Driving Confession

I am a very good driver.

I have never had an accident.

I have never gotten a ticket.

But I do have a thing for hitting non-moving items.

Like a brick wall.

A parked car.

A large green dumpster.

A car post beam.

And as of today I can add the brick garage at JK's preschool to my list.

This afternoon I was backing my van into a parking spot located in front of the garage. I accidentally backed in a wee bit too much and hit the garage.

And the sad thing?

I have a BACK-UP CAMERA in my dash!!!!!

For Pete's sake!

The good news is I have never come close to running over a person or an animal...only big stationary objects!

Scary, Scary Dolls

Once upon a time, long, long ago, a little girl named Rae watched The Wizard of Oz. (I was about 5 years old) This movie changed the course of my life from that moment on. That horrid green faced witch would haunt me the rest of my life.

To this day, regardless of how hot it may be, I have to sleep with the covers pulled up around my neck. If the covers have slipped down I startle awake with the Wicked Witch of the West swooping down at me. TO THIS DAY!!

Today, at lunch time, JK and I quickly stopped into McD's to pick up a happy meal. Lo and behold what do I see? Madame Alexander's Wizard of Oz Dolls! Ack! Tell me, is this or is this not a scary looking doll? Is it just me? Is there anyone else out there who can relate?

As a side note, when the broadway musical, Wicked became a phenomenon I decided to read the book written by Gregory Maguire. (I always try to read the book or research the history before going to see a play, musical, movie or what not.) BIG MISTAKE! The book was horrid!!! I do NOT recommend reading it and thankfully the play is NOTHING like the book!

Did You Think to Pray?

Many years ago, way before I became a mama, I saw a mom with her little girl at a fast food restaurant praying. This might not seem like that big of a deal but for some reason it hit me hard and it has stayed with me. They were Catholic and made the sign of the cross before and after their blessing. The little girl could not have been more than 2. Maybe that's why it has left such an impact. This mom was setting the standard for her child way before her little chick-a-dee was old enough to even know what her mama was doing.

Fast forward 11 years or so and here I am with my 9, 7 and 2 year olds. Do we pray in public? Yes. Sometimes. Not all the time. Rand always whispers to me, "I feel embarrassed praying in public." I'm not sure how to respond. I am at times embarrassed too. I think back to that mom I saw and how she looked up at her little girl after they had finished their blessing and smiled so big. She wasn't ashamed. I remember thinking I should go over and say something to her like, "Wow! You are such an inspiration to me. I hope I can emulate the same values and standards when I have my own children." But I didn't. And I don't. And I'm not really sure why.

Growing up I was taught to pray always...no matter where we were. At times it was embarrassing...especially when we were out to eat with certain charismatic pastors who felt it was their duty to pray not only for our table but for the entire restaurant.

I remember being reminded by my mother to pray at school before I ate my lunch. When I was younger I had no problem bowing my head and saying a quick thank you. When I was in Jr. High it became an open-eyed "thanks". In high school I think the pendulum swung back a bit and I wasn't worried about what others thought. Of course I did attend an all girl Catholic high school in a convent!

I'm not really sure why I decided to write this post. Maybe it's because we ate out so much during vacation it has been on my mind. Maybe I'm writing this post a bit out of guilt. I'm reminded of the scripture in Romans, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth..." 

So my blogger friends, I'll end with a question. If you are a praying person, do you pray in public and if so, is it hard for you? I really would love for you to share your most true and honest answers.

Who knew all the complexities involved in being a Mama?

Souvenirs

In general, whenever a person takes a trip away from home they would like to bring home a souvenir or a memento to remind them of their time away.

Yesterday my sister-in-law and I found the most amazing shop, Baby Grand. Of course we had all of the children with us (that would be 6) so we didn't have time to completely browse. I'll be heading back later on today! I'm hoping to find a superb memento.

