The Collado Family

Thanks for Visiting!

2012-01-18T18:43:00.000-07:00

Bear with me... my blog isn't about to become a jewelry store... I just need a place to refer people from a few ads I have placed for my business. Next post will be business as usual ;).

If I had hand-picked my ideal job, it wouldn't have been as good as this. I work the majority of the time from home, and when I must go out to conduct business, I have such a fun time! I sell Paparazzi products at home parties. Every piece retails for $5, except for the Starlet Shimmer section that's geared toward younger girls that sells for even less.

A small taste of what's currently available in my basement

Why I enjoy selling Paparazzi:

I have a jewelry shop in my basement (good and bad news... an outfit never need go unaccessorized)
I put as much time into it as I want to. When I work hard, it pays off. But if it ever needs to take a back burner, I can pick up where I left off when life settles back down.
Going to work means getting out and spending time with women in their homes with their friends and family for a couple hours. It provides an outlet I don't think I even knew I needed (WE HAVE FUN)!
It li-te-ra-ly sells itself. It's beautiful and it's affordable.
I make 45% commission off jewelry sales. I made back half of what I had put into it in one night. Plus there is the opportunity to make more through the company's compensation plan. And most of all...
It fits my stay-at-home mom lifestyle

Why women enjoy Paparazzi parties:

They are low pressure. Women who came only to support a friend can get out the door for only $5....
....But most women are happily surprised to find out when they get there that they have stumbled in on something WONDERFUL... a room full of accessories where not a single one costs more than $5...
....which is naturally followed by almost zero guilt.... unless they purchase an entire display board worth.
I almost forgot... almost every necklace has a small set of earrings attached. $5. Women LOVE that!

Please contact me to find out more about how it all works. Send me an email and please include your:

name
state and
phone number

I will be in touch with you within 24 hours. I look forward to talking to you!!

Brittney Collado
#1551
brittneycollado@gmail.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Paparazzi-Jewelry-by-Brittney-Collado/260174333992659

Nephi, Blogging, and a Bout with Depression

2012-01-17T08:46:00.000-07:00

If you haven't ever met Nephi, I am thrilled that I get the chance to introduce you. Nephi is the first prophet whose story is told in the Book of Mormon, and he is physically and morally strong. He is the youngest of his brothers, but because the oldest two are hard-hearted and generally choose wickedness over what is right, the Lord chooses Nephi to be a ruler over them. The two books of Nephi are filled with stories of Nephi doing one noble and courageous thing after another... and I'm going to tell you about one of them.

Nephi has traveled several days into the wilderness with his family when his father tells him that the Lord has commanded Nephi to return to Jerusalem with his brothers to retrieve the brass plates from Laban. The brass plates contain the records of their ancestors. Nephi's answer is firm and resolute... he will go. After a few attempts at visiting Laban, it becomes very clear that Laban intends to kill Nephi and his brothers and to never hand over the brass plates. On what becomes his final attempt, Nephi approaches Laban's home and finds Laban drunk and collapsed on the ground. The Spirit constrains Nephi to kill Laban, and when Nephi hesitates, he is instructed that "it is better that one man should perish than that an entire nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief..." without the record. Nephi kills Laban, retrieves the plates and grants Laban's servant his freedom if he will join them on their journey to the promised land.

Nephi is righteous and firm and unwavering and inspiring. And as our Sunday School teacher pointed out last Sunday, he is also human, and he grants us a glimpse of that from time to time. The first time the brothers attempted to get the plates from Laban, they cast lots to see which one would go and make the request. The lot fell on Laman, the oldest. He leaves on the errand but returns empty-handed and tells his brothers that he had to flee because Laban threatened to kill him. And then the scriptures say, "...and we began to be exceedingly sorrowful." Reading between the lines, I see a young man trying to do his best. He has just completed a journey of several days through the wilderness back to Jerusalem with a couple of his brothers most likely murmuring most of the way. And when they try to do what they have been sent to do, their lives are threatened. I think for a time Nephi was at a loss for what to do, and I am so thankful he wrote that he was exceedingly sorrowful about it.
Because I want to be like Nephi. And there are times in my life when I am temporarily at a loss for what to do, and during those times I don't feel like I'm being like Nephi... until I saw this side of him. The important thing is to know the end of the story. We know that after his period of sorrow, however long or short it was, he rose to the occasion and with the help of the Lord accomplished with his brothers what they set out to do (read the whole story here).

Every so often I hear debates going on about the "best" way to blog, especially as women. I've read women wishing other women would be more honest and not present their life in such a picture-perfect light on their blog (have you seen this? It's written by a guy in his twenties to poke fun at mommy blogs, and it's stinking hysterical). I've also read the other end of the debate where people have discussed how it's possible to be too honest and share too many complaints regarding how unfairly life is treating you with whoever out there might be listening. I think there's value in both ends of the spectrum. When I see a picture of a beautifully decorated mantel or a spotless kitchen, it inspires me to make my home a more beautiful place. I am guilty of arranging things in a way so that I wouldn't be embarrassed to post a picture of it on the internet. On the other hand, I have been grateful when friends have opened up about a truly horrendous day at their house and how it made them feel, because it makes it easier for me to not take myself too seriously when I am dealing with a similar situation at a later time. What it all comes down to is that if you are blogging regularly, it must be satisfying, and you can blog about whatever you want to, whether you're at either extreme of the spectrum or somewhere in the middle.

I think Nephi (not a blogger, but still a writer) fell somewhere in the middle. He desired to record the events that showed how good the Lord had been to him and his family in the good times and the bad. He is always uplifting and inpsiring and encouraging. But sometimes he opens up and is extremely honest about how certain situations made him feel when appropriate, and that's when you read language like, "O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh...I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me" (2 Nephi 4:17-18).

I'd like to fall somewhere in the middle too. When I post something, I feel like I've made a small contribution to the world, and I want to make sure it's positive... so I try to share the very best of me. Somedays the best of me might include how I am coping with the worst of what is going on.

So I think that's why I want to confess to you that I just emerged from an episode with depression. It was the strongest it has been since this point in my life. I'm not even quite sure what caused it. I think my emotions were very close to the surface after experiencing such a wonderful Christmas that it left me open and vulnerable to an emotional crash. I hid it well. I even had to confess to Danilo that it had happened tonight before I posted this for anyone else to read. I started to recognize it for what it was one night when I realized how excited I was to go to sleep because it would be a temporary escape from reality. If you have never felt the pangs of depression, I expect a statement like that to sound ludicrous to you. After all, I have a loving husband, and a precious daughter, a warm home and food to eat. I truly hope you never know why. Don't be alarmed though. I am armed with tricks and techniques to combat it that I didn't have the first time depression came knocking at my door. While I'm never excited when it rears its ugly head, I am thankful each time it has happened because I become more familiar with what it is and how to better cope the next time. There is a book called Living With a Black Dog: His Name is Depression that I found a lot of comfort in reading during the last stages of my first bout with depression. Anyway, the last page of the book has a picture of the man embracing the black dog. While it can be fearsome and horrific, I too have learned to love what my black dog has done for me in teaching me humility and compassion and a mountain of other lessons I treasure, as well as strengthening my relationship with God and His Son, Jesus Christ.

As I came out of my first episode with depression, which had lasted nine months, I emerged with a passion to extend hope to anyone who found themselves in that condition. If you are there, I want to tell you that I have been where you are, and there is a way out. Even for you.

To: Brittney From: Danilo Extended Cut

2011-12-27T16:42:00.001-07:00

Scroll down on the right hand side and hit pause on our blog soundtrack... it's going to get noisy.

Christmastime

2011-12-18T22:05:00.000-07:00

While I have always loved Christmas, I discovered something a few years ago that makes the experience sweeter and more enjoyable. I used to see Christmas Day as something we were all working up towards, i.e., this Christmas concert I'm attending is helping me get ready for Christmas Day, this trip to see the lights at Temple Square is getting me ready for Christmas Day... and then Christmas Day would come, and all day long I'd tell myself, "Savor it, savor it, this is what we've been prepping for all month long! Are you savoring it?!" It was exasperating. While there is build-up involved, I have recently decided to view the whole experience as Christmastime and not just Christmas Day .... those cliche phrases like, "the joy of the season" have so much truth to them. When I am pulling out the decorations I haven't seen since last year, that's Christmastime. When I am building gingerbread houses with my family, that's Christmastime. When I pick up Christmas stamps at the post office, when I plan the grocery list for the Christmas dinner I'm hosting, when I prep Gracie with a showing of Miracle on 34th Street so she can have a fun instead of traumatizing experience with Santa Claus this year, that's Christmastime. When I look at the Nativity and ponder how God came to Earth as a man to experience life as we do and to overcome sin and death, which we needed more desperately than we will ever need anything else, and when I sing the hymns that tell the story of His birth, I am able to worship Him in an especially heartfelt and beautiful way because it is Christmastime. I love this joyous, wondrous time of year and how it makes me feel closer to my friends, to my family, to my fellowman, and to my Savior Jesus Christ.

¡Lo hicimos! We did it! We did it! Yay!

2011-12-18T21:19:00.003-07:00

Subject: Update on a Former Student

2011-12-07T15:58:00.001-07:00

Dear Mr. Costa,

While I know you weren't the principal of Coral Gables High School when my husband graduated in 1996, I hoped you wouldn't mind reading the following.

I was a 5th grade teacher until my daughter was born. I had a Spanish minor to go along with my teaching major, and as a result had all of the ESL students (we call it English Second Language here, I don't know if it is the same there) in my classroom. I remember feeling especially for the students who were placed in my classroom knowing absolutely no English. As we would move ahead with long division or write a persuasive essay or illustrate a section of literature we had just read, I remember wondering how those cute kids would ever catch up with their peers. I did my best to incorporate the teaching strategies I had learned for teaching students who are learning English and just hoped for a bright future for each of them.

It wasn't until I had left the classroom that one day it occurred to me that when my husband came to the United States as a 13-year-old in 1990, his age gave him a little more of a disadvantage than even my 5th grade ESL students. So I asked him about it. He remembers arriving in Miami and being thrown into classes where he had no idea what was going on. Someone picked up on it eventually and placed him in a class at his middle school especially for English language learners. Little by little because of his placement in this class and his interaction with other students, he learned English.

This Friday my husband will graduate from Weber State University in Utah for the second time. He graduated a year and a half ago as an x-ray technician and went on to specialize as an MRI technician for which he will receive a bachelor's degree. He works in departments at two different hospitals. He is a loyal, responsible, and hard-working husband and father and I just thought it would be significant to let someone from his high school know that he did indeed catch up and has made something wonderful of himself.

Thanks for your time and have a good day.

Sincerely,

Brittney Collado

P.S. The picture is of us and our daughter and my brother's recent Eagle Court of Honor.

Few things have brought me as much joy

2011-10-14T12:13:00.002-06:00

as watching my baby girl become a little girl.

helping with the grocery shopping

practicing a fire drill at library storytime

(scroll down and to the right to pause our blog soundtrack)

I am blessed.

70

2011-09-27T07:47:00.000-06:00

Wait for it...

SURPRISE!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

My darling grandma turns 70 today and last night her kids and grandkids squeezed ourselves into her kitchen to surprise her when she got home from a fall leaf drive with Grandpa. We took turns expressing our love and appreciation for Grandma's faithfulness and dedication to the gospel of Jesus Christ, for providing a warm beautiful setting in her home, for her delicious baking, and patience during piano lessons. I want to elaborate a bit on what I said when it was my turn. I have always loved how ladylike my grandma is. She is a beautiful woman inside and out and I have always admired how she takes care of and carries herself. I have had a love/hate relationship with my height over the years. I'm not ridiculously tall, but taller than average, and I'm usually okay with it until somebody points it out (once I was at a dance with the Spanish branch and Danilo hadn't arrived yet, so my mother-in-law encouraged a 14-year-old kid to dance with me. His eyes scaled from my toes to the top of my head and he shook his head. "Muy grande," he said, walking off. Maybe I should have grabbed him and taught him a quick lesson on the top ten things you should not say to a girl, but I didn't end up doing him the favor). I know height is kind of like straight or curly hair, you tend to wish you had the other no matter which one you've got. One day though, I realized one of the reasons my grandma is so ladylike to me is because of the way she carries her height, confidently with no apology, the way it should be. And so did her mom, my great-grandma who I adored as well. The day I realized that, I decided I was going to embrace my height and never go back. Happy birthday to a lovely woman who I am so thankful to be able to enjoy in my life.

those who will not live to see another day

2011-09-16T12:42:00.007-06:00

and those who will

but not many more. I am coming out back next.

