Going Crazy and Having Fun

After last weekends rounds of basketball games, members of my family are a wee bit engrossed in March Madness. My kids are eating it up. They love the tournament, the love to check the scores and they love following their brackets and seeing how well they are doing. This announcement may surprise some of you because we aren't really avid sports fans at our house. In case you are wondering what has brought on our sudden interest in and excitement for basketball, I will explain.

My dad has always been a HUGE sports fan. Sadly, he was forced to live in a house with four daughters who really didn't care that much. Thankfully he has one son who really cares a lot. I do think that he always secretly wished that all of us had that same passion and love for sports that he did. He did what he could to make us take interest. Growing up, we all had our fill of Utah basketball games and on rare occasions one of us girls would get the extra football ticket or the special treat of attending a Jazz game with him. He took us on the road to many Utah bowl games and I was once lucky enough to be his date to the NCCA tournament when Utah made it to the Elite Eight. (Darn Kentucky) He really did his best to teach us the rules to all the games and tried the only way he knew how to make us like sports. Sadly, no of his daughters took as great of an interest as he would have hoped. I am probably the most interested out of all my sisters, and I don't think anyone would call me a sports fan. I am mostly a fan because of all the fun memories of going to games with him. Things like being totally scared when he yelled at the ref's, or the ladies in front of him. Or the time he let Kristy paint his toenails while we were in California for the Freedom bowl. I think mostly I am a fan of the memories I was able to make while he tried to make me a fan. And I know that I also am a true fan of his. I do love seeing the passion he has for sports--even if sometimes he scares me a little. I love it because it's part of who he is, it's part of what he does, and it's part of what makes him great.

Fast forward to now. He is once again doing his best to make those people he loves in his life sports fans. However, now that he is a grandpa, he may have figured out just the right motivation to turn his little innocent grandkids into sports fans after all. It's cold hard cash! That's right--every year around this time he sponsors (and funds) the NCAA tournament bracket pool. He is able to get everyone (OK almost everyone) to fill out a bracket due to the fact that there is a promised cash award at the end. There is a grandkids prize and a grown ups prize and I'll tell you what, that added incentive has totally made my kids aware of and excited about March Madness. Andrew is totally into it this year. He is watching sports news on the computer and he likes to check the games every night. He even likes to give Craig and I the updates and informs us that our picks aren't too hot! Madeline thinks it's great because she just seems to have a knack for picking the right teams. (She won the whole thing last year and is currently at the top of the leader board). Ben's poor little bracket isn't doing well, but he's at least showing interest in who is playing and having fun cheering everyone on.
All in all, my dad is creating little sports fans at my house, but he is also doing what he does best-- he's creating memories that all of us will love and laugh about for years to come. So I'm grateful for my sweet daddy and the fun things that he comes up with to make our lives a little more fun!

I have never been a fan of the whole Easter Bunny thing. I mean come on, the idea of a giant rabbit hopping around leaving you treats and hiding a basket of fun stuff for you just doesn't make a lot of sense. (In fact, the only reason I don't tell my kids that the Easter Bunny is a fraud is because I do like Santa Claus and I'm not sure how to let them have one without the other). This year, I have been more annoyed by this whole concept than usual. I am so bothered by the commercial aspect of such a sacred day and the fact that a stupid rabbit gets more attention than our Savior. I think I am especially annoyed by this tonight because my kids were sick enough to stay home from church today, but not sick enough to forgo the other Easter activities. I just feel like we missed out on what Easter is really about and I know that it is my fault for not making more of an effort to put a better focus on what is important. Thankfully I didn't put to much of a focus on any other part of the day either. This was a really low key Easter for us. No new church clothes, no big surprises and very little candy. I really was a bit of a bah-humbug about the whole thing, but I am annoyed with myself for not spending more time today teaching my kids about what Jesus really did for them. After having a few of my friends tell me that they do their baskets and egg hunts on the Saturday, I am resigned to do that next year so that I can spend Easter Sunday focusing on what is really important. And while I didn't do a great job at my house making the focus be where it should, I will finish up by saying that I am so grateful for this holiday and all that it represents. I know that Jesus Christ suffered, bled and died for me and I will be forever grateful for His sacrifice and all that it means to me. I have a testimony of the power of the Atonement and the peace it can bring to my life and I strive to live in a way that will make Him proud of me.

