Merry CHRISTmas

This short clip is well worth the time (my girls were especially attentive as it is narrated by a small child) and especially poignant for me this year as I hold my own infant son in my arms...may we all remember the true reason for the season and follow the small child's suggestion...(you may have to copy and paste) Merry Christmas!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PURToRRq7gM

House update

It's going up fast...here's to a week full of progress...

Beck's Blessing

We had such a nice day Sunday as Andrew blessed the little Beckster. We were so fortunate to have many friends and family come to support us. We sure do love our little dude...isn't he handsome? He sure is growing fast...8 weeks today!

the proud Daddy and sonThe happy family...

we need to work on how Andrew holds the baby in future pictures--

then maybe you'd be able to see more than just his nostrils?

We have a hole!

After five long months we finally have a hole to call our own. Not much to look at but we sure are glad to have some progress. Springtime or bust we hope to be moved in!

And for some random Halloween entertainment, pictures of some cute kids dressed up and out and about for some festivities.

First weeks home...

Never has such a short amount of time seemed like such a long amount of time.
We sure do love having little Beck in our family.

Welcome Baby Beck!

Our sweet baby boy, Beck Andrew Pedersen, has joined our family!

He came to us at 2:28 p.m. on Monday, October 12, 2009 weighing in at 6 lbs. 11 oz and measuring 20 inches. Fortunately my labor was only three hours, and I was able to do it all naturally again.

We are so excited to have him home finally...it was a long two days in the hospital for the girls as they couldn't see him, but our first day home (Wednesday) was full of excitement for them. They can't get enough of him.

Welcome little dude!

Counting down...

Whose belly is this anyway?

I am packed. check.
My body is definitely ready and dilating. check.
I am term tomorrow. check.
Any day we should be meeting our little boy...
Boy, are we excited!

Fall Beginnings...

Here are my cute girls enjoying the last part of summer/beginning of fall. Lily's preschool pic is over a month late, but she is so grown-up and loves to learn. Zoe, having to do everything her big sister does, got her picture taken too. She was (and is) so sad when Lily is dropped off two mornings a week at Miss Jenn's preschool. She definitely wants to be where Lily is, and it's so nice to see them grow together. It sure is nice to have them entertain each other, and they are so looking forward to being big sisters.

to nest or not to nest...

So I'm waiting for some 'nesting' instincts to kick in...anytime now--please? I have so much to sort through and organize in anticipation for baby boy, but do I have any motivation? not so much. I remember a distinct burst of energy before having Zoe so perhaps he is simply not close to making an appearance despite the fact that my body is telling me otherwise.

And I have to say that I am more than disappointed that my girls can't come see me and baby in the hospital when the time comes. That's right...some article in the paper today mentioned six hospitals that wont' be allowing children under 14 and those that are sick to be in the maternity ward at all (darn swine flu). Major bummer...my girls have been anticipating this almost as much as me, so I am SOOO sad they can't join in the newness until I bring him home. (hmmm...maybe I'll have Andrew put them in a large suitcase and wheel them in undetected)

In other news: we have changed the location of our lot due to the ludicrous delay that was our old contract. We got such a great offer to move to Syracuse on a bigger and better lot in a nicer area and didn't feel it right to turn it down. So yes we have to start over technically, but we should still be starting to dig before the time in which our old subdivision will have come to. Eternal delay is what this feels like...right now we're hoping to be moved in in February sometime. And we wait....some more.

ho hum

I've decided that sleeping on a mattress on the floor (even a nice Tempurpedic one) with a 31- week pregnant belly is not the most conducive to getting any rest (especially when we get both girls somewhere on or around the bed during the night). Why is it baby's head is most 'pressing' on the bladder when one is trying to sleep?
I will say I think I'll be prepared for the numerous wakings-up required with a newborn when the little guy decides to make an appearance. I don't think I've slept longer than a three hour stint at a time for weeks now.
Two-ish months for baby and hopefully no more than four? months before we are in our house. (The hole has yet to be dug...good old FDIC hold-up).
ho hum....

