Adventures in La La Land

Depths

2012-01-10T20:11:00.000-08:00

Shivers Rise
I have missed the calm
Pleading with the ebb and flow
I can't remember when or why or how
or how or when or why
Visions failed
Fog engulfed
Cuffed to the middle of uncertainty
I don't recognize the reflection
It isn't mine
But when I speak my voice echos back.

It Was a Great Day!

2012-01-05T17:17:00.000-08:00

Hello Again!! Let me start by saying I didn't even come close to 29 RAOK but I did do 7 and here is how the day went down.

The night before I went to Walmart.com and searched around on the baby registry for just the right gift to send. I found a couple in Jackson, MS who are having a baby later this month. They did not have anything purchased on their registry yet. So I picked out this and had it shipped to them. That was super fun and I wish I could send everyone a gift!

On Wednesday, Jan 4th...

I sent Carter off to school with a backpack stuffed with novelty toys for the classroom treasure box.

After Carter got on the bus Josh and I savored some extra bed time. I got the laptop out and did a little birthday shopping for myself while Josh played some solitaire. All in the warmth of our cozy bed. Nice.

Then I requested he make me a bubble bath and he obliged! He served me our typical

airline drinks. Spicy Hot V-8 over ice and then a glass of Ginger Ale (also over ice...I am a true lover of ice in my drinks). I spared you the picture of that.

After that I got all ready for the day and left this treat in the mailbox for our lovely mail lady.

The next order of business was a trip to the local donut shop for these tasty beauts.

Josh and I got a little bag of donut holes to share while driving around. They are melt in your mouth awesomeness. YUM!

I was really shy at first to just walk into the Fire Station but I did it! When I walked in three firemen were just in their "living room" watching TV and using their laptops...just hanging out. They were extremely friendly which remedied my shyness. I told them I had a special delivery and told them thanks for all they do. They acted very appreciative and like these donuts were the best thing to ever happen to them. So this stop started my day off great and left me all smiley. (Josh stayed out in the car...he was my driver:)

The next stop was to Wal-Mart to get some supplies. We purchased microwave popcorn and a box of chocolates and 4 gas cards.

On our way out I taped one box of popcorn all over the Redbox machine and taped the little RAK signs that Shelby made on those. I hope that several people got one and that one person didn't come and just take them all. This was a very simple RAK and so easy to do and I hope it just made people smile and got them thinking about how they can do random acts of kindness.

Next we went to the gas pumps.I had 4 cards. I only put $5.00 on each but thought I would still be pretty stoked to find $5.00 in free gas waiting for me. On the signs I wrote "$5.00 for gas if you need it :) Pay it forward!". I said a little prayer that someone who needed it would find one. I hope they did.

Someone else did a kind act and left a gummy bear on this gas pump. I decided to pass and let the next person have it;)

From there we drove up the road to the Assisted Living Center. As soon as we walked in an elderly man greeted us and asked us to buy BBQ tickets for the 14th of this month. Of course we said yes and I am thrilled we have a reason to go back soon. We asked one of the nurses on duty if there was someone who would like to chat and could use the goodies we brought. (we brought a box of popcorn and a box of chocolates and fuzzy socks). She said there was man there who had been down lately and as soon as he was done with lunch she would bring him over. So we stuffed the socks in Josh's pocket. We waited for quite a while for lunch to end.

This is where we sat and waited. Matlock was on. It was cozy and very over warm.

Finally the nurse came back and said Eddy did not want any visitors after all so, she walked us down the long hall to meet Miss Odell. When walked into her room she was so friendly and greeted us like we were old friends. She offered us a spot on her couch and we chatted for about 20-30 minutes with her. She is 95 and from Prentiss, MS...a little town in the middle of the state. Her only son works at a hospital in Memphis and she was recently told she should no longer live by herself. So she moved to Hernando with her son and then into this assisted living home. It is a very nice place. The apartments/rooms are very spacious and nice. The place was very inviting and clean and Miss Odell raved about how good the food was. When we gave her the treats (we forgot the socks in Josh's pocket) she was just so grateful and exclaimed it was just like Christmas all over again. We asked her if we could come back and see her on Saturday when the BBQ is and bring Carter to meet her. She said she would love it. So I think we made a new friend and she was just delightful to talk to!

By that time we only had about 30 minutes before Carter was done with school so we headed home. Josh and Carter told me I had to hide while they wrapped presents. So I went in my room to read. I eventually fell into a blissful slumber. It was really good and when Carter put his face up to mine and whispered, "your party is ready" I had a really hard time coming out of it. But I hopped up and came out to the front room. There I found a birthday balloon waiting for me and Carter started the party music. We danced around for a minute and then I sat down to open my pile of presents. I got the before pics but didn't take one when they were all opened.

I had mentioned to Josh a couple days ago to take Carter to the dollar store and let him shop for me...that way whatever he picks out is only...well...a dollar! He will have the satisfaction of picking things out without Josh having to tell him no because he picked something too expensive that I really wouldn't want anyway. So this worked perfectly! Carter got me a bouquet of fake flowers, a blow horn, a really awesome purple star clapper on a beaded necklace, some puffed cheese corn...haha!, some BBQ flavored Lays that do not look appealing in the least, a light up UFO sky spinner toy which is actually lots of fun, and gyroscope toy thing. It was really fun to open his gifts and play with him.

Carter also picked out this card and wrote to me. Typical boy. He thought this was sooo hilarious. It is pretty funny, especially coming from him.

He even did his own rendition of the man with his buns on the ground. Awesome. "so party your buns off" he wrote. He threw me the best little party!

I told Carter to take a picture with only my face and to leave all my fat out of the picture. He followed directions pretty well...I am the one in the middle with the party horn.

Josh also got me card and promised me a special all day and night date next week. He also wrote a little coupon for me to pick 5 things and he would do them/get them for me. I am pondering on this carefully. I am so thankful for him. I am thrilled he wanted to spend the day with me and went around with me to all my little stops. He was very encouraging and told me I was doing a great thing. That is what I needed to hear. He is my best friend.

After that we hurried off to mutual. I had a presidency meeting early that night. My friend Cathy ran out after the meeting and brought back an ice cream cake and awesome chips and salsa and queso. The Young Women sang to me and to Laura Brady (the YW Pres)...her b-day was on the 2nd. I had my camera in my pocket but totally forgot to take a picture!

All in all it was a great day! I got several texts from cherished friends and family and a handful of wonderful phones calls. Casey spent the day before with me and got me fun gifts. Katie and Julie also sent me delightful gifts that I appreciate so much. DeAnn sent money and my mom sent me a surprise...it will be here tomorrow!

I do have people who love me and I learned on my birthday that I do matter and that my actions can have an impact on the world...even if it is by the smallest, slightest change...it will create a ripple. I most likely will never know what any of the RAKs did or how they affected the people who came across them but I pray they were received gratefully and that the recipients want to pass it on.

I still have list of RAKs to finish and decided I would use the entire month to get them done. I will keep you posted! Thank you to each of you who left me birthday wishes and to those of you who said you would join in! Let me know what you did or do your own post about it...maybe your post and act will inspire one of your readers and so on...the ripple effect:) Keep it going.

Twenty-Nine

2012-01-04T08:36:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!! yippeeee!!

Today has started off great! Today was Carter's first day back at school so we sent him off on the bus bright and early. Josh took the entire day off and his first order of business was to draw me a delightful bubble bath which was so toasty hot and relaxing. He also served me drinks at my request.

I left the mail lady a suprise in our box and now Josh and I are headed out to spend the day doing Random Acts of Kindness!!! yay!! Thanks to several of you who said you would be joinging me...you made my day more than you know!

First I got on here to PRINT THESE My friend Shelby made them to use while do the RAOK...awesome!! Just what I needed to leave at some of my stops! Thank you Shelby and thank you for inspiring me! You are awesome!

Happy Birthday everyone!! Hope you all have a great day!!

My Birthday Project

2012-01-02T17:25:00.000-08:00

My birthday is this Wednesday. I have had friends tell me my birthday is hard because it comes right after all the hoopla of Christmas and New Years...so it is hard to remember me or have any celebrating left in them for my day. Haha...luckily my family never told me that and I never felt jipped on my birthday. I always felt special on my birthday growing up. My mom planned and threw me several parties through out the years...all of which I remember and love. On the years that I did not have a party my mom always let me pick one friend (always Katie) and invite them to come along with me to my favorite restaurant. I have souvenir photos from some of these years wearing sombreros and blushing from being sung to by the restaurant staff. I always got gifts even though we just had Christmas a little over a week before. I think that week in between did a good job at separating the "holidays" from my birthday...I never felt like they were interconnected, a problem one of my friends down here born on January 2nd seems to run into every year.

Another memorable year was when Julie planned and threw me a surprise party when I turned 16. I had always wanted a surprise party and she did it for me!! It took me a long time to get to the party and there was a moment when she was not sure I was even go to show. I am so glad I did because it is such a fun memory and I felt special.

Since becoming an "adult" I have struggled with losing the "birthday feeling". Ya know, the one where you feel like today really IS your day and everyone is being extra nice and treating you extra good and giving you special attention. I would wake up with that feeling every morning on my birthday and carry it with me through out the day. Several years ago I told Josh the feeling was gone. It was sad. Josh said "welcome to the club". hhmmph...I never wanted to join this club.

So...ever since then I have struggled with my birthdays. Even though I am going to be 29 I still want to feel special and like other people see me as such and like celebrating ME just as much as I like them celebrating with me! It doesn't happen as much anymore. I want to be spoiled and be the center of attention...who doesn't?!? So...when my birthday comes and that doesn't happen you might say I get a little grumpy. I just might throw myself a big pity party complete with cake and candles (but only if Josh remembered to get me one that year). So as my birthday has been drawing closer I have kind of started getting myself ready to be disappointed. What a great outlook to have eh? haha...I am such a birthday grinch!! So tonight...when I read my friend Shelby's blog...she linked me to this site. I decided this was a fantastic way to get rid of the grinch feeling and use MY day to brighten the day of someone else..even if it only means putting a smile on their face that wasn't there before.

So friends. I am wondering if you will celebrate with me? The author of the blog I linked you to asked her friends the same thing on her birthday and she got an amazing response. I am going to be dedicating my day to 29 Random Acts of Kindness. I have started making a list...I am on #19 right now. Here is a sneak peek at some of the things I have written down:

#3. Take fuzzy sock or slippers to the assisted living center and find someone to give them to. Have a chat.
#7. Write a note to a previous teacher that did an awesome job and say thank you!
#10. Leave mail lady a treat and a note in the mailbox
#11. Go to Target.com (or any baby or wedding registry) and buy a random gift for a random person off of their registry.
#17. Take donuts and hot chocolate to the Fire Station with a big thank you note.
#18. Take a flower or plant and a treat to the really nice lady at City Hall (where I pay our water bill) This lady is always soooo nice and upbeat. She calls me "sugar" and "girlfriend" and makes going in there to pay my bill a delight. She is someone who brightens other people's days...she should know that!

The lady on the blog I linked to spent A LOT of money on gift cards and such which is awesome...but definitely not something you have to do. Random Acts of Kindness can be FREE...just requires your time. I am going to ponder over my remaining slots and think hard about the last remaining acts I will perform.

Will you join my party? For my birthday will you do a RAOK? It will be so fun and totally make my day if you do!! Leave me a comment to say you are with me! Then come back later and comment with what you did! It will be fun!!! (and rest assured I will be there on YOUR day if you want to do the Birthday Project too!)

