Weekend Round-up: Lows & Highs

"Look hard enough, and you can discover both good and bad in almost anyone and anything. ~ President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

I love his thought and I absolutely believe it's true: how you see a situation or a person is really up to you. It comes down to perspective and attitude; even a bad situation can have a silver lining if you look closely, and want to.

With that, I give you my weekend of lows and highs. While I did pinpoint various "lows", I didn't dwell on them, but rather used them to highlight how high the "highs" were in comparison. All in all, despite the return of The Sick, it was a grand weekend.

Friday's LOWS:

• Didn't schedule time to workout :(
• Forgot to pick up the dry cleaning
• Sadly, all of our friends were too sick, too sleepy or too busy to join us at Gymagine.

Friday's HIGHS:

• Going to Gymagine, despite no play pals, was a fun hour of running, jumping, swinging and laughing. Although, Benjamin's favorite activity was making a bee-line for the front door (he could usually push it open and get outside before I could get to him!), we had an awesome time. And a weird, random high? I love the smell of the gym - it reminds me of my gymnastics days. Lots of hours logged in a overly cool gym, chalk dust on everything and a musty, sweaty smell that lingers in the air. May sound weird, but to me = Good Memories/Good Stuff.
• Hanging with a clingy, faux-hawked little sick boy
• Lounged on the couch, watching tv and relaxing with Dave (after B was in bed). Don't remember what we watched, but the feeling of quiet togetherness was absolutely luxurious.
  
  

Saturday's LOWS:

• Not getting enough sleep and feeling tired all day
• Dave & Benjamin attended the funeral of a past bishop.

Saturday's HIGHS:

• Despite crazy fatigue, was a madwoman in the cleaning department while the boys were gone. Cleared out the right side of the garage so that both cars fit in there now!

• Seeing a rainbow through the clouds - there's that silver lining.

• Parents that make babysitting house-calls
• Grilled Chicken Citrus Salad at Claim Jumper's
• Watching "The Adjustment Bureau"
• Hanging with the Watsons and the Valentines

Sunday's LOWS:

• Missing church
• One visit to Bartell's to pick up cough syrup and antibiotics for Dave
• One visit to the walk-in clinic for Benjamin
• One hour of waiting in said clinic with a very cranky child
• One visit to Walgreen's to pick up ear drops and antibiotics for Benjamin

Sunday HIGHS:

• Reading President Uchtdorf's message, "Looking for the Good"
• The blessings of yet another beautiful winter day and the view we get to enjoy daily. I love pretend like we are living in the country, even though we live less than a mile from Little Caesar's, Taco Bell, Domino's and Starbucks. But guys, we are so country.

• Baking - it's been too long, I forgot how much I love baking and making fun & tasty stuff for others. I blame this renewal of baking fervor on the ubiquitous cupcakey-like shows on cable: Cupcake Wars, Cake Boss, Next Great Baker, Cupcake Girls, DC Cupcakes. I've watched them all, in the name of research, thanks to a little thing called OnDemand. Cupcake of the Day: dark chocolate Devil's food cupcakes and chocolate mousse filling, topped with rich buttercream and two shades of green sprinkles. Special deliveries slated for tomorrow during FHE!

Ode to the Cold

Brew me a cup for a winter’s night./For the wind howls loud and the furies fight;/Spice it with love and stir it with care,/And I’ll toast our bright eyes,/my sweetheart fair.

- Minna Thomas Antrim

The beauty and brilliance that a winter storm brings to the landscape is much more evident now that we live "out in the country". We can watch as those mighty storms sweep in across the valley; one minute, darkened skies, the next - we're in the midst of one of Mother Nature's magical displays.

Last week's snow event was a fun treat and because it didn't accumulate too badly on the streets, we welcomed this storm with open arms. Right after breakfast, I dressed Benjamin in multiple layers of comfy gear & sturdy boots before we set out on a morning walk around the neighborhood. And although I don't have a picture or video, I'd say his favorite part was zipping down the slide, launching haphazardly off the end and landing in a soft pillow of snow. His laugh was contagious and I found myself wishing I could be in his shoes - well, sturdy boots.

All in all, it was a good day of snow play, stormy weather, warm comfort food and lots of fun.

And for all of those inquiring minds that didn't see on FB, here is a picture of my birthday present from Dave - the finished product. It turned out better than I could ever have imagined. And you know, it's the perfect place to stash coats and boots after an exciting adventure out in the snow.

I've officially decided that winter is my favorite season - for now.

Word of the Day - 2/25

~things i love~

Amidst a flurry of furious snowflakes, a minion of evil viruses and the whoosh as our busy lives rush by, I wanted to stop, rest and take a brief moment of repose on this sweet Friday morning. I've been thinking about things that make me happy - perhaps as a way to escape from the harsh realities with which life smacks us in the face sometimes. Here is a short list of silly, serious and wildly important things, all of which I love today, brought to you by my little word of the day.

co·pa·cet·ic adj \ˌkō-pə-ˈse-tik\
Definition of COPACETIC
: very satisfactory

This guy? Man, he has us wrapped around his little finger. This photo? It's a print from his 18-month shoot. The session was insanely bad; the photographer got about 6 pictures - and I hated all 6. I had a tired, cranky boy who was awoken from a nap to get pictures done - & unbeknownst to me, a day away from the full-blown flu. But you know, this lovely picture emerged from the ashes. And it's not bad; I think I might even like it now.

