Different Flavors

A few weeks ago, I was feeling so over the internet. Everywhere I turned in the world of social media, there just seemed to be meanness, bitterness, bullying and arrogance. I am the type of person who really absorbs the energy of others too, so I try to be really careful about not only who I'm chilling with in person, but also about who is filling up my feed on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter. When I see someone on Facebook complaining a lot or posting really angry things, I've found there is nothing wrong with hiding their posts from my wall. I don't need their negative energy in my life. It's just silly.

I recently even thought about deleting my social media accounts, taking a hiatus, but then I thought, "No Kelsey, don't let the negative and angry people win. Don't let them rule the internet." So there's that. I'm still here, trying to send a little sliver of my own love and optimism into this (sometimes vicious) world wide web. That's the thing, while there are a lot of meanies on the internet, I also see a lot of love and goodness being spread around by people, and I adore that. But dude, the bullying and shaming has got to stop. It's crazy to me how cruel people will be when they can hide behind a computer or phone screen. The sad part is, I think a lot of bullies have built their confidence up so much while hiding behind a screen, that the bullying is even coming across in face-to-face interaction.

After deciding to stay on social media, I had to take a step back and look at myself. What kind of material was I posting on my own accounts? Could I be more positive? Was I being the bully sometimes? The answer to both of those questions is: yes. The thing is, we all get passionate about certain topics and we all want to believe that the way we do things is best. Maybe the way I do things is best for me, but I need to realize that it's not going to be best for everyone (and that's totally cool). I'm LDS. Being religious makes me feel happy and whole. Are my beliefs going to make everyone happy? Probably not. I'm an avid runner. If you don't run, does that make you stupid? No, that idea is stupid. I love animals and could play with them all day. If you don't like animals or you are allergic, does that automatically make you a jerk? No. I got married young. Should everyone get married young? Of course not.

I'm hearing talk all the time of being more "open-minded". The truth is, we live in a society where no one is truly open-minded. We don't know how to respect the opinions and lifestyles of others. We are turning into a people so concerned with being heard and respected that we are forgetting to listen and be respectful. Someone can live a different lifestyle than me and be happy. More so, someone can live a different lifestyle than me and be a super good person.

I really love ice cream. Like, I really love it. I love it so much that we even had Cold Stone Creamery at our wedding. My very favorite flavor at Cold Stone is Chocolate Devotion (chocolate freak over here). It's chocolate ice cream with chocolate sauce, chocolate shavings, and brownie mixed in. YUM. Do I think every single person needs to order Chocolate Devotion just because it's my favorite? No! There are a lot of people who are not going to love eating that much chocolate. I get that. But it's still my favorite and it makes me the happiest. Sure, there are other flavors I like but there's nothing that hits the palate quite like Chocolate Devotion. On one occasion, I had a friend tell me how great Birthday Cake Remix was. I NEEDED to order it. Well, I try my best to be open-minded so I gave Birthday Cake Remix a shot. It was just okay. With every bite of cake batter though, I found myself wishing it was chocolate-flavored. So I didn't love Birthday Cake Remix. Guess what? I'm still friends with the girl who does love it. And she loves me even though I have an unhealthy obsession with chocolate.

 I realize that religious beliefs, political opinions and lifestyle choices are much more complex than ice cream flavors. But you know what's never complex? Kindness. We need more of that. We need less people worried about being right and more people worried about being kind.

I recently met another girl who was my same age (24). She didn't seem very happy with life, at least not to me, but maybe I was wrong. Who am I to judge? I was trying to be friendly, asking her questions about herself. In return, she was sort of rude. The only thing she asked me was this, "So you're only 24? Isn't that a little young to be married?" I really wanted to be snarky back and say, "Aren't you a little old to not have a job and be living with your parents still?" But I didn't say that . . . because I'm trying to practice this thing called choosing kindness. So I just smiled and said, "Yeah, I'm pretty young, but I'm also really happy."

