Grateful in Any Circumstances

This blog has been an exercise for me in trying to record some of the small moments in my life with Darren that bring joy and help me experience gratitude more fully.  Since my last entry, Darren and I suffered a loss that brought a lot of heartache to our little family.  Darren and I have dealt with this loss through the love and support of our family, friends, and, most importantly, our Father in Heaven.  This support has improved our perspective and has gone a long way toward healing our hearts, but I still found it hard to focus on gratitude on a weekly, not to mention daily, basis.

Today in Sacrament Meeting, however, one of the speakers shared a message from President Uchtdorf's most recent General Conference address entitled "Grateful in Any Circumstances".  I don't know why President Uchtdorf's messages are the ones that prompt my getting on this blog to write (it was his "Forget Me Not" talk that started all of my Happy Now posts two and a half years ago), but they do.  After listening to the Sacrament talk, I went home and reviewed his message for the first time since Conference.  Here are a few of the thoughts that stood out to me:

"Often our grief is caused by what seems to them as an ending ... Everyone's situation is different, and the details of each life are unique.  Nevertheless, I have learned that there is something that would take away the bitterness that may come into our lives.  There is one thing we can do to make life sweeter, more joyful, even glorious.  We can be grateful!"

"Could I suggest that we see gratitude as a disposition, a way of life that stands independent of our current situation?  In other words, I'm suggesting that instead of being thankful for things, we focus on being thankful in our circumstances--whatever they may be."

"Being grateful in  our circumstances is an act of faith in God.  It requires that we trust God and hope for things we may not see but which are true."

"In light of what we know about our eternal destiny, is it any wonder that whenever we face the bitter endings in life, they seem unacceptable to us?  There seems to be something inside of us that resists endings.  Why is this?  Because we are made of the stuff of eternity...Endings are not our destiny."

Darren and I were reminded of the eternal nature of our destinies recently with the beautiful temple marriage of his brother, Steven, to his fiancée Brittany.  And just this evening I had the chance to FaceTime with my brother and his fiancée, Christiane, who are preparing for a temple marriage this August.  Regardless of our current circumstances, our Heavenly Father has an eternal plan in place for each of us.  Even if the eternal blessings we hope for do not come when we expect them, we can have faith and gratitude that they will all come. As President Uchtdorf reminds us, "True gratitude is an expression of hope and testimony."

For whatever reason, I feel that finding gratitude in any circumstance is a skill that will continue to be a focus in my life.  I am grateful for the faith and testimony of others that help bolster my own.  I am also grateful for the tender mercies of the Lord as He gently finds ways to remind me that our eternal destinies are so much more than our current circumstances.  I am grateful for His patience with me as I learn this lesson, falter, and strive to learn it again.  Onward!

Happy Now--April 27

 This past month has flown by!  It was busy, but also very happy.  I started a new post several weeks ago, so I will keep those original Happy Now moments and just add to them.  Since I am covering about a month, I am allowing myself a Happy Now 16.  Here they are (listed pretty much in chronological order).

1.  Geese--When Darren and I first moved to Pinedale last August, I loved the open spaces and nature that surrounded us.  The air smelled fresher, the grass looked greener, and I loved becoming acquainted with new sounds in nature.  For some reason, the sound a flock of geese made every morning as it flew over our home was a particular favorite.  It just seemed so .... country.  It wasn't long before the geese left and winter came.  But last Monday (which is now several Mondays ago), as I was eating breakfast, I heard them again.  They're back!  It is the Wyoming version of seagulls and ocean waves.  It made me so happy!

2.  Bread Making--For many years, the Sonnes had a tradition of making Grandma Elaine's bread every Christmas.  This was always a group effort and, with several extended family members, kneading the bread two or three times was usually the extent of my involvement in the bread making process.  I recently used a fairly simple recipe for wheat bread I had found to attempt the whole process on my own.  Success!

3.  Frozen Yogurt--Darren and I finally got around to trying the new frozen yogurt shop it Pinedale.  It was great, and I'm so glad it's here!