Years of wishing and dreaming are about to come to an end. We are getting our new bed today and I am beside myself with glee. We've had a California-style frame (the plain, metal one that you hide with a bed skirt) since we've been married. Before I was married, I had a smaller version of the CA frame since I was a wee child. Getting a real bed - made with real wood - it's beyond exciting. I can hardly wait for the hours of blissful sleep it will provide in the coming years.

Since I was quite small, I have been equally fascinated and horrified by this beautiful tale, which is most well-by the beautiful artwork of Maurice Sendak. However, I came across this quaint little print and fell in love with this different perspective; still somewhat scary but beautiful in its innocence and simplicity.

I love this picture.

It's from February 6th 2010; the day my world nearly shattered into a million pieces.

Want to know a secret? Although I had to wade through the deepest night of terrifying unknowns, dark nightmares and bone-aching sorrow, I wouldn't take it back - not for anything.

Why? Because along the way, I was buoyed up by the faith of a million prayers, surrounded by the most incredible support group of loving family & friends, and blessed with a calm assurance that everything would be ok. Because what I found on the other side of those absolutely desperate, lonely hours was the most incredible joy I've ever known. The image above is a vivid reminder to me that Faith is strong, Hope will get you through and Miracles have not ceased.
One year later, thankfully, we find ourselves well, solid, whole.

Blank slate. Blinking cursor. A fresh sheet of clean, white paper.

Whatever medium it may be, I love the beckoning of that empty space, eagerly waiting to be filled. And while it may seem like my blog would show otherwise, I enjoy the writing process immensely. So, I'm getting my ducks in a row, my writing manuals unearthed and my mind cleared. I'm ready to write something: something good; something great; or maybe something completely awful. Whatever the case, I'm back - and it's time to get to work.

A Year OIder, A Year Wiser

Belated Birthday Blurb

In the midst of all of the stomach flu fun last week, we missed a very important date - Dave's birthday! And while I know he doesn't like to make a big deal of it, I wanted to make a little deal of it right here; nothing showy or over the top, but just wanted to wish him a very happy, very belated birthday.

In our honor of his big day, I am pleased to present Dave Barry's "25 Things I've Learned In 50 Years". (PLEASE note that the Dave Barry list is not at all a nod to Dave's new age, but rather his love of all things hilarious. And Dave Barry, well - he's is all things hilarious. And if you have never heard of Dave Barry, well - that is not hilarious at all.).

* Funny side note - the list below only has 22 "things"; perhaps he wanted the readers to make up a couple more?

1. The badness of a movie is directly proportional to the number of helicopters in it.
2. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe Daylight Saving Time.
3. People who feel the need to tell you that they have an excellent sense of humor are telling you that they have no sense of humor.
4. The most valuable function performed by the federal government is entertainment.
5. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.
6. A penny saved is worthless.
7. They can hold all the peace talks they want, but there will never be peace in the Middle East. Billions of years from now, when Earth is hurtling toward the Sun and there is nothing left alive on the planet except a few microorganisms, the microorganisms living in the Middle East will be bitter enemies.
8. The most powerful force in the universe is: gossip.
9. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status, or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we all believe that we are above-average drivers.
10. There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is: age 11.
11. There is a very fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness.'
12. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.
13. Nobody is normal.
14. If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be: meetings.
15. The main accomplishment of almost all organized protests is to annoy people who are not in them.
16. If there really is a God who created the entire universe with all of its glories, and He decides to deliver a message to humanity, He will not use, as His messenger, a person on cable TV with a bad hairstyle.
17. You should not confuse your career with your life.
18. A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person.
19. No matter what happens, somebody will find a way to take it too seriously.
20. When trouble arises and things look bad, there is always one individual who perceives a solution and is willing to take command. Very often, that individual is crazy.
21. Your friends love you anyway.
22. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

Photo Collage - Moods of a Sick Boy

It was a snowy, cool day, so we stuck to the house. Plus, we're all busy trying to get well. Until the funness factor gets ramped up a bit, I present the various moods of a kiddo who is still lingering on the Sick List.

Plus, I was kind of bored; taking lots of pictures, then organizing them on Photoshop seemed like a nice way to pass the time.

I Will Survive

"If you can't make it better, you can laugh at it."

— Erma Bombeck

I have a very good excuse for my weeklong blogging absence - getting rid of The Sick. I wish I could write of a week full of fun adventures, of bright moments and magical things. But our last seven days had few shining moments. Instead, there were moments that sent me to the brink, to a place filled with all manner of dark, horrible, sickly things.

The worst part was that Benjamin was sick AND so was Dave.

Two sickies in one house = lots of ick: lots of laundry; lots of wipe, rinse, repeat; lots of diapers; lots of ick. There was a major low point, an Apex of Awfulness, if you will. Dave asked if I would blog about IT and I said I had some decorum; it is really TMI, in a major way. Suffice to say, at said Apex, I exclaimed: "I'm done!". I was ready to board the first train out of Virusville and never come back - it was that bad & I was beyond exhausted.

One afternoon, I discovered the timer setting on my camera. And in the midst of The Sick, I managed to snap a self-portrait. I think I would title it, "Coping - Really?".

Oh, and did I mention? - I got sent home sick from work today. Fortunately, I just finished off a 6-hour nap, which was preceded by an 11-hour night of sleep on Sunday (I went to bed at 6:30pm!). Now I feel like a new woman, besides the achy muscles, throbbing headache and gurgling, churning stomach, of course.

Looking back on it now, this whole experience was so incredibly awful, it kind of makes me chuckle and I've realized that this is just the beginning of a long road of fabulous highs, sprinkled with some really low moments. During those "lows", I will have to think back to Erma's quote (above), and remind myself that if you can't make it better, at the very least - you can always laugh.

