Update in a Nutshell. . .

First of all,

I have realized that you can't help negative feelings, emotions, and interactions, but you can help how you deal with things and how you respond and act. I love this quote. . .

"As you take the normal opportunities of your daily life and create something of beauty and helpfulness, you improve not only the world around you but also the world within you. Happiness is your heritage." - Dieter F. Uchtdorf. . . Finding Joy

We celebrate our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY in exactly one month from today! Yeah baby! We will be going to California for a much needed VACA!!!

I just LOVE having my blood drawn! I mean, where else can you pass out twice, get free orange juice then throw it up, and almost faint walking to your car? LOVE IT!!!! :)

I am so blessed to have been such a big part of the day my best friend has her baby. It was really spiritual for me to be able to wait for little Avery to come from heaven! Congratulations mel, you are an inspiration to me, and will be an incredible mom!

Girls! I am excited for our Fancy Nancy party this week!

Also :( Brian just applied for a position in Irvine and Orange County, California. . .

Here we go again folks. . . .

My April FOOLS day disaster :)

So I have always loved April fools day as a kid. My mom knew how much I loved it too, so she would always know it was april fools before me, so as to expect what it was I was concocting!

Anyways, being a GROWNUP and all, I decided this year it would be fun to just trick her a little to see what her reaction would be. I guess this is because I was so bored and had nothing better to do.

So I got out my cell phone, and sent a text to her that said. "So Um. . . . I'm prego mommy." I waited like thirty seconds and send a second one that said, "Gotcha, April Fools!" Nothing happens for five minutes. I am waiting by the phone for her and nothing.

All of a sudden my phone lights up and I answer to hear its mom IN TEARS about how excited she is to be a grandma and how I will make the best mom and how I found out and when I knew, and if I think it will look like me or brian. . . etc.

Right about now, I was looking for the nearest cliff to jump off, or the nearest window to jump out. I couldn't believe she BELIEVED ME!!!! Didn't she know what day it was!?!?!?! Here is our little conversation. . .

"Well mom, uh. . . Do you know what day it is?"

"No dear, should I? Is today a special day? Other than the fact that your expecting!?!?!?"

"Well mom, its the first day in April and well. . . . I. . . . . "

Silence

Silence

Silence

"Linds is there something you want to tell me? sniff sniff. . . "

"Uh, did you get my text mom?"

"Yes! I did, I was so excited I called you the minute I got out of my meeting!

"Yeah, about that. . . Did you get both of my texts?"

"I just looked. No, just the one."

"Hmm, well. . . .

sigh

"Well Mom, I am the most horrible person. I told you I was pregant as an april fools joke, and now I feel absolutely awful about it. I really do, I didn't mean to trick you. I swear I promise mom, I feel so bad."

"I see. . . sigh. . . So let me get this straight, You are NOT pregnant?"

"Clears throat. . . Um . . . No. I am not pregnant."

"Well ok then. I guess will talk to you later. . . Its too bad, I was really excited and now I just kind of feel let down :("

How do you top a disaster like that? I don't think you can. I have learned my lesson, I will never pull a prank like that again.

Ty rewarded me later by letting me believe he won Brit tickets on the radio, vip and that he was going to let me and court take them. I was so excited I couldn't believe it.

I guess I deserved it

Happy April. . .

I guess that is why they call it FOOLS day. . .

P.s. Don't rely on technology to deliver any message. Especially when you need it to most!

Blah blah blah. . .

The sole and only purpose of this post is to vent. So if you are ready read on. . .

It takes alot to really anger me. I wake up happy, I go to bed happy, and I am pretty much happy all the time. I am a girl of many simple pleasures and lately, I have tried to be even more happy and thankful than I normally am. . .

So I have been soul searching a bit and making more time for spirituality in my day! It is not so I can be able to say that I can, but because I really feel like I need it and that is really making me a better wife, daughter, friend, sister, aunt, cousin, granddaughter, etc. In my opinion, it is hard enough living in this world trying to bypass all the negative aspects. And to say the least, I have really noticed an added abundance of happy :)

So what is it with all the FREAKING COMPLAINERS!!!! GEEZ PEOPLE!!!!

*I am not talking about people who have been through something awful and need support. I am not talking about those people who are sick, or afflicted, or need a shoulder to cry on.

I am talking about people who have it pretty dang good, and still need to tell all of us how bad their life is all the time, every day, 365 days a year!!!!!

I am not trying to be insensitive but it has really gotten to me! Why should I have to hear all the complaining when I am the one who is trying to be positive?!?!?!

For your reading entertainment here are my favorite negative comments lately from my favorite complainers. . .

My house isn't big enough. I just hate it, I hate where I live and I hate my yard, and I hate my walls, and I hate the size. I hate everything about it. I can't wait til we live in a mansion. . .

