Red, White and Blue

It was a little different celebrating the 4th of July this year. We didn't get to light fireworks with family, or watch a 4th of July parade. So we decided to celebrate our own way with some yummy food. For dinner we made homemade bagel burgers. We didn't realize they were going to turn out that huge, but boy were they good!


Then for dessert, we did a little red, white and blue. You can't go wrong when dealing with ice-cream.

Camping

Daniel and I went camping at the Chickasaw State Park Camp Grounds. We left right from work Friday night. It's about an hour east from where we live. It was totally on the spur of the moment, we decided just the day before, but we wanted to get out of town, and this was our solution. It of course is July in Memphis, so it was extremely hot, but it was still so fun.

We had heard about the Park from a family Daniel home teaches, and we are glad we went. There are several kinds of camping areas. They have an RV area, Cabins, a large group area that can hold 130 people (great for family reunions), tent camping, and my favorite, wrangler campers. It's an area for campers who have horses. Have you ever heard of that. It was fun to drive by their area and see all the campers with their horses.

At the park, there was a huge lake where you could swim, paddle boat and canoe. They had hiking trails, and horse riding trails you could go on. It really is a beautiful place, but next time we'll wait until it's a little cooler out!

The paddock where they kept all the horses.

This bridge went all the way across the lake.

The view from our camp site.

Daniel and I discovered the best camping breakfast. Toasterstroodle. We have never bought them for home, but they are amazing for camping. They get all crispy on the outside, and warm on the inside, mmm!!!

Memorial Day

We didn't really have anything planned for Memorial Day. We just thought we would take a day to relax from the stresses of school and work. Well, when we woke up, we changed our mind a little.
We decided to go to Shelby Farms, and take our bikes. They have paved trails that you can ride your bikes on that are really easy rides. We decided to go around one that went around a little lake. It was a gorgeous day, and it felt so nice to get out and release some energy.
After a couple hours, we decided to go home. On the way, I suddenly had a craving for chocolate clusters. I've only eaten them a handful of times, but for some reason, once they entered my mind, it wouldn't leave. So we decided to stop by the store, and pick up supplies to make our own. Never done it before, and had no idea what I was doing. We bought dark and butterscotch chocolate, walnuts, macadamia nuts, almonds, craisins, raisins and pretzels. Once we got home, we melted the chocolate chips in 3 batched. We each had our own bowl to add whatever combination we wanted, and then just spooned them onto foil. It was absolutely amazing. Turned out pretty good for a spur of the moment idea and not knowing what i was doing. Definitely making them again.

More Birthday Celebrations

I know this post is late, but at least now it is here.
On Monday, May 10th, I celebrated my 26th birthday. One of my co-workers, Becky, made me this amazing Lime Chifon Cake. It was a 3 layer cake that she made from scratch, and it tasted amazing. I wish I had a picture of it, because it really was impressive.
Daniel and I didn't really do much else on that day, and chose to wait till the weekend to celebrate. On Saturday he took me clothes shopping for my birthday, which was much needed with my new job. That night, we had some friends over, Jay and Courtney and their baby Riley, for dinner and cake. Daniel made me a German Chocolate cake, all from scratch. I was extremely impressed, and it tasted really good. I managed to get a quick picture before the last piece was gone.

It has been 3 weekends of celebrating.
April 26th - Daniel's birthday
May 6th - Our 5 year anniversary
May 10th - my birthday
It was a lot of fun, but I can only take so much excitment.

Daniel Blogs

So, Belinda does 99.9% of the blogging, but I've (Daniel) had a lot of free time and thought I'd make a contribution! I just started the first semester of my second year of optometry. It's a mini semester, only four and a half weeks long. We didn't have to buy any books for the three classes we are taking, but I did have to buy some equipment. It cost $688. I expect to pay that much with books, but was really suprised when I saw after picking it up. It is three lenses (to do inderect ophthalmoscopy, for anyone that cares) and a "pen" to clean the lenses with! Yowza! I hope they are good lenses, and last me my entire career.


