The Gift Of The Comforter

This week, we had a lot of things that really brought the spirit. With it being the week of Christmas, we were often with family and often speaking of Christ. What a blessing to have this wonderful time of year to singularly remember our Savior's birth and life. 

We also had moments of silent, individual time which allowed for reflection and introspection. Regretfully to recall, I also in these moments had times when I was overcome by sadnesses. Don't worry, nothing bad actually happened this week, but while going through my files of memory, I was reminded of sad things, such as the passing of my grandfather. With regrets of "what I could have said" or "what I could have done", tears would begin flowing and the dark feelings arise. How thankful I have been for the blessing of the comforter, for in these hours when I felt overwhelmingly alone, I was able to call upon my Lord in prayer and ask for his comfort to protect me. It was a very powerful testimony to me, as I lay crying alone, that immediately upon my asking, The Lord blessed me with peace. 

Later in the week, I was with my husband's family, celebrating Christmas. I had a beautiful opportunity to share the peace of the spirit with my Mother-in-love (no, that is not auto correct, that's what we call it.  it's not the law that binds us, but love), Becky. When I was 5, my maternal grandmother passed away. Even though I was very young an didn't really know her in this life, I have always felt a very strong connection to her. I always wished that I could have known her better. Becky's mother passed away while she was in only her teens. In about a week an a half, she will have outlived her mother. For Christmas, she gave all her daughters, including me, a book called "Christ's Gifts to Women". Inside, she wrote an individualized message to each daughter. Being the only daughter-in-law, I was surprised to receive one as well. She had written these notes, thinking of her mother, and wishing her mother had written something for her. The sweetness of this act overwhelmed me as I thought of my own grandmother and the wish for tangible memories of her love. Becky and I shared in that moment, a sense of connection that was far beyond the boundaries of mortality. I am so thankful for her attention to the spirit as she reached out to me as a daughter and as a sister in the kingdom of God. I am so thankful for the blessing comfort through the spirit and for the connections that exceed this world. 

At church yesterday, we had two little girls, who had been baptized the day before, receive their conformation and the gift of the Holy Ghost. What a blessing it is to know that have this gift, to have his spirit with us at all times. 

I pray that the Comforter with always be with you in this coming year. I am so thankful for that blessing. 

Let There Be Light

This week, I am thankful for light. There isn't really a reason for this gratitude. I suppose I did have a couple of really gray days as well as several light bulbs burn out at the same time. Perhaps it was that or some other internal version. 

I am grateful for the ability to see with the light. Thankful for the clarity that it brings both to my eyes and to my heart. I am also thankful for the peace that it brings. I wouldn't have thought that the light could bring pease in a literal sense, but I was shocked at the comfort of having a bright day or a working lightbulb. 

I am also so very grateful, especially at this time of year, for the light of my Savior. What a wonderful blessing to have the light and truth of his gospel. How wonderful it is to have it shine the way for us to see. It amazes me the comfort an peace it brings to know why we are here and where we are going. 

I love my Savior so much and thank him for the light. 

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Mother, I Love You. Mother, I Do.

This week, I am thankful for my mother.  I have had several experiences and moments this week that have shown me first of all how much I miss my mother, and secondly how grateful I am to have her.

Although there wasn't really anything that blatantly said "this week should be about your mom," there was just a lot of little things that made me think of her.  I am so thankful that I have a mother who is not just my mom, but also my friend.  I greatly enjoy being able to call and converse with her about day to day things without feeling that I will be reprimanded or judged by what I tell her.   What a blessing to know that I can trust her with my deepest secrets and littlest feelings.

I am so blessed to have a mother who expressed her love for me.  I am thankful that she would hold my hand and give me the "I love you" sign from across the room.  Those little things really helped me know that my mother loved me with all her heart.  My mom had 8 children; there's not a lot of time in the day to get all the work done, everyone taken care of, and then have any extra time to make anyone feel special, but my mother always did it.  I never had a day that I didn't think that my mom loved me.  I was just as special to her as anyone else.  What a blessing.

I am so thankful for all the work and effort that she put in for me.  There are so many lessons that I learned from her throughout the years, and I only plan on continuing to learn from her.  I can't even count the times that I have called her for advice or direction.  I am so grateful for a mother who cooked and taught us to love to cook.  I may not be as wonderful a chef as she is, but at least I have a vague idea of what I'm doing with a measuring cup!

