Calamity Kari

other than a dimple in a cute little chin, what's more adorable than a toothless grin? -azu "betty" espezia

2012-07-12T04:07:00.000-07:00

the tooth fairy has

officially

visited our little home for the very first time!

Bailey lost his first baby tooth yesterday afternoon!

i can't believe how fast time has flown by.

how did my little baby grow so quickly?

from this . . .

. . . to this?

i can't believe he's going to be 5 years old in only 4 short months.

sigh.

with the excitement of losing a tooth,

comes the questions . . .

'is the tooth fairy going to come?'

'what is she going to give me?'

to be honest, i really did not expect this to happen so soon.

so, of course,

i had a big fat >nothing< planned.

i love traditions, so as soon as my kids went to bed,

i hopped on Pinterest to see if there was any good

ideas out there.

Pinterest RARELY lets me down.

i found lots of great ideas,

but i needed to plan something with items that i

already have at home.

so, i implemented a few ideas and was able to consolidate

them into one fun, easy, little (literally!) project.

first off, before Bailey headed to bed,

i went tearing through my cupboards to find a good

container for him to put his tooth in and leave for the tooth fairy.

luckily, in my spices i stumbled upon an expired plastic jar

of McCormick Pumpkin Pie Spice

(i am terrible at keeping tabs on my spices!

don't worry though . . .

i DO check them before i use them.)

i removed the label (it came off very easily),

rinsed it out and handed it to my son to place his tooth inside.

he liked it because the sprinkle part of the lid

is the shape of a star. i told him that was like the bat signal . . .

it lets his fairy know it's the right container!

he also liked the container because it smells like pie . . . heehee

after he fell asleep, i proceeded to write a tiny little letter addressed

to Bailey, directly from his very own tooth fairy, 'Wanda'.

i wanted to give the tooth fairy a special identity and a personality,

so it would be more real for him.

the letter reads:

Dearest Bailey,

You really are growing up!

Thank you for this Beautiful tooth!

I will take good care of it!

I hope you get something nice

with this '1' Dollar Bill!

See you again soon!

Love,

Wanda, your Tooth Fairy

the red splotch on the bottom of the letter is 'Wanda's' special

fairy signature . . .

to make the hand print, i used a red highlighter,

drew a tiny hand on my left index finger,

then (quickly) before it had a chance to dry on my skin,

stamped it on the paper.

i immediately rinsed my finger with soap and water

afterwards, so he can't see that it was from my finger.

i went through my craft box

and found some glittery pom-poms in different sizes,

so i took the boy colors and placed them in the jar.

after that, i folded the dollar bill length-wise in half

and rolled it up tightly and placed it in the jar,

on top of the pom-poms.

next,

i rolled up about 3/4 of the letter

and then placed it in front of the dollar bill,

so it was sticking out right at the top.

i'm hoping he sees that first.

last but not least,

i returned the lid to the jar, screwed it on,

then placed the jar back in his room where

he had left it

(under a small pillow right by his head).

i can't wait to see his reaction!

being a mom is so much fun!

PSSSSST . . . . DOWN HERE . . . .
this project was a lot of fun to make.
the best part is,
you can get CREATIVE!
look around, see what items you have
and really use your imagination!
there is no limit to the rad things you could
come up with.
set the world on fire with your awesomeness . . .
get crafty!

babies are such a sweet and nice way to start people. - don herold

2011-12-24T04:52:00.000-08:00

the other night, Chester and i were sitting

together in the living room with our two month old, Porter.

he had just finished his last bottle of the night

and was in a rather jolly mood,

smiling and cooing at his best friend,

the ceiling fan.

Chester laughed from across the way, where he was sitting on the couch,

and Porter immediately began looking around for his daddy.

so, with that, Chester knelt down in front of the loveseat

where Mr. Squishee and i were sitting

and started baby babbling with him.

we noticed that every time Chester nodded his head,

Porter did too . . .

he's quite a character!

{ my hand is supporting his head,

but that's it . . . he's nodding on his own }

ps . . .

please excuse the rooster crow in the middle of the video.

i was recording with my phone and

my notification tone, the rooster, decided to tell me i had a text.

[ i suppose it is a little

more tame than the previous turkey gobble

or squeeky toy sound i had on there . . . ]

my husband loves it.

NOT!

oh! and one more thing . . .

Happy Christmas Eve!

life is what happens while you are busy making other plans. - john lennon

2011-12-23T01:32:00.000-08:00

fast forward three whole months.

here we are.

december twenty-second.

so many emotions have been spent between september and now.

my heart has been reborn and it has also been broken,

within these 85 days since i last posted.

just to catch you up to speed, this is how things have been:

a very pregnant, cranky me, along with my husband and our

then 1 year old and 3 year old relocated to a cozy little condo.

{ in October, Miss Chloe turned 2 & Bailey turned 4 in November }

our dear home's a/c unit decided it would have a major freon leak in the final days of my pregnancy, resulting in an immediate evacuation for
THREE DAYS.

[ imagine waking up in a thick cloud of smoke

that smells like a mechanics garage. ]

a day and a half after returning to our
humble { not-quite-unpacked } abode, my husband and i ventured
off to the hospital in the wee hours of the morning to

a scheduled c-section delivery.

our beautiful son,
Porter McKay was born at 8:12 am on october 18th,

at a sturdy 9 pounds 1 ounce and 19 3/4 inches long.

we had a bit of a scare when he came out.

there was no cry and the nurses and doctors
would not respond to my questions.

he had passed meconium in utero and manage
to gulp quite a bit of it down.

he was unable to breath and had to be resuscitated.

also, after having MRSA and sepsis after
my previous c-section, my uterus and surrounding tissue
were so covered in adhesions that the doctor

ended up needing to perform a classical
[ up and down ] incision on my uterus.

he wasn't even able to cut in the middle.

the adhesions were so bad, he had to make the
cut about three inches below

and to the right of my belly button.

after surgery i was told that if i were to
become pregnant again that i will most likely
end up having to have an emergency hysterectomy

immediately after delivery and that
is apparently the least of my worries.

upon returning home four days after delivery,

we attended my beloved grandparents 60th anniversary party,

which was organized as a reunion

with their four children, their children and their childrens children.

[ i can't believe i managed to say 'children' 4 times in one sentence . . . ]

after the anniversary/reunion,

my grandfather's health continued to deteriorate.

dementia started to get the better of him.

he could no longer perform peritoneal dialysis on his own at home,

so the doctor decided it was time for *hemodialysis.

[ *side note* hemodialysis is a living hell. i've been on it.

. . . i know there are many things that are worse but personally,

i truly feel it is nearly a fate worse than death. ]

the doctor seemed hopeful that it would
improve grandpa's quality of life

and would even help with the dementia.

i wish he would have been right.

i could tell you a lot more about the final days of his life,

but out of respect for my family as well as my memory of him,

i have chosen to only share the memories of one special weekend.

it was two weekends prior to when he passed.

my aunt came down from colorado to
help my mom and my grandma take care of my grandpa.
his strength had weakened greatly and falling

was becoming a common occurrence.

on friday night, my grandpa had made the decision,

after many days of careful consideration and prayer,
to discontinue dialysis.

it was not helping him, nor improving his situation.

he felt it was more like life support and had decided
some time before that, he did not want to be kept
on any form of life support.

that night, i went to my grandparents
without my husband and children.

my grandpa, my grandma, my mom,
my aunt and i had a nice dinner together.
we laughed and cried and shared precious memories

but most importantly,

we knew it was time to say goodbye.

my grandpa turned to me at the table after dinner,

his eyes filled with tears and said

'Kari'

he opened his arms and i embraced him
and together we cried.

i told him of the great love and admiration i have for him

and that i was going to miss him

so very, very much.

over the weekend my family and i joined together

with my grandparents at their home and enjoyed dinner together,

a tradition we have held my entire life.

we took pictures, each one of us all the way down to baby Porter,

with my grandpa.

i knew they would be something wonderful to have,

but now that he is gone,

they are

TRULY

a treasure.

he passed peacefully november 23, the eve of thanksgiving.

my grandma was by his side.

he lived a long and wonderful life.

he was eighty and had been with his love for sixty of those years.

after his passing, my family and i worked hard
to make his memorial as lovely as we could.
he had asked my aunt to put together his life sketch

and he asked me to read it during the memorial service.

with the incredible responsibility of summing up
such a great man's life into a few paragraphs,
i'm sure you can understand that my aunt
was a bit overwhelmed, as well as worried
that she wouldn't be able to put down
everything that needed to be said.

as she sat down to collect her thoughts,

she found herself at a stand still.

she didn't know where to start.

then it came to her . . .

she went into my grandpa's office

and there in a file cabinet along with
work papers and such, she found the jackpot.

twelve years ago, he had begun writing his very own life sketch.

along with that, she also found journal pages he had kept

as well as handwritten talks he had given in church.

we believe he guided her that day to these wonderful papers.

i would like to share with you a few excerpts
that were included in his sketch:

childhood:

“When I was about 9 years old, Dad bought me a Shetland pony

to use to bring the cattle into the corral after grazing in the pasture.

