Resolution, 11 Years Later

For weeks, I've been writing this post on and off. Before that, I debated for months whether or not to write about a wonderful resolution I received to a very difficult-for-me trial. As you can see from my post's title, I decided to publish it! While this is a very personal post, I share it in the hopes that my struggle and happy resolution could help others. :)

It's no secret that I love and adore babies—oh, they are so heavenly, sweet and wonderful! I still claim that statement even when babies are crying or causing distress to others! Ha ha. I love all babies no matter what! :)

My love of babies and children were manifest at a very early age. My earliest memories of how much I love babies go all the way back to when I was a little over two years old. While I couldn't have my own real-life baby, I had a favorite baby doll that I lived with! I literally took her everywhere with me! As my years progressed, I continued to play with all sorts of dolls—including Barbies and porcelain dolls, but baby dolls were still my favorite.

When I was an older teenager, I couldn't wait to become an adult, get married and start a family with my one true love—it was my biggest goal in life! Please let me assure you that no one ever "brainwashed" me into that way of thinking. I clarify my position (again) simply because there are a lot of misconceptions about my church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) in the ways it "promotes" motherhood. I say that because a few months ago, I listened to a podcast on that very subject: Motherhood in the Church. The podcast panelists weren't very positive about their views of how the Church presents motherhood to its members—which is why I won't be linking to the podcast from my blog! Ha ha. (I became so riled while listening to those ladies, I was barely able to finish the podcast!) So, yes, I have always loved babies; motherhood was my greatest wish and desire! :) No one put the idea in my head...no one pressured me to want to bear and raise children.

I came to this earth with unconditional love and a true desire to care for every baby—it is innate in my soul and will never go away! :)

Enter the day I knew by spiritual means that I was done having children: I was devastated. You see, I had always wanted to have (give birth to) at least four children. Greg had also always thought about being the father to four children. I love that we were (and are) so in sync with each other! I even planned out our pregnancy timing if Greg and I decided to have five or six babies! :)

The best part of the first spiritual experience I received—of knowing I was done having children—was when I shared my knowledge with Greg. As I was telling him about my spiritual experience that led me to know without reservation that our family was complete, Greg literally finished my sentence! For Greg, too, had had the exact same spiritual experience as me—and it happened a mere 45 minutes before mine! We were amazed at our discovery! The worst part of my spiritual experience was digesting that Greg also knew without any doubts that our family was complete...I just really didn't want to admit that we were done having children!

Our remarkable and identical spiritual experiences should have been enough for me, but I struggled desperately with our answer. Over the next (nearly) two years, I had a few additional significant spiritual experiences that showed me again that Greg's and my family was complete. Each and every time I prayed, fasted, read my scriptures, and went to the temple about my little family (to know if our family was for sure complete), I received the same answer from the Holy Ghost: your family is complete. Oh, our Heavenly Father was so patient with me! :) He continually and tenderly loved and cared for my sad mama soul.

To help me cope with the finality of my reality (That's a nifty phrase, isn't it?!), I had my mom write me a letter. I asked her to help me see the other good/important qualities, talents and abilities I possessed that weren't tied up in my children. You see, my identity was very attached to my desires and ability to birth and raise children well—refer to my second and fifth paragraphs, above. :)

I'm not being prideful when I say that I'm a good mother. I'm not perfect, but I really try so hard every day to be a good mama. :) As I've stated many times before, I view being a mother as my ultimate career! My nannying, babysitting and volunteering years trained me well. I learned through day-in and day-out experience at multiple homes and schools what works best in raising children.

I was definitely prepared to be a mother and was successful with the three children I already had—so I could not for the life of me understand why Heavenly Father's answer was, "You're done having children." (Unlike Shonda Rhimes, I'm really great at staying home and playing with my kids! Ha ha. For clarification, watch Shonda's TED Talk, "My Year of Saying Yes to Everything.") I wondered why my mothering gifts and abilities hadn't been chosen to rear more precious heavenly souls?

But back to the letter my mom wrote me... Now, I can clearly see my qualities, talents and abilities that aren't related to only raising my children, but at that time, my profound grief at not having more children was nearly more than I could handle. I thank my mom to this day for helping me through such a trying time. I needed her kind words so much! I even filed her letter away, in case I needed to read it again for strength. Thank you, Mama! :)

*Lest any of you worry about my husband and his support of me during that time, well, don't. For Greg was always very sweet, supportive and generously loving. He gave me an amazing priesthood blessing to help me deal with my heartbreak. Yet because Greg also knew 100%(!) that we were supposed to be done having children, it was easy for him to never worry about it again. He just loved me through it. I will forever praise My Gregor for his endlessly patient, kind and understanding support!

Eventually, I accepted our truth and moved on in my life.

When we moved into our beautiful home in Colorado, I sorted through all of our baby supplies/clothing/necessities. I made keepsake boxes for all three of my children and myself. We then had a huge garage sale of most of our baby items. It was nice that we made a good amount of money, but even more, it was greatly therapeutic for me to see that my precious babies' gear was going to good homes. I loved watching the darling babies who were going to benefit from my smart and frugal shopping! (I find the best clearance sales!)

I held onto all of my maternity clothes and some of our baby clothes because I just couldn't let go of all of it at right at that time—I kept those things in storage for two more years. When it was time for our family to move back to Utah (from CO), I finally gave away all of my maternity clothes and most of the remaining baby clothes. That was a humongous step for me!

As the years passed, I continually longed to have more babies. Don't misunderstand, I wasn't thinking about having another baby 24-7, but it was definitely at the back of my mind on a regular basis. I teared up every time someone close to me became pregnant. I was SO happy for them (Truly!), but I always secretly wished I could join in the pregnancy fun. It was especially difficult when ladies I knew weren't thrilled to be pregnant...those moments were little daggers to my mother heart! *Don't get me wrong, for I'm not judging them in the least. I wasn't in their situation; I didn't live their reality. It was just really difficult for me to hear that a pregnant mother wasn't fully interested in my fondest dream!

Enter October, 2015. One day, my body began acting strangely. I had symptoms I hadn't experienced in years. I couldn't figure out what was going on because my body felt like it was working on preparing a baby—which I knew was nothing remotely close to my realm of possibility.

I had quite a bit of time to wonder if the miraculous had occurred? As I sat there pondering our situation, I instantly realized how utterly difficult it would be for our family if I were to become pregnant at this time in our advancing timeline. I absolutely could not believe how I was feeling. I panicked while thinking, "What would we do? How would we pay for another baby? There's no way we could do it without going into significant financial debt, or having me be employed outside the home—which is never going to happen unless a tragedy befalls our family!"

My mind raced, thinking of our super high high-deductible insurance plan (at least we have insurance—I'm so thankful for that! It's just not the great insurance plans of 15 years ago...); the barest of bare minimums we had in savings; paying for Greg's two university student loans; our growing children attending college in a few short years—and possibly going on missions for our church; orthodontia; contacts/glasses; various dental/medical/prescription bills; clothing/shoes for fast-growing teenage bodies; car insurance for teen drivers; expensive gluten-free food (and more of it because of my darling children's quickly-growing bodies); 18-year-old cars with needed repairs...and on and on.

Budget freak-out aside, because I was spiritually shown/told on multiple occasions that our little family was complete, it was completely foreign to me to think of adding another baby—even though my fondest dream was suddenly staring me in the face! Ha ha.

In that moment, the strangest thing happened: I suddenly realized just how much I really and genuinely like my current station in life! I can't explain it exactly, but it was like my mind was in one of those movies where a protective fairy sprinkles magic sparkles to change a situation! Because my mind was full of those happy twinkles, my heart slowly changed from despair that we weren't having more children, to excitement and happiness for where I am right now. :)

I spent quality time thinking about all of the good, great, and awesome things in Greg's and my life of married with older children! (Ha ha.) I like the fact that we can leave our house anytime, and we don't have to worry about hiring a babysitter. (We don't leave our house very often without our children, it's just nice knowing we can go if necessary.) Greg and I have so much fun together and with our children! Our family is so tight! While our family members aren't perfect, our family relationship as a whole is amazing and wonderful—it's everything I could have hoped for!

