Through Jadyn's Eyes

I love this picture of Jadyn. It was taken at the 'Princess Temple Castle', aka the Mt Timpanogos Temple...

I picked up Jadyn from school today. She was coloring a picture and was VERY excited to show me. "Look mom, it's a heart and a one-e-corn." See to her a unicorn is a one-e-corn, and honestly I think I might like one-e-corn better.

As I was driving Jadyn to school the other morning, she told me, "Momma, I want your sister to pick me up." Well as I have four sisters, I went through the list - Jennifer - "no", Rebecca - "no", Elizabeth - "no", ok Michelle - "no". Your other sister, man Jadyn those are my only sisters. "No, the one with the long hair." I finally figured out who she meant - Jill. "Yeah, momma. Her, I want her to come with you to pick me up." Sweet Jadyn, Jill came with me during her visit to pick up Jadyn. And she must have liked it...and yeah she is kinda my sister, true? Love you Jill.

Jadyn was taking her bath the other night. She has a lot of bath toys, she happens to have two dolphins. She was on her belly pretending to swim, she loves to do that, and I came back in the room she lifted up her dolphins and said, "Look momma, I am swimming with the dolphins." Where do they get this stuff? They pick up everything...so cute.

I was doing Jadyn's hair the other day before school, and we were talking about how her birthday is coming up and I asked her what she wanted. She said quickly and with a huge grin, "Sprinkles!" Perfect, I can handle that...

...Speaking of sprinkles, we were in the kitchen one day and she saw the muffin tins. She says, "Mommy, I want to make some hupcakes." I was like hupcakes? Sweetie, they are called cupcakes. "No momma, they are hupcakes." Interesting theory Jadyn, why would they be called hupcakes, when they are shapped like a cup? What exactly would a hup be? She got tired of trying to convince me, but she still calls them hupcakes.

For the longest time, she refered to my mom and dad both, as 'Gampa', my dad loved it, I am not sure my mom did though. Although, my mom embraced it towards the end and even put her name on her cell phone as 'Gampa.' Beautiful.

My grandma passed away this past December, and Jadyn often says to me, 'I miss your grandma.' She met grandma only a few times, but it is so interesting to me that she thinks about her and misses her, that she has an awareness of what happened. It shows me we are more connected than we understand. We were able to visit my Grandparents this past September and Grandma and Jadyn had a great time playing with all of Grandma's necklaces. I wish I had taken a picture...

She has a ton more, and I will keep sharing them...Enjoy.

Pimpin' People's Blogs...

This blog was not intended to be a religous blog, although my faith is a big part of my life, I am trying to have this blog as friendly and religion is often a very sensitive subject, and while I wrote a blog with my testimony, I was doing it for me and my family and friends that may have wondered over the years where my mind was at.

Additionally, I wanted to express to Amy my love. I don't love someone based on the decisons they make, so no mater what she does - I love her for who she is. I loved her before she was Mormon, I did not love her because she was Mormon, and I don't stop loving her when she is not. If you would like to express your thoughts about Amy's decisions and your love for Amy, I am sure she would love it, her blog is: http://www.dampenningtons.blogspot.com/ I know she would love to hear from you.

Secondly, my brother-in-law (it's cool to have one - finally), has a great blog that talks about all kinds of things. And it is faith based...and a perfect place to learn more and express your opinion. He loves it, he welcomes it. Aaron, has a great perspective of the gospel, and his journey has been atypically. And I appreciate and value his opinion, check it out: http://graceforgrace.com/

I include the picture to illustrate that he is very easy to talk to (yes he is running in a mullet wig), so write some of your thoughts and opinions on his page. I don't think Becca will like that I put this up...so I will put up a nice one...

Random

As is it president's day and I am currently enjoying my day off I thought that I would share a little thing I just learned from yahoo.com, yeah I learn stuff from Yahoo sometimes, the are worth way more that 15 billion or whatever obsence amount Microsoft devalued them by offering...

Anyway, according to yahoo.com Abraham Lincoln is the most requested president for quotes. Can't say I am surprised. Number two is Thomas Jefferson, etc...here is the list with links.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes
Thomas Jefferson Quotes
Theodore Roosevelt Quotes
Ronald Reagan Quotes
George Washington Quotes

Anyway I thought I would share a few...quotes that is...

Lincoln -
"Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it."

"I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day."

"I am rather inclined to silence, and whether that be wise or not, it is at least more unusual nowadays to find a man who can hold his tongue than to find one who cannot."

Jefferson -
"When angry, count ten before you speak; if very angry, an hundred."

"Delay is preferable to error."

"Bigotry is the disease of ignorance, of morbid minds; enthusiasm of the free and buoyant. Education & free discussion are the antidotes of both."

"I cannot live without books."

"Religion is a subject on which I have ever been most scrupulously reserved. I have considered it as a matter between every man and his Maker in which no other, and far less the public, had a right to intermeddle."

Have a great President's Day!

