Sisters

We were slightly goofy as kids

But grew up to be pretty cute!

Buuuuut we still know how to pull out weird faces!

Don't worry

it's Nutella.

shoes

‎"Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world." - Marilyn Monroe

Ain't it the truth?

Here's a few on my wish list:

 Dolcis Aqua Green Platform Wedges

                             ALDO Capecoral heels

Jessica Simpson Carri Platform Pumps

                                  Mossimo Viveca Blingy Heel - at Target

He took my licking for me

Today in church, a story was shared that touched me. I found it from a talk given by President Hinckley in Dec. 2000.

“Years ago there was a little one-room schoolhouse in the mountains of Virginia where the boys were so rough that no teacher had been able to handle them.

“A young, inexperienced teacher applied, and the old director scanned him and asked: ‘Young fellow, do you know that you are asking for an awful beating? Every teacher that we have had here for years has had to take one.’

“‘I will risk it,’ he replied.

“The first day of school came, and the teacher appeared for duty. One big fellow named Tom whispered: ‘I won’t need any help with this one. I can lick him myself.’

“The teacher said, ‘Good morning, boys, we have come to conduct school.’ They yelled and made fun at the top of their voices. ‘Now, I want a good school, but I confess that I do not know how unless you help me. Suppose we have a few rules. You tell me, and I will write them on the blackboard.’

“One fellow yelled, ‘No stealing!’ Another yelled, ‘On time.’ Finally, ten rules appeared on the blackboard.

“‘Now,’ said the teacher, ‘a law is not good unless there is a penalty attached. What shall we do with one who breaks the rules?’

“‘Beat him across the back ten times without his coat on,’ came the response from the class.

“‘That is pretty severe, boys. Are you sure that you are ready to stand by it?’ Another yelled, ‘I second the motion,’ and the teacher said, ‘All right, we will live by them! Class, come to order!’

“In a day or so, ‘Big Tom’ found that his lunch had been stolen. The thief was located—a little hungry fellow, about ten years old. ‘We have found the thief and he must be punished according to your rule—ten stripes across the back. Jim, come up here!’ the teacher said.

“The little fellow, trembling, came up slowly with a big coat fastened up to his neck and pleaded, ‘Teacher, you can lick me as hard as you like, but please, don’t take my coat off!’

“‘Take your coat off,’ the teacher said. ‘You helped make the rules!’

“‘Oh, teacher, don’t make me!’ He began to unbutton, and what did the teacher see? The boy had no shirt on, and revealed a bony little crippled body.

“‘How can I whip this child?’ he thought. ‘But I must, I must do something if I am to keep this school.’ Everything was quiet as death.

“‘How come you aren’t wearing a shirt, Jim?’

“He replied, ‘My father died and my mother is very poor. I have only one shirt and she is washing it today, and I wore my brother’s big coat to keep me warm.’

“The teacher, with rod in hand, hesitated. Just then ‘Big Tom’ jumped to his feet and said, ‘Teacher, if you don’t object, I will take Jim’s licking for him.’

“‘Very well, there is a certain law that one can become a substitute for another. Are you all agreed?’

“Off came Tom’s coat, and after five strokes the rod broke! The teacher bowed his head in his hands and thought, ‘How can I finish this awful task?’ Then he heard the class sobbing, and what did he see? Little Jim had reached up and caught Tom with both arms around his neck. ‘Tom, I’m sorry that I stole your lunch, but I was awful hungry. Tom, I will love you till I die for taking my licking for me! Yes, I will love you forever!’”

To lift a phrase from this simple story, Jesus, my Redeemer, has taken “my licking for me” and yours for you."

What a wonderful story! I was so blessed to hear it today!  It brought tears to my eyes, and I know that Christ really did "take my licking for me."

time flies

When did Portia get so big?

This is her at about 9 months, and now. 

What a doll!

cowgirl

I learned about a pretty cool site from a friend's blog the other day, it's called thoughtquestions.com.

It's basically a question every day, usually ones that make you think.

