Kinda Cute

Every once in a while, I DO actually make time for my creative outlets. My most recent "burst" of creativity was brought on by the desire to get the ladies I visit teach a "treat" for Halloween, but since two of the three are on restricted diets, I had to think outside of the box. And voila -- these cute little pumpkin planters with pansies inside. I got the idea from a magazine, which featured pumpkins with beautiful fall mums inside, but that was a little spendy for our law student budget. I was pretty darn proud of how cute and simple these turned out, though!

P.P.S.

A Hersheys tombstone is just a little Hersheys chocolate bar with a tombstone design printed on it. Grant and I were very excited about that one because his family has a favorite Halloween treat -- graveyard brownies, where you make frosted brownies and decorate with chocolate bar "tombstones" (I used to always use backwards kit kats and try to frost RIP on them, which was always an ordeal) and little bits of "dirt" (crumbled Oreos) and "grass" (coconut dyed with green food coloring) in front of the tombstones. They're a very cute halloween treat, and now with the Hersheys tombstones they'll be even easier to make and lots cuter!

FYI

I've had a lot of requests as to where I found the York "batty"/Reeses pumpkins/Hersheys tombstones Halloween mix, so here's the source of my stash -- Wal-Mart. Yep, just Wal-Mart. It was kind of on a bottom shelf, so look closely. Just don't take 'em all, you other Salem shoppers! We've been eating too many of them and I need another bag so I actually have something to give the trick or treaters!

New-found favorite!

I gave in and bought some Halloween candy this weekend, even though I know full well that much of it will not last until Halloween as planned. I found the greatest new little mixed bag of candy -- it's a Reeses assortment bag with Hersheys Tombstones, Reeses peanut butter pumpkins, and . . . York peppermint "batties"!! I am a sucker for York anything (and dearly miss the York bites, which I consumed entirely too much of on my mission), and these are adorable and fun. They're the scrumptious York peppermint patties, but cut into bat shapes. How cute (and tasty) is that?!

Happy Birthday, Sweet Sis

Sherri and me last December with our "twin" sons, Michael and Eliot (born within an hour of each other last June). We need a more recent picture together!

Today is the birthday of my oldest sister, Sherri. I wish there were words to adequately describe Sherri and the incredible person that she is. She is one of the purest, most noble examples of womanhood and motherhood in my life. She is one of my closest friends. Sherri understands my heart. Sherri is generous, kind, patient, quietly righteous. She is steadfast, courageous, happy, understanding. She is beyond intelligent and uses her gifts to bless first and foremost in her home but also with all of her heart, might, mind and strength in her church service. She loves the Lord with her whole heart and has always, always puts Him first. My memories of Sherri are of her praying, of her serving, of her loving to be home, of her setting and accomplishing goals. She has always loved and been a friend to Grant, even since our immature high school days. Her example of how welcoming she has been of each new member of our family is one that I seek to emulate. She is able to reach out to people and help them feel comfortable in a way that many people are not able to do. I could go on and on about Sherri. Her goodness is endless. Our memories together are cherished. From high heels punched through bedroom doors to bribing with ribbon candy, from Lake Powell beaver and "Sanda Monica" adventures to hunting down Strawberry Shortcake videos for a trip down memory lane the night before I left for my mission, from sharing pumpkin cheesecake at the Olive Garden to sharing a sweet pregnancy and birth of our sons together, our life has been full of rich, loving, sweet and happy memories.
Happy Birthday, Sherri. Love you, Sis.

Sunshine in My Soul

I have been in need of sunshine.

Not just physical sunshine, though the rain has officially begun in Oregon, but spiritual sunshine, mental sunshine, emotional sunshine. I have been bogged down for too long with some inner struggles that have been clouding my soul. Though I've wanted and fought for that light back in my life over the past year, and I've no doubt had my share of sunny days interspersed with the clouds, this past weekend brought a needed, sustained break in those clouds.

