October 31, 2008

Happy Birthday!

To an awesome husband and dad! Sorry you have to be alone on your 28th birthday! WE LOVE YOU!

October 29, 2008

Pajama Gram

Morgan and I got a little surprise yesterday. There was a box on the front porch and when I opened it, it was a pajama gram from Clint. It was matching pajamas for Morgan and me and a little stuffed animal puppy for Morgan. SO CUTE! There was a little note in there from Clint too. I thought it was a fun surprise and so sweet of him to think of it. Morgan absolutely loves her new puppy! Thanks babe! We love and miss you too!

October 27, 2008

Beautiful Butterfly

I know Morgan isn't really old enough to go trick-or-treating, and I won't be taking her. But I found this super cute costume used on ksl.com. I couldn't resist. I just thought it was too cute. After a fiasco at Target (long story), I decided to have my AWESOME friend, Erin, take Morgan's pictures. I thought she did a great job. Way better than the photographer at Target. Thanks Erin! I owe you big time! Pictures taken October 22, 2008.








October 24, 2008

Untitled

As requested by my mother, here is a new picture of Morgan and a video. I bought the cute winter hat for Morgan the other day and I think it looks adorable on her!
Morgan has learned how to get from her stomach into a sitting position. Of course, she won't do it when she know the camera is on her, so I didn't catch all of it. But she just gets up on her hands and knees and crawls/scoots backward until she gets onto her butt. Ignore the Christmas music and the mess in the background. We were burning children's Christmas CD's, baking, and putting together birthday presents.

October 23, 2008

Quote

" Oh, that every girl and woman would have a testimony of her potential for eternal motherhood...Female roles did not begin on earth, and they do not end here. A woman who treasures motherhood on earth will treasure motherhood in the world to come, and where her treasure is, there will her heart be also. [ Matthew 6:21 ] By developing a mother heart, each girl and woman prepares for her divine, eternal mission of motherhood."

-Sister Julie B. Beck

I found this quote on my friend's blog (thanks Monique). I just thought it was really great because, (don't think I'm horrible), sometimes I forget why being a mom seemed so appealing to me. I know that sounds awful, but sadly its true. I sometimes, especially in my abnormal circumstance, forget the amazing opportunity and responsibility that Heavenly Father has given to me. This quote reminds me that my 24/7 'job' is a divine one and it is exactly what I am supposed to be doing right now. It is something I should treasure more than I do.

It seems like some women were born to raise children. And they were born good at it. Its 2nd nature to them to be a good mother and to be so kind and loving to their children all the time. I feel like I'm not one of those women. I don't think kindness is 2nd nature to me (I know you're laughing Clint!). Its something I have to consciously work at every day. Even with my own family. Even with my own daughter who is more perfect than I realize. So anyway, I'll be reading this quote often to remind me of the divine nature of my role as a mother and wife.

October 21, 2008

Confession of an Obsession

That's right, I have an obsession. I can't help it. Its an addiction and I don't know how to get rid of it. And to be quite honest, I don't WANT to get rid of it. Are you ready for it...my obsession is with books. That's right, books. I know, lame huh? But its SO true! Not just books for ME to read, but books for Morgan too.

First of all, I have to own every book that I read and like. I'll usually borrow it from someone and read it before purchasing, but once I like a book, I have to own it. 99% of the time, these books that I HAVE to have, are a series of books, ie Harry Potter, Twilight, Children of the Promise, Hearts of the Children, oh I could go on forever! Its such a silly obsession because I have never read a book twice. Except One Tattered Angel by Blaine Yorgason, which is very short and easy to read.

Okay, now here is the 2nd part of my obsession (yes there is a 2nd and 3rd part to this), if a book is available in hardcover, I absolutely have to have the hardcover. No if's about it. (Unless its a gift of course). I have dreams about having a library in my house someday of thousands of hardback books.

Now for the 3rd part of this obsession that has just recently surfaced...books for Morgan. I know this is rediculous, but Morgan owns A LOT of books. I sent about 6 or 7 books to Korea with our household goods, and she has 13 books here that I can think of off the top of my head. And yes, she already owns almost the entire collection of Bearnstein Bears and Dr. Seuss books (from when I was a kid). Today, I've discovered another series of books that I want her to have SO SO bad. They are by Leslie Patricelli. And of course they are all board books.

This is just one in the series of books that compares opposites.