So...

2012-01-01T21:24:00.000-08:00

I deleted my Facebook. Josh has always hated Facebook and pretty much dislikes it anytime I am on it. That is one reason.

Second, as much as I say it doesn't consume me...it does take a lot...a lot...a lot of time...little minutes here and there add up.

Third...I want to get back into blogging. My sister made her blog into a book a while back and I was looking through it. It is so awesome to be able to journal and store it online and then have a nice, clean, stream-lined book at the end of it. BUT I must say...the blogging world is lame lately. I do blog for myself and to keep a record...but some posts are for readers and for people to respond to! That isn't happening lately for me. I miss the network we all had...say 3 years ago. Lot of comments and fun stuff being shared and people participating. Yes, we are all busy...but if you all delete Facebook too we can get back to the good stuff;)

Whether or not I have comments (you are still reading...Google says so) I am going to try and get back into blogging. I have already missed too much of documenting our little life. I do not want it to replace the time I am saving from Facebook...but if I can do once a month that will be good for memories sake. ...and Walter's.

My Favorite Things Volume 3

2011-12-28T13:03:00.000-08:00

I got some new nail polish and wanted to share how much I love it...so then I thought...time for a favorite things post! If you have a chance to do one please do because these are some of favorite posts to read...to see what other people love!!

This is my blue chair. It sits in my living room. I love it every time I look at it or sit in it. It is comfortable and cute! It is from Ashley furniture.

I ran across this book in Walgreens and picked one up for my family. I liked it so much that I also gave a couple of them as gifts! I saw they are on clearance for only $5.99 right now. If you love Charlie Brown and the music from the show then run out and get this book to pull out next season.

Goodfrau.etsy.com. LOVE! I believe I ordered from Emily at least 4-5 times over the year if not more. Cutest invitations and she can customize for any occasion.

MAURICES!! Love their jeans...love their shirts...love their sweaters...just love. Maurices has been on my previous favorite things list and is still going strong. I swear their clothes are made for me.

This stuffed animal and book was Carter's Christmas Eve gift. We love it! Jingle the puppy recognizes certain phrases you say and responds. Made by Hallmark. There are other animals and I believe different books for the season. I need to check it out and get the other books for Jingle because we love it!

I have a million and five different lip glosses. I LOVE the Glazewear Sparkle from Avon. I tried one of the "Shine" but did not love it anywhere close to the Sparkle line. In this picture the Sparkle is the last one. I also love Avon...I only order the items on sale which makes for super inexpensive make-up plus it helps support a friend who sells it. Win-Win!

I love Scentsy so much I would consider selling it if I did not know at least a dozen people who already do. I just ordered 6 bars and am completely in love with "Lucky in Love" It smells sooo nice. It smells exactly like "Love Spell" from Victoria Secret and I just love the way it smells throughout my house. I have also used the Central Park Pralines which is awesome when you want your house to smell like something yummy is baking. I also just got the "Victoria" warmer and love the way it looks in my house:)

MelaGel is a miracle to me. So much so I am trying to stock pile it. I have burned myself pretty badly several times over the past few months (occupational hazard:) and I quickly ice the burn then hurry and put MelaGel on...instantly the burn feels better. Seriously...does not hurt anymore. One burn should have blistered and hurt for days. (I poured boiling sweet and sour sauce over my hand by mistake)...it hurt sooo bad. I put the Melagel on and the pain went away and within a couple of hours it was not even red anymore. We also use MelaGel on cuts, scrapes, insect bites, and skin irritations. I never want to be without this stuff.

This is the nail polish I was referring too at the beginning of my post. It is Essie Lux Effects. It is too expensive for my tastes. This bottle costs me $8.00 at Walgreens...I think it is a few cents cheaper at Target. I NEVER spend that much on nail polish. BUT...I kept stopping to look at it every time I went into the store and decided I would splurge. LOVE it!! It is glittery and glam and looks like New Years Eve to me! So fun and sparkly. I also like it because you can't really mess it up and you can't see how bad of a nail polisher I am...I am pretty horrid...but this stuff is so fun! I am going to go back and get it in the silver color.

Netflix is still holding strong on my list as well. We do not have TV channels or cable. We are a strictly Netflix household. I don't use it to rent movies by mail...the one I do have I have had for a year now...I should probably send that back. We do the instant streaming through our Wii. I love that we can watch TV shows at our pace and that Carter has a humongous selection of kid flix to choose from. After Carter goes to bed Josh and I like to watch a TV episode or two before bed. It is something we enjoy doing together and is nice wind down time. I do hope in the future they get a broader, better movie selection for their instant streaming...but the TV show selection is pretty awesome.

These are my "go to" earrings. I love my little pearls and go to them often when in a hurry or don't want to wear anything too fancy or bling-y or hang-y. I quite adore them. (not real pearls mind you...cheap is better for me)

And last...my rings:) I still love them...A LOT. I have made myself one in every color and they are so perfect to just throw on with any outfit. I always get people ogling them and grabbing my hand to survey them. So fun!

Okay...that is all for now! Your turn!! I want to see what you are liking right now!

Five Things for Friday

2011-11-04T15:08:00.000-07:00

1. I am linking up with Women in the Scriptures to do Five Things for Friday. I have a really hard time sitting down and blogging anymore...so when I read her post I thought...I can do this...and now. So here you go:)

2. Josh just left to go camping for Scouts...they go once a month. It caught me off guard that I got a lump in my throat after he drove off. I love him. So while he is gone...I am going to my friend Cathy's house for some girl time and Carter is coming along for some play time(all the wives of the campers are invited to come). Two of the ladies that I know of have never seen "The Holiday"...so I am taking it and I am excited to share such a fun chick flick!

3. Today Josh and I went and surprised Carter by having lunch with him. The little kids in his class are so cute and get just as excited about us coming as Carter does. They just talk and talk and talk and ask us all kinds of questions. It was fun and smelled just like school lunch smelled 20 years ago...seriously...20 years ago I was eight. I can say "20 years ago..." I am getting old;)

4.. I finished Carter's Christmas shopping for the most part today...AND he was with me! I give myself total props because he has absolutely no clue! It was awesome because I let him walk the aisle and a couple of the items that he totally flipped over I just picked up behind him and put them in the cart and covered them with a pair of pajamas. I LOVE Christmas shopping and I especially love buying toys...I have just as much fun as Carter does. He also picked out his Halloween costume for next year at 75% off...a swamp monster.

5. I am having a hard time not getting in tot he Christmas spirit:) I want to decorate right now! And no...I do not want to overlook Thanksgiving but can't I decorate for Christmas AND be grateful and have a feast? I think I can. (but not sure if I will...because I also don't want to get tired of the decorations by the time Christmas comes) I think I am over thinking this.

Okay...that is all. I am off!! Happy Weekend everyone!

Little Hands

2011-09-20T18:32:00.000-07:00

When I was a little girl, walking beside my mom on our various errands, I would often slip my hand into hers. Most often she would return my gesture with three hand squeezes. 1-2-3...I-Love-You. I later learned to return her squeezes with four of my own. 1-2-3-4...I-Love-You-Too.

Tonight I tucked Carter into his bed and read him two stories. Then we said prayers and shut off the light. Instead of leaving him to fall asleep on his own, this time I laid beside him in the dark for a while. After a few minutes I felt his little hand slip into mine. Soon after, I felt three little squeezes. 1-2-3...I-Love-You. I returned his gesture with four of my own. 1-2-3-4...I-Love-You-Too.

I am reveling. Such a simple, sweet gesture passed down from my mom, to me, to my child. It completely made my night.

Hayden's Heroes

2011-08-31T17:14:00.000-07:00

Hey Everybody! I wanted to share with you haydensheroes.blogspot.com. This is a little blog dedicated to Hayden Williams, the son of our friends Nathan and Hanna, who passed away last October. He never got to leave the hospital. It was devastating but watching this family and how they coped through this difficult situation was amazing. They are definitely an example of faith, strength, and perseverance. Hanna knew she couldn't just sit still after saying goodbye to Hayden. She immediately got work on organizing an even in his honor and to raise funds for MECP2 research, which is the rare disorder that Hayden suffered from.

Hanna asked me to be a part of the race committee and recruit sponsors and be in charge of the food table. It has been a learning experience for sure and I wish I was better at this! I feel like I have not accomplished much. It is very hard asking people for money and even harder when they say no.

I know I blog often about fundraising and different donating opportunities, and this is one of those. One of the times where if you have even $5.00 extra that you can donate I ask that you do! This is a newer disorder so a lot of research needs to be done and research costs $$$$$$$. All funds raised are going to research and to help the families of other children also suffering from MECP2.

Check out Hayden's blog and read the letter from Hanna and then if you can donate click on the RACE link! What is even better...you can pay $15.00 as a supporter only BUT you get a T-Shirt! I like to always donate in Carter's name and get the T-shirt in his size.

We are also still looking for sponsors for those of you who are able to do more. It would work especially well if you have an on-line business that the participants down here can go to...for $100.00 you can put your business info in all the goody bags that the participants receive.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and if anything become a follower of Hayden's blog to show your support! You don't know this family...but I know each of you reading can empathize with them and send them best wishes and prayers. Thanks!

FHE

2011-08-22T18:31:00.000-07:00

I want to start sharing my church and family stuff so other's can share in my ideas and I would also love ideas from others. It is fun to see what other people do.

Tonight we talked about the importance of families and how to have a successful home.

I got my worksheets from HERE. If you don't have this site bookmarked do it now. Loads of stuff! In fact...I don't even need to share my stuff because you can get it all here...haha. But I am doing it anyway!

We watched this video from LDS.org and then talked about the quotes HERE (have your husband on standby to read when you get choked up about time passing too quickly.)

Then we talked about what it takes to build and maintain a successful family and made goals together. We let Carter set his sweet simple goals and write them down too. Carter loved being my helper and sounding out and reading the "bricks" to tape to the house.

After that we practiced "Families Can Be Together Forever". I am trying to get Carter to memorize it so he can perform parts of it in Sacrament meeting or Relief Society. While singing we colored this picture together. I love Carter's contributions the very most. Pretty soon he will color all inside the lines so right now I love that he doesn't. It was a great, fast and easy lesson. What did you do?

School Days: Kindergarten Update

2011-08-22T14:06:00.000-07:00

So after a tad bit of roughness the first couple days...the second two weeks of Kindergarten have flown by! Carter has done fabulous and comes home happy every day! I have done fabulous and send him off happy every day! I don't know what I was crying about...ME time is AWESOME!

The school bus picks Carter up right outside our front door every morning at about 7:10. He is the last one picked up so they go right to school from our house. He loves riding the bus and is assigned the very front seat with 2 other little boys. They are so small that 3 of them fit in the big seat...how cute huh!

I pick him from school everyday at 2:20-2:40 depending on what time I make it to the car ride line. All the cars have to line up single file in the road until they bring all the kids out and line them up outside. Then they let the first set of cars in...I am guessing maybe 20-30 cars can fit per set. They load up all those cars and then let them leave...then let another set in until all the kids are gone. I considered sending him home on the bus but he would be the last kid dropped off and on the bus for more than an hour. I have guilt thinking about that so we have not tried it. Plus, I really quite like picking him up.

Each week so far they have focused on a letter. They started with "L"...then to "O"...and this week is "G". they learn the sounds and how to write them in upper and lower case. Then on Friday they can bring something from home that starts with that letter for "Show-n-Tell". For "L" Carter took a metal lunchbox with 2 cases to his LEGO Wii games inside. For "O" he took a little Star Wars figurine of Obi-Wan Kenobi (seriously O was hard to find something!).

