and finally I have a flower at my house. I love flowers.
I am happiest when it's Spring.
Funny story...
A few years ago my oldest said to me, "If Spring is your favorite time of year then why are most of your kids born in the winter?" I laughed and said, "Because darling Spring is my favorite time of year."
Dear Spring,
Thanks for coming. I'm so glad you are here. There were times when I thought you'd never come. And thanks for bringing me a flower.
So yesterday I had a conversation with a dear friend who I love and adore. She is absolutely amazing. She's kind and helpful and lovely.
The only thing that's wrong is that she has the pleasure of teaching one of my kids in Sunday School.
And well...my kid is not always easy to teach. He or she may or may not even be a little out of control. I wish all my kids came with perfect manners but they certainly did not. They are all learning.
So yesterday after our conversation and feeling a little bad. I heard "He's Mine" by Rodney Atkins and suddenly I felt better.
He or she is mine.
And I'm proud of that.
I love them just the way they are.
*Click pause on my playlist*
Dear Child of MINE,
I adore you. I know you are learning and I am perfectly fine with that. I'll take the blame and claim you every time.
I had just a really lovely time in Provo hanging out with Alyson. She's more than lovely and I'm not just saying that cause she's mine. She is REALLY something special! I missed her.
We went shopping and got a hair cut. And went shopping here and bought some jewelry and went shopping and bought some shoes. And we also went shopping looked and looked and looked for the perfect hand bag, it took a long time but Hannah finally found it! And then we went to cousin Melanie's house and laughed and watched a movie and we shopped some more. And inbetween all that we ate.
Melanie is a jewelry importer and so we spent a couple of hours going through her jewels playing dress-up and SHOCKER made some purchases. I'm going to take some pictures of all of the fun pieces I got and do a little blog show and tell another day cause they are so much fun!!
I did all this fun stuff with Alyson and her upcoming mates Chelsea, Hannah, and Kara. What fun girls they are.
Alyson, Kara, Hannah, and Chelsea
And then last night we went to Uncle Lewis and Aunt Brenda's house. What a lovely visit we had!! We talked and laughed and ate Aunt Brenda's super yummy food. And Uncle Lewis gave me the necklace from Melanie's neck. *It was cute!* I loved that she just gave it up! It made me laugh. I sure hope she really doesn't mind that I stole from around her neck. She said she didn't....I don't know. But I'm sure she still loves me anyway.
Ashlyn and Alyson
And the best thing of all....
I got to hear Alyson play the Hymns on the relatives piano. What a treat. I miss that sound in my house.
Dear Melanie,
I hope you really don't care that I have your necklace, if it will make you feel better I'll take a picture of me wearing it and text it to you. OH and also, just as soon as Annie comes to SLC or Denver we MUST go. Thanks for all the fun and can't wait to do it again. I love you!!
The other item I put in there was a magazine that I had a huge blast looking at.
I expressed my opinions on about every other page. I just...well I wanted her to know how I felt about a few things. My hope was that it would make her laugh. Nothing less and nothing more. Just laugh.
And the very romantic apron...
Looks amazing on a guy.
Dear Alyson,
I always have fun putting together packages for you. It's so much fun. And about your wedding.... NO RUSH! The magazine is just fun to look at. I mean being married is lovely and all but not so much if you don't find the right guy. So have fun dating. Love you.
Yep that's right, two of my kids share a birthday.
I think they like it that way.
These two have a special bond.
They really love each other.
It's nice.
AlYsOn KaTe
I cannot imagine having a more amazing daughter.
She is smart and beautiful.
Most importantly she is kind.
She has more love for others than most.
I am super grateful that she's mine.
DaWsOn JaMeS
My Dawson is really something.
He is wild.
And wears me out sometimes.
But let me tell you,
he has more compassion than most.
He cannot stand to see someone being
unkind to anyone who cannot defend themselves.
He loves Jesus.
When he grows up he'll be the best Dad ever.
Dear Alyson and Dawson,
I just so completely love you two. You are special. Stay close to each other. And know this...Your mom loves you!! And plus she thinks your super cute!! Happy Birthday.
Beta fish. Which are lovely but not really all that fun to cuddle. He has simply refused to have another dog.
Until...Today!
My Dawson wanted one for his upcoming birthday and Mike agreed.
Holla!
And So Dawson chose a sweet little girl and named her Mercedes.
Isn't she just the cutest thing ever!?
We don't get her for a couple more weeks because she is just too young. Which is good I need to put away all my Christmas stuff before I bring a new baby home.
She is currently living near Colorado Springs. So while we were near by we decided to visit the
It was a lovely day and we had fun walking around the beautiful campus.
Dear Mike,
I want to write to you today because today you were the best dad ever. You made a huge sacrifice for one of your kids and I find that very attractive...VERY! I hope Mercedes loves you and I hope you love her. Thank you.
She is gentle (mostly, ummm don't mess with her new itouch), she is fun, she is great to shop with (especially if you're buying her something), she loves to laugh and smile, she is a really good sister and a fantastic daughter. The best thing of all is that she loves Jesus and it shows.
Every time I heard this song this year I thought of her. I hope I get to spend Christmas with her (and all my kids)
every single year.
Dear My AlYsOn KaTe,
Thank you for coming home and not being married and spending Christmas with your in-laws. :) Thanks for being such an amazing sister. All of your brothers and your sister completely love you. You are a good example to them and I am thankful for that. You are a very special person. I want you to never ever settle for anyone ever treating you like you aren't. I love you much.