September 11, 2011

2011-09-10T14:42:00.008-06:00

Every year on September 11, I try to spend some time quietly remembering that day. The principal came over the intercom first period telling us that counselors would be on hand to help any students who were worried about parents or family members who may be involved with the tragedies going on back east. Being high school students, we all chalked it up to being no big deal. And then I walked into the classroom where I served as a teacher assistant. There I saw my teacher, a woman I loved and admired, with tears streaming down her face looking up at the television in horror.

Knowing this year would be the 10th anniversary of the tragedy, I yearned inside for some way to meaningfully observe it. I wasn't sure what I wanted. I knew it involved coming together with other Americans. I knew it involved remembering the people who were lost on what had started out as a beautiful and ordinary day. It involved remembering those who had acted so courageously so that less horror would be inflicted, and in many cases were lost that day as well. I knew it involved reflecting on the beauty that was revealed in the face of so much terror. I knew that it involved love of God and country and beautiful music. And I am thankful to Sandy City for providing the perfect platform this morning.

a balloon and a flag for every life lost
Thurl Bailey said it is comforting to know that those who fell, fell to a better place.
Then he sang "America the Beautiful" and "God Bless America" as the balloons floated into the heavens.

My New Venture

2011-07-28T21:41:00.007-06:00

I have experimented with ways to help bring in a couple of hundred dollars a month since I quit teaching. I have done some tutoring and substitute taught once a week pretty consistently. I've looked into doing something crafty... and then a couple of times over a few weeks Paparazzi Jewelry caught my attention. It's a Utah-based business that began in 2008 and is spreading to other states. It's basically really pretty jewelry and hair accessories at $5.00 a piece (+ tax). I never imagined I would do anything like this but it seems to be a good fit for me. I knew it had to be a good thing by the way Danilo got excited about it. We took a full weekend to talk about it and came back with all the reasons why I should do it ( for Danilo to say that is huge). I like it because it's really beautiful stuff for a good deal. I feel like I can offer people something they will want and can afford. It's really low pressure for everyone that way. And I like how I am in control of how much time I want to spend doing it. If you think you might be interested in having me bring some of this pretty stuff into your home for a sale, go ahead and get a hold of me. And if you have any questions about how selling it works, get a hold of me too. Even if you're out of state.

I am having my first sale in my parents' home this Thursday (let me know if you're interested in that, too), but I jumped the gun a little bit and tried selling at the rodeo two nights last weekend in Idaho. We sold 22 items. The concessions stand was a bit more successful than we were, but it was fun to try it out.

And if you're not interested? No big deal. I'll still be the same Brittney you've always known, Paparazzi or no :).

Heritage

2011-07-28T21:14:00.005-06:00

Last weekend we paid another visit to that small town in Idaho I wrote about a couple of months ago. While Pioneer Day is a Utah holiday, they were settled by Mormon pioneers and join in the celebration every year with parades and rodeos and other events that hold the promise of making sweet summer memories. After a weekend enjoying cousins and delicious food and horses and time spent doing what we like to call shooting the breeze in the living room at night, we pulled out for the drive home. It wasn't until I had time sitting in the front seat that I realized for the first time why I think that little town is so dear to me. My ancestors were among the pioneers who settled that valley, and so when I am there, I am standing where they stood. I can't get much closer to my heritage than that. The ranch house we stay in every time we visit was built by my great-great grandfather in 1909. My great-grandfather's house that he purchased for something like $250 in the 1920s is still standing down the road. We are standing where they lived out their lives and there is something so special and important about that and something inside of me senses that when I'm there. Heritage is a powerful thing. When I hear their stories and look at their pictures, it makes me want to live a life of honor so they would be pleased to claim me as their own.

All of these pictures were taken in the same small town at one time... or another.

my great-great grandfather standing with two of his children in front of their log cabin

my great-grandfather, Noel Parke, 1917

Danilo trying to get Gracie to ride a pony, last weekend

my great-grandma, Clarice Olsen, right

my great-grandpa, Noel Parke, back row second from right
I knew him. He always told us he was a "handsome devil."

my handsome man on a horse last weekend

the Parke family float in the town parade last Saturday morning
led by a team of beautiful horses

Noel and Clarice

a few years into their marriage
yes my great-grandfather had a soul patch

Danilo jumping off the board at Rocky Ledge

Gracie thought my grandpa's twin brother was her Great-Grandpa Parke.
Sunday morning she was completely content to just kick back in the recliner and
share the living room with him. When I tried to take this picture she said, "Bye, Mom."
I got the idea and left them alone.

my grandpa and my great-uncle Dar (the twins) with their mother Clarice

Dar and Dianne made up 90 bottles of homemade root beer in vintage bottles for the holiday weekend

Dar demonstrating how to seal the caps on the bottles

my great-grandfather Noel with his three sons, Val, Darrel, and Darwin

Dar sucking in his gut before the picture was taken... but I had already taken it

The 10th

2011-07-06T14:53:00.008-06:00

What started out in 2001 as this

has grown into a 4th of July tradition involving in-laws and family on both sides. If you want to stay out, you better be inside or with the youngin's (click on the collage for a better view).

Wait. Who is that going after Danilo? Just my 80-year-old grandfather. He dishes it out as well as any of the rest of us can.

On this 10th anniversary, we'd like to thank our founder, Uncle Russell.

2 in 2 Weeks

2011-06-25T15:55:00.005-06:00

We showed Grace this picture the other day and when we asked her who it was, she said, "Grace!"

This week Grace is exactly as old as I was when this picture was taken. My mom made my dress out of one of her old prom dresses.

I did not make Gracie's outfit here out of one of my old prom dresses.

tea parties are quickly becoming Gracie's favorite pastime

In What He Has Refused Me

2011-06-25T13:59:00.013-06:00

Today I was thinking about some things I am really, really, really hoping for right now. That got me wondering what kind of person I would be if I had gotten everything I wanted when I wanted it.

If I had gotten to ride the carousel every time my mom and I went to Kmart when I was a little girl, it would have been expected and not special. Instead, I still remember how excited I was to drop the quarter into the machine when Mom said it was okay.

Same goes with getting gum or candy at the checkout line in the grocery store. Because it wasn't a given for every grocery store trip, I learned that I didn't get everything that I wanted, but the times when I did were more meaningful.

If my parents had agreed once I entered jr. high to spend their money on the most expensive jeans and shirts and shoes for me, I would have felt like hot stuff, but I might have not learned to look deeper than clothing. I might have chosen my friends based on their wardrobe choices and not how I felt when I was around them.

And again, the birthday when I opened up a brand new pair of Doc Martens wouldn't have been as exciting to me.

If I had married my first love, I might have been happy. I for sure would have missed out on some terribly painful heartbreak. But I never would have met and fallen in love with my Danilo, and I thank heaven on my knees that that's not the case.

If the hardships I have experienced had been lifted the first time I asked for them to be, I would have missed the opportunity to allow Heavenly Father to see me through to the end, letting Him show me that I can do hard things and that He was mindful of me through the entire process. He has taught me that this will always be the case, without exception, throughout my entire life.

This knowledge is carrying me through our job-hunting-house-building-roller-coaster of an experience.

“I have had prayers answered - most strangely so sometimes - but I think our heavenly Father's loving-kindness has been even more evident in what He has refused me.”
--Lewis Carroll

The Alaskan Cruise Adventure

2011-05-28T15:57:00.020-06:00

If you click on the collages, you'll be able to see them bigger and better.

THE CAR RIDE
Our Alaskan Disney Cruise began with a 15-hour drive to Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada which we broke into two days. Gracie did extremely well other than giving Andrew a hard time and only had one major meltdown the entire trip.

SEATTLE
After driving 12 hours the first day, we arrived in Redmond, Washington where my great-aunt Angela and her husband Dick live. Their beautiful house is shown far right center below. We spent that next day touring Seattle.

A three hour drive the next day took us to Vancouver and to our cruise ship, the Disney Wonder. We enjoyed an incredible and unforgettable vacation on ship and in every port it landed, all thanks to

THE CHARACTERS
Gracie was a little stunned when we set her on Belle's lap within the first hour of boarding the ship. Throughout the week she warmed up to the idea and by the end was dragging us after characters saying, "Picture." Her favorite by far was Minnie Mouse.

THE ENTERTAINMENT
My Dad was pulled up by the Disney entertainers at the opening celebration to do the YMCA with three other dads. He made us so proud! Our family took part in the Disney car derby and I achieved my lifelong goal of assisting a magician on stage.

THE SHOWS
We were wowed every night by incredible performances like Toy Story the Musical.
TRACY ARM, ALASKA
was one of the most awe-inspiring moments I've ever had in nature. It's a location in Alaska where you can't land, but everyone comes out on the decks and verandahs of the ship to be amazed. I knew we were headed towards a glacier and that that would mean icebergs. I really tried to remember that the cruise industry has been going to Alaska for decades and hasn't sunk a ship. But several other people that day mentioned how the ice made them a little uneasy. It started out with an iceberg or two scattered here or there and I really thought that the captain was dodging them. Until I saw an entire sea of icebergs ahead of us and realized we were going to plow through them. I was really thankful to see the Carnival cruise ship coming back our direction (top left) having already been where we were headed. We saw sea otters sitting on the icebergs and eagles nesting in the trees as we slowly cruised through the area and ended up at Stanley Glacier.

WHALE WATCHING IN JUNEAU
Did I say that Tracy Arm was where I had the most awe-inspiring experience I had ever had with nature? Now I'm stuck between that and our whale watching adventure, and I'm not going to choose between the two. After leaving the cruise ship at the port in Juneau, we boarded a motor boat with 10 or 12 other people and headed off into the massive ocean. I was going to consider my experience worthwhile if I saw a whale tail or two, but an hour and a half or so later, we had probably seen whales and orca (I learned there's a difference) surface 30 or 40 times. It was amazing. We also saw and heard them shoot water out of their spouts.

Our captain and crew member said we had come out on one of the best days either one of them could remember.

BEAUTIFUL, MAJESTIC ALASKA
The other ports we stopped in were in Skagway and Ketchikan. We learned about their histories and shopped in their shops like I try to do in most places I visit. But the landscape again was like nothing I had ever seen.

JORGE & NANDOS

Do you ever meet people that you know you're going to have a hard time saying goodbye to? I knew within a couple of encounters that that was going to be the case with our dinner servers, Jorge (from Portugal) and Nandos (from Indonesia). Cruises are known for their hospitality and charismatic dinner servers from all over the world, so I was pretty sure I was going to like them. But these two men had found a place in our hearts way before it was time to go home. They made us feel like taking care of us was their genuine pleasure. They went the extra mile in everything they did, from bringing us both desserts when we couldn't decide between two (which didn't cost us any extra :), pouring Gracie's ketchup into a Mickey Mouse shape, cutting her food, and when she would fall asleep when we were still eating at 9:30 at night, they would make a bed out of chairs and tuck her in with a table cloth. They entertained us with magic tricks and shared pictures and stories of their families with us. Yes they were paid for their work, but they did it with an intensity and a goodness that inspired me and made me want to do any job I'm given in the future with much more energy and enthusiasm. This went on for six nights. When the seventh and last night came and it was time to say goodbye, our family had made a decision that made it a little easier for me. Along with some souvenirs from Alaska, we presented our two servers each with a Book of Mormon. We wrote to them in a letter how as a family we felt they had given us so much that we wanted to leave something precious to us behind. And if either one of them are able to benefit from reading it, the lasting happiness and peace the Book of Mormon has brought to me would be the greatest gift I could share with them.

Take a look at the bottom center picture where Nandos is laughing... hard. He was in charge of our drinks and got used to bringing us water and juice and soda. On one of the last evenings, he came to take my mom's order and she said, "I think I'm gonna be a little crazy tonight."
"Okay. I make you a Shirley Temple?" Nandos asked, thinking finally someone at our table might drink.
"No, a chocolate milk."
He laughed so hard, long enough that we were able to get out the camera. It was hysterical.

Gracie's Favorite Movie

2011-05-02T15:19:00.010-06:00

Scroll down and hit pause on our blog soundtrack to the right for a more pleasant listening experience.

This movie plays at our house at least once a day. I don't mind because I love it, too. She will sit still and watch until the singing begins, and then she gets up to dance. I am convinced it's her Latino blood. It's not just that she wants to dance, she must dance.

Aunt Chelsea bought Gracie a Rapunzel doll
she calls anything related to Tangled "Papize"

Gracie's full sentences now include, "I love you," "I'm coming," and "They just can't get my nose right." :)

I Love My New Budget

2011-04-22T15:24:00.007-06:00

I recently imposed a budget on myself. Not because I was spending recklessly, but because I really wanted to be told how much I could or could not spend.

