Gratitude Post #1: Cars

Today I'm very grateful for our two family vehicles. Sadly, our little Legacy is currently out of commission and may not run again for us. I am grateful we have a second vehicle to rely upon while the other can't be used. We may have to purchase another vehicle in the near future-- hopefully within the next few days. I am grateful that our finances and credit are well enough for us to replace our car without having to take out a loan or borrow money. We are truly blessed. I will miss our loyal little Legacy, but it will be neat seeing what other car we get in the near future.

The Highlight of My Day: October 2010

Something good happens each day. Here's what happened in October:

Fri 10/1/10: Today was a busy day. My biggest task was going to Sam's Club. I had a HUGE list of things I needed to buy. Luckily, I found almost everything on my list, which I hope means I won't need to go back for awhile.

Sat 10/2/10: Kaylie, Rachel, and Jessica spent the night at our house last night, and Emma had a great day playing with their cousins. My funnest moment of the day was watching the girls break out the Halloween boxes and play dress-up. Very cute!

Sun 10/3/10: I loved conference this year. My favorite talks were the ones by President Monson, President Uchtdorf, and Elder Packard. I finished crocheting my General Conference scarf right after the 4th session, and then I worked on Scott's Halloween costume during the 5th session. Keeping my hands busy helped me focus on the general authority talks.

Mon 10/4/10: I'm on Day 1 of the South Beach diet. I did perfectly! No cravings, no cheating, all good! I'm happy to be back on the wagon again.

Tues 10/5/10: I started crocheting my first hat today. It helps finding instructional videos on YouTube.

Wed 10/6/10: Emma's wig for her Halloween costume arrived in the mail today. I helped her try it on, and laughed hysterically when I saw her in it. She looked GREAT! On the side note, I finished crocheting my first hat, too!

Thu 10/7/10: Scott, Emma, Brad, Lizzy, and I had a great time playing with Emma's wig and Halloween hats. I had my camera on hand and took lots of pictures.

Fri 10/8/10: Brad was my highlight. Definitely!

Sat 10/9/10: Brad's dad took us out to Texas Roadhouse for dinner tonight. I ordered the prime rib and vegetables. Soooo good!

Sun 10/10/10: Brad and I drove up into the canyons this evening with Lizzy. We found a great place to park and walked next to the creek. It was so beautiful! Lizzy LOVED throwing rocks into the water. She did not want to stop.

Mon 10/11/10: The scale was so nice to me this morning. I lost almost 7 pounds in one week! YAY!

Tue 10/12/10: Scott and Lizzy accompanied me to Walmart this afternoon. I bought Scott a new coat for only $14, and I bought a bunch of yarn to make scarfs and hats for Christmas presents.

Wed 10/13/10: I LOVED having Brad to myself tonight. Hooray for Fall Break! My husband is the greatest!

Thu 10/14/10: Tonight was Ward Temple Night at the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. Going to the temple makes me love my husband even more. I loved being there with him.

Fri 10/15/10: Had an absolutely wonderful, fantastic, spectacular evening with my Bradley! It was our first overnight date without the baby. We had a $50 gift certificate to go to Z'Tejas restaurant at the Gateway from my cousin Nick, so we headed over and had a wonderful meal! Then we went up to Uintah and used our FREE night voucher to stay at a Best Western hotel, complete with an in-room jacuzzi for two. LOVELY!

Sat 10/16/10: Brad, Tricky, and I watched "Pirates of the Caribbean" while eating lunch from Crown Burger (I had a salad). I crocheted another scarf today.

Sun 10/17/10: My crocheting skills have definitely improved! My stitches are better, and I'm a lot faster than I used to be! I finished three scarves today!

Mon 10/18/10: I enjoyed Family Home Evening tonight. It was simple. We talked about the Word of Wisdom and the importance of keeping our bodies healthy.

Tue 10/19/10: Lizzy and I went to Del Sol this morning so I could get a flu shot, then afterward we went with Brad to Sweet Tomatoes for lunch. Mmmmm!

Wed 10/20/10: Lizzy ate green beans tonight! Yay! She does not like lettuce, however. Blah!

Thu 10/21/10: Crocheting hats for Christmas! I love crocheting.

Fri 10/22/10: Brad sang in the Stake Musical Festival tonight. Lizzy liked seeing her father on stage and kept pointing at him, saying "Pa-pa."

