talking about the weather

spring is upon us & i couldn't be happier.
march is [by far] my favorite month in arizona.

time to put away the sweaters, bask in the sun, indulge in a pedicure, cut off the jeans into shorts, dig in the dirt, eat dinners on the patio, watch the flowers & vegetables grow, take bike rides & walks, celebrate both of my babies' birthdays & do my best to prepare for dreaded swimsuit season. ;)

i heart spring.

quote of the day

"Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love."

-Martin Luther King, Jr.

chloe's valentines found via
amazing quote found via

wish book

i love composition books.
who doesn't? i mean-they are so happy.
and, like 99 cents.

i collect them,
sloppily decoupage something on the front,
write my thoughts in them,
and then
throw them out when the ideas therein no longer serve me.

i like having a place to brainstorm,
take notes,
problem solve,
& count my {many} blessings-
old-school, pen-to-paper style.

one of my simple pleasures in life, for sure. ♥

hooked on a feeling

{photo via}

9 years ago today,
myron & i went on a date as best friends
and pretty much confessed our
undying/unexpected/surprise love for one another.

happiest night EVER!

...but those fond memories [don't even compare]
to the contentment i feel knowing that we've
enjoyed almost a decade together
& have {forever} to look forward to.

trust me when i say- this man puts up with a lot living with me,
and i love him {with all my heart} for it.

happy valentines to

the most hilarious guy i know,
the most kindhearted & tender daddy,

and the most perfect-husband-for-me.

love you. ♥

i always did love rollercoasters

{via}

i am a deep feeling person.
i am an extremely emotional person.

i mean, i think we've established that
over the last 964 posts on this blog, haven't we?

to quote this hilarious girl, "if i'm not between a 3 and a 7 on the emotional scale...i'm crying"....haha, it's true!

my oversensitivity has been both my gift & my demise in life.

i've gone through days of drama.
and days of clarity.
times i was proud of who i am.
and days i've really struggled.

and let's get real:
i still have my highs & lows...

but the rollercoaster ride is becoming a little less terrifying,
a little more in control...
with {just enough} thrill and unexpected turns and twists,
to be exciting & leave me wanting more.

it's true that i've spent a lot of wasted time wishing i were something else.
i've spent a lot of wasted time punishing myself for being less than my expected standard.
i've spent a lot of wasted time fretting & worrying & stressing & obsessing.
i've spent a lot of wasted time feeling jealous and frustrated.

i'd say it's a shame.
but it's really not to me.

through painful moments,
i've gained spiritual strength and perspective.

truth is,
i am human.
so are you.
so is the president of the united states.
so is the drunk guy panhandling on jefferson & 1st.
we are all children of god.

we are all beautiful, divine, spiritual creations of an all-knowing, all-loving god.
and we all make mistakes, too.
we all have fears.
we all have "stuff."
some peoples' "stuff" is more noticeable & obvious than other peoples' "stuff."
but we all have it.

my hope for this week,
[and the rest of my life for that matter]
is that i can keep my lens focused in that perspective.

because i am human, i am going to fall short.
because you are human, you are too.
*but, i can forgive myself & others.

{caution: scripture time!}
For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?

i love that, because i believe we do:
we all rely on the same god, who loves us each completely & individually.

it is him who lessens the fear, and smooths the rough spots & holds my hand through the scary parts of the rollercoaster.

and i've learned, the more i seek his support, the less frightening and more exhilarating the ride!

my baby

the hubs & i have been cleaning out
& organizing the garage:
[#25 on this year's bucket list]
& we found a bunch of baby stuff.

livy discovered this binky...
and she misses it terribly.
BOTH of my girls have been OBSESSED with their binkies.

we took pictures to be silly & then i threw it away.
*i think that made both of us a little sad.

my complete trust is in {the lord's plan & timing}
for when [it might] be right to expand my family...

but, in the meantime, can't little libs just stay a baby for a while longer?

*pretty please?
♥

paint it black

several months ago,
the very talented michael fretz
{the stepfatherinlaw}
painted the exterior of my home.

he painted the door black as well & i {loves} it.
but it's been [needing] a happy little wreath since i took christmas down.

i adore houndstooth.
i don't care if it's already out of style/if it goes out of style...
cause it makes me happy.

i also like simple.
i am a minimalist at heart,
{though i'm also extremely ADD with my taste}
so sometimes i like over-the-top, too.
*i was in a simple mood when i made this...
can you tell? ;)

supplies for this insanely easy craft project-
purchased at the greatest store ever,
ETC
[formerly known as scrapbooks etc.]
did you hear about the name change?
ETC stands for EVERY THING CRAFT...
{because}
in addition to being paper craft heaven,
we also carry the yummiest fabric,
to die for homemade gifts
& other ridiculously awesome crafting supplies.
still a scrapbook store, just better!

have i mentioned how much i love my job?
*that's right, i have. :)

k, loveyou, bye.

smart man/smart words

{via}

remember my post about president hinckley?
i miss him.
i saw this quote on pinterest & i loved it.
he was a wise, witty man, and i will always be grateful for him.

“Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he’s been robbed. The fact is that most putts don’t drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to just be people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. Life is like an old time rail journey …delays…sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling burst of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.” ― Gordon B. Hinckley