Why I am way behind at work...

So I worked a grand total of 7 hours last week. That's good in one sense because I got a break, but in another, its not so good because now I am way behind. And I don't like being behind. Yesterday I at least sat down and made a list of all the things I needed to do and updated all my tracking sheets at work and then I felt MUCH BETTER. Did I actually accomplish any of the work? No. But at least I have an accurate list of what needs to be done. Yes, I am weird like that.

Don't worry, I am actually being really productive right now too. I am listening to a mandatory training online (8 hours worth, yikes) while blogging and doing other things. Multi-tasking. Yes, please.

Anyway, this last week has been really crazy, but fun. My sister was here from Wednesday through Monday. We had a good time with her and Sadie. Chris's sisters Stephanie, Becky, and Cheilah also came on Wednesday and Thursday nights to stay with us as well. The five of us went to Women's Conference on Thursday and Friday at BYU. Devin got to babysit the girls. It was so amazing and so good to have a break and be spiritually fed. I enjoy these ladies so much; we had a wonderful time. I love that they include me despite me not even being related to them! So nice!


It rained on Friday and Steph and Becky used these homemade umbrellas (aka bags) on the long trek from the car to the Marriott Center. They were quite upset when they found out that I have umbrellas at home and that I also have a parking permit that would have allowed us to park a lot closer. Apparently I didn't see the need to think about either of these things. :)

Here we are at the Marriott Center. The speakers included all of the Relief Society General Presidency, the General YW and Primary Presidencies, and Elder and Sister Oaks at the closing sessions. Of course there are tons of sessions in between that you can choose from. We did well picking on Thursday, especially. There were some amazing classes.
Chris's cousins met up with us on the second day. I don't know them as well, but it was still fun to have everyone there.

Saturday we had a big party for my Uncle Lynn's birthday. Of all the places you can possibly eat in Provo/Orem, he chose Golden Corral. I guess he really is getting old! A bunch of family members came and a lot even came from Idaho. Let me just say that there is never a dull moment when Lynn is around.

Grandma decided to celebrate everyone's birthday who was born in May and that includes Hailie and Che'Lyn as well. So each of them got a little cupcake to blow out that Grandma so thoughtfully took from the dessert bar.
Speaking of Lynn, he has been helping us remodel our kitchen. He is a genius when it comes to building anything and everything. He builds sets for a living so it is perfectly handy having him around. We finally installed our new kitchen cabinets that have been sitting in his shop for 6 months. I am sure he is happy to have them gone! Now, we are working on the countertops, installing a new sink, installing a new dishwasher, and the finish work. It will be quite nice when done, or at least a huge improvement from what it was before! I will post before and after pictures when it is all said and done.

What this means though is that we have not had access to our kitchen for a week now. WAHOO! No stove, no kitchen sink. We have been eating everything from the microwave, crockpot, blender, and rice cooker. We have been eating only on paper products, except for major things, like the crock pot, and then those have to be washed in the bathroom. So fun! So while we have had all this company here, we have been improvising. It's kind of fun.

After all the birthday fun at the GC, the family all came over to see the progress in the kitchen and ended up staying for a few hours chatting. It was quite funny to see how many people we shoved into our little house. What can we say? Maybe someday we will have a large house where everyone can have their own seat!



Now, onto catching up on my loads of work. Wish me luck!

18 months

Is she 18 months already? Why, yes she is! Sunday we even took her to nursery for the first time (2 days early, but no one is counting, right?) She barely glanced back before marching on in. Devin went to check on her after Sunday School and he said that she was happily playing with some plastic eggs and ham (should it surprise us that she was playing with food? No, probably not...) I really, really like this age minus the fits. It is so fun to watch her learn about the world around her and to pick up on new things all the time. Here are some things about our Hals:

- She really, really likes food. My sister was here for the last little while and I was surprised at how much more Hallie eats than Sadie. Perhaps I should be worried?