It seems that I've got hair on the brain today so please bear with me while I share. My girls both have beautiful thick blonde hair. (At least I think it's beautiful, but I'm a wee bit biased.) The trouble is they have inherited my genetics and have the unfortunate problem of their hair actually growing in a mullet. Yes, that's right, I have given my children the gift of being able to naturally grow one of the worst hairstyles in the history of hair:

For the past few weeks I have been itching to do something different with my hair. After stewing over what it should be, I finally settled on blonde highlights and decided that I want to grow my bangs out. After making this decision, I decided that I had better try out the no bangs thing for a few days just to make sure it was what I wanted. Thinking it would be wise, I opted to try it both straight and curly. Yesterday was my curly day. I lounged around for much of the morning and when I finally decided to do my hair, I opted for a wash-and-wear 'do--sans bangs--and I didn't give it another thought. That is, I didn't give it another thought until I went to pick Madeline up from school. If you ever want an honest opinion about your hair, don't ask a friends and don't ask your husband--just find your daughter and then you don't even have to ask--she'll simply tell you like it is! As I mentioned, she hadn't seen me ready for the day yet and when she did, she stopped dead in her tracks, gave me a look that I can only equate with utter embarrassment, and then in with a questioning look and totaly disbelief in her voice said, "Mom, (long pause), your hair." Needless to say, she wasn't a fan. When I asked her what the issue was, she told me that it "just looks really funny like that." After trying to pin her down on the what and why, the best she could come up with was that it looked "to big" on the top and it just wasn't right. I knew it was a little different, I knew it wasn't the best hair day I've ever had (what do you expect from the wash and wear styling), but I was shocked at the strong emotions that it evoked from a six year old. It really wasn't that bad--at least my friends didn't think so...

OK first off I have to say that it doesn't take much to make me happy. And mostly that's by choice--I like being happy and I choose to find joy and happiness in little things. I actually get giddy when I get a big space to make a left turn on to state street right after I hit the stop sign. I smile every time my phone rings (but only my cell phone because I know that means no telemarketers). Sometimes, I even do a little happy dance when I go to bed because I'm just that excited. I choose to let those little things make me smile, laugh and be happy because, let's face it, the big things are mostly just boring work with little reward. But when I couple all the little things together, I can make it through most of the day with a smile on my face.

That said, my new favorite thing that always puts a smile on my face is texting! I just added a plan to my phone and I'm already totally addicted. (I know, I know--I'm quite a bit behind the times, but at least I'm trying to catch up!) That little chime noise just makes my day and I come running whenever I hear it. There's something about it that just makes me feel loved and important and I don't know if I will ever get tired of hearing it. I know that I have totally questioned the usefulness of texting many times, but to those of you who I have harassed, I will now simply say I'm sorry--and please text me--but not too much because I only have a limited plan--at least for now ;-)

Here's my friendly piece of advice for ya'll. If you set your alarm--don't forget to turn it on--otherwise, you will run alone!

Craig and I went to St. George with some friends this weekend so that I could run a race. Rather than bore you with a play by play of the trip I thought I would just share my lessons learned from the experience.

• I learned that we are so blessed to have good friends in our lives.
  
• I learned that taking a road trip with kids doesn't make you go slower--the opposite was actually true for us--both ways.
  
• I learned that no matter how much advance notice I give my husband, he will still probably be late.
• I learned that if you leave late you get to eat at high quality places--like the Subway inside the Payson Wal-Mart. Yeah baby!
  
• I learned that $2 is a deal worth waiting (and waiting and waiting) for for a motorcycle tire iron.
• I learned, or more appropriately was reminded that I love running in races. But I do hate the starting line rush.
• I learned that I need to start setting more specific race goals.
• I learned that Ultimate Ninja Warrior is very addictive.
• I learned that we blame our kids for us not being able to do any activities that are catered to adults, but that it's not their fault.
• I learned that no matter how fast I run, I probably won't be happy with my finish time. (I was however very happy with my average pace).
• I learned that I am very grateful that I have friends with weak bladders.
• I learned that I need to get a running skirt.
• I learned that I am also very grateful for nonjudgmental friends.
• I learned that I am grateful for a husband who supports my hobby and passion so well.
• I learned that I need to make a better running playlist.
• I learned that a 10K can make you more sore than you remember!
  
