My mom was and continues to be a wonderful example to me. Her light and the lessons she taught by word & example, are still things that I draw upon daily to guide me through my own motherhood and womanhood. When I approach tough situations or I'm dealing with an internal struggle my mind turns to think of what my mom would do. And usually that is exactly the answer, comfort, or support I need to move forward. I know that my angel mother is still guiding me. I've been gathering these thoughts & experiences in my head since her... Continue reading

My one little word for 2019 is . . . . L O V E. As it often happens, this word came to me late in the year and rested on my heart saying, "pick me." But . . . I resisted. Because, Love is at the core of our youth mutual theme for 2019 - "If ye love me keep my commandments" - and I thought it just might be overkill if I also chose Love as my personal focus for the year. I'm weird like that. In my opinion, a lot of "lovey" stuff is kind of cheesy.... Continue reading

Just look at these cute boys. This was taken on Payton's 16th birthday last week. You know what he chose to do on this milestone birthday? Go on his first date! Yep, he asked a girl out and with Conner's help he organized a group date of 3 couples. They met at our house for dinner - a taco bar! - played games, watched Groundhog's Day (because it happened to be actual Groundhog Day, February 2nd), and went out for shakes at Steak & Shake. When the boys walked in the door after taking the girls home, I couldn't believe... Continue reading

Last Sunday I had the opportunity to give a talk in church on the topic of Obedience. Thought I would share that message here because it includes a cute story about Conner from my pre-blogging days. :) ****** When I was a young mom with a toddler and a baby in my house, all of my time & energy was spent on keeping these little people fed, bathed, changed, entertained, and happy. Some came with a happy disposition, some did not. Through many, many tears & tantrums we worked through habits, routines, and rules in our home until there was... Continue reading

It has been a few years since I have done a Christmas home tour (2013 to be exact), and after a few requests, I decided to go for it! Much of my Christmas decor has stayed the same over the years. A few addition here and there. Some slight variations in how I display it. This year I pulled out my Christmas tubs and began decorating with the intention to set aside any unused Christmas decor in a donation pile. If I wasn't loving it, it was probably time for it to go. And so in the end, everything that... Continue reading

This year we have decided to incorporate some of the Christmas traditions of Denmark into our festivities. Why Denmark? Many of my ancestors came from Denmark, and surprisingly, Scott has a family line that also originates from Denmark! Our hope is to pick one country of our ancestry each year and learn a little more about them as we celebrate Christmas. I love family history and this is just another way to feel connected to those who have gone before us. Saint Lucia Day originated in Sweden but has been adopted by many Scandinavian countries, including Denmark. I also have... Continue reading

If you're anything like me, online shopping is your dear dear friend at Christmas time. Aside from socks, underwear, and candy for the stockings this year I have done ALL of our Christmas shopping online. This means that our UPS/Fedex/USPS delivery friends are visiting us on a near daily basis. And I know how long and busy these December days can be for them. My uncle is a UPS driver in rural central Utah and often shares pictures of the load of packages he picks up for the day, his mileage & delivery stats (sometimes totaling over 300 miles in... Continue reading

One of my favorite choir events of the school year is district honors choir. Auditions are held for students in the district (which includes ALL of Las Vegas and ALL of Henderson -- it is a huge school district!) and a select few (roughly 180 - about half of all who audition) make the cut. A rigorous practice schedule follows for 2 1/2 weeks and then, boom! They perform a set of amazing, technical, beautiful numbers and we are all wowed by what they are able to accomplish in such a short time! It's a lot of work, but the... Continue reading

Our little girl is now a teenager! I am officially the mother of 3 teenagers. Crazy how time flies! You know, I started this blog when I was 8 months pregnant with Anna. So if you have been with me from the beginning you have really seen her grow up! Yesterday Anna celebrated her 13th birthday and it has been a great birthday weekend/month! For the 13 days leading up to her birthday we gave her 13 small gifts (more on that later). And last night she had a fun pajama party with 10 of her friends (more on that... Continue reading

"Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves." James Barrie It has been one year since her passing. She brought so much sunshine to our lives and will ever be our ray of light, a wellspring of love to emulate. I miss her more than words can describe. s h e i s l i g h t slideshow created by Payton music written & performed by McKellee, Teresa's niece Continue reading

This. This is something pretty darn special right here. I am holding in my hands 2 tickets to the Women's Session of General Conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints coming up in two weeks! It is special for obvious reasons . . . we get to attend conference in the huge Conference Center in Salt Lake City. A first for both of us! But it is special for a few more reasons. Let me tell you why. When Conner turned 12 years old Scott took him to the Priesthood session of General Conference in Salt Lake... Continue reading

That's 39-year-old me. And Cooper. Oh, yes! I forgot to write a post here . . . we got a puppy! That should be a post all its own. But, later. Not many big plans on my actual birthday. Pretty low-key because, you know, mom life. :) Cooper and I hung out all day. I went on a nice morning walk. I grabbed some Cafe Rio takeout for lunch. And enjoyed text and phone calls and visits from sweet friends and family. I have to say the highlight of my day was opening gifts from the kids. Scott told me... Continue reading

Today is my 39th birthday. So you know what that means? . . . . I'm looking at the big 4-0 next year! I'm actually excited about it. A new decade means new possibilities, new perspectives, and an opportunity to reassess and make sure you are becoming the person you want to be. I always love a good goal list, so when I saw this 40th bucket list and this 40 by 40 list earlier in the year I just knew I needed to make one of my own. Here goes! 40 things I want to accomplish, experience, or work... Continue reading

Our cabin under the pines. This cabin was purchased in 2013 by my parents with the intent that it be a place for gathering family and making memories. Mom and dad have put their hearts into making the cabin a comfortable and welcoming place for all who come here. They invested their time, blood (literally!), sweat, and happy tears into creating this beautiful space. From the completely renovated kitchen to the beautiful decks and fire pit & benches built by my dad … the whimsical and welcoming bedrooms imagined and named by mom (you’ll find the Three Bears to the... Continue reading

A text from the kids' wonderful piano teacher, Becky. This note is such a great snapshot of their piano progress and their lives right now, I just needed to record it. The way the teacher talks about the kids . . . . it fills me with so much joy to know that others observe these great qualities and work to bring them out. Hi Shannon. It is great to have your children back to piano this week. We went over goals for the coming school year. Here’s a brief synopsis (I will send home a written copy of their... Continue reading

A party is nothing without it's guests! As I mentioned in Part 1, we intentionally kept the guest list small and close. I wanted it to be an intimate evening of celebration with those female friends & family that were closest to my mom and showed her nothing but love & support. Long time friend Ruth . . . . and Kristy - I'll never forget the time she came over to visit my mom in those last weeks and just sang to her. daughter-in-law Jessica . . . . and mom's best friend Sandi. She has been an angel... Continue reading

The summers in Vegas can be hard. 105+ temps every single day with many days closer to 110+. It just wears on you. I know (and my family knows) that once we get to July I am done. D.O.N.E. I get grumpy. And I just need to get out of town! So we make sure to plan plenty of summer trips & excursions to escape the heat and restore our sanity. 10 days before school started we escaped the 110 degree temps and ran away to the beach. It was just what I/we needed! On Friday we drove straight to... Continue reading

Sometimes I spend months planning a gathering (case in point, the Diner en Blanc). And sometimes I plan gatherings 48 hours in advance! Both levels of planning match the occasion whether it be thoughtful & detailed or casual & come as you are. And both types accomplish the all important goal -- gathering people together! School started on a Monday morning and on Sunday I made the decision to throw a Back to School Brunch on Tuesday for some moms from church. I personally delivered a few invites to my carpool mom friends and my ministering sisters. I found these... Continue reading

I feel like I must warn you that this school year will be filled with plenty of nostalgia. First day of Kindergarten 2006 // First day of Senior Year 2018 I couldn't help but dig up Conner's kindergarten photo and feature it in a side by side. I mean, really -- where has the time gone?! I also got a kick out of reading my blog post from his first day of school was back when. A few highlights: combing his own hair clothes and a a back pack that are way too big -- but he'll grow into it!... Continue reading