Eternity...

Doing all I can to make things better

Everything I can to get things right

Baby when you're with me it's a

little more like Heaven

Here in my mind, here in my mind

Just can't let this old world get us down

There's too much beauty in this life

It should be so perfect

We shouldn't know we've made it to the other side

When we make it to the other side

Oh you know it's got to be so beautiful

Oh and everyone is so free
Love, love is the only thing

there is between you and me

I've been looking for so long to

find this place I see

And I've just got to believe

                                   it's more than a dream

Seems it's time I should move on

                                          but I hope you come with me

Till we find

                    eternity

Date Night

I love date nights with my sweet husband. I love dressing up and looking nice for him, and having him dress up and look all sexy to show off my win. :) Which, he always looks sexy, and I always love to show him off...but it's fun to dress up and do something different. Last night we went for a nice dinner out to Jakers. After which, we went to Miracle Hot Springs. It was great because normally when we go there it's the weekend and there's a bunch of obnoxious teenaged couples, feeling eachother up or splashing us in the face during their games. But since it was a Monday, we had the pool all to ourselves and just had fun playing around and goofing off.

But really, there is nothing like finding that one person that you want to spend the rest of your life with. The one and only. Tyson. The feeling is simply incredible. We just drove back from Buhl with smiles on our faces and held eachothers' hand as tightly as ever. He said to me "You're such a special girl." And when he said it, I believed it. It means so much more to me coming from him than anyone else. His words bring tears to my eyes. (Tears of happiness, of course.)

Buhl is a long ways away, so we made a daring little pit stop on our way home. Then we tip-toed back into a dark, sleeping home, climbed into bed, (checked the outcome of the Jazz game: 4th loss of the playouts. Out.), cuddled up next to eachothers warm body, and went to sleep. Marriage is bliss.

Mean Old Man Spring

I think Spring is just mocking us now.

He's trying to make a mockery of our high spirits and desire to unpack our short-sleeve shirts and shorts. But he can only hold back summer for so long. Soon, summer will push past mean ol' Spring with a big smile and bright rays that cast across our bodies, warming our freezing, wet extremities.

No, but I guess in all actuality, Spring is approaching. I can feel it. Somedays. I'm just being overdramatic and impatient. I've lived in Idaho for...how many years now? 15. Yet, still, it's the same thing every year; we humans never learn, do we.

Beware the Me-Monster.

What is the deal with this whole pride business? And i don't mean just the being-proud-of something, thing. I mean the I'm-better-than-you, or better-at-this-that-you, prideful, crap. And one-upping? It's just nonsense. Not that I'm saying I'm better than anyone like this by any means. I'm just as lowly and guilty as the rest of you. I can be bad. Because...I'm always right. Or so it appears in my head. And I hate it. Tyson and I have been learning how to adjust quite a bit to eachothers similar personalities. It has been a real learning experience. For a while we were struggling with one-upping. I knew more than he did, and he knew more than I did, and back and forth until feelings were hurt and someone was offended.

But, all because of my wonderful, sweet husband, things have done a 180 for the good this week. He is so sweet and as he avoids arguments and lets me win, or holds his tongue, I realize how much I love him and I end up trying harder as well. When he is loving I am able to be loving, and vice versa. It seems so obvious and simple, but just like most things, it can be harder done than said. When I come home and the house is clean, laundry done, dishes washed, I actually want to go to the gym and visit him and workout, rather than coming home and sulking about how much I have to do and how tired I am. It's so wonderful. The only one-upping we've done in the last few days is who loves the other more. (I do.) How pointless and destructive is pride? Beware the Me-Monster. Beware.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QvSoRQrVJg

My dear friend, Spring.

I can smell Spring. I can feel it in my fingertips and on my face. I can taste the freshness in my mouth when I breathe in. I can sense it standing back in the shadows like you can sense someone's eyes upon your face. I can sense it....but it's not quite here. It was beginning to turn so beautiful. Spring break was gorgeous. 60's all week. And now, it's frigid again. It's blustery. We're expecting snow and rain for the rest of the week.  It's slightly depressing. I was just starting to pull out and dust off my sandals and tee-shirts. And now I'm having to take out my sweaters and boots again...?? Silly, silly Idaho. However, my spirits haven't completely dropped. I'm still excitedly awaiting the arrival of my dear friend, Spring.

