No Boys Allowed!

When the weather started getting nicer some of the ladies at the office and I started talking about how nice it would be to get a picnic table with an umbrella outside. With the weather so 'spring-like' we soooo wanted to eat our lunches outside and just have a place that we could sit OUTSIDE and enjoy the weather. We told some of the 'higher ups' how nice it would be and they asked where we would put it. So, we looked around and found a small place behind the warehouse that we thought it would fit perfectly. With summer quickly approaching we sort of let the dream die and stopped talking about it. We never really PUSHED the issue with the 'higher ups'. Well the other day, Ryan , our warehouse manager, took us for a 'walk' behind the warehouse and this is what we found! We were so excited! He took a big spool used for wire as a table and had one of his helpers paint it pink and blue. It was so thoughtful of him. He even included fake grass! We ate out there once, but it was too hot today. So sad. The dream may have to wait a few months. We love it though!

Sunday Reflections

I have bookmark that I received at a Women's Conference a few years ago. Imprinted on the bookmark is a quote that I LOVE! I keep the bookmark in my Relief Society manual and each time I read it, I am motivated to live it!

"The whole gamut of human endeavor is now open to women. There is not anything that you cannot do if you will set your mind to it. You can be excellent in every way. Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, but with great and strong purpose in your heart. Love life and look for it's opportunities, and forever and always be loyal to the church."

-Gordon B. Hinckley-

Birthday Dates!

When it comes to nieces' and nephews' birthdays', I have seriously been the worst Aunt. It's embarrassing really. I have just never gotten around to going and getting presents for these kids. Then if I don't get a gift for one, I feel like I can't get a gift for any of them. So I started telling them that I would take them out to ice cream for their birthday. For the most part I have managed to get some ice cream dates in....about a year later! So this year, I resolved to be better...for reals this time. I thought I should just get each of them a card and put money in it. What kid doesn't love money? Anyhoo, it was between that and the ice cream date (or any date) idea. O.k. so 'Ice Cream Dates' won. Quality time is better than money...right? Yesterday was a double whammie.

Taylor (Shanna and Brian's second) just turned 7. Wow...she's such a big girl. We went to McDonalds for lunch. She asked me if I liked pickles. She told me that she didn't think she liked pickles. She usually picked them off her hamburger. However...TODAY she was going to see if she liked the pickles. "Good for you!" I said. "It's good to try new things." She took the pickle off of her hamburger (one pickle! Can you believe they only put ONE pickle on a hamburger?) Anyway, she tried it! Drum roll please................

She didn't' like it! But good for her for trying!

Taylor is very into boys and the last time I saw her she asked me if I'd met my 'one true love' yet. Then the next morning, after staying the night at my place, she said she had a dream that I married my 'one true love'. Too cute! Hope that dream becomes a reality some day. Anyway,

during lunch Taylor told me that she 'can't wait to go on a date'. I said she would have to wait about 9 years. She quickly did the math on her fingers and then said, "You mean I have to be SIXTEEN to go on a date?! That is sooooo LONG!" Watch out mom an dad! Keep your eye on this one! After lunch we got a an ice cream cone and then to 'The Dollar Tree' to pick out some things.

O.k. now out to pick up Cameron (Chad and Jolene's 1st). Cameron just turned a whopping 6 yrs old! For Cameron's birthday date we met up with his Aunt Diana, and cousins, Keaton and Bailey for a movie! We saw, 'Nymhs Island'. It was a cute movie. I worried that he might be a little bored at parts but he said he wasn't. Those seats are so big that I thought for sure he would fold up and fall through his seat. He didn't want to sit in the booster seat. He said it 'pinched him'. Cuz he's such a big boy no doubt....now that he's six and all. I tried to take a picture of him in the theater with my camera phone but it was too dark and it wouldn't turn out. But...you've got to see this kid! He IS the cutest little boy! I absolutely adore him. Check him out!

He told me how he saw a Zebra and how his class went on a field trip and his mom got to come. He told me how he helps out around the house and about his friend Bradley, "NOT his cousin Bradley...he's little, but his FRIEND Bradley who's 5." He told me how his little brother, Landon gets excited when he (Cameron) comes home from school. We sang primary songs in the car on the way home. We sang, I am a Child of God....his favorite. And the chorus of 'Follow the Prophets', that's all we could remember. Then he told me that he made up a song about Jesus. He sang it to me and it was such a sweet little song. He said he made it up when he was in the play room. I asked him if he'd sung it for mom and dad yet, and he said no, not yet. You'll have to ask him to sing it for you Chad and Jolene. You know what I love about this kid? Besides the fact that he is so polite, always saying please and thank you (Good job Chad and Jolene), anyway...what I love about him is that when he feels an emotion like love...he just says it..right then in the moment that he's feeling it. All of a sudden in a random moment he'll just say, "I love you Aunt Debbie!" I think as adults we guard our feelings too much. We are careful. We could all learn a lesson from this little guy!

All in all it was a great day for birthday dates! Thanks to Taylor and Cameron for hanging out with me! I love you guys!

Sunday Reflections

"Life has it's share of some fear and some failure. Sometimes things fall short, (we) don't quite measure up. Sometimes in both personal and public life, we are seemingly left without strength to go on. Sometimes people fail us, or economies and circumstances fail us, and life with it's hardship and heartache can leave us feeling very alone. But when such difficult moments come to us, I testify that there is one thing which will never, ever fail us. One thing alone will stand the test of all time, of all tribulation, all trouble and all transgression. One thing only , never faileth-and that is the pure love of Christ. I testify that having loved us who are in the world, Christ loves us to the end. His pure love never fails us. Not now. Not ever.

-Jeffrey R. Holland-

I'm getting married!!!!

I know, I know...You're all wondering why you've never heard me talk about Matt before. Well, when you get to be my age and you are STILL single and everyone wants to set you up and everyone has an opinion as to why your relationships don't work, it's very easy to keep dating on the down low. You get tired of people telling you that you are too picky and telling you that when you're older it doesn't feel the same as it did when you were younger. "You can't expect fireworks." Everyone expects you to just settle, even though you aren't attracted to the person or have no chemistry with them, simply because...it may be your last chance! Can you see now why when I start dating somebody I don't tell anybody, including my family. My family knows about it now obviously, but they were in the dark for a while. Anyway, Matt is great! We met online and he actually lives in Gilbert, AZ. Matt proposed last night at Tempe Town Lake. We were in one of those little paddle boats. The weather was perfect and the stars were out. It was very romantic. Anyway, more details to follow! We will be sealed in the Mesa Temple...end of June some time. So much to do!

April Fools!!!