In the Past Month

Saturday I attended Deseret Book's Time Out For Women at the Convention Center in Orlando. I hadn't planned on attending originally. It has been really busy around here, and with Allie's birthday being the same week, I just figured it might not work out. Plus, honestly, the last time I attended, which was three years ago, my experience wasn't all I had hoped it would be. I ended up going with a group of ladies from the 2nd ward whom, while very nice, I didn't really know... and it felt a bit awkward. I really had hoped a group from our ward would go with me, but no one (besides one friend who declined) responded to my email invites. So when it came back to town last year, I wasn't all that disappointed that I had a nursing, and fairly newborn, baby that I didn't either want to leave or bring to the all-day event. Wouldn't you know it, though, that a group of my friends ended up going that time around? But this year, a friend from the second ward asked, and I politely declined, knowing (as I said before) that my weekends were extremely busy, worried that I'd end up going with a group of people I didn' know all that well, but also feeling (in a martyr-ish sort of way) that my attendance would naturally make everyone else from my ward not want to go. But then Jill approached me a week ago, asking if I wanted to take a ticket her mom had bought for her sister Kim that she wasn't going to end up using. At the same time a scheduled Scout camp out was canceled. So I accepted..., but then declined the very next day when I realized that since Jill and her mom would already be there, staying the night in a hotel from having also attended the Friday session (for which Kim's ticket was going to another friend in the ward), that I wasn't going to be able to drive up with them-- meaning I assumed I'd be sitting alone, which would be lame. Once Jill realized my concern, she assured me that the intention all along was to meet up with me there. So I went... and I had a good time. Who'd 'a' thunk it?

Allie turned six this past Thursday the 4th. She has been waiting for this day since she turned five. Weekly I would hear laments of how her birthday "was sooo far away!" and "would never come!" In all the birthday talk she, of course, had to include grand plans for her party. We choose to not throw a party every year for our kids, but I figured this year would be one of those party years just because she hadn't had a party since she turned three. I found out about the Ice Cream Depot having BOGO (buy one, get one) Pajama nights every Thursday night, and thought since her birthday fell on a Thursday this year, that going to the ice cream shop that night might be fun. So she made up a list of friends to invite, and I invited their families, as well as her Grandma and Grandpa Smith. Unfortunately Allie forgot to add some friends to her list, and I feel terrible about that! Anyway, we made sure to dress in PJs, I had a purse full of quarters to give out to the kids to play pinball and ride motorized elephants and motorcycles. We ate ice cream, and Allie opened presents. And she's still talking about it! And I also realized that this might be a birthday she actually remembers and talks about years down the road. That made me smile.


The day before Valentine's Day, Kev and I enjoyed his Christmas present to me-- tickets to see Harry Connick, Jr. at the King Center. We literally may have been the youngest couple there, but I didn't care-- Harry was a truly talented performer. Incredible musician with a killer sense of humor. When I wasn't smiling and tapping my feet, I was rolling with laughter. I would go see him again in a heartbeat. That concert was a great idea on Kevin's part. Two for one! One gift took care of two holidays! He's brilliant...

I had a sweet moment with Sami Saturday night. Perhaps it didn't start out sweet, though, since she was being whiny and uncooperative, not getting ready for bed very quickly. I decided to put in a new Alex Boye sacred CD I had purchased at Time Out For Women earlier that day. He sang hymns like "Jesus, Lover of my Soul" and "I Know That My Redeemer Lives," and Sami perked up. "Mom, he's singing about Jesus!"

"Yes he is, Sami." I got her out of the bath and dried her off.

"Why is he singing about Jesus, Mom?"

"Because he loves Jesus."

She continued to look at me. "Why does he love Jesus?"

"Well, Sami, do you love Jesus?" She nodded. "Why do you love Jesus?"

She thought for a moment and then responded quietly, "Because he's special."