wildeapedia

New Year!

2012-02-09T11:24:00.001-06:00

How about it's 2012 already? And February at that!

The end of the year is always crazy. Throw a new baby into the mix and it's crazier. Top it off with being in law school and it is madness.

But I am glad to say I feel that life is calming down a bit.

2011 was a fantastic year! There were so many things that I loved about it.

And I a looking forward to a great 2012. There is so much to look forward to!

Before I leave 2011 to the history books, I wanted to belatedly blog about two other baby showers I was able to enjoy. Yes, I realize I am spoiled to be surrounded by wonderful loved ones. I feel like I will spend the rest of my life reciprocating the love I've felt.

The first shower I wanted to mention was a small, intimate shower with some work friends, neighbor friends, and close friends. I really enjoyed how small this shower was because it enabled me to talk one on one with everyone and just relax together.

A huge thanks to Jess, and in part Hil, for so much love. I could not ask for better friends!

Baby Shower

2012-02-08T16:26:00.000-06:00

Yes, we are alive. Phoenix is just too much fun for us to remember to do anything else but talk to her and rock her to sleep.

But! We are not the only ones celebrating Little Miss Phoe (pronounced Fee)! Here are some pictures of a wonderful baby shower thrown by some near and dear friends!

Friends Munching on the Awesome Food.

Hanging out and talking about New Jersey and the best burger in San Marcos

Same as above! Cute & Happy Ladies.

The expressions of these friends crack me up!

The Spread- sooo delicious.

Add caption

I call this one, "The Hil Classic"

A series of funny faces from me:

Super Happy

I didn't understand how awesome this gift was- but now I know! Swaddling blankets are the BEST!

I thought, "YESSS... I've seen grandmother make these and I am so glad I have some of my own!"

Weird face, but such a wonderful gift from my friend Whitney.
I am spoiled and blessed to be surrounded by some of the most amazing women.

Again, weird face.

Sitting contemplatively at the end. I kept thinking about how many angels I am surrounded by!

And then this is the icing on the cake! Cute decor for Phoe's room!

Thank you friends! When my princess was born we weren't sure how bad her lungs were. I had this fear that no one would celebrate her life or know she existed. Having this time with my friends was like hearing that fear shot down entirely, and an answer back from Heavenly Father, "She exists, and there are many who love her."

2 weeks old... 2 weeks until her due date

2012-01-02T21:24:00.000-06:00

Today my little princess is 2 weeks old. She came so quickly that her parents are still playing catch-up.

Today we put the crib together.

Today we did our own laundry for the first time since early December. (ew...)

Today my house actually looks like it might be ready for a baby to come... in 2 weeks, when she was supposed to come.

But even though we are playing catch-up, we are trying to not miss the moments with our princess. I felt a little guilty about this, and mentioned this to my mom. I mean, we've had people bring meals in for the past little bit, and I feel bad because I'm not bed ridden or anything- I'm just trying to play catch-up with getting ready for Phoenix all while trying not to miss spending time with her.

My mom, who is so wise, shared this poem with me:

BABIES

Cleaning and cooking can wait 'till tomorrow

For babies grow up, as we've learned to our sorrow.

So quiet down cobwebs, dust go to sleep,

I'm rocking my baby, and babies don't keep.

I don't feel one bit bad for having a messy house or asking for help with meals after reading that.

The life of a NICU parent

2011-12-26T22:54:00.000-06:00

This is a NICU parent.

So is this.

Here are a few thoughts I have on being a NICU parent:

Spend every moment you can with your baby.
Sleep when your body makes you sleep.
Go home to sleep and end up crying for an hour about the little one you left at the hospital.
You meet a stranger while washing your hands to see your baby. You don't make small talk. You ask, "How early was yours born?" or "What's your baby in for?"
Ask the nurses every question you can think of. But really, you have no idea what's going on.
Sleep in the waiting room (Yes, I've slept on that couch where the man in the first picture is sleeping).
Sleep when you hold your baby (until the nurse comes in).
Sleep when they close the NICU for 1 hr and a half.
Sleep in the McDonald charity room while a family of 10 wait in there with you.
Sleep when you wait for food to come at a restaurant.
Put up with any sort of restrictions you get put on you, like this:

Yes, Phoenix is in isolation. We must mask, gown, and glove before we see her.

We can't go anywhere else in the NICU.

But there's really no complaint to be given.

Because this is worth it:

And because your baby is not the baby that was born at 23 weeks and is in the corner fighting for their life.

And your baby is not the baby that's been in the NICU for 5 weeks.

And your baby is not taking major step backwards, like suddenly developing a diaphragm problem the day they're supposed to go home.

And you don't have other kids at home that you have to divide your time between- your newborn and your other kiddos.

But really.

This is worth it.

More to come.

2011-12-21T13:03:00.000-06:00

Here's a peek at Phoenix.

She's in the NICU right now, but we hope to have her home by Christmas.

Even under all those tubes- isn't she adorable?

The Almighty Thanksgiving Holiday!

2011-12-14T13:48:00.001-06:00

This Thanksgiving we had my mom down for a visit. I was having so much fun, I forgot to get a ton of pics of the food/table setting (Hil, help me out on this one).

But there are some pictures to be shown. Before I display them, let me just say that this holiday is really Russ's big show. He is the chef in the family, and he should get most of the credit for the success of Thanksgiving. I tend to be a spectator and table-setter.

This year did not disappoint. Russ's cooking was delicious. The company was excellent. The traditions held strong. And in fact, that is where I will start: The Traditions.

Tradition: Thanksgiving morning exercise.

While Thanksgiving is wonderful, I always feel guilty about all the food. So a few years ago I started doing Turkey Trots on this day of deliciousness. This year I did the Gruene Turkey Trot with my mom:

Here's how I did:

I came in 106 out of 108 in my age group.

But I finished!

The Food: An outside Thanksgiving.

This year we decided to eat Thanksgiving outside. We have some friends who eat outside every year. Russ is always incredibly jealous and wants to be like them- or at least eat Thanksgiving like them.

So this year we did!

Tradition: Toast (see the above pictures)

Every year I get Russ to make a toast, followed by each person saying something they're grateful for. Russ's toast was great, and I am always amazed at the things that people are grateful for.

Tradition: Christmas set-up

Russ & I set up our Christmas decorations after we eat Thanksgiving. I like to do it this way for a few reasons. First, it gets your blood going a bit after eating so much. Second, you can be slow about it. I like to alternate between setting stuff up/playing games/eating pie/ watching the football game. Finally, I get to enjoy the Christmas decor a little bit longer.

Here's how the tree turned out:

Tradition: Fredricksburg Christmas Pyramid lighting

This tradition started last year. Basically we go to Fredricksburg to watch the annual lighting of the Christmas Pyramid. Yes, I said Pyramid. Google it. It's a German thing. This year was bigger than last year. And it included a performance of the Nutcracker!

Tradition: Black Friday Shopping

As I said earlier, Thanksgiving is really Russ's shining moment. And that extends beyond the food- it goes down to Black Friday Shopping. Russ knows how to do it right- without being part of the horde of people who trample over each other to get stuff. Russ is slick about it- strategic. He could write a book about it.

Again, this year he was at his best. He got the baby necessities for $150, boots for me, and a bunch of other stuff that is still being delivered. We are all stocked up on wedding gifts, white elephant gifts, and everything on our wish-lists... well pretty much everything.

Skyping with my brother, who is waiting in line for Black Friday.

Lastly, Crafts.

With my mom in town we crafted and crafted until we were sick of it. We made this manger scene for my brother's family, we sewed tutus, we embroidered a quilt, and on and on. It was a great way to spend time together!!!

And if you're reading this and you feel tired after hearing about all we did, well you'll be pleased to know Russ and I were both sick the following weekend. We played too hard and paid the price the next few days! I think next year we'll slow it down!

The Catch-Up: Early Fall

2011-12-03T09:24:00.000-06:00

I guess we spent Fall having too much fun because I forgot to blog about any of the things we did. Well, here are the highlights:

Event #1 Food and Friends:

While this happened often, I often did not take any pictures of our time spent with friends eating, laughing, and eating some more. But here are pics from one such occasion.

This is Brandon's Burger. It looks both awesome and scary.

This is Brandon eating the above burger.
He's a growing boy, so he DOWNED it and went back for a second!

What do you do after all that food?
Watch "The Lion King" in 3D.

Event #2 Our Annual Fall Date:

So starting last year, continuing this year, Russ and I do a day date in Austin where we hit up Cheesefest at all the Central Markets in Austin. Cheesefest is a celebration of cheese. You can taste all sorts of cheeses that have been made locally or that have been in the cheese process for years.

This year's winner: The Roaring 40's Bleu Cheese.

We also got some Pumpkin Pie Soda to wash down all that cheese:

And we ate Mongolian BBQ before the whole Cheesefest began:

We also went to look at the Whole Foods Chocolate Halloween display. It was less impressive than last year, but still fun to look at:

Event #3: I beat my friend Eric at Words With Friends.

My pal Eric is a Words With Friends genius. He wins by 200 points- at least.

Well, I won... one time.

Event #4: We saw Willie Nelson, George Strait, The Avett Brothers, Asleep at the Wheel, The Dixie Chicks, and Lyle Lovett in concert.

In September wildfires were raging down here in Texas. Thousands lost their homes, pets, and everything but their families. Austin, being the Live Music Capital of the World, did its' part to help these folks get back on their feet.

There was a massive benefit concert for the wildfire victims.

Sure, Russ and I couldn't afford the $500-$1,000 seats up close. But we managed to get the $25 nosebleeds. It was an amazing night of music. I felt like I was watching a family reunion of talented musicians. Everyone played together, or hung out on the side of the stage and watched Willie play.

And, may I just say, George Strait is a cutie? Well he is, even if he is an old man. He has really kept those good looks!

Event #6: We got toilet-papered:

We woke up to toilet papered ghosts on Halloween.

I loved it.

SUPER CUTE!!!

March 2nd is Going to be a Great Day!

2011-12-01T18:57:00.000-06:00

This is my awesome mother-in-law and her 3 magnificent sons! She single handedly raised these amazing guys (they unintentionally all wore black in this picture. Natural Johnny Cash's).

I LOVE all three of them. Obviously I love Russ. But from the moment I met my in-laws, I loved them. And I thought they were awesome. Which was weird, because I thought in-laws were these awful monsters that ruined your life.

Well, I am THANKFUL that my in-laws are so cool. Their joys are my joys. Their sorrows are my sorrows. And there is much joy coming this Spring for Brother #2!

Yup, Randy is off the market. All you single ladies out there, you missed out on being part of the coolest family. Go somewhere else to find a Phase-10 master, Mandarin-speaking, computer genius.

And Linda, congrats!

Welcome to the family.

You were cool before (she's a pastry chef) but you are so much cooler now with this AMAZING family!

Reunited and It Feels So Good!!!

2011-11-29T21:26:00.000-06:00

So back in the day I went to Utah and I was able to go to my mission reunion.

Mission reunions happen every year.

But they only happen in Utah.

So I can never go.

But I was there this year!

I was able to see 5 of my companions- almost all that live in the US.

The only one I missed lives in Arizona.

Not to mention I saw my mission president and wife. They are my heroes.

I wish I had taken more pictures, but I was too busy visiting. But here's to the great memories!

Then:

Now:

Then:

Now:

From Pinterest...

2011-11-14T18:44:00.000-06:00

In July of last year I discovered the phenomenon of the website Pinterest, thanks to my friend Becky H. up in Utah. For those unaware of Pinterest- imagine a place where you can collect all things creative= and organize these things by holiday, theme, or subject of your choice.

Well I had a board for our annual Halloween party, and here is how it turned out:

Pinterest: It's an addiction and an inspiration.

And check out the friends this year! The party was a hit!

Well, Russ tricked us in this one by having the camera self-time 3 shots.

Next celebration that I've used for Pinterest Inspiration:

THANKSGIVING!

Re-entering Blogging with an Update

2011-11-11T16:19:00.001-06:00

How far along?

