Tagged

So, I've been tagged a couple of times to complete a little list of things about myself that I've not posted before, or that are strange or largely unknown. I hope my dear friends won't mind if I combine their requests and bend the rules a little. Here is a list of 7 things about me that you may or may not know. If you feel like telling the rest of us about yourself in similar fashion, consider yourself tagged, and leave a comment on this post letting us know that you've accepted the challenge! I'd love to learn more about you.

1. Though I've spent my life dreaming of travel in far off places, I find I'm becoming some what of a home body. I think this is due mostly to having children now, and the reality of traveling with kids is not an easy one. I'm so grateful that I've had the opportunity to travel as much as I have. I'm so lucky to have a husband who loves travel as much as I do. We've taken off on some pretty cool adventures. But the more I see of the world, the more I love being in my own space, on my own schedule, with my own babies. (That being said, I'd still be willing to drop it all for two tickets to Europe. I'm not completely cured. Just very happy in my more home bound state)

2. I have an unnatural fear of bees. Once, while stopped at a traffic light, a bee flew into my car and I actually tried jumping out. My seat belt restrained me, and I fought it. It must have been quite the scene. The light turned green, cars were honking, I was still frantically trying to free myself from the seat belt... The most pathetic part of it is that I've never actually been stung. Its probably not that bad, right?

3. I'm so anxious to see the good in people that I often overlook their flaws. Though this sounds like a good thing, its gotten me into trouble more than a few times. There is such a thing as righteous judgement.

4. Twice in my life I really wanted to quit the piano. I will be eternally grateful to my parents who didn't give me the choice.

5. I've never been good at spelling. Through the last few years of elementary school I was in a Gifted and Talented Education program (G.A.T.E. to any of you who endured So. Cal. schools back in the day) and I thought I was pretty hot stuff. We had a spelling test at the end of each year--only ten words taken from a larger list. Those who scored 100% on the test got a special t-shirt that could be worn on Fridays. I coveted those shirts my whole childhood and never got a-one. My sixth grade year, my last chance for redemption, I misspelled the word 'sentence'. So bad. To this day, I cannot do anything without sending it through spell check. Even when I hand write notes, I double check words in a Word document.

6. My favorite color is the hue that is created by late afternoon sun on a field of wheat. It makes me feel happiness, longing, joy, peace, and completion all at the same time.

7. I talk to myself a lot. Out loud. Really, I do. If you could be a fly on the wall while I cook, you'd think I was auditioning to have my own show. When Gracie catches me in the act, she'll tug on my pants and calmly say, "Mommy, stop it."

Senior Year Meme

1. Who was your best friend? My sister, Sara. Though I was pretty close with the other kids my age from church...Heidi, Natalie, Anya, Dave, Jason- we were usually all together. I was in touch with my good friend Jessica, but she was in Oregon. Sara and I have always been two of a kind. We eventually came to regard ourselves as a kind of Frasier and Niles Crane duo of our little world. We would laugh for days about some literary/musical/cultural/film reference that would leave everyone else around us staring blankly.

2. What sports did you play? Nothing competitively. But my senior year marked the inaugural membership to 24 Hour Fitness. I didn't have a 6th block class, so I would leave school and go to the gym on those days. During the winter, I was skiing every Saturday.

3. What kind of car did you drive? Ford Ranger. 4 cylinders. White with a blue pin stripe. Manual. Room for driver and .75 passengers.

4. It's Friday night, where were you? During the Fall- at the football games. When the football season was not occupying the weekends, I was either hanging out with our group of kids from church + some other really neat kids that hung out with us at school, or I was en route to some music competition/performance. I spent my fair share of weekends sans plans and at home. But senior year, we played a lot.

5. Were you a party animal? Nope. I was invited, but never went. I had too many other good friends and good options.

6. Were you considered a flirt? We'd have to confirm this response with some of the guys in my class, but I'd say that I was. I could hold my own when it came to playful banter, and I was no respecter of opponents.

7. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir? Yes, yes, and yes. I played flute and piccolo in the band and was Drum Major my senior year. I also played principal flute in the Carson Valley Youth Orchestra. And I sang in the top choir at our school for two wonderful years.

8. Were you a nerd? Uh, it should be pretty obvious. I was stellar nerd material. Somehow, I was nominated to the homecoming court though. I think all the other nerds got together and marked me as their spokeswoman. So I guess that would make me the queen of nerdom for my class.

9. Did you get suspended or expelled? Never. It would have been a fate worse than death.

10. Can you sing the fight song? No. But I betcha I can still play it. That song will be burned into my finger muscle memory f-o-r-e-v-e-r.

11. Who were your favorite teachers? Hmmm. 'Z' (his name is Mr. Zabelski, so I'm sure you understand the extreme abbreviation), our music director, makes the list. Then I guess Mrs. T* and Dr. B*. They taught respectively Jr. and Sr. AP English. I loved their classes so much, though they were not the most warm and nurturing kind of teachers.

12. Where did you sit during lunch? There was a table in the commons where our good kid group would congregate for lunch. Most of us brought sack lunches every day. The table would seat 6 people comfortably, and we usually had 10-12 in the group, so it was quite the cozy party every day.

13. What is your school's full name? Douglas High School

14. School mascot? A ferocious tiger.

15. Did you go to prom? One too many times. My Jr. year, I went with Dave C* and enjoyed it. My Sr. year I went with Jason S* and enjoyed it. My post Sr. year, I went with one of my sister's friends. I enjoyed hanging out with my sister, but it was a little weird being at prom again considering I had just finished my freshman year at BYU.

16. If you could go back and do it over, would you? No. To me (at the time, especially), high school was but a stepping stone to bigger and better things.

17. What do you remember most about graduation? Being relieved that I didn't have to speak. I was the salutatorian of my class. That year, rather than having the valedictorian and salutatorian speak, they held a speech competition. I didn't enter. I remember having all my family there- both sets of Grandparents included. That was really special. I remember not feeling really sad that it was over until I hugged my sister. It was then that it hit me that I would be moving out of the house and not living with her anymore. That was the only moment that I cried.

18. What was your favorite class? I loved the academic part of school in general. Though I think I enjoyed my music classes the most. I still miss doing music every day.

19. Where were you on Senior skip day? At home writing papers for AP government. Nerd, remember?

20. Did you have a job your Senior year? Yes. I had 13 lovely music students. 11 piano and 2 voice. I loved teaching. Around graduation, we had a big recital. It was very rewarding work. So, I taught piano in the afternoons, and then practiced piano in the evenings. That was practically a part-time job. I also volunteered one night a week at a family counseling center (babysitting the kids while their parents were in class). Wow. I was busy.

21. Where did you go most often for lunch? Definitely the table in the commons. I didn't go off campus much at all for lunch. We had a club with the special ed. kids, and ate lunch with them on Fridays in a classroom. I did academic team for a little while, so I spent a lot of Mondays in Mr. Lippman's classroom.

22. Have you gained weight since then? Well, I'm 7 months pregnant at the moment... But before I married Cori, and then after we had Grace, I got back into shape.

23. What did you do after graduation? I took a deep breath. I was pretty burned out by the time it was all over. That summer, I spent a lot of time up at Lake Tahoe, or out at Topaz lake water skiing with friends. I went to the gym a lot with Natalie (and out for ice cream afterwords). My family took a trip to Washington D.C. that July, and I went to EFY with Jessica in Maryland. Then, I cleaned out, organized my stuff and vacated my room. My mom moved my youngest sister into my room a week before I left for college. Yep, I was sleeping on the couch.

24. Who was your senior prom date? Jason S*, my boyfriend at the time.

25. Did you go to your ten year reunion? Its next year. I would like to go, if only just to show off pictures of my adorable children. There are definitely a few people whom I'd like to catch up with.