I only lost five pounds this week. I am so fat. I just don't know what to do, I loathe myself. It makes me mad so I am going to treat everyone around me like they are the scum of the earth. . .

My phone is so incompetent, it is lame and I want one with ALL the features, but I don't want to pay any more, I just want a nice new free phone. Like an I phone. Yeah one of those. . .but free.

I can't believe I just ate a cookie! I am freaking out! Oh my gosh what have I done!!!!! I will not eat anything that is not organic, 100 percent organic.

What have you done? Let me get this straight. . . Was it a deadly lethal cookie? Poisonous and all? Hold on, I am dialing poison control :)

I am so unhappy, I just hate it.When is my life not going to seem so miserable? All I do is wait for things to come around. Do you know how long I have just waited? FOREVER. . .

Gosh Linds, For the eight time this week, my coffee shop has messed up my favorite triple carmel machiato venti grande coffee delight shaken not stirred extra cream no sprinkles grand world special with lo cal low fat no sugar whipping cream. . . Do you know how horrible this is for me?!?!!

And my classic favorite?

Wait for it,

The ones who not only complain about one thing, but everything. Not only do they think they are fat, ugly, and sad, but they hate their house, their car, their marriage, their children, their job, their life. . . and they blame everyone for everything wrong in their life too. Or they blame god. They don't take any accountability for anything gone awry. It is always someone else s fault and someone else needs to fix it.

Yes, I know I have been laying the sarcasm on pretty thick. I hope you all caught that :) I guess I just don't see the point. After all, I know we all have a long way to go, and things to work on. I just don't see the point of dwelling on it 24-7 and telling everyone within earshot about it!

I can't imagine what life would be like without the little things that bring us joy. I can't imagine what it would be like to be that miserable, that you literally thought nothing in your life was good. To not know happiness even in the frustrating times.

Here is my solution for you. You don't need a new phone, new car, new family, more coffee, less weight, new house, better life, or anyone else to vent to. . .

In my opinion, You just need a good swift kick in the pants!

Wake up people, life is beautiful!

A Special Night. . .

I love my grandparents. Very much. I don't get to see them very often though because, well we don't live in sandy or cottonwood heights close to either set. Every time I see them though, It makes my day because of how fun they are.

Brian and I decided last week to see Nan and Pop. These are my moms parents and for any of you that know them, know that there aren't many people more delightful then Nan and Pop.

This is Nan and Pop and My mom and my parent's house.

She is the kind of Grandma that is always looking out for you, and wants the world to know just how wonderful you are! I think the last time her and I went out to lunch she told the waiter my entire life story while I was in the bathroom :) lol, She is too great! And every time my Pops leaves a message on my phone he tells me, "Linny, this is your poppy! Your favorite poppy!"

After getting dinner at the Golden Corral, (that is where Nan and Pop wanted to go), we headed up to go tour the Draper Temple. Nan kept insisting that she couldn't go because she has a really bad hip and doesn't walk well, or very often. I insisted that I would take good care of her and that she would be fine.

We pulled up to the temple in the dark, and admired how white and beautiful it was with it's lights and snow covered lawn.

I ran up to the entrance and got a wheelchair for Nan and brian and I put her in! You could tell that she was really happy, but kept apologizing to me that I had to push her. It was really cute!

The whole time we were in the temple I looked back to my sweet grandparents. They reminded me of children. Pointing to each other, smiling, and whispering about the different things that they loved inside.

And even though I was pushing Nan throughout the temple, pop always walked beside her and held her hand. Even if there wasn't enough room for him. She looked up at him with such an adoration it made me teary a couple of times.

Brian noticed too, because every time they would do something cute he smiled at me or would point to them so that I wouldn't miss it.

My grandparents love each other very much and have made it through a long life together. I am sure it wasn't always easy, but to see them now, still so much in love after sharing a life, was so special and really touched me.

I love spending time with them because they have such incredible personalities, but I realized too, because they teach me so much about what it means to love someone.

Nan told me a couple days later that if it weren't for us taking them they wouldn't have gone. Driving in the dark scares them, and the road to the temple seemed too far. That made me even more happy that we had chosen to go that night.

I feel blessed to have a temple so close and I am thankful I was able to share this special night with my eternal family in the place that puts it all into perspective. It is one I don't think I will ever forget.

Linds

So is it bad that. . .

I AM A SPACE CADET AND I JUST FOUND ALL THESE THANK YOU NOTES IN MY CAR FROM OUR WEDDING THAT I WROTE AND THOUGHT I MAILED AND DIDN'T MAIL, SO I JUST MAILED THEM?!?!?!?!?! IT HAS BEEN TEN MONTHS ALREADY!!!!!!

