So, I have been a bit chastised in my daily checking post. I do admit that I haven't been totally great in my postings either - I have had my bad moments. Mostly I was just commenting on how much I wish all of my blogging buddies would post often so that I could keep up with their lives. Maybe I just need to limit my checking to every third day or something. Does the fact that I check every day (sometimes twice) provide a commentary on my life somehow?
Some of the blogs I daily check only have a new post once a month or so. I'm just desparate for news!!! As I have mentioned before (and I know I don't follow this advice myself) I was told when I started the blog that it was quite acceptable to write only once a week. That's my goal I suppose. And I will try to remember that once a month is still better than them having no blog at all and then not getting news any more frequent that a Christmas card!
I do totally have to check out this blog post feed thing . . . of course, then I don't have the joy of going to a site that has had the same post up for awhile and feeling the great joy and excitement of a new post when I didn't expect one. That's kind of fun!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Daily Checking
I've got to stop checking blogs every day because I get so disappointed when I see the same post on my friends' sites as I did the day before. I have to give props to Sharon who is by far the best at being up to date and then my sisters and Linda all come in next. April - you get a pass because you are raising newborn twins - though I sure do love new posts from you. And the rest of you (you know who you are), when I can recite the name of your last blog post from memory because I've seen it so many times it's been too long. . . give me an update would you?!?
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Sgt. Stevens
Two Sundays ago we had Sgt. Jill Stevens come speak at our stake youth Standards Night. She was wonderful. She was funny and spiritual and tough and it really was great. She brought a slide show with pictures from her tour in Afghanistan and had humorous stories about how she managed to cope while there and still make a difference by keeping her standards.
One of my favorite parts was that she set as a goal before she went to bring Joy while she was there. She set about baking cakes and cookies for all her troopmates, she organized races, parties, and painted rocks like jack-o-lanterns. She told of how her family has a Thanksgiving tradition of posting up a large tree trunk and then throughout the month, they write things they are thankful for on leaves. She would carry blank leaves in her pockets when she'd go on missions and give them to the other soldiers so they could write things they were thankful for and then she'd go back and put them on the tree. It was such a neat thing for all the soldiers that they left it up for months after November was over. She said that early in her tour she was feeling a little depressed and unhappy and she was looking at her dog tags just wasting time. She noticed her name "Jill Stevens" and her rank "Sergeant", her religion "LDS" and then she saw that her tags said "be positive!" Well, they really said blood type "B+" but she took this to be a sign that this was in her blood!
One of the other great things she mentioned was the development of the NFS rating system. She said that she kept to her standards when it came to movies and language but never tried to push them on the others. Eventually they started referring to certain conversations as "Not For Stevens - NFS" and when she was around they'd stop people who were going to bring an NFS moment. She didn't try to force her beliefs on them but the respected her for her example and were more careful.
It was a really great talk for the youth and for us leaders. I left wanting to be happier and better! What a cool girl!!
Friday, August 22, 2008
Melissa of Ages Past
I love it and I'm frightened all at the same time! Sharon put this link on her blog and I thought it was so funny. You upload a photo of yourself and it shows you yearbook photos of yourself through the years. Like she did, I added my favorites. I have to say, maybe it's the picture I uploaded or perhaps the picture they were trying to fit my face into - but some made my face look really, really fat! I didn't include those here.
1968
And 1990 - nice huh?
And then, I couldn't not do Scott too . . . (he'd kill me - except that he never looks at this blog so he'll never know)
1952
1968
And 1990 - nice huh?
1964
1982
funny thing about this next one is that it looks extremely close to one of his actual high school yearbook photos.
1996
Anniversaries
Today is our 6th Anniversary! Can you believe it? I can't. The year's have gone by so quickly and though part of me feels like I have known Scott forever, the other part feels like it hasn't been 9 years since we met! Time sure flys when you are an adult. As a kid I remember it going much slower. It seemed like the summers lasted forever and the days were even longer!
.
So, today we will celebrate by going out to Scott's favorite restaurant, Franck's. It's a French restaurant near the Cottonwood area in the parking lot of the Tuscany restaurant. He loves the chef and the way that he mixes unexpected flavors together to make amazing dishes. It should be wonderful and expensive!
.
Can I just take a moment and tell you how much I love my husband? He is so considerate of my feelings and is never forceful or manipulative and he so much wants me to be happy. I am grateful to be his wife! Sniff, sniff, enough of the sentiment. On to other discussion.
.
