Flashback Friday: My Faith, Part III

For Part I, go here.

For Part II, go here.

*Addendum to Part II*

I talked with my mom over the weekend and I asked her if I got my facts straight about our conversion story so far. She added that before we sold our house and moved to Redlands, Jamie (my sister) wanted to be baptized. My mom told her she couldn't until she was 18 because "Don't you know, they don't even let their women work!" When we were hunting for a new place to live, we narrowed down the search to two choices. I forgot about that. When we came to the house in Redlands, we both just felt right about it. Unfortunately, my sister didn't want to go to the school in that district and ended up moving to Arizona to live with our dad. I wonder how things would be now if my sister had stayed with us.

__________________________

To say that we loved the missionaries would be an understatement. After my mom was baptized, it seemed like the missionaries were always over at our house. After all, their work wasn't finished, they still had me to work on. I asked them once, if they had some hidden agenda. Like, did they get a free toaster for every baptism they completed? I just didn't get why they were so bent on converting us!

I remember one dinner when we had two sets of missionaries over. My mom made a fantastic roast dinner and one of the Elders asked Elder Labrum to pass the juice to him. Elder Labrum literally passed it to him. My mom loved Elder Labrum. She told him that she once read a book about Mormonism that described the temple ceremony in detail and that it really freaked her out. He said, "Mary, if the temple was so bad, then why do we work so hard to keep going back?" Elder Labrum's brother was killed by a drunk driver in a car accident while he was on his mission. He had a clear understanding of God's plan for us. I wanted to believe so badly that families really could be together forever.

I had a crush on Elder Labrum. There, I said it. Remember, I was 19 at the time. Here was this handsome guy that was so good. I didn't know guys like that existed. He was transferred before I was baptized. And no, I didn't decide to be baptized because of him, but he was a factor. We had a very brief escapade after his mission. I later found out he had an escapade with another girl from his mission. He is happily married to a sweet girl from Utah and they now have 3 kids. Elder Labrum (Brad) and his wife have attended my mom's sealing, Andrew's baby blessing, and my grandparent's baptism. We love him and his family to pieces.

My first day at BYU, Brad & Jenie came up to see us

________________________________

Somewhere between May 28th and July 13th, I broke up with my boyfriend Jeff. I don't remember how or why it happened. I just remember the crying. The last time I remember seeing him was when I came home from BYU for Christmas break. He picked me up (with 12 red roses in hand) and took me to a hockey game. A couple of weeks earlier, I had my first and second dates with Randy. We had a very nice date, but it was crystal clear to me that we both were on very different paths.
________________________________

I started going with my mom to church after she was baptized. Tanya was a member in the ward. We went to the same junior high and high school so I knew who she was. We even had a class together in college, but we were never friends. Remember when President Hinckley said that new members need a friend? She was that friend. She invited me to a Young Single Adult dance. Have you ever been to one of these dances? I was mortified. In a church gym, there was a disco ball, a DJ, and 18-29 year olds from all walks of life. I never felt so dorky in my life. A far cry from the clubs I usually frequented. But Tanya was very smart. She brought along two of her very studly friends, Jake & Bryan:

At the Los Angeles Temple

They sang "A Child's Prayer" (in parts) on the way to the dance. They were cute, and smart, and cool. And they were good. After I was baptized, Tanya and I went to dances almost every Friday night, Institute every Thursday, and to Firesides on Sundays. The Church was our lifeline. She was so much fun to hang out with and a great example to me. We had such an awesome group of friends; I miss each and every one of them. Those were good times, weren't they Tanya?

We taught a Sunbeam class together

She now has a 3 year old and 1 year old twins (and a cute husband)

Another family that befriended my mom and I were Barratt and Marci. Barratt was a resident in opthalmology at the time and Marci stayed home with their little girl. They were such a cute family and I don't think I've ever met nicer people in my life. I was over at their house all the time to hang out with Marci. She was such a good friend to me. She was the one that helped me find roommates and an apartment at BYU. I moved in to her cousin Mindy's apartment. Mindy later became one of my best friends. (Do you feel another Flashback Friday coming on?)

