The Comparing Disease

                     

Dear Women,

Hello all you beautiful creatures of this beautiful earth.  

I ask you all a simple question.

Do you like yourself?

If you answered no, then I hope this letter will help you.  If you answered yes, then this letter is especially directed to you.

I am going to tell a little story about Trianna.

Trianna is a beautiful woman who lives by her self on the island of Mooma.  She was sent a nice young man to be her companion and she had some beautiful babies with him.  

She never thought twice about her beauty.  

She didn't know that other women existed.  Until one day, two women around her same age were plopped down on the island.  

She noticed they did things different.  

One of the woman had red hair and had pale beautiful skin.  One of the women had brown hair that was curly, she had beautiful brown skin.  Trianna thought there was something wrong with her.  They cleaned differently and more frequent then Trianna.  So Trianna worked extra hard to clean like the two new beauties on the island.  She found red berries in the bushes and tried to die her hair like the red heads hair.  She noticed that the curly haired brunette had a six pack and calf definition.  So she tried swimming and running as much as she could.  All the while her children and her husband were telling her she was beautiful the way she was, and loved her unique domestic skills.  THey told her to stop COMPARING!!!!  But she never did and spent her whole life being consumed by the comparing disease.    

Okay, Sad story.  Right?

I live in Utah.

I love Utah.  Beautiful Country.

But I see more of the comparing disease here then anywhere.  EVER!

As women we have got to stop.  We have got to embrace our uniqueness and love ourselves with greater passion.  When we find ourselves, who we are as individuals, we then can find peace.   And others will feel your inner peace and desire to be around you because they won't feel this competitive spirit around you.  

It brings me to one of my favorite SCRIPTURES.

Proverbs 3:15 She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.

Couldn't have said it better!

So to all you women who are reading this.  You ARE more precious than rubies.  You are not to be compared to.  

Accept that you are a beautiful and unique person.  When you start to compare is when you become the norm.  Be different and blaze your own trail.  Don't be Mormon Barbie...or just Barbie in general.  I love you all.

Definitely NOT Margrette

I looked out the window and what did I see?

NOT popcorn popping on the apricot tree....

A Spider.

Gross.

Why don't I like them? 

Well, everyone tells me I should, mainly because they eat other bugs.  What other bugs, do I ask?  Cute little lady bugs, innocent flies, pesky mosquitos, and anything else that can get caught in there web.

I am feeling a tickle on my neck.... just a hair.  It's all good.

So one very nice day, I looked out my window and I see a black wolf spider hanging out nonchalantly as if I wouldn't notice her new habitation.  I tried to ignore her as the days went on, then finally I gave in and decided to name the darn thing. 

 

Her name was Margrette.  

Margrette started to grow on me and I didn't mind her as much as when I first discovered her.   So one morning I looked out the window to see what good ole' Margrette was up to, and to my surprise a stupid, nasty, dumb, much larger spider was in her web.  Margrette was no where to be found.  He is brown and nasty and I am going to kill him.  His hame is Willy and I don't like him.  He ate Margrette.   It's a spider eat spider world out there.  

(I don't think you want to see the pics from this murder scene,  I will spare your eyes)

Food Glorious Food

Anyone who knows me, knows one thing for sure.......
I LOVE FOOD.
I love the taste, the smell, the sight, the sound, and my favorite - the process of making it edible, i.e. cooking. I can spend hours in the bathtub (while Smith is napping) getting lost in a cook book or one of my subscriptions to "Cuisine at Home". What can I say... I am unalterably addicted to cooking. I can't help it. But it helps me.

Cooking sweeps me away into another dimension. I find the world around me doesn't exist anymore and I am concentrating and figuring out the right....no.... the PERFECT amount of spice to add to a signature dish. And when my taste buds finally reach satisfaction and bliss, THAT, my friends, is when I can serve it to you, plated and hot.

