Do Over!

Happiness is being married to your best friend!

Okay, I call "do over" since I have not written on this blog in FOR-E-VER!
It's not that I am unhappy but perhaps because I have been busy BEING happy. But that's no excuse, so let's move on...
I can feel my life being blessed lately and I think it's because of many things, the foremost being that I have been working hard on blessings. Do you ever do that? We are promised that if we live right, we will receive blessings and if told that if we don't, we have no promise.
Well, I am happy to report - and give testimony to - the fact that I can see this working in my life.
I read a book once by a man who talked about "the universe" and how there is this thing about everything interacting with everything else. He even believed that when you give, the universe gives back. Hmm, how about that?
Yes, it is truth that no matter how you believe it, there is something about life, the universe and everything that adds up to more than 42. (That was for all you Hitchhiker's Guide fans). And I have seen it. I personally attribute it to my Heavenly Father and the laws of the universe under his direction. Choose your own way of believing, no matter what it is, but just believe it. There really is something about giving in this world that sends better things your way. And I know it.
Isn't it great to be alive and to know that when you do good out there that somehow it is making more good for everyone else and even sending some back your way?
I had a co-worker once who said she didn't think people were as good as many others thought they were. She believed that if one were to lose their wallet, it was gone forever. Most people would keep it or toss it. That's just the way it was. People were generally selfish and she was afraid of the world in general.
Now, this woman lived in a small town in the USA. It was a family-oriented place, full of people who were generally good Christians. She had never lived anywhere but there and yet she felt this way. Was it the news she watched? Was it just her attitude? I was always unsure about that. But one thing I did know: she was never truly happy. She always seemed to be nervous that something bad was going to happen, fretting that someone was out there waiting to attack her or a loved one. She lived in a little town with good people but she was afraid.
Now don't get me wrong. She was a good person, did service and even worked with children at an elementary school helping them improve their reading. But she just couldn't relax and enjoy life.
I, on the other hand, have lived in some big cities where you never spoke to your neighbors or got involved in their lives. I have seen selfish people on the freeway, on the streets, in the parks. But I have also seen someone I know lose something at the store and have it returned to them soon after. I have seen strangers help an old lady pick up something that was dropped or mothers look out for children they didn't know. I believe that people are generally good. I think they all want to be good but sometimes they are in circumstances that cause them to choose differently sometimes.
And I am almost always happy.
Attitude can affect us and the world around us. I think that maybe the universe also gives happiness to those who share it. Those who have positive outlooks tend to draw more positive energy back to them. It sure seems to happen that way, anyway. Take a look around you (or in the mirror?) and watch: those who are happy and have good attitudes tend to draw others to them. We are all creatures of light and we crave that happiness that we see in those people. When we make up our minds to see the world in a positive way, we are telling the universe that we are part of that energy and it feeds us as we use it.
Or - you can look at it this way as well - when God gives us a promise, he keeps it. We give good, we receive good. What an awesome concept!
So, wherever you come from - believer or not - choose to be happy! And if you haven't tried it yet, what are you waiting for? What's it going to hurt to try and be cheerful and nice to others?
Hey, there are some crummy people out there but even they can change. Besides, you have to know that there is that reality that not everyone is on the same plane. Some people haven't discovered how to be happy yet. And if you are aware that some are liars or bad people, just stay clear of any situations that might harm you. You don't have to be gullible.
And one last thing. Keep this motto in mind: If you loan a friend twenty dollars and you never see that person again, it was worth the twenty dollars!
Keep on smilin'!

