Christmas at the Wilkins

Many things have happened this holiday season, and there just hasn't been the time to blog about it (yet). But I couldn't pass up the craziness of today. So, Christmas at the Wilkins:

Dad passed a couple kidney stones Christmas Eve.
Melinda was sicker than death Christmas Eve through Christmas Day.
Lauren nursed Melinda to health in practically every way.
Emma is throwing up all over the place tonight.
Mom has been a trooper with everything.

Sound like a relaxing family vacation? you bet

Cherish & Tony's Wedding

Yesterday my friend from work got married at the Bountiful Temple, and it was WONDERFUL! I was honored to be a bride's maid and then I also got to do the flowers and help with the reception set up and all that fun stuff. I LOVED the way her bouquet turned out! I'm sorry but I don't have any pictures of Cherish and Tony, because my camera was always out in the car at the most important moments. ugh.


These are the Bride's Maid little bouquets. The girls loved them, despite the flowers getting all shriveled up in the cold.

This is my date for the day: Chris. He also works at Brick Oven with me, and is probably one of my best friends I have ever worked with. He was such a gentleman all day and was a sweetheart to deal with all the flower craziness. Don't get too excited, he's a 19 year old Pre-Mi(ssion), but a cute one at that (I also know he will eventually read this post).

Scriptures for Finals

Today I was in class and discovered a scripture that applies perfectly to Finals week.
So think:

Finals
No sleep
Nutella and pretzels
Sickness
More finals
Cooky personalities
Less sleep
Snotty nose
More finals
Tears

Now we read Doctrine and Covenants 89:18-20

18) And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health to their navel and marrow to their bones;
19) And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures;
20) And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint.

FRAGILE

There was a ward Christmas activity with a couples costume contest. My date wanted to be Ralphy from "The Christmas Story." My best option seemed to be the poor kid who gets his tongue stuck to the pole....bad plan. That is until I decided to be...

THE LEG LAMP!!!!!!

How did I do?

Singing Sisters

My Relief Society is great. GREAT!!

Our music moment is always a song from the Children's Song Book, and today I decided it is my favorite part of the day. There is something about women singing these simple songs together than makes my soul leap with joy. We sing proud, and yet you can feel the love and kindness drift through the room. It is soothing and comforting, angelic and sweet, and motherly in every sense of the word.

Today as we sang prophetic truths in the humblest form, I began to think about all the good these women will accomplish in their lives. The primary lessons taught. The long drives to girls camp. The babies rocked and soothed. The cub scout meetings endured. The meals prepared. The shirts soiled from tears. And intimate relationships each woman has with her beloved child.

They are women of God. They are mothers. They are angels.

I LOVE BYU!!!

This was overheard on campus....

There was a guy hugging a girl very tightly on campus..
Girl: Book of Mormon distance!!!! BOOK of MORMON!
Guy: Don't you know? They have Book of Mormon on CD now...

Ducks

I walk past the duck pond at least 4 times a week. I LOVE IT! They "quack" me up every time. Seriously. I think they are the most pleasant type of bird: they waddle around and laugh all day. Can it get any better than that?

Scripture Posters

I have found a new love!

Logophila

Whoever this person is, they are AWESOME!

They do artistic versions of scriptures, church material, and fun quotes.

I found them while working on an Interior Design Project, and I must have them. I took pictures of my computer screen for two of them.


Joshua 1:9 This one is best in this teal color


Joshua 23:15 This one is better in white with colored text (not this version)

And the last one is 2 Nephi 31:20. ( I like the dark teal one)

I must have them.
Hint Hint.

Exposed

Sunday night

Ward Prayer is over.

Ashlee has a really bad muscle spasm in her shoulder

OK! I fix

She sprawls down on the floor, and I straddle her backside. Not weird, we do it all the time for massages. I fix.

I fix. I fix. I fix. I fix.

Gosh, I could fix a lot better if my shoulders were free. I'll hike up my skirt and unbutton my dress to my waist.

Ok, kinda exposed, but no one here cares. I still have an undershirt on and my dress is still totally on except for being unbuttoned.

knock knock knock...

