What Kind of Movies Do You Watch?

It's Daniel's birthday today. I am married to a wonderful man.

We just got back from the movie "Knowing". The movie itself was weird and interesting - sort of Atheism meets Christianity. But the previews? Twenty minutes of some of the most horrible stuff I have ever seen. I know that we don't go to the theatre that often, but I was shocked! I would never watch those movies. Never ever. I was really just sitting there thinking and wondering why people actually view this type of stuff. Do you really want that in your head? I could barely stand to look at the screen. I think one movie was called "Drag Me Down to Hell" or something similar. Wow.

The most exciting part though was the very end of the movie - about the last 10 sec. After the very dramatic wrap-up, lights started flashing by the screen and a speaker was saying "Please exit the building. Find the exit nearest you...". Then the credits started rolling. We thought it was a prank! Everyone left quickly and then found out that someone had pulled the fire alarm in the building. The timing for our movie was crazy. It was very appropriate for this particular movie. We laughed so hard.

For Daniel's birthday, I tried to get some photos of the kids for his office. I have a lot, but here's just a few.

P.S. Sarah's latest phrase that she likes to repeat a lot is "Go way Momma, go way". She doesn't always want me around. Independence is something 2 year-olds know all about.

I Have a Two-Year-Old

Oh my.

It's been one of THOSE days. Not bad, just tiring. Sarah is 2. Definitely 2. Exasperating, darling, trying, beautiful 2.

She has an opinion.

She has an opinion different then mine.

By the end of the day her hair was sticking straight out, but she wouldn't cooperate for a picture.

P.S. This is my 100th post. Should I do the long "100 things about me" list?

I Love My House: Part 2

Sarah's Room


The day I found out I was having a girl was one the best days of my life. I was so excited to start on her room right away. I spent much of that pregnant summer working incredibly hard.


I was lucky enough to find a old set of girl's furniture at a yard sale for $75 (yep, that included the desk, hutch, dresser, mirror, headboard (in storage), and nightstand). I ended up putting 7 coats of white paint on it and a few of the drawers are broken, but I love it. Here's some the drawers just before they were painted, but after sanding.


Another before pic. See there's no moulding around the closet... (I had already painted the room once after we moved in.)

Voila! It HAD to be pink.

I drew the butterfly pictures to match the curtain fabric. The pictures are still not complete.

The recovered chair.

4x8 beadboard panels set on top of and capped with MDF boards. A trim piece hides the seam.

A small ledge spans most of the room.

I LOVE Sarah's room. (As I'm looking back at the post, I'm thinking that I must have better photos of her room. Biased as I may be, I don't think these do it justice. I worked so hard on that room! It was my biggest moulding project ever!)

Update: I'm not sure what the purpose of this post is. I worry about my posts making people feel bad. I guess I've been wanting to document some of my projects just for myself. I hope to someday do a book or something about my house since I have put so much of my time into it over the years. Sometimes when I'm feeling down or overwhelmed it helps to remember that I have accomplished (even though there was complaining and tears) great things.

Nothing Much

I've taken a bit of a break from the online world this week (even though my finger is SO much better). Last week all I wanted to do was post, but now I can't seem to come up with much.

I went to Kerri's house tonight for the first meeting of our team for the Wasatch Back. I knew I would feel this way, but I still can't believe how incredible these women are. They seem so talented and so humble at the same time. (I'm not sure how I gathered this info in the short time I was there, but that was my impression.) I already have some people in my life that have wonderful qualities that I try to emulate, but this group seems to be full of new ones! How neat that I can be a part of it.

BTW, I have been officially assigned the easiest position - runner #7. Three different 4 mile-ish sections in 24 hrs or so. It seems like a lot (at least to me) until you see what the other women are taking on. Wow.

Other random stuff....

I need to find some better make-up that doesn't bother my eyes and give me headaches. Any suggestions?

I'm going to put the guineas up on KSL very soon.

I need to get more sleep.

Daniel has informed me that he will probably be working even more (is that possible?) for a long, long time. The pressure is mounting at work.

I have four books in my possession I could read right now: Fablehaven, Eragon, Inkheart and The Ladies Auxiliary. Suggestions? (The first three Isaac is either reading or will be.)


P.S. I really have to point you to Kerri's blog - especially her last three posts - On Temples (the article she refers to), On Music, and My Running Secrets. Very good stuff.

