better person. Unfortunately, I am not very good at staying in touch like I should, but I think about each of my friends regularly...wondering how they are doing, where they are at, and if they have any idea the impact that they have made in my life. Each one has a special place in my heart and will never be forgotten. These friends have been angels in my life...teaching, supporting, and loving me in their own unique ways.

This morning, our family and three others drove down to the temple. Two couples did a session while the other two stayed with all the children. Then we switched. Of course it was wonderful, going to the temple always is, but there were a couple of things that made this time even more wonderful than usual. Two of them are too personal to share on a blog, but the other one happened while I was in the dressing room. I looked over and saw two of my friends in their white temple dresses talking to one another. These two friends are not just any friends. They are my 5:30 am running buddies. I have ran with them in pouring rain, icy wind, snow, and crazy cold temperatures. Why would we be so insane? Because we are training for a marathon. One morning this last week I missed our morning run and so one of them came over to my house with her children to watch my girls so that I could get my miles in for the day. When I tried to talk her out of doing such a sweet thing, she texted me the following, "You forget that we are in this together and the more you are trained, the more I am and the better we will run the big M." As I looked at the two of them in the temple, I thought of what she had written and I realized the truth of what she had said. You see, we really are all in this together. Yes, right now we are training for a marathon, but in the race of life we are training for something much bigger and much greater. We are running to win the greatest prize of all, the prize of eternal life.

As I looked at my two friends, they never looked more beautiful to me than they did right then, standing in the temple dressed in white . How grateful I am to know that I am not alone in this race of life. I am not only running along side my loving and devoted husband, I am also running with angels, some that I am trying to recruit, some that are running by my side, and others who I am following from behind. Angels who are here in my life right now for a specific purpose and others who have ran by my side through miles of intense rain, snow, and even the brisk winds of trial and suffering. In fact, I'm pretty sure some have even carried me for a time. Just as it has with all of my other "running buddies", the time will eventually come in our lives that our mortal paths will diverge into different directions, but I know that as long as we continue our "training" that one day we will cross the victory line together. But until then, I will continue my race, praying to get better with time, and daily thanking the Lord for all the angels in my life, those who are running beside me, and those who are cheering me on from the finish line.

Big Sister

I walked into the bedroom and found Makayla stripped down to nothing because Hailey had decided to change her diaper.

Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012

While Cory's parents were here last week, Cory took me on an afternoon date to the "mountains". This place is BEAUTIFUL!! It is a park that is made specifically for road and trail hiking, biking, walking, and running. It is one of our favorite places around here. I have been biking and running on the roads but I've never been biking on the trails before. It was a first for me and I absolutely LOVED it!!! We had such a great time doing it together. Cory is actually really good at it. He and some of his friends go mountain biking at least once or twice a week together. He just loves biking period. He likes to road bike but recently he has become a huge fan of mountain biking. I wanted to see what it was all about. It is actually probably the most extreme sport I've ever done on land ( sky coasting and parasailing are the most extreme sports I've done), although I guess skiing can be an extreme sport for some, and I guess last year our date night on the Harley while I was pregnant was pretty extreme and probably completely crazy of me (although, it is one of my favorite memories ever). Anyways, it was such a fun date for us.

On Saturday, Cory and I took the girls back to this same spot to ride on the "roads" (paved trails) that wind through the "mountains" (more like huge hills but they are absolutely beautiful and covered with pine trees and deer). We decided to leave Makayla home with Grandma and Grandpa (the babies usually ride together in a bike trailer that Cory pulls), but it was so weird not having her with us. It's so funny how our family of five that used to feel so big, feels so small and incomplete without our little Makayla. I so look forward to the day when our family of six will be reunited and complete with seven, our perfect little Clairisa. In fact, did you know that in Hebrew the number seven is symbolic for complete and whole? Pretty cool, huh? Our family biking trip was the perfect way to spend the last day of 2011. It was a great year for us, and we are looking forward to another wonderful year in 2012. One filled with more memories, moments, and milestones that will not only matter, but that will mold us into the kind of people that we want to become. Here's to a wonderful 2012!

Five and a Half Months

She is rolling over like crazy! Last night while I was cooking dinner, she rolled over and over from one side of the kitchen to the other. It was hilarious. She is such a joy in my life. I love her like crazy!!! I took these pictures yesterday during the day. She had been so quiet in her crib so I thought she'd fallen asleep. When I went in to check on her she had spit up all over her face but looked up at me with the most precious smile ever. I tried to capture it, but of course the pictures just don't do the moment justice.