Last week and this week they also have a color of the day where they need to come dressed in that color. Today was purple day. Carter does have a couple purple shirts. Tomorrow is pink day...I think that is the one color of shirt we are lacking.

Another fun memory for Carter is that the first full week of school they got to bring their Teddy Bears from home on Thursday and let them have a sleepover at the school. Carter has a puppy from Build-a-Bear that he took. On Friday when the kids came to school all the stuffed animals were hiding! They had to search the classroom until they found their bear (puppy). Carter said his was hiding on a shelf. Then they went to the library and when they came back all of their bears were gone! So they went on a hunt to find them. They ended up in the lunchroom where all the bears were waiting to have a Teddy Bear Picnic. Carter loved it and I thought it was such a fun and cute idea.

Carter loves all of his new friends and tells me about them constantly. I sure know a lot about Logan, Mason, Landon, and Kredarious(sp?) for never having met them. Carter even came home with an award called "The King of Kindness" because he shared his glue with Mason. His teacher said he is always so good and she never has any trouble with him. (but Jaiden sounds like a holy terror and always gets his Bumble bee moved to the red spot and Tristan likes to hit and pull on Carter's ears) other than that it sounds like lots of fun and play.

Then today...after feeling so settled and really getting into the routine of things...I get a letter that says due to high enrollment of Kindergartners they decided to hire a new teacher and Carter has been selected to move to the new classroom. I wanted to cry just a little bit when I read this. We get to meet the new teacher this Thursday and see his new classroom...so I hope and pray that I like the teacher and that the room is colorful...haha! I also hope one of his best friends moves with him.

For me...I love my new role of a mom with a school kid! I love getting up with him and getting him ready for school. I love packing his snack in the morning and making sure he has things he likes and a little surprise every now and then. I love getting his folder after school and seeing the work he has done and reading the letters from the school. I signed up for everything imaginable and joined the PTA. I will be helping with a book fair coming up in September and I am so excited to get to spend time at the school. I am also going to start going to his class on some Fridays and reading with the kids. I wish I could figure out a way to work at the school everyday...but just not as a teacher...as a helper or something:)

With all my free time you would think I get loads done. Nope. I do the same things I have always done when Carter was in tow...now I just do them by myself. And just because Carter is gone doesn't mean I all of the sudden love cleaning the house the entire day and preparing extravagant meals...much to Josh's chagrin. Sorry sweetie...that is more of a personality trait that I just wasn't born with. Maybe in the next life.

Life is good.

9

2011-08-10T16:16:00.000-07:00

I feel like I have to post this because I have done so every other year since I have been blogging...so quickly...

Josh and I were officially married for 9 years yesterday, August 9th. Go us!

What I really love about Josh right now...he is not just a "Sunday" Man...he is an "Everyday of the Week" Man and I am so grateful for the good, hardworking, dependable man that he is.

Next year is the big 10! Wooohooo (and just fyi...I feel like being married is getting easier, rather than harder, the more time goes on but let's revisit this in 5 more years)

Carter’s First Day of Kindergarten

2011-08-04T06:50:00.001-07:00

Carter was very excited and a little bit nervous about his very first day of school today. Leading up to it he would be talking excitedly and then bury his head in me and squeal “oooh I am scared!”. This morning Josh gave Carter a very sweet blessing. When it was over Carter got a big grin on his face and said. “I feel so much better!”.
He picked out his Phineas and Ferb shirt to wear the first day. And I decided on easy on, easy off shorts.

Josh and I both took him to his classroom. His class is full of little boys and and just a handful of girls. I hope Carter makes them all his friends. His classroom was also the only one where no kids were crying. As we walked by the other room at least one kid was having a really hard time. Carter was very brave and stood by us for just a minute and then went and sat on the rug and started playing with blocks.
I wanted to stay. I want to be there the whole day watching him and making sure he is okay. I blew him one last kiss from the door and made my way to the car. I kept it together until the doors were closed. Then Josh asked me if I was okay and I lost it. It was really hard to leave him there in the hands of someone else. I know he is in good hands and I know he will really blossom with his new experiences…but I just wasn’t quite ready to give him up.
The house is too quiet. I miss my snuggle buddy. I am so used to just doing what he wants to most of the day. So this will be a new experience for me too…figuring out what I want to do with my days while he is at school. I should have a plan but I don’t. So it has been a hard morning for me. I have puffy eyes and I am already exhausted. I can’t wait to go get him at 2:00.
I know I may sound silly to some of you. But this is my only little man. I do not have other kids to fill the space at home and keep me busy. And that makes my heart ache today. Yesterday I was strong. Tomorrow I will be strong. But today I'm not.

Just Fyi...

2011-07-30T15:26:00.000-07:00

I posted my talk on the pioneers below. I actually wrote it in Blogger because I don't have Word on my laptop...so I thought I would share in case anyone wants to read it...but yes, it is looooong. I was supposed to try and speak for a good chunk of time...I think it came out to 18-20 minutes. I also tried to link back to my sources and apologize if there is one I missed. I am pleased with how it turned out. (oh and sorry about all the font changes...Blogger has a mind of its own.)

For a while now I have considered starting a new blog where I can keep all my church stuff and also have others contribute to it...but just haven't yet. Anyone reading this...would you contribute lesson ideas, activities, talks, etc. if I opened a blog like that?? or should I scrap that idea?

What the Pioneers Teach Us: My Sunday Talk

2011-07-30T15:20:00.000-07:00

It is my pleasure to speak to you today as we celebrate the pioneer heritage of this church and look back on our ancestry. We are proud of where we came from, from whom we came. We have heard the stories told of these brave pioneers and some of us have been the story tellers. We may have a direct connection to these people through our blood lines or have formed our own connections through spiritual lines. No matter what the connection is we can all look back to the pioneers, to our ancestors, to give us direction as we move forward today.

Sydney Smith Reynolds is a great-great-great granddaughter of Hyrum Smith and shared her feelings on the subject of pioneers. She says,

"Although more than half of all current Church members have no personal connection with pre-twentieth-century pioneer Utah, few Latter-day Saints would deny that we can learn much from those nineteenth-century pioneers. They offer us a multitude of lessons about provident living, about sacrificing for the building up of Zion, and about creating beauty and peace wherever we may live. From the pioneers, we can also learn much about sacrifice, courage in the face of formidable odds, commitment, cooperation, and endurance.

The early Saints plowed and tilled the ground at Winter Quarters, planting seeds and weeding for those brothers and sisters in the gospel who would follow. In addition, Brigham Young chose the site for the Salt Lake Temple within a week of the Saints’ arrival in the Salt Lake Valley. But the construction took forty years, and he died many years before the temple’s dedication. More than one of the workers and craftsmen who worked on the temple must have thought, “I hope I live to see this completed.”

But whether or not they were personally able to enjoy the blessings of the temple they were building, they knew that it deserved their best effort—that they were building for eternity and for those who would embrace the gospel after they were gone. They were building for us. In that sense also, the great pioneer heritage belongs to all of us."

Along the same lines of the pioneer heritage belonging to all of us, we realize that we are modern day pioneers creating a heritage for our future generations. Our progeny deserve our best efforts. In a sense, they are counting on us to continue paving a way for them and building strong foundations for them to build upon. Elder Holland said, "We owe the same pioneering, persevering legacy to our children and our children’s children.” We want to leave the same legacy of faith, hard work and sacrifice, commitment, cooperation, and endurance to them as our ancestors, our pioneers, have left for us. It is on these values I want to touch on today.

The first principles and ordinances of the gospel are first FAITH in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Elder M. Russell Ballard proclaimed, "We must be sure that the legacy of faith received from the pioneers who came before us is never lost. Let their heroic lives touch our hearts, and especially the hearts of our youth, so the fire of true testimony and unwavering love for the Lord and His Church will blaze brightly within each one of us as it did in our faithful pioneers.”

Faith is where we start and from which we build. Faith is why we are here today, why we accept callings and perform them day in and day out, why we attend the Temple, read our scriptures and kneel in prayer. When we find ourselves slowing in pace, shrugging off our responsibilities, and becoming overwhelmed it is often because we are lacking in Faith at the time and have not taken the time to nourish it. Our faith is something we have to safeguard and protect so we do not lose it. It is also something we have to practice at. Some people have a natural gift of faith, they have always been sure and will always be sure. Others of us have to work at it, learn it, and come upon it step by step. Thus we have been given trials and tests to see where we are at along the way and to come out better for it on the other end. No doubt there are times we are unsure but Elder Holland challenges us to have faith to answer the call. He relates this story,

"The Hole-in-the-Rock expedition is only one of many examples of the dramatic determination and devotion of the early Saints to answer the call of their prophet when it came. Another example is the creation of and call to the Muddy Mission in present-day Nevada. As with so many early pioneer settlements, the Muddy promised a very hard life, and much soul-searching was done when the calls came to settle there.

Some of those called in the 1860s certainly must have asked, “Of all places on the earth, why the Muddy?” Well, there actually were reasons. First of all, the American Civil War had given rise to the possibility of shipping commodities via the Colorado River. Second, when the war interrupted traditional sources for textiles, the Cotton Mission had been established in the cities of St. George and Washington not too many miles away. It was assumed that cotton for that mission could be grown in the Muddy region. Third, the Latter-day Saints felt strongly their obligation to work with the Native American tribes in the region, helping to feed them and hoping to educate them.

But the region was nevertheless a lonely, barren wasteland. It seemed to have almost nothing to offer but heat and hard work. It was isolated and for the most part desolate, and the river that gave the mission its identity was aptly named.

As to how and with what faith and determination the Muddy was settled, I will let one of the settlers have her say. She represents the grit and spunk and moral conviction that both young and old had—in this case especially the young. Wrote Elizabeth Claridge McCune of her father’s call to settle the Muddy:

'No place on earth seemed so precious to me at fifteen years of age as [the town of] dear old Nephi [in Utah’s Juab County]. How eagerly we looked forward to the periodical visits of President Brigham Young and his company! …

'… Bro. Brigham, Bros. Kimball and Wells with [their] entire company got out of their carriages, and walked over the flowery road … to our homes, [where] dinner was prepared and served. …

'We all attended the [Sunday] afternoon meeting, the girls in white having reserved seats in front. The sermons were grand, and we were happy until President Young announced that he had a few names to read of men who were to be called and voted in as missionaries to go and settle … the Muddy. This almost stilled the beating of the hearts of all present. Many of our people had been called to go to settle the Dixie country—but the Muddy, so many miles farther south! and so much worse! oh! oh! I did not hear another name except ‘Samuel Claridge.’ Then how I sobbed and cried, regardless of the fact that the tears were spoiling [my] new white dress. The father of the girl who sat next to me was also called. Said my companion, Why, what are you crying about? It doesn’t make me cry. I know my father won’t go. Well, there is the difference, said I. I know that my father will go and that nothing could prevent him, and I should not own him as a father if he would not go when he is called. Then I broke down sobbing again. …

'As we had just moved into a new house and were fixed [so] comfortably, many of our friends tried to persuade father to keep his home and farm; to go south awhile and then come back. But father knew that this was not the kind of mission upon which he had been called. I shall sell everything I own, said he, and take my means to help build up another waste place in Zion.'

