We Can Do Hard Things

My heart is full.

I'm not quite sure where to start. I don't want to make this about me because it's not.


I have seen so many people go through so many hard things recently. I know people go through hard things all the time.

In a talk given by President Eyring he shared some advice he once received that “When you meet someone, treat them as if they were in serious trouble, and you will be right more than half the time.”

The last few weeks I have become so much more aware of the truth of that advice. I need to judge less and show kindness more.

We went to get food last night and I forgot that I had my visitor sticker on my shirt from the hospital. This sweet woman standing in line in front of us noticed my sticker and asked what it was for. She thought maybe we had been volunteering. We told her what had happened. Our sweet cousin was hit by a car on Saturday and is in the ICU at Primary Children's Hospital. After we got our food the woman told us that if we would tell her his name that she would pray for him. I was so touched that this stranger would ask and that she would pray for Jared.

Here is the KSL Article about the accident.

I know Jared's family has been the recipient of many prayers and I know they have offered many prayers as well. I see his parents and family and I am amazed at their strength. Jared has a long road ahead of him and he will definitely need those prayers.

Jared's friend Courtney Osborn didn't make it and my heart aches for her parents. They were able to help many other people by donating her organs. What a wonderful gift for her to be able to give.

I am so grateful for my family and for the Gospel. I am thankful that I have the knowledge that I do about this life and after this life and that our families can be forever. I am so grateful that we can lean on the Lord during hard times and that he will lift us up. With His help we can do all that is required of us.

I just wanted to add a couple of good articles/talks on this subject:

I Can Do Hard Things (more of a children's story)
A Return to Virtue

Brooklyn Lost a Tooth!

Brooklyn had a loose tooth for a while. It was to the point that she could move it just with the air from breathing in and out like on Emperors New Groove. Daddy had said something about he could probably pull it out but promised her that he wouldn't.

While everyone was over on Saturday Brooklyn came out of the bathroom from looking at her tooth and said "I pulled out my tooth!". She was so excited and proud of herself for pulling out her tooth. She talked about it for the rest of the night. She even watched the movie Tooth Fairy after she pulled it out. I was a little worried when I saw there was blood that she might have a hard time but she didn't mind at all she just rinsed out her mouth and was good to go.

On the phone with her mom telling her about her tooth. Her eyes are gorgeous!

Some of the things we heard after she pulled out her tooth included....

• I've never pulled out my tooth before.
• Air goes through my tooth when I run. Watch!
• I'm so happy I pulled my tooth.
• I don't know if the tooth fairy is a girl or a boy.
• The tooth fairy brings you coins. (at one point she said a gold coin and another point she said he brings a nickel.)
• I'm getting a molar and it's pushing the gums out. 
• I can't wait for my tooth to grow in then I'll have a big girl tooth. 
• Maybe my other teeth with get loose and then I'll pull them out too.

....and on and on and on. She even got out of bed a half hour after she got in to make sure we were going to bed so the tooth fairy could come.

The Tooth Fairy came!

Beehive Birthday Cake

I made a birthday cake for my Mom on Saturday. I didn't have a ton of time to make the cake and I made the fondant the same day that I made the cake. I've decided I like using day old marshmallow fondant much better. 

I used a small rounded bowl to cook part of the cake and then just a small round cake pan for the bottom part.  When you cook cakes in the small round pan you have to cook it low and slow so it will cook all the way through and not burn so it took forever to cook all the way. I did manage to get the cakes in the freezer Friday so they weren't so difficult to frost Saturday. 

I didn't really know what I was doing so I just kind of winged it. I rolled out (like making a play-doh snake) the fondant and the flattened it a little with my fingers then took strips and wrapped them around the cake. Once the cake was completely covered I sculpted the bees out of fondant and attached them to the cake with toothpicks.  

It wasn't my favorite cake but everyone seemed to think it tasted delicious and that's what counts the most anyway right? Happy Birthday Mom!

Kids Birthday Cakes for Mimi

Things were kind of busy over Mimi's birthday with getting ready and heading to St. George so we celebrated a little late. (We did have a get together a week before but didn't have time to do anything for her.) I figured it would be fun to have the kids make something for her so they made cakes. 

We started with finger paint. I decided to start with the Little Miss because I know she can hold still-ish. I used a paint brush and painted finger paint onto her hand. I painted the palm and her thumb the same color for the cake and her fingers different colors for the candles. Once her hand was all painted we very carefully pressed her hand on a piece of card-stock paper and then lifted it straight up as to not smear.

With Gavin it was a little trickier. I didn't use paint brushes I just used my finger to apply the paint and Chris helped me hold his little fingers. I also didn't paint his thumb.

Once the hand prints were finished we let them dry for a little bit. 

I also painted on the flames. I did this quickly and sneakily because I just wanted to get it on there and knew someone would want to help haha. 

Gavin's hand print definitely didn't come out as cleanly as Brooklyn's.

 After the paint dried completely we added some glitter embellishments with crayola glitter glue because everything is better with glitter!

Brooklyn added her own glitter. They turned out so cute!!!