Double Rainbow

Have you seen this video?

I want this. 

 

That is all.

Utah Trip

This past weekend Chris and I traveled to Utah for a friends wedding. 

Highlights:

Buying Chris a new pea-coat and looking handsome all weekend

Pizza Pie Cafe

People watching with Chelsea

Much needed girls talk with the Kailey and Chelsea

Scrapbook warehouse with my mother in law

Spending one on one time Kailey

Creating new inside jokes

Seeing the happy new couple

The wedding dress

Dancing with friends

Falling even more in love with my husband 

Things That Sucked:

12 hour drive to Utah with 3 teenage girls

Not sleeping in my bed for 4 nights

Walking in the rain

Not getting enough sleep

Starting my period

12 hour drive home with 3 teenage girls

Highlights outnumber the things that sucked

=

Pretty darn good weekend.

His Only Begotten Son

One of the most glorious messes

in the world is the mess created 

in the living room on Christmas day. 

Don't clean it up too quickly.  

~Andy Rooney

I am so excited for Christmas. And my birthday.  I have a lot of great gift ideas this year.  I think gift giving is what makes Christmas my favorite holiday. Sometimes I get caught up in the commercialism of Christmas when in fact I should be remember the real reason we celebrate this time of year. 

Sometimes I forget that the greatest gift ever given was given 2,000 years ago.

Elder Mark E. Petersen said,

"The angels of heaven joined in a great chorus rejoicing at the birth of God’s Son. Now the redemption of the world could take place. Salvation could come to all mankind. Death would be overcome, for this little child, when He became a man, would bring about the Resurrection. All mankind could then live again.

Christmas gifts? There were none at that time. The Wise Men came later with their offerings.

But God now gave His gift to the world—that of His Only Begotten Son. And this divine Son by His very birth on earth gave Himself as the greatest Gift of all time.     UAdd a Note 

 

He would provide the plan for our salvation. He would give His life that we might rise from the grave and have a happy life in the eternities, forever. Who could give more?"

 Even though we can not give to others what Jesus gave to us, we can still give. We can give time, service, and love. When I think about His Only Begotten Son, it is easier for me to feel love for my neighbors and to serve them. This is truly the season of giving. God gave us His Son and Christ gave His life and through that gift we can know the joy of being with our closest friends and families through eternity. Through Gods Holy Temples we can be sealed to our spouses and together bear children that will always be ours. These are our christmas gifts. Could we ever receive anything better? I hope to remember this during the Christmas season and all year and I hope to be able to share the gospel and my love for the Savior.

When I'm fat, it'll be too late

Every time I hear the dirty word

"exercise"

I wash my mouth out with 

"Chocolate"

 

Why is change so hard?

I'm not eating as healthy as I once did

I'm not exercising 

And my energy level is evidence of this. 

I often feel like I need a nap in the middle of the day

And I got 9 hours of sleep that night.

I've never found anything 

that truly motivates me long enough 

to get through the pain so that I can see and feel the results

I know its a change I have to make 

I say "I'm gonna start today"

and then I find myself making excuses.

I need something that motivates me

What motivates you?

Halloween

The other day my sister in law created her own blog.. and it reminded me of the one I used to have. The one I had forgotten about. So, here I am. Writing. Only because it's been so long. I think I'm done promising to do better. I've come up with a new promise. I promise to write when I feel like it. Till then, you'll just have to wait.


This past Halloween weekend Chris and I carved pumpkins with both of our families. I was able to carve Elmo, tinker bell, M&M guys, and a cute skeleton. Chris carved a really difficult zombie lookin thing and a regular Jack-O-Lantern. The zombie stencil took him about 6 days to finish. That's what I call dedication. 

Blake's pumpkin, Chris's pumpkin, my pumpkin(the best)

Chris's zombie pumpkin

Camping with the Fire Gods

Last Saturday Chris and I are with some friends for lunch

On a whim we decided to go camping for the night

Here's a time line of the next  24 hours

1 Pm - We decide to go on a camping/fishing trip

3 PM - On our way out of town when we realize that we didn't bring our lighter. So we stop at the Texaco and buy a new one.

4 PM - Arrive at our designated location camp and then realize that the gate is locked and they put up a fence

4:15 PM - Decide to take down the barbed wire fence with some pliers.

5 PM - Camp is set up and we head down to the lake

7 PM - With no fish, we head back to camp to cook up the hot dogs we brought just in case

7:15 PM - We realize that the brand new lighter has no butane. It's like we bought a flashlight but no batteries.