However, after a few months,

the horse got smart and he would try to bite and kick me.

He knew that he could scare me, and when that happened,

I would have to walk to bring the cows in.

If you have ever walked cows, you know it is important

to have the cows in on time.

Dad thought I was goofing off, and I was spoken to very sternly

and told not to let it happen again.

I tricked the pony for several days with oats,

but he soon caught on to my motives.

This went on for several days, with me trying

my best to get the horse to cooperate, but to no avail.

I spent a lot of time on my feet.

That pony was downright mean.

I kept telling Dad why I was late,

but he thought I was afraid to ride the horse.

One day, unknown to me or the horse,

he watched as I went through the usual ritual of biting,

pawing and kicking to get the bridle and saddle on.

When Dad stepped in the door of the barn, the horse was surprised,

and he nuzzled me like he was my best friend.

To make a long story short, the horse was sold

and the problem of getting the cows in late was cured.

I spent many an hour living the stories

that I heard on the radio while bringing in the cows.

The Lone Ranger, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry and Tom Mix

were my favorite heroes and there were many

fond memories of cattle rustlers creeping up on me.”

meeting the love of his life:

Lloyd graduated from Snake River High School in 1949

and worked on his father’s farm as a ranch hand.

In September of 1950, he and his friends went to the movies in Blackfoot,

where they sat behind Marcia Wallace and her friends.

The next part of this story has 2 versions.

Lloyd’s version holds that Marcia swung her scarf back

and caught him by the neck and never let go . . .

Marcia’s Story, the one most believe,

involves Lloyd pulling her scarf until she finally spoke to him.

engagement:

When Lloyd and Marcia became engaged,

they were unable to set a wedding date because of

Lloyd’s tentative plans to enlist in the service.

Upon completion of boot camp, Lloyd had better

understanding of his deployment schedule and

wrote letters to Marcia and his parents detailing his plans.

Obviously, the letters were different.

Marcia’s contained an official proposal and suggested a marriage date,

while his parents letter was direct and straightforward

and advised them of his pending return and intended marriage date.

Unfortunately, Lloyd placed the letters in the wrong envelopes

and sent the letter meant for his parents, to Marcia
and the letter intended for Marcia, to his parents.

Although embarrassing, the situation was resolved

and the couple married on October 19, 1951.

and finally:

The following excerpt from his personal papers
includes these thoughts about his father:

“I think I owe Dad a lot because he taught me

how to accept responsibilities and along with those responsibilities,

goes the hard work that builds character and stability and leaves

its mark on you for the best and helps carry you through life.”

We couldn’t have said it better about Lloyd.

He set and example for all of us by daily demonstrations

of honoring responsibility and family.

He was a man of integrity, who believed that a

firm handshake still meant something.

Lloyd is survived by his wife of 60 years, his sister, his 4 children and their

spouses, as well as 15 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren.

Lloyd was a kind and gentle man.
A wonderful husband, father, grandfather and friend.

He will be greatly missed.

. . . it's hard to say much of anything after reading that again.

i sure miss him.

fast forward from then to friday, december 2nd.

i was busy cleaning up around the house,

when my husband came walking through our door around noon.

. . . he was fired from his job.

we decided to look at it as more of a blessing than a bad thing.

although it may be terrifying at times,

and money is [ EXTREMELY ] tight,

we finally found the right time for him to return to school

to pursue his masters degree in mechanical engineering.

for now we are just doing the best we
can and relying on our Faith to get us by.

after word got out about our situation,

several people took it upon themselves to be

our ministering angels.

on a sunday night, a few weeks ago

we heard the doorbell ring.

the person had run off but had left
a most precious, thoughtful and gracious gift.

when Chester brought it in, we both wept.

tied to each branch, was a one dollar bill . . .

100 dollars to be exact.

a few days later, a couple that is very dear to us

sent a Christmas card to us that read:

"we hope you have
a wonderful Christmas!

may 2012 be a great year

and bring you many blessings.

hope this can help
make Christmas merry . . ."

enclosed
was a check for
100 dollars.

[ you bet your booty,

we wept again. ]

this holiday season,

i encourage all of us to do a little extra.

whether it be letting someone in ahead of
you in the busy line at the store,

or even just a simple smile and a kind word
to someone who looks down on their luck.

you never know the impact you may have on someone's life,

good, bad or otherwise.

also,

give each person you love just one extra squeeze.

life is precious.

{ don't let things or feelings

get in the way of the

love you have for someone. }

Happy Christmas,

Happy Hanukkah,

Happy Kwanza

and a Fabulous

Festivus for the Restofus.

ridiculously amazing talent.

2011-09-28T08:53:00.000-07:00

my hubs showed me this video and

i just had to share the radness with you crazy kids.

<a href='http://video.msn.com?vid=ae5d535f-e159-4444-98f8-477c47e0d182&mkt=en-us&src=FLPl:embed::uuids' target='_new' title='Unbelievable Dubstep Dance Skills' >Video: Unbelievable Dubstep Dance Skills</a>

reflections for the final weeks of pregnancy . . .

2011-09-27T18:36:00.000-07:00

Click here for some great pregnancy

funnies at offthemark.com!

life is not tried, it is merely survived . . .

2011-09-22T00:29:00.000-07:00

Standing Outside The Fire

Written by Jenny Yates and Garth Brooks

We call them cool

Those hearts that have no scars to show

The ones that never do let go

And risk the tables being turned

We call them fools

Who have to dance within the flame

Who chance the sorrow and the shame

That always comes with getting burned

But you've got to be tough when consumed by desire

'Cause it's not enough just to stand outside the fire

We call them strong

Those who can face this world alone

Who seem to get by on their own

Those who will never take the fall

We call them weak

Who are unable to resist

The slightest chance love might exist

And for that forsake it all

They're so hell-bent on giving, walking a wire

Convinced it's not living if you stand outside the fire

Standing outside the fire

Life is not tried, it is merely survived

If you're standing outside the fire

There's this love that is burning

Deep in my soul

Constantly yearning to get out of control

Wanting to fly higher and higher

I can't abide

Standing outside the fire

Life is not tried, it is merely survived

If you're standing outside the fire

Standing outside the fire

Life is not tried, it is merely survived

If you're standing outside the fire

inventions that will blow your mind . . . or at least make you giggle.

2011-09-20T23:50:00.000-07:00

Sorry folks, I know I'm probably
crushing your dreams by telling you
no more rushing
to get rich off of THESE 10 hot ideas.

. . . they've already been taken . . .

1. Hay Fever Relief Hat

2. P-Mate

3. Ear Cleaner with Video Camera

4. Clawz

5. Houreisen Face Exercise Mask

6. Shouting Vase

7. Egg Serparator

8. Nose Adjuster

9. Snaefell

10. Under-Ease {Anti-Flatulence Underwear}

i try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once.- unknown

2011-09-07T02:07:00.000-07:00

it's totally and completely been one of those days.

no . . . one of those weeks.

actually come to think of it,

it's just been one of . . . those . . . for awhile now.

i got up tonight to

{FINALLY}

take a shower after my husband returned home from work and when i looked in

the mirror, i'm pretty sure this is what i saw

staring back through the reflection . . .

needless to say, i'm ready to have my stress level reduced.

not only is it personal issues, but financial,

as well as family (grandpa is still not exactly on the mend),

nicely coupled with the thought of getting this c-section.

i'm so ready to be done with this pregnancy and hold my sweet baby boy

in my arms, but the thought of going in willingly,

awake while they cut me open

{AGAIN}

is not exactly my dream come true.

especially when the realization hits me that it will be in a little over a month.

i'm terrified.

plus i'm afraid if some of the other stresses in my life don't start to give,

when i go in for my scheduled c-section that i might just up and lose it.

with my last baby, i was scheduled to have a c-section

but went into labor 2 weeks early.

i had to wait for about 2 hours until the O.R. was finally ready for me

(lots of emergencies that night)

and the wait was enough to kill me. they ended up having to pump me full of all

sorts of nerve-chilling type meds because i was faaa-reaking out.

ANYWAY

sorry for the pity party.

just needed to get that stuff off my chest.

things could always be a worse, so i suppose i am grateful for the hardships i have,

because in the grand scheme of things, they really aren't that bad.

if there were no schools to take the children away from home part of the time, the insane asylums would be filled with mothers.- edgar w. howe

2011-09-05T03:19:00.000-07:00

it's official.

i'm getting old.

my first child started preschool in August!

it's been so exciting watching him learn and grow over these last few weeks.

he goes two days a week and it's just about the biggest highlight of his little life!

i'm keeping my fingers crossed that he'll always have that attitude toward school,

{but i'm not holding my breath . . . haha}

he loves his teacher! she is wonderful.

my handsome little guy on his very first day of preschool.

{i love that little dimple next to his bottom lip!}

showing off the rad fishy glasses he made in class!