Sat 10/23/10: Brad, Lizzy, and I went shopping at Walmart and the Church Distribution Center today. I got my mini-quad that I've wanted for awhile. It was a "half-birthday" present from Bradley.

Sun 10/24/10: I've lost 10 pounds so far this month!

Mon 10/25/10: Lizzy had a blast in the snow this morning! She had a great time stomping in the snow, picking up the snow, and eating the snow. We made a little miniature snowman together, too.

Tue 10/26/10: Tonight was our Ward Halloween Party. I had barely finished Scott's costume in time, and it looked great on him. Emma looked fantastic in her Poison Ivy costume, too, and Lizzy was absolutely adorable as a little white tiger.

Wed 10/27/10: I went shopping for outfits to use for Family Photos next week. I'm pleased with what I found!

Thu 10/28/10: I went to Emma's Halloween Parade today with Lindsey. After the Halloween Parade, Lindsey babysit Lizzy for me while I went to my doctor appointment. I was very pleased with what the doctor had to say. I'm happy and excited, and looking forward to the future!

Fri 10/29/10: We joined the Price family tonight at Andy's brother's annual Haunted House tour. Emma was completely terrified the entire time, which made it all more fun. We were entertained by poor Emma's misery.

Sat 10/30/10: Trick-Or-Treating with the cousins turned out to be a blast despite the icy cold wind and rain. Scott, Emma, and Lizzy enjoyed collecting candy and spending time with their cousins.

Sun 10/31/10: Bruce & Loralee's family came over for dinner tonight. We had yummy homemade chili, corn bread, hot dogs, chips & salsa, and pumpkin muffins.

Goodbye, Ned!

Welcome back, Brad!

Halloween 2010

OUR COSTUMES

First up, we have Ned Flanders. Ned has been living here since mid-September, and to tell you the truth, I have gotten use to his fuzzy kisses every day.

Next, we have a test subject from Aperture Science. Not only is he a brilliant test subject, surviving all challenges placed before him, he is also very crafty. He made his very own Portal gun from scratch (apple juice jug, paper towel tube, paint, pipe cleaners, bottle caps, etc.).


Third, we have Miss Pamela Isley (Poison Ivy). Beautiful, yet deadly, Poison Ivy has been quite the sight around here. We love seeing her gorgeous, long wavy red hair bouncing down our hallways.


And last, but certainly not least, we have an adorable, rare, white "Lizzy" tiger. I like to hunt her down and take pictures of her while wearing my safari clothes. She's a sneaky little cub.

PUMPKIN CARVING

We had fun carving pumpkins this year. We did not purchase a kit, so all our carvings were completely our own designs. It saved us a lot of time in the long run!




Lizzy participated in our pumpkin carving by eating the pumpkins. YUCKY!

We had a wonderful Halloween this year. We had a great time going to parties, visiting Brad's work, watching Emma in the Halloween Parade, having yummy Halloween dinners and treats, and going trick-or-treating with cousins.

Happy Halloween from the Norths!

Lizzy in the Snow on an October Morning

We had a couple of heavy snow storms a few days ago during the last week in October. Lizzy had not seen snow in a very long time and had no memory of playing in it from when she was tiny. It was cute seeing the expression on her face when she looked at the window on Monday and Wednesday morning, seeing a blanket of white snow covering the lawn and roads.

"Ssnnn... ssnnn... BYE-BYE OUTSIDE," came Lizzy's excited response when I told her the white stuff was snow. She wanted to go outside check it out for herself.

I bundled Lizzy up and took her outside. At first I thought she wouldn't like the snow because it was so cold and wet, but not Lizzy. The cold didn't seem to mind her, and the wetness made her want to taste it with her tongue. She had a great time trudging through the snow, feeling it with her hands, and eating it. Here are a few moments captured on my camera:

My New Skill: Crocheting

Crocheting has become a new full-fledged hobby of mine. I'm still new at it, and only know the basics, but I'm learning and becoming faster as the weeks progress. I originally learned the basics while I was serving in the Young Women program and went to several crocheting activities, but now I watch instructional videos on YouTube and then crochet right along with the instructor. I've made a collection of scarves and four hats so far, and I have a whole stash of yarn now. I've come to the point where I have to crochet at some point during the day, whether it's while I'm watching a movie, or riding in the car with Brad, or even talking to my mom on the phone. It keeps me easily entertained and my hands busy while I'm doing something that doesn't require both hands. I'm definitely hooked (no pun intended)!

