Teaser.

Heaven knows I don't have time to post right now, but I just can't resist.

I've given myself a time limit.

Time is valuable around here this week, and I could really use a smallish nap to boot.

Here are just a few pictures from last weekend.

Who knows when I'll have time to adequately narrate all the amazing events we participated in, but a picture paints a thousand words, right?

On Friday Shilo went through the temple for the first time in preparation for her mission assignment, and just in time for Lexee's wedding. I hope to someday express the miracles surrounding this whole event, but let me just say for now (as I have briefly touched upon previously) that it was through an abundance of tender mercies.

 Love that girl and her sweet spirit. I'm also filled with gratitude to my amazing family who have so willingly dropped everything to attend last minute mission call openings and a couple temple endowment sessions from Provo to South Jordan to Bountiful. Love them!

The next day we were back at the Bountiful Temple for Lex and Jason.

It was a beautiful, beautiful sealing ceremony.

Then it was time for a few pictures. Bill and I broke down and purchased a new point-and-shoot, which was delivered to my parents' home the day before the wedding. Our trusty old camera has had something in the lens for a long time, and I didn't want it showing up in all our snapshots.

Here are a few of my quick favorites:

Of course I have many more photos and a lot more to say, but my time for today is gone, baby, gone.

I have much to do to gear up for the open house this weekend. I am so, so grateful for good friends who have offered to help (my neighbor Misty came over this morning and cleaned windows and helped me apply vinyl lettering to a mirror - so grateful for her help!!).

I'm hoping Lex and Jason are having a great time on their honeymoon... their lives are crazy busy once they get back.

Prayers, happy thoughts, and good vibes are always appreciated!

The Call.

I really don't have time to catch up on this poor neglected blog, but I HAD to quickly post the resolution to the stress and anxiousness of the past few weeks of waiting... patiently waiting... for Shilo's mission call to arrive.

As aforementioned, it did not arrive while I was in town.

Instead, it came on Monday.

Perhaps the busy-ness of General Conference slowed the process down a day or two.

I was working when Shi's text came in, then quickly texted family members in between appointments to inform them of the plans for opening the letter.

Monday night (what a most excellent FHE)

8pm

Heritage Bldg 29

After some jockeying with our computers here at home

(our Mac has been out of it since the update a few months ago)

we were finally able to gather via video chat with 

Lex and Jason in ID

Britt, Austin and Scarlett in Eagle Mountain (Britt was sick, sick sick)

Mom, Dad and Mar in CO

Both sets of grandparents, along with Taylor and Lynnea, and many other family and friends gathered to hear the call in person. I am so grateful for the amazing support of my beloved family!

For your viewing enjoyment:

This was the perfect call for her.

I honestly cannot begin to express my happiness and joy and gratitude to God for the many, many blessings our family has experienced the past few weeks. Things haven't been smooth and easy, and I pray every day for the physical strength and endurance to gracefully get through the next couple of weeks, but my-oh-my, I can only praise and give thanks to my Heavenly Father for his tender mercies and miraculous blessings. I see them!

Shilo was able to meet with her Bishop and Stake President today.

These are amazing and compassionate men who have willingly and kindly helped us move the call process along at lightening speed. I can't imagine how busy they must be.

Due to the generosity of their time, Shilo will be able to go through the temple Friday morning, and will be able to attend Lexee and Jason's wedding on Saturday.

If everything else goes a bit awry (I'm mentally gearing up for any last-minute wedding-detail issues), at least we had this. I am so, so grateful.

Better run... I still have a million things to do before we head out on Thursday.

Happy days ahead!

Patience: A Virtue.

I just wanted to post a quick pick-me-up for Lolo, whose mission call did NOT arrive in the time-frame desired.

"Patience is the capacity to endure delay, trouble, opposition, or suffering without becoming angry, frustrated, or anxious. It is the ability to do God's will and accept His timing. When you are patient, you hold up under pressure and are able to face adversity calmly and hopefully. Patience is related to hope and faith -- you must wait for the Lord's promised blessings to be fulfilled. " (Preach My Gospel, p. 120)

"What does it mean to wait upon the Lord? In the scriptures, the word wait means to hope, to anticipate, and to trust. To hope and trust in the Lord requires faith, patience, humility, meekness, long-suffering, keeping the commandments, and enduring to the end." 