9:55 PM - We finally get a fire started.

10:10 PM - We are still singing hallelujah and chanting to the fire gods.

We spent 3 hours trying to start a fire. Funnest night in weeks! 

Sorry everyone! 

I know I haven't written in over a week

but I have a good excuse.

Really I do!

I swear!

1. My little brother needed his big sister to give good advice and love him unconditionally.

2. I'm applying to BYUI and getting all my stuff together and figured out takes awhile.

3. Being married means I have better things to do at night than to sit at my computer.

Eye Candy

I am obsessed with this Dress.

I also love it in black.

It's going on my wish list.

Late Night Salon in My Bathroom

Last night around 10 

a certain husband

decided to give himself a hair cut

with his flippin loud trimmer

and then proceeded to VACUUM it up. 

Needless to say 

a certain wife 

didn't get to sleep till after her bedtime.

She must be exhausted. 

But she will always love him.

Even if he keeps her up at night cutting his hair

and vacuuming. 

Because he will forever love her. 

Even though she hasn't made dinner all week.

And he has to make Top Ramen.

 

It's times like these that make married life interesting

Power of Prayer

Just last night, around 3 AM, I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep. I tossed and turned for over 30 minutes. I tried drinking a glass of milk and listening to sound of the fan. This wasn't working. I needed to get back to sleep soon or I was gonna be very VERY grumpy the next day. Finally, I got down on my knees. After I was finished I crawled back into bed and within a few minutes I was asleep. I slept soundly till morning.

In the last 5 years, I've gained a knowledge and testimony of the love, power, and strength that comes from sincere and heart felt prayer. 

Each time I open the lines of communication, I learn a little bit more about the gospel. Through strengthening my relationship with Heavenly Father I have a greater knowledge of who He is, who I am and of my purpose, and what I can do to be more like Him.

"I know of the readiness of our Father to assist us in our mortal experience, to teach us, to lead us, to guide us.... We each have so much need for his help as we seek to learn gospel truths and then live them, as we seek his help in the major decisions of our lives, decisions involving schooling, marriage, employment, place of residence, raising our families, serving with each other in the work of the Lord, and seeking his forgiveness and continual guidance and protection in all we do. Our list of needs is long and real and deeply felt." - President Spencer W. Kimball
 
While pouring my heart to the Lord, I've felt the love and peace that the Holy Ghost brings. Through prayer, I have witnessed the cleansing pour of the atonement. I've gained my own testimony of Jesus Christ and his infinite power and love for me.


Many decisions in my life have been made because of the inspiration I received while on or shortly after being on my knees.  Each of these decisions have brought forth many blessings and greater happiness.

I often think of Daniel and the story of the lions den. I'm grateful that I live in a country of religious freedom, where I can pray freely without fear of being persecuted.

Friday Off

Not much going on today. 

Just lunch with my beautiful mother. 

I'm trying to stop by everyday

even if there's not much to say

just so I can get into the habit

because I really do love blogging.

Do you find this picture as funny as I do?

Update

Hey everyone, sorry it's been so long since I posted. 

Many things have happened in the last few months.

One morning, we found a dead rat outside our apartment door. 

I'm sorry but all the pictures are gone

(yeah, I'm disappointed too.) 

but believe me when I say it was GROSS. 

The missing pictures brings me to my next point. 

We got new iPhone 4's. 

Neither one of us had backed up our old phones for awhile 

and the newer pictures were lost in the transferring of information 

Chris got a new job 

which offers him more hours 

and that means more money

which is nice because we like money. 

Things at home are good. Chris and I are still very happy. 

(Knock on wood!).

The first few weeks living together were a bit difficult

but I realized that 

having an imperfect house and being happy 

is better

than having a spotless house and being Mr. Grumpy Gills. 

Pretty wise huh? 

It only took two weeks to learn!!

Ps. I've also successfully made dinner many times in the last 2 months. 

HOORAY!

I'm also trying to convince myself that the benifits of regular exercise
outweigh the benifits of doing other things like reading, eating, or watching TV.
As of yet, it hasn't happened. 

And I'm not sure it ever will.

Wait. What? 

You love milk? 

No Way! I love milk too! 

It's meant to be. 

We can't live without milk. 

We go through 2-3 gallons a week.

I'm Alive!

I'm still here people! 

I know you were worried about me. 

Things have been going on in the 2 months that

have required more attention and energy than normal. 

But I will be back soon. Promise.

Maybe even tomorrow. 

