Doilies, red paint, & milk glass vases

...just some bits and pieces of my valentine decor this year :)

Just like last year, simple and sweet.

The Valentine's season grows on me more and more every year. What a wonderfully laid back holiday to express love and admiration to those we care about most...to make and receive valentines...to eat sweets, and smell lovely flowers...and let's be real, I'm a sucker for pretty much anything mushy-gushy and lovey-dovey :)

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Sprititual Health:

Watched this beautiful video: Temples Are a Beacon

Inspires me to get to the temple with Adam...we are so blessed to live so close to one! So blessed.

Physical Health:

Chasing after my little boy, and my sweet 6-month old nephew Wesley who just started crawling! :) Wesley and his beautiful Momma Jamie are staying with us for a couple days while she is here on business :)

My 24th in Polaroids

To start out my 24th year with

waking up to a candle-lit birthday song sung by my sweetheart,

getting couples massages (heaven),

enjoying lunch with Adam,

taking a nice long nap,

talking with sweet family & friends on the phone,

walking through the Gateway with my hand in his,

ordering a delicious shrimp tempura roll at Happy Sumo,

sipping a frapp at Starbucks with my Little B,

buying cute, cozy gloves at UO,

eating sweets and watching Modern Family...

I'd say it's going to be a good year ;)

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Spiritual Health:

Completed the Personal Progress - Knowledge Value Experience #1

I read Proverbs 1:5; 4:7;2 Nephi 28:30; and Doctrine and Covenants 88:78–80, 118; 90:15; 130:18–19;131:6.

"Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand; ...Of things both in heaven and in the earth... That ye may be prepared in all things when I shall send you again to magnify the calling whereunto I have called you, and the mission with which I have commissioned you." -- D&C 88:78-80

Physical Health:

Going to the gym (it's been too long!) before my sisters come into town! :)

little letters

Dear lady in the car next to me at the stop light,
Cheers to making eye contact and catching each other singing out loud to the same Adele song on the radio.

Dear Bennett,
Happy belated Angel Day sunshine boy! We loved being with the Kjar family on Sunday to do a yellow balloon-release in your honor and sing songs around your beautiful headstone. There was gorgeous, newly fallen snow on the ground and trees and I thought it made it look a little more like heaven :)

Dear Valentine's Day decor,
You make me smile because every time I look at you I think of my own valentine :) You made taking down the Christmas decor a liiiittle easier...

Dear left over lasagna,
I swear, you taste even better the day after.

Dear bellybutton,
Thanks for being patient with my boys who like to poke you back in to my very tight, round belly ;)

Dear Son,
Thank you sweet boy for making me laugh Sunday morning when you got all sneaky and played peek-a-boo behind the kitchen cabinets. And when you say "heyyO" (your "hello") it kills me every time! You're too stinkin' cute.

Dear pears, crumbled gorgonzola, and candied pecans,
You are what help me eat the spinach and greens that this baby and I need...for that, I love you to the moon & back.

Dear Mom,
Loved every minute of our phone call today :) Can't wait to see you in a couple months...I'm giddy just thinking about it. SO grateful you're so willing and excited to come help with Brooks and baby #2.

Dear new floral printed flats,
Thanks for making me and my feet extra happy.

Dear Adam,
You have cute buns. And, even better, you have a huge heart...thank you for being patient with this overly-emotional prego wife if yours. Can't believe how lucky I am that you're mine and I'm yours forever.

xo,

Me

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Spiritual Health:

Read the incredibly sweet talk "Love Her Mother" by Elaine S. Dalton from October's General Conference...directed to fathers. How grateful I am for the father of my children <3

"Your personal virtue will model for your daughters, and also your sons, what true strength and moral courage are. By being a guardian of virtue in your own life, in your home, and in the lives of your children, you are showing your wife and daughters what true love really is. Your personal purity will give you power."

so blessed

I am so blessed to be part of such an incredible family. Within one year, Adam's family lost 2 beautiful people...a sweet boy and an incredible man. And what I've witnessed from both experiences, was that their faith was strengthened and they grew closer together.

Today we celebrated the life of Adam's Grandfather, Stan Smoot. The funeral services were so touching...beautiful music, tender memories, funny stories, and inspiring qualities of Grandpa were shared. Overall, there was a message of love and admiration for a man who loved God with all his heart, and who loved and supported his family in everything, I mean everything. Growing up, Adam always knew his Grandpa would be in the stands at all of his wrestling matches...he was the biggest fan of all of his grandchildren, and they knew it :)

My heart went through many poignant moments as I felt the spirit today, and recalled the spirit and feelings I felt one year ago at the funeral of our nephew, Bennett. Grandpa Smoot lived a long, full life...and he used his time on earth to do so much good for so many people :) Bennett was just about to turn 2 years old...so his funeral to me was much more tender and heart breaking...yet joyful and inspiring! My heart hurts for Adam's sister and her family who long to be able to see him live his life beyond the 20 short months he had. But in those 20 months Bennett brought joy to SO many...and his passing is a reminder to us all to soak up every day with our loved ones, and to make sure we are living life the right way so that we can all be together again...death is not the end. How blessed I am to have that knowledge.

Now, I'm going to enjoy a sweet night at home with my boys...soaking up every second with them, they're such gifts :)

sprinkles

Today with baked, decorated, and ate sugar cookies with some of our sweetest friends :) Thank you so much Kira for having us over!

Brooks has never made sugar cookies so this was definitely new to him...he poked at the dough and once he figured out how good it tasted he downed about a half a cookie's worth before we could even get them in the oven. ;) Grant, his buddy, was a pro at cutting out the shapes! It's so fun to see children learn new things, and see what puts smiles on their faces...picking out different shaped cutters, squishing the dough, licking the frosting, and (Brooks' favorite) eating the sprinkles off his cookie...and the table.

*nom*nom*

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Spiritual Health:

Read Alma 46...so inspiring to read about Moroni and the Title of Liberty. Reminds me how blessed we are to have the U.S. Constitution.

Physical Health:

Adam has some church meetings tonight...while he's gone I'll hopefully hop on the treadmill and do lots of good stretching. I better, considering I ate 3 of those cookies...soon to be 4 ;)

Corrie + Lots of good food =

just the weekend I needed :)

My sister Corrie came down for the weekend...it was full of sleeping in, LOTS of laughs, fun at the park, watching Friends & painting nails, eating way too much food, playing new games (speed Scrabble rocks)...and saying goodbye wasn't too bad because we'll be seeing her and my other sister Celeste again next week for my birthday and our cousin's wedding!

And I don't know how I didn't get one picture of Adam while Corrie was here...he's a sneaky one ;) So instead I'll share this picture I snapped after one of my many trips to the loo the other night (thank you baby for jumping on my bladder;) Brooks was having a hard night so he joined Adam and I in bed cause we were one tired mama and papa...and as you can tell, Little B is a bit of a mover at night time. haha!

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Spiritual Health:

Thanks to Brit, I felt I really wanted to read Dieter F. Uchtdorf's last General Conference talk, "You Matter to Him"...oh how I needed his message today :)

"...while we may look at the vast expanse of the universe and say, 'What is man in comparison to the glory of creation?' God Himself said we are the reason He created the universe! His work and glory—the purpose for this magnificent universe—is to save and exalt mankind.

"God sees you not only as a mortal being on a small planet who lives for a brief season—He sees you as His child. He sees you as the being you are capable and designed to become. He wants you to know that you matter to Him."

Physical Health:

A reeeeeeeaally long and beautiful walk with Brooks :)