Thoughts?

Let's just say, it was time.

New Pictures

I snuck away from my children to create the new header for the blog. Hopefully no disaster occurs.

Thank you, thank you, thank you Angie for taking my kids pictures! Once again she has confirmed that they are absolutely beautiful! Oh, and I guess this is sort of a spoiler for all of those who will be getting a Christmas card this year. I am sure it will be a picture from this bunch.

Now back to motherhood...

That Time of Year

It is about that time of year that you need a jacket when you go out.. It is dark by 7 pm, and dark until 8am (time change will help). Leaves have changed, and are falling. SmokeAnd lastly, it is the time of year that I am full of treats, desserts, and good food until January comes accompanied by New Year's Resolutions. Here are some pictures of Halloween at the McArthur home.

Making and decorating halloween cookies with a few of our favorite people in the whole wide world.

Picking the perfect pumkin at the pumpkin patch. (Brinlee had more fun throwing the pumpkins...needless to say, we hurried!) Carving pumpkins. Left to right: Brinlee's pumpkin, Bailey's pumpkin, and Sam's...the one that says "sam". Could you tell?

Halloween morning. Everyone was so excited to wear their costumes all day. We had Tinkerbell, a pumkin, and an adorable little boy. We didn't get any pictures of them all fixed up, but you get the picture. They were cute. And we have enough candy to last us through the week :). Hope you all enjoyed Halloween as much as we did!

Stolen...But Worth It

Well, I was off "blog hopping", and I found this quote. I love it! I think I have heard it before, or at least something similar. Here it is:

"Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he's been robbed. The fact is that most putts don't drop, most beef is rough, most children grow up to be just people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, most jobs are more often dull than otherwise, life is like an old time rail journey,. . . delays, side tracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride."

-President Gordon B. Hinckley of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

First of all, I love President Hinckley. Such an inspiring man. He was counseled once in his life to "forget himself", and I think that is the basis of much of his counsel to us, and so many of our struggles today. We want for us. To an extent, I think it is necessary, but I think that we let it grow to more than that. Again, a great quote. Thank you, whoever you are, for posting it, and causing me to take a look at what I am expecting out of life. And, more importantly, who is to thank for all of it.

Still Here, Sort Of

For those of you who were wondering "where on earth are the McArthur's" (probably none of you!), we are alive and well...and living in our new home! Should I post pictures? Or should I just ask please, please, please come visit and see it! It is so exciting, and I love it. So does Nate, and so do the girls. It is almost too good to be true sometimes. In fact, I just remembered that last night I had a dream that I had to move, and I was so sad because our "new" room didn't have a vaulted ceiling. It just makes a room seem so much bigger, even if it isn't. Anyways, I love it, and cannot wait to begin our new (and permanent) life of our very own right here in Eagle Mountain.

Let's see, as for the last month, and some, there is one monumental accomplishment. (drumroll please...) Brinlee is in panties! Yes, my two year old is going through the process of being pottytrained, and to be honest, she is very good at it. It all started when she took her diaper of, twice, in the new house. Follow that with her getting out of the bathtub to go potty, and me finding little "surprises" throughout the upstairs. It wasn't pretty. So the next morning we woke up and said "Uh oh, no more diapers". And apparently Brinlee said "thank you mom", because she has had fewer accidents than I can count on one hand. Still in a diaper at night, but in the day I have a two year old running around showing plumbers crack in the cutest little underwear. Yay! Bailey has been the best help for this. You can see Brinlee get all excited when Bailey claps and cheers for her (Bailey gets a treat too when Brinlee goes and she is excited).

Sam is growing up so fast. He has started to grab for things, and sit up in a high chair. He is still as smiley as ever, and loves his thumbs. No binkey, just his thumbs. And when his toes are free, he reaches down and grabs them. It is pretty cute.

Bailey is in need of friends in the new house. She asks "can I go play with my friends" all throughout the day. When I ask who her friends are, it is anyone from the workers down the road, to the local walking group in the morning. Poor girl. Hopefully it will all change after Sunday, and we can meet some of our distant neighbors. She is the biggest help with Sam, too. She can make him laugh, and you can see his eyes light up when she comes to play with him.

