This guy

He's been my Valentine for the last twenty-two years. I'm the luckiest.

DARE graduation

 

This stud graduated from the DARE program today and I loved being
there and cheering him on. I'm so thankful for such great people willing
to teach my kids about good choices and doing the right thing. 

Love our incredible boy and his good heart and awesome self.

What matters most

I really love how hard my kids are willing to work, how they excel at school, how they want
to do their best, how their inherited their dad's genius mind. But nothing matters to me more
than their kindness to others and to themselves. Nothing. We're not perfect at it, but we keep
trying. Because it is just really, really important. And this little note of recognition that Nate
brought home from his teachers makes me so grateful that he knows it does make a difference.

Keep being kind, my sweet boy. The world needs it.
And God sees it. And is so very grateful.

Her last high school dance

Just a few days late in posting about this beautiful girl being asked to
her last high school dance. Prom to be exact. I just cannot believe she has
so few months left before she will graduate. Time just keeps on flying.
And Annie just keeps on being amazing and darling. I adore her so much.

Surgery, socks and gorgeous selfies

What an exciting day. Because nothing says "let's get this party started" more than a pair of
this lovely and fashionable footwear. Jealously, thy name is Linn Allen's blog followers.

And when you are already blessed with a nose of the larger variety, nothing
like an invasive sinus/deviated septum surgery to make it swell to even greater
heights. Or widths. Yee to the Haw. Attractive, thy name is yours truly.

And now, bring on your best mustache joke. Or I'll take any clean humor. I'm clearly not in a position
to be picky. Feel free to send them my way through email or text or carrier pigeon. Please and thanks.
Because I could use a few laughs (mostly some calm chuckles, says the middle of my face), as I lay
here in my loopy state, grateful to have this surgery over and anxious to have the healing complete.
So while I am impatiently waiting... Entertainment, thy name is all you funny people. Thanks friends!

Forty and three

I'm just so grateful and overwhelmed with today and the kindness of so many around me.
I literally received dozens of texts and phone calls and emails and IG messages. It absolutely blew
me away that it just kept coming and coming and coming. And then there was the surprise visit
from two of my siblings, my dad who came by after his shift at the temple, the videos and messages
from several of my sisters-in-law and a brother-in-law, a phone call from Jacob's grandma, two other
of my siblings and my sister-in-law who wanted me to know they were thinking of me, a phone
call from my in-laws and multiple friends who came to my door just to give me a hug and a treat.
I'm just so humbled and touched, I don't know how to tell you all thank you enough.

And how could I ever properly share how Jacob and my kids treated me today? Each of our
middle four kids wrote me a sweet message that made me emotional. While our youngest
little love sent me on a treasure hunt, following paw prints along the way, with a treat at
the end. And my missionary boy called for a few minutes to thank me for being his
mom and so that he and his companion could sing to me in Portuguese I'm teary
even thinking about everything my kids did. I can't believe I get to be their mom.

And my incredible husband. Where do I begin? His sweetness and goodness to me has always
been ridiculous, but today, it was about fourteen steps beyond that. I wish I could share just
how loved he made me feel, how thoughtful every gift he gave me was, how often he asked
what else he could do to make my birthday the best ever. I don't deserve him. But I thank my
Father in Heaven every single day that I have the privilege of being married to Jacob Allen.

Thank you dear friends and my incredible family! I am just so honored to know you and to
be a part of your lives. Thank you for making this silly little birthday of mine such a big
deal. I'm so grateful and blown away by how you chose to treat an old lady on this cold
winter day. I don't know how I could be so blessed, but I do know I'm surely the luckiest.

I love these three so much

These three chicklets aced their parent teacher conferences. Again. To any kind
soul who gives me any portion of credit for how amazing they are, I say,
"They came this way. I just try to stay out of their way and watch them soar."

A play in one act

This darling girl had closing night for her One Act play yesterday and was honestly
just incredible during every performance. The whole cast was amazing, the director
was fabulous and our Annie was absolutely hilarious. It was a fun few nights
and I truly never tire of seeing this girl on stage, completely in her element.

Our boy

Next to the sweetness and goodness of watching our darling Nate be baptized and receive
the gift of the Holy Ghost, the part of his special day that meant the most to me was that
our oldest received special permission to call in, listen and be a part of this memorable
family event. I loved it so much. And love this missionary boy of ours even more.

I think it was hard on all of us not to have Campbell here for such an important day in our
family. Yet, he is exactly where he should be. Teaching others that God loves them deeply and
unconditionally and that the Savior made it possible for each of us to be a family, not just for this life,
but for eternity. I'm so proud of him. And miss him so much. But mostly, I'm just so proud of him.

