Today is a perfect day. The weather is beautiful - sunny, 75 degrees, breezy. I opened all of the windows and the fans are going, so it feels nice and airy and fresh inside. I also made some Banana Craisin mini muffins that just popped out of the oven a few minutes ago, so the house smells great, too (now I just need to stop popping them into my mouth!)
I washed our sheets and remade the bed, vacuumed and washed all of the window blinds, dusted the whole house, vacuumed the couches and floors (I even lifted the cushions!), swept and mopped the kitchen/dining room floors, did the dishes, etc. It feels so good to have a CLEAN home. And I wouldn't mind if the weather stayed like this 300 days a year (I need at least 65 days of snow and crispy fall weather with beautiful leaves).
I enjoyed General Conference this past weekend. I look forward to reading the messages again next month in the Ensign. I love President Monson - I feel like he is 'my' prophet. I also felt President Hinckley was 'my' prophet, or perhaps my love for the prophet and for church leadership grows the older I get. I appreciate all of their messages of love for us and their good words to make me want to be better. In the past I would feel guilty and didn't feel like I was measuring up to others, but this time around, I just feel motivated to do better.
I have started indexing again, and I realized that I really missed it! I think I quit because there were no projects that really interested me, or truthfully, were too hard to read/I was too lazy to put a lot of effort into reading the tough handwriting. Luckily, I have been working on some that are more legible.
I have a nephew and 3 cousins on missions, and another 2 cousins with their mission calls, just waiting for their time to leave. I am so proud of their decisions to become missionaries! I have had the opportunity to visit families in our ward with our missionaries, and I enjoy meeting the kids and inviting them to Primary and other church events. But I get easily frustrated when promises are broken, and they don't show up to church. In General Conference, Elder Ballard said we need to not only invite others, but follow up with them too. So my goal is to not get too bothered when it happens, but to still show love and keep visiting and inviting.
The other day, Jon and I were discussing things we would like to do in our lives. We were both feeling a bit down, because they seemed unattainable (or at least wouldn't happen for a long time). So we put together a list of things we HAVE done - we now each have 5 or 6 pages worth of activities we took part of or things we accomplished! After writing it all down, we both felt so blessed, and our attitudes totally turned around. We realized we both have done a lot, and had more opportunities than many others have ever had. Some are more significant than others, but are still important. Here are just a few we listed:
Molly:
- visited many church sites (New York, Kirtland, Manti, SLC, Vermont) and enjoyed the pageants
- been on an airplane
- participated in a Pioneer Trek
- been to Hawaii, Japan, Las Vegas, and Quebec City
- been to pro baseball and basketball games
- took horseback riding lessons
- shot guns, tried archery
- hiked the Y
- learned the play the piano
- participated in our high school play/chorus
- swam in the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico
- had a makeover at Sephora
- driven 4-wheelers and tractors
- had a massage/manicure/pedicure
- have a portrait painted of me
- driven cross-country
- won the "Catapult Contest" with my teammate for Latin class (thanks, Dad!)
- won a chili cook-off at church
- saw Cirque du Soleil
- rode on the back of a motorcycle
- been to many museums and went on historical tours
- explored the Carlsbad Caves in NM
- saw a Broadway play in NYC
- was given a surprise birthday party
- had some dinners growing up where everything we ate was from the garden (I always hated weeding it, but I appreciate it now...)
- played the organ at the Provo Tabernacle
Jon:
- served a mission in Portugal for 2 years
- went on a cruise to Mexico
- went skydiving twice
- visited Niagara Falls
- flew over the Grand Canyon
- explored Washington DC and NYC
- visited Yellowstone National Park
- received his Eagle Scout award
- hiked Mount Timpanogos
- been to NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL games
- went white water rafting
- gone waterskiing, tubing, boating
- visited Kitty Hawk
- had Lasik eye surgery
- been to a rodeo and a demolition derby
- toured the Alamo and the San Antonio Missions
- visited the Biltmore Estate in NC
- been to many aquariums and zoos
- got his Associate and Bachelor degrees
- got married to a beautiful woman (his words!)
And the lists just go on! I am amazed that I have been able to do so much in 26 years, and I feel blessed that I had so many opportunities. Whenever I feel jealous or poor or feel like I have wasted my life, it's nice to look back at my list and remember all of the things I have been able to do and have enjoyed!
I have been trying to grow some plants inside the apartments. I started with basil, but I accidentally overwatered it and it got moldy. So I started over - I now have new basil growing, along with cilantro, strawberries, and miniature sunflowers. The sunflowers grew really fast, but I read online that the strawberries take quite a while. I finally saw two little leaves sticking up from the dirt today, so hopefully I'm doing something right. I can't wait to have my own yard and my own outdoor garden. I did learn that there are dwarf blueberry plants that can grow in pots - that may be my next 'green thumb' project!