Love/Sick

Valentine's in the Land of Sick

Not much time to talk details, but let's just say that we sort of phoned in this Valentine's, thanks to a ubiquitous stomach flu. Dave was sick. Benjamin was sick. I was tired - with "The Sick" likely lapping at my heels.

After work, I stopped at Papa Murphy's for a pizza and much to my delight, got a great deal: a Large Hawaiian/Pepperoni for $6.50! At home, I added red onions and green peppers to the pepperoni (we're not huge fans) and although I overcooked it a bit (Read: BURNT TO A CRISP), it was good. I also had some freshly cut tomatoes, strawberries and green grapes, accompanied by tall glasses of ice water to round out our fine meal. I threw an arrangement of mini carnations and red plates on the table to jazz it up, Valentine's-style.

After dinner - and a surprisingly early bedtime for Benjamin (6:45pm!!) - Dave & I shared our V-Day dessert treats. I pulled out the leftover sugar cookies from the YW reunion breakfast, and leftover chocolate cake from his birthday dinner on Sunday.

While not the most exciting Valentine's evening ever, it was relaxing and fun to spend time together. We finished the celebration off by watching the newest episode of "Castle", a show we recently discovered and really enjoy. Whether relaxing in the house, an evening of fine dining at the Space Needle, or bungy-jumping off a bridge with your significant other, we hope everyone else had a wonderful V-Day too!

Word of the Day - 2/14

A Language Lesson

As a past English major, I have this thing for words. They are a wonderful way to express yourself... and there are loads of them to fit every feeling, thought and moment. I've been known to troll the dictionary, just for fun, looking for new & weird words. Yep, you read that right; I read the dictionary - JUST FOR FUN. Laugh if you want, but that's how I roll, or troll.

Today's word was chosen because it so aptly describes how I'm feeling on this drippy, cool February 14th (& Monday) morn. I'm hoping my word of the day changes later as the Day O' Love blooms into a day fit for a more holiday-worthy word.

For now, here is "languid":

Lacking enthusiasm, energy, or strength; drooping or flagging from weakness, fatigue, or lack of energy; indisposed to exertion; sluggish; relaxed: as, languid movements; languid breathing; Heavy; dull; dragging; wanting spirit or animation; listless; apathetic

1.5

18 months, and counting...!

Hard to believe it, but this little guy has been in our life for 18 months, as of yesterday. That milestone is a big one, as he gets to join the ranks of the nursery kiddos at church. It was not the best start today, but we are hoping for better success in the weeks to come. He is a busy kid that keeps us on our toes - but he is really one amazing little boy and we love him a whole lot.

Going Nonstop

Have you "Gymagine-d" lately?

On Friday, we met up with Michelle and her two boys, Ethan & Evan, for open gym at a place called Gymagine. My SIL, Rachel, takes her girls there and she let me in on the secret. It's nestled back in an industrial park close to our old ward building, so the drive wasn't too bad.

I'll keep the narrative at that, as the pictures tell the story quite well. Suffice to say, we all had an awesome time and it was worth every penny! And you can bet we'll be there again next week...

Death of a Blog

why do we write?

We write to tell our truth.

We write to know who we are.

We write to find our voices.

We write to save the world.

We write to save ourselves.

We write so that when we look back

And see that moment when we are

Totally clear, completely brilliant

And outstandingly wise,

There is proof -

Proof right there on the page.

~Nancy Slonim Aronie

If my blog required food, water and rest, I think it might be ok. But it doesn't need any of that stuff. What it does need is a steady supply of posts, filled with funny anecdotes and semi-interesting stories, sprinkled with a picture or image here and there.

It appears that my lack of posting is steadily killing my blog.

I've noted the following corollary - no posts, no photos, no readers, no comments.

But no more.

My blog was on the brink of death. I'm trying to bring it back to life. We're going back to the beginning; a simpler time with more frequent postings... hopefully. Three posts in one week is a sure sign that this little blog is on the road to recovery. Bring on the writing!

yea!

Five Words

Thoughtful? vs. Nice?

Nearly eight years ago, I moved in with my brother & his family so that I could save for a down payment on my townhouse. My sister-in-law, Heather, and I were already good friends by that point. But, over the course of that year, we became much closer. We cooked, cleaned, and exercised together. She would come into my room after her kids were in bed; we'd sit on my goose-down bed, talking & laughing for hours.

I can't remember when, but one particular night we stayed up late talking like best friends at a slumber party. At some point in the conversation, she told me something that completely shocked me. Five little words, but the phrase spoke volumes to me; she simply said, "You're thoughtful but not nice". And it was not shared in malice or as an insult; she was simply sharing the view from her perspective. If it had come from anyone else, the friendship would have been seriously damaged, if not completely destroyed. But not with Heather; although somewhat hurt by the comment, her brutal honesty made me sit up and think - how do I come across to people? How does what I do affect others? How do I become NICE?

Years earlier, we had attended high school together and more than a few people thought I was stuck-up. Heather even thought so back then. I heard it a lot from people; things like, "before I got to know you, I thought you were a snob" or "you are so much nicer than I thought". The idea that I seemed mean to someone is personally painful to consider; I came across enough mean girls in school to know that that kind of treatment didn't feel good.

Truth be told, I was painfully shy back then - and (although some may not believe it) sometimes, I still am. I love doing things for others whether it's baking cupcakes, writing a note or creating a craft project - but that is more the THOUGHTFUL side of things, I suppose. Or maybe it's nice too, who knows? I've tried to figure out how I am not nice, and what I can do to change. Try as I might, I feel I often fall short. And those five little words hover in my subconcious as a painful reminder of my many deficiencies.

