It's an insane world but in it there is one sanity, the loyalty of old friends.*

Today I am grateful for friends.

Friends who are there for me.

Friends who share so much in common with me even if we didn't know it.

Friends who stay up late talking and listening.

Friends who strengthen my resolve.

Friends who show me where I need to grow.

Friends who aren't afraid to show their weaknesses.

Friends who squeeze the air out of my lungs when they hug me.

They don't think I know a buttload of crap about the Gospel, but I do.*

This weekend didn't turn out quite like I had planned, but it was all good.  First off - Saturday was to be our summer Regional YSA activity.  Last year Hurricane Irene blew into town and canceled our activity - this year the weather was looking like it was going to be perfect until the day before - when it called rain - all day.

Saturday morning was dark and rainy and I prayed and prayed for the rain to hold off long enough for the activity.  About 9:30 it stopped - then about 9:33 it started up again.  At 11 we decided to move the activity to the church building.  We sent out mass texts, updated the facebook event and made phone calls.  We ended up with about half the number of people we hoped/planned for - but all things considered, I am chalking this one up as a success.

We will be eating all of the left over food tonight at 7 at the Monument chapel...if you're in the area and want free dinner.

Saturday night, my friend Nick and I watched some Dr. Who.  I'm a bit of a Dr. Who fan.  The show just keeps getting better and I might be addicted.  Nick is the second person I converted to Dr. Who this past week - that's a good record.  The new season starts up this Saturday so I'm trying to get people ready.  Nick and I were talking about the new Doctor - cause he wears bow ties.

 I asked Nick if he would wear one and he said it would if he were British (the Who is a BBC show).  I thought that was lame.  Americans can be cool too. I told him that if I had a bow tie I would wear it...maybe I should get one for Saturday.  Anyway - so you can imagine my absolute delight when I found Cam wearing a bow tie on Sunday.

I told Cam he needs to tell the other boys at church how to dress.

Turns out Cam isn't the only bowtie wearer - we have Adam too.

That just made my day.

After church I went to the parental's house.  Joanna made Samantha a birthday cake which I thought was cool.



It's a Jessie cake as my nephew called it - but turns out that it's not MY cake - despite it being named after me.

Then I just wanted to share these photos - this kid cracks me up.  You'll have to excuse her - she's not an ambiturner*.

I only lent you my body, you lent me your dream.*

The other day I was merging on to the interstates (I say interstates because I first have to merge on to the 295 merge lane, then veer off to the right to merge on to 95). There was a semi coming over into the lane next to me - that always makes me nervous. I looked over and it was a Russell Stover truck with giant pictures of chocolate candy. I thought, "well, there are worse ways to die." I mean, literally, it would be death by chocolate.

So - I bought a student planner. I've been trying to use the calendar on my iPhone for several months now and it's just not the same. I don't look at it - to put things in OR to see what's coming up. Mostly because typing on that thing is a little annoying. I was looking at school supplies and then decided it was time to get one. It's small and adorable and fits into my foxy purse.

In other news - here are some random photos from the ward temple trip a few weeks ago that I found on here but hadn't posted.

No you're not. You're disloyal.*

This past weekend I had the opportunity to go to D.C. with my sister and her family.  This is the same little family I lived with during my well debacle.  It was....interesting.

Our trip started off well - everyone was excited to hit the road.

Then we sat in traffic for FOREVER!

Needless to say - the kids were excited to finally arrive at the hotel.

This is our amazing view

 
The worst best part would be at the temple of all places.  The boys really liked the temple, Tommy kept saying, "It's so beautiful!"  At one point he said he had thought the visitor's center was the temple and I said, "Well, which one do you think is prettier" and he pointed at the temple.  There were little sweet moments like that throughout

Um - I don't know how mom's do it - and maybe it's because they tend to just get one addition at a time and not all four at once - but seriously...I always respected moms - but I respect them even more now. But I'm pretty sure that Tommy is scarred and never wants his parent's to go to the temple again. There's only so much the sister missionaries can do with us in the visitor center before all four kids miss their parents and want to go home.

Saturday the kids got to ride the Metro for the first time.

Then we got to use the bathroom in D.C.

Then Joanna made us do more than just use the bathroom in D.C.

Ava is so mean to Tommy

Then it was back on the metro and back to some more traffic on the way home!