On top of it all, I am so eternally grateful to have a mother who is strong in the gospel.  It is so wonderful to be able to lean on her when I need strength.  I'm thankful for the many lessons and the patient hours she spent trying to teach all of us kids about the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Each of those lessons are infinitely and increasingly valuable to me as I grow older.   What a strength and an example she has been to me for so long.

Thank you mom for all that you do!  I love you a whole big monkey Michelle bunch, and that's the biggest!

Quilling Ornaments!

We decided we were going to do homemade ornaments for our December craft night.  On top of that, we learned a new skill:  Quilling!  Check it out!

Night of Crafts

So, for our Relief Society activity in November, we decided to do a craft night to prepare our homes for the holidays. We focused on home decor items that would bring family and gospel centered thoughts into our home. We had a wonderful night of fun and socializing as many of our sisters attended. We offered 4 crafts, but also allowed for people to bring their own craft if they desired, as well as offered a class on making yeast rolls from scratch. Here are the crafts we did.

Holiday Stacking Blocks

I saw a picture of these cute blocks on Pinterest and just had to make them. I used my Cricut with Craft Room to cut out all the letters for each and had my sweet husband cut the blocks for me.  View the original pin here.

Instructions:

Cut blocks from a 2x2 wood beam into a 10" block, a 8" block, and a 6" block.

Sand blocks to desired texture. (note, they don't need to be baby bottom smooth. A little texture allows the Mod Podge to hold deeper into the wood, but too much will make for a bumpy paper after.) 

Cut letters to fit the block.  This is what I used with my Cricut:

Spring

Hope: 

Cartridge - Alphalicious

Font - Basic

Text Size - 1.3

Letter Spacing - 3

Resurrection:  

Cartridge - Lyrical Letters

Font - Basic

Text Size - 1.6

Letter Spacing - 2

New Beginnings:  

Cartridge - Calligraphy Collection

Font - Gratitude

Text Size - 1.7

Letter Spacing - 1

Patriotic

Freedom:  

Cartridge - Lyrical Letters

Font - JackSprat

Text Size - 1.9

Letter Spacing - 1

Fireworks:  

Cartridge - Lyrical Letters

Font - Jumbo

Text Size - 1.2

Letter Spacing - 0

Stars & Stripes:  

Cartridge - Southwest

Font - FontShadow

Text Size - 1.5

Letter Spacing - 1

Autumn

Harvest:  

Cartridge - Opposites Attract

Font - Upright

Text Size - 0.5

Letter Spacing - 2

Blessings:  

Cartridge - Lyrical Letters

Font - LoopDeeLoo

Text Size - 1.6

Letter Spacing - 1

Give Thanks:  

Cartridge - Alphalicious

Font - Basic

Text Size - 1.6

Letter Spacing - 1

Christmas

Noel:  

Cartridge - Calligraphy Collection

Font - Basic

Text Size - 2.3

Letter Spacing - 0

Behold Him:  

Cartridge - Calligraphy Collection

Font - Matrimony

Text Size - 1.8

Letter Spacing - 1

Joy to the World:  

Cartridge - Calligraphy Collection

Font - InspirationBlackout

Text Size - 1.5

Letter Spacing - 1

Cut background papers to the following sizes, needing one for each season:  1.5"x10", 1.5"x8", 1.5"x6"

Glue on papers and letter with Mod Podge in the following order:

Apply Mod Podge to block

Lay down the background paper

Apply a layer of Mod Podge to paper

Lay down the letters (note: make sure to layout letters in advance in order to make sure they will be centered on the block.  If you don't, you may not have enough space for all the letters or it won't be centered correctly.)

Cover entire side of block with Mod Podge to seal the paper down and make all glue lines going in the same direction to finish up the look.

Recommendation:  If you do the sides in the order of 1 side of 6" block, then 1 side of 8" block, then 1 side of 10" block, then back to the 6" block, it will allow Mod Podge to dry in between each block so you don't get wet glue facing the table and drying to it.

Enjoy!

Family Photo Blocks

Again, another cute Pinterest inspiration, but really, I couldn't not. View the original pin here.  Again, Cricut Craft Room was very important to the designing of the project.

Instructions:

This project ran a lot like the Rotating Holiday Blocks.