Pondering

One of my friends recently sent me an email to read her blog, and on her blog it said she was leaving the LDS church. I have been wondering how to respond, if she wants my response (she did after all just email me to look at her blog, she choose not to tell me herself – so I am not sure if she is interested in my opinions), and what exactly my feelings are about the situation are. I thought this gave me a chance to bear my testimony, so here it goes...

First, I love a person no matter what they believe. I have many friends from a wide variety of backgrounds, a wide variety of lifestyles, a wide variety of beliefs. I would like to think that they know that regardless of their personal choices, I accept them and love them although I might not love or agree with everything they do. That is not my call, they have to be ok with their life. They will be accountable for their choices, not me.

Second, I have thought in the past, how much easier things would be if I wasn’t part of the church. I have considered choosing a relationship over my beliefs. Putting aside my upbringing and being more open to different ways of life, to be more ‘worldly’ and have less argument and discord in my relationship with Jadyn’s dad.

Third, there is something I know that keeps me from doing that. I have read the Book of Mormon and I have prayed about the Book of Mormon, and I have a testimony of the Book of Mormon. There are many people and churches that believe that Jesus Christ is our Savior. I believe that too, with everything I am, but there is only one church that has the restored gospel, that has the Book of Mormon. That is the LDS church. I cannot deny that I have received a testimony. And I knew I could not live with myself if I made that kind of compromise.

My hope is that when my friend was choosing to be baptized, she wasn’t doing it to please me, but she was doing it because she had a testimony – that she believed that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. Had she not been baptized I would have loved her with the same strength and fervor that I do today. She is my sister regardless. And now all these years later I wonder, Why? Sometimes, being a member of the church is hard. It is hard if two people in a relationship believe in different things, I know I would have never been happy compromising myself. I didn’t take the sacrament for 5 years. I was starving myself from my relationship with my Savior. I knew what was right, I knew I wasn’t living like I needed to, and it is a daily effort to put off the things of the world and embrace what I know is right.

I wish her happiness in her choices, that she can find the peace she is looking for. I know personally the only way I feel that peace is when I am living the gospel. My thoughts for investigators of the church - if you do not have a testimony of the Book of Mormon, then don’t get baptized. You need that testimony to help you be strong in your faith. To keep connected and not leave the church. That testimony is what has kept me connected even in the dark times, and I am grateful everyday that the Holy Ghost bears witness of the truth and that I was able to receive that testimony. I challenge anyone – if you don’t know, or if you have ever wondered – read the Book of Mormon and pray. You will receive an answer. And that answer is what keeps me from talking myself out of my faith. I know, and I know that God knows that I know – the Book of Mormon is the word of God.

Amy, I love you the same as I did that day. I love you no matter what choices you make, I love you when you doubt yourself, I love you when you remember that you love yourself as much as everyone else loves you, I love you as my sister. I will always love you, and I pray from the bottom of my heart that this is going to bring you the peace you are always looking for. That is all I ever want for you. To love yourself as much as you are loved and too be comfortable being who you are - my very precious Amy.

So I'm saving all my love, yes, saving all my love - For You! Yes, You!

These pictures are clearly from our dress up day last week, ok I am lying - it was Halloween, but she was a Pink Princess and it screams Valentine's Day appropriate to me (thank you grandma for making the dress!). Just think of her wand as a bow and arrow and she is a little pink (fully clothed - cause it can get COLD up here when it's not raining) cupid. We have pink everying, btw. What color dog do you want Jadyn? - pink. What color car should we get Jadyn? - pink, What color of Princess dress do you want? - of course - PINK! (Even this blog is pink - in her honor. Ok, you are right, I like pink too.) She even picks out all the various shades of pink to color with, and she only colors with them. I guess more accurately she only colors with shades of red, as orange and purple are also included...

On to the message:

Every year I go to the store and dutifully buy Christmas Cards to mail out to all my friends, family and associates – and every year when I am packing up all the Christmas paraphernalia, I pack up the un-opened and unsent Christmas Cards (I have about 4 packages right now – I need to stop buying them). Because once again I have failed to do my duty as a friend and family member, and sign my signature to a card with it’s corny and sometimes sensitive ‘Christmas message’ and mail it out. I think that the last time I even mailed a few Christmas Cards out was in 2004 – I purchased the ones that I could put a picture of Jadyn in, so there was some new motivation for me.

Last year I decided that I was just going to email everyone and I was going to create a playlist of some of my favorite songs from 2006 (it is very personal to get blind copied on an email I know, but at least it was something) but I didn’t do that either. So this year my new goal was to start a blog and email everyone the link so if people wanted to they could keep up with Jadyn and me throughout the year – not just at Christmas and I was going to send out the 2006 playlist because I didn’t have time to make a 2007 one, but guess what – I didn’t do that again this year. I created the blog, I am using last year’s playlist and I still didn’t send it out. I must have some sort of mental block about Christmas correspondence.

I thought my new tradition is Valentine’s Day Cards – reminiscent of elementary school when we had specially decorated brown (or white) paper bags – and everyone showed you some love. Maybe I can keep up this new Valentine’s Day tradition and you will get blind copied on an email once a year – reminding you to have a great Valentine’s Day and a Happy New Year (conveniently Valentine’s Day generally coincides nicely with the Chinese New Year.) And I can share an outdated playlist.

