Birthday tribute to Brian

Happy Birthday Brian!!!

I have been thinking about this blog for a while now. My brother Brian and I are very different in a lot of ways, but different doesn't necessarily mean bad. Many times Brian brings different ideas to mind that I never would have thought of. Growing up I had a difficult time getting along with Brian because of our differences. Although as I look back I think most of that was because of me and not because of him. There were many times that he would ask me to come out and play a game with he and Cheryl and I would get all bent out of shape because I wasn't getting my own way. I would run into the house crying because he and Cheryl were being mean (I really did believe this). In reality they were fine I was just being selfish.

Brian and I had the opportunity to become better friends after he returned from his mission and I was completing my last few years of high school. We finally found common ground as we were in the single stage of life and struggling to understand the opposite sex. I recall conversations of how we both felt that we were great catches but it seemed that no one was fishing. I really enjoyed that time in life because of the closeness that he and I had finally felt. He was also very generous (as he always has been). He had bought a brand new truck and he was more than willing to let me take it places as he knew how much fun it was for me. It was unfortunate years later when he let me borrow his truck and I got in an accident. (oops so sorry!!!)

Brian has always excelled academically. He was one to come home right after school and immediately complete his homework. I don't know how I missed picking up this skill from him. He pulled very good grades in high school and even higher grades in college. He worked very hard to get his masters degree and I admire his drive and determination to get education and get the most out of that education. I can't even tell you how many times he has made the deans list. Many of those times he made it while working full time and working a part time job for Dominoes pizza on the side.

As I look at Brian now I am very proud of the husband and father that he has become. I see him work very hard to to help Shanalea out with the kids. He is a really fun dad to watch because his kids just love him. Brianna will watch (and even LOVES watching) Star Wars because her daddy likes it so much. You can tell that Brian really enjoys being a father to these three wonderful children. Brian is a wonderful older brother and I feel very blessed to have him be a part of my life. Thanks for all you do for me in addition to your love and concern for me. Happy Birthday!

P.S. turn up your speakers because this song is dedicated to you! (I don't know how good this copy is, but since it was the only one I took it!)

Break Through

The other day I read my former bishops blog about a conversation he and his wife had about the "Last Lecture" by Randy Pausche. I was inspired by his comments and decided I wanted to have this same conversation with Kent last night. I was frustrated when Kent was too tired to stay awake for it. As I lay in bed contemplating my frustration I had a realization. So often I get mad because finally the house is quiet and there is nothing to take his attention away from me and I try to converse with Kent and in two seconds he is asleep. Often times in my mind I translate this into "I am unloved," "I am not cared for," "I am unimportant" etc. As I contemplated these ideas yet again I stopped, took a step back, and looked at the situation for what it was. Kent was tired. That had nothing to do with his feelings for me. Nothing at all. I've been needing some conversational bonding with Kent and if I want to get some 10:30 - 11:00 pm is not the time to seek it. This is the proactive way that I came up with to deal with this need. From now on I am going to ask for this time before Kent is tired. Why wouldn't he give it to me. He does love me and he wants to spend time with me, but I can't expect that he can always do it on my terms. So from now on I am going to ask for this time earlier in the night after Braxton has gone to bed. That is how I am changing to make something that has been a negative aspect of our relationship into a positive one! I can make change happen and it CAN be positive!

PS Did I mention...?

The other day I weighed Braxton on the bathroom scale and charted it on the percentage charts. For the first year of his life he was about the 5% in weight. At his 18 month appointment he had jumped to 10% almost 12% and we were so proud. At last weigh-in (assuming I did it right) I discovered he had jumped again to the 25%! YEA Braxton!!! (I wonder if I were ranked among all the people my age today if I would be happy about my percent? Perhaps I would find out that there are a lot of people fatter than me. lol or not *frown*)

Fun, Full Weekend and photos

Kent made Cookies a while ago and left them on the table while waiting to bake.

Braxton saw them and thought 'don't mind if I do...'

Thanks for the cookie dough dad!

