To Become

I was lucky enough to go to Time Out for Women this year in Pocatello. Wonderful, Sweet, Considerate, Ryan agreed to make a quick trip over to Pocatello (about 6 hours away) for the weekend so he could take care of Brigs while me & Shelley (my sister in law) could go to Time Out of Women.I was able to go to TOFW a few years ago and had a WONDERFUL time and AMAZING experience.
Well the first great thing was that since it was in Pocatello we were able to stay and Brigs was able to play with Uncle Chad & Aunt Shelley and all of his cousins. It was so much fun to have them interact together and the older cousins (Bryson &Abbey) were so great in playing with Brigham and helping him out. He had a blast with Parker and his cars (thanks for sharing Parker) and Claire. We were able to go to Parkers soccer game and I have to share - because it's the cutest thing and is sooooo Parker. He's not the most social guy. I loves being at home. He's taking part of a soccer team to help him expand a bit and it's definatley been a growing experience. We've been told that sometimes Parker won't go onto the field, but we were lucky and he went out a played a bit  - as long as he didn't have to touch the ball!

So here is my sweet nephew Parker, hands in his pockets, making sure the ball doesn't come to him. He's a boy after my own heart. I'll have to tell him one day of all the ways I got out of playing group sports in PE at school...maybe I'll tell him after he graduates :)

Me & Shell left from the soccer game to get to ISU's Holt Arena. We were able to score some great seats on the main floor. We were told there were 1600 attendies. We were welcomed with this challenge:

Open your heart to all of your possiblities

Our speakers where:

Jason Wright (the author of Christmas Jars & The Wednesday Letters)

Heidi Swinton (the author of Pres. Thomas S. Monson's biography) She gave a powerful testimony of our

Prophet Thomas S. Monson. She shared some great insights and stories of the Prophet and her journey in writing his biography. She told us, "Our bio will not be linear. It will be about the moments" Which really made me feel good about our family's blog (even when I don't get events, dates & the post about it up in a linear order - I do get the moments).

Another quote from her: "It's not the things we are doing, but the person we are becoming."

In between speakers we had our musical guest Jenny Oaks Baker who was UNBELIEVEABLE!! She is truely a talented violinist - it made me miss my viola! We were able to get a picture with her, isn't her dress gorgeous?

The next day got up nice and early and headed out for our second day of  insights, encouragements & spritual feeding. We were issued another challenge of : Not doing more, but becoming more we where then challenged to choose one thing to focus on & this quote from Richard G. Scott was shared:

"We become what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become each day. Righteous character is a precious manifestation of what you are becoming."

The speaker line up proceeded as follows:

Amanda Dickenson (yep, the radio personalisty from KSL 1160) Spoke to us about the importance of friendship. My favorite quote from her "Women gathering is divine" (ooooh so true).

Brad Wilcox (the author of The Continuous Atonment) SO GOOD. I'll try to share the best of the best of his quotes, but I have to say he is such a fun guy and a great speaker. So warm & so personal. He shared that the word redeemer means: To make us better and encouraged us to, " Look beyond Jesus's saving role & look at his redeeming role. He is building us & making us better than before." He then focused on the story of Jesus turning the water into wine and pointed out: Jesus has the power to change things, even things that seem impossible to change.

Macy Robison was next with a caberet act. Now, I know that I'm theatrical and I know that in the program it says that I will "need tissues", but caberet is a fifty/fifty bet on if it's good. It can be really good or really, really, bad and to put caberet into an LDS perspective......I was a bit worried that I would need crackers for all the cheese that I would have to sit through. BOY WAS I WRONG!! I was BAWLING by the end of it. Her story and the songs that she chose....rivers of tears. So relateable. So great. She has her act on CD called Children Will Listen . Everyone should listen to it. It made me reflect on my story, what songs would I choose? Could have a caberet act going soon...I'll keep you posted.

Maralee Boyack (author of In Trying Times Just Keep Trying) she shared this acronym...I think it's called an acronym (correct me if it isn't) to be:

B= Bold, E = Eternally minded, C= Creative, O = Onward focused, M = Meek, E = Enlightened

Kris Beltcher was our closing speaker (author of Hard Times & Holy Places & But Now I See) She has completely lost her eyesight to cancer and she has had some amazing points. What I liked about her was that she was Real. She didn't get up there and say, "I am so blessed to be blind" she told it like it is - that is was hard. That she would love to see, but shared how she is dealing with it. She gave this quote,

"Knowing {i.e. plan of happiness, life after death, blessings in trials, etc} doesn't take away the pain, but gives us hope" AMEN SISTER!!