-Her favorite foods are cheese, ice cream, mac-n-cheese, and bananas. Still working on getting her to eat more vegetables. She still doesn't like potatoes. Almost anything else she will eat.

-If she is in a mood where she doesn't want to eat what I have cooked, she just won't. Even if she hasn't tried it. Frustrating! She will drop it off the edge of her high chair one chunk at a time. So defiant.

-She really loves water, despite this picture showing otherwise! She has some great crusty faces, as you can tell. We went swimming while Jennifer was here and she had a hay day. She likes to think she doesn't need my help in the pool, but uh, according to me, she still does! -

-A few of her favorite things: balls, babies, stuffed animals, coloring, drawing, brushing her teeth, dancing, leading music, riding her giraffe bike my mom got her for Christmas, writing on the sidewalks with chalk, playing with the neighbor girls, eating, her blankie, her teddy bears, singing songs, reading books, doing puzzles. Okay she likes a lot of stuff.

-She still likes to walk around and pretend to talk on the cell phone. She has taken to pretending to text too. Uh oh. She also likes to read herself books. I will often find her downstairs just sitting at her shelf of books reading to herself.

-She is sure a cheeser. She LOVES to be the center of attention. She craves attention like no child I have ever seen before. Seriously. It is ridiculous. She knows how to put on a show.

-My favorite thing to have her do is JUMP. She crouches down really low, bends her knees, springs as hard as she can, and doesn't make it off the floor. It's hilarious. Is this considered torturing your kid?

-She is really good at following commands now. I can tell her to take out her diaper and she will. I can tell her to turn on the radio and she will. I will tell her to pick a book and she will. It's lovely.

-She can sing "Old MacDonald" and "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes." Though she prefers the latter since Kylee was here and got her started on that. The video below is of her singing Old MacDonald. Since she doesn't know all the words in between, she just kind of makes them up. She does that when she talks too... she will carry on a long old conversation without even using any words.

-She continues to get into everything that she should not, such as the laptop, cell phones, food, etc. At least she likes to listen to Elder Holland when she gets to the laptop, right?

-She knows a lot of words and will repeat almost anything we tell her to. The mystery is that she will still not say milk or water, instead she says num num for milk and nummy for water. Weird. Some of the words she says a lot are mom, dad, shoe, cheese, please, kitty, teddy, duck, dog, woof woof, up, book, ball, i love you, hallie, baby, sadie, cookie, blankie, nose, no, eye, head, teeth, hi, yeah, uh-oh, nana, oooooh, stinky, poo, and still ewie.

-She is really into nodding her head and shaking her head. She gets really pronounced with the head nods. For example, Jennifer was asking her if she was going to be the ring leader between her and Sadie. She nodded her head up and down really slowly with her eyes wide indicating "you better believe it!" Devin and I will ask her if she loves mom and if she loves dad. Most of the time mom either gets a slight nod or a shake no. Dad pretty much always gets a huge nod. Still playing favorites, it's true. Oh well!

-She is generally a very happy girl and makes life super exciting! We sure love her. What was life like before we had her crazy little spirit? I have no idea...but it must have been boring.

We love our Hallie girl!