Lets move on to Nate. Nate turned 29 (it took some convincing to get Nate to believe that he was going to turn 29, he was positive he was turning 28!). I wonder if he ever thought that when he was 29 that he would have been married over 6 years, have 3 children, and be an owner with his brother in their own company. I am so proud of him. He seriously works so hard. I have recently made up my mind to tell him that more often. I love him so much, and am so proud of all he does for this family.

Well, in that past few minutes I have ended up with two little munchkins on my lap wanting to take turns pushing the space bar. This isn't going to work! I will put pictures on soon, but now is not the time. Thanks for sticking with me through my little "blog vacation"!

Thoughts by Bailey

A conversation between Bailey and I the other morning.

Bailey: Mom, what's that?
Me: A bra.
Bailey: Oh. (a longing sigh) I wish I could have one.
Me: Well...you don't need one.
Bailey: Why?
Me: Because you have a little chest. You won't need one until you get bigger.
Bailey: Oh. I wish...(she trails off in a daydream sort of look, followed by a shake of the head to come back to the conversation). I mean, when I get bigger, if I have a little chest, I will buy a big one.

Poor girl, she had better start saving now. The genes are not in her favor.

We have a 4 year old

We are so excited that Bailey turned 4 about a week ago. Yesterday was her party, and now that all of the festivities are over she is still talking about having her birthday. So, to stretch out the fun for one more day, I wanted to do a little question/answer like I did last year. Here is Bailey in a nutshell.

Favorite color: Pink and Purple
Favorite person: Angeline (said An-gel-leen)...that's my favorite name.
(we know no one by that name...I'm confused)
Favorite food: Hmm...I thinkin'....it's broccoli, and I like carrots. Only little broccoli's.
(not true, but at least she knows what's good for her!)
What do you want to be when you grow up?: When I grow up I wanna be a big kid.
What is your favorite thing to wear?: Pretty skirts, and I like pretty shirts.
What is your favorite thing to do?: My favorite thing to do is play dress-up.
What is your favorite thing that daddy does?: My favorite thing that daddy does is goes on a date.
(let me clarify...a date with her, not me)
What is your favorite thing that mommy does?: My favorite thing that mommy does...hmmm, I'm thinkin'...is that...cleans the dishes.
(yep, I'm a hard working mom. no fun here.)
Where are you going to get married?: At the temple.
What's your favorite song?: My favorite song is I like to look for Rainbows

Bailey is so much fun. Some other things that she does that we are proud of her for:

Writes her name, can write most of her alphabet (upper and lower case), sings songs all the time (especially ones that she has made up), plays teacher with grandma, says her prayers, dances like a ballerina, holds Sam like the best big sister.

Bailey, we love you. Happy 4th birtday!

Our Little Sam

I was going back and forth about getting Sam's picture taken in his blessing outfit. Why, you ask? Well, we need to give back the outfit to my great friend who lent it to me and I kept thinking about scrapbooking pictures of him a whole lot bigger than he really was when he was blessed. I finally decided, "who cares if he is 3 months and was blessed two months ago...", and had my neighbor take some (I know, I know...the drama of a scrapbooker! Like it really matters, I am years behind as is!). I am SO glad that I went for it.
First, thank you Angie, you did an amazing job. Second, thank you Emily, for the cute outfit. And last, thank you Nate, for those wonderful McArthur genes that I am cashing in on. Here are a few things that our little guy does at 3 months, followed by the pictures.

• Sleeps through the night (5 nights out of 7)


• Smiles irresistibly cute smiles


• Scoots, scoots, scoots.


• Has rolled over twice


• Gets the hiccups every time we make him laugh (it is so worth it!)


• Sucks his thumb (we really aren't too excited about this one)


• Loves his mom, sister Bailey, Grandma, and Angie (one of my best friend neighbors)

My Daughters

I feel like my thoughts have been consumed by the new baby and the new house, so I thought I should do a little post about my girls. Just their names, and some words to describe them, but it will be fun.