Real Simple Interview

What's the one thing about your younger life that you would like to reclaim? I used to be an unsinkable optimist. I thought the best about every situation and every person. Life has beaten too much reality into me, and my once shiny optimism has become a bit calloused.

What are you really good at? Musical expression--all music tells a story if you let it. I can be a really good listener when I don't have Gracie around distracting me. I like to think that I have a certain flare for literary analysis.

Before I die, I'd like too... See our children have the same opportunities that I've had. I really have had an amazing go of life, and know that I have been blessed with so many extraordinary experiences. They've all been things that I've wanted to do, and I would love for our children to be able to dream big and achieve big.

John, Paul, George, or Ringo? Paul to look at and listen to. Although Ringo actually composed some of my favorites.

Who was your favorite teacher and why? Dr. Valentine, retired BYU literature professor. I took a short stories class from him just before my mission. In his class I really learned to read literature as life and vice versa. And he taught me another important lesson. We had this group presentation at the end of the semester that was worth 1/3 of our grade. I really worked hard in his class because I loved it so much, and was the annoying nerd who sits in front and never tires of commenting. Well, my group was less than enthusiastic about our assignment. We split the presentation up into timed segments and everyone had their topic to which their comments would be limited. In our final meeting, each member briefly went over what he/she would present. I was to speak at the end, addressing the symbols of the story, and pulling every one's comments together. Apparently, the group thought what I had to say was pretty great, because when the actual presentation came around, disaster ensued. Not only did my group mates lift all my material, they also took up all the time. We were the last presentation of the last class period before the final. I had exactly 45 seconds before the bell rang to earn 30% of my grade. Flustered and hurt I took the podium and made two or three underwhelming comments. The bell rang, everyone bustled out of the classroom. I gathered my things and was fighting desperately not to cry. Dr. Valentine approached me and shook my hand. I started to speak, I didn't know what to say. He sagely took my hand and told me that he was familiar with my papers, my tests, my work, and my participation with my group. He told me not to worry about my score for the presentation or my grade in the class. He turned and left. Later, when I completed my final for his class, I tucked a tear-stained thank you card into my blue book. I learned so much from him.

I wish I could ignore... my constant craving for Apple Jacks. I guess there are worse things to crave, but I could seriously munch on this cereal (with ice cold soy milk, of course) all day long.

The big decision I'm currently wrestling with is... How to best help my husband with his big decision. We are currently faced with a lot of different opportunities for his next position at Honeywell. These other jobs are all over the country. There is a lot to consider, but Cori knows better what will be best for his career. I'm trying to be as helpful as possible.

Meet Walter and Terrible

So, I've really been missing the Turbo Kickboxing class at my gym. At my first doctor's appointment with this pregnancy, the Doctor told me it was good to exercise, but that I needed to keep my heart rate at or below 140 beats per minute (140 ='s not very much work. You should be able to hold a conversation without loosing your breath). So I tried to tailor the workout down. I monitored my bpm, and after a few tries, finally relinquished myself to an exercise regime outside of the aerobics room. Weights, aerobic aparati, and old men. Ahhh, the old stomping ground.

Seriously, 60% of the members that go to the gym the mornings I'm there are old men. At first it was a little alarming to me. But now I find it charming. For example, there's the man who comes in silk Hawaiian print shirts and lifts wearing gardening gloves. Leather gardening gloves! It is so cute. Most of them are very social, and I've been able to get to know a few.

Walter was the first. He and I hit it off during my first weeks at the gym last summer. He has been going to this gym every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for the last 15 years, and can count on 1 hand the number of days he has missed. An interesting thing to note about Walter's gym attendance is that he never touches any of the equipment. Walter comes to the gym to exercise one thing, and one thing only--his mouth. He admitted this to me early on, and has stayed true to his word. He comes, makes his social rounds, walks certain ladies out to their cars, and takes obligatory drinks from the water fountain. He is shorter than I, has the bluest eyes I've ever seen and is always smiling. Walter was a high ranking pilot in the Marines like my Grandfather. He and I usually chat about the same things.... His grandkids, his work at the Elk's Lodge, Gracie, and now my pregnancy. Charming.

