Where Did December Go?

So many fun MEMORIES...


but not enough PICTURES...


too many TREATS..
(Thanks to our nice neighbors! I guess it's a perk for being Bishop's wife--
I have to learn self-control, or learn to hate sweets, or learn to deal with an extra 5 lbs.)


plenty of SNOW for a SNOWMAN...



Not enough SLEEP, so "catnaps" will have to do...



just enough hair in the back to do GRACIE'S first PIGTAILS...



finally enough COURAGE on Gracie's part to WALK...


a lot of TRAVEL...



so much FAMILY to see...



Not enough time on SANTA'S LAP for Millie, but way too much time there for Gracie



just in time to see TEMPLE SQUARE all lit up...



not enough time to send out CHRISTMAS CARDS...


but we LOVE YOU anyway!

Fun Times!

At Home

Gracie walks with the bar stool instead of her walker


We play with the blocks


Millie puts the dollies to sleep and whispers for us to be quiet


Millie still gets into Mommy's "lickstick"


We paint nails to keep quiet while Gracie falls asleep


Millie draws lots of spiders


And she makes her defiant faces


We visit our neighbor's doggie and feed her rocks through the fence

At The Zoo

Some things never change at Hogle Zoo


Millie might have enjoyed pushing the stroller all by herself even more than seeing the animals


At the Utah Flash Game

Millie was the "big girl" that got to come to the basketball game with Aunt Ang while Gracie went to sleep.

HELP! Technical Difficulties on our Blog

Sometimes when I log onto our blog, I see a big gray square on our family picture (right over my face! :) ) or down lower. I wonder if it's just when I am on there, or if others see it too.

Do you see strange gray squares on our blog?

Thanks. I appreciate the feedback.

Tips from "The Earthquake Lady"

I've been wondering lately what I would do if we had an earthquake. Well, I was very attentive to what "the earthquake lady" (from Homeland Security--Be Ready Utah) had to say when she came to our neighborhood last week. I don't mean to cause fear or anxiety, but I was just so happy to have some more information, that I thought I would share it. I actually left this meeting feeling more at peace than before. Here were some of the most helpful tips she gave:

Preparing your home for an earthquake:

• Make sure your water heater is secured to the wall (if not, there's a $12.00 kit at Home Depot)
  
• In the kitchen, put heavy and breakable things in the bottom cupboards, and light things up top (hmmm...obvious, but very opposite of what I've done)
• use the rubber grip stuff in your cupboards and under things that could slide and fall, such as a table microwave, tv, etc.
• Make a plan from each room of your house, of where you would go for the best shelter
• Make a plan of where your family members would meet if there were no communication after a disaster
  

What to do when it hits:

• If you are outside, stay outside. Get away from buildings or trees
• If you are inside, stay inside and get in a safe place--don't try to go up or down the stairs.
  
• I'm still not sure what the VERY best place to be is, but among the safest places in the home are: a center wall, hallway, closet, or a bathroom; under a sturdy table, or in a door frame (but watch for the door not to shut on you)
  
• The worst places to be inside: on the stairs, near a window, near an outer wall
• If you are near a window and can't move far, at least turn your head away from the window
• If you are driving, safely pull over if you can. You may have to leave your car and walk home. If you are on the freeway, do NOT abandon your car to walk home.
  

She had SO MUCH more information about preparedness, such as what to have in 72 hour kits, cars, etc. See www.BeReadyUtah.gov

Learning at the Feet of an Apostle

We have many great memories that never make it onto our blog. But it's been almost a week, and I still can't stop thinking about last Saturday night, so I think I'll attempt to write about our indescribable experience: Elder David A. Bednar, one of the 12 Apostles of the Lord, spoke at our Stake Conference.


I think sometimes the Saturday night adult session of Stake Conference is sometimes overlooked, but it is one of the most spirit-filled meetings that we have in our church. And this time, with Elder Bednar here to teach us and to share his apostolic testimony, it was one of the most spiritual experiences of my life. He and his wife spoke for almost an hour but I didn't want it to end. He taught us the basics of the plan of Happiness-- the atonement of Jesus Christ, covenants, agency and obedience--but I learned so many new things.

His witness of Jesus Christ was so profound and the spirit was so strong, that I don't know how anyone in the room could have denied his sacred calling. He taught with so much authority and power, that I was enlightened every minute, and my testimony was strengthened and refreshed. I came away with a vision and a desire to be a better disciple of Christ, and a better person. It was one of those life-altering experiences for me.