In the meantime here's a picture for your enjoyment.

I'm Back

It's been a few weeks since I've shared with y'all my beautiful words and brilliant thoughts. Consequently I have many things I would like to share.

1. I'm married now and I'm happier than you.. Neener Neener Neener!!!
2. We moved into our new apartment.
3. Due to moving and his disorganization, my new husband realized the extent of my OCD tendencies and I am 100% positive that he was regretting the decision to be equally yoked with me for eternity.
4. Last night, due to a family emergency, Chris finished dinner while I was on the phone. Dinner was fantastic. If I had made it, our taste buds would've had a complete opposite experience. I'm sure of it. It made me feel less of a woman.
5.  I can't even make a decent meal for my man. What's the point of living? I'd crawl up into a ball and put myself in the oven, but I'd probably burn myself black. It's that bad.
6.  I hope you will understand if I never ever invite you over for dinner. It's only because I fear for your health and well being.
7.  But Chris always finds a way to make me feel better about myself.
8. And then he tells me I have BO or that my breathe smells and I feel like a failure once again.
9.  Now I feel embarrassed that everyone now knows my armpits smelll.
10.  We went to Mexico for our honeymoon. I got to see a whole new side of Chris. I loved it. 
11. They really like blonde hair blue eyed girls. I've never heard so many compliments in one day. I think we'll go back every year. I'll never get tired of hearing how pretty my eyes are. 
12. Chris has a magazine that has a "hidden image" game. Chris looked through it 3 or 4 times. Couldnt find the image. I found it my first time through. Within minutes. Don't worry, I hardly bragged about it. 
13. After his armpit comment, I wish I would've. He deserves it. I'm sure I'll get him later. I always do. Muuahahaha!!
14. I love the temple. In all seriousness, I'm so grateful for those who've always been there and who encouraged me to do it right.
15. Watermelon is my favorite fruit. I could eat it everyday even though strangely, I don't like watermelon flavored items... like candy or snow-cones and things of that sort.
16. I think God created dirty dishes to teach me darkness... pain.. opposition in all things...

Cloud 9

Papa got here last night

best friend Ashleigh arrives tomorrow

Going to the temple Friday night

bachelorette party is gonna be super fun

I get married on Saturday

for time and all eternity

 leave for a Mexican Riviera cruise on Sunday

spend 7 days with my new husband

I'm on cloud 9 

and there aint nothin that can bring me down

The New Look

I totally love my new background. 

I love the new picture. 

I am absolutely 100% in love with the new background and picture together. 

Anyone else feel this way?

Personally, I can't stop looking at it. 

I must give credit where credit is due. 

Thank you to Jenne Kissell for the picture(s) that I completely love. 

More than I love sleeping

Because it's 11 o'clock at night and I'm blogging about it.

Reason to Blog

I came across this today. It says there is 5 different languages of blogging. 

lurking

commenting 

hyperlinking

blog rolling

subscribing

Although I have done all of these at one point or another

I am, for the most part, 

a lurker.

I just feel that my thoughts aren't important enough 

or interesting

or profound

I am not a mother

or a wife

I have no special skills or qualifications

And yet, according to my first post

I started blogging because I wanted my thoughts to inspire people

I can't inspire people if I don't use my voice

I promise to be better from now on

Mawage Wicense

Mawage. 

Mawage is wot bwings us togeder tooday.

BUT

You can't have a mawage 

without a MAWAGE WICENSE!!

3 1/2 Weeks

3 1/2 weeks till the wedding. Back in January, when we first got engaged, it seemed as though June was so far away. But the time flew by and now we're so close. So very very close. Close enough that I can smell it.

I had my bridal shower last night. It was so much fun! Kelsie, my maid of honor, with the help of Kim and a few others hosted the fun little shindig. I got great gifts that are really going to come in handy when I become a wife and I have to start doing all the horrible things like cooking, cleaning, and taking care of my husband.

Oh!

Did I tell you I hate cooking?

and dishes

and laundry

and making the bed.

I didn't?

Oh well, now you know.

Because honestly, what's the point? I'm just going to crawl into it and mess it up in 12 hours anyways.

32 Days

I am getting married in 32 days!!

 

 

 

The time is drawing near and I am..

JUMPING FOR JOY!

Random Thursday

This is going to be a random Thursday post. Its an update about a few things that have happened in my life over the past few weeks.

Last Week's Update

For Kyles birthday, Chris and I got him 2 tickets to the Eagles concert in Seattle on May 13th.
Missie called me about 5 hours before the concert was to start.