31 Weeks

Total weight gain:

17 lbs. Lost a few lbs. this past week. Not on purpose- due to stress I think.

Maternity clothes?

Yes. Loving the cute styles.

Stretch marks?

Just one on each side. I look like I'm wearing racer pants when I'm well, not.

Best moment this week:

Understanding Spud's movements. When someone is talking in a mean

tone, or loudly, or maybe Spud just doesn't like them,

Spud hides under my right rib. Whole body.

It's fun to feel Spud fold up on one side.

Miss Anything?

Yoga. I miss being able to fold up, stretch out and just enjoy a good practice.

Movement:

Lots. I can tell when it's a hand wave, a kick, or when

Spud pedals along my stomach.

Food cravings:

None.

Anything making you queasy or sick:

No.

Gender:

We're going to be surprised.

Labor Signs:

I don't think so. I figure I will know it when I feel it.

Symptoms:

None, really. Russ has to buckle my shoes most days.

But I can still see my feet and paint

my own toenails.

Belly Button in or out?

In.

Wedding rings on or off?

On- and very loose.

Happy or Moody most of the time:

Happy and giggly. Surprisingly optimistic about everything- even

the hard things.

Looking forward to:

My mom coming down Thanksgiving to help set everything up.

Steve Jobs

2011-10-05T21:03:00.001-05:00

Yes, I'm sure you've heard the news. I just want to take a moment and acknowledge how much I do because of Apple technology.

Today:

My iPhone was my alarm clock. I hit snooze 3 times.
I used my phone to listen to music while I showed.
I used my phone to read my daily pregnancy update on what to expect. Because of this I'm going to buy a hotpad for when my lower back starts to kill.
I used my phone to play Scrabble with my husband, brother-in-law, and friends.
I used my phone to check my bank accounts and make sure we weren't broke.
I used my phone to read law articles from the ABA/
I checked my e-mail on my phone.
I text message my husband to let him know that his prayer from family prayer has been answered.
I checked Facebook.
I used "find my iPhone" to stalk Russ.
I used my iPhone to check the class schedule at Gold's Gym.
I used my iPhone to read and prepare my Relief Society lesson for this Sunday.

I used my Mac to Skype with my dad.
I used my Mac to create a flier for a law school event.
I used my Mac to create a slideshow and power point for law school.
I used my Mac to finish my yoga training.
I used my Mac to take a tutorial on legal research. 3 tutorials actually.
When the school's internet failed, I used my iPhone to find a phone number.
I used my Mac to play Plants v. Zombies.
I used my Mac to listen to Arcade Fire while I studied.
I used my Mac to listen to a lecture from BarBri- to study.
I used my Mac to register for law school classes.
I used my Mac to calculate and review my reward points to see if I had enough to get a plane ticket to Canada.

Later tonight, I will use my phone for scripture study, while I'm apart from Russ.
Later tonight I'll talk to Russ and say family prayer.

This weekend I used my phone to read the Constitution and a little about the founding fathers. I just can't imagine my life without it- I don't think I'd be able to do what I do. To be in law school and apart from Russ and yet stay as close. Sure, I'd use a PC. But I don't think I would be able to create as much (movies, editing photos, etc.). And I would have WAY MORE hassle.

I can't recall the number of times I've had a problem with my laptop or iPhone and taken it to the Apple Store and had it fixed or replaced- in seconds- for free.

Awesome.

Thank You Steve Jobs.

My Legal Education

2011-09-22T13:28:00.000-05:00

I learned something this past week from my Constitutional Law professer (aka the Godfather of Baylor Law). Prof. Guinn has been teaching Con Law since the Cold War and is one of my favorite professors ever.

He has a wealth of knowledge. Recently he used a phrase that I will never forget, that I absolutely love:

The Phrase:

Country

Bumpkin

Now, you may know what this is. But I'd never heard of it before. It sounds really cute, especially when Godfather Guinn says it. However, the meaning of the word is not as endearing. Basically it's a uneducated country person who uses non-politically correct speech without knowing how offensive it is.

When I think about it I want to just giggle. Isn't it cute? Say it three times, you'll agree.

Guest Blogging

2011-09-18T13:30:00.002-05:00

Check it out! I wrote a blog post for a "Women in Law" blog, and they put up my submission. Pretty cool huh?

Read the full post here.

Food, as of late

2011-09-12T20:16:00.000-05:00

I always try to take pictures of the delicious things I eat. I had a awesome pizza Saturday at the Kona Grill in San Antonio, but sadly I ate it so fast, there were no time for pictures.

But here's what I did pause and take a picture of:

I ate this salad at Lucy & Ethel's in Wimberley, Texas.

It was delicious, and I feel like I could make it at home!

This is Russ's homemade version of some Cafe Rio dish.

Pulled Pork salad maybe?

I don't know what it's called. I'm not a big Cafe Rio fan.

But Russ's food is always delicious.

JANITORS

2011-09-09T08:32:00.003-05:00

So my best friend... can I call you that Hil?... well her brother-in-law recently had a book published. He's on a book tour right now and will come to Central Texas soon, as part of his book tour. I'm very excited about this.

Here's a screen shot of Janitors being advertised on Deseret Book dot com:

If you're into books set for 9-12 year olds, you can buy the book here. And here's the trailer for it:

Looks like some fun reading to me! I hope to pick it up over the Christmas break from law school.

Congrats Tyler on being published!

Russ is Going to Be a Great Dad

2011-09-08T13:19:00.001-05:00

He's going to ensure Watermelon does not develop a skill for discrimination.

Bet Ya Didn't Know This About the Constitution!-Part 2

2011-09-07T19:28:00.001-05:00

Ever get frustrated by those people who protest military funerals?

Or get tired of hearing people say that Mormons aren't Christians?

What about when people say the US has become a Muslim-run country?

Pretty much any inflammatory statement that to you, and the common sense you know is just wrong.

Does it make you mad?

Do you think to yourself, "That should be illegal"

Or "That's a straight-up lie, people shouldn't be allowed to say that"

Well there's a reason why it's not. And there's a solution on how YOU can fix it.

The 1st Amendment to the Constitution reads:

When people say outrageous things, they are exercising their freedom of speech.

Under the First Amendment, their speech cannot be unlawful.

That means, you can't censor it.

But what can you do?

The Supreme Court- those who get the last word on what the Constitution means- has said that if there's outrageous speech, inflammatory speech, or false speech out then the answer is:

MORE SPEECH

If someone is polluting the marketplace of ideas, it is your job to clean it up.

It is your job to put out correct ideas and correct information.

Pacifism has become the norm in the word today. People don't like what they hear and they shake their head and walk away. Well that's not any way to solve the problem.

The right thing to do is to put the truth out there. To say your opinion.

I hope that people will change. That when there are crazy folks saying crazy things, people speak up and flood the world with truth.

I think the LDS Church is starting to handle it. The Church is about to do a huge media blitz in the Central Texas Area. I could not be happier. I'm excited to see if this has an effect.

So remember:

THE ANSWER TO SPEECH IS MORE SPEECH.

(not censorship)

SO SPEAK UP

------------

Sidenote: Thanks for all the kind wishes for our Watermelon! I hope to have a positive report in a few weeks!

The Watermelon- Previously Known as The Spud

2011-09-05T21:51:00.000-05:00

So remember a few posts ago when I said every 5 weeks I'd be taking a baby bump picture?

If you don't, well, let me fill you in. When I was 15 weeks pregnant I said that every 5 weeks I'd take an updated photo. But when the time came around for that next picture, Russ and I received some... questionable commentary from our doctor who subsequently sent us to a specialist the following week.

Without having many answers, I didn't feel like taking a picture that weekend. And, unfortunately, the specialist didn't have any answers either. Yet. Hopefully we'll know more later this month. I will keep you posted.

I don't want to sound a false alarm, so I don't think I really want to go into much on here. Suffice it to say that our Spud needs to get bigger. I thought that if Russ and I start calling the baby "Watermelon," Spud would be encouraged to grow. Even though I don't think the word 'watermelon' is part of the fetal language. Still...

I will write a little update about other things about Watermelon right now. I've been thinking about it for the past few days regarding pregnancy. Things that I want to remember or that people (particularly my sister-in-law Erika) tell me I should remember about pregnancy.

I love to eat mashed potatoes and cheerios.
I have night terrors. Awful, vivid dreams that are straight out of horror movies. I hate this.
We felt the first kicks on Sept. 2
I have polished off my first container of Tums.
I am finally feeling tired. Like I don't have the energy I normally do. I know this is expected, but I expected it to come earlier in pregnancy. Like 5 months ago.
I am more weepy than I was earlier too. I also thought this would come earlier. But it's just been the past two weeks.
We have no idea if Watermelon is a boy or girl. Even the sonogram tech's can't tell. This baby wants to be mysterious.

I think that's it. Well, until the next pregnancy post in a few weeks- Grow, Watermelon, Grow!

Dear Fall: Come and Stay a While

2011-09-01T10:56:00.002-05:00

Fall is my favorite season, and the first sign of fall came today.

It's September 1st.

So I'd like to roll out the welcome carpet to the fall season by blogging a little "Ode to Fall"

What is best about fall:

Fall Fashion:

Turtlenecks... YES.

Sweaters...

Tweed coats, scarves, and hats (this is just after Thanksgiving)

Boots! (Can't really see them, but I love boots!)

Fall Food:

Cheese Fest at Central Market

French Onion Soup

Those delicious pumpkin spice kisses

Craft-fooder-noon snacks!

Cookies! It's cold enough to turn the oven back on!

And my Favorite: HOT COCOA

Fall Festivities:

Birthday Parties!

General Conference!

Our traditional pumpkin patch visit

Carving Pumpkins

The Annual JRCLS Regional Activity

Halloween!

Family Pictures!

Visitors!

I could go on and on.

Welcome Fall!

Back to School

2011-08-30T20:36:00.001-05:00

It's that time of year again. Kids get new clothes. Parents get free time. For me? Well, I get to move back to a lonely apartment.

It's back to school time. And I don't like it. Back to school is always a huge adjustment for me. I feel like I go back to school kicking and screaming. The first few weeks are always hard to get used to.

Don't get me wrong- I love the classes. It's nice to be back in law school and learning about what I love. But it's the separation that I hate. I hate coming back to a lonely apartment at the end of the day with only a television for company. Sleeping by myself. Not being able to steal Russ's pillow in the middle of the night. Sigh.

Thankfully, this is the last year we'll be separated. This is the last fall I'll be headed back to school.

So I guess I shouldn't complain...

But I am still lonely on this Tuesday night.

Yesterday

2011-08-26T13:44:00.001-05:00

I ate this for Lunch.
Cool Mint Cafe.
With Hil.
A tradition.

It rained for the first time in a long time in San Marcos

I learned that tiny people are really cool.
Even if some people think they are too tiny.

Trippin' in Utah

2011-08-24T12:54:00.000-05:00

My lovely mother volunteered to fly me to Utah the first week in August, in order to attend a retreat with my sister. Not one to pass up time with my sister, or to pass up free airfare, I went. I stayed in Utah for 10 days and got to see a lot of family and a few dear friends. Overall, I had a blast and I'm very grateful for my mom for paying for the plane ride! THANKS!!!!

And now, some pictures of my adventures:

My nephew, Baby Joe. He's the cutest and kindest child I've ever met.

Tickle fight on my sister-in law. She was outnumbered.

Ok, so bad picture of my best friend (she doesn't read this anyway : D )
But aren't those boys cute? Baby Joe and Kalum playing the piano.

Uncle Shane and Aaliayh enjoying some story time we shared.
Always fun to exchange stories... or maybe this is when Steph and I sang songs from Girl's Camp?
BANANA SALUTE!

Lorraine and I at the retreat. Yes, we look like dorks.
But we'd just had a class about how to be poised or something.
This is our attempt.

My mom came and stayed at the hotel with us.
We played a lot of games and we even had matching pj's.
Good times.

After our makeovers.
I'm not crazy about what she did to my hair, but it was fun!

Riding around in a limo while at the retreat.
Lorraine spread out and relaxed.
It had neon lights and a playlist of the Backstreet Boys.
Oh to be in the raging 90's again!

