The night before...

I know many of you have been waiting patiently for any sort of post from me.  I have thought many times about writing about the day Hunter and Cade were born but haven't had the words or energy to even start.  I still do not know how I want to remember that day but hope and pray that the words will come so that as I look back I can have a record of what transpired. Please be patient this will come in pieces.

Here is the final picture of my belly the night before the twins were born.

The days leading to July 8th were filled with sincere prayer asking our Heavenly Father to help us feel peace, comfort and understanding of His will for our family, whatever the outcome.  As I look back, the many prayers and blessings given always said we would understand and to have patience.  Those that know me understand that patience is not my strongest quality but I know that Heavenly Father knew that was what I needed to hear in order to continue to trust in Him.

Brad gave me a blessing the night before we went in. He blessed me once again to be comforted in knowing that Heavenly Father knows me and loves me.  He blessed me to be alert after the delivery so that if baby b didn't make it I would be able to remember the experience and enjoy the time we had with him. He blessed the doctors, nurses and those involved that they would make the best decisions for me and the babies.   He also blessed me to recover quickly from the c-section and be able to take care of what was needed.   As I look back I was hoping for our miracle but knowing deep inside that Cade wouldn't survive.

Brad also received a blessing a few days before from our home teacher.  He was told that Heavenly Father was aware of him and his fears.  He was then told to trust the doctors, nurses and medical staff to take care of me and the babies.  He was told he had the authority to call down the power of heaven to protect his family. He was blessed with strength to help me and support me that day and the days following their birth. Which he did and has been a HUGE support the past 8 weeks!
We both said a prayer that night that if Cade was not going to be a part of our family in this life that Heavenly Father would take him quickly and that he wouldn't suffer. 

And our prayer was answered.

Every calling has a time and season...

I was released as Young Women's president in my ward this past Sunday. I found out last Tuesday and since then a flood of emotions have filled my heart. While it was definitely overwhelming at times, the opportunity to see the girls grow in their testimony of the gospel, discover who they REALLY are and the love they shared with me made it all worth it!

I knew the Sunday before camp (June 14th) as the girls stood to say the theme that this would be one of the last times I would have this experience with this group of girls - and of course I cried. But I don't think you can ever be prepared to be done, after putting my whole heart into this calling for the last 2+ yrs it will be hard to just stop doing it. I know that my time has ended and I already feel the mantle of this calling leaving. It is interesting that after so much focus I didn't realize how tired I was. Heavenly Father really does bless us in our callings to have all the energy we need to accomplish everything that is required. Now that it is ending my body is telling me that I need a break. So, it is a bittersweet end and a new beginning for myself and the girls. I will miss them dearly. I am so grateful I had one more camp with these girls, (it was my 3rd) we had a great time! I also hope my service was pleasing to my Heavenly Father and that I did all I needed to in the time I was given. I gained some incredible friendships as part of this calling and will be forever grateful for the lessons I learned and the experiences I had both personally and spiritually. I am excited for the new presidency, all are dear friends, I know they will do a fantastic job!

A special thanks to my presidency, advisors, & specialists over the past 2yrs, some have come and gone but have left their footprint on my heart! They were each unique and brought a special spirit to the Young Women program while they served. They made countless sacrifices to serve faithfully. I love you and couldn't have made it through without you!

Thanks to all my friends and family who supported me throughout the past 2+ yrs. The phone calls, guidance/advice, emails, hugs, and kind words. They were appreciated!

On to my next adventure...

Weekend with friends...

A couple weeks ago I went with some friends in our neighborhood to TOFW in Ogden. I realize I talked about this event when I attended in Long Beach, Las Vegas and San Antonio, but I have to say this was by far the BEST event I have attended! Seriously, the spirit present the entire weekend was incredible. Of course it helped that 3 good friends were participating, so supporting them made it even better! Thanks to Laurel and her team for all the time and prayers that went into this event! We had such a great time! Thanks ladies for a memorable weekend!!

Kris Belcher, Emily Freeman and Hilary Weeks during the event.

