Ahh...the weekend

On Friday night I had dinner at my Katie's house. She got a new job a couple weeks ago and my niece wanted to make dinner for her so we made my fabulous lasagna and had everything ready by the time she got home. She was ecstatic and we had a great time. Jared, Joel and Dave went to see Max Payne on Friday night so it was just us girls with Zach. After dinner, we cleared out the kitchen and Zach taught us the cha cha. We're thinking we're going to try to get together maybe every Friday night for dinner and dance lessons. I've been wanting to learn to dance. And now I can for free. : ) It should be fun.
So, as seen on Vicky's facebook, we had a girl's day out on Saturday to go dress shopping. It was a lot of fun! When Lydia finally got to try on a little flower girl dress, she wanted her picture taken and to stand up on the block like everyone else. She also had me hold up the back of her dress like a bustle and had Vicky take a picture. She had seen the girl do a bustle for my dress and wanted to do that, too. It was sooo cute! After dress shopping, Vicky, Aubrie and I went to see Errand of Angels with Lynne and Paige Bronson. (Monica had to work : ( ) It was a fantastic movie! I didn't think I would like it, but I really did! It had some really great messages.
Sunday was uneventful. We went to The Villa Restaurant down in Provo at the bottom of State hill. Oh. My. Gosh! They have fantastic food. If you ever go, I recommend the Torta Jalisco or the Beef Burrito. They are both fantastic! We had family dinner with James and Monica. I'm trying to make it so that we have a really good family dinner every Sunday because I like to hang out with the family on a day that hasn't been stressful. That day just happens to be Sunday.
Now that I've written down that lovely accounting of my weekend, I have got to go to bed. Ahh, sleep!

OMG!

So...we're sitting here on our bed with Harley watching MASH. Naturally, since it's bedtime, I am wearing appropriate bedtime attire that happens to expose a lot of the top front area. Well, Jared sits Harley up because he's being fussy and, wouldn't you know it, the budding pervert starts looking at my chest and grinning the biggest grin I have ever seen from him. Jared and I started laughing like you wouldn't believe. It was the funniest thing!

Hmpf!

So...you ever feel left out of situations? Where you want to fit in and be like everyone else and you just feel like you can't? I feel like that a lot lately. I can't really say a lot about the situation because I don't want to say who I'm talking about. But I just feel like I can't be myself around these certain people and I feel like they don't really want me to be around because I am not like them. I really want to just jump in with their excitement and just have fun with them but I feel like I'm not wanted. I know that part of it is my own self-consciousness. I don't know...I just feel really out of place and I don't know how to change that.

1 part Rant, 2 parts inspired, 3 parts RANDOM

I cannot believe how expensive baby stuff is! Holy crap! Formula, diapers, wipes, baby food...and that's just the basic stuff. After that, there's onesies and burp cloths and blankets and cute outfits and toys. Binkies, carseats, strollers, diaper bags, bath stuff, walkers, bouncers, playpens, baby gates, outlet covers, crib bedding, mobiles, crib toys, baby monitors...man, babies are just flippin expensive! Harley's finally grown out of almost all of his clothes and he needs church clothes. But, of course, one church outfit costs $20 and you still have to get socks and shoes. I just can't believe it. I mean, I knew babies were expensive, but it's just downright ridiculous! Not to mention the fact that there are always more girl clothes than boy clothes so to even find something cute is near impossible! End tangent 1.

I've been watching a lot of movies based on the 60's and 70's and have decided that, given my taste in clothing sometimes, I was supposed to be born in the 50's so I could experience the 60's and 70's. I am a total flower child/hippie. I think that bell bottoms should totally come back into popularity. And it seems as though that might happen. In my opinion, if they're bringing back the 80's fashion trends (somebody gag me) they can certainly bring back the 60's and 70's.

Ok, so my brain is constantly going in a bazillion different directions. I have about 8 projects in my head that I want to start. But I can't settle down long enough to start any of them. For instance, it is taking all my will power to concentrate on this blog. I am watching MASH, looking up disney cruise lines, thinking about Christmas, wondering what we'll do for Thanksgiving, trying to figure out what I am going to dress up as for Halloween and looking up recipes for my never ending cookbook. This blog in and of itself is a prime example of my brain. Scary, isn't it? I just feel like I'm going and going and never getting anywhere.

The last thing I'll say is the inspired part.
So...while I was looking on craigslist the other day I found this print for sale called "The Bride" by James Christensen. Oh, my gosh! I just love it! So I looked online for James Christensen and I just love his stuff! It's just so unique! But I especially love "The Bride" it's just beautiful. I also just adore Greg Olsen. His picture, "Precious in His Sight", is just amazing. I also love "Be Not Afraid" and "Mother's Love". This kind of artwork just inspires me and makes me feel warm and happy.
I just found a picture called "Lost and Found" that almost made me start crying. It's a picture of a man in a leather jacket sitting on a bench with his duffel bag on the ground next to him and Jesus is sitting on the bench next to him talking. I can completely see myself as the one sitting on the bench talking with Jesus. I've been the one lost for a long time and I feel like I am finally letting myself be found.
www.gregolsengallery.com
www.jameschristensen.com

Interesting...

