.To my Dearest Darling!!!!

Ambs,

In response to your post I have hijacked your blog to leave you this letter.... publicly.

You have been a blessing to me as a wife, friend , chef, photo-editor, interior designer, and most of all my turkish delight?

You may feel like you are in the coal stage but I disagree and you know that, BUT if you insist on being coal well to me you still heat up my life and keep me alive!! See what I did there?

I am sure someone is thinking that I am the mountain putting all the pressure on you just because you make me sleep on the wall side of the bed and I enjoy the odd "STEAMROLLER!!" now and then.

I am glad I'm not.

If anything I feel like I am the miner (not minor) that found you and excitedly yelped, "'Er-EEKA! A DIE-MunD!" (I swear that's how I imagine miners speak).

I'm lucky. You make me lucky.

I'm happy. You make me happy.

I'm in love. You make me in love.

I'm smiling. You make me smiling.

I'm fat. You make me fat.

.... where was I going with this?

Ambs you ARE a diamond because you've brought wealth into my life. You've supported my good character while simultaneously scolded my bad. You've motivated me to seek cures to my illnesses and make me laugh.

You ARE a diamond because when I hold you under the light you sparkle (maybe you're a vampire, apparently they do that). You love me so much it's really confusing.

You ARE a diamond because I wouldn't trade you for anything because I would always be the one being ripped off.

You ARE a diamond because you don't break when I drop you from tall buildings.

You are NOT coal because when I hug you my hands do NOT get dirty. You are NOT coal because when I kiss you I do NOT want to throw up (it is just because I am sick...). You are NOT coal because when you talk with me you are NOT rough around the edges. You are a LITTLE coal because you make a mean BBQ!

Bottom line Ambs, to me you are the most valuable diamond I've ever come in contact with and for those who can't recognize that:

Cannot tell the difference between a diamond and a pocketful of poo-pee.

All my Love,

Air

.What doesn't kill me

I want to be a stronger person.

I'm learning that whenever I get questioned or criticized I usually relinquish and just surrender and start to question myself too. I fall apart thinking that I am stupid and that I'm not doing good enough.

I'm doing the best I can.

I don't know why anyone insists on finding fault in me or anyone other than themselves, but I need to stop listening to people who tell me that I'm not good enough. I know that I am small and faulty, but "by small and simple things are great things brought to pass" (Alma 37:6-7). That scripture can be about me. I can do a lot of great things with my small life.

But first, I need to strengthen myself.

Lately I have been under some pressure (in every part of my life) and feeling a bit stressed trying to make the right decisions and to do the best I can at what I've been asked to do. I've been trying and hoping that whatever I do doesn't hurt or offend anyone.

I failed at that this week and it was a big eye opener for me.

But just because other people aren't happy with what I do doesn't mean I did something wrong. I am confident that as long as I make choices prayerfully and follow what the Spirit prompts me to do, it will always be the best choice.
And if nay-sayers want to disagree and argue about those choices they can talk to someone else about it from now on. It dampens my spirit and I don't need to hear it.

Sometimes life gets serious whether I like it or not.

And let me just assure you--I do not like seriousness. At least not the type I've been dealing with over these last few days.

There's a dirty, ugly old lump of coal in a mountain somewhere, and when that 'small thing' is put under a lot of pressure and heat for a long time it can become something new. A diamond. And who wouldn't think that diamond is beautiful and of worth? Nobody. Not a single body.
Unfortunately it wouldn't have become anything without going through the heat and pressure first.

And so it is.

.Bridal Shower/Snowed In

It's happening! Tam is getting married next month!

Tara threw her a bridal shower on Saturday.

It was a blast. and it was beautiful.

A beautiful blast.

If you’re female I don’t have to tell you what showers involve. But I will anyway.

loads of FRIENDS:

GIFTS, presents, goodies, contributions, donations, offerings:

(embarrassing) GAMES:

and FOOD, delicious food:

The shower was so much fun, but the severely crazy blizzardy snow storm outside didn’t allow us to drive home that night, so us and all of the cousins ended up staying for the night!

Extended party!!

When we drove home this morning we were shocked to see how many cars had been crashed and stranded on the side of the road from the night before. More than I have ever seen in my life.

We dodged a bullet.

Life is great.

.Love Month

Some things that I love.

On this, the loveiest month of all.

1.

This beautiful framed mirror we picked up a few months ago at Jysk for $20!!

2.

These ceramic trees were a Christmas gift from Air’s Grandma this year. I loved them so much I couldn’t bring myself to put them away with the Christmas decorations, so we’re pretending they’re ‘winter decorations’.

3.

This little acorn we found in Nauvoo last summer.

4.

Seminary students who love me. Even when they are eating cake during mutual the night before class.

I don’t think they call it “mutual” anymore. Do they?

5.

One last thing--I love my Air. Although I’ve been telling him lately that I don’t love him anymore because I “more than love him”. Maybe that’s where charity starts? I charity you Air-bear!

ooxxooXoXXx

.The Weekend of a 27 Year Old

This weekend we celebrated Air's birthday for three days straight!

It was amazing.

On Sunday Air spoke in sacrament meeting. I love to hear Air speak, he’s so very good at it. He received a lot of compliments from our ward members.

I can’t get over how amazing and talented my Goose-man is!

I made him probably the ugliest cake in history, but at least it tasted good!

Air picked lemon cake with white chocolate pudding filling and cream cheese frosting.

As you can see, the frosting melted off the sides…

Gifts were next.

He got one in the mail from my parents! (Air says, “THANK YOU Mom and Dad!”) (I say, “Biblequest? Really?? hahahaha!”)

This next gift has a whole story behind it that I won’t go into detail about now, but basically I surprised Air with the gift that he had been dreaming about for months and thought we wouldn’t be getting for a while.

His family all pitched in and helped me get it for him.

They seriously rock!

Kinect for our XBOX!!!

Later, we hung up a sheet, hooked up the projector and watched movies all night!

And of course, what’s a projector for, if not shadow puppets??

Monday was Air’s official birthday and we had planned to go to the brand new Canadian IHOP!! (in case you didn’t know, IHOP is new to Canada… so this was pretty exciting! and CROWDED!)

Then we went home, hooked up the Kinect, and cooked a big dinner for the whole family to come over and enjoy.

Tuesday it was back to real life again and we started a whole new month!

Have I mentioned that I love February? I do.