thanks

We have a lot to be grateful for...

....

More than we could possibly list,

and certainly more than we even acknowledge.

....

Thanks

for everything you've ever done for us.

...

And thanks to our Heavenly Father

who has given us everything

and more.

...

Happy Thanksgiving.

server down

The 4th Quarter at any retail company is always insanely busy. And Deseret Book is no exception.

I've been caught up in deadlines and bluelines and all sorts of other lines...

But yesterday afternoon, our company email went down. And is still down. And I may or may not have had a few panic attacks about it.

You see, my job relies heavily on being able to email designs and other production-y things to people for revisions and approvals. And I'm currently eyelashes deep in a whole bunch of projects that need to be finished before my Thanksgiving vacation can begin (which, may I remind you, is not too many days from now. Seriously, can't believe we're a week into November. Where does all the time go?).

I know that people used to be able to work without email... and even work with unreliable email. But, it's the end of 2010. And work = email in a lot of cases. Especially (please don't say expecially - it's not a word) ... Especially mine.

So, I'm cleaning my desk, and sorting my files... and crossing my fingers that the 37 emails in my draft box will be able to go out soon.

Happy Friday.

great pumpkins

We've been trying to eat heathy lately,

and in the spirit of Halloween,

my mom brought us a treat...

and we couldn't appreciate it more. Isn't she creative?!

Happy Halloween!

praying

Almost a month ago, we got a phone call from Branson's mom. She was calling to tell us why she wouldn't be coming up to Utah as planned. Something had come up and she felt like she needed to stay in San Diego for a few more days.

She had a few tests done and found out (basically on her way out of town) that is was cancer.

You can imagine our shock - We felt totally blindsided. We didn't have any reason to suspect such a scary phone call. I cried. Branson and Blake stood strong - full of concern and love - but strong, nonetheless. And I couldn't keep the tears from pouring out.

I was scared. My mind kept racing, bouncing back and forth between the worst and best-case scenarios. What if...? And what if...? But what if...? Or what if...? (I too often let my imagination get the best of me.) There wasn't a lot of detail yet. She needed to make a few decisions and promised to keep us in the loop.

We prayed. A lot. Harder and longer than I can ever remember praying. Praying for a specific outcome. Praying for it to not be true. Praying for the bad dream to end. Praying for everything to turn out ok. But then our prayers changed: We prayed for peace. We prayed to know that everything would turn how how it should. We prayed for comfort - for us and for her.

And comfort is what we received. Everything is going to be fine. It doesn't take away the scary. It doesn't mean that it won't be hard. It just means that it's going to be ok. Whatever happens.

She had surgery a little over a week ago and everything went well. They removed everything and staged her at 2B/3A. Now there will be treatment schedules and everything that comes with that. But through the whole process, we have all had this unbelievable sense of peace. Everything is going to be alright. She is strong. She is a fighter. And everything is going to be fine. We know that God is watching and that things happen for a reason.

Our hearts have been in constant prayer. And our thoughts are with her every second. We love her and are grateful for her in our lives. She is the strongest woman we know. If anyone can beat it, she can.

And we know that everything is in God's hands. And that it will be alright.

And we keep praying to remember that.

august

August... is basically over.

It's been an interesting month, filled with so many events and emotions.

I worked 12 hour days for two weeks straight.
We celebrated Bryson's birthday.
We found out some sad news about our friend Maggie.
Chad came home from his mission in Santiago, Chile.
We spent 10 days in San Diego.
-which included Disneyland, the beach, and lots of parties.
We came home and planted 9 rose bushes and 30 lilies in our yard.
We went to a few weddings.
We had a rockin' ping pong tournament.
- Tanner is the legitimate Ultimate Ping Pong Champion.
I got jury duty.
We found out some not-so-good (read: scary and awful) news.
-we're praying and hoping everything turns out ok. More to come.
We spent time with some of our favorite friends.
-I'm lucky to have gained so many family-friends with my in-laws.
Such great people.

And we're tired.
More accurately: Exhausted.