It's amazing that you can go into an ice cream parlor and choose from a variety of flavors and toppings to make exactly what it is you are craving. Pick your flavor and enjoy it. Stop letting it melt away all over your filthy hand while you're busy judging what others choose to put in their own cone (or cup, because I'm not a huge ice cream cone fan).

Waffle-filled Weekend

Do you ever get just the silliest notions in your head of random things you want to accomplish before you die? One of my many silly notions that I've never been able to let go of is that I wanted an orange cat, male preferred, and I would name him Waffles.

On Saturday morning, Brian and I both woke up craving waffles. But being the lazy millennials we are, we refused to prepare our own waffles. Therefore, we got dressed and took the motorcycle over to our new favorite local spot, The Waffle Iron. I went with a sweet waffle and Brian went with savory. We shared a little.

A while after consuming our gourmet waffles, we decided to wander on over to Petsmart to check out the adoptable cats. We've been doing this lately, toying with the idea of getting a second cat if we just so happened to meet the right one. Well, on Saturday the stars aligned because there were adoptable KITTENS. And there was the most adorable, playful, clumsy, ORANGE, MALE one. I looked into his sweet green eyes and then turned to look at Brian. That's when we both whispered in voices of utmost reverence, "Waffles . . ." 

We then held him and played with him for a bit and it was settled. This cat was my silly notion coming true. He was meant to be Waffles Weller. And of course, I'm telling my side of the story here because it's the only side I know, but I think Brian was even more excited about taking Waffles home than I was. He grew up his whole life thinking he didn't care for cats. He's making up for his lost childhood of being surrounded by evil barn cats. Anyway, I filled out the paperwork and Brian shopped around for some toys and kitten food. Just like that, Waffles was ours.

If you are in the Cache Valley area and ever see the cats at Petsmart, they are actually cats rescued by an organization called Four Paws Rescue. This is the same organization that we adopted Munch (our dog) from. I can't say enough good things about Four Paws. They care about the animals so much. They're a no-kill shelter and they do their very best to get all their animals foster parents. This way the animals can flourish and be around other pets and people before going to their forever homes. I highly recommend adopting from Four Paws if you are searching for a pup or cat to love on.

It's only been a few days and Waffles is already right at home. He's a social thing. He also hasn't developed his coordination very much yet. That whole idea that cats always land on their feet? Yeah, I don't think that's true with kittens. Luna, our firstborn cat, had a much more difficult time adjusting to Waffles being on her turf. But hey, we didn't even warn her. We just came home with a new cat that just so happens to attack her tail 24/7, so I can't blame her for being a little prissy over it. We've basically rocked her whole world. The first day she basically just followed him around and hissed at his butt, but I'm happy to say she is now back to her normal self. The two of them have started playing together and even cuddling. Luna also tries to bathe him when she gets a chance (such a good big sister).

So . . . we are officially the creeps that have more animals living with us than people. My friends are all having babies right now. Me? I adopt cats. You can't leave a baby home alone or expect it to use the litter box. Cats are easy stuff.

24

I turned 24 on December 29th. My past few birthdays, I didn't feel like the age I was turning had much relevance. I mean, I did turn 22 right when Taylor Swift's "22" song was gaining popularity. Besides that though, the age I turn on a birthday never has held much meaning to me. I think that's a good thing. Hopefully I'll still feel this way as I get older. I never want to be the lady in my 40s or 50s who resents my birthday because I'm turning a year older. I want my birthday to always be a celebration of the life I've lived, not the age I'm turning.

However, turning the age of 24 seemed to have a bit of an impact on me.

When I turned 14, I got Switchfoot's album "The Beautiful Letdown". One of my favorite songs on the album was called "24". I remember listening to that song over and over and deciding that somehow, the age of 24 must have some kind of magic to it. And I would turn that magical age in 10 years. When you are 14, 10 years seems like an eternity. So with an eternity to go, I dreamt up all the incredible things I would do with my life by the time I turned 24.