Since we are now one year beyond our 5th anniversary I feel it necessary to comment on the family situation. As most everyone knows, Scott has fiercely and openly clung to the "verbal agreement" we apparently made back when we were engaged whereby I "agreed" to not have children for 5 years. I recall this conversation and in my memory, the conversation was about how I didn't think it would be the worst thing in the world to not have kids for a few years so that we could get to know each other. In no way do I remember this becoming a binding contract - but whatever. So, last year on our anniversary the questions started. "You've had 5 years now, are you going to start a family?" to which Scott would comment, "I'm looking to add an addendum to the contract adding on several years . . ."
.
Well, looks like Scott got one more year but not several. I am expecting and I am thrilled! The due date is March 23rd and I am not far enough along to know anything other than that I certainly feel pregnant. I'm nauseous but I don't throw up too much (thankfully) and I have learned that my uterus is pushing against my spinal cord which gives me pretty constant lower back and leg pains. Lovely. I've started the rubber band trick with my pants to expand them just that extra inch that is needed for comfort.
.
So there you have it! Finally some news from the Bishop's that is Christmas card worthy. Oh, yes, I suppose I should tell you Scott's reaction since that is always the first thing everyone asks. I took the test in the morning and
then went to work with my little secret. The test looked positive to me but the line was faint. I didn't want to tell him over the phone or though email so I just thought about it during the day myself. I got home before he did and was laying on the bed when he came into the bedroom.
"Go look on the bathroom counter" I told him
"Um, I think I know what you are getting at - I'm not going to" was his general response.
.
I had been complaining the past few days because I was so tired and not sleeping well and not feeling well so I kept warning him "I could be pregnant" so he had some idea it was coming. He has not been outwardly joyous about the news - and I wouldn't have expected him too be - but he has been very supportive and has allowed me to talk openly about things that are going on and about my doctor visit and he has never once made me feel like I had to keep it all to myself because he just "didn't want to hear it". He is resigned but not in a terribly negative way.
.
I think the negative thing he is feeling right now relates to meals. I have to eat every two hours (at least) to keep from being physically sick which means that I tend to scavenge for food and he usually has to fend for himself. We have been eating a lot of dinners consisting of waffles and cereal and going out to eat has dropped dramatically because I can't decide what I want to eat and he's to nice to force me to go anywhere he thinks I might not like. So, this is the biggest reason why a trip to Franck's tonight is my anniversary gift to him. I think I'll have a salad!
.
So, today we will celebrate by going out to Scott's favorite restaurant, Franck's. It's a French restaurant near the Cottonwood area in the parking lot of the Tuscany restaurant. He loves the chef and the way that he mixes unexpected flavors together to make amazing dishes. It should be wonderful and expensive!
.
Can I just take a moment and tell you how much I love my husband? He is so considerate of my feelings and is never forceful or manipulative and he so much wants me to be happy. I am grateful to be his wife! Sniff, sniff, enough of the sentiment. On to other discussion.
.
Since we are now one year beyond our 5th anniversary I feel it necessary to comment on the family situation. As most everyone knows, Scott has fiercely and openly clung to the "verbal agreement" we apparently made back when we were engaged whereby I "agreed" to not have children for 5 years. I recall this conversation and in my memory, the conversation was about how I didn't think it would be the worst thing in the world to not have kids for a few years so that we could get to know each other. In no way do I remember this becoming a binding contract - but whatever. So, last year on our anniversary the questions started. "You've had 5 years now, are you going to start a family?" to which Scott would comment, "I'm looking to add an addendum to the contract adding on several years . . ."
.
Well, looks like Scott got one more year but not several. I am expecting and I am thrilled! The due date is March 23rd and I am not far enough along to know anything other than that I certainly feel pregnant. I'm nauseous but I don't throw up too much (thankfully) and I have learned that my uterus is pushing against my spinal cord which gives me pretty constant lower back and leg pains. Lovely. I've started the rubber band trick with my pants to expand them just that extra inch that is needed for comfort.
.
So there you have it! Finally some news from the Bishop's that is Christmas card worthy. Oh, yes, I suppose I should tell you Scott's reaction since that is always the first thing everyone asks. I took the test in the morning and
then went to work with my little secret. The test looked positive to me but the line was faint. I didn't want to tell him over the phone or though email so I just thought about it during the day myself. I got home before he did and was laying on the bed when he came into the bedroom."Go look on the bathroom counter" I told him
"Um, I think I know what you are getting at - I'm not going to" was his general response.
.
I had been complaining the past few days because I was so tired and not sleeping well and not feeling well so I kept warning him "I could be pregnant" so he had some idea it was coming. He has not been outwardly joyous about the news - and I wouldn't have expected him too be - but he has been very supportive and has allowed me to talk openly about things that are going on and about my doctor visit and he has never once made me feel like I had to keep it all to myself because he just "didn't want to hear it". He is resigned but not in a terribly negative way.
.
