Spring

Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I believe in blessings, and hope, and new beginnings. The sun is shining, and it is beautiful outside! I love Spring, because everything seems to wake up from it's winter sleep. As the snow melts, new discoveries are revealed! For example, on our back lawn, we are amazed at all the "toys" that have been buried beneath a blanket of white! (not to mention many of the shingles of our roof, ha ha).
Spring means, new beginnings and fresh starts- hope, and change! . Time to put away the "winter" and welcome the "spring"! So often, the seasons of weather parallel our life. I am grateful for the "reminder" of the sun, and spring... that after "winters" -when we wonder if the snow will ever stop, we receive "spring"! A hope that sunnier days are on their way! YEA!! So hip hip hooray for sunnier days! Happy Spring to you all! And as Mark Twain said,...
It's spring fever.... You don't quite know what it is you DO want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!”

"It isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don't worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. He will not forsake us. If we will put our trust in Him, if wewill pray to Him, if we will live worthy of His blessings, He will hear our prayers."
- Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley (I sure love him, this is my new favorite thought!)

Being Grateful, in challenges

Sometimes this blog is my emotional outlet..... today is one of those. The last 3 weeks have basically been the most challenging of our married life. One of those times, that I think defines you. Someone once said, "In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity." And so it has been for me, opportunity to grow, opportunity to reassess, opportunity to focus on what really matters. I am trying to remain positive and optimistic, and find strength in "simplifying" my life, and focusing on the "important" stuff. I've started reading a great book, Simplify, by Carolyn J. Rasmus. It is enlightening and impowering me right now.
I also find great strength in reading the Book of Mormon. I just finished 2 Nephi Chpt 5 where Nephi talks about all the things the people are doing, ...first there is so much adversity, his brethren are even going to kill him, so the Lord provides a way... he leaves, and Nephi's people are blessed and they prosper, they keep the commandments, they and build buildings, they work, they build temples, and then in verse 27 he says, "they lived after the manner of happiness." So following the "adversity" they did get to a state of happiness.

Alexandar Graham Bell wrote,

"When one door closes, another opens.

But we often look so regretfully upon the closed door

that we don't see the one that has opened for us."

Derek and I are looking for the opened door. I am sure that we soon will find it, I am confident that as we do all that we can that we will get to that "happiness."

Martha Washington said,

" I am determined to be cheerful and happy

in whatever situation I may find myself.

For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness

is determined not by our circumstances but by our disposition."

So we plug along, determined to stay optimistic,and we know that after the "storm" comes the "rainbow." I am mindful of my blessings, especially a wonderful husband,and great kids, who I adore! I find strength in family and wonderful friends. And I know, this too shall pass...... But I sure wish that it would hurry!! UG! love to you all!

The last place you look....

Let me take you back in time... to December... the day of the Christmas Recital... as the girls were off at school, I went to get the costumes out to make sure that all the pieces were accounted for. ... Breilly's were all there, but Whitney's were GONE!! Seriously missing... SO the hunt began.... for the next 8 hours (as the kids were in school) I hunted, in around, on, through EVERYTHING I could think of. I was FREEKING out! I was crying, called my mom, sister, derek, anyone who cared. I hate to lose things, and this was no exception. I couldn't believe that it had disappeared! (and as you see the picture, can you believe that the neon green leotard could hide!!????!!) Anyway, When I picked the girls up from school, I proceeded to tell Whitney (through tears) that I had looked ALL day, and couldn't find her costume. She started crying to, and said, "I'll find it mom" but she couldn't either. That night she wore a black leotard, and a green tank top over it. She was a GREAT sport, but I felt rotten.

Dance pictures are next month, so I knew that I had to find it, in the next month. Today, it happened! Whit was looking for something under Breilly's bed... AND THERE IT WAS!!! YAHOO!! I'll tell you it was a miracle, because that truly is the last place I would have looked. I would have spent another long day looking through my halloween boxes, closets, and other places, and been unsuccessful. Anyway, it was a very happy moment, and now I am a firm believer that, it truly is ..."the last place you would look." HOORAY!!

The Budding Pianist!

Breilly's first piano recital! She was a little nervous for her debut, but we couldn't have been more pleased with her performance!! She was FABULOUS!! (The best of the evening, yes we are biased!)