You say goodbye, and I say hello

In the last several weeks, I've been surprised at the passing of so many. Not just people that everyone seems to know (i.e. celebrities), but even at the hospital I work at, we've had several people pass away. 

The hardest loss for me lately has been the loss of a dear friend and lifelong companion, literally always there for me. But, I suppose that's part of life. As a woman's body grows and stretches to accommodate the new life within her, there comes a time when she must say goodbye to her inny belly button. I suppose it was foolish of me to fail to acknowledge the inevitability of this passing, but I considered my charming, perfect belly button to be above such injustice. Alas, 'tis not so. I saw the signs of impending doom, and I turned a blind eye - only to realize, I took it for granted.  

In my time of mourning, I have found solace. I suppose the passing of one makes way for the entry of another. My brother and his wife welcomed a new darling girl to their family on June 22, 2009. I have yet to meet her, but she's a little sweetheart who already has her daddy wrapped around her finger. I love hearing about their transition - I hope it can prepare me for my own. Out of respect for the new parents' wishes, I won't post any pictures of the little angel (who thinks she's a star because she'd rather shine (read: play) all night long than sleep), but I don't think they would begrudge me this one that just makes my heart sing. Home truly can be a heaven on earth! Welcome to the family, Emma. We're so glad you're here!

Quote of the day . . .

"Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy. The amount of work is the same."

--Francesca Reigler

Re: Sleep

I'm increasingly feeling like a chicken on a rotisserie spit, only my rotations are not as regular.

Marseilles Dress SHABBY APPLE GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Marseilles Dress SHABBY APPLE GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

I have fallen in love with the simple elegance of Shabby Apple dresses! I would love to win this dress!!

I just can't resist

Creative Puns for Smart Minds (or, How I Love the Wordplay)

1. The roundest knight at King Arthur's Round Table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.

2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian.

3. She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still. 

4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated in an algebra class because it was a weapon of math disruption.

5. The butcher backed into the meat grinder and got a little behind in his work.

6. No matter how much you push the envelope it'll still be stationery.

7. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.

8. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.

9. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.

10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

11. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it. 

12. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.

13. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other, "You stay here, I'll go on a head."

14. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.

15. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said, "Keep off the Grass."

16. A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to the hospital. When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said, "No change yet."

17. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.

18. The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.

19. The soldier who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.

20. A backward poet writes inverse.

21. In a democracy, it's your vote that counts. In feudalism, it's your count that votes. 

22. When cannibals ate the missionary, they got a taste of religion.

23. Don't join dangerous cults, practice safe sects!

The happiest place on earth

I was talking to a co-worker on Friday about weekend plans. When she asked what I was up to, I mentioned that my husband and I were planning to visit the Los Angeles Temple on Saturday. Having had a sister married there, she was familiar with the building.

"Oh, that's a beautiful place!," she exclaimed. I echoed her sentiments and told her I love the peace you can feel there, even on the grounds. You can hardly hear the city from there. "I know!," she said, "it's almost like Disneyland!" 

At first, I was a little taken aback by her analogy. I hadn't thought of it like that, but I could see where she was coming from. From someone who has only been limited the grounds of one of the Mormon temples, I am honored that she would make such a comparison. Both are places apart from the world. Both are places that celebrate families and focus on happiness. 

How grateful I am that we have access to lasting joy in this life! The temple truly is the happiest place on earth. 

*Photo taken from here.

Snakes and snails and puppy dog tails

It was one of those Saturdays where I had to work the morning shift and Brent had to work the closing shift - in other words, just another day of the week where we didn't see each other. Unfortunately, we have far too many of those. 

Anyway, while I was at work, Brent had decided to go fishing with our brother-in-law. Unfortunately for Brent, fishing is a past-time I don't quite understand. I've only really been fishing once in my life. In sixth grade. Our teacher took small groups of us fishing toward the end of the year. Well, that year as class awards came around, instead of "most helpful" or "most optimistic" I was awarded the "fishless" award. I was the only person in class to have not caught a fish. 

It's not like I've avoided fishing since then, but I haven't eagerly sought out opportunities to sit on a river's edge and feel like a failure again. I was grateful to Tydus for taking Brent. 

That night as I was tidying up the house to get it ready for Sunday, I was greeted by a dragonfly on my kitchen wall. The only body of water near our apartment is a highly-chlorinated swimming pool, and I doubted that this little guy had come from there.  

When Brent got home, I showed him our new friend and expressed my concern about his origins. I just couldn't figure out where he'd come from. Much to my surprise, Brent exclaimed, "I missed it!" Confused, I asked him to explain. 

Turns out, he'd seen the cocoon on a twig at the river that morning and brought it home to watch it hatch. It's endearing moments like that that make me realize I'm glad we never have to completely "grow up."