At least there were always seats for us to sit in

My nephews are experienced travelers now

I don't know - my pictures show me that we did a lot in D.C. and had a pretty good time.  Joanna and Ben will be happy to know that I am only remembering what fun I had.  Plus...they bought me a penguin!

If you look for it, I've got a sneaking suspicion... love actually is all around*

I'm a little behind with my marriage post for the week - I was out of town this weekend.

I'd like to introduce you to Larry and Sandy Willis.  Larry was my bishop for most of my formidable years (trust me - it feels weird to call him Larry and not bishop).  Sandy was one of my Young Women leaders.  Both of them have had a big impact on my life and on who I am today.  If it weren't for Bishop Willis - I'm not so sure I would have stuck it out with Seminary (I still think he fibbed when he told me that I said I was going to graduate seminary - I have no recollection of that - but it was a challenge nonetheless).  Sandy has been influential with helping me to forgive people who I feel had wronged me (and there have been a lot over the years).  I'm grateful for the two of them for all that they have done as well as for their willingness to fill out the survey.

I'm afraid I do not have pictures for this one - Tami...I hope you'll still read.

Larry and Sandy knew each other for five and half years before they were married.  They were apart for almost four of those years but during that time they wrote and kept in touch weekly.  Sandy asked, "is that dating?"  They were both 22 when they got married and have been married for almost 34 years.

Thoughts on Dating

What is the hardest part about dating?
Saying Goodbye.

What was your favorite part about dating?
Fun, getting to know each other, finding out what love felt like.

How did you meet?
Our senior year of high school.  Larry was the new boy at school and we had three classes together.

What were some qualities in your spouse that attracted you to them?
Sandy - Spiritual, fun, had a lot in common, handsome, athletic

Engagement

How long were you engaged?
We were engaged for about 2 1/2 months

How did you know you wanted to marry each other?
Sandy knew after she saw Larry after his mission.  There was a strong spiritual attraction.

Did you have any reservations?
None whatsoever.

Marriage

How do you make big decisions?
Talk, listen, talk, listen, talk

How do you work through disagreements?
Talk, listen, talk, listen, talk

What is something you weren't expecting in a marriage?
To learn so much about myself and discover how much I needed to improve.

What is your favorite part about marriage?
Having a husband as a best friend.

What kind of things do you do to keep the "spark"?
Friday night dates are a priority

Parenting

Do you have any kids? How many?
Yes, four boys.

How do you meld two different parenting philosophies?
Actually, our parenting philosophies were very similar.  But to meld them together would be to talk, listen, talk, listen, talk - most definitely away from the children.

What is your favorite part about parenthood? Least favorite?
The absolute favorite part is the love you feel for your children.  It is absolutely unconditional and it gives you a glimpse of what Heavenly Father's love is like.  The least favorite part are the challenges that come from discovering your own weaknesses through being a parent.  Parenting is a refiner's fire.

Do you have any advice for others (single or married)?
Have fun with your life no matter what stage of life you are in.  Don't take it too seriously.  There are challenges at every stage of life.  Be open and teachable to whatever it is the Lord wants you to learn.

Men like you are the reason I left Finland.*

I am going to try and revamp my blog here and there as I have time.  For starters - I decided to add an "About Me" page.  Because...people want to know about me.

...Anyway. 

I had a date last night.  There's back story here and I don't know if the back story helps or makes you judge me.  I guess I'll start off with this - he is officially the lowest I have gone.  There is an age difference of...eight years (oh stop it! I can feel your judgement!)  Ugh - no back story for you, you hater. 

So he got my number a few weeks ago and Tuesday night he randomly started to text me.  At first I thought the conversation was a bit odd, I mean, I'm old, he's young, and I kept thinking, "is this what a generational gap feels like?" but then it picked up and I got to see more of his humor.  I was laughing a lot throughout our textation and then he told me that he thought I was cool and he would like to hang out with me and I said in that case (him thinking I was cool) I'd be okay with that.  Then I guess he thought I was joking because he came back with he was going to be honest, he wanted to before he left for school (in two or three weeks) so I said that would be fine.  We made plans for the next evening (last night) and then talked a bit more and I went to bed. 

We had decided to meet at the restaurant for dinner and so we didn't talk again until he called because he couldn't find the place.  I was nervous - I'm not sure exactly what about (he is as low risk as they come) part of it was a fear of not remembering what he looked like - honest - how embarrassing would that be?