This leaves Mr. Terrible. He's rather tall, younger than Walt, and a notorious flirt. I don't actually know his real name, nor does he know mine. We started a little banter via Walter's company. This was our script for the first couple of weeks:

Terrible: Hey there.
Me: Hiya, how are you this morning?
Terrible: Oh, just terrible.
Me: I can't believe that for a minute.
Terrible: Just making sure you're paying attention... How are you today?
Me: Fantastic, thank you very much.

After a while, we abbreviated our banter to a simple "Hello Terrible, how are you?" "Alright Fantastic, how about yourself?"

The other day, he approached me at the hip abductor.

"So, tell me what's going on here," he demanded, gesturing vaguely in my direction.

"What? Were you waiting for this machine? Did I cut?"

"No, I mean this." This time he gestured directly at my pregnant tummy.

Apparently, he had been assuming the wrong things regarding my age and marital status and had been working up the courage to say something about my 'situation'. After I assured him that I was almost 27, very happily married, and that this was, in fact, our second child the tension lifted. In turn, he intimated to me that he misses his own grandson, but that he and his girlfriend (so funny to hear a 60+ year old man say that word) find consolation living three months out of the year on Maui. Pretty rough. Cori, who really doesn't think very highly about all these older men, actually told me to work this angle a little.

I still miss TKB. I can see the class as I toil on the stationary bikes and elliptical machines (all the time carefully watching my heart rate). They got a new routine last week. I really miss it. But there's good company to be had on the floor.

The Great Outdoors

Because there are some places you can't drive to...

We were lucky enough to spend another weekend in NV. Memorial Day, Dad, Cori and I got up a little early (for a holiday anyway) and headed out for a bit o' nature. Cori wanted to find some wildflowers. We were a bit early, as evidenced by all the snow. But we got to see some of the first blooms. A blog or so ago, Jessika mentioned being homesick for her mountains. I completely get this. I've seen and loved more than a few mountain ranges. But the Sierra Nevada's will always be my mountains. Thousands of jeweled glacial lakes, palatial granite rock formations, evergreens galore, and groves of wildflowers in the spring. Have a look at what we saw.

Attention Austenians!

A few days ago, Natalie posted a link for this fun little quiz. Which Jane Austen heroine are you?

As for me:

"You are Elinor Dashwood of Sense & Sensibility! You are practical, circumspect, and discreet. Though you are tremendously sensible and allow your head to rule, you have a deep, emotional side that few people often see."

Take the Quiz here!

I don't think this describes me to a tee, however the descriptions I got to choose from that described my "mate" pretty much captured Cori.

Happy Mother's Day

What I've Learned From My Mother

- Remember the eternal perspective

- Everything is a little easier after you've found a way to laugh at it

- The power of open communication

- There's nothing that a big embrace can't fix

- Reverence for Dr. Pepper, good hamburgers, and cherry cordial kisses

- The Lord loves me

- How to stand up for myself

- Life is supposed to stink once in a while

- To expect fantastic things

- The sacrifice that motherhood requires

- To let go of little things

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What I've Learned From Motherhood

- That my mom has been right about everything

- Joy

- Children understand "I'm sorry" as well as they understand "I love you"

- Patience

- A deep love for all sanitizing and disinfecting products

- It is easier to have a little helper than to keep little hands busy doing something else

- I have a very important job- day, swing, and graveyard shifts together

- To treasure my friends

- The value of taking a day at a time

- Its okay to ask for help

- I need the Lord everyday

- I'm happier when I've spent the day putting others first

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Thank you Mom. Happy Mother's Day!

Thank you Gracie (and our little Lindstrom man), for making mine so special.