I thought about the implications of Greg and I essentially starting over—especially considering the fact that our years are edging closer to the empty-nesters category than that of having young children. (That's a crazy thought to my eternally 25 brain!) In reviewing all that goes into pregnancy, the baby years, preschool age and beyond, I suddenly felt very tired! ;)

Eventually, I meandered back to the idea of me possibly having another baby. I decided right then and there that I would immediately welcome another baby into our family if that was Heavenly Father's will, but I just really didn't believe that was the case because of all the amazing spiritual answers I received years ago.

A few days later, my mind was put totally at ease. There was no doubt about it, I was most definitely not going to have another baby. It was in that relieving moment that I was finally able to say,

"I'm happy Greg and I are done having babies! I know our little family is complete and I'm 100% okay with that!"

To some, my realization might seem shallow, silly, or cruel (even more, others might not be able to fathom my feelings in the slightest!), but for this mother heart—that previously longed for 11 years to have more babies—my happiness was (and is!) such a welcomed relief! I'm utterly jubilant that I was finally able to be free of longing for a baby that would never be mine.

No one but my darling Gregor will ever fully understand how beautiful that miracle was and is for me.

My positive feelings during that experience were strong enough for me to know they are permanent—hooray for that! I love knowing I'll never be in that sad wishing for a baby place again! :)

I'll continue loving, caring for, and enjoying babies for the rest of my life, but it will be in the roles of awesome Aunt Adrie; volunteer-baby-holder; or... grandmother! Yes, it's difficult for me to even write the last word of that previous sentence because I can hardly believe it! Yet when I really think about my life, becoming a grandmother could technically be just a decade away! Seriously, whoa. Of course, it depends on what my children decide to do with their lives, but it's possible!

In the four+ months since my heart has changed (in regard to not having another baby), I've felt such blissful peace! It's been marvelous to have that gloomy weight (hiding in the corner) completely lifted from my soul. I believe Heavenly Father gifted me that experience so I could fully realize that my life is exactly the way it's supposed to be! For that, I'm overflowing with gratitude! :)

I'm very pleased that Greg and I followed (and continue to follow) the inspiration we received from the Holy Ghost. Even though my heart was secretly leaning on the sad side for many years about not having additional children, we heeded the Holy Ghost and did what Heavenly Father said was right for our family. We've received great comfort because of our faith-filled actions, which is worth a lot! Looking back over our lives and noting the blessings we've received because we listened feels better than wonderful! :)

To close, I'd like to share my thoughts for anyone struggling...

• If you are in a sad place—wishing and hoping for something that just might not happen—be patient and please hang in there! :) I can't guarantee when it will happen, but there will come a day when you'll understand the reason(s) why that particular "no" answer or extended trial came to you. Faithful patience is needed for every struggle.
• Give yourself time to adjust without an expiration date. Even though my spirit and rational brain fully understood the whys of my I'm done having babies trial, it took my heart 11 years to fully process that answer, accept it, and be happy with our outcome. Yes, the passage of time really helps so much!
• Find other ways to be happy. Even though you might not have everything your heart desires, there are still so many ways to be joyful in this world! Seek out the finer things in life—i.e., kindness, learning, service—and steer clear of negativity.
• Work on yourself! Be good! Analyze your personality and find ways to improve. Most importantly, don't beat yourself up about your shortcomings. Instead, simply change those things that need changing and be positive every day! You'll never regret becoming a better person! :)
• Surround yourself with excellent people. If you don't currently have that option, seek to create and bring excellence to those around you! :)
• Internalize that you are valuable, important, special and loved—regardless of the situation you find yourself in. Everyone has something to contribute to this world! Even if your contribution doesn't fit the mold, figure out what your mission is and go for it!
• Never lose sight of what is most important. Returning home with honor to our Father in Heaven—so we can be with our families forever—should be at the forefront of our minds! Of course, that includes all the wonderful things we are taught in the gospel of Jesus Christ—He truly is the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by [Him]! (John 14:6)
• Remember that our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are always on our side. There might be times when you feel unloved/unlovable, but nothing could be further from the truth. They are continually there for us—they're just a prayer away! Heavenly Father is the grand orchestrator of our lives, we can and must trust that He will do what's best for us! :)

P.S. Don't forget to pray! :)

Medium!

Today, I must share the new-ish website I just joined: its name is Medium. (The actual link is https://medium.com/. You can find their app in Google Play and iTunes.) No, Medium didn't recruit me, and I'm not getting any sort of compensation for joining it. In fact, from what I've seen of Medium, there aren't any advertisements to be found on their website! Say what?! I simply stumbled upon it last year and visited occasionally over the past several months, but I wasn't really sure about joining Medium just yet. This morning, I finally decided to become a part of the Medium network because what they present makes sense to me. :)

While I'm still a total newbie at Medium, I'm cautiously excited about what I'll find there! Medium feels like a place I can stand behind. It doesn't seem like one of those write a snap thought/judgement/opinion social media sites like Twitter or Facebook—hooray for that! :) From what I've explored so far, Medium seems like a very thoughtful, genuine place on the internet—and I want to be there, too! Yay yay happy day!

I'm not trying to be rude to other social media websites (or the people who've worked so hard to create them), I'm just tired of people (the social media users) rambling off anything and everything just to get a "like" or a following, or for shock value. Happily, Medium seems more like a distinguished, peaceful library than a noisy flea market on a Saturday! Ha ha. Don't get me wrong because you all know I love shopping and finding awesome clearance deals! It's just that my soul deeply craves the in-depth personal stories/experiences/life lessons that are carefully written with positive purpose. I love it when people create goodness to share with the world, and I think Medium is a place where that's happening every day!

I won't have too much time to spend on Medium because my life is already filled to the brim(!), but I really like having a great place to go online when I have a little downtime and want to read what's inside someone else's brain. :)

Happy FriYAY to you all!

P.S. I couldn't help but create this typographic design in honor of my excitement for Medium's possibilities! :)

Happily Marching On!

Wow, I have been MIA for a long time! I think this is the longest I've gone without writing a blog post ever! Yes, there has been a lot going on in my little world.

Remember the possible trial I wrote about several weeks ago? Well, it most definitely showed up—except, it wasn't the trial I was expecting. The trial I thought would manifest itself in one child actually reared its trying head in another one of my children!

It's interesting because I can see very clearly now that the Lord had been preparing me through one child, so I could be ready for the trial in my other child. I won't go into personal details here because the trial my child endured is very personal.

Suffice it to say, with this new trial, we've had to deal with physical issues that we've never dealt with before. Those physical issues translated into emotional issues, too. A minor—yet still very nerve-wracking—surgery was performed on my precious child. Thankfully, the outcome was better-than-expected! I could finally breathe! That said, our finances have been put through the ringer—which induced a whole new level of breathlessness in my soul! But due to the miracle of tithing blessings, and a very generous grandmother (Thank you, my sweetest Mama!), we are still hanging on! This quote (below) describes perfectly how I feel! And I can totally imagine Rod cheerfully shaking my shoulders and yelling to me,

"You are hanging on by a very thin thread and I dig that about you!" – Rod Tidwell, Jerry Maguire (From the edited, clean movie version! Ha ha.)

I created this using the Arizona Sun Devils' color codes! Remember the other Rod Tidwell quote? "I'm from Arizona, Jerry! I broke Arizona records! I went to Arizona State! I'm a Sun Devil, man!" Thus, I just had to go with that color scheme. Ha ha.

Oh, that quote makes me laugh every time I think about it! :) These moments in life are precisely why we need good entertainment in our world!

But back to the trial coming to my family in a different way than we expected, isn't that the way life always is? I've come to realize (yet again!) that no matter how much we prepare, there is literally no way we can ever be truly prepared for everything. It's impossible to predict what this life will throw at us! Thus, I believe the best way to prepare for every trial we face is to cultivate a truly deep, personal, meaningful and eternal relationship with our Heavenly Father, through His Son, Jesus Christ. The fabulous scripture found in John 14:26 is perfectly applicable to my trial:

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

Yes, I've needed the Holy Ghost so much during the past two months! Of course, I need and rely on him every day, but it was never more apparent than during our trial.

As I reflect on the worrisome feelings I had as we faced this new medical challenge, and the money involved(!), I'm beyond grateful for my strong testimony of our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and for the influence of the Holy Ghost!