I was thinking about making a separate blog about COOKING my culinary creations, but I decided that is one thing Bryce's Wifey does best, and happily so.  So Do not be surprised to see a recipe that will knock your socks off every once in a while. But that brings me to a funny story.
My mom raised me on the phrase, "only boring people get bored." The first year of my Little Smith's life was a hard one, an amazing one, but a hard one. So while his little head would go to dream land during the bright afternoons, I would be up and around my house to entertain my self. I would paint, not often enough, read, talk on the phone, and...... enter recipe contests. 

Entering the contests was mostly a fun thing and I didn't think anything would come from it. I entered a recipe contest in November of 2008 for "Mama Mary's Pizza Creations Contest." By the time March of 2009 came, entering the pizza contest was the furthest thing from my mind, but it was closer than I thought. I recieved a small manilla envelope from spartan foods, so I opened it and to my surprise I won! My "Three cheese Hawaiin pizza with red bellpepper alfredo" won! I got a year supply of free pizza crust coupons, and........ get this.... a coffee maker. YEAH!! The proud owner of the coffee maker is now my sister Laura who lives in Atlanta, thanks Lo. But anyway.  It just goes to show, sometimes your talents can really add up to something.  And maybe that something will land  you free pre-cooked pizza dough that is ready for toppings and a hot oven.   And really, enough coupons for a lifetime.... anyone want some?

Hubby's and Fathers

Okay.

My hubby did something worth writing about.

He decided to take our little Smith on a father-son-outing.

Just him and Smith.

Smith cannot walk, he cannot talk, he cannot move like most little ones his age.  But my Bryce, despite of what Smith can and cannot do, wanted to take him to the place that he loves second most to the home.  

The Golf course.

I was nervous as I saw them drive off together because frankly I had never let just Smith and Daddy go alone, I was thinking about sharp turns that could be taken in the golf cart, or Smith getting too hot or too cold..... you know, crazy Motherly instincts we all have felt.  But over all, I felt at peace.  Knowing that Bryce really wanted to take him, just him, and spend some one on one time with his son, made me rejoice in Hubby's and Fathers.

Husbands are wonderful in themselves.  They are there to hold you when you feel bad, they are there to kiss you on the forehead when you need comfort, they are there to smile at you when you have done good, they are there to play with you when you feel playful, they are there to love you all the time-despite that time of the month thing.  And then you throw being a father in the mix.....SEXY!  They have a whole new level of WONDERUL.  You get to watch your hubby play with your children,  hold those little wonders in their big arms, read them stories when he could be reading sports or the news,  talk to them with a soft voice when normally they could sound manly, they have a whole new aura about them when they become fathers, and all you mothers can identify with this-they become more attractive, more manly, more gentle, more heroic, more of a.... A MAN.

   

Art Moves ME

Art, in all forms, is a story.

A story tell itself to your heart and mind individually, differentiating itself by the person who is reading it. That is why I love art. It tells me a story with every piece I see. And in some cases they move me.

This Particular piece I painted myself, for my Brycey. It hangs over our Bed and takes me away to this balcony in a far off land every time I see it.

This is the story:

Once a upon a time.........

Girl (yes, her name is Girl) lived in a tiny shack in the corner of the village Ovorp. Girl was a goose herder by trade and loved tending her geese everyday with care and tried to block out her cruel and demanding boss. Girl lived with three women, Ymma, Yllsha, and Ayl; Ayl and Yllsha owned the tiny house on the corner. Girl and Ymma were best friends. Every night after a long day of work, Ymma and Girl would lay on their beds in their tiny room and talk as if they had been on an adventure that day, since Ovorp was so dusty and brown they pretended to be anywhere but Ovorp. They visited the tops of highest mountains, to the swamps and valleys of the land Zatacony. But their favorite place they spoke of and visited the most, were the Swan Islands. Their minds would be swept away as they described the trees and the smells of the Swan Islands; everything from the vibrant pink sunsets to the warm, clear blue lakes that were filled with floating lillies and dolphins. Now dolphins don't regularly swim in lakes but they did in the Swan Islands because their lakes were like mini oceans, with the floors of the lakes covered in starfish and soft, turquoise sea coral. But when they were, most likely every time, interrupted by Yllsha and Ayl with their high demands and yelling, they were brought back to reality to their dusty brown surrounding. Ymma told Girl,"One day you will find your prince and dance on the castle balconies of the Swan Islands."