Yesterday

A few more photos from yesterday. It meant so much to have such
incredible support from family--so many aunts, uncles, cousins and
grandparents. We are so blessed. And our Nathan boy is so very loved.

Nate's special day

This sweet, sweet boy made the decision today to be baptized a member of
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and to receive the incredible
gift of the Holy Ghost, to always be with him as he strives to live a worthy
life and follow our Savior and Redeemer. I'm so filled with gratitude for
his sweetness and light, for his brilliant mind and his outstanding heart.
It was a beautiful day that left me overwhelmed with thankfulness and love
for my Father in Heaven, my Savior, Jesus Christ and my wonderful life.

They're home!

Sunset chasers

He is always willing to chase a sunset with me. I really love it. Mostly, I really love him.

My favorite books of 2019

Well, it is still January (barely) and I didn't forget to write about my favorite reads from this past year. And considering the month we have had at our house, that is a little miraculous in my book. (See what I did there? Nice pun, Linn Allen.)

So without further ado, here we go.

Oh wait, I forgot some further ado. I don't know why 2019 was a weird year for me and reading books. I finished thirty-one books (not terrible, but definitely not great) and for some reason, I just wasn't feeling it like normal. So while there are several books I would recommend, nothing stands out in a huge way. Except the first one. My absolute favorite. Forever and for always.

The Book of Mormon
I love this book with all of my heart. It changes me every single time I read it. And I've shared a lot on this blog about my deep feelings and gratitude for this book. But this post still touches my heart and soul in a way I can't convey. God is so kind and so loving and so good. And giving His children this incredible book is such a huge evidence of that kindness and love and goodness. I'm so thankful.

The Promise of Dawn, A Breath of Hope, A Season of Grace
I just really love historical fiction books. And this series is no exception. I read all three of these books this year and just loved them. I'm a huge fan of the author and love that her books hold my interest and are so clean and well written. And as a bonus of sorts, in the process of writing this paragraph, I needed to look these books up, to remind myself of their sequence in the series. And just discovered the fourth book is out and waiting for me. Seriously?! What a fun surprise. You can guarantee it will be listed on that right sidebar in short order.

The Hired Girl
I loved the story, the writing and the idea behind this book. It was a good one for sure.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
This was a cheesy, quick read. And I liked it. Sometimes I just want to be able to be entertained in my reading, without having to think too much. This book fit the bill.

What the Wind Knows
On the other hand, this book took a lot of thought. Which was good for me, but apparently hard on my 2019 brain. So while I really loved it, I want to warn anyone who would like to read it that it includes a lot of history from the time period. And some of it was fabulous and interesting and I truly enjoyed it. But some of it was also a lot and long and a lot. At least to me. But this book was good enough that it felt worth it and I can definitely recommend it.

The Girl with Seven Names
I am beyond fascinated with North Korea. I have been for as long as I can remember. And this book made me even more so. I still can't comprehend what life is like for some people living in certain nations, but I'm grateful to have a little more insight and to feel so thankful for my own life. And so impressed with those who work and fight and conquer really hard situations and experiences and lives.

Okay friends, there you are. An interesting year of reading, but a year of reading nonetheless. And that second part is what matters to me. Because I love books something crazy. And have a feeling this current year will bring back my groove as I spend time doing one of my favorite hobbies in the world.

Happy reading darling people!

PS. For a list of other books I recommend, here are the links to past favorites:

2011        2012        2013        2014

2015        2016        2017        2018

Talent and beauty

 

Ack, isn't she the cutest? And the most talented? I mean, can you believe these posters and
the banner she created for the upcoming plays at her high school? Seriously folks, this child
of mine blows me away. And the fact that this gigantic banner, of her creation, will be hanging
over our Main Street makes me so ridiculously happy. Nothing is too grand for this girl.

But like her dad, she just shrugs her shoulders at her incredibleness and acts like it is
ordinary. Don't get me wrong, she loves to see her work printed out professionally, but she
doesn't have a clue how gifted she is and that her talent is off the charts. But you'd better
believe I'll keep telling her. Because seriously, isn't she the cutest? And the most talented?

Sun Valley ski trip

Over a long weekend earlier this month, Matt went with his good friend's family,
plus a few other of his buddies, to Sun Valley. He really loved it. I'm so glad he could go
and have a great time. That boy of mine is a huge fan of skiing. And I'm a huge fan of him.