Elder Holland continues, "What we saw then and what we see now among the blessed Saints the world over is faith in God, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, faith in the Prophet Joseph Smith, faith in the reality of this work and the truthfulness of its message. It was faith that took a boy into a grove of trees to pray, and it was faith that enabled him to get up off his knees, place himself in God’s hands for the Restoration of the gospel, and ultimately march toward his own martyrdom scarcely two dozen short years later.

Little wonder that faith always has been and always will be the first and abiding principle of the gospel and of our work. It is the heart of our conviction that the work not only should go forth but that it also can and will and must go forth." "We all must have a conviction burning in our hearts that this is the work of God and that is requires the best we can give..."

This next value deserves some attention. One that seems so self-explanatory but one that in our current society, we are losing a little bit of each day. There is much to be said for Hard Work and Sacrifice. In Genesis 3:19 we read, "In the sweat of thy face shalt though eat bread." Back in 1993 Elder F. David Stanley of the Seventy shared his article in the Ensign entitled, "The Principle of Work".

He says, "the principle of work has been taught from the foundation of the world. It is the bottom line of any forward motion of success. The frightening disappearance of work as a part of our basic ethic is alarming. We constantly hear the statements, “It’s too hard,” “Give me something easier,” “I want it now,” “I can’t wait that long” coming from our young people. The ugly disease of “nothing to do” is growing in epidemic proportions among us. It undermines the basic fabric of our nations. The prophet Ezekiel clearly defined iniquity as an “abundance of idleness.” (Ezek. 16:49.)

We are what we are as a people because our ancestors were not afraid of honest, hard work. Our forefathers understood the necessity of it; sheer survival demanded it. A common ingredient among all successful people is an understanding of what constitutes paying the price of success. Basic in that formula of paying the price is an inner gift of determination that “I’ll do whatever it takes.” That means, “I’ll work hard, with integrity, to achieve my goal.”

Hard work is a blessing of God. It involves going after it “with all your heart, might, mind and strength.” (D&C 4:2.) That alone is the difference between the average and the excellent.

Brothers and Sisters more than ever are we needed to put forth hard work, effort and make sacrifices. It is not time to sit idly by or let apathy be a word the defines us. We must be a proactive people in defending what we know is truth. We must be an example to the world of what hard work and determination looks like and never be accused of complacency. It is not a matter of what is easiest, it is a matter of what is right. We need to recognize the current trends of our youth and put a stop to the harmful. We need to raise up our kids with the attitudes that we work for what we need and work to protect what is important. If we do not do this we stand to risk losing our pioneer heritage and carrying on the great legacy that it is and really what we are all about as members in this Gospel.

When I think of a word that I hope someday people will use to describe me, "committed" is one that I hope comes up. This is my "project word" if you will. I feel sometimes lacking in commitment comes to easily. When given even the littlest reason or excuse to bow out or raise the white flag it is taken all too frequently. We all know what those people who are committed look like. I think back on my best friend growing up. Her name is Katie. She had enough determination and commitment to pass around to all her family and friends and still have some left over. When she wanted something she set her mind to it 100%...she was committed. This included a desire to make the school basketball team. When we were driving home from town we often had to pass her house on one of our routes. I remember honking and waving to her as she was outside practicing her dribbling and free throws. She would practice for hours until daylight retired. Even then she would practice by porch light until beckoned to come inside. On weekends she would practice, during our sleepovers she would even take a few minutes to shoot some jump shots while I was off being silly and probably making prank phone calls. But she learned that lesson early. That being committed means you do not have time for the silly or unnecessary because there are things far more great that needs our attention. This does not mean that fun in is not had and life is not enjoyed, it just means that priorities are straight. Katie made the basketball team every year that she tried out. She was not naturally a basketball player. It did not come easy for her. But through her commitment to the sport she succeeded in accomplishing her goals. I could spend the rest of the meeting reading a list of the other areas in her life that she used the same commitment to gaining her achievements. She has definitely been a great example in my life and I am blessed to call her my friend.

Imagine where we would be today if the pioneers had lacked in commitment, if they had given up when it got hard. And we all know it got HARD...REALLY HARD...when reading about the circumstances they faced I don't think any of us would blame them had they said, "I am done, I can go no further". But they did not. They had the Faith and were committed to it.

In the First Presidency Message in this month's Ensign, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf shares his thoughts on commitment.

Two young brothers stood atop a small cliff that overlooked the pristine waters of a blue lake. This was a popular diving spot, and the brothers had often talked about making the jump—something they had seen others do.

Although they both wanted to make the jump, neither one wanted to be first. The height of the cliff wasn’t that great, but to the two young boys, it seemed the distance increased whenever they started to lean forward—and their courage was fading fast.

Finally, one brother put one foot at the edge of the cliff and moved decisively forward. At that moment his brother whispered, “Maybe we should wait until next summer.”

The first brother’s momentum, however, was already pulling him forward. “Brother,” he responded, “I’m committed!”

He splashed into the water and surfaced quickly with a victorious shout. The second brother followed instantly. Afterward, they both laughed about the first boy’s final words before plunging into the water: “Brother, I’m committed.”

Commitment is a little like diving into the water. Either you are committed or you are not. Either you are moving forward or you are standing still. There’s no halfway. We all face moments of decision that change the rest of our lives. As members of the Church, we must ask ourselves, “Will I dive in or just stand at the edge? Will I step forward or merely test the temperature of the water with my toes?”

Some sins are committed because we do wrong; other sins are committed because we do nothing. Being only sort of committed to the gospel can lead to frustration, unhappiness, and guilt. This should not apply to us because we are a covenant people. We make covenants with the Lord when we are baptized and when we enter the house of the Lord. Men make covenants with the Lord when they are ordained to the priesthood. Nothing can be more important than keeping a commitment we have made with the Lord. Let us remember the reply of Rachel and Leah to Jacob in the Old Testament. It was simple and straightforward and showed their commitment: “Whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do” (Genesis 31:16).

Those who are only sort of committed may expect to only sort of receive the blessings of testimony, joy, and peace. The windows of heaven might only be sort of open to them. Wouldn’t it be foolish to think, “I’ll commit myself 50 percent now, but when Christ appears at the Second Coming, I’ll commit myself 100 percent”?

Commitment to our covenants with the Lord is a fruit of our conversion. Commitment to our Savior and His Church builds our character and strengthens our spirit so that when we meet Christ, He will embrace us and say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21).

There is a difference between intention and action. Those who only intend to commit may find excuses at every turn. Those who truly commit face their challenges squarely and say to themselves, “Yes, that would be a very good reason to delay, but I made covenants, and so I will do what I have committed to do.” They search the scriptures and earnestly seek the guidance of their Father in Heaven. They accept and magnify their Church callings. They attend their meetings. They do their home or visiting teaching.

A German proverb says, “Promises are like the full moon. If they are not kept at once, they diminish day by day.” As members of The Church ofJesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we have committed to walk in the path of discipleship. We have committed to follow the example of our Savior. Imagine how the world will be blessed and transformed for good when all members of the Lord’s Church live up to their true potential—converted in the depth of their souls and committed to building the kingdom of God.

In some way, each of us stands at a decision point overlooking the water. It is my prayer that we will have faith, move forward, face our fears and doubts with courage, and say to ourselves, “I’m committed!”

Cooperation: An act or instance of working or acting together for a common purpose or benefit;joint action.

Obviously the church relies on each of us to have a spirit of cooperation, to work together for our common purposes. Without this cooperation and sense of unity the organization of the church could not survive. Thus, Satan puts much effort in to creating instances of contention, power struggles, and driving wedges into our willingness to cooperate and unite. We all know it is hard to come together when we are angry and upset with another person in our group. When times like this occur we notice that progress stops for a time as we have to wait for feelings to heal and we can continue what it is we were working on. Thus is Satan's goal. Precious time is lost and it is hard to make that up. With this reminder may we keep the purpose of our church at the forefront of our minds, always remember what we are working toward. That we will not allow room for discord or hurt feelings but will allow time to remember and appreciate the importance of each member. For the worth of souls is great in the sight of God and that many hands make light work. The more the merrier. This is the whole point. Gathering the flock, bringing all into the fold. If we are on our own agenda and are only committed to things if done our way and by our rules then we are not helping and most likely hinder those around us. Remember who's errand it is that we are on...the Lord's. Be of a cheerful spirit, with a helping heart, and encouraging words. Lift up those around you and support each other in our callings. Do not belittle the efforts of others or scoff at other's attempts. We are on a team. We should always be pulling for and rooting for each other. We get enough opposition from the outside world that there is absolutely no room for it within the walls of this church. Stand side by side with your brothers and sisters, buoy each other up in the spirit of cooperation, unity, and love and we will see great things come to pass.

And finally by awaking each morning with a renewed sense of Faith and being committed to the covenants we have made, we will have the endurance needed to make it to the end. Just as the pioneers endured through horrible circumstances, burying loved ones along the trail, freezing, starving, more tired than any of us can probably comprehend to make it to their destination. They did it, so we could be here today. And we will do it so our children, and their children, and their children will be here tomorrow. May they be able to celebrate our efforts and accomplishments the way we celebrate those of our ancestors and those first members of this church. May their faith, hard work and sacrifice, commitment, cooperation, and endurance be a testament to us that this Gospel is true, that it is worth fighting for, and that it absolutely requires the best we have to give.

May we look to the first and ultimate pioneer. The one who went before us all to show us the way. Who died for us that we might live again. Even Jesus Christ.

Cheesecake Filled Strawberries

2011-07-21T16:17:00.001-07:00

Easiest thing ever and they were a hit. Seriously...they were loved...moaned over.

Step 1: Mix this...if you want to be all Molly Homemaker you can make your own cheesecake filling. ;)

Step #2: Hull the washed strawberries (also known as cutting the tops and middles out)

Step#3: (Blogger will not allow me to type this next to the appropriate picture) Fill the hole you made with the cheesecake filling and have it overflow some.

Step #4: Dip the filled strawberry's top in the graham
cracker crust from the box
(do not prepare the crust with butter...just use the crumbs right from the package) If you decided being Molly was your best option today then crush your own graham crackers or you can also dip in slivered almonds or other nuts, chocolate crushed or syrup, sprinkles, etc.

Place on serving tray and refrigerate until you are ready to serve. EASY! DELICIOUS!

Note: You can also do this but use chocolate filling instead of cheesecake...sounds amazing to me.

Sacrilege

2011-07-16T11:38:00.000-07:00

So Josh and I have to speak in Sacrament Meeting on July 24th...if you are Mormon then you know what date that is...if you do not know what date this is...you are not Mormon...nope...you're not. Try the Baptists down the road.

When Josh and I get assignments like this, we like to imagine what we could do to be as disruptive as we can and create some shock and awe throughout the congregation. Yeah, we are awesome.

First, I decided I was going to dress up as a pioneer. High collar, bonnet and all. That would be distracting...there would be some giggling and some disdain. But not enough. So then I added getting up to the pulpit and start by singing "Pioneer children sang as they walked, and walked, and walked, and walked, and walked, and walked, and walked, and walked, and walked......" and see how long the children walked before the Bishop stopped me. That would be good...no doubt some people would find this hilarious (most likely the deacons) and others would be downright horrified. But the best part is what happens before I make it to the stand. Everyone will turn their heads as they watch me start at the back of the gym...pulling a handcart. A heavy one. It will take me a good 20 minutes to make it to the pews after which I will call out "A little help here!" as I try and pull the handcart through the aisle...and we know it won't fit...so there will be lots of grumbling and crashing about on my part. Then I will start into a monologue about the life of a women pioneer and hard it is and show everyone the meager supplies I have. A bag of flour...meager...but enough to throw out into the congregation and dust everyone with a nice coating of white powder. I think that will do the trick.