It was an AWESOME experience and I'm so happy that I was able to go (Thank you Ryan!!) & that I was able to spend some time with my much-loved sister Shelley. It was great and I hope that we can do it again. (BTW isn't this a great pic of me? I look so tan and dewy and like I'm wearing make-up, but I wasn't & I'm not - but doesn't it look like I am?)

While I was out getting my batteries re-charged Ryan & Chad were home taking care of the kids. It was so nice to see Brigs hanging out with the cousins, so cute & sweet. So happy that good hygene is a priority :)

We are heading home and we aren't getting back into the car until July (for the big Bear Lake trip, yep...it's summer)

Peace out
p.s. If you want to read about our Utah trip, just look below!

Our Utah Trip in a Paragraph {and a few pictures}

The easiest way to condense a whole 9 {AMAZING} days into a consise paragraph...

Leaving all of my clothes on the bed - at home -. Dental appointments. New Toothbrush. Brigham learning to sleep sitting up (we are in the front facing car seat now). Gas being cheaper anywhere outside of Burns. Grandma & Grandpa Steineckert's. Aunt Allie. Family dinner. Talking. Tee times. Rain clouds. Shopping at Ross. New clothes :). Sleeping in. Grandma LOVES Brigham. "Socks & Shoes". Brigham is starting to talk. Purple Turtle. Date Night. Movie & Popcorn under $10 (the Watergarden's Movie theater all my UT peeps need to go!!). Cold Stone. Kissing. Refridgerator Magnets. Natalie's Wedding. The Group is together again. Beatle's songs. Construction. Becky's Bridal Shower. Homemade bridal shower gift. Pasta bar. Cupcake tasting. Memories. Kids. Grandma C's house. Brigham says "Grandma" & "Grandpa". Home. New haircut. Neices & Nephews. Cousins. My Dad's spaghetti!!!! Loud talking. Big dinner plates. Cardio Kickboxing. Heart to hearts. Noise. La Frontera. Brigham eating lemons. Logan. Nan. Bus routes. Walmart. Stairs. Memories. Yummy food. Royal wedding. Posting. USU. Aunt Rachael. Aggie Ice Cream. Beatles Rock Band. Old Navy clearance. Cafe Sabor. Photoshoot. Giggling. Packing. Driving home...............memories.

Hey there...

Life has been a bit crazy lately!! And the entire month of April flew by quicker than a guy in a wheelchair going down hill. We are doing well and staying pretty busy!! We are heading to Utah soon for Natalie's wedding and some work for Ryan in Logan {get to see Nan!!}. Then coming home to start packing! We sold our house....after three years of being on the market. Ryan still has a year and half with the Ag Center out here, so we will be renting for the rest of our time here in Burns.

Crazy what life will throw at you!

For your updating pleasure we have: Brigham's first birthday, Easter & Mother's Day.

So scroll down and have some fun! and hopefully my next post will be a little more timely.

Motherhood

If you asked me 13 years ago if I wanted to be a Mom I would have told you "No". I was planning on being a criminal prosecuting attorney for the state of Utah. There wasn't any time to have/raise kids. If you had asked me 6 years ago {when Ryan & I had just married} I would have told you, "maybe in five years". The thought of Motherhood scared me. To have a little human being 100% completely reliant on YOU. I felt that it would suck my life away. I felt that Motherhood was a career choice. Something that you gave your whole life up for....little did I know, I was very wrong.


August 2007. Changed my perspective. Changed my priorities. Changed my life. I am honored to be Emma's mother. I'm grateful for the lessons that she taught me. Motherhood wasn't a "career" it is a calling. The scripture "many are called, but few are chosen" came to be pretty personal to me. There were good days. There were bad days. There were days that I could hold a baby. There were days that seriously considered setting the baby section at Target aflame. If Motherhood is such a nobel calling why couldn't I have it? What was wrong with me? Why is it so easy for everyone else in this world get pregnant? {pictured above me & Ryan with our Emma}

Time

Patience

Prayer

Study

Patience

Time

Prayer

Pleading

Knowledge

Patience

Time

Faith

Patience

Time

Our first meeting. To say the sound of crying is the most beautiful sound in the world may sound wrong/strange. In this instance {the birth of Brigham} it was the sound I most wanted to hear. Once I heard it, I think I started to breathe for the first time. I was a mother. I knew that I was a Mother, but now I was a Mother to a child that needed to be on earth. I was instantly smitted. Who wouldn't be with that squashy little face?

I am a Mother. It's a calling. It's a characteristic. It's not the ball-and-chain nieve notion that I thought it was when I was young. To say that I am grateful is an understatement, but I can't think of another phrase, so...I'm grateful.

