Bumper Stickers... a thing of the past?

"My friends are the kind that if the house was burning down, they would be making smores and hitting on the firemen."

I know I'm a little bit weird to have a post on my blog regarding bumper stickers, but this was something that I was thinking about earlier today in the car. While I was driving home from running a few errands, I saw a bumper sticker on the car in front of me. I don't know why, but I always get a little bit excited when I see one, and almost inevitably have to read it. You know, when you're at a stop light and the car in front of you has a bumper sticker, but the print is so tiny that you have to roll your car slowly forward as you lean across the dash and over the steering wheel - just to read it? If you ever look to the left and see someone in this precarious situation, now you know what they are doing (and will probably think of me).

The sad thing is that bumper stickers are becoming more and more infrequent. I say sad as if I have them on the back of my car somewhere, but in all actuality I don't want them on my car anymore than anyone else does. I just enjoy reading them! They are usually humorous!

Aside from the occasional (traditional) BS's that we see here in Indy...

(Notice that there is no Purdue BS listed... (BOOO PU!) Just Kidding. ) There really are very few others that we see on the road. Of course there are all of those circular ones with letters inside (which I hate to admit, but I have no idea what those letters stand for) is it supposed to be a conversation starter? Do you really want me to follow you home so that I can ask what those letters stand for?

And of course when googled the letters OCD it stands for hundreds of things... Obsessive Compulsive Disorder? Obsessive Camera Direction? Original Comedy Drama? One Chance Dance? Off Choice Decision? I mean really people! Can you just put the words underneath the letters??? I will roll forward until my bumper touches yours (if I have to) to read them, but please include those words!

Now that I've vented a little bit, I feel a little better. I do still love bumper stickers, no matter how tacky they seem to be. I will forever enjoy seeing them, and will do the "roll n' bump" if I have to in order to read them. :)

Just for laughs, I'll include some of my favorites - thanks to Facebook (Bumper Stickers for Facebook.com... seriously, the person who came up with that was brilliant! Sticker yr' friends!) that make me laugh. If you have a few that make you laugh too, feel free to post them!

"Friendship is like peeing in your pants. Everyone can see it, but only you can feel it. Thanks for being the pee in my pants."

"I have CDO... It's like OCD but all the letters are in alphebetical order like they should be."

"I'm not crazy, my reality is just different than yours."

(Sorry about the quality, taking them from Facebook and blowing them up for my blog diluted them a bit.) I look forward to reading some of your favorites!

TAG!!!

I was tagged by Alyssa (like forever ago!) but it was during my blogging absence, so I apologize that it's late, but here it is!

How To Play This Game of Tag:

Post these rules on your blog. Answer these 15 questions about yourself on your blog. List:3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 random/surprising facts. Tag five people at the end of your post by leaving their names. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog. Here it is:

Joys:
1. Laughing so hard that my stomach hurts.
2. Spending time with Jared. Not doing anything important, just being stupid. :)
3. Sunshine.

Fears:
1. Roller Coasters.
2. Losing loved ones (serious fear!)
3. Not doing everything that I should for the ones I love.

Goals:
1. Finish school.
2. Have a family of my own.
3. Do everything possible to eliminate unnecessary stresses.

Obsessions/collections:
1. Bottled water. I know that we've discussed this before, but I LOVE bottled water. Some would say it's an obsession.
2. Animals. I certainly have a collection of them. Feel free to come to the Peyton Petting Zoo anytime you would like. (Just know that we may put you to work!) haha.
3. I love movies, and Jared would say I am addicted to chick flicks. I love certain movies and watch them over and over. What can I say, I love a good movie?!

Random/surprising facts:
1. I have a heart-ish shaped birthmark on my stoach just to the right of my belly button. Until now, only immediate family and Jared knew I had it. Hello world, here's my dirty little secret. :) (My mom used to call me her little carebear.)
2. I am TERRIBLE with money. I know, surprising huh?
3. I love to paint anything and everything. If it hasn't been painted in my house, it will. I've been known to paint rooms and then repaint them with the seasons. :)

I tag... KIERA (Now you can say that you were tagged), Kim, Kristin, Tashina, and Vandi.

Christmas Party? Already?!