I hope 14-year-old Kelsey wouldn't be disappointed in what I've become. I still have a lot of goals I want to reach and places I want to see, but I think I'm doing pretty decent things with my life. I mean, I haven't succeeded in world domination yet, but I'm getting there ;).

For my birthday, Brian offered to take the day off work and go skiing. That really meant a lot to me. I know for Brian, birthdays aren't a huge deal. However, I take them pretty seriously. I love doing anything and everything I can to celebrate the people in my life when they have a birthday, so it means a lot that Brian would do that for me in return on my special day. We invited my sisters and Mom to join us, and we skied our little hearts out.

If you know me, you know that I absolutely LOVE a good snowfall. When there are tons of snowflakes falling silently to the ground it just feels completely magical. When we got up to Beaver Mountain, it was magic snowing and it kept it up the entire afternoon. I keep telling myself it was a birthday present for me from God. Not that I'm so special that God should give me a birthday present, but it's a nice thought. It was freezing though, but there was even something about that which was nice. When we went in the lodge for hot chocolate, it felt amazing for my toes to thaw out and to feel the warmth of the cocoa run down my throat and land in my tummy. It was like my body was saying, "Happy birthday! You're alive! I'm taking you down mountains! I'm freezing to remind you how alive you are! And because we are freezing, this hot chocolate tastes like heaven!"

It really did taste like heaven. I'm not really a big hot chocolate drinker, but that was probably the best cup of hot chocolate I've ever tasted. I want to remember it forever.

I don't know if 24 is truly as significant and magnificent as I made it up to be when I was 14, but I am pretty dang excited for the coming year. I think it's going to be a good one full of living and not merely just existing. Every second of every day counts. It's actually a cool thing to have a birthday at the end of the year. I feel like I get to do an extra lot of contemplating on the past year . . . as well as planning for the coming year.

In the words of Switchfoot, "I'm not who I thought I was 24 hours ago . . ."

Sunday Best: Practicing Self-love

cardigan: Target, dress: Kohl's, tights: Old Navy, heels: Payless 

Sometimes I wonder why I have a blog. Why do I feel the need to put pieces of my life out there for the world to see? Plus, I'm going to be honest for a second, a large majority of bloggers bug to shit out of me. Excuse my french, but it's the ugly truth. I don't want people to look at this blog and think I'm conceited, throwing my life around on the internet. 

But when I take a step back, I realize I'm not really keeping this online record for anyone but myself. I love reading back through my archives and remembering what I was going through at certain times in life. I love seeing the old photos and how I've changed. It's theraputic for me. And while I write in a private journal as well, keeping a blog results in a lot less hand cramps and ink smears. 

Sometimes I feel really silly about these Sunday Best posts, too. I'm no fashion icon or model. I mean, look at these above photos . . . I'm a total dork. But I like that about myself. I don't shop at high-end stores. I like that about myself too. And I'm sure that there are plenty of times I'm out and about and people think I look like a total train wreck. I like that as well. The truth is, I wear what I want. I don't dress to impress. I don't put something on and ask myself if I can "pull it off". I dress to make myself happy. So while no one is looking at my Sunday Best posts for outfit inspiration, I love looking back at them for myself. It's fun to see what clothes I wore a year or two years ago. It's a style journal. I enjoy that. 

And that's why I sheepishly asked BWell if he'd take my photo today, because I really liked the outfit I had on. It made me feel confident and spunky. I wanted to capture that feeling for longer than just today. 

Over the past year, I learned to care a lot less about what other people think of me. However, I'm still working on mastering what I think of myself. I, like everyone else, beat myself up, feel guilt for no reason and think negative thoughts. I want to get rid of those burdens this year. So since Valentine's Day is about a month away, I want to practice self-love. Really, I want to make it a habit of practicing through the entire year of 2015. I found this gem of an article that I really enjoyed. I'm determined to practice all of the things on that list. In fact, I'm making it a priority this week to clean out my closet. Out with the old and in with the new. I also have interviews, lunch dates, and appointments lined up this coming week with people who inspire me. I'm looking forward to spending time with these people and feeding off their energy . . . absorbing their light. I'm finding that I absorb people's energy very easily, so it's vital that I surround myself with positive and self-loving people. 