Cut blocks from a 2x3 wood beam into a 10" block and 4 3" blocks

Sand blocks to desired texture. (note, they don't need to be baby bottom smooth. A little texture allows the Mod Podge to hold deeper into the wood, but too much will make for a bumpy paper after.) 

Cut letters to fit the block.  This is what I used with my Cricut:

F:  

Cartridge - Calligraphy Collection

Font - Matrimony

Text Size - 3.4

Letter Spacing - 5

(Note:  I stretched the F so that it would look more italicized than the font originally had, so I stretched it width wise over about an inch.)

amily:  

Cartridge - Calligraphy Collection

Font - Matrimony

Text Size - 2.4

Letter Spacing - 5

Cut background papers to 2.5"x10". 

Cut pictures to 2.5"x3".

If you would like, we had several sisters that wanted the whole block covered, so they simply rolled the blocks in the paper to measure.  This direction should be approximately 10" x 8" for the main block and 3"x8" with side pieces cut to about 2.5"x3".  It was a very cute way to cover up the wood look if you prefer that. 

Glue on papers and letter with Mod Podge in the following order:

Apply Mod Podge to block

Lay down the background paper

Apply a layer of Mod Podge to paper

Lay down the letters (note: make sure to layout letters in advance in order to make sure they will be centered on the block.  If you don't, you may not have enough space for all the letters or it won't be centered correctly.)

Cover entire side of block with Mod Podge to seal the paper down and make all glue lines going in the same direction to finish up the look.

Do the same basic process for the picture blocks.

Enjoy!

Young Women Values Tile

As usual, found the picture on Pinterest, but I changed up the fonts a lot and I liked it much better this way.  View the original pin here.

Instructions:

This one is pretty easy since it's just cutting vinyl and transfering it like a sticker onto a 12"x12" tile that I got from home depot.

Cut the vinyl to the following specifications:

Faith

Cricut Vinyl in Linen

Cartridge - Southwest

Font - FontShadow

Text Size - 2.5

Letter Spacing - 5

Divine Nature

Cricut Vinyl in Denim

Cartridge - Alphalicious

Font - Basic

Text Size - 1.4

Letter Spacing - 5

Individual Worth

Cricut Vinyl in Berry

Cartridge - Calligraphy Collection

Font - Matrimony

Text Size - 1.5

Letter Spacing -  5

Knowledge

Cricut Vinyl in Olive

Cartridge - Calligraphy Collection

Font - Inspiration

Text Size - 1.9

Letter Spacing - 5

Choice & Accountability

Silhouette America Vinyl in Orange

Cartridge - Lyrical Letters

Font - JackSprat

Text Size - 1.2

Letter Spacing - 5

Good Works

Okay, for the freaking life of me, I could not find anyone  who had vinyl sheets in yellow in stock.  What the crap, right?  Instead, I was forced to go with more of a cream color.  Maybe I will redo Good Works when I can get my hands on some yellow vinyl.  Anyone know why it's not in stock anywhere?

Cricut Vinyl in Pebble

Cartridge - Alphalicious

Font - ShortStack

Text Size - 1.6

Letter Spacing - 3

Integrity

Cricut Vinyl in Lavender

Cartridge - Lyrical Letters

Font - Connected

Text Size - 1.1

Letter Spacing - 0

Virtue

Silhouette America Vinyl in Gold

Cartridge - Calligraphy Collection

Font - Shadow

Text Size - 2.7

Letter Spacing - 4

Apply letters to tile using Transfer Tape, following the packaging instructions.

You can also do this process with press'n'seal wrap.  If you're not careful though, you can get little spot on your vinyl as residue from the wrap.  Make sure not to press too hard and do it quickly.  This does not sit well for long without the residue forming.

Voila!

Thomas S. Monson Quote Tile

This one wasn't a Pinterest idea actually. We hand picked the quote from conference and designed it all on our own. This one took a lot of playing with as it was being developed. I changed font about 6 times and cut the words more than 4. It was a rough go to get it the way I wanted it, but I think it turned out very well and was a big hit at the activity. 

Instructions:

Again, simple sticker on a tile.  Same instructions as the YW Values Tile.

Cut vinyl to the following specifications from Cricut Vinyl in Midnight: 

Remember & Become:
Cartridge - Opposites Attract
Font - Upright
Text Size - 0.8
Letter Spacing - 5

Inner Text:
Cartridge - Opposites Attract
Font - Upright
Text Size - 0.5
Letter Spacing -3 for top row, 5 for bottom row

Thomas S Monson:
Cartridge - Opposites Attract
Font - Upright
Text Size - 0.4
Letter Spacing - 5

Apply with Transfer Tape, following package instructions.

