Four may have been too many!

My oldest sister, Jennifer is one of the best mothers I know.  She is a role model to me, and she is the reason that I am not so scared to be a mother.  Currently, she is also the reason that it won't be too soon ...

While Jen and Mike went on a romantic research expedition to Prince Edward Island, they asked Trav and I if we would watch four of their children.  Eliza is practically a second mother to them, so she hardly counts, but still ... four!!  And I said yes.

At the Instacare

A little relaxation!

S'mores!!

Messy s'mores!

As much swimming as the weather allowed.

Ice cream before bed?  Of course!  I'm not their mom.

A girls night out, leaving Trav with boys ... asleep.

Even treats at the pool.

We had a marshmallow roast, played at the park, went to the mini-zoo, had a tea party, made a lot of pine cone and grass soup, played in the hose, went to the pool and even went to the movies.  But two bouts of vomit, one broken arm, several nose bleeds, quite a lot of screaming, a LOT of sugar, and a ton of fun later, we were all happy to see their parents.

We had plenty of crying and laughing, and much fun, but there is a reason that they come tiny and one at a time!

Seven Sisters and a Niece

Back tracking, again, in August, all of my sisters and I, and our niece went on a back-packing trip.  It was the first time that all six of my sisters and myself have ever done anything all together.  It was very hard, but very fun!

Still Clean!

We saw quite a few moose.

The first night.

It was so beautiful!

Looks fun now, but she said she froze in the night.

The second night!

Our bear-bag!  Hanging it was quite a feat, but we felt safe.

The greatest snow on earth?

We made it!

 There was a lot of laughing, some crying, quite a few blisters, excellent chaco tans, some good food, and tons of fun!  The exact milage is unknown, but safe to say it was a lot of difficult hiking.  Two nights and three lakes later, we arrived at the cars ready for the shower!

Remember this trip from the summer...

My baby brother finally got married.  Brittany really is better than his lab research!  

They were married in July in Nauvoo, Illinois in the temple belonging to the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  It is a small town now and not very conducive for a wedding; hot as Hades and mosquitos the size of small chickens, but it is a beautiful place and the wedding really was wonderful!

All of my brothers and sisters were there!  It reminds me that I was stupid and didn't postpone my own wedding for two weeks so that my brother and his family could have been there.  Then we would have all been together then too, but I didn't.

And St. Louis was pretty fun too!!

Who knew it would be my family that would be the ones dancing all night?

My sister, Wendy and I made these cute dinner name cards!

Mostly, I enjoyed being with my whole family again!

I am not a complete failure!!

As my birthday surfaces again, I have not forgotten the many unaccomplished goals I made, but I also have not forgotten the things I did do!!

Seeing as I love books, this was not a difficult accomplishment for me.  Here is a list of the ones I can remember right now, and that I finished (I have to add finished because I'm currently in the middle of about four):

Paul and Virginia (just finished and it was so sad!  I feel a bit depressed)
The Portrait of Dorian Grey
Ethan Frome (too depressing for me)
Jane Eyre (my first time actually finishing)
Wuthering Heights (didn't like it the first time, and I still don't like it)
Villette (one of my new favorite books)
Agnes Grey
Lady Susan (maybe one of the her funniest)
Mansfield Park
Persuasion
The Watsons
North and South
The Room with a View (loved it!  Is there a movie?)
Theo
The Forgotten Garden
The Thirteenth Tale
The Automatic Millionaire (it was for class, but it was pretty good)
Vocal Faults
Night and Day
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief (I haven't finished the rest of the series yet, but they're on the list)


I love Anne Brönte recently.  I only wish she's written more.  She's like Fanny Hensel to me, overlooked because of the more popular sibling, but maybe more talented.  John Steinbeck is probably my favorite author though, and strangely, I realize I didn't read one of his this year.  I'd better remedy that.

I wish I'd marked the quote, but in Paul and Virginia he says that literature and books are of the best creations of man.  I agree!

Bonjourno!

Jet lag!!  But we made it!

 

It's only been six months, but here are a few pics from our amazing trip to Italy.  I got to sing a mass in St. Peter's Basillica, a few concerts in 1400 year old cathedrals, and eat!

Brianna and I in Rome, wishing we had enough money to even go in Hermés!

The Colosseum!

Singing in Florenza!

The Colosseum is amazing!  It's a lot bigger than you think!

Yes, it really is this beautiful!

The courtyard of our hotel

Verdi stayed in this exact hotel!  He composed in this courtyard.  I'm sure it was something fabulous, like La Boeme!

I love climbing towers so you can see the view and take a pic!

Bologna

Venice!

Check out my beautiful Italian silk scarf!

We started in Rome.  From there we went to Florence, then Lucca and ended in Venice!  I can't even say these are the highlight, only a few moments frozen in time from our beautiful trip!  I love Italy! ...  I should have been Italian!

Thank you for making it so darn difficult!

I had a few of those special moments in life, recently, and I've meant to write them down.  

I know my life has not been more difficult than anyone else's.  I just know that I've had my share of pain and trials.  I've spent many many prayers begging and pleading for strength, and always asking if I could just know why, then I surely could make it through a little stronger.  I have been sure that many of these experiences were more than I could handle, but I have always been wrong.  My Heavenly Father knows what I can and cannot do!  I am only beginning to understand.

My bedroom and my bed are very sacred to me.  That's where I pray.  I usually read my scriptures there.  I cry there!  I find comfort there.  I'm narcoleptic, so I sleep, a lot!!  Heaven only knows the hours I've spent in my bed; between crying and sleeping it's got to be a lot.

I recognize that trials are given to teach us something.  I also know that I am here in this place for a reason, but the other day I was vacuuming my room.  I was right next to my bed when I was suddenly overcome with such an intense feeling and realization.  It was an answer to many prayers.  I suddenly knew why.  I could see a very clear line, a life-line, my life-line.  I could see how each of the trials that I had endured, and accepted and learned from were given to me in that order for a reason.  I had never clearly understood why, but I knew.  Moment to moment, I saw them lined up exactly as they were so that I could be here in this moment!  

I am sorry to those I have wronged and for the mistakes that I have made, but ironically, I needed to make those mistakes to be here.  

Funny to think, I still don't know why I am supposed to be here, but I know that it is for a reason!  We all have a purpose.  Don't forget that yours is important!  "This is a paradox of man: compared to God, man is nothing; yet we are everything to God."

Some goals are more realistic than others!

I am reminded frequently that I made some goals about nine and a half months ago.  Thirty of them to be exact.  They seemed like relatively reasonable goals, but I see that sometimes my aspirations sound better in my head than actual reality would allow.  Writing thirty blog entries would be one of those thing!  It is still possible that I could suddenly be inspired and other miraculous things may need to happen in the process.  So I have not given up on the quest, but I thought I'd openly admit that I may not succeed in this little venture that I hoped for.

... maybe if I had a smaller computer, one I could carry around in my pocket or something.  Oh wait!  I guess that's what my phone is, technically!