Jon is a lot better at documenting our lives - I need to take more pictures and videos. I am grateful he takes the time to take out his phone and snap pictures and record activities, especially when we are visiting family. I love watching the videos of all of our sweet nephews and nieces. They are the best kids in the world and I love them all SO much. They all just need to stop getting older :)
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Monday, December 16, 2013
Christmas Ornaments
One of my favorite parts about decorating for Christmas is the ornaments.
Growing up, we always put our tree in front of the front window, so you could see it from the street. Although I now live in a small apartment, I still make sure to rearrange furniture so you can see the lit tree from the road.
When I was younger, I spent a great deal of time looking at the ornaments on the tree. I would turn off all of the lights in the living room (well, the one or two lamps we were allowed to have on - saving electricity was important, and I remember coming downstairs to dinner numerous times, only to have my dad send me back upstairs to make sure the lights were all off). There would only be the glow from the white tree lights, and I would stand, sit, and lie by the tree looking at the ornaments.
I remember the homemade cinnamon ornaments, cut out into shape of stars, with red ribbons tied through a hole on the top. I am 99% sure my mom still has those - they must last forever, because we used the same ones every year for as long as I can remember!
We had ornaments that went along with The Forgotten Carols, by Michael McLean. There was a wooden cradle, a bow, a star, and many other items that went along with the different songs.
I loved the two small wooden marionettes we had, a boy and girl, whose strings we would pull and their arms and legs would move.
I loved our simple, plain tin star on the top of the tree. I am still looking for a star that I love - I am a bit picky. I like the old fashioned looking stars, and keep my eye out when the stores start putting out their Christmas decorations. I haven't found it yet, but I know the perfect one is out there!
My mom made MANY fabric pine cones. I remember helping push the little needles into the Styrofoam eggs to keep the little pieces of fabric in place. My fingertips would start to hurt after a while, but I remember looking at all of the different Christmas prints and choosing what color ribbon to hang them with on the tree - usually white, red, green, or a grayish (cornflower?) blue.
I especially love the heavy pewter ornaments. My grandparents buy my parents an ornament every year, and it's always a nice pewter one. I love them!
I remember we had a delicate golden ornament of the Provo Temple, where mom and dad got married.
I had my 'Baby's First Christmas' ornament. It looks like a little rocking horse crib. Next time I am home I think I will need to raid the Christmas decorations and 'borrow' a few, and get my baby one! :) I always loved looking at that one, and it made me feel special to have my own ornament.
Of course, there were the homemade ornaments we kids made - mostly made out of paper or craft sticks. Hannah or Emma had their school picture on a paper snowflake, and I know SOMETHING was made out of yarn...
We also had a Santa Claus made from quilt batting material. (Or some kind of white stuffing). I think every year he got smaller and smaller, because I would find pieces of him on the floor, and little tufts of him in the Christmas décor container. I think the mice in the barn may have finished him off a few years back.
I have slowly accumulated my own ornaments over the last 6 years, and my tree is a bit of old and new. I love golds, reds, silvers, and darker greens. I have silver jingle bells, red and white striped candy canes, some pewter ones, homemade paper ornaments, some 'diamonds' for more twinkle, a few that Jon's mom gave me, which belonged to her sister who passed away (they are some of my favorites), and lots of different sizes of balls - some plain, some shiny, some with glitter, some with words like 'Merry Christmas', etc.
I always put up white lights still (NOT the LED ones) - I think because it's tradition, and I like the simplicity and the 'clean' look of all white lights. When Jon and I drive around to look at lights, he knows I don't like when houses are covered in random colors and designs, some blinking/not blinking, etc. I guess I just like a nice uniformed, balanced look!
Christmas is my favorite holiday/season. I love pretty much everything about it - being with family, celebrating the birth of Christ, the cold weather, the pretty lights and decorations, the traditions, the carols and hymns we sing, counting blessings, and the overall feeling of 'good will toward men'.
I also love to see kids' faces when they talk about Santa Claus or see him. Our ward party was Saturday night, and I got to be Santa's helper and tell him the names of the children when they approached him. All of their eyes would light up when they came around the corner and saw him sitting there in the foyer!
We leave for Utah on Thursday, and I am so excited to see Jon's family and spend Christmas with them! I am grateful we get along so well and couldn't ask to be part of a better, loving family. I will miss my family, but I am grateful I have 3 (soon to be 4) nieces and nephews who are only 3 hours away!
Growing up, we always put our tree in front of the front window, so you could see it from the street. Although I now live in a small apartment, I still make sure to rearrange furniture so you can see the lit tree from the road.
When I was younger, I spent a great deal of time looking at the ornaments on the tree. I would turn off all of the lights in the living room (well, the one or two lamps we were allowed to have on - saving electricity was important, and I remember coming downstairs to dinner numerous times, only to have my dad send me back upstairs to make sure the lights were all off). There would only be the glow from the white tree lights, and I would stand, sit, and lie by the tree looking at the ornaments.
I remember the homemade cinnamon ornaments, cut out into shape of stars, with red ribbons tied through a hole on the top. I am 99% sure my mom still has those - they must last forever, because we used the same ones every year for as long as I can remember!