Yesterday after church I had an Enrichment Committee Meeting (I'm not the president!) to plan for the next few upcoming activities. It seems like Enrichment Committee has become more than just the regular activities, and has exploded into much more. We now do the four quarterly activities and the weekly groups, also the Enrichment 101 and Service Groups. (I'll explain these later.) But needless to say, we're staying busy as a group!

When everyone arrived, Susan (our President) handed out the itinerary for the meeting. I briefly ran my eyes over it. When they fell upon the last item, my jaw dropped and I think I started sweating. "Christmas Enrichment Meeting Planning" - What?! Christmas already??? I've barely had time to recover from last years activity!!! (Even though it's a lot of work, I'm really excited about it.) Last year our theme was, "An Instrument in the Lord's Hand". We had a slide presentation of women in the church, scriptural and modern day, to the music of "Beautiful Savior". We had a lot of beautiful music, and a wonderful program with a speaker who talked about being an instrument in the Lord's hand, and how we should embrace ourselves as women. There wasn't a dry eye in the room. It was perfect, and it's going to be hard to top but we're going to try. I'm petitioning all of you for ideas. We don't have a theme yet, but I would love to know what other Christmas Enrichment activities that you have been to that have been successful. Any and all ideas are welcome!!! :)

We are also implementing a bunch of new groups which I'm really excited about! The first we are calling Enrichment 101. What things would you like to learn? Be careful what you suggest, because you're responsible for planning it! We'll see how well it works out, but I'm looking forward to it. Being recently newly married (I can still say that after three years right?) I still have a lot of things that I go to my mom for help with. Example: I never wanted to learn how to sew as a teenager, but now it's important to me! Or cooking, meal planning, home canning, emergency preparedness, food storage, and gardening - when did I become an old lady? I have an idea that I may end up planning a lot of these since I'm the one who wants to learn about all of this. Go figure. :) Let me know if you have any ideas for these activities as well, I always love suggestions.

We've also been bouncing around ideas about "Service Groups". It's something that a few wards have been implementing around us, and it's becoming very popular and effective. Essentially, you convince people to join the service groups, and put them into 4 person groups. Everyone provides service for everyone else. Like, I just painted my floor so I would have invited my group over to help. And then the next person in the group would need something so we would all go to help her, and on and on until all four people have been served and had served. It started as a way to get the women in the ward to fellowship with an act of service - knowing that service draws women together. The groups are formed by very careful prayerful consideration which is a huge part of it too. So far, the Fishers 2nd ward has started it and after the first few groups, word of mouth has attracted many other women to join. I'm so excited to start, but we are still ironing out the details.

We're planning on rolling out these two new groups on September 30th, so I hope all of the other women are as excited as we are.

Let me know if you have any suggestions about these ideas, we're so excited to get them rolling!

Concrete? Really?

So I had a request to update you on my flooring... Don't laugh but I painted my subfloor concrete after ripping out my carpeting. After having seven puppies, two dogs, and two cats, our year and half old carpeting had seen it's day.

I thought that taking the carpet out was going to be the hard part. Boy was I wrong! That was the easy part! (I also didn't think that the garbage man would take it all... but he did!) We have linoleum in the foyer and the kitchen, so all we took out was the living room (15 X 25) so it really wasn't too much work. We left the linoleum where it was, and I'm glad about it now. After taking up the carpet and the carpet pad, and hauling it to the street, we realized that the tack strips that were laid to keep the carpet in place (along the edge of the walls) was nailed into the concrete.

Jared had to borrow a crowbar from my dad to get them up. After he had pulled all of the tack strips up, we had to concrete putty all of the holes from the nails that they used to lay the tack strips. Those two steps proved to be the hardest so far.

After puttying and sanding, we swept the floor, and then primed it with a latex primer. I wish I would have gotten pictures of each of the steps, but I didn't. The mistake that we made here, was that we used a white latex primer. For future reference if any of you ever consider painting your concrete... prime with a grey primer. OR, better yet, your local Lowe's store will tint your primer to the exact color of your paint (that goes for any type of paint and primer...even your walls!) which makes your coverage more even. We primed in white, so our first coat was very uneven, ultimately causing us to have to add two more coats afterwards. It's definitely cheaper to just prime it the right way to begin with.