September 2007

Mindy & Tanya were bridesmaids at my wedding

Another friend that touched my life was Rena. We worked as administrative assistants for a furniture company and she was a Latter-day Saint. You see, I was surrounded!! We listened to Dr. Laura together and she answered all of my silly questions. We took a trip up to Utah to see Temple Square for the first time (my first time at least).

__________________________

My mom's new found happiness, awesome missionaries, ward members, and friends helped me to decide to receive the missionary discussions for myself. I wrestled with the idea of being baptized, I lost a few nights' sleep; but in the end, I knew this was a good thing. My mom and I were gently gathered in by such amazing people. It felt safe and peaceful. I didn't have a lightning bolt moment. I didn't even really have a testimony. I just decided to try it. If I didn't like it, I'd back out.

Well, I liked it.

I was baptized July 13, 1997. I transferred to BYU in December 1998. I met my husband December 1999 and the rest is history. Several years later, my grandparents and sister were baptized. What a blessed and happy life I have because of this Church.

For more information about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, go here.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Click here to read about the Pioneer Woman's love story. She always inspires me to give my man a big smooch and to hang onto him a little tighter. She also makes me want Randy to become a cattle rancher and move us to the prairie.

Oh, and if you have time, please comment on my post below. It will really help me with my talk on Sunday. Thanks!

Bloggers to the Rescue!!

Randy and I have been assigned to speak in church on Sunday. Yikes!

Here's where I need your help. If you are married and you're reading this post, please help me by answering the following question (just click on "comments" and type away). I won't be using any names in my talk and you can make your comments anonymous.

Ok, here's the question:

What acts of service do you do to help strengthen your marriage?

And while you're at it, feel free to answer this question:

What acts of service from your spouse helps strengthen your marriage?

Just for fun, here's another one:

Why do acts of service strengthen marriage?

Hmmmmm.....

Can't wait to read your answers.

Modern-day Luxuries

We've discovered the webcam feature on our laptop; it proved itself useful on Sunday when I was just about ready to resign from my job.

We called up Cousin Pete from Nashville:

They kept themselves entertained with the silliest conversation I've ever heard. Little brother supervised.

Another modern-day marvel I've recently acquired (thank goodness for birthdays): I downloaded a TV series, a book on CD, and a few music CD's and still have room for more! Now when I go to the fitness room in our student housing complex, I won't be bombarded with MTV's reality shows that are usually blaring on the TV.

Flashback Friday: My Faith, Part II

For Part I, go here.

Moving wasn't an unusual occurrence for us, so we were able to adjust to our new place in Redlands rather quickly. We had some very nice neighbors, one of which was Bishop Bonilla of the Redlands 1st Ward. The missionaries from our last area contacted the missionaries in our new area. Now this part of the story is a bit fuzzy:

According to Elder Labrum:

He and his companion, Elder Kelii, came knocking on our door. Our door had a glass opening at the top and Elder Labrum is 6'3". He said that he saw me look into the peephole, saw that it was just the missionaries, and then turned around. It sounds like something I'd do, but I don't remember doing that. Elder Labrum then said he and Elder Kelii immediately went over to the good Bishop's house to call our house. I do remember answering the phone and the conversation I had with Elder Labrum. I remember it because he'd mentioned Elder Jones from our last area and a moment of dread came over me. I thought, "Great, they found us." Elder Jones from our last area had once called me and asked me to read scriptures over the phone with him. I know his intentions were in the right place, but it was kind of creepy to me.

According to my mom:

It was she that actually looked into the peephole and chose not to open the door.

According to me:

I think my mom snubbed the Elders at the door, but it was I they caught on the phone.

Whichever way it really happened, we were goners to Elder Labrum's charms.