Braxton is a very loving and affectionate child.
On Saturday Kent, Braxton, and I accompanied my sister and her family to the zoo and had a lot of fun. The kids were moving the giant globe on the water and loved it.

So smooth!

Checking out the giraffes with daddy.
Kylie posing in front of the baby giraffe

Braxton with mom in front of the giraffe. I swear there were more animals other than the giraffe. Unfortunately we didn't seem to be interested in photographing those animals. ha ha ha
That evening we watched Kaitlyn and Bailey for the co-op.
They are fabulous pianists. (Scary how much Braxton looks like me in this picture)
See how pink my cheeks are when mom forgets sunscreen! (oops)

I do have the best pink cheeks ever though!

Why bother sleeping in the bed when the stuff behind the bed is so comfortable.

(I am not loving the difficulty naptime has become since taking the crib away)

These pictures are from today. I won't caption them because I think they tell their own story. I do have to say that Braxton was just cute here!

Ok so this one is where he just randomly sat down. No it doesn't have much to do with the other pictures.

Taking time for myself!

I have a lot that I should blog about, but I think I will keep it short today as I have things to get done, but I wanted to let you know that I have started a seperate blog for my weight loss and health goals and thought I would tell you for those who are interested. If you want to follow my progress let me know as I will send you an invitation to follow me in my journey. The plus is that I will be (hopefully) more interested in posting pictures of myself of here finally.

My dream interpretation

This morning I dreamed I was being attacked by missiles in my home. Kent and I would run from room to room trying to get away from the danger but every time we ran the missiles seemed to follow. We could see them coming at us from the window. When I looked missiles up on dream moods.com I discovered that the presence of missiles in your dream represents feelings of helplessness and forces beyond your control.

I feel as if Satan has literally waged war upon me and my family. I can feel the strong desire he has to pull my family apart. Kent and I have been struggling and working to fix some things, but Satan keeps tempting me to be impatient and frustrated with Kent’s inability to change in a moment. As I have neglected to turn to the Lord Satan has had a great advantage. However my good friend Becca reminded me that it truly is Satan who is attacking us and I have stay close to the Lord so that I can get through this. Never before have so I literally felt the fiery darts of Satan. However, I know in whom I can look to for safety and help.

Before I awoke from my dream Kent and I came up with a plan to leave the house and take a two days supply with us in case we wouldn’t be able to come back for a day or two. As we walked outside many of the neighbors were also outside enjoying the evening. It seemed as if no one else knew about or was concerned by the missiles. My interpretation of this is that Kent and I need to step outside our door more often and enjoy the life we are surrounded by. I also think that part was telling me that despite the danger I feel now it will pass and all will be well. I only have to trust in the Lord and have hope that he will guide me and watch over me. I may not be a dream interpreter, but those are the feelings my dream has given to me and I feel I have been blessed to have that dream.

Barack Hussein Obama's photo (that's his real name)...... I have tried to choose the best candidate to vote for based on their stand on the issues because I did not want to vote for Mitt Romney solely based on the fact that he and I share the same belief system. When he dropped out of the race I felt that Obama was the better choice left. When my dad told me he had seen him not saluting the flag my mind started questioning. After seeing this picture I CANNOT vote for this man. It is in the simple things that you do that your character is defined and I can not vote for someone this unpatriotic.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/anthem.asp

The Biggest Loser

Did you see it? Do you watch it? For those of you who are Biggest Loser fans you already know that in the finale next week two girls and one guy are competing for the title of Biggest Loser. Last night I was able to watch and I was amazed! I have been cheering for the girls ever since Bob picked all the big boys to be on the blue team. I have loved watching them work hard and while I struggled to understand why Brittany had to go home I still would love to watch Ali or Kelly win. For those of you who haven't watched it I highly recommend it. It is SO inspirational to see all of these heavy individuals fight to lose the weight and actually accomplish it. Maybe after the show is over next week and all the before and after pictures are posted I'll give you the link. Right now the changes shown aren't nearly as amazing as the changes that truly have been made. In addition to my enjoyment and inspiration from the show I would like to share with you the inspirations I have received from the "biggest winners" who have lost weight in my life.