We had ornaments that went along with The Forgotten Carols, by Michael McLean. There was a wooden cradle, a bow, a star, and many other items that went along with the different songs.
I loved the two small wooden marionettes we had, a boy and girl, whose strings we would pull and their arms and legs would move.
I loved our simple, plain tin star on the top of the tree. I am still looking for a star that I love - I am a bit picky. I like the old fashioned looking stars, and keep my eye out when the stores start putting out their Christmas decorations. I haven't found it yet, but I know the perfect one is out there!
My mom made MANY fabric pine cones. I remember helping push the little needles into the Styrofoam eggs to keep the little pieces of fabric in place. My fingertips would start to hurt after a while, but I remember looking at all of the different Christmas prints and choosing what color ribbon to hang them with on the tree - usually white, red, green, or a grayish (cornflower?) blue.
I especially love the heavy pewter ornaments. My grandparents buy my parents an ornament every year, and it's always a nice pewter one. I love them!
I remember we had a delicate golden ornament of the Provo Temple, where mom and dad got married.
I had my 'Baby's First Christmas' ornament. It looks like a little rocking horse crib. Next time I am home I think I will need to raid the Christmas decorations and 'borrow' a few, and get my baby one! :) I always loved looking at that one, and it made me feel special to have my own ornament.
Of course, there were the homemade ornaments we kids made - mostly made out of paper or craft sticks. Hannah or Emma had their school picture on a paper snowflake, and I know SOMETHING was made out of yarn...
We also had a Santa Claus made from quilt batting material. (Or some kind of white stuffing). I think every year he got smaller and smaller, because I would find pieces of him on the floor, and little tufts of him in the Christmas décor container. I think the mice in the barn may have finished him off a few years back.
I have slowly accumulated my own ornaments over the last 6 years, and my tree is a bit of old and new. I love golds, reds, silvers, and darker greens. I have silver jingle bells, red and white striped candy canes, some pewter ones, homemade paper ornaments, some 'diamonds' for more twinkle, a few that Jon's mom gave me, which belonged to her sister who passed away (they are some of my favorites), and lots of different sizes of balls - some plain, some shiny, some with glitter, some with words like 'Merry Christmas', etc.
I always put up white lights still (NOT the LED ones) - I think because it's tradition, and I like the simplicity and the 'clean' look of all white lights. When Jon and I drive around to look at lights, he knows I don't like when houses are covered in random colors and designs, some blinking/not blinking, etc. I guess I just like a nice uniformed, balanced look!
Christmas is my favorite holiday/season. I love pretty much everything about it - being with family, celebrating the birth of Christ, the cold weather, the pretty lights and decorations, the traditions, the carols and hymns we sing, counting blessings, and the overall feeling of 'good will toward men'.
I also love to see kids' faces when they talk about Santa Claus or see him. Our ward party was Saturday night, and I got to be Santa's helper and tell him the names of the children when they approached him. All of their eyes would light up when they came around the corner and saw him sitting there in the foyer!
We leave for Utah on Thursday, and I am so excited to see Jon's family and spend Christmas with them! I am grateful we get along so well and couldn't ask to be part of a better, loving family. I will miss my family, but I am grateful I have 3 (soon to be 4) nieces and nephews who are only 3 hours away!
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
100 Things
Today I made my Bucket List. One hundred things to learn, to do, to go - I am sure the list will grow with time. I have done a couple of these, but there are many more to go!
100 Things:
1. Fall in love and get married
2. Buy a house
3. Be debt-free
4. Travel all around Italy
5. Have a job I enjoy
6. Be in my best shape at least once
in my life
7. Learn to play a challenging song
on piano
8. Be able to do a hand stand
9. Go on a safari in Africa
10. Have a wardrobe I love
11. Have a baby
12. Write a children’s book
13. Index 500,000 names
14. Have a vegetable garden and a flower garden
15. Go to Portugal
16. Sleep in a haunted house
17. Go to Prince Edward Island –
visit places from Anne of Green Gables
18. Learn how to dance (tango,
salsa, etc.)