Real Simple Interview

With questions courtesy of Natalie's Real Simple mag., here's a little bit (more) about me.
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What makes you laugh? The people in my life. Gracie at least 3-5 times a day-- the real belly laugh kind of laughing. Cori-- he is adorable. My sister Sara-- one of the cleverest people I know. My mom-- who can find a way to laugh at just about anything.
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My first kiss was... Behind the gym after school. (Mom? Dad? Are you reading this?) A guy I had the warmies for asked me to meet him back there before getting on the bus. Anticlimactic for sure.
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What celebrity crushes did you have as a teenager? I was such a nerd. I don't think I had celeb. crushes until I was in college. I certainly had Broadway character crushes though. In my tween years, Joseph from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolored Dreamcoat. And in high school, Raoul from Phantom, and Marius from Les Miserables.
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Fill in the blanks: "I cannot leave a _______ store without spending less than $_______." The grocery store, $20. Costco, $50. Target, $10. Every place else, I can exercise a lot of self control. Hmmm. Food and bulk items are obviously weaknesses. I'm making a mental note about that.
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Name three things you have survived. 1.) Graduate school- vicariously through my husband, but being the wifie through something like that takes some skill too. 2.) Two miscarriages. 3.)Being a lactose intolerant person who loves dairy products (Exept straight milk, yuk).
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The big decision I'm currently wrestling with is... whether I should just go along with this doctor's plan to deliver 'Lil Bronco via C-section or to change doctors and fight to deliver VBAC. I really don't want to recover from another cesarean procedure. Opinions?

3 Years

Three years ago today, I married the man who left the man of my dreams in the dust. Cori, I love:

Your dedication to us, your family always comes first

The way you honor your priesthood

That you appreciate good music, good food, and good places

Watching you play sports-- this guy is a stud

The father you have become

Your work ethic

Your love for BYU sports, and the Jazz

The 1 1/2 children we are raising together

Watching you with the young men in our ward

The way you love me

Two years ago, we celebrated our first anniversary atop Machu Picchu

Last year we celebrated #2 during our graduation trip to Yellowstone

This year, we look forward to simply enjoying an evening together. As I mentioned in my last post, this weekend we visited the Temple where we were married. It was so special attending the sealing there at this time of year. Not only did it bring back so many memories, but it brought to memory so many promises that have been fulfilled in our little family.

All my love, Cori!

Welcome to Gardnerville

I'd like to introduce you to my home town. Cori and I just returned from 4 1/2 wonderful days with family and friends there. Every trip home, we find ourselves dreaming up schemes that will help us move back. What could be so great about a little ranch town in Northern Nevada? What could inspire the desire to spend our lives in a place that is barely a blip on the map? Well, among its surprising amenities, Gardnerville boasts:

the home of the W* family

amazing views of the Sierra Nevada's

out door everything all year round

great proximity to Lake Tahoe (only 15-20 min. to South Lake)

3 Basque restaurants

visits to Virginia City of Mark Twain lore and the great camel races

(and the best rib eye sandwich at the Bucket o' Blood Saloon according to Cori)

smog free air

small town feel without the small town living

the piano that took the brunt of my emotional ups and downs during high school

an impressive number of Saints

accessibility to Reno (1 hour) and San Fran (3 hours)--a girl has gotta shop

millions of stars at night

seasons-- snow in the winter, green in the spring, hot in the summer, we love the changes

the Ponderosa Claim, home of the Cartwright's and the famed series Bonanza

enough memories to stuff a book shelf

Maybe I haven't convinced you. I have to admit that even I forget how great this place is. However, I completely understand what possessed my dad to move our family here. We had lived in So. California for nearly 14 years, and then within less than a year, my parents relocated dad's business, built a home atop an alfalfa field and moved us to the country. Its grown and changed so much in the 13 years my family has been there. But something that will never change about Gardnerville is that like only a few other places (London, Washington D.C., and BYU), it will always be a part of me.