I settled in on a modest amount that I would not go over on buying things for Gracie and me, which usually translates to mean.... clothes, and it lasts me through the month. I can spend all of it on Gracie or all of it on me or somewhere in between.

It's almost like an allowance... I can spend it as fast or as slow as I want, but when it's gone for the month, it's gone. And this is why I have loved it...

My new budget helps me shop with purpose. I have sisters, and I also have friends who we go out to the mall or stores with mostly as an outing with our kids. And I ALWAYS find something that will look cute on Gracie and even worse, I can ALWAYS find something for a good deal. Before my budget I understood that I couldn't buy everything I liked even if it was on sale, but now I feel like I know when I should or shouldn't. That's what I lacked before. The difference now is that some outings are fair game for buying a new shirt for spring or a new pair of shoes and some outings are strictly for window shopping. Window shopping has its benefits too. On those trips when I'm not buying anything, I get a chance to just analyze what I like and what I don't, what's a good price and what's not, and in the process make better shopping decisions on future outings.

My new budget helps me return things I plan on returning. For example, I spent the tail end of my spending money this month on a pair of shoes to go with a skirt I bought for Easter. I had to order them and they arrived yesterday. THEY DON'T GO WITH MY SKIRT. I was reminded again why I don't buy shoes on the internet. Ivory looks a lot like white on a computer screen, but a lot more like beige next to my white dress. Luckily I am able to return them here in town, and with the difference buy a pair of white sandals that do match, staying within my budget and saving money, because returns = either saved money or money that can be spent elsewhere. When you only have so much money to spend, every dollar becomes important! It's helping me improve on my habit of not returning things I have planned to return that sit in a bag until I'm convinced that it's not worth the hassle. Now I'm convinced that it is.

My new budget helps me feel accountable and responsible and like I'm exercising restraint. I don't have to have it all, but I can pick up some simple pretty things for Gracie and me. It feels good.

My new budget helps me find good deals. I go back for that coupon I got in my email inbox instead of driving off without it. $5 saved here is $5 spent or saved elsewhere.

My new budget helps me plan ahead. I was walking the aisles of Target looking for a wedding gift when I stumbled on their pajama section. Oh how I could use some pajamas. Pre-budget I may have just spent the 10 to 20 bucks on them right then and there... but I used up my budget by April 5 this month :). The pajamas will have to wait til next month, and until then, I will look for the ones that I like and not just make an impulse buy.

My new budget has helped me splurge a little. In trying to use our money wisely, I have always tried to shop smart. The budget just gives me some direction. So I buy a lot of clothes at sales and the employees at Ross know my face well.

a typical Ross price tag... it's like magic the way that $28.00 turns into a $9.99

But a few weeks into my budget days, I found a shirt at Down East that I really really wanted to own. It was $18. Call me cheap, but I have rarely spent that much on a shirt in my life. I usually remind myself that I could buy two or three shirts for that elsewhere. But I reasoned, if that's how I want to spend my money this month, then that's how I'm going to spend it. And I did. I could have hunted at Ross for something close to it, but I bought the real thing. And I got a little thrill out of it. I don't do that every time, but sometimes it's fun for a change.

I love my new budget because I can get a pedicure without worrying much about whether I should be saving money instead. When my toes are pretty, I feel pretty.

And I have tried doing it myself, but I like to have someone with experience do it so that they look fantastic and not pathetic. If I want to spend a chunk of my allowance on my toes, and I do, then I can.

Lastly, I love my new budget because it helps me feel like I'm being responsible with the money that this man works so hard to provide for us. He works so stinking hard I don't know if I'd be able to sleep at night otherwise!

Cumpleaños Feliz Deseamos a Tí, Mami

2011-04-14T15:41:00.012-06:00

Dilema and baby Danilo in his birthplace Italy, 1977

Hoy celebramos el cumpleaños de una mujer bien importante y especial en la vida de mi familia. Ella es la mamá de mi esposo, la nona de mi hija, y mi suegrita, una mujer llena de amor, de fortaleza, y que vive cada día para honrar su Padre Celestial.

El nombre de mi suegra es Dilema. Ella siempre se ríe un poco cuando habla de su nombre. “Porque mi mamá me nombró ‘problem’, yo no sé,” me dijo cuando hablamos por la primera vez acerca de este tema. Pero al pensar mucho de mi suegra Dilema esta semana en que ella cumple 60 años, llegué a una conclusión. Mi suegra ha enfrentado muchos pasos y dilemas muy difíciles en su vida. Mi suegrita y yo hemos pasado muchas horas sentadas en la mesa en la cocina y me ha contado poco a poco la historia de su vida. Muchas de las historias pasaron cuando ella fue una mamá soltera, haciendo lo mejor posible para sus hijos en Chile, en Miami, y diferentes partes de Utah. Ella me cuenta historias de aventura, de trabajo fuerte, y de pena. Aunque no tenían mucho, mi esposo y mis cuñadas siempre hablan de tiempos felices en su hogar. Mi suegra se enfrenta las partes difíciles de la vida con fe y una sonrisa, y cuando los tiempos son bastante difíciles que una sonrisa seria inapropiada, sigue solita con su fe. Eso es algo que yo conozco por mi propia experiencia, viendo la forma en que ella se cuida a mi suegrito, un buen hombre afectado mucho por el Parkinson’s disease.

Ha sido un placer llegar a ser la nuera de esta mujer y hacerle parte de mi vida y mi corazón. Yo puedo sentir su gran amor para mí cuando me abraza y cuando hablamos corazón a corazón. Fue muy linda ver la transformación que fue cuando nació Gracie y empezó a ser una abuelita por la primera vez. Me alegro mucho que podía ser parte de esa gran bendición.

¡Feliz cumpleaños Mami!

Today we are celebrating the birthday of someone very important and special in the life of my family. She is the mother of my husband, the “nona” of my daughter, and my sweet mother-in-law. A woman full of love, strength, and who lives every day to honor her Heavenly Father.

My mother-in-law’s name is Dilema. She always laughs a little when she talks about her name. “Why my mom named me ‘problem’, I don’t know!” she told me when we talked about it the very first time. But after thinking a lot about my mother-in-law Dilema as she turns 60 this week, I arrived at a conclusion. My mother-in-law has confronted many difficult times and dilemmas in her life. She and I have spent many hours at her kitchen table as she has told me little by little the story of her life. Many of the stories took place when she was a single mom doing the best she could for her children while they lived in Chile, Miami, and different parts of Utah. She tells me stories of adventure, of hard work, and of heartbreak. Even though they never had much as children, my husband and my sisters-in-law always talk of happy times in their home. My mother-in-law confronts the difficult times in life with faith and a smile, and when times are difficult enough that a smile would be inappropriate, she presses forward with her faith alone. This is something I know from my own experience, seeing the way in which she cares for my father-in-law, a good man affected greatly by Parkinson’s disease.

It has been a pleasure becoming the daughter-in-law of this woman and to make her part of my life and heart. I can feel her love for me when she embraces me and when we talk heart-to-heart.

It was really wonderful to see the transformation that took place when Gracie was born and she began at that moment to be a grandmother for the very first time. It made me happy to be apart of that blessing in her life.

Happy birthday Mami!

My Brother the Eagle

2011-04-14T15:22:00.008-06:00

She loves spring too.

2011-04-12T16:37:00.008-06:00

I know because one of her new favorite words is "ah-sai".

Thank you for your kind responses to my last post. During that bleak time I described, I had no idea this little girl lay in my future. I have been as blissfully happy as my despair was deep.

After reading one more excerpt from my journal that year, you might understand why I felt I needed to post what I did.

I gain a little bit greater insight each day, and each one gives me the strength I need to hang on and keep trying. I have these highs when I know that everything is going to be all right and I almost feel like myself again, only a more refined, polished young woman than I was a year ago. It gives me a great desire to help others, ANYONE who ever finds just the act of living to be painful.

It was one little way I hoped I could. If I can offer you any further encouragement, I would love you to let me know.

brittneycollado@gmail.com

Thank you again for your kind words.

I love spring.

2011-03-22T12:22:00.012-06:00

I can finally say that although I don't understand all of it, I am grateful for what I have experienced this past year....It was like I'd been hit by a train. Depression leaves you with nothing to live for, you hardly have the will to open your eyes, even though you have everything to live for.

the earliest stage of my depression
that smile is not real; I didn't know what was happening to me

I know how suffering feels. I know how it feels to be completely hopeless, to feel like you've lost everything, like you're garbage, to loathe yourself. I know what it feels like to believe that God has abandoned you, and that it's all your fault.

Christmas Day 2005
I don't know who took this picture, but I didn't feel I was worth
the lipstick on my face; I'll spare the pictures on the days I didn't
make an effort to get ready for the day

But what a glorious gift it is to come to the realization that all of that is lies, and that in your suffering you have actually come to more fully know God, understand what He went through, and become more like Him.

This comes from my journal, February 2006. I was realizing that I was overcoming a near year-long battle with depression and that I was going to make it. As a result, that spring was especially meaningful to me. It was like as the world was coming back to life, so was I. I saw everything with new eyes. And every time spring comes around again, those same feelings and memories of being excited to live and love life again return more powerfully than they do at any other time of the year.

Some of the most important things that came to me as a result of this most defining time of my life so far was:

1. A deeper love and appreciation for family. I am not capable of expressing what I learned about how much my parents love me through this experience and how it brought me closer to each of my sisters and brother.

this is the picture that hung on the wall during my depression;
I remember looking at myself in the picture thinking
"where did that girl go?" I started to believe she wouldn't
ever come back

2. I met this boy not too long after

finding my ultimate definition of happiness after so much despair

and 3. I emerged with the assurance that GOD IS ALWAYS THERE, present, mindful of you, even when you are convinced He isn't. This understanding has helped me every single day as well as through other difficulties that have come.

The following song on this video brings me to tears when I consider it as a prayer. My sister Hailey discovered it when she went to Lion King last year, and I want to thank her for being a giver and letting me share it here, because I know it is meaningful to her as well. To anyone who has ever experienced an endless night. If you are still there, may you find the strength to hang on because I promise dawn will come.

It almost makes me uncomfortable to write this last part because I don't know how to say it, but there may be some of you reading this that remember this period of my life and you were part of the answer to many many prayers. Your concern, your love, your support, and unconditional friendship helped me to make it. Thank you.

I Kept a Daily Journal for Five Days

2011-03-20T21:46:00.004-06:00

The other night I tried starting a daily journal writing habit. It was on the computer which was supposed to be appealing because my hand wouldn't get tired. I kept it up for five days. Here's a sample of my first entry... and my last.

March 11, 2011
...I feel like I would like to catch what it feels like to live my life right now every day... in years to come, I want to be able to revisit this period of my life, because Danilo will eventually graduate from school and Grace won't always be a toddler, and I want to remember what it was like.

March 16, 2011
Okay... the honest truth is that so far this journaling isn't doing what I would like it to for me. I love love love to write and get a lot of satisfaction and fulfillment out of it. I pour my heart out a lot on my blog on matters that mean a lot to me... I guess I just feel like over the last four or five days I have stopped in and given a quick account of my day and not gotten much out of it. I will be making some decisions on how to continue....

So, I have a confession, or maybe a clarification, or a change of direction to make regarding this blog. I started a blog with the intention of making it a way to share what's going on with the Collado family. But as time has passed, I've found it really a satisfying way of saying things I feel like I need or want to say before I burst with excitement or love or gratitude or passion for something. So I think my blog is serving an important purpose for me. A good question is why I keep it online where people can look at it. I guess I hope that something I write can be useful or inspiring to someone I know or don't know and give them a little push in the right direction.

So while I'm posting things on the blog titled THE COLLADO FAMILY, I will really be writing things as Brittney sees and feels and experiences them. I guess that's what's been going on the whole time. I just feel better now that that's clarified. OF COURSE Danilo and Grace will be mentioned frequently because they are the stuff of my life. I just won't have to worry about how I'm trying to write about how I felt about the primary election or my love for my grandpa's hometown under the guise of what's happening in the Collado family. I feel better now that that's out. :)

February 14

2011-02-17T15:41:00.003-07:00

Dear Danilo,

Thank you for the lengths you went to to make me feel special on Monday. You are a good man.

Love,
Brittney

And now it is our favorite time: Signing Time!

2011-02-17T14:33:00.016-07:00

I was NOT going to teach my baby sign language because I didn't want to be one of those moms who said, "Did you know we're teaching her sign language?" and then have her demonstrate for people. I don't know what I was so hung-up over. I guess I thought of it as code for, "Do you know that my baby is smarter than your baby?" (I know, that doesn't sound very nice. I get over it.) Then Chelsea discovered some DVDs in the basement from when Hailey was studying sign language a few years ago, and they became an instant hit with Gracie when they appeared on screen.

