Prayer

I read this quote today and it spoke to me:

"Prayer is your personal key to heaven.
The lock is on your side of the veil."

-Boyd K. Packer

A-Okay

Last night my mom called my cell.

I was in the middle of Chorale rehearsal and we're not supposed to have our ringers on, but that night I didn't bother with it. I always forget to turn it back on and I miss about a dozen calls before I remember.

So...

The phone sang out loudly. Then once again when she left a message. I faked innocence and hoped everyone would assume it had been left behind by one of the tenors working sectionals in the other room.

After I got home I called her back. The beginning of our conversation went something like this:

Me: "What's up mom?"

Mom: "Nothing. It's just that...you haven't blogged in a while. I just want to make sure everything's okay."

Me: (after I finished laughing) "Okay!? Of course! I'm fine. Don't send out the search parties just yet!"

So mom, here are some pictures of your grandbabies to tide you over.

We're alive. Seriously.

Love you!

Dana

Rainy Day Riddles

This morning Zachary sat at the table eating yogurt, his favorite new food. He insists on feeding himself and making a glorious mess of everything, but that's another story.

Katelyn wandered over with an easter egg in her hands. She sat in the seat next to him and proceeded with a riddle:

Zach, inside this egg I have a surprise for you. Can you guess what it is?

(No response.)

Here are some clues:

It is brown.

It is curious.

It has a dad.

It's dad wears a yellow suit.

And brown shoes.

Its dad is not curious.

Do you know what it is, Zachy?

(Zach continued eating his yogurt, saying nothing.)

Okay. It is an animal.

What is it, Zach?

(Still nothing.)

It's....

It's....

It's...


I CAN'T TELL YOU!!

And then she ran off.

Curious, I thought.

Did you guess?

That's My Boy!

Hi Mom!

Hmmm. What's this on the floor?

A toothbrush?

Yoink!

(that's the sound of his hand finally coming out of his diaper)

Let's have a closer look.

Crazy Black Eyes

Today I made Katelyn's movie wish come true. Will giving in finally cure her tummy ache, or will it most likely cause more tummy aches in the future? Stay tuned to find out!

Ha! Sometimes I spoil that girl! We watched Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakwel. Oh, the things we do for our children!

My kids were crazy tonight. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that I gave them ice cream and pudding for dessert? At any rate, Katelyn just ran to me from the bathroom where she had probably been making silly faces in the mirror. (She likes to do that)

"Mommy. Why do I have these crazy black eyes?

...They look kind of wild!"

And thanks to the "Chipettes", Zachary has been singing All the Single Ladies all night long.

...Oh, Oh, Oh...Oh, Oh...Oh-Oh...

But all joking aside, today was a perfect day with the kids! Adam is gone at an ALL day seminar in Santa Monica. He's still there as I type this. Waiting for him to come home. The kids are in bed now and I am bored without him. Anyway, I decided to make it an ultra-busy Saturday so that we wouldn't have too much time to sit around and miss him.

A few years back a good friend of mine gave me a copy of "The Secret" and wrote in it, "Do what you love every day." I love that inscription, and I try to live it. Most often, I feel like I succeed. Sometimes, though, I get caught up in all my responsibilities...things I "have" to do, or things I feel "expected" to do...and I lose track of "myself" and I forget what I love to do every day. But thankfully, days like this come along and I remember what fulfillment is. For me it is Adam, and for me it is my kids. Being present with them all the day through. Noticing the things that make them happy. Having no distractions, no other responsibilities. Having no plan, but going out and allowing the day to unfold. That is my heaven. That is my happiness. I have a good life, but on days like this I feel like it might be perfect. Tonight I feel grateful...and I miss my husband. (Please come home soon!)

P.S. Katelyn, those "crazy black eyes"...You get them from me! :)

Katelyn Quote

"Mom, my tummy hurts! I think a movie would help, though."

Random

I know I've been slacking on the blog, so here are a few random images from our cam to show a bit of what we've been up to.

Go Green!

Tonight as I ran out the door I realized I would probably be a few minutes late to a lesson. I hopped in the car and took off. I hit a green light, and another...and another. Holy cow, they just kept coming! I drove to the appointment, hitting ALL green lights. Instead of being a few minutes late I was a few minutes early. What luck!

On the way home I counted the lights. Just so I could share this accomplishment with others.

There were EIGHTEEN!

ALL green.

I know. I couldn't believe it either.

Driving home, I thought of my hometown. The whole town had zero stoplights. I never had to worry about hitting a red light until I was in high school, when they finally put one up near downtown. At the time it was kind of fun. A novelty really. (Besides almost failing my driver's exam for running a yellow.)

But obviously, after living here for five years, the novelty is gone.

And The Winner Is...

Hooray to my college buddy Emily G. (aka Emilisq) for living in Utah and winning FREE hot chocolate. I recommend ordering it with whole milk. It is so yummy!

Here are a few fun facts about Emily (if you don't already know her):

-She probably loves blogging more than I do.

-When she eats chicken she picks the bone clean. Literally, all that's left is the bone.

-She is naming her baby girl Max. (I think that is cute.)

-I am jealous of her son's new drumset.

-She looks glam in red lipstick.

Emily, if you facebook me a message with your address I will send it off right away :)