After priming the floor, we painted it with a latex garage and porch paint. They had two different types at the store... they have a Latex Paint, and a Paint Epoxy. We chose to go with just the latex paint - because the paint guy told me that it would be more durable and strong (against dog nails, scratches, etc.). After three coats, the floor looks great. We chose a Chocolate brown color to match the paint that we used in the kitchen. All of our walls are a soft blue - white blue- color (called "windswept") except one wall in the kitchen which is chocolate brown. All of our trim is white so our house is very light and open. We thought it would be a great way to move our kitchen throughout the house. Not to mention, had we gone white or light, you would have seen EVERYTHING that fell on it. :) Hahaha, we had to think ahead.

After painting the floors the chocolate brown color, I am going to paint lines on the floor using a black to give it the effect of wood floors. I haven't begun this step yet, but I will make sure to update the next few steps. After I draw the lines on the floor, and everything is ready to go, we are going to go ahead and buy a clear epoxy (the other type of paint at the store!) to cover it. The floors ended up getting scratched as we moved the furniture around on them, so we decided that covering it with the clear epoxy would not only give it a good thick finish, but would look nicer as well.

I apologize for the picture quality, Jared has my camera in the car so I had to take these on my phone. Also, don't look at my messy kitchen... icky.

You can't tell in these pictures, but where the linoleum meets the concrete there is a tack strip that we can't take up. It's a metal tack strip instead of cardboard, and it holds the linoleum in place. We are getting rubber stripping to cover that area. Eventually when we re-carpet, it will come out and be replaced, but for the time being a rubber stripping will work just fine.

Once I get the lines painted, and the epoxy poured... and all of our furniture back in place I will be sure to take more pictures and re-update everyone. To be honest, this has been a lot of fun! Making (somewhat crazy) choices to designing your house can be a lot of fun, a little exciting, and sometimes scary... but it always works out for the best.

Oh, and one last word to the wise, we didn't realize how much it would effect the heating and cooling of our house, but it really does! The thermostat is downstairs above the concrete, so when I turn the Air Conditioning on, the downstairs gets cool quickly and the upstairs stays warm because the concrete cools off so quickly. I have a feeling it will be the opposite in the winter, cool concrete so the heater will work extra hard. We'll see I guess!

--I added a link to a website oh how to paint your concrete floors; if you click on the title of this post. If you are ever interested in this project for your own home, I would definitely suggest doing a little more research than we did!--

Here I am again... After an "Extended Absense"

Downtown Chicago!

So here I am again after an incredibly long time of no blogging. I go through these phases where I blog a lot, and then don't blog for months. I promise I'm back for good... I have more time on my hands now. :)

A lot of stuff has happened since the last time I blogged. A lot of really major things! First of all, all of the puppies are gone. They have all been adopted and are all doing very well in their new homes. We occasionally get updates on them and hear that they are doing well. Thankfully, little Quinn got all of her hair back in, and is growing really well. Not to mention that she looks just like her mom.
Quinn with her new brother Rusty!


Quinn, getting so big!

Other than all of the puppies leaving our house (and us missing them TERRIBLY!) we have been enjoying Abbey and Lily. It has been nice getting to spend a little quality time with our girls. Kanye and Kaliegh (our cats) have been happier too! Less dogs to run away from! :)

Our carpet took a beating with the puppies. Especially downstairs. Last week we ripped out the carpet downstairs and painted the concrete. (I know, we're crazy!) but we're poor right now, and trying to save as much as we can, so instead of re carpeting we decided to just keep the concrete. Not to mention, if the girls have an accident it's super easy to clean up. We painted the floor chocolate brown to match the wall in the kitchen, and since everything else is light blue and white, it looks really nice. We're just adjusting to the cold floor in the morning! Haha. Someday we will throw down some wood floors. :)

We've also been pretty busy with other things. A few weeks ago, Jared and I went with our friends Matt and Heilit up to Chicago for a few days. It was a very nice trip, and we had relatively good weather while we were there. It only rained on Thursday morning, so we got pretty lucky. We played at The Art Institute of Chicago Museum, Navy Pier, a speed boat ride on the lake to watch fireworks, and then went to a Cubs game on Thursday afternoon. Not to mention the best part... eating at Gino's! <- That was a lot of fun.