• I learned that I have a great little sister who loves my kids more than I sometimes remember.
• I learned that the next time I go to St. George it will definitely be for more than a night!
• I learned that I can't wait for long runs so that I can spend more time with my great group of running friends.
  
• But most of all I learned that I am blessed to have so many great people in my life. Thanks to everyone who made this weekend a little more fun for me!

I have been feeling bad all day because yesterday I publicly announced that my daughter is a brat. I feel I am doing her a great injustice first, by announcing her flaws for anyone to read and second for blaming her for behaviors that are not entirely her fault. I know that she is not truly a brat by nature. I know that it is mostly because of circumstance--circumstances I create. The circumstances that have made up her entire life tend to make her be overshadowed and ignored. I think that I tend to push her needs, wants and desires to the background just so that I can get things done. Homework has to be done. Carpools need to be driven. Meals need to be prepared. The house needs to be cleaned. Fights need to be mediated. Laundry needs to be done. And the list goes on and on... and on and on.... and on and on and on. I think that her brattiness is simply a coping method. She knows that unless she is very vocal about needing me that she probably won't get me. She knows that the only way to make me listen to her is to complain. All she ever wants or needs is someone to pay a little bit of attention to her and to play with her on her terms. (Somehow I don't think that her sitting in her high chair drawing while I color is good enough.) When I really think about it I know that this she is getting pushed aside mostly because I am tired of the games she wants to play. I have been playing with the same toys, singing the same songs, and looking at the same books for over eight years now and I am just plain worn out. I wish there was a magic fix that could make me really truly want to do it all again, but I'm smart enough to know there's not. Thankfully I'm also smart enough to know that my needs and desires shouldn't come first. Now I just need to figure out a way to act on what I know. I guess that I just have to buck up and deal with my issues because Sarah deserves to have the same mom that my other babies got and she deserves a chance to have the attention that everyone else had. Like I said before, I know the fault is mine in creating bratty behaviors, but hopefully I can recognize and remedy the problem before it gets any worse. Because how can anyone look at a face like this and really believe that she is a brat?
Lastly I just need to say, "I'm sorry Sarah.I'm sorry I called you a brat for everyone to hear. But most of all, I'm sorry that I don't give you all the time and attention you need and deserve. I love you baby, and I'll try to do better--even if I am tired!"

So while I love all my children equally, I have one who, simply put, is a brat. She has her moments where she is as sweet as can be, but for a large majority of the day she lets her bratty side shine through. Now I am hoping that this is just a phase she is going through. She is after all only 17 months old. But I do feel I need to be prepared to deal with her brattiness just in case it sticks around for a while. I have come up with a great, although mean plan to combat this problem. I plan on exploiting her complete and utter fear of mascots and other life sized costumed figures. Take a look at the effect they have on her:

This is her first meeting with a mascot where we actually discovered her intense fear. It's Grizwald the LHS bear. When she first saw him, she actually screamed and was totally hysterical. She wouldn't take her eyes off him all night long and I actually felt a little bit bad for her. My mom however was thankful for that experience because it proved to be quite a bonding moment for her and Sarah. Up until this point in her life, Sarah really wanted nothing to do with my mom. (It's hard to believe, but true). But with Griz around, Sarah did not leave her nap all night long and after this evening, she and my mom are now tight!


After hearing the story of the mascot mayhem at LHS, Craig decided he wanted to see what all the fuss was about. He took full advantage of his opportunity when we went to the BYU gymnastics meet last week. This is what my big kids thought of Cosmo.

This is what Sarah thought of him. After Sarah had been watching him tentatively all night, Craig finally called him over to us. Once he got within 10 feet, she broke into hysterical sobs and made everyone around us feel sorry for her. After that, she made sure to stay still in the safety of a parent's lap for the rest of the night--with her eye on the "bear" In fact she was so bothered by him that she has been talking about that "scary bear" ever since. She never fails to mention that he went "bye-bye" though. (The picture below is actually one of her better reactions to the "bear" hanging around at BYU.)


And not to be outdone by mascots, the Easter bunny at the mall really bothered her quite a bit--though the reaction was quite a bit more healthy than it was to either of the bears.