Here are these cute boys again.
Baby Joe and Kalum painting.
So cute together.

Aaliyah, Bobbi, and Charmaine making the Welcome sign for the family reunion.

We had a teenager take this- hence it looks bad.
Joe, Crystal, and myself at the Oquirrh Mountain Temple.
A family tradition.

And Lastly, breakfast at Ruth's Diner with my high school friend and college roommate, Molly.
And my high school friend, Brady.
Plus their daughter and a nephew.
Good times, good reunion.

I couldn't have asked for a better visit to Utah! There are a lot of people I wanted to see, or that wanted to see me- but it just didn't work out. I was sort of sad about this at first. But I try to remember, "Those who want to stay in your life, will find a way to stay in your life." So hopefully I can see them next time I'm up. Or perhaps a visit to Texas will be in store (Cassie, I'm talking to you...)

Reuniting the Family

2011-08-22T12:38:00.000-05:00

I am still catching up on blogging about summer, even though today is the first day I'm back at law school. So far, I've had one class, and it has been good. Tomorrow will be more of a challenge with Complex Litigation and Civil Liberties.

But this entry is all about something I did this summer: Attended and assisted in putting on the Christofferson family reunion. My mom was in charge of it, but she had to work all week. So she asked for my help with the signs and games. Here are some picture of how things went:

The Family Sign and entries in the children's coloring contest.

Lorraine about to try "Minute to Win It'
We had all sorts of fun games.

Shane and Baby Mac. Shane brought a soda fountain from his job.
We had unlimited fountain drinks.

Cousin Todd doing a Q & A

Traditional family singing near the end of the night.
Most people weren't into it, but I sure was! I love this tradition!

Family, family, family.

And more family.

Nate & Sarah running some water balloon games with the young kids.

Overall I think it was a hit. I really love attending the Christofferson family reunion and the Canadian family reunion. I wish I could go every year!

Food I Made

2011-08-17T22:21:00.000-05:00

This was a while ago, when I was in the middle of taking Heidi's maternity pictures.

Menu:

Savory Peach Salad
Bacon, Avocado, Pepperjack Cheese, and Apple
Grilled Corn

Yum. I should make this again.

My Visiting Teacher Got Married

2011-08-16T17:52:00.000-05:00

Rebecca has been my visiting teacher for the past little bit. And she's been awesome. The past 6 months have been a tough challenge for me. Rebecca was always on hand to give encouragement, bring an uplifting message, or come and bake cookies with me. I've referred to her as my 'angel'.

So what do you do, as a visiting teachee, when your angel is suddenly swept off her feet?

You Celebrate with Her.

You throw her a Bridal Shower- well co-throw along with Michelle
(the awesome best friend, room mate, and my dear friend!)

You make up a crazy theme: Movies. Every gift must have a movie reference.
Example: Pillows- While You Were Sleeping

Then, along with the Relief Society, you make her a quilt.

And finally, you show up to celebrate her big day! YAY!

Sure will miss her, but I know we'll always stay close!

CONGRATS JOSEPH & REBECCA!!!

You know you're in-between law school quarters when...

2011-08-12T14:12:00.001-05:00

The most important thing you do is make a PB & J.
You sleep in until 8 or 9 and it's still too early.
One game: Monsters
You put on make up and do your hair. Just about everyday!

And the best part is:

You get to see your husband every day.

One more week! Hooray!

Chicken Tikki Masala

2011-08-11T11:25:00.000-05:00

Last night I took on my own kitchen stadium to make Chicken Tikki Masala. This came at the request of a sister missionary when we fed her in July. She, Sister P, was in culinary school prior to serving her mission. I asked what her favorite dish was and she said it was Chicken Masala.

I had never heard of it. In fact, I thought it was Italian when she said it (it's an Indian dish). But I was not daunted. I googled it.

Now, I am not a cook. So pictures with recipes are a must. And if the picture looks gross, I don't preview the recipe. Luckily, I found a good looking picture and a good looking recipe, here.

But I changed it a bit. Here's what I did:

chicken tikka masala

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons good paprika

2 teaspoon ~~chicken curry masala~~ regular curry powder

1/2 teaspoon ~~garam masala~~ cumin, 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 crumbled bay leaf, and a dash of cloves

1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 4 ounce can tomato paste
3 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, minced
1/2 serrano pepper, thinly sliced, with ribs and seeds removed
1 tablespoon ~~fenugreek leaves~~ maple syrup and a whole bay leaf
1 tablespoon sugar

In a skillet set over medium-heigh heat, cook onions in the oil until just beginning to brown on the edges. Stir in spices and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Add in tomato sauce and tomato paste. Stir to deglaze the pan and transfer to a crockpot. Stir in garlic, ginger, hot pepper, maple syrup, bay leaf, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover, and cook on low for 4

hours. While it cooks, prepare the chicken.

1 pound chicken tenders, cut in 1 inch pieces (I used 5 chicken breasts)
1/2 teaspoon good paprika
1/2 teaspoon ~~chicken curry masala~~ regular curry powder
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
pinch red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Toss chicken and spices together and let marinate in fridge for 2 hours. Stir 1/2 cup plain yogurt in and allow to marinate for another hour.

*I probably mixed 3 or 4 batches of the spices to make sure I covered all my chicken pieces.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Stir chicken, 1 cup of yogurt, cream, and cilantro into the crockpot. Allow to cook for about 30 minutes more. Served with brown basmati rice.

Here is the result:

Looks tasty, eh? Well it turned out delicious. Just spicy enough but not too spicy. I'm going to eat some more for lunch today.

The sisters were sure excited for it. Can I just say that I love feeding people who appreciate good food?

We also made peach stacks, again. Here's the results: (And here is the recipe)

The only casualty from the evening was I got a steam burn from my thumb while making the bastami rice. But I prevented a blister, it's just sore today. Well! Until the next adventure in the kitchen....

F-A-M-I-L-Y

2011-08-10T12:38:00.000-05:00

I've got a thousand things to blog about, but there's one thought I just can't get out of my mind. So, here it is.

I went to a women's retreat with my sister last week. We sat in a lecture about "motivation." I was pretty optimistic about it, signed us up for it, because my sister wanted to be more motivated in her life.

Well, it was a disaster. The guy went on and on about how Jesus should motivate us to do everything- the laundry, to work out, etc. My sister is not a Christian so she was quickly unmotivated by his schpeal. I tried to listen and take something away from it.

But he told a story that was ridiculous. It made me feel that this guy, this speaker, had no idea how his priorities should be. He told a story of speaking at this women's retreat years ago when his wife was pregnant. He really wanted to speak and thought it was so important that he asked his wife if he could speak instead of be at the hospital when she delivered. His wife said it was okay.

And he spoke at this women's retreat while his wife gave birth.

Something is wrong with this. The priorities are all askew, at least in my view (if you see it differently, let me know).

Later on the trip I was talking with a sibling who will not be able to make it to my law school graduation or Spud's baby blessing.

Now, I've been guilty of not attending family events. Because we live in Texas and I can't afford to fly up all the time for the events.

But my sibling couldn't make it because of cost. Admittedly, they could drive. But time off work was the issue. Because 75% of their vacation time is reserved for a church calling.

After the experience at the retreat, this rubbed me the wrong way. Normally, I don't think that it would bother me. But that speaker made me feel like sometimes we get things all twisted around regarding our family. Is it too much to ask for one year, one time to forego a church calling? At what point do we put our family first? When it's convenient? When we can afford it? When it doesn't conflict with other our opportunity to lead and help others?

Still thinking about this. Not sure I have an answer.

Just a Few Thoughts For Today

2011-08-01T20:45:00.000-05:00

I love staying in hotels. It just feels nice to be in a clean space that I don't have to clean.
I want a government, not a political party. I hate the type of people who get elected to public office.
Some jokes just arent' funny the second time around. Especially when they are Laffy Taffy jokes.
Even though my sister and I haven't been very close, we still showed up to the retreat today with out hair in a braid.

I've heard a lot of awesome ladies today share a lot of difficult problems, some with about their spouses. It saddens part of me. It also scares part of me. I keep thinking about something that a law professor taught me- the biggest threat to any marriage are the two people in that marriage and the choices that they make. Same sex marriage, friends getting divorced, etc., etc. will not affect my marriage as much as the choices my husband and I make.

Photo Shoot- July 27, 2011

2011-07-29T17:36:00.000-05:00

This last week I had the opportunity to do a photo shoot for my dear, dear, dear friend Heidi. She is due in about 2 weeks, pregnant with a boy.

Heidi is one of those poster-women of pregnancy. She makes pregnancy look appealing. I remember on my mission, in Hawaii, meeting a mom-to-be that was a walking Malibu Barbie. I guess she was more of a Hawaii Barbie.

Point is, she was gorgeous. And when she got pregnant, it was like any fat that existed in her body just went to her belly and made her look even more fantastic.

Heidi reminds me of this lady. I'm still editing the photos, but here are a few proofs that I have done for her. And they're so gorgeous, I had to share!

Up

2011-07-25T09:45:00.000-05:00

Who doesn't love the movie UP? And all the other Pixar movies (except Cars. I can't get behind that one) for that matter.

Pixar has a key to my heart! And last night Russ said something that made me have a deeper appreciation for the movie "UP".

We were at a baptism last night and Russ was welcoming the father and daughter to our little San Marcos congregation. Russ was explaining to the family that from here, they need to go up. That after baptism some of us feel that we're done trying and that baptism is the end. But that's not true, there's more. We need to keep going up, there are more moments like the "baptismal" moment that are ahead.

Ok... I'm sure you can't see the connection to "Up". But when Russ said this, I thought about Up and how the old man plateaus after his wife died. But throughout the movie, he ends up opening his heart again to the fat boy scout (who is also named Russ) and helping out a family in need. He goes UP.

It just made me happy. Does that make sense? If you're stuck, go UP.

Proud to be on the Worse-Dressed List

2011-07-20T19:06:00.000-05:00

GQ did a list the other day about the 50 worse-dressed cities in America. It seemed to me like every city was on the list. (SLC and Provo were somewhere near to top).

I eagerly scrolled to see where Austin would fall. And here we are:

#18. But I am sort of proud of it. Austin prides itself on being weird and non-conforming. It's an eclectic city where hippie meets cowboy- and we like it that way.

So Congratulations Austin!

#18 is pretty sweet consider the style you're rocking!

My BFF

2011-07-19T22:55:00.000-05:00

Is having baby #2.

Sending happy thoughts her way tonight... happy happy thoughts.

Can't wait to become an Auntie.

Can't wait to see her on the 30th and help her out!

Cake Pops- Take 1

2011-07-18T12:56:00.000-05:00

My friend Heidi had a baby shower a few weeks ago and I made cake pops for the occasion. Here's how it went:

First, you bake the cake, then crumble it. You add about 3/4 of the jar of frosting.

Then roll into balls, stick in the fridge so they don't fall to pieces once you dip the balls into the melting chocolate.

Next, I make the toppers. I used an edible marker to outline the smile on the Teddy Graham's face. I got the markers from HEB for about $8. Then I stuck the Teddy Graham into a sour lifesaver. Looks like he's ready to tube down the San Marcos River, huh?

After they are in the fridge for about 20 min, take out the balls. Dip the stick into the melting chocolate, stick the cake on the stick and then carefully dip the cake balls into the melting chocolate. The key is to DIP. If you swirl it around, you'll cool down the melting chocolate faster than you should.

After the dip, decorate! I just stuck the little Teddy on top and put some sprinkles on it.

Then I stuck the pop into a styrofoam block and put the pops in the freezer to set up.

Then, voila! Pretty little cake pops.

Perfect size for dessert.

How This is Gonna Go Down

2011-07-17T19:59:00.001-05:00

So a few weeks ago we broke the news on here about Spud. And while this change turns many blogs into diaries of puking, mood swings, and baby prep talk, that won't happen here. That's fine- I'm not dissing on blog styles that roll that way. Russ and I just do things a bit differently.