How do you practice self-love? 

On the topic of self-love, my new heart tights are my favorite. I might be wearing them a lot in the near future to remind myself to love, love, and love some more! 

Three Years

Yesterday marked three years of marriage for me and Brian. I'd be lying if I said it's been the easiest three years of my life. Marriage is hard. Some days I wonder what in the world I signed up for.

The past year has been so good for me. I feel like I'm finally getting the hang of this marriage thing. For a long time, I thought I needed to fit a certain mold of what a wife was. Then I immediately realized I could never fit that mold, which made me feel like a failure. I spent months at a time questioning if I could ever be a good wife, if maybe marriage just wasn't a thing that worked with the way my personality is wired.

I've realized I was feeding myself a whole lot of garbage. There is no mold I have to fit to be a good wife, daughter, or sister. Healthy relationships last when both people give and contribute. I'm going to give and show love differently than the next person, and that's okay.

There is nothing wrong with seeking the marriage advice of others or reading marriage books. However, I believe every relationship is unique. You know what's best for you. The most important thing is not to turn to another person or a book but to turn to your spouse. And don't you ever dare let yourself feel guilty for the way you convey love. There is no one right way to love someone.

I love Brian. I'm so thankful we chose to go on this journey hand-in-hand. I can't wait to see what the next year brings!

Last night we had a delicious Italian dinner at Le Nonne and then hot-tubbed in the rain. About a month ago, Brian also told me he was taking me on a surprise vacation. Yesterday I finally convinced him to tell me. Throughout the day he sent me photos of our hotel, beaches, rain forests, and then he wrapped it all up with a picture of baby sloths. We're going to COSTA RICA! I can't wait. Doesn't that sound like the perfect anniversary? Wait, it took a turn for the worse.

This morning my body decided it hates me so I threw up a bunch of times. All day Brian has been taking care of me in between work and everything else. Just a reminder of what a good man I snagged. In sickness and in health, right?  

P.S. I got Brian the best card ever.

The inside says, "You have (most of) my heart." 

Bear Necessities

My main squeeze turned twenty-six on Tuesday. We gorged ourselves on too much food, and I surprised Brian with a chessboard and tickets to a OneRepublic concert.

I found this at Global Village. It's the cutest nonprofit shop here in Logan that supports struggling artisans in developing countries by selling their fairly-traded handicrafts.

Throughout the entire day, I took the liberty of posting bear pictures on BWell's Facebook page to wish him a happy birthday. I even got some other people to join in on the Facebook fun. There isn't even a story behind the bear thing. It just sort of sporadically happened.

Then Brian ended the day by succumbing to the bear madness.

Brian, you're the Baloo to my "Jungle Book". We all know he's the best character. I'm so glad I get to grow old with you. We even have a chessboard now so we're all set. Retirement home, here we come.

Sunday Best: Love Will Lead the Way

top: Kohl's, pants: Smith's, shoes: Bella Me, hat: gift, necklace: Full Circle Exchange 

This past week was filled with rainstorms. I love a good rainstorm. I love the smell. I love hearing the rhythm it makes as the drops pound against my metal roof. I love how cleansing it is. The grass and the trees seem to be given new life thanks to the moisture. Rain is rejuvenating. 

Love is kind of like rain. It's rejuvenating. It gives new life. It makes people whole. Love washes away hurt and insecurities. 

I want to love more. I want to do a better job at loving those who are hard to love. I want to be more present and act more fully for those who so openly and willingly love me. I'm learning more and more each day that love is where it's at. Love is what it's all about. 