Yeast Rolls Class

Amelia was so sweet to do this cute class for our sisters that didn't want to do the crafts.  Don't they look yummy!

In large bowl add:

1 cup Crisco

¾ cup sugar

2 tsp. salt

Pour 2 cups boiling water over above stir and cool.

Mix:       2 Tbsp. yeast and ½ cup warm water in a small bowl.

Add:      4 slightly beaten eggs, yeast mixture, and 2 cups flour to Crisco mixture. Stir.

Add:      5 ½ cups more flour (do not add any more than this, dough is sticky)

Stir with wooden spoon. Let raise until doubled.  Roll out in circles.  Spread with butter.  Cut into crescent shapes and roll up.  Let raise around 20 minutes. Then bake.  Spread with butter as they come out of oven.  Bake at 375⁰ for 12-15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Hope you have a great time crafting!  Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas everyone!

Let It Snow

This week I am thankful for two very wonderful blessings. 

Firstly, I am thankful for the snow. We just had a couple of days of snowfall here and there was so many times that I would be walking through the snow as the sun glinted on each flake. What a beautiful site!  What a wonderful feeling it was to just stand there in the snow in amazement of what our God has made for us! 

I am thankful for the moment of introspection upon this snowy day. Each snowflake is individual and different, but since He knows the grains of the sand and each sparrow that falls, perhaps even each flake. What a glorious knowledge to know that he loves me and thinks of me as the beautiful shining snow. Perhaps one day, I can have his light shinning through me showing to others how glorious his works are!  What a precious gift to know that I am a child of God, whom I love and who loves me. That I might be the beautiful snowflake that bring the gift of moisture to the ground and the joy to those around it! 

Secondly, I am thankful for the safety of my car. I know it sounds funny, but what I'm thankful for is also what I'm thankful against. It can be very dangerous out in the snow with fast moving hunks of metal flying by. I was told the story of my husband's grandmother's passing from years and years ago. I had been told the aftermath part, but had never heard the whole story. It was a bittersweet to share that moment with my husband. To make the story short, it was about this time of year in about the same place we were driving through that she was in a 5 car accident. This was back before protective things like air bags and such.

I am so thankful for the modern inventions of protection. There are so many tedious things out there that sometimes we don't realize are for our good. As much not fun as it is to say it, I'm thankful for inspections, regulations, and requirements. What a blessing to know that me and my family are being protected. 

I am so grateful for the blessing of protection that my Lord has provided my family these past few days with all of the ice and snow. 

I pray that you and your loved ones are safe and protected this winter. I also pray you remember your worth as the glorious shinning snowflakes fall overhead!

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

For Dirty Dishes

As we begin December and thereby the Christmas season, I would really like to make this a special Christmas kickoff blessing. Sadly, however, that's not going to happen. 

This week I am thankful for my dirty dishes. As we finish up the thanksgiving season, we realize the amount of dishes that come with it. Now, usually, I would be rather put out at the fact that I have done two loads of dishes everyday for the past two weeks. However, this week I am thankful for all of them.

It's been a lot of work to clean them up and more work still to make then dirty, but each dish means that I had friends and family in my home, I had a home to have then in, and I had the friends and family to come. What a blessing it is to have family and friends at this wonderful time of year. 

I am also, on the more temporal side of things, thankful for my dishwasher. Web Matt and I were first married, we lived on an apartment without one. I am so very thankful not to have to wash all my dishes by hand. We have some friends who had their dishwasher break and have been weeks without it. It just made me realize how wonderful these devices are. I have the blessing of letting the machine do the work so I can spend more direct time with my family and friends. What a blessing it is! 

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! 

Over and Over Again

We often complain about repetition. There are so many things that get old quickly and become a very large frustration the more that we do them. However, this week I am thankful for routine.

This week, we had quite a few days that were super busy and out of our normal. I was in charge of a craft night for our Relief Society and had so much to do. My poor little girl was left for many days to play quietly by herself as I prepared packets and cut letters. By the day of the activity, she was plenty done with the whole thing. Although the activity went well and Evangeline was very patient, we still didn't get home until well past bedtime. The next day, therefore was only an attempt to recover from the night before. We slept in late and never caught up. 

