A new discovery

2 year old + permanent marker + furniture... need I say more?

I did it!

The "ultimate post" is finally complete! If you don't want to read the whole thing and are honestly just curious about the whole "change" thing, skip to the last paragraph (it starts with "Memorial Day!").

Okay.

At last, right? Now that I'm on the computer with lots on my mind, I will do my best to keep the explanations to a bare minimum, but no guarantees. :)

First, I'm just going to speak about today. I'm in the Young Women's (which means I teach young women between the ages of 12 and 18) and today I had a lesson on ordinances and covenants. I feel like it's a hit or miss in teaching lessons in YW as far as participation and what appears to be active listening. I really hope that whatever blurts out of my lips somehow makes sense, and if it does, that it gets lodged in the back of their minds (because I know that at 9 a.m. sleep is the dominant priority). More so, I just hope the girls' hearts are touched by the Holy Ghost because if not, I'm really sad they have to listen to my thoughts and ramblings. :) We've got a very small YW group--a total of 8 girls, 5 of whom are now high school graduates and will be leaving us. For the first month of summer, we'll have only 2 YW left to teach, and then in August the 3rd one will return from gallivanting around with her family. Our YW Presidency will make up 2/3rds of our YW group! How does that happen?! :) But these girls are really wonderful. They are such good friends and it's refreshing to see the friendship and unity among them. It reminds me of my days in the YW when there were only a few of us--we are all still good friends, even if we don't talk as much. I think it's a great foundation for these girls as they get older and move on with life. I love the memories they're creating and any lessons we've taught them that may have stuck in their minds. I just hope that I personally am reaching out to them and meeting their needs as their leader and friend. I know it's doubtful that I will ever know what, if any, impact my lessons and example will have on these girls, but I'd like to hope it's positive. It's just one of those days where the lesson I taught felt like it was scattered so it got me thinking about the future of these young women and how what I teach, or don't teach, will impact their lives. Do they get it? Do they get that their decisions determine their destiny? Do they get that there are so many incredible opportunities out there and they can do whatever they want? Do they understand that by making correct choices they will find a happiness that will sustain and empower them though anything? Do they understand how vital it is to continue to develop their testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and how they need to stand up for their beliefs? Do they understand how loved they are? I'm in a pensive mood regarding my girls. And in fond remembrance of Sister Pope (my second mom whom I dearly love!), I did make brownies. She always had the best lessons and she always had yummy brownies. I want to be as effective as her in teaching with the Spirit and making the lessons personal.

WEDDING!

Ok, I'm done with today. Let me review the last few months. First, one of the biggest events to date is that my older brother, Robert, got married!! :) He married a beautiful woman named Danielle in Texas and I absolutely love and adore my new sister-in-law! I have the best sisters!Their wedding was one of the funnest weddings I've attended and I had a great time seeing everyone again. The day was FRIGIDLY cold and it was an outdoor wedding. Thankfully, the bishop took pity on us bridesmaids and make his remarks profound, but brief. I will never forget how absolutely stunning Danielle looked and how incredibly happy Rob was. My heart is always so full of joy and gratitude when my family is happy and this day was no exception. Rob and Danielle make a lovely couple, and while that word can sound so boring and plain it's what I keep coming back too. I've never seen anyone make Rob laugh and shine like Dani does. I know that while Rob cares for those he loves, he seems to have found an extra reserve inside himself that was built specifically for Danielle, for he cherishes her in the deepest sense of the word. It's beautiful to see, this protective, loving side.

Rob was such a great sport about the cake-in-the-face! :)

The Groomsmen: Jeff, Jim, Tim, Johnny, Mike

The Bridesmaids: Erin, Kirsten (MOH), Lindsey, Kelsey, me

Jason, me, Rob, Danielle

We got there a few days early so we could attend the bridal shower (which was hilarious and definitely fun! Thanks girls!) and wedding dinner (at Rudy's. I cannot say enough how dearly I love Rudy's). I got to meet Tim's wife, Kelsey, which was something I've been dying to do ever since I heard he was getting married, and see the rest of the gang. It was honestly like a big family reunion and I was so happy to be there and see everyone. I love all of them and seriously wish we lived closer--it'd be great to be able to spend more time with them! The bridesmaids got a gift of a acrylic nails (French tips) and that was a first for me. I have to say that it took a while for me to get used to those nails-they're pretty and I liked feeling "polished" and chic but I've never had them before and definitely couldn't handle the upkeep. But, I can honestly say I was a bit sad to take them off.

