Freckles

When Life Is Hard

President Hinckley has always said what I needed to hear. I really miss him!

 “It isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don't worry. I say that to myself every morning. It all works out in the end. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. He will not forsake us. If we will put our trust in Him, if we will pray to Him, if we will live worthy of His blessings, He will hear our prayers.” ― Gordon B. Hinckley

Me & the Kids

I just really think my kids are darling!

Missing my sweet sister today. I love this picture of her at the beach in California. A friend sent the poem to me shortly after Erin died and it has always brought me comfort.

Gone From My Sight  by Henry Van Dyke

 I am standing upon the seashore. A ship, at my side, spreads her white sails to the moving breeze and starts for the blue ocean.
She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until, at length, she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other. Then, someone at my side says, "There, she is gone" Gone where? Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast, hull and spar as she was when she left my side. And, she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port. Her diminished size is in me -- not in her. And, just at the moment when someone says, "There, she is gone," there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout, "Here she comes!" And that is dying...

Which Color Do You Like?

I would love to re-do the front door of our new house.  It is currently green and Neal likes it, but it's not my favorite. I have no idea what color would look nice, and what would actually match the rest of the house. I'd love to hear your thoughts...let me know which color you like best, or better yet if you have any other suggestions!

Adjusting

We did it! We closed, packed and moved. It has all happened so fast I feel like it isn't real yet. We have been in our new house for a week now and it is still a mess. I keep looking around and wondering how in the world we got here! It is a funny experience because I know we are supposed to be here, but that doesn't mean I really want to be here. But I don't want to be at our other place either. I hate being in between...I hate adjusting, even though I know it is good for me.

The kids seem to be doing well and love our new house. Our backyard is currently open (I can't wait to build a fence!) and they have made many new friends. It has been fun to see Joseph out playing basketball everyday and running around like crazy. I am so grateful for the blessing this new house will bring to my children. They finally have the freedom to run, play and explore without their old mom following them around worrying all the time.

We met the Bishop's wife a few nights ago and she acquainted us with a few people in our neighborhood. She told us she is so glad we are here because their Ward had been praying for a new strong family to come. I know we are here for a reason and I know it will take time, but we will adjust!

We Bought A House!

 

Here's a good exterior shot. From this angle it looks like the garage is detached, but it isn't.

Some vital statistics: Four bedroom, 2 1/2 bath, 2350 sq. ft., 1/4 acre plot, built in 1999. It doesn't have a basement, but it does have a four-foot high crawl space as big as the house above it.

We don't have many good shots of the yard, but here's a shot of the side yard. We love gardening, and this home features four raised, irrigated garden beds. The yard also features a wooden playset, a trampoline pit, and an adjustable basketball standard in the driveway--complete with breakaway rim and glass backboard.

The entrance and staircase are definitely two of our favorite features. To the right is a small living room and to the left is a den.

The living room.

The kitchen. It's kind of small but there's lots of cabinet space, and please note the COMPLETE lack of fluorescent lighting. Also, the owner is leaving their fridge for us. Woot!

The dining area. It's kinda small, but we like the bay window.

The family room, right next to the kitchen and dining area. The picture doesn't show it too well, but it's pretty big. Our favorite feature in this room, however, is the surround sound setup. Aw yeyah.

The master bedroom. Gotta love the lofted ceilings.

The master bathroom. We dig the two sinks, but we prefer for the loo to be in a water closet. Oh well. There's a huge walk-in closet adjoining the bathroom.

This would obviously be Olivia's room, and we're obviously going to repaint :).

Another bedroom.

We absolutely love this upstairs loft/bedroom above the garage. We're especially fond of the wooden shelving. The whole house features custom shelving in each closet.

Another shot of the loft. We dig the little closets. The drum set, unfortunately, is not included :).

I can't believe this is actually happening, but after looking for a new home since December, we found one that we absolutely adore! We signed our lives away on Friday, are pending approval on our loan (which was guaranteed to be approved) and move in at the end of March. Surprisingly, our new house is in Provo. We had been looking in Lehi more than anywhere else, but I just kept having a strong impression that we needed to stay close. Like close to where we are now. As much as I wanted to stay in Orem, Neal and I feel so good about this location. Although it will be hard to leave our current incredibly convenient home, Ward and friends, I feel so happy about this new adventure in our lives. And we will still only be 7.5 miles from Super Target.....

I feel so truly blessed. I feel that the Lord knew what we needed, when we needed it. I need to remember to always trust in the Lord's timing, and when I do, good things always happen!