So, why share this now? Maybe she was right, maybe she was wrong - I don't know for sure. Dwelling on one's faults is not the best use of time, but her words, all of these years later, continue to haunt me. When I do something for someone, in the back of my head, I finding myself asking the question: "is this being nice or just thoughtful?". I guess I shouldn't care what others think of me; that's very much a high-school mentality. But at the heart of the matter, I want to be better and want to be both... if that's even possible.

It's The Little Things

Birthday #37 Wrap-up

I've decided birthdays are really, really awesome when you are a kid and then steadily decrease in funness after the age of 18. I think parents do an amazing job of making you feel special by throwing parties, showering you with love and gifts, bringing cupcakes to your school and generally causing a major hoopla, all in honor of the day you were born.

After you leave home, people are not so keen to whoop it up. Meanwhile, your childhood memories get you ramped up for a day of total merriment, and when that doesn't happen, well, it's kind of a bummer. And at least for me, it's not an "I'm getting older, what a bummer" but rather a, "No one remembered or cares - bummer". That is part of the reason I personally take it upon myself to do the weeklong celebration... so I can make my birthday extra special and memorable.

Maybe I'm the only one that feels that way. But after talking to some friends, I know I'm not alone. That's why even the smallest gesture on one's day of birth is a very big deal to the birthday person. I think any woman would agree with me; when it comes down to it, it really is the thought that counts.

"The Rose"

(Not to be confused with the song of the same name, this rose is part of my birthday tale.)

Last Monday was my birthday and I had to work - kind of a double whammy. I think birthdays on Mondays should be illegal. As my hectic, unfun work day was coming to a close, I was frantically trying to finish an order when Dave casually walked into my office (a secure location with keypad entry). I looked at him and said, "How did you get in here?" and he replied simply, "I have my ways". He smiled and handed me a bud vase; I kid you not, I nearly started crying. It had been a crazy, busy day and everyone at work forgot it was my birthday. But my husband? He brings me flowers. And you know what? That simple gesture made my day.

The "I've Got Big Plans" Surprise

(My husband is not a woodworker. We have no tools, no shop, no aspirations to just build stuff. Well, at least not until recently.)

When we moved into the ward, Dave was assigned a hometeaching companion. His companion happens to be Darwin, my boss from the UW, one of the past bishopric counselors from Everett 5th ward days, and the guy that claims to be the reason that Dave & I are together. He's a funny guy and is always asking us for a woodworking project that he can do for us. Dave announced the new companionship to me and I chuckled. Dave likes his HT visits to be short & sweet; he delivers the message, finds out if they have any needs, and then leaves. Darwin is a great guy, but man, he is so talkative and friendly, I knew they would have marathon HT visits. And you know what? I was right.

Shortly after the announcement, Dave told me that he was going hometeaching. And then a few nights later, another hometeaching visit was needed. And another. Being the uber-supportive wife that I am, I waved goodbye with a smile each time.

Over the past month, I periodically asked him what we were doing for my birthday, to which he woudl respond, "I've got big plans". After that comment, I started noticing a slew of clues. Being the suspicious sort, I started putting the puzzle together:

1. Dave & I have been talking about getting an entry way bench for our house, but due to budget stuff, we would need to wait a while.
2. Marathon HT visits started happening.
3. Dave would ask to take the truck for the visits. Oddly, the seats would come back folded down.
4. Darwin came over one night after HT because he wanted to see our new house. He casually around and then seemed to focus on the space where we would put the new bench. We were about to go upstairs to see the rest of the house and he was like, "don't need to see it, gotta go!" And they both left for some more "home-teaching".

I went to lunch with Linda one day and told her my suspicions. The Friday prior to my birthday, he had to work late. I was super tired, worn out and getting increasingly frustrated with a busy toddler as the hours rolled by. When Dave finally got home, I was bathing Benjamin and nearly in tears. He walked into the bathroom and was smiling. I was not. He asked if I wanted to go see my surprise gift and I snapped, "No!" (such a nice wife, huh?!) and walked out of the bathroom. Well, he told me what it was and I then quickly retorted that I already knew, that I figured it out.

And just like that - POOF.

Talk about taking the wind out of someone's sails. I am so not proud of my behavior. The look on his face said volumes - it was like a dagger to my soul. I quickly tried to fix it by agreeing to go see it. We went to look at it and it was so wonderful. I apologized profusely for my childish antics, but the damage was done. I am a mean, mean birthday girl and don't deserve a darn thing.

But you guys - despite my less-than-lovely behavior - Dave was excited to show me his gift. I was pretty amazed because the bench is beautiful. He told me he has been spending the last several weeks designing and building it, but there is still much more to do. And although I don't deserve it after my little episode, this is the sweetest thing that Dave has ever done for me. Gosh, I love that guy - who loves me even at my worst.

Making Whoopies!

Valentine Treats Gone Wild!

I've wanted to try these out for a long time. Until a few weeks ago, I never had a great reason. After baking up these magnificent morsels, I knew I was in love.

Whoopie Pies are the Pièce de résistance of snack-ish desserts. A cookie/cake hybrid, the chocolately goodness envelops a creamy, rich center. Think Suzie Q's or Oreo Cakesters, but on a much highly level of delectability. These things are A-MAZING.

So, I did what any good friend would do - I made a fresh batch for my girlfriend breakfast on Saturday morning. This little pre-Valentine treat is sure to please - and they are a great alternative to the normal eggs & bacon dish, right?