She says, "You'll never believe what happened!"
"What happened?" I replied.
"Right after we checked into the hotel, we hear on the radio, Eagle fans had better take it easy because the concert has been canceled."

Huge disappointment

Kyle loves the Eagles and I love giving gifts because I like making people happy. Kyle was happy. And now, it was like someone took a big stinky dump on my entire day. And I'm sure and even bigger stinkier dump on Kyles day weekend.


Recent Update
(Read aloud in a manly anchorman voice)

Woman pays over $200 for a 6 month supply of BC pills. Outrageous? I say so. I left thinking.. is it even worth that much? I really do want babies.. 500 of em... What a predicament.

Other Update

I love my wedding dress. It stays at my moms house. Every time I go home I have to put it on, dream about getting married to this guy. On Saturday, I get to wear my dress for 2+ hours!! YAYYY MEE!!! Damon is doing my bridal photo shoot. I am super duper extremely excited.

Last Update

Do you see this woman?

The one with the Utah poof, cool hoop earrings, and the myspace pose?

This woman who endured a 12 hour flight just to spend a week listening to me complain. Who pushes me till I blow up. Who gets on my very last nerve. Who makes me scream.

 This

is

my 

mommy.

My mom is crazy but she's mine. ALL MINE. FOREVER. I love her. You can't have her. 

How Rich Are You?

I came across this.

It says that I am RICH. 

I am the 617,928,589 richest person in the world.  

But what’s crazy about this is that I have a salary of about 24,000 a year

and yet I fall into the Top 10% of the world’s wealthiest people.  

THE WORLD’S.

Puts things into perspective doesn't it?

That means that 90% of the world is poorer than I am.

It means that's 90 out of every 100 make less than 24,000 a year.

I plugged in a few numbers...

At a $15,000 salary: Top 12.23%

At a $10,000 salary: Top 13.31%

At a $5,000 salary: Top 14.39%

At a $2,500 salary: Top 14.93%

At a $1,500 salary: Top 24.8%

At a $1,000 salary: Top 44.1%

At a $500 salary: Top 80%

The numbers just drop off from there...

Think about this, 60% of the worlds population makes less than 1,000 a year! 

I'm feeling thankful. How about you?

I'm loaded. It's official.I'm the 617,928,589 richest person on earth! How rich are you? >>

He knew....

I just finished watching this and right now, I'm listening to the song we've chosen for our first dance and my heart is full.

I feel grateful and uplifted. I feel strengthened and empowered.

Getting married is going to bring on more and greater responsibilities and I have been worried lately that I won't be able to handle everything. We haven't found an apartment yet. We don't know exactly what we are doing about school. We don't even have a solid budget since our income changes weekly thanks to this wonderful place

But my faith has been renewed. I know that as long as we are doing what we are supposed to, everything will be okay. I know that as long as we continue to pray our tithing, go to the temple often, pray, and study the scriptures, everything will work out. Times might/will be tough and I understand that but I know that it won't because we will endure till things get better.

Last night, as we knelt down and prayed together I was overcome with peace that I am exactly where I'm supposed to be and that I am doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing. I am feeling that same peace again. Chris is sitting across the room from playing some silly game on his iphone. I love his laugh. I love his facial expressions. I love his noises and his sound effects. I love his heart. His soul. His being.

He knew all the things you would face

and he knew, what you would need

so he prayed and he cried and he fell upon

his knees, it hurt more then you know. 

he knows who you are

he believes, you will make it through

and he knows all the things your gonna do

no matter what you're going through

Because the Savior knows each one of us individually, he knew what we would need, from him and in this life. He knew that each and everyone of us would need a Redeemer. He also knew that we would need "helps" in this life. He knew that I would need Christopher. It's only been 5 months and I've needed him more than I ever needed anyone before. For some reason, Christopher is my other half. He knows me and understands me. He encourages me to look up and live. He encourages me to have faith, to pray, to study, to love others, and to be a disciple of Christ. What would I ever do without him?


He knew that I would need Him. I would need Ashleigh, Mama Baer, my favorite Aunt Kim, my mom, and all the many people who have been there and loved me in my life. He knew that I would need the scriptures and the Holy Ghost. He knew that I would need A LOT of helps. Because of all of these things I am going to the temple. A few years ago, I didn't think I would ever make it. I wasn't even planning on it. But now, because of the patience, forgiveness and help that I have received, I am getting married here.

