Tender moments

My son has been asking for awhile now to go to Temple Square.   I keep putting him off because of my own selfishness.  It is too difficult, I say, to get everyone in the car and to go downtown.   I keep telling him we will go another time when I'm not so tired, when I feel better.   I found the excuses were getting easier but my son's frustration was growing faster.

Finally I decided to stop putting it off.  We had a relatively nice day weather-wise.  It was a little crisp, but not raining.   We donned our jackets and trooped off to Temple Square.   Of course we can't go anywhere without Amber wanting to take pictures.  We packed the camera, the diaper bag, and the stroller.   And we were off.

I just wanted to share a picture I love from that trip to temple square.  I love this picture.  

This picture tugs at my very tender heartstrings.   Even though I know this is just a statue, I felt the love and acceptance for my son.  I was reminded of how much Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love each one of us.  I am reminded of the scripture in the Doctrine and Covenants that tells us the worth of souls is great in the sight of God. (Doctrine and Covenants 18:10)  Our struggles and shortcomings do not matter.   He still beckons to us- come a little closer.   In this picture my son looks to be having a conversation with Christ and Christ is listening, beckoning him to come closer.  

This is why I love this picture.  I love that my daughter captured this.   She has an ever increasing ability to capture emotion and to tell a story through her pictures.   I am so grateful she is willing to share her talents with me.   This picture is just one reason.   I will now welcome my children home from school and share the love that swells my heart today!

And then there was that other time . . . . .

Do you remember that one time I said I had to beg for a project all my own?  Well, I started the project.  But then I got sick.  I did not have the energy nor the brain power to complete the project.  Everything was set up in the garage for me, but we couldn't park our cars in the garage.   Yikes.   I had to ask for help.  I cried when I told my husband I would need his help.   I was so sad.   But it all worked out.  

So my project was to convert a twin size bed frame into a queen size bed frame with a bench at the end of the bed.   Then we needed to clean out the closet because I was going to convert the closet into the headboard area!   I thought the latter part would take a lot of convincing but my husband jumped right on board with me.  He thought it was a good idea!   Yay!

Here is what we did.   Because I wasn't really feeling well I didn't take and before pictures or any pictures of the process.  I only have pictures of the end (sort of) result.   We still have some work to get things organized and set up properly in our bedroom, but it is mostly done.  

This was the headboard for the original bed.   We cut the legs off the headboard leaving just the bookshelf portion.   We ended up cutting about 20" off the bottom.  This became the bench at the end of the bed.   This was the easy part and probably one of my favorite parts.  

We added about 5" to the length on each side.  We added about 20" to the width of the bed.   You can't see the ends where we added 20" but it is really there, promise. This used to be a captains bed.  The bottom of the drawers were all ruined.  I decided to just attach the front of the drawers to the side.  It looks like there are drawers.   I really do love it.

The bed is now taking up the former closet space.   We still need to take out the bar and organize everything better.   But it works well.   It will take some getting used to.  

Did you see the shelves on the left side of the bed.  Those were already in the closet.  So John decided the other side needed shelves, especially since that is my side of the bed!   He installed three shelves for me on my side.   Don't mind the mess, we are still in the organizing process here.   Stuff is all over.

Now that we have the bed done, we have the huge  task of re-organizing our bedroom.  Now we are at the not so fun stage.  Re-organizing is the worst part of rearranging a room.   We have had a lot of upheaval in our home lately.   Hopefully I start feeling better so I get the energy to work for long periods of time.   I want this done now!  

I now have my garage back until I start another project.  I'm really kinda liking this do it yourself stuff.  I haven't been a big DIY'er.  But I have seen a lot of things lately that look easy enough for a craft challenged person to put together.   I love it.

That one time . . .

So many memories, so much fun.   Here, let me share some random memories with you.

That one time . . . .

 I was driving and I had to pull over to rock out to the song "Eye of the Tiger" by the Survivors.  Now my girls are always listening for that song.   Katie Perry has a song where she mentions eye of the tiger.  So one day my girls were so excited to hear the song come on the radio.  They turned up the radio and then asked me, "Did you hear it Mom?  Eye of the Tiger was on the radio!"   So sweet to be thinking of me, but ummmm  . . .  girls, I hate to break it to you.   Wrong artist, wrong song!   

I forgot to get the bottle out of the bag and put the bag in the overhead bin before takeoff.  Then my daughter needed something to help with the pressure in her ears.   All I had was a bottle nipple and a bottle lid with a metal piece in the middle.  My mom pressed out the middle piece so I could use the bottle lid with the nipple, but cut her thumb in the process.   It was a pretty bad cut.

We lost power at my house and my mom drove down the street in a heavy snowstorm to pick up me and my daughter so we did not freeze all day.

I forgot my water bottle for my soccer game so we turned around and then my mom drove at breakneck speeds to get me to the school in time to not miss the bus.   

My mom was in the hospital.  Me, my dad, and my siblings got together to pick the apples off the tree.  We had a good crop that year.  We made applesauce and apple pie filling for my mom.  She never got to enjoy any of it.

I was flying to visit my brother.  Getting off the connecting flight I puked all over and the airport medical team had to clear me before getting on the net flight.  Yep, almost missed that one!

My family was playing Skipbo (maybe Phase 10),  My mom and I sat next to each other and we were passing cards to each other the entire game.

