Christmas is in ....4 DAYS!!!!!! How did that happen? All I can say is that this has been a VERY busy holiday season for me! I still have to get gifts for my parents and in-laws, but our Christmas shopping is done. I won't tell you what we got but I'll give you a hint:

Isn't it great? I'm SOOO excited. And that's all the Christmas we're going to be getting!

And of course let us not forget the real gift this Christmas; a little babe born in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago. I will love Him forever.

Doesn't this look fun?

Doesn't this look fun?

Oh, I would give almost anything right now to have a couple of toddlers to do this fun stuff with.

My husband thinks he's so funny!

ME: I love Tchaikovsky's music. It's some of the best ever!

HUSBAND: Yeah. Wasn't he on Star Track too?

ME: Puzzled and confused stare.

HUSBAND: Yeah, he was like a pilot or something.

ME: Puzzled and confused stare.

HUSBAND: (With a hint of sarcasm) Oh yeah, that was TUVOC!

Pumpkin carving

My husband and I at last had the chance to spend a much-needed day together. At first I wasn't sure sure how my sweetie would feel about pumpkin carving for the first time in many years but it turns out that we both had a great time. Now my next task is to bake the seeds we saved!

Can you guess who carved witch pumpkin?

O, Canada!

With my husband's crazy absurd work schedule it's been hard to find time together. Today, though he didn't have to go to work until later in the evening so we got to go to a place that has been and will become very special to us.

This is the site of the new Vancouver, B.C. temple. (This picture was taken a little over a year ago shortly before my husband asked me to marry him at a nearby park.) We just found out on Sunday that we will be in this temple district! We are so excited about this because it is an hour closer to us than the Seattle temple. All this time we thought for sure we'd still be in the Seattle temple district being that Canada is a whole different country and all (even though our Stake touches the border and is quite close to the new temple site). As far as I understand we're the only stake in the U.S. that belongs to a temple district in a different country! What a blessing for us, and for our friends to the north as well, aye?

This is pretty much what it looked like today...

...and this is what it will look like upon completion.

I'm back!

Whew, it's been a while, but here's what I've been up to the past few months:

-I got a seasonal job at a retail nursery.

-The season ended and I'm GLAD to be back home!

As much as I said that I wouldn't let the fact that I'd be earning $5.50 LESS per hour than my last job get to me...it did! It was also a strain on our marriage with not one but two people coming home exhausted and with high tensions every day.

-I planted a garden on my patio.

That's my dad with me!

-The garden grew!

And I have been thoroughly enjoying the fruits of my labors.

-Re-started my Mary Kay business and LOVE it!

And I have so much to say about this fabulous company and how it can empower women to be WOMEN-but that will have to wait for another time. (By the way, if there's anything you need I do keep an inventory. So for those of you who are local to me-I can get you your products that day, and for those of you who are not local I offer free shipping. You are welcome to visit and order from my website here.)

-Went to a couple of ball games.

Ken Griffey, Jr. is my new hero. He was the one who finally ENDED a 14 inning game carrying a score of 0 to 0. My husband would have insisted we stay there all night long if Ken Griffey, Jr. hadn't rescued me!

-Dealt with car trouble a couple of times. (Hang in there just a little longer, car!)

-Helped my husband with his algebra homework.

I always struggled with math in school. I never imagined the day would come when I'd actually be able to help my husband with his math homework! Goes to show what a little bit of hard work and persistence will do.

-And finally, I'M BACK ON THE BLOG!

See you all soon!

Working

For the past few weeks I've been taking my resume to the nurseries and garden centers in the area.  As much as I love to be at home their has to be a balance in life too.  Our home (apartment) is small and it's easy to run out of things to do, and being new to the area I don't know a whole lot of people.  My husband often works 60 hours a week and I start to go a little stir crazy with nothing to do.  Sure, I can find stuff!  I quilt, I read, I blog, etc...I still get a little crazy though.  