I felt really bad for Jason. My husband was the only member in our family not part of the wedding party (not because Rob hates him or anything.... or so he says... :) It really had to do with logistics and Jason was fine with that). Because of all these things we were doing as a "wedding party", Jason often got left behind. But it ended up being a great blessing because our daughter got more sick than she's ever been before or since. The night before, our poor daughter woke up around 11 p.m. in a pile of throw up. She didn't stop puking for the next several hours. My cousin wrote on her blog that true love is letting your sick niece puke on you and I'd have to agree. And Chels, you don't get used to it. :) We'd bathe Alana only to have her start again, without warning. It was miserable for her, for me (who showered as often as she bathed) and for Jason, who somehow escaped the whole thing w/o having to shower. I still don't understand how that happened. The whole trip Alana was suffering with a very high fever that Tylenol couldn't help and she slept the whole 5 day trip away. Jason watched over her the whole time and even gave me pep talks because I was feeling guilty for leaving them alone. He's a great man! So, in the end, I was very thankful he wasn't an official member of the "wedding party."

Jason and Alana stayed like this majority of the time

Pretty nails! (Lindsey, Erin, me, Kelsey, Danielle)

All in all, the wedding trip was wonderful. I couldn't be more satisfied with Robert's choice of wife (not that my opinion has any weight here) and it's obvious he loves her and she love him. I love hearing how happy they are when we talk now. We're all officially married off now and Dad has held nothing back in requesting more grandkids. Our response? We've given them one--tell the boys to get crackin'! Sorry Rob and Mike--had to throw you under the bus on this, but we all know I want another one. :)

DAILY LIFE:

From there, we've had the typical school, work, family, church business going on. I became the account's manager at my job, which means I get to look at numbers and think of money all day. I never thought I'd get so excited to see a check in the mail or hear "so and so wants to make a payment." :) I'm still blessed to bring Alana with me (I don't know how long that good fortune is going to last, but I'm definitely going to take advantage of it while I can!) and the whole office has been understanding about it. Jason will receive his associates degree (YAY!) when the school decides to send it to him (he finished the coursework) and he's now taking online courses at NAU. We're both thrilled he doesn't have to physically attend classes at this point because this last semester was absolutely brutal on him.

Swim time!

I forgot about this. Alana didn't want to listen when I told her the stove was hot. She learned.

We've gone to the zoo again and have loved watching Alana's attention to her surroundings and personality exhibitions increase. Our baby girl is now a little girl and that transition must've occurred when I was blinking. She's starting to say more words now: mama, dada, Alana (although she pronounces it like "anananana"), duck, red, elmo, big bird, yellow, bubbles, baby, please, yes, no, and more. Alana gets really shy when we ask her to say things, and that is utterly adorable. She loves nothing more than to help momma with things--I can honestly say our t.v. has never been cleaner because Alana takes rags and wipes it every day! :) She gets great pleasure in taking Daddy his nightly bowl of ice cream and trades her kisses for a few bites. It's summertime here, so we're playing in the pool and trying to stay cool. Her latest obsession is Winnie-the-Pooh and she would watch her Pooh video every day, all day if we'd let her. She's great at stalling at bedtime and has figured out that if she hugs daddy and me extra long she can stay out of bed that much longer. We've got a smart little girl on our hands, and she is becoming more independent. I don't know how I'm going to handle not being so obviously needed.

Jason and I at the zoo.

Daddy and Alana at the petting area--she had to pet every goat there!

Dusk at the park.

We sent our daughter down the stairs in a laundry basket. She loved it!

We were in Las Vegas for iLearning Global launch. She forgot she had a diaper on.

At the Bellagio flower room. The gardner gave her a tulip.

FAMILY VACATIONS!

Hiking becomes a family vacation for us! :)

We made it to the top with an almost 2-year old!

