Chile

Please include the sweet wonderful people of Chile in your thoughts and prayers. I served just north of the epicenter and every area of my mission felt the quake last night and are experiencing the effects. They are a very self sufficient lot but it will be hard for a long while.

Seriously Good Food

Tuesday Ry & I had dinner out. We do not eat out (other than the occasional pizza from Sam's Club) so this was a treat. We went to the trendy Iguana Grill and had chips & salsa & $1.00 tacos and then walked next door and had cupcakes from Sara Sara Cupcakes for the Two Dollar Tuesdays. The tacos were a bit too trendy for Ry's tastes but I appreciated them. The cupcakes were divine. I licked the frosting off the cupcake wrappers. It is dangerous to take me out in public I know.

Every Wednesday my friend Alisa has a "What to Eat Wednesday." Last Fri. I ran by her house and they invited me to dinner. She had made the most wonderful burritos. I loved them so much I came home and from memory made it myself and have eaten it almost daily this week. Southwest Egg Roll with Avacado dressing. If I had all the ingredients, I would be eaten them now. Trust me - you need to make these for dinner.

Drops of Joy

Ryan participated in the Circle the Stat with Song program this past weekend. It is invitation only at his school so it was a big deal. He has been attending extra rehearsals and working on his music in the car. Saturday, all the students from 11 schools gathered and spent the day working with some very skilled music directors from 9:00 - 3:00. At 3:00 they performed a concert. It was amazing. These weren't silly songs - they were very difficult pieces and some in other languages. I was blown away at how good they sounded. You could understand every word and I was stunned at the range, the parts and the unity of the choir. For a long while I just closed my eyes and let the sounds of joy wash over me. 

I mentioned the phone fiasco yesterday in the previous post. Here is what I didn't mention. I walked into church carrying the posters and fliers for the next ward social. I had spent 3+ hours of my morning trying to accomplish a 30 mins. task due to wonderful printer issues. And font issues. And glue issues. You get the picture. Finally finished the project, loaded Ryan, and drove to the church. On the way there, Ry mentioned that his goal for this Sunday was to not get his phone, wallet or keys taken away by his Sunday School teacher. What???? Mother of the year discussion unfolded. We arrived at the church and I managed to get my posters into the building unscathed even though we were having hurricane force winds (well, it felt like it) only to be told as I enter that the posters weren't needed as the activity had been cancelled. Grrrr. I sat down and 3 mins. later cell phone fiasco ensued. Why do I even bother sometimes????? I was so ready to leave and I had only been there for 5 minutes. I sat there for the next 20 mins. holding many conversations in my head. And then the drop of joy. The children had been asked to sing two songs and as they went up a dear, sweet little three year old was a bit upset and spoke. his. mind. It was wonderful. I felt all the frustrations I was feeling lift off my heart and find expression in his emotions. I envied him his freedom of expression at the same time feeling so grateful for the blessing of his words. 

My WW goal for myself this past week was to go to bed by 10:00p.m. I have not slept well for the last two years. Part of it was not enough time, a bigger part was not being able to sleep or having horrible, surreal dreams that left me feeling very disorientated. I prayed that I would be able to get things done or let them go so that I could go to bed, that I would fall asleep and that I would not dream. I made it almost every night. And I slept! I slept. Huge, thick, healing drops of joy. 

Lastly, we had Family Home Evening tonight. Ryan planned most of it. We listened to a John Bytheway talk - "How to be Totally Miserable", played a few rounds of "Seek" (scripture trivia game) and had oreos and milk for dessert. It wasn't what we did, it was the joy of enjoying each other and doing something together. 

Parenting Shining Moments

On the way to church, Ry & I had a "discussion" about him NOT taking his cell phone into church. I love going into the chapel feeling like the big, bad mom. It is such a peaceful feeling. I sit down and church begins. Ry is sitting on the front row to help with the sacrament and I am sitting on our traditional second row. The opening song begins and my cell phone goes off! I am not kidding. I never take my phone into church. In the heat of the moment, I completely forgot that I even had mine in my pocket. Of course, I can't get it out of my pocket until it had gone off 4 times. Ryan looks at me with raised eyebrows, shakes his head and slumps into his seat, obviously hoping that the pew will open up and hid him from his embarrassing mother. After church he did say he could understand why I didn't want him to bring his cell phone into church. He might forget to turn it off. So glad that I could provide that object lesson for him.

Love

I found this a few months ago and I get a bit teary eyed every time I watch it. For me, it speaks volumes of love.

In-Sickness-and-Health

My grandma suffered from this disease and spent the last years of her life in a nursing home. My grandpa would visit her everyday until he was unable too. He would sneak in a chocolate ice cream cone every visit. My Uncle said that Grandpa would wrap it up in a cup and then layers of newspaper. My grandparents always said that they wanted my grandma to pass away first and then my grandpa 10mins. later. He passed away 10 months after she did. I have been so grateful for the testimonies of love around me.

Happy Valentine's Day.

Forecast: Growth Spurt

I made dinner tonight - chicken spaghetti & broccoli. I wasn't even finished with my plate when Ry asked if I would make him some scrambled eggs too. Ummm, I thought I just made dinner.

And suddenly a gallon of milk only last a couple of days around here. If that.

Matchmakers

Do you remember that one person who introduce to you something that you love, love, love? I have a few people who have done that for me. My middle school english teacher one day pulled "Anne of Green Gables" off the library shelf and said that I should read it. She thought I had a lot in common with Anne and would really enjoy it. The cover was very unattractive so I didn't read it just then, but I remembered her recommendation and eventually curiosity made me pick up the book a year or two later. I love, love, love Anne and still own most of the LM Montgomery books. I am still not sure exactly what my english teacher was referring to when she said I had a lot in common with Anne. I am never outspoken, intense, passionate or in the habit of dying my hair green. (although I do have a funny hair story to share one of these days.) What could she possible have been referring too? My point is I will never forget Mrs. S and will be eternally grateful for introducing me to Anne and Emily and the dear world of Avonlea.

My friend Meghan has been another matchmaker in my life. Soon after she moved to Oklahoma she asked if I had ever seen "Pride and Prejudice". I hadn't and her eyes sparkled with excitement as we planned a day for her to come over so we could watch it. We watched the first episode but running after kids wasn't so compatible with period drama watching so I was less than appreciative of this classic. Meghan left the rest of the series with me to watch and love at my leisure. A day or two later I watched the second one. It felt a bit slow and I'll admit to wondering what was just so wonderful about this movie. A few nights later I put in the third episode while I folded laundry after everyone had gone to bed. For those of you who don't know, a cliff hanger happens at the end of the 3rd video. I was hooked! I had to find out what was going to happen and stayed up until 3:00a.m. watching the remaining 3 videos. Loved, loved, loved it. Still do. I have since read the book a few times, watched various movie versions, and read spin off books. Little did I know that Meghan had introduced me to a world of wonderful friends. Since that day I have become very fine friends with the following -

Pride and Prejudice
Sense and Sensibilitiy
Emma
Northanger Abbey
Jane Eyre
North and South
The Importance of Being Ernest
Under the Greenwood Tree
Cranford
Lark Rise to Candleford
Horacio Hornblower
Persuasion
Wives and Daughters
Nicholas Nickleby
Lorna Doone
Far From the Maddening Crowd
Our Mutual Friend
Little Doorit
Middlemarch
Mansfield Park

As you can see, a heavenly relationship. And the books are even better. My shelves hang low holding all my treasured loves. Thank you Meghan. You literally changed my life!