Adam's 12th birthday!

I don't think it is even possible that you are already 12.  It seems like yesterday that you were running around the front yard with your Superman cape, socks for gloves and your shades on ready to save the world.

This year for your birthday you wanted a Nintendo 3DS with mario kart, a day of snowboarding with your dad, new church clothes with a pink and purple tie, and money.  You keep saying your saving up but what your saving up for keeps changing.... a new skateboard, no a new bike, an Ipod Touch, no a (fill in the blank)!  I think you got everything on your list.  What a fun birthday week!

And, on Sunday, you got the best gift of all.... the gift of the priesthood.  It was a special day to see you ordained to the office of the Deacon.  And then to watch you pass the sacrament... I was so proud of you!  I remember 12 years ago, on your blessing day, thinking how great it is that my son will someday hold the power of the priesthood.  I hope you realize what the blessing of the priesthood is.

Adam, you are such a cool kid!  I love that you still hug me and want me to tuck you in bed at night.  I especially love that you will still hug me in front of your friends.  We are so proud of you and love the young man you are becoming.  We love you so much!

Love, Mom and Dad

This Is Me - #2. Choices

The Challenge: What are some choices in your life that affected where you are now?

We are faced with so many choices every day.  What to eat, what to wear, where should we go, what should we do.  Not every choice we make is going to be life changing or make a huge difference in the grand scheme of things, but some are life altering, life changing, and crucial to our existence.  I have made millions of choices throughout my 33 years on this earth.  Some good, some bad, but all have made me who I am and where I am today.

I would say one of the biggest choices I made in my life was to marry my best friend, Aaron Marshall in the Salt Lake Temple.  I knew I wanted to marry him fairly early into our relationship and even though we had some ups and downs getting to that point I knew it was the right one.  I remember one time after we were engaged, we were having a "discussion" and I was about to hand him back the ring.  Suddenly, a thought came to my mind that that is what Satan would want to have happen.  Satan didn't want us to be married in the temple and to have an eternal family.  It was a strange sensation and after I shared that with Aaron, the feeling in the room changed and we were at peace with our decision.  I'm grateful for the promptings of the Holy Ghost!

The choice to have children was another big choice that has shaped my life to where I am now.  Having children is probably the biggest life changer I will ever experience.  I went from being a wife and money maker to a mother, chef, nurse, taxi driver, kisser of boo boos, cleaner, comforter, and "the best mom in the whole world".  To say that this choice has been easy would not be the truth.  There are many nights I have gone to sleep with huge amounts of guilt that I should have done things differently during the day.  Did I spend enough time with them?...  I shouldn't have yelled like that....  Do they know I love them?...  Am I teaching them the correct principles of the Gospel?....  Am I being the best mother I can be?...  Yet, even with all that guilt and wavering on my role of mother, when they come to me and wrap their arms around me and tell me "You are the best mom in the whole world", I know I must be doing something right.  I love my role of motherhood.  As challenging as it is at times and even when I feel so unappreciated, I wouldn't give it up for anything.

"There is no role in life more essential and more eternal than that of motherhood."

-Elder M. Russell Ballard

This is Me - #1. 10 Modern Conveniences

I have been reading about "This is Me" Challenge for a while now and have finally decided to dive in and take the challenge.  My first Challenge: 

If you were forced to go back in time to the olden days, but were allowed to take 10 modern conveniences with you, what would you take?

Wow!  I can only choose 10.  That is kind of a hard one.  There are so many conveniences that we are blessed to have these days.  I mean, even when I go camping, we bring along the "condo on wheels" that has everything: a shower, heater, bed, stove, microwave, fridge, and even a tv.  So, if I went back to the olden days and could only take 10 modern conveniences......  I think they would be:

1. My car
2. My computer (how could I survive without blogs, Pinterest or Facebook?)
3. Contact Lenses
4. My bed
5. Indoor plumbing
6. Target
7. Microwave
8. Refrigerator
9. Washer and Dryer
10. Dishwasher

There is also modern medicine, the telephone, electricity, a heated home, accessible clothing, "girl" products (if you know what I mean), fast food, Diet Coke, the list goes on and on.  Yet, with all the modern conveniences that we enjoy and have that is supposed to make our lives easier, why does it seem like there is never enough time in the day to get everything done.  I wonder if the people that lived in the "olden" times felt that same way.  Was it truly a more relaxed, peaceful time or did they feel some of the same pressures that we do today?