Emma Is 18 Today.....

18 years ago I got to hold you for the first time.  Look into those gorgeous eyes of yours.  Our eyes met and I knew I would never be the same.  You were a sweet baby.  Loved to be held and loved on.   You showed your adventurous spirit at a young age, always climbing out of your crib and crawling over things that we thought were "toddler proof".  I guess it was but it wasn't "Emma Proof."  You showed me your love of singing at age two when one cloudy rainy day in Albany, Oregon we laid on your bedroom floor and sang to an entire Carpenters album.  Life has been a constant adventure with you, Emma Lou.  I know that great things are still in store for you.  You are loved more than you can even possibly know by all of your parents, sisters, grandparents, aunts and uncles.  You are my sunshine and I'm so incredibly proud of you.  Happy 18th Birthday!

#20- Wear Wranglers & boots and feel good

I did it. I have no idea why I waited so long to do this one. It was really a matter of finding the right pair. 

I'm loving my new Wrangler butt with my new boots. Butts and boots. 

Oh yeah!

Miracle

I've seen a modern day miracle occur in my life. I've been struggling with giving something up. Something that isn't good for me. But it's hard because I love it. I've been praying for help in overcoming it. I've been dedicating a larger portion of my day to reading my scriptures and learning more of my savior. 

The past three times I've had this not so good thing for me I haven't liked it. I've thought there must be something wrong with it. Ive asked others about it asking if it has changed?

Nope. 

So the only conclusion is that I don't like it anymore. Can this really be?

Yes, it can. Through my savior. Through the atonement. 

And the love my father in heaven has for me. 

2015 Goals

I'm feeling very grateful this morning. I woke up, the house is quiet, and I'm reading from "Jesus The Christ."  One of my goals for 2015 is to read the whole thing. I got pretty close on my mission didn't quite complete it. I'm working on this goal with another close friend which makes the goal even more special to me. I'm reading from a 1945 copy that belonged to my dad. It's pretty fragile but so is my testimony at this point so it feel perfect. 

Another goal is to run again. And I chose my first 5K, the Lake Oswego Lake Run. This was the first 5K I ever did and I walked it mostly with a few bouts of running In-between.  This time I will run it. It will be my first race post surgery. I'm nervous yet excited about it. 

I will also be working on more consistent prayer. Morning and night. I don't know why this is so difficult to remember. But that's all it is, forgetting to do it. I don't know what I will do to help me remember yet. 

I will also be attending Sunday School each week. I've gotten into quite the routine of not going to Sunday School and doing other things. But I plan on attending faithfully each week. 

I'm hoping that with a new found focus on spiritual aspects that my relationship with my savior and my father in heaven will grow. 

Day 9: 21 days closer to Christ

We can grow closer to our Savior by following the words of our prophet. He has the keys. The invitation for this day is to FOLLOW. Follow our prophet. I have been reading president uchtdorfs talk, "Lord, is it I?"  It's a good message about becoming "good" as a good friend of mine said. By asking myself this question I am focusing more on my shortcomings and not others. I certainly have a lot of work in this area. But by putting up sticky notes in my house with this question on it I will be reminded to look inward. 

Follow the prophet. 

Christmas

It's exactly one week until Christmas.  I've been enjoying this Christmas season a lot.  It hasn't been stressful which is surprising considering that Chris had surgery, my mom is still recovering and the girls still have a lot of stuff going on.  But I've felt a lot of peace this year.  It's been nice to come home after I drop the girls off at school, settle onto the couch with my tea and the lights from the tree and watch a little CNN.  After about a half hour of the day's news I go back to my desk to get started on the day's files.  And even though I'm stuck at my desk for the rest of the morning and afternoon I am almost always done by 2:30 when I need to pick up the girls.  And that leaves the rest of the afternoon to get dinner prepared, talk with the girls, spend some time with Makenzie and Chris.  I did about 80% of my Christmas shopping online and so I havent had too many errands to run.  My home is decorated for Christmas but I didn't go overboard this year. When I ran out of horizontal space to put things I quit.  The Christmas lights didn't make it onto the house before Chris had his surgery.  The day he was planning on doing it he helped with a service project at church cutting firewood for families that need it.  I don't mind at all that it didnt get done.  What's more important anyway, some lights that profess your Christmas spirit or the real spirit of Christmas which is helping God's children?  Life has felt chill around here.  It's been peaceful.

Happiness is a warm blanket

You know that feeling you get when you wake up in the middle of the night and your blankets have come off you?  You feel cold and unsettled and of course you reach for those blankets to cover yourself back up.

That's how I feel.

I've felt the warmth if even for a small moment.

And I know it's there, it will always be there.

But for that moment in time when you don't have it....
it's cold.

Warmth...I love the warmth!