Becca, my Becca

A year ago I celebrated Becca's birthday with a list of 25 things I love about her. We're all ready to her birthday again! Where did the last year go? I thought about just re-posting that list, but a little girl at age 5 changes quite a lot from year to year. Her list from last year is absolutely still valid, but I thought I'd add to it a little with ways she's developed over the last year.

1. She is vehement in her opinions.



2. Before she'll admit to anything, she always has to ask,"Are you going to be mad?"



3. She doesn't back down from anything, and can't be talked out of what she wants.



4. She has the loudest scream I've ever heard.



5. She says the funniest, most creative things.



6. She loves with her entire being.



7. She lights up when she learns something new.



8. Her favorite thing in the world is a "bed date" with Mommy where we snuggle under blankets and read books all morning.



9. She can't WAIT to be a kindergartner.



10. She charms every single person she meets.



11. She doesn't need to know everything about you, or even your name, before she'll call you her friend.



12. She is physically incapable of cleaning without someone pointing out exactly what to pick up and exactly what to do with it.



13. She is the biggest, and worst, food sneak I've ever seen.



14. She loves the hand held vacuum, and is first to volunteer to use it.



15. She doesn't feel the need to conform. She does things HER way.



16. She loves to sing and dance.



17. Her hugs can cure anything.



18. She loves candles and fire as much as I do.



19. She's an adventurer at heart.



20. She wants to be helpful.



21. She comes up with some of the best random acts of kindness I've ever seen.



22. She loves glitter and pink and all things girly, but also loves dirt and goo and all things gross.



23. She's not afraid to admit when she's scared.



24. She will never go to bed on time.



25. She has more love in her little body than any two other people I know.

I am so lucky to have this little girl in my life. The Lord sure knew what he was doing when he sent her to me. He knew I needed her. I needed her love, her joy, her exuberance, her stubbornness. My wonderful baby girl turns 5 years old today, and I can't wait to see what the next year will bring.

My first SPT!

I've decided I might like to join the ranks of the SPT posters. So here it is, my first SPT!

25th Hour:

I was really torn about this one. There are a lot of things I'd like to do with an extra hour to myself. My first inclination was read. My second was nap. I also thought about how much I'd love to take a class, go back to school, improve my cooking skills, or practice piano (which ALMOST made the cut). But I thought about what would actually make me happier if I were to do it on a regular basis, and my answer became very clear.

(Warrior Pose)

If I could do anything I wanted, just for me, with no distractions, it would be to exercise. I've done the whole gym thing, and I still go from time to time, but I've found another form I think I like better. Yoga. I've been surprised at how hard it is, how much it works my body, and how good it makes me feel. Weight lifting and elliptical machines definitely have their place in my routine, but lately it's seemed too aggressive. Yoga gives me a difficult workout, but in a way that seems much more peaceful. When I'm done I feel energized and relaxed. Most of the time, when I find the time, I'm fighting kids or worrying about making dinner, or one of a hundred other things. So if I had an hour just to myself with absolutely no distractions, I would spend it doing yoga.

It doesn't happen often

It's snowing! Well, it's stopped for now, but it snowed last night. And it's supposed to snow off and on for most of the week. So today kids are out of school and excited to be out playing in it. We've already had a snowball fight (all three of them ganged up on me!), tried to build a snowman (the snow is too powdery to stick together very well) and been back and forth between neighbor's houses several times. Last year it took more time to get my kids bundled up than they spent outside. Today was better. They were out for almost two hours before asking to come back in. That has to be a record for them. So now they're sitting around the table with their hot chocolate while everything goes in the dryer in preparation for their next outing. They've done the front yard. Next they want the still untouched back yard. Rachel at first said she didn't want to go outside at all, but to have this much snow all at once is fairly rare around here. In the end I was able to convince her. I even pulled out my old Doc Martens so I could go out too. I'm so glad I did. Being out there with my kids was so fun! I even learned from Jenn's example and turned the camera around to get myself in a picture. Otherwise there would have been no proof that I too braved the elements and played in the snow.

