ARIZONA, YOU'RE SO FINE
May 3, 2017
Getting the chance to spend a weekend away with my best friend, Laurel, was something we’d been planning for awhile. Originally, we had planned for September but when she found out she was pregnant we both decided we needed a trip away sooner and the dates worked out perfect to meet in Phoenix.
We hit a few of our favorite places like In-N-Out, The Shake Shack, and Sweet Republic for ice cream. But we also got to try Blanco’s Tacos and The Mission. Both two of the highest rated restaurants in Phoenix. The only bad thing was the wait was an hour and a half! We decided it must be worth the wait if it was rated #1 on TripAdvisor, so we thought, “We don’t have kids, we can totally wait!” We were glad we did too, because the table side guacamole was soooo good. We were still thinking about it the next day!
We had such great weather while we were there and spent the mornings relaxing by the pool with our Dirty Diet Cokes, and in the afternoon on Saturday we decided to check out the hype of “Last Chance: Nordstrom Clearance Center.” The place was a nuthouse. Seriously, SO many people there and just racks and racks of clothes. But we both walked out with bags of clothes for SUCH good prices. Before we knew it, we realized we’d been there for 3 hours! Again, something we couldn’t have done with our kids so it was nice being able to shop without feeling crunched for time.
But as much fun as we were having we were both so excited to get back to our kids. Our husbands were so great at sending pictures and videos all weekend. It was my first night being away from Elle, and I was having some serious “mom guilt” being away from her. But the warm sun, palm and orange trees, and cactus provided such a nice getaway. And can we talk about all the cactus!? They were EVERYWHERE and I was obsessed with pointing them all out-they were like right out of a cartoon movie! It was so fun being able to stay up late chatting like we used to in high school, and having “girl time” again. We both decided we’d come back better moms because of it-or at least that’s what we kept telling ourselves!
Getting the chance to spend a weekend away with my best friend, Laurel, was something we’d been planning for awhile. Originally, we had planned for September but when she found out she was pregnant we both decided we needed a trip away sooner and the dates worked out perfect to meet in Phoenix.
We hit a few of our favorite places like In-N-Out, The Shake Shack, and Sweet Republic for ice cream. But we also got to try Blanco’s Tacos and The Mission. Both two of the highest rated restaurants in Phoenix. The only bad thing was the wait was an hour and a half! We decided it must be worth the wait if it was rated #1 on TripAdvisor, so we thought, “We don’t have kids, we can totally wait!” We were glad we did too, because the table side guacamole was soooo good. We were still thinking about it the next day!
We had such great weather while we were there and spent the mornings relaxing by the pool with our Dirty Diet Cokes, and in the afternoon on Saturday we decided to check out the hype of “Last Chance: Nordstrom Clearance Center.” The place was a nuthouse. Seriously, SO many people there and just racks and racks of clothes. But we both walked out with bags of clothes for SUCH good prices. Before we knew it, we realized we’d been there for 3 hours! Again, something we couldn’t have done with our kids so it was nice being able to shop without feeling crunched for time.
But as much fun as we were having we were both so excited to get back to our kids. Our husbands were so great at sending pictures and videos all weekend. It was my first night being away from Elle, and I was having some serious “mom guilt” being away from her. But the warm sun, palm and orange trees, and cactus provided such a nice getaway. And can we talk about all the cactus!? They were EVERYWHERE and I was obsessed with pointing them all out-they were like right out of a cartoon movie! It was so fun being able to stay up late chatting like we used to in high school, and having “girl time” again. We both decided we’d come back better moms because of it-or at least that’s what we kept telling ourselves!
OMAHA, NEBRASKA
April 24, 2017
Traveling to Omaha, Nebraska to visit Marcus’ family was such a personal trip for us. His parents have been spending the last year there on a church service mission and it was only the second time we’d seen them. So it was so nice to be able to visit and have more time introducing Baby Elle to them!
We were able to stop by the Lauritzen gardens on our first day. We were just a little early before all the tulips opened, but it was great to stroll around to see the lego formations and trees that were in bloom. Halfway through Harper turned to us and said she “needed to go potty.” Marcus had to run her back to the main building because we were already a half mile out! I was dying laughing as he put her on his shoulders and I stood there thinking, “I sure hope she doesn’t have an accident!” Luckily, no accidents were had.