"Outside"

"Outside" has become Lizzy's new favorite word . . . and her latest obsession. She LOVES to go outside, even if it's just to sit on my lap on the lawn.

First thing this morning, after I changed her diaper, Lizzy came to me carrying her shoes. "Shoes," she said sweetly. "Shoes!" I replied, and helped her put on her shoes. A few minutes later she came in holding MY shoes. "Shoes," she told me once again. "Shoes," I repeated, and to humor her, I put them on my feet, even though I wasn't dressed. With a big a smile on her face, and her hands shaking with excitement, she said, "BYE-BYE OUTSIDE!"

Good Things To Come

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5-6.

Last night, Brad and I watched a clip from Mormon Messages on YouTube called "Good Things to Come." It was taken from a talk Elder Jeffery R. Holland gave in October 1999.

After watching the clip, I got to thinking how important it is for us to trust in our Savior during hard times, even when we feel like losing faith. We need to not give up... we need to keep trying. "There is help and happiness ahead," and Elder Holland said. "It will be alright in the end."

There have been moments in my life in which I thought I had hit rock bottom. There have been times when I felt like giving up, but didn't. I find that when I put my faith and trust in my Savior, that things generally work out in the end. Things might not have worked out the way I wanted them to, or may not have ended in a way I thought was ideal, but good things always come out of bad things.

Heavenly Father loves me and knows me personally. He knows me better than anyone else. He knows when I have to face difficult challenges, when I am angry, frustrated, or heartbroken. He knows what's best for me and what I can handle. I know that if I do my part and put my trust in Him, everything will work out fine in the end.

I loved the conclusion of the Mormon Message, when Elder Holland said:

"'Don't you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead.' Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don't come until heaven. But for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come. It will be alright in the end.
Trust God and believe in good things to come."

Baby Hungry

I'm baby hungry again. It's been nearly two years to the day I found out I was pregnant with Elizabeth. I guess I've been thinking a lot about it lately. Nearly every night this past week I've had "pregnant dreams." I even woke up this morning convinced that I needed to take a pregnancy test right away, because I was sure I felt baby kicks all night in my sleep. My sleepy head kept telling me that I have been pregnant for months, and that I was like the women on TLC who didn't know they were expecting until they were near the end of their pregnancies. The logical side of my brain finally kicked in and told me that I wasn't really pregnant, and that even if I was pregnant, it would be too soon to find out anyway. My logical brain is NO FUN!

Anyway, I suppose I should be patient and wait until the time is right for another baby to be born. I remember how hard it was for me to conceive Lizzy in the first place, and how blessed I am to have her in my life now. She is wonderful! I'm excited to think that someday, hopefully in the near future, she will have a little brother or sister to keep her company. Until that time comes, I will wait patiently... and enjoy my "pregnant dreams."

The Highlight of My Day: September 2010

Something good happens each day. Here's what happened in September:

Wed 9/1/10: I think I'm going to LOVE the new parent-time arrangement! It was so nice not having to deal with the stress of sending the kids off to their mother's house on a school night. Both Emma and Scott seemed happy too.

Thu 9/2/10: Brad is growing a mustache for Halloween this year. I think he looks cute. I personally like facial hair on men. I think my grandpa had something to do with that. Grandpa gave the greatest bear hugs and fuzzy kisses!

Fri 9/3/10: I had a lovely evening with Brad and the baby tonight. We went to the International Peace Garden on the way home from Bountiful. Quality time, just the three of us, without any drama or stress. It was lovely!

Sat 9/4/10: Another wonderful day with Brad and the baby! We had a very pleasant morning sleeping in until 9 am. We organized the storage unit some more, then we went to visit the Harman's. We bought a piggy plush toy from the Harman's garage sale for Lizzy.

Sun 9/5/10: Brad and I enjoyed watching the 3 hour feature from the special DVD edition of "The Two Towers." I love cuddling on the couch with my husband.

Mon 9/6/10: Brad's dad took us out to lunch at Woody's restaurant in Murray, then we went to Wheeler Farm. Lizzy enjoyed looking at all the animals, especially the cows, and Brad and David played a game of Bocce ball. It was a fun Labor Day weekend!

Tue 9/7/10: Scott has braces on his bottom teeth now! He has a very metal grin. He'll be 13 years old in only 10 more days!

