Coming home is always sweet!

But today was even sweeter!

Yesterday, Chris and I had a rare day off together so we went and looked at furniture. Couches to be exact. We bought our couches 10 years ago just after Connor was born. It is long past time for new ones.

Anyway, we thought we wanted some that IKEA had so we headed down to Draper to look. Before we went to IKEA, we stopped at furniture row (which is right across the street) and looked at Sofa Mart. They had some really nice couches there. But we were pretty sure we wanted the Ikea ones. So we headed there.

We looked and looked and just couldn't talk ourselves into anything. The prices were right, but they just weren't what we had in mind.

So Chris got out his trusty phone. It's really smart. It told him that there are lots of furniture stores in the Salt Lake Valley (imagine that!). So the search was on!

We went to several different stores and sat on lots of couches. I knew I didn't want a couch with pillows on the back. I wanted leather. I didn't want it to be overstuffed.

We finally found one we liked. But me, being a big ol cheapskate, couldn't talk myself into buying right then. I need time to think, ya know?

So we came home and went about our lovely evening, pizza for dinner, library trip, books and bed.

Today I had to work, and when Chris came and picked us up I asked him what he did today. He told me about working (one hour, the big bum). Then he said "this and that" and that was all. We got home and Connor looked in the backyard as we were all getting out of the car. He looked a little excited, but I didn't think much of it.

We went inside and this is what I saw:


Chris went back to the store and bought the couch and love seat set! What a great suprise! They are soooo nice and look great in our living room! The reason Connor was surprised is because our old set was in the backyard under the patio. Not a usual place for living room furniture. Our cat has been spending his time outside and Chris cut his nails. Hopefully he'll leave the new stuff alone.

What I've been up to these days.....

My very very good friend April is getting married soon. I am so happy for her. She is a wonderful person and deserves to be happy and to be loved. I'm so lucky to have her for a friend.

To help celebrate her upcoming nuptials, a friend from her ward gave her a bridal shower. I decided to make her gift.

I looked and looked at yarn, I couldn't choose the right color! Finally I found what I wanted, but none of the stores I went to had enough. So I had to order it. and then wait.... If you know me, once I get an idea for a project I NEED to work on it and get it done. It was hard to wait. So I didn't wait, I ended up buying a few skeins of yarn to get things started (it had a different dye lot, but was completely unnoticeable).

I made April this lovely afghan. She really liked it! Congrats again, dear April! I love ya!

Thanks!

I just wanted to thank you all for your replies to my last post. It's amazing how our family dynamics are. I appreciate your responses.

question for ya

This may sound a bit bizarre, but I have a question. Please answer even if you think I already know.

What is the age difference between your children?

My kids are 2 years and 8 months apart, give or take a few days. I like this gap because it's all I know. My siblings are Me-4 years-then Ramsey-5 years-then Michael-4 more years-then Lexi. there are 13 years in between me and my sister. I sometimes wished growing up that we were closer, but now that we are all grown up a little bit, it doesn't seem to matter.

I also wonder if you have some kids closer together and a big gap and then more kid (s) if you think this has negatively affected your family (or the younger child(ren)) in any way. Also tell me the positiveness of it.

Thanks so much for participating in satisfying my morbid curiosity!

So many bunnies!

These cuties will be valentine gifts for the first graders I work with. They are called Moopy bunnies. I got the pattern online, but it isn't available anymore. Don't they just have so much character? I think these little guys are in for some exciting adventures!

out of ideas

so I haven't really been posting much. my creative juices just aren't flowing much these days. I don't like winter, I have the blahs....

Anyway, I need feedback! Tell me what you would like to know about me. Do you have any questions you would like to have answered? maybe with a little help I can have some inspiration on things to write about.

Jenny's Pearl Necklace

This was a story read in a Sunday lesson a couple of weeks ago. I just wanted to share.

Author Unknown, Source Unknown

The cheerful girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them: a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box.
"Oh please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please!" Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face.

"A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma." As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her piggy bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores. She went to the neighbor, Mrs. McJames, and asked if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace.

Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere--Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother had told her that if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.

Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night when he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?"

"Oh yes, Daddy. You know that I love you."

"Then may I have your pearls?"

"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess--the white horse from my collection. The one with the pink tail. Remember, Daddy? The one you gave me. She's my favorite."

"That's okay, honey. Daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.
About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?"

"Daddy, you know I love you."

"Then will you give me your pearls?"

"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is so beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper."

"That's okay, Honey. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you." And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss. A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian-style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.

"What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?"
Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. When she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, Daddy. It's for you." With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's kind daddy reached out with one hand to take the prized necklace. With the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case. He handed the handsome velvet case to Jenny and told her, "Thank you for giving me your most prized possesion that you even saved for all by yourself. Here Honey, I have this for you also. I wanted to trade you, but I was going to give these to you tonight either way."
As Jenny pryed open the blue velvet box, so nice a thing itself she'd never known, the glistening white sheen of the rich genuine pearls struck her teary eyes.

He had then all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime store stuff so he could give her the genuine treasure.

So it is with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting fo us to give up the cheap things in our lives so that he can five us beautiful teasures. Are you holding onto things that God wants you to let go of? Are you holding on to harmful or unnecessary relationships, habits, and activities that you have come so attached to that it seems impossible to let go? Sometimes it is so hard to see what is in the other hand, but do believe this one thing.... God will never take something without giving you something better in its place.