Bailey:

• Girly


• Princess


• Sassy


• Too smart


• Social


• In Charge


• Silly


• Emotions, emotions, emotions


• Beautiful

Brinlee:

• Hungry


• Sweet


• Wild


• Emotions, emotions, emotions


• Sneaky


• Wild


• Adorable


• Naked


• Wild


• Oh, lets not forget wild.

I have the most amazing daughers, and I hope that I can live to be the mom they need and deserve. I love this picture of them, because I can say all I want about them, but only they can show you.

Confession

I would just like to preface this little announcement by stating "yes, I am a dork".

Okay, now that that is out of the way I will move on. I have to say that when I heard that the next Harry Potter movie was being moved from November 21st, to a whole year from today, July 17th, 2009, I was very bummed. However, I was soon after comforted by the announcement that "Twilight" has moved up its movie release to November 21st, instead of December 12th. I have now decided that I am okay with the whole situation.

Told you I was a dork.

Brooklyn

Hello everyone. It has been quite the past 2 weeks. I had a new cousin born on July 15 down in Hurricaine. My uncle and his wife are almost the same ages as Nate and I, and were having their third child. When Brooklyn was born everything seemed normal, but they found out the following day that there were problems that she needed to be looked at for. It turned out that she has a rare heart defect that required her to be flown to Primary Childrens and undergo a heart surgery that had only been done twice before. Once successfully, and the other one was not. Brooklyn survived last Saturday, and the surgeon said it was a miracle. The next step was to close her chest the following Tuesday, and with minor reactions to the stress, she once again fought through. We pray for her everyday.

They own a business, and have to put it on hold for however long it takes. They are staying at the Ronald McDonald house (which, by the way, I think is amazing!) while they can, and their two older children are staying with Angeline's mom and dad in their camper outside the hospital so that they can be near their parents. Their oldest boy is going to miss his first few weeks of kindergarden while he is up here. And I just found out about an hour ago that Angeline is in the hospital herself with complications.

I am watching this family go through this and just amazed that they are keeping it all together. Not only are they dealing with this trial, they are growing from this experience. I sat down with my uncle in the NICU, and listened to him tell me about how he knows that Brooklyn has a purpose and a plan, and his job is to do everything while she is in his care to keep her safe. But, ultimately it is up to her Father in heaven. The best doctors and the best hospital will not make a difference if it is not what her Heavenly Father has planned for her. As a parent, I know that would one of the hardest things to say. As Brad said these things to me I felt a testimony of it in my heart, and I knew that it was the truth. I am grateful that he shared that with me. That they are opening their lives for everyone to learn from.

Also, by them sharing this with us, it is allowing us to serve them. I want to ask everyone who reads this to pray for the Bailey family. Brad, Angeline, Austin, Kaitlyn, and Brooklyn. If you go to the temple, remember them. Maybe even put their names on the prayer roll. You may not know them, but you know me, and it would mean the world to me to know that they are being thought of by so many people. Thank you all so much, JoAnn.

Good Morning

Lately my girls have been so nice, and they usually sleep until at least 8. This allows me to get the extra sleep that keeps me a sane mom. This morning Bailey woke up first, and we had a memorable conversation. Let me share it with you.

Bailey: Mom...wake up!

Me: Mmmm....

Bailey: Mom. You have to wake up and take care of me.

Me: Bailey, why can't you you sleep in like Brinlee?

Bailey: Because mom, I love to sleep out.

Nate was actually laying next to me, and when I peeked over to see his reaction there was a big grin on his face. I love watching Bailey grow, and put things together...or not so together!

Fourth of July 2008

We had a nice Fourth of July. It was fun to see the girls get really excited about the fireworks! The best thing that came from the night were the pictures that my neighbor snapped of the girls. So cute! They really do love each other. And Brinlee in the one family photo is priceless.

