"We are family...I got all my sistahs with me..."

Just a quick post about the great time I had at our ward Relief Society Social tonight! It was to celebrate the anniversary of the organization of RS in Nauvoo, Illinois, on March 17, 1842.

Our ward's theme for this year was from Ecclesiastes 3:1, "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven". The tables were decorated "seasonally", and the sisters were invited to sit at the tables according to their birth month.

There was an AMAZING dinner - salad, roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, green and yellow beans with carrots, homemade buns, and lumpia! And for dessert, a very yummy chocolate mousse! I have to admit, we ate a LOT!

After dinner was a great "fashion show", starring the ward Young Women. They modeled the "seasons in a woman's life collection" - from the white gown worn at baptism, to white wedding gowns, to "comfy" mom clothes! It was a great time and the YW did a fantastic job!

Having grown up as the only girl with three brothers, I am grateful for the many sisters I have been blessed with through YW and RS! I have learned so much from them all, older and younger sisters...and I didn't have to worry about any clothes missing from my closet! How thankful I am for the Young Women, and Relief Society organizations! Through them I have truly learned my worth and purpose as a woman!

A Beautiful Saturday!

Today was a GORGEOUS day -- filled with sunshine, blue skies...and above freezing temperatures! Oh, the JOY to know that another winter season is coming to an end! I was walking around outside, and didn't have to wear a coat! I had a sweater on, and it felt so AMAZING! I felt so much FREEDOM in not having to wear my bulky, down-filled jacket!

There were BIG puddles of melted snow and ice everywhere! I didn't even mind getting splashed by other vehicles (as long as I was inside my vehicle!). The only "problem" I encountered was that my rear window wiper wasn't working, and boy did I need it today! Oh well, I'll get it fixed on Monday!

Another big reason why today was so wonderful was because it was my niece Tori's baptism day! Our entire family was able to gather together for this important step in Tori's life! It's amazing to think that she's old enough to be baptized, the time has flown by! She was so lovely in her white dress! She was also quite the trooper when the ordinance had to be re-done a couple of times, due to the skirt of her dress popping up and not being completely immersed in the water! The water was also very cold! I think it'll help make this day very memorable!

I think my favorite part of the baptismal service was when all of my nieces, and Ethan got up to sing "I Am A Child of God"! It was so fun to watch the expressions on their cute faces, and so moving to hear their voices singing this beloved song! I am so grateful for the blessing of being their aunt! They bring me so much JOY!

My brother is a...SUPERHERO!

I'll bet you never knew that one of my brothers was a superhero! And not just any superhero, Captain America! He'll probably disown me for posting this pic (and possibly for revealing his "secret identity"), but I just wanted the world to know what an awesome brother I have!















Although the costume, boots, and shield have been retired, he's still got amazing powers that he uses every day! My favorite 3 are: he's a wonderful dad to three great children, he makes the BEST eggs benedict breakfast ever, and his huge heart is always generous to his friends and family! I hope he knows how proud I am to be his sister!

Happy Birthday James, you'll always be Captain America to me!

February Family Tributes

I've been meaning to write about my family...the people whom I most associate with bringing joy into my life! However, I wasn't sure how to go about such a monumental task. Then I had an idea, I will write about them as their birthdays come along ...as sort of a tribute!

I am already behind for the month of February, as three birthdays have already gone by! But, better late than never! Here it goes!

February 11 - My Lola Lourdes. We called her "Lola Pasig", because that was where she was from in the Philippines. She lived with us when she moved here from the Philippines. I shared a room with her from the time I was 8 years old until I was almost 15 and a half. I'm sure she didn't appreciate having a messy teenager as a roomie, but I can't recall she ever complained! She took care of me and my brothers, and was very protective. I remember her standing on our back step, calling for us to return, if we ever ventured too far away from our yard for her comfort. She was very kind and loving, and though she never really learned how to speak English, we knew that she loved us. It was difficult to watch as she was eventually overtaken by Alzheimer's disease, to look in her eyes and not see any recognition there. It's hard to believe that it's already been seven years since she passed away. I am grateful to know that I will see her again someday, and that she will no longer be hampered by age and disease. I look forward to that day!

