Elder Bednar

I love Elder Bednar. 

I stumbled across this, his first General Conference address as a newly ordained Apostle.

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In the strength of the Lord we can do and endure and overcome all things.

I love Rafe.

I love Rafe.

I love the pattern he and I have getting home each day- he walks over to Bailey's (the outside dog) food bin, we walk over to her dish, then back to the food bin- all the while he points out where I'm supposed to be going, where I'm supposed to put the food. Then we go in and do the same for Phinn (inside dog). 

I love that he tells me he is ready for dinner by grabbing his bib and sitting himself in his chair- and insisting that he buckles himself in- "I do!!"

I love that when I say, "Bath time! Let's go downstairs!!" He immediately knows to open the door to the basement and slide down- but then once I've reached the bottom of the stairs as well, he grins and tries to run back up. It's a little game we play- he loves his bath, but likes to pretend like he won't go in it for a few minutes.

I love how unbelievably stubborn he is. The other night he was exhausted- almost falling asleep while I gave him his bed time bottle (he is getting a little old for this... but I can't help it, I love that last few minutes of quiet with him before bed) anyway- he was so tired, and I tried to help him out by holding his bottle for him.... he batted my hand away so fast and gripped his bottle himself so tight his little fingers turned white. He does things his own way- and in his own time.

I love how willing he is to give kisses- and how he knows the easiest way to get out of trouble is to lay a big wet one on me.

I love that he spends his time in the car taking off his shoes and socks... and then trying to put them back on. He does a pretty decent job with the socks- the shoes we'll need to work on :)

He is growing so fast- this time last year I was starting to draft ideas for his first birthday- now I'm doing so for his second!! He is the greatest blessing in my life.

I love Rafe.

I gave a talk today in church and want to share it on my blog- in General Conference, Neil L. Andersen said, "For those using the Internet and mobile phones, there are new ways to invite others to “come and see.” Let’s make sharing our faith online more a part of our daily life. LDS.org, Mormon.org, Facebook, Twitter—all provide opportunities." I added a new tab to the top of the blog, called Testimony. As I wrote the talk, I know I had the help of the Lord with every word.

"Come and See"

Schmupdate

Wasn't General Conference wonderful? I have been looking forward to this weekend for many weeks now, and it was everything I had hoped for. What a wonderful time we live in- we can listen to the voice of our Prophet, Apostles and General Authority leaders on television, on our computers, on our phones, and the radio. Really no excuse to not listen!! And how about Sister Dalton? She could teach the popular women of today a thing or two about class.

Rafe weighs 23 lbs as of his last doctors appointment (Friday). I am grateful for such a healthy, wonderful child. But I do wish he was a bit more chunky (because who doesn't want more to love?) so I made some cookies tonight & plan to give him one with every meal this week... just kidding. About giving him one every meal, at least. I did make beautiful cookies.

 

The sun is staying out longer which I am so grateful for. It was getting depressing there for a while. But now we have more time in the evening to play and blow bubbles and take dogs for walks! I am especially looking forward to summer hours at the petting zoo and the Tulip Festival, Rafe is old enough to actually walk around and explore!! (not to mention our Thanksgiving Point pass gets us in for freeeeee)

Lots of changes happening in life right now. It's an exciting time and I'm grateful for my family, friends and just a wonderfully hard but blessed life. I know who to thank for it.

 

I have now bought two new pairs of jeans in the past month, neither of which fit me. They are too big. The second pair was smaller than the first, and it still didn't work. Now, some might say, boo hoo Paige you're pants don't fit, cry me a river. Well. When you sink money into a pair of jeans and are foolish enough to take the tags off before trying them on, you really do feel like crying a river of stupid. Or maybe just a stream of stupid. But still. Blah.

My son is the bravest boy I know. He'll jump off of anything, run up to strange people and strange dogs, and stick his fingers in any electrical plug he finds.

He'll stick his hand in a lions mouth, too.

 

If that's not bravery, I don't know what is.

Oh, and I've been assigned to speak in church this coming Sunday, which unlike most people I am really looking forward to!! (and no, not because it'll be family getting up with Rafe every ten minutes and not me... but maybe)

Fan the flame, dear friends.

A Picture Says A Thousand Words

But I didn't take any pictures!

Easter Sunday was lovely. Rafe and I attended Church, then packed up the Subaboo & headed up to Logan to have dinner with my grandparents! It is a perfectly lovely drive to make on your own, long enough to have some time alone to think & ponder (no I did not ignore my child, he fell asleep on me) but it's not so long that you feel doomed to wander in the wilderness for 40 years (cough cough... drive to St. George)

My grandparents live in a quiet little town that has a magnificent view of the mountains (I want to sing "Climb Every Mountain" every time I look at them) and they keep a little coop of chickens in the backyard. I can't actually remember a time when my grandparents didn't have a coop of chickens in the backyard! It was a really interesting experience roaming around their house with Rafe in tow... seeing all the toys I played with, or furniture pieces I used to climb all over... and there was my son, doing the same thing 5 years later!! (just kidding, more like 10...)

It's always a pleasing site to see someone love your child, and I really enjoyed watching my grandparents interact with Rafe that day!!

When we returned home and Rafe was in bed, I sat down and enjoyed watching Charlton Heston for the rest of the evening. Anyone else remember The Ten Commandments being on television every Easter Sunday, back in the day? Well I finally found the DVD, and for quite the bargain. 

It was divine.

Happy Easter!

Amen.

Sometimes you're just knocked down by the power of heaven.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Work & Glory

Tonight I was able to attend the Temple. I have a favorite one just over the mountain that I consider my 'regular' one, and then there is one more south that is also very lovely. But tonight I felt like I needed to go to a certain Temple that I'd never been to before. It was a little out of the way, I figured it would be a little busier (turned out to be a lot busier!!!) and I just really didn't know why I felt like I should go there. Once I was there however, an older man in a wheelchair came in, along with a woman who looked about 50. The old man was her father, and they were attending the Temple that night to do the work for her deceased mother. I couldn't stop the tears from flowing when I heard that. Families can be together forever, that is the whole purpose of this life. I needed that reminder tonight.

 39 For behold, this is my ^awork and my ^bglory—to bring to pass the ^cimmortality and ^deternal ^elife of man.

 This is why we're here - this is why I'm here.

Birfday

Another year come and gone, and it was a pretty great one!

Yesterday was simple and wonderful.

Spent the morning outside with Mr. Rafe. His Nanny has bunnies in her backyard right now, and he kept searching our backyard to see if there were any hiding around...

Went to the zoo for the afternoon, and the weather was absolutely marvelous.

The night before the big 2-3 I celebrated by trying out a new recipe for bread, and dancing along to Taylor Swift's "22".

The dough had to rise over night, and so I found a nice bowl to put it in, covered it with plastic wrap, laid it out on the counter, crossed my fingers and said a prayer (or two...)

Before....

 AFTER!! IT ROSE!! YAY!!

 It just looks lovely, does it not?

This bread is super easy to make, and what I love is the blogger also added other ways to dress up this easy loaf!!

Recipe found here.

Life is blessed.