Then I went to Big Lots and bought an awesomer wireless mouse and found out how to disable the mousepad. Take that, you ridiculously malfunctioning multi-function touchpad and spacey keyboard! Back to the blog.
Is it just me or do we become most excellent at jamming ten times the life into half the time as we age? The past 4.5 months seem to half the substance of at least five years. Some of the major headlines include a talking/running/jumping/sweet as pie toddler, two new dents in our car, some rejuvenated houseplants, a few more burgeoning wrinkles (laugh lines of the forehead, that is), P90X, and my first real live Temple Recommend. And a trip to Utah! I saved the best ones for last, eh?
On April 21, 2012 I invited everybody and their monkey's uncles to come with me as I received my endowments in the Raleigh/Apex Temple. I now know that this Temple is a little on the small side and that maybe from now on I shall keep things a bit more intimate (sorry families of the two wedding parties also present that day). It was really neat. I'm still letting that trip sink in and I can see now that it will probably be sinking in for years to come. Which I'm glad about because it's like a good book you never want to end in the sense that this story will continue to evolve at a rate pleasing to my curious soul. When I was a smallish kid and I fell down the rabbit hole (like Alice, eh?) I longed/wished/prayed to find some secret garden/room/clearing in the woods that would be quiet and safe. A protected place where I could go to escape living nightmares and nasty things with beautiful disguises and just have a second to breathe...yes, sometimes life is hard and real like that. I guess I stopped looking for that place somewhere along the line, at least consciously. I imagine my heart has always been wisely seeking, sometimes unbeknownst to myself (thank goodness) because low and behold I've finally found it. I've found it in a little green copse akin to the one Joseph Smith once found. But those are fleeting places amid the Manifest Destiny-esque western world. I've found it in moments of walking around or playing with my son. I've found it in the goofy laughs of friends piled in my living room late at night. I've found it in my church's chapel on some Sundays. But those are all like rainbows. You can't hunt them down or makes appointments with them. Rainbows just happen, people! You gotta have patience and keep those eyes peeled. But what I've really found are stationary places that you can go and feel relief. You can be really quiet and everyone else will, too, so you can hear your thoughts and sometimes thoughts that seem too good to be your own (I like those best). There are lovely lights and artworks abound and everyone smiles and whispers like you're in the middle of keeping The Best Kept Secret except even better because it isn't a secret at all. In fact, you can tell everyone you want because it feels really good to share good stuff. But you can find out about how much you are worth and how much you are needed and loved. You can know specifically why you are here in the life that can be so ugly and hard and you can ask all your most difficult questions in one place and feel that the odds are in your favor for getting an answer. You can stop and smell the flowers, sit on a lovely bench and look at the blue, blue sky, you can put someone's name on a piece of paper thereby include them in a collective effort to heal and love. Sometimes that's the best we can do for each other. I suppose I'm running along with this, eh? I found the Temple. That's what I'm saying! I found the Temple. And then...I found more!
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| Raleigh/Apex Temple |
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| St. George Temple |
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| Provo Temple |
The purpose of this trip to Utah at the beginning of May was to visit family. And not just any family, but the best family I could ever hope to call my own. Especially my stepson and daughter! After losing sleep and telling my heart to calm down for several weeks, I finally popped that bubble and took the next step with my family. I met a strong, down to earth Mama (much like myself) who can dig ditches and cook mac 'n cheese with the best of'em. I found out that B (the big bro) is nearly bursting with tenderness for others and likes Bakugan. He is also an avid reader. Little Miss L is not necessarily shy as much as appropriately guarded and modest (as all true ladies are). She really is an old soul and doles out love in a manner that makes you wanna earn it. I can respect that. We all had a lot of 'moments' throughout the trip and I'm not so scared of our future together anymore. Boogie loves them all easily and readily (where'd he get that from?!) and loves it when Big Bro helps him on the slide or when Little Miss L pushes him in the stroller. He likes to point to their pictures and say their names (he gets pretty excited about Skype, too).
So. Lately my heart has been bursting with mostly good stuff. I've got some struggles going on but who the heck don't (i just love dialectical grammatical faux pas, don't you?). I hope I can go back to the Temple soon because I kinda really need it about now. Maybe I'll call 60 of my closest friends again and make a day of it (Ha!).
Did I mention I got to meet my first ever grandparents? And I have The Coolest Aunt-in-Laws Ever. They are so cool that from now on I am dropping the In-Law separation. And it almost...no, it DID make me cry to find out what families can be like. I had to wait a good long while to know that kind of good thing...but I'm not mad about the wait. I'm just really excited for the next time because it's worth all the effort. You gotta hang on tooth and nail for the good stuff, folks!
I Love You B, L, Crys, Carolyn, Roy, Hez, Reb, Zay, Tea, Ex, Gbug, Joann, David, Monty, Reb's Hubby whose name I somehow can't think of right now, E and his son, and...goodness I'm probably forgetting someone but dang it was a big crowd. Love ya'll so much!
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| <3<3<3 |
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| Who's in charge here? |
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| <3<3<3 |
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| <3¡Family Reunion May 2012!<3 |
