give

D&C 82:3 "For of him unto whom much is given much is required"


Following the example of Shannon, I have decided to come up with my own one little word for 2009. My word is GIVE.

I want to give more, and expect less.


From President Thomas S. Monson's talk Find Joy in the Journey:

"Send that note to the friend you’ve been neglecting; give your child a hug; give your parents a hug; say “I love you” more; always express your thanks. Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved. Friends move away, children grow up, loved ones pass on. It’s so easy to take others for granted, until that day when they’re gone from our lives and we are left with feelings of “what if” and “if only.” Said author Harriet Beecher Stowe, 'The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.'

"Said the Lord in a revelation given through the Prophet Joseph Smith, “In nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things.” May we be found among those who give our thanks to our Heavenly Father. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues."

As a family, Kent and I have been very, very blessed. This year I want to focus on giving. I hope to give warmth, give love, give good food, give thanks, give friendship, give time, and ultimately, I hope to end this year knowing that I have learned how to give myself.

One Word. Or actually a list of them.

1. Where is your cell phone? Desk
2. Where is your significant other? Phone
3. What is your hair? Shorter
4. Your mother? Loving
5. Your father? Faithful
6. Your favorite thing? Ocean
7. Your dream last night? Australia
8. Your favorite drink? Ovaltine
9. Your dream/goal? Mommy
10. The room you're in? Dining
11. Your fear? Aloneness
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Moving
13. Where were you last night? Driving
14. What you're not? Perfect
15. Muffins? Banana
16. One of your wish list items? SLR
17. Where did you grow up? Logan
18. The last thing you did? Homework
19. What are you wearing? Orange
20. Your TV? Off
21. Your pet? Nonexistant
22. Your computer? Noisy
23. Your life? Happy
24. Your mood? Content
25. Missing someone? Siblings
26. Your car? Dirty
27. Something you're not wearing? Socks
28. Favorite Store? Anthropologie
29. Your summer? Texas
30. Your favorite color? Green
31. When is the last time you laughed? Dinner
32. Last time you cried? Bedtime
33. Grateful for? Music
34. What did you have for dinner? Lasagna
35. What is your posture? Cross-legged

50 Things

Kent had an assignment for one of his classes to make a list of "50 things to do before I die." I was having so much fun helping him think of things for his list that I made my own.

I'm pretty sure I won't complete everything on this list, but it's fun to think about. Some of these are silly, some are serious, but they are all part of the
50 Things I want to do before I die:

1. See my children married in the Temple
2. Build our own home
3. Grow a flower garden
4. Learn to paint
5. Take a dance class with Kent
6. See the Tour de France
7. Go to Cancun
8. See the Northern Lights
9. Swim with dolphins
10. Eat New York pizza
11. Go to a Josh Groban concert
12. Ride in a gondola in Venice
13. Go in a hot air balloon
14. Take a cruise
15. Do the Church History Tour
16. Try sushi
17. Ride a camel
18. Eat fish and chips in England
19. Publish a novel
20. Shower in a waterfall
21. Stay in an overwater bungalow in Tahiti
22. Go to Jerusalem
23. Catch a firefly
24. Raft the Grand Canyon
25. Help build a house for charity
26. Try escargot
27. Freeze my own corn
28. Decorate our home and be happy with it
29. Visit the Neuwanschtein Castle
30. Stay in a quaint village in the Swiss Alps
31. Experience weightlessness
32. Play chess in Central Park
33. See New England in the fall
34. Watch a buffalo stampede
35. Use a biodegradeable fuel source
36. Ride a galloping horse
37. Make a real patchwork quilt
38. Learn to play the violin
39. Watch a butterfly hatch
40. Stay a night in the Disney Castle
41. Go to a drive in movie
42. Get an SLR camera and learn how to use it
43. Stay in a yurt
44. Take in a needy family and help them get back on their feet
45. Find an ancestor to do temple work for
46. Make a wedding cake
47. Go on a zipline course
48. Take our children camping at Tony Grove
49. Attend an olympic event
50. Travel with our family at least once a year

What is something that would be on your list? (Kent is still trying to finish his list; he'd love to hear some of your ideas).

Christmas 2008

Here are those pictures I promised. Sorry it has taken me so long. School started in a whirlwind; we had come back here thinking classes started on Thursday, but they actually started Wednesday, and I've been a day behind ever since.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Ahhh...

Christmas break was so relaxing, so peaceful, and so refreshing that I really didn't spend much time on the computer at all. Which means I didn't blog. Which means I am now behind about three weeks.

So, our break in a nutshell:

• Our anniversary vacation was incredible. We ate great food, played hard, saw the sights, and tried to avoid death at Brennekes beach while boogie boarding.
• We were back in Utah on Christmas Eve, and we spent the next few days at my parents' house. Christmas day was absolutely perfect. We got some fun presents, which I will blog about when I unpack and take pictures.
• Then, because we certainly hadn't traveled enough yet, we drove to California to spend New Years with Kent's parents and brothers. I'm so glad we got to see them all. On the way home, we stayed one night with Sam and Heidi and then another night with Kent's grandpa. We also got to see my Grandma and Grandpa Wood along the way. All those stops made for a VERY long drive, but it was totally worth it.
• Now, we're back in Rexburg. And by back I mean we're so back that we slid on the ice trying to get in the driveway and almost got stuck in a snowbank. We braved the crowds at our one and only grocery store, and we have been huddled under as many blankets as we could find for the entire day because our apartment was SO cold when we got here. Oh boy. Twelve more weeks. Twelve more weeks.

Okay, I need to go get some more hot chocolate and find some way to get the feeling back into my toes. We turned the oven on earlier today just so we could stand in front of it and warm up. I'll post pictures and stuff soon. I promise.

Happy Anniversary!

I made breakfast for us to eat on our balcony.

We went on a kayak and hiking adventure. It's been raining really hard here lately, so the rivers were all very high. This is Kent trying to ford one of them.
All of that rain also means TONS of mud!

Kent enjoying a slice of Hula Pie after our dinner at Keoki's.

One year together and still loving every minute!

This is for Sarah

And Dad, and Mom, and Josh, and Jonah, and Nathan.

I took a bite for each one of you. Could you taste it?

Christmas break begins.

• Friday: Finished up last of classes, presentations, and projects. Sold textbooks. Came home and almost didn't know what to do with myself without homework to work on. I got over that feeling pretty quickly, though.


• Saturday: Slept in (!). Bought treats for our vacation. Braved a snowstorm while running erands. Started packing. Attended the Ward Christmas party, and found someone to give our tree to.Goodbye tree! We'll miss you. But it's fun knowing that someone else will have a happier Christmas now. Vacation, here we come!!