At the beginning of Signing Time, Rachel Coleman (co-creator) explains that among many other benefits, sign language can help eliminate the terrible twos because your child can sign what they want even if they can't say it and become much less frustrated in the process. It's pretty wonderful. It's been really fulfilling to see her get so excited when we understand what she's trying to tell us. For example, she'll come up to me doing this:

And I will say, "Are you thirsty, Grace?"
To which she'll nod her head emphatically and let out a delighted shriek.

She gets what she needs and we're both very thrilled about it.

Here are some words she let me take pictures of this afternoon:

cheese

dirty

eat

hot

cold

It's a really wonderful language. I'm glad she's been exposed to it and I'm glad my initially bad attitude got out of the way.

dancing to "I'm Proud to Be Me" at the end of Volume 3 :)

Small Town, Idaho

2011-02-17T11:55:00.012-07:00

My Grandpa Parke was born and raised with his two brothers in a small Idaho town. His twin brother still lives there with his wife Dianne. Their four living kids have all made their way back there over the years and are raising their families there, too. You can read about their fifth child, Derrick here.

(Dar, Brittney at 18, Grandpa)

While I'm in love with my Utah home, I take any chance I get to go back to my grandpa's hometown. I had an opportunity to do that this weekend with my family because Dar and Dianne's oldest grandsons, twins Trent and Tyler just returned from their missions. Being there never fails to lift my spirit and feed my soul. Dar and Dianne are some of, if not the most stalwart, faithful, inspiring and beautiful people I know. There is the richest, sweetest feeling in and around their home and some of my choicest memories have been made there. I associate powerful feelings of fun and love and belonging with being there and I don't know if they'll ever know how special they and the experiences we've had up there are to my siblings and me.

Brittney (9) feeding a calf

Danilo and I run in a 3-legged race at the rodeo

saying goodbye a few summers back

Sometimes I wonder if some of the way I feel about their small town is romanticized because I only visit from time to time, but I don't believe it. Something inside tells me that Dar and Dianne's way of living and their character goes even deeper than what I have experienced... that while no one and no place is perfect, if I stayed a little longer than a trip, I would find that they are truly just as wonderful and genuine as I think they are.

last weekend at the ranch house
my grandparents were there, too
can you spot the twin returned missionaries?

Clouds

2011-02-04T12:50:00.021-07:00

The other day a young woman who is very near and dear to me was showing me a text message she had just received from her fairly serious boyfriend. In the message I could just taste the sweetness of newly found love and hopes for a future that they dream of taking head-on together.

It took me back a few years to my dating and engagement period with Danilo. I felt like life had become sweeter than a fairy tale because I had found in him my definition of happiness. Like many engaged couples, we looked forward to those nights when we would go home together instead of him dropping me off at the end of the night. He would be part of the rest of my future, and no challenges that came our way would be too great because he and I would face them together.

the night after we got engaged on Salt Lake Temple grounds

dancing...

shower thrown by our friends in "adultos solteros"

Our wedding day: picking me up with rings in hand to go to the temple!!

Do I look happy?

I remember during those times a few people who good-naturedly told me to "just wait" until I came down from the clouds. Gary Thornley, who I adore, and who let me travel with him and his darling wife Marilyn to Mexico just a few days after Danilo and I had set a wedding date, got to hear how wonderful Danilo was on a daily basis. One day he elbowed me and said, "He may be all that, but he'll still leave his socks on the floor."

Gary and Marilyn Thornley (my Mexico pictures are in storage)

So the challenges have come. They have come in the form of car repairs and flooded carpeting and ten days on, two days off and learning that some situations cause our personalities to clash and that we were raised in different homes and that we don't agree on when Gracie should be potty-trained.

But as I sat there, text message in hand, and thought of what to say to this darling girl who sat next to me with happiness and love and excitement written all over her face, I thought to myself, have I come down from the clouds?

Maybe temporarily, from time to time, when in the thick of a challenging situation, but as I looked at her, I realized while I have amassed more experience, there isn't a whole lot of difference between the Brittney of today and the Brittney who fell madly in love with Danilo not so many years ago. We are still that same boy and girl who set out to make their dreams come true together, and we are doing it. None of the challenges have been too great when we have faced them together, and he is still the one I want to face them with. Because those ten days on, two days off are bringing Danilo closer to being able to provide well for our family, and that little girl who I want to start potty-training at 2 1/2 and Danilo would have trained were it up to him (wink, wink, many tell me they'd like to see him try) has brought more joy and fulfillment to our lives as husband and wife than we ever could have anticipated.
Oh, and did I mention that amidst the challenges there have been good times too? Such, such good times, so many that I started a blog to keep track of them all!

Happy Valentines Day Danilo!! I am so thankful to be living out this dream of ours with you!

Half-Mast

2011-01-13T22:16:00.005-07:00

The flag flying half-staff this week has been especially reverent and sacred to me. Thanks to the opportunity I've had this year to become more involved in politics, I have attended several meetings similar to the "Congress on Your Corner" where a gunman senselessly opened fire. In the path of danger were good people who had come to talk to their congresswoman about their concerns and hopes and ideas for state and country. Some were just there to listen and be apart. I identified with sweet little 9-year-old Christina who was on her student council and just there to learn more about government when she was unexpectedly gunned down. To me, these meetings are one of the beautiful parts of our political system. They give we the people direct access to someone who can take what we have said back to Washington. I believe Gabby Giffords would not have been standing on that corner if she didn't care what her constituents had to say and that she was serving them well. I pray for her and am excited when I hear of steps she is making to an expected recovery. I pray for the other injured and all those killed and their loved ones affected so deeply. I am thankful for the American spirit that I have felt come in to play as it does during tragedies like these as Americans express concern and love for the victims and are a little kinder to one another. I feel a little bit of all I've tried to express here swell up inside me every time I see another flag at half mast. I am thankful for how good my country has been to me and I love her.

Jesus the Christ

2010-12-19T14:39:00.007-07:00

Several months ago I took this invitation to heart:

I energetically encourage you to establish a personal study plan to better understand and appreciate the incomparable, eternal, infinite consequences of Jesus Christ’s perfect fulfillment of His divinely appointed calling as our Savior and Redeemer.

--Richard G. Scott, April 2010

I decided the way I wanted to come to understand my Savior's purpose better was to read Jesus the Christ by James E. Talmage. I have been eating away at it a little at a time every morning as I eat my breakfast.

As the Christmas season approached this year, I was searching for a way to make this Christmas a meaningful one for me personally, and decided I would finish the 550 pages by Christmas day. That has meant reading 10-15 pages a day instead of two. When I decided to make it happen, I knew it was going to be something I would really have to make an effort to do and that would be a sacrifice of my time... but as the case always is in situations like these, when I have tried to do something for the Lord, He has blessed me with an experience far greater than my sacrifice.

I am truly at a loss for words to describe what I have learned about the kind of Man Jesus the Christ is and why I am grateful He came to this Earth to minister, atone, and die for us. One of the realizations I am making is that all that our cherished Christmas music says about Him is a true description of who He really is... and if that is the case, what a wonderful, majestic, merciful God He is, and oh what reason we have to rejoice.

Born that man no more may die. Born to raise the sons of earth. Born to give them second birth.

Son of God, love's pure light radiant beams from thy holy face with the dawn of redeeming grace.

Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Son of righteousness! Light and life to all he brings. Risen with healing in His wings.

Joy to the world, the Savior reigns. Let men their songs employ, while fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains repeat the sounding joy.

I know more deeply that He lives. I know more of His greatness and majesty and love and mercy and how much we need Him. I love Him. I hope this Christmas season allows you to find a way to more fully come to know Him too.

Merry Christmas!

Gracie Meets Santa

2010-12-18T17:37:00.006-07:00

So much for a "Gracie's first visit on Santa's knee" picture. It's okay. I imagine little Gracie looking through the photo album a few years down the road and saying, "This is the year I was scared of Santa, huh, Mom?" We even tried to warm her up by having her watch three or four other kids go first and making it seem like a wonderfully big deal. Despite Gracie's reaction, R.C. Willey's Santa was delightful.

Counting Blessings

2010-11-21T20:41:00.005-07:00

All of us in this picture have taken turns having stomach flu since this picture was taken during the Achter Family Photo Session 2010 three nights ago. Grace believe it or not was throwing up two hours after and didn't stop until about 2 A.M. that night. It was her first bout with anything besides a nasty cold and it was fairly distressing as her mom to watch her shake her little head and cry, "No no no!" every time she felt the urge to empty her stomach.

Maybe I think too much, but I have always found getting sick enough to be laid up a very humbling experience every time it happens to me. I end up pondering how thankful I am for the strength and feeling of well-being I generally have the rest of the time to get done the things that I need to and make note not to take it for granted. I think of people I know who have been chronically ill and gain a new respect for what they have endured. When it all comes down to it, I get a little depressed and can't wait to feel well again. One night this week sometime around 2:30 or 3 in the morning I was making an effort to lift my spirits by counting my blessings, which were SO many, like...

It's a blessing to be living in my parents' home right now. The day I was most wiped out, I was able to just sleep and know Gracie was being supervised. I know that once motherhood comes along, you don't always get to just sleep even if you're sick. This day I could and I did!

Also, the night Gracie threw up over the side of her crib, a whole team assembled in the house to help clean the bedding and carpet and everything else that had been in the path of disaster. People ran to the grocery store to stock up on fluids for when her stomach settled while I got Gracie cleaned up.

Sure I felt like garbage, but I had a warm home and several quilts on my bed on a cold night.

I had no obligations that would be difficult to cancel (that is code for no sub plans to write, calling back from my teaching days).

My husband made me my favorite comfort food, rice pudding. I shouted directions from the couch while he made sense of the recipe in the kitchen and I love him for it.

And probably my most favorite of all, though it was difficult, I was thankful for the opportunity to care for my daughter in the middle of the night. I always wondered as a little girl how my mom did that for me. I remember her being by my side as I emptied my own stomach into a bucket in the middle of the night and thinking, I bet she'd rather be in bed. I didn't think I'd ever be able to be able to do it myself. But I am thankful for the sense of duty that calls when you're a mom that helps you feel like it's more like an honor than a sacrifice of sleep to sit up and comfort that little person you love so much.

The one sacrifice that did hurt? My mom and I had made arrangements to get up almost in the middle of the night to meet President Bush on Friday morning at a book signing. The bug hit Thursday and it didn't happen.

Ouch. It still hurts. Gracie, you're worth it.

Passionate

2010-10-31T15:14:00.014-06:00

The other day I read an article about how it's important for moms (and anyone, really) to have something they are passionate about that will help them stay well-rounded and help them be better moms. I was trying to figure out if there was anything unique to me that I was truly passionate about as I was driving that day. When I saw a sign for a candidate I truly believe in and my heart started to soar, I figured I'd found it.

I have always believed it was important to vote. Usually when election time rolls around, I try and pull out that voter's information guide that comes in the mail and decide who I will vote for that morning over breakfast. This time I have been involved since April. I mentioned several months ago that I had been given the opportunity to be a county and state delegate and will forever be thankful for what I have learned and experienced in the process. For the rest of this post I am going to insert some pictures I took during my political experience this year. A few things I have learned or strengthened my understanding of are:

- It matters to our Heavenly Father that we are involved in politics.

As Benjamin Franklin was leaving the building where, after four months of hard work, the Constitution had been completed and signed, a lady asked him what kind of government did the convention create. A very old, very tired, and very wise Benjamin Franklin replied;
“A Republic, ma’am if you can keep it.”

I believe that God raised up men like Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, George Washington and others with the minds and hearts ready to produce a document like the Constitution. I believe the principles of the Constitution are so central to our lives that like the air we breathe we sometimes forget to be thankful for them. I believe that God expects us to use our agency to uphold the rights defined for us in the Constitution.

- Politics allows you to take a stand on issues that really matter to you. Issues you are passionate about. It's really satisfying that way.

- Some aspects of politics are REALLY ugly. People can be very mean and say very hurtful things. Sometimes candidates choose to focus on destroying the reputation of their opponent rather than maintaining ground on the people and positions and values they have been sent to represent. People write really nasty things about individuals or collective groups or parties in the newspaper and especially on the internet. The language can get as bad as a junior high hallway. While God expects us to get involved in politics, I believe He expects us to do so in a civil manner by treating others with dignity. In doing so we can be true to ourselves.

- Some aspects of politics are really wonderful. I have had the opportunity to expand my mind, meet people I strongly agree and strongly disagree with and been influenced for the better by both.