COME IN!!!!!!!!
says Ashlee

WHAT! WAIT! NNNNOOOOOOOoooooooooo!!!!!!!!!

I'm too late.

Trevor strides in the door, I'm straddling Ashlee, my skirt is much higher than modest, and my blouse is totally flapping open!!!

I'm thrashing to wrap myself up and get thrown off Ashlee's back (who is laughing while trying to apologize).

Trevor totally ignores the warning, and just stands there laughing at me. I'm burying my face in the floor and desperately trying to cover myself quickly.

BAD

Hallo, Happy-Ween!

Hallo HAPPY WEEN!! oh wait, Happy Halloween! This is a joke in our apartment, its pretty darn fun to say. Sharla wanted to make cupcakes, so she did the hard stuff and I got to do the piping. She decided what shapes I should do, and tada!!

Ashlee and Katherine went out of town for the weekend, so Sharla and I got all dolled up alone. I was Belle (as I've been for the past who-knows-how-many years). Sharla was another Disney character. Can you guess from this view?

Did you get it right? Sharla and her good friend Brian were Ellie and Carl Fredrickson. They were so stinkin' CUTE! Everyone at the dances and parties LOVED them.

On Saturday night I was at a Brick Oven party and having a really lousy time. Everyone kept giving me guff about not having a beast or prince (tell me about it). I was bummed and ready to go. As I was about to leave, the two girls I was talking to started to gape at something behind me.

Then a deep booming voice said,
BELLE!

I turned around to see my GIANT (and rather handsome) friend Robbie dressed as Gaston and striding towards me. He heard about my costume and snuck into Brick to find me. He gave this whole rant about me leaving him at another party and publicly humiliating him. (He did the whole thing with a GIANT smile on his face.) I didn't let him finish. I jumped at him and he enveloped me in a GIANT hug.

Then I remembered my friends and looked over. Everyone in the restaurant was staring at us with their jaws on the ground! Who is the good looking man, and why is he here with Melinda?

Let's just say he escorted (arm in arm) me home and was much more charming than the real Gaston.

We took these photos Sunday night because we forgot before. The next one is my absolute favorite...it took him 5 min to compose himself, and only after I showed him up did Robbie get his act together and pucker.

maybe this is only funny after midnight....you tell me

I found this on another blog I follow. I was cracking up so hard my sides hurt. Maybe it was because I watched it after midnight on a VERY long day. Tell me what you think...
(I don't know how to get rid of all the extra space. I've tried everything I know)

Arm Hair

If you are reading this, you know me. Really well. So you know that either one of my arms have just as much if not more hair than Big Foot's. I deal with it. I've been stupid about it in the past, but now I'm to the point where I just look down and smile.

I smiled REALLY BIG today.

Sharla and I went to the BYU pool this morning before the sun was up. It will be our new thing...hopefully. You have to check in and get a wrist band. So what...

Well, the girl starts to wrap mine around without thinking, and then realizes that my fur is going to get stuck to the sticky part of the wrist band. She lets out an audible groan and gasp. She kinda fidgets with the bracelet a bit, trying to put it on with the least injury to me.

"Its ok, don't worry about it. I'm used to it. Just stick it."

She gave this big sigh of relief and a little smile.

Sharla and my smiles were bigger.

This Week

This week was so full. Lots of school. Lots of school. Lots of school.

Thursday night I knew I was going country swing dancing, but I didn't know who with. Ashlee and Andrew arranged a date for me. I asked and asked but they never told me. I had hoped it would be a certain someone from work, but Ashlee assured me it wasn't anyone from Brick Oven. Well, she lied. He walked in and I squealed. (literally) We had so much fun and I'm official hooked on Country Swing.


On Saturday I was lucky enough to get work off and go to the Homecoming Football game. Mom, Emma, and I went and had a blast! WE WON!! FINALLY!!!

sniffle, sniffle...

I'm not dead, but there were moments when I wished I was.


I've been sick. First a runny nose. Then I lost my voice. And then I started to have little thorns in my throat. Then the aches and fever.

