Spring in my step

How much do I love Spring. I love it everywhere. In AZ I love it, UT I love it, and CA I love it. It is just the best time of year I really do think. Everything is blossoming and coming to life and I love the self rejuventation that comes with this time of year. It is getting close to beach days, granted we do beach days all year but summer beach days you can't really stay covered up the whole time, so getting back in shape is for sure on my mind more so than other times of year. I love having the cool breeze with the warm sun and feeling so ALIVE. It just has such a great energy about it don't you think?

Luckily I found my camera just in time to capture this beautiful time of year.


Easter Sunday after a yummy brunch at Nate and Rachel's.

Easter Sunday we headed to Salt Creek after brunch to relax on the grass. We fell asleep for an hour or so and just enjoyed the most beautiful day, I love being able to head down to the OC and just chill.


Aar checking the view over the sandstone rock we hiked too. It is a good straight shot down from up there.

The view from our hike in Malibu, Easter weekend. Really though Southern California is beautiful. I know I could say this about so many places, which is such a great outlook on life. But really for all those non believers of So Cal I promise I could make you a LOVER real fast.


Aar and I in Manhattan beach. We did some mega treasure hunting that day and I came home with a handful of beautiful shells and full sand dollars. I love a beach where I can find great treasures.


The last couple weeks have been pretty good to us. I of course missed my fam on Easter as I am just such a home body and holidays feel so different without all of us together, but really I am the luckiest sister, daughter and aunt in the world because I really do get to see my family an incredible amount, it is just I want to see them ALL the time!!! It is a good thing I love them all so much. Aaron and I have been enjoying the outdoors and have been thinking of different activities to do in the area. We are both working like crazy which puts even more pressure on us to have fun and relaxing weekends together. Oh yes I even sewed a sock monkey this last week with my twin Kristin, I work with her and she basically rocks. I was pretty impressed. I will have to get a pic up on here for you all to see. This was a big thing for me being that I do not sew really and don't own a sewing machine. Thanks to the help of friends I have been able to make a few projects and I think the time has come so I will be telling my mom I am serious about sewing now so hopefully she will help me find a good machine.

Be strong my friends

BE STRONG AND OF A GOOD COURAGE
BE NOT AFRAID NEITHER BE THOU DISMAYED
FOR THE LORD THY GOD IS WITH THEE WITHERSOVER YOU GOEST
(Joshua 1:9)

Really and truly this is such an amazing scripture from the Bible. This is the theme for the LDS Church Young Men and Young Women's organization for 2010. I am super blessed to be in the Young Women's as it really keeps me thinking and pondering life and the gospel.

While nothing super challenging or difficult is going on in my life right now besides the daily grind of life, there have been times when saying this scripture I think would have helped me out in the past and brings me such peace now every time I say it. I just wanted to put this out into the BLOG world this week as I know all of us have challenges that we have faced, are facing and will face in the future and this scripture is something I have found to mean a tremendous amount to me. Just read it once out loud and I think it will ring as a great comfort to you too.

Life is good

So I know I am really in need of some updated pics on this blog, but you see I have misplaced my lil camera, and well we have our bigger nice one but it is a pain to take around so I have not been taking pictures lately, promise though I will get some up here soon. In the meantime just wanted to write about the things that I have to be so happy about right now