I can't help but think back to the day I lovingly held my child in my bed, intensely and sincerely praying for relief. It amazes me to this day that in the very moment of my child's greatest moment of pain and fear, my powerful prayers were totally answered. My child was instantly comforted, a major problem was revealed and simultaneously resolved! There is no doubt in my mind that our Heavenly Father heard me! It was no small miracle to this concerned mother. And I will never forget the sun spilling through my window, warming us, as if to say, "Don't worry, it will be all right!"

*Side note: I'm not writing about my "powerful" prayers in a proud way. I'm simply illustrating that I literally felt a power come from within me as I fervently prayed for my suffering child. I felt as if a channel or tunnel was coming directly out of my soul, sending my prayers straight to Heavenly Father in our time of sincerest need. Plus, my husband was out of town on business, so there was no one in my house who could give my child a priesthood blessing. (No, my child didn't want me to call anyone to come help, and I respected that.) Shortly after that amazing experience is when I took my child to the doctor—for the second time during our trial (one of many appointments)—and the result of that prayer was manifest in my child's test results. {And of course, my husband gave our child a priesthood blessing before the minor surgery. When Greg is home, I totally utilize his marvelous priesthood power! :)}

Even in my moments of profound motherly worry, I received this inspiration from the Holy Ghost, "Don't worry, _____ will be okay." He didn't tell me everything would be beach resorts filled with lazy ease and fine luxury, but I knew we wouldn't be devastated by this trial—and that, my friends, is worth everything!

Thus, after the upheaval of the past two months (Our trial was barely beginning when I wrote my previous blog post and I never, ever expected it to go the direction it went!)—as well as just the normal, everyday busyness of life—I hope to begin blogging more regularly again. Yay! I have so many things to write about! I tell ya, I could write for hours a day and never get bored! Ha ha.

So, I will end with this: Today, March 1st, 2016, is the third anniversary of when my darling Gregor told me we were moving back to Utah (from Texas)! 03/01/13 will forever remain in my list of "Happiest Dates Ever!" Oh yes, I am happily marching on, and I hope you are, too! Seriously, every day we are granted on this earth is such a blessing! We have so much to live for and so many people to love! Now, let's get out there and make this world a better place! :)

P.S. I know that fasting also helped my beloved child during this trial—there is no doubt in my mind! :)

Nine Reasons Everyone Should Write a Blog

This morning, as I laid in bed trying to go back to sleep, I thought about blogging. Actually, I think about blogging a lot! :) Thus, I decided to write a blog post listing my reasons I think everyone should create and maintain their own blog. My reasons are in no particular order, so one reason isn't more important than another. Here we go!

1. Blogging is therapeutic. Over the years, I've read multiple articles that all say the same thing: there is immense value in writing about our lives. Whatever life issues we may have truly diminish as we write down our feelings.
2. Blogging makes me happy, thus, I think blogging will make everyone happy! :) It's true. I legitimately feel better when I'm blogging. If I ever feel not at my best, i.e., cranky, sad, frustrated, etc., I realize I haven't blogged in a long while—refer back to point one. :)
3. Blogging stimulates the creative side of our brains. I honestly believe creativity is vital in keeping our brains healthy. :) Even if someone doesn't like writing, per se, they could still have a blog about art, or cooking, or sewing, or home improvement projects, or photography. A blog with photos and a brief description is so easy to create, and there isn't much writing required. :)
4. Blogging is a window to our souls. We can tell a lot about a person through their consistent writing. It really is so much fun to "get inside" someone else's head—well, to the point that someone is willing to share!
5. Blogging creates understanding, which may lead to unity. Each of us have unique life experiences. No one is a clone of anyone else—not even identical twins. Even if we are involved in the same life situation, each of us has a different perspective of what did or didn't happen. Thus, it really is so good to share our thoughts and feelings with others. Think of blogging like a town hall meeting where we can freely and safely present our thoughts to others without fear of retaliation. *Of course, that depends on the good social etiquette of others. There are many blog commenters in the world who aren't supportive and can be downright mean and ugly with their words. I hope everyone chooses to be uplifting in their comments, or remain silent!
6. Blogging tells our stories best! There are many ways to express ourselves with the various social media outlets, but I truly believe blogging does the best job of telling our stories. Yes, there are people who aren't wordy and may like Twitter better, but even Twitter just extended their character limits to 10,000. Yet for those of us who are more wordy, Twitter probably still doesn't have enough space! Ha ha. Instagram is so lovely for photos and users can leave a description, but I feel everyone's stories still get somewhat lost on Instagram. Plus, even though we can view Instagram on any device, users can only create content from cell phones, which is definitely limiting. Now onto Facebook...well, don't even get me started! Ha ha. If you'd like to know my position about FB, feel free to read my posts, "My Facebook Experiment," "Unfriending vs. Unfollowing" and "Farewell, Facebook!" Google+ is okay, but I honestly don't really use it for anything other than sharing my blog links and keeping my name searchable in Google—see reason eight for clarification. Pinterest is okay, but it only shares what a user is interested in through a link to a website or blog! Again, users have to create their content if they want someone to really know what they're about. In fact, I mostly share my blog's content on Pinterest and Instagram! I'm not on Reddit, Snapchat, Twitch, LinkedIn, or any of the other social media sites I've never heard of. Ha ha. Yes, I'm sticking with blogging!
7. Blogs can be viewed without others having to sign up with an account of their own. This is very helpful for anyone who doesn't want to have a large social media presence. People can happily view blogs without the pain of having to sign up with their own account—unlike other social media websites. *Granted, this only applies to public blogs. If someone has a private blog, they must invite their desired readers to create an account with their blog hosting service. Chances are, if someone we care about wants to invite us into their world, I'm certain we'd be willing to create an account—I know I would. :)
8. Blogging helps eliminate public confusion as to who we are. There are many websites based on "public records" that claim to have all the information anyone would ever desire. After searching for myself over the years, I still can't believe the gross inaccuracies available on multiple websites. Those ridiculous websites created off of public real estate records, credit information and generic mailing lists (that are totally outdated), aren't helpful to anyone! Professionals who want to keep their name in the positive areas of the internet should most definitely write their own blog. We must own our names! Don't allow anyone else to define your name or your values! Sorry if it seems like I'm "screaming," I'm really not. I'm just very passionate about keeping the internet honest!
9. Blogging helps create our legacy. No one likes to talk about dying and death, but the fact is, we will all die one day. I have many loved ones who have passed on that I would love to know more about. I cherish the writings of my little sister and dearly wish she had written more! I think there is nothing better than to have a place to go remember our loved ones—which is why cemeteries are not scary places to me, they're sacred. *Having a blog to go "visit" our departed loved ones is a gift I wish more of my extended family members would participate in. Hey, I would love it if everyone wrote books because I love paper so very much(!), but publishing a book is expensive! Thus, writing a blog on a free web service is amazing and awesome! No offense meant to anyone, but why isn't everyone blogging for free to leave their legacy?! Um, that totally rhymed and I didn't even mean to! Ha ha.

Now, I'd like to share my opinion as to why Blogger is the best blogging platform. *To clarify, no one has asked me to write this, and no one is paying me to promote my buddy, Blogger!

Before I created Enthusiastic Fantastic I researched Wordpress. I have nothing against Wordpress and I have many friends who use (or have used) Wordpress—it's a perfectly nice place to share your life on the www. Yet after studying Wordpress for a few hours, I realized I simply like the features of Blogger better. In fact, I used Blogger for my Adrie World blog for five years and thoroughly enjoyed it.

The best news about Blogger came in 2015: Google, who owns Blogger, began hosting individual domain names again! Thus, I instantly dropped GoDaddy and switched to Google as my host of Enthusiastic Fantastic! There was nothing wrong with GoDaddy, they were perfectly fine, and kind, and all those good things. I just like the convenience of having my blog easily connected to my domain name—I went through quite an extensive amount of researching hours to connect my Blogger blog to GoDaddy. Plus, Google is cheap! My website is good to go until like 2020! :)

That said, Blogger allows anyone to create a blog for free through their .blogspot.com address. I began Enthusiastic Fantastic with a .blogspot.com address and changed to my own web address only one year and three months ago. Setting up a blog on Blogger is seriously so easy and they have all sorts of forums to help with questions. Granted, creating a blog takes time, but anything worth doing takes time!!