Let's just say that Craig and I are now considering investing in a mascot costume of one sort or another because we both believe that if you can't teach your children to behave at least you can scare them into submission!

Madeline is by far my busiest child. She thrives on being busy--in fact I think she gets into more trouble when she is not busy. (Hmm, maybe that's why I let her do so many things.) I have debated with myself so many times whether or not it is good for a little girl to have so much on her plate, because I know that it's a lot for one kid to do. But when push comes to shove, I know that not only can she handle it--she actually thrives on it. From the day she was born, she has never been still. (You should have seen her nurse.) She is so active and full of life that I believe she needs something to challenge her and keep her active and out of trouble. And if I'm being totally honest, I love seeing her try and learn new things. Even though she has a lot on her plate, I know that she can handle it. In fact, I have actually had to make her quit activities that she loved being involved in because they created to much driving and stress for me. It made her cry. Her current favorite activities are dance and gymnastics. She is so happy when she get to go to either of them. At dance right now she is getting ready for her recital the beginning of May and her gymnastics team was able to perform at a local elementary school and the BYU gymnastics meet last weekend. She was so cute and had so much fun. She really is a natural born performer and I love seeing her shine! I'm a little bummed with the pictures, but my 3X optical zoom wouldn't go any closer--maybe that means it's time for a new camera!

OK, so I know I'm a total copy cat, but after seeing so many people post their 100's lists, I wanted to give it a go. I thought it would be a great idea to do it for my 100th post and I started working on it a couple of weeks ago and finally finished it this morning. Here you go:

1. I have brown hair and blue eyes

2. I love to run! (If you haven’t figured that out yet, you aren’t very bright)

3. I am very competitive—but mostly with myself.

4. My new favorite game is Blockus—go get it

5. I have a hard time making myself start a book but once I do….

6. I could stay up all night reading,

7. I am proud to say (or sing) that “I Belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.”

8. My sister Wendy and I have identically shaped legs

9. I was a cheerleader in high school

10. I tried out for cheerleader at three different colleges and was crushed when I didn’t make it

11. Not being on a college cheer squad was probably the best thing that ever happened to me

12. I went to a two year college to earn my associates degree on a Journalism scholarship that I didn’t even apply for

13. I probably wrote less than 15 article for the school paper in those two years, but they still let me keep my scholarshipJ

14. My husband was my home teacher

15. I eat too many sweets

16. I hate cutting onions because I can’t stand the smell of them on my hands

17. I do laundry every Monday

18. I love SPRING—mostly because it means that winter is finally over

19. I am a UTAH fan—GO UTES!!!

20. I graduated from BYU—but I still say Go UTES!

21. I did gymnastics for 12 years,

22. Last year when I tried could still do a round-off back-handspring, back-flip

23. I majored in History Teaching and now feel like I know nothing about history—it’s a little bit embarrassing

24. I am super cheap

25. I will buy anything if it’s a good deal—I can’t tell you how many stupid things I have just because they were only $5

26. I have wet the bed since I have been married

27. I was on the diving team in high school, but I hated going in the water head first!

28. I love summer fruit

29. My favorite color is red

30. I don’t own black shoes (at least not ones that I can wear in the with jeans in winter—the ones I had broke two years ago and I still haven’t replaced them)

31. I haven’t worn my long sleeve black shirts for a long time (due to the shoe problem).

32. I love to get new clothes, but I hate to shop for them

33. I am a compulsive returner. I buy things and wait till I get home to make up my mind about them. I almost always have something I need to return to a store.

34. My family only eats homemade bread

35. I love the smell of rain

36. I hate cotton candy and Icee’s

37. I have totaled a car

38. I almost always do things the hard way.

39. I have lived in Utah for my whole life

40. I watch WAY too much TV—I used to be able to tell you what was on at any given hour of the day

41. I pretend that I can sew

42. I’m a little bit lazy (sometimes a lot)

43. I can’t see with out glasses or contacts

44. My eyes get super blue when I cry

45. I LOVE the Olympics—I could sit in front of my TV and watch them all day long. Summer beats winter for my favorite!

46. My first job was a “spotter” at a dance studio that combined tap, ballet, and gymnastics in to each class and I had to help spot for gymnastics