It was nice to have a week off. I really had a good week with Belinda. I just want everyone to know who reads the blog how much I love Belinda. She is smart, funny and my true love

5 Years Of Love

Daniel and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary this weekend. I can't believe how fast time has gone by, but at the same time, it feels like it has been this way forever. Strange!?!

Since we have been married, Daniel and I switch back and forth between Valentines Day and our anniversary with who is in charge. We don't do gifts, we just plan something to do together. This year I did Valentines Day, and Daniel was in charge of our anniversary.
We went to Shelby Farms to go horseback riding. It was such a beautiful day out, which was a change from all the rain we have been having. I have never been on a horse before, and so I was a little nervous, but also excited at the same time. It was an hour long ride led by a guide through a wooded trail.

My horse kept on wanting to stop and eat, but the trainer said I had to keep him on track. He finally grabbed onto a big branch of leaves, and after pulling off all he wanted, let it go, and it hit me right in the face. That of course was the highlight of the ride.
We finished off the day with desert at the Cheesecake Corner which was absolutely delicious. It was a really good day. I couldn't have asked for anything more.

Spiders

The excitment of living in Memphis. This is one of the smaller spiders we have found!

Carded

Daniel and I went grocery shopping today, and Daniel got carded at the checkout counter for buying this....

T minus 3 years

Friday was Daniel's last final. It has been a wonderful 1st year, but a little stressful at times with sleep deprivation thrown in the mix. I can't believe how fast the year has gone by. I can't help but be so proud of him for everything he has done and how hard he has worked to do well in his classes. It is exciting to have 1 year down because it means that there is an end in sight.

Daniel and I went out to lunch on Friday to celebrate after his last final. We went to Pei Wei, which came highly recommended by some of my co-workers. The food was amazing, and at the end when Daniel opened his fortune cookie, this is what it said......


How perfect!

That night, Daniel went and hung out with some of his friends to celebrate. They are all LDS 1st years. They just met at one of their homes to play games and hang out. It's nice that he has good friends to celebrate with!

Daniel's Birthday

Last weekend we celebrated Daniel's 28th birthday. On Sunday we had our friends, Jay and Courtney over for some chocolate raspberry birthday cake and games. It was really fun, but it was the weekend before finals, so it wasn't as stress free as we would have hoped.

On Monday night (his actual birthday) we had chicken tacos for dinner. This has been a long tradition in his family to have chicken tacos for his birthday dinner, and I was not going to mess it up. He also had his worst final that day, so I don't know how great the day really was. Oh well!!

Infertility Awareness Weak

This week is infertility awareness week. I posted this info on Infertility Etiquette last year, but I thought it was good enough to post again this year.

Daniel and I have been struggling with infertility for almost 5 years now. It has been a huge struggle, and a major part of who we are now. We have had to endure stupid comments from people, as well as continues failed treatments. Over the years, we have learned how to deal with our struggles better, although we still long for the day to be parents. If you know someone who is struggling with infertility, these are good things to keep in mind.

Infertility Etiquette

Chances are, you know someone who is struggling with infertility. More than seven million people of childbearing age in the United States experience infertility. Yet, as a society, we are woefully uninformed about how to best provide emotional support for our loved ones during this painful time.
Infertility is, indeed, a very painful struggle. The pain is similar to the grief over losing a loved one, but it is unique because it is a recurring grief. When a loved one dies, he isn't coming back. There is no hope that he will come back from the dead. You must work through the stages of grief, accept that you will never see this person again, and move on with your life.
The grief of infertility is not so cut and dry. Infertile people grieve the loss of the baby that they may never know. They grieve the loss of that baby who would have had mommy's nose and daddy's eyes. But, each month, there is the hope that maybe that baby will be conceived after all. No matter how hard they try to prepare themselves for bad news, they still hope that this month will be different. Then, the bad news comes again, and the grief washes over the infertile couple anew. This process happens month after month, year after year. It is like having a deep cut that keeps getting opened right when it starts to heal.