A New Beginning

Things are starting over for Shauna as she once again moves home and tries to get on with life. I find myself a little envious of some of the things she has but then I remember the heartaches she has been through and the tough life she has had over the past seven years and I realize I am very blessed to have a secure relationship with a man who loves me more than anything. In that I am very fortunate. I'm glad it's that way, not only for me, but for her as well. She can come home to a loving family and secure home when she needs to. I pray every day that she will be able to find the right guy some day and have a great relationship at last.
We traveled to Seattle this last weekend to pick her up and move her home. Lee, Jacob, Matt and Lylia went with us and we spent a fun, sunny day in Seattle after packing up. Sunday was a long drive home (15 hours) but we made the most of it and had a few fun stops.
Shauna got an apartment yesterday and we moved her in last night. She will be getting a job soon at a bakery so she can finish her hours for school and still get credit. She will apply to BYUI and hopefully finish up a degree.
Lylia only has about 6 weeks left with us and I don't want to think about sending her home. She's just like one of the family and I don't want to give her back! But I'm sure her family in Brazil is looking forward to getting her back so I will make sure she gets on that plane, hard as it will be. Her mom is coming out here in a couple weeks for graduation. Then we will take them on a tour of Idaho and Utah. We wish we could take them to California as well but time and money are a little short.
Lee and I are so happy to be living here, even though Rexburg isn't the prettiest place. Or warmest. But it has been a blessing to live near Robert and Michelle again and to have their family nearby. We enjoy that. Plus we have some good friends here now and we like our home. Things are going pretty good, thanks to the Lord. We sure miss our friends in Utah and California but the internet is a blessing when it comes to keeping in touch with people. Besides, everyone keeps sending their kids to BYUI so we have many excuses to see them, or at least their children. We feel like we are in touch when we see all these kids.
Well, back to the same ol' stuff. Post a comment once in awhile so I know you're still alive!

Just keep swimmin'...

Well, it's been an eventful month with more than a fair share of events from great to sorrowful. What has mostly been on my mind is that I've had to help my daughter through another heartbreaking marriage and divorce. I am so sad for both of them but I know things will turn out all right, at least for my daughter. She has been practicing faith and turning to the Lord for help and He is guiding her and giving her strength. I have to admit this can be pretty tough for me as well but as her mother I know I can help her through this.
With summer on the way I have been feeling much more upbeat. I love the longer days and the warming of the climate. I am really looking forward to floating down the river, camping at Yellowstone, and having bonfires in our backyard. Lee planted irises today and we are starting to prepare for a garden and putting in some flowers around the house. Oh how I love this time of year!
Tyler has a girlfriend and she is just the cutest girl. She fits in with our family and is a very happy, loving person. I wouldn't mind at all if they got real serious ... :)
I made my first wedding cake for someone who wasn't my daughter! And it was so much fun. A friend of a friend, the bride wanted a lemon cake with raspberry filling and fondant on the top. It turned out great. And I did the serving cake as well, which I was told everyone raved over. That made me feel good! I think I will do this more often!
It's craft fair time and my friend Sarah and I did our first one last weekend. We are doing another one this coming weekend. I enjoy keeping busy with my crafts and will probably always do at least one craft fair every year, just to keep myself busy.
The happiest part of all is that Lee and I still love each other more than anything in the world. How is it that two people can love each other more after 26 years than when they were so head-over-heels at first? Somehow all the trials we've been through together and all the events we have enjoyed together have made us closer and now I can't even imagine what life would be like without him. Thanks, Leebert, for making me the happiest woman on earth. You are a wonderful man!

What a Week!

Okay, so I decided to do a before and after session and this is it. I look much better after, that's for sure! How does Lee even like me when I have no makeup on? Bleck!

We got a letter today telling us when Lylia goes home and even though that isn't until June 29, it still seems like it will happen too soon! We will sure miss her. She is such a sweetie.
Darci is moving home again. Just for a couple months. She needs to save some money to move back to Provo. So it will be fun having my little social butterfly back home for awhile.
Tyler got accepted to BYU-I and will start classes in April. His friend Katrina will be back then, as well, so he will be quite busy...
Things are going well for me in my Mary Kay business because I decided to put some effort into it. I went to a career conference in Salt Lake and got all fired up. Now I feel like I know a little more and can really get going. That's always a good thing - to feel well educated and more confident. Now to just start getting out there more...
I finally finished the "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" book and it was all right. The author changed a few things about the story and added in the whole zombie element so it's kind of funny but at the same time, I'm not sure a teenage boy would want to read all the other parts of the story (because it's a love story) so I don't know who he geared it for since teenage boys are the only people who like zombies. Hmmm. Well, it was fun. A lady I work with on the PTO board didn't like it. So there are two opinions for ya.
Well, have a good week and keep on smiling. Every day is the best day of your life!

MMMmmmmm! Ice Cream!