Does anyone want to come hear us speak next Sunday?

Man of the Hour

2011-07-13T18:03:00.000-07:00

Interview taking place in real time..as I type.
(Scene: I am sitting on my bed with the laptop and Carter is laying sideways on the bed entangling his feet and arms..already in his jammies)

Me: Excuse me sir, please state your full name:
Carter: C. A. R. T. E. R. (spelled it out)

Me: Is that your first or middle name?
Carter: First..is that right?

Me: What is your full name?
Carter: I can't do it.

Me: Is it Joshua Carter Van Noy?
Carter: yes, but I can't spell that.

Me: How are you today?
Carter: Good! I'm Good!!

Me: Did anything exciting happen today?
Carter: Yes!! I lost my first tooth!

Me: How did that make you feel?
Carter: Happy!

Me: Were you nervous?
Carter: A little bit....AND my other tooth right by the tooth that is nowhere is almost going to come out...the big one. Am I not old yet?

Me: Well I think you are getting pretty old. Can you stop growing?
Carter: No...I can never. If I eat good food I can grow...if I eat bad food I will get small. In primary I learned that.

Me: Well maybe I should only feed you bad food from now on so you can stay small.
Carter: Are you just kidding?

Me: What is your favorite movie to watch right now?
Carter: My mouth can say this really fast so you might not can hear it. (and he spits out Tom and Jerry and Spongebob really fast so it is almost unrecognizable...haha) Haunted Mansion and Jimmy Neutron are also added to the list.

Me: Do you have any friends?
Carter: yeah...Ethan, Charley Kate, Carson, Nathan, and Dew Drop.

Me: Who is Dew Drop?
Carter: (giggling) Dew Drop is Carson's middle name. Wait no...Dew Drop is not Carson's middle name...he is a new kid and he is my best friend.

Me: So...who is Dew Drop really?
Carter: Dew Drop, Dew Drop, Dew Drop...hmmm...Dew Drop is his last name and Laney is his middle name and Alex is his first name.

Me: Will I be able to meet him sometime?
Carter: Ummm...if you can find him....because he is actually always behind his mom. So you have to look behind all the moms to see if you can find him. And you don't know what his mom or dad looks like. I know his Dad's name. Oh I forgot.

Me: Oh how old are you?
Carter: I am five and I just lost a tooth!

Me: When is your birthday?
Carter: June 6th.

Me: What is your favorite thing to do?
Carter: Play the Wii and watch TV and play with my best friends when they come over aaaannnd sometimes I like playing with my toys and sometimes I snuggle up with my mommy. snuggle up snuggle up snuggle up (said in a funny voice) and O.V. E. but don't type that.

Me: What is your favorite Wii game?
Carter: Indiana Jones and Spongebob (at this point he is a wearing a small wire garbage can on his head and is fidgeting madly)

Me: What is your favorite food?
Carter: oooh Sushi...heeheehee I don't like sushi.

Me: If you could only eat one more food what would it be?
Carter: mmmmm Spaghetti and Meatballs

Me: What do you want to be when you grow up?
Carter: A store shop...Wal-Mart.

Me: you want to be Wal-Mart?
Carter: I work at Wal-Mart

Me: What do you think you will do at that job?
Carter: get money (well said)

Me: Do you want to be done with this interview?
Carter: No. My mommy helps me get dressed and she plays with me and she always gets in the shower when she wakes up. Are you typing that? Typing whatever I say? I like going to my friend's house. And I like going to McDonald's but it makes me fat. And draw. And color and play with my toys. And I like getting Mohawks. Aaaaannnnd. And that is all. I don't have anything in here. I am done.

Me: Okay thank you!
Carter: Goodbye (and then he sung a little ending theme song)

haha. Fun boy. My boy. I love you.

I Dreamed a Dream

2011-06-30T11:33:00.000-07:00

Normally I don't post dreams because well...they are not real and many tend to lead to me making out with past boyfriends...or boys I once passed in the hall that weren't friends. What? Yeah. Classy huh.

This morning though I am still reveling in my dream. Such a nice dream.

In my dream I was at a concert of sorts...maybe something like Madrigals in high school but on a slightly bigger scale...maybe at the fair. There were lots of people there and many were from back in the day (high school) and several from my current life.

I had ventured back stage to mingle with my friends who would be performing. As I was talking to them the announcer was saying, "Laura Van Noy is this your husband? Laura Van Noy?" So I peeked around the curtain and Josh was standing there and I nodded my head as my cheeks blushed because everyone was staring at us. Then it hit me and I got all flushed and jittery because Josh was about to propose to me in front of all these people!!

A couple of songs were performed and then Josh was given the microphone. At first I was a little embarrassed because he couldn't seem to get things out right...to make a lot of sense. But then he got sentimental and brought me to tears and THEN he broke out into a love song that he sang perfectly...but not too perfectly. I knew the song until I tried to write about it here...now I can't remember. As everyone was cheering and clapping (and the people in my ward were in the front row laughing their heads off...like rolling on the floor laughing) Josh got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. He slipped a ring on my finger and I said "sure" and in my dream I got mad at myself for saying "sure"...that was a stupid answer after such a nice proposal. Then in my dream I kissed the ring first...then wrapped my arms around Josh. I am mad at myself for kissing the ring first...what?!?!

Then we were having our first dance and Josh was dressed as a severely good looking cowboy. In my dream I was like "WHOA!"...and then made mental notes to go shopping today and purchase the exact outfit. Then we started dancing and the crowd joined us.

Awww...such a nice dream.

I think this dream stems from a couple things...

1. I read too much Pioneer Woman.

2. Last night I was asking Josh if he thought of other women (I know I am not the only wife to ask this...on occasion) because he was working on a house yesterday and the owner happened to be there working alongside him in her work-out clothes...I did not push any further into the description of said work-out clothes as I was sure I would get more furious by the minute. AND she told him he should come over and have dinner at their house. The NERVE. Somewhere in the discussion Josh said, "Laura, I only walk the line the connects you and me and that is the only line I will ever walk." (this was real Josh...not cowboy dream Josh...but would have been awesome if it was real Josh in the cowboy Josh get-up.)

So I guess his sweet assurance last night led to me getting all mushy and having him express his unwavering love all through the night in my dreams. Dream Josh is a lot more fun at 3:00 in than morning than real Josh who is snoring soundly next to me. But despite what this post may suggest. I still like real Josh best.

Three Good Things From Today

2011-06-29T20:00:00.000-07:00

*Went with Casey to Sis. Luckett's house and helped her clean out her pantry.

*Used my "backstage pass" that was given to me to attend the Young Women's modest fashion show.

*Went to visit Brenda and Carter went to visit Ethan.
(my friend Brenda has been home for a couple of weeks now...after 3 long months in hospital...she is getting better slowly but surely...but still cannot eat:( )

Today I am thankful for:

*Fresh, crisp, cold watermelon *Holidays (can't wait for Independence Day!) *Netflix Instant Streaming

Three Good Things From Today

2011-06-28T20:43:00.000-07:00

1. Chit Chat Tuesday...where we ate fattening, delicious snacks and had a gift exchange.

2. Chit Chat Tuesday

3. Chit Chat Tuesday

Nothing beats a girls night out!

Today I am thankful for:
*Carter: I woke up to his giggles today and he scratches my back.
*Girlfriends!!
*Our Troops

Three Good Things From Today...And Yesterday

2011-06-27T20:35:00.000-07:00

1. Just got home from seeing Cars 2 with my boys. We loved it. Carter and I stayed home all day so it was nice to get out of the house!

2. Talked to Mister Page yesterday (when Carter was two he called her "Mister" because she was a sister missionary) and found out she is coming to visit...Hoo-Ray!

3. Got a tad bit more of the reunion planning done. Last minute? The only way I do things.

Today I Am Thankful for: *Atrion...he is sooooo sweet and melts my heart.
*Julie...I called her for a split second today and talking to her on the phone always makes me happy.
*Josh...who came right home from working today, showered immediately, and then got right back in the car to go to the movie with us. Things are always funnest when he is there.

(These are in no particular order mind you)

Three Good Things From Today

2011-06-25T20:25:00.000-07:00

*Today marked one week of NO SODA. Though it was not terribly difficult...I wanted it. I thought of it. I realized when I came home and had to pour a glass of ice cold soda and sit and de-stress that it had become a bad thing. I am not saying I will never drink soda again...but for now. No.

*Got groceries for the next week. My next goal is absolutely NO eating out at all next week. We are busy...we are always on the go somewhere so eating out has become very common. I have never been one to plan ahead and pack lunches or snacks to take with us wherever we go...but now I will need to learn how to do that. We spend way tooooo much money at restaurants. Time to fix that. I am not saying I will never eat out again...but for now. No.

*Made a Goodwill run...which means 4 extra big garbage bags of clothes are no longer in my house.

Today I am thankful for: *My sister Casey *Dove Raspberry Chocolate *Church...looking forward to tomorrow.

Three Good Things From Today

2011-06-24T20:23:00.000-07:00

1. Saw Ashley Higginson Rees' sweet face via Skype. I love you! Made my heart smile...Orlin...yours too;)

2. Set details for the 10 year class reunion (thus the above skype-ing)

3. Went to dinner with Josh and Carter. My favorites. It included Sweet Potato Fries...oh yum.

Today I am Thankful for:
*The Internet and Skype *Good books to read *Friends that text me

Giveaway!

2011-06-08T23:16:00.000-07:00

Hey Y'all!

A friend from high school is hosting a giveaway over on her blog. Go check it out and enter to win!

Some Afters and Treasures

2011-06-07T13:08:00.000-07:00

The above is my living room mantle that I adore just looking at. :)

Below is my headband holder and a selection of headbands made by my sister and myself. I could have arranged them nice for the picture I guess.

I adore this birdcage that was a Goodwill find. It fits chirppingly on my bedroom mantle. Yes, I did just say that.

This is that ugly brown mess that I hated when I saw it at the Goodwill outlet. But with a little TLC it was the perfect solution to the lack of a full length mirror in my bedroom. It was only 4.99. All the mirrors I had my eyes on around town were around 80 bucks. I think I made a good choice.

Love these.

Not a good picture at all...but you can see these beauties cleaned up nicely. I quite adore them.

Ugh Blogger....Really.

2011-05-24T22:10:00.000-07:00

So I just did that huge location post and it is an utter mess. Why does it not post how I type it? So anyways...I will fix it later. Just letting you know...that I know...that it is a mess.

In other news...I made Red Beans and Rice for dinner. It was good.

Location...A Copy Cat Post

2011-05-24T22:01:00.000-07:00

A couple of my girlies did this recently and I realized how very helpful it would be if I did so as well. Over the years I have updated my resume and always have trouble remembering past dwellings...so maybe this will help me...but I understand it is utterly disinteresting to most of you.