When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. - Franklin D. Roosevelt

2011-08-18T22:50:00.000-07:00

Get More: Josh Groban, Music, More Music Videos

Irony: The Crust on the Bread of Adversity

by Neal A. Maxwell

Adversity will surface in some form in every life. How we prepare for it, how we meet it, makes the difference. We can be broken by adversity, or we can become stronger. The final result is up to the individual. Henry Fielding said: “Adversity is the trial of principle. Without it, a man hardly knows whether he is honest or not.” (In The New Dictionary of Thoughts, ed. Ralph Emerson Browns, n.p.: Standard Book Co., 1957, p. 6.)

What I now read is a most wintry verse indeed: “Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith.” (Mosiah 23:21.)

This very sobering declaration of divine purpose ought to keep us on spiritual alert as to life’s adversities.

Irony is the hard crust on the bread of adversity. Irony can try both our faith and our patience. Irony can be a particularly bitter form of such chastening because it involves disturbing incongruity. It involves outcomes in violation of our expectations. We see the best laid plans laid waste.

An individual is visibly and patiently prepared for an important role amid widespread expectation of his impending promotion or election. What follows, however, lasts only a very narrow moment in time. A political victory seems so near, recedes, and finally vanishes altogether.

Without meekness, such ironical circumstances are very difficult to manage.

In a marriage, a careless declaration hardens into a position, which position then becomes more important than communication or reconciliation. An intellectual stand is proudly and stubbornly defended even in the face of tutoring truth or correcting counsel. Yet occasionally, as we all know, backing off is really going forward. Sometimes it takes irony to induce that painful but progressive posture.

With its inverting of our anticipated consequences, irony becomes the frequent cause of an individual’s being offended. The larger and the more untamed one’s ego, the greater the likelihood of his being offended, especially when tasting his portion of vinegar and gall.

Words then issue, such as Why me? Why this? Why now? Of course, these words may give way to subsequent spiritual composure. Sometimes, however, such words precede bitter inconsolability, and then it is a surprisingly short distance between disappointment and bitterness.

Amid life’s varied ironies, you and I may begin to wonder, Did not God notice this torturous turn of events? And if He noticed, why did He permit it? Am I not valued?

Our planning itself often assumes that our destiny is largely in our own hands. Then come intruding events, first elbowing aside, then evicting what was anticipated and even earned. Hence, we can be offended by events as well as by people.

Irony may involve not only unexpected suffering but also undeserved suffering. We feel we deserved better, and yet we fared worse. We had other plans, even commendable plans. Did they not count? A physician, laboriously trained to help the sick, now, because of his own illness, cannot do so. For a period, a diligent prophet of the Lord was an “idle witness.” (Morm. 3:16.) Frustrating conditions keep more than a few of us from making our appointed rounds.

Customized challenges are thus added to that affliction and temptation which Paul described as “common to man.” (1 Cor. 10:13.)

In coping with irony, as in all things, we have an Exemplary Teacher in Jesus. Dramatic irony assaulted Jesus’ divinity almost constantly.

For Jesus, in fact, irony began at His birth. Truly, He suffered the will of the Father “in all things from the beginning.” (3 Ne. 11:11.) This whole earth became Jesus’ footstool (see Acts 7:49), but at Bethlehem there was “no room … in the inn” (Luke 2:7) and “no crib for his bed” (Hymns, 1985, no. 206.)

At the end, meek and lowly Jesus partook of the most bitter cup without becoming the least bitter. (See 3 Ne. 11:11; D&C 19:18–19.) The Most Innocent suffered the most. Yet the King of Kings did not break, even when some of His subjects did unto Him “as they listed.” (D&C 49:6.) Christ’s capacity to endure such irony was truly remarkable.

You and I are so much more brittle. For instance, we forget that, by their very nature, tests are unfair.

In heaven, Christ’s lofty name was determined to be the only name on earth offering salvation to all mankind. (See Acts 4:12; 2 Ne. 25:20; see also Abr. 3:27.) Yet the Mortal Messiah willingly lived so modestly, even, wrote Paul, as a person “of no reputation.” (Philip. 2:7.)

What a contrast to our maneuverings over relative recognition and comparative status. How different, too, from the ways in which some among us mistakenly see the size and response of their audiences as the sole verification of their worth. Yet those fickle galleries we sometimes play to have a way of being constantly emptied. They will surely be empty at the Judgment Day, when everyone will be somewhere else, on their knees.

As the Creator, Christ constructed the universe, yet in little Galilee He was known merely as “the carpenter’s son.” (Matt. 13:55.) In fact, the Lord of the universe was without honor even in His own Nazarene countryside. Though astonished at His teachings, his neighbors “were offended at him.” (Mark 6:3.) Even meek Jesus “marvelled because of their unbelief.” (Mark 6:6.)

As Jehovah, Jesus issued the original commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy, but during His mortal Messiahship, He was accused of violating the Sabbath, because on that day He gave healing rest to the afflicted. (See John 5:8–16.)

Can we absorb the irony of being hurt while trying to help? Having done good, when we are misrepresented, can we watch the feathers of false witness scatter on the winds?

Christ, long, long ago as Creator, provided habitable conditions for us on this earth, generously providing all the essential atmospheric conditions for life, including essential water. (See Moses 1:33; D&C 76:24.) Yet on the cross, when he was aflame with thirst, “they gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.” (Matt. 27:34; see also Ps. 69:21.) Even so, there was no railing but a forgiving Christ. (See Luke 23:34.)

Christ was keenly aware of the constant irony: “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” (Luke 9:58.) He asked a treacherous Judas, “Betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?” (Luke 22:48.) And then there was the soulful lament, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, … how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Matt. 23:37.) Yet the repeated ritual of rejection was happening to Jesus all over again.

We all know what it is like not to be listened to, but how about disdain or even contempt? Furthermore, there is a difference between noticing rejection, as Jesus did, and railing against rejection, as He did not.

As the Creator, Christ fashioned “worlds without number” (Moses 1:33), yet with His fingers He fashioned a little clay from spittle, restoring sight to one blind man. (See John 9:6.) The Greatest meekly ministered “unto one of the least of these.” (Matt. 25:40.)

Do you and I understand that the significance of our service does not depend upon its scale?

Within hours Christ would rescue all mankind, yet he heard the manipulated crowd cry, “Barabbas,” thereby rescuing a life-taking murderer instead of life-giving Jesus. (See Mark 15:7–15.)

Can we remain true amid false justice? Will we do our duty against the roar of the crowd?

As the Master Teacher, Christ tailored His tutoring, depending upon the spiritual readiness of His pupils. We see instructive irony even in some of these episodes.

To the healed leper returning with gratitude, Jesus’ searching but simple query was, “Where are the [other] nine?” (Luke 17:17.) To a more knowledgeable mother of Apostles, desiring that her two sons sit on Jesus’ right and left hands, Jesus reprovingly but lovingly said, “Ye know not what you ask. … [This] is not mine to give.” (Matt. 20:22–23.) To a grieving but rapidly maturing Peter, still burning with the memory of a rooster’s crowing, thrice came the directive, “Feed my sheep,” but also a signifying of “by what death” the great Apostle would later be martyred. (John 18:25–27; John 21:15–19.) How much more demanding of Peter than of the leper!

If a sudden, stabbing light exposes the gap between what we are and what we think we are, can we, like Peter, let that light be a healing laser? Do we have the patience to endure when one of our comparative strengths is called into question? A painful crisis may actually be the means of stripping corrosive pride off of that virtue.

To the humbly devout woman of Samaria who expected the Messiah, Jesus quietly disclosed, “I that speak unto thee am he.” (John 4:26.) Yet an anxious Pilate “saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer.” (John 19:9.)

Can we remain silent when silence is eloquence—but may be used against us? Or will we murmur, just to let God know we notice the ironies?

Yet, even with all the ironies, sad ironies, there is the grand and glad irony of Christ’s great mission. He Himself noted that precisely because He was “lifted up upon” the cross, He was able to “draw all men unto [him],” and being “lifted up by men,” even so should “men be lifted up by the Father.” (3 Ne. 27:14.)

But how can we fortify ourselves against the irony in our lives and cope better when it comes?

By being more like Jesus, such as by loving more. “And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, [Why?] because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men.” (1 Ne. 19:9.)

There are other significant keys for coping. “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23.) Wise self-denial shrinks our sense of entitlement.

Another cardinal key is to “live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which [God] doth bestow upon you.” (Alma 34:38.)

Life’s comparatively few ironies are much more than offset by heaven’s many mercies! We cannot count all our blessings every day, but we can carry over the reassuring bottom line from the last counting.

Another vital way of coping was exemplified by Jesus. Though He suffered all manner of temptations (see Alma 7:11), yet He “gave no heed unto them” (D&C 20:22). Unlike some of us, He did not fantasize, reconsider, or replay temptations. How is it that you and I do not see that while initially we are stronger and the temptations weaker, dalliance turns things upside down?

Jesus’ marvelous meekness prevented any “root of bitterness” from “springing up” in Him. (Heb. 12:15.) Ponder the Savior’s precious words about the Atonement after He passed through it. There is no mention of the vinegar. No mention of the scourging. No mention of having been struck. No mention of having been spat upon. He does declare that He “suffer[ed] both body and spirit” in an exquisiteness which we simply cannot comprehend. (D&C 19:18; see also D&C 19:15.)