National Infertility Awareness Week

Last week was National Infertlity Awareness Week. I know I am a little bit behind, but here is my small effort to raise awareness about infertility. This is something I care a lot about because I know a lot of people who struggle with this. I personally think everyone can be a little bit more sensitive when it comes to others and their ability to bear children. The fact of the matter is, we just don't know what their circumstances are, so asking questions like "when are you going to have a baby?" can be very painful for people who want more than anything in the world to have a child. Did you know? •Number of women ages 15-44 with impaired fecundity (impaired ability to have children): 7.3 million (11.8%) •Number of married women ages 15-44 that are infertile (unable to get pregnant for at least 12 consecutive months): 2.1 million (7.4%) •Number of women ages 15-44 who have ever used infertility services: 7.3 million (From the United States CDC) Myth: Infertility is a women's problem. Fact: This is untrue. It surprises most people to learn that infertility is a female problem in 35% of the cases, a male problem in 35% of the cases, a combined problem of the couple in 20% of cases, and unexplained in 10% of cases. It is essential that both the man and the woman be evaluated during an infertility work-up. Myth: It's all in your head! Why don't you relax or take a vacation. Then you'll get pregnant! Fact: Infertility is a disease or condition of the reproductive system. While relaxing may help you with your overall quality of life, the stress and deep emotions you feel are the result of infertility, not the cause of it. Improved medical techniques have made it easier to diagnose infertility problems. Myth: If you adopt a baby you'll get pregnant! Fact: This is one of the most painful myths for couples to hear. First it suggests that adoption is only a means to an end, not an happy and successful end in itself. Second, it is simply not true. Studies reveal that the rate for achieving pregnancy after adopting is the same as for those who do not adopt. Myth: Perhaps this is God's way of telling you that you two aren't meant to be parents! Fact: It is particularly difficult to hear this when you are struggling with infertility. You know what loving parents you would be, and it is painful to have to explain to others that you have a medical problem Myth: Infertility is nature's way of controlling population. Fact: Zero population growth is a goal pursued in a time of world overpopulation, but it still allows for couples to replace themselves with two children. Individuals or couples can certainly elect the option to be childfree or to raise a single child. Infertility, for those who desire children, denies them the opportunity to choose. (Myths and Facts from Resolve, The National Infertility Association, website http://www.resolve.org/) Below is also one of the most touching videos I have seen about infertility. Enjoy!

We Have Survived Three Years!

What are the odds?

Well, probably pretty good, because we are so happy! Survived probably isn't even the best word, more like we have loved the last three years together.

I may be a little fatter, Devin may be a little skinnier. I have graduated college and gotten a "real" job (that pays as much as Devin's non-"real" job.) We have moved three times. We have gotten a new car, a new house, oh and a new kid (who is not so new anymore! Hello 18 months next week!). We have what seems like less and less time together between both of us working, Devin going to school, and Devin starting an internship. BUT...we are happy to be together still and love each other more than we did that lovely day three years ago when we tied the knot.

We are content just being with one another, watching a movie and enjoying our favorite treat- popcorn and a smoothie.

We are not afraid to look our worst in front of each other, which for me entails a greasy hairdo, pajama pants, and a way-too-big t-shirt. (poor husband of mine!)

We are not afraid to tell one another when the other smells funny.

We pick up the pieces where the other leaves off. I start the dishes, he finished them. He baths Hallie, I dress her. I start the laundry, he folds it. He mows the front yard, I mow the back. On and on and on. We are a team.

We can still claim that we have never had a fight (I attribute that to Devin completely because he is such a peacemaker. Sometimes I want a good fight out of him and he just won't. Sigh...)


We have our best conversations at night when Devin is dead tired after a long day of school and working (he usually works a 4-midnight shift or 5-1). Despite his wanting nothing more than to sleep, he is willing to stay up to listen to me ramble on about my day.

Now that is love.

Here's to 57634 more years (plus eternity) together! I LOVE YOU DEV!

1 year

In loving memory! "Chris York 1978-2009" It's hard to believe it has been a year since Chris left us. We miss him and love him and know that he is helping us from the other side in all that we do! Chris was such an amazing person and example, he gives us all a reason to work harder to live the kind of life that he did. Watching this video brought back so many memories for me. I cried a little, I laughed a little, but mostly I said a little prayer of gratitude that we have the Gospel in our lives and that we understand that death is not the end. Knowing that Jennifer, Chris, and Sadie will be together again gives us a reason to smile and keep moving forward in life. We love you Chris and miss you deeply!!! (The video was made by my cousin Che'Lyn for his funeral. Didn't she do a wonderful job? I don't know why the music overlaps sometimes during it, you will have to ignore that.)