Hurts Donuts makes any doughnut into a milkshake, and then adds a doughnut on top of your shake. We were seriously in heaven and walked away with a dozen doughnuts! The flavors were crazy, but Harper was ALL about the “Cookie Monster” doughnut. That afternoon we were able to go to the Omaha Zoo which is rated as the #1 Zoo in the World based on TripAdvisor. Go ahead, look it up, I totally didn’t believe it either at first! Every exhibit seemed like it was out of Disneyland-only the animals were real! We got to watch as the giraffes were herded back to their pen for the night, and Harper got up close and personal with a HUGE gorilla! I totally thought she was going to be scared by it, but she put her face right up next to him. They totally had a “moment.”
The Durham Museum was an unexpected surprise. I didn’t know how Harper would do seeing a bunch of trains but it was honestly, one of my favorite places we toured. The train station was restored from the 1930s and the trains inside were actual passenger trains. I couldn't believe how people travelled back then. I was so impressed with the trains cars and amenities! Elle was the perfect baby as hopped from train to train, and saw lots of memorabilia from the 80s exhibit they had going on.
Everything over the week led up to Winter Quarters. Right outside of the temple is a cemetery where more than half of the gravesite are children ages 3 and under. It was a sobering experience as we sat there as a family holding our children, thinking about what the pioneers had to endure so that we could be together as a family today. We loved taking the tour of the Visitor’s Center there, and Harper passed out hand sanitizer to the Sister Missionaries about a dozen times! Harper looked so cute dressed up in her pioneer getup. The sisters there looooved Harper. And she looooved having people to show off for!
Before catching out flight home we had one more stop and the Bob Kerry Pedestrian Bridge. It was HUGE, but it was so windy out. If you stayed still, you could feel the bridge rocking back and forth beneath your feet. I’ve always wanted to say I’d been in two places as once, and I finally got my chance as I straddled the Nebraska/Iowa border. By the end of our trip I was seriously ready to move to Omaha. The weather, the people, so many things for children to do and see-we decided it has the amenities of a bigger city, but with a small town vibe. And seriously, every where we went, everyone was SOOO nice. Maybe it’s a midwest thing, but people were so patient with our kids. Which we definitely needed on our flight back home when Elle cried the last 20 minutes of the flight. We were so luckily when a stranger behind us offered to hold her, and Elle quieted right up! I couldn’t believe it. But at that point we were willing to try annnnything. We asked her if she could come home with us and help put her to bed-Ha!
We were able to stop by the Lauritzen gardens on our first day. We were just a little early before all the tulips opened, but it was great to stroll around to see the lego formations and trees that were in bloom. Halfway through Harper turned to us and said she “needed to go potty.” Marcus had to run her back to the main building because we were already a half mile out! I was dying laughing as he put her on his shoulders and I stood there thinking, “I sure hope she doesn’t have an accident!” Luckily, no accidents were had.
Hurts Donuts makes any doughnut into a milkshake, and then adds a doughnut on top of your shake. We were seriously in heaven and walked away with a dozen doughnuts! The flavors were crazy, but Harper was ALL about the “Cookie Monster” doughnut. That afternoon we were able to go to the Omaha Zoo which is rated as the #1 Zoo in the World based on TripAdvisor. Go ahead, look it up, I totally didn’t believe it either at first! Every exhibit seemed like it was out of Disneyland-only the animals were real! We got to watch as the giraffes were herded back to their pen for the night, and Harper got up close and personal with a HUGE gorilla! I totally thought she was going to be scared by it, but she put her face right up next to him. They totally had a “moment.”
The Durham Museum was an unexpected surprise. I didn’t know how Harper would do seeing a bunch of trains but it was honestly, one of my favorite places we toured. The train station was restored from the 1930s and the trains inside were actual passenger trains. I couldn't believe how people travelled back then. I was so impressed with the trains cars and amenities! Elle was the perfect baby as hopped from train to train, and saw lots of memorabilia from the 80s exhibit they had going on.
Everything over the week led up to Winter Quarters. Right outside of the temple is a cemetery where more than half of the gravesite are children ages 3 and under. It was a sobering experience as we sat there as a family holding our children, thinking about what the pioneers had to endure so that we could be together as a family today. We loved taking the tour of the Visitor’s Center there, and Harper passed out hand sanitizer to the Sister Missionaries about a dozen times! Harper looked so cute dressed up in her pioneer getup. The sisters there looooved Harper. And she looooved having people to show off for!