So while I will occasionally talk about it, I'll still talk about the other stuff that is going on in our life. Like the trip to Utah I have coming up and this professional conference I'm going to attend. And the other fun summer stuff Russ and I will do since I'm not in school for the next month and a half.

This post, is one of those little updates. Because my sister-in-law, who has had 5 kids, said she regretted never taking these kinds of pics. And because I value her advice (and could care less for the advice of people who are not my close friends or family members) here's the first pic. Russ and I are going to take one every 5 weeks, and post it on here.

As you can see it looks like I just ate too much. And that I have bad posture. I honestly forget about Spud about 90 % of the time because I just can't see anything besides a little chub. And I'm not sick. So perhaps in 5 more weeks this will be something more to ooh and aahh at, instead of looking like the before picture in a Weight Watchers ad.

And PS: We're not finding out if it's a boy or a girl. So please, don't hold your breath for an announcement of a Wilde Baby boy or a Wilde Baby girl. : D

Until tomorrow! Happy Sunday!

How I get Through Finals

2011-07-16T10:58:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I took my big final. The BIG one. It was a long week. And this is how I survived:

Studying at the school and observing fellow classmates.

This is Tefteller. He's wearing a headband. And he's proud of it.

Dinner with friends. Prince Eric's fortune said, "You will get the desires of your heart"

The other side said "mustache"

I think that's a hint Prince Eric: Grow a mustache.

Receiving funny texts from Russ. Yes he swore again. On accident.

But it always makes me smile.

And that is how you get through finals at Baylor Law School.

That and a lot of studying.

Now to do some laundry and put my house back in order so I can enjoy my summer!

Worst Wife... Maybe Ever

2011-07-09T16:55:00.003-05:00

Russ's Birthday was Thursday.

And all I blogged about was the Oxford Comma.

I didn't get him a present.

I went to my law school classes and role played counseling a client.

(In which role play Russ was a legislative aide for a politician... who had been murdered)

I pulled a major wife failure on celebrating Russ this year.

Today, I attempt to redeem myself by:

1. Planning a simple, but fun, date night tonight.

2. Blogging about my erroneous ways (isn't the first step of repentance acknowledgement?)

3. Letting my husband go on a 7 hour BBQ road trip across Texas (starting at 6:30 am) to get the best BBQ in the state and the best BBQ in the country.

And not minding that he came home and did this:

Overly Excellent BBQ Food Coma

So maybe I'm not the worst wife ever... but I did take a bit of a dip there.

The Oxford Comma

2011-07-07T17:05:00.000-05:00

I grew up on the Oxford Comma. I think when I was in college I met people who told me the Oxford Comma wasn't necessary anymore and it was... ornamental.

I still use the Oxford Comma.

But apparently these days the Oxford Comma may become extinct like Calligraphy.

In fact, it was just dropped by the University of Oxford Style Guide. (See here)

But I ask you: fellow readers, bloggers, and users of the English grammar tools:

SAVE THE OXFORD COMMA.

Have you read this far and you don't know what an Oxford Comma is?

Well check this out. It does make a difference:

Yuck.

Responses

2011-07-06T14:10:00.000-05:00

It's always interesting how people respond when you tell them big news. It's almost as though you have this moment where you can see what they really think about you- or what their true personality it. I'm not sure which it is. Either way, I think disclosing big news forces a revelation of honesty of the listener.

I remember seeing this when telling people I would serve a mission, or when I would be attending law school. It made me laugh the responses I would get. Some were supportive, of course. Others thought I was crazy or that I was some sort of feminist (a label I dislike...) or all sorts of strange things.

I've learned over the years to just ignore the opinions of the peanut gallery. I've learned who my true friends are and I've learned who just want to be in the 'know'.

So I guess the various responses to the most recent news from Russ and myself should not have surprised me. Overall, it's been great! There's a few that shared their opinion that I didn't care for. But generally the response was positive.

Really, I just wanted to remember the important ones, the positive ones:

My Family

Russ and I told our families on Father's Day over Skype. We pretended like it was just the regular Father's Day Skype. We chatted about work, and stress, school, etc. Then in the middle of everything, we sent a picture of Spud, told them it was just a recent picture we wanted to share.

We sat back and watched the wheels in their head turn as they realized what the picture was when they opened it.

It was priceless. I only wish we had recorded it.

My oldest brother, his wife, and kids: SHOCK. Then giddy-ness. Then scolding that we had let them tell us about their jobs when we had such important news. Followed by more giddy-ness.

My second oldest brother, his son: We were talking very casually, my brother was reclined in his chair. Once he realized what it was he sat up, asked his son what it was. Eli knew right away. Later he called his wife over to check it out (she had been putting the other kids to bed). More joy! And questions!

My Little Brother, his wife, and my mom: My little bro. had just bought an iPad. He was being fancy with his technology so I had trouble sending the file. We disconnected to talk with Russ's mom and while we were not on Skype, they saw the picture. (SAD FACE). So I missed their reaction. But my mom did exclaim, "That's It! I'm retiring!!!"

Russ's Mom: Very happy. And she asked a lot of fun questions about how things were going. And I think she may have cried. But very excited, and we ran through some names with her too. : D

My Papa: Tears. Bawling. More tears. "I never thought you two were going to have kids!"

Aw... I love my Dad. He's always supportive of whatever decisions I have made in life. Never questions me. This reaction was my favorite.

Back to his reaction. I think it had been maybe 2 minutes and he had all the pictures printed and was eager to post them on Facebook. It was really fun to talk with him.

Russ's bro, wife & kids: Super excited. They are the 'cool' family. So there was a lot of "that's awesome...duude!"

My Sister: She doesn't have Skype, and called a few days later. She said, "What's going on, are you dying? No one will tell me what is going on but said I needed to call you ASAP." She was also excited, but sad that we live so far away.

Russ's AZ Brother: Excited. I didn't talk to him, Russ did.

Friends

Some of these I have copies of, because we told them over text. Plus, you can see the reactions from the earlier blog post. Here's some good ones:

Kyle Counce, Former Moot Court Partner

Christopher Davis, friend from San Marcos.

Co-Worker of Russ's, fellow blogger.

Cassie Cook, friend from undergrad.

Lovingly referred to as Mine and Russ's first child.

(We took care of her when she was sick)

My friend, José. His response was my favorite!

My best friend from high school, Shelly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It sure is fun to share big news. And I appreciate all the positive responses! Just remember, friends, Haters gonna H8!

The Problem with taking Photos...

2011-07-05T15:13:00.000-05:00

You're never actually in the photo.

Sigh.

This is our gang of friends on the 4th. We had SUCH a good time! Who needs fireworks!!!

I just wish I was in the picture...

Spud

2011-06-30T19:53:00.000-05:00

Hello, I am Baby Wilde.

I'm expected to arrive in early January.

So far I have learned how to wave hello.

And I'm a really good swimmer.

Just ask my parents, Russ and Chow!

I'm BAAACK!!!

2011-06-29T22:09:00.000-05:00

Big Trial is over.

Next Stop: FINALS.

Next stop: Life.

Right Now: Happy.

Things that must stay...

2011-06-14T17:40:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago I did a list of things that must go. After a tough day, I want to count the things that must stay. The things in life that I want to keep enjoying, so when bad days (like today) creep up on me (which seems to happen often), I remember what I got in my life.

Yoga classes
Granola Bars
Good Husband ( Should be #1. But I planned out the yoga class and ate the granola bar before I talked to him)
Good Friends (Jess, Tiff, Josh)
Chick-Fil-A
Nature
A chance to get away from people that make me feel crazy, weird, or like I'm a bad person.
Nighttime
Good movies
Wedding rings. And pretty much weddings in general.
Cookie dough
That thing when people see you and think you're dressed cute, but they don't know you, so they just smile.
Stefon on SNL
The Sassy Gay Friend
Winston Churchill speeches
Hobbits

Time for yoga!

Cinco de Awesome

2011-06-09T14:34:00.001-05:00

Pictures from the Cinco de Mayo party at the De Zavala Branch.

Everyone looks good in this group pic except me.
I look like I'm mad after waiting at the dentist for a while.
It really was fun.
The food was amazing.

Memorial Day

2011-06-06T13:02:00.000-05:00

It was a week ago, I know, but better late than never, right?

I woke up on Memorial Day feeling like I should feel grateful for those who have sacrificed their life, if not in the ultimate way it could be sacrificed, then by giving up some of the best years of their life. But I didn't feel very grateful. Because all I could think of it this:

I had a hard time feeling grateful for those who have given the best years of their lives, so people like these two could squander their own lives and promote ignorance of the best years of the live of many young people.

I felt very bad about not feeling grateful. I felt very upset that people like the above are now the face of America. Sure it was funny at first, but the joke is old. The celebrity of ignorance, money, and over the top everything needs to stop. The purpose of life is a lot more subtle, intelligent, and pure.

And I'm not just saying that. On Memorial Day I got out of bed. I went about my day working on the house, taking care of friends, and being taken care of by my friends. About a year and a half ago I started a project on our house that never was finished. It was too big of a job for me. So my friends and my husband- my very amazing friends and my very amazing husband, gave up their day off to finish this project:

I wish I had a picture of the final project, but they're still finishing up one side. That'll be in a future post. Plus, I won't be back in San Marcos for a few weeks. So even if it is done, I'm not there to snag a photo of it.

Anyway, I started to feel grateful for those who had given up their time to help.

While the boys worked on this project, I went to brunch with other friends (Heidi, Teresa, and Jess). Again I felt grateful for the chance we had to be together and enjoy some grub.

I felt grateful for our freedom to peacefully assemble.

Later I took Heidi and Jess to my favorite gas station. Again, grateful for the freedom to travel... and to hold hands with the Bucce's beaver without judgment.

I Love Bucce's

By the time I went back to bed that night, I felt very grateful. I included in my prayers that night a prayer of gratitude for those that served and those I knew personally who had served. Let me thank them again right now:

Thank you Daniel

Thank you Jill

Thank you Aaron!!!

Thank you Will (and Will's wife)
Aren't they cute???

Thanks Josh!

Thank you Chris.

And thank you to the many others who have served or are currently serving!

Thank you to my Great Uncle David for giving his life so other soldiers he was serving with could live!

More to Come!

2011-06-01T23:17:00.000-05:00

So behind on my blog... but let me just say this tonight:

I LOVE SUMMER!!!

Late night FroYo at the Twist & Shout
House remodeling
HP6 pt. 2
Trips! (Bryan, Chicago, SLC)
WEDDING!!!
Russ's Birthday!
Teaching ballet
Yoga

Can't Wait for the fun. Oh wait! No need to wait. I started with a late night FroYo tonight with Jess & Ian and Rebex & Joseph.

Quote of the evening goes to Joseph:

"My favorite part of the Book of Mormon is the part about Sam and Frodo."

Look Ma! I can Braid!

2011-05-28T17:16:00.000-05:00

Before I went on my church mission, I had a goal to learn how to braid my own hair.

But then I cut my hair real short for my mission, so I never really learned how to braid (see picture with how short it was):

But a few weeks ago, after diligent practice, I pulled it off!

Check it out:

The Fish Fry

2011-05-25T13:35:00.000-05:00

This past weekend one of our friends had a fish fry. He lives right on the river and his home is beautiful! It was so relaxing that I forgot to really take pictures. But here are a few that I did remember to take.

My Texas brother, Brad. He's pretty much family.
I made the cake.
State-tri-otic a little?
A cake with the Texas flag in the shape of Texas.
Love it.

Some folks kayaking on the river.
Yes, I did kayak on the river, but I did not get a picture of it.
I saw a snake while out there. Just a little one.

Cory about to go off the rope swing.
Again, this is all in my friend's backyard.

Cory headed to the river!

What a wonderful, relaxing afternoon. I'm just sad I didn't take more pictures!

Things That Must Go...

