S P R I N G is here!

FINALLY!!! I have been dying for spring to arrive. There has been so much snow and so much dreariness. When I hear spring I think of renewal, rebirth and regrowth. I am so thrilled for the changes that are coming our way this year.

There are so many things I adore about spring, so I thought I'd share:

Dancing in the warm, sweet smelling rain

SUNSHINE!!

Can't you feel it, just looking at it!?

Open Windows

Adorable sandals

Everything is GREEN!

Butterflies

FLOWERS, FLOWERS AND MORE FLOWERS!

PEONIES & SNAPDRAGONS

TULIPS & ORCHIDS

LILACS & HYDRANGEA

DOGWOODS & DAFFODILS

CHERRY BLOSSOMS

Barbeque!!

Yummmm!!!

WEDDINGS!!!

Easter

All too often we focus on chocolate bunnies and dying eggs, and forget about the faith behind Easter.

The tomb was empty.

"There is nothing more universal than death, and nothing brighter with hope and faith than the assurance of immortality. The abject sorrow that comes with death, the bereavement that follows the passing of a loved one are mitigated only by the certainty of the Resurrection of the Son of God that first Easter morning. What meaning would life have without the reality of immortality? Otherwise life would become only a dismal journey of “getting and spending,” only to end in utter and hopeless oblivion.

“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1 Cor. 15:55). The pain of death is swallowed up in the peace of eternal life. Of all the events of the chronicles of humanity, none is of such consequence as this.
Contemplating the wonder of the Atonement wrought in behalf of all mankind, the Prophet Joseph Smith declared in words descriptive and beautiful:

“Let the mountains shout for joy, and all ye valleys cry aloud; and all ye seas and dry lands tell the wonders of your Eternal King! And ye rivers, and brooks, and rills, flow down with gladness. Let the woods and all the trees of the field praise the Lord; and ye solid rocks weep for joy! And let the sun, moon, and the morning stars sing together, and let all the sons of God shout for joy! And let the eternal creations declare his name forever and ever! And again I say, how glorious is the voice we hear from heaven, proclaiming in our ears, glory, and salvation, and honor, and immortality, and eternal life; kingdoms, principalities, and powers!” (D&C 128:23)...

Towering above all mankind stands Jesus the Christ, the King of glory, the unblemished Messiah, the Lord Emmanuel. In the hour of deepest sorrow we draw hope and peace and certitude from the words of the angel that Easter morning, “He is not here: for he is risen, as he said” (Matt. 28:6). We draw strength from the words of Paul, “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ … all [are] made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22).

He is our King, our Lord, our Master, the living Christ, who stands on the right hand of His Father. He lives! He lives, resplendent and wonderful, the living Son of the living God."

"That Glorious Easter Morn"- President Gordon B. Hinckley

What a fabulous reminder at the beginning of this season.

I know I needed it. With all that is going on in the world today, I wish there was more focus on the things that matter.

One more thing we can't forget...

In our house, spring also means,

BASEBALL!!!!!

HERE'S TO A FABULOUS SPRING!!!

Many thanks to Google Image Search for all of the photos!! :)

GOAL!!

In my effort to "BE BETTER" this year, I decided I wanted to be healthier. Part of this included losing some weight. I'm not fat by any means (at least that's what people tell me, but I am a woman!) but I could certainly use to shed a few. So I decided to give it a shot. I've been eating much healthier, and keeping up with my exercise plan. And guess what... RESULTS!!!! Wahoo!!

Granted I desperately need a tan, and apparently some new jeans that fit :) but I couldn't help but share. I am SO EXCITED!!! The current weight loss is 11lbs! :) I just bought a dress for a friends wedding and, wait for it.... wait for it. It's a size........

FOUR!!!!

I am certainly not a size 4 in everyday clothes. Wouldn't that be nice? But this was an amazing accomplishment. The last time I wore a dress this size, was at senior prom! Wowzers. Go me.