This is a tough one. As a woman, my only choices would really all be scandalous. 

But I think I would be a cow-girl. Livin life in a saddle, sleepin under the open sky, wearin totally awesome clothes like this:

 That would be pretty cool.

What about you, what would you be?

Happy Birthday, Harry!

This last weekend was my niece's 11th birthday party.

It was themed.

Guess what the theme was.

Wait for it.

HARRY POTTER!!!

You know I was all over that! It had been in the works for awhile, and I was so excited! We received our invitations a week or so ago, they were Hogwarts letters!!

Awesome much? Yes. Much much awesome.

The party was at my Daisy-sister's house, in Joplin. So we drove up and got there a few hours early to help decorate.

My Carrie-sister made all the decor (and everything else for that matter), and it looked really cool. There were posters with sayings from the books, and places around the house that the kids weren't supposed to go had signs up, like "Chamber of Secrets."

The front door had a large sheet of paper over it painted like a brick wall. The kids had to run through it to get in. Get it? Platform 9 3/4? Get it? 

There was also one over the kitchen, painted like the painting of fruit over the kitchens at Hogwarts. Tickle the pear!

We all dressed up like characters from the series:

We have Daisy as Bellatrix Lestrange, Jeannine as Molly Weasley, my Dad as Mad-eye Moody, Carrie as Professor Trelawney, and myself as Tonks.

It's ok to be jealous.

My family is cooler than yours.

The kids all arrived and were sorted in to houses, and then headed off to Diagon Alley to get wands and owls. 

Portia, with her wand and owl. She may not look it, but she was really excited.

Portia and her cousin Ollie. They're buddies.

Then, we played Wizard's Chess and Quidditch.  

There was a chessboard mapped out of the floor, and each kid was a chess piece. They had fun "killing" each other.

Quidditch was a bit trickier, since we muggles couldn't exactly fly. We used balloons instead of  balls, and hid a small ball somewhere, as the snitch. The Beaters, Chasers, and Keepers ran about trying to score, while the Seekers searched for the snitch. It was madness.

I believe Gryffindor won.

After the games were played, we ate, and opened presents, and the kids headed home, with totally sweet goody bags.

 My Carrie-sister made everything in it, including the chocolate frog and cards. 

She rocks.

Best party ever! 

Happy birthday Jeannine Blair!

Napkins

Bet you all didn't know I could fold napkins like a boss.

Like a boss at BYU Catering, that is.

Happy Valentine's Day!

 Here's our story, as I remember it.