Lily's 4th Birthday (as told by Lily)

(as told on August 16, 2009): Yesterday was my birthday. I am four now. Yesterday, Zoe and me and my friend Victoria with her little sister Malia (people we ran into at the fair from our old neighborhood) all rode ponies four times at the fair. One pony was a white one named Prince, one was named Daisy, and one was C.J. And one was Samuel. We also petted bunnies, and we saw roosters and we didn't pet them. We did see a big fluffy cow and we saw one with 'normous horns. We went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner. I ate macaroni and they sang to me and they said "yee haw!" They gave me some ice cream and I think that was all.

Last Friday I had a friend party. Pilar, Abbie, Lydia, Hana and Clara and Zoe came to it, but not the other Hannah because her family was gone. Everyone had a balloon tied on their chair and my balloon was a pony balloon. We colored unicorn pictures and played "horse, horse, unicorn" and pass the package and had a treasure hunt. The clues were tied to pretty ponies. The treasure was party bags in the oven. We decorated magic wand cookies with frosting and sprinkles. I got princess shoes and necklaces from my friends.


Tonight Logan and Jared and Ethan and Sarah and Hannah and Grandmakaere and FarFar and Great-Grandma came to my birthday party. I got Barbie things that stick on your clothes. I got a princess bike and it was purple with a water bottle. Zoe came. I got dress-ups and paper dolls and a princess towel and some horse stamps, and I got a bike helmet and knee pads and arm pads and a princess purple bouncy ball. My cake was a unicorn with one eye and no feet. It was purple with pink sprinkles. I rode my bike around and around and played in the sandbox and made a cake in the sandbox and jumped on our bouncy balls. I think that is everything.

Zoe's first salon haircut

Last week I took Zoe to the salon to have her hair professionally cut. She has had one cut previously that was performed by yours truly, and it was most definitely not professional. She did so well, and I was amazed at how perfectly still she sat while the girl did her thing. Truly amazing when she won't even let me comb her hair without making a fuss (darn tenderheadedness). I didn't get a cute side/back shot, and that is actually my favorite part. It's a bobbed A-line and is SO adorable on her. I'm loving it (and loving the less tangles). She's so grown-up!

summer pics--finally!

So I am quite the slacker with pictures. Not only have I not taken all that many, but I haven't downloaded them for almost three months--yikes! So here's a little smattering of my fave people. They make me smile!
We are trying to take advantage of what little time Andrew has at home when he's not working. We went to Wheeler Farm last week and to lunch and even got some steals at Kohls.
Our building process has been stalled--again. We just learned that the paper work/permit stuff has been put on hold on account of some FDIC hoopla, so we have to meet with the builder to figure just how long we're actually looking at and what can be done. sigh. You always hear that it's a pain to build a house, but it's definitely not just a saying...Our excitement and enthusiasm has been dampered a bit because of the unanticipated hold-ups, but I have to remind myself that it will be worth it in the end.
Lily is SOOO excited for her birthday next Saturday. She attended a party for a friend last week and really, really wanted a friend party of her own, so we're going to attempt a smallish one for her sake. She'll be starting her second year of preschool at the beginning of September and couldn't be more excited for more social opportunities.
Zoe has taken to potty-training like a champ and I've been so pleased with her effort and success. whew! Two down.
And I do have to admit that although it seems to be unbearably hot, I would much rather be sweaty than have it be snowy and freezing.

our summer vacation?

So I think we are probably the most unfun vacationers there could be.
This past week we tried to take advantage of an empty house (sans Mom, Scott and Carter who were in St. George). I have to admit that the extra space and peace was a much needed break for me if no one else....that was vacation in and of itself.
Tuesday we had our meeting with the foreman--finally! We solidified our architectural plans and other details which needed doing before turning the plans into the city for approval and permits. This could take up to a month or so before an actual hole can be dug and any construction started. We received a list of places to go to pick all our colors, and we were able to spend a good part of Tuesday and Wednesday hitting every place we needed to go. Andrew was able to take both these days off (his first break in weeks...he's been working seven days a week lately).
While the sheer mass of choices was overwhelming, I feel we made our decisions in a decisive and time-efficient manner, eliminating some of the anticipated stress and only adding to our excitement for the house to be completed. We had to pare down the amount of upgrades as it would be SO easy to go overboard in that department, but I feel the upgrades we did choose to invest in will be well-worth the money. Luckily the 'standard' upgrades are already well above the norm, and we feel lucky to have found such a great opportunity at this time.
The girls did remarkably well during all the housing hoopla and ins-and-outs of various stores. Even with Zoe only a week or so into the potty-training thing, she did really well and continues to impress me with her fast-learning and awareness...phew!
We took the girls swimming at the rec center and had so much fun with them in the water (or as much fun as one can have while toting around a toddler). I was invited by a group of moms in the ward to take the girls over for a swim 'party' the following two days...Lily is quite the social butterfly and was SO upset when we left both days after more than two hours of play. Then on Saturday we went to Andrew's sister's house for a family swim party in their backyard. It was fun had by all although the 100 plus degree heat left me regretting my decision not to swim due to the ridiculous rash I got from being out in the sun previously in the week.
I have been so bad about taking pictures and even worse at posting them, but I will try to upload what pictures I have taken and get them up (for my sake if for no one else).
And that's probably the extent of a vacation for us this year....exciting, no?