That night, we had a special thanksgiving activity to attend. Although we got home at a reasonable hour, there was a terrible storm that evening that lasted all night long. Evangeline fought going to bed because the wind was so loud. She woke several times during the night when the wind was at its worst. Eventual, around 4 in the morning, she was done with trying and refused to go back to bed until the storm all but subsided at 7. Again our day was spend simply recovering and trying fruitlessly to catch up. 

Finally, this coming week, we will (hopefully) have the needed time to return to normal. What a blessing it is to have things be predictable. We often forget that some people live everyday on the whim. Some people don't know where they will sleep or IF they will eat, let alone when. What a blessing it is that I can wake up in the morning and be prepared for the following day. What a blessing to be able to have so many thing like a home, food, and family that I know will still be there when I wake up. Even though we often dot care for it, what a blessing to know what's going to happen each day. 

The predictability of routine is such a blessing. I pray that those who currently don't may someday have this blessing. 

For Friends in the Family

This past week, I've had a lot of opportunity to spend time with my family.  My mom had a layover in Salt Lake, so I got to see her for about 2 hours. The next day, I went to my brother's house to play games. Yesterday, I went to visit my aunt for the evening, and i get to spend all day today with my wonderful husband and daughter!  To add extra icing on the cake, my sister who has been living in Kansas for the past 2 years is moving back to Utah in just a couple of weeks!

I just can't express how wonderful it is to have family that I have friendships with. As I listen to stories of other families, where siblings dot ever talk or get together unless it's a holiday or a tragic emergency, I realize how blessed I am. Growing up, my brothers were always there for me. I am proud to say that I considered them my best friends for many many years, and they are still at the top of my chart (just after my husband). 

I also greatly appreciate the friendship my sister and I have. I can't wait to be closer in distance to have opportunity to grow even closer as friends. :)

I am also so thankful for loving parent, grandparents, aunts and uncles. It meant a lot to me that my mom chose the flight she did so that she could see us even for the 2 hours. What a blessing it is to know how much he loves me. I am also grateful for my uncle and aunt who have been surrogate parents for me when my own have been far away. What a wonderful blessing to know that when I need someone, they will always be there. 

Last, but not least, I am grateful for MY family: my husband and my daughter. What special blessings of joy they are in my life. I am thankful not only for the love, but for the friendship we share. How much fun it is to be first ad foremost friends with my spouse. I don't know what I'd do if he wasn't at my side in all things. I also can't wait to grow a friendship with my daughter as she grows everyday. 

All in all, I love and greatly appreciate my family. Love you all tons! Xoxo

Happy Hauntings!

So, I know that I'm a lot behind on posting this Halloween stuff, but I just couldn't leave it out because it was just too fun!

For the day before Halloween, my Mommy Group had a little Halloween part. Thanks to all my lovely mommies who helped make this such a cute night!  Ready for our Halloween fun?!

Stuffed Jack'O'Lanterns

View the original pin here.

Filling:  Spanish Rice
I have seen these filled with other things, but this is the way I've seen the most, so this is what I did.

Fry 1/2 lb bacon, drain on paper towel and set aside.  Brown 1 lb hamburger and drain.  Add 1.2 small onion chopped and 1 chopped green pepper.  Saute.  Add 2 cups instant rice, 2 cups of water and 2 cans tomato sauce.  When liquid is absorbed and rice cooked, crumble bacon in and mix through.

Make Spanish Rice as above, but omit the peppers and add 3/4 cup corn.  stuff mixture into 6-8 peppers that have had the tops cut off and and seeds removed.  Top with cheese , over and bake at 350 degrees fro 1 hour.  Test peppers to see if soft, then serve.

For Jack'O'Lanterns, cut a face out at the same time as removing seeds.

7 Layer Spider Web

View the original pin here.

the dip is really easy.   Simply layer the following:

Refried Beans

Sour Cream

Salsa (or just tomatoes if you don't like the spice)

Cheese

Guacamole

Olives

Green Onions

I then put extra sour cream in a ziploc bag and piped out the spider web.  The Spider and Flies and just cut up olives.  Easy, yet yummy.

Mummy Dogs

View the original pin here.

Wrap hotdogs in crescent roll dough.  (I use the canned Pillsbury stuff).  Cook according to roll instructions.