2011-05-21T09:27:00.000-05:00

My favorite radio show in Utah has a program every Thursday called "Things That Must Go". It's sometimes funny and sometimes very true. Well, here is my list of things that must go:

Tin foil on windows
Law School
The Drought
This talk of "The Rapture"
People announcing their candidacy for presidency or speculating about candidacy for the presidency way before the election. We should do it like England- no on can announce they're running until 9 months before.
Gas prices
Humidity
Sassy pants husbands
Crocs
Canned peas
The Recession
Lady Gaga

Mostly tin foil on windows needs to go. What does my house look like? A baked potato? A trailer?

Zeniff

2011-05-18T12:36:00.000-05:00

Every year for the past 6 years I try to read the Book of Mormon from cover to cover. I normally just get one of those blue missionary copies and read and highlight accordingly. A few years I have read the Book of Mormon and given it away as a gift. It seems kind of strange to mark a book up and then give it away. I mean, who really likes getting a used present? But those I've given it to seem to have been appreciative.

The first time I did it, I gave the copy to Russ. He seemed to really appreciate it. I can't really remember now, but I'm pretty sure he liked it.

I finally delivered the second one this past week. I had read this one in 2009. I gave it, rather returned it, to my best friend Tiff. She had given this copy of the Book of Mormon to me when we were tweens and somehow I've hung onto 10+ years. Anyway so I held onto it for a while after reading it. I was nervous to give it to her because Tiff hasn't really cared for religion for a long time. I didn't want to offend her. But last week I was mailing her some belongings she had left here and I stumbled across this Book of Mormon while looking for a pen to write the address on her package. I decided, "Why not? I'll send it."

Well, I got the best phone call from Tiff on Tuesday. She loved it. It brought her to tears (but she is pregnant so I'm not so sure that it was hard to do so). I took a moment to be so grateful to have returned that gift to her. Now, who knows what will happen. Tiff is a free spirit and will do her own thing. But she's my best friend. And I want to share my joy with her. Now if we could just get her out of the bubble she's been living in that has been judging her her whole life! She needs to come to Texas.

*************The Real Reason For This Post**************************

I bet you're wondering about know why this post is entitled "Zeniff"? If you're not, well then you're a passive reader and that's okay. Really the above is not why I wanted to make this post. But I've been formulating this post for a few days, and then Tiff called. So I stuck that in there just because it's sort of topical with this post.

Because this is about Zeniff. Zeniff is a man written about in the Book of Mormon. And he sort of makes me mad every time I read the Book of Mormon. But I'm trying to figure out what I can learn from Zeniff.

Honestly, I've always learned a lot from him. Zeniff is a "overly-anxious" Nephite that sees some good in the Lamanites. He tries to get his Nephite captain to make a treaty with the Lamanites, but this causes a fight in the army and most everyone is killed. Zeniff heads back to the Nephite people, tell the wives and children of the dead soldiers what happened and the get a band of Nephites to go back to the Lamanites and make a treaty with them. Zeniff does this, but the Lamanites put Zeniff's people in bondage, the Lamanites attack Zeniff's people, a bunch of them die, and Zeniff leaves the kingship to his son Noah. King Noah is a wicked whip who later burns Abinadi.

So that's Zeniff's story, in a tiny nutshell. Here's what I used to get out of this story:

Beware of dissenters and people who think they know best but have no authority.
Beware of people who have a "feeling" but don't have any goals.
If a person has a good idea, and that good idea results in fighting and the killing of a lot of good people, that good idea is not worth it.
Don't follow some guy into enemy territory.
Don't elect leaders who lack experience, knowledge, and who are not patient. Or are overly anxious.

Really my heart would just ache when I thought of all the people who were miserable or who lost their lives just because Zeniff saw some good in some really wicked people. I still wonder what that good was. Because, once Zeniff makes his treaty with the Lamanites, all he can talk about is how awful and lazy they are.

Anyway. Here is what I now get out of this story:

Don't be hasty. As much as I like to think that I am not a Zeniff, I could be. Reading about his life it is easy to point out his many mistakes. But I'm just as capable of relying on a hunch and refusing to see all the wrong choices I'm making.
Maybe Zeniff didn't really want to go make a treaty with the Lamanites. Maybe it was just hard being around all the wives and children of the soldiers that had been killed because of Zeniff. In which case what I learn is this: don't cover up one bad mistake with another. Just do my part to repair & repent.
Always pray about the big decisions in life. Don't just listen to some dud and then act on what they say.

I guess it's not very much. But it's a start. I feel like I can learn something from everybody. I hope to keep learning more from Zeniff. And I guess if there had been no Zeniff, there would not have been an Abinadi.

For those BoM readers, any thoughts on why I should not be so hard on Zeniff?

Non-BoM readers, anyone you hate but can see some good in them?

Oh, and sorry to C for no pictures. Well, here's one for your viewing pleasure:

This is Zeniff, Arizona. I'm assuming it was named after Zeniff in the Book of Mormon.
Anyway, Zeniff, AZ was a farming community regularly ravaged by floods.
Today it is a ghost town.
Coincidence? Or is it all in the name...

Russ Said a Swear, Russ Said a Swear

2011-05-17T09:35:00.000-05:00

(Imagine that in a tattle-tale kids voice).

Busy * Fun * Happy * Weekend

2011-05-16T16:34:00.000-05:00

So this weekend was a good weekend. I know I just blogged about what I was going to do this weekend, and not I'm bloggin' 'bout it. But here's why it was good:

I found out I passed PC1.
And I did pretty good. Not going to lie, I cried a little. Because if I had failed this class I would have dropped out of law school. Because I'd done my best and I couldn't do it again.

Russ and I were adoptive parents this weekend to a 16 yr. old boy.
Our dear friends went to a wedding in Houston and their teen son, Brandon, did not want to go. So he came and stayed with us. On Friday he and Russ went camping. On Saturday he tagged along with me running some errands and the going to Mormon Prom (It's a huge prom dance in San Antonio for Mormon kids). I must admit, it was kind of fun picking him up after the dance and hearing about the girls, and how he almost kissed one of them, etc. Oh to be young!

Finally saw the latest Harry Potter.
It was pretty good too. I'm excited for the next one to come out. And yes, I cried when Dobby died.

Sunday Night Family Dinner.
Finally, we had Sunday dinner with our family in Lockhart. I just love having family nearby. MarJane is a great cook. After dinner Greg shared a academic paper he had written and it was fantastic! I found it so inspiring that he continues to study and write. One of my big fears of being out of school is to lose the study side of life that I find so fulfilling. To know Greg is still academically active gives me hope that I can continue to grow and learn.

Of course, I did my weekend plans as I had planned. Michelle's graduation was wonderful. It made me excited for next year and to graduate from law school. She's a great example to me of finishing!

Life is Good. This weekend was just about as lovely as it could be!

Weekend 1

2011-05-13T13:35:00.000-05:00

Josh (my PC partner) is pacing back and forth in Roberto's apartment. Roberto is furiously finishing some tax documents (He's a CPA and a law student).

I am relaxing on the couch. Because we just sent our answer for big trial. The weekend is so close. And while I will be spending a large portion of it reviewing documents for big trial, I will also be in San Marcos. I'll be at my friend Michelle's graduation and I'll get to see Russ when he returns from the Father & Sons campout.

Life is Good when the weekend is pending...

Let's Hear it For the Moms!

2011-05-08T07:47:00.000-05:00

Mother-in-Law:

* Raised 3 fantastic boys all on her own!

* Excellent homemaker; I've been known to call her "the Martha Stewart of Springville, Utah"

* Always has interesting stories about her job

* Really good cook, always giving us the latest kitchen gear (most recently a S'more machine)

Bonnie I absolutely I admire you! Thank you for being so wonderful!

Happy Mother's Day!

Momma Bear:

* My best friend.

* Has seen me at my worst, and still loves me! : D

* Raised 5 kids! 5 should-be juvenile delinquents!

* Always took us to church, has scripture study, and family prayer. Even when Scott would read the scriptures super fast just to get through them. Or when I refused to come up to the living room for family prayer. This means she is very patient.

* Great cook! Showed me what sticky buns are! And Potato Cheese Soup!

* She's a nurse. That's kind of like being a mom twice!

Happy Mother's Day!

Step-Mom:

* The thing I realize most about Dealia is her patience. With children, cooking, and just life.

* Speaking of children, she's great with children! Kids are just drawn to her!

*Speaking of cooking, she's amazing! Best salmon I've ever had!

* Wonderful to talk to. It's so peaceful and I never feel rushed or that she's not listening.

* Great laugh. I love it when she gets going and can't stop!

Happy Mother's Day!

HAPPY

MOTHER'S

DAY!

all the mom's out there!

Kayak Attack

2011-05-07T13:32:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week Russ and I took an afternoon to kayak 5 miles down the San Marcos River- From Sewell Park to Old Bastrop Highway. I love this river! I love the serenity of being on this river. I can't wait to do it again! Here are the highlights:

I saw a snake. First one I've seen on the river. I was sort of scared, but it was just sunbathing and didn't really move. So I didn't freak out... to bad.
Russ only tipped once. But it was a legit tip- he was going about 1,000 mph around a bend in the river and smacked into the embankment. It was a understandable flip. (PS: I have yet to flip my kayak on the river...)
Mostly it was just a nice peaceful ride with my sweetheart.

Now here are the pictures (Just to satisfy C's policy of not reading any blogpost unless there's pictures involved):

The Kayaks in the Honda Fit headed to the river

Russ and I ready to take off!

And there we go!

This is what the river looks like- so relaxing

Friday Flashback: April 29, 2011

2011-05-06T17:27:00.003-05:00

Last Friday I was exhausted and about to take a final. I think I slept 3 hours that night. Stress is awful. No sleep is awful. Check out the last message I sent to Russ for proof:

I didn't even notice all my misspellings until post-test. Such a sorry text message! So grateful that this Friday I spent it hauling around the Sister Missionaries, making delicious food visiting with friends, and just now waking up from a nap.

Long Live the relaxing Fridays!!!

Trattoria Lisina

2011-05-05T16:22:00.002-05:00

Russell is a master of Groupons. He finds the best deals and then takes me to these fancy restaurants that are delicious. Before we saw the Arcade Fire, we used a Groupon and we went to Trattoria Lisina.

This restaurant is owned by Damian Mandola, who co-founded the Carrabba's restaurant chain. Mr. Mandola has a few shops in Austin as well. Trattoria Lisina is in Driftwood, Texas- sort of by the Salt Lick. The food at Trattoria Lisina is A-MAZING! I can still taste the white truffle oil from my risotto. Check it out:

My Risotto.
I forgot to take a picture of it before I delved into it, and so this is the picture of it after I was stuffed.
So Good.
Can I go back right now please?

This is the only picture I got of Russ's dish. He got the linguine and it was also perfect.
He ordered some polenta, pictured on the side.

Sadly, we were too full for dessert. But if we had space, we would've had some gelato and biscotti. Instead, we headed to the Backyard, the concert venue for Arcade Fire. Much to our joy, the venue offered trailer food including food from Mandola's! This is the food trailer owned by none other than Damian Mandola! So we had some dessert after all from Mr. Mandola! Although they didn't have gelato, so we had a cannolis (cannolies?) instead:

Here are a few more photos of the grounds around Trattoria Lisina. If I shoot bridals, I'm choosing this place as the shoot venue. So beautiful. I felt like I was in a foreign country.

Arcade Fire

2011-05-04T10:56:00.001-05:00

I know I just wrote about a concert. But last night we went to another concert. And this one was EPIC and so much better. So let me say this up front: The Decemberists are really good recording artists. But they're just ok when it comes to putting on a live performance.

This is a Decemberist T-Shirt, freshly purchased at their Stubbs show.
It's good to know we're not the only ones that went to both shows...

The Arcade Fire, on the other hand, are amazing! I can't WAIT for them to come back to Austin. And to the same venue, the Backyard. Because now I know how to really enjoy the Arcade Fire show at the Backyard. Here's what we did this time:

We got to the show when the first band was on stage- Schamillion. Both of the opening bands were from "Austin" (aka some other town from Texas, like Odessa). Schamillion was like a Paramore copyband. Meh.