But we're still breathing.

good life

My house is a mess.
I haven't done the dishes since Monday.
I haven't made dinner since Monday, either
- Which makes me feel like a bad wife.
- Not because I believe women should always make dinner
- But because I love making dinner for my husband. Love it.
- And I know he appreciates it, too.
I have clean clothes sitting in a laundry basket next to my bed
- Unfolded.
And piles of dirty laundry that I don't want to talk about.
B's camping stuff is in the middle of our living room,
- And hasn't moved in 2 weeks.
Our swamp cooler has made our house feel damp,
- Though we appreciate the coolness.
I worked super long hours everyday this week.
- And next week will be worse.

My piano is in tune and every note works.
I can't stop listening to this
- It fills me with the desire to twirl.
I have eight, yes, 8 wedding announcements on my fridge.
- One of which, I was not expecting to be invited to
- But truly couldn't be more excited about.
Chad comes home from his mission in only a matter of days.
We've seen really great movies lately
- Inception=Awesome.
Soon, Disneyland will wash all my cares away.

I keep waiting for life to slow down, but it isn't.
But days like today
- Days when I laugh uncontrollably with friends
- Hold hands with my husband
- Have fun with my family
- And still manage to work hard, too.
These are the days that remind me that
- Life is good.

Regardless of the piles of dishes, laundry, check-lists and problems:
I have a great life
- Surrounded by people that I love, who love me back.
And right now
- That's the only thing I need.

summer musings

It's about freaking time the National League won the All-Star Game. It only took 14 years for them to show up. However, I still wished for an AL win - I mean, come on, How sweet would it have been if Torii Hunter and the rest of the American League-ers won at Angel Stadium? But... Well played, NL. Well played.

I am in desperate need of a real vacation.

This summer, I am refusing to believe that it is actually hot outside on weekdays. I'm pretty sure it is only hot on weekends. Why? Because I work in an office that keeps the air conditioning set at 40 degrees. Currently, most of us are wearing sweaters to work, and I'm ashamed to admit that I had to turn my space heater on under my desk today.

I can't remember the last time I slept completely through the night - 2:30am and 4:30am and I have become quite familiar with each other. And I am not happy about it.

Branson's brother Blake is quickly topping the chart of my favorites. He is staying with us for the summer and couldn't be more helpful. He keeps his room cleaned, helps me with the dishes and asks me almost everyday if I need help with anything. My only complaint: I've never seen someone drink so much apple juice. I can't keep up!

Make-your-own-Jamba-Juice frozen packets from Costco is my favorite summer find - thus far.

Time is slipping from me. I'm perplexed as to where the first half of 2010 went. I'm not ready for summer to be over. And I'm definitely not ready for fall... Yikes. Or winter. AGH! I have a theory that -- well, you know when something starts spinning crazy out of control right before it explodes? Yeah. I think that's what's going on here... The earth just spins faster and faster and faster, and time with it. Until one day - BAM! Earth is renewed and receives it's paradisaical glory. So when everyone starts feeling dizzy and motion sick... I'd hurry up with that repentance process.

Today, one of my piano students was talking about a summer camp they are going to that I went to when I was their age. I told them a few funny stories about when I went, and then she asked me how long ago that was. I had to think for a minute. And then when I realized how long it had been, I think I felt one of my hairs think about turning grey. "Oh, gosh... I went 15 years ago! It's been a long time!" I finally said. "15 years! That's like forever ago!" I've never felt so old. And I know I'm not that old. But man. What a sucker punch to the face.

I love my coworkers. Love them. They make my life (read: my job) worth living - particularly through stressful, busy times. Like now.

That and Brans.... I like him, too. Nay, love. I love him.

two saturdays

Once upon a time, I wanted life to slow down so I could enjoy it more...

Oh wait. That's how I feel now.

We've had family parties every weekend, (with a few dinners, celebrations and ping-pong tournaments in between) Brans and I both have been working super long hours, and we've both been busy with our church callings. We're both exhausted, but grateful for the favorable circumstances we find ourselves in. (Except when our dryer burns our clothes, and the birds dig holes in my freshly pampered garden...)

My wish: To have an 8-day week.
7 days as normal, with the addition of a second Saturday.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Saturday 2
Sunday

That way we can do all of the stuff we're doing now on the first Saturday, and have the next day (Saturday 2) to lounge around or get things done that couldn't happen on Saturday.

Yes.
That is what I could use the most right now.

a-team

My brother, A-Team is officially home from his mission!He served a faithful two years in Toronto, Canada.

And now he's home!
It's so great to see him!

He looks great!

Welcome home, Austin!

elder t-ca$h

Taylor has officially been a missionary for one week.