The coolest

This morning Jacob had a really long run planned and it would have been a bit much for Denali to
join him the entire time. So I drove her up to meet him for the couple of hours he planned to spend on
the trails, having her skip the several miles from our home to the mountains. As they took off toward
the trailhead, I just happened to snap this photo. My husband is such a stud. I just really love him.

This very year

The year 2020. I'm a fan. Not only because it is a new year, which always feels like
a fresh start, but because c'mon...2020? Beauty in numbers, folks. And I'm a bit of
a nut when it comes to numbers. But do you know why this year makes me so happy
I truly feel an excitement in my heart that hasn't gone away in the last twenty-one days?

This is the year I will see my boy in person. This is the year that I will watch him walk off
of a plane and into my arms. This is the year that my missionary son won't be 6000 miles
away for his birthday and Thanksgiving and Christmas and so many other days when he has
been desperately missed. This is the year that so often felt like it would truly never come.

I sincerely wouldn't want him any other place than where he is at. He has transformed in every
single way. His goodness and light and desires and mostly, his incredible love of our Savior, make
every single second of the last eighteen months (and the next few months) so, so, so worth it.

But that doesn't mean that when his mission is over and he has finished what he promised his
Father in Heaven he would do, I won't be excited and giddy and grateful and humbled beyond
description to have my boy back with us again. It almost feels like too much to hope for.
But it is coming. And this missionary momma is counting down the seconds. And enjoying
the extraordinary kindness of God, to our incredible Elder Allen, in the meantime.

So much gratitude...and happiness

I'm just under two hours from home and feeling so very grateful for the last 48 hours.
My friend Patty is good for my soul. And I talked and laughed and cried and laughed
and ate and laughed enough to feel changed and rejuvenated and just so very happy.

Because of circumstances that I mostly have no control over, a good many that I love the most
are no longer here in mortality and others, who would logically be important parts of my life,
have chosen otherwise. And I don't share that to act like a victim. I'm anything but. I share that
because my appreciation for the small group that has chosen to stay by my side and love me for who
I am is tremendous. And this weekend reminded me that I don't need more than what I already have
in my life. I just need to actively make choices that remind me how much God loves me. And so
often that reminder comes through a beautiful group of people that love me for exactly who I am.

It's such an amazing life that I get to live.

Breathing easier

Twice a year, I travel several hours from home with the sole purpose of spending every moment
I can with one of my closest friends. There are no words for her wisdom and goodness and
for my gratitude for her friendship in my life and how it has blessed me. I'm less than
two hours away and I truly feel lighter and like I am breathing easier because of who
I'm about to spend hours talking and laughing and crying and being with. I cannot wait.

Right

A brother-in-law who sent me an incredible sunset photo, a walk with Denali to
remember how good outdoor air feels, bribing my two high schoolers with lunch out
so I can see them in the middle of the day and a ridiculously kind husband who is trying
so hard to do everything in his power to let me rest and get better from the most
stubborn sinus infection known to man...these are a few of my favorite things today.

Because I seriously love that several of you send me your sunset photos just because you
know I would want to see them, even cold air feels good when it is fresh air (at least during
the day when the sun is a shining), my kids are seriously the coolest people I know and I adore
them like a crazy person and Jacob Allen is one of the most patient people to grace this earth,
especially considering I don't always make it fun to be around me...shocking right?

Let's not pretend any of us actually said right.

I'm clearly out of dark brown sugar

This afternoon, I decided to label the lids of our clear containers that hold our baking ingredients.
So I printed out labels, turned them into a sticker and was in the middle of putting them on the
lid of each container, when the furnace guy came upstairs, having finished our pre-scheduled
furnace tune up. He was giving me all the information on how our furnace looked, but stopped
in the middle of what he was saying to comment on our robo vacuum that was making the rounds.

He mentioned that his mom had just bought one for Christmas and I told him I loved our
particular one, because it was inexpensive and had lasted us forever. He then told me that his
mom is kind of obsessed with theirs and follows it from room to room. That made me laugh
and he followed up with, "But my mom is one of those crazy people." I told him that while I don't
follow our vacuum around, I could completely relate because I was also one of those crazy people.

He then looked at me, look down at the baking containers and replied,
"Yeah, I kind of could have told you that considering you're labeling your flour."

On my word, I cannot quit laughing. I have no idea why it is so funny to me when
people are so blatantly honest (without being unkind or mean). It's not like
he was wrong for sure and the way he said it, was kind of the best.

Because I am most definitely crazy. And I do currently have baking flour
that is labeled. And both of those facts kind of make my entire day.

Naming my photos

This great work of art is called Dog on a Couch.
Or Disobedience at its Finest. And Most Comfy.