Hello Dolly!

I love dogs--who doesn't? Man's best friend, seriously--everyone needs one, usually more. ;) So, I may have given in and added a new baby to the family. Say hello Dolly!!!

Happy Birthday Sean!

Happy Birthday Sean Patrick! 13 pretty much is the coolest number ever! :) We decided to make cupcakes this year, mixin' up the Mario theme just a bit.

The Difference Between Cats and Dogs

So I was working on a Spanish paper today, in which I compared cats and dogs--real exciting, I know, but Spanish always is. :P Anyway, I came across this and quite enjoyed it:

The Difference Between Cats and Dogs

1. Dogs come when you call them. Cats take a message and get back to you when they are good and ready.
2. Dogs will give you unconditional love forever. Cats will make you pay for every mistake you"ve ever made since the day you were born.
3. Dogs will let you give them a bath without taking out a contract on your life.
4. Dogs will tilt their heads and listen whenever you talk. Cats will yawn and close their eyes.
5. Dogs will bark to wake you up if the house is on fire. Cats will quietly sneak out the back door.
6. Dogs will sit, lie down, and heel on command. Cats will smirk and walk away.
7. Dogs will bring you your slippers or the evening newspaper. Cats might bring you a dead mouse.
8. Dogs will greet you and lick your face when you come home from work. Cats will be mad that you went to work at all.
9. Dogs will play Frisbee with you all afternoon. Cats will take a three hour nap.
10. Dogs will sit on the car seat next to you. Cats have to have their own private box or they will not go at all.

I love my puppies--even when it's 100 degrees outside, they will ALWAYS come and cuddle. :)

funny how we affect one another

Puppy Therapy

"When you feel lousy, puppy therapy is indicated."

--Sara Paretsky

MacGyver's mama had puupies! Five sweet little girls--they are about 5-6 weeks old now, and we got to visit them today. I am stealing one for myself I think...

thank you for loving me

"Love me when I least deserve it because that's when I really need it."

-Swedish proverb

I know this isn't a newsflash by any means, but I can be a serious brat sometimes--thank you to all those who love me anyway. <3

cake bites

So it's been quite a while since I've posted any treats--where does the time go??? I can't believe it sometimes. Hopefully soon I will get back on the ball and start making cakes! I'm excited--hopefully the sugar doesn't get to me too much though, haha. ;)

A few weeks back a friend of mine took me to the Sweet Tooth Fairy Bakery, which I highly recommend (delicious!), and inspired by their amazing cake bites I decided to try some of my own. The Elder's Quorum in my ward were huge fans of said treats for sure--I thought I made a boat load, but they couldn't get enough! They were pretty good if I do say so myself, at least for a first try. :)

Beauty

"Nothing makes a woman more beautiful than the belief that she is beautiful." -Sophia Loren

Who can argue with that? Like any normal female mortal being, I have had troubles with my self-esteem and body image from time to time. I remember being on the ballroom dance team in Junior High: my mom had to custom make or alter all my costumes because they didn't have any that were big enough for me. Many of those lovely girls wanted me off the team, because I didn't represent the thin and "beautiful" image that ballroom should portray. I was crushed. Our coach pulled me aside and told me not to listen: "Look at your mother, one day you will look like that too." My mother is drop-dead gorgeous, and I'll bet none of you can ever figure out just how old she is. The problem was that I was 12 and didn't want to wait that long to be beautiful--I was ashamed, and I'm not sure I ever got over it.

Until now. The past few years have been a struggle, particularly this past year with surgery and whatnot, but these trials brought more blessings than I could ever wish for, for one: an understanding of worth and a love of self. I worked my butt off trying to be beautiful, but I remember the day I could successfully fit into a pair of size 0 jeans--my dream was to be a size 6, so a size 0 was above and beyond my dreams. Yet as I stood looking into the dressing room mirror, I wasn't happy at all. It didn't matter what size I wore or how much I weighed--I wasn't happy with myself, and no amount of external change was going to fix that. I had to learn HOW to be beautiful--DEEP BEAUTY, not this Hollywood drama. True beauty comes from within; I know we've all heard that, but it couldn't be more true.

A few months ago a friend of mine told me that he had to stare into a mirror and repeat "I am happy" over and over and over until he believed it. It seemed to simple to work, but I trusted him and gave it a shot. Every morning--every time I passed a mirror or a reflecting window--I looked myself square in the eyes and said, "I am happy, and I am beautiful." I felt ridiculous at first, but after a while something changed. I found myself passing mirrors or building windows, even car windshields, and without the effort my mind would shout "I AM HAPPY AND I AM BEAUTIFUL! Heck girl, I am absolutely gorgeous!" It may sound vain to you, but stop and think for just a moment: how many of us are actually excited to look into a mirror? In fact, according to a recent BYU study, the fear of getting fat is seen even in the brain scans of healthy, well-adjusted women . None of us are safe unless we come to know and understand the truth.

In his address "Reflection in the Water," Elder Deiter F. Uchtdorf explains how we are all like Hans Christian Andersen's THE UGLY DUCKLING:

"Like this young swan, most of us have felt at one time or another that we don’t quite fit in. Much of the confusion we experience in this life comes from simply not understanding who we are. Too many go about their lives thinking they are of little worth when, in reality, they are elegant and eternal creatures of infinite value with potential beyond imagination....