At DK's last family reunion I brought home a beautiful and colorful hand-blown glass bowl. The whole family had taken a tour of a glass blowing factory and it was the perfect reminder of our trip to Coeur D' Alene.

We also brought home another souvenir from that trip. It wasn't anything we bought. It wasn't anything we picked out. It was all the result of DK's sister babysitting our girls for us giving us an open afternoon....

Baby JK

Karin & JK

Karin will NOT be babysitting the children for us this time round...we're not looking for a repeat of our last reunion!

More About Me Tag

Thanks Lipstick Gal for thinking of me with this tag. I have not done it before so here we go!

1. What were you doing ten years ago?
10 years ago brought about some pretty BIG changes! DK had just left the Navy and had gone to work for GE. We moved to Erie, PA and finished building our first house but were not able to live in it because it was part of the Parade of Homes Tour that lasted for 3 weeks. We lived in this nasty mold infested one bedroom apartment. We had to rent furniture as all of ours was in storage. I wasn't working because we had just moved. At this time we also discovered there was a genetic/chromosome problem that had caused me to miscarry, up to that point, three times (one of those times being twins). 

2. What are five things on your to-do list today?
~ My Wednesday Chores (yes, I have a schedule for each day of the week that I follow!)

~ Grocery Shopping

~ Finalizing my Team Roster for an upcoming women's conference

~ Take a nap (like an idiot I took two Benadryl when I woke up early, early this morning itching like CRaZy! I am highly allergic to poison ivy and wouldn't ya know I have it on my neck! I am soOoO tired from taking the Benadryl! I should have known better.)

~ Blogging (though I doubt it is a must do!)

3. Snacks you enjoy?
~ Tostitos with Lime Chips

~ Cheesecake

~ Snickers bar

4. Places you've lived:
~ Virginia Beach, VA

~ Ballston Spa, NY

~ La Maddalena & Palau, Italy

~ Mystic, CT

~ Erie, PA

~ My Current Nest

~ And a few other places sprinkled here and there

5. What are 5 things you would do if you were a billionaire?
~ Serve a humanitarian mission (or two or three) with my husband

~ Build our family's dream home (complete with tennis court and pool) right on the water

~ Buy DK his dream sailboat and sail around the world with him

~ Open my own interior design shop

~ Invest smartly for myself and my posterity

6. People you want to know more about?
~ I daily strive to learn more about my Savior and to be like him.

~ Any of you, my blogging friends, who would like to do this tag!

The Miracle of Blogs

Once upon a time there were four teenage girls. Two of these girls were sisters. The other two girls went to school together. All four girls went to church together. They were also part of their youth group's drama team, Hearts on Fire.

Years and years and years pass. Three of the girls stayed in touch. One of the girls did not.

At the beginning of this past year, Girl #1 started blogging. Though she had not kept in touch with the other girls she would occasionally bump into Girl #2's mother.  When Girl #2 had her first baby she too started a blog and her mother shared the blog link with Girl #1. Of course Girl #1 wasted no time in checking it out and that is how Rae (that's me) was reunited with Girl #2, Shelva.

While I was visiting Shelva's blog and oohing and ahhing over her handsome new baby I started clicking on the links in her sidebar. You see, I am a curious person...I just can't help but to give a little click here and a little click there... Can you guess what happened? One of the blogs listed was Girl #3, Amy. Amazing! It took me about a week to work up enough courage to leave a comment on Amy's blog. I finally did and after all of these years (roughly 15) we will be getting together next week! Girl #4, Lisa, is Amy's sister...and so the circle is complete.

In the past 15 years we have finished school, grown up, moved to and from different states and most importantly, are all happily married with little bambinis of our own.

The internet is so amazing. This whole blog phenomenon is mind boggling. You just never know who you may bump into...

The 4 Girls ~ 1990-something!

Can you figure out which girl is me?

Here's a hint: look for permed hair...

Oh wait! We ALL have permed hair!