- Being informed can become discouraging when you begin to recognize all the daunting problems that are facing our country, but I believe Heavenly Father is 100% aware of what is going on. Quotes like this fill my heart with hope and confidence in my country:

"Men may fail in this country, earthquakes may come, seas may heave beyond their bounds, there may be great drought, disaster, and hardship, but this nation, founded on principles laid down by men whom God raised up, will never fail."

President Harold B. Lee, Ye Are the Light of the World, 350

So if I've piqued your interest enough and you're wondering how can you become involved, I've made a little list of the things that made this past election season so meaningful to me:

Read the Constitution. It's like scripture. I will seriously send you a copy if you want me to.

Read The 5,000 Year Leap. It helps you understand the moral foundation of our country which allowed us to go from plowing fields the same way we had for thousands of years to sending man to the moon in less than two centuries.

Be prayerful. I pray for the ability to recognize truth when I hear it and to not be deceived.

Follow political organizations you believe in online locally and nationally that interest you and ring true to your heart. Subscribe to their emails. When they have events, go and listen. That includes going to hear candidates speak. On the senate level, they often try to make it to each of the counties a couple of times during their campaign.

Read the editorial section in the newspaper and determine how you feel about the issues discussed there.

Listen to talk radio. Change the station when you're disgusted and keep listening when you're inspired. My heart starts beating faster when something I really believe in is being defended or discussed. (Gracie likes to dance and knows there is a stereo in the car. I don't get to listen to talk radio as much as I would like anymore. :)

When election day comes, vote with confidence for the people and issues you believe in. Live with the peace of knowing that you are doing your duty to be informed and involved. Your example may be making a powerful difference.

2 National Monuments and a Butterfly

2010-10-31T13:37:00.006-06:00

After being kindly encouraged by Lisa Bergstrom to be anything but ourselves at the party she and her husband were putting on (like we have been every year their party has been held... we really just don't get in to dressing up!), I asked Chelsea if I could borrow her Statue of Liberty outfit. It was in the shower that morning that I had an idea for Danilo. It would be perfect, and I'd have to work out some details, but I knew the hardest part would be convincing Danilo it was a really good idea. I never convinced him, but he flattered me by dressing up anyway.

Gracie's costume had been decided weeks before... sweetest butterfly I've ever seen!

Pictures

2010-09-28T12:14:00.010-06:00

We were so so happy with Kandi's work! See more of it here.

Utah State Fair 2010

2010-09-28T12:00:00.010-06:00

Keystone, South Dakota

2010-09-08T15:39:00.002-06:00

Where you can

ride bison

get this close to a bear

and see Mount Rushmore from this vantage point,

all in the same little town (well, Bear Country USA is about 15 minutes further, but pretty close anyway). My mom decided to fulfill her lifelong dream of visiting Mount Rushmore this Labor Day weekend and took all of us with her.

please notice the striking resemblances in the faces above and below

It was nice getting Danilo back for a couple of days. He's been missing a lot since the semester began (we know it's going to be worth it, and we can see the light at the end of the tunnel... it's called June).

Thanks to Mom for the idea and the education we received on the history of Mount Rushmore and to Dad for driving 11 hours there and 11 hours back. It was an uplifting weekend being with people I love in such a neat place. My soul filled with gratitude for our country as we watched the evening program at Mount Rushmore after which any past or current service men and women in the audience came forward as the flag was lowered for the night.

All of these patterns....

2010-08-16T18:40:00.001-06:00

...were found inside our room or outside in the hall of the hotel where Danilo and I celebrated our anniversary. I had never stayed anywhere so beautiful and so I tried to capture the smallest details.....as well as the whole effect....

This was Little America where we enjoyed the honeymoon package which meant sparkling cider, chocolate covered strawberries and a beautiful balcony view of downtown Salt Lake.
I am so thankful for my husband and his efforts in planning something that would make me feel so special to him (and you bet he got a dang good deal--it wouldn't be true Danilo style otherwise).
Happy Anniversary to the love of my life and the man of my dreams!!

so this is summer

2010-08-16T17:39:00.002-06:00

We didn't do much playing outside with newborn Grace last summer, so making up for lost time paired with seeing the excitement of summer through our baby girl's eyes has made this summer a very memorable one! Some of the highlights were...

swimming

hike to Waterfall Canyon

our first 5K

Gracie's first s'more

meeting my dear friend Brooke White
(thanks to Danilo who relentlessly pulled me to the front of the crowd for a picture....
and really, if we ever got to spend some time together, I think we would be very good friends!)

Our Baby is 1!

2010-07-18T15:21:00.003-06:00

The night before Grace's birthday, I flipped through some pictures of the first few months of her life. She has become a precious part of us!! Her dad and I love her so much! This is how we spent her first birthday.

At the zoo, where she was completely enthralled with the animals, and where every animal says, "ARF ARF!" according to Gracie. Even the tortoise.

That evening we had a barbecue and presents and cake in Danilo's parents' backyard with our families and the Grays (we shared a wall with them before we moved out of our townhome and love them).

A major tantrum was thrown when we took Grace off of her new Dora car to eat some cake

Took her a minute to get the idea, but once she did, she went for it

Gracie, I love to be your momma!!

Change of Address

2010-07-18T14:35:00.001-06:00

I was making breakfast one Saturday morning in our little townhome when I noticed a foreign object on the kitchen counter. It was a realtor's business card. Someone must have been through our home, probably the night before while we were in Salt Lake, and SHOOT! What did it look like when they did? Pretty decent, I discovered as I went in and out of rooms. Just not with that fresh, clean look you like to achieve before a prospective buyer walks through. Checking my email a couple of hours later, we found out that whoever had come through wanted our house and had made a darn good offer, which we accepted.

Thankful to have the move over (and thanks to family for their help!! That's the hardest thing I've done since giving birth!), we are now in my parents' basement waiting for our home to be built, which means some of my favorite people in the world are right upstairs. It is ridiculous the amount of fun I am having with my sisters.

Not having grown up in the United States, Danilo has never really picked up on the custom of not wanting to spend time with his in-laws, or even joking about it, actually :). I think that's something unique to our marriage that I am really thankful for. He's genuinely thankful for a place to live and is always looking for a way to do his share around here.

Grace, as you can imagine, is being very well taken care of.

The Whole Reason We Went to Florida

2010-06-08T21:26:00.001-06:00

was so that we could come back to this....
That's not the whole truth. Oh how anxious I was to get back to my baby when it was time, but we also went so that Danilo and I could have fun together. And we did! Just a few pictures to sum up the trip...

I could insert some witty remark about us being
Mr. and Mrs. Incredible, but I'll resist :)

My genuine reaction to the Rockin Rollercoaster

I'm sticking this here because my husband looks so darn cute

We had never been surfing before. Still haven't.

Epcot

With the Lunas (left) and the Lopez. Lidia Luna arranged most of our trip, took us to the parks, and she and her husband invited us for dinner twice. What gracious and generous hosts we had!

I am very thankful to our families for making it easy to know that Grace was being well taken care of. Don't plan on us going anywhere without her for a very long time now, though. Not even Disney World tops Gracie!

mail

2010-05-05T06:39:00.004-06:00

Sometimes I don't post for awhile because I am grasping at something interesting enough to blog about. That hasn't been the case. There has been so much going on the last month or two that I've been grasping at a way to blog about all of it. And then the mail came yesterday, and it almost sums up the whole story.

I am a state delegate. Quick explanation on what that means: I've been searching for ways to become more politically educated because I love my country and don't want to be ignorant of what's going on. I've tried talk radio, I've tried different news channels, the newspaper, and the internet and still felt like I wasn't on board. So we attended our caucus meeting in March where a total of seven people showed up (I know I've heard of much heavier attendance at caucus meetings this year than in years past, and our chairwoman said ours was no different, in fact, the numbers had doubled. I've heard other caucuses filled high school auditoriums. We partially filled a living room :). The purpose of a caucus is to elect county and state delegates that will represent your precinct, or part of your neighborhood, at the county and state conventions where officials are elected from the party. This is where and how it really is about we the people. Sitting there at the caucus I thought, maybe this is my chance to get involved. When nominations went up for a county delegate, I raised my hand, a motion was made and seconded. When nominations went up for state delegates, I raised my hand, a motion was made and seconded.

Governor Herbert at the county convention

Since then my phone, email, mailbox, and doorstep have been flooded with efforts from candidates at the county and state level to secure my vote. We've met quite a few of the candidates at the county and state level (or at least stood a few feet away to hear them speak) and whenever I bring Grace with me, she usually catches their eye :). The county convention was held last month and was SO COOL! And now I've got a few more days to ponder which candidates will get my vote for senator and governor at the state convention. I have since learned that it is generally more difficult to be selected as a delegate, especially if there are more than ten people in the room :), and that it's even more rare to be selected for county and state, so I have been very thankful for this opportunity. An education in politics was what I was looking for and boy have I ever received one!!!!

We are building a home!! We've hopped in and out of the housing market a few times the last few months with the plan of probably buying an existing home, until we stopped into an Ivory Homes model home. Their incentives are as great as their homes are beautiful. The papers have been signed.

for sale

We start building towards the end of the summer and our townhome is up for sale. Let us know if you're interested!!

We are leaving the state (just for a few days)! I haven't made it farther than Park City since Grace was born, and I don't think Danilo's been anywhere but Salt Lake. We're taking advantage of our hard earned sky miles to spend a few days in Florida. Grace is staying with each set of grandparents, and after all the research I've done on babycenter.com and phone calls I've made to discuss leaving my baby for a few days I have come to the conclusion that this is going to hurt me more than it hurts her and it will be good for Grace for her mom and dad to go have some fun together!

The only thing going on that the mail failed to mention is that Danilo graduated as a radiology technologist (the same day my sister Hailey graduated in elementary education). He will begin specializing in MRI in the fall. We can see the end from here!!
Grace is looking forward to being able to spend more time at home with her dad (so am I)!

60 years

2010-03-28T20:13:00.003-06:00

These two beautiful people are my grandparents and this picture was taken on Saturday night when we celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. The first time Grandma remembers seeing Grandpa, the son of German immigrants, is when he spoke in church as a youth. He had just moved to Salt Lake from New York and had a heavy Brooklyn accent. He talked about things like "'boids' in the trees" and Grandma "didn't understand a word he said."

I so admire the love between my grandparents. I can remember distinct times each of them has sat and personally told me of the strong love they have for the other. When Danilo and I were first married, Grandpa pulled us aside and told us how fun and wonderful it is to be in love with the person you married. He said, "Sometimes we're even late to places, and it's because we're kissing." :) Grandma is so proud of Grandpa and Grandpa especially makes it known how proud he is of Grandma. I've had to agree with him a number of times when he'll pull me aside and ask me, "Isn't she beautiful?"

I realized last night that all of this has trickled down to the way my dad treats my mom. When I was home and Dad would call from work, I always counted on hearing him ask for her by saying something like, "Is your GORGEOUS mom there?" I realized last night that one of the greatest things parents can do for their children is show them that they love each other and I am thankful for the people who have demonstrated this so beautifully in my life!

Peanuts are a No

2010-03-12T09:58:00.001-07:00

Danilo chuckled to himself in the kitchen."Gracie likes peanut butter," he said, walking into the room with a part-eaten peanut butter sandwich. "She's so cute." One of my eyebrows arched. "I don't think babies are supposed to have peanut butter." Since we bought Gracie a high chair and she's grown accustomed to solid foods, we've shared a little bit of this and that with her at the dinner table, a crumb from a roll, a dab of mashed potato. Watching her experiment with the new tastes and textures in her cute little mouth has been so fun. But somewhere in the recesses of my brain, I knew I had heard babies weren't supposed to have peanut butter. I don't know if it was something I had acquired from being a big sister or from child development in high school... So I ran up to the computer and did a quick Google search: babies peanut butter. I found an article that said the consistency of peanut butter can be dangerous for babies because it can get stuck in their throats. I reported my findings to Danilo. Gracie stared at us wondering what the big deal was as we watched her intently for several seconds making sure there was no peanut butter stuck in her throat. "Probably no more peanut butter, though," I said as I sat down to feed her some mashed bananas. Danilo acquiesced to his mildly paranoid wife and finished his sandwich at the kitchen table. "Are those marks on her face from rolling around on the carpet?" he asked a minute later. "I think so," I replied. A few bites of bananas later, the number of red spots had grown and now they included tiny white bumps. My only allergic reaction in my life to penicillin had me convinced immediately that our little girl was breaking out into hives. Thus began a pretty miserable Sunday afternoon. As her face began to clear up, the hives continued down her neck and stomach and legs itching like crazy. Grace only knew she was uncomfortable and except for a dose or two of Benadryl every couple of hours, we felt pretty helpless. A priesthood blessing by her Dad, Grandpa, and Great Grandpa late in the afternoon (who were at our home for a family home evening that went surprisingly well anyway) calmed Dad's and Mom's and Gracie's nerves. Monday morning she woke up completely cleared up and talking and smiling and giggling again. I've spent the week receiving an education on peanut allergies. We'll know with time and probably some allergy testing how severe it is. For now we just have to STAY AWAY from them. Peanuts are much more prevalent than I realized! I am coming to terms with the fact that my daughter may never get to experience the joy of a Leatherby's hot fudge peanut butter sundae, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, and that I might not be able to just whip up a peanut butter sandwich for lunch on a weekday afternoon. There are worse things. Aside from having an allergic reaction to peanut butter this week, Gracie officially crawled across the living room floor last night and her first tooth which we discovered yesterday at lunchtime is gradually making an appearance!