Compare-A-Thon

I fret a good deal about having a clean house. (I think a lot of the fretting comes from how I perceive a FEW others keep their house.) It would seem with all this fretting that I actually have one, but I don't. I can SEE the filth, the clutter, the simple to put away things - but I don't always want to do something about it. I get tired of redoing the same things over and over and over. I get frustrated that my children did not come equipped with vacuums. [I DO NOT want you to leave a comment telling me you think I really do have a clean house, because YOU don't live here. You don't see what it's really like SO MUCH OF THE TIME. A few choice people have had a glimpse of that lately (and I can just imagine the shock they feel when Malisa tumbles down the ladder in their heads).] Just know that if you visit - I already KNOW what is and isn't clean. No need to pass judgement. :)

When I want to start a new hobby - especially before I have any skills in it, I often think "There is so much talent out there (then I think of specific talented person)! How could I ever do anything that would be worthwhile?" This is how I felt as I decided to start running. This is how I still feel about photography.

When I decided to pursue woodworking, I felt like a peon. It's hard to ignore the AMAZING things that people can create in a woodworking class. Much of it requires so much patience that I don't have. (However, now that I feel much more confident in my own abilities and have found my niche and accepted that I don't actually have a desire to build elegant pieces of furniture, it doesn't bother me so much anymore.)

Oh, singing. A whole other can of worms. I have a good voice, not a great voice. I LOVE to do it, but so do so many others. Comparison is EASY in this area.

The problem is that there are so many aspects to compare. When I finally let one thing go, there’s another waiting in the wings - raising kids, voluteering, testimony, hobbies, exercising, friendships, cars, houses, energy, productivity, appearance, blogging, creative abilities… The list could go on forever.

There are so many things in life to try to be perfect at!

This is a problem for me!

The reason I decided to post about this is because of a discussion over at Segullah. In the comments, someone put up this quote by Elder Holland from a talk called "The Other Prodigal". (I just love the runner analogy):

“Who is it that whispers so subtly in our ear that a gift given to another somehow diminishes the blessings we have received? Who makes us feel that if God is smiling on another, then He surely must somehow be frowning on us? You and I both know who does this—it is the father of all lies.. I am convinced the commandment not to covet is meant to keep us from hurting ourselves… Brothers and sisters, I testify that no one of us is less treasured or cherished of God than another. I testify that He loves each of us—insecurities, anxieties, self-image, and all. He doesn’t measure our talents or our looks; He doesn’t measure our professions or our possessions. He cheers on every runner, calling out that the race is against sin, not against each other. I know that if we will be faithful, there is a perfectly tailored robe of righteousness ready and waiting for everyone, ‘robes … made … white in the blood of the Lamb.’ May we encourage each other in our effort to win that prize is my earnest prayer..”

Please don't compare yourself to me and I'll try not to compare myself to you. Deal? Deal.

A Quick Post

It really doesn't go much straighter than that.

My finger was re-dislocated on Thursday.

Church Ball can be dangerous.

My right pinky dislocated a few years back during a game and it happened again! However, this time, the girl, who is thankfully unknown, smacked my hand so hard and it wasn't even on the ball (and didn't apologize by the way. They barely stopped the game. It should have AT LEAST been a foul. Let's just say, the refs and the stake people did NOTHING.) As you can probably tell, I am a bit frustrated by the whole affair and am considering bagging all future church sports. If you know me well, you know this is drastic!

I had a post planned for that night, but I was in so much pain. I have spent the last few days feeling sorry for myself. Typing has been difficult to say the least - along with showering, putting on makeup, doing my hair, tying my shoes, driving, and changing diapers. Finally, it is starting to get "better". My finger has never been the same since the first time. I'm not sure how it will end up now.

Anyways...

Now that I've gotten that out, I wish to draw your attention to my newly updated sidebar. I've had a lot of blogs that I've needed to add and I finally did most of them (I think). Go check out all the awesome people I know!

My Religion

I am typically a pretty outgoing person and like to talk A LOT. I've enjoyed having a blog in part because it gives me an opportunity to keep having a dialogue of sorts.

However, the one thing I don't talk about as much is my religion - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. In some ways it is private, but mostly it is me either being unsure or not wanting to offend. I like to believe I am an open-minded person and a respecter of others views. I often don't offer my feelings because of this.

