All Days Are Good Days

Attending Grandpa's funeral last month reminded me of the amazing man that I am blessed to call my grandfather. Countless people approached us to tell us just how much he had touched their lives. He has always been an unassuming, kind, and faithful man who was quick to tell me that I was so special to him. It was not until I lived close to him that I realized what a righteous and positive influence he has been on me, not only through his role as a grandfather but also as a loving father to my dad. As I am growing up and building a family of my own, I realize what a blessing it is to be given such a legacy of love and faithfulness from my grandfather. You are right Grandpa, all days are good days. I love you.

I am Thankful

This morning, I was reading MSN, where people all over the country wrote about all of the things they are thankful for. I was very surprised to find that nearly every entry mentioned a gratitude for loving family members and for a loving God.
I, too, am grateful to have a loving family. I am blessed to have a kind and understanding husband who loves me through everything and will stop at nothing to make me laugh. I am grateful for a newly-cultivated relationship with Ryan and Andrea, something that blesses me every day. I am grateful for parents that are unceasingly loving and supportive of me (particularly while we have been working on the nativity). I am grateful for all of my siblings, nephews, and niece, for their love, and for the power of eternal relationships. Most of all, I am thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who continues to bless me every day.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Music In the Air

I am playing a violin duet in Sacrament Meeting on Sunday. I practiced with Ann Smith today (who is an excellent violinist), and although we really only played for a few minutes, it was pretty emotional for me. I pull out the violin from time to time, but I really have missed it. There's something about it. I think I can express more emotion and feeling on the violin than I can on the piano. Whether you listen, sing, or play, music really can add something so special to your home.

Isaac's Uncle-hood

Both Andrea and I have made the observation recently that Isaac is a changed man. When we were first married, he had quite a kid phobia. I'll never forget the sight of Isaac hyperventilating when Michelle put her newborn on his chest. Lately, things are different. Abby and Ethan are two of his best buds. In fact, he will hold a conversation with Abby for several minutes before conceding that she can out-talk him (and everyone else). Just this weekend, he was letting Ethan climb all over him. This is not the same Isaac that dreaded the ambiguous and ever-ominous "kid germs." He's a cool uncle now!
(Please, no comments on fatherhood)

Tourist in My Own Town

Isaac's dad came into town this weekend. I haven't seen him since our wedding, so it has been fun to catch up. Because he wanted to revisit all of the great places in the area, we ran all over the metroplex this weekend. We've been to Downtown Fort Worth, Downtown Dallas, the Stockyards, the Botanic Gardens, the mustang statues in Los Colinas, the longhorn statues in Dallas, and the Galleria. I forgot how fun it is to be a tourist in my own town!

Baby Jake

Today, we got pictures of Sweet Baby Jake! Every time I see a picture, he just gets cuter. He'll definitely be a heartbreaker!

I Can Scrapbook!

Friday night, I got to scrapbook with Andrea. I figured out why she does so much scrapbooking; it's because she is so much fun to scrapbook with that everyone wants to scrapbook with her. Due in large part to her instruction, I have finally created a page that looks good! I think I know what the appeal is to it all. I love documenting the memories I have with Isaac. Someday, our kids will look at the goofy pictures of their father and laugh about the silly poses that he made and how young he looked. I thought about making a scrapbook when I was in college, but now I have the motivation of journaling my memories with my sweetheart. It's so fun! A lot of warm feelings come with going through great pictures and having great conversation until late at night. I love it!

Change Is Comin' (Hopefully)

Today, I went to a job interview at Compass Bank. Wow, there is a whole other world out there! I really enjoy helping people with their finances and am perfectly content working in banking for the rest of my career, especially now that I know that there are places out there that will treat me much better than Texas Trust does. She told me that they will make their decision by next Friday, so I have my fingers crossed. If I don't get this job, at least I know that I should be looking more diligently than I am now. It is definitely time for a change!

Cannon Fodder

One of the many endearing things about Isaac is that he prides himself on making me laugh, especially during the times when I think I can't. He's my funny man.
He has been channeling his funny bone for yet another great purpose. Although he has done this his whole life, lately he has been very focused on cartooning. Today, he spoke with one of the editors of the UTA Newspaper about having a daily cartoon in the fall! The comic will be named "Cannon Fodder." We all dream about getting paid for what we love to do. Andrea gets paid to teach scrapbooking, Isaac gets paid to cartoon, and I get paid to do banking...oh wait.

Here We Go...

Ok, so I am doing the blog thing.
I figure this may redeem me from at least a few years of neglecting my journal, or who knows...I might actually enjoy writing a blog.
This past Thursday, I went to stake enrichment. I went expecting the cheesiest night of my adult life, but ended up loving it. Terri Pepper's class was definitely the highest point (not to say that arts and crafts time with Andrea was anything but enlightening). She talked about taking time out for yourself to develop your talents and create life experiences. She has started a list of 100 things that she wants to do in life. I decided to follow her example and start a list myself. I figured that a blog was a great place to keep my growing list.
1. Snorkel with the stingrays
2. Compile my family history
3. Write a personal history
4. Learn to play the guitar, or at least one song
5. Learn ceramics
6. Take a dance class with Isaac
7. Make a quilt (quilt it by hand)
8. Run in a race
9. Get a masters degree
10. Have a baby
11. Whale watch
12. Complete a scrapbook
13. Write a blog