The event theme this year is "SWEET ASSURANCE...the certainty that comes from knowing life's truths." Our friend's Emily Freeman and Kris Belcher were presenting at TOFW for the first time and they both did a FABULOUS job! Emily spoke about the miracle of creating abundance in our lives. She gave us 3 principles from the parable of the loaves and fishes and taught us how we can all have abundance in our lives right now. Kris was born with a rare form of eye cancer and spent most of her life blind in one eye. Approximately 5 years ago, the cancer returned and she was forced to choose between loosing her sight to save her life or the possibility of dying. She spoke about the 4 principles of healing and how all of us no matter our circumstances can be healed through the grace of our Savior. Emily is the author of The Ten Virgins, 21 Days Closer to Christ, God Bless Your Way, and most recently Women at the Well. Kris has a new book coming out in March which tells her story - Hard Times in Holy Places. If you want to learn more details for each of these principles you will have to find an event where Emily or Kris are presenting - you will NOT be disappointed!

Hilary performed at the event Friday night and Saturday. I posted about Hilary when I did the CD giveaway back in November and this was by far the BEST performance I have witnessed so far... She continually amazes me with her talent and sense of humor. If you haven't had a chance to see her perform in person YOU MUST! She is traveling to several of the TOFW events this year. Find one in a city near you and go! There are a couple fairly close if you live in UT - there are events in Pocatello & Boise, ID as well as St. George, UT this year.

Here are some pictures from the events.

Kenneth Cope, Wendy Ulrich, Emily Watts and Emily Freeman.

Kim Nelson, Hilary Weeks, Kris Belcher, DeAnne Flynn and Brent Top.

Hilary and Kris

We also heard from S. Michael Wilcox, Ardeth Kapp, Mark Mabry, Jenny Frogley, Abe Mills, Michael McLean, Brad and Debi Wilcox, and Chris Stewart --all fantastic!

Jenny and Abe put on an amazing concert Friday night. You can check out Abe's "Boy band tribute" here. It was very entertaining.

Shelly, Emily, Kris, Josephine, Tasha and Me after the event!

A few memories from the weekend... in no particular order.

• Waiting for our lunch at Wingers, paying for it, leaving to get back to the event and then returning 3 hours later to eat it. (we did get free dessert - can't complain about that)
• Jo yelling at our server to get her brother - I can't even remember what we needed!
• Angela falling - Tasha saying... "I saw you...then you were gone!"
• Umbrella basics - If 3 people are trying to walk under the same umbrella and one is blind then the one that is blind needs to hold on to both of the others' elbows instead of just one.
• Lots of RAIN!
• Listening to "I'll Sing" during each break both days.
• Chocolate covered cinnamon bears - Thanks Shelly!
• Sophie getting us lost and Emily talking to her like a person.
• Tasha trying to find the "correct" parking lot in the fog.
• Kris throwing a pillow at Tasha while she was trying to go to sleep.
• Angela almost running Kris into a pole and Shelly saving her. Sorry Kris!
• Tasha telling Kim Nelson he was svelte.
• Slurpee's and ice cream cookie sandwiches...yum!
• Tasha being our chauffeur - Thanks Tasha! She kept us from getting drenched!

Ladies feel free to correct me on any of the details or add a memory to the list!

Here is actual feedback on the event from a few that attended:

Your experiences~

This was the most amazing experience. I have been to a TOFW event previously, but this was far and away the best one! I have had many many struggles, and it was through this event that I finally feel like I am getting better. Thank you.—Jana


My friend and I went on the 23 and 24! It was so wonderful! I'm so glad I took the opportunity to try something new. Every speaker and music number touched me in some way. I had to hurry home and journal all my notes into complete thoughts. I won't ever forget it, and will make it a tradition. I don't want any of my friends to miss out on this again!—Rebekah


Wonderful time. So inspirational. Great time to listen to great uplifting music and presenters with friends and family. Thank you for coming to Ogden. Hope you come back again. I also helped volunteered and just have to say the TOFW team is awesome to work with. Thank you for the opportunity. —Nicci


Wonderful. There are so many words to describe my day(s) at Time Out for Women. It is an experience that everyone needs to attend. I was on such a spiritual high for the next day... and continue to be. I wish I could go every weekend! Thank you for creating the tour. Until next time!—Melissa


This was my fifth time to attend TOFW and they have all been awesome! Every woman in the church should take the time to attend your events. It is uplifting, fun and a great way to spend a day with your friends, sisters or just any female that you value. I bought my friend a ticket for Christmas and took her. She hugged me and thanked me many times for bringing her with me! THANKS SO MUCH FOR MAKING THIS AVAILABLE and keep them coming!!!! —Jan

Definitely something you should try to attend if you are able. It is great to get away from the worries in your life and just focus on YOU! And of course spend some quality time with a few close friends or family!