Well, today I started my first job as a married woman.  I'm working at a local garden center/nursery and I think I'm going to LOVE it.  I've always felt the importance of mother's being at home for their children but had been of the opinion that a couple without children could always benefit from the potential to save-up some money.  Finding a job after being married though has definitely had some changes in mentality:

1.) I really don't care how much money I make.  I want to do something I enjoy and have fun with it.  (In fact I'm earning over $5.00/hour LESS than my last job that I had when I was single and I really don't care.  I'm glad I don't have all that responsibility that I had before!)

2.) I'm not there to show my boss that I'm the best there ever was (which is oh, so stressful), I'm there to be myself, have a good time, and of course do the best I can do without comparing myself to others.  I already feel a relief of stress.

3.) Part time is perfect.  I'm not torn between wanting to go home and feeling that I have to stay for a billion more hours, or see if I can get some overtime to support myself!

4.) It's a boost of confidence because my employer still wanted me to work for them even after I laid everything out on the table (part-time, not available Sundays).

5.) I honestly feel I can do a better job because I feel more comfortable and relaxed, not like before when I felt like if I make one little mistake it would be the end of the world and I NEEDED that job so I had to constantly BE perfect, even though this was impossible. 

6.) Because spring-time is a busy time of year for gardening, and they need extra help in the spring, I don't feel like I've signed my life over to them!  I don't owe them my soul, my money, or my first born child-just my summer.  When it's time to quit to raise my family I can, and they won't hate me for it.  (Contrast that to my last job and I felt like a criminal because I quit after only being there 7 months-even though the only reason I was quitting was because I was getting married and moving to a different city.  I felt like I owed them at least a year or two.)

I can see that this really is what is best for this stage of my life right now.  Sitting at home alone all day is depressing.  I admire women who can do that, but quite frankly, I don't think any of them actually sit at home alone all day (at least not the happy ones).  I think they go visit family and friends, find some volunteer work, pick up their kids from school, go to school activities, go to their kids activities, etc.  

Unfortunately I don't think working will be a cure-all for my loneliness (because I did work today and here I am still lonely for my husband to come home in 3 hours), but at least it gives me something else to do in the meantime.  

She Quilts!

Now that I have so much more free time on my hands I can persue the hobbies that I always wanted to but simply didn't have the time for.  My new hobby?  Quilting!  I cannot tell you how long I have wanted to do this.  In fact, I love it so much, I feel like I was born for it!  I'm still a beginner, but I'm so exited to have a lifetime ahead of me to be able to do this!

Another neat thing about quilting is the legacy that accompanies it.  I cannot look at pictures of quilts and not remember the thousands of pioneer women who walked across the plains in search of a better life.  Some for more opportunities or homesteading, and some, like my pioneer ancestors, who walked across a continent to escape religious persecution and to be able to worship their God in freedom.  I can imagine them, walking barefoot with frost-bitten toes across a frozen prairie, or sweltering in the hot summer sun, but still continuing on with faith and diligence, and saving every scrap of material along the way to and piece together into something useful and beautiful.  What a wonderful legacy to follow!

P.S. Click here if you would like to read the story about the Martin Handcart Company crossing the Sweetwater River shown above.

It's almost spring!

Hey everybody!  Now that spring is almost officially here and the weather's getting warmer and everybody is feeling just a bit cheerier I decided it was time to springify my page.  Hope you like the more springy look!

My mother's advice for keeping a clean home that she never follows but passed on to me

Not too long ago my mother told me all of the necessary steps required to keep home clean.  These are suggestions she learned from her sister (who, by the way always has an immaculate home) but my mother wasn't the best at implementing them herself.  The other day she shared with me how this is done and I figured I'd share it on here.

1.) Make your bed every morning.

2.) Keep things picked up off of the floor.  Put everything back in it's place as soon as you're finished with it and if you have things that don't have a place get rid of them.

Husbands, by the way, don't count he can stay!

3.) Never leave dirty dishes in the sink.  Even if there are only 2 or 3 dishes in the sink, wash them right away! (Or if you have a dishwasher it makes it even easier-just place the dishes inside, and voila-they're out of the way!)