Thirteen Years of Marital Bliss

I hear wedding bells! I cannot believe how many people have celebrated anniversaries in the past week! Happy anniversary to you all and I am delighted to say that today is my wedding anniversary!

June 3, 1995

DK and I tied the knot

He dressed in his Choker Whites...

...I dressed in my princess gown.

Complete with sword ceremony..."Welcome to the Navy, Mrs. Evans!"

Surrounded by dear friends and loved ones

DK and his best friend, Anthony

Even though Anthony planted a wet one on my new hubby, he and his sweet and amazingly talented wife are our children's guardians.

Me and my girls, Shottsie (on the left) & Merand (on the right)

To this day they are two of my dearest and bestest friends!

This picture cracks me up!

DK's Mom, as always, has the patience of a saint.

DK, "Zee plane, zee plane!"

I look like I'm searching for something that fell down my dress.

Merand is trying valiantly to keep my dress looking perfect.

My Dad? I guess it runs in the family. He's looking for something too!

No one told me beforehand what a jokester

my future father-in-law would be.

Look at the Mickey Mouse vest he is wearing.

Me and DK ~ Then

Me and DK ~ Now

We haven't aged a bit!!

Notice the Republican sign on the left...

I had no idea THEN politics would play

such a big part in my life NOW!

CONFESSION TIME:

Yesterday I went looking for our wedding album and COULDN'T FIND IT! I looked high and I looked low. I looked in every spot imaginable! What kind of wife LOSES her wedding pictures? I know where it used to be ~ in the dining room china hutch. I cleared it out many months ago to make room for the girl's craft supplies. I know I put it in a very safe place. Too safe, I suppose. I now have until next year to find my album! In the meantime I'm grateful for a hubby who NEVER throws anything away and was able to find the mini-album his mom had put together.

UPDATE:

I found my wedding album this morning!! Where did I put it? In my HOPE CHEST! Now wasn't that smart of me? :)

DK, looking back over the past 13 years I marvel at how we have grown together. We complement each other and bring out the best in one another. My life is complete with you by my side. Thank you for being my True Companion.

All my love for now and for always,

A Hostage Situation

JK LOVES his blanket. One of DK's co-workers made it for us when JK was born. Today, it needed a good old-fashioned washing. This is JK's reaction:

Bad Mommy...holding my blankie hostage in the washer

If you look closely, you can see the trail of tears coming down the side of his cheek

Rescuing his blankie from the dryer

Nap time with my clean blankie. Oh happy day!

When I was JK's age my must-have item was a stuffed bunny. It was accidently packed up during one of our moves and my mother made the moving guys open boxes until it was found. Crisis averted!

What was your comfort item growing up?

Crayons, Laundry and 10 Years into the Future

I received this via e-mail from Brandi and thought it might be fun to post. This is one for the family history books!

Gone on a blind date ~ No

Skipped school ~ Yes, but with parental permission so does that really count?
Watched someone die ~ Yes, my dear mother-in-law
Been to Canada ~ Yes, many times when we lived in Erie, PA
Been to Mexico ~ No
Been to Florida ~ Believe it or not, No
Been on a plane ~ Yes, too many times to count
Been lost ~ Yes, thank goodness I now have GPS
Been on the opposite side of the country ~ Yes
Gone to Washington , DC ~ Yes, but never for cherry blossom season. I WANT to go and see the cherry blossoms!
Swam in the ocean ~ Yes, kind of impossible not to when you live next to the ocean
Cried yourself to sleep ~ Yes
Played cops and robbers ~ No, I'm a girl

Recently colored with crayons ~ Yes, of course, I'm a girl
Sang Karaoke ~ Yes, with Will Mason at G. Willikers
Done something you told yourself you wouldn't? Yes, many, many times
Made prank phone calls ~ Yes, at Scott & Nathan Elliott's house
Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose ~ No
Caught a snowflake on your tongue ~ Yes
Danced in the rain ~ Yes, my favorite rain memory is when we lived in Italy and it FINALLY rained during a drought season. My sister and I went out and danced our little hearts out
Written a letter to Santa Claus ~ I'm not sure. Not that I can recall
Been kissed under the mistletoe ~ Yes, I have one in my house every Christmas. Pucker up, DK

Watched the sunrise with someone you care about ~ Yes, sigh......
Blown bubbles ~ Yes, all the time. JK is a bubble freak
Gone ice-skating ~ Yes, that's how DK and I met
Been skinny dipping outdoors ~ Yes. Does that surprise anyone? :)
Gone to the movies ~ Yes

Notice the British spelling of "favorite"...I love it!