His farewell was on the 13th and he did a fan-freakin-tastic job. I can honestly say it was one of the very best talks I have ever heard. Here's a brief excerpt from the beginning of his talk:

Brothers and Sisters, I hate being in pain. Absolutely hate it. I hate suffering, and I hate being scared. I hate being sick, and being sad, and especially, I hate being inadequate or inept at something. Most of all, I absolutely hate that feeling that I get because of something I’ve done and shouldn’t have, or something I didn’t do and should have. I would much rather live a pain-free, sickness free life where I’m always happy, never scared, and I am not just adequate at somethings, but exceptional at anything and everything.

But as is often the case in our mortal existence, what we want is not always what’s best for us. Sure, a life without trials, pains, and weaknesses would be great. But we wouldn’t learn anything from our experiences, we wouldn’t be able to feel true happiness, and we wouldn’t be able to grow. But luckily for us…actually, luck has nothing to do with it. Heavenly Father’s plan is not some cosmic coincidence composed of convenient conditions, but rather a distinctly doctored design that defines our divine destinies. So not luckily for us, but fatefully for us, our Father in Heaven sent His only begotten son, Jesus Christ, to die for us so that we may overcome those things that keep us from the presence of God.

That Atonement, that frees us from sin, also liberates us from many other distressing things in our lives. In Alma Chapter 7 verses 11-12, it says: “And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.” So Christ suffered not only just the sins we have done, which in and of itself is an unbearable thought, he also felt our despair, sadness, frustration, pains, sicknesses, inadequacies, temptations, guilt, shame, sorrow, terror, helplessness, and every other form of trial or hardship that we have faced. Indeed, it is an infinite atonement, meaning that there is absolutely nothing that Christ hasn’t felt in our behalf.

Tay then went on to compare sandwiches to the atonement. It was truly profound. I would post that part, but I'm nervous someone will steal it and call it their own. So if you want a copy of it, let me know. The kid is so in tune. He is such a spiritual giant. I look up to him so much and am so grateful that he is my brother.

He was set apart the night of the 16th. It was bittersweet. I know that he will be such a great missionary, but I'm going to miss him a lot. Like a lot a lot.

I'm truly blessed to have such a great family. They are the best and I wouldn't trade a single one of them.

Taylor had to report to the MTC in Preston, England so we took him to the airport last Thursday. It was fun to see how excited he was. And I am so excited for him. He's going to have an awesome two years in Manchester. We got his first email today and were relieved to hear that he's already loving it and having a great time. He has such a great attitude and I'm so happy he is serving the Lord. What a great guy, that Taylor. He's going to make the city of Manchester fall completely in love with him.

Love you, T Ca$h! Go spread the word!

two years

We have officially been married for two years.

Man, it's sure flown by so quickly.
I can't believe it.

And I love him even more now than I did in this photo:Happy Anniversary, Brans.
I love you.

on the cover

Life is utterly crazy. I'll post a complete update soon

(when I get the time...)

But just in case you've been wondering what
Branson and I have been doing lately,

Check this out:That's right.
Brans and I are on the cover of the Deseret News Sports Section.

We scored front row tickets to
the Real (pronounced ree-al) Salt Lake soccer game
last night against LA Galaxy.
(more on that to come...)

Go REAL!

m&ms

This is one of the many reasons I love my job.

I have the best coworker friends ever. Seriously.

Who else has people make hearts out of m&ms
on their desks when they're having a stressful day?

I. Love. My Job.
And even more than that -
I. LOVE. The. People. I. Work With.

may

May has gotten away from me.

Mild recap:

Austin and Taylor miss each other by a week. Yep... 7 days. Taylor leaves on the 17th, and Austin comes home on the 24th. I totally called it.

Lots of changes at work - My department combined with another, and I'm not sure exactly how my job will be affected. I wish that I could know all of the details so I can jump in and start figuring things out. But in the meantime - things are still crazy busy. But I love it.

Remember that one time when I sliced my finger on Branson's birthday? Over year later, and I still don't have full feeling in it. Awe-some. Not.

To add to the still numb finger, I've had major carpal tunnel issues lately. Total bummer.

Blogging, as with laundry, dishes and weeding have basically gone by the wayside. It's sad when you're too busy to clean your clothes. (And our dryer sucks. Seriously. We have to put clothes through 3 cycles of drying to get them officially dry. Awful.)