Before catching out flight home we had one more stop and the Bob Kerry Pedestrian Bridge. It was HUGE, but it was so windy out. If you stayed still, you could feel the bridge rocking back and forth beneath your feet. I’ve always wanted to say I’d been in two places as once, and I finally got my chance as I straddled the Nebraska/Iowa border. By the end of our trip I was seriously ready to move to Omaha. The weather, the people, so many things for children to do and see-we decided it has the amenities of a bigger city, but with a small town vibe. And seriously, every where we went, everyone was SOOO nice. Maybe it’s a midwest thing, but people were so patient with our kids. Which we definitely needed on our flight back home when Elle cried the last 20 minutes of the flight. We were so luckily when a stranger behind us offered to hold her, and Elle quieted right up! I couldn’t believe it. But at that point we were willing to try annnnything. We asked her if she could come home with us and help put her to bed-Ha!
Traveling to Omaha, Nebraska to visit Marcus’ family was such a personal trip for us. His parents have been spending the last year there on a church service mission and it was only the second time we’d seen them. So it was so nice to be able to visit and have more time introducing Baby Elle to them!
We were able to stop by the Lauritzen gardens on our first day. We were just a little early before all the tulips opened, but it was great to stroll around to see the lego formations and trees that were in bloom. Halfway through Harper turned to us and said she “needed to go potty.” Marcus had to run her back to the main building because we were already a half mile out! I was dying laughing as he put her on his shoulders and I stood there thinking, “I sure hope she doesn’t have an accident!” Luckily, no accidents were had.
Hurts Donuts makes any doughnut into a milkshake, and then adds a doughnut on top of your shake. We were seriously in heaven and walked away with a dozen doughnuts! The flavors were crazy, but Harper was ALL about the “Cookie Monster” doughnut. That afternoon we were able to go to the Omaha Zoo which is rated as the #1 Zoo in the World based on TripAdvisor. Go ahead, look it up, I totally didn’t believe it either at first! Every exhibit seemed like it was out of Disneyland-only the animals were real! We got to watch as the giraffes were herded back to their pen for the night, and Harper got up close and personal with a HUGE gorilla! I totally thought she was going to be scared by it, but she put her face right up next to him. They totally had a “moment.”
The Durham Museum was an unexpected surprise. I didn’t know how Harper would do seeing a bunch of trains but it was honestly, one of my favorite places we toured. The train station was restored from the 1930s and the trains inside were actual passenger trains. I couldn't believe how people travelled back then. I was so impressed with the trains cars and amenities! Elle was the perfect baby as hopped from train to train, and saw lots of memorabilia from the 80s exhibit they had going on.
Everything over the week led up to Winter Quarters. Right outside of the temple is a cemetery where more than half of the gravesite are children ages 3 and under. It was a sobering experience as we sat there as a family holding our children, thinking about what the pioneers had to endure so that we could be together as a family today. We loved taking the tour of the Visitor’s Center there, and Harper passed out hand sanitizer to the Sister Missionaries about a dozen times! Harper looked so cute dressed up in her pioneer getup. The sisters there looooved Harper. And she looooved having people to show off for!
Before catching out flight home we had one more stop and the Bob Kerry Pedestrian Bridge. It was HUGE, but it was so windy out. If you stayed still, you could feel the bridge rocking back and forth beneath your feet. I’ve always wanted to say I’d been in two places as once, and I finally got my chance as I straddled the Nebraska/Iowa border. By the end of our trip I was seriously ready to move to Omaha. The weather, the people, so many things for children to do and see-we decided it has the amenities of a bigger city, but with a small town vibe. And seriously, every where we went, everyone was SOOO nice. Maybe it’s a midwest thing, but people were so patient with our kids. Which we definitely needed on our flight back home when Elle cried the last 20 minutes of the flight. We were so luckily when a stranger behind us offered to hold her, and Elle quieted right up! I couldn’t believe it. But at that point we were willing to try annnnything. We asked her if she could come home with us and help put her to bed-Ha!
We were able to stop by the Lauritzen gardens on our first day. We were just a little early before all the tulips opened, but it was great to stroll around to see the lego formations and trees that were in bloom. Halfway through Harper turned to us and said she “needed to go potty.” Marcus had to run her back to the main building because we were already a half mile out! I was dying laughing as he put her on his shoulders and I stood there thinking, “I sure hope she doesn’t have an accident!” Luckily, no accidents were had.