#1. The Newlywed Castle: also known as Country Villa
         ~ Twin Falls, ID
         ~2 bedroom 1 bath apartment
         ~We managed the little 8 unit complex in exchange for rent
         ~We both attended CSI, Josh worked at JC Penney and
             we both worked at Heritage Retirement Center for a spell.
    ~ August 2002-May 2003

#2. The Escape the Hometown Desperation Move: aka Bountiful Court Apartments
         ~ Provo, UT
         ~ 2 bedroom 2 bath student housing...normally 6 college students lived in
           these units...temp. housing...had to move once summer was up
         ~ We cleaned the laundry rooms weekly in exchange for discounted rent
   ~ Josh transferred to JC Penney Provo and I did a good job of
            flunking two summer school classes at BYU while working at Subway
                    ~May 2003-July 2003

#3. The Had To Move Immediately and Try and Find Free Housing Place: AKA Beehive Homes
         ~ Orem, UT
         ~9 bedrooms 11 bathrooms Assisted Living Home
         ~We got a big room with a private bath free in exchange for working the night
            shift and taking care of 8 old ladies. Holy Crap...2 newlyweds were not ready
          for 8 babies all at once...I need to do post on this. Awesome memory.
         ~Josh still worked at JC Penney...I have no idea what I did. I am positive
   I did something though. I am sure of it. But what?
                  ~August 2003-October 2003

This is where it starts to get shady and hard to keep straight.

#4. I think we moved into my parents house?? AKA: The Den
         ~ Twin Falls, ID
   ~ 1 Den Bedroom...shared bathrooms with the fam.
         ~Though I love my family...one should rarely move back into a childhood
             home after being married. It is not fun to have to follow the house rules again.
             But really it wasn't that bad...just need own place.
                 ~October 2003-November 2003

#5. Get out of Parents House at All Costs Place: AKA Basement Room of Kellen Harrison's old house.
         ~ Twin Falls, ID
        ~1 Bedroom and Private Bath (although we went on a trip for Thanksgiving and came
             back to our bedroom door open and pee let in the toilet...so much for private)
    ~My aunt (Dad's sister) married a nice fellow and this was his parent's house.
   But it is kind of weird because I remember Kellen living there...anyways.
    ~I worked at Barnes and Noble in the cafe making coffee. Met fun people
but would much rather have worked with the books.
~Josh either worked at JC Penney or Heritage or both.
    ~Got Antsy...just could not stay there...no kitchen...not as much
    privacy as we needed.
                  ~November 2003-December 2003

#6. Total Change of Plans Impulsive Move Place: AKA Josh's Parent's House
    ~ Santa Clara, UT
~Guess we didn't learn out lesson about living with parents:)
    ~We got the use of 2 bedrooms and bath.
   ~Josh mom was joining Josh's dad in Africa for 6 months...we were to
   house sit while attending school. I think his mom actually ended up only
   leaving for a few weeks. Love her. Don't love living with other people
in their house:)
   ~We both attended Dixie State and Josh worked for
   Gordon Pavement and I worked a month at Arctic Circle.
           ~Josh got In State tuition...I didn't...boo.
                    ~December 2003-May 2004

#7. The Move Back to In State Tuition Zone and Get Out Of Parent's Homes Place: AKA McIntosh Manner
           ~ Bartz Way Pocatello, ID
           ~The first place we had to pay full rent on...and it was tiny.
           ~We both worked ALL DAY at Convergys call center.
            ~I hated working there ...it was seriously our life...all we did. Yuck.
                    ~June 2004-August 2004

#8. Get Off Campus and Cheaper Rent Place: AKA Princeton Basement
           ~Just down the street from campus...easy walk. Basement of a University Professor.
           ~It felt nice and big after our small apartment...but was kind of dumpy.
             Lots of Hobo Spiders...EEEEKKK! But for the most part we enjoyed it.
           ~We both went to school full-time at ISU.
                    ~August 2004-March 2005

#9. The Finally Getting Free Rent Again Place AKA: Chaud Rentals/North Arthur Apartments
            ~"Ghetto" side of town. (which after living in Memphis...ghettos do not exist in
                Pocatello)
        ~Got a 3 bedroom, 1 bath condo with a little backyard for free
            ~Managed the 24 unit complex...met some life long friends (Hi Leah and Brandi!)
            ~Continued education at ISU
    ~had a great time here...even conceived a baby! go us!
    ~March 2005 to May 2006

#10. The Acquired Another Property Management Job With Nicer Accommodations Place:
   AKA: Fairway Estates
             ~Pocatello, ID
             ~2 bedroom 2 bath condo...swimming pool and office (no more home office)
            ~ Free plus a big salary....yay moving up!!!
            ~ Carter was born a week or so after moving in...his first home!
             ~Continued education and worked both properties.
                  ~May 2006 to June 2007

SAratoga
                  ~Twin Falls, ID
                                ~Excited to move back to Twin. Found great property management job.
                                         ~Moved out after a week when I found out Regional Manager made promises
                                           he was not able to keep.
                                                ~Back to square one....moving back down...boo.
                                                              ~June 2007-June 2007

#12. Back to the Parent's House with our Tails Between Our Legs.
                    ~sniff sniff....waaaa waaaa life is hard right now cry cry but Carter had a blast!!
                                                                ~June 2007-July 2007

#13. Back to School to try and Pick Up Where We Left Off Place: AKA Tahoe Place
                     ~Chubbuck, ID
                                  ~5 bedroom 2 bath.....huge backyard that backed up to a huge park...LOVE.
                                            ~This whole time we were still managing North Arthur Apt(the owner's still
                                                   thought we lived there and had no clue we had moved 3 times...this is
                                                   not dishonest...it shows we are dang good at managing properties...no
                                                   hiccups in their income while we were going through disasters:) go us! ha
                                                      ~We got such a big house because my sis and Katie were going to live
                                                         downstairs. And they did. But at different times and not as long as we
                                                         planned. So another fail...rent was too much. But we endured.
                                                               ~Continued education and picked up another property
                                                                  management contract....Summit Apts.
                                                                          ~July 2007-May 2008

#14. Take A Leap of Faith and Get out of Dodge Place: AKA Mississippi!!!!
                      ~Hernando, MS
                                   ~3 Bedroom 2 bath Manufactured Home Free plus salary... Finally back on top
                                     again!! Woot!
   ~ Office of my own...not in my home...gonna get myself a gnome.
                                                                          ~May 2008 to Present! (look at us being here 3 years
                                                                             already!)

2 moves cannot be disclosed on this list....will have to edit in the future. But that brings the grand total to 16 moves in almost 9 years! phew! We are gypsies.

Currently loving the charming town (but I do have an itch to move to a new town...it happens yearly). We will stay put longer due to some business ventures both of us are taking on. While property managing, Josh also works on home remodeling and restoration. He is also starting out on his own buying houses and flipping or renting them...good luck to him on that as he is just getting started! My sister and I are going in a different directions and honing our creative skills. Re-purposing and up-cycling and refinishing treasures. My boutique should be open sometime this summer. Good luck to me as I am just getting started!

Life is good and I feel very blessed. The hard times we had make perfect sense when I look back over the path we have had to take. Had those times not come...we would not have ended up here...which is where we definitely need to be at this time in our life. There is no doubt in my mind those things happened for a reason. And though they were hard at the time...I wouldn't change it. The experiences we have had are irreplaceable.

Lately...

2011-05-11T14:27:00.000-07:00

Man I have needed to update forever. My laptop is on the fritz and can only be used for a few minutes at a time...so I have stopped using it altogether. I keep up a little bit via our cell phones but haven't done much posting. Now, I have some down time because I am at my sister's watching my nephew while she and the hubs go on a date. So I will use her laptop. Have I mentioned yet that my sister moved to Mississippi? Right to my same town? It has been awesome! I especially love getting to spend time with Atrion...he is so, so sweet and I just adore him.

What have we been up to?

Carter started his second year of T-Ball. His team this year is the Hernando Yankees. He has grown by leaps and bounds from last year....going from being one of the smaller on his team to now being the biggest. He is really great on the field and stops the majority of the balls. I have to yell out to him from the sidelines to please give other kids a chance to get the ball. He will then let one go by for someone else. He needs more work at batting. He hits the tee a lot and then when he does connect it just kind of dribbles a few feet in front of him. If he could connect right he has the power to hit it out there. Josh is working with him. I will admit...I am one of those moms that wants Carter to be good...one of the best on the team. I don't really settle for mediocrity. I am not mean about it or anything but when I know there is potential there I expect to see it reached. With that said we have a lot of fun going to his games. The kids are riot to watch...after all...they are only 3 and 4 years old.

Casey and Atrion enjoying Carter's t-ball game as well. So fun to have them here!

I have also been trying my hand at couponing. I follow Freebies2Deals and am on high alert for items I can get for free. It has been fun...it is really satisfying to come out of the store with items you had to pay NOTHING for...legally.

This is my first picture of completely FREE! There are items even missing. I will have a second picture soon. This is all stuff I use. The travel size items are perfect for 72 hour kits...or for...erm...traveling. Getting laundry detergent and deoderant free are my favorite scores. By the way...I really love Ban Deorderant. It works superbly. I had never used it before getting it free....now I am always on the look out for a good deal for it because it is pricey when full price. If you want to try I have seen it at Wal-Mart with a $1.00 off coupon attached to it. My couponing ambition is now trying to get some free or cheap toilet paper.

I have no secrets or real advice other than saving your coupons. I only get Red Plums in the mail and then whatever I find online...I have yet to get hard core enough to subscribe to the Sunday paper...but some of the best coupons are in there I hear...so I am sure the Sunday paper is in my future. Then subscribe to some coupon sights...they do most of the work for you. They tell you where and what coupons to use to score deals. Then...you have to be a nerd and carry your coupons with you wherever you go in case you come upon an unexpected or unadvertised sale...that is how I got the Purex for free. Kroger had it on sale for 1.99 each...I had two 3.00 off coupons...so I made money on buying one...which I used to get another one for free. I did not hear about that deal online...so I just happened upon it and was really excited that I had my coupons with me. I am not smart enough to be one of the extreme couponers. You have to be good at math and have loads of time and devotion to spend on it. For now I am content with how things are going. More of a little hobby than an obsession, if you will.

P.S there are lots of companies that give away free stuff online....usually when you 'like" them on Facebook. It is fun to get free stuff in the mail too.

Lately I have also been in a crafting and repurposing craze with my sister. Goodwill has become a treasure trove that we like to haunt weekly. I love to get ugly, wooden or metal pieces and refinish them. Love it! I have a lot of really cute pieces in my home now that would cost me a fortune if I bought them new. I also get more satisfaction from the things in my home when it is something I created or beautified.

I LOVE this headband I made. I don't think the picture shows just how fun and cute it is to wear. I wear headbands all the time so I love that I can make my own.

Here are a few of my projects...I don't have the "after" pictures with me....so I will leave you in suspense.

2011-04-25T10:23:00.000-07:00

I love to eat out of spoons like this. It is fun.

@*$&%O@

2011-03-30T03:47:00.000-07:00

I should be sleeping. I NEED to be sleeping. For some reason I woke up at 3:00 am and have been lying in bed for the past couple hours begging myself to please go back to sleep. I finally dragged myself out to the living room and thought looking at a computer screen might do the trick...writing a boring blog post might be even more helpful in making these lids heavy. My brain is running a million miles an hour so an unloading might help too.

I have our big Relief Society Birthday celebration on Thursday. I never thought about the planning that goes into activities much...until I was the one doing it. Even the smallest, seemingly simple, activities are a lot of work to pull off. It is hard. It is stressful. A large part of the stress coming from me never being able to have an activity completely planned and pulled together until 2 days before it is to be held. Now there are so many things I want to do to make this activity amazing...but no time to do them in. Why don't I learn? Maybe because life never actually lets you get too far ahead...because the month before I was planning something else...and something else before that...so I can never actually plan too far ahead of time because something else will undoubtedly need my attention that has a sooner due date. Already other things are calling for my attention but this party has the soonest due date...so the other things have to wait while I give this activity due diligence.

