Moments

The past couple weeks I have been making notes of different random moments that i'd like to remember. 

Baby Hungry Moment: 
      I was telling Sam some of the things that I learned in my socialization class. Namely, when babies/toddlers get really happy they "chirp" from excitement and JOY; and at about 9 months babies are very responsive and parents can "emotionally dance" with there kids. So if the parents "practice" the baby will move their limbs at the rate of your voice, and will actually change the rate of there body movement with your voice rate. It's really cute. The cuter part was Sam's reaction: Sam got SO excited for the day when we are blessed to bring kids into this world!!

Hobby Moment: 
       I love to Organize. Honestly. I am pretty tolerant when things aren't organized so it took me awhile to realize that I really DO like  to organize {the tolerance actually helps me to enjoy it and not feel obligated to do it :)}. I also LOVE preparing for the future and planning. Sam and I went through our important papers and updated our filing system {aka my old filing system from 3 years ago that is no longer working}. I decided that my life is pretty busy to try and keep maintaining things. So under {Housing} I added a file for "Mortgage" and under {Insurances} we added "Life Insurance" :) We also made a binder for our important legal documents {S.S. card, Birth certificates, wedding announcement :) }. I actually wanted to do this last summer but I ran out of time.

GRE Moment: GRE accepted my petition!! :)

Scrapbooking Moment: 
      I asked Sam if he could go through all of my several crazy locations of scrapbook stuff and pull things that I could use for my easter testimony book {It's a final project I am doing for one of my classes-- to make a religious object}. I started to show Sam examples of what to pull and then he said: I think it would be easier for me to organize your stuff and so you can find/access it quicker when you need it. I thought this was a great idea! I have been wanting to organize all of my scrapbook papers/stamps/paper-sewing machine/tools/instruments(as Sam calls them) etc... for years and years now! I just haven't had the time. As we went through one of the big boxes that had idea books, stampin-up books and paper I finally found my box with all of my medals and trophies!!! I had been so worried I had lost them and Sam had never seen all of them. :) So as most organizing/going through boxes projects go, you stumble upon random papers that need to be sorted through.

When this project was winding down I said:
"Sam, this is so great! Now, I only have 1.5 junk boxes to go through!" 
"Yeah, now I have all this useless information of where everything is! ;)"

{Note: when I got married a year-ago I had about 8 "junk" boxes- who knew a 20-year-old could have so much stuff? Something else that is funny is after I asked Sam where he thought I got some of these things he basically replied that after box two he stopped questioning where I got some of the things and why I have some things :p it was funny}

Easter Traditions

I wanted to add to my Easter Holliday traditions. I have found Easter to be a truly sacred and powerful celebration in my life and I wanted this very special holliday to be prominent in my family as we remember the Atonement and Resurrection. I have also learned the importance of having traditions and rituals, for the right reasons, because they can aid in your progression towards reaching your family goals {Sam and I have been having a lot of fun deciding what traditions and rituals we want to keep in our family and what new ones we want to start}.

Elder L. Tom Perry said: “The Lord has not been so explicit in providing us religious customs along the order of feasts and festivals to remind us of the blessings we receive from Him today. However, the practice of having traditions to keep us close to the great heritage which is ours to enjoy should be something every family should try to keep alive” (“Family Traditions,” Ensign, May 1990, 20).

The egg has become an almost universal symbol of Easter to represent the Savior’s breaking the bands of death through His Resurrection. Thus coloring and hiding eggs for an Easter egg hunt and giving Easter baskets are common traditions.

Traditions:
* Easter Basket- Hidden in the morning {we bought ours last year and I am so excited to use it}

* Special Easter scrapbook that chronicles every year of happy family memories-- After Easter dinner, take a photograph of all the family members and other dear friends who shared dinner with us {Then include the testimonies}
* Include written testimony; a personal treat/ inside joke {Got Sammy Nutter Butters this year}
* Watch atonement movie on Saturday
* Express JOY about the resurrection!!

* Sharing Easter Music--Music can have a wonderful influence on us at Easter. {Gather at the piano to sing hymns and Primary songs about Easter.} 

* Share an Easter {Family} Meal Together {Go out to semi-fancy restaurant to show how extraordinary and meaningful Easter is}

* Attend the temple

Ideas with future kids:
* Each evening during the week before Easter have a short lesson on the things that happened during the last week of the Savior’s life. Would be a good time to talk about the egg as a symbol of new life and the Resurrection.{Include testimony bearing in FHE routine}

* When kids are young, put in a message with the Easter egg hunt. {Place message inside a plastic egg a small item that symbolizes something related to Christ’s death and Resurrection and a scripture to read. Then number the eggs in sequence of the Easter story. As the children open the eggs in order, they learn of Christ’s Atonement and Resurrection.}

* Seeking out Easter-related concerts to help them remember the Savior’s sacrifice.
* Children are grown: invite other adult friends to a special dinner and share memories and reflect on what Easter means. 

Note: I got some of these ideas from a great article that was recently released by the church.

http://motherhoodmatters.blogs.deseretnews.com/2013/03/06/a-deliberate-mothers-guide-to-a-christ-centered-easter/

Weekly Delights

* Sam calling me "You sillys"

* Having amazing and long conversations with Sam about parenting and how we are going to approach some parenting topics {how to exactly apply being authoritative through examples}.

* Going to an awards banquet and being recognized for my accomplishments {It felt great to be applauded by the president of BYU and Deans of colleges}

* Falling asleep snuggling {Sam always goes to bed with me and then gets back up to finish his homework}
* A hard-working husband

* Seeing blessing after blessing come to Sam during his {most likely} busiest college week yet.

* Having a luncheon with the donors of my scholarship and their kids, two donor liaisons  and the director of the School of Family Life. {More on this to come later}

* Finding out I was in a picture for an advertisement for a department on campus. 

* The warm weather and sunshine

* Having an awesome talk about ideologies with Sam

* Date night with Sam using our Texas Roadhouse gift card

* Giving advise

*Having a conversation with my big brother Syd {see below}. 

* Having my mother remind me of how rare of opportunities that I have had in my life {like the Heisman winner and state finalist}

* Talking to my lil' sis Courtney for 2 hours

* Rediscovering every day why Sam is so perfectly made for me

* Watching Sam's intramural team win their game!! It was tied the second half. With 20 seconds to go the other team scored {2} and then with 11 seconds to go we scored {3}. It was exciting!!

* Feeling soooo much love my heart and soul feel like they are going to burst