New Background...

Blog is underconstruction... will post soon. Lot's to catch up on!

I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday season!

Christmas parties and friends...

I am blessed to have wonderful friends! Every year I have two groups of friends my mission friends. And the other group should probably be called the "roommate" group, which is true -more on that later. That get together for our annual Christmas parties. Nikie posted about this too.

This year the "mission" group met at Iggy's for dinner then headed to Becky and Roy's home for dessert and games. We do a gift exchange that can at times be heated but this year it wasn't too bad. Sorry LeAnn, that you got stuck with the "Skookie"! We try to get together almost every month and I truly look forward to seeing them. Love you girls!

LeAnn, me - top row

Becky, Nikie, and Kim - bottom row

The husbands are invited to a summer BBQ and Christmas party each year. We are missing Nikie's husband Steve in the picture. Sorry Steve! He left a bit early to take the babysitter home.

Below Roy (Becky's husband), Cesar (Kim's husband), and Brad.

In the "roommate" group we get together for lunch to celebrate each of our birthdays. We also have a BBQ in the spring, Cinco de Mayo celebration, 4th of July (when Brad and I can make it without conflicting with family traditions), and the annual Halloween party. We have sooo much fun!

This year we had a delicious meal at Linda and Dan's home and our gift exchange game. We had a great time and LOVED our gifts!! Thanks guys!

It is true we all were roommates and one point but I originally met Linda in the MTC. We were in the combined Spanish class with both our districts, and she lived a floor (or 2) below me. Kim and I were companions on our mission and moved out together the first time with a 3rd roommate Allison. Then we moved to this really small but great house in the Cottonwood Heights area and Linda moved in with us. Then we when Allison moved out Katy moved in, then Melissa. Melissa was Linda's roommate a couple years prior at BYU. Was that a fun history lesson! I lived in that house for 3 yrs before getting married and we had 2 other roommates Stephanie and Annika during that time as well. (Linda feel free to correct me on my timeline or whatever!)

We had so many great adventures living together in that house. I was lucky to have such great roommates that I love dearly and still enjoy being around.

Thanks girls for all the great memories!

me, Kim, Mel and Linda

Just a side note... Kim is pregnant and due Feb 4 (i think?), Mel is also pregnant and due Mar 1st, and yes Linda is pregnant as well and due Mar 3rd (I may have switched Mel and Linda's due dates.. sorry ladies!) I missed the 4th of July party last year.. guess something was in the food!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE!!!

And the winners are.......

Well.. the time has come to announce the winners of the Hilary Weeks giveaway. It has been so fun hearing from all of you, especially those that are new to the blog world and entered your first comment. Hopefully, now that you have conquered that first step you will feel empowered to continue leaving comments. :D

CONGRATULATIONS TO...

SUSIE "If I Only Had Today" CD

and because there were so many entries the 2nd winner is...

MELISSA "Christmastime"CD






Thanks for all those that participated! Especially those that jumped over from Jennifer's blog. Also, thanks to those who "actually" read the post about San Antonio to know a comment on that post got you entered 2 times in this "giveaway". I hope that even if you didn't win you will take the opportunity to purchase one of Hilary's CD's. You will be glad you did!


I will have "giveaway" for another talented friend in a couple weeks so check back again!

Holiday Benefit and Concert - featuring Hilary Weeks

I know I have emailed many of you but just a reminder of the upcoming concert at La Caille hopefully we will see you there!!

Hilary Weeks is having a Holiday benefit dinner and concert on Friday November 21st from 7-9pm at La Caille restaurant. If you haven't had the opportunity to go to La Caille the atmosphere is amazing! More details below. Check out this link for more info on restaurant.