Our schedule currently consists of waking up too early, going to work, working hard all day, coming home, making dinner, working some more (i.e. piano lessons, fixing our house, washing only the necessary clothes and dishes to not be dirty and gross, etc.), and then going to sleep. And then we wake up and repeat it all over again. It's a boring schedule most days, but we're happy. Happy and healthy (minus these dreaded allergies. Thank you, spring in Utah).

And time keeps passing. Crazy fast. I've made an executive decision that there needs to be 8 days in a week. I just need one more day. Our Saturdays fill up too quickly and Sundays are full of church things. So one more day. A day to sleep in, and get all the laundry done. And time to garden and play the piano. And to bake fresh bread and cookies.

Now I just need to figure out how to make that happen... hm.

love and taxes

Operation: Tax Bitterness
complete.

(And yes, I know that my taxes didn't have anything to do with the health care reform or paying for other people's insurance... just trying to make a joke. Apparently, I'm not funny. Who knew?)

I am completely over the whole thing. (My bank account, now, that's another story. But me - I'm over it. And have taken extreme measures to ensure it does not happen again. Or at least as bad again. Crossing my fingers...)

But in other news, it's the middle of April. And it's warm outside. And there are daffodils in my front yard. And I'm currently in love with spring.

Speaking of loving things:

I love going to the temple with Brans.
I love catching up with friends.
I love hanging out with Nick & Kadee.
I love that the new guy at work is a fan of The Big Bang Theory.
And I love that he will randomly shout "BAZINGA!"
I love wearing flipflops.
I love Brans teaches me new things all the time.
I love Dior mascara.
I love fresh pineapple lotion.
I love watching the sunrise over Mt. Olympus.
I love grapefruit gummy slices.
I love (most) of my coworkers.
(Ok, just an elite 20 or so. Not most. I like most. Not love.)
I love string cheese.
I love organizing things.
I love playing games.
I love the lemon cake I made for my birthday.
I love our home.
I love Brans. (duh.)

I am definitely loving life right now.

taxes

Our taxes are officially filed and paid in full.

Thank you, President Obama/The Government, for moving us from comfortably lower-middle class to just lower class. Really appreciate it.

Oh, and you're welcome, People-of-America-Who-Now-Can-Have-Health-Insurance. I'm pretty sure our taxes just paid for a family of 12.

Don't worry: Bitterness towards the matter will conclude April 16th at 7:30am, whereupon I've decided not to dwell on it, and will only be bitter should we have to pay so much next year.

birthday celebrations

I've had a lovely week full of birthday celebrations.

To kick things off, the in-law gals took me to dinner and a movie. We had a delicious meal at Chili's and then saw "The Bounty Hunter" - Hilarious! There were a few times during the movie that Kendyll and I looked at each other while laughing to see tears streaming down each other's faces. So funny! It was such a lovely evening. I love spending time with Shannon, Kendyll and Jenee - They are some of my favorite people!

I also had a delightful lunch with a plethora of favorite co-workers at The Olive Garden. Don't worry, they convinced the 3 Tenors (aka waiters) to sing "Happy Birthday" to me, italian style. It's so nice to have such great co-workers. I have definitely developed so many wonderful friendships here. I love it! It's awesome when you can look forward to coming to work, because there are so many friends there to greet you every day. (Sidenote: one of my favorite co-workers was out of town for the co-worker lunch, so she took me to lunch yesterday. I seriously have the best friends.)

My family (including Grandma, our basically adopted brother Alex, and Bash's adorable girlfriend, Aubrie) came over for a birthday celebration dinner, full of Cafe Rio-esque burritos (so good!) and the best lemon cake I've ever made. Seriously, folks - it was incredible. And after we'd stuffed ourselves with dinner and cake and ice cream, we enjoyed several rousing rounds of the game Pit (a family favorite). Highlights: Everyone ganging up on Bryson because he kept willing. Aubrie and I may or may not have looked at his cards and purposefully kept the one he needed to win. I love the fact that my family loves to play games with each other. We always have so much fun together.

On the actual birthday, Branson planned out the whole day - and did a mighty fine job, I might add. (Though he kept it all a secret... throughout the day I would ask, "What's next?" or "What are we doing after breakfast?", etc. And he wouldn't tell me.) He got up and make breakfast for me, took me shopping for a new pair of shoes, scheduled couples massages ahead of time (soooo nice) and then whisked me away to Park City for the afternoon.