47. My next job was a Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt—Go Spo Fro Yo as we liked to call it. As a result, my kids think I am super cool because I can make giant ice cream cones

48. I worked at ZCMI in the children’s clothing department

49. I worked at a collection agency and when I was bored I would try to find accounts for people I know

50. I was a gymnastics coach at three different gyms

51. I worked at a scrapbook store behind the register and as a teacher

52. I don’t scrapbook anymore—I’m too scared of how much work I would have to do to get caught up!

53. I remember when gas cost $0.89 a gallon—it was in 1998 when Craig and I were first married

54. I love our kindergarten teacher, but hate kindergarten

55. I have driven a car with a license plate that said CUMORAH

56. I have been in the Hill Cumorah Pageant 4 times

57. I love Broadway musicals

58. When I was a little girl a bee flew up my underwear.

59. I am afraid of bee’s

60. Carrots are one of my favorite foods!

61. I love Costco

62. I hate being late but that still doesn’t stop me

63. I hate snow on the side of the roads,

64. Once I was in a swim meet and I swam full speed right in to the wall, then I looked drunk swimming back.

65. I swore I’d never drive a mini van and now I do and I LOVE IT!!

66. I wouldn’t have survived college if I didn’t have a such a great roommate

67. I know who my real friends are because they always tell me the truth—even if it’s not what I wanted to hear

68. I love to throw things away

69. I frequently regret throwing things away

70. I have always dreamed of going to law school and would still like to try, but I know that if it happens, it wont be for a long time

71. I put a ton of pressure on myself and frequently let myself down because of it

72. I try to drink a gallon of water a day

73. I pee a lot!

74. I like to shovel snow

75. I never wash my face before I go to bed

76. I haven’t bought lipstick for over 6 years

77. My favorite thing to wear is comfy pants—and by comfy, I mean soft and stretchy with an elastic waistband—but I limit myself to only wearing them in the evening.

78. I am scared of Saucony running shoes

79. I love reading to my kids, but I don’t do it as often as I should.

80. I dream of traveling throughout Europe one day

81. I am a perfectionist

82. I got my hair highlighted by a new girl a week before my wedding and I came out with bleach blonde hair and 1 inch long dark roots. It was the worst dye job I have ever seen!

83. I just bought black shoes—ones that I can wear with jeans! (And I got red ones too!)

84. I am a nervous driver.

85. I am almost always happy

86. I haven’t ever broken a bone

87. I have an implant—and I would love two more!

88. The implant I have is for a tooth—it’s a titanium post that was screwed into my jaw!

89. You can guess what the other two are!

90. I hate Lortab,

91. I love HOT showers—the kind that turn my whole body red!

92. I love to people watch.

93. I love the beach

94. I’m a night owl by nature. I’m an early bird out of necessity (when else would I run?) Which means I’m always tired..

95. I frequent people.com everyday—I should probably subscribe to the magazine, but #24 prohibits me from doing so.

96. I love to chew gum—especially bubble gum because I think it’s fun

97. I store most of my shoes in their original boxes—can you say OCD?

98. I hate Wal-Mart, but that doesn’t stop me from shopping there!

99. I had some chafing issues on my run this morning.

100. I found this to be incredibly challenging, which either means 100 things is just too many or that I need some more excitement in my life!

OK, so here is what has been on my mind today. I am wondering when I will officially grow up and grow out of the stupid insecurities that seem to plague Jr. high and high school girls. I know I have improved since Jr. high and high school and sometimes I even think those insecurities are gone for good, but they always have a way of creeping back in. Thankfully now I recognize them as completely stupid and I can also see that it is me who has the issues and not anyone else, but I want to be able to make them go away for good. Here's the story. I have recently started doing things with a new group of friends who have been absolutely 100% accepting of me and who I really truly appreciate. They are fantastic, fun, nice wonderful, amazing exciting and very inclusive. They have done nothing to make me doubt myself or question the fact that they indeed accept me as a new addition to their group, yet I find myself doing it anyway. I somehow start to question myself and wonder if I am good enough for them. I wonder if I am trying to hard, or not trying enough. I wonder if they really want me around. I wonder why I feel scared to call them. I wonder if I really fit in. And then after all that I wonder what the h*** I am wondering all of it for. It's dumb. It's stupid. It's immature and it's unbecoming. But it's there and I'm not quite sure what to do with it. The truth is that I think inside every woman there is that frightened 13 year old girl just wishing and wanting to be accepted by everyone everywhere--and I don't know if she will ever grow up. Thankfully I know that even though there is that 13 year old girl lurking around on the inside, I at least have the sense and the brain of a 30 year old and I am going to trust her and just try to forget about that silly little girl lurking around inside!