Oh my gosh, like you didn't like get your thank you card? No, like that cannot like be right. I like mailed them like a long like time ago like and you should have like gotten it. Did you like check your like mailbox like to see if you like got it?!?!!

SIGH. . . WOW LINDS. YOU HAVE REALLY DONE IT THIS TIME. . .

SO IF YOU ARE JUST GETTING YOURS IN THE MAIL I APOLOGIZE. . .

YOU KNEW I WAS "LIKE THIS" WHEN YOU DECIDED TO BE MY FRIEND.

THAT IS ALL. . .

Happy Valentines Bunky!

I have always loved Valentines Day and this is my first Valentines being married! EEEE!!!! I thought as a special valentines post I would go ahead and write our love story. . . Since it is the reason we are together. I sure do love you Brian. . . Happy Valentines Day Sweetheart!

Once upon a time. . . In a far away land called Cottonwood Heights, our story begins! That day I was not a happy camper. I got up early, went and worked out with my trainer, and then went to a pageant review. It ended up being way longer then I anticipated and by this time I was tired, cranky, sweaty and feeling like my saturday was blown. I decided that I was going to go home, pop in an audrey hepburn, eat sorbet, and lounge in the ugliest sweats I could find!

Just as my evening was starting I got a text from my good friend saying there was a pool party in cottonwood heights that night. She really wanted me to come with her and after tons of talking me into it, I finally agreed to go.

I had just gotten out of a relationship and so I told myself that my only purpose tonight was to flirt and have fun. There were a lot of really cool people there, and being the social butterfly that I am, I introduced myself to almost everyone there.

Later I met some fun guys playing volleyball. They were all there together so it cracked me up when three of them asked for my number. I laughed and wondered how that was all going to work out. I guess one of the guys in the group was Brian. One of the ones who DIDN'T ask for my number. Throughout the night, Brian kept a close watch on me, and made small conversation here and there in the hot tub, but nothing that I really remember. . .

At the end of the night I went home, like usual, and went to bed. Unaware that my life was about to change. . . (Sidenote. I swear this is how it HAPPENS!!!! Your life changes the most when you least expect it to!)

A couple weeks later, my same friend and I decided to go country dancing! As I was walking on the dance floor, Brian was walking off at the same time. I hit him, you know, in a playful way, and asked him if he remembered me. His response still makes me smile to this day. He had a huge grin on his face, pulled me close, and said of course I remember you Lindsay. . .

This made it a little awkward for the guy whose hand I was holding walking onto the dance floor with. . . Ooops! And Brian told me he would find me in a little bit to catch up.

That night we must have danced together at least fifteen times. All of which were incredibly awesome! He smelled so dang good, and was so good at swing dancing. Lets just say I was impressed. And he hugged me after every dance. In a cute, not creepy way.

At the end of the night he asked for my number to "hang out" sometime. I tried to tell it to him like 5 times but the music in the club was way to loud for him to hear me. Finally I handed him my phone and asked him to put in into mine because I couldn't hear him.

The next time my friends and I went out dancing, we wanted some people to hang out with. So I texted Brian and all his friends :) and asked them to come with my friends and I. Needless to say they were all a little confused to see each other there but It is one of my most favorite memories ever.

Another week later, I got a call from Brian. He said he wanted to take me out. I was a little shocked though because I hadn't really thought of dating him. It was obvious he was an incredible person, I just didn't think I would date him. He seemed more like the friend type. But I liked him so I said yes, and we decided that the soonest we could get together would be after my best friend Melanies wedding!

That night, I met him, in a formal dress, flip flops, an updo and a baggy sweatshirt. I know, all of you reading this are saying Linds this is so typical of you, but hey, its all I had!!! Not caring what anyone thinks! I also didn't really have any pressure because I knew brian to be fun and laid back.
Yeah, I know. . . This is the actual outfit I wore to our casual date. . . .

We got ice cream and drove up the canyon talking. Five hours later our date ended. I was definately not expecting what happened after that. Brian literally swept me off my feet. What did it for me, is his amazing personality, awesome sense of humor, big blue eyes and a huge smile that never stops.
From the beginning he was so interested in everything about me. He wanted to know every detail of my life and what made me me! And to this day continues to look at me amazed. For some reason I am the most incredible thing in his life and every day he lets me know it. We dated for six weeks and got engaged at bear lake. Eight months later, kneeling across from each other in the Salt Lake Temple, sealed our love story for time and all eternity.

He is the best thing to ever happen to me, and is my best friend. I never knew life could be this good and my favorite thing to do is reminisce on the times we were beginning our adventure.

One thing I love about seeing two people in love is hearing their story and how they came to be together. I hope you have enjoyed ours. . . .

Love to you all! and Happy Valentines!