October 20, 2008

How To Entertain a 10 Month Old

Morgan is a funny kid. Night time is by far her fussiest time of the day. Quite often, when I've tried everything I can think of to make her unfussy with no success and am at my last wits end, I will put her in her crib with her pacifier and she will lay in there for a good hour just playing and talking to herself. I guess she just needs her space sometimes. Her 'alone' time. Which is fine with me! Anyway, last night was one of those nights. I gave her the 'alone' time she needed. When she had been in her crib for about 45 minutes I went into the bedroom to put some clean laundry away. I peeked at her over the crib and she laughed. So I sat her up and rolled up the cover on the side of the pack-n-play so she could watch me put laundry away. Now that I've written a novel, here are pictures of how she kept herself entertained for another 15 minutes. I was laughing SO hard! I know they aren't the best pictures, but you get the point right?




October 19, 2008

Body Worlds

Yesterday afternoon my brother and I went to Body Worlds in Salt Lake. It was pretty neat. The bodies didn't look as real as I thought they would. But it was pretty amazing what they can do with them. There were displays of entire bodies, including one with skin still on some of it. There were also displays of organs, capalaries, the central nervous system, and even cross sections of a camel. They also had embryos in jars and fetuses that never made it to birth, which was absolutely amazing to me. The smallest embryo they had was about 6 weeks gestation. You could hardly see it. But within a few weeks you could see a little alien baby with fingers and toes. I wish I could have taken pictures inside. Another thing I loved was the comparison of smoker's lung to a healthy lung.

It was really neat to see these things in real life. I've seen plenty in medical text books and encyclopedias. I highly recommend going if you ever have the chance. They move around from city to city. If you do go, don't take your kids. It took us 3 hours to get through it. And there were so many people fighting with kids (including me) and trying to keep them entertained without letting them touch the displays. You can really learn a lot from it if you take your time going through.

I kept sitting Morgan up, but she would go right back to this position, I guess it was the most comfortable.

October 16, 2008

Our Future Daughter?

My friend Mindy had one of these on her blog so I thought I would try it out. I did it for a boy first and he was so hideously ugly I couldn't bare putting him on my blog! I was laughing so hard at how funny looking he was. So I tried a girl and she was cuter. The pictures of us are from my mom's computer and are over 2 years old. Its funny that she turned out blong. Clint and both his sisters were really blond when they were little.

What do you think? Check it out, its kind of fun!

October 15, 2008

Want a good workout? Check this out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7umUtYjWAgs

Snow, Bathtime, and a Park

Just a few recent pictures from the last few days.
Sunday October 12 we woke up to snow

Sunday evening in the bath. She always has to suck the water off her boat, her hands, her washcloth, pretty much everything. She'll dip her hand in the water, suck on it for a minute, then dip it back in for more water.
I love when she splashes
Tuesday October 14 Morgan and I went to Sugarhouse park to see the ducks. She was interested for about 5 minutes and then wanted the buckles on her stroller.

"Here ducky ducky ducky"
Since her interest in the ducks didn't last long we found a playground and played on the swings. I did get some video of her swinging, but it makes me motion sick to watch it so I won't make you suffer.

October 12, 2008

Snowbird-October 5-7

Last weekend Morgan and I stayed up at Snowbird with Clint's family. Snowbird is a ski resort up Little Cottonwood Canyon. His family has a time share up there. We got there Sunday afternoon and took a walk down to Oktoberfest, which was basically a lot of good German food, drunk people, and loud German music and dancing. Its always fun to go eat and watch the music performers. I got a video of a guy playing cow bells. But we were pretty far away so it didn't turn out that great. It was pretty cold up there.
Morgan all snuggly in her stroller.
Enjoying the entertainment at Oktoberfest.
After Oktoberfest we went for a walk out to a lookout point. Here are some pictures of the scenery.

Candace (Clint's sister), Mo, me, Kristen (Clint's other sister), Kent (Dad), and Carson (Candace's son)
Most the day on Monday we hung out in our room. It wore Morgan right out:) She loves getting her head and back tickled and she fell asleep to Grandma doing it.
View from the balcony
Another view. If you look along the top of the picture you can see a little snow :)
Monday afternoon we played Bingo. It was fun, Sharon and I both won candy bars :)
Kent, Kristen, Sharon
After Bingo we went for a walk outside. We found the new playground. Morgan loved the swing.
Kristen sliding with Mo


Mo's first set of wheels.

October 11, 2008

Welcome To The World!

