Revelation

Starting about 3 months ago, it seemed that any time I read the "Ensign" or my scriptures I was bombarded with things about receiving revelation. After a few encounters of this I started wondering what was up. I was confused because I felt that I was doing what I was supposed to be doing (going to grad school) and that I would be in this situation for a while longer. I had no need to receive any personal revelation concerning any big decisions. That didn't stop the influx of information, though.

Then it happened. Someone in my program asked me why I wasn't in the PhD program. I started to think through my answer and couldn't come up with a plausible argument other than I didn't want to spend another 3 years of my life in school. During this time, I was researching some jobs and what requirements were. They would hire people with master's degrees but prefer those with PhDs. Later that week I was attending a devotional on campus. The lady started quoting President Hinckley on why we need to get as much education as we possibly can. So, I started thinking about it over the weekend. I met with my major advisor on Monday and mentioned to her my thoughts. She lit up and said that while she was doing some work on Friday, she had the impression that she needed to mention that she thought I would make a great PhD candidate. So, I considered it some more. I prayed about it. Thought about it even more. Finally, I made the decision to go to school even longer.

Pretty much the next day things started happening that made me question my decision. (Students can be mean!) I decided to think it out a little bit more. Still, messages were coming about revelation. While home last weekend, I asked my brother Bryan for a blessing. We talked a bit about my question before the blessing. During the blessing I was told that I needed to receive all the education that I could throughout my life. Basically it's so I can share the Gospel. Afterwards, Bryan and discussed it a little more. He said that before the blessing he was going to tell me to quit school as quickly as possible (after my master's) and just find a job. He said that Heavenly Father has something else in mind.

Again, pretty much the next day all chaos broke loose, making me rethink my decision. I'm pretty sure this will be an ongoing thing in my life... I need to remember the answers that I have received and go from there rather than questioning everything.

So, here I go!

Wilson and Spaghetti

My nephew Wilson LOVES food. Whenever he sees anyone with any type of food, he makes a beeline and begins his begging. He makes a grunting noise until he gets food. One night last week we had spaghetti for dinner. My sister-in-law Nicole stripped him down so he could eat by himself. He had a spoon in one hand, but used the other to shovel the spaghetti in his mouth. This is the result. (He was so messy that Mike had to rinse him off in the kitchen sink before taking him into the bath.)

Family Time

Last week was my spring break. I've never had one this long before. I loved it. I spent the majority of my time in Lovell. I then headed to Gillette to watch Hannah and Hayden so Bryan and Chels could escape for her birthday. Here are just a few of the MANY pictures I took while at home.

Wilson chillin' in his chair. (Love the blue eyes.)

B-ry and Peanut 4-wheeling.

Sariah, Erik, Bekah, and Whitney at the "Pinkalicious" birthday party.

Bekah and Whitney in the back yard. (Bekah got ahold of some scissors a few weeks ago. Thus the VERY short bangs. Good thing her hair grows quickly.)

Two Peas

Two of my nieces, Whitney and Hannah, are only a few months apart. They don't get to see each other very often because they live in different towns. When they do get together, as my mom would say, "They are the best of friends and worst of enemies." They actually get along pretty well, considering they are both 3. It only gets a little testy when they are tired. Here are a few pictures of the characters while we were in Lovell a few weekends ago.

Planting

While I was at home, I thought it would be fun to plant a few little plants with Whitney. She loves to play in my mom's garden because of all of the dirt. I thought it would be fun for her to see someone she planted grow over time. So, we bought some bean, radish, and daisy seeds. Here is the documentation of our efforts. Of course Wilson had to be in the middle of it. He loves dirt, too, like the rest of the family.

By the way, another cool thing to do is "plant" radishes in balloons. Put some dirt, a few seeds, and a little bit of water into a clear/white balloon. Blow it up (be careful not to breathe in some dirt) and hang it by a window. It acts as a green house and the seeds grow pretty quickly. The children will be able to watch it grow, and you don't have to worry about remembering to water it. When you pop the balloon, the leaves of the plant die pretty quickly, but you might just have a radish or two in the dirt. The kids LOVE it.

Whitney's Birthday

I was able to be home last week to help celebrate Whitney's birthday. She had a "Pinkalicious" party. Everything was pink....from the decorations to the cupcakes to the gifts to what she was wearing. I think she had a lot of fun. I got her some new 'silkies' with her favorite, Tinker.

The Dancing Nephews

It seems as though music is a love for all of my nieces and nephews. Here are a couple of videos from when I was home last weekend. Wilson will dance to any type of music. He has different moves for different beats. It's so fun to watch him. Hayden likes to bust a move to his new toy that he got from McDonald's. I think he could be the next star on "Night at the Roxbury".

Spring Break 2010

A few statistics from my spring break:

Days of vacation: 10
Beds slept in: 4
Cars driven: 5 (2 new)
Miles traveled: 1293
Trucks passed on I-80: 70 (had to pass the time somehow)
Birthday parties attended: 2 (one of them pinkalicious)
Bums pinched: 6 (cause their just so cute!)
Naps taken: 6 or so (probably or so)
Books read: 1
Times "Snow White" watched: 8
Times "Princess & the Frog" watched: 3
Episodes of "Phineas & Ferb" watched: 6
Homework accomplished: not nearly enough
Pictures taken: 60+
Plants planted: 7
Times played in the dirt: lots
Dances jigged: tons
Fun had: much

February

I can't believe that February is over and that March is on its way. The time is going quickly. Not much "cool" happened during February. I was able to go home for President's Day, which also happened to be Valentine's Day weekend. I had made little packages for each of my brothers and their families. The nieces had a great time pulling everything out and eating the candy, much to their mom's dismay.

Saturday night, my brother Mike and his wife Nicole went on a date to Cody. My mom and I got to watch Whitney and Wilson. They are characters. I love watching them.

This is Whitney eating her treat, a gogart.

Wilson had to try Grandma's treat, a fudge cicle. He devoured it. No little bites for this guy.

The 3 princesess wearing their crowns (Bekah, Whitney, and Sariah).

Wilson in his birthday suit and Valentine's Day tie.

Whitney and I before church.