THANK YOU!

Today, simply be thankful for something or someone.

I don't know if it is coincidence that this prompt fell on today, but I am thankful for the opportunity to write down what I am thankful for.

Today, I am thankful for:

//the beautiful sun

//a husband who listens to me and "cherishes" me 

//a daughter who gets up, brushes herself off, and moves forward

//boys who are my constant examples

//a friend that brings me flowers on the anniversary of my sweet dad's death

//a sister-in-law that sends me love texts

//the temple, and a friend who is always there to go with me

//a loving Heavenly Father who gives me comfort and guidance 

//a mom who puts a smile on her face and is an example of service

//a nephew who is excited to receive his mission call

and especially today, I am thankful for a dad who loved me unconditionally, taught me by example, always stood for what was right, and was kind and honest to everyone he met. 

READY, SET, GO!

Set a timer for 10 minutes.  Open a new post.  Start the timer, and start writing.

When the timer goes off, publish.

I woke up this morning in a foul mood.  Someone I care about very deeply called me last night and told me about a situation they had been in that day that left them feeling sad and left out.  They should have felt safe with the people they were with, but instead these people purposely tried to make my loved one feel not included. 

I was ready for a fight...and those of you who know me know that I am not usually a fighter.

I got on my bike (I should always consult my bike before any decision) and as I was riding I kept thinking about the blog post Brittani wrote yesterday.  If you haven't read it, you should, it is for sure worth your time.  Anyway, at the end of her post she said:

What do I want to see when I look in the mirror? I want to see someone who is kind, who is loving, who is thoughtful and tender. I want to see a girl that friends would come to with a problem, someone who instills confidence in others, someone who takes the time to sing "I Am a Child of God" to her little brother before bed. I want to see someone who people know as honest, a friend, an example, a leader. When I look in the mirror I want to see myself as who I am: His daughter. More importantly, when I look in the mirror, I want to see the girl who helped others believe they're God's children, too.

So, mirror, mirror. What do you see when you look in the mirror? What do you want to see?

What I want to see when I look in the mirror is exactly what Britt said in her post.  I want to see someone kind and loving and thoughtful and tender.  I don't want to see someone looking for a fight.

It is always amazing to me how much I learn from my kids. They teach me so much more than I could ever teach them.  Thank you Brittani for being such a good example to me.  Thank you for reminding me who I am and who I want to be.

MIRROR MIRROR

When I look in the mirror, I...

Three years ago this past January we moved into the house we live in now.  It was one of the hardest, saddest, times in my life.  We had just found out that cancer was attacking my dad's young body.  The man that led my family was getting weaker by the minute, and there was not a thing I could do.  We had just moved from the home that Rick and I built together, the one that I thought I would raise my kids in, the home where I thought we would grow old together.  We moved from a ward that we loved, from a neighborhood that played night games on summer evenings, that had Halloween hot dog roasts, and that loved the Finlayson family for who we were.

I remember walking into the master bathroom in our new house the first time, and seeing on the mirror the phrase "Life is Good".  I remember sitting down on the edge of the bathtub, and staring at those simple words, and realizing that they were so true, life really is good.

Sometimes I get upset and say things I shouldn't about how I don't enjoy my life (my new goal...to NEVER say that again).  Sometimes I forget that just because I'm having a bad day, doesn't mean that I have a bad life.  Sometimes I just need to remember that life IS good.  Life is so so good.

When I look in the mirror, I see wrinkles, I see the 15 lbs that I somehow gained within the last few months, I see a flawed body that gave birth to three very beautiful children, I see a body that has carried me through 4 marathons, 1 half iron man, and 2 Lotojas.  And when I look in the mirror I see the reminder that life is good.  And I'm thankful.

TEACHER'S PET

Tell us about a teacher who had a real impact on your life, either for the better or the worse.  How is your life different today because of him or her?

I started dating Rick when I was 15 years old.  He was living with his grandma and grandpa because of a really rough family life, and he hadn't been to church for years.  After a few months of dating, he started coming back to church with me.  In Utah, a lot of times when the bishop's daughter shows up with a wild and crazy boy, a boy who doesn't fit into the perfect little box, the whole ward starts talking.  And most of my ward did.  The problem is, most of the time all these crazy kids need is love and acceptance...just like everyone else...and most of the time they don't get that.

Thank goodness for an amazing Sunday School teacher.