Elder Labrum was a good ol' boy from Utah. He was the over-confident-jock-type. We absolutely adored him. And still do. Elder Kelii was the quiet-sensitive-type who won our hearts as well. We've since lost touch with Elder Kelii, as he moved back to Hawaii after his mission. They were the perfect missionaries for us. My mom invited them in to teach us. I was in and out most of the time, but I would stop and listen to them out of politeness, but usually didn't stay for the whole thing. Because we were single women, they usually had a 3rd missionary with them or someone from the ward came along. I thought they were nice and Elder Labrum was nice to look at, but that was it. After a few visits, they asked my mom if she was ready to be baptized. She said yes!

WAIT A MINUTE! HELLO?!!! MOTHER?!!!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!!!

These were just a few of my thoughts.

I never thought in a million years that my mother would EVER commit to something like this. I thought she was crazy. I thought it was just a phase she was going through. I still marvel at the thought of it. It truly was a miracle.

My mom was baptized May, 28 1997. She was happy. A kind of happy that I hadn't seen in her in a very long time.

My mom on her baptism day with little Matty Tanner

Our missionaries

______________________

Now I need to take a detour for a minute. Our joining the Church wasn't a series of linear events, as is probably the case for any convert. This was years in the making. My mom was a Hospice nurse at the time where she worked with terminally-ill patients. During my senior year in high school, my mom met a nice Latter-day Saint family of one of the patients she visited. The daughter of her patient, Karen Tanner, became good friends with my mom. When my mom was baptized, Karen said that she saw her mother there (who had since passed away). This family had a lot to do with why my mom was so ready to accept the Church's teachings.

The Tanner family minus one

_________________________

At that time, I still had some hang-ups. Firstly, and this is silly to me now, I had a hard time with the whole modesty thing. I liked my short-daisy-duke shorts and tank tops. I couldn't imagine giving them up. I know, such a trivial thing, but it really was a huge concern for me.

Secondly, the temple thing bugged me. Why was it so secretive? Why couldn't we take a tour? Why couldn't they talk about what went on inside? Why did they do baptisms for the dead?

And thirdly, this church was just so different. I didn't know if I was brave enough to be so different from everyone else. There wasn't antagonism against the Church, but there were some denominations that taught classes about its falseness. If I were to become a Lutheran or Methodist, etc., noone would bat an eyelash. If I were to become a Mormon, I was afraid I'd be looked at like a member of some cult. I also had a boyfriend that I'd been dating for 1 1/2 years. I honestly think I would have married him if I hadn't joined the church. Mostly because he was comfortable and I wasn't using my whole brain when we were dating. He was okay with me investigating the Church, but we slowly began drifting apart.

I think it's funny that I didn't have issues with Joseph Smith's First Vision or the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. I was okay with the explanations given by the missionaries. I didn't have any problems with tithing or giving up alcohol or keeping a virtuous life. I guess all that stuff was a no-brainer for me.

Just like the Tanner family helped my mom ease into this new life. There were some key people that helped me take the plunge.

To be continued...

My Day

I was gently eased into The Land of Thirty-Something today with phone calls, emails, and visits from friends & family. Thank you. The prospect of turning 30 was downright depressing when I awoke this morning, but you helped me realize that life isn't so bad, even if I can't be forever 29.

We went to storytime at the library, then Randy came home and did the dishes and fed the boys lunch (the best birthday present a girl could ask for), we took Andrew to swim lessons and then went to dinner at La Puente (they have the best cheese enchiladas I have ever tasted in my life). Then we came home, put the boys to bed, I exercised for an hour (my feeble attempt to burn off the naughty things I ate today), and then we watched a movie. Pretty much a perfect day.

The boys and I were able to attend President Hinckley's viewing today. Hauling two small children and a Double on and off the train was quite the feat, but it was a very sweet experience to be able to tell our beloved prophet that we love him and that we'll miss him.