He got there and he came up and gave me a hug (which I learned this week is how you should start every date - it breaks the ice in a way).  The first thing that he told me was that he just realized he forgot his wallet...so he wanted to know what we should do.  I honestly have never had that happen - but I have a friend who it happens to all the time so I wasn't sure what we should do.  So I did what any self respecting girl would do - I told him we were still going to eat and then I kept giving him a hard time about it for the rest of the night.  I also told him it was pretty smooth because he kept saying he would get everything next time - so it was a way to get a second date out of obligation and pay back.

There was nothing fancy to the date - we ate dinner and then walked around Barne's and Noble, throwing out book titles randomly into our conversation as we saw them.  B&N closed and then we just drove around and talked.  I can't remember the last time I laughed so much!  He was definitely a good sport about my teasing - cause trust me - I teased. 

At the end he asked if he could have a pity hug (because the night before I may or may not have set up a scenario where he was slow and could get pity dates and he wondered if he could get pity hugs and kisses too).  I gave him a limp fish hug (think the hand shake but with your arms) and then I laughed and tried to give him a real hug but he wouldn't hug back so I told him I felt like I just threw myself at him.  We tried again for a real hug and then as he was walking to his car he said maybe one day he could get a pity kiss and I laughed again and told him maybe if he bought me dinner (last jab at not bringing his wallet).

It was fun and stress-less and it's how I want all my dates to be - the best part is - I think I can have that.  If I do my part, maybe it will put them at ease, and maybe dating will actually be fun.  I don't know - I think it's worth a shot.

I am flawed, but I am cleaning up so well.*

Lately I have decided to make a few changes in my life.  This decision is based on a myriad of factors.  Conversations with friends, heartfelt conversations with the Lord, talks in church, the books from book club.

The book that we are currently reading for book club is The Traveler's Gift by Andy Andrews (yes, this means his parents thought that they should name their baby Andrew Andrews...but he seems to have turned out alright).  His name isn't the point.  In this book, David Ponder (*elbows* Ponder? Get it?) feels that his life is just rotten and doesn't know why - he gets into an accident and is sent on a journey through time meeting up with seven people (Christopher Columbus, a civil war general, etc.).  Each person gives him "A Decision for Success".  I'm really enjoying this book so far.

One of the decisions was "I am a person of action".  I, Lildonbro, am not really a person of action - so this is definitely something I needed to hear.  Here are a few excerpts.

 "When faced with a decision, many people say they are waiting for God.  But I understand, in most cases, God is waiting for me!"

"I have exposed fear as a vapor, an impostor that never had any power over me in the first place! I do not fear opinion, gossip, or the idle chatter of monkeys, for all are the same to me.  I do not fear failure, for in my life, failure is a myth.  Failure exists only for the person who quits. I do not quit."

There are so many things in my life I don't do because I'm not good at it, because I am afraid, because I continue to put things off.  I've had a lot of messages (mostly in books) that keep telling me not to fear failure and I've been working on believing that failure is simply a learning opportunity. So if I'm not good - Great! I have room for improvement, I know how bad I am so I can start to get better.

One of the other decisions is "I have a decided heart" and in this one it says, "What I put off until tomorrow, I will put off until the next day as well.  I do not procrastinate.  All my problems become smaller when I confront them."  This was like a little kick for me in the procrastination department.  I always say I want to do this or do that, or improve this or that...it's not going to just take care of itself - I'm going to need to get my hands dirty, carve out time, commit to do the things I say I want to do. 

So it's time for me to take steps beyond simply thinking of what I want and get out there and just start living.

I have a decided heart.  I will not wait.

Now I need to figure out my calendar and start carving out time for all of these crazy ventures!



I'm genuinely scared!*

I have a short attention span - I'm beginning to believe that other people to do. With that being said, I think I'm going to try and shorten my posts. 

I've been looking at other people's blogs lately, and by other people I mean those people who have a ton of followers and strangers who comment to tell them that their latest picture is really cute - or blogs with sponsors and stuff.  How do these people make those cartoon pictures of themselves? Anyone?  I want to be cartooned - I want to know how that is done.

Speaking of pictures.  You know I like my bruises and I feel it's been a while since I've shown you guys one.  So - here you go:

That's my arm (hard at work).  This bruise is from basketball.  I actually think it's looking better today.  I do like showing off bruises...but I like to show them off on my terms, otherwise people see me and think I am being beat up or something.  Since it's summer, this one is out there for everyone to see.