My cousin Sandra allowed me to live with her when Kent and I were dating and engaged. She helped me to see that exercise is not a luxury that I can afford when I feel like it. It HAS to be a part of my life. She has exercised for years and years now and has even changed her diet to include more veggies and fruits and less breads and sugars. I don't know how much weight she has lost but knowing that she did it inspires me to believe that I too can do it. She is an inspiration to me in so many ways.

My other weight loss inspiration comes from my sister-in-law Holly. I never noticed that she had weight she could lose, but she started walking and making the necessary changes to be healthy and she looks fabulous. The most inspiring thing about Holly is that she has been able to keep the weight off even through pregnancy. She amazes me. She walks around her town and goes about 3 or 4 miles (if not more) a day. She makes me feel like I can get control and keep it even though I am not done having my family. I love her and I am always inspired by her in more ways than I can express. Thanks for being my inspiration! I love you!

Word Update...

Just a quick note. So either Braxton is now learning new words daily or I wasn't aware that he also knows the words cousins, Aaron (his cousin), Jesus (I did know, but I forgot), and fish. We went to the pet store last night and Braxton loved it all. It was fun to hear him say fish.

Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh...the Right Stuff

Did you hear? Last week on the Today show the New Kids on the Block announced that they are making a big come back and having a concert May 16th on the Plaza. (Chelsi, here is your big chance!) I had to laugh as I saw them interviewed because my friend and I used to pretend that Jordan was my boyfriend and Joey was hers. I have to say all these years later that she had much better taste than I did.

Braxton's Words

When I was in college I had to do some observing at a daycare. This peticular one I went to was using sign language in the one to two-year-old class. I was amazed at what they could communicate at a young age and knew when I had my children I wanted to use signs. While the idea has become quite popular I have not done this to be a trend follower. Having said that Braxton was exposed to sign a little bit in his first year, but mostly looked at me like I was an idiot. In the last four months or so his verbal language as well as signs have really developed. While he chatters about who knows what all the time he does have some verbal words as well as some signs. This is what Kent and I came up with as we cataloged his words.

Verbal: Mom, Dad, No, Yes, Stacey, Cheese, Truck, Dump Truck, Duck, Kitty, Horse, Banana, Juice, Jessica, Snack (for fruit snack)

Signing: Please, Thank you, More, Milk, Water, Cracker, Cookie, Cheese, Banana, Eat.

(He's made up his own communication for these words in sign)

Talk

Smell

Pacifier

The Ten Virgins

For the last few years I have wanted to read the entire conference ensign before the next conference and it looks like this time I may accomplish that goal. I have read every article with the exception of two articles from the priesthood session of conference. I have really focused the last two weeks on finishing up this goal. As I have read there is one friend in particular who is struggling at this point in her life and we talk about the gospel a lot. A while back I read a talk that I thought she would enjoy and I printed it out and gave it to her. The other day I asked her about it and she said she hadn't read it. This brings me to the parable of the ten virgins.

As I read these talks I want so much to share each and every talk and word with those I love and care about. I have shared a few things with some, but I now realize why it is that we can't share our oil. I could tell you what I learned about the talks. I could make copies of each and every talk that I read that would apply to someone I know, but I can't sit you down and read the article to you and have you be uplifted or even care about the talk. Now matter how I would like to share my oil with you I can not. No matter who you are, Kent, Braxton, my family, my friend, my neighbor, no one.

I look also at all those years that I have slacked off on constantly filling my oil. It doesn't matter if everyone around me reads scriptures, talks by the prophets, prays, etc. My oil can only be filled by me. I can only learn what I have to by reading and searching the scriptures myself. I am amazed as I have tried to strengthen myself that I have missed out on so much for so long. I pray that I don't allow my oil to get so low again. I am not perfect in my scripture study, but I know that I am much better off now than I have been in the past and I hope to only get better and better as I work to fill my lamp with the necessary life saving oil that it needs.