1. Any nickname ~ Rae
2. Favourite drink ~ Diet Coke
3. Tattoo ~ No
4. Body piercings ~ No
5. How much do you love your job ~ Most days it's a blast. Then there are those moments...
6. Birthplace ~ Newport News, VA
7. Favorite vacation spot ~ My own backyard as soon as I get my amazing in-ground pool
8. Ever been to Africa ~ No
9. Ever eaten cookies for dinner~ No.
10. Ever been on TV ~ Yes
11. Ever steal any traffic sign ~ No
12. Ever been in a car accident ~ Yes
13. Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle ~ 4
14. Favourite salad dressing ~ Ranch
15. Favourite pie ~ Strawberry-Rhubarb
16. Favourite movie? Holiday Inn
17. Favourite holiday ~ Easter
18. Favourite smell ~ Freshly laundered clothing
19. Favourite food ~ Shrimp
20. Favourite dessert ~ Cheesecake
21. Favourite brand of body wash? I use Oil of Olay Age Defying though it's not necessarily my favourite
22. Favourite toothpaste ~ Crest w. Baking Soda
23. Favourite day of the week ~ Friday
24. What do you do to relax ~ Read
25. How do you see yourself in 10 years ~ I always find this question to be tough. I think of all the amazing things I would like to accomplish and be in the next 10 years but my heart yearns to simply be the best wife and mama possible to my beautiful family. An example of Christ to all I meet and continue to cultivate and grow all the talents my Heavenly Father has so lovingly bestowed upon me.

Six Things You've Always Wanted to Know About Me

My fun-loving niece (who is completely ga-ga about the Jo Bros) tagged me. 

Here are the rules:
1. you link back to the person who tagged you.
2. post these rules on your blog.
3. share six unimportant things about yourself.
4. tag six random people at the end of your entry.
5. let the tagged people know by leaving a comment on their blogs.
6. enjoy the results.

Let the good times roll....

1- When I fall asleep at night I always start out on my tummy. During the night, when I wake up, I'm on my side. In the morning, when I get up, I'm on my back.

2 - I LOVE new pens and pencils. Stationary and paper. Growing up I thought the best job in the world was being a secretary. Think of all the pens and paper! Oh my!!

3 - In general, I enjoy listening to male vocalists much, much more than female. I really like deep bass voices. Female vocals can get on my nerves.

4 - I twirl my hair whenever I'm exhausted, angry or upset. I think it helps to sooth and calm me.

5 - I do not like lemons. It stems from the time my friend and I took a bunch of lemons from her neighbor's tree, sat and peeled them and then sucked the juice from every one of them. Ugh. Not only was I sick but in big trouble for stealing them. Fortunately/unfortunately, I didn't know enough Italian words to understand what her neighbor was saying!

6 - Whenever I go down a flight of stairs, my left ankle cracks as I step on the second step going  down.

I hereby  tag the following:

Shottsie, Merand, Susan, Diane, Jen and Amy

I'll be checking in on you ladies!

Ready for Blast Off....or Not So Much

Money. Personally, this is the one GREEN thing I do not like. It causes me problems. Issues. It makes my brain hurt. Let me tell you a little story.....journey back with me to the 2nd grade. My teacher came up with a cute and somewhat clever math incentive. For every 100% you received on a math sheet you would be able to take your personalized rocket and blast off from the planet earth and travel through space and visit all the other planets. Wow! Such fun. Too bad I was the only one left on earth. THE. ONLY. ONE! Sigh......math has never been my strong suit. Unfortunately for me, money is math!