4.) Once this is done you can easily do all your other cleaning (bathrooms, vacuuming, dusting, etc) else in just 2 hours a week.

I think this is great advice!  Unfortunately I don't follow it every day either!

Malus domestica

So I figure it's about time to say what Malus domestica means and why I chose it as the title of my blog.  Well, as some of you may know I am a horticulturist and spent four years studying horticulture at what I consider to be one of the best schools around.  Malus domestica is the scientific name for this plant:

   

                            

That's right!  Your common apple.  In school we loved making fun of the name (...it's the domestic violence plant...it's the bad domestics plant...).  Well, I chose the name Malus domestica for my blog because that's exactly what it sounds like...bad domestics.  I figured it would be a witty choice to name my blog as often times I feel as though I'm blindly fumbling around in the whole domestics department.  Could there be a deeper, more psychological meaning in my selection of this?  Could it be that the name alone may convey poor domestic quality but in reality it's something entirely different than what it seems...a common apple?  Could this be a reflection of my true feelings?  Eh, that's more complex than what I want to think about.  I changed my major from psychology to horticulture after just one psychology class.  But at any rate there you have it....Malus domestica.

Ode to parents

Why is it that the older I get the more I get choked up with emotion every time I think if my parents.  Gee, views on life sure do change a lot between ages 16 and 26.  I'm so glad they're still around, so many people aren't so fortunate.  I think the hardest thing about my wedding day was the feeling that I was abandoning my parents.  I guess that after all those growing-up years filled with feelings of misunderstanding, disentitlement, frustration, embarasment and all other feelings kids have growing up, it all worked out in the end after all.  Turns out they're some of my favorite peeps in the whole wide world!

Light

One of the hardest things about living in the Northwest is the short days in the winter.  One of the greatest things about living in the Northwest is the long days in the summer.  In the dead of winter it can be pitch dark as early as 4:30 in the afternoon.  But in mid-summer it stays light until almost 10:oo pm.  It is so wonderful to feel spring coming as the days get longer and longer. I love light.  In looking for an apartment one of my prerequesites was that it be bright.  I turn all the lights on in the house when it's not bright enough.  I used to want to live in Alaska until I realized the prospect of days with no light at all.  And when you think about it, light is the source of all life.  Plants, which are on the bottom of the food chain, produce their food from light.  Our growth, our ability to function, our energy, the only thing that keeps us going...is light.  This is true spiritually as well as physically.  It makes me think of one of my favorite scriptures about the true source of all light:

 "He that ascended up on high, as also he descended below all things, in that he comprehended all things, that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth; Which truth shineth.  This is the light of Christ. As also he is in the sun, and the light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made.  As also he is the moon, and is the light of the moon, and the power thereof by which it was made; As also the light of the stars, and the power thereof by which they were made; And the earth also, and the power thereof, even the earth upon which you stand.  And the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings; Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space-The light which is in all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things."  Doctrine and Covenants 88:6-13

His light is in each of us and it is the source of all light...the source of all life.  As long as we look to Him that light will shine in us, and our understanding will be increased.

"And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things."  Doctrine and Covenants 88:67

"That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light growth brighter and brighter until the perfect day." Doctrine and Covenants 50:24

So often in life we feel distressed and discouraged.  I have noticed in my own life that when I neglect to nourish my spirituality and fail to daily fill my life with the words of Christ it seems as though I am in darkness.  I feel like the houseplant that is stuck in a room without the curtains open and I'm constantly trying to twist and turn myself in all the wrong directions trying to get to that light that will sustain me.  When I bask in the light of Christ I am strengthened and able to do all things in Him.  My prayer is that we each seek the light that will nourish and strengthen us. 