With the Fourth of July in mind, I would just like to add that I know I am blessed to live in America. For the safety that I feel in so many ways. I feel safe from actual harm. I feel secure that my family will never have to be truly hungry. I know that I have the freedom to choose a religion and to worship how, where, or what I may. So many people in this world do not share this with us, and we should be forever grateful. I am grateful for the men and women who are serving this country. Before the holiday I talked with my mom about people in our family who have, or are now, serving in the armed forces. I had no idea that there were so many. I have a deep respect for them, and all that they have, are, and will sacrifice. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday, and that you had the opportunity to reflect on what it means to be an American.

New Pictures

Father's Day

This year Father's Day was pretty low key. We went to church, came home and had a wonderful lunch with Nate's mom and dad, and that evening some of Nate's sisters came over with their families for ice cream sundaes. It was a perfect day. I made a fun cake the night before with my sister, Jena, and the girls got Nate a tie (the one he was wearing in the picture). Like I said, nothing too big, but it was a great day all the same. I hope all of the pictures turn out that I am going to try to add!

Introducing Sam

I am not very good at this

The roof is on the top. The big holes in the front is where the windows will go and the big hole at the bottom is were the garage is. There is also a hole were the front door will go. The middle picture is of the vault in our master bedroom. It is very spacious. The top picture is the day after we set the truss's. When we were putting on the truss's it rained and hailed and we got wet. But then we went home and got warm.

This is the house

Change in Plans

I know I told all of you that I would be induced and having the baby on the 27th, but I made a change. I don't really have a specific reason, but I cancelled it. It just felt right. So, all you die hard bloggers that would be checking hourly to get the baby update, I thought I would let you know. :) I will still post pictures of the beautiful new addition as soon as the baby arrives!

Thoughts of a Pregnant Woman

I can hardly believe that I am down to counting days! This is me, 37 weeks pregnant, on a good day. Good days consist of ones that I shower, put on some makeup, and wear something other than a large t-shirt on top and pants with some sort of elastic waistband on bottom. I just want to take a moment to write down some thoughts that I have had throughout this experience. Day-to-day random thoughts that in any other situation I would never have enter my mind, but in this world of pregnancy are completely legitimate!

1. Is this baby a boy or a girl?
2. Will it have red hair?
3. 3 kids...am I ready for this?
4. Who will this baby look like?
5. Will I really be able to lose the weight this time?
6. I just ate feta cheese...isn't that on the "no-no" list?
7. Which one of my 3 shirts should I wear today? (Pants are never an issue...there is only one pair of those!)
8. Are my two other children really safe as I lay on the couch and instruct them through pushing a chair over to the pantry, climbing to the 3rd shelf, and getting the raisins down to eat.
9. Please, please, please let the varicose veins go away after all of this!
10. Does Nate have any clue what I am going through?!
11. Seriously, if I bump one more thing with my belly.
12. I don't crave one type of food, I enjoy them all.
13. I really should shower today...but there is always tomorrow.
14. Hiccups...again?
15. I hope the delivery goes well.
16. Don't people know not to ask for anything during a contraction?
17. Nap or clean? Nap or clean? Nap!
18. You think this is emotional? I'll show you emotional! (Then I will apologize the next day)
19. Why did my mom go through this 11 times?
20. I know they say you can't induce labor yourself...I'll show them! (never works!)
21. Is it really that much fun for the baby to see how many times it can kick me in 10 seconds?
22. What are we going to name this baby? (still a question...we have no idea!)
23. Everyone says "You look so good!". What is that supposed to mean! Seriously!

Well, I am sure the list can go on and on, but I will end it there. Feel free to comment and add any that I have forgotten!

Oh! I should say that the doctor has set up the 27th for the arrival of baby McArthur #3. Our fingers (well, my fingers!) are crossed for earlier because I keep hearing about how big this baby is from the doctor, and to be honest I am pretty scared!