I also really like the fact that Blogger is connected directly to Google (It's right inside Google! Yeah yeah!), which is helpful if you're trying to get your blog noticed. My blog hasn't really taken off, and I'm okay with that. I don't know if my blog will ever take off in the sense that I could make a lot of money at it, and I'm okay with that. I just love blogging, so it doesn't matter if I'm noticed, or not. :)

A few weeks ago, I repeatedly thought, "Should I quit my blog? I spend so much precious time and energy blogging, but is it really worth my efforts?" I've had those feelings before—read "I Shall Continue!" to know more. Thus, I found it utterly hilarious when I awoke one morning to a bird literally tapping on my window. I was like, "That darn bird woke me up! And on a Saturday when I could have been sleeping in!!!" I was so sleepily annoyed, you have no idea! ;)

Because I was already awake, I laid there, wondering. I debated with myself again about quitting my blog. Yet after rolling over, I checked my email and saw I had gained another couple followers on my Google+ account. (Thank you friends, you know who you are!) In that moment, I instantly knew that my answer was no, I should most definitely not quit blogging...I know because a little birdy told me so! Ha ha. I rolled back over and saw that my husband was awake. I told Greg about what happened and he thoroughly agreed with me! Yay! :)

Lastly, this is my happy motto for everyone: "Choose To Write!" It's a play on words of one of my church's favorite themes: Choose the Right. :) I think of my motto often and take notes whenever I'm inspired with a new blog topic—I hope you'll do the same!

Yes, I'm telling the world: that little bird wants you to blog, too! Thus, go forth with greatness and write your story!

P.S. I just realized I wrote and published my "nine reasons" on the ninth of January! I so did not plan this! :)

I Bid You Adieu, 2015!

In years past, I've been utterly happy to say "Goodbye!" to bad years, but 2015 is different. 2015 was a pretty good year for my little family and me. Yes, we had our challenges, but in comparison to other years, 2015 felt really good! :) I'm so very grateful for having had two-and-a-half good years in a row—my heart is so happy!

When I really stop and think about it, I'm almost in disbelief that we've lived in our lovely 70s house for two years, six months and 18 days! Yes, I'm the dorkiest because I still count how many days we've lived here! In my defense, this is literally the longest I've lived in one place consistently, at one time, since I've been married (remember, we lived here from 2008-2010, too). Our happy anniversary is truly cause for celebration!

Yesterday morning, I enjoyed looking back on my smart phone's calendar. Reminiscing about everything I did in 2015 was a lot of fun! Here are some of my calendar items from 2015—not everything I've listed here was actually scheduled on my phone, but I remember those items, too!

• exercise dates with myself (Yes, I schedule every exercise day to keep myself on track and accountable! And I totally rescheduled my exercising times if something truly urgent came up, but that wasn't very often.)
• soccer and basketball games for my boys
• extended family parties
• teaching piano lessons seven times per week
• movie nights
• church—including: the three-hour Sunday block; Young Women activities/meetings/lessons; and choir practices
• daily driving my kids to/from school
• breakfast/brunch/lunch/dinner dates with friends and family
• all kinds of shopping
• praying and fasting for others in need
• babysitting children of family and friends
• paying bills
• attending musicals and plays
• blogging (!)
• Instagramming (I enjoy every bit of that fun app! Well, except for the occasional inappropriate photo—I completely despise those!)
• parent–teacher conferences
• date nights with my husband
• housework and home improvements
• get-togethers with friends
• reading and researching
• being a "single mom" while my husband traveled for work...

Speaking of my husband traveling... 2015 was filled with my husband's work travels! Now that this difficult year of my husband traveling is over (Hopefully, we won't have a repeat in 2016!), I must say that it was really hard having my beloved Gregor gone for eight weeks last year! Thankfully, the weeks he traveled for business weren't all right in a row, but there were a few consecutive weeks when we were in each other's company only other every-other week! It was rough.

Experiencing such extended time apart from Greg really reminded me of what single mothers go through—I experienced that in 2008 for three months when Greg was working in Utah, and I was living in CO with our three children, waiting for our house to sell. My heart truly aches for single mothers and their difficult situations. Granted, I know some single mothers have set up their lives that way on purpose—they don't want to be in a relationship. But for me, living without Greg when he's traveling is not something I enjoy! I would not be a good single mother! Of course, I could be a single mother if I absolutely had no other choice, but single motherhood is most definitely not something I would ever choose. Ever!

If I remember right, I believe it was after the third week Greg traveled for work that I felt like I was really getting the hang of being a "single mother." I realized how vitally important it was for me to get enough sleep every night. If I didn't get a good night of sleep, the rest of my day was shot!

I was also pretty diligent at getting my schedule going and sticking to it...which if you know me well, you know that I extremely dislike being scheduled! I LOVE being random! I love waking up and just seeing where the day takes me! I love surprising myself and others with what I choose to do with my days! Thus, when I have to be scheduled and stick to time-frames that are the furthest thing from my natural tendencies, well, let me assure you, it is a struggle for my free-bird random soul! :) 

That said, I must state how pleased I am that I was able to conquer my annoyances with schedules! Ha ha. I love that I really did what needed to be done! "Yay me!" Did I do it all perfectly when Greg was working in Texas, or Tennessee, or Arizona, or Ohio? Goodness, no! I wasn't perfect, but I did my best and that is something that will make me smile forever! :)

The two benefits of Greg's extended travels were this:

1. I had to make only my side of the bed! Ha ha.
2. Greg and I appreciated each other so much more when he returned home!

Oh, how Greg's and my love blossomed this past year because of being forced to spend so much time apart from each other! If you're a regular reader of my blog, you know that Greg and I have a truly great love for each other—our marriage is as solid as granite...as durable as tungsten...as indestructible as a diamond! Thus, the fact that our relationship became even stronger—even when we had to be apart for so many weeks—well, it makes me unbelievably happy and grateful for what we've been able to accomplish. :)

All of that said, I do not want a repeat of 2015 in the work-travel department! I want to see my husband in his comfy-cozy clothes, working at his basement desk for hours on end! :) I want to eat lunch with him every day! I want to be able to hear his savvy business sense as he talks with his employees and clients on the phone. I want to give Greg a kiss anytime my heart desires it! (If you can't tell, for much of my life, I feel like I live in a really awesome romantic movie! Ha ha.)

It's worth mentioning that what used to be a simmering frustration when I had to be quiet for Greg's daily conference calls has turned into gratitude that my husband has a job he can do successfully from the comfort of our disco dandy 70s home! Yes, I learned a lot in 2015!

Here is my favorite photo of Greg and me from our lovely 2015 Christmas season. We took the photo at my darling mom's house the day of our extended family Christmas party.

Oh, how I love this glorious man of mine! I'm so grateful I have Greg for eternity!

I'd like to thank 2015 for all of the wonderful lessons I learned while in its care. I will fondly remember 2015 forever! And now, I bid you adieu, 2015—may 2016 be as good to my family as you were! :)

P.S. Just as a reminder: while I would truly love to share updated photos of my three beautiful children here on Enthusiastic Fantastic (My children mean everything to me!), I purposely don't post any on my blog for safety's sake. I know the majority of humanity is good, but I'm a mama who wants to keep her babies safe from the dangerous weirdos of our world! (The one photo I've shared of my children in my "Paramount Parents" post is from eight years ago, so I think I'm okay sharing that one.) 

Receiving Our Trials With Thankfulness

Yesterday afternoon, after I finished exercising (I did one of Shaun T's Insanity videos!), I began listening to a few of the lessons in President Ezra Taft Benson's book, Teachings of Presidents of the Church on my smart phone. As I was listening to "Chapter 2: Pray Always" (I was in the shower at that point), my soul was instantly struck by the following paragraphs,

"For what should we pray? We should pray about our work, against the power of our enemies and the devil, for our welfare and the welfare of those around us. We should counsel with the Lord regarding all our decisions and activities. (See Alma 37:36–37.) We should be grateful enough to give thanks for all we have. (See D&C 59:21.) We should confess His hand in all things. Ingratitude is one of our great sins. 

"The Lord has declared in modern revelation: 'And he [she] who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him [her], even an hundred fold, yea, more.'" – D&C 78:19.

When I heard the scripture in the second paragraph, I had chills run from the tip of my head, down through my toes. My soul was on fire as I thought, "That means we should receive everything with thankfulness—even our trials!" While I've read D&C 78:19 many times in my life, I've never before thought about including our trials in the category of thankfulness.