In fact....I've been much, much too excited about a certain springy discovery I made yesterday (...just ask my husband, way too excited)! As I pulled up to my garage, I noticed about seven or eight beautiful little peeping robins sitting outside on our tree in our front yard! Ah! how wonderful was that to see and hear?? And there was a little nest resting up on a branch that I'm just going to assume was full of tiny little speckled blue eggs. It really just was the cherry on top of my already wonderful day. I'm just starting to really, truly appreciate this beautiful world and all the creatures and plants here. What a beautiful place we live in. And what a wonderful life I live.

Sicko.

Uuggghhh.....I hate being sick. Last Thursday, exactly a week ago from today...I woke up to a cold hitting me like a swift kick to the face. No warning. No pre-symptoms. Nothin! Not sick, then sick. Just like that! I thought that trick was sick in and of itself. And this was not just any little sniffly cold. It was a full on sore throat, swollen tonsils, flowing drainage, river-running nose, mucousy lungs, pounding headache, dizzy, achy, killer flu. Yeah, that bad. By Monday it had turned into a full on sinus infection. That was pretty much the crappiest thing ever. But...I went to the doctor that afternoon and and got some saltwater to sniff up my nose and gag back out. Then my wonderful husband and Todders gave me a blessing that night and I woke up ten times better! I'm back at work and stuffed up as ever, but I'm doing so much better.

So....that was my week in a nutshell!!

"You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body." - C.S. Lewis

"Sorry Baby......Mommy won't buy you Floosy Sue Barbie."

I've recently began an internal debate with myself about whether or not Barbie is a healthy role model for young girls...or more of an unfortunate role model with her unattainable, unrealistic image and unhealthy habits. Why am I being a barbie nazi, you ask? Well, because. I think these stick thin, fashionably perfect, and popular, cliquey dolls can convey the wrong messages to the young girls that play with them. I know, I sound like a feminist, nonconformist...right? I'm not. I played with Barbies during my early adolescence. And it did nothing to give me a bad body image. The media and peers did a great job of that, not my Barbie collection. I'm not saying I'm anti-Barbie or any of the sort. (Well, I am anti-Bratz dolls. And I'll keep that stance 'til the end!) I'm just simpy saying that the whole idea and theology behind Barbie is slightly twisted.

Before Barbie, there was a German doll similar to her, called Lilli Doll- same height, same blonde ponytail- except that Lilli was the plastic rendition of a Bild Zeitung character who was a hooker. Yep, you heard me right. Straight up hooker! This doll was originally marketed toward adult men as a gag gift. If the original Barbie had been a real woman, her measurements would have been 39" bust, 18" waist, and 33" hips. Now, I don't know about you, but if I saw a real woman walking down the street that looked like that...I just might just crap a brick! Freaky lady.

Now, I think often times Barbie is criticized for her body image messages. Which I do think is definitely distorted; however, I think that the behaviorial image Barbie portrays is moreso of one.

Barbie is a shopoholic. She has more pink miniskirts, bags, tank tops, dresses, pumps, convertables, shorts, and tummy-baring tees that I could ever possibly attain in an entire lifetime, even if I tried. She has a "Jackson Nose," which obvioiusly, one usually isn't born with, unless because of a deformity. I think it's a sad shame that Barbie has probably never even smelled any of those dinners that she's cooked in her little dollhouse kitchenette because of that poor little baby nose. She's "perfect" and popular. There's no Nerdy Jane Barbie, or Chubby Sarah Barbie, or Bank Geek Karla Barbie. It's always Cheerleader Sue, Sorority Lisa, or Beachbabe Samantha Barbie.

Now, on the other hand, Bratz dolls, I absolutely hate. Their hideous, makeup caked faces, poofy hair and self-explanatory name says it all! Do you honestly want to buy your six-year-old daughters a doll that is clad in low-rider jeans, hooker boots, Angelina-like lips, and proclaims to others of her promiscious, bratty attitude? I'd rather not. Bratz make Barbie look like an angel sent from above.