25 Years Down...

Well, as it happens, I turned 25 this past Wednesday. Exciting, I know. I was thinking about writing some resolutions because I never really got to it when New Years was here, but instead I want to write a little about people who have really influenced my life, the way I think, the person who I am, and finally, the person who I want to be. Here we go:

1. My Husband, Nathan Kent McArthur. I start with him because I really think that he has caused the greatest changes in me, and definately is inspiring me to be the person who I want to be. He has taught me to be happy with my accomplishments because I accomplished them. Not because it means anything to anyone else, but that it is for me. He has shown me that life is work. Period. Not that you can't enjoy work, because sometimes you do. But, if you think that there is an "easy" way to get what you want, that you probably will never get the full satisfaction that you are looking for. Finally, he loves me for who I am, but even more for who I am capable of being. And by him seeing me this way I am able to challenge myself to become a better person. A person who I want to be.


2. My Children. Bailey, Brinlee, and the one on the way. These girls (and whatever is on the way) love me. It means so much to be awake in the morning and hear "mommy" come from the other room. Also, they are the most forgiving little angels. I daily fail them by having no patience, overreacting, or just being boring, and they love me reguardless. It is something that I hope I can learn from them.
   
3. The Family in Michigan. As I look at my family in Michigan I see those who I feel close to that probably would be surprised to know how I feel. And some probably feel close to me and I have no idea. Families are an interesting thing, but I know that we are in our families with a purpose. I have my father and mother for a reason, and every one of my brothers and sisters were meant to be just that. So, whether or not I can pinpoint things that have changed my life does not matter. I am who I am because of them. Whether I agree or diagree with them, they partially drive me to make decisions. I see what they do, and decided whether or not I want that. I have 13 examples of life to watch and learn from, and I love them for sharing that with me.
4. Dale Fegel. This man was in my life at the right moments. He was in the stake presidency (a religious calling) when I was a teenager. There were two moments in my life that I would like to share. Both being at girls camp. When I was around 16 we had been on a canoe trip, and were waiting for something on the side of the river. He sat down beside me and asked me if I was going to get married in the temple. I said yes. And then he asked "Do you really mean it? A lot of people say that they are going to get married in the temple, but they don't. So, are you really getting married in the temple?" Now, this might seem small, but it meant so much to me. He really cared whether or not I made that choice, or at least I felt he did, and I did not want to let him down. No one else had ever asked me personally. I had been taught it for as long as I remembered, but when I felt like it really mattered to someone, it mattered to me too. I know now how important that decision was, and I am so glad that he took the time to let me know it was important. The second thing was a year later, at girls camp again. I was really struggling with things in my life that I knew were wrong. I stood up at a testimony meeting and basically said that I know the reason that I was unhappy was not because anything around me had changed, but that I had changed. I was pretty emotional, and when I went to sit down I was a mess, so I was going to leave. As I was walking away he gave me a hug and said "It's tough isn't it. Growing up." And that was all. Again, he cared about me. Just me. Not giving me advice, not fixing anything, but just that he cared. I still talk to him on occasion through e-mail, and he probably thinks that I am just someone with a lot of time on her hands to stay in touch with someone I saw maybe twice a year. I just want to stay in touch because he has helped me become what I am today, and I am so grateful for that.
5. Karl Schwartz. He would laugh to know that he is on my list. He was a teacher and coach of mine throughout high school. He made me cry in front of an entire class once by humiliation basically. I had come to class late, something that he did not tolerate. So he pulled me up in front of the class and proceeded to flip through my binder. A binder that was supposed to be full of notes, and assignments I guess, and mine was completely empty. After a few minutes of "playing tough" I started to cry. I turned completely red...anyone that knows me knows what that means...and teared up. Anyways, I learned that I was accountable for my actions. And that people expect things from me. One of the hardest things for me to hear in high school sports came from him. I was a senior, and he coached me in discus, and I think I might have been at a meet trying to qualify for regionals. I had already surprised myself by getting so far, and was not too let down when I didn't make it. It was a different layout that I was used to, and I kept throwing out or faulting. Anyways, after the meet when I was talking to Mr. Schwartz he said that he really thought that I was going to make it. I know that he expected me to perform at my best, and I didn't. So, what have I learned? Work hard, because even if you might surprise yourself, there are others who believe in you. I still talk to Mr. Schwartz, and he is teaching a couple of my younger siblings, and I am glad that I know he will not let them slide without them knowing he knows better.
6. My Grandpa McClellen. I hesitate to single out specific relatives, because I don't want anyone to feel left out, but I just love my grandpa! When you sit down to talk to him, he is there for you. He always tells you that you deserve to be happy, and works hard. I don't know that he has made me a different person so far in my life. However, he definately is an example of someone that I want to be to my children and grandchildren in the future.

