Time to prepare...

Well, this is it!  The last stretch before Elder Nelson returns.  I cant believe it is here already and then on the other hand it feels like its been forever.  I guess it just depends on how you look at it.  But anyway, he only has 9 weeks left on his mission.  2 years really doesnt seem that long in the grand scheme of things but when you are just 21 it seems like a very long time.  I remember how 18 months changed me and my entire life forever, so I guess when you look at it that way, it is long. 

So, it's time to prepare.  I feel like I'm"nesting", you know, like right before the baby comes and you want to prepare for when he gets here.  You want everything in order so that he is comfortable and so that nothing will distract you from just enjoying him.  Since we will be moving shortly (hopefully) into the new house, I will be putting Michael into Bryce's room.  I hope he doesnt mind.  Stephen has his own room and I just dont see moving everything out for a month or two only to move it all again shortly thereafter.  I figure that Michael is used to having a companion there always anyway, so maybe he will feel right at home.  I think he will enjoy the time with Bryce and visa versa. 

Michael has a few friends who want to be here and surprise him when he gets off the plane. We know his transfer date is July 12th but we are not sure when he will arrive in Utah.  Could be the 13th, 14th... I assume.  So, I need to find out from his mission president this week.  We are all so excited!

So, am I ready for this?  Are you kidding?  I have been waiting 2 years to get inside his head!  I want to hear all the stuff he was afraid to tell me...because frankly he has just been so positive and happy always that I know there had to have been some challenges along the way.  He has been a perfect example to our family and his mission will always be one of the happiest times in our family's life!

So, time to clean and organize and prepare for our family to all be together again!   

bee gees - more than a woman

Lately I have been really missing the dancing days!  Stephen has been listening to a lot of 80's music and it has really gotten my memory stirred!  I never missed a dance in my younger years when I was single.  In fact that is the only reservation I had to marrying Mike....He doesnt dance!  But when you think about the overall picture and what is really important I guess that isn't too bad if that was my only reservation right?  However, I still miss it.  I loved dancing in the 80's it was the best!  And the Bee Gee's ...the coolest! 

More pictures

I love this one a lot!  I just love what this says!

Of course this one is great!

And of course the Chicago Temple.

Pictures I want in my new home

So, I thought I would do a post on all of the pictures I want to hang in my new home.  I told my family that from here on out, all I want for any occassion, like my birthday, christmas, mothers day etc....is one of these pictures to hang in our home!

Okay, this is my #1 most favorite picture!  I absolutely love it!  I reminds me of my boys fighting for truth and righteousness.  This is the most dramatic picture I've seen of the 2000 stripling warriors.  Dont you just love it?  I can imagine in these young Lamanite faces....the faces of my boys!  A Gotta Have!!

 I think I would hang this picture in Michael's bedroom if I had this one.  This was always Michael's favorite story in the Book of Mormon from the time he was a little boy.  The first talk he gave in Sacrament Meeting was about Abinadi.  He was his hero!

Here is another favorite!  I know this has to be one that every mother of a boy can relate to.  Cant you just imagine yourself with your young teenage son going off to battle in the mission field when you look at this one? I do

Here is another one that I recently found that I absolutely love!  This picture says to me that the Lord nurtures and prepares his sons to be fishers of men.  Again, Missionaries!

Would love this one in the main area of my home on a big wall.

So, for today these are ones that I really love.  There are more to come!

If you're happy and you know it...suck it up!

So, this was the last sentence of Elder Nelson's letter a couple of weeks ago in the letter he wrote home.  I have been thinking a lot about this and wondering what he really meant when he wrote this.

You know Elder Nelson has never written one negative thing home since he has been on his mission.  I personally have been floored by this.  I mean I would expect that from Stephen, but personally I didn't expect it from Michael.  Mainly because he has always been more solemn and thoughtful than Stephen (the clown) and he would share everything going on inside of him(the good, the bad, and the ugly) with me before his mission.  So, it was a bit of a surprise to see this change in him.  Although it has been such a huge blessing!  We have certainly had our share of trials since Michael has been gone and he has known this since they started before he left, so maybe it was a conscious effort on his part...either way I am just so grateful to never have had to worry about him.  I asked him once at Mother's Day or Christmas over the phone, "are you really always that happy? you never share any struggles you have had with us"...to which he replied, "don't worry, I have my journal". And that was all he said.  Wow, amazing.  So, my point is that Michael's consistent positive and happy attitude on his mission has been so contagious to our family.  And it has been so wonderful.  I am hoping that it doesnt end when he comes home. 

He has also talked about President Monson's talk in October 2008 "Finding Joy in the Journey"...and this seems to be Michael's attitude about his mission.  But isnt that what the gospel all about?  Isnt' this what an understanding of the Plan of Salvation should do for us?  Should'nt we all be finding Joy in the Journey, because we know who we are? Because we know the big picture?  Becasue we know whose we are....Because we know why we are here....Because we know he lives and loves us and has control of this universe?  Shouldn't we be happy? Knowing what we know...no matter what happens?  Well, I know that is easier said than done.  I mean we know that none of us will escape this life without trials right?  So, with this in mind I guess when those trials come we just have to remember what we KNOW and WE KNOW that this life is temporary and that if we endure it well then all that our Father in Heaven has will be ours...all the love, all the joy, all the blessings....sooooo..."If you're happy and you know it....suck it up"! 
;)

Simple Pleasures

I started watching Reese and Bridger fulltime on Monday.  Reese comes over at 9:00 while Bridger is in school.  Then we pick him up at 11:30.  And everyday when we are on our way into the house, Reese stops to pick one of the dandelions out of my front lawn.  Then he yell's "Aunt Weeses"! (that's what he calls me) and he brings me the dandelion...just to brighten my day! 

 And guess what?...

It does! 

 It's like my own little ball of sunshine and so is Reese!

Ahhhh, the simple pleasures of life!

Spring has sprung!

Spring Treats

Don't you just love these adorable cup cakes?

Sophia made these for us while she was visiting last week.

The petals are just large marshmallows cut in ovals and pressed in colored sprinkles with m&m's in the middle.  Of course we made butter cream frosting. They were so cute and so delicious!

And here is my Kit-Kat Cake that I made for Easter Sunday. We didnt color eggs or anything this year so I just made this cake.  It was super easy of course...I only do easy.  Just a chocolate cake mix with home made chocolate butter cream frosting with Kit-Kat bars all around the edges.(I did have to cut them down a bit to fit the heighth of the cake)  Then a big ribbon around it with some silk flowers in the middle.  So pretty and simple!  It was delicious too!

Hope you had a great Easter with lots of treats too!

Happy Spring!