Abridge To Brooklyn

Bad Picture Painters
It was Spring of 2002.  I  sat as a missionary in a Nova Scotia Sunday School class.
Brother Murphy was teaching.  He was typically on task.  This Sunday seemed to surprisingly spring out of control.  The question he asked, I’m sure was simple.  Something like, “How can we get through the trials we face [...]

Life started to go blurry for me about 8 years ago. The pristine colors and detail that the world held before started to fade… so gradually that I hardly even noticed what was missing in my life anymore. I learned to adapt. To adjust. To live with less. To be satisfied with mediocrity.
I had long [...]

I’ve recently enjoyed a new blog dedicated to happiness.  It’s jogged many thoughts about my own life and perspective.
I like to think that I’m a naturally happy person.  Hopeful and optimistic.  One who chooses to look at the world with the glass half full instead of empty.  Although I have plenty of hard days like [...]

The grass is always greener… on the other side of the fence.
I learned that lesson well in third grade.  Mom and Dad brought home every 9 year olds dream… a pony.  Yes.  We had our very own pony!  I was thrilled, excited, and already imagining the adventures we would have.  That dream lasted for about [...]

One of the interesting things about getting married, is the joy in discovering differences;) It sure makes for some surprises, and shakes things up a bit! Sure is good we came from too different families to provide a bit of excitement to daily routine things! Ben and I never fight.  And we rarely disagree.  But [...]

We had a milestone event occur

We purchased our very first HOME!!!!! YEAH!

Slightly Excited

Built in 1914!  And beautifully restored to its historic elegance and beauty by none other than my visionary Father and Brother!

Complete with my favorite color in the world–GREEN–door and shutters
oh yeah….
and my other favorite feature?
The master bath [...]

After the expected “Hello!  How are you?!” greetings, I routinely ask my piano students the same question every lesson:
“Anything exciting happen in your life this week?”
It’s not that the question is routine for me.  I do ask it with sincerity each time, and occasionally am granted with excited news or events, and ever so often [...]

December 30, 2008
Four months have passed with one car in the garage and the other outside. Our washer and dryer that we are storing have been boldly blocking the way for two cars to fit nicely side by side. Four months have passed with nearly every FHE activity goal to “do the garage”–meaning, “make room [...]

“I have confidence in sunshine
I have confidence in rain
I have confidence that spring will come again
Besides which you see I have confidence in me”
-Sung by Maria in The Sound of Music
How does one gain confidence in themselves? The very confidence which Maria sings about that will allow her to face an [...]

I’d passed it a million times before.  That shiny cylindar Emergency Phone booth on USU campus.  It always intrigued me that it only had one button.  One large pushable button that apparently would save the day in any kind of emergency.  I suppose one couldn’t be bothered typing in a number during an emergency.  Even [...]