Spring/Summer 2014 Bucket List

Sssummerrr!!!

I am READY for SPRING!!  

I have spring and summer fun on my brain. Last night Cade and I created a bucket list for our Spring and Summer. Most of it involves Aleah, but some things like Jump Creek, will be just Cade and I.

I'll add more to it, but so far this is what we have come up with....

 *Camping Trip

*Starlight Mountain Theater

*Roaring Springs

-Cade has NEVER been there, whaaat??

*Play Sand Volleyball

*And basketball at the park

*Jump Creek

-I've never been...

*Check out Lake Lowell

-Cade's never been..and it's been awhile for me. We're also close to it now.

*Go to the Zoo

*Feed the ducks

*Birds Of Prey

-We've both never been..

 

*Have a picnic with friends  

 *MK Nature Center

*Create a slip-n-slide...or just go down someone elses

*Start a garden

*Go to a Splash Pad

* Hit a few golf balls

*Go to the fair

*Rodeo

We also have plans to go to Utah this summer, but I made my list based off of mostly what was closest to us here in Idaho.

Pin-Win

Healthy winner-winner from Pinterest. White Bean and Kale Stew. I liked this. But, I have also been known to make some pretty boring soups, so this wasn't too different for me. Boring as in, I only really add in my pot: vegetables (whatever seem like a good mix), beans, water and whatever seasoning in my cupboard that look okay, kind-of-boring-soups.
I also liked this more without parmesan cheese the next day I ate it for leftovers. With the parmesan cheese the night before I was having texture issues. The kale?--couldn't taste it. And I also added kidney beans. It was good. I'll make this again. How does the hubby feel about it? ....He's a sport. He'll go along with anything I plan to make for dinner, even if he's secretly dying inside. :)

Figuring out the whole bloglovin thing.

I don't know what I am doing.
:)
Just ignore this.

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Part ONE

So...I like taking pictures. I could probably find a reason to take a picture (or two, three, four, ten......whatever..) in any moment. It's ridiculous. It is. I try to exercise control over this obsession....and I hold back on instagraming or facebooking every single one of them. ....But part of me really believes that you want to see Aleah in every outfit and hair-do too. You hate missing out on seeing who she has play-dates with. And I know you want to see her new art pieces she's worked hard on (scribbles, scribbles everywhere...my calendars, scriptures, couch, her books, my books, my sheets. When will I learn to put away all the pens in the house every morning before she wakes up?) 

Anyways. I was looking through my phone and realized, I have A LOT of pictures. And this is my attempt at organizing them a little bit. Collages. Now all those pictures that I didn't want to delete but didn't think I needed 20 of, have a place. And I won't feel bad for deleting them (or most of them) off of my phone. 

Here is PART ONE of my picture organizing.

(Not in any particular order).

Daddy and Aleah

Ryder's 1st birthday--Pic on the right "those birthday spankins are brutal." ;)

Pumpkin Patch

The cute Asay girls and Aleah--besties:)

One bunny--great! Two bunnies--HORRIFYING!

Fall activities with nieces and nephews (or a few of them).

It's a good life

Hi Christmas!

Cousins--Aleah and Kate

Dress up!

She's a daddy's girl.

I adopted a tree..to watch change in the seasons. Random and weird. But I can't wait for spring!;)

Ponytail. Silly stinker. I like her.

Gooood morning!

Huh. Walks use to be taken to bring sanity to this mama.

That's better. Play time at the park.

Snowsuits.

I am a terrible mom. I giggle, take a picture and then help her out of her little situations.

There is just not much cuter than a baby praying (or pretending to).

More to come....another day, maybe!

But this catches you up on the details of our life pretty well until then.

Am I Enough?

Some days are a little foggier than others. Today is kind of one of those days for me. I am always going to think it's just not fair to have to wake up to feelings of anxiety. How does anyone start the day off right in that condition?
All through the day I have a hard time with feeling forgotten, useless or not enough. All of the mistakes or silly things I said or did the last little while are re-playing in my head and it's bringing me down.
As I've been fighting through those feelings today--trying to fill my mind with other things as I try to stay busy by doing "all the right" things, like checking things off my "to-do" list; I had the thought that Heavenly Father loves me. And wanting a little more than that, like, problems solved, super hero strength, talents, confidence and feelings of importance.... I felt like that wasn't the "thing" that I was trying to fill my self-esteem up with. I fought it off with a thought that could come straight out of a child's mouth... "you have to say that...you're my father..." and "you love everyone". (It sounds worse typing it out than it did actually having this going on inside of me.)