For those inquiring minds that want to know, Epicurious is the place where I found the recipe for the delish dessert. OR - just click HERE!

Total Funness Potential

Total Funness: Make your own JP original!

I don't know why it is, but I NEVER seem to have time to blog when I'm at home; it may be because of an ever-growing Things-To-Do List... well, accomplishing those things WHILE being stalked by a nearly 18-month-old little boy. And I often wonder why I can't just sit down for a few minutes to jot down my thoughts. Ha!

But, at work? I always seem to find a minute - and the inclination - to write (on breaks, of course!). Unfortunately, that is also why, as of late, there has been a sad absence of fun pictures (with the exception of my beautiful artwork above!). So, somewhat pictureless, here I am in all my blogging glory. It's Friday and I really shouldn't be here, but was called in to fill in for a lady, who decided to show up. So, I'm not needed, shouldn't really be here, and I'm ready to go home. But before I zip away into the still-dark morning, thought I would put something down on "virtual paper".

Weekend plans are shaping up nicely. After work, it's off to pick up Benjamin, followed by this list of potential fun-ness (and by potential, I mean I may or may not get to do all of it):

• Play stake women's volleyball.
• Make a special treat for one of my BP YW - sweet #16 doesn't come along very often, and even though I'm not her leader (or even in the ward for that matter), I know how much it means to get little surprises on one's birthday.
• Design and make three thank-you cards and a birthday card - & deliver with the treats.
• Have lunch with three of my favorite ladies
• Mend pants, iron shirts, do laundry, clean bathrooms, do dishes, sweep, mop, sort mail, pay bills, vacuum the house, organize the garage, and save the world. I know it's a bit ambitious, but I have fun checking off my to-do list, so we'll see what happens!
• Watch "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" before it's due back to Red Box
• Make dinner for my parents. Their request? My special recipe for White Chicken Chili that you can find HERE. Made it for Christmas Eve and everyone loved it, even my dad who is the pickiest eater I know!
• Go on our Friday Date Night - this week, it's a night at the gym and I'm actually really excited to go! Could be Zumba, F.I.R.E. or a dip in the pool, but all sound good to me.
• Dinner reservations at ClaimJumper
• Tri-Birthday Breakfast with my Girls; going to SawMill at Mill Creek Town Center with this group is the perfect equation for an absolutely lovely outing.
• Decide between the Jillian Michaels' 30-Day Shred or the Jackie Warner's Circuit Training. Both totally kick my butt with rocking planks, deep squats and hundreds of lunges.
• Dinner with Dave's fam at Crossroads - where the variety of food court establishments will leave your mind reeling!

I'm excited for all the funness coming our way!

I Wish, Part 2

And so the saga continues:

THURSDAY
It was another long day at work. Needed to get to the gym, but forgot my socks. So, sped home, grabbed some socks and went for a run in the cool night air. Well, I did some walking up Seattle Hill cause it's a killer. It was colder than I thought so had some trouble breathing, but still managed to do my run up to Safeway and back, which was about four miles. On the way back, Jason Mraz was belting out "I'm Yours" and the sky lit up in the most amazing shades of pink and orange. It was one of those blissful moments - like you're living in a movie and the perfect soundtrack is playing in the background. As I turned to come down the hill, MxPx starting belting out "Punk Rawk Show" while Mt. Pilchuck and Mt. Baker came into view on the horizon. So... Day #5 of my Birthday Celebration Week is the Joy of Seeing Beauty Everywhere.

FRIDAY
I had to hit a deadline, so managed to squeeze in five hours of work. Then, changed hats and became a domestic diva - vacuuming, dishes, sweeping, mopping and laundry. Sadly, no aerobic exercise today, but felt very accomplished anyway! Day #6 of my Birthday Celebration Week is the Joy of Elbow Grease. Dave had told me he would have to work late, but actuallycame to find out he's been secretly working on my "BIG-ANTIC Birthday Gift". Details and pictures to come - but suffice to say, this guy of mine is A-MAZING.

SATURDAY
Early morning for us, with a wedding to attend and a long to-do list! Through a constant barrage of rain showers, we rushed down to Bellevue to attend Tony & Nelly's sealing. Beautiful couple, beautiful day to be inside the temple - and it was such an honor to take part in the establishment of a new family. Got home and did a few things around the house before we just collapsed out of sheer exhaustion. Day #7 of my Birthday Celebration Week is the Joy of New Beginnings. Oh, huge guilty pleasure confession here: The So-Bad-It's Good Joy of SyFy. I am somewhat embarrassed to admit this, but we watched the SyFy original movie "Mega Python vs. Gatoroid" while folding gobs of laundry - well, Dave fell asleep half way through, but I watched. Until the bitter end. Uh, yeah - you read that right & can't believe I'm sharing this. But, it starred the talents of 80's teen sensations Deborah (Debbie) Gibson & Tiffany, so I was morbidly curious. These old-school popstars seem to have had nothing better to do than star in a horrifically written & acted B-movie, with the worst CGI effects I've seen to date. SPOILER ALERT: They both die in the end, at the hands of, you guessed it, a huge python and steroid-enhanced alligator. I found myself laughing. Ahem - anyway, admitting it is the first step to recovery, right?