There will be dinner and concert featuring best-selling LDS music artist Hilary Weeks. The proceeds from this concert will benefit the South Valley Sanctuary which is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing shelter and supportive services, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to men, women and children who have been victimized by domestic violence.

If you and your family are looking for a way to give back this holiday season, please consider joining us for a fantastic dinner at La Caille followed by a concert by Hilary. Tickets are $100 per person and all proceeds benefit the South Valley Sanctuary.

For more information or to purchase tickets click here. To view the invitation


Please join us and/or spread the word. It promises to be a memorable and meaningful evening.

If you are planning to attend.. enter a comment here and we will have a separate raffle for those attending the benefit.


***Also... don't forget to enter the Hilary Weeks giveaway before Sunday morning Nov 16th!!

Hilary Weeks - Giveaway!

Here it is- the 1st of two giveaways. If you read the previous post you know that you got a head start!

I don’t know about you but until 3 yrs ago I had no idea who Hilary Weeks was. I think as I look back I vaguely remember seeing her CD once at Deseret Book and wondering if we may be related. (We are not, at least not within 2 generations) Anyway, 3 yrs ago my mom gave me her “Christmastime” CD and it quickly became my favorite Christmas CD. I loved her voice and the unique arrangements of familiar Christmas songs, also the 3 songs she contributed were beautifully written.

I am fairly picky with my “church” music so I didn’t purchase any of her other CD’s ; worried I wouldn’t love them as much. Then just over 2 yrs ago we built our new home and moved into Tim & Hilary’s ward. Brad and Tim grew up in the same ward so that first week at church we actually sat by them in Sunday school. From day one they were very welcoming and kind, which instantly impressed me. Now at first, I didn’t really put two and two together, even after we met them that first week. Yes I finally figured out she was THE Hilary Weeks of my new favorite Christmas CD! But it wasn’t until a few months later when she released her “Collection” CD that I decided to buy it and see what it was like. After listening through a couple of times I became a fan, the lyrics of each song are amazing and instantly you know she has a strong testimony of her Savior. In the past 2 years we have grown to love and respect Tim & Hilary as well as their cute family. I also had the opportunity to serve with Hilary in the YW this past year and have seen her in several situations- spiritual, fun, stressful, etc... She is as genuine as she seems and is always looking for the good in a person or situation. She is so great at building people up and really wants to see others succeed, she is an amazing teacher and always taught with the spirit. I will always appreciate her encouragement and support while we served together. I am grateful to call her my friend.

I want others who are unfamiliar with her music to have the opportunity to find out more about who she is. Here is a link to hear some clips from Hilary’s new CD. (Look on the right side where it says “a closer look” then click “listen to clips”. ) Her new album is amazing and when you read her expression of gratitude in the front cover you know she has a deep testimony of her Heavenly Father and trusts him completely. Her music truly speaks to your heart.

In her own words… “God will never let us down. It took me fifteen years and seven CDs to learn that. While creating my first six album projects I spent many tear-filled nights wondering if I could write songs that were good enough. Was I good enough? As I began writing for this CD I came to the realization that, though all along I may not have been good enough, God has been. He has made up the difference. Every time. As I approached this seventh project I decided to trust Heavenly Father completely. I was not going to worry about whether or not the songs would come—I just believed they would. And they did. Turns out, this is the most pleasant writing experience I have ever had. The late-night tears were replaced with trust and I felt God's hand in every song. He is there for us. And He will never let us down. I believe that. May these songs carry that witness to your heart.”

Many of my friends have mentioned not knowing who Hilary was. I thought, what better way to help those in blog land get to know her music than a giveaway! So here is the deal, Hilary has generously agreed to giveaway an autographed copy of her new album “If I Only Had Today”. Depending on how many entries I receive we may also have a 2nd prize, her “Christmastime CD”. It is almost Christmas right? And I am feeling generous!

In order to be entered in the drawing, you must make a comment on this post before Sunday morning Nov 16th. I will pick the winner out of a hat and they will be announced Sunday evening. Good luck! Feel free to tell your friends!

Here is another link to her website and blog.. go check it out.

Another First....

Well it finally happened! We got toilet papered the night of my birthday! It was the first time we have ever been TPed. I know I should be a little upset but I thought it was funny.. plus we don't have gigantic trees....yet!