My sister, Carrie, and I always loved the stake dances. They were our monthly date night, with each other. We would spend several hours getting ready, playing music and dancing while we meticulously did our hair and makeup. We were never late, we had to dance to every song they played. When we weren't asked to dance during the slow songs (which was often), we would dance with each other. We never really cared if the boys liked us, we were there to have a good time regardless. The only boy we ever wished would dance with us was Brandon.
Brandon was the heartthrob of every girl in the stake, even some of the older girls. He was tall and mysterious, and the quarterback of the football team. His dark features made him the epitome of "tall, dark, and handsome," and we were all lovestruck. He would walk into the gym at the dances, and our hearts would stop. We would blush and giggle, and congregate together to discuss how beautiful he was. I remember thinking that he was so cute, that he had to have at least 5 or 6 girlfriends at his high school, and would never stoop to think of any of us, especially me. I could never work up the nerve to talk to him.
After we graduated, I went away to BYU, and Brandon went on his mission. When I came home for Christmas and summers, I would pass Brandon's missionary plaque on the wall of the stake center. I'm sure my friends were annoyed with me, because every time I did, I reminded them of how cute he was and how we all loved him. I even thought of writing him a few times, even though we had rarely spoken, but I talked myself out of it, for fear of being the creepy stalker girl. I often found myself wondering how his mission was going, and hoping he was alright.
Finally in May of 2007, after 2 years at BYU, I moved back home to go to school in Tulsa. I dated a little bit that summer, but nothing ever worked out. One night at institute, I found myself expressing my frustrations with a friend about dating, when one of my old high school friends, Katie, came running to find me. She informed me that Brandon Rawlinson was home from his mission, and was here tonight! Sure enough, there he was, as cute as I remembered, and I immediately fell back into my giggly high school self, turned a deep shade of scarlet, and was suddenly extremely grateful that I had worn something cute that night! I made up my mind then and there that I was going to talk to him. And I did. After the lesson, a group of us stood around chatting, and I found out that he had only been home a few days. We started talking about a dance that following weekend in Stillwater, and Brandon was asked if he would go. He said he would and we all agreed to carpool together.
The weekend came, and we all met for the dance, and crammed ourselves into a tiny car. I was in the backseat next to Brandon, practically sitting in his lap we were so smooshed. I was a little nervous to be sitting by him, but that soon went away. I was so comfortable with him, and we chatted all the way to the dance. When we arrived, I could tell that it was all a bit overwhelming for him. After all, he had been off his mission less than a week, and was suddenly at a crowded dance where he knew no one. I felt like I needed to stay nearby, so that he would feel comfortable. We sat and talked with each other all night, and after years of pining, I finally danced with him! On the way home, I was exhausted. As I fell asleep on Brandon's shoulder, I remember thinking "I should lean to the other side, I'm going to burst his missionary bubble," but sleep won out (that and the fact that I'd had a crush on this boy for over 5 years), and I slept on him the entire way home. As we drove into Tulsa, he held my hand, and as we all left to get into our separate cars, he kissed me.
From that point on, we were an item, and I was thrilled! Within 2 or 3 weeks, I knew that either I would marry this boy, or he would break my heart. Fortunately, he felt the same way. we began to talk about marriage early on, and by Christmas Eve, we were officially engaged. We were married June 13th, 2008, in the Oklahoma City Temple.
I am so grateful that I get to spend eternity with Brandon, he has been a blessing to me in so many ways! I can't imagine a better person to be with!

Us, the night that started it all.  In the car on the way to the dance.

Comfort Movies

There are certain movies that I watch for a pick-me-up. You know, kinda like comfort food! I've seen these films probably 100 times each, but I love them. 

What's that? You want me to tell you what they are? 

I knew you would.

Here you go! In no particular order, here's my list of the best movies to curl up on the couch to on a Friday night with an entire pint of ice cream.

1. Only You 

LOVE this one! Marisa Tomei sprinting through an airport in a giant wedding dress, wandering all over Italy in search of her soul mate, with Bonnie Hunt in tow! And you can't go wrong with a very young, very charming Robert Downey Jr.

2. Pride and Prejudice

The BBC version, all 6 hours. Don't get me wrong, I love the new one, but Colin Firth trumps every other Darcey ever.

This movie is romantic, funny, and will make your husband run from the room before you can say "Mr. Bennett!!"

Glorious.

3. Anne of Green Gables

The story of a young orphan redhead (no, not Annie). It's wonderful. There are so many memorable moments from this film, Here's a few for you to enjoy:

4. Beauty and the Beast

My Carrie-sister LOVED this movie as kids. We watched it  every time we were sick, and really thought it made us feel better. We watched it so often, our mom hid it for a year. On another note, the Beast in human form is by far the studliest of Disney princes.

5. Pretty in Pink

The Brat Pack at it's finest. Jon Cryer is a genius.

If you've never seen it, go now. Rent it, buy it, call me and I'll lend it to you.

6. Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves

Oh, Kevin Costner. How I loved you. Seriously though, this movie is cheesy and dramatic, but it has an all-star cast. Along with Kevin, we have Alan Rickman, Morgan Freeman, Christian Slater, and a Bryan Adams song that's practically a main character.

7. Newsies

I never get tired of Christian Bale, and I especially never get tired of Christian Bale singing and dancing with 50 other attractive young men. 

8. About a Boy

This movie is wonderul. It's hilarious and heartfelt, and really makes you love Hugh Grant. 