Speaking of love, that amazing heart necklace I'm wearing was created with lots of it. Melody Ross, a talented artist who uses her art for good, has teamed up with Full Circle Exchange to create an amazing line of gifts. The heart pendant necklace was created by women in Peru and it is made of reclaimed metal. The necklace also came with a bar of  gourmet "Happy Chocolate" . . . with a name like that, you know it must be good. The box that these gifts came in was designed by beautiful Melody. Buy your own gift here or look for it at your nearest Walmart (I hate Walmart but for this I'm making a small exception). There are other pretty products too: mugs, scarves, aprons, cards, and a whole lot more.  

This post isn't even sponsored. I just think it's a rad cause and you'll love the products. Perfect gifts for Mother's Day! 

Read more about Full Circle Exchange here and spread the love.       

People are People

Several months ago, the Superbowl happened and there was more controversial talk about the commercials afterward than about the game itself.

When I first saw the Coca-Cola commercial, I was almost in tears. How beautiful, I thought, to bring the many cultures and diversity of our country together in a song. A song about beauty and freedom . . . things that mean something to all people regardless of religious beliefs or what language you speak.

Later when I got on Facebook, I was again almost in tears, but not the good kind. I was in shock over how many hateful comments I read pertaining to Coca-Cola's advertisement. There were comments about how unpatriotic it was that the song wasn't in just English (English isn't our national language, just fyi). There were comments about how people needed to learn English or get out. There were comments (and this brought out my inner-wolf) about how awful it was that the "terrorists' language" was used in the commercial.

I don't know exactly what spell I fell under at that moment, but man oh man, I got defensive. I turned into one of those super opinionated people who start silly arguments on social media. I'm willing to bet I even lost some Facebook friends that night . . . and I won't hold it against them for blocking me or deleting me, because I got intense.

I understand why people get upset about illegal immigrants.

But the thing is, I feel like people very seldom try to understand the risks that come along with being an illegal immigrant, and why they feel those risks are worth it.

If I lived in a country where the government was corrupt and I feared for my life every day, I would want to get out too. If I were treated like a piece of property and denied my basic human rights because I'm a woman, I would not be okay with that.

I can't say I understand immigrants, legal or illegal, but I'd like to try to understand. I was born an American, and I'm proud of that, but that doesn't make me better or smarter than someone who comes from different circumstances. I learned that very humbling lesson at a young age.

In grade school, I was very advanced in reading. I started reading Greek Mythology and Shakespeare when I was in first and second grade (how did I have any friends?). When I was in third grade, my teacher asked me if I would like to be her helper during part of reading time. I proudly said yes.

I grew up in a very small town in Southeastern Idaho, a location abundant in farmland. It was a common thing for Mexican immigrants to come and work on the farms. These families typically did not stay in one place for too long. In third grade, there was the sweetest little Mexican girl in my class. I can still imagine her large brown eyes and mischievous giggle clear as day, but I can't remember her name. I've never been good with names. We will call her Daisy for the sake of the story.

Daisy didn't speak much English and she was behind on her reading. My teacher wanted me to go out in the hall with Daisy for a certain amount of minutes during reading time so I could read with her one-on-one. This quickly became routine for me and Daisy. We would sit with our backs against the wall near our classroom door and make our way through Daisy's basic workbooks. I watched her progress from attempting to sound out one syllable words, to being able to read and comprehend full sentences. It was exhilarating. I was teaching her.

However, I didn't realize how much Daisy would end up teaching me.

We could have built a friendship and understood one another, but there was one problem . . . I was too prideful.

 I made the mistake of thinking I was better than Daisy.

Daisy set me straight.

Fridays were library days. On Fridays, Daisy and I would pick a book to read together for fun. Usually, she ended up just asking me to choose the book. On one of our library days, I told Daisy she could choose any book in the whole library to have me read to her . . . and I wasn't going to help pick it. That's when she led me to a section of the library I'd never been to before. She pulled a picture book from the shelf marked "Espanol".

