Today’s prompt:

List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.

I’m choosing to list people I’ve actually met. Of course there are people that have influenced me beyond that scope, but then the list just gets too long.

1. My mom. Does this need much explanation? She taught me to love reading, music, and art. I hope I have inherited some of her wit. Her love gave me such security as a child and continues to do so now that I’m an adult. I owe so much to my mom.

2. My dad. Again–kind of self-explanatory. My dad also passed on a love of reading and study. He taught (and continues to teach) me about faith and the power of testimony. Where would I be without my dad?

3. Bryce. Duh. He influences me every single day. Because of his presence in my life, I’ve learned about everything from budgeting to ballroom dance to temple worship. His influence encourages me to always reach for the better person inside myself.

4. Amelie. She teaches me to be more gentle and more sensitive. She was my first introduction to the miracle of motherhood and remains a treasure in my life.

5. Calder. He teaches me to have a little more fun and to not stress about the little things. Calder influences me because his personality is quite different from mine. As his mother, it is a great learning experience.

6. Easton. He reminds me that this life is meant to be lived with joy and excitement.

7. Liam. This baby influences me by reminding me that this life is a gift. He teaches me about love.

8. Janae. One of my good good friends, Janae has taught me the importance of being honest with yourself and with others. She shows me how to strive to do what’s right for your family, even if your choices might seem curious to others. She teaches me about commitment and faith.

9. My sisters in-law. I’m allowed to group people. This is my blog, after all. Since I have 7 of them, they would have taken up my whole list! A word about each. Jill teaches me about sacrifice and charity. Nicole teaches me about listening and friendship. Sarah teaches me about kindness and faith in Heavenly Father’s plan for each of us. Stephanie teaches me about finding the life that makes you happy. Michelle teaches me about loyalty and service. Christy teaches me about the power of women and getting things done. Angela teaches me about the importance of humor and choosing hope. I could say much more about each of these remarkable women, but this will have to suffice for now.

10. My mother and father in-law. I count it a blessing to have been adopted by Mark and Brenda by marriage. From them, I learn about generosity, integrity, and joy in family.

I could add so many more to this list. So many friends and loved ones that influence me every day of my life. What a blessing all of these associations are.

Okay, so Bryce often gets spam comments on his websites. Wikipedia defines spam as “the use of is the use of electronic messaging systems to send unsolicited bulk messages, especially advertising, indiscriminately.” Also, spam usually makes no sense at all. It’s horribly hilarious. 

Well, the other day, Bryce read me a recent bit of spam and I thought it would be funny to turn it into a poem. Turns out, I’m not the first one to think of doing this. It’s called spoetry. Anyway, here’s some spoetry I whipped up to make Bryce laugh. I hope it makes you giggle, too.

Today’s prompt:

What are five of your passions?

1. Motherhood. I might not always be the best mom, but I am always trying to be a better mom. There’s probably nothing I think about more, or that consumes more of my time, than my role as a mother. It’s an eternal project, so I expect it will be a passion of mine for a very long time. I know that the work I do as a mother is important and I am passionate about working toward becoming the mother I know I can be.

2. Education. I am passionate about my children’s education. This is probably why I’ve tried so many options–homeschooling, charter school, private school. I enjoy reading about different educational theories. I am passionate about giving my children the optimal environment for learning and growing.

Some of my education books.

3. Self-Improvement. I am convinced that I can make choices that will refine me into a better person each day. Whether its motherhood, health, homemaking habits, gospel study, or budgeting, I am constantly trying to improve my choices. Constantly failing, as well, but at least I’m trying.

4. Books. I adore reading and I am having so much fun introducing my children to some of my favorite books. We’re currently reading The BFG together. I admire writers who dedicate so much time and effort into crafting their stories. I love words and when someone puts together a particularly fine string of them, I’m in heaven. I enjoy writing and playing around with words. I’m like a mathematician with his beloved numbers, eager to find the most elegant solution to the problem of communication. I love how books create this third space between an author’s imaginings and a reader’s mind. Books, what we write and what we read, tell us so much about culture and society. Love them.

5. Eternity. When you believe, as I do, that this life is but a small fraction of existence, that we existed before this life and that we will continue to exist eternally after this life–well, it changes everything. My passion for eternity informs how I raise my children, how I interact with Bryce, how I choose to worship, and how I see my spirit and my soul. It impacts everything, really. I am passionate about living this life so that I can spend eternity with those I love.

The next prompt for me, Bryce, of things that my kids should know about me, is to “Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and how they became fears.”

This is an interesting one. We don’t usually like entertaining, let alone describing, our fears. We like to tuck them tightly away where we can safely ignore them. Our fears make us uncomfortable. They cause us stress and anxiety. But it’s good to know what they are in any case, so that we might deal with them, and eventually overcome them.

Ok, enough with the platitutdes.  Here are three of mine: Continue reading →

Today’s prompt:

What’s your dream job and why?

My dream job, huh? I guess this is assuming I could have this dream job and still be a mother. Being a mother has horrible hours, non-existent pay, and the clients are so demanding! In spite of all that, it’s probably the most rewarding job I can think of. But if I could have any job other than being a mom, I think I’d like to be a florist. Dream jobs are supposed to be kind of out there, right? I mean, I have no experience with floral design of any sort. Here’s what I think I’d like about it:

*It would be a good combination of social interaction and quiet time. I enjoy working with people and chatting–I liked this part of my job as a reference student at the BYU library. But in my dream flower shop, I’d also have some quiet time. Just me and some lovely flowers, music playing in the background.

*The cute shop, of course! A little bell that jingles whenever the door opens, pretty pastel palette, cute decor. Maybe I could sell some items brought in by local artisans. And lots and lots of flowers.

*I’d bring a smile to people’s faces. People would be happy to be in there picking out flowers for a loved one or for some fun gathering and there would be happy people on the receiving end, too, even if I couldn’t see them.  I’m happy when I’m helping and this might be a fun way to serve. And I can’t help but think that my spirits would be lifted, being in my own little shop surrounded by flowers.

Now don’t go bursting my bubble with all the realities. I don’t want to worry about the finances, or the grumpy customers, or the logistics of owning a shop. This is my dream job, remember?

I could call it Pansy Pearl Flowers after my grandmother (Pansy Pearl Kent) and my daughter (Amelie Pearl). Cute and alliterative.

Maybe I should take a floral arranging class some day…