I'm a big girl now!

My beautiful girl is growing up SOOOO fast!!!

A lot has happened with Angela since the last time I posted about her!!

Where to begin????

We started feeding her solids. Jim is hilarious and dare I say, has a phobia of feeding her. haha I think it is just the typical baby flings food and spits it, and as brave as he is....doesn't wanna mess with that! haha We started her with pears...and I was definitely afraid that she wouldn't like her veggies after having fruit. But sure enough! she LOVES her veggies! It is so funny! So far she has had carrots, peas, green beans, squash, sweet potatoes, pears, and bananas. The only one she did not care for was bananas. Unfortunately, bananas were pretty much

what I stocked up on. Go figure. BUT a friend from home (Christy Wardle) send me a recipe for banana bread, using baby food! And it is pretty good!

She is not completely crawling yet, but she is not slow by any means. She hasn't figured out her hands and how they work with her legs. Resulting in a *scoot, scoot, flop* motion to get where she wants to go. Including, exploring the bathroom, her bedroom, and our bedroom. Once while I was in the kitchen baking, it got a little too quiet for comfort. When I went to see what she was doing, I didn't see her! Come to find out, she went into the bathroom and in her shuffle to get all the way in, shut the door. Well, when I went to get her out, she was too close to the door for me to open it. I stayed calm because there wasn't anything where she could get to, but for about 5 minutes I had to sit there slowly opening the door to see if she had moved yet. *All ended well :-)

She LOVES to find cords around the house. Luckily, we don't have many

out where she can get to, but every once in a while when we aren't completely focused on her, the cord will be pulled out of the laptop and suddenly go dark. It is actually pretty funny,

but we try to discourage her from doing so.

She LOVES her walks! She knows when she is put in the stroller

that she is going for a walk and will sit there patiently looking at the door. Unl

ess she is there for too long, then she'll squeal about it until she is either taken out, or the stroller starts moving. She also loves grass. She doesn't like to eat it, which is nice, but she likes to crawl and sit in it.

For the first time she reached out and actually pushed away from mommy to get to daddy. It made Jim feel pretty special. And seeing his face light up because she really wanted him made me smile really big! and it was so dang cute!

She LOVES to give mommy sweet kisses

She LOVES to give REALLY big slobbery kisses too!

And she can be pretty serious for a sweet girl sometimes.

We are doing better than we think we are, but we could be doing better

This was pretty much the theme of our Regional Conference. It was a great session! I was so glad that I could make it!

Julie B. Beck repeated, "You are doing better than you think you are doing." I took it to mean that these times are hard and trying. We have to work hard to stay out of the "flow" of the world. We recognize our inadequacies more frequently and more easily than others might.

She followed up by saying,"...but you could be doing better." Oh how true this is! I have realized lately just that. I'm doing pretty well when it comes to staying on the straight and narrow, but oh boy could I be doing better!

We went to the temple a while back and as I was in there, I remembered just how much is not right in my life. I am still a worthy and righteous member, but there are things in my life that I know I need to change.

I have such a testimony of repentance. I am so thankful that the Lord, Jesus Christ died for me. Were it not for him I would not be able to make it back to my Heavenly Father. I am so happy that our Father in Heaven knew that we would make mistakes, and does not think any less of us because of the mistakes we have made or will make. He made it possible to repent and to essentially start over because He loves us, and WANTS us to return to Him again. I am so grateful for a forgiving and caring God, who is aware of my needs and weaknesses.

I know that as we approach the trials of life, we need to rely on Him. Look to Him. I especially know that when asked, He will help us find the strength to fight through and make it back to Him.

For those of you who are having a hard time...remember...you are doing better than you think you are. I know that God loves you. I love you. Keep the Faith. It is never too late to get back on track.

Come thou Fount....ain ;-)

My sweet husband has wanted a fountain....for a LONG time. :-) I have too, but I never really put a lot of effort into finding one.

While we were at a Stephensen family reunion, Jim saw this fountain that is copper colored and has leaves that the water flows down from. It was really dusty a

nd cost $5. So Jim asked if we could get it, and of course being the loving wife I am, I said if it was something that he would like to have, sure. So....he bought it. Only to find out that it didn't work...haha. Ain't that a kick in the head... he looked so sad when he realized the fountain had no way to plug it in, but honored his purchase (of course from my family...haha) and took it home.