Gardening

We have been very busy preparing and planting our garden around here. Let me just say...I am no expert on gardening. In fact, the only experience I have with gardening involves being ordered out to weed the garden for Family Home Evening growing up. I don't even remember planting it or harvesting the vegetables.
Luckily, I have a Devin. Devin is a master at all things garden and all things lawn. He knows what he is doing from years of experience. I am learning.

We have massive amounts of garden space in our backyard, so we took full advantage of it. We planted tons of different vegetables and some strawberries. Oh, and see that tree with the white blossoms? A cherry tree! YUM!!!!

I am excited for the garden to give me something to do this summer. I have decided I need to be outside as often as possible. My next plan is to get a bike and a bike trailer so that Hallie and I can ride around town. Fun, eh?

Anyway, I am pretty sure that our garden will be looking like this in no time:

Ha HA...I wish. I will let you know how it goes though!

(sorry for quite possibly the most boring blog post ever. I just had to share cause it has taken a lot of our time and I am excited for the possibilities of eating nothing but green peppers and tomatoes for dinner! Just kidding, I am sure Devin will not love that....)

Odd

Here are some of the items that were searched that led people to my blog, according to the ever trusty Google Analytics:

1) "I am wearing overalls" 2010 (Glad that I am in fact, NOT wearing overalls in 2010. Heaven forbid. Sorry if you are wearing overalls)
2) paige + devin+ gunn + perry
3) gangs (What the what? When have I ever mentioned gangs? Keep in mind this keyword has driven more than one person to my blog. Yikes!)
4) I love primary
5) peed pants (Again. Though I may have peed my pants sometime in my lifetime, I have surely never mentioned it here, right?)
6) plethora of pics7) strobelite or constant (what does this even mean? Help me out here...)
8) young pretty and pink daddy's dream

How's that for a little entertainment? It is always interesting to see what searches are leading people to my blog. There is the ever popular searching my first and last name. That I can understand. But these other weird things? At least they made me laugh.

(P.S. For those that read my adoption blog, I just posted a "deep thoughts by kim" post there. I had to balance out all the seriousness over there with this silliness. I guess I just can't have one without the other!)

No Fun

Here is a rundown of the last few days in our household:

12 temperature readings
10 higher than 100 degree readings
8 higher than 103 readings
8 doses of Tylenol
4 doses of Motrin
6 frantic phone calls
2 loooooong nights
2 lukewarm baths
1 child who refuses to sleep in her bed
0 naps (for mom, dad, or Hallie)
0 meals eaten (On Hallie's part-except if you count the two bites of cereal for breakfast, one piece of cheese for lunch, etc. You know this is not normal!)
6 more frantic phone calls
847 hours of crying/screaming (okay not that many but it seemed like it)
1 trip to the doctor
1 pee test
1 loooong wait (1 1/2 hours) for the child to produce the needed product (pee)
1 pair of wet pants after said product missed the mark
1 husband laughing hysterically because the pants weren't his
1 diagnosis (UTI)
2 parents relieved to have antibiotics in their hands

...well you get the point. Hallie has been sick. I fear she has my bad genes that are prone to UTI's. No good. I realize that we have been very blessed as she has rarely gotten sick throughout her life. This was crazy because she is so out of her element. I am not complaining because I know so many people have children who are terminally ill or who wish to have children period.

I am simply saying that there is nothing harder than watching your child not feel well and not knowing what you can do to help. Sunday night when she first starting feeling sick, she was so clingy and wanted to be rocked and held all the time. This is so weird for Hallie. I couldn't keep myself from crying because I wanted so badly to take her pain away.

I totally admit that amidst the crying and refusing to eat and being up all night, the thought crossed my mind a few times "I didn't sign up for this!" And then I would have to remind myself, "Yes, you did." I can't expect being a parent to be easy all the time. I can't expect life to go my way every time. I know this is so small scale, but it made me think a little bit about how grateful I am for what I have. I think I will be just that much more aware of the good days and enjoy her for the happiness and laughter that she brings into my life.

