flickr

I recently remembered that my husband and I set up my flickr account last May (his flickr was getting full). Check it out; flickr is a fantastic site.

Here are some pictures that I will probably upload to it. I took them during walks near our new place (which is about 45 minutes north of the old place). I like that the city still has rural areas and farms.

Unique yard; I like the statue.

This was not the only home that had Christmas stuff still up in March!

Kind of looks black and white, but these were the actual colors!

"we can make it through anything"

After hearing country music on American Idol last night, I chose to shuffle my country songs to listen to while I walked this morning. One song that played brings back memories and lifts me up every time I listen to it. I hadn't heard it in a month or two, but then it came on the radio twice in the last couple of weeks.

When my husband was deployed before, I felt mercy, strength, faith and even a knowledge that he would return safely to me. There were also assurances that I needed my Savior and that I would and will be okay if D dies before I do, but I felt he would still be around for me and our future children. One little part of the chorus that Keith Urban sings always reminded me of those feelings and sometimes brought a tear to my eye. Yes, it was and is hard to be away from the man I love. Since we got married we have had at least two weeks apart each year because of his military orders. The longest separation was eight months (followed by two weeks together and another four months separated). We were blessed to feel the time flying by as we kept busy, and our relationship was strong -- even growing -- while we were living in separate hemispheres. We knew we really could "make it through anything." I had support and his emails and phone calls and I didn't feel alone. I'm so grateful that we had these years of normal life together before he had to leave again. I still love this song.

~~~~~~~

You're My Better Half
(John Shanks / Keith Urban)

Car door slams, it's been a long day at work
I'm out on the freeway and I'm wondering if it's all worth
The price that I pay, sometimes it doesn't seem fair
I pull into the drive and you're standing there
And you look at me
And give me that come-here-baby smile
It's all gonna be alright
You take my hand
You pull me close and you hold me tight

(Chorus)
It's the sweet love that you give to me
That makes me believe we can make it through anything
'Cause when it all comes down
And I'm feeling like I'll never last
I just lean on you 'cause baby
You're my better half

They say behind every man is a good woman
But I think that's a lie
'Cause when it comes to you I'd rather have you by my side
You don't know how much I count you to help me
When I've given everything I got and I just feel like giving in
And you look at me
And give me that come-here-baby smile
It's all gonna be alright
You take my hand
Yeah you pull me close and you me tight

(Chorus)

Well, you take my hand
Yeah you pull me close and I understand

It's the sweet love that you give to me
That makes me believe that we can make it through anything

Oh baby, it's the sweet love that you give to me
That makes me believe we can make it through anything
'Cause when it all comes down
And I'm feeling like I'll never last
I just lean on you 'cause baby
You're my better half

Oh, oh baby you're my better half
Ooh, hey baby you're my better half

~~~~~~~
P.S. I need two more people who want a homemade gift!

Scripture Sunday: the Old Testament

A week ago I started reading the Old Testament. After two or three days I remembered I could read our Institute student manual along with it. So I pulled it out and I am catching up to the section that goes along with where I left off in the Old Testament itself.

Before I even got to the Genesis 1 part of the manual, the preface and introduction made me excited about my goal to read the whole Bible and understand it better. What I'm sharing today is about, rather than directly from, the scriptures. Parts of the first section of the manual's preface, "The Importance of Studying the Old Testament" read:

Even today the roots of three of the world's greatest religions -- Christianity, Islam, and Judaism -- are firmly planted in the richness of its soil. . . . The gems in the book were meant to be enjoyed. . . . This course of study [religion 301] is designed to give you the opportunity to come to know the God of the Old Testament in an intimate, personal, and powerful way. . . . In the pages of the Old Testament we see the premortal Jesus working with our Heavenly Father's children to save them.

From the manual's introduction:

Think for a moment about yourself. Does your motivation to study the scriptures come from a desire to learn more about God and his dealings with his children? Are you seeking to draw power from the scriptures in order to perfect your life by coming to Christ? Paul and Nephi have said that, like all other scriptures, the Old Testament will help you accomplish these goals. Do you want to learn more of God and those who were faithful to him? Then search the stories of the prophets and patriarchs. Would you be inspired by examples of men and women who overcame their weaknesses and went on to perfection? Read of Joseph and Abraham and Sarah and Job and dozens of others. Would you like to find principles of daily living that bring you closer to God? They are there in abundance. Would you like to better know Jehovah, the Lord Jesus Christ, who came to earth as our Redeemer? Then turn to the Old Testament, for, like the other scriptures, it is a witness of his divinity, his love, and his mercy.

"Are you cute?"

On Thanksgiving my mother-in-law's cousin asked our little girl, "Are you cute?" She answered, "I'm not tute, I'm not tute." Her tone and the way she lowered her hands with each "I'm not cute" were definitely very cute. Since then we have asked her that question lots of times, hoping to get the same reaction, which we usually did. We never made a video of it. Now I'm disappointed because she usually just answers, "Yeah."

I have written down some other funny or impressive things she has been saying, along with the date. Sometimes I wish she could be two forever. . .