3 and a Half Reasons I'm Thankful

2010-03-02T09:31:00.001-07:00

#1
We've gotten word by phone and by internet that our Chilean relatives are safe and well.

#2
Saturday's car accident was so very minor with Danilo and me up front and Grace and her aunt Chelsea in the backseat (yes, that IS the car I was driving as a junior in high school... she's so good to us!)

#3
March 1st was Spring-like enough to take a walk on the trail at the park. Gracie... this is called outside and you're going to love it!

#3 and a half
Springtime in the air means it's time to put up my favorite wreath... or putting up my favorite wreath means Spring is in the air. Good news either way!

Thank You Letter

2010-02-15T15:45:00.001-07:00

Dear Cher of Love, Actually blog,
Not knowing how and when we were going to celebrate Valentines Day this year with my husband's insane work and school schedule, I did a Google search to try and find a way to do something special. I wasn't sure what I wanted, but hoped I'd find it. The Valentine's Countdown you posted was everything I was looking for!! I used probably a little more than half of your ideas and then made up some that were unique to us as husband and wife. My very favorite night was dancing to our wedding song. I teared up at the thought of how much we have experienced together and how my love for him has deepened since the last time we danced to that song. Some other favorites were

writing love letters to each other and mailing them for real

the heart attack on our bedroom wall

And the five-minute massage was a total hit.

I can say that our relationship sweetened over the last two weeks because we said and wrote and did things for each other that took time and effort motivated by love and were receiving it from each other every day in return. It was exciting and fun and love-inspiring.

Thank you so much!

Brittney Collado

And because Gracie grows faster than we do, I better get some recent pictures of her on this post, too!

squirrels and macaroni and cheese and staplers

2010-01-26T11:54:00.002-07:00

This is Gracie being held by my longest friend. We're talking she moved in two doors down when I was four and she was three. She and her older sister Emily are the ones I built nests for squirrels out of lawn clippings and filled them with acorns with. She's the one I taped cooking shows making macaroni and cheese and peanut butter sandwiches with. They're the ones I was going to start the Kid's Cafe with where all the neighborhood kids could come eat (probably macaroni and cheese and peanut butter sandwiches and fruit roll-ups for dessert) and we started by making aprons out of material scraps. We used a stapler because it was easier than sewing. They're the ones with whom we decided that going door-to-door to sell lemonade might make a bigger profit than just sitting on the sidewalk, and we were right because NO ONE turned us and our little wagon full of cups and a pitcher down. I still have her phone number memorized (See? XXX-XXXX :). Every so often a wedding or a holiday will bring us back to the same neighborhood where we grew up and we make plans for lunch, which we had last Friday. This was the first time I had a daughter to bring along, which sweetened an already exciting afternoon. It was fun to hold my little girl while I caught up with my friend from when I was a little girl.

My 5th birthday party. Cousin Kenny, you're in there too.

Haiti

2010-01-23T09:13:00.001-07:00

Last night I saw some footage from Haiti that included a baby girl being given a bath in a washtub on the street. It especially tugged on my heart because there are mommas in Haiti who love their baby girls like I love mine. I haven't yet figured out how to cope with large-scale tragedies like this in the world. Why do I get to snuggle up next to my husband with my little girl on the couch tonight and watch a movie while people in Haiti are pouring their loved ones into mass graves? So I'm trying to learn to cope by exercising my faith that God is the Ultimate Father. He must love and care deeply for His children. I trust that He is all-knowing. He has the answers to all the questions and situations in life that perplex me and He will help me understand them if and when I need to. I believe prayer is a power strong enough to pour a feeling of comfort and love over a nation and so when I pray for Haiti, I am helping. And because we have so much, I want to give.

What Is This?

2010-01-15T13:18:00.001-07:00

This is seconds after Gracie figured out where I go when we get in the car. I was reaching back from the front seat to give her her pacifier like I've been doing the last six months of her life and I saw her head whip around and connect the pacifier with my arm and my face. She looked at me like, "Is that where you've been when we get in the car my whole life?" It was super sweet. I'm thankful for camera phones that allow you to have a camera on hand every second in case something like this happens.

Why High School Musical? you may ask

2010-01-11T21:39:00.002-07:00

NOTE: Title of this post refers to the song that was playing on our blog at the time it was posted

The truth is, I have never seen Danilo so little in my life (well, since we've been married) during these last few semesters of his schooling. We will go four, five, six days solid seeing each other for prayer in the morning (during which I am somewhat comatose) and a half hour at night. It has given me an appreciation for how sweet it is just to BE TOGETHER when we are. So while Troy and Gabriella are in a cheesy high school relationship worrying about life after graduation, it's amazing how fitting the words to Just Wanna Be with You are!! I am thankful for my little girl who keeps me company. I would be super lonely without her!

What made this Christmas different...

2010-01-11T19:31:00.001-07:00

A sight that never ceases to prick my heart is of our Christmas tree lying sideways waiting for the garbage truck to come. It always gets to me. Thank you for brightening our house and filling it with the wonder of Christmas...I will now leave you on the curb. Our curb happens to be a bus stop, however, and someone propped our tree and our neighbor's tree upright while they were waiting for the bus, which I thought was kind of silly and cute. Yes, I have a hard time letting go of Christmas every year. It's time to blog about three things that made this year's Christmas different.

1. GRACIE

Here was her impression of Christmas...

She had this amused look on her face all morning that I think said, "Mom, why don't we play with pretty paper every day?!" I'm sure parents of older kids can tell me it's going to get sweeter and sweeter with every year. I'm convinced!

Thanks so much to family for giving us a place to come celebrate, delicious food, and sweet gifts. We love you!!

2. The GRACIE song.

When Gracie was born I put a song on our blog called Gracie by Ben Folds. Apparently my brother Andrew got a hold of the sheet music and has been practicing it on the piano to get it ready for Christmas. And here's the kicker--he talked Danilo into singing it on Christmas Eve. Danilo doesn't sing for people. Danilo only sings in the bathroom. Danilo wouldn't let me post the video, but it was one of the sweetest gifts I have ever received. Thanks little brother!

3. Jason Luna

Danilo knew the wonderful Luna family on his mission in Orlando. That's where we ended up going on our honeymoon and Sister Luna (who works for Disney) and her family did so much to make our trip so incredible!! Their son Jason moved out to Utah the week before Christmas to start work and school here, and we kind of absorbed him into our family for the holidays. He was so nice to put up with us. We spent time with both the Achters and Byingtons. Coming to all our Christmas parties meant that he met both sides of my entire family. I don't know if any boyfriends have even ever had it that intense! Christmas night he was teaching my sisters how to latin dance. There was some serious Wii competition throughout the holiday. The day after Christmas we ate out at the restaurant where he works where we felt like we had the inside scoop on what to order and how. We just really like him!

Christmas Testimony

2009-12-24T08:15:00.001-07:00

Some things I have learned about Jesus...

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

John 1:5

This verse is testimony of someone who knew Jesus when He was on the Earth. The Word was made flesh, the Son of God who was also a God Himself, came to Earth in the form of a man to live among us. That is why choirs of angels sang. That is why a new star was shining so brightly. That is the significance of this time of year.

But why did He come?

And he beheld Satan; and he had a great chain in his hand, and it veiled the whole face of the earth with darkness; and he looked up and laughed, and his angels rejoiced.

Moses 7:26

Enoch saw this in vision. It makes my stomach turn. Because we have the gift of agency, we are able to work out our own salvation, but every one of us will also inevitably fall from time to time. This would place us in Satan's grasp, which would be a miserable place to be. But we are not lost, because...

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. But if any man sin and repent, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

1 John 2:1-2

These are truths I want to pass on to my little children as well. The Father sent His Son as a newborn baby to the Earth to live among us, to show us the way, and to perform important work that would allow Him to be our advocate with the Father.

Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.

1 John 2:24-25

I can think of no greater promise than to know that the things that matter most to me on this Earth can be mine to enjoy eternally. I am thankful to my Savior for that reality, and I share my testimony of these things in His name. Merry Christmas!!

Firsts worth blogging about

2009-12-18T11:01:00.000-07:00

1. Gracie's first ride on the Front Runner

2. Gracie's first trip to Temple Square to see the lights

with Gracie's tias y abuelos
Cynthia & Nicole, Grandma & Grandpa

Yes, she is screaming in every picture, only because we got the camera out at the end of the trip when she was DONE rather than the beginning when she seemed to be absolutely captivated by the lights. Her fit didn't last, though. It wasn't long before she was out.

And the final first:

3. Gracie's first pony-tail. I just wanted to see if my five-month old had enough hair to do it. Cutie pie, she does.

Unexpected

2009-12-10T13:31:00.001-07:00

A couple of weekends ago, I found myself standing in front of the Salsa club at Danilo's university. He'd been asked to come do a demonstration. I just remember thinking, wow, this is not something I would've expected to be doing say, ten years ago. Ten years ago I didn't know more than a lick of Spanish. Ten years ago my dance experience didn't extend past the Boot Scootin' Boogie. I guess I'm just thankful that I'm not the only author in my life, because I don't think I would've written Salsa dancing in on my own. The video below isn't super recent. It was taken on our honeymoon. Please take that into account when you notice the silly googly look on my face. I was pretty excited to be married to Danilo (nothing's changed, I've just toned down the googly look). The dancing's a little clumsy for that reason, too, but I think it gives you a pretty good taste of what we like to do. Please also know you don't have to watch all five minutes and twenty four seconds. I wasn't able to edit it down like I would've liked. I'll stop making disclaimers. Just enjoy!

Oh to be this cute in the morning...

2009-12-02T18:14:00.001-07:00

Christmas Tree Found

2009-12-02T17:47:00.001-07:00

A taste of this year's Christmas tree hunt...

Posing with the right one
After my handsome man carried it down the hill
And my very favorite, with uncle Andrew
Brightening our little house

First Ticket

2009-12-02T16:35:00.001-07:00

I don't know if my first cavity at 17 or my first traffic ticket last week was more painful. I held out on both for a very long time. Tuesday morning, 7:26. Coming back from the gym. School zone lights are on. No kids out yet. I slow from 35 to 25. Is that a cop car parked on that side street? Shoot. I'm going slower than I was, but faster than 20. The car is dark. I don't think there's anyone in it. Or if there is, maybe the officer tolerates going 25 in a school zone when the kids aren't out yet, because surely they would be following me by now. Thank goodness. Wait. The car is pulling out. The car has its lights on. Maybe they got an important call and need to head this direction. Let me get out of the way. I pull over. Please don't pull up behind me. He pulls up behind me. No wait, she pulls up behind me and she's getting out of the car. As my window is coming down, I am thankful to have a little more life experience behind me than the first time I was pulled over at 16 and it made me cry.
"Apparently you didn't see the school zone back there."
"No, I did, and I know better."
"Why were you speeding?"
"I know better."
"You wanna knock out someone's kid?"
"No." Do I tell her I'm a school teacher? No, that will just give her more material.
"Can I see your license and insurance?"
I don't take my purse with me to the gym at 6:30. Well, I do now. No license. I hand over my insurance information. She goes back to her car. Ten minutes later I am handed my first traffic ticket and told to appear in justice court within 14 days. I try not to let words on the ticket like, "defendant," "without admitting guilt," and " IF YOU FAIL TO APPEAR THE COURT MAY ISSUE A WARRANT FOR YOUR ARREST" make me feel like a criminal.
"This will teach me," I tell the officer.
She actually smiles, I think having determined I'm not quite the punk she thought she was going to encounter, and says, "Have a safe day."
I would like to thank the hearing officer who made the experience of going to justice court bearable. When he said, "Ouch, school zone, huh?" and I told him I was a teacher, he asked where. When I told him I was at home now with my baby, he asked to see a picture and said the things moms like to hear about their babies. He then proceeded to give me my options. Paying $125 to attend traffic school was the best one. Yes, that'll teach me. The good news? I still get to be Grace's mom.