In March, we got to go visit Jason's family in Nevada. His family is so... memorable. :) I love them and definitely lucked out in the in-law department. This trip was one that was needed for a while, and it gave our family a chance to break away from the daily stresses and enjoy family that we haven't seen for a while. If you ask Jason, he'll say he's perfectly content not seeing his siblings on a regular basis, but I know better. I definitely appreciate that I've been able to live near my family and see them weekly. And I'm grateful for a husband who doesn't mind our going over to my parent's house every Sunday for dinners. I know he'd love to live closer to his family, and maybe one day that will happen. We both wish Alana could get to know Jason's family more--but it is rather funny watching Jason's sisters try to bribe Alana's affections with chips and cookies! :)

We stayed with Karri and Terrol, Jason's sister and brother-in-law, and their kids. I have been told for a while now how Karri's oldest boy is becoming a "Jason reincarnate" with his attitude and wits, but it was certainly startling to see it first hand! I honestly don't think the world is ready for another Jason! :) We enjoyed being with them and spent lots of time talking and just hanging around. We got to see our newest nephew get blessed in church, which was very special. Jason's other siblings and their kids came over and we had a huge family picnic in the park. Of course, what's a picnic without water balloons? The girls teamed up against the boys (mostly T, Jason and Dad) and pummelled them with water balloons. Jason definitely got nailed by Terrol, and let's just say we hope we can still have kids! :) The whole trip was relaxing, full of laughter, and restored our energy and spirits in ways that only the Rhinehart clan can do. We, at least, Alana and I, love you guys!


One "little black raincloud" (for those Winnie the Pooh lovers, you know what I mean) on the trip occurred the day we arrived at Jason's sister's house. About an hour after arriving at Karri's house, I got a phone call from my dad that my dear Grandpa Briggs passed away. That was a hard moment, to be so happy to see family but so broken hearted about the passing of my grandpa. I sat in the bathroom and cried for about 20 minutes before I just told myself to be happy and not ruin the time I have with family I rarely get to see. It was hard though, to maintain a smiling demeanor throughout the weekend. That night I had my serious crying spell and woke up with my typical swollen eyes. Dang that Asian blood! :) Jason's family was very supportive and understanding, and respected my wish to not talk about it. I knew if I did I'd just loose it and I didn't want to be sad the whole time. I miss him terribly. I loved him deeply. His death wasn't unexpected, but that doesn't make it any easier. We went to Utah the following weekend for his funeral and the grandkids got to say a few words at the services. While getting up to the podium and saying something was hard to do, especially without crying (yes, I cried while speaking--how totally typical of me), I enjoyed hearing what was said by everyone. It was a rather uncomfortable feeling being in his house without him or grandma there... just empty. I miss him and his smiles. I still can't bring myself to delete his phone number from my phone. That will happen eventually... just not yet.

They're together now.

My Grandpa: the ultimate cowboy.

Mom and Dad at the gravesite.

Mike and Lindsey.

Rob and Alana at the luncheon. See Rob? She likes you!Rob and Danielle.

MEMORIAL DAY!

Now, this whole entire posting is brought to today. Today is a bit more sentimental for me, a bit more personal. May 6th Jason and I celebrated our 3-year anniversary (Yay for marriage! :) ). We didn't really do much for celebrating, but we made a pretty pivotal decision. And this is where the whole "change" post from last time comes into play. No, I'm not pregnant (although I'm making headway on that battle!). No, we're not moving... yet. We celebrated our anniversary by having Jason enlist in the Army. It doesn't sound life-altering, it doesn't seem like much when it's put down in black and white like that, but that "simple" decision altered every direction our life was taking up to the moment he signed the dotted line. And that is why today is a bit more personal. That is why I said our life is changing, because it really is. Jason starts basic in the fall and his advanced training (AIT) will start beginning of next year. I won't get to see him at all through basic (until graduation), and only intermittently in AIT. From there, who knows where we'll go?? We signed up for unpredictability for the next 4 years, which is completely ironic considering my husband doesn't leave the house without knowing the month's schedule in detail. He's doing Military Intelligence, which perfectly suites him and his interests, and I think he'll excel at it. Jason has a few words for those of you who say you don't like your boss--anyone who knows his political views realizes the ironic humor in this. I'm very proud of my husband! I can guarantee you'll hear more about this whole thing as time goes on. Tune in next time-- you know, 1 year from now! :)

3 years, 3 dozen roses. LOVE THEM (and my hubby)!

Well.

My life as I know it is about to change. For good. I hope. :) Details coming soon (and yes, another update since I lack the urge and/or desire to be a consistent blogger). Thank for your patience for anyone who bothers checking in.

Christmas and 2009

Christmas was pretty low-key at our house this year. We spent Christmas Eve at my parent's house and had Christmas morning to ourselves, with Christmas dinner at my parent's. Jason, normally a "no Christmas music or anything until after Thanksgiving at least!" person, gave me the best surprise when he put up our tree super early this year. We were both excited for Alana--she is so much more aware of herself and her surroundings and we were curious to see how she'd get along with Christmas. No surprise there--she took to it like she's always been celebrating and wondered what took us so long to get her toys out so she could play!