I don't think I have ever seen someone so determined to make something work in my life! It was adorable! He went to several stores to find the right cord and every time we found out the cord was $20. With that you can just buy a new fountain. Not worth it.

One day Jim came home and was REALLY excited! He tells me he found a cord at work that is the right one for the fountain!! :-D sure enough...IT WAS!! so he cleaned it off and with some helpful guidance from me, we got the fountain working right. I swear he glowed about it! I still catch him staring at it, and for a while he just kept saying..."I did it...I like our fountain...Its so pretty."

...like I said...HE IS ADORABLE! That must be where Angela gets her cuteness from too! ;-)

So now we have a fountain with pretty, shiny rocks in the bottom

that greet the water cascading down from leaf to leaf. He is so proud of his work, and I'm so proud of my honey.

Finished product. This lovely serene fountain now adorns our dining table.

Night vision ;-)

Its my life!

So, lately I've had a lot on my mind. I haven't felt the best about myself or my mothering. However, I know that with help from the Lord, I will have abilities beyond my own. It is a promise in my patriarchal blessing. I know that as life continues I will learn from my mistakes and from my children. I hope that I will be able to teach them what they need to know.

As I was thinking about some of the things that I NEED to teach our children, it became very real to me that my life will NEVER be the same. What occupies my mind and thoughts has completely changed, and I sincerely hope that it will never have the chance to become like it used to, either.

I realized that I have alot of responsibilities now. I need to do what I can to better my knowledge (spiritual and otherwise) in order to teach my children what they need or want to know.

As I think on how my life has changed I tend to dwell on what I never did. It feels as though it haunts me.

There were a lot of things that I wanted to do and other things that I loved doing but for some reason or another, I stopped...Like camping, hiking, canoeing, skiing, sewing, singing, my violin, swimming, biking, cross-stitching, soccer, softball, poetry, piano...

I would love to say that I am a sporty girl...I really would. However, truth be told, I'm not. I would like to be, but I'm not. I am quite confident in saying that the reason I'm not is because of my physical limitations.

Oh the physical limitations...what a joke! WHO SETS THOSE????? HA! Who sets ANY limitations on me????

I DO.

All of that stuff I never did or stopped doing...its because of myself. I chose to stop. And better yet...who says I can't do that now that I have a family? NO ONE! so I've decided...I'm gonna do it! I'm gonna do all that I can. Time to stop living in the past about what I never did...or stopped doing...its time to take control of my life!

WHILE THINKING OF THIS...A SONG COMES TO MIND...

This ain't a song for the brokenhearted
No silent prayer for the faith departed
And I ain't gonna be just a face in the crowd
You're gonna hear my voice when I shout it out loud

It's my life
It's now or never
I ain't gonna live forever
I just wanna live while I'm alive

(It's my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said, "I did it my way"
I just wanna live while I'm alive
'Cause it's my life

This is for the ones who stood their ground
For Tommy and Gina who never backed down
Tomorrow's getting harder, make no mistake
Luck ain't even lucky, gotta make your own breaks

It's my life
And it's now or never
I ain't gonna live forever
I just wanna live while I'm alive

(It's my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said, "I did it my way"
I just wanna live while I'm alive
'Cause it's my life

You better stand tall
When they're calling you out
Don't bend, don't break
Baby, don't back down

It's my life
It's now or never
'Cause I ain't gonna live forever
I just wanna live while I'm alive

(It's my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said, "I did it my way"
I just wanna live while I'm alive

(It's my life)
And it's now or never
I ain't gonna live forever
I just wanna live while I'm alive

(It's my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said, "I did it my way"
I just wanna live while I'm alive

'Cause it's my life!

I started today. I'm getting in shape! Angela and I walked Jim to work. I've decided that I need to pretend that I don't have a car, while weather permits anyways. That way I walk every where! And walk my way back to size 12!! or smaller :-) I didn't complain even once! haha! GO ME!!!

I'll try to keep ya updated!