But really, is anything more powerful? Does it really matter what the world thinks of me? Whether that be praise or hate? Does it matter what I can't do compared to what someone else can? Isn't the knowledge that I have a loving Heavenly Father and that I am important to him, more than enough to bring me back up and set me in the right direction? If it isn't, I am looking for recognition and importance in all the wrong places and for all the wrong reasons. If Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ were the only two to love me and think that I was special, that would be more than enough. I'm grateful for a little much needed reminder today of how loved I am.

The above picture is sitting next to me on my desk. It's on the cover of the Gospel Principles manual. It is a beautiful picture. I love the peace that comes from studying this picture. Is it a coincidence that this happens to be next to me right as I came to write this? I think not. "The women at the well".


A little bit after trying to down-play Heavenly Father's love for me... I began to wonder if I was really enough.... Then I remembered my role as a Mother. A couple months ago, I had the thought about how important service is--inside the home. And not much later I gave a talk in church about service and shared a little bit of the thoughts that I had had.
I am a stay-at-home mom. (It is a HUGE blessing that I can be, by the way, and I am grateful). But I don't get out a lot. It's hard to feel like I can make a huge and impressive mark in the world. Sharing the Gospel would even seem a little more difficult. Being out and apart of and building up the community. All difficult.

But. Then I remember my family. My daughter especially. She is here, right now and she is willing to learn. She is waiting for me to teach her. She is looking at me as her example. If I am looking to serve, teach, love and help someone, she is not someone to over-look. Heavenly Father trusted me to be her mother and to teach her what she needs to know on this earth and to help her through this life. Am I forgetting her or thinking that she isn't the "priority". She is. And I need to remember her more often. And remember that as a mother, I am blessed to be able to serve so powerfully. To Heavenly Father and my daughter, I am enough. I am very important. And I am very blessed.
Putting this all into perspective; Realizing my importance, knowing that I am loved and finding a great amount of power in my role as a mother, helps me to "go through the motions" with more purpose and happiness. I don't feel anymore, as if I am just being busy to fill an emptiness. My "to-do" list is a lot more enjoyable when there is love in my service and actions. Or purpose in my work. That work being --a mother & wife.

“As you create a home, don't get distracted with a lot of things that have no meaning for you or your family. Don't dwell on your failures, but think of your successes. Have joy in your home. Have joy in your children. Have joy in your husband. Be grateful for the journey.” 

― Marjorie Pay Hinckley

My Girl Power Reading List

I'm kind of big into a little thing called, "Girl Power". Whenever I have a problem, or questions come up, I'm feeling a little lost or confused, I just need help, insight, understanding & answers.... I first usually pray. And then I go to my bookshelf, gather a handful of books and then pile them on my bed. I jump into bed and then I start thumbing through the pages until something catches my attention. This is when I realized just how much I enjoy a little, "Girl Power".

I love a story that involves a strong woman.
-A woman who knows who she is
-Knows her worth
-Serves selflessly
-Takes her role as a wife and a mother seriously
-Has stood back up after pain & adversity once knocked her down.

I love a good message about the divinity of Womanhood. A message that speaks to my heart as a testimony is being shared of the love the Savior has for me. A message that puts a bright spot light on the powerful roles & missions I have as a woman that no man could ever.

Whenever I need help, I go to these books because I look up to these women. Women who have struggled, but overcome. Who had faith in hard times. Women who were loving, caring, faithful, selfless and strong.
I go to these books--written sometimes by men, who understand the importance of such a woman. They praise her & they love her.

This is my "Girl Power" Reading List (in no particular order):

Women Of The Book Of Mormon

 Beloved Emma

 Giver of Life Lessons From Eve

"Your Happily Ever After"--My favorite talk ever!