The dream house my parents built together

not pictured: the barn and horses, dad's orchard, mom's daffodils

The view from our front porch

Thanks Jessika!

What a treat. I had such a lovely week with my London pal Jessika. She was a perfect house guest, and I think I can safely say that we wore each other out! We did all the usual things around here, Disneyland, an afternoon at the beach, yummy dinners and lunches out... But we did some other things that have been conspicuous by their absence from my life. Namely:

1. A girls' day out

2. A couple of girls' nights in

Yikes, I needed that.

We spent our girls' day out touring Hollywood Blvd. complete with its walk of stars, and the Kodak and Graumin Chinese Theaters. We ate lunch at a Creperie in the Hollywood Galleria, and then enjoyed a leisurely drive through Beverly Hills to Rodeo Drive. Yes folks, Rodeo Drive. We paced the showcases inside and out of Tiffany's, goggled at Gucci, and dreamed over Dior.

We spent our girls' nights in relaxing tired feet, chatting through chick flicks, and trying not to eat too much ice cream.

Yikes, I needed that too.

It was actually a bit of a crazy week for both of us. Cori had finished his interviews, and he and I were in the midst of some serious decision making. This was made crazier by Cori's schedule with the Young Men as he was away at night, and then on a backpacking trip. And, no sooner had Jessika gotten here, but she received a phone call that set some changes into motion in her life as well. I really enjoyed having her with me through the week, despite the all phone call breaks we both were obligated to take. For pictures and more details, you'll have to checkout Jessika's blog in the next week or so (I've got a link on my sidebar).

Thanks again, Jessika! We loved having you with us!

Missionary Memories

It seems like my time as a missionary might as well have been a lifetime ago. So many significant things have happened in my life between now and then. Yet, so much of who I am I owe to the sculpting I received while a missionary. So I know I carry my mission with me everyday, though my memory of street names, people's names, and memorized scriptures is getting a bit shaky.

But, isn't it amazing how the smallest brush with a living piece of your past can bring so much to the front of your mind?

This weekend, I was given a special gift. I got a call from an old friend who I got to help teach and who was baptized while I was serving in a singles ward. She was in town for a singles conference, and happened to have my contact information with her. It was so special to spend some time with her. I listened to her talk about going to the Temple. I listened to her talk about feeling and following the Spirit. I listened to her talk about her sister (for whom we prayed and worked and prayed some more) who is now a strong member of the Church and who has gone to the Temple.

An amazing period of my life was brought from off the shelf and opened wide. I treasured its pages and added a few lines. I was renewed in so many ways. Thanks for the visit Marisol. And thanks Jessika, for rolling with all the punches while you were here!

Report Card

For me, accountability is the task master of motivators. Knowing this about myself, I want to give a little monthly report on how I'm doing with my goals for the year. Although I'm still excited about the new year, I'm hoping this ritual will help me keep on track in future months when the resolutions are usually collecting dust. So this is an exercise for myself that you can read if you like.

Spiritual- Thanks to Stake Conference, the visit to the Temple was programed into the schedule. The plan to move my scripture study to the morning was a little harder than I foresaw. I forgot how insistent Gracie can become when I'm giving undivided attention to something other than her. So I'll have to work more diligent on this next month. Visiting teaching and my lesson preparations went well too.

Educational- I read The Alchemist and began my book for Feb. I love trying new recipes each week. That goal has been easy to keep. Still no plans for that Spanish class...

Physical- Although we haven't managed to have a salad night every Monday, we've had at least one every week. I haven't reached my weight goal yet, but slow and steady wins the race, right? And working out is my little break, so no problems there.

Financial- I managed to put away twice my goal amount for the anticipated DSLR. And no progress yet on the credit front line.

Other- Gracie and I have made a nice park routine. So my goal to have her outside more is going well. Cori and I have done pretty well with our date night plans too. Getting a sitter has proven to be the biggest issue with this goal. But, even if its grilling steaks and a trip to blockbuster, I just love having him all to myself.