February 14 - Auntie Nina...nee Valentina - for obvious reasons! She is my very talented in the sewing department aunt! She has been the one to bring to fruition many costumes and clothing I've designed. I am sorely lacking in the ability to sew, if I could make clothes with a glue gun or a stapler I'd be set! I truly admire and appreciate her patience and willingness to help me when such a need arises. We also had a fun time when we went to Las Vegas!

February 18 - My niece, Tori! I love this girl! She is so fun and has brought so much laughter and joy to my life! She is extremely photogenic...whether the picture is serious or not! She also has a beautiful singing voice, and is a true performer! She's a big HSM fan...and so is pretty easy to shop for! It's hard to believe that she is now eight years old! The time has gone by so quickly! I treasure the many memories I have with her, and I know that there will always be joy when she is around!

Winter Wonderland

I was delighted when I went to a youth skating activity yesterday morning, and the sunshine was glorious! There was still a bit of a cold wind, but seeing the cloudless and blue sky warmed my heart! It was so fun to be outside, to breathe the crisp air, to hear the laughter of the youth as they played an improvised game of "hockey/soccer" with a water bottle filled with ice and snow.

My favorite experience was skating down the trail and coming upon a father teaching his young son how to skate. The boy was shaky, scared to fall, but his dad had a secure grip on him, and with patience and gentle encouragement, was guiding him down the path. I came upon them again later, when I was skating back up the trail, and they were sitting on a bench to rest. The thought entered my mind that in a season or two, the boy would probably be racing his dad down the trail.

I will be the first to admit that I am not a "winter person". This winter has been a particularly tough one...FREEZING, FRIGID, BITTERLY COLD...have all been words I've used too frequently this year (and it's only mid-February!). I am grateful to have had an experience like yesterday to remind me that growth can occur when the ground is frozen. I am also grateful to have seen that father's love and patience in teaching his son. It was a wonderful day!

I found JOY in the journey on this path yesterday!

Let your light so shine...

Any time I can play with my craft tools is a good time! I was finally able to attempt a new craft project tonight! I used my Cricut machine to cut adhesive vinyl to decorate some votive candle holders! I used the Young Women/Young Men 2009 Mutual Theme as inspiration. It's found in 1 Timothy 4:12, "Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity," . It turned out pretty simple, but I'm pleased with the results! Not too bad for a first attempt!

"Music is what feelings sound like." - Author Unknown

I just finished reading another great post on a friend's blog! Yvonne's "Top Ten Things I Love : Letter L", included the musical, Les Miserables! As I was reading, I remembered how I felt the first time I'd ever heard the musical's soundtrack. I was not very familiar with the story, having never read the book, but I found the music to be so powerful that I wept. Now, I can be the sappy, sentimental (my dad says "semi-mental") type who chokes up during some commercials, but my reaction to the music of Les Mis was beyond the "sniffle" stage. My heart broke along with Eponine's as she sang, "...without me, his world will go on turning, a world that's full of happiness that I have never known....". I got goosebumps as the entire cast and chorus sang, "...tomorrow we'll discover what our God in heaven has in store, One more dawn, One more day...One day more!" Thankfully no one else was around to call the men with the "little white coats that fasten in the back"! Hahaha!

So now, years and years after the experience, I'm suddenly wondering why I reacted that way. What is it about some music that transcends the notes and lyrics on the page, and engages our minds and hearts so as to elicit such a powerful response? I'm sure I'm not the only one who's ever felt this way!

I came across this quotation, "Music washes away from the soul, the dust of everyday life." Perhaps that is why powerful music sometimes causes us to weep. Our tears are washing "the dust of everyday life" away from our souls. I am grateful for beautiful music that stirs my heart and brings me feelings of compassion, empathy, wonderment, love......JOY!

Besides Les Miserables, my "JOY playlist" would include songs from:

- Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (especially "Close Every Door", "Any Dream Will Do", "Song of the King")
- Women At the Well ("Close Enough to Touch", "He Came For Me")
- The Sound of Music ("Do Re Mi", "Eidelweiss")
- The Wizard of Oz ("Somewhere Over the Rainbow", "If I Only Had A Brain")
- Newsies ("Seize the Day")

...and so many more!!

Your turn to share...What are some favorite songs/music that bring you joy?

P.S. This was also partly inspired by Theresa's post about seeing Madama Butterfly for the first time in the Sydney Opera House!
P.P.S. Hooray...more than one post this week!