Okay, everyone join me in eating an ice cream sandwich! Come on, it's yummy! And it's really not much to worry about, it's just one little treat... So this week I am thankful for ice cream. Of course, you all know that Wahlquist means "ice cream lover or ice cream maker" right?
What I am really appreciative of this week, though, is my husband. You may get tired of hearing about him from me, but every day I have something new to be grateful for when it comes to him. He is the best thing to happen to me and I can't help but brag!
He has been keeping the budget and doing the bills and I sure wish we could have gotten to this point a looooooong time ago because we would probably have more money saved up if we had. But he has been so good at doing the bills and taking care of things and I'm just so *sniff* proud of him! And he has also been good about being the dad and making sure we have family night and family prayer. We sure are blessed! It's amazing how, when you keep the commandments and counsel of our Heavenly Father, blessings just pour out! Thanks, Lee Allen, for taking good care of me and our family! You are AwEsOmE! I love you. And that's all you need to know...

Skipper!

Yeah, I know, I skipped a week again. But I was sick so it wasn't really my fault. :) You know, it seems like it would be hard to be happy when you're sick but I managed. I wasn't happy about being sick or that I couldn't go to Curves or that I was coughing a lot, but I was still pretty happy about me. I mean, I'm here, I've got a great family and a great home and friends. What's not to be happy about? And thanks to the internet, I was still able to keep in touch with people and not get them sick. Ha! Anyway, this week I am back to working out and all my usual stuff so I feel human again. Yes, I did feel like an alien while I was sick. But I read "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies." Okay, that is an interesting book. The author (the one besides Jane Austen) takes out a lot of the extra frivolous speech from the original (which is a good thing - Ms. Austen gets long winded!) and adds in a zombie element that my boys would all love - except that it is "Pride and Prejudice" so they will probably never read it. I'm not a big zombie fan - I could do without the gore - but it's kind of funny. I'm almost to the end so I'll let you know how that goes...
Well, have a great week everyone. I'm going to! Oh, and if you want to know some fun movies, here's a few I watched while I was quarantined: 17 Again (cute!), All About Steve (Loved it!), My Life In Ruins (made me cry, it was excellent! I actually watched it like 3 times!)

Craziness Approved!

I love this Quikcam! I can just sit down at the computer, snap a photo, and post it. Woot! 

Update:

*I still feel great. I've lost 2 1/4 pounds and 3 inches so far and I am taking supplements that help me feel so much more energetic because I am actually getting some nutrition. Well, it helps that I eat a little better as well.

*I just completed probably the best novel I've ever written and I am tickled to have it done! It's an LDS romance, you can check my Author Denise blog on updates on that one. I started a new book that should be just as fun. It's got some funny stuff in it.

*I'm not even close to being a grandma yet but I am practicing. I usually steal my neighbor Natalie's baby Michael during Sacrament meeting and sometimes during Relief Society. This is fun! I can't wait to have grandkids. I was just thinking about that last night and planning sing alongs and story times and hikes... I even remembered a silly song this morning that I should probably write down so I don't forget it! I'm getting anxious... :)

*I am always finding great stuff that is so positive! While substituting a high school English class in Nephi I found this one that the teacher had posted on her wall. I liked it because it fit exactly how I always feel about my friends. It's from C.S.Lewis. "In friendship we think we have chosen our peers. In reality, a few years' difference in the dates of our births, a few more miles between certain houses, the choice of one university instead of another ... the accident of a topic being raised or not being raised at the first meeting - any of these chances might have kept us apart. But, for a Christian, there are, strictly speaking, no chances. A secret Master of Ceremonies had been at work. Christ, who said to his disciples, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you," can truly say to every group of Christian friends, "You have not chosen one another but I have chosen you for one another." The friendship is not a reward for our discriminating and good taste in finding one another out, it is the instrument by which God reveals to each the beauties of the others."

*Special note on that: I tell Lylia all the time that God sent her to us. Otherwise, why would I have felt inspired to stop and talk to those exchange student girls last year as we passed their table? Why would I have felt the need to have a girl in our home when we have teenage boys? Why did we choose the Brazilian over the girl from the Netherlands, one of my ancestral homes? And why does everyone think she is my actual daughter? God knew we needed each other. I am so thankful for her and her family. I now feel connected to more of the world!