In my last post I forgot to mention that my mom has a website - where she blogs on different topics. Some are Q&As, and others are just helpful thoughts. Here's one I especially liked, with a funny video at the end.

It's titled: Do Him (and Yourself) a Christmas Favor--Forget the Hints. I think there is a lot I have to learn in this still pretty new marriage.

Here's the product description:
CHOOSING GLORY considers the LDS doctrine of celestial, terrestrial, and telestial realms, suggesting that--here on earth--we deal with all three kinds of individuals, behaviors, institutions, and ways of life. Dr. Anderson applies a three realms perspective to daily choices, dating, marriage, parenting, stress, and progression. She offers concrete tools to help us find safety from telestial elements that threaten our peace and reminds us that we were meant for more than a good terrestrial life. This book invites us to recognize that every day we are--in fact--choosing glory.

For those of you that don't know, my mom has her PhD in Marriage, Family, and Human Development, she used to teach part time at BYU, and for years she has worked as a part time counselor/therapist.

So, the reason I'm finally getting around to this post . . . Deseret Book is carrying the book, and a friend of mine used to work there and always passes on the Christmas time 25% discount. What better time to buy the book? And, if you've read this far and aren't interested int he book, well, you can still get 25% any one product here and I didn't completely waste your time.

Here is the book on DeseretBook.com - check it out!

Happy Christmas shopping! :)

I'm kind of an artistic nerd--I revel in it, and sometimes I look for excuses to create things with it.


For our ward Christmas party they did a silent auction for gingerbread houses. All the proceeds were donated to The Christmas Box House - a non-profit that helps kids in Utah. It seems a worthy cause, so I volunteered to decorate one. I've only ever done one gingerbread house before - in December of 2005 (and I had lots of help on that one). I used what I learned that time and did a little internet research to "borrow" more ideas.


Here's the finished productEverything is edible with the exception of the hot glue holding the windows in place (which are crushed and then melted life savers).




Hershey bar benches with burnt pretzels in a fire pit (the burnt pretzels were one of Rob's ideas/contributions)So fun to do! If we're ever in Utah around Christmas again, I'll probably think about doing one for The Festival of Trees.

A few days before turned 10 months Rob finally let me give Guy a haircut. In my opinion, he's needed one for a while--at least his bangs.

Here's a before shot:He did okay for a little bit, but then the clippers started scaring him, I thinkGive him food and everything is always fine.And an "after" shot - that night while we were at The Festival of Trees
Suddenly I find his forehead looking a little long. He was born with more hair than that. And honestly, it might be a long time before it's that short again - I like it a little longer - though I did use the longest clipper attachment.