Satisfying

2009-11-24T09:14:00.002-07:00

NOTE: I have been debating whether or not to pull this post off the blog. When I wrote it I meant it to be a cute story about feeling better after resolving one of those disagreements husbands and wives run into from time to time. But when I read over it, I can't tell if that's the message someone reading would get or if it just sounds like I'm venting about my husband online. That's not my intention. It's kind like a text message...some of the feeling gets lost in the words (if you're anything like my sisters and me, you carefully plan whether to put a period or an exclamation point, or maybe two exclamation points to send the right idea :). Anyway, know how much I love Danilo, how thankful I am for the way he treats me, and please read this for what it's meant to be.

Danilo and I were both upset the other night after a talk we'd had on the way home. As I busied myself around the house and he worked on his homework, I kept thinking of things I thought would feel so good to say to Danilo in response to some of the things he'd said in the car--now that I'd had time to stew over it. Words that would sting...something along the lines of, well if that bothers you so much, what were you thinking when you married me? I would play it out in my mind, telling Danilo exactly what I thought I wanted to, and reveled in how good it would feel when I delivered the words like a punch. Moments like these make me thankful for the marriage covenant. It makes me step back and think, is coming out on top in this disagreement more important than my marriage? So far the answer has never been yes. A testimony of the importance of marriage in God's plan, my love for Danilo, remembering what I read once in this article , and my husband's sweet example of always apologizing first gave me the push I needed to step up and repair the rift between us that night. After it was done, I remembered thinking how good I had thought it was going to feel to tell Danilo off earlier in the night, and was so thankful I hadn't. Better to cause no damage than to feel hollow satisfaction that would probably turn into regret by morning. With it all resolved I could see clearly that being in love with him was a much more satisfying feeling to my soul than saying what I wanted to say to him would have been.

The link on the picture below takes you to a trailer for one of our favorite movies. It revitalized how I think about my marriage. I get excited to be married to Danilo all over again after I watch it. Have you seen it?

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T07:41:00.001-07:00

As mentioned in the previous post, little things have become a very big deal lately. I usually can't wait for Halloween to be over so we can get on with Thanksgiving and Christmas, but having Grace around this year made this Halloween the most fun I've had since I was nine!!

Gracie spent Halloween with friends

Grace with Austin Bergstrom

and family

Grace with Uncle Andrew

and pulled off quite a sweet black cat.

Now the only problem is figuring out how to get her cat nose off before church this morning.

Soap and water didn't work last night. Almay lipstick is powerful stuff (on lips and noses)!!

I love how...

2009-10-31T12:48:00.001-06:00

...little things have suddenly become a very big deal....

Adventures in Substituting

2009-10-13T19:58:00.001-06:00

I started substituting in the elementary and secondary schools in the last month or so. I go in one day a week and Gracie's grandmas have the chore of taking turns watching her. It's been fun to still keep my foot in the door as an educator because I really enjoy teaching. Other reasons why substituting is great:

- everything is prepared for you when you get there

- someone is coming to pick up where you left off the next day

- if a class is unbearable, you don't have to face them the next day :)

I've also enjoyed getting a taste of every grade level. I think I could teach almost any grade and enjoy it, and believe it or not, the substituting I have done in jr. high has been my very favorite so far.

The grandmas who "have" to watch Grace

I've prepared a little game for all our blog readers. Guess what grade level I was teaching when I had each experience: (your choices are: elementary, jr. high, and high school...award yourself extra points if you are dead on with the grade level)

a. Was asked, "Can we call you Mrs. Gordita?" when the students found out my last name was Spanish. I responded, "Mrs. Chubby?" and everyone else went, "OOOOOOOOO!"

b. "Your name is Mrs. Camaro, right?"

c. Saw several of my past students in the hallway and taught four or five of them in Pre Algebra and Utah Studies.

d. Had my cousin in English class. She sent a text message to my sister who was also in the building that said, "I am not texting in your sister's class."

e. Supervised students covering each others' faces in plaster for a true mummy experience.

Answers below:

a. High School. Junior English.
b. Elementary School. 1st grade.
c. Junior High. 7th grade.
d. High School. Junior English. Again. Cute Katie.
e. Elementary School. 6th grade.

I'm thankful I can help out a little financially doing something I enjoy. And the very best part of substitute teaching? Knowing that in a few hours I get to come home to this: (my mom sent this to me today on my phone while I was gone)

Yellow! Red! Orange!

2009-10-03T09:06:00.001-06:00

Yesterday my family swung by to pick up Grace and me on their way to a leaf drive. We drove all the way up to Bear Lake and came down through Sardine Canyon where we saw some simply GORGEOUS LEAVES! I know I must officially be a mom now, or at least grown up. I remember sitting in the back seat of the car hearing my Mom rave about the leaves and now I get almost as excited as she does. "Look at that RED! Look at that YELLOW!" We did manage to grab some raspberry shakes while we were up at Bear Lake. Delicious.

Grace and I missed having her Dad along, and we're so thankful for all he does for us. These are the first and second year students in his radiology program at the hospital.
After working for Goldenwest Credit Union for the past two and a half months, Danilo was able to get on as an RPT (radiology practical technician) at the hospital which means in addition to doing clinicals at the hospital, he will work there as well with a limited license. Goldenwest has been a really enjoyable job for Danilo that landed in our lives at an important time (around the time Gracie was born and my last paycheck from the school district arrived). We feel so blessed!

Tending Gracie

2009-09-22T14:45:00.001-06:00

Those that have followed our blog long enough might remember a post from May called $59 and a Really Wonderful Husband. It told this sweet story about Danilo following me through a nursery picking out flowers and tools for our first "garden" on our front porch. Well, folks... except for the toughest of the tough, the flowers are dead. Here's a little before shot of our freshly planted flowers:
And here's a picture I took today before I toss them... the picture is slightly crooked because I was holding Gracie in one arm.I was so excited the day I planted my flowers. I told my mom, "These are going to be the best taken care of five flowers in the world," because that's about how many I planted. Well, here's how it all went down.

The petunias were flourishing until my water broke and I didn't get back to our house until four days later. They were crispy brown when we got home.

The gerber daisies needed more sunlight than our shady porch provided, and I watered them to death.

The violas were in a pot with the gerber daisies. After several revival attempts, I finally tossed the whole thing.

The vincas are the only flowers that have survived. There have been a couple of occasions when I've been sure I've lost them. They'll be drooping and looking super thirsty. I water them and when I see them later that night, they'll be chipper and upright again. There's a lesson in there somewhere.

When I told my mom about the sad state of my garden, she told me about a book she'd read called Tending Roses. It's about a young wife who goes with her husband and family to live with her grandmother and the lessons she learns there. Here's a pretty line from the book, "The best times in my life, the times that have passed by me the most quickly, were the times when the roses grew wild." The woman had been wishing she had more time to prune her roses. She's not able to tend to them as she'd like to because she's raising her little ones. That's the lesson she learns from her grandma. I wish I had wild roses instead of dead flowers on my porch, but I don't know, tell me. Is she worth it?

Sweetest Day

2009-09-10T06:50:00.002-06:00

Gracie was blessed this past Sunday and as I look back I realize what a truly special day it was. She was blessed in the same dress my Grandma Parke made for my blessing 25 years ago.

Her dad gave her a wonderful blessing. I truly felt like the heavens were opening and Danilo was speaking to Grace on her Heavenly Father's behalf. He wasn't wearing a t-shirt and shorts at the time. That was after, when we got to the park. The men in their black suit coats were a little jealous he'd had time to run home and change. My parents said this picture belongs in an aftershave ad... tough yet soft.

Gracie had all of her grandparents there...

I had all of my grandparents there...I am so fortunate to still have them! (See Grandma Parke above, apparently Grandpa Parke didn't get dragged into any of the pictures.)

All of Gracie's adoring aunts...
And Uncle Andrew.
Thanks to my aunts and uncles and cousins who helped with the luncheon afterward and made the day so meaningful by being there. We love you!! Y tambien mandamos saludos y mucho amor a nuestra familia en Chile.

Back to School

2009-08-24T10:16:00.003-06:00

Mrs. Collado's Class Picture 2009-2010

PICTURED (left to right): Mrs. Collado, Grace Collado

Curriculum: smiling, cooing, rolling over, sitting up, teething, crawling, laughing, solid foods, "da-da", "ma-ma"

Thanks to Gracie's Dad and all he's doing (school, work, and clinicals) so that I can be home with our baby girl.

Thanks to Jackie Norris for photographing Grace and Mom at three weeks old. Jackie and I were neighbors growing up and she has become quite the photographer. You can see more of her fabulous work here.

I also want to thank my friend Amy Woody, another up and coming photographer who is responsible for the family picture at the top of our blog. Good grief, she made us sound like the good guys for allowing her the privilege of photographing Grace at three days old. We were so thankful!!

Yay for Mom!

2009-08-15T12:28:00.001-06:00

Something important happened last night. Let me rewind a few weeks. When Gracie came home with us, she slept in the bassinet to the side of our bed, my side of the bed. Every time I woke up, I would jump up and check to be sure she was okay and breathing like she should. This is how we did things for the first ten days or so. Then Danilo who has to get up for work and/or school in the mornings suggested that after her first feeding during the night, I move her into her crib in her own bedroom. Ouch, that idea tugged at my heart. I loved having her be one of the last things I see and hear before I go to bed and I love knowing she's next to me. But I could see why it would be a good idea. Our little girl is famous for making horse noises when she's sleeping. That's the best way I can describe them. I realized when we tried it that night, put Gracie to bed in her bassinet and switched her over to her crib where she would wake up in the morning, that I slept much better because the cute horse noises were muffled across the hall but I still was able to hear her when she needed something to eat. So last night, Danilo was trying to get to bed early for an early morning and so I was doing Gracie's bedtime routine in her own room so her dad could fall asleep. My intent was to put her to sleep in the bassinet like we always do. Then the thought occurred to me that since we were already in her room, I could put her to bed in her crib to begin with. I shut out the thought immediately. We couldn't possibly try that yet! I hadn't planned on making the transfer to her crib until Gracie was a month ol.....Gracie turned a month on Thursday. Oh dear. I was coming face to face with a scary hairy fear of mine. I am quite in love with this little girl of ours and always will be. But I don't want it to be detrimentally so. As she grows I envision her always by my side....But what happens when her friend across the street calls to see if she can come over to play? I don't think I should go with her. Or when the first day of school rolls around....As a former teacher I know how obnoxious and inappropriate it would be for me to sit on the back row of her classroom all day to be sure that she's okay. My mom loves me just as fiercely as I love Grace, yet I'm grateful she didn't accompany me on my first date! And as I sat there in the rocking chair I started to understand the subtle balance a parent needs to find between loving and caring for and teaching their children, and allowing them to grow and discover things on their own and trusting their ability to do it. I realized the sooner I started exercising those "letting her grow" muscles, the better it would be for both of us. So I cried a little tear, kissed my baby girl on the cheek as I laid her in her crib, and went to sleep next to Danilo. And I was excited to see her in the morning.

Happy 3rd Anniversary [yesterday]!

2009-08-12T17:41:00.001-06:00

I am pretty thankful for my wonderful husband and wanted to put up some pictures that illustrate some of the fun we've had together over the last three years.....

Danilo....I'm so glad I married you!!

Gracie Loves Her Daddy

2009-07-30T09:40:00.002-06:00

We've started up what's going to be the routine around here. Danilo's gone back to work while I get to be Mom and Gracie gets to be sweet baby girl. And that's exactly what she is, almost all day long. When she's not sleeping, she's making sweet faces and sweet noises as she stares around the room with her big blue beautiful eyes. Around 6:00 everything changes. She becomes a grumpy ornery (yet still adorable) bear for the rest of the night. 6:00 is exactly when Dad gets off work and heads home to his little family. We make the rounds changing and feeding her and when that doesn't work, Danilo pulls every trick out of his hat he can think of. I've felt so bad about being the one who gets to enjoy her sweetness all day long when Danilo's worked all day, and that's why I gave thanks for my husband last night before going to bed. After he'd tried everything to soothe her and nothing had worked longer than five minutes, during our family prayer he thanked Heavenly Father for the blessing of Grace, for the joy she's brought into our lives and into our home. He asked for a good nights sleep so that we could wake up and enjoy being together again tomorrow. And he was sincere. I am so grateful to him for being a good dad when it's easy...and when it's not so easy. The picture above is one of his favorite things to do on a Saturday or Sunday morning, and I love it.