Plenty of room for improvement, but all in all, I think January was a good start. Here's looking at February.

Real Simple Interview

Natalie tagged me with this little interview from Real Simple magazine, so here we go...

Bath or shower? I'm with Natalie here. Showers for everyday life, baths for vacations. Gracie gets baths 4-6 times a week, lucky girl.

What did you want to be when you grew up? An oceanographer/whale trainer who does the Shamoo shows at Sea World. As fate would have it, I showed more inclination for arts and letters than for math and science. Hence my degree in the Humanities. No Shamoo.

What is the one thing you will never understand? How it is that I spend so much time cleaning and organizing things only to have to spend more time cleaning and organizing things. Why can't cleaning and organization keep a little longer than they do? Are these things getting themselves out at night while I sleep?

What surprises you most about your adult life? That I can feel so personally fulfilled in the selfless profession that is being a wife and mother.

What is your idea of the perfect meal? Hmmm. This would be too difficult for me to narrow down in terms of a menu. In general, it would involve being somewhere that has splendid ambiance with Cori and no Grace. It would be a meal that I wouldn't have to clean up. A meal that we could eat slowly.

What is the craziest fashion trend or hairstyle that you've worn? Ah... the 80's. I had large raspberry framed glasses, braces (with coordinating multicolored rubber bands), and a tight poodle perm all at the same time.

What amount of money would make you feel set for life? Enough money to cover education and talent development (piano lessons, dance studios, sports, etc.) for our kids, own our home and cars and stay out of debt (we've been so fortunate to stay out of debt so far, although we are paying rent and don't own the place where we are living), and have a comfy retirement that would allow us to do some traveling, serve missions and go skiing in the winter.

If you could change careers now without any consequences or financial loss, what would you switch to? It would be impossible in every way for me to change my career at this point in my life. However, when all of our kids are in school and then out of the house, I'd love to get a Master's in Art History or Curatorial Studies, and work at a museum either researching, or curating.

The big decision I'm currently wrestling with is... the decision to go with Cori to Paris at the end of February. I know, I know, the answer should be "How much underwear do I need to pack?" But life has just gotten back to normal after our last big trip. Gracie is back on schedule, and all the financial dust has settled. I'm hesitant to throw it all back up in the air. But it would be Paris, with Cori...

Holy Places

Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come; for behold, it cometh quickly, saith the Lord. Doctrine and Covenants 87:8

We had Stake Conference this weekend. Its always a nice weekend... no lessons to prepare, only 2 hours of meetings on Sunday, and adult session the night before w/o all the usual kid distractions... This weekend was super great for me. I don't think there was anything really different about it as compared to other Stake Conferences. Maybe I was in a better place in my heart.

The Stake temple night was on Friday. I spent the whole day rushing around making sure to have our Temple clothes ready to go, Gracie ready to be babysat (you know this takes some preparation), something for the sitter to eat for dinner, myself changed, the sitter pickup and debriefed, food packed for us to eat on the way, and Cori picked up from his office. Then we spent a frazzling chunk of the evening fighting the rush hour on the 405. Needless to say, by the time we got there I was a little unnerved. We only missed the first 15 minutes of the chapel session with our Stake and Temple Presidents. So I had a half of an hour to catch my breath. As we prepared for the endowment session, a blanket of relief and calm settled into the seat with me. I came away from the Temple that night so grateful. I felt more happy and self assured than I have felt in a little while. I know this is because of the time we spent with the Lord that night.

The Conference theme was on Temples. I sang in the Stake choir as well as a women's chorus. Cori is so sweet to support me in these choir endeavors every 6 months. Me being in choir = Cori being solo on Gracie duty. We had a sitter for the adult session, but he still had to do the 2 hour Gracithon on Sunday morning. Consequently, I got to sit in peace and quiet, sing, listen and ponder. I was able to look up the scriptures mentioned in the talks without worrying about curious little hands always anxious to tear pages. From where I sat I could look out over the congregation at all of our fellow Saints. From the music to the speakers to our theme, it was completely nourishing.