SUNDAY - Birthday Eve
Crazy awesome day. I woke up feeling like a million bucks - I'm sure thanks to the previous night's inspirational movie (*wink*). Although I missed most of sacrament meeting and all of Sunday School (we're slowly acclimating Benjamin to nursery), Dave came in for the last hour so that I could attend the 5th Sunday joint meeting. We talked about Following the Prophet - and I had a lot of little moments of revelation during that powerful discussion. Made me realize that I need to make a lot of little changes in my life. Went to see an update of the "BIG-ANTIC Birthday Gift", ate crockpot chicken chili and then napped way too long. We rushed, very very late, to my birthday dinner at my in-laws. Dave's mom made my favorite meal - taco salad. We washed that tastiness down with a good helping of triple-chocolate, fudgey decadence dream cake, and a little side of vanilla ice cream. I let the little kiddos help me blow out the candles; blowing out 6 whole candles is a lot of work! Got the cutest little pink crayon note from Lucy, a thoughtful gift from my in-laws and Julie (Dave's sister) made me some little re-usable sandwich bags (fabric and plastic lining). Day #8 of my Birthday Celebration Week is the Joy of the Little Things.

MONDAY - The Big Day
Today has started out with a BANG! I woke up to dozens (already!) of sweet notes on FB, which I read while on the bus; definitely feeling the birthday love and grateful for everyone's thoughts today. In hindsight, it would have been really smart to take the day off, but instead I hopped on the bus at o' dark-thirty, in my cutest outfit, for a day of birthday fun at work. (Note how I am *really* trying to eek out the Joy in this one!) Day #9 of my Birthday Celebration Week is the Joy of ?? - TBD later!

I Wish

(Disclaimer - Golly, I'm long-winded)

Last night, I was lying in bed, listening to Dave dreaming. I got to bed earlier than usual - 10:45 pm - but for some crazy reason, my mind was racing and not ready for rest. I wished for sleep, but I was thinking of New Year's goals, work report deadlines, a missing piano wheel, personal revelation, bouncy balls and a year's worth of blog posts to update, to name a few of my nightime ruminations. Benjamin woke up about 30 minutes later. After lying him down in his makeshift "bed" in our bedroom, I finally drifted off to sleep to the rhythm of his soft breathing.

I wish for a lot of things:

• I wish for MORE willpower.
• I wish for MORE hours in the day.
• I wish that I will never forget the feeling of cuddling with my 17-month-old, sleeping boy, his warm cheek smashed against mine.
• I wish that I would never hurt someone's feelings or lose a friendship.
• I wish I had MORE faith.
• I wish I had LESS doubt.
• I wish for a lifetime supply of GOOD chocolate - that does not make you fat, of course.
• I wish I could get my blog updated with the thousands of pictures and stories I have to tell.
• I wish I could translate my idea for a book onto paper... and get past the first page.
• I wish that I would always remember to express heartfelt gratitude to those that do so much for me.
• I wish that I would truly savor the abundant blessings in my life.
• And of course, I would always wish for more wishes. :)

Speaking of wishes, my Birthday Celebration Week is here again. This year's "celebration wish list" is simple - do something each day that brings me joy.

SUNDAY
My extended family converged on our house. We ate fruit, spinach salad, whole-wheat Hawaiian pizza and strawberry yogurt cake. It was crazy madness to have 15 people in our house, including eight wild grandkids running pell-mell, but you know, that's family. I love them, even though I sometimes felt like I was *this close* to pulling all of my hair out. So, Day #1 of my Birthday Celebration was the Joy of Family.

MONDAY
This day brought work, and it's hard to do anything too joyful while busting our intense medical information for sick patients and busy doctors. But, after work, I kicked it into high gear at the gym and walked out of there on a sweaty, endorphin high. Day #2 of my Birthday Celebration was the Joy of Pushing Yourself Beyond the Norm.

TUESDAY
Where did Tuesday go? In between laundry and dishes, I whisked Benjamin off to the magical Land of Storytime, as any good Librarian Mommy would. We sang the Beanbag Song, listened to a story about a mommy & baby animals, then plugged our noses (thanks to some dog poo that had been tracked right into the middle of story time - though not by us!). I took Benjamin over to look at their wide array of board books in the colorful children's area. The minute we sat down for a sweet moment of quiet reading, Benjamin high-tailed it to the kiddie computers on the other side of the library. Ugh... oh well - I tried. Since we were so close, we hopped in the car and drove a block over to the Centennial Trail. Otherise known as another grand adventure with great expectations, which sort of *flopped*. We bundled up, multi-blanketed Benjamin in the BOB and I in workout clothes and a warm hat, and started out on my little run. Thanks to a wide arsenal of Teddy Grahams, fruit snacks, string cheese, and various drinks, we made it back alive. But the screaming, tantrums and lungeing fits made for a less-than-stellar run. BUT - still, Day #3 of my Birthday Celebration was a split one: Joy of Spending Time with The Boy/Enduring To the End. And contrary to my description, it was fun to get out and do some stuff.

WEDNESDAY
Lunch with Linda & Piano Moving Day! While the idea of going out to lunch at this cute cafe on a sunny Seattle day with one of my favorite people sounded divine, it was not quite so perfect. I'm not one to complain, but the customer service was just bad - and it was at a place that I have always enjoyed in the past. But, when we actually got our salads, and then got the right ingredients in said salads, it was a delicious meal and a fun trip downtown. Later that evening, we arranged to get the piano moved from Bracan & Rachel's house to our humble abode. It took a bit of quick coordination, a big box truck and some strong muscles, but the one-wheeled piano is finally home again. Day #4 is another splitter: Joy of Good Food/Joy of Music (from a 17-Month-Olds Pounding Fingers). Lovin' that joy, people.

This brings us to today. It's Thursday, and I'm sure more moments of joy are right around the corner - the trick is, sometimes you have to look kind of hard to discover them!