So, after a series of unfortunate events, my little family and I have moved into Vicky's house and she has very graciously let us. So, as you can imagine, most of our things are in her garage at the moment. The morning after we moved in I had to go into the garage to find clean clothes. I had to go in through the car garage door and climb my way through our various belongings to get to my dresser. Vicky was already in there getting things out for one of her old cleaners. We had been talking and laughing as we were both looking for things. All of a sudden, I noticed that Vicky was no longer in the garage and the garage door was shutting. So, with everything right up against the door, I was stuck. For quite a few moments I seriously considered yelling, "Help! Help! I'm stuck!" However, thankfully, some sort of contraption a few things in front of me moved and I was able to escape the maze of my things. I walked in the house and asked Lydia where Vicky was, luckily she was in the bathroom so I had her cornered. I yelled through the door, "Vicky, you totally suck!" she asked me why and I informed her that she locked me in the garage. She burst out laughing and said, "You were still in there!?" It was hilarious and I had to share.

There have been a lot of funny experiences in the last week since we have moved in. Just the other night, Lydia was sitting on my bed with me playing with Harley. She looked over at me and asked, "Dani, when are you going to born another baby?" It was so cute! I explained to her that Harley is more than enough for right now. She is the cutest little girl!

I can't imagine having anymore kids anytime soon. I babysit my niece and nephew everyday for my sister. My niece is ok because she's almost 11 and pretty self-sufficient. Not to mention one of the smartest people I know. Not one of the smartest kids I know, one of the smartest people, period. However, my nephew is just 2 months younger than Harley, so they get hungry at the same time, which means if I don't feed them right away they scream at the same time, too. I love my little nephew, he is the cutest little guy, after mine of course. I look kind of like my sister, so my nephew gets a little confused at first, but after a while he realizes I'm not his mommy. lol. That's fun. He does say, "Mom" now, though. He says it and then looks questioningly at me, as if to say, "Where is she?" I swear he knows what's going on most of the time. Harley does, too. Sometimes, when my nephew is screaming, Harley will just stare at him like, "Dude, what's your problem?" And then he'll look at me like, "He is so weird." lol. They are so cute together and when we lay them next to each other, they will sometimes hold hands. It's really cute. Ok, I am really tired so I will end here. Good Night!

Sealed

So...after talking to our new bishop last week and having a conversation ourselves, we are excited to say we are planning on getting sealed next summer! I am so excited. I can't believe we have reached a point in our lives where we can make that goal and be serious about it. We really adore our new bishop. He is an amazing man who is understanding and non-judgemental. Like a bishop should be. I was able to get something off my chest that has been hanging over me for several years. And now I feel like, together, Jared and I can achieve anything. Except maybe to figure out which temple. lol. I am just so excited about the whole thing and it makes me even more excited for conference. I am almost feeling like I just got baptized. lol. I just feel like now, we are finally on the right path and it makes me feel so...I don't even know. I know you're reading this thinking, wow, choose decaf next time. lol. But I just feel so excited. I can't describe the feeling, but I know everyone understands. I am just so excited that I will be sealed to my husband and my son for time and all eternity.

Wishing

So, looking at all the ways I can help the Breast Cancer Research has made me wish more than anything that I had gotten to know my Grandma Forciea and my Auntie Deby better. I was only a couple years old when my grandma died, if that. My grandma, Rosemarie, was a strong German woman who loved her family and would do anything to protect them. She was so strong that even though she had breast cancer in both breasts and underwent a double mastectomy, she didn't die from it.
My Auntie Deby was a very, very good friend of my mom's for a long time. I remember being 7 or 8 years old and talking to her on the phone; she lived in California. She would always tell me that she was going to have my mom pack my bags and send me on a plane to visit her. I wish my mom had. Deby had had the cancer for a while and was getting too sick to take care of herself and her family couldn't do it. Though I remember she didn't have much family. Anyway, she had gotten so sick that my mom had insisted she move to Utah to live with us so my mom could take care of her. My parents decided to go see her before her big move out here. They were supposed to leave later in the week or weekend, but on Tuesday night I told my mom that I had a feeling she should go that night. She said that they were leaving later in the week and that a few days wouldn't make a difference. I told her again and again that they needed to leave that night. They didn't. Around 11 that night, my mom got a call that Deby had passed earlier that evening. It was a hard thing to deal with. Especially for my mom, knowing she had been so close to seeing Deby.
I know is that I didn't get that feeling by accident. I know that Heavenly Father was trying to send us a message. I've always known that everything happens for a reason and we don't always understand at the time. In the last few weeks it has become quite clear to me that Heavenly Father is looking out for us and is always watching and guiding us. He listens to us and answers our prayers no matter what. Although his answers may not be what we hope for, and sometimes they even make us angry, we have to trust that he knows what's best for us and that he will always take care of us and point us in the right direction.
I've just had some time to think about my life and I have realized just how much Heavenly Father has taken care of me, my family and my friends. I feel so grateful and so blessed to have been raised in the Church. To know that after we leave this world, we will see our family and friends again. Which is how I am going to tie this rant into the beginning of my post. I am so grateful to know that I will see my grandma and my aunt again. That they are in a better place where they can be taught the gospel and, hopefully, accept it.
I am so grateful and so proud to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. And I hope every member of the Church is as proud and grateful as I am.