You gotta admit, she is pretty funny. Oh and cute. See below.

She's rockin' the roll-o-way glasses courtesy of the dear eye doctor after he so rudely dilated our eyeballs (not Hallie's, just mine and Dev's)

Classic hair-do. She still insists upon this one quite frequently.

Hallie in her Easter dress this past Sunday. She sure looked pretty, but this was the beginning of her yuckiness, therefore, no smile.

Here's to wishing that this too passes quickly!

Love This

Camille showed me this video a while ago and I just love it! If you haven't watched it, you need to. It makes me just feel like there is hope and happiness out there in the world, even if what we hear is mostly devestation. I have watched it at least once a day since she gave me the link. It is simple but inspiring!

Enjoy.

(P.S. Please don't be offended by the title of the movie. It is worth the watch regardless of what it is called)

Mullets

I think mullets are just funny. How can you not laugh at pictures like these?

Lately, Hallie's hair has also taken on a real mullet-like quality. I think it is a combination of the fact that her hair just isn't growing on the sides, the long chunk in the back, and the top that often looks crazy because she won't keep it done. I think she currently has the perfect hair to be an 80's rocker. I bet she can be highly successful singing her versions of "Old McDonald" and "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" !
Regardless, you gotta admit that that is darn near the cutest mullet you have ever seen. Pretty sure it is for me!

Top 10

We had an exciting weekend around here. I have no pictures (until I steal them from others) because I was lazy, but here are the top 10 exciting things that happened around here:

10) We learned a new game. Card Monopoly (is that even what it is called?) and Devin and I won the first two games in a row. We played while Che' and Landon, Carlie, and Mike and Lara were here yesterday for our very own Fam Easter Celebration. So there Idaho Family. Later, Mike and Lara (my brother and his girlfriend) played Devin and I in spades. They were ahead by like 200 the entire game but we came back to beat them. We are so awesome.

9) We dyed eggs with Camille, Kylee, and baby Jayda on Friday. My eggs were highly professional. Camille's were highly HIGHLY professional. She is a perfectionist. Hallie had fun by throwing eggs in dye when I wasn't looking. Good times had by all.

8) Devin and I went to the eye doctor on Friday for the first time in two years. Too bad I didn't check earlier to find out that our insurance covers it 100%. Darn it. The best part? We got our eyes dilated and got to wear these awesome roll-out sunglasses for hours. I had to go into work for a short meeting right after and the first person I saw said, "Whoa! Your eyes are really brown today!" Also, my boss has serious eye issues so the two of us together were a bad combination. Running into things, groping our way around... you get the picture.

7) Hallie got to go swimming on Saturday with Grandma Lisa at the hotel pool. Let's not mention the part where she ran off the edge of the pool into Grandma's supposedly waiting arms and instead fell to the bottom of the pool. Yes, my heart stopped for a second. She came up laughing though, so it was fine. Note to self: Do not let Hallie near any water unless she is wearing a life jacket, arm floaties, and a tube.

6) Easter dinner was fantastic. Che' and Landon brought homemade lasagna which was delightful. Added to that meal the Easter candy, brownies, ice cream, and popcorn later and we sure had a good eating day. Onto the diet today.

5) Home videos. Hours of entertainment I tell you. My mom's constant wearing of this hideous red bathrobe, my sister and I with our combed out perms, our homemade clothes, the numerous plays that we put on....etc. etc. etc. Quality.

4) Saturday night, after the pool incident, Hallie and I went to dinner with my mom and then to the mall to exchange some shorts I had gotten for Devin for Easter. I thought they looked good at the store. Turns out, they were actually man capris (you have to remember that Devin is really tall so they kind of looked like they would be shorts for him. Not quite). Yikes. Devin wasn't having any of that. So our second shopping trip was much more successful because my mom was able to chase Hallie around the racks of clothes while I picked out what I needed instead of having to grab at whatever looks decent but actually turns out to be a huge fashion faux pas for poor Devin.