The theme is "Bloom Where You Are Planted". It will be decorated with lots of flowers and garden-y. Each table will be a different color and represent a fruit or vegetable. For example...the Tomato table. It has a red table cloth. See how that works? Then when the ladies come in they will draw from a hat and be "planted" at a table. Thus...being forced to sit with other fruit or vegetables they might not usually sit with. I know...you all LOVE when this happens. :) I have a little program with some ladies participating as "master gardeners"... Helping us to learn how to bloom where we are planted and live the abundant life. Everyone is supposed to come dressed in gardening attire and a decorated hat. A prize goes to best hat. I will have to try and remember to take pictures. I hope it goes well. If all else fails I have made sure we are going to have fabulous food. We know that is all anyone cares about anyway.

Life has been a little bit harder lately. My good friend, Brenda, went into a routine surgery on March 2nd. She was supposed to be in and out and better within a few days. She is still there. In the ICU. Fighting for her life. Life became "real" all too quickly. It has been so unreal and devastating. She was just at church with me, helping me plan this activity...then the next time I see her she is hooked up to a million different tubes and wires with a machine breathing for her. When I went to see her I was floored. This was only something you see in the movies. How could this be real? She was healthy and alive and had just adopted a sweet, baby girl in November to join big brother Ethan. Ethan is Carter's age and they are best buds. Sometimes real life isn't fun. Sometimes it is scary and hard.

I went to see Brenda again this last Sunday. She has made some great improvement. She is off the ventilator. Yay! But she has a trach and can't talk. But she was awake and she could smile and mouth words to me. I felt worthless because of my lack of lip reading skills. So we both had to be patient as I tried to decipher and she tried to enunciate. Our friend Cathy joined us in the room an hour or so later. That is when Brenda started itching. Cathy would help pull Brenda up a little and I would reach down her back and scratch and scratch and scratch. It felt so good to her. As soon as I would stop she would ask for more. She has been lying in that bed for a month now...no doubt she is uncomfortable and itchy. It won't be able to be relieved or satisfied until she is up and out of there. For a week or two it looked dismal. Most thought we had lost her. That is when I cried and couldn't stop for a while. Then we all fasted and she immediately made small improvements and has been every day since. Until yesterday, she spiked a fever and is in a lot of pain. The doctors do not know why. She has to go for another CT scan. So now the worry is back.

So, life has kind of been put on hold since this happened. She has two small children and husband that has to work to keep thins going and also try to be by her side as much as possible. So I go at stay at their house as much as I can and take care of her babies. Anyone who has 3 kids is crazy. haha...I know most of you! But how do you get anything done? Sweet, little Ilana is 4 months old and just the sweetest, most easy going baby. She is just lovely. And I still can't figure out how to get anything done! But...I can keep her fed and changed and happy. And I can keep Ethan and Carter alive. So that is good enough for now. Her husband also has lots of extended family in the same neighborhood so they help the days I am not there. Actually I help on the days they are not there. Their family is amazing. They never leave Brenda alone in the hospital. They have all worked out a schedule so that someone is sitting with her at all times. Thus, they never miss the doctor or any news and Brenda knows she always has someone to count on. It has been neat to see what this family is made of.

I know you do not know her. But can you pray for her? She just has to get better. She just has to come home! Brenda is my friend that always texts me just to see how I am at the moment. She took Carter into her home weekly and made him feel welcome and comfortable. That is one place he will go without worry or needing me to be there. She made me homemade chicken noodle soup on the several occasions I got strep throat. Homemade noodles!! Josh says he purposely tries to get sick so he can eat her homemade soup...the noodles being his favorite. We both pick things up for the other while shopping just because we know the other would like it or need it...or because Ethan and Carter both need or want the same things. She is just someone I can count on...especially when it came to trusting someone with my child. She made stressful moments so much easier by being able to just take Carter. So I selfishly need her back! But most importantly her kids need her, and her husband need her. So please pray for her. I know without a doubt prayers are heard. Your prayers will be heard and they will make a difference.

It is almost 6:00 am now. I don't feel the sleep coming but I am exhausted. The birds are awake and chirping. I don't know if I just stay up and get to work and crash later...or do I go back to sleep and wake up later? hmmmmmmm....

I Need YOU!

2011-03-09T09:50:00.000-08:00

http://www.nomorerack.com/?cr=110754

There comes a time in every girl's life when she needs a designer handbag. Now is that time for me. But I can't do it alone. That is where YOU come in.

Please..PLEASE take just a few seconds...seriously it is so fast and sign up at nomorerack.com. If I can get at least 30 friends to sign up then I will get a designer handbag...the more friends that sign up...the more expensive of bag I get. And what do YOU get? $10.00 FREE...that is right...just for signing up you get $10.00 to spend at nomorerack. I love this site...so far for every holiday they have given $5.00 gift cards to all accounts...so cool! I have purchased a pair of boots for a killer deal and on today's deal I got one of their infinity scarves. Check it out!

You don't have to buy anything...you don't have to put in a mailing address or credit info...just e-mail. So use a junk e-mail for all I care but PLEASE sign up. I would do it for you in a heartbeat. So help a girl out!

Copy and paste the above url in your address bar. I am afraid to link it because I am scared it will link to the main site and not my special link. Sorry for the extra work but it will be worth it.

Thanks in advance!!

Calling All....

2011-02-16T17:51:00.000-08:00

of you who make things with your own genius and talented hands! (or even off borrowed genius but still with your own hands)

I have insanely talented friends...coughDesicoughKatycoughBeckycoughLaracoughetc. (if you aren't named here please keep reading because I am still talking to you).

I am opening a boutique. Which I need to ask...do you like the word boutique? I really like it. To me it sounds quaint, cute, and like I am going to walk in and find something beautiful or cutesy. My sister on the other hand thinks of cobwebs and dust when she hears that word. What comes to your mind. I really truly need to know.

I will give full details soon. But part of my vision is to be an "Etsy Live" shop. Where I live, internet is not as huge and used as much as in the west. It might be for economic reasons but I am not totally sure. Therefore, so many ...and I mean 95% of the people I talk to have no clue what I mean when I say, "oh I got this on Etsy". So, I want to bring pieces of Etsy to my town. But not really Etsy...I want to bring pieces of YOU to my town.

I am looking for those of you interested in having your creations featured in my shop. I only want to start out with 5-10 of your pieces. If they are a hit we will talk more. If they are slower to move...we may never talk again. Totally kidding. But you understand.

Your items should come with a cutesy tag with your design name and website. I am more than willing to send customers directly to you via the web. I hope this will draw people to my shop to discover new designers as well as boost the sales of those of you who definitely have the skill to make money by your designs and creations.

If you are interested please e-mail me at lauravannoy@gmail.com and we will talk more. And don't feel pressured to think this will have to be a big ordeal. If you only want to make 2 things...then 2 things it is and you can choose to never make another item ever. But I hope we both find that this is not the case.

So e-mail me...and if I want some of you and you don't e-mail me...well...I just may come looking for you. So don't think you get off that easy!

These are a Few...

2011-02-11T12:00:00.000-08:00

of my favorite things. I have seen these posts starting to pop back up and I think they are fun.

1. New Fav. Store. Marshalls!! I sometimes day dream about Marshalls. If I am near it...I must stop in for a look:) My favorite purchases have been purses, a cute cardigan, black trouser socks, the cutest little cards, and two luxurious Calvin Klein pillows . Very inexpensive for high quality, trusted brands. I lived here for over 2 years before I went into this store...I couldn't believe what I was missing!

2. It isn't a secret that I love deal sites...Groupon, Nomorerack.com, Zulily, Living Social, Dealpulp.com, just to name a few. I have scored some awesome deals from these places. I also like following coupon deal sites like Freebies2Deals and Krazy Coupon Lady. I have not gotten serious about couponing...but I think I might give it a try soon!

3. Several of our friends from the ward use Melaleuca and rave about the products...I decided to give them a try because if someone raves I have to get in on it. I have only used 3 products thus far...and thus far I LOVE 3 products. Vanilla Bean Lip Balm...sooooo good. It seriously keeps my lips moisturized and feeling creamy for sooo long after one application. I will definitely have to get more of it. The other 2 products are the MelaSoft Laundry detergent and fabric softener. I am very particular about smells and especially the smell of my clothes so I was leery of trying a new detergent I have never used. I was so happy when I pulled my clothes out and they smelled so good! I will definitely
stick with this product. You only need a tiny pump of it so it will last 3x as long as the other stuff...and it is shipped right to my door!
(you have to be a member to order Melaleuca but I can sign you up if you are interested)

4.Owls. Not the real brown or gray ones. I mean...sure they are all right but not my fav. I like the non-real, cartoony ones that are aqua or pink and whimsical...oooh like this!


If only Carter liked owls too.


I would totally wear this and love it.

If had a little girl her bum would look just like this!

There are a million different owl pendants on Etsy. I want all of them.

5. Blokus. Josh and I like battling it out in this game. Warning: Do not play this game if you are a sore loser or in an particularly bad mood that day. When your spouse blocks you it can seem a bit earth shattering. :) Carter can play, too, with just a little bit of help from us...so it is fun for the whole family. I definitely recommend this game.

6. Maurices. Holding strong for years now, Maurices' clothing continues to be a staple in my wardrobe. I also have a lot of Old Navy and Fashion Bug in my closet.

This will be all for now. You do a post now.

Today

2011-02-09T15:56:00.000-08:00

Was most definitely a snow day! This winter Mississippi has seen more snow than they have in maybe forever!! It has been fun for me actually. I like when it snows down here because you can enjoy it for a day or two and then it usually warms up quickly and it all disappears and doesn't leave behind a huge mess. BUT...it can be catastrophic because they don't have the equipment down here to deal with it and people have no clue how to drive in it. It took Josh over 2 hours to get home today...it normally take 20 minutes!

Just two Saturdays ago it was a magnificent day...getting up into the 70s. Carter thought it was great and enjoyed a Popsicle and a balloon that was as happy as he was. It was so funny because everyone around town was just so happy and in such a good mood. The parks were all full and everyone seemed to have a smile on their face. The power a sunny, warm day can have on your spirits!

Days of Yore

2011-02-06T11:56:00.000-08:00

Blogging has been nagging at me. This is the only place I record anything about our life and I hate that I have missed posting so much. Things are forgotten that I wish I remembered. Yet, it feels like such a chore to sit down to do a post when pictures need to be included. Uploading these pictures took like 30 minutes and I pretty much dread doing it. Gosh life is hard.

So I was sitting here spending my precious time doing....ummm...well....nothing really and decided to open my pictures and post something. These are memories captured in August 2009. That makes Carter just turned 3 in these pictures.

Above is the bridge that runs from Downtown Memphis to the state of Arkansas. Part of the bridge is in Tennessee and the other half is in Arkansas. And that is the mighty Mississippi River.

Below is a Magnolia. Isn't it beautiful! I absolutely love all the Magnolia trees down here.

These pictures were taken at Mud Island. It is a museum that created a miniature version of the Mississippi River. You can see where it starts and follow it all the way on its journey. Kids love to jump around and splash in the water.

Above: Riding the tram to Mud Island

Tom Cruise rode this same tram in the movie "The Firm" which was filmed in Memphis.