getting the hang of that thang....

I did it. Or perhaps I should say, Zoe did it.
We bit the bullet, swapped the diapers for Tinkerbelle panties, and three days later have almost twenty stickers on the freshly-made potty chart.
The first day was rough and EXTREMELY frustrating, but I've been dappling in and out of needing to just buckle down and deal with the nitty-gritty.
I mean, can you really explain to someone how to pee? really.
It's actually a completely involuntary response and will happen to anyone without their choice once the good, old bladder is full. So we had to have a whole day of lots of puddles everywhere but the potty before the lightbulb started to go on and the pee made it successfully in the right receptacle. Since then it hasn't been perfect but MUCH improved.
I am feeling much more confident with the last two days under my belt (errr, I mean Zoe is feeling much more confident).

no naps

So we decided to bite the bullet and take out Zoe's nap completely. She just was not going to sleep at a reasonable hour at night, and we were sick of going in her room countless times to put her back down. So after five days of no naps I am happy to report that she has been going to bed in about 5 minutes or under. It's been so great. sigh. What happened to my babies?
Oh, and I tried the no diaper route for about 3-4 hours the other day and decided it's just not going to happen as soon as I'd like...my patience is extra thin, and I got really lucky with Lily potty-training in a day...Why push it when it's just going to make us both frustrated (well, me at least)?
On to a hot fourth of July week...

earning money the slimy way

With Lily's birthday fast approaching she has been more and more excited about the prospect of the new princess bike she has been asking for. For the past year or so we have told her to save her pennies to help pay for the bike, and she has. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to find too many things for her to do to earn money, but yesterday she scored and scored big (for a 3 year old).
At our old house we never got snails so I never knew that she'd be fascinated by the grotesquely slimy creatures. Since being at my mom's though, Grandma has gone out weekly to put out snail bait with Lily at her heels. The following day they'll go out and pick the snails up to throw in the garbage...she's not grossed-out at all. So when my mom suggested they go over to Great-Grandma's to check out the snails after baiting the day before, Lily and her cousin Abbie readily agreed. Great-Grandma said she'd pay a penny a snail....little did she know it'd break the bank.
They set out on their expedition with my mom towing a yellow newspaper bag. They counted as they walked around from plant to plant and bush to bush. Zoe, not wanting to be left but not quite ready to touch the snails, would supervise and say, "Get it, Abbie!" When all was said and done the girls had collected 252! snails. That was $1.25 apiece, and Lily was ecstatic. My mom then figured with all the days Lily had helped her at her own house over the past few weeks, she owed her at least a dollar. So I guess it pays to be brave and non-slime-aphobic. With less than two months to her birthday, I guess she'll be looking for a lot more snails....and she'll be on her new bike in no time.