My brother's wife finally had her baby on Thursday! Landon Gray Call is his name. Travis and Maria live in Alaska so we haven't seen him in person yet. But we got to see him on the webcam. He looks just like his mom! He's their first son of 3 kids and the 2nd grandson of 8 grandkids. We're so excited to have him in the family!

October 8, 2008

General Conference

Over the weekend our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints, had General Conference. It is a semi-annual, 2-day conference where the living Prophet of God, Thomas S. Monson, and other leaders of our church speak and teach about gospel principles. The tabernacle choir and other choirs perform musical numbers as well. It is an extremely uplifting meeting and provides great counsel to members and non members. The leaders of our church teach and inspire us to be more Christ-like and to live our lives in a way that would be pleasing to our Father in Heaven. You can watch it at BYU Broadcasting. Click on 'watch rebroadcasts online'. If that doesn't work try the local news channel, KSL. On KSL you can actually watch individual talks.

I usually don't take notes during General Conference. Not since high school Seminary. But I approached this Conference with an attitude that there was specific things the Lord wanted me to hear. So before the session started I had my pen and a notebook ready. I'd like to share (or just document) some of the things that stood out to me and really touched me. Keep in mind that these aren't direct quotes unless quotations are added.

L. Tom Perry-of the 12 Apostles
~Don't allow stress to get the best of you.
~Remember that the best is yet to come (speaking of life after death).
~Live a simplified lifestyle. There are only 4 things needed to survive in this life.
1. Food-He referred to the Word of Wisdom found in D&C 89. Taking care of your body nourishes your spirit.
2. Clothes-being modest nourishes our spirituality. "Casual dress is followed by casual behaviors."
3. House-buy according to your needs and financial situation. Live within your means. Stay out of debt, save for a rainy day, don't PAY interest, EARN it!
4. Fuel
Be worthy of the companionship of the Holy Ghost.

Silvia Allred-1st counselor of the Relief Society
Missionaries bless their own lives, their families, and generations to come.
To help the missionary effort we must;
Have a clear understanding that God loves all of His children.
Remember that our message of Christ is the most important gift we have to give.
Invite nonmembers to our homes.
Give referrals to the missionaries.
Write to and pray for missionaries serving in the field.

Marcos Aidukaitis-Quorum of the Seventy
The Book of Mormon, along with the Spirit, is the most powerful resource in converting ourselves and others.

Dallin H. Oaks-of the 12 Apostles
Sacrament meeting should be quiet and spiritual. A time for reflection. When prelude music is playing there should be no visiting. Each member bears the responsibility for the spirituality a meeting can bring. NO CELL PHONES, games, books. Sing the Hymns! Sacrament replaced the sacred sacrifices of old, we should treat it as sacred as people did at the alter.

Dieter Uchtdorf-2nd counselor of the First Presidency
Faith, hope, and charity stabilize our lives. Without hope we can't receive the Kingdom of God. Have hope in Jesus Christ, hope in God's promises. Hope is there to uplift us. The brighter our hope is the stronger our faith will be. The stronger our hope is the greater our charity will be.

Joseph Worthlin-of the 12 Apostles
He quoted his mother, "Come what may and love it!" Learn to laugh in difficult/stressful situations. The Lord will compensate those who have experienced lost.

Jeffry R. Holland-of the 12 Apostles
God never leaves us alone in our trials. He gives us heavenly and mortal angels to guide and protect us. Pray for those angels to administer to you and then be one yourself.

Gerald Causse-Quorum of the Seventy
It is vital for us to gain knowledge in this life.
The truths of God are understandable by all regardless of age or education level.
Humble yourself as a child.

David Bednar-of the 12 Apostles
Prayer becomes more meaningful as we seek God in ALL things. It becomes natural. Ask with faith and you will receive. Recognize your faults while praying and ask for help in those areas of weakness. Acknowledge when you have done something wrong and what you should have done differently. Express thanks for the help you've received. Your evening prayer is a continuation and prelude to your morning prayer. Meaningful prayer is essential to receiving blessings. Counsel in the Lord in all of your doings. Give a lot of thanks and few requests. The prayers of prophets are childlike in their simplicity but powerful because of their sincerity. Prayer becomes more meaningful when we pray for others with all our heart.

Elaine Dalton-Young Women President
"Stand for right, even when you stand alone." Don't get so absorbed in body image that you forget you have the ability to change the world through virtuous acts.

**I can't remember who spoke about this...but someone said, Don't argue over gospel principles. Explain them with love. Be a peace maker.