I also have fond memories of toilet papering when I was in high school. Although I know there are a few of you out there that disagree with toilet papering (cough..Tasha!) In fact one time I was in the flower bed up by the house and didn't notice the HUGE window well next to the bush I was carefully wrapping with toilet paper. While I was stepping around the bush I stepped right into the window well and landed on my rear end.. boy that one left a mark! I was so nervous that someone heard me and I couldn't get out by myself (it was very deep). I had to whisper loudly to a friend who helped pull me out and we all took off. There was also another time we toilet papered my YW President's house (guess I had that one coming!) and they turned on their sprinklers to get us wet! Good times...

I thought the best time to hit a house was after midnight but these pranksters decided to hit us at 9pm! I thought I could hear some noises on our porch but Brad told me I was hearing things.. then finally I hear a pop and said ok.. I really think someone is outside. We went to the door and saw someone running away. We decided to try to catch them. Brad headed one way around the house and I went the other way. We could tell they were novices when we found them in our backyard instead of down the street on the other side of the fence. Here are some pics of the event. I should have taken a full picture of the whole front yard but didn't get that one. There was a "Happy Birthday" sign on the garage door and more balloons on the tree out front and lots more toilet paper.

Thanks Miller girls and Garett!

Happy Birthday

Ok.. so my mom has been talking for over a month about writing a "special" post for my birthday. Well.. she finally wrote it by late yesterday afternoon but with Young Women's last night I didn't have time to search for the pictures my mom wanted me to post along with this.

Anyway, My birthday is Sept 8th so I will back date to that day.. just play along ok? I didn't edit this in anyway so here we go...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANGELA!!!! Sorry it is a day late!!!

I wanted to write a birthday tribute to my wonderful, beautiful, talented daughter. Too many adjectives?? Oh well. Your dad and I couldn't be more proud of the wonderful young woman you have become.

September 8, 197_ was one of the best days of my life. We welcomed a beautiful blond haired (actually she was bald but hey I think we could see the blond coming in!), blue eyed, 8lb. 3oz., 21 inches long — bundle of pure joy. She was the happiest and most contented baby I have ever seen. She slept through the night from day one. I told her she definitely spoiled us and didn’t prepare us for sleepless nights her other siblings made up for.

Before Ang was born her dad was so sure it was a boy. (This was before ultra sounds) What is it with men that they think they have to produce a male child?? My nephew asked Ron what he would do if it was a girl and he jokingly said he would flush her down the toilet. When my nephew heard that we had a girl he told his mom he needed to get to the hospital fast to save Angela. Not to worry, her dad fell in love with her at first sight and said that little girls were made for dad’s to protect and that is what he has been doing her whole life.

Angela was impatient to grow up. She began crawling at 6 months, walking at 9 months and speaking sentences at 10 months. Maybe it was just being the first child but she seemed to learn very fast. Needless to say she was an adult by the time she was a year old. Oh, did I mention she was potty trained sometime around 10 months?? (Thanks to her Grandma Weeks who tended her!) Angela was a very active child. But she was easy to discipline and followed rules pretty good. With one exception, she loved wearing her father’s shoes. You know the ones with the high heels; it was the 70’s remember!! She would clomp around in them all day if she could get away with it; her dad was very fussy with his possessions. If you know anything about Ron he is very meticulous of his things. He really didn’t like Ang wearing his shoes but it was so darn cute it was hard to keep her from doing it. So I took a picture.

Ang grew up to be a tomboy. She was very good in all sports. In our Smithfield, Utah neighborhood all the children would get together to play baseball in the field next door. One day I answered a knock on the door and one of the boys was standing there. He looked up at me and said, “Angela’s a tomboy huh?? She just knocked the baseball clear over into the next field! Girls aren’t supposed to hit like that. My sister says Angela can because she is a tomboy, is that right?” So began her life’s goal to be good at any sport she tried out for. In high school she played Tennis Singles and took 2nd in region. She also played softball and soccer.

Ang (age 12), Travis (age 9), Jamie (age 2).. Lance's (age 7) head on the far left!

