{m stands for}: November 2012

Ten

Grant and celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary on Thanksgiving Day this year. When we chose our wedding date, it never occurred to us that our anniversary would end up coinciding with Thanksgiving, but we have celebrated two anniversaries now (#5 and #10) on Thanksgiving Day. I love it. Grant and our marriage are two of my greatest blessings.

When we had our family pictures done in October, I told my friend that one of my main objectives of the photo shoot was to get nice pictures of the two of us in honor of our 10th Anniversary. I LOVED the pictures she got of us together. I might even go far enough to say I love some of them as much as I love my favorite engagement pictures. I love that these pictures were taken in the front yard of our first home, which we bought in this landmark 10th year of our marriage. I love how happy Grant and I look. I love that the extra wrinkles on our faces that weren't there 10 years ago tell their own story of hard work, long days and nights, and lots of effort to make our marriage and family strong.

There is too much to say about my feelings for Grant. Recently, a woman I very much admire lost her husband very suddenly at age 53. She has shared her experiences and feelings through tender, humorous, and sweet blog and Facebook posts. I always knew she and her husband loved each other dearly. In the short time I have known their family, I have loved watching them because they had a very special relationship. They were fun, quirky, loving, kind, giving, down-to-earth, hardworking, easygoing ... awesome people. You wish things like this didn't happen to the people who are really getting it right in terms of how they live. But reading about her experiences and her ongoing love for her husband has made me want to work harder to prize what I have and not take for granted the time I have with Grant. I want to live with more gratitude for every day I have Grant physically by my side. I want to more fully enjoy being able to hold and touch him, being able to hear his voice and his laugh, to be more grateful for having a husband to help me with repairs and odd jobs around the house ... all the things my friend is missing so much. My goal for the next year of our marriage (and beyond!) is to be more grateful for those simple things.

In celebration of our first 10 years of marriage, here are 10 highlights of what we've accomplished and done together:

HOME of our own!
Beautiful boys
Long years in law school
Vehicles (red Ford Probe, silver Saturn sedan, gray Honda Accord, green Ford Ranger)
Wards (Freedom 1st in Provo, Salem 5th in Oregon, Sunset Heights 8th for summers with Grant's parents, Timpview 5th in Orem, Chapel Valley 1st in Lehi)
Years as students (2002-2005 as undergrads, Grant @ UVU and Monica @ BYU, 2007-2010 for Grant's law degree @ Willamette)
Vacation destinations (Disneyland, Lake Powell, St. George, Las Vegas, Southern California, Hawaii, Oregon)
Addresses (two in Provo, three in Oregon, two in Orem, one in Lehi)
Anniversary Trips (4x to Park City, 1x to Midway, 3x to Salt Lake City, 1x to Portland)
Jobs (Grant: Security @ Novell and Convergys, Juvenile Work Crew supervisor, clerk @ Fourth District Court, clerk and then attorney @ Moody-Brown Law; Monica: MTC teacher, supervisor and training coordinator, secretary @ Liahona Magazine, Spanish tutor, Piano teacher, and production work for BizVision)

Anniversary roses, 2012

Disneyland + Little Boys = Magic

Our big 10 year anniversary trip was ... a trip to Disneyland with the boys!! Maybe not a sunny, relaxing cruise or a luxurious trip to New York City that I may have initially envisioned, but honestly perfect for this time of life! This is the stage of life we're in -- with busy, happy boys, and what better place to spend the celebration of the founding of our family?! Grant and I honeymooned in Disneyland/southern California, so it was a little nostalgic reliving those magical memories, but even more magical seeing Disney through the eyes of our children. Zach was maybe too little for much of it to soak in, but Eliot was the perfect age. So caught up in all the excitement of the characters, old enough to do a lot of the rides, and so excited about EVERYTHING!

Beautifully sunny on our first day there! (Maybe a little too sunny for our sensitive blue-eyed boys!) 80 degrees sure felt nice after leaving snowy Utah!

We were there the day after they turned on the Christmas lights! So pretty!