I woke up early, really early for a night nurse...6 a.m.
And I woke up in the arms of my Mike.
And we laid there and listened to
Christmas music on my phone.
It was perfect, I fell in love..AGAIN.
And then we wrapped presents and listened to more Christmas music.
More in love.
And then we prepared for our annual
Christmas Eve
party at his parents house.
Mike washed my car, put gas in my car, shoveled out someone who needed it,
and made all four of the casseroles.
With a smile, In case you were wondering.
And yes...I fell even more in love.
And boy oh boy
did we have fun at our little party.
My little Jarret. He has more Christmas spirit than anyone I know.
Bryant is super cute and just a bit weird.
I think Jarret was getting ready to fart on me, cause that's what he did. I was not so happy.
Mike and Dawson playing the Minute it Win it Christmas game.
Alyson and Emilee with more fun and games.
Grandma reading "'Twas the Night Before Christmas"
Mike reading from the scriptures More Love comin' his way. I tell ya he is awesome.
All of my sweet children, some smiling and some practicing their kill shots.
Once again my Mike being the sweetest most kind human ever. Helping out his sweet brother~ Santa. Or is it Uncle Marc?
Denver's very own city and county building. It is always beautiful on Christmas Eve, we should know cause we drive past every single year!
Another one for your enjoyment.
And from my very own
Nativity
atop my fire place.
The Baby Jesus.
Dear Love CoRi dAwN Readers,
Thank you for enduring all of my crazy videos this month. The month is not over yet so you will have the opportunity to see a couple more. I would like you to know that I love Christmas, I love it because of all of the tradition and love that seem to just happen. I love because I love Jesus. And I am grateful for Him. I am grateful for His birth, His life, His death, and His resurrection. I also want all ya'll, and Mike, to know that I love Mike. He is more than I deserve.
Friends, sleep in Heavenly peace tonight because all is calm and all is bright.
Oh and while we were shopping we bought my dear friend
Rochelle
a Justin Bieber ornament.
That was nice of us.
Dear Alyson and Emilee,
Today was so much fun. Thank you for helping me spend my money ;) I had a huge blast with you and I am more than ecstatic that you two are my daughters. I love both your giggles, you're cute.
So yesterday I was just minding my own business driving to work and Boondocks by Little Big Town came on the radio.
It made me smile.
First I love this song because... well, my heart and soul do in fact belong to the boondocks.
I don't really care which boondocks; the Virginia boondocks, the Idaho boondocks, or right here in my own little Colorado boondocks.
Tin roofs and gravel roads, life doesn't get better than that. SERIOUSLY.
I simply heart the boondocks.
Back to why I was smiling...
my kids all five of them (together) use to sing that song as loud as they could while I drove them around in the mini-van to various activites. They all loved it. I cannot help but to love what my kids love.
*Again, don't forget to click pause on my playlist below*
Dear kids of mine,
Keep singing together, you sound way better than the Osmonds!
Today I wish we were all together driving to the boondocks and singing boondocks and that school and work were far far away from us.
(Stake Conference is a conference or meeting where many
members from the same geological area of my churchgather
together and listen to our local leaders)
It was really nice.
On my new phone (more about that later) I found a very cool video aboutWilliamTyndale and the scriptures and then I saw the same video on Alyson's blog. I think I was suppose to be reminded about how important being grateful for and studying the scriptures is.
I loved the message so much I think all y'all should watch it also.
*don't forget to click pause on my music*
It was wonderful and I felt happy to leave
Alyson
and watch her walk away with the
Lord's inspiration and instructions
in her hands.
I know that she and all of my kids will be happy if they
read and love the scriptures.
Dear William Tyndale,
I am grateful for your sacrifice.
I have no doubt that you were inspired and guided by the Lord.
A simple thank you is not strong enough.
So with as much fierceness and gratitude and love as I can type with I say to you,
What we heard that beautiful morning was simply amazing.
~The music unbelievably beautiful~
~The words were these~
Life, in this world, can be hard on anyone. We hear and see things that are discouraging, even disheartening, and at times we may feel dismayed about the state of the world and the condition of our own lives. Yes, life can be hard.
But within us, deep down in our heart of hearts, resides a sense of robust hope and sweet expectation that can lift us out of life’s fog to see clearly who we are and our capacities. We lift the fog every time we count our blessings, every time we are kind toward others, every time we seriously ponder life’s purposes. We lift life’s fog as we pause to listen to our heart.
Each one of us is here for a reason, a purpose that may sometimes get lost in life’s heartaches and disappointments. Who are you really? Why are you here at this time and this place? What can you do to make a difference in someone’s life? How can you truly look into your heart?
"What you think of you is what finally matters,” wrote one observer. "When you look in the bathroom mirror in the morning, the court is open for business. And you are the jury and the judge on the case.”
Thinking of yourself as someone capable and worthy of good things sets positive change into motion. Quietly, your heart begins to change. You then begin to see and think and feel that your life can be good—despite life’s heartaches. Listen to that small voice in your heart that whispers to you the power to change, the potential for happiness, and the peace of mind that comes from knowing that what you think of you matters.
Dear Temple Square,
I love the feeling I have when I walk around you.
I love to see the temple and all of the other beautiful buildings.
I really love your missionaries, they make me smile...and cry.
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