4.  Mom's Birthday--Mom's birthday was March 27.  I am so, so grateful for her.  She is an example to me in every way, and someone who I try to emulate in my interactions with others.  When my Papa John (my mom's dad) died last year, I was given a picture he had had in his apartment of me and my mom when I was a baby.  Paired next to a picture from my wedding, that picture represents what a source of support and strength my mom has been to me all these years, and how blessed I've been to have always had her by my side.  Love you, Mom!

5.  Chris is Engaged!--This was the happiest moment of the whole month for me!  Chris called me and Darren on the evening of March 30 to let us know that he and Christiane Cannon were engaged.  Christiane got on the phone with him at the end, and it was great to have a moment to celebrate with them both.  We have yet to meet Christiane, but I can tell how happy she makes my brother and I couldn't be more happy for them both.  I have heard so many wonderful things about her.  So glad to have you join the family, Christiane! 

6.  Snowshoeing--My last snowshoeing experience was several years ago ... and wasn't particularly fun.    Darren talked me into getting out and trying it again at the beginning of April, and I'm so glad he did!  It was a beautiful day, and the snow was just right.  Darren (who had bought snowshoes for himself and his future wife before we even met) was equipped.  It was fun to see him so much in his element.

7.  General Conference--I love this time of year.  There were so many wonderful messages shared at General Conference at the beginning of April, and I am grateful to be able to review them online and through the Ensign.  What a blessing!  And a special thank you to Katie Houston and her family for letting me watch the Saturday sessions with them!

8.  Dad's Early Arrival--Some "family business" required me to be in Salt Lake from April 3-22.  Due to work, Darren couldn't join me until April 13.  My parents also planned to come out and spend some time with us from the 11-20.  I was so THRILLED when my dad called and said he had rearranged his schedule to join me on the evening of the 5th.  Having constant company with me for that first week was a real-life saver.  I will always remember that week we spent together.  Thanks so much, Dad!

9.  Logan Trip--One of the things my dad and I did during our first week in Utah was to take a little road trip to Logan.  My great-grandpa, Alma Sonne, raised his family in Logan (which included his son, my grandpa, Conway Sonne).  Alma was President of the local bank (originally the First National Bank and now the Cache Valley Bank) and was Chairman of the Board of Directors at Utah State University (where my Grandpa Conway eventually met my Grandma Elaine).  It was fun to visit some of the old "Sonne sites" and learn a little more about my family history.  Dad, as always, was a great traveling companion.

Alma Sonne's house on Main St. in Logan.  It is now a dental lab.  The kind people inside let us look around (they have kept everything looking very "homey") and gave us a type-written history of the house they had found in a drawer when they moved in.  From that history we learned that the builder of the home was Fred Dahle, Alma's friend who served a mission for the Church with him in England  and whose illness prevented Fred, Alma, and a few other missionaries from returning home on the Titanic!

Although it is now called the Cache Valley Bank, the old First National Bank lettering from when my Great-Grandpa worked there is still on the steps.

The outside of what is now the Cache Valley Bank.  One of the Bank clerks also gave us a tour of the bank.  It brought back many memories for my dad from when he had visited the bank in the 70s to get his first bank loan from Grandpa Alma for college.

Dad and I had lunch at "The Bluebird" (apparently a hot-spot while my grandparents were in college and where both of my grandparents wrote in their journals about going on dates)!

"Kater" has been a nickname for as long as I can remember, so it was fun to see this as we were walking along Main St.

10.  Mom and Darren's Arrival--Dad and I had a really fun time together, but we were both excited about having mom, and then Darren, join us.  Mom arrived on the 11th.  We stayed in SLC a couple more days before meeting up with Darren in Park City.  It was wonderful to have the family all together (we just missed Chris and Christiane)!

11.  Temple Walk with Mom--Before we left for Park City, Mom and I took a walk around Temple Square (it is SO beautiful this time of year) and up to the Capitol Building.  On our walk we found a little butterfly in the middle of the sidewalk.  This butterfly took to my mom immediately and would change direction to follow where my mom moved.  It was really kind of amazing!  Eventually we decided we had to be on our way but wanted to move our new little friend onto the grass out the the way of foot traffic. :)

Moving our friend to a safer spot.

