One down, two more to go!

My brother Ron got home from Peru yesterday (He was on a two year mission for our church)! One of the disadvantages of living so far away is that we were not able to be there to greet him at the airport. Nor will we be able to be there anytime soon to see him. But through the wonderful world of Skype, we were able to chat with him and use web cams to see him! He is thinner, and balder and looks older but he's still Ron! (As a side note he said I looked skinner than I did two years ago! Woo-hoo! He is now my favourite brother! Sorry to my 3 other brothers!) We are so excited to have him home and are now counting down until my sister gets home from her mission to Arizona (on June 23!!). Another brother, Jon, is on a mission in Houston and won't be home for another year, so we won't start that countdown yet.

This is Ron the day he left for his mission.

This is after about 20 months in Peru

Forget Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig or even exercise! I'm moving to Peru to lose some weight!

Handmade Christmas gift

Back in October I made a flannel board at a church activity. I decided I wanted to give it to the girls I nanny as their Christmas gift. I couldn't give them just a flannel board though, so I spent a few weeks making cut-outs to go with the board. The girls love the board and play with it all the time. Here are some of the things I made. Husband helped a lot too. He made the adorable pigs. Turns out he is pretty good at channeling his inner Martha Stewart!

Another good-bye....

I know. I know. Two posts in less then 24 hours. Calm down everyone! Don't get used to this! This is just a quick post anyway. My little brother, Jon (well, I guess he's not so little anymore!) just went to the Missionary Training Centre in Provo, Utah, where he will spend 3 weeks preparing for his mission to Houston, Texas. I am sad because I didn't get a chance to go up to Canada to visit him before he left. I won't be able to see or talk to him for 2 years. The last time I saw him was over a year ago. I guess that will have to do. We were able to spend a week together traveling across the country, and for a 19 year old boy, that is probably enough bonding time with his oldest sister to last him a lifetime!

I titled this "another good-bye" because this is the third missionary my mother has sent out since March 2008, when another brother left for a mission to Peru. My sister, Mandy, left in January for a mission to Arizona. And now this one. I don't know if my mother is going to stop crying!

Jon, I know you won't read this (you never read my blog), but good luck! I'll see you in 2 years!

At the Boston Harbour, April 2008

Service Auction

Last night for Relief Society Enrichment, we had a service auction. I had never heard of a service auction before, and I had my doubts as to how it would turn out, but I went anyway. Boy am I glad I went! What a great activity! It was so much fun and the services that people offered were amazing! Women offered everything imaginable: babysitting, baked bread, house cleaning, haircuts, dinners, quilts, wreath making lessons, jewelery making lessons, photo shoots, tutoring and the list goes on and on. I was amazed at what was offered. The women at my church are extremely talented! The best part was no money changed hands! We were awarded points based on our answers to a questionnaire. We received points for things such as how many things we donated to the auction, how often we exercised (I didn't get points for that one!), service we had given over the past month and even whether or not we brushed our teeth that morning! One woman offered eyebrow waxing, which I desperately wanted! Since moving here to Central Texas, I have tried 4 different waxing places and have not found one I like. Take, for example, my latest attempt to find a great waxing place: I have one eyebrow shorter than the other! Anyway. When this service can up for bidding, I was ready. I had a lot of points and was willing to use all of them. The bidding was intense between me and my friend Sam. Unfortunately for me, she got a ton of points because she has kids, so she was able to out bid me! But it's okay. There are no hard feelings...really...I think. I haven't removed her from my facebook friends yet! At the end of the night, I did end up "winning" a loaf of banana bread, a Christmas wreath making lesson and a super cute child's apron (which I think the girl I nanny will love). This is one of the best Relief Society activities I have been to! It was so fun to hear the good-natured competition during the bidding, and it was great to see what the women had to offer. I cannot wait for the next one...and maybe I will brush my teeth that day so I can get a few extra points!

Take your sippy cup already!

Today in Relief Society we were discussing how we have to ask Heavenly Father for help even though He already knows what we want and need. One of the women compared it to how she makes her children ask for things. She used the example of one of her kids coming to her with an empty sippy cup and wanting it filled. She makes the child ask for more, even though she knows exactly what the child wants. Another woman built on that comment by saying that sometimes, even if she is standing there, with the sippy cup full of milk, the child is so wrapped in his own crying and screaming that he is too busy to notice that the cup is right there. Then she went on to say that sometimes God tries to hand us the sippy cup. He is saying 'Dude, I have a world to run. Here's your sippy cup. Take it already!' That comment really got me thinking: How many times do I pray for blessings and then become too wrapped up in my own self-pity that I fail to recognize the blessing is right in front of me? I am crying and screaming for the full sippy cup, but don't take it when it is offered, because I don't and won't see it! If I ask for something, I need to be looking for the blessing. It may not come in the way I want, but I will get what I need. I may want a sippy cup full of pop, but instead get a cup full of milk, because it is better for me. Maybe I need to stop crying and screaming and take my sippy cup already.

Squishy, squishy

Sitting in church today, my friend's two year old son puts his hand on my upper arm, starts squeezing and says "Squishy! Squishy!" Good thing his hand wasn't on my stomach. That would have been a severe knock to my self-esteem!