Where to start?

It has been awhile since my last post. Much has happened. At times I feel as if time is rushing past me and I am trying to keep up; other moments seem to last forever as if moving at a snails pace. To start, Jeff's Grandma Alice passed away here in our home the beginning of March. It happened quite suddenly and I know Jeff took it pretty hard at first. He has lived with his grandmother since he was about 5 and she was more than just a grandma to him. I wish I could say something that would do her justice, but words just plain fail us sometimes. Perhaps, when he is ready, Jeff will write an entry about his "old lady." I would indulge for a moment though, and share just one thing that will forever stick out in my mind about Grandma Alice. Our room and her room are right next to each other. We shared a wall :) Every single nite we have lived here for the last two years, I heard her pray. I wish I could say we are that diligent :) She always prayed aloud and always prayed for every one of her kids, living and the one that sadly passed, and every single grandkid by name. Some nights she would pray for almost an hour. One nite, just about a month before she passed away, I heard her praying for Jeff and I to blessed with a baby. I was so touched and humbled and grateful. Not being able to have kids yet has been a really hard thing for me. We never talked about it, she just knew. And I am pretty sure that wasn't the only time she had prayed that for us.

At times I think we all feel like everyone else is so wrapped up in their own lives that no one could possibly be thinking about us and our problems and heartaches. And at this stage in life for most people that is true unfortunately. Very few of us consistently take the time to think of others and pray for them unless something tragic happens. That quiet example, that strength, her willingness to always think of others is what I will remember most about her. She is missed and the house is still just a little too quiet. We love and miss you Grandma!

We have also celebrated St. Patty's Day, Easter, and General Conference. I had an ingrown toenail removed by the doctor, and just yesterday I believe I broke my first bone ever - my toe! And it is even on the same foot as my now deformed toenail that had the ingrown :) Poor Jeff also dislocated his knee yesterday! What a pair we are right now! Haha! Hopefully we will both stop limping and recover quickly. Here is to a HAPPY, maybe slightly less eventful April! xoxo

I love February

I love February, and not for the obvious reasons. True, my sweetheart and I had fun going out to lunch to celebrate Valentines Day. And I thoroughly enjoyed commemorating our Presidents with two Monday holidays off work. However, I love February because we get to see the Westminster Kennel Club dog show! I love watching dog shows, and I love that I have even gotten Jeff to like them! :) And although they will never make it to Madison Square Gardens, in honor of this great event, I am going to torture everybody with pictures of the most gorgeous pooches I know. They are all my "Best in Show." xoxo





Duke

Sadie

Soto

Yea! The new computer is up and running fabulously! Not much to report that is new and exciting. After a couple of days of torrential downpours, we got the most beautiful double rainbow yesterday! I am only sorry my camera wasn't able to get the whole thing in one shot. We celebrated Dad's birthday with good friends, family, and some fun music. Jeff and I also got to go to Medieval Times with some friends (braved the rain even!). We were on the green knights team, too bad he ended up being the evil guy. Oh well, it was still fabulous :) Happy January!

Is it really 2010?!?!

Wow, I feel like I just updated my blog not that long ago, and here two months have gone by! Crazy, crazy! Anywho, one of the reasons for the delay is the broken computer. Poor thing has got to be at least 10 years old and is through. Fortunately, a new one should be arriving in the next few weeks - hooray! Until then, not too many updates, and no pictures :(
Since the last post, I went to Palm Springs with my best friend, Lynette for a quick one nite trip. Tons of fun and a great break from the same old routine. Thanksgiving came and went, we ate two dinners that day! Christmas was nice and relatively mellow. Jeff and I were both sick on and off for most of December so we did not get to do too many activities, but somehow it was perfect just the way it was. We got to be with our families and remember the Savior, the most important things about Christmas I would say :)
My mind spins sometimes when I contemplate just how quickly time is flying by! I really don't know where the heck this year went!! I am not really a goal setter like my dad, but for this upcoming year I hope to take more time to "smell the roses." There are some very big and exciting events on our horizon and I can't wait to see what this year brings and where life takes us. May this year bring happiness, peace, and prosperity to all of us! xoxo

Hope

I had a thought today - Sometimes we must let go of one dream to make room for a better one. I thrive best when there is an order to things, when they go according to a well laid out plan. There is less stress in my life when I know exactly where I am going and what needs to be done and just how to get it done. Funny then, to think that things very rarely happen that way in real life :) I am strange I think. I plan out my life in every detail in my head and I would be oh so happy if things went the way I had imagined. It is so hard when I feel like I am going down one road and it feels right at first, and then I keep going and things are not going like I planned. I am so quick to get discouraged and feel lost and confused. I don't easily find new roads, I am not comfortable starting on that road that is not clearly laid out in front of me. I want to cry sometimes and tell Heavenly Father that I can't go where he wants me to unless He shows me where it is exactly I am supposed to be going! I get frustrated and do nothing instead of turning my faith over to Him. Because certainly, there can not be anything better then my well thought out plan. The wonderful plan that makes perfect sense to me. Oh how I need to be better! I have a testimony. I know Heavenly Father is in control. I know He knows far better than I what is best for me and what, in the end, will truly make me the happiest. His plan is the best, sometimes I just forget. I forget and get discouraged and sad, because I feel like a little kid and think, hey, my plan is good too! And truth be told, my plan is probably good. The dreams I have are good. BUT, there are better plans and better dreams when Heavenly Father helps us write them. So today, I am grateful for that thought, no, that inspiration from the Holy Ghost.
I re-read the greatest talk by Pres. Uchtdorf called The Infinite Power of Hope. He gave it last October conference and I wish I was smart enough to know how to put a link here so anyone that actually is still reading this blog and post could pop over there really quick. However, it is pretty easy to find on lds.org. I highly recommended it as an ultimate spiritual pick me up :)
May we all make room for the best dreams. xoxo

Ahhh, another month gone

Well so much for me being better about posting! I think sometimes I feel like my life is pretty boring so I wait to post until something exciting or noteworthy happens. That being said, the other day my dad went on facebook and created a profile for himself! Pretty noteworthy, right? I do believe Justin did it for him, but hey, I am proud of him for trying something new :) I also have to put in my two cents and say I really love blogs way more than facebook or myspace! Maybe it is because this is just a much simpler format for me and doesn't have too many bells or whistles. Plus, I really don't need to know what someone is doing every second of the day (sorry twitter, I will never be a fan). Another biggy for me, I know how to download pictures on this! Somehow I always mess something up when I try to put pictures elsewhere. So although I visit you facebook, I love my blog, and all of my friends and families blogs more :)

I have to back up and post some pictures from the tide pools and the Long Beach Aquarium. I totally forgot to download the pictures, hence, I forgot to post about it. Me, Aubs, Hali'a, and my bestest friend Lynette drove to the tide pools in San Pedro and had lots of fun (poor Aubs was not a big fan of the bridge, Lynette and I did not know this before hand or we would have taken a different route). A few days later, me, mom and dad, Aubs and Hali'a went to the aquarium. Mom has a friend from church who is a volunteer diver for the aquarium and took us "behind the scene" to actually feed the fish is the large tank. It was pretty cool!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

A big shout out to my most favorite guy - happy birthday hon! This year is going to be so fantastic; I can feel it in my bones :) I am lucky to have you as my hubby and my friend, you're the best!!