Spiritual Sundays

“We invest a great deal in the acquisition of stuff. Companies bombard us with slick, relentless propaganda as to why we must have their stuff and judge an individual’s success by their stuff’s sheer quantity and supposed quality. I like stuff. I especially like the word stuff. But consumption never was creativity; it brings few lasting satisfactions and can bring burdensome debts. Stuff beyond our basic needs does not liberate. Consider the overall investment of your time. You have to shop for stuff. You have to clean, maintain and organize stuff. You lose stuff. You look for stuff. You polish stuff. Secure it against theft, trip over it, recharge it, upgrade it, accessorize it, pack it, move it, unpack it, insure it, fix it, and eventually sell, trash or bequeath it. Stuff has no use beyond this life and it takes a lot from us. Very much unlike stuff, knowledge has few such liabilities. Knowledge does not depreciate but grows deeper, stronger and more valuable with each use.”
- Shawn W. Miller, BYU Devotional, August 3, 2010 (punctuation my own)

10 on Tuesday (on Wednesday!)

1. Well I've been too stressed to post. :) But things are looking to work out. So I'll just update as to how things are now and skip over all the stress that has happened in the past month! We are moving to Raymond next week. Bought a house. Renting out our house.

2. Shot two weddings this past weekend and it just about killed me. :) A couple shots from each.



3. One of those weddings was in Cranbook BC so Regan and I made a weekend of it and stayed there for a couple days. And seriously I sat around and did NOTHING since I could barely walk the next day.


4. My friend Nichole took a few pictures of me when I was taking her family pictures last week. I was going to do a full photo shoot with my other friend but frankly I have no idea WHEN that would have worked out.



5. I have been on hold at various utilities places for almost 2 hours now..... now THAT's a party!

6. Did I mention I was done being pregnant? Not actually done, but feel done. I have been having BAD Braxton Hicks contractions. Like keeping me up at night bad. So this morning when I couldn't sleep I got up and ate half a deep and delicious cake. With milk and a banana. You know, to balance it out. Well maybe it was only 1/3. But I've only gained 24 pounds so far this pregnancy. So let me eat my cake!

7. I am really behind on Foto Friday. Two pictures I did take but never posted from past weeks of it....
Water

and Bubble


8. She has taught her self to read. She thinks that in Grade one you should read. So she just did it. This morning I had taken her to the library and got a bunch of those level 1 and 2 readers and she sat on the couch for 2 hours and read them all. I tested her on the words you need to read by the end of grade one and she read all but 8 and then promptly sat down and studied them so she'd know ALL of them.


9. The kids and I were going a little mental with dad working so much. Sooo I enrolled them in a cartooning class at the Bowman Art's center here in town. They LOVED it.


10. My inlaws garden at 6am. thanks to Eli :)

List 33: Ten things I'd Tell my 17 Year old Self

1. Treasure every moment with Kelly ever more.

2. Your mom will be one of your best friends one day.

3. You will find the best man for you - don't waste your time on all those others.

4. Dressing modestly is always in fashion.

5. You are skinny.

6. Advertising and Public Relations is the right program for you.

7. Nothing is important as the gospel.

8. Your hair looks terrible.

9. Be wiser with your money.

10. You are beautiful.

List 32: Best Days So Far

1. August 18, 2000: Wedding Day

2. October 15, 2002: Alden's Birthday

3. October 5, 2005: Lucy's Birthday

4. June 28, 2008: Eli's Birthday

5. The day we found out we were in MEdical school. I can't remember the date exactly. (although if I looked up in my journals I am sure I could find it)

Spiritual Sundays

“Love is one of the chief characteristics of Deity, and ought to be manifested by those who aspire to be the sons of God. A man filled with the love of God is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race.”
- Joseph Smith, TPC-JS, pg 330-331

List 31: Favorite Websites

1. Pinterest

2. Eighteen25

3. Think Garnish

4. flickr

5. Clayton Austion (Really I could do a whole list just on photographers I love! But he's my newest find that I LOVE!)

6. The Creative Mama

7. Under the Sycamore

8. Brooke Snow

I think that's enough ;)

10 on Tuesday

1. It was Regan's birthday yesterday. He was on call. Soooo we'll just pretend it's today and I'll bake him a cake and some food he loves. :) Happy Birthday to him!!

2. I haven't been posting as much lately. And YOU haven't been commenting as much lately.

3. Our house has sold. Let's all pray the financing and all that jazz goes through. Cause things are getting cut close here.