The truth is though, that it is a HUGE part of who I am. It always has been. I am going to share some of that.

In the last few weeks, I have had the opportunity to connect with three standout people from my past. Two were people I dated and one was a best friend. All three of them influenced my life and my testimony of the gospel - perhaps even without their knowledge. I am choosing to see this as more than coincidence that I have been able to "chat" with them in such a short time frame. It has been a reminder to me of my past - of who I once was.

At the same time as this has been happening I have been making some changes in my personal life. There is no other way to say it, then that I have felt INSPIRED to do some of these things. One of the more obvious ones is my running. I've felt a desire to do it for some time, but finally things came together and it was time. The fact that anyone else has joined me has made it that much sweeter. I've also never given service on the level I am now before. It has blessed me immeasurably. In addition, I've started STUDYING my scriptures and the doctrine in earnest for the first time in a long time.

I don't know why this hasn't happened earlier for me. I've wanted it to. Perhaps I haven't been ready. I've recently noticed that I am coming out of a bit of a fog (more like mist of darkness) that seems to linger after I have children - not quite diagnosable, but very real. It feels like a new day is dawning in my life.

On the topic of my religion, I cannot escape the feeling that I need to study the new missionary guide "Preach My Gospel". It has been recommended to be in every LDS home. There is more than just stuff for missionaries in there. There is a lot for me. Already.

On the first page of the second section on "Effective Study" is says: "Study is an act of faith requiring the use of personal agency." Use of personal agency? It is a choice. I've always thought about people using their agency to make poor choices, but in this case I have use my personal agency to chose to do more than just get by - to study and to know.

I found this video on another blog. It is LONG - about 21 min. It is WORTH IT. It is a Mormon girl at Harvard answering some very tough questions. She is amazingly eloquent. The last half is almost better than the first because the questions get harder. Awesome.

http://vimeo.com/2120177

I have felt the hand of the Lord in my life too many times to dismiss it. It is time for me to do something more about it.

Visitors?

So...my friend Kerri has had some guinea pigs for a long time. It was time for her to part with them. They have come to my house for a time - though I haven't decided the length of said time.

I was (and still am) hoping to share the love of these guineas and find some families to rotate them with. They are 2 boys - Butch and Teddy. Teddy is very shy, but Butch loves people. They are low maintenance and cute.

The only drawbacks are that their cage is large and they stink. I'm surprised how well I'm dealing with it since they are right by my computer. I will be changing the bedding as soon as I get some fresh stuff. They didn't smell too bad for the first day or two. :)

Isaac is indifferent to the guineas; Adam likes them; Sarah is obsessed with them. Notice that the pictures are all of Sarah. (She had to have a time-out from the guineas today. She had dumped their food bowl 3 times and likes to rearrange their houses a lot.)

The caption for the following picture is what Sarah was saying at the time it was taken: "Poo and Potty?"

Much of her day is spent like this now:

P.S. I need to report that it was a great weekend and I may have found a solution to our reading problem! I simply informed the boys on Saturday morning that the bulk of their reading for the NEXT week would need to be done before they could play the Wii. Talk about motivation! Daniel and I have more time to give on the weekends too. It went well and I am looking forward to this coming week now!

A Room And A View

After being out of college for 10 years, Daniel got his very own window office! He deserves it and he's loving it.

After wearing glasses and contacts for 25 years, Daniel got Lasik. I'm loving it.

P.S. However, it is a little bit frustrating that he can see so much better than me now.

It's a Beautiful Day

Since so many of my posts have seemed to be a bit grumpy as of late, I decided to mention that I am happy. Overall, I like my life and I do find a lot of joy in my days.

Today, there was a lot of joy - even despite a very short night of sleep!

I was productive in the morning.

My hair went awesome (imho).

The kids started off grumpy, but turned around.

I got to see an old friend.

The kids had a good time at the convention.

Daniel was a thoughtful husband all day.

I played around with the settings on the camera.

I got to take a long nap!

We had the most simple dinner ever - canned soup, and I didn't feel ANY guilt.

We went to the adult session of Stake Conference with our kids and watched it by ourselves in a back room, 'cause we're cool like that.

We got shakes with friends.

Daniel put the kids to bed.

I did my grocery shopping.

Daniel put the groceries away.

I visited with friends.

I felt happiness and peace.

Just thought I'd let you know that I really am happy a lot of the time.