As the couple moves into infertility treatments, the pain increases while the bank account depletes. The tests are invasive and embarrassing to both parties, and you feel like the doctor has taken over your bedroom. And for all of this discomfort, you pay a lot of money.

A couple will eventually resolve the infertility problem in one of three ways:

•They will eventually conceive a baby.
•They will stop the infertility treatments and choose to live without children.
•They will find an alternative way to parent, such as by adopting a child or becoming a foster parent.
Reaching a resolution can take years, so your infertile loved ones need your emotional support during this journey. Most people don't know what to say, so they wind up saying the wrong thing, which only makes the journey so much harder for their loved ones. Knowing what not to say is half of the battle to providing support.

Don't Tell Them to Relax
Everyone knows someone who had trouble conceiving but then finally became pregnant once she "relaxed." Couples who are able to conceive after a few months of "relaxing" are not infertile. By definition, a couple is not diagnosed as "infertile" until they have tried unsuccessfully to become pregnant for a full year. In fact, most infertility specialists will not treat a couple for infertility until they have tried to become pregnant for a year. This year weeds out the people who aren't infertile but just need to "relax." Those that remain are truly infertile.

Comments such as "just relax" or "try going on a cruise" create even more stress for the infertile couple, particularly the woman. The woman feels like she is doing something wrong when, in fact, there is a good chance that there is a physical problem preventing her from becoming pregnant.
These comments can also reach the point of absurdity. As a couple, my husband and I underwent two surgeries, numerous inseminations, hormone treatments, and four years of poking and prodding by doctors. Yet, people still continued to say things like, "If you just relaxed on a cruise . . ." Infertility is a diagnosable medical problem that must be treated by a doctor, and even with treatment, many couples will NEVER successfully conceive a child. Relaxation itself does not cure medical infertility.

Don't Minimize the Problem
Failure to conceive a baby is a very painful journey. Infertile couples are surrounded by families with children. These couples watch their friends give birth to two or three children, and they watch those children grow while the couple goes home to the silence of an empty house. These couples see all of the joy that a child brings into someone's life, and they feel the emptiness of not being able to experience the same joy.
Comments like, "Just enjoy being able to sleep late . . . .travel . . etc.," do not offer comfort. Instead, these comments make infertile people feel like you are minimizing their pain. You wouldn't tell somebody whose parent just died to be thankful that he no longer has to buy Father's Day or Mother's Day cards. Losing that one obligation doesn't even begin to compensate for the incredible loss of losing a parent. In the same vein, being able to sleep late or travel does not provide comfort to somebody who desperately wants a child.

Don't Say There Are Worse Things That Could Happen
Along the same lines, don't tell your friend that there are worse things that she could be going through. Who is the final authority on what is the "worst" thing that could happen to someone? Is it going through a divorce? Watching a loved one die? Getting raped? Losing a job?

Different people react to different life experiences in different ways. To someone who has trained his whole life for the Olympics, the "worst" thing might be experiencing an injury the week before the event. To someone who has walked away from her career to become a stay-at-home wife for 40 years, watching her husband leave her for a younger woman might be the "worst" thing. And, to a woman whose sole goal in life has been to love and nurture a child, infertility may indeed be the "worst" thing that could happen.
People wouldn't dream of telling someone whose parent just died, "It could be worse: both of your parents could be dead." Such a comment would be considered cruel rather than comforting. In the same vein, don't tell your friend that she could be going through worse things than infertility.

Don't Say They Aren't Meant to Be Parents
One of the cruelest things anyone ever said to me is, "Maybe God doesn't intend for you to be a mother." How incredibly insensitive to imply that I would be such a bad mother that God felt the need to divinely sterilize me. If God were in the business of divinely sterilizing women, don't you think he would prevent the pregnancies that end in abortions? Or wouldn't he sterilize the women who wind up neglecting and abusing their children? Even if you aren't religious, the "maybe it's not meant to be" comments are not comforting. Infertility is a medical condition, not a punishment from God or Mother Nature.