12. Dad's Birthday--We were lucky enough to be with my dad in Park City on his birthday.  I think my dad is one of the most selfless people I know.  He somehow managed to make all of us feel good and special on HIS birthday.  I'll excited for any opportunity I have to celebrate him.  I couldn't be more blessed than to have him as a father.  Love you, Dad!

Dad's Birthday Dinner

Dad's Birthday Dinner

Birthday Banana Cream Pie!

13.  Dinner with Chaffees--The Chaffees are basically family members, and it had been WAY too long since we had seen them.  We made plans to meet up in Salt Lake with Phil and Stephanie for dinner once my parents and Darren were in town.  It was SO great to see them!  I have so many wonderful memories with the Chaffee family, and seeing them brought all of those memories back.  I love and admire Phil and Steph's strength, humor, testimony, and the love they share with everyone.  I hope to see them and their girls again soon!

14.  Dinner with Roommates--My friends and former roommates Katie and Melissa made the effort to come visit us in Park City while we were there.  We had a chance to have dinner and visit for a bit, but the time went by much too quickly (even though I had also had dinner with them in Salt Lake earlier in the month, there just never seems to be enough time with these wonderful ladies).  I am so blessed to have such supportive friends!

15.  Peter Yarrow Concert--I found out the Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul, and Mary fame) was having a concert at the Egyptian Theater in Park City while we were there.  Knowing my Dad liked/likes some of Peter, Paul, and Mary's songs, Darren, Chris, and I went in on 4 tickets as a birthday present to my dad.  It was a fun (if at times slightly interesting) evening, and it brought back a lot of memories for me and my parents.  I remember sitting around the campfire at Stanford Sierra Camp or on the deck at Laguna during Sonne family reunions each summer growing up singing such classics as "Leaving on a Jet Plane", "Blowin' in the Wind", "If I Had a Hammer", etc.  It sure made me feel nostalgic.  My favorite part of the concert, though, was when Peter (and his son who was performing with him) invited all the children at the concert onstage to sing "Puff, the Magic Dragon."  He gave the microphone over to several of the kids during the song, and it was pretty adorable.  All in all, it was definitely a memorable evening.  :)

Mom and Dad at the concert.

Calling the kids onstage for "Puff, the Magic Dragon."  I took this shot a little early.  He had quite a crowd by the end!

16.  Easter--It never fails that my mom manages to make holidays special for her family no matter where we are.  On Easter morning when Darren and I came out of our hotel bedroom, we found some Easter gifts set up for us on the table, including a beautiful Jan Brett book on Easter.  I love this holiday and the reminder that it is of the blessing of the Atonement.  How grateful I am for the Atonement and a loving Father in Heaven and Savior who loved each of us enough to make it an essential part of their Plan of Happiness.

As I finish this post, I can think of about 16 more things that made me happy over the past few weeks.  I especially want to thank the Walker family for allowing me to stay in their beautiful condo in Draper for part of the time I was in Utah.  Overall, my heart is just full of gratitude for all the friends, family, and events that filled up last month.  I am truly blessed.

Happy Now--March 23

Here are my Happy Now for this week:

1.  Husband's Birthday--Darren's birthday was on Tuesday, and I was grateful for a day to celebrate him!  I had fun surprising him with some birthday decorations and gifts and, as always, he reacted to my efforts with such gratitude and excitement.  He also received some generous gifts from both sets of parents and well wishes from other family and friends.  Happy birthday, Darren.  Sure love you!

2.  Birthday Cake--Darren always requests the same type of birthday cake: white confetti cake with rainbow chip frosting.  I definitely don't mind since it's my favorite, too!

3.  Activity Days Moose--We had a surprise visitor during our Primary Activity Days on Wednesday--a baby moose!  This poor thing looked like he'd had a bit of a tough time with patches of missing fur, but he was still cute. ;)  We had to keep the girls inside until he decided to move on, but I was excited to finally capture a moose on film ... and a baby one at that!