I decided to take a break from the scream-o maroon headed girl and take a bathroom break. The bathrooms at the backyard are kind of cool. Because they have real toilets, as opposed to port-a-potties. The downside is that there are no doors to the bathroom stalls- just shower curtains. And the toilets flush on a timer; like every ten minutes or so. So... the next person sees.... you know.

Russ bringing some beverages while we wait.

After that delight we found our spot on a rock just right of the stage. Russ wandered off to check out the food options and came back with two cannoli's (more about this tomorrow). The second band, Explosions in the Sky, started playing. Now, this band seemed to be pretty good. But then, they didn't sing at all. It was just instrumental. I liked it at first, but quickly became bored from hearing the same notes and chords over and over again for 40 minutes. Music fail.

After only a 40 minute break, the Fire was on! I mention this because it was impressive. There was some decent hustle from their stage crew. The Decemberists took much longer than that.

So here's how the actual show was:

1. Month of May: AF started with this song for obvious reasons. (it's the month of May). But I loathe this song. It just a lot of noise for me. I was glad they got it out of the way right at the first.

2. Rebellion (Lies): So much energy in this song, one of my favorites that they have. You couldn't help but jump around singing, "Lies! Lies!" There was a man walking, no running, around the stage with a drum hitting it with a drumstick. At some point the drumstick flew out of his hand and into the crowd (Hope no one lost an eye!). The man just kept on beating that drum with his fist. He didn't skip a beat. So much fun.

3. Neighborhood #2 (Laika): Earlier in the day, Russ and I were cleaning our bedroom, listening to AF, and I asked Russ, "Do you think they'll play this song?" It was kind of funny when they did. I call this song "Alexander." Because it's all about an older brother named Alexander and then about a neighborhood. It's not my favorite, but it's ok.

At this point I realized something. You see, I listen to AF when I study at law school. On this song I realized that I pretty much knew all the words from listening to it so much. Which is cool for the concert, but it makes me wonder if I learned anything about the law since I seemed to be busy subconsciously memorizing AF songs. SAD reality.

4. Haiti: This song is partially in French. AF also announce after this song that $1 of our ticket sales would be going to help local Haitian doctors treat people in rural areas. This just made me love AF more. Not only do they make awesome music, but they also have a cause!

5. City With No Children: Fun. Just Fun. And it talks about Houston (because one of the singers is from Houston).

6. Rococo: I have a love/hate relationship with this song. I love it when I'm with other people. but when I listen to it on my own, it gets on my nerves. So at the concert it was awesome.

7. Intervention: Before this song AF announced this song is about going to church and the things your parents don't tell you about church. Originally this song is on Neon Bible, which Russ and I got about a week before the show. Sadly, I didn't know it well enough to enjoy it.

8. The Suburbs, The Suburbs (Continued): Yes, they played these two back to back. Which Russ loved. This is one of their best songs. My friend Jess LOVES a part of this song, where the lyrics talk about the beauty left in this world. And she would have cried had she heard it live. It was so beautiful I thought my ears were going to fall off.

And if you've seen the music video, it's a bunch of kids biking around a neighborhood that looks just like where Russ and I live. Which, makes sense, because the video was filmed in Austin, probably in a neighborhood that had the same builder as ours. If you haven't seen it, check it out:

9. Suburban War: This song was so beautiful. But sort of sad. Still, I enjoyed hearing it live. I love the time and meter changes in this song.

10. Keep the Car Running: Another one from Neon Bible. It seemed fun, but I didn't know it.

11. No Cars Go: This was a lot of fun. We kept shouting "HEY!" at certain parts of the song. This never stood out to me when I listen to the recording. But shouting it live was rockin'.

12. Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels): AF said that this song was about moving from Houston to Montréal and the first winter up there; how cold it was, but the good parts too. Knowing this, I absolutely fell in love with this song. It's my new favorite!

13. We Used to Wait: I just about went crazy when they started this song. I LOVE THIS ONE! It's about letter writing, and after serving a mission where you live for letters, I felt like I could understand this song. AMAZING! Around this time, we had to get closer. So we pressed through the crowds until we were about 10 ft from the center stage. Much fish jumping ensued.

14. Neighborhood #3 (Power Out): AF said many thank yous and played this song. It's just ok for me.

Finally, they took the standard break while we "wooed" and clapped for them to come back out. After a few minutes, they reemerged, said thank you about a thousand times more, and played:

15. Ready to Start: I love the intro to this song. It just makes your heart pound. More jumping ensued.

16. Wake Up: Finally, they played perhaps their most famous song. Thanks to Motorola commercials, the trailer for "Where the Wild Things Are" and other commercials I can't recall. I videoed the intro, so here it is. This is the uncut version, so there's a few swears at the first as AF explains an exclusive t-shirt made just for the Texas shows (yes, I got one).

17. Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains): This was their final song. I was looking forward to them playing this song the whole night. The opening lyrics to this song say, "They heard me singing and they told me to stop, quit these pretentious things and just punch the clock." I feel like this a lot, because I am sort of a non-pragmatic dreamer. But this song is just fantastic. It was a great way to end the show!

Overall I had a blast. Here are a few other notes:

I lost one of my new earrings while jumping. : ( Note to future Chow: Don't wear big, cute earrings to concerts.
When I went to buy my t-shirt after the show, it was a cluster of people. There was no rhyme or reason to our attempt to purchase, just mass cluster eager to press forward. A little tween boy pushed his way up to where I was and got in front of me. He was not wearing a shirt. It was so gross everytime I was pushed into his babysoft back-skin or saw his no-hair armpit. I felt disgusting being so close to a half naked young man. Please note: Wear a shirt to a concert. If you take it off, then don't get into a crowd of people and make them touch your peachfuzz back. GROSS.
Arcade Fire probably said, "We Love Austin" about 100 times. And not just the male vocal, but all members of the band said it at some point. It made the crowd that much more energized to be there. The Decemberists on the other hand made fun of the "Keep Austin Weird" slogan. AF>D
Finally, as we drove home Russ said, "I'd love to see them in a theater". I absolutely agree. While it was fun to be outside and under the stars, I would love to see the AF in a more intimate venue, with less people. I think that would be amazing, and well worth the ticket price.

Her Majesty, The Decemberists

2011-05-03T13:19:00.002-05:00

On Saturday night Russ and I went to the Decemberists concert at Stubbs. Who are the Decemberists, you ask? Well, see this post. They're a band that I've adored for quite some time.

When I was on my LDS mission, in Kahalu'u, I found a BYU-Hawaii newspaper while cleaning out a drawer full of Ensign magazines. One of the articles caught my eye. The article was about this band called "The Decemberists" and their recent concert at BYU-Hawaii. I distinctly remember feeling that when I got home from my mission that I would love this band.

Well, I returned from Hawaii and forgot those feelings. Until about 2008. It was around this time I stumbled upon The Decemberists and fell in love with their music.

So this year, for my birthday, Russ bought me tickets to their show! Here are the highlights:

We got there before the opening band and staked out our position (about 15 ft. from the stage). After a few minutes I utilized the port-a-potties so I wouldn't have to go in the show.

We played Words With Friends through the opening band and checked Facebook. The opening band, "Our Lives", was just okay. They had a girl in the band playing the violin and the cello but you couldn't hear it. I was sort of disappointed.

After a 40-ish minute break in-between sets (I think we were about to mutiny due to the delay past 9 p.m.) the Decemberists made their entrance. They talk a lot about Oregon in the opening schpeal and it was here that I learned that Austin and Portland have some sort of rivalry. That made me a little sad. Because Austin is the BEST!

They played a LOT of songs from 'The King Is Dead', their new album. Which is fine.

But FINALLY! They played Crane Wife 1-2-3. I'm not ashamed to say that I cried through the Crane Wife 1 and 2. I should probably say that I bawled. Because I did. Those two songs just break my heart! And I must say, this is the first time that I have cried that much at a concert. But I couldn't help it. It was magical.

After the Crane Wife songs, they played the Rake song. The crowd went from melancholy to fierce air punching. It was quite enjoyable.

From there they played a lot of other good songs that we enjoyed. We had to take a break because I grew tired of standing so we went to get a Dr. Pepper. We had to go inside to get a Dr. Pepper, where I discovered there's a BATHROOM accessible to concert goers. Word to the wise for future Stubbs concert goers, don't use the port-a-pottie! There's a inside bathroom available.

After watching a drunk man completely face plant into the concrete and Russ waiving a security guard over to help him, drinking down our Dr. Pepper's, and watching the crowd perform jigs akin to riverdance, the Decemberists left the stage. For the first time.
The Decemberists came back out to play 'Eli, the Barrow Boy' (which always reminds me of my nephew Elliott) and 'The Mariner's Revenge Song' (which resulted in more spontaneous jig-dancing from all concert attendees.

The Decemberists came back out again and played June Hymn.

I don't think I stopped smiling the whole night. It was so fantastic. We skipped back to our car with glee in our hearts. Thank you, Decemberists. Thank you, Russ.

Our failed attempt at a photo before the show

The Decemberists are coming back to Stubb's in August. Want to go?

Restart: Beginning with Sunday

2011-05-02T14:14:00.000-05:00

I have piles to blog about. But I want to start by blogging about yesterday.

Yesterday was a fun-filled day at the Wilde household.

First, my dear friends for José and Sara Beth came to visit. It was a short visit, because José flew to D.C. today. Still, we had a lot of fun cooking dinner together, playing games, and just talking. So. Much. Fun.

Secondly, I graduated for the LDS Institute of Religion! I had one class to finish from before my mission and I finally did it. I know this isn't one of those things everyone does, and that most people don't think this is a big deal. But I wanted to finish what I started many years ago. So even though I don't think it makes a huge difference, or that it'll really impress anyone but myself, I'm glad that I finished it!!!

Finally, I was able to celebrate my birthday with the ones closest to me (geographically and personally). I do wish I could celebrate with my siblings, parents, etc. But that's just not possible to do when we live so far apart. So I am grateful that my friends took time out of their day to be with me.

I remember looking into their eyes as they sang me 'Happy Birthday' and thinking, "I am so blessed to have so many friends that care!"

Thank you guys! Such a great day! (Plus Osama was caught and killed! Bonus!).

Well, here are some pictures of the events! More adventures to be blogged about tomorrow.

When Russ is Late...

2011-04-16T20:05:00.000-05:00

When their husband is late coming home from work, some women wonder why.

I just turn on the TV, and I know why!

Fire by our house! Burned 5 acres!

Thanks TV!

Tax Day!

2011-04-15T19:39:00.000-05:00

As I drove home from Waco today, I listened to this story today about how people don't think paying taxes is very patriotic. I sort of thought this was funny. Funny because I've always patriotic about paying my taxes. No really. I don't mind sacrificing my money to enjoy my many liberties and rights that I do.

But at the same time, I'd like to know where that money goes. I'm patriotic about it until I know it's being wasted. Then I get mad.

I guess I'm not the only one who feels this way, because the story told about getting a receipt showing where your tax money is going. When I got home today, I checked it out. The White House has the site. (click here to see it).

Here's our receipt:

* You can also see a break down for national defense. For example, $15 went to the FBI from my income taxes. That seems like a deal!

Here are a few thoughts after looking at it:

Job and Family Security: tab there's a section that has $24.22 going to Railroad retirement. I'd rather that went to education. Railroad retirement? Really? On top of my $222.78 that goes to federal employees (Also under the "Job and Family Security" tab). Seems like double dipping.
Education and Job Training: seems legit. I would be willing to pay more in taxes for this though.
Veterans Benefits: it says I pay $24.22 for education. Umm... again, I would pay more for this...
I'm fine with the Natural Resources tab. Makes me want to go to Yellowstone.
International Affairs: I have a friend who works at an embassy in the Pacific. $29.00 of my tax dollars go to him (Your welcome Chris!)
Agriculture: Again, I'd pay more. Let's take down that Monsanto Company. I support local farmers.

But the one most upsetting to me:

$19 for Response to Natural Disasters???? NO WONDER FEMA IS SO BAD!!!

What do you think about where your tax money is going?

Purple Nails

2011-04-14T11:04:00.001-05:00

Note: Probably not the most fascinating post ever, but it's a new experience for me. I wanted to remember it.