19. Take a cooking class
20. Road trip along Route 66
21. Learn to write calligraphy
22. Ride a camel or elephant
23. Ride in a gondola
24. Eat at an undersea restaurant
25. Learn a foreign language
26. See a Broadway play in NYC
27. Ride in a limousine
28. Make a difference in someone’s
life
29. Hike the Appalachian Trail
30. Visit Gettysburg
31. Visit all the church sites (SLC,
Palmyra, Vermont, Ohio, Missouri)
32. Visit Washington DC
33. Learn 100 basic ASL signs
34. Go on a Pioneer Trek
35. Go to an opera
36. Go on a treasure hunt
37. Ride on a passenger train
38. Visit Williamsburg, VA
39. Learn to make pottery
40. Make a quilt
41. Have a small library of favorite books
42. Go one year with no TV/movies
43. Read all of the winning fiction books
of the Pulitzer Prize
44. Become an early riser
45. Learn how to write better thank
you notes
46. Write more letters
47. Create/fill in my family tree
48. Have a dog and cat
49. Have a big canopy bed
50. Have a home with a big porch
51. Learn how to give a good massage
52. Attend a Cirque du Soleil show
53. Go to a fondue restaurant
54. Have a huge 4th of
July party
55. Make my own pasta
56. Become a grandma
57. Go full vegan for a month
58. Visit a ghost town
59. Go to 50 different temples
60. Make a wish at the Trevi
fountain in Rome
61. Attach a lock on a love bridge
62. Visit Greece
63. Make Christmas boxes for the
missionaries
64. Create holiday/birthday traditions
65. Go apple picking
66. Go on a cruise
67. Become an‘urban explorer’
68. Let go of a floating lantern
69. Make fancy caramel apples
70. Visit Norway
71. Travel to Ireland
72. Tour a castle
73. Spend the day at a luxury spa
74. Write my memoir
75. Go to a George Strait concert
76. Learn more about the lives of my
ancestors
77. Have my own star
78. Visit a chocolate factory
79. Make homemade gifts more often
80. Organize every room in the house
81. Have everything prepared for food storage
and emergencies
82. Buy my favorite painting of
Christ
83. Make my house a loving, peaceful,
comfortable home
84. Be a peacemaker
85. Create/put together a cookbook
of all my favorite recipes
86. Get to know my neighbors
wherever I go
87. Climb to the top of a lighthouse and watch the sunrise/sunset
88. Watch the top ten movies of all
time (need to look these up!)
89. Buy a painting by James
Christensen
90. Learn to decorate a pretty
cake/cupcakes
91. Learn different ways to do my
hair and makeup
92. Go for a long bicycle ride/picnic
in the country
93. Go to Hawaii
94. Have a hammock under a tree
95. Help a friend decorate/plan
their wedding
96. Buy a nice camera
97. Go zip lining
98. Go on a rain forest canopy walk
99. Create a realistic budget and
stick to it
100.
Learn
how to administer first aid confidently
Friday, October 11, 2013
My Favorite Things
Tonight Jon is at a Boy Scout camp out for church, so I decided to have my own 'spa night' at home. I took a nice long bubble bath, did a clay facial, and gave myself a manicure. I was also listening to Christmas music by the Cambridge Singers (which makes me feel quite homesick, but is probably one of my favorite Christmas albums - along with Andy Williams. When I was growing up I put a little fake Christmas tree in my room every December, pinned up twinkle lights all around my bedroom walls, and replayed the Andy Williams Christmas CD over and over and over again. I loved it!) So I started to think of all of my favorite things, and here are some of my lists (and in no particular order, I don't think I have a TOP favorite of anything, it's too hard to choose):
Favorite Movies:
- It's a Wonderful Life
- White Christmas
- Life is Beautiful
- Gone with the Wind
- State Fair
- Mary Poppins
- Leap Year
- Persuasion
- North and South
- Indiana Jones series
- Anne of Green Gables/Avonlea
- Pride and Prejudice
- Return to Me
- Jane Eyre (2006)
- An Affair to Remember
- Letters to Juliet
- The Sound of Music
- Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
Growing up, we girls would reenact the dances and songs from this movie - and still quote it sometimes:
Adam: Smells good enough to eat.
Milly: Tastes good too, so they tell me.
Adam: Got any ketchup handy?
Milly: My stew can stand on its own feet.
Haha, those lines have been said to each other at least 100 times. Mostly around dinner time...
Favorite Books:
- The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
- Fifteen (Beverly Cleary)
- The Unbroken (Laura Hillenbrand - I read that a movie based on this book is coming out next year. I can't imagine how it will do it justice, by I am still looking forward to seeing it!)
- A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
- Harry Potter series (JK Rowling)
- the Narnia series (CS Lewis - mom read these to us growing up)
- The Hobbit (JRR Tolkien)
- The Work and the Glory series (Gerald Lund)
- Heckedy Peg (children's book by Audrey Wood)
- various church/relationship books
Favorite Colors:
- grey
- blues
- black
- light yellow
- creams and whites
Favorite Music:
- The Cambridge Singers
- Harry Connick Jr.
- Taylor Swift
- Adele
- Nina Simone (I love how low she sings - and since I have a low voice, I can sing along with her most of the time! When I first heard her, I couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman!)
- George Strait
- Sting
- Diana Krall
- Mormon Tabernacle Choir
- Maroon 5
- Frank Sinatra
- Madeleine Peyroux
- Il Divo (especially at Christmas)
- Coldplay
- the ladies, like Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston
- Katherine Jenkins
- Marty Robbins
- soundtracks from Evita, Nashville, Dear John, Pride and Prejudice (2005 movie soundtrack), Phantom of the Opera, etc.
