Dad & Des

This post is harder to write for me. It's always hard to write about your parents, isn't it? Mostly because there are so many things to say and so many ways that things could be interpreted. So, while you wish you could say all the things your brain is formulating, you also know that you don't want it to come out as word vomit and therefore have it be taken wrong. Let's see here.

My dad was born on Oct. 17th in Preston, ID and lived on a mink ranch for most of his childhood. Weird, right? Ah, well, there are some pretty awesomely soft coats from Grandma's closet that got passed down after she died that make the weirdness better when you wrap up in them and feel like you're in a cloud. He graduated from Preston High School and quite literally had a hair style similar to Napoleon Dynamite. Only, I honestly think that even Napoleon would be jealous. He rocked it that hard. :)

He was 26 when I was born and he and I were extremely close all the way through my childhood. If he had told me the sky was green, I would have punched any kid on the playground trying to tell me otherwise. He was always taking our family away on the weekend to go fishing, hunts, camping, etc. Most of my childhood memories with him are of the two of us shooting bow and arrow, camping, fishing, or just wrestling around the living room floor. It was a great time.

And now, my dad is married to my step mom, Desiree "Des". They got married when I was 18. She is one of the greatest cooks I know, has a great sense of humor and is probably the one woman in this world who knows how to love my dad the way he needs.

I get to work for her once a week and it has been so nice to be able to spend time at their house. She's teaching me simple (even though I think it's hard and she's a genius!) cooking tips and has been so great helping me out with things.

I know that my life has been so blessed because I've had them in it. I'm a lucky girl to have so many mothers and to have a relationship with my father when I know people who don't.

Don't judge, it was bright out there!

I'm pretty sure I was sassing him. I'm such an angel that way. :)

My Favorite Things: C

Wow, there are lots here. Let's just jump right in....

Canasta: This card game is probably my favorite. My mom, aunts and grandmother used to play it on Sundays when we would go down for Sunday Supper when I was little. I always wanted to play, but my mom said I had to wait til I was older. Then, I had some really great family friends many years ago that I went to visit every other week for church and Sunday dinner and we would sit around playing, giggling and laughing for hours. I miss those times. However, most recently, my wonderful Ann and I play together and we are sneaky and mischevious! Especially her. ;) She normally zings me just when I'm not expecting it and it makes my eye twitch. In fact, just as I was writing that sentence... my eye twitched in memory. Goodness. If you've never played, do it! It's addicitve and so much fun!



Chocolate: Oh my. I have had a love affair with chocolate my whole life. I love chocolate so much. Really, the best is milk chocolate, and I don't especially like stuff in it mucking it up (ie. nuts, carmel, etc). If it has to be mucked up, it has to be peanut butter (ie. Reese's). I love chocolate in just about any form. Truly. I have met very few chocolates I didn't like. Except white chocolate. That's Maren's department.

     

Coconut Flavoring & Scent: This is a generally recent discovery for me. I, for the longest time, hated all things coconut because I really don't like the texture of it. Then... dum da duh dummmmm..... Orange Leaf opened here in Idaho Falls and they constantly have coconut flavored frozen yogurt. It doesn't have chucks of coconut in it, it's just the flavoring. And it's delightful! I also have to say that there are few things that smell quite so fantastically fresh as coconut. Seriously. In shampoo, candles, hand soap, body spray... doesn't matter. It's like someone has bottled summertime. Truly fabulous!



Come Thou Fount (Of Every Blessing): This is my favorite hymn. However, it was taken out of the general Hymnbook in 1985. The first time I heard it was when I was in Seminary in high school and I remember feeling it in my chest and I started crying. It's an incredibly powerful song. I don't know what more to say about it other than it lifts me up when I'm feeling low. Music is so powerful that way.

Cinnamon: I love to use this spice. Mostly, I love it on toast or in cinnamon rolls. I'm such a sucker for cinnamon rolls. Or!!! I've recently discovered that it is so extremely grand with chocolate! Most of the time they call it Mexican chocolate when it's like that though. Mmm. My little sister, Laura, is allergic to it, and I think that if it were the same for me.... I might die. I'm not trying to be a drama queen either. I just might die. I love it so much. I love it so much, in fact, that it is the flavor of my toothpaste. :) I know... you're thinking I'm gross, just don't knock it until you try it!



Canada: OH. MY. GOODNESS. How I love Canada!! Mostly, my experiences with Canada come from my old roommate and sweet friend, Nadine, who is from Nova Scotia. She took me home in 2004 for two weeks to Whycocomaugh, Nova Scotia with her for the holidays and I was instantly hooked. Everything is super expensive up there, but otherwise, it's pretty fantastic.

Colors: Mostly, my favorite colors are green (in pretty much any hue you can find), pink and white. Green is so versatile and natural. Love that. I love it all over my house because it's so calming. I love it when I wear clothes that are green because it makes my eyes look more green. I just love it. Pink... well, I'm a girly girl. For anyone who doesn't know, I'll admit it. I am a girly girl. And girly girls love pink. Mostly, I prefer it in this ferocious watermelon hue, but I'll take it in any way I can get it too. And white, well, it's just so pure and clean and fresh. I love how I feel when I wear it, I love how clean your house looks when you use it in your decorations, and I love how throwing something white into a space automatically spruces it up and makes it look bigger. Love it.



Calla Lillies: One of my favorite flowers. I think mostly it's because they are so delicate, only last for a little while, and because of the aforementioned usage of white things in life. I love that they are so soft and unique in shape. I love that you have to use them as soon as possible after cutting them because they go brown so fast that you have to appreciate them and treat them right while you have the opportunity to use them. Plus, they make for stunning decorations if you can find a good quality velvet calla lily.



Castles: Again... here is a love affair that has been ongoing my whole life. I have always considered myself a princess. When I was younger, I once saw "A Little Princess" and there is a line where the main character said, "I AM a princess! All little girls are!" and I really took that to heart. I haven't given up on that either. So, this princess loves her castles. But, it's not just that. It's also the architecture involved in castles. There is so much history and architectural genious that goes into a castle. Someday... I'm going to go to Europe and tour as many as possible.



Country Music: It is so nice to have music on the radio that you don't mind picking up kids and throwing them into your vehicle. You don't hear about country artists getting shot on their front steps. You don't hear about them beating up their girlfriends or throwing chairs through windows. Yes, they have too many songs about drinking and their dogs or pickup trucks, but for the most part, you know if you turn on a country song, you aren't going to feel icky inside. I generally listen to music that makes me feel upbeat and good and country just does that for me. I love those songs where they talk about small towns, tractors, church on Sundays, and how much they love their wives, kids, nation, etc. It gets right to the heart of who I am.



Cheese: MMMMmmmmm.... the smooth, nutty flavor that explodes in your mouth.... MMMmmmm. I love cheese. In almost anything, cheese makes the dish better. I don't have words. MMMMmmmm. That's all I've got. :)

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (or The Church): I don't know where I would be without the morals, standards and beliefs of my church. I wouldn't be the person I am now, that is for sure and I would be scared to know what that other person would be like. But, it's not just that. It's the fact that I know my church to be true and that the teachings are of God. This church is His restored gospel on this earth. He may have used Joseph Smith's faith to restore it in it's fullness, but it is HIS church. Heavenly Father is at the helm. And it is through the teaching and beliefs that I know I will be able to return to live with Him and with my elder brother, Jesus Christ, again. How grateful I am for that knowledge every single day.