delighted to be

30 Things My Kids Should Know About Me: #5 / march 6, 2013

This is part of an on-going series I’ll be writing to my children. See all of them here.

What are 5 things that make you the most happy right now?

1. I’m not going to lie, kids. Naptime is my favorite part of the day. The house is quiet – you get to be cozy, slumbering and dreaming in your bed, sleeping off any cranky thoughts. I get to quietly think & read & write & ponder about the mysteries of life. It’s the refresher we all need to be happy. But after a few hours, I do get antsy for you to wake up again. I just love to hear your door creak open, and see you greet me with your blanket and a big smile on your face.

2. Fresh, local produce makes me a happy woman. Strawberries have been making their way into the local farmer’s market lately, and I think it’s worth it to splurge on a basket or two. Savoring every sweet bite is a reminder to me that this dreary winter weather is almost behind us.

3. Thinking about baby Amelia. I get a smile on my face every time I picture the next time I’ll get to see her, and what our reunion will be like.

4. Clean floors. There’s nothing like a clean, swept & mopped hardwood floor to bring a smile to my face. (And bonus points if the area rug gets vacuumed too – that makes me really giddy!)

5. Seeing the success and happiness your Dad has in his career – he’s earned every bit of it. He’s the hardest worker I know and values education and progression so much. It makes me happy to know he is valued highly for it, but it makes me even happier to know he absolutely LOVES what he does.

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30 Things My Kids Should Know About Me: #4 / march 5, 2013

I just have to express my gratitude for the beautiful weather we have right now in San Jose. I complain to my husband all the time that “it’s nice, but it’s not San Diego!” and I’ll admit that’s a rude and bratty thing to say.

When we moved here and told people we came from San Diego, we got a lot of strange looks. Because let’s be honest here … why would anyone ever want to leave beachy San Diego for a (slightly) harsher climate that’s even MORE expensive? It sounds crazy, right? But I have to admit, as we cruised through town with our windows down last Saturday, I felt incredibly grateful for the colder winter months we just experienced. We didn’t have crazy snowstorms like most of the country, but our little cold front was just chilly enough to make me grateful for the coming of spring.

Good heavens, it’s March 5th and Jack even wore shorts today for the first time this year. I’m sitting here in flip flops. The blossoms are in full bloom here and the grassy hills behind our house are a vibrant shade of green. It sure makes our walks delightful and makes me so grateful for this beautiful, changing world we live in.

And now to the real part of this post. This is part of an on-going series I’ll be writing to my children. See all of them here.

List 10 things you would tell your 16-year old self, if you could.

1. Aside from your naturally long, curly eyelashes, your smile is your best feature. Share it more often.
2. You’re not going to marry either of those boys you’re dating, but love them with all of your heart anyway. They will become good men and you will be changed forever from your experiences with them.
3. Sadly, you will never end up kissing Dan Dan the Tuba Man. Cut your losses and move on.
4. Be nicer to your parents. Buy your Mom flowers on your way home from band practice, and write your Dad a nice letter. They will be putting up with a lot from you in the next year.
5. Congratulations! At the end of the year, you’ll find out you passed the AP English test. It will prove to you that hard work, a lot of diligent studying, and a foot tall stack of memorized flashcards pays off.
6. In addition to 6:15am seminary, start a habit of personal daily gospel study. You’ll thank me years later when it becomes even more difficult to form this habit.
7. I know you like to be in relationships, but also remember to enjoy being an individual and enjoy alone time. Soon you will be married and have children of your own, and you won’t get opportunities to do things just for yourself very often. Enjoy the time you have now to focus on just YOU.
8. Continue to make art a priority in your life. You’ll end up majoring in it.
9. Keep writing daily in that journal of yours. It will bring peace and will clear your mind.
10. Eight years from now, you will have accomplished some incredible things. They won’t necessarily be in the form of a prestigious award or a successful career outside the home, but you will be much closer to becoming the woman you’ve always dreamed of becoming. You’re going to hit a few roadblocks and have heartaches and experience the deep sting of loss, but you need that to grow. Stay positive and you’ll end up amazing yourself with how strong you actually are.

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30 Things My Kids Should Know About Me : #3 / march 4, 2013

Image by Gail Pomare. This is part of an on-going series I’ll be writing to my children. See all of them here.

Describe your relationship with your spouse.

Kids, your Dad loves me. He loves me so much that last night he told me if I ever stopped loving him (impossible!), he’d still love me. Your Dad does the dishes for me almost every single night because he knows I hate to do them myself. Your Dad leaves me love notes on the shower door and the bathroom mirror. Your Dad tells me I’m beautiful every morning and every night. He loves me and I love him.

Our courtship was not unlike the typical BYU dating scene; we met in the same ward and were engaged two months later. It was quick, but I just knew your Dad was someone special by the smile on his face and the light in his eyes. He has been through some of the hardest circumstances I can imagine, and yet he doesn’t let it weigh him down. He’s magnetic and you just can’t help but be uplifted and happy when you’re around him. It’s my favorite thing about him.

Being with your Dad has always felt good, and it has always felt right. When I met him, I had never felt that kind of happiness before. It’s a happiness that is joyful and you just know it is right. It’s a happiness where you know you are being guided by the Lord, and He will help you grow and progress as you both follow Him. Being with your Dad was the easiest choice I ever made. I can’t accurately describe the peace and contentment I felt after realizing three days into our courtship that I wanted to marry him. It seems totally crazy, but kids, if you listen closely to the Spirit and let the Lord guide you, I know you’ll feel what I’m talking about someday.

Lastly, if you should ever ever question Mom and Dad’s love for one another, just watch and wait. When it’s almost dusk outside and I’m busy finishing up dinner, we will all hear the garage door open. My face will light up and I’ll become a little flustered in anticipation of what awaits me. When Daddy walks through that door, he might see you first with a hug. But he’ll soon find me across the room and flash me a smile. Watch him when he walks across the room to give me a kiss. Watch him as he embraces me in the warmest, tightest hug. You’ll see right then the love that we have for each other is good and it is right.

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What 200 Calories Looks Like / march 3, 2013

I saw this on A Cup of Jo recently, and thought it was intriguing enough to repost. (See more at the original post.)

(I had no idea an entire avocado was only 200 calories. And the amount of sweet peppers on that plate?! Too bad it’s not 200 calories when I add in the amount of hummus it would take for me to down that many sweet peppers…)

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