Flashback Friday: My Faith, Part I

Growing up, my dad, bless his heart, claimed he was an atheist (although I don't think he really is). My Mom, grew up in the Catholic religion, but chose not to go that route when my sister and I came along. We never went to church together as a family. My exposure to religion was limited, but there was some:

I remember going to a few church-sponsored day cares during the summers. My aunt is a Latter-day Saint and I remember going to church with her a handful of times. I remember going to middle-of-the-week-devotional-type meetings with my friends as early as the age of 12. I loved when my friends would invite me to go to church with them. In high school, I had a close group of friends that were Seventh Day Adventists, I attended their church and youth activities regularly. I also enjoyed taking a Bible Studies class. After graduating from high school, I spent two years at a community college, where I took Religious Studies. This class truly inspired me and I decided to declare my major in Religion and transfer to UC Riverside in a year. As you can see, I was searching.

The Religious studies class that I took, coupled with my new found love, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, helped to steer me in the right direction. Up until then, my values system was a bit skewed. Even in high school, while I regularly attended church, I still partied with the best of them. I managed to stay out of major trouble, but I didn't come away without a few scars to help me remember my past (the butterfly tattoo on my stomach, being one of them).

So, I set out to finish another year at the community college and then transfer to UC Riverside to study Religion the following school year. Then we had some dark and difficult times in our family. I won't go into the details here, but they were pretty rough for us. My aunt decided to call the missionaries in her area. Those missionaries contacted the missionaries in our area. They came knocking on the door, and we let them in. They did nice things for us. They mowed our lawn, they gave my mom a blessing, and they taught us the gospel. They were very sweet, but I was busy and I had a boyfriend. And besides, I didn't really buy into what they were teaching us. I had heard some things about the Church (false things) which also didn't help matters. My sister was probably the only one who was truly receptive to their message. The missionaries did their best, but I don't think my mom and I we were ready to listen.

Then we had to sell our house and move.

To be continued...

Banned Until Further Notice

This is why we keep the bathroom door closed AT ALL TIMES

Flashback Friday: The Case for My Name

I was to be named Holly. At a whopping 5 lb. 12 oz. and 3 weeks early, I was born to my 17-year-old mother in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Maybe I didn't look like a Holly to my mom, I don't know, but at the last minute my mom named me after her mother, Grandma Nancy. I love my grandma. She is beautiful and kind. She is forgiving and sees the good in everyone. I spent a good portion of my babyhood living with my grandparents. I was very loved and very spoiled. Although I don't see Grandma very often (she lives in New England), we have a bond. I don't even know how to describe it. We just do.

I didn't always love my name. Noone names their child Nancy these days. In high school, I hated introducing myself as Nancy. It just wasn't cute like Jennifer or Jessica or Michelle. I was called Nancy Reagan in elementary school; and later, Nancy Kerrigan. And to make things worse, my younger sister did have a cute name, Jamie. In the 7th grade, I went to a Junior High school that had a large Hispanic student population. That was the only time in my existence that I had classmates with my name. They called me "Nancita."

When I was a sophomore in high school, we spent 9 months living in New Hampshire. I decided to change my name on the school records to Nikki. Even my family called me Nikki. I still can't believe I did that. Even in college I tried to shake things up a bit and started writing my name with an "ie" instead of a "y."

I have grown to love my name. Especially after marrying and becoming a mother. I see the adults that I looked up to as a child with new eyes now that I'm an adult; I am in awe of my grandmother. Thanks mom. I'm seriously considering naming my girl , if I ever have one, Mary, after you. But then again, for those of you who know our last name, I don't think our daughter would ever forgive us.

Apparently, It Runs in the Family

Speaking of swelling up like a balloon....

Yesterday around noon

Andrew developed a bright red rash on his cheeks, neck & ears. We gave him some Benadryl and it went away.

Around 5 pm

The rash appeared again, along with swelling around his knees, wrists and feet. The swelling was warm to the touch. He couldn't walk. We gave him Ibuprofen and more Benadryl and made a call to the on-call doctor (who suggested that we take pictures of him to show his pediatrician in the morning).

