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.