Don't Ask Why They Aren't Trying IVF
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a method in which the woman harvests multiple eggs, which are then combined with the man's sperm in a petri dish. This is the method that can produce multiple births. People frequently ask, "Why don't you just try IVF?" in the same casual tone they would use to ask, "Why don't you try shopping at another store?"

Don't Be Crude
It is appalling that I even have to include this paragraph, but some of you need to hear this-Don't make crude jokes about your friend's vulnerable position. Crude comments like "I'll donate the sperm" or "Make sure the doctor uses your sperm for the insemination" are not funny, and they only irritate your friends.

Don't Complain About Your Pregnancy
This message is for pregnant women-Just being around you is painful for your infertile friends. Seeing your belly grow is a constant reminder of what your infertile friend cannot have. Unless an infertile women plans to spend her life in a cave, she has to find a way to interact with pregnant women. However, there are things you can do as her friend to make it easier.

The number one rule is DON'T COMPLAIN ABOUT YOUR PREGNANCY. I understand from my friends that, when you are pregnant, your hormones are going crazy and you experience a lot of discomfort, such as queasiness, stretch marks, and fatigue. You have every right to vent about the discomforts to any one else in your life, but don't put your infertile friend in the position of comforting you.
Your infertile friend would give anything to experience the discomforts you are enduring because those discomforts come from a baby growing inside of you. When I heard a pregnant woman complain about morning sickness, I would think, "I'd gladly throw up for nine straight months if it meant I could have a baby." When a pregnant woman would complain about her weight gain, I would think, "I would cut off my arm if I could be in your shoes."

I managed to go to baby showers and hospitals to welcome my friends' new babies, but it was hard. Without exception, it was hard. Stay sensitive to your infertile friend's emotions, and give her the leeway that she needs to be happy for you while she cries for herself. If she can't bring herself to hold your new baby, give her time. She isn't rejecting you or your new baby; she is just trying to work her way through her pain to show sincere joy for you. The fact that she is willing to endure such pain in order to celebrate your new baby with you speaks volumes about how much your friendship means to her.

Don't Treat Them Like They Are Ignorant
For some reason, some people seem to think that infertility causes a person to become unrealistic about the responsibilities of parenthood. I don't follow the logic, but several people told me that I wouldn't ache for a baby so much if I appreciated how much responsibility was involved in parenting.

Let's face it-no one can fully appreciate the responsibilities involved in parenting until they are, themselves, parents. That is true whether you successfully conceived after one month or after 10 years. The length of time you spend waiting for that baby does not factor in to your appreciation of responsibility. If anything, people who have been trying to become pregnant longer have had more time to think about those responsibilities. They have also probably been around lots of babies as their friends started their families.

Perhaps part of what fuels this perception is that infertile couples have a longer time to "dream" about what being a parent will be like. Like every other couple, we have our fantasies-my child will sleep through the night, would never have a tantrum in public, and will always eat his vegetables. Let us have our fantasies. Those fantasies are some of the few parent-to-be perks that we have-let us have them. You can give us your knowing looks when we discover the truth later.

Don't Gossip About Your Friend's Condition
Infertility treatments are very private and embarrassing, which is why many couples choose to undergo these treatments in secret. Men especially are very sensitive to letting people know about infertility testing, such as sperm counts. Gossiping about infertility is not usually done in a malicious manner. The gossipers are usually well-meaning people who are only trying to find out more about infertility so they can help their loved ones.

Regardless of why you are sharing this information with someone else, it hurts and embarrasses your friend to find out that Madge the bank teller knows what your husband's sperm count is and when your next period is expected. Infertility is something that should be kept as private as your friend wants to keep it. Respect your friend's privacy, and don't share any information that your friend hasn't authorized.