underground

So I feel a little bit like we've gone underground. The past month (almost) has been a transition for us all. At first the girls treated it like it was a fun vacation and long-term sleepover at Grandma's house, but as we've had the usual meltdowns and cranky days it's become more apparent that they are missing 'home'. Lily especially has been asking if we can go home. It's hard to reason with an almost-four-year-old; And while it make more sense to an adult of how change is necessary with a means to an end, children definitely live in the moment, and it's been tough to see the emotion/loss of security that Lily harbors in the good memories of our first home. I don't blame her--I am not the kind of person who welcomes change very often. I definitely find that peace in everyday comforts and routine.
But I also know that evolution is necessary and unavoidable, so I must try to be as patient with Lily as I'd want someone to be with me when thrust into a big change. She really does do well on most days, and I'm proud of the way they've made the most of things. Our going-to-bed routine still seems some major fine-tuning as they just do not sleep nearly as well here, but all in good time....
And speaking of the avoidance of change, I've been putting off potty-training Zoe even though she has probably been ready for months now. While I give a toddler credit for learning such a big thing, I also duly recognize the training that the parent has to go through to help them accomplish such a feat. I'm just not feeling any motivation, although it sure would be nice to only have one diaper to change come October. sigh. Time to buck up and just do it.
We've also had other stuff to deal with. We've been awakened for the last two nights by one of the girls vomiting. We've been really lucky as they rarely get stomach sick, but with the swine flu going around, I am a little more anxious than I normally would be. Zoe seemed to be fine after about 24 hours and didn't exhibit any other symptoms besides throwing-up and tiredness; however, Lily was the sick one early this morning and seems to be running a little fever and now I am a little more paranoid.
Andrew has been working overtime like crazy, and I so appreciate his willingness to support us so that we can accomplish our goals. He's such a great husband and dad, and I couldn't ask for a better match. As I see our relationship evolve I am more grateful that we aren't trying to change each other but trying harder to change ourselves to be more compatible. That is a huge blessing and not always easy, but I am grateful to have been through enough hard knocks to coerce me to try and be more forgiving and more willing to communicate. I guess that's all I can ask for--someone who makes me want to be better as well as trying to better himself at the same time. And isn't it funny that there are those people placed in our lives that just 'fit'...somehow with all the billions of people on earth our Heavenly Father is able to intertwine just the right combination to give us the maximum potential for learning and growth. How grateful I am for that and for fathers who are willing to be more than just fathers...it definitely takes someone special to be a daddy...I've got one and so do my children, and I feel so blessed.

Changing it up...

So we are officially not homeowners anymore. We closed on our cute, little, first house on Wednesday night and are now at my mom's house for about six months while we start the building process of our new home. We are sad to leave our cute neighborhood and friends and will miss having our own space, but it is a means to an end.

And while we were at it we decided to continue with more big changes and will be adding a baby BOY to our family in October. We are so excited to have another little one join our family and are grateful for good health. It has been hard keeping a secret but thought it would be fun to wait until we knew what we were having. (And for the record, I had a strong feeling it was a boy from day one and was pleased to see my impressions confirmed at the ultrasound today.)

The girls are excited, although Lily was disappointed when the ultrasound tech said it was a boy. She had been praying for a baby sister, but we know she'll love our little boy just as much as she would have a second sister.

And now onward and upward....a means to an end.(disclaimer: this is not an actual photo of our baby--just an example)

Spring Pix

two weeks...

So after almost 11 months of having our house on the market, two fallen-through offers and a LOT of showings, we finally got the offer we wanted and are moving in....two weeks! We can't believe it and are sad we will be leaving our cute, little, first home. We have many fond memories and great friends and neighbors but are excited to move on to something bigger and hopefully more long-term.

I know the next two weeks will be crazy with packing and cleaning and Lily's preschool 'graduation', so I will try to post when I can.

Goodbye to our little bird house...we will always remember you in adoration...and I will miss your lovely flowers...

Easter Egg Hunt(s) pictures

We had a busy Easter Saturday as we had three different egg hunts to hit before noon. We were excited to stumble upon the Syracuse city Egg hunt early in the morning and then had our own family hunt a few hours later. Lastly, we went to our neighbors annual egg hunt which takes place on their mini farm. The pix from above are from that latter. We dyed eggs (and hands) and had a nice family day together as Andrew was able to take the day off.
Easter Sunday was spent with extended family as we attended the blessing of my sister Sarah's little boy, Ethan. It was a nice day spent relaxing and eating.
With all the warm weather lately we have been enjoying plenty of outdoor sunshine (and sun-tinted skin). Lily's preschool had a field trip to Black Island Farm to see the farm animals as well as play in the blow-up pumpkin, ride the animal train and cruise around the farm on a tractor trailer.

