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!!!

Splish Splash Dudley's takin a bath!

Dudley loves his new pool!

SLIPPERS

Oh...and I just have to show you my new summer slippers. They are are dearfoam massage slippers and they are sooooo comfy! You want some don't you?

Thanks Easter Bunny! Quack, Quack!

So my roomate thought it would be so funny to give me a baby duck for Easter. I think she thought I would be mad, since we already live in chicken mayhem.

Her little joke backfired becasue I LOVE HIM! Meet Dudley! He is already so spoiled! He's dyed orange for Easter.

Bradley and Dudley face off! (I love this picture)

I also watched some of my nieces and nephews over the weekend, as a payback for my brother in law doing my taxes. We had fun. They loved playing with the duck all weekend. We went on a nature walk, dyed easter eggs, played with chickens, went to see Alvin and The Chipmunks, and just hung out.

It was a full weekend. Good times were had by all...including the mom and dad who got a nice break!

Sunday Reflections

Yesterday, my friend Laurie ,from work, and I went on a mid morning hike in the Superstitions.

The weather was perfect and it was so beautiful. It's the time of year when the desert is in bloom! Now...let me preface this by saying that it has taken me a few years to be able to say that the desert is pretty. I still concur that the mountains in Utah or the rolling hills of California are far more gorgeous than any blooming desert but I do appreciate it more now than I did when I first moved out here. Anyway, it was a perfect day for a hike. There was a nice breeze and a cloud cover so it didn't get too hot. There were tons of 'Blue Lupens' and 'California Poppies'! Is that weird or what?! California Poppies in Arizona! I was simply a beautiful day. (Oops, there's my shadow)

Laurie made the comment, "How can you NOT talk about God out here." It has caused me to reflect the the last couple of days on God's power and all that He has done and can do. We know that He created this beautiful earth for us to enjoy, which in and of itself is amazing, but even more amazing is that he created us in His own image. We are literally His children and He knows us each individually and personally. Knowing this brings me peace, and knowing that no matter how hard things can get, He is always there to help us reach the amazing potential that He knows we have.

(Made it to the top!)

This is the story of a young piano student. His mother, wishing to encourage him, "bought tickets for a performance of the great Polish pianist, Paderewski. The night of the concert arrived and the mother and son found their seats near the front of the concert hall. While the mother visited with friends, the boy slipped quietly away.
"Suddenly, it was time for the performance to begin and a single spotlight cut through the darkness of the concert hall to illuminate the grand piano on stage. Only then did the audience notice the little boy on the bench, innocently picking out 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.'
"His mother gasped, but before she could move, Paderewski appeared on stage and quickly moved to the keyboard. He whispered to the boy, 'Don't quit. Keep playing.' And then, leaning over, the master reached down with his left hand and began filling in the bass part. Soon his right arm reached around the other side, encircling the child, to add a running obbligato. Together, the old master and the young novice held the crowd mesmerized.
"In our lives, unpolished though we may be, it is the Master who surrounds us and whispers in our ear, time and time again, 'Don't quit. Keep playing.' And as we do, He augments and supplements until a work of amazing beauty is created. He is right there with all of us, telling us over and over, 'Keep playing.'"7