What do you mean he don't eat no meat? Oh that okay, I make lamb!*

Today it's time to meet Chadd and Tami.  Tami was a neighbor of mine in college.  She knew my roommate, I was still in my stranger danger mode (I never left) and my roommate told me I had to be friends with Tami.  Why I let my roommate boss me around, I don't know, but Tami is seriously one of my favorite people and I'm so grateful that I listened to my roommate and went upstairs to the third floor to hang out with Tami...and to randomly go to Utah one weekend because we couldn't find anything to do...

That's for a different blog post I suppose.  Quick note: I don't know Chadd as well, but any guy that Tami would choose to marry has to be pretty awesome.  I just wanted to throw out here that I absolutely loved his answers to these questions.  Okay now, back to the happy couple. 

Chadd and Tami dated "long enough" (14 months) and were engaged for 5 months.  They have been married now 5 years, 3 months, give or take 2 days from when Tami sent this back to me and she says she'll spare us the exact hours and minutes.  No one is counting here...

Here's their questionnaire:

Thoughts on Dating

What was the hardest part about dating?

Chadd: Is dating hard? I don't remember it being hard.  Waiting for Tami's missionary to come home. (Lildonbro's note: poor Russell)

Tami: Deciding if he was someone I could love forever.  And of course keeping personal boundaries ::wink::wink::

What was your favorite part about dating?

Chadd: Breaking down personal boundaries. (smiley face)

Tami: Having someone to always do something with.  Not having to pay for anything.

How did you meet?

Chadd: I saw her and I made it happen.

Tami: Officially, while polar bear swimming at his parents’ house around January 2003. We grew up in the same stake and his dad was our Stake President. I knew WHO Chadd was (his family of 11 was pretty well known) but he was soooooo old (4 years older than myself) that he wasn’t anything/one special growing up.  I took his sister bridge jumping in Rexburg and she mentioned it to Chadd who was currently in Iraq. He asked for me to e-mail him, but I didn’t get around to it for several months. By the time I did he was home. He brought his sister back up to school after Thanksgiving. During this time we hung out and we’ve been together ever since.

What were some qualities in your spouse that attracted you to them?

Chadd: Outgoing. Fun to play off of. Made me want to be better. Didn’t let anyone give her crap. Able to take it and dish it.

Tami: Patient, easy going, adventurous, he had a way of letting me THINK I was the boss (Even though he is/was), slight rebel appeal ( he was in the Marine Corps.), and  he had a nice rig.

Engagement

How long were you engaged?
5 months

When/how did you know you wanted to marry them?

Chadd:  In Rexburg during our 1^st week of dating. There were no “I like this girl, but…”’s

Tami: I couldn’t imagine life without him. And after my missionary came home and it didn’t feel right, I knew Chadd was the one.

Did you have any reservations?

Chadd: No.

Tami:  DUH! OF COURSE! The thought of being with ONE person the REST of my life freaked my fickle little self out!

Marriage

How do you make big decisions?

Chadd: Talk through things. Weigh the options.

Tami: Ditto

What is something you weren't expecting in marriage?

Chadd: Nothing

Tami: How much better it gets. How much the love changes and grows. Especially when you add kids!

What is the favorite part about marriage?

Chadd: Having someone by my side.

Tami: Living with my best friend.

What kind of things do you do to keep the "Spark"?

Chadd: Making time for each other. Answering “Yes dear.” And “I love you!”

Tami: Leave little notes, think of him throughout the day, send texts, and do fun things together.

How do you work through disagreements?

Chadd: There’s no “working”, just agreeing with the wife. Making her think it’s what she wants.

  Tami: We can’t think of many disagreements. Chadd is THAT good! We typically just talk about it.

Parenthood

Do you have any kids?
 2 - Gavinn and Teagan

How do you meld two different parting philosophies?

Both: We talked about it before we got married. There was never 2 different philosophies, It’s the same.

What is your favorite part about Parenthood? Least favorite?

Chadd: Seeing them learn something new! The excitement of new things. Least:
Struggling to get them dressed.

Tami: Exposing them to new experiences. How cute they are! Least: Tantrums/discipline. Them not doing what you’d like them to do.

Do you have any advice for others?

Nope.


That's all folks - that's Chadd and Tami.  Be sure to check out their blog at http://theottleys.blogspot.com/.