sunday thoughts on a monday afternoon

I had every intention of sitting at the computer first thing this morning and writing down the thoughts that have been swirling in my head since yesterday. But there were dishes to be done and floors to scrub and fittings to do. So here I am, finally, with a few minutes during "nap time" to empty my head onto this page.

I say "nap time" because Elliot is very likely sitting on the stairs right now instead of laying in his bed. We've reached that point, I think, where naps just aren't going to happen much anymore. I suppose I can't blame him. He has given me nearly four good years of daily naps. It had to come to an end eventually. But oh man, I will miss them!


And now, some deep thoughts. I've been thinking a lot lately about what it means to be truly converted. It is one thing to be raised in a religion, and to believe in it because you were taught to believe in it. It is quite another thing to come to know truth for yourself, and then even more - to have a change of heart based on your knowledge of that truth. That is true conversion.

To me, being truly converted means serving others, not because I am supposed to, but because I genuinely want to. It means studying my scriptures, not because I know it is good for me, but because I know that through my studies I can come to know my Savior better. It means leaving worldly things behind and not missing them.

True conversion comes by obedience. Years of obedience to things we know are true leads to that all-important change of heart. And then our desires elevate and our focus becomes more clear and we find ourselves full of joy.

It's a road we all have to travel in this life, at our own pace and in our own time. I am just grateful to be somewhere on the road.

It's always more fun when Gramma is here.

My mom was in town for a few days this week. She flew out early this morning and we miss her already. Something fun we did while she was here: we let Stella skip school and we spent the morning at the zoo instead. I think it was Elliot's first time and he was duly impressed. Plus, the weather was gorgeous. I honestly don't think we'll see another day that nice until October.

Do you have anything fun planned this weekend? I'm getting my hair done. Yippee! That's always cause for celebration. And I am super excited to bring Mabel with me to the first ever General Women's Meeting for our church. We are going to watch it at our church building, but you can view it at home, too. That link will tell you how. I am anxious to hear from our women leaders. I know they will have many good things to tell us.

Have a happy weekend!

p.s. Thank you for all of your nice comments about my dress. I will be sure to forward them on to Mike. :)

a day dress for summer

I was in the market for a light weight summer dress with sleeves, that actually went to my knees. Something more than a flimsy, boxy knit, and something that wouldn't make me melt any more than I already will come June. When I saw a remnant of chambray linen at the surplus fabric store I snatched it up and this dress was born.

I used my nearly worn out copy of Simplicity 2245 (which is sadly out of print) as a slight guide for the sleeves and bodice, and then added a full skirt (with pockets!). The waist is elasticized in the back to give it shape, but still be comfortable.

The good news: It is easy to wear. The bad news: Mike doesn't like it. Oh well. Maybe he'll learn to like it after seeing me in it all summer long?

Do you consider your husband's opinion when getting dressed? I'd like to, but sometimes what he likes and what I like are so far apart from each other.


p.s. This is the updated version of the pattern, but I am sad to say that I don't like it nearly as well as the original.

Warm Lemon Pudding Cake

I am in the middle of juicing and freezing our lemons, so when I was deciding on a dessert for Sunday dinner yesterday, I had lemons on my brain. And my kitchen counter. A quick Pinterest search led me to Warm Lemon Pudding Cake. Yes and yes.

The best part: during baking, a light, spongy cake forms on top, with a rich, puckery pudding beneath. Oh man, every bite was like a burst of warm sunshine. They were light and so lemony, and just about the most perfect way to end a meal on a warm spring evening.

I increased the recipe by half and had enough to fill 10 6oz. ramekins. (It can also be baked in a 1.5 qt baking dish, just fyi.)

This is a recipe I will make again and again, I just know it.

Spring Break 2014

It was a good thing that we didn't have anything exciting planned this week, because Elliot spent most of it on the couch battling a fever. He's better now, thank goodness, and we finally left the house for the first time yesterday. We met Mike for lunch and then friends for shaved ice. When you haven't left the house all week, little things seem like lots of fun. There's the secret to a successful spring break right there, folks. Happy Spring Break to us!

However, it was awfully nice to lay in bed with my book* in the mornings instead of rushing to get breakfast on the table and kids out the door. As much as Stella loves school, she is already dreading having to wake up early again. We all are. Sigh. Summer break will be here before we know it, I'm sure.

Two questions: Did you do anything fun this week? And what are you reading right now? I finished my book and I'm looking for something new.

p.s. My friend Sarah started an interesting new series about why women choose to stay at home on her blog, called Coming Home. If you have a minute, I hope you'll check it out. It is really fantastic.

p.p.s. Have a good weekend.