Favorite Quotes:
"Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith." (President Uchtdorf)
"She understood who she was and whose she was." (Elaine S Dalton)
"There should be no yelling in the home unless there is a fire." (President McKay)
"I am still determined to be cheerful and to be happy in whatever situation I may be, for I have also learnt from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions and not upon our circumstances." (Martha Washington)
"There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island." (Walt Disney)
"The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea." (Karen von Blixen Finecke)
"If you live to be 100, I hope to live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you." (Winnie the Pooh)
"The greatest thing a father can do for his daughter is to love her mother." (Elaine S Dalton)
"He's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same." (Emily Bronte)
Seasons/Holidays:
- every crisp, cool fall day
- Christmas
- 4th of July
- Valentine's Day
Favorite Foods/Desserts/Drinks:
- mom's homemade bread and rhubarb jam
- Chicken Bryan from Carrabbas
- Mint Pomegranate Lemonade (also from Carrabbas)
- No Bake cookies
- popcorn
- Honeycrisp apples
- oranges/clementines
- saltwater taffy (from Goldenrod in Maine)
- stuffed shells
- sweet and sour chicken
- zucchini and squash
- soup (lots of different kinds...)
- pasta dishes
- watermelon
- fresh peas from the garden
- bruschetta
- fruit crisps and pies (with vanilla ice cream, of course)
Animals:
- elephants
- giraffes
- zebras
- tigers
- Otis and Bo
Favorite Things to Do:
- playing games (word games, board games, dominoes, etc)
- cooking/baking
- going for walks
- going for long drives and seeing new places
- playing piano
- reading
- being with family and friends
- going to museums/concerts
- pinning on Pinterest
- 'spa' nights at home
- Indexing on familysearch.org
Favorite Places to Go (Someday):
- Portugal (Jon has always wanted to visit since his mission, so that would be fun to do together)
- Italy (all over!)
- Norway
- Prince Edward Island
- on a safari in Africa
Favorite Flowers/Trees:
- small white daisies (I always like when they are wrapped in brown paper - I think it's so romantic...)
- peonies
- sunflowers
- lilacs
- hydrangeas
- dahlias
- Weeping Willows
- Birch trees
- Maple trees
- Christmas trees :)
- Cherry blossoms
I realized while typing this that I have SO many favorite things, and I know I am missing many, also. I am so blessed!
Favorite Movies:
- It's a Wonderful Life
- White Christmas
- Life is Beautiful
- Gone with the Wind
- State Fair
- Mary Poppins
- Leap Year
- Persuasion
- North and South
- Indiana Jones series
- Anne of Green Gables/Avonlea
- Pride and Prejudice
- Return to Me
- Jane Eyre (2006)
- An Affair to Remember
- Letters to Juliet
- The Sound of Music
- Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
Growing up, we girls would reenact the dances and songs from this movie - and still quote it sometimes:
Adam: Smells good enough to eat.
Milly: Tastes good too, so they tell me.
Adam: Got any ketchup handy?
Milly: My stew can stand on its own feet.
Haha, those lines have been said to each other at least 100 times. Mostly around dinner time...
Favorite Books:
- The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
- Fifteen (Beverly Cleary)
- The Unbroken (Laura Hillenbrand - I read that a movie based on this book is coming out next year. I can't imagine how it will do it justice, by I am still looking forward to seeing it!)
- A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
- Harry Potter series (JK Rowling)
- the Narnia series (CS Lewis - mom read these to us growing up)
- The Hobbit (JRR Tolkien)
- The Work and the Glory series (Gerald Lund)
- Heckedy Peg (children's book by Audrey Wood)
- various church/relationship books
Favorite Colors:
- grey
- blues
- black
- light yellow
- creams and whites
Favorite Music:
- The Cambridge Singers
- Harry Connick Jr.
- Taylor Swift
- Adele
- Nina Simone (I love how low she sings - and since I have a low voice, I can sing along with her most of the time! When I first heard her, I couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman!)
- George Strait
- Sting
- Diana Krall
- Mormon Tabernacle Choir
- Maroon 5
- Frank Sinatra
- Madeleine Peyroux
- Il Divo (especially at Christmas)
- Coldplay
- the ladies, like Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston
- Katherine Jenkins
- Marty Robbins
- soundtracks from Evita, Nashville, Dear John, Pride and Prejudice (2005 movie soundtrack), Phantom of the Opera, etc.
Favorite Quotes:
"Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith." (President Uchtdorf)
"She understood who she was and whose she was." (Elaine S Dalton)
"There should be no yelling in the home unless there is a fire." (President McKay)
"I am still determined to be cheerful and to be happy in whatever situation I may be, for I have also learnt from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions and not upon our circumstances." (Martha Washington)
"There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island." (Walt Disney)
"The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea." (Karen von Blixen Finecke)
"If you live to be 100, I hope to live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you." (Winnie the Pooh)
"The greatest thing a father can do for his daughter is to love her mother." (Elaine S Dalton)
"He's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same." (Emily Bronte)
Seasons/Holidays:
- every crisp, cool fall day
- Christmas
- 4th of July
- Valentine's Day
Favorite Foods/Desserts/Drinks:
- mom's homemade bread and rhubarb jam
- Chicken Bryan from Carrabbas
- Mint Pomegranate Lemonade (also from Carrabbas)
- No Bake cookies
- popcorn
- Honeycrisp apples
- oranges/clementines
- saltwater taffy (from Goldenrod in Maine)
- stuffed shells
- sweet and sour chicken
- zucchini and squash
- soup (lots of different kinds...)