So last night as I had just hopped in to bed, Craig came upstairs kind of chuckling and told me that I had to come downstairs and listen to a song he had just heard. He told me that it totally reminded him of us. Here it is, have a listen and enjoy!

** Disclaimer--if you are easily offended, maybe you ought to steer clear of this one!

Today I went to the cannery to pick up some wheat and I happened to get there right at the same time the volunteers were arriving for their shift. As I was filling out an order form and wrestling with kids I happened to overhear the volunteers conversation. (It's not eavesdropping if you are standing right there is it?) Anyway, they had a very typical and very cheesy "Mormon conversation" that went something like this
Man: I have never been to the cannery before.
Man's friend: Oh, you'll like it, it's a great chance to serve and to feel like you are doing something worthwhile.
just then the women arrive
Man: Oh good the Relief Society sisters are here to take care of us.
Women: (giggles and laughs) Yes we're always here to do that.

Now normally when I hear any conversations like this, I roll my eyes and think how cheesy these people are and then I make sure to remind myself that I am nothing like that. (I'm Mormon cynical not Mormon cheesy.) Anyway, today when I heard this silly conversation, I was strangely overwhelmed by the fact that I am part of something so much bigger than myself and by the fact that I know that wherever I go, I will be able to find people who feel, act and believe the same way I do. Sure there will always be plenty of cheesy remarks and expectations, but at the heart of all of those things are people who truly care about other people. It seems like the older I get the more I notice that common courtesy's and civility are a thing of the past, but in an LDS environment, I think the opposite is true. People are generally welcoming, kind and helpful. People generally like to make a difference in the lives of those around them. And people generally care about you for who you are. I love knowing that I could walk into any meeting house in any area of the world and find a kindred spirit. I love knowing that my beliefs dictate my actions. I love knowing that I am a daughter of God and that everyone I pass on the street is too, and that I need to treat them accordingly. I really don't know what I would do without the church in my life. I am so grateful to live around so many other people who share my beliefs and who act accordingly. The gospel is such a large part of who I am and what I aspire to become and I am so grateful to be surrounded by so many friends and family members who live up to what they know to be true and who stand tall as examples to me! SO now I have to thank the cheesy people who got the wheels turning in my head that reminded me of how blessed I am to have the gospel in my lives. Sure, they may have been a little bit cheesy, but it turns out that I'm OK with cheesy!

Like I said, today was a good day. Usually by the time Craig gets home from work, I am DONE being a mom. I am tired of wiping noses and bottoms. I am tired of listening to kids voices. Which, by that point in the evening always seem to be speaking in their second language--WHINEese. I am tired of being needed every second and being the only solution to every problem. I am tired of trying to help my kids do everything they need to get done before school the next day. In essence I am just plain tired. But for some reason tonight was different. Yes, I was tired of all the same old things, but tonight I just didn't feel the same mental exhaustion that I normally do. Maybe it's because Sarah took a 4 hour nap today. And maybe it's because there were not real fights or arguments that I had to settle. Maybe it's because I didn't have to think at all to get dinner on the table. And maybe it's just because today I got lucky and didn't let all the little things stress me out. I had a great day where I took time to mostly just be a mom, and not the mom that has to take care of the house, just the mom that had to take care of the kids. And tonight at the dinner table, instead of wishing away the hours 'till bedtime, I was just able to enjoy the ride (as crazy and loud as it was) and live in the moment. I laughed at the silly things the kids said and did and I just truly enjoyed my family today. I guess that I feel a need to type this up because it seems like those days are few and far between for me and I am just grateful to have had one today!

