The Fuel Gauge

I love my daddy, he is a strong, independent, hard working and a by the book man. He grew up working on the family farm in Grantsville Utah. There are amazing qualities men have that grow up working, and I mean working hard. My daddy knew the answers to all the questions I asked him, and I asked loads of questions! Just ask him about the drive from Utah to Chicago. I remember once my daddy giving me advice, he stopped to fill up his truck with gas, and I noticed he had a half of tank left. "Dad! You don't need gas, you have plenty." I'm sure I threw out there with a little teenaged girl attitude. My dad taught me a lesson that I didn't fully understand until yesterday. He wanted to run on the top half of his tank, the truck will run better, and you'll always be prepared.

Yesterday I found myself on a long drive home, it was a beautiful, warm, blue sky and sunshine day (the kind of day that you know why you moved to Southeast Texas). I watched my fuel gauge slowly sink down to the bottom, and I swear the bottom half goes much faster then the top half. I had spent the morning at a Stake Relief Society meeting, and I was really thinking hard about faith. I finally learned the lesson my daddy was teaching me (whether he knew it or not). We all have a Faith Gauge, and we choose how full we want it to be. Did you hear? We get to choose!

Where is your Faith Gauge? Are we running on fumes seeing how long we can go without refilling, maybe it feels like there is no gas station in sight, are we watching the gauge quickly dropping down to empty, or are we running off the top half? I finally had a deep awareness of my Faith Gauge. Just like my daddy always tried to teach me, if we run off the top half of our tank, we will run better, and we will always be prepared for that moment in our life where our faith is tested, and it will be tested.

Thanks Daddy!

Picking up the pieces.....of confetti!

This morning I found myself picking up after my toddlers 3 year old birthday party. I knew the second I opened that package I would be picking up pieces of confetti for days, maybe weeks, but it would all be worth the smile on his sweet little face. I think I must have spent a good 20 minutes on my knees in one corner trying to coax the small pieces of confetti into the dust pan. After the floor finally looked clean I started to fill the mop bucket with hot sudsy water I turned around to mop, and there they were small pieces of confetti still dotting the floor. I laughed out loud, after all I knew what I was up against.

The beautiful bright dots of confetti scattered on the floor made me realize my life has been dotted with beautiful bright people. My mother has always told me life is a patch quilt, you'll meet people all along the way that will hand you pieces to your quilt, and you get to choose, "Is this a piece I want to put into MY masterpiece?" Whether you choose to use that piece you were handed or not, it all effects you and the direction of your masterpiece.

Holding my steaming bucket of mop water staring at the bright dots all over the floor, I finally understood what my mother meant. Each one of those dots were people, experiences, moments that changed my life forever (whether I knew it or not). Some were shining moments in my life, others were dark, but each one shaped and molded me into who I am today.

It was fun to pick up the confetti now, I would hold it and think of which person, or moment it represented in my life. I look forward to picking up the pieces of confetti for weeks to come!

Happy Birthday Andrew! I loved hearing "You have got be kidding me!" as you opened your presents. I loved the ring of chocolate around your smiling mouth, left from your yummy chocolate birthday cupcake! I love that YOU ARE one of the beautiful bright dots of confetti that has changed my life forever!

Happy, Hopeful & Fulfilled

When I was a little girl my mom always told me "If your pretty you have to be 5 times as nice!" I remember hearing this phrase dozens of times in my life, one memory sticks out in my head. I was riding down the street with my mom, me in the front seat, her driving as this phrase spilt from her mouth. At that moment is where I learned/discovered that a simple smile is the kindest gesture you can offer anyone.

Why is it that smiling is one of the most challenging things we do? I often have people ask how I can be so happy all of the time, I'll tell you my secret. "People are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be." And some days frankly I choose to be in a really mad mood, at least until my husband calls me out, and makes me say "I want to be in a bad mood", and as that phrase pushes it's way from my half smiling mouth, well... it's really hard to keep a straight face.

"God's plan is a plan of ultimate joy for each of us. His principle suffice in any situation. But each of us, young and old must face our challenge in our own way. Each one of us must reach for our own joy."

How grateful I am that I get to choose each day what makes my happy, what makes me feel hope, and what makes me feel fulfilled. Oh motherhood has taught me so much!

Funny how life recycles it's self, I found myself repeating the same phrase to my sweet girls the other day, while we were driving in the car, I wonder what they will take from the phrase. I hope they choose to live a life that is happy, hopeful, and fulfilling!

Railroad Ties, Avocado Pits & Birthday Cake!

I had such a beautiful blessed childhood! I grew up in a small town and from my bedroom could see miles and miles of beautiful mountains, I saw colorful sunsets, puffs of smoke that rose from chimneys across the valley. The inside of my home was equally as beautiful, calm, peaceful and kind (except when my old brother picked on me, and all older brothers have to pick on someone).

That home holds thousands of great memories! I can't even count the times I walked up the railroad ties that framed the front stairs and slipped and fell on my behind, but I never really learned my lesson. The secret passageway to the neighbors and the countless avocado pits I planted there (none of them ever grew.... I know weird). The time my sister and I danced to "Walk Like An Egyptian" over and over again, we even made our brother call the radio station and request it again!

David celebrated his 7th birthday last week. I love his smile, I love that he enjoys life! I love that he brings so much light and happiness to my home! I hope he feels as blessed as I do. May my home be filled with the laughter of my children, the love of my marriage, the brightness that comes from faith in Christ, and the smell of fresh baked cake (can't hurt right?)

A New Year!

I LOVE New Years! It might just be the optimism in me, but it seems like everyone is soul searching and dreaming of the way they REALLY want to live. If we could think that way all year long, I believe our world/lives would be happy, fulfilling, exciting! New Years Resolutions are so important! I made a few, and am "getting after them"! I hope you made some as well, I hope they were life changing, difficult resolutions that might not just happen this year, but will make your entire life BETTER!

If you haven't made some life changing, difficult resolutions now is YOUR time!

We were so blessed to spend New Years with family in Austin TX. It was a great little trip for our family, and those kids were just spoiled playing with their cousins! It was fun to leave 13 kids with 3 daddies and go shopping with Kristy & Dani. Cute clothes, good food, lots of laughs, break from kids, yup it was GREAT!

Happiness....

This makes me HAPPY!!

Of course the free box was the hit on Christmas morning! LOVE YOU!!

Christmas 2010

We had a nice quite Christmas out here on the ranch. I really wanted to make it super special and memorable. I had so much fun incorporate things I remembered from my childhood.

David started it all off with Reindeer food how cute is his teacher to send home special Reindeer food with sparkles to help direct Santa to our house!

One of my favorite memories of Christmas was the paper lanterns we would set all up and down the stairs in our front yard on Christmas Eve. We did a much smaller version, but it brought back great memories!

We had a beautiful dinner, (which I slaved over ALL DAY LONG), including Grandma Worthington's Famous Pumpkin Pie, Chicken Ala King, Home made rolls, Smoke Alarm Potatoes, & Cinnamon Sugar Roasted Pecan Salad. But when those kids sat down to dinner, they knew it was something special. It is a beautiful sweet memory!

Of course the Nativity acted out by our 4 littles! Mary, Joseph, a shepherd, and an angel (who really wasn't feelin it!)

We had a beautiful Christmas! I hope yours was the same, warm, happy and full of LOVE!