- pasta dishes
- watermelon
- fresh peas from the garden
- bruschetta
- fruit crisps and pies (with vanilla ice cream, of course)
Animals:
- elephants
- giraffes
- zebras
- tigers
- Otis and Bo
Favorite Things to Do:
- playing games (word games, board games, dominoes, etc)
- cooking/baking
- going for walks
- going for long drives and seeing new places
- playing piano
- reading
- being with family and friends
- going to museums/concerts
- pinning on Pinterest
- 'spa' nights at home
- Indexing on familysearch.org
Favorite Places to Go (Someday):
- Portugal (Jon has always wanted to visit since his mission, so that would be fun to do together)
- Italy (all over!)
- Norway
- Prince Edward Island
- on a safari in Africa
Favorite Flowers/Trees:
- small white daisies (I always like when they are wrapped in brown paper - I think it's so romantic...)
- peonies
- sunflowers
- lilacs
- hydrangeas
- dahlias
- Weeping Willows
- Birch trees
- Maple trees
- Christmas trees :)
- Cherry blossoms
I realized while typing this that I have SO many favorite things, and I know I am missing many, also. I am so blessed!
Friday, August 23, 2013
Dream a Little Dream of Me
This may be a bit of a sappy post, but I met Jon for the first time 3 years ago today, and I feel that today deserves a special post about LOVE.
I love Jon with my whole heart, and I am very grateful and I thank my lucky stars that I have him in my life. Jon possesses so many good qualities that I always wanted in a husband.
He is a hard worker and does his very best to make me happy. He is always willing to go with me to the store, the library, or to run random errands. If I need copies for Primary he takes me to the church in the middle of the week so I can use the library. He readily obliges me whenever I want to go for drive and explore new places, even on a whim.
One of my favorite qualities of his is that he is always excited to see me. It doesn't matter if we have been apart only a few hours or a week, he greets me with a big kiss and a hug. Whenever I walk in the door after being out, he will stop whatever he is doing and 'run' over to me and give me a kiss. Every morning when we wake up he leans over and gives me a big hug and says good morning. He is the most complimentary person I know. I don't have the highest self esteem, but he makes sure to constantly tell me how beautiful I am every day, and usually multiple times. He compliments everyone around him, too. I love that so much about him.
He helps me out in the kitchen, and doesn't mind doing the dishes at all. He is eager to please me and and to make me happy. Jon is so easy to talk to, and he listens to me when I am happy or sad, angry or complaining, or if I am just rambling along about nothing important. He supports me and all of my off-the-wall ideas. He will let me watch/finish a show on HGTV, even when there is a sports game on that I know he would much rather watch. And he does all of this without complaining.
I am pretty sure Jon hates spiders just as much as I do, but he still kills all of them for me. That is definitely true love...
I am grateful Jon is not stingy with money. We are on a budget, but I am so grateful that he doesn't mind going out and doing activities like mini golf or getting ice cream cones and going to a matinee. We have a lot of fun together, whatever we do, whether staying home and playing board games and having popcorn, or going to a museum and just walking around downtown.
Jon makes me laugh, and can usually always succeed in making me smile, even when I am feeling down.
Jon reads his scriptures/Ensign every morning, and writes in his journal at least a couple of times a week. He is a good example to me, and makes me want to be a better journal writer.
He is outgoing and is good at sports. I think we balance each other well - his love of sports and being outdoors, and I love the arts and am more of an introvert.
I know Jon will be a wonderful dad by the way he treats all of his nieces and nephews. He loves playing with the kids and misses them all so much. He is a great uncle and I know they all love him, too. I can't wait to have our own family someday.
Jon doesn't lie ever. He CAN'T lie. I think it is impossible for him, even if it's a little white lie. I love that about him. Sometimes I tease him about it, but it is a perfect quality to have. Sometimes he will try to lie to me about something small, and he can't help but smile a little bit and then he just loses it and starts laughing!
Jon tries his hardest at everything he does - especially with work and church. Although I know his job and his church calling can be tough a lot of times, he still fulfills all of his duties to the best of his ability. He can be too hard on himself and think he's not doing enough, but I know he does the best he can and he does a great job.
I am so grateful that I was working at Provo College that day when Jon walked in. I am grateful he took a chance on me and came back the next day and asked me out. (Our first date was 3 years ago tomorrow - to Jamba Juice! We may need to recreate that tomorrow...)
We have known each other for three years now; only eternity to go! I can't wait to spend it with my best friend.