I also got a wild 'hair' last week and chopped the girls' hair. It was definitely time for a trim, and it turned out decent considering it was so impromptu and done by an unprofessional. At least it makes for less drying time and easier curling...

[belated] easter festivities and fun

You can't judge a book...

For those who have not had the PRIVILEGE of watching this clip, please take a moment and be stunned. This goes to show that beauty comes in ALL different shapes and sizes. This is WOW!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

mean guys

Lily has this little fascination with 'mean guys'. It all started with the mini stories out of the Book of Mormon book for kids (you know those ones with all the framed pictures and short, concise captions). We started with the story of Nephi and eventually how he came to kill Laban, and it snowballed from there. Whenever we pull it out to read Lily will ask for a story with the 'mean guys'. To date, her two favorites are Nephi killing the mean guy, Laban, and King Noah burning Abinadi (and King Noah getting burned in return).
So when it came to this past Easter weekend, I was explaining to Lily that Easter Saturday was the day the Easter bunny came and we got to do fun things like color eggs and search for candy and baskets, and Easter Sunday was the day that Jesus came back to life.
"Why, Mom? Was Jesus killed?"
I explained to her that some 'mean guys' killed Jesus, but that because Heavenly Father loved Jesus and all of us so much, he allowed Jesus to come back to life on Easter Sunday.
This was all Lily needed to love the story, but after having all day to contemplate on the story she told me that night.
"Mom, I think we should change the story. We should make the mean guys be nice so Jesus doesn't get killed."
So there must be some stories that don't merit 'bad guys' for Lily. It's okay for Abinadi and King Noah to burn and for Nephi to kill Laban, but Jesus is extra special and for good reason. But either way, Jesus won as did we all. How grateful I am for his atoning sacrifice for me, my loved ones and all his children, so that we can all live with him again if we live worthy, grateful for the opportunity and holiday to reflect, and grateful for sweet children whose innocence and wisdom astounds me on a daily basis.

run away

This week has been a tough one for some reason--not because of any particular instance or event, but because I was just feeling moody.The weather has taken a toll on my mental well-being,and I've felt sapped. That little peek of spring got me so revved up and sunny-feeling, and then the snow, wind and cold came back, and I've had no motivation to do anything. Wednesday and Thursday found us moping around the house (well, at least I was). The girls entertained themselves for the most part and watched way too much t.v. My usual go-to activities when it's cold seemed too daunting, and I was literally feeling the cabin-fever-craziness building up inside me.
I decided right before Andrew came home after a day-shift of training, that I was going running no matter what. Now I usually exercise the morning....I do better on an empty stomach and seem to just have more motivation then. I hadn't been able to go this whole week because Andrew's been working during the day instead of his normal afternoon shift. But I was in desperate need of an escape from my own doldrums.
So I have to say that when I showed up to the gym, I was ready to hit the ground running (sorry for the bad pun). After sweating my emotions off and four miles later, I can honestly say that I felt a huge welling leave my body.
Ever since studying and practicing hypnobirthing with my two labors, I have been able to use the concepts in many aspects of my life. So as I ran I told myself in rhythm to let go of the stress, breathe in the peace, leave the tension on the floor, gulp in the relaxation....
It worked so well that I had moments where I felt myself welling up, my chest getting tight because of the emotions building up and leaving me. I have to say it was one of the most powerful, emotional experiences I've had while exercising.
Thank goodness that I can run...that I have the ability as well the opportunity to get out and have some me time...What amazing bodies and minds we are born with. I'm in awe every day.

Zoe's 2!

Zoe has thoroughly enjoyed her birthday and all the excitement leading up to it. It has been with much anticipation for both Lily and Zoe to finally have her party...with cake, candles, presents, family and friends. When asked what kind of cake she wanted she simply replied, 'pink cu'cakes!' So that's what she got.
Zoe has really come to her own and definitely has her own unique personality. She loves to sing, especially 'Do as I'm doing,' and roll her arms as fast as she can. She also loves to sing, "eat, eat, eat, apples and bananas" and "Happy to Lily!" (Happy Birthday)
She loves to throw things when she's mad and still loves to eat inedible objects such as dirt, crayons, and chalk.
She LOVES to color, not only on paper but on herself, tables, sidewalks and chalkboards. Her favorite mediums are definitely chalk and markers.
Her favorite little person is her big sister, Lily, although she's not too much bigger anymore. Zoe can definitely hold her own and often is the one bullying Lily. She loves to laugh and play with Daddy and is very much a Daddy's girl--just like Lily. WHatever Lily does, Zoe has to do also. Her thumb and blanket are her favorite way to wind-down. She loves babies, dolls and animals and loves to be outside.
She is our one-of-a-kind Zobots!