On a hot summer day Ymma and Girl were tending the Geese, a dashing, funny, and sweet man named Esirb came to help them.  He said he was sent by Ayl and Yllsha.  Girl was very cautious at first, and didn't completely trust Esirb, but she was suprised how fast she fell in love with him.  He found out through Ymma, Girls' hopes and dreams and Esirb saved every penny in order to take her away to the Swan Islands.  In the middle of the night when the moon was full and high in the sky, he tapped on her window.  She sneakily crept out her window to meet her prince, she wore a large grey cloak and left on a white horsecarriage with Esirb.  But trailing close behind were Yllsha and Ayl.  They didn't want to lose Girl because she paid all their rent.  Then Esirb did something unexpected; he said three words......Shatz, Tesoro, LOVE!!! and off they flew towards the moon and into the lands of Swan Islands. Girl thought," you know magic too!!What a surprise! "

And that night they danced on the castle balconies in the Swan Islands. And lived happily ever after.

Last night I held my Sweet Little Little (a.k.a Smith)

I was frustrated.

I was tired.

I was confused.

I asked Heavenly Father, Why?

Why is Smith different?  What do I need to do?  How can I best help him?  Can he please sleep, can I please sleep.

Tears came to my eyes as I walked around my house in the wee hours of the night.  I was talking to Smith and heavenly Father out loud.  Hoping one of them would hear me and understand.  As Smith dozed off on my numb shoulder I thought of the conversation I had with my sweet Bryce during the day before.

My Bryce said he felt sad for the first time about Smith.  He watched a Dad with his son playing, and realized that might not ever happen with Smith.  I told my Bryce I loved him,  I kissed him and said,  "you are the strong one, remember."   He picked up Smith and held him close.

He is the strong one.  He helps me and I help him.  Today I helped him.  And I loved it.  We love our Sweet Little Little..... SO DARN Much!!!!

It made me think of one of the most influential talks I have ever read by one of the most beloved late apostles Joseph B. Wirthlin.  It's called "Live in Thanksgiving Daily."  The first time I read this talk was in the Canary Islands, serving my mission for the LDS church.  I encourage all to READ IT.....SERIOUSLY, it will change your perspective on life.  Here is the link.....just click and you are there.

“Live in Thanksgiving Daily”

Here is a quote from that very talk.

“The man who forgets to be thankful has fallen asleep in life”

I want to live everyday in gratitude and thanksgiving and I know I can.  I love life and I love being happy about it... there are things that always make me live in the moment and i am going to name a few:

Seeing Smith Smile

My Husband's dashing good looks

Sitting on a porch in a warm summer sunset

Creeksides

Trees blowing in the wind

Warm Summer nights

Vacations with my family

Beautiful Art work

LOVe

The Gospel

I love all these things and more.....

I love you Smith, and Daddy loves you too.

I am me.
Just Me.
It has been a while old friends of the blogging world. But I am here and well.
We had a family vacation to the Grand Mesa of Colorado.... too much fun, everything from orchards and cherries to lakes and forests.
Fun nights with my Bryce. And fun days with little Smithy
Two of my very dear and close friends are dating.... not other people, but EACHOTHER!!!
Sebastian and Elaine..... Two beautiful people make a beautiful couple, I love it.
Summer heat is the best, I feel totally comfortable in my skin during this time of year.
Smith is eating Solids!
I am not eating Gluten.
Bryce loves Taco Amigo.
And I love you all!
Sorry about the shabby updates. I am just having too much fun to be on the computer.... Garden here I come....YUMMMM!