Our Christmas area. Looks like someone is jumping right in!

Our very own Christmas gift. :)

Wood blocks--the biggest hit of the day.

No, Daddy. You have to open this one now! Alana had to have her entire gift completely free from all restraints before she would consider opening a new present. Dang child-protective packaging.

Daddy and Alan in p.j.'s. Daddy's said "You're a mean one"--funny but not applicable.

Alana and Mommy in p.j.'s. I'm clutching onto my fabulous purse that Jason gave me as a gift. No diaper bag has been used since this glorious day!

The aftermath destruction. If you ever come visit, be prepared to see this.

Family Christmas shot.

Building block cities. Because Alana still only says "mama" and "dada," our pediatrician referred us to an outside early start intervention company. One of the questions on the woman's development questionnaire was "Does Alana know how to build two or three blocks on top of each other?" Ummm.... yes. Btw, she passed the test with flying colors.

At the Raintree Forest Cafe. This was our first visit there and Alana was dazzled by the moving elephants, the "live" alligator in the front, and the waterfall on the side. An entertaining adventure.

A new favorite thing to do--ride carousels! She perched along this snazzy sea horse and kept pushing my hands off when I tried to hold her waist. Daddy was kind to take pictures.

A closer picture. She threw a tantrum when we had to get off. Great.

Grandpa and Grandma Rhinehart got Alana this seriously adorable and perfect rocking chair. She HAS to be in it and reclines like a pro.

Her "what do you want? Can't you see I'm busy?" look

I had to do it. I like my hair long, but it was way past time. Brittney Hatch was a sweetheart and cut my hair into this cute snazzy 'do. It even looks decent when I try to style it! :) Thanks, Brittney! And yes, Jason did notice and yes, he loves it!

Utah 2008

Last October, our family went to go visit Jason's family in Utah (and saw mine for a few days too). We only see his parents once or twice a year, so we were thrilled to spend a few days with them at their cabin. Since we had furniture to deliver, we drove up there and wedged Alana in between end-tables and suitcases. Our time was split between the Rhinehart cabin and the Olsen house, and we loved every moment we got to spend with our dear relatives. I don't know how we lucked out with marrying into such fabulous families, but I'm grateful we did! Thank you to Aunt Robin & Uncle Danny and Grandma & Grandpa Rhinehart for letting us stay with y'all and being wonderful hosts.

My view of Alana from the front seat. She's back there, I promise.

Jason's brother, Lee. He and two of his kids came up to attend the BYU game with us. During football season, I lose my husband to his brother and his father.

Alana hitchin' a ride at the cabin. Note yellow leaves in her hands--she had quite the collection at the end of the day!

Her cousin Bryce being kind enough to pull her along. Daddy decided to jump in and get an early start on cramping her style. :)

What a kissable face! Still more yellow leaves.

Alana with her cousin, LaReesa.

Swinging with Grandma Rhinehart in the beloved swing.

B-Y-U! Her game face.

My cousin, Jordan, and Uncle Danny attended as well. We couldn't believe how content Alana was in Jordan's lap--she normally doesn't go to strangers and she had just met him. I love this picture of them.

My sweet Grandpa Briggs--such a spry old man! :)

Pretty drive back to the cabin.

Jason loves these trees. We just don't get good colors like that at home.

Sledding with Grandpa Rhinehart. She didn't want to stop, even if it meant hypothermia! When we were all freezing and got ready to go inside, Alana ran back to the sled, plopped herself down, and stared at grandpa until he gave in (it took all of 1 second for him to fall).

She's lip sputtering--that thing you do when your lips are pursed together and you exhale via the pursed lips and they vibrate together and make a noise. I obviously don't know the terminology for it. :)

Clapping because she knew she could get away with more time on the sled!

All lip-sputterers. My favorite face is grandpa's!

First sample of roasted marshmallows.

On the drive home. She did good, but it sure was a long drive home! It's amazing how the longest part of the drive is the final hour from the Phoenix city boundary to our doorstop. Thanks to the kind gentleman who was nice enough to help us jump our battery in Flagstaff. We had quite the adventure and look forward to the next visit!!

Background???

Where do y'all find your cute backgrounds? Please share. It's time for a change here. Thanks a bunch!