I am actually going to look forward to my scrambled egg whites and fruit in the morning.

When One Door Closes

You know the saying, When God closes the door, he opens another... or opens a window. Well Matt got the figurative door slammed in his face last Monday!

Last summer Matt got offered a fabulous job. He quit his temp job and was all set to start. Then they called and said, we just got put on a hiring freeze. We'll call you when we can actually bring you on. This was over 7 months ago. So Matt found something else and has been working for Direct TV since. He's been miserable. They were working him to death, forcing him to work Sundays, and basically making him jump through hoops for mediocre pay. Not so fun, but it payed the bills and he could make do in the meantime.

Last Monday morning Matt went into work like usual and got called into the boss's office. Long story short, some not-very-nice person was jealous that Matt was only working 4-5 jobs a day so he could get to school, and decided to make up some lies about Matt. I swear my sweetheart has the WORST luck with jobs! The boss gave him a nasty ultimatum. 'You work 7 jobs, 7 days a week... no school, no church, no family time. OR you can resign right now, OR I'll just fire you when you don't show up. He gave him 5 minutes to decide. Hmmm... what lovely options. If you know Matt at all, you can guess what he did. "I don't need 5 minutes, here are my keys and van key... peace out!"

I'm so glad my hubby has wonderful moral charachter!! Unfortunately moral charachter doesn't pay the bills. If it did... i'd be a millionaire! :) lol So we had quite a conundrum.

In my opinion, God did more than open the door... he just made the whole dang wall fall down and said "Here you go!!" :) We have been SO BLESSED! The week before Matt had been talking with this company from last summer again. They were dicussing when they could bring him on and low and behold... he had an interview last Tuesday and HE GOT THE JOB!!! WaaaHooo!!!

I'm so proud of my stinker! :) He leaves for training Sunday night. He works so hard to provide and make a better life for us. We have been so blessed in the last few months, I just had to take a moment to express my gratitude for all of the wonderful things that have come our way.

A toast to new beginnings!!!

A Little Quote Happy

Who doesn't love a good quote? They can be inspiring, heartwarming, teaching, etc. I ran across a website that keeps LOTS of wonderful LDS quotes together in one place. You can check it out here. I thought I'd share some of my favorites. Enjoy!

"Our task is to become our best selves. One of God's greatest gifts to us is the joy of trying again, for no failure ever need be final."--Thomas S. Monson'

"...the strait and narrow path, though clearly marked, is a path, not a freeway nor an escalator. Indeed, there are times when the only way the strait and narrow path can be followed is on one's knees!"--Neal A. Maxwell

"I think [forgiveness] may be the greatest virtue on earth, and certainly the most needed. There is so much of meanness and abuse, of intolerance and hatred. There is so great a need for repentance and forgiveness. It is the great principle emphasized in all of scripture, both ancient and modern. Somehow forgiveness, with love and tolerance, accomplishes miracles that can happen in no other way."--Gordon B. Hinckley

"Please don't nag yourself with thoughts of failure. Do not set goals far beyond your capacity to achieve. Simply do what you can do, in the best way you know, and the Lord will accept of your effort."--Gordon B. Hinckley

"Living the gospel does not mean the storms of life will pass us by, but we will be better prepared to face them with serenity and peace. 'Search diligently, pray always, and be believing,' the Lord admonished, 'and all things shall work together for your good, if ye walk uprightly.'"--Joseph B. Wirthlin

"As parenting declines, the need for policing increases. There will always be a shortage of police if there is a shortage of effective parents! Likewise, there will not be enough prisons if there are not enough good homes."--Neal A. Maxwell

"You don't have the power to make rainbows or waterfalls, sunsets or roses, but you do have the power to bless people by your words and smiles... You carry within you the power to make the world better..."--Sharon G. Larsen