He had heard that the curator (Bob Santelli) of the Grammy Museum in LA was going to be in town, giving a lecture and displaying an exhibit all about music, and (correctly) thought that I would be interested in that. I have to admit, I was a little shocked by the thoughtfulness of it all. We loved the lecture - and Bob Santelli even gave a shout out to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir! (When he did, I leaned over to Brans and said, "I'm considering that a birthday shout out to me, since the Mormon Tabernacle Choir is part of my job." Awesome.)

After the lecture and scoping out the exhibit, we walked up and down Main Street window shopping and looking in all the art galleries. It was such a lovely day - perfect weather. To conclude the evening, we went and tried out a new sushi place in Sandy called Fugi's. Delicious. I love sushi. Can't get enough. It was such a perfect day. Brans is so good to me.

Tonight, I'm going to dinner with Miss Sarah. I'm very excited. Haven't seen her in a while, and I'm sure we have a lot of catching-up to do. And Thursday, it's dinner and the temple with Nick and Kadee, with italian sodas to celebrate my birthday.

It has definitely been a fantastic birthday week. Everyone has been so nice to me and I can't express how truly grateful I am for all of the fabulous people in my life. I'm filled to the brim with thanks.

easter

April has always been my favorite month. It is usually full of spring weather. It's the month of my birth. I get to hear inspirational words from people I deeply respect that compel me to be a better person. And occasionally, Easter lands in April.

Easter has always been one of my favorite holidays. To many, it means Cadbury eggs and exciting scavenger hunts for Easter baskets and eggs. Not to mention chocolate. Oh, the chocolate!

For me, Easter means so much more. Easter is my personal celebration of my Savior's life and ministry, His atonement and His resurrection. Jesus suffered for every mistake I have and will ever make. He felt every sadness, disappointment, sickness and pain I will ever feel. He bled for every repeated sin, for each awful thing I do. He endured more physical and emotional pain that I can even imagine. And when he had finished that for me, he did it all again for every individual who would ever walk the earth. After that, he wore a crown of thorns and hung from a cross, giving his life, for me.

painting by Greg Olsen

But that's not the part of Easter that I like to focus on. It is important and I am so grateful for each moment of Christ's life... But my favorite part is when He returned. I love hearing the story of Jesus appearing to Mary Magdalene as she wept beside His tomb. I love that He returned again, three days later, after he had been resurrected. Three days later when he had completed His mission, and made it possible for possible for me and the people I love [and even the people I don't love so much] to also be resurrected and return to live with Him and God again.

I can only imagine what it was like. I would love to have been a fly on the wall, or a flower in a meadow he walked through. More than that, I would have loved to have been there. I would had loved to see my Savior standing there is all His glory. I would love to touch the nail prints in His hands. I would love to see His smile and His loving eyes.

Someday I will. And what a glorious day that will be. But in the meantime, I do my best to live worthily to be able to stand on that day and tell Him that I did my best, that I tried to emulate Him and heed His words. I know I have my weaknesses and I am working on them... But I hope that someday I can stand in the presence of my Savior and hear Him say "Well done, Shanna" as He envelops me in His arms.

So, as I reflect during this Easter season, I echo the words of President Gordon B. Hinckley:

He is our King, our Lord, our Master, the living Christ, who stands on the right hand of His Father. He lives! He lives, resplendent and wonderful, the living Son of the living God. Of this [I] bear solemn testimony this day of rejoicing, this Easter morning, when we commemorate the miracle of the empty tomb, in the name of Him who rose from the dead, even the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.

madness

March Madness is my favorite.
Allow me to repeat for effectiveness:
March Madness is my favorite.

It has begun. And what a great start! The BYU vs Florida game was a perfect kick-off and demonstrated what is so great about college basketball. It went into overtime twice! And luckily, the Cougars pulled it off. Thank heavens. What a great sport.

Needless to say, the tv(s) in our home will be on CBS for the next few weeks. Sorry other networks that give us quality entertainment. But our allegiance lies with sweaty 19-25 year old guys running back and forth with a basketball. And yes, we love it.

