Creating

My favorite idea from last fall's RS General Broadcast was from Elder Uchtdorf. He said,

"The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before.

Everyone can create. You don’t need money, position, or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty.

Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty—and I am not talking about the process of cleaning the rooms of your teenage children."

So in the spirit of Elder Uchtdorf's talk, I would like to share with you some things I have created over the past few days.

Okay, so the cookies were actually from way back in February (I made them for my students on my birthday) - I took a picture to share and just never did. But the rest of them were from this weekend! (And I can't really take credit for the darling necklace - it was the craft project from our YW Broadcast workshop thing yesterday.) Elder Uchtdorf is right - creating really does bring happiness!

The Last Ones...

I had parent teacher conferences tonight. They went smoothly, although long. (I didn't have anyone stand me up! That's a first!) What's weird to me now is that I probably won't be doing these again, or at least I will be doing them from the other side of the table. Since I'm planning to stay at home with little Stetzon, I honestly don't know when or if I'll be teaching again.

It's a very odd sensation, and kind of bittersweet. I have loved teaching so much. It has really become a part of me over the last seven years. I have seen so much growth, both personally and professionally. I feel like I'm finally getting somewhere close to where I maybe want to be, and yet I'm going to be done here. How can I be done?! I just started!!! And yes, I know that motherhood is an entirely different yet equally wonderful adventure, and I'm sure I will love it and grow from it just as I have from teaching. But it's still hard to let go of teaching. I think this is just barely starting to hit me, and I think it will be even harder for me as the end of the school year grows closer. Change is hard and scary, and leaving teaching is a big change for me! How do you just quit something that has been such a big part of you for so long?

Is there anything you can't believe is over? What changes in your life are scary to you? What are you sad to give up?

Warm!

Today actually was up to 72 degrees! That's a miracle out here! Yesterday was also high 60s, so I dragged Mike out for a bike ride for our FHE activity. Well, first we had to fill our bike tires, and mine are so fancy that they require a special valve. So it took 10 minutes to even figure out how to fill my tires. But eventually we (meaning Mike, not me) got it figured out, and we were on our way.
It was so lovely to be out on a bike again! I have missed that so much. We only went 4 miles, which is nothing compared to how much bike riding I did last summer, but it's slightly different with a bump in front. I had to stop every once in a while and straighten up because I was getting squished inside! But the weather was gorgeous, there was a nice gentle breeze, and it was a great activity! Hooray for spring!!!

Getting Bigger

You know you're getting bigger when ...

I have a non-maternity coat that long ago lost the bottom button - it had just fallen off and somehow I lost track of the button before I could sew it on. I've worn the coat a few times during pregnancy, just without buttoning the (non-existing) bottom button, and it's worked all right up until now. But Friday night Mike and I pulled into the garage. I got out of his car and POP! The top button popped off of my coat! We had to get a flashlight to find it out in the dark. Yes, Mike had a fun time teasing me about it.

I guess I won't be wearing that coat again until next winter!

From Mike

This is Mike's contribution to the blog. He saw this online the other day and just about died laughing. He wants to put it on a shirt! Ah, yay for humor!

Maternity Skirts?

(Okay, so clearly I am getting over my blogger's block. I just decided to write about stuff that's important to me right now. But when I thought about what's important to me right now, a lot of it is pregnancy stuff. So bear with me... that's what's new in my life right now!)

So here's my question. Can ANYONE out there help me find a LONG maternity skirt? It's still very cold here, and the only maternity skirts I can find anywhere online (because in the stores here? That's even harder than online! They don't even have maternity sections in most of the stores out here, let alone long skirts!) are knee length.

Yes, knee length. What pregnant lady just loves showing off her legs? And what pregnant lady can be modest in a knee length skirt? I mean, church membership aside, it's just harder to sit modestly with a big full belly and a kid that likes to sit as low as he possibly can. Plus, knee length is COLD!

So, please help me be an internet sleuth. I would love a skirt that I can wear with many different tops. Some great ideas are a long denim one, a long black one, or a long khaki one. However, the only one I've found is this from Motherhood. It would be perfect, but it's only available in small, which I am not.

Is anyone out there a better hunter than I am???? Thank you for your help!!!

Weather

This is not a complaint post. This is a celebration! Last week, we actually had some nice days. It was in the 50s twice, and one day even got up to 60 degrees! That's the magical number for us because that's when the kids don't have to wear coats outside to recess. You know, for the first time since last October! Boy, were they happy! Oh, it was lovely. I opened my windows and everything. Ahhhh....

So anyway, this morning I looked out my window, and what did I see? No, not popcorn... rain.

But you know what? I wasn't even sad. Because rain is NOT SNOW!!!! Anything that doesn't freeze makes me happy! Hooray! Spring might actually come! :)

Watch the Bump Grow!

This is for those of you who like to play bump watch. I don't love seeing pictures of me getting fatter. However, I always want to watch my friends get all cute and pregnant, and most of my pregnant friends live far away and won't post pictures, so I don't get to. So, this is for all of you who don't live near me but like to play bump watch. You can tell me how cute my baby is if you want! :)

Pants

Sorry I haven't written much lately. I've sort of had a "blogger's block." My life seems pretty routine lately, so I haven't really felt inspired to write about much. If you have any fun ideas of things you're just dying to hear about, let me know!

Anyway, so the title of this post is "Pants." Mike has a favorite pair of pajama pants. He wears them all the time - and not just for bed! I'm talking he changes into them as soon as we walk in the door from church on Sundays! Well, the other day after doing laundry, we noticed that they were starting to wear thin in the bum area. Sure enough, today he was walking away from me, and I noticed white peeking through! The pants were totally threadbare.

Next thing I know, I heard this huge tearing sound. Mike just poked his finger through the hole, grabbed, and pulled! The result is below:

Do you see the huge tears?

Now he has to wear his other pair of pj pants, but they're not as nice, not as comfy, and they're too short for my very tall husband. I guess I know what to get him for his birthday now! :)