"If you sometimes get discouraged, consider this fellow. He dropped out of grade school. Ran a country store. Went broke. Took 15 years to pay off his bills. Took a wife. Unhappy marriage. Ran for House. Lost twice. Ran for Senate. Lost twice. Delivered speech that became a classic. Audience indifferent. Attacked daily by the press and despised by half the country. Despite all this, imagine how many people all over the world have been inspired by this awkward, rumpled, brooding man who signed his name simply, A. Lincoln." (Wall Street Journal.) 'It is important to know, when you feel down, that many others do also and that their circumstances are generally much worse than yours. And it's important to know that when one of us is down, it becomes the obligation of his friends to give him a lift. I hope that each of us will cultivate a sensitivity toward the feelings of others, and when encouragement is needed, make an effort to extend it. Be a friend, and you will have a friend. God be thanked for wonderful friends.'--Gordon B. Hinckley

"Ideals are stars to steer by; they are not sticks to beat ourselves with."--Barbara B. Smith

"Don't be discouraged at seemingly overwhelming odds in your desire to live and to help others live God's commandments. At times it may seem like David trying to fight Goliath. But remember, David did win."--David B. Haight

"People of integrity and honesty not only practice what they preach, they are what they preach. And the Savior stands as the finest example."--Elder David A. Bednar

"Because our Savior lives, we do not use the symbol of his death as the symbol of our faith. But what shall we use? He told us when he said, 'If ye love me, keep my commandments.' And so our lives must become a meaningful expression, the symbol of our declaration of our testimony of the living Christ, the Eternal Son of the Living God." --The New Era, April 1990

"Faith is such a principle of power. God works by power, but this power is usually exercised in response to our faith."--Dieter F. Uchtdorf

"Kindness is the essence of greatness and the fundamental characteristic of the noblest men and women I have known. Kindness is a passport that opens doors and fashions friends. It softens hearts and molds relationships that can last lifetimes."--Joseph B. Wirthlin

"An eternal principle is revealed in holy writ: “It is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize.” (Mosiah 4:27) We don’t have to be fast; we simply have to be steady and move in the right direction. We have to do the best we can, one step after another."--Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin

"The face of sin today often wears the mask of tolerance. Do not be deceived; behind that facade is heartache, unhappiness and pain. .. YOU be the one to make a stand for right, even if you stand alone. Have the moral courage to be a light for others to follow."--Thomas S. Monson

"Let us remember, too, that greatness is not always a matter of the scale of one’s life, but of the quality of one’s life. True greatness is not always tied to the scope of our tasks, but to the quality of how we carry out our tasks whatever they are. In that attitude, let us give our time, ourselves, and our talents to the things that really matter now, things which will still matter a thousand years from now."--Spencer W. Kimball

"God never leaves us alone, never leaves us unaided in the challenges that we face."--Jeffrey R. Holland

"It is time to give ourselves to the Master and allow Him to lead us into fruitful fields where we can enrich a world filled with darkness and misery. Each of us, no matter who we are, no matter where we serve, must arise and make the most of each opportunity that comes."--Mary Ellen Smoot

"We cannot have faith without belief, but we can believe without having faith. Belief is the foundation of faith. Faith is trusting in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The scriptures contain many assurances of salvation to those who exercise faith and obey the commandments... Faith is the motivating force that impels action."--O. Leslie Stone

And my favorite:
"May I share with you a formula that in my judgment will help you and help me to journey well through mortality... First, fill your mind with truth; second, fill your life with service; and third, fill your heart with love."--Thomas S. Monson

History In The Making

Don’t move Baby Don’t move
Awww look at you I just want to take this in
The moonlight dancing off your skin
Our time, Lets take our time
I just want to look in your eyes and catch my breath
’Cause I just got a feeling

This could be one of those memories
We want to hold on to, cling to,
One we can’t forget
Baby, This could be our last first kiss
The door to forever
What if this was that moment
That chance worth taking
History in the making