3. Speaking of yesterday, we spent the entire day in our pjs. (well not Reg, that'd be WERID in the ER!)

4. Our AC in our van died. Again. And the fan belt is making sweet loud noises. AND the electrical has some serious problems (which means we can't tell how much gas we have.) (which means we've run out on the side the the road.) (which means someone had to come and rescue us.) (which was TOTALLY awesome.)

5. More pictures to see on my photo blog. Go on now, go see and comment.

6. This baby moves A LOT. Like nothing I have experienced before in my previous 3 pregnancies. AT ALL. More movement than non movement.

7. Regan is a working doctor. It'll take me a while to get used to saying that.

8. My belly sticks out a LOT this pregnancy. Like a lot a lot. Haven't really gained a lot other places. Pictures to come soon!

9. I feel like everyone is off doing fun things are we are here at home doing a whole lot of nothing (except waiting and growing a belly.)

10. I'm going to need to start packing soon.

Spiritual Sundays

“[A person may have] a strong desire to be led by the Spirit of the Lord but…unwisely extends that desire to the point of wanting to be led in all things. A desire to be led by the Lord is a strength, but it needs to be accompanied by an understanding that our Heavenly Father leaves many decisions for our personal choices. Personal decision making is one of the sources of the growth we are meant to experience in mortality. Persons who try to shift all decision making to the Lord and plead for revelation in every choice will soon find circumstances in which they pray for guidance and don’t receive it. For example, this is likely to occur in those numerous circumstances in which the choices are trivial or either choice is acceptable. We should study things out in our minds, using the reasoning powers our Creator has placed within us. Then we should pray for guidance and act upon it if we receive it. If we do not receive guidance, we should act upon our best judgment. Persons who persist in seeking revelatory guidance on subjects on which the Lord has not chosen to direct us may concoct an answer out of their own fantasy or bias, or they may even receive an answer through the medium of false revelation.”
- Dallin H. Oaks, Ensign Oct 1994; pg 13-14

List 30: Places I'd like to Go

This could be a long list... but I'll try and keep it brief :)

1. France
2. Egypt
3. Hawaii
4. Africa
5. Arizona
6. California
7. Ireland

Spiritual Sundays

“Our promised blessings are beyond measure,” President Thomas S. Monson declares. “Though the storm clouds may gather, though the rains may pour down upon us, our knowledge of the gospel and our love of our Heavenly Father and of our Savior will comfort and sustain us and bring joy to our hearts as we walk uprightly and keep the commandments. There will be nothing in this world that can defeat us. My beloved brothers and sisters, fear not. Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith.”

foto Friday: Week 28

List 29: Super Powers I wish I had

1. The ability to be happy and function on very little sleep.

2. Flying. Seriously, how cool would THAT be!

3. Photographic memory.

4. The ability to take away people's problems.

10 on Tuesday

1. Wow it is hot.

2. Still haven't found any where to rent in Raymond OR sold our house. hmmm sounds perfect hey? :) We might end up renting out our house here in Lethbridge - not that I know who too. Or where we'd go in RAymond. But those are just minor details people! Minor.

3. We took the kids over Logan's pass yesterday. You should have HEARD how excited they were about being in the United States. It was funny. Even made the border crossing guard smile. And if you've ever been over the border you KNOW how unusual it is to make the American guards smile at you!

4. I am slowly getting caught up on my editing. Only 3 shoots left to do :) Yipee!

5. My belly is getting big.

6. One of my favorite shoots I've done is posted right now on my photo blog. Our good friends Abby and Shaun and their 10 year wedding anniversary. Go check out the rest!!


7. Last week's Foto Friday....

8. I've been wanting to bake but it's just too hot to bake anything. But I WANT cookies. I just can't bring myself to buy cookies. There just so..... plastic tasting! The minute we have a cooler day... COOKIES will be made at this house!

9. What a sweet little smile this boy has.


10. Did I mention it was hot?

In the Kitchen: Red's Ultimate M&M Cookies

I made these tasty cookies a couple weeks ago for the First of July. And then again shortly after since Alden complained that he didn't get any. Totally tasty!!


1 cup margarine
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 package M&M chocolate mini bits

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, cream butters and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a large bowl, combine flour, soda and salt; blend into creamed mixture. Stir in M&M bits. Drop by heaping teaspoons about 2 inches apart onto a ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-13 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and centers are still soft. Do not over bake (I baked mine 8 minutes!) Cool one minute on the cookie sheet, cool completely on wire racks.
Enjoy!

Spiritual Sundays

“I am bold to declare before Heaven that I am just as ready to die in defending the rights of a Presbyterian, a Baptist, or a good man of any other denomination. . . . It is a love of liberty which inspires my soul.”
- Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 5:498.