Two talks that I have heard recently that have touched my heart so much on the subject of motherhood:

A "Mother Heart" by Julie B. Beck

and

" Are We Not All Mother's?" by Sheri Dew

{that one had me crying before I could choke out an Amen}

I could really go on and on about this subject, but it's late...so I won't. All I will say is that

- you don't have to have a child to be a Mother.

Easter or The Second Day of Celebrating

That's riiiight...it's Easter! Start pulling out the sugar-coated marshmellow goodness!! {Another onesie that I knocked-off from esty} Personally I don't really like Peeps...if I MUST eat one I prefer them frozen, they kind of explode in your mouth as they thaw.

The annual Burns/Hines Easter Egg hunt (was acutally held on Brigs birthday). They have a little baby section that the eggs are just scattered all over the lawn and the babies just go for it. I really like this section. Everyone is nice. Everyone is calm. Everyone just wants their baby to pick up one egg so they can take a picture. Brigs got his hands on four...we are so proud.

Getting this little man to sit still for his "Easter Suit Picture" was quite a feat. Doesn't he look all grown up. His second day as a one year old and already I see him getting married in a tux....time is going by too fast!

The Easter Bunny brought Brigham: a toothbrush (for his two teeth) a Munchkins Snack Catcher (never leave home without it) & a Sunday ABC's book

Here is a picture of a baby shaking an easter egg. Or so you think. You are being decieved. Look carefully. He wants you to look at the shaking easter egg. What he doesn't want you to see is the half opened Reeses cup in the other hand....

He waited until we were looking in our baskets and then popped the egg open, put a reeses egg into his mouth and then started unwrapping the cup. I applaud him for his good taste in candy, he just didn't think of my super-mom reflexes that grabbed the cup & popped the reeses egg out of his mouth in one second flat. The quivering lip afterwards will always be remembered. Better luck next year!!

It's blurry, but I think the cutness sure shines through!!

A 1 Year old!?!

How can it be a year already??

Oh my little man!! How I love him. He amazes me every day & I feel so honored to be Brigham's mommy. THis onesie started me thinking about his first birthday. I saw a onesie that was like this on esty or somewhere like that & I had two thoughts: 1. I MUST make that onesie 2. Birthday party theme!!

It was a beautiful day that day! The sun was out and it was a whopping 55 degrees {here in Burns that is flip flop weather}.

The cupcakes. I have, in my possession, a family recipe for Oatmeal Cake. When I first heard of it I thought, "wow cardboard with frosting on it," but then I tasted it and it is just like an oatmeal cookie, but in cake form. I then made some lovely little staches with my Silhouette and viola! I was so happy with these cupcakes, they turned out just as I imagined them.

Our little "Thank You" cookies ended up being on the dessert table with the cupcakes. These cookies were quite the project. I thought of these late in the game so I had no time to order a $12 mustache cookie cutter (yeah, $12...whatever) so I got a 80 cent lips cookie cutter that I shaped a bit and began the process. At first I went for - cookie pops - and then it turned into -chocolate covered mustaches- that then morphed into a suggested peanutbutter layer and they turned into: mustaches with a peanutbutter layer and chocolate ganache. I tried to be simple in all of my party planning details :)

I found an idea of doing a little "photo booth" with some staches on a stick. They were so much fun and I think our attendies liked them too, especially the kids...

Brigham's first bite of frosting...then his first bite of cupcake...only to be out done by his first bite of ice cream. Each bite was better than the next. Each flavor was savored.....this kid liked his cupcake and LOVED his ice cream!

It's hard to believe, but it's oh so true. Brigham is one. It doesn't feel that long ago that I could hold his whole body in the crook of my arm. That he needed me completely for his nurishment. That he would wake up every hour (I really don't miss that at all!) . That he was a baby. Now he's considered a toddler? Crazy.

Service is Now Available in Your Area

Featuring Brigham Mobile with unlimited minutes of crawling, rolling & picking up after him. He is super portable and is something the whole family will enjoy!


Brigham Mobile now features Two Teeth for a (mommy's) hands-free dining experience. He loves feeding himself!

Brigham Mobile has an easily recharable battery as long as you feed him at the proper speed. He is loving : Bananas (I have figured out how to serve him this without having to touch it), Kiwi, Mangos, Strawberries, Applesauce, Peas, Carrots (I did a homemade blend of beans & carrots that Brigs gave me a high five for!), whole grain pancakes, Yogurt, Cheese,French Toast and Bread...he is a bread basket boy!

Brigham Mobile has coverage in even the remotest of areas!!

Brigham Mobile, he's getting everywhere I don't want him to be! (I need to start baby proofing)

We are excited for all of these new developments and he surprises us each day with the things he can do. Can't believe that in a few weeks we'll be celebrating his 1st Birthday....so amazing how fast a year has gone by!