Hurts Donuts makes any doughnut into a milkshake, and then adds a doughnut on top of your shake. We were seriously in heaven and walked away with a dozen doughnuts! The flavors were crazy, but Harper was ALL about the “Cookie Monster” doughnut. That afternoon we were able to go to the Omaha Zoo which is rated as the #1 Zoo in the World based on TripAdvisor. Go ahead, look it up, I totally didn’t believe it either at first! Every exhibit seemed like it was out of Disneyland-only the animals were real! We got to watch as the giraffes were herded back to their pen for the night, and Harper got up close and personal with a HUGE gorilla! I totally thought she was going to be scared by it, but she put her face right up next to him. They totally had a “moment.”
The Durham Museum was an unexpected surprise. I didn’t know how Harper would do seeing a bunch of trains but it was honestly, one of my favorite places we toured. The train station was restored from the 1930s and the trains inside were actual passenger trains. I couldn't believe how people travelled back then. I was so impressed with the trains cars and amenities! Elle was the perfect baby as hopped from train to train, and saw lots of memorabilia from the 80s exhibit they had going on.
Everything over the week led up to Winter Quarters. Right outside of the temple is a cemetery where more than half of the gravesite are children ages 3 and under. It was a sobering experience as we sat there as a family holding our children, thinking about what the pioneers had to endure so that we could be together as a family today. We loved taking the tour of the Visitor’s Center there, and Harper passed out hand sanitizer to the Sister Missionaries about a dozen times! Harper looked so cute dressed up in her pioneer getup. The sisters there looooved Harper. And she looooved having people to show off for!
Before catching out flight home we had one more stop and the Bob Kerry Pedestrian Bridge. It was HUGE, but it was so windy out. If you stayed still, you could feel the bridge rocking back and forth beneath your feet. I’ve always wanted to say I’d been in two places as once, and I finally got my chance as I straddled the Nebraska/Iowa border. By the end of our trip I was seriously ready to move to Omaha. The weather, the people, so many things for children to do and see-we decided it has the amenities of a bigger city, but with a small town vibe. And seriously, every where we went, everyone was SOOO nice. Maybe it’s a midwest thing, but people were so patient with our kids. Which we definitely needed on our flight back home when Elle cried the last 20 minutes of the flight. We were so luckily when a stranger behind us offered to hold her, and Elle quieted right up! I couldn’t believe it. But at that point we were willing to try annnnything. We asked her if she could come home with us and help put her to bed-Ha!
TACO, TACO, TACO...
April 7, 2017
This week with everyone gone for Spring Break, we decided to stay close to home and slow things down before our schedules start to get a little crazy. The other night we tried making authentic Neapolitan pizza. After spending three hours on it, it turned into a disaster when it wouldn’t slide off our pizza peel. And if you have to look up what a pizza peel is, don’t feel bad, so did we! We turned them into calzones and they only turned out-alright. It was SO disappointing.
So last night we declared it taco night to get ourselves out of the kitchen, and also, out of the house. We stopped by one of our favorite taco trucks. And it was closed. Then we drove to another one-and it had turned into a hamburger truck! So by the third truck we were so hungry! Luckily, they were all only 5 minutes apart. We will never have a shortage of taco trucks living where we live. After ordering, we realized we had gotten 15 tacos-for the two of us! We justified it because they were “small street tacos.” Ha!
After that we headed down to the park, and had the whole place to ourselves. It was so nice being able to spend the evening outside. We got some visitors of a few Canadian geese after a while. Harper wanted to feed all the radishes to the geese because after trying them, she decided they were “spicy.” I was pretty excited too until they started hissing at us! It totally freaked me out, and the mother bird in me completely took over. We also got to see an incredible sunset. I might be biased but I’m pretty sure where we live has the best sunsets-hands down.
This week with everyone gone for Spring Break, we decided to stay close to home and slow things down before our schedules start to get a little crazy. The other night we tried making authentic Neapolitan pizza. After spending three hours on it, it turned into a disaster when it wouldn’t slide off our pizza peel. And if you have to look up what a pizza peel is, don’t feel bad, so did we! We turned them into calzones and they only turned out-alright. It was SO disappointing.
So last night we declared it taco night to get ourselves out of the kitchen, and also, out of the house. We stopped by one of our favorite taco trucks. And it was closed. Then we drove to another one-and it had turned into a hamburger truck! So by the third truck we were so hungry! Luckily, they were all only 5 minutes apart. We will never have a shortage of taco trucks living where we live. After ordering, we realized we had gotten 15 tacos-for the two of us! We justified it because they were “small street tacos.” Ha!