We went with Grant's sister Brenda, her husband Eric, and their two boys, who are almost the same ages as our boys. It worked out perfectly! Eliot and Cole held hands all through the airport and kept each other entertained in the lines.

With the boys on the teacups. Wasn't sure what Zach would think, but ...

... he loved it! Giggled the whole time (I didn't let Eliot spin us too fast!).

I love this picture, too. :) Those were the mouse ears Eliot insisted upon. They turned out fun!

With Winnie the Pooh and friends (Mommy's favorite!)

Brer Fox was super fun with Eliot! (Eliot didn't do Splash Mountain ... he got too freaked out when Mom dragged him on Space Mountain and decided to pass on all 'scary' rides after that!)

With Mickey! Poor Zach was too close for comfort and started bawling.

Santa was there, too! Eliot talked his poor ears off! He explained to him exactly what he wanted and told him he could find the Jake and the Neverland Pirates set in the Fisher Price Catalog!

Cars Land ... all I can say is A.MA.ZING. It is fantastic. Completely recreates Radiator Springs and is darling, creative, fun, and beautiful all at once! The new ride was SPECTACULAR!! I can see why people wait hours to ride it! (We did fast passes, but still had to wait all day to use them -- so worth it!)

Cars Land at night. Awe.some.

You can get your picture with all the Cars characters. Love this one of E! (Mater's wearing a Santa hat in this one).

Ready to race on the new Cars Ride! Going at night was so beautiful! They have the red rock backdrop all lighted up ... gorgeous! My new favorite ride!

On the giant Mickey ferris wheel. What you may not see behind my smile is the awful queasiness I was experiencing from being in a rocking car ... whoa nelly, having kids has changed my ability to handle stuff like that! I couldn't get off the ride soon enough!

Zachy on Daddy's shoulders. The World of Color show was beautiful (think Disney version of the fountain show at the Bellagio in Vegas).

Cole and Eliot with Goofy. This one's for their Grandpa Dickinson, who loves Goofy!

Z sportin' his 3D shades before the new Toy Story ride in California Adventure.

Each of the boys got to pick a special toy. Eliot chose a Star Wars set (go figure ...) and Z chose a baby Goofy ... he was just a little happy about his new snuggle friend!

Last day. Poor Z had been the entire night before with a stomach bug. He slept through most of the last day, but did so great, especially on the flight home. Poor sweet buddy.

You'd almost never know he was sick with how happy he was on Small World. His favorites were Nemo and Small World.

Can you spot Grant (with Eliot beside him)? Eliot loved Thunder Mountain!! (Guess it's not one of the "scary" ones.)

Right before we left, I happened to hear a lady talking about how they had just seen Jessie and Woody, so I found out where they were, and Eliot got to see some of his favorite characters. So fun!

This was one of the most magical experiences we've ever had with our boys. It was well worth cashing in our AMEX points (from all those big purchases for the house and hospital bills ... see, everything has a silver lining!). Such wonderful memories! I think we planted the Disney bug in Eliot because he talks all the time about our next trip.

The Progression of Spaghetti ...

The taste.

The dump.

The devour.

The bowl cleaning.

The aftermath.

The satisfaction.

Compare with my bro's first go.

{Mantras}

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.

-- Aristotle

What would you attempt to do if you knew you would not fail?

-- Robert H. Schuller

Real life isn't always going to be perfect or go our way, but the recurring acknowledgement of what is working in our lives can help us not only to survive but surmount our difficulties.

-- Sarah Ban Breathnach

One of the most important gifts we can give our children is the simple knowledge and security that their parents love each other.

-- Merrill C. Oaks

Though no one can go back in time and make a new beginning, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.

-- Carl Bard

That which we persist in doing becomes easier, not that the task itself has become easier, but that our ability to perform it has improved.

--Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happiness does not depend on what happens outside of you but on what happens inside of you; it is measured by the spirit with which you meet the problems of life.

-- Harold B. Lee

Of this you may be certain: The Lord especially loves righteous women -- women who are not only faithful but filled with faith, women who are optimistic and cheerful because they know who they are and where they are going, women who are striving to live and serve as women of God.

