an oven.

Since having the great opportunity to cook for my family every day, for the last 7 1/2 years, I have come to really love cooking and baking. When I think back to how other women and men have had to cook over the ages, it makes me so incredibly happy to be able to reach with my hand, turn a knob and i have a heated oven every night. I have a hard enough time coming up with recipes to cook knowing I have any kind of heat (oven, stove, microwave, griddle, bbq, etc.) on hand, and couldn't imagine having to worry about that too. So thank you, Miss Oven, for your hard work and consistancy every night..you make my job sooooo much easier.

My favorite sites to look at are: taste of homes (i love this magazine times a million)

bakerella

pioneer woman

and i am always looking for more...any suggestions?

triathlon...ahhhhh

TODAY i am here:

and no, not just watching, but am doing it! For the last 3 months, Ben and I have been busy training and training and never thought this moment would get here, but alas it came. coming into the race today i am grateful for:

*the love of running..especially when it feels good:)

*my love of saying "yes" when my head says "no". ha.

*full body wetsuits...ahhhhh, i'm a little scared about the swim

no, in all honesty, it has been so great training, and each and every day i have a great workout, i just cannot be more thankful for a healthy body that works. even when its hard and hurts, it works and for that i am thankful.

wish me luck. i may need it!:)

and sweet him.

sweet lincoln. sweet, sweet lincoln. since he was a little baby, there has not been a word to describe him better. he is the most tenderhearted, yet tough little guy out there. i have loved the few hours we get every day together when booker is at school and have been working really hard on reading, shapes, writing, math and VOCABULARY.

vocabulary, you ask?

the other day, lincoln was sitting at the table when ben walked in the room and got ready to leave for work. everyday it seems i tell ben, "you look great, babe" or something along that line...well, today, lincoln got in a few words. "dad," he said, "you look HIDEOUS!" "wow, lincoln, thank you," said ben, "I feel so good about myself." and then Lincoln got a funny look on his face. About this point in a conversation like this Booker would always say, "I'm kidding, daddy, I love you." But lincoln? nope he looks at him with a stinker look in his eye and says, "AND AKWARD!" yep, he is picking up his vocab. words left and right and using them in all kinds of situations.

but really, he is SUCH a sweet kid and i am greatful for and love every little piece of him!:)

him.

Today I am so greatful for my sweet little Booker. There are so many things that bring a smile to my face when I think of him, but one of the things I am most greatful for is his great imagination! He can imagine ANYTHING and make it come to life. AND it is very entertaining to watch.:) This week he has been so into playing office. He came in the other night with his paper computer and played for 2 days with it, typing up reports and doing really hard work. He even woke up one night and rushed in to me and said "Mom, I forgot to sign something!" I told him to go back to bed, but he was really worried.."Mom, if the front office has to work through the night, then I do too!" I told him all of the other offices in the world were closed at night and when he woke up in the morning he could sign his paper and get it to the front desk in time. He was okay with that. I hope his love of imagining will go on for at least a few more years because it makes my days happy watching and listening to him.

Booker and his paper computer in his "office"

a couple of nights ago, I thought it would be nice to give him an "upgrade" so I sewed him up a quick computer.

and here he is in his newly revamped office..he made the signs before I woke up this morning...

a no smoking sign and a no horses sign. 2 very important things for an office environment.
also decorating his office is his lamp (truck with musical instrument) and of course we HAVE to use daddy's studying chair.:) oh yeah, and can't forget skunkers, his best friend.

a happy working boy.

winners and prayer.

First off, the winners from yesterday were:

(drumroll, please...)

Sarah Lunt and Sanae Gazdik!

can you ladies email me your address and I will get your winnings off to you.

Second, thanks for the comments yesterday. They were all so sweet..I love hearing from all my friends.:)

Now on to today...Lately I have had many great conversations dealing with one subject: my faith. As I have had these conversations and in some quiet moments (usually running):) I have never been more greatful in my life for the principle and power of prayer. Just the other day coming home from the store, I had popped a CD into the car and an instrumental version of Sweet Hour of Prayer came on and it forced me to remind myself of the words of the song...and before I knew it, I had tears in my eyes because of the powerful words in the song:

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!

That calls me from a world of care,

And bids me at my Father’s throne

Make all my wants and wishes known.

In seasons of distress and grief,

My soul has often found relief,

And oft escaped the tempter’s snare,

By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!

Thy wings shall my petition bear

To Him whose truth and faithfulness

Engage the waiting soul to bless.

And since He bids me seek His face,

Believe His Word and trust His grace,

I’ll cast on Him my every care

And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

Time after time in my life I have been in situations where I have no control over a situation and no one I can gain comfort from except Him, and because I have turned to Him and prayed, I know of the power and peace that He can bring into hearts that are turned to Him. Today I am thankful for the great power of prayer simply because I know He listens, He cares, and He answers.

my love of creating and a giveaway.

I think I could do multiple posts for this love that I have (my husband might call it a disorder). I have never known myself NOT as an artist. There were times that I certainly got discouraged (being rejected by BYU's art program a few times). Even when I changed my major from Art to Psychology, little did I know less than a semester later, we would be switching back! I have always had a love for art and for the process of creating something from something else that is seemingly nothing. I have dreams about things I will create. I look at something and think of another way I could recreate it or make it from something I have laying around. I have dreams that my creations will reach far and wide, someday. Today I am grateful for my hands, my right-sided brain, my patience and the way that these things work together to help me create what my mind already sees. There are not many things that make me as happy as seeing my final creation (as long as it works out like I want it too!):) So to celebrate my love of creating, I want to create something for 2 of you! Leave a comment if you want to be in the running..I will pick the winners randomly.

Now come and go through new and old memory lane with me!

some super fun felt creations!;) i have this weird love of trying to match things exactly..cat on shirt i made to match tights...and how do you like that little witch's hat!:)

a birthday bouquet for my mom.

my first cake pop trial from bakerella.

maizies 4th of july outfit

a gift for my nephew

a silly "bolt" easter basket

maizies easter outfit.

haha. a silly cake.

halloween cookies.

name blocks for my sweet niece.

a friends boys' birthday cake

my sisters wedding cake.

ooooh, i loved this one. ben and i made this together..it was too much fun to make and even funner watching the kids play in it!

bookers 4th birthday cake

a little chocolate fun.

my ring.

i want to tell an amazing story.

once upon a time there was this girl who married this boy. she had her dream wedding ring. then she had a baby. then she got pregnant with baby #2 and took off her ring in the last few weeks of pregnancy just to make sure she wouldn't get her ring stuck on her finger. that was the last she saw of her ring. she cried. many times. her husband promised her another ring, but with student loans looming and necessities needed, that wish went on the back burner.

forward 3 years. a phone call that says "we found your ring." enter screaming. very loud screaming. apparently the ring had been placed on the couch and it had fallen down into the couch...way down. the couch had been moved to 2 different houses since then. and while being moved back to another house, the couch was picked up and something fell on the movers head. "nice diamond ring", the mover said. it was my ring. and now 3 1/2 years later, it is back on my finger:

and NEVER to be taken off again. and she lived happily ever after, THANKFUL to have the ring safely back on her finger again. the end.