Nuptials and Jealousy

Jonathan and Kailey are getting married this weekend. 

5 days.

I am jealous.

Extremely.

I wish it were Christopher and I.

We wouldn't have to say bye at the end of the day.

I love them

and

I'm happy for them.

But darn them for being so lucky.

Still considering eloping.

Slightly.

It's always in the back of my mind.

Like Christopher once said,

"June, you are the thorn in my side and I hate you. 

You think you can run and hide behind

January, February, March, April, and May? 

Well guess what, I'm going to hunt you down!"

Motorcycles and Coasters

I love bikes. If it's on two wheels and moves forward, I love it. I loved riding my bike as a kid and even now I wish that I had a bicycle to ride on nice sunny days.

I also love speed.

Which means that I love motorcycles. All of them. Cruisers. Sport bikes. Mopeds. My love began when my dad got a bike a few years back. Till that time I had never been on a motorcycle. Then I went out a few times with a  guy for a week or two just because he rode a bike. I knew a woman who, in her younger years, had owned a Harley and had driven cross country with other riders. I knew then that I wanted a bike of my own for my husband and I to ride. Papa Baer has a bike. A very nice, beautiful, lovely bike. 

This past Saturday was absolutely gorgeous and guess what, Papa Baer took yours truly for a ride. While on this ride, I figured out why I love riding so much. To me, riding a bike is similar to riding a roller coaster. I realized this when we came upon a HUGE hill. Just like a coaster, you can tell when the big drop is coming before you get there and although for me, there was no big rise before the drop like there would have been on a roller coaster, the thrill for the hill grew as we got closer. As we cleared  the hill I was already thinking about how exciting it would be go back up. And just as your stomach knots up when you are slowly chugging up a rise, my stomach was in knots flipping and turning with excitement. It was a delightful experience.

Ps. For the thrilling roller coaster feel, hills are optional because even when the bike shifts gears you get similar internal sensations.

Do you love bikes as much as I do?

Sorrow That the Eye Can't See

He didn't treat her nice. He was mean and abusive

towards her and the children. 

Towards his grandkids, he is only slightly better

but only because they are not his.

She was kind, gentle,and caring

She served and loved the Lord, family, friends, and strangers.

Her sense of humor and the sound of her voice

brought smiles to those around her

After 30+ years together, the cancer took her away

within months he marrys another.

Towards me, he is anything but grandfatherly

I hear criticism and harsh tones

I was unable to forgive him

Unable to invite him to the happiest day of my life

Until these words pierced my heart 

like never before.

Lord, I Would Follow Thee

Who am I to judge another
When I walk imperfectly?

In the quiet heart is hidden

Sorrow that the eye can't see.
Lord, I would follow thee.

Savior, may I love my brother
As I know thou lovest me,
Find in thee my strength, my beacon,
For thy servant I would be.
Lord, I would follow thee

Then the peace that the Spirit poured 

into my heart overwhelmed me. 

As forgiveness filled my heart 

huge tears spilled down my cheeks.

My heart is healed and I feel no more bitterness

Blind Side

Without a doubt one of my favorite movies of 2009 was The Blind Side. I saw it in theaters twice and I've watched it several times since it came out on video. We watched it again at my parents house Sunday night and I've been thinking about it ever since.

My favorite part of The Blind Side,

Courage is a hard thing to figure. You can have courage based on a dumb idea or mistake, but you're not supposed to question adults, or your coach or your teacher, because they make the rules. Maybe they know best, but maybe they don't. It all depends on who you are, where you come from. Didn't at least one of the six hundred guys think about giving up, and joining with the other side? I mean, valley of death that's pretty salty stuff. That's why courage it's tricky. Should you always do what others tell you to do? Sometimes you might not even know why you're doing something. I mean any fool can have courage. But honor, that's the real reason for you either do something or you don't. It's who you are and maybe who you want to be. If you die trying for something important, then you have both honor and courage, and that's pretty good. I think that's what the writer was saying, that you should hope for courage and try for honor. And maybe even pray that the people telling you what to do have some, too. 

What do you think of honor?... Integrity?

Missing Bike

The first time I ever read this 

was when my friend Ashleigh showed it to me. 

And it seems that whenever
I need a good laugh

I run across this picture. 

It always succeeds.

I thought you might enjoy it as well.

Got Milk?

The weekend of April 16-18, we will be in Salt Lake for Jonathan's wedding(Chris's brother). I also have friends who live there. One of them, MerriLyn, I haven't seen since last August and Kelly I haven't seen since last October. So as you can imagine, I'm pretty excited for our trip. But then I read/heard about an event that blew my excitement level into a previously unknown territory.