Part of that sunshine came through a day off with my little family. Grant had a couple days off this weekend from school, and was good enough to devote an entire one of them to just us. So as a little family, we ventured up to Portland and had a sweet and memorable family day. Thanks to a dear friend's generous offer to watch Eliot for us in the morning, Grant and I were able to attend a temple session at the Portland Temple, the first time we've been back to that particular temple since I was expecting Eliot. What a peaceful, calm experience. An even greater blessing was to find out that Eliot napped the entire time we were at the temple, which, as any young mom knows, is a great blessing in and of itself. In the afternoon, we went and explored Portland, which we haven't done yet since we've been in Oregon. We browsed the famous Powell's bookstore, which takes up an entire city block in downtown Portland, and got even more excited about a "Container Store" look-alike, Storables, which had some amazing organization ideas (I know, simple pleasures!). We then managed to get ourselves lost, which is inevitable in Portland, but took advantage of the detour and picked up one of our family favorites, some DQ blizzards, and then ended up at the Portland Children's Museum (look for pictures on Eliot's blog, coming soon . . . which may sound like an empty promise coming from the mommy who has yet to post her almost 16-month-old's first birthday pictures). The Children's Museum was incredible, but a bit overwhelming that particular evening since it happened to be free admission night. We got enough of a taste to whet our pallets and tempt us to go back. It was a full, but wonderful day. I learned the important lesson that families need those "time outs" every so often to just be together, enjoy one another's company, try something new. Despite the day being rainy, rainy, rainy, it brought sunshine to my soul to have that family time.

More sunshine came to me this weekend as I was able to listen to the prophet and leaders of our church in the general conference that was held and broadcast on Saturday and Sunday. Talk after talk seemed "just for me" and spoke peace and comfort to my heart and to the world, for that matter, at a time of great unrest and uncertainty. I gobbled up that spiritual feast and couldn't seem to take notes fast enough. Powerful, inspired, uplifting messages, combined with a rainy, cozy weekend inside with my boys made for the restful weekend that our little family and my soul have desperately needed. Sunday was the best of all -- I got up early and made homemade cinnamon rolls, Grant kept himself occupied putting together a puzzle, and Eliot was surprisingly content to play with his toys and do laps around the kitchen and family room. A little piece of heaven in our home. No wonder Monday morning Grant and I woke up feeling the most rested we have in a long time.

There is sunshine in my soul today . . .
And hope and praise and love
For blessings which He gives me now
For joys laid up above.
Oh, there's sunshine, blessed sunshine,
When the peaceful happy moments roll,
When Jesus shows His smiling face,
There is sunshine in the soul.

Pinch Me, Please

Here are some shots of some of the beautiful views we get to enjoy from the place we're staying. Could it be any more beautiful? Grant took these pictures -- turned out nice, huh?

The view out the family room/kitchen windows. Probably the number one thing I'm going to miss when we leave. I love sitting next to the huge windows in the morning and reading my scriptures as the sun is coming up over these beautiful trees.

Absolutely love the hydrangeas.

I wish I could say we're the ones responsible for keeping the yard so nice. There's actually a wonderful man, Milo, who keeps the yard in gorgeous shape. I should be watching and taking notes, since I'm clueless when it comes to yard work/gardening.

This time in blue. These are probably my favorites.

Just a hint of color. The chill is in the air now and autumn's on its way in. Can't wait to see the beautiful Oregon evergreens against the fall colors.

And yes, we're still trying to bribe people through pictures to come see us! We promise you can't beat the view!

Armies of Helaman

On Sunday afternoon, I experienced a sweet moment with Eliot. Grant had left for a church assignment, so it was just me and Eliot, getting dinner together and enjoying a peaceful afternoon. I had some music playing in the background, and as I scooped Eliot up to get him a snack, I realized the song that was playing was a piano solo version of "The Armies of Helaman." In that moment I felt the great strength of my little son and the missionary we hope he will someday be. And I felt the strength of all of the other little "warriors" in my life that make up a part of the modern-day Armies of Helaman.

