Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Sporadic musings by Lindsey

It's the very last day of June. 2010 is half way over. Too fast, life; slow down!!!

I took the boys to a farm this morning for playgroup. I had them in flip flops. They came home with very dirty feet. It was a nice day for it.

The Twilight franchise bothers me. The books, the author, the movies, the crazies that fantasize about fake characters. The whole business irks me. I made a t-shirt design last night, inspired by my one and only. The front has two intertwined hearts and it says "Team Bret." The back says, "Edward-shmedward. Mine exists." A bit cheeky of me, and I won't actually get it made, but there you have it.

Spiders are gross. Bugs have been a nuisance lately. Al and Goose are absolutely terrified and fascinated by creepy crawly things. We've had many discussions about bugs, that they live outside and we shouldn't step on them when they're outside, but they're not allowed in our house and inside is where we kill bugs. But I always conclude with, "Except spiders. If you see a spider, go ahead and stomp on it." Then we saw some daddy long legs spiders (or whatever they're really called) and I sat down on the patio with all the boys around me while we watched the daddy long legs and talked about how that was an okay spider that wouldn't hurt us and would eat lots of the bugs we don't want so we shouldn't step on it. I thought during that conversation with my boys and a bit since, that most spiders serve a purpose and were created by Heavenly Father. I should try to not be so freaked out by them and appreciate their...forlackofabetterword-beauty (makes me shiver just saying it!). I've tried. Really, I have! It's worked a bit. I haven't had to suppress the desire to scream when I see a spider in the house and have to kill it. That's progress...right?

My birthday is coming up. I'm beginning to feel old. I went on vacation a couple weeks ago to visit friends I haven't seen in far too long. I stayed up way too late two nights in a row and it took at least a week for me to feel not completely wiped out. I got stiff sitting in the car during the drive to and from. I really am getting old...eep!

There are too many decisions to make. I would really like to throw off responsibility for a week and have someone else take care of it so I would get a break from it and I wouldn't have to face it when I got back:) Not gonna happen, but it's nice to think about.

And this mindless post has gone on much longer than it should have.

I'm excited for July. It's one of the awesomest months ever.

I think I'll go introduce Jonzy to the Declaration of Independence.

Until tomorrow, then.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Thankful Thursday

I'm going to a viewing tonight.

I have a love/hate relationship with death of people I know and love.

I love knowing they've finished and they're home, often to meet up with people they've missed for years. It makes me wonder how I'll feel when I've finished and when I get to go back. It's an exhilarating and terrifying feeling all at once.

I hate the sadness. Even at funerals of people I barely knew, I'm sure to cry. And you know- I can cry harder and with less triggers than most! I have yet to attend a funeral where I actually have some part in it. It's not just the sadness that makes me cry. It's also the joy of knowing where they are and of the life lived. Combine the sadness and the joy and I'm a basket case! I am glad that I have a strong family full of people that can handle the funeral program while I sob. Right now, I'm extremely thankful that I don't have to deal with that right now! If any family is reading this, know right now: you're not allowed to die for a long time!

I am thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am thankful for the knowledge I have of God's Plan of Happiness. I am thankful that my family is healthy and whole. I'm thankful that I can attend this viewing tonight with the reassurance that he's just over on the other side. I can't imagine facing the death of a loved one without that knowledge; I think I'd die from the sorrow if I didn't. But that thought reminds me of when a friend, whose daughter died just last year, wondered how people without a knowledge of the Savior could make it through the loss of a loved one until he realized that it's not possible. Everyone has the comfort of the Savior during that, whether they believe in Him or not because it's just not possible to get through it without Him.

I think he's right.

What are you thankful for today?

Bus-i-ness! Mankind was my business!

I despise doing business with big companies.

The kind where you have to call in to customer service, listen carefully to the menu of choices, discover they have no option for your dilemma, wait an interminable amount of time and jump through all the trick hoops to finally talk to a representative, remember that you rarely have the good luck to talk with someone who seems to care at all, and end up frustrated and wanting to kick something.

Yes, it provides oodles upon oodles of enjoyment.

Most of the time, when I've been jilted by a big company all I can do is point out that they've chosen a small amount of money from me now instead of correcting the issue and getting more money from me in the future. Then I have to try to not be upset about the fact that, for all intents and purposes, I've been robbed.

However, every once in a while the squeaky wheel bit works for me. Like this week! I discovered a discrepancy in my account with a certain business. I called them on it and they said, "Too bad." I canceled my membership and they said, "Have a nice day." For the next three days I sent many an email, to a few different addresses to cover my bases. I was sent many a reply that looked like copy and paste from FAQ. I kept up my squeakiness, politely:), and refused to be put off (except I was about ready to give up and befoul their name to the world).

This morning, what should arrive in my inbox but the notice that what I wanted is in the mail and on it's way to me. HA! Take that!