January

• 'Member the ant?
• We have to tean the dool! {So I cleaned the kitchen stool.} Thank you, mommy!
• It's broten! {one of her paperback books was torn a little} It's broten! You have to put tape on it.
• {She asked for juice and I asked, Do you want this juice?} This is my kind. Don't drink my kind.
  

February

• {I think I told her we needed to leave.} We need to be at the library and read some books.
  

March

• {After a baby blessing and lunch} All these people need to go home.
  
• I wanna write to Uncle Joel. {The notebook was out after I'd written to him.}
• {She asked me to dance with her, meaning hold hands and walk in circles.} You're my pince {prince}!
  
• {While talking on her toy phone} I'm going to the Salt Lay tempo {Salt Lake temple}.
  
• It's snowing on my paper!
• Today she was taking care of a blue rubber tree frog. I asked, is that a boy frog or a girl frog? She replied, "A baby. Not a boy or a girl." A little while later she said something about putting the frog "right there. So he can be safe from the monster."
  

Other ways Shboogoo has grown:

• She has been excited about the progress she's made with using the toilet and staying dry.
• Three of her four cuspid teeth have come in.
  
• She has been out of the crib and sleeping in a twin size bed (bottom bunk) since February 15th with only a few problems.

Aunt and niece share this room

25 things about me

Several friends have done this about themselves and tagged me. So here they are, in no particular order.

1. I love natural light and prefer to have it come into my home through the windows than to turn a light bulb on when it's not dark outside.
2. I'm a sweater person. I have lots of them to wear when the weather isn't warm.
3. I pretty much always wear socks, not bare feet, when I'm at home {well, I guess I don't wear socks much in the summer}. When I get in bed, though, I have to take them off.
4. I like quiet. I don't like talking to be too loud or to have too many sounds going on at the same time. Although I love music I don't listen to CDs very often unless I'm in the car.
5. I don't need ice in my drinks, but I do like my water to come from the cold fridge. If someone offers me ice, two cubes are plenty.
6. I don't get up nearly as early as I used to but I'm usually up by 8:00. Honestly, the time I go to bed depends on whether or not my husband has school in the morning.
7. I have read the Book of Mormon from cover to cover I think 6 or 7 times. The most recent time I completed it was this week.
8. I have not read the whole Old Testament, so my next goal is to read the Holy Bible from cover to cover.
9. I have never liked or owned Cabbage Patch Kids; I think they're kind of ugly.
10. Remember Micro Machines? I liked playing with those. I am in the middle of two brothers so that could be why.
11. I would like to take ballroom dance classes -- mostly swing -- with my husband. I think I'm actually an okay dancer if someone shows me the steps. I took social dance in high school and in college. {Other than that I've had no dance classes except for a semester of modern dance in high school, and I've danced in musicals.}
12. Near my hip I have a large mole.
13. I don't really like soda, with or without caffeine, and have never been a Coke or Mountain Dew addict. A few, like Fresca, taste good to me but I hardly ever drink them.
14. I eat cheesecake only rarely because it's so rich, and even then I only like it with a fruit topping.
15. Back in 2002 I was going to go to Brazil with two college friends, until one figured she didn't have enough money and the other got engaged.
16. I lived in Sao Paulo, Brazil when I was about 3 and 4 years old because of my dad's job. I wish I could remember what it was like.
17. When I opened our new pack of toothbrushes the other day, I decided which was mine and which was D's based on which color matched our universities. I wrote on mine "iManda" {for BYU-Idaho, but I went to the U also}.
18. I don't usually stick with one task until it's all the way done. One example is that when I'm on the internet I typically have about five tabs open. I'll even hit the login button and, while I wait for those few seconds, open one or two tabs for other sites I need to log into. I think I want to change this, if my 'demanding little sweetheart' will let me. {When I take breaks from emptying the dishwasher or putting laundry away, she is the reason.}
19. I have no desire to ever have fake nails. The ongoing cost of them and the smell in those places make me want to gag. I also wouldn't want long nails making things {like playing the piano or guitar} difficult. My own fingernails are fine.
20. However, I do understand wanting to be pampered. The only real {non-massage-therapy-school} massage I have had was when I was 39 weeks pregnant. I'm looking forward to my next relaxing massage.
21. I am a loser. A person who loses things, like an earring, and sometimes never finds it again. Two of the cell phones that I've misplaced never showed up. This has also happened with at least one set of keys. Unfortunately my husband is a loser, too, but mostly with his keys, and he is able to locate them.
22. I don't like getting tired because there are so many things I want to do other than sleep. Except of course, I'm sleepy. I know our friend Josh C. feels the same way.
23. The highest-paying job I ever had {not counting a really successful SimplyFun party} was just a temp job typing for $14.06 per hour. It's sad that with my bachelor's degree I didn't find anything that would pay me more than that.
24. I'd like to learn more about different types of flowers and gardening.
25. Okay, last one . . . I miss my husband right now. Only about 67 out of 68 weeks left. He's absolutely perfect for me and my best friend.