I was able to be her Young Women’s leader. It was so much fun going to young women’s with her and teaching her the gospel. Camp was a lot of fun. Even though Angela loved to tease and pull pranks she always knew her boundaries and when she needed to be respectful and listen. She was always willing to do whatever her leaders asked her to do. She was a great leader and example for the other girls. I can honestly say she never pushed the button of the leaders once except for one small time at stake camp in Memphis Tennessee. I think she was a Mia Maid. Her and a friend asked the leaders if they could go pull a few harmless tricks to the other campers. We told them nothing destructive, like pulling down the tents, etc. and that they had to be back to camp by 11:00 PM. Were we cool leaders or what??? So Ang and Jennifer went out and came back right on time. Since we didn’t hear any screaming or other leaders yelling we thought they had been good and never caused any problems until the next morning . . . .!! We went to flag ceremony and all around the pool fence, (yes Memphis girls camp ground had flushing toilets, showers and a swimming pool, they really knew how to camp!!) Anyway, hung to the fence were bra’s everywhere!!! They had even climbed up the flag pole and hung a few on the top!! As the flag was raise so were the eyes of the stake leaders and they wanted to know who had done this. Jennifer’s mom was one of the stake leaders, she and I just looked at each other but never said a word. (yes, we were chicken!!!) We looked at Ang and Jen, that’s all it took; they started to go and gather up all the bra’s and return them to the girls. Angela knew how to have fun. She was always looking for ways to include the younger girls and making sure that camp was fun and willing to participate in the planned activities. For the most part she would follow the rules, be supportive and helpful.

Girls' camp Jenny, Ang (age 14), Hiedi, Shelby and Maridyn. We had so much fun at camp!

Angela has excelled in work as well as sports. She is very competitive and doesn’t like to lose which has been good for her brothers because they have learned it ok of a girl beats them! It was really good for her brother Lance who is just as competitive as she is. Angela has been a great older sister to her 2 brothers and one sister. She is so willing to always help and give advice which can sometimes annoy her siblings and so they remind her that they already have a mother. But she is such a good example for them, they love and respect her and appreciate her wisdom and her willingness to help them anyway she can.

Angela thanks for being such a great daughter. We are so proud of you and appreciate all that you do for us!

We love you and hope you have a wonderful day!!

Love,

Mom and Dad

Now just to clarify the Girls' camp prank... Jennifer and I were just taking care of our own. My mom forgot that the previous day the YCL's had raided all the new 1st year's bags in our ward and hung their bras on the flag pole that morning. Sooo Jennifer and I did the only sensible thing....we sought REVENGE! Ok.. so not one of my proudest moments but still a great memory! I never liked to see my mom disappointed in me so that day when she gave me the "look", I quickly obeyed.

Thanks Mom and Dad for the great memories! I couldn't have asked for better parents, thanks for all you do! I love you!

Clumsy??

Well, last week was girl's camp in our ward. We had such a great time and I hope to blog about it later this week. All the girls got a long great and the leaders had a blast!

But first I want to tell you about my fun Monday! Ok.. not really fun, but eventful. I have mentioned before my need to be efficient and so as luck would have it - I was walking out of our house on Monday for work. I had a protein shake in one hand, my work bag over one shoulder, my lunch bag in my other hand, and another bag with some decor items I needed to return that day in the same hand as my lunch. Anyway, as I was trying to close the door behind me, because why make 2 trips when you can carry everything and try to close the door in one trip? I have completed this task several times before but Monday was different. I had a thought as I was stepping into the darkness that I should make 2 trips but I am stubborn and said to myself, self I can do this! Well, I couldn't -not this time.

So I proceeded out the door and ended up somehow turning the heal of my shoe and falling down our concrete stairs in the garage. Yes...protein shake ALL over the place, bags flying, oh and I forgot I was holding my iPOD which luckily survived the fall. You may think.. that sounds horrible, well I am ok but my ankle was not to happy! I was in a lot of pain and again am stubborn so I told Brad that I would just sit for a while and see how I felt, but after 20min and some ice I still couldn't put pressure on my foot. Brad talked me into visiting a doctor, (we have a foot Dr. in our ward) so he called the office and they got me in right away. After several x-rays and discussion with the good Dr. it was determined that I have a stress fracture on my ankle. (Picture below)
I have the pleasure of wearing a boot on my foot/leg for the next 4 weeks. I was supposed to travel to LA for business in a couple weeks but with not being able to walk very far the airport is the last place I want to be. I also have an activity with our youth involving water skiing and floating the Provo River in a couple weeks. Hopefully, I can at least float the river with a brace. Cross your fingers! I have been trying to see God's hand more in my life and I am struggling to see the blessing in this. Maybe it was the lesson to listen to the spirit when he says to make 2 trips or maybe there is a greater one. I will have to wait and see! Anyone have any thoughts?

