Monday, August 31, 2009

Gratitude

yesterday (Sunday) was our Stake conference and our Stake Presidency got reorganized! As much as I love the old presidency, I am excited about the new one too!! But I was overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude for all the things our old presidency has done for our stake these past 10 or 11 years. As I got thinking about gratitude, so many little things popped into my head!
Here are a few of them:

A mom who lets me have her freshly ground whole wheat to make waffles... and then comes over and eats them with me!

A sweet husband who takes awfully ugly pictures with me and laughs with me til we cry. And he lets me win at trivial pursuit :) we're nerdy I know

Hearing about friends' adventures and being able to live one of my own

The scriptures!!! This one should go on the top. I just re-energized by the scriptures and I love them so much!

Prayer

Our Mac... the best!

The music on Emily Peterson's blog. I always smile! I love you girl!!

An awesome family of in-laws who make me laugh and whom I love!

Having a body that can walk and run (sometimes...) hahah!

My family!

Anyone who reads my blog and leaves comments! I don't know why it makes my day but it does.

My husband... again!!

I love my life and am grateful for the gospel. It is my life and it has changed my life!!

Loves,
Em




Sunday, August 23, 2009

I love my hubby hey hey hey hey hey

I love Brig!! I wanted you all to know! Haha I am sitting here on my bed and I was looking at him and talking to him and I felt like writing about him!
Brigham is the kindest person I know. He has a sense of knowing what people need and how to make things better and how to communicate with others. And I need that in a companion because sometimes I'm not good at expressing my needs. But when you have a hubby that can practically read your mind?!?! That's awesome!!
He also makes me laugh sooooo much! I love that about him. His sense of humor fits mine perfectly and we have so much fun together! He is my best friend!!
So here's a short sweet post about my hubby!
I love you my best friend!!!
Loves,
Em

Monday, August 17, 2009

Back Home Again!

We are hoooommme!!!!!!! Haha and so happy about it! We were supposed to be driving on Sunday the 16th but Brig came home on Thursday and we just decided to hit the road on thursday!! We got home at around noon on friday. We unpacked and my wonderful Brigham did so much to clean up the house and get it organized while I went to breakfast with some friends. I love you honey!!!
I also wanted to do a little shout out to our families!

Nicolls- thank you SO much for making us feel at home again after we had been away! Especially Mama N, Papa N, Jen, and Cami. Thanks for smiling at me when you saw me :) that's all I needed to know you were happy we are back. Thank you for all your love and support! And for always making me laugh!

Ellsworths- Thank you for being excited to see us when we drove up! And for letting us come play softball (even though I stink :) ) We are so grateful for the house!! We love you!

Loves,
Em

PS I found out how to do pictures on this blog!!! hooray! Now I just have to take some cute pics :)

Friday, August 7, 2009

Just a Thought

I am sitting here at work and because the receptionist is not here, I am sitting up front doing her job which involves.... a LOT of nothing! So I thought I'd post. I know that probably no one enjoys reading abstract, random posts but this is more for me than anyone else. If you know me, I used to be a creative writing major and I LOVE to write and just talk... and talk and talk! So here are somethings I've been thinking about lately:

I just finished reading the watered down version of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People- it was the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens :) Brig got it for me because it was free at a garage sale and he said it works because I'm still a teen... very funny honey! Actually it was! So I read it because the real version scared me. Anyway, it was just jam-packed of AWESOME stuff and advice and things to be Highly Effective! But I found myself kind of floundering in a sea of awesome advice... and I didn't really know where to begin. I guess I just realized some things about myself. One of the things that really hit me hard was the section about keeping promises to yourself. These are important promises to keep but most of us, at least I, didn't really ever think about it that way. If you don't keep promises to yourself, such as getting up early and exercising or not eating chocolate for a week, then how are you EVER going to keep bigger promises to yourself such as being a good example for your kids or attending all 3 hours of church every single Sunday. We tear ourselves down every time we break a promise that we made to ourselves. And I am bad at that!!!!! And it tears me down!! And I didn't even know it!

Some other things the book made me think about:

Am I really a good listener? Do I judge people or give my advice when all they really want me to do is listen to them?

Do I let others share their ideas with me and do we work together for a better solution rather than thinking that my idea is the only way?

Do I do enough service for others? Actually that's not even a question, I know that I don't do enough.

Anyway, the point is I need to be better! Not for anyone else's sake but my own!

The next book I've begun reading is called The Holy Secret. We had a FHE lesson on it the other week. The teacher gave a quick summary of what it was about: a man leaves church early because a Sacrament meeting talk pierced his heart and he needed to go think. The talk was about loving things that are holy. We have been commanded to love the temple and the scriptures and the Sabbath day. But do we really?

I heard that and I know I needed to read this book. I have been needing help in this department to be honest with you. To a degree, I love the temple and the scriptures and the Sabbath but do I want to be in the temple more than any other place? Do I want to read the scriptures more than any other book? I don't think so. And that is a problem. I'm working on it :)

We're happy and blessed beyond measure! I love the church! Thanks for reading if you stuck it all the way through :) If you didn't, I don't blame you!
Loves,
Em

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Nicoll Reunion!

This last weekend was the Nicoll reunion at the ranch near Vernon, AZ! It was wonderful! Here are some of the highlights that I loved:
1- on the way up, it was just me, Brig, mama Nicoll, and papa Nicoll in the car and mama and papa gave me a geneology lesson from about 5 generations back! I love family history and loved learning about this new family of mine.
2- going through a session at the Snowflake temple. Beautiful!
3-taking a tour of the lower ranch... I was in heaven! I could stay there forever. Every time I go up north I realize how much I just love nature and how peaceful I feel when I'm there.
4- getting up to the upper ranch and seeing the fam for the first time in a few months! It was great to see everyone! Brig was most excited to see baby Katelyn who is not so much of a baby anymore! Getting so big!
5-walking to the pond and skipping rocks with Landon, Brig, Sim, and Jake... before we knew it was against the rules!! Sad day!
6- setting up camp and sleeping in the tent.. which was lopsided. I kept sliding into Brig!!! Uncomfortable but so fun!
7- Dessert! best thing ever :)
8- going on the horsey with little Rex. He was so wide-eyed! I love it!
9-throwing the frisbee around woth Kempe, Brig, Andrew, and Conrad!
10- sitting by the fire at night and just talking!
11- going to church in Vernon. Hearing lots of testimonies from little kids... so sweet :)
12- seeing my family at home for a few hours!! Ya!
13- missing our flight... oh man ahah

All in all it was a wonderful trip! I love the Nicolls!! Thanks for getting us up there!
Loves,
Em