Wed 9/8/10: "Lizzy, what does a dog say?" "Mooo!" "Lizzy, what does a kitty say?" "Mooo!" Not quite there yet, but we're getting there!

Thu 9/9/10: Today was Lizzy's 15 month-old doctor appointment. Lizzy is in the 53 percentile for her weight (22.94 pounds), and the 82 percentile for her height (31.5 inches). Sounds like she's going to be a tall, skinny girl!

Fri 9/10/10: After dropping Scott & Emma off in Bountiful, we headed over to our stake center for Brad to play volleyball. The men in our ward won both games! Yay!

Sat 9/11/10: Brad and I ran some errands together today, then we stayed at home and finished watching the making of "Return of the King" on the special edition DVD.

Sun 9/12/10: We dropped off Scott's birthday party invitations to all of his friends this evening, then we visited the Bruce Clan for a couple of hours. Scott's looking forward to his birthday!

Mon 9/13/10: My baby has turned into a MONSTER! In less than five minutes she turned my bathroom into Q-tip & Toilet-Paper Land. She seemed very pleased with her messy project, and most unhappy when I began cleaning it up.

Tue 9/14/10: We went to our ward's Scout Court of Honor tonight. Scott received around five merit badges. Good boy, Scott!

Wed 9/15/10: A very simple dinner tonight of chili-cheese and chips while watching "Kidnapped" with my hubby. I love simple moments.

Thu 9/16/10: Brought home some Carl's Jr. for Brad & I to have for dinner tonight while watching "Two Towers." It was a our date night. I love being with my Bradley!

Fri 9/17/10: My awesome, wonderful, handsome stepson is now officially a teen! Scott turned 13 years old today! I'm excited that Scott has hit this milestone in his life. It's going to be fun watching Scott grow into a confident young man. If he's anything like his dad, he's going to be fabulous!

Sat 9/18/10: I picked up my mother at the airport today. YAY! Lizzy took to her immediately, which surprised me, because the last two times she saw her Grandma she was not happy with her. Scott has his birthday party today, and I decorated a "Portal" cake for him. Turned out beautiful!

Sun 9/19/10: We stayed home from church today, because Brad, Lizzy, and I were sick. Scott and Emma went to church. I enjoyed spending time with my mama. I made salmon chowder for dinner.

Mon 9/20/10: We took my mother to our library for the first time tonight, and had FHE when we got home. We did our "sweets and sours," and my mom got to join in, too. We had ice cream sundaes for dessert. YUMMY!

Tue 9/21/10: My mother left today, which made my heart sad, but it was lovely seeing how nice she made our home look while she was here. The kitchen and dinning room are spotlessly clean, thanks to her hard work. My mom is so awesome!

Wed 9/22/10: I enjoy hugs from Scott. Today he gave me a big giant squeeze while we were standing in line. He's such a wonderful boy. I love him so!

Thu 9/23/10: Brad and I enjoyed looking at costume possibilities for little Lizzy to wear on Halloween. She's going to be so cute to dress up!

Fri 9/24/10: I found Lizzy's costume today! YAY! I also bought Emma's costume online, and have Scott's costume lined up to buy. I even know what I'm going to be for Halloween. . . one month before Halloween!

Sat 9/25/10: We got rid of junk today... and bought some more. We stopped at Entheos to get our van washed after dropping things off at the storage unit. Entheos also had a small garage sell that Lindsey was helping with. We bought a VCR for $5, a toy for Lizzy for $.50, and a children's book ("Are You My Mother") for Lizzy for $25. Then we headed to the DI and bought my Halloween costume and clothes. I'm nearly all set for Halloween!

Sun 9/26/10: Got done some Visiting Teaching today, and I also went to Ward Choir. We're singing a "Sound of Music" melody for the stake Music Festival.

Mon 9/27/10: I'm beginning to establish a bedtime routine for Lizzy now. Read a book, sing songs, brush teeth, and go to bed. She LOVES brushing her teeth, even though she only has three.

Tue 9/28/10: I've gotten hooked on watching "Dancing with the Stars." My favorite celeb dancers are Jennifer Grey, Kyle Massey, Bristol Palin, and Kurt Warner.

Wed 9/29/10: My house looks beautiful today! My mom and visiting teachers need to come over more often. I need the motivation to not be a slob!

Thu 9/30/10: Planning, planning, planning! I've got a new project I'm working on. I spent all afternoon preparing for it. Crossing my fingers things will work out!