The upsets. The sick 3s. Jimmer Fredette at the free-throw line. The brackets. I'm beating Branson so far. The sportsmanship. My one complaint: Greg Gumbel. Man, he drives me crazy. March Madness would be even better if Gumbel didn't flash on the screen every other second.

The games, though. Oh, the games! How I love them.

daylight savings

I
hate
Daylight
Savings
Time.

Boo.

the hourglass door

I am obsessed with this book.
I happen to know the author.
She's fantastic. And I like her a lot.
I also happen to have just finished reading
the second book in this series
[The Golden Spiral]
that won't be released until May.
And let me tell you -
Completely awesome. Both of them.
As much as I enjoyed vampires and werewolves
ahem, shape shifters...
I totally love this more.
Highly recommending it is an understatement.
Buy it
Find out more

march

Dear March, My Old Friend:

Thank you for bringing 50 degree weather with you. I really appreciate not having to wear my big, heavy coat anymore. Also - Thank you for collaborating with the sun - Man, is it good to see you both working together. I'm simply delighted about your arrival.

The past few months have been pretty difficult without you. I had almost convinced myself that you would never come. January and February sure weren't very polite and most definitely did not cheer me up like you do, March. Things got pretty gloomy around here, what with the biting cold and the lack of snow to justify it. I may or may not have made paper chains counting down the days until you were here. So again, thank you for coming.

I'm thrilled about all the great things you have brought with you: so many birthdays, a new coworker to take away some of my stress, a new plan, a new resolve to be happy, family here from out of town, a beautiful little girl's baby blessing, the reorganization of our home - the list could go on and on. You definitely timed it just right, March. And I'm so glad you arrived when you did. Had you been even a single day late, I just might not have been able to bear it. But here you are, with sunshine in tow. And, gosh, I could not be more grateful.

March, I don't think you fully understand the magnitude of your coming. You've lifted my spirits from that dark, dreary slump February put me in. I am forever indebted to you for your kindness.

Oh, and March? Tell April to come visit soon, too. She always brings such lovely flowers with her. But, March... Don't forget to stay awhile. At least 31 days, if you must limit your stay. I hate to see you go, but understand that you must. Eventually.

March, I am grateful for you. For you and for all you bring with you. I'm delighted beyond belief.

Yours Truly,
Shanna

Called to Serve - T-Ca$h Style

On February 19th, 2008, my brother A-Team opened his mission call. He was called to the Canada Toronto West Mission. He entered the MTC on June 18th, 2008 - just days after Branson and I got married.

Friday night (February 19th, if you were wondering) my brother T-Ca$h opened his mission call...

The room was full of our family, Grandma, this Bishop and our buddy Alex and about a million of T-Ca$h's friends. Ok, about 20 of his friends. but the room was packed. And you can hear the cheers that erupted when he announced that he was called to the England Manchester Mission. We were all excited. Our Grandma's parents were Mission Presidents in England Mission that included Manchester at that time. Pretty sweet.

But our family was more interested to hear when he was leaving.

You see, Austin has been gone for over a year and a half. He is going to be coming home sometime in June, we think (since he left in June two years ago), so when Tay is going was what we were super interested in. Wondering if he would be able to see Austin, or whether he would miss him and go 4 years without seeing him.

So when Ca$h read that he was to report to the MTC in England on June 18th, mom and I erupted. We laughed and gawked. We had been talking about it all week, and I was convinced that they were just going to miss each other. So when he said June 18th... It totally solidified my conviction. I'm pretty sure that they'll miss each other by days.

England. T-Ca$h is going to England. He's going to come home with a cute little accent (just like my friends Spence and Sam did when they came home from England... ha ha). And he's going to be such a great missionary. I'm so proud of him for deciding to go on a mission, and for being worthy to go in the first place. He's going to be fantastic.

And how crazy is it that A-Team and T-Ca$h both opened their calls on February 19,th and they both go to the MTC on June 18th. Seriously... Crazy!

learning

Things I have learned this week:

I have the best friends ever. Seriously.

Kendyll and Shaylyn are two of the most adorable gals I know.

I shouldn't read into any of the crazy dreams I have.

Hearing from an old friend out of the blue is priceless.

What I consider short hair is not what
other people consider short hair.

I am allergic to contacts. I think. And I'm upset about it.

The government hates people who are married who don't own houses,don't have kids, and aren't going to school.