Don't Push Adoption (Yet)
Adoption is a wonderful way for infertile people to become parents. (As an adoptive parent, I can fully vouch for this!!) However, the couple needs to work through many issues before they will be ready to make an adoption decision. Before they can make the decision to love a "stranger's baby," they must first grieve the loss of that baby with Daddy's eyes and Mommy's nose. Adoption social workers recognize the importance of the grieving process. When my husband and I went for our initial adoption interview, we expected the first question to be, "Why do you want to adopt a baby?" Instead, the question was, "Have you grieved the loss of your biological child yet?" Our social worker emphasized how important it is to shut one door before you open another.

You do, indeed, need to grieve this loss before you are ready to start the adoption process. The adoption process is very long and expensive, and it is not an easy road. So, the couple needs to be very sure that they can let go of the hope of a biological child and that they can love an adopted baby. This takes time, and some couples are never able to reach this point. If your friend cannot love a baby that isn't her "own," then adoption isn't the right decision for her, and it is certainly not what is best for the baby.
Mentioning adoption in passing can be a comfort to some couples. (The only words that ever offered me comfort were from my sister, who said, "Whether through pregnancy or adoption, you will be a mother one day.") However, "pushing" the issue can frustrate your friend. So, mention the idea in passing if it seems appropriate, and then drop it. When your friend is ready to talk about adoption, she will raise the issue herself.

So, what can you say to your infertile friends? Unless you say "I am giving you this baby," there is nothing you can say that will erase their pain. So, take that pressure off of yourself. It isn't your job to erase their pain, but there is a lot you can do to lesson the load. Here are a few ideas.

Let Them Know That You Care
The best thing you can do is let your infertile friends know that you care. Send them cards. Let them cry on your shoulder. If they are religious, let them know you are praying for them. Offer the same support you would offer a friend who has lost a loved one. Just knowing they can count on you to be there for them lightens the load and lets them know that they aren't going through this alone.

Remember Them on Mother's Day
With all of the activity on Mother's Day, people tend to forget about women who cannot become mothers. Mother's Day is an incredibly painful time for infertile women. You cannot get away from it-There are ads on the TV, posters at the stores, church sermons devoted to celebrating motherhood, and all of the plans for celebrating with your own mother and mother-in-law.

Mother's Day is an important celebration and one that I relish now that I am a mother. However, it was very painful while I was waiting for my baby. Remember your infertile friends on Mother's Day, and send them a card to let them know you are thinking of them. They will appreciate knowing that you haven't "forgotten" them.

Support Their Decision to Stop Treatments
No couple can endure infertility treatments forever. At some point, they will stop. This is an agonizing decision to make, and it involves even more grief. Even if the couple chooses to adopt a baby, they must still first grieve the loss of that baby who would have had mommy's nose and daddy's eyes.
Once the couple has made the decision to stop treatments, support their decision. Don't encourage them to try again, and don't discourage them from adopting, if that is their choice. Once the couple has reached resolution (whether to live without children, adopt a child, or become foster parents), they can finally put that chapter of their lives behind them. Don't try to open that chapter again.

*****

Storms

We have been hearing rumors of a big storm coming, but we didn't really know whether to believe it or not after the last 'winter storm' we had in January. Late yesterday afternoon the clouds started to get a little dark and it looked like the rumors might be true. It started to rain a little, and after a while the thunder and lightning started. It was off and on through out the night, but nothing horrible. This morning when we woke up, the storm was still going on. By this time though, the winds had picked up and the rain was just pouring down. We went outside to take a look, but it was hard to capture it all in a picture. So we took a couple videos so you could hear the rain and thunder. An hour later the sun came out and the sky was blue again.

Work Birthday

Today was my co-worker, Becky's birthday. I made a Raspberry Chocolate Ganache cake, because I had heard that she liked that cake flavor. I had never made anything close to that before, so I was a little nervous, but I found this easy recipe online, and decided to go for it. It turned out really well, and tasted amazing, even if I say so myself. It was super moist and chocolaty. So, Happy Birthday Becky!!