I texted this picture to my parents and brother, and I have to include some of their responses.  They crack me up! :)

4.  Spring Flowers--I decided to celebrate the first day of spring this week with some fresh flowers for our kitchen.  There are few things that brighten up a room like some pretty petals, I think.  I am SO ready for this new season!

5.  Spring Cleaning--Putting the new, fresh flowers in a vase totally energized me to start some spring cleaning around our apartment.  I rearranged some items in our kitchen and started going through my closet trying to decide what was ready to go and what new items I might need for spring.  ;)  Have I mentioned how excited I am for some warmer weather?

6.  Base Camp Challenge--Friday I subbed for an 8th grade Language Arts teacher.  This was the last day before Spring Break and, oh my, these students were a handful.  Middle school isn't my favorite, and this day seemed especially rough.  Fortunately, the principal arranged for an assembly during the last hour of school.  The assembly was a competition between 6th, 7th, and 8th grade base camps (homerooms).  The teachers of each base camp were in charge of keeping track of their class's points during the competition.  One of the students I had taught that day came running up to me saying they needed me to fill in for their teacher ... and they ended up winning the entire competition!  The students were SO excited.  It was a happy moment, and I was sure glad to end the day on a high note.

7.  Library Card--I am the proud new owner of a Pinedale Library card!  Pinedale has a beautiful new library.  I have gone there a few times to work on my computer, but I had yet to check anything out.  Now I can (and have)!  It makes me feel like more of an official Pinedale resident.  :)

8.  Girls' Night--I was invited over to my neighbor's house last night for a girls' night.  My neighbor, Sharlyn, is so sweet, and I really admire her family.  She has three boys and three girls ranging in ages from 12 to 2, and they are all so adorable.  Her husband took the boys out last night and Sharlyn and the girls invited a couple of ladies from the ward over to watch the LDS Pride and Prejudice (boy, did that take me back!).  It was so fun to hang out with these women and girls!

9.  New Primary Lyrics--Today during opening exercises in Primary, the chorister asked the kids to close their eyes while they sang "I Love to See the Temple" as part of a game.  I was sitting next to one of the little guys in my class and started to notice he was changing some lyrics.  I know he knows the song, but I guess he was feeling creative and uninhibited with his eyes closed.  He was sitting very calmly with his arms folded.  He would sing the correct words and then insert lines like "I am being so reverent.  I am peaceful" to the tune of the song.  I love these sweet kids!

10.  Sunday Cat Nap--It has been a while since I've taken a Sunday nap.  Today after church, however, I was relaxing on the couch while Darren and I were watching T.V., sun rays were coming through the window and warming the couch, and I began to doze.  I never fell into a deep sleep, always somewhat aware of what was going on on the television, but it was SO relaxing.  It was the perfect way to spend part of the afternoon!

Happy Now--March 17

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  This post is a day late because I was asked to wait a day before posting my Happy Now #10, and I had to include it!

1.  Kindergarten Class:  This week was the first time I subbed in a kindergarten class.  I was pretty nervous beforehand.  Kindergartners have such short little attention spans, and there were quite a few of them!  It didn't help that the assistant principal took the opportunity to walk me to the classroom so that she would have time to tell me about one particularly difficult little girl.  I expected to leave the classroom crawling from exhaustion.  I was thrilled to find as I sat down at the teacher's desk during lunch time, however, that I was actually really enjoying myself!  There was something about their energy, too, that was contagious.  What a pleasant little surprise!  I definitely admire those sweet teachers who are in the classroom with these little ones full-time and give them such a positive introduction to formal schooling.