We come now to the last and most terrible irony of Jesus: His feeling forsaken at the apogee of His agony on Calvary. The apparent withdrawal of the Father’s spirit then evoked the greatest soul cry in human history. (See James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1916, p. 613.) This deprivation had never happened to Christ before—never. Yet, thereby, Jesus became a fully comprehending Christ and was enabled to be a fully succoring Savior. (See Alma 7:11–12.) Moreover, even in that darkest hour, while feeling forsaken, Jesus submitted Himself to the Father.

No wonder the Savior tells us that the combined anguish in Gethsemane and on Calvary was so awful that He would have shrunk. “Nevertheless,” He finished His “preparations.” (See D&C 19:18–19; 3 Ne. 11:11.) The word nevertheless reflects deep, divine determination.

Furthermore, even after treading the winepress alone (see D&C 76:107), which ended in His stunning, personal triumph and in the greatest victory ever—majestic Jesus meekly declared, “Glory be to the Father”! (D&C 19:19.) This should not surprise us. In the premortal world, Jesus meekly volunteered to be our Savior, saying, “Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.” (Moses 4:2.) Jesus was true to His word.

Now, in closing, I humbly declare, “Glory be to the Father”—first, for rearing such an Incomparable Son. Second, “Glory be to the Father” for allowing His special Son to suffer and to be sacrificed for all of us. On Judgment Day, brothers and sisters, will any of us want to rush forward to tell our Father how we, as parents, suffered when we watched our children suffer?

Glory be to the Father, in the name of Him who can succor us amid all our ironies and adversities (see Alma 7:11–12), even Jesus Christ, amen.

Times of great calamity and confusion

have ever been productive of the greatest minds.

The purest ore is produced from the hottest furnace,

and the brightest thunderbolt

is elicited from the darkest storm.

- Charles Caleb Colton

the trouble with always trying to preserve the health of the body is that it is so difficult to do without destroying the health of the mind. - g.k. chesterton

2011-08-13T13:24:00.000-07:00

so i've never felt as much as i do with this pregnancy . . . pregnancy is SCARY. i am glad to say however, that we have been blessed to have healthy babies and pretty healthy pregnancies, but when the slightest thing goes wrong, all you can do is worry. worry worry worry and then worry some more. you have this little life wiggling inside of you and it is completely up to you to keep your body in close to perfect health to keep things going right.

i've had little complications along the way with my two other babies. with my first i was under constant stress because i was going through a divorce with my first husband, nearly the entire pregnancy. on top of that, because of the way i had been living my life prior to getting pregnant with him, on one ill-fated night, i was raped.

{you're probably thinking that it's not my fault that i was raped,
but in fact, in this situation,
it was my fault for doing what i was doing and putting myself
in the place i was in that night.
i'm at peace with it now and very seldom do i think of it.}

the men were african american and because of the time that it happened, we did not know if my son was my husbands or the rapists. that was a pregnancy that was extremely bittersweet. i went into preterm labor with him at 34 weeks, but they were able to stop the contractions with intravenous terbutaline. i was induced at 38 weeks, labored for 25 hours, pushed for 2 and a half and after failure to progress, he was taken by emergency c-section.

with my next baby, things were a bit smoother. she was a honeymoon baby (ha!) and although we had stress from my husband losing his job shortly after we were married, i was happy. i started spotting in the second trimester. we spent many nights taking trips to labor and delivery and was put on bedrest on and off throughout the pregnancy. i was scheduled for a c-section at 39 weeks and ended up going into labor with her at 37. when we got to the hospital, i was sure they would send me home, but in fact, i was dilated to about 7 cm and didn't even know it! i was uncomfortable, but had NO CLUE i was in labor! by the time they got me back for the c-section, i was at a full 10 cm!

often, i've wished that i would have fought the c-section tooth and nail and demanded a VBAC, regardless of whether the doctor approved it or not. HOWEVER, if i wouldn't have gotten the c-section, they wouldn't have discovered what a chop job my first OB had done on my body. my scarring was terrible. part of it had adhered to my bladder, there were spots on my bowel that were messed up and the primary incision was not in the right place. also, if i had ended up having her VBAC, there was a good chance (because of how overly well my body scars) i would have had a uterine rupture and put both my precious baby girl and my life in danger.

now for the really scary part. it didn't come until AFTER i had Chloe. i was released from the hospital earlier than normal because i was doing so well recovering. i was up and about, walking fine and taking good care of the baby, so they let me go. i went about a week, had the staples removed and then started having a lot of pain in the incision area. then the chills and hot flashes set in. one night i was running a fever of 104 degrees. i called and spoke to the doctor on call who happened to be the OBGYN i had seen through the duration of the pregnancy (she was not, however, the doctor who performed the surgery). i should have known not to listen to her when she was more busy playing with her cats and telling me about them rather than listening to what was going on with me. she told me in the calmest of voices that i most likely had the swine flu and to avoid going to the hospital because i might make other people sick. she told me this long story about how one of her patients had just had a c-section and had been busy throwing up and was miserable, all because she had the swine flu. i asked her what i was supposed to do if it wasn't the flu and she said to just stay at home and intermittently take the highest dose of ibuprofen and highest of acetaminophen and they should work to bring down my fever. she would rather me not go in if i didn't have it so that i wouldn't get the swine flu from someone who did have it. as the night progressed, the fever and hot/cold flashes got worse and worse. my husband was in the other room taking care of our children when i had this EXTREME pain set in around the left side of my lower abdomen and back. i inched my way to the bathroom and tried to make myself throw up. i was sure that i had overdosed on the motrin and tylenol (thanks to my foolish doctor). after a few successful attempts i sat on the toilet. there was no relief from throwing up. i was still in excruciating pain. then the scariest part. i started SPRAYING blood out from my back end. i screamed for my husband. eventually he heard me and called 911. when they arrived at our apartment, my fever was gone, but i was having extreme chills. i told them about the maximum doses my doctor told me to take and they started to act weird. they started asking me strange questions, along the lines of they thought i was trying to off myself. then worst of all . . . THEY MADE ME WALK DOWN A FLIGHT OF STAIRS. they made me climb onto the gurney with barely any assistance, then wheeled me hard over the bumps and cracks in the sidewalk and road to the ambulance. when we got to the hospital, i was up to 106 degree fever and began losing consciousness. i was put into a quarantine room and was pretty much on my death bed. no one could come in the room unless they were wearing masks. no one knew what was wrong with me.

after a blood transfusion and loads of MRI's and CT's, it was determined that i had an abscess under the left side of my incision. at this point they weren't sure what it was full of, but after spotting the abscess they saw it had ruptured and that my body was in sepsis. i started losing kidney function and couldn't control my bowels and was throwing up what looked like tar. they inserted a port in my neck and from that was put on hemodialysis.

they layed me on a MRI bed and made me lay on my stomach (which was probably one of the worst things ever) and inserted a needle that went from my rear end into my abdomen to suck the fluid from the abscess out for testing. all of which i felt the entire time because the numbing medication didn't work on me. the fluid tested positive for MRSA. here is the Wikipedia definition of it, in case you are not familiar :

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a bacterium responsible for several difficult-to-treat infections in humans. It may also be called multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (ORSA).

MRSA is, by definition, any strain of Staphylococcus aureus that has developed resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics which include the penicillins (methicillin, dicloxacillin, nafcillin, oxacillin, etc.) and the cephalosporins.

MRSA is especially troublesome in hospitals and nursing homes where patients with open wounds, invasive devices and weakened immune systems are at greater risk of infection than the general public.

not exactly the funnest thing to have, right? they tried all sorts of antibiotics and finally inserted a drainage tube below my belly button to remove the fluid from the abscess. i was put into ICU during this time and ended up having a tube inserted through my nose that went into my stomach because i couldn't control my vomiting. i was awake the entire time and had to assist in getting it in, by means of sucking water through a straw and swallowing as they shoved the tube down my nose into my throat and beyond. it was awful.

i still continued to vomit and during one of the bouts, my husband happened to be out of the room and the stress of the vomiting basically killed me for a short time. i flat lined. nurses rushed in. i don't remember much more about that.

i was in the hospital for about a month, but it felt more like a decade. i missed a chunk of my little girl's newborn life and i still feel jipped as far as that goes. i'll never get that time back with her.

on the other hand, i'm very lucky to be alive. the doctor who had originally performed the c-section worked hard to save my life. there wasn't anything he could do medically because at this point it was out of his hands, but he came in whenever he had down time to make sure the other doctors and staff were doing everything they could to keep me alive. he even came in on his days off.

luckily, lightning usually doesn't strike twice, so hopefully i will never have MRSA again, but to tell you the truth, this entire thing has made me a bit of a hypochondriac. i am terrified of all the 'what ifs'. one thing i forgot to mention in my story above is that we went to the ER once before i was taken in and after a few blood tests and scans i was told that it was just a simple pleural effusion ( a buildup of fluid between the layers of tissue that line the lungs and chest cavity) and that i just needed to use my expectant spirometer more frequently. lovely, right?

so to be completely honest, i do not trust doctors. i'm terrified of going in and being sent home because you NEVER know what is going on inside of your body and most of the time, NEITHER DO THEY. you can go with your gut and go in and be checked, but you have a 50/50 chance (if even that) of them truly finding out what is wrong. after all, they are only human and humans make mistakes.

to make matters worse, my faithful and wonderful OBGYN retired from practice to be the head of one of the government funded health plans here in Phoenix, which is great for him, but a HUGE bummer for me. when people haven't been in a situation as traumatic as what i went through, they just don't understand your fears and concerns. i do however, think i picked a good doc, i just hope he doesn't look at me as a money sign. that sounds terrible . . .

so i guess the truth is that pregnancy isn't the only thing that scares me. it's the outcome. life is so precious and you really never know when the sand will run out.

for more information on MRSA, please visit:
StopMRSAnow!

baby mine.