It was a good day!

Shelby Farms Park

This past weekend, Daniel and I went to Shelby Farms Park. We had heard a lot about it in the past months since we moved here, but didn't really know too much about it. We decided to go and take a look, and thought it would be a nice break before Daniel has to cram for his finals coming up.
I never really understood why people liked Memphis so much, because as far as I could tell, all there was were bars and clubs. Very exciting. Once we arrived at Shelby Farms, by impression of Memphis changed. To me, this is the best part of Memphis.
The park is absolutely huge. Right when you pull in, there is this Bison Range full of Buffalo. I don't really know what they are there for, but it was fun to look at.

We drove around a bit to see what else the place had to offer. There is a kite flying area, parks and play toys galore, a stable area where you can ride horse trails, Frisbee golf courses, fishing areas, trails in all lengths for biking, running or walking, a really big pond where you can paddle boat, canoe and kayak, and wide open spaces to run and play. After driving around, we decided to go paddle boating.

There were 5 little islands in the pond that we could paddle around. It was the perfect day to be outside. We saw lots of ducks and geese nesting in the long grass on the little islands.

After we paddle boated, we took a walk on the shortest trail they had, which was 1.67 miles. It was really pretty and relaxing. We also found that they had a place where they did farmers market in the summer, which we are really excited about. It brings back good memories of working farmers market in Washington.

As we were leaving, we saw a place where you could go and pick your own strawberries. We really wanted to go, but we missed the turn, and it was getting late so we chose not to turn around and go back. It was a great day though. A nice change from our normal routine of work, study and no play. Daniel and I are looking forward to taking our bikes there next time..... once finals are over!!

Easter Came Early This Year!!

I know that it is kinda late to be talking about Easter, but I want to tell you my favorite part of Easter. Every holiday, Daniel and I always roll our eyes at the many stores that start putting out holiday stuff a month or 2 before the actual holiday. But this time, it was a good thing.

My favorite Easter candy are the Cadbury chocolate eggs. They only come out at Easter, and can be hard to find. We didn't get a chance to enjoy them the past 2 years, so this year I was a little more determined. As soon as the Easter candy came out after Valentines Day, I went searching. I found only 4 bags at Walmart. I was so excited, we bought 2 bags. Obviously we didn't wait until Easter to enjoy them, but when we went to the store again a week later, they were gone. So it's not always a bad thing when stores start putting out holiday stuff early!!

Accents??

One of my church callings I have, is helping out in the nursery every other week. I really don't enjoy it, but I try to put a smile on my face.
Yesterday, I was chatting with one of the other sisters in Nursery, and she was asking me a bit about myself. After learning I was from South Africa, she made a comment about how I didn't have an accent. A few moments later, one little boy came up to me with his dinosaur and ROARED!! in my face. I then took off my glasses, and while cleaning them said "Agh, he just spat in my face." The other Sister then said that she could tell that I had an accent because I said spat, instead of spit. How that is an accent, I don't know. I later asked Daniel about it, and he said that he would have said, "He just spit in my face" too. That doesn't make any sense to me. I mean, you don't say,

"He just drink my juice"

"He just run over my foot"

"She just eat my food"

right?? It just seems weird to me that because I put my sentence in the past tense, that it was an accent.

My Alarming Quirks

I have 2 majorly weird things about me. Daniel thinks I'm a little crazy, but I just can't seem to change.

The first one isn't too weird, and I mostly got into the habit in college. I think I got it from my roommate, Christi. I always set my alarm clock 30 minutes before I want to actually get up. Not because I want to get up earlier, but so I can snooze. I feel like I have to get in some good snoozing time before I can start my day. If I set my alarm earlier, I still get up the time I wanted, but I feel like I got some extra sleep because I snoozed for 30 minuets before.