2.  Spanish Globe Game--The day after subbing in Kindergarten, I subbed in a high school Spanish class.  Most of the periods were required to take a quiz and then play a Spanish-themed game.  The last period of the day chose to play the "Spanish Globe Game."  This game required the students to get in a circle, each choose a different Spanish verb, and take turns throwing a fabric globe to different people in the circle to practice saying the verbs while someone in the middle of the circle tried intercepting the pass.  Make sense?  Well, the main point is that after about 5 minutes of playing they invited me to join the game.  Since high school was the last time I was in a Spanish class, they assigned me the word "hola" instead of a verb.  Nice.  Fortunately, I caught every pass and could remember enough verbs to pass the globe without going in the middle.  Whew!  I actually thought it was sweet of them to include me and was a nice way to bond with the students, something I don't usually get to do as the sub.  It was a great way to end the day and the week. :)

3.  Minestrone Soup--Last week my mom sent me a crock pot recipe for minestrone soup.  This week I got around to making it, and it was delicious!  Although the sun is making more frequent appearances in Pinedale, there is still plenty of snow on the ground (see the picture below).  Soup was the perfect evening meal!

4.  Let's Go Fly a Kite--Speaking of the increasing sunshine, Darren and I took the opportunity to get outside on one of his days off this week.  Feeling the sun on my face for what felt like the first time in months was HEAVENLY.  Before we were married, Darren bought a big kite board to use at the ocean or lake.  Although we can't take it to the lake quite yet, he did want to open the kite in the backyard and see if he could catch a little wind.  The wind ended up not being strong enough, but being outside with him and the kite board made me SO excited for summer and more sun!

5.  Planning Parents' Trip--This week I spent some time on the phone with my parents discussing a visit from them in mid-April.  I received some e-mails from my dad a few days later with their flight/hotel reservations.  It's really happening!  I can't wait!!

6.  Spring Gift--We received a surprise gift from my parents this week with some spring goodies, including a beautiful platter with pictures of oranges and orange blossoms and a citrus loaf pan.  This little gift made me so happy!  About this time of year in Redlands, where I grew up, the orange blossoms started blooming and filling the area with their delicious scent.  The smell of orange blossoms will always remind me of spring.  Between the extra sun and this gift, my need for a little spring pick-me-up was definitely met this week!

                             

7.  Frozen Yogurt Shop--I was driving down our main street this week when I noticed a new sign being hung outside of a previously empty store.  Upon further inspection, I found out that a new frozen yogurt shop (Pinedale's first) is opening up soon.  Yippee!!

8.  "Grit with Chip"--I had a great book talk with my mom on Saturday.  We are reading Amy Chua's Triple Package and talked about her explanation of finding success when "grit" (or drive and determination) is combined with "chip" (having, in a sense, a chip on your shoulder or the need to prove yourself).  This phrase resonated with both of us, and we could each think of a time when we felt a drive to accomplish something with a bit of an "I'll show them" attitude.  It was a fun talk and made this phrase something that I'll remember.

9.  Prank Videos--Darren and I spent a little too much time watching some prank videos on youtube one evening this week.  I had followed one from a link on Facebook, and once I started watching I was hooked and began searching for more.  I had to bring Darren in on the fun.  I was laughing so hard at some of the pranks pulled on innocent bystanders, I almost felt guilty.  Some included a fake spider, which made me laugh the hardest ... probably because I am known to giggle uncontrollably when I'm nervous/watching something scary (PSA:  I am not a fun person with whom to watch scary movies).  Laughing that hard with Darren by my side made my night.

10.  ENGAGEMENT--We found out Saturday night that Darren's brother, Steven, got engaged to his sweet girlfriend, Brittany!  We are SO excited for them!!  Welcome to the family, Brit!  They have yet to set a date, but we are looking forward to a wedding this summer. :)

Happy Now--March 12

Darren and I had the chance to take a long weekend in Pocatello and Salt Lake this past weekend, hence the late post.  Darren got some quality family time while I enjoyed a wonderful weekend with these dear friends:

Katie, Melissa (Many), and me at Art City Trolley

I'm going to focus my Happy Now this week on the top ten moments from my roommate reunion (we missed you, Tessa!):

1.  High School Tour--Since Katie had Friday off from school, I met up with her as soon as I arrived in Salt Lake.  As soon as Melissa was done with teaching at one, Katie and I drove to meet her at her classroom (I think we arrived about one second after one o'clock).  We were so excited to start our weekend together!  Melissa kicked off the weekend by giving us a tour of the new high school where she teaches in Draper.  Katie and I were so impressed with the campus and all of the resources available to the students.  It was beautiful!  A few students stopped by Melissa's classroom after the tour, and it was easy to tell that she is loved and respected as a teacher.  It was so fun to see Many in her element!