2011-07-26T18:40:00.000-07:00

Porter McKay at 27 weeks

he sure was a stinker
when we first got in.

he had both arms and fists up

in front of his face like a little boxer.
he kept punching the ultrasound wand
in protest of his picture being taken.

my little bruiser!

i love knowing exactly where
he is laying now and
where his feet and hands are.

i hope october gets here fast!

i can't wait to meet this little guy.

[i think we're going to have to get this set for him! love it!]

if you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself then make a change. - michael jackson

2011-07-07T14:51:00.000-07:00

when i look in the mirror,

i like what i see.

i may not be perfect,

but i am finally 'ME'.

1000 days SMOKE FREE!!!!

. . . took me years to get there,

but it was SO worth it.

i used to hate to look in the mirror.

i kept looking for what i could be.

i saw a lost, miserable girl in front of me

scared to death of the future

and of who i was becoming.

i went kind of nuts for awhile.

that's what happens
when you don't know who you are.

i tried to end my life. several times.

i ruined my relationships.

i was empty inside,

but one day,

I CHANGED.

i like who i see in the mirror now.

i'm familiar with this woman looking back at me.

i know where my future is headed.

things around me may not be perfect,

financially things are tough,

but i have a loving, righteous husband

who takes good care of me

and beautiful children

that i am blessed to raise and take care of everyday.

i don't try to be someone i'm not anymore.

i have faith and stand firm in my beliefs.

i know that no matter how rough life gets,

there is always a way to overcome

ALL and ANY

obstacles placed in my path.

Only if you’ve been

in the deepest valley

can you ever know

how magnificent it is to be

on the highest mountain.

- Richard Nixon

i know God will not give me anything I can't handle. i just wish that He didn't trust me so much. - mother teresa

2011-07-06T12:09:00.001-07:00

Strength from Adversity

- Unknown

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly.

One day a small opening appeared,

he sat and watched the butterfly for several hours

as it struggled to force its body through that little hole.

Then it seemed to stop making any progress.

It appeared as if it

had gotten as far as it could

and it could go no farther.

Then the man decided to help the butterfly,

so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.

The butterfly emerged easily.

But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that,

at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand

to be able to support the body,

which would contract in time.

Neither happened.

In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life

crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings.

It was never able to fly.

What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand

was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required

for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way

of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings

so that it would be ready for flight

once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes, struggles are exactly

what we need in our life.

If God allowed us to go through our life without any obstacles

it would cripple us.

We would not be as strong

as what we could have been.

And we could never fly.

Don't You Quit

-Unknown

When things go wrong as they sometimes will

When the road you're trudging seems all up hill.

When funds are low and the debts are high.

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh.

When care is pressing you down a bit.

Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns.

As everyone of us sometimes learns.

And many a failure turns about

When he might have won had he stuck it out.

Don't give up though the pace seems slow -

You may succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out -

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt.

And you never can tell how close you are.

It may be near when it seems so far:

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit

It's when things seem worst

that you must not quit.

freedom is nothing else but a chance to be better. - albert camus

2011-07-03T23:11:00.000-07:00

Americans have the

freedom

to CHOOSE to be happy,

prosperous and healthy.

A birthright given to us by our fore fathers and clearly outlined
in the Declaration of Independence.

The 4th of July is a time to reflect and appreciate all that we have

REGARDLESS

of position, rank or material wealth.

We have within ourselves

the power to be ALL

that we can be.

How many of us choose to let opportunity pass us by?

How many of us choose to blame others for our lack?

Many Americans that have had the opportunity to

live in another country under another government can see all that we have.

Many have said they didn't realize the opportunities that

we have until they are no longer available.

These past few years have enabled many Americans to see

from this perspective as lives have been forced

to change during the economic crisis.

This also could have a different perspective, one of

opportunity to change for the better.

Growing pains

have never been easy

but when we finally reach

new levels of understanding,

we can see how we are stronger and better for it.

This is a time for new opportunity for Americans as

individuals and as a nation to grow

stronger and better.

When you read the Declaration of Independence,

our fore fathers had a dream and a vision of

what they wanted to build for their children and future generations.

As a nation, town or individual,

we live today what they created yesterday.

Of course,

we are people united as one nation.

We share in the joys and prosperities as well as the adversities.

Ideal growth for an

individual is to grow,

become stronger and

build on adversities

when they arise.

"Make lemonade
when life hands you lemons".

When we take the opportunity to use the

challenges that life throws at us,

to grow and learn from them verses

throwing blame and anger onto others,

we grow as a person and as a nation.

The power to change the future for a better nation

starts with

each individual.

When we do our part as an individual

we contribute to the growth and strength of our nation,

building upon the hopes and dreams

our fore fathers left for us.

In turn,

what we create today,

we leave for our children.

When celebrating this Fourth of July,

whether it's a Bar-B-Que with family or friends or watching the fireworks,

take a moment to reflect.

As you watch the fireworks bursting in the sky,

be thankful that you have a CHOICE to be

free, happy and live a prosperous life.

Whatever you choose to do with your holiday

remember

where this day came from and what it stands for.

Life, Liberty

and the

Pursuit of Happiness.

Click on image above if you would like to read the full transcript.

(source: Article by Jennette Royster)

29.

2011-07-01T00:19:00.000-07:00

today's post is dedicated to one more year in my stinkin' 20s . . . glad they're almost over!

Advice,

like youth,

probably just wasted

on the young

{A newspaper column by Mary Schmich, published by the Chicago Tribune on 01 June 1997.}

Inside every adult lurks a graduation speaker dying to get out,

some world-weary pundit eager to pontificate on life

to young people who’d rather be Rollerblading.

Most of us, alas, will never be invited to

sow our words of wisdom among an audience of caps and gowns,

but there’s no reason we can’t entertain

ourselves by composing a

Guide to Life for Graduates.

I encourage anyone over 26 to try this

and thank you for indulging my attempt.

Ladies and gentlemen of the class of ’97:

Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it.

The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists,

whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more

reliable than my own meandering experience.

I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty

of your youth.

Oh, nevermind.

You will not understand the power

and beauty of your youth

until they’ve faded.

But trust me, in 20 years,

you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way

you can’t grasp now

how much possibility lay before you

and how fabulous you really looked.

You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don’t worry about the future.

Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as

trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum.

The real troubles in your life are apt to be things

that never crossed your worried mind,

the kind that blindside you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing

every day

that SCARES you.

Sing.

Don’t be reckless with

other people’s hearts.

Don’t put up with people

who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don’t waste your time on jealousy.

Sometimes you’re ahead,

sometimes you’re behind.

The race is long and, in the end,

it’s only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive.

Forget the insults.

If you succeed in doing this,

tell me how.

Keep your old love letters.

Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don’t feel guilty

if you don’t know what you want

to do with your life.

The most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22

what they wanted to do with their lives.

Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don’t.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees.

You’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t.

Maybe you’ll have children, maybe you won’t.

Maybe you’ll divorce at 40,

maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary.

Whatever you do,

don’t congratulate yourself too much,

or berate yourself either.

Your choices are half chance.

So are everybody else’s.

Enjoy your body.

Use it every way you can.

Don’t be afraid of it

or of what other people think of it.

It’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines.

They will only

make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents.

You never know when they’ll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings.

They’re your best link to your past

and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go,

but with a precious few you should hold on.

Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because

the older you get,

the more you need the people

who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once,

but leave before it makes you hard.

Live in Northern California once,

but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths:

Prices will rise.

Politicians will philander.

You, too, will get old.

And when you do,

you’ll fantasize that when you were young,

prices were reasonable, politicians were noble

and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don’t expect anyone else to support you.

Maybe you have a trust fund.

Maybe you’ll have a wealthy spouse.

But you never know

when either one might run out.

Don’t mess too much

with your hair

or by the time you’re 40

it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy,

but be patient with those who supply it.

Advice is a form of nostalgia.

Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off,

painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.

But trust me

on the sunscreen.

funny then barf.

2011-06-28T10:55:00.000-07:00

it's been a long time since i've done a weird finds post . . . and boy, do i have some for you today! feel free to click on the images if you are interested in any of them . . .