The blessings just keep coming

Every experience I've had in the temple has been unique and wonderful. Today was no different. I went this morning with a couple women from my ward. That in and of itself is pretty unique. I've never gone with a couple friends just because we wanted to. When we walked into the chapel, I was surprised to see my mother in law sitting at the front of the room. I'd forgotten she was called to be a temple worker a couple months ago. Not only was today her day to work, but she worked in my session. I didn't really see much of her during the session itself, but when it came time for the veil, I was directed over to her. I am so glad I was. To have that experience there at the veil with her at my side was so very poignant for me. I am at a loss for words to describe what a special experience it was. I felt today like I got a glimpse of what it might be like in the world to come. I can't express how grateful I am to have had that experience. Every time I go to the temple I am grateful I went, and I always come away feeling like I've been blessed for my service. When I was there last month, I felt a special blessing on behalf of my family, and like good things happened directly because of the sacrifice it was to be there that day. Today I feel that blessing especially strongly. But this time it was deeply personal, specifically for me. Gratitude doesn't begin to describe my feelings. I will forever be grateful to have had this experience, and for the slight parting of the veil I felt while I was there.

Mahana, you ugly, get out of that tree!

For our Young Women's activity last night, we watched Johnny Lingo. It was the newer version from a few years ago, not the short version put out by the church in the 60's. We've always talked about that movie in terms of Mahana's experience, how she was treated badly by her father and the village, and made to believe she was nothing. Then Tama comes along and offers 8 cows for her, revealing to her and the village that she is much greater than anyone thought. I like the message that we shouldn't base our self worth on the opinions of others. I think it's an important message for the young women in this day when so much of what others think of us is based on superfluous things rather than the salient. Too much consideration is given to labels and clothes and cars and where you live or other meaningless details while not enough is given to the truly important things like honesty, character, and integrity. But in watching the movie last night, I realized another point of view.

Now it's been several years since I've seen the original version of Johnny Lingo, so I don't remember it much. But in this newer version, a lot of time is given to Tama and his life. He is likewise treated badly by the people of the island. He is passed from house to house, each one worse than the last. He's picked on by the boys of the island and made to feel, by all, that he is a curse brought to that island. He eventually leaves the island to escape what is sure to be a difficult and meaningless life and ends up in the home of Johnny Lingo. He eventually learns that he is in fact the son of a chief of another island, and he was always loved and missed and important to them. He also proves himself to Johnny Lingo, eventually being rewarded with all that he has, as well as the illustrious name. He is not a nothing, or a curse, as he was told all his life. We think of this as a movie showing the true worth of Mahana, but I think it also shows the true worth of Tama, a perspective I'd never thought of before.

When he goes back to the island to get Mahana, he goes back not as Tama, but as Johnny Lingo. He is rich and handsome and all the women of the island swoon over him. All, that is, except Mahana. She calls him a peacock and wants nothing to do with him. To her, riches meant nothing. She was more concerned with the worth of the person rather than the outside trappings. Character, not clothes; integrity, not riches were of value to her. She understood that the inside was truly what mattered. It wasn't just that she was revealed to be beautiful in the end, it was that she recognized where a person's true value lay, and she possessed the same values herself. Tama recognized that she was different and that she put more value on the truly important things rather than what was generally thought of as important. I think that is what made her worthy to be an 8 cow woman, not the beauty that was hidden by years of neglect and abuse. It was the beauty on the inside that was finally allowed to surface that made her a truly beautiful woman in the end. So the lesson of this movie was not just that we should never allow our self worth to be determined by others, as both Mahana and Tama learned, but also that we should never judge others on the outside trappings of life, but rather on the character and integrity they show.

Dance Festival

Back when I was a kid, the youth of our stake got to participate in a multi-stake dance festival. It was an elaborate production, with hundreds of kids, many dances, and pretty fantastic costumes. At least, that's how I saw it. From the outside. Alas, I was too young to participate. I was heartbroken as I watched Jenn and Ben practice and rehearse. To me, the Axel F song was the coolest thing I'd ever seen. I'm not jealous by nature, but I was jealous then. I so badly wanted to be there dancing too. It was such a unique opportunity, and one that did not come up again during my time as a youth.

A couple months ago I was called to be Laurel Advisor in my ward. I actually have it pretty easy. I teach the lessons on Sunday, and am asked to come to weekday activities, but not asked to be in charge of them or even involved in the planning. Not long after being called, I learned that the youth of our ward and stake were about to start practices for... an 11 stake dance festival.

Now I don't get to dance in this one either, but it's ok. Last month I went to a practice session for leaders where they taught us the amazing waltz these kids get to do. Even with a little waltz experience myself, it was tough for me! There are some pretty tricky formations these kids have to master. But it's a beautiful dance, choreographed by a local dancer in Gig Harbor. Then last night 3 wards of youth met together to start the first official practice for the dances.