Believe it or not, this is the longest my fingernails have ever been.

Here's why: I've got this skin problem called eczema. That's a fancy word for having really dry skin on the inside of your joints. It has plagued me since I was a child. I would scratch my skin until I would bleed (ouch!). So my mom always kept my nails short. Then I always kept my nails short. Short as in to the nubs.

Well, then I started Practice Court. Where I would forget to eat/sleep/breath and other necessities of life (some of you know what I'm talking about). Along with this, I forgot tot cut my nails. So for the first time in my life I've had nails that I can do something with! (Although it makes it difficult to play the guitar).

Being in my 20's and having my nails for the first time has been fun. I sort of feel like Wolverine, I have these weapons ready at anytime. (Yeah, I bet most of you think this sounds weird. But remember this is my first time having sharp nails!) Last night I decided to paint them purple for spring. I guess to celebrate actually having something more than a nub to paint.

Motivation

2011-04-13T12:31:00.000-05:00

Planning always motivates me to work hard through finals. So here's what I'm planning to do when I finish finals on April 29th.

April 29th: Feed missionaries

April 30th: Some sort of secret date to celebrate my birthday with Russ

May 1st: Fast Sunday. Church. LAZY SUNDAY.

May 2nd: Float the River. Maybe Kayak. Clean the house. Catch up on the weeks of TV on the DVR.

May 3rd: Float the River. Maybe Kayak. Arcade Fire in the evening.

May 4th: Float the River. Maybe Kayak. Clean out my closet. Shop for a sewing machine. Make Russ dinner.

May 5th: Float the River. Maybe Kayak. Finish my crochet projects. Prepare my Relief Society lesson.

May 6th: Float the River. Maybe Kayak. Start studying for the summer quarter.

May 7th: Float the River. Maybe Kayak. Date night with Russ.

May 8th: Church. LAZY SUNDAY. Cry at 8:00 pm because I have to go back to school. Smile because I don't have to leave until 8:00 the next day.

YAY!!!

Accepted

2011-04-11T18:58:00.002-05:00

Texas from the Amtrak ride I took earlier this month.

I had a conversation today with a man from my law school class. As I talked with him, I learned that life had been hard for him. Many parts of life had left him rejected. He had not found success in some areas of life that are most basic to happiness; family, work, and religion.

Part of my heart broke for him. Because I've watch my classmates be dismissive of him the past few months. Today was my first real interaction with him. We were working on a school project together. I never realized that there was so much silent sorrow from someone right in my class. I don't think I made his life any easier. But I listened. And it made me realize something. Nothing fantastic. Something I have thought and felt before. I guess I should say it reminded me of something.

Sometimes we get so caught up in our own happiness and survival that we forget to look around for others who might be drowning. Who may be worse off than us. Or maybe who are doing the same as us, but don't have the support structure that we may have. We get caught up and find ourselves saying things like:

"I feel bad for people who aren't as happy as I am"
"Those poor people on the planet who will never know how good life is. Sucks for them. Sure makes me grateful I'm not one of them. I'm so glad that's not me."

Or, if they're similarly situated as we are:

"They should've done that differently. Yup, I see them struggling but they wouldn't struggle if they would do it my way."
"Wow, they're having a hard time. But so am I. And they should really be the one to make efforts to help me out in this hard time."

And I guess these thoughts could fall under either category:

"Huh. They're struggling. Well, that's messy. I don't want to get involved. I'll just come around afterwards and show them I care."
"Well... I don't really approve of how they're handling things. I would do things differently so that means I can't help."

Now, I think I'm guilty of this too. I've been in this Practice Court program for just as long as these students who have been cruel to this man. I've heard of my classmate's tragedies and felt indifferent. Or I've ignored their problems. But this is not right. I am wrong. Those people that were this man's friends? They were wrong.

Do you see how much all those statements focus on ME?

It should go the other way around. It should be about them. Regardless of our opinions on how they handle their problems. And I don't think it takes much. 5 minutes to listen. A hug. Baking cookies with a friend, maybe. But not much.

But it makes the world of difference. I saw it in this man as he walked away this afternoon, after we'd talked for 5 minutes. I noticed he had his bounce back in his walk. I noticed that I felt better. As though somehow our 5 minute conversation had lessened the load of reading I have to do tonight.

All we want in this world, as least from each other, is acceptance. And when we listen and serve, we accept one another. I hope I remember this. So the next time I get the opportunity to judge and walk away that I choose to stay, take 5 minutes, and help in some small way.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you want to read more about this, Here's a talk that also came to mind for me:

Gifts of Love- Elder Eyring

I love the story of the jar of cherries.

Next Stop: Finals

2011-04-07T20:30:00.001-05:00

I finished my last mini-trial today. Now, all that is standing between me and my regular gym schedule and normal weekends are my finals. I'm so relieved I have survived this far. It has not been easy. I could NOT have done it without Russ.

My last trial ended with a humorous comment from my professor. He said:

"You are like a fetus lawyer"

I stare blankly at him.

"If we gave you your bar card today and sent you out to be a lawyer you would be...viable. You are almost a lawyer, you're almost done gestating and will soon be born."

Umm... Thank You???

General Conference

2011-04-03T17:30:00.000-05:00

Maybe I'm a pessimist, but every time General Conference rolls around I always think, "There's no way they can beat last time!"

But I am always proven wrong. Yesterday and Today have been NO exception. I was amazed with the understanding that came from every talk. My prayers were answered, my cup has been filled, and I am rejuvenated.

Two of my favorites were Elder Cook's talk and Elder Scott's talk.

Elder Cook's talk (the gems that I love):

LDS Women are incredible! And it's true! I often feel this way about the sisters I get to teach in Relief Society.
Every sister has a different circumstance. It is not our place to judge their choices and what we think they should do. We just need to love. I loved this because every major choice I've made has been made after prayerful, serious consideration. It can be frustrating that after all this some random person thinks they can tell me that my choice was wrong. This part of his talk made me feel empowered.
The bishop delegates so that he may spend time with his family. I really took this to heart this time around.

Elder Scott's talk (the gems that I love):

He talked about when he and his sweet wife were married. If you don't know his story, I recommend you find it. They are an amazing example of true and lasting love. He has never remarried and I think she died more than ten years ago.
He talked about the notes they send to each other and how, at the time, they seemed so insignificant. But after she passed away, he realized that she had saved them and she had treasured them.
Enjoy marriage, become unified.

Ah! I just loved Conference! I know it'll be even better in October!!!

A Happier Thought

2011-04-01T14:12:00.000-06:00

Man, yesterday's blog was a downer wasn't it?

Ugh. Well today is April Fool's Day. So I should do a fake-preganancy post or a "We're moving to New York" joke or something. But I'll be honest. I'm not a fan of this holiday. Someone once told me, "There's truth in jest." And so I'd rather not mislead, and yet secretly not mislead, you.

But I would like to post something happy. So here are a few things I'm loving lately:

This is Judge Kinkeade. He's my Professional Responsibility professor.

He makes Practice Court fun and bearable.

Perhaps this year's Easter Dress?

So pretty.

If you want to buy it for me, click here.

Tonight's plans. Movie night.

Recently re-rated PG-13!

Cheese. I love the cheese.

And looking forward to:

Case Law Thought

2011-03-31T20:10:00.000-06:00

If you're anything like me, you occasionally ask yourself this question: Am I a Good Person?

I ponder on it for a few days, give up, and table a ultimate decision to be decided later.

Well, I don't really think that way anymore. I think that there is a BRIGHT LINE between being a good and a bad person. But sometimes, when I haven't looked at what it takes to be a bad person for a while, I forget where that line is. Let me say again: it's a BRIGHT LINE.

Lately in law school I have been reading the most horrific and sad cases. Here's a small peek:

Mom prostituting her 13 yr old daughter out for cocaine.
Husband, with a history of violence, shoots his wife 4 times, a cop 4 times, and shoots at his extended family. He kills his wife and the cop.

And this was was the worst:

A 18 month old is brought into the emergency room by mom for a broken leg. While being treated there is a 'discharge' and it is discovered this baby has an STD, from mom's live in boyfriend. : * (

There is a clear line between right and wrong. After reading all this yesterday, I went home and Russ and I did our little phone routine of scriptures and prayer. We read Jacob 6. I won't recite it, but suffice it to say that it brought me a lot of peace about things.

If you're reading this, just know, YOU ARE A GOOD PERSON.

And Another Thing About Food...

2011-03-30T18:16:00.000-06:00

I promise I will blog about our trip to Orange as soon as I can upload the pictures from my camera.

But for now... Here's a look at what I've eaten lately (I realize I blog a lot about food. But it's so tasty!)

Isn't this the cutest Dr. Pepper you've ever seen?
Sigh. So cute.

Remember how I eat awful at law school?
Well this is how I eat when I go to law school
but I'm sleeping in San Marcos. Tasty food.

That right there is a Hippo breakfast taco from Bucc-ee's
It is soo tasty, I recommend you go get one.
I think I may have to do a run out there this weekend for one...

Nothing says Texas like a Texas waffle.
This is from the hotel we stayed at in Orange.
It reminded me of a waffle maker Hilary, Jamie, and I gave to our friend
Laura when she moved back to Utah.
Remember that?
I miss her.

Looking Down

2011-03-29T19:13:00.000-06:00

Ahhh! Why is it that as soon as I feel unstressed I get stressed again?

Next Week:

Trial on Monday

Trial on Thursday

I'll be seeing a lot of this in the wee morning hours:

But then again, on the positive: I'll be done with trial by April 7th!

HOORAY!!!

Texas Cheese Factory & Other Food

2011-03-28T18:17:00.000-06:00

I had a coupon for $5 off a $10 purchase at the Texas Cheese Factory. When Russ and I tried to go to the recently opened, and controversially name, Fat Ho Burger and found a line out the door, we decided to try the Texas Cheese Factory in Lorena, Texas.

Here's what I think: This place is a must-try. The owner, who waited on us, had just come back from France. But don't let that make you think he's got a chip on his shoulder. Rather, he was the epitome of Southern Hospitality. The pricing was a steal! 1/2 a pound of gourmet cheese for $4?!? Crazy! Here's a bit of a breakdown:

Cheese plate (1/2 pound of cheese)
Mac & Cheese
Club Sandwich
2 Dr. Pepper's
______________________

$19.00 (this is before the coupon)

You can't beat good price gourmet. Here's what we had:

Jalepeno Gru yere

Bleu Cheese

Asiago

(not pictured because we ate it too fast: Mozzarella)

AMAZING Club Sandwich with Bocaya Cheese

4 Cheese Macaroni

More food thoughts to come. If you find yourself in the area of Lorena, go to the Texas Cheese Factory.

Vague Blog

2011-03-27T20:19:00.000-06:00

Russ and I have just returned from Orange, Texas. We went to visit the Hayes family. They are a family that have so much LOVE. They've come to visit us in San Marcos, and this is our second time going back East. But more on this trip later.

What I wanted to blog about was a conversation I had with M. Hayes. She is the matron of the family, and she is amazing. This woman has a presence about her. When she talks, you listen. Her children are amazingly obedient (but I know it's taken her years of work and practice). And you know she loves you. You can just feel it in everything she does or says.

We were talking on the couch before we left about life. She has had some challenges lately, in all aspects of life. Russ and I have also had some interesting turns lately. This is where this blog is going get vague. So no need to read on if you're not in the mood for the passive discussion.

M. Hayes said, "It's all about attitude. But be careful, because before you know it, you're attitude becomes reality." I had to laugh at this. There's been a lot on my mind lately. I made a comment to Russ a year or two ago, sort of off-handedly. Now, the inverse of that comment has happened. (Vague??? Well, I warned you...).

Since that talk, as we drove home, I've thought about that and pondered why the inverse happened instead of the exact statement I made. And I think I've figured out. I think if the actual statement had happened, the first part would have been done out of willingness. But the second part would have been done out of sense of duty. But because the inverse happened, both were done out of willingness.

Isn't that interesting? And isn't this vague? I do apologize.
I really wrote this so I would remember... I hope I remember through the vagueness.