Resolution for the New Year - Do Stuff

I've got Big Plans, people!

I've had about a bazillion and one things on my to-do list lately, and an equal number of things on my resolutions/goals list too. And while I don't want to bore you with the usual "lose weight, eat healthier, exercise more" blah, blah, blah-ness of it all, suffice to say, I have big plans. BIG.

Here is one: do stuff. Do stuff, with Benjamin, I should say. With all of the staging-packing-moving-holidays-unpacking that's been our life for the past year, I am ready to go out and let Benjamin see this Brave New World.

This week's exciting outings included a visit to the fun land of library storytime on Tuesday, where the focus was on the impending snow storm. There was a lot of singing, playing instruments, reading stories and fun games. Benjamin really loved the bean-bag song, where you placed a beanbag on your arm, foot, elbow, etc... then tossed it in the air. But, instead of tossing it in the air and catching it, he used it as his own little weapon of minor destruction - throwing it whilly-nilly into the crowd of wide-eyed and innocent singers. But he had a fun time, so just time to teach him how to "Not Embrace Violence".

Today's outing was a visit to the Alderwood Play Area. That place is always a mad house but the play equipment is soft-foamy stuff, covered with some kind of plastic-like stuff. So, the chance of fun is high, while risk of injury is slightly less.

The various forms consisted of a Washington State ferry, an orca, an octopus and a scaled-down Mt. Rainier. After peeling the little socks off of Benjamin, he became a climbing dynamo!

I think he had loads of fun, despite the fact that I was constantly peeling him off of other children, ripping stranger's juice boxes out of his hands, and watching my bare-footed wonder take every opportunity to run like a banshee for the wide-open spaces of the mall corridors.

Whole Lotta Shakin'

(Some serious catch-up posts coming soon... I've been a very bad blogger. Until then, join me for a romp in my near-death experience with the Great Monroe Tremblor of 2011.)

"I Feel the Earth Move Under My Feet"

I was at home on Friday afternoon, Benjamin was asleep and I was doing some laundry. Suddenly, I felt shaking - I even remember throwing my arms out for a moment, to catch my balance. Nothing big, but what the heck was that? I looked outside to see if a tree had fallen or the construction crane had dropped its load. Nothing. Could it be an earthquake - nah. I told Dave and he just kind of shrugged his shoulders. With no evidence of any crazy, earth-shaking causes, I definitely thought I was crazy. Or, maybe I just imagined it...

Then, this morning, I saw this in the paper:

Minor 3.0-magnitude quake felt near Monroe
The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network says a magnitude 3.0 earthquake Friday afternoon was widely felt in areas north and east of Seattle - The Associated Press

SEATTLE —The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network says a magnitude 3.0 earthquake Friday afternoon was widely felt in areas north and east of Seattle.

Network spokesman Bill Steele says there are no reports of damage from the minor quake. And those who felt the 2:35 p.m. event most strongly described it as just a "light shaking."

It was centered about four miles southeast of Monroe at a depth of 12 miles.

By 5 p.m., more than 300 people had clicked on the seismic network's website to say whether they felt the quake, although some did so just to say "no."

Steele says a 3.0 quake is not unexpected west of the Cascade Mountains, or indeed anywhere in Washington. And he adds, "We have a lot of faults and a lot of quakes because things are moving."

We are about 10 miles away from Monroe, so that is obviously the cause of the weird shake episode on Friday afternoon. This is third time I've felt an earthquake - one while sleeping in my bed in Spokane, working at the UW during the Nisqually Quake in 2001 and now the Great Monroe Tremblor of 2011. And each time, it still takes me off guard and gets my heart racing... but at least I know I'm not crazy!

Count Them One by One

Testing, testing - 1,2,3...

Sometimes, it's so easy to get caught up in the chaotic nature of life that you forget. You forget that someone is there, someone is listening.

But today, I remembered. The past few days, I've prayed so hard I thought I might burst - and then suddenly, a tender mercy just flitted down from heaven like a little feather floating on a gentle breeze. A couple, actually.

Here are some tender mercies that bring sweet simplicity and joy to my heart this week - the week of Christmas - and I wanted to share with you:

• Answered prayers
• Playing with Benjamin
• Sweet harmonies of Christmas carols
• Listening to the stillness of the night
• Christmas lights bathing our house with holiday cheer
• Inspiration
• An overwhelming sense of peace
• "The Christmas spirit is the Christ spirit" (David O. McKay)
• Holding Dave's hand
• The kindness of strangers
• Wishing someone "Merry Christmas", and seeing their startled, happy change of disposition
• Getting back to basics
• Understanding that each person is a child of God
• Smiling at a stranger, and then having them return the favor
• Knowing that we can be forgiven
• Knowing that God knows my heart

If you have ever wondered if God is listening, he is. In his 2008 conference talk, Elder David A. Bednar says "I testify that the tender mercies of the Lord are available to all of us and the Redeemer of Israel is eager to bestow such gifts upon us". If you ever doubt it, read Elder Bednar's talk, think about those "nice coincidences" in your life and you will know.

Anniversary Weekend

Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy 5th Anniversary!

Thursday, December 16th was our official anniversary. Dave surprised me with flowers - he's so awesome, huh?! - and then we had some of my closest girlfriends & spouses over for an impromptu house-warming party/anniversary party/dessert potluck. Loads of sugar plus good friends, sprinkled with some holiday cheer = good times galore!