There will be one group dance that all 11 stakes will do. They showed us the moves before we heard any music, and after the second combination they showed, I thought to myself, "This looks a lot like a High School Musical dance number..." It is. :) We're learning the dance to We're All In This Together! As I looked around the room, I noticed a vast majority of the leaders were standing along walls or hiding in the back of the room. Not me. I was side by side with Melanie Lopez, the secretary in YW for my ward, in the front row learning the dance! I had such a great time. We didn't learn a lot of it, but enough that I could come home and impress my kids that I knew this dance they'd seen on tv so often. :) I was pretty sure before I went that I was going to enjoy myself, but even I was surprised at how much FUN I was having!

Then we got started on the waltz. They started by teaching, not the box step as I'd assumed, but a straight line waltz. It actually makes some sense since there is quite a bit of straight waltzing, but they're going to have to teach these kids how to TURN while waltzing! The first couple attempts by these kids made me laugh! You could tell they really wanted to do it right, but really had no idea how. But they picked it up faster than anyone thought they would. It was expected we'd do nothing but practice waltzing solo around the room for the night, but they were so good, they taught them one of the first segments of the song! I was really impressed with those kids. They were focused and serious while still having fun and enjoying the dance. You really couldn't have asked for a better first practice from them.

I think this will be a really great experience for these kids, one they'll remember for a long time. How often do teenagers get to dress up in beautiful clothes and waltz around a packed arena? For some kids, never. I didn't get to participate in the one done years ago, but being able to be a part of this, even just as a leader there to help them learn, has been pretty great for me. It's almost even erased my jealousy at not being able to participate in the one 20 years ago. :)

Oh, and the highlight of my evening! Everyone was lined up, boys on one side, girls on the other, before learning the first section of the dance. I was at the very back of the line. Brother Belliston made a comment that he knew Viennese Waltz, but it was different from what he was seeing the kids do. Then he grabbed me and started waltzing me down the center aisle between where everyone was lined up! It was fantastic! He was pretty good too. It was a great cap to what was a great night, and a great beginning to what should be a great 6 months preparing for this dance festival.

I'm thankful for...

As part of my desire to be more thankful in my life, I decided I'd randomly throw out posts of things I'm thankful for right at this moment. I used to post fizzy joys in my blogs, and I may get back to that, but for now I want a way to record some of the goodness in my life. Since I never get around to actually writing in a journal, the rest of you get to read it all. :)

Right now I am thankful for:

• a husband who does dishes
• Jeri and I are talking again after months of misunderstandings and assumptions
• I got to spend half an hour reading books in bed with Becca
• cough medicine
• my kids have excellent teachers
• warm socks

That's it for now. It all may seem a bit silly, but it's important to me, and that's all that matters. I'm looking forward to posting more in the future!

I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose.

-Woody Allen

A New Chapter

Tyler has joined the ranks of glasses wearing folks! He was so excited to go pick up his glasses today. When he heard they were done, his response (as is pretty typical for him) was, "SWEET!" I'm not sure he's quite as in love with them now that he realizes they can be a bit uncomfortable, but he does notice a difference in how well he sees. He says everything is bigger with his glasses. I'm actually really glad to hear that. I was worried he wouldn't notice a difference and would wonder why he had to wear the things. On the way home, he spent the entire time reading off signs to me. He's always been a kid who would read things like speed limit signs, but he was doing it WAY more tonight than he ever has. If you look at the picture, you can see one eye is magnified while the other looks normal. Since one eye doesn't actually need correction, there's a pretty noticeable difference. Hopefully with time and dedicated use of the patch they'll even up a bit. But for now, he's in love with his blue Power Rangers glasses. I'm excited for him. I'm excited he gets to see better. I'm so thankful we were able to catch this problem and that it's fixable to a certain extent. I'm thankful that he's excited and eager to wear his glasses (and he says his patch, but we'll see how that goes). So far this has been nothing but positive. Of course I wish his eyes were perfect, but since they're not, this is a situation that has to be dealt with, and except for our first experience with the seemingly inept doctor at Costco, it's all gone extremely well. I really couldn't ask for any more.

Go Hawks!