In hindsight, I'm completely and wholly grateful for my trials. In my perfect 20/20 retro-vision (ha ha), it's easy and astounding to bear witness of the miracles that have blessed my life. But when I've been in the midst of my trials—with no visible end in sight—I admit it's been hard to be thankful 100% of the time. Yes, I am human: mortal and imperfect. I've made mistakes. In my own way, I've sinned with the rest of humankind. Throughout my life, I've said and done things that aren't totally pleasing to our Heavenly Father—many times, unknowingly, but a few times, knowingly. Yet I know that our Savior's Atonement covers all of my mess-ups, blunders, sins and ungratefulness through sincere repentance—He covers yours, too! :)

After I got out of the shower, I was listening to "Chapter 3: Freedom of Choice, an Eternal Principle." (Yes, I took a nice, long, rejuvenating shower because Insanity wore me out!) It's a fabulous lesson, too! I plan to give it for our Family Home Evening tomorrow night! But I digress... Anyway, I went to my phone, paged back to President Benson's lesson on prayer and began researching the scriptures associated with D&C 78:19. I was amazed with the scriptures listed in the footnotes—emphasis added:

Psalms 34:1–3:

1 I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
3 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.

Mosiah 2:20–21:

20 I say unto you, my brethren, that if you should render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has created you, and has kept and preserved you, and has caused that ye should rejoice, and has granted that ye should live in peace one with another—
21 I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.

*Even though Mosiah 2:22 wasn't included in their footnotes, I must include it because I don't want us to end on a negative note! :)

22 And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you.

Matthew 19:27–29:

27 ¶Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?
28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

Why are those scriptures so amazing to me? Well, simply put, if we let go of everything that means so much to us in our earthly life, and follow Jesus Christ and his gospel in every possible way, we will be blessed one hundredfold—to the point of having everlasting life!

Going back to the idea of receiving our trials with thankfulness...I must say that I now view my trials in the same light as this scripture found in Ether 12:27:

"And if men [and women] come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men [and women] that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

During the past few months, I've been on the edge of my seat with a trial that could potentially knock at our door. The crazy thing is, this potential trial could also fade into nonexistence! Thus, while trying to keep my non-worrying wits about me, many times I've reflected back on my family's experiences when we lived in Texas. Every time I've chosen to remember what we've been through, my soul has been instantly soothed. During most of our time living in Texas (until the last three months before we moved back to Utah), we simply couldn't see what was coming or why we had to suffer. To some, our situation wouldn't have been considered suffering, but to my sad soul, it was the most intense suffering I've encountered to this point in my life.

Yet my soul is reduced to tearful, joyful, happy smiles when I reminisce about the miracles that occurred in Texas, and how everything was restored to our family! Yes, my prior and significant weakness (those two-and-a-half-years we lived in Texas) has become one of my greatest strengths that I continually lean on during times of trial and stress! Thus, the words in Ether 12:27 are mighty applicable to me—their beauty is deeply personal!

My sincere plea to all of us is to receive everything in our lives—especially our trials—with thankfulness! Let each and every one of us praise our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ for every blessing and trial they see fit to bestow upon us. And let us cheerfully choose to follow Them regardless how we view the situations we find ourselves in. If we follow the beautiful words found in the scriptures I've shared here, I testify we will truly be blessed one hundredfold! :)

P.S. I'm so glad I wrote this blog post today because I'm certain I'll need it as a reminder when I'm struggling through my next trial! :)

21 Years of Love Songs

Lately, I've been happily reminiscing about all of the love songs I've associated with my husband, Greg. I'm amazed to realize that I've been collecting these love songs for the past 21 years! (As of today, Greg and I have been married for 18 years and three+ months! Yes, I'm still counting!)

The songs listed below might help you catch a glimpse of the way my heart bursts with love for the man I have for eternity! I've listed the name of the song, artist, and when I was most enamored with the song—even though I still love listening to them all! :) I've included tidbits about many of my songs, but for time's sake, I left some without a description—but that doesn't mean I don't like them as much as the other songs! :)

Several of "my" songs might not seem like love songs to some people, but I associate all of them with Greg so they mean love to me!

I don't have my love songs arranged in the best order, as I looked on two different iPods to find them all. I have the majority of my songs on CDs, but I've purchased several on iTunes. I haven't purchased three of the songs on my list, but I plan to shortly! :)

There is no way for me to estimate how many times I've listened to these lovely songs because they are literally the soundtrack of my life! :) Without further ado, let's dive into another realm in my happiness kingdom! ;)

"Can You Feel The Love Tonight"– Elton John; The Lion King soundtrack: Teenager
*This song captured my heart when Greg and I went on our very first date, and it's still tightly hanging on! We asked my mom to sing it at our wedding breakfast, and my grandma played the piano for her. It was a lovely performance!

"Head Over Feet"– Alanis Morissette; Teenager
*Oh, this song instantly takes me back to the time my aching heart was missing Greg on his mission (in Fukuoka, Japan). When I first heard it, I had one of those moments where you think, "She wrote that song just for me!" It perfectly described the way Greg swept me off my feet! I listened to it a ton after I bought the CD. It is still one of my absolute favorite "Greg Love Songs"!

"You've already won me over in spite of me
And don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet
And don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are
I couldn't help it
It's all your fault"

"Song For You"– Alexi Murdoch; Colorado
*My sister introduced me to this song and it just really stuck with me. I especially loved listening to it when Greg was working and living in Utah while the kids and I were in Colorado waiting for our house to sell. It was a rough three months for all of us!

"When You Say Nothing At All"– Allison Krauss; Newlywed

"Take My Breath Away"– Berlin; Top Gun soundtrack; Newlywed
*Greg and I loved watching Top Gun as newlyweds! I think we secretly saw ourselves as the hot Maverick and Charlie! Ha ha.

"Tennessee Waltz"– Bresh/Jones; Colorado
*This simple and beautiful song makes me feel so peaceful, happy and I just want to dance with my Gregor in the kitchen! The link I shared above isn't the group I listed, but their version makes me blissfully happy!

"Hey Baby"– Bruce Channel; Dirty Dancing soundtrack; Newlywed
*This classic needs no explaining!

"Secret Garden"– Bruce Springsteen; Jerry Maguire soundtrack; Fiancee/Newlywed
*The first time I heard this song as an unattached woman, I became totally attached! Ha ha. In all seriousness, I couldn't think of anyone or anything else but Greg whenever I listened to Secret Garden!

"Lovefool"– The Cardigans; Romeo and Juliet soundtrack; Teenager/Fiancee
*I loved dancing to this song! I daydreamed about Greg every time I heard it! He was working in Las Vegas at the time, thus I missed him tremendously and this song felt very appropriate! :)

"The Power Of Love"– Celine Dion; Newlywed
*This mesmerizing love song perfectly described my feelings for my Gregor!

"When I Fall In Love"– Celine Dion; also the original Nat King Cole version; Teenager/Fiancee
*This song captured the way I view falling in love and eternal marriage!

"Because You Loved Me"– Celine Dion; Teenager
*This song makes me emotional to this day. The words are exactly what happened with Greg and me—well, except for losing my faith because I would never do that. Greg was and is everything to me!

"Seduces Me"– Celine Dion; Newlywed

"If That's What It Takes"– Celine Dion; Teenager
*This song describes my complete, utter and wholehearted dedication to my Gregor!

"My Heart Will Go On"– Celine Dion; Titanic soundtrack; Newlywed
*Yeah, I cried the first time I heard this song in the theater after watching Titanic for the first time with Greg. I couldn't help but think how brokenhearted I'd be if I ever lost Greg. The "I'll never let go!" moment was heart wrenching. I held Greg's hand throughout the entire movie! I don't cry when I hear the song now, but it definitely takes me back to our blessed newlywed years! This is yet another reason I'm so grateful for my eternal marriage—because Greg and I will never have to let go of each other!

"Clair De Lune"– Claude Debussy; Anytime! :)
*While it's not a love song, so-to-speak, I've played it (imperfectly) on the piano many times for my Gregor over the years. In my mind's eye, I see Greg laying on our couch with his eyes closed, listening to me play. And no, he's not sleeping! Ha ha. I have such happiness knowing Greg loves Clair De Lune as much as I do!