In light of the recent criticism directed at our church leaders due to their support of proposition 8 (by those out of our church, and those within), I just want to raise my voice in saying that I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true. The leaders of our church are led by Jesus Christ himself. Yes, they are human. But their involvement in supporting and defending the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman was not just a decision made by a group of church leaders. They have guidance from heaven. They are doing the Lord's will in defending eternal truths that cannot be altered by men. They will never lead us astray. If anyone is wondering what to think of them, they can read from the church website their most recent teachings. They will see that their message is one of love, tolerance, and obedience to God's commandments.

Spontaneous Photo Shoot

Lately, we've had a lot of discussions about the value of a really good camera. So while we were at Grandma and Grandpa Thatcher's house, Mark and Em (Paul's brother and wife) let us test out theirs. Emily casually began taking pictures of our girls out in Mom's flower garden. We jumped in and got some family pictures too. One day maybe we'll plan family pictures and have matching clothes and the girls' hair done. But hey, you can't complain about free photos! Thanks Mark and Em!

Happy Times...

A Visit From "Down Under"
We had the Howes' here from Australia for the afternoon. They are Paul's mission companion's parents. They were in SLC for training to become the next Temple President in Adelaide. They were so kind to come speak in our ward about Temples. We loved having the day with them.


Arranging flowers from Mom Thatcher's garden.
I did this after hearing President Uchdorf's talk about how women gain happiness from creating things--So true! One of my dream jobs is a florist.




Shay and Hannah's baptism.
We were all so happy for this wonderful day to come! They were so full of light, and the Spirit was so strong at that meeting. We knew the Lord was happy as well. The brother who baptized them was a friend in the neighborhood who helped them meet with the missionaries. We have such great missionaries in our stake.




Making cookies with Millie.
I left for a minute to change Gracie's diaper, and when I came back, she had eaten 2 and 1/2 raw cookies. I couldn't get mad. She takes after her mom!



An evening with friends on Temple Square.
Even though Paul works on Temple Square, we've realized that we haven't gone there often enough as a family. Our friends had never been as a family either, and so it was a really fun night. Millie finally got to ride "daddy's train" and Gracie made a friend on the train. By the end of the ride she was snuggling up to give her the biggest hug we'd ever seen. Maybe we should have adopted her as a "great aunt" for Gracie.

Another Reason Not To Leave the Kids Alone In the Bathtub

It doesn't take long to see what I'm talking about. They were only sitting in it for only a couple minutes, but it managed to make it's way all over the place. The ironic thing is that after cleaning up this mess (and wondering if I still smelled like it) the girls spilled half a bottle of perfume all over the floor, so I ended the night smelling really nicely. From the smell of the house, Paul never would have suspected what I'd been through. I earned a "mommy merit badge" tonight.

Our Love Story

We've been married for 39 months today! Last week, I posted a little trivia to see if I could stump some friends. Of the five statements below, four are true and one is a lie. See if you can guess the lie:

1. On my first date with Paul, I knew I would marry him
   
2. Paul and I went on a trip together before we were married
   
3. Paul never asked my dad for permission to marry me
4. Our engagement was only 5 weeks long
5. We spent less than $2000 total on wedding costs (excluding rings)

Here are the answers:

1. False! This one was my lie! We met on a blind date, and I was VERY impressed with Paul. But we both had a bit of a struggle trying to make the decision. In fact, we almost broke up one weekend--we both still get sick when we think of that awful weekend.

2. Yes, I'm a little embarrassed to admit that we went on a road trip together before getting married or engaged. I had been back and forth on the decision to get married, even though Paul had a ring to propose. When we talked about going down to Arizona to see our friends, my parents said it might help me know if I should marry him. They were right! It was exactly what we needed.

The minute we began the drive, Paul said something like, "Well, we have a lot of time in this car...I want you to tell me all about your life. You can start from the very beginning and include every detail. I don't care if it takes the entire 12 hours." What girl wouldn't love this? I talked for 4 hours about my life. Then it was his turn. His was a lot shorter, but still very interesting. We enjoyed our time together so much and didn't get sick of being together. We both felt so sure of our decision to get married that we ended up getting engaged while we were there, on the lawn outside the Arizona Temple.

3. Paul would have asked my dad for permission, but my dad was just so anxious for "the talk" that he had already planned out three questions he was going to ask Paul. The talk went well, but afterward, Paul admitted that he never really got to ask the question...it was just an understood "YES!" My parents absolutely loved Paul and still do.

4. A five week engagement was just fine for us. Once we knew it was right, we weren't waiting around. My mom had already helped to plan 4 other weddings (my four younger siblings) in the previous 10 months, so she was ready to go!