We are getting screwed by our taxes.
And no, I don't want to talk about it.

I cry every time I see a TurboTax and/or H&R Block commercial.

Sometimes, all I want to do is cuddle up in a blanket and watch tv.

I am thoroughly entertained by Joss Whedon's show Firefly.

My dream is to be able to stay home and cook all day.

I would totally rock a Food Network Channel show.

My dad thinks I make the best chocolate cake ever.
But don't ask... It's a secret recipe.

I am not addicted to my phone.
I can be without it for hours and not care.
(Which I consider a great feat, compared to all of those Blackberry/iPhone addicts. No offense.)

I wish I were more like my mom.

Sometimes when everything is going wrong,
God lets you know it'll be ok.

Tithing blessings are real.

I have changed so much in the last 5 years.

Yet, so much of me is still the same.

I am so grateful for my family.

I miss joking and badgering with my brothers.

I have so much to learn.

And I am truly showered with blessings from up above.

Don't ask me to count them, because I'll go forever.

And then the dishes will never get done.

Or the laundry.

I am learning. I'm changing. I'm growing. I'm re-learning. I'm realizing. I'm remembering. For better or for worse. Crossing my fingers it's for good. I have so many things to work on. Topping that list is probably my attitude. I've been stuck in a rut for a while, and the 'misfortunes' have been getting the best of me. I've tried to be optimistic... for a minute. And then BAM! TurboTax commercial. And then when I decide to stop my blubbering and wipe my tears - BAM! I make an awful dinner. And then when I clear the table and try to hide my hurt pride - BAM! A glass is dropped and broken. BAM! BAM! BAM! (It's been a rough week... Don't judge me. Please.)

But I need to stop focusing on all of that and instead see that luckily, no one was sliced when said glass was dropped. And luckily, I usually do make great dinners - And I can try again and make a new dinner tomorrow. And luckily, we have food so that I can make dinner tomorrow. And luckily, I have a tomorrow. (Barring the unexpected... of course.)

So I'm lucky. And by lucky I mean blessed. Because I'm pretty sure they're the same thing.

And I'm learning... lots of things. About myself. About what I want to be. And when I grow up, (and maybe before...) I want to be better. Nay, I want to be the best. Not necessarily better than everyone else. I don't want the responsibility of being the best at everything... that would certainly get tiring after... like two minutes. I want to be the best at being me. I want to be the best me.

Slowly, but surely, I'm learning how to do that. And I've got so much more to learn.

losing track

Remember that one time when it was still January? Ooh, better yet - Remember that one time when it was still November?

Yup. Pretty sure I'm losing track of time. It's already February, and that blasted groundhog saw his shadow yesterday. (Though, I must admit that I think the whole "Groundhog's Day" thing is a crock. Really? We determine the coming of spring with a rodent? I mean, come on. Really?!) The weather has been feeling a lot like early March instead of early February, and is making my ache for spring that much more. I'm totally in the mood for spring cleaning, blossoms on our trees and light-jacket weather. Granted, I have some cute winter coats. But I feel that their seasonal usage should come to a close rather quickly.

I've decided I'm blaming the loss of time tracking on my job. Just when I think things will die down... they don't. The holidays were so crazy with work [insert gratitude for having a job here], I barely had time to think about Christmas until it was knocking on my door in the form of in-laws and Santa Claus. (Don't be confused... I don't think my in-laws and Santa Claus are the same. Come on - everyone knows that Santa Claus doesn't knock on the door!) So December flew by in a flash. And now January is gone too. What even happened in January? I can't recall...

Work... Piano lessons... Playing the organ in Stake Conference (super intimidating - though I received several compliments.)... A few encounters with friends (though definitely not as many as there should have been)... And an almost-failure of attempted resolutions. (I swear I'm trying. But it's just so hard to follow through on resolutions when you have no concept of the time flying by. How am I supposed to try to be a better person when January barely existed for like three days?)

And now its February. At work, we're already working on summer and fall products - so this part of me keeps thinking it just might be summer. You know, when I'm sitting at my desk, listening to John Mayer, with no windows in sight reminding me of the inversion and 30 degree temperatures outside. And for a minute I think it might just be warm when I walk outside.