2.  Community Benefit Concert--Speaking of seeing my friends in their element, we had the opportunity to watch Katie perform at a Community Benefit Concert hosted by her students Friday night.  She was amazing!  Like Many, it was so obvious how much Katie's students adore her.  And Many, who saw the music for this number for the first time at the concert, accompanied Katie on the piano.  I have such talented friends!!

3.  Magelby's--Magelby's restaurant was a favorite when Katie, Melissa, Tessa, and I were roommates together.  It was, therefore, a must during our weekend together!

4.  PEI Videos--Katie's parents were kind enough to let us stay all weekend at their beautiful condo in Provo.  Before going to bed Friday night, Katie, Melissa, and I decided to pull out some old videos from the Prince Edward Island trip we had taken with Tessa when we were roommates in 2009.  The videos were hilarious to watch (probably in part because we were all so tired) and I was definitely crying from laughter by the end.  I love the fun memories I have with these friends!

5.  Magelby's Part II--Why not hit Magelby's twice in one weekend?  We went to Magelby's Fresh for its amazing french toast Saturday morning!

6.  Nails--Many's birthday was Monday, March 10, and we wanted to celebrate while we were together on Saturday.  We decided to kick off birthday celebrations in style by getting our nails done. We discovered a great new salon in Provo and all chose bright spring colors to go with the beautiful weather we were having!

7.  Birthday Dinner--Many chose to have a birthday dinner with friends at the Art City Trolley in Springville Saturday night.  Besides the delicious food, it was so fun to be back in the area where Darren and I had our first home together.  It brought back some wonderful memories.

Part of the birthday dinner crew.

8.  Birthday Games--After dinner, we all returned to Katie's condo to play games.  I had a great time getting to know some of Many's friends better and really enjoyed the games they brought!  My favorite of the night ... Spot It!

9.  Surprise Gift--Darren visited SLC with his family Saturday and stayed with his cousin into Sunday so that he could be there to drive home with me.  When I met up with him on Sunday, he presented me with a small gift from a store he had visited with his family the day before.  I'm grateful for his characteristic thoughtfulness.

10.  Conversations--Before Darren and I left on Sunday, Katie invited Melissa, Darren, and I over for lunch after church.  Darren was then kind enough to leave us a couple more hours together for some last minute "girl talk."  Having such wonderful friends with whom I can share everything is balm for the soul.

Overall, it was a perfect weekend.  I'm so grateful for wonderful friends like these in my life.  Can't wait for next time!

Happy Now--March 2

Here are the Happy Now for this week:

1.  Downton Finale--"I'm never watching this show again" are words that have crossed my lips more than once since I've started watching Downton Abbey.  With every new episode, however, I have always come crawling back.  There is something I love about the setting, the costumes, and (for the most part) the characters.  The seasons always go by so quickly, and I was surprised to find the season finale was upon us already last week.  As I realized this, I braced myself for some kind of tragedy.  My mind immediately went to which character(s) could possibly be killed off in this episode and how.  The fact that the finale was relatively tame and ended with two characters happily holding hands was a breath of fresh air.  It was as if Julian Fellowes was tipping his hat to us and saying, "Well, ladies and gents, I've certainly put you through the ringer as of late.  Thanks for sticking around.  I'll give you a break."  I'm sure glad he did since, let's face it, I'll be watching again next January.

2.  5th Grade Class--This past week was a busy subbing week with opportunities to be in all three schools.  This was the first week, however, in which I was asked to sub in a 5th grade class.  Subbing in the jr. high and high school (and even different elementary grades) has certainly put me outside of my comfort zone at times.  It was so nice to be back in such a familiar setting, feeling really comfortable with the curriculum, and knowing what I can expect of the students.  It brought back some wonderful memories!