Writing on the walls at Gino's was hard since they were already so full, but we managed to work that out by writing on napkins and taping it to the wall. :)
Kissy Face!
Us at Gino's - the best Pizza on the planet.
The SUPER LONG walk to Navy Pier.
Downtown Chicago from the Ferris wheel.

Navy Pier from 300 feet in the air. :)

Jared and I on the Ferris wheel.
Matt and Heilit... he was mean to me and rocked the car!
Girls on the Pier.
All of us together on the Pier!
Ferris Wheel - I rode that!!!

hahaha, it's not THAT tall!

Walking to the Pier.
After I conquered my fear of the Ferris wheel. I didn't move from that exact position the entire ride!
The boys, before we ate and played at ESPN Zone. Fun!

Jared and I

Heilit's pretty face!

Happy little walkers! We really did take Taxi's everywhere, I don't know how I got so many pictures of us walking, haha.

Navy Pier!

We also went to the Cubs game, which I will have to download the pictures of. We had a really wonderful time in Chicago, and are so glad that we went. Even for a short trip, it was just enough time!

Let's see, what else has been going on... my brother just bought a new IPhone, and is preparing for his mission. My sister is now officially divorced. My mom's business is starting to pick up, so that's something good. My dad got my brother a job in the shop where my dad works, so he's been having some fun with his best friend Chase.

Jared was recently promoted to General Manager in Donato's but it also included a transfer to Kokomo. It's quite a drive, but he's enjoying the job. He drives 45 minutes one way to work, but he says it's worth it. (And so does our bank account!) :) He's happy and healthy, so we can't ask for more.

I hope all of you are doing well, and are healthy and happy too. I mean it this time, I'll be back soon!

Family Update!

HEY!!!

I'm finally back to blogging, and it feels so good. We've had so much going on in our lives lately, and I can't wait to share it all with you.

The puppies are doing really, really well. We still haven't been able to find them any homes, but we're staying optimistic. I love having them in our home. Our carpet is ruined, and there is dog hair everywhere, but it's worth it to come home to their shining faces. It will be hard to let them go, but it will be nice to get my house back. They went to the doctor for their first round of shots about two weeks ago, and they are due for the second round within the next week. I just love my babies!!!

Jared and I recently have had a lot of things happen. I was offered a job in North Carolina (which I ended up not taking) which was a lot of fun to think about. It came down to family, and neither of us could leave. It was exciting to have that opportunity though.

We also just bought a new car! I know!!! So exciting! We bought a Honda Civic (Because our other Honda was just so good to us.) It is so fun to drive, and currently Jared and I are fighting over whos car it REALLY is. It's mine. ;) Just kidding, I can share. That has been the most recent big excitement.

Also, two weeks ago I was released from my callings in Relief Society. I was soooooooo sad. I really liked teaching, and it was nice to finally be in adult Sunday School and Relief Society. They recalled me as a Primary Teacher. I was really sad at first. Now I couldn't go to Sunday School OR Relief Society. Last week was my first week with the five year olds. They are all so sweet, and fun. It really made it a lot better. One of the girls is very hyper and I spent most of my time teaching her to be reverent. Overall, it was a pretty good class. I've decided that if I ever want to get back to RS, I have to learn to REALLY love my calling in Primary. (When you love your calling, they release you from it) Of course, then I will be sad to leave Primary too.

All of the changes that we have been going through have been really big it feels like. The whole world is changing right now. It's definitely a fun experience. I'm currently looking for a new job (it's just time for a change!) possibly in the magazine industry, or advertising. I want something that is a little more creative than the job I have now. Oh, and I want to be able to at least wear jeans on Fridays. Seriously, looking nice EVERYDAY is really starting to burn me out! :)

Things are going well at the Rushville Shelter right now, and they are really starting to get it cleaned up. Not a lot of big changes are being made, but the little ones certainly can do a lot. I'm going to get more info on what is going on there and update you later. This evening I'm going to add some new pictures too... I miss showing you all of the fun we've been having! Expect some good pictures!!! :) Oh, and make sure you check out some of the other links we love too, some of them are just so great!