9. A Midsummer Night's Dream

This is the movie version of my favorite Shakespeare play, with another all-star cast. We've got Kevin Kline, Rupert Everett, Michelle Pfeiffer, Stanley Tucci, Calista Flockhart, and Christian Bale. It's epidomy of a love triangle, it's witty, and I love it.

10. Breakfast at Tiffany's 

Ah, Breakfast at Tiffany's. In my opinion,  the best role of Audrey Hepburn's career. She's innocent and quirky in one moment, and heartbrakingly sad in the next. And she's believable from the opening scene, donned in pearls and an evening gown eating donuts in front of Tiffany's, to the last, searching for a lost cat in the pooring rain. 

There you have it, folks! Now, start watching them!

Valentine's Day

Brandon took me out for our Valentine's Day date a few days early this year, last Friday night.
He told me about a week ahead of time that I needed to get a babysitter for Friday night, because he made reservations. Reservations!! That means an actual restaurant with waiters and entrees!
He also told me to be sure to wear a dress. Gasp!! That means its even fancier than Chilis! (Listen, we're poor college student and have kids. We don't get out much.)
Needless to say, I was thrilled! A real date with a good looking dude, where no one spills their plate on the ground or cries for 30 minutes straight. Glorious!
I bought a new dress and got a sitter, and tried my hardest to trick Brandon into telling me where we were going. He resisted.
Friday night came around, and away we went! Brandon took me to Vast, the restaurant on the top floor of the new Devon tower here in OKC. It's wonderful. The restaurant is 50 stories up, with windows all over. It was beautiful!

 the view from our table:

Cool huh?

And here's a picture of our appetizer:

No, I didn't take this photo, I was too busy stuffing my face.

The food was heavenly. Yum yum yum YUM!!! I highly recommend going to Vast, it's well worth it!

The restaurant was quiet and relaxed, and Brandon and I got to sit together and talk for a few hours. It was so nice!

I am one lucky girl! I am so happy to be married to this man and to have the rest of eternity to spend in his company!

Snow!

It's snowing here in Oklahoma today!! Woohoo!

(I actually hate snow. Utah killed the joy for me. But my girlies are in heaven!)

I know it doesn't look like much, but that amount of snow fell in the space of about an hour, and it's not supposed to slow down all day.

Considering it was 60 degrees yesterday, that's pretty impressive.

A conversation

Portia: Do Harry Potter haves a baby sister?
Me: No, he doesn't.
Portia: Did he lost her?
Me: No, he never had one.
Portia: Oh. *pauses* His mom and dad need to get one for him.

Either she really empathizes with Harry's loneliness, or she thinks baby sisters are the best.
Either way, she's right.

Earrings

Yesterday was a very big day for Portia! 

She got her ears pierced!

She saw another girl her age with pierced ears in her ballet class, and has been talking about it for a while now.

So yesterday we went to the mall, she picked out her little earrings, sat still and brave, and only cried a teeny bit when she got poked. Her tears dried up as soon as she saw herself in the mirror!

She is so excited!

You Know You're a Parent When

1. You feel really accomplished when you've not only showered today, but used shampoo and conditioner as well.

2. Going to the grocery store by yourself is relaxing.

3. You realize that you forgot to pee today.

4. You think 5 hours straight of sleep is a great night.

5. You find yourself singing along and head-bopping to The Backyardigans.

6. You have reached out to catch puke in your hand without a second thought.

7, You wake up to someone's feet on your face and you don't even bother to move them.

8. You've gone out by yourself and realized 30 minutes later that you have a binky attached to your shirt.

9. You congratulate people for using the restroom by themselves.

10. You buy enough milk weekly to sponsor an entire dairy farm.

11. You wash the same load of laundry at least twice before you remember to switch it.

12. You carry diapers, wipes, spare sets of clothing, toys, snacks, and binkies with you at all times.

13. You go to put on your shoes to only to find a small collection of acorns inside.

14. You find yourself rocking inanimate objects.

15. Your kids make you nuts, but you wouldn't have it any other way.