I also found this quote today. "Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain!" It fit perfect in my week and I hope you all enjoy the new perspective!

Peanut Butter Brownie Trifle

I made this trifle a couple weeks ago for Sunday dessert and thought it looked so yummy it needed to be documented. We first tried this at a "TSAM" (Texas San Antonio Mission) Christmas party, my friend LeAnn had brought it for dessert and it was delicious! (see link from previous post on my TSAM friends http://angandbrad.blogspot.com/2008/02/girls-weekend.html).

I have had the recipe for 2 yrs now and decided it was finally time to make it myself. We invited some neighbors over and enjoyed sharing it with friends!

Here is the recipe. It turned out soooo YUMMY but it is really rich so next time I may not add the peanut butter to the whipping cream/pudding mixture to tone it down a bit. ENJOY!!

Peanut Butter Brownie Trifle

21 oz. pkg brownie mix
10 oz. bag of peanut butter chips
5 oz. pkg vanilla instant pudding mix
3 cups milk
1/2 c. peanut butter, creamy
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. whipping cream, whipped and divided
24 regular sized peanut butter cups, divided

Preparation:

Line a 13x9" pan with aluminum foil, extend foil by 2" over the side. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. Add peanut butter chips. Bake in foil lined pan for length of time required for package. Cool completely.

Lift foil out of pan - invert on cutting board. Remove foil. Cut into 3/4" pieces.

Coarsely chop 20 peanut butter cups; saving 4 for garnish.

Combine pudding mix and milk in large bowl. Beat at low speed for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add peanut butter and vanilla; beat until smooth. Gently fold in half of whipped cream.

Place half of brownies in bottom of trifle bowl; top with 1/2 chopped candy and half of pudding. Repeat layers. Top with remaining whipped cream, spooned or piped on. slice left over candy in four long pieces. Arrange them vertically on top of cream.

Hope you all have a fabulous day!!!

Laurels...

I have the greatest calling in the entire world! Granted it can be stressful at times but the rewards far outweigh the stress. We have 6 of the most darling girls in our class and the most incredible Laurel advisor. It really can't get any better than that. All of the YW in our ward are fabulous but this post is about the Laurels.

We have a very diverse group of girls, 4 of the 6 go to the same high school, 1 goes to another high school and 1 goes to Utah Valley University in Orem, UT taking college level classes.
Victoria is on the debate team, plays the violin and just started this year on the drums! Janneka takes college level classes, wants to be a doctor, takes piano and just started taking ballet this year and is now teaching a class of 3-5 yr old girls. Kinsey is our oldest and works at the Buckle in the mall, is excited to graduate this year and go to Utah Valley in the fall. Audrey plays the clarinet in the band at school, had a part in the Nutcracker as the Mouse Queen (first time doing ballet!) and also graduates this year. Suzy is on the swim team at school, loves to travel and is a friend to everyone. Kacey is Kinsey's younger sister and the youngest in the class. She is a cheerleader one minute, plays softball the next and loves being unique.

Yet even with all this diversity they get along! They don't always hang out - outside of class on Sunday or activities. But when they are together, they care about each other and want to see each other succeed! They are all very reliable in fact, they planned our most recent New Beginnings program and it was such a fabulous evening. We were all so impressed with the time and dedication they put into that night.

Victoria and Audrey wrote a poem about the YW for New Beginnings this year. The poem was to illustrate how each girl lives the doctrines and commandments on a daily basis. They did a great job so I thought I would share it....

Princesses~

In the XXXX ward,
In the North most Stake,
Lives 23 princess,
Of exceedingly great faith.

