These days I've been pretty sparse on "Our Favorite Happy Thoughts" partly because I have been writing on a different website and cultivating the shiny new talent of graphic design! Sheteachesfearlessly.com is an amazing website filled with beautiful heartfelt accounts written by women. Every day there are posts which are intended to prepare you for the lesson taught that week in Sunday school (for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). Each day the writer puts into words how they have applied that scripture to themselves. That's not the only thing us ladies write about though! There are all sorts of topics from food to marriage to health! It's quite new, but it's growing and it's wonderful! It is an opportunity to combine some of my favorite happy thoughts--writing, teaching, and baring my testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ! The "She Teaches Fearlessly" tab will be dedicated to glimpses of my recent posts! I would love to hear your thoughts on my posts--especially in the comments on the posts themselves. Writers just love to know their work is being read and appreciated :)
In honor of Leila's monthly unbirthday, here are some more fun Leila-isms!
We went to the Aquarium a couple weeks ago. Leila was a goof as usual :)
If you'll remember, I interviewed Leila for the last Leila-isms. So I've still got some stuff left over from Christmas time--
1) On Christmas Day: OH! It's Christmas! It's Jesus' birthday! Let's sing happy birthday to him!! (and we did!)
2) In her prayer: Thank you that baby Jesus was born
3) In another prayer: Please bless that kids will be nice to moms and dads and that kids won't yell at their moms and dads (you can guess what kind of behavior we talked about that day!)
I know. . .I posted this one on Facebook, but it's just so darned cute! Shaving cream noses!
4) After Heidi bit her:
Mom, Dad, I'm gonna die, 'cause Heidi bit me and there's a hole in me!
5) Dad, what does punching mean? . . .Can you show me on mom what punching is? (note: she knows what punching is. . .and no--he didn't show her!)
Lately we've started a ritual--"special time". First we do a little gospel lesson,
then we do an activity like a science experiment or craft. This was making rain clouds :)
PS--this is what the shaving cream was actually for!
6) Leila: What can I have to eat
Daddy: Well. . .you can have. . .a pine cone. . .or some rocks!
Leila: Of course I can't have that Dad! Those don't have any PROTEIN!
So, I've been a major slacker in the blogging department lately--I only did 5/12 days of "The 12 Days of Christmas", I didn't do Heidi-isms for when she turned 15 months, and I haven't blogged about Christmas in Canada. So it looks like I get a big fat "F" in that facet of life. However, this round of Leila-isms just might be fun enough to make up for a little bit of that. And while I won't be catching up for the 7 days of Christmas I missed, I am still planning on blogging about Christmas in Canada.
Hey, Mom! Take a picture of me saying : "Happy Halloween! Merry Christmas!"
Leila loves the limelight. . .is there any wonder why that phrase flows off of your tongue like they are just meant for each other? As a preschooler, I was interviewed and recorded on cassette. Listening to that tape years later, I thought my answers were so funny! So when Pinterest showed me some interview questions to ask children, I just couldn't resist! Well. . .I guess I resisted for awhile, I thought it would be fun to do in the New Year and for her HALF BIRTHDAY! (Which is today :)
So here is the interview--something I plan on doing every year. I totally recommend this. It's a great way to record history and I'm sure Leila will think she's hilarious later on. Leila Parker Age 3 1/2
Note: my comments are inside *asterisks* What is your Favorite:
More Questions: If you could change your name what would you change it to: Gaylee *yes, that's totally random* Are you going to get married? Ya! To whom? Duncan. How many kids are you going to have? The ones that the Brunn's have. *There are 5* What will their names be? Autumn, Billy is the baby, Arli is the boy (there's only one in my family), Aleesa *that's Sister Bruun's name*, and Log-a Who is your best friend: Emma Brunn *side note: Emma is 12--a whopping 8 1/2 years older than Leila. She has never played with her and has only sat quietly next to her at church a few times!* Who are your friends? I really like all of them in the Brunn's. *She does! She's even said in her prayers a few times "thank you for the Brunn's" or "please bless the Brunn's"! What do you like to do with your friends? Painting Daddys that are so cool and painting babies and girls and I like to put their clothes on after they're painted. I really like to paint. What will your job be when you grow up? I'll be working on the computer a lot and I'll be living in Victoria *in BC Canada* What do you like to do with Mom? I really like to hug you and kiss you. What do you like to do with Dad? The same thing that I love to do with you. What do you love most about yourself?
