Candid Shots

My kids are funny.  They say funny things...they do funny things.  Here are my two cute owls...a friend of ours made them these hats for them and they are forever in love Macey even sleeps with hers on.  Don't worry I remove it after she falls asleep.

Then there is Buddy.  Dear sweet Buddy.  Yes that is a cracker with divinity on it.  His two favorite loves in life crackers and candy.

And last but not least ever since Macey saw a friend of mine carrying around Baby Logan in a carrier she is obsessed with finding ways to carry her baby just like my friend.  At first she was using my pilate bands which ingeniously she figured out how to tie it around her so her baby would fit.  Now we've graduated to my extra cut fabric.

Goal Review

It's getting close to that time of the year where people make their new year resolutions (don't worry I'm not skipping over Christmas).  I made my list at the beginning of the year but I didn't share them with you my blog readers.  I did that on purpose so I wasn't held to any standard of being guilted for not doing any of them.  Instead I'm celebrating the ones I actually did accomplish and I will finally share them with you.  Some of them I had posted on previous blog posts so sorry if there is any repeats.  I have pics for a few but for the rest hopefully I'll be able to write a little about them.

First...

1.  One of my goals was just to get my twin 7 year quilt top just quilted.  I even did one better I even did the binding!  It truly is a miracle.  I can't tell you what a relief it was to be able to cross that one off my list

2.  Finish Maryn's Lullaby Book.  I had finished earlier in the year and I actually got the thing printed off.  The kids love these books.  I'm tempted to buy another set because they use them so much just so I can preserve the originals.

3.  Get window coverings for the kitchen, play room and Buddy's room.  And I went a step further and got a set of curtains for the family room upstairs.

4.  A few summers ago I had my niece stay with me and we had a lovely time.  I purposely took pictures of all the temples we visited and there was a lot because I knew I wanted to do something for her.  I was able to make a book for her.  Unfortunately I don't have pics of that one.

5.  Finish Baby Blankie for friend in Idaho.  I'm a little behind what can I say her son was pretty old by the time he got it but I got it finished.

6.  Make Tiger letters for a young woman in my ward.  These turned out awesome...again no pics.  There was this young girl who her Dad just rocks and he surprised his oldest daughter by working like a madman and painted her room her favorite colors and her Mom decorated it in Tigers.  I made Tiger letters for her name just because.

7.  Exercise to prepare for surgery...well the surgery hasn't happened and I'm holding off but I kept my end of the bargain my exercising and I'm proud of myself because this can be difficult and tiring to do day in and day out.  I'm not always on the ball but I've kept with it and haven't let myself go more than 7 days at a time without getting back on track.

8.  Do something Amazing.  I wrote this down because I was feeling very low at the time I was making my list and felt like I couldn't change things at that point in time where I was at but I didn't expect to actually to fulfill it.  I wrote 2 songs this year.  I wish to be able to share them with you sometime.  Hopefully sooner than later.  I hope to even write more and when I get enough I'm going to record them in a studio and give them to my children.

So, there is my list!  Now for the rest of the list...well I'm going to roll those over into the New Year...probably add on quite a few.  I keep my list out so I can have something to work towards because sometimes I feel like I'm treading water in the same place but if I can look back at what I've done it gives me a little confidence that I'm moving forward somewhat.

Happy Phone Call

I got a happy phone call last night that I'm sad that I missed because it was my brother.  Now I was expecting him to call today with news that there was a new baby girl in the family but SURPRISE to me the baby was a day earlier then I originally thought.  I'm SOOO excited for them and the reason why your new Auntie missed your call because I was in the basement working on your gift!  Shhhh don't tell your Mommy and Daddy but it's going to be so cute!  I'm only done with half so hopefully I can finish the rest quickly.  I've decided working with ladybugs are a lot of fun and they are growing on me.  So happy for my new darling niece Holly Noel....hopefully I spelled that right.  This is one of those days where I wish I had facebook because they posted all their pictures of her for the whole world to see except me.  I wish I could be there to hold you...I send you all my love from Utah.

Right Place, Right Time

This weekend I had the rare chance to go to the mall...by myself.  And WOW I felt out of place.  Go back 13 years I probably would have paid better attention to what I wore and actually did my hair but my mission was to get Christmas dresses and get out.  Even if it meant I hadn't showered for the day, had no make up on and looked kind of like a frumpy mom.  I know I've let myself go but that has nothing to do with the story.

Anyway, I go to the mall and I am just not finding anything in jcp and I always find my dresses there.  Everything was really picked over after Black Friday.  So I ventured out to the other half of the mall and as I was walking for some reason I kept passing this young gentleman over and over again.  I love to people watch and for some reason something seemed different about this guy.  As I was making my way down the mall I passed him about 4 times in a 20 minute period and by this time I had made the full circle of the mall still coming up empty handed.  What struck me as odd was this guy was walking  back and forth while holding this little pink jacket but no little kids were around.  Matt called me at that time and asked me if I had gotten lost and I said no I'm just making my way back to the car when at that moment I turned and decided to see what boots they had a famous footwear.  When I walked into the store I tried not to overhear a conversation but listened in anyways.  Two little girls were found and at that moment they were calling security.  I know first hand what it feels like to lose your kid in the mall.  It's the most heart wrenching, gut dropping feeling and in the meanwhile of trying to find them you will think of every possibility of what could have happened to them and most of them are not good.

So, I preceded to making something that probably wasn't my business, my business.  I went to the store employee that had the children and asked if I could talk to the girls because there was a man walking back and forth.  I asked the little girl, probably about Macey's age, if her Daddy was wearing a white jacket and she said yes.  Then I asked her if she was wearing a pink jacket today and she said yes.  I told the employee that I would be back I think I know who her Dad is.  I quickly left the store and as I turned out of the store I saw the guy.  He just turned in the opposite direction so I started running to catch up to him.  It was obvious now to me he looking for something or someone.  I finally caught up to him and was wondering what to say and I just called out "Sir, are you looking for your children?"  He stopped dead in his tracks and gasped YES and I told him I know where they are.  He had tears in his eyes and you could see relief over his face as we quickly walked back and he said he had alerted security but had been searching for them for 20 minutes but his phone wasn't working to receive the call if they had found them.  I walked him back half way with him until I could see the kids and he ran to them.  I made sure he got to them and I walked away.  I can't help feeling I was in the right place and the right time.  I'm sure eventually he would've been united with them but maybe the ordeal would've been longer.  At least I was able to shorten that time of his worry.

I had just recently changed my prayers as of late asking to let me be of more help to those around me and I have noticed that more than one opportunity has come up.  It's nothing earth changing, just little things.  It strengthens my faith that maybe he really is listening to my prayers and he hasn't abandoned me as sometimes I feel.  It's been a very lonely road these past couple years and maybe he was waiting for me to be available again to help others out.