What did that mean? I was about to find out.

We claimed a spot in the library pit and I opened the book to the first page. I recognized all the letters on the page, but they were thrown together in an order I did not understand. But I couldn't not understand in front of Daisy, so I started sounding out the words and struggled through a paragraph of sentences that held no meaning to me.

And what did Daisy do?

She laughed. She was laughing at me. I quickly felt my face heat up with anger and embarrassment. My palms, damp with sweat, stuck to the pages of this book filled with utter nonsense. How could she be laughing at me? I was smarter than her. I was a better reader than her. That's when she started correcting me as I read words incorrectly, as I had so commonly done for her. I made my way through the book, speaking terrible broken Spanish, with the help of Daisy by my side.

I finally understood how Daisy must have felt every single day she came to school. She showed me that I was not better or smarter, we just had a different understanding. I'm so grateful Daisy taught me such a valuable lesson that afternoon in the library pit of our grade school. It's an experience I will never allow myself to forget. I wish I knew where she went and what she's doing right now . . .

After I simmered down from my Facebook rage and realized that no matter what I think, Coca-Cola will continue to make gobs of money with or without my support of their commercials, I sat back and asked myself why I was so passionate about the subject. Then I asked myself how I was making a difference by merely voicing my opinion on the subject. It's easy to have opinions. It's harder to act on those opinions. So I figured it was my responsibility to act. I recently started volunteering at the English Language Center in my community and thus far it has been so rewarding.

I really do not care what your political views are. Gosh, I can't even make up my mind on my own political views. I'm glad you have opinions even if they are different than mine. However, I don't have much tolerance for hate and arrogance.

It comes down to one basic point: people are people.

People are people . . . with beating hearts in their chests which keep them living and breathing. People are people . . . with hopes, and fears, and insecurities, and passions. We are all people. We're really not that different from one another.

Before you openly call someone a sinner or terrorist, before you label someone as uneducated or poor, remember that person has feelings. Same as you.

Meet Munch

Really big and really important news! We've made an addition to our family. Meet Munch the Pooch. We rescued him from a shelter and are currently working through the adoption process. I was trying to keep my mouth shut until all the papers were signed . . . but it's taking longer than I had anticipated. Hopefully he will be officially ours by the end of the week. He's been at our house for almost a week now and he has adjusted so well. Also, I think Luna has finally accepted that she is no longer our only pet. She can be such a priss . . . but I think she's decided Munch can stick around since she's still the superior animal. After all, she gets to sleep on the humans' bed at night and the dog has to sleep in a crate.

Munch is such a sweetheart. He is gentle and loving . . . he never wants to leave our side. He's had a bit of a rough life: missing teeth, torn lip, cut ears. I can't wait to pamper him and give him the love he so deserves. And oh my, the summer is going to be a ball. I can't wait to take him on runs, walks and hikes. I took him out on his first run on Monday . . . we took turns dragging each other . . . but by the end, we were in our element. I think I have a new running pal.

Speaking of pals . . . the shelter actually gave Munch the name of Pal. But he doesn't respond to Pal, so we thought it would be okay to rename him. Does anyone know, is this breaking some kind of sacred rule or will it be okay? I really don't want to offend anyone at the shelter because they've been so great to work with.

I can't wait to share our journey of finding the right dog on this here blog. A dog is a huge commitment, and I'd like to share our experience with others who might have the same questions we had. And I know it's so important to do what's right for you personally, but I do think adopting can be a great option. If you have any questions, ask. I'll be writing a follow-up post soon.  

Love Week

Valentine's Day of 2014 was my favorite to date. I'm finally to the point where I love Valentine's Day. I always thought it was corny (which I guess it kind of is). I think in the past, I had the wrong idea of what Valentine's Day meant. I always thought it was just a day for lovers, and that is how it is widely and popularly celebrated. However, I realize now it's not just a day for your significant other. It's not a day meant to make those without feel lonely. You don't have to be shot by Cupid's arrow to enjoy Valentine's Day.