I love Jon with my whole heart, and I am very grateful and I thank my lucky stars that I have him in my life. Jon possesses so many good qualities that I always wanted in a husband.
He is a hard worker and does his very best to make me happy. He is always willing to go with me to the store, the library, or to run random errands. If I need copies for Primary he takes me to the church in the middle of the week so I can use the library. He readily obliges me whenever I want to go for drive and explore new places, even on a whim.
One of my favorite qualities of his is that he is always excited to see me. It doesn't matter if we have been apart only a few hours or a week, he greets me with a big kiss and a hug. Whenever I walk in the door after being out, he will stop whatever he is doing and 'run' over to me and give me a kiss. Every morning when we wake up he leans over and gives me a big hug and says good morning. He is the most complimentary person I know. I don't have the highest self esteem, but he makes sure to constantly tell me how beautiful I am every day, and usually multiple times. He compliments everyone around him, too. I love that so much about him.
He helps me out in the kitchen, and doesn't mind doing the dishes at all. He is eager to please me and and to make me happy. Jon is so easy to talk to, and he listens to me when I am happy or sad, angry or complaining, or if I am just rambling along about nothing important. He supports me and all of my off-the-wall ideas. He will let me watch/finish a show on HGTV, even when there is a sports game on that I know he would much rather watch. And he does all of this without complaining.
I am pretty sure Jon hates spiders just as much as I do, but he still kills all of them for me. That is definitely true love...
I am grateful Jon is not stingy with money. We are on a budget, but I am so grateful that he doesn't mind going out and doing activities like mini golf or getting ice cream cones and going to a matinee. We have a lot of fun together, whatever we do, whether staying home and playing board games and having popcorn, or going to a museum and just walking around downtown.
Jon makes me laugh, and can usually always succeed in making me smile, even when I am feeling down.
Jon reads his scriptures/Ensign every morning, and writes in his journal at least a couple of times a week. He is a good example to me, and makes me want to be a better journal writer.
He is outgoing and is good at sports. I think we balance each other well - his love of sports and being outdoors, and I love the arts and am more of an introvert.
I know Jon will be a wonderful dad by the way he treats all of his nieces and nephews. He loves playing with the kids and misses them all so much. He is a great uncle and I know they all love him, too. I can't wait to have our own family someday.
Jon doesn't lie ever. He CAN'T lie. I think it is impossible for him, even if it's a little white lie. I love that about him. Sometimes I tease him about it, but it is a perfect quality to have. Sometimes he will try to lie to me about something small, and he can't help but smile a little bit and then he just loses it and starts laughing!
Jon tries his hardest at everything he does - especially with work and church. Although I know his job and his church calling can be tough a lot of times, he still fulfills all of his duties to the best of his ability. He can be too hard on himself and think he's not doing enough, but I know he does the best he can and he does a great job.
I am so grateful that I was working at Provo College that day when Jon walked in. I am grateful he took a chance on me and came back the next day and asked me out. (Our first date was 3 years ago tomorrow - to Jamba Juice! We may need to recreate that tomorrow...)
We have known each other for three years now; only eternity to go! I can't wait to spend it with my best friend.
Hungry for Change
Jon and I cancelled our monthly Netflix account a few weeks ago, so we're trying to watch as many movies/shows that interest us we can before the end of the month. Last week, I watched the following:
Obviously, there is a theme here. After watching these five documentaries, I feel like I really need/needed a change in my eating and the way I look at food. I should probably back up a little. A few weeks ago, I created a Word document that has 5 columns per page. Each column reads: Day 1: Day 2: Day 3:, etc, all the way up to Day 365:. I have been tracking my weight every morning now for the past 17 days, and I have 2 clear glasses on the shelf above the scale - one empty glass, and one overflowing with 100 marbles. With each pound I lose, I add a marble to the empty glass. So far I have been able to move 5 marbles over to the that glass. I hope to lose 100 pounds in one year, but I would be happy to stay on track and lose 10 pounds per month. (I would be happy to lose ANY amount of pounds...) Five pounds doesn't mean much to me, because I have been 'up and down' within those same five pounds for the past two years...So I am not getting too excited about the five marbles, yet.
Anyway, I told Jon all about the shows I watched, what I want to change in my/our diet (since I do the cooking). He seems on board, but only time will really tell how we both do. I have messed up and 'started over' so many times that I don't want to psych myself out or get overexcited.
I think some of the biggest 'wake-up' calls I had watching the shows were these:
- those poor animals. Watching 'Vegucated' really woke me up and it showed how a lot of animals - chickens, cows, and pigs mostly - are raised and treated before slaughter. I am now totally turned off towards meat and dairy products. I haven't had any milk or eggs or meat for a week now. Although for some reason, I don't feel too bad eating a little cheese. My thinking is flawed, I know.