The Beehives came first
The Miamaids next
And finally the Laurels,
Who all love to text

There’s Princesses McKennly and Lizzy
The first to remember family prayer
They came into young women’s
Both with their own little flair

Following them are Princesses Ellie and Nicole
Who willingly attend family scripture study
These girls are simply amazing
And are both a good buddy

Princess Julie is kind
She includes everyone
Princess Rachel P does also
These girl’s hearts must weigh a ton

Princess McKenzie
Stands up for what she believes
She sets a great example
No wonder this girl achieves

Princesses Aimee and Krystlynn
Love Family Home Evening
Teaching lessons, sharing comments
They know what to believe in

Princess Janneka comes next
A strong testimony she bears
Wherever this girl goes
She always cares

Our own Princess Hillary
Loves to attend seminary
Spunky and Cute
This girl is extraordinary

Princess Mel is kind to everyone
A loving example of service
This girl gives time out of her schedule
And she never seems nervous

Princesses Melissa and Camilla
Make scripture study personal
What better way to prove
That these girls are both phenomenal

Then the loving Princess Emily
Who loves to serve and volunteer
Serving special needs with horses
This girl is always smiling with cheer

The little, adorable Princess Sam
So courageous and so honest
A swim suit was too small for her
So she wore something a bit more modest

McKinsey is the oldest Princess in our group
A teacher and a friend
A Sunday lesson that she gave
Gave new depth to “Footprints in the Sand”

Princess Rachel L
An example of obedience
With friends and family all around
She shows unlimited patience

Princess Suzy is next
She studies scriptures every day
A good example of leadership
On the gospel’s path she will stay

Princess Kacey follows after
A friend to all around
And much like her the Princess Heather
These girls wear a proud crown

There’s Princess Audrey Aka Audz
Who studies diligently
She loves to make people laugh
But still manages to do her biology

Lastly, Princess Victoria
Who recently received
An award so valuable and silvery
Her family is so relieved

In the XXXXX ward
In the North most stake
Lives 23 princesses
Of exceedingly great faith

They stick to their doctorial covenants
Each with their own special flair
Their parents love them just so much
And a love like that is rare.

Kacey - being Kacey!

Audrey - in the middle @ girls camp.

Below is a picture from an activity we had with a professional photographer (Adilfa- check out her website http://www.donpolo.com/ she was our photographer for our wedding) We were sad Audrey wasn't at this activity. (Kacey was not a laurel yet)

L-R top Kinsey, Me, Hilary L- R bottom Victoria, Janneka & Suzy

I feel lucky to serve such a wonderful group of girls and couldn't do it all without such a faithful, supportive advisor.. Thanks Hilary!

Tagged......

Ok. I've been tagged. I guess it was just a matter of time.

A: The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.
B: Each player answers the questions about themselves.
C: At the end of the post, the player then tags 3 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

10 years ago: I had returned home from my mission in San Antonio Texas 6 months prior, I was working at Advanta Financial, and had just moved into my first apartment with my mission companion Kimmy Sue! Good times...

5 things on my to-do list today: Pay bills, talk to accountant, talk to Hilary re: activity tomorrow, pick up package from DHL office, update my blog.

5 Snacks I enjoy: this changes all the time.. ummm ..Mauna Loa chocolate covered macadamia nuts (recent favorite Yum!), fruit, popcorn, cheese & triscuits, and yogurt covered pretzels.

What I would do if I were suddenly made a billionaire: Pay tithing of course, quit my job (yippee), give to charity, and travel the world.

5 places I have lived: Smithfield, UT (by Logan) - Germantown, TN (near Memphis) - Sandy, UT - San Antonio, TX - Lehi, UT.

5 jobs that I have had: bagger at a grocery store, travel agent, mortgage processor, loan officer, financial advisor.

5 Things people don't know about me: This is hard... I hate to clean bathrooms or mop floors, I built a church for the 7th day Adventists in Nicaragua, I took Latin in High School, I am very timid when making new friends, and I talk in my sleep (at least that's what I have been told! :) )

Ok I tag 1.Nikie 2. Linda 3. Julie ... sorry guys!

Anyone want to add a comment with one or more of your "TOP 5"?