Well, there are the ones that stick out first in my mind. I know that throughout the rest of the day I will think of others. My neighbors, my sister-in-law, so many friends, church leaders, etc. All I can say is "Thank You" for helping me to be the person I want to be, and making me feel like it is possible to become even more.

Showing a Little Skin...

I hope none of you are offended by the following pictures! I just want to remember some of the fun parts of being "big" pregnant (there are so few!). I think that Bailey gets that there is a baby in my stomach, mostly because she has felt it. And Brinlee just laughs everytime she sees my stomach. It is so cute, she starts to giggle, then points and says "woah...billy" in a husky voice(billy is belly to Brinlee language). So, here are two picture of me, 31 weeks, and Bailey spending quality time with the new baby sibling. Brinlee acts pretty goofy when it comes to actually touching the baby. It turns into sort of a "hit-and-run" if you will. She runs up, smacks my stomach, and then runs away as fast as she came. She is so adorable! (Please excuse the array of mess around me...I'm not much of a housekeeper lately!) Also, let me announce this:

8 WEEKS LEFT!

A New Look At Things...

So, I am a mom of two beautiful daughters, and am 31 weeks pregnant with baby #3. We decided not to find out what this baby was (girl or boy or course!) so that we could have a new experience this time in the delivery room. And, I'll be honest, I was nervous that if I found out it was another girl that I would be upset deep down, and not as excited for this baby to arrive. Awful, I know! I know that the important thing is a healthy baby, and that in time that would be all that mattered, but I didn't want the crazy hormones of pregnancy to allow me to feel sad, and then guilty, and then more sad, etc.

But today I am over it! If I have another girl I just know what I have to look forward to! Sure, emotions, emotions, emotions. But along with that I will have one more girl to "play hair" with, dolls with, dance around like a ballerina with, and in time actually have a ballerina to watch! I have that today and I love it. And if it's not broke, don't fix it! Here are new pictures of my first ballerina. She absolutely melts my heart!

Easter Slide Show

Note on Easter Pictures...

Okay, let me get something off of my chest. Picture places set you up to break the law, and it drives me nuts! So, I completely agree with the law that you shouldn't buy one 8x10, and then go home and make copies for your entire family. I get that. But, I am a digital scrapbooker, and I bought a page of each pose so that I could put them on the page, but I am breaking the law when I scan them! Not fair. And if I hung the pictures on my wall, and took a picture of that and then scanned and cropped them what would that be considered? Anyways, I did it. I scanned the girls Easter pics from Penney's, and I am going to post them because they are very cute. But, in good conscience, I will delete them when I think everyone has seen them. Sound fair? Probably not, but I feel better letting you all know how I feel!

Our soon-to-be New Home!

I know I look like I've taken a vacation from blogging, and I have, but I was without the internet for quite some time in my defense! We have plenty to share, and most exciting is the news that we officially started building our new home today!

We have been living in Nathan's parents retirement home now for approximately a year and a half, and they will be returning from their mission in California to live in it in 6 weeks. We knew that we wanted to build, so we purchased a lot in Eagle Mountain and now it is all beginning to come together. We are not sure when it will be done exactly, because Nate and his brother are building the home. They will contract out work, and do work themselves, and so that makes the timeline a little more flexible. I have been told that it could take 3 months, and that it could take 5 months. Either way, before 2009 we will be living in our very own home! Yay! I am putting on the pictures of the plans of our home today, and will continue to post on the progress. Hopefully this keeps me up to date so that I can remember this in the future.