If you know me at all you know that I love milk. If you know Christopher you know that he loves milk even more than I do.WE LOVE MILK. It was one of the very first things we found out that we had in common. That and our love of caring for special needs children. We could drink an entire gallon in one day. Especially REALLY cold milk. It's my third favorite thing, right behind Chris and Chocolate. When we get married, half of our fridge will be filled with milk. I could go on for hours about how much I love milk... and dairy... like cheese.. and butter... Cows are great.

Seriously though, I found out that the National "got milk?®" Milk
Mustache Mobile Tour is crossing the country from March to September to show everyone that it's DELICIOUS,  NUTRITIOUS, AND AFFORDABLE. 

And guess what?! The Milk Tour will be in Salt Lake the SAME weekend we will be there!! And to promote milk they are giving it away for free at the Olympic Plaza at the Gateway. How fanfreakintastic is that????? I almost cried. Seriously. Free Milk. We are so there!

A Thousand Mile Journey

I got so much out of the 

Saturday session of General Conference this year.

One of my favorite talks was

from Jeffrey R. Hollands talk. 

He said something along the lines of this,

"A thousand mile journey begins with one step

SO WATCH YOUR STEP." 

Are my steps taking me in the right direction, the best direction?

Am I stepping backwards or forwards? 

Where are your steps taking you?

Manic Episode

Have you ever sat and cried for no reason? Have you ever lost it? Was in the presence of another person? Well, let me tell you a little story about the day I lost it. It was last Wednesday.

The stress had been building up for a couple days. Makayla and Kennedy had been brats that day and the previous. After work, we went to my parents house, to love on baby Keldon and play Apples to Apples. We get there and guess what, NO KELDON. Disappointment 1 of the night..

Disappointment 2? My mom changed her mind and forced my favorite little brother to go to mutual. So that meant no Apples to Apples. At least, not till later. Disappointment 3? There was no dinner, (dinner is part of the reason I go to my parents because I love my moms cooking). I ended up having a bowl of cheerios.

Then while everyone was out for the night, I decided to do something nice for my parents. Christopher and I cleaned the house. Did we get a thank you when everyone got home? NO. I didn't get squat. That was disappointment 4. And then, to make matters worse, we stayed till 11:30, which is WAY past my bedtime.

So by the time we were on our way home, I was on the verge of a melt down. I remember telling Chris something I was worried about and asking a question. Now, to make things clear, it wouldn't have mattered what his response was, the reaction would've been the same. All of a sudden, this burning sensation began to take over my body. I snapped. I started raising my voice. I WAS MAD. About this time, we were pretty close to my house.

We pulled up and I continued into the house. I don't remember how long I argued but I do remember bringing up things that didn't even upset me. I just wanted to fight. Finally, as my manic episode subsided, I became a waterfall. Tears began streaming down my face because I realized I had gone insane. As the tears stopped I fell asleep and when I woke up, I was perfectly fine and the night before seemed like a dream.

Can you believe Chris didn't run away in utter terror?

I love my kids and I love my job.

And this is why. 

In his adorable baby talk Mason just said, "I wub you tepnie." Translated, it's "I love you Stephanie."

Important background information, Makayla and Mason are half Filipino half Caucasion. Their mother is from Michigan and their father is from the Philippines .  


 

This is a conversation between Makayla and myself. 

Makayla: Did you know that Filipinos love mangos?Me: I didn't know that, does that mean you love mangos because you're Filipino?"
Makayla: "Yeah, but I'm only half.
Me: Only half what? Filipino?
Makayla: YES! (In a very exasperated manner.)
Me: What's your other half?
Makayla: Michigan, DUH! (even more exasperated)

This is my favorite quote from Kennedy. 

Kennedy: When I grow up, I'm going to fall in love, get a husband, and buy 2 kids. One is going to be a girl and she's going to have a little brother. 

Chris Proof

Last week I wrote about our cake taste testing adventure and I mentioned the incident that occured in Millie's shop. Now I have an update. We went in this past Saturday because we were craving her cupcakes and she had made some changes in her little shop.....

Now it's Chris proof

HAHA!! That's right. She put it inside a glass container just in case Chris ever came back.

Hope you had a good laugh too.

The Next Cool Thing

I got a new toy!

The Logitech Speaker LapdeskN700!!!