This year, for me, it was a day to really notice all the people I'm surrounded by who I love and appreciate. And I'm so blessed to be surrounded by so many. It was a day to celebrate my husband, my family members, friends, co-workers, my cat (we can't forget my cat). I even started to realize my appreciation for strangers. I was kinder and more talkative to my cashier at the grocery store; I caught myself with a giddy smile plastered on my face as I watched the crossing guard guide the middle school kids across the road near my home. Love is not just for lovers. Love is for every single one of us. You deserve to be loved. I hope you allow yourself to love and be loved not only on February 14th . . . but each day throughout the year.

I had so many great experiences last week. Since I'm lazy and don't want to write a novel, here's a bullet point list of some things I loved about Love Week.

• I hosted Miss USU and each of the girls were wonderful. Not only that, but I met tons of nice people after the show who came and said hello to me. Oh, and I got a delicious loaf of cinnamon bread as a thank you gift for emceeing. 

• For Activity Days, we learned about budgeting and had a banana split bar. The girls all received an amount of play money and then had to buy everything from their bowl to their ice cream toppings. I planned the whole activity and it was fun to see it all come together and watch the girls enjoy it. Then my heart melted when one of the girls didn't have enough money to buy an Oreo, so another girl gave her one of her dollars. I tell ya, my heart was a puddle. 

• I spent "Galentine's Day" with my mom and grandma. We went out for lunch and antique shopping. My grandma, who is the sweetest, also bought me an antique ring. 

• Pizza and cookies at work on Valentine's Day. I love it when I don't have to plan lunch. 

• I won an awesome Valentine's Gift Package from the Cache Valley Mall. I'm now a firm believer in those silly Facebook giveaways. 

• I got to read a bunch of hilarious awkward date stories from our VFX listeners. I haven't laughed that hard in a while. 

• Brian didn't get me roses on Valentine's Day. He totally surprised me with tickets to Ellie Goulding's concert! I almost hyperventilated. As if things couldn't get better, he put them inside of a cat card. 

• We had a quiet and romantic Valentine's Day evening by getting Chinese takeout and running off to the family cabin. 

• My mother-in-law is the most thoughtful person and left a basket of goodies and movies at the cabin for us, complete with a plate of chocolate-covered strawberries in the fridge. Love her. 

• Oh wait, she also prepared us an epic brunch the following day. Waffles with whipped cream, fruit, sausage, orange juice. That woman needs to open a bed & breakfast.  

• Sleeping in. Enough said. 

• Free Olive Garden. 

• Hot tubbing with friends.

• Waking up to Brian carrying in a tray with breakfast on it (he knows food in bed is the way to my heart). 

• Winter Olympics. 

Love is nice. I think I need to work on celebrating it more every day. 

The Gift of Experience

BWell and I decided to keep things simple this Christmas. Where we bought a house a few months ago, we came to the conclusion that it would be better to save instead of spend. After having a talk about it, we came to the conclusion that we would do stockings for one another and one or two small gifts for under the tree. Then we thought that instead of spending time and money shopping for one another, we would use that time to do extra holiday festivities together. There is nothing as wonderful as the gift of experience. Honestly, Christmas Day for me is never the best part. It's the weeks leading up to Christmas that I dwell on. It's the parties, the decorating, the good deeds, the planning, the celebrating. Presents are nice to open, but they are never as memorable as actual experiences.