I live in an amazing place (despite Memphis being the scum of the Earth and holding the highest of rankings in crime, teen pregnancy, drugs, gangs, murder, theft, etc) and there is so much beauty. I have never felt unsafe (but would never venture in parts of Memphis after dark) and the only time I really hear of or see any of the riff raff is on the news. If I didn't watch the news (and I rarely do anymore) I just might think I lived in one of the best places on Earth. I am now determined to show you more of where I live. I will get on that...in a month or two.

$20.00 Amazon.com Gift Card for only $10.00!

2011-01-18T22:47:00.001-08:00

https://livingsocial.com/deals/21336?ref=personalized-link-box-3772833&rpi=3772833

Go get it while they are still available!!

Be Mine

2011-01-15T14:01:00.000-08:00

Tutorial Here

This is the project I picked for our combined Relief Society/Young Women Activity.

Cute huh!

This website is chock full of the funnest ideas ever!

Tutorial Here

$10,00 Target Gift Card for only $2.00!

2011-01-13T09:58:00.000-08:00

Update: All Sold Out! Sorry Folks!

http://dealpulp.com/?r=delaura18

Use this link to sign up! You will get a $5.00 credit just for signing up! Buy the deal today...a 10.00 target gift card and pay only 2.00! Awesome deal!

I get my toilet paper from Target and that means I will get it for only 2.00 with a dollar left over! Yipppeee!!

Please sign up under my link friends!!!

A Recap

2011-01-09T12:59:00.000-08:00

I swear I just wrote this same post for 2009. Never has a year passed more quickly and smoothly as 2010 did. In fact, I had every intention of setting New Year's resolutions in 2010 and blogging about them...then before I could write them down Christmas had come and now the year has ended. It is one of those moments where I am seriously baffled, left with my jaw hanging open and wondering how this is even possible. Well...I saw the ball drop, so I guess it is official.

Like I said...2010 was almost perfect. A bump in the road...not even really my bump...not even my road...but it affected my travel nonetheless. That is the only thing I can think back on as being unwanted. Really, I couldn't be more grateful for the year my little family had. We made great leaps and bounds in our financial goals which feels pretty amazing. That is probably what I will remember 2010 for. Realizing we have made some good decisions and have been blessed with opportunities. Knowing the Lord is mindful of our efforts. Knowing a path is being laid out. It leaves me feeling very optimistic and excited for the future. But, also cautious and cognizant that trials do happen and we may experience very different times than the one we just had. I just hope not:) haha.

We did not travel as much this year but enjoyed a couple trips down south to Mobile and Southern Mississippi to visit family. Spring Break offered excitement when my mom, brother, and sister came this way. We enjoyed time at the beach and just loved being together.

In July I kept (somewhat) my promise of making Josh's 30th birthday memorable. While I had all intentions of making the day huge and mind blowing (ha!)...it turned out to be rather calm and easy going...but not without an adventure mind you. I surprised Josh by packing us all in the car and heading north. I did not tell Josh where we were going until we were well on our way down the road. I let him guess and he did figure it out! We made our way to Nauvoo. This is a place we had both been wanting to see and had never been. While it was way different than what I had been imagining all along, it was a fantastic trip. It left me wanting to read every book about the place and the history of the Saints. I have yet to read one though?

From there we drove back to St. Louis at stayed in the Hyatt as close to the arch as one can stay. It was the 4th of July and I thought it would be great to watch the fireworks explode under the arch. It was great! It was jam packed with people...but the proximity of tour hotel made it stress free and easy. The B-52s performed before the show and I heard them sing "Love Shack" live! haha...it kind of makes me laugh. The fireworks were great...but I have to admit I was a bit disappointed with them. I had really high expectations because it is a big city for one...and one of the nation's landmarks for the other. I expected perfection...but they were just good. :) Still so much fun though. St. Louis is a great city. The next day we took Carter to the Children's Museum there and it was a blast.

On June 6th Carter turned 4 and had a ROCKIN' birthday party if you remember. So much fun! He, too, has made leaps and bounds in all aspects of his development and the only trace of baby left in him is when I will look at his hands and recognize them from when he was born. I think the first thing I saw when Carter was born was his big hand. They still have the tiniest bit of chub on them and I like to hold them. I miss baby Carter. He was so sweet. But I love my big boy Carter...he is sweet too. Growing up is just a bittersweet thing.

On August 9th we celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary. My mom came down for a couple of days after attending school in Ohio before she headed back to Idaho. It was so great to have her here. She took Carter for 2 nights and let Josh and I have the first overnighter we have had together for over 2 years. Can I say it was MUCH NEEDED!! It is rare to get consecutive hours with just the two of us and it is so refreshing when it happens! Thanks mom! We then spent a couple of great days in the company of my mom. I hate we live so far away!

In August I was called in to the Relief Society presidency. This is the first time I have been in a presidency since I graduated Young Women's. We have moved so much and I have never been given the opportunity to serve in any major callings. While it seems to be one of those unwritten rules to pretend to hate getting big callings and joke about how horrible it is...I was actually really excited and I have been very grateful for the opportunity. This has forced me straight out of my shell and put me right in front of all of the ladies...a place I never put myself. I look forward to what the year holds in our Relief Society.

Shortly after Josh was bumped from 2nd counselor in the Young Men's to President. Working with the youth is far more time consuming than the adults. Josh has a camp out every single month to attend...not to mention activities every Wednesday night. So his free time is far and few between but he is perfect in his calling and always gives 456%. Everyone knows this and goes to Josh when they need someone to step up to the job. I am proud of him.

We enjoyed a quick Thanksgiving trip to Las Vegas and St. George. I got to see Josh's family for the first time in 3 years and we had a great time. We drove...thought we were crazy for thinking of it...but it went so well...so smoothly. AND...all without a DVD player! Josh has THE best family. I could not ask for better in-laws. I loved, loved being with them and only wish we could have stayed for another week or two...heck...I would live there! :)

Christmas was great and spent at our little home with our little family. We have been playing the Wii ever since Santa dropped it off at our house.

There a million small things that make up one big year that I can't even recall them all right now. But I am so grateful for such a great 2010 and can only hope and pray that 2011 is even better! I often will be going about my day and all of the sudden just smile at the awareness of my happy life. I love my boys. l love that we might do things out of the ordinary and unconventional at times...but we do it! And it works! We are happy! We get along so well and enjoy spending our free minutes/hours together. Josh and I are in sync and have the same goals and want the same things for our life and our future together. We look forward to it with enthusiasm.

What do all the cheesy boards hanging in Mormon homes say? "Come What May and Love It"?..."Grow Old With Me The Best is Yet to Be"? "Live, Laugh, Love"? "Simplify"? "All Because Two People Fell in Love"? "Always Kiss Me Goodnight"?...yes, I think that sounds nice. I will take every cheesy bit of it!

Happy New Year! May 2011 be simply amazing for each of you!

DVD Update

2011-01-08T13:24:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to start a running tally of the DVDs I have received. Thank you so much to those of you who have participated thus far and I hope more of you will join in! 2 of my friends sent DVDs via Site to Store at Wal-Mart. That worked very easily and I had no trouble picking the DVDs up. So that will save you shipping! Just add me as a "pick-up" person on your order.

So far I have received 10 new DVDs:

*17 Again
*Julie &Julia
*Strawberry Shortcake Berry Blossom Festival
*Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium
*The Secret Garden
*Dumb and Dumber
*Twilight
*Hairspray
*Secondary Lions
*Corpse Bride

I would love to double this within the next couple weeks so if you can help add to the list PLEASE DO!! Remember they have to be brand new, still in the wrapping. PG-13 or lower ratings. The patients range from babies on up through the teens. All DVDs will be donated to St. Jude Children's Hospital.

If you have questions you can e-mail me directly at lauravannoy@gmail.com

Thanks!!!

A Toy Review: Melissa and Doug See & Spell

2010-12-30T10:09:00.000-08:00

First...is anyone else having trouble with images uploading?? I just get an error every time. So I am bummed I can't post the pics...so to see the products click on the link.

http://www.melissaanddoug.com/see-and-spell-learning-game

I am a toy lover. When it comes to buying toys I sometimes can't help myself and get excited about my purchases and love to try them out with Carter.

If you are a mom you most likely know who Melissa and Doug are...Josh had no clue. I got a huge shipment of toys from Melissa and Doug this month (due to an awesome online promotion) and thought I would review them.

The See and Spell is an educational toy. Carter, in fact, does not consider it a toy so much as "school" or "learning time".

Pros: Durable, High Quality
         Educational
         Not too challenging but kids have to search through 70 letters to find the correct ones so they do have
         to use some effort.
         Repetition-finding letters for the same boards over and over is good

Cons: I have found a lot of the toys from Melissa and Doug toys come tightly plastic wrapped but with no
   lids.once opened there is no good way to store them. I put all the letters in a gallon size zip lock bag.           This would have been made perfect if it had a sliding lid to store the letters and word boards.
         If you aren't imaginative and don't come up with your own alternative game play then your child might
         become quickly bored with this toy.

Alternate Game Play Suggestion: Place all the letters in an opaque bag or container. Have the child or children pick a word board. Each child takes a turn reaching into the bag and pulling out one letter. If it matches their board they keep it...if it does not match they put it in the letter graveyard. The next player can either choose a letter from the graveyard or draw a new one from the bag. Once a word board is complete the player gets a point and tries to complete another board. Once all the letters are used they get thrown back in the bag. Game ends when a player reaches a set number of points or all the boards are complete.

What I Like Better: Cranium Polar Bear A-B-C http://www.hasbro.com/games/cranium/browse.cfm?page=&product_id=21510

This game actually has some pretty horrible reviews on Amazon but Carter loves it and I had fun playing it with him. It is the same concept of finding the correct letters to fit on the word boards but in this game the letters are magnetic and you have to fish for them with a fishing pole out of an ice pond. The only down side is that Hasbro did not include all the letters of the alphabet...which I think for this game is okay. The players are still learning how to spell words. The game play makes learning more interesting and makes it seem like a "toy" rather than just learning time.

Cons: Not as durable as Melissa and Doug
Small letters will get lost easily and are choking hazards for little tykes.

Pro: About $10.00 cheaper than the Melissa and Doug version.
       Fun game play

$5.00 DVDs for St. Jude's

2010-12-16T21:44:00.000-08:00

I have had a couple friends who sent and are sending gift cards for me to do the shopping and to save on shipping items...and that is totally fine by me! I don't mind a bit picking the items up! I have another option for you too if you want to participate...and if you can please do! The more the merrier:)

There are a bunch of DVDs that would work perfectly to donate to St. Jude's. And to save on shipping you can ship them right to my Walmart by choosing "Site to Store". My store is in Hernando, MS 38632...there is only one store in Hernando...so it should be easy to find:) Remember to just pick any movie rated PG-13 or lower and they don't have to be cartoons...any movie is perfect!

http://www.walmart.com/cp/5-DVDs/1068346?povid=cat14503-env172199-module120810-lLinksbnDVD

If you so choose to do this shoot me an e-mail at lauravannoy@gmail.com. You will need to give me the order number so I am able to pick it up.

Thanks!!!

Cute, Cheap Rings

2010-12-15T16:05:00.000-08:00

Today on GroopDealz

http://www.groopdealz.com/index/index/deal/85/ref/3229

I can't get a picture to load...so go check 'em out yourselves...I got 2:)

Blast from the Past

2010-12-12T14:23:00.000-08:00