Goodbye September...until next year.

Marley made it through her first week of Pre-school and loves it.

Big girl going to school on the bus.

 We live one block away from her pre-school but they have a bus and Marley is so excited she gets to ride it. 
She is picked up first out of 17-20 kids and dropped off first. 
Perfect.


In the picture below, I was trying to get a picture of Marley sitting on the bus but I got a picture of my reflection. 
You can see the ghost of Marley by my right shoulder.

Big girl getting off the bus.

Crazy lady won't take a normal picture...she's like her Aunt Jill.

My two favorite below.

 Trying really hard to look "normal."

When she gets home she is so talkative and wants to tell me everything that happened. 

Sometimes I can picture exactly what happened.

Most times I don't have the faintest idea of what went on...besides bits and pieces.

What have I been doing while Marley is at school four hours a day, four days a week? 

Growing a baby!

I'm 11 weeks along. 

Our new baby is just the size of a fig and yet so demanding. 

Hormone haziness or shall I say craziness. 

My brain does not work.

I'm thoughtless....and tired.

Can't wait for the first trimester to be over...
and hopefully stop the mind melting madness and...

the nausea. 

 Please!

(soon right!?!)

With that complaining out of the way, I promise I won't complain again. 
Well, at least not until the last trimester. 
We are so grateful to be finally growing our family again. 
Marley will be four in April and that's about the time we're expecting little figgy pudding. 
What? That's not a good nickname? 
See, I told my brain is gone. 

And now a tribute to September.

Here is one of my favorite songs.
And the music video HAS to be one of the greatest music videos of all time!
I love it!
Perfectly psychedelic.
Funky costumes!
Handsome men.
The horns! I love the horns!
(as in trumpet, trombone and sax)
Classic disco.
It will make you want to dance!
Please enjoy.

Earth Wind & Fire - September

We love you all!

The Pump is Primed

photo source

I love the fall....for many reasons. But, tonight I'm talkin' 'bout the General Relief Society Broadcast! It's the Saturday before the October General Conference....only in the fall. It's always so awesome and so uplifting and inspiring.

I just finished watching it live, via the internet. I wasn't sure if they broadcast it live online as I'm 99.9% sure they don't do the priesthood session, but I was pleasantly surprised.  Not that it is a huge deal because if it wasn't live I probably could have watched it online tomorrow but, it was. 

I found great strength in listening as hundreds of thousands of other sisters watched and prayed and sang at the same time. I knew and felt that as I physically sat alone in my living room and I sang "Hark All Ye Nations" and "Come Let Us Rejoice" that my mother, and my sisters and my aunts and cousins and friends were singing at the same time, right along with me. I did not feel alone. 

I felt loved. I felt important. I felt the warmth of the Spirit.

I found each talk enjoyable but, I just love love love to hear President Utchdort speak. He always seems to have a key phrase to plant in our minds or a beautiful picture to help us remember and he very often has an inspiring, fresh, and creative list for us.

photo source

A lot has been on my mind lately, trying to sort out a lot of thoughts and emotions and blessings and struggles. The Relief Society Broadcast really helped me start to sort somethings out...it always does! It's true that I didn't hear anything that I hadn't heard before, but hearing it this time, from this General Relief Society Presidency and President Utchdorf tonight really helped me.  

And so my spiritual pump has been primed, by watching the Broadcast, I have begun to prepare myself for the gush of gospel truths that will fill our house next Saturday and Sunday. I hope to find ways to continue to prepare myself all week for that gush. If I prepare to receive the messages that the Lord has in store for me through the leaders of His church, I can expect answers to prayers, direction, purpose, understanding, inspiration and I'm sure much much more.

I hope you got to watch. If you didn't, I hope you will...it is well worth your time. What a blessing!

She Just Doesn't Get It

If I wake up first, I go downstairs and do stuff, mostly on the computer. 

When Marley wakes up she sneeks down the stairs and peeks around the corner.

When I see her, I squeel with delight and open my arms. 

Marley runs into my arms and we cuddle and talk.

Today. 

Marley: I found my pink baby! 

(pink rabbit, named Lola, but mostly referred to as pink baby since all her babyies' are named Lola.)

Me: Where was she?

Marley: Under my bed, almost, by the wall.

Me: Oh! Was she crying?

Mar: NO!!! (laughs)

Me: (laugh) Oh Marley! Are you my BF?

Marley: NO! 

Me: Do you know what BF means?

Marley: Yea, L-M-nen-O-P

Me: No. B-F means Best Friend.

Marley: Oooohhhh!

Me: And B-F-F means Best Friend FOREVER!

Marley: (wide eyes)

Me: You are my BFF!

Marley: Ok!

I got us some cereal for breakfast. 

During breakfast.

Marley: Mom, you are my G-L-C- ummm Q!

Me: huh? 

Marley: This means my Best Friend in the whole entire wide world.

I don't know where she learned "whole entire wide world." 

I guess since she's just got the Alphabet down - except for "nen" it may be a little much to ask for her to understand acronyms.

It was a great talk anyway.
I love chatting with her...it's always entertaining.

August

Unconsciously, I took August off from blogs.

I didn't realize until August 12 that I hadn't posted nor read anyone elses' blog.
 I decided if anyone asked (my sister) I would just say,
"Oh, I decided to take August off from blogs."
Then it would seem conscious and meaningful?

August 16 Julie called and asked me if I had read one of our favorite blogs today:
"No."
 "Why?!?"
"I haven't read it all month."
"Why?!?"
"Oh, I decided to take August off from blogs."
"Go read it and call me back."
"Ok."

The verdict:

My unconscious decisions last longer than conscious ones.

And also.

Julie can get me to do just about anything.