Mms you

Faith, Family, Facts and Fruits

Hello again!

For those of you who don't know, I've been blessed with the calling to teach the fourth Sunday of Relief Society. Better known as "Teachings of our times". It's generally pretty hard to extract a lesson from a ten minute conference talk, but I usually make it work.

Tomorrow I am teaching Relief Society, and my lesson is "Faith, Family, Facts and Fruits" by M. Russell Ballard. (If you would like to read my lesson, please click on the title of this post and it will redirect you to it.) Before I begin to tell you about my lesson, I need to tell you about my weekend.

I had a great Birthday (I'm 22!) on Wednesday, and took the last three days of the week off from work, so I had a pretty great week overall. My birthday was great, we had dinner at my parents, and had a lot of fun. I got lucky, because Jared had Wednesday and Thursday off of work too, so we had a lot of time to just play and be together. I will NEVER complain when we both have some time to just spend together. Dinner at my parents was a lot of fun, and the whole family was there. Thursday night, we went out to dinner with Grandma and Tyler, as well as Tyler's friend Haley and we had a ton of fun. There is never a lack of family with us, we are so greatful to have them, that we can't spend enough time with them. On Friday, Jared had to work which was a drag, but gave me some time to just be lazy and lay around. It was so nice! I've had a wonderful week, and am already looking forward to next weekend when I have a few more days off. :)

So tonight, as I settle in to study my lesson, I realized a few truly great things about my life. Not only my life, but how the church has impacted it. The talk discusses a few basic truths about our church that we should have on hand at a moments notice to share with people who are curious for the facts. Some of the truths that President Ballard suggests, really hit home to me. President Ballard says,

"• And there is also much focus on extended family, genealogy, and personal family history, providing young and old with a stronger sense of roots, identity, and belonging. The highest and most sacred ordinances of our faith relate to our families, both living and dead, and some of these ordinances take place in our temples. "

I love how he says that the focus provides young and old with a sense of roots, identity and belonging. There have been on very few occasions that I felt like I didn't belong. Most of which were a tendency to be frightened of a new situation or place... but very few times in my life have I felt like I don't belong. I am so incredibly greatful to the church for that. I have always had a great sense of self, and security. I've always known who I am and what my plan on this earth is. I am generally not insecure with myself, or confused as to which is the right path for me. And I really attribute that to this gosple.

Recently, our beloved Prophet President Gordon B. Hinckley passed away. I was extremely upset by his passing, without really understanding why it upset me so much. For as long as I can remember, President Hinckley has been watching out for ME. When he spoke, he spoke to ME. When he told me that I was wrong, he was telling ME. When he asked me to do something, or not to do something, he was talking to ME. It never even crossed my mind that he was talking to 11 million other people too. I just always knew that what he said was meant for me. There was a sense of security in his words, and I always felt his heart in his message. I never knew that someone I had never even met before could mean so much to me. Enough to make me change my ways, or alter my course in life. But he could, and did, teach me in the ways of the Lord. My life is stable and strong because of Heavenly Father's divine plan to have a prophet on the earth. How sad a world it would be if there were no one here to lead us and direct us to the everlasting tree of life. Oh how sad and full the great and spacious building would be. Thank goodness we have been blessed and enriched with God's love.

My point is, that Heavenly Father (with the help of many others, including my parents) has taught me who I am, and what I believe in. My life would never be the same without the security of the gosple. I could never thank him enough.

I also really enjoyed the part where President Ballard says,

"We should also remember that sometimes the best way to answer people’s interest can be by how we live, how we radiate the joy of the gospel in our lives, how we treat others, and how sincerely we follow the teachings of Christ. "

My heart swells with the intense truth of this statement. Countless times have I been exposed to someone who has learned a truth about our gosple by my actions, and the actions of other members around them. Andie was baptized because of the actions of the members she knew. And it's true, someone can not live off of the testimony and actions of another person, but it is a great way to begin a testimony of their own! How marvelous a work, that we don't even have to use our words to share our love of the Savior! How could we not be excited to do what is right if we know that our actions can dramatically effect somoeone elses life?! How blessed are we!