Now, I'm to the point where my body feels great, my nose doesn't give me too many problems, and my voice is back....but when I cough it sounds like there's a baby rattle deep in there. I feel great, but everyone looks at me like I'm dying. As if at any moment they will look up and see my lung plopped in my lap.

Motherhood isn't for wimps

I wrote this essay for my Advanced Writing class. It was supposed to have emotion and be persuasive, but written to the audience of Newsweek (so no LDS perspective). I like it so much I just wanted to share.

I am a driven person. I have goals. I have aspirations. In high school everyone knew I was going places. I attend an elite university. I have an A- grade average. I am tough. I overachieve. I can do hard things. But when I tell someone my deepest desire and goal in life, they scoff at me. Scruntch up their face. Blank stare. Walk away.

Why isn’t my goal good enough? Why do people think I am limiting myself? It is a “real” job. Isn’t it the toughest job on the planet? Motherhood is not for wimps. It is not for the faint at heart. It is not an excuse to escape the corporate world. It is not subjecting oneself to be less of a woman.

Being a mom does not simply mean bearing children, cleaning house, folding clothes, preparing lunches, or chauffeuring kids around town. It is the day in, day out tasks that keep a household running. It is being the optimist, cheerleader, and believer. It is nurturing the body and soul of another human being. Being a mother involves being a teacher, nurse, maid, philosopher, coach, seamstress, chef, organizer, therapist, body guard, and business woman. How many “real” women actually fulfill all those careers in a lifetime?

We need mothers in this world. Women to clean up throw up from the bed, down the hall, and splattered across the bathroom floor. Women to keep a calm face and stand firm as their toddler attempts to push the limits. Women to hold their sons’ hand with a stiff upper lip as a doctor sews his shredded skin together. Women to teach their teenage daughters virtue and grace, and their sons to recognize and acknowledge the value of such a woman.

I am not picking a generic or easy goal. I choose the hard road. I choose to give up sleep and privacy. I choose to bake 6 dozen cookies to help a fundraiser. I choose to struggle and fight until the Eight Times Tables are memorized.

I will be sick and miserable for months, knowing more struggles are soon to follow. I will bring myself to the gates of death, in effort to welcome a life. I will sacrifice my body and mind to take care of another person.

But I also choose to smell the sweet aroma of a clean baby. I choose to pull the sweaty curls away from my sleeping toddler’s face. I choose to have my daughter run to my arms after school. I choose to see my son’s surprised face at perfect birthday cake. I choose to watch my child grow and implement what I’ve taught them. I choose to see my daughter’s eyes glitter and her smile dance as she tells me of her first kiss.

I find beauty in the snot stains on my favorite blouse; joy in the scissor cuts on my grandmother’s quilt; humor in the scattered toys creating a wondrous city; and peace in the tattered bear and much loved blanket.

I see potential. I see an actress, an astronaut, and an accountant. I see their future: bright and free because I created a world for them to dream.

I choose motherhood. Not because it is what my body is built to do, not because it just happens. I choose motherhood because it is hard; because it the road less travel; because it will require every drop of physical, mental, and emotional strength I have; because it is the most honorable and noble title a woman can ever have. Mom.

Acts of Kindness

I love BYU! I was rushing up to campus and was a block away from South Hill. I noticed a car pulling through the stop sign, but it was really slow. Then I realized the driver was outside pushing the car, and trying to steer it at the same time.

Out of nowhere 3 young men come running from 3 different directions. They all get to the car at the same time, and start pushing. The man didn't notice until he let go, and the car kept moving. He was so surprised that people were aware of his plight, let alone willing to help without being asked.

I love that people see a need and just jump, or in this case run.

No Doubt Della is a Wilkins

I was running errands with Della the other day. As I put her in the booster, she pointed out a curvacious lady across the way.

"Do you see that lady with the truck?"

"Yes Della, what about her?"

"She's falling out of her clothes."

She said it so matter-of-factly; this was no observation, but sheer truth.

"Why?"

"Because she doesn't know how to dress."

And she just left it at that. Man, I love that kid!

Sooooo Long...