Glimpses Into The Life And Heart Of Marjorie Pay Hinckley

--Actually, a really great parenting book, in my opinion. ;)

Blessings On The Hand Of Women

Forget Me Not

Daughters in My Kingdom: The History And Work Of Relief Society

All of these can be found online at www.deseretbook.com 

And if you have any recommendations for me, I would love that. Send them my way!!




I do have two other books worth mentioning though that are always my go-to books but I wouldn't consider an obvious, "Girl Power" book. But they are both powerful books to me and in my life.
 

The first being The Book Of Mormon--I study from both the Bible and The Book Of Mormon. I learn from both at church. I teach from both at church. I learn and study both and have had answers from both in my personal study at home. But I haven't yet read from cover to cover the Bible. That would be a great thing to do though! 
The Book Of Mormon is often my cover-to-cover read over-and-over again book. Lately, I have been so blessed with help and answers through reading the BOM. I know it is a true book. I have been able to apply the things written inside so perfectly in my past and in my present circumstances and trials. When I fall out of the habit of reading this book I am reminded not much later why I should have not stopped reading. I'm blessed to have this book in my life.
 
& 


Two-- One of my favorite books is the 
Teachings Of Thomas S. Monson
My parents sent this to Cade and I a couple years ago for Christmas. At first I didn't know that I would love it as much as I do. I quickly learned how valuable this book is. It is a book I always go to now. It is so good and helpful. Almost anything you have wondered about, there is a quote from the Prophet here. So good.

Visiting Teaching

A few months back as Cade and I were getting ready for church, I started a conversation about the purpose of visiting teachers and home teachers with him. We know a certain "someone", we'll call her. Who is in the Relief Society Presidency in her ward. She does A LOT! She is so busy all of the time helping others in the ward. This is GREAT. Thank goodness for the Relief Society! But....I couldn't help but wonder sometimes, as she was about to leave the house to help a sister in her ward, where that person's visiting teacher was? Why were they not being helped by their visiting teacher? (And maybe there is a good excuse...maybe they did contact them, but that sister was busy.. Maybe that sister who should be there for this person, has never offered any help...Who knows...)

Thinking outloud, I told Cade how I thought it was important to be an in-tune and helpful visiting teacher. One that is going to do more than just stop by every month and cross it off her to-do list afterwards. (Oh...by the way, I never have been good at visiting teaching. So, no, I wasn't boasting myself up. This was an area that I knew I needed to be better at).

I also thought, it's really important to let our visiting teachers serve US. That is probably the hardest part of visiting teaching; it isn't serving those we visit, it's letting those who visit us, serve us. I'm the last person who wants to ask someone for help. And if I do need help, I want to just ask my family that is close by. (I have really great visiting teachers in this ward, who I can tell genuinely would help if I needed it...) I don't want to be a "burden" to anyone. But, we have visiting teachers for a reason, and they need to be put to work. They need to learn through serving others. Their families need to see their example of serving. It's a pretty neat part of our church if everyone does their part.

I have a good visiting teaching companion in this ward who has been in touch with me and good for me when I could actually find it easier to just not make phone calls and set up appointments. Last week I called a sister to make an appointment to visit with her. She was available that Saturday. So we scheduled it for then, but before I hung up she remembered she actually had something that day, so without asking about the next few days, I just skipped right to the next Saturday, the Saturday after Christmas. We scheduled it and that was that. Friday night I checked in to see if we could still come by and visit. And it was a no-go. She was sick. But, she did accept my offer to let me make her family dinner that night instead of visiting her that afternoon. And I gladly did the next day. I was glad that we had our appointment set for the next weekend also. I was glad we caught her and things were set for us to visit when she was in a position to accept help.
Making dinner was such a good thing for me to do. I don't know that I ever have made dinner for a family before. I think this was a first. It was kind of exciting.. But it felt good most of all to do some service instead of just checking a name off the list. And to also not have something like that left up to the Relief Society Presidency to handle when I could and should do more. Once again, I'm not trying to say, "Look at what I did"..but I'm sharing a little something that made my heart happy yesterday--Serving. And can't wait for another opportunity to help again. I'm so glad she let me help.

My companion ended up making dinner for one of our other sisters and her family, they just had twin baby boys. That worked out well for both of us to serve two of our sisters in the same day and in the same way.:)