It's like having a theater on my lap. It even has a quiet fan that keeps my computer cool. It was a gift from Christopher. Everyone should have one. It's the new cool thing. 

And if you were interested in the cupcake shop here's the link.

Things Wasted

Why, as human beings, do we waste things? We waste money, love, TIME, and countless other things.

I buy things labeled as wants when I should have bought something that's necessary.

God has given us great gifts. Our bodies and our minds and our hearts. With our bodies we can give service and love. We can be happy through being humble and giving; selfless and kind. With our minds we can attain knowledge and share that knowledge with others. We have the ability to observe; observe those who need a kind word, love, and a friend. With our hearts we can actually give this love.

But we seem to waste these gifts in some way everyday. Some may not be actively searching for knowledge. There are those who are searching but not for the right kind of knowledge. Others may ignore someone in need. We give love to things that have no importance in the whole scheme of things. Things like clothes, celebrities, TV shows, cars. We waste our minds by "stimulating" it with things like Family Guy or South Park, magazines, and gossip.

I am a procrastinator. I don't know why because I hate it when it happens. For example, I have been needing to clean my room for over a week. Each time I walk into my bedroom, that's what comes to my mind, "WOW, I really need to do something about this." And for the past two weekends and even a night here and there during the week I've set aside some time to get it done. But when the time comes, I find myself doing other things. Things like facebook, planning and researching my wedding, blogging, or the just laying in bed relaxing(aka napping). But at the end of the day, I've accomplished nothing and I can feel it.

We are all under the illusion that we have time to do whatever we want but in reality we have very little time. I wonder how much time I would have if I added up the hours wasted on frivolous things. Thinking of all the things I could have done with my time depresses me. But that's in the past and the only thing I can do is move on and be better.

I will try to not waste anymore. I'm going to begin to think of ways to better spend my gifts.

Cake Tasting

Yesterday, Christopher and I went cake tasting, trying to find the person who can make my perfect cake, but within our budget. First we went to a place in Pasco. Upon pulling into our parking space, we had to rush into the bakery in fear that we might get shot. JOKING. They had something called Tres Leches, or in English, Three Milks. It was VERY good. The best that Christopher, who served his mission in Mexico, has ever had. They also had german chocolate, chocolate, coffee cake, and carrot cake. Which were all right. They were a little dry. I wasn't LOVING the cake or their cake designs.

So we moved on to the next bakery. This brought us to a little place in Richland. We pulled up to the address that they had given us only to discover that no body was home. The building was empty, there were giant disgusting rodents of unusual size creeping around corners and along the walls, and I'm pretty sure there were a few dead bodies. Needless to say, we didn't think they made good cakes so we moved on to the next bakery.

This found us in downtown Kennewick, were once again we had to rush inside in fear of being shot.

We walk into this cute little cupcake/cake/deli shop. You're probably thinking exactly what I was thinking. Weird combination. But anyways... we walk to the counter and ask for Mellie, the woman who owns this adorable little shop. As we're waiting for her, Chris found a cute cake topper. They were eggs dressed up with fondant made to look like a bride and groom. He was playing with them, making them talk to each other. As he's doing this Mellie finally comes out, sees him playing with them, walks over to the counter, rips them out of his hands, and says, "These aren't toys." HAHAHAHA. A few seconds later, he leans over and says to me, "She seems very angry with me." It was priceless.

So here we were tasting these cupcakes and I have to tell you, they melted in my mouth. They were absolutely the most delicious things I'd ever tasted. Mellie brought some red velvet, double chocolate, white, Madagascar white.. and so many others. She brought out a double chocolate cupcake filled with her own raspberry filling. As my taste buds were thanking me and worshiping Mellie, I knew our search was over. Now I'm not going to tell you exactly what flavors we got because that would just ruin the surprise, but I will tell you that you and your taste buds will be thanking me and worshiping Mellie as well.

Since today is positiv gorgeous and Mama and Papa Baer are in California, we(Christopher and I) taking the girls, getting sandwiches, picking up some cupcakes(YAYY!!!) and heading to the park for a fun filled day.

For the past week or two my priorities have been out of whack. I've been too caught up in planning my wedding. This includes spending time and money going to useless bridal shows, planning when I should be working, and worst of all, not giving Chris the love and attention he deserves. The control freak in me comes out and I start thinking of all the things that aren't planned yet. The honeymoon, flowers, guest list, engagement pictures, DJ or band, no videographer, no bridesmaid dresses, no passport or visa, haven't started registry yet, haven't started dance lessons, and I haven't reserved the tuxedos. So then, I get all stressed out and I feel like pulling my hair out.