After that we headed down to the park, and had the whole place to ourselves. It was so nice being able to spend the evening outside. We got some visitors of a few Canadian geese after a while. Harper wanted to feed all the radishes to the geese because after trying them, she decided they were “spicy.” I was pretty excited too until they started hissing at us! It totally freaked me out, and the mother bird in me completely took over. We also got to see an incredible sunset. I might be biased but I’m pretty sure where we live has the best sunsets-hands down.
PASSPORTS AND PAPERWORK
March 22, 2017
There are nice people in the world today. I’m sure of it. Did you know you can take your own passport picture? All you have to do is follow a few requirements on the official passport website, and then get them printed at your local Costco. Genius! I’m pretty sure I have one of the worst passport pictures-ever. So without begging the passport photographer for a retake, this is a for sure way to capture the best picture and without having to take a million pictures of your kids.
The day we went to get the girls’ passports, we found out the courthouse closed at 3:30pm. So our plan was to leave the house at 3:00pm and meet Marcus fifteen minutes later. Well, when a blowout occurred, and a quick potty break was needed, and we left the house at 3:15pm. Thankfully, we showed up in line at 3:28pm. Phew! Sigh of relief. We got up to the register and we told her what we were there for and she said, “I’m sorry, we stop taking passports at 3:30pm, and it’s now 3:33pm.” For reals? I knew she had to have seen us standing just two people back for the last 5 minutes! As she saw us struggle with our two wiggly children, she must have had mercy and asked us if we had all the paperwork already. We replied we did, and she said she’d stay and process it. First miracle answered.
When we handed her the paperwork, she asked if I had taken the passport picture, and I responded I had, and she said, “You’ll have to go to Costco or Walgreens and have them take it.” I told her that online I had submitted my photo and it says you can take your own. She then asked another women in the office who responded that you could! Second miracle answered.
We gave her copies of our IDs and birth certificates, and she said she needed two copies. We told her we only had the one and she pointed up to the big sign that said, “WE DO NOT TAKE PHOTOCOPIES.” Ok. By this point, I literally wanted to cry. The tears were going to come, I could feel them as she was sending us away. When an old legal assistant of Marcus’ who works at the courthouse came up and said, “Hi Marcus! I’ll make your copies for you!” Third miracle answered.
Are prayers answered? We sure think they are. That and maybe these women saw a frazzled mom and had some serious grace for her.
There are nice people in the world today. I’m sure of it. Did you know you can take your own passport picture? All you have to do is follow a few requirements on the official passport website, and then get them printed at your local Costco. Genius! I’m pretty sure I have one of the worst passport pictures-ever. So without begging the passport photographer for a retake, this is a for sure way to capture the best picture and without having to take a million pictures of your kids.
The day we went to get the girls’ passports, we found out the courthouse closed at 3:30pm. So our plan was to leave the house at 3:00pm and meet Marcus fifteen minutes later. Well, when a blowout occurred, and a quick potty break was needed, and we left the house at 3:15pm. Thankfully, we showed up in line at 3:28pm. Phew! Sigh of relief. We got up to the register and we told her what we were there for and she said, “I’m sorry, we stop taking passports at 3:30pm, and it’s now 3:33pm.” For reals? I knew she had to have seen us standing just two people back for the last 5 minutes! As she saw us struggle with our two wiggly children, she must have had mercy and asked us if we had all the paperwork already. We replied we did, and she said she’d stay and process it. First miracle answered.
When we handed her the paperwork, she asked if I had taken the passport picture, and I responded I had, and she said, “You’ll have to go to Costco or Walgreens and have them take it.” I told her that online I had submitted my photo and it says you can take your own. She then asked another women in the office who responded that you could! Second miracle answered.
We gave her copies of our IDs and birth certificates, and she said she needed two copies. We told her we only had the one and she pointed up to the big sign that said, “WE DO NOT TAKE PHOTOCOPIES.” Ok. By this point, I literally wanted to cry. The tears were going to come, I could feel them as she was sending us away. When an old legal assistant of Marcus’ who works at the courthouse came up and said, “Hi Marcus! I’ll make your copies for you!” Third miracle answered.
Are prayers answered? We sure think they are. That and maybe these women saw a frazzled mom and had some serious grace for her.