DK and I have very different ideas about money. The first indicator was when he showed up at my house the night after he proposed with his laptop so we could work up a wedding budget. He is very detail oriented and likes to work within structured perameters. Between work, church duties and political responsibilities he does not have a lot of time to be out and about spending money. Which I suppose is a good thing because I, on the other hand am a spender. DK says I will $10 and $20 ourselves to death. I enjoy shopping and don't always think about how a shopping trip will affect the budget for the rest of the month.

Yesterday while visiting with a friend she was talking about how expensive everything is. They are feeling the money pinch (who isn't?). They have cut back on items that are not considered necessities and she is using this time to teach her children that they do not need every new toy that comes down the pike.

We just had a budget referendum in town. It failed. Why? People do not have the extra money to pay for higher taxes. It is such a catch 22. When the budget fails there is not enough money for the things that are needed throughout the town. This means more funding will be needed next year. I don't think people will be willing to part with their money come next year either. Yet we have to not only maintain our town but continue to improve it.

We received our IRS stimulus payment today. Will we be using it to stimulate the economy? If you ask me, my gut response would be YES! If you ask DK his immediate response would be a resounding NO! I think we'll just sit on that money....at least for awhile!

What are your current money thoughts? Are you saving your rebate check? Buying something fun? Using it to pay debt? Or perhaps you should just give the whole kit-and-kaboodle to the gas station the next time you go and fill up!

The Road to Becoming a Forever Family

I just love this picture of JK and Kenners. DK snapped it two weeks ago (I can't believe how GREEN everything has turned since then!!)

Excerpt from Elder M. Russell Ballard's Daughter's of God talk:

"Author Anna Quindlen reminds us not to rush past the fleeting moments. She said: 'The biggest mistake I made [as a parent] is the one that most of us make. . . . I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of [my three children] sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. 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'(Loud and Clear [2004], 10–11)."

I started blogging for many reasons, one of them being just that: trying to remember the day-in and day-out parts of life. The seemingly inconsequential tid-bits that tie together the sections of our life. I want to remember the time when the children decided to eat spaghetti like little puppy dogs or the times when JK climbed into the bunny cage. Then there are the times when Kenners blows me away with her spelling ability! And of course I can't forget about the time I thought I had thrown away my driver's license. So many little things, so easily forgotten.

Safe Driver of the Year

My dear, sweet, beautiful and talented friend, Deon (check out her amazing website) came by the house the other day to drop off some music for Kenners and I to sing in Sacrament Meeting. My girls ADORE Deon and invited her in to show off Buckwheat and vie for her attention. Deon mentioned how she had left her car running but I didn't think anything of it. Deon left a few minutes later and Kenners went outside to see her off. Rand and I were working on homework in the kitchen when there was a knock on the kitchen door. Deon is standing there and says, "I hit your garage door". What? Is this a belated April Fool's joke? No. Somehow her car edged forward and hit the door! She was mortified! Me? Not so much...it could have been worse! No one was hurt. The door still works. Not a big deal!

This evening Deon had her hubby drop this off:

Thanks for all of the wonderful GREEN things...though completely unnecessary!!!

To help Deon feel better about a silly old garage door, I am listing all of the things (that I remember!) I, myself have hit over the years!!

~Parked car in a Post Office parking lot

~Scraped side of car on a brick wall while backing out of a driveway

~Backed into a big green dumpster

~While backing DK's car up I hit the door window on the carport beam. The whole window (which was not encased in metal) went up on its side and fell down inside the door. We had only been married for about 3 or 4 months

~Rear ended a stopped car in the Lincoln Tunnel in NYC

~Backing out of the garage I ripped the side mirror off our Jeep

Can you detect a pattern or two? I only hit NON-MOVING, STATIONARY objects!! I also have issues with BACKING UP!! When we bought our latest vehicle DK made sure it had a backup camera!!!