5. We were so blessed financially to have resources and help for the wedding, and were shocked at how little we had to spend. Both receptions were beautiful and the wedding was absolutely a dream come true. I wouldn't have changed a thing, even if I had another $10,000 to spend.

Is My Home a "Sacred Sanctuary"?

I was so grateful for the chance to attend the General Relief Society Meeting of the LDS Church this past Saturday night. The beautiful conference center was packed with women who wanted to hear the Lord's servants and know the Lord's counsel for them. All of the talks were wonderful and the music so inspiring. If you were unable to attend it, here is the link where you can read or listen to the talks.

One of my favorite quotes was from the RS President, Julie B. Beck:


"Children being born now are growing up in an increasingly sinful world. Our homes are to be their refuge from the daily encounters they have with evil. Relief Society should be organized, aligned, and mobilized to strengthen families and help our homes to be sacred sanctuaries from the world."

When I heard this, I thought of my little girls in a different way. I thought of their innocent, young spirits that came from Heavenly Father's presence not long ago. I realized that when they encounter harsh music, violent and vulgar television shows, or even conversation that is not edifying, they are innately sensitive to that. I don't want them to become desensitized to the evils in our world. As a mother, I want to be more careful to make our home a sacred place where they can feel the Spirit and feel sheltered from the world.

Feeling the Spirit at that meeting has helped me to get excited for General Conference this weekend. I hope I can make the effort to really focus and listen to the talks, while enjoying the comforts of home and family.

"...Mommy wrote a book"

Well, not really. But when I finished my graduate thesis, my adviser insisted that we try to get it published in a research journal. It's taken some rewriting, corresponding with journal editors, praying, editing, waiting, praying, editing, waiting, and more editing (most of which my adviser did while I was busy being a mom)...and then some more waiting for the final results. Well, I am happy to tell the world that...it's published! I'm the second author, and rightly so, since my adviser did most of the work getting it published. But it is thrilling to see all those hours of analysis, writing, and rewriting finally get "out there" into the world of research.

You never know if anyone will dig through library files to find and read your thesis. And sadly, even when it is published, you never really know if anyone will read it, let alone agree with the study, although the chances are greater. So, since I know a few people read this blog, I thought I better make a big deal of it on here, otherwise, it may get forgotten.

Here's the title and link, but you have to pay if you want to read any more than the abstract. Hey, if you are really interested in reading it or my thesis, I can get you a copy.


Talking About Religion: How Highly Religious Youth and Parents Discuss Their Faith. David C. Dollahite and Jennifer Y. Thatcher. Journal of Adolescent Research 2008 23: 611-641.


I loved Paul's conversation with Millie the day we received the published version:

"Millie, did you know that Mommy wrote a book?" (Millie's easy answer) "Yeah."
"Millie, did you know that Mommy is really smart, and that she could be making a lot of money working each day...but she decided that she wants to be home with you and Gracie? Isn't that nice?" (Millie, with a big grin) "Yeah."

Paul, thanks for reminding me I'm really smart and worth a lot! Sometimes stay-at-home moms need to be reminded just how smart and talented and capable they really are. Some days it just doesn't feel like it!

I used to joke that I went to school to get a MS, but while I was there, I got my MRS, and a week after I finished, I got my MOM degree. The second and third are the best, but I'm grateful for the first one too.

Ward Campout

Our annual ward campout was a couple weeks ago, but the pictures I just got from Audrey Beebe were so great that I thought I better post them (Thanks, Audrey!).

We love our ward! What good friends we've made! We opted not to camp overnight for a few reasons, but once we got up there, I was wishing we had planned to stay the night. The kids played, we ate s'mores and hot chocolate, and sat around the warm fire. Why can't the Summer last longer?



*On a funny note, while sitting around the fire, we played "two truths and a lie." I am TERRIBLE at coming up with these! I ended up going very last because I just couldn't think of any in time for my turn, and then I stole someone else's lie because I liked it better than my own (how pathetic!). My lack of creative skills in this area bothered me so bad, that on the drive home, I forced myself to think harder and come up with some good ones--I think. So, let's see how many people I can stump. How well do you know me and my dating history with Paul? Which one is the lie?

1. On my first date with Paul, I knew I would marry him
   
2. Paul and I went on a trip together before we were married
   
3. Paul never asked my dad for permission to marry me
4. Our engagement was only 5 weeks long
5. We spent less than $2000 total on wedding costs (excluding rings)
   

Please, if you read this one, make your vote! I need to know how I did. Thanks!