I have to thank my mom for taking my kids while Craig and I got away for a night this weekend. We went to a"marriage weekend getaway" at Aspen Grove with some friends of ours. If you haven't heard of this before it's basically like EFY for married couples. This is the third time that Craig and I have been and we really enjoy the chance to get away and take a day and a half to focus on us and our relationship. I don't know that we hear anything we don't already know, but it is a great reminder of where our priorities need to be and what we can improve on. The speaker for this weekend was Jeff Hill who is a BYU professor and he focused his comments around 6 principles that make a marriage stronger. Here they are
* LOOK FOR THE GOOD IN YOUR SPOUSE AND EXPRESS IT
* SHARE YOUR LOVE IN THE WAY YOUR SPOUSE APPRECIATES IT (love languages)
* KEEP TRYING (marriage often gets better)
* CULTIVATE A PERMANENT INTIMATE ATTRACTION (thats the part about sex)
* MAKE THE LORD A PARTNER IN YOUR MARRIAGE
* LIFE IS SHORT--DO WHAT YOU CAN EVERYDAY (this was a tender topic because both the speaker and his wife had watched their spouse pass away and they shared their stories and made you realize that you never know what each day will bring)

Like I said before, it's pretty much stuff we all already know, but it's good to be reminded every once in a while. One other thing that he had us do there was take time before we went to bed the first evening to tell your spouse five very specific things that you love about your spouse. Since I am here typing up my notes from the weekend, I thought I would share five things I love about Craig with you.

*First, I love the calming influence that he has on me. Now those of you who have seen him in action in our home may wonder how the things he does may ever induce calmness, but I said he has a calming influence on me--not my family. He rarely ever gets stressed out and he almost always keeps a level head which in turn helps me to chill out a little bit--and we all know that I tend to need that on a regular basis!

* I LOVE that he does all of our deep cleaning. I do all the routine cleaning, but he really does all the deep cleaning. He cleans our outside windows two or three times a year and he even cleans things I would never even think of cleaning--like the outsides of the cupboards, underneath the wood burning stove and today he even vacuumed the rug in the garage!

* He genuinely cares about what our kids have to say. You know the silly things like who chased who at recess and the crazy things the kids in their classes say every day. He laughs every day at their stories and makes them feel so wanted and appreciated. (It almost makes me feel guilty because they are the things that I only pretend to listen too and answer with a nod or a vague comment that will fit any situation.)

* I love the fact that he really doesn't care what other people think about him. And the best part is that it's not in an arrogant way--it's just complete self acceptance and quiet confidence. He has always know who he is and been OK with everything about the person he is. And he sees everyone else the same way. He accepts everyone for who they are and only sees good in them.

* I love his sense of humor. He makes me laugh every day and he never takes anything too seriously. He can laugh at anything and knows how to get everyone around him laughing too!



* He is an AMAZING dad!

*He lets me have my way (most of the time) because he realizes that it's important to me and not so much to him!


I realize that that was more than 5, but what can I say, I am a lucky girl! Finally I just need to say that I am so blessed to have him in my life. I will never doubt the fact that he loves me and that he is a great husband! I LOVE YOU CRAIG!

abc tag

* Thanks Abi for giving me something to blog about!

A- Attached or Single? Attached
B- Best Friend? guy:Craig girl: my sisters
C- Cake or pie? Cake--especially the chocolate cake from Magelby's
D- Day of choice? Saturday
E- Essential Item? my phone
F- Favorite Color? Red
G- Gummy Bears or Worms? neither
H- Hometown? I grew up in SLC and still consider it my home away from home, but now I do call Orem home
I- Favorite Indulgence? Cadbury mini-eggs :-)
J- January or July? July
K- Kids? 4--Andrew, Madeline, Benjamin, and Sarah
L- Life isn't complete without? My family
M- Marriage date? October 8, 2008
N- Number of brothers and sisters? 1 brother, 3 sisters
O- Oranges or Apples? Apples
P- Phobia and fears? Spiders and watching my children go through a horrific illness
Q- Quote? "Whatever you are, be a good one." -Abraham Lincoln
R- Reason to smile? My kids just went to bed :-)
S- Season of choice? Spring
T- Tag three people? Lisa, Melodramma Mama & Rabid
U- Unknown fact about me? I still have 2 baby teeth
V- Vegetable? baby carrots or sugar snap peas
W- Worst habit? I watch too much TV
X-Ray or Ultrasound? Ultrasound (but not to ruin any surprises!)
Y- Your favorite food? Currently-Cadbury mini eggs (YUM!)
Z- Zodiac sign? Leo