On Friday, we planned to attend the temple with the Asbells. Unfortunately, Brian got sick and then I got stuck in some random accident traffic on I-5. Added to that mix was the fact that we would be fighting crazy-bad Friday night traffic over the the eastide, AND Dave was still feeling sick, so we just decided to raincheck the temple session until next week. Instead, I quickly called Arnie's on the Edmonds waterfront (the place we've celebrated the last four anniversaries), and we had our back-up plan in place. Seated with a beautiful view of the water and marina, we had a wonderful time (thanks to Ben & Kathleen, our babysitters); Dave had cedar plank salmon and garlic green beans while I savored the miso-flavored flank steak with almond spinach. That place has some seriously good food.

After dinner, we went on a little Christmas shopping spree for Benjamin. We picked up a sit n' spin, an Elmo cell phone and a package of Nerf sports balls. We went back to pick up Benjamin then drove home in the chilly, clear night.

Saturday was a whirlwind of activity. We drove across the valley to downtown Snohomish, where I shipped David & Rachel's Christmas package at UPS. We ran a couple of other errands, then went home to get ready for our excursion to the mountains. Linda & Mark met us at 11am, and we headed for Leavenworth. Of course, we made a quick pit stop at Zeke's Drive-In; they have the best milkshakes - they made them especially thick and tasty this time around. As we drove past Skykomish, the landscape went from green and rainy, to a white-washing of freshly-plowed snow. I dozed off for a bit after singing Benjamin into a sweet slumber; we both awoke as we were driving down the hill into Leavenworth.

Leavenworth, for those out-of-towners, is a quaint Bavarian village on the other side of the Cascade Mountains. Every Christmas season, they hold a tree lighting festival, complete with Santa hat-topped carolers; a velvet-robed Father Christmas; chestnuts roasting on an open fire; restaurants filled with people devouring pints, sausages and sauerkraut; buildings festooned in greenery and Christmas lights; and, of course, SNOW. In fact, as we parked and started layering for the 20-degree temps, a light snow started to fall.

The streets were teeming with people, so we darted into stores with names like Kris Kringl, the Fudge Hut, the Nutcracker Museum and many more. Unfortunately, there were so many people and we were dressed in so many layers, we could only stay in the stores a short time before we started overheating. While I went to find the fudge - it's a must when you go to Leavenworth - Dave surprised me again. The fifth anniversary is the "Wood Anniversary", so he bought me a Nutcracker (a signed one, no less!) from one of the stores; I absolutely loved his creative gift idea to commemorate our #5.

Benjamin LOVED being outside and rolled around in the snow like a pig in its pen; he was in heaven. We walked around the village, where we saw a horse-drawn carriage and greeted various dogs, including many who had been decorated in jolly Christmas garb.

As the day started to darken, the festivities went into full swing. There was a lot of music and merriment, interspersed with blessings from Father Christmas, words from a pastor, and lines from the Christmas story. I loved the religious tone they took with the program - it made the real meaning of Christmas shine. The pinnacle event of the evening was the lighting ceremony. From either end of town, a woman shaking jingle bells led the carrier of The Star. As they past by, each shop turned on its Christmas lights. The two stars met at the pavilion, where they joined to light the trees; suddenly, we were bathed in a warm light from the thousands of lights. As people joined in Christmas carols and the snow continue to fall, it just felt like Christmas.

I loved it and I hope we don't wait so long to visit this snowy, winter wonderland again.

Thanks to all the people who made this amazing weekend possible. Ben & Kathleen, and especially M & L who accompanied us (and drove across the snowy pass). We are so lucky to have such great family and friends.

What a perfect day... and the perfect weekend to celebrate the last 5 years. I love you so much, Dave - thanks for all you've done to make them the best 5 years of my life!

Project: Remembering

How do you remember?

So we got The Call. It was inevitable, really.

Last night, one of the counselors in the bishopric left a message on our phone. Dave called him back and Bro. Redd asked us The Question; after moving in 6 weeks ago, he asked us to speak in church. The date is two weeks from yesterday - or the day after Christmas.

And our topic? How to bring/remember Christ in our homes during the Christmas season. Awesome, huh? I have a few things that we do in our home, but I was curious: does anyone have some great ideas you do to remember the REAL reason for the season?

If so, send them my way. Not only will I implement them in my talk, but we'll try to incorporate some over the next few weeks... and I will share the exciting results of our uplifting experiences. I know, you can hardly contain your enthusiasm, but it will be a great project - I promise, and I can't wait.

Oh, and before I forget - thanks!

Getting Back to Christmas

I love this time of year because it always seems to bring out the best in people. But despite our best efforts, it's so easy to forget WHY we celebrate Christmas.

One of the best and most exciting presents we got this year was the purchase of our new house. Because of that, we've scaled down the other material things. The funny thing is, I am more excited about this Christmas than those in the past because of the lack of frenzied mall trips, stressing over what to get and general holiday blues that come with the constant running here and there. Instead, I have more time to reflect on the real reason for the season - and get back to the kind of Christmas I remember from my childhood. It's a magical time to remember the birth of our Savior, create family traditions, make lasting memories and spend time with those we love.

I came across this sheet from Glitter Magic, from her post, "How to Have a Christ-Centered Christmas". She shared 13 tips; this was one (#7) that I thought would be perfect for our next Family Home Evening.

Wishes for a beautiful, peaceful Christmas season to you all!

First Stop: Germ Town

I'd love to update you on our first week of December, but, well... sadly, we have been
Out of Commission.
Thanks to this nasty "Heavy Congestion-Cough-Sneeze-Wheeze Bug" flitting about our immune systems, the excitement of the holidays has come to a screeching, sniffling halt.

Hopefully, we can ditch this unwanted visitor and get back into the swing of the season very, very soon!