This too shall pass....

Ok. I give in. I am sufficiently humbled. Yesterday afternoon, as I was pulling into the driveway, I noticed that all of our crocus blooms were poking through the snow. They were so cute, that I had to go take some pictures of them to remind me that "this too, shall pass". I should be grateful for the snow, because this summer when I need water for my yard, for swimming, or for drinking, I will be happy about all of the snow we were given. I will try to see the beauty in the moment.


Seeing these little flowers not only surviving the snow, but thriving in it, makes me realize that even the littlest things can survive adversity. It brought to mind a scripture, so I thought I would post it:

D&C 58:3-4

3: Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation.

4: For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand.

These little flowers are always the first to bloom every year. They come up during the coldest of times, and suffer the remnants of winter. Yet, even then, they carry with them the hope of the future, and the promise that things will get better. I need to be better at hanging on through the difficult times, and believe that something better will come. The Lord has a plan for us all, keep growing!

Does this look like March to you?

Seriously. Does this look like spring to you? Here I am, taking pictures of every plant and blooming crocus in my yard, and it has the nerve to snow. I mean, REALLY! Doesn't the world know how tired I am of winter? I admit, I know it always snows in March, but I think I have had enough.


Our poor swing isn't going to get used for a few days, at least. I can't wait to swing during the summer with my cute little family. We like to sit and chat about all the pretty things we see, or sometimes read a Harry Potter book together. Guess those times are not happenin' for quite awhile, yet.

I love this picture for two reasons:

• Last night we went shoe shopping for Miriam. On our way out to the Durango, I had to take a picture of the snow. I just love big snowflakes, but not as much when I am ready for spring. I love that the post to the porch railing looks almost like a bright snowflake. I guess snow doesn't usually come in pyramid shapes.
• The best part of this is that Miriam is actually sitting in the Durango. You can't see her, she didn't bother to clear any of the windows, but you can see the telltale footprints on the driveway and running board, and there is just a bit less snow on the handle than the front door. It took me a minute when I downloaded this picture to my computer to remember why I took it. The footprints gave it away.

Almost every day, Miriam is reminding us that the spring equinox is on the 21st. That means that the days and nights are equal in length. To me, it means that I can buy "Twilight" on DVD. What would we do without 6th graders? Here's to hoping that spring comes quickly.

The simplicity of youth.

I wish I were as eloquent at 20 years old as Rachel Esplin. This video is of a panel on religion at Harvard, where she answered questions on what she believes. Oh, to have the knowledge, understanding, and an ability to express thoughts at that age.

I tried to post the video, but blogger does not want to embed it. You can find the video here.

All because two people fell in love.....

On March 2, 1990, an event happened and my world was forever changed. Doug and I were married. We had an eventful engagement, I actually called it off and gave my ring back. It only lasted a week, but it was the worst week ever. We actually owe a lot to our friends for stepping in and taking us to the same place for New Year's Eve while we were broken up. It was a terrible night, but made the rest of my life wonderful. Ok, maybe eventful is a better word. I AM married to Doug, after all. The two of us together can cause quite a bit of chaos. I think this picture says it all, don't you? Look out, world. Here we come!

We were married in the Jordan River Temple, and then had our reception in our single's ward church. We actually met just a few feet from where this picture was taken. In fact, I bet the photographer is standing in the exact spot, or within a foot or two. I must make apologies now to my bridesmaids. To Julie, Tara, and Shannon, thank you, and sorry about the dresses. You were good sports. Sam (our best man) actually had hair back then. Now he shaves his head. Doug will never come over to the dark side, Sam. Cookies aren't enough. Besides, James Bond always has hair. Always.

This is a picture that I grabbed off of facebook. It was posted, and I was stunned. I think it was Tammy that posted it. I don't have that many pictures of me wearing my 80's blue eyeshadow. What a loss. This was Christmas, about two and a half months before we were married. Sometimes I miss Doug's blonde hair. Being a hairstylist, you would think I would change it, but we are really over that. Time for both of us to be natural. In my case, maybe just for a few months more.

This picture was posted on my Mom's blog. It came from my sister's scrap book. I have the original somewhere, but it is still boxed up in the boxes in the basement. I don't think I am going to go through them just to find it. Could my bangs have been any bigger? If I were honest, the answer is yes. I am sure I could have worked that out. Doug is as cute as ever, but he looks WAYYYYY too young to be getting married. Would you believe that he is 23 in this picture? Almost 24. He looked about that young until he hit his mid 30's. He was always big with high school girls until then. Thank heaven we age. I was getting tired of fighting them off.

Darcy labeled us as "the always happy couple". I think we have been, and still are. Even after 19 years. Life always brings you challenges, but the important thing is to learn to laugh together, right?