So, Deon, you can now see that a garage door is NOTHING major in my book!!!

Crazy Fads

It's been a few weeks now since I've written a post that has anything to do with my personal history. That was my goal for each Sunday: write something that my posterity could benefit from. Well, I'm not so sure this post will be a benefit or a detriment but here goes anything!

The question is: What crazy fad do you remember in grade school? Hmmmm, I'm not sure if these are from grade school or later, but here are a few that stick out in my mind!

I remember the big side feathers. You know, when you rake your bangs and sides back with your fingers and they fall down in a feather-ish fashion? It took a lot of training to get this to happen. I would rake and rake and rake my hair to get it to fall just so. I wish I had a picture to post of this, but alas, I do not!

And then I remember going from feathery hair to shaving off my sides. Do you remember that? What was going on in the world that we would do such a thing? Did you? I remember how HORRIBLE it was to grow my sides back in. They puffed out like chipmunk cheeks FOREVER! Again, NO picture of that one!!!!

And who could forget the whole pull-over tab and roll up your jean pant legs?

I HAD to add this picture after seeing it on Kerflop! This is CURRENT folks...not from the 80's!!

And wearing more than one color shoelace in your sneakers (Does L.A. Gear mean anything to you?)...and push-down socks..how about leg warmers? Let's not forget parachute pants (which I made a pair in home ec class)!!

In high school I don't remember as many fads. That's probably because I wore my gray and burgundy school uniform every day. But I seem to remember SHORT skirts being the fad. I couldn't even bend over because OOPS you'd see a bit too much. On occasion we could wear "street clothes" to school. I remember telling a nun (who was reprimanding me that my skirt was too short) that if my mother allowed it SHE certainly should not have a problem with it. But then again, compared to a habit EVERYTHING is SHORT!

Looking back over my growing up years, I do not seem to have very many pictures from 6th grade through 10th. Do you think that has something to do with those being the most gawky years of a person's life? The few pictures that are still floating around are enough to make me cringe. And you know what's really sad? My Rand will be entering that stage in 3 more short years. Ah, the circle of life!

My First Valentine's Card From DK

DK and I had only known each other for 2 weeks when Valentine's Day rolled around. He had ended a relationship the previous December and I was sort-of-kind-of, you know not going STEADY, with a guy who had recently moved down south. DK called me the night before Valentine's Day to see if I wanted to go out to dinner with him. Hmm, why not? Okay. So we did. We both bought cards for each other Valentine's Day NIGHT. Do you know how FEW cards are left on the shelves by 6 PM? Below is the card DK presented to me at dinner. It's hard to believe I actually fell for this guy and MARRIED him!!

To the love of my life, DK...I'm so glad we both live on the same planet and neither of us eats road kill. How about eating some cheesecake with me later on tonight? Ooh, la, la! :O)

Birthday Season

My family has just entered birthday season. It's the time of the year when we have TONS of birthdays to celebrate. Yesterday marked kick-off day and I started thinking back to some of my past birthdays.

Growing up we always kept things very simple when celebrating a birthday. Typically I was able to select the dinner menu and a friend, maybe two, would be invited over to celebrate. My birthday is so close to Christmas yet my parents NEVER used Christmas wrapping or swiped a Christmas gift to use for my birthday. They were very diligent about separating out the two days. People have always felt sorry for me thinking I was jipped by having my birthday so close to Christmas. Not I. It makes my day even more special. I feel sorry for everyone else who doesn't have beautiful lights and touching carols and merry people during their birthday.

A few particular birthdays stand out in my memory.

8th - I had my party at a roller skating rink. I remember thinking how grown up and cool I was. Too bad I was just a so-so skater. Coordination and grace have never been my thing.