List 28: Scary Things

1. Regan or my kids getting seriously hurt

2. Failure

3. Mice

4. Really big bugs

5. Water skiing

In the Kitchen: Banana Blueberry Lemon Muffins

Found here
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs
2/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup blueberries
2 tablespoons grated lemon rind
3 tablespoons sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly grease muffin tin.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of the lemon rind.
3. Beat together bananas, eggs, brown sugar, butter, lemon juice and vanilla until blended.
4. Stir in dry ingredients until blended. Stir in blueberries just until combined. Spoon into prepared muffin cups, dividing batter equally.
5. For the topping, combine sugar and remaining lemon rind in small dish. Sprinkle evenly over the muffins.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden.

10 on Tuesday

1. Regan now has Monday's off. Which is really nice (especially when he was on call all weekend) So for a family activity yesterday we took the kids to Kung Fu Panda 2. Eli is apparently not a movie kid. He's not really at home either but I hoped that a big screen and cool 3-D glasses would get him to stay. Well I was wrong. Sure glad I wasn't at the movies with my kids alone!!

2. I'll be going to Wicked tonight in Calgary. And that's totally wicked :)

3. Still no buyer for our house. Our real estate agent told us last month there were 700 houses on the market in Lethbridge and only 200 sold. Sooooo things aren't looking so positive in that area.

4. Speaking of not positive, I think we are in limbo in every possible way. I won't go into too many details, but seriously. And I'm trying hard to keep this in mind. And just be patient.

5. Read this book this past week. And thought it was great. Great love story, easy read.

6. Got some new shoots popping up all the time over at my photo blog you can check out here. So go over and leave me some comment love hey? One of my favorites from the last posted wedding of Ben and Mandy....

7. Have I mentioned lately that Eli's in a terrible strip of sleeping again?! It is soooo annoying. I am hoping we are out of it tonight. (but I won't hold my breath!) It's like he can't go that long without seeing me or something. He's soooo attached. And he'd better get over it before this baby comes!

8. And speaking of not selling our house.... Regan has started working out in Raymond already. And all the advantages of him being a small town doctor (like home call) we can't take part in since we don't actually LIVE in said small town. Hopefully this week I'll figure out a place for us to rent.

9. I've had an itching to make a quilt lately. Matching ones for Eli and Alden. But I have to find the right material. And I'd probably need to go to a store to look at material to do that hey :)

10. I was late AGAIN on Foto Friday this past week.... so here it is.... Sunflare.

Eli's "Mighty Machines" Party

Well since it's been a week (or more) since Eli's party, I thought I'd finally share what we did. He really didn't get the whole idea of a party and Lucy wanted to help out. So she was firing different theme ideas at him one day and said Mighty Machines. And once he heard that he couldn't get it out of his head. He didn't even know what Mighty Machines had to do with a party, but he loves Mighty Machines and wouldn't budge an inch onto anything else. When I asked him what he wanted for his presents, he'd just say "no presents, just a mighty machines party" confirming to me that he really had no idea what you even did at a party :) And because of that (and my general lack of energy lately) this was a throw together last minute party. I didn't make fancy signs (which I thought about doing) or fancy invitations (or even any invitations) or really go over the top in anyway. And really, it didn't matter. He's three. And he didn't care. :) And I tried hard to not feel guilty about the casualness of it all.

First up the kids decorated their own party bags with car stickers I found at the dollar store.


Then we went out in the backyard and went to "The Harbor". Where they were supposed to race their boats but really they just splashed them in the water and got really wet.


Then they had a little jumpy castle break (fine with me!)


Then they went to "The Racetrack". Where we raced dinky cars down the tracks.


Then they went to "The Construction Site". Where the digger in the dirt.


Then we went inside for cake. (this is one of my favorite shots of the day!)


Eli still doesn't get how to blow... so Ryan helped him out!


I did go all out for the cake. Which in reality is quite funny since now for three years he has yet to taste his own birthday cake. He never does. But he sure thought it looked cool :) ha!

I did the "dirt" with chocolate cookie crumbs

And since we'd be eating it too, I had to add a lemon filling.


Then they ate cake and had snacks. It was a weird group of foods on the tray but I wanted to do things Eli actually likes to eat. And that is a weird group of foods :)


Eli opened his presents and they all played with them for a little bit before home time. For their treat bags (that they had decorated) they took home their race tracks and cars, shovels and the boats they raced. It was casual and short. Just perfect for this little man!

Spiritual Sundays

“We can add to each other’s storehouse of self-esteem by giving deserved, specific commendation more often, remembering, too, that those who are breathless from going the second mile need deserved praise just as the fallen need to be lifted up.” -Neal A. Maxwell, GC, Oct 1976