The saints who crossed the plains did it to avoid persecution. And yet today, in history classes across America, students are learning about the Mormons and how they crossed the plains. The example that they set all of those years ago, about defending their faith, has surpassed all time and persecution. If only they knew! And what about the first generation members who have 20 plus generations following in their footsteps? What if they knew? All it takes, is one simple action to change an entire planet. All we have to do is stand up and make a stand, a quiet, simple stand. The choice to be an example is almost harder than the example we set. Thank goodness for Heavenly Father's plan!

Someday I hope to be able to look back on my life and be happy with the things I have done. I'm so incredibly greatful for this gosple, and the light it brings to my life. I'm so greatful for my relationship with Heavenly Father, and for his guiding hand in my life. I can't express how much I love this gosple for what it brings to me on a daily basis. I am greatful for Jared and his unwavering faith in our eternal plan, and for the example he provides me to do what is right. I am especially thankful for my personal experiences, and the person that they are molding me to be. I will never be perfect, but I sure can try.

Please, read the lesson that I have attached. See what kind of personal meaning it will bring to you. I know the lesson is really about missionary work, but for some reason it meant something else to me. I hope you can find your personal mission in this life and that Heavenly Father guides you to the path of happiness.

Thank you all for all that you do in my life, and for the examples you set and the joy you bring me. I will be eternally greatful. Have a great Sunday!

Mrs. Understood

First of all, please don't send me emails or postings about how wrong you think I am about politics. I'm not putting this post up as a debate, or argument, I am just expressing my feelings about it. I understand that we may have different oppinions, and that's okay! :)

According to my daily Yahoo.com viewing, Senator Mitt Romney has now dropped out of the Presidential race.

Romney suspends presidential campaign -

I can't really, wholeheartedly, say that I was ever really a fan of Mitt Romney's but I was disappointed to hear that he was leaving the race. There were a few things that he and I didn't have in common, and a few that we did, but the uneasiness that came with the thought of an LDS President was offsetting to me.

I know that in my personal experience, people tend to take what I say about the church to heart, and apply it to the whole church in general. That is why we are so careful about our actions. For instance, I work with a girl who I get along with really well. One day, in conversation I mentioned that I didn't drink. No conversation about the church came up, we just continued to talk about whatever it was that we were discussing. A few days later, she was telling me about how a friend and she were talking and (due to the presidential candidates) the Mormons came up in conversation. She told her friend that Mormons don't drink. She told me later, that she knew that because I didn't drink. My point is, that millions of people all over this country, and the world, believe our examples.

Because of this phenomenon, that we believe as 'actions speak louder than words', my fear of an LDS President is unmistakeable. Wouldn't it be terrible if an entire country was led to believe that the LDS church was Pro-Choice? That's the exact opposite of what we believe. We believe that everyone has their free agency, but we do not, however, believe in abortion. I know, it's a touchy subject and I could have selected another, but that's what you get in a blog where I type from whim.

Now, I'm a little saddned at his suspension of candidacy. I guess that even though I wasn't totally thrilled with the idea of an LDS President, I liked the concept that someone from our faith was willing to step up an be a leader. That's unmistakable strength, and extremely exciting to see.

I recently thought that I knew which cnadidate I would vote for in the election. But just recently, I've heard a few things that have made me waiver in my decision. I was definitly a Huckabee fan, and am saddened that more people didn't like him. I think he would be a fabulous President. In any situation, I guess I need to do some more research on each candidate and decide who I really feel is capable of running this country right. I think in a few years, I'll run for President. Then again, on second thought, maybe not. I don't have tough enough skin to withstand then spotlight.

Hey, if any of you would consider running, I'll consider voting for you.

In my last fleeting comments, I would just like to say how important I fell it is to vote. If you aren't registered, you should be. Oh, and if you don't vote, don't complain to me or anyone else. If you don't choose, you lose! So, be a productive member of society and tell us what you think by making your voice heard at the polls.

And no, I'm not a member of any political party, and was not paid to tell you to vote. :)

Inspirations!

I was kind of inspired today on my drive home from work. The fog was really thick, which made the trees look really nice. I was inspired by them so I thought I would capture them and share them with all of you. I hope you find them enjoyable too!