So now for my chessy Valentine message:

Near or Far,
Old and New,
My Life is blessed,
Because of you!

Happy Valentine’s Day! And have a great Year of the Rat!

Kathryn

No song of the day – instead a whole playlist. SWEET! Some really old songs, some special Valentine's songs (hint - Chris Brown he he), a little of the dirty dirty - ok I took those songs out - but here they are if you wanna listen - Wood Grain Wheel, Slim Thug & Independent - Webbie, and of course some of my favorite songs from last year - that would be 2006. So behind....

10 Things I Really Love – At Least Like a Lot

1. Jadyn’s Laugh – it is seriously the greatest, and she isn’t stingy with it so I get to hear it all the time.
2. Football – This time of year is very sad for me – only 7 more months till we gear up again.
3. March Madness – please let me win the pool this year!
4. Ice Cold Diet Dr Pepper – I think I drink this stuff more than water. My favorite is when it is so cold that it has a few ice crystals in it – yum.
5. Noggin – yes a pre-school TV channel. But I love it because Jadyn loves it and there are NO commercials.
6. A ‘Sunbreak’ – unfortunately it rains frequently here, and yes the sun goes down early in the winter – but it is wonderful when the sun comes out. ‘I want to Soak up the Sun!”
7. Psych – a hilarious TV show. It is really a lot of fun. (I also enjoy The Office.)
8. A Good Book – I can be about pretty much anything – as long as it is something that I want to finish and finish quickly.
9. Lasagna – Garfield and I have that in common, and for all the years of my life that I can remember anyway, it has been my favorite food. Hand’s down. For some reason only the way my family makes it – I do not like lasagna at restaurants.
10. Music – pretty much all kinds, but not quite. And I love watching Jadyn dance, sometimes with music, sometimes she dances without it – that could technically be number 11 but the title says 10 things, so we will leave it at that.

Song of the Day – Beautiful Skin – Goodie Mob – for some reason this popped into my head this morning. I really love the song, and although he is writing to black women he says at the beginning – “This is out of common respect, for all women period” so I feel like it also applies to me. Here is the Chorus: (Cee-lo sings it): Well, I say you're my, beginnin my end – You're my sista lover and friend - God is, your light from within - It shines through your beautiful skin - What they, say bout you ain't true - There's no me if there is no you -I hope, that you understand - You got to respect yourself before I can. – Love it.

February - Presidents and Love

What a month. It seems that I have missed January entirely on this blog. I am doing really good at the so far. Right? I had to include a picture from almost four years ago - Jadyn's birthday. 3/9/04. I guess I should have saved it for her birthday, but the way I keep this place updated I didn't want to risk it. She was 5 lb 7oz 19.5 inches long and a little more than four weeks early - and screaming her lungs off. I was so proud. Anyway on to the juicy stuff...

January, let's see, what did we do? For some reason my mind is mush right now. I know we had some scary times - my sister Elizabeth was in the hospital. She is good now. I got new tires for the car. Ummm, listen there has to be something this is ridiculous. My friend Jill got to visit from NYC - we had a nice trip to get pedicures, one of my favorite things, why did I deny myself that rich treat for so many years. Don't worry I am making up for it now.

Let me do like Jadyn "Think, Think, Think" Of course - Benjamin, my one and only brother turned 18. Can you believe it?! This is why you write more than once every 35 days - so things are fresh and you can keep it snappy.

Which brings me to February, we are only 5 days in so let's see what remarkable and monumental things have happened to us. Sadly, Gordon B Hinckley passed away. He lived a long full life and we are blessed to have had his voice of guidance in our lives for so long. We watched part of the Prophet's funeral on Saturday morning. Thank goodness for DVR so I can watch it later. Uninterrupted.
Also on Saturday, we got to experience one of life's special treats. I have been missing out on this one for a long time, I am so happy that I have finally been able to experience it. - Chuck E Cheese on a Saturday afternoon, a four year old birthday party no less. Oh my, you think it is crowded on a dance floor - you should have seen this mamma jamma. Insane. Grease nasty pizza and a giant rat in a restrauant. But some how it works and kids love it, you just can't consider what is going on too closely. But if I can hold out - Jadyn will not ever have a party there. It's magical and all that, but WOW. No words can adequately describe...

Oh yeah and the Superbowl...I have to be honest even though as a Cowboy fan I pretty much detest the Giants - I was glad they won and I was rooting for the the whole way. And I just have to think come on Cowboys, you beat them TWICE - why did you fall apart on me?

Song of the Day - Well I don't have a song today, but an Artist. Lionel Richie. I really love that CD "Truly- the Love Songs." Listened to it all day, well not all day (also snuck in The Carpentars & Harry Connick Jr), today at work. And it was music to my soul...love it. More later and much sooner than later.

Oh and speaking of giant rats - Happy Chinese New Year! The year of the rat.