Bailey's first TALL tale!

Look at our sweet little girl, now listen to the story that she told!

I guess I should start by saying that we are trying a new form of discipline with Bailey. If she does something mean to Brinlee, or anyone else for that matter, she has to go get the item that I request and it gets put up until she earns it back. I have found that the dress-up clothes, especially the Belle dress, really get the message across and she feels that she has lost something. Now, on to the latest story.

Bailey pushed Brinlee down because she had something she wanted, and I told her to go get her Belle dress. She started to walk towards her room, then she suddenly turned around and said "I don't have it anymore. It is gone." She started to walk back into the room because she had obviously won that one, but I told her to go get it for me. She proceeded to say "I don't have my Belle dress anymore. I took it to the zoo, and the bunny took it away from me and ate it!"

That beats "the dog ate my homework" anyday. Boy are her teachers in for a treat!

President Gordon B. Hinckley

What an amazing man. President Gordon B. Hinckley passed away on Sunday, January 27, 2008. He was such an example. Not only to the LDS followers, but to the world. He was optimistic, and had a great sense of humor. He knew his purpose here on earth, and I believe that he fulfilled it to the fullest.



I wanted to write a few things that he said that have really impacted me, and the way I want to live my life. First is a quote that Nate and I have posted in our room so that we can think about it everyday as we start our day. It is very well known. It says, "I speak of the need for a little more effort, a little more seof-discipline, a little more consecrated effort in the direction of excellence in our lives. Let us all try to stand a little taller, rise a little higher, be a little better." -September 1999- I love this challenge, and I think if lived by we would find ourselves much happier.



I also remember the talk he gave when I was in high school with the "6 Be's". They are (1) Be Grateful, (2) Be Smart, (3) Be Clean, (4) Be True, (5) Be Humble, (6) Be Prayerful. Again, this counsel has been repeated and taught over and over.



President Hinckley truly wanted us to be happy, and anytime that he taught, he did it with love, sincerity, and a smile. He was firm in his beliefs. As he became one of the most public prophets, he had some situations or questions that would make me uncomfortable answering to the world. I would worry about what they thought. He didn't. He always answered honestly, and matter-of-factly. It is an example of how anyone should be when they truly believe in something. His funeral is on Saturday, February 2, 2008. I am so excited to watch and see what others remember him for, how he touched so many other lives.

A Thought for Thursday

I have been thinking about so many things lately. Life questions. Who knows why, but reguardless it has been on my mind. Anyways, I ran across this really really great quote. Here it is:

Anger makes you smaller, while forgiveness forces you to grow beyond what you were.
Cherie Carter-Scott. "If Love Is a Game, These Are the Rules".

Our New Baby

Well, actually Nate's new baby. Nate bought a 1992 Ford truck yesterday, and it has received more attention that any living portion of our family tonight! It is like we have adopted another member to our family, and Nate is going through the bonding stage. Giving it all sorts of TLC like new spark plugs, new spark plug wires, new shock for the lift gate (something that is on the back?), etc. Nate is out taking it for a "test drive" right now. I personally think that he is really trying to figure out a name for it, but wants to know that he picks just the right one. :)

Honestly, I haven't seen him so happy in a long time. I am not saying that he is not happy, because he is, but tonight he is giddy. As I watched him scrub at his hands to get all the black stuff off, I smiled. He loves to work. Nate has taught me that though. That hard work pays off with the pure satisfaction of knowing you put your all into it. It is a principle that he learned from his parents, and I am grateful to see how it has affected his life.

Another cute thing happened tonight. Bailey loves to be by her dad, no matter the cirumstances. Tonight was no exception. This is the conversation Bailey and I had just prior to the picture that was taken:

Me: Bailey, get inside it is freezing outside!

Bailey: No, no, no mom! I have my snow boots on. (I italicized snow because she drew it out like "duh"!)

The picture is kind of far away, but Bailey is wearing a strappy night gown (a hand-me-down lace cami from myself) and her Winnie the Pooh snow boots.