- I only know what two ingredients are on a diet soda's nutrition label, and I don't recognize a lot of ingredients on MANY labels
- I don't eat nearly enough vegetables or fruits or grains
- Sugar is pretty much in everything, and A LOT more than I thought
- You can reverse a lot of your bodily ailments/diseases when you adopt a healthy diet
So Jon and I went to the grocery store and loaded up on healthy foods - zucchini, squash, tomatoes, black beans, chickpeas, lentils, apples, salad greens, peaches, grapes, peppers, blueberries, almonds, pistachios, sunflower seeds, onions, oats, etc. A lot of GOOD stuff.
I've grown up eating animals, and I like chicken and beef and steak and eggs and pork and bacon and ham and yogurt, etc. But I feel so willing to give the whole idea of grains/veggies/fruits a try! I feel like I just had an awakening or something.
I am so grateful for Pinterest, where I can find HUNDREDS of excellent recipes and ideas. I still 'pin' desserts, though. They just look so darn good! I don't think I will/can limit sweets, but I will be more aware of what I am eating and how much.
I found a website called budgetbytes.com that has a lot of good, inexpensive recipes I can use. I made this Honey Sunflower Bread yesterday from that website:
I am doing my best to also recognize when I am hungry/full. That is one of my biggest challenges. I just like to eat! And when Jon eats, even if I am not hungry, I will still eat more with him. So I need to be careful with that...
Hippocrates said "Let thy food be they medicine and they medicine be thy food." It is amazing how many people were able to stop taking a lot of their medicine and pills after changing their diets. I know that not everyone can quit taking pills, but a lot of health problems can be reversed. It's just amazing to me!
Anyway, wish me luck!
Vegucated
.jpg)
Forks Over Knives
Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead
.jpg)
Hungry for Change
Food Matters
Obviously, there is a theme here. After watching these five documentaries, I feel like I really need/needed a change in my eating and the way I look at food. I should probably back up a little. A few weeks ago, I created a Word document that has 5 columns per page. Each column reads: Day 1: Day 2: Day 3:, etc, all the way up to Day 365:. I have been tracking my weight every morning now for the past 17 days, and I have 2 clear glasses on the shelf above the scale - one empty glass, and one overflowing with 100 marbles. With each pound I lose, I add a marble to the empty glass. So far I have been able to move 5 marbles over to the that glass. I hope to lose 100 pounds in one year, but I would be happy to stay on track and lose 10 pounds per month. (I would be happy to lose ANY amount of pounds...) Five pounds doesn't mean much to me, because I have been 'up and down' within those same five pounds for the past two years...So I am not getting too excited about the five marbles, yet.
Anyway, I told Jon all about the shows I watched, what I want to change in my/our diet (since I do the cooking). He seems on board, but only time will really tell how we both do. I have messed up and 'started over' so many times that I don't want to psych myself out or get overexcited.
I think some of the biggest 'wake-up' calls I had watching the shows were these:
- those poor animals. Watching 'Vegucated' really woke me up and it showed how a lot of animals - chickens, cows, and pigs mostly - are raised and treated before slaughter. I am now totally turned off towards meat and dairy products. I haven't had any milk or eggs or meat for a week now. Although for some reason, I don't feel too bad eating a little cheese. My thinking is flawed, I know.
- I only know what two ingredients are on a diet soda's nutrition label, and I don't recognize a lot of ingredients on MANY labels
- I don't eat nearly enough vegetables or fruits or grains
- Sugar is pretty much in everything, and A LOT more than I thought
- You can reverse a lot of your bodily ailments/diseases when you adopt a healthy diet
So Jon and I went to the grocery store and loaded up on healthy foods - zucchini, squash, tomatoes, black beans, chickpeas, lentils, apples, salad greens, peaches, grapes, peppers, blueberries, almonds, pistachios, sunflower seeds, onions, oats, etc. A lot of GOOD stuff.
I've grown up eating animals, and I like chicken and beef and steak and eggs and pork and bacon and ham and yogurt, etc. But I feel so willing to give the whole idea of grains/veggies/fruits a try! I feel like I just had an awakening or something.
I am so grateful for Pinterest, where I can find HUNDREDS of excellent recipes and ideas. I still 'pin' desserts, though. They just look so darn good! I don't think I will/can limit sweets, but I will be more aware of what I am eating and how much.
I found a website called budgetbytes.com that has a lot of good, inexpensive recipes I can use. I made this Honey Sunflower Bread yesterday from that website:
Instead of making grilled cheese, I have been making grilled
peanut butter and banana sandwiches.
Overnight steel cut outs with blueberries
This is my new favorite vegetable dish. It was so good!
I got it from the same website as the bread.
Salad with pecans, blueberries, peaches, feta, and some craisins.
I am doing my best to also recognize when I am hungry/full. That is one of my biggest challenges. I just like to eat! And when Jon eats, even if I am not hungry, I will still eat more with him. So I need to be careful with that...
Hippocrates said "Let thy food be they medicine and they medicine be thy food." It is amazing how many people were able to stop taking a lot of their medicine and pills after changing their diets. I know that not everyone can quit taking pills, but a lot of health problems can be reversed. It's just amazing to me!
Anyway, wish me luck!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