11 Days Old!

2009-07-24T15:42:00.003-06:00

WE LOVE OUR GRACIE GIRL SO MUCH!!!!!

I sent this message to my mom in the middle of our first sleepless night with Gracie. I was an extremely colicky baby (I might have created that word) and have never fully appreciated what that meant until now. However, we've only had what we could really term two sleepless nights since we brought her home. It may be too early to be sure, but she seems to be developing a pretty regular routine of sleeping through the night with just a feeding or two in the middle. I feel like I am so not getting what I deserve!!

Yesterday we were visiting my mom and Gracie started to cry while her diaper was being changed. I laid down on the floor a few inches from her face and told her she was okay. She stopped crying and grasped my finger and looked at me like she knew I was her momma. Moments like this that Danilo and I have with her everyday teach us that the adjustments we're making in our schedule and routine and the anxiety we feel when we sometimes don't know how to get rid of a tummy ache she's got are entirely and eternally worth it!

Gracie's Entrance

2009-07-18T19:33:00.001-06:00

I was scheduled to be induced on Tuesday, July 14 and we were getting very excited. Saturday was Danilo's birthday and we also had a reunion with all my Grandma Parke's brothers and sisters that brought a lot of people in from out of town. We took advantage of having all of my mom's brothers and sisters here by taking a family picture. It's kind of hysterical that this picture was taken two days before Gracie was planned to be born, but everyone that had to go back home was leaving town that night. Wait. It gets better.

After family pictures with the Parkes, we went up to visit my Grandma and Grandpa Achter at their home with my family. My grandpa dished up some ice cream which you can see my sisters and I enjoying on the back deck. My mom suggested it would be neat if my husband, dad, and grandpa could give me a priesthood blessing for the upcoming labor and delivery. It was a sweet experience. Afterwards we talked about Gracie and what a precious blessing she was going to be in our lives. In the meantime, Danilo was having fun trying out a massage on the space between my heels and my ankles. Some friends in our ward had been talking to us that day about how they were convinced a massage like that induced labor.

Ten minutes later for reasons I won't describe in detail, I grabbed my sisters and told Danilo we were going to go find my mom to see what it was like when your water breaks. He follwed closely behind. We met Mom in the front yard with Grandma where we made the decision to rush to the hospital.

Danilo and I had gone up to my grandparents with my family in their car. We dropped off my sisters who grabbed our car to run back to our house and grab my "bag" while we continued on to the hospital with my Mom and Dad and Andrew. It felt like a really fun movie.

There is probably a 30 minute difference between the picture of my sisters and I eating ice cream and Danilo and me checking into the hospital emergency room (where we entered still coordinated for a family picture). Was it the foot massage?

Nine hours later, we welcomed the sweetest blessing of our lives into the world. The rest of this post is for you to take a peek at our little Gracie girl.

This week is truly one where I can say my heart is full to overflowing. From the nurses and doctors in the hospital who cared for us during our stay to my angel Mom whose bringing me into this world I can now more fully appreciate, to Dad and Hailey and Chelsea and Andrew and Mami and Ovy and Cynthia and Nicole, to Grandmas and Grandpas and aunts and uncles and cousins and sweet friends, I have more love in my heart than I know what to do with. I give thanks to my Heavenly Father for the blessing of my precious daughter and for the increased love I have for my wonderful husband who is revealing himself more and more each day to be such a wonderful dad!!

mod podge

2009-06-25T12:44:00.001-06:00

In my recent adult life, I have been in meetings for Young Women or Primary or school or various get-togethers where women are talking about craft ideas and say, "We could mod podge it." And I nod my head and agree while inside I'm thinking, "YOU could mod podge it. I don't have that type of craft experience!" To me it sounded like an advanced skill that I was not qualified to tackle. I didn't even really know what the end result looked like. But my aunt Neyka has been giving me ideas for Gracie's room and suggested that I mod podge some picture frames with scrapbook paper that matched her bedding. Feeling amibitious yesterday, I did a google search to see just what that would entail. After a trip to Michael's and Wal-Mart and a couple of hours with scissors and paper and mod podge, I discovered what mod podge is NOT: scary, hairy, or hard. I also discovered what it is: white, sticky, and inspiring! I had so much fun! I even ventured past picture frames. In fact, as I was in bed not sleeping last night (which is apparently the way things roll in the eighth month of pregnancy), I was imagining all the places I could apply my new skill. I imagined our bedroom door all mod podged in some pretty something that would complement the room. I won't do it, though. I'm thinking I should turn the next post over to Danilo before this becomes a crafty, recipe, housekeeping blog. Please keep coming back, I'll keep trying to keep it interesting.

Welcome Summertime!

2009-06-17T18:56:00.001-06:00

This was my day-to-day life a month ago. Cute kids. One thing we all had in common: we needed a summer (you can see it in some faces more so than others).

And now it's here! It's interesting coming to terms with the fact that my break doesn't last just three months. I've actually had a hard time wrapping my head around the idea that the only determining factor in what I will do each day is whatever I decide to do...I'm sure a certain baby girl due to arrive in one month will help.

So I have tried to make myself useful everyday. I give myself one project each day. It usually ends up being a closet to clean. I don't know about other school teachers, but if I was going to do my best as a teacher, our house had to take a little bit of a backseat. I tried to keep the living room, kitchen presentable, but anything behind a closed door was pretty scary.

I was going to take a before and after picture of each project, but I didn't know how many of you would still claim me. I'm kind of regretting not getting before shots, because I think sometimes we love ourselves a little more when we see other people have messy closets too (any men reading, please apply that thought to your own circumstance).

There's a little rhyme and reason to the order of the pantry now. Before, cereal went on top and everything else was free game.

The hallway linen closet... I open it about three or four times a day just because it feels good to see it like this. Ahhh.

The closet under the stairs. I'm not afraid to open this door anymore either. The stuff in there are things we actually use and need!

And my favorite... Gracie's room. For the

last year and a half, this room has served as the place where we put everything that didn't have a place anywhere else in the house...and we RARELY opened the door. I am so happy to report that as of today, 90% of the stuff in Gracie's room is Gracie's stuff--not my high school yearbooks, not her dad's taekwondo gear. We've got a few more things to do before she gets here, but the decluttering is just about through.

So the reason I have had the time to post 48 pictures tonight is because Danilo called the same time he does every night to tell me he's at the Front Runner station and five minutes from home, but instead to tell me that he was just leaving the hospital to catch Trax...a two-hour commute home. So that meant I was eating dinner by myself. I had tostadas planned for tonight, and while they're a favorite around here, they seemed to turn out extra yummy tonight, so I wanted to share. They're kind of pretty once they're all made up, but I'd already eaten a whole one and only had room for a half once I decided to take a picture.

On one tostada, spread:

One layer of rice (I cooked the rice with a little bit of chicken boullion)

A few avocado slices

One layer of ground beef (I seasoned it with two cloves of garlic and some dried onion)

Chopped tomato

Squeeze a lime segment over the top

Top with cheese.

Here is what a tostada looks like in and out of the package.

If you made it to the end of this post, thanks, you're really nice. I will try to be a little more brief next time.

I Do Have In-Laws...And I love them!

2009-06-07T10:09:00.001-06:00

I have wanted to post things we've done with my in-laws so that their faces are familiar ones on our blog...it's just been a matter of remembering to bring a camera when we do things together. We went to dinner on Thursday night after Nicole's graduation and I'm thrilled we've finally got some pictures for posting! Danilo has two sisters, Cynthia and Nicole, which means Grace is going to have four aunts and an uncle. My mother-in-law lived in Chile until she brought her family here 15 years ago. My father-in-law grew up in Texas close to the Mexican border where he picked up quite a bit of Spanish. They met shortly after Danilo's family arrived in Utah and he brought a wonderful completion to their family as a loving and supportive husband and father. Five or six years ago, my father-in-law was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. While the disease has taken much from him, the decline has become less drastic with surgery, therapy, and medication. I enjoy watching videos with the family of before the Parkinson's because it gives me a peek at the man inside who can't always communicate with us like he'd like to. I have learned much about patience and humility from watching and coming to know him better.

One thing I appreciate so much about my in-laws is how cherished they make me feel. We've been married for almost three years now, and they continue to make me feel like they are so happy that Danilo found me. It's a blessing.

Anxiety Release

2009-05-31T22:06:00.001-06:00

Tonight's the last Sunday night in a VERY long string of Sunday nights that I will have to get up to go teach school in the morning. For some reason I am feeling a whole lot of anxiety. Part of it is due to the way my little darlings have been acting over the past month knowing summer freedom is inching closer and closer. I guess I'm terrified that it's all going to burst this week and none of the tricks in my bag of tried and true teacher techniques are going to work. I hope I've got enough lessons and activities planned to fill in the gaps between all the end of year activities that will be taking place. And then there's this strong longing I've got to make sure that this year counted for something important in the lives of my students. I had a very challenging class this year and so much of the time I worried about how their behavior or their progress or lack of it was reflecting on my success or progress as a teacher. I guess the thought that's haunting me tonight is that I'm realizing, IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT ME! If I could've realized that awhile ago, I think it would've been liberating. I just hope I didn't waste energy worrying about myself as a professional instead of putting it towards encouraging and helping my students. All in all, I'm pretty sure these kids know I love them. I daily pray about the goings on in my classroom and feel like I have been blessed in ways I wouldn't have if I hadn't asked for Heavenly Father's help. I truly have done the best I know how. So let's get a move on and send this year out the door!

$59 and a Really Wonderful Husband

2009-05-16T20:31:00.001-06:00

Today Danilo and I ran and grabbed a bite to eat for lunch. As we were leaving the restaurant, I noticed that ShopKo across the street was having a huge garden sale. I'd been wanting to go pick up some gerber daisies to put in a pot on our front porch, and when I mentioned that to Danilo, he said we could go take a look. As we walked in and saw tables and tables of trays of flowers, I started to get a little gardening bug. Long story short, a couple of stops and $59 later, we'd picked up everything we needed for our first flower garden, which has to consist of hanging baskets and flower pots when you have cement instead of a garden plot. Danilo was wonderful and I kept telling him he was as he followed me through the aisles and the greenhouses. We didn't forget a thing among the 40 pound bag of soil, the Miracle Gro, and my very first own trowel and gardening gloves. I think he felt like I did the time I followed him around RC Willey to find the best entertainment system. While he worked on homework, I sat on our porch and threw our little garden together. Once I got it all cleaned up, he came out and said all the right things about how pretty it looked. I go out every half hour just to look at it again and get all tickled inside. I think it's because I planned on being inside all day long doing the house cleaning routine and instead it turned into a beautiful outdoor Saturday in May. I'm also especially feeling grateful for Danilo this weekend. I had a co-worker and friend unexpectedly lose her husband this past week and it has given me a fresh perspective on how fragile life is and how grateful I am every time I get to be with him.

It'll Be So Cool Babe: Part II

2009-05-04T17:41:00.001-06:00

(If you haven't yet, see It'll Be So Cool Babe!)

DANILO: "So how much do you weigh these days?"

BRITTNEY: "I don't know, but you're sure looking fit!"

The Perfect Diet is no longer a joke. It was not merely a passing phase. Danilo dilligently goes to the gym five or six times a week, eats one helping at dinner, and keeps record of exactly how many cookies, bite-sized candy bars, single M&Ms etc. he's consumed each day. He's getting so stinkin' handsome (as if that had been an issue)! In the meantime his wife, whose torso is the current home of their unborn daughter, continues to see numbers on the scale that haven't ever appeared in that order before. Do we weigh the same? I'm not broadcasting that information online. :)

I'm Staying Home

2009-04-22T18:52:00.001-06:00

A few weeks ago, my principal visited my room during recess and said, "All right, girl. I've got to know what your plan is for next year." I had been anticipating this moment ever since the day I accepted my first teaching job knowing that when the first baby came along I would be exiting my career. "I'm going to go home and be a mom," I answered, relieved the second I said it that it was out. See, when my principal hired me, she made me feel like she felt lucky to have found me. In her eyes I saw her having visions of the type of asset I would be to our school in five or six years with all the first years of teaching bumps ironed out. That's why I didn't expect the response that came afterwards. "Good for you," she said. "Good for you." She went on to tell me that she didn't envy me for having to make such a tough decision and that the teaching career will still be there in 15 years or in 20 years or whenever I decide to come back. I hugged her as she started to tear up. As the news has gradually made its way through the building, I have been amazed at the support I have received from my fellow teachers. Anyone who has said anything is happy that I have chosen to stay home. I guess I just expected to have to stand my ground a little more. I have enjoyed working with great people. I plan to finish out the year strong and then get Gracie here so we can hug her and love her!