Jackie Marsh was a sweet little gray haired woman who had love bubbling out of her.  She welcomed Rick with open arms, never putting him on the spot, never asking him uncomfortable questions, never trying to "fix" him. she just loved him, and accepted him, and he knew it.  She missed him when he was gone, and told him that when he came back.  She never labeled him, she never judged him. she saw his potential and he felt that.  Jackie Marsh is one of the main reasons my husband's heart softened.  She was real when Rick needed real.

I don't think I will ever really know how much Jackie Marsh impacted my life.  I have been madly in love with Rick since I first laid eyes on him, and I'm fairly certain that even if he didn't believe the same way I did, we would have still gotten married.  I wonder how different my life would be...how different would my kid's lives be?

I am so thankful for sweet Sister Marsh.  I am so thankful for her Christlike love.  I know that she was my teacher, at that time in my life, for a very specific reason.  I never took the chance to tell her how big of an impact she had on my life...but when I die, she will be one of the first people I find so I can give her a squeeze and thank her.

BUCKET LIST

What's the first item on your bucket list?  Why?

So I'm already a couple of days behind on the blog challenge...the challenge that I put together!  I've never been very good at leading by example!  But since there are no rules, I decided that I would use the prompt for February 3, and hopefully I will be able to catch up someday!

The first item on my bucket list...

I would love to be able to go with Rick to a stage of the Tour de France.  If I think of one thing I would love to do before I die, that would be it.  I know it may seem shallow, but it would be AMAZING!  Absolutely amazing.



What is the first item on your bucket list?

THE BLOG CHALLENGE

Last year Brittani ran across the Blog Every Day In May challenge, and together we decided to try it.  I didn't do great at it, but it did get me blogging about things other than my family.  I loved it.  So I found some blog prompts and decided that I would do it again.  One of the best things about it was reading what others wrote...so come and do it with me!  Let's get our creative juices flowing!  It's hard for me to find time to blog on weekends, so other than tomorrow (because it is Groundhog Day and I found an awesome prompt for it) I skipped them.  But do whatever you want.  There are no rules.  Skip days, change the prompts, make up your own, anything goes!  Just have fun!

February 2 - Groundhog Day - In the comedy "Groundhog Day" Bill Murray experienced the same day again and again, stuck in a time loop until he got the day "right."  What day would you choose to repeat until you got it right?  Do you think it's ever possible to get life "right"?

February 3 - Bucket List - What's the first item on your bucket list?  Why?

February 4 - Teacher's Pet - Tell us about a teacher who had a real impact on your life, either for the better or the worse.  How is your life different today because of him or her?

February 5 - 32 Flavors - Vanilla, chocolate, or something else entirely?

February 6 - Ripped From The Headlines - Head to your favorite online news source  Pick an article with a headline that grabs you.  Now, write a reaction based on the article.

February 7 - Mirror Mirror - When I look in the mirror, I...

February 10 - Sweet Sixteen - When you were 16, what did you think your life would look like?  Does it look like that?  Is that a good thing?

February 11 - Ready, Set, Go - Set a timer for ten minutes.  Open a new post.  Start the timer, and start writing.  When the timer goes off, publish.

February 12 - Sliced Bread - Most of us have heard the saying, "That's the best thing since sliced bread!"  What do you think is actually the best thing since sliced bread?

February 13 - Flangiprop! - Invent a definition for the word "flangiprop", then use the new word in a short story.

February 14 - Cupid's Arrow - Write an ode to someone or something you love.  Bonus points for poetry!

February 17 - Far From Normal - Many of us think our lives are boringly normal, while others live the high life.  Take a step back and look at your life as an outsider might.  Now tell us at least six unique, exciting, or just plain off things about yourself.

February 18 - Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda - Tell us about something you know you should do...but don't.

February 19 - Back To The Future - A service has been invented through which you can send messages to people in the future.  To whom would you send something, and what would you write?

February 20 - Thank You - Today, simply be thankful for something or someone.

February 21 - Five A Day - You've been exiled to a private island, and your captors will only supply you with five foods.  What do you pick?

February 24 - He Said / She Said - Pause whatever you're doing, and ask the person nearest you what they're thinking about (call someone if you have to).  Write a post based on it.

February 25 - The Satisfaction Of A List - Who doesn't love a list?  So write one!  Top five slices of pizza, ten reasons disco will never die, the three secrets to happiness - go silly or go deep, just go list-y.

February 26 - The Little Things - Describe a little thing - one of the things you love that defines your world but is often overlooked.

February 27 - Too Big To Fail - Tell us about something you would attempt if you were guaranteed not to fail, and tell us why you haven't tried it yet.

February 28 - Pat On The Back - Tell someone you're proud of, just how proud you are of them.

Okay - here we go!