The second one is a little weird, I have to admit, but I can't help it. Daniel makes fun of me for this all the time. When I go to set my alarm, I can't set it on an even number, or in the 5 minute increments of a face watch. So for example, I can't ever set my clock for 3:30 (even) or 3:45 (face watch). Does that make sense?? So instead, I will set it for 3:31 or 3:47 instead. For some reason I just can't do it. Crazy right?? Even though I know it is, I can't help myself.

Mall Walkers

Since I never go to the mall before the stores open, I have never noticed this before. I noticed it for the first time when I went to the mall a few months ago after dropping Daniel off at school, not realizing that it wasn't even 8am yet. There were people walking around the mall as part of their morning exercise. I thought it was an interesting idea, but didn't think that much of it.

Recently, we went to another mall a little further from where we live, also early in the morning. There where at least 3 times as many mall walkers at this mall. I couldn't believe it. They just walk around the edges of all the corridors, never cutting a corner. Some get really into it and are completely dressed the part, and never miss a beat. It ranges from moms pushing their strollers, to older couples who take it a little slower.

It completely amazed us. We just sat and watched them all for about 30 mins. I had never heard of mall walking before, but after seeing it at 2 different malls, I did a little research. Most malls, all over the nation, open early just so that people can do their mall walking exercises. Some malls have a Mall Walking Club that you can join, and there is also the Mall Walkers Association of America you can join too if you are really into it.

I just think it is the craziest thing I have ever seen, but I also see the benefits. You don't have to worry about outside weather conditions or your safety if you are exercising alone. It's a little bizarre to watch, but I could see myself doing it one day.

Feels Like Home To Me!

We had another winter storm come through yesterday, but this one was a little more then the last. Daniel's school was canceled, which I was very happy about. There had been mention of freezing rain and snow. It wasn't the snow that scared me, but all that freezing rain. The temperatures had dropped really fast, and I knew the roads would be bad. And with the way people drive in Memphis, I was glad he didn't have to go out in it. They also canceled church for tomorrow, so it looks like we don't have to go anywhere in this weather. I don't know if Memphis knows how to clear a layer of ice off the roads. And with the temperatures in the 20's, I don't think it is going to melt any time soon.

Well, this morning I woke up, and looked out the window to see what had happened over night. I got so excited to see all the snow and ice on the ground. It felt like home again. Like we were back in Rexburg. I made Daniel come outside with me, and we took some great pictures of all the ice. It's really pretty to look at, but I'm glad we don't have to drive in it.

This just shows how thick the ice was on the road. CRAZY!!

The railing leading to the parking lot from our apartment. I just can't get over the ice!!

The trees behind our apartment looked so pretty. The ice is so clear, and it makes the tree look like it is sparkling.

Farewell Poppy

Monday morning I woke up, and as usuall, went to check on our pet rat, Poppy. He was getting really old, and we've noticed how he hasn't been moving around very easily. He used to be very energetic, and the moment he heard anyone walk into the room he would run out his cage and look to see what was going on. He mostly was hoping for a treat. When we let him out, he would just run and hop around all excited. Lately though, you would have to make a lot of noise by his cage to get him to poke his head out. He wasn't able to climb the stairs to his food, so we had to bring it down to him. So for the fast few weeks we have been thinking he probably wouldn't be around much longer. and Monday morning when I went to check on him, he didn't come out his home, and we knew he was gone.

He was a really good rat, and a fantastic first pet for us. We are going to miss him. Farewell Poppy!!

Why am I awake at 3am??

Last night i was awoken by a sharp jab in the back, followed by a flash of light. Then I heard a desperate voice telling me to get out of bed. I crawled out of bed still half asleep, then slumped myself on the ground against the wall. It took a few seconds before I understood what was happening.
Daniel had felt something crawl across his chest, and quickly moved to turn on his light, jabbing me in the back in the process. As he turned on his light, he realized it was a huge spider and ended up knocking his light over and smashing the bulb. That's when he called out for me to get out of bed. I turned on my light, and helped him look for the spider. He went and got the flashlight so he could look in all the good hiding places around our bed. There was no spider in sight, so I asked if he might have just dreamed it. Then he became a little unsure of himself. I told him that there was no way I was going to get back into bed, unless he finds that spider. After another 20 minutes, we were both so exhausted that we just climbed back into bed and fell asleep, dreaming about spiders.