Around 9 pm

He looked like this:

The on-call doctor assured me he could wait to be seen in the morning as long as his breathing was okay. I slept by his side to make sure of that.

In the morning

I tried not to freak out. His eyes were swollen. His toes & fingers looked like sausages and they looked almost bruised. The rash had spread all over his body.

His pediatrician said he had a severe case of hives, probably from an allergic reaction to something he ingested or inhaled. Andrew has eaten very ordinary foods in the last few days-his pediatrician said we may never know exactly why he got them. He was given an injection of dexamethasone and a prescription for prednisone.

Now

He's looking much better. He's not back to his usual monkey self, but he's getting there. So weird, huh?

Flashback Friday: Why I'm Never Allowed to be Nine Months Pregnant in June Again

Bear with me, this one's going to be painful....

I have always wanted to have children. Since like 5. I loved little babies and I had quite the babysitting business growing up. Imagine my delight when I became a Mormon, where not only was it extremely ordinary to have a house-full of kids, but to be able to stay home with them, was accepted and standard.

I was married at 22, we ran into some road blocks that kept at us at bay for awhile (that's where Randy and his rational thinking stepped in), and then the light turned green at age 25 when we were finally ready to add to our family. It took us 6 LONG MONTHS before we conceived. I took my temperature everyday, I charted, I read books, & belonged to discussion forums. Are you beginning to notice a pattern here? I'm not exactly a haphazard person. (I really need help.)

And here's the psychotic part to the story:

I was at work, I was feeling REALLY tired. I thought to myself, either I have strep throat or I'm pregnant. During my lunch break, I went to Albertson's to buy a pregnancy test, and took it right there in the Albertson's bathroom. I held my breath as I watched the faint blue line appear in the "test" window. I couldn't believe it! I bawled & bawled all by myself in the filthiest of filthy bathrooms. I pulled myself together, went to my car and called Randy who was in California at the time for a medical school interview. He had to contain his excitement since he was riding in the car of the medical student that picked him up from the airport. I think he was more relieved than excited. Finally, his psychotic wife could move on to worrying about something else! Then I called my mom and blubbered to her. Then I went to work and blubbered to my manager and a couple of co-workers. Then I went to the drugstore near my house and picked up a few more packages of pregnancy tests. I took 7 tests just to make sure I was indeed really pregnant.

My pregnancy was non-eventful. Except for the fact that I swelled up like a balloon. It wasn't a pretty sight, proceed with caution:

20 weeks
(What happened to my cute hair?)

26 weeks

32 weeks

5 days before delivery. Whoa Nelly.

I'm going to spare you from pictures of my swollen feet. But believe you me, they we so swollen. I had to wear slippers to work and I never thought I'd be able to wear normal shoes again.

To be continued....

A Day at the Museum

The Discovery Children's Museum, one of the many reasons why I love living in this city:

The B-Team babies, all growed up

Baby Brother likes to supervise

Did you have fun Andrew?

Did you have fun Josh?

I'm In Mommy Heaven

I can now rapidly shoot pictures of my boys (who almost always have ants in their pants). I can't help myself-I've taken 400 shots today. Thank goodness for the auto modes because I have no idea what I'm doing! Nikon sold me with their "child" auto mode.

My Downfall

I bought a bag of these:

To make these for a family dinner tomorrow:

If you want to add extra spring to your step go to this or this blog.

Big mistake.

If you are my friend, please never bring these treats to my house. Never.

Flashback Friday: Andrew's Comforts

Andrew was a binky baby....at first.

And I have several more pictures to document that we did try.

But then he started to experiment....

And then he got pretty good...




Then it became a full-blown addiction....

Then came the White Onesie....

That lasted for a few months until the "Feet Blankie" was discovered....

From my research, children usually outgrow this before the age of three....

We're still going strong.