3) Camille and I made sugar cookies. Instead of baking them, we accidentally broiled them. We didn't figure it out until the last batch. Whoops! They came out flat as a pancake and looking like they were boiling. So much for the pretty Easter colored frosting we had made to put on them. We had to settle for dipping the flat pieces into the frosting. Just FYI, broiled cookies are not as good as baked cookies. Lesson learned. Not as bad as the time we substituted powdered milk for flour on accident one time in high school. That will probably always be the worst we have ever done. But this was still funny.

2) I mentioned it before, but I got to see Kylee and her baby Jayda (who I had never met!). I haven't seen Kylee since November or something ridiculous like that. It was awesome just to spend time with her and Camille and chat. I only wish we could have spent more time together. Boo for that. Oh well, I will take what I can get.

1) General Conference was great as usual. I really look forward to every 6 months when we can hear the prophet and apostles speak. It is so fulfilling for me. I used to really dread conference and now it is the opposite. It is as if I can't get enough. I am excited for the May Ensign to come out now so that I can go back and read the talks again. I think the overall theme for me was being a better parent. I too often give into the excuse that Hallie is young and doesn't know what is going on anyway, so I don't take the time I should to teach her Gospel centered topics. I have new resolutions to do so after listening to conference.

Family Time

I thought about writing about the incredibly crazy day Hallie caused around here (it involved pooping in the tub, running around the mall without shoes on because she refused to sit in the stroller and refused to wear her shoes, eating dinner standing up in her high chair because that's the only way she would do it, and pulling enormous amounts of books off the shelves at the library), but she is sleeping peacefully now and it is all forgotten (kind of). What a character.



Instead, let's focus on the happy! Devin's sister Shawna is in town this week, so we got to meet baby Kylie! She is a beaut! Saturday we spent part of the day at Kirston's house visiting with them. Kirston was kind enough to let us just park ourselves at her house and on top of it, she fed us dinner. So nice. Hallie now surely outweighs Ryder. He still feeds her his unwanted food. It works well.

Cole and Kylie. Isn't she pretty? She has the biggest brown eyes. She is such a calm and sweet baby too.

Some of the cousins. Cole, Brelynn, Kylie, Keegan, Hallie, and Ryder. Surprised they all sat still long enough for this picture, but they did!

Brelynn is such a good helper.

Sunday, we had an Easter dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's house and then an Easter egg hunt. This is something my family does every year and since we won't be going home, I thought I better just continue the tradition on my own. Of course I put money in half the eggs. That's the way my grandma always did it and there is nothing better then having a sandwich baggie full of nickels, dimes, and the occasional quarter weighing down your pocket.

Pre egg hunt. The kids were excited. Hallie doesn't quite know what is going on yet...

...but she picked it up fast! She was an egg hunting pro. I think its in the genes.

She was so funny. She had to keep her basket on her arm so when she found an egg it was a process to get it off, get the egg into the basket, and get the basket back on her arm. Heaven forbid she let me help her carry the basket or something. She wasn't having any of that.

Ryder and Hallie had their own little patch of grass for their eggs. I think Hallie bullied him a bit, but he did fine for himself!

Hallie finished finding the eggs in her area and quickly headed off to compete with the big kids.

Sure as heck beats sitting home and doing nothing! Happy Easter (coming up) everyone!

Lesson #2: Generosity

This is a thought that I have had going through my head for months. It stems from a quote from Sister Camilla Kimball, as told in a story by Sister Bonnie D. Parkin. Here is a portion:

" My daughter-in-law’s mother, Susan, was a wonderful seamstress. President Kimball lived in their ward. One Sunday, Susan noticed that he had a new suit. Her father had recently returned from a trip to New York and had brought her some exquisite silk fabric. Susan thought that fabric would make a handsome tie to go with President Kimball’s new suit. So on Monday she made the tie. She wrapped it in tissue paper and walked up the block to President Kimball’s home.