Banana Ghosts

View the original pin here.

Cut the bananas in half and add chocolate chip eyes.  I used M&Ms because I didn't have a bag of chips on hand, but I would rather have used the chips because the color bled too quickly as you can see.

Deviled Spider Eggs and Pumpkins

View the original pin here and here.

Hard boil eggs.  Cut in half and remove yolk.  Mash yolks with mayo, mustard, salt, and pepper to taste.  Pipe into eggs (again, I used the ziploc method).  Sprinkle with paprika.

for spiders, I used cut up olives.  For pumpkins, I used food coloring and green onions for the stems.

Cheesy Broomsticks

View the original pin here.

Cut String Cheese to the length desired.  splice one end (making sure not to go all the way through).  Carefully insert a pretzel to the other side (again trying not to split it).  Tie up with sting or green onion stems.

The Gift of Tongues

I had a very good friend of mine, Maria, tell me the other day about her nephew's surgery. The little boy was born with the connection between his tongue and his mouth too short (pardon the plainness, I don't know the words and will probably add then in later). Now, because of this, the little boy had a really hard time being able to latch on to eat. So, at only a few weeks of age, he underwent a small surgery in which that connection was clipped in order to allow more movement of the tongue. 

By the way that Maria explains it, he is now healed and happily enjoying discovering the new abilities of his tongue. Isn't it always adorable to watch when babies discover their tongue? How much fun it must be for this child to have such a discovery after knowing the limits of before.

So, for this weeks blessing, I am grateful for the literal gift of tongues. :)  Our tongues do so many amazing things while doing even more small things while we're not looking. 

How would it be to have the tongue restricted like this little boy? Granted, he had never known any different, but the effects it had on him were huge. First of all, he was starving. I think I take plain and simply the ability to swallow for granted. It just happens, but not without that strong tongue muscle. 

Now, how about talking? I don't know of a verbal language that doesn't involve using the tongue. Not that communication is impossible without speech, but it sure is rather a convenient blessing. I quite possibly talk too much and some would probably appreciate if my tongue were held in a little more, but what a blessing it is to speak, to express oneself at will. 

Our tongues can do so many amazing things and move in so many amazing ways. Think if the rest of your body could more as diversely and freely as the tongue can! There's a reason babies find this body part to be so fascinating. And the fact that we can control it is even more impressive. 

Overall, I am so thankful for the blessing of the wondrous blessing of a miraculously working body. I am thankful that I have a healthy, functioning body. Some problems, such as this little boy's tongue, are correctable, but others are things you have to live with. I am thankful for the blessing of modern medicines and practices. What a miracle this is to that family. 

However, some bodily problems are not correctable in this life. So, i am also thankful for the blessing of the resurrection. What a joyous day it will be in the day of the resurrection when our bodies are made perfect! I was born with a minimal-at-best, practically non-existent sense of smell. I got a minor taste of what it will be like to smell all the time when I was pregnant. What an amazing blessing to know that those who have physical struggles, much much worse than my lack of smell, will have these limitation "clipped" as the little boy's tongue and be given the freedom of function. I am so very thankful for my Lord and Savior who suffered for me so that I can look forward to such a day. 

I will use the blessing of my tongue to praise him all my days!

Stength in the Navel

This week, I feel the need to thank my Heavenly Father for the blessing of Health.  I think I am never as thankful for my health as I am when I am sick.  On that note, I have been sick all week, my husband was sick last week, and now my daughter is starting to show the same symptoms.  I am thankful that The Lord has blessed so many amazing minds to make amazing discoveries in the world of medicine.  Whatever would I do without NyQuil?!  I am also thankful for the healing powers of the natural world.  On top of special thinks like essential oils and vitamin pills, I'm so grateful for Water.  It's amazing what a difference good hydration can make!  I am also just amazed at the miraculous functions of the human body.  The plain and simple fact that my body is designed to combat sickness is incredible!  What amazing wisdom and knowledge The Lord has to have designed such a miraculous body.  All in all, I am thankful that The Lord has blessed my body to be able to grow stronger and healthier day by day.

Princess Crown Bow Holder

So, I have always wanted one of the super cute little girl bow holders that looks like the a ballerina. I love how the bows clip onto the skirt. However, I looked and looked and looked and yet couldn't find anything I liked to represent the torso of the ballerina. :p I decided that maybe I would look for other alternatives. I found this super cute wooden crown at Michael's Craft Store for like $1. What a deal, right?!  It wasn't what I was looking for, but it was super cute. 