10th - I remember getting in TROUBLE before this particular birthday. I was so impatient to find out what I was getting that my mom told me to KNOCK IT OFF before I got NOTHING! And guess what? I'm saying those same exact words to my almost-7 year old!!!

16th - Well of course everyone remembers sweet 16. We ordered a 6-foot grinder from Subway and I was crowned with a tiara and given a beautiful bouquet of flowers. I had two of my bestest friends stay over and we talked into the wee hours. The next day I called the DMV and set up my driver's test.

21st - DK planned this whole birthday surprise. He took me to a local casino and gave me $21.00 in quarters. Shhhh, don't tell anyone!!!

30th - I do NOT like surprise birthday parties. I just hate all of those eyes staring at me while I have this dazed and dumbfounded look on my face. No thank you. I spent this day with my family. It was perfect. It was divine. It was a wonderful way to usher in my fourth decade of life.

Every birthday is special for lots of little reasons. I can't wait to discover what will be special about my next birthday and beyond. Hopefully I'll be wiser with each passing year but not have the wrinkles to prove it!

I Met Destiny at an Ice Skating Rink

Thirteen years ago, today, I met destiny at a college skating rink. I had never met destiny before so I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised to find that my destiny was packaged in a 29 year old U.S. Naval Officer from Murray, UT. I noticed him standing behind me in line to rent skates. He was wearing a green jacket with a red plaid sweater underneath and blue jeans. I noticed his brown hair and hazel eyes. I noticed his chin. I LOVED his chin. It was strong and had a chiseled look to it. I thought this was one cute guy. Little did I know that MY destiny had taken note of HIS destiny (that would be me in my white jeans and UCONN sweatshirt). By the end of the evening I had introduced myself to DK and we had exchanged phone numbers. 11 weeks later we were engaged. 11 weeks after that we were married. Destiny sure works fast!

February 1995

One Simple Truth

I might sound like a broken record since I seem to write a lot about my family but I have found this simple truth throughout my life: I CAN DO ANYTHING AS LONG AS I HAVE MY FAMILY.

Growing up I globe trotted, hence I made new friends and then left them behind. Make new friends, leave those friends behind, and the cycle continued. The one constant in my life was my family. I always felt safe and secure surrounded by their love. Oh, that does not mean that there were not fights and times of great stress and moments I'd rather not remember. What it does mean is that I could get through all of those difficult times because in the end their support was all that I needed.

Now that I'm all grown up and married and a mom to three of my own children, I try to make my home a haven from the world. There is something special about walking through the door and being able to let out a long SIGH and know that you are HOME.

There is nothing like staying at HOME

for real comfort.

~ Jane Austen

I hope and pray that one day my children will be able to look back on their growing up years and remember safe, happy and warm times. I pray that DK and I will be able to give them the encouragement and support needed to reach their dreams. I want so much for my chick-a-dee's and I deeply hope that I am able to give them the nurturing and unconditional love they need to reach their full potential.

For now, I'm going to go to the kitchen, the heart of the home, and make a dinner that I hope they'll not totally hate!

There Were Never Such Devoted Sisters

Growing up it was just me and my little sis. Erica is 2 years younger than I and you could not find more opposite people if you tried. I liked to wear dresses - Erica pants. I liked to have pretties in my hair - Erica wanted hers short. I didn't like to go out and get dirty - Erica loved being outside. I was into piano, singing and drama - Erica did sports. I could go on and on but I'm sure you catch my drift.

If I wanted Erica to play Barbies with me I would have to play Lego's with her first. We learned that if we wanted the other to do something we had to give to get. We did have a few things in common: We both loved to play store. We would each set up a store with different trinkets and we would buy and sell to each other using change from our mom. We also liked to play Monopoly but not how you might have played it. We would play until all the properties were bought and then see who had the most money. That's it. Whoever had the most won. We didn't build houses or hotels. We were not cut throat at all. The first time I had to play Monopoly for real I was demolished!