Gratitude and Blessings in March

31 *I am again thankful to have my connection to the outside world...the internet.
30 *I am thankful to have a wonderful family and I am thankful that we had a good time playing the elephant game.
29 *I am thankful that Kent was able to take care of Braxton while I worked even though he was sick.
28 *I am thankful for the creation of karaoke. We karaoked for Michaela's birthday party and it was a lot of fun.
27 *I am thankful for good clean movies that you can enjoy again and again and never worry about who may be watching it.
26 *I am thankful for our money mastery class. I am also thankful that Kent is happy to go with me. I can already see that we will learn a lot in the next 6 weeks.
25 *I am thankful for time spent with Kent's brother Spencer and his family.
24 *I am thankful for my good friend Becca and I am thankful for her calls that make me happy and make me feel connected to the outside world.
23 *I am thankful for my Savior Jesus Christ and the sacrifice he has made for me so that I may once again live with my Father in Heaven.
22 *I am so thankful for my wonderful husband who married me five years ago today.
21 *I am thankful for the wonderful talents of others and their desire to share those talents.
20 *I am thankful to have the majority of my house clean finally.
19 *I am thankful to be able to work it out so Kent and I can go to our finance together next week.
18 *I am so thankful for personal revelation. It was during prayer that I felt impressed to take a class on finances and I was able to get Kent and I signed up.
17 *I was thankful to find Kent in bed reading scriptures and having something to discuss with me from his reading.
16 *I am thankful for dinner at my sisters and all the laughter she and Michaela and I had as we planned Michaela's birthday party.
15 *I am so thankful for all the help with the ward activity. It was nice to have enough help to be able to sit back and enjoy the activity this time.
14 *I am so grateful for being able to set up early for our breakfast tomorrow. I am also so grateful for the help I received in setting up. It's great to have many helpful competent people helping me get things ready.
13 *Today I am thankful for gratitude and I hope it helps my mood so bare with me: I am thankful for Braxton and his patience with me, I am thankful that Kent did the dishes last night, I am thankful there is a way to make a credit card payment on time without some $15 fee, I am thankful for my health, I am thankful for the food I have to eat, and I am thankful for knowledge, education, and the opportunities for my kids, my husband and myself.
12 *I am thankful for great date night ideas that I got from working at the mall. I feel a group scavenger hunt coming on. Yeah!
11 *I am thankful I was able to find someone to cover my shift Saturday so I can take care of my responsibilities as the ward activities coordinator.
10 *I am thankful for family night I have to look forward to because today has been unproductive, uneventful, and I have been a real grouch (adjusting to daylight savings).
9 *I am thankful that even though I am so tired I can enjoy the sun still at 7:00 at night,
8 *I am thankful for my absent mind that took me to my cousins baby shower a week early. It was fun to visit with her and now I can see her and the rest of the family next week too.
7 *I am thankful for my ambition today. I was able to sort through papers, take Braxton outside to play, clean the bathroom, mop the kitchen and bathroom floors, and make five loaves of bread.
6 *I am thankful I can find milk for less than $2.50 a gallon at Costco still. When it comes to things like milk, yougurt, and diapers Costco is a real blessing.
5 *Today I am thankful for a restful sleep. Kent and I haven't been getting restful sleep lately and today I finally awoke refreshed.
4 *I am SO thankful for the Relief Society program. We had a wonderful enrichment learning about Emma Hale Smith and I am truly grateful for the insight into her life. What an amazing woman. (blog to follow soon)
3 *I am thankful my husband saw my need to get out today and took us out to a yummy dinner at the Olive Garden.
2 *I am thankful Braxton was able to get a nap in the car even though we were at a baby blessing at 1:00 pm and eating lunch from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm. I have to say it it also so nice to come home after a nice weekend.
1 *I am grateful Braxton had a good time at Grandma Robison and seemed to be comfortable there.