I think the negative thing he is feeling right now relates to meals. I have to eat every two hours (at least) to keep from being physically sick which means that I tend to scavenge for food and he usually has to fend for himself. We have been eating a lot of dinners consisting of waffles and cereal and going out to eat has dropped dramatically because I can't decide what I want to eat and he's to nice to force me to go anywhere he thinks I might not like. So, this is the biggest reason why a trip to Franck's tonight is my anniversary gift to him. I think I'll have a salad!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
solutions
Well, I thought I'd post an update. Thank you all for your comments on my choir/young women dilemma! We have worked it out so that I can continue with choir at least for the Christmas season and then we'll see how it goes. I am so, so happy. As I tried to make the decision of whether to quit I kept crying! I think the Lord wants me to be happy but I didn't want to be counseling the Lord rather than letting him tell me what he wanted me to do. So anyway, thank you all for your thoughtful comments and I appreciate your concern for me! I have the best friends and family!!!
Friday, August 8, 2008
sicky
I just got back from a work retreat in Park City. I have been looking forward to this because it was a sanctioned three days off of work - oh, and there was horseback riding scheduled!
Tuesday in the afternoon I started to feel really congested. Then that night, I had to breath through my mouth all night (I really hate that) and I woke up with a pretty yucky sore throat. On my way up the canyon, I had to pull over and throw-up. So why did I go anyway you may ask? I had a presentation to give at the retreat that we had been preparing for 4 months! This particular group presents twice a year and I didn't feel like I could miss it. So, I took some medicine for the headache, ate a plain bagel to calm my stomach and continued up the canyon.
I was feeling fairly ok with the exception of the congestion still and the persistent sore throat. I was not about to miss the horseback riding though so I plugged along with the group. My horse's name is Wilbur. I got up on him and for a few minutes had to fight him because he wanted to buck me off. I was confident however, and was not unseated! Once the group got going Wilbur was extremely well behaved. I was pleased to let him stop and nibble on grass here and there because then he would break into a trot to catch up and that was much more entertaining than just walking along.
After the riding, my headache had returned and my nose was stuffy and my chest hurt and my back ached - all in time for the 3 hour presentation/discussion that the retreat was built around. Again, I was told that I could go to my room and sleep but I just didn't feel good about leaving in the middle so I stuck it out. However, as soon as that meeting was over I ran to my room to take some Tylenol, a bath, and a quick nap.
Well, Scott joined me last night. I felt bad that we couldn't do more in Park City today. I have tickets to the Alpine Slide and the Coaster but I just didn't feel up to it. Luckily, they are good through October so we'll have to go up on some Saturday to come. Instead, we stopped at the outlet mall where I decided I felt to cruddy to try on anything, and then headed for home. Scott keeps sticking his head in and reminding me that I should go and take a nap so I can feel better but I wanted to catch up on my blog reading first. So now that I am all caught up to date on my friends lives, I am going to take my stuffy nose and achy body and lay down for a bit - if I can stop checking work emails on my Blackberry!
Tuesday in the afternoon I started to feel really congested. Then that night, I had to breath through my mouth all night (I really hate that) and I woke up with a pretty yucky sore throat. On my way up the canyon, I had to pull over and throw-up. So why did I go anyway you may ask? I had a presentation to give at the retreat that we had been preparing for 4 months! This particular group presents twice a year and I didn't feel like I could miss it. So, I took some medicine for the headache, ate a plain bagel to calm my stomach and continued up the canyon.
I was feeling fairly ok with the exception of the congestion still and the persistent sore throat. I was not about to miss the horseback riding though so I plugged along with the group. My horse's name is Wilbur. I got up on him and for a few minutes had to fight him because he wanted to buck me off. I was confident however, and was not unseated! Once the group got going Wilbur was extremely well behaved. I was pleased to let him stop and nibble on grass here and there because then he would break into a trot to catch up and that was much more entertaining than just walking along.
After the riding, my headache had returned and my nose was stuffy and my chest hurt and my back ached - all in time for the 3 hour presentation/discussion that the retreat was built around. Again, I was told that I could go to my room and sleep but I just didn't feel good about leaving in the middle so I stuck it out. However, as soon as that meeting was over I ran to my room to take some Tylenol, a bath, and a quick nap.
Well, Scott joined me last night. I felt bad that we couldn't do more in Park City today. I have tickets to the Alpine Slide and the Coaster but I just didn't feel up to it. Luckily, they are good through October so we'll have to go up on some Saturday to come. Instead, we stopped at the outlet mall where I decided I felt to cruddy to try on anything, and then headed for home. Scott keeps sticking his head in and reminding me that I should go and take a nap so I can feel better but I wanted to catch up on my blog reading first. So now that I am all caught up to date on my friends lives, I am going to take my stuffy nose and achy body and lay down for a bit - if I can stop checking work emails on my Blackberry!
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