HE KNEW WHAT I NEEDED
March 1, 2017
I was thinking the other day about how much we grow and learn over the years. When I was called as a leader for the 12-13 year old girls in my church, I was at a completely different point in my life. Marcus and I had been married just over 3 years, and I quickly had this mentality that I was there to serve these young women. To teach them and come spiritually prepared each week to help them develop testimonies of our Savior. Although, some of them may say I taught them more about dating, how to ride down a hill on a block of ice, and to never trust me when I would bring in cupcakes-working with adolescents was something I had worked towards and even earned my degree in. But what I thought would be guiding them to higher education after high school, turned into a higher knowledge of their Heavenly Father and the love He has for them. It taught me that our plans can be fulfilled but maybe not how we intended them to be.
After working with these young women off and on for seven years, I was released, and started to attend Relief Society. The purpose of the Relief Society is to prepare women for the blessings of eternal life by helping them increase their faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and to help those in need. I was hesitant about this new change and felt anxious about associating with women who knew far more than I!
After attending my first meeting, I knew instantly that Relief Society was for me. Specifically, that "I" needed it at this point in my life. Whereas before on Sunday's, my focus was on my girls and making sure they were being spiritually fed, now I was able to focus on my role of becoming a better wife and mother. And I've continued to feel that strength and assurance every week since.
During a particularly hard day when I felt beyond embarrassed and frazzled, thanks to my potty training 2 year old, I was grateful that a fellow sister stopped by to check on things in the Henry Household. And another came by with flowers and the sweetest acknowledgment that she too felt my worries and fears at times. Both done out of the love because of the Relief Society program.
I love the words of Elder Holland who says, "Sisters, I testify that no one of us is less treasured or cherished of God than another. I testify that He loves each of us—insecurities, anxieties, self-image, and all. He doesn’t measure our talents or our looks; He doesn’t measure our professions or our possessions. He cheers on every runner, calling out that the race is against sin, not against each other." As women we sometimes think this life is a race, and often times run against one another. We become so focused on ourselves that we forget what those around us are accomplishing!
Now I know my mile pace will never set any records, but how encouraging to know that instead of running against each other, we can run WITH one another: by lifting one another's burdens and concerns, and celebrating other's success and achievements. Just because one woman is blessed accordingly, doesn't take away from the blessings Heavenly Father has in store for you!
If we can change our mindset from thinking about ourselves and focusing on the things we don't have, to instead look outward, to serve, and support one another as women, we're able to accomplish so much more. And most importantly, we can "become" so much more.
I was thinking the other day about how much we grow and learn over the years. When I was called as a leader for the 12-13 year old girls in my church, I was at a completely different point in my life. Marcus and I had been married just over 3 years, and I quickly had this mentality that I was there to serve these young women. To teach them and come spiritually prepared each week to help them develop testimonies of our Savior. Although, some of them may say I taught them more about dating, how to ride down a hill on a block of ice, and to never trust me when I would bring in cupcakes-working with adolescents was something I had worked towards and even earned my degree in. But what I thought would be guiding them to higher education after high school, turned into a higher knowledge of their Heavenly Father and the love He has for them. It taught me that our plans can be fulfilled but maybe not how we intended them to be.
After working with these young women off and on for seven years, I was released, and started to attend Relief Society. The purpose of the Relief Society is to prepare women for the blessings of eternal life by helping them increase their faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and to help those in need. I was hesitant about this new change and felt anxious about associating with women who knew far more than I!
After attending my first meeting, I knew instantly that Relief Society was for me. Specifically, that "I" needed it at this point in my life. Whereas before on Sunday's, my focus was on my girls and making sure they were being spiritually fed, now I was able to focus on my role of becoming a better wife and mother. And I've continued to feel that strength and assurance every week since.
During a particularly hard day when I felt beyond embarrassed and frazzled, thanks to my potty training 2 year old, I was grateful that a fellow sister stopped by to check on things in the Henry Household. And another came by with flowers and the sweetest acknowledgment that she too felt my worries and fears at times. Both done out of the love because of the Relief Society program.
I love the words of Elder Holland who says, "Sisters, I testify that no one of us is less treasured or cherished of God than another. I testify that He loves each of us—insecurities, anxieties, self-image, and all. He doesn’t measure our talents or our looks; He doesn’t measure our professions or our possessions. He cheers on every runner, calling out that the race is against sin, not against each other." As women we sometimes think this life is a race, and often times run against one another. We become so focused on ourselves that we forget what those around us are accomplishing!