reasoning

I bought a $4 kite for Lily on Saturday. It was contagiously warm but quite windy. Seeing it as being perfect kite weather, I felt carefree in spending (well, kind of) and splurged for the unicorn pony with a rainbow.
Lily was ecstatic as was Daddy. They took to the skies.
It wasn't long before the kite was stuck in a neighboring tree. (um, dear, kites are usually best flown in large, open, TREELESS areas--not so much on a neighborhood street surrounded by powerlines and trees)
Eventually, after some tugging, the kite string broke and the kite fell to the ground.
Daddy repairs the string, or atleast ties it together in what he believes to be the best boyscout knot ever. They go back outside, but this time decide that the key is to let the string out all the way. Good idea? Not so much when it's blowing REALLY hard.
Mommmy! Mommy! Come see how high our kite is flying......SNAP! Oh, guess that knot wasn't so well-constructed. Said kite soars off over the railroad tracks, assumed to be long gone.
But, Mom! We have to go find it....So we walk towards the railroad tracks and find the kite----stuck in a tree--a TALL tree---at the VERY top.
See you later kite. $4 for about an hour of fun.

Here's where the 'reasoning' comes in. Andrew says to me, 'well, you just need to buy one of those expensive, nylon kites at Costco...that would have done just fine'.
No, that would just mean that the hour of kite-flying fun would have cost me $20 instead of $4--it's the string that broke....
The kite would still be in the tree.

And now it's snowing. poo!

Yea for green and such!

There is something about working with flowers and dirt that is incredibly therapeutic. With this week getting into the high 50s and even 60s, I have found myself drawn to my awakening gardens. My little spring bulbs are starting to show their colored heads, and green shoots are coming up everywhere. There is something to be said about a season which holds such promise and exhibits signs of new life everywhere you turn.

I am truly refreshed and revived after doing a seemingly mundane task--raking out dead leaves. There is something to be said when a tiny seedling buried in the frozen ground can reawaken and send forth signs of life, what a miracle each flower and plant is...and I am reminded at how important it is to appreciate the small miracles in each and every day....I need to be better at recognizing them in all shapes and forms.

Yes, there are bugs (and I will never like bugs), but there is something else about the potential that gardens have... Out with the old, and in with the new.

I fully welcome this warmer weather and the opportunities that come with a new season.

Bring it on, bring it on.

secret to making time fly...

So I've discovered the secret to making time fly....
accept a calling to teach Relief Society once a month--
And guaranteed, it'll seem like you just taught but yet you're teaching again...
(what!? it's been a whole month already!?)

And it's even better when YOU have to be the one to call THEM Friday night at 9:00 p.m. to find out what lesson you're teaching that Sunday....A good 36 hours to prepare a sermon to wow the geriatric socks off all the regulars.

Oh the joys of service! (and sarcasm) :o)

Muscle

So I have a huge-muscled, solidly-built husband, and yet do you think he is satisfied? I thought only girls asked questions like, "do I look skinny in this outfit", but my hotter-than-ever husband feels the need to ask, "do I look big?" (well now that you brought it up, babe, i think you're severely undernourished...)

So when he wants to buy another round of protein/supplements, I think to myself--Dude, you're already so huge, that if you gain much more, your skin is going to pop open.

Don't take my tone as exasperation--no, no...I could not be happier that my husband cares about his health/fitness/looks....more eye candy for me, right?

But next time you see him, tell him he's a freakin' tank and do me (because I obviously can't say it enough) a favor as well as our pocketbook.

(he's the one on top in case you couldn't tell--photography courtesy of the Deseret News)

It's not the gun on his hip you should be afraid of...it's the two encased in his sleeves...

(side note: He won't ever read this so keep this between you and me, kay?)

freedom

Decline of a Nation
"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it." Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931 - 2005

everything's amazing, nobody's happy...