1. Bacon Band-Aids! I wonder if they're flavored as well...

2. Breathable Chocolate?

3. Bacon Flavored Diet Coke . . . I think I just barfed a little in my mouth

4. Goodbye, Burts Bees . . . Hello, Butter Stick.

5. Nothing like the refreshing taste of Dill in the morning.

6. Mmmm . . . I love me a meaty flavored mouth!

7. Drinkable Lettuce.

8. This one just grosses me out.

9. I'm really struggling to keep myself from buying this one.

10. Now . . . I had to save this one for last so you wouldn't get completely grossed out at the beginning. This one is not the only one. There are 101 more flavors to check out. Click on the image for all of them.

This particular REAL ice cream is Raw Horseflesh.

no matter how calmly you try to referee, parenting will eventually produce bizarre behavior, and I'm not talking about the kids. - bill cosby

2011-06-26T19:40:00.000-07:00

{today was hard} most days, being a mom just comes naturally, but today . . . i really struggled to not just run away, screaming at the top of my lungs, tearing my hair out in clumps. my three year old was very much
. . . alive . . . today. even after i got him and my daughter down for a nap and was able to rest, i had a dream that i was at church and my husband was nowhere to be found for hours. in the dream i went in the restroom and my skirt had fallen off of my backside without my knowledge and no one had told me. on top of that, i lost my kids there and every time i would find them, they would run away and disappear again. when i woke up, i was ready to pull the covers over my head and feel sorry for myself the rest of the night. then i heard the sweet sound of my kids giggling while their dad was tickling them. i decided to start the day over. somedays, it's so hard to remember that things may not always go smoothly, but each day with these kids is such a blessing. one day i'll look back on these days when the kids are all grown up and i'm sure i would give anything to relive even the days that are a little intense. after all, my son will never be 3 again. he won't always have that innocent sparkle in his eyes and i won't always see the same look of wonder in his expression when he experiences something new for the first time.

here is an article i found over at What to Expect:

Being a mom is hard and I don’t think any mother will dispute this fact.

It’s physically, emotionally, and mentally demanding.

It can wear you down,

wear you out, and wear you away.

Being a mom is hard for so many reasons.

Physically? A full night’s sleep when your children

are young is an impossible dream

(that you never even get to dream because you never get to sleep).

You are constantly caring for others
and barely finding time for yourself to even eat or drink.
Taking a shower is a luxury

of which a new mother dare not dream.

And on top of everything else you are constantly being climbed on,

having your hair pulled, small, sticky hands all over your face.

Personal space?

A mother doesn’t even know what that is.

I am sure most mothers understand the familiar concept associated with

new mothers of being “touched out” where you just want to sit, alone,

and have no one touch you after having

your personal space invaded all day, day after day.

Being a mom is hard

emotionally and mentally.

The constant worry, anxiety, not only about your child’s safety but about your

parenting decisions and whether or not you are raising them

properly can turn you into a bundle of nerves.

Giving your one hundred percent to your children only to have

them shout at you repeatedly, “Mean Mommy! Mean Mommy!”

makes you want to just curl into a ball and give up

since you are obviously a terrible failure as a mother.

Being a mom is hard because you have to let go when you aren’t ready,

you have to teach them when they don’t want to listen,

you are constantly being

watched and copied,

making your every action

and word incredibly important.

Being a mom is hard because

you have to stand your ground

at times when you simply want

to scoop up your child

and hold them close.

Being a mom is hard because there is no end at the end of the day,

no end at the end of the year, no end even at the end.

For all eternity I will be their mother.

Being a mom is hard. It’s tiring, draining, stressful,

demanding, challenging, exhausting, tough.

Ms. Thesaurus here could continue but I will stop.

I think you get the idea.

But for all that being a mom is hard, I love being a mother.

It is worth every strenuous second.

here's a poem i would like to leave with you:

Before I was a Mom
I made and ate hot meals.
I had unstained clothing.
I had quiet conversations on the phone.

Before I was a Mom
I slept as late as I wanted
   And never worried about how late
   I got into bed.
I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.

Before I was a Mom,
I cleaned my house each day.
I never tripped over toys
   or forgot words to lullabies.

Before I was a Mom,
I didn't worry whether or not my
   plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never been pooped on,
   Spit up on,
   Chewed on,
   Peed on,
   Or pinched by tiny fingers.

Before I was a Mom,
I had complete control of myself;
   My thoughts,
   My body,
   And my mind.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held down a screaming child
so that doctors could do tests or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't
   want to put it down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces
   when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew something so small could affect my
   life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom,
I didn't know the feeling of having my
   heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel
   to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a
   Mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small
   could make me feel so important.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never gotten up in the middle of
   the night every ten minutes to make
   sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth,
   The joy,
   The love,
   The heartache,
   The wonderfulment,
   Or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so
   much before I was a Mom.
- Unknown

hot days. cute kids.

2011-06-24T13:47:00.000-07:00

here's a few simple steps to pass the time on 9000+ degree days in the sonoran desert.

step 1:

make sure goggles fit just right . . . ok, well . . . almost.

step 2:

be sure to hog the camera, if the opportunity presents itself (especially if it's from your pesky big brother).

step 3:

swim to your little heart's content . . . while looking adorable, of course.

step 4:

finally, finish off the day with a nice bum rinse in the hose.

it is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons. - johann schiller

2011-06-19T22:51:00.000-07:00

father's day hasn't always been one of my favorite holidays,
until more recently. growing up, i didn't know my real father
and my step-dad wasn't exactly the best father figure.
he and my mom divorced when i was ten.
a few years later she met Mark.

he immediately accepted me as his own
and has always been there for me.

we've had our rough moments but

i can't imagine my life without him.

he became a good friend to me as i entered
into adulthood but has never been afraid to tell me
when i need to straighten up.
he is a hardworking, funny, smart and kind man.

i am so thankful

that he is in my life and is my children's loving Grandpa.

another excellent example of a father,
in my life, has been my own Grandpa.

he was always ALWAYS there for me and my family.
back when it was just my mom and i
(long before Mark and my brothers and sister)

we lived with him and my Grandma off and on
and he treated me as his own child.
he taught me how to write my name,
how to ride a bike and how to draw.
he read me stories as a small child,
took me to the zoo and for walks in the rain.

he was one of the smartest, most caring,
humble men i have ever known.

i know that no one in this world is perfect,
but my grandpa was pretty darn close.

my husband {Chester} and i have a bit of a unique story
of how we met and how (quickly) we were married.
i'll share that with you a different time,
but today i feel compelled to tell you about
how my husband became a father.

we met on Thursday, November 6th of 2008
on what was basically a blind date.
we hit it off {obviously} and the next night,

after we were both off of work, he came out to meet my family
(mom, dad, brothers, sister)
and my son {Bailey} who was going to be a year old
on the 9th of that month. i don't remember much about
that night other than oogling
over my new-found heart throb.
the next day, Chester returned to my side of town.

{a 40 mile trip}

to take Bailey and i to meet his parents and siblings.
it was a great day.
his family was so sweet, kind and accepting of us.

it felt like home.

the next day was Bailey's very first birthday.
Chester drove all the way back out to my side of town,
sleep deprived and just about broke from all the

driving back and forth,
just to make it to this little boy's birthday party.

Chester was surrounded by people he
had just barely met, but the whole time,

he was happy and friendly
and his attention was focused on Bailey.

he helped open gifts and played
all day long with him.
after a fun celebration and
{lots}
of birthday cake devouring on the part of my son,

i put Bailey to bed in my room upstairs.
when i came back down,
Chester was snoring on the couch.
i woke him up and figured he would get up
and make the long trip home, but we ended up talking
into the early morning hours.
i had the baby monitor on during this time
and at one point we heard a strange noise.
i went to check on my son and he was throwing up.
he had way too much birthday cake . . .

. . . {sugar overload!}

and just couldn't seem to quit throwing up.

i swept him up out of the bed and took
him downstairs where this tired man stood . . .
who gladly accepted this sick child into his arms.
he held him, sang to him and comforted him . . .
completely drenched in baby vomit.
as silly as it sounds, that was the moment that
i truly fell in love with Chester.
this young man, who had no children of his own,
stood there, caring for this little child,

rocking him and singing to him,
letting him cry and throw up on him,

completely enveloping him in love.

i knew, at that very moment,
he was meant to be the father of my children.

that was one of the most selfless examples
of parenthood i have ever witnessed.