Now for a random list of things we either have already done or plan on doing before the start of the new year:

• Go to a Christmas performance of some kind (we went to The Nutcracker)

• Make and decorate sugar cookies (check) 

• Build a snowman

• Decorate our Christmas tree while listening to Christmas tunes (been there, done that)

• Watch our favorite Christmas movies while wrapping gifts (did this but I'm sure there is more to come)

• Create a gingerbread house (we did this with a couple extra creative friends and it was a blast) 

• Clean out our closets and donate old clothes to those in need

• Make a treat and deliver it to neighbors (we did this on National Cookie Day) 

• Go caroling 

• Wear ugly Christmas sweaters (we got to do this for my work Christmas party)

• Create a funny Christmas card together (I'll share the card soon. It's fantastic and involves miniature donkeys) 

• Go to Temple Square and see the lights

• Go sledding

• Drink hot cocoa and drive around town to look at lights (we accomplished this last night with my mom and sisters)

• Pay for someone behind us at a drive-through

• Go on a snowshoeing expedition 

I sure do love this time of year. While I love parties, wrapping paper and Santa, it's refreshing to center my thoughts on what really matters: God and people. Merry Christmas! I hope you fill yours with experiences spent with the people you love.

Truth Cards

The Saturday after Thanksgiving, my mom, sisters and I hosted a Truth Card Party. I first learned about truth cards through Brave Girls' Club.

Truth cards are super easy to make and the supplies are simple. You take face cards or flash cards and then make them beautiful with paint, paper, ribbon, and mod podge. The most important part is to add a "truth" to the card. We get told a lot of nasty lies all the time. Whether those lies come from others or ourselves, they can be hurtful and make us feel like we don't measure up. Truth cards are a way to remind us of what is true and what is good.

My mom came up with the idea of making as many truth cards as possible before Christmas and sending them out to women who are in need encouragement this holiday season. We planned on distributing them to the women's shelter, food pantry and Angel Trees in our community (because even though the Angel Trees are about getting gifts for children in need, their mommies have needs too). It's funny how something as simple as making truth cards puts my mind in the right place for Christmas. I find myself putting a lot of thought and care into each card, and I always hope with all my heart that the right message will get to the right person.

Our Truth Card Party was a success. It was neat to see females of all ages, from little girls to their own mothers, gathered around the table making their cards. We also had sandwiches and soup for lunch which was just perfect.

I encourage you to try making your own truth cards. Even though the holidays will be over soon, you can really make these cards and distribute them for any and every occasion. I also know how difficult it can be to want so badly to be generous at Christmastime and buy presents for everyone in need, but realize that your own bank account won't allow that. This is a way to help out without sacrificing your whole paycheck. And I really feel like the messages these cards carry have much more importance than anything you can purchase at a store.

Our Thanksgiving Table

I experienced a milestone in my life. Brian and I hosted our first Thanksgiving. When I say "hosted" that really just means that Brian's parents, grandma and aunt came to our house and made all the food in our kitchen. And I set the table (I also made pumpkin roll if that counts for anything).

I took my job of setting the table very seriously. I wanted something that wouldn't be too overwhelming but it still needed to be fun. I also wanted to stick to something very seasonal and festive for the Thanksgiving holiday.

My favorite part, hands-down, were the white pumpkin vases that displayed some fall bouquets of flowers. The flowers smelled heavenly. I used fake pumpkins that I found on super clearance at Hobby Lobby, spray painted them white, then carved the tops off.  

For our name cards, I made, well, name rocks. I wanted to do something different that would still be easy to create. These rocks were winners! The hardest part was the rock gathering. I didn't have any rocks in my yard that would work for this project, so I drove to First Dam to collect my rocks. Let me tell you, I'm sure the other families at the park were very alarmed to see a grown woman scavenging the ground for smooth rocks. I found them as quickly as I could, shoved them in my coat pockets, and left before anyone could have the time to question my sanity. I painted the rocks an orange-gold color. After the paint dried overnight, I mod podged everyone's names on their rock.

I stole the idea for the place mats from . . . several places, really. It's not at all an original idea but perfect for the Thanksgiving holiday. It was fun to jot down things we were grateful for throughout the meal. Before we cleared the table, we went around and read the things off our lists.

Our Thanksgiving was filled with delicious food, laughter, love, puzzle-doing, and resting. I hope yours was too!