Hooray for capitalism and squeaky wheels.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Thankful Thursday

It's 10:30 and there's still much to be done before I can go to sleep. So, once again, here is what I am thankful for today in list form:)

-Bret. Seriously, husbands do not come any better than Bret. How did I get so lucky?
-The twins' cheeks. They're so soft I can't help but touch them and kiss them every opportunity I get. Who would have thought that two sets of two year old cheeks could make me so happy??
-That lightening flash of understanding when the spirit puts that last puzzle piece into place on that thing you've been pondering for a long time and you finally understand. Except sometimes, as in my case today, that understanding leads to more questions. Funny ol' world.
-Jonzy's constant questions at bedtime while he tries to stall the inevitable:)
-Mom. She's the best, hands down.
-Sisters (in-law-though-we-may-as-well-be-blood-relate- cuz-they're-awesomeness-knows-no-bounds-and-I-want-to-be-related-to-that;)).
-Warm showers.
-Pillows.
-Bret. Cuz he's worth mentioning twice.

What are you thankful for today?

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Thankful Thursday with extra ponderings

I wrote this out yesterday and accidentally posted it early. Sorry to those of you who found it yesterday:) Here's the post:

Every time I become aware of some deception in the world, my trust in people in general goes down another notch. Why all the lies? I am grateful, though, that at least in my circle there are extremely few people that I can trust not to tell the truth.

Hmmmmm...

Anyway.

Mold.

Oh how grateful I am that Fleming took interest in mold.

Without mold and Fleming, we would not have penicillin.

Without penicillin we would not have a wide range of antibiotics.

Without antibiotics I would have spent the last week with zero sleep while I rotated cradling sick, feverish, pain-ridden children and nursing a sick husband wondering if they were going to die from this strep infection.

Really, without antibiotics, I probably wouldn't have lived past the age of two.

I know I said last week that I was thankful for antibiotics. But as my children and Bret have gotten better, I started think more on how things could have gone. It wasn't a fun train of thought. Antibiotics have healed us time and time again. Oh, how glad I am to live in this day and age.

What are you thankful for today?

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

A peculiar people

I read this thought provoking post yesterday.

I've been thinking about it a lot. Until this morning, my feelings on the matter were of disappointment all around. Mostly disappointment with members of my own faith as it caused me to think on members not living up to standards and a bit with the author seeming too judgmental at times and not giving much benefit of the doubt.

As years have passed, I've seen a few instances of disappointment with couples just married in the temple and I've heard of many more. Like the account of the mother arguing in the temple that her daughter would be married in the backless dress that she had made for her and there were no two ways about it. [Oh, sister...] Or walking by the temple to see a bride in a dress that obviously doesn't match up with covenants she recently made. [Sisterrrrrrrrrrrrrr!] Or seeing newlyweds full on making out at the temple. [For pity's sake, your grandmother is right there. Patience!]

I do agree with the author that far too many couples view the temple as simply a venue for their wedding and don't think enough on the importance of what will happen there. We are supposed to be different. Temples are quite unique architecture and stand out beautifully from the buildings around them. Latter-day Saints should do likewise.

And yet, are so many couples really taking irreverent pictures and does that make them irreverent people trying to keep one foot in Zion and one in Babylon? Totally agree on the lusty kissing pictures, though. It is quite possible to take sweet kissing pictures, but keep the lust between the two of you and not in your engagement and temple pictures. Now I, for one, like jumping pictures. The thought had never crossed my mind that such things are not keeping in the spirit of the temple. I still haven't come to a real conclusion. Being sealed to someone you love more than anything is something to be joyful about. Is jumping for joy too much? I suppose it depends on the couple. From some such pictures, I get the feeling that they're just so happy they can't contain it; I think that's great. For some, it does feel like the author mentioned, equated to winning the state championship=not anywhere near the special spirit of the temple.

I believe that we can express the best of both worlds in capturing wedding days. For example, my wedding video:) A fantastic mix of fun and reverent. I can take no credit for its amazingness nor the talent that captured and created such a fitting record. That belongs to Creativ Productions. The best video in the world (perhaps biased...no, not really:)) consists of three parts: photo montage of Bret and I growing up, at the temple on our special day, and the reception. The video of all the goings-on at the temple is markedly different from the rest, in a wonderful way. It's slower, softer, and it makes you stop and remember what had happened. Celebrations came later at the reception. I find it a perfect mix.

It's okay to have fun. But I do think that the LDS culture is trending toward bringing the fun to the temple and not recognizing the sacredness of temple sealings. I worry that parents are not teaching their children what's really important. I worry about my sons being able to find respectful, modest women to spend their eternities with.

I can't seem to put the rest of my thoughts into words, so I guess that's all I have to say. Like I said- thought provoking...I have been provoked to much thought. Have you?

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Thankful Thursday

It appears that, no, life will never slow down as I asked in my last post. Case in point, it's already Thursday again!

Today I am drained. The last few weeks have been...busier.

Today I am thankful for open windows, light breezes, hammocks, good books, and above all: antibiotics!

Seems we've contracted strep throat here. Last week I felt crummy and had a recurring sore throat. Now all the males in my family have been diagnosed with strep and are on antibiotics. I have no idea how my body beat strep all by itself, especially since I don't have the strongest immune system. Then again, maybe taking care of constantly sick kids for the last four years has given me an immune system of steel...that's a fun thought.

Needless to say, with 4 out of 5 of us sick sick sick it's been crazy around here. But the antibiotics are taking effect today and I'm enjoying moving slower and feeling the end-of-spring weather, despite the extreme desire to just sleep until Saturday;)

What are you thankful for today?