• It is SPRING. It is so pretty right now, while my allergies are kicking my trash, it is just beautiful and I am loving it.
• I visited my nephews and Matt and KT two weeks ago and honestly was crazy perfect. I needed time with those lil fellas and they were so loving and sweet. I loved not having any plans and just being able to be with them. I miss being so close to them. It was so fun too cause Matty did not work the entire time so I got to spend time with him too. I just love them and am so thankful for the relationship I have with them, all of them Matt, KT, Liam, and George.
• My mom and dad were out here this weekend and it was such a treat. Just to play, relax and have fun. I really just love my mom and dad and can't get enough. I love that they make time for us and come visit us. Jer took us all out to diner to this to DIE for place in LA called Lucques. Pretty much an amazing French place that is out of this world. Was recently featured in the latest Saveur that was dedicated all to LA.
• My friend Kim is coming in town tomorrow for the rest of the week and we will be spending 2 days at a conference for my most favorite therapy modality. Can't wait. We will get edified but then also have fun together and most likely eat a lot of good food.
• My dear Dream (Aims) is getting married soon and I am dying with excitement
• Our friends the Beck's (love that I can say friends since Ash is my friend and Clay is Aaron's friend, so awesome how that worked out) are going through some changes and I am so happy for them. I know how is to be where they are (minus having kids) and well I just get how crazy it is, but know what an awesome adventure is in store for them. Can't wait to see where their adventures will take them, of course I am hoping here in LA, but even if they don't end up here I know we will still be seeing them and supporting them.
• LIFE, on Discovery is blowing my mind. Just crazy. I am learning of all these crazy animals and all these crazy facts about them. The world is fascinating, just nutso I tell you what. Watch it NOW, you will L O V E it.
  
• Upcoming visit to Disneyland is also on my mind with the fam. How fun it will be.

Alright so clearly lots to be happy about and keep me motivated and going during my challenging days at work.

Hope you all out in the blog world are doing well and are enjoying the start of Spring. What is making you happy these days?

Heart to Heart

Tonight I said goodbye to my "buddy" that I mentioned in the previous post. We started our time together by doing the hard stuff, the saying goodbye part. I do a little goodbye ritual with my kiddos and to be honest I think maybe I should revise it cause it often leads to a good amount of tears and heartfelt messages (okay I know I won't change it, but it is tough sometimes). So this is how it went.

I reminded him that we were going to say goodbye tonight. I asked him how he could remember me and he said "in my heart." (I had previously talked to him how he would always be in my heart and that he could think of me in the future even though we don't see each other again and if he every was feeling sad he could just think about me and that his heart would feel better etc.)
I then taught him how we would say our goodbyes which included putting our hands on each other hearts and then sharing a message of any kind to the other while our hand is on their heart.

I went first, I put my right hand on his heart and looked into his eyes and I explained to him how he has left a handprint on my heart and how that handprint can never be taken away. I told him about how I will always remember him, how proud of him I am, and what a great little kiddo he is (he is 6). I told him how he can think of me and reminded him of what he has learned in therapy. I wished him goodluck and said goodbye.

He had tears in his eyes, me too, and then his teacher at school walked in. It was his turn and he just froze. I then asked him if he wanted to continue with our goodbye with his teacher in the room or if he wanted her to leave. He then said that he wanted her to leave because what we were doing was "special, just for us."

After she left the room it was his turn.

My little buddy then proceeded to put his hand on my heart, his cute little tiny hand, looked straight into my eyes, with glossy little brown eyes, and said "I will never forget you."

********************

And this is what it is about.

I could not believe it. This kid, a six year old boy, did what so many adults can't even do. He spoke the truth, from his heart, stared me straight in the eyes, dealt with some big emotions and one of the hardest things to do in life...Say goodbye. Man I couldn't be more proud, so touched and so happy. I of course have cried a handful of times tonight retelling this story and just thinking about it.

I will always remember this little buddy. His cute face, sitting on his grandma's front porch stairs playing games, his puffy spikey hair, his grumpy face, him always talking about my TOMS shoes I wear, his smile, the way he would smirk when I would catch him lying, him running up from behind me and surprising me with a hug, how he once asked me right after we met if I was a boy (I had my hair in a pony tail and was wearing a polo...note to self get ready more for work), and of course his last meaningful words he shared with me.

I needed tonight with my little buddy.

My soul is smiling

Things lately have been...well...crazy. No complaints as things have been good, but busy nonetheless. Aaron started his new gig full time here in LA, and we couldn't feel more blessed. It just so happens that his new job is right around the corner from where we live and has made us feel more at home here in Los Angeles. While we could live a few different places and be super happy we have really felt such a connection to LA and feel that this is where we need to be at this time in our life. Of course that means continuing to trade in our home in SLC for our apartment in the city. But what a wonderful city it is. I know for some LA may seem like the complete opposite of where they would want to live. Afterall it is busy and crowded. However, the neighborhoods in West LA where we live are as charming as could be. Tree lined streets, park, community rec centers, museums and of course amazing lil eateries. Needless to say we are pretty smitten with LA and are so thankful to be able to call this our home for now.