As many of you know, Eliot has a little "twin" cousin, Michael, who was born within the hour that Eliot was born. The experience of expecting our little boys together was quite spiritually significant for me and my oldest sister, Sherri. But to have them literally come to us from heaven, practically hand in hand, has led us to believe that there is a special connection between those two little boys. I can't wait for the day when we can dress them up in oversized suit jackets and put their daddies' name tags on them and take pictures of them as our future little missionaries. And I await with even greater anticipation the day when Elder Dickinson and Elder Wiltbank will serve missions, simultaneously we hope, just as they entered their mission into mortality together. And they, along with all the other swarm of baby boys that seem to have come into the world within the last little while -- Jackson, Bryce, Benson, Charlie, Jack, Trevor, Cole, Lach, Crew, Morgen, Zayne, Everett -- and those are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head -- that will go out someday as a powerful force for good in a world that desperately needs them. They WILL bring the world our Savior's truth.

When I was pregnant, I expressed somewhat bashfully to an aunt that I was a little disappointed that my first wasn't the sweet little girl I'd always dreamed of. My aunt wisely assured me that my heart would change forever once I held that little future missionary in my arms for the first time. And my heart did and has changed forever. I am so proud to have that little future missionary in my life. I feel the strength of his spirit. I now watch and reverence with greater appreciation the deacons and priests as they attend to their sacrament duties each week in church. As I am blessed by the priesthood power that Grant holds and uses righteously in our home, I am in awe that my son will possess and bless with that same power someday. As will all of those other sweet little members of the Armies of Helaman.

Thank heaven for little boys.

Seriously So Creative

We had the funnest, most creative Enrichment last night, and I thought I'd share the pictures that we all received this morning from our R.S. Secretary, most of all for any of you who need or will need in the future a really creative idea for Enrichment. We had a "Back to School" night, and got to relive our past by having a cafeteria-style meal of Sloppy Joes, carrot and celery sticks, applesauce, cookies in individual paper sleeves, and even a carton of milk! The rest of the evening included a spelling bee, oral reports from various "students," in which sisters shared memories of a favorite teacher, what school was like in a different country where they grew up, etc. We even played "Heads Up Seven Up" and had a pop quiz from our "student teacher." It was too cute, but the pictures really show off all the hard work and creativity that went into it. A great and fun reminder of President Hinckley's challenge to "Be Smart" and to keep learning throughout your life! Way to go, ladies! You are seriously so creative!

Our Salem "5th Grade/5th Ward" class picture! I'm not in it (sad!) 'cause I had to leave early. I have to give credit to the evening's photographer/our R.S. Secretary, Laura, for these pictures and collages! Wish I were this good at photography!

Some samples of our yummy school lunch and Deb, our Enrichment Counselor/P.E. teacher. Too cute!

Here's Martha (our bishop's wife and another of the counselors in the R.S. Presidency that I serve with), our trouble-maker in the corner with her dunce cap and all, as well as the cafeteria line and Pippa (and baby) getting her tardy slip from the student teacher for coming in late! Over the course of the evening, Martha almost got sent to the principal's office (aka the bishop's/her husband's office!), I got in trouble for passing notes, and our R.S. President almost started up a food fight. Way too funny!

More of the creative touches that made the night so fun. Don't you LOVE the lunch ladies, especially their hair nets?! In the middle is Ruth, our R.S. President.

Round 2, Take 3

Here we are again! Grant's no longer a lowly "1L" and has moved up to the impressive ranks of a "2L" or second-year law school student. So, in our tradition, we took our picture at the beginning of the year, and will take another next April when he finishes his second year. Only 3 more of these photos to go . . . practically half-way there! Right?!