I would do ANYTHING to help my sister. I remember two specific moments. Erica was in Kindergarten and I was in 2nd grade. Her classroom was at the end of the hall from mine. I remember her coming to the door of my classroom crying. She couldn't unzip her coat and her teacher was busy helping the other kids. I don't remember if I got her coat unzipped or if my teacher needed to help but I do remember walking her back to her classroom and telling her everything was just fine. I still remember the color of her jacket: yellow!

The other time was in high school. I was a senior and she a sophomore. She was taking Spanish and there was a new teacher that year. Erica and this teacher were like oil and water. This teacher didn't like anything my sister did or said. Her teacher started being a bit obnoxious to her and after school one day I couldn't find Erica. I went hunting the school for her and heard this Spanish teacher yelling in her classroom on the third floor. I stood outside the door and heard Erica's voice as well. I burst through that door and demanded to know what was going on. The teacher was so surprised! First of all, she didn't know Erica and I were sisters. Not only was a senior that year but I was Vice-President of the Student Council and President of the National Honor Society. I was definitely on the "in" list with our school's admin. and she looked like she was about to have a stroke. I took Erica straight to the Principal's office and explained what I had witnessed. Needless to say that teacher never bothered my sister again after my parents came in for a conference and things were straightened out. She didn't come back to teach the next year either. Good riddance!

I am very happy to say that even with all of our differences I have a very best friend in my sister. It has been absolutely fabulous having her living close again. With her being married to a Navy man I know this may not last forever. I treasure every time we get together. Thanks for all the memories, Erica, even the bad ones! (We won't mention how we would get into fist fights while we were supposed to be folding laundry.......)

How Many Times Have YOU Been Baptized?

I grew up in a Christian home with parents who taught my sister and I to read our Bible, say our prayers and the importance of church attendance. As many of you know, our family moved around quite a bit. My parents didn't belong to any certain denomination and so each time we moved we "church shopped". You know, you go and visit the different churches to see what the Pastor is like and the types of programs they have to offer. When my sister and I were teenagers we went to a church 35 minutes away because they had such an amazing youth program. But I'm getting off track.....

When I was born, my parents were not regular church go-ers. I was "sprinkled" as an infant in a Methodist church. A short time later my mom came to the realization that attending church might be a good thing for the whole family. The search was on! We attended a Bible Chapel and I went to nursery school there as well. We moved to upstate New York and that was where my parents' faith became firmly grounded. We attended a Baptist church and the Pastor there was wonderful. My parents learned so many truths there and past them on to Erica and I. I was baptized at that church when I was about 6 years old. It was a "believer's" baptism and I had to testify in front of the congregation that I believed that Jesus was my Savior and sacrificed His life for me that I might be able to repent of my sins and have eternal life.

Fast forward now to when we lived in Italy. We attended two different churches there. Sunday mornings we went to the Protestant service. In fact, the chaplain we had there is the chaplain that married DK and I many moons later. Sunday night's we went to the Assembly of God Servicemen Center. That was where we had our first introduction to a Pentecostal church. Still to this day I absolutely LOVE praise and worship songs. I have struggled over the years with the hymns I sing now at church. I always listen to Praise and Worship music on the way to and from church. But I digress.....while in Italy I was a pre-teen and decided to rededicate my life to the Lord and was baptized once again. This baptism took place in the Mediterranean Sea.
Fast forward once again to years later when I met a certain Naval Officer from Salt Lake City. This is how I was first introduced to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In October of 1995 my dear hubby baptized me a member. 

So, dear readers, as  you can see, I have been baptized 4 different times. I am forever grateful for many things:

To my wonderful parents who raised me to have a love of God and to follow His commandments and principles. 

For the foundation they laid so I was prepared and ready to accept the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.

For their love and support as I joined the LDS church. They attended my baptism and have been involved with many different activities throughout the years. 

I am grateful that when Rand turned 8 DK was able to baptize her a member. Kenners will be turning 8 next year and it will be another wonderful time to see members of my family in the baptismal waters.