This is "Cool Blankie." Equally as loved as "Feet Blankie." There's nothing wrong with your screen, "Cool Blankie" is pink. It used to be orange.

It sleeps with him and watches TV with him. On occasion it will go on errands with him, but most of the time, it stays home.

My favorite move, the Covert Operation. Suck fingers with the left hand, cover it up with Blankie with the right hand.

Sunbeams & Swimming

Andrew is a SUNBEAM!!

He entered the Primary room and was excited to find his very own chair that had his picture on it:

This was the actual photo. He likes to cheese it up for the camera. What a goof.

He was happy to be there.....as long as I was by his side. He didn't want me to leave (I tried), so I got to sit with him for the whole time. At first I was annoyed by his clinginess, but now I'm glad I got to be there to see him interact and sing the Primary songs. He's in a class with ALL BOYS. Boy, do they have their work cut out for them! Two of the other boys are in his preschool class, and let me tell you from firsthand experience, when they get together-watch out! During class time, one of their teachers held up a picture of baby Moses and had them repeat the name Moses back to her. Well, they thought that was a pretty fun word and kept saying "Moooooses!" over and over and over again.

I didn't know Andrew was going to be "one of those kids" that sang a bit on the irreverent side. When they got to "I am a Child of God," he sang it loud and proud. I would describe Andrew as a mild-mannered kid, but when he gets around his friends, he's a bit of a clown. His teachers did such a great job of keeping him focused on the task at hand.

I was baptized a member of our church when I was 19, so I didn't experience Primary as a child. When I was first baptized, I was called to team-teach a Sunbeam class with one of my best friends, Tanya. And for 5 consecutive years now, I've served as 2nd counselor, president, secretary, and stake secretary in the Primary. I know this organization well and I love it!! It's so fun to see my child partake of its goodness.

Now on to the Swimming part:

Andrew started swim lessons this week and I discovered that Andrew is indeed a fish out of water. To say he loved it would be an understatement. He did exactly what his teacher asked him to do-blow bubbles, dunk his head under the water, float on his back, kick & paddle. When his lesson was over, he threw a very nice fit because he didn't want to leave! It's been fun to watch him really love something.

The Family Dinner Lives On

The dinner hour at our house is very busy, as I imagine it is for every one of us moms. Studies show that the family dinner helps to keep the family together, so I thought I'd share with you what I've learned after 7 years and over 2000 dinners on the table (by 6 pm sharp!):

1. Once a week:
I make a list for a week's worth of meals and I only go to the store ONCE a week. I'm in and out in an hour or less (and usually with 2 bumpkins in tow). Next to sorting the laundry (another thing I only do once a week), making a grocery list is my least favorite chore.; it's tedious work. The payoff is that I don't have to think about it for at least another 7 days.

*I used to plan a month's worth of meals, but that went out the window once I had kids. It's simpler for me to plan a week at a time.

2. Write down the menu:
I plan my meals according to what's going on that week. For example, on Card Night, I plan something very simple. I usually designate one day a week for leftovers. After planning the menu, I write it down on our white board in the kitchen. Randy loves this because he can dream about the hot-cooked meal awaiting him upon his return from work. I love it because I don't have to wonder what I'm going to fix for dinner that night, all I have to do is execute! Another good thing about making a menu is the peace of mind of knowing that my kids get at least ONE nutritious meal a day (as opposed to the chicken nuggets, mac & cheese, and hot dogs they get for lunch!)

3. The Crockpot is my friend:
When I know I'm going to have a busy afternoon, I cook as much as I can in during lunch time or naps and then stick it in the crock pot to cook. When you get home, it's ready to go!

4. Set the table in advance:
I learned this from my mother-in-law--she sets the table WAY before the meal (sometimes even the night before). I've started making the habit to set the table during nap time. It really makes the dinner hour much simpler.

5. Let the machine get the phone and turn off the TV:
It feels good to let that phone ring. Some of our happiest times have been sitting around the table and eating good food together. It's probably also why I'll never be a size 2.