Star light

Star bright

Many stars I see tonight

In the darkness, black or blue

Shines the light of you, so true

While dark it seems from far away

Where you are, is light to stay

Adjusting to married life

Ok,  so I'm FINALLY posting a new blog.  I've been thinking a lot lately about all the changes marriage can bring.  I've also been reading a lot of books about adjusting to marriage.  I found one in particular that is AWESOME!  It's called The First Year of Marriage by Miriam Arond and Samuel L. Pauker.  So many of the books I've been reading about the first year of marriage only tell other people's stories, or it seems as though the author is just babbling on and on about his or her own personal experiences.  The First Year of Marriage, however, addresses the underlying reasons behind why you may be experiences a lot of the feelings you're having as well as explaining the psychology behind a family unit and how your actions can influence each other.  It really has you look at why you may be experiencing certain emotions and how you can change the things in your marriage that you may be unhappy with.  I highly recommend it for ALL married couples, not just those who are newlyweds! 

This photo is from http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51HCY6FDJDL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA240_SH20_OU01_.jpg

                                                                     

"Becoming Women of Greater Faith in Christ"

I've always known that a woman's influence is of utter importance.  The woman is the one who really forms society, creates the atmosphere of home and family, and is the glue that holds everything together.  

Unfortunatley between changing occupations, status, and towns I've been feeling a little lost.  I wasn't sure where I was, where I was trying to go, or how to get there.  Furthermore I'd been feeling a little neglected in my talents and abilities being recognized by those around me due to my gender and position in society.  Here I was, at last at the place where I had been trying to get to my whole life, and all I could think of was "What am I supposed to do with myself?" 

So what do I do when I'm lost?  Find a map!  And find it I did!  It's an old Ensign article entitled "One Thing Needful':  Becoming Women of Greater Faith in Christ" by Patrcia T. Holland.  I'm not going to post the whole article in this blog, but you can click here to see the link.

I especially loved these words from Sister Holland in the article:

"We must have the courage to be imperfect while striving for perfection. We must not allow our own guilt, the feminist books, the talk-show hosts, or the whole media culture to sell us a bill of goods—or rather a bill of no goods. We can become so sidetracked in our compulsive search for identity and self-esteem that we really believe it can be found in having perfect figures or academic degrees or professional status or even absolute motherly success. Yet, in so searching externally, we can be torn from our true internal, eternal selves. We often worry so much about pleasing and performing for others that we lose our uniqueness—that full and relaxed acceptance of one’s self as a person of worth and individuality. We become so frightened and insecure that we cannot be generous toward the diversity and individuality, and yes, problems, of our neighbors. Too many women with these anxieties watch helplessly as their lives unravel from the very core that centers and sustains them. Too many are like a ship at sea without sail or rudder, “tossed to and fro,” as the Apostle Paul said (see Eph. 4:14), until more and more of us are genuinely, rail-

grabbingly seasick."

As a single woman being forced into a career that I really didn't want due to my single status I had many friends in similar situations.  Together we would be dumbfounded as we watched women who willfully neglected their divine callings as mothers.  We could not understand as we watched them willingly abandon their children at home alone or with strangers while they went to work in search of a more fulfilling life.  We could see first-hand how these children suffered as they grew up without the stability and security of a mother at home in exchange for larger homes and fancier cars.  In our hearts we longed to be where they were and pitied them for not understanding their loss.  I hope I will never have to compromise my values like that.  Yes, marriage is an adjustment, not only due to living with another person, but also an adjustment in re-defining a lifestyle.  But in the end-it's all worth it.  

Happiness is a choice!

See this...this is me.

This is me one year ago.  I was single and I was pretty happy with life.  

This is me a few months later.  I'm still single, and I'm still pretty happy.

This is me just last month, on the day I left my single status.

Yip.  Pretty darn happy.

And this is me today.

It may be a crappy photo, but I'm still just as happy as I was in that first photo.  

Case in point?  Marriage doesn't make you happy.  Whatever amount of happiness you take with you to the marriage alter is the same amount of happiness you have after you get married.

The interesting thing though?  My life suddenly has much more depth than it EVER did, and I LOVE it.  But happiness is an internal choice and external influences will never effect that choice.    

Well, that's all for now.  Be happy!