Life in the Too-Fast Lane

2011-03-24T12:35:00.000-06:00

Yes, school has finally mellowed a little. I mean, it'll be mellow for a few days and then get crazy again. But I'm enjoying a few days of peace.

So here's what I've been up too:

This was a rare afternoon when I sat in a hammock for about 5 minutes. It was heaven.

I started playing Words With Friends.

Do you see how many points I got on this one?

111 points!!!

Sadly, I don't have pictures of what I've really been up to.

Which is studying. A lot.

But I am looking forward to a fun weekend and to get back into blogging!

More to come!!!

About That Award Show Thing...

2011-03-12T14:29:00.001-06:00

So while Russ and I diligently balloted and balloted for every show, the Oscars fell on a bad night. It was the night before a big week in law school. I recorded the show and watched it post-suergery.

The one neat thing about the Oscars is that they have a cool app to cast your own ballot. Here are our results:

So in the end, I won! Well, technically Nick won, but hey... he's not been playing all along.

So my question is, what should I win?

A massage?

A month of no laundry or housework?

A trip to the coast?

A week off of law school?

What should it be?

Oh and PS: Want to know what one I guess and Russ missed?

Best Directing. Russ said "True Grit" and I said "The King's Speech".

New Toy

2011-03-11T22:22:00.000-06:00

We love Apple. We love new Apple toys. Today we got the new Apple toy. I will soon be blogging from this new toy.
Now I have to stop blogging so I can play with this new toy.

Last Surgery Post; a Thank You

2011-03-10T23:23:00.001-06:00

Well, tomorrow it's been a week since I've had surgery. So I think it's appropriate that I stop blogging about it... tomorrow. So this is the last post I'll be writing about my surgery. I am almost healed (except I can't wear pants. Those darn buttons hurt my belly button stitches). So I thought I should just post a little thank you to a few of those who were supportive.

First, a thought. I think it's interesting to see the people who show love and concern when you're going through a hard time. I am sort of surprised by it. It's like realizing who REALLY cares about you. That said, I count people REALLY caring for me as those who even send a text message, or leave a message on here. I just don't have pictures of them. But still, I'm very impressed by those who have called or contacted me at this time. I have felt very loved.

But here's a shot of those who've been with me in person:

My mom and Marjane for an afternoon of crochet.

My best friend Tiff. She's prego, in school, working, and a mom/wife. She left all this to be with me at my time of need. What a remarkable friend. I'm so grateful for her!

And then, after my everyone left and I was by myself, my friend (and visiting teacher) Rebecca came to the rescue to help me make cookies and keep me company while Russ was at work. Plus we just had a good ole time. I will tell no one of the gluttonous TV show we enjoyed. (ANTM)

And most of all:

Sadly I do not have a picture of Russ during this past week. So this photo of Russ doing his Christmas dance will have to suffice. Honestly, Russ is the best. He has made the food this whole week. Good food- gourmet french toast. Corn beef and Cabbage. Breakfast potato hash.

Now I've known for about 7 years that Russ is awesome. But this week Russ has been EXTRA awesome. And I have just been amazed by it. Here's an example:

I opened up his computer to blog yesterday and I saw this:

At first I was confused. But I realized that when I was having a ton of shoulder pain over the weekend, Russ had done a google search to find out how to ease my pain. This is just a small example of how sweet Russ is. I just can't imagine life without him. It would super suck.

But really thanks to all who've been here for me. I'm still on the mend, but I am so over blogging about it.

Today in the Mail

2011-03-09T21:38:00.001-06:00

My computer is at the Apple Store getting its' own surgery (cracked keyboard) so I'm blogging from Russ's computer. Because of this, I don't have access to my photos about my adventures in surgery, or the other 10 blogposts I'm behind on.

So today I will blog about the book we got in the mail. Really, Russ got in the mail. Okay, so this is a blog about something Russ really likes. But I am starting to get interested in as well. Doesn't that always happen in marriage? It happens in ours. Russ gets into something and then it becomes my favorite, like this post. Or I get into something and then Russ also starts to love it. Like... Mumford & Sons I guess. Or Eggs Benedict. Or French Onion Soup.

Okay, so today in the mail we got this book:

So while I should be studying and getting ahead, instead I am reading things like:

How to suck at Facebook (my fav's: the Infant Profile, the Desperate Marketer, & the Horrible Photo Tagger).
6 Reasons Bacon is Better than True Love
8 Ways to Prepare Your Pets for War
The 7 Types of a Crappy Pedestrian (my fav's: The Texter, The Death Wish, & the Pacematching Stranger)

If you're looking for a funny distraction, I recommend you buy it.

Check it out here.

Church During Recovery

2011-03-08T23:28:00.000-06:00

So I really wanted to go to church on Sunday, even though I had been in so much pain on Saturday night. As pictured in my earlier post, I got ready with my mom's help.

We showed up at church and sat on the back row. I brought my rice bag (a fabric bag full of rice that you warm up in the microwave. It's like a poor man's heating pad) for my shoulders. I was still in some pain. We sat down and the meeting began. After about 20 minutes into the meeting (just after the sacrament was passed for those Mo'mons out there) my rice bag was cold and I asked my mom to warm it up for me. She promptly went to the kitchen and warmed it up. When she came back she said to me, "it's kind of hot, it keeps making a crackle and pop sound." Sure enough, it was. But my shoulders were in pain and I didn't mind the bonus heat.

As the meeting proceeded, a counselor in the bishopric got up and ran outside. Although this is strange, it's happened before in our San Marcos Ward. Once, while Russ was speaking in church, a man had a heart attack. A lot of people left in the middle of that meeting. No, not because of Russ, they left to help the man having a heart attack! Sidenote: our church is next to the hospital so the man is ok and got quick medical attention.

Anyway, I thought nothing of the bishopric member leaving. The meeting proceeded and it was a wonderful meeting. It was a fast & testimony meeting. I was glad that I attended. Then, five minutes before the meeting ended, I felt those little feelings telling me to share my testimony. Now before you get too excited, I didn't get up and give a long crazy testimony due to the pain meds. I gave a very short testimony because I knew if I didn't, that I would say something crazy. So I kept it short and sat down before the room began spinning.

But my mom had walked me up there and she then bore her testimony. And I think hearing her testimony is the reason why I felt that I should bear my testimony (because she wouldn't have gotten up on her because she's a visitor and has some sort of policy about that). Anyway, here's what I remember that she said that I want to remember:

When she was raising 5 kids on her own she thought she was raising 5 juvenile delinquents but she kept on taking us to church and stuff.
Her attempts to have FHE were normally family fights that started and ended with prayer (so true. I remember these).
Even though life sucks right now, just remember: THE BEST IS YET TO COME.

After that the meeting shortly ended we spoke a few words with some friends and headed out to the foyer. Out there the bishop quietly came up to Russ (who was holding the rice bag) and asked, "Can I smell that?" Russ, of course, obliged. The bishop went on to explain that during the meeting, he thought the church was on fire and had sent the other bishopric member to go put it out. Turns out it was only my rice bag, burning in the microwave!

I am glad that I went, but I think I left before I caused any real damage to the church. I went home and took a small nap before watching "The Social Network" with Tiff and Mom and Russ.

Here's to another day of feeling BETTER!!!

Starting to Heal...

2011-03-07T21:04:00.000-06:00

With my best friend, my mom, and my husband (he's taking the picture) I am ready to get better.

I woke up Saturday morning feeling very brave. Russ went into work, so I decided that Tiff and I better go out to eat. I took Tiff to my favorite San Marcos restaurant- The Root Cellar. There was a small wait and we put our names on the list. We waited for our names to be called and the restaurant got louder and louder. I started to feel dizzy and nauseous. I stepped outside to catch some air.

I was only outside for a few minutes when Tiff told me the table was ready. I walked back in the restaurant and walked to our table. I took one look at my seat and knew that I was going to toss whatever I had in my stomach. I told Tiffany, "This is not going to happen." I started walking out and Tiff quickly explained that I had just had surgery.

I got outside and didn't make it up the steps before I was hips over rail puking in the flower bed. Tiff came out and immediately began rubbing my back as I continuously ralphed. And it was not pretty puke. It was not "blend in with the dirt" puke. It was neon green. It was obvious that I had puked there.

We got back to the car and I realized I left my purse in the restaurant. Tiff went back to get it and all the people in the restaurant were oowing and bemoaning my poor-puke state.

"That poor dear"

"And she left her purse!"

I felt a lot better after that. We went to my second favorite San Marcos restaurant- The Cool Mint Cafe. And honestly, I think it just became my favorite after this experience. Because while I love the Root Cellar, so does everyone else in San Marcos. It's impossible to get in and get a seat in less than a half hour. While I love the food, I don't love the wait. I don't love all the people that are always there. it's too busy for me.

But Cool Mint Cafe is a undiscovered treasure. When Tiff and I walked in there the atmosphere was so calm. You could hear the soft music playing. There were a few other tables, but not too busy. We got a table right away. And there's large windows with light (the Root Cellar is in a cellar- small windows). I felt to much better at the Cool Mint.

After Tiff and I had enjoyed sometime together, I had two angels show up to help me heal and feel better- Hilary and Jessica. They brought me these beautiful flowers:

They also brought me some cookies. It was so nice to see some good friends. Thank You!

Tiff and I did some other things that helped me get moving and get feeling better. Plus my mom came.

Another thing that helped me heal was Russ's good cooking. On Sunday he made me some corn beef and cabbage with potatoes. I really think his good cooking has kept my body on the mend.

Thank you sweetie. Best Husband ever.

Today I went and got my nails done with Tiff. My mom paid for it, so really it was a group effort.

The only downside of the experience was the lady massaging my hand massaged where my IV was. That area of my hand was very bruised and it hurt a lot.

All in all I am on the mend. I am feeling better. I think I am through the rough parts.

More to come tomorrow, but here a the topic: Church while Recovering.

Spring Break Begins...

2011-03-06T22:13:00.006-06:00

I kicked off Spring Break this year with some surgery. I had known this was coming for quite sometime, but with law school being so busy, I didn't really think about it. Before I knew it, the surgery was here.

Check out how it all went!

This is me sitting on the bed in my room. Tiffany and Russ are in here too. We were waiting for a while. They gave me socks and pants and a cool gown that plugged into the wall and filled with warm air.

Finally, they stuck an IV in me (they tried it on the left but the vein spasmed so they stuck it on the right). I think I was pretty nervous at this point. When everyone was ready they wheeled me down to the operating room. The operating room was very intimidating. The giant lights on the ceilings and the tiny little table I had to lay on. I was nervous. I got on the table and the nurse put an additional tube into my vein. "What drug is this, " I asked her. "Versed. It's in the same family as Valium."

That is all I remember from pre-surgery. Next thing I knew I was grunting in the recovery room and the nurse was making me cough, breathe deep, and drink water. I kept wondering how everyone else was feeling. So everytime someone would ask me how I was doing, I would respond with, "How are you?"

This is when they wheeled me back into the room where Russ and Tiff were waiting. I was not totally there at this point. I was in and out of consciousness. I remember Russ helping me get dressed and I thought he was putting on my dress and I got really mad at him for it. Turns out, he was just helping me get dressed.

Then I insisted on this awful picture. First of all, to do the type of surgery I have, they inflate your body with air and gas. So in this picture I sort of look like a float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. But apparently I really wanted to remember this nurse.

Finally I made it home. Tiff and I stayed in these seats for quite sometime. We tried to watch the Academy Awards pre-show but I kept falling asleep.

The soup next to me is from the Soup Peddler, in Austin. Quite tasty.

Tiff and I had a few adventures inbetween sitting in these seats, but I'll post about that tomorrow. For this post, suffice it to say that we spent a lot of time in these seats. Me recovering from surgery, and she being prego and taking care of me.

My mom flew in last night (Saturday night). I was in a LOT of pain that night. A LOT of pain. Even on Sunday morning (today) I was still in A LOT of pain. But I wanted to go to church. So this is my mom putting on my make-up for me to go to church.

There's a little update but there will definitely be more stories to come!