3.  Classroom Poster--I saw this poster in a jr. high classroom this week.  Heaven bless this teacher.  I can certainly empathize with the sentiment. ;)

4.  Project Life--For Christmas I received a gift card to start scrapbooking with Project Life materials.    Since I didn't start blogging until several months after Darren and I were married, I wanted to find an easy way to scrapbook the beginning of our life together.  I picked out my binder and kits a few weeks ago, but this week I received some pictures I had ordered.  It has been so fun to get started!  I'm realizing how few pictures I have from when Darren and I were dating, but it has been fun to go through the pictures I do have and recall dates and times and wonderful memories.  It has also motivated me to take more pictures (and learn how to use a better quality camera) of our life together now.  Project Life makes the scrapbooking process so simple, but still allows you to be creative and journal alongside the pictures.  I'm loving it.

The journaling still needs to be done, but I've enjoyed picking out and arranging some pictures!

5.  Birthday Month--We are officially in the birthday month of both Darren and my mom (as well as a couple of close friends).  It has been fun to start getting gift ideas and planning festivities.  I'm so grateful for these wonderful people in my life!

6.  New Glasses--That's right.  After almost ten years of contact- and glasses-free eyes thanks to laser eye surgery, I began to notice some blurriness.  I recently had an appointment in Jackson where it was determined I would benefit from the occasional use of glasses.  So, I bit the bullet and am now a (somewhat) proud owner of a new pair.  I tried to find the "coolest" pair I could, but I'm still not convinced that I can pull them off in public (hence no picture).  It is certainly nice to have them, though!

7.  New Book Talk Book--It was time for my mom and I to choose a new book talk book this week.  My mom suggested the new Amy Chua book, The Triple Package.  It is a book about three traits that Chua claims has influenced the success of certain cultural groups in America.  I read an article about the book recently in the Deseret News and agreed it sounded interesting.  It should be an intriguing read!

8.  One Summer--Who else loves the feeling that comes with finishing a book and then getting to choose which book to pick up next?  This week I finished Bill Bryson's One Summer.  I was fascinated by all of the events that took place over the span of just a few months in the summer of 1927.  What an amazing time!  While I felt that Bryson's portrayal of some historical figures weren't always fair, I loved the opportunity to learn more about our country's history.

9.  Home--One of the books I was excited to start this week was Home by Julie Andrews.  Oh, my gosh, I am LOVING this book.  I decided to listen to the audiobook since Julie Andrews reads it herself.  I love her voice and the classy way in which she writes.  She writes about the significance of the word "home" and the love of nature she received from her father.  I can certainly identify with her love of English landscapes.  It makes me reflect on the feelings I want associated with the home I'm helping to create and so excited for the snow to melt and the green grass and flowing rivers to return here.

10.  November 27--I received a text from my dad yesterday that said he had a fun tidbit to share with me.  He had been going through some old journals and realized that he and my mom had discovered they were pregnant with me on November 27, 1982.  It was exactly 28 years later, on November 27, 2010 at the age of 27, that Darren and I got married.  Twenty-seven must be my lucky number.  I love little things like that!

Happy Now--Feb. 23

Here are the Happy Now for this week:

1.  "Mona Lisa"--Since February is the month of love, I thought I'd start off sharing a love song that has provided many a happy moment for me this week (and all month, really)-- Brad Paisley's "Mona Lisa."  I think the whole premise of the song is just so darn cute, and the mix of sweetness and humor in the lyrics is so characteristic of Brad Paisley's songs.  My favorite lines come toward the end when he says, "I could take your hand, we could walk in the Louvre/ I could show 'em real beauty, let 'em get a load of you."  Très gentil, n'est-ce pas? If you haven't heard it yet, enjoy!