-- M. Russell Ballard

You are doing God's work. You are doing it wonderfully well. He is blessing you, and He will bless you, even -- no, especially -- when your days and nights may be most challenging. Like the woman who anonymously, meekly, perhaps even with hesitation and some embarrassment, fought her way through the crowd just to touch the hem of the Master's garment, so Christ will say to the women who worry and wonder and weep over their responsibility as mothers, "Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole." And it will make your children whole as well.

-- Jeffrey R. Holland

The ordinary acts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest.

-- Thomas Moore

There are seasons in life. Don't ever let anyone deny you the blessings and joy of one season because they believe you should be in -- or stay in -- another season.

--Jane Clayson Johnson

We can do no great things, only small things with great love.

--Mother Teresa

A mother relating to her child in the private intimacy of her home, with no audience but unseen angels, is the predominant influence for all that is good and decent in the world.

-- George D. Durrant

Faith in God means faith in His timing.

-- Neal A. Maxwell

We know about our Savior, but it is often in our adversities that we truly find Him and know Him and love Him. ... Some of our heaviest burdens, disappointments, and heartaches can in time be replaced with "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding" (Philippians 4:7) while we "wait upon the Lord" (Isaiah 40:31).

-- Ardeth G. Kapp

I have come to realize that not every unhappy experience in life need remain unhappy, but is, in all likelihood, the training ground for a better and happier day.

-- D. Arthur Haycock ("Papa")

If our lives and our faith are centered on Jesus Christ and his restored gospel, nothing can ever go permanently wrong. On the other hand, if our lives are not centered on the Savior and his teachings, no other success can ever be permanently right.

-- Howard W. Hunter

The doctrine of the Atonement is a doctrine of healing. The Savior heals us from the effects of sin, when we repent. He heals our weaknesses and mistakes. He heals broken promises, broken lives, broken hearts. When we demonstrate the faith to seek after Him, and try our best to follow Him, He will heal us.

-- Sheri Dew

Healing takes courage, and we all have courage, even if we have to dig a little to find it.
-- Tori Amos

I love being a mother. Aside from the love I have for my husband, I love mothering more than anything else in the world. ... I treasure every moment. ... Being an always present, always loving mother is the most demanding, fatiguing, and draining obligation that was ever placed upon my shoulders. Mothering, I believe, requires engaging every muscle, every nerve, every fiber of our being, and through it all we pray.
--Patricia T. Holland

The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity.
-- Margaret D. Nadauld

I have wept in the night
For the shortness of sight
That to somebody's need made me blind;But I never have yet
Felt a tinge of regret
For being a little too kind.
-- Author Unknown

It is a good and safe rule to sojourn in every place as if you meant to spend your life there, never omitting an opportunity of doing a kindness or speaking a true word or making a friend.
-- Author Unknown

The biggest mistake I made [as a parent] is the one that most of us make. . . . I did not live in the moment enough. . . . I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less.
--Anna Quindlen

When God makes a promise,
It remains forever true,
For everything God promises
He unalterably will do.
When you’re disillusioned
And every hope is blighted
Recall the promises of God
And your faith will be relighted.
-- Helen Steiner Rice

Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.
-- John Lennon

It isn’t as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don’t worry. I say that to myself every morning.
It will all work out. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. He will not forsake us. If we will put our trust in Him, if we will pray to Him, if we will live worthy of His blessings, He will hear our prayers.
-- Gordon B. Hinckley

Life is fuller and richer and better for those who are not afraid to make a new beginning.
-- James E. Faust

The evidence of God's presence far outweighs the proof of His absence.
--Author unknown

Once there has been illumination, beware the temptation to retreat from a good thing. If it was right when you prayed about it and trusted it and lived for it, it is right now. Don’t give up when the pressure mounts. Certainly don’t give in to that being who is bent on the destruction of your happiness. Face your doubts. Master your fears. 'Cast not away therefore your confidence.' Stay the course and see the beauty of life unfold for you.
-- Jeffrey R. Holland

Jesus is my friend. None other has given me so much. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. He gave His life for me. I hope that I am deemed worthy of being a friend to Him.

