Thursday, January 26, 2012

Come one, come all!

The circus! The circus! We went to the circus! The Jordan World Circus came into town and we splurged on one of the most entertaining dates ever. I had never been to a circus before and everything about it was just magical. From the flame-jugglers to the scary motorists in a steel cage ball, every act kept my heart racing. There were trapeze artists and tight-rope walkers and aerial silk performers. There were all kinds of crazy feats of agility and balance. There were flames and knives and hula hoops. There were high-flying dogs and big black bears and tigers. And elephants! Oh, I loved the elephants. 
There was a ringmaster and dancers and lots of sequins. There were lights and candy and music. And per JD's insistence, there were overpriced Dip-N-Dots, too. And a soft pretzel. And a Dr. Pepper.
The whole night was bloody brilliant. (Guess who's been watching a lot of Harry Potter lately...?) But seriously, it was fantastic. It was entertaining and exciting and worth every penny. I just loved it!


Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Lindsey Lou visits Utah

My little sister, Lindsey, has been in town for the last week. She took her "college visit" days off of school and came to tour BYU, stay with her friend in the dorms, and see a little more of Utah. We loved getting to visit and spend time with her. Before we took her to the Salt Lake airport yesterday, we walked around Temple Square, watched a few videos, took a couple pictures, and ate lunch together at The Lion House Pantry. Yum. So good to have you, Lindsey Lou!








Monday, January 9, 2012

Commit.

I've read on blogs and books and other places I can't recall right now about the idea of choosing one word to focus on in a year. It's supposed to be like a personal mantra to help you re-direct your life when things get crazy and help keep you grounded when you need to find focus. I've heard word choices like simplify, joy, praise. . . those are pretty self-explanatory. I've also heard less ordinary ones like hokey pokey. . . which for the lady who chose it means letting go of perfection, learning to dance through life's storms, and laughing more. I like this idea of one little word to focus on and remember and I've been thinking for a few weeks about a word that would be suitable for my goals and needs in 2012.

My word this year is commit.

Commit to reading my scriptures daily. Commit to working out when I say I'm going to in my head. Commit to getting on my knees for prayer when my eyes are heavy and my body is weak. Commit to cooking at least one meal a week. Commit to recording more of my feelings in my journal. Less good thoughts, more committed actions. 

I'm trying to keep it simple. If I think to do something worthwhile or important, I want to commit to myself and my God that I'll just do it.


Bring it on 2012, I'm ready!

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Family pictures 2011.

Before last month, JD and I hadn't had our "family pictures" taken since our engagements. In December, we did a trade with his aunt: she took our pictures and I let her choose something to keep from my etsy shop. I'm pretty pleased with our little deal. And, man, am I still madly in love with this boy!







Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Richly blessed.

Tonight, I went out for dessert with Jada and Mari (and their husbands) for Jada's 25th birthday. They are my co-workers and I am incredibly grateful to work with and beside them. But the truth is, they are much more than that. They have seen me at my most vulnerable. I have cried, laughed, played, worked, crafted, and learned with them. They have supported me as I've tried to find my way as a staff in health care services. They have taught me how to be assertive, direct, and consistent. They have shown me how to be authentic, compassionate, and non-judgmental. They have listened to me talk out my issues and offered advice when I needed it. They have encouraged me to take control of my physical health and challenged me when I've wanted to give up. They know all about me and my life right now. They are some of my closest friends. I will forever be grateful for the time I've spent at New Haven and the things I've learned, but I am especially thankful for the relationship I've built over the last year with these two.




Thank you for loving me and making sure I know it. Thank you for supporting me in my growth as a staff. Thank you for reaching out to me on our days off. Thank you for challenging me to take care of myself and my body. Thank you for making me laugh every time I'm with you. But mostly, thank you for being my friends. I am richly blessed to know you!

Happy Birthday, Jada! I am so ridiculously glad you were born .