Darth Vader slept in my bed last night. I, on the other hand did not sleep in my bed last night — not much anyway. Ok, I’ll be honest with you, it wasn’t the real Darth Vader, but I think the version that slept in my bed last night was a little bit scarier than the real one. He would slowly lull you to sleep with the deep “sshhhh, hooo, sshhh, hooo” of his breath and once you were dancing with the sandman, Darth Vader would let loose with a loud “SNORT!” and you’d be up and at ’em. It was a terrorizing strategy that he successfully used throughout the night. My Darth Vader has a much harder time competing with the real Darth Vader in the appearance category though. It’s hard to look scary in shorty batman pajamas, although the glow in the dark bat on his chest does help. If you must know the identity of my Darth Vader I’ll tell, it’s no secret, it’s my 3 year old son. (more…)

You know normally I don’t have to ask for advice from people because most of my family members like to give it to me before I even need it. So, I’m not really sure how to go about it. I guess I’ll just have to ask and hope I don’t mangle this post up too badly! (more…)

I have a secret. If you saw me walking around Target, little ones in tow, you would probably think I was the last person in the world who harbor any mysteries. You see, I look a lot like your typical SAHM, the kind sometimes discussed with derision on some blogs. You know the type, t-shirt, Capri’s, hilights, surrounded by small children who are usually having a melt-down about something. You probably think after looking at me for a few seconds you know how my brain works, my hopes, and dreams, but I might surprise you a little bit. (more…)

It was a typically hot and dry summer in Utah Valley and I was a newlywed trying to finish up my bachelor’s degree, the only thing that stood between my and a diploma was a semester-long internship in recreational therapy. I inquired about internships at several facilities but was turned away because the intern positions had already been filled.

The state mental hospital was not far from my home so I decided that I would apply there and see how I fared. Not only did this facility have positions but there were several that I could choose from. I thought about it for a little bit and decided that the internship where I would learn the most and would be the most interesting would be on the forensic unit (the criminal lock-down unit). When I announced the decision to my family I got mixed reactions, my husband was supportive but a little bit wary and my parents weren’t too thrilled with the idea, especially my dad. (more…)

So with my newfound faith in priesthood blessings (discussed in part 2) I returned home to my husband and children ready to relax. February was waning and I was ready for an easier, less stressful time. We had some friends visiting us so we thought it would be fun for the kids if we heated up our pool so they could enjoy a mid-winter swim. On the 24th my friend and I were watching the kids swim, trying to keep track of the little ones. I had been watching my 3 year old son making sure that he didn’t get out of the Jacuzzi and into the big pool with out a life vest. (more…)

I told you of my less-than-splendid experience with a priesthood blessing in part one. Fast forward to 2005; life was good. And then along came February! (more…)

In 1994 upon completing our degrees at BYU my husband Geoff and I decided to move to his hometown, San Diego. There he would pursue an MBA at San Diego State and we would start our family, or so I thought. Once we settled in to paradise I thought that I would become pregnant with in a few months of trying. Well, months went by and nothing. The wait was agonizing each month only to be disappointed every time. (more…)