Now I know my mile pace will never set any records, but how encouraging to know that instead of running against each other, we can run WITH one another: by lifting one another's burdens and concerns, and celebrating other's success and achievements. Just because one woman is blessed accordingly, doesn't take away from the blessings Heavenly Father has in store for you!
If we can change our mindset from thinking about ourselves and focusing on the things we don't have, to instead look outward, to serve, and support one another as women, we're able to accomplish so much more. And most importantly, we can "become" so much more.
YEAR TEN
February 14, 2017
(Can you spot our little photobomber? I was gonna crop it, but then decided how much I loved it!)
This February marks 10 years since Marcus and I got engaged. I remember everyone told us that the first year of marriage would be the BEST year of our life. We quickly hoped it wasn’t “the best” because our first year of marriage we had a lot of growing up to do and learned how to live with one another. But let’s face it-I had never lived with a boy before! Luckily, he had 4 sisters, so he already knew a little more than I did coming in. Our first year was HARD. We’d both tell anyone that. But by our second year, we quickly fell into a rhythm and never looked back. Over the years we’ve taken on new roles and interests and it’s been so great to have someone alongside for it all. Some couples say they’ve never argued. Kudos to those couples! But through our relationship I’ve learned what I need to work on, how to be patient, how to listen and be more understanding. Practice kindness and I’ve truly learned how to serve with all my heart, might, mind, and strength.
Two weeks ago as we were traveling home from Seattle, we hit a huge snowstorm. What should have taken us 3.5 hours to get home took us six! We drove 45mph the whole way. We hit a patch where chains were required, and I watched my husband brave the freezing temperatures and blowing snow so that us girls could stay warm in the car. I asked Marcus if he had ever put chains on before and he responded, “I watched a YouTube video of it once!” We both laughed and by the time he got back in the car he was covered in snow. I was so relieved he had the prompting to buy chains before we left, but more importantly, that we’ve learned to laugh during difficult challenges.
The next day he helped with the grocery shopping, attended church meetings, stayed up till midnight to wash the sheets of our sick child, and then put together a Sunday meal for us at the last minute. All of these situations were not ones I had thought about when marrying a companion. I didn’t know that these “qualities” were the ones I should have been looking for. My “husband list” contained many superficial items such as: a short last name, likes sports and ice cream, and has blue eyes. I’m so grateful the Lord knew the type of partner I needed and led me to someone who is willing to get down and help with our children, makes it a priority to attend church meetings, wants to provide-but more importantly, protects us for our safety, and doesn’t think twice about cooking a meal. The Lord new what I wanted, but also what I NEEDED. And I know he isn’t perfect, but this imperfect being is perfect for me.
(Can you spot our little photobomber? I was gonna crop it, but then decided how much I loved it!)
This February marks 10 years since Marcus and I got engaged. I remember everyone told us that the first year of marriage would be the BEST year of our life. We quickly hoped it wasn’t “the best” because our first year of marriage we had a lot of growing up to do and learned how to live with one another. But let’s face it-I had never lived with a boy before! Luckily, he had 4 sisters, so he already knew a little more than I did coming in. Our first year was HARD. We’d both tell anyone that. But by our second year, we quickly fell into a rhythm and never looked back. Over the years we’ve taken on new roles and interests and it’s been so great to have someone alongside for it all. Some couples say they’ve never argued. Kudos to those couples! But through our relationship I’ve learned what I need to work on, how to be patient, how to listen and be more understanding. Practice kindness and I’ve truly learned how to serve with all my heart, might, mind, and strength.
Two weeks ago as we were traveling home from Seattle, we hit a huge snowstorm. What should have taken us 3.5 hours to get home took us six! We drove 45mph the whole way. We hit a patch where chains were required, and I watched my husband brave the freezing temperatures and blowing snow so that us girls could stay warm in the car. I asked Marcus if he had ever put chains on before and he responded, “I watched a YouTube video of it once!” We both laughed and by the time he got back in the car he was covered in snow. I was so relieved he had the prompting to buy chains before we left, but more importantly, that we’ve learned to laugh during difficult challenges.