So then, I was given a bag of extra craft supplies from my friend Lisa. Inside was the super cute pink ribbon and tons of rhinestones. Thanks, Lisa!

So, I just painted the crown, hot glued the ribbons and stones on. Super simple to do, but it sure turned out cute!

And yet, there's room to grow!

Blessing of the Week

I decided that I need to show my God a lot more appreciation for the little things. Every week, I will thanks him for a different item that has been a blessing that week. 

This week, I am thankful for music. 

What a great strength can be drawn from nothing more than notes strung together. The sweet spirit that touches my soul is such a blessing. It's so amazing to me to see how The Lord can reach me and inspire me through the simplicity of words and the gentleness of a tune. I thank Him for His gentle, teaching guidance and for the blessing of speaking through music. 

The Love Of My Savior

I was listening to my music today when a new song played. It was "Even When" by Hilary Weeks. What a beautiful piece!  I just love her music! What an inspiration!

So the chorus to the song goes as follows:

He loves me still, 

he loves me through 

me loves me

Even while, even when.

He loves me anyway, 

in spite of and more than. 

When I sip, when I fall, and let go

Even when I should hold on,

He loves me still, 

he loves still,

And something tells me 

he always will. 

This song literally swept me off my feet. I was changing my daughter's diaper when I suddenly began to sob. It just overwhelmed me. However, though the song was beautiful and brought a wonderful spirit, it was not the song alone that left me in tears. 

As I listened to the song, I started to think of my savior and his everlasting love for me. I thought about how he suffered for me. I thought of what his suffering means for me, how he took MY sins and MY suffering. Then, there was a line in the song that spoke about how he suffered for us anyway and either way. I thought for a moment about timing. Christ made his sacrifice so long ago.  His bleeding in the garden was thousands of years ago. And then, when he was lifted upon the cross, he told The Father that the work was done. The work for me was done so many years ago. His love for me is unconditional. He will not pick and choose the sins he is willing to pay for. He will not get to me and say "I just can't do it anymore."  Oh, My Father! The work is done! Even before I was born, he suffered for me. My Savior bought me with his blood before I could even sin! He will not leave me alone. The work is done, there is no conditions on his end. 

What a wonderful blessing to know that my Savior loved me so much that he sacrificed for me. Oh, that I might better use and appreciate this miraculous blessing!  I am overwhelmed with gratitude for My Savior and the work he did for me. 

I pray that when we are weak, when we fall, and even when, that we can remember his love for us. I pray for the strength to utilize his magnificent blessing of repentance. May we never forget his open arms. 

I will praise His name forever!

Never forget that you are loved!

Cilantro Lime Shrimp

 Cilantro Lime Shrimp 

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1 tblsp. butter
1 tblsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
½ tsp. Mexican oregano
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 lime, zest and juice
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
1 pound shrimp, split and deveined
2 tblsp. chopped cilantro

Melt the butter and oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the garlic, onion and jalapeno.
Cook, stirring until the onion begins to wilt, approximately 3 minutes.
Add the red pepper flakes and oregano.
Continue cooking until the onion becomes translucent, approximately 3 additional minutes.
Add the tomatoes.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are soft.
Add the shrimp, zest and lime juice, salt and black pepper.
Cook until the shrimp are just opaque. Be careful not to overcook.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cilantro.Serve on Rice and Enjoy!

Evangeline's Birthday Party

What a great day! Thanks to all who came and those who supported from a far. :) Evangeline had a cute little Monster Party, but she started the day with pancakes!

Gone like hot cakes!  ;)

Then got all cute in her monster outfit! Thanks to Maria for the cute monster onsie!

Now to the decorations!

Yes, it was not planned for it to go sideways, but it was cute enough I don't want to try to make another. :)

We had a "Build A Monster" lunch!  How fun, right?

Jello Monsters! (Whipped topping front he can and chocolate chip eyes)

Time for presents!

Took a while to get her to let go of the bear long enough to open another present. :)

Cousin Isabelle wanted to help unwrap the gifts. :)

Ready for cake?!

Now you see it...

Now you don't!  Seriously, I turned away for half of a second and it was gone! Not on her lap either. All gone!

Cute little Rosie found the monsters to be quite appetizing! What a little cutie!