You must watch this link of Louis CK on Conan O'Brien.
http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/video/item/56
"We live in an amazing, amazing world, and it's wasted on the crappiest generation of spoiled idiots."

How true his comments are. We live in an incredible and amazing world and yet so many people are unhappy. Novel idea: hard work and discipline create a greater sense of self-worth and accomplishment, therby allowing us to be proud of who we are as people because we EARNED it and not because we 'deserve' it. LOVED this.

Thank you to those who know (and do!)

I have to give a public shout out to the wonderful people who know how and are willing to help us out with our little 'projects'. Thank to Ben for an amazing paint job on the stairwell and to Scott who came up to help us figure out what was wrong with our wiring (after Andrew and I attempted to change out our light fixtures). We are a little home-improvement-challenged, and Andrew hates doing stuff like that. I have to say thank you to him too because he was a good sport to try, but we are so grateful for wonderful relatives and friends who can help us out.
(Oh, and by the way, Ben, that sticker is still in our light canister---we just need you to drop by sometime to help us remove it)
Happy Presidents Day (especially happy because yesterday is over, meaning my Relief Society lesson is in the past as is Lily's primary talk) Now if only the snow would melt...

And a belated Happy Valentine's to all. We were able to go out to dinner on Monday as Andrew worked on actual Valentine's Day. We had plans to go to a movie but got out of dinner late and instead went to the mall and enjoyed being able to hold hands and just leisurely browse by ourselves. (and we found some fantastic deals)
And even though we had previously decided to buy 12 restaurant gift cards, one for each month, for the next year, Andrew still bought me an absolutely gorgeous vase of 2 dozen pink roses mixed with stargazer lilies (my fave!). And I was able to finally obtain my lost CD of pictures of when we were dating/engaged, and I put together a little 'trip down memory lane' for Andrew. I honestly have to say on that Valentine's Day six years ago when Andrew proposed, I never could have begun to comprehend the magnitude and difference six years can make. Love you always and all ways, Babe!

And here's the girls opening their Valentine's Day presents--it's a PONY!

unthawing, sort of

So I realize I have been lame and have not posted for almost a month. No excuses...just laziness.

We are looking forward to spring, although I'm sure we have yet to have a few more good snowstorms. Luckily it's been mild enough to go walking every day, so the girls have gotten some exercise.

We sent my little sister, Torrie (Hermana Fedor), off on her mission to El Salvador/Belize a couple of weeks ago. We got to visit with my Dad who came out for her farewell and have some family get-togethers.

We've also been dealing with health issues, graduating Zoe into a toddler bed (and the newfound freedom that entails), taxes, house-sprucing-upping, cabin fever, a new nephew (Ethan), enjoying my new Clavinova, birthday parties, good old Groundhog Day, and making room for a buddy of Andrew's who was in need of a place to stay for a couple weeks.

I'm just glad January passed relatively quickly as it always seems to be the doldrums of winter and gray. We are glad to welcome February and the LOVE-liness it will hopefully bring :o)

To quote Zoe's new fave phrase: "Otay, Baby." (said in response to basically everything we tell or ask her to do)

Inspiration for the day

Written by Fra Giovanni in 1513:

I salute you! There is nothing I can give you which you have not; but there is much, that, while I cannot give, you can take.

No heaven can come to us unless our hearts find rest in it today.

Take Heaven.

No peace lies in the future which is not hidden in this present instant.

Take Peace.

The gloom of the world is but a shadow; behind it, yet, within our reach, is joy.

Take Joy.

Motto

(aside: 'What's a motto?' 'Nothing! What's a motto with you?!)

While I'm not a huge advocate of making New Year's resolutions (so much hype for making goals because everyone else is...no thanks), I am determined to adopt a new mantra/motto.

Appreciate life for what it is

rather than complain for what it's not.

Life literally changes or can change much faster than I'd like. And while this last year was a lesson to me in letting go of the control which I very much like to have, I am optimistic that life will be just what it needs to be.

That being said....

I can complain and give myself added stress just because...

OR I can say, this REALLY sucks and choose to let it go.

(yeah--easier said than done, but I do have hope that I can at least try)

Here's to an optimistic start to an optimistic year?!

Only time will tell....