Inside, baby inside
Can you feel the butterflies?
Floating all around
’Cause I can sure feel them now
Tonight, maybe tonight
Is a start of a beautiful ride
That will never end
And baby I’ve got a feeling

This could be one of those memories
We want to hold on to, cling to,
One we can’t forget
Baby, this could be our last first kiss
The door to forever
What if this was that moment
That chance worth taking
History in the making

Right here, right now
Holding you in my arms
**********************
Did I know the day I met Matt what would happen?
How could I have known? I wish I had taken pictures.
But taking pictures on your first date would seem super stalkerish hehe.
But I remember every single detail. From what we were both wearing, what we ordered at dinner, the smell of his cologne, and what he said to me after he kissed me goodnight.

Who knew that we would go from this:



To this:



And someday, this:
This is Bella, don't get any ideas! :)



It only took me a few days of spending time with this wonderful man to know that I wanted him to be a part of my life. Did I know that someday we'd be preparing to go to the Temple and be sealed for eternity? No, but after a short courtship... I began to pray that the would stay in my life for good. Our first date was spectacular, it was an evening I'll never forget. We didn't take a helicopter, or eat at a five star restaurant. We ate a simple dinner, and then drove out to Charlotesville to watch the sunset at Monticello. It was perfect. I should have known that he would steal my heart when I least expected it.

I pray that I can remember to savor each moment of each day.
History in the making...
Sorry to be such a cheese and a sap, but this darn song got me sobbing and thinking about our first date. I couldn't help it!

Never Ever Have I Ever!

I know you've played that game. It inevitably ends up with someone red faced and mortified.

I typically lose... miserably.

I was thinking about this game today and a few things that I will always be able to use, because I will never and have never participated in :)

Never Ever Will I Ever:

Wear socks with sandals
Eat sushi
Enjoy basketball
Drink the water in Mexico
Like Mondays
Eat Seafood
Say “Oh my heck”
Be an unfashionable mom
Go a week without wearing heels
Ride the “Drop Zone” (I’d like to keep my feet attached, thank you!)
Like scary movies
Stop loving the beach
Pee standing up
Drink Green Tea
Not be obsessed with Vampires
Enjoy my current job
Wear a white skirt with black undies lol
Have bare legs in public without a tan
Get on an airplane without a toothbrush
Be called “graceful”, unless it’s in jest
Wear white shoes/skirt/pants/shorts before Memorial, after Labor Day
Go more than a day without some sort of chocolate
Wear stirrup pants, I don’t care how ‘fashionable’ they are
Smoke a cigarette (or anything else for that matter)
Go a day without telling my husband I love him

That’s all I can think of for now. Any fun “never’s” you can think of??

My Favorite Things

Cream colored ponies and crisp apple streudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles...

Hehe just kidding. :) Although apple steudel sounds quite tempting right now...
I was just thinking of a few of my favorite things and thought I'd share. Enjoy!

The Cheesecake Factory

Yum, yum yum!! I couldn't even manage to choose a photo of just one thing,

because I LOVE it all!!! MMmmmm. Yum.

Vampires

Vampire Diaries, Twilight, True Blood, etc.

It may seem that I am obsessed with vampires, only slightly. I love all types of fantasy.

I thouroughly enjoyed "Hunger Games" and "City of Bones" as well.

Ok... I'm TOTALLY obsessed with vampiers. :)

Target

I could shop here for EVERYTHING.

Super Target is even better. Toothpaste, clothes, etc. You name it.

Books

I LOVE to read. Everything! And yes, the current ones have mostly been fantasy, or about vampires. Sue me! I love it.

Sunsets in Key Largo

Definitely one of my all time favorite moments.

It was spectacular. Life was perfect.



My New Shoes

They are RED (black are Jen's hehe)

I ADORE them and wear them every chance I get.

I LOVE new shoes. They are amazing!!

S'mores Goldfish

Perhaps these should be taken away from me.