This last one is one of my favorites. The way it tweeks around is so interesting. Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed the pictures!

President Gordon B. Hinckley

I have yet to post about our beloved Prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley because I just can't seem to accept the fact that he's gone.

It's been almost a week, and yet, I still somehow think that someone will come out and say it's all a big joke and that President HInckley is alive, okay, and happy. I know that's not going to happen, but the thought of it keeps me from melting into a pile of tears whenever I think about it.

He was a good man. The best man. Not only A Prophet, but MY Prophet. He was the man who led and guided me through some of the hardest years of my life. Not to mention the absolutely amazing ones as well. For some reason, I never felt like any of the things he asked us to do or not to do felt like limitations. Had anyone else asked me, I would have felt trapped and rebellious. Not with this man.

I've been reading on everyone elses blogs what they felt about President Hinckley, and I totally agree. "You rock, President Hinckley!" I won't lie to you. I wasn't even the slightest bit happy when I heard that he had passed away. Everyone else seems to be so happy that he's with his wife and in such a lovely place, but I was just NOT happy. I cried my eyes out. I cried and cried until my eyelids were swollen so badly that I couldn't cry anymore. I never met him personally, but he certainly was loved. He could have been my grandpa for the way I cried. I didn't just cry that evening either, I cried the next day at work, and nearly everyday this week on my way home from work. At first I felt like Heavenly Father had taken him from me, and was angry. After a lot of thought, I realized that Heavenly Father isn't as mean as he seems and that he knows that we are in need of a fresh outlook and new leadership.

President Hinckley did what he was sent here to do.

Who knows, maybe his one and only task was to help raise me into the woman I am today. I doubt it was, but I sure do believe that Heavenly Father knew that I could handle it if President Hinckley left to go home.

How do I feel about the next upcoming presidency? I think it will be a wonderful change in pace. I think that this world needs all of the strong men that it can get as it comes to a close. Not to mention that Heavenly Father has divinely selected these men for this dispensation. Hooray for them who are able to do as the Lord asks, and help fulfill his promise. I pray for each of them, and bless them with my love, devotion, and support.

To President Hinckley I say, you won't be needing that cane anymore. I love you. Boy, do I love you. You will never be forgotten in my mind or heart, and you will continue to live through me and my example. I am saddened that I was never able to meet you here on earth. But you had better believe that I will find you in heaven, and thank you with all of the gratitude in my heart. You will be missed, but you will never be forgotten. And to Heavenly Father, I say, thank you for the time you gave us with him. Thank you for the undying love and compassion you show each of us on a daily basis, and thank you for the magnificent people that you place on this earth to lead and guide us. To you I will be forever indebted.

Before I go, I just want to comment on the actions of the youth in many states across the country, regarding President Hinckley's passing. If there was ever any question as to whether or not President Hinckley has touched the hearts of the youth and young adults of this church, they put an end to it. Please visit: http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/thousands-of-youth-wear-sunday-best-to-honor-leader to read more. I'm so proud of their actions.

All my love,
Megan

Bothersome-ness!

Okay, so today I made a list of all of the things that were REALLY bothering me. You know, the things you think about on a daily basis, but you don't realize bother you so much. (Can you tell it was just ONE OF THOSE DAYS?) ;)

My list today, was especially annoying. 2/01 - Friday

1. There is this really pretty road that I take to work. It's really windey and curvey and when you get almost to the end, there is a stretch where there are big light poles nearly 30 ft. apart from eachother on both sides of the road. On Monday, I saw them and thought, "That's a pretty meat sight to look at, with the sun coming up in the center of the road!"

Today, I thought they looked like headstones for all of the abandoned cars that had slipped off of the roads and into the ditch. Now I don't appreciate them as much as I once did.

2. We were supposed to get like 7-11 inches of snow last night. I prayed, and prayed, and prayed some more that we would get a lot of it so that I could have a three day weekend. When I awoke this morning, there was only one inch on the ground! So unfair! It totally didn't help my attitude.

3. This bothers me every single time I wear these dumb pants! I now feel like I need to excercise. Not because I feel unhealthy, or because I don't think I look good, but because I HATE the way my courduroy pants sound when my thighs rub together.

