Live For Today... Tomorrow will take care of itself: April 2009

Engagment Special

If you know anyone getting married... spread the word:)

(click picture to enlarge)

Here is my baby. My darling little boy is two years old today. Oliver you are a ray of sunshine in our home. You know how to make me laugh with your funny faces and just the way you say things. You have been my snuggle buddy and fellow chocoholic. I know, I know, I started you too young:)

These last two years have been a wild ride. I look at you now and see a little boy. I know my baby is growing up... I love you!

What happens after the lights go out...

These little boys can't get enough of each other. Jesse and I always look in on them before we go to bed and every once in a while we'll find them in the same bed. This is the funniest position I've seen yet. Lately they have been insistent on taking off their pants for bed time too. If we don't do it we find a pile of bottoms at the end of one of the beds and pantless children in the beds. Kids... funny huh?

Thank you for the antidotes...

Thank you for your comments and suggestions. I planted my garden and started a vegetable garden in my back patio area. It is so pretty out there I just sit at the table and stare at it. Every time I walk by the sliding glass door I pause and look. I put in geraniums, begonias, marigolds, and lilies. I also started writing more and found a training program for my triathlon. It helps me to gauge my efforts to make my training pay off. Thank you all for just giving your input I still have more things to do and that makes me happy and keeps me busy. I'll post pictures of my garden soon.

Fake it till you make it.

Ok, here's me. Just putting on a smile. Making sure I do the right things, say the right things, and trying to be a good example. Geeawsh it's exhausting!!! Who doesn't want to throw up their hands and say "I can't do this anymore!" There are plenty of things I want to do and say that would probably weird people out but I don't. Yes I would totally wear that.. but Jesse would hate it. Yea I would love to do that but someone would disapprove. Why, is it because I'm afraid to be me? Is it because the superficial surface Rachel is better in the world than the other part of me that feels stiffeled? At this point, I am confusing myself. I think I have reached the point in my life that everyday life isn't enough. I need an outlet. Photography is great but I cannot find anything inspiring lately. Writing is good too but I am afraid that my kids will read it someday and think "Man, mom really was a nut job!" CREATIVITY! I NEED IT! Help, I'm drowning in my own boring normality... or maybe I just need a new pair of shoes... ha ha ha! No money so, concequently, no shoes. Any cheap suggestions blogging world?

Kid catch up and Egg dyeing

Ok, I finally downloaded the pictures on my camera. We went to a Valentine's Day party and the kids got to decorate sugar cookies with frosting and sprinkles. It was their first time decorating cookies and they loved eating them more than decorating. They haven't had that much sugar since Christmas:)

Strawberry picking at Victoria's Garden

There were pony rides, a petting zoo, and lots of hay bales to climb on.

Yeehaw!!!

Notice how Ollie pokes the bunny in the EYE. My sweet gentle son.

Strawberries... yum.

We didn't end up picking up strawberries because there was so much else to do but we got a basket per child to take home with us. The boys ate one basket by the time we got home.

Egg dyeing: a wonderfully fun yet disastrous experience.

Easter's around the bend and I decided to be adventurous and let the kids dye some eggs. Well, it wasn't more than a minute before Frank spilled a whole cup of green dye on the table and down his shirt. Other than our experiment in Tye-dying everything else went well and the kids had a blast.

There is a bunny on that egg.

Ollie with his own creation.

Our finished Masterpieces

Anyone thinking about doing this with your little ones. Make sure there is one adult per kid under four:)

April Conference 2009

Conference was pretty amazing and extremely pointed. I love how the brethren speak in specifics. Saturday afternoon Elder Cook had a great talk about standing as a witness of Christ. We need show people what our church stands for.

"When members don't live the teachings it can be a stumbling block for those who are not members of the church."

He touched on how doctrines of other churches confuse and are discouraging to people.

-no modern day revelation

-only a few will be saved and the rest will be damned.

Most people want to believe in a more liberal God. Our church teaches of a Father in heaven that loves us. It teaches that we will all have a chance to live with him again. That was what Jesus Christ died for: our resurrection. Our gift from his sacrifice is the body and spirit coming together again. How we live our lives will dictate whether or not we are worthy to abide in God's presence. We most certainly will not be damned to everlasting torment and hell for not knowing of Jesus Christ's teachings or not living a perfect life. There are many good people in the world who are not members of the church or christian at all. Are they lost because of this? No, the Lord loves his children too much. He will give all a chance, even after death, to learn of Christ and accept or reject his gospel. What a comfort that is to me to know that those who never knew will not be punished.

The other talk that really touched me was Dallin H. Oaks

He spoke of selflessness. We all have a tendency to be self-centered but as we look beyond ourselves we can find more to live for. You can never love the Lord until you learn to love his people. Parents sacrifice often and we were commended for that sacrifice. How nice it was to be reminded about how important my current job is:) We were counseled to sacrifice and not grasp for the instant gratification that the world tries to sell. Our willingness to sacrifice is part of the covenants we make with the Lord.

We should stand out and be different... that's what being followers of Christ is all about.

"We cannot walk as other men, talk as other men, or do as other men For we have a different destiny, obligation and responsibility placed upon us and we must fit ourselves to it." -John A Widtsoe.

We must loose our lives in service.

At the very end he turned his talk to self centered-ness at church. Some feel the church should fulfill their needs, give spiritual uplift, and produce friends just by showing up. We can gain nothing by sitting on the sidelines. We must look outward: welcome others, talk to those sitting by themselves, volunteer for anything needed. Then will we feel the love and fulfilment of church attendance. Everyone needs to be carried once in a while. Who know who you might help.

I hope everyone else loved listening to the wonderful counsel given. I know I have plenty to work on:)