A Day at the Beach

I'm a beach girl at heart. Don't get me wrong, I'm obsessed with my Utah mountains, but I also love the ocean. One of my favorite times of life was when I was in college and had a few roommates from southern California, one of whom was generous enough to invite me down to visit every summer, where we would usually stay in her aunt's beach house. It was heaven. So now I've got the perfect setup living in Oregon, where I've got mountains AND the beach! Though the water is almost never warm enough to do more than dip your feet in (and even that is FREEZING!), I still welcome any chance to go soak in some sunshine, hear the lull of the ocean waves, and just enjoy the view of crashing waves against a beautiful blue horizon. Our ward had a beach activity over Labor Day weekend, and here are some of our favorite pictures:





Me and Eliot playing in the surf. Until it got too cold, Eliot thought this was the best! He would giggle and squeal when the tide rushed out from under him. So much fun to share those big "firsts" with my little boy! And what a lucky kid to get to live in such a beautiful place for the first few years of his life!

A view of Neskowin Beach, just north of Lincoln City.

"Proposal Rock." Apparently lots of couples hike to the top and get engaged here. Grant told me that one of the other men in the ward weirded him out by inviting him to climb it with him . . . fortunately, he was joking (I'm so gullible).

My little beach bum buddy. Once he got used to it, he thought the sand was great ('til it got in his eyes, but even then, he couldn't seem to get enough!).

Our First House Guest!

My sister Mary was the first person to come visit us in Oregon now that we actually have room for visitors! She came for several days in mid August, and we had such a great time. We ran all over the place and had picnic lunches at the park, shopped the outlets and finally found berries at the farmers' market after a long, somewhat disappointing quest, went out to the coast, drove through Portland and went hiking in The Gorge -- it was a whirlwind, blast of a few days!

The best part of Mary's visit was the news she gave me right after I picked her up from the airport . . . she and her hubbie Scott ("Louie") are expecting their first baby in March! I was the first of all my sisters to find out about Baby "Raffi," which is what they're calling him/her for now because of all of the baby giraffe decor and clothes they've fallen in love with. He/she could not be a more fortunate baby -- he/she (which we won't know 'til Baby Raffi's born . . . it's killing me!) will have the best parents ever! Mary is truly remarkable with children, and Eliot had an absolute ball with his Aunt Mar Mar, who's much more of a natural when it comes to interacting with little ones!

We are so grateful you came to see us, Mar! And hopefully these highlights will tempt more of you to come visit us!

Eliot with his buddy Aunt Mary. Eliot could not get enough of his Aunt Mar Mar. He especially loved playing with her in "his corner" at the house every morning after breakfast. We sure missed her the morning after she left!

"Hands in the air for Aunt Mar Mar!" Eliot practicing the trick his Uncle Louie (Mary's husband) taught him back in Utah. Unfortunately, Louie couldn't make this trip because of work, but we're so grateful he was willing to share Mary (and Baby Raffi!) with us for several days. We had a great time!

A sweet moment before the trauma. On Mary's first afternoon here, we went down to the Riverfront Park and had a picnic, played on the playground and then took Eliot for a ride on the carousel. I figured he likes the bouncy horse at his grandma and grandpa's house, so he might really like the carousel. Well, he did . . . until it started! The lights, music, and up-and-down was a little too much for him, and he started bawling! Poor Mary had to try to calm him down until it stopped. Good idea . . . sad ending!

One of the lighthouses in Newport. We stopped here and had a picnic lunch before heading off to the aquarium.

"Swimmin' with the fishies." We took a trip to Newport, where they have a nice marine life aquarium. Here, Eliot and Grant are inside a display where you can put your heads into a glass inset of one of the huge fish tanks so it looks like you're in with the fish! Eliot thought it was pretty cool, but I think Grant had the best time of all of us!

Grant touching a Manta Ray (kind of like a sting ray, which we also touched) at the aquarium.

A shot of one of the super-cool jellyfish exhibits (yes, they're real!).

Beautiful Multnomah Falls, just outside of Portland, on your way into the Columbia River Gorge. We had driven by the falls lots of times before this trip with Mary, but never got out to hike! It was so gorgeous!

Grant and Eliot at Multnomah Falls.

Mary and Me at the falls. Mar, you were one serious trooper letting us haul you all over Oregon!

Mary and me at the outlets in Woodburn. The flowers were amazing!!