There is something about this guy.....

....that I find fascinating and I want to share.

Yesterday was Dirk's 33rd birthday. We have been together for 10 years now and in those 10 years I have discovered so many things about this guy that make me fall more in love with him everyday!

He is:

D-daring. I swear he will try anything

I-inquisitive. He is always asking questions

R-reliable.

K-knowledgeable, he knows so much about a lot of things and if he doesn't he learns it, fast!

S-spacey, he wouldn't be him unless I had to repeat myself 3-4 times.

H-hilarious. He use to make his parents laugh everyday, now it is mine and the kids turn. He never fails us.

A-analytical, I have to throw this one in since it is his favorite word, trust me he is insane with it!

N-normal, a weird thing to love, I know, but I love that he is just a regular kind of guy.

E-easy-going.

S-sexy! I couldn't be luckier.

O-optimistic. To quote my father-in-law, "He sees the donut and I see the hole."

R-responsible

E-exciting. He makes you feel so good you just always want to be around him.

N-neighborly.

S-steadfast. We are so lucky to have him as the head of our family.

E-energetic.

N-nerd. and he is all mine!

A Few Thoughts

So, it's not Thursday and I am not posting things I am thankful for but I just had some thoughts this morning and I wanted to write them down for later inspection.
I was scrolling through all of my thankful thoughts and getting a little teary eyed with some. I really miss putting up 3 little things I am thankful for every week. Since I started working this last fall Thursday has become the busiest day of my week. I found myself wondering if this was a coincidence or if there was another reason everything seems to converge on this day. I swear whenever I find something that helps me change my perspective on life for the better there are more obstacles then sometimes seem possible to get around. I am not going to let those obstacles win. I need this blog more than anyone needs to read it. I have to find these little things sometimes to keep my sanity and to remember all the things I love about being a mom and wife. I will continue to be thankful and I will endeavor to better about sharing all those thoughts with all those who read my posts.

1. Picking Out the Raisins-One of our favorite cereals is Raisin Bran. My kids gobble it right up! Lexi loves raisin bran but she has always asked me to pick out the raisins for her. She loves raisins but for some reason she doesn't want them in her cereal. We hadn't bought Raisin Bran in awhile so I had forgotton this little detail so when Lexi was eating it the other day and asked me to pick out her raisins I realized just how much I had missed her little request. Now it makes me smile everytime.

2. Mama-I don't know what it is about Simon but he has the ability to melt my heart with a single word. This past weekend he decided he wasn't going to call me Mommy anymore. He has now decided I am Mama. I love how he says it. He hasn't the cutest voice and look on his face when he calls me. I swear he knows he will get what he wants just with that one little word. I dread the day he decides he is to big to call me Mama.

3. Courage-This past week I watched as Rayden conquered his fear of riding his bike with no training wheels. He started learning last fall but he decided he wanted to wait through the winter. He knew he didn't want training wheels anymore but he just wasn't sure of the whole two wheel thing. The other day he was ready to try again. I watched as Dirk took him out and started to teach him again. Those two boys rub each other the wrong way sometimes but Rayden wasn't going to give up. He is now zooming through the neighborhood as fast as the rest of them. He has my fear of trying new things but he got his Dad's determination to see it through. What a great example to me!

1. Toddler Talk-Is there seriously anything cuter than listening to an almost 2 year old talk? Some of my favorite words that come out of Simon's mouth are: "Shpikey" for when he wants his hair spiked, "Jojo" who is Lexi's pet rat, and "Peeeeaaaasssseeee" please.

2. Music-One of my favorite sayings, and also a sign I have on my piano, is "Where words fail, Music speaks." My father has always said that there is a song for everything and he hasn't failed to find one yet! Music also speaks to me in a way nothing else can. It influences my moods and how I deal in daily life. I love music and couldn't imagine life without it. My favorite scripture even talks about the importance of music to our Heavenly Father. Doctrine and Covenants 25:12 For my soul adelighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads. So true and so wonderful!

3. Service-I am grateful that I am fortunate enough in life to be able to offer service to those around me. It has been one of my goals to never back down when I think of a service I should do for someone else. I really, really want to accomplish this goal. I was sitting in Relief Society one week and the teacher told us a story that ended with, "Never supress the urge to do a kind deed." It has been my mantra this year and I know that I supress those urges way to often.

1. Clutter-Until it is all gone I am thankful that I have a "busy task" at home. It makes me feel useful getting rid of all the clutter at home. No one else wants to do it so as long as it is there I know my family will definitely want me around!

2. Frozen Meals-I LOVE my meal group. It is so nice to go once a month and exchange frozen homemade meals with the other girls. They have been saving my life lately as I am still trying to adjust to working part time. It sure does cut down on the eating out expense!

3. Diet Dr. Pepper-I don't always have to have one but on those days.....lets just say I am glad to have something to help me be happy!

1. Jack Frost-This time of year can be so miserable and cold. I sometimes sink into the doldrums and forget that there is so much around me that is beautiful and wonderful. As I was driving into town this week I looked around me and I noticed how beautiful the trees are with all the frost making them white and sparkly. It reminded me of a conversation I had with Lexi a couple of weeks ago when she noticed the frosty trees. Lexi was so cute when she told me Jack Frost had visited Smithfield that morning because he had breathed on all the trees and made them sparkle. I loved the assurance in her voice that she knew exactly why it was cold and beautiful out at the same time. Thank you Jack Frost for giving us something beautiful to look at.

2.A Plan-I really enjoy when I have a plan and I see it to fruition. I find myself constantly wanting to get things done but than falling short of my goal. I am not going to think of those times (or try not to anyway) and be extremely thankful for the times everything goes according to plan.