He is my exemplar. His way of life, His absolutely selfless conduct, His outreach to those in need, His final sacrifice all stand as an example to me. I cannot measure up entirely, but I can try.
-- Gordon B. Hinckley

The Lord’s love is often delivered through others as they respond to the promptings of the Spirit. Are we hearing and following those promptings? I fear sometimes we see the Lord’s love only in the big events of our lives; we must also see His love in the smallest of things. Don’t underestimate your ability to share His love through a simple, genuine gesture.
-- Bonnie D. Parkin

I'm Currently Reading ...

My Simple Joys

Hugging Grant and having him rest his chin on my head
Eliot's slobbery kisses (which he now gives me voluntarily, and which he gives to the picture of Jesus on one of his books -- melts my heart!)
The smell of newborn babies
Sitting at the kitchen counter at my parents' house and talking with my mom
The McEuen girls' "sister hug"
Playing "Steal the Bacon" with my nieces and nephews
The smell of the pine trees in Flagstaff, Arizona, and hearing them sway and creak in the wind
How good it feels to stretch after a solid run
Remembering Grandpa's laugh
Climbing into a bed with fresh, clean sheets
The smell of home-baked bread
Watching "It's a Wonderful Life" at Christmas time with Grant
Eating a just-out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookie
Taking Eliot to get his picture taken
Wave running and barbecues at my in-laws' during the summer
The look on Grant's face at Disneyland
Listening to Don Williams while floating down Lake Powell on the houseboat . . . miss those days!
Buying Christmas presents for Eliot
The sound of laughing with my mom and sisters
Any homemade dinner by my mom -- even if I use the exact same recipe, it never tastes as good as Mom's
Decorating for Christmas while listening to Christmas music
My mother-in-law's pie crust (and the pie that goes in it, obviously!)
Watching Eliot sleep
A freshly cleaned bathroom
Sunlight trickling through Oregon pine trees (it doesn't happen too often, but when it does, it's beautiful!)
My nephew Nate's power hugs
Seeing Eliot with his Nanny and Ampy and Grandma and Grandpa
Grant's huge, contagious smile
Fresh-squeezed orange juice and/or Hna. Dupont's fresh-squeezed guava juice
Getting a hand-written card or letter in the mail, especially from my mom (who has the most perfect handwriting I've ever seen!)
The smell of rain (and I'm in the perfect place for that, now aren't I?!)
Hearing Eliot laugh
The memory of holding Eliot for the first time -- one of the sweetest and most sacred moments of my life

Why This Blog

The title and concept of this blog came from an idea that grew and then seemed to gel when I found the quote from President Gordon B. Hinckley's book, "Standing for Something." Since a blog is a way of representing through words and visuals who someone is, and thereby what they stand for, I thought I'd let this blog be about what "M" stands for (Monica, Mom, Marriage, McEuen, Mormon, and many, many other things).

For so long I've hesitated to get this blog going, wondering if the whole premise was too "preachy" and wondering if that might turn people off. It was at the passing of President Gordon B. Hinckley, the prophet of the church I belong to (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) when I realized how much more I truly DO want to stand for something, just as he always did. I want to be associated with and stand for good things -- marriage, motherhood, family, love, honesty, creativity, joy, etc. -- and I'd love it all the more if I could stand for those things in the way that President Hinckley did: without apology, but humbly, sincerely, and always with a gentle sense of humor. So in honor of his life and in an effort to follow along that same path of goodness, here I go, attempting to stand for something in whatever small ways I can.

{m stands for}

Ten

Disneyland + Little Boys = Magic

The Progression of Spaghetti ...

{monica}

{mine}

{married}

{mother}

{mceuen}

{member}

{missionary}

{Mantras}

I'm Currently Reading ...

Monica's bookshelf: currently-reading

My To-Read List

Monica's bookshelf: to-read

Just Finished ...

Monica's books

My Simple Joys

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