The next day he helped with the grocery shopping, attended church meetings, stayed up till midnight to wash the sheets of our sick child, and then put together a Sunday meal for us at the last minute. All of these situations were not ones I had thought about when marrying a companion. I didn’t know that these “qualities” were the ones I should have been looking for. My “husband list” contained many superficial items such as: a short last name, likes sports and ice cream, and has blue eyes. I’m so grateful the Lord knew the type of partner I needed and led me to someone who is willing to get down and help with our children, makes it a priority to attend church meetings, wants to provide-but more importantly, protects us for our safety, and doesn’t think twice about cooking a meal. The Lord new what I wanted, but also what I NEEDED. And I know he isn’t perfect, but this imperfect being is perfect for me.
CHIHULY GLASS MUSEUM & SPACE NEEDLE
February 6, 2017
I was a little nervous about taking two kids to a GLASS museum. But when it was rated #1 on TripAdvisor as the top thing to do in Seattle, I started to decide it may be worth checking out. And we were so glad we did! The glass was beautiful, and I felt like we were in different scenes from Alice in Wonderland. And Harper only got yelled at once for touching the platform. Oops!
Since it was right below the Space Needle, I asked Marcus if he had ever been up it. I had only been once in 8th grade and when he said “No,” we decided on a whim to go up. We timed it perfectly and got to watch the sunset and the lights turn on in the city. But as soon as the sun went down, it was freezing! Harper was falling asleep in Marcus’ arms as we walked around and I don’t know how she did. With the view and the wind, somehow she felt pretty safe in dad’s arms.
We also had the chance to walk around downtown Seattle. It was so fun walking around such hip and trendy areas, but we felt completely out of place pushing our DOUBLE stroller everywhere. We stopped at the cutest little shop with ice cream cookie sandwiches. Marcus has turned me into a total chocolate chip cookie snob and I’m not kidding when I say, he makes the best ones I’ve ever had! But Hello, Robin had the perfect crisp and softness and the inside was the ooey-gooey cookie I was hoping for. They also do a “Macklesmore” cookie with chocolate chips, graham crackers, and marshmallows. Pair those two cookies with Molly Moon’s ice cream and it was a dream in a cup. I probably could have had two!
By the end of the day we thought we had worn our girls out. They were both fighting colds and we figured they’d crash by the time we got to the hotel. Harper had a coughing fit and cried as soon as we put her in her pack and play. I felt so bad for her, we let her sleep in our bed. Big mistake! It was only the second time ever, and the first was when we were forced to. We forgot how miserable it is sleeping with a toddler, and she took up most of the bed and woke up hourly readjusting and spouting off the most random things! Marcus and I were just laughing in the middle of the night at some of the things she was saying. Having children around always makes life interesting!
I was a little nervous about taking two kids to a GLASS museum. But when it was rated #1 on TripAdvisor as the top thing to do in Seattle, I started to decide it may be worth checking out. And we were so glad we did! The glass was beautiful, and I felt like we were in different scenes from Alice in Wonderland. And Harper only got yelled at once for touching the platform. Oops!
Since it was right below the Space Needle, I asked Marcus if he had ever been up it. I had only been once in 8th grade and when he said “No,” we decided on a whim to go up. We timed it perfectly and got to watch the sunset and the lights turn on in the city. But as soon as the sun went down, it was freezing! Harper was falling asleep in Marcus’ arms as we walked around and I don’t know how she did. With the view and the wind, somehow she felt pretty safe in dad’s arms.
We also had the chance to walk around downtown Seattle. It was so fun walking around such hip and trendy areas, but we felt completely out of place pushing our DOUBLE stroller everywhere. We stopped at the cutest little shop with ice cream cookie sandwiches. Marcus has turned me into a total chocolate chip cookie snob and I’m not kidding when I say, he makes the best ones I’ve ever had! But Hello, Robin had the perfect crisp and softness and the inside was the ooey-gooey cookie I was hoping for. They also do a “Macklesmore” cookie with chocolate chips, graham crackers, and marshmallows. Pair those two cookies with Molly Moon’s ice cream and it was a dream in a cup. I probably could have had two!
By the end of the day we thought we had worn our girls out. They were both fighting colds and we figured they’d crash by the time we got to the hotel. Harper had a coughing fit and cried as soon as we put her in her pack and play. I felt so bad for her, we let her sleep in our bed. Big mistake! It was only the second time ever, and the first was when we were forced to. We forgot how miserable it is sleeping with a toddler, and she took up most of the bed and woke up hourly readjusting and spouting off the most random things! Marcus and I were just laughing in the middle of the night at some of the things she was saying. Having children around always makes life interesting!
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