Bailey will never doubt

the love his father has for him.

each day, i am just in awe at what a
wonderful dad Chester is to our kids.

there is no difference in his love between
Bailey and his own {our daughter Chloe and son, Porter}.
sometimes i forget that he wasn't there

for the first year of Bailey's life.
he plays with him,
tickles him and loves him every day.
he's amazing with all three of our kids and
each day they just about jump through
the roof in excitement when daddy comes home from work.

sometime ago,
a song came out that touched
my heart in the deepest of ways.

it embodies what my husband is to
Bailey and it also explains how i feel

toward my dad, Mark. please watch . . .

here are the lyrics:

He Didn't Have To Be (Brad Paisley)

When a single mom goes out on a date with somebody new

It always winds up feeling more like a job interview

My momma used to wonder if she'd ever meet someone

Who wouldn't find out about me and then turn around and run

I met the man I call my dad when I was five years old

He took my mom out to a movie and for once I got to go

A few months later I remember lying there in bed

I overheard him pop the question and prayed that she'd say yes

And then all of a sudden

Oh, it seemed so strange to me

How we went from something's missing

To a family

Lookin' back all I can say

About all the things he did for me

Is I hope I'm at least half the dad

That he didn't have to be

I met the girl that's now my wife about three years ago

We had the perfect marriage but we wanted somethin' more

Now here I stand surrounded by our family and friends

Crowded 'round the nursery window as they bring the baby in

And now all of a sudden

It seemed so strange to me

How we've gone from something's missing

To a family

Lookin' through the glass I think about the man

That's standin' next to me

And I hope I'm at least half the dad

That he didn't have to be

Lookin' back all I can say

About all the things he did for me

Is I hope I'm at least half the dad

That he didn't have to be

Yeah, I hope I'm at least half the dad

That he didn't have to be

Because he didn't have to be

You know he didn't have to be

Happy Father's Day to all the

wonderful fathers out there.

Life is sweeter because of you.

grandpa, you mean the world to me.

2011-06-15T00:03:00.000-07:00

Since I was a little child,

In all that I've been through;

You've always been my hero,

No one stood as tall as you.

You were the one who took the time,

To teach what I needed to learn;

The lessons in life you shared with me,

You shared with love and concern.

I loved you as a little child,

And now that I am grown;

I share those lessons you taught me;

With children of my own.

Generation to generation,

I'll pass on your legacy;

I'll tell of my loving Grandfather,

And all that you mean to me.

- unknown

please pray for my grandpa.

nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent. - eleanor roosevelt

2011-06-10T11:41:00.000-07:00

so, the last few days have been a bit rough. this morning, while doing my usual quote search on the internet, i found this website. the following article can be found here at Discovering Purpose.

46 Things To Do When People Don’t Like You.

by AYO OLANIYAN on FEBRUARY 5, 2010

This post was inspired by reading Professor Martin Seligman’s book ‘Learned Optimism’ and watching a clip of a ‘celebrity’ (gosh I don’t like that word lol!!!) being interviewed. It came to a segment during the interview, where he/she stated, if people don’t like me, WHAT DO I DO?

That stuck like glue!!! Let’s look at the facts, ‘YOU CAN’T BE LIKED BY EVERYONE’ and you certainly don’t like everyone (that may be controversial), so the sooner you understand this principle, the happier you would be.

No matter how hard you try to impress certain people, they can’t/won’t like you. It could be very painful at times, particularly when you mean well, but such are the challenges of life.

I hold a strong opinion of making conscious efforts to meet people, make friends, be nice, open……. Instances where your gestures aren’t acknowledged or welcomed, shake the dust off your feet, lift up your head, and move on to better or higher territories.

The twist in this topic is you may be disliked for behaving in ways which are acceptable by societal standards/judgements or be disliked for your nasty character and bad habits.

So what do you do, where do you turn to?

People may not like you for the following reasons:

You are better than them.

You are very confident.

You work hard

They are envious of you.

You smile or laugh a lot

You are very lousy and can’t be trusted.

You are totally disrespectful

Your descent, race, colour, upbringing, social circles…….

You are rich, poor, educated, uneducated.

You speak funny, straight or posh.

Your views on issues are logical and rational.

You are too big, fat, tall, short, thin…..

You are good looking or ugly.

You’ve got a decent job.

You are a fussy eater

You move within a certain class of society.

You are unhelpful.

You are snobbish…..

The list is endless, but the concept of this post is to suggest certain attributes to develop, steps to take in order to handle matters which relate to you being liked or disliked.

Your aim should be to find at least one useful tip which aids your personal development.

In no particular order, here are:

46 Things To Do When People Don’t Like You.

Get on with your life believing there would be opportunities for you to meet people who would warmly embrace or accept you.

Just be yourself, accept who you are by living a life of authenticity, remembering you can’t be liked by every one.

Move a step further from accepting yourself to loving who you are.

Examine your life to see if there are areas that require a constructive change.

Build up your self confidence.

Develop good habits or manners and for heavens sake, work on those bad, filthy or annoying habits ranging from……(you know them)

Understand that people relate with each other if they possess the same ideals, character, thoughts, goals…..

Be open to change.

Keep Your Ego In Check. Some times your ego comes in conflict with who you really are.

Celebrate your strengths and have a positive attitude. That’s what makes you distinguished and if some people don’t like it, OTHERS will.

Meet new people, make new friends.

Say positive things about who you are.

Try doing simple things.

Be content and happy with those who love or adore you and cherish all those memorable moments.

Spend a lot of time with the people you love.

Show constructive optimism in everything you do.

Don’t lower your standards or compromise your moral compass to please the people in question.

Deal with your vulnerability.

Give people time to get to know you better.

Be Proactive. Be moderately proactive and plan carefully for what you want to achieve.

Learn to improve on your art of communication.

Smile or simply walk away.

Just enjoy yourself and be happy.

Think positively and highly of yourself.

Keep working hard, being truthful, showing love, ……….

Stop pushing yourself on people, trying to be in their faces all the time.

In some cases do more listening, less talk.

Stop comparing yourself to others. It’s very important you carve out your identity, style and avoid comparing your life to those around you.

Don’t contemplate doing anything dangerous/silly which could inflict harm on you physically, emotionally etc. You are unique in your own way.

Avoid slandering or promoting gossip about the people in question.

Always maintain your dignity and self respect.

Resist the temptation to put down one’s hobbies/desires.

You can use your time wisely and productively

It might be a sign to improve on your physical appearance sensibly such as combing your hair, brushing your teeth lol!!!, having a bath, wearing decent clothes……..

If it gets to a stage you are abused, report to the higher authorities such as the police, teachers, managers etc. I want to stress if you are bullied in school, inform your parents, report it to your teachers. If you are bullied at work and there’s concrete evidence, report it to your line manager.

Ensure you aren’t trapped into doing things you aren’t comfortable with (i.e. wrong) in order to gain favour.

Avoid bragging about who you are or what you’ve done. That just makes it worse.

Don’t forget your sense of humour and use it to your advantage.

Keep building your self esteem.

Don’t be too hard on yourself.

The last section of this post would be devoted to people who have been hurt as a result of close members of the family i.e parents, sister, brother, spouses..openly showing so much disgust and dislike to you.

At times you may be at fault or they are simply………

Talk to someone about it. You may consider seeking professional help.

Be humble, apologize and seek an opportunity for reconciliation if the problem stems from you.

Reach out to your family even if you get rejected. It’s tough; it hurts but please make an attempt.

Avoid turning to dangerous drugs, to push away the painful thoughts you may have. If you’ve started please see a professional.

Find hope somewhere in your heart believing your current situation will take a turn for the better

Above all . . . Be a survivor in ALL circumstances.

just remember this:

happiness is a function of accepting what is. - W. Erhard

2011-06-08T08:43:00.000-07:00

i don't know about you, but after a day like i had yesterday, i really needed something uplifting to read today. i did some searching and found this quote:

"Finish every day and be done with it.

You have done what you could.

Some blunders and absurdities no doubt have crept in;

forget them as soon as you can.

Tomorrow is a new day;

begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit

to be cumbered with your old nonsense.

This day is all that is good and fair.
It is too dear, with its hopes and invitations,

to waste a moment on yesterdays."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

i'm pretty sure that's one of the best, most inspiring quotes i have ever read. now, check out this wonderful article from LifeHack:

60 Small Ways to Improve Your Life

In the Next 100 Days

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to make drastic changes in order to notice an improvement in the quality of your life. At the same time, you don’t need to wait a long time in order to see the measurable results that come from taking positive action. All you have to do is take small steps, and take them consistently, for a period of 100 days.

Below you’ll find 60 small ways to improve all areas of your life in the next 100 days.

Home

1. Create a “100 Days to Conquer Clutter Calendar” by penciling in one group of items you plan to declutter every day, for the next 100 days. Here’s an example:

Day 1: Declutter Magazines
Day 2: Declutter DVD’s
Day 3: Declutter books
Day 4: Declutter kitchen appliances

2. Live by the mantra: a place for everything and everything in its place. For the next 100 days follow these four rules to keep your house in order:

If you take it out, put it back.
If you open it, close it.
If you throw it down, pick it up.
If you take it off, hang it up.

3. Walk around your home and identify 100 things you’ve been tolerating; fix one each day. Here are some examples:

A burnt light bulb that needs to be changed.
A button that’s missing on your favorite shirt.
The fact that every time you open your top kitchen cabinet all of the plastic food containers fall out.

Happiness

4. Follow the advice proffered by positive psychologists and write down 5 to 10 things that you’re grateful for, every day.

5. Make a list of 20 small things that you enjoy doing, and make sure that you do at least one of these things every day for the next 100 days. Your list can include things such as the following:

Eating your lunch outside.
Calling your best friend to chat.
Taking the time to sit down and read a novel by your favorite author for a few minutes.