"Theme from Ice Castles"– David Glenn Hatch; Young Mother
*I adored this song when I was a little girl. Thus, I was thrilled when I found such a beautiful piano version of it on Mr. Hatch's album. While the words from the original version by Melissa Manchester aren't in this version, I memorized the words, so they automatically enter my mind whenever I hear it: they totally match the way I feel about Greg! :) "Knowing you're beside me, I'm all right."

"Theme From Somewhere In Time"– David Glenn Hatch; Anytime! :)
*I was given the Somewhere In Time video before I was married. Greg and I loved watching it together before we had children, so anytime I hear this song, I think of him!

"Somewhere Over The Rainbow"– Israel Kamakawiwo'ole; Utah, after Colorado
*This gorgeous version kept me going when Greg was looking for a new job after he knew he was going to be laid off. I don't know what it was about IZ's rendition, but it made me feel utterly happy, peaceful and sooo in love with my husband!

"Kissing You"– Des'ree; Romeo and Juliet soundtrack; Teenager
*I listened to this soulful and beautiful song when I was missing Greg while he was serving his mission in Japan. Of course it didn't help me in any way, it just made me miss him even more! Ha ha.

"I Love You Always Forever"– Donna Lewis; Teenager
*I still remember the first time I heard this song in my car when I lived in Michigan as a nanny. The afternoon sun was pouring through my window and I suddenly felt magical—like I was instantly connected to my Gregor, despite being 6,229 miles and an entire ocean away! This is where you'd hear me sigh... :)

"Danger High Voltage"– Electric Six; Colorado
*This song was played at my cousin's wedding (she's since divorced), I had such fun dancing to it with my extended family. My awesome sister put it on a mix CD for me! I love singing it with Greg—we still laugh saying that that song is about us because of our electric love! Ha ha.

"Wonderful Tonight"– Eric Clapton; Newlywed
*This song reminds me of Greg because he was always so kind every time I asked him what he thought of my outfit/hair/makeup. You laugh, but in the beginning of our marriage—and all of the uncertainty that goes with an entirely new life—Greg's unconditional love and complete adoration of me meant (and still means) everything!! I feel like a queen knowing Greg is unashamed to be attached to me for eternity! :)

"They Can't Take That Away From Me"– Frank Sinatra; Colorado
*I discovered Frank Sinatra in Colorado and quickly fell in love with his classic songs. This one describes how I feel about Greg and all of his fun habits/mannerisms. Of course, the way he's changed my life, no, nobody can take my happiness away from me! :)

"Baby's Got Sauce"– G. Love & Special Sauce; Teenager through today!
*I laughed out loud the first time I heard this song! You see, Greg has always loved how unpredictable, sassy, random, silly, outspoken, energetic and loving I am. Thus, "My baby's got sauce. Your baby ain't sweet like mine!" is the perfect description for Greg and me! :)

"A Wink And A Smile"– Harry Conick Jr.; Sleepless in Seattle soundtrack; Anytime! ;)
*There isn't much more to say other than Greg and I absolutely go together like a wink and a smile! Yes, these lyrics describe us perfectly!

"Now my heart is music, such a simple song

Sing it again, the notes never end

This is where I belong"

"London Rain"– Heather Nova; Newlywed
*I always felt attached to this song because Greg and I went through such amazing and big changes after we married. We were both so busy! I was working full-time; he was going to school full-time and working part-time. Heather's words are exactly how I felt about Greg!

"And when somebody knows you well
Well there's no comfort like that
And when somebody needs you
Well there's no drug Iike that
So keep me, keep me
In your bed all day, all day
Nothing heals me like you do"

"Isn't It Romantic"– Jack Jones; Newlywed
*I listened to this song a lot, as it was on a romantic CD I bought. It made me think endlessly about Greg! It's a really sweet, classic song. :)

"ABC"– The Jackson 5; Newlywed
*This happy song makes me dance, and I danced to it a lot when I first got the CD! Greg frequently laughed at me when I got my groove on to "ABC," but it was always done with complete kindness and adoration. :)

"Something In The Way She Moves"– James Taylor; Teenager
*I changed the pronouns in this song to be "Something in the way he moves..." because I literally felt so much better when Greg was around me! Whether Greg sent me a letter (while he was on his mission), or called me on the phone, or took me on a date, these words "I feel fine anytime [he's] around me now, [he's] around me now almost all the time. And if I'm well you can tell [he's] been with me now." were totally applicable. Yep, that's me!

"You've Got A Friend"– James Taylor; Teenager/Fiancee/Newlywed
*This song brings such happy little tears to my eyes because Greg is exactly this song to me. He was there for me when we were dating before he left on his mission; he was there for me when he was on his mission; he was there for me after he came home from Las Vegas. Yes, Vegas was a rough time for me because he was so busy working. And Greg has always been there for me since we've been married. We're not perfect, but our love for each other makes up for our imperfections!

"Gotta Find You"– Joe Jonas; Camp Rock soundtrack; Utah, after Colorado
*Even though this song is from a Disney movie, I instantly associated it with my Gregor, for we are each other's "missing pieces." We must be together in order to be complete! #cheesefest! ;)

"Hello Beautiful"– Jonas Brothers; Utah, after Colorado
*Change the location of the song and it fits Greg and I perfectly! I didn't discover "Hello Beautiful" until after we moved from Colorado to Utah, but oh, I could've really used this song while I was apart from my Gregor!

"Stay"– Lisa Loeb; Teenager
*This might seem like a strange love song, but I listened to it a lot when Greg was on his mission and I missed him so dearly! "Stay" simply reminds me of my love. :)

"A Kiss To Build A Dream On"– Louis Armstrong; Sleepless in Seattle soundtrack; Teenager
*Oh, I had many daydreams of Greg when I listened to this song! "Weavin' romances...makin' believe they're true..." Yes, that was me playin' make-believe while Greg was on his mission! Ha ha.

"I'll Remember"– Madonna; Teenager
*This is another one of those "I miss Greg so much!" songs. It portrayed how I felt about remembering Greg and his love for me. "I'll remember the way that you changed me." If I really stop and think about it, it's utterly amazing to think about how Greg has changed me for the better!

"Always Be My Baby"– Mariah Carey; Teenager
*I identified with this song when it was released because Greg was on his mission and I had great hope that we would end up together when he came home! Gee, I love it when I'm right! ;) "Our love will never die...oooh, darlin' 'cause you'll always be my baby." E.x.a.c.t.l.y. :)

"You Are Not Alone"– Michael Jackson; Teenager
*Of course, I immediately thought of Greg whenever I heard this song because he was in Japan when it was released. I probably sound silly, but I imagined my Gregor singing it to me! :)

"For You I Will"– Monica; Space Jam soundtrack; Fiancee
*This song was released before Greg came home from Las Vegas and before he proposed to me. I closely identified with its lyrics because I had (and have!) complete commitment and adoration for my Gregor—exactly like the song describes! :) I even mailed a care package to Greg in Las Vegas that included the Space Jam soundtrack CD. I wrote a card to go with it because I wanted Greg to know that I felt exactly about him as Monica sings in the song!

"Stardust"– Nat King Cole; Sleepless in Seattle soundtrack; Teenager
*Even though I saw Sleepless in Seattle before I met Greg, I bought the soundtrack, loved it, and listened to it all the time. Thus, when Greg left on his mission, I immediately attached "Stardust" to my missing him. :)

"Buon Giorno Princeipessa"– Nicola Piovani; Life is Beautiful soundtrack; Newlywed
*Greg and I saw this movie together and I cried my eyes out! Greg, on the other hand, didn't really like the movie! Ha ha. That said, I absolutely loved the music and just had to have the soundtrack. What I loved most about this song is the fact that they played it in the movie (or a version of the melody) every time the main character was showing love to his wife. And I felt so very loved by my Gregor—still do! :)

"Come What May"– Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor; Moulin Rouge! soundtrack; Young Mother
*One thing I enjoy about my Gregor is that he has always thought I resemble Nicole Kidman—wow, I love his compliment! Thus, we had to see Moulin Rouge! together! While I didn't necessarily connect to the movie's story (I was deeply disturbed by the fact that Nicole's character died from tuberculosis—love stories that end with someone dying suck! Ha ha.), I love "Come What May" because Greg and I feel exactly that way about each other!