My dear young friends, this knowledge allows you to see your own reflection in the water. It assures you that you are not ordinary, rejected, or ugly. You are something divine—more beautiful and glorious than you can possibly imagine. This knowledge changes everything. It changes your present. It can change your future. And it can change the world."

We are all divine and beautiful--beauty and happiness doesn't come through anything that this world has to offer. It comes only from the love of God that we find within. If you ever find yourself struggling, turn to Him and He will show you time and time again what a wonderful being you truly are. You are beautiful, and don't ever let anyone ever tell you different. <3

be still--it's a still small voice afterall

I have an imagination like you would not believe. I also think in ways that you would never imagine--my mind is constructed in a strange way. Sometimes this is great--like when I forget to do the reading for a debate, but can still win the argument. However, it's not so great when it comes to revelation and inspiration--how do I know whether or not it is the spirit or my own wild imagination? This article is the perfect answer, I highly recommend reading the entire thing. However, I was especially touched by this last segment; it was humbling because I am guilty of many of the don'ts (tiredness, stress, busyness, worry...). But I am also proudly guilty of the do's sometimes. :) The point of my rambling is read his counsel and apply it to your life--in a world of so much chaos and stress and no time for anything, let us put aside time for God to speak to us. Trust me, I can testify from experience that it saves a whole heck of a lot of time and stress and worry.

What can I do to enhance my ability to hear, recognize, and follow the voice of the Lord? (from "Is It Revelation?" by Elder Gerald N. Lund)

There are many answers that could be given to that question: be worthy, pray always, earnestly seek the Lord, follow the General Authorities. But I should like to answer in a little different way.

The Lord’s voice is still and small and it whispers. If our lives are filled with “noise,” we will find it difficult to hear. We must find ways to reduce the inner noise in our lives and create times of inner stillness and quiet.

There are many sources of inner noise. Some are obvious. Sin can create tremendous inner noise. Anger and contention are a major source of inner noise. Other sources of inner noise are not necessarily bad in and of themselves. Physical tiredness, stress, busyness, apathy, and worry can all create inner noises of their own.

Even outer noise can detract from inner quiet. We often live in envelopes of outer noise. This is not a bad thing, but it may interfere at times with the quiet whisperings the Lord wants to give us.

Let me mention one other common source of great inner noise. When we desperately desire something, it creates a great rush of emotion within us. And high emotion can mask or cover spiritual promptings. Even if the thing we desire is a good thing, our “wants” may be so high that we become unwilling or unable to hear the Lord’s will in the matter.

Thankfully, the scriptures and the prophets teach us how to reduce inner noise and create times of quiet and reverence.

Reading and studying the word of God is a great source of inner quiet. You can feel things begin to change. The agitation melts away, and peace comes in its place. I have experienced that time and again in my own life.

Prayer is another source of inner quiet and serenity. I am not talking about the I-have-to-do-my-duty sort of prayers. I speak of prayers that are consistent, focused, and submissive to God’s will.

We can increase our own personal reverence. In sacrament meetings we can sit quietly and prepare for the covenant-making process offered there. We witness to God that we are willing to “always remember him” (see D&C 20:77, 79). If we keep that covenant, we shall always have His Spirit to be with us.

Finally, deliberately put aside the cares of the world, put aside the rush of our daily lives, and find a quiet place and a quiet time to sit and ponder and reflect and meditate.

If the voice of the Lord is still and small and it whispers, should it surprise us that His counsel is “Be still and know that I am God”? (D&C 101:16). There is great significance to that simple statement. Only as we are still can we learn to hear the still, small voice.

“The Spirit does not get our attention by shouting or shaking us with a heavy hand. Rather it whispers. It caresses so gently that if we are preoccupied we may not feel it at all. …

“Occasionally it will press just firmly enough for us to pay heed. But most of the time, if we do not heed the gentle feeling, the Spirit will withdraw and wait until we come seeking and listening.”
—President Boyd K. Packer, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “The Candle of the Lord,” Ensign, Jan. 1983, 53.

love doesn't give up

I'm too tired and have no time to blog these days--the next two weeks are basically Hell, so don't take it personally if I don't talk to you for a while. Too much time and not enough to do--or something like that, right? :P Anyway... in my few minutes of brainless internet time before bed I came across Elein's amazing blog--by the way Elein, you always say just what I need to hear at that very moment I need it most, for sure. Elein Dodge is seriously one of the many wonderful tender mercies in my life. Since I don't have time to come up with my own original thoughts, enjoy hers instead:

“When I’m tempted to do something that feels like giving up, I won’t … because love doesn’t give up (I Corinthians, 13). But, lest I push love aside, I will make sure that what I’m holding on to can coexist with love.” ~ Jan Denise

People are important. Never give up on them. I learned that this weekend. It was mostly about family members and ourselves but I think it can be extended. It’s true, we should never give up on family. We should never give up on ourselves and slip into oblivion’s misery. We shouldn’t give up on people who make us happy. We shouldn’t give up on people who obviously need our influence in their lives. Relationships can get really hard. Relationships take a lot to maintain and they can be draining. But, never give up on those relationships that you treasure. Love yourself, love your family, and love your fellowmen. (http://yourbiggestfan30.wordpress.com/)

AMEN.