It shouldn't be allowed for something so tiny and cute to be so amazingly delish. Yum.

My Phone
I would be lost without it. Sad I know, but it's my lifeline, my entertainment,
and I love it.

New York & CO.
The fact that I work across the hall 3-5 days a week is DANGEROUS for my wallet.
I LOVE this store. Their clothes are cute, modest, and work appropriate.
It makes me feel like an adult. On the outside at least. :)

Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy
Passport Tahiti-Island Mimosa
OMG this stuff is FABULOUS.
It smells so YUMMY. Definitely reminds me of the beach.
And who wouldn't want to be in Tahiti right now!?
PS. It's on SALE!!! B2G1 Free!
GLEE
Who would have thought I could love a show more than vampires?
It has been done.
Who wouldn't love mixing awkward high school years, adorable boys,
Journey, The Rolling Stones, and Wicked!?
I'm a GLEEK!

Bare Minerals

I don't walk out of the house without it on. It's like a miracle drug. For my face.

True Love.

Yankee Candle- Blueberry Scone

I am surrounded by candles at work. It's not half bad. Sometimes slightly overwhelming.

Every now and then I have to take a Benadryl or I'll sneeze all shift.

But whenever I walk past this baby... I MUST take a whiff.

YUM YUM YUM.

It smells amazing. I burn it at night, during the day, whenever I'm home.
And it makes me happy.

Isabelle Ann

This little girl is like a breath of fresh air.

She is the sweetest, most loving little one on the planet.

I adore her.

I could kiss those cheeks all day long.

-You know you want to too!-

Betty
Unconditional Love
Every day when I wake up, walk in the door, come back into the room, etc.
my furbaby is there and excited to see me.
Who wouldn't love waking up to puppy kisses?
She is the sweetest, most even tempered, playful, fabulous pup I've ever met.
She's my baby and I practically worship her.



last but not least
MATTHEW ALEXANDER ALT
This guy rocks my world.
He gives me butterflies.
AND the best kisses a girl could ask for.
He is definitley my favorite person.
He loves me, and that's all I could ask for,
but he gives so much more.
Every day I wake up and remember that this amazing man is in my life.
It makes me smile.
I LOVE HIM!!

When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad

I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don't feel so bad!!!!!!!!!!

Ouch

I am a klutz. I am always doing something to hurt myself. Random bruises, cuts, scrapes, falls, etc. I trip over flat surfaces (I did it again at work Friday night), I fall up (and down) stairs, I drop everything, and if it can be walked into, knocked over, or broken, it will be. Am I proud of this? No. I've learned to live with it and admit it. Typically when I go into the doctor, who knows me all too well... I can say, "I fell down the stairs, again" or "I shut the car door on my hand/foot/other body part" or "I was running backwards", etc. This time was different. My wrist has been killing me lately, but I couldn't remember a single incident/accident taking place.

As I sit on the table and the doctor asks me, "What happened?" I just have to say "I don't know" like a goober. I have moved on to a whole new level of klutziness... I don't even remember my injuries anymore.

And this is the result. Apparently, I have tendonitis. My wrist has just had too much work to do lately and has given up. It hurts... like HECK. The solution, a wrist brace, LOTS of Tylenol, ice, and funny exercises (in 2-3 weeks when I get the brace off).

And I don't even have a cool story to go along with it. It could be worse. It could be both wrists, AGAIN! :) -Told you I was a klutz.

A Work In Progress

I saw this the other day on ETSY and LOVED it.

I've seen a few others an have always wanted to get one. Unfortunately... they are about $50, plus personalization, PLUS shipping!! And since my budget doesn't allow for that much money for decorating... I decide to take it upon myself to make one.

Mind you, I'm no artist... and it needs a few more coats of paint, and a lot of edging. I probably should have chosen a font like the example that was easy... but why would I do something the easy way!?

Not to bad eh? :)