4. I left my bottle of water at home today, and they only have these little half bottles of water here at work.

5. When my boss is out of the office and she leaves written instructions that only make sense to her.

6. Why do new cell phones only come with half a charge? Hello, I want to play with my new phone not plug it in and watch it charge.

Sorry everyone, I had one of those ultra-sensitive days and these were the things that made me even more crazy. I thought you might want to know them too. I'm done for now, I promise the next post will be more... promising.

Life, and the wonderful mess that it is!

So, I am quickly learning that being a mommy is a lot harder than it looks. Er, grandma? Whatever, you know what I mean.

Lily's puppies are growing so fast, as are their functions. They've recently just started "doing their business" all on their own. For those of you who have never had a fresh litter of puppies, when they are first born, their mother (careful, this is gross.) will stimulate them to go to the bathroom... and then she eats it. It's gross, but fabulous for those of us who live with them. They've just begun this little miracle of "potty-ing" on their bed, and as much as I love to do laundry, it's just not fun. AND IT BEGINS!

I will admit though, Lily has been an awesome mommy so far. She cuddles them, and feeds them, almost whenever they want to eat, and she even keeps them pretty clean. They smell so good, with their new little puppy breath, too. My mom can't get enough of them, although, they are still at that cute irresistible phase. And amazingly, I thought they would all be adopted by now, but the fear of owning a new little puppy is too much for people to handle.

Yes, they chew.

Yes, they have accidents.

Yes, they will love your new pair of red high heels. (And YES, I know from experience.)

But the undying love and joy they will bring to your family is undeniable! When we first brought Abbey home, she wanted to play non-stop. I thought she was crazy! Come to find out, that's normal for a puppy to behave that way. Anyways, the puppies sure are becoming a very important part of our lives and it will be sad when they go to their forever homes.

My job is going pretty well, and I'm enjoying it enough. Although, I think I'm getting carpal tunnel sitting in front of my computer all day. Haha, I guess that's what happens. I've made a great friend at work, her name is Megan. Go figure. And no, she's not an imaginary friend that I named after myself. She's pretty cool, and we like a lot of the same things. She's into animals too... not quite the way I am, but almost. And she LOVES cats. She's married, and although still very young, has a eight year old son. They are a wonderful family and I can't wait to get to know them all better.

Jared is doing pretty well, just enjoying life and where it takes us. He loves Lily to pieces, and the puppies too. It's really cute to watch him love on all of them.

This year has started out pretty well, so we couldn't be more grateful. Let's hope that it's a sign as to how the rest of the year will turn out. (We need it!) My birthday is in a few weeks, so I'm sure we'll end up doing something fun, so I will be able to update you with a few pictures. Tyler and Grandma are doing well also; G-ma just turned 93 in January, so we couldn't be more thrilled. Tyler is loving his job too, which is great. My family is doing pretty well, and they have a few things to look forward to this year also. Matt will be graduating from High School (I know, it's insane!) which is a really big deal. Go Matt!

I guess that's really all there is to say this week, but keep checking out the puppies blog because I'll continue to update it with their progress. I guess I had better get back to work now. We'll chat again soon! :)

Lily, our new girl!

Hey everyone! Guess what? We have something very exciting to share with you!

Two Friday's ago, we decided (spur of the moment) to bring in a foster dog who had literally no where to go. She was completely pregnant, and abandoned in the snow for quite awhile. When we brought her in, she stunk and looked so tired. She was very timid around us, and quickly learned that she liked all of the attention!

On this past Saturday, Lily had her puppies! We were worried about them all being okay, but they were just fine. She had seven little babies, all of which are darling! I wanted to be sure to share the news with all of you. If you would like to see pictures and hear more about the puppies, please go to: http://www.peyton-puppies.blogspot.com/

If you would consider adopting one of the puppies, please visit http://www.lolin.org/ (Love of Labs Indiana) and fill out an adoption application.

We would love to see them all go to loving families!

All our love,
The Peyton's

Paintings by Peyton

I think I need to make a new blog for just my art! I wanted to share a few of them with you!

They are all for sale, so if you're interested, just let me know.

These are just some of the more recent ones.

If you want information (sizes, mediums, prices) look me up on my Facebook.com account.

Enjoy.