But I started thinking this morning, "Does any of this really matter?" Is it THAT important? So today, I'm turning off my brain and having fun.

Old Pictures and Memories

I found some old pictures the other day and figured I'd post them.

I was able to sneak baby Abby away from the rest of the family and take a little nap. I believe this was taken late winter of 06.




Cousin Kelsie and I at a Thrift Store. Summer of 07. Maybe 06.






Day trip to Seattle. Absolutely. Gorgeous.
Brothers +Me. Summer 08.









Baby Abby and I. Summer/Fall 06

Hope you enjoyed!

I am sick and tired of hearing people tell me that I'm crazy. Crazy for getting married so quickly, crazy for doing it before finishing school, crazy for not starting my career first. It seems like that's the norm nowadays. I've also been told to wait because once I get married, I won't have a chance to have "fun". No more late nights with the girlfriends, no more parties, no more being "young".

Every time I hear this it makes me laugh. I have never really been one to go out with the girls. Even in high school, when Friday or Saturday night came around and my one and only best girlfriend was wanting to go a party or the movies, I was home. I was wanting to take a hot bath then end the night cuddled up in my bed with a good book. Ever since I can remember, all I've ever REALLY wanted, more than anything, was to get married and start a family. I never pictured myself going through college alone. Never pictured myself traveling alone. I never pictured myself as the young single 20-something woman who's the center of attention. For as long as I can remember, I've been a homebody and I always will be.

So tell me something.


What is so wrong with having my greatest desire be to become a wife and mother. What is so wrong with seeing a picture of a beautiful baby and thinking, "I can't wait to look upon my own beautiful baby. What is so wrong with seeing a mother praying with her two little girls and thinking, "I can't wait to teach my children to pray." Whats so wrong with seeing a couple sitting side by side, holding hands and thinking, "I can't wait to love someone that much." What is so wrong with risking my career instead of risking my dreams.

Women of the world are trying so hard to prove themselves that they forgetting what we were made and designed for. We are natural nurturers. By divine design, fathers are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families and mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children.

Oh the things I could talk about.... but I must put my ranting on hold before my fingers fall off from all the typing.

Life is....

I am so excited right now! I just helped Missie
my future mother-in-law, with her blog!
I was so proud of myself for knowing enough to help her with her blog.
AND to make things better, I am completely self taught!

Anyways....


I bought a laptop
I'm in love
I love my job
I am happy
I have people who love and care about me


Life is wonderful
I'm grateful that I have a job
that I love
when there are thousands
who are unemployed

Life is exceptional
I am so blessed to be surrounded
by wonderful people
who want the best for me
who laugh with me
who show me love and compassion

Life is blessed
I was born in paradise
I live in a free country
I am free to be me, to be sarcastic
I can worship as I'd like
I am protected by a government
in which I have a voice

Life is fabulous
I am a Daughter of God
I have a Father who loves me
I have a Brother who died for me
I know who I am and my potential

I have a fiancé who sees and treats me
as a Daughter of God
who knows who I am
and my potential
who's only desire is to help me reach it

I can picture...

Its been awhile since I've been on
due to the fact that I no longer have a working computer
and I work 10 hours a day
and spending ALL my extra time with Christopher.
But to be honest, I've missed the release.
I've missed sharing my thought and feelings.

With today being Sunday
naturally
my heart has been filled.
It began yesterday,
as I prepared for my lesson
and created a ripple effect in a small bath tub.
I think of my Savior
and of the blessings I've received.
Then I begin to think of Christopher
then I picture us getting married in the temple
and being together for time and all eternity
its these thoughts that bring
my mind right
back to the Savior, my Redeemer.
and his ability to do what he says he can do
his ability to SAVE and REDEEM me.
And then my thought are turned
to blessings, the to Christopher.

He's sitting next to me.
Sleeping.
Slightly snoring
I look at him and can't wait.
I cant wait for the life that's ahead of me.
I can picture our children.
I can picture baseball games and barbies
Disney movies and princesses.
I can picture action figures, messy bedrooms
and screaming babies.
I can picture a family kneeling for prayer each night
I can picture a child receiving a father's blessing
I can picture my family
in our own Baer bench, in the fourth row.

I look at him and feel peace.
Knowing that he will be
a patient father
a wonderful provider
a righteous priesthood holder
and a loving husband
has brought me greater joy than I have ever felt.

I hope to never take him for granted.