Today is Wild Card Weekend in the NFL. That means the start of the playoffs. For the 4th year in a row Seahawks enter the playoffs as the Champions of the NFC West. And, surprisingly, we go in as the underdog in this game. We're a higher seed in the tournament, but not favored by any of the experts. Why is that, you ask? Because we're playing the red hot Washington Redskins. In case you haven't been paying attention, I'll fill you in on what's been going on. The Redskins lost one of their best players earlier this season when he was shot and killed during a botched robbery attempt. He wasn't expected to be home because of an away game the day before, but he was. And someone foolishly brought along a gun to try to rob what they thought was an empty house. It's been a very emotional loss for the entire team, and they really feel like they're playing for him. Since his funeral, they haven't lost a game. Plus they're coached by a Hall of Fame coach, Joe Gibbs, who is generally considered to be a genius coach. So even though we're third seed to Washington's 6th seed, nobody expects us to win. We'll see. I think the experts have over-estimated just how far emotion can carry you. I have to think their 4 must win games in a row, as well as a short practice week, have to take a serious toll on a team. I'm not sure they have any reserves left to pull out another win against what the Seahawks bring to the table. And they've under-estimated the 4 pro bowl starters on our defense. Our running game is a bit sketchy. Shaun Alexander has pretty much been a non-factor all year. But our defense is pretty darn remarkable. You can't stop these guys. There are so many play makers, you don't know who to block or even who to watch out for. And you should never under-estimate the 12th man. Quest Field is the loudest stadium in football. Our fans are enthusiastic and loud. We cause more false start penalties because of noise than any other team in football. It'll be tough, but I think we can pull out a win. Mostly I'm excited that we're playing on a Saturday afternoon instead of a Sunday so I can just sit and enjoy the game, the whole game, without feeling guilty that I'm watching football on a Sunday. It should be an excellent game. I'll be watching, dressed in my 12th Man jersey, cheering on my home town team. Even if you don't join me, that's ok. I'm going to enjoy my afternoon. Win or lose, I love these guys. GO HAWKS!!

UPDATE: It was a most excellent game. Our defense dominated the first half, but seemed to fall apart a bit in the 3rd quarter. In a matter of 2 minutes and 15 seconds, we went from up 13-0 to down 14-13. Then we lost the ball to an interception in the next drive. It looked like Washington might blow us out in the 4th quarter. Then our defense woke up again. Assisted by 2 interceptions returned for touchdowns, we pulled out a pretty convincing win. Final score: 35-14! Gotta love these guys. Next up, the Green Bay Packers. I'll say it again; GO HAWKS!!

Don't call it a resolution

This is the time of year everyone is making resolutions. Unfortunately, most resolutions don't last as long as the leftovers. I don't want to call this a resolution. It just so happens that I got some good information at this time of year I want to implement, but it's not a "resolution."

A few days before Christmas one of the girls who teaches gymnastics to my kids posted a blog on her MySpace page. It was about a report she saw on the news about natural ways to decrease stress. She assumed it would include things like teas, massages, and the like. She was surprised when she watched the report because it was nothing of the kind.

What they said was that it is physically impossible to be stressed and thankful at the same time.

I thought about that for a few minutes and decided I didn't believe it. I could be thankful and stressed at the same time. I didn't see any reason their claim was true. But I decided to put it to the test anyway. Boy was I surprised.

The last 10 days of the year were pretty crazy for me. With Christmas and wedding stuff filling up my days, in addition to Tyler's eye issues and all the normal business of life, I was anticipating a pretty stressful time. Under normal circumstances, it would have been a very stressful time. But every time I started to feel the pressure of the stress, I would pause and try to think of something I was thankful for. I was amazed at how quickly I calmed down and relaxed. It really works!

The report stated you needed to be truly thankful for this to work, and I believe that to be true. But I took it one step further. Not only did I try to be thankful, but I tried to think of something about the situation that was stressing me out that I could be thankful for. Instead of stressing at my super tight time line the day of the wedding, I was thankful I was asked to be a part of such a special day. Instead of stressing over Tyler and his eyes, (something I still want to stress over!) I'm thankful we have medical insurance to help pay for treatment, and that I live in a time when medicine is able to help him. Instead of stressing out when I came down with the flu 2 days before Christmas, I was grateful I had a husband who was able and willing to step in and take care of the kids while I was sick in bed. What could have been a very stressful time for me was anything but. I was able to enjoy every day, every experience, every moment. Well, maybe not the flu so much, but I didn't get stressed over being sick so close to Christmas.

This has been so successful for me, it's a behavior pattern I want to continue. Who doesn't want less stress in their lives? I really didn't believe it could be so simple, but I put it to the test, and it really does work. I'm less stressed, and much happier. All for something as simple as being thankful. Right now I am especially thankful for Kenna and the blog she posted that taught me such a valuable lesson!

This isn't a resolution. This isn't a way to improve myself for the new year, or something that will be gone before the cookies and candies. This is a way of living that I've tried and loved and want to continue. It just happens to coincide with the start of a new year.