6. Keep a log of your mental chatter, both positive and negative, for ten days. Be as specific as possible:

How many times do you beat yourself up during the day?
Do you have feelings of inadequacy?
Are you constantly thinking critical thoughts of others?
How many positive thoughts do you have during the day?

Also, make a note of the emotions that accompany these thoughts. Then, for the next 90 days, begin changing your emotions for the better by modifying your mental chatter.

7. For the next 100 days, have a good laugh at least once a day: get one of those calendars that has a different joke for every day of the year, or stop by a web site that features your favorite cartoons.

Learning and Personal Development

8. Choose a book that requires effort and concentration and read a little of it every day, so that you read it from cover to cover in 100 days.

9. Make it a point to learn at least one new thing each day: the name of a flower that grows in your garden, the capital of a far-off country, or the name of a piece of classical music you hear playing in your favorite clothing boutique as you shop. If it’s time for bed and you can’t identify anything you’ve learned that day, take out your dictionary and learn a new word.

10. Stop complaining for the next 100 days. A couple of years back, Will Bowen gave a purple rubber bracelet to each person in his congregation to remind them to stop complaining. “Negative talk produces negative thoughts; negative thoughts produce negative results”, says Bowen. For the next 100 days, whenever you catch yourself complaining about anything, stop yourself.

11. Set your alarm a minute earlier every day for the next 100 days. Then make sure that you get out of bed as soon as your alarm rings, open the windows to let in some sunlight, and do some light stretching. In 100 days you’ll be waking up an hour and forty minutes earlier than you’re waking up now.

12. For the next 100 days, keep Morning Pages, which is a tool suggested by Julia Cameron. Morning Pages are simply three pages of longhand, stream of consciousness writing, done first thing in the morning.

13. For the next 100 days make it a point to feed your mind with the thoughts, words, and images that are most consistent with who you want to be, what you want to have, and what you want to achieve.

Finances

14. Create a spending plan (also known as a budget). Track every cent that you spend for the next 100 days to make sure that you’re sticking to your spending plan.

15. Scour the internet for frugality tips, choose ten of the tips that you find, and apply them for the next 100 days. Here are some possibilities:

Go to the grocery store with cash and a calculator instead of using your debit card.
Take inventory before going to the grocery store to avoid buying repeat items.
Scale back the cable.
Ask yourself if you really need a landline telephone.
Consolidate errands into one trip to save on gas.

Keep track of how much money you save over the next 100 days by applying these tips.

16. For the next 100 days, pay for everything with paper money and keep any change that you receive. Then, put all of your change in a jar and see how much money you can accumulate in 100 days.

17. Don’t buy anything that you don’t absolutely need for 100 days. Use any money you save by doing this to do one of the following:

Pay down your debt, if you have any.
Put it toward your six month emergency fund.
Start setting aside money to invest.

18. Set an hour aside every day for the next 100 days to devote to creating one source of passive income.

Time Management

19. For the next 100 days, take a notebook with you everywhere in order to keep your mind decluttered. Record everything, so that it’s safely stored in one place—out of your head—where you can decide what to do with it later. Include things such as the following:

Ideas for writing assignments.
Appointment dates.
To Do list items

20. Track how you spend your time for 5 days. Use the information that you gather in order to create a time budget: the percentage of your time that you want to devote to each activity that you engage in on a regular basis. This can include things such as:

Transportation
Housework
Leisure
Income-Generating Activities

Make sure that you stick to your time budget for the remaining 95 days.

21. Identify one low-priority activity which you can stop doing for the next 100 days, and devote that time to a high priority task instead.

22. Identify five ways in which you regularly waste time, and limit the time that you’re going to spend on these activities each day, for the next 100 days. Here are three examples:

Watch no more than half-an-hour of television a day.
Spend no more than half-an-hour each day on social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Stumbleupon.
Spend no more than twenty minutes a day playing video games.

23. For the next 100 days, stop multi-tasking; do one thing at a time without distractions.

24. For the next 100 days, plan your day the night before.

25. For the next 100 days, do the most important thing on your To-Do list first, before you do anything else.

26. For the next 14 weeks, conduct a review of each week. During your weekly review, answer the following:

What did you accomplish?
What went wrong?
What went right?

27. For the next 100 days, spend a few minutes at the end of each day organizing your desk, filing papers, and making sure that your work area is clean and orderly, so that you can walk in to a neat desk the next day.

28. Make a list of all of the commitments and social obligations that you have in the next 100 days. Then, take out a red pen and cross out anything that does not truly bring you joy or help move you along the path to achieving your main life goals.

29. For the next 100 days, every time that you switch to a new activity throughout the day stop and ask yourself, “Is this the best use of my time at this moment?”

Health

30. Losing a pound of fat requires burning 3500 calories. If you reduce your caloric intake by 175 calories a day for the next 100 days, you’ll have lost 5 pounds in the next 100 days.

31. For the next 100 days, eat five servings of vegetables every day.

32. For the next 100 days, eat three servings of fruit of every day.

33. Choose one food that constantly sabotages your efforts to eat healthier—whether it’s the decadent cheesecake from the bakery around the corner, deep-dish pizza, or your favorite potato chips—and go cold turkey for the next 100 days.

34. For the next 100 days, eat from a smaller plate to help control portion size.

35. For the next 100 days, buy 100% natural juices instead of the kind with added sugar and preservatives.

36. For the next 100 days, instead of carbonated drinks, drink water.

37. Create a list of 10 healthy, easy to fix breakfast meals.

38. Create a list of 20 healthy, easy to fix meals which can be eaten for lunch or dinner.

39. Create a list of 10 healthy, easy to fix snacks.

40. Use your lists of healthy breakfast meals, lunches, dinners, and snacks in order to plan out your meals for the week ahead of time. Do this for the next 14 weeks.

41. For the next 100 days, keep a food log. This will help you to identify where you’re deviating from your planned menu, and where you’re consuming extra calories.

42. For the next 100 days, get at least twenty minutes of daily exercise.

43. Wear a pedometer and walk 10,000 steps, every day, for the next 100 days. Every step you take during the day counts toward the 10,000 steps:

When you walk to your car.
When you walk from your desk to the bathroom.
When you walk over to talk to a co-worker, and so on.

44. Set up a weight chart and post it up in your bathroom. Every week for the next 14 weeks, keep track of the following:

Your weight.
Your percentage of body fat.
Your waist circumference.

45. For the next 100 days, set your watch to beep once an hour, or set up a computer reminder, to make sure that you drink water on a regular basis throughout the day.

46. For the next 100 days, make it a daily ritual to mediate, breath, or visualize every day in order to calm your mind.

Your Relationship

47. For the next 100 days, actively look for something positive in your partner every day, and write it down.

48. Create a scrapbook of all the things you and your partner do together during the next 100 days. At the end of the 100 days, give your partner the list you created of positive things you observed about them each day, as well as the scrapbook you created.

49. Identify 3 actions that you’re going to take each day, for the next 100 days, in order to strengthen your relationship. These can include the following:

Say “I love you” and “Have a good day” to your significant other every morning.
Hug your significant other as soon as you see each other after work.
Go for a twenty minute walk together every day after dinner; hold hands.

Social

50. Connect with someone new every day for the next 100 days, whether it’s by greeting a neighbor you’ve never spoken to before, following someone new on Twitter, leaving a comment on a blog you’ve never commented on before, and so on.

51. For the next 100 days, make it a point to associate with people you admire, respect and want to be like.

52. For the next 100 days, when someone does or says something that upsets you, take a minute to think over your response instead of answering right away.

53. For the next 100 days, don’t even think of passing judgment until you’ve heard both sides of the story.

54. For the next 100 days do one kind deed for someone every day, however small, even if it’s just sending a silent blessing their way.

55. For the next 100 days, make it a point to give praise and approval to those who deserve it.

56. For the next 100 days, practice active listening. When someone is talking to you, remain focused on what they’re saying, instead of rehearsing in your head what you’re going to say next. Paraphrase what you think you heard them say to make sure that you haven’t misinterpreted them, and encourage them to elaborate on any points you’re still not clear about.

57. Practice empathy for the next 100 days. If you disagree with someone, try to see the world from their perspective; put yourself in their shoes. Be curious about the other person, about their beliefs and their life experience, and about the thinking process that they followed to reach their conclusions.

58. For the next 100 days, stay in your own life and don’t compare yourself to anyone else.

59. For the next 100 days, place the best possible interpretation on the actions of others.

60. For the next 100 days, keep reminding yourself that everyone is doing the best that they can.

(credit for this article goes to: http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/60-small-ways-to-improve-your-life-in-the-next-100-days.html)

...i leave you with this:

pasty and proud

2011-06-02T10:45:00.000-07:00

. . . and this is precisely why i glob on the 9000+ spf and embrace my pasty white skin . . .

click pics for some serious sunscreen slathering inspiration . . .

have fun out there, kids!

ps . . . here is what to look for when buying sunscreen as well as the top 5 best sunscreens on the market:

snips and snails

2011-05-31T18:29:00.000-07:00

we're having a boy!

right on track, healthy and happy, due October 25th!