"Never knew I could feel like this
Like I've never seen the sky before
Want to vanish inside your kiss
Everyday I love you more and more
Listen to my heart, can you hear it sings
Telling me to give you everything"

Yes, even though I'm writing about the love songs I associate with Greg, I know he feels 100% the same way about me! :) The only words I would change in this song are: "I will love you throughout eternity!"

"Wonderwall"– Oasis; the Ryan Adams cover, too; Fiancee through today!
*This is one of Greg's favorite songs, thus, every time I hear it, I think of Greg. :)

"Canon In D"– Pachelbel; Newlywed
*Per my request, my brother played this at Greg's and my wedding breakfast! I can't help but think of our amazing and lovely wedding day whenever I hear this song!

"The Rain Tree"– Peter Breinholt: Colorado; Utah, Texas
*This hauntingly beautiful song might not seem like an obvious love song, but I associated it to Greg's and my love. We were "hanging on for dear life" when we lived in Texas—doing our very best to live our lives well, but wondering what was going on and how our lives would resolve? (I was definitely worse off than Greg in this area, he took all of our struggles in great stride.) Thus, to me, "The Rain Tree" represented the possibility that our lives would somehow be fixed and put in their proper place again: much like, "...that old rain tree is waiting so still." My explanation probably doesn't make sense to anyone else but me! Ha ha. Here is "The Rain Tree" so you can experience its loveliness!

"Let My Love Open The Door"– Pete Townsend; Newlywed

"Come Rain Or Come Shine"– Ray Charles; Young Mother
*This song meant so much to me when Greg and I were new parents. Life was so busy and chaotic when we were raising our little darlings—we had three children by the time our oldest son was four years and two months old! Yes, birthing and caring for three babies in four years was quite tiring and challenging! Thus, this song spoke to my soul because of course Greg and I continually and unconditionally loved each other without question! This was my favorite line to describe our love:

I'm with you always...I'm with you rain, or shine!

"Unchained Melody"– The Righteous Brothers; Newlywed

"Ice Cream"– Sarah McLachlan; Teenager/Fiancee

"I Love You"– Sarah McLachlan; Fiancee
*There was a time when Greg and I were engaged when I went through a bit of a hard time. I felt like I was "losing" myself because I was trying so hard to do everything within my power to make Greg happy—even at the expense of my own feelings or opinions. After feeling frustrated at the path I had chosen, I realized that I had to take a step back and remember who I was and what I wanted out of life. I was terrified to tell Greg of my issues because of what I thought that might mean for the future of our relationship. Yet I knew that Greg adored me, I knew he wanted to know every bit of my heart! While I was debating what to do, this song played in my mind quite a bit. The good news is, I finally became brave enough to tell Greg everything I was feeling. I said something to the effect of, "I don't know what this means for us...I just know I need to express my feelings more. I need to do what I want to do, instead of always deferring to you, or asking what you want to do." Greg took it all so well, and frankly, I think he was totally surprised that I was feeling "lost." He lovingly said something like, "I love you, Adrie! I totally support you! Do whatever it is that you need to do! You have nothing to worry about." And that was the end of it. Greg never questioned me, never made me feel less-than, or insecure. This experience made me realize that I could trust Greg with literally everything in my life—and with my very life! :)

"I'm Yours"– The Script; Utah, after Colorado

"Kiss From A Rose"– Seal; Teenager

"Strong Enough"– Sheryl Crow; Teenager
*Anytime I hear this song, I get emotional! The first time I heard it as a teenager I unquestioningly loved it! And of course, I couldn't help but relate it to Greg and our new love. I was so emotional back in the day (Okay, not much has changed! Ha ha.) that I worried Greg would tire of me and my enthusiastic, dramatic, passionate personality. Yet, time and again, Greg showed he was most definitely strong enough to be my man! The best part is this: Greg has been my rock through the past 18+ years of marriage, and I know he'll be strong enough to be my man throughout eternity!

"I Shall Believe"– Sheryl Crow; Teenager
*Again, whenever I hear this amazingly beautiful song, I get emotional! :) "I Shall Believe" totally applied to how I felt about Greg when I was a teenager—especially when I was missing him when he was a missionary in Japan. The line, "I know it's true, no one heals me like you, and you hold the key." was 100% how I felt about Greg's wonderful love for me. The line, "Please say honestly, you won't give up on me...and I shall believe." was also exactly how I felt: dearly hoping Greg would still choose me when he came home from Japan! I love knowing Greg is dedicated to me forever!

"As I Lay Me Down"– Sophie B. Hawkins; Teenager
*I first heard this song when I was a nanny in Michigan. I was shocked at how much it reminded me of Greg and the beautiful dreams I had of our future together. I couldn't play it enough, and I never tired of it...especially this line, "Though it's not clear to me, every season has its change, and I will see you when the sun comes out again!"

"When We Dance"– Sting; Young Mother

"Fields Of Gold"– Sting; Teenager

"The Way You Look Tonight"– Tony Bennett; Newlywed
*I played this song a lot after Greg and I were married. I loved how it applied to the way Greg made me feel. Like I said before, he made me feel loved and beautiful every single day—and that hasn't changed! :)

"You And Me Song"– The Wannadies; Romeo and Juliet soundtrack; Teenager
*This song is a little on the slow side to begin with, but then it's full-on hyper love!—just like Greg and I began our love story! Plus, I can't help but love their chorus, "And it's always you and me always, and forever!" because that's exactly the situation Greg and I have purposely put ourselves in! :)

"You and Me" – You+Me; Utah, after Texas
*I was searching for the previous song on YouTube, and I stumbled across this gem of a jewel! I was "dying" at its awesome lyrics, harmonies and vocal qualities. Not to mention, "You and Me" just so happened to be released/published right around the date of Greg's and my 17th anniversary! Coincidence? I think not! It could have been written about Greg and me! Ha ha. It's such an amazing song, I must include it here. If you haven't heard of it, you must listen to it post haste! This will most definitely be my next iTunes download! :)

"Gettin' In Tune"– The Who; Jerry Maguire soundtrack; Newlywed
*I bought the Jerry Maguire soundtrack after Greg and I saw the movie together. (That was before we came to our senses and stopped watching rated R movies. Hey, we were young and still learning about what was good for our souls!) I felt attached to this song not only because of my blissful memories of seeing the movie with Greg, but also because of the lyrics, "I'm in tune, right in tune. I'm in tune. And I'm gonna tune right in on you!" You see, Greg was (and is) always so in tune with me! It didn't matter what I was feeling, he immediately understood me—which is the loveliest feeling!

"As Long As You Love Me"– Justin Bieber; Texas
*Oh, this song makes me smile! During our last year of living in Texas, Greg and I always referred to this song because we were so tight on money. Mr. Bieber's words were and are applicable to Greg's and my love for each other! We are most definitely more valuable to each other than platinum, silver and gold!

"As long as you love me
We could be starving, we could be homeless, we could be broke
As long as you love me
I'll be your platinum, I'll be your silver, I'll be your gold"!

"Black Stallion"– George Winston; Texas
*The Black Stallion is one of Greg's favorite movies we own. Thus, I was thrilled to find the theme song on George Winston's album that I bought while living in Texas! It is such a gorgeous song, I can't get enough of it. Of course, it reminds me of my Gregor every time I hear it!

"Burning Love"– Wynona Judd; Lilo and Stitch soundtrack; Young Mother

"God Only Made One Of You"– Justin Cash; Texas
*This song must be shared with the world! I was introduced to it by my friend who did the harmony/backup vocals for Mr. Cash's album! Her voice is truly beautiful, I think she should record her own album one day! Anyway, back to Greg...yes, this song instantly made me think of my sweetest husband! "The very same day that I lose you, will be the same day I lose myself." I try not to think about that possibility...

"Home"– Phillip Phillips; Texas
*This song's lyrics were so applicable to the way I felt about Greg while our little family lived in Texas, for example,

"Hold on to me as we go...
As we roll down this unfamiliar road
Just know you're not alone
'Cause I'm gonna make this place your home...
Settle down, it'll all be clear..."