(Elder Robert D. Hales, Oct. 2011)

Chin up, beautiful girl! Good things come to those who wait. There are so many things to celebrate this weekend: General Conference, Easter, seeing yo momma, your sister's upcoming nuptials, and a pending call to serve. Life is sweet!

XOXOXO 

I'm Alive.

I haven't posted for a while because I've been living the good life in Utah for the past 2 weeks. In a couple days I'll be headed back to the good life in Colorado, only to make the journey BACK to Utah 4 days later. Oh yes, life is so, so busy, but oh so good!

My fingers are crossed that tomorrow Shilo will receive her mission call.  One week from Saturday, Lex will get married. Things are changing and the good life just keeps getting better. It can be so exhausting, but so worth it!

Here are a couple of pictures from the past two days with a few of my favorite gals... I'm posting from my phone app, so it will be a big surprise how it turns out on the blog :-)

Happy, happy times!

Two Dozen.

Happy Birthday, Little Mama!

In honor of this special day, I thought it would be fun to do some side-by-sides.

 Baby carriers circa 1991 v 2014

Eyewear circa 1991 v 2014 

Mamas lovin' their baby girls... 

I'm so proud of the wonderful woman you've become.

I hope this is a wonderful year!

My birthday advice for you:

(source)

Love you, baby!

Resistance Is Futile.

I couldn't resist a shout out to my main man on this special occasion of our 27th Anniversary.

And I can't resist sharing one of our my favorite stories from very early on in our journey of marital bliss.

Bill had kindly shared the journals-from-his-youth with me, and let me tell you, he was a record-keeper in his teen years (great for a good belly laugh every now and then). In one of his entries he detailed how he had memorized the words to Lionel Richie's song Hello for his high school heart-throb, hoping to sing it to her in a tender, romantic moment (which, so unfortunately, never happened). 

I've teased him for the past 27 years that I'm waiting to hear it. 

And I've been waiting for a long, long time.

And since I've been encompassed about in wedding invites and wedding day details lately, I couldn't resist posting {for memory's sake} our beautiful wedding invitation.

Note the perfect big hair (on both of us), the detailed "torn" edge, and the gold trim.

(Gold is coming back, you know. Lex's wedding will have a lot o' gold accents. So on trend. I'm STILL waiting for those 80's bangs to make their way back around.)

May I add What were we thinking? to that 8am temple time?

Thankfully Lex has selected a more reasonable hour to seal the deal.

The morning of March 12, 1988, we were up bright and early.

I did my own make-up, hair, and nails, and felt happy of myself (can't resist that phrase) that it was a great hair day. I donned my snappy green suit, and Bill arrived in his skinny red tie. We may have looked a tad Christmas-y as we popped a stick of gum in our mouths, climbed into Bill's sporty red Ford Tempo, and sped away to the temple. 

Note to Lex and all future brides: skip the gum.

As depicted in our shoulder-propped camcorder-recorded VHS video so kindly produced by my BIL Stan, a nervous anxious excited bride-to-be may possibly look very much like a cud-chewing cow as she chomps away on that little stick of gum walking into the temple. Thankfully I tossed it before the ceremony.

There is absolutely no resisting the mention of the white tuxedo.

 Just in case you were wondering who the groom was that day...

I've had enough fun.

I feel privileged, blessed, and honored, Bill, to have you as my eternal companion.

You are the best.

(Bill's attempt at reenacting Mauri's pose in her amazing self-portrait.)

I love your irresistible wit, eyes (so alluring), easy smile, compassion, kindness, and diligence.

I think I'll memorize this thought to recite to you, my beloved, in a tender, romantic moment:

(source)

Or I could sing Hello to you. You choose.

Happy Anniversary!

Earnest Endeavor.

The other super exciting news around here is that this girl

is going to serve a mission 

for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!

She has put so, so much time into the weighty decisions of life over the past few months. She has read and re-read her Patriarchal Blessing. She has earnestly sought answers through prayer. She thought she had it figured out (she had applied to the Aveda Beauty School in Provo), but recently received a clear answer to serve a mission.

I'm excited because she's so darn excited.

We are trying to fast-track the application process because she would like to get her call before the semester is over, and we'd like her to get it in time to go through the temple before Lex's BIG day. 

A mom can dream, can't she?

Cheyenne has decided to serve a mission, too!

You know these girls are going to give 'em Heaven.

They will both be phenomenal missionaries... they have had years of practice!

Love you guys!