Me to the power of 24

Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning, Grace and I head to the gym. I drop her off at the kids club and run upstairs. On Mondays and Wednesdays, there is an aerobics class I like to frequent called Turbo Kick Boxing (or TKB to the regulars). If you've ever seen the commercials for Turbo Jam on TV, this is the same program. I LOVE IT! The hour usually passes quickly, and before I know it... I've jabbed, hooked, uppercutted, roundhoused, and danced my way to a happier me. The class isn't offered on Fridays, so I have to resort to other favorite gym activities. Grace and I then get home in time for her morning nap, and I get to shower in peace (an amenity nice enough to get me out to the gym everyday if I could). Of course, things come up and I'm not always able to keep a regimented schedule. Today, for example, Gracie's shift in sleeping patterns (read: non-sleeping patterns) last night led to a late start this morning, and I missed my morning window. C'est la vie, n'est pas? We'll have to find another kind of exercise to do together today so I can keep on track with my fitness resolution. And I'll be looking forward to TKB next Monday morning.

Resolutions

Change is my great comfort zone. I'm happiest when I'm working in the present to get somewhere in the future. Where this is good and bad, it is definitely conducive to making goals and resolutions. For as long as I can remember, my Dad would host an annual FHE where we would read through the last year's goals, and make fantastic plans anew. Fortunately for me, I married a great goal setter/list maker/achiever. Over the weekend, we completed our general planning for the year, complete with goal worksheets (Cori's idea and design) to have out in site, and to be filled in as we complete our goals every month/week. So here's a brief overview of the 2007 model of me.

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Spiritual 1)Daily scripture study, 30 minutes in the morning. Where the 'daily' part of this goal is already a part of life, the quality of my attention has been lacking. 2)Lesson preparations started a week in advance. I need to give the Spirit all the material to draw from that I can. 3)Perfect Visiting Teaching. I have no excuse not to. 4)Temple attendance, once a month. Again, I have no excuse not to.

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Educational 1)Take a Spanish class. Though French is the most romantic of the romantic languages, it is not as useful as Spanish. 2)Read 10 books. I have a jump start on this one because I started a couple of books over the holiday that I will finish this week. 3)Cook one new recipe every week. Thanks, Cori, for going along with this one.

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Physical 1)Work out 3 times a week. This is another maintenance goal. My gym membership is a prized possession. I feel better in every way when I'm exercising. 2)Down to xxx pounds. Of course, I'm not going to say exactly how many pounds. And where I don't measure my health by my weight, it is a good indicator of how one's diet/exercise ratio is looking. Mine needs a 5 pound adjustment. 3)Salad Mondays. When Cori and I were in school, we had a habit of eating a big salad for dinner on Mondays. I'm resurrecting the tradition with renewed vigor. Its a great way to start the week. And it makes us feel less guilty about that FHE treat.

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Financial 1)Save at least $50 a month to buy a DSRL camera. This camera is something I've been pining over for at least 2 years now. I'm going to take some action! 2)Improve my credit. My credit is healthy, but it is stagnant. Not for long.

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Familial 1)1 solid hour of Gracie time, daily. This may seem trite considering Grace has a significant percentage of my attention for every one of her waking moments. But I found that she is happier and that we have fewer meltdowns when I turn off the TV or computer or radio, put down the projects, clear my schedule and focus on her. So we read, play, cuddle, tickle, and usually laugh a lot. It is an ounce of prevention that I treasure. 2)More outside time. I haven't buckled down the details on this one, but its ridiculous that I don't have Grace outside more. We live in a paradise. 3)Date Night Fridays. We used to be really good about this one. It just needs some recommiting.

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There it is, the new model of me. So let it be written, so let it be done!