Yes, despite my worries—for two years and two+ months—about where we'd end up living, Greg was my rock. He was always there for me and eased my fears every step of the way. I'm eternally grateful for my husband's awesomeness! :)

"I Will"– The Beatles; Utah, after Texas
*Again, this song might not seem like a traditional love song for Greg and me, but let me explain. You see, right after we moved back from Texas, I attended my mom's choir concert. As I heard this song, I couldn't help but get teary-eyed because of these lovely words,

"Love you forever and forever
Love you with all my heart
Love you whenever we're together
Love you when we're apart"

This year, 2015, those lyrics were particularly applicable because Greg has had to travel quite a lot for his company. When I really think about our years together, I could write a novella about how much I've been apart from Greg, simply missing him! :'(

"Island In The Sun"– Weezer; Texas
*When I hear this happy song, I think of my Gregor and the fabulous family vacation we had in Florida. It was so wonderful escaping with my Gregor for those eight days! Our Florida excursion made me forget my Texas woes. :) The lyrics, "We'll never feel bad anymore," were totally applicable!

"Love Somebody"– Maroon 5; Texas
*I don't know if I've shared on this blog that Adam Levine's looks reminds me of my Gregor? Well, they do. :) I remember the first time I saw Maroon 5 perform on the Today Show. Mr. Levine had short hair like Greg's and was wearing a white, button-down, short-sleeved shirt with a skinny black tie and black pants. He looked so much like my Gregor does on Sundays that I instantly did a double take! I was like, "WHAT IS MY HUSBAND DOING ON THE TODAY SHOW??!!" Ha ha. Anyway, ever since then, I seem to equate Adam Levine to my husband—even though their morals are completely opposite! And thank goodness my husband has impeccable morals, for I would go crazy if he made bad choices. :) That said, this song just does it for me! I envision my Gregor singing it to me and I'm utterly smitten! Ha ha. Yes, Greg and I both fell for each other, and we've never been the same! "...If I fall for you, I'll never be the same..."

"Lullaby"– George Winston; Texas

"Make You Feel My Love"– Adele (original song by Bob Dylan); Utah, after Texas
*Surprise, surprise! I get emotional when I hear this song! Not to be repetitive, but those beautiful lyrics are exactly how Greg and I feel about each other! There is nothing better than identical love!

"...I will hold you for a million years
To make you feel my love...
...I could make you happy, make your dreams come true
Nothing that I wouldn’t do
Go to the ends of the earth for you
To make you feel my love"

"Shelter From The Storm"– Bob Dylan; Newlywed

"Somebody To Love"– Queen; Colorado

"Someone To Watch Over Me"– Frank Sinatra; Colorado

"A Thousand Years"– Christina Perri; Texas
*Oh, wow, I don't have enough time to gush about this song and how it relates to my Gregor! Suffice it to say, just know that I wrote an entire post on my Adrie World blog about how Greg's and my love story rivals Bella and Edward's in "Twilight"! Ha ha. I'm still debating whether or not to publish it here on Enthusiastic Fantastic...it's pretty cheesy! Anyway, yes, I will love Greg longer than two thousand years. I will love Greg for eternity!

"The Way You Make Me Feel"– Michael Jackson; Young Mother

"Budapest"– George Ezra; Utah, after Texas
*I recently discovered this song and immediately fell in love with it! Greg really likes it, too! :) Greg found the lyrics for me because I was singing it in the shower and didn't know exactly what George was singing! We couldn't help but laugh, for we are precisely Mr. Ezra's lyrics:

"But, for you
You,
I'd lose it all."

As Greg so aptly put it, "We've already lost it all for each other!" Yes, Greg and I have given everything for our love story!

"Wildest Dreams"– Taylor Swift; Utah, after Texas
*It didn't take me long to put this in the top tier of my "Greg Love Songs"—which is a total surprise to me since I've never been a fan of Taylor Swift before! True story. Granted, she's being totally immoral in her song, and I would never, ever be that way, but whenever I hear Wildest Dreams, I daydream somethin' fierce about my husband and me! I envision us staring at the sunset together, me in a nice dress, and Greg looking handsome as all-get-out! ;) One of the reasons I love Wildest Dreams is because I've had the love of my life in my world for 21 years, and it's a little scary to see how quickly time has passed. While I don't feel old yet, time is ticking away. Thus, I can absolutely relate to when Taylor sings,

"Say you'll remember me standing in a nice dress,
Staring at the sunset, babe
Red lips and rosy cheeks
Say you'll see me again
Even if it's just in your wildest dreams, ah-ha, wildest dreams, ah-ha."

Even though Ms. Swift is talking about a man she can never have—and I will have my husband forever—I feel precisely that way about Greg and me! For I know, one day, our lives together will become shorter. Sadly, there will come a time on this earth when one of us will be without the other. I hope and pray a bazillion times over that that tragic day doesn't come for another 50+ years, but the sad fact is, we were never given a warranty on our lives. There are no guarantees on how long our bodies will last. :'( Thus, whether I go first, or Greg goes first, I absolutely want Greg to say he'll remember me in the glorious prime of our lives!! I dearly want Greg to remember the greatest love story he's ever known because we're the stars of it! :)

Well, I've finally made it to the end of my love songs—it's been a delicious walk down memory lane! I'm certain there will be more songs to add to my list in the future, and I'm excited for that! Thank you, talented musicians of our world—I appreciate your amazing gifts so much!

A Mother's A

Tonight's quick post was spurred by an article I feel the need to share, "The Price We Pay for an A," by Katie Stirling. I recommend reading it if you have the time so you'll better understand where my opinions are coming from. :)

Before you continue reading , please know that I mean no offense to anyone who has made different life choices than me. I'm simply sharing my thoughts because I think every mother can learn from Mrs. Sterling's choices. It's a good read, but also hard to read because all I could think about were her crying children! #bustmyheart! :(

I find it fascinating that even though the author ultimately made the right decision to sell her business (Good for her! Seriously!), she admitted she's not yet cured of her A-seeking "illness." I also find it sad that she considers herself to be "just a mom." :( Yet I wonder, did she mean that phrase in a sarcastic way? I admit I'm not a great in the ways of interpreting or delivering sarcasm, so I'm not sure.

Her article definitely makes me wonder what her children will say when they're grown...

I wish Mrs. Sterling could have the attitude of desiring nothing more than to be a top-tiered mother (until her children are grown), for there are many ways to gain a "Mother's A"—trust me, they are enough!! :) I'm constantly evaluating myself as a mother, and many days, I totally give myself a big, chunky-font A with a happy gold star! Ha ha. And when I don't deserve a Mother's A, I take a step back, review the objectives/expectations of my job description and mentally rewrite my goals for the next day/week/month/year(s). While we're at it, let's remember that every person's definition of success is different!

The amazing gift of motherhood is the ability to know immediately how we're doing. Our children give us instant feedback, so there's no need for a quarterly review. We'll never have to wonder where we land in our children's end-of-the-year performance ranking! Ha ha.

Reading things like "The Price We Pay for an A" instantly reminds me how happy I am that Greg and I have absolutely done what was needed (every time!) to keep me home with our children—despite the fact that we've been endlessly tight on money. The choices we've made as a happily married couple are worth every missing penny because we know our kids were played with, cared for and raised by their own engaged and available mother! :) Meaning I'm engaged with my children, and I'm available anytime they need me! Well, as close to 100% of the time as a person can get.

I sincerely hope every mother decides that earning a Mother's A is enough! For the good "grades" we receive from raising our children well are worth much more than any reward a college, university, boss or bank could bestow upon us. :)

P.S. I'm thinking I could categorize this post as a sort of follow-up to "Hiring Out Our Future." :)

Our Brains

Hello everyone! I know it's been a while since I've posted... I'm working on another lengthy post, but it's not quite ready yet. :)

Today, I'm sharing the link to my Pinterest board, Our Brains. This is a departure from my normal blog posts of presenting the important links right here on Enthusiastic Fantastic, but I just don't have time to repeat everything I created on Pinterest! Ha ha. Maybe one day I'll transfer everything over, but today is not that day.

A couple of my Pinterest links are to PBS productions that are no longer available on their website. I'm guessing I could probably find them somewhere on YouTube, but again, I just don't have time today to search for them. Hey, at least you have the names of the productions! :)

I absolutely love learning about our brains! I'm always looking for new information or insight as to why we humans do what we do. I also really want to know what we should be doing to improve our brains' health and function. I believe gaining an understanding of the human brain is one of the best ways to navigate our crazy world successfully!

I hope you'll enjoy my finds, learn more about our wonderful brains, and incorporate that information into living your lives better!