What is something Daddy says: Take care of people What is something Mommy says: I don't know What makes you happy? Heidi hugging me. What makes you sad? Heidi pulling my hair. How does Mommy make you laugh? When I sleep a lot and you be loud and it makes me laugh. What was Mommy like as a child? You looked like a boy. How old is Mommy? I don't know. How tall is Mommy? (arm way up in the air) What is Mommy's favorite thing to do? Help me and Heidi. What does Mommy do when you’re not around? Clean up the toys when it's messy, read the holy scriptures, after I go to sleep you go to sleep. What is Mommy really good at? cleaning up toys. What is Mommy not very good at? You're good at everything! What does Mommy do for a job? you do this: (gives me the thumbs up) What is Mommy's favorite food? tacos What makes you proud of Mommy? When I say "Mommy! Mommy! You ate your food! Mom, I love you so much!" What do we enjoy doing together? Getting things out of the couch. *yes, that's random too* How are we the same? We both have white skin. How are we different? We don't have the same shirt. How do you know I love you? Because I really love you! Because you hug me all the time and kiss me! What does Mommy like most about dad? hugging him. Where is Mommy's favorite place to go? All the places. What's your favorite thing about our family? About my mom and dad I really love them and I love that they take care of me and I love to hug Heidi and I love that she hugs me and she's really cute.
The Questions were taken/adapted slightly from: http://joyinmykitchen.com/do-you-need-a-fresh-perspective-mom/ http://simplykierste.com/2015/01/annual-interview-questions-for-kids.html
I could save this for a Leila-ism, but then I'd have to wait until the monthly anniversary of Leila's birth, which is January 5th. And by that time Christmas and Santa will be old news, so I'll post it now.
Leila can be pretty thoughtful in her prayers. She thinks of things that happened during the day and thanks Heavenly Father for those things. She will also sometimes tell me ahead of time what she wants to pray for next. The other day Leila said "Mom! When I say prayers next, I want to say "Thanks for Santa. . .and thanks that he says "Ho! Ho! Ho!" As random as that was, I thought it was pretty cute :)
Writing about this little moment reminds me of a sweet news article about a little boy who had a special request for Santa: He wanted him to kneel and pray with him for a sick baby! Children have a way of bringing the Christmas spirit! And what a beautiful combination to have the giver of earthly gifts (Santa) praying to the giver of eternal gifts. You can check out the story here:
Whenever people were surprised that he could do something well, my Grandpa Dixon (Poppy I called him) would say "well, I'm not just a pretty face!!" As for Leila, well. . .she's most definitely a pretty face, though she's not going to wow any crowds at "America's Got Talent" at this point. But in all seriousness, this Mama is proud of her little girl! She's among all these six and seven-year-olds and holding her own as well as a her little 3-year-old self can. I'm proud of her for making friends with these girls so easily, for getting up in front of lots of people and not being afraid! And this little group is a non-competitive one, with the goal to build confidence in girls, so I think it is serving its purpose! Besides that. . . goodness she's cute!
Now, for this next one. . .all I can say is that she missed two dance classes. Maybe that's when they practiced this one, 'cause she doesn't seem to know what's going on (and that's why I like watching it!)
I have often thought how grateful I am for the Savior. And of all the reasons I have to be grateful for him, what makes me feel like I am about to burst with gratitude is the fact that he gave me my family. Not only here and now, but the possibility that I can have them with me forever. Both my family of origin and my family of procreation mean the world to me. So when it comes down to it, Christ has really given me the world!
Ten years ago today I went through the temple (Cardston, Alberta) for the first time to receive my endowment (which means "gift"). It truly has been a gift to make promises with my Heavenly Father, and receive blessings both in and out of the temple. I feel peace and receive answers to prayer when I'm there. And I feel that, because I do temple work, the Lord blesses me in all aspects of my life, even when I am not inside those sacred walls.
I love this particular video, not only because it shows beautiful pictures of the Cardston temple, but also because it plays a song that Leila and I love to sing together!
A little less than half a dozen years after going through the temple for the first time, I was able to walk in the doors of the Bountiful Utah temple with my handsome fiancee and walk out with him as my amazing husband and eternal companion! The temple is a special place! The words that were spoken during that ceremony didn't end with "'til death do you part". Rather, we were married "for time and all eternity" as long as we live righteously. I am grateful to have been married in the house of the Lord by priesthood authority so that I have the chance to keep that wonderful guy! I miss him enough when he's gone a long day at work! I don't want anything, including death, to separate us. I'm grateful for my Savior, the temple, and my husband. Those 3 things really lay the foundation for every meaningful happy thought I have!