2.  Ballet West II--On Wednesday night, the Pinedale Fine Arts Council hosted a Ballet West II performance.  Darren, unfortunately, had to work late that night, so I went solo.  I ended up running into a woman from my ward, however, and got to sit with her.  It was so fun to dress up a little and spend the evening "at the ballet."  I loved seeing so many mothers and daughters in the audience.  It reminded me of dressing up and attending ballets with my mom when I was young.  I love the PFAC for bringing some great cultural events to our little town.  The dancers did a wonderful job.  It was a beautiful night!

3.  Program Shout-Out--It was fun to see our names mentioned in the Ballet West program as "friends" of the PFAC.  I have had the chance to work for the PFAC a little since moving here and look forward to future opportunities.  So glad we're friends. ;)

4.  Cookies 'n Cream Cupcakes--My food board on Pinterest is filled with delicious-looking recipes that I have never tried.  This week was a slow subbing week, so I decided to try my hand at a couple of them.  One of Darren's Home Teachees had a birthday this week, so I told him I would make cupcakes.  I chose these cookie 'n cream cupcakes from my Pinterest board and got together with Kristal to make them.  We ended up not making the filling for the cupcakes since the frosting recipe made a TON of (very sweet) frosting, and we didn't want to over do it.  It was my first time making frosting from scratch, though, which was pretty exciting.  They were very yummy!

This picture is from Pinterest since I forgot to take a picture of ours.  Recipe here

5.  No Bake Energy Bites--My second recipe for the week were these No Bake Energy Bites.  I did these on my own, so I was happy to have a few more songs to add to my Broadway playlist thanks to some great suggestions from Katie last week.  Thank you!  These were actually really easy.  I definitely recommend them!  P.S.  I love how two of the cookbooks you can see in this picture demonstrate a certain theme in my kitchen: one for "new cooks" and the other entitled "Meals Made Easy."  

Recipe here

6.  Quilting Motivation--I have had to miss several quilting classes lately due to subbing, which has put me three or four squares behind the rest of the class.  When I attended class this week a couple of the women had completely finished their quilts and came to show them.  They looked great!  Seeing the finished products definitely motivated me to keep working away on my little squares.  I can't wait to finish mine and see how it turns out!

7.  Spring Decor--Darren and I have both decided that winter here has been lovely, but we're ready for spring.  I'm afraid we still have a few months to wait for warmer weather, but that hasn't stopped me from bringing out some spring-y items for the bathroom.  Seashells, sand, and bird-themed soaps and jars make even chilly days feel a little warmer. :)

8.  Cadbury Creme Eggs--With approaching spring comes the arrival of one of my all-time favorite candies: Cadbury Creme Eggs.  Darren doesn't seem to appreciate them the way that I do, which is fine by me.  He snuck some into our grocery cart earlier this week for me and it has been a real exercise is self-control to portion them out!

9.  Activity Days--Last week I mentioned how fun it was for me to have a little guy in my primary class become more active and animated.  This week I was grateful for the opposite with my sweet girls in Activity Days.  Activity Days is scheduled for right after school on two Wednesdays each month.  Usually these 8 and 9 year old girls come bounding off the bus full of giggles and stories from their day.  They all seem like good friends and are wonderful girls, but maintaining order during activities in a non-classroom setting after a long day of school is sometimes a challenge.  This week I asked the bishop of my ward to come talk to the girls about some things related to tithing.  They sat and listened to his presentation so respectfully, I was touched (and grateful).  Love them!

10.  Backyard Moose--One of my favorite things about living in Pinedale has been the frequent sightings of wildlife.  I should say, "the frequent sightings of wildlife during daylight hours" since hitting something while I'm driving in the dark fills me with trepidation every time I'm out at night.  For some reason, the animal I get the most excited about seeing is the moose.  I had never seen one before moving here, and I think they're awesome!  They're HUGE! The amount of snow we have been getting lately has started pushing more animals down out of the hills and into town.  After church today, Darren glanced out of our window and noticed two moose lying down, cooling their heels in the snow in our backyard.  I loved it!  I have no idea why I didn't take a picture.  I will next time!

Hope you had a great week!