Spring Daisies

Spring is here and the fields are full of daisies. They are absolutely breathtaking! I just couldn't resist dragging Heidi out into the fields with my camera, but not even my camera could do these daisies justice. As I walked through the fields with my daughter I was reminded of how the beauty of this planet is truly a testament to how much our heavenly father wanted us to be happy. No one forced him to create the earth. There was no need even for it to be attractive and yet he went all out for us - simply out of love. How anyone could ignore or act ungrateful for all that he has done for us is beyond me. 

I know its kind of cheesy to post scriptures on your blog, but these words are felt so strongly within my heart today that I can't help but want to share: 

“You are worthy, Jehovah, even our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power, because you created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created.”  - Revelation 4:11

Baby Jordan

From this... 

to this... 

 to this... 

to this!

From babyhood to toddlerhood, she just keeps getting cuter!

Here are some pictures we took in the park today. 

Click on the images to make them larger. 

Isn't she darling?

Should I dye my hair pink?

I think I can pull it off!


Just discovered Picnik photo-editing software through Google's Picasa. 


Its pretty good entertainment when you're sick and can't leave the house! 

Professional Portraits!!!!!!

I am beyond thrilled to have Heidi's highly anticipated one year photos done and ready for viewing. I highly recommend clicking on each individual image to view them at full size. The small ones in my blog just don't do them justice. 

Photography by the beautiful and extremely talented Kim Schleicher.

The indoor photos: 

The outdoor photos:

Sesame Street: Andrea Bocelli's Lullabye To Elmo

Sesame Street: Smell Like A Monster

"Mom Mode"

    I'm constantly being told by one of my close friends to get out of mom mode, but I have a confession to make - I like being in mom mode. I find it way more fun than just regular ol' woman mode. I don't always feel this way - as evidenced by past rants on this blog about how sick I am of the mindless chit chat of Pampers VS. Huggies or other motherly dillemas such as formula VS. giving up ur life to be a 24/7 snack bar. Most of the time, however, I have to say I love mom mode. I love perusing the aisles of Target for the latest in toys. I love picking up and sorting thru all the books in the children's section at Barnes and Nobles for the most creative/hilarious of story lines. I love watching children's movies. Despicable Me is hilarious. How to Train your Dragon - Epic. Clothes shopping for Heidi is like an obsessive hobby for me. I love to go the mall now more than I ever have in my life and when I do I spend most of my time in stores like Janie and Jack, Baby Gap, Gymboree, and Carters. Very rarely do I venture in to any store that sells adult things exclusively.


     I often hear old people say that "the best days of their lives" were when their children were young and I have to wonder why this is. 


     It seems to me that being a mom - and all that it encapsules (the love that I have for my daughter, the joy that comes from giving her the best of what I have to give, and getting in touch with my own playfulness as result) has made me happier and feeling more fulfilled than I have ever been before. This is puzzling to me, because I would never have thought that something as mind numbingly simple as procreating could really lead me to happiness and fulfillment. Doesn't it seem like the road to happiness and fulfillment should be much longer and more complicated? 


    I know many couples and even single people who seem to be very happy despite the fact that they never journeyed down the path of parenthood - the path that seems to have led me to my own happiness. I try to analyze them and figure out what it is that we have in common - there must be some key which we both have, despite our differing circumstances, that unlocks the door to emotional well being.

After much thought, I think I have found it.

                  Unselfish love and giving.

    The people I know who seem to be genuinely happy are so loving. These are the people who were  by our sides in the hospital at six in the morning to say goodbye to Scott before he went into brain surgery. These are the people who always make a point of coming up to you, giving you a hug, and asking how you are doing. These are the people who are organizing meals for those who are unable to do so themselves. They are always there to offer a helping hand to even the humblest of the elderly, and they often do so with a smile on their face and tears of compassion in their eyes. 


     While I consider myself to manifest nowhere near the level of unselfishness that these people do, I think that parenthood forces you on to a path of unselfishness. When you have your first child it can be somewhat of a rude awakening depending on the lifestyle you led previously. All of the sudden you, your feelings, and your needs are no longer as important as they once were.  In fact YOU become the ultimate satisfier to every one of THEIR needs. In a way it kind of sucks when you compare it to your childless lifestyle, but one thing that makes it more than worth it in an incredibly hard to describe way is the love you feel for your kid and the joy that comes from giving. Far from the parasitic relationship parenting appears to be, its actually a kind of magical symbiosis - you give your own desires and needs up for theirs but in return you get happiness that can only come from unselfish loving and giving. 


    I feel like I've had this epiphany multiples times, but I always seem to forget. I'm happy to have had a child because no matter how many times I forget this fundamental truth, I'll be on this perpetual love path for quite a while. Hopefully when she's grown I'll be so mature that this now-epiphany is just an obvious fact of life to me. One of which I need no reminding. Just in case, I'm writing it down here for safe keeping. 

Lately I've Been Loving...

The most adorable shoes (and boots) from Joyfolie (go check them out you won't regret it)

Getting ready for District Convention - So much fun to shop for baby! 

Heidi listening and following instructions 80% of the time.

These Bonnie Jean Coat Dresses 

These adorable kimono dresses from Sunloveshirts

Heidi's relationship with the stairs in our house. When she first learned to climb we had to get a baby gate and block them off because she loved to climb them. If we turned our heads for 30 seconds we'd find her racing to the top giggling hysterically. Now that she is older we have taken the baby gate away and have taught her that she is not allowed to go up them without us. Its so cute to watch her walk up to them, point to them, talk about them, and finally walk away like a good girl and  go play with her toys.

Austin regaining his health after a nasty (and I mean nasty) bout with the flu.

Leisurely strolls around the outdoor mall with Heidi. No stroller for her! She's a big girl and likes to walk right next to mommy, exploring the sights and making friends everywhere we go.

The way Heidi gets uber excited everytime we walk by Panda Express in the mall. She runs up to the glass doors, screams, and kisses the Panda right on the mouth. There are quite a few things that she can't resist kissing these days - myself included. 

Taking a shower at night and just being able to lie on the bed afterwards and not feel the least bit rushed.

The way Heidi refers to any tall man with brown hair as "daddy".

Song no. 90 "Beauty In Gray Headedness"

Diet Coke. Yes, I know I gave it up, but I started again.