M. Russell Ballard-of the 12 Apostles
"We can't afford to be superficially righteous."

Thomas S. Monson-President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints and the only living, ordained Prophet of God.
The greatest lessons in life are the ones that teach us what is important and what isn't. "Find joy in the journey now." Make the most of today, make pleasant memories. Enjoy your children now, they grow too fast. Never assume that someone knows you love them, let them know. Show them, tell them. Always express thanks. Don't take your loved ones for granted. "Let us relish life as we live it." Focus on blessing in your life, not the challenges. Help someone every chance you get.

October 7, 2008

Morgan and I have been up at Snowbird with Clint's family. We had a lot of fun. I have a ton of pictures to post, but I'll have to do it later. I'm just not in the mood right now. I'm a little tired from a night of restless Morgan. Clint's family was so great about it.

Anyway, Morgan and I have both been tagged. I've only ever been tagged once and I actually never did it (Sorry Jess). But I think I will this time.

Missy tagged me. I'm supposed to tell you 6 quirks about me. I'm not sure if there are 6, but here goes.

1. When turning up the volume on a TV or radio, I have to have the volume number on an even number or multiple of 5. Always have, don't know why. It really irritates me when its on a 9 or 7 or something like that.

2. I have to check blogs everyday to see if my friends have updated. I try not to, but it never fails. At some point during the day I just HAVE to check. If I don't I feel like there is something just pestering me in the back of my brain and I give in. If I don't check them everyday I spend 2 hours trying to catch up with everyone.

3. I have to have the toilet paper roll hanging so the end comes over the top, not from the bottom. This is really embarrassing, but I've even changed it in other people's houses, in hotels, and even public bathrooms if possible. I've gotten better over the years though.

4. I HATE HATE HATE spiders. I'm not kidding you, I completely freeze up when I see one. I probably sit there frozen for a good 60 seconds before I can muster the strength to do anything about it and then usually that means pulling 20 paper towels off the roll in order to squish it without feeling it between my fingers.

5. I love good old fashioned sitcoms. Like Everybody Loves Raymond, The King of Queens, Yes Dear, and Seinfeld. I could sit and watch them all day long. They just crack me up.

6. Last but not least (I'm really racking my brain for something here)....I'm horribly afraid of the dark. Not just a little bit afraid, but so afraid that it sometimes makes me sick to my stomach. I'm afraid of the dark outside and inside. Even in my own home (well, when I had one). And Clint's favorite thing to do is turn off all the lights when I'm on my way to bed and hide so he can scare me.

Now I tag:

Chelsea Sheilds
Christy Andreasen
Karen Call
Kristin Neal
Steph Williams
Ande Kirschman
Post 6 Quirks about you and tag 6 other people.


Now for Morgan's tag. She was tagged by Emma, Jeremy, Bree, and Brooke Hall. We have to tell you 5 things you might not know about her. Once again, this could be tough. I think I share just about everything on this blog.

1. The only song that I sing that gets a reaction out of Morgan is "We Are A Happy Family". It always puts a smile on her face when she hears me sing that song.

2. Morgan loves other kids. It doesn't matter how upset or fussy she is, if she see another child she immediately cheers up and gets excited.

3. Whenever Morgan is in a place where her voice echos (i.e. a garage, public bathroom, a long hotel hallway) she yells intermittently at the top of her lungs and listens to the echo.

4. Morgan absolutely hates, I mean despises, green beans and peas.

5. Morgan loves to look at herself in the mirror. She smiles and laughs and waves and kicks her legs everytime she sees herself in any sort of reflection.


Morgan tags:

Makayla and Ellie Call
Megan and Ashley Call (if they aren't busy with their new baby brother)
Maddy Isakson
Roger Stockton
Wesson Ellington
List 5 things we might not know about you and then tag as many people as you want!

October 1, 2008

Cute Stuff

September 27, 2008
September 30, 2008 That is a pickle in her mouth. She loved it!

The video is from September 29, 2008

Books I want to Read

My Sister's Keeper

The Geurney Literary and Potato Peel Pie

Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites

Savvy By Ingrid Law

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease

The Keys To the Chronicles: Unlocking the Symbols of C.S. Lewis' Narnia by Marvin D. Hinten

Home Is Where The Army Sends Us

Fort Hood, Texas/December 2010-
Fort Rucker, Alabama IPC/September 2010-November 2010
K-16/Seoul Airbase, Korea/Aug 2008-September 2010
Fort Rucker, Alabama/August 2006-July 2008
Fort Jackson, South Carolina BCT/June 2006-August 2006