On her way to the front door, she suddenly stopped and thought, “Who am I to make a tie for the prophet? He probably has plenty of them.” Deciding she had made a mistake, she turned to leave.

Just then Sister Kimball opened the front door and said, “Oh, Susan!”

Stumbling all over herself, Susan said, “I saw President Kimball in his new suit on Sunday. Dad just brought me some silk from New York . . . and so I made him a tie.”

Before Susan could continue, Sister Kimball stopped her, took hold of her shoulders, and said: “Susan, never suppress a generous thought.”

Susan didn’t have an assignment to make that tie. She wasn’t hired to do so. Despite feeling a bit hesitant, she did it because it felt right."

-Sister Bonnie D. Parkin, "Personal Ministry: Sacred and Precious," BYU Devotional, 13 February 2007 (emphasis added).

I love this.

I often have thoughts of doing something for others, usually something very small, but I am really good and squashing those thoughts in no time flat. I tell myself things like:

"So-and-So will think I am weird if I do this for them."
"It's so small and meaningless, they won't even notice."
"I have too many other things to do today."
"I don't even know that person that well..."

etc. etc. etc.

I am sure you have found yourself saying similar things.

On March 1, we celebrated Chris's birthday. Jennifer called me that morning to tell me that she and Chris's sisters had decided that to honor him, we would all do some service of some sort that day to remember him. I loved the idea. It gave me an excuse to serve.

In fact, I had a sticky note sitting on my computer that had been there for weeks. On it was listed four or five items of service that I had wanted to do, but kept talking myself out of.

So that Monday, I decided that I was going to do them all and more. Who cares what others think? I didn't know if I was going to have an effect on anyone at all, but I knew I was sure going to try.

Hallie and I spent the entire day in service to others. I normally don't have full days that I can dedicate to serving, but I actually did that day. It worked out wonderfully. I served some people I knew and I served some people I didn't know.

I know that my service was probably small for those receiving it. I don't know how they felt. But, I do know that it was the best day I had had in a long time.

I felt happy. I felt energized. I felt like I had done something to make myself proud.

Since then, I have tried harder to act on the thoughts that I have to do something nice for someone else, even if it puts me out of my "comfort zone".

This is something that I hope will stick with me for a long time to come.

I issue a challenge (no, no, we aren't in church) to you too...to do the same thing. When those thoughts come, ACT on them! Do it. We can all make a small difference in our own little way.

Never suppress a generous thought. Let's see what happens.

(P.S. Two recent posts on the adoption blog.)

Shoplifting

Devin and I took Hallie grocery shopping today. Smiths has these nifty carts where the kids get to act like they are driving. A lifesaver, I tell you.

We were out of food so we were buying quite a lot. Hallie sat in her car while Devin and I unloaded the groceries at the checkout. I was almost done when I looked down to see Hallie shoving the last of a package of rolos in her mouth.

Clearly we need to watch our child better. She swiped the candy right off the shelf before our very eyes. Then, knowing that we would normally not allow her to have said candy, she shoved them all in her mouth as quickly as possible in a poor attempt to hide the evidence.

Little did she know, but the evidence was all over her face (not to mention the wrappers in her hand.)

No picture exists of her with the actual candy because, well, she ate it all before I could get out my phone to take pictures (yes, phone pictures, thus the poor quality. Oh and the sun was in the way so I couldn't even really tell what I was taking a picture of.)

Nevertheless, she looks proud of herself, yes?

Devin said that its too bad that she is not just a bit older, cause if she was, he would have made her stay at the store and work it off.

So, let's summarize. My one year old is already a skilled thief and I have a feeling my husband will not be tolerating any infractions in the future.

Fabulous!