Naartjies

Growing up, I always looked forward to the winter seasons. That is when my favorite fruit came out. Oranges. My mother would by oranges by the bulk, and they would never go bad, because I loved oranges. I love the sweetness mixed with a little tart, the delicious smell it lets out when you break the skin, and the refreshing taste it leaves in your mouth when you are done. When I moved to the states, nothing changed. As soon as they were out in the store, I was there filling my shopping cart.

About a month ago, I was in Missouri with my mother-in-law, and she bought a box of clementines. In South Africa, we call them Naartjies. I can't even remember the last time I had one of those. Anyway, I am sad to say that I have now switched over. Out with the old, and in with the new. How can anyone resist a juicy, sweet clementine. They are a million times easier to peel, and are the perfect snack. Since I first tried them a month ago, we have bought 3 boxes. I just ate the last one, so I don't know what Daniel will say when he gets home. Oops! So if you haven't had one yet this year, get out and bye some.

Actions of Love

Every second Wednesday of the month, Daniel doesn't have classes. He planned on using those days to work as many hours as possible. Today however, he decided to stay home with me. I was so excited to be able to spend the day with my husband in the middle of the week. We slept in, went and watch Avatar in 3-D, went out to Baskin Robins, then rented Star Trek and cuddled on the couch. It was a great day.

I know my husband loves me, and would do just about anything for me. The reason why I know that, is the little actions of love that he shows me every day. When he dances with me in the kitchen, gives me a back rub, runs me a bubble bath, sends me an email to tell me about his day or sending me a text just to say hi. It would be hard for me to know how he feels, if he never ever showed it to me. I am so blessed to be married to someone who shows me everyday how much he loves me, by the little things he does.

Back to Basics

This past Sunday, we started our lessons from the new Gospel Principles manual. The week before, it was introduced to us, and I have been so excited about learning from the new manual.

The teacher started teaching, and we had a little discussion going. Then quoting from Genesis 1: 26-27, she read He made man in His own image to be a ruler over His other creations. At that point, a non member (who has been coming to church for the past 3 weeks) rose her hand and asked what it meant when it said that we were made in His image. Noticing that the teacher was caught off guard and a little speechless, the Relief Society President went on to explain, how we believe that God has a body of flesh and bone, His body has been perfected just like ours one day will, and that He is real enough for us to hug Him.
The look on the investigators face was priceless. She had never before thought that God had a body, and that He was a person. She had always thought of Him as some void out there. The Spirit in that room was so powerful as many other sisters started sharing their testimonies of God and Christ.

As I walked out of the room at the end of church, I thought about the investigators question a lot. Growing up in the church, I take for granted the simple things I know. Knowing that there are people out there who really don't know even the basics, makes me realize how much I take my testimony for granted. I know more then I thought I knew. I truly do feel blessed to have the knowledge I have from being raised in the gospel. I am now even more excited for next weeks lesson. I really like that we are going back to basics.

Winter Storm

For the past few days, the weather has been awful. The temperature has been in the teens, so it has been bitterly cold. There have been signs posted around our apartment to allow our faucets to drip during the night, and all over the news there has been talk of a terrible winter storm coming. The county has tried very hard to make sure that we are all prepared for the winter storm.

Well, today it hit. An inch of snow on the ground. All the schools were closed, and Daniel's school was delayed 2 hours. The snow ploughs were out early this morning ploughing away at the inch of snow.
I could not believe it. After living in Rexburg for 4 years, I know what a real snow fall is, and here they are canceling school over an inch. It just blows my mind, but I guess that's Memphis for you.