And then... Failure. I leave the building to run an errand or grab lunch and am reminded that - oh yeah, it's still winter. The worst part of winter, too. The part of winter when the air is so awful it burns your throat just to breathe. The part of winter when the only thing to look forward to is spring. No Thanksgiving or Christmas to make winter acceptable. Yup. That part of winter. The part of winter called "February."

Granted, lots of great things happen in February:
My parents anniversary. My dad's birthday. Valentines Day. Hiring a new person in the music department to help relieve a little of the madness. A potential new piano student. A girls night with Kendyll and Shaylyn. So close to March Madness. All of my favorite tv shows are in full swing. Its the 2 year anniversary of when I decided that marrying Branson would be the best decision ever.

See? Lots of good things. I need to focus more on those. And I will. As for those resolutions - I'm still hoping February proves more successful that January.

Please bless that February doesn't fly by as quickly as the last few months.

loves

I love when Branson says "Hey you! Come here..."- I love sushi - I love sleeping in - I love hanging out with my brothers - I love my blue piano - I love making other people happy - I love writing - I love watching Veronica Mars - I love cuddling with my husband - I love the smell of Japanese cherry blossoms - I love going to the temple - I love minimalistic jazz - I love medical dramas - I love watching The Big Bang Theory - I love wearing hoodies - I love fresh flowers - I love modern medicine - I love paying tithing - I love playing the organ - I love Branson's family - I love polka dots - I love playing games - I love Disneyland - I love cooking - I love the mountain view from my window - I love art - I love watching movies - I love making our bed - I love musicals - I love baking - I love apothecary jars - I love having great friends - I love fireplaces - I love pants that fit just right - I love reading - I love going to bed early - I love pearls - I love old photographs - I love Neil Patrick Harris in How I Met Your Mother - I love when Branson hugs me while I do the dishes - I love making recipes from scratch - I love college football - I love snow globes - I love being creative - I love the color green - I love lemons - I love fresh laundry - I love 3-day weekends - I love making snowflakes out of paper - I love Sandra Bullock chick flicks - I love how alike the girls in my family are - I love being married - I love music boxes - I love comfortable clothes - I love the example my parents set for me - I love a lot of things.

a great start

I've been in kind of a funk lately...
Nothing blog worthy has happened.
And I haven't been very good at my goals for 2010 so far...

I've been frustrated at work.
I have completely had it with Creepy McCreeperson(s).
(yes, there has been more than one McCreeperson)
I've opted to sleep in rather than get up and work out.
I fallen behind on laundry... again.
And I haven't even made an attempt
at keeping our house in order.

Pretty great start to the new year, wouldn't you say?

But in other news, I've played the piano and organ more in the past week than I have in a long time. And I finally got a chance to read Dan Brown's new book. I also haven't worked late a single day this year. And I've been pretty dang good at diligently reading my scriptures. I've made our bed almost every day this year. And I have made a serious effort to be more outwardly grateful and gracious.

As for the rest of my goals, I'm... working on them. Promise.

Now, if you'll excuse me, it's bedtime.

baby avery

I am happy to announce that I now have a niece!

Avery Mariewas born a week ago.
She is absolutely adorable.
And I'm super excited that she is here.

(Thanks Kendyll, for the super cute photo...
and for making such perfectly darling kids.)

a new year

2009 flew by way too fast. But I am welcoming 2010 with open arms.

2009 was a good year - there were hard times and happy times (as with most years, I'm finding). But some great things happened: Branson started a new job. My job got really crazy and stressful... several times. We spent a lot of time with family and friends. Brans and I celebrated one year of marriage. Our nephew Jack was born. Branson's brother Dane married Jenee. We remodeled our bathroom. We grew closer to each other.

So many experiences, some too special to share.

But 2010... Gosh. I remember December 31, 1999 - It was surreal to think that in just a few hours it would be 2000. No more Nineteen-Nineties. Two Thousand was here. 2005 came quickly thereafter. And in 2008 I was planning a wedding, thinking 2010 still seemed so far away.

And now it's here. And I've decided to make it a fantastic year.

I'm going to handle stress better.
I'm going to be more faithfully diligent.
I'm going to serve more.
I'm going to make time for myself.
I'm going to be a better wife.
I'm going to get in shape.
I'm going to keep a journal.
I'm going to be a better friend.
I'm going to laugh.
I'm going to learn to sew well.
I'm going to keep a house of order.
I'm going to be happy.
I'm going to have lots of fun.

Happy New Year.