*Katherine, by Anya Seton. So good, even the second time.

spring break chatter

It's spring break at our house this week. Hooray! We are already off to the laziest of starts and it feels wonderful. A few hours in, though, and I've realized that I'd forgotten just how much Stella likes to talk. I'm determined to enjoy our constant conversation for the next few days. Sometimes I feel like kindergarten has stolen her away from me, so I am going to appreciate having her glued to my side this week. I am. I am. I am.

blossoms and babies

Almost as soon as the wisteria blossoms appear, they start to drop their petals. They don't last nearly long enough, but that makes them even more special, I think. I spent lots of time outside admiring them this week. I even cleaned up the flower bed beneath them. It was in desperate need, and now it is nice and tidy and hopefully I won't have to touch it again for a few more years. I am more of an every-three-years-or-so gardner. I really wish it was something I enjoyed. Alas!

Have I mentioned that my little sister is having her first baby next month? I am so excited for her. We've been emailing back and forth for the past few days about baby advice. It has brought me right back to those first months when Mabel was a brand new baby. Oh, it was hard! But I know Julianne will be a much better first time mother than I ever was.

I'm curious, if your little sister was having her first baby, what would be your best piece of advice?

Dear Arizona, I love you, but not for long.

Can we talk about how nice it is in Arizona right now? Oh man, the orange blossoms are killing it. Our entire neighborhood smells like heaven. If you've ever wanted to visit, now is the time. It's hard to believe that it's still winter somewhere, because spring has sprung for sure in our neck of the woods.

The other night, our neighborhood had it's annual block party. Our neighbors set up tables and chairs in the street and grilled burgers and hot dogs. The kids jumped on a big inflatable slide, and ran around barefoot until way past their bedtime. We are so lucky to live here.

I have to write this stuff down so that come July, when I want to die from the heat, I will remember that sometimes, Arizona is the best place in the world to be.

on living a small life

I pulled a lot of weeds on Saturday. A whole season's worth in one go. But I didn't mind, because it was a beautiful day and I had the wisteria blossoms to keep me company, plus it gave me lots of time to think about this life and what I want to accomplish in it. I realized that my goals are actually quite simple. They are mainly: to be content with what I have, and to serve those around me. I think if I could master those two things I would have a lifetime of happiness.

Here's the thing: I want to live a small life. I want to decide to be content with what I have, to turn my focus to my family. I want to work to improve myself, and to not worry about what anyone else is doing. The world will keep on turning and changing and trying to tell me that I need to do or be or have more. I have no control over that. But I do have control over what happens in my living room with my little family. And that's the most important thing anyway.

Some deep thoughts for a Monday, I guess. How was your weekend?

whatever we do, the sun will be shining

It feels like this is the first weekend in a long time that Mike and I don't have a long run on the schedule. Yippee! What a relief. Maybe we can work on our yard instead. It has been majorly neglected lately and I'm afraid it will never recover. We have lemons to pick, weeds to pull, and grass to mow. And so, so much more.

Or maybe we'll just lay around instead? Who knows! We can do whatever we want! That's what I love about the weekend.

Do you have anything fun planned? Maybe I can live vicariously through you.

Have a good one, friends.

and now you know what I look like without mascara

before :: after

Apparently, I am a very late bloomer. This is evidenced by my adolescent acne at age 34. I'm really not sure why, but my skin has been worse this year than any other. It has been very discouraging.

On a whim, I ordered a two week trial of Paula's Choice Clear. (Thank you Grace Patton for recommending it.) I took a before photo (right after working out, mind you) just in case there were significant improvements. And I think there were! I used to have a big, red, rough breakout spot on my right cheek at all times. It's still a bit red, but it is fading significantly. And the roughness and breakouts are gone. My skin has never been so soft, actually. I live in the dry desert, and have always had dry skin, but I don't have that problem anymore.

I  have been using the products for more than a month now, and I have continued to see fewer red spots. If a blemish does appear, it clears up quickly. Every time I wash my face I am amazed at how much better my skin looks and feels.

I don't want to sound like an infomercial. And I am not in any way affiliated with the Paula's Choice company, I have just been really impressed with their products and thought you might like to know.

*I notice improvement when I cut back on my sugar intake, as well (which sort of kills me a little bit). Just fyi.

a marathoner

He did it! Despite the IT band issues that plagued his training, he did it. Mike ran the Phoenix Marathon this weekend, and he finished fast and strong. I didn't expect to be so emotional, but there I was at the finish line, crying for him, and for everyone who participated, really. Marathons are intense, and to finish one is such an accomplishment. I am so proud of him.