Sewing :-)

For the last 6 activities in Relief Society we have done sewing and craft projects. It has made me realize that despite that I love to sew by hand...I'm pretty sure I like using a sewing machine more. :-)

I've decided that that will be our next "big purchase". It would definitely benefit us as a family. I could finally patch Jim's jeans that have been sitting on the dresser for the last 3 months, and make the curtains for the baby's room and the bathroom. Sadly we will probably be saving for it until next year...Oh well.

Here are some pics of the project we just recently did...its a froggie baby towel

Photography Studio

I was thinking that I regret not going to get professional photos of Angela when she was a newborn. I love seeing the sweet pictures of newborns, but when we had her, our life got so hectic that I didn't take the time to do it. So I decided to get in touch with my photography side...
She is also growing so fast, and I want to get pictures of her in the outfits that she will soon grow out of...
I took a big pink blanket and pinned it halfway on the wall and draped the rest on the table. (Pic Above) Some shots turned out pretty good..

We don't have the an impressive professional camera so I had to make due. These are my favorites :-)

I thought these ones were just funny...I guess you could call them the bloopers :-P

On a side note, we got the 3rd time she rolled over on video! she is so dang cute!

Love has everything to do with it!

I am constantly being amazed at how my love grows. Just when I think I couldn't possibly love something or someone more, my joy and love increases yet again.

My heart swells as I am reminded of all the blessings in my life. I feel so over come with love and appreciation for what I have, words cannot adequately portray what I feel.

I have a beautiful daughter who loves her mom and dad, and we love her so very much. She gives big slobbery kisses and I love every one of them...even when that kiss suddenly turns into a spit up waterfall right down my shirt. I love that she loves to cuddle, and when she yells out so I think she is done with her nap, so I go get her, and she falls asleep right in my arms. I love that she knows who I am, and I love that she lets me paint her toe nails. :-) I love it when she smiles and her eyes sparkle. Her entire countenance shines so bright..(*even when she is upset...) I couldn't have asked for a better baby. She is so sweet and I love her so much.

You know those moments when your mom says how much she loves you and you just won't understand until you have your own...well...I had that moment. Every morning I wake up to feed her, and she is lying in my arms, I can't help but think, "Wow, you are my daughter, and I never thought I could love someone so much." and each morning my love and appreciation for her increases.

Of course I thought the same thing when I was dating Jim. I didn't think I could ever have feelings of love so strong for someone. Then we got engaged and my love for him increased even more! I couldn't believe it! Then...we got married, and my love increased exponentially.

I am so blessed to have a loving husband who would do anything to provide for his family and drop everything when we need him. He always knows just what to do. Ironically, he doesn't always consciously know what I'm feeling or how I'm feeling or why I'm feeling the way that I am...but he always does what I secretly want him to do but am too timid to mention it. There are several examples of this:

When I have a nightmare, and wake up in a jolt, I'll just lay there with my eyes open, afraid to go back to sleep for fear that the nightmare would continue. Then to my surprise Jim rolls over and puts his arms around me, pulls me in close and whispers over and over, "It's okay sweetheart. I'm here. Shhh. It's okay. Go back to sleep." So sweet. The best part: he is usually asleep when he does it, so he doesn't remember the next day.

When I feel like I'm an inadequate mother or wife, He'll come sit next to me and look into my eyes and say, "You know you are an amazing mom right?....because you are. And an amazing wife." or "Have I mentioned that I love you and you amaze me?...because you do"

When I felt sad or angry and didn't know why, and I just secretly wanted him to hold me and let me cry, but had other things to do...so I was washing the dishes and cooking, Jim came up behind me, put his arms around me and didn't say a word. Just held me. That was all he needed to do, all I would have asked for.

I couldn't have asked for a better man suited for me. We are 100% honest and open with one another. If I have a question, I can ask. If I have a concern, I can tell him. Sure there have been hard times, but we've worked through them together. With help from our Father in Heaven, we will make it with flying colors!

Knowing that I have the blessing of being with him for eternity is the biggest comfort to me. Even more so, knowing I have an eternity with our little family...

They mean the world to me. And I am so thankful that The Lord loves us enough to bless us with each other.