So here we are living our lives in LA. Aaron is working his 10+ hour days, me my 10 hour days, Aaron is doing scouts, me Young Women's, and trying to fit in as much time to enjoy the great city we live in with friends, family and our dogs.

In the midst of all this business I have had some great moments lately that have rejuvenated my soul:

• I have been working with this 6 year old little boy and well the time has come for us to part. He has made so much progress in therapy and he is ready to move on and spread his wings and fly. I had to break this news to him a couple of weeks ago and even though I tried with my cheer and attitude to help him understand what a good thing this was for him, he was not having it. He started to cry and got pretty upset. When I asked him why he thought he was so sad and angry he replied "you are not supposed to split up buddies." True my little one, you are NOT supposed to split up buddies. How do you reply to that one. He is right. You may be wondering why this is on the list of great moments, well it was just a sweet tender moment and made me feel so lucky to be considered this little guys buddy.
• I have been spending lots of time with the young women of LA at our church and I must say this is one of my most favorite things. Last week I had two great moments with them. One was at our weekly activity on Tuesday night where one of the girls talked about her receiving her Young Womanhood Recognition (Personal Progress awared, the Eagle Scout to girls) and she talked about one of her favorite activities was when she imagined that Christ was with her at all times for 1 week. I love that she said "I am a good girl and it was still hard." Could you imagine if we lived more like this, imagining the Savior by our side all day. I just loved that she did this as one of her projects and it made me really think about how different we would all treat eachother, act, and do if we did this.
  
• Last week I went and supported our ladies doing baptisms at the temple. It was such a treat. I got to help the ladies when they were done and just look after them. I loved sharing such an intimate experience with them and being there to great them after they did work for the Lord. It was so great to see the ladies who work so hard to keep themselves clean to entire the Lord's house and to be there with them as they sacrificed their time to serve the Lord.
• I booked a flight to visit my lil nephews and that alone has filled me with so much joy I can barely contain myself. I have missed them and Matt and KT so much lately. They are coming out here in April, but I just could not wait that long. It is lil Georgie's 1st Birthday this week, and although I can't be there for his Birthday celebration, I will be there the week after, similar to last year when I had the privilege to spend time with them after he was born. I can't wait to see them and squeeze them.
• The beauty of LA has been amazing lately. It has rained off and on and it has been just stunning. We visited Griffith Park and the Observatory the other day and took in the breathtaking view of LA. The coolest part is that this is a canyon that makes you forget you are in LA, it looks like a canyon in Utah, all lush and green. I love being able to explore trails in the hills at one point of the day and the beach at another. It really seemed like we were somewhere else. We even got to see a coyote run by our car. We stopped and ate this to die for apple pie at this little cabin on our way down the canyon, it was simply divine.
• Homemade bread!!! Aaron's parent got him this book How to Make Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day, and it really and truly is incredible. He makes the most beautiful loaves of bread every week. We deliver them to friends and neighbors and enjoy some fabulous grilled cheese too! I love that my Aar Bear loves to cook so much. He finds so much joy in it and he is pretty fab at it. We have so much fun in the kitchen and exploring all the eateries around town.
• My Dream is getting married in May and I can't wait. Aims is so great and I am so happy that she has found such a darling man to marry. I almost feel as happy as I did when I was getting married. It will be the ultimate celebration.

What is making your soul smile these days?

Olympians

What am I going to do when I have kids to make sure they go to the olympics. I mean of course I would want them to get a medal, but I would be cool even if they just made it there. Does this seem like too much to ask and hope for? Are kids will be short though so I got to think about the sports they would be good at. Gymnastics, ice skating (I am flexible and let's be honest much better when they are super flexible), snowboarding, surfing (maybe by then this will be in the olympics), soccer.

Our kids have a lot of expectations, dreams, and hopes already so they best be ready.

Modern Family

I just want to put it out there that I LOVE Modern Family. It is so brilliant. Anyone else find as much joy in it as I do?