I played the chimes once for a band concert.   I hated it.   

I drove to St. George with two kids and my sister in law.  My sister in law came to watch my kids while I was at a conference.  I stayed an extra night so we could meet my sister and do something fun.

My husband was deployed and my garage door stopped working.   It pretty much just fell apart.   I went to Home Depot to look for a new one.   I took my brother with me one day and got awesome service, except they wanted to talk to him and not to me.  The next day I went back by myself and could not get anybody to help me.    My husband was so mad that he called them and reamed them out.   They sent me $100 to keep me happy.  I'm still a little leary about that store.

We were driving to Michigan to visit with my husband's family.  We were on I-80 and my husband wasn't paying enough attention to the gas.  We ran out of gas but it was so dark and snowy we couldn't see there was a gas station close by.  Not that it would have done any good.  It was closed until about 6 a.m.

We finished our basement and that spring we had an awful rainstorm that caused our newly finished basement to flood.    Fun times!   

I was mowing the lawn (I was 14 or 15, I think).   I walked between my mom's lilac bush and one of her evergreen bushes.  I got stung by a bee on the neck.  That bee was dead, but not my fault!    

I tried out for the junior high musical (Wizard of Oz) but did not know the song "Somewhere over a rainbow."   Yep, they told  me to sing it and I didn't even know the tune, words, etc.   

In third grade I had a boyfriend.   He called me sometimes.   Mostly we just held hands on the playground.  We never even kissed.   I feel so cheated!  (Not really!)

My best friend and I took a survey.   Participants were me and my friend only.   We tested the water in all the drinking fountains to see which water was the best.  We determined history water was the best!   

I was walking to campus one day while in college when some random guy handed me a flower and walked away.  I turned around to see who it was but nobody was there.  

So many random memories.   I just wanted to share.  I don't really know why these memories are on my mind right now.  The trip down memory lane has been fun.   

That one time I had to beg

So I normally don't beg.  I don't ever need to.  Usually my husband just goes along with any hare-brained idea I come up with.   That wasn't the case this time though.  We just switched out my daughter's twin size bed and her frame is still pretty good.  My husband asked what to do with it so I came up with an idea.   He was so skeptical and pretty much said it couldn't be done.  So I just let it go for a bit.  But I can't fully let the idea go.  It just festers inside me and makes me itch to get down and dirty with wood, nails, and screws.   I want to work on this project so much.
 
Okay, the other problem has been that every time I come up with an idea like this, my husband, the ever so helpful person he is (and I love him for it!) jumps in and does the project for me.   I have clear cut ideas that morph into what my husband sees as his vision for the project.   Normally this doesn't bother me.   I love that my husband is willing to do projects for me, especially big projects.  
This time I want this project to be mine.  I want to be able to work on it.  I want to feel the tools in my hands.  

I told  my husband what I wanted.  I also told him that I have looked at a lot of ideas and I know how to do what I want.  I said that I have a vision in my head of what I want.   Here is what some of our conversation (through text while he is at work) looked like.   Me:  I need you to cut the pieces and I will put the pieces together.  Please?  Just let me have a project that is mine?

No response yet.   Hmmm . . .  not looking so good.

Me:  I have lots of ideas, most are just pipe dreams.  I know I can do this one though.

Yep, I was begging him to not jump in and take over.  I want this project.  I don't want to go into all the reasons why I want this project but here is a little part.   I am finally moving out of a depression that has severely limited my ability to accomplish much of anything.   I have been picking up pieces of my life as I go and I've mostly put stuff together.  However, I have a lot of dreams, ideas for projects.   These dreams never become reality.   When it comes right down to it, I have let myself down.   I get to the part where I can put a dream into motion and I stop.  Fear, lack of motivation, etc. ruled my world at that point.   I hate failure and I worried I would just fail at making my dreams become reality.  I want to do something, to accomplish something, to feel my contribution is worth something.   Also, the sun is shining today, the air is crisp, and I feel good.   I am confident in my own abilities today.  I know I can accomplish this huge project.  

So after I told him what I want to do, and I was specific on what I want his help with, this is his response.  "Ok, we can do this."  

My heart leaped with joy.   I think my step just got lighter.   He wasn't skeptical this time.  He did not doubt my ability.  He listened, and he responded in the affirmative.   Yay!  Now it is time to get down and dirty with this project.    I cannot reveal the project until I am done.  What if it really doesn't work?  I don't want to embarrass myself here, especially after I had to beg for a project of my own!  So stay tuned for pictures and more from this project.  I hope to be done soon!   Now I just need my husband to come home so he can help cut the pieces so I can start piecing them together.

Now, lest anyone think less of my husband because I had to beg for a project I must say this.   My husband has been nothing but supportive of my dreams.   He has been supportive as I finished law school, started my own law practice, bought a photo studio, and started as a consultant for Norwex.  He has helped me get the photo studio set up in a new place.  He was my grunt work man.   I have come up with ideas, such as a lemonade stand for props and he has put it into motion for me.  He has gathered the necessary materials and he has put everything together for me.   I just wanted this one to be my project, one where I could do a lot of the work.  I want to own the project.  Like I mentioned earlier, I want to get down and dirty with the materials for this project.   So, while my husband is very supportive and does a lot of things for me, I am grateful that this one time I will be able to see my dreams become reality.   Any maybe, just maybe I can kick this depression in the rear end and send it packing for good!