No, I didn't die. No I'm not deathly sick. No I'm not in a relationship and too busy to write. Life is crazy. School has taken over. I've not done anything interesting enough to take pictures of. Sorry, I'm a boring girl.

But I am alive.
Glad game: alive and smiling

Part Three: Cedar City

Ashlee's sweet grandparents let us stay at their home in Cedar City on our way back to Provo. They took us up the canyon for a simple morning hike. As we drove, we came upon this scene and Ashlee's grandfather insisted that we stop and appreciate it. I'm glad he did.

And I'm almost always willing to pose for the camera, so tada! Cute picture of me.

This is at the start of our hike to the waterfall. Look, we still like each other.


I'm not upset, I just like to make silly faces. If any of you have ever traveled with me before, you've seen this face many times.

I jumped on the rock, and Katherine snapped this picture. I actually really like it despite the fact I was starving and as sweaty as ever.

This is us at the waterfall outlook. Sorry no actual pictures of the water. (They didn't turn out as cute)

We kept driving and went to Brian Head and this way cool canyon (I forget the name, but its something important). No one wanted to jump on this fence and take the picture, but I got 3 surprised "Thank you, that was a really good idea"s. And the photo turned out really well too.

This is our illegal shot. We went to the Shakespeare Festival and saw Much Ado About Nothing. We weren't supposed to take pictures of the stage, but we didn't know that at this point. It was a great trip, and Ashlee's family will be blessed forever for being so hospitable and loving towards us.

The Rest of the (California) Trip

So the rest of our time in California was wonderful! We hit up the beach and I finally got to boogie-board this summer! We were all smiles and a little camera-happy. Here is us at the beach, later that day going out for frozen yogurt, and Sunday morning before church and the long drive to Cedar City.



I've always wanted to be buried: the girls grumbled at first when I asked them to help, but they eventually got really into it. Sharla especially liked tickling me with her toes, and I couldn't do anything about it.

California girls wearing happy colors...


and Utah girls with black. (Personality differences are apparent)


But put us all together and we are pretty stinkin' cute!


Definitely cute, even from living out of a suitcase for a week.

Wakeboarding

Our first full day in California Ashlee's parents took us out on their boat and taught us how to wakeboard. After her brother showed off his skills, and made us all quiver in our bindings, I was the first to literally take the plunge. It took a couple tries, but eventually I started to get it.


I think I can. I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.

Oh my gosh, I'm up!!

Oops, too confident, getting kinda wobbly .

Up and steady and REALLY excited!

Katherine was amazing. She was up and out of the water so fast you didn't know what hit you.

She was really steady and not going anywhere, so we took a dozen pictures of her just chilling like this behind the boat.

Sharla was not so lucky. She tried and tried and tried and tried....

And tried...and tried....and tried.....

And then she got it!!!!!! We all squealed for joy!

And then Ashlee put us all to shame and did this. Look at that air. I was lucky if I could stay going in a straight line.

Needless to say I was happy to have her back in my life

When the water started to get choppy we got out the tube and slaughtered ourselves. This was obviously before round one of death. We were all sore for DAYS after. Everyone else got skinned elbows and knees (but I didn't because I'm tough) I however was the whimp who could hardly walk anywhere for the next week. Too bad I didn't have a stud to carry me around. (he offered later but by then I had made a full recovery)

Driving to California

Ashlee went home to Camarillo, California for summer. We couldn't stand being alone any longer, so we went and got her. We left at 4:30 in the morning...I'm surprised we look this awake:


I learned a very valuable skill in Mesquite. It changed my life. I CAN PUMP GAS!!!! Sadly enough, I never learned how. (long story) Needless to say, I was pretty excited...


And I got kind of bored after 5 hours in the car, so I broke out the camera and started sneaking photos of people. This one I took through the hole between my headrest and the chair. It is one of my favorite shots of the day. I think its totally Sharla.


And I really wanted one of us in the car driving, but holding the camera out wasn't working too well. So I set up the timer and placed it on the dashboard...This is what we got (after 3 tries)


Let's just say a sugar rush kicked in...